UPDATE: Interstate 78 West reopened just after 10 am Monday, nearly eight hours after a tractor-trailer crash closed the highway in that direction, authorities say. Soon after the highway reopened on the rainy morning, a crash involving a tractor-trailer and box truck was reported at mile marker 73.5 westbound, five miles from the initial wreck.
INITIAL REPORTING: At least two tractor-trailers crashed early Monday morning on Interstate 78 West in Lower Saucon Township shutting the highway in that direction between the Route 33 and Route 412 interchanges, Pennsylvania State Police say.
There were no injuries in the wreck about 2:20 am near mile marker 68.5, a Northampton County emergency dispatch supervisor and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said.
The closure could go on for some time due to the cleanup at the bottom of the hill near Easton Road, the supervisor said.
At 7 am, PennDOT said eastbound rubberneckers were disrupting traffic in that direction near the crash scene.
Just after 7:30 am, a Honda and a dump truck crashed at mile marker 73.2 westbound, resulting in minor injuries, police said.
Police advised drivers to use Route 22.
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Alongside a level cap increase and balance updates.
apex legends will introduce big changes to Kings Canyon as part of a new season coming later this month. The update will also include a level cap increase and various balance changes.
We’ve detailed what to expect below.
“The primary goal with this update was really looking at the map’s health; Kings Canyon is Apex‘s oldest map — it’s been around since launch and it’s been through plenty of changes,” said Jeff Shaw, Lead Level Designer on Apex Legends.
“With that, we really wanted to look at the big picture and really focus down on the map’s major pain points, some balance issues and just tuning across the board.”
The changes mean Kings Canyon will sport a new location… at the cost of an old one.
“Time changes everything, and Kings Canyon is no exception. What was once Skull Town has risen from the ashes as Relic,” EA said in a press release.
“Terraforming has altered popular ambush locations, widening or closing them off entirely, while the Cage has been opened and replaced with a simple platform, all to make the Games here as thrilling as can be. These changes to Kings Canyon represent agoal for all upcoming map updates: add compelling new areas for players to explore and ensure that POIs are adjusted across the board to meet the needs of players.”
The changes will mean that a familiar map becomes less familiar, and might be enough to bring lapsed players back into the fold; just last week on the Friendly Fire Show, Ben was saying how he enjoyed Apex but felt he’d done everything he could within it. Maybe this will change his mind about him?
If a redesigned map isn’t enough, maybe an increased level cap will be — this new season will allow players to elevate themselves past level 500.
“In recognition of the tremendous dedication shown by the playerbase, the new Level Cap increase frees players to reach staggering new heights,” EA advised. “The level 500 ceiling has been shattered, and as the ascent continues, players can collect Legend Tokens and Apex Packs.”
Finally, apex legends will perform some balancing as part of this new update, largely informed by player feedback.
“Players can set their sights on a new weapon upgrade with the introduction of Laser Sights, a new attachment for SMGs and Pistols that gives players fresh options for approaching close-quarters combat, replacing barrels,” EA continued.
“The weapon split and ammo economy have been evened out in order to ensure that every weapon has its place and a clearly defined role, with weapons like the EVA-8 getting a refresh to help them stand out. It’s not just weapons getting some love, there are some exciting updates coming to gold equipment as well.”
The update will of course introduce a new Legend in the form of Vantage, but we’ll have more on her later. Keep your eyes peeled!
apex legends is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5 and Switch. This new season heads to Australia on 10 August.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
A broad daylight box cutter attack was captured on camera in the heart of New York City’s tourist hub.
The New York Police Department released video on Sunday showing an unidentified Black male — seen wearing a black zip up jacket and gray or white sweatpants — rush up behind a woman at approximately 10 am in the area of 7th Avenue and West 42nd Street in the bustling tourist destination Times Square.
Taking a wide swipe, the assault suspect slashed a woman wheeling what appears to be a cart for groceries with a box cutter in what police said was an “unprovoked attack.”
NYC WOMAN WHO FILED $10M LAWSUIT AGAINST MAFIA FAMILY OVER SON’S VICIOUS MURDER DIES IN BROOKLYN CAR CRASH
NYPD is seeking information on a wanted assault suspect after an “unprovoked” box cutter attack near Times Square. (NYPD)
The victim appears to walk away quickly, dragging her cart behind her, before leaving the frame in the brief snippet of surveillance footage released by the police department.
The extent of her injuries was not immediately clear. A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information on the suspect.
NYPD released surveillance video showing a box cutter attack near Times Square. (NYPD)
Police are asking anyone who can identify the suspect to call 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls are confidential.
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NYPD data showed a 17.3% increase in felony assaults citywide in June compared to the same month last year. The citywide crime statistics for July have not yet been released as of Monday.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
You can never have enough power Rangers toys, Hasbro argues, mostly because it owns power Rangers. But that’s especially true of mighty morphin‘, the franchise progenitor that, no matter how many iterations of teenagers with attitude there are, it’ll seemingly never escape. So why not add another to your collection?
Ahead of Power Week later this month — Hasbro’s week-long celebration of all things power Rangers toys and news — Gizmodo has your first look at two of the latest figures joining the six-inch-scaled Lightning Collection toyline. First up from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is the latest version of the Black Ranger to join the toyline — one of many between various versions of the hero that have previously included the standard version as original ranger Zack, one with the Dragon Shield, and a sparkly “metallic” version for good measure . So why do you need one more? Well, this Black Ranger includes the second wielder of the title, Johnny Yong Bosch’s Adam Park, as an alternate headsculpt.
Image: Hasbro
Adam did recently appear in the Lightning Collection, but in his robed gear as the Black Ninja Ranger, from when the team gained their new powers and Zords. As well as the alternate Adam headsculpt, the new Mighty Morphin’ Black Ranger includes alternate hands, an open and closed version of the Blade Blaster, and, in a deep cut, an ice extinguisher Adam used to put out Saliguana’s fire breath in the episode “Putty on the Brain.”
away from the world of MMPR es Lost Galaxy‘s Green Ranger, Damon Henderson, who is making his debut in the Lighting Collection. Damon comes with a helmeted and unhelmeted headsculpt, alternate hands, two versions of the Quasar Saber, and his green transdagger.
Image: Hasbro
Both the MMPR Black Ranger and Lost Galaxy Green Ranger will cost $US25 ($35), and are set to be available later this year — and are available for pre-order now from both Hasbro Pulse as well as Amazon. Meanwhile, in more power Rangers toy news, Power Week will run from August 22 until power Rangers Day itself on August 28.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latestMarvel and starwars releases, what’s next for theDC Universe on film and TVand everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the US, but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.
Summer signing Darwin Nunez scored as Liverpool beat Premier League champions Manchester City 3-1 to claim the FA Community Shield at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The Uruguayan player, acquired from Benfica for an initial fee of €75 million, made himself an instant fan favorite after capping a lively appearance off the bench with a stoppage time goal to secure the first trophy of the season.
Despite being without Nunez in the first half, Liverpool were quick to strike, with Trent Alexander-Arnold opening the scoring in the 21st minute. His first-time strike took a slight deflection off the head of Nathan Ake and nestled in off the post.
– Ogden: Nunez upstages Haaland, Alvarez in Liverpool’s Community Shield win – Pep backs Haaland after disappointing City debut – ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more – Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
City’s Erling Haaland started his second game since signing for Pep Guardiola’s team and spurned two chances to draw level shortly before half-time.
Jurgen Klopp introduced new man Nunez from the bench an hour in, and Liverpool continued to look dangerous going forward, with City desperate for an equaliser.
And while all eyes were on Haaland, it was another summer signing — Julian Alvarez — who drew the game level in the 70th minute.
The Argentina forward squeezed a shot past Adrian after a goalmouth scramble that saw Phil Foden win the ball from the Spanish goalkeeper. Alvarez’s goal was initially ruled out as his original run in behind was deemed offside, but a lengthy VAR check ended with Craig Pawson overturning the decision.
But the goal didn’t keep City on level terms for long. Nunez drew a handball from Ruben Dias in the penalty area that eventually was awarded through VAR as a penalty. Mohamed Salah dispatched the spot kick with ease.
Victory was ensured for Klopp’s side in added time — and Nunez got his goal. He had to home past Ederson to give Liverpool a two-goal cushion and ensure a perfect start to his tenure at Anfield.
“Our season started today, and it was important for us to get off on the right foot,” said Alexander-Arnold, who was full of praise for 23-year-old Nunez’s impact.
“He won the penalty, scored a goal and looked very lively. He’s been brought in to score goals, and he’s proved he can do that today,” he said.
“He’s a top player, a young player who is willing to learn. He’s bonded well with the lads. He came on with a point to prove.”
Judge says Visa cannot escape Pornhub-related lawsuit
This weekend, Judge Cormac J. Carney of the US District Court of central California refused Visa’s request to be dismissed from a case that claims it conspired to help MindGeek, parent company of the website Pornhub, profit from images of child sexual abuse.
Is Visa helping others make money from illegal images? The court says it may have, allowing certain claims against Visa to proceed, based on its role in processing payments for MindGeek. The suit was filed by a woman who says MindGeek profited from naked videos taken when she was an underage teen that were posted on Pornhub.
“If Visa was aware that there was a substantial amount of child porn on MindGeek’s sites, which the Court must accept as true at this stage of the proceedings, then it was aware that it was processing the monetization of child porn, moving money from advertisers to MindGeek for advertisements playing alongside child porn like Plaintiff’s videos,” Judge Carney wrote.
The decision’s unusually strong language raises alarms for payment processors. This early-stage win signals that companies may not be able to easily distance themselves from accusations of misdeeds by their clients.
Judge Carney: “When the Court couples MindGeek’s expansive content removal with allegations that former MindGeek employees have reported a general anxiety at the company that Visa might pull the plug, it does not strike the Court as fatally speculative to say that Visa — with knowledge of what was being monetized and authority to withhold the means of monetization — bears direct responsibility (along with MindGeek) for MindGeek’s monetization of child porn, and in turn the monetization of Plaintiff’s videos.”
Visa argued that the case could upend finance. In its motion to dismiss, Visa said that a decision against the company would upend the financial and payment industries, making it impossible for Visa to do its job processing transactions for millions of law-abiding businesses and consumers. A company spokesman told DealBook in a statement that it condemns “sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse materials as repugnant to our values and purpose as a company.” The Visa spokesman said the company does not tolerate the use of its network for illegal activity and continues to believe it is an improper defendant, calling the ruling “disappointing,” and saying it “mischaracterizes Visa’s role.”
The judge, though, wrote that Visa’s argument was “reminiscent of the ‘too big to fail’ refrain from the financial industry in the 2008 financial crisis,” and said asking Visa to not let its services be used to facilitate illegal activity was not a tall order.
HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING
Lina Khan, the FTC chair, overruled her staff to Sue Meta, Bloomberg Law reports. The agency filed an injunction last week to block the company’s takeover of the maker of the virtual reality fitness app Within. The move by Khan reflects her de ella more aggressive approach to competition law and Big Tech.
More than 70 current and former Deutsche Bank employees are under investigation in a tax scheme. An internal inquiry at the bank reportedly found that its staff broke rules to help clients evade taxes. Deutsche Bank shared the results of its investigation, which it launched in 2015, with prosecutors, the Financial Times reported.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi begins a tour of Asia that may include a stop in Taiwan. China has issued increasingly sharp warnings in recent days that a visit to the self-governing island would provoke a response, perhaps a military one. The Biden administration did not try to stop Pelosi, concluding that the potential risks of trying to halt the visit were greater than the risk of allowing Pelosi to proceed.
Two big antitrust suits start today. The Justice Department has sued to block Penguin Random House’s proposed acquisition of its rival Simon & Schuster for $2.2 billion, as well as UnitedHealth’s $13 billion acquisition of the health tech firm Change Healthcare. Both suits advance the Biden administration’s fight against corporate concentration.
Disney fights Visa and Mastercard over fees
Late Friday evening, Disney filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard that is an offshoot of a 2005 lawsuit against the credit card companies over interchange fees, which they charge merchants for every transaction and pay to the bank that issued the card. Many companies that rely heavily on credit card purchases, like retailers, argue that the card companies’ hold on the market allows them to effectively price-fix those fees. And they say the end result is higher prices for customers.
The litigation stems from a roughly $6 billion settlement in 2012. The initial settlement included an agreement by Visa and Mastercard to reduce the charge to process transactions for eight months. But lawmakers, including Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, argued that the concessions the credit card companies offered were insufficient. Certain large retailers, like Walmart, opted out of the settlement, hoping to get better terms themselves, as Amazon did earlier this year. That means the lawsuit could be Disney’s way of pushing for money, better terms with the credit card companies or both.
Disney claims that Visa and Mastercard used corporate maneuvering to shroud their hold on the industry. When Visa and Mastercard were private companies, they were backed by thousands of financial institutions, including such big banks as JPMorgan Chase, that were recipients of interchange fees. When the payment processors went public, in 2006 and 2008, it created a perception of separation between them and the banks, which some analysts said was aimed at mitigating regulatory scrutiny. “If it’s a single company, they hoped they would not be viewed as a cartel of banks,” Harry First, a law professor specializing in antitrust at NYU, told DealBook. “A single company can set its own price and do what it wants.” (The strategy is similar to one that the NFL used unsuccessfully in arguments before the Supreme Court years ago.)
While the corporate structure changed, Disney argues in the suit, the credit card companies’ behavior did not. Disney says that the beneficial fees that Visa and Mastercard offered the banks remain, and that the two companies dominate the industry, driving up costs. “The debit card market is dominated by Visa and Mastercard,” the suit notes. “Combined, Visa and Mastercard comprised about 75 percent of all debit purchase volume in 2004 and comprise over 80 percent today.” Fees continue to be a focus of legislative action, as well. Senator Durbin and a colleague plan to propose a new bill to target them.
“We do not anticipate litigating this and expect a resolution could be announced in the near term,” a spokesman for Mastercard told DealBook. Visa declined to comment on the record.
“It is surprising to me on some level that we saw all that arises from buying activity and we weren’t collectively able to see that it was going to end at some point.”
— JD Daunt, chief commercial officer at Liquidity Services, on the boom times for liquidators as retailers rush to get rid of goods that were in high demand just a year ago.
Rethinking the IPO
The initial public offering is one of the business world’s most fabled and fraud transactions. In “Going Public,” which was published last week, Dakin Campbell, Insider’s chief finance correspondent, details how the venture capitalist Bill Gurley led an effort in 2019 to make IPOs fairer (in his opinion of him) for start-ups and average investors . The effort challenged big banks’ control over the process, giving rise to different sorts of transactions, including direct listings and special purpose acquisition companies.
Three years later, some of the companies that went public in these nontraditional ways have seen their shares fail, causing big losses for investors. Other deals have been outright frauds. DealBook spoke with Campbell about this Silicon Valley-inspired IPO “revolution” and its aftermath.
Who benefited from the changes to IPOs pushed by Silicon Valley power brokers that you describe in the book?
There’s no doubt venture capitalists and other corporate insiders did well with direct listings, but average investors also came out ahead. The traditional IPO gives institutional investors an early opportunity to buy stock at a lower price than average investors. With a direct listing, average investors get access to IPO shares at the same time as institutional investors, at a price set by the market. It’s much more fair.
Is this good for the economy?
Over the last 20-plus years there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of companies listed on US stock exchanges. It’s fallen by half, according to some figures. If companies have more options to access the public markets, they will be more inclined to do so. And that would be a good thing for the state of corporate innovation, the larger economy and citizens who invest in public stocks to build wealth.
But many of these deals didn’t build wealth. SPACs have been some of the market’s biggest losers.
I’m sure many individual investors unfortunately did lose money. Institutional investors did as well. Broadly, that’s not a story about the process, in my view, as much as it’s a story about the business cycle. Fraud is a different matter entirely. The SEC has taken a firmer hand in regulating the SPAC market and I think we can agree that’s a good thing.
THE SPEED READ
Deals
Policy
best of the rest
Elon Musk’s antics turn fans and would-be buyers against Tesla’s electric vehicles. (Bloombergs)
The runner Usain Bolt’s e-bike startup, Bolt Mobility, seems to have vanished from several US cities. (TechCrunch)
An occasionally unrealistic Netflix show about an ambassador has diplomats abuzz. (Political)
We’d like your feedback! Please email thoughts and suggestions to [email protected].
Riot Games’ upcoming League of Legends-themed 2D fighting game will be free to play and will include the League champion Illaoi as one of its playable fighters, the studio announced in an update on Monday.
The game was announced in 2019 under the codename “Project L,” and details are still relatively light — Riot hasn’t provided an official release date or even a release window. But in Monday’s update, Riot did share a very detailed explanation of what’s involved in bringing Illaoi, who has been playable in League of Legends for years, into Project L, and it’s interesting to read about how the team thinks about adapting to League character into a fighting game.
Some concept art of IllaoiImage: Riot Games
The news that Project L will be free to play is remarkable but not too surprising; Riot’s smash hits League of Legends and Valorant have each been free to play from the beginning. But the early popularity of WB’s free-to-play fighter Multi Versus shows that there’s an appetite for big-budget fighting games that are free, and if Riot can bring over League and fighting game fans to Project L when it finally releases, the studio could have a big hit on its hands.
Riot promises that the Project L team will share another update “before the end of the year.” The studio shared an early look at the game in November, including some gameplay footage. Project L is just one of Riot’s many expansions of the League of Legends universe, which also includes the hit Netflix show Arcane and to League of Legends RPG.
Australian cycling’s governing body AusCycling has been forced to remove handlebars from its track bikes being used in the 1,000m time trial at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games due to them being unsafe for use.
Key points:
AusCycling released a statement at the same time that competition started at the Commonwealth Games
Matt Glaetzer won gold, Thomas Cornish silver and Matthew Richardson came fourth despite riding a theoretically slower set up
AusCycling came under fire at the Tokyo Olympics when a handlebar set failed during a race
That didn’t stop Australia’s trio of riders though as Matt Glaetzer roared to a stunning gold medal, beating fellow Aussie Tom Cornish by over half a second into silver.
It was Glaezer’s fifth Commonwealth Games gold.
Matt Richardson came fourth behind bronze medalist Nicholas Paul of Trinidad and Tobago.
The performance of the Aussies was all the more remarkable given the fact that all three were riding a set up that was theoretically slower than their competitors.
In a statement released just hours before the event was due to start, AusCycling said the pursuit bars used in Monday’s 1,000m time trial “cannot be used safely” and that drop bars would be used instead.
The statement read that the drop bars would be “marginally slower” but would “tolerate the loads generated during competition”.
“We acknowledge that this decision has created a degree of disappointment,” Jesse Korf, AusCycling’s performance manager said.
“But the riders and the broader team understand that safety is our top priority.”
Drop bars are the same configuration that the riders use in the power-based sprint events and are positioned at either side and slightly below the handlebars.
Riders are not in as aerodynamic a position as they would be if they were using pursuit bars.
Pursuit bars are positioned centrally and allow a rider to sit with their arms out in front of them, as is the case in the endurance events on the track.
James Moriarty models the pursuit bars in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit earlier in the competition.(Getty Images: John Walton/PA Images)
AusCycling came under fire at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo when Alex Porter’s handlebars spectacularly failed in qualifying for the team pursuit.
Porter was riding at 65 kilometers per hour when his handlebar suffered a catastrophic failure, he then suffered painful facial injuries after crashing face-first into the track.
An AusCycling report issued after the Tokyo Games found inadequate governance was in part to blame for the failure, with the custom-made pursuit handlebars not adequately tested prior to their use.
Porter went on to win a bronze medal in the event alongside Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford and Leigh Howard after the team were given a second chance to qualify.
“We have made significant changes to procedures, team structure and process since the Tokyo Olympics and this decision is reflective of a new and thorough approach to long-term engineering excellence, competitive success, and athlete welfare,” Korf said.
Questions will be asked of the timing of the announcement, which was made at the same time that the day’s session began in at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
AusCycling said the timing of the decision was a result of having to thoroughly test the equipment and investigate possible alternatives.
The Lee Valley velodrome has seen its fair share of devastating crashes this competition.(Getty Images/PA Images: John Walton)
The track cycling events at the Lee Valley velodrome have already been marred by a series of dramatic crashes.
England’s Matt Walls was thrown into the crowd after a horrific crash in qualifying for the men’s scratch race.
The day prior, Glaetzer was able to walk away from a similarly brutal collision in the Keirin that left his English opponent Joe Truman sliding face-down along the track, unconscious.
The 1,000 meter time trial is a non-Olympic event, but will be competed at the World Championships in France later in the year.
AusCycling said that it would work with Argon 18, who make the equipment, in order to ensure there would be no issues.
A Texas man is dead after he shot a woman and himself with one bullet, according to the Dallas Police Department.
File photo
A Texas man is dead after he shot a woman and himself with the same bullet, Dallas police say.
Byron Redmon, 26, is accused of shooting a woman in the neck at an apartment along the 2200 block of the Medical District — and the bullet hit him too, the Dallas Police Department said in a release.
Officers responded to a call regarding the shooting at 11:39 am on Saturday, July 30. They arrived to find an empty apartment, with a trail of blood leading out from the front door, police said.
A short time later, a man and woman with gunshot wounds were found in a vehicle outside of a hospital nearby, according to the release.
When Redmon shot the woman, the bullet exited, striking him in the leg, investigators said. He died at the hospital.
Police did not comment on the condition of the woman.
An investigation is underway.
This story was originally published July 31, 2022 1:12 PM.
Mitchell Willetts is a real-time news reporter covering the central US for McClatchy. He is a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoors enthusiast living in Texas.
Sony announced it will increase the production of the PlayStation 5 in preparation for the holiday shopping season. The company still plans to hit its projected 18 million units sold for the 2022 fiscal year, but a new financial earnings report published on July 29 reveals that “significant improvements” in the supply chain give the console manufacturer even more wiggle room.
It has been almost impossible to get to PS5. The global pandemic, now fueled by a string of new Omicron variants, caused a shortage in various parts necessary to produce the system. With semiconductors in short supply, Sony couldn’t pump out PS5s fast enough to meet the demand. However, according to the company’s latest earnings report, all of that seems poised to change.
ReadMore: A Year Later, It Still Sucks Getting A PS5 Or Xbox Series X
“At this point in time, we have made no change to our 18 million unit sales forecast for PlayStation 5 hardware in FY22,” Sony wrote in the report. “But since we are seeing a recovery from the impact of the lockdown in Shanghai and a significant improvement in the supply of components, we are working to bring forward more supply into the year-end holiday selling season.”
This is good news… kinda. Whenever Sony replenishes PS5 stock — be it on digital shelves or in physical stores — it sells out in minutes. So, Sony essentially planning to flood the market with more consoles means you might actually have a chance at securing the bag (or I guess “box” in this context but you get it). However, we are talking about the “holiday selling season” here, which likely means Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and any other shopping day that lands in that two to three month period. Be ready to fight some people.
Image: Hasbro
Image: Hasbro
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.jpg "A Texas man is dead after he shot a woman and himself with one bullet, according to the Dallas Police Department.")
