Prosper ISD To Hire Firm To Investigate After Lawsuit Alleges Bus Driver Sexually Abused Students FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth
Prosper ISD To Hire Firm To Investigate After Lawsuit Alleges Bus Driver Sexually Abused Students – FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth https://collincountynewsonline.com/prosper-isd-to-hire-firm-to-investigate-after-lawsuit-alleges-bus-driver-sexually-abused-students-fox-4-news-dallas-fort-worth/
Published September 13, 2022 11:15AM
Updated 8:18PM
article
PROSPER Texas – Parents in the Collin County town of Prosper are still angry with their school district over the way it handled the continuous sex abuse of two girls.
The district made moves to address concerns, but that didn’t sway any opinions.
The Prosper ISD school board decided to hire an independent firm to investigate sexual abuse accusations against a former employee.
Trustees met in a closed session Tuesday morning. The school board voted to hire the firm Thompson & Horton in a 5-2 vote.
But that only happened after it was revealed the first firm it hired seemingly had a conflict of interest because it was already defending the district in a lawsuit over the abuse allegations.
RELATED: Anger at Prosper ISD meeting over lawsuit about alleged child molester
The emergency meeting started at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Board members immediately went into a private session that lasted hours. But parents waited to make sure a third party firm was hired.
Hillary Morabito spent all day at a nearly six-hour special meeting of the Prosper ISD school board.
“Today, it was completely draining,” she said. “It’s always a dog and pony show.”
Tuesday afternoon, the board announced it will hire a new firm to investigate the district’s response to abuse allegations lodged against a Prosper ISD school bus driver.
Parents sue Prosper ISD, alleging bus driver sexually abused their daughters
The parents of two Prosper ISD students are suing the district because they claim the district failed to protect their young daughters from a bus driver who abused them more than 100 times during the last school year.
Frank Paniagua was arrested in May for repeatedly assaulting two young elementary school students. He killed himself while in custody.
A lawsuit filed last month against Prosper ISD claims the district failed to protect the children and then tried to keep the allegations a secret.
Parents say they were never informed of the allegations or the arrest.
RELATED: Parents sue Prosper ISD, alleging bus driver sexually abused their daughters
Days after the lawsuit went public, Prosper ISD announced it hired a firm to investigate.
But board member Garrett Linker quickly revealed on social media that the firm they hired was the same one representing the district in the lawsuit filed against it.
“The fact that you can release a false statement to the community at the last meeting is appalling and disgusting,” one parent said.
“Why did we not have somebody who was not associated with the district involved in the investigation? Why did someone associated with the board, Garrett, have to come out and tell us that?” another parent said.
So parents showed up angry. They say they feel deceived and their trust in the leadership is lost.
“We are all here demanding for justice for the Jane Does. You failed them!” another parent said.
“Why are we observing and protecting a pedophile and not my children?” another parent said.
Tuesday afternoon, nearly six hours after the meeting began, the board voted to hire a second, separate firm. It passed in a 5-2 vote.
“It doesn’t feel like a win what would feel like a win if truly the district did what was right,” Morabito said. “We don’t know even if that is going to happen.”
The district said it is unable to comment on pending litigation and is standing by its statement that it took swift action once the allegations were brought to their attention.
Some parents are asking for the superintendent to step down during this third-party investigation.
Clase Azul Is Launching A Travel Destination In San José Del Cabo Mexico VinePair
Clase Azul Is Launching A Travel Destination In San José Del Cabo, Mexico – VinePair https://collincountynewsonline.com/clase-azul-is-launching-a-travel-destination-in-san-jose-del-cabo-mexico-vinepair/
Luxury tequila label Clase Azul, known for its painted ceramic bottles and bell-shaped caps, is launching a travel experience in sunny San José Del Cabo, Mexico.
In a new travel initiative called Clase Azul Destinations, the brand is launching a travel-focused popup, according to a Sept. 13 press release. Clase Azul Los Cabos will open in October 2022 and will include a boutique, restaurant, bar, and more.
The city of San José Del Cabo is a popular vacation spot, known for its picturesque coastal beaches, warm climate, and rich historic district.
“We exist to captivate the world through the magic of Mexican culture, and our distillates are just the beginning,” Clase Azul founder Arturo Lomelí states in the release. “We want to create spaces where our brand comes to life.”
Dining selections at the Clase Azul La Terraza are led by creative chef Iván Arijas, which include “dishes born from his culinary team’s gastronomic journey through the Baja California peninsula.” At the nearby El Bar, visitors can sip tequila and mezcal neat or stirred into unique cocktails crafted by mixologist Sheila Zenteno. Each drink is crafted with the region’s iconic cuisine in mind.
A “Taste of Culture” experience leads guests through an intimate tasting of five Clase Azul tequilas and mezcals. The omakase dining experience — a Japanese term which translates to “I’ll leave it up to you” — includes a custom lineup of fourteen courses from Chef Arijas.
Collectors might stop at the Boutique at Clase Azul Los Cabos, which offers exclusive, limited edition bottles as well as the brand’s standard lineup.
This experience is just one way that Clase Azul is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. With this luxury destination, located at The Shoppes at Palmilla, the brand hopes to celebrate and increase awareness of Mexican culture and heritage.
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Immunity Boosters: Abundant Opportunities For Health Halo Ingredients As Wellness Trends Prevail Food Ingredients First
Immunity Boosters: Abundant Opportunities For Health Halo Ingredients As Wellness Trends Prevail – Food Ingredients First https://collincountynewsonline.com/immunity-boosters-abundant-opportunities-for-health-halo-ingredients-as-wellness-trends-prevail-food-ingredients-first/
14 Sep 2022 — As COVID-19 accelerated consumer awareness of immunity, industry innovations to meet demands in a variety of formats and ingredients have led to a diverse range of immunity-orientated products and ingredients as the world adapts to living with COVID-19 and health remains in sharp focus.
Although the world is not currently in the grips of the pandemic, its aftermath is evident in the immunity space, with wellness and boosting overall health a top priority for consumers worldwide.
“Immunity has remained a top priority for consumers as they look for ways to stay healthy, a demand that has persisted throughout the pandemic. The stress and anxiety of the pandemic have also taken a toll on consumers, driving innovation in supplements for mental well-being,” Jolanda Vermulst, market intelligence manager at Sensus, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
Vitamin water has become increasingly popular, explains Manfred Urban-Klik, director of R&D, NPD and food technology, Austria Juice. “It is flavored lemonade with a medium amount of sugar and a mix of vitamins and/or minerals, commonly sold in 500ml PET bottles.”, he tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
He adds that juice shots have also risen to prominence, including “spice-juices” like ginger or turmeric juice, commonly sold in 60ml glass bottles.
Consumer awareness is driving clean label demands. Health claims
Although the direct influence of the pandemic is beginning to fade, the longer-term effects can be seen in shoppers’ continued interest in immunity, which is also highlighted by the enduring popularity of the topic on social media, Maren Janecke, director of business development Europe and Africa, Kappa Biosciences explains to FoodIngredientsFirst.
“The pandemic and its ongoing impact have been a key driver for the ‘immune boosting’ trend. With no official treatment or vaccination for COVID-19 in the early months of the crisis, the only option for consumers looking to protect themselves was to strengthen their natural defenses against infection.”
According to Urban-Klik, although immunity and healthy ingredients are a more frequently discussed topic for food and new innovative product launches, food regulations and possible health claims have to be considered and are limiting the use of potential immunity-boosting ingredients.
“At the end of the day, healthy food is one brick in the whole concept of a healthy life besides the two most important aspects ‘healthy lifestyle’ and ‘exercise.’ On the one hand, there are well-explored ingredients like minerals and vitamins, which allow health claims, and which have reportedly maintaining aspects for the immunity system.”
“On the other hand, there are ingredients like ginger and turmeric. Those ingredients are known to have a positive effect on the immune system, not having an approved health claim, but well known from the consumer as a generic term for healthy ingredients.”
Straining supply
Rob Brewster, president at Ingredients by Nature, tells FoodIngredientsFirst that since 2019, the company’s sales have doubled each year for immune health ingredients, including pre and probiotics, as well as citrus flavonoid extracts.
“Typically, consumers know of and gravitate toward ingredients they know like vitamin C, zinc and elderberry. However, the increased demand has strained the supply chain.” Companies such as Nektium and PLT have marked their presence in the elderberry market, pointing out ingredient shortages.
https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/nektium-launches-organic-elderberry-extract-as-industry-grapples-with-ingredient-shortages.html
In a bid to overcome some supply chain issues, Brewster says: “There needs to be more mainstream media attention on the numerous sophisticated and validated ingredients in the space, including citrus bioflavonoids.”
“Citrus bioflavonoids are drawn from multiple citrus sources such as orange, lemon, lime, tangerine and grapefruit. These extracts have been shown to contribute to and support aspects of immune health, antioxidant support, and healthy inflammatory response. In turn, this helps encourage a balanced, non-over-active immune response in the presence of seasonal challenges.”Today’s supplement market is brimming with innovative delivery forms and formats.
Immunity from the gut
Vitamin C, D and zinc supplements are the first micronutrients that consumers associate with immunity support, Vermulst explains. “What not everyone knows is there is a fascinating interaction between our gut, the bacteria that live in it, diet and our brain. One group of metabolites that seem to play an important role in the gut-brain crosstalk are the Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs).”
SCFAs are produced by gut bacterial fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates such as dietary fibers and prebiotics like chicory inulin. Dietary changes that are able to influence gut microbiota composition and production of SCFAs might be a future approach to influence immunity and mental health, she adds.
“Chicory root fiber is a plant-based dietary fiber which can stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and subsequently SCFA production in the human gut. It can be applied to maintain a balanced diet that supports immunity and mental well-being.”
Biotics boom
Prebiotics are seeing a growing interest as immunity-boosting ingredients, but compared with well-known ingredients like ginger, the effect of those ingredients is more difficult to explain to the end consumer, says Urban-Klik.
Jenna Nelson, EpiCor channel lead, functional food and beverage at Cargill, tells FoodIngredietsFirst that while still nascent, the postbiotic segment is gaining traction in terms of media coverage, consumer awareness and product sales.
“It certainly helps that many consumers are already familiar with probiotics and prebiotics. While consumers may not know exactly what each ‘biotic’ does, they consider them beneficial to their health, and that makes it easier to understand that postbiotics have health benefits, too.”
For food scientists and product manufacturers, ingredients like Cargill’s EpiCor postbiotic offer “huge advantages” on the formulation side, Nelson notes. For example, probiotics must remain alive from processing and packaging until they reach the consumer’s gut to be effective. “As a result, it can be challenging to ensure the probiotics survive and ultimately start producing health-benefiting components.”
“In contrast, postbiotics are produced through fermentation outside the body, under highly controlled conditions. They are inanimate and highly heat and pH stable, creating formulation advantages and making it possible to deliver health benefits across a range of beverage applications.”
While the formulation flexibility may seem beneficial for manufacturers, it is also a significant advantage for consumers as they can be assured they are receiving the full health benefits afforded by postbiotics, she adds.
The pandemic and its ongoing impact have been a key driver for the ‘immune boosting’ trend. Future of the space
While COVID-19 has transformed the space, looking ahead, Vermulst highlights that chicory root fiber is increasingly used and works well in supplement gummies.
“A developer can create a supplement gummy with a plant-based prebiotic and better nutrition profile, but also one that has a good taste and texture. For consumers, gummies are an accessible and tasty way to take a fiber supplement.”
Urban-Klik believes “Go Natural” could be the future. Ingredients associated with immune boosting, such as vitamin C and acerola juice, could be natural clean label alternatives in the future, he underscores. “There are also natural and organic-certified vitamins on the market, which could be a cleanlabel alternative to the existing synthetically produced vitamins.”
For Nelson, synergies may play a pivotal role in the future. “We expect to see continued innovations in delivery formats and combining specialty nutraceuticals with familiar ingredients like vitamin C, Zinc, minerals, pre and probiotics, elderberry and more – to create a more synergistic effect.”
“This could offer a greater opportunity for consumer acceptance regarding the lesser understood, sophisticated and clinically backed ingredients in the space.”
One example is put forth by Janecke, who envisions combination products becoming more popular once further evidence emerges to support their efficacy.
“Take vitamin D supplements, for example. We’re already starting to see vitamin D3 used in combination with vitamin K2, but is set to become more significant as the benefits of ‘the perfect pair’ become more widely recognized.”
By Andria Kades
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High School Sports: Durfee Girls Soccer Home Opener Loss To Apponequet Fall River Herald News
High School Sports: Durfee Girls Soccer Home Opener Loss To Apponequet – Fall River Herald News https://collincountynewsonline.com/high-school-sports-durfee-girls-soccer-home-opener-loss-to-apponequet-fall-river-herald-news/
The fall sports season is underway in the Fall River area.
Take a look at some of the highlights from Tuesday’s local high school action.
VOTE: Who is the Herald News High School Player of the Week for Sept. 4-10
Girls soccer: Durfee vs. Apponequet
SCORE: Apponequet 1, Durfee 0
LOCATION: Durfee
DATE: Sept. 13
RECORD: Durfee, 2-1 (0-0 in Southeast Conference)
HIGHLIGHTS: In the lone game of Tuesday, the Durfee girls soccer team dropped their first game of the season at home to non-league opponent Apponequet. Sophomore Alannah Braga had a great game for Durfee as a center defender.
“Not only did she shut down the opposing teams opportunities, she created many scoring opportunities for her office as well,” Hilltoppers head coach Amie Lauren Roach said. Durfee will play its first league game of the season Thursday against Brockton.
Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Chezsports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
Alabama Securities Commission Warns Of Metaverse Scams WSFA
Alabama Securities Commission Warns Of Metaverse Scams – WSFA https://collincountynewsonline.com/alabama-securities-commission-warns-of-metaverse-scams-wsfa/
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The Alabama Securities Commission wants to warn Alabamians to be wary of scams in a growing online world called the metaverse. It is investigating two potential fraudulent companies so far.
“If you grew up in the 90s, the metaverse is ‘Super Mario Brothers,’” said Amanda Senn, chief deputy director for the Alabama Securities Commission. “It’s like a virtual world that you can access through a gaming console or through Oculus glasses.”
The digital space mirrors reality with concerts, homebuying and interactions with people across the world. To participate, users convert real money into cryptocurrency or non-fungible tokens.
“Most developers and investment bankers, they see an opportunity here to make money,” said Senn.
Unfortunately, that leaves room for real world scammers to take their scams to the metaverse.
“I tell folks be very wary,” said Senn.
Investment fraudsters in the metaverse have some of the same warning signs as the real world.
“If somebody’s offering you a 25% return on an investment, that’s a red flag. If the person soliciting the investment doesn’t disclose details about the investment. If they are not registered or licensed to do business, that’s a big one,” said Senn.
Senn added that virtual actions can have real-world consequences.
“Use the same caution that you would in the physical world. In a virtual reality can leave you virtually broke,” she said.
Senn says millennials and Generation Z are falling victim as they are the ones investing in the technology. But as it becomes more accessible, anyone can fall victim.
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M2 MacBook Air Vs Dell XPS 13 Plus Gadgetguy.com.au
M2 MacBook Air Vs Dell XPS 13 Plus – Gadgetguy.com.au https://collincountynewsonline.com/m2-macbook-air-vs-dell-xps-13-plus-gadgetguy-com-au/
We recently reviewed both the M2 powered MacBook Air and Dell’s XPS 13 Plus and found that they have a lot in common despite being tied to two completely different operating systems. While the MacBook runs MacOS and the XPS runs Windows 11, these two machines represent the most powerful 13-inch ultraportables money can buy. They also have stunning designs and impressive features but which one should you put down your hard-earned money for? To find out, we decided to pit these two machines directly against each other to determine a winner.
Design
Both the M2 MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 Plus come with a fresh case design, and, while the former plays it safe, the latter takes some radical departures from previous models.
Most notably, the Dell XPS 13 Plus ditches the traditional function row keys for LED capacitive keys that can switch between media shortcuts or function keys. While they look slick, the lack of an actual keypress means you’ll need to look at the key to see if it’s pressed, and is a feature we could do without.
However, the keyboards on both machines feel great to type on, but the XPS 13 Plus offers a bit more travel and satisfying feedback than the Air.
The second notable change is the XPS’s invisible glass trackpad that blends in seamlessly with the keyboard deck. Dell uses a haptic trackpad just like the one found in Apple’s machine, meaning it uses force sensors that mimic the downward motion of a trackpad rather than a physically moving surface. There are no lines to indicate where the trackpad begins or ends but it quickly becomes second nature to use and is just as responsive as Apple’s touchpad.
Like Apple, Dell uses an aluminium outer enclosure for its notebook, which delivers the same 1.2kg weight as the Air as well as a premium finish. The M2 MacBook Air does offer a few more colour options with the new midnight blue colour looking particularly fetching
They both feel well built but we personally prefer the softer rounded edges of the M2 MacBook Air instead of the sharp edges of the XPS 13 Plus, which tend to dig into the palm and wrist when carrying it around. We also like how the Air has a proper lip that makes it easy to open one handed and is something we can’t say about the XPS 13 Plus.
Otherwise, from the near bezel-less display to the edge-to-edge keyboard, you won’t find any wasted space on the XPS 13 Plus. The result is a machine that is more compact in size than the M2 MacBook Air, even if it is ever so slightly thicker.
The MacBook Air (left) and Dell XPS 13 Plus (right) will look great in any cafe or office
Display
Both the M2 MacBook Air and the base model of the XPS 13 Plus use an LCD display capped at a 60Hz refresh rate with excellent visibility outdoors thanks to the rated 500 nits brightness.
However, for an extra $200 to $300, the Dell XPS 13 Plus can be configured with either a 3.5K resolution OLED screen or a 4K LCD panel, delivering a superior viewing experience.
Ports
The MacBook Air and XPS 13 Plus come with a limited selection of ports but Apple has Dell beat by at least having the decency to include a headphone jack as well as a dedicated charging port so you don’t need to use up one of the two USB-C ports. What’s more, the charging port is MagSafe, which gracefully detaches and won’t take the laptop down with it when someone trips over the power cord.
Dell does at least try to soften the blow by including a 3.5mm adapter in the box but that’s just another thing to have to carry around and potentially lose.
Dell was at least a little bit more thoughtful when it came to placement by positioning each of the Thunderbolt ports on either side of the machine, making routing cables easier than on the MacBook Air, which has the ports on the left side only.
Battery life
Other than having a small footprint, what makes an ultraportable, well, portable is the battery life. This is where the M2 MacBook Air outclasses every other notebook in its class, delivering a runtime in excess of 12 hours.
The XPS 13 Plus pales in comparison, topping out at 5 hours of actual real world use. The XPS 13 Plus doesn’t exactly sip power when the lid is closed either, which isn’t an issue on the M2 MacBook Air.
Dell does at least include a faster 60W charger in the box that delivers 80% charge in just one hour as opposed to the 30W brick that comes with the base model M2 MacBook Air.
Speakers
The quad speakers on the Dell XPS 13 Plus sound very impressive for a laptop of its size, delivering punchy audio that is both louder and has a bit more bass than the M2 MacBook Air.
The XPS 13 Plus is a hair thicker than the Air but has a smaller footprint overall
Performance
The Dell XPS 13 Plus with its 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1280P CPU and the MacBook Air with its Apple-made M2 chip are some of the fastest performing laptops on the market. In terms of raw benchmarks, the XPS 13 Plus beat the M2 MacBook Air in GeekBench’s multi-core score (9525 vs 8627) but Apple’s machine has its nose slightly in front on single core (1895 vs 1701).
Similarly, switching to Cinebench’s R23 test revealed a similar gap in performance between the two, with the XPS 13 Plus delivering a multi-core score of 9208 vs the Air’s 8219. Video encoding tests were also faster by almost a minute.
The XPS 13 Plus also packs a significantly faster internal SSD drive with read and write speeds almost twice as fast as the drive found inside the M2 MacBook Air. This is worth keeping in mind if you’re someone who needs to regularly move large files around. The XPS 13 Plus storage is also user upgradeable whereas on the M2 Air, the storage is soldered onto the main board and can’t be upgraded.
But here’s the thing – I had to switch the XPS 13 Plus to the ‘ultra performance’ battery profile to get this level of performance, which kicks up the fans to a noisy level and increases the surface temperature of the machine to an uncomfortably warm degree. The M2 Air on the other hand, remained whisper quiet and fairly cool to the touch thanks to a fanless cooling system while consuming half as much energy than the XPS 13 Plus (15w vs 28w).
What’s more, the M2 Air generally performed faster in Adobe products such as Premier Pro and Photoshop thanks to optimisations under the hood as well the more powerful integrated GPU.
Although the M2 chip offers a meatier GPU, gaming performance still trailed behind the XPS 13 Plus as games are simply better optimised for Windows. What’s more, running Windows natively on M1 or M2 machines isn’t possible since Apple ditched support for Boot Camp after it made the switch from Intel.
Apple has a lot of work to do if it is to lure big name developers to port their games across natively for MacOS, which likely won’t happen until the company embraces industry standard graphics drivers such as Vulkan and OpenGL. That said, there are some notable titles coming later this year such as Resident Evil Village and No Man’s Sky. During WWDC in June, Capcom demonstrated the M2 MacBook Air running Resident Evil Village at 1080p.
Price
The M2 MacBook Air starts at a lower price of $1899 versus the XPS 13 Plus $2349 but Dell gives you more storage (512GB) and RAM (16GB) out of the gate. Stepping up to the 512GB model of the M2 MacBook Air brings the price to parity with the XPS 13 Plus although you will need to spend another $400 to get the Core-i7 chip (the base model comes with the less capable Core-i5 chip).
GadgetGuy’s take
In terms of raw CPU and storage speeds, Dell’s XPS 13 Plus outperforms the M2 MacBook Air while also offering superior display options wrapped up in a more compact and striking design.
But as an ultraportable, the M2 MacBook Air is the overall better choice delivering far superior battery life and better performance in more GPU-intensive applications, all while remaining cool to the touch. The M2 Air also has the XPS 13 Plus beat in the ports department with a dedicated charging port and headphone jack in addition to a superior built-in webcam.
More laptop news and reviews on GadgetGuy
Celsius Network Plots A Comeback After A Crypto Crash The New York Times
Celsius Network Plots A Comeback After A Crypto Crash – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/celsius-network-plots-a-comeback-after-a-crypto-crash-the-new-york-times/
The chief executive of the experimental crypto bank Celsius has told employees about an audacious plan to revive the firm, which filed for bankruptcy in July.
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Alex Mashinsky, the chief executive of Celsius, wants to rebuild the company by offering cryptocurrency storage and charging fees for certain transactions.Credit…Bruno de Carvalho/SOPAImages, via Associated Press
Sept. 13, 2022Updated 6:35 p.m. ET
The collapse of the experimental cryptocurrency bank Celsius Network was one of the main drivers of this spring’s crypto crash, which erased nearly $1 trillion from the market and ruined thousands of investors.
Celsius filed for bankruptcy in July. Now it’s angling for a comeback.
At a meeting with employees on Sept. 8, Alex Mashinsky, the chief executive of Celsius, outlined an audacious plan to revive the firm, according to a recording of the event shared with The New York Times. He and Oren Blonstein, another Celsius executive, said they hoped to rebuild the company with a focus on custody — storing people’s cryptocurrencies for them, and then charging fees on certain types of transactions. They said the project was code-named Kelvin, after the unit of temperature.
Mr. Mashinsky, 56, faced skeptical questions from employees. He compared the rebuilding process to corporate turnarounds at some of the world’s most famous brands, including Pepsi, which went bankrupt in 1923 and 1931.
“Does it make the Pepsi taste less good?” Mr. Mashinsky asked employees. “Delta filed for bankruptcy. Do you not fly Delta because they filed for bankruptcy?”
A recording of the meeting was sent to Tiffany Fong, a Celsius customer who has made YouTube videos about the springtime crash. She shared the recording with The Times, which confirmed its authenticity.
In a statement, a Celsius spokeswoman said the company regularly held internal meetings to “prepare for all scenarios.”
“Our employees are central to our efforts,” the statement said. “We will continue to rely on them to assist in preparing whatever requirements would be necessary to execute the final recovery plan as quickly as possible.”
Celsius is attempting a revival at a moment of transition for the crypto industry, as start-ups whose reckless practices triggered the downturn try to regroup. In recent months, other instigators of the crash — including Do Kwon, the trash-talking founder of the failed cryptocurrency Luna — have also pursued fresh crypto ventures.
Celsius rose to prominence with a marketing promise that proved impossible to sustain: Deposit your digital assets and receive interest as high as 18 percent. The company also let customers take out loans using their deposits as collateral and participate in “staking,” an investment maneuver that allows users to earn rewards on crypto holdings. In 2021, Celsius controlled assets worth $20 billion and had one million customers.
But Celsius generated its high returns by making risky investments that quickly turned sour when the crypto market crashed. Tens of thousands of customers still have digital assets trapped on the platform. In court this summer, Celsius reported that it owed customers $4.7 billion.
Celsius’s fate is not really in Mr. Mashinsky’s hands. Any proposal would require approval by the federal bankruptcy judge in New York, Martin Glenn, who is overseeing the process. The outcome could take a number of forms, such as a buyer purchasing parts of the company.
At the employee meeting, Mr. Mashinsky said Celsius was working with a legal entity representing the company’s creditors — a group known as the Committee of Unsecured Creditors, or U.C.C. — to devise a plan to restart operations.
“Most of our community, including the U.C.C., has asked us to continue services,” he said. “They think that these services are valuable, and they want to continue using the loans and the staking and the custody and things like that.”
But after meeting with Celsius representatives, the committee had concerns about Mr. Mashinsky’s continuing involvement in the company and major questions about the feasibility of the Kelvin proposal, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Lawyers for the committee declined to comment.
The exact details of Celsius’s plan to restart remain unclear. The company has a Bitcoin mining operation, which could become part of the reorganized business. But at the meeting, Mr. Mashinsky and Mr. Blonstein focused on the possibility of storing crypto assets for Celsius’s users. Mr. Mashinsky said he could imagine charging customers a fee for access to a special, highly secure crypto wallet.
In the past, Celsius marketed itself as a zero-fee service as part of its pitch that customers should “unbank” from traditional finance. Executives are now weighing a new approach.
“If the foundation of our business is custody, and our customers are electing to do things like stake somewhere or swap one asset for the other, or take a loan against an asset as collateral, we should have the ability to charge a commission,” Mr. Blonstein told employees.
Since Celsius filed for bankruptcy, customers have scrambled to get their crypto assets back, raising money to hire lawyers and plotting strategy in Telegram group chats. At the meeting, Mr. Blonstein said the company was planning a “unique crypto solution” to compensate customers, but he declined to go into the details.
Mr. Blonstein also said Celsius was at a crucial point in a “hero’s journey” toward redemption.
“This hero has a mission — something that they want to accomplish. They experience an initial success, they stumble, fall short in some way and have this dark moment,” he said. “If we are successful, it’s going to be a success story like one that’s never been seen before.”
Even Apple, Mr. Mashinsky said, once considered bankruptcy as an option.
“Are we going to be in the dustbin of companies that were great or almost great or great for a while but disappear?” he said. “The community is behind us.”
Kitty Bennett contributed research.
Korean Won KRW USD Slides After Dollar Jumps On US Inflation Bloomberg
Korean Won KRW USD Slides After Dollar Jumps On US Inflation – Bloomberg https://collincountynewsonline.com/korean-won-krw-usd-slides-after-dollar-jumps-on-us-inflation-bloomberg/
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Holyoke Police Discuss Pros To Implementing ShotSpotter Technology Western Massachusetts News
Holyoke Police Discuss Pros To Implementing ShotSpotter Technology – Western Massachusetts News https://collincountynewsonline.com/holyoke-police-discuss-pros-to-implementing-shotspotter-technology-western-massachusetts-news/
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Controversy surrounding a gunshot detection system has been playing out in Holyoke. Some city leaders have said that they do not believe it is the right move for their community.
The pitch to bring ShotSpotter technology to the city of Holyoke came during a city council meeting, then came controversial comments by one city councilor who suggested that the tool would only do harm to the people of Holyoke.
City leaders in Holyoke are considering adding ShotSpotter technology to the police department’s crime fighting tools. However, some city councilors do not believe it is the best move.
In an early September city council meeting, Jose Maldonado Velez suggested that the tool would only do harm to the community.
“When I think again of having this tool to send more police out there into the community, it doesn’t for me. It’s not to protect our people. It really isn’t because that’s not what the police were there for. The police haven’t been there for our community for a long time to protect us,” said City Councilor Maldonado Velez. “We don’t need any more tools to give them.”
However, the Holyoke Police Department said that there is no truth to his claims, saying that they believe this technology would really help their department.
“ShotSpotter notifies the local police department that a firearm has been used, the location, and the type of weapon used,and therefore, we’d have a better response time of catching these criminals,” said Holyoke Police Captain Matthew Moriarty.
This comes during an especially violent time in the city with crime on the rise. There have been 5 murders in the city of Holyoke already this year.
“Over the past two months, our city has suffered through a dramatic rise in violent crime,” Captain Moriarty told us. “These criminals have committed 5 separate murders, ended 5 lives, and shattered the hearts of so many families and friends.”
Western Mass News checked in with the Springfield Police Department, which has utilized ShotSpotter technology for more than a dozen years. Deputy Chief Stephen Kent shared with us the exact recordings they get on their phones from the technology and said that it has significantly improved their response times.
“Seconds count when it comes to gunshot victims,” Deputy Chief Kent said. “Seconds count when it comes to apprehending suspects.”
He told us that the technology saves numerous lives in the city of Springfield, and without it, they would not know about 70% of shootings in the city.
“Aren’t reporting as 911 calls, meaning 70 percent of people aren’t calling,” Deputy Chief Kent told us. “So, our officers wouldn’t know where to respond to, or what they’re driving into, without the ShotSpotter.”
He added that the technology does not discriminate and only tells officers when a gun has gone off.
“Microphones don’t see color,” Deputy Chief Kent said. “They don’t know who’s behind the gun. All it does is bring the police to where the shots are being fired.”
The Holyoke Police Department is asking Councilor Maldonado Velez to publicly apologize for the comments he made at the city council meeting.
We have reached out to Councilor Maldonado Velez for further comment and have not yet heard back.
The ShotSpotter discussion was tabled for another Holyoke City Council meeting.
Copyright 2022. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.
The Biggest Gaming News For September 13 2022 TheGamer
The Biggest Gaming News For September 13, 2022 – TheGamer https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-biggest-gaming-news-for-september-13-2022-thegamer/
It’s been an absolutely mammoth day for new game announcements and reveals, mostly down to both Nintendo and PlayStation deciding to have showcases on the same day. We’ll start off with Nintendo first, whose biggest announcements were undoubtedly the title and release date for the sequel to Breath of the Wild as well as a Goldeneye 007 port.
Not to be outdone, PlayStation also brought some big reveals, including a story trailer for God of War: Ragnarok and the reveal of Like A Dragon: Ishin! For more details, simply read on.
via Nintendo
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Launching May 12, 2023
We’ll get the big stuff out of the way first, as Nintendo has finally announced the official name of the Breath of the Wild sequel as well as a new release date. Titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, fans were given a good chunk of gameplay to comb over – in which we saw Link gliding over a chasm on a big stone eagle – as well as the reveal that the game will launch on May 12 next year.
via Nintendo
GoldenEye 007 Coming To Nintendo Switch And Xbox Game Pass
Goldeneye 007 had been abandoned for many years despite it being one of the N64’s most popular titles. Well, that has now come to an end as not only is the game coming to the Nintendo Switch’s retro expansion pack, but it will also be available on Xbox Game Pass soon as well. There some extra perks to playing on Xbox as well, as the game can be played in 4K on that system, although it seems Goldeneye 007’s new online multiplayer functionality is exclusive to Switch.
God of War Ragnarok Story Trailer Shows Kratos Fighting Thor
PlayStation decided it would also put on a nice big showcase today, much to the dread of gaming news writers everywhere. We did get a new story trailer for God of War: Ragnarok though, giving us out first look at both Kratos and Thor locked in a heated battle. We also get a very quick glimpse of what appears to be Odin as well as several quick snippets of different events throughout the game.
Like A Dragon: Ishin Coming In February 2023
PlayStation also had something for Yakuza fans to cheer about as it revealed Like A Dragon: Ishin!, a remaster of Yakuza Ishin! which has been exclusively available in Japan since 2014. The announcement brought with it an action-packed trailer filled with splendid visuals and fast-paced combat, as well as the game’s release date of February 2023.
via Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s Triple-A Titles Will Cost $70 Starting With Skull & Bones
It can’t be all good news though as while Nintendo and PlayStation were delighting fans, Ubsioft was off disappointing them. It announced today that starting with the release of pirate adventure game Skull & Bones, all of its “big triple-A titles” will now cost $70 going forward. Way to kill the mood Ubisoft.
Next: We Should All Be Excited For Valiant Hearts 2
Frisco School Trustees Spar Over Districts Policy On Bathroom Use For Students Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Frisco School Trustees Spar Over District’s Policy On Bathroom Use For Students – Fort Worth Star-Telegram https://collincountynewsonline.com/frisco-school-trustees-spar-over-districts-policy-on-bathroom-use-for-students-fort-worth-star-telegram/
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BUSINESS NEWS: Funding Listed As Top Barrier To New Small Business Startups This Is Reno
BUSINESS NEWS: Funding Listed As Top Barrier To New Small Business, Startups – This Is Reno https://collincountynewsonline.com/business-news-funding-listed-as-top-barrier-to-new-small-business-startups-this-is-reno/
Securing startup financing is among the biggest obstacles for people wanting to start a new small business in Nevada. That’s according to the results of the 2022 Small Business Challenges Survey conducted by the Nevada Small Business Development Center.
In July and August, SBDC surveyed more than 200 people looking to start a small or scalable business in the state. Nearly 60% of survey respondents said securing debt and capital to finance their business was a challenge.
“Unfortunately, capital funding continues to be elusive for businesses in Nevada,” said Winnie Dowling, Nevada SBDC state director. “While this is nothing new, it puts startups in the uncomfortable position of paying a lot more to get up and running, especially in our underserved communities. Knowing what businesses need is important to everyone.”
Accessing startup capital isn’t a new challenge, and it’s not unique to Nevada.
In 2019, the U.S. Chamber conducted a similar survey nationally and got similar results. An “overwhelming majority” of those surveyed said access to capital was their largest obstacle.
The Chamber survey also revealed that getting startup funding was especially challenging for women and minorities.
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Last year, Fundera reported that women make up only a quarter of all business funding applicants and on average ask for $35,000 less than men. A smaller percentage of female applicants are approved for funding as well – 32% vs. 35% for men – and often their loans are smaller, have higher interest rates and shorter terms.
Research from the Federal Reserve also found that Black-owned businesses are 20% less likely to get a loan from a major bank than white-owned businesses.
Experts at the U.S. Chamber cited uncollateralized service-based businesses, a focus on funding “high growth potential” businesses and a lack of community banks as some of the obstacles to obtaining small business funding.
Some Black entrepreneurs also cite a lack of lenders who are minorities as part of the problem.
In addition to funding challenges, 54% of people who responded to the SBDC survey said developing business strategy and marketing plans also hampered efforts.
Existing business owners, who also responded to the survey, reported challenges with attracting and retaining employees, inflation, creating an expansion plan and attracting new customers as their top challenges.
These are the same challenges business owners faced in SBDC’s client survey conducted during the pandemic, from March 2020 through December 2021.
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Karsten Heise is a senior director of strategy and innovation at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), which worked with SBDC on the business challenges survey. He said results from the survey will help GOED create the technical assistance application for the State Small Business Credit Initiative Program (SSBCI).
The SSBCI program was funded with $10 billion through the American Rescue Plan Act to improve access to small business capital and increase job opportunities.
“It will help with the design of a data driven approach for a program structure and service provision offering technical assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and very small businesses,” Heise said.
In August of this year GOED said it would provide SSBCI matching funds to 40 companies in the state that participate in StartUpNV, a statewide business incubator and accelerator that provides mentorship and access to capital investors.
Both GOED and SBDC have a number of programs to support small business owners, including funding opportunities, workshops, training and technical assistance.
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PHOTOS: Asian Community Development Council opens office in Reno
The Sandwich Spot honors Reno with regional monikers
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GNCU Financial Education Webinar – Medicare 101
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Rusty Taco opens in south Reno. Local business owners Taylor and Ian Cain opened Nevada’s first Rusty Taco, an outpost of the franchise that boasts nearly two dozen types of street-style tacos. The growing brand is named after founder Rusty Fenton, who believed “Tacos are the most important meal of the day®.” In addition to tacos, the location serves its signature fresh-made guacamole and queso and has a full-service bar and patio seating. The new location is at 9780 S. Virginia Street in the same shopping center as the south Reno Winco.
Governor Steve Sisolak appoints State Infrastructure Bank’s first executive director. Asheesh S. Bhalla, who currently serves as the Deputy Attorney General for the State of Nevada, will begin in his role leading the Infrastructure Bank on Sept. 19. “With the former Deputy at the helm, we’ll be set up for success as we work to invest in critical projects that will help our state flourish,” Gov. Sisolak said. Bhalla is a state prosecutor and former corporate defense attorney and has served as the Deputy Attorney General for the Office of the Nevada Attorney General since December 2016. Bhalla also serves as counsel to Nevada state agencies including the Cannabis Compliance Board, State Environmental Commission, Nevada Athletic Commission and the Real Estate Commission.
UNR hires alumnus as assistant dean of administration for the College of Agriculture. As the new assistant dean of administration, Katie Jameson will be responsible for providing administrative, analytical and strategic support to the dean, associate deans and directors. Jameson will oversee finance, budget, staffing and strategic planning for the college’s four academic departments and its Extension, Experiment Station and Extended Studies units. While her role encompasses many key functions of administration, she hopes to also spend time on strategic planning, streamlining processes, exploring funding opportunities such as grants, and increasing other revenue sources for the College. Jameson brings over 20 years of experience in working with government services and fiscal oversight and policy.
UNR announces development agreement for gateway project. The University of Nevada, Reno announced it has entered into a pre-development agreement with Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate to develop the UNR gateway project through a public-private partnership. Located at the south end of campus, the site will create a physical link between the UNR and downtown. “The goal of this project is to catalyze the area with University-induced uses to create a vibrant, safe and secure mixed-use area highlighting the relationship between the University and the City,” President Brian Sandoval said.
Kristen Hackbarth is a freelance editor and communications professional with more than 20 years’ experience working in marketing, public relations and communications in northern Nevada. Kristen graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in photography and minor in journalism and has a Master of Science in Management and Leadership. She also serves as director of communications for Nevada Cancer Coalition, a statewide nonprofit. Though she now lives in Atlanta, she is a Nevadan for life and uses her three-hour time advantage to get a jump on the morning’s news.
Social Housing Temperatures In NSW Exceed Health And Safety Limits: Study Mirage News
Social Housing Temperatures In NSW Exceed Health And Safety Limits: Study – Mirage News https://collincountynewsonline.com/social-housing-temperatures-in-nsw-exceed-health-and-safety-limits-study-mirage-news/
Many low-income households can endure temperatures in their homes close to 40°C during summer and as little as 5°C during winter.
Many residents in social housing in New South Wales can experience alarming levels of winter underheating and summer overheating in their homes that do not meet standards for comfort and health, according to UNSW Sydney-led research funded by the Department of Planning and Environment and CRC for Low Carbon Living.
A research team from the School of Built Environment and the Department of Planning and Environment monitored 106 low-income dwellings in New South Wales during the winter and summer of 2018-2019. The team studied the impacts of outdoor temperature and housing characteristics, including indoor temperature and air quality, and surveyed the residents’ health and quality of life.
During summer, indoor temperatures reached 39.8°C and were above 30°C up to 62 per cent of the time in some residences. The minimum indoor temperatures during winter also dropped as low as 5°C in some homes and were below 18°C 93 per cent of the time.
Households also reported high levels of dissatisfaction with their indoor thermal conditions year-round. During summer, the majority of low-income households in western Sydney experienced higher indoor and outdoor temperatures than those who reside in the proximity of the coast, according to the study.
The recommended thermal discomfort threshold is 28°C for living rooms and 26°C for the bedroom, according to the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE). Meanwhile, The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a temperature band of 18-24°C for thermal comfort and safety.
“Many social housing dwellings recorded indoor temperatures outside the recommended limits for safety and comfort for substantial periods,” says the study’s first author Dr Shamila Haddad.
Prolonged exposure to poor housing quality can have adverse health effects. Indoor overheating can lead to thermal discomfort and increase the risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality. Meanwhile, temperatures below 16°C may raise the risk of respiratory disease and vulnerability to infection from airborne pathogens.
“We know many people from low-income backgrounds are living in low-quality housing, and this impacts their health and quality of life,” says Scientia Professor Mat Santamouris, Anita Lawrence Chair in High Performance Architecture and senior author of the study.
Temperature extremes during summer and winter
Social housing tenants may be particularly vulnerable to health risks associated with poor air quality and building thermal performance. Risk factors for heat-related health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, tend to be more prevalent in low-income households. Social housing dwellings are also more likely to be located in areas with high exposure to the elements.
Most of the dwellings investigated in the study were built before 2000 and predate the introduction of building codes and minimum energy-efficiency standards at the national level. Mould and condensation, which are common issues in poor-quality dwellings, were also reported in 42 per cent of the residences.
“The housing quality is typically lower than general housing stock and can lack adequate ventilation and insulation, increasing the amount of heating and cooling needed to achieve comfortable and safe indoor temperatures,” Dr Haddad says.
The research also found many households experience energy poverty – where they struggle to afford the required energy services in their homes. Some used compensatory measures to minimise energy bills and escape overheated environments, including visiting shopping malls, seeking medical assistance, or skipping food and other essentials.
“Lower-income households may suffer from warmer homes during summer,” Dr Haddad says. “While thermal discomfort was reported, these low-income families limited their energy use by avoiding heating and cooling.
“As local and global temperatures continue to become more extreme, the findings suggest financially disadvantaged people living in poor-quality housing may be disproportionately affected.”
Improving thermal conditions in social housing
Indoor air temperature in naturally ventilated buildings highly depends on the quality of the building envelope and follows the pattern of the outdoor climate. With climate change expected to increase indoor overheating and discomfort further, there’s an urgent need to improve social housing dwellings to ensure healthy living conditions for residents and protect them from extreme temperatures, Dr Haddad says.
Improvements in building quality can reduce heating and cooling needs. Passive heating and cooling strategies, easy-to-apply insulation, materials and glazing are all cost-effective technologies that could be implemented to improve the thermal quality of housing while reducing energy demand.
“Enhancing housing energy efficiency can alleviate energy poverty and improve households’ health and wellbeing,” Dr Haddad says. “This should be the main goal of retrofit upgrades in the social housing sector.”
Dr Haddad says it would be more sustainable and cost-effective to prioritise refurbishing existing building stock over rebuilding. However, design standards must also be improved, and appropriate thermal performance mandated in the build quality of any new social housing construction.
More significant investment in urban heat mitigation could also minimise the impacts of poor-performing housing during warm periods. Results of previous studies in Sydney reveal that urban heat mitigation strategies, such as increasing green spaces and employing reflective materials for pavements and roofs, can reduce the peak ambient temperature by up to 3°C.
“In addition to housing quality, urban heat mitigation strategies also help decrease the health impact of very high temperatures, which would better protect the health of low-income people living in social housing,” Dr Haddad says.
Prof. Santamouris says other innovations could also help people from low-income backgrounds at risk of energy poverty, such as using smart meters to monitor indoor temperatures and supplying free electricity to occupants.
“Many European countries supply people from low-income backgrounds a certain level of fuel for free, or they give them a grant to buy electricity or fuel,” Prof. Santamouris says. “There used to be 50,000 deaths per year in the UK due to energy poverty. But now, because of these changes, this number has decreased dramatically.”
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Massachusetts Looks To Crackdown On Underage Sports Betting Gaming Today
Massachusetts Looks To Crackdown On Underage Sports Betting – Gaming Today https://collincountynewsonline.com/massachusetts-looks-to-crackdown-on-underage-sports-betting-gaming-today/
Sportsbook brand ambassadors are hand-picked for their appeal. Sports betting advertising recommendations pending in Massachusetts would make sure they appeal to bettors of legal age.
That could determine not only the face of Massachusetts sportsbooks, but where — and how often — sports betting ads run in the Bay State.
The proposed recommendations – presented to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) by its staff back in June – were shared today during an MGC roundtable discussion on responsible gaming related to sports wagering.
The strongest recommendations include the following:
Prohibit anyone who is, or appears to be, under age 21 from appearing in sports betting ads
Prohibit sports betting ads from using “images or likeness, symbols, role models, and/or celebrity/entertainer endorsers whose primary appeal is to minder, themes or language designed to appeal specifically to those under the age of 21”
Prohibit sports betting ads at college sports venues or via digital media “where the majority of the viewers or participants are presumed to be under the age of 21”
Prohibit sports betting ads on mobile apps, the internet, TV, radio, other electronic means, in print, or billboards unless “reliable and current” data shows that at least 85 percent of the audience is expected to be at least age 21
If approved by MGC in the coming weeks, the recommendations would beef up existing Massachusetts gaming regulations – now focused on casinos – that prohibit marketing and advertising aimed at persons under age 21 and persons on voluntary self-exclusion lists.
Underage Sports Betting A Wider Issue?
Massachusetts seems eager to get ahead of underage gambling problems reportedly plaguing other states.
A July 12 Stateline article published by the Pew Trusts reports that underage sports betting is on the rise in states where sportsbooks are now legal and operational. That list of states totals 33. Massachusetts – which legalized sports betting last month – will join the list once all sports betting regulations are in place.
“Between 60% and 80% of high school students report having gambled for money in the past year, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling,” the article says. “The group says the pandemic and easy access to online gambling have heightened risks for young adults.”
“The percentage of high school students with a gambling problem is double that of adults, research has found,” according to Stateline. “About 5% of all young people between 11 and 17 meet at least one of the criteria for a gambling problem, such as liking the rush felt when gambling, writing IOUs to stay in the game and wanting to win ‘the big one’ so much that they keep playing even when losing a great deal.”
That’s a real concern to Marlene Warner, the executive director of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health. The mother of two teenage sports fans said she is “concerned beyond belief” about the effect of sports betting advertising on children. Warner said she is already seeing sports betting ads at Fenway Park, on the internet, and elsewhere — and sports betting isn’t even operational yet in the commonwealth.
“I think we have to pay attention to the most vulnerable populations, youth being one of them,” she said. “I think the time for (MGC) to act upon this and think about bans or limitations on advertising is now, not until we have it all figured out.”
Massachusetts Regulations In Flux
The recommendations, if adopted, could eventually be wrapped into sports betting regulations now being drafted for approval by the MGC. But official action could still be weeks away.
Up to 225 regulations must be approved by the MGC before sportsbooks launch in the commonwealth. Each will likely be considered individually, allowing commissioners to decide if an emergency or permanent regulation is needed – although emergency regulations take effect more quickly.
The MGC approved its first sports betting regulation last week on an emergency basis. That regulation will allow the MGC to certify companies that will laboratory test sports betting equipment, by Massachusetts state law.
No launch date has been announced for Massachusetts sports betting.
Encryptus Becomes The First Institutional Grade Trading Desk To Enter The Bloktopia Metaverse GlobeNewswire
Encryptus Becomes The First Institutional Grade Trading Desk To Enter The Bloktopia Metaverse – GlobeNewswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/encryptus-becomes-the-first-institutional-grade-trading-desk-to-enter-the-bloktopia-metaverse-globenewswire/
Dubai, UAE, Sept. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The metaverse is rapidly growing to become a world phenomenon, ushering in a new era of the internet age. It is the revolutionary representation of the physical world vis-à-vis the progressing digital world.
The nascent emerging technology that is Web3 is the focal engine driving the speed at which the metaverse is developing. The metaverse is shaping up a new dimension of growth and opportunities for several industries — enabling people and businesses to connect, engage, collaborate and pilot innovation.
Recently, major Banks like DBS, JPMorgan and HSBC launched on the Metaverse. Gartner forecasts that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the Metaverse.
While the metaverse is still at the formative stage, forward-thinking companies such as Encryptus are taking advantage of the new opportunities in the ever-evolving sector. Launching its own virtual office in the metaverse, Encryptus has gone ahead to become the World’s first institutional desk to enter the sphere to offer Crypto Fiat services on the Bloktopia Metaverse.
The avant-garde trading desk offers crypto exchanges, high-net-worth individuals, sovereign wealth funds, venture capitalists, asset management companies, institutional investors, fund managers, and private investors a compliant and licensed crypto desk for converting their major crypto assets to fiat currency and fiat currency to cryptos.
With a core focus on technology, compliance, monitoring and sharing economy; Encryptus has automated the user journey right from onboarding to wallet whitelisting. The platform supports BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT and MATIC on the crypto side and supports GBP, EUR and USD on the fiat side
“We are excited to be the first crypto fiat trading platform to be on the Metaverse. As per one of the reports Metaverses in total are expected to host $800 billion worth of transactions by 2024. Encryptus is thrilled to be on Bloktopia’s Metaverse to start the Metarse journey. The guys have done a great job and are taking a progressing approach to host companies like us,” commented Shantnoo Saxsena, Founder of Encryptus.
Encryptus’s CMO; Abhinav Mehta commented “ We see metaverse as another operationally efficient vehicle to push crypto education and adoption. Beyond that, it will be a cardinal meeting point for ordinary individuals to converge, share ideas and learn. Soon we will be hosting Institutional Meetup and networking sessions in the Metaverse”
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Disclaimer : There is no offer to sell, no solicitation of an offer to buy, and no recommendation of any security or any other product or service in this article. This is not investment advice. Please do your own research.
Contact Details
Contact Person : Abhinav Metha
Email : abhi@encryptus.io
Company : Encryptus
Location : Dubai, UAE
40 Gifts For Teens – National Today https://collincountynewsonline.com/40-gifts-for-teens-national-today/
Do you remember when you were 15? What were you and your friends like? Most likely a pallet of people each with their distinctive characters, natures and pursuing their interests – whatever they might be.
And because you’ve once been there, you know that the teenager in your life doesn’t want to be seen as “just a kid”, they want to be acknowledged and respected and most of all, appreciated.
One way to appreciate your favorite teen is by getting them gifts. And this is where the hard work comes in; you can’t afford to buy the wrong gifts and get the “uncool adult” award. You need to buy the coolest gifts that they won’t roll their eyes at.
To help you get the best adult award, we’ve curated dozens of gifts that can be considered “cool” to your Gen-Z recipient. This list caters for teen boys and girls whether they’re into tech gadgets, games, beauty, sports, social media trends or even sleeping.
Our Top 3 Picks
Best
Air Force-1
It’s beautiful, fits all and goes with any outfit.
Buy it!
Also Great
Elago Charging Hub
It’s very useful and you don’t have to break the bank.
Buy it!
Good on a Budget
Humorous Christmas Survival Kit
It’s a humorous gift and it’s cost-effective.
Buy it!
Christmas Gifts for Teens
Humorous Christmas Survival Kit
Make your teen laugh this Christmas with Christmas complete in a can. Each can is loaded with cute souvenirs that will surely put a smile on anyone’s face. Wrapped as a Christmas Pudding, it comes with a cute red card which describes the witty sentiment behind the items included.
Get it from Etsy
AuKing Mini Projector
It’s the Christmas season and best belief, your teen will crave some special time out with friends. Help them share glad tidings with friends with this movie projector; they can have epic movie nights and watch the latest Christmas movie or their all-time fave on Christmas evening.
Get it from Amazon
Personalized Christmas Gnome Pajamas
Make your teenager go to bed in style during the Christmas period. You can even get this for every member of the family so you all can match and get a family picture.
Get it from Etsy
Personalized Christmas Mug
Who wouldn’t want their mug to have their name on it? We bet your teenager will not want to share this with anyone.
Get it from Etsy
Christmas Wine Rex Fleece Sweatshirts
If you want to buy them something they’ll end up wearing everywhere, every time, this is a good pick. Better still, buy this in different colors and they’re good to go!
Get it from Etsy
Birthday Gifts for Teens
Air Force 1
These classic sneakers in white never go out of style and will go with everything. These will be the sneakers topping their wish list! It’s for nearly every occasion; Ideal for class and stylish enough for their prom, your teen will wear their Airforce everywhere!
Get it from Nike
Apple Watch
If you have a little extra to spend and you want to go all out for your teen, get them a smartwatch. The Apple Watch is like a smartphone, wellness tracker, and music player all in one. They can customize the watch to their taste and preference.
Get it from Apple
Ray Ban Sunglasses
If your teen loves going to the beach, this is the best pick. These lightweight sunglasses are suitable for everyone; male, and female irrespective of their face shape.
Get it from Amazon
Birthdate Candles
Whether your teenage cousin is a budding astrologer, or she just loves reading her horoscope every day, this personalized gift will warm her heart. Select her birth date, and a scent you know she loves. It’ll also come with info about her sign, as well as her personality.
Get it from Birthdate.
Music amp design mini-fridge
This mini fridge will make your teen the envy of their friends – it’s designed to look like a music amp, adding style to their room decor and it’s also great for storing snacks and drinks for gaming or reading sessions in their bedroom.
Get it from Amazon
Cool Gifts for Teens
Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
Your music-lover teen will hug you tight when they receive this because it’s the coolest gift ever! This portable and waterproof speaker means they listen to their music and take it everywhere they go—even the shower!
Get it from Amazon
Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera
Don’t let your teen’s fun moments hide deep in their camera roll; help them print out their memories. If they’re the friend who documents everything; parties, sleepovers, vacations, etc., this instant-print camera will be put to good use.
Get it from Amazon
Beats Solo Pro Wireless Headphones
Does your teen make everyone listen to their “weird” music because they don’t own a headset? This noise-canceling technology is for them; it means they don’t hear you, and you don’t have to listen to their music. It’s a win-win!
Get it from Amazon
Sunset Lamp Projection
Strip lights are cool, sure, but this will be the coolest addition to your teenager’s room. This projection lamp with 16 different colors and three brightness settings doubles as room decor and trippy background lighting for pictures.
Get it from Amazon
Custom Headphone Stand
Personalize this wooden headphone stand with your teen’s name, nickname or a short phrase that matches their personality. This gift is for your gamer, DJ or music lover teen. You can even make this in their favorite color, including glow in the dark.
Get it from Etsy
Valentines Gifts for Teens
Spa Gift Basket
This Spa Gift Basket is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your teen to make the day special. Your gift will leave a lasting impact on your teen as they soon begin to use and enjoy the set.
Get it from Amazon
Matching Jewelry Set
If you have a little sister that’s a teenager, this is the best valentine’s gift for her. These two heart halves fit together to make a piece, just like you and your little sister do. It may be worn anywhere; school, work, church, etc
Get it from Amazon
Valentine Bath Bomb
This is perfect as a small gift on Valentine’s Day. Love is the most wonderful thing in the world! This charming pink heart bath bomb that smells divine is adorned with pink and red heart sprinkles for an extra special touch.
Get it from Etsy
Truffle Kit
If you are looking for a Valentine’s day gift for your chocolate addict teen, consider this truffle-making kit. They’re in for a treat with this easy-to-use kit that allows them to make a box of chocolate truffles at home.
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Personalized Valentine’s Day Mailbox
These mailboxes are adorable and perfect for a teen’s valentines day gift. They can double as card holders for Valentine’s cards to be exchanged at school, or as a gift holder for a special person on Valentine’s Day.
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Fun Gifts For Teens
Meta Quest 2: Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset
If you’ve got a metaverse-obsessed teen, this virtual reality headset is the ultimate fun gift. It’s wireless, has a high resolution, and has a library of 350+ gaming, social, and entertainment options for your teen’s fun times with friends.
Get it from Amazon
Mario Kart Pro Deluxe Steering Wheel
Help your teen experience a whole new way to play racing games on Nintendo with this Mario Kart steering wheel! It can be easily connected to the switch via USB and also comes with optional pedals for a smooth ride.
Get it from Amazon
Magneto Cruiser Longboard
Your adventurous, wannabe skater teen will have a blast cruising down the street on this longboard. It’s important to get them a helmet, too, while you’re at it.
Get it from Amazon
Hiboy S2 Lite Electric Scooter
The best option for the neighborhood gadabout. This scooter can run speeds of 13 mph and travel up to 10.6 miles on one charge, so they’ll ride it around town for hours.
Get it from Amazon
Nintendo Switch
This is for the teen that loves playing video games for fun. The Nintendo Switch can be enjoyed in the house or on the go, and can also connect up to eight consoles so they can play with friends, too.
Get it from Amazon
Electronic Gifts for Teens
HD Gaming Monitor
Looking to give your game-freak teen the ultimate gift? This HD gaming monitor will secure grins as you take your PC gamer’s play experience to a higher level. Trust them to boast about this gift to friends because the visuals in their game will pop off the screen and the monitor has a high refresh rate which means it can keep up with whatever kind of game; from high-octane battle scenes to speed-demon racing games.
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The Revlon one-step hair dryer brush
If your teen is just getting into hairstyling, getting them styling tools is a great idea. What’s not to love about this one-step tool that feels luxurious? Effective, easy-to-use, and designed for daily use and all hairstyles – a styling hero!
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Oral B Pro 1000 Electric Toothbrush
Strict dental hygiene isn’t usually a habit that tops the list of things teenagers care about, this is why a rechargeable toothbrush with a timer is a great gift. This brush breaks up 300% more plaque on the gum line than the traditional toothbrush and we bet they won’t stop smiling with their healthy teeth.
Get it from Amazon
Elago Charging Hub
With this one-stop power shop, your teen can keep their iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch close together and fully charged.
Get it from Amazon
Ring light with Tripod
Whether your teen spends their time making videos for social media or learning online, good lighting is essential for their next vlogging session or virtual e-learning day, it’s also an amazing addition to their selfie sesh.
Get it from Amazon
Outdoor Gifts for Teens
Blue Speed Racer Boomerang
This easy-to-use boomerang is perfect for your teen for their outdoor playtime. It also comes with a 24-page manual on how to throw a boomerang.
Get it from Amazon
Slammo Game Set
This new game will be a bang for your teen and their ...
Ethereum Crypto Price Prediction 2022 Will ETH Surpass $2000? Cryptonews
Ethereum Crypto Price Prediction 2022 – Will ETH Surpass $2,000? – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/ethereum-crypto-price-prediction-2022-will-eth-surpass-2000-cryptonews/
Ethereum holders have been drumming up a lot of excitement and interest as the Merge event nears. Whilst Ethereum is down 6.81% on the 24-hour time frame, ETH has still moved up 2.96% against Bitcoin.
Will Ethereum surpass the $2,000 price levels once again?
Since November 2021 Ethereum has been in a macro-downtrend and has struggled to see sustenance beyond the 20-day moving average on the weekly time frame.
Many speculate Ethereum had already hit its bottom at $882 on the 18th June, this is a total correction of 81.67% from the all-time high of $4,871 set on the Coinbase exchange on the 10th November 2021.
Resilient investors who scooped up Ethereum at $882 would still be up by 80% today even with the persisting bearish sentiment in the crypto markets.
ETH/USD – Weekly Time Frame.
Just recently Ethereum lost a critical support level of $1,704 which has now been flipped into resistance. With the bears temporarily in control, there is a threat that we could see Ethereum head down to the $1,411 support range if there is negative price continuation.
If however, the Merge is a succesful price catalyst and the resistance of $1,704 is broken there is a good chance that Ethereum might rally up to $2,174 which is a resistance written in from the 23rd January 2022.
Ethereum now resides within a horizontal channel which is a consolidation pattern. The recent loss of price structure reminds me of the 7th of September where Ethereum came down to $1,490 and then rallied back up to $1,790.
As we can see, there is a good chance that we might see a bullish reversal here at these lower levels which could soar the price of Ethereum back towards the $2,000 levels of the bulls can take full control.
The relative-strength index also sits at 33.26 which is leaning towards oversold. This could reflect that current price levels might be good for dollar cost averaging.
Ideally, it would be very good to see Ethereum break through the resistance of the horizontal channel at $1,629 and retest the $1,704 resistance level before seeing potential continuation towards the $2,000 mark.
Crypto Influencers Buy More Ethereum
With the Merge only 1 day and 9 hours away more and more eyes begin to watch the price action of Ethereum.
According to Coinmarketcap Ethereum is $1,596 and has a market capital of $195 billion. Over the last 24 hours Ethereum has seen an increase of trading volume by 25.18% which is another bullish sign that a rally could potentially be on the way.
Many crypto influencers have also been Tweeting about the Ethereum Merge generating more hype and euphoria around the movement.
For example crypto analyst @MartiniGuyYT has purchased another $600,000 and it could be speculate that the motive behind buying Ethereum is the Ethereum Merge.
The performance of Ethereum is extremely volatile at the moment as tension around the Ethereum merge increases.
Historical data suggests that September is also one of the worst months for high-risk assets like cryptocurrency. On the positive side, October, November and December are usually much healthier looking and more rewarding.
Ethereum Crypto Video Analysis
With enough community morale and bullish momentum Ethereum should be able to reclaim the $2,000 price levels. However, we are still in a crypto winter so naturally we are going to see rejections at resistance levels.
I speculate that Ethereum will chop between $1,250-2,000 for the remainder of 2022. If you wish to maximize your exposure to the Ethereum merge you could potentially look into adding Polygon to your portfolio as there is a positive correlation between their price structure.
An alternative option to Ethereum which might provide a higher return for 2022 is the Tamadoge presale.
Starbucks Projects Profit Growth From Tech Stores Workers Spending Reuters
Starbucks Projects Profit Growth From Tech, Stores, Workers Spending – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/starbucks-projects-profit-growth-from-tech-stores-workers-spending-reuters/
Starbucks employees who support unionization protest in the company’s hometown ahead of Investor Day, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. September 12, 2022. REUTERS/Hilary Russ
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SEATTLE, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) projects profits to grow between 15% to 20% per share over the next three years, a significant increase from previous guidance based on spending plans of $2.5 to $3 billion over the same period on technology, new stores and renovations, the coffee chain said on Tuesday.
The company is introducing technology to speed up production of its increasingly popular cold beverages and send digital orders away from busy locations as it seeks to prevent U.S. cafes from being overwhelmed by orders and improve working conditions for employees, it announced during its Investor Day event.
The Seattle-based company expects to return $20 billion to investors via share buybacks and dividends from fiscal 2023 to 2025. Wall Street analysts had largely expected earnings updates to be in line with previous guidance of 10 to 12% growth.
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A surge in digital orders, which now make up nearly a quarter of all orders, has helped the coffee chain gain market share during the COVID-19 pandemic but has also led to barista burnout and strained the physical capacity at older stores.
The company is exploring “load balancing” technology that can send orders to stores that have capacity to actually fulfill them – instead of to stores already being slammed by drive-thru customers, for instance, Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre said in an interview with Reuters.
“REINVENTION” OF STARBUCKS SINCE PANDEMIC
The pandemic changed customer behavior, leading to a deluge of mobile, delivery and drive-thru orders, as well as an increase in cold beverages and customized coffee drinks.
Calling it a “reinvention,” the company laid out a sweeping plan spearheaded by interim Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz, who will be replaced by Laxman Narasimhan in April.
The plan includes new equipment to heat food faster with less plastic waste, new store designs with larger shelves for orders and additional employee benefits.
A new system for iced coffee drinks shaves nearly a minute off the time it takes to make a Mocha Frappuccino, down to 35 seconds. Baristas would no longer need to haul a bucket of ice to the station every hour because the ice will be automatically fed into the new equipment.
Another machine, which brews hot coffee one cup at a time instead of in bulk batches and eliminates paper filters, is being tested in Minneapolis locations and could be rolled out next year.
Starbucks is on pace to reach 45,000 stores by the end of fiscal 2025 – or nearly eight new stores per day – it said. That includes a net new 2,000 new U.S. stores and some delivery-only locations.
In China, it plans to nearly double the number of stores to 9,000 – or one new store nearly every nine hours.
UNION BACKDROP
Employees at 236 stores voted to join a union over the past year, out of Starbucks’ nearly 9,000 corporate-owned U.S. locations. Conversely, 52 stores voted against unionizing, according to National Labor Relations Board data.
Frank Britt, brought in by Schultz to lead the company’s transformation strategy, said workers know how to solve the company’s problems because they are on the front line.
“A lot of the concerns the partners have, whether they’re affiliated with the union or not, are valid concerns. We agree, there’s a trust deficit,” he said in an interview.
Union members have been holding protests this week to bring attention to their demands. Billie Adeosun, a Starbucks employee since 2015 who works at a unionized location in Olympia, said on Monday higher wages were a top priority.
The company has lifted pay to an average of nearly $17 across non-unionized U.S. locations. Starbucks says the law prohibits it from offering increased benefits to unionized workers without bargaining over them. read more
“We know that these benefits or higher wages… wouldn’t even exist without unions,” said Adeosun, who makes $15 an hour. “We’ve been able to shine a spotlight on this company and show that they’re not the liberal company they claim to be.”
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Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Josie Kao
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Tech News: 5 Things To Know In Australia Today Gizmodo Australia
Tech News: 5 Things To Know In Australia Today – Gizmodo Australia https://collincountynewsonline.com/tech-news-5-things-to-know-in-australia-today-gizmodo-australia-3/
Hello, it’s Wednesday and we’ve got some tech news to share.
1. NASA has a new target date to launch SLS megarocket
After two failed attempts to launch its mega Moon rocket, NASA is planning for a third go at its inaugural Artemis mission. The space agency is now hoping to test the rocket on September 21 (September 22 for us) and finally launch it to space six days later, with a backup opportunity in early October. That is if Space Force agrees.
— NASA (@NASA) September 12, 2022
2. Uber pays $150m in ‘drivers are workers’ suit
Uber agreed to pay New Jersey $US100 million (around $150 million) in back taxes over claims the company misclassified thousands of drivers as independent contractors between 2014-2018. That mischaracterisation may have prevented thousands of workers from being able to receive critical resources like unemployment, disability and family leave insurance. We’ve seen similar here in Australia.
3. Intel self-leaks upcoming 13th-gen i5, i7, i9 CPU specs
Intel accidentally dropped details for its upcoming slate of desktop processors on its Canadian site, and though the company was quick to pull the specs, the Internet Archive has your back for those looking to see the original version. We break down what to expect over here.
4. Get your hands on one of Elon Musk’s family jewels
Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves. For a limited time only, you can purchase an emerald necklace allegedly derived from the Musk family jewel mine. The necklace is being sold off through RR Auction house under the header “a golden gift from the future Tesla CEO” by Jennifer Gwynne, one of Elon Musk’s college ex-girlfriends. The lot including the piece of jewellery also comes with an original photo of Gwynne, Elon Musk and his mother, Maye.
5. The climate is going in the ‘wrong direction’
The impacts of climate change are “heading into uncharted territories of destruction”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned after the release of a multi-agency scientific report. As reported by the ABC, the report said the world is “going in the wrong direction” on climate change. The ABC lists some startling stats such as “The past seven years were the warmest on record” and “planet-warming emissions have since soared beyond pre-pandemic levels”. Ugh.
BONUS ITEM: This one is for the gamers in the audience – PlayStation State of Play is happening right now. If you miss the stream, head over to Kotaku AU for full coverage.
State of Play is about to begin. Tune in live: https://t.co/jwYkptlXoL pic.twitter.com/rti8taf6tE
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 13, 2022
See you tomorrow.
Gaming Commission Hears From Experts Learn Little Sports Betting Research Exists Boston Herald
Gaming Commission Hears From Experts, Learn Little Sports Betting Research Exists – Boston Herald https://collincountynewsonline.com/gaming-commission-hears-from-experts-learn-little-sports-betting-research-exists-boston-herald/
The state Gaming Commission got an earful Tuesday.
“This was very informative. I’ve taken more notes today than I think I’ve ever taken in my year’s time here,” Commissioner Brad Hill said.
“I just want to second everything that commissioner Hill just said,” Commissioner Nakisha Skinner responded.
In August, Massachusetts became the 36th U.S. state to legalize bets on professional sports and some college sports.
The gaming commission, which will oversee implementation of the new law and deal with licensing, met Tuesday to hear from a panel of experts on the subject of gambling addiction and problem gambling.
Stressed heavily to the commissioners was the fact that little research has been done on the subject of sports betting, but apparent from what information is available is that so-called “voluntary self-exclusion” from gambling programs do not work as well as intended.
“The academic literature in this field is very thin and very young,” Alan Feldman, distinguished fellow of responsible gaming at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, told commissioners. “What we believe we may ‘know’ may actually not turn out to be true in six months’ or six years’ time, depending on how our research is able to continue to guide us.”
Still, Feldman and others said that the nature of sports betting — often conducted on a mobile device — lends itself to finding a way around established exclusion programs and that the state’s current model, employed at casinos, probably wouldn’t work as well for sports betting.
Further, sports betting advertising, commissioners were told, is effective at luring new gamblers, doesn’t take into account problem gamblers, and often falls outside the scope of regulatory agencies.
This comes as new research shows that the rate of sports betting in Massachusetts is going up ahead of the law’s implementation.
UMass Amherst’s Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts project last week reported to the commission that upwards of 20% of residents bet on sports, a number they say is rising and “similar to the prevalence rate in other states where sports betting has been legally operational for several years.”
“Coincident with the national increase in sports betting participation, there is evidence of some increase in national as well as Massachusetts-specific levels of gambling-related harm,” the study authors wrote.
The report also noted that populations not already prone to gambling, such as adolescents, young adults, women, immigrants, individuals in recovery from gambling problems, and college athletes” are disproportionately affected by advertising.
No vote was taken by the commission, which has not been specific on when sports betting will go live in the commonwealth.
Fords Garage Celebrates Neighborhood celebs With Specialty Burgers For National Cheeseburger Day Plano Magazine
Ford’s Garage Celebrates Neighborhood “celebs” With Specialty Burgers For National Cheeseburger Day – Plano Magazine https://collincountynewsonline.com/fords-garage-celebrates-neighborhood-celebs-with-specialty-burgers-for-national-cheeseburger-day-plano-magazine/
National Cheeseburger Day is September 18, and Ford’s Garage is bringing out a special burger menu that celebrates Plano’s neighborhood “celebrities.”
Ford’s Garage has named 12 of its burgers after people of Plano from Ford enthusiasts to teachers of the year and first responders.
The Model “A” celebrates John Crowe, President of Dallas Model A Ford Club.
The Black-N-Bleu celebrates Jim Skinner, Collin County Sheriff.
The Ford’s Signature celebrated Ericka Lindsey, 2021 Teacher of the Year at Vines High School.
The Patty Melt celebrates Trey Russell, General Manager of Sam Pack’s Ford Carrollton.
The High-Octane celebrates Chris Biggerstaff, Plano Fire Chief.
The Mushroom Swiss celebrates Mark Thompson, Executive Director of Visit Plano.
The Jiffy Burger celebrates Sierra Imper, 2021 Teacher of the Year at Rose Haggar Elementary.
The BBQ Brisket celebrates Angie Speer, President of the Humane Society of Dallas. The American Standard celebrates Phil Sweeney, President of the North Texas Mustang Club.
The Bison Bacon celebrates Ed Drain, Plano Chief of Police.
The Estate Burger celebrates Kelle Marsalis, President & CEO of Plano Chamber of Commerce.
The Green and Clean celebrates Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of North Texas Food Bank.
These fresh, never frozen, half pound Prime Burgers are available all day Saturday.
Amtrak Train Cancellations: A Rail Strike Threatens More Disruptions The Washington Post
Amtrak Train Cancellations: A Rail Strike Threatens More Disruptions – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/amtrak-train-cancellations-a-rail-strike-threatens-more-disruptions-the-washington-post/
Hundreds of Amtrak passengers had their plans ruined Tuesday after the railroad canceled more cross-country trains ahead of a possible strike that threatens to bring painful disruptions to the nation’s passenger rail.
Major regional train systems also warned passengers to plan for alternate travel later this week, citing the potential of rail lines shutting down Friday if a strike isn’t averted. The escalating labor dispute between freight railroads and the unions representing their workers could alter travel and commuting plans for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Most Amtrak routes outside the Northeast Corridor and many commuter rail systems — including Chicago’s Metra and those serving Washington’s Maryland and Virginia suburbs — use tracks owned by freight lines. The freight industry has warned that a labor walkout as early as Friday would shut down 30 percent of the country’s freight and “halt most passenger and commuter rail services.” No deal had been reached by Tuesday evening.
Amtrak’s first round of cancellations, announced Monday, began to hit U.S. stations Tuesday, with trips canceled on three long-distance trains connecting Chicago to the West Coast. The carrier announced another round of cancellations for Wednesday on those routes and seven other long-distance routes. The company said it was pulling the multiday train trips “to avoid possible passenger disruptions while on route.”
Patrick Bayer, 33, received an alert about 11 a.m. Tuesday that his train from Chicago to Seattle was canceled, prompting a dash to book a flight to Seattle for a work conference. Bayer had carefully planned a mini-train vacation aboard the Empire Builder before the conference.
“It is frustrating,” said Bayer, a data analyst from Philadelphia, who noted he was looking forward to his third cross-country train trip and the views of the Mississippi River, the Minneapolis skyline and Glacier National Park. With his bags packed, he also had to cancel an early-Wednesday flight from Philadelphia to Chicago, where he was to board the train.
“I had to scramble this morning and switch it around to flights, unfortunately, when the train got canceled,” he said.
The service reduction affects 10 of Amtrak’s 15 long-distance routes, but the company said adjustments are possible to all long-distance and most state-funded routes.
Bayer considered rebooking his train travel to Thursday but said it became clear Amtrak’s travels to the Pacific Northwest are likely to continue the rest of the week. After a presidential board recommended a compromise between freight companies and unions, 10 of the 12 unions involved in talks have signed on, but the two largest have rejected offers. A federally mandated “cooling-off” period ends Friday, opening the possibility of a nationwide strike or lockout.
If the freight railroads’ dispatchers — whose job is to route trains — aren’t working, passenger trains probably couldn’t operate on freight tracks.
Amid the uncertainty, some regional transportation agencies are alerting passengers about shutdowns, while others say they are trying to assess the scope of any disruption.
The Maryland Department of Transportation said freight railroad CSX notified it about the potential for a strike beginning Friday. The state said a strike would result in the “immediate suspension” of all service on two of its three MARC commuter lines serving the District — one to Baltimore and another to Martinsburg, W.Va.
The Virginia Railway Express in Northern Virginia said CSX and Norfolk Southern have notified VRE of the potential for the labor strike, which would result in the suspension of all VRE train service until a resolution is reached.
“We of course hold out hope for a resolution,” the agency said in a notice to passengers. “VRE recommends riders plan for alternative commute options in the event of a strike. We will continue to monitor the situation as events unfold and will keep our riders informed.”
Metrolink, a network of seven lines serving Los Angeles and other Southern California communities, warned customers last week of the potential for disruptions. Five of the system’s seven lines use tracks owned by freight railroads, meaning as much as 70 percent of customers could be affected.
“We are largely working from a position of darkness,” agency spokesman Scott Johnson said, adding that the agency would not be able to provide alternative transportation, such as buses, in the event of a strike. “Because of the possible expansive nature and the high number of trains, there simply are not enough buses to provide alternative service.”
Not every commuter rail operation would be affected. RTD, the transit agency serving Denver, said it didn’t expect its lines to suffer during a strike. The nation’s biggest transit operator, New York’s MTA, said its two commuter rail services also were not expected to be affected. New Jersey Transit also didn’t expect disruptions.
A strike would also leave much of the Northeast Corridor mostly unscathed because Amtrak owns the tracks, although minor schedule changes are likely on a small number of Northeast Regional trains serving destinations from Virginia to Boston. Amtrak will let passengers change their reservation free for departures scheduled through Oct. 31
Amtrak said Tuesday it is closely monitoring the labor negotiations over pay and working conditions. Amtrak operates the vast majority of its 21,000 route-miles on track owned, maintained and dispatched by freight railroads.
Amtrak officials said the carrier will operate those week only services that will have enough time to reach their final destination. Passengers affected include those with trips aboard the Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, California Zephyr, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Lake Shore, Silver Star, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle.
“While we are hopeful that parties will reach a resolution, Amtrak has now begun phased adjustments,” the company said in a Tuesday statement. “These adjustments are necessary to ensure trains can reach their terminals before freight railroad service interruption if a resolution in negotiations is not reached.”
The possible strike and early train cancellations spiked anxiety among travelers.
“We’re traveling from WAS to NWK next week and I’m starting to get a little nervous that our train is going to be canceled,” a Maryland passenger tweeted at Amtrak on Tuesday afternoon.
Another passenger who had departed New York said he was stuck in Chicago, where his train to Seattle was canceled. “Was looking forward to this for over a year — sad doesn’t begin to describe it lol,” the passenger tweeted.
Others pleaded for more information about the status of trains later in the week, while some questioned why Amtrak was canceling trains scheduled to arrive at destinations before any strike. Amtrak’s long-distance trains often arrive late to their destinations.
Jim Mathews, president and chief executive of the Rail Passengers Association, said canceling trains early in the week makes sense to avoid a scenario in which rail passengers could become stranded.
“It’s better to cancel some trains now than to send some people out onto the road and then have them stranded in the middle of nowhere because the strike has hit, and the train can’t move anymore,” he said. “Meanwhile, we all keep our fingers crossed that finally [the railroads and labor unions] get to a settlement.”
The disruptions come as demand for intercity trains is on the rise as the industry faces uncertainties because of staffing shortages.
A third of Amtrak customers encountered delays in July, according to performance data, with an average delay of 71 minutes. Disruptions are more pronounced for travelers on long-distance routes — which are late more than half the time — and in parts of the country outside the Northeast Corridor.
Ian Duncan contributed to this report.
Hancock Lumber Announces It Is Acquiring Madison Lumber Mill Conway Daily Sun
Hancock Lumber Announces It Is Acquiring Madison Lumber Mill – Conway Daily Sun https://collincountynewsonline.com/hancock-lumber-announces-it-is-acquiring-madison-lumber-mill-conway-daily-sun/
CASCO, Maine — Two of New England’s top performing eastern white pine manufacturing facilities will be stronger together as Hancock Lumber announced its plans to acquire Madison Lumber Mill.
Hancock Lumber’s eastern white pine operations will expand to four mills with its first sawmill acquisition in over 20 years.
Healthy Habits Cameron Diaz Lives By To Look And Feel Her Best At 50 Eat This Not That Eat This Not That
Healthy Habits Cameron Diaz Lives By To Look And Feel Her Best At 50 — Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That https://collincountynewsonline.com/healthy-habits-cameron-diaz-lives-by-to-look-and-feel-her-best-at-50-eat-this-not-that-eat-this-not-that/
We can all learn more than a thing or two from Cameron Diaz about longevity, and the reasons are strong. The celeb retired from the big screen a few years back to make spending more time embracing life a priority. But Diaz recently appeared as a guest judge on season 7 of “Drag Race All Stars,” giving some solid tips to contestants, and fans were all about it. She will also “un-retire” to star in a new action-comedy film called “Back in Action” with Jamie Foxx.
The talented actress has brought us so many favorite roles we’ve loved, including “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “My Sister’s Keeper,” “There’s Something about Mary,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and lots more. But there are Some Things about Cameron Diaz you may not know about. For one, she loves to cook. She’s also dealt with issues many of us had, revealing in The Body Book, “I had terrible, terrible, skin. It was embarrassing, and I did everything I could think of to make it go away. I tried to cover it with makeup” (via Women’s Health).
Diaz is also an absolute empowering role model when it comes to leading a healthy life. With just one look at her Instagram page, you can clearly see the actress, author, and mom does not look even close to 50 years of age. Keep reading to learn more about the celeb’s healthy habits.
Amanda Edwards / Contributor
Cameron Diaz has not skipped a single beat. She lives and breathes healthy lifestyle habits and even wrote a book about it called The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time, which comes after her #1 New York Times bestseller, The Body Book. In The Longevity Book, Diaz explores both the science and art of aging and suggests solid steps to live your best, healthiest, and most resilient life as you grow older.
Related: George Clooney Is Living His Best Life at 61 and These Are His Secrets
Maintaining a healthy diet geared towards longevity is a priority in this star’s life and books. Diaz sticks to the Mediterranean diet, consuming protein, whole grains, fresh produce, and healthy fats (via FoodsForBetterHealth). One of her favorite staples is brown rice couscous. She stays away from processed foods, late-night eating, and sweets. Breakfast for the celeb is typically oatmeal or avocado toast, and as a side note, she enjoys seasoning her avocados with lemon and salt.
It’s all about an 80/20 rule when it comes to eating, which shows us that Cameron Diaz is totally human like the rest of us. Her concept is that 80% of her diet consists of the healthy stuff. The other 20% is sheer fun and guilty pleasures, like a cheeseburger or bean burrito. She enjoys cooking, and spends weekend time preparing homemade meals for the week.
Related: The Healthy Habits of Harrison Ford Make Indiana Jones Look Great at 80
Cameron Diaz gets her beauty sleep, saying in The Body Book, “We spend a good portion of our lives asleep—or trying to sleep—and the quality of that time spent sleeping determines our mood and our mental sharpness, and not just the next morning but the next years of our life” (via Women’s Health).
Live with the concept that you’re not getting older—you’re getting better! Cameron Diaz practices what she preaches, and a good example is the thoughts of Dr. Becca Levy, who states in Diaz’s new book that individuals who are positive-minded and maintain optimistic views about growing older age better physically (via FoodsForBetterHealth).
Diaz is pretty thought-provoking when it comes to growing older in The Body Book, saying, “A lot of us fear the idea of aging—getting older, being less mobile, having less energy, and being less of ourselves. But I look at aging like this: getting older is a blessing and a privilege, and if you lay the foundation for a healthy life in your younger years, your older years may very well be some of the best of your life. And the point I’m making is not about keeping up your youthful appearance. This is not about beauty and the aesthetics of our bodies. I want you to feel young. I want you to feel strong. I for one can say honestly that I feel better and stronger and more capable now than I did when I was twenty years old, because I’ve taken better care of myself in the last fifteen years than I did in the first twenty-six years of my life.”
As if Cameron Diaz couldn’t get any cooler, she’s the co-founder/creator of organic wine brand, Avaline Wines, which she heavily promotes on her IG. Diaz is quoted saying on Avaline’s website, “The wine industry allows over 70 ingredients or additives to be added to a bottle, without disclosing any of them to the drinker. So we have quite the long list of ‘no’s.’ For Avaline, it’s pretty simple, our grapes are never treated with harsh chemical pesticides, we never use animal by-products, and we never add colors, concentrates or unnecessary sugars.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
American Legion | News Sports Jobs SANIBEL-CAPTIVA Sanibel-Captiva Islander
American Legion | News, Sports, Jobs – SANIBEL-CAPTIVA – Sanibel-Captiva Islander https://collincountynewsonline.com/american-legion-news-sports-jobs-sanibel-captiva-sanibel-captiva-islander-2/
By POST 123 – | Sep 13, 2022
The American Legion Post 123, at 4929 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, presents the following:
– Sept. 14: General meeting at 6 p.m.
– Sept. 18: Southern fried chicken from noon to 7 p.m.
Food is served from noon to 8 p.m., with steak/cheesesteak sandwiches on Fridays and tacos on Tuesdays. There are also daily specials and half-pound burgers.
Nine-ball casual play on Mondays at 6 p.m.; two pool tables are available for use.
The new American Legion eligibility date is Nov. 11, 1918, through today’s current date. All veterans are welcome to become a member. For more information, contact Tim or Randy at 239-472-9979.
American flags that need to be retired can be dropped off.
Open to the public, hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Legion includes a “no smoking” facility.
For more information, call 239-472-9979 or visit “American Legion Post 123 Sanibel Florida” on Facebook.
Meta And Instagram Talk Metaverse Beauty Potential Over Next 10-15 Years CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com
Meta And Instagram Talk Metaverse Beauty Potential Over Next 10-15 Years – CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/meta-and-instagram-talk-metaverse-beauty-potential-over-next-10-15-years-cosmeticsdesign-europe-com/
The metaverse – a largely undefined space based on virtual-reality (VR) and touted to become the next generation of internet – had already sparked plenty of interest worldwide. And for beauty, brands and experts were joined in their excitement for the plethora of opportunities in terms of consumer engagement, community building and creative empowerment.
But whilst promise was evident, everyone still agreed the space remained nascent.
The next generation of computing platform
Ian Edwards, global connection planning director at Meta, said new computing platforms tended to arrive every 15 years or so, with the last “fundamentally new platform” being the arrival of the iPhone in 2007. The metaverse, Edwards said, would likely be next.
“While 2022 is not the year of the metaverse, as 2007 was not the year of the phone, we believe it is the start of the beginning,” Edwards told attendees at Meta’s House of Instagram event during British Beauty Week.
“…2022 is the beginning of the change, not the change itself, and that is really, really important context. Change will come, hopefully we can agree on that, but what will it be like? And why will it lead to the metaverse?”
Because, he said, the metaverse solved the problems of its predecessors – critical for any new technology to scale and replace what went before.
Live connections and digital identities
Grace Kao, head of global business marketing for Instagram, said the metaverse, once fully established, would offer users fresh ways to experience live digital connections using Virtual Reality (VR) tech, stretching way beyond current video calling and instant messaging services.
“Anyone with experience in VR will know you feel so much more present, being able to dive into virtual spaces. I actually think this is really interesting for the communities on Instagram (…) You’ll be able to hang out with anyone, anywhere, and feel like we are present,” Kao said during the event.
And this evolution, she said, would also transform how users experienced live events. “On Instagram, we’re making live streaming more social, where people can comment and interact. But in the future, we will increasingly be able to feel like we are physically in a live space; where the event is happening, with other people all at different locations.”
Beyond this, Kao said the metaverse would offer richer storytelling potential and therefore more promise for creating digital identities, amongst individual users but also brands.
“A really important bridge will be around identity, and this will be a really important part of the metaverse. This is clearly an important area for the individual and it’s also a big opportunity for brands,” she said.
“As I’m sure you all know, avatars are the way we represent ourselves in the metaverse and this is an area where we are investing a lot of time and resources – to increase the options (…) How you show up is really important and we’re opening up opportunities for brands to be a part of this space.”
The rise of digital collectibles like NFTs [non-fungible tokens] would also build out potential for richer identities in the metaverse, she said – another area Instagram and Meta were focusing on closely.
Immersive experiences and experiential marketing
Overarching connection and identity was the concept of experience – an area that would soon become more immersive with the evolution of the metaverse, according to Edwards.
And this space that had already seen widespread innovation from major businesses and brands worldwide, he said. Balenciaga, for example, had presented its Autumn collections via VR – showcasing its latest pieces in a dystopian digital world and bringing a “really immersive experience to their audience”, he said.
What Balenciaga had done here was “just the start” of how the metaverse could “transform experiential marketing” on a significant scale with greatly reduced costs, he said.
Many other brands had also already started working with Augmented Reality (AR) to add a “level of depth” to campaigns, Edwards said, which helped move some hard metrics like consideration and conversion. More work with AR experiences might also lead to product innovation, he said, as brands worked harder on how to “show up” in the digital world.
“…I think this is just the start and there are many things in this space that are yet to come, and for us yet to imagine.”
A ‘process of exploration’ for brands
So, how far off was this world of immersive experiences and digital community? Likely over a decade, according to the Meta executive.
“We are clearly still a long way off, perhaps 10-15 years, from this being fully realised,” Edwards said. “Today, there are many new and exciting opportunities for brands to connect with their customers, and some of these that exist today will become the building blocks for the metaverse.”
This year and beyond, he said, was simply the start of the movement towards a fully-functioning and connected metaverse; it would just need “time to scale”.
In the meantime, he said there was plenty to get involved with and explore already. “Brands need to start working with more immersive technologies like AR; work with brands in this space to get a deeper, richer understanding of what is possible. And from this process of exploration, start to imagine what the metaverse could mean for your business and all of these incredibly exciting and interesting opportunities,” he said.
Deal Alert: Save Big On Garmin During Its Birthday Sale Autoweek.com
Deal Alert: Save Big On Garmin During Its Birthday Sale – Autoweek.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/deal-alert-save-big-on-garmin-during-its-birthday-sale-autoweek-com/
For some of us, the brand ‘Garmin’ represents the leader in automotive GPS devices, a distinction they have earned over the years. What you might not know is Garmin makes all kinds of cool gadgets. These range from fitness watches, to fish-finders, and even bike trainers!
Thankfully for us, Garmin is celebrating with its Birthday Sale now through September 18th. What does this mean? Just a site-wide sale—with some of the top products slashed down hundreds of dollars.
We’ve combed through Garmin’s Birthday Sale listings and picked out some of our favorites:
Garmin Drive 52
5-inch screen might be hard to see for some
Garmin DriveTrack 71
In-vehicle dog tracker when paired with Garmin GPS dog system
TOPO maps available for US and southern Canada
TOPO maps sold separately
STRIKER Cast GPS
200-foot castable range
Pairs with free app for viewing on Android or Apple devices
Don’t drop your phone in the water!
Forerunner® 735XT
Wrist-based heart rate monitor
Ideal for athletes
Face pixelation seems noticable
And these are just a few products—Garmin has even more discounted on their site. They’re also offering free ground shipping for orders $25 and up.
With the holidays sneaking around the corner, this might be a great time to pick up a GPS for an easily lost friend, a fish-finder for your family fisherman, or just treat yourself to a new smart watch. Whatever the case may be, just know you’ll be saving some nice cash.
As we all know, birthdays don’t last forever—and it’s true in Garmin’s case too. These deals will only be live until Sunday, September 18, so you’ll want to scoop them up quick. For deals with these kinds of discounts, you don’t want to pass them up.
41 Cool Car Accessories You Didn’t Know You Needed
Collin Morgan Collin Morgan is the Assistant Commerce Editor at Hearst Autos, where he presents the best gear for your automotive endeavors.
Norway Experiments With An ETH-Based CBDC While Russia Looks To Clarify Crypto Regulations Kitco NEWS
Norway Experiments With An ETH-Based CBDC While Russia Looks To Clarify Crypto Regulations – Kitco NEWS https://collincountynewsonline.com/norway-experiments-with-an-eth-based-cbdc-while-russia-looks-to-clarify-crypto-regulations-kitco-news/
Editor’s Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today’s must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here!
(Kitco News) – The central bank of Norway has released the open source code for the country’s new central bank digital currency (CBDC) sandbox, and curiously to some, the nation’s new CBDC prototype infrastructure is based on Ethereum technology.
The sandbox is now publicly available on GitHub and is designed to “allow for the testing of basic token management use cases, including minting, burning and transferring ERC-20 tokens,” according to a blog post from the Norges Bank’s official CBDC partner Nahmii.
Along with deploying the appropriate smart contracts and access controls, the Norges Bank sandbox also includes a custom frontend and network monitoring tools like BlockScout and Grafana.
The frontend, designed to offer a clear and intuitive interface for interacting with the test network, also “shows a filterable summary of transactions on the network,” according to Nahmii.
Nahmii noted that the current version of the code does not support the major Ethereum wallet MetaMask, by design, and is “only accessible by users with appropriate credentials,” meaning that “Transactions on the test network are therefore private.”
Norges Bank officially announced its plans to conduct CBDC tests in April 2021 and indicated that it expected to find a preferred solution by trialing different designs over the next two years.
A working paper issued by the bank in November 2021 identified several possible CBDC designs, including those based on the Ethereum, Bitcoin and Bitcoin SV blockchains.
Leading financial institutions back the launch of a new digital asset exchange
Russia looks to establish crypto regulations by years end
The new week has brought yet another crypto-related announcement out of Russia, as Tuesday saw Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin officially order the government to come to a consensus regarding cryptocurrency regulation in the country by Dec. 19.
Mishustin directly called on the Duma and other state authorities to create a coordinated policy on regulating the issuance and circulation of digital currencies within the country and to finalize regulations for crypto mining and cross-border transactions in digital currencies.
Importantly, the prime minister emphasized that the regulations need to be aligned with the Bank of Russia, the Russian Finance Ministry, Anti-Money Laundering authority Rosfinmonitoring, the Federal Tax Service and the Federal Security Service.
This is the latest significant crypto-related development to come out of Russia and follows last week’s revelation that the Bank of Russia agreed with the finance ministry to legalize cryptocurrency for cross-border payments.
Russia’s Finance Ministry also recently revealed that it has begun working with governments of “friendly” nations to create a cross-border stablecoin-based payment platform.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
