Virgilio Clapp

Say What? Shopping In The Metaverse Will Require AI-Powered Voice – PYMNTS.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/say-what-shopping-in-the-metaverse-will-require-ai-powered-voice-pymnts-com/ Beyond the most basic point-and-click interactions, commerce in the metaverse will likely require some sort of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice interaction. This can start with fairly simple voice-based biometric identification for purchases and logins to at least some retailers, banks and other companies. It’s already in use for security verification; at Charles Schwab, callers hear and repeat, “At Schwab, your voice is your password.” But customer service, support and sales interactions — really, any kind of customer experience more complex than a drop-down menu — will probably require some sort of voice interaction beyond the pick-an-option or describe-in-a-few-words keyword searches common today. See also: Modernizing Payments for Marketplaces, Gaming, the Metaverse and Beyond That means AI-powered voice biometrics will be needed in the metaverse for shopping, marketing, customer service and anything else required to support customer purchases in a virtual reality (VR) setting. No Hands Available When a user is inside the metaverse, they are unlikely to be typing on a keyboard, using a console or holding other devices. While wearing a VR headset, their hands will be full with the point-and click joysticks that are used to move avatars and allow them to interact with the virtual worlds. That’s why voice will be so important. Primary interactions with anyone else in the metaverse must be vocal. None of this is really unfamiliar to anyone who has ever used Apple’s Siri or Google’s Alexa, and restaurants are already using similar technology. Read also: Understaffed Restaurants Turn to Robo-Voice Assistants to Take Orders The technology is already seeing substantial use outside the metaverse, with “healthcare, automobile, retail, eCommerce, banking and human resources aiming to improve customer service through more personalized interactions.” These are among the use cases in which natural language processing and generation “have seen explosive growth rates,” Analytics India magazine said in March. New Tech Needed Another aspect of this may well be AI-supported translation tools like the universal speech translator Meta is working on, which “will have no delay due to transcription time,” the magazine reported. “If the metaverse is supposed to behave like global cyberspace, the language barriers have to be removed,” it added. That will require everything from finding and implementing the technology to figuring out who (or what), will be the business-to-consumer voice of a company. “Digital avatars will be a key element of the metaverse, and as avatars hang out and interact with other avatars, just text-based communication won’t suffice; there will be a need for voice communications,” Speech Technology reported in April. “A range of speech technologies — automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and machine translation — must be deployed in the background to enable smooth voice interactions.” It added that social networks use “a variety of content moderation tools to flag abusive content or filter out content that violates the platform’s safety and harassment prevention policies.” But they are focused on text and image content, not voice conversations, Speech Technology reported. “[W]e’ll need similar tools for real-time conversations happening in the metaverse.” For all PYMNTS crypto coverage, subscribe to the daily Crypto Newsletter. New PYMNTS Study: How Consumers Use Digital Banks A PYMNTS survey of 2,124 US consumers shows that while two-thirds of consumers have used FinTechs for some aspect of banking services, just 9.3% call them their primary bank. Sign up for our daily newsletter. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. Learn More https://www.pymnts.com/cfo/2022/voice-of-the-cfo-smart-ar-balances-collections-with-customer-success/partial/

New ‘Batwheels’ Preschool Series Coming To Cartoonito — Exclusive Look – Romper https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/new-batwheels-preschool-series-coming-to-cartoonito-exclusive-look-romper/ Batman and Robin may be the dynamic duo, but Gotham City wouldn’t be safe without the superhero’s trusted Batmobile! Car-obsessed kids will love Cartoonito’s new Batwheels preschool series, all about the automobiles behind the superheroes. Romper has an exclusive look at this adorable new series, which premieres this month on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito and HBO Max. Zoom through the exciting details, below! Batwheels premieres in October. Just in time for your kid to change his mind about a Halloween costume, Batwheels premieres during Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito preschool block at 9 a.m. on Oct. 17, then it will be available for streaming on HBO Max on Oct. 18. The first seven episodes will be available right away. Batwheels is the first Batman preschool series. Kids ages 2 to 5 can enjoy the first-ever DC Batman preschool series designed for their age bracket. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Batwheels shows a high-speed, vibrant CGI-animated version of Batman, his super friends, and their amazing cars. “Little ones and their families will ride along with an amazing team of super-vehicles — Bam (the Batmobile), Bibi (the Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s racecar), Buff (the Bat-Truck), and Batwing (the Bat-plane) — as they help Batman, Batgirl, and Robin keep the streets of Gotham City safe. Whether it’s facing down the Legion of Zoom or one of Gotham City’s notorious Super-Villains, the Batwheels will use their incredible gadgets and creative teamwork to save the day,” the show’s logline reads. Michael G. Stern, co-executive producer of Batwheels, tells Romper that they wanted to keep Batman “cool” while still feeling relatable to kids, which is why they came up with the Batwheels. “Our approach to adapting Batman for such a young audience was to keep him the same cool crimefighter we all know and love. We didn’t want to dumb the character down or make a ‘kidified’ version of Batman,” he says. “We wanted to present Batman in all his awesomeness. To accomplish this, we created a team of new characters — The Batwheels — that are essentially kids. The audience sees the stories through their eyes (or headlights, if you will!), while preserving the cool of Batman.” He adds that their version of Gotham City is kid-ified. “We wanted to include all the familiar, beloved institutions — the Batcave, Gotham City, etc.,” Stern tells Romper. “But our version is just a little more colorful, and a little more vehicle-leaning, with an abundance of ramps, bridges, tunnels, and jumps. In other words, it’s Gotham City done fun!” Kids will learn to be heroes. “Batwheels inspires children to understand and embrace what it means to be a hero and models ways to overcome challenges that also contribute to the greater good,” Dr. Laura Brown, educational psychologist and curriculum director of Cartoonito at Warner Bros. Discovery, tells Romper. “The Batwheels are known for their super speed and gadgetry, but it’s their character strengths — qualities like concern for others, resilience, self-awareness and teamwork — that are key to their success,” she continues. “By watching Batwheels, kids see they, too, can develop character strengths and be heroes to their family, friends and community.” She explains that each story in the series shows kids how a certain character strength can help the Batwheels overcome challenges. For example, Bam gives himself an upgrade so he can better help Batman, but he learns that his inner qualities were all he really needed. “In this story, Bam is developing the character strength of authenticity as he realizes and embraces the value of his personal qualities,” Dr. Brown says. “The Batwheels, like our audience, are heroes in training. They want to do the right thing and help Batman, Robin, Batgirl and the community, but they are still figuring out how to be good friends, work together and lead as heroes,” adds Dr. Brown. “In this way, the Batwheels are the perfect vehicles (pun intended!) to show kids what a real hero does and that we all can become heroes.” Romper has an exclusive clip of Batwheels. Watch an exclusive clip of Batwheels here. Watch Batwheels on Oct. 17 on Cartoonito and on Oct. 18 on HBO Max.

Crypto News Summary: Samsung’s ‘Private Blockchain’ Security System, Five Charged Over $2.5M NFT Theft – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/crypto-news-summary-samsungs-private-blockchain-security-system-five-charged-over-2-5m-nft-theft-cryptonews/ Source: AdobeStock / KreangchaiRungfamai Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news. __________ Blockchain news South Korean electronics and software giant Samsung announced on October 13 the implementation of a new security system for its smart devices, called Samsung Knox Matrix. “Samsung Knox Matrix will function as a user’s own private blockchain system, wherein your connected devices enhance security through multi-layered mutual monitoring,” said the announcement.  Diversified holding company BitNile Holdings, Inc. said that its subsidiary BitNile, Inc. has begun the development of a Bitcoin (BTC)-based marketplace platform, which expects to leverage blockchain and other emerging technologies. The announcement said that the marketplace is planned for release in the first half of 2023, and that it will be “a multi-vendor e-commerce platform supporting a wide array of business sectors, including retail, real estate, commodities, and other consumer-driven offerings.” Legal news Five people were charged in France Wednesday on suspicion of fraudulently acquiring $2.5 million of valuable non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including several Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) pieces, Barron’s reported, citing Paris prosecutors. Charges against the young adult suspects over the theft include fraud committed as part of a criminal gang, concealing fraud, and criminal association. NFT news Binance NFT, the NFT marketplace of major crypto exchange Binance, announced the NFT collection launch of Kharkiv Art Museum, which is one of the oldest and most valuable museum art collections in Ukraine. As part of the launch of the “Art without Borders” NFT collection, the Kharkiv Art Museum will be auctioning 15 works from its own collection. The auction will begin on October 13 and last for a week.  Regulation news US Senator Elizabeth Warren and six other Democrats sent a letter on Wednesday to Texas grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, seeking information about the amount of electricity crypto mining operations have consumed and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions they’ve released over the last six years. “We write seeking information about cryptomining operations in Texas and the impact these operations may be having on climate change, the stability of the energy grid, and subsidies – ultimately paid for by retail consumers – that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is providing to cryptomining companies to curtail their operations during times of peak demand,” it said.  Banking news BVNK, London-based crypto-powered payments and banking platform for businesses, has secured registration in Spain as a Virtual Asset Services Provider. Maximilian von Both, chief legal, risk, and compliance officer said in the announcement that “the registration in Spain will be the first of many similar landmarks.” Payments news Global payment orchestration platform BlueSnap announced a new partnership with crypto payment services provider BitPay, which will give businesses the ability to accept and get paid out in up to 15 different cryptoassets and seven fiat currencies globally, said the announcement. Businesses that accept crypto payments benefit from lower processing costs, access to a new customer base, and no chargebacks, it added. Bitcoin rewards app Lolli announced the launch of its new mobile app for iOS and Android featuring new Lolli Card Boosts, which allows shoppers to earn up to 10% in bitcoin rewards on in-store purchases. With Card Boosts, shoppers can turn their credit or debit card into a bitcoin rewards card by linking it to the Lolli app, they said. DeFi news Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending and borrowing protocol Paxo Finance has integrated Chainlink Price Feeds on Polygon (MATIC) mainnet. The blog post said that integrating this decentralized oracle network enables the protocol to access “tamper-proof price data feeds needed to support accurate liquidations, helping ensure protocol and lender solvency.” DeFi protocol CACHE Gold has integrated Chainlink Proof of Reserve on the Polygon mainnet. The announcement said that “CACHE Gold users can now verify on-chain that cross-chain CACHE Gold tokens (CGT) on Polygon are fully backed 1:1 by CGT tokens on Ethereum.” Investment news Uniswap Labs, the team behind the major decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap (UNI), has raised $165 million in Series B funding, led by Polychain Capital and with participation from longtime investors a16z crypto, Paradigm, SV Angel, and Variant, founder Hayden Adams said in a blog post. One of the development teams behind the Ethereum Merge, Prysmatic Labs, has been acquired by Offchain Labs, the developer of the Ethereum layer-2 network Arbitrum. The financial terms were not disclosed. Per the announcement, the Prysmatic Labs team is officially joining Offchain Labs and will continue to develop Prysm as “a fully open-source and neutral consensus client.” Web3 platform nxyz announced a $40 million Series A led by Paradigm, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital, and angel investors like Balaji Srinivasan, Jaynti (JD) Kanani, Jing Wang, Packy McCormick, Surojit Chatterjee, Ryan Selkis, and others. Per the announcement, co-founder Sridhar Ramaswamy will become CEO, while staying in his role as CEO of the private search engine Neeva. The funds will be used to expand nxyz’s team, build support across emerging use cases, and expand across different chains, it said. Career news Digital asset custodian Standard Custody & Trust Co., a subsidiary of PolySign, announced the appointment of Matthew Homer to its board of directors. The press release said that Homer was the inaugural Executive Deputy Superintendent for the Research and Innovation Division at the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), where his responsibilities included cryptocurrency and digital assets.

United Ukrainian Ballet To Make U.S. Debut At Kennedy Center In February – The Washington Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/united-ukrainian-ballet-to-make-u-s-debut-at-kennedy-center-in-february-the-washington-post/ A group of Ukrainian ballet dancers who fled the war in their homeland and brought their talents together under the name United Ukrainian Ballet, based in The Hague, will perform at the Kennedy Center Feb. 1-5, the center announced Thursday. The group’s five-day run will mark its debut in the United States and its only U.S. appearances. The company of more than 60 dancers, professionals from the national theaters of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, will perform the U.S. premiere of a new version of the beloved romantic ballet “Giselle.” World-renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, a native of Ukraine and an ardent supporter of its artists, recently created the full-length production especially for this group. The Kennedy Center’s Opera House Orchestra will accompany the ballet, led by Ukrainian conductor Victor Oliynik. Principal casting will include guest artist Christine Shevchenko, a Ukrainian-born principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and other guests will be announced later, said Jane Raleigh, the Kennedy Center’s director of dance programming. “Dancing, performing and representing Ukraine feels important to do — that’s how we say we are strong, we’re alive and we’re continuing our fight, and that victory will be ours,” Ratmansky said in a recent interview. “That’s what the dancers feel and think when they dance.” Yet forming a touring organization so quickly, with dancers of different technical levels who hadn’t worked together, has been “logistically a huge undertaking,” the choreographer said from his home in New York City. (In addition to creating works for companies around the world, Ratmansky is artist-in-residence at American Ballet Theatre.) “Some of these dancers hadn’t taken [ballet] class for months or a year or more,” he said. “It’s been very challenging for all of us, but also inspiring.” The exiled dancers have been working together for only about six months. In March, Dutch ballerina Igone de Jongh began organizing them, and she serves as artistic director. At first, the group numbered just a few female dancers, children in tow. Gradually, Ratmansky said, men were able to join them, after receiving permission from Ukraine’s ministry of culture. The dancers have been living, training and rehearsing at the former Royal Conservatoire building in The Hague, which has been converted into a center for Ukrainian refugees. They performed the new “Giselle” in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities in August, and at the London Coliseum Theatre last month. For Ratmansky, working with this group goes far beyond an artistic opportunity. Throughout his career, he has been widely identified as a Russian choreographer — but the war has complicated that, he said. He was born in Soviet Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), trained at the school of the Bolshoi Ballet and, later, became director of that famed Moscow company. But his father is from Kyiv, and Ratmansky grew up there and danced with the Ukrainian National Ballet early in his career. His family, and his wife’s family, still live in Kyiv. “Since the war started,” Ratmansky said, “I am absolutely Ukrainian with all my soul, because that is where my heart is.” Daily phone calls home have been “very scary and very dramatic,” he said. “You don’t know what to expect, especially with the recent escalation. It’s constant shelling. It’s hard to explain the feelings when you call and hear air sirens. It’s surreal. It’s not supposed to happen.” The dancers are experiencing the same anxiety. Which is what made retooling “Giselle” for them a good choice, Ratmansky said: The original ballet was French — not Russian. “We can’t blame Russian ballets for what is going on now,” he said, “but there is a sensitivity there that’s hard to put into words.” The ballet’s themes of love, guilt and forgiveness are especially meaningful for these self-exiled dancers, living far from home and loved ones, Ratmansky said. The ballet’s title character is a peasant girl in love with a prince in disguise; when his identity is revealed, and his betrothal to another royal discovered, Giselle dies of a broken heart. Ratmansky’s version “ends as the original ballet intended,” he said, “with Giselle forgiving the prince and telling him to go back to his fiancee and live his life.” “You can’t see this ending anywhere in the world anymore. I guess the male stars all want to be alone and suffering at the end,” he added with a laugh, “and covered in flowers.” The United Ukrainian Ballet’s February engagement at the Kennedy Center replaces the National Ballet of China, which pulled out of those dates after encountering touring problems. “It was a miracle that the dates lined up,” said Raleigh, the dance programming director. “And the opportunity to bring them to the United States and to Washington was too good to pass up.” Tickets to the United Ukrainian Ballet performances go on sale Nov. 1 for Kennedy Center members and Nov. 9 widely.

DLT Is On The Move, Say SIBOS Panellists – Asset Servicing Times https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/dlt-is-on-the-move-say-sibos-panellists-asset-servicing-times/ Distributed ledger technology (DLT) application in the real world is accelerating, said panellists at this year’s SIBOS conference. The affirmation was made at a panel entitled ‘Meet the Experts: DLT in the Real World – Making Digital Assets an Operational Reality’, run by Broadridge, in which participants discussed the recent findings of ISSA’s industry-wide ‘DLT in the Real World’ survey. Colin Parry, CEO of ISSA, outlined some of the survey’s key findings, including considerable year-on-year growth for live DLT usage and the maintained popularity of crypto and bonds assets. He also emphasised the fact that “the value [of DLT] is there,” but that it may be seen differently depending on where firms are in the ecosystem. While the use of DLT is up, other panellists warned that the industry may not be using it to their full advantage. Xiaonan Zou, head of innovation and digital assets at UBS Group Treasury, stressed that regulation must be considered as companies push for everything to move faster. Operational risk needs to be minimised, she said, and regulation needs time to catch up. Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset, disagreed. He stated that regulation does not need to change when considering the digital asset world, and argued that regulation for other asset classes and the wider market can be applicable. Instead, he suggested that a major problem the sector is facing is an overabundance of experimentation — and a lack of actual problem solving. Answering the question of why investors should show an interest in DLT, Horacio Barakat, head of digital innovation for capital markets at Broadridge, affirmed that they already are. He said that the buy-side is seeing the benefits of DLT, but that the technology is of no use to them without the presence of a user network that they can engage in. As this network develops, uptake will increase. Although the buy side has been slower in the adoption of DLT, there was little incentive for them to join, he added. Rooz instead suggested that the buy-side is not behind the curve — they had no reason to be ahead of it, as innovation in this area does not directly serve them. He stated that the buy-side is more interested in solutions to problems than product technicalities, and that once these are publicised there will be further interest in DLT. Barakat concurred, stressing that networks are hard to build based only on product potential. He suggested that specific use cases for individual companies should be introduced before moving to a multi-party system, allowing for firms to adapt to new technology and realise its benefits. Zou considered the rapid development of interest in DLT and digital assets over the past years, noting that support for her digital assets team has increased steadily. Similarly to Rooz, Zou mentioned the importance of using DLT to produce concrete use cases and create tangible benefits. The importance of having clear strategies and objectives was highlighted by the panellists, with Zou stating that “planning and funding is very much front and centre in this journey,” and Rooz adding that technology migration requires clear project objectives, with all parties involved agreeing on intended outcomes and measures of success. As the ecosystem is becoming more visible, investment in DLT is increasing, according to Parry. He said that firms are becoming more and more willing to partner with fintechs and other external service providers, rather than trying to develop everything in-house, and that the process is full-firm oriented, rather than a separate entity. Returning to the question of regulation and best practice, Parry brought up ISSA’s long-term research into DLT, with a digital asset working group and several published papers. However, he admitted that there are not yet best practices available as the industry does not yet know what these should be. Rooz stated that “a standard is a standard if people use it,” suggesting that these will emerge as DLT becomes more widespread. Concluding the panel, each speaker offered a different perspective on the challenges that DLT faces. Parry cited regulation, while Barakat mentioned the industry’s aversion to change and the risk associated with it. Zou stated that there is a “long journey” ahead for digital assets, and that companies need to make sure that they are taking a price-minimising, benefit-maximising approach. Finally, Rooz reiterated that the focus should be on solving industry problems, and added that digital assets should stop being considered as disparate from mainstream assets.

Public Meetings | News | Logandaily.com – Logan Daily News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/public-meetings-news-logandaily-com-logan-daily-news-5/ All public entities (trustees, village and city councils, commissioners, etc.) must publicize their meeting dates, times and places. Except in the case of an emergency meeting, The Logan Daily News should be informed of meeting times at least two days in advance. When possible, give at least one week’s notice. Load comments Post a comment as anonymous Welcome to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don’t Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Airfares To Asian Destinations Surge Amid Strong Demand For Year-End Travel – CNA https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/airfares-to-asian-destinations-surge-amid-strong-demand-for-year-end-travel-cna/ SINGAPORE: Travellers booking air tickets from Singapore to some Asian destinations are paying much more for the coming December holiday season compared to the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, travel platforms said on Thursday (Oct 13). This comes as several popular destinations, including Japan and Taiwan, recently reopened their border to tourists after two-and-a-half years of travel restrictions. Prices of one-way air tickets from Singapore to Seoul have surged by as much as 78 per cent for this year-end period compared to 2019, according to Traveloka.  When CNA checked flight comparison website Flightscanner on Thursday, the cheapest available itinerary to South Korea for Dec 19 to 31 cost S$664. This is for a direct roundtrip on budget airlines Scoot as well as T’Way Air, which started routes between Singapore and Incheon earlier this year. Roundtrip fares on full-service carriers Korean Air and Singapore Airlines cost at least S$1,263 and S$1,924 respectively. According to Traveloka, fares from Singapore to the Philippines have gone up by 70 per cent, while it costs about 47 per cent more to fly to Thailand. The costs of flights to Indonesia have increased by 43 per cent.  “Our users are telling us that they want to travel again and we have been seeing a steady uptick of bookings on our platform,” said Traveloka president Caesar Indra, adding that the post-pandemic world will “continue to be dynamic”. Expedia observed a similar trend.  Average air ticket prices to Malaysia for the year-end holiday have gone up by up to 50 per cent, it said, while prices to Bangkok have increased by more than 25 per cent.  And although ticket prices to Japan have gone up as well, the increase has not been as much as with other Asian destinations, noted the travel platforms.  It costs about 15 per cent more on average to fly to Tokyo this December holiday compared to the same period in 2019, according to Expedia.  Flightscanner lists direct roundtrip fares to Tokyo for at least S$1,043 during the Dec 19 to 31 period, for flights on Japan Airlines’ budget subsidiary ZIPAIR Tokyo. Expedia Group’s Asia head of public relations Lavinia Rajaram noted that many airlines have introduced additional flights to key destinations like Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which will help to drive prices down. She added that larger carriers have raised the capacity of flights to Japan by more than 30 per cent on average, while smaller carriers increased theirs by 10 per cent. Apart from the easing of border measures, the recent increase in fuel charges is also contributing to higher airfares, she added. Despite the higher fares, both companies said travellers do not seem to be discouraged from making plans to fly during the year-end period. Travel searches “surged significantly” after COVID-19 border measures were eased for some north Asian destinations in late September, said Ms Rajaram. This shows that “vacation-deprived Singaporeans are excited to return to their favourite holiday destinations, especially for the season of Christmas and New Year”, she added. “Intra-Asia travel to other nearby destinations like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Seoul continues in an upward trend, as convenient holiday options and international corridors for long-haul flights from the US and across Asia.” She added: “While travellers may be looking for lower cost options when planning travel, we don’t see air ticket price dampening traveller’s interest to travel in the near term.” Traveloka also observed that a “significant number” of Singapore travellers have made plans for year-end holidays on the platform, Mr Indra said. Top destinations include Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines and Japan, he added. Earlier this month, Singapore’s Transport Minister S Iswaran said the air transport sector recovered to about 80 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the first half of 2022. Changi Airport also began to ramp up operations as demand for flights increased, resuming operations in Terminal 4 in September after it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport also began a phased reopening for Terminal 2, which welcomed arrivals in May and resumed departures on Tuesday. %

US Inflation Pressures Further Intensified In September | Business News | Wfmz.com – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/us-inflation-pressures-further-intensified-in-september-business-news-wfmz-com-69news-wfmz-tv/ If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here. PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS – The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors denied a conditional use for two warehouses proposed by developer Abe Atiyeh. – B. Braun bought Starboard Medical’s Clif-FIX line of devices that secure catheters for an undisclosed price. – The Lowhill Township Planning Commission denied a plan for a warehouse at 7503 Kernsville Road, saying it would change the character of the rural township. – Just A Dream Frozen Yogurt in Forks Township closed its doors after 10 years. – Khanisa’s Pudding Bar held a grand opening at its new Downtown Allentown Market location after having moved from Easton. – Mussel Polymers Inc. says its glue for bonding carbon and synthetic fibers is a big step toward creating lighter and stronger fiber-reinforced materials. – Poke Bar 25 & Bubble Tea in the Shops at Bethlehem (the Giant shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, on the border with the City of Bethlehem) will open in late November or early December.  – The former Rosanna’s Restaurant in Bethlehem, which closed in February, will reopen as a deli and bar called Rosa’s Corner. – Victaulic has expanded in Tennessee with the acquisition of Tennessee Metal Fabricating, price not disclosed. – The old Forks Diner will be serving auto-repair customers by early spring of 2023 with a six-bay garage known as Wrenchtec. – Lehigh County-based Shift4 Payments stepped in to help the owners of Better on the Bone Butcher and Deli in Pottstown finally open their doors. – Mid Penn Bank opened a new, bigger location in Blue Bell. – Balloon Junction held a grand opening in Pottsville for its store offering custom balloon creations. – Rentschler’s Ice Cream has reopened just a few doors down from its former location in Ringtown after it was destroyed by a fire in February. – Mill Street Aesthetics, a day spa and skincare boutique, held a grand opening in Belvidere, New Jersey. – Provident Financial Services agreed to acquire Lakeland Bancorp in a stock deal valued at $1.3 billion, creating a bank that will hold 4% of the deposits in New Jersey.

The NDSU Walk To Well-Being Will Promote Community And Health – NDSU The Spectrum https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/the-ndsu-walk-to-well-being-will-promote-community-and-health-ndsu-the-spectrum/ The PCCW is hosting tours around NDSU facilities to promote Well-being on Campus The North Dakota State University Presidents Council for Campus Well-being, or the PCCW, is promoting walks to encourage healthy living and the growth of community on campus. This series of walks will not only benefit the well-being of NDSU, but will also be an opportunity to learn about NDSU. The Walk to Well-being event put on by the PCCW works to provide information about campus as well as exercise throughout student’s, staff’s and the faculty’s day. “Walk to Well-being is focusing on how do we get active, but also to create a sense of community and to understand our campus a little bit better,” says Hegg.  These walks will happen throughout the fall semester and hopefully become an annual event. Each walk will highlight a different area of campus, providing information about the building or area. Walks have included downtown and the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, otherwise known as the SHAC.  The SHAC tour was led by Athletic Director Matt Larsen. Upcoming tour will feature Sugihara Hall and Campus tours led by the Admissions Office.  These walks were new last year, although the weather did not cooperate making this the first official year that the Walk to Well-being will be completed successfully.  Through these tours, people can “get to see the facility maybe in a different way that you wouldn’t have otherwise and then get some more steps in your day and hopefully connect with someone on that walk that you’ve never met before,” said Hegg.  The PCCW is a group that works towards the wellbeing of students, faculty and staff at NDSU. They cover a variety of topics that range from physical health to personal development. The PCCW is split into nine workgroups that specialize in different aspects of wellbeing.  The group dives into policies, initiatives and other systems to ensure health at NDSU.  The PCCW, “really has a broad reach, but the great thing is that we have members that are passionate about this work,” said Emily Hegg, the associate director for campus wellbeing in Student Health Service.  One of these workgroups is focused around mental health on campus. Student Body Vice President Alex Duerr is a part of this workgroup. “The mental health subgroup of the PCCW looks at past, current, and future mental health issues on campus and brainstorms ways to address them in fun and educational ways to improve the mental health of students, faculty, and staff,” said Duerr.  The mental health workgroup has previously worked to provide syllabus content for professors to include into their classrooms. This provides NDSU with resources that surround mental health and it also shares NDSU’s stance on caring for people with mental health struggles. According to the PCCW website, “NDSU cares about student well-being and does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual misconduct, or intimate partner violence.”  The mental health workgroup is the largest workgroup in the PCCW. They also have worked towards reducing stigma on NDSU’s campus surrounding mental health. The Mental Health First Aid Training is encouraged by the PCCW for anyone to take.  This is a training that provides people with important information regarding Mental Health Awareness. It allows people to learn “how you can be a support person for someone who may come to you with some mental health concerns or questions,” said Hegg. Well-being means something different to every person, Hegg explained. The PCCW looks at ways that they can gather around the topic of wellbeing on and individual level, but also the systems that are in place on NDSU’s campus.

Zion 2.0 And The Celtics’ “Big 3” Double Up In Sports Illustrated’s Dual Cover Basketball Preview Issue – Business Wire https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/zion-2-0-and-the-celtics-big-3-double-up-in-sports-illustrateds-dual-cover-basketball-preview-issue-business-wire/ October 13, 2022 08:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The last time we saw New Orleans Pelicans’ superstar Zion Williamson playing in the NBA, he was dominating the competition and earning himself his first All-Star selection. But that was two seasons ago, and after he missed all of last season with a fractured right foot there were questions about whether he’d ever have the NBA impact expected when he was the No. 1 draft pick in 2019. In All Eyes on Zion, senior writer Howard Beck profiles the hard work Williamson put in this offseason, recovering from his injury and rebuilding physically and mentally. The second cover for Sports Illustrated’s basketball preview features the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, who spoke with Chris Mannix about putting their NBA Finals loss and controversial offseason behind them. The NBA and College Basketball Preview issue is on sale today at newsstands and at SI.com/issues, with more features below. NBA Preview Features All Eyes On Zion: It’s been more than a year since Zion Williamson played an NBA game. Now recovered from injury, the Pelicans’ 22-year-old phenom is ready to show the world the new and improved Zion, according to Howard Beck. Green Light: Trade rumors linger and a sudden preseason coaching change hangs over the Celtics franchise. But their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are hyper-motivated to finish the job after last season’s NBA Finals loss and bring another title to Boston, by Chris Mannix. Challenge Guys: Who’s the most influential person on an NBA bench? Chris Mannix makes the case for why the challenge guys—the assistants who decide when and why to officially challenge a referee’s call—could be the difference between a win and a loss. Scouting Reports: Breaking down every team’s chances, division by division. Including awards picks, SI Sportsbook odds, and our NBA Finals pick: Warriors over Bucks. College Basketball Preview Features Full Drew Experience: Gonzaga’s top player could have left, but the NCAA gets another year of the Drew Timme Experience. His famous ‘stache will shine, but Greg Bishop tells us his real focus is on bringing Gonzaga that elusive national championship. Plus, Jeremy Woo on why big men are back on campus, and how an offseason of coaching changes will shape the season. Nothing But Love: The Stanford women’s loss in the Final Four last season sent the program back to the drawing board. Their drive for a title this season will be powered by lots of talent on the court and unique off-court assets (a happiness professor, anyone?), by Ben Pickman. SI’s Men’s Top 25. Our top 4: North Carolina, Gonzaga, Houston and Kentucky. SI’s Women’s Top 25. Our top 4: South Carolina, Stanford, Texas and Iowa. Other Features The Great Wide Open: Wide receiver has become the NFL’s marquee position, and four pass catchers rise above the rest for their skill and dominance. Here’s how Davante Adams, Ja’Marr Chase, Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson do it from Conor Orr and Albert Breer. Fallen Angel: Joe Maddon was one of MLB’s most accomplished and experienced managers, but that didn’t stop the Angels from firing him last June after the team underperformed for two weeks. In an excerpt from his new book, we learn from Tom Verducci and Joe Maddon what that firing says about the culture war between baseball’s data-driven front offices and the men in uniform. Astro in Exile: As the Astros head into the MLB postseason as a favorite to reach the World Series, the man who built much of their roster – former GM Jeff Luhnow – is running low-level soccer teams in Spain and Mexico. According to Stephanie Apstein, while nearly everyone else involved in Houston’s cheating scandal three years ago has been welcomed back into the game, Luhnow is still in baseball exile – and feels like he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. Also in this issue: A photo tour of what might be boxing’s last great boxing trilogy: the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin rivalry that culminated with an epic bout last month. Michael Rosenberg on why the power of star players makes one wonder: who would ever want to run an NBA team? The upstart outfit that’s redefining what it means to be a NASCAR racing team from Madeline Coleman. SI Gameplan: Mark Bechtel reviews a new book on the history of the World Series. SI Full Frame: Photographer Eric Rasco remembers the World Series’ longest game. Follow Sports Illustrated on Twitter @SInow, Instagram @sportsillustrated, or Facebook. About Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated (SI) is an unparalleled and influential leader recognized for shaping modern culture and uniting athletes, teams and fans worldwide. SI’s award-winning media enterprise brings powerful storytelling to life across platforms ranging from Emmy-winning video to the monthly print magazine with a 67-year heritage. Get in-depth features, probing profiles, and iconic and beloved photography from the best writers and photojournalists in the game at SI.com. About The Arena Group The Arena Group creates robust digital destinations that delight consumers with powerful journalism and news about the things they love – their favorite sports teams, advice on investing, the inside scoop on personal finance, and the latest on lifestyle essentials. With powerful technology, editorial expertise, data management and marketing savvy, the transformative company enables brands like Sports Illustrated, TheStreet and Parade to deliver highly relevant content and experiences that consumers love. To learn more, visit www.thearenagroup.net.

ZROverse Aims To Build The ‘LinkedIn Of The Metaverse,’ Starting With Durham – GrepBeat https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/zroverse-aims-to-build-the-linkedin-of-the-metaverse-starting-with-durham-grepbeat/ ZROverse Founder Tlee Cooper is building a “digital Durham,” a virtual representation of the city that will include real-world businesses, as part of the Innovate Durham program. (Photo | Jackie Sizing) Two decades ago, Tlee Cooper was unemployed and struggled to fit in anywhere.  Her only respite: playing the life-simulation game called the Sims, which her friend Riquel gifted her before Riquel left Los Angeles to move to Baltimore. Little did Cooper know this game had only planted the seeds.  Flash forward to 2022: Cooper has launched ZROverse, a metaverse company that creates virtual worlds where real-world businesses can operate. Launched in 2019 and billing itself as Metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS), the company aims to help governments, businesses and residents re-imagine their cities virtually and help establish their digital economies. “When I started thinking about all of the different use cases, for how it could help other people, it took on a new meaning for the project,” Cooper said. “People would be able to start from zero and not feel intimidated about wanting to come to be a part of this new era of the internet.” ZROverse is now based in both Durham and Baltimore, but Cooper is in the process of fully moving herself and the company to the Bull City. ZROverse is currently participating in the Innovate Durham program, giving the startup its first government partnership. Over a 16-week period, participants work with the City of Durham to innovate new ideas and technologies. Other companies in the program include Resolved Analytics, Lavni, SmartBridge, and Durham Success Summit.  Unlike most virtual worlds, such as Roblox and Sandbox, ZROverse is photorealistic rather than cartoonish. It’s a way to protect the serious nature of businesses and professionals.  “We want to be the LinkedIn of the Metaverse,” said Cooper. Using the platform, the user can interact in three primary ways, all without using a VR headset. First, users can explore and shop within the “city,” which Cooper refers to as the game side. Second, businesses can set up virtual stores, as well as upload and manage their inventory in real time.  This brings us to a feature that sets ZROverse apart from its competitors: the developer side. Users can enroll in educational courses and offer those learned skills as a service within its metaverse ecosystem.  Cooper said to think of it as Coursera mixed with Fiverr, the freelance services platform.  “People who’ve wanted to get into tech, or learn a specific skill, instead of having to enroll in a traditional community college or get accepted into a four-year, they have these platforms now that make it easily accessible,” she said.  While the ride to where the company is today was no easy task, Cooper kept pushing the platform forward. When she found that it wasn’t cost-efficient to recruit individual businesses to set up virtual stores one-by-one, she started pursuing local government partners, who have “a whole army of businesses to pull from.”  “If I just get one to believe in what I’m doing, I can build out cities almost, and get more accomplished with each one of those products if it’s packaged like that,” she said.  Currently, the ZROverse team is made up of 11 employees, who are mainly contractors located across the country and overseas. Cooper said she is looking to eventually fully relocate their headquarters from Baltimore to Durham. Innovate Durham partnership With the Innovate Durham partnership, the company is now testing the MaaS three-sided platform by creating a digital Durham. Cooper said this includes the developer side, which means creating jobs and virtual stores with photorealistic assets. There will be an open call for sponsors, businesses and artists who want to be a part of the project between Oct. 17-Dec. 17.  The launch of the Digital Durham project is expected to be in February 2023. But, Cooper said the platform itself is developed enough to prepare for a public beta later this year.  ZROverse also participated last week in the Black Founders Exchange, hosted by the American Underground and Google for Startups. It’s a curated program designed to help high-growth, scalable businesses with Black founders raise seed capital.  Other companies in the program included CliniSpan Health, Happied and Barley Inc. [Editor’s Note: RTP-based CliniSpan Health, the only other startup in this year’s Black Founders Exchange with local ties besides ZROverse, was recently named one of GrepBeat’s 2022 Startups To Watch and was also the subject of a March feature story.] Cooper said the main focus behind any project they do is accessibility. Due to physical, mental and financial limitations, many people are not able to experience things like shopping, traveling, and entertainment. Technologies like ZROverse’s can make it available to those people.   “I think ZROverse is in the position to create a lot of ‘new-collar jobs’ and level the playing field for people who often get left behind to be able to have a chance in the future,” Cooper said. “The digital divide is real. And it’s only getting worse.”

World Sight Day: 5 Yoga Tips For Better Eyesight – Indiatimes.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/world-sight-day-5-yoga-tips-for-better-eyesight-indiatimes-com/ If there are any body parts that we have in this current age of screens and gadgets and of course social media have abused more – It is our poor eyes. Unsplash/Representational Image Let’s be honest: Is eye care really something we actively think about? Especially preventive eye care? We usually attend to our eyes, when something is wrong, by which time, a fair amount of damage is already done. Eye care needs to be a little higher on our list of priorities than it is right now. Think about how much our eyes do for us all day long, from the moment we open them and begin our day, to when we close them at night. Taking care of them is no longer a nice thing to do, It is essential. So on the occasion of World Eyesight Day, here are 5 eye exercises prescribed in Yoga which will help keep your eyes on top of their game: They help relax the eyes, strengthen the muscles around the eyes and enhance the functioning of the optic nerves.  If you are prone to seizures, please consult your doctor before starting these exercises, and also it is helpful to splash your eyes with cold water before doing any of the below exercises Remember to keep the head and your spine straight, shoulders pulled back and the chin parallel to the floor throughout the exercises. BCCL/Representational Image 1. Palming – Preparatory relaxation for the eyes  Sit in any comfortable posture, eyes closed and take a few deep breaths to relax. Inhale and exhale through the nose Rub the palms of your hands until they become warm and gently use your palms to cup your eyelids. Feel the warmth of the palms being transferred onto the eyes and you will feel instantly relaxed Keeping your eyes closed, lower your hands and continue breathing Once again rub the palms and repeat the process at least three times. BCCL/Representational Image 2. Front Focus – Helping strengthen the muscles around the eyes Sit in any comfortable posture, eyes closed and take a few deep breaths to relax. Inhale and exhale through the nose Now, make a fist out of your left fingers and stretch the arm forward and point your thumb upward. Ensure the fist and thumb are at your eye level Open your eyes and focus now on the left thumb for 5 seconds and then gently shift the focus to another point straight ahead beyond the thumb for 5 secs and repeat this pattern 5 times, shifting the focus from the left thumb to a point further, both at your eye level. Keep breathing evenly throughout Repeat the same process with the right thumb. Close your eyes and rest. Unsplash/Representational Image 3. Side Focus – Helping strengthen the muscles around the eyes Sit in any comfortable posture, eyes closed and take a few deep breaths to relax. Inhale and exhale through the nose Now, make a fist out of your left fingers and stretch the arm forward and point your thumb upward. Ensure the fist and thumb are at your eye level Open your eyes and focus now on the left thumb, now slowly move the left thumb to the left on the same eye level, and try to follow the movement of the thumb with your eyes without turning your head. ( do as much as it is comfortable) Bring the thumb very slowly back to the centre, pause for a few seconds and repeat again two times Keep breathing evenly throughout Repeat the same process with the right thumb. Close your eyes and rest. BCCL/Representational Image 4. Blinking Sit up tall in any comfortable position with your eyes open  Take a deep breath and start blinking quickly.  Stop when you have blinked about 10 times.  Close your eyes and relax for about 20 seconds.  Feel your breath while you are relaxing.  Repeat this cycle of blink and rest 5 times in total 5. Relaxation Lie down on your back and make yourself comfortable. Wet a clean cloth with cool water and simply place them over your eyes Focus on your breathing and use this time to do some Yoga Nidra practise while you help cool your eyes Stay in this position for at least 5 mins to allow the eyes to truly rest About the author: Divya Rolla is a Yoga and Meditation Expert at Cult.fit. All views/opinions expressed in the article are of the author.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto News And Price Data – CoinDesk https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/bitcoin-ethereum-crypto-news-and-price-data-coindesk-6/ The knowledge required to manage a crypto portfolio is much different than what is required to manage a portfolio of traditional investments like stocks and bonds. Although people recognize the potential disruption that cryptocurrency and blockchain technology may have on various industries and are optimistic about the future of the industry, many of them do not understand how to invest in it and allocate a portion of their overall portfolio to it. It’s no secret that crypto is a complex market, much different than traditional markets, which makes it challenging for individuals new to the space. For example, cryptocurrencies have their own jargon and lingo. There are many things found in crypto that do not exist in traditional securities, including tokenomics, 24/7 markets, hard and soft forks, airdrops, language barriers, technological security issues, etc. And some crypto assets are layer 1 blockchains, while others are layer 2 tokens. As a result, many investors are discouraged by the tremendous learning curve that must be mastered in order to properly build a portfolio of cryptocurrencies and tokens. The good news is that these investors can outsource the management of their crypto portfolio – just like they can traditional assets. By doing so, they are able to achieve an exposure to the asset class while avoiding the difficult task of managing the portfolio. You’re reading Crypto for Advisors, a weekly look at digital assets and the future of finance for financial advisors. Subscribe here to receive the mailing every Thursday. Outsourcing portfolio management Outsourcing investment management is not a new concept. Individuals have been doing exactly this in traditional markets for a long time. Investors in traditional markets can outsource stock and bond management by using mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs). The mutual fund and ETF market is quite large – and rapidly growing. These products have fund managers that select securities based on the goal of the fund. For example, if an individual wishes to invest in US large cap stocks, they can either purchase and manage the individual stocks or they can buy a US large cap stock fund, pay a small fee to the fund manager, and outsource the management. Many investors use funds in their portfolios and have used these products for a long time. Beyond this, some investors do not wish to even select funds in their portfolio, so they outsource fund selection to financial advisors and financial planners. Financial advisors build and manage portfolios for individuals based on their specific situations. Advisors may select funds and investment strategies for their clients, and in doing so the client is able to outsource nearly all parts of their investing to professionals. Outsourcing crypto portfolio management While fund strategies and advisors are a popular solution in traditional markets, these concepts are still new in the crypto world. However, some select financial advisors offer cryptocurrency management, similar to what they offer for traditional financial portfolios. When an investor wishes to outsource their crypto portfolio management to an advisor, the advisor will perform all the research, crypto selection and management on behalf of their client. In this situation, the client has their own account with a crypto exchange and custodian like Gemini or Coinbase, and the advisor has the ability to manage the account on their behalf. It is important to note that the client owns the account and the underlying assets in the account, and that the advisor simply has authority to manage the holdings within the account. This strategy is often called a “Separately Managed Account” or SMA. SMAs offer a unique solution for clients, which allows the client to hold their own cryptocurrencies in their own account. Advisors usually charge a 1-2% fee on the assets they manage on behalf of their clients. These SMA accounts are not yet offered by the traditional custodians like Fidelity or TD Ameritrade, although Fidelity has announced crypto custody and trading services. Investors may also allocate to a crypto-specific hedge fund. In a hedge fund, all investor capital is pooled together and managed in a general account by the hedge fund traders and portfolio managers. Hedge funds allow investors to gain exposure to the crypto asset class and hedge funds also have the ability to not only buy coins and tokens that are offered on crypto exchanges, but they can also take advantage of on-chain opportunities like DeFi and other opportunities that are discovered by the manager of the fund. On the downside, although hedge funds are flexible and can provide a great opportunity to investors, they are often more expensive than using a crypto-specific SMA strategy. The common fees in crypto hedge funds are a 2% annual fee and a 20% fee on the profits generated. Crypto ETFs and mutual funds still in limbo Mutual Funds and ETFs that hold crypto directly do not yet exist. The US Securities and Exchange commission has repeatedly denied applications from investment companies to offer a crypto ETF. While mutual funds and ETFs present a simple solution for many investors in traditional markets, the SEC has been vocal about their concerns with approving a crypto-based fund to exist in the US public markets. The crypto industry is pushing back on the SEC’s denial of crypto ETFs. Recently, Grayscale, a large crypto-focused investment firm, sued the SEC when their request to convert from a trust to an ETF was denied in the summer of 2022. The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) currently has over $12 billion in assets under management (AUM). GBTC trades “over the counter” on public exchanges and many investors are able to purchase the asset in their traditional brokerage accounts. Many people have pointed out that traditional investors are very interested in purchasing publicly traded crypto products, noting that to the size of GBTC’s AUM is evidence of investor appetite and interest in crypto. If a crypto-focused ETF or mutual fund were approved by the SEC, there are many investors that would prefer the simplicity of purchasing that type of fund directly in their already-existing investment accounts. More crypto investment options underway Options for professional crypto management are still limited, especially when compared to the options in the traditional markets. However, while the market for professionally managed crypto accounts is still maturing, desire from traditional investors to invest in crypto is evident. Fortunately, these investors have the ability to hire a financial advisor to manage a crypto portfolio for them via an SMA or may choose to allocate to a crypto-specific fund.

Euro Zone Bond Yields Rise Towards Multi-Year Highs After U.S. Data – Reuters.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/euro-zone-bond-yields-rise-towards-multi-year-highs-after-u-s-data-reuters-com/ Oct 13 (Reuters) – Euro zone government bond yields rose on Thursday, after U.S. data showed a bigger-than-expected rise in consumer prices last month, dashing hopes that the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of its planned rate rises. The Labor Department’s consumer prices index (CPI) report showed headline CPI gained at an annual pace of 8.2% in September, compared to an estimated 8.1%. The reading was lower than an 8.3% increase in August. “Following the sharp rise of U.S. and global bond yields in recent weeks and months, markets had hoped for some relief from today’s all-important CPI numbers, but they will be disappointed,” said Willem Sels, global chief investment officer at HSBC’s private bank. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Germany’s 10-year government bond yield , the benchmark of the bloc, rose 6 basis points (bps) to 2.40% after falling as much as 12 bps right before the data. It hit its highest since August 2011 at 2.423% on Wednesday. “This week’s and today’s patterns clearly underscore that the problems we are facing go beyond UK gilts,” said Christoph Rieger, head of credit research at Commerzbank. “Until inflation pressure starts showing signs of abating, the duration aversion looks set to continue,” he added. WINTER RECESSION A key market gauge of long-term inflation expectations dropped to 2.29% after hitting its highest since May at 2.3% , while forwards on euro short-term rates (ESTR) are peaking in November 2023 above 3%. “We think (policy) rates (in the euro area) are unlikely to go close to 3% next year,” Dean Turner, an economist at UBS Wealth, said before the release of the U.S. data. He added that UBS was forecasting 125 basis points (bps) of rate hikes by December. “The euro area may be in recession through the winter months, and that’s going to be one of the factors softening the ECB policy stance,” UBS’ Turner argued. Concerns about stability in the UK gilt market weighed on bond prices after the Bank of England (BoE) governor told pension funds they had until Friday to fix liquidity problems before the bank withdraws support. However, most analysts expect the BoE’s emergency bond buybacks to be extended. “If we get another episode where liquidity dries up, the BoE may have to return to the market,” UBS’ Turner said. “It’s not a matter of yield levels, but they need the UK market to function orderly.” Italy’s 10-year government bond yield rose 6 bps to 4.86%. It hit its highest since February 2013 at 4.927% on Sept. 28. The spread between Italian and German 10-year yields was at 238 bps. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo and Harry Robertson, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Kim Coghill Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Analysis | TSMC To The World: We Have No Good News For You – The Washington Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/analysis-tsmc-to-the-world-we-have-no-good-news-for-you-the-washington-post/ Executives at the world’s most important chipmaker made a valiant attempt at calming global nerves Thursday over the outlook for the semiconductor sector. But equipment suppliers and investors are unlikely to find much to cheer from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s third-quarter earnings. Net income at TSMC beat estimates, but that’s because the company has become a master at managing expectations. A 3% drop in the Taiwan dollar was a major boost to the bottom line. The revenue outlook for the current quarter appears pretty solid, and the company reiterated its belief that growth for the year will be at a healthy mid-30% level. TSMC also repeated its long-term gross margin target of 53%.  But the rest of the world will find little solace. Its big bombshell came in announcing a 10% cut in spending plans for this year. As recently as July, TSMC was predicting it would shell out a record $40 billion, compared to an earlier forecast of as much as $44 billion. Now it’s looking at $36 billion, which means that it’s wiped out $8 billion of orders in just six months. There’s no way executives at major equipment suppliers ASML Holding NV, Lam Research Corp. or KLA Corp. can spin this positively. In fact, Applied Materials Inc. flagged these troubles just 12 hours earlier when it cut its own fourth-quarter revenue guidance. While much recent attention has been on the Biden administration’s tightened restrictions on US chip technology exports to China, TSMC described the impact as “limited and manageable.” The company confirmed that it received a one-year authorization from the US to continue ordering equipment for 28-nanometer and 16-nanometer manufacturing at its Nanjing factory, a small but significant reprieve.  In truth, the troubles faced by TSMC and the global chip sector go beyond American attempts to rein in China.  Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei was blunt. The market is softening because of weaker demand in smartphones and personal computers, while some customers delayed the introduction of new products, he said without naming the clients. Even TSMC will suffer, with factory utilization to remain weak for the next six to nine months. The company also flagged the possibility of lower spending next year.  One bright spot might be the first dip in inventory since before the Covid pandemic, but that’s also a sign that customers like Nvidia Corp., Apple Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. lack the confidence to keep high stockpiles in anticipation of future orders.   With global chipmakers including Samsung Electronics Co., Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. all signaling pain in the sector, TSMC had stood out as the last beacon of hope. Its position as the world’s most-advanced semiconductor company and a monopoly over the high-end components used in smartphones, data centers and high-performance computers seemed to make it immune to the troubles of lesser firms. But even TSMC is no match for the Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening, Moscow’s incessant war on Ukraine, and continued supply-chain friction that has stalled equipment delivery.  As executives went through the company’s numbers, explained its outlook and technology roadmap, and answered questions, the messaging was one of calm confidence that everything will be all right — sometime next year, perhaps. Everyone else will probably see it differently. It’s hard to find comfort when even the king of the technology jungle takes a tumble. More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion: • These Stricter China Chips Rules Are Terribly Timed: Tim Culpan • We Do Still Have an Economic Recovery, Right?: Daniel Moss • A New Normal Is Dividing the Global Chip Industry: Tim Culpan This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. Previously, he was a technology reporter for Bloomberg News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion ©2022 Bloomberg L.P.

FYI: An Entertainment Calendar Including Art On The Bricks – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/fyi-an-entertainment-calendar-including-art-on-the-bricks-northwest-arkansas-democrat-gazette/ Art on the Bricks — Including a showcase of artwork from the Museum of Native American History in the gallery at Arkansas Public Theatre, 4:30-7:30 p.m. today, downtown Rogers. Free. monah.org, arkansaspublictheatre.org, RogersLowell.com. Today The War Eagle Fair — Called the granddaddy of them all, founded in 1954, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, 11037 High Sky Inn Road near Hindsville. Free. War Eagle Mill Craft & Culinary Fair — 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, War Eagle Mill across the creek from the War Eagle Fair, 11045 War Eagle Road in Rogers. Free. Sharp’s Show at War Eagle — 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, behind War Eagle Mill. Free. Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Festival — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-15 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. Free. It’s Fall Y’All Craft Fair — 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-15, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 16, Benton County Fairgrounds in Bentonville. Free. Northwest Arkansas Mall Craft Fair — 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 16, Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville. Free. Crimes & Clues Book Club — “Line of Sight” by James Queally, 9:30 a.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org. Authors in the Afternoon — With Tommy B. Smith, author of “New Era,” 4-6 p.m., Fort Smith Main Library. Free. fortsmithlibrary.org. CB to You Mobile Art Lab — Welcome celebration, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Springdale Public Library. Presented by Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. crystalbridges.org. The Book Was Better Book Club — Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” 5 p.m., Bella Vista Public Library. Free. bvpl.org. Hispanic Heritage Month Book Club — “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 6 p.m., Azul Tequila Mexican Cuisine in Springdale. Hosted by Springdale Public Library. Free. springdalelibrary.org. KUAF Presents the “R” Word — Discussion of “How to Fight Racism” with the author, Jemar Tisby, 6 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org. Innovations: An Investigation of Breakthroughs — Arkansas Philharmonic with cellist Anita Graef, 7 p.m., Great Hall at Crystal Bridges Museum. $40. Reservations at arphil.org. AACLive! — With Rory Block, 7:30 p.m., 801 Media Center, 801 N. “A” St. in Fort Smith. $52.50. aaclive.com. __ Friday Wishing Spring Gallery Fall Crafts Fair — 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 14-15, Wishing Spring Gallery in Bella Vista. Free. Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Festival — 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 14 and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale. Free. Pumpkin Patch Arts & Crafts Festival — 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 14 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 15, United Lutheran Church at the corner of Cooper Road and Forest Hills Boulevard in Bella Vista. Free. Tarot Card 101 — 6:30-8 p.m., Fort Smith Main Library. Free. Register at fortsmithlibrary.org. “Legally Blonde: The Musical” — 8 p.m. Oct. 14, 2 & 8 p.m Oct. 15, 2 p.m. Oct. 16, Walton Arts Center St. in Fayetteville. $33 & up. waltonartscenter.org; 443-5600. __ Saturday Fiber Fest — With demonstrations of weaving, felting, lace making, spinning and more, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 15-16, Ozark Folkways in Winslow. Free. ozarkfolkways.org. Highfill Fall Festival — With a parade starting at 10 a.m. from the fire station to the city park, merchants, music, children’s activities and more until 3:30 p.m. Free. Email [email protected] World Bazaar — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Bentonville Public Library. Free. bentonvillelibrary.org. Record Painting — Noon-2 p.m., Fort Smith Main Library. Free. fortsmithlibrary.org. CB to You Mobile Art Lab — 12:30-4:30 p.m., Arkansalsa Festival at Shiloh Square in Springdale. Presented by Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. Literature Comes to Life — “Dracula” with Ballet Arkansas, 1 p.m., Event Center at Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org. Gallery Conversation — Celebrating LGBTQ+ Artists, 1 p.m., Contemporary Art Gallery at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. Flux: A Carnatic Crossover Experience — With Roopa Mahadevan, 3-5 p.m., Walker Landing at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. Get tickets at 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. Outdoor Performance — Trillium Salon presents Craig Colorusso and Jon Mueller, 4 p.m., Orchard Trail at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. “Symphonic Superheroes” — With the Fort Smith Symphony, 7 p.m., ArcBest Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith. $25-$45. fortsmithsymphony.org. — Becca Martin-Brown [email protected]

Can’t Poop When You Go On Vacation? Here’s Why. – The Boston Globe https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/cant-poop-when-you-go-on-vacation-heres-why-the-boston-globe/ But when I travel, sometimes I just can’t make it happen for the first 48 hours, at least. I know this is an issue for a lot of people, and I figured that the wise experts behind this fecal-focused exhibit might be able to tell me why. The scientific committee for the “Ô Merde!” exhibit (translation: “Oh Sh*t!”) at the Musée de la civilisation includes stars such as Catherine Bourgault, sanitation adviser at Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technologies, and Corinne Maurice, a researcher at McGill University specializing in cellular microbiology, immunology, microbiota, and viruses. Get The Big To-Do Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. I ate this tasty Crème brûlée at Le Lapin Saute while in Quebec City. Very tasty – but it didn’t help me go!Meredith Goldstein After touring the exhibition and returning home (where yes, I went), I scanned the list of experts and reached out to Alain Veilleux, a researcher and assistant professor at Université Laval who specializes in metabolism and intestinal microbiota. I figured he’d know best. I asked, “Why can’t I get it done on vacation? What can I do about it?” For travelers who suffer the same problem, he explains what’s happening — and not happening. 1. We’re dehydrated. “When we take a plane, the air is very dry … and sometimes we drink less,” Veilleux said. I drove with a companion from Boston to Quebec City, but I didn’t have much water because I didn’t want to stop 50 times to pee. Also, water wasn’t free like it is at home. Veilleux said that unless we prepare, we might avoid water because it would mean going into a place to buy it. But water is a big part of pooping. 2. We’re doing different things with our bodies. We might be walking more or less. Maybe our movement is off because we’ve packed ourselves into a car. One tip for plane travelers, he said: make sure you get up and walk around. That’s not just to stretch our muscles, it’s also for pooping. Also, there’s the body’s reaction to stress and new experiences. Veilleux mentions a study where people were taken 120 kilometers from their residences to see how their bodies adjusted — if there was a stress reaction. Even that close to home (that’s only about 75 miles), people experienced different sleep patterns — and other differences — for five days. Any new routine can alter your system. 3. We’re eating weird stuff. In Quebec City, I consumed poutine slathered in cheese, a baguette, a beer slushie (I can’t even tell you what was in that), and a plate of duck and rabbit, two meats I never eat at home. I’m sure my digestive system was shocked. This is what we do on vacation — try new things — but I could have paid attention to what I know makes my body work — like oatmeal in the morning. Veilleux says we can try new cuisine without forgetting nutrition. 4. Maybe we’re holding it in. I am a love advice columnist, so I hear from a lot of people who have troubles with different kinds of intimacy. Many people have told me that when they first travel with a romantic partner — or even friends — they hold it in. It’s a version of parcopresis, I suppose. Perhaps it’s as much about trying to be kind (not smelling up a shared space) as it is about embarrassment. Veilleux told me that holding it in isn’t good for anyone, so find a toilet and get down to business. The longer our poop stays in our bodies, the more our bodies absorb the moisture from it. That makes the poop hard — and harder to pass. My advice? Find a hotel lobby bathroom and make it your own. Sometimes there’s one in the basement, and no one will know you were ever there. Meredith Goldstein visited the “Ô Merde!” exhibition in Quebec City over Labor Day weekend. She can be reached at Meredith.Goldstein@Globe.com. %

Memphis Business News: Promotions, Hirings, Achievers And Company News – Commercial Appeal https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/memphis-business-news-promotions-hirings-achievers-and-company-news-commercial-appeal-2/ From Submitted press releases Here’s a look at promotions, hirings, movers and newsmakers in the Memphis area business scene. Andrea Lopez Hayes recently joined Marx-Bensdorf Realtors. She earned her undergraduate degree in business administration in Mexico, where she was born and reared, before moving to Memphis in 2012. Hayes then developed an interest in real estate through buying, renovating and managing rental properties, and she and her husband own a portfolio of investment properties across the Mid-South, which Hayes manages. She previously worked with Latino Memphis. Harkavy Shainberg Kaplan announced Hillary Weiss Samuels has joined the law firm as an associate, where she focuses her legal practice in the areas of family law, civil litigation and estate planning. She earned her law degree from DePaul University in Chicago where she received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Trial Advocacy, an honor given to the highest-scoring student in each law school class. Samuels previously was an associate attorney with the Memphis firm of Moskovitz, McGhee, Brown Cohen & Moore. She also served as an assistant Shelby County public defender. Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South recently announced the addition of four new members to the nonprofit’s board of directors: Sheleah Harris is currently corporate affairs manager for Kroger, supporting local government affairs, media relations, and community engagement efforts for the Delta Division. Tunisha Hobson has nearly two decades of experience working with students and educators in all levels of learning, ranging from literacy improvement initiatives to Career Technical Education. Charlie House currently serves as manager of strategic planning for AutoZone and is a Certified Public Accountant. Steve Swain is senior vice president and community lending manager at Pinnacle Financial Partners, where he also serves on its corporate social responsibility committee, community development committee and retail credit committee. Trezevant Episcopal Home announced Paul Martin was selected to participate in the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) Diversity Executive Leadership Program, a new two-year program that provides support and access to leadership opportunities for under-represented groups in long-term and post-acute care. Martin has lent his expertise to the long-term care community as Past-President, Memphis District, for Tennessee Health Care Association and currently serves on the West Tennessee Board of Tennessee Center for Assisted Living. AHCA/NCAL launched its Diversity Executive Leadership Program in 2022 to build a diverse pool of candidates to serve in leadership roles such as long-term care committees and boards. Epic Pivot, a leading values-driven consulting firm focused on human-centered innovation, announced that one of its partners, Tabitha Scott, has been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, an invitation-only organization for successful executives. Scott’s selection by a review committee is based on the depth and diversity of her experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of positively impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. As a member of the council, Scott has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities to publish on Forbes.com, including contributions to expert panels and authoring business-related articles. Members can connect and collaborate with other executives in a private forum and at members-only events. The Collision Repair Education Foundation’s 20th Annual Golf Fundraiser, co-hosted by PPG Automotive Finishes and held July 19 at the Edgewood Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, event sold out to capacity with 146 sponsors and industry supports enjoying a day on the greens while raising more than $100,000 to support collision repair programs, schools and students around the country. Sullivan, a Memphis-based full-service advertising agency, announced the hiring of three new marketing professionals and the promotion of two other employees. The hirings were: Bailey Clark joins the team as an account executive. Prior to joining the agency, she worked in the Paris office of global advertising firm DDB as an assistant account executive. Prior to that she worked in communications at World Relief Memphis and Segue Health. Bailey has a master’s degree in Media, Communications and Creative Industries from Sciences Po in Paris. Erica Blue, account manager, arrives at Sullivan from the Dallas office of Wunderman Thompson and will oversee efforts across some of Sullivan’s largest accounts. In the business for 10 years, she has served as a senior account executive at Johnson and Sekin, and senior account executive at Integer Group. Blue holds a master’s degree in Communication from Queens University of Charlotte. Chantal Yoshimi Guillemot, who has created campaigns for brands such as HelloFresh, Lacoste and Zillow, joins Sullivan as senior copywriter. She has been in the business for more than 10 years with tenures at Liquid Death, Naughty Dog and AMWorldgroup. Guillemot attended San Jose State University and has a master’s degree in Creative Writing. Promoted within the company in the creative and account service departments were: Eli Bates, who joined Sullivan a year ago and currently directs multiple brands for the agency, is the new account manager. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from Rhodes College Nate Hinners has been elevated to associate creative director. Hinners attended Columbia College in Chicago and The Creative Circus in Atlanta. NOTEWORTHY Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics, the largest and oldest multi-specialty orthopaedic practice in West Tennessee, announced a partnership with Tier 1 Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Institute headquartered in Cookeville. As part of the alliance, Tier 1’s orthopaedic physicians will have access to Campbell Clinic’s clinical research as well as its care team’s best practices, standard approaches and clinical processes, all of which are designed to improve patient outcomes. Tier 1 has 11 physicians, serving residents in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee with locations in Cookeville and Crossville. — Compiled by Daniel Ginsburg Email information and photos in JPEG format, at least 1MB in size, for People in Business to cabiznews@commercialappeal.com.

4 Habits That Spike Your Cancer Risk — Best Life – Best Life https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/4-habits-that-spike-your-cancer-risk-best-life-best-life/ It’s easy to neglect your health when you’re busy with day-to-day life. Things like exercise, healthy eating, and managing stress fall by the wayside as you tell yourself you’ll worry about them later, when you have time (but when will that be?). But sticking with old habits can have potentially life-threatening consequences. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, not eating enough fruits and vegetables, being overweight, and a lack of physical activity are responsible for 30 to 40 percent of cancer diagnoses. Read on to discover which daily habits you should stop now to slash your cancer risk and increase your odds of living a long, healthy life. READ THIS NEXT: If You Do This at Night, Your Cancer Risk Soars, New Research Finds. sruilk/Shutterstock Though soaking up the sun’s rays in moderation can be a great way to get more vitamin D, too much direct sun exposure can lead to several types of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., and an estimated 20 percent of Americans will develop it in their lifetime. Laura Purdy, MD, MBA, a board-certified family physician in Fort Benning, Georgia, tells Best Life, “It’s essential to use some sun protection on any exposed skin area. Whether this is wearing a hat, donning long sleeves, or using sunscreen that has a sun protection factor of at least 30, not protecting your skin from the damaging UV rays of the sun can increase your risk of cancer later in life.” “Exposure to UV radiation causes premature aging and, unfortunately, damage to the skin that can lead to disease,” explains Bridget Koontz, MD, a radiation oncologist with GenesisCare. “Even as we enter the colder months, it’s critical for people of all ages and skin tones to practice sun safety to reduce their cancer risk.” READ THIS NEXT: Eating Too Much of This May Spike Your Liver Cancer Risk, New Study Says. Most of us probably assume that eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin are no-brainers for staying healthy. But when it comes to certain nutrients, getting more than your daily fill can be too much of a good thing. “High calcium intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer, and there’s a potential association between vitamin D deficiency and colorectal cancer,” Purdy explains. According to a 24-year follow-up study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, daily calcium intakes exceeding 2000 milligrams were associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer and other deadly forms of the disease. Another study, a meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2019, found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cancer in the U.S. However, Purdy notes that many of these studies are ongoing and more research is required to determine the accuracy of these findings. The bottom line? Be aware of how many supplements you’re taking to ensure you’re not getting too much (or too little) of certain nutrients—and always speak with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement. Bokeh Blur Background / Shutterstock You can’t write an article on habits that increase your cancer risk without mentioning tobacco. You likely know that smoking increases your lung cancer risk, but this habit is also linked to several other cancers. “Smoking tobacco also increases the risk of cancer to the voicebox, inside the mouth, esophagus, throat, urinary system, kidneys, and most of your gastrointestinal tract, including the liver, stomach, and pancreas. It can even increase your risk of leukemia,” Purdy warns. The bottom line is that using tobacco in any form, whether smoking or chewing, drastically increases your risk of various cancers. Smoking can also impair your body’s ability to fight cancer. “What’s unique about this particular habit is that the exposure to tobacco smoke can both cause cancer and block your body from fighting it,” says Koontz. “This is because the poisonous ingredients found in cigarettes weaken the body’s immune system, making it difficult to kill cancer cells.” For more health news sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. If you enjoy having a cocktail with friends on occasion, or unwinding with a glass of wine after a long week, then by all means, go for it. However, making alcohol consumption a daily habit, or drinking more than the recommended amount per week, can drastically increase your chances of developing certain cancers. How much alcohol is considered too much? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), low-risk alcohol consumption for women means no more than three beverages per day and no more than seven drinks per week. For men, avoid having more than four drinks daily, and don’t exceed 14 beverages weekly. “Alcohol can increase the risk of several cancers in the mouth, throat, and digestive system,” cautions Purdy. “Also, there’s an association between alcohol and increased risk of liver and certain breast cancers. This risk compounds even further if you’re someone who both drinks alcohol and uses tobacco products.”

Today In Sports History: Oct. 13 | News | Wfmz.com – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/today-in-sports-history-oct-13-news-wfmz-com-69news-wfmz-tv/ In 1960, Bill Mazeroski opens the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Ralph Terry of the New York Yankees to give the Pittsburgh Pirates the World Series championship. See more sports moments from this date: 1960: Bill Mazeroski hits walk-off home run to give Pirates the World Series championship Updated 35 min ago 1960 — Bill Mazeroski opens the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Ralph Terry of the New York Yankees to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 10-9 victory and the World Series championship. In this Oct. 13, 1960, file photo, fans rush onto the field toward Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski as he comes home on his Game 7-ending home run in the ninth inning to win the World Series against the New York Yankees in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Harry Harris, File) AP FILE 1963: Mickey Wright wins her fourth LPGA championship in six years Updated 35 min ago 1963 — Mickey Wright wins her fourth LPGA championship in six years by beating Mary Lena Faulk, Mary Mills and Louise Suggs by two strokes. Mickey Wright of Dallas swings her putter on the 18th green and sinks a 15-foot birdie putt at the Dallas Civitan Open golf tournament at Glen Lakes Country Club in Dallas, Texas, May 26, 1963. Wright won the tourney with a 72-hole score of 283. (AP Photo) AP FILE 2011: American Jordyn Wieber wins all-around world title Updated 34 min ago 2011 — American Jordyn Wieber wins another gold medal, beating Russia’s Viktoria Komova for the all-around title at the world gymnastics championships in Tokyo. Wieber, who led the Americans to the team title two days earlier, finishes with 59.382 points, just 0.033 ahead of the Russian. USA’s Jordyn Wieber performs on the balance beam on her way to winning the women’s individual all-round final of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo, Japan Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) AP FILE 2013: Dennis Kimetto overcomes malaria to win Chicago Marathon Updated 34 min ago 2013 — Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto, six weeks removed from a bout of malaria, breaks the course mark in capturing the Chicago Marathon. Kimetto finishes in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds, leading a 1-2-3 finish for Kenyan men. He beats the mark of 2:04:38 set by Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede last year. Dennis Kimetto of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles) AP FILE 2017: Detroit hands Vegas its first franchise loss Updated 34 min ago 2017 — Gustav Nyquist scores twice and Detroit has four goals in the third period to beat Vegas 6-3, handing the NHL’s newest franchise its first loss. Vegas is the first NHL expansion team to win its first three games. Detroit Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist, right, celebrates with Anthony Mantha after Nyquist scored against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) AP FILE

VCORE Metaverse Token Continues Presale Success With Animoca Brands, BITKRAFT Ventures, Meta Impact Capital, Immutable X And Others – GlobeNewswire https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/vcore-metaverse-token-continues-presale-success-with-animoca-brands-bitkraft-ventures-meta-impact-capital-immutable-x-and-others-globenewswire/ Joining leading crypto investors Sky9 Capital, Rosemoor Digital Assets, Mirana Ventures, and more in supporting VCORE to power the crypto metaverse October 13, 2022 07:00 ET | Source: MetaJuice Redwood City, CA, Oct. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MetaJuice, the blockchain-oriented subsidiary of Together Labs, today announced that it has closed its final VCORE presale. Strategic presale investment partners include some of the largest players in the crypto-metaverse, including Animoca Brands, Meta Impact Capital, BITKRAFT Ventures, Blockchain CoInvestors, Immutable X, DWeb3 Capital, Rosemoor Digital Assets, Peer Ventures, and Mirana Ventures. The investment will fuel the development of VCORE (www.getvcore.io), an ERC-20 token that will power the future of the metaverse by rewarding active, international players, creators and earners.  “We feel very fortunate to have VCORE and our move to Web3 backed by the leaders in the crypto-metaverse, crypto-gaming and blockchain assets spaces,” said John Burris, President and Founder of MetaJuice. “With the support of these strategic VCORE buyers, we feel very confident in our ability to bring VCORE to one of the largest social metaverse platforms in the world – IMVU.” VCORE is a community-driven metaverse token, designed to power any virtual world’s economy by rewarding users for their engagement. This engagement is an integral part of the metaverse social/gameplay, creator-led economy and governance. VCORE will soon launch in IMVU, the world’s largest social metaverse and top-grossing social app, with a thriving virtual goods and services economy that includes over 200,000 active creator/earners and over 1,000,000 daily active users. VCORE will first be available for purchase worldwide to IMVU users resident outside of the U.S. and Canada. “We see a lot of impressive tokens and projects in the crypto-metaverse space that have the potential to be transformative for the industry,” said Robby Yung, CEO of North American operations of Animoca Brands. “What we really like about VCORE is that it will be integrated into an already massive global community with a high-velocity metaverse economy, which right now sees 15 billion game credits exchanging hands every month. VCORE will immediately open up ownership and utility to millions of players.” Participants in the strategic presale include:      Animoca Brands, a global leader in gamification and blockchain with a large portfolio of over 380 investments. Its mission is to advance digital property rights and decentralized projects to help build the open metaverse.  BITKRAFT Ventures, one of the largest gaming-centric venture funds in the world, with a crypto-gaming/metaverse portfolio that gives them unique insight into the future. Immutable X, the leading Layer 2 Ethereum-scaling solution offering innovators and builders incredible speed, security and liquidity across digital worlds. Mirana Ventures, venture partner of Bybit and BitDAO, an early-stage crypto fund dedicated to supporting companies, protocols, networks and DAOs in the transition toward a more decentralized society. Rosemoor Digital Assets SPC, a fund managed by Rosemoor Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund. Meta Impact Capital, a venture capital fund that invests in exceptional companies and founders that are building infrastructure that will support the growth of Web3.0 and the metaverse. Blockchain CoInvestors, a team dedicated to providing broad coverage of emerging unicorns and fastest-growth blockchain companies and crypto projects. DWeb3 Capital, a digital fund focused exclusively on digital assets related to Decentralized Finance, WEB 3.0, and NFT. Peer Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on opportunities in peer-to-peer assets, marketplaces, and technology. BITKRAFT Ventures, Mirana Ventures, Peer Ventures, and Rosemoor Digital Assets also participated in the oversubscribed first VCORE presale in 2021, along with other industry leaders including Sky9 Capital, Executives at GoldenTree Asset Management, Jump Capital, Meteoric Labs, and Cointelligence.     “Since we launched MetaJuice in 2021, it has been a company of firsts,” said Daren Tsui, CEO of Together Labs. “VCOIN was the first token to receive a no-action letter from the Staff at the SEC and now has nearly 1 million active wallets. MetaJuice is soon to complete one of the largest adoption events to date for NFT technology as it introduces NFTs into the IMVU platform. And now MetaJuice has successfully closed a highly strategic round for VCORE, the first token that will soon launch into a massive existing metaverse economy. MetaJuice and Together Labs are poised to revolutionize the crypto-metaverse.” For more information on VCORE, visit www.getvcore.io.  About MetaJuice MetaJuice (www.metajuice.com) is unlocking the value of the metaverse. By building blockchain-driven economies where everyone can own, earn, create and shape the future metaverse, MetaJuice will realize its vision of opening the metaverse and creating a world where users, players and creators can participate and share in its success. MetaJuice has launched VCORE, VCOIN, and NFT assets. MetaJuice is the blockchain-oriented subsidiary of Together Labs, whose portfolio includes IMVU, the world’s largest friendship discovery and social avatar metaverse. About VCORE VCORE is an ERC-20 token that rewards the community, creators and earners as they build the future Metaverse. VCORE will first be integrated directly into the massive IMVU metaverse and empower the international community to shape the future economy. Along with VCOIN and NFTs, VCORE is another essential building block to accelerate the transition to a complete blockchain economy, setting the new economic standard. VCORE will be available outside the US and Canada. For more information, visit www.getvcore.io About Together Labs Together Labs is a leading technology company dedicated to empowering people to connect, create and earn in the metaverse through a portfolio of companies that include IMVU, the world’s largest friendship discovery and social avatar metaverse; WithMe, a social metaverse built on insights from the science of friendship; and MetaJuice which is crypto-enabling the metaverse with compliant blockchain assets, such as NFTs and meta-tokens that unlock the full value of the metaverse. Media Contact: Transform Group: metajuice@transformgroup.com

Blockbuster TV Series Trailer And Release Date – Geeky Gadgets https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/blockbuster-tv-series-trailer-and-release-date-geeky-gadgets/ 10:54 am October 13, 2022 By Julian Horsey Netflix has released a trailer for its new Blockbuster TV series during which a Manager who finds out he is managing the last Blockbuster Video store in America. Do you need TV series will premiere on the Netflix streaming service early next month and will be available to watch from November 3, 2022 onwards. For those of you unfamiliar with Blockbuster and video tapes, it was an American-based provider of hoe movie and video game rental services through its chain of worldwide video shops. Unfortunately with the expansion of services such as Netflix and others Blockbuster Entertainment and its 9,094 stores and 84,300 employees with roughly 58,500 in the United States and 25,800 in other countries struggled to stay afloat and compete with the new streaming technologies. Blockbuster TV Series release date Netflix has confirmed the Blockbuster release date has been set for November 3, 2022. “At the last remaining Blockbuster, a hardworking manager fights to keep his video store open and staff happy amid competition and complicated feelings.” “The trailer introduces us to Timmy’s lively bunch of employees, including his longtime crush Eliza (Melissa Fumero), maternal figure Connie (Olga Merediz), aspiring filmmaker Carlos (Tyler Alvarez), girl-next-door Hannah (Madeleine Arthur), too-cool-for-school teen Kayla (Kamaia Fairburn) and store owner Percy (J.B. Smoove). They might all come from different walks of life, but they all bring a lot of heart to keep the little engine chugging.” Source :  Netflix Filed Under: Entertainment News, Top News Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals

China’s Central Bank Digital Yuan Transactions Surpass $14 Billion – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/chinas-central-bank-digital-yuan-transactions-surpass-14-billion-cryptonews/ Source: AdobeStock / helloabc China’s digital yuan has processed over 100 billion yuan (close to $14 billion) worth of transactions so far, becoming the most widely adopted central bank digital currency (CBDC) across the globe.  The e-CNY has recorded $13.9 billion worth of transactions as of August 31, the People’s Bank of China said via a verified WeChat account on October 10. The post added that the transaction volume increased by around 21% in two months since June. The number of transactions made in 15 provinces within the CBDC pilot framework had reached 360 million by the end of the summer. Moreover, 5.6 million stores have already added support for the digital yuan as a legal tender. The post further added that some state institutions have also added support for the CBDC, using the e-CNY for a wide range of purposes, including tax refunds, medical insurance, and more.  “Multiple e-government service platforms have opened digital renminbi payment services, supporting online and offline channels to handle various public utility payments, using digital renminbi to issue tax rebate funds, special funds for monthly medical insurance payment, funds for helping people in need, and ‘specialized, special and new’ enterprise support funds, etc,” the post said.  China Leads CBDC Development China is a global leader in CBDC development. Though the country has not announced an official launch date for its digital yuan, it has launched comprehensive pilot tests, covering more and more regions. By the end of 2021, e-CNY transactions reached 87.6 billion yuan, the PBOC said at the time.  In late September, Fan Yifei, the deputy governor of The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), announced that they aim to further expand the trials of the digital yuan in most populous provinces, bringing the e-CNY to another 360 million people. In late May, the country also unveiled plans to distribute over $13.51 million (90 million digital yuan) among residents of Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Xiong’an New Area in an attempt to boost local consumption and stabilize the economy. As per data by Atlantic Council, an American think tank, some 11 countries have launched a CBDC, which includes The Bahamas, China, and Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, which launched its CBDC in October 2021. Jamaica is currently the latest country to launch a CBDC, the JAM-DEX.  It is worth noting that over 100 countries, representing over 95% of global GDP, are currently exploring a CBDC. In comparison, only 35 countries were considering a CBDC by May 2020. Moreover, a total of 50 countries are in an advanced phase of exploration (either development, pilot, or launch).

Ambassador Mark Brzezinski’s Remarks At Kosciuszko Foundation (As Prepared For Delivery) – US Embassy And Consulate In Poland https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/ambassador-mark-brzezinskis-remarks-at-kosciuszko-foundation-as-prepared-for-delivery-us-embassy-and-consulate-in-poland/ Kosciuszko Foundation October 13, 2022 Palace on the Water Marek, thank you for the kind introduction. What an honor to be here this morning as you begin this day of critically important dialogue. A very special welcome to the Kosciuszko Foundation Board members joining us from the United States. “Za naszą i waszą wolność” or “For Your Freedom and Ours.” Those words are forever tied to Tadeusz Kosciuszko, the Polish-American hero for whom this organization is named. Two centuries later, you are living up to the words of this patriot who stood up for liberty and freedom. He would be so proud. Poland, the United States, our allies and partners, the Kosciuszko Foundation, private companies, freedom fighters around the globe – we all have combined forces to stop Putin in his tracks by providing support to the Ukrainian people. Now midway through the 8th month of Russia’s brutal further invasion of Ukraine, we must not give up our lifeline of assistance. What we are doing is working. That support is saving lives and lifting spirits. The leadership the Kosciuszko Foundation has demonstrated since the very start of the war has been nothing short of remarkable. It is truly an inspiration. You took action that was both strategic and timely, decisive and collective. You immediately shifted resources to Stand with Ukraine. Over $1.5 million has been raised for the Help Ukraine Fund, money that goes directly to the millions of refugees, mainly women and children, who fled the war for safety in Poland. Some of that money was also used to host a camp for sixty children from Yavoriv, Ukraine, this summer. Those kids have been through so much and have witnessed horrors no child ever should – they’ve seen schools and neighborhoods destroyed; families have been separated, they’re scared and anxious. They came to Cieszanow, Poland, to find an escape through education, through fun, and for the simple joy of being a kid, free from fear. They took part in an English language immersion program alongside Polish children. Ukrainian teachers and American educators led the instruction. It was a meshing of cultures. After two weeks everyone returned home and brought those experiences with them. It is something they will never forget. These educational and cultural exchanges evoke such a powerful level of understanding for both young and old. It can provide an openness and tolerance that changes perspectives. The Kosciuszko Foundation understands this so well. You have been empowering young people for decades giving academics a chance to study and learn in a foreign country. The academic exchanges between Poland and the United States are the cornerstone of what you are all about. I can speak from experience of the value of this eye-opening approach. In the early 1990s, I was a Kosciuszko grantee. As a 20-year-old living in the United States, I watched from thousands of miles away as the Berlin Wall fell and the divide between East and West crumbled. This symbolized a new beginning in Central Europe. I knew I had to be here, and I was drawn to my father’s homeland in Poland. I did some research and found the Kosciuszko Foundation. I applied for a grant, and you gave me an incredible opportunity. I spent the summer in Krakow learning about Polish history. I discovered a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a Polish-American, to have the name Brzezinski. That summer charted the course for the rest of my life. A year later I became a Fulbright scholar, and I would go on to write a book about Polish constitutionalism. Though I did not know it at the time, those couple of years three decades ago were incredibly informative in preparing me to become the U.S. Ambassador to Poland. Kosciuszko Foundation, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. And just as I was inspired here 30 years ago, this year the Polish people have risen to the moment, setting an example for the rest of the world with unparalleled generosity and overwhelming response to the crisis next door. This is a very important point so I want to convey it in Polish language: · Polska ma wiele mocnych stron. · np. silną gospodarkę. · np. potencjał innowacyjności. · Teraz zobaczyliśmy jeszcze: zdolność do szybkiej reakcji całego społeczeństwa i mobilizacji. · To znaczy: czasami kryzys może opóźnić reakcję. · Ale nie w Polsce. Tutaj w lutym mogliśmy zobaczyć zdolność do szybkiej mobilizacji całego społeczeństwa. · Ameryka miała podobne doświadczenia: · Atak na Pearl Harbor zmobilizował Amerykanów do szybkiego działania w przemyśle wojskowym. · Drugi przykład, to: lot na Księżyc w 1969 r. spowodował ogromny rozwój technologiczny. · Kryzys na Ukrainie spowodował ogromną mobilizację w Polsce. · To daje nadzieję na głębokie zmiany. I am awed. I am amazed. And I am tremendously proud. Young people have played an important role here. They are hosting fundraisers on social media, organizing clothing drives; they’ve volunteered their time and money to help the Ukrainian people. This next generation of leaders are finding their purpose. They are learning what the words “For Your Freedom and Ours” truly means. A young woman from Rzeszów who in 2022 organized a clothing drive for Ukrainians and could apply for a Kosciuszko Foundation fellowship in 2023, could go on to become the President of Poland in 20 or 30 years. Marzena, an engineer from Poland whom I hosted at my residence in May, is now at Penn State University on a Kosciuszko Foundation Fellowship. Her research on water and wastewater systems may propel her into leadership roles as we work to protect and ensure safe access to one of the world’s most critical resources. Today we will hear about the consequences of the war but there are many unintended consequences that Putin didn’t count on. Ukraine’s resolve, the united effort of the free world, and the power that young people have to change it. This is a moment of political awakening, and the Kosciuszko Foundation is investing in the next generation. Thank you again for everything you’ve done for me and the next generation of leaders. By U.S. Mission Poland | 13 October, 2022 | Topics: Ambassador, Events, News

5 Upcoming WhatsApp Features You Should Know About | Technology News – The Indian Express https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/5-upcoming-whatsapp-features-you-should-know-about-technology-news-the-indian-express/ WhatsApp, one of the most popular instant messaging apps out there, is known for its continuous addition of new features to the platform. This includes changes to the chat dynamics, new emojis and other fun features, as well as privacy additions. Thanks to WhatsApp Beta developments, brought to us by WABetaInfo, we also have an idea of what to expect from future WhatsApp updates. Here are five upcoming WhatsApp features that you should know about. Screenshot blocking WhatsApp is working on a feature to block the ability to take screenshots and it is in beta right now. The feature should soon be available to all stable users. The feature will let users set up screenshot blocking and screen-recording blocks for media files view once settings, which are shared with friends and other contacts. This will prevent other users from taking a screenshot of your ‘View Once’ media and improve privacy. Clickable links on WhatsApp Status WhatsApp Status updates, the app’s version of the popular ‘stories’ feature we find on most platforms these days, is getting a small, but useful change, which will enable hyperlinking URLs on the caption in status updates. This would allow WhatsApp users to share URLs to their websites and pages, along with other interesting pages they find online, while viewers will be able to simply click on the links to open the same. WhatsApp Premium for businesses WhatsApp is also working on a WhatsApp Premium subscription model for WhatsApp Business users. Similar to services like Telegram Premium, WhatsApp premium would offer extra benefits to business users for as long as they pay for the service. These features include custom business links and the ability to link more than four devices together on a single account. We may even see more additions when the subscription goes live. WhatsApp Business to get new Business Tool Tab WhatsApp Business users will also soon get a new tab on the main page of the app. Replacing the camera tab on the extreme left, the Business Tool tab will be a central hub for business users where they will be able to easily access Business Tools without going through the in-app settings. These tools include Business Profile management, Catalog settings, and integration with Facebook and Instagram via ads. WhatsApp sidebar and Status replies coming to WhatsApp Desktop A new sidebar and status replies should soon be available on the platform for all WhatsApp Desktop users. The status replies will let WhatsApp for Desktop users check out stories by their contacts and reply to them, similar to how you could on a phone. Meanwhile, the sidebar will allow easy access to the status updates tab, settings and profile.

Duke, Gill In Contest For Northwest Benton County’s House District 12 Seat – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/duke-gill-in-contest-for-northwest-benton-countys-house-district-12-seat-northwest-arkansas-democrat-gazette/ Republican nominee Hope Duke (left) faces Michael Gill of the Libertarian Party in the state House race for northwest Benton County’s District 12. GRAVETTE — Republican nominee Hope Duke faces Michael Gill of the Libertarian Party in the state House race for extreme northwest Benton County’s District 12. Duke’s brother, Sen. Jim Hendren of Sulphur Springs, became one of 12 Republicans in the 100-member state House when he first won election in the same region in 1994. Only Republicans — and Hendrens — have represented Benton County’s northwest corner since. Duke’s father, Kim, and her sister, Gayla McKenzie of Gravette, also served. McKenzie is leaving the House at the end of her current term after an unsuccessful bid for state Senate. Republicans make up a 76-member majority in the House now, but only gained a majority in 2012. District 12 includes Gravette, Decatur and parts of Bella Vista. It reaches the state line on both the north and the west. State representatives serve two-year terms and receive a base salary of $44,357. Early voting begins Oct. 24. Election Day is Nov. 8. “I think I’ve learned a lot in my six years on the Gravette School Board, going through covid and dealing with virtual learning,” Duke said. “The most important things I’ve learned is how to represent people, and that I still have a lot to learn.” “I held an at-large position on the School Board so I represented a lot of people,” Duke said. “They want local control in education and in their everyday life. They want government to help with things they can’t handle by themselves, but not to interfere otherwise.” One of the things locals cannot handle by themselves are traffic issues, she said. All the towns in the district are trying to cope with congestion, she said. Children in foster care and special-needs children also need more state support, she said. “They don’t get the attention they need,” she said. “The people who need representation the most are those who can’t represent themselves.” State government gets too involved in things better left to locals at the expense of things where it could really help, she said. Gill said he wants to run as a voice “for those who don’t look to the government first as a solution but as the solution of last resort.” The Republican Party is dominant now and voters need more than one choice, he said. Gill supports more options for school choice, he said. “My kids love the Bentonville School District,” he said. “But the Bentonville district is a world away from the Helena School District” in east Arkansas. If parents had more choice in which districts their children — and the state money that goes with students — went to, the best schools would thrive, he said. District 12 “has farmer families who have been here back to the Civil War and transplants who’ve been here a year,” Gill said. “That makes pigeonholing this district into one category or another difficult. The one thing they have in common is that they look at Little Rock the same way they look at Washington, D.C. They don’t want the government coming to them. Keep Little Rock in Little Rock and don’t bring their dictates here.”

‘Unbelievably Stressful’: Cruise Guests Issue Passenger Warning Over Travel To Port – Express https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/unbelievably-stressful-cruise-guests-issue-passenger-warning-over-travel-to-port-express/ Italy: Cruise ship breaks moorings in Ravenna Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Unless a cruise departs from the UK, cruise passengers will often have to start their holiday with a flight. But passengers will need to take care when they book a cruise holiday. One new cruise passenger asked Reddit: “Is it safe to fly into port the morning of the day of departure? “And if so, what time should you plan on arriving?” Cruise passengers can choose to book their flights with the cruise line which may be cheaper. However, if guests want to organise their own flights they will be able to pick the departure time and airport. READ MORE: Selfie horror as tourists kill baby seal – ‘worst thing we’ve seen’ Passengers have been warned not to fly on the day of their cruise (Image: Getty) The majority of passengers warned guests not to fly to the departure city on the day of the cruise. One said: “I have done that once, do not recommend it. Unbelievably stressful, especially when for some reason you can’t get an Uber to the port.” Cruise ports are often a long way from the airport and passengers may struggle to arrange their own transport. In some countries, taxi services such as Uber aren’t readily available or may be very busy at the airport. DON’T MISS Another passenger added: “We missed our embarkation in 2019. Thought we had lots of time. “Our first flight was delayed, causing us to miss our connection, arriving in Montreal with no flights to get us there before the ship left.” A flight delay could mess up a passenger’s journey and cause them to miss their embarkation time. If this happens, passengers will normally need to travel to the next port to catch the ship which will be at their own expense. READ MORE: Turkey holiday passport warning for Britons Cruise passengers could be on a rush if they fly the day they leave (Image: Getty) One passenger advised: “My husband and I personally do not fly in the morning of. We always save up to fly in the day before and stay at a nearby hotel. “If you have the budget I highly recommend you do that. It could save you a lot of unnecessary stress.” Staying at a port hotel the night before the cruise leaves will ensure passengers catch the ship. Some cruise lines might be able to offer passengers deals on hotels or guests could spend a few days in the departing city. The largest cruise ports (Image: Express) One passenger who said they had cruised over 25 times said they always fly in the day before the cruise. They advised: “This rule comes from experience at the enormous stress of missing or almost missing a cruise ship. “When you book with a cruise line, you don’t have the benefit of changes unless you pay a fee. “The positive is if you miss the cruise and purchase through the cruise line, they will get you to the next port. Remember, you miss a day or two of your vacation though.” %

Highlands And Islands Household Survey Highlights Investment Needs – Scottish Business News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/highlands-and-islands-household-survey-highlights-investment-needs-scottish-business-news/ SUSTAINED and flexible investment is required in services, housing, transport and digital connectivity in the Highlands and Islands, to realise economic opportunity and ensure a just transition to net zero. This is according to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scotland’s development agency for the region. HIE has today (12 October) published the findings of its My Life in the Highlands and Islands survey, carried out by IPSOS at the start of the year. More than 5,300 people over the age of 16 living in 4,442 households across the region responded to the study. The vast majority (88%) said they take pride in living in their local area, and more than half (55%) take part in local activities. Quality of life was highlighted by more than a third 36%) as one of the main reasons to move into the region, along with to take up a job (26%) and to be close to family (23%). While 73% said they either don’t ever intend to move away (50%) or plan to stay at least another five years (23%), around half (47%) of those aged 16-29 said they do plan to move away within five years. The survey also raised a series of issues facing communities in the region, including access to health services, issues with digital connectivity and an over reliance on fossil fuels and cars. While 95% of households have access in person to a GP within a 20-minute drive (excluding those who don’t know), this reduces to 81% for physiotherapists and dentists and 66% for mental health services. Access is more limited for households in remote rural areas. Of those living in remote rural communities, 37% have to drive at least 20 minutes to the nearest supermarket and 29% for a bank or mobile bank. Access to superfast broadband has increased from 64% in 2016 to 82.8%, though this is still noticeably less than the UK figure of 97.3%. Around a fifth (21%) of households in the region cannot stream a TV programme or film without it buffering, rising to 32% in Caithness and Sutherland and 29% in Shetland. Factors that could adversely affect Scotland’s progress towards the country’s ambitious net zero targets include a heavy reliance on cars for day-to-day living, with 87% owning at least one car and 44% owning two or more. Only 7% of respondents said they had bought an electric vehicle and just 6% said they were planning to do so. The main barriers to making the switch are cost, battery range and perceived lack of charging points. The survey also shows that 71% of households have already made energy efficiency improvements, mainly installing loft insulation or double- or triple-glazing. A further 36% are planning improvements over the next two to three years, most commonly having a smart meter fitted, installing a new boiler or heating system, or draught-proofing. Relatively few are using green technologies to heat their homes (13%) or have plans to switch fuel type (6%). More than a fifth (22%) say they would like a ‘green’ job that helps the environment or helps prevent climate change. Meanwhile more people (46%) believed their current job would be affected by the need to reduce carbon emissions than those who didn’t (42%). Housing was raised as a major issue. While 90% said their home meets their own needs very or fairly well, 76% agreed there aren’t enough affordable houses for rent or to buy locally. Young people, households with children and those in island and remote rural communities are more likely to perceive housing challenges. Two thirds (65%) say they are happy in their current job, while half (49%) are paid at least the real living wage. Of those in work, a fifth (19%) are self-employed, higher than nationally, and a further 12% would like to start their own business. Self-employment is more common in island (24%) and remote rural (26%) communities. Around a third of respondents (34%) working in the public sector reported that they moved to the region to take up a job, which highlights the importance of such roles in supporting population attraction and retention.  HIE has shared the findings with the Convention of the Highlands and Islands and the Regional Economic Partnership. Stuart Black, HIE’s chief executive, said: “We are extremely grateful to everyone who took part in this survey. It’s a fascinating and extremely useful report that provides valuable insight into what it really means to live and work in the Highlands and Islands, where the strengths are and the vulnerabilities. “It quantifies the challenges and inequalities, while clarifying some of the factors that residents really value about the region. “There are many well documented advantages and opportunities, particularly around renewable energy and the just transition to net zero. These qualities will serve communities and the economy, and indeed the country, extremely well if we can tap into them effectively. “What this report makes clear is that sustained and flexible investment will be required in order to make that happen. It will serve as a vital reference across the public sector, informing policy development and investment decisions at local, regional and national levels in line with the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.” Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:  “I am grateful to Highlands and Islands Enterprise for their work on the survey and for sharing its insights with the Regional Economic Partnership, and the Convention of the Highlands and Islands. “The survey shows the importance of supporting people in our communities across Scotland, whilst highlighting the opportunities and challenges often faced. We will carefully consider the findings of the survey and continue to work closely with our partners through the Convention and the Regional Economic Partnership to make the most of the opportunities we have to grow our economy across the Highlands and Islands.”

Philips Expands Rollout Of Its ClarifEye Augmented Reality Surgical Navigation Solution To Japan – StreetInsider.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/philips-expands-rollout-of-its-clarifeye-augmented-reality-surgical-navigation-solution-to-japan-streetinsider-com/ Get instant alerts when news breaks on your stocks. Claim your 1-week free trial to StreetInsider Premium here. October 13, 2022 International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital, Tokyo, employs Philips’ augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation solution to treat first patients in Japan, helping to bring the patient benefits of minimally-invasive spine surgery to Japan’s aging population New data published in European Spine Journal on the clinical use of ClarifEye showed a 98% accuracy of pedicle screw placement during minimally invasive procedures, comparable to values reported in literature for other navigation and robotic systems Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced expanded rollout of its augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation solution – ClarifEye – to Japan, highlighting positive results in the first patients treated by the International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital (Tokyo, Japan) using this innovative 3D AR solution. Installed on a Philips interventional X-ray system in a hybrid operating room at Mita Hospital, ClarifEye helped the hospital’s orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ken Ishii to successfully treat patients with spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spaces in the spine) and scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) via minimally-invasive image-guided procedures. Due to its aging population, the number of spine surgeries performed each year in Japan continues to increase. Lumbar spinal canal stenosis, the most common spinal disease, is currently found in approximately 10.8% of the country’s 70-79 year olds [1]. In patients with severe symptoms, surgical procedures are typically performed, including excision of the compressed area and fixation of the bone with screws or other fixtures. Traditionally, these fixation devices have been placed through a large incision with direct observation of the affected vertebra. However, they are now increasingly being placed via minimally-invasive procedures performed through small incisions, minimizing bleeding and soft tissue damage, reducing postoperative pain, and making treatment available to patients at risk from the trauma of open surgery. Philips’ augmented reality surgical navigation solution – ClarifEye – combines 2D and 3D visualizations at low X-ray dose with 3D AR navigation into one system. It enables surgeons to define and navigate critical trajectories for precise device placement while avoiding damage to fragile neurological and vascular structures close to the patient’s spine. “The benefit of performing spine surgery in the Hybrid OR includes the ability to acquire 3D CT images at low dose, having a lot of space, and being able to use the large monitor,” said Dr. Ken Ishii, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare, Mita Hospital. “The addition of a new navigation system helps to create an even safer surgical environment. Compared to existing navigation systems, ClarifEye has no reference frame-related errors, and it’s wonderful that it achieves real time imaging with pedicle segmentation. ClarifEye is a new technology that truly offers minimally invasive surgery for patients and clinical staff.” “Mita Hospital’s positive experience of using ClarifEye to deliver the benefits of minimally-invasive therapy to its spine patients mirrors that of hospitals in Europe and the Middle East who also recently adopted the system,” said Karim Boussebaa, General Manager Image Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “ClarifEye adds a new dimension in surgical precision for patients. It is a great example of how we are innovating procedures and helping clinicians to deliver on the Quadruple Aim of better health outcomes, improved patient and staff experiences, and lower cost of care.” ClarifEye’s live-video computer vision and AR technology uses non-invasive position markers applied to the patient’s skin to track patient positioning and overlays the resultant live video onto a 3D cone-beam CT of the patient’s spinal column. It enables surgeons to visualize the outside and inside of the patient in the same image, together with the planned and real-time trajectory of a Philips ClarifEye needle, without the need for live X-ray imaging. The system eliminates the cumbersome reference frames used by other systems, giving surgeons unimpeded access to the patient.      New data in European Spine Journal Intra-operative image guidance has been shown to increase clinical accuracy and improve outcomes, with patients subject to fewer revision surgeries compared to the previous standard of care [2,3]. Data published in Scientific Reports demonstrated that in open deformity cases, ClarifEye had a better accuracy than similar surgeries performed by the same surgeon with no help from intra-operative navigation (94% vs 89.6%) [4]. In addition, data published in European Spine Journal on the clinical use of ClarifEye for minimal invasive procedures showed a 98% accuracy of pedicle screw placement, which is comparable to values reported in literature for other navigation and robotic systems [5]. Physicians sharing experiences during expert session at EUROSPINE On 20 October at 12.15-13.15 CET Philips is organizing an expert session (also available online) during the EUROSPINE lunch symposia program. Dr. Peiró, Pediatric spine surgeon at Barcelona Children’s Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Dr. Scarone, neurosurgeon at Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) Lugano [6], Switzerland will both share their experience with the hybrid OR and using Philips’ innovative navigation technology for minimally invasive procedures. The session will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Y.P. Charles, MD, PhD Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, France. You can sign up here . [1] Shoji Y et al, Prevalence of lumbar spinal stenosis, using the diagnostic support tool, and correlated factors in Japan: a population-based study, Journal of Orthopaedic Science, Volume 18, Issue 6, 2013, Pages 893-900, ISSN 0949-2658. [2] Dea N et al, Economic evaluation comparing intraoperative cone beam C T based navigation and conventional fluoroscopy for the placement of spinal pedicle screws: a patient level data cost effectiveness analysis. The Spine Journal (2016) 16: 23 31. [3] Fichtner J et al, Revision Rate of Misplaced Pedicle Screws of the Thoracolumbar Spine – Comparison of Three-Dimensional Fluoroscopy Navigation with Freehand Placement: A Systematic Analysis and Review of the Literature. World Neurosurg. (2018) 109: e24 e32. [4] Elmi-Terander A at el, Augmented reality navigation with intraoperative 3D imaging vs fluoroscopy-assisted free-hand surgery for spine fixation surgery, a matched-control study, Nature Sci. rep. 2020 Jan 20;10(1):707. [5] Scarone P at el, Percutaneous thoraco‑lumbar‑sacral pedicle screw placement. accuracy results from a multi‑center, prospective clinical study using a skin marker‑based optical navigation system, European Spine Journal, Sept 2022. [6] Clinica Santa Chiara, Locarno. For further information, please contact: Joost Maltha  Philips Global Press Office  Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116   Email: [email protected] Fabienne van der Feer Philips Image Guided Therapy Tel: + 31 622 698 001 E-mail: [email protected] About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. Philips’ augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation solution ClarifEye Philips ClarifEye live AR guidance Philips ClarifEye AR guidance Philips Azurion

Here Is The Latest SEC Sports News From The Associated Press – Beckley Register-Herald https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/here-is-the-latest-sec-sports-news-from-the-associated-press-beckley-register-herald/ UNDATED (AP) — Alabama’s Will Anderson and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Josh Heupel are some of the Southeastern Conference’s top performers so far this season. Anderson is the unanimous pick as The Associated Press’ top SEC defensive player at the midway point. Hooker was voted as the top offensive player and Heupel was the unanimous choice as top SEC coach of the first half. The midseason awards were voted on by AP reporters covering the SEC. The third-ranked Crimson Tide and sixth-ranked Volunteers play this weekend in Knoxville. UNDATED (AP) — This weekend in college football includes a season-high six games matching teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Three of those games also match unbeaten teams. They include No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee; No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan; and No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU. By Saturday night, the championship picture could be very different. AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo calls it a Super Saturday. LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky coach John Calipari says on social media that consensus national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe will have a “minor” 15-minute procedure to “clean some things up” in his knee. Calipari did not specify in a Twitter post on Tuesday which knee will be treated. The school did not have specifics on how long Tshiebwe will be out. The coach said he sat the 6-foot-9 senior forward for practices on Saturday and Monday but that Tshiebwe pushed to participate in Sunday’s pro day workout before NBA scouts in what Calipari described as “an unbelievable performance.” UNDATED (AP) — It could well be among the marquee quarterback matchups of the season: Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young versus Tennessee’s rising star Hendon Hooker. Young’s sprained right shoulder was being re-evaluated, but coach Nick Saban seemed somewhat optimistic about his status for the Saturday’s game. Hooker and Young are still among the leading Heisman Trophy candidates. Jalen Milroe started for Alabama in a squeaker over Texas A&M. UNDATED (AP) — Ole Miss’ Jonathan Mingo is coming off of the biggest game of his career. He broke the receiving record set by current New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore by getting 247 yards against Vanderbilt. It was the most yards of any FBS player in a game this season and vaulted Mingo into the Southeastern Conference lead with 507 yards entering Saturday’s game with Auburn. Mingo has battled injury in his career and been overshadowed by 1,000-yard receivers Moore and Dontario Drummond. Now, he’s among the elites for No. 9 Ole Miss. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.