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Why Buying Property In These International Vacation Destinations Could Be A Great Investment – Nasdaq https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/why-buying-property-in-these-international-vacation-destinations-could-be-a-great-investment-nasdaq/ Published Sep 29, 2022 07:00PM EDT Real estate can be a great way to generate both long-term equity and short-term rental income. If you’re willing to extend your reach a bit on the risk/reward spectrum, buying a property in an international destination can potentially bring even greater rewards. Explore: Your Biggest Money Etiquette Questions Answered Consider: Should You Still Buy a Home in Today’s Market? You’ll have to contend with additional risk factors — from currency fluctuations and governmental regulations to the distance and unfamiliarity of investing in a foreign land — but there can be sizable benefits to doing so. For example, you can often purchase properties overseas with similar or even better amenities than you can find in the United States at a far lower price point. You may also find that you enjoy the thrill of owning rental properties in exotic destinations around the globe. With home prices in America starting to fall as mortgage interest rates skyrocket, now may be the perfect time to start looking overseas rather than in your own backyard if you’re shopping for real estate. Here are a few culturally exciting destinations that offer beautiful vistas and resort crowds that may help push up your home value and/or rental income in years to come. Philippines The Philippines has been popping up on the radar of international travelers more frequently as of late, as the country is blessed with beautiful beaches that consistently rank among the best in the world. Boracay has long been a favorite of jet-setters, but secluded Palawan is often touted as being even more beautiful, while Bohol offers some of the best diving in the world and Siargao is a mecca for the international surf community. If you prefer city living, Cebu City hosts a number of important cultural sites and is the festive heart of the country, while up-and-coming Davao City sits beneath the path of the typhoons that plague the country and boasts its own range of beautiful beaches and culinary delights. Luxury homes on pristine beaches in these destinations can top $1 million, but others with international-quality builds in great locations — including the beach — can go for just $100,000 to $200,000, making for perfect rental options. Take Our Poll: Are You Struggling To Keep Up With Your Utility Bills? Belize Beautiful Belize is a great option for American investors looking to make an overseas purchase. The U.S. dollar is widely accepted in the country, and as it was a former British colony, its laws and customs are quite accessible to the average American. Laws regarding foreign property investment are generous, as both locals and foreigners are treated the same. The country is well-known for its beaches, rainforests and jungles, but prices remain a bargain compared with most of the world, particularly the U.S. A brand-new, luxury 2-bedroom beachfront home in world-renowned Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island, runs just $600,000, while older but much larger homes can be had for hundreds of thousands less. Italy Numerous small towns in Italy have made news recently for offering run-down properties to international buyers for as little as a single euro. The catch is that you must promise to rehabilitate the properties — often at a cost of 20,000 to 40,000 euros — and restore it to its former glory. This type of property requires a special type of investor but for the right one, it can turn into a long-term gold mine. The towns where these properties are available may not be as glamorous as Florence or Rome, but they have a quiet-country charm that could make for both a great family getaway pad or a nice long-term rental for Italian locals.  Panama If you’re looking for a property investment that’s only a few short hours’ plane flight from America, Panama should be on your radar. Panama uses the U.S. dollar, making it an easy place for American expats and tourists to get their arms around, and it’s hemmed in on all sides by oceans and protected land, meaning there’s no room to build endless developments. Coupled with the government’s favorable policies toward foreigners and businesses, Panama has a lot to offer from the investment side of things — and that’s not even taking into account its beautiful beaches, idyllic views and sizable expat community. Panama is a safe and stable country in Central America that actually ranks as a “high-income nation” according to the World Bank, something most Americans are unlikely to know. Rentals near the beach can generate $1,000 to $2,000 per month in income and potentially even more, while the cost of large homes near the beach can run $200,000 to $800,000 and up. Portugal Portugal has been the up-and-coming star of international travel magazines for years now, and with good reason. Between the pleasant climate, excellent food and wine, and breathtaking scenery and beaches, the country seems to have it all. Yet, it often flies under the radar of tourists heading straight for Paris, London and Rome. This can work to the advantage of the international real estate investor, as prices in Portugal remain low. Prices in Portimao, in the Algarve region of Portugal, can run as little as $2,500 per square meter, for example. This translates to about $232 per square foot, compared with about $1,500 per square foot for a home in Malibu. Mexico Mexico often makes the news for its rising violent crime, but there are plenty of locations that are safe, beautiful and potentially great real estate investments. Even with all of the recent negative press, Mexico remains the #1 destination in the world for American expats, and with good reason. From friendly people, gorgeous beaches, amazing food and a low cost of living, for some, Mexico has it all. This may be particularly true if you’re looking to invest in a rental unit, as Mexico is quite popular with travelers from the entire world as well. To avoid any of the headline-making violence, consider the Yucatan Peninsula in eastern Mexico. The stretch from Cancun to Tulum is known as the Riviera Maya and is filled with the glorious beaches and weather that helps make Mexico so popular. A 1,940-square-foot, three-bedroom penthouse condo with an ocean view in Playa del Carmen can be had for $639,000, offering both rental and capital appreciation potential. More From GOBankingRates How Much is Prince Harry Worth? Get Ready for Retirement Now With Expert Tips for Every Stage of Life Should You Still Buy a Home in Today’s Market? 10 Things to Do Now If Your Credit Score Is Under 700 This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Why Buying Property in These International Vacation Destinations Could Be a Great Investment The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. GOBankingRates GOBankingRates is a publication for all things personal finance, that reaches billions of readers. We empower our audience to live richer in your bank account, richer in your personal goal fulfillment, and richer in how you explore the world. Whether you want to know which bank has the best CD rates, where you can retire on a budget or which tech stock to invest in, you’ll find the answers on GOBankingRates. Learn More

Beyond The Run-Way – Long Island Business News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/beyond-the-run-way-long-island-business-news/ New York’s Fashion Week was kicking into high gear, but you didn’t have to be in Manhattan to catch the energy. Kiton, for example, the Milan-based luxury brand, held its shows both at Americana Manhasset and its brand new shop on Madison Avenue. “Retail is very on the street – so see now, buy now,” Maria Giovanna Paone, the president of Kiton Global told LIBN. That kind of dynamic is “something that is leveling up in the stores. MARIA GIOVANNA PAONE: ‘We want people in the area to know about the family, the style, the tailoring and the quality we use.’Photo by Judy Walker “As we open the store in Manhasset, we want people in the area to know about the family, the style, the tailoring and the quality we use,” said Paone, whose father Ciro Paone launched the family-owned company in 1956. Moving into a post-COVID economy, retailers continue to create new ways to engage an audience. While the “experience economy” is nothing novel, retailers are compelled to build a new and returning customer base. Still, there are obstacles – among them, inflation, concerns over the supply chain and global tensions. Yet consumers continue to spend, and the retail industry has seen job and wage gains, according to the National Retail Foundation. One constant remains: Consumers like to see value where they spend their dollars. “As we gear up for the holiday season, consumers are seeking value to make their dollars stretch,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement on Sept. 15, when the most recent retail sales figures were released. “Retailers have been hard at work managing their supply chains and holiday inventories to provide consumers with great products, competitive prices and convenience at every opportunity.” And even amid rising costs, retail sales rose 9.1 percent year over year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent figures. Though how long the trend will last is anyone’s guess. During these times, a dose of retail therapy that delights the senses holds a certain appeal. “Consumers want joy, escape and inspiration,” Cara Kleinhaut, founder and CEO of AGENC Experiential & Digital Marketing, told BizBash earlier this year. “We have been isolated and cooped up more in the past two years than in recent history. When we do gather, we want a release from anxiety and stress. We see the use of bold color, art installations and the transformation of outdoor public spaces into areas of play, discovery and storytelling.” As social beings, humans thrive on that in-person experience, whether outdoors or inside. And the more dynamic experiences can resonate, especially for in-store happenings, which is why Simon Property Group malls like to host events. “Shopping in-store provides the chance to touch, feel, and try products before purchase, and benefit from the expertise of knowledgeable, at-hand sales associates – something that will continue to set us apart from online shopping transactions,” Nancy Gilbert, director of marketing at Roosevelt Field, told LIBN. “Events only amplify this experience by giving shoppers and brands the opportunity to interact with one another in a more meaningful way, and providing people with more than just a shopping experience,” she pointed out. Walking the runway for Kiton. Photo by Judy Walker And when it comes to fashion, it helps to have a narrative, something Paone was eager to share at Toku, the upscale Asian-fusion restaurant near Kiton at Americana Manhasset. The restaurant featured a runway and the wine and lunch were flowing. Here, the space was filled with influencers, both old-school (local business leaders and media) and modern-day (think: stylized Instagrammers). The outfits were at once casual and elegant, aspirational and accessible, a template of smooth-flowing browns and blues and grays mixed with the occasional beige striding down the runway. This fashion show “was the same as working in New York Fashion Week,” said Elena Beginina, a stylist who with her team has served the industry in New York, Italy and Moscow. Her work includes organizing makeup artists and bloggers, as well as unifying wardrobe changes for the models. Beginina offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the show, noting that the timing and teamwork were “very professional.” “I love this brand and working with this brand because everything is organized,” she said. “It’s beautiful. There is coffee and food for everyone working backstage, this is important. Everyone is helping each other. Details are important.” Walking the runway for Kiton. Photo by Judy Walker And the bloggers that she brought in “know this brand for their clients,” she said. The influencers in the crowd, all of them, wore Kiton – whether a clutch, a jacket or some other item. “This is very important – this is respectable for the brand,” she said. Meanwhile, the Simon properties aim to entice audiences beyond the everyday mall enthusiast. The properties are addressing health needs, including through PURE Mammography, which is already at Smith Haven Mall and coming to Roosevelt Field in October. The malls also promote hiring opportunities and appeal to people’s culinary tastes and sense of fun with an abundance of offerings. “We want each and every guest to come to the property and have a great and memorable experience – whether it’s enjoying live music at one of our chef-driven restaurants, personalizing a pair of jeans at Levi’s, finding a job at a local job fair, or expanding your community at events and programming across our properties – each moment helps foster stronger connections with visitors and locals alike,” Gilbert said. Roosevelt Field, Walt Whitman Shops and Smith Haven Mall are Simon Property Group malls that host dynamic experiences for Long Islanders. Courtesy of Simon Property Group This year alone, for example, the mall is introducing more than 20 new stores at Roosevelt Field, six at Walt Whitman Shops and six at Smith Haven Mall. As for dining, Gilbert said Simon malls are “opening restaurants such as Fogo de Chao, Nomiya, Bleecker Street Pizza, Carpaccio, Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ, Mito Asian Fusion, and elevated offerings such as community programs, live music and in-store discounts that help attract visitors to our properties.” At these properties, the experience economy remains dynamic. “Our Long Island properties have had a lot of success with events that bring a number of brands, retailers and local community partners together for a robust, more holistic shopper experience,” Gilbert said. “For Beauty Week 2022, we teamed up with the likes of Sephora, Kiehl’s, MAC and other major brands to curate a variety of in-store experiences, special guests and product discounts to help give the event more depth,” she said. AGENN@LIBN.COM

The Important Reason Ciara Just Teamed Up With Instacart – Mashed https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-important-reason-ciara-just-teamed-up-with-instacart-mashed/ Instacart, the grocery delivery and pickup service, has announced a partnership with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ciara as part of the launch of its new “Instacart Health” initiative. The program is designed to make ingredients for healthier living available to everyone, and Ciara is the perfect partner for the cause. As a mom of three with a busy and active lifestyle, Ciara understands the importance of eating healthy and how difficult it can be to find the time to do so — whether she’s at home or on the road. That’s why she’s teaming up with Instacart to make healthy eating easier for everyone. With this partnership, Instacart customers and Ciara fans alike will be able to shop the singer’s exclusive Shoppable Healthy Cart via Instacart with just one tap. The cart will be filled with Ciara’s hand-picked fresh fruits and veggies, staples, and other items that will help to provide balance in shoppers’ lives. How It Works The process is simple: Just open the Instacart app or go to Instacart’s website, select Ciara’s Shoppable Healthy Cart, and add items to your cart. Once you’ve selected everything you need, just check out and choose a delivery or pickup time that works for you. It’s that easy! And, with Ciara as your personal guide to healthy living, you can rest assured that you’re getting all the nutrients you need to live your best, most health-conscious life. Instacart has created some new features to help promote and encourage its Instacart Health initiative, including Shoppable Healthy Carts, which are collections of shoppable products that have been curated by professional health experts. These carts can help to inspire people and give them new ideas for healthier products and meals.  Health tags that are associated with each product have also been added and can help people easily find reliable information about the items they are interested in buying, such as Keto or Paleo ingredients. New rotating content banners can provide even more inspiration for those who are looking for healthier options and trying out new ways to eat, as well as a robust recipe library that includes healthy recipes from publications such as Women’s Health, Men’s Health, and Prevention. Expanded affordable payment options including EBT SNAP are also eligible for the Instacart Health initiative. Why It Matters Instacart Health aims to make healthy living more accessible to everyone. With the launch of this initiative, Instacart is making it easier for people to find and purchase healthy ingredients, which can lead to healthier lifestyles overall. More than one in 10 Americans don’t have reliable access to nutritious food, and 100 million people suffer from diet-related diseases. What’s even more alarming is that $1.1 trillion in U.S. healthcare costs come from treating these chronic diseases, which can be caused or made worse by poor nutrition. It is hoped that Ciara’s involvement with Instacart Health will help to raise awareness of the initiative and its goals, as well as encourage more people to take steps towards eating healthier. “My family and I live by the saying ‘health is wealth’ and we know much of that starts with what we eat,” said Ciara in a press release. She added, “I have a very busy life between running after my 3 kids, spending time with my husband and running my businesses. In the midst of all of that, I have learned that eating nutrient-rich foods actually makes me feel better and keeps me going. I’m excited to team up with Instacart for Instacart Health because I believe in their commitment to help make nutritious food accessible for everyone, and to help people make more informed decisions about what they’re buying to fulfill their personal health needs.” Instacart Health is now available. New users can get a 14-day trial with unlimited free delivery.

Week 4 NFL Picks, Odds, 2022 Best Bets From Advanced Model: This Five-Way Football Parlay Would Pay Out 25-1 – CBS Sports https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/week-4-nfl-picks-odds-2022-best-bets-from-advanced-model-this-five-way-football-parlay-would-pay-out-25-1-cbs-sports/ The 2022 NFL schedule has been rife with parity over the first three weeks, as a record 25 games have been decided by six points or fewer. The Las Vegas Raiders (0-3) are one of the two clubs yet to post a victory, but all of their losses were by fewer than seven points. Las Vegas will try to get into the win column when it hosts the AFC West-rival Denver Broncos during the Week 4 NFL schedule. The Raiders are 2.5-point favorites against Denver in the latest Week 4 NFL odds at Caesars Sportsbook, one of the slimmest NFL spreads of the week. Which Week 4 NFL lines should you target with your Week 4 NFL bets? Before you make any Week 4 NFL picks or NFL parlays, be sure to see the NFL predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model. The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up almost $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season on an incredible 139-103 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season.   The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up. Now, the model has locked in five confident NFL best bets for Week 4. If you successfully parlay its picks, you’d be looking at a massive payout of around 25-1. You can only see the model’s Week 4 NFL picks at SportsLine.  Top Week 4 NFL picks After simulating every game 10,000 times, the model is high on the Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5) to win and cover against the New York Jets on Sunday. Pittsburgh has struggled following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, as Mitch Trubisky has yet to throw for more than 210 yards and has only two touchdown passes over his first three games. The Steelers are coming off back-to-back losses, but now face a Jets team that has won just one of its nine all-time visits to the Steel City. New York scored two touchdowns in the final 1:22 of its 31-30 victory at Cleveland in Week 2, but couldn’t cross the goal line last Sunday, when it suffered a 27-12 home loss to Cincinnati. The Jets have yet to come up with a strong defensive performance this season, allowing at least 24 points in their three contests. The model expects them to struggle again this week, one reason why Pittsburgh is covering the spread in well over 50% of simulations. See which other NFL parlay picks to make here. How to make Week 4 NFL parlays The model also jumped on four other NFL matchups where it says the line is way off, including backing a pair of underdogs. You can only see the model’s NFL Week 4 best bets and parlay at SportsLine.  What are the model’s top Week 4 NFL picks? And which other NFL matchups should you target for a strong 25-1 payout? Visit SportsLine now to see the Week 4 NFL best bets from a model on a 139-103 run on its top-rated picks, and find out.

CAA Head Of Business Says The Metaverse And NFTs Are ‘Here To Stay’ (Audio) – TheWrap https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/caa-head-of-business-says-the-metaverse-and-nfts-are-here-to-stay-audio-thewrap/ Michael Yanover, CAA’s head of business development, insisted that the Metaverse and NFTs are not fads or the latest technology trend, but are in fact “here to stay.” “It’s a big space and I don’t think it’s going away at all,” Yanover said of NFTs and the Metaverse on TheWrap’s “Tech vs Media” podcast with host Richard Wolpert, adding that CAA recently hired a chief metaverse officer. “I think it needs to find its footing for sure. Was there maybe a little bit more excitement than there ought to have been at the beginning? Maybe. But man, this is this a powerful thing. This is not going away.” The trading value for NFTs recently dropped 97% since Jan. 2022, sliding down $17 billion to $466 million in September. While Yanover admits many aren’t consumed with NFTs at the moment — a fact backed by the collapse — he predicts that they will play a larger and larger role in daily life in the coming decades. “I think you and I would probably say in 10 or 20 years… it’ll just be part of our lives, everything will be registered as an NFT, you’ll probably buy a car or a house that will have some NFT component to it,” he said. “Everything that’s IP-based will probably have an NFT component to it.” Yanover also specifically noted that NFTs will serve the art industry as “the biggest registry system in the world,” noting that there is no current registry system for valuable art. While Yanover insists that NFTs are “here to stay,” he notes that “it’s going to morph [and] it’s going to have 1,000 more changes.” “It’s going to be incredibly impactful to the world of entertainment, to the world of anything that’s IP-based,” he said. Listen to the full episode below. Episode highlights: Michael Yanover recalls Zoom taste testings with Katy Perry and Morgan McLachlan for the non-alcoholic beverage De Soi Michael Yanover walks through the evolution Lady Gaga’s cosmetic brand Haus Labs beginning with CAA investing in Charlotte Tilbury in 2014 Michael Yanover discusses Hanks 101, Tom Hanks’ trivia game, and the star’s knack for trivia and typewriters Michael Yanover dives deep into the launch of Caravan, and how it fulfills an essential step in the success of startups to connect promising ideas with capital and personnel quickly Michael Yanover explains why he’s changed his mind about Amazon and now thinks they are interested in collaboration over “pure dominance” About “Tech vs Media” On each episode of “Tech vs Media,” host Richard Wolpert — who has decades of technology and media experience as an executive, founder of tech companies, venture capitalist and philanthropist — and one his esteemed guests will divulge enlightening lessons and give their insightful perspective on the movers, creators, disruptors and innovations that are shaping the future of media and technology and how these industries will intertwine with one another. New episodes of “Tech vs Media” drop weekly. Click here for all the episodes.

The 10 Best Superhero Video Games – Gamepur https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-10-best-superhero-video-games-gamepur/ There are plenty of fantastic video games that feature iconic superheroes. From Marvel vs. Capcom during the time of arcades to the PlayStation 4’s Spider-Man, there are plenty of titles for superhero fans to enjoy. Here is a list of the ten best superhero video games. Related: Wolverine game announced for PlayStation 5, developed by Insomniac Superheroes in media have evolved significantly in the last decade. Thanks to the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the rise of nerd culture, superheroes are everywhere. While many feel that there may be an overexposure to superheroes, there’s no denying that a lot of great media centers around them. There are great superhero movies, comics, TV shows, and, of course, video games. There are plenty of fantastic video games that feature iconic superheroes. There are excellent games not only on DC superheroes and Marvel superheroes but on original heroes too. We feel as if it is time for us to give out our opinions of what are the best superhero video games. 10) Viewtiful Joe Screenshot via Marvel Entertainment Viewtiful Joe is an original superhero created by Capcom and starred in the video game of the same name for the Nintendo GameCube. The controls for the first Viewtiful Joe are a little clunky, and the platforming is not always the best. However, the title has a good style, featuring beautiful cel-shaded graphics that make the game pop. The game is silly and light, but it will put a smile on your face from the moment you start the game to when you defeat the final supervillain. 9) X-Men Origins: Wolverine X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a bad movie. Video games based on movies are usually bad. Somehow though, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game is pretty cool. X-Men Origins is a fun hack and slash, action-adventure game released in 2009. The game surprisingly plays well, and the graphics for the time were pretty good. Seeing Wolverine heal his wounds in real time is pretty impressive. The game also has the actor who portrays Wolverine in the movies, Hugh Jackman, voice the character in the video game, and that is pretty awesome. 8) inFAMOUS 2 Image via PlayStation The inFAMOUS franchise has the traditional trappings of a classic superhero story but laced with dark themes and questionable morality. The choices you make as Cole MacGrath in inFAMOUS 1 and 2 determine what morality Cole settles on, transforming him into either a hero or villain. The answers are not always the easiest, making the franchise a test of where players lie in the morality spectrum. inFAMOUS 2 is the better game of the original duology, presenting more robust gameplay and a darker storyline than the first. The series continued with inFAMOUS: First Son and Dying Light. 7) LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment You can never go wrong with a LEGO-based video game, and the LEGO Batman and Marvel Superheroes are some of the best in the LEGO catalog. The LEGO Batman game features a more simple storyline where Batman goes on fighting against villains from his rogue’s gallery like the Joker and the Riddler. Meanwhile, the LEGO Marvel Superheroes features a more encompassing campaign that stars the best Marvel Heroes from all corners of the universe. Both games are short, simple, and fun. They are the perfect games to play with kids. 6) Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has a simple premise – play as four of your favorite Marvel superheroes at the same time and go on missions to save the world. The franchise is an action role-playing game series where you punch and slash your way through your enemies. The first one, which was released on consoles back in 2006, is still the best in the franchise. The original Ultimate Alliance has an exciting story, plenty of side quests, and a massive character selection. The graphics are beautiful for what they were, and the combat is simple and fun. Even after all these years, the original Ultimate Alliance is still an incredibly enjoyable game, with plenty of content to keep you busy. Related: The 10 best Marvel comics games of all time, ranked 5) Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Image via Square Enix After the disastrous launch of the Square Enix published Avengers game, not many were expecting much with Square’s next Marvel game, especially one released so soon after Marvel’s Avengers. However, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy proved everyone wrong and is one of the best superhero games released. The game features an engaging campaign with tight controls that compliments the title’s game style. The story is a mixture of silly moments and genuine character development. Though Marvel’s Avengers ended up being a solid game after years of updates, Guardians of the Galaxy was amazing the moment it hit stores’ shelves. 4) Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes Image via Marvel and Capcom Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is unbalanced, with several characters being better than others. A lot of the character sprites are re-used from other Capcom games, and certain combos don’t work the way they are intended to. However, MVC 2 makes up for it by being a very enjoyable game to play. The game has 56 playable characters, one of the largest and best rosters in any fighting game. What other games can you say that let you play as Cyclops and face a psychotic little girl with a red hood? It may fall short of being a perfect game on a technical level; however, it certainly is one of the best superhero games on a fun level. 3) Injustice 2 Image via Warner Bros. Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game that stars the heroes from the DC Universe and is developed by the same studio that made the Mortal Kombat series. It would later spawn a sequel, Injustice 2, in 2017. Injustice 2 improves almost everything else from the first game. The graphics in the game are gorgeous, and the gameplay is more polished and responsive than in the first game. The roster in the first Injustice is better, but it is cool to see less-popular characters like Swamp Thing and Doctor Fate in Injustice 2. Overall, Injustice 2 does everything that a sequel should do, and it is one of the most entertaining fighting games to play. 2) Spider-Man Image via Treyarch Insomniac’s Spider-Man game on the PlayStation 4 radically expanded what made the Spider-Man 2 video game tie-in fantastic, while improving on every aspect of it. While the combat in Insomniac’s Spider-Man comes across as being too similar to the Batman Arkham games, there is enough variety to make it feel different. The fighting is a joy to play, and the side missions are some of the best in any video game. Of course, a fantastic Spider-Man game wouldn’t be complete without web-slinging, and this game has the best web-slinging ever. You do believe you are Spider-Man swinging through New York. The web-swinging is simple to use in the game and incredibly satisfying to accomplish. No matter how many hours you put in the game, you will never get tired of web-slinging. 1) Batman: Arkham City Image via Rocksteady Games The combat in Arkham City was mostly the same as in the previous Arkham game, but City has a far larger world to explore. Whereas you were limited to just the asylum in the first game, you have an entire city to explore in Arkham City. The overworld is beautifully rendered in the game’s engine and filled with many Batman references. Arkham City also had more gadgets for players to use. The boss fights were also far more inventive than what they were in the first game. The Mr. Freeze boss fight remains one of the most fun and well-executed bosses ever. Related: The 10 best DC comics games of all time, ranked The story in the game is excellent, filled with dark symbolism and poignant moments. The voice cast gives the performances of a lifetime, and the ending perfectly encapsulates Batman’s relationship with his arch-nemesis the Joker.

Ambition Over Education: Why Being A Crypto Autodidact Might Lead To More Job Opportunities – CoinDesk https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ambition-over-education-why-being-a-crypto-autodidact-might-lead-to-more-job-opportunities-coindesk/ Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated. The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Biden Says U.S. Will Never Recognize Russian Claims On Ukraine – Reuters.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/biden-says-u-s-will-never-recognize-russian-claims-on-ukraine-reuters-com/ WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden pledged on Thursday the United States will never recognize Russia’s claims on Ukraine’s sovereign territory as the United States prepared new sanctions to impose once Moscow annexes new areas of Ukraine. Speaking to Pacific island leaders, Biden denounced referendums that pro-Russian forces conducted in areas of Ukraine as an “absolute sham,” saying the results were “manufactured in Moscow.” The United States is working with allies on sanctions to impose once Russia annexes new areas of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin annexing four Ukrainian regions to Russia on Friday, and the U.S. response is expected to follow quickly. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Americans with Disabilities Act and “Disability Pride Month,” in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo “The United States, I want to be very clear about this, United States will never, never, never recognize Russia’s claims on Ukraine sovereign territory,” Biden said. The sanctions are expected to target “individuals and entities inside and outside Russia that provide support to this action,” the White House said on Wednesday. “Russia’s assault on Ukraine in pursuit of imperial ambitions is a flagrant, flagrant violation of the UN Charter, and the basic principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Biden. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, Steve Holland and Nandita Bose; Editing by Leslie Adler and Toby Chopra Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

News | Celona’s 5G LAN Products And Technology Powers Las Vegas | Pipeline Publishing – Pipeline Magazine https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/news-celonas-5g-lan-products-and-technology-powers-las-vegas-pipeline-publishing-pipeline-magazine/ Celona’s 5G LAN Products and Technology Powers Las Vegas NTT works with the City of Las Vegas to create a new private wireless infrastructure to serve as an open platform for businesses, healthcare, government, and educational institutions Celona, the industry’s innovator of 5G LAN solutions, announced that its 5G LAN products and technology will be used as the foundation for NTT’s multi-phase Private 5G (P5G) planned expansion project for the City of Las Vegas. One of the first city-wide private wireless deployments globally, the multiphase plan targets the use of new Citizens Broadband Radio Spectrum (CBRS) to expand the private network across the entire city and potentially into neighboring cities in the future, enabling improved services in other areas including law enforcement, telehealth, and Internet of things infrastructure. The NTT P5G network-as-a-service platform will allow the City of Las Vegas to harness the power of private cellular technology to link together educational institutions, businesses, and community assets in a manner not previously possible. The Celona-powered NTT P5G platform will help the City of Las Vegas better support local businesses, give visitors and residents access to more services and open new potential revenue streams. Celona access points operate in shared cellular spectrum that will allow the city to provide coverage with a fraction of the number of Wi-Fi access points which also reduces associated labor and network infrastructure costs. Combined with full stack Celona Edge software, NTT’s P5G service will serve as an open platform available to local businesses, government, healthcare, and educational institutions. The network will help to bridge the digital divide, supporting a wide range of use cases such as expanding wireless broadband access, video surveillance for public safety and private cellular network access for medical facilities and city departments. “Our collaboration with Celona on this project can’t be overstated,” said Shahid Ahmed, Group EVP of New Ventures and Innovation at NTT Ltd. “And we believe NTT’s partnership with the City of Las Vegas reflects a new model for wireless connectivity that will drive innovation while creating a scalable framework for municipalities to better offer reliable wireless connectivity, enhanced security, and greater access to critical public services,” Shahid concluded. With its open and intelligent network, NTT can customize network services to fit varying requirements for new applications, whether involving full stack, edge, or smart solutions. NTT’s LTE/5G network-as-a-service integrates security, control, and privacy by design and allows enterprises and other customers to flexibly secure, scale, and segment their networks. Through the use of Celona’s patented MicroSlicing technology, NTT is uniquely able offer the highest levels of service assurance by automatically enforcing granular quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as packet loss, throughput, or latency, for each application or device group from the RAN across the entire network. “The City of Las Vegas has aggressively embraced advances in wireless technology and is quickly becoming viewed as a technology epicenter for business,” said Rajeev Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Celona. “We are thrilled that Celona products and technology are being used by NTT to underpin this remarkable private wireless project.” Source: Celona media announcement

New Report Finds Gen Z Loves Tech, Gaming, Snacks, And Shein – Morning Brew https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/new-report-finds-gen-z-loves-tech-gaming-snacks-and-shein-morning-brew/ Become smarter in just 5 minutes Get the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free. Kids these days are still obsessed with YouTube, even if they aren’t exclusively using it to binge 10 hours of Smosh videos. The video platform is Gen Z’s No. 1 brand, according to a new report from Morning Consult. Back in our day, we had to Ask Jeeves uphill both ways. After YouTube, Gen Z favored tech behemoths Google, Netflix, and Amazon. And growing young adults need snacks for all that google searching: Half of the top 40 most popular Gen Z brands were food and beverage companies, more specifically junk food. M&Ms ranked the highest at No. 5, followed by Doritos (8), KitKat (9), Oreo (10), and the only appropriate drink to wash it all down at No. 11: Gatorade. Some other highlights that might help you connect with your coworker who keeps calling you “mid”: A brand’s favorability score was determined by asking participants if they had either a “somewhat” or “very” favorable opinion on each brand. No shock here, but Gen Z’s average favorability rating over all brands was 27%, lower than 33% of all participants and 36% of millennials. And more Gen Zers saw fast fashion giant Shein favorably (44%) compared to all adults in the survey (22%).—MM

Marty B’s Event Center Approved – The Cross Timbers Gazette https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/marty-bs-event-center-approved-the-cross-timbers-gazette/ Last week, the Bartonville Town Council approved a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan for Marty B’s Event Center. Marty Bryan, owner of the Marty B’s restaurant and Coffee Company in Bartonville, said he’s excited “to add value to the community” with the new event center, which will host weddings, galas, banquets, conferences and any other special events. “I think it’s going to be a really great addition to the community,” Bryan said. The event center will be just under 10,000 square feet with a capacity just under 300 people. Bryan hopes construction will begin in early 2023 and be completed by the end of the year. An in-house team will handle booking and staffing events. Bryan said he has “no intentions of having outdoor music” at the event center, and landscaping will be intentional to reduce noise escaping the property. The building will be designed similarly to the restaurant and coffee shop and will be located on the other side of I.T. Neely from the restaurant. “That land sat there for four years with a ‘For Sale’ sign, and I guess nobody wanted it except for me,” Bryan said. “I wanted to take it and make it look amazing, have it fit right in to the rural and modern ranch feel of Bartonville, and to beautify the land and make it look really nice. “Of all the things I could build there, an event center would probably have the least impact on the community and traffic.” Mark Smith Mark Smith is the Digital Editor of The Cross Timbers Gazette.

When Will Disney, Universal, SeaWorld Reopen After Hurricane Ian? – USA TODAY https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/when-will-disney-universal-seaworld-reopen-after-hurricane-ian-usa-today/ Florida’s theme parks announce reopening dates, assessing damage After Hurricane Ian left “historic” damage in Florida, the state’s biggest theme parks are planning for their reopenings. What to know about flying through Florida amid Tropical Storm Ian Why Kaena Point on Oahu could be Hawaii’s first national heritage area How national parks can make nature more accessible to every body National Parks The future of traveling to Hawaii: Book a time slot to visit the beach Travel Leaf peeping routes: Here are the best Amtrak trails to take Experience Florida’s theme parks announce reopening dates, assessing damage Theme Parks

A PBN Departure And An Opportunity For Hawaii Nonprofits – Pacific Business News – The Business Journals https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-pbn-departure-and-an-opportunity-for-hawaii-nonprofits-pacific-business-news-the-business-journals/ A PBN departure and an opportunity for Hawaii nonprofits – Pacific Business News  The Business Journals

THORNE AND TEAM LIQUID ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP BRINGING INNOVATIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS SOLUTIONS TO THE ESPORTS COMMUNITY – PR Newswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/thorne-and-team-liquid-announce-partnership-bringing-innovative-health-and-wellness-solutions-to-the-esports-community-pr-newswire/ Multi-year collaboration to introduce top athletes and casual gamers alike to science-driven products that support enhanced performance and a healthy lifestyle , /PRNewswire/ — Thorne HealthTech (“Thorne”) (NASDAQ: THRN), the leader in developing innovative solutions for a personalized approach to health and wellness and Team Liquid, a leading worldwide professional esports organization, today announced that Thorne is now the official Health and Wellness Partner of Team Liquid. Thorne will offer pathways for personalized health and wellness through quizzes, health tests, and nutritional supplements to support the Team Liquid community – from the professional athlete to the casual gamer – in optimizing peak performance, endurance, and recovery. Thorne’s suite of science-backed products and solutions for nutritional support, restful sleep, and mental focus align and support the esports community’s health and wellness standards. “Knowing how passionate and connected the Team Liquid community is, we want to ensure they feel empowered and educated about their individual and overall community health and wellness journeys,” said Paul Jacobson, CEO of Thorne HealthTech. “For esports athletes at the highest level to the everyday gamer, we know each journey is personal. We look forward to Team Liquid and the incredible community behind it experiencing first-hand what our high-quality, science-backed products can do.” “For Team Liquid, this partnership represents the next step in our 360, holistic approach to athlete training, as well as promoting healthy best practices for our extended Liquid community and fans,” said Steve Arhancet, CO-CEO of Team Liquid. “In the past, the physical demands put on the bodies of esports athletes were often overlooked by the industry, but working with Thorne will empower our organization to address how to best educate and fuel our athletes in a way that helps them reach maximum potential.” Earlier in the year, Team Liquid launched a groundbreaking global training program that quantifies, analyzes, and assesses the cognitive capabilities of esports athletes competing at the highest level to determine the innate ability of the athlete and extended mental potential. This type of cognitive testing underpins the direct link between success in gaming and high-performing cognitive abilities like attention, memory, information processing, and task-switching. The partnership with Thorne empowers Team Liquid to continue addressing their macro goal of transforming the professional training experience and establishing new industry-wide health and wellness practices and standards. Both parties have begun to discuss a co-authored case study that would feature select Thorne products and solutions put in active practice across a set of Team Liquid athletes. Team Liquid Director of Performance, Chang-Hyun Ko, and Thorne’s Director of Sports Science, Joel Totoro, have been asked to lead the planning of such a study. Thorne will also elevate notable Team Liquid influencers – AverageJonas, Tiffae, Alixxa, and Acie – as brand ambassadors, with each one having their own unique health and wellness journey that Thorne is excited to support. As ambassadors, they will showcase first-hand experiences with Thorne products and expertise through special events, sponsored streams, and other curated content. To learn more about the partnership, Thorne’s product suite, and to take one of Thorne’s personalized quizzes please visit tl.gg/thorne. About Thorne HealthTech Thorne HealthTech is a leader in developing innovative solutions for delivering personalized approaches to health and wellness. As a science-driven wellness company that empowers individuals with the support, education, and solutions they need to achieve healthy aging – living healthier longer – Thorne utilizes testing and data to create improved product efficacy and to deliver personalized solutions to consumers, health professionals, and corporations. Predicated on the power of the individual, Thorne leverages artificial intelligence models to provide insights and personalized data, products, and services that help individuals take a proactive and actionable approach to improve and maintain their health and wellness over a lifetime. Thorne is the only supplement manufacturer that collaborates with Mayo Clinic on wellness research and content and is trusted by more than five million customers, 46,000 health-care professionals, thousands of professional athletes, and more than 100 professional sports teams and U.S. National teams. For more information, visit Thorne.com. About Team Liquid Team Liquid was founded in 2000 in the Netherlands and has evolved into one of the leading international multigame esports teams with training centers in Utrecht, São Paulo, Brazil and Los Angeles, California. Team Liquid has over 120 athletes competing across 19 distinct games, including all major esports titles, such as VALORANT, Rocket League, DOTA 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, Fortnite, Rainbow 6: Siege, and more. Led by Co-CEOs Steve Arhancet and Victor Goossens, Team Liquid is one of the most successful esports teams in the Western market in terms of competitive achievement and fan engagement across multiple sports. For more information, click HERE. In addition to the premier esports team franchise, Liquid Enterprises operates various business units created to complement its esports athletic brand. This includes influencer management agency Liquid Media, esports wikipedia Liquipedia, and 1UP Studios, the full service production company known for its high-quality esports documentary style filmmaking, and creative commercial content. In September 2016, controlling interest in Team Liquid was purchased by esports ownership group, aXiomatic. aXiomatic leadership includes Co-Executive Chairmen Peter Guber, Ted Leonsis, Jeff Vinik and Bruce Karsh who together represent an unparalleled team of sports, technology, entertainment and investment industry titans. SOURCE Thorne HealthTech, Inc.

Thruway Traffic Slowed After Pedestrian Reportedly Struck | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/thruway-traffic-slowed-after-pedestrian-reportedly-struck-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ SILVER CREEK — A person was reportedly struck by a semi truck on Interstate 90 Thursday. One lane of westbound traffic was closed near Silver Creek due to the incident, which was reported around 3:30 p.m. and occurred between Allegany and Hanover roads on I-90 in the town of Hanover. A medical helicopter was requested to the scene. It’s not known how or why a person was on the Thruway at the time. A fire official told county dispatch that the victim had been struck by a semi. Photographs posted to social media showed a line of vehicles, including several large trucks, at the Silver Creek exit. No further information regarding the incident was available by press time Thursday. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Tim Hortons National Coffee Day Metaverse – Adweek https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/tim-hortons-national-coffee-day-metaverse-adweek/ Tim Hortons is the latest fast food company to enter the metaverse with an obstacle course game in the world of Roblox to celebrate National Coffee Day. Enjoying your content? You Have 1 Free Article Left. Register to continue reading!

Amazon’s ‘ambient Intelligence’ Spin Sounds A Lot Like Corporate Surveillance – Mashable https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/amazons-ambient-intelligence-spin-sounds-a-lot-like-corporate-surveillance-mashable/ Amazon’s always listening. Credit: Image: Mashable composite; Amazon, Shutterstock / TWStock, Xaki646 Back in my day, you turned devices off when you didn’t need to use them. But in the age of Amazon, your “smart” home and its ecosystem of gadgets will ideally always be turned on. That vision even has a cool-sounding name: ambient intelligence. It’s A.I. with a new spin and the promise of a (corporate) bear hug. While I’m not anywhere near old enough to have truly earned my rose-tinted, geezer mindset, I am wrinkled just enough to remember a time before every device was connected to the internet; before the internet of things. So when I look at the direction Amazon is taking its ever-expanding hardware business and the welcoming, futuristic-sounding spin it’s using to sell this to consumers, well, I just can’t kick this dire feeling in my gut. At a device announcement event on Wednesday, Amazon laid out its vision for “ambient intelligence” (an obvious play on artificial intelligence), a term the company has used since at least 2021. Here’s what Amazon meant by that at the time. “In the ambient-intelligence vision, an AI service such as Alexa makes sense of the state of your environment, including devices, sensors, objects, people, and activity around you, to help you in every situation where you need assistance — either reactively (customer initiated) or proactively (AI initiated).” Amazon cut through all that tech jargon at its event with a bunch of practical examples of how ambient intelligence will play out. It added a new bedside sleep tracker called Halo Rise (which is kind of a Google Nest ripoff) and an always-on TV to a long list of devices in the company’s roster of things you’re supposed to plug in, turn on, and… stop thinking about. While no one would deny the usefulness of products like a Ring video doorbell or an Echo smart speaker, Amazon’s marketing speak for “ambient intelligence” sounds a whole lot like giving away the entire infrastructure of your life to one megacorporation with a long history of privacy issues. Inviting Bezos into every room Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab) Of course, Amazon didn’t just start mobilizing its ambient intelligence operation overnight. This has been years in the making, arguably ever since the Alexa virtual assistant came into being in 2014. Since then, Amazon has been working towards making sure you can’t walk into any room in your home without engaging with one of its products, like Echo smart speakers, smart locks for doors, and even thermostats. It’s a virtual finger in every household pie. In the ideal Amazon-run home, this pervasive tech-web would exist moments before you even step inside. Let’s take a tour: First, wave hello to the Ring video doorbell as we approach the front door. (Hi, Jeff!) You don’t have to worry about protecting your home from potential threats anymore — Amazon will keep an eye out. Sure, you might get sent a motion-tracker notification, but you can just swipe that away like you swipe away most Ring notifications because it usually means there’s a squirrel outside. (But, hey, maybe one time it will actually detect something bad and Amazon can give the footage away to cops without your permission. Convenience!) It’s tracking every squirrel and bird out there. Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Now, wipe your shoes on the mat and follow me into the living room where have a 75-inch Amazon Omni TV that never. turns. off. Say bye-bye to the boring black screens that have signified that a TV is not in use for decades — this TV will show you widgets, photos, and other… things! This is all very helpful, of course, because it will draw your attention to the fact that a giant screen is in the room. Okay, maybe you don’t intend on using it now, but that’s not the point. There’s a chance that simply looking at it might seed the thought of watching something into your brain. Something on Prime Video, perhaps? I hear The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is good. Next, follow me as we go down to the lovely basement in our Casa de Alexa. Feeling too cold in the ol’ man-cave? Just give Alexa a shout and she’ll adjust the temperature using the connected thermostat. WiFi struggling to cover everything downstairs? Simply expand it with an Eero router network, silly, which (you guessed it) is owned by Amazon. Heck, if you need to heat up some Pizza Rolls, Alexa can take care of that with this microwave. Sounds convenient, huh? Now, are you ready to sign (over your privacy) on the dotted line? I think you’re starting to get the picture. The idea here is for every room to have some kind of ambient Amazon device whirring in the background — whether it’s a doorbell on the porch, a TV in the living room, or a weird contactless sleep tracker on your bedside table. Of course, you’ll also have Echo speakers strewn throughout the place, which you can use to ask Alexa to play music, or tell you the weather, or simply to turn the lights on or off. (I actually had an old roommate who would shout at Alexa to turn the lights off while he stood next to the light switch.) The only room that’s safe from Amazon — for now — is the bathroom. Who knows, though? Maybe Amazon will release an Alexa-powered toilet or bidet. The company recently spent $3.9 billion on the primary care provider One Medical, so it’s possible Amazon can quietly measure your gut health, too. Alexa, live my life for me? Do you trust Astro? Credit: Amazon The point to all of Amazon’s ambient intelligence machinations is, above all else, to make you buy products. That’s not surprising or even sinister in and of itself, but innocently buying a smart speaker so you can request songs hands-free could lead down a road of buying a Ring camera, then a Halo Rise sleep tracker, then an always-on TV, and so on. Eventually, Alexa ends up owning your home — not you. And if that’s how some people want to live, then more power to them. But for me, having this intricate spider web of one company’s devices constantly monitoring my every move sounds more suffocating than liberating. Heck, the Amazon Astro robot can move with you. Don’t worry, though, it’s just ambient intelligence that’s powering the cute little surveillance robot as it learns the ins and outs of your home. Attach a marketing term to it and suddenly it’s less unnerving. It all feels like a way to make people self-enforce and shrug off corporate surveillance with a smile. Sure, there’s a history of Amazon employees listening in on Alexa conversations and even tracking location data, but at least Alexa can give you the score of the Thursday Night Football game, which also happens to be broadcast exclusively by Amazon.  I wasn’t joking when I said Amazon has a finger in every single pie. What’s worse is that Amazon knows its notorious reputation when it comes to privacy and now has to briefly acknowledge when a product doesn’t have a camera or microphone, like it did during the Halo Rise announcement. Maybe the data these devices pull is encrypted very well, but ultimately, a device that’s always monitoring you is a device that’s always compromising you in some way. Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab) It’s just marketing I don’t want to be a doomer about this stuff (and I only have so much room to talk as a Prime subscriber myself), but I’m just worried about a world where we can’t escape Amazon. I don’t want an Amazon-branded doohickey to tell me how I’m sleeping because chances are I already have a pretty good idea of that. (Pretty well, lately.) I don’t want a TV that’s always on because sometimes it’s nice to turn the TV off and be alone with my thoughts for a while. And I really, really don’t want a creepy little robot following me around the house like a pet. Maybe this is an overreaction to something you could reasonably describe as advertising spin. “Ambient intelligence” definitely sounds like it came out of a boardroom. If you make something sound like it exists in a benevolent sci-fi utopia, it’s less threatening to consumers, right? And judging by Amazon’s massive success over the years, the sales folks over there clearly know what they’re doing. Look, I like technology because it’s fun to use. The problem here is that Amazon’s trying to make technology that uses you to harvest data — be it for advertising, police investigations, or whatever else — and polish it up so it seems squeaky clean instead of dystopian. You do what you want with your life, but personally, I’m going to keep my home as analog as possible. By signing up to the Mashable newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from Mashable that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.

Citadel’s Ken Griffin Says The Exodus Away From Crypto And NFTs Is Good For The Economy – Kitco NEWS https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/citadels-ken-griffin-says-the-exodus-away-from-crypto-and-nfts-is-good-for-the-economy-kitco-news/ Editor’s Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today’s must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) – Ken Griffin, the founder of Miami-based trading firm Citadel Securities, pulled no punches in a recent conversion with CNBC when he suggested that people moving away from the “speculative bubble” that is crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and meme stocks is a positive sign for the U.S. economy.  The response emerged from a discussion surrounding the government handouts in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 lockdown, which resulted in investors pumping their newly found cash into these “speculative assets.”  All three of the aforementioned asset classes experienced blow-out performances at some point in 2021 as traders frantically attempted to acquire them amid rapidly appreciating prices, only to see their values plummet in 2022 amid a wider economic downturn.  Now that the bubbles have burst, Griffin sees it as a “healthy” sign for the U.S. economy, which can now start to regain some semblance of order.  “Now that we’re past that moment in time and people are starting to spend those savings down to travel, go out to eat, enjoy other items in life that they want to have, we’re seeing that speculative bubble really recede,” the billionaire said at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha Conference Wednesday.  “And this is healthy for the economy. Money misallocated in speculative assets doesn’t create jobs in the long run, doesn’t help to create the long-term prosperity that makes America the country that it is,” Griffin said.  The Citadel Securities founder also noted that younger people, including the ones that work at the firm, are more interested in crypto because they value privacy and have a more “libertarian view of the world.” Griffin also alluded to platforms like Celsius and Terra/Luna by saying that “billions of dollars going into companies that are effectively going to go broke, tens of billions” is not good for markets. Negative comments about the cryptocurrency sector are nothing new for Griffin, who once called the space a “jihadist call” against the U.S. dollar and said he is keeping his firm out of the digital asset space because he didn’t want to “help fund the North Koreans.”   Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

The US Push For Pay Transparency – BBC https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-us-push-for-pay-transparency-bbc/ Zhao points out there are other potential advantages of pay transparency beyond reducing wage gaps. In hiring, for example, being open about pay eradicates information asymmetries – situations in which a prospective employee’s expectations for pay differs wildly from an employer’s. “Pay transparency can help make the job search more efficient for job seekers and employers, letting both sides skip interviews when expectations about pay are too far apart,” he says.  In the short-term, he believes, increased pay transparency might lead to higher turnover by showing employees what their skills are actually worth on the open market; it might give some workers who discover they are underpaid more confidence to quit. But in the long run, adds Zhao, a less opaque market will likely lead to less turnover and more stability because of higher retention rates, which will benefit all.   No silver bullet  For all the potential upside of pay transparency regulation, however, experts also warn that it should not be considered a panacea for making the labour market overall fairer.  For one thing, publishing pay ranges might still lead to some groups of candidates – like minorities – being offered a salary at the bottom of a stated range and other candidates – like white men – negotiating top-of-the-range pay. In the UK, where since 2017 all companies with 250 employees or more have been obliged to publish an annual gender pay gap report, some institutions have exploited loopholes to understate their wage disparities.  There’s also no conclusive evidence of a causal relationship: that all companies who accurately report their pay gaps are necessarily all more effective at making their workplaces fairer and more equitable. “For organisations, this could be a catalyst for positive change,” says Mabel Abraham, associate professor of business at Columbia Business School in New York City. But the reality, she adds, is that it will not uniformly lead to a closing of all pay gaps and an eradication of inequality. Also, the closing of a pay gap should never be considered a perfect proxy for creating a more equitable labour force.  Abraham’s ongoing research shows that one of the key predictors of whether a company will close a pay gap or not is whether leaders have actually taken the time to understand why a gap exists in the first place. “Those that do are considerably more likely to improve – or reduce – the gap,” she says.  Organise’s Draganova agrees. “[Salary transparency is] a step in the right direction, and may well go some way towards resolving long-standing issues of pay equality and equity among workers,” she says, “[but it’s] just one piece of the puzzle – on its own, it can’t guarantee a good workplace for employees or a thriving business for employers.”

Stock Market News Live Updates: Stocks Plunge As Broad Market Sell-Off Intensifies; Dow Sheds 550 Points, Nasdaq Falls 3.4% – Yahoo Canada Finance https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/stock-market-news-live-updates-stocks-plunge-as-broad-market-sell-off-intensifies-dow-sheds-550-points-nasdaq-falls-3-4-yahoo-canada-finance/ U.S. stocks cascaded Thursday — with Apple leading the way down — as renewed recession jitters permeated Wall Street and wiped gains from a fleeting relief bounce in the previous session. The S&P 500 plummeted 2.1% to a fresh 2022 low, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average erased more than 450 points, or around 1.5%. The Nasdaq Composite sank 2.8%. Technology stocks led the slide lower as heavily weighted Apple (AAPL) shares erased roughly 5% on concerns around waning demand that prompted a downgrade from Bank of America. Analysts warned in a note out Thursday that BofA’s research team “expects the demand trajectory to worsen.” A report from Bloomberg also revealed one of Apple’s most senior executives was leaving the company after he turned up in a viral TikTok video making an off-color joke. Apple’s declines began Wednesday following a report the tech giant is backing off plans to increase production of its new iPhones this year after demand for the product failed to meet expectations. Elsewhere in corporate news, Meta Platforms (META) announced plans to restructure teams and reduce headcount for the first time in the company’s history, telling staff the “macroeconomy remains tough and volatile.” Shares closed down 3.7%. CarMax (KMX) shares also tumbled nearly 25% after the vehicle buyer reported second-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street estimates, citing “affordability challenges” that weighed on sales. And Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) fell 4% on Thursday after the company posted a wider quarterly loss as persistent merchandising and inventory snafus and inflationary pressures hit the home goods retailer. On the economic data front, initial jobless claims slid to 193,000, the lowest since April, in the week ended Sept. 24 from a downwardly revised 213,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists called for 215,000 claims, according to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Elsewhere, a third reading from the Commerce Department on gross domestic product (GDP) showed U.S. economic activity contracted at an annualized 0.6%. The renewed risk-off mood in the market places all three major averages on pace to give up most of the gains that came after England’s central bank said Wednesday it would resume bond purchases to help stabilize financial and currency markets. Investors celebrated the shift away from aggressive policy tightening by officials in recent months. The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq each rallied roughly 2%. EY Parthenon Chief Economist Gregory Daco said in a note that “the absence of proper policy coordination along with the speed and synchronization of rate hikes” risks an “excessive and disorderly tightening of financial conditions.” “In the UK, the economic outlook has recently taken a turn for the worse with the release of Prime Minister Liz Truss’ budget leading to a market rout, with treasury yields surging to their highest since 2010 and the British pound plunging to its lowest level in 37 years,” Daco said. Following the Bank of England’s intervention Wednesday – the purchase of around 65 billion pounds, or roughly $69 million, of long-dated gilts – British 30-year bond yields tumbled 100 basis points after touching a two-decade high. A man stands outside the Bank of England in London, Britain, September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay In the U.S. on Thursday, Treasury yields nudged higher after rising — and then falling — at the fastest pace in decades. On Wednesday, the benchmark 10-year Treasury note — a crucial economic benchmark — briefly hit 4%, hitting an important milestone amid the worst bond sell-off since 1949. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Wednesday that the decision by his central bank peers across the Atlantic to return to bond buying did not change his views on U.S. Federal Reserve policy or stoke fears England’s economic faults could pour over. “I would expect growth to be below trend, we would start to see demand for a wider range of products start to soften, and we would start to see labor markets start to be more rationalized,” Bostic said, adding that if job openings fall substantially, officials may contemplate stopping and holding at that level. — Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Google Is Shutting Down Its Gaming Service Stadia – ABC17News.com https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/google-is-shutting-down-its-gaming-service-stadia-abc17news-com/ By Catherine Thorbecke, CNN Business Google plans to shut down its cloud gaming service Stadia in January, a little more than three years after it launched, citing lackluster demand from customers. Phil Harrison, the vice president and general manager of Stadia, said in a blog post Thursday that the consumer gaming service “hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected.” Google plans to refund customers for “all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store,” according to Harrison. Google launched Stadia in 2019, making it one of several tech giants to invest in the gaming market. Described by some at the time as the Netflix of video games, Stadia let users stream and play games via smartphones, web browsers and other gadgets using Google’s Chromecast streaming device. It delivered a console-quality experience without the space-consuming hardware. But there were earlier signs that Stadia was struggling. Google said in 2021 that it would stop making video games for its Stadia platform. Some other tech companies have had to rethink their gaming strategies, too. Facebook said last month that it would shutter its standalone Gaming App this fall. The move also comes as Google and other tech companies rethink hiring and investments amid a market downturn and fears of a looming global recession. Despite shuttering the service, Harrison said Google remains “deeply committed to gaming.” Google expects to use some of the technology behind Stadia for other products, according to Harrison. Players will continue to have access to their Stadia games library and be able to play through Jan. 18, 2023, “so they can complete final play sessions,” Harrison added. The majority of refunds are expected to be completed “by mid-January, 2023,” he said, and additional details for this process will be available in its Help Center. The-CNN-Wire & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Hurricane Ian: Aid Arrives To Help Lakeland Electric Restore Power – The Ledger https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/hurricane-ian-aid-arrives-to-help-lakeland-electric-restore-power-the-ledger/ LAKELAND — Mutual aid crews began arriving in Lakeland Thursday prepared to get to the work of restoring power to Lakeland Electric customers.  The municipal-owned utility initially reported roughly 63,000 customers lost power due to Hurricane Ian. That number was reduced to 51,187 outages by 12:30 p.m. Thursday.  Who lost power: See Lakeland, Polk County, power outage map as Hurricane Ian impacts Florida VIDEO: Lakeland sees damage from Hurricane Ian Cathryn Lacy, LE spokeswoman, said the utility had started its post-Hurricane Ian damage assessment as of 11:45 a.m..  “We’re seeing a combination of things — lines are down, limbs down, whole trees down — so its a combination of problems,” she said.  Roughly 100 personnel are coming in from across the South to assist LE with restoring power. Texas-based Lubbock Power & Light sent 15 vehicles and 18 crew members to lend a hand. The utility’s director is Joel Ivy, former manager of Lakeland Electric. Other assistance has arrived from Denton Municipal Electric in Texas, Pike Electric and others from Tennessee.  Lakeland Electric’s restoration process is to start by thoroughly checking the power plant before moving to the transmission lines.  “There we can get groups of thousands or hundreds of customers back on quickly,” she said.  After that, the utility puts a high priority on the area’s hospitals, fire departments and other places that provide critical services.  In the crosshairs: Hurricane Ian’s shifting track puts Polk County in its path, tornadoes a threat “There is no estimation of restoration at this time,” Lacy said. “We’re hoping to have something really soon to share.”  Lakeland Electric is asking residents to continue to stay away from down power lines, which may be energized.  Lacy has also asked those using portable generators to make sure they are outdoors, away from doors and windows of a building. A generator should not be plugged into an outlet in a home or business as it could create potentially life-threatening backfeed on the system for restoration crew, according to Lacy.  Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.

Quick Chat: Jack Podlesny – University Of Georgia Athletics – Georgia Bulldogs https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/quick-chat-jack-podlesny-university-of-georgia-athletics-georgia-bulldogs/ 09/29/2022 02:11:00 PM | Football, The Frierson Files By John Frierson Staff Writer Jack Podlesny is full of surprises. The Georgia kicker wasn’t all that into football until he got to college and walked on with the Bulldogs. Unlike most of his teammates, he doesn’t dream of playing in the NFL. Instead, Podlesny aspires to a much different position, being in charge of UNICEF, the United Nations agency that provides aid to disadvantaged children all over the world. His life also changed thanks to taking the wrong UGA bus, as he’ll explain below. Earlier this week, it was announced that Podlesny, a senior from St. Simons Island, Ga.,  was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s William V.Campbell Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete. Podlesny is smart, thoughtful, conscientious, and the latest in a long line of talented Georgia kickers. During a Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, he talked about growing up in a vacation destination, where he wants to be in 10 years, the challenge of taking over for the beloved Rodrigo Blankenship, his new dog, how taking the wrong bus led to him following a different path at Georgia, and much more. He also found a great hack to my question about traveling on somebody else’s dime. Here’s some of what he had to say: Frierson: What was it like to grow up in St. Simons? Podlesny: I didn’t appreciate it until I left for college. I wanted to leave so badly in high school. My goal was to move out of the house my junior or senior year and live with my aunt and uncle in North Carolina so I could get in-state tuition at UNC. I had it all figured out, and I told myself, I’m going to hate it here so that it’s easy to leave. Things never worked out, and then I started to like it even more come senior year and never wanted to leave. Funny enough, I rarely visited the beach besides walking my dogs. The water, I’m sure you’ve seen it, is brown, no waves, nothing. We actually always traveled to North Carolina (to Bald Head Island) when we went on vacation. Frierson: Would you like to, if you can, have a place at St. Simons one day when you’re older? Podlesny: Because it relates to this: my goal has never been to play in the NFL. I didn’t love football when I first got here — I didn’t love football until, like, the beginning of last year. So I was very late to the party. I now love it, but the NFL’s never been a dream of mine, and I think that’s helped my success. I want to buy a house on Bald Head for my parents. I want them to settle down in a house on Bald Head — that’s my No. 1 driving factor. Frierson: What was it like to follow Rodrigo as Georgia’s kicker? Because he wasn’t just a great kicker, he was a cult figure that got the biggest cheers every time his name was mentioned. That has to be a tough act to follow. Podlesny: He was the guy for Georgia football. He played with Jake Fromm, and he still got the loudest cheers on Saturdays. I remember when they’d say Rodrigo Blankenship (over the PA system) and everyone would go nuts. There was a lot of pressure following in his footsteps. Frierson: Growing up on St. Simons, did you ever go to Georgia-Florida games when you were young? Podlesny: I sat down with Loran Smith not too long ago because he’s writing a book. … And I told him how I didn’t watch football growing up. It was soccer and baseball for me — I’m a huge baseball fan. I’d watch baseball any day of the week — big Phillies fan. My dad grew up in South Jersey, so it’s closer to Philly. So no, I never went to a Georgia-Florida game until I played in one. Frierson: If the Phillies are your baseball team, do you have a favorite soccer team? Podlesny: It’s hard to stay up to date with the (English) Premier League because it’s so ongoing. Baseball’s a little bit easier because it’s homegrown. I still have yet to catch an Atlanta United game but I really want to because I’ve heard those games are the best. Frierson: What do you do to get away from school and football? Podlesny: So, I have a dog, and the biggest thing is just going on long walks. That is my escape away from reality. Her name is Bear and she’s a Covid puppy (that looked a great deal like a small black bear cub, hence the name). Back home, when I was in high school, we would foster for the Humane Society. Come Covid, my mom had agreed to take in three puppies. I come home from spring break (after UGA shut down) and there are three puppies. I see Bear and I’m like, I’m going to keep that dog. I’ve had her for two years now and she’s two and a half. She’s a mix and she’s 33% pit bull, and she’s got like eight different breeds in her — pit bull, beagle, lab and a bunch more. Frierson: What is it like growing up in a house where you’re fostering a bunch of dogs? I bet it was easy to get pretty attached to them. Podlesny: It was. You can get very attached. It’s hard even now, when I have to come back here, to not see the puppies anymore. Frierson: In a perfect world, what are you doing in 10 years? Podlesny: [Laughs] Most people on this team would say NFL, right? Frierson: Absolutely. That’s why I asked you the question, because I it seemed like you might have a much different answer. Podlesny: I want to be the CEO of a public health company, like UNICEF or UNICEF USA. I’d love to travel and work globally, and work as something like a public health advisor for the CDC. That’s at the beginning, and then one day be the CEO. Frierson: You’ve already got an undergrad degree in Environmental Health, so what are you studying now? Podlesny: I was getting an Environmental Health master’s and I switched to Public Health because I wanted a more broad degree. Frierson: Where did this call or desire to do this come from? Podlesny: I was coming in as a (Biology) undergrad and I hopped on the wrong bus at orientation, and I went to the College of Public Health. They started talking about the Environmental Health major and I was like, this is kind of fascinating. You could do this and still go to med school, so I was like, I’ll try this out. … That helped, and then I had the best professor ever, Dr. Luke Naeher, and he has shaped my path for me — I’d say he’s my mentor and one of my best friends now, too. Frierson: That’s awesome. I love that your life changed by getting on the wrong bus. The only thing better would be if you’d also met the love of your life on that bus. Podlesny: [Laughs] Right! That’s true. Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else’s dime, where would you go and who would you take with you? Podlesny: It’s definitely going to be on Jeff Bezos’ dime because he’s got all the money [laughs]. Frierson: I haven’t thought about whose dime it was. You’re the first person to come up with that. It’s a wonderful loophole since that’s pretty much an infinite amount of money. Podlesny: I’ve always wanted to travel to Japan, and I’d probably take my mom. My mom just means a lot to me — she’s obviously shaped who I am today and I don’t go a day without calling my mom. Once I walk out of this (Butts-Mehre) facility, I’m on the phone with my mom, from when I walk to my car, all the way until I get home. Frierson: I’m sure she appreciates that, and I’m sure it means a lot to you, too. Podlesny: A lot of my friends are like, “I need to be better about calling my parents,” and they do it like once every week or two. And I’m like, am I weird for calling my mom every day? Maybe [laughs]. Frierson: Weird isn’t the right word, but I would guess that is unusual. Podlesny: I see my mom as my mom, but also as my best friend. During Covid, I didn’t take it for granted at all that I got to be home. In 2012, my entire family moved in with my grandfather — he had Parkinson’s and he passed away during the middle of our season in 2020. He was one of my biggest fans and that time at home with him and my entire family during Covid was really special. (This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.) Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He’s also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.

Hurricane Ian Could Cripple Florida’s Home Insurance Industry – KWLM (Willmar Radio) https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/hurricane-ian-could-cripple-floridas-home-insurance-industry-kwlm-willmar-radio/ Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images (NEW YORK) — Hurricane Ian could cripple Florida’s already-fragile homeowners insurance market. Experts say a major storm like Ian could push some of those insurance companies into insolvency, making it harder for people to collect on claims. Since January 2020, at least a dozen insurance companies in the state have gone out of business, including six this year alone. Nearly 30 others are on the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s “Watch List” because of financial instability. “Hurricane Ian will test the financial preparedness of some insurers to cover losses to their portfolios, in particular smaller Florida carriers with high exposure concentrations in the impacted areas,” Jeff Waters, an analyst at risk analytics company RMS and meteorologist, told ABC News. Waters said Florida is a peak catastrophe zone for reinsurers, and those with exposure will likely incur meaningful losses. More than 1 million homes on the Florida Gulf Coast are in the storm’s path, and while Ian’s track and severity can change in the coming days, one early estimate pegs the potential reconstruction cost at $258 billion, according to Corelogic, a property analytics firm. Industry analysts say years of rampant and frivolous litigation and scams have brought Florida’s home-insurance market to its knees, with many large insurers like Allstate and State Farm, reducing their exposure to the state in the past decade. “Insurers most exposed to the storm will be the Florida-only insurers, which we define as insurance companies with at least 75% of their homeowners and commercial property premiums written in Florida,” according to a report from Moody’s Analytics submitted to ABC News. The state-run, taxpayer-subsidized Citizens Property Insurance Corp. stands to lose the most. As more local insurance companies in Florida have closed their doors, Citizens has seen its number of policyholders swell from 700,000 to more than 1 million in just the past year. Florida state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg and a vocal critic of Florida’s insurance industry, warns that if Citizens can’t pay its claims, Floridians should brace for assessments to go up on their own insurance policies under a state law that allows it to assess non-customers to pay out claims. “Every policy holder in the state of Florida, home and auto, should be watching this storm very carefully because it could have a direct impact on their pocketbooks,” said Brandes. He predicts policy holders will see rate hikes of up to 40% next year as a result of Ian. A spokesperson for Citizens did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. Florida is already home to the highest insurance premiums in the U.S., something Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor running against incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis, blames on his opponent. “Gov. DeSantis let these insurance companies double Floridians’ rates and they’re still going belly up when homeowners need them most. You pay and pay and pay, and the insurance company isn’t there for you in the end anyway,” Crist said in a statement Monday. A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. In May, DeSantis signed a bipartisan property insurance reform bill into law that poured $2 billion into a reinsurance relief program and $150 million into a grant program for hurricane retrofitting. Among other things, it prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage based on the age of a roof and limits attorney fees on frivolous claims and lawsuits. At a news conference Tuesday, DeSantis said a lot of the damage from Ian would be from flooding and storm surge. DeSantis said the danger with the Tampa Bay area is that the water has no place to go, noting that the area has close to 1 million residents enrolled in a national flood insurance program. Homeowner policies typically do not cover flood damage, and most homeowners located in a flood zone often get coverage from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Most private property insurance companies insure primarily for wind damage. President Joe Biden on Thursday approved DeSantis’ request for a disaster declaration for a number of counties in the state. It includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses. “The expense will be higher because of higher construction costs and overall inflation,” Denise Rappmund, the vice president of Moody’s Public Project and Infrastructure Finance Group, told ABC News. “FEMA is the key source of aid following a natural disaster, but much of the costs to repair and rebuild damaged property will be borne by property insurers who will benefit from $2 billion of state-funded reinsurance.” Analysts say Hurricane Ian has the potential to be among the four costliest storms in U.S. history, mostly because Florida’s population has exploded in recent years. No state in the eastern U.S. has grown faster in population than Florida in the past decade and the state’s fastest growing cities: Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota, are all in the storm’s path. Analysts warn that more people and more homes mean that a major storm could become more destructive and costly. Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A New Approach To Spotting Tumors: Look For Their Microbes – The New York Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/a-new-approach-to-spotting-tumors-look-for-their-microbes-the-new-york-times/ Matter New research is revealing that cancer is rife with bacteria and fungi — a rich ecosystem that scientists call the tumor microbiome. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. A culture of Candida tropicalis, a type of yeast, isolated from adenocarcinoma-associated mucosa in the lab of Iliyan Iliev, an immunologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.Credit…Jennifer Conrad and Iliyan Iliev Sept. 29, 2022Updated 1:19 p.m. ET Look up an image of a tumor on Google, and you’ll probably end up with a brightly colored cluster of cancer cells on a drab background of healthy tissue. But for Lian Narunsky Haziza, a cancer biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, the picture looks very different. A tumor may also contain millions of microbes, representing dozens of species. “I think this is an ecosystem,” she said. “It means the cancer cells are not alone.” Scientists have long known that our bodies are home to microbes, but have tended to treat tumors as if they were sterile. In recent years, however, researchers have laid that notion to rest, demonstrating that tumors are rife with microbes. In 2020, several research teams showed that tumors are home to various blends of bacteria. And on Thursday, two studies published in the journal Cell found that tumors are also home to many species of fungi. This so-called tumor microbiome is proving so distinctive in each type of cancer that some scientists hope to find early signs of hidden tumors by measuring the microbial DNA they shed into the blood. And some research hints that microbes may make tumors more aggressive or resistant to treatments. If that proves to be the case, it may be possible to fight cancer by attacking a tumor’s microbiome along with the tumor itself. “We need to re-evaluate almost everything we know about cancer through the lens of the tumor microbiome,” said Ravid Straussman, a cancer biologist at Weizmann who collaborated with Dr. Narunsky Haziza on one of the new studies. Over the past two decades, scientists have charted the microbes in the human body by fishing for their DNA in mouth swabs, skin scrapings and stool. These surveys have identified thousands of species that live harmlessly in a healthy person, totaling some 38 trillion cells. Many organs once thought to be sterile turned out to have their own microbiomes. While researchers explored the healthy microbiome, cancer remained mostly terra incognita. No one knew if the millions of cells that make up tumors provided another habitat where microbes might live. In 2017, Dr. Straussman and his colleagues stumbled across bacteria living inside pancreatic tumors. They made the discovery while puzzling over how some tumors managed to resist a chemotherapy drug. It turned out that a species of bacteria that could block the drug was living inside them. Image Fungal and immune cells in human breast cancer, with the fungal cells stained in pink and the human cell nuclei in blue.Credit…Deborah Nejman and Nancy Gavert That finding led Dr. Straussman and his colleagues to do a large-scale survey of bacteria in more than 1,000 tumors from seven kinds of cancer. In 2020, they reported finding bacteria lurking in all seven types. Around the same time, a team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego, carried out their own search using a huge database of DNA gathered from different types of cancer in the early 2000s. The project, called the Cancer Genome Atlas, was intended to help scientists find mutations in tumor genes that make cancer cells grow uncontrollably. But the San Diego team recognized that the raw data might also contain DNA from bacteria in the tumors. Unfortunately, that meant sifting through the six trillion genetic fragments in the atlas for snippets of bacterial DNA. “It’s like trying to find needles in a haystack, when there are more straws of hay than there are stars in the Milky Way,” said Gregory Sepich-Poore, a member of the team. The search took years, but it paid off. Dr. Sepich-Poore and his colleagues found that a small percentage of the DNA fragments in 32 types of cancer belonged to bacteria, not humans. After the researchers published their study in 2020, they joined forces with Dr. Straussman’s team to see whether the tumors contained fungi as well. Fungi are one of the great success stories in the history of evolution, with an estimated 6.2 million species. They include the mushrooms that grow in forests, the yeasts that ferment bread and beer, and the mold that brought us penicillin. Among the hallmarks that all fungi share is the way they eat. They squirt out enzymes to break down nearby organic material and then soak it in. Fungi can also produce vast number of spores, which can survive in all sorts of extreme conditions for years. We are constantly being exposed to fungi, whether by picking up spores on our skin or eating food on which fungi are hitchhiking. Most of them won’t take up residence in our bodies. “A lot is just passing through,” said Iliyan Iliev, an immunologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. But some species have adapted to live inside us. Skin fungi break down oils we make. Others feed on the sugars in our mouths and digestive tracts. Scientists have also found other fungi in our bodies whose lives remain a mystery. “We really don’t know that much,” Dr. Iliev said. Image A section of a human lung tumor, in turquoise, with fungi stained in black.Credit…Lian Narunsky Haziza and Nancy Gavert The San Diego and Weizmann researchers looked for fungi in tumors in much the same way they looked for bacteria, diving back into the galaxy of DNA fragments in the Cancer Genome Atlas. Only this time, they looked for fungal genes. And they also inspected Dr. Straussman’s collection of tumors. All the types of tumors the scientists examined — from 35 different types of cancer — contained fungi, and each type had a distinctive combination of fungal species, as they reported in one of studies released on Thursday. In the other new report, Dr. Iliev and his colleagues independently found fungi in tumors from seven parts of the body: mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, breasts and lungs. Deepak Saxena, a microbial ecologist at New York University who was not involved in either study, was surprised at the sheer scale of the findings. “I was not expecting this amount of fungus in cancer,” he said. “This will change the way we think about it.” Dr. Sepich-Poore and some of his colleagues in San Diego have founded a company called Micronoma to turn their research into a blood test for cancer. By looking at the DNA shed by fungi and bacteria in a tumor, they say they can accurately predict what kind of cancer the microbes came from. They don’t know why the test works. Geography may be part of the answer: A lung tumor will tend to attract microbes already in the lung. But some microbes manage to move to new organs to get inside tumors. It’s possible that the particular chemistry inside a tumor, such as its level of oxygen, helps determine which microbes will thrive there. Both new studies found microbes that appeared to be associated with worse outcomes from cancer. For example, Dr. Iliev and his colleagues found that people were more likely to die of stomach cancer if their tumors contained a species of fungus called Candida tropicalis. It’s possible that some microbes don’t just take up residence in tumors but help them grow. They may cloak the tumor from the immune system, neutralize drugs or help tumors spread through the body. Jessica Galloway-Peña, a microbiologist at Texas A&M University who was not involved in the new studies, cautioned that this research alone could not establish if a microbe had any such effect. Scientists will need to conduct experiments on cancer cells in a dish or in animals. “OK, it’s associated with a specific tumor type, but does that just mean that it’s living hunky-dory with the tumor, or is it actually causing the tumor to get bigger and progress?” Dr. Galloway-Peña asked. “You just don’t know at this point.”

Spartans Take Over Top Spot In Standings | News, Sports, Jobs – Maui News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/spartans-take-over-top-spot-in-standings-news-sports-jobs-maui-news/ The Maui News Kekua Richards recorded a team-high seven kills and four aces, and the Seabury Hall girls volleyball team swept past Haleakala Waldorf 25-7, 25-16, 25-17 on Wednesday night at Erdman Athletic Center in Olinda. With the win, the Spartans took over sole possession of first place in the Maui Interscholastic League Division II standings at 7-0, a half-game ahead of Lanai (6-0). Seabury is seeking its fifth straight MIL championship. The Hawks fell to 1-9. Caelyn Hasegawa had 21 assists, Mercedes Winicki posted nine digs and Caroline Belew added four kills and three solo blocks for Seabury. ***** MIL Girls Volleyball DIVISION I STANDINGS W L Pct. GB x-Baldwin 10 0 1.000 — Maui High 6 3 .667 3 1⁄2 Kamehameha Maui 5 4 .556 4 1⁄2 King Kekaulike 2 7 .222 7 1⁄2 Lahainaluna 0 9 .000 9 1⁄2 DIVISION II STANDINGS W L Pct. GB Seabury Hall 7 0 1.000 — Lanai 6 0 1.000 1⁄2 Hana 7 2 .778 1 Maui Prep 4 4 .500 3 1⁄2 Molokai 3 6 .333 5 St. Anthony 1 8 .111 7 Haleakala Waldorf 1 9 .100 7 1⁄2 x-clinched regular-season championship Tuesday’s Late Result King Kekaulike def. Lahainaluna 25-23, 25-21, 25-14 Wednesday’s Result Seabury Hall def. Haleakala Waldorf 25-7, 25-16, 25-17 Today’s Matches Baldwin at Maui High, 6:30 p.m. Kamehameha Maui at King Kekaulike, 6:30 p.m. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

PH Firms Keen On Spending Office Time In The Metaverse, Says Study – INQUIRER.net https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ph-firms-keen-on-spending-office-time-in-the-metaverse-says-study-inquirer-net/ PH firms keen on spending office time in the metaverse, says study  INQUIRER.net

The 10 Best Cruises For Teens 2023 – U.S. News & World Report https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-10-best-cruises-for-teens-2023-u-s-news-world-report/ When planning a vacation for the whole family, a cruise can be one of the best options to consider, especially when traveling with active teens. While parents escape to an adults-only venue on the ship and have a quiet dinner for two, teens can mix and mingle with others their age in teen-only clubs, play games, listen to music, or grab a pizza and a movie under the stars. And if your tweens and teens need more action-packed fun to keep them entertained, some cruise ships act like floating amusement parks with zip lines, racetracks, roller coasters, ice skating rinks, laser tag, waterslides and more. If you’re considering a family getaway or a multigenerational vacation, these top cruise lines offer some of the most exciting and entertaining options to keep teens and tweens – and their parents – happy and engaged at sea. (Note: Some of the following activities, programs and amenities may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. New policies may be in place, including capacity restrictions, reservation requirements or mask mandates; in addition, certain cruise offerings may be temporarily suspended. Check with your chosen cruise line, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of State before traveling.) MSC Cruises (Courtesy of MSC Cruises) MSC Cruises offers plenty of family fun and activities for teens on its ships, including sports tournaments, waterslides and a family disco. On select ships, you’ll also find a full-size MSC Formula Racer, interactive XD cinema, a virtual reality experience, zip lines and an arcade room. The line’s Young Club programming offers daily activities for 12- to 14-year-old kids while teens 15 to 17 can participate in sports and dance competitions and video game tournaments at the Teen Club. Older kids can also take part in fun themed events, karaoke and even flash mobs – and there’s a teen-only disco. On the new MSC Seascape (set to debut in December 2022), teens can stay busy in three new concept spaces. “Future” features a state-of-the-art technology area with the latest generation consoles, VR and video screens for hours of entertainment. “Chill out” is just as it sounds – a place to hang out, chat, and play foosball and table tennis. Meanwhile, “Music” is a dance club where kids can choose their own tunes and dance the night away with cool lighting and sound effects. And if that’s not enough, ROBOTRON, the first of its kind at sea, is an amusement park-like ride that combines the thrill of a roller coaster with personalized music and lighting. MSC Seascape also has a VR 360-degree flight simulator, VR motorcycles and high-tech gadgets for teens. MSC World Europa – another new ship debuting in December 2022 – boasts the largest and most engaging kids area in MSC Cruises’ fleet with an impressive 8,245 square feet of action-packed space. The new TEENS LAB features a completely immersive, technologically advanced and modern area for teenagers with more than 20 of the latest consoles, seven VR stations and dozens of video games. Drone Academy 2.0 is a high-energy relay race where youths have to navigate through 15 obstacles with POV cameras, VR and glow effects. There’s even more onboard fun at Z Active, a new sports program that offers basketball, football and zorb ball alongside two firsts for the line – pickleball and hoverboards. [Looking to plan a cruise on MSC Cruises? See the top cruises on GoToSea, a service of U.S. News.] Norwegian Cruise Line (Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line) Norwegian Cruise Line boasts a teen-only venue, Entourage, that caters to young adults 13 to 17 years old. This supervised space – available on 15 of the line’s 18 ships – keeps teens busy in an adult-free lounge that’s filled with video games, movies, music, arts and sports. Teen counselors plan the activities and challenges to keep kids entertained throughout the cruise – and host the events that take place in Entourage. A list of detailed activities is available on embarkation day so teens can plan out their schedule for the cruise. The line’s newest ship, Norwegian Prima, the first vessel in the Prima class, features many first-at-sea innovations perfect for entertaining families and energetic teens, including a three-level racetrack called Prima Speedway. The new racetrack is 22 percent longer than the racetrack on Norwegian Encore and the speedway now passes through the funnel of the ship. With 14 nail-biting turns – and cars reaching up to 30 miles per hour – the racetrack is one of the highest-rated attractions on the ship. Adventurous teens will also want to check out The Drop & Rush: Billed as the fastest slides at sea, these chutes offer thrill-seekers a heart-pumping 10-story freefall plunge. If that’s not enough action, teens can also play Bull’s Eye, a classic game of darts that uses a video tracking system, or check out Tee Time for a pumped-up version of mini-golf set against a Las Vegas backdrop where you can compete for prizes. In The Galaxy Pavilion, an indoor gaming complex, you’ll find 14 attractions, including four immersive simulator experiences, two escape rooms and the Topgolf Swing Suite – all of which are unique to Norwegian Prima. When it’s time to cool off, the Tidal Wave waterslide is another first for the brand, letting guests ride inner tubes to catch the surf and ride out the wave. Norwegian Viva, set to launch in 2023 as the second vessel in the Prima class, will also feature these exciting new high-tech attractions. The line’s Breakaway class – Norwegian Escape, Joy, Bliss and Encore – are also popular with families as these ships offer plenty of activities and attractions well suited for active teens. [Want to cruise with your family on Norwegian Cruise Line? See the top cruises on GoToSea, a service of U.S. News.] Disney Cruise Line (Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line) Disney Cruise Line features two cool spaces dedicated to teens and tweens, who can hang out on comfy couches, watch shows or movies on large screen televisions, and play video games. These hangouts, called Edge (for ages 11 to 14) and Vibe (ages 14 to 17), are available on all Disney ships. On Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, the space at Vibe also features a private outdoor deck with chaise lounges, wading pools, foosball and more. While indoors, teenagers can order sodas and smoothies from the fountain bar, mingle with others their age, or just kick back and relax in individual nooks. There’s a dance club area for karaoke contests, talent shows and dance competitions. The trendy indoor/outdoor space – at almost 9,000 square feet – is accessible with a “teen-only” card. On the new Disney Wish ship, Vibe has a French twist inspired by a French artists loft with neon signs and funk pop art. For tweens sailing on Disney Fantasy or Dream, Edge is a bright, loft-style gathering spot – located in the funnel – that has individual computer stations for gaming and a massive video wall for screening television, movies and games. There’s also a lighted dance floor for dance parties and a photo booth with green-screen technology. Two nifty features of the space – and its location – are views of the pool decks below as well as three portholes that allow for glimpses of the riders on the water coaster, AquaDuck, as they zoom by. On the first night of the cruise, kids receive information on what activities and events will be available during their vacation so they can curate a personalized entertainment itinerary. Some fun options throughout the week may include “The Wild Side” (a teen-only excursion on the cruise line’s private island, Castaway Cay) and “Gotcha”: a game of elimination where one teen will become the ultimate victor. For a special treat – and a bit of pampering – don’t miss an afternoon at Chill Spa, located inside Senses Spa & Salon. Here, guests ages 13 to 17 can book indulgent specialty spa treatments like an Ice Cream Manicure and Pedicure, a Hot Chocolate Wrap or an organic Fabulously Fruity Facial. [Searching for a cruise with your family on Disney Cruise Line? See the top cruises on GoToSea, a service of U.S. News.] Adventures by Disney Adventures by Disney offers river and expedition cruises for the whole family; the itineraries span many choices and experiences for tweens and teens with a focus on culture, history, gastronomy and adventure. The river cruises are operated in partnership with AmaWaterways, while the expedition cruises are a collaboration with luxury French cruise line Ponant. If you’re sailing on the Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise itinerary, for example – and docked in Strasbourg, France, for the day – guests can choose between various exciting excursions. Teen-friendly options include a tour of the Black Forest, complete with a toboggan run and a visit to a woodworking museum, or zip lining through the Black Forest combined with a hike to the Triberg Waterfalls. In Melk, Austria, on the Danube itinerary, families can go for a bike ride along the Danube River, hike to the castle in Dürnstein or visit a family-run apricot farm. Another great feature of these cruises is that teens can opt to have dinner and evening get-togethers with same-age cruisers, so they don’t have to dine with their parents or younger siblings every night. Adventure Guides also curate special activities for teens like game shows and pool parties. In destinations like Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galápagos Islands, expert naturalists lead tours during these bucket list trips. You might even find a bit of Disney storytelling woven into the presentations by the Adventure Guides. Keep in mind if you have younger kids as well as teens that children need to be 5 or older to sail on the river cruises. For the Galápagos Islands expedition cruises, the minimum age for Junior Adventurers is ...

Circle Announces Acquisition Of Elements To Accelerate Crypto Payments – PR Newswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/circle-announces-acquisition-of-elements-to-accelerate-crypto-payments-pr-newswire/ Acquisition of developer-first payments platform to lower the barrier of entry for merchants and create a more seamless crypto payments experience , /PRNewswire/ — On stage at Converge22 today, Circle announced an accelerated crypto payments roadmap enhanced by the recent acquisition of Elements, a merchant and developer-first payments orchestration platform. The announcement includes plans to quickly scale payment offerings to unlock utility value for crypto and lower the barrier of entry for merchants to access next-gen payments and financial services. The new payment offerings make it simple for merchants to integrate their existing PSP relationships with Circle’s crypto payment offerings. “We are very impressed by the Elements team for their work in taking the complexity out of crypto payments,” said Nikhil Chandhok, Chief Product Officer at Circle, “Lowering barriers of entry for payments and financial services and establishing dollar payments utility are core to Circle’s mission. Providing well-designed payment products that can facilitate seamless, efficient, frictionless and delightful customer experiences are key to empowering merchants to take advantage of these next-gen payment solutions.” As the issuer of both USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EUROC), Circle is uniquely positioned to promote digital payments and an always-on financial system as native features of the internet. More than $49 billion USDC is in circulation as of Sept. 28, 2022, and it has powered more than $5 trillion in on-chain transactions since its 2018 inception. Creating a payments platform that allows merchants to accept USDC and other crypto payments at the point-of-sale is a natural progression of the growing global adoption of digital currencies. “Elements’ mission is to put more money into the hands of merchants. With Circle, we knew the natural synergy in our business models would create an opportunity to deliver a seamless and low cost payments and settlement experience for merchants using a digital currency they can trust,” said Nafis Jamal, Founder and CEO at Elements, “Today’s news is only the beginning of our joint mission to deliver first-class payments offerings and define the next generation of payments.” Jamal and Hao Min, co-founders of Elements, joined Chandhok onstage at Circle’s inaugural Converge22 conference to demo Circle’s Crypto Payments API which is available in beta today as well as the one-stop checkout SDK for crypto merchants which will be available in Q4 2022. Please visit here to learn more about Circle’s Crypto Payments API. About Circle Circle is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide. Circle is powering always-on internet-native commerce and payments and is the issuer of USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EUROC). Today, Circle’s transactional services, business accounts, and platform APIs are giving rise to a new generation of financial services and commerce applications that hold the promise of raising global economic prosperity for all through the frictionless exchange of value. Learn more at https://circle.com. SOURCE Circle Internet Financial, LLC

Analysis | U.S. Rejects Putin’s Attempted Reverse-Clausewitz. (I’ll Explain.) – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/analysis-u-s-rejects-putins-attempted-reverse-clausewitz-ill-explain-the-washington-post/ Welcome to The Daily 202! Tell your friends to sign up here. On this day in 1943, Lech Walesa, the shipyard electrician who would lead the Solidarity labor movement in Poland and ultimately end Communist rule in his country, was born. Putin’s illegitimate referenda are war with other means Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Potemkin referendums in eastern Ukraine, bringing four regions closer to illegitimate absorption by Russia, amount to a kind of reverse-Clausewitz effort to substitute a political process for a battlefield offensive that has gone decidedly poorly for him. Time will tell whether it works for Putin, but what he heard from the White House briefing room on Wednesday — promises of even more military aid for Ukraine, support for Kyiv to fight on regardless of the staged results, new sanctions on Russia — can’t have cheered him. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Remember Carl von Clausewitz? The Prussian general whose much-quoted and sometimes-read philosophy of war is regularly reduced to the idea that war is the pursuit of politics “with other means”? (Namely: Force.) Can’t get what you want through the political process, negotiations, peaceful means? Well, have you considered using military force? (I’m oversimplifying Clausewitz and fully expect a number of .edu or .mil address-holders to complain. But I’m writing for a general audience.) Using politics to wage war Anyway, Putin’s war in Ukraine has been going badly for Russia. Ukrainians, armed and equipped by the United States and its allies, have been pushing back Moscow’s troops, whose logistical and battlefield performances have wrecked their image as an irresistible fighting force. So Putin has embraced a three-pronged escalation: Announce he’s mobilizing up to 300,000 Russians to fight (it’s not going well); warn, again, that he reserves the right to use nuclear weapons; and stage referendums to set the table for Russia to absorb large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. (It’s not clear as I type this whether the Kremlin is behind the explosions that wrecked the Nord Stream pipelines that carry gas into Europe. In a statement on Thursday, NATO said the damage appeared to be “the result of deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage” and warned of “a united and determined response” if that proves to have been the case. It did not directly blame Russia.) That last one is the reverse Clausewitz: Putin is using politics to wage war with other means. The Kremlin’s plan appears to be to annex Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, declare them part of Mother Russia as early as this week, then warn Ukraine (and its friends) Moscow will defend what it now considers its territory will all necessary means, including nukes. My colleague Robyn Dixon reported Putin on Friday will sign what the Kremlin calls “accession treaties” to seize the four regions “even though Russia does not fully control them militarily or politically.” Russian state TV is reportedly running a countdown clock. It’s a variation on an approach Putin has successfully used twice in the past. In 2014, his forces overran Ukraine’s Crimea region, then annexed it. In 2008, his troops overran part of Georgia, then helped pro-Moscow enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia declare independence. But in both of those cases, Russia was acting from a position of strength on the battlefield, effectively dictating terms to far weaker powers with much less international support. This time, Putin’s gambit comes as Ukrainian forces, with U.S. and allied backing, are inflicting considerable damage on the invaders. White House ain’t buying Putin gambit At the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre served notice that the United States would not be intimidated into halting arms shipments and other aid or into pressuring Ukraine to stop or slow its advance. “Ukraine has every right to continue to fight for their full sovereignty,” she told reporters at her daily briefing. “We will continue to stand with Ukraine as they defend their territory and sovereignty as we have been doing for the past several months.” “We will work with our allies and partners to impose additional economic costs on Russia and individuals and entities inside and outside of Russia that provide support to this action,” Jean-Pierre said. And the Pentagon announced a new $1.1 billion package of weapons and materiel for Kyiv, including 18 additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which have enhanced the range and accuracy of Ukraine’s long-distance strikes on Russian targets. (Ukraine already has 16 HIMARS. The newest batch won’t roll off the assembly line for “a few years,” a U.S. defense official told reporters in a briefing conducted on the condition of anonymity.) A Pentagon fact sheet said the latest military assistance also included 150 Humvees, 150 tactical vehicles, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, body armor and an array of tactical secure communications systems, surveillance systems and optics. It also included 20 multi-mission radars “that can track airborne objects and threats, including mortar and artillery fire, along with enemy unmanned aerial systems,” the Pentagon said. It certainly doesn’t seem like Putin’s ploy has worked. And the Russian leader might consider the words of another great thinker, Mark Twain, who warned on the subject of war: “There has never been a just one, never an honorable one — on the part of the instigator of the war.” Ginni Thomas appears for Jan. 6 committee interview “Virginia Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, appeared for an interview Thursday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol,” Jacqueline Alemany reports. Johns Hopkins doctor and spouse, an Army doctor, indicted for trying to leak medical information to Russia “A Johns Hopkins anesthesiologist and her spouse, a doctor and major in the U.S. Army, were federally indicted for attempting to provide medical information about members of the military to the Russian government,” the Baltimore Banner‘s Justin Fenton reports. Harris visits DMZ after North Korean missile tests “Vice President Harris toured the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea on Thursday, becoming the most senior Biden administration official to inspect the demarcation line during a four-day trip to Asia that has been dominated by Indo-Pacific security concerns,” Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Michelle Ye Hee Lee report. Ian has brought ‘historic’ damage to Florida, DeSantis says “The storm is projected to bring potentially ‘life-threatening’ floods, storm surge and winds to parts of Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina as it makes its way toward northeast Florida and then approaches the South Carolina coast on Friday,” Jason Samenow, Kelly Kasulis Cho and Annabelle Timsit report. Lunchtime reads from The Post Supreme Court, dogged by questions of legitimacy, is ready to resume “Polls show public approval of the court plummeted to historic lows — with a record number of respondents saying the court is too conservative — after the right wing of the court overturned Roe v. Wade’s guarantee of a constitutional right to abortion. President Biden is trying to put the court in the political spotlight, hoping the abortion decision’s shock waves rocked the foundation of this fall’s midterm elections, once thought to be a boon to Republicans,” Robert Barnes reports. “And the justices themselves are openly debating what the court’s rightward turn has meant for its institutional integrity.” “Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. defends his conservative colleagues, with whom he does not always agree, saying unpopular decisions should not call the court’s legitimacy into question.” “On the other side, liberal Justice Elena Kagan increasingly is sounding an alarm about the next precedents that could fall and the implications for public perception of the bench.” A battle over Title IX: Can it be used to exclude trans athletes? “On Thursday, a federal appellate court will hear arguments concerning the rights of transgender student-athletes. But unlike most other legal challenges, the plaintiffs aren’t trans people suing to have their rights recognized,” Anne Branigin reports. “Instead, a group of young cisgender women, represented by the Christian conservative legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, is arguing that allowing trans athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their gender identity violates the rights of cis women.” America’s throwaway spies: How the CIA failed Iranian informants in its secret war with Tehran “Rather than betrayal, [Gholamreza Hosseini] was the victim of CIA negligence, a year-long Reuters investigation into the agency’s handling of its informants found. A faulty CIA covert communications system made it easy for Iranian intelligence to identify and capture him. Jailed for nearly a decade and speaking out for the first time, Hosseini said he never heard from the agency again, even after he was released in 2019,” Reuters’ Joel Schectman and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin report. “Hosseini’s experience of sloppy handling and abandonment was not unique. In interviews with six Iranian former CIA informants, Reuters found that the agency was careless in other ways amid its intense drive to gather intelligence in Iran, putting in peril those risking their lives to help the United States.” IG identifies ‘concerns’ with Defense Department phone messaging apps in probe of missing Jan. 6 texts “The Defense Department’s inspector general said in a letter to Congress this week that his office has identified ‘concerns’ ...