Prepper's Web

‘); if(!WVM.IS_STREAMING){ $videoEl.append(‘‘ + ‘‘ + ‘‘); } setTimeout(function(){ $(‘.mute-overlay’).on(‘touchstart click’, function(e){ if(e.handled === false) return; e.stopPropagation(); e.preventDefault(); e.handled = true; player.muted(false); //console.log(“volumee ” + WVM.activePlayer.volume()); $(this).hide(); $(this).css(‘display’, ‘none’); var currentTime = player.currentTime(); if(currentTime 0){ if(deviceName == ‘desktop’){ WVM.VIDEO_TOP = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).offset().top; }else{ WVM.VIDEO_TOP = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).offset().top – $(‘.next-dropdown-accordion’).height(); } if(deviceName == ‘desktop’){ WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT = $(‘#html5-video-‘ + videoId).outerHeight(); }else{ WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT = $(‘#html5-video-‘ + videoId).outerHeight(); } WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).height(); //console.log(“container height: ” + WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT); $(window).on( “resize”, function() { if(deviceName == ‘desktop’){ WVM.VIDEO_TOP = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).offset().top; }else{ WVM.VIDEO_TOP = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).offset().top – $(‘.next-dropdown-accordion’).height(); } if(deviceName == ‘desktop’){ WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT = $(‘#html5-video-‘ + videoId).outerHeight(); }else{ WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT = $(‘#html5-video-‘ + videoId).outerHeight(); } WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).height(); console.log(“container height: ” + WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT); }); //console.log(“VIDEOTOP: ” + WVM.VIDEO_TOP); //console.log(“VIDEOHEIGHT: ” + WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT); $(window).on( “scroll”, function() { if(!WVM.IS_FLOATING){ if(deviceName == ‘desktop’){ WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).height(); }else{ WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ” .hlsvideo-wrapper”).height() + $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ” .now-playing-container”).height(); } } //var top = $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).offset().top; var offset = WVM.VIDEO_TOP + (WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT / 2); var offsetBack = WVM.VIDEO_TOP; var changed = false; //console.log(“VIDEOTOP: ” + WVM.VIDEO_TOP); //console.log(“VIDEOHEIGHT: ” + WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT); //console.log(“scrolltop ” + $(window).scrollTop()); //only float if playing var isPlaying = WVM[‘player_state’ + videoId][‘IS_PLAYING’] || WVM[‘player_state’ + videoId][‘AD_IS_PLAYING’]; if(isPlaying){ $(‘.vjs-loading-spinner’).hide(); } var offsetFloatAd = 99999999; if(deviceName == ‘desktop’ && $(‘#float_anchor’).length > 0){ offsetFloatAd = $(‘#float_anchor’).offset().top – WVM.VIDEO_HEIGHT; //console.log(“float anchor offset top ” + offsetFloatAd); } if($(window).scrollTop() > offset && isPlaying && !WVM[‘player_state’ + videoId][‘CANCEL_FLOATING’]){ $(‘#media-placeholder-‘ + videoId).height(WVM.CONTAINER_HEIGHT); $(‘#media-placeholder-‘ + videoId).css(‘display’, ‘block’); if(!WVM.IS_FLOATING){ changed = true; } WVM.IS_FLOATING = true; $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).addClass(‘floating-video’); var sWidth = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth; var sHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if(sWidth > 900 && WADS.IS_STICKING){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).addClass(‘desktop-ad-is-sticky’); } else if(WADS.IS_STICKING){ if(!TOP_AD_VIEWED){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).addClass(‘mobile-ad-is-sticky’); }else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).addClass(‘mobile-ad-is-sticky-noad’); } } else if(!WADS.IS_STICKING){ if(!TOP_AD_VIEWED){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).removeClass(‘desktop-ad-is-sticky’); }else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).addClass(‘desktop-ad-is-sticky-noad’); } } //set right var sWidth = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth; var sHeight = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight; if(deviceName == ‘desktop’ || sWidth > 900){ var leftPos2 = $(‘aside’).get(0).getBoundingClientRect().left; var leftPos = $(‘aside’).offset().left ; $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).css(‘left’, leftPos + “px”); var newWidth = Math.floor(sWidth / 3.5); $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).css(‘width’, newWidth + “px”); } else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId).css(‘width’, “100% !important”); $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ‘ .now-playing-container’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ‘ .next-dropdown-accordion’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); } //floating-video $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).hide(); setTimeout(function(){ var hWrapper = $(‘.floating-video .hlsvideo-wrapper’).height(); var npWidth = $(‘.floating-video .now-playing-container’).height(); var ndWidth = $(‘.floating-video .next-dropdown-header’).height() + 20; var scrollerHeight = sHeight – (hWrapper + npWidth + ndWidth); scrollerHeight = 180; //scrollerHeight = parseInt(scrollerHeight * 0.5); if(WVM.device_name == ‘desktop’){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + videoId + ” ” + ” .mobile-list-videos”).height(scrollerHeight); } }, 100); }else if($(window).scrollTop() 0){ var container = document.querySelector(‘#page-carousel-‘ + fullVideoId); imagesLoaded( container, function() { var screenWidth = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth; if(screenWidth > 850){ WVM.IS_DESKTOP = true; $(‘#page-carousel-‘ + fullVideoId + ‘ .page-carousel-lg-slides’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); WVM[‘player_settings’ + fullVideoId].slider = $(‘#page-carousel-‘ + fullVideoId).bxSlider({ maxSlides: 4, minSlides: 4, slideWidth: 305, infiniteLoop: false, hideControlOnEnd: true, useCSS: true, pager: false, slideMargin: 15, moveSlides: 1, nextText: ‘‘, prevText: ‘‘ }); }else{ WVM.IS_DESKTOP = false; $(‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); } }); } }; WVM.setupToggleButton = function(fullVideoId, player){ if($(‘.nextplay-switch-‘ + fullVideoId).length > 0){ new DG.OnOffSwitchAuto({ cls:’.nextplay-switch-‘ + fullVideoId, height: 24, trackColorOn:’#F9F9F9′, trackColorOff:’#222’, textColorOn: ‘#222’, textColorOff: ‘#222′, textOn:’On’, textOff:’Off’, listener:function(name, checked){ var theVal = 1; if(!checked){ theVal = 0; } $.ajax({ url: ‘/ajax/update_autoplay_video/’, data: { autoplay_on: theVal }, type: ‘POST’, dataType: ‘json’, success: function(data) { WVM[‘player_settings’ + fullVideoId][‘autoplay’] = checked; }, error : function(){ console.log(“Error loading video”); } }); } }); } }; WVM.setupAccordionButton = function(fullVideoId){ var deviceName = ‘desktop’; $(‘#next-dropdown-accordion-button-‘ + fullVideoId).on(‘click’, function(){ if($(this).find(‘i’).hasClass(‘fa-chevron-up’)){ //hide $(this).find(‘i’).removeClass(‘fa-chevron-up’); $(this).find(‘i’).addClass(‘fa-chevron-down’); if(deviceName == “desktop” && !$(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId).hasClass(‘floating-video’)){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).slideUp(); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.mobile-list-wrapper’).hide(); }else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.mobile-list-wrapper’).slideUp(); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).hide(); } var currVideoId = WVM[‘player_state’ + fullVideoId][‘VIDEO_ID’]; var nextVideoId = WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex(currVideoId); //playerId, mediaId, fieldName var myTitle = WVM.getPlaylistData(fullVideoId, nextVideoId, ‘noprefixtitle’); //alert(“Getting title ” + myTitle); $(‘#video-slider-nexttitle’ + fullVideoId).css(‘display’, ‘inline’); $(‘#video-slider-nexttitle’ + fullVideoId).html(myTitle); }else{ //expand $(this).find(‘i’).addClass(‘fa-chevron-up’); $(this).find(‘i’).removeClass(‘fa-chevron-down’); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.mobile-list-wrapper’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); if(deviceName == “desktop” && !$(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId).hasClass(‘floating-video’)){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).slideDown(); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.mobile-list-wrapper’).hide(); if(!WVM.player_state197482[‘CAROUSEL_INIT’]){ WVM.setupCarousel(fullVideoId); } }else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.mobile-list-wrapper’).slideDown(); $(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId + ” ” + ‘.page-carousel-wrapper’).hide(); if(!$(‘#media-container-‘ + fullVideoId).hasClass(‘floating-video’)){ if(!WVM.player_state197482[‘CAROUSEL_INIT’]){ WVM.setupCarousel(fullVideoId); } } } $(‘#video-slider-nexttitle’ + fullVideoId).css(‘display’, ‘none’); } }); var currVideoId = WVM[‘player_state’ + fullVideoId][‘VIDEO_ID’]; //console.log(“current Video ” + currVideoId); var nextVideoId = WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex(currVideoId); var myTitle = WVM.getPlaylistData(fullVideoId, nextVideoId, ‘noprefixtitle’); //console.log(“setting title ” + myTitle); $(‘#video-slider-nexttitle’ + fullVideoId).css(‘display’, ‘inline’); $(‘#video-slider-nexttitle’ + fullVideoId).html(myTitle); }; WVM.sendbeacon = function(action, nonInteraction, value, eventLabel) { var eventCategory = ‘Video’; if (window.ga) { //console.log(“sending action: ” + action + ” val: ” + value + ” label ” + eventLabel); ga(‘send’, ‘event’, { ‘eventCategory’: eventCategory, ‘eventAction’: action, ‘eventLabel’: eventLabel, ‘eventValue’: value, ‘nonInteraction’: nonInteraction }); } }; WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex = function(mediaId, returnArrayIndex){ var currId = null; if(mediaId == null){ return null; } for(var x =0; x 20){ if(fullDuration > 1 && ((fullDuration – fullCurrent) > 1) && !$(‘.vjs-loading-spinner’).hasClass(‘badspinner’)){ console.log(“hiding spinner”); $(‘.vjs-loading-spinner’).addClass(‘badspinner’); } } var duration_time = Math.floor(this.duration()); //this is a hack because the end video event is not firing… var current_time = Math.floor(this.currentTime()); if ( current_time > 0 && ( fullCurrent >= (fullDuration – 10) )){ var currId = playerState.VIDEO_ID; var newMediaId = WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex(currId); //if(playerSettings.autoplay_next && newMediaId){ if(newMediaId){ if(‘desktop’ == “iphone” && playerState.AD_ERROR){ console.log(“skipped timeupdate end”); }else{ WVM.load_video(newMediaId, true, playerState.ORIGINAL_ID); } } } if(!playerState.START_SENT){ WVM.sendbeacon(‘start’, true, playerState.VIDEO_ID, playerState.VIDEO_TITLE); playerState.START_SENT = true; } var currentTime, duration, percent, percentPlayed, _i; currentTime = Math.round(this.currentTime()); duration = Math.round(this.duration()); percentPlayed = Math.round(currentTime / duration * 100); for (percent = _i = 0; _i = percent && __indexOf.call(playerState[‘PERCENTS_TRACKED’], percent) 0) { playerState[‘PERCENTS_TRACKED’].push(percent); } } } }); //player.off(‘ended’); player.on(‘ended’, function(){ console.log(“ended”); playerState.IS_PLAYING = false; WVM.sendbeacon(“complete”, true, playerState.VIDEO_ID, playerState.VIDEO_TITLE); var currId = playerState.VIDEO_ID; var newMediaId = WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex(currId); //if(playerSettings.autoplay_next && newMediaId){ if(newMediaId){ WVM.load_video(newMediaId, true, playerState.ORIGINAL_ID); }else{ console.log(“Playlist complete (no more videos)”); } }); //player.off(‘adserror’); player.on(‘adserror’, function(e){ //$(‘#ima-ad-container’).remove(); WVM.lastAdRequest = new Date().getTime() / 1000; console.log(e); console.log(“ads error”); var errMessage = e[‘data’][‘AdError’][‘l’]; playerState.AD_IS_PLAYING = false; playerState.IS_PLAYING = false; // && errMessage == ‘The VAST response document is empty.’ if(!playerState.AD_ERROR){ var dTime = new Date().getTime(); WVM.firstPrerollTagUrl = WVM.getFirstPrerollUrl(); console.log(“calling backup ad tag url: ” + WVM.firstPrerollTagUrl); WVM.activePlayer.ima.changeAdTag(WVM.firstPrerollTagUrl + “?” + dTime); WVM.activePlayer.ima.requestAds(); //WVM.activePlayer.src({ // src: masterSrc, // type: ‘video/mp4’ //}); //WVM.firstPrerollTagUrl = “”; } playerState.AD_ERROR = true; }); //player.off(‘error’); player.on(‘error’, function(event) { if (player.error().code === 4) { player.error(null); // clear out the old error player.options().sources.shift(); // drop the highest precedence source console.log(“now doing src”); console.log(player.options().sources[0]); player.src(player.options().sources[0]); // retry return; } }); //player.off(‘volumechange’); player.on(‘volumechange’, function(event) { console.log(event); var theHeight = $(‘#media-container-‘ + playerState.ORIGINAL_ID + ‘ .vjs-volume-level’).css(‘height’); var cssVolume = 0; if(theHeight){ cssVolume = parseInt(theHeight.replace(‘%’, ”)); } var theVolume = player.volume(); if(theVolume > 0.0 || cssVolume > 0){ $(‘#media-container-‘ + playerState.ORIGINAL_ID + ‘ .mute-overlay’).css(‘display’, ‘none’); }else{ $(‘#media-container-‘ + playerState.ORIGINAL_ID + ‘ .mute-overlay’).css(‘display’, ‘block’); } }); WVM.reinitRawEvents(playerState.ORIGINAL_ID); setInterval(function(){ WVM.reinitRawEvents(playerState.ORIGINAL_ID); }, 2000); } if(!WVM.rawCompleteEvent){ WVM.rawCompleteEvent = function(e){ var playerState = WVM[‘player_state197482’]; }; } if(!WVM.rawTimeupdateEvent){ WVM.rawTimeupdateEvent = function(e){ var playerState = WVM[‘player_state197482’]; var rawVideoElem = document.getElementById(‘html5-video-‘ + playerState[‘ORIGINAL_ID’] + ‘_html5_api’); var fullCurrent = rawVideoElem.currentTime * 1000; var fullDuration = rawVideoElem.duration * 1000; var current_time = Math.floor(rawVideoElem.currentTime); console.log(“raw timeupdate: ” + fullCurrent + ” out of ” + fullDuration); if ( current_time > 0 && ( fullCurrent >= (fullDuration – 50) )){ var currId = playerState.VIDEO_ID; var newMediaId = WVM.getNextPlaylistIndex(currId); if(newMediaId){ console.log(“loading new video from rawtimeupdate”); WVM.load_video(newMediaId, true, playerState.ORIGINAL_ID); } } if(!$(‘.vjs-loading-spinner’).hasClass(‘badspinner’)){ $(‘.vjs-loading-spinner’).addClass(‘badspinner’) } }; } WVM.reinitRawEvents = function(playerId){ var playerState = WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId]; var rawVideoElem = document.getElementById(‘html5-video-‘ + WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId][‘ORIGINAL_ID’] + ‘_html5_api’); //COMPLETE EENT if( WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId].COMPLETE_EVENT){ rawVideoElem.removeEventListener(‘ended’, WVM.rawCompleteEvent, false); } rawVideoElem.addEventListener(‘ended’, WVM.rawCompleteEvent, false); //TIME UPDATE EVENT if( WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId].TIMEUPDATE_EVENT){ rawVideoElem.removeEventListener(‘ended’, WVM.rawTimeupdateEvent, false); } rawVideoElem.addEventListener(‘ended’, WVM.rawTimeupdateEvent, false); WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId].COMPLETE_EVENT = true; WVM[‘player_state’ + playerId].TIMEUPDATE_EVENT = true; };

GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) — Matt LaFleur didn’t want to give us his full thoughts on this condensed schedule — but said it’s like preparing for a Thursday game. His quarterback had a little fun at his expense with the adjusted schedules.

“Coaches are creatures of habit, even more than players. Anytime there’s a minute adjustment to the schedule. It throws them all out of whack,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The schedule is condensed no doubt. A lot of work to get done here before leaving Thursday.

But the team will practice Friday as well and while being focused on the task at hand — beating the Giants — hopefully get a chance to explore just a little bit.

“We’re all excited. I think the reason I said I want to go early is just to experience a little bit of that culture. Be able to get out, see some sites, interact with fans. Go to a pub, have Guinness or whatever the local brew is,” said Rodgers.

“I feel like Aaron has some good connections over there, so I’m going to try to use the wide receiver card. Tag along with him and do some activities,” said wide receiver Allen Lazard. “Being able to play in another country, travel across the world is something I’m pretty grateful for.”

“I’m excited to be a part of it, should be a cool new thing. After 16 years, you don’t get a ton of new experiences,” said kicker Mason Crosby. “This should be a fun one.”

“I trust our guys. I think they’ll make wise decisions,” said head coach Matt LaFleur. “I expect us to play at a high level on Sunday.”

Sleep was a topic as well — from his own international travel Rodgers says he has some tricks he’s sharing with teammates.

WASHINGTON — The holidays bring many things — gifts, family gatherings, decorating and festivities. For 2022, they also bring a few updates from the Postal Service for shipping deadlines and temporary pricing changes, as well as new package regulations.

2022 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to domestic addresses and Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office (APO/FPO/DPO) addresses*:

• Nov. 5   — APO/FPO/DPO (all ZIP Codes) USPS Retail Ground service
• Dec. 9   — APO/FPO/DPO (all ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 16 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express Military service
• Dec. 17 — USPS Retail Ground service
• Dec. 17 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 17 — First-Class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 19 — Priority Mail service
• Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express* service

Alaska

• Dec. 2   — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. — USPS Retail Ground
• Dec. 17 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. — First-Class Mail and Priority Mail
• Dec. 21 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. — Priority Mail Express

Hawaii

• Dec. 17 — Hawaii to/from mainland — First-Class Mail and Priority Mail
• Dec. 21 — Hawaii to/from mainland — Priority Mail Express

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time, and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two business days.

New Seasonal Stamps

There are several new holiday and seasonal stamps available for your greeting cards and letters. They can be found online at the Postal Store or at any one of more than 34,000 Post Office locations. As a reminder, as of July 10, the cost of a First-Class Forever stamp increased to 60 cents from 58 cents.

New Hazardous Materials Shipping Restrictions

For safety reasons, effective June 6, packages containing hazardous materials —lithium-ion batteries, in particular — must now be mailed by surface transportation using Parcel Select Ground, USPS Retail Ground, Parcel Return Service or Ground Return Service.

The Postal Service issued the new requirements for shipping used electronics and other hazardous materials because items of this nature can cause fires and other dangers to mailers, air carriers, aircraft passengers and others.

Customers can find detailed information on common hazardous, restricted and perishable materials in the Postal Service’s Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail.

Temporary Pricing Adjustments

For the 2022 holiday season, the Postal Service has implemented temporary price adjustments. The changes are in place through Jan. 22, 2023, 12:01 a.m. Central time, for both retail and business customers.

The changes include some of the Postal Service’s more popular shipping products, which also includes military shipping: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select Ground and USPS Retail Ground. International products are unaffected.

These temporary rates will keep the Postal Service competitive and are similar to adjustments in past years to help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful holiday season. More information can be found at usps.com.

The temporary adjustments are part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service’s 10-year plan for achieving financial sustainability and service excellence, which calls for appropriate pricing initiatives. Even with the temporary increase, the Postal Service has some of the lowest mail postage rates in the industrialized world and continues to offer great values in shipping.

More tips for a successful holiday mailing and shipping season:

• Use free Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes. They are available at local Post Office locations or online at usps.com/freeboxes.
• Make it easy with Click-N-Ship. You can create shipping labels and pay for postage online at usps.com/ship.
• Schedule a free Package Pickup when the carrier delivers your mail. It’s free regardless of the number of packages. Pickups can be scheduled at usps.com/pickup.*
• Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch thick using stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a window clerk at a Post Office location.
• Packages containing used electronics or other hazardous materials — lithium-ion batteries, in particular — must now be shipped via surface transportation.

*Boxes are delivered within the U.S. with your regular mail, usually within 7 to 10 business days. Exclusions apply, for details and to order, visit the Postal Store.

Additional holiday news and information can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom: usps.com/holidaynews.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

###

More USPS holiday news, including shipping deadlines and information on the North Pole postmark, can be found at usps.com/holidaynews. For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

The Biden administration is preparing new export controls on semiconductors and the machines to make them, the latest push in its effort to deny China the ability to make the fastest, most cutting-edge circuitry possible, according to people familiar with the situation. 

The administration in recent weeks has already placed new restrictions on some U.S. exports of chips used for artificial-intelligence calculations and manufacturing equipment used to make some of the most powerful number-crunching chips. 

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Businesses and community are coming together to gather supplies and aid to those in hardest hit areas in Florida.

See below their plans and how you can join them.

Knowledge Perk posting out this afternoon, “Our friends and community partners at Williams & Fudge, Inc. are putting together some supplies to send to families in need in Florida. Our own Knowledge Perk team has family down there, and we would like to support as well. While we know many necessities will be shipped, they will need caffeine as well and a great cup of coffee can provide warmth and may be of some small comfort. Knowledge Perk is donating 2,000 single serve bags of coffee, ready to go and only needing water added.

If anyone in our community would like to support as well, feel free to come by either store and purchase a pound of coffee, then leave it with us and designate it for Florida. We will grind it all, and make sure it goes out with the next available shipment of supplies. All those affected families are in our thoughts and prayers and we hope this simple gesture lets them know that our community is supporting them in whatever way we can.”

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS) – Orangeburg County leaders are expecting some severe flooding as Hurricane Ian strengthens which could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to make it out to certain parts of the county. WIS spoke with the county administrator and a spokesperson with the Regional Medical Center about what you should do if there’s a medical emergency.

Orangeburg County is already being hit with strong winds, but once these gusts hit 45 miles per hour, the county administrator tells me emergency vehicles like ambulances won’t be able to travel the roads.

Chris Potter with the Regional Medical Center tells WIS, RMC has been tracking Hurricane Ian by using an online tool called Hurrevac and have been preparing all week for the impacts of the storm.

“Ensuring that all of our generators were running properly, making sure all of our propane tanks were filled, our diesel was filled. Ensuring that the rooms were taken care of,” said Porter.

He says they even have extra staff on hand at the emergency room for Friday when the storm is expected to hit. City agencies have also been out prepping the roads for severe weather.

“Public works has been opening ditches and canals to the best of their ability to make sure other areas like lakes and stuff that receive water are open as much as possible,” said Harold Young, the county administrator.

The County’s administrator Harold Young says people living in the eastern end of Orangeburg county should keep in mind that they could get about six to eight inches of rain while people living in the central part could get up to four inches of rain all in a 24-to-32-hour span.

“So anytime we see that much rain, it’s going to be a problem so we’ve prepped the roads as best we can,” he said.

But if that heavy rain and those strong winds hit, emergency vehicles will not be on the roads, but Young says the county does have an alternative.

Young says, “The STAR team has been trained and equipped in different high water, high wind, and other types of rescues and they have specialized equipment. So, the STAR team would be dispatched to them.”

And while the county hasn’t been put under an official evacuation, Young is asking citizens to use their better judgment.

He says, “If they feel like they’re going to be in harm’s way please remove themselves from harm’s way prior to storms so that emergency personnel don’t have to put their lives on the line trying to save somebody that could’ve been prepared.”

You won’t need to directly contact the STAR team. All you need to do in case of an emergency is dial 911.

Chris Porter says the emergency department at RMC and BBMC the emergency center in Bamberg will remain open but the outlying clinics, like the cardiology clinics and the family clinics, will be closed for the day.

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Copyright 2022 WIS. All rights reserved.

A cannabis recession may be coming and no cannabis business is immune. Prices are rising, operations are expensive to run, over regulation is rampant, local control is stifling, and you can’t even take many business deductions with the IRS because of IRC 280E.

While things like interstate commerce agreements are getting a lot of attention, cannabis businesses should maybe be thinking about how to prepare now for a cannabis recession in the future. Here’s how:

This one is obvious. To a certain extent, cannabis businesses have been permitted to grow relatively comfortably for a while now– mainly because legalization has been somewhat novel and exciting to consumers. Lots of cannabis businesses have invested heavily into their IP, work fleet, fee slotting agreements, and expansion efforts in order to capture the upside of these democratic experiments (before bigger business interests jump in).

However, with a cannabis recession potentially looming, examining work force size and unnecessary expenditures is bound to happen. From the legal front, when cutting employees or trying to bail on goods and services agreements, make sure you know what you’re doing in those respective areas. Missteps or breaches will be undoubtedly costly.

Consider outsourcing what you can

Cannabis ancillary companies are a dime a dozen these days. Many operators are outsourcing a chunk of their businesses, and that’s OK so long as it doesn’t amount to trafficking without a license (big no no). Cannabis management companies need to be mindful of IRC 280E, and owners, financial interest holders, and true parties of interest still face a myriad of disclosure requirements. But downsizing and outsourcing is an efficient way to save some cash in hard times.

Ditch your bad, expensive agreements (or try to change them)

Times like now are why it’s so very important to consider “no cause” termination in your agreements with third parties. You may otherwise be locked into a very costly, unproductive agreement for a lengthy term.

If you can’t get out of a contract, maybe at least go to the other party to re-negotiate some more economically sensitive terms. I can tell you now that I’m working on a number of contract “re-do’s” where parties are heavily negotiating the absorption of costs and guaranteed minimum production metrics (especially with cannabis distribution agreements). Now’s the time to examine these things.

Start whipping on collections

Margins in cannabis are not amazing unless you can really scale and engage in high volume production. And even if you can do those things, in most states, getting paid B2B is increasingly difficult. Yes, we’re all in this democratic experiment together, but to prevent complete failure, businesses will have to get tougher on engaging in collections and getting paid.

Long gone are the days of sweet net payment deals for distributors and retailers. Discount pricing is also taking a hit because wholesale production costs have gone up considerably (in addition to the general high expense of running these operations). It’s not pretty and no one wants to do it, but if you’ve been late on your payments to your cannabis vendors, you should probably expect to receive some demand letters around payment or even collection efforts to boot. A cannabis recession will certainly bring out people’s teeth.

Pay your taxes or get on a payment plan ASAP

The cannabis industry needs to understand that no revenue collector feels bad for it. Their job is to wrench out of you every dollar owed to the government. And pointing to a cannabis recession for an inability to pay is not going to be persuasive.

If you’re headed for dire straits on payment of your taxes as the cannabis economy slows, do not wait to do something about it with the tax collector. Get on a payment plan in your state and work with the government to stay on top of it and out of liens and levies.

Adjust products and services

Cannabis is an industry that embraces innovation. In times of economic downturn, all businesses are going to be looking at their products and services to determine if they’re worth the cost and in demand.

Consumer behavior gets wonky in a recession, but cannabis businesses would be wise to pay attention to what’s selling and what’s not, and to focus on producing those products in demand and diversify accordingly (or creating the demand with various innovations, so long as they comply with prohibited products lists and packaging and labeling requirements, which vary across states).

Other things to consider now are things like subscription programs, discount clubs, and personalized products (like monthly boxes, etc.). Just make sure any recession-friendly product turn-outs comply with the many, many cannabis marketing and sales regulations in your state.

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It’s been said that a recession is an opportunity in wolf’s clothing. And that can be true for a cannabis recession too, but companies should prepare themselves now so they can successfully weather the storm.

As we prep for the possible impact of Hurricane Ian, there are things you can do right now to protect your home from storm damage

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is scheduled to have surgery to remove some debris from his left knee Wednesday, with the hope of being on track for a re-evaluation in four to six weeks.

That was all executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was willing to say with conviction at media day Monday.

How quickly Ball will return or whether he even will return this season wasn’t something Karnisovas was willing to address.

‘‘I’m not a doctor,’’ Karnisovas said. ‘‘I’m just going to wait and see what the doctors are going to tell me.’’

That’s where it gets tricky.

Ball went down in January with what first was diagnosed as a bone bruise that would need a few weeks to heal. One surgery and eight months later, Ball still is sidelined and awaiting another surgery.

There was some criticism about the timing of Ball’s second surgery, but Karnisovas explained that timeline.

‘‘We gave every opportunity [for Ball] to rehab and get back on the court without doing the surgery,’’ Karnisovas said. ‘‘That was our thought process, with the thought in mind of what’s best for the player. We’re at a crossroads now where we need to do something else, and that’s why we opted in to do the procedure.’’

Ball’s teammates have been in contact with him and know how tough this injury saga has been for him.

‘‘I know guys have talked about it all summer, but let’s understand he wants to be out here more than anyone else,’’ guard Zach LaVine said. ‘‘Nobody wants to be injured. It’s tough to have people talk about it each and every day and when you’re going to be back.

‘‘I just told him: ‘Make sure you’re ready because when you come back, we need you. You’re our starting point guard. You’re the cog to our defense, our facilitator.’ ’’

As far as a plan to replace Ball for the time being, coach Billy Donovan was leaving it an open competition. Second-year man Ayo Dosunmu and veterans Alex Caruso and Goran Dragic are all in play, but Donovan said he wanted to use practices and exhibition games to see which groups work in sync with certain personnel.

‘What are you doing, Dragic?’

Dragic knew the question was coming in his first media session with the Bulls. Sure enough, it came.

He was on the receiving end of a 2010 dunk by Derrick Rose, leaving Bulls analyst Stacey King to scream, ‘‘What are you doing, Dragic?’’ after the then-Suns guard attempted to block the shot.

‘‘Yes, this is my nightmare,’’ Dragic said, laughing.

He then explained the play all these years later.

‘‘The funny thing, this was the only time somebody dunked on me in my whole NBA career,’’ Dragic said.

Dragic said he later spoke with Rose about the play when the two were on an Adidas promotion tour.

‘‘I said, ‘You had to do it like that?’ ’’ Dragic recalled. ‘‘I was young, second year in the league. First year I didn’t play much. My second year I started to play a little bit, so I had to go for that play. Of course, if I knew [the outcome], I would never [have challenged Rose]. But it is what it is. At least I’m on TV all the time.’’

Chip Kelly didn’t settle for a one-hour time change when he flew from Boulder, Colo., to Westwood on Saturday night.

After a 45-17 rout of Colorado, the UCLA coach had his players turn their body clocks forward by about 12 hours to prepare for a Friday game against No. 15 Washington at the Rose Bowl. Less than 24 hours after landing in L.A., UCLA (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12 Conference) already was back on the practice field to prepare for the matchup of unbeaten teams that represents the Bruins’ first major test of the season.

Kelly praised his players’ conditioning after the Bruins improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2015. Including Saturday’s 24-7 second-half advantage, UCLA has outscored its four opponents this season 78-21 after halftime with two second-half shutouts. An upcoming stretch against three consecutive ranked opponents will reveal how prepared the Bruins are for a championship run.

“When you’re playing a team as good as Washington is, your conditioning is going to be tested,” Kelly said.

Under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, the Huskies (4-0, 1-0) are fifth in the country with 530.8 yards per game and 12th in scoring with 44 points per game.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is the nation’s top passer with 347 passing yards per game and is “playing as well as any quarterback in the country right now,” Kelly said.

By the time the Huskies wrapped up their late-night 40-22 win over Stanford on Saturday, some UCLA players already were asleep.

After the team kicked off at noon in Boulder, UCLA’s charter plane landed at about 8 p.m. in L.A. The first thing on defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi’s mind was eating. He called his girlfriend, who provided him with healthy snacks. His plan to review the game film went awry when the clips were delayed, so he instead went to bed at 10 to prepare for Sunday, which began with the team’s normal Sunday morning routine of meetings and pool regeneration, followed by a quick shift to practice.

Kelly said NFL experience on the staff gives the Bruins a sound blueprint for a short week as coaches are used to prepping for regular Thursday night games.

“Your game plan might not be as big and expansive, but it depends on your personnel,” Kelly said. “What can the players handle?”

Considering that Havili-Kaufusi already has battled shoulder and knee injuries that kept him sidelined for three years, one less day of practice is “nothing to me,” the redshirt junior said.

The converted fullback said he’s feeling the best he’s felt since coming to UCLA. Kelly’s up-tempo practices that track high-speed bursts for each player have helped him seamlessly acclimate to game speed.

“Especially with the high-tempo practice that we have, it really prepares us for the game and just knowing that we’re supposed to go full speed, every play, every drill,” said Havili-Kaufusi, who recorded two tackles against Colorado. “When it comes to game day, that’s why for me, and I speak for the rest of the guys, it just feels like another practice and if not a practice, it’s probably easier because it’s a slower tempo.”

Havili-Kaufusi could be in line for a larger role this week with UCLA’s defensive tackle rotation thinning.

Already without Martin Andrus Jr., who suffered a season-ending injury, and Gary Smith III on Saturday, the Bruins suffered another injury to sophomore Jay Toia. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound defensive tackle did not participate in Sunday’s practice and was seen sitting in the weight room. Smith, a transfer from Duke, was on the sideline working on individual conditioning drills after not practicing last week.

“It’s next man up,” said defensive lineman Jacob Sykes, who recorded a season-high three tackles against Colorado. “Everyone gets their name called at some point. You stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.”

Etc.

Offensive lineman Jon Gaines II was on the field for practice but did not participate in any contact drills during the open-viewing period.

When Nothing was unveiled early last year, founder Carl Pei promised that the hardware startup had a full road map. Early stories about the London-based firm alluded to a pitch deck full of Pokémon characters, each representing a different product in the pipeline.

Roughly a year and a half later, Nothing has delivered two major products: the Ear (1) and Phone (1). It’s an impressive showing in a world where young hardware companies are accustomed to playing it safe.

As has been customary with all of its product launches thus far, Nothing just teased another addition. It’s a new pair of earbuds, but ones that are apparently distinct from the $99 Ear (1). Housed in a cylindrical charging case, the new headphones also buck the company’s naming conventions a bit, as the Ear (Stick).

As ever, the tease asks more questions than it answers, though this confirms rumors from the summer that the company was working on a similarly priced follow-up to the Ear (1). A spokesperson confirmed that we’re looking at a “new charging case and new bud[s].”

At the moment, however, it’s not entirely clear whether this is intended to replace the original transparent buds outright, though it seems unlikely the company would replace the Ear (1) outright this early into their lifecycle. Nothing promises a lightweight and “supremely comfortable design” when they’re officially unveiled later in the year.

Until then, a whole lotta nothing.