U.S. Jury Acquits Russian On Charges He Lied To FBI Over Steele Dossier Reuters
U.S. Jury Acquits Russian On Charges He Lied To FBI Over ‘Steele Dossier’ – Reuters https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/u-s-jury-acquits-russian-on-charges-he-lied-to-fbi-over-steele-dossier-reuters/
WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – A Russian researcher who contributed explosive details to a document dubbed the “Steele dossier” that alleged ties between former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign and Russia was acquitted by a jury on Tuesday on charges that he lied to the FBI about the sources of his information.
Igor Danchenko’s acquittal in federal court in Washington dealt another blow to Special Counsel John Durham, who was appointed in 2019 by Trump-era Attorney General William Barr to investigate the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” probe into whether members of Trump’s campaign had colluded with Russia.
Jurors acquitted Danchenko on four charges. The judge in the case earlier had thrown out a fifth charge.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
“While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service,” Durham said in a statement.
In another trial of a defendant charged by Durham, a jury in Washington in May acquitted Michael Sussmann, an attorney for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, of charges that he lied to the FBI when he passed along a later-discredited tip about possible communications between Trump’s business and a Russian bank.
Danchenko, a Russian-born researcher who resides in Northern Virginia, was indicted by Durham’s office in 2021 on five counts of making false statements to FBI agents in 2017 about the sources of information he provided to former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
His attorneys argued that the indictment was baseless, saying their client’s answers to the FBI’s often “ambiguous” questions were “literally” true and not material.
For instance, Danchenko was accused of misleading the FBI by claiming he never “talked” to Charles Dolan, a Democratic operative and public relations executive, about anything in the Steele dossier, when in fact they had communicated in writing.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga said last week he agreed with the defense, and he dismissed one of the five charges against Danchenko related to his communications with Dolan.
The judge allowed the other four charges to be decided by the jury. Those charges accused Danchenko of lying to the FBI by claiming he had spoken to Sergei Millian, the former president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce, to gather information later used in the dossier.
Danchenko’s lawyers maintained their client received an anonymous call from a person who Danchenko suspected was Millian, but he told agents he was not certain it was him.
Steele was hired by a U.S.-based research firm called Fusion GPS, which in turn was retained by Sussmann’s law firm on behalf of Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee to dig up dirt on Trump. The dossier contained salacious details about Trump, many of which have never been substantiated.
Trenga placed strict limits on what Durham’s team could present as evidence to the jury, including ruling that the scandalous allegations about “Donald Trump’s alleged sexual activity” in a Moscow hotel were off limits, finding they were not direct evidence and their relevancy was questionable.
An investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general later found that the FBI improperly continued to rely on unsubstantiated allegations in the Steele dossier when it applied for court-approved warrant applications to monitor the communications of Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser.
A former FBI attorney, Kevin Clinesmith, was later prosecuted by Durham and pleaded guilty to falsifying a document used in the law enforcement agency’s warrant applications.
Another special counsel, Robert Mueller, conducted an investigation that documented contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russians, but his final report concluded there was not enough evidence to establish that the campaign had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Will Dunham, Scott Malone and Tim Ahmann
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Rowan Innovation Venture Fund Backs Tech Startup, MRIMath, LLC – Rowan Today https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/rowan-innovation-venture-fund-backs-tech-startup-mrimath-llc-rowan-today/
The Rowan Innovation Venture Fund has made a $200,000 investment into MRIMath, LLC, a Rowan University-affiliated startup that uses artificial intelligence to dramatically improve the detection of brain tumors—as much as three years earlier than the standard of care.
The medical technology company was co-founded in 2017 by Dr. Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, professor of electrical & computer engineering and associate dean for research and graduate studies at Rowan University, and Dr. Hassan Fathallah-Shaykh, a neuro-oncologist and mathematician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham – School of Medicine.
Established in 2014 by the Rowan University Foundation to support entrepreneurship and innovation within the Rowan community, the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund provides capital funding to assist faculty, students, alumni and staff with commercializing their products and services and provides an opportunity to invest in Rowan-generated technologies, intellectual property, inventions and businesses.
MRIMath, LLC, earlier received support from the National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program (Phases I and II), the National Science Foundation, the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and the Innovate Alabama award. Now in the testing phase of development, MRIMath is working to get its AI platform, called i2Contour, into commercial use.
“By using AI, physicians can identify conditions much quicker, promoting early intervention and saving lives while cutting costs,” Bouaynaya said.
The Rowan Innovation Venture Fund views MRIMath’s technology as “an innovative solution to a significant problem in a sizable market,” said Ernest D. Holtzheimer, the fund’s managing director.
“Nidhal and her co-founder, Hassan, have developed exciting AI technology that will help physicians make more reliable treatment decisions and improve patients’ lives after treatment,” Holtzheimer said. “They’ve also established a well-respected team with the scientific and business experience and connections that will be needed to take their company to the next level—and they have proven that their team is coachable and willing to take advice from their investors and advisers, which is a quality we look for in all of our potential investment opportunities.”
The Rowan Innovation Venture Fund has backed a dozen companies since its inception, including, among other Rowan-affiliated companies, ReGelTec, founded by Provost Tony Lowman; Ocumedic, founded by Dr. Mark Byrne, founding head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Arke Aeronautics, founded by three Rowan alumni.
The fund also supports the annual Rowan Idea Challenge student competition and has partnered with the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to establish a Seed Opportunity Fund in support of first-generation and underrepresented aspiring entrepreneurs. To date, the fund has invested more than $2.3 million into companies founded by Rowan students, faculty and alumni.
Recent High School Grad Fatally Shot During altercation Between Cars In Washington New York Post
Recent High School Grad Fatally Shot During ‘altercation’ Between Cars In Washington – New York Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/recent-high-school-grad-fatally-shot-during-altercation-between-cars-in-washington-new-york-post/
A recent high graduate was shot dead during a confrontation between two cars on a Washington roadway Saturday night.
Jatzivy Sarabia, 18, was struck by a bullet while riding inside one of the cars near Highway 397 in East Kennewick around 11:45 p.m., the Benton County Sherriff’s Office said.
Emergency responders performed life-saving measures at the scene, but the teen died of her injuries, according to the sheriff.
Investigators believe a person from the other car fired into the vehicle Sarabia was a passenger in.
The two vehicles had gotten into “some sort of altercation resulting in shots being fired,” the sheriff’s office said.
“One vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and the other vehicle was seen driving north on SR 397 towards the cable bridge,” the office said in a news release.
At least one shot was fired at that moment, according to dispatch reports cited by the Tri-City Herald.
Investigators are still working to determine what occurred during the altercation between the two cars of people, but don’t believe it was a case of road rage, the sheriff’s office told People.
No arrests have been made.
Jatzivy Sarabia had graduated from Hanford High School in June and was just months away from starting school to become a radiology technician.
GoFundMe
Sarabia’s mother, Kimberly Sarabia, told local CBS affiliate KEPR that she believes her daughter was with the wrong crowd on the night she was killed.
“I don’t know why they would do that to her,” Kimberly said.
“Watch your babies and know who they’re with and talk to them,” she added. “I talked to her, but you just never know.”
The teenager had graduated from Hanford High School in June and was set to start school in January to become a radiology technician.
“She was really excited about that,” her mother told KEPR. “She was also getting her first credit card. She was just excited about life.”
Sarabia was described on a GoFundMe page as the “big sister” of the house who was always taking care of everyone’s needs.
Jatzivy Sarabia was shot dead Saturday night after a gunman fired shots into the car she was riding in, striking her.
jatzivy.sarabia/Facebook
“Jatzivy was a beautiful person inside and out,” her cousin Jamie Harbert wrote in the fundraising page description.
She said Sarabia loved to do hair, makeup and lashes and considered attending cosmetology school but decided radiology would offer her a better future.
“She loved her friends. She loved music. As a child, she was obsessed with Beyoncé, even wearing out the CD,” Harbert said. “Jatzivy enjoyed playing sports throughout her childhood, volleyball, cheer and played soccer for Hanford High. She worked extremely hard to graduate, she was the pride of her family.”
The teen’s mom said she was well-loved.
“I’m not the only one who lost her,” Kimberly said. “A lot of people loved her, so I don’t grieve alone.”
MacAdam: Marathon Debut Will Be No Sight-Seeing Tour For Udvadia The Daily Gazette
MacAdam: Marathon Debut Will Be No Sight-Seeing Tour For Udvadia – The Daily Gazette https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/macadam-marathon-debut-will-be-no-sight-seeing-tour-for-udvadia-the-daily-gazette/
ALBANY – “OK, let’s go, c’mon!”
“Don’t you wanna look at the Grand Canyon?”
Clark Griswold puts his arm around his wife Ellen, looks at the Grand Canyon for a moment, then hustles his family out of there in a classic quick scene from “Vacation.”
Cara Udvadia will have a similar frame of mind on Oct. 30, and the venue will be the vast panoply of monuments and landmarks around Washington, D.C.
Presumably, she won’t be on the run from the law like Clark Griswold was. But she won’t be dawdling to soak in the gravitas of Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol, either.
The 25-year-old former star distance runner at Mohonasen High School and UAlbany is making the big jump to the marathon distance for the first time, and has given herself an ambitious but attainable finish goal of 2:50 at the 47th Marine Corps Marathon.
More: All Sports | Everything Rotterdam
The UAlbany record holder in the 10,000 meters who won the MVP Health Care Stockade-athon 15k last year and in 2019 has visited D.C. just once, on a family vacation when she was in middle school. She’s looking forward to a marathon debut in which her wristwatch won’t be the only source of engagement.
“It’s a pretty cool spot. I think it’ll hopefully help take my mind off the pain at some point,” she said with a laugh during a phone interview last Thursday.
Udvadia, who married former UAlbany teammate Ryan Udvadia this year and works as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, has been training for the Marine Corps Marathon for four months while coached by her father, Mohonasen cross country coach Bill Sherman.
Cara believes she’s well-equipped for Oct. 30 based on how her overall training has progressed, which has included a long run of 22 miles five weeks ago and another 22-miler the second week of October.
The first one was a valuable revelation; the recent one went much better.
“That’s probably the first time throughout this training block that really opened my eyes to how challenging the marathon can be,” she said. “And I wasn’t having a great day. I knew from the start of that run, I don’t know what it was, but I was feeling a little bit tired.
“It was a huge mental challenge from about 15 miles on. I was really struggling. I had Ryan on the bike with me. He was super-supportive, and that helped, for sure. I don’t know if I could’ve made it through without him.”
“I told her, I remember when I was preparing for my first marathon, they always say the halfway point of that 26-mile race is the 20-mile mark,” said Bill Sherman, who has run nine marathons. “And it’s true. I was like, that’s a bunch of baloney, and I ran it and was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’
“She had a 20-miler a few weeks before and she said Dad I felt great, I’m ready, I think I could’ve done 26.’ She went to 22 and was like, ‘I think I understand what you were talking about at the halfway point.’”
To hit her target time, Udvadia will have to maintain a 6:29 mile pace.
More: All Sports | All UAlbany
She posted the same time, 54:24, in her two Stockade-athon victories, which is a 5:51 pace for 9.3 miles, and in some shorter races this year, she has run sub-6:00 pace in the Firecracker 4 (23:33 for four miles) and Malta 10k (36:28) on Sept. 10.
To get a taste of a race longer than the Stockade-athon, Udvadia ran the Helderberg-to-Hudson Half Marathon in April, and won it in 1:17:01, a 5:53 pace, before she had begun her serious training block for the Marine Corps.
“I always knew that I would eventually move up [in distance],” she said. “After I finished running competitively in college last year, I felt like I needed some time to catch my breath and took a little down time and then spent some time road racing. This year, I felt like I was ready to make the jump.
“I decided to take it kind of slow and started with a half marathon with the mindset that that would be setting me up for a fall marathon. It was a good experience. It was tough, jumping up in distance.”
The popular Capital Region 26.2-miler, the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon on Oct. 9, was a logical spot for her debut, but Udvadia chose to get out of town, and there is some family history at the D.C. race, too.
Ryan, who is also in good shape and will race Marine Corps, had run it with his grandfather.
“I really wanted to do one that was not in the area for my first one,” Cara said. “A marathon’s a long distance, and doing it in a familiar area, I didn’t want to get bored, if that makes sense.
“I wanted to also race some new people and challenge myself with that. Ryan told me good things about it. I wanted to look for something that would definitely push me, and other women to run with was really important to me. Looking at the past results, it definitely fit the bill. It looked like I would be in the mix, but definitely by no means the fastest. I felt like that would be a good way to push myself.”
The women’s winner at Marine Corps typically runs in the 2:40s, and former Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake star Sam Roecker won the MHR Marathon in 2:52:17.
The Marine Corps Marathon starts and finishes in Arlington, Virginia, crosses two bridges over the Potomac River and passes many of the iconic tourist sights in Washington.
The course is mostly flat, but has some uphill in the early miles and another hill that begins a gentle ascent at the Mile 21 mark and gets steeper in Mile 23.
The learning process is two-fold for Udvadia this year, how to train for a marathon, and how to race one.
“That’s funny,” she said, when told that her father described her target time as “aggressive.” “It’s hard for me to say. Obviously, I never ran a marathon before, and I don’t want to underestimate it, because I know it’s going to be extremely challenging.
“But I think it’s very do-able if I run smart in the beginning and don’t go out too fast. I know he thinks it’s more aggressive than I probably do, but he’s also more experienced with marathoning than I am, so I definitely learned some lessons during training, doing long runs past where I’ve gone before. It made me realize that it’ll be harder than I expect, probably, so it’s good to go in prepared for that.”
“Her training has been going really well, and she seems really strong,” Bill Sherman said. “I think it’s a lot to manage when you’re all of a sudden working full-time.
“She’s got a pretty aggressive goal for this first one. I think it’s aggressive, and if she can do it, it’s going to be amazing. I have her at certain pacing for her tempo runs, and she says, ‘Dad, it feels so slow,’ but you’re doing 12 miles of tempo. All the pacing is based on her goal time. And it’s going well, but you don’t know until you step on the line and cross the finish line.”
Balancing time-consuming marathon training with a full-time job is also part of the challenge for Udvadia.
She and Ryan live in Clifton Park, and her work with the USGS occasionally requires travel to all corners of the state to collect water samples for lab analysis.
“It’s also held me accountable to take a day off every week, which I usually follow that type of plan,” Cara said. “This has forced me to do that. When you work a 12-plus-hour day, it’s hard to find time to run, so if that happens once a week, it’s not a bad thing for my training, to be honest.”
Udvadia said she’ll run the Stockade-athon again on Nov. 13 as long as it doesn’t present a risk of injury while she recovers from Marine Corps.
She’s committed to her new distance, though, and, based on her training and affinity for longer distances, the Oct. 30 race will be anything but a sight-seeing opportunity.
“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’ve been able to hit the pace, no problem, in training, so I think when race day comes around, I’ll have been resting up a little bit the week before and my legs will probably feel better than they do on an average day, with the race atmosphere,” she said..
“I find that the first time I do a new workout or distance or a new race, it’s a lot more challenging the first time. I’m trying to keep that in mind for the first time I race the marathon, knowing it’s probably not going to go smoothly.
“But I’ll have plenty more tries after this.”
CATCHING UP WITH …
… The Evans family.
Shaun, Nichole, Shamus and Simon Evans had a book signing at The Open Door in Schenectady on Sept. 25, so I swung down there to pick up a copy of Shaun’s account of their cross-country adventure in 2015 in which he pushed Shamus in his jogging stroller 3,205 miles from Seattle to Pelham Bay in the Bronx.
“Better Together” was a fun, inspiring read, not just for the remarkable feat by Shaun and Shamus, but the logistical challenges the entire family faced to not only make it happen, but to make it an impactful exercise in charity, awareness and inclusion.
Along the way, they donated wheelchairs to disabled kids in 15 states as representatives of Ainsley’s Angels.
TALKING TURKEY
Registration is open for the wide range of Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Day races, including the Troy Turkey Trot, Christopher Dailey Turkey Trot in Saratoga Springs and Ellis Medicine Cardiac Classic in Schenectady.
The 75th Troy Turkey Trot includes races at 5k and 10k. You can sign up at TroyTurkeyTrot.com.
The fee is $35 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, at which point it increases.
The Christopher Dailey Run is a 5k, and you can sign up for $27 at christopherdaileyfoundation.com.
Online registration closes at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 22. There is last-chance in-person registration at the Saratoga Hilton from 4-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
Registration for the Cardiac Classic is available at www.ellismedicine.org/cardiac-classic/ and is $25 through Monday, after which the fee goes up to $30.
STOCKADE-ATHON
For non-Hudson M...
Family: Saudis Sentence US Citizen To 16 Years Over Tweets 69News WFMZ-TV
Family: Saudis Sentence US Citizen To 16 Years Over Tweets – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/family-saudis-sentence-us-citizen-to-16-years-over-tweets-69news-wfmz-tv/
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An American citizen has been arrested in Saudi Arabia, tortured and sentenced to 16 years in prison over tweets he sent while in the United States, his son said Tuesday.
Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old retired project manager living in Florida, was arrested last November while visiting family in the kingdom and was sentenced earlier this month, his son Ibrahim told The Associated Press, confirming details that were first reported by the Washington Post. Almadi is a citizen of both Saudi Arabia and the U.S.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi officials.
State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel, speaking to reporters in Washington, confirmed Almadi’s detention Tuesday.
“We have consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government, both through channels in Riyadh and Washington DC as well and we will continue to do so,” he said. “We have raised this with members of the Saudi government as recently as yesterday.”
It appeared to be the latest in a series of recent cases in which Saudis received long jail sentences for social media posts critical of the government.
Saudi authorities have tightened their crackdown on dissent following the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to open up and transform the ultraconservative kingdom but has adopted a hard line toward any criticism.
A Saudi court recently sentenced a woman to 45 years in prison for allegedly damaging the country through her social media activity. A Saudi doctoral student at Leeds University in England was sentenced to 34 years for spreading “rumors” and retweeting dissidents, a case that drew international outrage.
Ibrahim says his father was detained over 14 “mild tweets” posted on Twitter over the past seven years, mostly criticizing government policies and alleged corruption. He says his father was not an activist but a private citizen expressing his opinion while in the U.S., where freedom of speech is a constitutional right.
President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom in July for a meeting with Prince Mohammed, in which he said he confronted him about human rights. Their meeting — and a widely criticized fist-bump — marked a sharp turnaround from Biden’s earlier vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Ibrahim said his father was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Oct. 3 on charges of supporting terrorism. The father was also charged with failing to report terrorism, over tweets that Ibrahim had posted.
His father was also slapped with a 16-year travel ban. If the sentence is carried out, the 72-year-old would be 87 upon his release and barred from returning home to the U.S. unless he reaches the age of 104.
Ibrahim said Saudi authorities warned his family to stay quiet about the case and to not involve the U.S. government. He said his father was tortured after the family contacted the State Department in March.
Ibrahim also accused the State Department of neglecting his father’s case by not declaring him a “wrongfully detained” American, which would elevate his file.
“They manipulated me. They told me to stay quiet so they can get him out,” Ibrahim said, explaining his decision to go public this week. “I am not willing to take a gamble on the Department of State anymore.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
One Fifth Of Pre-School Children In Northern Ireland Are Get Too Many Unhealthy Treats Belfast News Letter
One Fifth Of Pre-School Children In Northern Ireland Are Get Too Many Unhealthy Treats – Belfast News Letter https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/one-fifth-of-pre-school-children-in-northern-ireland-are-get-too-many-unhealthy-treats-belfast-news-letter/
The research by the START campaign also found that a child’s daily calorie intake from unhealthy treat foods increased as they get older with a quarter (25%) of local primary school children’s daily diet consisting of treats that are high in fat, sugar, and salt.
It comes as a quarter of children aged two to 15 in Northern Ireland are currently reported to be either overweight (20%) or obese (6%).
The research was conducted in May 2022 as part of the START campaign from safefood, the Public Health Agency and the Department of Health to understand the role of snacking and treat foods in children’s lives.
Supporting the START campaign is Marissa Callaghan, Northern Ireland Senior Women’s International Captain as she encourages parents to take steps towards healthier family habits by reducing the amount of treats they give their children and to give healthier snacks when children are hungry.
Northern Ireland women’s team captain Marissa Callaghan is backing the campaign to encourage parents to reduce the amount of treats they give their children.
She said: “As a mum, I want to make sure my young son, Quinn, is eating a healthy, balanced diet.
“The occasional treat is fine for our kids, but you can also swap these for healthier options like more fruit and snacks that are low in fat, salt, and sugar.
“This will be different for every family, but it is about finding what works best for you and working together as a team to reach your goals.”
Dr Aileen McGloin from safefood said: “From listening to parents, we know this is a really challenging because treats are readily available and so cheap.
“The cost-of-living crisis makes this even more challenging. But healthy snacks can be inexpensive, quick and easy. Snack ideas to offer include crackers and cheese instead of chocolate biscuits, or plain popcorn or breadsticks instead of crisps, or for straight after school, a low-fat yogurt or fruit instead of a chocolate bar.”
Child and adolescent psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor added: “The key is to make gradual and progressive small changes. If your children have two treats a day, then aim to reduce that to one treat a day on weekdays and two at the weekend.
“Once this has been achieved it will provide parents with the confidence to continue introducing healthier diet options.”
Pacific Sports In Brief For 19/10/2022 – RNZ https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/pacific-sports-in-brief-for-19-10-2022-rnz/
Navigation for News Categories
Niue boxer gets home for the first time
The winner of Niue’s first Commonwealth Games medal has touched down in Niue for the first time.
The national broadcaster reports boxing bronze medalist, Duken Tutakitoa-Williams arrived in Niue on Monday local time with his team and coach Lolo Heimuli.
The 23-year-old told RNZ Pacific he was born in New Zealand and had never been to Niue.
Television Niue reports the young boxer is to receive a monetary award for his historical success at the 2022 Birmingham Games, according to the Acting Premier, Sauni Tongatule. who spoke in the Fono Ekepule last month.
Tonga squeak home in rugby league World Cup opener
Tonga have won their opening game of the Rugby League World Cup, narrowly beating Papua New Guinea’s Kumuls by 24 points to 18.
Tonga led 18 to 6 at the break before the Kumuls launched a comeback in the second half.
PNG centre Daniel Russell levelled the score18-all with a try in the 67th minute.
But with three minutes left, Tongan second-rower Keanon Koloamatangi chased down a grubber kick to score the winning try.
Koloamatangi commended the Kumuls.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game. From the get go, we feel the impact from every hit up, from beginning to end. Credit to PNG, there effort shows how much they love their football and how much pride they have in their jersey, and we tried to replicate that. We came over with the win at the end.”
Photo: RNZ / Susana Suisuiki
Despite the heartbreaking loss, PNG head coach Stanley Tepend said he is proud of his team’s performance.
“They gave it everything, and that’s what we spoke about all week in camp about what the jersey meant, and I think the whole country will be proud of their performance, and their families and their team mates.”
Basketball’s Melanesia Cup held next week
It’s the last week of preparation before basketball’s 2022 Melanesian Cup.
Hosted in Fiji, the tournament will take place from October 26 to the 29th.
The Cup, which includes men’s and women’s basketball, serves as a qualifier for the Pacific Island Games next year for the top two teams.
The Melanesian teams include Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.
The Pacific games then serves as a the qualifier for the Oceania region to the FIBA Asia Cup Pre-qualifiers.
The Fiji team has been preparing well for the tournament as they ready to show off to their home crowd.
They narrowly lost to New Caledonia in the 2017 tournament final but bounced back to a bronze medal in the last Pacific games.
Get the RNZ app
for ad-free news and current affairs
Bored Ape Co-Founders Want Otherside Metaverse To Be Web3-Native Roblox For Adults Decrypt
Bored Ape Co-Founders Want ‘Otherside’ Metaverse To Be ‘Web3-Native Roblox’ For Adults – Decrypt https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/bored-ape-co-founders-want-otherside-metaverse-to-be-web3-native-roblox-for-adults-decrypt/
According to Yuga Labs, the future of NFTs is in gaming.
Bored Ape Yacht Club and Yuga Labs co-founders Wylie Aronow and Greg Solano—also known by their internet aliases Gordon Goner and Garga—shared their vision for Yuga’s “Otherside” metaverse game in an interview with Decrypt on the gm podcast.
In short, they’re betting big on video games with NFT assets—but don’t want to create a “walled garden.” Since announcing “Otherside,” which has been described as everything from a metaverse to an MMORPRG, Yuga’s founders have been busy building out its development team.
Earlier this year, Yuga Labs raised $450 million in its first funding round, bringing the lean startup to a massive $4 billion valuation. Now, they’re sprinting toward the launch of their Web3-centric metaverse which, if early access footage is any indication, is reminiscent of “World of Warcraft.”
“We’re building a team of creative technologists,” Aronow said. “I’ve been calling them the Yuganeers, but they’re like the Imagineers—they’re our creative ninjas.”
Right now, Aronow is extremely busy—to the point where it’s hard to focus on any one thing.
“I don’t prioritize. We do everything all the time,” he said.
For Solano, keeping the original spirit of the BAYC alive is still a priority—but he also wants to show the world what Yuga can do with its war chest of Web3 funding.
“I want to impress and show off technical prowess that we can do now with a bigger team, but also just remind people, ‘Hey, this is a pretty ridiculous club here.’ And we’re just here to have fun,” Solano said.
Doing Things Different
Yuga Labs’ game development process is different from traditional game publishers—their team is moving faster and bringing in NFT holders as de facto “Otherside” testers.
“I think we’re doing things in contrast to the way a lot of gaming companies would do things, starting with the iterative development of the game itself,” Aronow said. “Typically, what you would see is you’d maybe get a teaser, a few months later you get a trailer, three years later, you get a game.”
Instead, Yuga plans to continue to reveal “Otherside” through multiple “trips,” where selected individuals can explore sections of the upcoming virtual world.
Unlike mainstream game developers, Yuga isn’t making its game products for the largest possible demographic.
“We are always building out everything for the person who bought an Ape for $200,” Aronow said, referring to those who first minted, or purchased, a Bored Ape when they first launched on Ethereum in April 2021.
And perhaps unsurprisingly, “Otherside” isn’t being designed for kids or no-coiners, either.
“I think one way of thinking about it is as a semi-decentralized, but absolutely Web3 native, Roblox,” Aronow said. “But obviously much better looking and geared for a slightly more adult audience.”
The fact that “Otherside” looks like a true MMORPG is also unsurprising, considering Solano previously co-authored a book about “World of Warcraft” in 2019.
“We want to tell an amazing story,” Solano said of their game’s creative core. “You know, about what the fuck these Koda things are, and a strange world that we found ourselves teleported into. And we also want to give the space for people’s creativity to build on top of and enjoy.”
NFTs in Gaming
Is Yuga Labs becoming a gaming company? If Aronow and Solano’s vision for the company is any indication, it’s possible.
“While we’re this tech company, in a way, this blockchain company, what we really are is more like a lifestyle brand, or a storytelling company,” Solano said.
“We’re very much a creative-first company,” Aronow added.
Despite all the controversy and backlash surrounding NFTs in video games, the two founders think the haters—and gamers in general—will eventually come around.
“Every time there’s a new technology, it gets shit on,” Aronow said.
The tattooed founder, who sports an Ape with laser eyes as his profile picture on Twitter, is also convinced that “every AAA gaming studio” has a group of people dedicated to developing blockchain games.
“The next big wave, or the next major wave, in NFTs will center around gaming,” he said.
But Aronow isn’t all sunshine and roses when it comes to the metaverse. He doesn’t think everyone working on a virtual world will do it right.
“The idea of a metaverse that’s like a walled garden that’s just built for you and you’re just gonna get the features that we give you over time—that’s just like another Web2 MMORPG,” he said.
“It didn’t seem all that innovative to me,” he added. “I like the idea of bringing the community along for the ride.”
Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.
Freddie Mercurys Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Is Heading To Auction For A Good Cause Yahoo Life
Freddie Mercury’s Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Is Heading To Auction For A Good Cause – Yahoo Life https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/freddie-mercurys-rolls-royce-silver-shadow-is-heading-to-auction-for-a-good-cause-yahoo-life/
In addition to his singular musical legacy, Freddie Mercury left behind a slew of prized cars. Now the first Rolls-Royce he ever owned is hitting the auction block, and all the proceeds are going toward a good cause.
RM Sotheby’s is offering up the singer’s 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow during a sale on November 5. The former Queen frontman was said to have owned the car from 1979 until his death in 1991 at age 45. After his passing, the Rolls-Royce was scooped up by his sister, Kashmira Cooke, and remained in her possession until 2013 when it was bought at auction. Next month, the ‘74 Shadow will cross the block again, but this time the money from the sale will benefit Superhumans Center, a charity that’s providing aid for Ukrainian war victims.
The 1974 Silver Shadow was the first Rolls-Royce that Freddie Mercury ever owned
“This car represents a serious piece of history and the fact that the proceeds of the sale will benefit the amazing Superhumans of Ukraine charity is wonderful,” says Nick Wiles, a car specialist at RM Sotheby’s. Despite never having a license, that didn’t stop Mercury from amassing quite the class car collection. In fact, the Silver Shadow is reportedly what he was often chauffeured in throughout his career and even where the band’s record label signing took place.
More from Robb Report
A Francis Bacon Triptych Leads London Frieze Week’s $210.5 Million Sales
First Look: Rolls-Royce Unveils the Spectre, the Marque’s First All-Electric Luxury Coupé
Car of the Week: This 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, One of the Great Muscle Cars of Its Era, Is Heading to Auction
The Rolls-Royce still has its original radio, cassette player and car phone
“We filmed the promo video for ‘We Will Rock You’ in the garden of Roger Taylor’s new Surrey mansion. . .and Freddie upstaged everyone by arriving in his brand new Roller,” says Jim Beach, the long-time band manager of Queen, in a documentary. “Freddie insisted that we sign all of the contracts, all of us together, in the back of the Roller, because this was the first Rolls he’d ever owned.”
According to the auction site, the car is finished in Silver Chalice paint with blue-gray interiors and is outfitted with a 6,750 cc V-8 engine. There’s also a chord phone and cassette deck, which adds to its cool factor. Accompanying the Shadow is a history file to confirm its celeb status. In it, you’ll find past workshop invoices with Mercury’s name on them, along with a letter of authenticity from Beach.
The auction kicks off on November 5, with a preview scheduled for November 4.
Click here to see all the photos of the Mercury-owned Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
Freddie Mercury’s Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Best of Robb Report
The Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast
The 15 Best Travel Trailers for Every Kind of Road-Trip Adventure
The World’s Best Superyacht Shipyards
Sign up for Robb Report’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.
Bank Of America Survey: Young People 7.5x More Likely To Hold Crypto Cryptonews
Bank Of America Survey: Young People 7.5x More Likely To Hold Crypto – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/bank-of-america-survey-young-people-7-5x-more-likely-to-hold-crypto-cryptonews/
Source: Unsplash
Young Americans aged between 21 and 42 are 7.5 times more likely to hold crypto in their portfolios than investors over 43, a new survey from Bank of America shows.
According to the survey, younger Americans with money to invest are also less interested in stocks than older investors, with the younger cohort instead viewing crypto and other so-called alternative investments as their “No. 1 choice.”
An alternative investment normally refers to investments in any other asset than stocks, bonds and cash. This investment category has become increasingly popular in recent years, as many investors have seen the stock market as overvalued and risky, while bank savings have paid out interest rates far below the rate of inflation in most Western countries.
Source: Bank of America
“While overall [crypto] usage is low, younger people are 7.5 times more likely to hold crypto in their portfolios and five times more likely to say they understand it quite well,” the bank commented, stressing the importance of age when it comes to interest in crypto investing.
In terms of where young investors go to find information about crypto investment opportunities, the bank said social media is the most popular. “Half of the younger group said they turn to social media for guidance on crypto, compared with 30% of the older group,” the BofA survey said.
Meanwhile, the survey also found that a whopping 75% of investors between the ages of 21 and 42 do not believe it is possible to achieve “above-average returns” with a traditional portfolio consisting solely of stocks and bonds.
Instead, the youngest group of investors are seeking to improve their returns with alternatives, including private equity, commodities, real estate, and – as already mentioned – crypto.
The findings were published in Bank of America’s 2022 Private Bank Study of Wealthy Americans that was released this week. The survey was based on answers from 1,052 high-net-worth individuals in the US.
In the past, Bank of America has shown some interest in crypto at the corporate level, having participated as a strategic investor in blockchain infrastructure platform Paxos‘ Series D round of funding.
Last year, the major bank also made some headlines when it published its first official piece of investment research on the crypto market titled “Digital Assets Primer: Only the first inning.”
Son Of US Citizen Detained In Saudi Arabia Says His Father Is nowhere Near Being Dissident CNN
Son Of US Citizen Detained In Saudi Arabia Says His Father Is ‘nowhere Near Being Dissident’ – CNN https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/son-of-us-citizen-detained-in-saudi-arabia-says-his-father-is-nowhere-near-being-dissident-cnn/
CNN —
The son of an American citizen imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for criticizing the Saudi government said Tuesday evening that his father is “nowhere near being a dissident.”
“My father is a senior American citizen who just wants to live freely and happy in the United States where he got his education,” Saad Ibrahim Almadi’s son, Ibrahim Almadi, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront.”
The US State Department confirmed earlier Tuesday that 72-year-old Saad Ibrahim Almadi has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia after being given a 16-year sentence for tweets critical of the Saudi government.
Almadi’s imprisonment was first reported by The Washington Post.
Ibrahim Almadi told CNN on Tuesday that if his father had been held in Russia or Iran, “we’d see his name in the headlines every morning.”
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a news briefing that officials have “consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government, both through channels in Riyadh and Washington, DC, as well … as recently as yesterday.”
Patel also confirmed that there was no State Department official at Almadi’s sentencing hearing, which he said was because the Saudi government moved up the hearing date without telling the US embassy and never responded to the embassy’s request to attend the hearing weeks before it was originally scheduled. The last time the US had consular access to Almadi was August 10, according to Patel.
The State Department, he said, is still going through the process to determine whether Almadi will be designated as “wrongfully detained.”
“Exercising the freedom of expression should never be criminalized,” Patel said.
The State Department communicated with the Saudi ambassador in Washington on Monday about Almadi’s case, a US official told CNN.
This headline and story have been updated with additional developments Tuesday.
Nasdaq Futures Rise For A Third Day As Better-Than-Expected Netflix Results Keep Tech Gains Going CNBC
Nasdaq Futures Rise For A Third Day As Better-Than-Expected Netflix Results Keep Tech Gains Going – CNBC https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/nasdaq-futures-rise-for-a-third-day-as-better-than-expected-netflix-results-keep-tech-gains-going-cnbc/
Nasdaq futures jumped Tuesday evening after the major averages posted a second straight day of gains, and Netflix reported strong earnings after the bell.
Futures tied to the Nasdaq 100 added 1.2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 0.4%, and S&P 500 futures rose 0.7%.
All three of the major stock averages finished the regular trading day higher, as earnings reports boosted a choppy market. The Dow closed higher by about 337 points, while the S&P 500 gained 1.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 0.9%.
The extended trading moves came after Netflix reported earnings and revenue that beat estimates as well as strong subscriber growth for the third quarter. Shares surged as much as 14% in extended trading.
Some on Wall Street are resetting their earnings projections lower as investors worry about a recession. Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera Investment Management, said that while an economic recession could be mild, the market could struggle with those downward revisions.
“Earnings estimates are a bit too high for the S&P 500 at 7% to 9% per year going forward,” he said. “Slowing economic growth and Fed rate hikes will likely put downward pressure on earnings. Because earnings drive stock prices, they could pressure markets for some time.”
Tech earnings will be in full swing next week, but IBM and Tesla are on deck to report Wednesday. Social media firm Snap will report later in the week.
In economic data, investors are looking forward to housing starts on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve’s so-called Beige Book, the central bank’s report on the current state of economic conditions, will come out as well.
CNBC Pro: Goldman Sachs outlines four economic scenarios and predicts how gold will perform in each
It’s been a choppy year for gold, with the precious metal “torn between growth and inflation risks and higher real rates and the strong dollar,” Goldman analysts wrote in an Oct. 11 note.
“In our view, there remains a lot of uncertainty around the future path of U.S. inflation, growth, rates and the central bank (CB)’s reaction functions.”
Goldman ran four different economic scenarios, and predicted where gold prices could end up in each case.
CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here.
— Weizhen Tan
U.S. crude futures move up $1 per barrel on expectations that Biden will release oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Futures of West Texas Intermediate crude moved up around $1, or 1.33% and futures of Brent crude rose $0.83, or 0.92% as the Biden administration is expected to release more oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The plan could be announced as early as Wednesday, sources told CNBC.
The move aims to extend the current SPR delivery program, which began this spring, through December, the sources said.
–Kayla Tausche, Jihye Lee
Company earnings are beating expectations
Of the 9.15% of S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings so far this season, 70% of them have posted positive surprises, according to data from FactSet.
Earnings expectations have been lowered considerably and the market is braced for a good amount of negative news in earnings season, Yung-Yu Ma, BMO Wealth Management chief investment strategist, told CNBC.
However, he added, “to the extent that that doesn’t actually transpire, that we get more of a nuanced message that companies on average are doing okay, okay is still pretty good in an environment where the market is braced for volatility, turmoil, slowing growth, declines and a challenging environment.”
— Tanaya Macheel
Netflix pops after hours on earnings
Shares of the streaming giant Netflix jumped in extended trading after it reported quarterly results, including the addition of 2.41 million net global subscribers, which is more than twice what it projected a quarter ago.
Stock futures open higher Tuesday night
Stock futures opened higher Tuesday evening after the major averaged posted a second straight day of gains and Netflix reported strong earnings after the bell.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 124 points, or 0.4%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.7% and Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.2%.
— Tanaya Macheel
Winning Lottery Ticket Stray Cat Feeding Trial: News From Around Our 50 States USA TODAY
Winning Lottery Ticket, Stray Cat Feeding Trial: News From Around Our 50 States – USA TODAY https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/winning-lottery-ticket-stray-cat-feeding-trial-news-from-around-our-50-states-usa-today/
From USA TODAY Network and wire reports | USA TODAY
Alabama
Wetumpka: The trials for two women facing misdemeanor charges for feeding stray cats in the city have been delayed. The trials for Beverly Roberts, 85, and Mary Alston, 60, were set in Wetumpka Municipal Court for Thursday. The trials have been continued and a new date has not been set, said Terry Luck, one of the women’s defense attorneys. Luck and the women’s other attorney, retired Montgomery County Circuit Judge William Shashy, have scheduling conflicts, he said. The defense also asked city prosecutor Kenny James to recuse himself; he has a potential conflict of interest since he represented Roberts in a divorce case, Luck said. James has recused himself. Roberts faces charges of criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct, and Alston faces charges of criminal trespassing and interfering with governmental operations, records show. In June both women were arrested on public property in downtown Wetumpka while they were attempting to feed and trap stray cats. Once the cats are trapped, the women pay to have them neutered and either work to get them adopted to return them to the stray colony. Officers arrived and arrested them, saying they had been previously trespassed and were told not to feed animals. Wetumpka Police Chief Greg Benton says the feeding of the animals created a nuisance because it attracts more cats to the area. Benton said both women were “repeatedly” warned not to feed the cats and could have prevented the arrests by heeding those warnings. Luck says the arrests are baseless and that the women were performing a service by working to neuter the animals and prevent the stay cat population from growing.
Alaska
Juneau: U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola reported raising $2.3 million in just over three weeks in September, leaving the Democrat with a large cash advantage over Republican rivals Sarah Palin and Nick Begich heading into the Nov. 8 election. Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Kelly Tshibaka, a Republican challenger backed by former President Donald Trump, each raised just over $1 million from late July to Sept. 30, though Murkowski had about three times more cash available at the end of the period. The filings Saturday with the Federal Election Commission for the House race cover Sept. 6 through Sept. 30. Filings in the Senate race covered July 28 through Sept. 30. Peltola on Aug. 31 won a special election to fill Alaska’s House seat until January in a race that also included Palin and Begich. Next month’s election will decide who holds the seat for a two-year term, starting in January. Peltola, in the latest filings, reported having nearly $2.3 million available at the end of September. Palin, a former Alaska governor and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, reported bringing in about $230,000 during the latest period and having about $195,000 available. Begich reported raising about $57,500 and having just over $545,000 available. Begich loaned his campaign $650,000 earlier in the cycle.
Arizona
Sun City West: A father’s quick reaction kept a 12-year-old girl breathing after she was struck by lightning. Her father performed CPR three times after she was struck during Saturday’s storms in Sun City West. The girl, Ella, had stepped outside of her grandparent’s house to play with a friend when her father Steven Jorgensen heard loud thunder, saw a bright flash and saw her collapse. Jorgensen said he saw his daughter fall and immediately started performing CPR, which he learned while serving in the Marine Corps. “I got her heart back going, I got her breathing, and it was only for a short amount of time until I lost her again,” Jorgensen said. Jorgensen restarted CPR, got her heart to beat again and brought her inside the home while his parents were calling 911. While he was talking to the dispatcher, Ella’s heart stopped again. As Jorgensen started performing CPR for a third time, he said he was trying to remain calm and remembered a scene from the TV show “The Office” where they learn how to perform CPR. “You could hear me singing the Bee Gee’s ‘Staying Alive’ as I was giving her a resuscitation and then finally I got her going,” Jorgensen said. About three minutes later, emergency responders showed up and took over. Ella was taken to Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, and then she was flown to Valleywise Health Medical Center where she has been recovering “very well,” said Dr. Kevin Foster, Director of the Arizona Burn Center at Valleywise Health.
Arkansas
Van Buren: A man who had been booked into the Crawford County Jail on Friday died in custody Saturday, an attorney representing his family said. Jacob Allen Jones, 26, was booked at the jail by Van Buren police on a complaint of failure to appear on prior drug charges at 4:12 p.m. Friday, jail records show. Attorney David Powell of Fort Smith said Jones died Saturday. He said Jones overdosed at the jail. He said Jones was in a cell for several hours without medical care. “I’m trying to get all of the information I can,” Powell said Sunday night. Efforts to reach Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante Sunday were unsuccessful. Jones’ body was taken to the state medical examiner’s office in Little Rock where the cause and the manner of death will be determined, the Crawford County Coroner’s office reported Monday. Powell said Jones suffered a medical episode at the jail. Other inmates stated they called for help from detention officers. Four detention officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, Powell said.
California
Sacramento: California’s coronavirus emergency will officially end in February, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday, nearly three years after the state’s first confirmed death from the disease prompted a raft of restrictions that upended public life. The decision will have little practical impact on most people’s lives, as most of the nearly 600 pandemic-related orders Newsom has issued since the start of the pandemic have already been lifted. And it won’t affect public health orders – including a pending statewide vaccine mandate for schoolchildren that could take effect next summer. But it does signal a symbolic end for some of the most restrictive elements of the pandemic, as it will dissolve Newsom’s authority to alter or change laws to make it easier for the government to quickly respond to the public health crisis. “The State of Emergency was an effective and necessary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it,” Newsom said in a news release, adding that the declaration will formally end on Feb. 28. Newsom declared a state of emergency for the coronavirus on March 4, 2020, shortly after an elderly patient was the first confirmed death from the disease in California. At the time, there were just 53 cases of COVID-19 in California, and state officials were holding a cruise ship off the coast so it could test passengers before allowing them to disembark in the state.
Colorado
Pueblo County: Nearly 110,000 voters in a southern Colorado county will be receiving general election ballots that were mistakenly labeled as primary election ballots, a blunder that has led the state’s secretary of state to appoint a supervisor to oversee November’s vote in a county that also had issues with ballots in its primary election. The misprint on ballots that are being sent out to voters in Pueblo County was on a tear-off tab and does not effect the “legal validity” or accuracy of the rest of the ballot, Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office said in a news release Monday. For that reason and because of the short time frame before the ballots were mailed, they will not be reprinted. It is the second time this year that the county has had problems with ballots.
Connecticut
Waterbury: A commuter train struck a tractor trailer in Connecticut on Monday, authorities said. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said a Metro-North train headed to Bridgeport hit a tractor trailer at a railroad crossing in Waterbury shortly before 11 a.m. The MTA did not provide any information about injuries, but Lt. Ryan Bessette of the Waturbury police said the tractor driver and at least two train passengers were treated for injuries that appeared to be minor. Train service in the area was halted while police and the MTA investigated the crash.
Delaware
Dover: A 29-year-old man who was fatally shot early Sunday in Dover has been identified by police. Jesse Holley marks the city’s first homicide this year. Police were dispatched to the 100 block of S. Bradford St. just after 1:10 a.m. Sunday after receiving a call for a shooting. Arriving officers found Holley there. Dover Police Master Cpl. Ryan Schmid said Holley had a gunshot wound to his lower body. Holley was taken to an area hospital, where he died. This is Dover’s first homicide since June 30, 2021, when 19-year-old Tysean Nelson was one of four people shot in the capital city’s 100 block of S. New St. So far this year, 14 people have been shot in Dover – one fatally. Last year at the same time, 36 people had been shot in Dover – three of them fatally. Holley’s fatal shooting investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact the Dover police.
District of Columbia
Washington: Authorities said a maintenance worker brought a registered gun into a high school, WUSA-TV reports. The worker showed up to Anacostia High School with the gun in his bag after the school requested a worker for repairs, and the man was arrested. Police didn’t say if the gun was loaded, according to the news outlet. Having a firearm on school property is not allowed at any D.C. Public Schools campus. No injuri...
Travel Demand Remains High Despite Recession Fears TravelPulse
Travel Demand Remains High, Despite Recession Fears – TravelPulse https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/travel-demand-remains-high-despite-recession-fears-travelpulse/
A new report, based on travel data sets from insights company GWI, shows the travel sector is continuing to see a strong post-pandemic rebound. It reveals that 57 percent of U.S. consumers are planning an overseas vacation within the next 12 months and 86 percent also eyeing a domestic trip.
It seems, however, that they’re still somewhat trepidatious as a result of the pandemic experience, since 38 percent report that the ability to cancel or rebook without penalty is the most important factor for them when arranging their next trip, trailed by 36 percent of respondents who said they’ll be paying closer attention to hygiene standards.
“The data really demonstrates that, while we’re keen to get back to regular travel, consumers are still tentative,” remarked GWI’s Chief Research Officer, Jason Mander added, Brands should take note, offer flexibility and, above all, demonstrate the overall value and experience they’re offering.”
Today’s record-high economic inflation levels leading to a “cost of living crisis” and resulting concerns about an oncoming recession are also impacting consumer sentiment. As the cost of travel goes up, along with everything else, 36 percent of Americans are being price-conscious when it comes to their travel spending, according to July 2022 GWI Zeitgeist data.
“While many people have jumped back into traveling after the disruption of the past couple of years, the ways in which we now live and work post-pandemic are heavily impacting travelers’ expectations,” said GWI’s CEO and Founder, Tom Smith. “That’s exactly why we have created a travel-specific data set—to help our customers stay on top of these ongoing changes, and really understand what people want and need.”
Viewed altogether, U.S. travelers reported that their top priorities when planning a vacation right now are visiting family, relatives and friends (53 percent), or going on a beach or coastal getaway. However, when the data is broken down generationally, it’s evident that people in each age group have different preferences on how they want to travel.
A generational breakdown of U.S. consumer data also reveals some key differences among the things that each age group is presently prioritizing when planning their vacations:
Baby Boomers
69% – Cost/Value for money
67% – Good Weather/Climate
64% – Sights/Attractions to visit
Gen X
65% – Cost/Value for money
63% – Sights/Attractions to visit
59% – Relaxation
Millennials
58% – Fun/Excitement
56% – Relaxation
55% – Sights/Attractions
Gen Z
70% – Fun/Excitement
56% – Cost/Value for money
56% – Good weather/Climate
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.
%
Coffeys ultra-Libertarian Health Stance Risks Lives Tory Ex-Minister Warns The Guardian
Coffey’s ‘ultra-Libertarian’ Health Stance Risks Lives, Tory Ex-Minister Warns – The Guardian https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/coffeys-ultra-libertarian-health-stance-risks-lives-tory-ex-minister-warns-the-guardian/
People could die because of Thérèse Coffey’s “ultra-libertarian ideological” reluctance to crack down on smoking and obesity, a Conservative ex-health minister has warned.
The strongly worded criticism of the health secretary came from Dr Dan Poulter, a Tory MP and NHS doctor who served as a health minister in the coalition government from 2012 to 2015.
Poulter claims Coffey’s “hostility to what the extreme right call ‘nanny statism’” is stopping her from taking firm action against the “major killers” of tobacco and bad diet.
His intervention in an opinion piece for the Guardian was prompted by Coffey making clear that she opposed banning adults from smoking in cars containing children, even though the practice was outlawed in 2015 and is credited with reducing young people’s exposure to secondhand smoke.
The government’s widely anticipated scrapping of measures to curb obesity such as the sugar tax and ditching of the tobacco control plan and health inequalities white paper – both of which previous health ministers had promised to publish – have led Poulter to brand Coffey’s stance “deeply alarming”.
He writes: “More smoking and more obesity means more illness, more pressure on the NHS and shorter lives, particularly amongst the poorest in society.
“I am acutely concerned that the health secretary’s ideological hostility to what history shows is government’s potentially very positive role in protecting us against these grave threats to our health will exacerbate the problems they already pose.
“At its worst such a radically different approach to public health could cost lives, as it will inevitably lead to more people smoking and becoming dangerously overweight.”
The Guardian disclosed last week that officials in Whitehall believe that Coffey has dropped plans to publish the tobacco control plan, which was due out by the end of the year.
The health secretary, who is herself a smoker, has consistently voted against moves to curb smoking since she became the MP for Suffolk Coastal in 2010 and has also accepted £1,100 in hospitality and gifts from the tobacco firm Gallaher.
Coffey is ignoring the “ethical and practical” duty on governments to tackle “the great scourges of our health, notably smoking, unhealthy food and excess drinking” and has “shattered” a longstanding consensus on state intervention stretching back to the work by the then-health secretary Norman Fowler on HIV and Aids in the 1990s, Poulter added.
Health charities endorsed Poulter’s remarks. Deborah Arnott, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Libertarian ideology is as inadequate to improve public health as it was to drive economic growth. Just as the government’s failed economic strategy came straight from the playbook of the Institute of Economic Affairs, so does this visceral opposition to the so-called ‘nanny state’ and obsession with the free market.
“It wasn’t the free market which delivered the fastest rates of decline in smoking in Europe in the first two decades of this century.”
Katherine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, a grouping of 50 health and medical organisations, said: “The alliance shares Dr Poulter’s grave concerns. MPs don’t want their constituents living with chronic illness, and the public want it to be easier to make healthier choices. While there was some scepticism about the soft drinks industry levy when it was introduced by the Conservatives in 2018, it has led to sugar consumption falling by 30g per household per week, whilst not affecting sales. Now 71% of the public want companies to remove more sugar and salt from products.”
She added: “Abandoning key obesity prevention measures is unfairly putting people at risk of developing life-limiting physical and mental health conditions. Government analysis projected that NHS costs attributable to overweight and obesity could reach £9.7bn by 2050. The health secretary can progress with these health-promoting policies and still create a freer society; free from the harm caused by unhealthy food and drink.”
Coffey did not respond to Poulter’s remarks. But a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The tobacco control plan has not been scrapped and the government remains committed to its smoke free ambition by 2030.
“Tackling obesity also remains a priority for the government. Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we remain committed to helping people live healthier lives.”
Guardians Pitching Decision Backfires Vs. Yankees As Aaron Civale Serves Up Three-Run Giancarlo Stanton Homer CBS Sports
Guardians’ Pitching Decision Backfires Vs. Yankees As Aaron Civale Serves Up Three-Run Giancarlo Stanton Homer – CBS Sports https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/guardians-pitching-decision-backfires-vs-yankees-as-aaron-civale-serves-up-three-run-giancarlo-stanton-homer-cbs-sports/
After a Monday rainout, the Guardians had the chance to start ace Shane Bieber on short rest in a win-or-go-home ALDS Game 5 against the Yankees. Instead, the Guardians stayed the course and started Aaron Civale at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees and slugger Giancarlo Stanton seemed to enjoy that decision greatly to set the tone in an eventual 5-1 Yankees win.
The Yankees will now move on to the ALCS while the Guardians’ season is over.
Stanton took Civale deep in the first with a three-run shot:
That was a 379-footer to right center clocked at 107.5 miles per hour off the bat. If it didn’t seem all that impressive, it’s because we’re spoiled by Stanton’s superhuman strength.
The next batter for the Yankees, Josh Donaldson, reached on an infield single. We’re mentioning this here because that would be the final batter Civale faced.
Civale’s final line: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, HBP, 1 K. Coincidentally, the only Yankees hitter he retired was Aaron Judge, who swung through a high curve on a 3-2 count.
“In a normal game, you can let him get his footing,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said during an in-game interview. “I’m not sure we could do that today.”
Civale became just the 37th pitcher in history to last 1/3 of an inning or less in a postseason start. The most recent was Braves starter Dylan Lee in Game 4 of the 2021 World Series. He was removed with the bases loaded and one out. The Braves weren’t really planning on taking him deep in the game anyway.
That was likely the case with Civale and the Guardians here. They had well-rested relief studs in Sam Hentges, Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and especially Emmanuel Clase — the best closer left in the playoffs, and he hadn’t thrown since Game 2. Surely the Guardians were hoping for more work and fewer runs from Civale, but their road map didn’t include extended work from him.
As it turns out, the Guardians finished the game with just those four specific relievers. Said relievers did allow two more runs, including a Judge homer off Hentges. Still, there are bound to be questions about Bieber.
Bieber had never been used before in his career on short rest. Had the Guardians won, he would’ve made a fine Game 1 starter in the ALCS. Of course, you can’t look ahead before winning. Then again, we could counter that argument by pointing out the Guardians were unlikely to win with just one run anyway. Hey, maybe they would’ve won, 1-0, with Bieber on short rest and the bullpen taking over whenever he ran out of gas. We’ll never know.
Regardless of how it went down, the Guardians are now going home for the winter after a very successful 2022 season. They shocked a good number of people by winning the AL Central and then advancing to the ALDS. They’ll look to retool in the offseason.
How Avaya Is Bringing Contact-Center Functionality To The Metaverse ZDNet
How Avaya Is Bringing Contact-Center Functionality To The Metaverse – ZDNet https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/how-avaya-is-bringing-contact-center-functionality-to-the-metaverse-zdnet/
Image: XH4D/Getty Images
At the GITEX Global conference last week in Dubai, communications hardware and software provider Avaya showcased how its technology can be integrated into a metaverse experience. GITEX has become a premier technology conference across the globe and rivals CES for attendance.
Avaya has been a mainstay at the event for years and historically has been effective in highlighting its technology and innovation through customer use cases.
We are still in the early stages of the metaverse, so there aren’t many real-life examples. In fact, most IT leaders I talk to are interested in futuristic technology but are not sure of how to use it or what some practical business use cases are.
Here, the Avaya Dubai team collaborated with its partner, Avanza Solutions, and showcased the result at the Avaya stand at GITEX. Avanza is one of the premier digital transformation solution providers in the Gulf region.
Avaya, Avanza partner to bring metaverse to life
The joint solution supports Dubai’s vision of being one of the top metaverse cities and is set to create tens of thousands of metaverse-related jobs in the next decade as the city looks to draw on the virtual environment to add to the already strong economy of the UAE.
Also: Here’s how the metaverse could transform your future job
Currently, if a company wants to come and do business in Dubai, there are several tasks that need to be completed, including getting permits and applying for work visas. Instead of having to complete these tasks by driving to the government agencies and office buildings, which could take hours based on the traffic I experienced in Dubai, all the tasks can be completed in the metaverse. Some services can be done via the web, but even this can be challenging because each agency has its own website.
The interface even allows the selection of real estate, where users can go into virtual versions of buildings, design an office, and experience the many views Dubai offers. The Dubai metaverse brings together everything required to start a business in one place: physical and virtual.
Avaya brings contact center to the metaverse
If a customer runs into problems, the user can connect with a contact center agent via the metaverse interface in conjunction with Avaya OneCloud CCaaS (contact center as a service). Customers can interact with virtual agents within the metaverse, speak to a live agent via phone call, or even use social media apps, such as Meta’s WhatsApp.
For Avaya, bringing the metaverse into its contact center wasn’t a complicated process. At GITEX, I talked to Avaya International President Nidal Abou-Ltaif about this, and he told me, “We just look at it as another channel. Avaya OneCloud CCaaS is fully cloud-native and designed to be open, so adding another channel for customer interactions can be done quickly and without any disruption.”
While Avaya’s mission during the past few years has been to create “Experiences That Matter,” the theme of its GITEX booth was “Innovation Without Disruption.” The way Avaya integrated metaverse into OneCloud CCaaS underscores that. Avaya customers can experiment with the metaverse and add contact center capabilities without having to bring in a new platform or go through a major upgrade.
Also: The metaverse is coming, and the security threats have already arrived
If there is one key takeaway for business leaders from the pandemic it’s that no one knows what the future holds, which underscores the importance of business agility. An open platform like OneCloud CCaaS enables businesses to quickly adapt their customer service strategy to meet current demands without having to go through a massive upgrade.
Dubai metaverse creates a digital twin of business processes
The Dubai metaverse can be thought of as a digital twin of all government processes required to establish a business in the city.
In theory, once this is up and running, organizations could use the metaverse version of the government services to augment or even replace the physical ones.
Ideally, citizens and businesses would have access to all services in a hybrid mode where the web, metaverse, or physical services would all give an identical experience.
One of the unique aspects of the Gulf region is that the public sector drives innovation and sets the standard for private companies. In the US or western Europe, we often see government agencies lag in technology, sometimes by as much as a decade. I have been to Dubai several times and have been impressed with the level of technology adoption across the city. Drones, robots, video cameras, and IoT are commonly used to improve people’s lives, and now the metaverse is coming.
It’s interesting to think about where else Avaya could take this technology. At last year’s GITEX, Avaya demonstrated a real estate application built with Dubai-based real estate company EMAAR Properties, which had built an application prospective buyers could use to tour buildings and talk to agents virtually. This was designed for the pandemic, but like everything else in the world, once a process goes digital, it’s hard to go back. It would make sense to bring something like the EMAAR-based application together with the metaverse and allow buyers to talk to agents, bankers, property managers, or other people in the metaverse.
This example of a digital twin is also used to deliver city services that could be replicated in other industries, such as retail, higher education, real estate, and gaming.
The metaverse is coming, and it was good to see a practical example at the Avaya stand at GITEX. The “innovation without disruption” theme Avaya used at the show is important because new technology often has lengthy adoption cycles; any kind of disruption to the business has customer service, revenue, or other implications.
6 Best Nonstick Pans Of 2022 Top-Rated Nonstick Pans Delish
6 Best Nonstick Pans Of 2022 – Top-Rated Nonstick Pans – Delish https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/6-best-nonstick-pans-of-2022-top-rated-nonstick-pans-delish/
Sarah Ceniceros
Everyone knows the tragedy (and horrible burning smell) of getting food stuck to your skillet. But you don’t have to suffer through breakfasts of charred scrambled eggs and blackened pancakes. You may love your stainless steel cookware, but any professional chef will tell you—everyone should own at least one nonstick pan.
Another benefit of owning a nonstick pan is that it doesn’t require a lot of oil or butter to prevent sticking, which leads many to think it’s the most healthy cookware to use. To settle the score on the healthiest type of nonstick pan, we turned to the Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, Nicole Papantoniou, who has nearly a decade of experience professionally testing kitchen tools and gadgets.
“I don’t like saying that the pan itself is healthy because it’s a pan and you don’t eat it,” Papantoniou quipped. “But cooking with a nonstick pan allows you to use less oil, which leads to a consumption of fewer calories, so it could be healthier because of that. You also tend to use a lower cooking temperature with nonstick pans, and some think that cooking food at lower temperatures is healthier than blasting it with heat.”
Regardless of your reasoning, picking up one of these kitchen essentials is bound to get you jazzed about all the pan-fried salmon, fluffy French omelets, and sizzling skillet recipes like lemon-herb chicken and potatoes you’ll be making—all with minimal cleanup and no sticking, shredding, or scorching. Inexpensive, long-lasting nonstick pans.
We have recommendations for the best frying pans for every type of cook, but if you’re looking to outfit your whole kitchen, you’re in luck! Whether you’d prefer to spring for a whole nonstick or ceramic cookware set or you want to splurge on a sleek, buy-it-for-life cast iron skillet, we’re here to offer a helping hand.
Our top picks
How we picked these products
To find the best nonstick pan, we turned to our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute, who have identified the best and highest-rated brands and put them to the test. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust.
From frying and scrambling over 120 eggs to searing 15 steaks, these Kitchen Tech Experts put a plethora of pans (in fact, 80 nonstick cookware sets and 15 additional nonstick pans) through rigorous tests to analyze their user-friendliness, durability, cleanability, weight, heat distribution and retention, ergonomics, and ability to balance on a stovetop. After reviewing their findings and discussing their road tests in-depth with Papantoniou, we’ve determined that these are the best nonstick pans you can buy in 2022.
1
Best Nonstick Pan
OXO
Good Grips Pro Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan
2
Best Budget Nonstick Pan
Tramontina
PRO Fusion 10-Inch Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan
3
Best Splurge Nonstick Pan
Le Creuset
Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Pro 10-inch Fry Pan
4
Most Durable Nonstick Pan
Ninja
C30026 Foodi NeverStick Premium 10¼-inch Fry Pan
5
Best Ceramic Nonstick Pan
GreenPan
Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan
6
Best Stainless Steel Nonstick Pan
Made In
Made In 10-inch Non Stick Frying Pan
7
Are nonstick pans safe?
Nonstick pans have gotten a bad rap from those ugly rumors of toxicity, but the truth is, these are not the nonstick cookware sets you grew up hearing about. They are lightweight, affordable, convenient, and perfectly healthy (as long as you heed the manufacturer’s recommendations).
Nonstick cookware gets its signature slick, nonreactive surface from a synthetic coating like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or the FDA-approved polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Even if these chemical compounds don’t sound familiar, you’ve likely heard of their more popular brand name: Teflon. But before you start worrying about carcinogens and chemicals, it’s important to note that PFOAs and PTFEs are inert (a.k.a. they won’t react with chemicals inside or outside your body). Not only are these compounds safe to cook with, but also, let’s not forget why “Teflon” is practically synonymous with “durability.” However, that doesn’t mean your nonstick pans will last forever, even if some brands claim otherwise.
Papantoniou provided some insight on how often you should replace your nonstick pans: “You likely need to replace your nonstick pan every couple of years. Over time the nonstick coating starts to wear, and any time you see a nick or scratch on the surface, you’ll want to replace it because it compromises the integrity of the pan,” she said.
Some brands tout having the longest-lasting nonstick cookware, but she explained, “It’s less about the brand and more about the pan’s construction. Some have more layers than others, for example, which makes for a better nonstick pan.” Between shopping for a nonstick pan with the right materials and caring for it properly, you can get a good 5-10 years out of it before its time to shop around for a replacement.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your nonstick pan:
You should never—ever—use nonstick cooking spray on a nonstick pan. It may seem counterintuitive, but these sprays gradually leave a film on the nonstick surface that is nearly impossible to remove, and therefore compromises the coating’s integrity over time.
However, you still need to put oil, butter, or some kind of fat in a nonstick pan. (Trust us, it’s healthier in the long run if you do than if you don’t!) “You never want to heat a nonstick pan without anything in it, so using oil helps you not overheat it ultimately,” Papantoniou advised. “And in terms of cooking, it’s not needed per se, but it definitely makes things taste better.”
Meanwhile, there is a spray you can use on your nonstick pan: Nonstick repair spray. To repair a nonstick coating and make your nonstick pan, well, nonstick again, this nifty spray should do the trick—just keep an eye out for any scratches.
Unless otherwise permitted by the manufacturer, do not use metal utensils with your nonstick pan or put in the dishwasher. Metal utensils can of course cause scratches and scuffs that threaten the longevity of nonstick coatings, but harsh soaps, high pressure, and scalding temperatures can cause equally disastrous results.
Some manufacturers may say it’s okay, but it’s best to avoid using nonstick pans over high heat to prevent damage or the release of harmful odors or chemicals. Instead, consider cooking with low to medium-low heat. (And in the event cooking on high heat is unavoidable, try not to do so for longer than 30 seconds.)
When the time comes to send your nonstick pan off to pasture, Papantoniou had some advice for what you can do once you’ve determined it’s time to throw away your old, scratched, and ineffective nonstick pans: “Check your manufacturer’s instructions to see what the best disposal process is. Some metals are recyclable, but with the coatings, it can depend, so always check the manufacturer’s instructions.”
8
How do you choose a nonstick pan?
Whether you’re a longtime nonstick fan looking to replace your trusty pan or you’re a nonstick novice, we’re here to make sure you don’t get burned by crummy cookware. These versatile pans are already plenty affordable, but you also want to ensure they meet your needs in the kitchen. First and foremost, it’s important to know what makes a good nonstick pan.
“I like a nonstick pan that has some heft to it, so it’ll sit on your burner without toppling, and ones that take a little bit longer to heat up, so you don’t risk getting to that 450º F temp fast, which is typically the maximum temperature recommended for using nonstick pans,” Papantoniou explained. “I like coatings that say they can be used with metal utensils, not necessarily because I want to use metal utensils, but because it’s a good indicator that they’re more durable. And cleanup is really important too—pans that have some grit to them, which makes them more durable, are actually harder to clean.”
When selecting a nonstick pan, construction is key. But there are a lot of factors to choose from, such as weight, materials, and design features. Pans with more heft can get you a good sear on a steak, but they’re not as easy to lift and flip. Meanwhile, more lightweight pans can be less durable and heat up too quickly.
Papantoniou had some pointers if you’re struggling to choose a nonstick pan: “I think the main thing to consider is, how are you going to use it? Are you looking for something to just make eggs in the morning, or are you looking to cook a whole meal for your family? Because that will determine the size—an 8-inch pan is good for a single portion of eggs and breakfast foods, whereas 10 inches is a good average size, and our test kitchen likes 12 inch pans for cooking in bigger batches. The second thing I would look for is material. Do you want a standard nonstick pan that lasts a little longer, or do you want a ceramic pan that can somewhat handle higher temperatures? And then the other thing is heft. If you’re looking for something lightweight, it’ll heat faster and it’s easier to handle, whereas if you go with something heavier, it’ll be more durable.”
Kaitlin Mahar Contributing Writer Kaitlin Mahar is a California-based freelance writer covering the shopping and lifestyle beats.
BitKeep Crypto Wallet Exploited For $1 Million Heres What You Need To Know Cryptonews
BitKeep Crypto Wallet Exploited For $1 Million – Here’s What You Need To Know – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/bitkeep-crypto-wallet-exploited-for-1-million-heres-what-you-need-to-know-cryptonews/
Crypto hacks are becoming more common, and the latest victim is BitKeep – crypto wallet that supports more than 30 blockchain networks.
During the early hours of Tuesday morning, BitKeep announced that its Swap product had been hacked of $1 million of BNB Chain and Polygon-based tokens. The company tweeted that its development team had managed to stop the hacker.
BitKeep also tweeted that it had suspended the Swap service to prevent any further security breaches. Blockchain security and analytics data company PeckShield stated that the hackers had exploited the swap/router of the multi-chain wallet – integrating several features in one location.
PeckShield informed BitKeep investors that they should use its Revoke.Cash platform to ensure they do their part in preventing hackers from stealing any other funds. The blockchain security company discovered that the hacker had transferred 190 tokens via the Binance Smart Chain network.
Fortunately for investors, BitKeep is adamant about keeping investor funds safe. While several hacked crypto companies haven’t compensated investors for losses, BitKeep is taking a different approach.
BitKeep Wallet tweeted that users’ assets are secure and those that suffered losses in the Swap security incident will be fully compensated. The wallet provider will launch a compensation portal within 3 working days for victims to apply for a refund. The provider also stated that it will compensate 100% of the stolen assets.
Crypto investors have every right to feel jittery about their assets because 2022 has proved to be a doozy. Reports reveal that crypto hackers have looted over $3 billion. If that wasn’t bad enough, October has set the record for the highest total amount hacked in one month.
It’s believed that more than $700 million has been stolen from DeFi protocols in October. And the worst part is that we still have almost two weeks until November.
French Company Pleads Guilty To U.S. Charge Of Paying Terror Groups The Washington Post
French Company Pleads Guilty To U.S. Charge Of Paying Terror Groups – The Washington Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/french-company-pleads-guilty-to-u-s-charge-of-paying-terror-groups-the-washington-post/
NEW YORK — Global cement company Lafarge will pay the U.S. government nearly $780 million for conspiring with Islamic State militants to run a production plant in war-ravaged Syria during its civil war — a move that helped bolster the terrorist group’s meager finances, officials said Tuesday.
A top executive of Lafarge, which was acquired by Swiss-based Holcim in 2015, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn to a count of conspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, admitting that Lafarge knowingly engaged in a deal with Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and the al-Nusrah Front (ANF), a Syrian Islamist militia, in 2013 and 2014.
The guilty plea marked the first time a corporation was prosecuted under a U.S. statute that prohibits a person or entity from assisting foreign terrorist groups, officials said. The Justice Department has a broad ability to bring such cases in U.S. courts even if the conduct generally occurred abroad but also involves at least one wire transaction locally.
Justice Department officials said Tuesday that the two groups obtained at least $6 million in payments from Lafarge. The payoffs allowed Lafarge to operate the plant in the Northern region of Syria, near the Turkish border, and bought them protection from the militias.
The Islamic State also made more than $3 million directly through the sale of cement it obtained at the end of Lafarge’s operation there starting in late 2014.
In total, Lafarge agreed to forfeit $687 million and pay $91 million in criminal fines to the United States.
U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz, who accepted Lafarge’s guilty plea, said the case “impacts global communities [and] the national security of the United States,” as well as victims of the terrorists.
Lafarge, which is based in France, had dealings with ISIS at a time when the group was responsible for capturing and killing journalists and aid workers in the devastated region.
Justice Department officials said the company paid for access to the plant and for protection from ISIS at a time when other corporations were fleeing Syria.
The Islamic State even issued stamped driving permits for Lafarge workers to get access to the plant.
“To the brothers at the checkpoints of Qarah Qawzak Bridge, may Allah keep you safe,” a translation of the permit read. “Kindly allow the employees of Lafarge Cement Company to pass through after completing the necessary work and after paying their dues to us.”
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference Tuesday that Lafarge and its Syrian subsidiary were responsible for providing significant funds to ISIS, which “otherwise operated on a shoestring budget.”
“This conduct by a Western corporation was appalling and has no precedent or justification,” Peace said.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said greedy intentions by Lafarge fueled rampant violence.
“In its pursuit of profits, Lafarge and its top executives not only broke the law, they helped to finance a violent reign of terror that ISIS and [ANF] imposed on the people of Syria,” Monaco said.
In France, six former executives and Lafarge are facing pending criminal charges in connection with their relationships in Syria. Those six people were referred to in court papers in the New York case but were not named.
“We deeply regret that this conduct occurred and have worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve this matter,” Lafarge said in a statement.
The conduct did not involve “Lafarge operations or employees in the United States and none of the executives who were involved in the conduct are with Lafarge or any affiliated entities today,” the statement also said.
5 Birmingham Area High School Football Games To Watch In Week 10 AL.com
5 Birmingham Area High School Football Games To Watch In Week 10 – AL.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/5-birmingham-area-high-school-football-games-to-watch-in-week-10-al-com/
Here are five games to watch in the Birmingham area this week as the final games of region action feature plenty of playoff spots still undecided.
The top four teams from each region advance to the playoffs with region No. 1 and No. 2 seeds hosting the first round of playoffs against selected region No. 3 and No. 4 seeds.
The complete schedule follows.
BENJAMIN RUSSELL (6-2, 3-2) AT HELENA (6-2, 3-2)
Helena’s AJ Horstead runs the ball during the second half of the Pelham at Helena high school football game in Helena, Ala., Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Husky Stadium, Helena
Last week: Benjamin Russell beat Briarwood 16-14 and Helena fell 52-51 in 4 overtimes to Calera.
The skinny: Helena leads the series 3-1 and won 32-0 last season. It’s a crucial Class 6A, Region 3 game, particularly for Helena.
The Huskies could finish as high as second in the region — Homewood is the No. 1 seed — with a win, but a loss could put Helena completely out of the playoff picture, depending on other outcomes.
Benjamin Russell is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and could earn the No. 2 seed or fall into the third or fourth spot.
Benjamin Russell QB Gabe Benton (115-183, 2,148 yards, 22 TDs passing) has a good corps of WRs in Corri Millner (27-634 yards, 10 TDs), Chris Foster (40-545, 3 TDs) and David Lawson (10-188, 3 TDs). RB Malcolm Simmons (85-600 yards, 8 TDs rushing; 20-344 yards, 3 TDs receiving) flourishes behind offensive linemen Collin Thompson and Cooper Spears. Ty Williams is a ball-hawking DB (38 tackles, 4 INT) as is Ensley Goggans (53 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT). The linebacking group is outstanding with Jy Hicks (71 tackles, 5 TFL), Savon Spradley (64 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sacks), Caiden Hyde (58 tackles, 10 TFL) and Bryan Simmons (42 tackles, 7 TFL, 5 sacks).
Helena’s running game is keyed by Jordan Washington (113-671 yards, 11 TDs rushing), AJ Horstead (110-556 yards, 5 TDs) and QB Dalton Lewellyn (44-338 yards 4 TDs rushing; 79-131, 1,193 yards, 9 TDs passing). Top receivers are Hunter Hale (45-631 yards, 6 TDs), Kennth Jones (13-154 yards), Nathan Wade (7-171 yards, 2 TDs) and Torrey Ward (12-188 yards, TD). The defense features linebackers Nathan Thomason and Mason Johnson along with linemen Derrick Wilson and Xavier Guy. Kevin Pinkard and Desmon James are strong in the defensive backfield.
GARDENDALE (6-2, 5-0) AT MOUNTAIN BROOK (7-1, 5-0)
Mountain Brook running back Cole Gamble (19) during a game at Parker High school in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Oct. 6, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Spartan Stadium, Mountain Brook
Last week: Class 6A No. 10 Gardendale beat Woodlawn 37-20 and fifth-ranked Mountain Brook beat Mortimer Jordan 56-14.
The skinny: Mountain Brook leads the all-time series 10-5 with the Spartans winning the last meeting 6-0 in 2020. The game will decide the Class 6A, Region 3 top two seeds.
Two good defensive teams feature run-based offenses.
Gardendale’s defensive front 7 is stout with linemen Caiden Combs (78 tackles, 12 TFL, 5 sacks) and Kelby Collins (73 tackles, 7 TFL, 10 sacks) along with LB Caden McGruder (64 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks) the top three tacklers. DB Dallas Young (50 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks) leads the back end. The fast-starting offense — 104 first quarter points this season — is led QB Tyler Nelson (1,238 yards, 14 TDs rushing; 893 yards, 11 TDs passing). Lawson Hughes heads an OL that opens holes for Nelson along with RBs Kedrick Storey (3 TDs) and Jonathan Harris (4 TDs) while Carter Jenkins (12 catches) and Harris (10 catches) are the top receivers.
Mountain Brook’s defense allows 11.8 points a game, but the three Class 7A schools account for 61 of the 94 points surrendered. The linebacking group leads the way with bell cow Trent Wright, Vaughn Frost and Braxton Dean roaming behind a line that includes Parker Avery. Mac Palmer heads the secondary. The Spartans also pound the ball, but use running backs Cole Gamble (222 yards, 5 TDs last week), Will Waldrop and Jack King to do most of their damage. QB John Colvin keeps defenses honest with accurate passing, particularly the long ball, to WRs Jackson Beatty and Clark Sanderson.
HOOVER (8-1, 6-0) AT THOMPSON (7-2, 6-0)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Warriors Stadium, Alabaster
Hoover’s Kaleb Jackson, left, Bradley Shaw, Garian Denson and DJ Estes gang tackle Tuscaloosa County’s Kevin Riley during a game at the Met in Hoover, Ala., Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com)
Last week: Third-ranked Hoover beat Chelsea 38-0 while second-ranked Thompson beat Tuscaloosa County 49-7.
The skinny: Hoover leads the series 23-7, but Thompson has won five of the past six meetings, including last year’s semifinal playoff game after losing to the Bucs in regular season play. As usual, the teams are battling for the No. 1 seed in Class 7A, Region 3.
Expect this one to be a defensive struggle with two of the top defenses in the state.
Hoover allows only 9.1 points a game and no team has scored more than 17 on the Bucs. The front 7 is outstanding with a DL that features Jordan Norman (29 tackles, 11.5 TFL), Andrew Parrish (24 tackles, 4 TFL), Michael Nixon (4 TFL) and Chaleb Powell. The LB corps of Kaleb Jackson (56 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks, INT), Bradley Shaw (41 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.5 sacks, INT) and DJ Estes (33 tackles, 15 TFL, 2 sacks, INT) lead the team in tackles. The back end is just as strong with Jay Avery (30 tackles, 3 INT), Keith Christein (22 tackles) and Devan Carlisle (14 tackles, INT). The offense is patient no matter who starts at QB (probable is Noah Schubach). Backs Lamarion McCammon (92-650 yards, 8 TDs rushing) and Kamal Anderson (57-269, 3 TDs) run behind an OL that includes Ethan Hubbard, AJ Franklin and Rashad Smith. Receivers KJ Law (30-296 yards, 2 TDs) and Jordan Woolen (26-334, 3 TDs) are targets. Kickers will be crucial with Peyton Argent converting 7-of-8 field goals.
The Thompson defense surrenders 14 points a game, but only 7.1 since losses to Buford (Ga.) and Lipscomb Academy (Tenn.). The Warriors front 7 is just as formidable as Hoover’s with Peter Woods (53 tackles, 17 TFL, 6 sacks), Dylan Campbell (31 tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks) and Caleb Ballard (51 tackles, 12 TFL, 7 sacks) fronting LBs Jake Ivie (61 tackles, 9 TFL), Seth Hampton (58 tackles, 11 TFL) and Kelby Taylor (47 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INT). DBs are star-studded with Tony Mitchell (50 tackles, 7 TFL, 5 PBU), Anquon Fegans (44 tackles, 7 INT) and Payton Lewis (21 tackles, INT). QB Zach Sims (85-135, 1,152 yards, 6 TDs) directs the offense that features WRs KB Williams (32-358 yards, 5 TDs) and Deuce Oliver (24-316, 3 TDs). AJ Green is a workhorse at RB (114-789 yards, 12 TDs) along with Michael Dujon (42-357, 5 TDs). Kicking duties are handled by John Allen McGuire with 2 FG, including a long of 42.
OXFORD (4-4, 3-2) AT CENTER POINT (7-1, 4-1)
Center Point’s Jabari Collier hands the ball off to Center Point’s Troy Bruce during a game at Center Point high school in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Bowman Field, Center Point
Last week: Oxford fell to 25-20 Clay-Chalkville and Class 6A ninth-ranked Center Point was idle.
The skinny: The series is tied 1-1 with Oxford beating Erwin (now Center Point) 26-21 in 2005. The four Class 6A, Region 6 teams are set and Clay-Chalkville is the top seed, but the other three (Center Point, Pinson Valley and Oxford) are battling for seeding.
Oxford QB Mason Mims (18-of-23, 127 yards, TD last week) heads the offense while Nick Richardson (3 catches, 48 yards last week) and Judd Syer (3 catches, 30 yards) are WR targets. RB Caleb Wynn (16-56 yards, TD last week) leads the ground game, but dangerous ATH DK Wilson gets involved in a variety of offensive situations. Caleb Tinner and Keenan Britt are strong on the DL while linebackers Mike Battle and Hudson Gilman are stoppers. The defensive backfield is headed by Emari Carroll.
The Center Point duo of QB Jabari Collier (76-679, 10 TDs rushing; 64-109, 1,107 yards, 7 TDs passing) and RB Troy Bruce (126-1,187 yards, 19 TDs rushing; 18-211 yards, 4 TDs receiving) are tough to contain behind an OL that includes Gerald Perry. WR Harold Holloman (23-577, TD) is the top target along with Bruce. Cameron Bonner (42 tackles) leads in tackles while linebacking mate Malik Brown (33 tackles, 9 TFL, 4.5 sacks) is also part of a strong front 7 that includes linemen DeMario Hicks (38 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 4 sacks) and Jordan Jackson (38 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks). KeMarius Horne (32 tackles, 2 INT) and Deon Moore (21 tackles, 4 INT) handle DB duties.
TUSCALOOSA COUNTY (5-3, 3-3) AT VESTAVIA HILLS (4-4, 3-3)
Vestavia Hill’s quarterback John Paul Head (13) looks to pass against Oak Mountain during a game in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Buddy Anderson Field at Reynold Stadium, Vestavia Hills
Last week: Tuscaloosa County lost 49-7 to Thompson and Vestavia Hills beat Oak Mountain 42-21.
The skinny: Vestavia Hills leads the series 12-6 and won 50-0 in 2021. The game decides the final seed for Class 7A, Region 3 with Thompson and Hoover battling for the top two seeds and Hewitt-Trussville earning the No. 3 spot.
Most of the damage for the Tuscaloosa County offense is done by QB Sawyer Deerman (he also plays defense) and RB Kevin Riley. Top receiving targets are Dre Brown and Coleman Cooper at WR and Riley out of the backfield. The defensive front 7 includes LBs Clayton Allen and Jackson Sprayberry along with linemen Kole Nicholson, Eli Herndon and Hunter Montgomery. Landon Smith, Mason Ray, Quilen Hale and Sheldrick McNeal roam the defensive ...
SnowPak Announces New Colorado Ski Resort Partner GlobeNewswire
SnowPak Announces New Colorado Ski Resort Partner – GlobeNewswire https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/snowpak-announces-new-colorado-ski-resort-partner-globenewswire/
Littleton, Oct. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Littleton, Colorado –
SnowPak proudly announces a wholesale partnership with Telluride ski resort for the 2022/23 ski season. This new partnership allows SnowPak access to Telluride’s ski products to expand its product offering of Colorado resorts in its online mountain travel booking platform.
“Telluride is one of the top ski resorts in Colorado, and SnowPak is very excited to work with them directly. SnowPak currently works with amazing resorts like Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen, so adding Telluride to the company ski resort portfolio makes sense,” said Jack Lee, Communications Director for SnowPak.
Under this wholesale agreement, SnowPak and its connected travel agent representatives can distribute and package Telluride ski passes with other ski vacation travel products such as ski lodging, equipment rentals, ski lessons, and transportation services.
The pandemic has dramatically impacted the ski travel industry as a whole. The ski resort industry has been heavily focused on mountain operations to maintain a safe environment for its guests for the past three ski seasons. The SnowPak Vacations – Telluride Ski Resort partnership is a sign that ski resorts are shifting their focus back to attracting destination skiers.
“Destination ski travel was hit hard, but demand has picked up this ski season with many inquiries about Colorado ski packages. It looks like ski vacations are now coming back in a big way as a winter getaway option,” said Mark Liang, Chief Product Officer of SnowPak. “The partnership with Telluride ski resort is a major step forward in meeting that demand. SnowPak has a lot of customers who are looking for a ski vacation to Colorado, and Telluride is definitely at the top of the list.”
SnowPak is one of North America’s biggest ski tour operators specializing in Colorado ski vacations. Telluride ski resort is one of the top ski resorts in Colorado, voted the best in North America for the 2021/22 season by Canyon News. SnowPak’s goal is to make destination ski vacations accessible to new skiers.
###
For more information about SnowPak, contact the company here:
SnowPak
Jack Lee
1 (800) 891-2256
jack@snowpak.com
9878 W Belleview Ave, Suite 5008, Denver CO 80123
%
Netflix Rebounds From Recent Subscriber Losses With 3Q Gain 69News WFMZ-TV
Netflix Rebounds From Recent Subscriber Losses With 3Q Gain – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/netflix-rebounds-from-recent-subscriber-losses-with-3q-gain-69news-wfmz-tv/
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix reversed its recent subscriber losses with a summertime gain that management is hoping to build upon with the upcoming launch of a cheaper version of the video streaming service that will include ads for the first time.
The Los Gatos, California, company disclosed Tuesday that it picked up 2.4 million subscribers during the July-September period, a comeback from a loss of 1.2 million customers during the first half of the year amid stiffer competition and soaring inflation that’s squeezing household budgets.
Netflix now boasts 223 million subscribers, enabling the company to at least temporarily reclaim the mantle as the world’s largest video streaming service. Walt Disney Co. eclipsed Netflix in August when it reported its service had 221 million subscribers, a number that will be updated Nov. 8 when Disney is scheduled to report its summertime results.
“After a challenging first half, we believe we’re on a path to reaccelerate growth,” Netflix predicted in a shareholder letter accompanying the third-quarter results.
The uptick in subscribers also helped Netflix earn $1.4 billion, or $3.10 per share, a 4% dip from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 6% from last year to $7.93 billion. The subscriber gains, earnings per share and revenue all topped analyst projections compiled by FactSet.
Netflix’s shares surged nearly 13% after the latest numbers came out. Even so, the stock has still lost more than half its value so far this year, reflecting worries that Netflix’s best days have passed.
Now that Netflix is growing again, it will be aiming to accelerate the momentum with its first ad-supported plan that debuts in the U.S. and 11 other markets in early November. The new option will cost $7 per month in the U.S., less than half the price for Netflix’s most popular $15.50-per-month plan without commercial interruptions.
“Netflix still has a lot of room to grow and capture the share in a price-sensitive market,” Investing.com analyst Haris Anwar said in a sign of renewed optimism about the company’s prospects.
In a possible sign Netflix isn’t expecting the ad-backed plan to be an immediate hit, management is forecasting it will add 4.5 million subscribers during the October-December period. Although that would be Netflix’s biggest quarterly gain this year, it would still be down from the 8.3 million subscribers added during the same holiday-season period last year.
Netflix is apparently hoping to de-emphasize Wall Street’s long-running focus on its subscriber growth by stopping to provide forecasts about how many customers it expects to add from one quarter to the next. Management disclosed Tuesday that its subscriber projection for the current quarter will be its last, but that it will continue to predict earnings and revenue in hopes investors will pay more attention to those figures.
Although investors have generally been enthusiastic about Netflix’s expansion into the advertising market, one major concern is whether the additional revenue generated from selling commercials will be enough to offset the losses from current subscribers who switch to the cheaper option from higher prices they are currently paying.
Netflix is projecting revenue of nearly $7.8 billion for the quarter covering the holiday season that traditionally spurs more advertisers, slightly below what analysts had been anticipating, according to FactSet. If Netflix delivers on its revenue forecast, it will translate into a 4% increase from the same time last year. By comparison, Netflix’s posted a year-over-year revenue gain of 16% in its 2021 holiday-season quarter.
But an analysis by the research firm Insider Intelligence foresees advertising contributing a significant chunk of Netflix’s revenue. Next year, Netflix should bring in more than $830 million from advertisers in the U.S. alone, followed by more than $1 billion in the U.S. in 2024, according to Insider Intelligence.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Introducing The SELF Well-Read Book Cluband Our First Official Pick! Self
Introducing The SELF Well-Read Book Club—and Our First Official Pick! – Self https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/introducing-the-self-well-read-book-club-and-our-first-official-pick-self/
Around the office we talk a lot about what we’re reading—and I don’t think that’s just because we’re editors and writers. For so many of us, reading is a true form of self-care. At various points in my life, plowing through a book has even felt like medicine: I can’t count how many times I got through anxious weeks or months by escaping in a good story.
As I’ve gotten older and become more curious, reading has also become a way for me to challenge my beliefs, expand my awareness, and simply live well. I’m always looking to work on myself and suck all there is out of life. (And, whenever possible, make life feel a teensy bit easier.)
If you’re still reading this, I’m betting you feel the same. So I’m pleased to introduce the SELF Well-Read Book Club! Each month we’ll announce a new pick that we’ll read right alongside you and hundreds of other SELF readers. The books we read will span a range of topics—from mental health and self-help to fitness, relationships, and healthy living. By staying in the loop, you’ll get access to SELF content that complements our pick of the month, intimate Instagram Live chats with the author, exclusive excerpts, and more.
So let’s jump right in! Our November Well-Read Book Club pick is—drumroll please—Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us, by athlete, activist, and mental health advocate Alison Désir. Running While Black—which comes out today—is part memoir, part cultural critique, and part call to action: Désir shares her own story of becoming a Black distance runner in an unwelcoming white space while taking her readers through gut-wrenching accounts of what it means to be both Black and a runner at large, from national news stories like that of Ahmaud Arbery to troubling encounters and experiences she’s had throughout her life. The stories (and histories) Désir weaves together are captivating, eye-opening, and often even uncomfortable in their raw honesty and personal perspective. That’s all to say: This story is important, and we can’t wait to read it all together.
By the way, you may be familiar with some of Désir’s work already: She founded Harlem Run and Run 4 All Women. In 2017, she ran from New York City to Washington, DC, to raise money for Planned Parenthood. We also honored her in our 2017 SELF Healthy Living Awards. And on top of it all, Désir remains a leading expert and coach in the sport, incorporating her knowledge of running and that of mental health care (Désir has a master of education in counseling psychology) to change how all of us can work to make the sport a healing space for everyone.
So what now? First, buy the book here or here. Then, mark your calendars—we’ll be doing an Instagram Live Q&A with author Alison Désir on Wednesday, November 16 at 11 a.m. EST at @selfmagazine. If you’re curious to get a taste of what this month’s pick is all about, read an exclusive excerpt from the book here. And for related reading from SELF on the subject of race and fitness, see below.
Welcome to the Club—it’s so good to finally be here!
Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us
Recommended Reading for Running While Black
What It Means to Be Black in Fitness
7 Ways to Heal Your Relationship With Exercise and Movement
A Pep Talk for Anyone Who Wants to Work Out Right Now But Feels Like Fitness Isn’t for Them
Wellness Has a Race Problem
Fit for Us: An Open Letter to the Fitness Industry
How People of Color Can Find Joy and Respite in the Outdoors
Between the Pandemic and Anti-Black Violence, Running Is No Longer the Refuge It Used to Be
The Moment I Actually Believed I Was a Runner, According to 14 Runners
11 Running Groups to Help You Find Your Community on the Roads
How to Find an Inclusive Run Club
Hey, Fellow Fitness Pros: Yes, Speaking Out Against Anti-Blackness Is Our Lane
17 Excellent Black-Owned Fitness Brands to Shop and Support
101 Online Mental Health Resources for Marginalized Communities
Drew Sanders Ricky Stromberg On Sporting News Midseason All-America Team SWARK Today SWARK Today
Drew Sanders, Ricky Stromberg On Sporting News Midseason All-America Team – SWARK Today – SWARK Today https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/drew-sanders-ricky-stromberg-on-sporting-news-midseason-all-america-team-swark-today-swark-today/
razorback
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders and center Ricky Stromberg each earned a spot on Sporting News’ 2022 Midseason All-America college football team, the organization announced Tuesday. The Razorbacks are one of five teams to place multiple players on the list.
Sanders paces the SEC and ranks second nationally in sacks (6.5) and forced fumbles (3) this season. The Denton, Texas, product is the first Arkansas defender with three or more forced fumbles in a season since DL McTelvin Agim (3) and DL Armon Watts (3) in 2018. Sanders has a team-leading four games with 10+ tackles, including a pair of multi-sack efforts, and ranks fourth in the league in total tackles with 63. With the help of Sanders, Arkansas leads the conference in sacks (21.0) and sacks per game (3.0). Stuffing the stat sheet in Arkansas’ SEC opener vs. South Carolina, Sanders recorded 11 total tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. Since 2000, only two SEC defenders have registered double-digit tackles with 2+ sacks, 2+ forced fumbles and at least one pass breakup in a game: Sanders (Arkansas) vs. South Carolina in 2022 and Greg Hardy (Ole Miss) vs. Alabama in 2007.
Stromberg anchors a dominant Arkansas offensive line that blocks for the SEC’s leading rusher, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who has amassed 870 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns so far this season. Behind Stromberg’s blocking, the Razorbacks have recorded a 100-yard rusher in a program-record eight consecutive games dating back to the 2021 season. The Razorbacks rank second in the league in rushing yards per game (240.0) and average 488.57 yards of total offense per game in 2022. Playing in 542 offensive snaps at center this season, Stromberg has allowed zero sacks or quarterback hits. Stromberg helped Arkansas’ offensive line control the line of scrimmage against BYU Saturday, paving way for 644 yards of total offense – its most since compiling 676 yards at Ole Miss in 2021. Stromberg blocked for an offense that totaled 277 yards on the ground with two touchdowns while protecting QB KJ Jefferson, who completed a career high 29 passes for 367 yards and five passing touchdowns against the Cougars.
Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status.
Following a bye week, Sanders, Stromberg and the Hogs travel to Auburn for an 11 a.m. CT kick on Saturday, Oct. 29. The game will air on SEC Network. For ticket information, call the Razorback Ticket Center at 479-575-5151 or click here.
Sixth Wall CEO On Barriers To Metaverse Mass Adoption CoinDesk
Sixth Wall CEO On Barriers To Metaverse Mass Adoption – CoinDesk https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/sixth-wall-ceo-on-barriers-to-metaverse-mass-adoption-coindesk/
Please note that our
privacy policy,
terms of use,
cookies,
and
do not sell my personal information
has been updated
.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a
strict set of editorial policies.
CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of
Digital Currency Group,
which invests in
cryptocurrencies
and blockchain
startups.
As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of
stock appreciation rights,
which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG
.
Bitcoin (BTC) Vs Cardano (ADA) Vs The Hideaways (HDWY) Price Analysis By Top Traders Cryptonews
Bitcoin (BTC) Vs Cardano (ADA) Vs The Hideaways (HDWY) – Price Analysis By Top Traders – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/bitcoin-btc-vs-cardano-ada-vs-the-hideaways-hdwy-price-analysis-by-top-traders-cryptonews/
Bitcoin (BTC) is the top cryptocurrency in the market, followed by other coins like Cardano (ADA). Lately, BTC seems to suffer from price declines, dropping 72% during the crypto winter.
After one final decline in the cryptocurrency market, the price of BTC may have reached the end of its correction.
Cardano (ADA) is gaining popularity for its NFTs. The same goes for The Hideaways (HDWY), a new crypto project focusing on luxury real estate NFTs.
Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index Painted Red
Since reaching a peak of $25,211 in August 2022, the price of BTC has been falling inside a declining wedge. The decline brought the price to a low of $18,125 in September.
Currently, BTC is trading at $19,416, marginally higher than in previous months but not much of a big leap.
The coin’s RSI is down in the red line at 39.89, overcoming the 30-mark indicator, indicating the possibility of a bullish trend.
Cardano NFTs Steals The Show
Cardano (ADA) is putting more effort into improving its NFTs, gaining positive feedback from investors. Given the financial potential of digital collectibles, the network promised to make this project one of the highlights of its roadmap.
According to a reputable analyst, this work will not go in vain because ADA NFTs are now the best NFTs on the market.
There are over 56,0000 NFTs launched in the Cardano platform, minting millions of NFTs. Cardano already has a developing ecosystem of NFT minting engines and marketplaces.
The Hideaways NFTs Is The Future Of Crypto And Potential Top 10 Market Cap Coin
Investors have been eager to invest in crypto projects with real-world utilities, and their dreams finally came true with The Hideaways ($HDWY). It’s a platform that lets users access properties worldwide backed by NFTs.
The Hideaways ecosystem enables users to access real estate properties around the globe with generous benefits. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t get with traditional real estate investment.
HDWY also have locked liquidity forever, which is super bullish. And by accessing investment property from anywhere in the world needs super security – our analysts love this.
With HDWY, you can receive a minimum of 20% of rental income plus money earned in $ETH, $USDC, or $USDT from events held on your property.
The Hideaways smart contracts are also audited by SolidProof, ensuring a secure and fraud-free transaction.
The simple maths of it is, the $240 trillion property market is so big that if The Hideaways (HDWY) even grabs just 0.1% of that – they’ll be worth $100bn dollars. Over 100x from its current price.
This is your chance to be early to a crypto, instead of buying it on big exchanges where early investors are ready to dump on you. Switch the tables and be early to The Hideaways (HDWY).
For More Information About The Hideaways Next Presale, Visit:
Website: https://www.thehideaways.io/
Presale: https://ticket.thehideaways.io/register
Telegram: https://t.me/thehideawayscrypto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hdwycrypto
