Collin County News Online

Oil Extends Advance As Weaker US Dollar Offsets Demand Concerns – Bloomberg https://collincountynewsonline.com/oil-extends-advance-as-weaker-us-dollar-offsets-demand-concerns-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Reuters US Domestic News Summary – Devdiscourse https://collincountynewsonline.com/reuters-us-domestic-news-summary-devdiscourse/ Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs. Bezos’ Blue Origin suffers rocket failure during uncrewed mission A rocket from Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin failed mid-flight shortly after liftoff on Monday, aborting its cargo capsule to safety before crashing into the Texas desert, according to the company and a live video stream of the mission. Without any humans on board, the rocket lifted off from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site Monday morning as the company’s 23rd New Shepard mission, aiming to send NASA-funded experiments and other payloads to the edge of space to float for a few minutes in microgravity. U.S. Justice Dept issues dozens of subpoenas in Jan 6 probe, New York Times reports The U.S. Justice Department has issued about 40 subpoenas over the past week seeking information about efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election, the New York Times reported on Monday. Boris Epshteyn, a longtime Trump adviser, and Mike Roman, a campaign strategist for Trump, had their phones seized last week as evidence, the Times said, citing people familiar with the situation. No delay for Trump Organization criminal tax fraud trial The New York judge overseeing a tax fraud case against the Trump Organization on Monday rejected any effort to delay next month’s trial, acknowledging concern that former President Donald Trump’s company might be trying to “stall” the criminal case. At a pre-trial hearing in a New York state court in Manhattan, Justice Juan Merchan warned against delaying tactics, even as a Trump Organization lawyer said the decision by longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg to plead guilty changed how the defense will present its case. Trump lawyers oppose Justice Department request on classified documents Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys on Monday opposed a U.S. Justice Department request to immediately resume examining the contents of classified documents seized by the FBI from his Florida estate last month in an ongoing criminal investigation. His lawyers in a filing also asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to make those roughly 100 documents – among the more than 11,000 records found in the court-approved Aug. 8 search – part of a review that an independent arbiter, called a special master, will conduct to vet all the materials. Legendary street photographer William Klein dies in Paris Legendary street and fashion photographer William Klein has died in Paris, aged 96, his son said in a statement to French news agency AFP on Monday. Klein, a New York-born American who made his reputation shooting scenes of urban life in the world’s biggest cities, studied painting with Fernand Leger but found fame as a photographer. Biden touts ‘Cancer Moonshot’ on JFK speech anniversary in Boston President Joe Biden signed orders on Monday to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry, as he promoted his initiative to create new treatments and cut the death rate from cancer. Cancer “doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat,” Biden said at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, on the 60th anniversary of JFK’s ‘Moonshot’ speech that urged Americans to lead in the exploration of space. Biden drew a parallel between the former president’s goal of reaching the moon and his own goal of cutting cancer death rates in half in the next 25 years. Biden administration presses unions, railroads to avoid shutdown The Biden administration urged railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a railroad work stoppage, saying on Monday it would pose “an unacceptable outcome” to the U.S. economy that could cost $2 billion a day. Railroads, including Union Pacific, Berkshire Hathaway’s BNSF, CSX, and Norfolk Southern, have until a minute after midnight on Friday to reach tentative deals with hold out unions representing about 60,000 workers. Failing to do so opens the door to union strikes, employer lockouts and congressional intervention. Pentagon needs an extra $42 billion due to soaring inflation -industry group The U.S. Department of Defense will need an extra $42 billion in the next fiscal year to make up for a shortfall in how much it can buy as rising prices eat in to its procurement budget, a defense industry group said in a report coming out this week. “Significant inflation is a major challenge” for the Pentagon and its thousands of contractors, compounding the challenge from COVID-19 and dealing with the supply-chain crisis, said the National Defense Industrial Association report, which was reviewed by Reuters ahead of publication. U.S. Justice Department says it would support Trump-backed candidate as special master The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it would support Raymond Dearie, a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump, for the role of independent arbiter, known as a special master, to examine the contents of classified documents seized by the FBI from Trump’s Florida estate last month. It backed either of its own two candidates or Dearie, it said in a court filing, but rejected a second Trump pick, Paul Huck. Biden touts U.S. crackdown on airlines over passenger treatment President Joe Biden said on Monday his administration had cracked down on U.S. airlines to improve treatment of passengers, a claim rejected by the carriers. Biden said prior to changes made in customer service plans by major airlines “if your flight was canceled or delayed, no top airline guaranteed covering your cost of hotels and meals.” (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Sudden Death Of Wylie ISD Teacher ‘Devastates’ District – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth https://collincountynewsonline.com/sudden-death-of-wylie-isd-teacher-devastates-district-nbc-5-dallas-fort-worth/ The sudden death of a 5th-grade teacher in Wylie described as a “bright light” has “devastated” the district, according to statements shared publicly Monday. Lacie Moore, a teacher at Davis Intermediate School in Wylie died Sunday night, according to the school’s principal Cody Summers. Summers confirmed the teacher’s death and said support staff would be at the school for students, staff and families, as needed. “We are sharing this news with our families as many stories and feelings may be expressed on social media and in the community. Mrs. Moore was a bright light and a beloved member of our Davis family. We cannot express how deeply she will be missed, and we ask that you join us in keeping her family and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve this heartbreaking loss,” Summers said. Moore, according to her bio on WylieISD.net, graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2004 with her bachelor’s in business administration and held teaching certifications in EC-6, GT and ESL. The district said she was teaching 5th grade English and Language Arts this year and began teaching in the district in 2020. “Our Wylie ISD family is devastated by the passing of Lacie Moore, Davis Intermediate teacher. Mrs. Moore positively impacted the lives of so many students, and we are heartbroken by the loss of this incredible teacher and even better person. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Moore’s family during this tremendously difficult time,” the district said in a statement Monday afternoon. A GoFundMe account set up to help cover the costs of Moore’s funeral said she was a mother to three children who are now staying with their grandmother. DEATHS OF TWO PEOPLE INVESTIGATED IN JOSEPHINE Local The latest news from around North Texas. Police in the Collin County town of Josephine are investigating after an apparent murder-suicide took place Sunday night. Josephine Police said they were called to a home on the 700 block of Mallard Street after someone heard gunshots. Officers sent to investigate the report said they found two adults dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Police have not confirmed the names of the two deceased people or said anything about what may have happened. However, in a statement released by the department, Police Chief Jeff Graham said he wanted to assure the public this was an isolated incident and that there was no threat to the community. Investigators in Josephine are being assisted by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. No further information has been confirmed or released.

Vacation Photos Capture Travel Destinations Across California, World – Stockton Record https://collincountynewsonline.com/vacation-photos-capture-travel-destinations-across-california-world-stockton-record/ Vacation photos was the assignment for this month’s Readers Photo Challenge. Vacations are for relaxing and visiting interesting and beautiful places. Of the 52 photos sent in by 13 readers, some were from as far away as Austria while others were as close as Carmel on the central coast and Lake Alpine in the Sierras. Whether close or far, here are some of the best of examples of what you did on your summer vacations. Tom LaBounty took a dramatic photo while on his family vacation Morro Bay along the central coast of California. Morro Rock, the remnants of a volcanic plug, juts out of the ocean at the edge of the land and sea. A narrow causeway connects it to the shore. The rock, which stands about 580 feet tall, is the town’s main geographic feature. With a Google Pixel 6 pro cellphone, LaBounty captured the rolling, incoming fog as is swirled around and obscured the large rock, threatening to the swallow up the anchored sailboats in the foreground. One of the reasons we go on vacation is to have fun and Lou Matz’s photo reminds us of that. With a Nikon D5100 DSLR camera the Stockton resident captured his 13-year-old son Tyler DiGuilio-Matz riding a boogie board being propelled by a wave at Huntington Beach in Southern California. The huge smile stretched across the boy’s face expresses the fun he’s experiencing. Bettina Engleman took an early morning walk up Kapuzinerberg, a hill on the eastern bank of the Salzach River in Salzburg, Austria. It was a steep climb up the paved path of the 2,100 ft. tall hill and Engleman had to stop several times to catch her breath. On one of those stops she used her Apple iPhone 11 to capture a sunrise beyond a building. The orange rays of the sun bathed the clouds in a warm glow. An old street lamp provides some visual interest in the foreground, and a curved path helps lead the viewers’ eyes into the scene compositionally.  Engleman’s husband Paul also came back from their trip with a great photo of the old city. From a high vantage point, he photographed an overall city/landscape of Salzburg, Austria. A street in the foreground and the Salzach River create strong diagonal lines, helping to lead the viewers’ eyes into the scene, which is populated by the buildings of the city, founded in the year 696. Three hills rise in the background and dramatic clouds fill the sky. Andrew Dompeling of Stockton captured the serenity that we can sometimes find when traveling our big country. With a LG K51 smartphone, he photographed the Lake Champlain Bridge which connects New York to Vermont. The bridge and its arched support is reflected in the lake’s waters making a gentle oval composition. The early evening light painting the bridge and the gently rolling hills in the background helps emphasize the overall gracefulness of the image.  Mark Condit of Manteca got his photo by getting away from it all. Condit vacationed in Moose Pass, Alaska. He experienced eight days of rain. But when he took a side trip to spend a night in a cabin “off the grid” at Johnson Lake, the skies opened up at about 5 p.m. while hiking to the cabin and he was able to catch a faint rainbow in the distance.  All of the photos can be seen in a gallery at recordnet.com. A new challenge assignment will be issued on Sept. 20. Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 37 years. He can be reached at coto@recordnet.com or on Instagram @Recordnet. Follow his blog at recordnet.com/otoblog. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

Business Highlights: Twitter Whistleblower, Biotech Push – Federal News Network https://collincountynewsonline.com/business-highlights-twitter-whistleblower-biotech-push-federal-news-network/ ___ Twitter whistleblower bringing security warnings to Congress WASHINGTON (AP) — Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the Twitter whistleblower who is warning of security flaws, privacy threats and lax controls at the social platform, will take his case to Congress on Tuesday. Senators who will hear Zatko’s testimony are alarmed by his allegations at a time of heightened concern over the safety of powerful tech platforms. Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, was Twitter’s head of security until… READ MORE ___ Twitter whistleblower bringing security warnings to Congress WASHINGTON (AP) — Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the Twitter whistleblower who is warning of security flaws, privacy threats and lax controls at the social platform, will take his case to Congress on Tuesday. Senators who will hear Zatko’s testimony are alarmed by his allegations at a time of heightened concern over the safety of powerful tech platforms. Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, was Twitter’s head of security until he was fired in January. He has brought the allegations to Congress and federal regulators, asserting that the influential social platform misled regulators about its cyber defenses and efforts to control millions of fake accounts. ___ Biden’s midterm self-edit: Less talk about inflation woes WASHINGTON (AP) — In recent speeches, President Joe Biden has stopped talking so much about inflation worries. Missing is a once-common refrain about families at the kitchen table straining under the rising costs of food and gasoline. It’s a self-edit ahead of the midterm elections in November, prompted in part by the easing of inflationary pressures. But Biden is also attempting to shift the spotlight to his legislative wins, the loss of abortion protections and the threats that he says are posed to democracy by the many Republican leaders still under the sway of former President Donald Trump. When he does talk about inflation, he insists his policies are bringing prices down. ___ Biden to announce new support for US biotech production WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is announcing a new initiative to encourage biotech production and research in the U.S. It’s the latest move by the White House to boost domestic industry. Biden on Monday signed an executive order launching the initiative and later in Boston will address how biotech can help fight cancer during a visit to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. On Wednesday, the Democratic president’s administration will host a summit and announce new investments from several federal agencies. A senior administration official says the White House wants to support manufacturing biotech products developed in the U.S., rather than seeing American innovations produced abroad. ___ Wall Street rallies further ahead of inflation report NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose again on Wall Street ahead of a high-stakes report that will hopefully show inflation hammered the economy less hard last month. The S&P 500 climbed 1.1% Monday, while gains for tech companies pushed the Nasdaq up a bit more. Traders are making their final moves before a report on Tuesday that’s expected to show inflation slowed again during August. It likely won’t change minds at the Federal Reserve, which is preparing for another hefty hike to interest rates next week. A continued slowdown in inflation would give the Fed more of a chance of avoiding a scarring recession. ___ UAW workers in Indiana, Stellantis reach tentative deal KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) — United Auto Workers union members who went on strike Saturday at the Stellantis casting plant in Indiana, is announcing a tentative deal with the company. The UAW Local 1166 bargaining committee announced the agreement in a blog post, saying that a ratification vote would be held Monday. Stellantis confirmed the tentative deal. The strike was related to health and safety issues, including the company’s alleged refusal to repair and replace the plant’s air conditioning and heating systems. The 35-acre plant in Kokomo makes parts used in the power trains of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles. ___ Pressure mounts on US railroads and unions to reach a deal OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Freight railroads and their unions are facing increasing pressure from business groups and the White House to settle their contract dispute. They face a looming strike deadline on Friday and business groups say a stoppage halting deliveries of raw materials and finished products that so many companies rely on would be an economic disaster. The railroads have announced eight of the 13 deals they need to avert a strike, but two key unions representing conductors and engineers want the railroads to go beyond the 24% raises they are offering to address their concerns about working conditions. ___ As small businesses raise prices, some customers push back NEW YORK (AP) — Inflation isn’t only costing small businesses money. It’s costing them customers as well. For much of the pandemic, small business customers were largely tolerant of price increases and kept on spending. Now, owners are seeing some pushback. But with inflation close to a 40-year-high, there’s not much small businesses can do. Sixty-five percent have raised prices to offset higher costs, according to a Goldman Sachs survey. And 38% say they’ve seen a decline in customer demand due to price increases. With consumers forced to spend more for food and gasoline, businesses that sell non-essential goods or services are especially feeling the pinch. ___ Hard Rock spends $100M to raise pay for non-tipped US staff ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Hard Rock International says Monday it is spending over $100 million to give significant raises to 10,000 non-tipped workers, most of them in the U.S. The global gambling, entertainment and hospitality company is giving the employees an immediate increase to a minimum starting salary of $18 to $21 an hour. It’s designed to help employees deal with persistent inflation, and to help the company attract and retain top talent, lessening turnover. The raises apply to job categories including cooks, housekeepers, front desk clerks, security workers, cage cashiers and others. ___ The S&P 500 gained 43.05 points, or 1.1%, to 4,110.41. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 229.63 points, or 0.7%, to 32,381.34. The Nasdaq added 154.10 points, or 1.3%, to 12,266.41. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies advanced 23.24 points, or 1.2%, to 1,906.09. Copyright © 2022 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

What We Know About Kourtney Kardashian’s New Wellness Gummy Brand – Screen Rant https://collincountynewsonline.com/what-we-know-about-kourtney-kardashians-new-wellness-gummy-brand-screen-rant/ The Kardashians star Kourtney Kardashian has found a new way for fans to connect with her famous family, as she’s launching a gummy vitamin brand. Kourtney cemented herself in the wellness world when she launched her Poosh website in 2019. The platform is similar to actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand, and is focused on helping women to live healthier lifestyles. There are articles about healthy eating, exercise, and self-care. In early June, Kourtney and Gwyneth teamed up to create a collaborative candle called, “This Smells Like My Pooshy,” and even featured behind-the-scenes footage of the project on a The Kardashians episode. The mother of three has been open about her lifestyle, saying that she does her best to follow a vegan diet. Kourtney even fought with her younger sister Kim Kardashian during an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, over their daughters’ joint candy-themed birthday party. Kourtney didn’t want the party to feature real candy, thanks to its chemical ingredients, and Kim felt that this was ridiculous, since the theme was “Candy Land.” Kourtney’s also an environmentalist, but fans have called her a hypocrite on several occasions, including recently, when she announced a collaboration with fast-fashion company, Boohoo. The reality TV star is taking her health consciousness to another level with her new gummy vitamin brand. Kourtney told a Wall Street Journal reporter all about the company, which she named, Lemme. It took Kourtney five years to create her brand, which features all-natural, non-CBD vitamins. Kourtney had a very interesting approach when creating her gummy vitamins. The star tested the gummies with her doctor, to see how they would react to her body. When the vitamins did not test well on her, her doctor would explain, “Oh, it’s because they’re using corn or corn syrup or it’s genetically modified.” In her brand, Kourtney uses non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and gelatin-free ingredients. She also steered clear of corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. Kourtney compared naming her business to naming a child, saying that the moniker was very difficult to come up with. However, once Kourtney realized how many times she and her team used the phrase “lemme,” as in, “lemme focus on this,” she realized that Lemme should be the brand name. So far, Lemme offers three different vitamins, an anti-stress supplement called “Lemme Chill,” a b-12 energy gummy called “Lemme Matcha,” and a concentrated vitamin called, “Lemme Focus.” The brand, which Kourtney has spent years of her time and energy perfecting, will be available to buy later this month. With Kim launching her private SKKY equity company, rumors of Kim and Kylie launching an app, and Kourtney launching a vitamin company, this is clearly a very busy month for the Kardashians. The vitamin company is right on brand for the Poosh founder, and goes well with her healthy living philosophy. The official Lemme Instagram account already has over 150 thousand followers, and their first post has nearly 500 thousand likes. It’s clear that fans can’t wait to get their hands on Lemme vitamins. The family will also soon start promoting The Kardashians season 2, which premieres shortly. Lemme might be featured on the new season, with all the other career endeavors that the Kar-Jenners have been dabbling in lately. Source: Wall Street Journal

MLB Power Rankings: Could AL Central Winner Make Surprise Playoff Run?; Yankees Climb Back Up – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/mlb-power-rankings-could-al-central-winner-make-surprise-playoff-run-yankees-climb-back-up-cbs-sports/ The Dodgers and Astros sit at the top, but how do we sort out the next four? Sep 12, 2022 at 6:04 pm ET • 2 min read Do you ever argue with yourself? It’s only natural, right? When there are, in your mind, at least two different sides to an issue with similar merit, you just kind of go back and forth in your head with it.  Lately, I’ve found myself arguing with myself when it comes to the American League Central and the playoffs.  You see, the Guardians lead the AL Central and they are on pace to go 86-76. There are 12 teams with better records than the Guardians and only 17 worse. And yet, should they hold on, they’ll be the No. 3 seed in the AL.  Remember, last season the Braves had the worst record among the playoff teams at 88-73. They didn’t feel too lackluster, due to such a strong final two months. Maybe the Guardians or White Sox (or Twins, I guess) will finish so strong that they don’t feel vastly inferior to the rest of the field this time around, either.  By submitting my email I agree to receive the “CBS Sports HQ Newsletter” and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from our affiliates and/or partners’ offers, products and services. For more information about our data practices consult our Privacy Policy Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription. As of right now, though, I couldn’t help but think about how annoying it would be if, say, an 85-win team took the World Series this season with so many Goliath-types.  But then I started to argue with myself.  Aren’t David stories just so much fun? We all love the underdog, no?  Eh, I don’t know. I think I’d much rather see two powerhouses duking it out in the World Series, whether it’s a rematch of 2017 with the Dodgers and Astros, a Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets, the Braves looking to defend their title against one of the AL titans, maybe even in a rematch of 2021 or something along these lines.  On the other hand, we’ve seen some relatively boring World Series between two titans before. The 2018 Red Sox dismantling of the Dodgers comes to mind. And in 2014, for example, neither the Giants nor the Royals won 90 games in the regular season and they gave us a beauty. Every World Series is great, too!  Wouldn’t it have been so much more cool if Cleveland broke its World Series drought with one of its recent powerhouse teams instead of this slightly-better-than-mediocre bunch?  Wait, though, who cares about the regular season when your favorite team wins the World Series? Ask fans of the 2006 Cardinals. Do you think they care that team only won 83 games in the regular season?  I’m certainly of two minds here. Maybe more. I just can’t decide if the AL Central winner making a deep run would be bad or good.  Of course, it probably doesn’t matter. The most likely outcome is a loss in the wild-card round for whoever emerges. Until then, we get to follow the hopefully hotly contested race.  Biggest Movers Rk Teams   Chg Rcrd 1 Dodgers The 1927 Yankees had a +371 run differential. The 2022 Dodgers currently have a +310 run differential. We haven’t even seen a +300 team since the 2001 Mariners went 116-46 and were exactly +300. The only other post-integration team +300 or better was the 1998 Yankees. — 96-43 2 Astros Ninety wins again. There have been 10 90-win seasons in franchise history and five of those have been the last five full seasons. It’s the Golden Era of Astros baseball, easily. — 90-50 3 Braves They battled all the way back from a 10 1/2-game deficit to take the NL East lead on Friday night. But they’ve now lost two straight and fell to 1 1/2 games back. This should be a fun race down to the end, hopefully the final day of the season. — 87-53 4 Mets From June 1 through Friday night — the time period when the Mets “blew” a 10 1/2-game lead — they played at a 96-win pace. That’s not a choke job. Not even close. Be better than ignorant narrative. 1 89-52 5 Cardinals One of the many cool things about these Albert Pujols home runs is how many of them are game-changers. He did it again on Sunday. 1 83-58 6 Yankees We should have all seen it coming from a mile away. They just needed to play the Twins to get their mojo back. Jaw-dropping stat coming: This was the first time the Yankees won back-to-back series since June 22. 2 85-56 7 Mariners If you haven’t seen them yet, go find the highlights of the Julio Rodríguez and Eugenio Suárez home runs Sunday to walk it off and win two of three from the Braves. So much fun. There are some damn good vibes here! 1 79-61 8 Blue Jays Through August (127 games), Bo Bichette was hitting .260/.305/.420. He’s been so ridiculous in his 10 games this month that he’s now hitting .279/.322/.472. 1 78-61 9 Rays My gut feeling is they had their chance at the AL East and that chance has passed with the Yankees pounding them two straight days. 2 78-60 10 Phillies They’ve won 21 of their last 25 when they play the Marlins or Nationals. Say what you will about strength of schedule, but taking care of business is a great feature of a good ballclub. The Phillies have seven games left against the NL East bottom-dwellers, too. 2 78-62 11 Guardians Shane Bieber has a 1.75 ERA in his last nine starts. He’s struck out 68 with nine walks in 61 1/3 innings in that span. 2 73-65 12 Padres Juan Soto continues to struggle with everything but his eye. He’s hitting .218 with a .345 slugging percentage since the trade. 1 77-64 13 Brewers In spring training, 2020, just a few days before COVID caused everything to shut down, the Brewers announced a monster contract extension for Christian Yelich. He’s still only 30. He’s played in 133 of the Brewers’ 140 games this season. And yet, he is eighth on the team in home runs. He was coming off a 44-homer season when he signed the deal. It’s remarkable how this has unfolded. 1 75-66 14 White Sox The White Sox, 63-65 with Tony La Russa in the dugout, are now 9-4 with him away from the team. 2 72-69 15 Orioles Last week was the first time the Orioles broke into the top 10 in the rankings since 2016. This week, the Orioles have lost six of their last eight games. You could argue that the two things have nothing to do with each other, but I have it on good authority that the Orioles saw my power rankings and got too proud of themselves, hence the recent skid. As we’ve learned from Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility. I’m sorry, O’s fans. 5 73-67 16 Red Sox Rafael Devers in the first half: .324/.379/.601, reasonable MVP candidate. Rafael Devers in the second half: .207/.276/.357. Yuck. 1 69-72 17 Twins You know how in the Mets comment I explained that it would be ignorant to slap a “choke” on them, even if they end up not winning the NL East? Yeah, we can instead use the label on the Twins. They had a 5 1/2-game lead on May 24. They’ve gone 42-54 since then, including 3-8 against the Guardians. 2 69-70 18 Giants Who had “Thairo Estrada will be their best position player this season” back in spring training? No, you didn’t. Liar. 1 67-73 19 Diamondbacks It really looked like the D-Backs would crawl into the periphery of contention, but then they lost four in a row. Still, it was fun watching them claw their way into the discussion for a quick second and kudos to Zac Gallen for his scoreless streak (it reached 44 1/3 innings). 1 66-73 20 Angels Did you know Mike Trout (has only played in 99 games) and Shohei Ohtani (a pitcher) are tied for second in the AL in home runs? Sure, they are 21 behind the leader, but that’s still funny. — 61-79 21 Rockies Yes, I realize the air is thinner than other ballparks, but go watch that 504-foot shot from C.J. Cron on Friday. It’s mesmerizing. 1 61-80 22 Rangers The player who has lost the most hits to the shift the last few seasons is Corey Seager. I would say something like “file that away for your fantasy baseball draft,” but you’ll surely be pounded over the head with it come next spring. 1 61-79 23 Reds Remember when they started 3-22? Surely at that point, most of us believed they’d lose at least 100. They can avoid 100 losses by going at least 7-17 the rest of the way. It says here they pull it off and avoid 100 losses. 1 56-82 24 Cubs THE BEARS WON! Sorry. Wrong sport. We’ll do this. Here are the shortstops with more WAR than Nico Hoerner this season: Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner. That’s it. 1 58-82 25 Tigers The Tigers have been shutout 20 times this season, tying their 1975 team for the most shutouts in a season post-integration. They have plenty of time to shatter the record. 3 54-86 26 Royals This has been a really nice breakout year for Brady Singer overall, but he’s getting better. In his last 13 starts, the Royals have gone 10-3 and he’s pitched to a 2.45 ERA. 1 57-84 27 Marlins I’m getting worried about Power Rankings Favorite Sandy Alcantara. He’s been roughed up three of his last four outings and even with a complete-game gem against the Dodgers mixed in there, he has a 6.08 ERA in those four starts. 1 57-83 28 Nationals There’s a lottery now, but the Nationals will have a great shot to pick No. 1 overall next summer. Previous No. 1 overall picks for the franchise: Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Those worked out decently. Will they hit the jackpot again? 1 49-92 29 Pirates The single hardest-hit ball this season came courtesy of Oneil Cruz. Anyone who has watched him regularly is now rumma...

Life Sciences Increases Its Doses Of The Metaverse – RTInsights https://collincountynewsonline.com/life-sciences-increases-its-doses-of-the-metaverse-rtinsights/ The constellation of metaverse technologies includes extended reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital twins, non-fungible tokens, and smart devices. The potential value of the metaverse is still an uncertainty at best – there’s still more hype around it than there is real-life applications. However, that’s not stopping one of the most research-intensive and cutting-edge industries – life sciences – from seriously studying leveraging components of the metaverse. That’s the word from Accenture, which says the life sciences industry is getting bullish on the metaverse, with 91% of 100 medical technology and 85% of 100 biopharma executives anticipating metaverse-related technologies to have a positive impact on their industries. Such immersive technologies may play a role in helping to solve manufacturing and device problems, improve equity in clinical trial participation and build more resilient supply chains to provide patients and healthcare professionals with more personalized experiences. The constellation of metaverse technologies includes extended reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence, digital twins, non-fungible tokens, and smart devices. According to the report, life sciences leaders (91% of medical technology executives and 85% biopharma executives) expect the metaverse to have a positive impact on their organizations, while nearly half of the biopharma executives surveyed believe the metaverse will have a breakthrough or transformational impact on their organizations. See also: Quantum Computing Acceleration of AI in Pharma on the Rise The Accenture report says metaverse capabilities are evolving from four different directions: Data collection: The internet “is being reimagined with the metaverse as a platform for digital experiences that provide boundless places where people can meet and interact, and Web3 is reinventing how data can be owned by individuals and moved with the person and not the platform,” the report’s authors said. In the future, a new generation of digital devices will integrate into the metaverse and could include smart technology in everyday objects like home appliances, and ‘smart’ cars that provide salient data on healthy human behaviors along with medically regulated devices such as Donisi, which can simultaneously detect and analyze multiple bio-parameters.” Programmable physical assets: “Nearly nine in 10 of the MedTech and biopharma executives surveyed believe that programming the physical environment will emerge as a competitive differentiation in their industry,” the report states. “Augmented reality, 5G, ambient computing, 3D printing, and smart materials are converging in sophisticated ways, turning the physical world into an environment that is as smart, customizable, and as programmable as the digital one.” Artificial intelligence and its supporting data: “‘Unreal’ qualities that are becoming fundamental to artificial intelligence, and even data, making the synthetic seem authentic,” the report states. “Synthetic data is being used to train AI models in ways that real-world data practically cannot or should not. Synthetic data can represent patient datasets for use in research, training, or other applications. This realistic (yet unreal) data can be shared, maintaining the same statistical properties while protecting confidentiality and privacy. It can be developed to accommodate increased diversity to counter bias, thus overcoming the pitfalls of real-world data. More than nine-tenths of biopharma (92%) and MedTech (91%) executives report that their organization is dependent on AI technologies to function effectively. Quantum leaps: The metaverse will be boosted by a new class of machines – quantum computing – “stretching the boundaries of what computers can do,” the Accenture analysts state. “Problems once thought impossible to solve because they require computing large, complex datasets are now in the realm of the possible.” Nearly all the surveyed biopharma (94%) and MedTech (96%) executives are looking to deploy quantum-level power when it becomes available, the survey shows.

Wall Street Posts Fourth Straight Day Of Gains Ahead Of CPI Report – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/wall-street-posts-fourth-straight-day-of-gains-ahead-of-cpi-report-reuters/ Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Headline CPI seen easing Tuesday Bristol Myers rises on FDA approval for psoriasis drug Twitter says Musk’s latest attempt to scrap deal invalid Indexes up: Dow 0.71%, S&P 1.06%, Nasdaq 1.27% NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Wall Street extended its winning streak on Monday, rallying to a sharply higher close as investors awaited crucial inflation data that could provide clues about the duration and severity of the Federal Reserve’s tightening policy. Energy (.SPNY) and technology (.SPLRCT) shares helped the three major U.S. stock indexes touch two-week highs and notch their fourth straight session of gains, in which growth (.IGX) stocks were slightly favored over value (.IVX). The Labor Department’s consumer price index (CPI), expected before Tuesday’s opening bell, is this week’s main event, and will be scrutinized for any signs regarding the number and size of future interest rate hikes from the Fed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “CPI is expected to see a little bit of a decrease,” said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth in Fairfield, Connecticut. “The market is hoping that news translates into smaller rate hikes after the Sept FOMC meeting.” “Because of that, you’re seeing a risk-on type of mentality today,” Pavlik added. On Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell affirmed the central bank remains “strongly committed” to tackling decades-high inflation, and that it would “keep at it until the job is done.” read more Economists polled by Reuters expect monthly CPI to have contracted 0.1% in August from July, edging down to 8.1% year-on-year, mainly due to the recent cool-down of commodity prices. read more Financial markets have currently priced in a 92% probability that the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) will implement its third straight 75-basis-point interest rate hike at the conclusion of next week’s policy meeting, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. “The market has now fully priced in 75 basis points for September,” Pavlik said. “The market is hoping the next one is 50 basis points and that we’ll see a slight decrease in rate hikes after that, and Wall Street can live with that.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 229.63 points, or 0.71%, to 32,381.34, the S&P 500 (.SPX) gained 43.05 points, or 1.06%, to 4,110.41 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 154.10 points, or 1.27%, to 12,266.41. Raindrops hang on a sign for Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar All 11 major sectors of the S&P 500 closed green. Energy companies (.SPNY), boosted by rising crude prices , enjoyed the biggest percentage gain. Economically sensitive transports (.DJT) outperformed the broader market, while market-leading megacaps provided the most lift. A 3.9% jump in Apple Inc (AAPL.O) shares gave the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq their biggest boost, days after the gadget maker unveiled updates to its iPhone and Apple Watch. read more Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N) rose 3.1% following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of its psoriasis drug late on Friday. Rival Amgen Inc (AMGN.O), maker of psoriasis drug Otezla, slid 4.1%. Twitter Inc ended the session down 1.8% amid its legal wrangling against Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) chief Elon Musk for scrapping a deal to acquire the social media platform. read more Car selling platform Carvana Co (CVNA.N) hopped 15.5% higher following Piper Sandler’s upgrade of the stock to “overweight.” Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 3.37-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.78-to-1 ratio favored advancers. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 47 new highs and 59 new lows. Volume on U.S. exchanges was 9.63 billion shares, compared with the 10.22 billion average over the last 20 trading days. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Stephen Culp in New York; Additional reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Cynthia Osterman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LUNA Top Crypto Loser, TAMA Presale At $15M – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/luna-top-crypto-loser-tama-presale-at-15m-cryptonews/ Terra LUNA is the biggest crypto loser today, crashing 27%.  Both Terra crypto assets are red on the day, retracing after their recent bull runs. Terra Classic (LUNC) is also down today, dropping 20% – the second highest loser after LUNA. In other altcoin news, ERC-20 token Tamadoge (TAMA) has raised $15 million in its presale. Biggest Crypto Gainers Bitcoin is steadily climbing, with a 3% rally to the upside in the past 24 hours, hitting an intraday high of $22,500 and many altcoins are following – notably Solana is up 7% and one of the top 10 crypto gainers on Binance.  Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR) is putting on an even stronger performance, up 13% and breaking into the 5 biggest crypto gainers on Binance since news of its upcoming Coinbase listing broke today.  Top Crypto Trader Shorts LUNC Altcoin Sherpa tweeted out to his 183k followers yesterday that he opened a short position on LUNC, timing the top well. Sell LUNA, Buy TAMA? Retail investors tend to buy the top of bull cycles by FOMO’ing into green candles – by the time Terra (LUNA) and Terra Classic (LUNC) had made mainstream headlines for their explosive run ups in the past weeks, the top was in. One positive for Terra bulls is that the LUNA price has bounced from the daily EMA 8 at $4 as shown on the Terra price chart above. A potentially better way to invest in cryptocurrency is to research new crypto projects at their presale or initial coin offering (ICO) stage, yet to begin trading on crypto exchanges and pump to a high valuation in the billions of dollars. Tamadoge (TAMA) is the native token of an upcoming play to earn crypto game, adopting the aesthetic and mass appeal of dog themed meme coins but having a use case and being deflationary with a low fixed supply – unlike e.g. Dogecoin which has an infinite supply and is inflationary. In that way it addresses some of the issues that faced DOGE and Shiba Inu (SHIB) in that they had little utility or scarcity as reasons to hold them after they achieved fully diluted valuations (FDV) in the tens of billions in mid to late 2021. Learn more about TAMA, its roadmap and team at tamadoge.io. At the time of writing the Tamadoge presale is on pace to sell out this month, with under $4 million remaining before its hard cap of $19 million is hit. Visit Tamadoge Presale

Opinion | As China Targets The South Pacific, The U.S. Urgently Needs To Push Back – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/opinion-as-china-targets-the-south-pacific-the-u-s-urgently-needs-to-push-back-the-washington-post/ John R. Bolton served as national security adviser under President Donald Trump and is the author of “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.” Few areas of the world seem more distant from the United States than the island states of the South Pacific. World War II reminiscences have faded, and the words “South Pacific” now resonate more as a Broadway musical title than a geographic locator. For U.S. national security, this needs to change, sooner rather than later. Get the maps out; Chinese leaders, diplomats and the military have theirs nearly memorized. Hemmed in by what it calls the “first island chain” (stretching from the Kuril Islands, through Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia), China has longed to break free into the broader Pacific Ocean. Beijing is interested in this wider horizon because its aspirations extend not merely to hegemony along its immediate Indo-Pacific periphery, but to far wider objectives, already reflected in its pursuit of economic interest in Africa and the Western Hemisphere. Taiwan is thus important to China not just because of nationalistic fervor, but also because dominance over Taiwan would irretrievably pierce the first island chain. Another breakout strategy over the tyranny of geography is to leapfrog the close-in islands and stake out positions across the Pacific — which is precisely what Beijing appears now to be attempting. The Pacific’s insular nations are small in land mass and lightly populated, although huge when their ocean territories are included. Xi Jinping has marked them as vulnerable, seemingly intent on going island-hopping, using intimidation, bribery or whatever it takes to achieve China’s ends. The immediate crisis is in the Solomon Islands, where U.S. forces won a critical victory in 1942-1943 on Guadalcanal, a World War II turning point. In August, senior administration officials Wendy Sherman and Caroline Kennedy, whose fathers fought in the Solomon Islands, led a U.S. delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the battle at Guadalcanal. Signifying growing Chinese hegemony, however, and perhaps issuing an insult at China’s behest, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare failed to attend the ceremonies near Honiara, the capital. Weeks later, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel was denied permission to make a port call, another apparently intentional discourtesy. Most recently, elections scheduled for next May were postponed until 2024, a move that opposition leaders consider an ominous sign of China’s influence. A Chinese base in the Solomons would directly menace Australia (about 1,200 miles away), harking back to the Japanese threat during World War II. I was recently in Sydney, and found that Australians need no persuading about China’s rising regional threat. What they seek is a more visible, vigorous U.S. presence in the region, and rightly so. The Solomons are in jeopardy now, and while “domino theory” inevitability might not yet obtain, other island states are clearly vulnerable. America has for too long paid insufficient attention to the South Pacific. In 1945, the United States assumed Japan’s former League of Nations mandate over the new United Nations’ Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. After plebiscites in 1983, one island chain became the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, thereby remaining part of the United States, adjacent to Guam, long a U.S. territory. Three other island groupings — Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia — chose independence. (American Samoa is a separate territory.) These three new nations all signed “compacts of free association” with the United States, which provide that Washington supervises their foreign affairs (short of declaring war), including prohibiting the presence of foreign military forces without U.S. permission. The compacts have been extended once, and are now up for renegotiation because they expire over the next two years. This is not a moment to falter or for shortsightedness. Fortuitously timed as the renegotiation is, the White House should take full advantage of the opportunity to cement long-term strategic relations with this trio of nations to keep China out. The costs of enhanced U.S. involvement are trivial in the context of global aid budgets; and the sea and land expanses involved are only somewhat smaller than the continental United States itself. When I briefed President Donald Trump just before his meeting with the three leaders of these freely associated states in 2019, he asked, “Why am I meeting these people?” His successors should not need to ask. South Pacific responsibilities need not rest on the United States alone. Australia, New Zealand and Britain all have contemporary relationships and regional histories, dating back to naval coaling or whaling stations. France retains three extensive overseas territories (New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Fortuna), represented in France’s parliament, and whose territory is deemed part of the European Union. Countering Chinese aggressiveness in the South Pacific should be a matter of urgent bipartisan agreement and action, rare as it might be today. The faraway island of Bali Hai, celebrated in a certain musical, is closer than we thought.

From Corriere Della Sera: “Leonardo’s Flight Technology: Ready For The Tiltrotor?” – Leonardo – Helicopters https://collincountynewsonline.com/from-corriere-della-sera-leonardos-flight-technology-ready-for-the-tiltrotor-leonardo-helicopters/ investors media hub suppliers Search about innovation & technology sustainability careers business From Corriere della Sera: “Leonardo’s flight technology: ready for the tiltrotor?” In an article appearing in the ‘Economia’ insert of  Corriere della Sera, Massimo Sideri describes his encounter with the high-tech reality of Leonardo at its plant near Varese, a flagship ‘factory’ of Italian industry, producing helicopters that have made aviation history and are writing its future. One of these rotary wing aircraft is the revolutionary AW609 ’tiltrotor’, destined to change the perspective of flight for passengers all over the world. He spoke to CEO Alessandro Profumo and Roberto Garavaglia, SVP Strategy and Innovation at Leonardo Helicopters. In an article appearing in the ‘Economia’ insert of  Corriere della Sera, Massimo Sideri describes his encounter with the high-tech reality of Leonardo at its plant near Varese, a flagship ‘factory’ of Italian industry, producing helicopters that have made aviation history and are writing its future. One of these rotary wing aircraft is the revolutionary AW609 ’tiltrotor’, destined to change the perspective of flight for passengers all over the world. He spoke to CEO Alessandro Profumo and Roberto Garavaglia, SVP Strategy and Innovation at Leonardo Helicopters. Receive the latest updates from Leonardo Register for the News Alert service

Richardson Physician Suspended In Connection With ‘Cardiac Complications’ At Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas – D Magazine https://collincountynewsonline.com/richardson-physician-suspended-in-connection-with-cardiac-complications-at-baylor-scott-white-surgicare-north-dallas-d-magazine/ This summer, Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz Jr. was caught on surveillance footage placing IV bags into the warmer outside operating rooms at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas. On several occasions, patients inside those rooms would go on to suffer serious cardiac complications. A recent Texas Medical Board order revealed these frightening details that led to the death of a physician in June and the eventual shutdown of Surgicare, an outpatient surgery center in North Dallas. Ortiz is the subject of a law enforcement investigation connected to these incidents. Dr. Melanie Kaspar was a healthy 55-year-old physician at the surgery center. She took home an IV bag to administer to herself when she felt dehydrated this June. Soon after she hooked it into her arm, she had a heart attack and died, the order says. The medical examiner initially believed the heart attack was due to natural causes, but in lab work later confirmed that her body contained bupivicaine, a local anesthetic used to numb areas of the body during surgery or medical procedures. Laboratory tests on other bags in the facility’s warmer revealed tiny visible holes and contained bupivacaine, though they weren’t properly labeled. An investigation tested other IV bags that had been used with patients who experienced cardiac events during routine surgeries; they also contained similar drugs that should not have been present. These medicines could be fatal if administered intravenously. This is far from the first time Ortiz has been disciplined by the Texas Medical Board. A similar incident happened in November 2020, when a patient received anesthesia from Ortiz and then required CPR and had to be transferred to an acute care hospital. Prior to the current suspension, he was most recently disciplined in August for the November 2020 incident. Before he was suspended, his practice was forced to be monitored by another physician for four consecutive monitoring cycles, and he was required to take three attempts to pass the board exam, complete dozens of hours of continuing education, and pay a $3,000 fine. The incident resulted in the end of his privileges at the North Garland Surgery Center, but he was allowed to practice elsewhere. In 2018, Ortiz was ordered by the medical board to pay $2,000 for failing to report his criminal conviction of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. Board documents say that he was arrested for shooting his neighbor’s dog with a pellet gun in retaliation for the neighbor helping a woman escape from him after he abused her in 2014 and for testifying against him at the protective order hearing. In 2016, Baylor Scott & White – Garland suspended Ortiz’s clinical privileges for 14 days for not notifying the hospital about the criminal charges. Ortiz was sentenced to 25 days in Collin County jail, given two years community service and a $4,000 fine. The woman who escaped Ortiz was the third woman he had domestically abused. Board documents show that Ortiz was arrested in 1995 for assault and causing bodily injury to a spouse, and in 2005 another female partner filed an emergency protective order against him. Last week, a lawyer revealed that he was representing five patients who had adverse reactions after routine surgeries at Baylor Scott & White Surgicare North Dallas, four of which ended up in the ICU for multiple days. Dallas police have confirmed an investigation into Ortiz, but no charges have been filed. Get the D CEO Healthcare Newsletter Stay informed with a detailed weekly report on DFW’s evolving healthcare industry. Author Will is the managing editor for D CEO magazine and the editor of D CEO Healthcare. He’s written about healthcare…

Rental Escapes Launches Monthly Travel Advisor Bonuses – TravelPulse https://collincountynewsonline.com/rental-escapes-launches-monthly-travel-advisor-bonuses-travelpulse/ Full-service, luxury villa rental company Rental Escapes has announced a new series of bonus commission rewards for travel advisors as part of the lead-up to its 10-year anniversary celebration, which arrives in December. In recognition of the crucial role that travel agents have played during the company’s decade-long history, their unwavering support and dedication, Rental Escapes will be running a new travel advisor promotion each month through the end of the year. Trending Now This month, travel advisors are being offered a bonus commission amount of up to $2,500 on each booking they make through the end of September, valid on guest stays taken between October 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. These bonus commissions will be paid out, along with the travel advisor’s regular commission payment, upon the client’s departure. “Travel advisors remain our most valued partners and we feel it is important to express our gratitude with a series of celebratory offerings designed to benefit these advisors,” says Willie Fernandez, chief marketing officer of Rental Escapes. “Over the next four months, we will introduce new, month-long offerings that travel advisors can take advantage of to convey our immense appreciation for their support.” Throughout its decade in the business of providing unparalleled private villa rentals around the world, Rental Escapes has continually prioritized its partnerships with the travel advisor community. The company supplies advisors with various online tools to help grow their businesses and has never charged booking fees. Porters Villa in Barbados. (photo courtesy of Rental Escapes) It also offers them the opportunity to work alongside Rental Escapes’ dedicated villa specialists and concierge team to ensure that guests have access to round-the-clock support. And, when working with the concierge team, advisors are even able to earn commission on customized concierge packages created for their clients. When Rental Escapes and travel advisors join forces, they’re able to truly provide guests with matchless vacation experiences and peerless customer care. “Over the last 10 years we have rapidly expanded our unforgettable product offerings, our first-in-class team and our network of loyal travel advisors who have played an essential role in our business,” says Brian Schwimmer, chief executive officer of Rental Escapes. “When creating Rental Escapes, we sought to establish a customer-centric culture, where exceeding travelers’ expectations is the goal. This philosophy has helped forge our relationship with advisors and made Rental Escapes one of the leading luxury villa rental companies in the world today.” For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.

Wall Street Rallies Further Ahead Of Inflation Report – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/wall-street-rallies-further-ahead-of-inflation-report-69news-wfmz-tv/ NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks climbed again Monday, as Wall Street made its final moves ahead of a high-stakes report that will hopefully show inflation hammered the economy less hard last month. The S&P 500 rose 43.05, or 1.1%, to 4,110.41 for its fourth straight gain. That’s its longest winning streak since July, in the early days of the market’s bounce back from its battering earlier in the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 229.63, or 0.7%, to 32,381.34, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 154.10, or 1.3%, to 12,266.41. The nation’s punishingly high inflation, and the steps the Federal Reserve is taking to combat it, have been the driving forces on Wall Street all year. Economists expect a report on Tuesday to show that prices for consumers were 8.1% higher in August than a year earlier, but that inflation was not as bad as July’s 8.5% rate. A slowdown would bolster hopes that inflation topped out in June at 9.1% and is on its way back down. That in turn could allow the Federal Reserve to avoid a worst-case scenario for markets, where it jacks short-term interest rates up to recession-causing levels and holds them there a long time. “This week is going to be very telling,” said James Demmert, founder and managing partner at Main Street Research. Beyond Tuesday’s headliner report on inflation at the consumer level, a report on Wednesday is expected to show inflation slowed at the wholesale level last month. A report the following day will show how U.S. households have altered their spending amid high inflation, while a Friday report will show how much inflation households are preparing for in upcoming years. They’re all crucial data points for the Federal Reserve as it mulls how much to raise interest rates at its meeting next week. Fed officials have loudly reaffirmed recently their plans to raise rates enough to slow the economy, plus their commitment to keeping rates high for long enough to ensure the job is done on inflation. But with Tuesday’s report possibly continuing a trend, many investors and economists are hopeful that inflation could return to more “normal” levels quickly, unlike the 1970s, when it took many years. Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at Credit Suisse, wrote in a report that investors and economists expect inflation to collapse within the next 12 to 18 months. Markets are fairly convinced the Fed will hike its key short-term interest rate by a hefty 0.75 percentage points next week for the third straight meeting. But the hope is that an easing of inflation will allow the Federal Reserve to successfully tiptoe the narrow pathway for a “soft landing” of the economy. That’s where higher rates slow the economy enough to halt inflation but not so much as to cause a scarring recession. Higher rates hurt the economy by making it more expensive to buy a house, a car or anything else bought on credit. They also push down on prices for stocks, bonds and other investments. Many traders are forecasting the Fed will begin downshifting the size of its rate increases after next week through the end of the year, before potentially keeping rates steady through the first half of 2023. Of course, such hopes could also be setting Wall Street up for disappointment. The economy has given head fakes on inflation before, with hopes percolating that a peak has passed only to begin accelerating again. Demmert said the broader market is looking for inflation to not just peak, but to start cooling meaningfully. He said the strong hopes for Tuesday’s inflation report are likely “not going to be healthy for stocks.” Wall Street economists are still split on whether the U.S. economy will fall into a recession next year because of higher interest rates and other factors. The Fed has already raised short-term rates four times this year, and its aggressive moves have helped the value of the U.S. dollar soar against many other foreign currencies. A strong dollar helps to limit inflation at home by pushing down on prices for commodities and imports, but it can also hurt profits for U.S. companies that have a lot of sales coming from overseas. The dollar gave up some of its gains on Monday after slipping against the euro, British pound and several others. Treasury yields were mixed. The 10-year Treasury yield, which helps control where mortgages and rates for other loans are heading, is back at 3.34%, close to its highest level in more than a decade. The two-year yield, which tends to track expectations for Fed action, held steady at 3.56%. It remains close to its highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis. In the stock market, the vast majority of stocks rallied. Energy producers were close to the top of the leaderboard, benefiting from climbing oil prices. Bristol-Myers Squibb gained 3.1% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after federal regulators approved its treatment for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Healthy Living For ME Recognizes September As Falls Prevention Awareness Month – The County https://collincountynewsonline.com/healthy-living-for-me-recognizes-september-as-falls-prevention-awareness-month-the-county/ AdobeStock_87836936 (AdobeStock) (AdobeStock) September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month, a time to recognize the impact that falls have on the lives of millions of Americans each year and take steps to prevent falls.  The U.S. CDC reports that each year one in four adults over the age of 65 experiences a fall. Additionally, the National Council on Aging reports that an older adult is seen in an emergency room every 11 seconds due to a fall-related injury.   “Healthy Living for ME is actively making a difference for Mainers who are at risk for falls. Through workshops and resource connections, network partners throughout the state are helping Mainers reduce their risk of falls and improve their quality of life,” said Jennifer Fortin, training & fidelity manager of Healthy Living for ME. “During this Falls Prevention Awareness Month, we encourage Mainers to assess their own risk for falls and have conversations about preventing falls with loved ones who may be at risk.”   In May 2022, Healthy Living for ME announced that over 2,100 Mainers had participated in the network’s falls prevention workshops, with 98 percent of participants reporting they have made positive changes due to their experience.   In 2022, Healthy Living for ME will be marking Falls Prevention Awareness month with several events in addition to the network’s regularly offered falls prevention workshops.   Falls Prevention Awareness Week is held during the awareness month, Sept. 18-24. During this week, Healthy Living for ME will be holding two public drop-in events to provide free balance assessments and information/resources to Mainers.   Aroostook Agency on Aging will partner with HL4ME during the Falls Prevention Awareness Month to host several events including regional informational sessions, as well as several demonstration events for ongoing wellness classes that are designed to improve balance, strength, and mobility to prevent falls. For a complete listing of September events in Aroostook County, please visit www.aroostookaging or call 207-764-3396/800-439-1789.  Among the factors that may put someone at risk for falls are balance and gait, as well as the presence of chronic conditions that lead to inactivity or pain. Throughout the year, the Healthy Living for ME network offers free and low-cost evidence-based workshops that can help adult Mainers of all ages prevent falls through addressing balance, flexibility, and activity levels. These include A Matter of Balance, Tai Chi for Health and Balance, Bingocize, and EnhanceFitness.   To learn more about these workshops, to register for one, or to make a referral, visit Healthy Living for ME’s website at www.healthylivingforme.org, call at 1-800-620-6036, or send an email to info@healthylivingforme.org.  Healthy Living for ME is a statewide network of local organizations, health systems and volunteers that work together to empower individuals to take control of their health. Through tailored services, we provide free and low-cost options that are personalized to focus on the entire individual rather than a single condition to improve overall quality of life. Thank you for reading your 4 free articles this month. To continue reading, and support local, rural journalism, please subscribe.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto News And Price Data – CoinDesk https://collincountynewsonline.com/bitcoin-ethereum-crypto-news-and-price-data-coindesk-2/ Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated . The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG .

Biden Administration Presses Unions, Railroads To Avoid Shutdown – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/biden-administration-presses-unions-railroads-to-avoid-shutdown-reuters/ The United States Chamber of Commerce building is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Sept 12 (Reuters) – The Biden administration urged railroads and unions to reach a deal to avoid a railroad work stoppage, saying on Monday it would pose “an unacceptable outcome” to the U.S. economy that could cost $2 billion a day. Railroads, including Union Pacific (UNP.N), Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRKa.N) BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), and Norfolk Southern, have until a minute after midnight on Friday to reach tentative deals with hold out unions representing about 60,000 workers. Failing to do so opens the door to union strikes, employer lockouts and congressional intervention. read more U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is postponing travel to Ireland to remain in talks, the department said Monday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “The parties continue to negotiate, and last night Secretary Walsh again engaged to push the parties to reach a resolution that averts any shutdown of our rail system,” a Labor Department spokesperson said. “All parties need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement.” The brinkmanship comes at a sensitive time for unions, railroads, shippers, consumers and President Joe Biden, who appointed an emergency board to help break the impasse. A White House official told Reuters Biden has been in touch today with unions and companies to try to avert a strike, as have cabinet officials. U.S. railroads account for almost 30% of cargo transport by weight and maintain about 97% of the tracks Amtrak uses for commuter rail. Widespread railroad disruptions could choke supplies of food and fuel, spawn transportation chaos and stoke inflation. read more Unions, which won significant pay increases, are pushing back on work rules that would require employees to be on-call and available to work most days. Railroads are struggling to rebuild employee ranks after slashing their workforce by almost 30% over the past six years. At midday on Wednesday, Norfolk Southern will stop accepting intermodal cargo: goods that move by combinations of ship, truck and rail transport. Those shipments include consumer products and e-commerce packages that account for almost half of U.S. rail traffic. That could exacerbate existing backups at East Coast seaports and inland hubs, causing cascading delays across the country as farmers prepare for harvest and retailers restock stores for the Christmas shopping season. Bulk commodities – including food, energy, automotive and construction products – make up the remainder of U.S. rail shipments. U.S. industry groups are pressuring Congress to avert the worst-case scenario. “A shutdown of the nation’s rail service would have enormous national consequences,” the Chamber said on Monday, adding it would lead to perishable food waste, disrupt goods delivery and prevent heating fuel and chemicals transport. The Labor Department said there have been dozens of calls by Cabinet officials and other top administration officials to help the sides reach agreement. Railroads late last week said they would cease shipments of hazardous materials such as chlorine used to purify drinking water and chemicals used in fertilizer on Monday so they are not stranded in unsafe locations if rail traffic stops. read more On Sunday, two unions negotiating contracts said halting hazardous shipments was designed to give employers leverage ahead of this week’s deadline to secure labor agreements. read more As of Sunday, eight of 12 unions had reached tentative deals covering about half of 115,000 workers, the National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) said. Hold outs include the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). There has not been a nationwide U.S. rail service stoppage since 1992, when major freight railroads closed operations for two days in response to an International Association of Machinists strike against CSX, saying that a strike against one railroad was a strike against all railroads. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Shepardson and Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Inaugural Navy Exercise Tests Dozens Of Ship Maintenance Technologies Aboard Decommissioned Destroyer – DVIDS https://collincountynewsonline.com/inaugural-navy-exercise-tests-dozens-of-ship-maintenance-technologies-aboard-decommissioned-destroyer-dvids/ A variety of robots crawling in, on and below a decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer, as well as replacement parts being additively manufactured on site, comprised just a small part of the activity that took place during the first-ever U.S. Navy Repair Technology Exercise, or REPTX, held Aug. 22-Sept. 1 at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) in Ventura County, California. Teams from various companies as well as academic and government laboratories arrived from around the world with their technology applications to conduct demonstrations and field experiments aboard the decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer, known as the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS). The ship is operated by personnel from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) in Port Hueneme, California, a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and located at NBVC. NAVSEA’s Naval Systems Engineering and Logistics Directorate Technology Office (NAVSEA 05T) sponsored REPTX 2022, which was hosted by NSWC PHD and held both pierside and aboard the SDTS, which took to the sea for the second week of the event. The purpose of the inaugural exercise was to see if the technology can tackle real-world fleet maintenance and battle-damage related repairs of ships while operating in a true maritime environment — boosting the Navy’s ability to keep ships at sea by aiding sailors in carrying out needed repairs. “The format provides a realistic fielding environment, both pierside and underway, allowing teams the chance to field, adjust, learn and retest their solutions,” said Janice Bryant, sustainment technology program manager at NAVSEA 05T. “REPTX didn’t just showcase technology but applied it to solve Navy challenges,” Bryant added. “It was a problem-centric event that promoted collaboration rather than competition. Many problems require a complex solution, and multiple participants have independent pieces of that solution.” The more than 60 REPTX participants demonstrated technologies designed to address four focus areas: visualization, command and control aids, forward manufacturing and expeditionary maintenance. The technology also needed to be capable of taking on a “day job” — in other words, serving a purpose that adds value to Navy ships and crew on a routine basis. And, it has to be user-friendly enough for a ship’s crew to learn quickly. “Our priorities as a warfare center are to deliver and sustain readiness, modernize and maintain the current fleet, and field the surface fleet of the future,” said Capt. Andrew Hoffman, NSWC PHD commanding officer. “REPTX demonstrates these priorities by allowing both industry, government and academia to work side-by-side while exploring innovative maintenance concepts that we can rapidly deliver to our forward-deployed warfighters.” Approximately 20 reservists from the Navy’s Surge Maintenance (SurgeMain) program provided that ship’s crew perspective as they got hands-on with much of the technology, learning how to operate the remote-controlled robotics, wearing augmented reality (AR) headsets to view repair instructions and videos, measuring corrosion on the deckplate of the SDTS, and more. “The SurgeMain sailors typically don’t get chances like this to provide input on new technologies, so it was hugely important for them to have that opportunity,” said REPTX Project Manager Suzie Simms. “At the end of the event, all of the SurgeMain sailors who participated said they want to be involved again next year.” Scenarios where reservists were able to remotely control robots included identifying unknown objects on the side of the ship’s hull, detangling a fouled propeller, measuring the depth of metal wastage due to corrosion using ultrasonic waves, and inspecting tight spaces that would be difficult or dangerous for a human to go into. Several companies brought AR technology to the SDTS, providing both communication and real-time visuals during simulated battle damage assessment scenarios as well as repair work instructions and videos that can be viewed through the headset while simultaneously looking at the damaged area. Additive manufacturing technology installed in compact shipping containers both pierside and aboard the SDTS provided the capability to 3D print replacement parts as needed in a variety of materials. Other scenarios involved ship-to-shore communication systems, inspection and repair tools, and above- and below-water visualization devices. Technology suppliers assisted SurgeMain reservists in using and demonstrating the technology aboard the SDTS during week two — this time in a true maritime environment as the vessel went underway off the coast of Port Hueneme. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators got a chance to fly their camera-equipped drones around the ship to inspect it. The main goals of the UAV demonstrations during REPTX were to identify issues like corrosion and misplaced items and to test the UAVs’ capabilities to aid in battle damage assessment and repair — a key focus area for the Navy — by rapidly creating digital models, among other things. In one scenario, a flange with a leaky gasket was the focus of a collaborative effort on the last underway day of REPTX. The SDTS crew had identified the issue in the ship’s state room, and several technology suppliers worked on a fix with SurgeMain sailors. A reservist used an AR headset during the scenario to connect remotely with a subject matter expert elsewhere to help inspect and measure the faulty flange. Armed with measurements of the flange assembly, two additive manufacturing companies participating in REPTX later 3D-printed parts that could be used to replace the flange and gasket in the state room. Other underway demonstrations tested, repaired and monitored vital equipment on the ship. Participants and organizers agreed that some of the best things to come out of REPTX were the spontaneous collaborations between attending organizations that revealed more efficient uses of their individual technologies when used together. Along with the focus on collaboration, organizers designed the event to be educational for everyone involved. “REPTX facilitated learning on both the government and participant sides,” said Jason Bickford, research manager at NSWC PHD. “We’ve heard unanimous positive feedback from participants that it was a valuable experience for them.” The learning experience was impactful in that it was hands on, operationally based and held aboard an active ship. Bryant said that next steps include determining how to invest $2 million in follow-on funding to further develop technologies for fielding in the fleet. The REPTX team will also release to the public a comprehensive after action report on the event. Meanwhile, discussions are underway for a sequel. “Events like REPTX enable NAVSEA to be more agile and competitive in the future fight,” Bryant said. “Providing access to Navy assets, crew and problems allows traditional and non-traditional players to engage together, quickly and effectively. Continuing efforts like REPTX are essential as the Navy looks to build a more resilient and sustainable fleet and innovative and responsive industrial base.” Additional photos and videos of the exercise are available at https://www.dvidshub.net, keyword: REPTX.

There’s Optimism That Steelers’ T.J. Watt Did Not Fully Tear His Pec And Could Return In Roughly A Month – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/theres-optimism-that-steelers-t-j-watt-did-not-fully-tear-his-pec-and-could-return-in-roughly-a-month-cbs-sports/ The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ worst fears may not be realized. It was a bittersweet start to the year for the franchise as they were able to fend off the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 with an overtime win, but it came at a cost as a number of players departed due to injury, including star pass rusher T.J. Watt. He went down with a pec injury in the second half and it was reported that Watt was believed to have suffered a torn pec.  A day removed from the game, however, there is a more optimistic tone surrounding the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports that there is optimism in Pittsburgh on Monday that Watt did not experience a full pec tear and will be able to return after sitting out for a month or so.  Of course, further tests will fully determine the scope of the injury and a clearer timetable, but this is far more encouraging news than how ominous things seemed immediately coming out of Sunday. Watt will get second and third medical opinions on the injury Tuesday, according to ESPN. If he needs surgery, he’ll likely miss the rest of the season, per Adam Schefter. If he doesn’t, he could be back in about six weeks. Before leaving due to the injury, Watt was his typical dominating self, tallying six tackles (three for a loss), a sack, and an interception as Pittsburgh’s defense did a good job against Joe Burrow. The Bengals quarterback was sacked a total of seven times and was forced into four interceptions and one fumble. Watt is coming off a 2021 season where he tied the single-season sack record with 22.5.  “Having T.J. out there definitely benefits us,” Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward said of Watt’s impact following Sunday’s win. “He’s a leader. He’s the defensive player of the year. However long it takes, other guys have got to step up. Alex [Highsmith] stepped up pretty good today. Malik and Jamir [Jones] are coming along. We had to do some different stuff out there. We rally around him, and when he gets back, we’ll be ready.”  Over the next month, the Steelers are slated to host the Patriots in Week 2, visit the Browns in Week 3, play the Jets at Acrisure Stadium in Week 4, and take on the Bills in Buffalo in Week 5. If Watt does sit out for just a month, that could be the window of games he misses with a return against the Buccaneers in Week 6 on Oct. 16 as a possible return date.  Again, a clearer timetable for his potential return and a true gauge of the severity of the injury should be unearthed in the coming days.

Bored Ape NFT Metaverse Band Taps Beyoncé, Bruno Mars Producers – Decrypt https://collincountynewsonline.com/bored-ape-nft-metaverse-band-taps-beyonce-bruno-mars-producers-decrypt/ In brief Kingship, a virtual band based on Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT artwork, has named Hit-Boy and James Fauntleroy its co-executive producers and songwriters. Universal Music Group’s 10:22PM label created the group in partnership with NFT collector Jimmy “j1mmy” McNelis, who owns the NFTs. Universal Music Group announced today that its virtual metaverse band, Kingship—which features characters based on Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT artwork—has tapped a pair of very real music producers that have created hits for superstars like Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Bruno Mars. The veteran producers—Chauncey “Hit-Boy” Hollis and James Fauntleroy—will take the roles of co-executive producers and songwriters behind the Bored Ape band, and work to create music for the NFT-inspired characters to perform in videos and immersive online metaverse worlds. Kingship hails from UMG’s 10:22PM label and was created by label head Celine Joshua. The characters in the band are based on Bored Ape Yacht Club and Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs licensed from notable collector Jimmy “j1mmy” McNelis. It’s similar to the seminal virtual band Gorillaz, albeit with a handful of valuable NFTs used as source material. Hit-Boy is a well-known hip-hop producer and three-time Grammy winner who has produced hit singles for artists like Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, Jay Z, and Ariana Grande. Fauntleroy, meanwhile, is best known as a four-time Grammy-winning songwriter for artists like Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, and Justin Timberlake, plus he’s produced music for various other musicians. A recent Kingship teaser video, released in August to mark a promotion with the M&M’s candy brand, offered the first taste of their musical contributions to the project. In July, Kingship released its own NFT project, launching 5,000 Ethereum key cards that provide special access to exclusive content and token-gated future experiences. An NFT is a blockchain token that represents ownership of a digital item, and can be used for things like artwork, Bored Ape-style profile pictures, collectibles, and access passes to online communities and live events. The NFT market swelled to $25 billion worth of trading volume in 2021, per data from DappRadar. The Bored Ape Yacht Club is arguably the best-known project in the space, racking up billions of dollars’ worth of trading volume while amassing numerous celebrity and athlete holders. Yuga Labs, the creator of the Ethereum project, raised $450 million earlier this year at a $4 billion valuation, and is working on its own metaverse game called Otherside. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT holders are given broad rights to use their owned images to create and sell derivative artwork and products. Some owners have used their Bored Ape imagery for things like fast food restaurants, cannabis and alcohol packaging, toys, and apparel. UMG and 10:22PM aren’t the only creators that see opportunity at the intersection of Bored Apes and music: Storied producer and Ape owner Timbaland has also produced music from Bored Ape-based artists. He also released a single as his Bored Ape and sold NFTs of the music video itself. Meanwhile, rappers Eminem and Snoop Dogg—also both Bored Ape NFT owners—recently released a collaborative single called “From The D 2 The LBC” that features their Ape images in the music video. They also performed the song live via 3D Ape avatars at the MTV Video Music Awards, and sold limited-edition merchandise based on their NFT characters. Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

16 Best Free Competitive Games You Can Play On Nintendo Switch – Gameranx https://collincountynewsonline.com/16-best-free-competitive-games-you-can-play-on-nintendo-switch-gameranx/ Get competitive. Are you looking to scratch that competitive itch? In this list, we’re looking at some of the best available free competitive games on the Nintendo Switch. From battle royale games to revamp classics, there’s something in here for everyone. #16 Roller Champions A free-to-play Ubisoft Original title that trades guns for roller skates. Roller Champions pits teams of three against each other to take a ball, maintain a lap whilst keeping hold of the ball, dodge opponents to then score. If you keep hold of the ball for more laps, your team will score more points. Customize your characters, gain fans and compete in the best arenas. Now’s the time to show who’s the champ.  #15 Super Animal Royale Battle royale with cute animals? I’m in! Super Animal Royale is a 64-player, top-down 2D battle royale game where various (aggressive) animals will face off against each other in a race to become the number one. Search for and collect your weapons of choice and shoot your way to victory. Play solo or team up as a squad of four, the choice is yours. Unlock hundreds of different animal breeds and customize them with thousands of cosmetic items, outfits and umbrellas! What’s better? IT’s consistently being updated to include bigger and better content.  #14 Paladins A free-to-play fantasy game that already has a 50+ million player base. Paladins is a fantasy team shooter similar to the likes of Overwatch. Choose your desired champion from a large selection, all with their own attributes and special moves. This game gives you a little more customisation regarding your abilities though, with the option to choose your desired core abilities. On top of that, Paladins allows you to choose what your playstyle is with the deck-building system. Choose from dozens of cards to create your perfect champion.    #13 Knockout City Despite its name, Knockout City is not a boxing game or a punch-em-out game. No, this is a game that features epic dodgeball battles. Team up and battle against rival crews in this intense but mega-fun team-based multiplayer game. Customise your character, form your own crew and take on the world. Knock out opponents with cool trick shots and coordinated teamwork, dodge flying balls and even become a ball yourself.. Yes, I said what I said. A variety of ball types, locations and game modes will keep you entertained for hours to come. Not to mention each season comes with new maps, balls, rewards and events. So, get to it. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.  #12 Super Bomberman R Online Who remembers playing the classic that is Bomberman? Facing off against 3 other friends to become the champ? Well, Super Bomberman R has taken that to the extreme with the classic Bomberman gameplay we know and love supercharged to 64 players online. Customise your character with outfits and bomb skins and pick up exciting power-ups to give you the advantage. Nintendo Switch online subscribers will be able to download this free of charge. So go on, get downloading one of the most addictive games out there.  #11 Pac-Man 99 Similarly to the above, Pac-Man 99 is available for free as a special offer to Nintendo Switch Online members. Again, taking everything we love about the original Pac-Man games and making it into a hectic battle royale game. Roam the maze, avoid ghosts (or eat them) and stay alive, all whilst you’re playing against 98 other players. Collect power-ups to knock your opponents off your tail and become the champ. Not only that, but there are a range of game modes to explore, including offline play so there is something for everyone. Sounds hectic, right? It is. But, it’s a ton of fun.  #10 Rogue Company A third-person tactical action shooter that tasks you with defeating enemies in objective and action based game modes. Explore exotic locales, take out the enemy team is thrilling gun-play and cause many explosions. Rogue Company features 4v4 and 6v6 game modes such as King of the Hill, Strikeout and Demolition or see how you fare in more competitive ranked modes. Each player has their own unique set of skills, weapons and gadgets, allowing you to choose your own play style. Do you prefer to get up close and personal? Get yourself a katana. Or maybe you prefer to lurk in the dark with a sniper rifle? What’s better though is that all rogues can be unlocked for free, with no in-game purchases necessary. Just playing the game is enough.  #9 World of Tanks Blitz The 3D tank shooter features a 7×7 format that can be enjoyed both on your own or with friends. Featuring over 350 unique combat vehicles with elaborate 3D models and historically accurate vehicles, this will be a blast. Over 25 battle arenas are at your disposal with a well-developed progression system which allows you to research vehicles from Tier 1 tanks to mighty Tier X machines. A range of in-game events await you that allow you to unlock rare vehicles and offer a different gameplay experience. If you like your heavy vehicles, this one’s for you. #8 Ninjala Ever wanted to be a ninja? Well, now is the perfect time. Up to 8 players compete is a battle royale-style match to be the best of the best. The player who earns the most points throughout the course of the match will be crowned the winner. Defeat opponents, collect items, destroy drones and more to score the points that will allow you to be the winner. Ninjala also features cooperative play in a 4-on-4 team battle where you must work together to gain a higher score than the enemy team. Of course, what would it be without a form of customisation? Players can use a variety of costumes and accessories to create their own unique look for their character. Perfect! #7 Smite The ever-growing popular action multiplayer online battle arena game Smite is free-to-play on the Nintendo Switch! Choose from over 100 Gods to play as and unleash pain and suffering on your opponent’s. You name it, you can play it! Zeus, Thor, Monkey King – all playable. Featuring an auto-buy and auto-level mechanic, Smite makes it super easy to jump in on the action. With different game modes and unlockables, what’s not to love about this MOBA that already has over 35+ million players. Join the ranks! #6 Brawlhalla An epic platform fighter for up to 8 players online or locally. Featuring casual free-for-alls, more competitive ranked matches and even private battles with friends, Brawlhalla is a blast. With over 50 legends to choose from and customisable options on all of them, you are bound to find one you love. With themed events including famous Street Fighter characters as well as it being cross-platform, there are many reasons to play Brawlhalla. #5 Fortnite Do we really even need to describe Fortnite at this point? The game that blew up has become a phenomenon around the world. It’s also a key battle royale game available on just about every mainline platform. Players drop into the map and scavenge for resources, build up structures, and attempt to take out the competition. Meanwhile, the map continues to shrink down in size, forcing every player to move just a bit closer to one another. So if this game has somehow slipped past your radar, give it a download and try it out today. #4 Fall Guys Fall Guys took the world by storm when it was released on PlayStation 4 back in 2020, heading straight onto PlayStation Plus, and the world went wild for it. Offering a different type of battle royale experience that doesn’t include guns and killing, instead Fall Guys has players partaking in various mini-games to see who comes out on top. Race games, team games and even memory games will be among the many you need to master in order to win. Think of ninja Warrior mixed with Takeshi’s Castle. The game recently came to Nintendo Switch consoles with Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout, a free-to-play version of the game. Will you come out with the crown? Go find out!  #3 Apex Legends For the lovers of Fortnite that want a more competitive style of play, there is Apex Legends. Each character has a background and lore from the Titanfall universe with their own unique abilities. No matter how you play, there will be a legend for you. If you prefer to stay back and heal your teammates, there’s Lifeline with her useful healing drone. If you prefer to rush into the fight and do as much damage as possible, there’s Wraith who can phase to avoid any incoming damage. Unlike Fortnite, there is no option to join a 4 man squad but instead they have 3 man and duos for battle royale or there are Arenas which is a round based elimination type game mode. There are always new events with limited time game modes and skin cosmetics for you to obtain along with customizations for your banner so you always look good when you wipe out the enemy squads.  #2 Rocket League A game of football with a twist. Rocket League is an arcade-style soccer game where instead of controlling people, you control cars. Yes, that’s right. Boost, jump, bash your way to the ball in order to knock it into the net. Unlock various items in their version of a battle pass with the Rocket Pass, test your skill in competitive tournaments, complete challenges, or just have some relaxing fun with friends. It’s a ton of fun, and it features cross-platform progression and play. Now is the best time to play, what are you waiting for? Shoot your shot! #1 Tetris 99 Another Nintendo Switch Online offering, Tetris 99 pits 99 players together in an all out Tetris Frenzy. All 99 players are playing a game of Tetris at the same time. The goal? To survive for longer than the others. Dominate your opponents by clearing your own grid as quickly as possible, making more drops for other players. Various times events are held which hold awesome prizes too, which is awesome! It’s str...

Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Scrooge McDuck Is A Thief – Polygon https://collincountynewsonline.com/disney-dreamlight-valleys-scrooge-mcduck-is-a-thief-polygon/ I have placed signs advertising Scrooge McDuck’s shop all over Dreamlight Valley. I am wearing a shirt emblazoned with his face, pointing my Disney friends right over to his shop. I’ve paid for both Moana and Remy (from Ratatouille) to live here, renovated a restaurant and Goofy’s vegetable stall, and paid McDuck’s investment to open his shop — all while living in a shack with boarded-up windows and dust-covered furniture. To put it simply, I am paying a lot of money to Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Scrooge McDuck. The guy’s bleeding me dry. And now he’s dangling a sick gaming PC with an LED keyboard and mouse over my head, and I can’t afford it. It’s rude. Sure, it’s no Animal Crossing: New Horizons gaming PC, but it’s what’s on offer, and I thought I could bring some joy into Disney Nicole’s life. I was wrong. As Kotaku and others on social media pointed out last week, Scrooge McDuck is basically Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Tom Nook — but much, much worse: After spending 1,000 coins to renovate his shop, Scrooge McDuck tosses me 400 coins to spend in his store. How generous! Of course, it’s not enough to purchase my new PC, and his shop restocks before I can acquire enough money to buy it. Of course, I’ve never actually accumulated very much cash in Disney Dreamlight Valley because I’m always spending it on something else, like bringing new folks back into town. Thanks to Scrooge McDuck, my purse is always open. Jokes aside, there is more to Dreamlight Valley than just Animal Crossing analogues. I’m still pretty early on in the game, but there’s a lot more story to uncover in the valley, which is a nice change of pace in the life- and farming-simulation genre. Still, the game is very similar to Animal Crossing — and I think that works to its benefit. As one of tens of millions of New Horizons players, it’s been easy to fall into a comfortable rhythm with Dreamlight Valley’s daily chores and activities. Now, if only Dreamlight Valley allowed me to trade with other players so I could finally get my hands on that PC and make the gamer home of my dreams. For now, Scrooge has a monopoly. I’ll guess I’ll just start with a desk.

Michigan Police Kill Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting His Wife And Wounding Their Daughter – NBC News https://collincountynewsonline.com/michigan-police-kill-man-accused-of-fatally-shooting-his-wife-and-wounding-their-daughter-nbc-news/ Police killed a shotgun-wielding man in suburban Detroit after he fatally shot his wife and wounded their daughter before opening fire on responding law enforcement, authorities said Monday. A 25-year-old woman called 911 at about 4:11 a.m. Sunday and “stated that she had just been shot by her father” on Glenwood Drive in Walled Lake, according to an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office statement. When deputies and Walled Lake police arrived at the home, the man, identified as 53-year-old Igor Lanis, came out the front door with a Remington 870 pump action shotgun and started shooting at officers, the sheriff’s office said. Lanis’ gunfire struck “a car an officer as behind and the residence behind him” though no one “was injured from those shots,” the sheriff’s office said on Monday. A Walled Lake police officer as well as an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy returned fire, killing Lanis, officials said. The 911 caller was “at the front door … attempting to crawl from the home” before officers “dragged her to safety,” authorities said. She was taken to a hospital and rushed into emergency surgery, according to the sheriff’s office, adding the woman’s condition had been upgraded from critical to stable. Officials found the man’s wife and the family dog dead inside the home. The woman, 56, had been “shot multiple times in the back, and it appears that she was also attempting to flee out of the front door,” the sheriff’s office said without disclosing the woman’s name. The slain dog, a Great Pyrenees, also was shot multiple times. It still wasn’t clear Monday what might have touched off the horrific rampage. “As part of this ongoing investigation, they are seeking insight into what set this into motion leading to a resident fatally shooting his wife, shooting and seriously injuring his daughter and killing the family dog,” according to a sheriff’s statement on Monday. Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Monday thanked dispatchers, police and his deputies for their fast work. “This is an unbelievably horrific act,” Bouchard said in a statement. “It is so sad on so many levels but due to the response and professionalism of our dispatch, the Walled Lake officers and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Deputies at least one victim was saved. We will actively pursue information to gain insight into what set this into motion.”This is a developing story. Please refresh here for updates. David K. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

George Clooney Is Living His Best Life At 61 And These Are His Secrets — Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That https://collincountynewsonline.com/george-clooney-is-living-his-best-life-at-61-and-these-are-his-secrets-eat-this-not-that-eat-this-not-that/ Take one look at George Clooney’s life, and it’s clear he’s doing many things right. In fact, the actor, filmmaker, twice dubbed “Sexiest Man Alive” by PEOPLE, and family man admits he has much to be thankful for. “Every single day of my life, I just feel lucky. Lucky in my career. Lucky enough to have found the perfect partner. Sometimes in life it doesn’t happen on your schedule, but you find the person that you were always supposed to be with,” Clooney shares with The Hollywood Reporter. Read on to learn more about how George Clooney is living his absolute best life at 61 years old. Shutterstock How does the 61-year-old actor stay so fit? Well, he’s a fan of Bikram yoga (which is performed in a heated space to rid your body of toxins) and plays tennis. As a matter of fact, the celeb makes a sweet date out of it and has been spotted heading to the courts in Laglio, Italy, holding Amal Clooney’s hand. The star also played basketball for quite some time before switching over to tennis, revealing in 2020, “I stopped hooping three years ago. I was having dinner with President Obama, who I used to play with, and he said he’d stopped playing ball a couple of years ago. It’s nuts because I’d always said… I was 55, and I’d say, ‘I’m going to be playing until I’m 80!’ I played like a 25-year-old. But it was one last, like, roll my ankle, get my tooth chipped, get my eye socket cracked with an elbow, and I was like, ‘You know? I’ve had enough. I’ll play tennis, and just switch it up'” (via CinemaBlend). Related: Healthy Habits Daniel Craig Follows at 54 To Stay in the Best Shape As far as family dinners are concerned, the Clooneys eat extremely well, thanks to their talented personal chef from Lake Como, Italy, Viviana Frizzi. The Clooneys enjoy pizza nights on a weekly basis, and Frizzi reveals, “George and Amal’s favorite pizza is a margherita with rocket salad” (via PEOPLE). Yum! Frizzi knows how to make a mean homemade gnocchi dish with pesto sauce “that would make you cry,” according to George Clooney, in addition to sushi, risottos, Lebanese dishes, and Indian cuisine. Related: The Healthy Habits of Harrison Ford Make Indiana Jones Look Great at 80 Until George Clooney embraced family life, the actor revealed he “didn’t know how un-full” his life was, reminiscing with GQ, “I was like, ‘I’m never getting married. I’m not gonna have kids. I’m gonna work, I’ve got great friends, my life is full, I’m doing well.'” Then he met Amal, and that changed everything. His realization? “I was like, ‘Oh, actually, this has been a huge empty space.'” He reveals to CBS, “I knew fairly quickly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Amal.” And just like that, George Clooney, once one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, has been married to Amal for eight years. George and Amal Clooney maintain wonderful family values. The power couple enjoys eating dinner together and gabbing endlessly. They cherish spending time raising their adorable twins, Ella and Alexander. As George Clooney explains via Today, “They’re good kids. They’re happy kids. They laugh a lot. They do pranks already. Put peanut butter on their shoes, so that it looks like poo-poo on their shoes and stuff, and they think that’s funny.” The actor boasts, “They already can—you know, do all their ABCs in Italian and in English and I can’t do that in English,” adding, “I just have to clean the barf off of my tux. It used to be my barf but now it’s the twins’ barf.” Okay George Clooney, let’s get one thing straight. Everyone agrees that you can totally rock a tux—with or without the barf. It’s pretty evident George Clooney is just as lovable and fun off-screen spending time with his family as one would imagine. A typical morning in the Clooney household? Well, George Clooney describes a movie-worthy scene (via Mirror), but it’s actually a typical day in the life making memories in the Clooney family. “There’s nothing more fun than sitting there in the morning with my kids singing in Italian and us making breakfast for them. I picked right when I picked Amal. It’s just the two of us having dinner together every night and we never run out of conversation. We couldn’t be happier with our lives and we couldn’t feel luckier.” Could we love this actor and family anymore? More importantly, are we invited for breakfast? (Asking for a friend, of course!) 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

Celsius Price: CEL Dips 17% As Crypto Struggle To Hold Gains – Invezz https://collincountynewsonline.com/celsius-price-cel-dips-17-as-crypto-struggle-to-hold-gains-invezz/ Celsius (CEL/USD) price fell by as much as 17% on Monday amid an overall struggle across crypto assets. The CEL token, which had pumped by more than 13% late Sunday amid a short squeeze, fell from highs of $1.68 to place at $1.43 at the time of writing. Are you looking for fast-news, hot-tips and market analysis? Sign-up for the Invezz newsletter, today. The 82nd ranked crypto by market cap was also down significantly against the Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) pairs. As of 12:50 pm ET, the CEL/BTC pair was down 18% while CEL/ETH was nearly -14% off in the past 24 hours. Celsius price falls sharply Crypto news this week is largely going to be dominated by the Ethereum Merge, which is just two days away. But Monday finds cryptocurrencies struggling to hold onto weekend gains, with a lull for most of the tokens resulting in bulls giving up momentum. For the CEL token, the dip to $1.43 looks to open it to further weakness as the downturn since a high of $3.86 on 14 August threatens a revisit of a local bottom formed around $0.86 on 28 August 27. As can be seen on the CEL chart below, the token has made a series of higher lows and lower highs since the start of September.  CEL/USD price on the daily chart on FTX. Source: TradingView Actually, the token lacks any sustained upside since last month’s pump and faces main resistance around the 50-day moving average. However, while the outlook is likely to favour bears, another short squeeze could ensue as speculative momentum builds, with buy pressure pushing the price higher again. However, (and its generally), Celsius lacks any real fundamental strength for a sustained move upward, especially with uncertainty still lingering over the company’s future since the bankruptcy debacle earlier in the crypto winter. Invest in crypto, stocks, ETFs & more in minutes with our preferred broker, eToro 10/10 68% of retail CFD accounts lose money

Blockchain Association Sets Up PAC To Influence US Crypto Policy – CoinDesk https://collincountynewsonline.com/blockchain-association-sets-up-pac-to-influence-us-crypto-policy-coindesk/ Jesse Hamilton is CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor for global policy and regulation. He doesn’t hold any crypto. The Blockchain Association is adding its own political action committee to the crypto industry’s growing array of campaign-finance efforts seeking to steer the U.S. government’s debate over digital assets. The BA PAC will contribute to the campaigns of “pro-crypto candidates” from both parties, according to Kristin Smith, the Washington-based association’s executive director. The timing – dated Monday in the group’s filing with the Federal Election Commission – is too late to make a splash in November’s midterm elections that will decide if Republicans will surge into power in Congress or whether Democrats will maintain their tenuous hold. But the PAC will be in a position to exert influence in the presidential election year in 2024. The PAC will still donate to candidates for this November’s election, though a press release declined to identify which candidates. “We believe crypto is by definition a non-partisan issue,” Smith said in a tweet on Monday. “We will support candidates in that spirit, seeking the best champions for this technology no matter which side of the aisle they come from.” Smith herself has donated to candidates from both parties, as well as right-leaning fundraising group WinRed, according to FEC data. The industry has quickly become one of the dominant forces in political giving, with its new PACs outpacing many of the political efforts from more established industries. Crypto billionaires such as Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX crypto exchange, have poured tens of millions of dollars of their own money into U.S. politics over the past few years. Julie Stitzel, vice president of public policy at CoinDesk parent company Digital Currency Group, will be the PAC’s chairwoman. The directors will include Ryan Selkis, who founded crypto data provider Messari; Jonathan Jachym, the global head of policy at crypto exchange Kraken; John McCarthy, counsel at Wicklow Capital; and Seth Hertlein,, head of policy at digital wallet provider Ledger. Sign up for Money Reimagined, our weekly newsletter exploring the transformation of value in the digital age. By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk product updates, events and marketing and you agree to our terms of services and privacy policy. DISCLOSURE Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated . The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG . Jesse Hamilton is CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor for global policy and regulation. He doesn’t hold any crypto. Jesse Hamilton is CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor for global policy and regulation. He doesn’t hold any crypto.

The 8 Best Portable Air Conditioners To Keep You Cool And Comfortable – Forbes https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-8-best-portable-air-conditioners-to-keep-you-cool-and-comfortable-forbes/ The best portable air conditioners are among the most versatile cooling devices out there. Unlike window units you can easily move them from room to room, and they are lot more powerful than tower fans. Plus, if you need to cool off a large space, powerhouse portable air conditioner models can efficiently tackle areas up to 775 square feet or more; some machines even double as dehumidifiers and space heaters. Our top pick overall is the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS, a mid-priced model that offers great functionality for most homes, though it’s certainly not the only stellar option out there. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILER Ultimately, the right model for you depends on your unique cooling needs and preferences (as well as, of course, budget). “The most important things to consider in your choice are the room size you need to cool and the location of ventilation and drainage,” says Chris Forbus, owner of Choice Air Care, a Texas-based air conditioning and heating services company. When shopping, make sure to look closely at each unit’s BTU rating, which measures its power. Beyond that, you may also want to consider factors like noise level, venting method and programmability. Ready to upgrade your cooling setup? Here are eight of the best portable air conditioners you can buy right now, along with the reasons why we think they’re great. Best Portable Air Conditioner Overall: Whynter Elite Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner Best Portable Air Conditioner For Small Rooms: Black+Decker Portable Air Conditioner Best Portable Air Conditioner For Large Rooms: Whynter Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner Best Desktop Portable Air Conditioner: Evapolar EvaChill Best Affordable Portable Air Conditioner: SereneLife Portable Air Conditioner Best Portable Air Conditioner And Space Heater: Black+Decker BPACT14HWT Best Smart Portable Air Conditioner: LG Portable Air Conditioner With Remote Best Evaporative Cooler: Honeywell Indoor/Outdoor Portable Evaporative Cooler Best Portable Air Conditioner Overall A Mighty Machine That Can Chill Up To 400 Square Feet Amazon Whynter Elite ARC-122DS Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner Power: 12,000 BTU ASHRAE / 7,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 400 square feet | Noise level: Less than 52 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions While you’ll find the slightly larger Whynter ARC-14S elsewhere on this list, the Whynter Elite ARC-122DS earns its place as the best overall portable air conditioner by providing most of the same capabilities at a lower price point. With the 12,000 BTU ASHRAE (7,000 BTU DOE), this cooling engine can handle rooms up to 400 square feet and has three operating modes: cooling, fan-only and dehumidifier-only. Unlike most units in this price range, this is a dual-hose system; one hose serves as an input and the other as an exhaust, which makes it run more efficiently by cooling a room without drawing in warm air. While it has an automatic drain to clear out accumulated moisture, many reviewers suggest getting a drain hose (which you’ll have to purchase separately), especially if you live in a humid area. Pros: Three operating modes Dual-hose system 24-hour programmable timer Automatic drain Cons: Window kit doesn’t seal well May need a drain hose to clear out accumulated moisture Best Portable Air Conditioner For Small Rooms A Compact Model That Can Accommodate 250 Square Feet Amazon Black+Decker BPACT10WT Portable Air Conditioner Power: 10,000 BTU ASHRAE / 6,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 250 square feet | Additional features: Fan and dehumidifier functions, sleep timer While you don’t want an underpowered air conditioner, you also don’t want that delivers too many BTUs is wasteful. With 10,000 BTU ASHRAE (6,000 BTU DOE), this model from Black+Decker is perfect to small rooms up to about 250 square feet, though it performs best in spaces around 150 square feet. Along with air-conditioning capabilities, this unit also functions as a fan and dehumidifier. Plus, its bucket-less design evaporates condensation from the air conditioner, meaning maintenance couldn’t be simpler. Pretty much the only thing you need to do regularly is clean the filter about twice a month. The BPACT10WT rolls around on casters for easy placement and features an LED display with controls on the top panel, but you can also operate this air conditioner using the included remote control. You’ll also appreciate the fact that it’s largely autonomous; it’ll run for 24 hours at a time with an automatic sleep timer. Pros: Ideal for small rooms No drainage required Automatic sleep timer Cons: Window kit is complicated to install Best Portable Air Conditioner For Large Rooms A Beefy, Dual-Hose Model That Means Business Amazon Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner Power: 14,000 BTU ASHRAE / 9,500 DOE | Coverage area: Up to 600 square feet | Noise level: Less than 56 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions Have a large space you’re trying to cool? The Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner is near the top end of what portable AC units can do. That said, you should probably be sure you need this much air conditioning before you invest in the ARC-14S; it’s a bit of an investment, weighs a formidable 80 pounds and the lack of handles makes it challenging to move on anything but smooth flat surfaces (where the casters can help out). However, this unit means business. Unlike most portable air conditioners, this is a dual-hose model, with one hose serving as an input and the other as an output. That makes it more efficient and better able to cool your space without unintentionally sucking more warm air into your room. It has an impressive 14,000 BTU ASHRAE (9,500 DOE) that can cool a 600-square-foot room with ease, moving 253 cubic feet per minute. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a portable unit able to cool a room faster. Better yet, it can dehumidify an impressive 101 pints of water per day from your home and has an automatic drain function that’s supposed to exhaust moisture (although, some reviewers say they had to manually drain the unit). And if you’re concerned about air quality, it has a washable pre-filter and activated carbon air filter to keep your air fresh. Unlike some of the other options in this roundup, the Whynter air conditioner has a temperature setting between 61 degrees Fahrenheit and 89 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to set your desired temperature and let the device do its work. If you’re looking for a similar unit that also heats, check out the brand’s ARC-14SH model. Pros: Cools rooms up to 600 square feet Dual-hose system Multi-stage filtration system Adjustable temperature setting Cons: Expensive Heavy Best Desktop Portable Air Conditioner A Tiny, Sleek Model That Can Sit Right On Top Of Your Desk Power: N/A | Coverage area: Up to 21 square feet | Noise level: 50 dB | Additional features: Simultaneously cools, humidifies and purifies; night light Evapolar’s EvaChill is an evaporative cooler, meaning it pulls air through a moist environment to lower the temperature instead of using refrigerants. While generally less efficient than traditional air conditioners, this pint-sized gadget is ideal for small spaces. While it can’t efficiently cool an entire room, it’s more than capable of tackling a roughly 21-square-foot area around the device, such as a workspace. In fact, its nightlight feature, plus the fact it does double-duty by cooling and humidifying, makes it suitable for your sleep space. (Note: This machine is not ideal for humid climates) The EvaChill is incredibly small—7 x 7 x 7 inches and weighs just 1.7 pounds—so it will fit easily on a tabletop or desk. Plus, its oversized tank allows it to run continuously for four to six hours. It’s powered by a USB cable, which again makes it a smart cooling solution for a home office or bedroom. If you’re only concerned about keeping your personal space cool rather than the entire room—and you want a cooler that looks like it belongs on a space ship—this unit is a tremendous value. Plus, this unit comes in three colors: ocean blue, white and gray. Pros: Affordable Built-in night light Extremely quiet Cons: Limited cooling area Best Affordable Portable Air Conditioner A Budget Option That’s A Cinch To Move From Room To Room Amazon SereneLife SLPAC10 Portable Air Conditioner Power: 10,000 BTU ASHRAE / 6,000 BTU DOE | Coverage area: Up to 270 square feet | Noise level: 55 to 57 dB | Additional features: Includes fan and dehumidifier functions The SereneLife SLPAC10 earns its status as the best affordable portable air conditioner thanks to its moderately powerful cooling abilities and its overall versatility. Not only does the SereneLife SLPAC10 operate as a simple air conditioner, but it can be used as a circulating fan (the fan automatically swings around to spread the airflow) and a dehumidifier. It comes in a variety of capacities from 8,000 BTU to 12,000 BTU. This particular model is rated for 10,000 BTU ASHRAE (6,000 BTU DOE); it’s able to keep rooms up to about 270 square feet cool with an airflow of 290 cubic meters per hour. The SereneLife stands just under 3 feet tall and has a 17 x 13-inch footprint. It has easy-rolling casters, though, and the sides are easy to grip, making it a cinch to move around the house. Don’t expect it to be the quietest air conditioner on the market—with a rated noise level around 57 dB, it can seem louder in actual operation, sometimes whining like a vacuum cleaner. Nonetheless, it’s fairly compact and comes with a remote so you can operate it from across the room, though there’s also a simple control panel on the top of the unit as well. Pros: Go...

Analysis | Consumer Credit Is Soaring In The US. So What? – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/analysis-consumer-credit-is-soaring-in-the-us-so-what-the-washington-post/ Americans have driven up their credit balances at a record pace this year. The doomsayers say this clearly shows that households are struggling in the face of the highest rates of inflation since the early 1980s and have no choice but to go into debt to make ends meet. The reality is not as dire. In fact, consumers’ finances are near the best shape ever, giving them a long runway until rising debt obligations become a problem. It’s easy to understand the worry. Four of the biggest monthly jumps in consumer credit on record have come this year, with outstanding balances growing by an average of $33.1 billion a month over the past six months, according to Federal Reserve data. To put that in context the monthly average in all of 2019 was a little less than half that amount at $15.4 billion. The numbers are certainly shocking, but there are indications that they are mostly healthy and normal.  First, consider revolving credit, which includes credit cards. That form of credit contracted dramatically early in the pandemic as consumers had fewer options to spend and used excess savings and stimulus checks to pay down balances. Now, consumers are mostly just playing catchup, as the amount of revolving credit outstanding remains below the pre-pandemic trendline. If it blows past trend, that would indicate broader inflation-induced distress, but the financial system broadly isn’t even close to that point. Of course, many lower income households are suffering from the spike higher prices and are being forced to reach for their credit cards. But there’s no sign of a debt problem brewing broadly that could damage the economy. Non-revolving credit is a slightly different story. That’s mostly education and car loans, but it also includes financing for other big-ticket goods such as boats and trailers that surged in popularity during the pandemic. That category has seen a pandemic-era expansion that exceeds trend, and automobiles, which account for 39% of non-revolving credit and 30% of consumer credit, seem to be the main culprit. Chalk that up to the extraordinary runup in car prices in 2021 and, perhaps to some degree, the extra interest in car ownership due to public health concerns. Many people who once used public transportation have preferred to opt for the better social-distancing of a vehicle.  Although much smaller than the auto segment, the real juggernaut of loan growth was the “other” category of non-revolving credit, including the aforementioned maritime toys. Early in the pandemic, coastal communities saw an explosion of interest in boating in response to social distancing guidelines. But that category is too minor to have a broad impact. Moreover, boat owners typically aren’t living paycheck-to-paycheck as a general rule, so cross that off the list of would-be drivers of a structural leverage crisis. If there was cause for concern in the consumer credit data, it would be found in the nonrevolving credit section. But growth in that segment peaked earlier in the year and showed some signs of moderation in the most recent report. The latest month’s increase was the smallest since January.  Finally, the household debt service ratio — the ratio of debt payments to disposable income — is near historic lows. That’s thanks to opportunities to refinance debt at low rates in 2020 and 2021 and to the influx of trillions of dollars of government cash during the Covid-19 pandemic. As painful as inflation is, homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages, which account for the vast majority of home loans, may have benefitted from wage increases while their biggest liabilities remained the same or were renegotiated at lower rates. Taking consumer debt and home loans together, the total burden remains extremely modest. None of this means that there’s no cause for concern. The economy faces elevated odds of a recession due in part to the Fed raising rates quickly to get inflation back under control, and many economists predict unemployment may increase in the process. No job means no income, and debt service ratios that look so low today could rapidly surge if the labor market stumbles. No group would suffer more than lower-income households that have already started to spend their cash stockpiles to keep up with inflation. But from a systemic perspective, household finances appear to be starting from a position of strength. For now ,at least, the runup in consumer credit looks like much ado about nothing. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Jonathan Levin has worked as a Bloomberg journalist in Latin America and the U.S., covering finance, markets and M&A. Most recently, he has served as the company’s Miami bureau chief. He is a CFA charterholder. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion ©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Bitcoin Price Just Popped Over $22k – Why More Buying Could Be Coming – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/bitcoin-price-just-popped-over-22k-why-more-buying-could-be-coming-cryptonews/ Source: Pinterest Coin prices have fallen for two consecutive weeks, forcing the cryptocurrency industry to face yet another protracted gloomy phase. With the traditional stock market struggling and economies still grappling with rising inflation, investor sentiment may be shaken.   However, most large-cap coins had an impressive weekend, with Bitcoin breaking through the $22,000 mark for the first time in nearly a month. Investors are still sceptical of the current bull run, but some encouraging signs are emerging.   The Return of Bitcoin’s Biggest Whale  Perhaps the most significant and promising sign of an impending rally is the possibility of large sums of money flowing into Bitcoin very soon. MicroStrategy, a business intelligence technology firm, announced last week that it intends to sell up to $500 million in stock, with the proceeds going toward buying Bitcoin. According to Bitcoin Treasuries, the Virginia-based firm is already the largest institutional Bitcoin investor, with $2.87 billion in Bitcoin at today’s prices. MicroStrategy confirmed in a prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had entered into an agreement with New York-based investment bank Cowen & Co. to sell $500 million in Class A common stock. Although the company didn’t specify how much it would spend on Bitcoin, its previous purchases indicate a possible nine-figure spending spree.   MicroStrategy’s entry into the market could signal more institutional inflows, which would be a huge boost for an asset that has been struggling for months. A Falling Dollar Bolsters Bitcoin’s Hopes  The US dollar index, which calculates the greenback’s performance against a basket of currencies, fell by 1% on Friday, despite a rise in US stocks and futures.  Currently, cryptocurrencies are highly correlated with stocks and futures, so understandably, the market has seen gains.  This week, the dollar fell primarily due to US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data expectations. The greenback has had an impressive year in 2022, with the currency reaching a 24-year high against the Japanese yen and a 37-year high against the British Pound. With the Federal Reserve’s data still expected to show high inflation, most traders and investors appear to be consolidating their positions. Ethereum Merge Incoming  Crypto investors should be excited about the upcoming Ethereum network upgrade. This upgrade, known as the Merge, is expected to transition the Ethereum blockchain from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS), reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 99.9% and increasing blockchain transaction throughput. The cryptocurrency community has reacted positively to the Merge. Many believe that it will be the catalyst for a larger increase in coin prices, with Bitcoin, as the most valuable coin, benefiting the most. Coin price increases typically begin with large-cap assets and work down to small-cap coins. With Etheruem expected to surge following the Merge (tentatively scheduled for September 15), Bitcoin may also rise.