Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data Technology Bezos Rocket Fails During Liftoff Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce
Seattle DJC.com Local Business News And Data – Technology – Bezos Rocket Fails During Liftoff – Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/seattle-djc-com-local-business-news-and-data-technology-bezos-rocket-fails-during-liftoff-seattle-daily-journal-of-commerce/
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos’ rocket company has suffered its first launch failure. No one was aboard, only science experiments.
The Blue Origin rocket blasted off from West Texas on Monday. Barely a minute into the flight, bright yellow flames shot out from around the single engine.
. . .
Its Time For New Leadership At Denton Appraisal District Denton Record Chronicle
It’s Time For New Leadership At Denton Appraisal District – Denton Record Chronicle https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/its-time-for-new-leadership-at-denton-appraisal-district-denton-record-chronicle/
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Extreme Travel Experiences Growing In Popularity NewsNation Now
Extreme Travel Experiences Growing In Popularity – NewsNation Now https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/extreme-travel-experiences-growing-in-popularity-newsnation-now/
(NewsNation) — Taking a vacation no longer necessarily means lounging on a beach. Mysterious realms of the planet are being revealed like never before, with some saying extreme vacations are becoming more accessible to the average person.
Even with prices bordering on steep, people are still booking trips to all ends of the Earth. From deep sea dives costing anywhere from $45,000 to $250,000 to climbing Mount Everest for anywhere from $30,000 to $160,000 or visiting the North and South Pole for around $7,775, people appear to be hungry for unusual, challenging travel experiences following the pandemic.
Extreme travel options include a nearly $20,000 cruise around the world that hits about 50 destinations or a visit to the Titanic’s shipwreck, two miles below the ocean surface.
Sandra McLemore, a travel industry expert, appeared on “NewsNation Prime” to discuss the exotic travel choices gaining popularity.
“It’s not really a new thing. I think it’s the fact that we missed it. When you take something away from somebody, they just want it even more afterwards,” she said.
McLemore says there are some phenomenal travel experiences out there for nearly every budget.
Starting on the high end, McLemore says she’s seen “people chartering planes and literally flying around the world one step at a time, wherever their heart or their place will take them. I’ve seen people doing world cruises of 164 days. I’ve seen people going on expeditions to Antarctica and playing with penguins.”
For those on a budget, she says, there’s a 111-day world cruise that has 50 different destinations and comes with a twist.
“What most people don’t know is that you can actually purchase a segment of the cruise. World cruises are often broken into 14-day segments. So, it’s just a matter of picking which segment of the world you want to cruise and taking yourself on a portion of that world cruise for a fraction of the price,” McLemore said.
And while “it’s not realistic for people to rent a jet or charter a plane … what most people don’t know is that companies like JSX, they’re just one of the very many private air companies. You can fly private for around $200 a flight per person right here in America. You still get that luxury feeling and that exclusive experience, but you’re not breaking the bank.”
McLemore says there are a few spots in particular where the dollar can really stretch on vacation.
“If you were traditionally on a Holiday Inn budget, you could really get something luxurious in somewhere like Bali, Indonesia, South America, Costa Rica or even Mexico. There are some great places where your dollar stretches further, and you really can step into luxury,” McLemore said.
McLemore recommends booking with a professional travel advisor to help find the best value experiences.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs Business News — Sept. 12, 2022 – KSST https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/christus-mother-frances-hospital-sulphur-springs-business-news-sept-12-2022-ksst/
By Jennifer Heitman, Senior Market Development, CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs, [email protected]
Sulphur Springs, Texas, September 12, 2022 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs has ONE mission: To Extend the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ.
Register Now for Free Mammogram
If you are an uninsured woman over the age of 40, you can register now for a FREE mammogram at the Ruth & Jack Gillis Women’s Center, a part of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Sulphur Springs. We are partnering with the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation (HCHCF) to provide a limited number of free mammograms reserved on a first- come, first-served basis. In addition to the $10,000 raised through the third annual Designer Handbag Bingo held in August, CMF–SS President Paul Harvey announced at the bingo event that the hospital would match the $10,000 pledged by the Foundation. In addition, Bingo players generously donated to help with this popular outreach program- another $2,168! The clinic will
run for two Saturdays, October 15 and October 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eligible women wishing to be included in the free mammogram clinic should call 903-438-4325 to make an appointment.
Beat the heat final winners Janice Thompson and Wanda Moore
New Orthopedic Hand Surgeon
We are excited to welcome to our CHRISTUS family, Dr. Christian Douthit. Dr. Douthit graduated from medical school and did an internship in General Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He performed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Science Center before completing a Fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at the Hand Center of San Antonio. Dr. Douthit cares for patients of all ages and is particularly interested in hand-to-shoulder problems, peripheral nerve surgery, orthopedic trauma, and sports injuries. Dr. Douthit will see patients at CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, located at 103 Medical Circle, Sulphur Springs, TX, 75482. For more information, please
call 903.885.6688.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation
We want to publicly congratulate the final two winners of the Cardio/Pulmonary “Beat the Heat” challenge: Janice Thompson and Wanda Moore. CHRISTUS is proud of our patients’ dedication
to their health. Way to go!
Free Student Athlete Injury Clinic Continues
CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of Sulphur Springs continues to offer a FREE Saturday Athletic Injury Clinic for student athletes. The clinic is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 am. through November 12. Student athletes from 7th grade to college age will be able to get a free exam and x-ray to determine a plan of care to treat their injury. The clinic will be held at our CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic Orthopedics, Medical Building 5, at 103B Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs. For more information about our Sports Medicine program, or Orthopedic services, please call 903.885.6688.
COVID Vaccine Clinics
Net Health COVID Vaccine clinic will continue to offer Adult and Pediatric vaccines and boosters at our clinic on 100 Medical Circle in Sulphur Springs every 3 weeks on the following dates: September 19 – 23, and October 17 – 21. You may walk in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. No appointment is necessary.
CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System includes CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospitals – Tyler, South Tyler, Jacksonville, Winnsboro and Sulphur Springs, the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital – Tyler, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital a partner of Encompass Health, Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, a long- term acute care facility, and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic is the area’s preferred multi-specialty medical group, with more than 400 Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers representing 36 specialties in 34 locations serving Northeast Texas across 41 counties. For more information on services available through CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System, visit christustmf.org
Bed count – 402 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler
Bed count – 8 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – South Tyler
Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville
Bed Count – 96 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs
Bed count – 25 – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Winnsboro
Bed count – 94 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rehabilitation Hospital
Bed count – 96 – CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart – Tyler
Bed count – 51 – Tyler Continue CARE Hospital at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital
Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island To Host Free Healthy Snacking Seminar Event Sept. 15 SpaceCoastDaily.com
Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island To Host Free ‘Healthy Snacking’ Seminar Event Sept. 15 – SpaceCoastDaily.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/solaris-senior-living-merritt-island-to-host-free-healthy-snacking-seminar-event-sept-15-spacecoastdaily-com/
Home » Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island to Host Free ‘Healthy Snacking’ Seminar Event Sept. 15
St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care will co-present a free Healthy Snacking seminar
Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island and St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care will co-present a free Healthy Snacking seminar at 2 p.m. this Thursday, September 15. Solaris Senior Living Dietary Director Jayne Garcia, above, will discuss how healthy snacking can prevent overeating, help keep blood sugar levels steady, and more.
BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – Americans get an average of 24 percent of their calories from snacks, according to The Journal of Nutrition. With snacks providing this much of the day’s calories, choosing healthy options can prevent overeating and improve overall health.
Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island and St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care will co-present a free Healthy Snacking seminar at 2 p.m. this Thursday, September 15.
The event will be held at Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island, located at 535 Crockett Boulevard on Merritt Island.
Solaris Senior Living Dietary Director Jayne Garcia will discuss how healthy snacking can prevent overeating, help keep blood sugar levels steady, and more.
“We’ll learn how snacking wisely can give us much-needed extra energy, help with weight loss, and curb afternoon slumps,” said Garcia.
“St. Francis Reflections is honored to support Solaris Senior Living with this healthy living event,” said Kelli McGuire, CTRS, Business Development Specialist for Skilled Nursing at St. Francis Reflections.
Solaris Senior Living Merritt Island is a leading assisted living community offering 24/7 nursing services and six levels of care for residents. It is one of 19 healthcare communities operated by Solaris Foundation, Inc., a Florida-based not-for-profit organization.
“St. Francis Reflections is honored to support Solaris Senior Living with this healthy living event,” said Kelli McGuire, CTRS, Business Development Specialist for Skilled Nursing at St. Francis Reflections.
“We are grateful to work with our community partners regarding ways to maximize the quality of life. At St. Francis, our vision is to compassionately serve our community by empowering people to live life to the fullest.”
“Eating the right snacks aids in having a better mood, increases energy, and helps you focus so you can make the most out of each day,” added McGuire.
Space is limited please RSVP to c.byars@solarisfoundation.org, or call 321-454-2363.
St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care offers a diverse range of compassionate care services including palliative care, hospice and grief support for all ages
For more information about Solaris Senior Living, please call 321-454-2363, or visit SolarisHealthcare.org. For more information about St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care, please call 321-269-4240 or visit ReflectionsLSC.org.
Marshall Tennis Dominates YME, 7-0 | News, Sports, Jobs – Marshall Independent https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/marshall-tennis-dominates-yme-7-0-news-sports-jobs-marshall-independent/
Marshall Tigers tennis player Taylor Depover getting ready to return a shot in Monday’s match-up with the Yellow Medicine East Sting
By Chris Drummond
cdrummond@marshallindependent.com
GRANITE FALLS- The Marshall Tigers tennis team got back to its winning ways Monday evening as they won all seven of their matches in a clean sweep over the Yellow Medicine East Sting.
No.1 singles player for the Tigers senior Reagan Loft started off with a straight set win 6-1, 6-0 and giving Marshall their first point of the match.No.2 singles player for the Tigers sophomore Taylor Depover defeated her opponent in straight sets and same score of 6-1, 6-0. No. 3 singles player senior Taylor Miller would also only drop one game in both sets winning 6-0, 6-1.and the last of the singles matches featured No 4 singles player junior Siri Christensen winning in straight sets as well 6-2, 6-2.
The four wins in singles guaranteed the match for the Tigers. In the three double matches, the Tigers would win in straight sets in two of those. The first one of these was with the No 2 doubles team juniors Olivia Penske and Eliza Holmgren, who won their match without even dropping a game, 6-0, 6-0. The other one was with the No. 3 doubles team, also juniors, Reese Graven and Reagan Boerboom who won in straight sets as well 6-1, 6-1. The only match of the day where the Tigers would drop a set in was with the No. 1 doubles team of junior Naomi Schroeder and freshman Aubrey Schaefer. The duo would lose set two and have to go to a third set to close out the match. Schroeder and Schaefer won the match 6-2, 5-7 and 10-8, giving the Tigers all seven points of the matchup. Head coach for the Tigers Alexander Cleppe spoke on getting back to the consistency being shown and how his players did in the contest today.
“This year with this team we have been trying to find the right balance between chemistry and consistency with our players,” Cleppe said. “We had a good long talk after the Luverne match and I challenged them. Today, the girls stepped up and showed that consistency we’ve been talking about YME is a young team with talent on their side but good day for us.”
Cleppe added that he wanted his team to continue with the consistency and limit unforced errors in the matches. He also advocated about the team goals of the season and if they want to be reached, they know what they have to do.
“Pipestone is a tough team and it is always a tough battle with them,” Cleppe added. ” It should be fun tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.
The Marshall Tigers (5-8) overall will travel to face-off against Pipestone tomorrow evening.
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A Digitised Tunku Abdul Rahman Teaches Netizens About The Metaverse Options The Edge
A Digitised Tunku Abdul Rahman Teaches Netizens About The Metaverse – Options The Edge https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-digitised-tunku-abdul-rahman-teaches-netizens-about-the-metaverse-options-the-edge/
Once in a while, a photo lets Ivan Khoo into his grandmother’s mind when wisps of her memory allow it. Like a camera shutter that is constantly misfiring, her brain captures hundreds of impressions and attempts to preserve them before dementia steals them away. As a loved one, unmoored by time, drifts into the abyss, Khoo hopes that the familiar face of a family member can make the fragmented anecdotes in a patient’s life whole again.
Dementia sneaks up like a robber in the night to destroy a house built over a lifetime, but Khoo has realised that technology could be the hand to catch those free-falling in this battle of cognitive decline. When Maxis Bhd approached his company Ministry XR for a Chinese New Year campaign to raise awareness on dementia, Khoo and his team designed a data-driven app called RE:Collection to help patients relive their favourite memories through reminiscence therapy. Working with Kuala Lumpur-based dementia enrichment centre Caring With You and the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia, Ministry XR allows the elderly to recall poignant moments through augmented reality (AR), while giving caregivers better insight into which memory triggers matter the most to their loved ones.
“It was a project that was closest to my heart,” says Khoo, who co-founded Ministry XR with chief technology officer Dr Andrew Yew in 2017, and grew the business into a leading spatial computing solution developer in the region in just four years. But Khoo, a former music and advertising expert, wants to extend his reach beyond the virtualisation of activities and interactions between machines, people and objects. “We’re now looking at advancing humanity by creating a thriving metaverse digital economy. Our virtual lives could play as important a role as our physical realities.”
The biggest ideas in tech often barrel into the lexicon before they are truly coherent but if the jargon above sounds all too intimidating, picture this: You are attending a live performance by your favourite musician, rocking an outfit you have specially put together and cheering away with a group of concertgoers. But here’s the twist — the show is taking place in the metaverse, while your physical self is sitting in your own home. The dress and sneakers you picked out earlier are gaining attention because a non-fungible token (NFT) ensures they are virtual couture. And the cheering? It comes from other avatars who are live-streaming at the same time as you.
Ever since the concept of metaverse was coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash to define a 3D world inhabited by digital people, it has been repurposed to describe the convergence of virtual reality and a digital second life in modern times. Although the buzzword has been bandied around in the worlds of commerce, business, finance and entertainment, its definition is still fuzzy and contested as it is continuously shaped by the ambitions of the people using it. Yet, tech titans are wasting no time jumping on the bandwagon — Facebook, for example, renamed itself Meta to reflect its metaverse vision and announced it will make 10,000 hires over the next few years to develop its platform. Touted to supersede the internet, this elevation of the online world will see more game-like representations of people (avatars) interacting in a graphically rich space, where they can work, play, trade, shop and pay for anything with cryptocurrencies. Soon, this will no longer sound like science fiction.
Metaverse, a tangible outcome of a Web 3.0 environment built on blockchain-based protocols that decentralise control and allow users to democratically govern the internet’s direction, radiates the promise of a virtual place untethered by hierarchies and limitations of the real world. Tech players around the globe are already embracing a digital frontier in which social norms and value systems are written anew, but is Malaysia ready for the metaverse? How do we stack up against others in terms of our digital standing?
“I would think that we are 10 years behind,” laments Khoo, who also set up a headquarters in Singapore, which boasts a richer digital ecosystem with stricter digital privacy and security measures.
“We have been going to some of the biggest tech conferences in the world, including the Augmented World Expo in Silicon Valley, the US. When I was there, I felt such a big relief because conversations were easier as everyone shared the same innovative spirit and passion for knowledge. In 2020, 70% of Fortune 500 companies were already making plans to develop digital strategies using XR technology. But progress was a little lagging back home. For instance, when dot-com boomed, how many Malaysians saw the opportunity to make a compelling impact with a solution?”
As much as we possess a voracious appetite for technology and a good understanding of AR, Khoo points out that local tech companies are too few and far from being leading-edge to assist with the adoption. Ignorance, fear of change and a high resistance investing in new ideas among business holders despite wanting to leverage AR could also impede Malaysia from being at the forefront of digital fields such as big data, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI).
“The next era of computing [that is ubiquitous computing or the metaverse] will drive the next industrial revolution. And it stems from advancements made on foundational IR 4.0 technologies. We need people of influence to lead, top level corporate management to incite change, and government bodies to provide support by commissioning for proprietary technology development locally and providing subsidies to companies that perform it.”
Thus, to gain a foothold in the virtual world and capitalise on the unlimited realities these technologies offer, Ministry XR is launching Xanadu, Asia’s entertainment metaverse and NFT gallery that can be experienced during a three-week festival to celebrate 65 years of our country’s independence. Billed as the world’s first national day event, the aptly named Merdekaverse allows netizens — particularly the younger generation — to relive the historic declaration of “Merdeka!” by our first prime minister; attend the Tanggal 31 concert by our very own Singing Lawyer; and join a jubilant parade that culminates with firework displays in the sky. To mimic how a real festival would take place, the backdrop of Merdekaverse changes when a user logs in at different times — you may see decorations and flags being put up at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad to drum up excitement one day, or jam with a live DJ at Xanadu Beach during the grand finale the next.
Malaysian-themed games also add to the fun, where players can scour the site for 65 items to win a treasure hunt, navigate pothole-riddled roads in Lari Sampai Pengsan that pokes fun at our daily struggles, or scale our iconic Petronas Twin Towers (or jagungs, as the locals call it) in an obstacle course. As floods are becoming a common sight in the country, a cheeky and satirical side-scrolling game named Banjir Surf raises money to help flood relief organisations while promoting the #kitajagakita mentality.
“This is a way of showing how the metaverse can give back to society and perform transfer of knowledge as we take history lessons out of the classroom,” says Khoo, whose team has worked closely with Arkib Negara and Muzium Negara to glean information, old photos and never-before-seen footage of our Bapa Kemerdekaan to complement the digital festival. Apart from getting government bodies on board, Xanadu has also engaged social enterprise Projek57 and Mercy Malaysia for the event.
“Merdekaverse is a good case study to convince brands about the transformative possibilities of the metaverse. The goal of Xanadu is to redistribute the ownership, power, opportunities and wealth of the internet to its community of creatives, creators and end users. So in the case of Merdekaverse, it’s all wins across the board — music artists get the exposure through an immersive engagement with fans, creators can build more interactive content that courts collaborations, and brands can sponsor local acts and promote partnerships that bring new audiences to the table on their platforms at a small fee. If you look at it, it’s democratising advertising too because as much as people want to be associated with brands, they don’t want commercials to be shoved in their face all the time.”
Marketers are slowly seeing the potential for new revenue streams in the metaverse, such as renting digital land they own to other brands or selling digital collectibles to consumers. Although most platforms are still nascent, enthusiasm for the virtual world remains undimmed as a fledgling, savvy generation — which already has one foot in the metaverse via gaming and social media — sees it as an avenue of self-expression. They celebrate individuality over conformity and community over corporations in ways simply not possible in real life. Moreover, thanks to a high rate of internet penetration in Malaysia, forward-thinking schools and teachers are nurturing a crop of tech enthusiasts. Ministry XR’s partnership with Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), which developed state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that include a 360-degree volumetric video capture zone, extended education experience (EDEX) station and mixed reality smart glasses in the form of Microsoft HoloLens, is a salient example.
“We’re trying to create a sustainable ecosystem with a prospective future. If brands, government institutions and large corporations take the leap in spatial technology and, say, the metaverse, more career opportunities will result in a pool of high-value engineers, product visionaries, and creative techn...
Customize Your IPhones Lock Screen With These 27 Killer New Features On IOS 16 Gadget Hacks
Customize Your IPhone’s Lock Screen With These 27 Killer New Features On IOS 16 – Gadget Hacks https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/customize-your-iphones-lock-screen-with-these-27-killer-new-features-on-ios-16-gadget-hacks/
Apple just made its most significant update ever to the iOS lock screen, with a lot of features to be excited about. The theme of this upgrade is customization, giving you complete control over the look and functionality of your iPhone’s lock screen.
The new lock screen capabilities are available in iOS 16, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be hitting iPads until next year, likely with iPadOS 17. There are many new wallpaper options, cool effects, Focus integration, and data-rich widgets, to name a few of the new features.
Don’t Miss: All 350+ New iOS 16 Features for Your iPhone
1. Lock Screen Switching
Apple’s iOS 16 lets you create multiple lock screens that you can switch between whenever you want, and you don’t even have to leave the lock screen to do it.
To change lock screens, tap and hold the image, date, or time on the lock screen, then swipe left or right and tap the theme you want. This is the only way to switch between lock screens since there isn’t a switching option in Settings – Wallpaper. However, you can visit the “Wallpaper” settings to add a new wallpaper, which will switch the lock screen to whatever you create.
2. Lock Screen Gallery
To create a new lock screen, open the lock screen switcher. Then, either swipe to the end and choose the “Add New” option or tap the plus button at the bottom. If you only have the one default lock screen, you can select “Customize” then “Add New” from the actions menu.
You can also unlock your iPhone and visit Settings – Wallpaper, then select “Add New Wallpaper. And if you only have the one default lock screen, you can choose “Customize” under the lock screen image, then tap “Add New.”
The new lock screen gallery should appear where you can choose from any wallpaper theme available or a custom one.
3. Real-Time Weather Wallpaper
If you want to see the latest weather conditions whenever you look at your iPhone, the new live weather wallpaper can help. Select it, and it will visually show you the current local conditions in the background, like clouds moving or rain falling, and it will also provide weather stats around the date and time.
4. Real-Time Astronomy Wallpapers
There are also astronomy wallpapers that update in real time. You can choose between seeing close-up details of Earth, the whole planet, close-up details of the moon, the entire moon, or the solar system. As the astronomical conditions change, so will your wallpaper.
5. Emoji Wallpapers
Your wallpaper can also be all emoji if you want. Choose a premade look or select the emoji button. You can switch out or choose between one and six characters to include in the graphic. You can then change the background color and switch between different views, including small, medium, and large grids, rings, and a spiral design.
6. Gradient and Solid Color Wallpapers
You can also pick a new colored wallpaper. There are a few premade options in the “Color” section, but you can also tap “Color” up top to pick your own background color, intensity, and filter. There are bright, deep, tone, vapor, and vibrant filters, as well as a solid option if you don’t like gradients.
7. More Apple-designed Wallpapers
There are more premade options under the “Collections” category. Here, you’ll see the default iOS 16 look, dynamic options, timely themes such as pride and unity, and other designs.
8. Original iPhone Wallpaper
As a special surprise in the “Collections” category, there’s a new clownfish wallpaper. While I say new, the still image of it is pretty old but never was released to the public. It only appeared on the iPhone when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, so it’s quite a treat.
More Info: How to Get Apple’s Very First iPhone Wallpaper on Your Home or Lock Screen
9. Photo-shuffling Wallpapers
While you can choose to upload one of your own photos as your lock screen wallpaper, you could select “Photo Shuffle” to make iOS 16 automatically change the background every hour, every day, every time you wake your iPhone, or any time you tap the lock screen. You can choose between a suggested them like “Nature,” use “Featured Photos,” or opt to select images manually.
10. Photo Wallpaper Suggestions
If you want just a single photo to be your lock screen wallpaper, choose “Photos,” You’ll see new suggestions that iOS 16 intelligently picks from your Photos library under the “Featured” tab. You may see other tabs, such as “Nature,” to help you quickly select a suitable background. You can also just hunt for the image you want, like before.
11. Intelligent People Album
While you could always use images of people before for your lock screen wallpaper, now they’re easier to find. On iOS 15, it would not show the intelligent “People” album from Photos when browsing images in the Wallpaper settings. The lock screen gallery in iOS 16 does offer it — select the “People” button to see everyone in your library. You should also be able to find the people category from the “Photos” button.
12. Photo Wallpaper Styles
When using an image uploaded from your Photos library, you can swipe left or right to choose a stylized look for the wallpaper. You can keep the image in its natural state or use a black and white, duotone, color wash, studio lighting, or color backdrop filter, depending on the type of photo and the composition.
13. Multilayered Photo Effects
You may notice that some of the available lock screen wallpapers, and even some of your own photos, contain elements that dynamically overlap the time and date when no widgets are there. The default iOS 16 wallpaper does it, and so does the striped wallpaper and some of the astronomy ones. For your own images, it works best in portrait photos.
This effect works on iPhone XS and newer iPhone models.
14. Date/Time Font and Color Picker
The data and time shown on the lock screen were WYSIWYG before iOS 16. Now, you can change between six different fonts, many different colors, and even characters in other languages. When you change the font color, it also changes the colors of all the widgets (which we haven’t even gotten to yet!).
15. Lock Screen Widgets
Now for my favorite part: widgets. You’ll see widgets already on your lock screen if you choose one of the available designs in the gallery that has them, but you can edit the ones you see whenever you want. Plus, you can add widgets to any lock screen design.
Widgets display frequently updated data from their primary apps. For example, the Weather app has a widget that shows the weather in any you choose, and the Calendar app has a widget to display the date or the next event. You can tap on most widgets when your iPhone is unlocked and on the lock screen to jump you to their associated apps.
You can put widgets above and below the time. The top widget space where the date resides can be customized to include moon events, calendar events, Activity ring progress, and other widget stats. The date will always remain in the same box sans the month name.
The bottom widget space lets you add up to four small widgets. Some medium widgets take up two spots, so you can have up to two of those. Right now, you’ll see only Apple widgets for Batteries, Calendar, Clock, Fitness, Home, News, Reminders, Stocks, and Weather.
However, a lot of Apple’s widgets for the home screen are missing here, including App Store, Books, Contacts, Files, Find My, Game Center, Mail, Maps, Music, Notes, Photos, Podcasts, Screen Time, Shortcuts, Siri Suggestions, Smart Stack, Tips, TV, and Wallet.
16. Third-Party Lock Screen Widgets
Like Apple did with Today View widgets in iOS 8 and home screen widgets in iOS 14, third-party developers can create lock screen widgets for their apps using the new WidgetKit API. Widgets will follow a textual, circular, or rectangular format. A few apps you can try out right away include TickTick and Countdowns.
Don’t Miss: Try Upcoming Apps, Features, and IAPs on Your iPhone for Free — Before They Hit the App Store
17. Lock Screen and Focus Pairings
When creating a new lock screen, tapping “Focus” on the wallpaper preview lets you link one of your focuses. You can choose between Do Not Disturb and any custom focuses you set up.
When you link a Focus mode to a specific lock screen theme, it automatically switches to that theme when you turn on that Focus mode. Likewise, if you switch lock screens to another one with an associated Focus mode, that Focus mode will activate.
For example, in the screenshots below, I have Do Not Disturb assigned to one of my color themes. It automatically syncs the wallpaper, font, and widgets to that theme whenever DND is enabled. If you set a specific Focus mode to multiple lock screens, the first lock screen associated with it will be the default.
18. Add New Lock Screens from the Focus Menu
You can link a focus from the lock screen switcher, but you can also do so from Settings – Focus. Tap the focus you want, and you’ll see a “Customize Screens” section that shows your currently assigned lock screens. Tap “Edit” to set another lock screen or remove one, or tap “Choose” if none are assigned yet.
From the lock screen picker that appears, you’ll see suggested lock screens that would work well for the focus, but you can also open the gallery to see more or use an existing lock screen.
19. Add New Lock Screens from Wallpaper Settings
While it’s most convenient to add and switch between lock screens from the lock screen, you can also go to Settings – Wallpaper, where you can tap “Add New Wallpaper” to pick a new background from the lock screen gallery. If you are currently using a custom lock screen, you can tap “Customize” under the lock screen preview to change widgets, colors, and more.
20. Matching Home Screen Wallpapers
Whethe...
A Sceptics Guide To Crypto: The Crypto Wild West Financial Times
A Sceptic’s Guide To Crypto: The Crypto Wild West – Financial Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-sceptics-guide-to-crypto-the-crypto-wild-west-financial-times/
This is an audio transcript of the Tech Tonic podcast episode: A sceptic’s guide to crypto — the crypto Wild West
Jemima Kelly
OK. We’re gonna start this episode somewhere a bit different . . .
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Audio clip
The West. In the lusty days when the surge of civilisation pushed onward to broader horizon . . .
Jemima Kelly
In cowboy country . . .
Audio clip
. . . of man wrested new life from the wilderness . . .
Jemima Kelly
The great US state of Wyoming.
Audio clip
. . . on the pioneer trail came the renegade horde, land sharks, highwaymen, cattle thieves, [sound of gun shot] terrorising settler and tribesmen alike.
Jemima Kelly
Wyoming is famous for its vast prairies, its stunning wildlife, and its Wild West history.
Audio clip
Antelope bleat peacefully on blessed slopes. Woof! Woof! A black bear. But don’t worry, he is friendly. He won’t bother you . . .
Jemima Kelly
It’s a state of cattle ranches and cowboy hats, small government and frontier spirit.
Audio clip
Mr. Gannon! [sound of multiple gun shots]
Jemima Kelly
But in recent years, Wyoming has been fighting at the frontier of another type of Wild West: the lawless world of crypto.
News clip
We’re here in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This is the state’s capital. It’s also looking to become the crypto capital of the United States . . .
Jemima Kelly
The state has enacted dozens of laws to attract crypto businesses from all over the world.
Rob Jennings
They were out — what I would call — regulatory shopping. I mean, they were in Malta, they were Puerto Rico, they were in Switzerland. You know, they were bouncing around all over the world to find a safe haven who was gonna allow them to maybe cash out or not be accused of securities fraud.
Jemima Kelly
But the question is: why Wyoming?
Rob Jennings
You had a lot of people in the legislature who are ranchers and businesspeople who don’t know anything about it. I think some of them are gonna start saying, hey, wait a minute: why are we passing so many blockchain laws?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Jemima Kelly
This is Tech Tonic from the Financial Times, a podcast about how technology is changing the world for the better and for the worse. I’m Jemima Kelly, and this is, I’m afraid, the last episode in this series: A Sceptic’s Guide to Crypto. Crypto is almost completely unregulated. It’s less regulated than the gambling industry, and critics don’t always agree on quite what’s needed. But one thing is clear: we need more consumer protection and regulatory oversight than we have now. Instead, in many places, something quite different is happening. A huge lobbying effort by the crypto industry and regulators in turn, who seem to be in a race to the bottom. This is episode five: the crypto Wild West.
Rob Jennings
Wyoming is a wonderful state, and I actually just got married in Cheyenne a couple of weeks ago.
Jemima Kelly
Congratulations.
Rob Jennings
Thank you.
Jemima Kelly
Rob Jennings is a businessman, born and raised in Wyoming.
Rob Jennings
It’s a, it’s a different state. I mean, obviously, natural resources are a big part of the economy there. Oil, gas, coal. Cattles obviously a big part of not only Wyoming’s economy, but Wyoming’s sort of identity or heritage, you know.
Jemima Kelly
And as unlikely as this is gonna sound, cattle is what led Rob to blockchain. A few years ago, he started to explore how this exciting sounding technology, the technology that Satoshi Nakamoto invented with his creation of Bitcoin, might have useful applications in the cattle industry.
Rob Jennings
My thought was, “well, how do we apply this technology to something that actually adds value to something that is going on here in Wyoming?” And one of the issues or problems is that Wyoming beef ends up in commodity markets. So you know the attributes that are utilised in raising those cattle: humane treatment and grass fed. Or organic or, you know, all the different things, all natural, non-hormone treated, all those things that Wyoming ranchers put into their cattle and other places gets lost in the supply chain.
Jemima Kelly
So Rob started a blockchain company for the beef industry, and he called it BeefChain. [Moo sound] A perfect name. Using the blockchain to record the details of each cow as it moved through the beef supply chain from field to abattoir.
Rob Jennings
If you’re using a blockchain or a decentralised database, you’re just creating a digital notary. That’s really what we’re trying to do, is create a trustworthy, a mutable starting point for the origin and source and age of the cattle.
Jemima Kelly
Rob thought the idea was promising and he later set up another company on similar lines to BeefChain, called CattleProof. Whether or not you think blockchain technology is a good solution to these kind of logistical supply chain issues, the point is that Rob was interested in finding ways that it could help the local economy and local businesses in Wyoming. And to explore that further, in 2017, he decided to start a sort of lobby group called the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition in the state capital.
Rob Jennings
I said, Hey, let’s, let’s set up a meeting in Cheyenne and let’s just invite a group of people and learn what blockchain is. So we invited the mayor and, you know, city council people, different leaders. Had about 15 or 20 people show up.
Jemima Kelly
And at first he was encouraged by the apparent enthusiasm shown by lawmakers. Wyoming is, after all, an old Wild West state. It has some of the lowest taxes in the US and so the libertarian values of the crypto Wild West seemed like a perfect match. But very quickly, Rob realised that Wyoming’s politicians were less interested in the applications blockchain could have in local industries like cattle ranching, and more interested in getting a piece of the then booming crypto industry.
Rob Jennings
The first mission was sort of not something I ever intended for us to be a part of, but we had learned that Wyoming had a money transmitter law that prevented people in Wyoming from using apps like Coinbase and others to trade cryptocurrency. And so consequently Coinbase locked out anybody that was from Wyoming. So one of the first things that we were a part of working on was changing the law to allow Wyoming people to trade cryptocurrency on different platforms.
Jemima Kelly
And was that successful?
Rob Jennings
Yeah. I mean, they’re able to lose money along with the rest of everybody. So, yeah, I guess it has been successful. (laughter)
Jemima Kelly
The so-called Coinbase Law was just the beginning. Wyoming started enacting dozens of new laws around crypto. There was a law that made sure cryptocurrencies didn’t get taxed. There were changes to securities regulations, especially for crypto. There was even a law recognising DAOs — decentralised autonomous organisations — as real companies. And what troubled Rob was that it didn’t appear to be Wyoming’s own legislators that were coming up with these laws. They understandably didn’t know much about crypto. Instead, it was the crypto companies and their lobbyists who were effectively writing the new laws for them.
Rob Jennings
They were working extremely closely, phone to phone, person to person, not just some emails and things of that nature. They, you had the crypto guys who’re writing the laws. Let’s be honest about it. You think they’re gonna find one Wyoming legislator that was writing any complex financial securities or blockchain laws.
Jemima Kelly
One example Rob cites is of a prominent investor in a crypto exchange called Kraken, working with a member of the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition and a Wyoming banking regulator, to write an important new state law that would allow crypto banks to operate in Wyoming.
Rob Jennings
You know, one Christmas Day, they all got on the phone and wrote this special depository institution law that created these banks. And most of the laws were very complex banking and financial regulatory type laws. And then you had a lot of people in the legislature who are ranchers and businesspeople who don’t know anything about it — 95 per cent of, they don’t know what’s going on. And they were sold on this idea that Wyoming was losing out on coal money. And we had the, you know, the blockchain was gonna save us. It just seemed to me that the whole thing became less about how we’re helping Wyoming and more about how we can sort of game this regulatory sandbox to benefit people who have no intention of ever moving to Wyoming, other than maybe setting up an LLC.
Jemima Kelly
Companies that have set themselves up there include Kraken, the team behind the cryptocurrency Cardano and the banker-friendly crypto company Ripple, whose tokens Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher once promoted on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show. Wyoming’s crypto promoters say it’s been a huge success.
Caitlin Long
Wyoming was very interested in being early and grabbing the opportunity to be the first state and looking to bootstrap what we think is going to be and is playing out a truly important niche of the financial services industry.
Jemima Kelly
Caitlin Long worked with Rob Jennings on the Wyoming Blockchain Coalition. After a 22-year stint on Wall Street, she came back to her home state and helped to write many of the new crypto laws. And she says the idea all along was to make Wyoming the US capital for crypto finance.
Caitlin Long
They saw that there was a way to attract this industry and not have a lot of costs to the state. It really didn’t cost the state anything other than just the cost of the legislative time. And I think all but the most ardent crypto opponents and the traditional bankers who didn’t want any new competition coming in would say, Yeah, actually, if you look at the cost benefit to the state of Wyoming, given that i...
US Leaders Avoid Victory Dance In Ukraine Combat Advances The Associated Press En Español
US Leaders Avoid Victory Dance In Ukraine Combat Advances – The Associated Press – En Español https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/us-leaders-avoid-victory-dance-in-ukraine-combat-advances-the-associated-press-en-espanol/
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. leaders from President Joe Biden on down are being careful not to declare a premature victory after a Ukrainian offensive forced Russian troops into a messy retreat in the north. Instead, military officials are looking toward the fights yet to come and laying out plans to provide Ukraine more weapons and expand training, while warily awaiting Russia’s response to the sudden, stunning battlefield losses.
Although there was widespread celebration of Ukraine’s gains over the weekend, U.S. officials know Russian President Vladimir Putin still has troops and resources to tap, and his forces still control large swaths of the east and south.
“I agree there should be no spiking of the ball because Russia still has cards it can play,” said Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who was NATO’s top commander from 2013 to 2016. “Ukraine is now clearly making durable changes in its east and north and I believe that if the West properly equips Ukraine, they’ll be able to hold on to their gains.”
Lawmakers particularly pointed to the precision weapons and rocket systems that the U.S. and Western nations have provided to Ukraine as key to the dramatic shift in momentum, including the precision-guided High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, and the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, or HARM, which is designed to target and destroy radar-equipped air defense systems.
“They’re there, they’re in theater, and they’re making the difference,” Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In the hands of highly motivated Ukrainian fighters who are making the most of weapons ranging from off-the-shelf drones and abandoned Russian arms to advanced weapons from the West, the HIMARS are enabling Ukrainians “to turn the tide, dramatically,” Coons said.
Meanwhile, a senior defense official said the U.S. is looking at future needs, including discussions about providing more intensive combat training for larger Ukraine units, a change from current training focused on smaller teams learning to handle specific weapons. It is also considering sending additional air defense systems, as well as lethal strike drones and more surveillance drones. The official was one of two who briefed reporters Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss planning details.
Ukraine’s launch in recent days of a much-anticipated counteroffensive — in a different part of the country from where Russian troops occupying Ukraine had massed strength to meet it — has brought on the biggest territorial changes in months in the 200-day war, launched when Putin rolled Russian forces into the neighboring country, targeting its Western-oriented government.
The U.S. officials acknowledged that the U.S. provided information to help the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but declined to say how much or if Western officials helped strategize the idea to throw Russian forces off guard by calling attention to attack plans in the south, while actually plotting a more formidable campaign in the east.
The U.S provided information “on conditions” in the country, said one of the officials, but “in the end, this was the Ukrainian choice. The Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian political leadership made the decisions on how to conduct this counteroffensive.”
Ukrainian forces claimed Monday to have retaken a wide band of territory and more than 20 Ukrainian settlements from Russia, pushing all the way back to the two countries’ northeastern border. Russian soldiers were surrendering in such numbers that Ukraine was having difficulty making room for them, Ukrainian military officials said.
Ukrainians have pounded 400 targets in all with the HIMARS since the U.S. began supplying them, using them “with devastating effect,” Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters late last week as Ukraine’s counteroffensive was getting underway.
The truck-mounted, GPS-guided systems fire faster, farther and more precisely than the Soviet-designed rocket launchers otherwise used by both Russia and Ukraine. They can hit targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. Ukrainian forces have used the 16 HIMARS and several similar systems to strike supply lines, ammunition depots and other key Russian targets.
The Ukrainians “believe that this has happened because of the new technology equipment and weapons that we’ve sent them. They … said well, if you would have sent them six months ago,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat. “We didn’t have them six months ago, but you know, we had to build the weaponry, and train their people on it, takes time.”
Still, Ukrainian leaders are still pressing for more — including fighter jets and the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile that the U.S. has so far declined to send.
A key question going forward will be how much more Congress and the American public are willing to spend on the war in Ukraine, which the U.S. and the West say also represents a significant threat to Europe.
It’s unclear if, or how, Ukraine fighters’ successes in recent day will affect the ongoing debate. The White House has asked Congress to greenlight an additional $11.7 billion in aid as part of an overall government funding measure that lawmakers must approve before the end of the month.
“I haven’t seen any lack of appetite so far” for continuing funding for Ukraine, said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. “I think to see the ability to take the help that they’ve been given and then be clearly successful in some of their efforts is an encouragement to want to do more of that.”
The U.S. — the lead contributor to Ukraine’s war effort among NATO members — has poured more than $15 billion in weapons and other military support into Ukraine since January.
Biden acknowledged the battlefield gains for Ukraine over the weekend but refused to say more. “I’m not going to speak to that now because things are in process,” he told reporters.
Breedlove noted that despite the recent battle losses, Putin still has “a lot of tanks and a lot of trucks and a lot of people that he can still throw at this problem. They’re just not his best tanks, his best trucks or his best people.”
But he warned that winter may bring the most daunting challenge. Putin’s moves to shut down fuel supplies to Europe, which is expected to increase prices, are likely aimed at turning public opinion across the region.
“Even though Mr. Putin’s military has taken a beating on the military front, his big card, yet probably to play is how well does Europe hold together through a winter that Mr. Putin is going to make completely miserable for the European people,” Breedlove said. “I think Mr. Putin is desperately trying to hang on to winter because his big hope now is to separate the European people from their European political leadership.”
___
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Lisa Mascaro and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Polyplastics New 3D Printing Technology For DURACON (R) POM Accelerates Product Development Cycle PR Newswire
Polyplastics’ New 3D Printing Technology For DURACON (R) POM Accelerates Product Development Cycle – PR Newswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/polyplastics-new-3d-printing-technology-for-duracon-r-pom-accelerates-product-development-cycle-pr-newswire/
TOKYO, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Polyplastics Co., Ltd., a leading global supplier of engineering thermoplastics, has developed three-dimensional (3D) printing technology for production of DURACON (R) polyoxymethylene (POM) products. The technology, known as Material Extrusion (MEX), delivers physical properties close to those of injection-molded articles despite being 3D-printed. Polyplastics will highlight the new 3D printing technology at the upcoming K 2022 exhibition (Hall 7A/B02) which runs October 19-26 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Photo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202209025914/_prw_PI1lg_k57WG1aI.png
The MEX process can also be applied in preliminary evaluations of physical properties, functions, durability, and other properties without needing a mold, thus helping to accelerate the product development cycle. The MEX process is a typical 3D printing technology that uses thermoplastic resin materials. With resin filaments as the material input, this method produces 3D structures by repeatedly tracing and layering while depositing a melted material extruded through a tiny nozzle. Typically, only amorphous resins or resins with low crystallinity (e.g., ABS, polyamide) had been suitable for use in the MEX 3D printing process. POM’s high crystallinity and rapid rate of crystallization have made it unsuitable for use in the MEX 3D printing process.
To address POM’s limitations, Polyplastics’ MEX 3D printing technology combines a more appropriate selection of POM grades with printing conditions optimized for their crystallization behavior. In addition to accelerating the product development cycle, the MEX technology could also be targeted for low-volume manufacturing of custom products.
Polyplastics is seeking a patent for the DURACON (R) POM 3D printing technology and at the same time the company is developing additional DURACON (R) POM filament materials for use in 3D printing, including reinforced grades. The company is also accepting requests for actual product trial samples.
For more information, visit https://www.polyplastics-global.com/en/approach/13.html
About Polyplastics
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202209025914-O1-uzNDM1FK.pdf
*DURACON (R) is a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.
SOURCE Polyplastics Co., Ltd.
Tia Mowry Shares How You Can Win A $50K Vacation And Her Travel Must-Haves Under $27 E! NEWS
Tia Mowry Shares How You Can Win A $50K Vacation And Her Travel Must-Haves Under $27 – E! NEWS https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/tia-mowry-shares-how-you-can-win-a-50k-vacation-and-her-travel-must-haves-under-27-e-news/
Courtesy of Tia Mowry
We interviewed Tia Mowry because we think you’ll like her picks at these prices. Tia is a paid spokesperson for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!. Prices are accurate as of publish time.
A lot of us would love to travel all the time, but, unfortunately, it can be an expensive habit to keep up with. If you want to check items off your bucket list, Tia Mowry recommends signing up for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. Right now, card users can enter a contest to get a trip of a lifetime worth $50K.
In an exclusive E! interview, Tia talked all about the contest, using the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card to make the most of her travels, and she shared her affordable vacation must-haves.
E!: Tell me about the Boundless Bucket List Contest.
TM: I’ve always been passionate about travel and the positive impact it’s had on my life, which is why I’m excited to be working with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card to help launch the Boundless Bucket List Contest!
Through the Boundless Bucket List Contest, three lucky winners will receive the travel experience of a lifetime and expand their world view (worth $50K). All you have to do to enter is create a Pinterest board showcasing your dream Bucket List trip and submit a short video or essay to the Boundless Bucket List Contest website explaining why the trip is important to you and how it will have a lasting impact on your life. The website is BoundlessBucketList.Chase.com and submissions opened on September 8th, 2022.
E!: What do you love about the Marriott Bonvoy card?
TM: I love that I can use my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card on my everyday purchases, such as dining out with my family, purchasing groceries for the week, or filling up our gas tanks. Every purchase I make helps me earn more points that I can redeem later for free nights.
Tia Mowry’s Travel Must-Haves
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Facial Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen & Soy, Improves Skin Tone & Texture, Hypoallergenic, Oil-Free & Non-Comedogenic
“This sunscreen for the face gives a natural healthy glow. SPF 30 and it’s oil free so it’s a clean, non-sticky application.”
This product has 5,000+ 5-star Amazon reviews.
Palovue Lightning Headphones Magnetic Earphones
“These have noise cancellation, awesome sound, and are super comfortable. Get two pairs because everyone always steals them!”
These have 1,500+ 5-star reviews.
Moggei Fuzzy Socks- 6 Pairs
“These are a must have when on the plane! Super soft and snuggly. They keep your feet warm and comfy transatlantic!”
YQXCC 4 Pack Cooling Towels
“These cooling towels come in a pack of 4 so everyone in the family can have one. They really help beat the heat in the summer and keep you cool while working out or laying by the pool! No sweat!”
These four packs come in 10 colorways.
Tia Mowry Travel Q&A
E!: When you travel, do you usually check a bag or go for the carry-on.
TM: Depends on the length of my trip but usually I check my bag.
E!: Do you use packing cubes or any other organizational products when you travel?
TM: I use all kinds of things to organize my suitcase— shoe bags, mesh laundry bags, packing cubes. I love being organized especially when traveling!
E!: Name a beauty product that you never leave the house without.
TM: A hydrating lip balm.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C
“Put this on at night or before a flight. Super hydrating and luscious. You wake up with completely hydrated lips!”
This lip mask has 10,900+ 5-star Amazon reviews and 899.7K+ “Loves” from Sephora shoppers.
Porsha Williams, Drew Sidora, Nicole Martin, and Ashley Haas recommended it too.
Insect-Repellent Spruce Scarf
E!: What’s an item that you always bring on a trip that everyone asks to borrow?
TM: This insect repellant wrap is the best invention ever! Not only is it beautiful but it keeps mosquitos away!
If you’re looking for more picks from Tia, she shared her kitchen must-haves.
Sign up for E! Insider Shop to get updates on the biggest sales and must-have products!
AP Top Business News At 9:40 P.m. EDT – WTMJ https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ap-top-business-news-at-940-p-m-edt-wtmj/
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Quality Sleep And Healthy Living With Vitafoam: Risks Of Taking Sleeping Pills And How To Avoid It Part I Tribune Online
Quality Sleep And Healthy Living With Vitafoam: Risks Of Taking Sleeping Pills And How To Avoid It – Part I – Tribune Online https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/quality-sleep-and-healthy-living-with-vitafoam-risks-of-taking-sleeping-pills-and-how-to-avoid-it-part-i-tribune-online/
It’s bedtime over the night, activities settled, lonely sounds become noticeable from room electronics, the ticking of the clock and insect cries, then, either at the beginning of the sleep time or during the sleep interruption, you’re staring at the ceiling and the walls, thinking about work, transactions, bills, relationships or family, tossing and turning. When sleep just won’t come, the night appears unusually longer. This is the picture of sleep problems where one may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or not feeling refreshed upon waking. If one regularly has such sleep troubles, it’s understandably tempting to resort to sleeping pills for relief.
As the name suggests, sleeping pills or medications help one catch some sleep. Sleeping pills may excitedly help people who have sleep problems to fall asleep easier, stay asleep longer or both. Rightly, the drugs should be taken only when prescribed by a well-trained qualified doctor for sleep problems. The various types of sleeping pills work to change brain chemicals differently and enhance sleep in the sleep-wake cycle. The pills slow down, silence and suppress the area of the brain that keeps one awake and alert. Contrary to the widespread belief that sleeping pills help people get a full, restful night’s sleep; several studies show that this is not exactly true. On average, people who take the drugs sleep only a little longer and a little better than those who don’t take them.
Meanwhile, all sleeping pills have various serious and deadly damaging effects, which can be witnessed immediately in the following days or distantly during later months or years. These harmful effects vary depending on the specific drug, the dosage, the person’s age, and how long the drug lasts in one’s system.
They can cause immediate severe but rare allergic reactions which lead to sudden death including death during sleep. They can also cause dangerous sleep-related behaviours like sleep-walking (walking without full awareness of one’s surroundings and directions which usually results in falls, especially among older adults), sleep-driving (driving while drowsy with resultant accidents), sleep-eating (eating in the middle of the night with blurred alertness often resulting in food-choking, food-poisoning, and unhealthy feeding), sleep-talking (talking inappropriately while unaware of the jargon speech). In all, the person appears to be awake, but the person’s brain is not fully alert. Most people don’t remember doing these things after they wake up.
The dulling properties of some sleeping pills last well into the next day, leading to a next-day hangover effect, a drugged effect, the morning after taking them. People may feel confused and so sleepy the next day, have mixed-up thinking and experience dizziness or unsteadiness. These daytime effects can impair one’s ability to drive, operate machines, work, interact with others and complete daily tasks.
There are other numerous harmful effects of sleeping medications, affecting different body parts and functions, including interactions with other medications.
Considering the gravity of the destructive effects, it has been established that behavioural adjustments and sleep environmental changes are safer and better ways to improve sleep than medication, without the risk of deadly side effects – the reason we need to run away from the sleeping pills and embrace the following good sleep practices.
Firstly, practices to ensure the brain’s good health:
– Consistently drink water at least 4.5L – 5.0L over the day, with urine turning colourless.
– Regularly eat just enough quantity of balanced diet two or three times daily.
– Regularly do SAFE exercises like fast walking, swimming, push-up sets, etc. – 30mins daily or at least five times a week.
– Avoiding smoking, excess alcohol and stimulants like caffeine.
– Keeping stresses in check with avoidance of avoidable stressors
– Maintaining the same sleep schedule, particularly the period to go to bed.
Secondly, ensure sleeping-inducing surroundings by:
– Relaxing with soothing music, a good book or meditation.
– Sleeping in a calming and relaxing environment
– Sleeping on quality mattresses and pillows that are conducive sleeping surfaces for supportive posture
In our next article, I will discuss other numerous bad effects, emphasize good sleep practices, and highlight the few occasions where sleeping pills can be prescribed by trained doctors along with the guidelines for pill use.
Let us remember that where you sleep, when you sleep and how you sleep affect your mental health, physical wellbeing and living a healthy life. We all need quality sleep to be set for more productivity in our endeavours.
Do you need further information on the above subject? Are you looking for the best way to maintain quality sleep for general wellbeing and healthy living? Are you currently facing any sleeping difficulty? Remember, a doctor is an appropriate person to offer relevant advice for maintenance of quality sleep and solution to sleep difficulties. Do you want to contact the Orthopaedic Sleep Consultant, Dr Charles Uzodimma, kindly send your request to sleepinfo@vitafoam.com.ng
Vitafoam Nigeria Plc is the first foam manufacturing company in Nigeria to partner with a Sleep Expert in educating Nigerians on Quality Sleep and Healthy Living. They are truly passionate about quality sleep, healthy living and general wellbeing of Nigerians. Vitafoam is proudly Nigerian and constantly supports Nigerians with consistent quality products for comfort and wellbeing. With Vitafoam, you don’t just sleep, they give you the comfort that gets you recharged. To learn more about Vitafoam, visit www.vitafoamng.com
Sports Planner For Tuesday – The Republic https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sports-planner-for-tuesday-the-republic/
Sports Planner for Tuesday The Republic
DMMs Metaverse Project Called Mid Mega City Is Now Under Development Using Unreal Engine 5 The Ritz Herald
DMM’s Metaverse Project Called Mid Mega City Is Now Under Development Using Unreal Engine 5 – The Ritz Herald https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dmms-metaverse-project-called-mid-mega-city-is-now-under-development-using-unreal-engine-5-the-ritz-herald/
Japan-based electronic commerce and online company DMM.com LLC is pleased to announce that its newest metaverse project, known as Mid Mega City (MMC), is now in development using Unreal Engine 5.
MMC will be the newest and original metaverse which is planned, developed, and will be managed by the DMM Group. Using its experience in foreign exchange, video streaming, and other fields, the company aims to offer a metaverse of unlimited possibilities valued by users globally. Unreal Engine 5 is a 3D computer graphics game engine that was developed by Epic Games.
Daisuke Motohashi has been assigned as the Development Studio Head and Producer for the project. He comes with production and management experience at JP Games and Square Enix and has worked with a selection of gaming platforms, from mobile apps to PCs and consoles.
When asked about his thoughts on the Metaverse MMC Development, Motohashi explained that his goal is to build a more enjoyable and intuitive metaverse that people have always been dreaming of. He hopes to use his technical expertise and knowledge in the gaming field to offer a richly expressive and interactive experience.
On top of that, leveraging the DMM Group’s participation in different fields will allow them to offer unrivaled services that individuals do not know they are missing. He also mentioned that even though the project is still in its infancy stage, he will look forward to speaking with future partners about development, management, and business to establish a metaverse that they can get thrilled about.
Meanwhile, Epic Games representative Takayuki Kawasaki is also thrilled to see that Colonel Motohashi, which is a veteran in the world of game production, and DMM, a service provider of a wide array of services, have partnered for this project.
Motohashi also expressed that he plans on using Unreal Engine 5 to its fullest potential when it comes to productivity and expressiveness. He is also confident that this project will be something unique and is looking forward to seeing everybody in MMC soon.
What makes Unreal Engine 5 so amazing is its base level of visual quality, modularity, and ease of access. Normally, a game engine is the core of the experience. Into the engine, you insert previously made animations and models, audio already made and ready to go. Each of those game elements would be designed externally and imported into the engine. Unreal Engine, particularly UE5, scraps the concept and instead brings it all into one single place.
For metaverse gaming, it indicates smaller development teams can reach even higher. The quality of entry for even solo developers has been increased by the arrival of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.
The economy built in the MMC metaverse will be connected to the broad spectrum of offerings of DMM. The company also wishes to offer business partnerships along with external content holders and tech firms. Companies and developers interested in such partnerships are requested to email info-meta@dmm.com for any inquiries about MMC development and business opportunities.
DMM.com LCC is considered the most comprehensive company, with more than thirty-nine million users. Since its foundation in 1998, the company has presented more than sixty services like 3D printing, games, English conversational classes, foreign exchange, and video streaming, among other things.
The best part about it is it has even ventured into the aquarium sector in Okinawa and supervised football clubs in Belgium. Since 2018, the firm has been improving its support of young entrepreneurs, striving to be more actively involved in investment as well as M&A through DMM Ventures.
Former Military Bunkers Are Now Home For Hundreds Of Survival-Minded People The Epoch Times
Former Military Bunkers Are Now Home For Hundreds Of Survival-Minded People – The Epoch Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/former-military-bunkers-are-now-home-for-hundreds-of-survival-minded-people-the-epoch-times/
Troubled times spell opportunity in South Dakota for those wanting security in the middle of nowhere
EDGEMONT, South Dakota.—Tom and Mary Soulsby of Georgia had planned to retire in a safe rural location following the riots and civil unrest in 2020, hoping to build their dream home in Tennessee.
The land had everything they desired: peace, dense forests, green pastures, and a duck pond. The home would have a cement basement. That way, they could rebuild on a solid foundation if the house got demolished or burned down.
While doing online research on basements, Tom Soulsby said he must have entered “bunker” in the Google search by accident.
A link popped to The Vivos Group, owner and developer of Vivos xPoint, a massive home conversion project involving 575 former military bunkers near the Black Hills area of South Dakota.
Old World War II munitions bunkers are now the perfect space to create an off-grid home complete with its own power source. The Vivos Group of California plans to convert 575 bunkers into survival homes. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)
Soulsby was intrigued.
“I obsessed over it for about six months. When they had an open house, I made plans to come out and see the place,” he said.
He and his wife visited the site together in July 2021. The couple agreed there were huge advantages to living off-grid in a converted World War II bunker. All it needed was a decent interior makeover.
“The structure itself was a no-brainer,” Tom Soulsby told The Epoch Times.
The Soulsbys decided to sell their Tennessee property in Tennessee and begin a new life together at Vivos xPoint.
They’ve never looked back east since.
“With current events and trends, they just reinforce that we made the right decision coming out here,” said Tom Soulsby, who now works as site manager at Vivos xPoint.
Off-Grid Living No Easy Decision
Who would ever want to live in a concrete bunker in the middle of nowhere, where the nearest Walmart is about a two-hour drive away?
It’s not far-fetched given the social and political turmoil in the United States and worldwide, says Dante Vicino, executive director and director of operations at Vivos xPoint.
His father, Robert Vicino, founded The Vivos Group in 2008 and started the Vivos xPoint project eight years later.
In terms of size and scale, xPoint is a project like no other. It aims to grow into a community of like-minded people concerned about what’s happening in the world.
The development sits on the former Black Hills Army Base, built in 1942 by the Army Corps of Engineers to store munitions during World War II.
The Army retired the base in 1967 and sold the property and all 575 bunkers to the city of Edgemont, selling it to local cattle ranchers.
Dante Vicino said that past developers had tried but failed to find a new purpose for the base and its network of bunkers that worked.
Then, in 2016, a group of ranchers contacted The Vivos Group offering to form a partnership to repurpose the military base.
“When we realized the numbers made sense, and it was a lot better to own the land, we bought the whole thing out,” Dante Vicino said.
Vivos xPoint bills the project as “The Largest Survival Community on Earth,” located just south of Edgemont, within a 24-hour drive from virtually all points within the U.S. It’s about a 30-minute drive from Wyoming. Denver is about five hours away, and Nebraska lies just to the south.
Vicino said the base is in one of the safest areas of North America at an altitude of 3,800-plus feet. It’s situated well inland from all large bodies of water, about 100 miles from the nearest known military nuclear targets.
The bunkers stand like lonely sentinels in fields of golden grass in one of the quietest places you’ll ever find. Stop, and listen, and all you hear is the sound of silence.
Vicino said many of the residents of Vivos xPoint prefer that kind of solitude.
“Even if nothing bad happens, this place is so unique and valuable, just because you can be off-grid and be in touch with the land and nature and polite society—clean air. You don’t get too much of that in the lower 48 [states],” he said.
And inside each 2,200-square foot structure is a potential off-grid home with all the amenities of a modern house or condominium.
Comfort, and Security
“The whole point of Vivos, in general, is to make bunker living as normal as possible, as comfortable as possible, and as accessible as possible,” Vicino told The Epoch Times.
“You’re used to seeing multi-million dollar bunkers, but they’re not necessarily for people like us. We wanted to bring that [homey] feel to it—that quality to the mass market.”
He said each igloo-shaped bunker is about 80 feet long and made of reinforced concrete nearly two feet thick, with a steel bunker front door to gain entry.
They call them “Hobbit homes” built into the hillside, like the movie shires. But they were made to take internal and external blasts like that of a nuclear bomb.
“They’re amazingly safe,” Vicino said.
The company priced the bunkers to be affordable in the current housing market. It costs $45,000 to purchase a 99-year lease for each bunker and about $150,000 to $200,000 to convert it to living quarters.
“People are interested in this for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s out of concern for what may happen in the future—just all the unknowns in this world. It seems to get scarier and scarier in a way. This [development] provides a solution for that. A big solution is to have a solid shelter with a solid roof over your head.”
Vicino, 29, isn’t your usual real estate executive. Standing about 6-feet-4-inches tall, he wears a black T-shirt, denim jeans, a white cowboy hat, and a full beard. He packs a sidearm because he can.
After all, it’s South Dakota, a solidly red state where open carry is legal.
The name of the game at Vivos xPoint, Vicino said, is freedom, freedom, and more freedom. And lots of privacy: all the bunkers are spaced about 400 feet apart, each one bounded by a 30-foot perimeter.
Within that space, tenants can do pretty much whatever they please within the lease, whether raising a garden, building a hothouse, or creating a small parking area or garage.
Vicino said tenants are encouraged to do their own exterior decorating. One tenant is using the roof of her bunker to grow vegetables.
“They talk about sanctuary cities. South Dakota is a sanctuary state for conservative people, military veterans, and police officers. Everybody that’s getting thrown under the bus by all the left-wing [activity] that’s happening. They’re all welcome here,” Vicino said.
Vicino is not only Vivos xPoint executive director. He’s also the owner of Bunker 850, where he spends about half his time between his home in San Diego and Vivos xPoint.
His bunker has all the amenities one would expect in a modern ranch home or condo. It has a full-size kitchen area, office, four bedrooms, two bathrooms with shower and tub, a Smart television, a furnished den with leather couches, and a theater room. The interior decor is “mountain cabin.”
The only thing it doesn’t have is windows, though Vicino said he’s OK with that. He noted that the rounded ceiling a dozen feet high also takes some acclimating.
He said that one advantage to living in a concrete bunker is that he gets to produce electricity to power his home. He does this with a solar charger, propane, and diesel fuel generator system, automatically switching based on power consumption.
The company has leased more than 200 bunkers, while others are in various conversion stages. The Vivos Group hopes to lease all 575 bunkers in a self-contained community whose number will exceed 5,000.
Don, retired at 69, said he arrived from Minnesota in July. His bunker is nearly complete with furniture, laminate wood floors, electronic gadgets and appliances, and all the interior amenities that suit his lifestyle.
“I was in a nice home in St. Paul, and then they started burning down Minneapolis,” Don said. “They went from stealing catalytic converters off cars in my neighborhood to a carjacking in the day.
“I thought, ‘You know what? This is stupid. Why am I living here?’ This was supposed to be one of the nicest places to live in the Twin Cities.”
Not long after, he watched a podcast featuring Robert Vicino and the Vivos xPoint project. He decided to “check the place out.”
He decided, “Yeah, I can do this,” and signed the lease in June 2021.
“I just packed up everything and moved out here. Everything will be like I wanted it. I’ve got some chairs outside. At night I can go outside and look at the stars around me. I can see the Milky Way, like when I was a kid.”
Vicino said most of his tenants, like Don, are middle-class and lean conservative. He’s yet to see much interest in the project from liberals. For some reason, they can’t understand how anyone would want to live in a bunker, disconnected from the system.
“It used to be kind of fringe,” Vicino said of off-grid living. “You know how it is these days. It’s normal over the past couple of years to be concerned” about society collapsing.
“We have average middle-class families and the full spectrum of society. But the kind of person who wants to live out here takes a little something else. People have been doing it, picking up their lives and moving out here. It takes someone a little bit adventurous and nomadic,” Vicino said.
He said that the original settlers of Vivos xPoint call themselves “Xpoint Pioneers” because one needs that kind of pioneer mindset.
“I love that we’re able to accommodate that,” Vicino said. “It also appeals to the type of person who wants to live off-grid and be kind of nomadic away from major urban centers.
“A couple of years ago, we had people movi...
Financial Giant State Street Sees Unwaning Crypto Demand From Institutional Investors Finance Bitcoin News Bitcoin News
Financial Giant State Street Sees Unwaning Crypto Demand From Institutional Investors – Finance Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/financial-giant-state-street-sees-unwaning-crypto-demand-from-institutional-investors-finance-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/
Investment management firm State Street says that institutional clients are not deterred from investing in crypto assets despite price declines. “There is a belief that the asset class is here to stay,” a State Street executive said.
State Street on Institutional Demand for Crypto
State Street, a leading investment management firm, sees unwaning institutional demand for cryptocurrency despite market sell-offs, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday.
Irfan Ahmad, State Street Digital’s product lead for the Asia-Pacific region, said the banking giant’s institutional clients are still keen on crypto and its underlying technology. He was quoted as saying:
During the course of the June, July period where things were really hotting up in terms of activity, we saw institutional clients not necessarily double down, but they weren’t really deterred from placing strategic bets on the asset class itself.
“The takeaway from that is, I think, there is a belief that the asset class is here to stay,” the executive emphasized.
State Street (NYSE: STT) operates in more than 100 geographic markets globally and employs approximately 40,000 worldwide. The financial services giant had $38.2 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $3.5 trillion in assets under management as of June 30.
The company’s digital arm, State Street Digital, provides solutions for a range of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, digital cash, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), according to its website.
Ahmad noted that a number of major investment firms, such as Goldman Sachs, have begun offering crypto products and are likely to make further moves into the crypto space. In April, Goldman Sachs offered its first bitcoin-backed loan.
The world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, launched a spot bitcoin private trust in August. “Despite the steep downturn in the digital asset market, we are still seeing substantial interest from some institutional clients,” the firm said.
The State Street executive further shared that institutional clients have inquired about launching crypto products, elaborating:
Certainly, our clients, they’ve been speaking to us more pragmatically about how they might be able to launch products, or what our capabilities may be in the future to help them support the launch of those products.
In July last year, State Street announced the expansion of its cryptocurrency service, citing soaring demand from traditional funds.
Crypto exchanges are also seeing rising demand from institutional investors. The CEO of Bitstamp said in August that his trading platform is seeing “massive crypto interest” from institutional clients. In June, Binance launched a new platform for VIP and institutional crypto investors to increase support for institutional clients.
What do you think about the comments by State Street’s executive about institutional interest in cryptocurrency? 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.
Joint Statement Following The 2022 U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue The White House
Joint Statement Following The 2022 U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue – The White House https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/joint-statement-following-the-2022-u-s-mexico-high-level-economic-dialogue-the-white-house/
Today, senior government officials from the United States and Mexico met in Mexico City to convene the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED). Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White, and Ambassador Ken Salazar chaired the meeting for the United States. Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier, Secretary of Foreign Relations Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Finance and Public Credit Rogelio Ramírez, and Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma chaired the meeting for Mexico.
Since relaunching the HLED a year ago, the United States and Mexico have furthered cooperation and commitment to our regional economic growth, integration, and longstanding strategic partnership. The United States and Mexico recognize that we are stronger when we address challenges and seize opportunities together to make North America more resilient, competitive, diverse, and secure. The HLED provides a flexible, goal-oriented platform to foster regional prosperity, expand job creation, invest in our people, and reduce inequality and poverty.
As our presidents stated at their meeting in July, North America is an economic powerhouse. Regional economic strength has enabled total trade between the United States and Mexico to surpass pre-pandemic levels. The HLED builds on this dynamic and flourishing economic relationship with specific projects to strengthen North American supply chains and regional competitiveness. Our shared vision and planned scope of work set a collaborative path to address the climate crisis, the global pandemic, and enduring inequality.
Building on the work of the last year, the HLED continues to focus on four central pillars:
Building Back Together;
Promoting Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Southern Mexico and Central America;
Securing the Tools for Future Prosperity; and
Investing in Our People.
Today we reviewed accomplishments under the HLED and discussed new areas for collaboration, such as partnering to address climate change challenges to meet our commitments under the UN’s 2030 agenda and greening transportation at the border to improve air quality and public health. We also discussed collaboration on electromobility, digital economy, workforce development, and supply chain resilience in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, where Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risks is working to optimize the regulatory environment.
The passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in the United States provides unprecedented opportunities to enhance our already dynamic supply chains. Likewise, the Inflation Reduction Act – the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history – includes $369 billion to curb emissions and spur demand for electric vehicles and clean energy technologies. These laws will increase investment into the North American manufacturing sector, lower energy costs for families and businesses, bolster our supply chains, and shore up our collective energy security. It will also create jobs in both countries and position North America as a leader in clean energy.
To Build Back Together, the United States and Mexico will work to improve the regional business climate and strengthen the resilience of U.S.-Mexico supply chains. Last year’s HLED launched the U.S.-Mexico Supply Chains Working Group to assess supply chain needs to attract investment and reduce vulnerabilities to disruptions in critical sectors, such as semiconductors and information and communication technologies (ICT).
Both countries committed to work with our private sectors to identify locations with the right skillsets, infrastructure, and industrial capabilities for greater investment in the semiconductor and ICT ecosystem. We will work together to pursue a pilot project to determine the feasibility of near-shoring semiconductor manufacturing inputs to reduce the risk of future supply chain disruptions and also support the further integration of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) into these supply chains.
We will address climate change by accelerating the transition to clean energy, especially through the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. Federal agencies in the United States and Mexico are working with state and municipal governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations to develop green spaces and sustainable economic development zones to benefit sister communities across our shared border. Doing so not only helps us keep within reach our goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, but also improves public health and agricultural productivity.
Later this year, the United States and Mexico will celebrate 200 years of bilateral relations. Our long-standing familial, cultural, and business ties propel us to explore new ways to facilitate legitimate trade and travel along our shared border through infrastructure modernization, partnerships with private sector stakeholders, and trade facilitation programs. Our countries remain committed to completing a multi-year joint U.S.-Mexico border infrastructure modernization effort for projects along the nearly 2,000-mile border, leveraging the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the $1.5 billion commitment from the Government of Mexico to strengthen infrastructure, unite border communities, and make the two-way flow of commerce and people more secure and efficient.
To Promote Sustainable Economic Development in southern Mexico and Central America, the United States and Mexico cooperate to improve the regional business environment and livelihoods through the creation of jobs and opportunities in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and southern Mexico. Our federal governments, in partnership with regional leaders from the private sector, have organized five joint meetings with Mexican southern state governors to promote public-private cooperation to advance investment opportunities, economic development, and environmental and climate goals.
In December 2021, our two development agencies launched a new collaborative framework called “Sowing Opportunities” (Sembrando Oportunidades) to increase technical cooperation and address the root causes of irregular migration in northern Central America. The U.S. Agency for International Development has launched a new economic development project called Southern Mexico Generating Employment and Sustainability (SURGES) to mobilize private sector investments and strengthen the capacity of rural communities and small farmers to take advantage of market opportunities and integrate them into existing regional supply chains.
To Secure the Tools for Future Economic Prosperity, the United States and Mexico are working towards supporting regulatory compatibility and risk mitigation on information and communications technology (ICT), cybersecurity, telecommunications, and infrastructure issues. Through mechanisms including the U.S.-Mexico Working Group on Cyber Issues, both governments coordinate to strengthen our cybersecurity protections in global supply chains and tackle cybersecurity challenges through international industry best practices and standards, and continue cooperating on ICT infrastructure deployment, including 5G networks.
To Invest in Our People, both governments promote initiatives that expand collaboration on technical education and training, invest in entrepreneurs, support small and medium-sized enterprises, and enhance access to economic opportunities for women, youth, indigenous persons, and members of the LGBTQI+ community. High-tech manufacturing in North America relies on a highly skilled workforce and a robust ecosystem to promote high-tech entrepreneurship. Labor and education authorities from both countries will share best practices on apprenticeship programs and vocational and technical education in October.
Our collaboration to enhance technical education and create English-language certifications will prepare students to work in high-tech manufacturing, a key factor in attracting greater investment as we seek to near-shore manufacturing inputs. This work includes implementing programs for women entrepreneurs and coordinating with Small Business Development Centers to expand their professional networks in southern Mexico. We are investing in our entrepreneurs and SMEs by launching a public awareness campaign to support innovation and creativity and reduce counterfeit goods and pirated content from supply chains.
The United States and Mexico remain committed to building a more inclusive workforce that recognizes that all our citizens should benefit from our economic growth. To that end, we are working together to promote responsible business practices, implement obligations under international labor conventions, cooperate to eradicate the use of forced labor in our supply chains, and expand temporary worker programs with strong labor protections. Doing so will help us make progress on the commitments we made with partners to promote transparency, diversification, security, and sustainability in global supply chains in the July 2022 Joint Statement on Cooperation on Global Supply Chains.
We welcome and rely on stakeholder input to define and implement HLED initiatives. We affirm our commitment to continued stakeholder engagement with the private sector, academia, and civil society and look forward to expanding our engagement with state-level representatives.
Our work under the HLED will create inclusive opportunities for the benefit of our workers and communities. The United States and Mexico reaffirm our commitment to meet annually at the cabinet level and semiannually at the sub-cabinet level to build on the progress made thus far towards our shared goal of a secure and prosperous North America ...
Twitter Whistleblower Bringing Security Warnings To Congress | Technology News | Helenair.com Independent Record
Twitter Whistleblower Bringing Security Warnings To Congress | Technology News | Helenair.com – Independent Record https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/twitter-whistleblower-bringing-security-warnings-to-congress-technology-news-helenair-com-independent-record/
By MARCY GORDON – AP Business Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, the Twitter whistleblower who is warning of security flaws, privacy threats and lax controls at the social platform, will take his case to Congress on Tuesday.
Senators who will hear Zatko’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee are alarmed by his Twitter allegations at a time of heightened concern over the safety of powerful tech platforms.
It’s Zatko’s second Capitol Hill appearance, and in some ways a 21st-century echo of his first. In 1998, he testified before a Senate panel along with fellow members of a hacker collective who warned about the security dangers of the then-emerging internet age.
Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, was Twitter’s head of security until he was fired early this year. He has brought the stunning allegations to Congress and federal regulators, asserting that the influential social platform misled regulators about its cyber defenses and efforts to control millions of “spam” or fake accounts.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the panel, called Zatko’s allegations “serious business.”
“If it’s anywhere along the lines that (he) suggested, I think it’s a matter of grave personal-privacy concern,” Durbin told reporters Monday. “The question is whether information gathered by Twitter has been used for purposes which we’re not aware of.”
Zatko’s accusations are also playing into billionaire tycoon Elon Musk’s battle with Twitter. The Tesla CEO is trying to get out of his $44 billion bid to buy the company; Twitter has sued to force him to complete the deal. The Delaware judge overseeing that case ruled last week that Musk can include new evidence related to Zatko’s allegations in the high-stakes trial set to start Oct. 17.
The allegation that Twitter engaged in deception in its handling of automated “spam bot” accounts is at the core of Musk’s attempt to back out of the Twitter deal.
At the same time, many of Zatko’s claims are uncorroborated and appear to have little documentary support. In a statement, Twitter has called Zatko’s description of events “a false narrative.”
Also on Tuesday, Twitter’s shareholders are scheduled to vote on the company’s pending buyout by Musk. The vote is something of a formality given that the deal is on hold while the court case plays out. But if the measure passes as expected, it would also pave the way for a Musk takeover should Twitter prevail in court.
Zatko also filed complaints with the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among his most serious accusations is that Twitter violated the terms of a 2011 FTC settlement by falsely claiming that it had put stronger measures in place to protect the security and privacy of its users.
The SEC is questioning Twitter about how it counts fake accounts on its platform. Twitter uses counts of its presumably real users to attract advertisers, whose payments make up about 90% of its revenue. The “spam bots” have no value to advertisers because there’s no person behind them.
San Francisco-based Twitter has an estimated 238 million daily active users worldwide. The company says it removes 1 million spam accounts daily.
Zatko’s 84-page complaint alleges that he found “extreme, egregious deficiencies” on the platform, including issues with “user privacy, digital and physical security, and platform integrity/content moderation.”
It accuses CEO Parag Agrawal and other senior executives and board members of making “false and misleading statements to users and the FTC” about these issues. Twitter denies those claims and said that Zatko was fired in January for “ineffective leadership and poor performance.” Zatko’s attorneys say the performance claim is false.
Twitter also hinted that Zatko’s complaint might be designed to bolster Musk’s legal fight with the company. Twitter called Zatko’s complaint “a false narrative” that is “riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and lacks important context.”
News of Zatko’s complaint surfaced on Aug. 23, almost two months before the Twitter-Musk trial is scheduled to begin. One of Zatko’s attorneys has said “he’s never met Elon Musk. Doesn’t know Elon Musk. They know people in common.”
The company also says it has significantly tightened security since 2020.
Among Zatko’s specific allegations:
— The company had such poor cybersecurity that it easily could have been exposed to outside attacks or attempts to siphon off its internal data.
—The company lacked effective leadership, with its top executives practicing “deliberate ignorance” of pressing problems. Zatko described former CEO Jack Dorsey as “extremely disengaged” during the last months of his tenure, to the point where he wouldn’t even speak during meetings on complex issues. Dorsey stepped down in November 2021.
—That Twitter knowingly allowed the government of India to place its agents on the company payroll, where they had “direct unsupervised access” to highly sensitive data on users. It makes a parallel but less detailed accusation that Twitter took funding from unidentified Chinese entities who may have been enabled to access the identities and sensitive data of Chinese users who secretly use Twitter, which is officially banned in China.
The 51-year-old Zatko, better known by his hacker handle “Mudge,” first gained prominence in the 1990s. He was the best-known member of the Boston-based collective L0pht, which pioneered ethical hacking, embarrassing companies including Microsoft for poor security. His work raised awareness in the computing world that forced such major companies to take security seriously. He co-founded the consultancy @Stake, which was later acquired by Symantec.
Zatko later worked in senior positions at the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Google. He joined Twitter at Dorsey’s urging in late 2020, the same year the company suffered an embarrassing security breach involving hackers who broke into the Twitter accounts of world leaders, celebrities and tech moguls, including Musk, in an attempt to scam their followers out of bitcoin.
AP technology writers Frank Bajak in Boston and Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Dike Resident Submits Attorneys Response To Judges Letter Regarding Incorporation Petition KSST
Dike Resident Submits Attorney’s Response To Judge’s Letter Regarding Incorporation Petition – KSST https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/dike-resident-submits-attorneys-response-to-judges-letter-regarding-incorporation-petition-ksst/
Dike resident Kirk Reams Monday morning submitted to Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom during the public forum portion of the regular Hopkins County Commissioners Court meeting an attorney’s response letter in response to the judge’s letter regarding the incorporation petition submitted to him at a previous meeting. Michele Barnes, another Dike resident, also during public forum at the Sept. 12, 2022, Commissioners Court meeting addressed statements made during the prior court session regarding the community’s outreach efforts regarding the proposed incorporation of the small community of Dike.
Kirk Reams addresses Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom during the public forum portion of the regular Sept. 12, 2022, meeting of Hopkins County Commissioners Court.
Legal Response Letters
Reams said he’d contacted the County Judge’s Office Thursday afternoon to ask to have the issue officially put on the court agenda but, after being put on hold, was told it would need to be handled during the public comments portion the Sept. 12, 2022, Commissioners Court meeting.
“It is my taxpayer’s right and my citizen’s right to be on the agenda of the court,” Reams said. “I had the right to be on the agenda, just for the record.”
The Dike resident said, in summary, the letter to Newsom from Charles Zech of DNRBZ (Denton Navarro Rocha Bernal & Zech, PC, attorneys and counselors at law) contends that the documentation submitted to the judge does fully comply with and legally meet specifics for this set by the state in Texas Local Government Code 5.901 and Section 41.002. The judge’s letter specified additional documentation that was needed before an incorporation election is called, Reams noted.
“Everything I turned in is what you requested here; this is a stall tactic,” Reams alleged. “Put that on the records, this is a stall tactic to keep the citizens of Dike from incorporating.
“The second thing, I was offended. Everyone over here was offended, because you challenged our will to do this. You’re trying to stall,” Reams accused. ” It’s not your right to stall. If we turn stuff in legally, from what the State of Texas requires us to turn in, you have no choice but to issue an election over incorporation of Dike. You have no choice. That is in the law.”
Thus, Reams said, the response to the Judge’s letter, mailed Aug. 22, 2022, is from the incorporation lawyer representing the Dike residents who seek incorporation. He handed the letter to Newsom, as well as a copy to each of the four commissioners, noting he was “so upset” his hands shook as he did so.
Reams also noted that the letter from attorney Zech also addresses costs of an election, referenced in Newsom’s letter to Reams for the Dike community.
"Regardless the costs, there is no legal basis, or any statutory authority, for the County to assess the costs of the election against the Petitioners. In fact, the law is clear that costs are to be borne by the County. Elections under Local Government Code Chapter 8 are governed by the Texas Elections Code. Texas Elections Code 32.093 provides: The compensation of election judges and clerks shall be fixed by the following authority: (1) for an election ordered by the governor or a county authority, the commissioners Court," the letter from Zech to Newsom stated.
Reams argued that state law does not require the citizens of Dike to pay for the requested election.
“The State of Texas says that if an election is issued by a county judge, it is to be paid for by the Commissioners Court,” Reams said. “So, once again, I feel insulted that you insult our intelligence. This is our letter from our lawyer. I suggest you read it and read it good, because the very bottom, if you don’t respond the way you should, the County Judge, not nothing personal that you don’t want to do this, it’s your responsibility as the County Judge to let us have an election and to let the citizens decide whether we want to be incorporated or not, not you. That’s not your job. Your job is to issue the election.”
In the letter to Newsom, Zech contends it is the county judge’s “ministerial duty to order an election for incorporation and initial election of officers.” If Newsom does not call for the Dike incorporation election, he will be “subject to a mandamus suit in District Court requiring you to order the election.”
When Reams concluded speaking, Newsom asked Reams if he had a moment after court so he could visit with him about the matter.
“You’ve never asked me until now. Now, you’ve got a lawyer in play and now you want to talk to me,” Reams replied.
Kirk Reams presents to Hopkins County Commissioners and Judge Robert Newsom a copy of the letter drafted by an incorporation attorney to the county judge in response to the letter Judge Robert Newsom sent to Reams regarding the incorporation petition he submitted Aug. 16, 2022.
Newsom asked where Reams’ lawyer was located. Reams affirmed Zech is located in Austin. Newsom noted the lawyer who represents the Commissioners Court and County is also located in Austin, but if Reams had time to visit for a moment after court he’d be glad to visit with him. Reams agreed.
Newsom and Reams afterward each indicated each wants everything regarding an incorporation election to be done by the law, which each believes he has done the other has not. The judge’s request to speak with Reams was to discuss role of legal counsel in the matter.
Reams, the judge and his administrative assistant, two county commissioners, a sheriff’s deputy and a few other Dike residents all met in the assistant’s area of the judge’s offices after court. At least one raised voice could be heard coming from the office before the group disbursed Monday morning.
Background On Dike Incorporation Request
Residents and property owners in Dike community began researching the matter out of a desire to control what goes on in their community after they learned the Commissioners Court had approved tax incentives for a solar project planned in the Dike community.
When speaking up in Commissioners Court and a community meeting hosted by Engie and Hopkins County failed to achieve the goal of residents seeking to stop the solar project from coming to Dike, an attempt to get an injunction and other legal action also was sought. The Dike residents opposed to the solar company leasing private land and installing a solar facility in their community organized.
Initially, the Dike residents voices a hope to incorporate before construction of the solar project began, but were not able to do so. Michael Pickens, spokesperson for Save Dike from Solar, advised the Commissioners Court and County Judge in previous meetings recently that the residents in opposition to the solar facility were working on the requirements to make Dike an incorporate area, so that Dike residents have a say in decision-making that impacts their community.
During the public forum portion of the Aug. 15, 2022 Commissioners Court meeting, Reams read a letter drafted to Newsom, asking him to order an incorporation election, and appoint two election judges, and publish or post notice of the election as required, in accordance with Chapter 8 of Texas Government Code Chapter. He then presented the letter, along with a signed petition, and a map of the proposed area of Dike to be incorporated to the county judge.
Newsom mailed a response letter dated Aug. 22, 2022, to Reams regarding the incorporation election petition. The letter signed by the judge requested additional documentation for verification of petition requirements.
The judge indicated the letter, addressed to Kirk Reams who presented the petition Aug. 15 during Commissioners Court, was drafted and mailed based on recommendations from legal council.
In the letter, Newsom advises Reams that “additional documentation” is required to provide “satisfactory proof that the petition meets the statutory requirements” for a Type C General-Law Municipality” as proposed. He said the petition failed to provide detailed documentation establishing the number of inhabitants and territorial requirements for incorporation as outlined in Chapter 8 of Texas Local Government Code.
The letter calls for a detailed map or adequate descriptions are needed to tailor ballots for the registered voters within the proposed boundaries. The map submitted, according to Newsom’s letter to Reams, fails to provide adequate details in order for the Hopkins County Clerk to identify the registered voters within the proposed boundaries.
Once satisfied with documentation, Newsom said that would be used to research the cost of holding a special incorporation election and notify him of the cost estimate. Funds would have to be paid in advance to prepare for the election, and a draft order calling for an election would be needed as well.
Additional Public Forum Comments
Dike resident Michele Barnes also spoke during the public forum comments portion of the Sept. 12, 2022 Commissioners Court meeting, addressing comments made and questions posed at the Aug. 22 Commissioners Court meeting by Dike residents Kevin Lester and Richard Greer in relation to the proposed incorporation election and actions taken by Dike citizens in relation to the solar facility being constructed in their community.
Lester on Aug. 22, 2022 said he is opposed to the proposed incorporation because no one has spoken to him about it. No one has come to his door to tell him about it. His neighbors and to mother-in-law, who also lives near his residence, were contacted. He said his mother-in-law was asked to sign the petition for incorporation but received no information as to why she was being asked to do so. No flyers have been left at his home, on his door or i...
Disney Vacation Club Launches New Hotel Booking Tool LaughingPlace.com Laughing Place
Disney Vacation Club Launches New Hotel Booking Tool – LaughingPlace.com – Laughing Place https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/disney-vacation-club-launches-new-hotel-booking-tool-laughingplace-com-laughing-place/
Disney Vacation Club has launched a new hotel booking tool through Interval International.
What’s Happening:
This new option represents a dramatic expansion of vacation and exchange possibilities, adding even more power to eligible Members points and giving you more vacation options than ever before.
Beginning today, this online, self-service tool will curate a list of properties using a combination of points and cash. Hotel exchange features hundreds and hundreds of well-known hotels from trusted brands in sought-out cities across New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, London and many more! Members can even search available hotels by desired travel dates and destination, filter by brand, and calculate required vacation points.
While the previously offered exchange accommodations through Concierge Collection will no longer be available, most of the luxury resorts that were part of the collection are offered within this new hotel exchange.
Please note that confirmed Concierge Collection reservations will be honored.
More Disney Parks and Experiences News:
Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Disney travel planning
Cash Advance Apps Vs. Payday Loans: Which Is Better? 69News WFMZ-TV
Cash Advance Apps Vs. Payday Loans: Which Is Better? – 69News WFMZ-TV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/cash-advance-apps-vs-payday-loans-which-is-better-69news-wfmz-tv/
If asked to picture a payday lender, you might think of a storefront in a strip mall with green dollar signs and neon slogans like “everyday’s payday.” You probably don’t picture a mobile app that advertises on TikTok and sports a colorful logo.
But cash advance apps like Earnin and Dave provide advances with the same borrow-and-repay structure as payday lenders, and consumer advocates say they carry similar risks. Both are fast, no-credit-check options to bridge an income gap or ease the pressure of inflation.
Neither is an ideal first choice for borrowing fast cash, but knowing their differences can help you save money and avoid damaging your finances.
Cash advance apps work like payday loans
Like most payday loans, a cash or paycheck advance app lets you borrow money with no credit check. You’re also required to repay the advance, plus any fees you agreed to, on your next payday.
A single pay cycle is usually not enough time for borrowers to repay a payday loan, so many people fall into a pattern of getting another loan to pay the previous one, says Alex Horowitz, principal officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
App users may find themselves in a similar cycle. A 2021 study from the Financial Health Network found that more than 70% of app users get advances consecutively. The study doesn’t say why users reborrow, but Horowitz says the behavior is notably similar to payday loans.
“Direct-to-consumer wage advances share DNA with payday loans,” he says. “They’re structured alike, they have repeat borrowing and they’re timed to the borrower’s payday, giving the lender a strong ability to collect.”
Apps may offer more flexibility
Payday lenders and paycheck advance apps both collect repayment directly from your bank account. If your account balance is too low when they withdraw funds, you could incur an overdraft fee, says Yasmin Farahi, senior policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending.
An app might try to avoid overdrawing your account. Mia Alexander, vice president of customer success at Dave, says the app reviews users’ bank accounts before withdrawing repayment. If repayment will put the balance close to zero or negative, the app may not withdraw funds, she says.
However, apps commonly include language in their user agreements that even if they try not to overdraw your account, they aren’t responsible if they do.
In states where payday lending is allowed, it’s unlikely that a payday lender will offer a free, unsolicited payment extension, as some apps say they do. Some states require payday lenders to offer no-cost extended payment plans to struggling borrowers, but a 2021 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that some lenders misrepresent the plans or don’t disclose them.
Also unlike payday lenders, apps don’t make collection calls. If a user revokes access to their bank account to avoid repayment, the app won’t try to collect the funds. The user just can’t get another advance until they repay the previous one.
Payday loans cost more
Payday loans tend to have high, mandatory fees, while apps often don’t. Instead, they charge small fees that users can opt into throughout the borrowing process. Those fees can add up, but they’re usually less than what payday lenders charge.
For example, an app might charge a monthly subscription fee, or a fee for instant access to funds. Most cash advance apps also ask for a tip for the service.
The fee on a $375 payday loan is most commonly about $55 in a two-week period, Horowitz says. Because cash advance app fees are mostly optional, you can easily keep the cost below $10.
Earnin user Sharay Jefferson says she used payday loans in the past, but she switched to a cash advance app because it’s a cheaper way to cover bills and unexpected expenses.
“If you get a payday loan for $200, you’re going to pay maybe three-something back,” she says. “With Earnin, I’m going to have to pay back that $200, plus whatever I decide to tip them. It’s way less expensive.”
Technically, apps aren’t lenders
Regulators like the CFPB haven’t classified paycheck advance apps as lenders, despite their similarities to payday lending.
Earnin CEO and founder Ram Palaniappan says the app is more like a payroll service or ATM because it facilitates access to your own funds. Earnin requires users to upload a time sheet showing they’ve worked enough hours to have earned the cash advance amount. Other apps scan a user’s bank account for income and expenses to determine whether they qualify for an advance.
Farahi says apps should be treated like creditors, meaning they would follow the Truth in Lending Act, which requires creditors to disclose an annual percentage rate. An APR lets consumers compare costs between financing options. For example, users could compare a cash advance app’s APR to a credit card’s and choose the most affordable one.
“People still need to know what the actual cost of credit is and be able to evaluate it and truly compare that cost against other options,” she says.
Apps would also have to adhere to applicable state lending laws. Currently, 18 states and Washington, D.C., have maximum interest rate caps that could limit app fees, she says.
Cash advance app vs. payday loan: Which is better?
If you urgently need cash, you may have better alternatives than payday loans and advance apps, Farahi says.
Local nonprofits and charities can help with basic food and clothing needs. A family or friend could loan you money without charging extra fees. If you have a few hours to spare, a side gig could generate as much money as a typical payday loan or cash advance app.
If the choice is between an app and a payday loan, the app is probably the better option because:
It’s cheaper.
It may not trigger an overdraft fee.
If you don’t repay it, the app won’t send you to collections.
A cash advance from an app is unlikely to leave you in a better financial spot, Farahi says. But it may be a little less likely than a payday loan to leave you worse off.
The article Cash Advance Apps vs. Payday Loans: Which Is Better? originally appeared on NerdWallet.
Gay Rights Group Was Set Up to Promote Transphobic Activity Court Told The Guardian
Gay Rights Group Was Set Up ‘to Promote Transphobic Activity’, Court Told – The Guardian https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/gay-rights-group-was-set-up-to-promote-transphobic-activity-court-told-the-guardian/
The gay rights organisation LGB Alliance was set up to “promote transphobic activity rather than pro-LGB activities”, the head of Consortium, an umbrella group of LGBT organisations told a court on Monday.
In the first full day of hearings in the appeal by the transgender rights charity Mermaids against the Charity Commission’s decision to award charitable status to LGB Alliance, Paul Roberts, the chief executive of Consortium, said that LGB Alliance was created to pursue an anti-trans agenda.
In cross-examination, Akua Reindorf QC, for LGB Alliance, repeatedly questioned whether the label transphobic was merited, arguing there were areas where the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people might not be aligned with the rights of trans people, justifying the creation of a separate charitable organisation.
The day’s hearing at the General Regulatory Chamber explored the line between transphobia and campaigning for the separate rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Questions focused on several contested areas of LGBTQ+ rights. At the start of the hearing there was a discussion of the changing definition of sexual orientation. The definition given by the country’s largest LGBTQ+ organisation, Stonewall, has shifted in the past decade from “same-sex attracted” to “same-gender attracted”; LGB Alliance says it was founded to stand up for the rights of same-sex attracted people.
Reindorf asked Roberts: “Do you think it is transphobic to say a person with a female body cannot be a gay man.” Roberts replied: “Yes.”
Reindorf asked if being attracted to people of the same gender was “a qualitatively different thing” to being attracted to people of the same sex. “I don’t believe we live in such a clearcut, binary way,” Roberts replied.
Reindorf also highlighted concerns raised by LGB Alliance that some children who have been referred to gender identity services might otherwise have gone on to be gay, but were offered puberty blockers as treatment for gender dysphoria.
She cited media interviews with Tavistock gender clinic staff warning that possible same-sex attraction was being ignored and noted that some clinicians had said sending children who may be gay down the pathway to change gender felt like “conversion therapy”.
Roberts said there were “elements of transphobia” in that position.
Roberts was asked about questions raised in the Hilary Cass review of gender identity services for children and young people over the 4,400% rise in the number of young girls, a disproportionately high percentage of whom were same-sex attracted, being referred to the service.
“There seems to be an extraordinary sudden rise in same-sex attracted girls identifying as male and seeking a medical pathway. If this is happening, then is it not properly a matter of great concern to an organisation which promotes LGBT rights?” Reindorf asked. Roberts said he was not an expert in this area, but added that in his daily work he saw “many young trans people and many trans adults living healthy lives, and this would not reflect their experiences”.
Roberts was also asked to address the question of whether lesbians should be refused membership of lesbian dating sites if they stated they would refuse to date trans women and to state whether he agreed with comments made by Nancy Kelley, the chief executive of Stonewall, that not wanting to date trans people was “sexual racism”.
He said no one should be coerced to have sex with someone against their will.
In 2020 Consortium refused to admit LGB Alliance to its umbrella group of organisations, of which Mermaids is a member. In skeleton arguments released on Monday, Mermaids said it would argue that LGB Alliance was “not tackling problems facing lesbian, gay and bisexual people, but rather is seeking to prevent the resolution of problems facing transgender persons”.
In its skeleton arguments LGB Alliance said the appeal was ideologically motivated, arising from a “profound disagreement with LGB Alliance’s approach to the promotion and protection of LGB rights”.
It is understood to be the first time one charity has attempted to remove legal status from another. The hearing will continue until Friday.
Packers Hopeful Quay Walker Will Be Ready For Bears Sports Illustrated
Packers Hopeful Quay Walker Will Be Ready For Bears – Sports Illustrated https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/packers-hopeful-quay-walker-will-be-ready-for-bears-sports-illustrated/
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Quay Walker and Krys Barnes injured at Minnesota, Isaiah McDuffie could go from No. 4 inside linebacker to starter on Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.
Walker, the first of the team’s first-round picks, started and played 38 impactful snaps before suffering a shoulder injury. Off the bench came Krys Barnes, a starter the previous two seasons. He played nine snaps before being carted off with an ankle injury.
Speaking on Monday, one day after a 23-7 loss to the Vikings in the season opener, coach Matt LaFleur said: “We’ll give Quay the week but we’re hopeful that he’ll be back, ready to roll.”
Meanwhile, the top backup, Barnes, will be out several weeks with a high-ankle sprain and calf injury, according to NFL Network. He could wind up on short-term injured reserve.
“I think we avoided a significant injury, so that was some good news today,” LaFleur said.
McDuffie, a sixth-round pick last year, played the first six defensive snaps of his career to close out the game. After recording a team-high 16 tackles in the preseason, he had one tackle vs. the Vikings.
“Being a rookie is definitely different from being a second-year player,” McDuffie said during training camp. “You just know what to expect. As a rookie, I had no clue what the NFL was going to be like. Year 2, you’ve been here, you’ve done it before. You’re just coming back and doing it again.”
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Walker became Green Bay’s first top draft pick since Nick Perry in 2012 to start Week 1 of his rookie season. Walker led the team with seven tackles at halftime and finished the day with eight. He led the team with five stops – a Pro Football Focus metric that mirrors Green Bay’s win/loss grading system – but allowed 5-of-5 passing and missed a tackle on a catch by Justin Jefferson.
“I thought there was a lot of good things,” LaFleur said. “I think the first series was a little shaky for him. That tends to be the case, and there’s going to be some growing pains with all young players in this league. It’s just the way it is. There’s a lot of different things that they haven’t seen before, and to get in your first regular-season game, there’s going to be mistakes. I loved how he was flying around. I thought he was physical, and he’s got a bright future. He’s just got to keep continuing to learn, and there’s no better learning tool than getting those game reps.
On Thursday, defensive coordinator Joe Barry called Walker a “special kid, special player.” Walker was flattered but knew he had to prove it.
“I wouldn’t consider myself being good,” he said on Friday. “I haven’t played a game yet. The main thing with me is I want to be neutral at all times and don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m still a rookie. It’s a long, long season. I’m just trying to get better each and every day and continue to work. To what you said, I just think that everything that I did in college has translated over to me being in the NFL. A lot of things that we do now are kind of similar, so it was pretty easy for me to pick up on the transition.”
LaFleur didn’t have any updates on cornerback Keisean Nixon, who suffered a shoulder injury on a third-down tackle, or guard Jon Runyan, who missed most of the second half with a concussion.
There were two bits of noteworthy injury news around the NFL.
– Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin, who caught 98 passes for 1,103 yards last season before a torn ACL, suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday night against Dallas. “Hopefully, we’ll have him back sooner rather than later,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. The Packers visit Tampa Bay in Week 3.
– Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a fractured thumb that required surgery. He’ll miss about half the season and potentially could return for the Week 10 game at Green Bay, according to NFL Network.
Is Metaverse Pioneer Roblox Ready For Fierce Competition? This Analyst Doesnt Think So MarketWatch
Is Metaverse Pioneer Roblox Ready For Fierce Competition? This Analyst Doesn’t Think So – MarketWatch https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/is-metaverse-pioneer-roblox-ready-for-fierce-competition-this-analyst-doesnt-think-so-marketwatch/
Roblox Inc. is recognized as being one of the leaders working to create the so-called “metaverse,” but one analyst thinks even the social-gaming platform will get overwhelmed by the competition.
“While we think the development of the metaverse represents an enormously important technology, we also think realization of the metaverse could be at least 10 years away,” Cowen analyst Doug Creutz, who just started coverage of Roblox RBLX, , said in a Monday note, entitled “Roblox and the metaverse: With the (virtual) universe at stake, competition will be intense.”
“Current tech incumbents and content owners are very aware of the potential power of the metaverse, and therefore Roblox is likely to face extremely determined competition,” he said.
Creutz noted that the term “metaverse” is borrowed from Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science-fiction novel “Snow Crash,” which follows the hacker/pizza-delivery guy protagonist literally named “Hiro Protagonist.”
“In the lingo, this imaginary place is known as the Metaverse,” the novel reads. “Hiro spends a lot of time in the Metaverse.”
Creutz said people are also thinking of “The Matrix” as a template for contemplating what the metaverse will be like.
“In 1999, a Warner Bros. marketing campaign asked audiences ‘What is The Matrix?’” Creutz said. “Here, we propose to at least try to answer the question ‘What is the metaverse?’ since Roblox has made its intention clear to be a major player in this emerging junction of technology and media.”
It’s here where Creutz describes why he refuses to capitalize the “m” in metaverse: “In this note we decline to capitalize the term ‘metaverse’ except as it refers to specific uses in other media, since we are referring to a still-indefinite concept as opposed to an actual destination that merits the use of a proper noun, like the Internet.) “
“ “You take the blue pill…the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill… you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.””
— Morpheus, “The Matrix”
Creutz uses that quote in his note in explaining how Roblox will fare in the metaverse.
“Is it a red pill/blue pill situation in believing in forecasting Roblox dominance in the still science fiction ‘metaverse?’” Creutz said.
While Roblox has big plans for the metaverse, Creutz believes that the metaverse “will be much bigger than what Roblox can possibly hope to provide, given the technical requirements and need for diverse and compelling content.”
“As a destination in the metaverse, Roblox will face competition from many companies that are simply much better equipped in terms of technology and capital, and which perhaps more importantly have demonstrated an overwhelming will to power during Web2.”
It seems that people have different ideas about what the metaverse will be like, but it is still imaginary, so how do people imagine something that doesn’t exist yet? Creutz said people likely will use science-fiction movies and books to get their ideas.
Creutz also cited the movie “Tron,” William Gibson’s “Neuromancer” and Ernst Cline’s “Ready Player One” as also being big influences for how people imagine how the metaverse will be.
“Most everything that companies like Roblox and Meta are talking about today was imagined on a page or screen as much as 40 years ago (if not earlier),” the Cowen analyst said. Creutz said that while many people think of Roblox as a template for the virtual world, he disagrees.
“We believe the current entertainment experience that is closest in spirit to a real metaverse is not Roblox, but [Take Two’s] ‘Grand Theft Auto Online,’” he said.
“Even if we are wrong, however, and the metaverse arrives sooner than we expect, we are skeptical that Roblox will find dominance and profitability therein,” Creutz said. “Unlike social media and search, where existing tech incumbents failed to recognize the importance of the emerging platforms and allowed upstarts (Facebook and Google) to grow rapidly and profitably until it was too late, the focus on metaverse development is intense and widespread. As a result, we think success in the metaverse will be in the context of a highly competitive market, with no chance to catch incumbents unawares. We see plenty of other companies with more significant financial and content resources as positioned to be powerful metaverse players, including (but not limited to) Sony 6758, , Take-Two TTWO, , Microsoft MSFT, , [Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL, GOOG, ] Google, Apple AAPL, , Meta META, and Epic Games.”
In August, Roblox shares took a hit after the company reported a surprise decline in bookings, their second year-over-year quarterly decline in a row, but executives were quick to note that July booking had risen.
The company defines bookings as “revenue plus the change in deferred revenue during the period and other noncash adjustments.” The importance of bookings comes into play as the company sells virtual currency on its site that may be considered deferred revenue.
Back in May, Roblox shares also came under heavy fire after the company reported an unexpected decline in bookings, resulting in Roblox stock logging its worst one-day performance since it went public. The company dropped more than a quarter of its value in one trading session, following lighter-than-expected results as once-stuck-inside kids were finding other ways to spend their time as pandemic restrictions eased.
Roblox went public through a direct listing in March 2021, and was a darling stock as recently as last November, when the company said in an earnings report that a three-day outage over Halloween weekend did not fail to stop October growth. But, as restrictions eased, children put down their tablets and ran outside to play as evidenced in Roblox’s results in February.
Of the 23 analysts who cover Roblox, 12 have buy-grade ratings, eight have hold ratings, and three have sell-grade ratings, with an average target price of $45.44. Back in June 2021, all eight analysts covering Roblox had buy-grade ratings, which it enjoyed for six quarters, according to FactSet data.
Amazon Products For Corgi Lovers Inspired By The Queens Favorite Breed 22 Words
Amazon Products For Corgi Lovers, Inspired By The Queen’s Favorite Breed – 22 Words https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/amazon-products-for-corgi-lovers-inspired-by-the-queens-favorite-breed-22-words/
Corgis are the cutest, and no one was a bigger fan of this adorable breed than Queen Elizabeth II. The late monarch owned no less than 30 in her lifetime! Her love for these adorable little cattle dogs popularized corgis around the world and inspired tons of irresistible merchandise. In fact, you can thank her for that corgi sweater you’re wearing right now!
If you love corgis as much as the Queen did, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve listed out my favorite corgi merch from Amazon; it includes everything from corgi oven mitts to themed desk decor. Now you can surround yourself in adorable floofiness at all times! Enjoy!
You will love our editor’s curated product picks! FYI: We are an Amazon affiliate partner and may get a share of the sale of your purchase (at no cost to you).
It Doesn’t Get Any Cuter Than Tiny Succulents in Little Corgi Pots
The rest of us may not have expansive royal gardens, but we are plant enthusiasts! These matching planters are perfect for a quirky windowsill display, desk decoration or even a coffee table centerpiece if you’re feeling inspired.
Get Cozy on the Couch with This Corgi Pillow
Look at this adorable corgi pillow! I’m in love! I’ve been dreaming of getting a corgi since I first took my cousin’s dog on a walk; it’s been almost 10 years and I’m still obsessed with the breed. Unfortunately, my life is still a little too crazy to take on a new pet right now, so I’ve decided to cope by buying this pillow. It keeps my pet-owning dreams alive!
The Crazy Corgi Lady Makeup Bag You Never Knew You Needed
First of all, I want to know who ISN’T corgi crazy? Like who out there looks at a corgi and is just like, “Meh, I feel nothing”? How could that cute little wiggle butt not instantly melt your heart? If you’re in the market for a new makeup bag, this one won’t disappoint. It’s water resistant, scratch resistant and it’s made with a high quality canvas material, so it’s cute and sturdy!
A Funny Corgi Mug for Your WFH Desk
Your new remote setup isn’t complete without a desk mug. Regardless of your decor style, it’s going to look great and make you smile every day. It’s completely microwave and dishwasher safe too, so you don’t have to worry about the cute pattern wearing off.
This Corgi Handbag Would Have Made Her Chuckle
The Queen never went anywhere without her hat or handbag. She would have LOVED a corgi handbag, if the royal decorum had allowed her such an accessory. If you need a new puppy-themed bag, this one is definitely the cutest one I’ve seen on Amazon.
Get Some Corgi Crew Socks for Winter Time
These are so cute! They’re perfect for cozying up next to the fireplace this holiday season. Did you know the queen first knew she wanted a corgi when she was a child? According to BBC, she owned over 30 corgis in her lifetime! Next time your husband gets mad at you for bringing home a cute puppy, tell him he should be thankful you didn’t bring back as many as the Queen did!
Dog Lovers, You’re Going to Want This Ice Mold
I don’t know about you, but this product is just what I need to ride out the beginning of fall heat waves.
Buyer Matthew Diep confirmed it’s exactly what you’re looking for in an ice mold: “I have a collection of various ice cube molds and had to get this one because I have a pet corgi (Bonnie). I like this tray a lot because it’s firm enough to fill it with water and handle it with one hand – so no floppy water spillage or any of that nonsense. The cubes come out of the tray easily and the mold produces a well-contoured cube. The cubes fit in various containers that I have (Yetis and Hydroflask for the most part). I tried it with a room temperature scotch and found that the ice cube stayed frozen for longer than I anticipated, which was nice. I like it and feel like it’s going to get a lot of use this summer.”
Your Home Office Needs This Corgi Pencil Holder
IKEA may have cheap furniture, but they really don’t compete when it comes to desk decor. Amazon is loaded with cool niche gadgets like this hilarious pencil holder! If you can’t get enough of these furry babies, add this accessory to your desk for an extra dose of serotonin every day!
You Know She Would Secretly Want a Pair of These Corgi Slippers
Underneath the perfect smile and strict sense of decorum, I’m sure the Queen kicked back in her comfies like the rest of us before bed. She may not have owned a pair of slipper exactly like this, but you can bet that chilly British weather had her in some kind of cozy footwear. Personally, I like to imagine she had a secret pair of corgi slippers; it makes me smile.
Take Your Corgi Obsession on the Road with This Travel Mug
This mug is a great conversation starter at work, ideal for your new office! It’s guaranteed to grab the attention of all pet lovers (myself included). Take the opportunity to network and maybe set up a fun play date for your corgi! As for the specs, this mug won’t let you down: its double-walled vacuum insulation ensures your coffee will stay fresh for hours.
A Doormat Made for Dog Lovers
Your pup is your best friend, and you’re going to make sure the world (or at least your neighbor) knows it. Before anyone even enters the house, they’ll be able to clearly tell you’re a dog person. I have to admit, that’s also a great way to warn those of us who are dog-shy what to expect. All in all, it’s a great find for anyone who wants a fun new doormat.
Make Corgi-Shaped Treats with These Cookie Cutters
Tea and biscuits is the most British tradition ever – why not add a few corgis into the mix? Next time you host a brunch, try using these to cut out cute little sandwiches! The best part is that these are made with pure copper, so they’re a little bit flexible and, at the same time, very durable.
Gift These Socks to the Corgi Lover in Your Life
The best ones here are clearly the Corgis in London socks. The little dog with the crown absolutely sends me. You can also get your corgi fix with these other memorable patterns: corgis on pizza, corgis on bacon, corgis on kayaks and even corgis in shark costumes.
This British Corgi Towel is Coming Home with Me
Look at this distinguished gentleman. He would fit right in with the Royal Family! He’s even got the little flag bandana. At first I thought this was a kitchen towel, but apparently it’s designed to absorb water, making it more of a sports towel. The colors are super bright, but you can still machine wash it, which I think is nice for such a novelty item.
A Corgi Origami Necklace for On-the-Go
Buyers are raving about this unique piece of jewelry! Reviewer Brittanica says the rose gold coloring is especially useful for outfit planning: “I got the rose gold option, and it matches my outfits both silver and gold jewelry so it really branches out as far as what it can pair with. My corgi, Flynn, seems to love that he’s represented while I’m out of the house, as he had to pop in the picture for the review here. Enjoy, it’s a very cute purchase and I get sweet compliments on it.” Flynn sounds like quite the charmer!
This Corgi Ornament Belongs on Your Christmas Tree
Your pet themed Christmas tree absolutely needs this ornament. How could you say no to that face? Buyer G. Hokanson can confirm it makes the perfect gift for animal lovers: “If you have, or have friends who have corgis, you’ll (and they) will be very happy with this ornament.” Time to add this to my Christmas shopping list!
Buy This Plushie, Quick, Before You Adopt Another Puppy!
Real talk: kittens are my weakness, and I have to ACTIVELY stop myself from just going out and adopting one. As tempting as bringing home a new family member may be, there are plenty of reasons why one more animal might not be the best idea right now. Instead of putting yourself in that position, buy this adorable plushie instead! As you can see from the picture, he’s definitely very snuggleable. This one will definitely be a hit with the grandkids!
No Corgi Shrine is Complete without a Statue
The nice thing about knick-knacks is that you can pretty much use them anywhere: in the bathroom, the kitchen, on a desk or in your living room. Personally, I think this little guy belongs right next to a tea and coffee station, but I could also see him greeting guests from the front window.
Break out This Puppy Puzzle When the Nasty Winter Storms Arrive
Honestly, there’s nothing more relaxing than instrumental music, some tea and a nice puzzle on a rainy afternoon. It’s a great way to unplug for a little while and occupy your time, especially when it’s too wet to go out on your day off. Grab your furry best friend and enjoy some quality time!
Kick Back and Relax with This Corgi Wine Glass
Nothing says “I’m a dog mom” more than this glass! If you’re looking to replace your old wine glasses with something more fun, these definitely have all the personality you want without going over the top. The pattern is sand-etched, so it’s safe to use in the dishwasher too.
A Corgi Oven Mitt? I MUST HAVE!
This oven mitt is so cute, I could cry! He’s even got little heart glasses on. If you love to bake for the holidays as much as I do, grab these now! You can show them off every time your friends and family come over for freshly baked pumpkin bread.
This Corgi Mug is Perfect for Your Boss
I don’t think I’ve ever had a boss who didn’t own a dog, seriously. If you’re struggling over what to get your new manager for this year’s Secret Santa, this mug is a safe bet. Especially if it’s white elephant, you know people will fight over this.
Digital Wallet Provider MetaMask Allows Crypto Purchases With Brazilian Reals CoinDesk
Digital Wallet Provider MetaMask Allows Crypto Purchases With Brazilian Reals – CoinDesk https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/digital-wallet-provider-metamask-allows-crypto-purchases-with-brazilian-reals-coindesk/
Paulo Alves is a crypto editor at InfoMoney, a leading financial news publication in Brazil.
This article is adapted from CoinDesk Brasil, a partnership between CoinDesk and InfoMoney, one of Brazil’s leading financial news publications. Follow CoinDesk Brasil on Twitter.
MetaMask, one of the largest crypto wallet providers, has integrated the Brazilian government’s payment system Pix and started allowing crypto purchases with Brazilian reals.
MetaMask integrated with Pix via the payment infrastructure company MoonPay, which takes about a 1% commission per transaction, plus a network fee calculated in real time, MetaMask said in a statement on Friday.
In April, MetaMask partnered with MoonPay to allow users buy ether and other ERC-20 tokens through different payment methods, such as cards, bank transfers and Apple Pay.
In Brazil, MetaMask currently requires a minimum transaction of 102 Brazilian reals, equivalent to $20, to buy ether, CoinDesk confirmed on Monday.
Pix, a real-time retail payment system launched by the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB) in October 2020, has 126 million users and is already used by leading crypto exchanges such as Binance and Bybit.
In July, MetaMask revealed that Brazil was its second-largest user market after the US.
This article was translated by Andrés Engler, and edited by CoinDesk. The original Portuguese can be found here.
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Paulo Alves is a crypto editor at InfoMoney, a leading financial news publication in Brazil.
Paulo Alves is a crypto editor at InfoMoney, a leading financial news publication in Brazil.
U.S. Returns Rare Coin Minted By Jews During Rebellion From Rome The New York Times
U.S. Returns Rare Coin Minted By Jews During Rebellion From Rome – The New York Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-returns-rare-coin-minted-by-jews-during-rebellion-from-rome-the-new-york-times/
The silver quarter shekel, estimated to be worth as much as $1 million, was minted in the first century by Jews who created it as a statement of sovereignty during the uprising known as The Great Revolt.
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Experts say that this coin, dated to roughly A.D. 69, is among the rarest remaining from the Jewish uprising against imperial Rome. It is estimated to be worth $500,000 to $1 million.Credit…via The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
Sept. 12, 2022Updated 8:20 p.m. ET
American investigators returned a rare silver coin to Israel on Monday that they say was minted as a marker of independence during the Great Revolt against Roman oppression of A.D. 66-73 and centuries later was looted from an archaeological site in the Valley of Elah.
The coin was seized in 2017 when collectors tried to sell it at an auction in Denver, where it was listed as having an estimated value between $500,000 and $1 million. But it did not clear the legal hurdles to be returned to Israel until this summer.
Experts say the coin, a quarter-shekel piece featuring palm branches and a wreath and dated to A.D. 69, is among the rarest coins remaining from the bloody Jewish uprising against imperial Rome. The Roman response included the sacking and burning of the Temple Mount in A.D. 70 and, in A.D. 73, the demise of the last Jewish holdouts at Masada.
The minting of such coins by Jews during the rebellion was considered a major statement of sovereignty by people whom the Romans had forbidden from issuing silver coins.
Ilan Hadad, a numismatics investigator and archaeologist with the Israeli Antiquities Authority, called the coin “a national treasure” that “has strong religious and political symbolism to Jews and Christians around the world.”
“Coins like this were a very in-your-face declaration of independence by the lands of Israel,” he said. “They made them by scratching out the images of emperors on Roman silver coins and restamping them.”
The recovery of the coin, which was said to have been illegally excavated in 2002, came after years of searches in multiple countries that began with a tip from an informant in the West Bank and led to inquiries in Jordan and England as investigators tracked its whereabouts, Mr. Hadad said. It was returned to the Israeli consul general in a ceremony in New York at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
While there may be a few thousand shekels and half shekels still in existence, the quarter shekel is much rarer because it was only produced in two of the five years of the revolt, experts said.
The recovered coin was described as one of four known quarter-shekel coins minted in the fourth year of the revolt. A second has been in the British Museum since the 1930s. The recovered coin and two others surfaced only recently during what Israeli authorities described as looting that took place in the Elah Valley area, the biblical site of the battle between David and Goliath. The location of the two others is unknown, but they are believed to be in private collections.
Image
David Roberts’s painting, “The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70” (circa 1850).Credit…Wikimedia Commons
The trail of the coin ultimately led investigators to Denver, where it was listed for sale by Heritage Auctions in 2017. Agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations seized the coin while the sale was underway, Mr. Hadad said, but it would be several years before investigators were able to produce clear evidence it had been stolen, officials said.
In an email, Sam Spiegel, director of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions, said his company had relied on the representation of a client in London who said he had inherited the coin from his father. Mr. Spiegel said the client had signed an agreement affirming he had clear title to the coin and that the auction house had been granted a British export license that allowed the coin to be brought to the United States.
“Shortly before the auction was to begin,” Mr. Spiegel said, “Homeland Security contacted us about the coin, and we fully cooperated by turning it over and supplying them with all the requested information.”
Officials did not identify the sellers of the coin but said the sellers had tried to block the confiscation, claiming that the item had been out of Israel for several years before Israel adopted a 1978 law declaring that all relics excavated from that point forward belonged to the state. Federal officials said the consignors had provided two sets of false provenance information as a way of justifying their possession of the coin.
Earlier this year, the Israeli government enlisted the help of the Manhattan district attorney’s office to make the case that the coin was provably stolen. The district attorney’s office has a special unit that focuses on antiquities trafficking and it determined it had jurisdiction because the coin had passed through Kennedy International Airport en route to Denver and had in recent years been stored by federal officials in New York.
In June, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos obtained a seizure warrant from a New York judge and confiscated the coin before the statute of limitations on prosecuting the theft expired last month.
Along with the false provenance letters, Mr. Bogdanos said in an interview that his office had obtained photographs of the coin encrusted with dirt that were evidence of its recent excavation and had been used to solicit business from illicit antiquities dealers.
David Hendin, an honorary curator for the American Numismatic Society and expert on Judaic coins who authenticated the quarter shekel for investigators, said many of the coins from the revolt were imprinted with patriotic slogans emphasizing independence like “shekel of Israel” or “Jerusalem the Holy.” This quarter shekel, he noted, however, carries only a simple design of three palm branches on the front, known as the obverse, and the number four in Hebrew script surrounded by a wreath on the reverse, marking the fourth year of the revolt.
Image
A wreath surrounds the number 4 in Hebrew script on one side of the coin, indicating it had been created in the fourth year of the rebellion.Credit…via The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
At the time, there was a marked distinction in the treatment and use of bronze and silver coins. The Romans had not forbidden the Jews from issuing bronze coins, which were used for everyday purchases. But they prohibited them from making silver shekels, which were employed during higher commerce or for religious purposes like paying temple dues, he said.
Production of the coins stopped in A.D. 70, the year the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman forces under Titus. Now they serve to provide us with incremental but important information about the ancient society that made them, experts said.
“It was a very critical time in both Christianity and Judaism and everything we can know about that period is going to come from small clues,” Mr. Hendin said.
