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Editorial: Debunking Deanda’s Big Lies — The Amarillo Pioneer – The Amarillo Pioneer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/editorial-debunking-deandas-big-lies-the-amarillo-pioneer-the-amarillo-pioneer/ By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief Earlier today, Amarillo Pioneer columnist Noah Dawson wrote a fantastic piece about the insidious new group “Conservatives of Texas,” which is apparently being led by Randall County Republican Precinct Chair Alex Deanda, who cowardly hides behind the screenname “Precinct Ciento Once” on Facebook. You can read Dawson’s column here. There isn’t much else to add to what Dawson said in his column, other than just stating the fact that Deanda’s group does not represent the conservative values is pledges to uphold. The definition of “conservative” used by Conservatives of Texas shapeshifts regularly depending on how they need to apply it to either help or hurt candidates in different races. Despite this, I was notified earlier tonight that Deanda responded to the column — doing so while still having myself and all of the Pioneer staff blocked on Facebook, because that just screams bravery, right? While his response mostly consists of the ramblings of a person who didn’t like being called out, there are a couple of claims I want to address anyway. While I don’t really feel like his incoherent ramblings deserve a response, I do think that it is time to clear the air once and for all and put some of his big lies to bed. So, here we go: Deanda’s Lie #1: “What is interesting is the Warren’s took a democrat to the Lincoln Reagan dinner if my memory serves me correctly…” Okay, so first and foremost, Deanda needs to figure out how apostrophes work, because that is not the correct use of an apostrophe. Don’t worry, Alex, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough. English was hard when I was in the second grade, too. Let’s turn to the foundation of the lie, which is that I — or perhaps someone in my family — took a Democrat to the Amarillo Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in February. I’m not really sure where this rumor came from, but it has continued to be spread nonetheless. Here’s the short answer: the rumor is completely false. In January, I agreed to provide about $2,000 in free advertising to the committee responsible for organizing the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in exchange for eight tickets to the dinner. I was trying to be helpful, spread the word about the event, and support the local parties. Providing the free advertisements ended up landing us a “thank you” credit in the program for the event. When I was given those eight tickets, I saved one for myself and one for my now-wife, then fiancée. The remaining six tickets were provided to Noah Dawson (Amarillo Pioneer columnist), Jake Collier (Republican candidate for state representative from Denton County), Michael and Chip Hunt (local Republican business owners), and Tom and Nancy Scherlen. If memory recalls, Noah, Jake, and my fiancée were unable to attend, due to the blizzard that had rolled into town the night before. Their seats just remained empty and their tickets were not given to anyone else. As for my mother and my father, neither one attended the event because they were taking care of family matters that evening, and they did not purchase tickets to the event. Now, I know I’m not a Democrat, and neither were any of the seven other people who I provided tickets to for the event. So, I’ll ask Alex again, who was the Democrat I supposedly took to the event? There wasn’t one. You lied. End of story. Deanda’s Lie #2: Your journalism is your Trojan horse the Warren’s are infiltrating the GOP bottom line. Again, Alex, learn how English works. But, on the merits of this claim, I think it’s hilarious that he is calling me or any of my family members an infiltrator into the Republican Party. My father has been voting Republican since his first election in 1992, as has my mother. My grandparents — on both sides of my family — have been lifelong Republicans. I married into a family of Republicans. I am a Republican. Period. Alex has continued to make fun or me for stating at some point that I first got involved in Republican politics when I was 8 years old, but it’s the truth. My first political involvement happened when I was in elementary school and I told my mother I wanted to volunteer for John McCain’s campaign. She drove me to the Republican headquarters, that was then located on Duniven Circle and I used the money I had saved to buy two McCain buttons and a t-shirt. I was hooked and I came back a few days later to make calls to voters in New Mexico, asking them to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. Over the years, we continued to put out yard signs at my house and when I was 14, I was given my first real opportunity to work on a campaign as an intern for Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign. My supervisor was now-Deputy Secretary of State Joe Esparza, and I walked neighborhoods in Amarillo, knocked on doors, and signed voters up for the Abbott email lists. In 2015, I was the sole field organizer for Roy D. McDowell’s mayoral campaign and I knocked over 1,000 doors to drum up support for his campaign. McDowell was backed by local Republicans and was my pick too. Since then, I’ve been involved in conservative Republican politics on a nonstop basis. My first primary election was in 2018, and I voted Republican. I also voted in the 2020 and 2022 Republican primaries. I voted for Trump and for Republicans up and down the ballot. I find it funny that Deanda has been claiming I’m not a Republican, considering that I first met him at a Republican barbeque at Rich Herman’s house in 2016 when I was invited to the event by then-Randall County Republican Chairman Terry Harman. In fact, when I was part of the organizing committee for Save Amarillo in 2020, we invited Deanda to be one of our volunteers and he was happy to volunteer and be affiliated with our organization until we wouldn’t support Claudette Smith for mayor and Richard Herman for city council. Just a few months before, he was friendly with me, pitching me ideas for podcast guests, and then a few months later, he would be making videos about me on Facebook claiming I was working in darkness for not supporting Smith. And he’s kept the hate train rolling, attacking me periodically since the 2021 city elections, and really ramping up his attacks after I was elected to the State Republican Executive Committee in June. In fact, if memory serves, Deanda started attacking me less than four hours after I was elected, and before I had even been seated as an SREC member. Not because I was insufficiently conservative, but because he still had an axe to grind from the 2021 city elections. Let’s just put this out there once and for all: I’m not sorry I did not support Claudette Smith, Richard Herman, or any of the people affiliated with her campaign. Smith was a horrible candidate and she did not represent my values, nor did Herman represent my values. I didn’t want to vote for a candidate who had the baggage of Smith, nor did I want to vote for a candidate with a criminal record like Herman’s. Both of those candidates deserved to lose their elections. I will not apologize for not supporting those two awful candidates, nor will I ever be convinced to support them in future elections because of Deanda’s bullying. Deanda knows I’m a Republican, and he has known that for years, ever since I met him at that Republican event in 2016. He knew I was a Republican then, and he knew I was a Republican when he volunteered for Save Amarillo. He only just decided to attack my credentials when I didn’t support his candidates. His attacks are disingenuous and he knows it. Deanda’s Lie #3: The Warrens and the Pioneer staff are Democrats for selling advertising to Democrats. This one is a mishmash of several of his recent statements, but it needs to be addressed as one piece to sound coherent. I have sold hundreds of ads over the years to businesses, candidates, and others. Some of those people have been Republicans, some have been Democrats, and some have been Libertarians. I have still sold them ads because I am a capitalist and I believe everyone’s money spends. We’re not running a charity here. We have to make money to keep the lights on, the staff paid, and the website live. Now, why do people advertise with us? It’s probably because we’re a nationally-recognized, award-winning news source with readers across the state and region. Thousands of people visit our website every day because we produce stories and interviews that are important to them. I’m sorry if you hate capitalism, but I’m unafraid of selling advertisements. In fact, if you want to buy an ad, you can visit this page. These are just a few of Deanda’s big lies that I felt needed debunked. I’ve also already debunked his statements that I’m a Democrat for interviewing Beto O’Rourke in a podcast and in written format. I’m very proud of our work here at The Pioneer and I’m very proud of my record as an advocate for Amarillo taxpayers. If Alex Deanda and his inappropriately named “Conservatives of Texas” group don’t like it, that’s just tough. I would be proud to stack my voting record, resume, and record of involvement up next to anyone’s. I’m proud of my work and not a single lie for Alex Deanda is going to change that. Until next time, be careful who you listen to and be cautious in what you believe. Not everyone speaks in good faith, and that is important to know.

Former Stockton Unified Superintendent To Receive Full Pay For A Year Under Newly Released Contract – ABC10.com KXTV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/former-stockton-unified-superintendent-to-receive-full-pay-for-a-year-under-newly-released-contract-abc10-com-kxtv/ The contract was reaffirmed by the district’s board after the county’s top education official said the initial passing of the deal broke the law. STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Unified School District will pay former Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. a monthly salary of nearly $23,750 for nine more months under a contract released publicly for the first time and re-approved by five of the district’s trustees Tuesday. The agreement was initially approved by the district in a closed-door meeting directly following Ramirez’s resignation in June, a move the San Joaquin County’s top education official said violated the law. In a letter to the Stockton Unified Board of Trustees and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office obtained by ABC10, San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools Troy Brown said by approving the contract during a closed session of a board meeting and not orally reporting the action when back in open session, the school board violated the Brown Act. “The Stockton Unified School District Governing Board violated important rights when it took this illegal action on June 9, 2022,” the letter said. “Failure of the District to cure and correct these violations of the Brown Act may necessitate further interventions, including seeking judicial invalidation of the challenged action.” Ramirez’s resignation agreement went before the board for a second time Tuesday but this time during the public portion of the meeting. Trustees Cecilia Mendez, Scot McBrian, Alicia Rico, Ray Zulueta Jr. and Zachary Avelar voted to reaffirm the contract, which offers Ramirez his annual salary of $285,000 for a year after the date he resigned. The contract also offers Ramirez his existing benefits, excluding a travel stipend and vacation days. The agreement says Ramirez will hold the title of “Superintendent Emeritus” and will report to the district’s board. In a description of the agreement on the board’s agenda Tuesday, the district said it disagreed that their action violated the law. “While the District does not agree that there was a violation of the Brown Act, it is nevertheless recommended that the Board reaffirm its approval of the Agreement,” the agenda item says. “It is clarified, though, that Mr. Ramirez’s title of “Emeritus Superintendent” is reflective of his resignation and not of an employment position, and that the compensation under the Agreement is severance, not salary for services rendered.” While the Board publicly reaffirmed the contract, Brown said in a statement he is still disappointed with the district. He says while the district’s board calls the contract a resignation agreement, the contract itself is also an employment agreement. “It is disappointing that the SUSD Governing Board refuses to accept that it violated the Brown Act,” Brown said in a statement. “The agreement is clearly also an employment agreement in that it includes Ramirez serving and reporting directly to the board, providing transition assistance; indicates duties will be assigned by the Board President; and provides the option to terminate his employment under certain conditions.” Brown recommends the school board receive additional Brown Act training. ABC10: Watch, Download, Read

Dawn Takeuchi Apuna Named Acting Director Of DPP – Pacific Business News – The Business Journals https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dawn-takeuchi-apuna-named-acting-director-of-dpp-pacific-business-news-the-business-journals/ Dawn Takeuchi Apuna named acting director of DPP – Pacific Business News  The Business Journals

How Naomi Osaka Maintains A Healthy Lifestyle While On The Road – The List https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/how-naomi-osaka-maintains-a-healthy-lifestyle-while-on-the-road-the-list/ Lev Radin/Shutterstock Naomi Osaka is the first Asian tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association and the first Japanese-born player to win a Grand Slam. The 24-year-old athlete was born in Japan to a Japanese mother, Tamaki Osaka, and a Haitian-American father, Leonard Francois, according to Cosmopolitan — and thanks to her success, Osaka’s earnings have landed her at No. 19 in Forbes‘ 2022 ranking of the world’s highest-paid athletes. Through the years in the spotlight, Osaka has used her platform to speak about living healthy and the importance of mental health. She was thrust into controversy in 2021 when she announced that she wanted to skip press conferences at Roland Garros for mental health reasons. Her decision, she says, left her feeling scrutinized. “Athletes are humans,” wrote Osaka for Time. “Tennis is our privileged profession, and of course, there are commitments off the court that coincide. But I can’t imagine another profession where a consistent attendance record … would be so harshly scrutinized.” On top of being vocal about her depression and social anxiety, Osaka has shared how she’s prioritized a healthy lifestyle while on the road. How does Naomi Osaka prioritize health on the road? Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock When she’s traveling, Naomi Osaka prefers staying at short-term rentals or Airbnbs, as opposed to hotels, she told People, mainly because she can “feel at home.” She believes bonding with her teammates is an important part of the process, so she chooses to remain close to them. “I normally stay with my team, so it’s much better for team bonding than multiple rooms in a soulless hotel,” Osaka told the publication. All of them “cook together, watch TV, and hang out, so it feels like a family,” she explained. As a high-ranking athlete, Osaka prioritizes nutrition to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “I take my nutrition very seriously, so the best way to manage it is definitely at a house with a kitchen,” she told People, highlighting another reason she prefers Airbnb stays. “So a spacious kitchen is essential to my wellness lifestyle.” Osaka also shared her two must-have items when traveling: a massage table and a juicer. Naomi Osaka loves spending time close to the water Much has been said about the healing effects of being in water or even being close to the water — and it seems Naomi Osaka feels the same way when it comes to her mind and body. Prioritizing tranquility and quiet moments amid the bustle, she told People that she tries to book an Airbnb “with a pool or close to the water whenever possible.” Osaka has also recently embraced meditation and says she likes to “find a quiet spot in the house or even outside in the background and take some time to recenter” herself. Spending time with her pet “baby Butta” — a cream-colored French bulldog — is also important, so she looks for pet-friendly stays. “Finding larger spaces allows my team, family, and friends to join me, so it feels less homesick,” she told People. The tennis star, who calls herself “naturally introverted” as per Time, said she is “uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health” because “it’s still so new” to her, so she doesn’t “have all the answers.” Nevertheless, it seems she’s gotten the hang of things when it comes to being intentional about maintaining a healthy lifestyle while on the road. If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Oregon State Vs. Montana State: How To Watch, Schedule, Live Stream Info, Game Time, TV Channel – CBS Sports https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/oregon-state-vs-montana-state-how-to-watch-schedule-live-stream-info-game-time-tv-channel-cbs-sports/ Who’s Playing Montana State @ Oregon State Current Records: Montana State 2-0; Oregon State 2-0 What to Know The Montana State Bobcats will square off against the Oregon State Beavers at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Providence Park. You can’t lose the matchup if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Montana State’s strategy against the Morehead State Eagles last week. The Bobcats were totally in charge, breezing past Morehead State 63-13 at home. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-3. Meanwhile, it was a close one, but last week Oregon State sidestepped the Fresno State Bulldogs for a 35-32 win. Oregon State’s RB Deshaun Fenwick looked sharp as he rushed for one TD and 102 yards on 19 carries. Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 2-0. Watch the contest and check back on CBS Sports to find out who keeps up the positive energy and who hits a stumbling block. How To Watch When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET Where: Providence Park — Portland, Oregon TV: Pac 12 Networks Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.) Follow: CBS Sports App Series History This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.

Web3 Fashion Giants Come Together To Host Global Metaverse Fashion Event – CryptoSlate https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/web3-fashion-giants-come-together-to-host-global-metaverse-fashion-event-cryptoslate/ Web3 fashion giants come together to host Global Metaverse Fashion event Zeynep Geylan · 15 seconds ago · 2 min read RLTY, The Fabricant and World of Women came together to host a fashion event in the Decentraland between Sept. 20 and 22. 2 min read Updated: September 17, 2022 at 12:55 am Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate The metaverse event company RLTY partnered up with metaverse fashion giants The Fabricant and World of Women (WoW) to host a global metaverse fashion event in the Decentraland between Sept. 20 and 22. The Fabricant is a digital fashion company focusing on bringing a sense of fashion to the metaverse. WoW, on the other hand, is a global fashion NFT collection created by the contribution of thousands of creators. The event The event’s primary goal is to attract women and fashion into the metaverse. The three-day event will take place at a specifically designed destination in Decentraland called “Synth Ave.” The area is intended by RLTY and is inspired by the famous New York Fashion street. Designers from WoW and The Fabricant will be sprawling around the event area to set up pop-up shows and offer collectibles. Lucky participants will also encounter one of the secret POAP dispensers to collect NFTs. The WoW and Fabricant came together to showcase a digital fashion collection made up of 27 pieces to kickstart the event. The 27 pieces are a part of a 1000-piece collection which will be released later. Participants can purchase one of these 27 pieces from OpenSea, or buy one during the event using MANA. The first day of the event and the educational panel discussion, which will take place on Sept. 21, will also be live-streamed for a broader audience to participate. Metaverse and fashion Throughout 2022, many metaverse ventures launched, including virtual McDonald’s shops and digital weed within a platform users can’t eat, drink, or smoke. According to a recent study, Metaverse awareness has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. In other words, more people are knowledgeable about the metaverse and its scope. Most of the study participants (82%) categorized it as a place to socialize, while 70% said they saw it as a place to shop. When it comes to the trends emerging with the metaverse, augmented reality comes first out of the top five areas. Metaverse events come as the fourth from the top, indicating an increasing hype around metaverse events. Fashion events are one of the most popular events under this category. Many fashion giants, including Nike and Zara, have entered the metaverse by releasing their digital collections and showcasing them in the metaverse. The global metaverse fashion event by RLTY, WoW, and The Fabricant will be Decentraland’s second fashion event. The Decentraland hosted the world’s first metaverse fashion week in March of this year. The festival hosted many high-end fashion brands, including Dolce&Gabanna, Tommy Hilfiger, Cavalli, and Paco Rabanne. The Fabricant was an active participant in that event, along with Auroboros and DressX, who also focus on metaverse fashion.

The Best Baby Food Makers Make Life Easier – Saveur https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-best-baby-food-makers-make-life-easier-saveur/ The best baby food makers make it simple to whip up homemade, high-quality food for your little one. Sometime between four and six months old, your baby will make the exciting—sometimes nervewracking—transition from subsisting solely on breastmilk and/or formula to eating solid foods. Navigating baby food can be intimidating for the best of us: Should you make purees or do baby-led weaning? What should your baby’s very first food be? And do you really need a baby food maker? While you can certainly get by without one, baby food makers make life a little easier—and for new parents, anything that makes life a little easier is worth its weight in gold. Many makers multitask, so you can also steam veggies for your toddler or make a smoothie for your own breakfast. Investing in a baby food maker means you know exactly what your baby is eating, you can save money over time, and you can get meals on the table (er, highchair, and possibly the floor) quickly and easily. Here are the very best baby food makers. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Beaba Babycook Solo Blender: Bamix Immersion Blender Puree Maker: Breville Mini Wizz Grinder: OXO Good Grips Food Mill Smoothies: Grownsy Baby Food Maker Steamer: Baby Brezza One Step Homemade Baby Food Maker Deluxe Masher: OXO Tot Food Masher Best Overall: Beaba Babycook Solo 7″D x 9″W x 9.5″H | 4 pounds | plastic Pros Works as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster in one Easy to clean and store Fast – makes food in 15 minutes or less Auto shut-off cooking timer means there’s no need to watch over the machine Cons Pricy Must descale with vinegar occasionally to get rid of mineral deposits (true for any steamer) Why we chose it: This awesome appliance steams, blends, defrosts, and reheats fruits, veggies, fish, and meat, making it the ideal one-and-done baby food champion. That means you can put in raw meat and come out with perfectly cooked and pureed food for your baby without getting any pots, pans or blenders dirty. Plus, it’s intuitive to use. “It’s easy to use, virtually mold-proof, and cooks and reheats in under fifteen minutes,” says Christen Costa, CEO of Gadget Review. “It also has built-in blending capabilities which make it a perfect all-in-one baby food maker.”  Its compact design is great for small spaces, and it’s truly easy to clean. Bonus: its ergonomic one-handed design means you can hold your baby in one hand and prep organic baby food with the other, like the super parent you are. Blender: Bamix Immersion Blender 4.8 x 2.8 x 14.4 inches | 2.6 pounds | Metal Pros Highly durable, with two-year warranty The AC motor keeps a constant, precise speed under heavy loads Relatively small and easy to store Stainless steel blades can blend almost anything with ease Cons Only one function – no steaming, etc. Expensive Why we chose it: “A baby food maker can be a good choice for preparing baby food, but it has limited use,” says Colleen Colodany, CEO of kidswiki.co.uk, a website that reviews kids’ products. “Instead of buying a baby food maker, an immersion blender would do the job just as well. It has diverse use in the kitchen and does multiple things.” She recommends the Bamix Immersion Blender for its small size, ease of use, and durability. Plus when the baby has moved onto eating like a toddler (hi mac and cheese!), you’ll have a well-made kitchen tool on hand. This blender will become a favorite in your kitchen, from making baby food to beyond. It’s built by hand in Switzerland, and Bamix has been making excellent appliances since 1954. Found in the kitchens of professional chefs, it has three interchangeable blades and offers both power and precision, making quick work of pureeing baby food. You can puree soups, turn frozen fruit into sorbet, and whip milk into cream after your baby has enjoyed their pear puree, and when you’re all finished, it’s easy to clean thoroughly with water. Puree Maker: Breville Mini Wizz 18.5 x 14 x 22.5 cm | 250 watts | 1.5 kg | stainless steel Pros One year replacement warranty Useful for baby food and beyond Attractive design, easy to clean and store Cons Only one function – no steaming, etc. Too small to make big batches Why we chose it: Whether you’re turning basil and garlic into silky pesto or steamed sweet potatoes into baby food, Breville’s Mini Wizz will easily and efficiently do the trick.  With its compact frame, it’s friendly to kitchens where space is in short supply. It’s also refreshingly easy to use, with ergonomic design and simple controls. The lid has two small holes in the indents on top so that you can easily add liquid ingredients as you prepare food for your family. This little food processor is well designed, easy to clean, and a great size when you only need to feed a very little human. Grinder: OXO Good Grips Food Mill 14.75 x 7.25 x 10.25 inches | 2.29 pounds Pros Can wash all parts in the dishwasher Silicone coating for comfortable grip Can make applesauce, marinara, and more for the whole family Cons Only a grinder – will have to cook food separately Why we chose it: Low tech can be a positive thing. The OXO Good Grips Food Mill is a smart choice if you’re ok with a manual option for processing food into smooth purees.  It includes three grinding discs for fine, medium and coarse textures, and the stainless steel inner bowl won’t stain even when you’re dealing with messy foods like beets or carrots It’s easy to exchange discs and disassemble, and its legs fold for easy storage. Smoothies: Grownsy Baby Food Maker 0.5″D x 2″W x 2″H | 4.11 pounds Pros See through design means you can watch food being made Warming function means you can put a bottle in the water tank to warm the milk Large container means you can prep a week’s worth of baby food Multi-function and easy to use Cons Takes up a relatively large amount of counter space Why we chose it: This steamer, grinder, and blender is incredibly multi-functional—the Grownsy Baby Food Maker monitors and maintains food temperature as well. It’s also incredibly easy to use for sleep deprived parents: you can control the speed of its four precision blades with a handy LCD touch screen panel. It can also heat milk, keep things warm, and even self-sterilize. It’s great for smoothies as the special blade design makes it easy to turn fresh and frozen fruits into a silky-smooth consistency. Pour a satisfying smoothie for your baby, and make one for yourself while you’re at it. Steamer: Baby Brezza One Step Homemade Baby Food Maker Deluxe Pros Easy to use and clean Comes with three reusable food pouches and filling funnels Takes about 10 minutes to make 3.5 cups of baby food – fast! Cons Relatively expensive Why we chose it: This all-in-one baby food maker has plenty of useful features. Its one-button option for steaming and blending lets you add water and food and come out with freshly steamed and pureed fruits and veggies only about 10 minutes later.  If you only want to steam or blend, you can do that, too. It’s an especially great steamer as its steam tank is fully accessible for easy cleaning, and it’s fast, reliable, and easy to use. It’s also great for non-baby foods – you can use it to steam pasta and vegetables, and hard boiled eggs or even make soup. Masher: OXO Tot Food Masher 4.5″ L x 7.1″ W x 8.1″ H | .42 pounds Pros Super affordable Lifetime manufacturer’s warranty Compact and easy to store Cons Only one very specific use Why we chose it: For those who aren’t into fancy baby food makers, this product is genius in its simplicity. Turn tender foods like avocado, bananas, and berries into mushy goodness perfect for babies eating (and smearing everywhere, as babies love to do). Steep sides prevent food from slipping out of the bowl while you’re using it, and teeth help scoop food out when it’s ready for serving so you won’t waste food. The already compact masher collapses into two parts for easy portability, and a 360 lid can be snapped shut in multiple positions, making it easy to handle. Things to Consider Before Buying a Baby Food Maker Capabilities Some baby food makers will steam, blend and puree, while others simply grind or blend your food. Decide which functions are important to you, and how much you want to invest, as the makers with more capabilities tend to have a higher price tag.  Size Your kitchen is probably already taken over by baby bottles, just as your home is taken over by baby stuff. Decide how much counter space you’d like to devote to making baby food, keeping in mind that it will be for a specific period of time. FAQs Is it worth it to buy a baby food maker? “A baby food maker is definitely worth the investment if you want to be 100% certain of all of the ingredients in your little one’s meals,” says Costa. Making your own food also means you can introduce your little ones to your family’s favorite dishes, instead of being limited to the store-bought foods on offer. Another bonus: prepping your own baby food lets you figure out the perfect portion for your baby in advance, and even freeze any leftovers. What is the difference between a baby food maker and a food processor? Top-of-the-line baby food makers often include a steamer and a blender or food processor in a single appliance. In contrast, a regular food processor can make purée, but you’ll need to cook or steam the food separately. You can absolutely use a food processor to prepare baby food. What are the healthiest baby foods? Just like for adults, there’s no single healthiest food for babies. A healthy strategy is to intoduce your baby to a variety of flavors and foods. Many experts recommend starting with single foods or ingredients, like pureed squash, applesauce, mashed bananas, avocado, pureed peaches, pureed meats, and iron-enriched baby cere...

US Treasury Clarifies How To Comply With Regulations On Sanctioned Crypto Mixing Service Tornado Cash – Regulation Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/us-treasury-clarifies-how-to-comply-with-regulations-on-sanctioned-crypto-mixing-service-tornado-cash-regulation-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ The U.S. Department of the Treasury has answered some questions on regulatory compliance relating to Tornado Cash, a recently sanctioned crypto mixer. The answers include how to withdraw crypto or complete transactions initiated using Tornado Cash prior to its sanction and how to deal with “dusting” transactions. Treasury Department Publishes Tornado Cash FAQs The U.S. Department of the Treasury answered some frequently asked questions Tuesday about the sanctioned cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash. On Aug. 8, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Ethereum-based mixer and prohibited U.S. persons from “engaging in any transaction with Tornado Cash or its blocked property or interests in property.” One of the questions concerns how to complete transactions involving Tornado Cash that were initiated prior to the sanction. In order to complete the transactions or withdraw cryptocurrency without violating U.S. sanctions regulations, the Treasury Department explained: U.S. persons or persons conducting transactions within U.S. jurisdiction may request a specific license from OFAC to engage in transactions involving the subject virtual currency. “U.S. persons should be prepared to provide, at a minimum, all relevant information regarding these transactions with Tornado Cash, including the wallet addresses for the remitter and beneficiary, transaction hashes, the date and time of the transaction(s), as well as the amount(s) of virtual currency,” the Treasury added. Another question relates to reporting obligations of “dusting” transactions. The Treasury noted that the OFAC is aware that “certain U.S. persons may have received unsolicited and nominal amounts of virtual currency or other virtual assets from Tornado Cash, a practice commonly referred to as ‘dusting.’” While cautioning that “Technically, OFAC’s regulations would apply to these transactions,” the Treasury explained that if these dusting transactions have no other sanctions nexus besides Tornado Cash: OFAC will not prioritize enforcement against the delayed receipt of initial blocking reports and subsequent annual reports of blocked property from such U.S. persons. The Treasury stressed that “U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving Tornado Cash, including through the virtual currency wallet addresses that OFAC has identified.” However, the authority clarified: Interacting with open-source code itself, in a way that does not involve a prohibited transaction with Tornado Cash, is not prohibited. Lawyer Jake Chervinsky shared his thoughts on the OFAC’s clarification in a series of tweets. He noted that the FAQs “don’t fully address the collateral damage caused by the designation.” Commenting on the OFAC requiring “each person to file their own individual license request,” Chervinsky said: “That shouldn’t be necessary: U.S. persons shouldn’t have to ‘apply’ for their own money.” Regarding dusting, he said since victims are required to file initial blocking reports and subsequent annual reports, “Enforcement remains on the table if those reports are delayed.” The lawyer stressed: Deprioritizing prosecution isn’t enough: OFAC shouldn’t consider prosecuting victims at all. Following the sanction of Tornado Cash, Coin Center, a non-profit focused on the policy issues facing cryptocurrencies, said that the OFAC has exceeded its statutory authority. What do you think about the Treasury’s clarification regarding the mixing service Tornado Cash? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. 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.

Prince George’s County Celebrates Frances Tiafoe After U.S. Open – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/prince-georges-county-celebrates-frances-tiafoe-after-u-s-open-the-washington-post/ As throngs gathered in College Park to celebrate the 24-year-old from Hyattsville, Md. whose heroics at the U.S. Open last week enthralled Prince George’s County and the nation, his father maneuvered away from the scrum of fans, reporters and politicians to steal a quiet moment on the back porch of the Junior Tennis Champions Center. Still, the crowd found him. Passersby stopped to thank and congratulate him. The mayor of Greenbelt shook his hand. It was more attention than Frances Tiafoe Sr. ever wanted or expected to receive when he came to the U.S. from Sierra Leone so many years ago. But he wasn’t fazed, he explained with pride. “Frances stands for a lot of stuff right now,” Tiafoe Sr. said. “He’s standing for where he came from. He’s standing for College Park. He’s standing for America.” To the crowd gathered in College Park, Tiafoe stood for Prince George’s. He gave them more reason than ever to cheer on a historic run to the U.S. Open semifinals, becoming the first American man to do so since 2006. They gathered to give the county’s newest star a hero’s welcome as Tiafoe returned to the tennis club he grew up in Friday afternoon. A line of tennis players and fans, some newly converted after the U.S. Open catapulted Tiafoe’s stardom, snaked around the JTCC’s courtyard to wait for autographs and photos on what county leaders had declared ‘Frances Tiafoe Day’. The bright greens and blues of the Sierra Leonean flag waved from the bleachers as the crowd gathered at the club’s center court to hear Tiafoe speak. When he took the microphone, the three syllable chant that just a week ago echoed through Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York broke out once more: “Ti — Ah — Foe!” Tiafoe responded softly: “It takes a village,” he said. “Without this place, you guys probably wouldn’t know who Frances Tiafoe is.” Home in Prince George’s, to Tiafoe, is still Kenilworth Avenue, the leafy Hyattsville street where he grew up. His whole world used to span just Hyattsville and College Park; pickup games of baseball and basketball just across the Anacostia River at Riverdale Park, and nights spent with his father at the JTCC, where Tiafoe Sr. lived and worked as a maintenance man, earning his son a free spot in the club’s beginner lessons. Across the county, Tiafoe knows his profile is much larger now. “It really hits home,” Tiafoe said in an interview with The Washington Post. “A lot of people grew up in Prince George’s County in low-income areas. To do something great and change the whole mind-set of the community … I think we can do a lot of special things here.” In the line for autographs, Ethan Massay, 9, talked excitedly with his father, Phillip, about Tiafoe’s game. He’s an inspiration for Massay, who is taking lessons with Misha Kouznetsov, Tiafoe’s former coach. Massay and his father raved about Tiafoe’s volleys and drop shots from the net — “That’s what coach Misha tells me to do,” he said. “I’m not even into tennis,” said Aina Horton, who was also in line. “But once I heard we have a local from Prince George’s County, and he’s also from Sierra Leone, that got me super excited.” Tiafoe’s success electrified a tight Sierra Leonean community in Prince George’s, said Horton, now a fan of Tiafoe and tennis (though she is still picking up the rules. She connected instantly with Tiafoe. “Humble beginnings, [his] parents came here as immigrants, focused and dedicated to tennis since he was three … that just says a lot,” Horton said. Tiafoe was soft-spoken Friday and is still grappling, he admitted, with the surreal two weeks he’s had. As reporters reminded him, he stands at a changing of the guard in the tennis world after the retirements of Serena Williams and Roger Federer; the tennis scene is hungry for a new champion. At the U.S. Open, he seemed to carry a sense of responsibility — “I feel I let you down,” he told the New York crowd after his heartbreaking semifinal loss. Back home he pledged to keep striving — on the court and for Prince George’s. “I think a lot of people overlook this area,” Tiafoe said. “A lot of people [here] feel like they have something to prove.” Everyone from athletes to congressmen called in to support him in New York — “that’s the best thing about the DMV area,” Tiafoe said, “we really get behind each other” — and it was surreal to think that he could be an example for kids in the county, like fellow Prince Georgian Kevin Durant was for him. After helping lift his son to the top of American tennis, Tiafoe Sr. wants to turn his attention to helping Prince George’s youth, too. He’s thinking about going out and holding fundraisers, he said. But not before enjoying today. On the back porch of the JTCC, he exhaled. “You see that window over there?” he said, pointing along the brick wall of the clubhouse. “I lived in that room for 16 years.” “I did not work in vain,” he said.

The Case For Multi-Vendor Security Integrations – ChannelE2E https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-case-for-multi-vendor-security-integrations-channele2e/ by Cisco Systems • Sep 16, 2022 Just like the myriad expanding galaxies seen in the latest images from the James Webb space telescope, the cybersecurity landscape consists of a growing number of security technology vendors, each with the goal of addressing the continually evolving threats faced by customers today. In order to be effective, cybersecurity tools have to be collaborative—be it sharing relevant threat intelligence, device & user insights, acting on detection and remediation workflows, and more. We at Cisco Secure have embraced this concept for a while now with our continually growing ecosystem of multi-vendor technology integrations. At the RSA Conference 2022 earlier this year, Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration, spoke of how the ‘cybersecurity poverty line’ is widening and how malicious actors are taking advantage of this gaping hole to unleash persistent attacks. It is imperative that cybersecurity vendors interact with and collaborate with each other to lower this gap. To do this, security vendors must adopt open ecosystems of APIs to easily integrate with each other to provide effective ways for mutual customers to defend and react to cybersecurity attacks. Like in prior years, this fiscal year 2022 saw us growing to include new ecosystem partners and integrations. With 22 new partners and 51 new integrations in our ecosystem, Cisco Secure Technical Alliance (CSTA) now boasts over 450 integrations, including technical integrations with Cisco Duo and Cisco Kenna. This allows our mutual customers the freedom to implement the cybersecurity tools of their choice with the knowledge that these tools can integrate with each other if they need to, thus realizing a better return on investment in their cybersecurity spending and improving cybersecurity posture. In this annual round-up of our ecosystem, we congratulate our new partners in CSTA and existing partners as well, who have either created new integrations across our portfolio or augmented existing ones. For more details on each partner integration in this announcement, please read through the individual partner highlights below. Happy integrating! New Cisco Secure Endpoint Integrations AT&T Cybersecurity The AlienApp for Cisco Secure Endpoint enables you to automate threat detection and response activities between USM Anywhere and Cisco Secure Endpoint. It also enhances the threat response capabilities of USM Anywhere by providing orchestration and response actions to isolate or un-isolate hosts based on risks identified in USM Anywhere. In addition, it allows you to collect hourly events from Cisco Secure Endpoint through the USM Anywhere Job Scheduler. Read more here. AttackIQ AttackIQ automates the evaluation of Cisco Secure Endpoint against the tactic categories as outlined by MITRE ATT&CK. The AttackIQ and Cisco partnership and technical integration enables organizations to validate that the Cisco Secure Endpoint is deployed correctly and configured optimally, ensuring protection for your endpoints against the latest threats. Read more here. Certego With Certego Tactical Response for Cisco Secure Endpoint, monitored endpoints are monitored by the Certego PanOptikon SOAR platform. When Certego IRT detects malicious activities on a specific host in the customer’s network, it can isolate compromised hosts to block the attack, even without requiring the user to access the Cisco Secure Endpoint Console. Read more about the Certego here. ServiceNow Cisco Secure Endpoint is now certified for the ServiceNow ITSM San Diego release. The Cisco Secure Endpoint App on ServiceNow provides users with the ability to integrate event data from the Cisco Secure Endpoint into ServiceNow by creating ITSM incidents. The app automates the collection of events from Cisco Secure Endpoint and groups them into single incidents. Read more here. New Cisco Security Connector for iOS Integrations FAMOC FAMOC manage from Techstep, a Gartner-recognized MMS provider, is an MDM designed to give IT a complete view and absolute control over mobile devices used by the workforce, so that people can work more effectively and securely. With the Cisco Security Connector for iOS integration, FAMOC MDM extends its enterprise mobility management with an extra layer of network security and traffic analysis tool, giving IT admins tools to make actionable decisions and design access control policies. Read more here. New Cisco Cloud Security Integrations Elastic Security Elastic Security now supports event ingestion from Cisco Umbrella, providing visibility into user activity and attempts to access potentially malicious domains. This new integration supports Umbrella proxy, cloud firewall, IP, and DNS logs. This integration enables security analysts to detect threats and visualize Cisco Umbrella data, and also correlate Umbrella events with other data sources including endpoint, cloud, and network. This integration expands on Elastic’s on-going expansion of Cisco integrations including ASA, Nexus, Meraki, Duo and Secure Firewall Threat Defense. Read more here. Fortinet FortiSIEM brings together visibility, correlation, automated response, and remediation in a single, scalable solution. It reduces the complexity of managing network and security operations to effectively free resources, improve breach detection, and even prevent breaches. Read more here. Hunters Hunters ingests Cisco Umbrella log and alert information into our SOC Platform; the Platform then correlates that information with all of the other (vendor agnostic) customer security telemetry, including EDR, Identity and Cloud/Network log data, in the customer’s infrastructure to synthesize and detect incidents with a higher fidelity than any single tool alone can produce. Read more here. LearnSafe LearnSafe equips school leaders (K-12) with evidence-based information to better understand which students are exhibiting behavioral issues and in need of help based on what they are using, saying, and doing on the school-owned computer. With Cisco Umbrella, LearnSafe administrators are able to block access to domains their students should not be accessing. Read more here. Microsoft The Cisco Umbrella solution for Microsoft Azure Sentinel is now live!  This integration enables your customers to ingest Cisco Umbrella events stored in Amazon S3 into Microsoft Sentinel using the Amazon S3 REST API.  Read more here. Sumo Logic Sumo Logic’s cloud-native collector supports automatic ingestion of logs from Cisco Umbrella’s hosted AWS S3 buckets. Data collected from Umbrella can then be routed to Sumo’s Cloud SIEM, where it is then automatically normalized and applied to our rule’s engine. Several built-in rules for Umbrella have been created that, when triggered, will generate security signals in the platform. These and other security signals are then clustered together based on related entities (IP, email, domain name, URL, etc.) to create insights for review by the SOC. Read more here. New Cisco Firepower Next-Gen Firewall Integrations Alkira The Secure Firewall team and Alkira have validated Secure Firewall (Virtual) Version 7.1 to run on Alkira’s cloud network as-a-service (CNaaS) platform. The solution offers on-demand hybrid and multi-cloud connectivity, integrated network and security services, end-to-end visibility, controls and governance. Read more here. Cyware The Secure Firewall team has validated Cyware’s STIX 1.2 threat intelligence feed for interoperability with Secure Firewall’s Threat Intelligence Director. Customers can quickly operationalize the inbound data to protect the network from the latest threats. Read more here. Dragos Dragos protects critical infrastructure and has joined the CSTA program. Dragos inventories assets, determines risk and vulnerabilities and generates firewall policy objects that administrators can apply to their Cisco Secure Firewall deployment through its REST API. Read more here. Equinix The Secure Firewall team and Equinix have validated Secure Firewall (Virtual) to run on Equinix’s Network Edge as a Service platform. Equinix Fabric allows you to connect digital infrastructure and services on demand via secure, software-defined interconnection (Ecosystem). Read more here. Fastvue Fastvue has joined the CSTA program. The Fastvue Site Clean engine intelligently interprets Cisco Secure Firewall log data so that non-technical employees can easily see what people are actually doing online. The data use to keep companies compliant with workplace and school policies. Read more here. New Cisco ISE Ecosystem Integrations Alef Nula Alef Nula has developed a new integration with ISE. The Alef Nula Identity Bridge consumes identity updates published by pxGrid and serves them to ASA firewalls using the CDA/Radius protocol. Using pxGrid v2.0, it replaces unsupported Cisco CDA and allows ASA firewalls to become an identity consumer of ISE context. It can read the full identity database and can update registered ASA firewalls in Full Download mode. Read more here. Forescout Forescout’s pxGrid Plugin integrates with existing Cisco ISE deployments so that you can benefit from Forescout visibility and assessment for policy decisions, while continuing to use ISE as an enforcement point. The pxGrid Plugin enables Forescout platform policies to detect ISE-related properties on endpoints, and to apply Cisco ISE ANC policies, including policies that assign Security Groups to devices. Read more here. Fortinet FortiManager provides automation-driven centralized management of Fortinet devices from a single console, enabling full administration and visibility of your network devices through streamlined provisioning and innovative automation tools. FortiManager...

Sign Toppers Program To Help Residents ‘know The History’ About Quakertown, Southeast Denton – Denton Record Chronicle https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sign-toppers-program-to-help-residents-know-the-history-about-quakertown-southeast-denton-denton-record-chronicle/ A hundred years ago, a Black community of freed slaves thrived near the heart of downtown Denton within eyesight of a racist who controlled Texas Woman’s University, known then as the College of Industrial Arts. Named after the Quakers who had helped escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad, Quakertown residents had built a vibrant community, with a doctor’s office, a funeral home, a grocery store, restaurants and churches. Founded in the late 1800s, Quakertown was home to Denton’s first public school for Blacks — Fred Douglass School — and St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church and St. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, both of which still hold services today. Some of the community’s leading families were the Burrs, the Clarks/Humbryes, the Cooks, the Hills, the Kemps, the Logans, the Maddoxes and the Taylors. CHRISTIAN McPHATE can be reached at 940-220-4299 and via Twitter at @writerontheedge.

How Scores Of Migrants Were Sent To Martha’s Vineyard And D.C. – The New York Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/how-scores-of-migrants-were-sent-to-marthas-vineyard-and-d-c-the-new-york-times/ Politics|Is That Legal? How Scores of Migrants Came to Be Shipped North https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/us/politics/migrants-marthas-vineyard-desantis.html The migrant drop-offs orchestrated by two Republican governors raised questions about how the law treats immigrants. Here’s what you need to know. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. A mother and daughter, who were recently flown to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., aboard a ferry to the mainland on Friday.Credit…Matt Cosby for The New York Times Sept. 16, 2022Updated 7:58 p.m. ET WASHINGTON — A pair of southern Republican governors this week used scores of migrants in a political stunt designed to bludgeon Democrats about the state of the nation’s immigration system, loading the migrants onto airplanes and buses bound for heavily progressive places to the north. But while the political message from Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas was clear, the abrupt drop-offs left uncertain what would happen to the human beings involved and raised complicated questions about how the immigration system works, what rights migrants have and what legal issues are involved. Immigration lawyers and legal observers said they were still determining whether any laws were broken when Mr. Abbott sent nearly a hundred migrants, including children, to be dropped off by bus without warning outside the vice president’s residence in Washington, and when Mr. DeSantis arranged for about 50 more to be flown on chartered planes to Martha’s Vineyard, the island vacation spot in Massachusetts. Here’s what we know so far. The migrants were already in immigration limbo. The migrants transported to Martha’s Vineyard are Venezuelans who recently crossed the southwest border without authorization and turned themselves in to border officials. The migrants who were dropped at Vice President Kamala Harris’s home were from Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Nicaragua and Panama and came into the country in the same manner. After they were taken into custody, they were screened and released to face proceedings in the future. The Biden administration has been using this process with nearly all of the Cuban and Venezuelan border crossers because it lacks the diplomatic relations with those countries that would be necessary to send them back to those countries. But many of the migrants likely plan to claim asylum, declaring that they face violence or persecution in their home countries and are afraid to return. Under American law, any migrant has the right to do so, starting a process in which federal officials determine whether the claim is valid and they can obtain authorization to reside legally in the United States. That process faces a yearslong backlog, meaning that these migrants, like many in the United States, are living in a state of immigration limbo. It’s legal for states to transport migrants, but the drop-offs raise questions. Under the law, once migrants have been released by border officials and served documents to appear in court, they are no longer in federal custody and are free to travel within the United States. It is not illegal for a state government to pay for that travel. But if there is evidence the migrants were lied to by state officials about where they were going or what awaited them, as some attorneys have alleged, the migrants could pursue tort suits for fraud or severe emotional distress, according to Heidi Li Feldman, a professor at Georgetown University. Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director for Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston who is representing some of the migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard, said his clients were denied their constitutional right to due process, since the trip to Massachusetts likely means they will be unable to attend their immigration court appointments in San Antonio, Texas. “If you are coerced and induced onto an airplane under false promises and told you’ll be flying to one place and directed somewhere else in midair, that is a deprivation of liberty the Constitution forbids,” Mr. Espinoza-Madrigal said. Some lawyers have also said that federal agents deliberately listed incorrect addresses for the migrants, which would prevent them from receiving proper notifications for their immigration hearings. But it was unclear whether any laws were broken; it is not uncommon for a federal agent confronting a migrant who does not have an address in the United States to list the name of a homeless shelter in the destination to which the migrant says they are headed. While critics have compared the actions of Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Abbott to human trafficking or kidnapping, multiple lawyers cast doubt on the possibility that they could be prosecuted for such crimes because no evidence has surfaced that the migrants boarded the flights or buses unwillingly. Top Trump officials first weighed migrant drop-offs. Nonprofit organizations have for years helped migrants pay for flights and buses to join friends and relatives around the United States. But the plan for the government to use migrant drop-offs in Democratic cities and towns dates back to former President Donald J. Trump’s administration, when it was embraced by Stephen Miller, his senior adviser and the architect of his immigration policies. Mr. Miller and other immigration hard-liners in the administration saw the move as a way to retaliate against so-called sanctuary cities that limited their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The idea was ultimately scrapped after it was rejected by Matthew Albence, then the acting deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who raised concerns about liability issues if a migrant was injured during transport. He also said the agency’s budget had not been appropriated for the drop-offs. Critics of the recent migrant drop-offs have made comparisons to the so-called Reverse Freedom Rides arranged by white segregationists in 1962 to retaliate against those protesting segregation in the South. The segregationists misleadingly promised jobs and permanent housing to Black Americans, leading about 200 of them to travel north. Those families, too, were dropped off in Massachusetts, near the holiday home of President John F. Kennedy.

Black Entrepreneurs Face Tough Adventure Landing Venture Capital – St. Louis American https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/black-entrepreneurs-face-tough-adventure-landing-venture-capital-st-louis-american/ Finding more venture capital for minority and women-owned start-up firms could help bolster the region’s business community in many ways, says Doug Villhard, director of Olin Business School’s entrepreneurship program at Washington University in St. Louis. According to a Bloomberg report, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx founders received just 2% or less of the total venture capital in 2021. Just 2% of venture capital money went to female business founders. “This funding gap shortchanges not only underrepresented founders but also the vitality of the entire innovation community,” Villhard said. Villhard and Wash U are partnering with the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy think tank based in Washington, “to develop policy-based solutions for the historically lopsided funding support available to underrepresented minorities and women,” according to a release. A nine-member commission that includes entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and public policy experts will oversee and guide the project while providing input and insight from the perspective of innovation practitioners. The goal is to address questions including: What are the root causes of this inequity? What impact does this have on the economy? What solutions can address it? “Rather than simply talk about the past, this commission intends to identify meaningful public policy solutions to drive more equitable funding, unlock more potential and further spur our economy,” Villhard said.   The project is the second backed by a $750,000 grant to Olin Business School from The Bellwether Foundation. The grant called for three separate annual commissions — formed jointly with Brookings — tackling “megatrend” issues affecting the quality of life in the region and across the country. The first Olin Brookings Commission project concluded in April, and saw participants develop an artificial intelligence-driven tool to flag suspicious shipments of prescription opioids and developed policy recommendations designed to empower the tool’s use among federal agencies, law enforcement and industry. In November, the commission will host a national conference of researchers presenting work focused on unearthing the root causes for disproportionate funding and informing any potential public and private policy solutions to address the yawning gap. The conference will be held at the Brookings Institution. Daniel Elfenbein, professor of organization and strategy at Olin, will serve as chair of the conference. In addition to Villhard and Elfenbein, the project will be led by WashU faculty members Dedric Carter, Olin’s professor of practice in entrepreneurship and WashU’s vice chancellor for innovation and chief commercialization officer; and Gisele Marcus, professor of practice. A key component of the Bellwether funding calls for student involvement. Ming Zhu Wang, a fifth-year Olin PhD student in strategy, will organize related research, along with five entrepreneurship fellows pursuing master’s in business administration degrees, who will assist with planning, research, and feedback. Commission members include: Christine Aylward, founder and managing partner at Magnetic Ventures Charli Cooksey, founder and CEO of WEPOWER Lori Coulter, co-founder and CEO of Summersalt Morgan DeBaun, founder and CEO of Blavity and advisory board member for the Black Economic Alliance Gaurav Garg, founding partner of Wing Venture Capital Lisa Morales-Hellebo, co-founder and general partner at REFASHIOND Ventures Martin Hunt, CEO of Swanlaab USA Ventures Andre Perry, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Akeem Shannon, CEO and founder of Flipstik Commission members will collect and distill data and industry input over several meetings — including the November conference — with plans to release a comprehensive report of its findings and recommendations by April 2023.

Kumail Nanjiani And His Wife: Living Life Immunocompromised Post-COVID – Healthline https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/kumail-nanjiani-and-his-wife-living-life-immunocompromised-post-covid-healthline/ Actor Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon rose to fame by sharing their life story in the Academy Award-nominated movie, The Big Sick, which chronicled their relationship after Emily was diagnosed with a rare illness that greatly compromised her immune system. Image Provided by Up the Antibodies Though it can feel like the entire world has moved on from COVID-19, many immunocompromised Americans still face a high risk for severe illness and death from the virus. A new campaign called Up the Antibodies seeks to give these individuals and their families information and resources to feel safer. Everyone can take steps to make life more livable for all individuals. When stay-at-home orders went into effect around the U.S. to slow the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, people suddenly understood what life has been like for Emily V. Gordon and her husband, Kumail Nanjiani, for nearly two decades. As detailed in The Big Sick, a romantic comedy the two wrote and loosely based on their relationship, they had been dating for less than a year when Gordon was diagnosed with adult-onset Still’s disease in 2006. The rare condition is considered a primary immunodeficiency disorder. Then in 2017, doctors diagnosed Gordon with common variable immunodeficiency. Though she’s received treatments, even low-grade illnesses remain a risk. “That feeling that a lot of able-bodied people felt in March of 2020 — ‘Oh no, we can’t go around. We can’t be around people. They could hurt us’ — some of us live in that place,” Gordon says. Though people may have lived in that place in March of 2020, many Americans have moved on, peeled back their masks, and resumed attending weddings and birthdays. Nanjiani has recently turned down invitations to both, including his father’s 75th birthday. Though Nanjiani and Gordon have remained more isolated than the general population, they’re not alone. Dr. Naomi Jean-Baptiste, the CEO and founder of Hope4Med, says roughly 3% of the U.S. population is moderately or severely immunocompromised. For them, COVID-19 remains a deadly threat, regardless of vaccination status. This reality can be isolating. “Diseases are invisible enemies, and you never know who might be carrying a disease which could be fatal to you,” Jean-Baptiste says. “It can potentially turn into a life and death issue for immunocompromised individuals, not just minor cold or flu-like symptoms.” But Gordon wants to live life again, and she wants other immunocompromised people to feel safer, too. However, what that means can vary and become confusing. Because of this, Gordon and Nanjiani were inspired to participate in the Up the Antibodies campaign with AstraZeneca, a resource for immunocompromised individuals to find information on therapies and treatments. The couple and several healthcare providers discussed life for the immunocompromised and what everyone can do to help keep this vulnerable population physically and mentally safe. Throughout the pandemic, commentators have used the phrase “severely immunocompromised” when discussing COVID-19 risk. The term is vague and typically used in sentences like, “People should feel comfortable getting together indoors for the holidays — except for the immunocompromised.” What qualifies as immunocompromised? Jean-Baptiste says individuals who fall under this umbrella term may have: cancer advanced or untreated HIV received an organ transplant primary immune deficiency (moderate to severe) AIDS or people with severe primary immunodeficiency disorders or diseases Vaccines typically protect people without severely compromised immune systems from the worst outcomes: hospitalization and death. A small 2021 study of 1,210 participants indicated that of the 45 breakthrough infections requiring hospitalization, 20 (44%) were immunocompromised. Forty-four of the 45 breakthrough infections were in individuals over 50. indicated that 12.2% of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 were immunocompromised. Unvaccinated patients with compromised immune systems were more likely to be hospitalized. New boosters to combat the recent Omicron variant, hoping to provide people without compromised immune systems with added protection and confidence heading into the fall and winter. But it’s unclear how much confidence people with severely compromised immune systems — and those who live with them — can have after receiving this booster. It wasn’t tested on any humans, just mice, let alone the severely immunocompromised. “Truthfully, any infection, including COVID, can be deadly,” Jean-Baptiste says. “Vaccinations do not provide 100 percent protection even in people who are not immunocompromised. Now, if you are severely immunocompromised, sometimes your immune system will not even be able to create the ideal response to the vaccinations.” Though Jean-Baptiste says it’s not a guarantee that a body can create the ideal immune response from vaccination, she still recommends individuals with severely compromised immune systems stay up to date with booster shots. Additional precautions should still be taken, too, though. Dr. Brynna Connor, a healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com, recommends: wearing a well-fitting, high quality mask, like an N-95 avoiding crowded, indoor settings and poorly ventilated buildings improving ventilation in indoor environments by opening windows to allow fresh air to circulate wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and thoroughly rinse and then dry them It gets complicated, though. Not all conditions that lead to compromised immune systems are the same, and individuals react differently to COVID-19. These individuals are typically instructed to speak with their doctors, who also often can’t provide definitive answers on their risk of getting COVID-19 and experiencing the worst outcomes. “There is no research on how the vaccine would affect [people with the condition I have],” Gordon says. “The medical advice I got was, ‘Let’s see what happens,’ and a shrug. And that was people doing their best.” Gordon recently began taking long-acting monoclonal antibodies after consulting with her doctor. You may have heard about monoclonal antibodies as a treatment once someone has contracted COVID-19. But long-acting monoclonal antibodies can be given preexposure in two specific cases, including for individuals with severely compromised immune systems. in 2021, the therapy blocks the virus from getting into human cells and replicating. It’s administered in two separate doses and is only available to two specific populations: The severely immunocompromised, who cannot mount an ideal immune response to the vaccine. (However, these individuals should still remain up to date on vaccination and boosters, according to the FDA.) People with a history of adverse reactions to the vaccine (or components of it) who cannot take the vaccine. The FDA says that individuals who received the therapy reduced their risk of developing COVID-19 by 77% compared to people in the placebo group in a primary analysis. “It’s a suit of armor that I am trying to build so I can keep myself safe, go out, do things, and live life,” Gordon says. But awareness of the therapy remains low, even in the medical community, says Dr. Dorry Segev, director of the Center for Surgical and Transplant Applied Research at NYU Langone Health. He hopes the campaign, which also includes a public service announcement from actor Jeff Bridges, who has had cancer and COVID-19 over the last two years, brings more awareness to the option in addition to giving immunocompromised more tools to advocate for themselves and stay safe. “Be aware [of] the options that are available to you,” Segev says. “You may be aware of something that you heard about from other immunocompromised people that your own doctors have not yet heard about and have that as a dialogue. During a virtual event to promote the Up the Antibodies campaign, some panelists joked that not taking precautions would lead people with compromised immune systems to “get sick and create new variants.” It was a tongue-in-cheek, laugh-to-keep-from-crying moment. But Segev says it’s true. The more the virus circulates, the greater the likelihood for more variants that can evade current vaccinations. What’s more, even people who don’t have compromised immune systems themselves may be connected with them. Family members, co-workers, and the person you sit next to on the bus multiple times per week may have health conditions that make COVID-19 more dangerous, and you may not always know about it. Nanjianisays it’s important to remember we’re all in this together. “The idea that we only care about ourselves is harmful,” Nanjiani says. But he also understands that people want to move on and reclaim normalcy. Can there be a compromise? Dr. Jennifer Tseng, FACS, a medical director of breast surgery and a double board certified surgical oncologist at City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, California, says a few steps can make life safer for immunocompromised people. It can also benefit everyone by reducing the risk of vaccine-evading variants. These mitigation efforts include: wearing a mask before and during in-person meetings testing the same day you make contact getting vaccinated and boosted practicing good hand hygiene And Jean-Baptiste agrees with Nanjiani: In public, it’s often unclear who is immunocompromised. “Since it may not be obvious who is immunocompromised or not, treating everyone like they might be immunocompromised is the best way for others to help,” she says. This means taking precautions, such as wearing a mask in public indoor settings around strangers, as a best practice. COVID-19 mi...

Sports Scores, Highlights: Westport Boys Soccer Back Four ‘stellar’ In Victory Against B-P – Fall River Herald News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sports-scores-highlights-westport-boys-soccer-back-four-stellar-in-victory-against-b-p-fall-river-herald-news/ Herald News Staff  |  The Herald News The fall sports season is underway in the Fall River area. Take a look at the highlights from Friday’s local high school action: Boys soccer: Westport at Bristol-Plymouth SCORE: Westport 3, Bristol-Plymouth 0 LOCATION: Bristol-Plymouth DATE: Sept. 16 RECORD: 3-0-0 (0-0-0 in conference) HIGHLIGHTS: Ben Boudria had 1 goal and 1 assist; Hunter Brodeur had 1 goal; Will Quinlan had 1 goal; Coltrane McGonigle had 1 assist; Noah Amaral had 8 saves. “The back four of Marcos Dutra Africano, Ryan Borges, Nick DosVais and Zachary Lopes were stellar in minimizing the attack of Bristol-Plymouth. Bristol Plymouth did a good job of getting players behind the ball as we entered our attacking third of the field, so it took excellent playmaking to get the three goals,” said coach Chris Parker. Westport will host Bishop Connolly on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Girls soccer: Westport vs. South Shore Vocational Technical High School SCORE: Westport 1, South Shore 0 LOCATION: Westport DATE: Sept. 16 RECORD: 1-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Co-captain Korynne Holden had the winning goal, assisted by Julia George. Eighth-grader Cristina D’Attelo had her first clean slate of the season. Westport will be at Bishop Connolly on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Field hockey: Durfee at Brockton SCORE: Durfee 8, Brockton 0 LOCATION: Brockton DATE: Sept. 16 RECORD: 2-0-1 (1-0 in conference) HIGHLIGHTS: “Today was a true team win. We had goals scored by multiple players and only one save was needed to be made by goalie Kailey Hutchinson,” said coach Nicole Henrique. Josie Caine had 2 goals and 1 assist; Toni Freitas had 2 goals and 1 assist; Ellia Delisle had 2 goals; Jia Syronn had 1 goal and 1 assist; Kacey Curran had 1 goal; Brooke Macedo had 1 assist; Shakira Cadet had 1 assist. Durfee hosts Seekonk on Monday, Sept. 19, at 5:15 p.m. Golf: Case High School vs. Bourne SCORE: Bourne 262, Case 315 LOCATION: Touisset Country Club, Swansea DATE: Sept. 16 RECORD: 0-4 (0-3 in Conference) HIGHLIGHTS: In the loss to Bourne, junior Ryan Farrell was the top scorer for the Cardinals with a 46. Sophomore Everett Rego shot a 47 and junior Connor Lloyd shot a 49. Case plays Seekonk on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Chezsports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

Sports Metaverse Company Secures $200 Million Funding – Cointelegraph https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sports-metaverse-company-secures-200-million-funding-cointelegraph/ The company said the funds will support the building of virtual sports cities around the world. 899 Total views 24 Total shares Sports Metaverse startup LootMogul secured a $200 million investment commitment from Gem Global Yield, providing the company a share subscription facility of up to $200 million for a 36-month term following an equity exchange listing.  The company said that the funding is expected to boost the development of LootMogul’s metaverse focused on sports games, including “building meta (virtual) sports cities around the world with real-world benefits, brands & professional athletes on a true cross metaverse & blockchain (multichain) platform on multiple devices such as Oculus, HoloLens, Web, Mobile & Console,” explained the company in a statement. The deal will allow LootMogul to withdraw funds by issuing equity shares to GEM without a minimum drawdown obligation, and allowing the startup to control when and how much funds will be used. The move follows a partnership announced in August with the open-source blockchain DigitalBits for the creation of the MOGUL tokens, a native token for its gaming ecosystem. The token is set to be added with an XDB/MOGUL liquidity pool on the decentralized exchange NicoSwap. With funds of 3.4 billion, GEM has been a source of capital for other startups in the crypto space. In June, the group invested $200 million in the CeDeFi exchange Unizen, and $150 million in the South Africa-based H20 Securities through the sale of the H20N token.

Introducing GroupFund, A New Helping Hand For Developers From GroupGets – Hackster.io https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/introducing-groupfund-a-new-helping-hand-for-developers-from-groupgets-hackster-io/ GroupGets was founded in 2013 to hack minimum order quantities on pre-distribution, electronic components. Like Voltron, DIYers, researchers and thrifty techies have joined together to save thousands of dollars on consumer-grade electronics. The platform eventually evolved to empower independent hardware developers to raise funds to produce their own electronic designs such as AudioMoth, a bioacoustic logger for wildlife monitoring. So far, over 1,000 public and private campaigns have been created raising over $50M. A few of these campaigns such as an open source SoC evaluation board: LoFive, and an accessible, thermal imaging board: tCam-Mini have made their way to a tier-one distributor, and an FPGA favorite, OrangeCrab, is being distributed on Farnell. These campaigns, along with many others, have also stocked the GroupGets store to continue partnerships and keep cool tech in the market. Greg Davill’s Feather-compatible OrangeCrab Michael Welling, founder of Qwerty Embedded Design, has funded several projects through the platform: “GroupGets has been my trusted crowdfunding partner since 2017. Since then I have launched several campaigns and they have always been transparent and knowledgeable. They are perfect for makers that want to validate that their product has a market without more fanfare than is needed. The campaign setup and launch is simple and successful launches can even lead to your product listing with major vendors.” GroupFund was recently created as a new feature to enable developers and conservation technologists to fund innovative projects without the need to ship a product to backers. It’s like a GoFundMe for technological expeditions, but the value delivered has impact beyond the immediate team making the campaign. An AudioMoth deployed in the wild The process of creating a campaign is the same for both GroupGet and GroupFund; the key difference is the goal of the creator. Members seeking to: market test a working, custom PCB design; group buy gadgets with minimum order quantities; and distribute a device to sell and list in the GroupGets store would build a GroupGet campaign. Members that are seeking to fund research; adding software/firmware/hardware features to open source projects; and R&D’ing their own design despite the chip shortage, would build a GroupFund campaign. Both campaign types are able to create and launch for free, with platform and processing charges only applicable if the campaign is successful. (GroupFunders have the added bonus: whether or not the campaign is successful in meeting its milestone, they can keep the funding that was raised overall!) Our Hackster community aims to recruit and hype technologists that push the edge of electronics and conservation efforts as either a GroupGet or GroupFund campaign creator.

The 8 Most Searched Cryptos Of 2022 – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-8-most-searched-cryptos-of-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. The crypto market’s volatility has resulted in several coins going on massive bull runs. Those coins became the talk of the town, and new investors researched them. We were curious about trending cryptos, so we analyzed the market and found the most searched crypto. Each asset trended for different reasons, so reviewed them to find out what made investors curious. Our guide highlights the features and benefits of 8 top searched crypto. The Top 8 Searched Cryptos in 2022 Before we review the 8 most searched cryptos in detail, let’s have a quick look at each. Tamadoge (TAMA) – Overall Most Searched Crypto and Utility Token Battle Infinity (IBAT) – New Highly Searched Metaverse P2E Gaming Platform Lucky Block (LBLOCK) – Most Popular New NFT Competition Platform Terra Classic (LUNC) – Popular Blockchain Protocol Powering Global Payments Ethereum (ETH) – Pioneering Decentralized Application Platform Shiba Inu (SHIB) – Aspiring Ethereum-based Dogecoin Alternative Dogecoin (DOGE) World-Renowned Meme Coin Owned by Elon Musk Bitcoin (BTC) – Trend-Setting Crypto with the Highest Market Capitalization Reviewing the Most Searched Cryptocurrencies This Year Let’s find out more about what made each asset some of the most searched cryptocurrencies. 1. Tamadoge (TAMA) – Overall Most Searched Crypto and Utility Token Tamadoge proved its popularity since the beginning of its presale. Its presale began just over a month ago and has already raised more than $17 million. Initially, the TAMA token was available for $0.01. High demand for Tamadoge resulted in the presale progressing to the final stage — offering TAMA for $0.03. The presale is scheduled to conclude by the end of Q4 2022, but high demand for TAMA may sell out the presale sooner. Tamadoge has been featured in major financial publications such as Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Market Watch, The Economic Times and Coincierge, to name a few. Another key reason for the coin’s growing popularity is its token burn. The developers of this NFT game will burn 5% of all tokens spent on transaction fees in the pet store. That will significantly reduce Tamadoge’s 2 billion coin supply.  Tamadoge’s exposure will extend soon to major exchanges. LBank and Uniswap have announced that they will list TAMA after its crypto presale ends. The coin’s supply will decrease because of token burns but demand will increase due to additional exposure, making TAMA a scarce asset. The best part about Tamadoge is that it enables players to earn TAMA tokens while caring for their digital pets. Players can exercise, feed and breed pets to adulthood and climb the leaderboard as their pets grow into adults. Once adults, the pets compete against other pets in the battle arena. Investors wanting to know more about the most searched cryptocurrency in 2022 can subscribe to the Tamadoge Telegram channel (Admins never DM subscribers first. Be careful of imposters). Visit Tamadoge  2. Battle Infinity (IBAT) – Globally-Known Metaverse P2E Gaming Platform Battle Infinity is a Metaverse game that has flourished since its launch. Its presale was scheduled to last 90 days, but the overwhelming demand for its native token (IBAT) resulted in it selling out within 25 days. This crypto project grew exponentially that even celebrities got involved. Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela and international cricketer Irfan Pathan attended the project’s exchange listing party. Their involvement added to the hype of this project, which was evidenced by the token’s price pump. Because many investors missed out on the presale, they wanted another opportunity to buy IBAT. The coin was listed on PancakeSwap on 17 August 2022, and its price spiked 700% from the presale value. The price has retraced since the rally but is still up by 200% at the time of writing. Battle Infinity’s popularity extended to big publishers such as The Economic Times, Analytics Insight, Bitcoinist and Outlook India.  One of the reasons that IBAT is the most searched cryptocurrency and the best crypto to buy now is because it offers investors rewards. Players can access six platforms and build teams to battle other players for IBAT tokens. Battle Infinity offers battles in IBAT Premier League, Battle Arena or Battle Games. Another platform enabling players to earn tokens is Battle Stake. Players choose solo, duo or crates staking, and the most active players receive rewards from the global staking pool. In the Battle Arena, players explore the Metaverse with VR headsets and interact with other players in real-time. Players can find out more about Battle Infinity’s developments by subscribing to the Telegram channel.  Visit Battle Infinity 3. Lucky Block (LBLOCK) – Top-Rated NFT Competition Platform Lucky Block is an evolving competition platform that has drastically upgraded its rewards. Originally, this NFT project offered watches and exotic vacations, but it has made its draws more mouth-watering by enabling investors to win a Lamborghini, $1 million in Bitcoin and a home worth $1 million. LBLOCK is the native token, which was on most investors’ lips when it started trading on major exchanges. Investors who bought LBLOCK in January 2022 didn’t have to wait long for huge returns as the coin rallied more than 1,100% in the first two weeks of February. Lucky Block initially developed a BEP-20 token, which included a 12% sales tax. The project wanted to spare investors sales tax, so it developed an ERC-20 token, known as LBLOCK V2. The V2 token excluded transaction tax and fees, but it also paved the way for major exchange listings. LBLOCK became one of the top trending cryptos when it was listed on LBank and MEXC. Its latest listing was on Gate.io on 1 September 2022. Lucky Block CEO Scott Ryder announced that more exchange listings would follow. Another major announcement that made headlines was the LBLOCK token burn. Ryder stated that the network was determined to increase the coin’s value and would do so with a monthly token burn. The first burn is scheduled for 30 September 2022. The word about Lucky Block spread even further when the project announced a partnership with professional boxing champion Dillian Whyte. Another champion to join the Lucky Block roster was Florian Marku.   Entering the competitions requires investors to hold the LBLOCK token and access the Platinum Rollers Club NFT. Draws occur daily, and investors won’t incur transaction fees for buying tokens for the draws. Visit Lucky Block  4. Terra Classic (LUNC) – Popular Blockchain Protocol Powering Global Payments The Terra network has received its fair share of publicity and still remains one of the most searched cryptocurrency on Google today. The network was one of the key culprits of the crypto market crash in May 2022. During that crash, Terra (LUNA) lost 99% of its value. The cause for the price plummet was TerraUSD (UST), a supposed stablecoin, losing its peg from the US dollar after holding its value for almost 18 months. Some investors lost their life savings, and the search for Terra and Luna peaked on Google during that time. But Terra has managed to rise from the ashes and rebrand itself into Terra Classic. It’s a proof of stake (PoS) consensus that supports stablecoins and provides convenient global payments. Terra Classic uses an algorithm to manage the supply of stablecoins and maintains its peg with fiat currencies based on demand. LUNC became one of the best crypto to buy according to Reddit and its search peaked again when it announced a 1.2% tax burn. But LUNC gained traction even before the announcement of the token burn as it started pumping at the end of August. The price pump was because the majority of the original validators upgraded to the chains’ new V22 code. That upgrade enabled staking and contained the code for the 1.2% tax burn. Investors who bought Terra Classic at the end of August received 500% returns by 8 September. The global monthly search volume for Terra Classic is 16,0000, with the highest search coming from the Russian Federation. Buy LUNC on eToro Cryptoassets are highly volatile and unregulated. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply. 5. Ethereum (ETH) – Pioneering Decentralized Application Platform Ethereum has always been highly searched since it is the second-biggest coin by market cap. And one of the reasons for that is its various use cases that solve real-world problems.  One of the platform’s main features is smart contracts. It runs on Ethereum’s network and is a collection of codes and data located at a specific network address. Users of smart contracts automate the execution of an agreement when certain conditions are met so all stakeholders immediately know the outcome.  The key appeal of smart contracts is that anonymous parties can participate without using an intermediary. Ethereum’s network is a haven for developers. Thousands of decentralized applications are hosted on this network, which also enables sending, receiving, borrowing and earning interest of global funds. Ethereum has been one of the most volatile cryptos, resulting in several bull runs. It usually follows Bitcoin’s rally and has provided investors with more than 2,000% returns during certain rallies. Although Ethereum has always trended, its online search increased with the announcement of the Ethereum Merge. The network used the original consensus, proof of work (PoW), but decided to migrate to proof of stake. Ethereum claims the reason for the migration was to run a network that is less energy intensive and environmentally friendly. The search for Ethereum Merge increased by 350% recently. The average monthly global searches for ...

U.S. Appeals Court Rules Against Big Tech’s Ability To Regulate Online Speech – Reuters.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-appeals-court-rules-against-big-techs-ability-to-regulate-online-speech-reuters-com/ Facebook, Google and Twitter logos are seen in this combination photo from Reuters files. REUTERS/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 16 (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a Texas law that bars large social media companies from banning or censoring users based on “viewpoint,” a setback for technology industry groups that have argued that the Republican-backed measure would turn platforms into bastions of dangerous content. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling sets up the potential for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the law, which conservatives and right-wing commentators have said is necessary to combat “Big Tech” from suppressing their views. The Texas law was passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature and signed by its Republican governor. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The tech groups on the losing end of Friday’s ruling include NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which count Meta Platform’s (META.O) Facebook, Twitter (TWTR.N) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube as members. The social media companies have sought to preserve rights to regulate user content when they believe it may lead to violence. They have cited concerns that unregulated platforms will enable extremists such Nazi supporters, terrorists and hostile foreign governments. Some conservatives labeled their practices abusive, pointing to Twitter’s permanent suspension of Donald Trump from the platform shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of the former president’s supporters. Twitter had cited “the risk of further incitement of violence” as a reason for the move. The Texas law, known as HB20, forbids social media companies with at least 50 million monthly active users from acting to “censor” users based on “viewpoint,” and allows either users or the Texas attorney general to sue to enforce it. In signing the bill last year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “There is a dangerous movement by some social media companies to silence conservative ideas and values. This is wrong and we will not allow it in Texas.” The industry groups sued to try to block the law, challenging it as a violation of the free speech rights of companies under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Because the 5th Circuit ruling conflicts with part of a ruling by the 11th Circuit, the aggrieved parties have a stronger case for petitioning the Supreme Court to hear the matter. In May, the 11th Circuit found that most of a similar Florida law violates the companies’ free speech rights and cannot be enforced. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NAVSEA Tech Refresh Increases Productivity For Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard – DVIDS https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/navsea-tech-refresh-increases-productivity-for-pearl-harbor-naval-shipyard-dvids/ Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) goal to transform digital capability through the Naval Sustainment System-Shipyards (NSS-SY) program offers an important edge for increased production across the U.S. Navy’s four public shipyards. With the oversight of the Information Technology (IT) pillar of NSS-SY, new and improved laptops are expected to fill the workspaces of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) by year’s end – an IT refresh and upgrade that is highly anticipated. “The new laptops are part of a larger, Navy-wide tech refresh effort,” said Fletch Vynne, of Boston Consulting Group, the contractor that oversees implementation of NSS-SY at all four public shipyards. “With older laptops, we observed slow boot up times, computer crashes and program latency.” The acquisition of new laptops are part of a two-phase approach that will replace laptops no longer supported by Microsoft beyond November 2022. The second phase will see an influx of new laptops to replace low-performing models, according to Vynne. Currently, PHNSY & IMF has received more than 3,800 new and faster desktops and laptops since February 2021 and is scheduled to refresh the remaining 1,200 computers by the end of 2022. The new laptops have 512 GB solid-state drives with 16 GB RAM, which is a significant improvement in performance time and durability over the old hard disk drives, according to Darwin Uesato, IT Strategies & Client Services Division Head. “This accomplishment will significantly reduce wasted time for users waiting every day for computers to boot up, and will process information faster, making the workforce more efficient and productive,” Uesato said. This efficiency has decreased service times PHNSY customers. With the new refreshed laptops, appointments that used to take closer to 45 minutes now average between 20-25 minutes, according to Daniel Bumanglag, Information Technology Specialist, Cellular Device Team. “The new laptops enable our cellular device team to deliver appointment sessions in half the time,” said Bumanglag. “We’re able to pass the time savings back to the employee so they can get back to the mission of keeping the fleet ‘Fit to Fight.” According to Uesato, a key success factor of this NSS-SY IT pillar initiative incorporates building strategic relationships with U.S. Pacific Fleet, whose leadership and support throughout the Indo-Pacific region provides the shipyard with access to the right IT tools that are crucial in performing our mission of ship modernization, maintenance and repair. PHNSY & IMF is a field activity of NAVSEA and a one-stop regional maintenance center for the Navy’s surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii, with a combined civilian, military and contractor workforce of approximately 7,100. It is the most comprehensive fleet repair and maintenance facility between the U.S. West Coast and the Far East, strategically located in the heart of the Pacific, being about a week’s steaming time closer to potential regional contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.

Shotwell Named County HRM Director – Http://www.rrspin.com/ https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/shotwell-named-county-hrm-director-http-www-rrspin-com/ Details Lance Martin County Page 16 September 2022 126 Halifax County announced that Senior Human Resources Analyst Kristin Shotwell has been selected as the new human resources management director. She began her new job Thursday. With former director Renee Perry’s selection as deputy county manager in June, a recruitment and interview process was conducted to find her replacement.  Shotwell began her employment with Halifax County in August 2020 as a senior human resources analyst.  She has more than 18 years of experience in benefit administration and human resources and nine years of experience in local government, including previous employment with Northampton County and the city of Hampton, Virginia. “Mrs. Shotwell has experience as a human resources director in another North Carolina county, so she is well prepared to step into this new role,” said County Manager Dia Denton. “This promotion should allow for a smooth transition for the department, and I also look forward to her joining my management team.” A native of Yorktown, Virginia, Shotwell received her bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in marketing from Christopher Newport University.  She currently resides in Roanoke Rapids with husband Jamie and two children, her daughter Kylie, 18, and her son Peyton, 15.

Awaiting A Refund For A Vantage Cruise That Was Canceled In 2020 – Miami Herald https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/awaiting-a-refund-for-a-vantage-cruise-that-was-canceled-in-2020-miami-herald/ Croatia offers picturesque views. Q: Back in 2019, I made a reservation for me and my wife to go on Vantage Travel’s “Croatia & Culinary Gems of the Adriatic Coast” tour. Other members of our family were also planning to join us on this trip. I made the final payment of $20,655 for our trip in Oct. 2019. As part of the cost of the trip, I paid $999 per person for a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance policy from Trip Mate. Part of the reason I had booked it was in case my sister-in-law’s cancer returned. Unfortunately, it did, and she died before the trip. In early 2020, we canceled our tour and initiated a refund request through Vantage Travel. I also submitted a claim to Trip Mate. Because of the pandemic, Vantage canceled our tour before its scheduled departure. Trip Mate reviewed the claim and approved it in mid-2020, but said payment would be made by Vantage. I have emailed Vantage multiple times and have made several phone calls. Twice on those phone calls, a representative provided the projected dates of when we would receive a refund. However, we have not received any refund or a written assurance as to when we will receive one. Can you help me get my $20,655 back? — David Maddox, Arlington, Virginia A: I’m so sorry about the loss of your sister-in-law. You should have received a quick refund on your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses after Trip Mate approved your claim. I don’t know why you didn’t, but I know you aren’t alone. Many travelers had the same problem during the early days of the pandemic. It was a confusing time. You handled this one by the book. You bought the correct insurance for your needs. A “cancel for any reason” policy will allow you to cancel your vacation for any reason and receive a partial refund. But, some restrictions apply. Your Trip Mate policy, however, was a little different from the standard “cancel for any reason” policy. It lets you cancel, and you’ll receive your entire prepaid, nonrefundable trip cost “in the form of a Vantage Travel Certificate for the cancellation penalty amount.” So, the best you could have done was a voucher. But, Vantage also canceled your cruise. In that situation, you should have had a choice between a voucher and a refund. It looks like things got confused between your claim, the Vantage cancellation and your refund request. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Vantage executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/vantage-deluxe-world-travel/. A brief, polite email to one of them might have “un-confused” the process. Bottom line: You should not have to wait years for a company to refund your purchase. I contacted Vantage on your behalf, and it refunded your cruise. Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.

The 5:00 News – Business School Dean Resigns, Hedgepeth Arrest Anniversary, And More – Chapelboro.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-500-news-business-school-dean-resigns-hedgepeth-arrest-anniversary-and-more-chapelboro-com/ 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey present the 5:00 news, including UNC Business School Dean Doug Shackelford’s resignation, the anniversary of the arrest in the Hedgepeth case, and more. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: RSS

Research Shows Spirituality Linked To Better Heart Health Among African Americans – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/research-shows-spirituality-linked-to-better-heart-health-among-african-americans-milwaukee-courier-weekly-newspaper/ By Karen Stokes Church attendance and prayer may boost heart health among African American adults, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study shows nearly 3000 African American adults, who reported more frequent church attendance, private prayer and “feeling God’s presence” were more likely to meet the American Heart Association’s key metrics for optimal cardiovascular health, compared to others reporting less frequent religious participation or no such beliefs. The key metrics for optimal cardiovascular health according to the American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 metrics are based on smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and fasting glucose with an 8th metric, sleep. The Jackson Heart Study is the largest single-site, community-based investigation of cardiovascular disease among African American adults in the U.S. On average, participants were 54 years old at study enrollment, and 66% were women. The ongoing study, initiated in 1998, includes more than 5,000 adults ages 21- to 84-years-old who identify as African American and living in the tri-county area of Jackson, Mississippi. Pastor Veloris Brooks-Mann, Chaplaincy Program Coordinator with the Salvation Army Milwaukee County, believes strong religious beliefs have beneficial impact on heart health. Veloris and Frank Mann (Photo/Veloris Mann) “It truly does, my story is I went to the hospital with 90% clogged arteries needing triple bypass surgery. I believed in God and believed that God sustained me all those months. I wasn’t feeling good and wasn’t getting the care I needed. God sustained me and kept me until the doctors found out what was wrong with me because after they found what was wrong with me the doctor told me I probably had about a week left then the mass heart attack would have taken me out. I believe that was due only to faith and prayer that God did not let that happen,” Veloris said. According to the American Heart Associations’ 2017 “Cardiovascular Health in African Americans” scientific statement, African Americans have poorer overall cardiovascular health than non-Hispanic white people, and death from cardiovascular diseases is higher in African American adults than white adults. “Spirituality improves your quality of life because you have a source or resource which is God in order to cast your cares on,” Veloris said. Throughout scripture, there are over 100 Bible verses from the Old and New Testament on God’s guidance to good health, as it is considered of high importance. Two scriptures that Veloris and her husband Frank Mann look to are 3 John 1:2 and Hebrews 12:11. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. This is for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 “This gives the three components you need and one of them is good health,” said Frank. “I’ve been training since I was 15 in health and fitness, I’m a professional bodybuilder but the key thing is you have to have discipline. I believe if you take care of yourself, if you do your part, the Lord is always going to do his.” Doing his part, Frank at 53, recently placed top 5 in the 2022 IFBB Pro League World at the Masters BodyBuilding Competition in July 2022. He has been dedicated and disciplined for 40 years in health and fitness. “I did that competition to show everybody you can still achieve good health you just have to put in the work,” said Frank. This is the only body that we have. We need to make health a priority.” “Health professionals and researchers should acknowledge the importance of religious and spiritual influences in the lives of African Americans – who tend to be highly religious,” said the study’s lead author LaPrincess C. Brewer, M.D., M.P.H., a preventive cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “With religious and spiritual beliefs factored into our approaches, we may make major breakthroughs in fostering the relationship between patients and physicians and between community members and scientists to build trust and sociocultural understanding of this population.” “Our findings highlight the substantial role that culturally tailored health promotion initiatives and recommendations for lifestyle change may play in advancing health equity,” she added. “The cultural relevance of interventions may increase their likelihood of influencing cardiovascular health and also the sustainability and maintenance of healthy lifestyle changes.” Frank is also a personal trainer. His mission is to help the people of God live a healthier life through the Word of God. He believes that we are to be in good health and shape for the Bible refers many times to the condition of the WHOLE man/person. “Health and spirituality go hand in hand,” Frank said. Frank and Veloris have a heart to guide people to better health. To reach Frank for Church Group Fitness call Faith and Glory Fitness (414) 252-4855. “This is especially important for socioeconomically disenfranchised communities faced with multiple challenges and stressors. Religiosity and spirituality may serve as a buffer to stress and have therapeutic purposes or support self-empowerment to practice healthy behaviors and seek preventive health services,” Brewer said.

The Best Spatulas For Eggs, According To A Chef – Food & Wine https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-best-spatulas-for-eggs-according-to-a-chef-food-wine/ We love the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula Set for its comfortable handle, ease of cleaning, and ability to tackle any style of eggs, from scrambled to over-easy. Published on September 16, 2022 We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Making scrambled eggs is where many of us start our cooking journeys — and it’s also when we discover that the tools and equipment we use in the kitchen have a big impact on the food we cook. No matter what time of day it is, eggs are a versatile and inexpensive protein to incorporate into meals, but to cook them well, the right spatula is just as important as the right pan. The type of spatula you choose for making eggs is dependent on both the style of egg you’re cooking and the pan you’re cooking it in, so we’ve rounded up a variety of offerings that will enable you to get delicious results every time. From silicone to metal, here are our top choices for crafting everything from expertly-flipped fried eggs to the perfect poach, starting with our winner: the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula Set. Our Picks Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula Set Best Budget: Joie Lil Flip Egg Spatula Best for Scrambled Eggs: Rubbermaid High-Heat Silicone Spatula Best for Omelets: OXO Good Grips Flexible Omelet Turner Best for Flipping: Di Oro Chef Series Standard Flexible Turner Spatula Best Metal: Mann Kitchen Professional Grade Stainless Steel Spatula Best for Poached Eggs: Tenta Kitchen Stainless Steel Skimming Spatula Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula Set Also available at OXO. Pros: This set is versatile, comfortable to hold, a good value, and easy to clean and store. Cons: One of the spatulas is white, which might show stains. In our test kitchen, our professional product testers analyzed a variety of spatulas, and this set was named the winner of best versatility because it “has everything you’d want in a set, covering all bases for whatever you need it for.” We selected it as our best overall pick for spatulas for eggs because its versatility makes it perfect for flipping a single egg, scrambling a large batch, and turning an omelet with ease. The set comes with three spatulas, including a mini curved one, a large curved one, and a medium-sized spoon spatula. The only con is that one of them is white, which might show stains over time but isn’t a dealbreaker in our book. Our testers said that the spatulas were easy to clean, comfortable to hold, and that the “handle length felt really proportional.” The spoon spatula also works to scoop for serving, so that you don’t need to dirty an additional utensil, and the flat-ended ones can also be used for bowl scraping and mixing. Material: Silicone and nylon Length: 13.5 inches Care: Dishwasher-safe Best Budget: Joie Lil Flip Egg Spatula Pros: It’s affordable, easy to store, family-friendly, and suitable for flipping eggs. Cons: It’s on the smaller side, so it’s not the best fit for large batches. Not your average spatula: This utensil has holes on the surface and a cute egg on the handle, but most importantly, it performs well with small foods like eggs. It’s sturdy, safe on nonstick cookware, and heat resistant up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For kids looking to help in the kitchen or young people learning their first dishes, it’s an excellent option for them to use as it has a fun design and fits nicely in little hands. Because of its compact size, this spatula is best for cooking one or two eggs at a time rather than a large pan-full. Material: Nylon Length: 7.87 inches Care: Hand-wash Best for Scrambled Eggs: Rubbermaid High-Heat Silicone Spatula Pros: We love the blade’s divet that allows you to rest the spatula on the pan while patiently waiting for your eggs to cook. Cons: The white blade discolors over time. As our favorite choice for scrambled eggs, the Rubbermaid silicone spatula has a cool-touch handle that keeps your hands from overheating as you stir — not to mention, a staple in professional kitchens. The divet on the blade allows you to set the spatula down on a bowl, a pan, or a resting spoon without creating a mess, and it’s heat resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, so you don’t have to worry about it burning or melting if it’s against a pan for a few moments. If you prefer longer handles, there are two other size options available. Material: Silicone Length: 9.5 inches Care: Dishwasher-safe Related: We Tested the Best Egg Pans for Perfect Omelets, Scrambled Eggs, and More Best for Omelets: OXO Good Grips Flexible Omelet Turner Also available at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Pros: It has a long blade with a thin edge, so it easily slides under delicate foods. Cons: It’s not the most suitable for cooking eggs in other ways. Mastering a quality omelet is no easy task, but with the right spatula, you can achieve a flawless fold. This OXO Good Grips turner has a silicone blade with the perfect balance of flexibility and firmness to ensure your omelet holds together and doesn’t spill out. We appreciate its thin edge, as it helps you effortlessly slide under so no eggy bits get left behind as you flip. Heat safe up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, the spatula is also great for cooking fish and other long, narrow foods. Material: Silicone and stainless steel Length: 13.4 inches Care: Dishwasher-safe Best for Flipping: Di Oro Chef Series Standard Flexible Turner Spatula Pros: The blade is wide and heat-resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Cons: It’s slightly unwieldy compared to other options. There’s nothing worse than breaking an egg yolk while flipping it over. To prevent this from happening, you want a wide spatula that lets you get nearly the entire egg encased on it to keep your yolk safe, and that’s where this Di Oro turner excels. The blade is three inches wide, thin enough to slide under eggs, and is heat resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The entire spatula is made from durable stainless steel and then the blade and handle are encased with silicone that’s safe for both your food and cookware. Material: Silicone and stainless steel Length: 11.8 inches Care: Dishwasher-safe Best Metal: Mann Kitchen Professional Grade Stainless Steel Spatula Pros: This heavy-duty spatula is great for flipping eggs on flat-top griddles and cast iron pans. Cons: It’s not compatible with nonstick cookware. If you’re making eggs in a cast iron pan or on a griddle, a silicone spatula might not be strong enough to get underneath them completely. This Mann Kitchen spatula is up for that task, and it’s large enough that you can make a family-sized scramble in a snap. Thanks to its heavy-duty construction, it’s designed to last for years and can handle a variety of cooking tasks. It’s the right size and shape for making smash burgers and sturdy enough for flipping large steaks. It’s important to note that stainless steel spatulas are not compatible with nonstick cookware. Material: Stainless steel and wood Length: 11.5 inches Care: Hand-wash Related: We Cooked 68 Omelets to Test the Best Nonstick Pans—These Are Our Favorites Best for Poached Eggs: Tenta Kitchen Stainless Steel Skimming Spatula Pros: It has a curved blade with slots, making it ideal for scooping eggs from hot water. Cons: The edges are fairly sharp, so be careful when storing and grabbing it. The Tenta Kitchen spatula is our favorite option for poached eggs because it’s ideal for scooping and draining food from hot liquids. The stainless steel slotted spatula is a nice balance of flat and curved, so it’s easy to locate your eggs and remove them from the water. This type of spatula is also useful for straining foods, such as pasta and beans, and when removing fried foods from hot oil. The long handle ensures that you won’t have to get too close to piping hot water, broth, or oil. Material: Stainless steel Length: 13 inches Care: Dishwasher safe Our Favorite We selected the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula Set as our best overall pick because it’s an excellent value, easy to use and clean, and enables you to cook numerous different types of egg styles without issue. When analyzed in our test kitchen by professionals, it earned a 4.8/5 rating for its versatility and comfortable handle. Factors to Consider Type of Eggs How do you like your eggs cooked? That popular diner question should be your main consideration when deciding on which spatula is right for you. If you prefer oozy sunny-side-up eggs or over-easy eggs, a wide spatula is a must. For omelet fans, you’ll want a spatula with a long, narrow blade and a thin edge. Scrambled egg lovers should reach for silicone spatulas that work well with nonstick pans. Pan Material Silicone spatulas are flexible and work nicely on most types of pans, while stainless steel ones offer superior durability but can’t be used with nonstick cookware. Because eggs are a notoriously sticky food, you’ll want to cook them in a pan that doesn’t present challenges. For most, that means a nonstick one, which makes silicone a top choice for many. Versatility While there’s plenty to be said for one-use tools when you have a niche need, spatulas for eggs can be used for so much more than whipping up breakfast. Some spatulas also work well for grilling, while others are great for mixing up cake and brownie batters. No matter what spatula you choose to make your eggs with, we can guarantee that it will come in handy for many other cooking situations. Q+A Do eggs stick to silicone spatulas? No, eggs shouldn’t stick to silicone spatulas. The biggest advantage of silicone material is that liquids and solids slide off it easily, including eggs. What’s the best way to fry an egg? The best way to...

Binance Partners With Ukrainian Supermarket Chain To Accept Crypto Through Pay Wallet. – Cointelegraph https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/binance-partners-with-ukrainian-supermarket-chain-to-accept-crypto-through-pay-wallet-cointelegraph/ Customers who use the Binance Pay Wallet to pay for their orders will be eligible to enter a rewards program. 311 Total views 6 Total shares Binance announced Friday that it has partnered with the Ukrainian supermarket chain VARUS, saying it will enable cryptocurrency payments for grocery purchases through its Binance Pay Wallet.  The grocery store is one of the largest companies in Ukraine with over 111 stores across 28 cities in the country. The company said that this partnership will allow its customers to access instant cryptocurrency payments and fast delivery in 9 cities in Ukraine, namely; Kyiv, Dnipro, Kamianske, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Brovary, Nikopol, Vyshhorod, and Pavlograd. The companies have also announced a “reward fund promotion”, where customers who order anything from the VARUS Delivery program worth over UAH 500 and pay with Binance Pay, will be rewarded with UAH 100. A month ago, a Ukrainian POS and crypto payments company called Whitepay, rolled out a new program that enabled Ukrainians to purchase electronics and other products with cryptocurrency. In attendance at this year’s Kyiv Tech Summit hosted on Sept 6 -9 in Ukraine, Ethereum Founder Vitalik shared that: “Ukraine could well become the next Web3 hub”. He shared: “A country can become a Web3 hub if its citizens are actively interested in this technology and decide to make a major contribution to its development,” Buterin added. “Ukraine has both the capabilities and the determination to do this.”

Credit Suisse Settles U.S. Shareholder Lawsuit Over Risk Exposure, Archegos – Reuters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/credit-suisse-settles-u-s-shareholder-lawsuit-over-risk-exposure-archegos-reuters/ The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland September 2, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com NEW YORK, Sept 16 (Reuters) – Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) reached a $32.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit accusing the Swiss bank of misleading shareholders about how well it managed risk, including its exposure to “high-risk” clients such as Archegos Capital Management. A preliminary settlement of the proposed class action was filed on Friday with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, and requires a judge’s approval. The bank was accused of playing “a kind of high-finance game of Russian roulette” by letting hedge funds and other “prime” customers make risky, multi-billion dollar bets with its credit, despite publicly pledging a “core commitment” to managing its risk limits, risk oversight and credit exposure. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Credit Suisse’s “laissez-faire” approach led to at least $5.5 billion of losses, including from the collapses of Archegos and British financier Greensill Capital, causing shareholders to lose money as the price of its American depositary shares fell, court papers alleged. The bank denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. It said in a statement that it was pleased to resolve the lawsuit. Credit Suisse has dubbed 2022 a “transition” year as it reduces risk-taking, and installed restructuring expert Ulrich Koerner as chief executive. read more Archegos’ collapse caused about $10 billion of losses at banks and wiped out more than $100 billion of shareholder value. The lawsuit was led by a Michigan pension fund, the City of St. Clair Shores Police & Fire Retirement System. Its lawyers plan to seek up to 27.5% of the settlement amount, or about $8.9 million, for legal fees. The case is City of St. Clair Shores Police & Fire Retirement System v Credit Suisse Group AG, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 21-03385. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Emergency Services: Sept. 16, 2022 – The Globe | News, Weather, Sports From Worthington, Minnesota – The Globe https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/emergency-services-sept-16-2022-the-globe-news-weather-sports-from-worthington-minnesota-the-globe/ Correction In the Sept. 14 edition of the Globe, Gary Hoffmann’s name was spelled incorrectly in “Turkey traditions: 50 years of King Turkey Day racers.” Also, an accompanying photo was taken by Lew Hudson. Ambulance 10:21 p.m. Tuesday: 1300 block of Eighth Avenue, Worthington, adult female, unspecified. 1:14 p.m. Thursday: 800 block of Oxford Street, Worthington, adult female fell and was having a seizure. Crashes WPD: crash without injuries, 3:31 p.m. Tuesday, Worthington. WPD: two-vehicle crash with injuries, 3:27 p.m. Thursday, South Clifton Avenue and Oxford Street. Worthington Ambulance and Rescue dispatched to scene. NCSO: car vs. semi crash with injuries, 1:21 p.m. Friday, Minnesota 60 at Brewster. Dispatched were the Worthington ambulance, Brewster Rescue, Worthington Rescue, Adrian Ambulance, Sanford Air and Avera Air. Police WPD: issued six junk car notices at Worthington properties, Tuesday morning. WPD: received a report of crim sex, 3:43 p.m. Tuesday, Worthington. NCSO: received a report of assault, Tuesday, Wilmont. WPD: property damage, 6:26 p.m. Tuesday, 1000 block of Elmwood Avenue. WPD: property damage, 8:11 p.m. Tuesday, 1200 block of Douglas Avenue. WPD: issued six junk car notices at Worthington properties, Wednesday morning. NCSO: report of order for protection violation, 8:50 a.m. Wednesday. WPD: harassing communication, 3:14 p.m. Wednesday, 1000 block of Ryan’s Road. WPD: illegal dumping, 3:42 p.m. Wednesday, 1600 block of Second Avenue. WPD: missing person, 3:43 p.m. Wednesday, 900 block of North Crailsheim Road. WPD: illegal dumping, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday. WPD: assault, 7:16 p.m. Wednesday, 1000 block of Ryan’s Road. WPD: trespassing, 8:34 p.m. Wednesday, 1200 block of Ryan’s Road. WPD: dog bite, 8:17 p.m. Wednesday, 1000 block of Humiston Avenue. NCSO: dog bite, 9:21 a.m. Thursday, 22000 block of U.S. 59. NCSO: theft of trailer, 10:53 a.m. Thursday, 11000 block of Bird Avenue, Leota. WPD: assault, 11:48 a.m. Thursday, 1700 block of Minnesota 60. WPD: report of crim sex, 2:52 p.m. Thursday. WPD: shoplifting, 4:37 p.m. Thursday, 1000 block of Ryan’s Road. WPD: dog bite, 6 p.m. Thursday, 1100 block of Humiston Avenue. WPD: property damage, 6:20 p.m. Thursday, 500 block of Oxford Street. WPD: drugs, 8:42 p.m. Thursday, 2100 block of Nobles Street. NCSO: reports order for protection violation, 9:19 a.m. Friday. WPD: property damage, 9:33 p.m. Thursday, 1500 block of Darling Drive. WPD: reports order for protection violation, 10:49 a.m. Friday, 2300 block of East Avenue.

Why The Metaverse? – Fast Company https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/why-the-metaverse-fast-company/ Fast Company Follow Login Co.Design Tech Work Life News Impact Podcasts Video Live EventInnovation Festival IF360IF360 Subscribe FastCo Works AWS Genpact IBM Homepage Co.Design Tech Work Life News Impact Podcasts Video Live Event Innovation Festival IF360 Subscribe Help Center fastco works AWS Deloitte Dept Elevate Prize EY IBM Klarna Visa FastCo Works An award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell brand stories through Fast Company’s distinctive lens FC Executive Board collections Fast Government The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good Most Innovative Companies Fast Company’s annual ranking of businesses that are making an outsize impact Most Creative People Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways World Changing Ideas New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine–even an entirely new economic system Innovation By Design Celebrating the best ideas in business Newsletter Events Innovation Festival Courses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent Issue SUBSCRIBE Follow us: advertisement advertisement Video Tech Tech Do these 3 things to blaze through Gmail each morning Tech ORBITS Act: What to know about Congress’ effort to clean up space debris Tech BeReal is the hottest social media app right now—so of course TikTok is copying it News News Wildly popular video game ‘Genshin Impact’ will be transformed into an anime show News Mothers with young children have returned to work at record levels, but it’s an uneven recovery News At this year’s NYFW, crypto and Web3 take the spotlight in the world of haute couture Co.Design Co.Design How TikTok’s pushy watermark boosted its brand—and hurt Instagram Co.Design This designer thinks AI-powered, customized jeans are the future Co.Design Moshe Safdie’s unrealized dream for Habitat 67 may finally be coming true Work Life Work Life Fixing bureaucracy requires more than a month-long sprint. Here’s why Work Life We all know about ‘quiet quitting.’ Now there’s ‘quiet firing,’ too Work Life 6 qualities that will get you hired, no matter the job

Microsoft Edge News Feed Infiltrated By Tech Support Scammers – TechRadar https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/microsoft-edge-news-feed-infiltrated-by-tech-support-scammers-techradar/ Home News Software (Image credit: Microsoft) Scammers are planting malicious advertisements in the Microsoft Edge news feed, according to new research from antivirus and VPN provider Malwarebytes. In a blog post (opens in new tab) by its threat intelligence team, the company claims that the scheme, set up to “direct victims to tech support scam pages”, has been in motion for at least two months. This particular scam operation has been particularly effective because of Microsoft Edge’s news feed doubling as the web browser’s homepage, increasing the chances that users may be lured by “shocking or bizarre stories” that have been placed there by attackers. Fake news in Microsoft Edge Once a user has clicked on a false news story, a script is run to decide if a user should be targeted by the scam. According to Malwarebytes, the script aims to filter out “bots, VPNs, and geolocations that are not of interest,” and that these machines are instead sent to a harmless decoy page. “This scheme is meant to trick innocent users with fake browser locker pages, very well known and used by tech support scammers”, wrote Malwarebytes, in reference to the scourge of malvertising, whereby threat actors serve up fake advertisements to users in order to compromise their devices. The scam operation relies on an ever-changing list of malicious domains served up by DigitalOcean’s cloud-based web hosting infrastructure, making the threat difficult to stamp out completely. Malwarebytes claimed that, over the course of 24 hours, over 200 different hostnames were being used to scam tech support pages. It also noted the considerable efforts to obscure identifying information (known as fingerprinting) about servers and devices involved in the campaign. The company did, however, connect one of the collected domains, previously reported as suspicious (opens in new tab), to Sumit Kalra, listed as a director for “Mws Software Services Private Limited”, a Delhi-based company working in “Computer and related activities”. It also linked Kalra to a number of other domains involved with this particular campaign, which Malwarebytes has said is “one of the biggest we are seeing in terms of telemetry noise”.  TechRadar Pro has asked Kalra, Mws Software Services Private Limited, and Microsoft for comment. Default browsers and malvertising Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows 10 and 11, making it a prime target for scammers looking to target the largest number of unsuspecting users who are less aware of what measures they can take to stay secure online. Users looking to protect themselves from fake tech support scams and other threat actors may wish to install one of the best free VPNs, consider an anonymous web browser, or simply change their Microsoft Edge homepage from the default news feed. They should also maintain a healthy skepticism when interacting with content from an unfamiliar or disreputable source. If a news story sounds too good to be true, thinking twice before clicking on it can go a long way. Clicking on a fake advertisement can result in a device being infected with malware. But scammers sometimes just want users to believe they’ve been infected, and follow through with what the page is requesting of them. This may be to call a certain phone number, or send money to an unknown actor – the latter being a form of ransomware.  To stay safe, users should also be vigilant about the pages making these requests. Usually, it’s antivirus software, not a web browser, that reports on threats to a device’s security.  Here’s a list of the best VPNs for PCs Luke Hughes holds the role of Graduate Writer at TechRadar Pro, producing news, features and deals content across topics ranging from computing to cloud services, cybersecurity, data privacy and business software.