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Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data – Architecture & Engineering – New Middle School Opens In Northwest Spokane – Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce https://collincountynewsonline.com/seattle-djc-com-local-business-news-and-data-architecture-engineering-new-middle-school-opens-in-northwest-spokane-seattle-daily-journal-of-commerce/ Architecture & Engineering  Subscriber content preview September 14, 2022 Photos courtesy of NAC Architecture [enlarge] The new school cost approximately $67 million. Pauline Flett Middle School, a new 40,000-square-foot building, opened Sept. 6 welcoming students for the new school year.  . . .

Ohio County Residents Sound Off On Noise Ordinance – Wheeling Intelligencer https://collincountynewsonline.com/ohio-county-residents-sound-off-on-noise-ordinance-wheeling-intelligencer/ Members of the public turn out for a public hearing Tuesday night to express their thoughts on whether a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Ohio County residents are divided on the idea of having a noise ordinance in the county, but many say they believe law enforcement already has tools they can use if they need to silence ATVs or large semi-trucks with unacceptable loud sounds. A total of 16 people spoke before county commissioners Tuesday night during a public hearing where they were asked to sound their thoughts on the issue. Commissioners and Solicitor Don Tennant explained at the start of the hearing no such noise ordinance has yet to be formulated for Ohio County. The public hearing was intended to give county officials some idea as to whether residents wanted such a law, and what details it should entail. The issue of extreme noise coming from modified ATVs riding in the Grimes Ridge Road area on the northeast corner of Ohio County was recently brought to county commissioners, along with a request for a county noise ordinance.. The first to speak at the public hearing was Wayne Haberfield, who said he first approached the commissioners more than six years ago about the back-up signals sounded by trucks at the Tunnel Ridge mine. photo by: Photo by Joselyn King Members of the public turn out for a public hearing Tuesday night to express their thoughts on whether a noise ordinance is needed in the county. He said he closes his windows and runs the air conditioners on nights it is not needed just so he is able to sleep. “We’ve had nothing but noise since 2012, and the commission has done nothing about it,” Haberfield said. Dr. Mathew Wood also spoke out in favor of having a noise ordinance, adding that noise pollution contributes to a multitude of health disorders. “When I think of the phrase ‘Mountaineers are always free,’ we should be free – free from noise that obstructs our otherwise peaceful life,” he said. Those living in the country currently do not have a voice or legal channel when it comes to protesting a noise disturbance, Wood added. photo by: Photo by Joselyn King Ohio County commissioners Don Nickerson, left, Zach Abraham and Commission President Randy Wharton prepare to listen to discuss Tuesday as members of the public expressed their thoughts on whether a noise ordinance is needed in the county. “You’ve never heard anyone say I love living in the country because it is so noisy,” he said. “It is, in fact, quite the opposite.” But Tim Elliott sees living in the country – even with noise – as a healthy lifestyle leading to strong families and an even stronger foundation for children. “I guess I’m the one who probably started all this noise back in 1969,” he began. “My dad got a motorcycle, my mom got a motorcycle and I got a motorcycle. We would go for evening rides on the back country roads.” Elliott added that he also took his muffler off his motorcycle, and was soon stopped by a police officer who told him he needed to reinstall it or face disturbing the peace charges. Laws for maintaining a respectable noise level already exist, but should be enforced, he said. photo by: Photo by Joselyn King John Tominack speaks before Ohio County commissioners Tuesday night during public hearing Tuesday night. Participants spoke on whether or not a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Elliott spoke of his grandchildren who grew up in the country riding motorcycles and had “a good, square start in life.” Two of his grandchildren, Jenna and Makenna Medlen, also spoke out against the need for a noise ordinance. “We live out here for a reason,” Makenna Medlen said. “The country makes us who we are.” Others addressing the commission said the “noise level isn’t that bad” where they live. Cody Tominack, an inspector for the Mine Safety And Health Administration, added a noise level might just give some residents with a vendetta against their neighbors an excuse to call out Ohio County deputies, who don’t have the time or manpower to bother with neighborhood disputes. photo by: Photo by Joselyn King Dr. Mathew Wood speaks before Ohio County commissioners Tuesday night during public hearing Tuesday night. Participants spoke on whether or not a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Dogs that bark nonstop, and large trucks emitting large brake sounds also are a noise issue, with at least one person saying they even hear the West Liberty University band practicing at times where they live because sound travels in their area. “It seems we’re divided down the middle,” Ohio County Commission President Randy Wharton said at the conclusion of the hearing. He encouraged everyone to be open-minded as commissioners further deliberate the issue. William Johnston speaks before Ohio County commissioners Tuesday night during public hearing Tuesday night. Participants spoke on whether or not a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Alisha Medlen speaks before Ohio County commissioners Tuesday night during public hearing Tuesday night. Participants spoke on whether or not a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Ohio County commissioners Don Nickerson, left, Zach Abraham and Commission President Randy Wharton prepare to listen to discuss Tuesday as members of the public expressed their thoughts on whether a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Makenna Medlen speaks before Ohio County commissioners Tuesday night during public hearing Tuesday night. Participants spoke on whether or not a noise ordinance is needed in the county. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Trinity Biotech/Greater Chautauqua FCU Takes Small Division Volleyball – Jamestown Post Journal https://collincountynewsonline.com/trinity-biotech-greater-chautauqua-fcu-takes-small-division-volleyball-jamestown-post-journal/ The YMCA Battle of the Businesses’ curling event was hosted at the Northwest Arena on Monday night. The top winners for the Large Division were SKF Aeroengine’s teammates, from left: Joe Sienicki, Joe Miller, Dan Leake and Jason Vasquez. Submitted photo In Monday’s YMCA Battle of the Businesses’ action, the Small Division teams competed in volleyball while the Large Division battled in the curling event. In Small Division volleyball at the Jamestown YMCA, Trinity Biotech/Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union defeated Jamestown Bar Association/City Court while newcomer Jamestown Macadam Inc. went home in third place. Kelly Haaksma and Brad Johnson were the top players for Trinity Biotech/GCFCU. SKF Aeroengine’s foursome of Dan Leake, Joe Miller, Joe Sienicki and Jason Vasquez claimed the first-place curling spot for the Large Division at the Northwest Arena. They beat second-place finisher Falconer Central Schools with a final 27-25 score. Jamestown BPU took third place. Cummins and Frewsburg Central School with a tie score of 535 remain the Battle leaders in the Large Division while JBA remains the Small Division title holder with 375 points. Today’s Battle events are the Small Division curling event at Northwest Arena at 6 p.m. and the Large Division roller skating relay at the Lakewood YMCA starting at 6 p.m. The Battle of the Businesses is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union and Eventz by Scott. Large Division Cummins 535 Frewsburg Central School 535 Jamestown BPU 495 Falconer Central Schools 480 The Resource Center 470 Bush Furniture 460 Chautauqua County Government 415 SKF Aeroengine 365 TitanX Engine Cooling Inc. 350 UPMC Chautauqua 320 Small Division Jamestown Bar Association/City Court 375 Matco Tools 365 Southern Tier Brewing/Distilling Company 345 Trinity Biotech/Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union 330 Rand Precision Machining 325 GA Family Services at Lutheran 295 Rehabilitation Specialists/CES 275 Jamestown Macadam Inc. 265 Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Why The Metaverse And AI Are A Double-Edged Sword — Financier Worldwide – Financier Worldwide https://collincountynewsonline.com/why-the-metaverse-and-ai-are-a-double-edged-sword-financier-worldwide-financier-worldwide/ Technology has transformed financial services over the last 20 years. The disappearance of bank branches from high streets speaks to that. It is also unfortunately clear that the move online brings new challenges in fraud prevention. This article looks at how technology both assists in dealing with these challenges and adds new types of risk, as online business models continue to evolve in ways that touch financial services. Among the earliest practical business uses of artificial intelligence (AI) was assisting fraud prevention in financial services. AI systems are exceptionally good at pattern recognition tasks. This extends to identifying things that do not fit the expected pattern of information presented to them. Over the last 10 years there have been huge improvements in AI, both the technologies used and the application to new tasks. Alongside this technical development, the finance world has substantially expanded its boundaries. The rise of financial technology (FinTech) has led to two big changes. First, the number of financial businesses has increased from high street banks and building societies, to a wide range of digital businesses holding various types of licences to do finance business. Second, the product range has widened from accounts and lending to apps and websites offering a range of new and niche products. The latest trend is embedded finance. Embedded finance is a generic term for financing made available as part of a non-financial transaction. In the past, a customer buying a bicycle, for example, and wishing to fund the purchase with a loan would go to the bank to fill in a loan application form and wait for funds to be made available. Today, the bike merchant’s website offers a loan as part of its payments process webpages. There are far more examples of embedded finance than ‘buy now pay later’ though; insurance products are another large category. Financial products offered in real time mean that fraud prevention must be determined without human input. This leads to the use of AI and algorithms of other types. To be clear on terms: algorithms enable decisions to be taken automatically. AI does this too, with the addition that its algorithms update over time, again automatically. AI and algorithms give rise to challenges. It is not unusual for a firm to be operating with algorithms and AI which are embedded in software, and that have been procured and not developed by the firm. This means that the first task for a business is to map exactly where and how it uses AI in the software. AI must be continually monitored. The self-learning aspects of the software mean that its response to the same set of facts will be different over time. This should be a commercial benefit to the business, but it adds work from a risk and compliance perspective. Algorithms and AI are highly sensitive to the data to which they are exposed. To get accurate results, clean data must be fed in. To get unbiased and non-discriminatory results, adjusted data must be fed in. The combination of these challenges means that financial institutions (FIs) need to have a structured and clear approach to algorithms and AI. If it does more harm than good, AI should be stripped out of decision making. A very basic plan would look something like this. First, know and log where algorithms and AI are operating already in the business’ systems. Know and log where algorithms operate in any software newly developed, acquired or licensed by the business. Second, algorithms and AI should be put through a regular auditing process. This service is usually provided by specialist technology providers and lawyers working together. Auditing in this context is a technical specialism. Broadly, it involves establishing and reporting on the model used by the system, as well as its learning procedure, its objectives, the parameters it operates in, input data and output data. Some systems are fully testable (‘white box’). Others are opaque in many respects (‘black box’). The latter are likely to be inappropriate for any individual consumer-facing financial firm. Third, an institution should have a policy relating to AI ethics. Technology ethics require technology to be fair, accountable and transparent, to enhance rather than reduce privacy, and to be created on a responsible basis allowing for the interests not just of the business, or even the business and its customers, but also of wider society. Failure to get these things right can have serious consequences. The laws dealing with these topics are coming onto the books. From January 2023, in New York City, use of ‘automated employment decision tools’ in making employment decisions will be regulated. More will follow in other countries. Existing laws relating to mis-selling, discrimination and misuse of data have severe penalties. In addition, the reputational risk of poor or biased decisions can be far greater than the cost of individual claims. In addition to all of this, the UK Online Safety Bill is working its way through parliament and will make online businesses, including all financial businesses, take a level of responsibility for user-generated content. This becomes acutely relevant as communities form and develop. The challenge of the ‘metaverse’ There is currently no globally accepted definition for what constitutes the ‘metaverse’. It can be thought of as a digital space in which we can socialise and work or participate in creative and immersive experiences. It is often described as the future vision of the internet, which moves away from the service we know today toward immersive 3D. This vision of the metaverse can be experienced via virtual reality (VR) headsets which plunge users into a 360-degree view of the digital world. Alternatively, it can be seen as a 2D overlay on our physical world via augmented reality (AR) displays and visited through desktop computers, or even through futuristic devices such as haptic suits and 360-degree treadmills. While the debate may be ongoing on exactly what the ‘metaverse’ means, we are already seeing many exciting opportunities for individuals and businesses. In May, Spotify planted its flag as the first music streaming service within the Roblox metaverse, with the aim of engaging users with a space to create music, socialise and get access to exclusive virtual merchandise. To democratise access to their heritage art collection, the Vatican has announced a partnership with metaverse developer Sensorium to create the first-ever VR and non-fungible token (NFT) gallery hosting Vatican art. This is all underpinned by growing interest across metaverse platforms, with The Sandbox welcoming over 290,000 players in its season two game and reaching 700,000 players through the social contests. Similarly, Decentraland has seen increased user activity and almost 600,000 metaverse visits in July alone. While this may pale in comparison to Facebook’s 1.62 billion daily active users, it signifies a huge interest in using metaverses. Notably Second Life, considered to be an OG metaverse, still sees between 30,000 and 50,000 daily active users despite being created in 2003 and having limited functionality and graphics resolution. As well as companies and individuals looking to embrace the metaverse, there are also several innovation-friendly governments and jurisdictions that are making metaverse moves. Dubai has put the metaverse at the centre of its innovation ambitions and expects it to add 40,000 new jobs and $4bn to the economy by 2027. It has already purchased land in The Sandbox metaverse for a virtual embassy. This follows a similar announcement from the Barbados government in December 2021. South Korea has already invested $177m into metaverse-related projects via its new state programme, Digital New Deal. This will form Seoul’s ‘Metaverse 120 Centre’ and offer residents the ability to meet public officials – although in avatar-to-avatar form. As with any innovation, criminals are already turning their attention to how they can use the metaverse for illicit purposes. Our recent released report, ‘The Future of Financial Crime in the Metaverse’, details a number of cases where metaverse-related assets are being utilised to launder the proceeds of crime. The most prevalent metaverse crime is within the scam and fraud categories. Illicit actors are looking to dupe unsuspecting metaverse visitors into clicking malicious links so that they can swipe their crypto funds, with nefarious players impersonating support staff for fake metaverse projects. In addition, there is a risk for future typologies which includes 3D phishing attacks. This involves malicious actors copying the avatar of someone to steal information or access, and faking land expansions or metaverse assets to dupe users into buying replica assets. The good news is that crypto ecosystem participants can be armed with knowledge about these typologies and utilise blockchain analytics tools to help protect against bad actors. There are still open questions about how to tackle metaverse-related crime. These include the debate about online and financial privacy versus the need to discover and stop illicit activity. There are also ethical questions about open versus closed metaverses, how existing rights can be preserved in the metaverse, and how we can learn lessons from failures in ‘web2’ to make better decisions at the early design and build stages of the metaverse. This is especially relevant when we consider the prevalence of trolling across social media and the impact this is having on young people’s mental health or the challenge of tools such as WhatsApp being used to share lifesaving information in warzones, but also being used by terrorist organis...

Motorola Moto G32: The Entertainer (Review) – Gadgetguy.com.au https://collincountynewsonline.com/motorola-moto-g32-the-entertainer-review-gadgetguy-com-au/ Packing premium entertainment features into a budget price tag, the Motorola Moto G32 sets a high standard when it comes to affordable Android smartphones. While some people always want the latest and greatest devices, there’s no need to spend top dollar to get a decent smartphone these days. Especially if you don’t need excessive amounts of grunt to run demanding apps or high-end games. If your needs are simple, but you don’t want to sacrifice on usability, the Motorola Moto G32 is certainly worth adding to your shortlist when shopping for an affordable smartphone. Australian website here Price $299 Warranty 1 year Other You can read other GadgetGuy Motorola news and reviews here  First impressions While Motorola makes some great smartphones, the sheer number of handsets it keeps producing can make it quite frustrating when you’re trying to decide on the best one for your pocket. Along with the Razor range, there’s also Motorola’s Edge, One, G and E families to choose from. With a $299 price tag, the Motorola Moto G32 is close to entry level, on par with the $299 Moto G22 yet still more expensive than the $229 Moto E32. In return, the new Moto G32 focuses its efforts on entertainment. The 6.5-inch display steps up the resolution to Full HD and is accompanied by stereo speakers which support Dolby Atmos sound – great for watching your favourite streaming services on the go. All of this combines to make a decent first impression, offering a bright, crisp IPS LCD screen on a smartphone which sits comfortably in your hand. The 20:9 aspect ratio makes it quite tall, but not as unwieldy as the very tall Moto G51 5G. The screen’s white balance is quite cool and the colours a tad saturated, because the Display is set to “Saturated” by default, but you can easily change this to “Natural” if you wish. The handset features volume and power buttons along the right-hand edge, with the latter doubling as a fingerprint reader to unlock the device (or you can use Android’s Face Unlock). Along the bottom of the phone you’ll find a USB-C charge port and a speaker, so the phone can produce stereo sound when held sideways. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack, with earbuds included in the box.  Around the back you’ll find a rear triple camera array consisting of a 50 MP primary lens, 8 MP ultrawide and 2 MP macro. On the front, there’s a 16 MP selfie camera. As with many of Motorola’s current handsets, the Moto G32 comes with a basic transparent protective case. It offers some impact protection, but doesn’t seem as robust as something like a Tech 21 case. Still, it’s good to have a case right out of the box. Remove the case and you reveal the plastic unibody chassis, which looks good but naturally doesn’t quite have the premium feel of higher end models. The Motorola G32 packs a big screen into a small price tag. Motorola Moto G32 Specs Display size 6.5 inch, 2400×1080 pixel Display technology LCD, 90 Hz refresh rate Dimensions 161.78 × 73.84 × 8.49 mm Weight 184 gm Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G CPU 2.4 GHz octa-core Kryo 265 RAM 4 GB GPU 1115 MHz Adreno 610 Storage 128 GB Expansion microSDXC (up to 1 TB) OS Android 12 Ruggedness IP52 Rear Cameras 50 MP, f/1.8 (wide), 0.64 µm, Quad Pixel technology for 1.28 µm PDAF 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚ (ultrawide), 1.12 µm 2 MP, f/2.4, 1.75 µm (macro) Front camera 16 MP, f/2.4, 1.0 µm, Quad Pixel technology for 2.0 µm Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Bluetooth 5.2 Security Fingerprint reader Ports USB Type-C 2.0, 3.5 mm headphone jack Battery Li-Po 5000 mAh, TurboPower 30 charging Bands 2G/ 3G/ 4G LTE SIM Dual SIM (2 Nano SIMs + 1 microSD) Colours Satin Silver, Mineral Gray Motorola Moto G32 Features The Motorola Moto G32 ships with Android 12, with minimal bloatware. As you’d expect, the handset makes a few sacrifices to keep the price down, but this might not bother you depending on what you value in a phone. For starters, the handset supports 4G LTE mobile phone networks but can’t take advantage of Australia’s fastest 5G networks – unlike the $399 Moto G 62 5G (the Moto G32 is practically a 4G version of that handset). To be fair, 4G is still pretty fast and, if you’re shopping in this price range, you’re probably looking to pair the phone with a 4G mobile service rather than pay extra for 5G. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G chip and 4 GB of RAM under the bonnet are enough to handle day-to-day tasks, but it’s certainly not for people who like to push their handsets to the limit. Multimedia is where the Moto G32 really shines, thanks to that large, crisp display and Dolby Atmos for making the most of the high-end audio found in streaming services like Netflix. Another sacrifice is that the handset offers 90 Hz refresh rate, whereas some of Motorola’s more expensive handsets take this up to 120 Hz. Again, to be fair, 90 Hz still offers very smooth scrolling and you’d need an eye for detail to really appreciate the improvement of 120 Hz.  The phone will certainly keep you entertained for a long time, with a generous 5000 mAh battery ensuring that, if you don’t push it too hard, you should be able to go 2 days before recharging. Support for TurboPower 30 charging ensures you can get a few hours worth of charge in just a few minutes and a full recharge in less than 90 minutes. The three rear camers offer plenty of shooting options, although low-light performance is underwhelming. Quality As you’d expect, the GeekBench 5 benchmarks don’t set the world on fire. The handset scores 377 on the CPU single core test and 1601 on the multi-core. That’s about what you’d expect considering the price tag and what’s under the bonnet, putting it in similar territory to the Samsung Galaxy A22 5G. When it comes to photography, 50 MP might sound like a lot of pixels, but keep in mind that it’s a relatively small sensor with small pixels. This means that photos taken in good light are reasonable but it can struggle in low-light conditions. The phone incorporates Quad Pixel technology to improve low light photos, but the results are still underwhelming. GadgetGuy’s take The Motorola Moto G32 is a solid budget handset which offers the benefits of a big screen and long battery life. It understandably makes a few sacrifices to keep the price tag down, but you might not mind as long as you’re not looking for a powerhouse device or 5G mobile data speeds. If you want a big screen but your needs are simple, the Moto G32 might be a good fit – but make sure you weigh it up against the rest of Motorola’s low to mid-range handsets. Motorola Moto G32: the entertainer (review) Packing a big screen into a small price tag, the Motorola Moto G32 might be a good fit for your pocket if your needs are simple. Positives Big, bright 90 Hz screen Stereo speakers Long battery life Negatives No 5G Only 4 GB of RAM Underwhelming low-light photography

South Korea Seeks The Arrest Of Terraform Labs Founder Do Kwon – Bloomberg https://collincountynewsonline.com/south-korea-seeks-the-arrest-of-terraform-labs-founder-do-kwon-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Price Pressures Remain Stubbornly High – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/price-pressures-remain-stubbornly-high-the-new-york-times/ + 14 % Inflation + 12 + 10 + 8 +6.3% excluding food and energy + 6 + 4 + 2 – 2 ’70 ’80 ’90 ’00 ’10 ’20 + 14 % + 12 Inflation + 10 + 8 + 6 +6.3% excluding food and energy + 4 + 2 – 2 1965 ’70 ’75 ’80 ’85 ’90 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 ’15 ’20 + 14 % + 12 Inflation + 10 + 8 + 6 +6.3% excluding food and energy + 4 + 2 – 2 1965 ’70 ’75 ’80 ’85 ’90 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 ’15 ’20 Inflation remained uncomfortably rapid in August despite a decline in gas costs as prices continued to soar across a broad array of other goods and services, evidence that the sustainable slowdown the Federal Reserve and White House have been hoping for remains elusive. Prices rose 8.3 percent from a year earlier compared with 8.5 percent in July, a fresh Consumer Price Index report released Tuesday showed, a still-rapid pace of increase and not as much of a moderation as economists had expected. The disappointing data came even as falling gas prices pulled inflation lower, with rapidly rising costs for rent, health care, restaurant meals and goods such as furniture offsetting the relief consumers were feeling at the fuel pump. Compounding the bad news, a core index that strips out gas and food to get a sense of underlying inflation trends accelerated by more than was expected. For policymakers at the Federal Reserve, who have been raising interest rates to slow the economy and try to tame recent rapid inflation, the report was a fresh sign that continued aggressive action may be needed to wrestle them lower. Economists said that the Consumer Price Index data cemented the case for a third straight, unusually large three-quarter-percentage-point Fed rate increase at the central bank’s meeting next week, and stocks swooned as investors began to speculate that officials could opt for an even more drastic full-percentage-point adjustment. “Inflation remains hot, financial conditions have seen some improvement, and the labor markets are humming along,” Neil Dutta, head of U.S. economics at Renaissance Macro, wrote in a research note following the release. “If the goal is to slow things down and create some pain, the Fed is failing by its own standard.” The Fed closely watches the core inflation gauge, making its rebound in August a point of particular concern. After cutting out food and fuel, consumer prices climbed by 6.3 percent in the year through last month, up from 5.9 percent in July and more than the 6.1 percent economists had projected. Even looking at overall inflation, the report’s details offered plenty to worry about. Two products that have been major drivers of inflation over the past year — gas and used cars — are now posting outright price cuts. But other goods and services are picking up in price so much that it is more than offsetting those declines. Prices climbed by 0.1 percent over the course of the past month amid rapid price increases for a broad array of products and services, including food away from home, new cars, dental care and vehicle repair. The upshot is that inflation has plenty of underlying momentum. Image President Biden’s attempt to celebrate the economy was dampened by the inflation report.Credit…Sarah Silbiger for The New York Times Hotter-than-expected inflation in August was unwelcome news for President Biden, who has sought to defuse Republican attacks over rising prices in the run-up to November’s midterm elections. Mr. Biden and his aides have celebrated falling gasoline prices on a daily basis throughout the summer. They have helped inflation moderate from its high point earlier this year, though not enough to offset rising rent, food and other prices last month. Even as he acknowledges the pain of rapid price increases across the economy, Mr. Biden has claimed progress in the fight against inflation, including with the signing last month of an energy, health care and tax bill that Democrats called the Inflation Reduction Act. On Tuesday, he sought to put a positive shine on the August data, calling them a sign of “more progress” in bringing down inflation. “Overall,” Mr. Biden said in a statement released by the White House, “prices have been essentially flat in our country these last two months: that is welcome news for American families, with more work still to do.” But polls continue to show inflation is hurting Mr. Biden and his party, as Democrats seek to retain control of the House and Senate. It looms as the top issue for voters in national opinion polls, and Americans say they trust Republicans more to handle inflation and the economy overall than Democrats. There have been signs of hope for administration officials, both among consumers and companies. The National Federation of Independent Business reported on Tuesday that its Small Business Optimism Index rose in August as inflation anxiety eased, continuing a rebound from its depths earlier this year. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported on Monday that consumer inflation expectations were also falling. Officials inside the administration and at the Federal Reserve say strong job growth and consumer spending this summer have put to rest fears that the country slipped into recession in the first half of the year. The president sees those developments as signs that his policies are working to power the country through what remains a turbulent time in the global economy, and is seeking to claim credit. Mr. Biden threw a belated celebration at the White House on Tuesday to mark his signing of the Inflation Reduction Act. At the event, he called the law “the single most important legislation passed in the Congress to combat inflation and one of the most significant laws in our nation’s history.” On Wednesday, Mr. Biden will fly to the Detroit Auto Show to champion his policies to boost manufacturing and low-emission sources of energy. But the country’s economic reality remains more muddled, as the inflation report underscored. Food prices are continuing to spike, straining lower-income families in particular. A possible railroad strike could disrupt domestic supply chains. The global economy is slowing sharply, and threats remain to the American recovery if European sanctions force millions of barrels of Russian oil off the global market in the months to come. Most importantly — and perhaps most damaging for Mr. Biden and Democrats — Americans’ wages have struggled to keep pace with fast-rising prices, an uncomfortable truth for a president who promised to make real wage gains a centerpiece of his economic program. Inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings ticked up across the economy in August, the Labor Department said Tuesday, but remain down nearly 3 percent from a year ago. Republicans were quick to criticize Mr. Biden after the report on Tuesday. “Every day, Americans endure Biden’s economic crisis,” said Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, the top Republican on the small business committee. “The Democrats’ inflation continues to drive up costs and leads more and more small businesses and families questioning their future.” Sept. 12 Sept. 13 3,950 4,000 4,050 4,100 Stocks plummeted, U.S. government bond yields rocketed higher, and the dollar bounced, after fresh inflation data undermined investors’ bets over the slowing pace of inflation in August. The S&P 500 slumped 4.3 percent on Tuesday, its biggest drop since the depths of the coronavirus pandemic in June 2020. Stocks had nudged higher in recent trading sessions, rising 1.1 percent on Monday and nearly 5 percent over the past week, as investors increasingly bet on the Fed’s ability to lower inflation by raising interest rates without slowing the economy to the point of tipping it into a severe downturn. But higher-than-expected August inflation data released on Tuesday caught investors off guard, sending stocks lower and prompting a rapid re-pricing of how much the Fed may need to raise interest rates to rein in rising prices. “We are not out of the woods yet,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist at wealth manager Wilmington Trust. “We can’t even see the edge of the woods from here.” As of Data delayed at least 15 minutes Source: FactSet Bankers and investors clung to expectations that even with a more rapid pace of interest rate increases, which slow the economy by raising borrowing costs for companies and consumers, the Fed may yet stick a so-called soft-landing, lowering inflation but avoiding a severe downturn. Yet there was also broad-based acknowledgment that the Fed’s task has been made harder in light of inflation remaining higher than expected. “The longer the economy holds on, the longer household balance sheets can withstand these high prices, the more aggressive the Fed has to be in the future,” said Lauren Goodwin, an economist at New York Life Investments. The two-year Treasury yield, which is sensitive to changes in the forecast path of interest rates, shot higher after the numbers were released, rising above 3.75 percent, a fresh high for the year. Solid data on the labor market earlier this month pointed to the resiliency of the economy after several rate increases this year. Coupled with policymakers’ persistent message that they have yet to complete their task of lowering inflation through higher rates, investors had already come to expect another big rate increase, of three-quarters of a percentage point, when the Fed meets next week. For a time, some had bet on a half-point increase as the more likely option. Following the inflation data, bets that the Fed would move aggressively when policymakers meet next week solidified, with some even starting to price in the possibility that the central bank could raise rates by a full percentage point, which would be its largest r...

Fractus And The UPC Create A Technological Hub To Develop “deep Tech” Solutions – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/fractus-and-the-upc-create-a-technological-hub-to-develop-deep-tech-solutions-pr-newswire/ , /PRNewswire/ — Fractus and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC) have agreed to create the Fractus-UPC Deep Tech Hub, a center of research activities where deep tech technologies will be designed and improved, with the aim of developing disruptive technological solutions based on scientific challenges with great potential and social impact. Fractus is one of the first spin-offs that emerged from the UPC. Dr. Daniel Crespo, UPC dean, shaking hands with Mr. Ruben Bonet, Fractus President and CEO at the UPC facilities after the signature of the collaboration agreement. The Fractus-UPC Deep Tech Hub will concentrate talent development, training, innovation, research and technology transfer activities, and will actively and strategically contribute to the creation of UPC start-ups and/or spin-offs in the field of deep tech, founded on a scientific discovery or a technological innovation, with the purpose of promoting its access to the market. The deep tech field encompasses the development of disruptive solutions based on deep technologies linked to science or advanced engineering, to respond to global challenges. The agreement, signed on September 13th, by the dean of the UPC, Daniel Crespo, and the President and CEO of Fractus, Rubén Bonet, foresees that the activities of the hub are aimed at responding to current challenges through scientific and technological advances significant, while promoting research, innovation and knowledge transfer in areas such as mobility and logistics, materials, sustainability, urban planning, information and communication, biomedical engineering and environmental and energy technologies . The emerging areas of quantum computing, photonics, artificial intelligence, cyber security, robotics, electronics and advanced materials are some of the areas on which the activity of this hub will be focused. The activities of the hub will also promote the UPC’s R+D+I in the deep tech field through industrial doctorates, collaborations in research and innovation projects, the promotion of research lines or the development of workshops, as well as the incubation and acceleration of companies, among others. It is also planned to promote innovation challenges, prizes and forums aimed at students, as well as end-of-degree and master’s theses in this field. Deep Tech Cluster The UPC is one of the main deep tech clusters in Europe, with a powerful core of research groups that research and develop technological innovation in this field and from which several spin-offs and start-ups have emerged, such as Fractus. Led by Dr. Carles Puente – who is also a professor at the Telecom Engineering School of Barcelona (ETSETB) at the UPC – and Ruben Bonet, the company is a pioneer in the development of internal antenna technology for mobile phones, tablets and other wireless devices in the Internet of Things, specializing in new applications of fractal technology and other emerging technologies. About the UPC The UPC is a public research and higher education institution specialized in the fields of engineering, architecture, science and technology, and is one of the main technical universities in Europe, which is characterized by its intense penetration in the industrial and productive fabric through the transfer of the knowledge it generates to companies. Currently, it maintains links with around 2,000 companies. Each year, it graduates more than 6,000 undergraduate and master’s students and more than 500 PhDs and is one of the universities with a high job placement rate for its graduates: 93% work shortly after graduating. Likewise, the UPC is well positioned in the main international rankings. On the other hand, it is a leading university in Spain in raising funds for R+D+i projects financed by the Horizon 2020 program. About Fractus Fractus is an early pioneer in developing internal antenna technology for smartphones, tablets and other wireless Internet of Things devices and holds an intellectual property rights portfolio of more than 30 inventions protected through over 120 patents and patent applications in the United States, Europe and Asia. Among the numerous awards and honours the company has received for its innovative work, Fractus was named a 2005 Davos World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and one of Red Herring’s top innovative companies for 2006. It also won the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Award for technological innovation and the 2010 National Communication Award of the Catalan Government in the telecommunications category. A team of Fractus inventors was finalist for the EPO European Inventor Award 2014. On November 2015, Fractus was awarded Academiae Dilecta by the Spanish Royal Engineering Academy and on April 2017 received the “European Inspiring Company Award” by the London Stock Exchange and the Elite Group. Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1897915/Fractus_and_the_UPC_1.jpg Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1896932/Fractus_Logo.jpg SOURCE Fractus; The UPC

Pokagon Band Gaming: Building A Robust Asset Management Database – Indian Gaming https://collincountynewsonline.com/pokagon-band-gaming-building-a-robust-asset-management-database-indian-gaming/ by Brandon Macheta In building a strong robust asset management database, the Pokagon Band Gaming Commission (PBGC) has spent many hours evaluating our processes. Through this evaluation, we identified what we wanted to be included in our asset management software and how we wanted it to work once built. The PBGC wanted a software application that would take a papered process and make it paperless, create automated updates, and provide real-time tracking of assets such as electronic gaming devices as well as the history of work that has been conducted on those assets from the time our casino received it, all of the way to when it was shipped off property. The PBGC wanted automated checklists, a way to track iGaming software changes, table games shufflers/software, progressive controllers/software, sign servers/software, sports wagering terminals/software, and Class II servers/software. When it came to anything gaming related that has a certification letter provided by an independent testing lab as well as non-regulated software or hardware, we wanted a way to know where it was located, what was in it, and whether it met regulatory compliance according to our regulations, gaming compacts, gaming ordinance, and the National Indian Gaming Commission’s Minimum Internal Controls Standards. In addition, an absolute must for the PBGC was real-time updates from the independent testing labs. Tasked with regulating close to 70,000 pieces of software, we wanted to know when a piece of software was revoked and how many machines would be affected, as well as the machines’ location at our properties. These were critical pieces for us. We also wanted to be able to utilize both our GLI and BMM testing labs’ certification database to help create a shipping request where the vendor would log in and select which software and hardware they would ship from the GLI and BMM database. This would help speed up the shipping process and protect the PBGC and Four Winds Casino. We wouldn’t have to worry about revoked software or software that wasn’t approved for our jurisdiction being shipped to us. The PBGC has been operating for fifteen years, and throughout that time, has kept the verbiage that we utilize the same. Now more than ever, we are continuously reviewing our practices and procedures to ensure that we are continually improving and staying in line with the industry while doing our best to stay ahead of it. Customization for the PBGC is extremely important. We did not want to purchase an application that was not customizable. We did not want an application that limited our creativity or was not capable of modification to remain current with evolving gaming technology. Another must was custom reporting. Working with the application provider, we have built reports that can be generated and utilized for daily tacking and can be provided as a communication device to our commissioners as well as the NIGC. Building a robust asset management application has been instrumental to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Gaming Technology Unit’s work, and has saved time and money. We have effectively transitioned to a paperless process involving electronic communication between the casino operator and the gaming commission to track gaming equipment inventory, certification verification, and operational changes to the casino’s game offerings. Brandon Macheta is Chief Gaming Technology Inspector for the Pokagon Band Gaming Commission. He can be reached by calling (269) 637-9592 or email brandon.macheta@pokagonband-nsn.gov.

Former Baylor President Ken Starr, Whose Probe Led To Clinton Impeachment, Dies At 76 – The Dallas Morning News https://collincountynewsonline.com/former-baylor-president-ken-starr-whose-probe-led-to-clinton-impeachment-dies-at-76-the-dallas-morning-news/ Ken Starr, a former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment, has died at age 76, his family said Tuesday. Starr died at a hospital Tuesday of complications from surgery, according to his former colleague, attorney Mark Lanier. He said Starr had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Houston for about four months. In 2020, he was recruited to the legal team representing President Donald Trump in the nation’s third presidential impeachment trial. For many years, Starr’s stellar reputation as a lawyer seemed to place him on a path to the Supreme Court. At age 37, he became the youngest person ever to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where Chief Justice John Roberts and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia also had served. From 1989-93, Starr was the solicitor general in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, arguing 25 cases before the Supreme Court. Later in life, Starr embarked on a career in academia, first as dean of the law school at Pepperdine University where he taught constitutional issues and civil procedures, then in 2010 as president of Baylor University in his home state of Texas, where he was embroiled in controversy. “Judge Starr was a dedicated public servant and ardent supporter of religious freedom that allows faith-based institutions such as Baylor to flourish,” current Baylor President Linda Livingstone said in a statement about his death, adding that he “had a profound impact on Baylor University.” State Rep. Jeff Leach, a Collin County Republican who went to Baylor, tweeted praise for Starr, writing, “Grateful for the life of my friend President Kenneth Starr. His leadership of @Baylor, though imperfect, was bold and consequential. And his impact on many lives, including my own, was profound.” Grateful for the life of my friend President Kenneth Starr. His leadership of @Baylor, though imperfect, was bold and consequential. And his impact on many lives, including my own, was profound. https://t.co/NgP7nZKRpx — Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) September 13, 2022 Starr resigned in 2016 after being demoted to chancellor of Baylor over amid widespread criticism of how the college handled a sex-assault scandal. He briefly remained on the law school faculty before severing all ties In interviews, Starr said he accepted full responsibility for the school’s lax handling of numerous reports of sexual assaults at Baylor, including by football players. But Starr said he had been “behind the veil of ignorance” and initially unaware of the problem. Related:Baylor’s Ken Starr resigning as university chancellor, stands by Briles A law firm it hired by Baylor’s board of regents to investigate how the Baptist college responded to sexual assaults on campus outlined a colossal failure of the school to respond appropriately when students reported sexual assaults. In one case, Baylor retaliated against a student for reporting an attack. And school officials sometimes discouraged women from pursuing claims under Title IX, the federal law that requires universities to investigate rapes and other assaults and to help victims. Beyond Starr’s downfall at Baylor, the university’s board fired football coach Art Briles, who then accused the school of wrongful termination. The summary report faulted the football staff for hushing up complaints about players and creating a culture that “football was above the rules.” Starr said in an interview with ESPN at the time that he disagreed that the football team was above the rules and declared he stands by Briles. “He was a players’ coach but he was also a powerful father figure,” Starr said of Briles. “He has real gifts and wants what’s best for these young men.” Biles earlier this year was hired as offensive coordinator by Grambling State University in Louisiana, but left less than a week later, saying he didn’t want to be a distraction. Baylor University President Ken Starr, left, joked with head football coach Art Briles on the first day of NCAA college football practice in 2014. Two years later, both of them were gone amid a sexual-violence scandal involving their football players.(Rod Aydelotte / AP) Starr and the Clinton probe Despite his impressive legal credentials, nothing could have prepared him for the task of investigating a sitting president. In a probe that lasted five years, Starr looked into fraudulent real estate deals involving a long-time Clinton associate, delved into the removal of documents from the office of deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster after his suicide and assembled evidence of Clinton’s sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern. Each of the controversies held the potential to do serious, perhaps fatal, damage to Clinton’s presidency. As Clinton’s legal problems worsened, the White House pilloried Starr as a right-wing fanatic doing the bidding of Republicans bent on destroying the president. “The assaults took a toll” on the investigation, Starr told a Senate committee in 1999. “A duly authorized federal law enforcement investigation came to be characterized as yet another political game. Law became politics by other means.” In a bitter finish to his investigation of the Lewinsky affair that engendered still more criticism, Starr filed a report, as the law required, with the U.S. House of Representatives. He concluded that Clinton lied under oath, engaged in obstruction of justice and followed a pattern of conduct that was inconsistent with the president’s constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws. House Republicans used Starr’s report as a roadmap in the impeachment of the president, who was acquitted in a Senate trial. In 2020, he was recruited to help represent Trump in the nation’s third impeachment trial. In a memorable statement to Congress during the Trump impeachment trial, Starr said “we are living in what I think can aptly be described as the ‘age of impeachment.’” He said that “like war, impeachment is hell, or at least presidential impeachment is hell.” Related:Ken Starr, Clinton investigator and former Baylor president, joins Trump impeachment team Clinton’s legal problems began during the 1992 presidential campaign. Questions arose over the candidate’s ties to the owner of a failed Arkansas savings and loan. The issue faded quickly. But it caught the attention of federal regulators, who began looking into whether money from the S&L had been diverted to a real estate venture called Whitewater in which Bill and Hillary Clinton and the S&L’s owner, Jim McDougal, shared a financial interest. Bowing to intense political pressure from Republicans and some members of his own party, Clinton called for appointment of a special counsel to investigate Whitewater. A three-member appeals court for independent counsels selected Starr. On the Whitewater front, Starr’s prosecutors investigated Mrs. Clinton’s legal work for Jim McDougal’s S&L. Both she and the president were questioned by Starr’s prosecutors and their videotaped depositions were played for juries in criminal trials of McDougal and his ex-wife Susan. Neither of the Clintons was ever charged in connection with Whitewater. The investigation of Clinton’s intimate relationship with Lewinsky was a Washington spectacle. In 1995, Lewinsky went to work at the White House as an intern. During the government shutdown late that year, she and Clinton had a sexual encounter in a hallway near the Oval Office, the first of 10 sexual encounters over the next year and a half. Lewinsky confided the affair to a co-worker, Linda Tripp, who tape recorded some of their conversations and brought the tapes to Starr’s prosecutors. Lewinsky was granted immunity from prosecution and became Starr’s chief witness against the president, who had denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky. He also became an author, writing “First Among Equals: The Supreme Court in American Life.” Born in Vernon and raised in San Antonio, Starr earned his B.A. from George Washington University in 1968, his M.A. from Brown University in 1969 and his J.D. degree from Duke University Law School in 1973. He was a law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger from 1975 to 1977. As a young attorney at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles, Starr worked with William French Smith, who became attorney general in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Starr became counselor to Smith, and from there was nominated by Reagan to the federal appeals court. ___ Bleiberg contributed from Dallas. The late Associated Press writer Pete Yost contributed to this report, which contains material from The Dallas Morning News archives. FILE – Ken Starr, an attorney for President Donald Trump, takes an elevator as he arrives on Capitol Hill, Feb. 3, 2020 in Washington. Starr, whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president’s impeachment, died Sept. 13, 2022. He was 76. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)(Alex Brandon / ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Let’s ‘Cuti Sakan’ And Win Holiday Packages Worth More Than RM15,000 With KOPETRO Travel – Malaysiakini https://collincountynewsonline.com/lets-cuti-sakan-and-win-holiday-packages-worth-more-than-rm15000-with-kopetro-travel-malaysiakini/ The travel and tourism industry has shown a strong start in 2022 as most tourist destinations across the country now are flooded with local and international travellers. Realising the importance of the industry, KOPETRO Travel & Tours, a subsidiary company of Koperasi Kakitangan PETRONAS Berhad (KOPETRO) has launched a “Cuti Sakan” campaign that offers a variety of holiday packages within and outside Malaysia to promote exciting tourist destinations and attractions besides supporting the government’s efforts to improve the economy through the travel and tourism industry. Chief Executive Officer of KOPETRO, Ahmad Shakir Ahmad Ubaidah said the transition to the endemic phase has brought new hope to the business sector, especially the tourism industry which was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It is expected that when things return to normal, the tourism industry will be one of the industries that will be able to generate revenue quickly. Therefore, we hope the launching of “Cuti Sakan” will help increase the company’s revenue and further contribute to the economy of Malaysia,” said Ahmad Shakir. The “Cuti Sakan” campaign which was launched on 1 July 2022 will run until 30 September 2022, targeting parents, couples and group travelers as the main target group. “Cuti Sakan” offers more than 100 travel and tour packages that include both domestic and international destinations. Theme park passes such as Sunway Lagoon, Genting Skyworld, Lost World of Tambun, Bangi Wonderland and Legoland Malaysia which are offered for as low as RM38, are among the packages which are expected to be in demand. Moreover, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu will be the best option for parents who are planning a family vacation in Malaysia as these places are among the top tourist attractions that offer a truly memorable experience for the whole family. Travel packages to London, Paris and Korea are also offered at reasonable prices. In addition, tour packages to Cameron Highlands and island vacations such as Pulau Sipadan and Bali are also available for those newlyweds planning a honeymoon.  KOPETRO Travel & Tours has been in the travel industry for over 30 years with partners around the world to provide efficient and professional travel services to our customers. With a significant experience and name in the industry, KOPETRO Travel & Tours is known as one of the prominent travel agencies that offer a variety of efficient and economical travel services crafted for customers who are seeking peace of mind during the holidays. According to the Chief Operating Officer of KOPETRO Travel, Hasnoal Idris, the “Cuti Sakan” campaign also offers lucky customers the chance to win exciting prizes.  “It’s like a double treat for the customers as they will be able to enjoy their dream vacation and at the same time enjoy the lucky draw prizes that we provide,” said Hasnoal. With a minimum spending of RM200 for any package offered under the “Cuti Sakan” campaign, customers are qualified for a lucky draw to win exciting travel and tour packages worth over RM15,000.  He further added that interested customers can directly contact KOPETRO Travel and Tours hotline at 03-21641577 or visit their website at www.kopetrotravel.com.my or follow @kopetrotravel social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram to purchase the travel and tour packages offered. This content is provided by Koperasi Kakitangan PETRONAS Berhad. Interested in having your announcements on Malaysiakini? Contact the announcements team at [email protected] or whatsapp on +60 17-323 0707 for urgent matters.

Ukraine’s Military Claims Downing Iran Drone Used By Russia – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/ukraines-military-claims-downing-iran-drone-used-by-russia-69news-wfmz-tv/ KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military claimed Tuesday for the first time that it encountered an Iranian-supplied suicide drone used by Russia on the battlefield, showing the deepening ties between Moscow and Tehran as the Islamic Republic’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers hangs in the balance. U.S. intelligence publicly warned back in July that Tehran planned to send hundreds of bomb-carrying drones to Russia to aid its war on Ukraine. While Iran initially denied it, the head of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has boasted in recent days about arming the world’s top powers. The Ukrainian military’s Strategic Communications Directorate published images of the wreckage of the drone. It resembled a triangle, or delta-shaped, drone flown by Iran known as the Shahed-136, or “Witness” in Farsi. Ukrainian troops encountered the drone near Kupiansk amid Kyiv’s offensive that has punched through Russian lines around Kharkiv on the eastern front, the Ukrainian military said. The image suggested the Shahed drone had been shot down by Ukrainian forces and hadn’t detonated on impact as designed, though little other information was immediately released by Kyiv. An inscription on the drone identified it as an “M214 Gran-2,” which didn’t immediately correspond to known Russian weaponry. Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. Russia did not acknowledge the Ukrainian claim. The British military in an intelligence update Wednesday similarly noted the Ukrainian shootdown claim, saying: “Russia has highly likely deployed Iranian uncrewed aerial vehicles … in Ukraine for the first time.” “The loss of a Shahed-136 near the front lines suggests there is a realistic possibility that Russia is attempting to use the system to conduct tactical strikes rather than against more-strategic targets farther into Ukrainian territory,” the British said. Iran has multiple version of the Shahed, which have overflown a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, been used by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen, attacked oil depots in Saudi Arabia and allegedly killed two sailors aboard an oil tanker off Oman in 2021. The triangle-shaped Shahed is believed to have a range of around 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), the British military said. Iran has issued few details about the drone, though it appeared in military propaganda footage in January 2021. Experts refer to such bomb-carrying drones as “loitering munitions.” The drone flies to a destination, likely programmed before its flight, and either explodes in the air over the target or on impact against it. Iran has drawn closer to Russia as it faces crushing sanctions over the collapse of the nuclear deal in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the accord. Negotiations over the deal, which saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for sanctions being lifted, again appear deadlocked. Ukraine and Iran also have tense relations, stemming from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shooting down a Ukrainian passenger jet in 2020, killing all 176 people on board. Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Youth Art Sought For Health Air Living Calendar Contest – The Turlock Journal https://collincountynewsonline.com/youth-art-sought-for-health-air-living-calendar-contest-the-turlock-journal/ The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is seeking youth artists to help create their 2023 Healthy Air Living Kids calendar. All San Joaquin Valley students from kindergarten through 12th grade are encouraged to enter this annual contest, allowing kids the opportunity to create their vision of Healthy Air Living. Entries are due by Oct. 14. Winners and their artwork will be featured in this bilingual calendar, showing how individuals can help improve air quality and quality of life for all Valley residents. The District plans to print and distribute calendars to schools, community groups, healthcare facilities and other clean-air partners, as in years past. The 2022 calendar included artwork from two local students. Ballico Cressey Elementary student Paul Voight shared a message of “Please help keep the air clean and our planet green!” Turlock Junior High student Beneil Danielo illustrated his message of “healthy air living walking and biking to school.” The 2022 calendar included artwork from two local students: Paul Voight and Beneil Danielo. Guidelines for creating a winning Healthy Air Living kids calendar entry are: ·         Paper should be placed in landscape orientation, so it is 8-1/2 inches high and 11 inches wide ·         Artwork should be in color and produced by paint, pen, crayon, marker, colored pencil or even computer-generation. Vivid colors are recommended. ·         Artwork should contain a message about how to live a Healthy Air Life. Examples of past messages include: “Switch to an electric lawn mower,” “Be cool and carpool when going to school,” “Don’t burn wood, switch to gas,” “Please don’t idle while waiting for the kids at school.” ·         Bilingual and Spanish-language messages are encouraged. Artists need to include their name, address, phone number, e-mail, age, grade and school, on the back of the entry. Please mail art flat, not folded or stapled, to: 2023 Kids’ Calendar Contest, Valley Air District, 1990 E. Gettysburg Ave., Fresno, CA 93726, or drop off your entry at the nearest District office in Modesto, Fresno or Bakersfield. For an example of this year’s calendar and additional contest information, visit:  www.valleyair.org/kidscalendar. For questions about the contest, email public.education@valleyair.org or call the Modesto regional office at (209) 557-6400.

Area Deaths 9-14-2022 | News, Sports, Jobs – Minot Daily News https://collincountynewsonline.com/area-deaths-9-14-2022-news-sports-jobs-minot-daily-news/ Leo Hoffner, 90, Esmond, died Sunday at his home. (Nelson Funeral Home, Maddock) Joyce Kremer, 74, Minot, died Sunday in a Quebec City, Quebec, Canada hospital. (Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot)

Buddhist Metaverse “Teraverse” In Development At Kyoto University, Includes AI Buddha – SoraNews24 https://collincountynewsonline.com/buddhist-metaverse-teraverse-in-development-at-kyoto-university-includes-ai-buddha-soranews24/ I guess you could call it a meta-metaverse. The metaverse has taken the world by storm, or talk about it at least, since there hasn’t been a whole lot in the way of a real mainstream metaverse except for maybe Second Life, but that came out like 20 years ago. However, it could probably be said that a metaverse isn’t built in a day, so all these purportedly life-changing platforms are likely still in development. Take Teraverse for example. This virtual space is still in its very early stages of development by the Institute for the Future of Society at Kyoto University and Teraverse Inc. However, unlike other metaverses, Teraverse is centered solely on bringing Buddhism into the modern world. This is a good time to point out that “tera” is the Japanese word for a Buddhist temple, and as such is intended to host branches of real temples in virtual space, thus throwing off the shackles of the physical world’s limitations such as space and time. According to a press release image, temples of all shapes and sizes can be crafted in the Teraverse and visitors can fly all over and check them out…and apparently shoot lasers out of their faces too, which is pretty cool. That’s a really nice feature and great especially for temples in remote locations suffering from population decline. But it’s also important to note that the “tera” in “Teraverse” is also a reference to the prefix “tera-” which refers to a factor of one trillion and is used in computing terms such as a “terabyte.” This would suggest that the Teraverse also aims to be a beefy digital land of enlightenment. Hints of that can also be seen in the highlight of Tera Platform AR Ver 1.0: Buddhabot! Buddhabot is an AR Buddha powered by an AI trained on the Buddhist scriptures Sutta Nipata and Dhammapada using Google’s BERT machine learning algorithm. Users can ask Buddhabot a question and it will respond with advice based on actual Buddhist teachings. ▼ I bet it’s got some killer lottery numbers… Professor Seiji Kumagai of Kyoto University said about the platform: “With the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian-Ukraine war, more and more people are feeling pressure in the real world. The Buddhist virtual space that we started ,Teraverse and Tera Platform AR Ver. 1.0, released as a prototype, are new ways to fuse traditional knowledge and science. As an option in today’s diversified society, we hope to deliver healing and enjoyment to people, create new vitality and hope, and realize a more vibrant society.” ▼ Even if people throw Buddhabot some modern-age curveball questions, scholars and monks can handle fine tuning on the algorithm. Unfortunately both Buddhabot and Teraverse are not open to the public yet. For the time being, they require more development and security, especially since they deal in religious iconography and open the door for whole new forms of desecration. It is coming though, and in the process teaching us the importance of patience. I’m definitely looking forward to it, but not because I’m all that into Buddhism. I just think having an AI Buddha could come in really handy when that one artificial intelligence finally does calculate that the world would be better off without humankind and goes all Skynet on us. I don’t know if Buddhabot would go to bat for us on some hyper-intelligent level, but it’s worth a shot! Source: Kyoto University 1, 2 via CNET Japan Images: Kyoto University 1, 2  ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Mystery Behind The Big Bang Theory Revealed! And Some Tech And Gadgets That Caught It – HT Tech https://collincountynewsonline.com/mystery-behind-the-big-bang-theory-revealed-and-some-tech-and-gadgets-that-caught-it-ht-tech/ Home Tech News Mystery behind the Big Bang theory revealed! And some tech and gadgets that caught it What is the mystery behind the event which triggered the formation of our universe as we know it? Here’s what experts say. Big Bang, the colossal explosion which triggered the formation of our universe, occurred nearly 13.7 billion years ago. After that, it actually took millions of years for the formation of the Earth. This theory, known as the Big Bang theory, was proposed by an astronomer named Georges Lemaitre in 1927, though there are questions still unanswered today. What were the conditions like during the early days of the Big Bang? How did Earth terraform into the planet as we know it today? What really happened during the Big Bang? According to the Big Bang theory, the universe started as just a single point, known as a Singularity. The universe stretched and expanded to get as big as it is now, and it is still expanding a little bit every single day. However, this might not entirely be true as this singularity is based on Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, according to space.com. The tech that caught it all Understanding all of this is not at all possible without the technology and the gadgets that go along with it. NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer satellite and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe reported observations of microwave light just 400,000 years after the Big Bang, according to the space agency. NASA says that after the initial explosion, darkness prevailed in the universe for a long time until 100 million years later when the first glimpse of visible and UV light occurred. This light was captured in data form by another one of NASA’s awesome gadgets, the Spitzer Space Telescope. What do experts say? Published on space.com, Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Caltech said, “The problem is, there’s no reason whatsoever to believe general relativity in that regime. It’s going to be wrong, because it doesn’t take into account quantum mechanics. And quantum mechanics is certainly going to be important once you get to that place in the history of the universe.” The universe expanded nearly 100 times its size in a span of fraction of a second, known as Inflation. Alex Filippenko, astrophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley told space.com, “Inflation was the ‘bang’ of the Big Bang. Before inflation, there was just a little bit of stuff, quite possibly, expanding just a little bit. We needed something like inflation to make the universe big.”

Cryptocurrency Investment Platform HASHFROG Partnered With BITMAIN And ANTPOOL To Enter The KDA Ecosystem – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/cryptocurrency-investment-platform-hashfrog-partnered-with-bitmain-and-antpool-to-enter-the-kda-ecosystem-cryptonews/ Disclaimer: The text below is a press release that is not part of Cryptonews.com editorial content. Singapore-2022/13/09, In recent years, the cryptocurrency market has been especially prosperous with a series of cryptocurrency projects emerged, bringing rich investment opportunities and market risks to participants in the blockchain industry. KDA is also one of the emerging cryptocurrency projects, but unlike others, KDA is referred to as the next cryptocurrency project that can be benchmarked with BTC because of its simplicity and transaction cost-efficiency, better scalability than BTC, and the future circulation potential of 990 million tokens. With the joining of BITMAIN, the world’s largest miner manufacturer, KDA may become a new opportunity for cryptocurrency investors. HASHFROG, a diversified cryptocurrency investment platform, announced that it has reached a strategic cooperation with BITMAIN and ANTPOOL, and will jointly launch KDA cloud mining products to provide low-cost, flexible and efficient mining services for KDA participants around the world. On September 13, 2022, the three parties jointly held an online product launch and elaborated on the cooperation relationship as well as their expectations for the future of the KDA market. Representatives from Kadena development team and Kadena Mining Club community also participated in the press conference and expressed their interest and support. It was introduced at the press conference that HASHFROG will adopt the ANTMINER KA3 (hereinafter referred to as KA3) that is newly developed by BITMAIN, with hashrate of 166 T and an energy efficiency ratio of 19 J / T, bringing KDA’s mining efficiency into a new era of energy conservation and efficiency. KA3 adopts the latest design of BITMAIN’s flagship product which is the 19 series miners and the leading air-cooled heat dissipation technology, so that miners can enjoy the top mining experience under Blake2s algorithm. Xmei Lin, the marketing director of BITMAIN, also announced at the press conference that BITMAIN would gift three KA3 miners to Kadena’s development team to support the technical research of the development team. As a firm believer in the POW consensus mechanism, BITMAIN will continue to contribute to the POW ecology in the future and actively support the long-term development and ecological prosperity of outstanding POW projects such as Kadena. ANTPOOL, the world’s leading mining pool, sits at the crucial part of the mining industry chain providing pool services for a variety of cryptocurrencies. In this cooperation, ANTPOOL can provide HASHFROG with sufficient KDA mining pool resources and endorsement of security. So far ANTPOOL is the only mining pool that specialized in optimizing KDA’s hashrate which allows KDA’s high hashrate miner to give full play to its performance in the shortest possible time, technically guaranteeing the long-term stable operation of KDA miner, aiming at maximizing the mining revenue of customers. ANTPOOL has become the strongest guarantee for KDA’s high-quality output by its advanced algorithm, simplicity, transparency, and efficiency of operation while reducing energy consumption at the same time.  As the platform providing KDA mining products in this cooperation, HASHFROG will divide the hashrate of KA3 miner exclusively supplied by BITMAIN into a minimum order size of 10t. Customers can flexibly choose the mining unit to purchase based on their own needs. Multiple mining cycle options such as 90 days, 120 days and 180 days are provided to improve the investment flexibility greatly. Management team from HASHFROG announced at the press conference that the platform will provide USD 1000000 worth of bonus benefits to users who purchase KDA mining products in this initial launch, and encourage users to actively engage in cloud mining. This large amount of welfare will further expand the return on mining output. HASHFROG, positioned as a diversified crypto service provider, will also launch mining services for a variety of cryptocurrencies in the future, with more crypto product launches planned on the platform around the end of October this year to provide investors with various asset allocation options. HASHFROG is committed to build a safe and compliant blockchain infrastructure and produce innovative and diversified digital currency investment products. It is a one-stop platform that provides cloud mining service, extensive crypto-financial management, and flexible digital asset allocation solutions for global digital currency lovers. This strategic cooperation with BITMAIN and ANTPOOL on KDA marks that the three parties will deeply integrate miner, site and mining pool resources and continue to deepen and enrich ecological cooperation in mining as well as energy industry by increasing upstream and downstream value along the industry, and providing a solid guarantee for long-term investment of cryptocurrencies.  Official website: https://www.hashfrog.com/?utm_source=cryptonews&utm_campaign=oefjhu Official group: https://t.me/hashfrog_EN Twitter: https://twitter.com/HashFrogTech Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hashfrog Media Contact: [email protected]

Indian Shares Slide As U.S. Inflation Data Sparks Rate Hike Fears – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/indian-shares-slide-as-u-s-inflation-data-sparks-rate-hike-fears-reuters/ A man looks at a screen displaying budget news, on a facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India, February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com BENGALURU, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Indian shares fell on Wednesday, as technology stocks declined sharply, tracking weak Asian peers after an unexpected increase in U.S. inflation stoked fears of aggressive rate hikes. The NSE Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) was down 0.89% at 17,909.65, as of 0446 GMT while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) slid 0.92% to 60,012.58. In early trades on Wednesday, the Nifty and the Sensex had dropped 1.65% and 1.91%, respectively, posting their biggest intraday fall in over two weeks. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The Nifty IT index (.NIFTYIT) was the hardest hit in Mumbai, sliding 3.7%, with heavyweight IT services majors Infosys (INFY.NS) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) dropping around 4.5% and 3.6%, respectively. Wall Street had plunged overnight by its most since June 2020 and Asian shares skidded after U.S. consumer price data unexpectedly rose in August, cementing expectations that the Fed will deliver a third 75-basis-point rate hike next week. “The composition of the U.S. CPI data suggests that inflation is deep-rooted and markets are even pricing in a 100 bps hike to some extent,” said Narendra Solanki, fundamental research head at domestic brokerage Anand Rathi. A day earlier, the probability of a 100 bps hike was zero. “Our markets had run up quite a bit in the hope that inflation had peaked, so we may see some cool down till the Fed event is done with.” The Nifty is up 1.8% this month, up to last close, compared to a 1.7% fall in MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS). The domestic market has been buoyed by foreign investor buying and weak oil prices. The Nifty Auto index (.NIFTYAUTO) and the Nifty FMCG (.NIFTYFMCG) recovered from early losses to trade a touch higher on Wednesday. Meanwhile, cement major Ambuja Cements (ABUJ.NS) climbed 3.4% to a record high on plans to raise funds. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Chris Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Neha Arora Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Public Hearing Date Set For 2023 Recorder’s Technology Fund – The Star Beacon https://collincountynewsonline.com/public-hearing-date-set-for-2023-recorders-technology-fund-the-star-beacon/ JEFFERSON — Ashtabula County Recorder Barb Schaab attended a work session of the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday morning to discuss the Recorder’s Technology Fund. Schaab said the fee will remain the same, at $6, as it was for the last couple of years. “I’m anticipating, perhaps putting document images online, which will eliminate a lot of our copy revenue,” Schaab said. An enhancement to the existing software Schaab’s office uses would be used for that, she said. The commissioners approved a resolution to set a public hearing for Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m. on the proposed use of the Recorder’s Technology Fund. The fund will be used for contracts for indexing and imaging, micrographic printer, and copier contracts, and upgrades and maintenance of historical records, according to the resolution. In other business: • The commissioners discussed potential options for the complex’s mailroom. Recently, security was upgraded at the old courthouse. Previously, they discussed the installation of a series of mailboxes outside the current mailroom, so that that would let the mailroom door be secured and departments could still get their mail. “This is a fix, but not a permanent fix to security in that area,” Commissioner Kathryn Whittington said. This project could be done immediately to reduce COVID issues and security issues, but it does not permanently solve the problem, she said. The commissioners signed off on moving forward with the project. • The commissioners discussed plans for work sessions for the 2023 budget. Every year, department heads present their budget proposals to the commissioners and the budget advisory commission, members of the public who sit in on the sessions and discuss the budgets with the commissioners. The commissioners discussed potential new members of the budget advisory commission, and agreed to provide a few names to County Administrator Janet Discher soon. • Discher gave the commissioners an update on a pair of potential projects with offices around Jefferson. The Ohio State University Extension office has water leaking into the basement, and that issue needs to be fixed before tech upgrades can be done in an office in the building, she said. “It’s been problematic for as long as I’ve worked here,” Discher said. Converting the east and west doors of the main courthouse building to automatic doors, a project the commissioners had previously expressed interest in, could potentially require engineered drawings, Discher said. “There’s a lot of advantages to doing that, and we’re at the point where we’re going to have to fix some of the problems over there anyway, even if we were to not do automatic doors,” she said.

What Is Mobile Gaming And Why Does It Matter? – Verdict https://collincountynewsonline.com/what-is-mobile-gaming-and-why-does-it-matter-verdict/ Credit: Thx4Stock / Shutterstock. Mobile gaming is big business. Mobile gaming is not just fun, but big business worth billions of dollars and is in many ways the cornerstone of the metaverse. Gaming companies like Fortnite developer Epic Games have already started create virtual worlds of their own to compete with the ones developed by Facebook-owner Meta. However, that doesn’t explain what mobile gaming is or what the opportunities are. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered. Mobile gaming refers to playing video games on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The most important aspects of this sector are the processors and displays, connectivity via telecom networks and cloud services and LiveOps. Most processors in smartphones and tablets are specially designed systems on a chip (SoCs). An SoC is a microchip that contains all the computing components required for the device on a single integrated circuit, including a graphics processing unit (GPU), a central processing unit (CPU), system memory and input/output (I/O) connectivity. The CPU determines the speed at which the device performs when a game is played, while the GPU determines the speed at which the graphics are rendered. The clarity of graphics on a mobile device depends on the display’s resolution and refresh rate . The word resolution refers to the number of distinct pixels a display accommodates. Refresh rate is the count of how many times the screen updates per second. Mobile gaming publishers rely on telecom operators to provide internet connectivity and Big Tech to distribute games via app stores. They also need cloud and edge infrastructure services providers – such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure – to deploy game content closer to users, reducing latency and improving the quality of the experience. LiveOps is a set of practices that modify a game following its launch. Game developers use LiveOps to get insights into the performance of games, understand consumer behavioral trends, and implement strategies to add users and generate revenue. LiveOps helps them focus on user acquisition, engagement, monetisation, marketing and troubleshooting. Mobile gaming dominates the video games market Mobile gaming is already bigger than the console and PC gaming markets combined, contributing nearly 57% of global video games revenue in 2021. The growing maturity of streaming, cloud gaming services and mobile esports – combined with the fact that mobile platforms are close to technical parity with PCs and consoles – means most gamers will embrace mobile gaming in the next few years. Traditional console and PC game publishers like Activision Blizzard, Sony and Electronic Arts are increasingly focused on the new market segment due to its popularity with gamers worldwide and lucrative revenue opportunities. They compete with companies like Tencent, Sea and Perfect World, which primarily focus on mobile gaming. Social media platforms such as ByteDance, online advertisers like AppLovin and video streaming services like Netflix are also moving into mobile games publishing. The increased availability of 5G networks in the coming years will drive more users towards mobile gaming, especially multiplayer titles. This, in turn, will boost the growth of mobile esports. 5G will drive the next wave of innovation in the industry 5G networks allow games to be downloaded faster than current 4G networks and aid the development of mobile-based cloud gaming services and augmented reality (AR) games. With the ability to support one million devices within a single square kilometer, 5G will drive more users towards mobile gaming, especially multiplayer titles. This, in turn, will boost the growth of mobile esports. GlobalData is the parent company of Verdict and its sister publications.

Hundreds Of Students And Parents Hold Vigil For Texas Teacher Who Was Victim Of Murder-Suicide – WFAA.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/hundreds-of-students-and-parents-hold-vigil-for-texas-teacher-who-was-victim-of-murder-suicide-wfaa-com/ Collin County teacher Lacie Moore, 40, was found shot and killed inside her home. Police say she was the victim of a murder-suicide. Author: wfaa.com Published: 10:12 PM CDT September 13, 2022 Updated: 10:12 PM CDT September 13, 2022

Chase Briscoe Bristol Advance, No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang For Steward-Haas Racing – WBIW.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/chase-briscoe-bristol-advance-no-14-magical-vacation-planner-ford-mustang-for-steward-haas-racing-wbiw-com/ BRISTOL – Chase Briscoe, the driver of the No. 14 Magical Vacation Planner (MVP) Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is on a mission to conquer The Last Great Colosseum Saturday night in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Briscoe heads into the final race of the first round of the playoffs 15th in the standings, nine points below the cutoff line to advance to the Round of 12. Chase Briscoe What will it take to advance to the next round? “A clean race,” said Briscoe. “Bristol is chaotic and unpredictable. Nine points above the cutoff line would be a lot better than nine below, but either way, we’d have to go in and have a good race with some stage points and no mistakes. So, I don’t think it makes much difference. We know we can do it, we’ve just got to avoid the chaos and I feel like we can go there and get some stage points and be in good shape.” He began the playoffs with a 27th-place result at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway after being caught up in an accident early in the race. Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Briscoe looked to be on pace for a top-five finish until he was held up during a pit stop and lost several positions. Though the No. 14 MVP Ford Mustang was fast, Briscoe was unable to work all the way back through the field and finished 13th. Does that make you nervous with this being the cutoff race for the first round? “I don’t think so. I’ve done well at Bristol, it’s one of my stronger tracks, and I enjoy racing there,” added Bristol. “I think we’ve done well on the short tracks, which is definitely not my strength. We certainly can’t afford to have a bad race and we’ll need to be aware of what is going on with other guys. You’ve got to be focused on running your race just as much as you’re trying to stay out of other people’s messes, and things happen quickly. We’ll have to do that without compromising our chances of moving on. I feel good about it, I know the guys on this team are going to give me what I need and I’m excited to get to Bristol.” Briscoe started 20th and finished 13th in last year’s night race at Bristol, his first Cup Series start on the concrete surface. He was the third-highest-finishing non-playoff driver in one of his stronger performances of the season. It was a reminder of the success Briscoe had found at Bristol in the NASCAR Xfinity Series just the year before. This will be the first time in the Next Gen car at Bristol on the concrete surface. Is there any information that can be carried over from last year, or from the dirt race in the spring, to help prepare for Saturday’s night race? “No, I don’t think there’s anything that you can use,” said Briscoe. “We know what racing at Bristol is like. It’s a fast short track with a lot of banking and guys trying to figure out how to make passes without a lot of time to figure it out. You typically have to put yourself in a position you may not want to be in to get where you want to be. But as far as what we do with the car, I think we’ll have to rely a little on what we’ve seen at some other tracks this year and a lot on sim data. This car has shown it races a lot different than what we’ve had in the past and you definitely can’t compare to anything that happened in the dirt race.” In September 2020, Briscoe claimed his first Bristol Xfinity Series victory after leading only 11 laps. It was his sixth Xfinity Series start at the Tennessee short track. The Mitchell, Indiana, native also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts there – one on the traditional concrete surface in which he earned a 12th-place finish in 2017, and one on the dirt surface in 2021 resulting in a top-five effort. The last time the Cup Series visited Bristol when the track was covered with dirt for the April 17 race, the 27-year-old racer put on a show but ultimately ended up with a roughed-up No. 14 Ford Mustang parked last on pit road. Briscoe started fourth, won the second stage, and led a total of 59 laps. He was closing in on leader Tyler Reddick in the final laps before attempting a slide job exiting turn two. Briscoe was unable to clear Reddick and collected him when the No. 14 spun in the bottom groove, handing the win to Kyle Busch. Briscoe was credited with a 22nd-place finish. MVP was founded by Jamie Ane Eubanks alongside her husband JJ, a former professional basketball player, as a storefront travel agency in 2006. Today, it is a company that provides one of the best vacation planning services in the industry. It operates through three branches: MVP Parks, MVP Cruising, and MVP Getaways. The company provides its exclusive and personalized, stress-free planning service at no additional expense to its clients, making the extensive array of Disney options and add-ons easy to understand and navigate. MVP actively seeks savings for its clients, monitoring early-morning releases of discounted room or vacation packages while also scouring existing reservations for price drops to where they can modify an existing reservation at the newfound lower price. MVP will also plan a family’s itinerary, expertly navigating Disney’s Genie+ and Lighting Lane systems to maximize resort and park times by avoiding long lines while also securing those premium Disney dining experiences that include coveted character meetings.

Braintree Hosts First CONNECTED Mansfield Networking Event | Business News | Richlandsource.com – Richland Source https://collincountynewsonline.com/braintree-hosts-first-connected-mansfield-networking-event-business-news-richlandsource-com-richland-source/ Breaking News We send the biggest breaking news stories directly to you. Daily Headlines from Richland Source Read Richland Source’s latest headlines every morning. A Look at Local Events Highlights for the coming weekend, delivered 1x / week. Area History Explore the history of Richland County, Ohio. Recounted with articles, photographs, original art, and video. Email delivered on the 15th of each month.  Ashland Source Get all the latest headlines from Ashland County. Crawford Source Headlines from Crawford County, delivered 1x / week. Richland County Business Digest Delivered monthly with the latest Richland County property transfers, small business news and more.  Subscribe To All The weekly thrive newsletter Start your week off with local inspiration, recipes, wellness advice and more. Get the thrive newsletter in your inbox every Monday. Area Job Openings See all the latest local job openings, delivered 1x / week.

Here’s The Truth About Kevin Smith’s Weight Loss Journey – Distractify https://collincountynewsonline.com/heres-the-truth-about-kevin-smiths-weight-loss-journey-distractify/ More than a decade after Clerks II was released, the highly anticipated third installment of the Jay and Silent Bob film series was officially released on September 13. In the reboot, many fan-favorite actors reprise their roles, including but not limited to Kevin Smith. Article continues below advertisement Upon the release of Clerks III, fans couldn’t help to notice that Kevin looked much different than he did when he first rose to fame in the early ’90s. Although the Silent Bob actor is up to the same old antics, it appears as though he has a brand-new body. So, how did Kevin lose so much weight? Read on for details on the actor’s transformational weight loss journey. Source: Getty Images Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes Article continues below advertisement The truth about Kevin Smith’s weight loss journey. Kevin’s weight has fluctuated since the beginning of his onscreen career. However, he was forced to take a serious look at his lifestyle after suffering a heart attack on Feb. 25, 2018. Following his health scare, he took to social media and joked about the “killer” standup special at the Alex Theater in Glendale, Calif., that almost cost him his life. “I might’ve gone too far,” he captioned an Instagram post. “Turns out I had a massive heart attack. The doctor who saved my life at the Glendale, Calif. hospital told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (also known as ‘the Widow-Maker’ because when it goes, you’re a goner).” Article continues below advertisement Source: Getty Images The comedian was initially booked to perform a second comedy set the same night. Luckily, he headed to the hospital instead. “If I hadn’t canceled the second show to go to the hospital, the doc said I would’ve died tonight,” he added. “For now, I’m still above ground!” With a newfound outlook on life, Kevin was desperate to turn over a new leaf. And the before-and-after pictures prove that he’s done exactly that! Article continues below advertisement So, how did Kevin Smith lose weight? According to Kevin, the secret to his weight loss success is exercise and eating right. After his heart attack, he maintained a potato-only diet that helped him lose 17 pounds in just 9 days. (Note: Most doctors and nutritionists do not recommend this diet.) Within six months, Kevin hit the 50-pound weight loss goal given to him by his doctor. But his health journey didn’t end there. He told Men’s Health in a 2019 interview, “I’ve given up animal food products. I’ve given up sugar, mostly.” Source: Getty Images “I ate the way I wanted to for 47 years; I will try the way I’m supposed to for one year and see what happens,” he added. Years later, the actor is still adamant about living a healthy lifestyle. He frequently offers words of inspiration and fitness tips to his 3 million followers on Twitter! Clerks III is available in theaters now!

Electric Home Heating Costs To Increase This Winter – Evening Observer https://collincountynewsonline.com/electric-home-heating-costs-to-increase-this-winter-evening-observer/ Those who heat their homes with electricity should get ready to pay a lot more for electricity this winter. The New York Independent System Operator is warning of a sharp rise in wholesale electric costs expected this winter due to several economic and geopolitical factors that continue to impact the market cost of natural gas used in the production of electricity. The ISO released an updated white paper on electricity prices on Tuesday in an effort to prepare consumers for the winter home heating season. The NYISO’s report, Impact of National & Global Conditions on Electricity Prices in New York, sources and incorporates material from the Energy Information Administration, state Public Service Commission, U.S. Department of Labor and Power Trends, the NYISO’s annual state of the grid report. The white paper is intended to help serve and educate consumers, the media and market participants, and will be updated as conditions and data change. Heading into this summer, the federal Energy Information Admistration projected the price of natural gas delivered to electric generators to average $8.81/MMBtu this summer, up from $3.93/MMBtu last summer. Actual prices, according to the EIA, were a little less, averaging $7.28/MMBtu. A similar price is expected throughout the winter — meaning prices aren’t expected to get worse, but are still nearly double the natural gas prices delivered to electric generators in the summer of 2021. risen dramatically in the past year due to economic factors rooted in the pandemic and amplified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Spiking global demand for fossil fuels, lagging supply, and global instability caused by war, have combined to bring fossil fuel prices to historic high levels. While consumers might expect these conditions to impact the cost of gasoline, many have been surprised by the degree to which these fossil fuel prices have found their way into electricity bills as well,” the NYISO white paper states. Driven by international conditions and forecasted winter demand, published NYMEX electricity price futures for this winter have increased four-fold over last year, with prices averaging near $200/MWh,” the NYISO white paper states. “These futures prices are driven by natural gas futures prices for the upcoming winter, which are more than double current pricing levels to nearly $20/Mbtu.” National Grid recently forecast higher prices across the state to increase 28% or 29% in Long Island and New York City service areas compared to last winter’s prices. As is the case with the NYISO white paper, the increase n prices is due in part to delivery price increases and increasing costs for natural gas. “We recognize that higher energy prices will add to the financial burden for our customers who are struggling with higher costs at the grocery store, gas pump and elsewhere,” said Melanie Littlejohn, National Grid’s New York Vice President for Customer and Community Engagement. “Our commitment is to support our customers by helping them stay warm and safe this winter. National Grid has numerous assistance programs available, as well as energy saving strategies, resources and tips.” Earlier this year, National Fuel Gas increased its gas supply charge in Pennsylvania, with most customers seeing a $22.98 increase in their monthly bills. The rate adjustment is primarily due to higher market prices for natural gas, which have increased the cost of natural gas supplies that National Fuel purchases for customers. Gas supply costs are passed along to customers without mark-up or profit to National Fuel. Pennsylvania utility companies are permitted to update gas supply charges on a quarterly basis to reflect changes in the market price of natural gas. Market prices for natural gas have increased significantly due to several domestic and global factors that have impacted both the supply and demand of the commodity. The next opportunity to adjust gas supply charges in Pennsylvania will be Nov. 1, 2022. In New York, the residential price of natural gas has increased $2.58 per 1,000 cubic feet from May 2021 to May 2022, the last update available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Commerical natural gas rates have seen a similar increase while industrial natural gas prices have increased even more. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

JP Morgan Dives Deep In Metaverse, Hires A Specialist | Bitcoinist.com – Bitcoinist https://collincountynewsonline.com/jp-morgan-dives-deep-in-metaverse-hires-a-specialist-bitcoinist-com-bitcoinist/ The crypto industry has continued winning the hearts of top shots in the financial sector; especially the Metaverse is attracting more key players . Many worlds central banks now research CBDC and how to implement it. Also, leading institutions in the industry have embraced cryptocurrencies one way or the other. For instance, JP Morgan Chase has moved to become a force in crypto, fintech, and Metaverse. As a result, the American investment bank is looking for experts in these sectors to increase its presence in the industry. The bank now aims to add two experts to its team’s Vice President and Payments Business Development Manager under its Technology, Media, and telecom West Coast payments team. This team will be in charge of JP Morgan Fintech, Metaverse, crypto, and Web 3 division. JP Morgan Chase Job Posting On Metaverse The investment bank disclosed these job positions on LinkedIn. According to the bank, the individual must be dynamic and curious and can lead the company’s various technological changes enthusiastically and efficiently. Some of the requirements for the new hires include the ability to guide operations, readiness to collaborate with regulators in the industry, and relevant technical knowledge. Also, the employment will be proactive in client engagement. They’ll also have the skills to collaborate with many internal partners of the bank to develop solutions matching the needs of its clients. Also, JP Morgan reiterated its need for entrants able to move the company as the leader in crypto, Metaverse, Fintech, and Crypto. The VP and manager must identify new payment opportunities in these sectors and win them before others. Also, they’ll help the bank clients move forward by analyzing and understanding their operational structure and crypto targets. JP Morgan And Crypto Relationship Recall that the CEO of the bank, Jamie Dimon is an anti-bitcoin and has expressed his skepticism towards the crypto asset. That’s why everyone is surprised at this sudden move. JP Morgan Chase hasn’t been too keen on embracing crypto. But it has shown great interest in Metaverse. The bank released a report in early 2022 predicting that 3D virtual words might grow into a trillion-dollar market in years to come. The bank’s reluctance over crypto is not surprising, given that its top leaders were not interested in it. For instance, the Chief Strategist in the bank, David Kelly, advised crypto investors of impending recession and volatility, stating they should dispose of their BTC holdings. Bitcoin expected to mount l Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com Also, CEO Jamie Dimon always referred to bitcoin as worthless. He even warned investors against adding to their portfolios. The CEO made the same arguments eleven months ago, saying that BTC doesn’t have value but is gold for fools. Dimon then commented that he would prefer regulators to take action against it. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView.com

Daily Horoscope For September 14, 2022 – Forecast For All Star Signs – Metro.co.uk https://collincountynewsonline.com/daily-horoscope-for-september-14-2022-forecast-for-all-star-signs-metro-co-uk/ It’s about risk versus reward for some of us now as opportunities and ideas raise an autumnal head. Energy, confidence, flair and talent are in abundance so it’s time not to doubt our abilities. Up and at ’em. we’ve got so much to give. Don’t let others stand in the way, yet it’s wise to be careful how we motivate ourselves and those around us. Communication, as usual is the key. Steady as she goes, we’ll get there. Gemini, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Libra, be careful. Not everyone will like your wild ideas. Ahead, you’ll find all the star signs’ horoscopes for September 14, 2022. Read on for your full forecast. Aries March 21 to April 20 Current influences are encouraging you to try something that takes you out of your comfort zone. In work and money matters, you may take chances that you wouldn’t usually consider wise. With both the Sun and the Moon forging links to rebellious Uranus, you’ll be willing to take a risk, Aries. Sometimes this is necessary to make progress. Still, it’s best not to go over the top. Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries Taurus April 21 to May 21 You’ll be full of energy and confidence today, with exciting influences on the field encouraging you onwards and upwards. This is one of those times when you may feel anything is possible, and that you only need to visualise your dream for it to come true. It will take a lot more than that, Taurus. But knowing what you want and making a start, is almost certainly half the battle. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus Gemini May 22 to June 21 The Sun in meticulous Virgo and a quiet sector, could find you being too critical of yourself when you really have no need. You may tend to play down your abilities rather than talking them up, for fear you’ll make a fool of yourself. Your flair and savvy will return, when the sun moves into Libra in just over a week. Believe in yourself Gemini, and you won’t have to wait that long. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini Cancer June 22 to July 23 If a promising offer comes out of the blue, don’t turn it down. Even if it arrives via a friend of a friend, it doesn’t mean they’re just being nice. They really do think you’re the best person for the job. Why so many doubts? Even though buoyant Jupiter is reversing in your sector of ambition, it still has your back. Don’t be too hard on yourself, as you’re more talented than you know. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer Leo July 24 to August 23 Necessary changes to your job or business may need to be implemented, and there could be a sense of urgency about this. You may have resisted this for some time, but now you can no longer hang about. The thing is Leo, despite any pressure, you’ll wish you had sorted this out long ago. The difference it might make and the compliments you’ll get, make it all worthwhile. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo Virgo August 24 to September 23 Something that occurs today could take you by surprise. With the Moon merging with Uranus and the Sun making a lingering link, it really can pay to expect the unexpected. In this case, it’s something you’ll find pleasantly exciting. It might be the offer of a trip to somewhere you’re eager to go, or an opportunity that you’ve coveted for some time. Make the most of it, Virgo. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo Libra September 24 to October 23 You may have some wild ideas today Libra, but be careful who you share them with. The Moon’s merger with electric Uranus in an edgy zone, suggests that not everyone will appreciate where you’re coming from. While your sense of fun can be eccentric and offbeat at times, others might not appreciate it, least of all coming from someone as tactful and diplomatic as you. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra Scorpio October 24 to November 22 Think that others have more talent than you? It’s simply not true, Scorpio. You have so much to give, that you’re often the object of other people’s envy. The problem is, that you tend to doubt rather than promoting yourself and making the most of the spotlight. You now have a chance to make a great impression, but the motivation and the determination must come from you. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio Sagittarius November 23 to December 21 Unexpected things could occur that derail your schedule and disrupt your plans for the day. However, it’s not so much what happens, but the way you handle it that counts, Archer. The Moon’s merger with Uranus, suggests this is a temporary matter and that things should soon be back to normal. If you keep your cool, even if those around you can’t, you can be proud. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius Capricorn December 22 to January 21 Today may be stirred up in a good way, as things happen that take you by surprise. With restless Uranus strutting its stuff in your leisure and romance zone, you’ll embrace any quirky happenings and be determined to make the most of them. A leisurely outing or date could be so very far from what you expected, that you’ll have the best fun you’ve had in ages, Capricorn.  Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn Aquarius January 22 to February 19 This is one of those times when buying a gadget could turn out to be a wise and fruitful decision. You might not expect much from it, Aquarius. But once you get it home and start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. On another note, you may be a tad frustrated by someone who won’t commit to an idea or even a potential romance. For now, bide your time. Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius Pisces February 20 to March 20 There’s no point in blaming yourself for those things over which you have no control. A zesty blend of aspects hints that someone could say something which causes upset, despite your efforts to keep things friendly and upbeat. What’s done is done, Pisces. Yet you may find that this has the effect of clearing the air and letting the truth be known, which can only be a good thing. Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page. To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. MORE : Your star sign’s tarot horoscope for the month of September 2022 MORE : Virgo season is a time to get organised – here’s each star sign’s tarot horoscope MORE : Your weekly tarot horoscope for September 11 to September 17

Big Things Happening Soon For Bitcoin (BTC), According To Popular Crypto Trader – Here’s Why – The Daily Hodl https://collincountynewsonline.com/big-things-happening-soon-for-bitcoin-btc-according-to-popular-crypto-trader-heres-why-the-daily-hodl/ A popular crypto strategist and trader says a potential shift that could end Bitcoin’s (BTC) multi-month downtrend is on the horizon. Crypto analyst Kevin Svenson tells his 69,200 YouTube subscribers that Bitcoin is on the verge of taking out its diagonal resistance that has kept the market bearish since November 2021. “This long-term [downtrend line], from $69,000 all the way down on the linear scale, we’re potentially at breakout point to break the macro downtrend on linear… But also we have the weekly RSI, which we’re currently about to break out of. So Bitcoin has some potential bullish pivots coming, potentially [a] bullish trend shift.” Source: Kevin Svenson/YouTube The crypto analyst also says that in addition to taking out its diagonal resistance, Bitcoin is also printing a pattern that could indicate that the bear market bottom is in. “Bitcoin is set up in what could be a double bottom… At the beginning of the year (May) when Bitcoin came down to about $33,000, we tested [$33,000], bounced up and basically weren’t able to hold that level and broke down.  This is starting to look a little bit different. Instead of being continuation down, well we came down to $17,500, rallied up, found support around $18,500, created a slightly higher low, held that level and bounced. So this is looking a lot more promising than it did back here (May 2022).”  Svenson says he’s also keeping a close watch on Bitcoin’s weekly RSI, which is a momentum indicator that could signal trend reversals. According to the analyst, Bitcoin’s weekly RSI is in a position to break out from its downtrend that started all the way back at the beginning of 2021. “We have a shot now at breaking out of the weekly RSI downtrend, and if we do, that’s going to at least put us in some sort of sideways range or maybe we find some stability, get some time to accumulate and then ultimately look for a breakout above the macro trendline somewhere over in 2023.” Source: Kevin Svenson/YouTube At time of writing, BTC is swapping hands for $22,236, up over 2% on the day. I Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get crypto email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram Surf The Daily Hodl Mix Check Latest News Headlines &nbsp Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing. Featured Image: Shutterstock/Tithi Luadthong/Nsit

U.S. Government Makes Contingency Plans For Rail Shutdown – Reuters.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-government-makes-contingency-plans-for-rail-shutdown-reuters-com/ WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Sept 13 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday made contingency plans aiming to ensure deliveries of critical goods in the event of a shutdown of the U.S. rail system while pressing railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a work stoppage affecting freight and passenger service. The potential shutdown, which could come as early as Friday, could freeze almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments, stoke inflation, impede supplies of food and fuel, cost the U.S. economy about $2 billion per day and cause transportation woes. Railroads including Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) BNSF, CSX (CSX.O) and Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) have until a minute after midnight on Friday to reach tentative deals with three hold-out unions representing about 60,000 workers. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Late Tuesay, a Labor Department spokesperson said Secretary Marty Walsh “will host the rail companies and the unions in Washington” at the department Wednesday morning as the Biden administration continues “sustained engagement and hands-on efforts to encourage the parties to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.” If agreements are not reached, there could be union strikes or employer lockouts. But the railroads and unions also could agree to stay at the bargaining table or the Democratic-led U.S. Congress could intervene by extending talks or establishing settlement terms. read more The Biden administration’s push comes as food, energy, automotive and retail groups implore Congress to intervene, saying a rail shutdown could threaten everything from global grain supplies to shipments of goods related to Christmas holiday shopping. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is asking truckers and air shippers to assist should rail service cease and also is considering invoking emergency authorities. Jean-Pierre added that the administration is hosting daily interagency meetings to assess which supply chains and commodities are at highest risk. The White House has told railroads and unions that “a shutdown is unacceptable and will hurt American workers, families and businesses, and they must take action to avert it,” a White House official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. One key issue is ensuring “continued distribution of vital hazardous materials that depend on rail transport, such as chlorine for water treatment plants,” this official added. Railroads on Monday stopped accepting shipments for hazardous materials such as chlorine and chemicals used in fertilizer so they are not stranded in unsafe locations if rail traffic stops. The U.S. energy sector relies on railroads to move coal, crude oil, ethanol and other products. Some railroads plan to impose additional restrictions that could impact food suppliers and online retailers that use intermodal services that connect ships, trains and trucks. BNSF, which serves the western United States, said it will stop accepting refrigerated intermodal cargo. Norfolk Southern, which serves the eastern United States, said it will stop accepting all intermodal shipments. U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak, which uses tracks maintained by freight railways, is facing growing disruptions. Amtrak said it will cancel trains on seven more long-distance routes on Wednesday after it began canceling trains on four long-distance routes on Tuesday. HIGH STAKES The stakes are high for Biden, who has vowed to rein in soaring consumer costs ahead of November elections that will determine whether his fellow Democrats maintain control of Congress. Biden appointed an emergency board in July to create a framework for settlement terms. That has not happened since the early 1990s, when Congress sent the parties into final and binding arbitration. Unions in the current talks have been offered significant pay increases. Three of 12 unions, representing about half of the 115,000 workers affected by the negotiations, have yet to sign deals. They are grappling with railroads over working conditions that they have said worsened after the industry slashed its workforce by almost 30% during the past six years. Rail customers have said a shutdown will send them scrambling for alternative transportation and storage for everything from ammonia and fuel to cars and chicken feed. It takes about four trucks to handle cargo in a single rail car. The United States does not have the estimated 467,000 trucks or the necessary labor to support such a shift. Beyond that, some cargo is too heavy or large to travel over the road. A rail work stoppage could strike as U.S. farmers harvest corn, wheat and soybeans for export around the world, according to the National Grain and Feed Association. “The economic damages across the food and agricultural supply chain would be swift and severe,” the group said. Justin Louchheim, senior director of government affairs at the Fertilizer Institute, which represents companies that rely on ammonia supplies, added: “When you contemplate global food security, I’d say it’s a crisis right now.” Automakers worry that a disruption could empty dealer showrooms by stranding cars in the wrong places. Toyota (7203.T) said it would have to store vehicles and “many locations would run out of storage within two to four days of production.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Shepardson and Lisa Baertlein; Additional reporting by Ben Klayman, Joe White, Laura Sanicola, Stephanie Kelly, Arathy Somasekhar and Tom Polansek; Editing by Will Dunham and Stephen Coates Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tribal Casinos Adopt Oracle Cloud To Simplify Operations, Boost Revenue And Enrich Guest Experiences | – Hotel Technology News https://collincountynewsonline.com/tribal-casinos-adopt-oracle-cloud-to-simplify-operations-boost-revenue-and-enrich-guest-experiences-hotel-technology-news/ Oracle Cloud for Casino solutions implemented include Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud, Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Distribution, Oracle MICROS Simphony Cloud, and Oracle Nor1. 9.13.2022 Casinos across the US are adopting Oracle Cloud for Casinos to help simplify operations, boost revenue, and enrich guest experiences. With these technologies, casinos can enhance property management, financial management, and restaurant operations to better understand and service guests anywhere they are on the property. “Consumers are increasingly demanding digital-first experiences and casino operators are looking to technology to deliver on these new expectations, drive repeat customers, and boost revenues with better upselling opportunities,” said Alex Alt, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Hospitality. “Using Oracle technologies, casino staff are equipped with crucial tools and insights—such as comprehensive guest profiles and intelligent upsell suggestions—to provide a personalized, high-value service experience that keeps guests coming back.” Oracle Cloud for Casino solutions implemented include Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud, Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud Distribution, Oracle MICROS Simphony Cloud, and Oracle Nor1. Casinos embracing Oracle Cloud include: Feather Falls Casino Located in Oroville, California, Feather Falls Casino offers top-notch lodging, gaming, and entertainment. The property boasts more than 850 slot machines, blackjack tables, a microbrewery, two cocktail lounges, and even a campground to accommodate a variety of guests. With the integration of OPERA Cloud, OPERA Cloud Distribution, and MICROS Simphony Cloud, Feather Falls is connecting its operations and guest interactions with a fully cloud-based hotel and dining experience. Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun is a four-star diamond resort and casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. It is one of the largest casinos in the world with nearly 1,700 hotel rooms, more than 250,000 square feet of meeting space, 45 bars and restaurants, and a 10,000-seat arena for concerts and sporting events. To boost non-gaming revenues, Mohegan Sun is using Oracle Nor1 to upsell services and accommodations such as suites, early check-in, and late check-out. Since implementing Nor1, the property has had a 500% increase in upsells. “Ultimately, the level of consistency and visibility that Nor1 delivers makes all the difference. Now, everybody is seeing the same information so there are no surprises behind the scenes,” said Jesse Sturges, director of strategic marketing, Mohegan Corporate. “The one version of truth is a huge part of its success and one of the reasons Nor1 really took off at Mohegan Sun.” Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino Located on the north shore of California’s Clear Lake, Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino offers 10,000 square feet of gaming, including slot machines, table games, a high stakes gaming room, and a 700-seat bingo facility; the hotel includes 48 rooms, several restaurants for indoor and outdoor dining experiences, and a pool. Robinson Rancheria is in the process of implementing OPERA Cloud and MICROS Simphony Cloud to replace on-premises technology to deliver more connected experiences across its hotel and gaming floor. Does your company have news it would like to share with our readers? If so, we invite you to review our editorial guidelines and submit your press release for publishing consideration.