US Urges China To Resume Talks Ended After Pelosi Went To Taiwan Bloomberg
US Urges China To Resume Talks Ended After Pelosi Went To Taiwan – Bloomberg https://collincountynewsonline.com/us-urges-china-to-resume-talks-ended-after-pelosi-went-to-taiwan-bloomberg/
We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network
To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.
Gaming Trends In The Middle East European Gaming Industry News European Gaming Industry News
Gaming Trends In The Middle East – European Gaming Industry News – European Gaming Industry News https://collincountynewsonline.com/gaming-trends-in-the-middle-east-european-gaming-industry-news-european-gaming-industry-news/
Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Middle East is currently experiencing a gaming boom, which has been helped by the COVID pandemic. Gaming has now become one of the most popular pastimes for people of ages, whether on smartphones, PCs, or consoles.
Mobile gaming leads the way, with an estimated 25% growth in 2020, with the region having around 100 million users. This increase provides opportunities for governments and the private sector, as this form of entertainment sweeps the region.
Things are looking rosy in the Middle East for entertainment. It will be the first time the region will host the FIFA World Cup in November, and new gaming enterprises are being founded every day.
One major element is esports. The Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund – PIF has invested $3bn in the sector. With a mix of buying teams, and investing in infrastructure, the Saudis believe the industry is only trending one way – up.
The Middle East is certainly positioning itself at the forefront of technological advancement. Besides gaming, blockchain technology is something of interest in the UAE and Saudi, as well as the Metaverse. It’s fair to say Gulf nations are investing in industries to diversify away from their reliance on oil and gas.
Many esports events are now being held in the Middle East too, Dubai to host POPC Live!, one of the biggest esports, comics, and YouTuber pop culture shows on the planet. Nevertheless, it doesn’t stop there. Dubai will also launch the Dubai esports festival in November 2022, to get an even larger foothold in the industry, and provide world-class facilities.
Besides popular esports games such as DOTA 2, Fortnite, and FIFA, other genres are also becoming increasingly popular in the Middle East. One of these is strategy games such as chess. Netflix series such as the Queen’s Gambit has helped the game become mainstream, as well as its simplicity to play.
In fact, strategy games are all the rage, competing to win and at the same time keeping your mind sharp. Surprisingly games like blackjack have seen popularity in recent years, especially online, as Arabs are able to access offshore sites, via a VPN and using cryptocurrency.
To help Arab players, comparison sites list all the best online casinos in one place, which provide customer support in English and Arabic. Moreover, Middle Eastern players are able to claim a generous welcome bonus to get started and read guides on how to play legally.
As the region is relatively young, it’s no surprise that gaming has skyrocketed in recent years. For example, in Saudi Arabia, 25% of the population is aged between 0 – 14, meaning games designed for children are big business. Some of the most popular titles include Roblox and Minecraft, with Saudi youth enjoying watching their favorite streamers on platforms such as Twitch.
Furthermore, the Middle East has produced plenty of homegrown talent. The most famous esports star is Msdossary, a Saudi native who’s a master at FIFA football. He currently plays for the esports team – Team Falcons and is the 2018 FIFA World Champion. In the esports world, he is considered a megastar, with over 350,000 followers on Twitter and 215,000 followers on Twitch. Msdossary is also close friends with the Crown Prince – MBS.
He’s somewhat of a poster child for the esports revolution currently occurring in Saudi Arabia. Many youngsters wish to emulate his accomplishments. It’s estimated that 89% of Saudi Arabians are gamers and by 2030, the industry should grow 50x. Therefore, Saudi Arabia will be a global hub for gaming and esports, with the future looking bright!
The upcoming trend of virtual reality (VR) is also gaining big investment in the Gulf States. The market has grown 43% since 2021, and Dubai is the hub for technology.
Dubai has experiences for both VR and AR that allow individuals to experience games in all different genres. In addition to gaming, the technology is used to take people on tours of the legendary skyline. One example of this is the VR park at Dubai Mall, which allows people to experience trips to be closer to their culture, heritage, and faith.
The future of gaming is exciting in the Middle East because of huge investment in the industry, as well as the young populace. It’s certainly one industry that will bring massive returns for the region in years to come. And with smartphones, more and more games are available to play, with some even locally developed. It sure is a good time in the Middle East for everything gaming.
Add This Unique Texas Haunt To List Of Really Haunted Houses Mix941kmxj.com
Add This Unique Texas Haunt To List Of “Really” Haunted Houses – Mix941kmxj.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/add-this-unique-texas-haunt-to-list-of-really-haunted-houses-mix941kmxj-com/
You would think, and I believe most of us are this way, that having your place of business deemed “haunted” is something that you wouldn’t necessarily want. That’s not the case with this Texas haunt.
Go ahead and add The Blackness Haunted House to the list of actually haunted, haunted houses.
11 Years Of Halloween Scares
Down in Plainview, Texas is a haunted house that has been in operation for 11 years (according to their website). That’s over a decade of making you jump, scream, and laugh at your friends.
It’s a big haunt. There are 4 attractions for you to experience.
The Blackness
Immortal Evil
Blacker Maze
Oddities: Freaks of Nature
Each one is unique and offers its own brand of terror.
Paul McGraw via YouTube
Paul McGraw via YouTube
loading…
Oddly Enough, The Haunted House Is…Well…Haunted
Come to find out, Amarillo isn’t the only place that has haunted, haunted houses. Plainview does too.
Apparently, The Blackness is housed within an old produce warehouse. That warehouse, according to legend, holds more than memories of vegetables.
Paul McGraw via YouTube
Paul McGraw via YouTube
loading…
Supposedly the ghosts that inhabit The Blackness are friendly, for the most part. They’ll tug on your clothes or tap you on the shoulder.
Paul McGraw via YouTube
Paul McGraw via YouTube
loading…
Nothing too menacing, but unsettling all the same.
You Will Know Fear, One Way Or Another
That’s the bottom line. It’s spelled out on their website. They’ve had multiple investigations done at the property, and there are tons of stories from those who work the haunt.
If you want an added layer to your haunted house adventures this year, try a tour of actually haunted, haunted houses in the area. 6th Street Massacre, The Blackness Haunted House in Plainview, The Haunt At Sundown…it could be a fun weekend of bumping into real ghosts next to fake ones.
Check Out These 10 Horrifying Ghost Legends From Texas
Here comes 10 ghost legends from the state of Texas:
The Legendary Stories Behind These Six Weird Texas Town Names
It’s no secret that Texas is home to some pretty strange town names. While the names of these places are strange enough on their own, sometimes the story behind the name is even stranger.
What Really Happened To The Tiny Ghost Town Of Cheapside
Breakfast In Shopping Out: Tourists To The U.S. Hit By Soaring Dollar Reuters.com
Breakfast In, Shopping Out: Tourists To The U.S. Hit By Soaring Dollar – Reuters.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/breakfast-in-shopping-out-tourists-to-the-u-s-hit-by-soaring-dollar-reuters-com/
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – In the weeks before heading to San Francisco for their vacation this month, Jeff Skipper and his wife Valerie, from the United Kingdom, watched helplessly as the U.S. dollar continued its meteoric rise against the British pound.
The sterling/dollar exchange rate – which slumped to a record low this week – has reduced the affordability of the already pricey Golden Gate City for the couple, forcing them to economize on some holiday luxuries.
“The exchange rate has been the biggest topic of conversation since we got here,” said Jeff Skipper, 50, an electrician.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
“Everything is pretty expensive for us,” said Valerie, a 47-year old university administrator.
“We’ve been buying food from grocery stores rather than having sit-down meals because when you change it to the British amount, it doesn’t seem worth it. It’s really a lot of money.”
The pair are among droves of visitors to the United States feeling the pinch of the mighty greenback, which scaled two-decade highs this month driven partly by Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. read more
For British tourists in the United States, the pain of the rampant dollar has been amplified by the collapse of the pound, which entered a near free fall on Monday after the British government announced unfunded tax cuts that sent investors fleeing. read more
Sterling hit a record low of $1.0327 on Monday, having plummeted 20% against the dollar this year. It was trading just above that on Wednesday at $1.0888.
“Now it’s one dollar to the pound…It’s really hit us,” said Colin Taylor, a retired telecoms engineer from the United Kingdom who was also visiting San Francisco with his wife.
“We have breakfast and it’s cost us 50 quid, 50 pounds, you know. And if this were at home it would be 20 or 25 pounds. So it’s a big, big jump for us.”
‘TOO HIGH’
While the pound has experienced some of the most violent gyrations in recent days, currency markets across the board have seen huge swings amid increased geopolitical tensions and central bank rate hikes to tame soaring inflation.
The relative strength of the U.S. economy has allowed the Fed to raise rates more aggressively than its peers, however, pushing the dollar up against the British pound, the euro and Japanese yen, as well as a slew of smaller currencies.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a currency basket, hit a fresh 20-year high of 114.78 on Wednesday. read more
“The dollar is too high. So we are spending, but not the way we would like,” said Jose Alvado, a 48-year old public accountant from Argentina who was visiting New York with his wife and two daughters.
“We are going to cheaper restaurants … We go to the Disney store and we don’t pick everything. We just take a look and then we go.”
Still, with COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted, international inbound U.S. leisure travel spending – adjusted for inflation – is forecast to reach $87 billion this year compared with $33 billion in 2020 and 2021, and $145 billion in 2019, the U.S. Travel Association said in June.
And some tourists say they will not let the dollar’s strength spoil their fun.
“I have to enjoy New York,” said Gilles Nolorgues, 48, an app designer from Paris.
‘MONOPOLY MONEY’
For travelers outside the United States with dollars in their pocket, the spending is easy.
With the dollar and the euro reaching parity for the first time in 20 years in July, American tourists have been splurging on luxury goods in Paris as well as enjoying cheaper treats in London’s West End, Reuters has reported. read more read more
Americans are spending 11% more on domestic and overseas travel in 2022 compared with 2019, according to consumer survey data gathered by the American Society of Travel Advisors, a trade organization.
“It feels like we’re spending Monopoly money,” said Ike Armstrong, 26, from California, speaking near London’s Trafalgar Square.
In Bali, Indonesia, 39-year old Johnny Follin from Los Angeles, California, said the strong dollar had allowed him to indulge more on good food, drinks and massages than he would have otherwise. The U.S. dollar has risen about 7% on the Indonesian rupiah this year.
“(For) bringing U.S. dollars here, it’s the best time in ages,” said Paul Spight from behind the counter of his currency exchange in Wollongong, south of Sydney, Australia.
The U.S. dollar is up about 10% on the Aussie this year. “That really helps the spending power coming in,” Spight added.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco, John McCrank in New York, Alun John in London, Ananda Teresia in Jakarta and Tom Westbrook in Sydney; writing and additional reporting by Michelle Price; editing by Deepa Babington
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data Real Estate $61M Refi For New Lynnwood Units Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce
Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data – Real Estate – $61M Refi For New Lynnwood Units – Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce https://collincountynewsonline.com/seattle-djc-com-local-business-news-and-data-real-estate-61m-refi-for-new-lynnwood-units-seattle-daily-journal-of-commerce/
September 29, 2022
American Capital Group completed the 239-unit Kinect @ Lynnwood last December. A sister company began building the project about two years ago; it replaced a former Hertz property near the future Lynnwood City Center Station. The apartments now benefit from a $61.3 million refinancing package secured by Dave Karson, Chris Moyer, Alex Lapidus and Chris Meloni of Cushman & Wakefield and Michael Zampetti of Greystone, the two firms announced. The Fannie Mae loan carries a 10-year, fixed-rate term, with full-term interest only. Moyer said in a statement, “Leasing activity remains robust with low vacancy rates throughout the entire Puget Sound region.” ACG’s partner in the project, and others, is Canyon Partners Real Estate.
Are You Caring For Someone Living With Dementia? USF Expert Offers Tips To Weather Hurricane Ian WUSF News
Are You Caring For Someone Living With Dementia? USF Expert Offers Tips To Weather Hurricane Ian – WUSF News https://collincountynewsonline.com/are-you-caring-for-someone-living-with-dementia-usf-expert-offers-tips-to-weather-hurricane-ian-wusf-news/
Seeking shelter during storms like Hurricane Ian can be challenging for many Floridians, but caregivers of people living with dementia often face added hardship.
It can be difficult for caregivers to travel with someone who has dementia so evacuating far from home isn’t always the best option, explained Lindsay Peterson, an assistant professor with the University of South Florida’s College of Aging Studies. But there are a lot of challenges with visiting local shelters or hunkering down as well, she said.
Peterson and her colleagues recently published a guide to help caregivers prepare for disasters. Health News Florida’s Stephanie Colombini talked with her about her concerns for caregivers during Hurricane Ian.
What are some of the difficulties people caring for loved ones with dementia face during disasters?
They are so busy with their day-to-day responsibilities taking care of their loved one, you know, their mother, father, spouse, etc., that they really don’t have time to do a lot of preparation. Some do, there are always people out there who are great planners, and they think way ahead, it’s just part of what they do. People who are more well off financially, they’ll have everything that you need. They’ll have generators, the [hurricane] windows, they usually have home help coming in.
But there are a lot of people who don’t have that help. And they’re a 24/7 caregiver and hear the storm is come along, and they may not be ready. And the public shelters are really not a very good place for them. A lot [of caregivers] that we talked to said, “I would never go to a shelter. My father, my husband, would never survive in a shelter.” So a lot of them just stay home.
What are some of the challenges with shelters?
We really need shelters that are appropriate for people with dementia, and a lot of shelters, their staff are trained in how to work with someone and what to expect for someone who has dementia. At the same time, the environments are just not great. They’re crowded, they can’t necessarily find a nice quiet corner where their loved one is going to feel safe and comfortable. The meal schedules may be off, everything may be off.
And the one thing about caring for a person with dementia is that they need regularity, they need normalcy. Any change from a routine can be alarming and can set off, you know, any kind of behavior. And if you’re, say, a wife of someone in this situation, and you have to handle the emergency, and you have someone with you who’s panicking, it can be difficult.
Definitely. For the people who have decided to shelter in place, what’s your advice for them? That’s got to be tough as well.
Securing your house so that they [person with dementia] can’t run out in the middle of the storm if they get panicky. We heard stories about people with dementia getting very disoriented and upset when they were in the dark. They might start roaming around the house.
One story we heard was a gentleman that was a husband with dementia, accidentally locked himself in his bedroom in the middle of the night with no electricity, and was extremely upset pounding on the door, not knowing what to do. And here’s the caregiver on the other side of the door. Now this one was very smart, she took her cell phone and slipped it underneath the door so there would be light. And that was enough to help him figure out how to open the door and get out.
But having light is super important. And there are different ways to do that. There are battery operated lanterns, different things that you can set up around your house to make sure that in every room, there’s light and that you can avoid something happening because of the disorientation of being in the darkness.
Also things like making sure that you have their comfort foods there to serve and things that comfort the person, a blanket, a stuffed toy. Things to create a distraction, you know, games, puzzles, anything that you can do to try to lower that anxiety.
And a big part of that also is the way you communicate with the person, being calm, not projecting any panic, speaking very concretely, giving very specific instructions and taking into consideration that they’re watching you. They’re watching their caregiver to figure out whether they need to be upset.
What are you most concerned about right now?
Being without electricity can be a real concern, if anybody is using any kind of electrical equipment.
Hopefully we don’t have anybody who is in a mandatory evacuation zone, who finds themselves in trouble in the middle of this storm. Because if it gets very bad, and you get into trouble after the storm has started, it’s going to be very difficult for someone to come and help you. And that’s who I worry about are the people who haven’t gone somewhere because maybe they didn’t have anywhere to go. Maybe they didn’t have any way to get there. Maybe they just felt like they couldn’t travel with their loved one. And it’s really important to get as much help as you possibly can and to reach out to people.
And what can the community do in the days following the storm to help these caregivers who, you know, many of them are going through this very stressful situation and caring for their loved ones on their own?
Yes, that’s a great question. So one thing that we really want to alert people to is if you know of anybody who is a caregiver, please check on them. Because chances are they might not have prepared and they might be taking care of someone who needs a lot of help, who might not be aware of what’s going on but who might be panicking with the change of circumstances.
When someone’s home is destroyed, or even not even destroyed, but they have a crisis with themselves or with their loved one with dementia in a disaster, chances are one or both of them might be more likely to have to go into a nursing home after that or wind up in the hospital. So this is a practical problem of keeping people safe and healthy in order to keep them in the community. So we’ve got social services that can help with that, but also neighbors can help with that.
Community Notebook | News Sports Jobs Evening Observer
Community Notebook | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://collincountynewsonline.com/community-notebook-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/
Al-Anon meeting set for tonight
Steps to Serenity Al-Anon meeting will be held today from 6:45 to 8 p.m. Meetings are at Harvest Chapel Free Methodist Church, Matteson Street, Fredonia. For further information, call 716-969-2395.
Bills Boosters gather Sunday
The Southern Tier Bills Booster Club will watch the Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens game on Sunday at the Moniuszko Club, 262 Lake Shore Drive, Dunkirk. Pulled pork sandwiches will be provided at halftime. Members may bring a dish to pass. New members are always welcome.
Cassadaga legion plans Oktoberfest
CASSADAGA — The Cassadaga Legion, Auxiliary, and Sons are hosting an Oktoberfest, Sunday at the post. Open to the public, there will be the Whiz Whip food truck serving from 3 to 6 p.m. It will feature Oktoberfest favorites as well as burger, dogs and more. Music will be by Family Tradition from 4 to 7 p.m. with raffles, and fun for all.
Sons of Revolution meets Oct. 8
The Chautauqua Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 12:30 pm. The meeting will be at the Stockton Hotel and members will order lunch from the menu. The S.A.R. is a national group of men who trace their ancestry to a patriot in the War of Independence. Meetings are open to all interested in joining or just finding out more about the organization. Spouses are invited as well. For more information, phone Chapter President, Steve Boothe, at 716-574-7995.
Book clubs announced for Westfield
WESTFIELD — Book clubs meeting in October at the Patterson Library in Westfield include: Best Sellers at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4 discussing “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray; the Literary Circle at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 discussing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” by James Baldwin; the Mystery Book Club: at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 discussing “Open Season” by C.J. Box; and the Wanderlust group meeting at 4 p.m. Oct. 27 discussing “Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
How Real Is The Metaverse And Web 3.0 For Banking? The Financial Brand
How Real Is The Metaverse And Web 3.0 For Banking? – The Financial Brand https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-real-is-the-metaverse-and-web-3-0-for-banking-the-financial-brand/
The following is an excerpt from a bank job description on LinkedIn:
“This individual must be comfortable paving a path, creating frameworks, and working with extremely fast moving companies amongst ambiguity. … We are looking for curious and dynamic leaders who will take it upon themselves to learn, grow and lead in this sea of technological change.”
It was posted by J.P. Morgan Payments, part of JPMorgan Chase, for a business development manager to handle the needs of the “Web3, Crypto, Fintech, and Metaverse” industries.
If you feel you fit the bill, unfortunately the listing stated in late September that applications were no longer being accepted. The good news is that someday there may be lots of opportunity for you with banks that decide to serve the needs of Web3 and the Metaverse.
For most banks out of JPMorgan Chase’s league, this day is not that day. In fact, spending much time on these issues may seem like a complete waste of time. But does that mean they can be ignored?
“Personally, I think the Metaverse could be the most important tech trend to hit banking since the internet,” writes Michael Abbott of Accenture on Forbes.com. “Make no mistake we are still in the early days but that doesn’t mean banks should sit tight.” Abbott is Senior Managing Director and Global Head of the company’s banking group.
The Metaverse in the Public’s Awareness
In the summer of 2022 Forrester released a report titled “Most Consumers Are Not Familiar With The Metaverse.” With all kinds of hype going on, including JPMorgan Chase opening a Metaverse branch in Decentraland in early 2022, there’s a fear of missing out in some quarters. But Forrester found that in eight countries, most people surveyed had almost no idea what the Metaverse is. In the U.S. 57% of people survey were not familiar with term.
Research among U.S. adults by YouGov found a strong level of awareness — 55% had heard the term and levels were stronger the younger the consumer was. However, YouGov also found that less than half of the U.S. sample could confidently actually explain what the metaverse is.
Delving deeper, YouGov broke Americans into four segments:
Trialists: 15%— people who say they have already been in the Metaverse, 15%. Of this group, seven of ten also think cryptocurrency will someday be a medium of exchange online. 25% think you can earn money in the Metaverse.
Curious: 51%— those have not been there but find the Metaverse interesting. Only one in five of the Curious favor using crypto for online payments. 28% think you can earn money there.
Uncertain: 15%— those who have not been there who are not sure they would be interested. Only one in ten of this group would like to use crypto for online transactions.
Rejecters: 20% haven’t been there and have no interest. Interestingly, their desire to pay with crypto is about the same as the Curious consumers.
Shopping in the Metaverse was of interest to 13% of the sample. Handling finances there was not mentioned in YouGov’s results. However, 39% worry about having crypto stolen from them in the Metaverse.
“Financial services and technology companies need to establish more credibility in securing a safe environment so all prospective users can feel comfortable interacting with other parties in the Metaverse.”
— YouGov
Read More:
The Banker’s Guide to the Metaverse
Metaverse in Banking: Not Just a Playground for Big Banks Anymore
REGISTER FOR THIS FREE WEBINAR
Direct Marketing Best Practices to Maximize ROI
In this webinar you’ll learn the best practices you should be following with your direct mail and digital marketing.
WEDNESDAY, October 5th AT 2:00 PM (ET)
Enter your corporate email address
How Does Web 3.0 Fit in Here?
Still evolving is the difference or the convergence, of the Metaverse and Web 3.0. The latter is expected to replace the current internet and to decentralize much of what goes on there now. Web 3.0, also called Web3, is a blockchain play and part of its appeal, to some, is that it would return more power to users. Backers see this as taking back power from big firms. On the other hand, some big money is putting chips on Web 3.0.
As explained in an extensive article about Web 3.0 by McKinsey:
“The disruptive premise of Web3 is built on three fundamentals: the blockchain that stores all data on asset ownership and the history of conducted transactions; ‘smart’ contracts that represent application logic and can execute specific tasks independently; and digital assets that can represent anything of value and engage with smart contracts to become ‘programmable’.”
Things get pretty complicated once you get into the “how-to.” The McKinsey paper, “Web3 beyond the hype,” sketches out how the equivalent of decentralized deposits would work.
Instead of going through intermediary institutions — banks and credit unions — depositors would make deposits to the web. These funds would be borrowed and smart contracts would handle collections of payments. (As described, borrowers would have to post adequate collateral to be allowed to borrow.) According to sources cited by McKinsey, over $200 billion in loans were made via Web3 lending platforms in 2021, with only $1 million in bad debt.
In some ways this method of lending somewhat resembles the original concept of peer-to-peer lending, which eventually became marketplace lending as investors and even financial institutions began to use the platforms, rather than individuals lending to individuals. In the wake of the “crypto winter,” would this ever have appeal to savers who consider deposit insurance sacrosanct? It’s an open, long-term question.
Overall, McKinsey projects that Web 3.0 could have significant effects on financial services as we know it, though what it will wind up as is hard to say.
“Web3 is still a world in the throes of creation,” state authors Anutosh Banerjee, Robert Byrne, Ian De Bode and Matt Higginson.
Read More: Explainer: What Is Web 3.0? (And Why Should Banks Care?)
What Should Banks and Credit Unions Do?
Can traditional financial institutions afford to wave all this off and concentrate on more immediate concerns?
Once a standing-room-only crowd at a community bank conference listened to a consultant talk about a beginning phenomenon called “social media.”
One bank CEO told this reporter that he thought the whole thing was “a load of baloney! It’ll be over in a year.”
Roughly a decade later, some of those fledgling companies are big businesses, whether you like what they do and who runs them or not. The banker? Within five years of that conference session he had sold his large family-owned bank to another institution that absorbed it. Then he retired.
During an interview with The Financial Brand about mobile banking apps, U.S. Bank’s Damian Warren, SVP and Head of Consumer Digital Channels Experience, was asked if he cared much about the Metaverse. Was it worth spending any time on it?
“It’s definitely part of our innovation agenda,” he said. “Think about how people make payments in the Metaverse, which I think is a very legitimate use case. We will certainly want to make sure we’re relevant from a payments perspective.”
However, he added this: “We characterize this as a future thing to think about, not necessarily something we’re actively executing or delivering on now.”
Ultimately this is an issue to monitor but for most traditional institutions there are more immediate issues to act on and to get the board of directors excited about.
Deals: Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger And Multi-Stand Save 61% Geeky Gadgets
Deals: Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger And Multi-Stand, Save 61% – Geeky Gadgets https://collincountynewsonline.com/deals-stand-o-matic-fast-wireless-charger-and-multi-stand-save-61-geeky-gadgets/
7:00 am September 29, 2022 By Roland Hutchinson
We have an awesome deal for our readers on the Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger and Multi-Stand in the Geeky Gadgets Deals store this week.
The Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger and Multi-Stand is available in our deals store for just $49.99 it normally costs $129.
Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger and Multi-Stand is a built-in magnetic charger and a magnetic stand that folds and disappears making it a breeze to charge and carry on the conversation totally hands-free. This charger can charge your apple phone 100% which can come in handy when you are in a middle of a call with low power.
The magnetic charger clings to the phone for Apple models 12 and above and can charge any phone with a cable if do not have magnetic support. Easy to carry and recharge hundreds of times making it a very useful tool for any smartphone owner.
Strong magnetic absorption. Snaps magnetically into place to make wireless charging fast & convenient
10000mAh battery capacity. Provides 2 time wireless mag-safe charging & longer charging time for cables
Foldable. Keeps your phones upright for a comfortable viewing angle
Easy to carry. Great for using at concerts, sporting events, or any situations
You can find out more details about this great deal on the Stand-O-Matic Fast Wireless Charger and Multi-Stand over at our deals store at the link below.
Get this deal
Filed Under: Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
French Central Banker Warns Complex Crypto Regulations Could Create Uneven Playing Field Regulation Bitcoin News Bitcoin News
French Central Banker Warns Complex Crypto Regulations Could Create ‘Uneven Playing Field’ – Regulation Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://collincountynewsonline.com/french-central-banker-warns-complex-crypto-regulations-could-create-uneven-playing-field-regulation-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/
The governor of France’s central bank, François Villeroy de Galhau, has urged EU regulators to “avoid adopting diverging or contradictory regulations, or regulating too late.” He warned that “To do so would be to create an uneven playing field, risking arbitrage and cherry picking.”
French Central Bank Governor Warns About Adopting ‘Unduly Complex’ Crypto Regulations
Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau talked about cryptocurrency regulation at a conference on digital finance in Paris Tuesday. The French central banker stressed:
We should be extremely mindful to avoid adopting diverging or contradictory regulations, or regulating too late. To do so would be to create an uneven playing field, risking arbitrage and cherry picking.
Villeroy de Galhau added that “unduly complex” crypto regulations could fall short of investor protection and money laundering prevention.
The European Commission introduced the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) bill in September 2020 as part of its digital finance strategy to bring crypto assets, issuers, and service providers across the EU under one regulatory framework. The European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the MiCA bill on June 30, but MiCA is not expected to be implemented until 2024.
The European Central Bank (ECB) outlined in August its plan to harmonize the regulatory framework governing crypto activities and services in the EU. “There is currently no harmonized regulatory framework governing crypto-asset activities and services in the EU,” the regulator explained, adding that banks are increasingly considering whether to offer crypto products and services, and it is the ECB’s role to “ensure they do so safely and soundly.”
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s top securities markets regulator, warned in May that soaring inflation may drive retail investors into cryptocurrencies. ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said Monday that eurozone inflation is becoming increasingly broad while growth is weakening. “We are seeing that in the third and fourth quarters there is a significant slowdown and we may find ourselves with growth rates close to zero,” he detailed.
Tags in this story
Banque de France, Banque de France bitcoin, Banque de France crypto, Banque de France cryptocurrency, Banque de France Governor, eu crypto regulation, France, François Villeroy de Galhau, François Villeroy de Galhau crypto, François Villeroy de Galhau cryptocurrency, french central bank
What do you think about the comments by Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau? Let us know in the comments section below.
Kevin Helms
A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
After Sharp Right Turn U.S. Supreme Court Conservatives Step On The Gas Reuters
After Sharp Right Turn, U.S. Supreme Court Conservatives Step On The Gas – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/after-sharp-right-turn-u-s-supreme-court-conservatives-step-on-the-gas-reuters/
Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh poses during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, April 23, 2021. Erin Schaff/Pool
Sept 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court last March rebuffed an emergency request by North Carolina Republicans to allow the use in November’s congressional elections of an electoral map they drew that a lower court invalidated for unlawfully disadvantaging Democrats.
It was a short-term setback for the North Carolina Republicans, but they soon will get a chance to claim a bigger legal victory. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested at the time that the justices take up the underlying legal dispute, one that could provide state legislators around the country the ability to enact election policies with less judicial oversight – a Republican goal.
The Supreme Court in June announced it would hear the case in its new term, which begins on Monday. This showed the increasing willingness of its 6-3 conservative majority take on divisive issues as it steers the court on a rightward path.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Following a term when its conservatives delivered blockbuster rulings curtailing abortion access and widening gun rights, the court returns from a summer recess ready to tackle more major cases. Potential rulings in upcoming cases could end affirmative action policies used by colleges and universities to increase campus racial diversity, hobble a federal law called the Voting Rights Act and make it easier for businesses to refuse service to LGBT people based on free-speech rights.
“The justices are taking things that are causing real conflicts around the country, they’re taking issues even if there’s a lot of media attention, even if it’s a hot-button issue – and they’re going to decide it anyway,” said Megan Wold, an attorney and former law clerk to conservative Justice Samuel Alito.
The addition of three justices appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump – Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020 – gave the court its current conservative supermajority.
According to Irv Gornstein, executive director of Georgetown University Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute, Kavanaugh now wields outsized influence over the speed and limits of the court’s rightward shift. Gornstein called Kavanaugh the “median justice.”
He does not appear as far to the right as Justices Clarence Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Barrett, while Chief Justice John Roberts – an incrementalist conservative – and liberal Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson are to Kavanaugh’s left.
Gornstein noted during a recent panel discussion in Washington that Kavanaugh has taken to opining on the limits of the majority’s rulings. In the abortion decision, for instance, he issued a separate opinion stating that interstate travel to obtain the procedure is constitutional.
“Make no mistake, for now and for the foreseeable future, this is Justice Kavanaugh’s court,” Gornstein said.
In its most recent term, there were 14 rulings decided on a 6-3 tally with the conservative justices on one side and the liberals on the other. That is up from 10 on strictly ideological lines the previous term, according to legal scholar Adam Feldman, who tracks court data at a website called “Empirical Scotus.”
In the abortion decision, the court ruled 6-3 to uphold the restrictive Mississippi law at issue, though Roberts opposed outright overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent. Similarly decided on 6-3 votes were the gun rights expansion, cases from Maine and Washington state favoring religious rights and another case that made it harder for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue rules addressing climate change.
The court appears likely to continue to take up cases particularly important to conservatives, Feldman said.
“They can look for cases that are going to be more ideological because even the weakest link on the right is still pretty far to the right,” Feldman added.
MORE TRANSFORMATION
Further transformation in U.S. law appears likely this term. Two cases could have profound implications for elections in 2024 and beyond.
In the North Carolina case involving the Republican-drawn map of the state’s 14 U.S. House of Representatives districts, Republican lawmakers are advocating for a legal theory gaining popularity among conservatives that could restrict the power of state courts to review actions by state legislatures concerning federal elections. Endorsing the theory would undermine democratic norms, according to critics, even as Republicans at the state level pursue restrictive voting policies and electoral maps skewed in their favor.
Alabama in another case is defending its Republican-drawn map of the state’s seven U.S. House districts that a lower court struck down as discriminatory against Black voters in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Also closely watched are cases involving race-conscious student admissions programs used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to foster campus racial diversity. A group led by an anti-affirmative action activist challenged those policies as unlawfully discriminatory against Asian American and white applicants.
The court will hear an evangelical Christian web designer’s free speech claim that she cannot be forced under a Colorado anti-discrimination law to produce websites for same-sex marriages. The court did not resolve that issue in a 2018 ruling in favor of a Christian Denver-area baker who refused on religious grounds to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.
Other important cases could make it easier to build on property deemed wetlands without needing a permit under the federal Clean Water Act, or, in a case involving Taser-maker Axon Enterprise Inc (AXON.O), to challenge the authority of federal regulatory agencies without first undergoing an enforcement action.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Amazon.com Unveils Device That Tracks Breath While Sleeping Dunya News
Amazon.com Unveils Device That Tracks Breath While Sleeping – Dunya News https://collincountynewsonline.com/amazon-com-unveils-device-that-tracks-breath-while-sleeping-dunya-news/
Technology
Amazon.com unveils device that tracks breath while sleeping
The online retailer said its $139.99 sleep gadget tracks room temperature, humidity and light.
29 September,2022 10:13 am
(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday announced a contactless gadget that can monitor people’s sleep, along with updates to its lineup of voice-controlled devices and e-readers.
The online retailer said its $139.99 sleep gadget, known as Halo Rise, tracks room temperature, humidity and light, plus the breathing patterns of the person closest to it. The goal is to provide insight to users on why they may or may not feel well-rested when they wake up.
Like peers Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google, Amazon has invested in health-tracking technology for consumers, at times drawing regulatory scrutiny for sensitive information it aimed to collect, like body fat percentage via its fitness wristband called Halo.
Amazon has said privacy is foundational to its work. The sleep device will encrypt health data and has no camera or microphone.
The retailer is exploring health more broadly as well, announcing in July it would buy primary care provider One Medical (ONEM.O) for $3.5 billion.
The Halo Rise is not a medical device and not FDA-approved, Amazon said.
Beyond the bet on health, Amazon announced at its virtual devices showcase a new Kindle e-reader with a pen for annotating books digitally. The company also announced updated versions of its in-home and in-car speakers with voice control and new internet connectivity devices, among other gadgets.
‘ ; r_text[1] = ‘
‘ ; r_text[2] = ‘
‘ ; r_text[3] = ‘
‘ ; r_text[4] = ‘
‘ ; r_text[5] = ‘
‘ ; r_text[6] = ‘
‘ ; var i = Math.floor(r_text.length * Math.random()); document.write(r_text[i]);
Indian Authorities Probe Singapore Gaming Payments Outfit Coda The Register
Indian Authorities Probe Singapore Gaming Payments Outfit Coda – The Register https://collincountynewsonline.com/indian-authorities-probe-singapore-gaming-payments-outfit-coda-the-register/
India’s foreign exchange regulator, the Directorate of Enforcement, has investigated Singapore-based Coda Payments in connection with an ongoing operation related to the country’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Coda Payments provides services to games developers, app developers, and content streamers, who turn to it to monetize users who may not have credit cards or feel comfortable using them online. The Singapore-based company counts Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, and dating app Tinder among its clientele, with games including Garena Free Fire, Teen Patti Gold, and Call of Duty.
Investors recently sent $690 million the company’s way – a vote of confidence that it can improve on the billions of dollars it is already estimated to process each year, and in its recently established digital goods market.
The Directorate has accused it of making unauthorized deductions from users’ accounts and perhaps corrupting the young.
“The game developers like Garena and Coda Payments India have intentionally designed the payment mechanism in such a way that after first successful transaction, a notification pops up which seeks permission to make subsequent payments without any authentication,” [PDF] stated the Directorate in a press release. The agency added that children in particular do not fully understand the implications of clicking on the pop up and did so in a “routine manner” which then authorized future payments without further interaction or warning.
India reportedly asks smartphone makers to add local satnav silicon
Russia’s Facebook-like VK removed from Apple App Store
Feds freeze $30m in cryptocurrency stolen from Axie Infinity
Microsoft, Activision Blizzard have days to show merger won’t harm competition
The raid, however, opened a can of worms. Indian authorities allege they discovered Coda’s Singapore arm was simply a conduit to remit funds outside India.
The Directorate alleged the India-based company was “collecting money in the name of sale of digital content and remitting it to its parent company in Singapore in the name of sale and purchase of digital content. However, the entire operations of Codashop, which sells the tokens, are being managed by Coda Singapore; there is no actual sale or purchase of digital content by [Coda India].”
The India arm allegedly collected $349 million, of which it remitted $277 million overseas – retaining some for tax payment and nominal profits. Indian authorities subsequently froze all of Coda India’s assets, equating to $8.4 million.
Coda Payments is reportedly cooperating with the investigation and have called the allegations “without merit” and a “misunderstanding.”
“Coda’s activities in India have been in full compliance with the law,” said the company.
Coda Payments told The Register its Indian operations “have been in full compliance with the law and we are cooperating with the Directorate of Enforcement’s investigation.”
“These allegations, while without merit, provide an opportunity to clarify this misunderstanding around the nature of Coda’s business.”
The company asserts that misunderstanding flows from the fact it does not process payments.
“widely seen across e-commerce platforms and online marketplaces, end users pay for purchases using payment methods such as e-wallets, UPI, net banking, and credit and debit cards,” the company explained.
“These payments are processed not by Coda, but by the operator of the selected payment method, and as per the Master Direction on Digital Payment Security Controls of Reserve Bank of India the authentication of end users is the responsibility of the concerned payment service providers. We continue to work closely with our payment provider partners to ensure security and compliance to protect our users.” ®
HOMEOWNERSHIP STILL UNAFFORDABLE ACROSS MOST OF U.S. BUT DECLINING HOME PRICES MAY PROVIDE RELIEF FOR HOMEBUYERS PR Newswire
HOMEOWNERSHIP STILL UNAFFORDABLE ACROSS MOST OF U.S. BUT DECLINING HOME PRICES MAY PROVIDE RELIEF FOR HOMEBUYERS – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/homeownership-still-unaffordable-across-most-of-u-s-but-declining-home-prices-may-provide-relief-for-homebuyers-pr-newswire/
Major Home-Ownership Costs Require 30 Percent of Average National Wage in Third Quarter of 2022; But Portion of Wages Needed for Home Ownership Dips as Home Prices Decrease Quarterly, to $340,000; Historic Affordability Remains Worse Than Average Almost Everywhere Across Nation
, /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of real estate data nationwide for land and property data, today released its third-quarter 2022 U.S. Home Affordability Report showing that median-priced single-family homes and condos remain less affordable in the third quarter of 2022 compared to historical averages in 99 percent of counties across the nation with enough data to analyze. That continues to be far above the 69 percent of counties that were historically less affordable in the third quarter of 2021 and marked yet another high point reached during the country’s 11-year housing market boom.
However, the report also shows some potential relief for homebuyers as the portion of average wages nationwide required for median major home-ownership expenses has dipped slightly from 30.9 percent in the second quarter of the year to 30 percent in the third quarter.
“Homeownership remains largely unaffordable for the majority of homebuyers in the majority of markets across the country,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at ATTOM. “While home prices have declined a bit quarter-over-quarter, they’re still higher than they were a year ago, and interest rates have essentially doubled. Many prospective homebuyers simply can’t afford the home they hoped to buy, and in many cases no longer qualify for the mortgage they’d need.”
The third-quarter figure does remain above the 28 percent ceiling lenders generally like to see when issuing a mortgage. It also is well above the 23.4 percent level from a year ago. But the current decline in the portion of wages needed to afford the typical home nationwide marks the first quarterly improvement in almost two years and comes as the median national single-family home price has taken a rare third-quarter fall. The latest median value of $340,000 is down 3 percent from the second quarter of 2022 – the first Spring-to-Summer decline since 2008.
The report determined affordability for average wage earners by calculating the amount of income needed to meet major monthly home ownership expenses — including mortgage, property taxes and insurance — on a median-priced single-family home, assuming a 20 percent down payment and a 28 percent maximum “front-end” debt-to-income ratio. That required income was then compared to annualized average weekly wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (see full methodology below).
Compared to historical levels, median home prices in 574 of the 581 counties analyzed in the third quarter of 2022 are less affordable than in the past. The latest number is up from 568 of the same group of counties in the second quarter of 2022, 398 in the third quarter of 2021 and just 284, or less than half, two years ago. The increase has continued as the median national home price – despite dipping quarterly – is still up 10 percent over the past year, while average annual wages across the country have grown just 6 percent.
Affording a home remains slightly out of reach but may begin to get easier for average workers amid a time if significant headwinds stall or even reverse a boom in prices that dates back to 2012.
Some recent measures point to the market’s ongoing strength: prices are still historically high, home-seller profits have surpassed 50 percent and homeowner equity keeps rising across the country. That has happened as homebuyers continue chasing an extremely small supply of properties for sale. Elevated demand has helped push the national median home price up over the past year faster than the pace of wage growth.
But home sales are down as mortgage rates have steadily climbed this year from just above 3 percent to near 6 percent for a 30-year loan, driving up expenses for buyers. Higher interest rates, growing inflation, elevated fuel costs and a declining stock market all strain the finances of prospective homebuyers, and threaten to stall or reverse a nearly unrelenting rise in home values that began when the market started recovering in 2012 from Great Recession of the late 2000s.
View Q3 2022 U.S. Home Affordability Heat Map
Amid those mixed trends, major home-ownership expenses on typical homes are still unaffordable to average local wage earners during the third quarter of 2022 in 400, or 69 percent, of the 581 counties in the report, based on the 28-percent guideline. Counties with the largest populations that are unaffordable in the third quarter are Los Angeles County, CA; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA; Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) and Kings County (Brooklyn), NY.
Home prices still up at least 10 percent annually in slight majority of country but dip quarterly in close to half
Median single-family home and condo prices in the third quarter of 2022 are up by at least 10 percent over the third quarter of 2021 in 302, or 52 percent, of the 581 counties included in the report. However, typical values have dropped from the second to the third quarter in 230, or 40 percent, of those counties, which has contributed to the nationwide decrease. Data was analyzed for counties with a population of at least 100,000 and at least 50 single-family home and condo sales in the third quarter of 2022.
“Home price appreciation has slowed dramatically in most markets – and there are even price corrections in some areas – as home sales have declined significantly over the past few months,” Sharga added. “But mortgage rates have risen more rapidly and dramatically than they have in several decades, and as a result a monthly mortgage payment today is 35-45 percent higher than a year ago, making affordability too much of a challenge for many would-be buyers.”
Among the 48 counties in the report with a population of at least 1 million, the biggest year-over-year gains in median sales prices during the third quarter of 2022 are in St. Louis County, MO (up 37 percent); Collin County (Plano), TX (up 25 percent); Hillsborough County (Tampa), FL (up 24 percent); Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach), FL (up 21 percent) and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), TX (up 19 percent).
Counties with a population of at least 1 million where median prices have stayed the same or gone up the least, year-over-year, during the third quarter of 2022 are Philadelphia County, PA (no change); Honolulu County, HI (up 1 percent); Alameda County (Oakland), CA (up 1 percent); Contra Costa County, CA (outside Oakland) (up 2 percent) and Cook County (Chicago), IL (up 2 percent).
Counties with a population of at least 1 million where median prices have dropped most from the second quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2022 are Alameda County (Oakland), CA (down 11 percent); Travis County (Austin), TX (down 9 percent); Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA (down 8 percent); Contra Costa County, CA (outside Oakland) (down 7 percent) and Fairfax County, VA (outside Washington, DC) (down 7 percent).
Annual price gains still outpacing wage growth in more than 80 percent of markets
Annual home-price appreciation has been greater than weekly annualized wage growth in the third quarter of 2022 in 488 of the 581 counties analyzed in the report (84 percent), with the largest including Los Angeles County, CA; Harris County (Houston), TX; Maricopa County (Phoenix), AZ; San Diego County, CA, and Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles).
Average annualized wage growth has surpassed home-price appreciation in the third quarter of 2022 in only 93 of the counties in the report (17 percent). The largest of those counties include Cook County, (Chicago), IL; King County (Seattle), WA; Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA; Alameda County (Oakland), CA, and Philadelphia County, PA.
Share of wages needed for home ownership declining, but still exceeds 28 percent in two-thirds of the nation
The portion of average local wages consumed by major ownership costs on median-priced, single-family homes has decreased from the second to the third quarter of 2022 in 45 percent of the 581 counties analyzed, helping to drop the level nationwide. But the amount needed remains more than 28 percent of average local wages in 400 of those (69 percent), assuming a 20 percent down payment. That is up from the 66 percent figure in the second quarter of 2022 for the same group of counties and from 43 percent in the third quarter of last year.
Counties that require the largest percentage of wages are Kings County (Brooklyn), NY (106.1 percent of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a single-family home); Santa Cruz County, CA (98.9 percent); Marin County, CA (outside San Francisco) (96.1 percent); Napa County, CA (86.4 percent) and Monterey County, CA (84.5 percent).
Aside from Kings County, NY, counties with a population of at least 1 million where major ownership expenses typically consume more than 28 percent of average local wages in the third quarter of 2022 include Orange County, CA (outside Los Angeles) (76 percent); Queens County, NY (73.8 percent); Nassau County, NY (outside New York City) (67.2 percent) and Alameda County (Oakland), CA (67.2 percent).
Counties where the smallest portion of average local wages are required to afford the median-priced home during the third quarter of this year are Schuylkill County, PA (outside Allentown) (10.5 percent of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a home); Peoria County, IL (13.4 percent); Bibb County (Macon), GA (14 percent); Macon County (Decatur), IL (14.1 perc...
Breakfast In Shopping Out: Tourists To The U.S. Hit By Soaring Dollar U.S News & World Report Money
Breakfast In, Shopping Out: Tourists To The U.S. Hit By Soaring Dollar – U.S News & World Report Money https://collincountynewsonline.com/breakfast-in-shopping-out-tourists-to-the-u-s-hit-by-soaring-dollar-u-s-news-world-report-money/
FILE PHOTO: A picture illustration shows U.S. 100-dollar bank notes taken in Tokyo August 2, 2011. REUTERS/Yuriko NakaoReuters
By Noel Randewich, John McCrank and Alun John
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – In the weeks before heading to San Francisco for their vacation this month, Jeff Skipper and his wife Valerie, from the United Kingdom, watched helplessly as the U.S. dollar continued its meteoric rise against the British pound.
The sterling/dollar exchange rate – which slumped to a record low this week – has reduced the affordability of the already pricey Golden Gate City for the couple, forcing them to economize on some holiday luxuries.
“The exchange rate has been the biggest topic of conversation since we got here,” said Jeff Skipper, 50, an electrician.
“Everything is pretty expensive for us,” said Valerie, a 47-year old university administrator.
“We’ve been buying food from grocery stores rather than having sit-down meals because when you change it to the British amount, it doesn’t seem worth it. It’s really a lot of money.”
The pair are among droves of visitors to the United States feeling the pinch of the mighty greenback, which scaled two-decade highs this month driven partly by Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.
For British tourists in the United States, the pain of the rampant dollar has been amplified by the collapse of the pound, which entered a near free fall on Monday after the British government announced unfunded tax cuts that sent investors fleeing.
Sterling hit a record low of $1.0327 on Monday, having plummeted 20% against the dollar this year. It was trading just above that on Wednesday at $1.0888.
“Now it’s one dollar to the pound…It’s really hit us,” said Colin Taylor, a retired telecoms engineer from the United Kingdom who was also visiting San Francisco with his wife.
“We have breakfast and it’s cost us 50 quid, 50 pounds, you know. And if this were at home it would be 20 or 25 pounds. So it’s a big, big jump for us.”
‘TOO HIGH’
While the pound has experienced some of the most violent gyrations in recent days, currency markets across the board have seen huge swings amid increased geopolitical tensions and central bank rate hikes to tame soaring inflation.
The relative strength of the U.S. economy has allowed the Fed to raise rates more aggressively than its peers, however, pushing the dollar up against the British pound, the euro and Japanese yen, as well as a slew of smaller currencies.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a currency basket, hit a fresh 20-year high of 114.78 on Wednesday.
“The dollar is too high. So we are spending, but not the way we would like,” said Jose Alvado, a 48-year old public accountant from Argentina who was visiting New York with his wife and two daughters.
“We are going to cheaper restaurants … We go to the Disney store and we don’t pick everything. We just take a look and then we go.”
Still, with COVID-19 travel restrictions lifted, international inbound U.S. leisure travel spending – adjusted for inflation – is forecast to reach $87 billion this year compared with $33 billion in 2020 and 2021, and $145 billion in 2019, the U.S. Travel Association said in June.
And some tourists say they will not let the dollar’s strength spoil their fun.
“I have to enjoy New York,” said Gilles Nolorgues, 48, an app designer from Paris.
‘MONOPOLY MONEY’
For travelers outside the United States with dollars in their pocket, the spending is easy.
With the dollar and the euro reaching parity for the first time in 20 years in July, American tourists have been splurging on luxury goods in Paris as well as enjoying cheaper treats in London’s West End, Reuters has reported. [L1N30X1E5]
Americans are spending 11% more on domestic and overseas travel in 2022 compared with 2019, according to consumer survey data gathered by the American Society of Travel Advisors, a trade organization.
“It feels like we’re spending Monopoly money,” said Ike Armstrong, 26, from California, speaking near London’s Trafalgar Square.
In Bali, Indonesia, 39-year old Johnny Follin from Los Angeles, California, said the strong dollar had allowed him to indulge more on good food, drinks and massages than he would have otherwise. The U.S. dollar has risen about 7% on the Indonesian rupiah this year.
“(For) bringing U.S. dollars here, it’s the best time in ages,” said Paul Spight from behind the counter of his currency exchange in Wollongong, south of Sydney, Australia.
The U.S. dollar is up about 10% on the Aussie this year. “That really helps the spending power coming in,” Spight added.
(Reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco, John McCrank in New York, Alun John in London, Ananda Teresia in Jakarta and Tom Westbrook in Sydney; writing and additional reporting by Michelle Price; editing by Deepa Babington)
Copyright 2022 Thomson Reuters.
LIVE: India Reports 4272 New Covid Cases; Active Caseload At 40750 Hindustan Times
LIVE: India Reports 4,272 New Covid Cases; Active Caseload At 40,750 – Hindustan Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/live-india-reports-4272-new-covid-cases-active-caseload-at-40750-hindustan-times/
Live
Updated on Sep 29, 2022 10:06 AM IST
Breaking news September 29, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.
Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.
Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks.
Follow all the updates here:
Sep 29, 2022 10:06 AM IST
Two injured in explosions on passenger buses in J&K’s Udhampur
A screenshot of a now-deleted tweet by Pakistan’s Canadian Embassy which was a reply to a tweet of the Popular Front of India is doing the rounds on social media. Read more
Sep 29, 2022 09:24 AM IST
India reports 4,272 new Covid cases; active caseload at 40,750
4,272 new Covid infections reported in a day, pushing India’s Covid-19 case tally to 4,45,83,360; death toll reaches 5,28,611.
Sep 29, 2022 08:49 AM IST
Can Lalu Yadav say he’s a PFI member? BJP on call for RSS ban
Reacting to the demand for a similar ban on RSS as that has been imposed on the Popular Front of India, BJP leaders said the difference is that they can call themselves ‘proud RSS workers’.
But can the opposition leaders who are raising the demand to ban RSS say that they are PFI members, the BJP leaders asked. Read more
Sep 29, 2022 07:24 AM IST
Jaishankar on ties with China: ‘Continue to strive for relationship built on…’
Foreign minister S Jaishankar has said India will maintain a relationship with China that is based on “mutual” sensitivity, respect, and interest. His remarks came during a media briefing on Wednesday as he responded to a question on the relationship between the two countries. Also read
Sep 29, 2022 05:44 AM IST
New CDS a border expert, collector of masks, keen golfer
The country’s new chief of defence staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan (retd), is known to be an authority on border-related issues, has one of the best collections of masks from around the world in the armed forces, and has a solid golf swing, according to people who have known him from his younger days. Read more
Sep 29, 2022 05:42 AM IST
Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions expected within days
Moscow was poised on Wednesday to annex a swath of Ukraine, releasing what it called vote tallies showing support in four partially occupied provinces to join Russia, after what Kyiv and the West denounced as illegal sham referendums held at gunpoint. Read more
Subscribe to our best newsletters
India records 4,272 Covid cases in a day; death toll rises to 5,28,611
Published on Sep 29, 2022 10:12 AM IST
The death toll has reached 5,28,611 with 27 more deaths, including 16 fatalities reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.
Active cases comprise 0.09 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.72 per cent.(File image)
On UNSC reform, Biden has offered most explicit American backing: Jaishankar
Published on Sep 29, 2022 10:10 AM IST
Saying that US (United States) President Joe Biden’s backing for United Nations reform was the “most explicit and specific” American support on the subject, external affairs minister S Jaishankar announced that SC reform will be one of the themes of India’s Security Council (SC) presidency this December
Pakistani officials tweeted in support of PFI, day before 5-year ban: Reports
Published on Sep 29, 2022 09:50 AM IST
A day before the PFI was banned, the organisation took to Twitter to gather support against the crackdown on PFI. According to a viral screenshot, Pakistan Consulate General Vancouver replied to the tweet.
IAS officer in tears after seeing child injured in bus accident: ‘He can’t move’
Published on Sep 29, 2022 08:35 AM IST
Lakhimpur Kheri bus accident: Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob can be heard asking the authorities whether a doctor can be called in there instead of referring the patient since the family cannot afford the cost.
Can Lalu Yadav say he’s a PFI member? BJP on call for RSS ban
Published on Sep 29, 2022 07:34 AM IST
BJP’s Giriraj Singh said he can openly say that he is a proud RSS worker, but can Lalu Prasad Yadav say that he is a PFI member, the BJP leader asked. Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Singh threw the same challenge to Congress’s Digvijaya Singh
LIVE: India reports 4,272 new Covid cases; active caseload at 40,750
Updated on Sep 29, 2022 10:06 AM IST
Breaking news September 29, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.
Story Saved
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Health Network To Offer Range Of Free Workshops During October Kennebec Journal And Morning Sentinel
Health Network To Offer Range Of Free Workshops During October – Kennebec Journal And Morning Sentinel https://collincountynewsonline.com/health-network-to-offer-range-of-free-workshops-during-october-kennebec-journal-and-morning-sentinel/
The Healthy Living for ME network plans to host free workshops scheduled to start up across the state in October.
Topics addressed by the workshops include managing chronic conditions and chronic pain, improving fitness and balance, and managing diabetes.
Healthy Living for ME welcomes referrals from healthcare providers. The network’s evidence-based programming can help patients manage and prevent conditions before they become more serious or result in emergency situations.
“Our October workshops include a few being offered by two new partners in the network, Catholic Charities of Maine and Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital. We’re so pleased to be able to continue to expand our network and provide more access to free and low-cost resources that help Mainers improve their health and wellness,” said Maija Dyke, business manager of Healthy Living for ME, in a news release.
The workshops starting in October:
A Matter of Balance emphasizes practical strategies to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels. Participants learn to view falls and fear of falling as controllable, set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
This workshop is being offered in person in Presque Isle by network partner Aroostook Agency on Aging. The workshop begins on Monday, Oct. 3, and will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Oct. 31.
Living Well for Better Health helps participants deal with ongoing conditions such as diabetes, COPD, arthritis, and high blood pressure. Topics covered include handling frustration, fatigue, pain and isolation; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance; appropriate use of medications; communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals; nutrition; and evaluating new treatments.
There are two in person sessions and one online session that will be offered by network partners.
Cary Medical Center is offering this workshop in person in Caribou. The workshop begins on Monday, Oct. 3, and will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Nov. 14.
Catholic Charities of Maine is offering this workshop in person at 66 Western Ave. in Fairfield. The workshop begins on Thursday, Oct. 6, and will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays through Nov. 10.
Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital is offering this workshop online. The workshop begins on Thursday, Oct. 6, and will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 10.
Bingocize combines a bingo-like game with exercise and health education with the goal of increasing older adults’ functional fitness, health knowledge, and social engagement.
This workshop is being offered online by network partner Aroostook Agency on Aging. The workshop begins Monday, Oct. 3, and will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Dec. 12.
Better Health Now with Pain is designed for those who experience long-term pain; their friends, family, and/or caregivers are also welcome to join. Participants in this workshop receive a toolkit in the mail and work with a leader either by themselves or in small groups. Topics covered include pacing and planning, medication management, and the Moving Easy Program.
This workshop is being offered over the phone by network partner Spectrum Generations. The workshop begins Thursday, Oct. 6, and will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursdays through Nov. 10.
Living Well with Chronic Pain is designed for people who are dealing with persistent pain such as back pain, post-surgical pain, headaches, and other ongoing pain. Topics covered include: dealing with frustration, fatigue, isolation, and poor sleep; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength; appropriate use of medications; communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals; nutrition; pacing activity and rest; and evaluating new treatments.
This workshop is being offered online by network partner Aroostook Agency on Aging. The workshop begins on Tuesday, Oct. 11, and will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 15.
Better Health Now is designed to help those living with chronic conditions, including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, or other conditions. Participants in this workshop receive a toolkit in the mail and work with a leader either by themselves or in small groups. Topics covered during the workshop include: techniques to deal with frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance; appropriate use of medications, communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals; nutrition; and how to evaluate new treatments.
This workshop is being offered by phone by network partner MaineGeneral’s Peter Alfond Prevention and Healthy Living Center. The workshop begins on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Nov. 16.
Living Well with Diabetes is designed to help people with type 2 diabetes learn how to live well. Topics include: techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes, fatigue, pain, hyper/hypoglycemia, stress, depression, anger, fear and frustration; appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance; healthy eating, appropriate use of medication; and working with healthcare providers.
This workshop is being offered in person in Augusta by network partner MaineGeneral’s Peter Alfond Prevention and Healthy Living Center, 35 Medical Center Parkway. The workshop begins Monday, Oct. 17 and will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Nov. 21.
Though the workshops are free for participants, registration is required. Family, friends, caregivers, and supports of participants are also welcome to register and participate. For more information, locations, addresses and to register, contact Healthy Living for ME at 800-620-6036 or [email protected].
To find a workshop near you, visit healthylivingforme.org/programs-workshops.
Check out other upcoming area events!
Stormwater Requirements Change To Align With EPA | News Sports Jobs Warren Tribune Chronicle
Stormwater Requirements Change To Align With EPA | News, Sports, Jobs – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://collincountynewsonline.com/stormwater-requirements-change-to-align-with-epa-news-sports-jobs-warren-tribune-chronicle/
WARREN — City council passed legislation Wednesday designed to increase requirements of contractors to prevent stormwater runoff in future construction projects.
One piece of legislation lays out EPA requirements for reducing stormwater pollution during construction projects and the second creates a comprehensive stormwater management program once construction is completed. Council passed the two ordinances 8-1, with Councilman Ken MacPherson, D-at Large, voting against them.
MacPherson said he would have liked to have had committee meetings at which members could have reviewed the 20-page proposals in detail and possibly suggested changes.
“It behooves us to have public meetings before we vote on legislation that make major changes in our requirements,” MacPherson said.
He had questions about proposed penalties that contractors would face if they fail to meet the requirements of the new laws. Penalties could be a high as $5,000 to $10,000 per violation per day if the issue is not addressed.
There also are possible criminal penalties if the city can prove that noncompliance to the rules demonstrate criminal intent of the contractor. Administrative penalties could range from $100 to $300 per violation.
A representative with the city’s Water Pollution Control department noted that the fines and penalties placed in the ordinance were recommended by the federal EPA so there would be an enforcement mechanism in place.
Councilwoman Helen Rucker, D-at Large, said the ordinances passed by council are EPA mandates that the city is simply codifying on its books.
Safety Service Director Eddie Colbert noted the legislation is designed to protect the city’s waterways by adding more stringent requirements for people doing work in the city.
Water Pollution Control Director Ed Haller said average residential customers will see no direct increase in costs. The ordinances are designed to update city requirements originally put in place in 2003.
“Since then, there have been many changes to both the permit requirements from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the best design practices of how to manage stormwater effectively,” Haller said.
The city was required by the Ohio EPA to update its ordinance by Oct. 1. The city already had been given one extension to codify the legislation into law, but the ordinances were not completed.
Haller said both Trumbull and Mahoning counties already have passed similar legislation.
Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox
The Perfume Industry Is Now Getting Into The Metaverse Free Malaysia Today
The Perfume Industry Is Now Getting Into The Metaverse – Free Malaysia Today https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-perfume-industry-is-now-getting-into-the-metaverse-free-malaysia-today/
Checking if the site connection is secure
www.freemalaysiatoday.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.
Beginner Tips For Watch Dogs 2 – TheGamer https://collincountynewsonline.com/beginner-tips-for-watch-dogs-2-thegamer/
With a brighter and more vibrant lick of paint, Watch Dogs 2 leaves Watch Dog’s Chicago behind and sees the likable Marcus Holloway join the underground hacking group DedSec in California’s Golden Gate City.
It’s a great representation of the Bay Area and is chocked full of side activities, gang hideouts and all the Easter eggs you would expect out of an Ubisoft open-world game. With roughly 20-30 hours of hacking-based activism to get stuck into, it can be difficult to know where to start to get the ball rolling. Here are some handy tips that will likely help you take your first steps in Watch Dogs 2’s sunny San Francisco.
10 Start With The Trickster Skill Tree First
The Ghost, Aggressor and the Trickster are the three main play styles in Watch Dogs 2 that each bring their own unique mechanics to the table. While Aggressors and Ghosts cover your destructive gunplay and stealth needs, the Trickster is where you’ll want to pay particular attention, as it will give you the best of both worlds.
Following the Trickster path will unleash your inner hacker by giving you the option of controlling various gadgets and drones to do all the dirty work for you. It’s the best all-rounder for those unsure where to dump their points into first and gives you access to some really helpful skills early on.
9 Prioritise These Skills
There are many skills to experiment with in the game, but there are a select few that you should prioritise. At least a few points should be put into Botnet upgrades, as this will allow you to perform a greater number of hacks at any given time. For more exploration options, the Environmental RC skill is very useful, as it allows you to activate lifts that will give you access to previously blocked-off areas. This just might give you an edge in combat, or lead you to a hidden collectable.
The Vehicle Hacking skill can is an essential tool that can let you control vehicles from a distance, and is particularly good for solving puzzles in the open world. Hijacking gives you the ability to hack into any car remotely without having their alarms go off, which is pretty essential due to the overwhelming amount of vehicles you will be stealing.
8 Unlock And Upgrade The Quadcopter As Soon As You Can
The Quadcopter is one of the first items you’ll be able to access at DeadSec’s 3D printing station. It’s a nifty little drone that you can use to scout out enemy bases in the air and hack into various cameras dotted around the city.
It really is a great tool for getting a lay of the land before heading in for the attack. Upgrading it will improve it even further by lowering its cooldown, so you can use it more frequently – definitely something you’ll want to do. We recommend not spending your hard-earned cash until you’ve unlocked it, as it comes in at a pricey $67,000 to craft.
7 Hack Literally Everyone – Stealing Without Risk
All those cool gadgets and upgrades aren’t cheap, and it will likely take a while before you get to try them all out. Luckily, you are part of an elite underground hacking squad that can delve into the personal bank accounts of everyone you come across, all in the name of activism.
You have the ability to hack any civilian at any time to skim a little of their income, with absolutely no repercussions. Although it doesn’t make the most logical sense to hack oncoming traffic whilst zooming down the Golden Gate Bridge, we’ll just assume Marcus is exceptionally good at multitasking.
6 Use The Cameras
In Watch Dogs, surveillance cameras will always be a hacker’s best friend. Every single CCTV camera within sight can be hacked into, allowing Marcus to get a birds-eye view to solve puzzles and scout out gang hideouts.
You can tag any enemies that are in your line of sight, and it’s a great way to plan a route through a gang-infested warehouse. More than just allowing you to scout an area, you can also hack objects through the cameras themselves, setting traps for enemies and watching them explode from multiple angles from a safe distance.
5 Focus On Playing Stealthily
Despite being able to play the game in a variety of different ways, it’s clear that it was designed with stealth in mind. This favours a more tactical and non-lethal play style, where you can plan the best way to attack ahead of time.
Taking a quieter approach allows you to take a step back and experiment with all the gadgets and tech you have at your disposal. It feels great to hop around an enemy base with your RC Jumper, and using your Quadcopter to drop some well-placed explosives on your foes is a blast. If you like, you barely have to engage with your enemies in any real physical capacity, as you can distract and trick them into doing your bidding before they realise what happened.
4 You Can Create Your Own Music Playlists
One of the most important features of any open-world GTA clone is its in-game music, and thankfully, Watch Dogs 2’s soundtrack does not disappoint. What’s more, you have the ability to create your own playlists, giving you greater freedom in what tunes to listen to when hacking and stun-gunning your way through the city.
Sort of like Ubisoft’s version of Shazam, the SongSneak app on your phone allows you to add any nearby music you hear in the world to a self-curated playlist you can rock out to at any given time. It’s a small but much-appreciated feature that often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the world around you.
3 Use Your Phone To Download Apps
More than just a simple GPS or a way to communicate with other DeadSec members, Marcus’ smartphone contains a lot of helpful applications that offer a surprising amount of gameplay options.
You can order any vehicle to your location with Car On Demand, which will be handy when taking on the role of a glorified Uber driver after downloading the Driver SF ride-share app to your phone. Scout X rewards you for taking pictures of tourist locations, encouraging you to explore the world as much as you can. Each will help DeadSec by significantly increasing their followers, which is needed in order to progress through the game.
2 Turn Off Hacker Invasions For A Smoother Single-Player Experience
When you’re out and about minding your own business cruising around San Francisco, you will occasionally receive a notification that a real-life player is attempting to hack into your network and steal some of your precious data.
As fun as it is to engage in a chase of hacking-related cat and mouse, sometimes you just want to be left alone to roam around at your own pace. Thankfully, you have the option to turn off any unwanted invasions in your game by heading into your phone’s options menu and toggling the multiplayer preferences.
1 Multiplayer Can Be Very Rewarding
If playing with others is more your thing, there are plenty of multiplayer options available in Watch Dogs 2. This time around co-op has been revamped, allowing you to tackle a bunch of randomly generated missions with a partner. If causing aimless acts of chaos around the city is more your bag, you can free-roam with a buddy to complete activities and pick up collectables as you go.
If you’re feeling up to it, you can engage in the game’s interesting bounty system, where naughty DedSec members from other game worlds have racked up enough notoriety to be targeted and hunted down. Eliminating your real-player targets will net you a nice reward, which will help you purchase and upgrade the various gear, gadgets and weapons in the game.
Next: Best Games Set In California
SEC Charges The Hydrogen Technology Corp. And Its Former CEO For Market Manipulation Of Crypto Asset Securities SEC.gov
SEC Charges The Hydrogen Technology Corp. And Its Former CEO For Market Manipulation Of Crypto Asset Securities – SEC.gov https://collincountynewsonline.com/sec-charges-the-hydrogen-technology-corp-and-its-former-ceo-for-market-manipulation-of-crypto-asset-securities-sec-gov/
CEO of Hydrogen’s “Market Maker” also being charged for role in scheme
Washington D.C., Sept. 28, 2022 —
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against The Hydrogen Technology Corporation, its former CEO, Michael Ross Kane, and Tyler Ostern, the CEO of Moonwalkers Trading Limited, a self-described “market making” firm, for their roles in effectuating the unregistered offers and sales of crypto asset securities called “Hydro” and for perpetrating a scheme to manipulate the trading volume and price of those securities, which yielded more than $2 million for Hydrogen.
The SEC’s complaint alleges that starting in January 2018, Kane and Hydrogen, a New York-based financial technology company, created its Hydro token and then publicly distributed the token through various methods: an “airdrop,” which is essentially giving away Hydro to the public; bounty programs, which paid the token to individuals in exchange for promoting it; employee compensation; and direct sales on crypto asset trading platforms. The complaint further alleges that, after distributing the token in those ways, Kane and Hydrogen hired Moonwalkers, a South Africa-based firm, in October 2018, to create the false appearance of robust market activity for Hydro through the use of its customized trading software or “bot” and then selling Hydro into that artificially inflated market for profit on Hydrogen’s behalf. Hydrogen allegedly reaped profits of more than $2 million as a result of the defendants’ conduct.
“Companies cannot avoid the federal securities laws by structuring the unregistered offers and sales of their securities as bounties, compensation, or other such methods,” said Carolyn M. Welshhans, Associate Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division. “As our enforcement action shows, the SEC will enforce the laws that prohibit such unregistered fund-raising schemes in order to protect investors.”
“As we allege, the defendants profited from their manipulation by creating a misleading picture of Hydro’s market activity,” said Joseph Sansone, Chief of the Enforcement Division’s Market Abuse Unit. “The SEC is committed to ensuring fair markets for all types of securities and will continue to expose and hold market manipulators accountable.”
The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, charges Hydrogen, Kane, and Ostern with violating the registration, antifraud, and market manipulation provisions of the securities laws and seeks permanent injunctive relief, conduct-based injunctions, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and, as to Kane, an officer and director bar. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Ostern has consented to a judgment, subject to court approval, permanently enjoining him from violating these provisions and participating in future securities offerings and ordering him to pay $36,750 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest of $5,118, with civil monetary penalties to be determined at a later date by the court. Ostern has also agreed to an administrative order imposing a collateral industry bar and penny stock bar.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Sonia G. Torrico and Kathleen Hitchins, with assistance from John Marino of the Market Abuse Unit, David Crosbie from the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, and Olga Cruz-Ortiz of IT Forensics. The case was supervised by Paul Kim, Mr. Sansone, and Ms. Welshhans. The SEC’s litigation will be led by Nick Margida and supervised by James Connor. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority of South Africa, the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
U.S. VP Harris To Slam North Korea Missile Test Visit DMZ Reuters.com
U.S. VP Harris To Slam North Korea Missile Test, Visit DMZ – Reuters.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-vp-harris-to-slam-north-korea-missile-test-visit-dmz-reuters-com/
US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek on September 29, 2022. Jung Yeon-je/Pool via REUTERS
SEOUL, Sept 29 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to condemn North Korea’s weapons tests in Seoul ahead of her first visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Koreas on Thursday, just hours after the isolated country test-fired missiles.
Harris landed in the South Korean capital early on Thursday and will condemn North Korea’s latest missile launch during talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a White House official said.
She will also discuss Seoul’s concerns over changes in U.S. electric vehicle subsidies, trilateral relations involving Japan, and China’s action in the Taiwan Strait, the official said.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Harris touted the alliance as a “linchpin” of security and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific, and expressed hopes to further bolster ties.
“I’m here to reinforce the strength of our alliance and strengthen our work together,” she told Yoon at the start of their meeting.
Yoon also vowed to boost the alliance, saying Harris’ visit following U.S. President Joe President Biden’s trip last May will be “another turning point” to achieve that goal.
Aides said Harris’ visit to DMZ is intended to show unwavering U.S. commitment to South Korea’s security but took on new urgency after the two short-range ballistic missiles were shot off North Korea’s east coast on Wednesday.
Biden’s aides have been shoring up alliances to manage China in the region, including over Taiwan. But South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told CNN in an interview aired on Sunday that in a conflict over Taiwan, North Korea would be more likely to stage a provocation and that the alliance should focus on that concern first.
The missile test is the second since Sunday and comes two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off South Korea’s east coast involving an aircraft carrier. read more
South Korea’s navy said it will stage trilateral anti-submarine exercises with U.S. and Japanese forces on Friday, designed to improve their capability to counter evolving North Korean threats, including its submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The drills will bring together warships including the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, the USS Chancellorsville guided-missile cruiser, the USS Barry guided missile destroyer, South Korea’s Munmu the Great destroyer and Japan’s Asahi tanker.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has said it is developing nuclear weapons and missiles to defend against U.S. threats.
Following a stop at a military base in Japan, Harris called recent missile launches part of an “illicit weapons programme which threatens regional stability and violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
Harris’ visit to the DMZ is the first by a senior Biden administration official and is expected to come later on Thursday.
Several former U.S. presidents, and Biden himself before he became president, have visited the DMZ, but former President Donald Trump became the first to have met a North Korean leader there when he held a third meeting with Kim Jong Un in 2019 as part of his unsuccessful effort to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear and missile programs.
The DMZ is often described as the world’s last Cold War frontier and has existed since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a armistice rather than a peace treaty.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Stephen Coates
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Aussie Crickets $2m Problem Finally Fixed News.com.au
Aussie Cricket’s $2m Problem Finally Fixed – News.com.au https://collincountynewsonline.com/aussie-crickets-2m-problem-finally-fixed-news-com-au/
After years of begging and pleading, Australian cricket fans finally got their wish.
Cricket Australia has confirmed that DRS technology will be available for every Big Bash League match this summer, along with 24 games in the women’s competition.
Each team will receive one unsuccessful review per innings during the popular T20 competition, with the fielding captain or batter allocated 15 seconds to call for a review.
Ultra Edge, commonly referred to as Snicko, and ball-tracking will be available to the third umpire, but not Hotspot technology.
Catch the T20 World Cup Live on Kayo. Don’t Risk Missing All Your Teams’ Matches. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now
Meanwhile, the Bash Boost point and X-Factor substitution rules, which divided cricket fans after their introduction in 2020, have been scrapped.
The Power Surge innovation, where batting sides can take a two-over Powerplay after the 10th over, has been retained and make its debut in the Women’s Big Bash League this season.
Also, fielding teams in the men’s competition will now be put on a countdown clock to ensure they start the final over of the innings within 79 minutes.
If they fail to do so, only four fielders will be permitted outside the inner ring for the remainder of the innings.
“Implementing DRS has been a challenging task for the BBL, which is the most logistically complex T20 league in the world,” Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson said in a statement.
“That, plus the impact of the pandemic on travel and movement, have meant the technology has not been possible to introduce until this season.
“Additionally, the League is pleased with the outcomes of the wider Playing Conditions review process, with the introduction of the Power Surge to WBBL and the BBL innings clock both major wins for fans.
“We retain a clear desire to innovate and drive our Leagues forward but are also willing to review decisions that have not realised the intended positive impact, such as the Bash Boost point and X-Factor substitution.”
Due to logistical and financial complications, partly caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, CA has been reluctant to introduce the DRS, which has become commonplace in international cricket and overseas tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and The Hundred.
The BBL will be played across 14 venues this season, and ensuring the review system is available for all 61 matches is a huge logistical challenge to CA — transporting equipment and operators from state to state was practically impossible last summer due to border restrictions.
Taking the full suite of technologies to regional venues is particularly costly — it’s estimated that having Snicko and ball-tracking available for the entire competition could cost up to $2 million.
“This game is moving forward quicker than a lot of people realise,” England batter Laurie Evans, who was retained by the Perth Scorchers at the Big Bash League Draft, told reporters last month.
“There’s a lot on the line for a lot of people … just an individual decision can change a career.
“A competition of this magnitude needs to have everything available to it, and be played at the highest possible level.
“DRS is one of those things we’re getting used to now as players around the T20 circuit, so it’s a great decision to have it.”
The late Shane Warne was also an outspoken advocate for DRS technology in the Big Bash, telling Fox Cricket in 2020: “Enough is enough. If we want to take this competition seriously, we’ve got to have DRS.
“Cricket Australia just have to pay for it. We can’t have these decisions.”
The 12th edition of the Big Bash League gets underway on Tuesday, December 13, while the women’s competition kicks off on Thursday, October 13.
Promote The Development Of The Web3 Gaming Industry PlanckX Attend This Years Token2049 Asia In Singapore GlobeNewswire
Promote The Development Of The Web3 Gaming Industry, PlanckX Attend This Year’s Token2049 Asia In Singapore – GlobeNewswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/promote-the-development-of-the-web3-gaming-industry-planckx-attend-this-years-token2049-asia-in-singapore-globenewswire/
PlanckX makes it easy for players to do everything from browsing to trading in one place.
September 28, 2022 22:25 ET | Source: PlanckX
Singapore, Singapore , Sept. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — From September 28th to 29th, TOKEN2049, Asia’s premier cryptocurrency conference, was held in Singapore. This year’s Singapore conference is also the first time the conference was held in Singapore and is part of a full week of events that will unabashedly become the flagship event of Asia Crypto Week.
The TOKEN2049 conference held in Singapore has attracted more than 7,000 participants and more than 200 speakers from around the world, with unprecedented influence.
During the conference, global crypto industry entrepreneurs, institutions, industry insiders, investors, and those with a strong interest in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, as well as some of the world’s most pioneering projects, gathered at the conference held in Asia. A massive live event, exploring the future development of the blockchain industry. Afterward, the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix will kick off on the weekend.
As one of the sponsors of the Token2049 event, the one-stop Web3.0 blockchain game asset trading platform PlanckX, and its creative team participated in the conference activities with their products, and together with thousands of participants, from the changing regulatory landscape and institutional investment trends to the rise of the Metaverse and Web3, discussing the development prospects of the Web3 game industry and other topics, received unanimous praise at the event.
About PlanckX
PlanckX is an aggregate platform applicable to all P2E and GameFi, providing gamers with a one-stop blockchain game search, query, and asset trading solution. Helping players eliminate blockchain game barriers and find new games that provide encrypted tokens or NFTs with ease.
PlanckX makes it easy for players to do everything from browsing to trading in one place. PlanckX not only provides players with game information and data dashboards, but also provides one-click direct access to the in-site trading interface of game props NFT, and provides a detailed overview of game P2E data, from supported tokens to NFT transaction rankings, to encourage players to trade game assets through the blockchain games store. Create an easier and more secure Web3 gaming and asset trading experience for gamers.
The name PlanckX is taken from the cosmic radiation detector launched at the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana on May 14, 2009. X represents the infinite possibility of exploration. They call their users explorers. The founding team is committed to building a decentralized game asset trading platform centered on players and the community. It is hoped that users can use the PlanckX platform to explore the infinite possibilities of the Web3 gaming world.
PlanckX provides players with an extensive amount of blockchain game information and NFT transactions for popular global blockchain games. Since its establishment in 2021, PlanckX has 50,000 active users in the official community. At present, its platform trading market has more than 200 million NFTs.
PlanckX is cooperating with more than 50 game projects around the world. The game’s trading is also carried out on the platform simultaneously. Players can complete the pre-sale of game items and NFT transactions on the PlanckX platform, and can quickly locate the type through the filter tool on the game interface, search for their favorite games and the most popular NFT transactions, and analyze transactions based on NFT transaction data.
PLK Token and Economic Model
$PLK is the native token in the PlanckX ecosystem, a multi-chain utility token that supports the PlanckX ecosystem of gamers and game creators. $PLK tokens are minted on the Ethereum blockchain with a maximum supply of 1 billion.
PlanckX aims to create a decentralized open metaverse world. The goal of its economic system design is to align the interests of all participants with the PlanckX system, which not only protects the interests of all participants but also maintains the ecological balance of the economic system.
In the PlanckX platform ecosystem, users can obtain $PLK tokens through activities such as staking Tokens, official airdrops, etc., or they can trade on the exchange after $PLK is listed on the exchange.
As a multipurpose token, $PLK also acts as a governance token, as it allows users to influence certain decisions about the ecosystem through their votes in the community pool.
As more and more projects are built on Layer 2, PlanckX has also been working hard to integrate different DeFi protocols through cross-chain bridge solutions, allowing players to view all game assets and Conduct cross-chain asset transactions.
The PlanckX platform currently supports the transaction of game NFTs and game assets on ETH, BSC, and Polygon. In the future, more popular public chains will be gradually integrated to enrich the platform’s blockchain ecosystem.
PlanckX is not only a blockchain gaming platform, but also a creator of a new gaming experience in this new era. Let us look forward to the arrival of a new Web3 gaming world created by PlanckX.
Company: Tapdeep
Contact Person: Riley Tritz
Email: riley.tritz@planckx.io
Website: https://planckx.io/
Telephone: 852 – 67436509
Disclaimer: There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. Moreover, nothing contained in this PR should be construed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any investment or security, or to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. It is your responsibility to determine whether any investment, investment strategy, security, or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. Consult your business advisor, attorney, or tax advisor regarding your specific business, legal, or tax situation. For more info, please contact brandnewsproject@gmail.com.
PlanckX
PlanckX PlanckX makes it easy for players to do everything from browsing to trading in one place.
2 Charged In Collin County Home Invasion NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
2 Charged In Collin County Home Invasion – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth https://collincountynewsonline.com/2-charged-in-collin-county-home-invasion-nbc-5-dallas-fort-worth/
Two men are in custody Wednesday, accused of breaking into a Collin County home, tying the hands of the elderly woman who lived there and stealing her belongings, police say.
A news release from the City of Murphy said officers were called at 11:10 a.m. to a report of a suspicious vehicle that had parked behind a home in the 200 block of Starlite Drive.
The responding officers found two men leaving the home through the back garage door wearing masks and carrying property.
After detaining the men, the officers went inside to find the elderly woman who lived there with her hands tied behind her back. She told the officers the two men broke into her home, tied her up and proceeded to ransack her home, looking for items to steal, the release said.
The men, identified by police as 36-year-old Jorge Morales of Sachse and 27-year-old Albert Silva of Royce City, were arrested on charges of burglary and unlawful restraint. They were booked into the Wylie Jail.
The woman was unharmed, police said.
City of Murphy
Albert Sylva, 27 (left) and Jorge Morales, 36 (right)
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
James Jim Russell Antel Obituary The Beaver County Times The Times
James “Jim” Russell Antel Obituary – The Beaver County Times – The Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/james-jim-russell-antel-obituary-the-beaver-county-times-the-times/
James “Jim” Russell Antel, 72, of Hermitage, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 26, 2022, in his home.
Mr. Antel was born on November 1, 1949, in Sewickley, PA, a son of the late Robert and Elva (Cujas) Antel. He lived his childhood in Hopewell Twp. with his parents and brother, Dale “Robert” Antel, who survives in Cape Code, MA. In 1968, Jim graduated from Hopewell High School and attended Butler County Community College, where he studied accounting. At the age of 18, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. From 1970-1971, Jim served in the Infantry Division, where he walked point and was also a part of a Special Forces Hunter/Killer Team.
After the war, he started working as a field service technician for Diebold Inc., servicing bank alarms and ATMs in the surrounding area. He retired after 40 years of service and earned his CDL License to become a bus driver with STA in Hermitage. He drove for the local area school district’s sporting events and field trips during the Fall and Spring. While driving the bus, he enjoyed watching the students play sports and attending their various events. In the Summers, he would drive for Zambelli Fireworks delivering fireworks all over the country.
He was a devoted family man and deeply loved his children and grandchildren.
Jim was a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Hermitage.
He liked to camp, travel and go for rides on his boat at Pymatuning Lake. Jim loved Boy Scouts and served as a Scout Leader. He looked forward to spending the week with his son at Custaloga Town Scout Reservation. Jim also loved riding roller coasters and taking his family on an annual vacation to Cedar Point. Additionally, he was an avid Steelers and Pirates fan.
On February 12, 1983, he married his wife, Diane (Tomko) Antel. Together they had two children, a son James Antel and his wife Jill (Turrisi); and a daughter, Jayne (Antel) Kornbau and her husband Matthew. He also had five beautiful grandchildren, Maeli, Alyssa, Astyn, Mira and Kyler.
The family suggests memorial contributions be directed to the John Tomko Playground, C/O Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 3325 Morefield Rd., Hermitage, PA 16148; or the Shenango Valley Animal Shelter, 2599 Broadway Rd., Hermitage, PA 16148.
Calling hours will be 4 to 7 p.m. Friday (09/30/2022) in J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 1090 East State St., Sharon. Online condolences may be sent to the family at
www.McGonigleFuneralHomeandCrematory.com
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday (10/01/2022) in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 3325 Morefield Rd., Hermitage, with Rev. Denny Blauser, officiating.
Interment: Holy Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Hermitage.
Posted online on September 28, 2022
Published in Ellwood City Ledger, The Beaver County Times
Service Information
Interment
Holy Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, Hermitage.
Calling Hours
J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 1090 East State St., Sharon.
September 30, 2022
at
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Funeral Service
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 3325 Morefield Rd., Hermitage.
October 01, 2022
at
11:00 AM
California Governor Approves Farmworker Unionization Law | Business News | Wfmz.com 69News WFMZ-TV
California Governor Approves Farmworker Unionization Law | Business News | Wfmz.com – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/california-governor-approves-farmworker-unionization-law-business-news-wfmz-com-69news-wfmz-tv/
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A broadly smiling California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined about two dozen jubilant, cheering farmworkers camped outside the state Capitol Wednesday to sign one of the most contentious bills before him this year, reversing course on a measure to help farmworkers unionize after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris supported it.
The White House support pinned Newsom in a difficult political position after his office announced before Democratic lawmakers sent him the bill that he would not sign it.
But Newsom approved the bill only after he, the United Farm Workers and the California Labor Federation agreed on clarifying language to be considered during next year’s legislative session to address his concerns around implementation and voting integrity.
The new law gives California farmworkers, who harvest much of the nation’s fruit and vegetables, new ways to vote in union elections beyond physical polling places on farm property. Proponents say that would help protect workers from union busting and other intimidation, while owners say such a system lacks necessary safeguards to prevent fraud.
The agreement includes a cap on the number of unionization petitions over the next five years and will allow state regulators to better protect worker confidentiality and safety, Newsom’s office said. It would do away with an option for workers to unionize through mail-in voting that is contained in the current language, but keeps a “card check” election process.
“Sí, se puede,” the farmworkers chanted as Newsom signed the bill, echoing the UFW’s longtime slogan — roughly, “Yes, we can” in Spanish.
The union led a weekslong summer march up the state to Sacramento, where farmworkers and their supporters rallied outside the Capitol, some camping outside through September in an effort to win Newsom’s support.
“The vigil and the march were all worth it, because he came out and signed for us,” farmworker Teresa Maldonado said through a translator.
The march cost Xochilt Nunez her fruit-picking job, several toenails and left her with blistered feet. But she was on the verge of tears after Newsom signed the legislation, plus an extra copy for Nunez to keep.
“California’s farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace,” Newsom said in a statement after signing the bill.
Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year, as did his two most recent predecessors. One of his stated concerns centered on security concerns about mail-in elections, an option that would be eliminated in the clean up language agreed to by the union.
The revised law would keep the card check option, which would still give farmworkers a chance to “vote from home or anywhere else they feel comfortable” and limit chances for employer intimidation, said Giev Kashkooli, legislative and political director for the United Farm Workers. Under such a system, a union is formed if more than half of workers sign the authorization card.
The California Farm Bureau said it was “deeply disappointed” in Newsom’s decision to sign the bill, though the group’s statement focused primarily on the mail-in balloting system. The union did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about the language to remove that option.
Democratic Assemblyman Mark Stone added provisions to this year’s version that would let the law expire after five years unless it is renewed by lawmakers, and requiring the Agricultural Labor Relations Board to handle the ballots.
Newsom has been positioning himself for months as a leading national Democratic voice calling out red state governors, fueling speculation that he has presidential ambitions despite his repeated denials.
Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist in California who specializes in Latino voting trends, read Biden’s Labor Day statement strongly supporting the legislation as an effort to take Newsom down a notch.
“I think it’s impossible to avoid the reality that there’s a little bit of tension between these two politicians because of Gavin’s posture in leaning into this presidential rumor mill,” Madrid said. “It’s basically just a reminder of who the sheriff is.”
Biden has long supported the union. He keeps a bust of union co-founder Cesar Chavez in the Oval Office and Chavez’ granddaughter, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, is Biden’s director of intergovernmental affairs.
“In the state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union,” Biden said in his statement.
Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College, said Biden seemed to be reflecting his longstanding support for unions, while Newsom had the more delicate task of balancing labor relations against an agricultural industry that also is struggling.
Adding to the pressure, the struggling UFW recently rejoined the umbrella California Labor Federation. The issue of farmworker unionization became more critical to labor in 2020 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that union organizers had no right to access farmers’ properties to talk to their workers.
Newsom signed a different union-backed bill on Labor Day, creating a Fast Food Council empowered to set minimum standards for wages, hours and working conditions in California. The restaurant industry moved to block it a day later.
Associated Press Writer Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this story.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Things To Do In Rochester NY – Democrat & Chronicle https://collincountynewsonline.com/things-to-do-in-rochester-ny-democrat-chronicle-2/
Local events and things to do in Rochester, NY. Find sporting events, conferences, attractions and more, or promote your own event.
Aaron Judges 61st Home Run Ties American League Yankee Records USA TODAY
Aaron Judge’s 61st Home Run Ties American League, Yankee Records – USA TODAY https://collincountynewsonline.com/aaron-judges-61st-home-run-ties-american-league-yankee-records-usa-today/
TORONTO – In his “season for the ages,” New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge reached a magical home run milestone Wednesday night, indoors at the Rogers Centre.
Batting in the seventh inning, Judge launched his 61st home run of the year, a go-ahead, two-run shot to left off Blue Jays’ lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
In game No. 155, Judge moved past Babe Ruth and into a tie with Roger Maris, who set the single-season franchise record with 61 home runs in 1961.
With Roger Maris Jr. in attendance, Judge joined the late Maris for a share of the all-time American League record for homers in a season.
Between home run No. 60 on Sept. 20, at Yankee Stadium, tying Ruth’s mark in 1927, and No. 61, Judge made 34 plate appearances, going 5-for-21 (.238) with three doubles, 13 walks (one intentional), eight strikeouts and one 404-foot flyout to center.
Judge walked, flied out and grounded out in his first three plate appearances Wednesday night. He walked four times in Tuesday’s 5-2 Yankees win, which clinched the AL East title.
In Monday’s series opener, the Rogers Centre crowd initially greeted Judge with a healthy mix of cheers, and there has been a considerable amount of booing after each of his six walks this series – including one intentional pass.
But the atmosphere was nothing like the electric current that charged through Yankee Stadium last week.
During every Judge at-bat in the Bronx, fans stood during his entire plate appearance, aiming cellphone cameras toward home plate and chanting “M-V-P” but going eerily silent just before each pitch.
“Everyone’s on the edge of their seat (with) all their focus and energy” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said then of the crowd’s hush. “And that’s shown up in silence (by) 40-plus thousand people. Because you don’t want to miss something.”
BEST YEAR EVER? Aaron Judge chases Triple Crown with 60+ home runs
NEWSLETTER: Get the latest sports news straight to your inbox
In 1961, Maris vaulted past Ruth for the Major League single-season record, which now belongs to Barry Bonds.
During his pressure-packed run toward Ruth’s mark, Maris was subjected to critics who pointed to Ruth having set the MLB mark of 60 homers in a 154-game season as opposed to the modern 162-game schedule.
Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were superstars during MLB’s so-called Steroid Era, linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Now, Judge and Maris rank seventh for the most homers in single season. The list:
Bonds: 73 (2001)
McGwire: 70 (1998)
Sosa: 66 (1998)
McGwire: 65 (1999)
Sosa: 64 (2001)
Sosa: 63 (1999)
Maris, Judge: 61 (1961, 2022)
“I don’t think about the numbers,’’ Judge said recently. “And when you talk about Ruth and Maris and (Mickey) Mantle and all these Yankees greats that did so many great things in this game, you never imagine as a kid getting mentioned with them.
“But it’s an incredible honor. It’s something I don’t take lightly. But we’re not done.’’
Judge was speaking solely about the Yankees’ clinching an AL East title with a win Tuesday night and advancing toward the club’s first pennant since 2009.
The 6-foot-7, 282-pound Judge is also in direct pursuit of an American League Triple Crown, last accomplished by Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and achieved just twice in Yankees history, by Lou Gehrig in 1934 and Mantle in 1956.
Judge entered Tuesday night’s game leading the AL with a .314 batting average, just ahead of Boston’s Xander Bogaerts and Minnesota’s Luis Arraez at .313.
“It’s his season,” said Anthony Rizzo, among several Yankees who believe Judge is the clear-cut AL MVP choice over the Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, having another incredible year as a two-way All-Star, but on a team hopelessly out of contention.
“(Judge) is just having a special season.”
Since Aug. 5, Judge has played in every Yankees game, and he has batted leadoff in each of the last 17 games.
“It started out as a need,” Boone said of placing Judge atop a compromised lineup, due to injuries. “But as we’ve gotten whole here, it’s continued to make sense.”
Boone recently dubbed Judge as having “a season for the ages,” and the best offensive season the Yankees manager has personally witnessed.
“He’s handled it perfectly,” Boone said of the attention as Judge chased Maris’ mark, in a free agent walk year that began with the slugger turning down a $213.5 million, seven-year contract extension.
“(Being) a great teammate” and going “out there and trying to win” have been Judge’s stated goals all year.
“When that’s your sincere focus, it helps keep the game simple,” Boone said. “And he does a great job at that.”
