Collin County News Online

Top Trending Crypto Coins Today 14 October – Ethereum Name Service (ENS), Quant (QNT), Algorand (ALGO), Tamadoge (TAMA) – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/top-trending-crypto-coins-today-14-october-ethereum-name-service-ens-quant-qnt-algorand-algo-tamadoge-tama-cryptonews/ The global cryptocurrency market unexpectedly sparked into life on Thursday despite negative inflation data following the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) being released. The news that inflation was once again 8.2% prompted a quick and drastic sell-off of coins – with Bitcoin dropping to a low of $18,319.82 – before an unexpected and massive recovery in both the crypto and traditional markets. BTC pumped to $19,835.17 – an 8.2% gain on the low – in 12hrs with volume surging by 76% on the previous day. As CryptoNews reported earlier on Friday, many Bitcoin traders and analysts are expecting more short-term gains with $21,000 in play. The total crypto market saw a 5% increase to $950 billion as volume reached $355 billion – marking just the second time volume had beaten $300 billion since early August. A number of altcoins have been performing even better:  Ethereum Name Service (ENS) Ethereum Name Service (ENS) was arguably the top performing coin on Thursday and Friday, reaching highs of $20.25 as trading volume increased by 95% to over $250 million. ENS is now up 11% in the last 24hrs at the time of writing and nearly 12.5% on the seven-day chart. The price had been as low as $16.18 on Tuesday, October 11, meaning the coin saw a 25% rise in that time. ENS, which has more than 2 million addresses and a userbase of 500,000, could be set for more gains in the coming weeks. At the end of September, Coinbase announced its intention to give out ENS domains to users who want simplified transactions. Buy ENS on eToro Quant (QNT) Quant has retraced a little, but the QNT token is still up nearly 6% after volume increased by 59%. Its 24hr high saw the token almost reach $175 – its highest price since January. Quant has been flying in recent weeks and is now up nearly 20% in seven days, 67% in a month and nearly 300% since June’s lows. Quant has continued to push for its use in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and increased chatter around the implementation of that technology appears to be driving its growth. Buy QNT on eToro Algorand (ALGO) Algorand is another sleeping giant – and another coin linked to CBDCs – that has found some love recently after a tough 2022. Algorand (ALGO) is one of the most scalable and energy efficient blockchains around and its links to world-leading university MIT – its founder is a professor – indicate it should be well placed for institutional adoption in the near future. ALGO saw a huge sell-off just after CPI data was revealed – falling to $0.2887 before rallying 14% to $0.3289. It remains down on the seven-day chart, however.  Buy ALGO on eToro Tamadoge (TAMA) The TAMA token has endured a lot of volatile movement in the past week, but the new project ticked off two major marks of its roadmap this week. The first 100 Tamadoge NFTs went on sale on OpenSea and became the top trending collection on the site after seeing 258ETH worth of sales.  Investors paid as much as 6ETH for one of the Ultra Rare Pets, which will be at the centre of the new play-to-earn game based on 90s craze Tamagotchi. The projects developers also released screenshots and development pictures of the secondary game, Enter the Tamaverse, which was extremely well received in the community as it evoked memories of popular side-scrolling platform games Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Buy TAMA on OKX

US Squash And College Squash Association Announce Alliance – US Squash https://collincountynewsonline.com/us-squash-and-college-squash-association-announce-alliance-us-squash/ US Squash and the College Squash Association (CSA) announced plans for a historic alignment to advance and grow intercollegiate squash in the United States. Expected to be effective later this fall, the CSA will become an independently-managed subsidiary of US Squash, a new corporate structure that will formally affiliate squash’s national governing body and its collegiate governing body, creating a united pathway to sustained success for squash on campus and robust growth for squash overall. “College squash is a central and critical part of the squash experience in the U.S.,” noted Kevin Klipstein, President & CEO of US Squash in making the announcement. “Reducing all barriers to working closely with CSA for the long term will make each organization more effective. As junior squash continues to grow, opportunities to compete at the collegiate level need to as well. Colleges and universities also have some of the largest facilities in the country, and the more people who are introduced to squash during college, whether casually, intramurally, club or otherwise benefits everyone. I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to increase our already close collaboration with CSA, and to have the Specter Center also formally be the home of college squash just makes sense.” “College squash—with its inclusive nature, talented student-athletes, unique team format, and accompanying passion of school pride—is a shining light in the squash community,” added David Poolman, CSA Executive Director and League Commissioner. “We have benefitted from US Squash’s leadership and assistance over the past decade, and we are very enthusiastic about what lies ahead through our formal partnership. We are confident that a vibrant college squash scene helps ensure the future of the sport.” Growing collegiate squash is one core pillar of US Squash’s forward plan and overarching long-term strategy. Specifically, US Squash has committed to supporting the further development of squash on campus and partnering closely with CSA to increase the number of college varsity teams by 30%, grow emerging and club programs by 100%, and help secure NCAA affiliation. This new arrangement will accelerate these goals through increased collaboration, more efficient utilization of resources, and professionalized and targeted fundraising strategies. Through this effort, US Squash and CSA will embark on an exciting next chapter for collegiate squash, one defined by growth, access, and excellence across college campuses nationwide. US Squash has provided vital support to CSA for over ten years and has served as its fiscal sponsor since 2017 when the CSA was formally incorporated. As has been the case since 2017, CSA’s governing board will continue to independently oversee the organization, setting its strategic plan, establishing and monitoring rules of play, and managing the CSA brand. Each organization will nominate an individual to serve on the other’s respective Board of Directors to ensure ongoing and mutual representation in the governance structure. Poolman will be welcomed onto US Squash’s management team, working closely with Klipstein, and will continue to oversee all CSA’s day-to-day operations. The Boards of Directors of US Squash and CSA both met at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center this week during the U.S. Open Squash Championships to formalize the joint path forward. This US Squash-CSA alliance demonstrates the momentum building behind a unified vision focused on the sport’s growth at every level and highlights an exciting year ahead. The 100th season of intercollegiate team squash commences this fall, a milestone CSA and US Squash will be celebrating throughout this academic year. In addition, squash competition in college is compelling at all levels—junior players aspire to thrive in the college squash experience, current players continue to set standards of excellence, new players learn to play every year, and CSA alumni are making their mark in the professional game. US Squash and CSA are energized to launch the next century of college squash together. About the College Squash Association The College Squash Association is the official governing body for intercollegiate squash in the United States. CSA membership includes 66 varsity teams—32 women’s teams and 34 men’s teams—and approximately 60 women’s, men’s, and co-ed club teams. Harvard University is the defending National Collegiate Women’s and Men’s Team Champions, while the Georgetown University men and Boston College women won the inaugural National Club Team Championships last season. Cornell University’s Sivasangari Subramaniam and Harvard University’s Victor Crouin won the National Collegiate Individual Championships in 2022. CSA’s mission is to foster national intercollegiate squash competition in service to elevating the values of sportsmanship, integrity and fair-play for all student-athletes, coaches, and their affiliated institutions, encouraging academic excellence and increasing the opportunities to play college squash. About US Squash US Squash is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which serves as the only national governing body and membership organization for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1904 and headquartered in New York City, it is a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Pan American Squash Federation and the World Squash Federation. US Squash’s mission is to lead squash’s growth and development by increasing access and awareness, supporting meaningful lifelong engagement in the sport, and encouraging sportsmanship while achieving competitive excellence at the highest levels. US Squash’s vision is to be the best national sports governing body in the United States. In pursuing this aspiration, we envision people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds across the country enjoying squash, playing the game with a positive spirit, and participating in programs that foster camaraderie, facilitate competition, and encourage healthy lifestyles. We create and promote opportunities to become part of an ever-broadening squash community, one widely known to value excellence, diversity, fair-play and sportsmanship. We continually invest in the development of the sport to sustain growth, broaden access, and we embrace innovation. We support teaching professionals and coaches in their effort to engage and mentor players during their lifelong involvement in the sport. We operate the world’s preeminent squash facility serving as a national center of excellence and provide all the resources required to train and coach elite athletes who excel in competition and proudly represent their country.

India A Leader In Digitalisation, Says IMF Official – Republic World https://collincountynewsonline.com/india-a-leader-in-digitalisation-says-imf-official-republic-world/ Last Updated: 15th October, 2022 07:19 IST Digitalisation has taken on added importance as the world exits the COVID-19 pandemic, Anner-Marie Gulde-Wolfe, deputy director at the IMF’s Asia Pacific Department, told reporters at a news conference here on Friday. Image: blog.mygov.in/Govt of India India has been a leader in digitalisation over the last few years and has overcome some of the administrative bottlenecks through increased innovation, a senior International Monetary Fund official said. Digitalisation has taken on added importance as the world exits the COVID-19 pandemic, Anner-Marie Gulde-Wolfe, deputy director at the IMF’s Asia Pacific Department, told reporters at a news conference here on Friday. “As is well known by now, India has been a leader in digitalisation over the last couple of years, particularly with the provision of digital infrastructure… this has increased innovation and it has overcome some of the administrative bottlenecks that there were before,” she said. “Under Covid, there has been significant scarring in Asia and elsewhere and digitalisation promises to be one of the avenues to increase productivity of firms,” she said in response to a question. “We do have some empirical evidence for that. Our forthcoming Regional Economic Outlook will have a chapter that looks at productivity of firms and it shows that from the Covid recession that firms that were at the forefront of digitalisation did in fact perform better. Of course, there is still a way to go. Further progress should be made by narrowing the digital divide and by increasing digital literacy,” she added. The IMF has a programme that looks at digitalisation and how it helps governments in implementing reforms. The IMF is also increasingly providing technical assistance in that area, Gulde-Wolfe said. She said the IMF also works very closely with India on this and the country is at the forefront of digitalisation of government services, which was also used during the pandemic for distributing benefits. Responding to a question, Gulde-Wolfe said in the global context, India, with a growth rate of 6.1 per cent, is still a bright spot. “But it’s absolutely true that one needs to look at what else can be done and we were talking about scarring before. So, a lot of the issues that need to be addressed are more on the structural side,” she said. “We don’t see a lot of room for fiscal support given where we stand on the debt level,” she said. Similarly, on the monetary policy, given the inflation situation, there has to be a tightening bias there, the IMF official said. “But it is important to, you know, whatever can be done on the structural front to not create impediments for growth and to try and also create an expectation of continued forward movement,” she said. “I think that is really important. But let me just come back with, you know, the gross downgrades that we have seen in other countries, I think India is still in the relatively bright spot,” Gulde-Wolfe said. PTI LKJ DIV DIV (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

JD Gaming Wins Comeback Tiebreaker Victory Against DWG KIA – ONE Esports https://collincountynewsonline.com/jd-gaming-wins-comeback-tiebreaker-victory-against-dwg-kia-one-esports/ They both advance to the quarterfinals. In last match of the day in Worlds 2022 Group B, chart toppers JD Gaming and DWG KIA fought for seeding after eliminating Evil Geniuses and G2 Esports. Leading the group with five wins and no losses, it was JDG’s chance to secure first in the group. DWG KIA took full advantage of their growing momentum, however, after scoring convincing wins against G2 Esports and Evil Geniuses earlier in the day. Against the LPL first seed, DK’s bot lane consistently outdueled their counterparts, who blind picked a nerfed Lucian and Nami combo. Combined with ganks from Kim “Canyon” Geon-bu’s Graves and roams from Heo “ShowMaker” Su’s LeBlanc, they won in 29 minutes with 21 kills to just six. Sharing the same 5-1 match score, DK forced a tiebreaker, so both teams stayed in their seats and played a second game right after. Still, things were not looking up for JDG, who were down by as much as 4,800 gold, trailing in kills and towers — until one team fight at dragon changed everything. Viper explains why Edward Gaming struggled this year, and how he mastered Mandarin Gen.G Lehends lets us in on astonishing secret behind his large champion pool JD Gaming and DWG KIA duke it out in tiebreaker to determine the first and second seed According to the English broadcast, DK bot laner Seo “deokdam” Dae-gil on Aphelios set a record for Worlds 2022 this game. At his peak, he was ahead by more than 3,900 gold compared to the most farmed player on JDG, the most so far in this tournament. It’s hard not to see why. While Bai “369” Jia-Hao‘s Aatrox was getting leads at top against Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon’s Irelia with the help of Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok’s Vi, this opened up opportunities for DK to strike on the bot side of the map in favorable 3v2s. ShowMaker’s LeBlanc paid particular attention to Wang “Hope” Jie’s Kai’Sa in team fights, taking him out of the equation before JDG could initiate. At the 22-minute mark, JDG’s fortunes turned. Even though it looked like DK had better positioning at first, which allowed them to secure the third dragon and force Zeng “Yagao” Qi’s Sylas to flash over the wall, they started to retreat. Lou “Missing” Yun-Feng’s Nautilus and 369 led the charge, with Yagao coming back into the pit using Abscond. While ShowMaker nuked Hope’s Kai’Sa in the jungle, the rest of JDG shredded through DK’s front line in the river. Once key cooldowns were burnt, Kanavi and Yagao used both their ultimates–including a stolen Solar Flare–on deokdam, whose Stopwatch wasn’t enough. Taking back tempo, JDG never let go of their gold lead for the rest of the game. They won team fight after team fight, firmly putting LCK’s third seed in second place. For his strong performance on Aatrox, 369 was awarded the MVP. Screenshot by Amanda Tan/ONE Esports In the post-game broadcast interview, Eefje ‘sjokz’ Depoortere asked 369 why he thinks JDG always seems to have the ability to comeback, he answered that is could be attributed to their team’s coordination. As to whether he considers himself the best Aatrox player at Worlds, he replied, “At least for this game, my Aatrox was invincible.” Read more about the storied top laner, and how JD Gaming coach Homme brought out the best in 369 when no one else could. Watch the 2022 World Championship matches live on Riot Games’ official channels on Twitch and YouTube. READ MORE: How JD Gaming coach Homme brought out the best in 369 when no one else could

Child Abduction Response Team Nationally Certified Following Training Exercise – Rockwall County Herald Banner https://collincountynewsonline.com/child-abduction-response-team-nationally-certified-following-training-exercise-rockwall-county-herald-banner/ By Brad Kellar Herald-Banner Staff An area volunteer group that includes the Rockwall Police Department and the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department has achieved recognition for its efforts in staging a child search and rescue training exercise in June that included participation by about two dozen law enforcement agencies. The Hunt County Fairgrounds served as the staging area for the drill, which prepared personnel for the possibility of a child abduction. The drill was conducted by the Northeast Texas Child Abduction Response Team (CART). The agency’s commander, Mike Rambo, announced Monday that he had received “informal” notification from the U.S. Department of Justice that, based in part on the success of the exercise, the CART will be nationally certified. “We await receipt of the letter and recognition from the DoJ formalizing the certification,” Rambo said. “We join a group of 30 certified CARTS out of over 130 CARTs in the USA, and become the third certified CART in Texas.” The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office hosted the event. Members of the EastTex Regional Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Mark 9 Search and Rescue met at the Fairgrounds and were notified that the exercise would be focused a short distance away, at the Oak Creek Park in Greenville. Once at the park, the teams were joined by representatives with the Texas Rangers, FBI, Fox Valley Technical College, Team Adam, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, Rockwall Police Department, Farmersville Police Department, Fate Police Department, Royse City Police Department, Wylie Police Department, Texas Highway Patrol Department, Texas Department of Family Protective Services and the Hunt County Child Advocacy Center. In all, 22 agencies were involved with the exercise. It tested the response of local law enforcement, CART- and CERT-vetted volunteers to a missing child incident, including the investigative process, command and control systems, family advocacy and victim assistance, and search rescue/recovery team operations During the exercise, evaluators from the Fox Valley Technical College and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were to assess the team’s response capabilities for National CART program certification. The Northeast Texas CART is dedicated to the investigation and recovery of a missing child, teen or adult deemed at risk in Hunt, Rockwall, Collin, Rains and Kaufman counties. Rambo said the drill was just part of a busy 2022 for the agency. “As of today, CART has assisted in 25 missing persons recoveries, including children, teens and adults, three weapon searches, and two cadaver investigations at the request of CART member agencies,” Rambo said. “This is significantly higher than 2021 due to the increasing number of runaway cases in our counties.”

New Report Outlining Economic Impact Of Short Term Rentals Restrictions Met With Mixed Reviews – Kuna Noticias Y Kuna Radio https://collincountynewsonline.com/new-report-outlining-economic-impact-of-short-term-rentals-restrictions-met-with-mixed-reviews-kuna-noticias-y-kuna-radio/ Both La Quinta and Palm Springs are currently considering adding more restrictions to some short term vacation rentals. A new study shared by Visit Greater Palm Springs on the economic impact of restricting short term rentals is getting mixed reviews. The findings were reported by Toursim Economics, an Oxford Economics company. While cities like La Quinta and Palm Springs consider possible limits on short term rentals, some residents support them. Kay Wolf, a volunteer with Neighbors for Neighborhoods of La Quinta says, “Across the valley, every city is having to go through this same kind of a struggle. They’re trying to decide how many vacation rentals, how long can they stay.” Senior Director of Community Engagement at Visit Greater Palm Springs says the study looked into housing affordability. “In a study that they reviewed and analyzed for this report, there was no significant impact from short term vacation rentals on housing affordability,” says Meyer. The report also looked into crime. “It does actually look at crime and if it’s related to short term vacation rentals and found no evidence that the two are correlated. So whether or not a community has short term vacation rentals does not appear to have any impact on crime,” says Meyer. We shared the findings with volunteers with Neighbors for Neighborhoods, a group advocating to restrict short term rentals in La Quinta. John Guerrini, a volunteer with the organization says, “You first have to look at the source, the cities that are against this, they’re obviously hiring consulting firms that do work for cities, and their job is to present numbers that will convince people to oppose these measures.” In response to Neighbors for Neighborhoods, Meyer with Visit Greater Palm Springs shared, “Toursim Economics is a well respected independent research firm. They have specialized knowledge of the travel space, hence their name. One thing I would note is that we do not ask for studies just to prove a result we’re looking for. We ask for unbiased analysis of data. It’s important to Visit Greater Palm Springs that our decisions are guided by the most accurate data and research possible.” Overall the study finds that communities that restrict short term vacation rentals see a loss in revenue. “The study analyzed 10 communities that had short term vacation rental restrictions or bans in place for at least two years. And after two years, those communities lost about $377 million in visitor spending,” says Meyer. However Neighbors for Neighborhoods say the revenue can be made up. “Simply because there’s a loss of revenue doesn’t lead to the inescapable conclusion, that it’s a bad thing. Because what we get in return, we get our neighborhoods back, I get my neighbor back instead of, instead of a weekend visitor,” says Guerrini. You can read more about La Quinta’s ballot measure A here. Along with Palm Spring’s consideration to ban short term rentals in their upcoming city council meeting here.

Pakistani Finance Minister Sees Gradual Recovery From Floods – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/pakistani-finance-minister-sees-gradual-recovery-from-floods-69news-wfmz-tv/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Pakistan’s new finance minister estimated that it could take “close to three years’’ for the south Asian country to recover from devastating floods that killed more than 1,700 people and displaced another 7.9 million. Ishaq Dar, who last month took the finance post for the fourth time in his career, told The Associated Press Friday that losses from the floods were estimated to surpass $32 billion and that the cost of rebuilding damaged infrastructure will exceed $16 billion. Monsoon rains, likely made worse by climate change, hammered Pakistan for months starting in mid-June, damaging or washing away 2 million homes. Rebuilding, Dar said, “can’t be done overnight” and will take “ maybe close to three years’’ though he acknowledged that he was “not an engineer.” The World Bank last month pledged $2 billion in flood aid. Dar is returning to the finance ministry at a difficult time for Pakistan. Moody’s Investors Service, citing Pakistan’s decreased foreign currency reserves, this month downgraded the country’s government debt. With inflation running at more than 20% year-over-year, Pakistan’s currency, the rupee, has fallen 19% against the U.S. dollar this year. But Dar, who earned a reputation for supporting a strong rupee during his earlier tenure as finance minister, noted that the currency rallied upon his return to the job; it’s up nearly 10% against the dollar since late September. Dar was in Washington this week for the fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The visit got off to a rocky start. He was heckled and called “a thief’’ by an unidentified individual upon arrival Thursday at Dulles International Airport. On Friday, he shrugged off the incident, which was captured on video and shared online, as the act of a political opponent of the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. “Obviously, this is domestic politics which has gone cross border,’’ Dar said. “That shouldn’t be.’’ Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Access To Food A Problem Throughout Riverside, San Bernardino Counties – San Bernardino County Sun https://collincountynewsonline.com/access-to-food-a-problem-throughout-riverside-san-bernardino-counties-san-bernardino-county-sun/ When Jeanette McCulloch wants to make a quick grocery run, her choices are limited. There are a couple of corner stores in Landers, but affordable and healthy options are elusive in this unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert. The closest market with a full produce section is about 13 miles away. Landers, home to about 2,500 people, is considered a food desert, a community where people live more than a mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than 10 miles in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A product of this lack of access to food is what’s known as food insecurity — defined by the USDA as being unable to put adequate healthy food on the table at times for all members of a household. In 2019, the latest year data is available, more than 13% of San Bernardino and Riverside county residents were considered food insecure. And, according to data published in 2017 by San Bernardino County, Landers is one of 32 food deserts identified in the county as some of the poorest and furthest away from grocery stores. Similar data was not immediately available for Riverside County. Living in a food desert, coupled with record inflation in recent months, means residents in these communities face some of the toughest obstacles in accessing affordable and healthy food. Going the distance The entire High Desert represents the largest concentration of high poverty/low access food deserts in San Bernardino County, areas where 50% or more of the population earns less than 185% of the federal poverty level, or no more than $51,338 for a family of four. Out of 32 food deserts across San Bernardino County, 19 are in the High Desert, according to county data. Living in an isolated area, 30-mile round-trip grocery runs are a part of life, 59-year-old McCulloch said. The nearest large-scale markets are located on a main commercial strip on Highway 62, about 15 miles from McCulloch’s home. Recently, the long drives have taken a back seat to economic realities at the grocery store. A 9.2% inflation rate in Riverside and San Bernardino counties this summer, the second highest in the nation this summer, raised the price of just about everything. When McCulloch visits the nearest Vons in Yucca Valley, about 14 miles from her home, higher priced organic food is off limits and if an item isn’t on sale, it’s not going in her shopping cart. “I always had a strict shopping list that I had to stick to,” said McCulloch. “But now, with prices rising, that list is a lot shorter.” Like many others in Landers and throughout the Inland Empire, McCulloch supplements her grocery trips with visits to local food distributions. At a recent distribution provided by FIND Food Bank at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree, more than 30 cars were in line by 7 a.m. Residents who traveled as many as 50 miles waited to accept free food. McCulloch was at the front of the line. A line of more than 30 cars await a food distribution event to begin at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree on Aug. 2, 2022. For many in line, record high inflation and limited access to fresh produce has forced them to seek help. (Photo by Javier Rojas/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/ SCNG) Since the pandemic in March 2020 disrupted food deliveries to stores, food distributions have become one of the few places McCulloch can get fresh tomatoes and chicken. She also picks up food for neighbors, mostly older people who can’t make the trip. “They rely on this as much as I do,” McCulloch said. “When you live out here, it can get really hard.” It’s not just those living in rural areas who face barriers to grocery stores. Sometimes the need is hidden in plain sight. In Riverside, the store closest to Roberta Dalton, 64, closed in July. What would typically be a minor inconvenience for some is a hardship for Dalton. Making the 6-mile trip across town to the next-closest Stater Bros. Market isn’t easy. His car isn’t reliable and with high gas prices, Dalton said, his fixed income “is being pushed to the limit.” While there are convenience and discount stores closer to Dalton, they don’t provide fresh meal options, he said. A nearby church’s food pantry has become a “savior” for his five-person household, he said. “I’d like to be able to go walk to the store but I just can’t do that anymore,” he said. “Life just feels like it’s getting harder for us.” Food deserts overlooked Grocery stores typically operate on slim margins and, considering market changes and labor supply issues that can easily put them out of business, there are fewer incentives to expand in underserved areas, according to Healthy Food Access, a national think-tank producing policies to improve food access. This leaves some neighborhoods — particularly those with lower income levels or those that are predominantly communities of color, research shows  — without dependable grocery outlets. The supermarkets that remain in such neighborhoods are unlikely to sell affordable and nutritious food. A 2015 Associated Press analysis found that major grocers overwhelmingly avoid food deserts rather than try to turn a profit in high-poverty areas. While grocers opened 2,434 stores between 2011 and early 2015, only 10% were in areas considered food deserts. These new stores served one in 10 residents living in a food desert nationally, AP found. In San Bernardino County, residents identified access to healthy food and grocery stores as the resource most lacking in their communities, according to a 2020 Community Indicators Report that surveyed 1,697 individuals. Similarly in Riverside County, stakeholders and residents said increasing access to and consumption of affordable healthy food was one of their highest priorities, according to the 2019 Community Health Assessment. A lack of grocery stores and the availability of fresh, affordable food is associated with greater consumption of higher calorie and less nutritious food, leading to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases, according to the San Bernardino County report. One solution to food deserts in the Inland Empire may come in the form of state and federal financial incentives to build new supermarkets and placing healthier eating alternatives in corner stores. Those ideas aren’t new. In 2011, California passed legislation, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which was aimed at increasing the number of grocery stores in urban and rural areas, although the program hasn’t been funded in recent years. Over the past decade, the idea has gained traction outside California — Iowa, Idaho and North Dakota have already seen progress in the number of residents accessing supermarkets by offering subsidies or restructuring zoning policies to incentivize development in low-access areas. Most recently, Missouri legislators passed a bill in 2021 that offers tax credits to encourage grocery store construction in food deserts. In California, there is hope. The Department of Food and Agriculture in 2019 introduced the Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program, which funds refrigeration units stocked with produce, dairy, meat and more in corner stores, small businesses, and food donation programs. In two rounds of approximately $4.5 million in grants funded since the program’s launch, however, none have been awarded to stores or organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. A new round of grant funding request proposals is expected in December. Spotlight on solutions The pandemic put a spotlight on the presence of food deserts and the need for creative programs that get food to residents who face the most barriers to grocery stores. Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino has provided meals to over 14,300 households across the two counties since March 2020 under its Homebound Emergency Relief Outreach (HERO) program. This year, the food bank reported, it had already reached 3,418 households through August. The in-demand program was created during the pandemic to assist those whose ability to shop for food is restricted by lack of financial resources or health problems. The program is supported through HERO and Feeding America staff, volunteers and DoorDash food-delivery drivers. Many recipients tend to be older and live in rural areas where driving is necessary to get around, according to Emily Saunders, HERO program coordinator. On one HERO delivery trip this summer, Saunders made three stops to households throughout San Bernardino County. All of the households were located more than a mile from a grocery store, she said. A trailer park heaped with junk and debris greeted her at her first stop in the city of San Bernardino. Three shirtless toddlers played in grass nearby while Saunders waited for someone to answer the door. After a few knocks and phone calls, she left the box of produce and canned goods on the doorstep. Next, Saunders drove 6 miles east to a senior living complex in Highland where many residents have fixed incomes and can’t make weekly trips to grocery stores, instead relying on food benefits and services like the HERO program. Her final stop was a home in Mentone, an unincorporated area east of Redlands, where liquor and convenience stores overrun grocery options. “You see how bad the need is when you make these deliveries,” Saunders said. “Everyone has a different story but same problem — access to food.” San Bernardino and Riverside counties don’t have far to look for possible solutions to the problem — in neighboring Los Angeles County, residents in Pomona have also long faced barriers to accessing affordable and healthy food. Customers browse through some of the vegetables and herbs grown at the the Lopez Urban ...

Watch Duke Vs. North Carolina: How To Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time For Saturday’s NCAA Football Game – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/watch-duke-vs-north-carolina-how-to-live-stream-tv-channel-start-time-for-saturdays-ncaa-football-game-cbs-sports/ Who’s Playing North Carolina @ Duke Current Records: North Carolina 5-1; Duke 4-2 What to Know The Duke Blue Devils have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the North Carolina Tar Heels and are hoping to record their first win since Nov. 10 of 2018. Duke and UNC will face off in an ACC battle at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Blue Devils are out to keep their three-game home win streak alive. Duke fought the good fight in their overtime contest against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last week but wound up with a less-than-desirable result, falling 23-20. QB Riley Leonard had a pretty forgettable game, throwing one interception and fumbling the ball once with only 3.32 yards per passing attempt. Speaking of close games: UNC sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 27-24 victory over the Miami (FL) Hurricanes last week. The team accrued 21 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory. It was another big night for UNC’s QB Drake Maye, who passed for two TDs and 309 yards on 28 attempts in addition to picking up 53 yards on the ground. Near the top of the highlight reel was Maye’s 74-yard TD bomb to WR J.J. Jones in the first quarter. The Blue Devils are expected to lose this next one by 7. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with Duke, who are 2-3 against the spread. Duke is now 4-2 while UNC sits at 5-1. Two offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Duke comes into the matchup boasting the 24th most rushing touchdowns in the nation at 14. UNC has displayed some offensive firepower of their own as they enter the game with 33 overall offensive touchdowns, good for third best in the nation. How To Watch When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET Where: Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium — Durham, North Carolina TV: ACC Network Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Follow: CBS Sports App Odds The Tar Heels are a solid 7-point favorite against the Blue Devils, according to the latest college football odds. Over/Under: -110 See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now. Series History North Carolina have won four out of their last seven games against Duke. Oct 02, 2021 – North Carolina 38 vs. Duke 7 Nov 07, 2020 – North Carolina 56 vs. Duke 24 Oct 26, 2019 – North Carolina 20 vs. Duke 17 Nov 10, 2018 – Duke 42 vs. North Carolina 35 Sep 23, 2017 – Duke 27 vs. North Carolina 17 Nov 10, 2016 – Duke 28 vs. North Carolina 27 Nov 07, 2015 – North Carolina 66 vs. Duke 31

Metaverse VP Sharma To Head Stripe’s Revenue And Financial Management – PYMNTS.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/metaverse-vp-sharma-to-head-stripes-revenue-and-financial-management-pymnts-com/ A vice president of Meta’s virtual reality (VR) social platform Horizon Worlds is now over at Stripe working with a new product team. Vivek Sharma started as Stripe’s new head of revenue and financial management this week and is collaborating with a new team developing products aimed at helping businesses manage, track and analyze their revenue, according to his LinkedIn post on Friday (Oct. 14). “There’s been huge creativity in online business models over the last decade. Retailers are becoming marketplaces and platforms, marketplaces are becoming retailers, fintech and the creator economy are everywhere,” Sharma said. “But financial systems haven’t kept up. Businesses are still constrained by the basics: how do we bill our users and/or support new billing models? How do we track all of these financial assets and obligations sloshing around in the cloud? And how do we do this compliantly in markets around the world?” See also: Meta’s VP of Horizon Vivek Sharma Steps Down Sharma stepped down in August, replaced by Vishal Shah, PYMNTS reported at the time. Sharma was part of a team developing the virtual experience inside the metaverse accessible by users through Meta’s VR devices. His exit followed criticism over the graphics quality of Horizon Worlds after CEO Mark Zuckerberg released an in-world avatar of himself that had no legs and was called dated in its appearance and overall quality.  Read more: Meta Metaverse Weekly: In Horizon Worlds, Emperor Has No Legs At Stripe, Sharma moves away from the problems of the metaverse and instead takes on revenue and financial management for businesses in the regular universe.   “We’re helping businesses earn more money in more ways — vital in the current slowdown — and make accounting, tax and analytics a ton easier so they can manage that revenue for a lot less effort,” Sharma said. “Stripe powers millions of businesses. … Getting this right could be a big driver of economic opportunity for businesses around the world,” he added. Sign up for our daily newsletter. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. Learn More https://www.pymnts.com/transportation/2022/stripe-sees-surge-in-platforms-and-digital-payments-aimed-at-truckers-productivity-problems/partial/ See More In: B2B, B2B Payments, ecommerce, Horizon Worlds, Meta, Metaverse, News, Retail, Stripe, Vivek sharma, What’s Hot, What’s Hot In B2B

DC Stays Old School While Going Preschool In ‘Batwheels’ – Animation World Network https://collincountynewsonline.com/dc-stays-old-school-while-going-preschool-in-batwheels-animation-world-network/ The phrase “kick-ass” is probably not one often heard associated with a preschool show. But, then again, how else does one describe a Batmobile car chase? Even if it’s geared toward four-year-olds.  Batwheels – starring award-winning actor, writer, and director Ethan Hawke as Batman – marks DC’s first-ever Batman preschool series, offering young viewers a high-speed, vibrant CGI-animated iteration of the Caped Crusader. The series features a team of super-vehicles – Bam (the Batmobile), Bibi (the Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s racecar), Buff (the Bat-Truck), and Batwing (the Bat-plane) – as they help Batman, Batgirl, and Robin keep the streets of Gotham City safe. Whether it’s facing down the Legion of Zoom or one of Gotham City’s notorious Super-Villains, the Batwheels will use their incredible gadgets and creative teamwork to save the day. Based on characters from DC, Batwheels is produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, and DC Entertainment with animation by Superprod Studio. The first seven episodes will premiere on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito Monday, October 17 and on the Cartoonito hub on HBO Max Tuesday, October 18.  “I am extremely proud of the show because we tried to attract and involve an audience as young, old, and diverse as possible so everyone can enjoy the ride,” says supervising producer Simon J. Smith. “And we managed to create a legit Batman, in a legit Gotham City, but also create a brand-new set of Batman superheroes. The action is kick-ass and it’s funny too!” Batwheels creator Michael G. Stern, who co-executive produces the series with Looney Tunes Cartoons’ Sam Register, adds, “It still feels like a fully valid Batman world that any fan would love. We just drew out and emphasized the more fun, colorful aspects that are already there and added this batch of new, fun vehicle characters – the Batwheels and the Legion of Zoom. I don’t like to approach adaptations by saying, ‘What do I have to change in order to make this work for young kids?’ I prefer to say, ‘What do I have to make sure stays true to the original, awesome IP, so that kids will fall in love with it the same way I did?’” “The most rewarding thing for me is knowing that for a whole new generation, this will be their first Batman,” notes Stern. “It’s a huge responsibility, but I feel very proud of the version we’re presenting to them. What’s even cooler is that this will also be their first Robin, and he’s African American, and their first Batgirl, and she’s Asian American. How cool is that?” But as rewarding as the experience has been for Stern, known for writing and producing preschool series like Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First, it came with plenty of unique challenges. Mainly, creating an entertaining, fun kids’ series out of one of pop culture’s darkest superhero stories.  “Obviously, we don’t deal with the trauma in Batman’s past or tell the psychotic origin stories of the villains to a preschool audience,” says Stern, whose show does feature villains Penguin, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, and others. “But we don’t deny the existence of these things either. If you want to believe that The Joker was dropped in a vat of acid and went insane, our show doesn’t contradict that. We just don’t tell that origin story. And Batman is who he is on our show. What made him into that masked vigilante, we don’t get into. But if you want to believe the death of his parents did that, we don’t contradict that idea.” For Stern, it was important to “keep Batman Batman,” the same mysterious, cool character most DC fans all know and love and not dumb him down or “kiddify” him for the show’s audience. “I believe this audience is underestimated,” says Stern. “They had never been allowed to see Batman the way grownups do. But why not? I want to allow preschoolers to have the same experience we all get to have when we watch a superhero movie or series. They deserve to have the same fun! Once I decided to do that, I needed other characters that young kids could relate to, which is where the vehicles came in. They would be the ‘kid’ characters our young audience would see the stories through.” In the show, having just been created by the Batcomputer (SungWon Cho), heroes Bam (Jacob Bertrand), Bibi (Madigan Kacmar), Redbird (Jordan Reed), Buff (Noah Bentley) and Batwing (Lilimar, or Lili Mar) are essentially kids with little to no life experience, which means the characters are learning right alongside Batwheels’ preschool audience. “This is the first TV show that I’ve worked on and I really wanted Batwheels to feel like a Batman movie when you are watching it,” says Smith, known for directing Penguins of Madagascar and Bee Movie. “I wanted to bring as much of a cinematic nature to Batwheels, without being too intense, so the whole family can enjoy it. As soon as I read the first four scripts, I recognized what Michael was doing. Not trying to change Batman or Gotham City, just not highlighting anything that would be inappropriate for our young audience. I really appreciated that.” The team’s approach to the animation also played a vital role in ensuring the show would entertain, and not terrify, its audience. It would be easy to slip into making the color pallet a bit too dark, the character designs a bit too gritty – but the Batwheels crew took an interesting turn with the designs, making them bubbly, almost like a Super Mario game. “We knew this show was for an audience of four-year-olds and up and that the entire show would be set at night, which is pretty rare for this audience,” admits Smith. “So, we wanted to make sure everyone would gravitate to the screen if they saw an image of the show and a word we kept coming back to was ‘fun.’ It may sound cliche, but it really worked for every aspect of the show. If it didn’t feel ‘fun,’ it shouldn’t be in the show. For the colorscript, we tried to find a reference for a place where families go at night and have lots of fun: a theme park! So that’s how we came up with the colorful palette of the show. We lit Gotham City like it was a theme park.” He adds, “For the animation of the action scenes, I came up with a shorthand recipe: Fast & Furious: + Batman = Batwheels.” And, of course, these hero vehicles also go hood to hood with villain vehicles, including helicopters. So, the next challenge was making these cars look like legitimate members of the DC universe, fierce defenders of Gotham, but also friendly and approachable for kids.  “Those were the biggest challenges because, in our Batwheels universe, it’s really two shows in one,” says Smith. “It’s not only a human superhero show with the Batfamily and traditional Batman villains, but also an animated vehicle superhero show and all the vehicle villains. And Batman and co get into the Batmobile or Batwing, or Robin’s Redbird car and use them as legit kick-ass vehicles.” Smith says the team wanted the “visceral impact of the CG but not the intense, realistic VFX that could scare the little ones.”  “Our animation supervisor came up with a test,” explains Smith. “He animated the eyes and mouth of Bam on 2’s, but rendered the CG car on 1’s. It was a resounding success, because you get a familiar 2D animated feel to the character but still retain the high-impact CG properties to the vehicle. We did the same thing as any big VFX in the show and leaned into the 2D feel for surfacing of the world and characters. All the water, fire, explosions, smoke, are 2D animated. And, in the surfacing, there are painted highlights on objects as well as light hitting the objects. So, throughout the show there’s a lot of 2D/3D integration.” With both Smith and Stern harboring a “mega-geek level love” for Batman and the DC universe, the two are hoping and praying they’ve done all they can to bridge the gab between the preschool and older kids’ worlds.  “I would like audiences to not think of Batwheels as, ‘that preschool show with Batman.’ I want them to think of it as, ‘that cool Batmobile show.’ Then I’ll know we have succeeded. And somewhere in there, behind all the awesome action and fun, if young kids learn a little something about how to navigate the issues they face, how to get along in the world, then that’s the cherry on top.” Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She’s reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.

Battle Infinity Play-To-Earn Platform Set To Surge As Staking Offers 25% Rewards – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/battle-infinity-play-to-earn-platform-set-to-surge-as-staking-offers-25-rewards-cryptonews/ Disclaimer: The Industry Talk section features insights by crypto industry players and is not a part of the editorial content of Cryptonews.com. Battle Infinity is the gift that keeps on giving. First, it had an extremely successful presale, selling out within 25 days of the scheduled 90 days. Then, a PancakeSwap listing cemented IBAT’s status as one of the best Metaverse crypto coins by surging more than 700% during its listing. Now, Battle Infinity has set staking live. Investors who missed out on the capital appreciation IBAT provided have a chance to earn rewards with IBAT staking.  Staking requires investors to lock in their coins for a certain period. The benefit is that investors earn rewards while maintaining ownership of the coins during the staking period. It’s a great way for investors to earn a passive income while also enjoying special benefits as stake investors. Battle Infinity enables investors to flexible and time-lock staking. Each offers its own benefits, but the main difference is the rewards that investors can earn. With flexible staking, investors can choose the number of coins they wish to lock. In exchange, they will earn a 12% annual percentage yield (APY). Battle Infinity enables investors to re-stake the interest earned on the tokens and withdraw them at a later stage. It’s a similar concept to earning compound interest on fiat currency. To claim 25% APY, investors can opt for time-lock staking. That requires investors to lock in a certain number of IBAT tokens for a specific amount of time. In this case, investors need to lock in their coins for a year to claim 25% APY. Other options include locking in coins half-yearly (20%), quarterly (17%) and monthly (14% APY). Detailed information about how to buy Battle Infinity tokens and stake the coins is available on the platform’s website. Visit Battle Infinity Now

Herschel Walker And Raphael Warnock Trade Blows In Georgia U.S. Senate Debate – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/herschel-walker-and-raphael-warnock-trade-blows-in-georgia-u-s-senate-debate-reuters/ Former college football star and current senatorial candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally in Perry, Georgia, U.S. September 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File Photo WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker sparred over a range of issues from abortion and policing to personal integrity on Friday, as a key Georgia contest that could help determine control of the Senate came to a head in a contentious televised debate. Walker, a one-time football star and political novice backed by former President Donald Trump, sought to brand the incumbent as a rubber stamp for Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda, which Republicans have painted as responsible for inflation, crime and other social ills. “This race ain’t about me. It’s about what Raphael Warnock and Joe Biden have done to you and your family,” Walker said. “I’m here to fix it.” Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Warnock, pastor at a historic Atlanta church who has served less than two years in the Senate, presented himself as a committed public servant who has worked to cap the price of insulin, control gun violence and protect rights. Their showdown is one of the most closely watched contests in the Nov. 8 congressional elections. During the hour-long debate in Savannah, Walker accused Warnock of attacking the police, empowering criminals and allowing the powerful painkiller fentanyl into Georgia by not protecting U.S. borders. “We will see time and time again tonight, as we have already seen, that my opponent has a problem with the truth. And just because he says something doesn’t mean it’s true,” Warnock responded to applause from the audience. Walker was admonished by a debate moderator for using a prop that appeared to be a badge, after Warnock referred to dubious claims that he has worked in law enforcement and to a decades-old police report about Walker threatening to have a shoot-out with police. The Republican has acknowledged struggling in the past with mental health and was asked if he still receives treatment. “I continue to get help if I need it. But I don’t need any help. I’m doing well,” Walker said. The race had already been rocked by media reports that Walker, who has voiced opposition to abortion without exceptions, paid for an abortion in 2009 to terminate the pregnancy of a woman he was dating and who later gave birth to one of his children. Walker has called the allegation a “flat-out lie.” Reuters has not independently confirmed the claim. During the debate, Walker repeated his statement that the reports are false and reiterated his position on abortion: “I’m a Christian. I believe in life.” Democrats hold slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. Senate control could be decided by the outcome of races in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Georgia was a reliably Republican state, with two Republican senators, until Biden beat Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff then claimed the state’s two Senate seats in January 2021 run-off elections. Warnock dodged a question about whether he would support Biden for a second term in 2024, saying: “I’ve not spent a minute thinking about what politicians should run for what in 2024.” Walker said he would back Trump: “Yes, I would. And let me tell you, because President Trump is my friend.” A recent opinion poll conducted by the University of Georgia showed Warnock leading Walker 46% to 43% among likely voters. Walker has been known to make confusing statements on policy issues such as climate change, while Warnock is an eloquent speaker who is senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King once preached. Andra Gillespie, a political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta, said the debate was too inconclusive to make a difference in the race, with Walker demonstrating little more than a grasp of Republican talking points and Warnock failing to dominate the exchange. “It’s not so much a draw. But both left room for improvement,” Gillespie said. If neither candidate gets more than 50% of the vote on Nov. 8, the race would be decided in a Dec. 6 run-off election. Each candidate pledged to accept the outcome of the election. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Will Dunham, Scott Malone & Shri Navaratnam Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Thunderbird Global Headquarters Recognized For Excellence In Accessibility – ASU News Now https://collincountynewsonline.com/thunderbird-global-headquarters-recognized-for-excellence-in-accessibility-asu-news-now/ October 14, 2022 ASU business professor says cyber adversaries will look to midterm elections to stir the pot with voters With the midterm elections just weeks away, the political vitriol and rhetoric are about to heat up. One Arizona State University professor thinks most of the hyperbolic chatter will come from malicious bots spreading racism and hate on social media and in the comments section on news sites. Victor Benjamin, assistant professor of information systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business, has been researching this phenomenon for years. He says the next generation of AI is a reflection of what’s going on in society. So far, it’s not looking good. Benjamin says that as AI learning becomes increasingly dependent on public data sets, such as online conversations, it is vulnerable to influence from cyber adversaries injecting disinformation and social discord. And these cyber adversaries aren’t only adding nasty posts on social media sites. They are swaying public opinion on issues such as presidential elections, public health and social tensions. Benjamin says if this isn’t curbed, it can harm the health of online conversations and technologies such as AI that are dependent on it. ASU News spoke to Benjamin about his research and perspectives on trends in AI. Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity. Victor Benjamin Question: Midterm elections are weeks away. What are you predicting regarding the online community and political rhetoric? Answer: Unfortunately, it is a certainty that we will see extreme perspectives on both ends of the political spectrum become among the most frequently echoed in online discourse. Many messages will push for fringe ideas and try to dehumanize opposition. The goal of manipulating social media in this manner is generally to make it seem like these extreme perspectives are popular. Q: When did you start noticing this trend of social manipulation with AI? A: Social manipulation on the internet has been a thing for a long time, but activity picked up with the 2016 presidential election. For example, some social platforms such as Facebook have been forthcoming in admitting that they allowed advertisements to be purchased by nation-states to push hateful and inciteful messaging about social issues to American users. Further, the debate about masks and COVID-19 was largely fueled by cyber adversaries who played both sides. … More recently, the anti-work movement also sees some destructive and demotivational messaging that encourages individuals to effectively give up and quit participating in society. We can expect to see even more dehumanizing and extremist messaging coming in the near election about varied social issues. Q: Why is this happening and who’s behind it? A: Much of this adversarial behavior is being driven by organizations and nation-states that may have a vested interest in seeing American society fracture and civilians demoralized into non-productivity. … Social media and the internet give adversarial groups the power to directly target American citizenry like never before in history. This sort of activity is commonly recognized as a form of “fifth column warfare” in defense communities, in which a group of individuals tries to undermine a larger group from within. Q: How does this impact future AI development?  A: The impacts on future AI development are quite significant. Increasingly, to advance AI, research groups are utilizing public data sets, including social media data, to train AI systems so that they can learn and improve. For example, consider the autocomplete feature on phones and computers. This feature is operationalized by allowing an AI to see millions or even billions of example sentences where it can learn the structure of language, what words appear together frequently, in what order and more. After the AI learns patterns of our language, it can then use that knowledge to assist us with various language tasks, such as autocomplete. The problem arises when we consider what exactly the AI is learning when we feed it social media data. We have all seen the media headlines about how different tech companies have released chatbots, only to pull them down offline shortly after because the AI quickly went astray and developed extremist perspectives. We should ask ourselves, why is this happening? … This learned behavior by the AI is just a reflection of who we are as a society, or at least as dictated by online discourse. When cyber adversaries manipulate our social media to make Americans angry and demoralized, things tend to get said online that do not reflect the best of us. These conversations, despite being harmful, are eventually aggregated and fed into AI systems to learn from. The AI then may potentially pick up on some extremist views. Q: What can be done to curb this current threat of social discord? A: An obvious step in the right direction that I don’t see discussed enough is to show the metadata. Social media platforms have all the metadata but are never transparent. For example, in the case of Facebook advertisements about extreme social perspectives, Facebook knew who the advertiser was but never disclosed it to users. I suspect Facebook users would have reacted differently to the advertisements if they knew the advertiser was from a foreign nation-state. Further, regarding platforms like Twitter or Reddit, so much of the conversation that lands on the home page is driven by what is popular, not necessarily what is correct or truthful. These platforms should be more forthcoming about who is posting those messages and to what frequency, (as well as) if the conversations are indeed organic or appear manufactured, and so on. For example, if out of nowhere, hundreds of social media accounts are activated simultaneously to begin spreading the same divisive messaging that did not exist previously, it is of course not organic, and the platforms should curb this content. Beyond that, I think everyone needs to develop the right mindset about what the internet is today. … Whenever we encounter some information online that we are not familiar with, we should stop and think about what the source is, what are potential motivations of the source to share this information, what is the information trying to get us to do, etc. We need to think about how the systems and information we encounter try to bias our behaviors and thinking.  Top photo courtesy iStock/Getty Images

Families Face Man Charged In Killings Of 22 Elderly Texans – Spectrum News https://collincountynewsonline.com/families-face-man-charged-in-killings-of-22-elderly-texans-spectrum-news/ DALLAS (AP) — A week after the second conviction of a man charged in the deaths of 22 elderly women, family members of those he is accused of killing gathered at a Dallas courthouse Friday to face him. In Ellen French House’s victim impact statement, she told Billy Chemirmir, who was wearing a striped jail uniform, that she wanted him to see two photos of her mother: one of Norma French alive, the other after the 85-year-old was killed. “This is my beautiful mother,” House said as she displayed the first photo. “This is my mother after you pried her wedding ring off of her finger that she couldn’t even get off.” For most of the families, Friday may be their only chance to face Chemirmir in a courthouse. After trying Chemirmir in two of the deaths and obtaining two sentences of life in prison without parole, Dallas County prosecutors have said they will dismiss their remaining 11 capital murder cases against him. Prosecutors in neighboring Collin County haven’t yet said if they will try any of their nine capital murder cases against him. Chemirmir, 49, received his second sentence of life in prison without parole last Friday after being convicted of capital murder in the smothering death of 87-year-old Mary Brooks. He was already sentenced to life in prison without parole for an April conviction in the death of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris. Authorities say he preyed on older women, killing them and stealing their valuables. Time after time, their deaths were initially determined to be from natural causes, even as family members raised alarm bells about missing jewelry. He has been charged in deaths over a two-year span. Loren Adair Smith told Chemirmir that at 91, her mother, Phyllis Payne, was still a “vibrant, active, loving, amazing woman” who was “still living a fabulous life” when she was killed. “You stole my mom, my best friend,” Smith said. “And for what? A bit of jewelry? A bit of silver?” She said she and her brother were convinced their mother would live to be 100. “We just wanted time, and you stole that time from us,” Smith said. As the family members spoke, emotions ranged from forgiveness to anger to an expressed desire for Chemirmir, who has maintained his innocence, to confess. Several family members said they still have nightmares about the way their loved one died. It was a woman’s survival of a March 2018 attack that set Chemirmir’s arrest in motion. Mary Annis Bartel, then 91, told police a man forced his way into her apartment at an independent living community for seniors, tried to smother her with a pillow and took her jewelry. Police testified they found Chemirmir the next day in the parking lot of his apartment complex holding jewelry and cash, having just thrown away a large red jewelry box. Documents in the jewelry box led them to the home of Harris, who was found dead in her bedroom, lipstick smeared on her pillow. Prosecutors presented evidence at Chemirmir’s trials that he and Harris had been at the same Walmart just hours before she was found dead. After Chemirmir’s arrest, police across the Dallas area reexamined deaths, and the charges against him grew. Many of the victims’ children have said they were left perplexed by the deaths at the time, as their mothers, though older, were still healthy and active. Four indictments were added this summer. Most of the victims lived in apartments at independent living communities for older people. One woman who lived in a private home was the widow of a man Chemirmir cared for while working as an at-home caregiver. As the victims’ children began finding each other, they formed Secure Our Seniors’ Safety, which has worked to pass legislation surrounding the safety of older people. Lindsey Watkins told Chemirmir that she was just 18 when she went to check on her grandmother, 82-year-old Helen Lee, after she didn’t show up for church and found her dead. “What you’ll never understand is that her jewelry was the least valuable thing that you stole,” Watkins said. “Her life was worth just a few thousand dollars to you. But it was worth everything to me.”

Bay Area Ballot Measures Seek Tax Increases On Hotels, Vacation Rentals – Napa Valley Register https://collincountynewsonline.com/bay-area-ballot-measures-seek-tax-increases-on-hotels-vacation-rentals-napa-valley-register/ The Archer Hotel in Napa, one of four Napa County cities where ballot measures to increase transient occupancy taxes passed in the November 2018 election. Nick Otto, Register KATY ST. CLAIR Bay City News Foundation Several Bay Area cities have bed taxes on the Nov. 8 ballot in an attempt to collect more revenue from hotels, motels, inns and share-rental sites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Proponents argue that their municipalities need to generate more revenue in the wake of economic impacts from COVID-19, but opponents question whether now is the time to raise rates on an industry also hit hard by the pandemic — hospitality. Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.  One thing is certain: People are ready to spend their tourist dollars in California. According to the nonprofit Visit California, in 2021, travel-related spending in the state increased 43% over 2020, with tax revenues increasing by 23%. Total travel-related spending in 2021 in the state was a little over $100 billion. Measures to increase transient occupancy taxes are on the ballot in unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, the city of Alameda, and some cities of San Mateo County, including Belmont and Millbrae. Brisbane is asking voters to approve a tax on hospitality business owners, not on guests like the other Bay Area cities. In Healdsburg, Measure L wouldn’t increase the 14% tax already collected, but earmarks for the money generated by the TOT would specifically go to capital improvements. Proponents of the TOT increases say that the money is needed for essential services such as police, fire and infrastructure, though COVID-19 American Rescue Plan funds were specifically designated for such things and injected millions into local coffers. In most cities, if passed, money from the measures increasing room taxes would go into each municipality’s general fund. Alameda is asking voters to approve Measure F, a jump of its current 10% rate up to 14%, to keep it in line with Oakland and San Leandro’s TOT rates. Alameda City Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer opposes the measure, questioning its timing after the pandemic. But the city’s TOT hasn’t been raised since 1990 and Alameda predicts that the additional money will amount to between $700,000 and $900,000 per year that could go toward essential services like 911, fire and police, fixing potholes and maintaining parks. In unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, supervisors put Measure B on the ballot. Though the money would go into the general fund, the board said it would apply the funding toward affordable housing, mental health services and wildfire prevention. Supervisors want to increase the current rate of 10% to 12% for hotels, motels and inns, and 14 percent for in-home vacation rentals, generating as much as $2.3 million annually. The argument in favor of the measure in the county voting guide says that the measure would increase needed county revenues without taxing residents. San Mateo County cities Belmont and Millbrae are proposing measures K and N respectively, which would raise their TOTs from 12% to 14%, raising an estimated $660,000 annually for Belmont and $1.5 million for Millbrae. Brisbane is taking a different approach — raising taxes on hospitality business owners instead of increasing its 14% bed tax. Measure O would impose a tax on hospitality business owners of $2.50 per day per stay, generating an estimated $250,000 per year. According to the city, the current tax structure on the businesses is paid from gross receipts and only generates less than $2,000 per year. This guide from the Napa Valley Register will guide you to the nearest ballot drop sites and voting centers, and includes important dates leading to Election Day, information on registering to vote, and contact information for the Napa County Election Division. The submitted ballot arguments for and against the measure in Brisbane are colorful. The Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association wrote the opposition and calls the move “theft.” “Basically, our public servants want a free ride, to stick out-of-towners with the bill and to compel esteemed local businesses to serve as tax collector,” reads the argument. “Would you do that to your friends or coworkers? No! That would be immoral, as a form of theft.” In the ballot argument in support of the tax measure, penned by the City Council, the body describes the tax as “reasonable” and a way for businesses to “pay their share” in supporting essential services. The council also refers to the tax as “a modest proposal,” perhaps unaware of the allusion to Jonathan Swift’s 1729 satirical essay that suggested impoverished Irish sell their children to wealthy noblemen for food. In the Sonoma County city of Healdsburg, voters will be asked to decide on Measure L, which keeps the TOT rate the same — 14% — but specifies that the money goes toward affordable housing and the issuing of bonds. Voters across Napa County faced a similar decision in 2018, when ballot measures in the unincorporated county and all five cities proposed an increase in room taxes from 12% to 13%, which each local government able to use fresh revenues as it saw fit. All of the measures passed except for American Canyon’s, which fell just short of the required two-thirds of yes votes needed for approval. Napa Valley Register city editor Howard Yune contributed to this report. ‘Newsweek’ recently reported on all of the top issues for Americans heading into the upcoming midterm elections. Week in review: Top photos of the week from AP Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield is sacked by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Charles Omenihu and defensive end Kerry Hyder Jr. during the second half an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones) Rusty Jones Utah State quarterback Cooper Legas (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Air Force during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Logan, Utah. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via AP) Eli Lucero Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett breaks away for a 60-plus yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper against Auburn during the second half of an during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Athens, Ga. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Curtis Compton Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, center, celebrates with supporters after hearing first results of the Austrian Presidential election in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Theresa Wey) Theresa Wey Supporters of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen react after hearing first results of the Austrian Presidential election in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Markus Schreiber Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (4) scores on a 5-yard touchdown run ahead of Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones (31) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) Bruce Kluckhohn Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) misses a reception ahead of Chicago Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor (22) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn) Bruce Kluckhohn Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson takes the field before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker celebrates with teammates after they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Catholic pilgrims rest as they crawl on the ground to pay their promise during the celebration of the Cirio de Nazare, the procession of the image of Our Lady of Nazare, considered the largest Catholic procession in the country, in Belem, Para state, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Paulo Santos) Paulo Santos New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) breaks away from Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage (26) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Alastair Grant Timothee Chalamet poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of the film ‘Bones and All’ during the 2022 BFI London Film Festival in London, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. (Photo by Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott Garfitt Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira) Rui Vieira Manchester United’s Antony, right, celebrates with Bruno Fernandes after scoring their side’s first goal during the Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park, in Liverpool, England, Sunday Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Jon Super Everton’s Conor Coady tries to tackle Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo during the Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park, in Liverpool, England, Sunday Oct. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Jon Super Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (87) makes a catch for a touchdown against BYU during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) John Locher An Iranian national raises their hand with a message that reads in Farsi, “Liberty,” during a protest against the death of Iranian Mahsa Amini, in front of the Universidad de C...

Fox And News Corp, After Years Apart, Explore Merger – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/fox-and-news-corp-after-years-apart-explore-merger-the-new-york-times/ Media|Fox and News Corp, After Years Apart, Explore Merger https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/business/media/fox-news-corp-merger.html A union would represent an about-face for both companies, which told investors nearly a decade ago that they were better off apart. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. If a deal goes through, it could put assets including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, the Fox broadcasting network and TMZ under the same corporate umbrella.Credit…Ted Shaffrey/Associated Press Oct. 14, 2022Updated 7:36 p.m. ET The two parts of Rupert Murdoch’s media business, News Corp and Fox Corporation, are considering a proposal to reunite nearly 10 years after they split up, the companies announced on Friday. The boards of Fox and News Corp have established committees to evaluate a possible deal, the companies said in statements. The committees have not made a decision about whether to combine. Merging Fox and News Corp would represent an about-face for both companies, which told investors when they split that the two firms were better off apart. The breakup plan came in the aftermath of a phone-hacking scandal at The News of the World tabloid in Britain, which exposed the company to legal and financial risks. Several other media conglomerates followed suit, splitting their promising TV businesses off from their slower-growing print properties. The deal, if it goes through, could put a collection of news and entertainment assets including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, the Fox broadcasting network and TMZ under the same corporate umbrella. In 2019, Mr. Murdoch sold some of his biggest entertainment assets, including the 21st Century Fox movie studio, to the Walt Disney Company. That was one of numerous media deals that took place to compete with tech giants like Meta, which owns Facebook, and Alphabet’s YouTube. Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of Fox and one of Rupert Murdoch’s sons, told Fox investors in 2019 that the companies would not reunite. Mr. Murdoch, the chairman of both companies, proposed the deal within the past two weeks, according to three people with knowledge of the talks. The Murdoch family trust, which has ownership stakes in both companies, also endorsed the merger. Mr. Murdoch sees potential moneymaking and cost-saving opportunities in joining the two companies. The new company could look for ways to integrate its media properties. It could also explore ways to use the company’s assets for emerging business lines, such as sports betting. In 2019, Fox said it was joining forces with the Stars Group, a gaming company, to launch a sports-betting platform called Fox Bet. The merged companies could potentially save money by hiring one management team and maintaining one set of relationships with vendors, the people said. The proposal would divide ownership among stockholders based on the market value of each company, four people with knowledge of the talks said. The proposal did not suggest a proposed relative valuation for the companies. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that News Corp and Fox were weighing a deal. Robert Thomson, the chief executive of News Corp, told employees about the merger proposal in an email on Friday. “At News Corp, we are constantly pursuing ways to enhance our performance and expand our businesses, and the upheaval in media presents both challenges and opportunities,” he wrote in the email, which was viewed by The New York Times. “However, I would like to stress that the Special Committee has not made any determination at this time, and there can be no certainty that any transaction will result from its evaluation,” Mr. Thomson wrote. /

Genesee, Orleans Counties Marking 10 Years Of Shared Services For Health Departments – The Batavian https://collincountynewsonline.com/genesee-orleans-counties-marking-10-years-of-shared-services-for-health-departments-the-batavian/ The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) are celebrating 10 years of working collaboratively through their cross-jurisdictional shared services arrangement.  This initiative was the first of its kind in New York State and is at the forefront of providing best practices for local governments looking to become more efficient through sharing services.  The shared services began as a PILOT project for two years and was part of a national initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that helped establish the Center of Sharing Public Health Services (www.phsharing.org).  Following the first two years, the benefits, both fiscally and operationally have resulted in an ongoing agreement by Genesee and Orleans Counties to continue forward with sharing public health services. “The Genesee County Legislature saw this collaboration as an opportunity for our residents to be served by high quality staff, which is key to improving the quality of healthy living in Genesee and Orleans Counties,” stated Shelley Stein, Genesee County Legislative Chair.  “Since the beginning of this venture, both counties have made significant progress and now have shared services with the Youth Bureau and Weights and Measures.  These shared services reduce local taxes and lower cost of governments.  Additionally, across New York State our best practices and case studies have been studied by other counties seeking to cut costs for their residents.” “The cross-jurisdictional collaboration to create the shared Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, now known as GO Health, was a transforming idea of two legislative bodies,” stated Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislative Chair.  “This would not have been achieved if it weren’t for the faith we had in Public Health Director, Paul Pettit to lead the initiative.” The support and technical assistance of the Center for Sharing Public Health Services for our integrated health departments helped identify the value for our leaders and provide the financial support to jump-start the collaboration.  The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) also added its support to the pilot project of joining resources, which leads to the benefit of residents in both of our counties, and is key to our ongoing success. Working together has helped fill workforce gaps, provide natural redundancy and attract additional candidates for vacant positions.  The public health staff in both counties have become more creative and have worked together on several joint projects, including, but not limited to, a joint strategic plan, workforce development plan, quality improvement, branding and communication plan, and working on a joint application to become nationally accredited through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) as GO Health. This collaboration has also seen an increase in the services we are able to offer our residents due to the ability to be more competitive with grant applications with a combined population of almost 100,000 residents.  GO Health has been very successful in applying for and receiving approximately $7,500,000 dollars in grant funds since we began joint applications 10 years ago.  These funds have helped to reduce county costs while enhancing services to county residents.  GO Health has regionalized service delivery further and is also the recipient of a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Lead Poisoning Prevention and Remediation grant in collaboration with Wyoming and Livingston Counties (GLOW region).  These lead grants are going to assist residents in reducing lead poisoning and remediating hazards in their homes.  GO Health has also benefited from three CDC Public Health Associate Program fellows that spend a two-year assignment working in both counties at little cost to the counties. “Seeing all that we have accomplished over the past 10 years shows that our initial goals were on target,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of GO Health.  “We continue to look at innovative ways to advance our collaboration, drive efficiencies, and be fiscally responsible.  Where we are today with our integrated operations is a testament to the buy-in and hard work of our county administration, the GO Health leadership team, and all the public health staff.  The staff has been instrumental in the success of our work as they operate as a team, share ideas, deliver services, and promote health as a cohesive unit.” The COVID-19 pandemic response put our integrated departments to the test.  Having the ability to work together through sharing employees helped balance the surges over the past couple of years and was essential to meet the needs of contact tracing, administering COVID-19 testing and eventually vaccinations in both counties.  One of the most effective benefits of our shared response was with public communications and messaging which allowed us to reduce redundancies and leverage staffing to push information across our shared media. “We recognize our public health staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the pandemic and over the past 10 years,” stated Mrs. Johnson. “We look forward to seeing what they can accomplish in the years to come.” “Throughout the pandemic, I was able to volunteer my time at clinics and experience firsthand how caring and committed our health department staff are,” stated Mrs. Stein.  “Watching folks mature into highly functioning teams with only one goal – serve and care for the health and recovery of our residents.  I am in awe of the dedication to public service that was very evident in each member of GO Health each day.  They are a true gift to our communities.  The GO Health partnership gives us the opportunity for health specialists here at home to be comparable with urban counties.  I am grateful to know them.  Our shining stars!” “Looking forward, we expect to see GO Health continue to mature and provide further savings and enhanced service delivery to our residents,” stated Mr. Pettit, “GO Health is in the final stages of becoming a nationally accredited health department, which is planned for mid-2023.  GO Health will continue to integrate and serve as chief health strategists in our communities.  We look forward to serving both counties as GO Health- onward.” Photo: File photo by Howard Owens from 2019 at a Genesee County Human Services meeting.  Pettit was public health director in Orleans County before the shared services agreement was signed and has served as director of GO Health since the agreement.

Conference USA Adds Kennesaw State, Owls To Join League In 2024 As Part Of Transition To FBS – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/conference-usa-adds-kennesaw-state-owls-to-join-league-in-2024-as-part-of-transition-to-fbs-cbs-sports/ Getty Images Kennesaw State will join Conference USA in 2024, the league announced Friday, as the Owls transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. The move marks further fallout of conference realignment as it continues to reverberate throughout college athletics.  “Today is an important day as we formally welcome Kennesaw State University to Conference USA,” said commissioner Judy MacLeod in a statement. “The addition of this growing university continues to build upon our strong foundation and we are excited to partner with President Schwaig and KSU’s leadership team to transform our membership and strategically position the conference for long-term success.” Conference USA previously announced the additions of Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State, effective in 2023. Adding Kennesaw State will give the league 10 schools in 2024 after the conference was raided by the AAC and Sun Belt. The Kennesaw State football program started play in 2015 and has quickly become an FCS power under coach Brian Bohannon. The Owls won three Big South Conference titles over the past five seasons before joining the Atlantic Sun this season. In total, the program is 63-19 since its inception with four FCS playoff appearances.  NCAA rules require that teams transitioning to the FBS go through a two-year period during which time they are ineligible for the postseason. That means 2026 will be the earliest the Owls could play for a Conference USA championship or participate in a bowl game.

Apple And The Metaverse: Everything We Know So Far – Decrypt https://collincountynewsonline.com/apple-and-the-metaverse-everything-we-know-so-far-decrypt/ Tech giants see huge opportunity in the metaverse—the name given to a future, more immersive vision of the internet with potential real-world ties. Facebook parent Meta has bet big on the prospect, as its rebrand suggests, while Microsoft has both teamed with Meta and acquired a major game publisher as it builds momentum in the space. What about Apple? The iPhone and Mac maker has famously taken a unique approach to hardware and software design, even incorporating that “Think Different” ethos into its marketing. As the metaverse takes shape through new hardware and online worlds—some of which will be built with interoperable Web3 tech like NFTs—Apple may again take its own path. Reports suggest that Apple will begin its entry into the metaverse with a pricey headset that bridges the gap between virtual environments and digitally enhanced real-world use. Can Apple take the metaverse mainstream as it has with so many past gadgets? Here’s what we know so far. What is Apple building? Apple’s augmented reality (AR) ambitions have been tracked by tech media for years as the firm reportedly has been building in that direction since 2015. The latest reports suggest that Apple will begin with a high-end mixed reality headset that offers both virtual reality (VR) and AR functionality, with ambitions to release other AR-specific hardware further in the future. Bloomberg reports that Apple’s first headset is expected sometime in 2023 and may be called the Reality One or Reality Pro, based on trademark filings believed to be tied to Apple. It’s expected to be a premium device that will sell for upwards of $3,000—although noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has pegged a price in the $2,000-$2,500 range. In either case, it would be a notable increase over Meta’s new Quest Pro mixed reality headset, which sells for $1,500. Still, Meta’s headset offers a glimpse of the types of experiences that are possible with a mixed reality headset that can overlay digital content atop a user’s full-color, real world view—and the more lifelike interactions potentially enabled by the tech. On one hand, it’s a fully-loaded VR headset that can access online social platforms (like Meta’s own Horizon Worlds) and play immersive games. On the other hand, mixed reality functions can be used for interacting with digital screens and models while still seeing the real world, or creating art and music with digital tools alongside physical collaborators. The Meta Quest Pro. Image: Meta Apple’s first headset will reportedly use a powerful M2 processor from the firm’s Macs and feature a wider array of cameras and sensors—including ones that can accurately recreate users’ leg movements, which Meta is still figuring out. The Information reports that retina scanners will enable biometric security for logging in, making payments, and more. Other potential features mentioned in reports include an external screen to show the wearer’s facial expressions—a potential drain on battery life—plus custom, snap-on prescription lenses for glasses wearers to use. However, nothing has been confirmed by Apple at this point, and some reported features may not make the first device (or even later ones). What about the metaverse? The metaverse won’t be limited to VR and AR headsets. There are already early Web3 metaverse games and applications that live on computers and mobile devices, and that will likely continue to be the case as more metaverse platforms pop up and overlap with each other, creating a more immersive, experiential internet at scale. But mixed reality headsets are considered a key stepping stone towards that future, and what many believe will be the best way to experience metaverse worlds. After all, such headsets can amplify immersion and more naturally capture the nuances and interactions of wearers, all while retaining a link to the real world—potentially the best of both scenarios. Such hardware is useless without compelling software, however, and Apple knows well the need for a smooth marriage of the two. Apple is reportedly developing a RealityOS operating system, per Bloomberg, along with experiential versions of apps like Maps and FaceTime, as well as avenues to consume media and games and collaborate with other wearers. Whether Apple’s vision for mixed reality experiences and immersive online interactions matches the efforts of other builders remains to be seen, but it’s very likely that Apple will not embrace the buzzy “metaverse” term itself. Apple always uses its own unique branding—and, besides, CEO Tim Cook says he’s not a fan of the word. “I always think it’s important that people understand what something is,” Cook told Dutch outlet Bright in September. “And I’m really not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is.” But Cook is bullish on augmented and mixed reality tech, and the potential use cases there, telling the publication, “I think AR is a profound technology that will affect everything. Imagine suddenly being able to teach with AR and demonstrate things that way. Or medically, and so on. Like I said, we are really going to look back and think about how we once lived without AR.” What about Web3 and interoperability? Web3 enthusiasts want to see a metaverse that’s built on open-source blockchain technology, uses NFTs to represent ownership of digital assets, and is spread across interoperable platforms that users can hop between and still utilize all of their digital stuff. Given that, there’s been fear of centralized tech giants trying to muscle in and steer the direction of the future internet towards a direction that they can control. Interestingly, however, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he believes an “open, interoperable” metaverse is “better for everyone,” and said that Meta will work alongside other builders far and wide. While that’s not an explicit embrace of Web3 tech, or an acknowledgement that Meta will build a truly open metaverse platform, it is a more permissive tone than many have come to expect from the company in the past. Will Apple follow suit and build its own metaverse apps and experiences with a similar mindset? History suggests otherwise. Apple is arguably the biggest purveyor of the “walled garden” closed ecosystem, with its locked-down iOS platform and App Store model that takes a sizable cut from developers’ app and content sales. That’s riled up rivals like Fortnite maker Epic Games, which is waging legal battles against Apple and Google in the hopes of opening up its app ecosystems. In November 2021, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that “no company can own” the metaverse, and Epic itself is making significant moves in that arena while also not using Web3 tech itself. Recent evidence also suggests that Apple isn’t keen on letting Web3 technology disrupt its immensely profitable business model. Apple lets App Store developers sell NFTs through their iOS apps, but still takes a 30% cut of all sales—several times more than any leading NFT marketplace. That poses a sizable challenge to many current Web3 distribution models. But Apple isn’t necessarily anti-crypto. Many notable crypto exchanges and wallet makers have iOS apps that let users spend their cryptocurrency from an iPhone. Cook has said in the past that Apple is “looking at” cryptocurrency, plus said he owns cryptocurrency and has been interested “for a while.” Apple has also listed job openings with crypto experience required. All of that amounts to a decidedly murky outlook on Apple embracing a Web3-centric, open metaverse. Apple may well choose to build the metaverse its own way, apart from the rest of the industry, but it’s unclear if that model will continue to bear fruit in the future as Web3 adoption grows and open platforms rise in prominence. Zuckerberg, at least, is convinced that Apple is making its own play towards the metaverse. In response to an employee question in July 2022, per a transcript seen by The Verge, the Meta CEO said that it and Apple are in a “​​very deep, philosophical competition about what direction the internet should go in.” Stay on top of crypto news, get daily updates in your inbox.

Urtopia Carbon E-Bike Review: The Most Advanced Bike In Existence Is Also A Ton Of Fun – Windows Central https://collincountynewsonline.com/urtopia-carbon-e-bike-review-the-most-advanced-bike-in-existence-is-also-a-ton-of-fun-windows-central/ Urtopia packs a computer (“smartbar”), GPS, 4G LTE, and an app all with a peddle-assisted ultra-light carbon fiber frame making it the most technologically advanced bike you can buy today. If you’re into tech and want to get outside, this is your ride. For Super light frame (33lbs) Smartbar, GPS, LTE, blinkers, lights, and tons of features Competitively priced Very comfortable Easy setup and assembly Against Expensive for average people Frame scratches easily New, untested company This review is unconventional for Windows Central, but there is some overlap for those who love technology and always-connected 4G LTE devices, like me. When Urtopia offered to send me its new e-bike, I rolled my eyes until I read the specs and what it could do. I was impressed and had no idea that so much could be tucked into a lightweight e-bike while also being absurdly simple to use. I’ve been using the Urtopia Carbon E-bike for the last month, and if you need an excellent road city bike and love gadgets, I can easily recommend it. It’s simply fun, cool, and innovative.   It’s the first and likely the last e-bike you’ll ever need. Urtopia Carbon E-bike: Price, specs, and availability The big, but light box the Urtopia E-bike ships in.  (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) The Urtopia Carbon E-bike is produced by Urtopia, based out of Hong Kong, with manufacturing in China. The company is new and began crowdsourcing for its carbon e-bike in 2021 via IndieGoGo, but you can now purchase it outright from its website for $2,799. There is a 2-year warranty (opens in new tab) on the bike and components (except wear and tear) and a 14-day free return period. Urtopia has teamed up with numerous regional bicycle shops in California, New York, and other states where you can see one in person and test-ride it (opens in new tab). More shops are expected to sign on as well. The company ships the Urtopia Carbon E-bike to the United States and Germany, with more markets to follow. The total shipping weight of the bike, packaging and support materials is 64lbs (29kg), although the bike itself is only 33lbs (15kg) due to most of the frame being carbon fiber. There are three color choices to choose from including Sirius (used here), Lyra (nearly all black), and Midnight in Paris (the most colorful).  The bike is 90 percent assembled already. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) Being a street/urban bike, the front fork is rigid with no shocks and can handle a total rider weight of 240lbs (110kg). It has a Class 1 e-bike classification. The motor is a 250-watt rear-hub single-gear Gates Carbon belt drive with a maximum speed of 20mph (32km) in the US and 16mph (25.7km) in the EU. The battery is a removable 36V 10Ah, 360Wh from Samsung that also locks in place. Braking of the Kenda Kwest 700 x 35c puncture-resistant tires is handled by front and rear dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes. The range of the Urtopia Carbon E-bike is 30 to 80 miles depending on the speed of the motor used for travel. The total charge time is 2.5 hours. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) The built-in smart headset houses a dot-matrix display, a 3W speaker, dual microphones, a front 100-lumen StVZO headlight, and vibration motors (for alerts). Safety features include GPS tracking (Find My Bike), movement alerts (Alarm), thumbprint unlock, a digital bell, low battery alert, tail light with projected turn indicator lights, and a locking battery pack. Software, including firmware updates, occur over local Wi-Fi and are mediated by the Urtopia app available on iOS and Android. Users get a free year of eSIM always-connected service with purchase, after which it costs $29 per year. The model we reviewed is one of the latest versions with multiple revisions to the hardware, including a brighter dot-matrix display, louder speakers, and better-tuned microphones. Urtopia Carbon E-bike: What I like The rear light in action. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) Looking at the Urtopia and this bike certainly looks unique. In fact, it was designed by former BMW I series designer Mathis Heller. He reportedly found inspiration for the design via a Möbius strip (a mathematical object with a non-orientable surface). Getting a bike “in the mail” is always an experience, but Urtopia ships the carbon e-bike 90 percent already assembled. Even the FedEx shippers were shocked at how light the box was when removing it from the truck, as e-bikes can range up to 70lbs (31.7kg). Some of the settings in the Urtopia app (Android). (Image credit: Future) What minor assembly there was assisted by an easy-to-follow how-to video (opens in new tab) on Urtopia’s website, and it took me around 25 minutes to get it finalized. Everything you need is included in the box, including a small tire pump. Urtopia recommends downloading its app, where you can create an account and pair the bike to it via a generated QR code on the bike’s dot-matrix display. Once connected, you can link the bike to your local Wi-Fi network for software and firmware updates, of which I have already had two since getting the bike in July. Urtopia’s front light and blinker work well.  (Image credit: Future) The next step is registering your thumbprint, which is integrated into the power button to turn on the bike. Without it, you could still ride away with the bike, but nothing will work on it, especially the pedal-assist system. Powering on the Urtopia, you get a pleasant chime, and the screen lights up, indicating the current speed and level of pedal assist you have engaged. Zero is off, where you can ride Urtopia like a standard, gearless bike. Next are levels 1 through 3, which increase the assistance dramatically. Finally, there is a level 4 “Turbo” mode, where the cycle takes off with little pedaling. Setting up the fingerprint reader and sounds. (Image credit: Future) Changing levels is done via the left thumb controller – up to increase, down to decrease, and left/right to engage your rear blinkers. It’s all very intuitive. Pressing the power button when the bike is on rings the “bell,” which is a clever addition. Setting the volume to level II or higher results in a deafening sound peaking at a whopping 92db, above a hair dryer and just below a helicopter. The entire setup process was not only painless but quite fun. Urtopia is more of a smart device with a bike built on top of it, and there’s nothing like it on the market. Here are just some of the things the Android and iOS apps can do with Urtopia: Urtopia’s smartbar connecting to the internet. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) Find my bike Alarm under mode “lock the bike” Track routes rode, including a “replay” of your ride with full data Battery status / Alarm of low battery Change volume Set lights on/automatic, rear braking Change sounds for level changes, bell, power on, and alarm Bike health diagnostic check Vibration level There’s also just a lot of fun with the bike. You can change the bell ring to a dog barking or a horse nicker. To get to Turbo mode, you must hold and press “up” so you don’t accidentally engage it. Doing so shows an animated rocket taking off. That app itself is very gamified. The company even added the classic game Snake, which can be experienced on the smartbar. Adding to all this whizbang tech is also voice control. Hold the power button when the bike is on, and the display reveals a face awaiting your command. You can tell the cycle to change levels, toggle your lights, or even power down. For the headlamp, you can have the bike auto-sense darkness and put your lights on automatically, an excellent safety and convenience feature. The 250-watt rear-hub single-gear Gates Carbon belt drive. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) Find My Bike combines GPS and the eSIM so that if someone takes your bike, you can track it on a map to recover it. You have an excellent anti-theft system combined with the alarm, which engages if the bike is moved. Of course, you’d still want to lock the bike since anyone could take it, but these features give some peace of mind. Urtopia has even posted a real-world example of how this tech worked for one customer. Hopping onto the bike, it all feels familiar, albeit more comfortable than my trusty Specialized Crosstrail. I was pleasantly surprised by the seat’s comfort, considering Urtopia offers an upgraded seat on its website for $59 (opens in new tab). The LED is always visible no matter the lighting conditions. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) After riding the bike for over an hour on a semi-hard trail, I was smitten. I could ride the bike with pedal assist off with comfort, but when I hit a hill, just going to level 1 peddle-assist was enough to save my legs from extra hard work. Going to level 2 was more than enough speed for me where I could comfortably ride at 11+ mph. Turbo, where you can hit 20 mph, feels borderline too fast, and you should wear a helmet at that speed and have plenty of room to decelerate. Despite the odd frame design, the Urtopia fit our Thule bike rack with no problems. With its light 33lbs weight, loading and unloading the bike (or carrying it up to an apartment) was a breeze. Urtopia Carbon E-bike: What I don’t like (Image credit: Daniel Rubino) Assembly was fine, although I didn’t love fitting the seat in the frame with the power wire and nut system. It works, but it can be a bit tricky. I wouldn’t say no to rubber covers for a few exposed screw holes on the frame. Speaking of the frame, it can scratch and scuff ...

Crypto Scam Victims Seek To Hold Coinbase Responsible For Losses – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/crypto-scam-victims-seek-to-hold-coinbase-responsible-for-losses-the-washington-post/ Over the past year, thousands of people have lost tens, if not hundreds, of millions in cryptocurrency when gangs of sophisticated scammers whisked their money out of their accounts, which are managed by an app from the publicly traded cryptocurrency giant Coinbase. Now those victims are fighting back. Nearly 100 people are trying to hold Coinbase accountable, saying the company didn’t do enough to protect them. Scam victims says they notified the company, begging it to fix defects in its Coinbase Wallet software that had allowed the victims unknowingly to grant the scammers access to their accounts. The requests were to no avail, scam victims say. “They’re trying to be a financial institution without the infrastructure to back it up,” said Eric Rosen, a lawyer at Roche Freedman representing some 96 victims in the arbitration demand, which is akin to a lawsuit, filed against Coinbase. “There were no procedures in place to stop these frauds,” Rosen said. “Of course, scammers quickly picked up on this, and directed victims to download the Coinbase Wallet.” Many of the victims lost their life savings. The demand says that the rules requiring banks to reimburse debit-card users for unauthorized transfers also should apply to Coinbase’s customers. “Coinbase is committed to protecting its customers from scams, fraud, and other crimes and has invested significant resources in protecting users against liquidity mining scams,” company spokeswoman Lisa Johnson said, responding to the arbitration demand. “A customer’s activities on Coinbase Wallet, including managing the wallet’s private security keys and access to the wallet’s contents, are exclusively controlled by the customer, not Coinbase,” Johnson continued, noting that the company offers many products so that consumers “can choose the products that are best for them.” The arbitration could be the start of a reckoning over whether crypto’s ideology of self-reliance and software-driven governance can survive contact with the highly regulated mainstream financial system. If the arbitration demand results in an order that Coinbase reimburse its customers, it provides the possibility of a way forward for the victims of a massive ongoing scam that The Washington Post reported in April had already caused thousands of victims more than $60 million of losses. The individuals participating in the Coinbase arbitration demand, some of whom were scammed as late as this August, say they lost more than $21 million total. Many were forced by Coinbase Wallet’s terms of service to turn to arbitration instead of challenging them through the U.S. courts. The decision of the arbitrator won’t set a formal legal precedent, but will help answer one of the top questions of the burgeoning crypto era: Do the existing rules of the financial system apply to cryptocurrency companies? Unlike other scams in which someone is fooled into sending money somewhere, in this scheme, the individuals’ money was stolen straight out of their accounts. After meeting the victims through social media, dating apps or wrong-number texts, the scammers said high returns were available through “liquidity mining”; a would-be investor just had to buy a “mining certificate,” clicking through a prompt in Coinbase Wallet that said “confirm payment.” The certificate wasn’t real, and the process wasn’t really a payment. Clicking on these innocuous-looking vouchers would record a single line of computer code granting the scammers permission to steal crypto deposited into an account weeks or months later. Coinbase “had no procedures in place to stop these frauds,” Rosen said. “They didn’t even appear to try. Of course, scammers quickly picked up on this, and literally directed victims to download the Coinbase Wallet.” The victims tell similar tales: The scammer would spend weeks egging them on to invest more, until one day their money was gone. A victim advocacy group calls it a “pig butchering” scam in which the victims’ accounts are fattened like hogs for slaughter. Reports from ProPublica and Vice say that at least some of the front-line scammers are themselves victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia, forced to work under threats of violence. This week, the investor protection director in the state of Delaware issued a cease-and-desist order against more than 15 people it believes are “involved or working in conjunction with” those who contacted alleged victims. But some of those who lost money say they see the perpetrators as only part of the story. “I put the blame on Coinbase far more than even the scammers, because the scammers couldn’t have been effective without Coinbase,” James Osbun, who says he lost $77,000 to the scam, said in an interview. The level of legitimacy conferred by a company such as Coinbase combined with a lack of red flags caused Osbun to proceed, he said, when he otherwise would have stopped. “At minimum, let me know what my account is doing,” Osbun said, referring to the stealth smart contract. ‘You’re putting your funds at risk: continue? Yes or no?’ They didn’t even do that,” he added. In the past few months, Coinbase adjusted the warnings it presents in its wallet app, now showing that a website is requesting permission to withdraw a huge sum of dollars from an account. (A wallet application inside Coinbase’s main app, however, appears still to be vulnerable; it does not make clear that signing a smart contract could let a website access someone’s entire balance.) For years, regulators paid relatively little attention to crypto. But as its popularity with everyday Americans skyrocketed in 2020, claims of fraud soared, too, as borderless digital money turned into a gold rush for overseas thieves, including North Korea’s government. Meanwhile, state and federal regulators have taken action against some firms. The Securities and Exchange Commission has begun pursuing cases against certain cryptocurrency companies and promoters, saying they violated securities laws. The cryptocurrency industry has fought back, arguing that those laws, which normally apply to stocks, shouldn’t be applied to decentralized digital currencies and tokens. Experts think the significance of the Coinbase case goes well beyond these victims. “If arbitrators find for these plaintiffs, that means anyone who’s lost money in a crypto scam is going to be calling a lawyer,” said Lee Reiners, policy director at the Duke Financial Economics Center and a fellow at Duke Law who has researched crypto and financial scams.

U.S. Asks Court To End Special Master Review Of Files Seized From Trump – The New York Times https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-asks-court-to-end-special-master-review-of-files-seized-from-trump-the-new-york-times/ U.S.|U.S. Asks Court to End Special Master Review of Files Seized From Trump https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/us/appeal-special-master-trump.html The Justice Department told an appeals court that a federal judge was wrong to intervene in its investigation into the former president’s hoarding of sensitive records. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. The Justice Department argued that all 11,000 or so documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald J. Trump’s estate in Florida, should not be subject to the special master review.Credit…Saul Martinez for The New York Times Oct. 14, 2022Updated 7:30 p.m. ET The Justice Department asked an appeals court on Friday to end a special master review of thousands of documents that the F.B.I. seized from former President Donald J. Trump’s Florida estate, arguing that a federal judge had been wrong to intervene in its investigation into Mr. Trump’s hoarding of sensitive government records. In a 53-page brief for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, the Justice Department broadly challenged the legal legitimacy of orders last month by Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who blocked investigators from using the materials and appointed an independent arbiter to sift them for any that are potentially privileged or Mr. Trump’s personal property. The Justice Department already succeeded in persuading a panel of the Atlanta-based court to exempt about 100 documents marked classified from Judge Cannon’s move — a decision the Supreme Court declined to overturn this week. In its new filing, the Justice Department asked the appeals court to reverse her order for the remaining 11,000 or so records. “This court has already granted the government’s motion to stay that unprecedented order insofar as it relates to the documents bearing classification markings,” the filing said. “The court should now reverse the order in its entirety for multiple independent reasons.” A lawyer for Mr. Trump, Christopher M. Kise, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump legal team is due to file a brief in November. The date of any oral arguments has not yet been announced, but the appeals court has granted a Justice Department request that it expedite consideration of the case. It may rule on the appeal before Judge Cannon receives the special master’s report and rules on any contested documents. The dispute is the opening round in the main part of the Justice Department’s appeal of the orders by Judge Cannon as part of a lawsuit Mr. Trump filed after the F.B.I. carried out a court-ordered search of his Florida club and residence, Mar-a-Lago, in August. The Justice Department had obtained a grand jury subpoena in May for any remaining documents marked classified in Mr. Trump’s possession, and the following month his representatives had falsely assured the government that none were left. But in the August search, the F.B.I. seized 103 with classification markings, along with about 11,000 other documents and photographs that are also apparently mostly government property. Mr. Trump then filed his lawsuit, which was assigned to Judge Cannon, whom Mr. Trump had appointed in late 2020. Surprising many legal experts, she granted his request to temporarily block criminal investigators from using the materials and appointed an independent arbiter, known as a special master, to oversee a process of looking to see whether any should be withheld as potentially privileged. She named Raymond J. Dearie, a semiretired judge in the Eastern District of New York suggested by Mr. Trump’s team, to fill the role. His job is to oversee a review of all the documents by the two sides and then to write a report by mid-December recommending how she should consider ruling on any privilege claims for which they disagree. Judge Cannon also surprised experts by declaring that the review would not only see if the F.B.I.’s own filter team had missed any documents that may be protected by attorney-client privilege, which is routine, but also identify some as protected by executive privilege, which would be unprecedented. In its new filing, the Justice Department challenged her orders on multiple grounds. First, it argued that she had no jurisdiction to intervene, pointing to the 11th Circuit panel’s own analysis when it removed documents with classified markings from the special master’s review. The three judges — including two Trump appointees — had said none of the legal factors that would justify judicial intervention were met in this situation. In particular, they noted that Judge Cannon herself had said one condition — whether the F.B.I. had acted in “callous disregard” of Mr. Trump’s rights — had not been met in this instance, and cited a precedent saying that factor was “indispensable” for creating a basis for a judge to step in. The full appeal may not be heard by the same judges who ruled on the earlier stay motion. But the Justice Department urged the judges on the new panel to follow their colleagues’ reasoning and overturn her orders on jurisdictional grounds alone. The department also argued that even if she did have did have sufficient jurisdiction, Judge Cannon was wrong to block criminal investigators from reviewing or using any of the seized records. The government repeated its earlier arguments that it needed access to the documents marked classified both “to assess the full scope of the risk to national security posed by the improper storage of these records,” and because they may be “evidence of obstruction of justice” in light of the Trump team’s false claim to have fully complied with the subpoena. In this filing, it argued that investigators needed access to the unclassified documents as well. It said they could be evidence of another potential crime — unlawfully removing or concealing government documents — and could provide clues into the mishandling of the materials with classified markings because the various documents were intermixed. In public, Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he had declassified all the records he took to Mar-a-Lago. But his legal team has not repeated that claim in court, instead merely insinuating that he might have done so. In proceedings before Judge Dearie, the Trump legal team has resisted providing any evidence that he had done so. In its filing, the Justice Department said Mr. Trump’s public claims that he had declassified the materials were both “unsubstantiated” and “irrelevant” to whether the materials were privileged or should be reviewed by a special master. “Even if plaintiff were to offer direct claims, supported by evidence, that he declassified any of the seized records, any potential executive privilege claims would still fail,” it wrote, citing Supreme Court rulings against former President Richard M. Nixon in 1974 and 1977. /

Read Georgia Tech’s News Release Announcing J Batt’s Hire – The Atlanta Journal Constitution https://collincountynewsonline.com/read-georgia-techs-news-release-announcing-j-batts-hire-the-atlanta-journal-constitution/ The institute made the announcement through a news release that includes quotes from Tech President Ángel Cabrera, Batt, Alabama football coach Nick Saban and other Crimson Tide officials. GEORGIA TECH NAMES J BATT NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR (Atlanta, Georgia, October 14, 2022) Today, Georgia Tech named J Batt as its new director of Athletics. Batt is departing the role of executive deputy director of Athletics, chief operating officer, and chief revenue officer at the University of Alabama and will join Georgia Tech on Oct. 24. “We’re excited to welcome J to Georgia Tech. His leadership experience at one of the most competitive programs in the nation and his extraordinary track record in fundraising and revenue generation will bring great value to Georgia Tech,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “As a former ACCstudent-athlete, J has a keen appreciation for what it takes for students to compete at the highest level while pursuing a degree at a top academic institution. He values and shares our culture of excellence and integrity and our commitment to student well-being and success. I look forward to working with him to secure and invest the resources necessary for a successful athletics program.” As athletic director at Georgia Tech, Batt will report directly to Cabrera and serve as a member of his cabinet. He will be responsible for planning, developing, administering, and advancing Georgia Tech’s intercollegiate athletic programs, with a focus on building an environment that inspires and empowers student-athletes to be champions in academics, competition, and life. “My family and I truly appreciate President Cabrera and his team for this opportunity, and we are incredibly excited to join the Georgia Tech family,” said Batt. “I look forward to working with our student-athletes, coaches, staff, supporters, and fans to reach new heights, on and off the field, and to build on the rich tradition and history of this storied athletics department. We can’t wait to become a part of the Atlanta community. Go Jackets!” Batt was named the top candidate by Cabrera following a national search led by Parker Executive Search. The selection process included interviews with a committee comprised of a coach, senior athletics administrator, student-athlete, student-athlete alum, and faculty member who recommended a set of finalists for consideration by the president. The board of trustees of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association voted unanimously to approve Cabrera’s proposal to appoint Batt. According to Nick Saban, University of Alabama’s head football coach, “Since arriving at Alabama, J has positively affected our program through the success of the Crimson Standard Initiative while being a trusted advisor to our athletic director, Greg Byrne, and an essential part of our administrative team. We set a vision for the future of Alabama Athletics and Alabama football through the Crimson Standard and J as well as his team delivered with impressive results.” University of Alabama President Stuart R. Bell added, “Georgia Tech has made an outstanding hire in J Batt. He is a rising leader within intercollegiate athletics and has made a great impact during his time at the University of Alabama. He is a proven administrator and fundraiser and will be a great ambassador for the Institute and the community.” Batt joined the University of Alabama Athletics team as senior associate athletic director in 2017. He was responsible for guiding revenue generating, including charitable giving, ticketing, Tide Pride, and other revenue sources. He was promoted to COO and senior deputy athletic director in 2021 and to executive deputy director, COO, and chief revenue officer in 2022. Batt oversaw the successful development, implementation, and launch of the Crimson Standard, Alabama Athletics’ 10-year, $600 million capital initiative. He also provided day-to-day leadership of the department as a member of the Athletics executive team and served as the sport administrator for men’s basketball. “J has been such a strong leader as part of our executive team at Alabama. He has incredible vision and has done an outstanding job overseeing many areas of the department, beginning with development when he arrived in 2017,” said Byrne. “He has done a masterful job with the operations of the department. J has been involved in all of our major decisions and has provided constructive insight and feedback to make us better. His experience working directly with our student-athletes, our coaches and Athletics staff, university leadership, and fan base has prepared him well for this moment. We are thrilled for J, his wife, Leah, and boys, Fitz and Graham. Georgia Tech made a home-run hire with J.” Nate Oats, Alabama’s head basketball coach, said, “I am extremely happy for J, Leah, and their boys for this opportunity. His work ethic, character, wisdom, and vision for the University of Alabama have been great assets to our men’s basketball program, and we are thankful for everything he has done to help our team and staff. I think he is a perfect fit at Georgia Tech, and I’m excited to see what the future holds under his leadership.” Previously, Batt was senior associate athletic director at East Carolina University and executive director of the Pirate Club, a position he held from 2013 to 2017. As a member of the ECU athletics executive leadership team, Batt oversaw a development operation that increased total fundraising in 2016 by more than 60% over ECU’s previous best year. He also served as an associate AD and executive director of the Terrapin Club for the University of Maryland from 2011 to 2013. He joined the Terrapin Club staff in 2009 and served as executive director beginning in September 2011. Before his tenure at Maryland, Batt worked in athletics fundraising at James Madison University, the College of William & Mary, and his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A member of the Tar Heels’ 2001 NCAA champion men’s soccer team, Batt graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications and a master’s degree in sports administration.

Justice Dept. Asks Appeals Court To End Mar-A-Lago Special Master – The Washington Post https://collincountynewsonline.com/justice-dept-asks-appeals-court-to-end-mar-a-lago-special-master-the-washington-post/ The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to reverse a Florida judge’s order appointing a special master to review documents seized from Donald Trump’s home and club, arguing that the former president had no right to possess the seized materials after he left office and that there was no legal basis for an outside review. While prosecutors had already appealed portions of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon’s special master appointment, Friday was the first time they appealed the entire court order. If the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit sides with the government, the special master’s review would stop — and criminal investigators once again would be permitted to access thousands of unclassified documents that FBI agents took from Mar-a-Lago in August. The government said in its appeal that those unclassified documents are critical to its ongoing criminal probe of possible mishandling of classified material, obstruction and destruction of government records, and could help them conduct witness interviews and corroborate evidence. “In short, the unclassified records that were stored collectively with records bearing classification markings may identify who was responsible for the unauthorized retention of these records, the relevant time periods in which records were created or accessed, and who may have accessed or seen them,” the filing reads. The Atlanta-based appeals court said Trump’s lawyers have until Nov. 10 to file their response. As part of their appeal, Justice Department lawyers updated the number of documents taken from Mar-a-Lago, which was earlier said to be about 11,000 but now is about 13,000. Trump’s lawyers asked two weeks after the search for an outside expert to sift through the seized materials — including 103 documents marked classified — to determine whether any are protected by attorney-client or executive privilege, and should be shielded from criminal investigators. Prosecutors argued in Friday’s 53-page filing that Trump has no right to assert either form of privilege over the government documents, rendering the review by a Brooklyn-based federal judge, Raymond J. Dearie, unnecessary. Cannon had originally ordered the special master to review both the classified and nonclassified materials and barred the Justice Department from using any of the documents in its criminal investigation until that review was done. A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit overturned part of that decision, which removed the classified materials from Dearie’s review and allowed investigators to use those documents right away. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected a petition from Trump’s lawyers that asked it to review part of the appeals court’s decision on narrow, technical grounds. Cannon has said Dearie would have until December to complete his review of the nonclassified documents.

Plano, Texas Earns Recognition For Video Series – Local Profile https://collincountynewsonline.com/plano-texas-earns-recognition-for-video-series-local-profile/ Posted inCommunity, News The city of Plano was awarded a 2022 Municipal Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal League. The city of Plano has been awarded a 2022 Municipal Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal League. Credit: Photo courtesy of the city of Plano The city of Plano is receiving props for its Stoler on the Street video series. Plano, the largest city in Collin County, recently received a 2022 Municipal Excellence Award during the 2022 Texas Municipal League (TML) Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio. TML’s Municipal Excellence Awards recognize and encourage the achievements of Texas cities in meeting the challenge of municipal governance. Awards are given in two population categories: under 25,000 and over 25,000. The awards are also separated into five categories, which include: management innovations, communication programs, city spirit, public safety and public works. The City of Plano received an award in the communication programs for cities over 25,000 in population category for its Stoler on the Street video series. In the series, local broadcast personality Steve Stoler answers questions and uncovers things residents might not know about Plano. The series was created to help residents better understand city services that their tax dollars support. The first video from the Stoler on the Street series was published on Aug. 21, 2021. The video series currently contains 70 videos and drives thousands of views. According to the city, the series has been successful in increasing overall resident engagement. In the latest video, which was posted on Oct ober11, Stoler discusses Plano Fire-Rescue, which opened the doors of its new $15 million Fire Training Center on October 3. The latest video from the City of Plano’s Stoler on the Street video series. Plano’s paramedic program The city of Plano was also one of three finalists for a 2022 Municipal Excellence Award in public safety for cities over 25,000 in population for its community paramedic program. In 2014, the city worked with local hospitals to develop a community paramedic program within Plano Fire-Rescue. This program was leveraged during the COVID pandemic and winter storm Uri to meet the needs of Plano’s high-risk population. The program is funded through hospitals and insurance systems, ensuring the program’s long-term financial sustainability. For additional information, click here. Related Local Profile Insightful and innovative, Local Profile is the cultural compass of Collin County. Reflecting the best of life in North Texas, Local Profile connects our growing community by engaging residents in honest,… More by Local Profile

The Creepiest, Most Mysterious Haunted Hotels In Every State – Thrillist https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-creepiest-most-mysterious-haunted-hotels-in-every-state-thrillist/ Anyone can check into a hotel. Some visitors, however, never check out. Whatever you call these long-term guests—ghosts, spirits, or specters—they linger in the rooms, hallways, and grounds of the most haunted hotels in every state, eternally restless. If you’re feeling brave, you can pay them a visit… just don’t expect a good night’s sleep. Most newer accommodations haven’t had time to acquire ghosts (yet), so renting a room in one of these spooky hotels means you’ll be surrounded by history, both creepy and quaint. From charming bed-and-breakfasts to lavish high-rise resorts, there’s a world of paranormal activity to experience all across the country, along with lots of good stories about how it came to be. So switch things up this Halloween season. Leave the candy and costumes at home (or bring the candy for comfort) and book a night at some of the creepiest places to visit in your state. You may feel a chill, see the unexplainable, or hear something go bump in the night. It’s okay to scream. Leave in the middle of the night if you must. Just remember to tip the housekeeper before you go. The Civil War-era property has a hidden bunker—and ghosts sightings, of course. | Photo courtesy of Visit Mobile Alabama Malaga Inn Mobile Originally built as a pair of townhouses during the early days of the Civil War, the Malaga Inn was renovated into its current form nearly a century later, with 39 guest rooms and a beautiful courtyard that matches the charm and character of Mobile’s historic district. But look closer, beyond the pleasant facade, and you’ll find out why the hotel is believed to be a hotbed of kinetic energy. Civil War-era tunnels run beneath the property, and according to the owners, they were once used to hide Confederate soldiers. Some of these soldiers may have returned to haunt the hotel—after all, what other explanation is there for the swinging chandeliers and flickering lights guests have noticed over the years? But Civil War soldiers aren’t even the only ghosts at the Malaga Inn; Room 7 is said to be haunted by a ghostly woman in white, who is sometimes seen pacing on the balcony. Alaska Historic Anchorage Hotel Anchorage At least three ghosts roam the hallways of the Historic Anchorage. Guests have witnessed the reflection of a thin woman dressed as a bride in the hotel’s mirrors and windows. They’ve heard the giggles of a young boy. The city’s first chief of police has also haunted the building since he was shot with his own gun during the wild days of Prohibition, receiving treatment at the hotel before passing away there. Ghost sightings are so common that the hotel has an official log for guests to record their paranormal experiences. The hotel is also the main attraction of a popular Ghost Tour of Anchorage, so you can always stop by for a look if you’d rather retreat into a less haunted hotel at the end of the night. More than 9,000 souls haunt this former hospital. | FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock Arizona Jerome Grand Hotel Jerome The Jerome Grand Hotel was originally built as a hospital in 1926, when the mining town of Jerome, Arizona was big and booming. The hospital was spooky from day one, with an ominous perch overlooking the Verde Valley. Over the next few decades, as the mining town became a ghost town, more than 9,000 patients died in the hospital. It closed for good in 1950 and sat abandoned until it was reformatted as a hotel in the early 90s. Despite the glow-up, much of the building’s original structure (including the elevator) remains, as do the ghosts of thousands of former hospital patients. Listen for the wheels of hospital gurneys squeaking in the hallways. Hold your breath on the third floor, once home to the operating room, which is said to be especially haunted. And for the love of god, avoid Room 32. Come for the spirits, stay for the architecture. | Photo courtesy of Crescent Hotel Arkansas Crescent Hotel Eureka Springs The self-declared “America’s Most Haunted Hotel” first opened in 1886 as an Ozarks getaway for the rich, but went belly up during the Depression and eventually became a hospital operating under a fraudulent doctor, who claimed to have the cure for cancer. While the hospital has since become a hotel, some of the patients who died there continue to haunt the property, with hundreds of paranormal experiences reported by guests. The striking palatial structure certainly looks the part, towering forebodingly over the town of Eureka Springs from its perch atop Crescent Mountain. For those with an interest in specters, the hotel leans into its haunted reputation, welcoming ghost tours and offering a Spirits of the Crescent hotel package that comes with spooky amenities. California Brookdale Lodge Brookdale This 19th-century logging mill turned resort in the Santa Cruz Mountains was once popular with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Mae West, and President Herbert Hoover. But an air of tragedy lingers there, too, and sightings of the ghost of a young girl abound. This ghost is said to be Sara Logan, the niece of the resort’s former owner, who reportedly drowned in the creek that runs through the lodge’s main building. Supposedly, she’s one of at least a hundred spirits haunting the property, which might explain its bad luck, as multiple structures have burned down over the years. While the lodge was briefly abandoned after the most recent fire, it reopened in 2017 and has seen extensive room renovations, with more to come. Discover why this hotel inspired The Shining. | Glenn Taylor/Shutterstock Colorado The Stanley Estes Park The Stanley hotel is so creepy that it inspired Stephen King to write The Shining. The author claims to have experienced a night of terrifying dreams while staying in Room 217. Against a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the regal estate has seen its share of odd moments, beginning with a gas explosion in 1911. Some employees believe founder Freelan Oscar Stanley haunts the grounds along with wife Flora, who can occasionally be heard tinkering on the hotel piano. Whether or not you dare to stay in Room 217, you can still attend the hotel’s official Spirited Night Tours to learn more about its history and hauntings. The inn might look cute, but it’s surrounded by graveyards. | Photo courtesy of Captain Grant’s Inn and the Connecticut Office of Tourism Connecticut Captain Grant’s Inn Preston Set in front of a 17th-century cemetery and across the street from another that dates back to the 1800s, it’s safe to say Captain Grant’s Inn is surrounded by the dead. The current owner, Carol Matsumoto, bought the property in 1994 and never planned to advertise the inn as haunted but somehow the word got out. Matsumoto eventually wrote a book about the property and believes that at least 300 ghosts maintain a presence at the inn as well as in her own home next door. Spend the night in one of the inn’s seven rooms and receive a full breakfast, complimentary booze (wine, beer, sherry), and 24/7 cookies and cake to bolster your nerves. Room 11 is the scariest of all. | Photo courtesy of Visit Delaware Delaware Addy Sea Bethany Beach The quaint and cozy Addy Sea has been an oceanfront vacation spot on Delaware’s Bethany Beach since 1902, offering such beautiful views of the water that you can hardly blame some of its former guests for haunting the place. You can kind of choose your own frightening adventure here, since different hotel rooms are known for experiencing different types of hauntings. Room 1 has a bathtub that inexplicably shakes or vibrates. The sounds of organ music seep through the walls of Room 6, although no such instrument exists on the property. Room 11, however, may be the scariest of all, with guests reporting encounters with a former employee who passed away years ago. Footsteps on the roof are credited to the ghost of former owner Kurt Addy, who died after falling off the edge of this location. Florida The Hacienda New Port Richey Don’t be fooled by the Hacienda’s bright pink exterior; the hotel has a provocative past. Billed as “Hollywood East” when it opened in 1927, the hotel initially attracted celebrities for winter vacations. The Hacienda’s basement had a reputation for sinful behavior around that time, operating as a speakeasy, brothel, and gambling parlor, with bootleggers bringing in alcohol via underground tunnels. Over time, activity petered out and the hotel closed. It reopened to the public just last month following an extensive renovation. During the renovation, crew members noticed a few strange happenings, including the unexpected smell of cigar smoke, tools mysteriously being moved around, and the sounds of Prohibition-era music echoing faintly through the halls. Beware of Room 414. | Photo courtesy of The Marshall House Georgia The Marshall House Savannah Located in one of the most haunted cities in Georgia, the Marshall House Hotel was originally built to be a hotel, but operated as a hospital during the Civil War and two yellow fever epidemics. This history has led to lots of ghost sightings, especially on the fourth floor. If you’re feeling especially brave, book Room 414, where many of these encounters are said to have occurred. Hawaii Moana Surfrider Honolulu The Moana Surfrider opened in 1901 as the first luxury resort on Waikiki Beach. Just a few years later, Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, died in her hotel room after being poisoned. Her personal secretary of more than 20 years is suspected, but was never charged. Some believe Stanford’s soul remains at the Moana Surfrider, seeking justice. Idaho The University Inn Gooding Staying at the University Inn is almost like spending the night in a college dorm, only a lot nicer and significantly more haunted. That’s because it originally hou...

Officials: 22 Dead, Many Trapped In Turkish Coal Mine Blast – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/officials-22-dead-many-trapped-in-turkish-coal-mine-blast-69news-wfmz-tv/ ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An explosion inside a coal mine in northern Turkey killed at least 22 people, Turkey’s health minister announced, while rescuers were trying to bring dozens of others trapped inside the mine to the surface. The explosion occurred 6:45 p.m. at the state-owned TTK Amasra Muessese Mudurlugu mine in the town of Amasra, in the Black Sea coastal province of Bartin. Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said a preliminary assessment indicated the explosion was likely caused by firedamp — a reference to flammable gases found in coal mines. There were 110 people in the mine at the time of the explosion, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Amasra to coordinate the rescue operation, told reporters. Most of the workers were able to evacuate following the blast, but 49 were trapped in a higher risk area of the facility, the minister said. Soylu would not provide a number for those still trapped, saying some among the 49 had been lifted to safety. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Twitter that 22 people were killed in the blast. He did not say how many people were taken out of the mine with injuries, but said eight were in serious condition. Several rescue teams were dispatched to the area, including from neighboring provinces, Turkey’s disaster management agency, AFAD, said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he was canceling a planned visit to the southeastern city of Diyarbakir and would travel to Amasra instead to coordinate the rescue operation. The private DHA news agency quoted one worker as telling Bartin Gov. Nurtac Arslan that he came out of the mine by his own means. He described feeling a “pressure” but said he could not see anything due to the dust and dirt. People rushed to the mine for news of trapped friends or colleagues, DHA reported. In Turkey’s worst mine disaster, a total of 301 people died in 2014 in a fire inside a coal mine in the town of Soma, in western Turkey. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Florida Blue Medicare Enhances Medicare Advantage Benefits To Improve Affordability And Accessibility For Floridians – StreetInsider.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/florida-blue-medicare-enhances-medicare-advantage-benefits-to-improve-affordability-and-accessibility-for-floridians-streetinsider-com/ Get inside Wall Street with StreetInsider Premium. Claim your 1-week free trial here. More plans available with $0 copays, including on prescriptions, making hundreds of drugs available at no cost , /PRNewswire/ — Florida Blue Medicare today released details of its 2023 Medicare offerings, which aim to provide Florida residents with high quality, affordable plans that meet their evolving health needs. New solutions from Florida Blue Medicare will ensure members can access personalized, wrap-around and support services whether at the doctor’s office, while traveling or at home. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period opens tomorrow, Oct. 15, and runs through Dec. 7, for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2023. With many Medicare-eligible consumers particularly concerned about inflation and the rising cost of living, Florida Blue Medicare sought to tackle one of the biggest barriers to better health outcomes, costly prescription drugs. Many Florida Blue Medicare plans for 2023 now offer a $0 tier 1 and 2 copay, enabling members to access hundreds of prescription drugs at no cost. Preferred pharmacy tiering was also eliminated to simplify the process of selecting a pharmacy. It’s now the same lower cost share at any in-network pharmacy. Florida Blue Medicare offers 24/7 personalized at-home care so all eligible members can receive all of their primary care services in the comfort of their own home, including vaccinations and imaging. “Florida Blue Medicare is committed to providing comprehensive benefits and expansive programs,” said Kathy Feeny, president of Florida Blue Medicare. “We have a long history of serving Florida residents and we pride ourselves on understanding their unique needs. Our strong collaborations with providers allow us to offer more affordable plan options while delivering access to excellent networks, new tools, and supplemental benefits.”  More than one in five Floridians are enrolled in Medicare, and more than half of those beneficiaries enroll in Medicare Advantage plans. Florida Blue Medicare has a range of comprehensive options so all eligible beneficiaries can choose the plan that works best for them. “We know health care, specifically for seniors, is defined by their experiences outside as well as inside the doctor’s office,” said Camille Harrison, Florida Blue’s executive vice president of Medicare and chief innovation and customer experience officer. “That is why we are focused on offering specialized programs and wrap-around care to ensure we are tackling all the elements that help our members and communities achieve better health.” Florida is also home to hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans who have moved to the mainland but maintain close cultural ties with family and friends still on the island. To serve this growing community, Florida Blue Medicare PPO plans offer access to in-network care for members visiting Puerto Rico. Additionally, Florida Blue Medicare has expanded options in the Panhandle, providing greater choice in a region that has historically had more limited access to care.  Highlights of Florida Blue Medicare’s 2023 Medicare Advantage plans include: Comprehensive, easy to use benefits Exceptional supplemental benefits on most BlueMedicare Medicare Advantage plans: Members can access dental care, vision and hearing annual allowances, transportation to medical appointments and money to buy over-the-counter products, like toothpaste and aspirin. Freedom to use all in-network pharmacies: Florida Blue Medicare removed the standard and preferred pharmacy tiering, making prescription drugs from any in-network pharmacy available at the lower cost share. The network includes regional grocers, national pharmacies and big box retailers, plus many physician partners with in-house pharmacies. Eliminated PCP copay tiering on Value LPPO plans: Now all PCPs are available at the lower cost share, with many plans at $0. More robust support for dual eligible members: Those of greatest economic need, who are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, will have access to additional benefits such as extra money toward groceries, along with $0 copays for brand and generic prescription drugs. Florida-focused, trusted everywhere Access in Puerto Rico: Florida Blue Medicare PPO members can get care from in-network providers while visiting Puerto Rico. BlueMedicare Value PPO offers national coverage: Members have access to coverage in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. BlueMedicare Complete Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)-HMO Expanded Coverage Area: These specialized plans are now available in more areas across the state to serve the most vulnerable Floridians. Adapted benefits for members with diverse needs  Extra benefits for members with chronic conditions: BlueMedicare Premier HMO plan members can qualify for additional benefits if they have heart disease, congestive heart failure, COPD or diabetes. For most members, benefits include extra money each quarter for over-the-counter meds, dietician consultations, free meals delivered to their home, free personal training sessions, plus transportation services. Enhanced dental benefits: BlueMedicare members who have been diagnosed with certain chronic health conditions that are linked to oral health have $0 copays for x-rays, fluoride treatments and deep cleanings. Personalized health care at home: Eligible Medicare members have 24/7 access to their primary care doctor and care team through Emcara Health — including exams, tests, vaccinations and even imaging — in the comfort of their own home. Industry-leading wrap-around care at no extra cost Florida Blue Centers: Those looking for personalized support, help finding caregiving resources in their community or assistance finding a doctor can reach out to their local Florida Blue Center and talk with a nurse on the phone or in person. It’s easy to find a local center at floridablue.com/center or by calling 1-877-352-5830. meQuilibrium: This digital, self-guided, personalized program improves resiliency skills and helps with mental well-being and stress reduction from the comfort of home. Support for Caregivers: Florida Blue offers digital tools, resources, and personalized expert advice to help caregivers care for themselves and their loved ones. Support includes financial advice, assistance in finding local resources for help at home or at senior living facilities and tips to manage decision-making as a family. Healthy Blue Rewards: Florida Blue Medicare Advantage members can get between $160 and $220, depending on the plan, in gift cards to restaurants, retailers or local gas stations when they complete healthy activities. Access to Blue365: A free health and wellness discount program with year-round exclusive discounts of up to 50% on gym memberships, fitness gear, healthy eating options and more. Papa Pals: Connects youthful, energetic adults (Papa Pals) to older adults who need assistance with transportation, light household chores, errands, technical guidance, and other senior support services, along with offering companionship. Transportation: To help make sure transportation isn’t a barrier to care, many Florida Blue Medicare plans provide rides to doctor appointments at $0 extra cost. Personalized Condition Management and Guidance: A team of nurses are dedicated to members with complex injuries, or who are chronically ill, very sick or near the end of life, providing coaching and help to deal with their illness, follow their treatment plans and get the care and support they need. About Florida Blue Medicare Florida Blue Medicare is committed to helping our Florida neighbors live healthier. We offer a wide range of plan options, including Medicare Advantage plans, to give our members what they need to live their best lives and improve their overall health and well-being. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Florida Blue Medicare is built for Florida’s seniors and proud to be affiliated with Florida Blue, a health insurer that has served Floridians for over 75 years. Florida Blue and Florida Blue Medicare are Independent Licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at FloridaBlue.com/Medicare. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-blue-medicare-enhances-medicare-advantage-benefits-to-improve-affordability-and-accessibility-for-floridians-301650075.html SOURCE Florida Blue Medicare

Phil Foden: Manchester City Attacker Extends Contract Until 2027 – Sky Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/phil-foden-manchester-city-attacker-extends-contract-until-2027-sky-sports/ Phil Foden has signed a contract extension with Manchester City until 2027 and the club are confident he can become one of the best players in the world. The City academy graduate is a key first-team player for Pep Guardiola, who has started him in all nine Premier League games this season, with the England international scoring in his last three games, including a hat-trick against Manchester United. Foden joined Man City’s youth system aged nine and has won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the past two seasons. The City attacker is a likely starter this Sunday when his side take on great rivals Liverpool, live on Sky Sports. Stream Liverpool vs Man City with a Sports Membership on NOW Live football on Sky Sports: Liverpool vs Man City on Super Sunday Get Sky Sports Foden says signing this new deal is “a dream come true”. “It’s hard to put into words how happy I am to have signed this contract,” he said. “It’s a dream come true. Sunday 16th October 4:00pm Kick off 4:30pm “I have been a City fan all my life. I’ve trained here for so many years and I’ve even been a ballboy. I love this club so much, so to know I am going to be a part of it until 2027 feels amazing. “I’ve improved a lot in recent years and so much of that is down to Pep and his staff, who guide me every single day on the training field. Working with them gives me the best chance of improving even more and becoming the best player I can be. Klopp: Haaland is the best striker in the world right now Liverpool vs Man City preview “With the squad we have here, I feel I can keep learning and winning trophies. Those are the two most important things to me. Image: Phil Foden celebrates with the match ball after Man City’s 6-3 derby win over Man Utd “I want to thank every single person at City because without them I would not be where I am today. All the Academy coaches I worked with, all the players I’ve played with and everyone who works behind the scenes. It’s an honour to be part of this football club.” Director of football Txiki Begiristain added: “We are all so proud of Phil and what he has achieved already – but we know there is so much more to come. “His natural talent and ability are obvious, but his hard work, professionalism and dedication make him really special. He loves football more than anything and his desire to improve is really incredible. “We feel he can progress further and become even better than he is today. By signing this contract, he now has stability and can focus absolutely everything on becoming one of the best players in the world, which we feel he can be.” Watch Liverpool vs Manchester City live on Sky Sports this weekend on Super Sunday from 4pm, kick-off 4.30pm