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The Best Gifts For Wine Lovers That Are More Creative Than A Bottle – Forbes https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-best-gifts-for-wine-lovers-that-are-more-creative-than-a-bottle-forbes/ There are people who have a general understanding of how to pair wine with food—and then there are those who have a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of grape varieties, and who enjoy nothing more than exploring local vineyards and attending tastings. If you have one of the latter in your life, there’s a good chance you know it. And while you can always give an oenophile a beautiful bottle from their favorite region, this holiday season, consider thinking outside of the box with one of these creative gifts. Pottery Barn The best gifts for wine lovers strike the perfect balance between thoughtful and functional, helping to elevate and celebrate their beloved pastime. To help you knock it out of the park, we’ve rounded up a selection of stellar options, from wine subscriptions to stocking stuffer-sized gadgets to wine glasses. Whether the person you’re shopping for is just starting their vino journey or has been waxing poetic about lesser-known varietals and terroir for years, here’s a list of top-tier gifts that are sure to delight the connoisseur on your list. The Best Gifts For Wine Lovers In Your Life Chic Single-Serving Bottles From A New Female-Led Brand Launched earlier this month, Maie is a new female-run, California-made wine company selling some of the prettiest individual-sized bottles around. While you can get nine- or twelve-packs of any of the three single-varietal wines—rosé, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir—the brand’s Discovery Pack is arguably more exciting, as it lets you try one of each. An Insulator For Keeping Wine At The Perfect Temperature Keep wine or bubbly chilled for hours in this insulated canister by VinGlacé. It’s made from double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel and features an adjustable top. All you have to do is unscrew the top, insert a chilled bottle of wine and start sipping. Crystalline, Long-Stemmed Wine Glasses Crate&Barrel Crate & Barrel Camille Long-Stem Wine Glass It’s hard to go wrong with wine glasses, especially these long-stemmed, bubble-bowled beauties, which were popularized on Scandal. But these glasses aren’t regularly on backorder just because they appeared on the hit thriller—they’re excellent glasses in their own right. An Array Of ‘Wild’ Wines For Adventurous Drinkers In Good Taste In Good Taste Uncommon Grapes These outside-the-box wines are sure to impress even the most discerning wine lovers. The set comes with eight small bottles of less-traditional wines, making for the perfect lineup for an at-home tasting. A Cult-Favorite Electric Bottle Opener Amazon Oster Cordless Electric Bottle Opener This bestselling electric wine bottle opener is perfect for parties or everyday home use. It’s cordless and features a simple push-button operation, plus it comes with a foil cutter. The rechargeable model can open up to 30 bottles on a single charge. forbes.comAmazon Promo Codes | 30% Off In September 2022 | Forbes An Adorable On-The-Go Wine Glass Enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of wine anywhere with this adorable to-go tumbler. It’s made from durable glass and wrapped in a layer of silicone for added protection, and it can hold up to 15 ounces. The tumbler is topped with a tightly sealed lid with a sliding tab for drinking and comes in a range of pretty colors, including several fun terrazzo patterns.  Wine-Scented Candles In Repurposed Bottles West Elm Rewined Green Glass Filled Candles A pretty candle is always a great holiday gift, but it’s even better when it’s a handmade candle from Rewined. These pieces are handcrafted in South Carolina and designed to evoke the aroma of your favorite wine with subtle notes of fragrance. The soy candles are also poured in recycled wine bottles, making them both beautiful and eco-friendly. An Insulated Travel Tote To Take On Picnics West Elm Insulated Double Bottle Travel Tote For the person who shows up to every event with a bottle of wine in tow, this insulated travel tote will make their job much easier, keeping wine at the perfect temperature during transit. The stately bag is made from a waxed cotton canvas and has leatherette straps. Plus, it comes in two sizes, allowing you to easily carry two or three bottles at a time.  A Wine Guide Pretty Enough To Be A Coffee Table Book Amazon Wine Folly: The Master Guide If you’re wondering whether this book is any good, Wine Folly won a James Beard award—a huge honor in the culinary world. The hardcover guide is attractive enough to use as decor on a coffee table, but it’s also an amazing educational resource on all things wine, including types of grapes and wines, wine labeling and classification, food pairings and much more. Special Wine Glasses That Enhance Tasting Notes Amazon Riedel Winewings Tasting Wine Glass Set (Set of 4) These wine glasses have an eye-catching shape, but the design isn’t just for aesthetic appeal. The Winewings collection from Riedel features flat-bottomed glasses that increase the surface area of the wine, which speeds up the rate of evaporation and produces a more distinct aroma. This set of four includes special glasses for Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, making it ideal for wine-lovers who frequently host at-home tastings. A High-End Wine Preservation System Bed Bath & Beyond Coravin Model Three Wine Preservation System Wine loses its freshness when exposed to air for too long and for those who typically only drink one glass of wine at a time, a preservation system can make a world of difference. This unique system actually inserts a needle through the cork to pressurize the bottle, allowing you to pour a glass without ever removing the stopper. The cork naturally reseals itself when the clamp is removed, keeping the wine fresh for weeks or months.  A Selection Of Europe’s Finest Cheese And Charcuterie Williams Sonoma Williams Sonoma Gift Crate European Cheese & Charcuterie If the wine connoisseur in your life also loves hosting, you can’t miss with this rich selection of cured meats and creamy European cheeses for a gorgeous charcuterie board. Meats include prosciutto and salame rustico, whereas cheeses include a Swiss favorite and a soft Italian variety; there’s also a classic Italian cake. All that’s missing are crackers for serving and, of course, wine. Pretty Stones To Keep White Wine Cool Nordstrom Anna New York Vida Wine Stones Say goodbye to ice cubes watering down not-quite-chilled wine. These pretty fluorite spheres are designed to be used in glasses of white wine, and they’ll keep your drink cool for hours without diluting it. The stones can be kept in the freezer until you need them, and you can wash and reuse them endlessly.  Felt Wine Markers To Help Keep Track Of Glasses West Elm West Elm Wine O Felt Wine Markers (Set of 12) Wine charms and markers are perfect for anyone who regularly hosts parties, as they allow everyone to keep track of their drink. These understated wine markers are sure to earn compliments, as they’re made from stain-resistant merino wool and come in a variety of vibrant colors. They also feature a scratch-free design so you don’t have to worry about damaging glasses. A Sturdy, Elegant Glass Decanter For Your Favorite Host Pottery Barn Pottery Barn Vino Handblown Glass Wine Decanter This gorgeous decanter is sure to be the star of any bar cart. Featuring a chic asymmetrical spout that allows for smooth pouring, this handblown vessel can easily accommodate a full 750-ml bottle of wine. Paired with a set of nice wine glasses, it would be a wonderful gift for your favorite host.  A Sculptural Set Of Stemless Wine Glasses Amazon Dragon Glassware Wine Glasses (Set Of 4) No matter how big their drinkware collection may be, a cool new addition is always welcome. These stemless wine glasses from Dragon Glassware are pretty enough for serving or display, and their sculptural shape isn’t just striking, it’s also easy to grip. A Wine Fridge Fit For A Sommelier Best Buy Insignia Stainless Steel 14-Bottle Wine Cooler If you really want to impress an amateur sommelier, a countertop wine cooler for their favorite beverage will do the trick. This fridge features stylish and sturdy stainless steel construction, an adjustable temperature control and racks that neatly stack 14 bottles of wine. For recipients who are short on counter space, consider the smaller and narrower eight bottle cooler. A Professional-Grade Champagne Stopper Crate & Barrel Crate & Barrel Champagne Stopper For those who like to indulge in the occasional breakfast mimosa, a champagne stopper is a useful item to have in the kitchen. This chrome-plated stopper clamps tightly onto a bottle of sparkling wine, providing just the right amount of pressure to preserve the beverage’s signature bubbles. And just like that: no more wasted champagne.  Rosé-Flavored Candy For Those With A Sweet Tooth Sugarfina Sugarfina Rosé All Day Bears Does the wine lover on your list also have a sweet tooth? Consider these pretty pink gummy bears, which are imported from Germany and infused with rosé wine from Provence. Simply pair with your favorite movie (and maybe even a glass of actual rosé, if you’re feeling indulgent). Durable, Stackable Glasses Uncommon Goods Stackable Wine Glasses (Set of 6) Sometimes, you don’t want to clutch a delicate stemmed wine glass. You’d rather, in those cases, drink your wine out of something chunkier and less fragile. Enter these dishwasher-safe vessels, made from super durable tempered glass. And because they’re stackable, they’re especially great for those who are short on space. A Bath Caddy To Enjoy A Glass In The Tub Wayfair Rebrilliant Gardner Bamboo Bath Caddy If the wine lover on your list needs a little help relaxing, you can’t go wr...

Crypto Is Dueling With The Dollar To Be This Quarter’s Top Performer – HT Tech https://collincountynewsonline.com/crypto-is-dueling-with-the-dollar-to-be-this-quarters-top-performer-ht-tech/ Home Tech News Crypto Is Dueling With the Dollar to Be This Quarter’s Top Performer Wild gyrations in markets have left cryptocurrencies dueling with the dollar for the title of top-performing asset this quarter. Wild gyrations in markets have left cryptocurrencies dueling with the dollar for the title of top-performing asset this quarter. The MVIS CryptoCompare Digital Assets 100 Index has added 7.3% since the end of June, whereas stocks, bonds, commodities and gold suffered losses. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index is up by a similar magnitude over the period, reaching a record high. The slide in conventional assets reflects the turmoil caused by a global wave of aggressive monetary tightening to fight inflation. More attractive interest rates and the need for a haven from the maelstrom have in turn buoyed the dollar. Quite why volatile digital tokens have so far bucked the wider third-quarter selloff is an open question. One factor is a 27% jump in Ether on optimism about an energy-saving revamp of its Ethereum blockchain. Others speculate crypto may have hit its nadir in June after big blowups catalyzed by the $60 billion wipeout in the Terraform Labs ecosystem, which saw the TerraUSD stablecoin and linked token Luna unravel. “This recent performance is perhaps an early indicator that we are past the contagious volatility following the Luna and crypto-lender collateral damage of the last quarter,” said Jonathon Miller, managing director for Kraken Australia. Miller added that the Ethereum software upgrade, known as the Merge, also “moved the needle” on the attention falling on the crypto industry. Bitcoin and Ether both advanced on Monday. Bitcoin gained about 2.1% to $19,300 at 10 a.m in London, mirroring gains in some European stock markets, even amid a mini-crash in the British pound. It could be that crypto is merely delaying the inevitable — Bitcoin is only a 6% swoon away from breaching its June low of about $17,600 and many prognosticators reckon the chances of such a slide are high. “Bearish macro sentiment is dominating all risky assets,” said Cici Lu, chief executive officer of Venn Link Partners Pte. “We can see Bitcoin going much lower than $17,500.” Those of a more optimistic bent can take succor from seasonal trends. Bitcoin has posted an average return of just over 22% in October over the past decade, the most after the month of November, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Realtors Group Wants U.S. Supreme Court To Undo Antitrust Order – Reuters https://collincountynewsonline.com/realtors-group-wants-u-s-supreme-court-to-undo-antitrust-order-reuters/ REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Appeals court revived challenge to association’s policy Rival real estate platform wants exclusive listings (Reuters) – The National Association of Realtors has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a U.S. appeals court ruling that revived an upstart real estate platform’s challenge to home-listing policies it said were implemented to curb competition. The association’s lawyers at Cooley and other firms on Friday filed a petition seeking to wipe out an april ruling in the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court reinstated claims from listing service ThePLS.com LLC, after a federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed its complaint against the National Association of Realtors (NAR). PLS, which now operates under TheNLS.com LLC, has sought to offer “pocket,” or exclusive, home listings that do not also appear on NAR’s member-operated “multiple listing services” platforms. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com But NAR’s 2019 “Clear Cooperation Policy” said an association member who wanted to list a property on PLS also was required within one business day to list the home on an NAR-affiliated database. Attorneys for the Chicago-based association told the justices that the 9th Circuit panel misapplied U.S. Supreme Court precedent in ruling for PLS. NAR’s lawyers also alleged the PLS platform was detrimental to consumers. “PLS wants to pursue a business model that would harm buyers and sellers by injecting more exclusivity and secrecy into the home buying process through ‘pocket listings’ showed only to a privileged few,” Cooley’s Adam Gershenson wrote. He said NAR’s policies “ensure consumers’ widespread access to market information.” A representative from PLS on Monday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Lawyers for PLS at the firms Jenner & Block and Davis Wright Tremaine on Monday declined to comment. A NAR spokesperson did not immediately comment on Monday. The association has said its cooperation policy “advances equal opportunity in housing by ensuring listings are widely available and accessible to all.” PLS, which launched in 2017, sued the real estate association in 2020 for alleged violations of competition law. The plaintiff’s complaint said NAR-affiliated multiple listing services enforce the cooperation policy through fines for non-compliance. The appeals court panel found NAR’s cooperation policy, “as PLS characterizes it, shares all the hallmarks of a group boycott.” NAR’s lawyers argued there was no “boycott” since real estate brokers could use PLS or other listing services. The case is The National Association of Realtors v. ThePLS.com, U.S. Supreme Court, No. unknown. For The National Association of Realtors: Adam Gershenson of Cooley; Jerrold Abeles of ArentFox Schiff; Robert Hicks of Stream Kim Hicks Wrage & Alfaro For ThePLS.com: Christopher Renner of Jenner & Block; and David Gossett of Davis Wright Tremaine Read more: court rehabs exclusive listing service’s antitrust lawsuit v. realtors’ group doj defends realtor probe despite since-withdrawn settlement realtor group beats back antitrust lawsuit over home-listing service Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ECB Considers Blockchain Technology To Keep Central Bank Money Competitive – Kitco NEWS https://collincountynewsonline.com/ecb-considers-blockchain-technology-to-keep-central-bank-money-competitive-kitco-news/ Editor’s Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today’s must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) – According to Fabio Panetta, an executive ECB board member, the European Central Bank (ECB) is reportedly evaluating its options for integrating distributed ledger technology (DLT) into existing payment settlement systems.  Panetta’s comments came during a Monday speech at a Frankfurt symposium dedicated to the topic of settlements.  The need to focus on DLT comes as “Technologies and preferences are changing, and preserving the role of central bank money as a safe asset at the heart of the system remains key,” according to Panetta. A major portion of the executive board member’s speech was dedicated to defining and describing the term wholesale CBDC, which “refers to the settlement of interbank transfers and related wholesale transactions in central bank reserves.” According to Panetta, “central bank money has been available in digital form for wholesale transactions between banks for decades,” it just wasn’t operated using DLT. The main issue now is how to improve and modernize services that the ECB already offers, while also accommodating the introduction of retail CBDCs. To improve wholesale payment systems, Panetta said that the ECB has begun “assessing the potential of DLT and the extent to which it could improve our services.”  Market participants that are active in payments and securities settlement, such as banks and financial market infrastructures, have already begun experimenting with the technology. “Our ongoing engagement with these stakeholders reveals that many of them expect DLT to experience a significant uptake in the financial industry,” Panetta said. “This would entail a shift from using centralized databases for transferring cash and assets to using decentralized networks instead.” The ECB board member cited some of the benefits offered by the integration of DLT, including the ability to settle transactions instantly, around the clock, with the possibility of programming transactions to be settled automatically based on predefined conditions. “And in the area of wholesale payments, market stakeholders see the potential for DLT to improve cross-border and cross-currency transactions, as it would overcome some of the frictions related to correspondent banking,” Panetta said.  Overall, the ECB wants to make sure that central bank money still retains its role as the settlement asset for wholesale transactions rather than “alternatives like commercial bank money or stablecoins.”  Such a situation would “entail a number of risks” and could potentially lead to “trading and liquidity becoming fragmented,” Panetta said, resulting in “payments and securities settlement becoming less safe and less efficient, which would undermine financial stability.” As of now, the ECB is analyzing two options for the integration of DLT with its current TARGET payment service.  One involves the creation of a bridge between market DLT platforms and central bank infrastructures, which would allow a securities transfer on a DLT platform to trigger settlement in central bank money. The other involves the creation of a new DLT-based wholesale settlement service with DLT-based central bank money. “In any event, implications for governance, settlement efficiency and liquidity management need to be carefully assessed,” Panetta said. “But regardless of the technology used by market participants for their wholesale payments and securities transactions, our goal will always be the same: ensuring that central bank money remains the anchor of stability of the monetary system.” Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

Daniel “Shotgun” Gene Harborth | Obituaries | Seguingazette.com – Seguin Gazette-Enterprise https://collincountynewsonline.com/daniel-shotgun-gene-harborth-obituaries-seguingazette-com-seguin-gazette-enterprise/ Daniel “Shotgun” Gene Harborth, age 85 of Seguin, passed away on Friday, September 23, 2022. Daniel was born on December 19, 1936 in Guadalupe County, Texas to Norma Alvina (Bose) and Marvin E. W. Harborth. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Melvin Harborth. Daniel is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Nelda L. Ackermann Harborth; sisters, Patsy Harborth and Shirley Ann Hayden (Tom); brother and sister-in-law, Howard and Cathy Ackermann; brother-in-law, Hugo W. Ackermann, Jr.; sister-in-law, Mary Louise Ackermann; special friends, Dale, Darren and Collin Reiley; special neighbors, Ben and Misti Guenther, and numerous nieces and nephews. Shotgun will be remembered for being one of the hardest workers you ever met. He spent 40 plus years adventuring through the south, hauling seed for DeKalb Ag. Research and later grain for Hild Bros. in Marion. He proudly served in the Texas Army National Guard for 21 years. For the last 35 plus years you would see him driving around delivering liquid feed, and if you ran into him in the winter, he didn’t have much time to talk, because he “had cattle to feed.” Shotgun was as devoted to his coastal hayfields as anything else. You could drive past him any time of the day and find him out there grubbing out grass burrs one plant at a time. Some would say he had the nicest hay in Guadalupe County. He was involved in the Guadalupe County Fair Hay Show for over 20 years, served on the board of the Comal-Guadalupe Soil and Water Conservation District for 18 years, and was a member of the St. Paul Evangelical Church in Cibolo, Texas for 61 years. Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 28, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Funeral service will be Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. with Pastors Jason Ford and Pastor Willie Stratemann officiating. Interment to follow at San Geronimo Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Chris Ackermann, Jimmy Ackermann, Dale Reiley, Darren Reiley, Collin Reiley, and Ben Guenther. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Howard Ackermann, Glenn Hild, Orville “Obbie” Reiley, Daniel Strempel, Jim Voss, and Rick Harborth. Memorial contributions may be made to Guadalupe County Humane Society, P.O. Box 1593, Seguin, Texas 78155-1593; St. Paul Evangelical Church, 108 S. Main St., Cibolo, Texas, 78108 or charity of one’s choice. You are invited to sign the guest book at www.treshewell.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830-549-5912.

Walt Disney World Under Tropical Storm Watch As Hurricane Ian Approaches – LaughingPlace.com – Laughing Place https://collincountynewsonline.com/walt-disney-world-under-tropical-storm-watch-as-hurricane-ian-approaches-laughingplace-com-laughing-place/ As you may be aware, Hurricane Ian is currently making its way through the tropics and could affect Central Florida and the Walt Disney World area later this week. Starting today, Monday, September 25th, a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for both Orange and Osceola Counties, the two counties where Walt Disney World is located. What’s Happening: A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect, meaning that tropical storm-force winds are possible within the next 48 hours. Winds could reach 20-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. Please note that Walt Disney World does not currently have any policy in play for Tropical Storms. However, if the storm reaches Hurricane level, then the Hurricane Policy will take effect. Hurricane Ian is currently forecasted to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday morning, September 28th — although uncertainty about its path remains high. Walt Disney World Hurricane Policy: If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. If you did not book your vacation through the Walt Disney Travel Company, you should contact your travel agent or tour operator directly for information relating to the cancellation and change policies that apply to your package. If you instead want to reschedule your vacation, you also can. Cast Members will be able to reschedule your vacation to your new desired travel dates if the same special offer is available. If the same special offer is not available Cast Members will assist by identifying alternate offers during your new desired travel dates. All amounts you paid to the Walt Disney Travel Company for rooms, park tickets, dining plans and other Disney products and services will be applied toward your new reservation. Any discounts or special offers applicable to your original confirmed vacation may not apply to the rescheduled vacation travel dates. You are responsible for applicable package pricing for the new vacation dates. This policy also applies to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort or Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in the event a hurricane warning is issued for those destinations. Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Walt Disney World travel planning

AP Top Business News At 10:10 A.m. EDT – WTMJ https://collincountynewsonline.com/ap-top-business-news-at-1010-a-m-edt-wtmj/ AP Top Business News at 10:10 a.m. EDT  WTMJ

Benefit Set For Luke Truman – Crawfordcountynow.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/benefit-set-for-luke-truman-crawfordcountynow-com/ By Crawford County Now Staff September 26, 2022 11:39 am GALION—A Golf Outing is set for Sunday, October 2nd, at Valley View Golf Course in Galion. The benefit is planned to support Luke Truman, 28, of Galion, as he recovers from a near-deadly truck crash. Truman works for Ohio Edison. He was returning to Ohio Edison, located in Mansfield when a loaded dump truck swerved and careened off concrete barriers slamming into Truman’s truck hitting him head-on. Truman’s truck was flattened, and the engine was thrown several feet. Truman, who lost his leg in the crash, is still recovering. Truman still receives therapy in Canton but is grateful to be close to family. Sadly, the driver of the dump truck was believed to experience a medical emergency and did not survive. This benefit will help Truman to continue to recover. Raffle donations are still being accepted. Events include: -9am Shotgun Start -$100 Team Entry ($100 Person) -50/50 And Basket Raffle -Food Provided All proceeds will go to Luke. For more information or to register, call or text 330-341-0088 or 724-699-7115.

England Vs. Germany Prediction, Odds, Line: 2022 UEFA Nations League Picks, Best Bets For Monday, Sept. 26 – CBS Sports https://collincountynewsonline.com/england-vs-germany-prediction-odds-line-2022-uefa-nations-league-picks-best-bets-for-monday-sept-26-cbs-sports/ England will be desperate to draw some inspiration from their match Monday at Wembley Stadium when they host Germany in the UEFA Nations League. The Three Lions (0-2-3) are already set for relegation to League B after a disastrous run of results. They lost 1-0 to a rebuilding Italy squad on Friday, and manager Gareth Southgate is under heavy fire for the team’s struggles to score despite a wealth of talent in attack. England have scored one goal in the five games, and that came on a penalty kick. Germany also lost 1-0 on Friday, to League A Group 3 leader Hungary, and have no chance to reach the Nations League Finals. That means the only motivation for both teams will be to gain momentum for the World Cup. This is the final tuneup for both before Qatar 2022. Kickoff in London is set for 2:45 p.m. ET. England are +135 favorites (risk $100 to win $135), with Germany the +180 underdogs on the 90-minute money line in Caesars Sportsbook’s latest England vs. Germany odds. A draw is priced at +215 and the over/under for total goals scored is set at 2.5. Before making any Germany vs. England picks, you really need to see the UEFA Nations League predictions from proven soccer insider Martin Green. After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been stunningly accurate. Green has generated almost $33,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he is 25-21-1 over his past 47 soccer picks overall. He has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe. Now, Green has broken down England vs. Germany from every angle and just locked in his picks and Nations League predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Germany vs. England: England vs. Germany money line: England +135, Germany +180, Draw +215 England vs. Germany over/under: 2.5 goals GER: The Germans put six of their 10 shots on net in the last meeting ENG: The Three Lions have allowed 23 shots on target in the five matches England vs. Germany picks: See picks at SportsLine Why you should back England The Three Lions haven’t lost in their past 15 games at Wembley (13-2-0), and they are 3-1-2 in the past six meetings with Germany. That includes a 2-0 victory against the Germans at Euro 2020, and England went on to the final, losing to Italy on penalty kicks. Southgate could go with an attacking approach Monday, and he certainly has the players to score plenty of goals. Harry Kane has six in seven Premier League games this season and 50 in his national team career.  England have had some troubles on the back end, but with Kane and players like Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling, they should be able to outscore anyone. They also have several options who can create major problems on set pieces, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, James Ward-Prowse and Reece James. Before making a mess of the Nations League campaign, England had scored 39 goals while conceding three in 10 World Cup qualifying matches. Why you should back Germany As always, the Germans will be disciplined and tough to crack, especially against a team that has just one goal in its five Nations League matches. They hammered Italy 5-2 in their match before the loss to Hungary, with Timo Werner scoring twice and Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller and Ilkay Gundogan adding goals. The latter three are creative forces, and Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane also can help Werner or Kai Havertz exploit a struggling England defense. The Three Lions have yielded eight goals in the tournament and suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Hungary in June. The Germans’ back line is much stronger than England’s, though Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger will be out on suspension. Marc-Andre ter Stegen will take over in net with Manuel Neuer sent home with COVID, and the goalkeeper has five clean sheets in six games with Barcelona this season. Germany’s loss to Hungary was its first in 14 games (9-4-1).     How to make England vs. Germany picks Green has broken down the England vs. Germany matchup from every angle and revealed his best bets. He is going Under on the goal total and provides another confident best bet with a strong plus-money payout. He’s only sharing those picks here. So, who wins Germany vs. England in Monday’s UEFA Nations League showdown? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for England vs. Germany, all from the European soccer expert who has generated almost $33,000 for $100 bettors over the past four seasons.

Draper University And CEEK Launch Revolutionary VR And Metaverse Hacker House – AccessWire https://collincountynewsonline.com/draper-university-and-ceek-launch-revolutionary-vr-and-metaverse-hacker-house-accesswire/ VR builders across the globe are invited to Silicon Valley to build the CEEK Metaverse SAN MATEO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 26, 2022 / The House of CEEK is the first-of-its-kind virtual reality hacker house which will see the top applicants gathering at Draper University’s immersive campus in Silicon Valley to build experiential destinations for the CEEK Metaverse and battle for over $160k in cash, tokens, and virtual land. Head of Draper University, Tim Draper, believes the partnership between Draper U and CEEK has the potential to revolutionize and evolve traditional sectors. “The Metaverse has the ability to completely change entertainment and education as we know it. At Draper University we are incredibly excited to partner with CEEK to both support their growth, with a first-of-its-kind VR builder Hacker House and to launch our virtual campus, adding a new dimension to entrepreneurial education.” Chief Executive Officer at Draper University, Asra Nadeem, noted that this initiative is in keeping with Draper University’s pioneering brand. “This is a completely unique experience for the selected VR builders. Making the top 20 means you have already won! You have the ability to stay on campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, learn from Draper U veterans and battle it out to further walk away with cash, prizes and tokens, thanks to CEEK. The experience will be incredible and what’s created will be shared with millions of users on the platform.” CEEK is no stranger to the Metaverse having hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment in LIVE events including Lady Gaga, Ziggy Marley, and The Game. The ability to add new venues and new experiences for CEEK’s user base is incredibly appealing. CEEK’s Chief Executive Officer, Mary Spio, said the partnership with Draper University is not only mutually beneficial but creates a space for groundbreaking innovations. “We are excited to partner with Draper University for the ability to tap into their network and expertise in accelerating blockchain ecosystems. The novelty of creating a hacker house style program for builders on campus with a truly vibrant cohort just made sense. In addition to building entertainment properties in the metaverse, we are excited about how learning experiences will take shape. That is why we have partnered with DraperU on their entrepreneurial-focused programs as a platform provider. With the House of CEEK you have the ability to build for us, stay at Draper U, win cash and prizes and create assets that will be used by some of the biggest artists in the world!” The “House of CEEK” VR builder program will run from October 17th – November 11th, 2022 with applications now open at www.draperuniversity.com/ceek. About Draper University Draper University, an immersive entrepreneurship institution founded by venture capitalist Tim Draper. Draper University is a Silicon Valley based accelerator offering a combination of on-site and virtual programs designed to build understanding and foundations for the next generation of startup founders and entrepreneurs. With the aim to connect international startup ecosystems, Draper University has always worked towards building bridges between these ecosystems and Silicon Valley. About CEEK CEEK is an award winning developer of premium social virtual and augmented reality experiences. Our mission is empowering creators with the tools needed to generate new revenue streams from their artistry digitally. We pride ourselves on helping music artists, athletes, event creators and makers create exquisite direct to fan experiences that delight and drive long term sustainable engagement within existing and emerging virtual worlds. CEEK simulates the communal experience of attending a live concert, being in a classroom, attending a sporting event and other ‘money can’t buy’ exclusive experiences with friends from anywhere at any time. Press Contact: Keren Poznansky CEEK VR [email protected] SOURCE: CEEK VR Inc.

10 Coolest Justice Leaguers – CBR – Comic Book Resources https://collincountynewsonline.com/10-coolest-justice-leaguers-cbr-comic-book-resources/ The Justice League are the Earth’s greatest heroes. The team faces threats no other group could handle, and since its inception, heroes of all stripes and colors have called the team home. The types of League members range in power, genius, and coolness; however, they all add something to the team in their own way. Being cool is about more than saving the day. It’s a combination of factors; for example, having a great costume, an interesting attitude, great powers, and, of course, a good approach to heroism. The Justice League has given its members many opportunities to prove just how cool they are, whether it’s on the battlefield or beyond. 10 Batman Is The Most Goth Member Of The Team Batman has been a thorn in the League’s side almost as much as he’s been helpful. He sasses teammates and makes plans to kill them if they go bad, like in JLA: Tower Of Babel by writer Mark Waid and artist Howard Porter. However, it’s impossible to deny how cool Batman is. From his costume to his never say die attitude to the endless gadgets, Batman brings something to the League that no one else does. Batman is the overly theatrical Goth who’s a part of every friend group. He’s dramatic, dark, and can definitely make everyone miserable at times. However, he always comes through, doing it with a style and panache that’s unparalleled. 9 Superman Doesn’t Get Credit For How Cool He Is Superman is about truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, and he embodies these values without being dark or violent. He’s a hero of the highest order and cares for everyone, making anyone feel like the most important person in the universe. He’ll also help anyone with anything he can, as evidenced by Superman: Up In The Sky by writer Tom King and artist Andy Kubert. In this story, he traveled across the entire universe just to save one little girl. That’s what makes Superman so cool. There’s nothing he won’t do to save a life. No road is too far or a challenge too great. Superman is a classic hero, which can make him seem lame to some. However, there’s nothing wrong with fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. 8 Booster Gold Is The Class Clown Booster Gold often seems like he’s trying too hard sometimes. He doesn’t always know when to stop joking and uses his humor as a coping mechanism. He can get a bit annoying, but that’s how class clowns are sometimes. Thankfully, when the chips are down, Booster shines like the gold of his namesake. Booster might be comic relief, but he comes through when he needs to, having saved the universe multiple times completely on his own. As he stopped Mr. Mind from devouring the multiverse, he’s earned the right to be a bit flippant. He’s not always easy to be around, but the Justice League wouldn’t have it any other way. 7 Vixen Is A Supermodel And A Superhero Vixen’s first tenure with the League was during the Detroit years. She made a name for herself during this time, escaping the team’s bad reputation to become an important member of the superhero community. Working as a supermodel and using her fame to help the people of the African continent, she proved herself the rock star of the Justice League. She rejoined the team several times over the years and helped battle the fiercest enemies, including Solomon Grundy and the Legion of Doom. Vixen brought style to the team no one else had and proved how being a superhero was more than just fighting the big battles. She helps people in every way she can, and that’s the height of cool. 6 Black Canary’s Toughness Made Her Standout Among the best fighters on the planet, Black Canary holds a special place in the hearts of fans. She’s as tough as nails, and every villain who’s faced her, no matter how powerful, has learned not to underestimate her. Her canary cry is formidable, but most of the time she doesn’t need it. She’s a martial artist like no other, and that skill is what’s made her important to the Justice League. In her years with the team, she’s been on the front lines of every battle. She was finally given leadership of the team in Justice League of America (Vol. 2) #7by writer Brad Meltzer and artist Ed Benes, her hard work finally paying off. 5 John Stewart Stepped Into Big Shoes And Excelled John Stewart’s skill and courage made him a Green Lantern like few others. Taking over from Hal Jordan, he had a lot to live up to. Stepping into the League and replacing a founder wasn’t an easy road. He made his mistakes, like the destruction of Xanshi in Cosmic Odyssey, written by Jim Starlin and artist Mike Mignola. In fact, the end of the Green Lantern Corps saw him adrift for years, but its return showed him as the hero everyone knew he could be. Rejoining the League during the battles against Perpetua and the Legion of Doom, John Stewart proved why he was the perfect Green Lantern for the team. 4 Zatanna’s Attitude And Showmanship Makes Her As Cool As A Cucumber The Justice League is full of courageous heroes. However, Zatanna takes it to the next level. A perfect example of this was her most recent stint in the Justice League Dark. She was Wonder Woman’s second in command, helping her navigate the magic world, and she was integral in the defeat of the Upside-Down Man by absorbing his evil into herself. That’s why Zatanna is so cool. She’ll do whatever it takes to save the day, even if that means endangering herself. She also has an impeccable fashion sense and a theatricality born from being a stage magician. She’s taken over as the leader of the Justice League Dark, hitting the next level as a hero. 3 Green Arrow Does A Lot With A Little Green Arrow has a lot going for him as a superhero, but he’s always seemed like he shouldn’t fit in with the League. Green Arrow isn’t the most level-headed hero, but he’s always been incredibly tough. Somehow, Green Arrow has managed to hang with the greatest heroes on Earth using only a bow and arrow. Green Arrow’s courage and tenacity are what make him such a great Leaguer. He stays in every fight through sheer will and doesn’t back down. In Justice League (Vol. 4) #75by writer Josh Williamson and artist Rafa Sandoval, he forcibly inserted himself into the battle with Pariah’s dark army, ready to pay the ultimate price. That says everything about Green Arrow’s prominence in the League. 2 Kyle Rayner Joined The Team As The Cool Young Guy Kyle Rayner’s adventures took him all over the universe, which led to him joining the Justice League. He was the new kid on the block, trying to make his way with the greatest heroes in the universe. He was the anime kid who used his ring to create constructs unlike anything the team had seen before. Rayner could have easily been the blustery young hero, but he was able to back it up with talent. He hit his stride in JLA: Rock Of Ages by writer Grant Morrison and artist Howard Porter. Thrown into a terrible alternate future where he’d been transformed into a Parademon, he persevered and showed why he deserved to be in the League, all without his ring. 1 Wally West Grew Into An Amazing Hero Wally West is widely considered the best Flash. The former Kid Flash came into his own when he became a member of the Justice League during the conflict with the Hyperclan in JLA: New World Order by writer Grant Morrison and artist Howard Porter. As a result, he proved he was ready to shine on the biggest stage of them all. West managed to act as comic relief and also a formidable hero. He played both sides of the fence, which isn’t something easy to pull off. Even with a wife and kids, he’s still an amazing hero who proves having a family doesn’t hinder heroics. NEXT: The 30 Strongest DC Superheroes, Officially Ranked

Crypto SWOT: Taxpayers In Colorado Can Now Pay In Crypto – Kitco NEWS https://collincountynewsonline.com/crypto-swot-taxpayers-in-colorado-can-now-pay-in-crypto-kitco-news/ Strengths Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the best performer for the week was XRP, rising 49.29%. Nasdaq is making its first major push into crypto, reports Bloomberg, as the second-largest stock exchange prepares to capitalize on increasing appetite for digital currencies among big-money investors. A new group dedicated to digital assets will initially offer custody services for Bitcoin and Ether to institutional investors. As a custodian of digital assets, Nasdaq would be competing with crypto firms such as Coinbase, Anchorage Digital and Bitgo, the article continues. A crypto industry lobby wants the judge in a high-profile digital assets case to consider Congressional efforts to establish a new legal framework for the nascent industry before moving ahead, reports Bloomberg. The chamber of Digital Commerce, a crypto advocacy organization, filed an amicus brief Wednesday in the SEC lawsuit against Ripple Labs. Weaknesses Of the cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap, the worst performing for the week was RavenCoin, down 23.82%. A slide in cryptocurrencies on Monday sent Bitcoin to a three-month low as sentiment took a knock from a wave of monetary tightening that’s set to stretch from Europe to the U.S. Bitcoin sank as much as 7.4% and was trading at $18,644, which is the lowest since digital asset prices tumbled after the collapse of crypto lender Celsius in June, writes Bloomberg. Cryptocurrency hedge funds lost 4.9% in August, the most among all investment styles, according to Bloomberg Hedge Fund Indices. The Bloomberg All Hedge Index fell .2% in the month and lost 5.9% year-to-date. So far this year, cryptocurrency funds are down 41%, according to Bloomberg. Opportunities Colorado taxpayers can now pay their taxes in Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies under a one-of-a-kind state tax payment program in conjunction with PayPal. Businesses and individuals will be able to use cryptocurrency assets to pay tax duties under Colorado’s primary tax programs, writes Bloomberg. Because Colorado can’t directly accept crypto itself, the Revenue Department has contracted PayPal to broker each transaction and immediately convert digital currencies into U.S. dollars.   Cryptocurrencies outperformed U.S. equities for a change, with Bitcoin and Ether gaining for the first time in five days. Bitcoin rose about 2% on Friday and Ether rose about 1.5%. Markets are shuddering at the Fed’s determination to fight inflation by constricting financial conditions, writes Bloomberg.   Cryptocurrency exchange FTX is in talks with investors to raise $1 billion in funding, CNBC reports. The valuation of billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried’s firm will be at $32 billion, according to the report. That’s the same as in January when the company raised $400 million, writes Bloomberg.   Threats The U.K.’s Financial Conducts Authority published a warning to consumers about Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX, saying it isn’t authorized by the regulator to offer financial services or products in the country. The regulators said that FTX “is targeting people in the U.K.” adding that investors are “unlikely to get your money back if things go wrong,” writes Bloomberg.   South Korean prosecutors signaled that Do Kwon, the progenitor for a $60 billion cryptocurrency wipeout, is at risk of an Interpol red notice and trying to evade redress over a meltdown that roiled digital assets. Kwon had moved from South Korea to Singapore, reports Bloomberg, where the now-collapsed Terraform Labs project had a base, but the city-state says he’s no longer there. Kwon’s location is unclear, and he denies being on the run even as prosecutors in Seoul seek his detention for allegations including breaches of capital-markets law. Jesse Powell, co-founder of crypto exchange Kraken, is planning to step down as CEO, Kraken confirmed with CoinDesk. Kraken’s current chief operating officer will take over as CEO until someone is hired to fill the position, according to an article published by CoinDesk. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

JT Batson Named New CEO / Secretary General For U.S. Soccer – U.S. Soccer https://collincountynewsonline.com/jt-batson-named-new-ceo-secretary-general-for-u-s-soccer-u-s-soccer/ Media, Advertising and Technology Executive Has Long History in Grassroots Soccer in the USA CHICAGO (Sept. 26, 2022) – JT Batson has been named as the new CEO / Secretary General of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Batson, 40, succeeds Will Wilson, and will start in his role immediately. He will be moving to Chicago in the coming months to work out of the U.S. Soccer headquarters. Wilson, who made the decision to step down earlier this year, will stay on with U.S. Soccer through October to assist in the transition. “JT is uniquely qualified for this position as a person who has vast experience working with large, complex organizations as well as an understanding of the intricate workings of modern business,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “He also has a passion for soccer born out playing and growing up in a generation that saw a massive growth of the sport in the United States. His energy, leadership, creative thinking and personal connection to seeing U.S. Soccer and the sport thrive will be a huge positive for the future of our Federation overall.” Batson fell in love with soccer at a young age. He played club soccer for Augusta Arsenal growing up in Georgia and later helped run the club while serving as a referee and a referee assignor, mowing and lining fields and working in coaching recruitment. He has coached boys and girls at the grassroots level and has been active in supporting his childhood soccer club as a member of the Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club advisory board. A long-time member of the soccer community, he feels his experience in grassroots soccer helped shape who he is today: an executive who prides himself on doing the work necessary to achieve goals and create important bonds with employees and partners while also teaching and mentoring. Batson has spent his professional career at the intersection of media, advertising and technology, focused on solving challenging problems at scale through innovation and collaboration. The first software Batson ever worked on was for the assignment of youth soccer referees for tournament organizers. He also paid for college, in part, by working soccer camps. “It’s an honor and a big responsibility to take on this position with U.S. Soccer, and I’m really looking forward to working with Cindy, our Board, our senior leadership, our players, coaches and referees, and all of our employees, partners and membership across the American soccer landscape,” said Batson. “I’m a big believer in the power of teamwork and collaboration, and during this historic time for soccer in the USA, that will be vitally important as we continue drive the Federation forward to even greater heights.” A former member of U.S. Soccer Finance Committee, Batson comes to the Federation with experience heading large companies. He previously served as CEO of Hudson MX, a 425-person NYC- and Atlanta-based software company, which he co-founded and where he will remain a member of the board, that focuses on workflow and financial software for the advertising ecosystem.  His previous work with U.S. Soccer led to him helping spearhead the creation of the U.S. Soccer Development Fund which raises money to support U.S. Soccer’s development of world-class players, coaches and referees, all with the goal of continuing to inspire a nation.   Prior to founding Hudson MX, he was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Greylock Partners and Accel Partners. Batson began his career as an early employee of Mozilla focused on international growth efforts of the then-nascent Firefox browser. He subsequently joined the Rubicon Project pre-revenue where he helped scale the company to six countries as the EVP, Revenue and Global Development. He’s also served in executive roles at Mediaocean and Cumulus Media. As an undergrad at Stanford, Batson worked with the Stanford men’s and women’s soccer programs as a student assistant focused on recruiting, soccer operations, marketing, camps and fundraising. The Stanford men’s basketball teams took notice, and he also worked with that program, building a recruiting CRM system and managing dynamic ticket process and fan development. He also continued to referee during his college years, experiences that included running the middle during several scrimmages for the local professional teams. “When I was playing youth soccer, I wasn’t the kid that was dreaming of playing in the World Cup, I was the kid dreaming about organizing one,” said Batson. “As it did for many in our soccer family, the 1994 World Cup in the USA had a profound impact on me and opened my eyes to the potential and global impact of soccer. That World Cup helped me start thinking big about soccer in the USA and about how big investment can impact the future. With 2022 FIFA World Cup starting in a few months, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup coming next summer and the USA co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in four years, we are heading into a special time in our history and I’m extremely excited to be a part of it.” Batson is a member of the board of the LGBTQ+ entrepreneur focused non-profit StartOut. He also serves on the board of directors for the NYC Ballet. Batson has guest taught at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and the Graduate School of Business. U.S. Soccer utilized the talent recruitment firm TurnkeyZRG to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive and rigorous executive search process. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JT BATSON: Bryan McDermott, Former VP, Georgia Soccer; President, Fayette County (GA) Youth Soccer “I have known JT since he was a young referee. He’s been connected to the game from an early age and has contributed in so many ways within the grassroots of our game. I’ve been incredibly proud to see him succeed professionally, and his vast soccer knowledge when combined with his management skills make him the perfect person to serve as CEO of U.S. Soccer.” Ivan Gazidis, Chief Executive Officer, AC Milan “JT’s lifelong commitment to soccer at all levels and his impressive international business career make him the ideal next CEO for US Soccer.” Kathy Carter, Chief Executive Officer, LA28 “I have got to know JT through the years, and he is a terrific person to be around and work with. He has a unique blend of intellect and emotional intelligence that allows him to tackle complicated issues, work with colleagues and ultimately make tough decisions to reach positive resolutions. Anyone who has spent time around JT knows he loves soccer, but he also has a passion for building and growing organizations, diving into projects and doing the work. He’s a great choice as CEO to lead U.S. Soccer to an increasingly bright future.” Kenyatta Scott, Cal North Referee Association State Assignor Coordinator; Former Chair, Cal North Youth Soccer “I’m proud of JT and excited for the future of U.S. Soccer. Their search for a CEO was extensive and they’ve found a candidate who checks all the boxes. From his humble beginnings, JT has risen to new heights through his dedication and experience across different industries, which have allowed him to work with people across different business and soccer sectors. As a former referee, JT understands insights that the average person might not, and his experience in grassroots soccer also provides him with the ability to understand the various areas of the soccer landscape. JT is the perfect choice to guide the growth of U.S. Soccer in its next chapter and in this ever-changing landscape.” Nick Edmond, Director of Coaching, Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club “JT is one of the most caring, hard-working, and reliable people I’ve ever met. Since we shared the field as teammates when we were kids and to this day, JT has an unparalleled passion for the game. Through his professional experience, he’s gained the tools that are necessary to lead every aspect of our sport, and we couldn’t be more excited that an Augusta Arsenal alum is now the CEO of U.S. Soccer.” Paul Ratcliffe, Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Stanford University “JT Batson will be an outstanding CEO for US Soccer. He is passionate about the development of soccer at all levels, and he has the vision and business acumen to continue growing men’s and women’s soccer in the United States. JT has the interpersonal skills and experience to create strong partnerships and elevate U.S. Soccer on a global scale.”

Georgia Tech Football News: Yellow Jackets Clean House With Geoff Colins, Todd Stansbury Firings – ClutchPoints https://collincountynewsonline.com/georgia-tech-football-news-yellow-jackets-clean-house-with-geoff-colins-todd-stansbury-firings-clutchpoints/ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Geoff Collins no longer has a hot seat. The bad news is that he doesn’t have anything to sit on at all in Georgia Tech football after he and athletic director Todd Stansbury have both been relieved of their duties Monday morning, per Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Both Georgia Tech football coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury were told this morning by president Angel Cabrera that they have been dismissed, according to a person familiar with the situation. Upheaval at Tech.” Both Georgia Tech football coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury were told this morning by president Angel Cabrera that they have been dismissed, according to a person familiar with the situation. Upheaval at Tech. Story to come. — Ken Sugiura (@ksugiuraajc) September 26, 2022 Collins’ leash was already considered short even before the 2022 college football season started, as Georgia Tech was coming off yet another losing campaign. The Yellow Jackets went just 3-9 in the 2021 season and after four games in the current season, Georgia Tech managed to win just once — and that was against FCS team Western Carolina Catamounts. The final straw it seemed for Collins and Stansbury was the loss of Georgia  Tech football to the UCF Knights last Saturday on the road, 27-10.  In that game, Georgia Tech football went scoreless in the first and fourth quarters and only scored one touchdown throughout the contest. A week prior to that, the Yellow Jackets absorbed a 42-0 beatdown at the hands of the Ole Miss Rebels at home. Georgia Tech football hired Collins to be its head coach in December 2018 but since he took over the program, the Yellow Jackets failed to appear in a single bowl game, finish a season with a winning record, or even win more than three games in a year. There had always been recruiting and talent challenges for Collins in his stint with Georgia Tech, but the school just appear to be looking in a new direction.

OP/ED WT And The Support Of A White Supremacist, In 2022 – The Prairie https://collincountynewsonline.com/op-ed-wt-and-the-support-of-a-white-supremacist-in-2022-the-prairie/ Shutterstock Ronny Jackson, representative for WT and Texas Congressional District 13 speaks during CPAC Texas 2022 conference at Hilton Anatole. (Aug. 6, 2022) On July 19th, 2022, the House of Representatives voted on H.R.8404, the “Respect for Marriage Act”, would “[provide] statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.” West Texas A&M University’s congressman, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, voted against this bill that would legalize interracial and gay marriage at the federal level. WT has recently been in controversy regarding acts of white supremacy on its campus and has been trying to rectify its image as a safe place for students of color and other minorities. In light of the summer of 2020, racial relations across the globe have become heated and money has flowed to multiple voices on the stage. “I support Ronnie, so that’s why I’m kind of at a… I don’t know,” said Collin Williamson, officer of WT Turning Point USA organization, in regards to a question over the topic of the vote against H.R. 8404. Both gay marriage and interracial marriage are currently only legal in the US because of the Loving and Obergefell decisions. Support for interracial marriage, as well as gay marriage is at an all time high, even among conservatives. Even though the vote passed in the US House, 157 house republicans voted against the bill. Ronny Jackson poses with President Walter Wendler at the opening of the new Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach (VERO) buildings. (Ronny Jackson’s Instagram, April 7, 2021) “If [WT] wants to associate with them, okay. If they don’t, okay. We can’t control it, it’s based on politics, it’s based on money and whatever they decide to do is going to ultimately happen regardless of the student body,” said Hannah Pollard, a freshman music therapist major. Like a lot of things on campus, students can only express opinions about ways that the University handles its business. WT relies on the support of Jackson to receive federal funding to improve and run the campus. The support of politicians to effectively run campus forces higher education, which has expressed views that contradicts the policies of its elected representatives, to co-exist. “I do think [WT] needs to be more consistent with that and maybe get more out there when it comes to this kind of stuff because not a lot of people seem to know about it,” said Nakia De La Torre, freshman financial major. When the University has good news to spread about its actions to be anti-racist, they widely share the information to everyone apart of the community. Just eight days before the vote in the house, President Walter V. Wendler sat down with a reporter with Inside Higher Ed to talk about a recent anti-racist move done regarding a plague honoring J. Evetts Haley, an alumni of WT and segregationist. “Panhandle people are practically minded and desire facts to understand and process a complete story,” Wendler said. “It is a public debt owed to all by those engaged in higher education. The purpose of the university is to promote and nurture engaged citizenship. Such understanding may lead to progress.” An accompanying plaque that was recently installed (right) outside of the Panhandle-Plains Historical museum showcases the modern perspective of a controversial figure, J. Evetts Haley, who is apart of WT history. (Sept. 20, 2022) (Marcus Rogers) There is a lack of consistent messaging in terms of rectifying the harms done in the past and the current harms being done. As a gay cis-male, I have not felt safe on campus and I know many other minorities on WT’s campus feel the same way. All students deserve to feel safe. There should not be an endorsement of those that want there to be harm to anyone a part of the community. “In terms of the community, everybody deserves the right to dignity and to be respected,” said an unnamed social work major. “I haven’t really seen a progression in terms of moving forward.” Interracial and gay marriage has the potential of being overturned with a new slate of supreme court justices. The everyday working class people rely on the community of each other to survive these hard times and making the situation more harrowing by not being allowed to love who you love is just another step on the same path that a certain named group in Europe during the 1930’s followed. During the process of the story, I reached out to a WT spokesperson, President Wendler’s office and Congressman Jackson’s office for comment. WT’s comment: ”We don’t comment on pending legislation.” President Wendler’s office comment: “We encourage you to reach out to Congressman Jackson’s office.” Congressman Jackson’s office: “no response.”

Effects Of Pilot Shortage Are Far Reaching And Changing The Way We Travel – Aviation Pros https://collincountynewsonline.com/effects-of-pilot-shortage-are-far-reaching-and-changing-the-way-we-travel-aviation-pros/ DALLAS — July was the second-busiest month in the history of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as 6.9 million passengers traveled through the airport during the peak of the summer vacation season. Those passengers bound for cruises, family reunions, business trips and post-pandemic getaways took nearly 90% of all seats available on incoming and outgoing flights at DFW during the month. Perhaps crowds would have been bigger if the return of travel hadn’t suddenly stalled this summer when airlines cut back to get a handle on a crippling shortage of pilots along with high delay and cancellation rates, partially caused by that pilot shortfall. “Everything is sold out; that’s the main issue,” said Yolanda Meador, an Irving-based travel agent and owner of You Deserve It! Vacations. “And now we are getting to the fall when things are supposed to lighten up and it’s not slowing down.” Shortages across the airline industry are causing subtle and overt changes to the U.S. travel system. Major airlines such as Fort Worth-based American Airlines are relying less on regional partners, cancellations are up and so are delays. Here are five areas where travel has changed coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic: Fewer pilots means fewer flights A shortage of pilots looming over the travel industry for nearly two decades is now the main constraint for airlines, forcing carriers to cut recovery plans even though demand for flights is booming. At a conference of regional airline executives this month in Washington, D.C., industry leaders said there is a need for about 14,000 new pilots every year, while only about 6,000 are being added. “We expect to see a shortfall of 28,000 pilots over the next decade,” said Chris Brown, vice president of government affairs for the National Air Carriers Association. “We need a dialogue on solutions.” Airlines have responded by cutting flights this year. They’ve also said it could take years to get the problem under control. Over this summer, airlines operated 12% fewer flights than they did in summer 2019, according to flight schedule service Cirium. The trend is holding into the fall and winter months, too. That means about 100,000 fewer flights each month across the airline industry. That also means that there are fewer routes to fewer destinations, particularly to small cities. American Airlines has cut flying entirely to cities such as Dubuque, Iowa; Toledo, Ohio; and Islip and Ithaca in New York. It’s changing who flies our planes In 2019, 54% of all flights sold by American, Delta or United were operated by one of their smaller regional airline partners with names on the livery such as American Eagle, Endeavor and United Express. Some companies operating those flights, such as Compass, SkyWest and Republic, are independent and fly for larger carriers. Others, such as Envoy and Horizon, are owned by bigger airlines. Now, it’s a lot less likely that passengers will fly on a regional jet because pilots who worked for those airlines are leaving for more money at American, United, Delta or Southwest. A majority of American Airlines flights were with regional carriers between October 2015 and the end of 2021, according to Cirium’s data. But fewer than half have been on regional carriers in 2022. “Depending on the relationship between the regional carrier and the main airline — American Airlines owns some of their own — they can take those same, highly skilled pilots and re-muster them to fly larger aircraft with more passengers and lower costs,” said Mike Arnot, a spokesman for Cirium. “It’s a better use of a scarce resource.” About 1,000 American Airlines pilots retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, including many who took buyouts to leave early. Those cutbacks only made the travel recovery harder as the need to hire new pilots grew. “COVID struck during a period in which 30 years ago we had done some of the largest hiring that we’ve ever done in our history as an airline industry,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom at the U.S. Travel Association Conference on Sept. 20. “So what it’s meant as pilots, I can’t fly beyond age 65, and they all retire at the exact same time.” American said it plans to hire as many as 4,000 pilots by the end of 2023. The planes are different, too Riding on a regional airline also means flying on those small 50- to 76-seat jets made by Embraer or Bombardier. Those planes usually had a cabin that was four seats wide and primarily shuffled passengers from smaller cities to large hubs. “We do have a hundred aircraft on the ground because of the pilot shortage, and it continues to be a real challenge,” said American Airlines vice president of global government affairs Stephen Neuman during the Regional Airline Association conference. It’s not all bad news. Regional airline jets are smaller and have fewer amenities and premium seats than larger planes manufactured by Boeing and Airbus. It can also be more economical for airlines. While that has meant parking some planes, carriers have been “upgauging” some flights to use bigger planes, even wide-bodies, for flights that used to be operated by smaller aircraft. “Flying a jet is expensive, especially because of fuel and pilots, and those costs are measured across the number of seats flown,” Arnot said. “Regional jets have less seats — 76 or less — and so it’s just math that they have higher costs per seat flown.” Low supply meets high demand Airfares fell to historic lows in 2020 because of COVID-19. And while consumers enjoyed low airfares for nearly two years, prices surpassed pre-pandemic levels in April. By May, the average airfare was 22% higher than it was during the same month in 2019, according to the consumer price index. While the price gap narrowed as the summer peak subsided, travel agents say tickets are still expensive heading into the fall. Austin-based travel agent Keith Waldon said it’s hard to find seats on airplanes, even for those willing to upgrade to business or first class. “The front of the plane is selling out at full price, and there isn’t a lot of opportunity to upgrade,” said Waldon, founder of Departure Lounge travel agency. “A lot of our clients that have points saved up can’t use them.” High prices have helped offset higher spending by airlines for fuel and labor. American made its first profit without government help since 2019 during the second quarter of this year. U.S. airlines pulled in $2.2 billion in profits during the second quarter after losing $5.1 billion during the same period a year earlier. Flights have been less reliable in 2022 As airlines increased flights in 2021 and 2022 to get back to prepandemic levels and respond to high demand from travelers, carriers struggled with increased delays and cancellations. Nearly 25% of planes have landed more than 15 minutes late so far this year through July, according to government data. That’s the lowest on-time arrival rate since 2014. And almost 3% of flights have been canceled, the highest rate in at least a decade excluding 2020, when thousands of flights were canceled when the pandemic blindsided airlines. “Our on-time performance is not quite back to our historical averages but very respectable, and our mission is to get everybody where they want to go that day and not cancel their flight,” said Southwest Airlines chairman Gary Kelly at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Aerospace Summit on Aug. 16. “So we’re running a little bit later. … We have a ways to go, and our company’s No. 1 priority is to get back to that operational excellence.” ——— ©2022 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Live Stock Market News: Stocks Face Choppy Week With Big Economic Reports On Tap, Amazon’s Plans Second Prime Day And British Pound Craters | September 26, 2022 – Fox Business https://collincountynewsonline.com/live-stock-market-news-stocks-face-choppy-week-with-big-economic-reports-on-tap-amazons-plans-second-prime-day-and-british-pound-craters-september-26-2022-fox-business/ incoming update… Symbol Price Change %Change WMT $128.54 -1.52 -1.17 RBLX $37.66 2.12 5.97 Walmart is launching two new immersive experiences in the metaverse mega-platform, Roblox. Called Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play, the spaces offers unique interactive content and entertainment for customers, bringing to life the best of Walmart’s ‘isles’ in a virtual world. Walmart Land brings fashion, style, beauty and entertainment items directly to the global Roblox community of over 52 million daily users. Walmart’s Universe of Play includes immersive games, rewards and virtual adventures. Posted by FOX Business Team U.S. stocks kicked off the week on a down note as recession fears mount ahead of a round of fresh economic data due this week including the final read on 2Q GDP. Overseas the spiraling British pound added more strength to the U.S. dollar. In commodities, oil ticked up to the $79 per barrel level.  Investors are also watching the Dow Jones Industrial Average which briefly hit a bear market on Friday. Level to watch: 29,439.72  Dow Jones Averages. $ 29517.34 Posted by FOX Business Team U.S. equity futures traded lower on Monday. following another brutal week for stocks. The major futures indexes suggest a decline of 0.1% when trading begins on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday briefly hit a bear market before bouncing back slightly from a 700-point drop. The average is now sitting at the lowest level since November 2020. This as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite wrapped the second straight week of losses, retreating to June lows.  Oil prices fell for a second day on Monday on fears of lower fuel demand from an expected global recession sparked by rising worldwide interest rates and as a surging U.S. dollar limits the ability of non-dollar consumers to purchase crude.  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded around $77.00 a barrel. Brent crude futures traded around $85.00 a barrel. Asian shares tumbled and the British pound sank further on Monday, reflecting pessimism over efforts by central banks around the world to curb inflation. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 shed 2.6%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.4% and China’s Shanghai Composite lost 1.2%. Wall Street ended last week with widespread selling, leaving major indexes with their fifth loss in six weeks.  The S&P 500 sank 1.7% on Friday, to 3,693.23, its fourth straight drop. The Dow, which at one point was down more than 800 points, lost 486.27 points, or 1.6%, to close at 29,590.41. The Nasdaq fell 1.8% to 10,867.93. Posted by Ken Martin Sterling tumbled to a four decade low on Monday on speculation the new government’s economic plan will stretch its finances to the limit. The pound dipped as low as $1.0349 per U.S. dollar early Monday, but then rebounded to $1.0671, down 2.3%.  The Euro also touched a fresh 20-year low against the dollar on simmering recession fears, as the energy crisis extends toward winter amid an escalation in the Ukraine war.  Sterling fell 3.61% on Friday. Posted by Ken Martin The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. is gaining ground. Monday’s price rose to $3.725, up from Sunday’s $3.417 a gallon, according to AAA. The price started rising again in the past week, after declining for nearly100 days in a row during the summer driving season. That makes it six straight days of increases that began on Wednesday morning, when the price ticked up to $3.681 per gallon from $3.674 the previous day. The average price a week a go was $3.678. A year ago it was $3.188. Posted by Ken Martin Amazon will hold another Prime Day-like shopping event in October. The company is the latest major retailer to offer holiday deals earlier this year to entice cautious consumers dealing with tighter budgets. The event will reportedly be held October 11 and 12, according to the Associated Press. The event will mark the first time Amazon is holding a major sales event twice in a year and follows its annual Prime Day in July.  It signals a recognition from Amazon that it needs to provide more deals to cash-strapped consumers in what’s expected to be a challenging holiday shopping season for retailers. Posted by Ken Martin Oil prices fell for a second day on Monday on fears of lower fuel demand from an expected global recession sparked by rising worldwide interest rates and as a surging U.S. dollar limits the ability of non-dollar consumers to purchase crude.  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded around $77.00 a barrel. Brent crude futures traded around $85.00 a barrel. Both contracts slumped around 5% on Friday to their lowest since January. The dollar index that measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies climbed to a 20-year high on Monday. A stronger greenback tends to curtail demand for dollar-denominated oil since buyers using other currencies must spend more to buy crude. Reuters contributed to this post. Posted by Ken Martin Bitcoin was trading around $18,000, after a week that saw it lose 3%. For the month, the cryptocurrency was off more than 6% and down more than 59% year-to-date. Ethereum was trading around $1,200, after a week in which it lost 3%. Dogecoin was trading at 6 cents after a week in which it gained more than 6%.  Posted by Ken Martin Live Coverage begins here

1 Commits $15 Million To The Global Fund Accelerating The Fight To Defeat HIV, TB And Malaria – Africa.com https://collincountynewsonline.com/1-commits-15-million-to-the-global-fund-accelerating-the-fight-to-defeat-hiv-tb-and-malaria-africa-com/ Anglo American, together with the Anglo American Foundation, have pledged $15 million to support the Global Fund to end HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria and build resilient systems for health and pandemic preparedness. The pledge was delivered in New York, during the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment week. The health and well-being of employees and host communities form an integral part of Anglo American’s Sustainable Mining Plan. Built around three major sustainability pillars of Healthy Environment, Thriving Communities, and Trusted Corporate Leader, the plan is aligned with the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Thriving Communities focuses on creating better health, well-being, education, and employment outcomes for host communities, with significant investments by the company and the Anglo American Foundation on long-term system-level change within priority focus areas, including healthy living.  Mpumi Zikalala, CEO of Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore business and Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council’s Private Sector Forum, said: “Building a more equitable healthcare system globally is in our DNA as a company – it is how we do business. Through our long history of supporting major public health programmes to help improve the health of our employees and host communities and running major health facilities around our operations over many decades, we recognise that good health and well-being are essential to building thriving communities and economies.  “Our contribution to the Global Fund enables us to meaningfully contribute to shaping the agenda associated with relevant national health programmes while supporting the successful delivery of our Sustainable Mining Plan health interventions.”  Anglo American has a longstanding partnership with the Global Fund, both as a member of the Fund’s Board and a significant contributor to the Fund’s activities.  Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said: “We are tremendously grateful to Anglo American, together with the Anglo American Foundation, for once again committing funds to support our lifesaving work. Through its industry-leading commitment to health and well-being, Anglo American is showing how powerful partnerships can be to fight for what counts – to defeat HIV, TB and malaria and end health inequity”. The digital solutions that the company will support through the Digital Health Accelerator can transform progress in the fight against diseases and prepare countries for future threats.” Anglo American and the Anglo American Foundation’s combined $15 million contribution will fall under the Global Fund’s Digital Health Impact Accelerator Catalytic Fund – which will promote investment in community health systems to improve the quality of community health worker programmes through digitisation, for example through the improvement of the interoperability of health data systems. Partners for this initiative include Zenysis and Novartis Foundation.  “As an anchor partner of this initiative, we will help facilitate the strengthening of community health systems and their resilience to respond to future pandemics and health-related shocks. The accelerator is aligned with our focus as a company, and that of the Anglo American Foundation and its focus on building strategic partnerships to achieve impact. Achieving good health and well-being requires us to strengthen the quality of community health systems collectively, while also promoting the resilience of health systems in our host communities and the countries where we operate,” said Dr Alexandra Plowright, Lead for Community Health and Wellbeing at Anglo American. Further information about Anglo American’s longstanding support for health programmes:  In 1986, Anglo American launched two HIV-related initiatives: an education and awareness programme aimed at the entire workforce; and the provision of more than $5 million in funding to prominent researchers in Europe and the US to investigate treatment possibilities using decoy CD4 proteins inserted into red blood cells.  With more than 120,000 employees throughout the 1990s in South Africa, HIV/AIDS was a reality for the company, for its people and their families.  By 1990, Anglo American was one of the first companies to develop a human-rights-based HIV/AIDS policy. Because little was known about the disease, many employers required a ‘negative’ screening as a prerequisite to guarantee employment. During a time of uncertainty and closed-mindedness, this policy ensured no discrimination against any person living with HIV. In 2002, Anglo American was the first major employer to begin offering free anti-retroviral treatment to all its employees, and, in December 2008, Anglo American extended this benefit to employees’ direct dependants.  This decision was based largely on the understanding that HIV/AIDS cannot be effectively managed when only one family member receives care for a disease that affects the whole family. Anglo American’s world-leading HIV/AIDS response, providing the largest free HIV and AIDS workplace and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programme, has been consistently held up as best practice by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Workplace HIV/AIDS programmes are in place at all Anglo American’s operations, with activity particularly focused in southern Africa where HIV prevalence was historically high.  In 2016, Anglo American adopted the test-and-treat approach and aligned its HIV/AIDS targets to UNAIDS 90/90/90 strategy, which means that: 90% of our people living with HIV know their HIV status; 90% of those diagnosed with HIV are receiving sustained anti-retroviral therapy; and 90% of those receiving anti-retroviral therapy have viral suppression, meaning the viral load is so low as to be undetectable.  In 2018, Anglo American launched its industry-leading Sustainable Mining Plan following extensive internal and external stakeholder engagement. Under the Thriving Communities pillar, Anglo American is committed to prioritising the health and well-being of its communities by investing in strengthening health systems in host communities, as well as activities aimed at supporting healthcare in operating countries. In Brazil, Anglo American has partnered with NGO, Reprolatina, to provide health services to more than 63,000 people over the last eight years, making a real difference to lives within the region. In Chile, we’re working with INTA, the national institution for nutrition, on a pilot project to help reduce childhood obesity. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020, Anglo American worked on multiple fronts to protect its workforce and host communities as part of its WeCare lives and livelihoods programme. Efforts included continuing to maintain robust workplace controls, the roll-out of a comprehensive health management programme, making available up to $30 million to support the global roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines, and ensuring that employees, contractors and their families have access to those vaccines.

Headed To States | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://collincountynewsonline.com/headed-to-states-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ Submitted Photo Elizabeth Pucci-Schaefer will once again be headed to the New York State Diving State Championships to represent the Fredonia/Pine Valley girls swim team. On Saturday, Pucci-Schaefer took first place at the Iroquois Central School Diving Invitational with a score 503.50 and just needing 440 points to qualify for her fourth state championships. Pucci-Schaefer also set the new 11 dive pool record at Iroquois Central School. Finishing behind Pucci-Schaefer was Fredonia/Pine Valley teammate Leah Marsh, while Southwestern/Jamestown’s Ashlynn Swan took third place. Submitted Photo Elizabeth Pucci-Schaefer will once again be headed to the New York State Diving State Championships to represent the Fredonia/Pine Valley girls swim team. On Saturday, Pucci-Schaefer took first place at the Iroquois Central School Diving Invitational with a score 503.50 and just needing 440 points to qualify for her fourth state championships. Pucci-Schaefer also set the new 11 dive pool record at Iroquois Central School. Finishing behind Pucci-Schaefer was Fredonia/Pine Valley teammate Leah Marsh, while Southwestern/Jamestown’s Ashlynn Swan took third place. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

LootMogul, Sports Metaverse Announces First Naming Rights Deal To Hoop Culture – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/lootmogul-sports-metaverse-announces-first-naming-rights-deal-to-hoop-culture-pr-newswire/ , /PRNewswire/ — LootMogul announced that an agreement has been made for Hoop Culture Inc. to acquire the naming rights for the Metaverse Arena in Orlando. The terms of the deal also include an agreement for Hoop Culture to place five retail/experiential stores in five Arenas within the LootMogul Metaverse. LootMogul, Sports Metaverse announces first naming rights deal to Hoop Culture “We have been receiving a high number of inquiries for naming rights in our Sports Metaverse, and penning this agreement with Hoop Culture, one of the fastest growing apparel brands, is phenomenal. Our goal is to onboard all major brands in our sports metaverse, convert their web 2 consumers to web 3 and vice-versa; essentially create a whole new revenue stream in the metaverse for all brands,” stated Raj Rajkotia, LootMogul CEO. “To obtain the naming rights for the Orlando Arena is a tremendous day in the continued growth of Hoop Culture,” said Mike Brown, President of Hoop Culture. “Having Hoop Culture stores in five LootMogul Metaverse Arenas will continue to expand our brand and place us in front of hundreds of millions of potential customers. Game players will be able to represent the Hoop Culture brand within the Metaverse and purchase physical products that will be sent directly to the customer. Truly a game changer,” added Brown. About LootMogul LootMogul is an athlete-led sports metaverse (web3 platform) that is powered by virtual real estate, training academies, blockchain games, metashops for brands and athletes with in-real-life (IRL) rewards. LootMogul is expanding the web3 community by bringing web2 gamers and sports fanatics to the metaverse. LootMogul is building more than 180 sports cities across the globe with real-world utilities and benefits. LootMogul recently secured a $200 million investment commitment from Gem Global Yield LLC SCS (GGY), part of GEM, that will expedite the adoption of blockchain gaming for sports organizations and athletes and truly deliver an immersive sports fans experience. More investment news: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2022/09/17/lootmogul-sport-metaverse-company-secured-200-million-in-funding/ For more details visit: https://lootmogul.com LootMogul Community – https://www.instagram.com/lootmogul/ About Hoop Culture Hoop Culture is the premier, one-stop store for copping unique basketball accessories; the forerunner of the independent street and lifestyle apparel, setting trends with each and every new arrival. Hoop Culture currently sells products in 38 countries around the world, and maintains a vast social media network of over 150 million impressions a month.  For more information: https://hoopculture.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1907500/LootMogul_Hoop_Culture.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1900970/LootMogul_New_Logo.jpg SOURCE LootMogul

The Best Laptop Stands Of 2022 – How-To Geek https://collincountynewsonline.com/the-best-laptop-stands-of-2022-how-to-geek/ Daniel Krason/Shutterstock.com What to Look For in a Laptop Stand in 2022 When buying a stand, you want to ensure it can sustain the size of your laptop without failing. If you use a smaller device, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a good option. However, things start to get dicey if you have a large 17-inch laptop. Make sure you know how big and heavy your laptop is, and you can start your search from there. Aside from size and weight, adjustability is another important aspect of choosing a laptop stand. This simple but important feature will ensure you can set your device at the perfect level regardless of torso or table height. Some stands can even reach considerable heights, making them perfect as a standing desk replacement. Alongside adjustability is portability, as this will determine if you can easily move the stand between your home and workplace or take it on a journey. If you’re planning on keeping the stand in one place, this isn’t a concern, but if you need a stand use your laptop wherever you go this is one of the most important factors to make. While not the most important, you should look into the material and finish of a stand before making a purchase. Most options are made of metals like aluminum, but wooden and plastic builds also exist. Metal will be more durable but heavier, for the most part, so make sure the material is ideal for your use case. Once your criteria are sorted, it’s time to start looking at the stands that could be propping up your laptops or PCs. Best Laptop Stand Overall: Rain Design iLevel 2 Rain Design Pros ✓ Sturdy, stylish design ✓ Effortless adjustability ✓ Can hold most laptops Cons ✗ Small range of height adjustability ✗ Not portable Kicking off the list is the Rain Design iLevel 2. Its simple and sturdy anodized aluminum build allows it to hold up a range of laptop body types measuring up to 15-inches easily. Even with a heavier laptops, you can rest assured that it will remain in place and not wobble, thanks to the rubber stoppers across the four corners and an innovative front hinge design that isn’t susceptible to toppling backward. The Rain Design iLevel 2 is not the most adjustable laptop stand. But its resting height is roughly 6.5 inches above the desk surface, and it features a tilting mechanism that props up the rear end of your device another 2.5 inches so you can get that extra height when needed. While the range is nothing exceptional, the adjustment itself is one of the easiest on a laptop stand. It only requires sliding a knob from left to right, making it one of the device’s strongest selling points. You don’t have to worry about ruining the look of your existing setup, as the ergonomic design and silver finish make the laptop stand to look nice sitting on a desk. And if you don’t have any form of cable management, the space behind the stand could serve as a nifty makeshift hiding spot for unsightly wires. The one downside of this stand is that it’s not portable. The mostly fixed design means that it cannot be folded into a simpler structure to be carried between your home and office setups. Best Laptop Stand Overall Rain Design iLevel 2 Rain Design has an exceptionally sturdy and stylish laptop stand that can sustain most laptops. Plus, you would hardly find an alternative that’s easier to adjust. Best Budget Laptop Stand: Nulaxy Laptop Stand Pros ✓ Very cheap ✓ Sturdy, stylish design ✓ Suitable for most laptops Cons ✗ Not adjustable ✗ Not portable If you want a simple stand to raise your laptop, but don’t want to spend too much, the Nulaxy Laptop Stand is the one for you. It’s an ultracheap option that lifts the rear of your laptop by 7 inches, allowing you to reach or get close to an eye-level setup. Despite costing less than everything else on this list, it can easily hold between 10 and 16-inch laptops. And if you want a color-matching workspace, you’ll like that it comes in many tones, including blue, red, and purple. One downside of the Nulaxy Laptop Stand is its lack of adjustability. This is a fixed stand with a fixed height. This also means that you won’t be able to collapse the stand into a more portable form. However, at this price point, these are understandable compromises to make. Best Budget Laptop Stand Nulaxy Laptop Stand Need to save a few dollars? This basic laptop stand supports most laptop sizes. Plus, it’s stylish and comes in many colors. Best Laptop Stand for Desks: Ergotron WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter Pros ✓ Exceptionally sturdy ✓ 20-inch height reach ✓ Super easy adjustability ✓ Two-tier design Cons ✗ Pricey ✗ Cumbersome All the other stands on this list have a specialty, causing them to compromise on other aspects at times. But if you want an absolute all-around laptop stand for your desk, you should consider the Ergotron WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter. Its mini desk-like design gives it the same level of sturdiness as your normal desk. Add to that the oversized footprint, and you have a tool that can handle even your most hefty office or home setup (up to 40 pounds). As the name suggests, the Ergotron Laptop Stand is the ideal alternative to a standing desk because it can lift your laptop up to 20 inches. The stand also has enough space for a full-size keyboard and mouse underneath, thanks to a two-tier design. It’s also easy to elevate and can be operated by one person, thanks to its spring-loaded mechanism. When collapsed, it’s still at least 5 inches high, and it doesn’t compromise that much-needed keyboard space, so it’s far from portable. The major downside of this stand is its cost. At almost $500, it’s at least six times more expensive than anything else on this list. If that’s too much, you can get the lower-priced Ergotron WorkFit-Z Mini Standing Desk Converter, which is slightly smaller, holds less weight, and doesn’t rise as tall—but has a smaller price tag for those compromises. Best Laptop Stand for Desks Ergotron WorkFit-T Standing Desk Converter If you’re not looking to move your stand, the WorkFit-T is super sturdy and adjusts easily. Plus, it can extend up to 20 inches making it an ideal standing desk alternative. Best Portable Laptop Stand: Nexstand Laptop Stand Pros ✓ Portable when folded ✓ Lightweight ✓ Sturdy enough for most laptops If you need a laptop you can effortlessly move between the home and the office, the Nexstand Laptop Stand is the best option. It can hold laptops weighing up to 20 pounds at anywhere from 5.5 inches to 12.6 inches high. The front part of the stand has a pinch mechanism that only allows it to fit laptops with front edges measuring less than 0.75 inches; however, that should be sufficient for most modern laptops. The stand can be adjusted between eight different height settings. However, the process can be tricky as you need to tug on the two latches on its legs simultaneously to lower or raise the stand. It might seem annoying, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it. Where the Nexstand excels is in its compactness and portability. When folded, it takes the shape of a stick measuring 14 by 1.5 by 1.5 inches and weighing only 8 ounces—an easy fit for most backpacks and laptop bags. One downside of the laptop stand is that it’s made of plastic, which makes it feel cheap compared to the other picks on this list. However, this is more an issue of form over function, as the Nexstand is sturdy despite the four-legged base. Best Portable Laptop Stand Nexstand Laptop Stand Nexstand offers a portable, lightweight laptop stand that can fit in almost any backpack while still supporting most laptops. Best Adjustable Laptop Stand: Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic Stand Pros ✓ Great for sitting and standing ✓ Very sturdy even at max height ✓ Can hold 17-inch laptops easily Cons ✗ Hard to adjust ✗ May topple at max height The Lifelong Upryze Ergonomic Stand is our adjustability pick, thanks to its suitability for both sitting and standing positions. It takes the form of two metal plates, one on the base and the other up top for the laptop, separated by an extendable arm to give a Z-shaped design. The arm can reach 13 inches at maximum length, just above the Nexstand’s 12.6 inches. However, the stand can extend a further 7 inches to reach 20 inches in total by tilting the upper plate. Overall, the Upryze Ergonomic Stand can accommodate a wider range of heights. It can even be cheaper than an adjustable desk if you like to switch between standing and sitting while working. Of course, you can’t hit a mouse or keyboard on this stand, but it’ll work. While a 20-inch tall stand would typically struggle to hold a heavy laptop, the same can’t be said of the Upryze stand. It’s one of the sturdiest options on this list, capable of easily holding up bulky 17-inch laptops—most other stands would sink under the weight. One downside is that the small base doesn’t seem to provide enough leverage at maximum height, putting the stand at risk of toppling backward if accidentally bumped into—typing on the laptop keyboard at that height is also not a good idea. Another pain point is the stiff hinges that require a fair bit of effort to adjust. This makes sense as it helps prevent the stand from sinking, but it still makes it difficult to adjust. Best Adjustable Laptop Stand Best Laptop Cooling Pad: Havit HV-F2056 Cooling Pad Pros ✓ Affordable ✓ Two USB ports ✓ Triple fan configuration Cons ✗ No controls for fan speed ✗ No rubber stoppers for laptop Whether gaming, running graphic intensive software, or opening hundreds of Chrome tabs simultaneously, your laptop will likely warm up a little under heavy strain. So, it would help if you had a cooling pad to cool things down, and we recommend the Havit HV-F2056 Cooling Pad. It features three fans capable of reaching around 1,100 RPMs to d...

8 Best Crypto Airdrops In 2022 – Cryptonews https://collincountynewsonline.com/8-best-crypto-airdrops-in-2022-cryptonews/ Disclaimer: The Industry Talk section features insights by crypto industry players and is not a part of the editorial content of Cryptonews.com. Investors are continuously looking for promising cryptocurrencies to invest in as the number of new digital assets keeps growing.  Crypto airdrops offer a way for new projects to gain exposure to the masses, and from the perspective of investors, free tokens.  By the end of this guide, investors will have a clearer picture of the best crypto airdrops for 2022.  Top Crypto Airdrops for 2022 Below is a list of the best crypto airdrops in 2022. Tamadoge – P2E Platform With NFT Pets and Giveaways Battle Infinity – Fantasy Sports P2E Project With Staking Options Lucky Block – Competitions and Rewards Platform With NFT Collection Basic Attention Token – Private Digital Advertising Network With 25-40 BAT Airdrop DeFiChain – Decentralized Financial Services Blockchain CEX.I.O – DeFi Exchange With Polkadot and Kusama Crypto Airdrop Morpher – 100 MPH Plus 50 For Each Referral Copium Protocol – Passholders Have Benefits Including Free Crypto Airdrops The list above includes projects that might appeal to gamers, stakers, miners, social media users, and more. Full Analysis of the Best Free Crypto Airdrops Below, investors can find our full analysis of the best free crypto airdrops of 2022, including some exciting alternatives. We discuss the project behind the crypto airdrop, the finer details of what is expected for the investor to become eligible, and much more. 1. Tamadoge – P2E Platform With NFT Pets and Giveaways Tamadoge is a P2E platform, and its native token is TAMA – which powers the ecosystem. TAMA tokens are used when buying, selling, and trading Tamadoge pets, which are dog-like virtual characters created as NFTs. These NFTs are available for purchase within the Tamadoge marketplace. Players can use their virtual pets to compete in group events to win TAMA rewards. It is one of the top trending cryptocurrencies of 2022 and generated over $19 million via its presale. The CEX listing of the TAMA tokens is also expected to be one of the biggest of the year.  Tamadoge also runs various airdrop-style giveaways. At the time of writing, the project’s Twitter page is advertising a $3k TAMA airdrop. There is also a $100k crypto giveaway whereby people can complete various tasks to gain entry. Importantly, to be eligible, investors must hold $100 worth of TAMA at the time of entering the competition. There are various ways to enter. For instance, investors can carry out one or more tasks on Twitter. This includes following the project for one entry or tweeting about Tamadoge. Tagging Elon Musk offers five entries. There are many other ways to gain entry into the competition, including simply joining Tamadoge on Telegram or Discord. Investors can also enter by visiting the project on Instagram or YouTube. Share the competition with friends, and Tamadoge will offer five entries. The best part is, that it’s possible to complete all tasks for a total of 17 entries. We mentioned the P2E aspect of the Tamadoge ecosystem. In order to establish itself as a leading cryptocurrency project, the platform will eventually feature distinctive P2E components including augmented reality (AR) apps and P2E arcades. At the time of writing, the presale phase is over. TAMA sold out, having raised a whopping $19 million. To buy Tamadoge, investors can open an account with OKX (a popular cryptocurrency exchange with both CEX and DEX platforms).  Moreover, the Tamadoge team has confirmed that a tier-one exchange listing will be announced. Investors can also keep an eye out for upcoming crypto airdrops by joining Tamadoge on Twitter, Telegram, Discord, YouTube and other social media platforms. Register on OKX to Trade TAMA 2. Battle Infinity – P2E Fantasy Sports Project With Staking Options Battle Infinity combines P2E mechanics and NFTs with the metaverse, marketplace, staking platform, and other elements. The cryptocurrency that powers this ecosystem is IBAT.  This P2E platform gives players the chance to earn crypto via skillful gameplay while also providing a platform for social interaction. Its immersive and diverse nature has helped Battle Infinity garner a lot of attention, making it one of the best cryptocurrencies to buy in 2022.  There are five separate components that make up the Battle Infinity ecosystem. The IBAT Premier League is a fantasy sports P2E game. The first release is based on the Indian Premier League, the hugely popular cricket franchise. A range of fantasy sports-inspired games are expected to follow, such as football, hockey, basketball, baseball, and more. Players are tasked with putting their own super teams together to compete against others to the top of the leaderboard In the IBAT Premier League, each real-life athlete is represented as an NFT. In fact, all in-game items, including characters and weapons, have been tokenized. Due to the tokenization of assets on Battle Infinity, each in-game item is distinct and can be valued according to the rarity of the assets. Battle Games is the project’s own multiplayer game store, where more titles will be added over time. All Battle Infinity NFTs, such as gaming characters, rewards, and assets, can be bought, sold, and traded in the Battle Market. There is also an in-house decentralized exchange called Battle Swap. This allows players to convert crypto rewards and also buy IBAT tokens on a direct basis. Battle Infinity’s most recent airdrop-style crypto giveaway rewarded $3,000 worth of IBAT to 100 contestants. $500 worth of IBAT tokens went to one winner. Investors can stay up to date with new crypto airdrops and stay close to the Battle Infinity community by joining it on a platform such as Twitter, Discord, and/or Telegram. To buy Battle Infinity tokens, investors can head over to PancakeSwap and LBank. Buy IBAT Now 3. Lucky Block – Competitions and Rewards Platform With NFT Collection Lucky Block is an innovative project that revolves around NFT-based competitions. The presale of this platform’s native token LBLOCK was successful and sold out ahead of time. Every competition held by Lucky Block has a different NFT assigned to it. For instance, in one airdrop-style competition involving $1 million worth of Bitcoin, investors could buy a specific BTC1M NFT to gain entry to the draw. After all of the competition-specific NFTs are sold, the draw is held, and the tokens will be distributed to the lucky winner. Competition NFT holders continue to receive regular LBLOCK rewards even after the draw, which will appeal to those looking to earn free crypto. Additionally, Lucky Block has minted a unique collection of 10,000 NFTs, of which 25 are considered rare. Those who buy NFTs from this collection become members of the Platinum Rollers Club. Each NFT will act as an entry ticket to a separate draw whereby holders can partake in daily airdrop-style giveaways. The best NFTs can also be traded on the platform, and investors can accept auction bids. With regards to the Lucky Block tokens, there are two versions. LBLOCK V1 is built on the Binance Smart Chain and is used for gameplay, rewards, and DEX trading. Meanwhile, LBLOCK V2 is built on the Ethereum network. LBLOCK V1 fuels NFT holder rewards and can be traded on leading CEX platforms. There is a Lucky Block bridge that enables V1 holders to swap their tokens for V2. V1 has a diluted market cap of nearly $35 million. The fully diluted market cap of LBLOCK V2 is almost $2 million at the time of writing. To participate in the lucky draws, investors can buy Lucky Block from Uniswap, Gate.io, or MEXC exchanges.  Buy LBLOCK Now 4. Basic Attention Token – Private Digital Advertising Network With 25-40 BAT Airdrop The creator of Javascript has developed a crypto asset called Basic Attention Token for the digital advertising sector. Put simply, advertisers receive a more targeted audience for their commercials, publishers get paid for their content, and users are compensated for their attention. At the time of writing, this is one of the best crypto airdrops for those who want free tokens that can be used in multiple ways. 188 countries, over 400 advertisers, and nearly a million participants accept or list BAT.  The latter includes some of the top cryptocurrency brands, such as Crypto.com, BlockFi, eToro, BitPay, and more. The users of Basic Attention Token receive 70% of the company’s ad revenue. To earn free BAT tokens while browsing the web, users can download the Brave browser, click ‘enable Brave Ads’ and turn on the notification system. Once a month users can claim token BAT on a first come, first served basis. This entails claiming crypto token grants of between 25 and 40 BAT.  The fully diluted market capitalization of Basic Attention Token is over $540 million at the time of writing. Buy BAT on eToro Now 5. DeFiChain – Decentralized Financial Services Blockchain A blockchain platform called DeFiChain provides native decentralized finance for Bitcoin. It was created with the intention of providing financial services similar to those offered by commercial banks. Included in this are borrowing, lending, saving, and investing. DeFiChain differs significantly from a banking network in that it is a decentralized platform built on the blockchain. The network that supports the software platform’s distributed network of computers is built to speed up and ensure the transparency of transactions. In terms of the free crypto airdrop, new DeFiChain users will receive an airdrop of DFI tokens valued at $30. Notably, this is a collaboration between DeFiChain and Cake DeFi. As is the case with some of the best crypto airdrops on this list, in order to be eligible, investors will need to register for an account. In th...

U.S. Warns Of ‘horrific’ Consequences If Russia Uses Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine – CNBC https://collincountynewsonline.com/u-s-warns-of-horrific-consequences-if-russia-uses-nuclear-weapons-in-ukraine-cnbc/ Washington responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s veiled threat of using nuclear weapons, warning of serious consequences and that the U.S. response would be “decisive.” “The consequences would be horrific,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an interview. The Kremlin later said it is in “sporadic” contact with Washington over nuclear issues. The first Russians drafted in the country’s mobilization drive have started arriving at bases, and military analysts are raising doubts as to Moscow’s ability to equip and train all of the new troops. The number cited for the mobilization — 300,000 — is nearly double the size of the initial invasion force. Anti-mobilization protests appear to be continuing, with reports of standoffs with authorities and several arrests in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan. A gunman in eastern Siberia was detained for opening fire in a military draft office. Meanwhile, Russian-led referendums in the occupied areas of Ukraine are in their fourth day, and Ukrainian officials as well as people inside the territories say that some people are being made to vote at gunpoint, and that Russian forces are staging votes. Western and Ukrainian officials condemn the referendums as a sham they say will allow Putin to annex the territories, and then use them to justify deploying nuclear weapons to protect them. Moscow says the referendums are legitimate. The Kremlin says it is in sporadic contact with Washington over nuclear issues The St. Basil Cathedral and a Kremlin tower are visible on the Red Square in Moscow. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images The Kremlin said it was in “sporadic” contact with Washington on nuclear issues after the two traded threats concerning the use of nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. Washington over the weekend warned of “horrific consequences” and a decisive U.S. response if Putin were to make good on his threat of using nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory. That territory, in Putin’s eyes, may soon include areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, where Moscow is now staging highly-criticized referendums to join the Russian Federation. Ukrainian and Western officials are deriding the votes as a sham with a pre-determined outcome in favor of Russia, which they warn could give Putin a pretext to use nuclear weapons in order to attack forces trying to retake them for Ukraine. — Natasha Turak Orthodox Jews flock to Ukraine for Jewish New Year despite warnings Thousands of Orthodox Jewish pilgrims traveled to Ukraine to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, despite safety warnings not to do so from both Israeli and Ukrainian governments. The pilgrims descended upon the town of Uman in central Ukraine where a highly respected rabbi, Nachman of Breslov, was buried in 1810. Hasidic Jews have been making the annual pilgrimage since 1991, when the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s subsequent independence made the religious celebration more accessible to foreigners. Orthodox Jewish pilgrims on the street near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia continues the war in Ukraine. Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022. Maxym Marusenko | Nurphoto | Getty Images Orthodox Jewish pilgrims celebrate near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia continues the war in Ukraine. Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022  Maxym Marusenko/ | Nurphoto | Getty Images Orthodox Jewish pilgrims pray near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia continues the war in Ukraine. Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022. Maxym Marusenko | Nurphoto | Getty Images Orthodox Jewish pilgrims celebrate near the tomb of Rabbi Nachman while celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, amid Russia continues the war in Ukraine. Uman, Ukraine, September 25, 2022. Maxym Marusenko | Nurphoto | Getty Images Ultra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims celebrate the Rosh Hashanah holiday, the Jewish New Year, at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Uman, Ukraine September 25, 2022.  Vladyslav Musiienko | Reuters — Natasha Turak, Getty Images, Reuters Russian stocks sink to February lows Russian stocks fell sharply on Monday to reach their lowest point since Feb. 24, the day the first Russian troops entered Ukraine. The MOEX Russia Index was down 6.9% by early afternoon in Europe, having fallen as much as 7.4% earlier in the session. Markets in Moscow have been in general decline since President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization last week, setting the Russian economy on a war footing and likely prolonging the conflict in Ukraine. – Elliot Smith Gunman detained after shooting military draft officer in Siberia A gunman has been detained after opening fire at a Russian military draft office in the Siberian town of Ust-Ilimsk. A man who identified himself to police as 25-year-old Ruslan Zinin shot the manager of the draft office at point-blank range, Reuters reported, citing videos of the event published on social media. Reuters and CNBC were not able to independently verify the videos. The head of the draft office was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition, Irkutsk regional governor Igor Kobzev wrote on the Telegram, adding that the shooter “will absolutely be punished.” Reuters also reported a man attempting to set himself on fire at a bus station in Ryazan, a city south of Moscow, “shouting that he did not want to fight in Ukraine,” the wire service wrote. He was picked up by an ambulance. Acts of protest against the Kremlin’s order for “partial mobilization” have been recorded in numerous parts of Russia, with at least 2,000 protesters arrested and long lines of cars forming at borders of Russian men trying to leave the country. Draftees are being overwhelmingly taken from Russia’s poorer and more remote areas like Yakutia, in eastern Siberia, and Dagestan, in the Caucuses. — Natasha Turak Russian state media reports high turnout in occupied territory referendums Residents cast their votes in controversial referendums in the city of Dokuchaievsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on September 23, 2022. Voting will run from Friday to Tuesday in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, with people asked to decide if they want these regions to become part of Russia. Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Russian state news agency RIA has reported turnout levels in the Russian-controlled “referendums” in four of Ukraine’s occupied territories. It said that turnout for the votes so far ranged from 49% in the southern Kherson region to 77% in the eastern Donetsk oblast. The announced figures are high enough that Moscow will likely deem the results legitimate, although numerous reports and videos have surfaced of people being forced to vote and votes being staged. Voting began on Friday and will run until Tuesday. Ukrainian and international governments have roundly condemned the referendums, calling them a “sham” and refusing to recognize the results, which they say will be rigged in Russia’s favor. — Natasha Turak ‘I don’t think he’s bluffing’: Zelenskyy on Putin’s ‘nuclear blackmail’ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during his regular address to the nation, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. Ukrinform | Future Publishing | Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a sobering assessment of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning last week that he would use all means at his disposal, widely read as a nod to Russia’s nuclear arsenal, to defend Russian territories. Russia using nuclear weapons “could be a reality,” Zelenskyy told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “He wants to scare the whole world. These are the first steps of his nuclear blackmail. I don’t think he’s bluffing,” Zelenskyy said. A Russian-led referendum is underway in the Ukrainian territories that have been occupied by Russia since its invasion in February. Western and Ukrainian governments reject its legitimacy as a sham. But many worry that if Moscow annexes the territories based on the results, those lands will be included in the territory that Putin views as worthy of a potential nuclear response if attacked by Ukrainian forces trying to recapture them. Ukraine’s nuclear energy body says Russian forces are staging referendum votes in Zaporizhzhia Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company, is accusing Russian forces of staging referendum votes to make it look like staff of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, have cast their ballots in the Russian-controlled contest. “They staged another performance near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, pretending to be the staff of the nuclear plant as invited mobsters,” Energoatam wrote in a Telegram post. “A large group of men in civilian clothes waited for the end of the shift at the station and mingled with its staff who were leaving after the shift. Along the way, those lined up gave interviews to pro-Russian propaganda media and shouted words of support for Russia and the pseudo-referendum, after which they went to the bus in which the “voting” was held and demonstratively filled out the ballots.” The post added, “This fact once again proves that among the patriotic workers of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, no one volunteered to participate in the occupying farce, so the propagandists were once again forced to make a ‘good’ picture for Russian customers.” A. Russian serviceman guards an area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in territory under Russian military control, southeastern Ukraine, May 1, 2022. AP Zaporizhzhia, in southeastern Ukrain...

Cement Industry Commits To Scaling Up CCUS Technologies – Gasworld https://collincountynewsonline.com/cement-industry-commits-to-scaling-up-ccus-technologies-gasworld/ The Global Cement and Concrete Association and Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS have agreed to scale up the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies.  The two organisations will work together to ensure the long-term deployment of CCUS, beyond 2030, via both policy and technological development, amid growing calls to accelerate decarbonisation efforts. Thomas Guillot, CEO of the Global Cement and Concrete Association, said it sees carbon capture as a vital lever for the global cement industry to achieve its ambitious goal of net-zero concrete by 2050. He said, ”We are starting to see the first CCUS projects already emerge. We have mapped 35 projects announced and underway across the world and up to 100 additional projects are also in the pipeline among our member companies who operate all around the globe. ”CCUS is a key enabling technology, and it is a critical area for collaboration to ensure that government policy, enabling infrastructure and wider investment is in place. That is why the partnership with the Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative is so important, to help unlock and accelerate further progress and deployment.” Henriette Nesheim, Assistant Director General, Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy – and CEM CCUS Initiative Co-Lead from Norway, said it is already building its first cement-CCS project in Brevik, Norway, ”and we look forward to sharing the experience with others.” Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, US Department of Energy, said in the United States, through the support of Congress, it is currently funding projects to develop carbon capture technologies in cement and other key industrial sectors. ”The US Government is keen to drive progress in this area, together with our partners in the CEM CCUS Initiative and the Global Cement and Concrete Association,” he said. Total global CO2 emissions from the sector today are in excess of 2.5Gt. They are primarily direct CO2 emissions which in turn are predominantly from the heated limestone itself (approx. 60%), and combustion of the fuels used in the cement kiln and other plant processes (approx. 40%). Use of decarbonated raw materials to replace some of the limestone in the kiln reduces the total emissions from decarbonation of the limestone. By definition the decarbonated materials, such as the fine material from recycled concrete, do not emit CO2 when heated because they have already had the CO2 removed. Globally this is forecast to provide a 2% reduction in total emissions. Source: McKinsey & Company Alternatives to Portland clinker cements have been the subject of much research but their impact is not forecast to be significant primarily because of fundamental lack of availability of raw materials at the scale required. Furthermore, they also come with CO2 emissions (about half of common cements).One reason for the industry’s high emissions is that it is a voracious consumer of steel, accounting for more than 50% of global demand. But green steel is currently hampered by a fragmented value chain. McKinsey believes CCUS could make a 36% contribution to net zero reductions, and potentially more than halve emissions. A number of postcombustion carbon-capture pilots are underway, driven by the large cement players. Other companies are testing oxyfuel combustion, a promising but expensive technology that results in high concentrations of CO2 in flue gas, which in turn allows for near-total carbon capture. “Ultimately, capitalising on technology and innovation will require more investment, as well as a shift in mindset for companies that have become too comfortable with the status quo. Many cement players are not used to relying on partnerships, or to operating in the kinds of ecosystems that are second nature in other industries. With innovation timelines of five to ten years, these companies could soon find themselves playing catch-up.” Optimistically, McKinsey research shows that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 75% by 2050. However, only a small portion (around 20%) will come from operational advances, while the remainder will need to be generated by ”technological innovation and new growth horizons”. With the right mindset, decarbonisation and reinvention can go hand in hand: just as automakers increasingly view their role as providing mobility, not just making cars, cement companies could likewise be in the business of providing construction solutions, states McKinsey. ”As climate pressures increase and sales of traditional cement and concrete face threats, the combination of new thinking, innovation, and new business models will be critical to helping ensure a profitable – and greener – future.”

Report: Cincinnati In Top 10 U.S. Cities For Largest Year-Over-Year Rent Increase – Cincinnati CityBeat https://collincountynewsonline.com/report-cincinnati-in-top-10-u-s-cities-for-largest-year-over-year-rent-increase-cincinnati-citybeat/ Renters are having difficulties finding and paying for apartments in Cincinnati and other cities throughout the United States.   Photo: Vladimir Kudinov, Pexels” href=”https://media1.citybeat.com/citybeat/imager/u/original/13897771/news_apartmentbuildingbrick_byvladimirkudinov_pexels.jpg” rel=”contentImg_gal-13897025″ title=”Renters are having difficulties finding and paying for apartments in Cincinnati and other cities throughout the United States. – Photo: Vladimir Kudinov, Pexels” click to enlarge Photo: Vladimir Kudinov, Pexels Renters are having difficulties finding and paying for apartments in Cincinnati and other cities throughout the United States. The pandemic-fueled, single-family housing frenzy may be cooling down a bit, but it seems Cincinnati rents haven’t reached their limits yet. According to a Sept. 15 report from Rent.com, Cincinnati is one of the top-10 U.S. cities with the biggest year-over-year average rent increase for August. Moreover, that spike is being felt by renters of both one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. The average monthly rental cost of a one-bedroom unit in the Queen City is $1,283, an increase of 26.32% since August 2021, the report says. Meanwhile, monthly rent for a two-bedroom unit here is $1,537, a spike of 28.13%. Cincinnati isn’t the only Ohio city to see rent inflation. Over the last year, Toledo’s average monthly one-bedroom rent increased by 22.52% (to $869 per month), and Columbus’ went up by 4.76% ($1,422), according to Rent.com’s data. But Cleveland has had one of the biggest year-over-year rent decreases in the country for one-bedroom units, going down 18.97% over the last year ($1,141). In contrast, rates for two-bedroom units in other Ohio cities seem to be decreasing or stagnating even as Cincinnati’s continue to rise. Cleveland’s two-bedrooms decreased by 11.26% ($1,754) and Toledo’s by 0.14% ($918). Columbus saw a slight increase of 0.46% ($1,643). Ohio is experiencing its own statewide spike. Average rents throughout the Buckeye State  increased by 49.69%, from $633 per month in August 2021 to $948 last month for a one-bedroom. The jump for a two-bedroom in Ohio isn’t quite as large – 22.69%, or an average of $1,038 per month last year to $1,253 in August. Nationally, the average one-bedroom monthly rent is $1,721, an increase of 27.13%. Two-bedroom units average $2,052 per month, up by 23.43%. Cincinnati’s 28.13% year-over-year spike for two-bedrooms is larger than the national increase. Rent.com says its findings are based on data from its multi-family rental inventory. Other rental and real estate platforms use different inventories, classifications, timeframes and data, but they paint a general picture of overall increases in average monthly rent compared to pre-pandemic levels. Affordability in question Nationally and locally, monthly rental rates have increased as wages largely have stagnated, which means that people are paying a larger portion of rent from the same (or lower) paycheck. According to Realtor.com, the average monthly rent burden in Cincinnati in August of this year for anything from a studio to a two-bedroom apartment is 21.3%. That’s up from a 20.2% rent burden at the same time last year. For decades, financial websites have suggested that most renters keep their rent burden to no more than 30% of their gross income. According to a hypothetical from NerdWallet, “if you earn $2,800 per month before taxes, you should spend about $840 per month on rent.” NerdWallet notes that major cities and hot markets may demand a higher rent burden or special considerations, plus renters may have additional needs that eat up their paycheck, such as student loans or car payments. Ohio’s average two-bedroom monthly rent is $1,253, according to Rent.com. But a July 28 article from Bloomberg shows that a worker in Ohio would have to make $17.05 per hour to afford that average rent. Bloomberg goes on to say, “In every state in the U.S., the cost to rent a home exceeds their minimum wage.”  According to a calculator from MIT, a single Ohio resident with no children would need to be paid $15.61 per hour to be earning a living wage (the minimum income to meet a person’s basic daily needs). But Ohio’s minimum wage is just $9.30 per hour. Federal minimum wage is just $7.25 and has been the same since 2009. In March, the 2022 Demographia International Housing Affordability Index from the Urban Reform Institute and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy found that Cincinnati had the 9th-most affordable housing market as of the third quarter of 2021 after comparing 92 major markets in eight countries. But the report considered housing to be “affordable” when its median multiple was at or below 3.0 (the median multiple is “a price-to-income ratio, which is the median house price divided by the gross median household income,” the report noted). Cincinnati’s median multiple in that report was 3.8, which was classified as “moderately unaffordable” – the only reason Cincinnati ranked in the top 10 of affordability was because other cities were much worse. Pittsburgh was the only city under the “affordable” 3.0 threshold for that time period. “In a well-functioning market, the median priced house should be affordable to a large portion of middle-income households, as was overwhelmingly the case a few decades ago,” the report asserted. The index was ranked primarily on income in relation to housing prices, a situation that started becoming unsustainable several years back and has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. And the Urban Reform Institute and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy said in March that the crisis wasn’t over. “The number of severely unaffordable markets rose 60% in 2021 compared to 2019, the last pre-pandemic year,” the report said.  In 2019, the United States had 14 severely unaffordable housing markets; that number jumped to 27 in 2021. The report added that the combination of high-income shoppers buying larger houses further from urban cores due to working from home during the COVID years plus supply-chain issues that slowed the construction of new housing have contributed heavily to the disruption in affordability. During the June 19 episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, comedian and host John Oliver noted that Cincinnati  experienced a rent hike of 30% during the previous month, meaning that many residents were priced out of their homes. “With rents being squeezed across the board, and protections few and far between, lower-income renters are, obviously, the most vulnerable,” Oliver said. “Even before the [COVID-19] pandemic struck, 23 million people lived in households that paid more than half their income on rent and utilities, which is just not sustainable for anyone.” Stay connected with CityBeat. Subscribe to our newsletters, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google News, Apple News and Reddit. Send CityBeat a news or story tip or submit a calendar event.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Delay Your Vacation Plans Any Further – Travel Daily News International https://collincountynewsonline.com/ten-reasons-why-you-should-not-delay-your-vacation-plans-any-further-travel-daily-news-international/ Daily travel & tourism news portal for the international travel trade market since 1999

Amazon-Prime Event | Business News | Wfmz.com – 69News WFMZ-TV https://collincountynewsonline.com/amazon-prime-event-business-news-wfmz-com-69news-wfmz-tv/ If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here. PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS – All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue is on its way, with 88 K-Pot opening perhaps in December near the Wine & Spirits store in the Bethlehem Square shopping center.  – Air Products’ joint venture in Saudi Arabia has acquired an industrial-gas business for an undisclosed price. The Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment venture acquired Khafrah Industrial Gases from Paris-based Air Liquide S.A. – Anatolian Kitchen is still closed for renovations, according to a sign at the Taylor Court, Bethlehem, business.  – After 36 years, the owners of Cavaluzzo’s Pasta, Steaks & Subs in Emmaus are retiring, and the restaurant will close. – The high-tech conglomerate formerly known as II-VI (pronounced “two-six”) has taken on the name of a company it acquired, Coherent Corp.  – Palmer Township’s board of supervisors approved a conditional-use application for four industrial buildings know as “First Park 33” on Tatamy Road, between Newlins Mill and Corriere roads. – The Florida-based chain Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers plans to open three physical-therapy clinics within two years in the Lehigh Valley. – Radish Republic, a specialty grocery store on North Seventh Street in Allentown, is closing after three years. – The Palmer Township Zoning Hearing Board made the decision to keep a cease-and-desist order against The Reserve at Palmer Pointe apartments, which township officials say were built contrary to designs submitted six years ago. – The Allentown-Based payment-processing company Shift4Payments Inc. introduced SkyTab POS, a point-of-sale system for restaurants.  – The Bethlehem Planning Commission approved three separate “mixed-use” buildings for South Bethlehem, on East Fourth Street, South New Street and West Fourth Street. – Transform Rehabilitation’s physical-therapy clinics in Allentown, New Tripoli and Whitehall are now part of Upstream, which owns or manages more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. – The Lehigh Valley’s newest Wawa opened on the east side of Nazareth Pike/Route 191, just south of the Borough of Nazareth.  – DoubleTree Hotel has expanded its catering to private jets that take off from Reading Regional Airport. – The not-for-profit Kutztown Community Partnership has discussed buying the shuttered Strand Theatre to continue its tradition, but KCP would need grants and donations to keep it going. – A man police say was drunk drove into Budd Lake Bagel & Deli II in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on Sunday night, causing the shop to close indefinitely.

Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. Announces Affiliate’s Entry Into Agreement To Acquire All American Medical Group And For Your Benefit – PR Newswire https://collincountynewsonline.com/apollo-medical-holdings-inc-announces-affiliates-entry-into-agreement-to-acquire-all-american-medical-group-and-for-your-benefit-pr-newswire/ , /PRNewswire/ — Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. (“ApolloMed,” and together with its subsidiaries and affiliated entities, the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AMEH), a leading physician-centric, technology-powered healthcare company focused on enabling providers in the successful delivery of value-based care, today announced that it and its affiliated California medical corporation have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the fully diluted capitalization of All American Medical Group (“AAMG”) and For Your Benefit, Inc. (“FYB”), as well as certain related managed care assets. AAMG is a primary and specialty care physicians’ group focused on providing high-quality, culturally competent care to local communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. FYB is affiliated with AAMG and is licensed by the California Department of Managed Health Care as a full-service Restricted Knox-Keene licensed health plan, which enables FYB to assume full financial responsibility, including both professional and institutional risk, for the medical costs of its members under the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975. The Company anticipates closing this series of transactions by the end of the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval, and will fund the transactions through a combination of cash on hand and stock. The investment and partnership with AAMG and FYB will bring over 15,000 Medicare Advantage, Commercial, and Medicaid patients in the City and County of San Francisco and San Mateo County under ApolloMed’s umbrella of services, further expanding the Company’s presence in Northern California following the recent acquisitions of Access Primary Care Medical Group and Jade Health Care Medical Group. With the addition of AAMG and FYB to the ApolloMed family, ApolloMed will serve over 30,000 members in the San Francisco Bay Area. Brandon Sim, Co-Chief Executive Officer of ApolloMed, stated, “We are incredibly excited to partner with the over 250 mission-driven physicians at AAMG and FYB, allowing us to combine our core competency of managing a patient’s total health with AAMG’s decades of leadership in the community and its ability to provide high-quality, culturally competent care. The benefits for patients will be multifold: firstly, we will further broaden our already expansive network to include the most trusted doctors in San Francisco and San Mateo counties, providing more high-quality choices to our members. In addition, by assuming financial responsibility for a patient’s entire care continuum—in both professional and institutional settings—we will be even better positioned to coordinate and deliver the best possible care for our patients. AAMG and FYB are known not only for their stellar reputation in providing accessible healthcare to local citizens but also for their deep involvement in the community. They provide patients with access to in-person and online health education and resources to promote healthy living in their communities and, with their non-profit partner Chinese Community Health Care Association, award grants that help fund programs geared towards educating the community on health-related topics. We are honored to have the opportunity to continue supporting these types of healthcare advocacy and education initiatives.” Dr. Man-Kit Leung, Chairman of AAMG, added, “We are thrilled to join ApolloMed and its extensive end-to-end care delivery network. ApolloMed is a leader in empowering providers in the delivery of value-based care, and our physicians look forward to onboarding onto the ApolloMed platform, which will bring numerous advantages in care management and patient data analysis. We believe joining the ApolloMed family will enable our providers to put greater focus on doing what they love—serving their patients—while allowing them to continue running their independent practices.” Dr. Edmund Tsoi, CEO and Chairman of FYB, added, “We look forward to becoming a part of the ApolloMed family with whom our physicians will join forces to continue striving to provide superior patient experience and clinical outcomes for the local community. FYB’s full-service Restricted Knox-Keene license opens up a number of potential opportunities for our combined company, allowing us to assume global risk for our members by managing their full spectrum of care. I am excited to see this partnership take off and transform how healthcare is delivered nationwide.” About Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. ApolloMed is a leading physician-centric, technology-powered, risk-bearing healthcare management company. Leveraging its proprietary end-to-end technology solutions, ApolloMed operates an integrated healthcare delivery platform that enables providers to successfully participate in value-based care arrangements, thus empowering them to deliver high quality care to patients in a cost-effective manner. Headquartered in Alhambra, California, ApolloMed’s subsidiaries and affiliates include management services organizations (MSOs), affiliated independent practice associations (IPAs), and entities participating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) innovation models. For more information, please visit www.apollomed.net. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, such as statements about the Company’s acquisition strategy, continued growth, operational focus and strategic growth plans. Forward-looking statements reflect current views with respect to future events and financial performance and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of the Company’s management, and some or all of such expectations and assumptions may not materialize or may vary significantly from actual results. Actual results may also vary materially from forward-looking statements due to risks, uncertainties and other factors, known and unknown, including the risk factors described from time to time in the Company’s reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, without limitation the risk factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Investor Relations (626) 943-6491 [email protected] Carolyne Sohn, The Equity Group (415) 568-2255 [email protected] SOURCE Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc.

Packers Vs. Buccaneers Final Score, Results: Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers Outlast Late Tom Brady Comeback Attempt – Sporting News https://collincountynewsonline.com/packers-vs-buccaneers-final-score-results-green-bay-aaron-rodgers-outlast-late-tom-brady-comeback-attempt-sporting-news/ What was billed as a duel between two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history ultimately devolved into a scrappy, low-scoring and ugly defensive battle.  When the dust settled, it was Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers who emerged victorious in Tampa. The showdown between Rodgers and Tom Brady was hyped up all week. After all, the two legendary signal-callers are both in the twilight of their careers, and this could well be the last time they meet on the gridiron.  MORE: Bills’ OC Ken Dorsey rages in coaching booth after loss to Dolphins At first, it looked like the game was going to deliver on the hype. The Buccaneers put points on the board on their opening drive, kicking a field goal after making their way to Green Bay’s 21-yard line. Then, the Packers’ offense went on a tear, scoring two touchdowns on their first two possessions. They would have made it 3 for 3, too, if not for an Aaron Jones fumble at the goal line. Rodgers and his offense were seemingly moving the ball at will. Then, suddenly, everything ground to a halt. Jones’ fumble was the first in a series of momentum-killing turnovers by both teams. The Bucs had two costly fumbles by receivers just as they were moving into Packers territory, and Rodgers also got in on the action by throwing a pick of his own. It highlighted what was truly a terrible offensive display from both teams in the second half. After Jones’ fumble, Rodgers and the Packers got the ball nine more times throughout the rest of the game. The results? Punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, punt, kneeling out the clock. But Brady, who was missing several of his favorite receiving targets, had an equally hard time getting anything going. Apart from the two drives ended by fumbles, Tampa’s only offense of note before their final possession was a field goal set up by Rodgers’ interception. Still, they had a chance to send the game to overtime in the final seconds. After finally finding the end zone on a Russell Gage touchdown, the Bucs needed a two-point conversion to tie things up. But a disastrous delay-of-game penalty moved the attempt back five yards, and it ended up unsuccessful.  MORE: Aaron Rodgers reveals chat with officials before crucial delay-of-game penalty on Bucs Sporting News was tracking live updates and highlights from Packers vs. Buccaneers on Sunday. Here are all the key moments you may have missed from the Week 3 matchup. Packers vs. Buccaneers score   Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F Packers 7 7 0 0 14 Buccaneers 3 0 3 6 12 Packers vs. Buccaneers live updates, highlights from Week 3 matchup (All times Eastern.) 7:28 p.m. — Brady and Rodgers embrace for what could be the last time on an NFL field. This game was expected to be a duel between the two quarterbacks, but instead we got a scrappy defensive battle for most of the afternoon. Both teams come out of this one at 2-1 on the season.  7:26 p.m. — Lazard recovers the onside kick and that’ll do it. The Packers will escape with a win despite an awful second half for their offense.  7:24 p.m. — THE TRY IS NO GOOD. Brady was looking for Gage again, but his pass gets tipped and hits the turf incomplete. Tampa needs a miracle now. The @Packers prevent the 2-pt conversion! #GBvsTB pic.twitter.com/0qyneZbAix — NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022 7:23 p.m. — WOW. Brady and the Bucs take a brutal delay of game penalty to move their two-point try back five yards. That is a huge mental error. Packers 14, Buccaneers 12 7:21 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Brady hits Gage for Tampa’s first touchdown of the game. But the job isn’t done. They need to convert this two-point attempt to realistically stay alive. — NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022 7:20 p.m. — Fournette gets stuffed on 1st down and a Brady pass intended for Brate falls incomplete on 2nd down.  7:17 p.m. — With 30 seconds on the clock, Adrian Amos gets called for a costly defensive pass interference penalty. The Bucs have the ball at the 3-yard line needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie it.  7:15 p.m. — Brady, working out of the hurry-up offense, finds Cameron Brate for an 11-yard gain. Then, Fournette secures a catch and scurries out of bounds for another first down. The Bucs have entered the red zone. 7:12 p.m. TWO-MINUTE WARNING — Tampa is (finally) on the move. Brady takes advantage of some soft coverage by Green Bay to string together three consecutive completions. It’s Bucs ball inside Packers territory with under two minutes to play. 7:09 p.m. — HUGE SACK BY TAMPA. Logan Hall buries Rodgers at midfield, pushing the Packers well out of field goal range. Brady is going to get the ball back again with a chance to tie it. When have we seen this before?  — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 25, 2022 7:07 p.m. — On 3rd and 10, Green Bay uses their second timeout of the half. They have the ball on Tampa Bay’s 42-yard line, and any points on this drive will go a long way to securing the win. 7:04 p.m. — Rodgers finds Lazard again, this time down the sideline for a gain of 26. The Packers are approaching field goal range, but they could use a few more yards to give Mason Crosby a chance to stretch the lead to two possessions.  — NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022 7:03 p.m. — Finally, the Packers get a conversion on 3rd down. Rodgers finds Lazard to earn a fresh set of downs, and the clock continues to tick. Less than four minutes remaining now.  7:00 p.m. — The clock has been slowly ticking along, and we’ve reached the stage where any points by Green Bay could put this game to bed. The Packers call a timeout facing another 3rd down deep in their own territory.  6:57 p.m. — A 25-yard pass to Jaelon Darden gets Tampa’s drive off to a great start, but a failed trick play and a sack on Brady puts them right back where they started. On 3rd and 30, the Bucs take their medicine with a short pass and trot the punter onto the field yet again. 6:55 p.m. — On 3rd and 5, Tonyan makes a catch but is hauled down short of the marker. The punters are certainly getting their chance to shine this afternoon.  6:51 p.m. — Rodgers heaves a pass high into the steamy Tampa Bay air, only for it to be picked off. But the Bucs had 12 men on the field, negating the turnover.  6:46 p.m. — Surprise, surprise. Another three-and-out. This time it’s the Bucs’ turn to punt the ball away. After the explosive start, not many would have predicted this in the second half. Perhaps we’re seeing the effects of the brutal Florida heat? There are likely a lot of tired legs out there.  6:41 p.m. — Another failed 3rd down conversion for Green Bay. Jones gets stuffed in the backfield for a loss on 3rd and short. The difference between first half and second half has been night and day for the Packers’ offense. Brady now gets the ball with a chance to tie things up on this drive. End of third quarter: Packers 14, Buccaneers 6 6:34 p.m. — Brady scrambles for a big gain on 3rd and 3, but it’s called back for a holding penalty. He slid down awkwardly at the end of that play and spent a moment fiddling with his knee brace, but seems fine. The 3rd and 13 play goes nowhere, leading to another punt. This game has turned into a real defensive battle.  6:31 p.m. — The Packers’ offense has ground to a halt. Tampa’s defense gets off the field again after Aaron Jones is stopped on 3rd and 7. That’s six straight possessions without points for Green Bay. Packers 14, Buccaneers 6 6:27 p.m. FIELD GOAL — A shot to the end zone falls incomplete on 3rd down, but the Bucs are in field goal range thanks to an earlier 19-yard completion to Cameron Brate. Succop connects from 45 yards to make it a one-possession game.  Ryan Succop makes it a one score game #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/Kv0NeICcXm — Pro Football Culture (@proftblculture) September 25, 2022 6:25 p.m. — Tampa’s rushing game hasn’t gotten anything going so far today. Leonard Fournette, who has been dealing with a hamstring issue, has shouldered the bulk of the workload, but he’s been held in check by the Packers’ defense. 6:20 p.m. INTERCEPTION — The offensive struggles for both teams continue, and Rodgers has made his first big mistake of the game. He’s looking for Robert Tonyan, but it’s plucked out of the air by Tampa defender Logan Ryan. Can the Bucs capitalize with a score? — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 25, 2022 6:12 p.m. — Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich dials up three straight passes from deep in his own end, and all three fall incomplete. Both offenses have been stuck in neutral for a while now, but the Packers have another chance to add to their lead.  6:09 p.m. — Packers punter Pat O’Donnell hits a beauty that’s downed at the Bucs’ 1-yard line. An excellent play on special teams. 6:07 p.m. — The Bucs’ defense comes up with another important stop, with a Rodgers pass falling incomplete again on 3rd down. That’s three straight three-and-outs for the Packers.  6:02 p.m. FUMBLE — Wow. Another big mistake by a Bucs receiver, this time it’s Russell Gage who puts the ball on the turf near midfield. Rodgers gets the ball back with great field position.  — Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 25, 2022 5:58 p.m. — Tampa’s defense forces a three-and-out after a penalty backed up Green Bay. They really needed that stop. Now, they need points. Brady gets the ball at his own 20-yard line. 5:54 p.m. — The second half is underway. The Packers get the ball back looking to extend their lead. 5:46 p.m. — Regarding the Rodgers vs. Brady duel, both have played extremely well so far. A-Rod (15/18, 171 yards, 2 TD) has the edge over TB12 (13/14, 110 yards) thanks to his two scores. But in the more important bat...

Web3 Metaverse Company Hadean Raises $30 Million In Series A Funding Round Backed By Epic Games And Tencent – Metaverse Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://collincountynewsonline.com/web3-metaverse-company-hadean-raises-30-million-in-series-a-funding-round-backed-by-epic-games-and-tencent-metaverse-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ Hadean, a company using computing to scale virtual and metaverse worlds, has successfully closed its Series A funding round, raising $30 million. Among the companies that invested were gaming giant Epic Games and Chinese entertainment behemoth Tencent. Hadean aims to keep developing its metaverse-scaling infrastructure and software. Hadean Closes $30M Series A Funding Round Hadean, a U.K.-based computing company, has raised $30 million to expand its current reach and grow its metaverse scaling capabilities. The company closed its Series A funding round gathering support from big names in the gaming and entertainment business including Epic Games, developers of the Unreal series of graphics engines, and Tencent, a Chinese gaming-centered company. The company, which was founded in 2015, will use the funds to continue innovating its software suite to provide scaling services for metaverse worlds. About the company’s vision, Hadean CEO Craig Beddis stated: Today’s virtual worlds are a limited experience — small scale, siloed, and insecure. Hence why these are the technical challenges we’re tackling today. But we believe the true success and mass adoption of the metaverse will rely on the ease by which creators will be able to build their own experiences at scale. Previous Customers and Metaverse Gaming Hadean is already providing its world-designing and scaling services to several customers. The company partnered with Mojang, the developer of the popular game Minecraft, to provide its Aether Engine to power distributed computing solutions, allowing the game to achieve better scaling results. More recently, Hadean partnered with Epic Games, which awarded a grant to the company in order to adopt some of the functionalities of its product into their Unreal Engine platform. In July, the company was awarded a contract by the British army in order to build and scale a cloud-distributed simulator for the training of military forces. Hadean is expecting to take a position in the top providers of metaverse gaming scaling tools. Metaverse-related gaming is expected to grow immensely during this decade. A note released by JPMorgan earlier this month estimates the market could reach $100 billion just in China. Tags in this story British army, Epic Games, funding round, hadean, Metaverse, Minecraft, Series A, tencent, uk, Unreal Engine, Web3 What do you think about Hadean’s Series A funding round? Tell us in the comments section below. Sergio Goschenko Sergio is a cryptocurrency journalist based in Venezuela. He describes himself as late to the game, entering the cryptosphere when the price rise happened during December 2017. Having a computer engineering background, living in Venezuela, and being impacted by the cryptocurrency boom at a social level, he offers a different point of view about crypto success and how it helps the unbanked and underserved. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.