Collin County News Online

Why MPVs Like The Mitsubishi Xpander Are Filipinos’ Favorite – INQUIRER.net https://collincountynewsonline.com/why-mpvs-like-the-mitsubishi-xpander-are-filipinos-favorite-inquirer-net/ Why MPVs like the Mitsubishi Xpander are Filipinos’ favorite  INQUIRER.net

Report: Quebec’s Mohawk Council Of Kahnawake Seeks Energy To Power Crypto-Mining Opportunities – Mining Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://collincountynewsonline.com/report-quebecs-mohawk-council-of-kahnawake-seeks-energy-to-power-crypto-mining-opportunities-mining-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ According to a report from Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative, members of the Mohawk Nation from Kahnawake are looking into using electricity from Hydro Quebec in order to power cryptocurrency mining operations. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) created a new organization to research crypto-mining opportunities that could be added to the council’s economic development portfolio. Mohawk Council Members Create Kahnawake Blockchain Technologies, Group to Research Crypto-Mining Members of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) and the newly created Kahnawake Blockchain Technologies (KBT) are interested in expanding its economic development opportunities with cryptocurrency mining. Marcus Bankuti, a Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter published an article on MCK seeking energy to produce a crypto mining unit. Bankuti quotes MCK chief Mike Delisle, the council’s economic development portfolio lead. Delisle believes crypto mining could provide an exciting revenue opportunity for Kahnawake residents. “With zero investment and an opportunity here to create a new industry, or at least a new industry within Kahnawake, it’s exciting for revenue generation and for the development of services,” Delisle said in a statement on Friday. MCK is applying for more energy from Hydro Quebec and the MCK is discussing a partnership with a company called Pow.re. The company details that the crypto mining project would not require funds from Kahnawake. “Our revenue generation and business development team has a mandate to sit down and formally negotiate terms of a possible agreement with Pow.re,” Delisle added. Pow.re Spokesperson Says Kahnawake Could Be Paid in Digital Currency for a ‘Free Roll on the Upside of the Price of Bitcoin’ Today, Mohawk Nation has roughly 16,200 members, and close to 3,000 members live off reserve. A great majority of Mohawk Nation members reside in Kahnawake, Akwesasne, and Kanesatake with most of the members (7,923) living in Kahnawake. According to Bankuti’s report, Pow.re’s local spokesperson, Paul Rice, said the “financial risk to the community is very minimal.” Rice claims the company and the MCK are focused on coming to an agreement that benefits the Kahnawake. Rice notes that mining rigs would be stored in shipping containers and Kahnawake could get a fixed percentage of the bitcoin (BTC) mined from the operations. The Pow.re representative further said that the land was already cleared and there would be “minimal impact to the grounds,” according to the LJI reporter. “What it allows for is basically a free roll on the upside of the price of Bitcoin,” Rice added. Tags in this story Akwesasne, Bitcoin, Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin mining, Blockchain, BTC Mining, Canada, Crypto, crypto mining, cryptocurrency mining, Digital Currency Mining, Kahnawake, Kahnawake Blockchain Technologies, Kanesatake, Local Journalism Initiative (LJI), MCK, mining, Mining Crypto, Mohawk, Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Mohawk Nation members, Paul Rice, Pow.re, Pow.re rep, Pow.re spokesperson, Quebec What do you think about the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake looking into cryptocurrency mining opportunities? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. 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.

Inflation Trends In The US And Globally – Brookings Institution https://collincountynewsonline.com/inflation-trends-in-the-us-and-globally-brookings-institution/ Series: Dollar and Sense Podcast Podcast Don Kohn and David Dollar Monday, September 19, 2022 Don Kohn, senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings, discusses inflation trends in the U.S. and abroad, the Federal Reserve’s actions to address rising costs, and inflationary expectations among consumers and businesses. Related Content Play Audio Podcast Episode What’s causing inflation in the U.S. and how we can get out of it Donald Kohn and David Dollar Monday, February 7, 2022 D Don Kohn David Dollar Senior Fellow – Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development, John L. Thornton China Center Twitter davidrdollar Listen to Dollar & Sense on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you like to get podcasts. Learn about other Brookings podcasts from the Brookings Podcast Network. Sign up for the podcasts newsletter for occasional updates on featured episodes and new shows. Send feedback email to podcasts@Brookings.edu. Related Topics Monetary Policy U.S. Economy More on U.S. Economy Up Front Hutchins Roundup: Labor force losses, climate change, and more Elijah Asdourian, Alexander Conner, Lorae Stojanovic, and David Wessel Thursday, September 15, 2022 Up Front 5 key takeaways on inflation from the August CPI report Chris Miller Wednesday, September 14, 2022 Monetary Policy Shrinking the Federal Reserve balance sheet Dave Skidmore Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Poultry Science Graduate Student Wins Research Awards For 3D Technology In Visual Pathways Of Birds – University Of Arkansas Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/poultry-science-graduate-student-wins-research-awards-for-3d-technology-in-visual-pathways-of-birds-university-of-arkansas-newswire/ Photo Submitted Parker Straight, poultry science graduate student, recently presented his research at the Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, and he received the Award of Excellence for Best Oral Presentation in the area of Physiology and Reproduction at the meeting. The neural pathways in a bird’s brain can be very complex, prompting poultry scientists at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station to employ 3-D imaging technology for research and teaching. The Agricultural Experiment Station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Parker Straight, poultry science graduate student in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, recently received the Award of Excellence for Best Oral Presentation in the area of physiology and reproduction at the Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Straight and his research team wanted to model the tectofugal pathway, the primary visual pathway in chickens. Two-dimensional visuals can only provide information on one anatomical plane within the brain of an organism. Three-dimensional techniques are vital for visualizing the complete set of structures, their connectivity and functions. Straight’s team used histochemistry and diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT), with data reconstruction programs such as Brainmaker, Avizo and Blender, to create their 3-D interactive models. “Histochemistry uses chemical reagents like dyes to stain tissue to allow it to undergo image analysis,” Straight said. “DiceCT is very similar to an MRI but utilizes iodine to stain the tissue so that one can delineate groups of cells from fiber tracts, and this is imaged by using x-ray scans to ‘digitally’ slice the brain.” The iodine used in diceCT is not permanent and can be removed from the sample tissue without damaging or distorting the tissue, which is important for the integrity of the 3-D imaging. “The beauty in the techniques that we’re using is that they’re reversible and non-destructive and allow you to obtain more accurate spatial and structural data for components of the neural systems,” Straight said. “It is important to maintain the true natural structural formation of the brain to achieve high accuracy of things such as relative location, volume, linear dimensions and connectivity.” “What these methods can do is allow for the generation of complex models that can be used in both research and education,” Straight said. “It allows students and those in the field to learn a complex pathway in a more effective manner.” Straight’s research can be applied in a variety of scenarios, he said. “It’s important to show the application of the techniques I’m using, because ideally it can be used for other neural systems in birds and other vertebrates,” Straight said. Straight also presented his research at the International Symposium of Avian Endocrinology in Edinburgh, Scotland. There he was named runner up for the Early Career Researcher Award for his poster presentation. The two awards were determined by highest number of ballots cast by all delegates who attended the meeting and voted at the end of the poster sessions. “I was overcome with satisfaction and validation for the work I have done, and I felt fulfillment knowing the research I am doing is meaningful,” Straight said. Straight’s research team included Wayne Kuenzel, professor of physiology and neuroendocrinology at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and Paul Gignac, associate professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of Arizona. Funding for this project was provided by a Chancellor’s Grant, awarded to Kuenzel and Gignac. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Arkansas Biosciences Institute to Kuenzel. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. About the Division of Agriculture: The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Video Games: A Whole New Level Of Pop Culture – The Medium https://collincountynewsonline.com/video-games-a-whole-new-level-of-pop-culture-the-medium/ Bling! Bling! Zap! Zap! Pew pew pew! Sound familiar?  Since the 1970s, video games have been a popular form of entertainment among children, teens, and young adults. While typically more popular with men, recently, video games have seen an increase in popularity among both men and women. With the rise of social media and stars like Vinnie Hacker who live stream themselves playing video games on platforms like Twitch, gaming has become widely accepted in popular culture. Video games are an extremely accessible form of entertainment. Whether you are looking to kill time, or to spend a few hours connecting with friends, there is no shortage of options. Most video games are also relatively inexpensive, with many games being available for free. Websites such as Steam are excellent for gaming—with a wide variety of games available for download, the website serves as a perfect platform for experienced and inexperienced gamers alike. The competitive nature of video games adds to their popularity. Games such as Tetris (1984) or Pac-Man (1980) display high scores in bold and captivating numbers. The listing of these achievements appeals to competitive gamers looking to improve their gaming skills, attain the highest score on their console, and engage in some friendly competition with fellow gamers. The quality of art, graphics, sound effects, and music are also critical. Video games with better graphics and art are more enjoyable. A game with captivating sound effects and a catchy soundtrack keeps the gamer more focused and engaged. For first-person shooter games such as Doom or Call of Duty, quality audio design is crucial for gamers to get into the perspective of the character that they are playing as and to feel like they are actually in the game.  The importance of good audio and visual design can be appreciated in games such as Hades—one of my favourite video games. In Hades, the gamer plays the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades, on his quest to escape the Underworld with the help of Olympians such as Aphrodite, Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena. The game features detailed graphics of the characters and landscapes, and the soundtrack creates a more immersive gaming experience. Hades has won several awards for its design, including the 2021 BAFTA Games Award for ‘Best Game’, and the 2021 New York Game Awards’ prizes for ‘Game of the Year,’ ‘Best Music,’ ‘Best Writing,’ and ‘Best Acting.’ Memorable characters and storylines are important for a video game’s popularity. When there is a well-written storyline, it keeps the player more engaged and motivated to achieve the game’s main objective and to seek the end of its story. Additionally, well-curated characters make the game more recognizable and help to drive the game’s plot line. A perfect example of this is the Mario video game franchise—characters such as Mario and Luigi are easily recognizable in their quest to rescue Princess Peach. Video games with unforgettable characters and plots are influential in pop culture as people can easily identify common references and phrases. For example, the ability for players and non-players alike to recognize Pokémon allows people to become part of in-person and online communities, purchase branded merchandise, and to connect over shared interests brought on by its title.  The popularity of video games inspires many other forms of art and media. Many people create and share fan-art of their favourite video games on Instagram and TikTok. Die-hard fans will sometimes dress up as their favourite characters for meetups, conventions, or just for fun. With video games being such a critical part of pop culture, there is no shortage of video game communities and gaming content on social media. Whether your game of choice is Tetris or Call of Duty, it’s easy to connect over one of today’s most popular and entertaining pastimes. Author Profile

Collin County’s Real Estate Market Finally Seems To Tip Toward Buyers – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth https://collincountynewsonline.com/collin-countys-real-estate-market-finally-seems-to-tip-toward-buyers-nbc-5-dallas-fort-worth/ Collin County’s Real Estate Market Finally Seems to Tip Toward Buyers  NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

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Businesses, Patrons Savor Friendly Competition At Downtown Throwdown BBQ And Beerfest – Parkersburg News https://collincountynewsonline.com/businesses-patrons-savor-friendly-competition-at-downtown-throwdown-bbq-and-beerfest-parkersburg-news/ Aaron Clubb of Pappy’s Lip Smackin’ BBQ prepares meat ahead of this year’s Downtown Throwdown BBQ and Beerfest on Saturday in Parkersburg. (Photo by Josh Hughes) PARKERSBURG — In a battle over barbecue supremacy, there was plenty to talk about during this year’s Downtown Throwdown BBQ and Beerfest that took place at Bicentennial Park in Parkersburg Saturday. The park was filled with people ready to cast their vote for best barbecue. In the meantime, there was plenty of time to taste the meats prepared by the local businesses vying for votes. Those were: DiCarlo’s, Pappy’s Lip Smackin’ BBQ, Parkersburg Brewing Company, The Blennerhassett Hotel, Mountain State BBQ, The Changed Plate, The Little Stirr and Benny & Babe. The Throwdown was put together by Downtown PKB and the Parkersburg Jaycees. Several volunteers and vendors also made this year’s clash a possibility. With tickets at the gate going for $20 and kids 12 and under getting in free of charge, this event proved fun for the whole family. Entertaining those in attendance were Back Porch Alibi from the start of the festivities at 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Easy Street Band from 8 to 9:45 p.m. Beer distributors included Capitol, Mountain State Beverage and Spriggs. In preparing for an event of this scale, Parkersburg Jaycees marketing chair Nicole Guinn said it was all coming together just moments before patrons arrived. “We’re in charge of getting all of the wonderful volunteers for this event,” she said. “Whether that’s entrance gates, jockey boxes, beer and all of that fun stuff. We’re really happy and privileged that they have allowed us to be a part of it. We’ve been a part of it since the conception of it, and it’s slowly grown throughout the years. It takes a lot, not only on our our part, but on Downtown PKB’s part, as well. We have corporate sponsors that are pouring beer for us tonight. They had volunteered their time to do that, and they’ve taken care of the tickets, the wristbands, the signage. Downtown PKB takes care of all the food vendors, and it’s probably taken two months of planning to get all the volunteers and put them where they need to be, so it’s definitely a big task.” Those getting the barbecue ready were also tirelessly at work for a long day ahead. Volunteer Curtis Shriver pours a drink during Saturday’s Downtown Throwdown BBQ and Beerfest in Parkersburg. (Photo by Josh Hughes) “Well, with me, I was also down at the Belleville Homecoming,” Aaron Clubb of Pappy’s Lip Smackin’ BBQ said. “I was in two places at once, so there was a lot of prep. We smoked the meat all night long, and we’re down here ready to serve some really good barbecue. It’s traditional stuff, so it’s all homemade. This is our second time here, and it would have been more if not (for past cancellations). This is a fun event. The more you (prepare barbecue), the better you get at it., and you find out the little secrets of making good barbecue.” The same is said for Mountain State BBQ’s Keith Murphy. “We started at 1 o’clock this morning and fired the smoker up. Got it up to temperature, and we put the ribs on, and we grind our brisket burgers fresh on the morning of. We fried them, ran over here, set everything up, ran back and picked up the food, and now we’re back to selling,” he said. “I’m trying to get our name out. We’re a startup, and we’ve been around since 2020 (in Mineral Wells). They’re expecting 2,500 people, so I’m hoping.” Of the many volunteers, Wendy Shriver of Discovery World on Market was there to lend a helping hand and to spread awareness for its children’s museum opening in January. As the former executive director of Downtown PKB, she knows what it takes to help for an event like this. “Their ultimate goal is to revitalize downtown Parkersburg, so doing events like this is a part of their mission. They’re a partner of ours. We work together collaboratively, so it’s a good way to help them out. This was a great way to get exposure for Discovery World on Market,” she said. “There are lots of parents out tonight, so since we are an emerging museum getting ready to open in January, we decided to help them out and help work a booth for them. We are bringing awesome STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education for children with the target demographic of 0 to eight-year-olds. All of the exhibits are interactive, hands-on exhibits. Hopefully by the end of the year, we will be open. We’ll be planning a grand opening in January.” The first attendees for Saturday’s Downtown Throwdown BBQ and Beerfest wait in line moments before the event’s 6 p.m. start time. (Photo by Josh Hughes) Josh Hughes can be reached at jhughes@newsandsentinel.com The line for Saturday’s Downtown Throwdown BBQ and Beerfest was a long one just outside Bicentennial Park in Parkersburg. (Photo by Josh Hughes) Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Restaurants V The Cost Of Living Crisis: How Will They Cope? – The Guardian https://collincountynewsonline.com/restaurants-v-the-cost-of-living-crisis-how-will-they-cope-the-guardian/ On Saturday 20 August, Bristol’s Casamia restaurant finished its final service after 23 years in business. “I’m 36 and most of my life has been Casamia,” says the chef-owner, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, who, with his brother Jonray, turned what was previously their parents’ suburban Italian into a Michelin-starred destination. “But with my brother [who died in 2015, aged 32], I know life is short. Things can be taken away from you quickly and I’m not going to keep Casamia just to boost my ego. Nothing lasts for ever.” Pre-pandemic, Casamia was “just breaking even”, struggling to hit the industry standard gross profit margin of 70%. That is not unknown in fine dining. Such labour-intensive treatment of costly ingredients for small numbers of guests is a financially precarious form of self-expression. In the summer of 2020, Casamia underwent a “bold” relaunch intended to enhance its cutting-edge reputation and secure its future. Restyled as a dark, modish cocoon of loud music, lights and visuals, the dinner price increased from £119 to £180 (wine flight, £120), and to create a better work-life balance for staff services were cut to two lunch and three dinner sittings, running Thursday to Saturday. The plan was to make theatrical, 25-course menus of potato tempura, black garlic mayonnaise and pickled black garlic, or apple tart with smoked ice-cream, for just 16 people per service financially viable. “We wanted more exciting food, to expand the ingredient selection and hit 70%,” says Sanchez-Iglesias, who encouraged the use of, for example, langoustines and sea urchins. “There shouldn’t be many boundaries in doing something creative. Because of the price, we should give everything to customers. I don’t want to be held back.” For most of 2021, this reinvention worked. Pent-up pandemic demand exploded and Casamia, led by chef Zak Hitchman, was “super, super, super busy”. That faded abruptly last winter. Christmas was disrupted by Omicron and in February the war in Ukraine began, meaning already rising fuel and food prices suddenly rocketed. A significant chunk of Casamia’s target audience began to think twice about blowing money on eating out. Sanchez-Iglesias was seeing occasional empty tables in the evenings, and worse. “We would have the odd Friday lunch where it was just two people booked.” Casamia – which, in 2016, moved to Bristol’s regenerated harbour – had good weeks, but too many where it lost money, sometimes £200, £500 or even £1,000. “We can’t charge more,” says Sanchez-Iglesias. Reducing the price or adding more covers was not feasible. The situation was “getting worse and worse”. In May, Sanchez-Iglesias announced Casamia would close and the site reopen as a new Italian restaurant. He hopes this trattoria will replicate the success of his other Michelin-starred restaurant, Paco Tapas, a bigger, busy, more casual operation with flexible pricing. “You change or close,” says Sanchez-Iglesias. Larger fine-dining restaurants may “still make business sense with a 10%, 15% drop-off; every business is unique”. But with diners reining in spending, and energy and food costs spiking, smaller, niche restaurants are on a knife-edge. This is, says Sanchez-Iglesias, “the scariest it’s been since the 2008 recession. The whole industry at that level is under threat.” Others are less gloomy. “Luckily, we’re fully booked and people are spending better than ever. We’ve increased prices but guests don’t seem fazed,” says one London restaurateur, anonymously lest they seem “arrogant”. That owner operates in a rarefied world of bills of £300-£500 a head. But word has it business in London is mostly robust. For six weeks earlier this summer, Ed Thaw had to close at lunch on Tuesdays and reduce midweek covers at his Shoreditch restaurant, Leroy. But only because he lacked staff. “There’s plenty of custom but everyone is struggling with recruitment.” Last month’s trading update from D&D London, which operates more than 40 restaurants worldwide, was upbeat while noting an “uncertain economic backdrop”. Significant cost inflation (about 10% a year) has been “compensated by increased average spends” – and not just in London. D&D highlighted its Manchester and Leeds restaurants as strong performers. Such contradictory experiences are standard in hospitality. D&D’s buying power and marketing reach is very different to that of a small independent restaurant, and the experience can vary significantly. If one restaurant agreed a fixed, three-year energy contract in 2021, it will be far better placed than its neighbour who renewed this year, doubling or tripling its bill. One chef, who preferred not to be named, told me they had mothballed a new restaurant until spring 2023 after the annual electricity bill at an existing smaller site leapt from £3,500 to £11,500. “Winter will be quiet and expensive. If you can wait, why wouldn’t you?” Stark warnings of closures abound. The British Institute of Innkeeping has said energy bills could destroy many pubs. Businesses in big, draughty buildings that may make £50,000 annually (profits that owner-operators of small businesses often use to pay their “salaries”, as dividends) could see that profit disappear in gas and electricity costs. Procurement manager Regency Purchasing Group has warned of “hundreds of businesses forward-planning closures”, as energy contracts come up for renewal. Arguably, the fallout has started. In July, the accountants UHY Hacker Young reported restaurant insolvencies had risen 64% year on year. Last month, it calculated that a record 60% of the UK’s top 100 restaurants are making a loss. Some owners of healthy, successful businesses are opting out of this turmoil. In March, Aimee Turford and Alisdair Brooke-Taylor, who run the Moorcock Inn in Norland, West Yorkshire, announced that instead of renewing their lease they will leave the pub in January. The Moorcock is busy and acclaimed for its wood-fired, foraged and fermented food, but still reeling from the pandemic slog, enough was enough. “It was clear things were going to get worse before they got better,” says Turford. The Moorcock has been packed since. “We’re very lucky that people are turning out,” says Turford. “Businesses I like have announced they are closing. Many friends are scared about the near future. These places deserve to be open. It’s not that their business model wasn’t good. There’s an avalanche of circumstances beyond their control forcing them into closure.” Mapping the contours of that avalanche can be bewildering. We understand energy costs, but the way rising oil, gas and chemical prices contribute to increased food production costs – from transport and fertiliser to heating for barns and even the CO2 used to kill poultry – is an eye-opener for most diners. Fruit, dairy and fats are up more than 20% year on year. Chefs report crazy numbers: butter is up 50%, lamb neck has almost doubled in price. Photograph: Romas Foord/The Observer The cost of animal feed, particularly grain-based feeds for poultry and pigs, has risen sharply due to the war in Ukraine. Poultry feed has shot up 70% since 2020, says the National Farmers Union. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reports cattle prices are at record highs and sheep are selling at “significantly above the five-year average”. Pig prices surged in spring yet, incredibly, “have not reached the point where they cover estimated cost of production”. James Swift, owner of Monmouthshire charcuterie business Trealy Farm, says pig farmers are “falling by the wayside, left, right and centre”. In June, the CGA Prestige food-service index recorded a fifth month of double-digit inflation in ingredient costs, with fruit, dairy and fats up more than 20% year on year. Chefs report crazier numbers: butter up 50%, lamb neck almost doubling in price. “It’s not just food costs,” says Turford. “It’s printer ink, paper for menus, plumber callouts, napkins. Every aspect has gone up.” And then there’s staff costs. For too long the restaurant industry was sustained by cheap credit and cheap labour. Now, experienced staff are scarce and wages are rising fast. No one objects to that, at least not publicly, but it is another cost to absorb. From talking to owners, payroll is one of the most significant pressures, says Joe Lutrario, the deputy editor at industry website Big Hospitality. “Wage bills are spiralling and cutting into [profit] margins.” Given the multitude of problems, the industry has been urging the government to intervene. And it has now announced a six-month scheme offering “equivalent support” to what households will receive with further unspecified help beyond that for “vulnerable industries”, which should include hospitality. Of the people I spoke to for this feature, before Liz Truss became prime minister, some called for a cap on commercial energy tariffs. To ease cashflow, almost everyone would like the Treasury to reduce the 20% VAT rate on restaurant sales, as it did during the pandemic. “It blows my mind there isn’t a break, given the pressures are probably greater,” says Alex Rushmer, co-chef-owner of Cambridge’s Vanderlyle. Hospitality is gearing up to fight. “By definition, you’re an optimist if you’re in hospitality or you wouldn’t open a business,” says Candice Fonseca, owner of the award-winning Liverpool foodhall and restaurant, Delifonseca. After the pressures of Brexit and Covid, she views the current situation as “a cosmic joke”. Like many owners in the past two years, Fonseca has proven adept at overcoming challenging times. For example, Delifonseca has significantly expanded its corporate catering. “I’ll find a way to make my bits of business add up to something that works,” she says. In July, McDonald’s crystalised the mo...

Sports World Reacts To Brittney Griner Offer News – The Spun https://collincountynewsonline.com/sports-world-reacts-to-brittney-griner-offer-news-the-spun/ PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 8: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury looks on during the game against the Las Vegas Aces during Game Five of the 2021 WNBA Semifinals on October 8, 2021 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images) Jeff Bottari/Getty Images While the U.S. government is attempting to bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home, the Russian administration has reportedly not responded to President Biden’s offers. “Biden and his team, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, previously stated in August that the United States made a “substantial” proposition for Russia in attempt to secure Griner and Whelan’s release. However, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday that Russia has not responded to the proposal from Biden’s administration, resulting in Griner and Whelan remaining under Russian imprisonment,” Sports Illustrated reports. President Biden met with Griner’s family this week. Griner, who has been in Russian custody for several months, is understandably growing frustrated by her situation. “Sadly we don’t have a result here to tell you about but the president felt that it was important to continue the dialogue with the family members,” Kirby said, per Bloomberg. “The primary goal of the meeting today is to be able to update families and keep them completely apprised of where we are in the process.” Brittney’s wife, meanwhile, was encouraged by the meeting with President Biden. We’d love to see Brittney Griner back home soon. Hopefully Russia can eventually respond to the offer.

How Estonia’s Digital Evolution Could Set It Up For The Metaverse – Digiday https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-estonias-digital-evolution-could-set-it-up-for-the-metaverse-digiday/ Since 2014, Estonia has been in the midst of a self-described “digital transformation.” All of the nation’s public services are accessible through a straightforward online portal, and individuals outside Estonia can apply for “e-residency” to gain most of the benefits of Estonian citizenship, including the ability to incorporate a business in the country (but not the right to vote in Estonian elections). Estonia’s digital evolution shows how smaller countries can adopt emerging technologies more nimbly than some of their larger rivals. Estonia already boasts nearly 95,000 noncitizen e-residents, who have established over 22,000 Estonian companies so far and paid around €32 million (or about the same amount in U.S. dollars) in taxes to the Estonian government last year. And during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Estonia used its online infrastructure to keep its society moving as the rest of the world was shutting down. While other governments put public services that required in-person meetings on hold — good luck going to the DMV in April 2020 — this was a non-issue for a country whose citizens could fill out any and all government forms online. “We like to joke that we implemented the lockdown on a Friday, and then on a Monday, life simply continued,” said Carmen Raal, a digital transformation advisor overseeing the development of e-Estonia. “Everything that was needed to work remotely, to have a functioning democracy remotely, already existed.” E-Estonia is a national program devised and paid for by the Estonian government, and it largely makes money through e-residency application fees, though turning a profit is not the primary goal. It handles almost all of Estonian citizens’ data — births and deaths, healthcare information, voting, and even genomic records — storing it on secure servers that are not shared with other private or public entities. Estonia’s digital nationhood also has major political implications. The country’s digital identity provides it with an alternative path for legitimacy beyond existence as a physical nation. In other words, nationhood inside the metaverse, an idea that Estonia has gradually begun using in some of its external messaging. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine drags on, e-Estonia has become increasingly relevant. “If Russia comes — not when — and if our systems shut down, we will have copies,” Piret Hirv, then an Estonian government advisor, told the New Yorker in 2017. (Editor’s note: The government of Estonia paid for this reporter to travel and board for a two-day press tour). To explore the past, present and future of Estonia’s digital transformation, Digiday spoke with Raal about e-Estonia. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Can you explain the difference between Estonian e-residency and citizenship? Basically, they don’t get the right to live in Estonia, but they get all the tools necessary to access the digital platform of Estonia. Primarily, they get to start a company in Estonia without being registered here, because you can start a company in under three hours here, and you get to be completely location-independent. They get to be in an administrative haven — they don’t have to deal with a lot of paperwork, and you have more time to focus on your actual business. Plus, if you are an e-resident and you have a company registered in Estonia, that means you now have access to the European single market.  Do e-residents with companies in Estonia have to pay Estonian taxes? This gets tricky now. It really depends on how connected you are with Estonia. I would say that if you are fully in your own country, then the tax regulations that exist there apply to you also. Last year, the tax revenue we received from e-residents was around €32 million (or about the same amount in US dollars). How does Estonia benefit from welcoming e-residents? Quite simple — we want our e-residents to be the next ones to establish unicorns here. We have the most startups per capita in Europe and the world, but Estonia is still a tiny country [the country has a population of just over 1.3 million), so there’s a limit to how many unicorns we can eventually create. But our business environment is known around the world, so our idea was that we are trying to expand and attract as many entrepreneurial-minded people as possible — but obviously, not everybody wants to move to Estonia.  How does the concept of the metaverse apply to Estonia’s digital nationhood? Are there plans to turn the online portal into more of an immersive virtual environment? I am familiar with it, and I know that we have plans for the metaverse in our public sector. But to be honest, if we’re talking about the metaverse in the public sector, we have to look at what it is going to solve for us. I’m not sure if going to an office in a virtual space is going to be relevant — but I do think that it can make democracy even more accessible, or allow people to gather in the public sector, with lockdowns and gatherings being limited. When we’re talking about public sector services, our goal is to make them seamless. We don’t want people to feel the need to go to an office in the real world, let alone the virtual world. But blockchain technology has a pretty significant role in e-Estonia, right? Yes. In 2007, Estonia received a very extensive cyber attack — we were the first nation to receive such a cyber attack, where both the public and private sector were targeted. And this made us think quite hard about how we were going to proceed; we didn’t want to go back to using paper. So our cryptography experts worked out their own blockchain, which now acts as our trust anchor. It’s not deployed everywhere, just with the most sensitive data, like e-health or e-justice. So, where blockchain is deployed, the authenticity of the data can be mathematically proven, but we don’t store any data on the blockchain. We’re using the blockchain, but it has nothing to do with cryptocurrency.  Do you plan to eventually secure all information in e-Estonia using blockchain technology? I think so, because it’s not as environmentally damaging as cryptocurrency. My question is, in the future, are we going to store personal data on the blockchain? Because right now, there are many limitations as to why we can’t do that. The primary one comes from GDPR [the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation], which says that you have the right to be forgotten and so on. So right now, we’re not storing any data on the blockchain. But I do feel that, if we want to face future cyber risks, then that’s something we have to start considering. How Estonia’s digital evolution could set it up for the metaverse

Gearing Ourselves Up For The Change Of Season – The Irish Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/gearing-ourselves-up-for-the-change-of-season-the-irish-times/ The change in season is not just a chance to refresh the wardrobe but also a reminder to plan and get excited about the autumn days of running ahead. Photograph: iStock Signs of autumn are everywhere these days, but for me the change of season is most real once I replace running shorts with longer leggings. Now is the time to reluctantly accept that the sense of freedom and lightness of summer running is almost behind me for another year. But this change of running attire also marks a new beginning. It is not just a chance to refresh the wardrobe but also a reminder to plan and get excited about the autumn days of running ahead. Digging out memories As I unpack that bag of heavier running gear not worn since late spring, I reminisce about the miles these outfits have already travelled over their many years. I wonder where they will end up running this year and who I will share those miles with. The old race T-shirts remind me of challenges completed and great days out. The festive leggings have plenty stories to tell too. Even the impulse buys I bought but have not worn yet are staring back at me reminding me that I don’t need any more new gear. I can only wear so much. But somehow it keeps on multiplying. Shining bright While most of the leggings and long sleeve tops are still too heavy to wear, there is one item in the bag I need now. My hi-visibility vest will accompany me on every morning and evening run for the rest of this year and beyond. September running can be misleading when it comes to safety, particularly where daylight is concerned. We can start a run in bright sunshine and be surprised to finish in darkness. But from hi-vis vests to lights and gadgets that keep us illuminated, there are endless options on the market that are comfortable as well as practical for runners. Even though it may feel too warm still for an extra layer, this is one which we really need to prioritise from this week onwards. Staying cool With changeable autumn weather there can sometimes be a temptation to layer up when heading out, especially if the weather looks a little murky outside. But remember how quick you will warm up once running. It is not that cold yet. Your body has to work harder to keep you cool if you overdress so try to be practical. Light layers you can take off and tie around your waist are ideal if you cannot face those first few chilly minutes. Consider a warm-up indoors if that helps you avoid bringing too many extra layers. We will have plenty time in the depths of winter for all your heavy gear and once you are out the door the weather is always better than it looks from inside the window. So dress with the second half of your run in mind. Keeping hands free Being practical in the season of falling leaves and fading light means that the chances of slipping are higher right now. I always remind those I coach to run with their hands free for balance, posture and indeed safety. You are less distracted if your hands are free but also you can react quicker if you do slip or lose your footing. Most running gear has pockets for phones and keys, but if not, a small investment in a running belt to hold everything will stand to you right though the seasons. That is one item I would add to your shopping list. Taking stock As you refresh your wardrobe, now might be a good time to check to see if your essentials are still up to the job. While I don’t suggest you need to keep up with the fashions of the seasons, many of us forget to consider the basics of comfort in running in favour of the latest gadgets and outer layers. Check to see if your ageing sports bras might need to be tightened and refreshed or consider if your running shoes might need an upgrade. Don’t forget to protect your skin as well. The autumnal weather can be as wearing on our skin as the summer sun, so a good barrier cream on face, lips and hands will act as protection. Check to see if your aging sports bras might need to be tightened and refreshed or consider if your running shoes might need an upgrade. Photograph: iStock Off to a new home As part of this new beginning, decluttering might be on your mind. If you have great intentions of minimising your running wardrobe, be honest about which gear you will wear in the coming season. We probably all have good quality hardly worn items that we have kept for that just-in-case scenario. If you didn’t wear them last winter, what are the chances of you wearing them this year? If you have good quality items you know will remain on the shelf, why not give them a new running life. Contact your local branch of Sanctuary Runners who will help distribute these items to runners in direct provision. Dress for success As I pack away most of the summer gear, I could focus on what we will miss about the summer. But rather than be disappointed about the passing of the season, lets decide to celebrate the autumn instead, get out there and enjoy it. Only last month were we all complaining that it was too hot to run. It is now the optimal temperature and the most colourful and striking months in nature if we choose to look around when we go out. So it’s up to you. Pop on your hi-vis and get out the door. You won’t regret it. – Sign up for one of The Irish Times’s Get Running programmes (it’s free!) First, pick the eight-week programme that suits you. Get Running with Mary Jennings GetRunning Beginner Course: A course to take you from inactivity to running for 30 minutes. Stay On Track: For those who can squeeze in a run a few times a week. 10km Course: Designed for those who want to move up to the 10km mark. Best of luck! – Mary Jennings is founder and running coach with ForgetTheGym.ie. Her autumn running programmes kick off in Dublin and online this week.

Tamadoge Presale Hits $19M Hard Cap Despite Bitcoin Price Drop – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/tamadoge-presale-hits-19m-hard-cap-despite-bitcoin-price-drop-cryptonews/ The most talked about token presale of 2022 may have become a flight to safety for some investors in the face of crashing crypto prices. A few hours ago the Tamadoge (TAMA) presale sold out, raising its target of 19 million USDT in choppy crypto market conditions. At press time Bitcoin is down 6% in the past 24 hours, dropping to an intraday low of $18,670 on Binance. Tamadoge Presale Timeline The Tamadoge token presale began July 25th, 2022 with a beta sale, during which the TAMA price was on discount at $0.01. That caught the attention of Yahoo Finance who praised its utility and appealing use case: Unlike most so-called memecoins, Tamadoge has been designed to have real utility. It serves as the native currency of a games platform populated by virtual Tamadoge pets. Owners can mint, breed, and battle Tamadoges to level up. Tamadoge has been designed to make Play-to-Earn fun, having drawn lessons from the mistakes of early P2E games. Yahoo Finance went on to review Tamadoge twice more, around the $5 million and $8 million milestones. CNBC also featured Tamadoge at the $15 million mark: The fact that its presale performance has exceeded that of Ethereum and popular move-to-earn platform StepN is an excellent indicator of future growth potential. Some experts predict a 10x growth by 2023, while others are slating a 50x price spurt. Tamadoge also scores big on the trust factor, with CoinSniper carrying out a full KYC on its founding members and a ‘100 percent secure’ label from the Solid Proof audit.  The Tamadoge presale had originally been expected to run into the fourth quarter of 2022, but in total sold out in just under eight weeks. Tamadoge Crypto Exchange Listings The next phase will be investors claiming their TAMA tokens – a full announcement on how to safely do so is set to be made on September 20th, on the project’s official Telegram and Discord (admins will not DM you first, beware of scams).  Optionally, investors can also opt to receive updates via email – although that is not mandatory. Last month LBank exchange confirmed on Twitter their upcoming TAMA listing. Tamadoge, an ERC-20 token, will also have its initial DEX offering (IDO) on Uniswap. As the TAMA presale has sold out earlier than expected, the team are reportedly moving forward all Tamadoge crypto exchange listings to take place in the coming days. CNBC’s mention of this new cryptocurrency token’s 10x potential or higher may have resulted in the last phases of its presale selling out rapidly – in excess of $1 million was raised over this weekend. Learn more at Tamadoge.io

Biden: US Would Defend Taiwan Against Chinese Invasion – The San Diego Union-Tribune https://collincountynewsonline.com/biden-us-would-defend-taiwan-against-chinese-invasion-the-san-diego-union-tribune/ BEIJING —  President Joe Biden says U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if China tries to invade the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, adding to displays of official American support for the island democracy. Asked during an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS News’s “60 Minutes” program whether “U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion,” Biden said, “Yes.” CBS News reported the White House said after the interview that U.S. policy hasn’t changed. That policy says Washington wants to see Taiwan’s status resolved peacefully but doesn’t say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack. Biden’s comments come amid rising tension over Taiwan following efforts by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government to intimidate the island by firing missiles into the sea and flying fighter jets nearby and visits to Taipei by political figures including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Washington is obligated by federal law to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself but doesn’t say whether U.S. forces would be sent. The United States has no formal relations with the island but maintains informal diplomatic ties. Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The two governments say they are one country but dispute which is entitled to be the national leader. Beijing criticizes official foreign contact with Taiwan’s elected government as encouragement to make its de facto independence permanent, a step the mainland says would lead to war. Washington says it doesn’t support formal independence for Taiwan, a stance Biden repeated in the interview broadcast Sunday. “Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence,” the president said. “We’re not encouraging their being independent.” In May, Biden said “yes” when asked at a news conference in Tokyo whether he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded.

Golf Places Sixth At George Cangero Invitational – Stevens Institute Of Technology https://collincountynewsonline.com/golf-places-sixth-at-george-cangero-invitational-stevens-institute-of-technology/ Mike McLaughlin September 18, 2022 The Basics The lead: Junior Gus Vickers tied for eighth place for the second straight event to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology golf team Sunday at the George Cangero Invitational, hosted by Farmingdale State College. Score: Stevens (299-292=591) – sixth place of 10 teams. The Ducks’ 292 on Sunday is tied for the fifth-lowest round in program history. The two-round score of 591 is the fifth-lowest score in program history. The Ducks’ seven-stroke improvement was the second-most by any team in the field and one behind Drew, who trimmed eight strokes off its opening-round score. Location: Bethpage State Park Red Course – Bethpage, N.Y. (Par 70 – 7,092 yards) Short Story: After leading the Ducks in their season-opening event, Vickers shot 3-over 73 in the opening round and then was even on Sunday to finish the tournament +3, tying for eighth place with Farmingdale’s Christopher Iguchi. A total of 60 golfers were in the field. Vickers scored three birdies on the opening 18 and then added three more on the final 18, including two of the final three holes. The Naples, Florida native carded a 143 for the event, trimming one stroke off his season-opening score, to post the third-lowest two-round score in program history. Vickers’ even-par 70 is tied for the fourth-lowest round in program history. The Leaderboard: St. Thomas Aquinas (DII) captured the team title with a team score of 566, finishing five strokes ahead of Franklin & Marshall. The Diplomats were one stroke ahead after the opening round but were six strokes off the pace in the final round. The Diplomats. Franklin & Marshall’s Shane Lawler won the individual title with a score of 136. Lawler sat atop the leaderboard after the opening round, firing a 3-under 67 and then carded a 1-under 69 on Sunday to finish 4-under for the tournament. He was one of two golfers to finish under-par and one of four golfers to finish even-par or better. Of note: The Invitational honors the late head men’s golf coach at Farmingdale State, who guided the Rams to five Skyline Conference Championships in six seasons The Finishes Seniors Miles Philion (148) and Eegan McDermott (149) finished one stroke apart, in tying for 22nd and 24th place, respectively. Philion carded three birdies and par’d the final five holes to finish 1-over on the back nine to wrap up his tournament. McDermott totaled three pars on Sunday and closed out his tournament with a birdie on the par-4 18th hole.  Sophomore Eduardo Terlaje finished 5-over for the tournament, finishing with a 76 in the first round and a 75 in the second. His 75 Sunday matched his career-low round. First-year Punn Chittaratlert trimmed five strokes off his opening-round score to total 157 in his collegiate debut. From the Greens (Head Coach Charles Papendick) “First, congratulations to Gus on an excellent weekend. Overall, I am pleased with our results this weekend. Our returning players are rounding into form and our newer players are acclimating to our schedule. Bethpage Red is the longest course we will play in either the fall or the spring by a significant margin and it’s an absolute testament to our team’s resolve to constantly improve.” “It was a very strong field and we played well, especially considering that four of our players never saw the course before the first round Saturday.” “We didn’t make a lot of putts and that hurts scores, but with a revamped practice regiment over the next few weeks, we hope to make a few more birdies.” Up Next Golf returns to the course tomorrow afternoon for the FDU Fall Invitational. The one-day event will be played at the Mendham Golf and Tennis Club in Mendham, New Jersey. Facebook: “Like” Stevens Athletics          Twitter: @stevensducks Instagram: @stevensducks #AllRise

China’s First Dedicated Gaming GPU Will Launch In 2025 Made By Muxi – TweakTown https://collincountynewsonline.com/chinas-first-dedicated-gaming-gpu-will-launch-in-2025-made-by-muxi-tweaktown/ It looks like the Chinese GPU market is about to get an interesting domestic, and international hopefully, series of graphics cards from Shanghai-based Muxi. Muxi is expected to launch China’s first GPU dedicated for gaming by 2025. Muxi, or Muxi Integrated Circuit Shanghai Co Ltd, is a chipmaker based out of Shanghai in China, was formed in 2020 and has been making high-performance AI and general-purpose chips for the domestic market in China. We’ve already seen Chinese companies offering locally-made CPUs that are now getting pretty comparable to Intel and AMD in the CPU business, but the GPU business still has some work to do. 2 VIEW GALLERY – 2 IMAGES We’ve got Birentech with its BR100 GPU that’s made on 7nm with an impressive 77 billion transistors — for comparison, NVIDIA’s new Hopper H100 has 80 billion transistors on 5nm — that’s got performance that competes against some of the best GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD. But when it comes to gaming, well, there’s a lot of work to be done… the best China can do for gamers is offer the GPU performance of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050. Not good enough. Muxi currently has a GPU on the 7nm process node that is used for AI inferencing, with markets aimed including AI, autonomous driving, industrial and manufacturing automation, smart cities, edge computing, and natural language processing. Read more: China’s most powerful GPU: Biren BR100 keeps up with AMD and NVIDIA Read more: Chinese GPU maker: Biren BR100 has 77 billion transistors, 64GB HBM2e Read more: Moore Threads MTT S60, MTS2000 GPU: first China domestic GPU arch Muxi’s second-gen GPU is another AI-focused GPU that will arrive in 2024, while the first-gen gaming-focused GPU from Muxi will launch in 2025 and will be dedicated to gaming. Muxi’s first-gen gaming GPU will have all of the required rendering techniques, with support for all of the modern APIs. Innosilicon is another Chinese GPU maker with its Fantasy One and Fantasy Two GPUs, with Chinese gamers able to enjoy these now… but the new Muxi gaming GPU will feature far improved software optimization, support, drivers, and more when they launch in 2025. It will be interesting to see Muxi launch into a market against AMD and NVIDIA and do it successfully — drivers, software, game compatibility, etc — when Intel is struggling so much right now with Arc.

How North Texas Housing Market Could Fare During A Recession – The Dallas Morning News https://collincountynewsonline.com/how-north-texas-housing-market-could-fare-during-a-recession-the-dallas-morning-news/ By Mitchell Parton 12:16 PM on Sep 15, 2022 CDT Housing markets in counties in North Texas are expected to be less at risk during an economic downturn than hundreds of others in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday by nationwide land and property data provider Attom Data Solutions, The firm determined risk levels by measuring unemployment rates, foreclosure activity, affordability and the number of underwater homes — homes where owners owe more than what their properties are worth. “The Federal Reserve has promised to be as aggressive as it needs to be in order to get inflation under control, even if its actions lead to a recession,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at Attom, in a statement. “Given how little progress has been made reducing inflation so far, the Fed’s actions seem more and more likely to drive the economy into a recession, and some housing markets are going to be more vulnerable than others if that happens.” Of the 575 counties studied by Attom, Denton County ranked No. 377 in terms of vulnerability during a downturn, followed by Tarrant at No. 392, Dallas at No. 427 and Collin at No. 469. Austin, Houston and San Antonio all had risk ratings similar to Dallas-Fort Worth. Related:Home mortgage rates rise to 6% for first time since the 2008 housing crash Thirty-one of the 50 counties considered most at risk for market troubles were in the Chicago, New York and Philadelphia metro areas as well as non-coastal California markets. Most of the factors measured by Attom compared favorably in D-FW with other large metropolitan areas, Sharga said in an email. “The Dallas-Fort Worth housing market shows very little sign of vulnerability,” Sharga said. “Some of the largest metros nationally, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia, had much higher risk factors and ranked much higher in terms of vulnerability to an economic downturn.” Still, Sharga mentioned that Dallas-Fort Worth home prices have rapidly risen relative to wages, and that the unemployment rate in the metro area was higher than the national numbers. “While neither of those metrics is negative enough to make Dallas-Fort Worth a ‘high-risk’ market, they may be heading in that direction,” Sharga said.

The BVI’s Jost Van Dyke Has Its First Luxury Hotel – Caribbean Journal https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-bvis-jost-van-dyke-has-its-first-luxury-hotel-caribbean-journal/ There’s a new luxury hotel on one of the most beloved little islands in the Caribbean: Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.  Jost, as it’s affectionately known, has long been famous for its enviable collection of world-famous beach bars, from the renowned Soggy Dollar Bar to the legendary Foxy’s.  And while the island has always been home to a lovely collection of vacation rentals and, at times, some great minuscule beach hotels, there’s now something very different.  Yes, every villa has its own plunge pool. It’s called the Hideout, and it’s a seven-villa resort that’s a decidedly new level of accommodations for Jost.  It’s set on White Bay, meaning you can walk to all of the tiny coastline’s great beach bars, including, yes, Soggy.  But that’s not the biggest amenity.  Each one of the villas comes with its own private plunge pool, one of the most sought-after trends in travel today.  The villas are a mix of beachfront ocean-view units and hillside garden rooms, coming in either one or two-bedroom sizes.  The latter come with full kitchens, too.  And then there’s the party piece: the dining at Hideout is at Hendo’s Hideout, another Jost beach bar classic, from which the hotel gets its name. White Bay. There’s only one challenge — ever having to leave.  For more, visit The Hideout.

PolyNovo Shares Surge 20 Per Cent Following FDA Approval – Business News Australia https://collincountynewsonline.com/polynovo-shares-surge-20-per-cent-following-fda-approval-business-news-australia/ Checking if the site connection is secure www.businessnewsaustralia.com needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

A Country’s Wellbeing Should Be Measured In Its Weight, As Well As Its GDP – Irish Examiner https://collincountynewsonline.com/a-countrys-wellbeing-should-be-measured-in-its-weight-as-well-as-its-gdp-irish-examiner/ In modern times, gross domestic product (GDP) has become a measure for a country’s wellbeing. If the economy is growing, then things must be good. If it is shrinking, then not so much. Using GDP to measure how well we are doing is increasingly at odds with reality. A key problem with growth is that it requires endless production and its close companion, endless consumption. To prevent growth stalling, we need to buy more and more things and more and more paid experiences. For economies to continue to ‘grow’ we need to have insatiable consumption.  In our heart of hearts, we know this consumption is mindless madness. We eat mountains of food that predispose us to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. We buy stuff we never knew we wanted and never use again. We know that gadgets have parts that are irreplaceable when they do break down so that the only option is to discard them and buy new ones. Another problem with economic growth is that its rewards are not evenly shared. Average income is calculated by taking the size of a country’s economy and dividing it by the number of people living there. This is deeply misleading. If a large proportion of wealth is created by 1%, as is the case in many rich countries, many people are left working harder and harder to maintain their living standards and end up questioning what this growth is all for. Balancing act The Commission on Taxation report, Foundations for the Future, is attempting to address this balancing act — not immediately but in the medium to long term. Specifically, it addresses promoting business and economic activity while at the same time fairly supporting the most vulnerable in society and reducing carbon emissions. Social cohesion — an idea that all groups in society feel connected to each other and to one society — is a key theme, while stating that both older and younger generations have an equal share of the State’s resources. Reducing carbon emissions must be done in a way that maintains that social cohesion. Critically this means there must be a ‘just transition’ where every group in society is supported to make the changes needed. In terms of public health, the commission was specifically tasked with examining “how effectively good health is promoted in Ireland and to present relevant reforms to advance and incentivise that goal”. Taxes that promote public health are imposed on products that have a negative public health impact, such as tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks. The commission was particularly supportive of the World Health Organization-recommended sugar-sweetened drinks tax introduced in Ireland in 2018. The tax raised €33m in 2019. Sugary drinks tax In terms of health gains, taxes on sugary drinks are effective in reducing consumption and preventing obesity. Evidence shows that a tax on sugary drinks, which raises prices by 20%, can lead to a reduction in consumption of around 20%. Research published in the BMJ suggested that people were buying and consuming less sugar from soft drinks since the introduction of the tax in 2018. While overall sales of sugary drinks remained unchanged, the sugar purchased in these drinks decreased by about 30g per household per week, or almost 10% — equivalent to three fewer teaspoons. That might not sound like a lot but in public health terms, it is significant. The tax was effective in reducing consumption of drinks high in sugar but also incentivised reformulation to reduce the amount of sugar in soft drinks so that they fell into the category of drinks — less than 5g sugar per 100ml — that are not required to be taxed. The tax is working exactly as intended, suggesting that its use should be expanded in terms of strategic regulatory options to promote healthier diets, according to researchers at the George Institute for Global Health. In Ireland, all the proceeds from the sugary drinks tax have gone into the exchequer, unlike the UK which specifically targeted its sugar tax to fund sports and breakfast clubs. The WHO predicts that Ireland’s population will be one of the world’s most overweight by 2030. With one in four children and two in three adults carrying excess weight, obesity is at an unacceptably high level. These rates have changed little in recent years, despite evidence-based healthy eating and awareness programmes. Obesity rates are much higher in low-income groups and individuals living in deprived areas, with half of people under 35 overweight or obese compared to 37% of those living in affluent areas. The lifetime cost of obesity is €4.6bn and it has a significant impact on the labour market, impacting early retirement, absenteeism, and productivity. Key risk factors for obesity include the environment, access to healthy and affordable food, physical activity, exercise and leisure activity, and education. All these factors are impacted by living in a deprived area where food environments are consistently shown to encourage the consumption of unhealthy food — ultra-processed, energy-dense, nutrient-poor food that is intensely promoted and easily accessible. Ultra-processed foods Almost half of Irish shopping baskets contain ultra-processed foods, making Ireland the third highest consumer of these foods after the UK and Germany. Ireland has the highest prevalence of sweet and savoury snack consumption and the second highest confectionary consumption among 24 EU countries and the UK, and dietary intake of ultra-processed foods is a key driver of overweight and obesity.  The Roadmap for Food Reformulation in Ireland (2021) states that there is a “clear and urgent need to achieve further substantial reductions in the salt, sugar, saturated fat content, calorie density, and/or single-serving portion size across a wide range of major food and drink products in Ireland.”  Voluntary salt and sugar reduction targets in the UK in recent years have produced limited results and can have the effect of delaying more substantive strategies to get rid of the most harmful products altogether. The effect of the sugary drinks tax on driving industry reformulation, on account of its mandatory application, is a likely benefit of introducing a similar tax on ultra-processed food — both in terms of sugar, salt, and fat content but also in portion size of sweet and savoury snack products. The commission recommends the introduction of a tax on ultra-processed foods for the benefit of public health. Amid the cost-of-living crisis, this is unlikely to be introduced soon. If and when it is, to achieve maximum benefit, particularly to the most vulnerable, the huge incomes that such a tax would generate should be ringfenced to support healthy eating and physical activity initiatives, especially for young children living in deprived and low-income areas. Taxes have a key role in raising revenue — as important is their ability to influence public health outcomes. The evidence shows that Ireland falls behind international best practice for implementing policies that tackle the promotion of unhealthy food to children and utilising fiscal policies to support healthy food choices and food composition targets. Fiscal policies that challenge the unhealthy food environment are an opportunity to address this shortfall. Funds generated need to be ringfenced to benefit the most vulnerable. Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork and former director of human health and nutrition, Safefood

Bears Vs. Packers Live Score, Updates, Highlights From NFL ‘Sunday Night Football’ Game – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/bears-vs-packers-live-score-updates-highlights-from-nfl-sunday-night-football-game-sporting-news/ NFC North foes rekindle their rivalry Sunday night as the Packers host the Bears. Green Bay, predicted by many to notch yet another divisional crown, was drab in its opening game. The Packers’ new-look receiving corps was ineffective against the Vikings, and Aaron Rodgers, seeking his third consecutive MVP, looked ordinary as the Pack fell 23-7 in Minneapolis. However, Matt LaFleur’s side got off to a similarly inauspicious start in 2021. Green Bay won 13 of its next 16 games to tie for the NFL’s best record. Chicago, meanwhile, got off to a great start in its 2022 campaign. Second-year QB Justin Fields appeared to take a step forward in his development as he faced the 49ers. In monsoon-like conditions, the Bears looked revitalized, grinding their way to a 19-10 victory. Now, they have a chance to take a game from their longtime rival. It’s easier said than done — Chicago hasn’t beaten the Packers in Green Bay since 2015. But losing streaks are made to be broken. And with the Pack embroiled in a bit of uncertainty for the first time in a while, Sunday is as good a time as any for Chicago to snatch the away victory. It’s the most-played matchup in NFL history. And the latest iteration is under the lights. What could be better?

Driving Into The Metaverse – BusinessLine https://collincountynewsonline.com/driving-into-the-metaverse-businessline/ Hyundai did a digital drive – literally – when it launched its Venue N Line, the sporty version of its compact SUV, in the metaverse first. The teaser showcases Venue N Line being driven in Hyundai Mobility Adventure, at Hyundai’s owned space on Roblox. This space consists of multiple attractions developed specially for the launch, such as the Event Square, N Line Zone, Racetrack & India Zone. The Hyundai head of sales, marketing and service greets all the visitors entering the metaverse. The entire interactive module built on the Roblox platform was conceptualised by Innocean Worldwide India along with expert inputs from the specialist Metaverse team at their Seoul HQ. Published on September 18, 2022 You May Also Like Recommended for you

Suit Up Your Tony Stark Inspired Home With Mayer’s Iron Man Home Appliance Collection – Geek Culture https://collincountynewsonline.com/suit-up-your-tony-stark-inspired-home-with-mayers-iron-man-home-appliance-collection-geek-culture/ September 19, 2022 4 min read It’s time to let the machines maketh the man, with the newly launched Marvel x Mayer Iron Man Collection of home electronics to power up your home. Mayer’s exciting new launch features everyone’s favourite Avenger – Iron Man, allowing anyone to start building their very own Tony Stark-themed home. With its subtle yet impactful designs, this collection aims to play up any corner of your house – from minimalist to more elaborate interiors, with the convenience of home gadgets. Enjoy comfort living with these sleek home appliances that draw inspiration from the armoured hero, with a contemporary and stylish take that’s perfect for any modern home. For the health conscious, tap on the easy-to-use Mayer 1.8L Electric Kettle and 600ml Personal Power Blender to create your favourite beverage, and bid farewell to excess moisture and dust with the Mistral 1.2L Tabletop Dehumidifier. For everyday comfort, bask in the cool relief of the Mistral 6” High Velocity Fan or 12” Rechargeable High Velocity Stand Fan. Advertisement ▼ Mayer’s latest product range makes daily lives easier and more enjoyable, allowing consumers of all ages to indulge in Stark-inspired comfort living in Singapore. “Get ready to extend your favourite stories beyond the screen or page. With this collection, we invite fans to imagine living in a world where their home appliances might have been designed by Stark Industries. We are delighted to bring these Tony Stark-inspired designs to Singapore homes with the Marvel x Mayer collection this September 2022. Through this launch, we continue to focus on developing and designing user-friendly home appliances that will spark joy in the comfort of our homes.” Mr B.K Tan, Managing Director of Mayer Marketing. Marvel x Mayer 1.8L Electric Kettle MMEK718-MV (S$79) Secure some peace of mind along with extra protection from the Triple Wall feature. Triple wall kettle with excellent insulation and better scald protection 2-step anti-splash lid opening design for spillage & scalding protection SUS304 food grade stainless steel interior wall User friendly design with cord storage at kettle base and power switch with indicator light Automatic cut-off switch, overheating and boil-dry protection Ergonomic cool touch handle Marvel x Mayer 600ml Personal Power Blender MMPB6008-MV (S$89) Create the extraordinary with some built-in convenience with this automated blender that can create the healthiest of smoothies, or mix-up the most complex of cocktails with ease. With its two automated blending modes and convertible bottle for on-the-go beverages, you’re ready for a hassle-free day. 2 automated blending modes: Soft & Hard, optimal for different food textures 600ml BPA-free tritan bottles Powerful pure copper motor for better durability 6-piece SUS304 food grade stainless steel blades for superb mixing Portable and convenient to carry on the go as a water bottle With safety interlock switch, non-slip feet and overheating protection Marvel x Mistral 1.2L Tabletop Dehumidifier MDH012-MV (S$99) With its 2-in-1 ability to remove moisture while filtering dust particles in your room, say bye-bye to humidity induced stickiness ! 1.2L transparent water tank Multi-colour inner mood lighting Detachable dust filter for easy cleaning Automatic power off and mood light turns to red when tank is full Hidden handle for easy carry Silent Power Removal Capacity: 320ml/day Marvel x Mistral 6” High Velocity Fan with Remote Control MHV630R-MV (S$148) Who doesn’t fancy a cool-down on a hot day? With just a touch of a button, enjoying 3D oscillation cooling is now a breeze! 3D Oscillation to cool the room down quickly With remote control & LED electronic soft touch control panel Direct current motor for longer durability and lower energy consumption 8 Speed | 8 Hour timer | 3 Modes (Normal, Natural & Sleep Mode) Detachable front guard for easy cleaning Marvel x Mistral 12” Rechargeable High Velocity Stand Fan with Remote Control MHV1812R-MV (S$299) All-in-one convenience with this wireless, rechargeable, and convertible stand fan – thank you Tony! We love you 3,000. Wireless & Rechargeable, portable to be used plugged in or cordless Battery life from 2.5 to 26.5 hours (5hrs to full charge) Convertible height (535mm or 950mm) Customisable 3D Oscillation to cool the room down quickly With remote control & LED electronic soft touch control panel Direct current motor for longer durability and lower energy consumption 8 Speed | 8 Hour timer | 3 Modes (Normal Natural, Sleep) Detachable front guard for easy cleaning The Marvel x Mayer Iron Man collection is out now at Mayer Showrooms, e-Store, Official Online Stores and Selected Authorised Retail Partners – Audio House, Best Denki, COURTS, Gain City, Harvey Norman,  and TANGS. While stocks last. When it comes to providing the right hardware at the right price, Destro is the man of the hour. Just don’t count of him keeping his deals exclusive to just one party. If you have coin, Destro has the wares. Drop a Facebook comment below!

This Week On Crypto Twitter: Ethereum Merges, Hoskinson Gets Salty, Concerns Over Centralized Staking – Decrypt https://collincountynewsonline.com/this-week-on-crypto-twitter-ethereum-merges-hoskinson-gets-salty-concerns-over-centralized-staking-decrypt/ Illustration by Mitchell Preffer for Decrypt It was merge week. Ethereum’s long-awaited overhaul was finalized without a hitch, but there was no sudden influx of capital, either. Ethereum’s price actually fell 8% to below $1,500 on Thursday, the day of the merge. At the time of writing it trades for $1,376, about 22% cheaper than it was last Sunday.  A day before the merge, Ethereum’s co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared a graph from etherchain.org showing the network’s hash rate has maintained consistency, despite negative predictions from certain forecasters.  Looks like the “hashrate will drop weeks before the merge due to miners rushing to sell ahead of everyone else” thesis has been proven completely false. I’m a bit surprised! I argued against a 50% drop but definitely expected like 5-10%. pic.twitter.com/l9OpT8fPFl — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 14, 2022 The following day, Thursday, Buterin broke the news that the network’s transition to proof-of-stake (PoS) was complete:  And we finalized! Happy merge all. This is a big moment for the Ethereum ecosystem. Everyone who helped make the merge happen should feel very proud today. — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 15, 2022 Beeple, the digital artist whose NFT collection “EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS” sold for an unprecedented $69.3 million through a Christie’s auction, ushered in the new era with a purple vision of Ethereum mining in the future: A blockchain developer named Miguel Piedrafita said that after the merge, Ethereum was 99.95% more energy efficient, becoming vastly greener than a typical tech company.  The upgrade even slightly outdid Ethereum’s energy projections. A report released on the day from the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute (CCRI), commissioned by Ethereum-centric software firm ConsenSys, claims that Ethereum now uses approximately 99.99% less energy post-merge.  Former Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, who now heads competitor Cardano—which has a market cap of $16.4 billion—was feeling salty. He posted a meme likening the merge to a nightmare. When someone tweeted him asking where Cardano’s technology stands in relation to Ethereum, Hoskinson let rip with some flagrant self-promotion:  About three years ahead on research, two on engineering. They will one day figure out that slashing is a really really bad idea — Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) September 15, 2022 Crypto market intelligence firm Santiment sounded a note of caution over how centralized Ethereum staking had become after the merge.  This was a common complaint. According to Martin Köppelmann, co-founder of DeFi platform Gnosis, popular crypto exchage Coinbase and liquidity staking pool Lido Finance together account for 42% of post-merge Ethereum validators, and the top seven entities control more than two thirds of the stake validating transactions. Köppelmann also ran a poll in which three quarters of 15,885 respondents agreed that Coinbase and Lido’s staking dominance “needs to change.”  Alex Svanevik, the CEO of crypto analytics company Nansen, noted a sudden huge influx of Ethereum into exchanges.  Huge inflow to exchanges coming from: 1) Nexo: 450,000 ETH to Binance. 2) Multisig owner: 288,442 ETH to Bitfinex. That’s $1.2B in two transactions pic.twitter.com/UMOAh0mXmK — Alex Svanevik (@ASvanevik) September 15, 2022 Finally Daniel Buchner, a technical product lead at Microsoft’s Decentralized Identity initiative, likened the merge to Groundhog Day: Feeling some déjà vu, help me out: today folks are celebrating an ‘introduction’ of PoS, a consensus system known for 20 years we’ve long had examples of, which has numerous flaws cypherpunks carefully avoided in developing PoW. Why is this being advertised as new or innovative? pic.twitter.com/Ir0EJCQfnX — Daniel Ƀrrr (@csuwildcat) September 15, 2022 Michael Saylor… It was also a big week for MicroStrategy’s former CEO and current executive chairman Michael Saylor. It wasn’t so much what he said, but what people were saying about him. On Tuesday, Bitcoin enthusiast Udi Wertheimer trolled his 114.3k followers with believable fake news.  BREAKING: MICROSTRATEGY HAS PURCHASED AN ADDITIONAL 1,143 BTC AT AN AVERAGE PRICE OF $22,958 USD — Udi Wertheimer (@udiWertheimer) September 13, 2022 Fake or not, it would be wrong to say that Saylor isn’t considering swelling Microstrategy’s 129,699 Bitcoin war chest (worth $2.6 billion at today’s price). Last week, an SEC filing revealed that MicroStrategy has entered an agreement with investment bank Cowen & Co. to sell up to $500 million in shares of its Class A common stock. It may use the proceeds to buy more Bitcoin.  On Friday, the White House released new guidance on crypto. Billed as a “First-Ever Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Development of Digital Assets,” the new guidance uses the recommendations and conclusions of various government agencies after six months of studying the crypto industry.  Saylor shared a lengthy article by crypto investor Nic Carter denouncing the crypto mining climate study done by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Carter claims the main weaknesses of the study were unreliable sources, a lack of perspectives from industry experts, and no novel data.  The latest White House Crypto Climate & Energy Report is full of misinformation generated and promulgated by unscrupulous crypto promoters in order to undermine #Bitcoin and champion their own interests. @nic__carter expertly debunks the propaganda.https://t.co/kW7sictekQ — Michael Saylor (@saylor) September 16, 2022 Still, Saylor doesn’t represent everyone, according to “independent Ethereum educator” Anthony Sassano.  Saylor is not a good flag bearer for this industry He is an absolute embarrassment — sassal.eth (@sassal0x) September 16, 2022 Finally, Terra CEO Do Kwon broke his silence on Saturday after headlines emerged earlier in the week saying that a South Korean court had issued an arrest warrant for him for violating capital market rules. The Korean Ministry of Finance also announced that it was seeking to void his passport. He told followers he’s not on the lam.     We are in the process of defending ourselves in multiple jurisdictions – we have held ourselves to an extremely high bar of integrity, and look forward to clarifying the truth over the next few months — Do Kwon (@stablekwon) September 17, 2022 Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

Biden: ‘The Pandemic Is Over’ – CNN https://collincountynewsonline.com/biden-the-pandemic-is-over-cnn/ CNN  —  President Joe Biden said he believes the Covid-19 pandemic is “over” in an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” but acknowledged the US still has a “problem” with the virus that has killed more than 1 million Americans. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. It’s – but the pandemic is over,” Biden said. The US government still designates Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But the President’s comments follow other hopeful comments from global health leaders. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a news briefing last week that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was “in sight,” and that the world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic. “Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from Covid-19 was the lowest since March 2020,” Ghebreyesus said. “We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight.” Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusted its Covid-19 guidance to urge the nation away from measures such as quarantines and social distancing and instead focus on reducing severe disease from Covid-19. But the agency says some people, including those who are older, immunocompromised, have certain disabilities or underlying health conditions, are at higher risk for serious illness, and may need to take more precautions. There were about 65,000 new Covid-19 cases reported each day over the past two weeks, data from Johns Hopkins University shows, and reported cases are dropping in almost every state. Across the United States, about 400 people are dying every day from Covid-19. Although official case counts are far from representative of true levels of transmission, forecasts published by the CDC say that new hospitalizations and deaths will hold steady for the next month. For people hospitalized for Covid-19, the risk of dying fell to the lowest it’s ever been during the Omicron wave, according to a study published last week by the CDC. The researchers suggest that there were several contributing factors to the improved mortality risk: high levels of immunity, both from vaccination and previous infection, advances in treatments and properties of the Omicron subvariants that made them less likely to cause disease. The President told “60 Minutes” in the interview aired Sunday he had not made a “firm decision” on whether he would run for reelection in 2024 but said he intended to run. “Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again. But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen,” Biden said. The President said: “I’m a great respecter of fate. And so, what I’m doing is I’m doing my job. I’m gonna do that job. And within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do.” The President and top administration officials have maintained the President intends to run again in 2024, but Biden told ABC in December that it would depend on whether he was in good health. Biden told CBS he had not been briefed on the contents of the documents that were removed from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence by the FBI in August, and said he did not want to interfere with any potential actions by the Department of Justice. “I have not asked for the specifics of those documents because I don’t want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take. I – I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not, in fact, engage in telling them how to prosecute or not,” Biden said. The Justice Department removed 11 sets of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago while executing a search warrant for possible violations of the Espionage Act and other crimes, according to unsealed court documents. Asked what his reaction was when he saw the photograph taken by the FBI that showed an array of documents found on Trump’s property, Biden said: “How that could possibly happen? How one – anyone could be that irresponsible?” “And I thought what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? By that I mean names of people who helped or, et cetera. And it just, totally irresponsible,” Biden said. Biden said no one has briefed him on whether important national security secrets were revealed by the storage of those documents at the former President’s residence. “I have not personally spoken to anyone on that – in that regard. I’m sure my administration is aware of all of that, and so is the National Security Council. But I have not,” Biden said. The President also told CBS that US military personnel would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. The President was asked whether “US forces, US men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion,” a prospect US officials privately fear is becoming more likely.  “Yes,” Biden responded. It’s not the first time Biden has gone beyond the US approach of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to Taiwan. During a visit to Tokyo in May, Biden said the US would intervene militarily if China attempts to take Taiwan by force.  The White House has consistently said after Biden’s comments that US policy hadn’t changed, and “60 Minutes” reported receiving a similar response to Biden’s answers in their interview.  Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing’s claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. Biden repeated his commitment to those policies in the “60 Minutes” interview.  This story has been updated with additional information.

Manitoba Technology Accelerator Out To Make Winnipeg Start-Up Capital Of Western Canada – Winnipeg Sun https://collincountynewsonline.com/manitoba-technology-accelerator-out-to-make-winnipeg-start-up-capital-of-western-canada-winnipeg-sun/ Manitoba Technology Accelerator (MTA) CEO Marshall Ring at MTA’s boardroom on Market Avenue in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. Photo by Glen Dawkins /Winnipeg Sun Marshall Ring likes to think of the Manitoba Technology Accelerator as sort of like the reality TV show Dragons’ Den, where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance. Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. “Sometimes when I describe what MTA is, I go, ‘I’m going to use a horrible example to simplify it but think of Dragon’s Den,’ ” said Ring, the MTA CEO. “We have to be enthused by the idea and we have our criteria. But we also join the management team of the company so it’s not just putting money in. We put people in as well. The Winnipeg Sun’s Daily Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Winnipeg SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 “And that’s a really big distinction.” With the goal of making Winnipeg the start-up capital of Western Canada and to build more $100 million Manitoba-based companies, MTA is a private-sector, not-for-profit business incubator that works to grow technology businesses, said Ring. “Access to capital for ‘good idea’ companies hasn’t always been one of Winnipeg’s strengths when it comes to our business climate,” he said. “So MTA has built a joint investment group and we have never had a deal go under-subscribed. But in the broader community, access to capital is one of the barriers to growth for us and that’s why we’re building MTA InvestCo to make early-stage capital more available for more companies.” Advertisement 3 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Chaired by Bell MTS and Western Canada Vice Chair Ryan Klassen, MTA InvestCo has already made a handful of investments into MTA client companies ranging in size from $10,000 to $400,000. MTA InvestCo hopes to lead $2 million to $4 million per year of direct investments into Manitoba’s most exciting start-ups and scale-ups.  “Early-stage technology commercialization does have a fairly high failure rate so it is really hard to take a good idea and move it into a functioning business,” said Ring. “But when it can be done successfully, the businesses do have great opportunities to scale and have a profound impact on our economy.” Providing capital is only part of what MTA does. “What MTA will do is provide advice, infrastructure and capital,” he said. “If you want to bake a cake, you need flour, eggs and milk. But if you just put the flour in, you’re not going to get too far with the cake. Often times, we deal with founders and entrepreneurs who need help developing and navigating the commercialization process so the application of our management skills helps the companies be more successful and the availability of capital also helps them execute on what they need to.” Advertisement 4 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. What they do is more along the line of angel investors than venture capitalists, Ring said. Angel investors tend to come in earlier when a company is riskier, perhaps doesn’t have a full management team or even customers but has a good idea. They help companies get off the ground while venture capital is the next stage in the process where a company needs funding to expand and grow their business. “Our goal by putting angel capital in is really to make sure the company builds roots here in the province and they stay here,” said Ring. “So it’s the exact opposite of trying to take over the company. It’s trying to build relationships here in Manitoba. Get the company to have 12 or 15 employees so it’s really hard for that company to move to different markets as they grow.” Advertisement 5 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With roots dating back to 2004, they started doing business as MTA in 2012. Their most notable and famous success story was SkipTheDishes, the online food delivery service. “They came to us with two employees and we were with them through that high-growth phase,” said Ring. Over the last five years, companies supported by MTA have generated over $800 million in business, employing 2,000 employees. One of the companies that MTA has helped is Triple 3 Biotech – which manufactures high-quality type II collagen used to reduce joint pain associated with osteoarthritis which has been working to break into the Chinese market – whose CEO Ab Freig has no doubts where they would be without MTA. “MTA helped us throughout the process, helped us with commercialization of our collagen, helped us with providing something as small of (office) space, (as well as) guidance and support and advisory services,” said Freig. Advertisement 6 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. “We would not be where we are without the assistance of MTA.” In addition to offices on Market Avenue in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, MTA is working to transform 50 Provencher, one of Winnipeg’s most iconic buildings, into a technology and digitally rich world class networking and event centre that can be a vibrant hub to their downtown success. As part of the revitalization process and recognizing the important link the bridge provides between St. Boniface and downtown, MTA is branding the building the International Centre for Innovation (ICI), a play on the French word for “here” and intended to honour the intention of the bridge which was to build collaborations and foster a welcoming destination moving forward. A grand opening of the building is planned for later this year. gdawkins@postmedia.com Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins

Star Studded Red Carpet Of India Biggest Gaming Awards Entertainment Night – Gallery Set 2 – Social News XYZ https://collincountynewsonline.com/star-studded-red-carpet-of-india-biggest-gaming-awards-entertainment-night-gallery-set-2-social-news-xyz/ Posted By: News Helpline September 18, 2022 About Newshelpline News Helpline is a Brand in the world of daily Bollywood Content. We are a team of Innovative, Hard working and Creative people working in media since last 15 years. We were the first to sense the changing phase of News Industry with the progress of IT industry. Hence in the year 2008 we came up with a first of its kind Bollywood News Application, a website where we uploaded Bollywood news on daily basis and our client could download this news from anywhere in the world on the same day of the event. Then with the passage of time we improved and evolved. The result is today our client in any area of the world receives their Bollywood news (HD quality) within 2-3 hrs. post event. The value of News is very Time dependent and we at News Helpline deliver the News before thay become rumors.

FCS Football Preview And Predictions: Week 3 Games Of The Week – The Analyst https://collincountynewsonline.com/fcs-football-preview-and-predictions-week-3-games-of-the-week-the-analyst/ FCS Sep 15, 2022 Ten is considered perfect, of course, but the FCS college football season needs even better this week. With the season advancing in importance, 10 isn’t enough for the games of the week preview. Week 3 has gone bigger and better with a baker’s dozen. And heads up, if you like Saturday’s schedule, what follows next week may be better. Here are the Week 3 games of the week across FCS college football (all times ET): FedEx Ground FCS Game of the Week: No. 9 Delaware (2-0, 0-0 CAA) at No. 17 Rhode Island (2-0, 1-0) Kickoff: 1 p.m. (FloSports) Notable: This is URI’s home opener, and in a scheduling quirk, the early CAA showdown is occurring in Kingston for the fourth straight season (URI won 22-15 last season with a touchdown return off a blocked punt in the final four minutes). Among the 13 CAA teams, UD has surrendered the fewest points per game (8.0) and URI the fewest yards per game (261.5). UD quarterback Nolan Henderson, who missed the URI matchup last season, is 12-2 as a starter and comes off a career-high 21 completions against Delaware State. His counterpart, Kasim Hill is 11-5 in URI starts, and the Rams are 8-0 when he rushes for a TD. Blue Hens linebacker Johnny Buchanan has games of 23 and 15 tackles. The Pick: Rhode Island No. 7 Villanova (2-0) at Army (0-2) Kickoff: Noon (CBS Sports Network) Notable: Army will keep pounding its triple option attack at Villanova, whose usually stout rushing defense is off to a sluggish start, allowing 155 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. But the Cadets also will struggle to slow ‘Nova backs DeeWill Barlee, TD Ayo-Durojaiye and Jalen Jackson, who have combined to average seven yards a pop and help the offense to an FCS-leading time of possession (39 minutes, 39 seconds). The Wildcats’ last three FBS wins are against Temple (most recently in 2018). The Pick: Army Week 3: There are 22 FCS vs. FBS games scheduled on Saturday. FCS wins this season: Week 1 William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24 Delaware 14, Navy 7 Week 2 Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57, 7 OTs Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31 UIW 55, Nevada 41 Weber State 35, Utah State 7 — FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) September 14, 2022 Richmond (1-1) at Lehigh (1-1) Kickoff: Noon (ESPN+) Notable: Richmond is relying on a safe, balanced offensive approach, with Savon Smith and Aaron Dykes combining on 65 carries through two games and Reece Udinski completing 72.6 percent of his passes on just 5.7 yards per attempt. Lehigh opens a rugged stretch of games off a win over Georgetown in its Patriot League opener. Thirteen of safety TyGee Leach’s 14 tackles against the Hoyas were solo stops, and the Mountain Hawks went over 150 rushing yards for the second consecutive game. The Pick: Richmond Yale (0-0) at No. 13 Holy Cross (2-0) Kickoff: 2 p.m. (ESPN+) Notable: Holy Cross is coming off an FBS win at Buffalo on FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week Matthew Sluka’s game-ending “Hail Mary” to wide receiver Jalen Coker. Ivy League teams are just kicking off their season, but Yale’s fierce defensive line, anchored by tackle Clay Patterson and including senior ends Reid Nickerson and Oso Ifesinachukwu, should be in midseason form. Derek Ng’s last-minute field goal was the difference in Holy Cross’ 20-17 victory over the Bulldogs last season. The Pick: Holy Cross (A look back to our 2022 Ivy League season preview) Grambling State (1-1) at No. 11 Jackson State (2-0) Kickoff: 2 p.m. (ESPN3) Notable: Both teams are playing nine SWAC opponents, so this matchup doesn’t count as a conference game. Jackson State’s defense has allowed only two field goals and 295 yards in two games. Linebacker Nyles Gaddy, who had four sacks against Tennessee State, will pursue Grambling quarterback Quaterius Hawkins, who threw for 292 yards and three TDs in the first half against Northwestern State – coach Hue Jackson’s first victory with the Tigers. The Pick: Jackson State Nicholls (0-2) at Southeast Missouri (1-1) Kickoff: 3 p.m. (ESPN+) Notable: Nicholls won 18-17 in the only previous meeting in 1975. The Colonels’ standout running backs duo of Julien Gums and Collin Guggenheim is off to a slow start with a combined 32 carries for 108 yards against two FBS opponents. SEMO just ended an eight-game losing streak against non-Ohio Valley Conference opponents, topping rival Southern Illinois 34-31 on Paxton DeLaurent’s fourth TD pass with 11 seconds remaining. The Pick: Southeast Missouri No. 22 North Dakota (1-1) at Northern Arizona (1-1) Kickoff: 4 p.m. (ESPN+) Notable: One of this week’s four Big Sky-MVFC matchups, it has taken on added interest following UND’s win over Northern Iowa and NAU’s over Sam Houston. UND has won only three of its last 18 road games, but QB Tommy Schuster is particularly efficient, coming off a 20-for-23, 275-yard, three-total TD performance. The Lumberjacks, who are playing their home opener, seek to get last year’s 1,100-yard RB Kevin Daniels (28 carries, 59 yards) on track. The Pick: North Dakota 2022 Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Sept. 10 Montana (Big Sky) 24, South Dakota 7 South Dakota State (MVFC) 24, UC Davis 22 Sept. 17 Cal Poly at South Dakota Montana at Indiana State North Dakota at Northern Arizona Sacramento State at Northern Iowa pic.twitter.com/VcKt2bwCP7 — FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) September 11, 2022 No. 8 Sacramento State (1-0) at Northern Iowa (0-2) Kickoff: 5 p.m. (ESPN+) Notable: UNI forced six turnovers in last year’s 34-16 road win over Sac State, which improved the Panthers to 4-3 all-time in the Big Sky-MVFC Challenge. Their 2022 opponents have averaged 564.5 yards and 36:42 time of possession, staggering numbers given the Panthers’ strong defensive history. The well-rested Hornets utilize two QBs, Jake Dunniway and Asher O’Hara, and Cameron Skattebo racked up 228 all-purpose yards and three TDs in a season-opening win over Utah Tech. Their defense had three interceptions in the opener, but surrendered 506 passing yards. UNI wide receiver Deion McShane could take advantage of it. The Pick: Northern Iowa 2021 FCS playoff qualifiers that have 0-2 records: Kennesaw State Northern Iowa South Dakota Southeastern Louisiana Southern Illinois UC Davis Sam Houston (ineligible for 2022 playoffs) — FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) September 11, 2022 North Carolina Central (2-0) at No. 25 New Hampshire (2-0) Kickoff: 6 p.m. (FloSports) Notable: N.C. Central is 2-0 for the first time since its final Division II season in 2006, and its five-game winning streak since last November is bettered in the FCS only by defending national champion North Dakota State. Quarterback Davius Richard guides an offense that ranks second nationally in third-down conversion percentage (64.3). UNH senior Dylan Laube’s 48 carries are the most in the FCS, and why not given his 5.5-yard average and five TDs.   The Pick: New Hampshire Eastern Illinois (0-2) at Illinois State (1-1) Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (Marquee Sports Network/ESPN+) Notable: This year’s Mid-America Classic marks the 110th meeting between in-state rivals (ISU leads 58-42-9 and has won four times in a row). Jalen Carr’s first career kickoff return went so well – a 98-yard TD while leaping over a Valparaiso would-be tackler – the Redbirds will want more of them. Linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh has racked up 22 tackles and four sacks. EIU has flashed improvement through two games, but the Panthers have dropped 29 of their last 32 overall. Jonah O’Brien has spread his TD passes to five different receivers. The Pick: Illinois State Southern: Furman (1-1, 0-0) at No. 18 ETSU (1-1, 0-1) Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+) Notable: ETSU may have been caught looking ahead while losing its SoCon opener at The Citadel. An incredible 27 of the Bucs’ last 32 conference games, including all four against Furman, have been decided by eight or fewer points. Running back Jacob Saylors is off to a big start again and has 4,682 all-purpose yards and 24 TDs in his career. Furman transfer Tyler Huff has the second-highest completion percentage (78.4) in the FCS, and he can thank All-America tight end Ryan Miller (17 receptions, 180 yards, 2 TDs). The Pick: ETSU No. 4 Montana State (2-0) at Oregon State (2-0) Kickoff: 8 p.m. in Portland, Oregon (Pac-12 Network) Notable: This first-ever meeting between the program will be played at Providence Park, home of the MLS’ Portland Timbers. The Bobcats seek their first FBS win since 2006 (19-10 over Colorado), while Oregon State goes after its first 3-0 start since 2014. Montana State’s top four running backs have injuries – Isaiah Ifanse, Lane Sumner, Kaegun Williams and Jared White – but the Bobcats have still racked up 325.5 rushing yards per game, ranking second in the FCS. Elijah Elliott, from Portland, is projected to start this week. The Pick: Oregon State No. 1 North Dakota State (2-0) at Arizona (1-1) Kickoff: 11 p.m. (FS1) Notable: This wasn’t selected as the game of the week, but it’s the one that carries the most national buzz. NDSU takes a six-game winning streak against FBS opponents into its first matchup since 2016, and its first ever against a Pac-12 foe. Although Arizona (15 returning starters and a bunch of transfers) appears vastly improved from a 1-11 season, it ranked 99th in the FBS in rushing defense a year ago, so the Bison are going to attack on the ground with Hunter Luepke, Kobe Marshall, TaMerik Williams and Co. The Pick: North Dakota State (here are five reasons why the Bison will win) Active FCS Streaks Wins 8 – North Dakota State (Tim Sanger photo) 5 – North Carolina Central 4 – Dartmouth, Weber State Note: New FCS program Stonehill has a five-game winning streak (all sub-FCS opponents) Losses 22 – Wagner 12 – Wofford 10 – Lamar 9 – Bucknell pi...

Accommodation Options For Student Travelers – Intelligent Living https://collincountynewsonline.com/accommodation-options-for-student-travelers-intelligent-living/ From Hostels to Guesthouses, Housesitting to WWOOFing When it comes to planning a trip abroad, accommodation is one of the most important considerations. After all, where you stay can make or break your trip! There are several different accommodation options available for student travelers, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that’s right for you. The most popular option for students is hostels. Hostels are a great way to meet other travelers. They can offer a variety of amenities, such as kitchens and laundry facilities. It is particularly essential for students who are going abroad to study. For example, an essay writer will need a place to write and concentrate on a topic. Guesthouses are another popular option and are usually a bit more comfortable than hostels. If you’re looking for a truly unique experience, you could try housesitting or WWOOFing (working on an organic farm). So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next adventure today! Here’s our round-up of the different types of accommodation options for students on the road: Hostels Most students opt to stay in hostels when they travel because they’re the cheapest option and allow you to make friends with fellow travelers of a similar age. Hostels can also save you money if you book tours and activities through them. The disadvantages are often not getting a good night’s sleep if you’re staying in a dorm room, or you might have roommates you don’t get on with or who have poor personal hygiene. Sharing a bathroom is never pleasant, either. Guesthouses Guesthouses are primarily found in cheaper parts of the world (Southeast Asia, Central America). They are similarly priced to private rooms in hostels and usually don’t offer dorm rooms. You could save money by staying in guesthouses if you were already planning to stay in private rooms in hostels. This way, you can be guaranteed a decent night’s sleep too. Guesthouses are best if you’re going to be traveling with a friend or partner and can split the cost of the private room. The downside to guesthouses is that they’re often not as well set up for meeting people as hostels are – you’ll have to make more of an effort to meet people. Couchsurfing If you’re traveling on a strict budget, couch surfing could be the answer, as it allows you to stay in someone’s home and sleep on their couch for free. You’ll often only be able to take advantage of this for a couple of nights, but if you can find a few places in the same city, this can be a viable way to save money. Avid couch surfers say that it’s not about the free accommodation. It’s all about the experiences. It’s not often that you’ll have a local open up their home to you and give you an insider’s look into a city. You’ll often make lifelong friends through couch surfing and discover parts of a city you wouldn’t have otherwise found. The main downside to couch surfing is having to sleep on a couch and having little privacy. Safety can also be a concern for female travelers, though as long as you pick hosts with lots of positive reviews, you should be fine. WWOOFing Want to save money on accommodation but don’t feel comfortable sleeping on a stranger’s couch? WWOOFing stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms and is a way for you to volunteer on local organic farms as you travel in exchange for free accommodation and meals. You’ll get lots of exercise, will be able to give back to the local community, and will have no travel costs overall! The downsides to WWOOFing are that it’s highly intensive physical work, and you often won’t have much spare time to explore where you’re working. Housesitting Housesitting is probably the most enjoyable way of receiving free accommodation, but it also requires much more effort. Housesitting involves looking after somebody’s home and pets while they’re away on vacation. You’ll need to spend a lot of time building up a decent profile, and it won’t hurt if you can add some references too. However, if you go down the housesitting route, you’ll be able to live in gorgeous houses for weeks or months at a time at no cost to you. Housesitting works best if you have the flexibility and don’t have fixed dates and places you need to be at certain times. The main disadvantage to housesitting is the stress of taking care of someone’s home and pets. Things can go wrong and often do, and it’s up to you to figure out the solution. Short-Term Vacation Rentals Like privacy and home comforts while you travel? How about taking a look at a short-term vacation website such as Airbnb? With short-term vacation rents, you can browse apartments rented out at daily, weekly, or monthly rates. This allows you to spend time in a city living like a local. The apartments often have kitchens and workspaces; if you share the travel costs with a partner, it usually won’t cost much more than a hostel. Airbnb works best if you’re going to stay somewhere for a reasonably long time. We rented an apartment in Portland for a month, and the $100 daily rate turned into $1000 total for the month.

Phillipsburg Business Thanks Their Customers, But Says Goodbye – TAPinto.net https://collincountynewsonline.com/phillipsburg-business-thanks-their-customers-but-says-goodbye-tapinto-net/ Phillipsburg Business Thanks Their Customers, but Says Goodbye  TAPinto.net