Daily Archives: November 19, 2021

Arts This Week: ICA exhibit spotlights how a lack of affordable studio space in Boston hurts artists – wgbh.org

Posted: November 19, 2021 at 6:20 pm

This week, GBH Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen recommends an exhibit that supported artists through the pandemic, a look at two New England artist colonies and a comedy that takes on race in Boston.

Eben Haines, born and raised in Boston, made a splash over the last year, winning the prestigious ICA Foster Prize in recognition of his Shelter In Place gallery. The tiny space allowed artists to make miniature versions of work to share with audiences during the pandemic. As Bowen explained, the gallery, made of found materials, is a commentary on how artists are losing work space due to the lack of affordable housing and studio space in the city.

Im trying to show these illusions that we already believe in the way housing is supposed to work, Haines told Bowen. But then you can see as it breaks down the way that this furniture kind of gets sucked into the walls and things like that, and its trying to break up this common idea.

Courtesy of Cape Ann Museum

Around the rustic harbors of Rockport and Gloucester in Cape Ann and, 100 miles up the Maine coast, on Monhegan Island, communities of artists gathered to exchange ideas. Together, they formed a picture of stony isolation in the wake of the Civil War, Bowen says. The Cape Ann Museum exhibit looks at 20th-century artists who made their way back and forth between the two communities.

Cape Ann Museum Director Oliver Barker says the locations inspired artists in a period when artists were searching for their own unique American voice. And I think its perhaps why they were drawn to these two rugged landscapes to try and encapsulate that that new sense of American identity.

Nile Scott Studios

Aziza Barnes comedy is a really riotous, raucous show, about three Black women in a personal crisis of some kind a cancer scare, a cheating boyfriend and grief from losing a parent. To put it behind them, they come together for a night out on the town. But as the night unfolds, they are faced with the realities of being Black women in Boston, experiencing microaggressions, violence and not being seen. Bowen praised the incredible, visceral themes that play out during the journey, that is filled with raw emotions.

Have you visited Cape Ann or Monhegan Island? Tell Jared about it on Facebook or Twitter!

Link:

Arts This Week: ICA exhibit spotlights how a lack of affordable studio space in Boston hurts artists - wgbh.org

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Arts This Week: ICA exhibit spotlights how a lack of affordable studio space in Boston hurts artists – wgbh.org

Legendary Comics’ Lost in Space: The Ultimate Collection arriving in December – MP3s and NPCs

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Legendary Comics will unveil Lost in Space: The Ultimate Collection on December 14.

Revealed yesterday, the collection will include six previously released stories based on the Netflix adaptation plus two new ones: When Worlds Collide Part One and Part Two. Both new stories were written by Richard Dinnick. Steve Stanley handles the artwork for Part One while El Garing did the art for Part Two.

When Worlds Collide Part One and Part Two synopsis

In When Worlds Collide Part One, written by Richard Dinnick with art by Steve Stanley, the Robot works to save the Robinsons from a reptilian creature that invades the camp as the family attempts to build a light tower to contact their colony ship, the Resolute.

In When Worlds Collide Part Two, written by Richard Dinnick with art by El Garing, the classic crew of the 1960s television series meet their modern counterparts in a story that celebrates all eras of Lost in Space. This new story features the crew of the Jupiter 2 from Earth in 1997, led by Professor John Robinson, as they encounter their counterparts from another reality who are also lost in space, having been cut off from the Resolute. Just as the two families and two Doctor Smiths are getting acquainted, they encounter a new danger.

Legendary Comics senior vice president Robert Napton said this about the collection:

We are thrilled to do something in this volume that can only be done in comics, bring both casts of the Lost in Space television shows together for the first time in a new story that celebrates both eras of the series. Fans have been able to follow the Robinsons on even more adventures through the comics, and we cant wait to share these new stories and possibly even introduce a new generation of readers to the original crew of the Jupiter 2.

Maxwell Jenkins, who portrays Will Robinson in the Netflix television series, also said:

I love the Legendary Comics versions of Lost in Space. The artwork and the stories are incredible. Im so excited that comic fans (myself included) will have an opportunity to dive deeper into Lost in Space and the adventures of Will, Robot and the Robinson family. Its particularly fun to be able to see the original Robinson family paired with our Robinsons in When Worlds Collide Part 2, giving fans of both series the chance to get lost in these exciting stories.

Pre-orders for the collection can be made on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, and ComicShopLocator.com.

The third (and final) season of Netflixs Lost In Space arrives on December 1.

Excerpt from:

Legendary Comics' Lost in Space: The Ultimate Collection arriving in December - MP3s and NPCs

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Legendary Comics’ Lost in Space: The Ultimate Collection arriving in December – MP3s and NPCs

Elon Musk And His Fans Are Losing Their Minds Over CNN’s Autopilot Criticism – Jalopnik

Posted: at 6:20 pm

Yesterday, CNN published a video of a test in New York City of Teslas so-called Full Self-Driving Beta Level 2 driver-assist software, and it didnt go all that great. The tester was purple-sweater-enthusiast and ex-Jalop Mike Ballaban, who did admit to being a little skittish about using the semi-automated driving system in the car. The Tesla enthusiast blog Teslarati wrote about the test, and laid the blame for the systems less-than-stellar performance clearly at the feet of who they call an inexperienced operator. This take is, to be charitable, absolutely ridiculous.

Just so were all on the same page, heres the CNN video:

Ballabans drive was happily free of any wrecks, the direct result of Ballaban taking control away from FSB Beta when he saw it was making poor decisions. Which is precisely what the role of the person in the drivers seat should be when dealing with any Level 2 semi-automated system: be alert and ready to take control.

The Teslarati article notes this lack of wrecks, too, but comes to a very different conclusion:

Fortunately, the CNN respondent did not encounter any accidents during his FSD Beta drive. Things could easily go south, after all, when a driver who is a little skittish uses a system that he is completely unfamiliar with, and one that requires operators to keep their composure and control at all times.

Lets be very clear here about whats being described here: when the Teslarati writer talks about things could easily go south, hes referring to things going south because of poor driving decisions made by the FSD Beta software. The need for a driver to keep their composure and control at all times is because, as Tesla themselves have clearly stated, the system may do the wrong thing, at the worst time.

The article effectively states the same thing, saying:

This is because, in the hands of an operator that is unfamiliar with Teslas driver-assist techologies [sic], FSD Beta could be a lot to handle.

Why could it be a lot to handle? Because it doesnt always work so well.

So my question here is, how is the way the system performed here somehow Ballabans fault? His admitted skittishness didnt prevent him from taking control in the situations where FSD Beta wanted to, say, run into a UPS truck, as seen in the video. His skittishness wasnt a reaction to anything about that car other than FSD Beta and how it drove.

He could have driven that Model 3 around the city just fine without any skittishness at all well, no more than the baseline amount of lovable skittishness that Mike Ballaban lives with on a daily basis.

The Teslarati article has a lot of issues with the tone of the video, more than anything else:

This is because, in the hands of an operator that is unfamiliar with Teslas driver-assist techologies, FSD Beta could be a lot to handle. Unfortunately, this became extremely evident in a recent video from CNN, which featured one of the news agencys respondents using FSD Beta in inner-city streets. The footage, which has been shared on social media, is quite painful if not a bit frightening to watch.

With these factors in mind, the CNN driver did not disappoint on the skittish part, as he seemingly panicked at several points during his drive...It gets chaotic and dramatic, and completely opposite of what FSD Beta videos are like from actual experienced Tesla owners.

I think here we have the crux of what the Teslarati writer is displeased with: the driver of a car that was making poor driving decisions on its own expressed discomfort and displeasure that the car was attempting to do stupid things.

The writer also states that what we saw in this CNN video was completely opposite of what FSD Beta videos are like from actual experienced Tesla owners, and hes correct because Ballaban didnt have any perverse need to try and make it seem like a car attempting to steer you into oncoming traffic was fine. Just fine!

Again, lets be absolutely clear here: Ballaban did exactly what an L2 driver is supposed to do: take over when they feel the car is not making optimal decisions. The only thing Ballaban did wrong, at least according to Teslarati, is not pretend like he was somehow cool with what FSD Beta was doing. He complained.

Complaining is something Mike is very good at, and if the goal of the video was to show what a normal, non-Telsa-owning person might think of FSD Beta (there are a good number of such people on Earth, numbering in the billions), then I think he did a very effective job.

Whats incredible about this article is that its taking a non-ideal example of an FSD Beta drive and putting the blame for the poor way FSD Beta came out looking not on the software itself, but on the human in the seat who did not make the poor driving decisions shown.

This would be like if I loaned my Yugo out to someone, knowing full well that the car is full of flaws, quirks, and some downright questionable issues and then got mad at them if the brakes failed, and they slammed into something.

I knew the brakes were kinda shitty when I loaned them the car, and I would have told them that. If they were skittish while driving because the brakes sucked, thats not their fault its the fault of my shitty Yugos brakes.

Its the same thing with FSD Beta: if the system is making driving decisions that make a driver skittish, then its the fault of the software, not the driver.

Now, even though FSD Beta is being deployed onto public roads, surrounded by pedestrians and cyclists and other motorists and squirrels that have not agreed to participate in a test of semi-self-driving software on a 4,000-pound car, Tesla is more careful about who they allow inside the car thats being beta tested.

For this, they have concocted a Safety Score system, which effectively gamifies smooth, if not necessarily always the safest, driving to decide who can have access to FSD Beta. The Teslarati article notes this:

There is a reason why Tesla is incredibly serious about the strict safety measures it is imposing on the FSD Beta program. Drivers who have access to the FSD Beta software, at least for now, are only those that have garnered the highest Safety Scores, at least outside the initial batch of testers that used the advanced driver-assist system in its first year.

The problem is that the Safety Score isnt really a training program to make people qualified to monitor an unfinished, car-controlling AI. Getting a 100 on your safety score just means you were able to meet the very specific criteria mandated by the Safety Score algorithm, even if that meant doing a lot of extra driving in unnatural ways to get there. Its got nothing to do with the very specific task of monitoring an AI driver.

Other companies testing automated driving systems take their human safety driver qualifications very differently. Cruise, for example, has a month-long training program for their safety drivers.Argo AIs Test Specialists go through multi-week training courses as well, only certifying less than four percent of applicants. And, significantly, nearly all other companies developing automated vehicles pay their safety drivers.

So, Teslarati, dont give me this unqualified driver bullshit. The only thing the Safety Score really does is weed out those people not sufficiently thrilled to be an unpaid beta tester for a for-profit company.

Remember, no wrecks happened in that CNN video. The outcome was the same as so many other full-Tesla-owner-shot FSD Beta videos, in that the car drove around on its own a bit, it had some moments that required disengagement, maybe some surrounding drivers got confused or pissed a bit and everyone got home fine.

The only real difference is the CNN video featured a driver who was visibly nervous and displeased with some of the cars choices.

This video wasnt a hit job. It was a real, honest portrayal of the current state of FSD Beta. And, if were talking about drama here, then we really cant leave out this part of the Teslarati article:

There are already a lot of entities waiting for FSD Beta to fail. Tesla critics and skeptics, several of whom are financially incentivized to bring the company down, are practically salivating at the thought of FSD Beta being banned by regulators over potential accidents.

Jeezis, come on. Tesla owners who are beta testing FSD Beta arent victims of anything. No one is out to get you. Hell, I know for a fact that Mike Ballaban has, at worst, mixed feelings about Tesla, because he said so, right here:

...its okay to have mixed feelings about Teslato fall somewhere between actively rooting for its ugly demise and pledging your spare organs to God Emperor Elon so he can live forever on the Mars Colony. Because both are silly.

...

It is possible for all of these things to be true, simultaneously. Its possible that we see all of these things, together, and yet we dont want Tesla to die. Were huge fans of consumer choice, innovation and the inevitable electric future of cars, and for there to be more of those things, Tesla needs to succeed. Cars, and the car industry, are all simply more interesting because Elon Musk and Tesla are here. We even want Tesla to succeed because at the end of the day, saving the planet through fewer emissions is not only a good thing, its a matter of life and death itself.

Hes not hoping for Tesla to fail. Im not hoping for Tesla to fail. I dont have any financial stake in it either wayhell, my investment portfolio consists of two 20-pound bags of ice I bought last weekend and the vague hope that my kidneys will retain their value.

For the sake of car culture in general, the absurd victim mentality of Tesla supporters really needs to cool down. I mean, look at some of these comments on the Teslarati story:

Okay, here, a few things: this has nothing to do with EVs, its about partial automation, and the driver didnt mess up repeatedly the software did. The driver took over every time.

Then we get to the more exciting conspiracy takes:

So...why would CNN want to let China take over the EV auto industry? I dont see the angle there.

Now, some commenters were a bit more open in their assessment:

That seems reasonable! Now, heres the responses this comment gathered:

Okay, great. Thanks for that. And:

You get the idea.

Really, this reaction to the CNN video is highly revealing, even fascinating, because I cant recall such a united front in automotive culture quite like what we see in Tesla fandom.

We have a review of a feature of a car, and a response to that review that essentially focuses on how the reviewer was made uncomfortable by the cars feature instead of focusing on the performance of that feature itself.

This is a strange and unhealthy trend, and its showing no signs of dissipating any time soon.

Oh boy.

UPDATES: Right as this was published, we noticed Elon Musk himself was responding to the CNN video, via Twitter:

Here, based on the selected emojis, the concept that Ballaban was acting has brought his yellow, angled head to tears via laughter, and hes displaying an upraised thumb in a gesture of approval.

Elon also decided to just do some wild-ass speculation:

I mean, since the CNN story was largely a video, Im not exactly sure how the story would have been written before the drive took place? Or does he mean that Teslarati story? Its confusing.

If this gets any more stupid, well update.

Read more:

Elon Musk And His Fans Are Losing Their Minds Over CNN's Autopilot Criticism - Jalopnik

Posted in Mars Colony | Comments Off on Elon Musk And His Fans Are Losing Their Minds Over CNN’s Autopilot Criticism – Jalopnik

City Hall releases details of casino proposals – Chicago Sun-Times

Posted: at 6:19 pm

City Hall on Friday lifted the veil on five competing proposals for the downtown casino that has eluded Chicago mayors for generations and established a rigid timetable to get the projected $200 million in annual revenue rolling in.

Broad outlines of the proposals to build a casino at McCormick Place Lakeside Center, the truck marshaling yards adjacent to McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as The 78 and the Chicago Tribunes Near North Side publishing plant have been known for weeks.

But Fridays unveiling of the five summary proposals by Ballys, Hard Rock, and casino magnate Neil Bluhms Rivers Casino put more meat on the bones. Ballys and Rivers both hedged their bets with two proposals apiece.

The proposals differ in their locations, dollar commitments and in how quickly they could be up and running. Another major difference is the number of additional hotel rooms planned.

The Rivers Chicago McCormick, for example, highlights its plan to use the 2,900 existing Chicago hotel rooms close to the Lakeside Center and build 250 additional ones if necessary.

During a virtual briefing Friday, Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett and Samir Mayekar, deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development, said they are confident that all five proposals will generate in the ballpark of $200 million annually,

Maximizing revenue is critical because the money is earmarked for police and fire pension funds on the brink of bankruptcy. So is minimizing the need for a city subsidy. Both mayoral aides stressed that the casino proposals are self-contained but did not rule out a tax increment financing subsidy.

The summary proposals:

Rivers Chicago McCormick: This proposed rebirth of the underutilized Lakeside Center could be the least expensive and the quickest to market in an estimated 12 months. The estimated cost for 2,600 gaming positions is $1.3 billion $700 million less than the most expensive proposal. It calls for an updated Arie Crown Theater and would provide direct access to the existing, more modern and better-utilized McCormick Place convention halls. That is not necessarily a positive. Some in the convention business dont want a casino so close to the existing complex for fear it would distract conventioneers off the exhibition floor.

Rivers touts its proposal as bankrolling much-needed restoration and deferred maintenance of Lakeside Center that McCormick Place officials would otherwise have difficulty funding. Developers further claim there is ample parking and that the 2,900 existing hotel rooms are already connected by a covered walkway.

Rivers 78: This proposal for the long-vacant, 62-acre South Loop site once owned by convicted political player Tony Rezko carries a $1.6 billion price tag. It also has a potential political problem. It could conflict with Gov. J.B. Pritzkers plan to use part of the property for a University of Illinois tech research center.

My understanding is that, if this is selected, the developers have a vision where these two would co-exist, Mayekar said.

The South Loop development includes a 450,000-square-foot casino with 3,300 gaming positions, a world-class sportsbook and an entertainment complex that includes what the partners call a reborn Mister Kellys nightclub. It also has a design quirk that includes a 1,000-foot-tall Observation Tower, featuring breathtaking, purpose-built viewing and event space drawing inspiration from Chicagos historic bridges. The site is described as shovel-ready and the most accessible of the five sites, with the potential to draw 7 million annual visitors. But it could draw major opposition from South Loop residents, especially in neighboring Dearborn Park to the east.

The observation tower could also be a flashpoint because it would be almost as tall as 875 N. Michigan Ave., formerly known as the John Hancock Center.

Hard Rock: This $1.7 billion casino and entertainment complex would be located at the proposed One Central project that developer Bob Dunn wants on a platform over Metra tracks near Soldier Field. The problem is the One Central project relies on a $6.5 billion publicly subsidized transit center at its core. And both Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have been cool to that idea.

If they can be persuaded to come around, developers plan to build a new Hard Rock Hotel with up to 500 rooms. Playing to its strength, Hard Rock touts its entertainment-focused strategy with nearly 35,000 live acts booked annually. They call the development a holistic, destination development to attract locals, the existing tourist base [including conventioneers] and induce new tourism.

They even claim the site would generate an additional $70 million in gaming revenue for the city and $81 million more for the state compared to any other location in Chicago. Hard Rock developers also plan to put up a temporary casino within six to nine months at Lakeside Center and use existing parking at the convention complex. This plan also faces a potential buzz saw of opposition from South Loop residents. They have already mobilized in opposition to Dunns proposed wall of new high-rises to be built on the transit tabletop.

Ballys at the Chicago Tribunes Freedom Center: This development would be on a site at 777 W. Chicago Ave. where the Tribune and Sun-Times are now printed. Developers propose using adjacent property north of Chicago Avenue as a temporary casino site. The permanent casino would include 2,700 slots and 95 table games. The price tag is $1 billion for Phase 1 with the potential for $600 million more in a follow-up phase, subject to achieving a sustainable, 20% on initial investment. The entertainment component would include a River West outpost for the legendary comedy club Second City. The Bally Sports Bar would feature constant celebrity athlete events and a truly immersive sports experience that includes a museum highlighting Chicagos sports history. Ballys primary selling point is a global brand that it claims will draw additional visitors to Chicago. Without mentioning Rivers and its existing Des Plaines casino, the company claims that it is conflict-free with no other interest in the Chicago market. We dont operate, own or partially own casino property located elsewhere within the Chicagoland market, it said. Ballys further claims that its proposal would accelerate revenue to the city through an upfront incentive payment of $25 million if it is awarded a gaming license.

Ballys McCormick Place: This version of the Ballys casino would be at the truck marshaling yards for McCormick Place at 31st Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Local Ald. Sophia King (4th), chairman of the Citys Councils Progressive Caucus, is adamantly opposed to this site because of its proximity to her development baby: the residential and medical research complex on the site of the Michael Reese Hospital, which the city bought for an Olympic Village that was never built. Neighbors have embraced the development but dont want a casino anywhere near it. Neither does King. Mayekar and Bennett said a partnership with City Council members who must approve the final casino site is important. But they are not ruling out the marshaling yards. This Ballys proposal promises a $50 million upfront incentive payment to the city, double its Freedom Center pledge. Like the other Ballys proposal, Phase 1 promises a $1 billion investment with the potential for $600 million more. The plan includes 2,700 slot machines and 95 table games; a 100 all-suite luxury hotel; an outdoor music venue with 500 to 1,000 seats; and green space for relaxation and recreation. Phase 2 would add a 400-room hotel, up to 4,000 total gaming positions and a 3,000-seat flexible indoor entertainment venue that can accommodate large performances, smaller meetings and private events. Ballys McCormick is unique in its proposal to use a portion of the available 4,000 gaming positions allocated to the project for OHare and Midway airports.

Lightfoot wants to make a final recommendation to the Illinois Gaming Board during the first quarter of next year.

Toward that end, City Hall is prepared to launch the public engagement process with a Dec. 16 public hearing where developers will make presentations and answer questions.

That will be followed in early 2022 by negotiations with a developer recommended by a city review committee and chosen by the mayor and approval by the City Council and the Chicago Plan Commission.

Read more:

City Hall releases details of casino proposals - Chicago Sun-Times

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on City Hall releases details of casino proposals – Chicago Sun-Times

Heres where you can and cant smoke inside Southern Californias tribal casinos – San Bernardino County Sun

Posted: at 6:19 pm

Since the coronavirus pandemic, some of Southern Californias tribal casinos have changed their smoking areas and guidelines.

Prior to the pandemic, most of the regions casinos allowed smoking throughout the gaming floor, with designated non-smoking areas. Now, the non-smoking areas have expanded in a number of casinos.

Here is a list of which casinos do and dont allow smoking:

Cahuilla Casino: Smoking is allowed in the main casino, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Spotlight 29: Smoking is allowed on the casino floor, according to customer service operator reached by phone.

Valley View Casino: The main casino allows smoking, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Harrahs Resort Southern California:Smoking is allowed only in designated areas. All table games and bars are currently designated as non-smoking areas, according to the casinos website.

Morongo Casino Resort and Spa: Smoking is allowed only in the Smoking Slots room, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Casino Morongo: Half of the casino allows smoking and the other half is non-smoking, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Pala Casino Spa and Resort: The gaming floor includes smoking and non-smoking areas, according to a customer service operator reached by phone.

Agua Caliente Casinos in Cathedral City, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage: Smoking is only allowed outside of the casino, according to a customer service operators reached by phone at reach property.

Augustine Casino: No smoking permitted inside the casino; smoking areas are offered outside all exits, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino: No smoking is allowed inside the casino, only outside in a designated area, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Pechanga Resort and Casino: No smoking is permitted inside the casino, but smoking area are offered outside, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Soboba Casino: No smoking is allowed inside the casino. However, smoking areas are available outside, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Yaamava Resort and Casino: No smoking is allowed inside the casino; it is only permitted in certain outdoor areas, according to an emailed statement from a spokesperson.

Originally posted here:

Heres where you can and cant smoke inside Southern Californias tribal casinos - San Bernardino County Sun

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on Heres where you can and cant smoke inside Southern Californias tribal casinos – San Bernardino County Sun

Casino workers in Missouri and Kansas advance lawsuit claiming they were penalized as smokers – KCUR

Posted: at 6:19 pm

At least 1,500 casino workers in Missouri, Kansas and other states will become part of a class action lawsuit alleging their wages were illegally reduced because they smoke.

In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough in Kansas City granted the workers certification as a class for their lawsuit against Penn National Gaming Inc., moving them a step closer to recouping their money.

PNG operates 41 casinos in 19 states and employs 18,000 workers. The companys subsidiaries include Argosy Casino in Riverside, Missouri; Hollywood Casino St. Louis; and Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Platte County Circuit Court in March 2020 by three casino workers, on behalf of similarly situated workers. But PNG moved it to federal court, as it was entitled to do, a month later.

The lawsuit also alleged that PNG operated an illegal tip pool and unlawfully deducted from workers wages what it cost the casinos to obtain and renew the workers gaming licenses. Those claimants have also been certified as a class, by agreement of the parties.

At issue in Tuesdays ruling is whether the casinos health plans, which included a $50 monthly tobacco surcharge for smokers, violated ERISA, the federal law governing employee health plans. Thats because the plaintiffs claim PNG didnt notify plan participants of an alternative way to avoid the surcharge.

And while workers could avoid the surcharge if they completed a smoking cessation program, they werent reimbursed for the surcharges they were hit with before completing the program. The workers say that violated ERISAs requirement that outcome-based wellness programs must give participants notice of a reasonable alternative standard to qualify for a discount or rebate.

The class certified by Bough consists of all workers who participated in PNGs group health plan from 2016 to 2020 and had a tobacco surcharge deducted from their wages. The class is thought to consist of at least 1,500 members.

Alex Ricke, an attorney with Stueve Siegel Hanson in Kansas City, which represents the workers, said not a single PNG employee who has completed a tobacco cessation program over the last five-plus years has successfully avoided the surcharge.

Part of the reason something like a notice is so important here, especially if you're legitimately concerned about your employees health, is you want them to complete the tobacco cessation program, Ricke said.

George Hanson, another attorney with Stueve Siegel Hanson, said he believed Boughs ruling was the first of its kind involving a tobacco surcharge that allegedly violates ERISA.

Hanson said PNG was penalizing smokers who work in places where smoking is often pervasive.

In some of these casinos, smoking continues to be permitted, Hanson said. So just think of the irony of penalizing a worker for smoking when they are all smoking in some way in at least those facilities which permit patrons to light up.

An attorney for PNG declined to comment. PNG officials could not be reached for comment.

PNG two weeks ago announced third-quarter revenues of $1.5 billion and net income of $86 million, down from $141 million a year earlier.

Read the original post:

Casino workers in Missouri and Kansas advance lawsuit claiming they were penalized as smokers - KCUR

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on Casino workers in Missouri and Kansas advance lawsuit claiming they were penalized as smokers – KCUR

Watch Bryson DeChambeau hit a 520-yard (!) bomb off the top of a casino – Golf.com

Posted: at 6:19 pm

By: James Colgan November 18, 2021

Bryson's bombs are only going further.

@BleacherReport

Bryson DeChambeau never really left. I mean, how could he?

Its been almost six weeks since we last heard from the big man. Six weeks since DeChambeau reached the final eight of the World Long Drive Championships in Mesquite, Nev. an effort as much for his own doing as it was for the sport he almost single-handedly propped. Six weeks since he rode off into the sunset for the beginning of his offseason with a Ryder Cup victory in his back pocket and a whole lotta road dust from almost 18 straight months on the move.

But even in his quiet moments, DeChambeau has a preternatural capability to cultivate our attention. Over these last six weeks, hes done that largely over Instagram, where he is a regular poster, sharer and commenter. Hes posted coy videos about figuring something out, quick shots of his speed-training, and even a deep dive into his prototype driver and new, 3D-printed irons.

Yes, its been an offseason for Bryson, but in the Wild World of the Flat Cap, the music never really stops.

On Thursday afternoon, DeChambeau dialed the volume up just a little bit louder. The shift could be heard at 2 p.m. ET, when Bleacher Report posted a video showing the big man swinging his driver from the roof of a skyscraper in Las Vegas, ostensibly attempting to hit a giant, printed version of Brooks Koepkas smiling face.

The video was shared as a preamble to The Match, which is returning to its inaugural date the Friday after Thanksgiving for another big-named bout. This time, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have given way to a newer generation of golf stars: Bryson and Brooks (though Phil will still be present in this years iteration from the broadcast booth).

In the video, the 2020 U.S. Open champ is faced with a particularly Brysonian task a 521-yard drive from the roof of the Wynn Hotel. The target, which sits some 650 feet below on Wynn Golf Club (the site of next weeks Match), is sprawled across a fairway.

Now, it doesnt take a physics major to understand that the ball travels farther when launched from a target several hundred feet in the air, or that the desert elevation of nearly 2,000 feet helps, too. But still, the visual is pretty spectacular: a man, a hitting mat, a driver and some golf balls.

Bryson struggles at first, knocking a few in close proximity to the Koepka-adorned target, but not anything on the target itself.

Just wait guys, Im getting comfortable still, he says.

After a hokey first few swings fall well short, DeChambeau locks in, hyping himself up as he mashes balls closer to the target.

Finally, he blasts one on the perfect line and hits his ball over the target, sending it rolling into the fairway beyond.

Its all a fitting look for The Match, which has grown increasingly in favor of spectacle in the years since its first run in Vegas. You can check out the full video below; and if youre looking to tune into the action, you can find it on Friday, Nov. 26 at 4 p.m. ET on TNT.

James Colgan is an assistant editor at GOLF, contributing stories for the website and magazine on a broad range of topics. He writes the Hot Mic, GOLFs weekly media column, and utilizes his broadcast experience across the brands social media and video platforms. A 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, James and evidently, his golf game is still defrosting from four years in the snow, during which time he cut his teeth at NFL Films, CBS News and Fox Sports. Prior to joining GOLF, James was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from.

Link:

Watch Bryson DeChambeau hit a 520-yard (!) bomb off the top of a casino - Golf.com

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on Watch Bryson DeChambeau hit a 520-yard (!) bomb off the top of a casino – Golf.com

CIPD makes drug arrest at Valley River Casino – Cherokee One Feather

Posted: at 6:19 pm

At approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, Officer Dewitt Chekelelee, of the Cherokee Indian Police Dept., responded to Harrahs Valley River Casino in reference to possible drug activity in the parking lot.

After a short investigation Officer Chekelelee was as able to determine that a male and female subject were using some type of controlled substance while in their vehicle. Officer Chekelelee was able to make contact and conduct a search of both individuals and the vehicle. The search netted approximately 18 grams of methamphetamine along with several items of paraphernalia.

The following charges were then obtained through the Cherokee County Court system:

Tyler Clinton Miles, 37-year-old male, from Murphy

-Possession of Methamphetamine

Amanda Lynn Levi, 38-year-old female, from Blairsville, Ga.

-Possession With Intent to Sell or Deliver SCH II

-Sell/Deliver SCH II

-Possession of Drug paraphernalia not marijuana

Originally posted here:

CIPD makes drug arrest at Valley River Casino - Cherokee One Feather

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on CIPD makes drug arrest at Valley River Casino – Cherokee One Feather

Player Sizzles the Casino Floor With a $134000 Jackpot Win on Bitcoin.com Games Promoted Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News

Posted: at 6:19 pm

Bitcoin.com Games dishes out a massive jackpot win for a lucky player who cashes out the big loot!

Turning up the heat on Bitcoin.com Games, our very own crypto casino is Wazdans smashing new slot game Sizzling Bells. The brand new game was just recently released back in October and features some of the most sought-after features in a game by slot lovers across the world.

Sizzling Bells is a modern take on classic slot machines and features stunning bells, juicy fruits, lucky stars, and is capable of producing wins of up to 15000x a players initial bet amount. With 55 reels and options to set custom volatility levels, the new slot game has now chosen one lucky player to reward with a massive jackpot of $134,000 on a flick of a single spin.

Sizzling Bells is capable of dishing out big jackpot wins of up to 15000x a players bet amount!

The game features Sticky Bonus symbols that can land the player into the lap of a big, fortune-favoring turn of events. Things get really hot when 6 bonus symbols appear on the reels that trigger the exciting Hold the Jackpot bonus round. This is where players get a chance to land the sizzling Super Grand Jackpot of 15000x with fiery animations filling up the entire game window.

Bitcoin.com Games is home to many such amazing video slot games that casino players all over the world simply love and enjoy to their hearts content. While being so entertaining, most of these slot games also feature a ridiculously high number of multipliers that can plot out a clear path to a world of riches for the players.

Play Sizzling Bells now or check out other Bitcoin Slots with big jackpots and bonuses that you can play on Bitcoin.com Games.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Read the original here:

Player Sizzles the Casino Floor With a $134000 Jackpot Win on Bitcoin.com Games Promoted Bitcoin News - Bitcoin News

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on Player Sizzles the Casino Floor With a $134000 Jackpot Win on Bitcoin.com Games Promoted Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News

Louisiana’s biggest casino market is hitting the jackpot again. How long will the party last? – The Advocate

Posted: at 6:19 pm

LAKE CHARLES When the Golden Nugget unveiled its new sportsbook here last week, it showed its hand and made no bones about it.

Its target audience was clear from the person chosen to place a ceremonial bet as cameras clicked away: Mattress Mack. The furniture seller and prolific gambler, whose real name is Jim McIngvale, may be unfamiliar to many Louisianans. But hes famous in Houston, a couple hours drive from Lake Charles.

Normally I have to fly to Las Vegas or to Colorado or to New Jersey, and now Louisianas just a hop, skip and a jump away from Houston, he said Thursday after plunking down $60,000 on the money line for Texas A&M over Ole Miss at the DraftKings Sportsbook.

The states biggest casino market is back in the money again following the dual hurricanes that devastated southwest Louisiana in 2020. Last weeks opening of sportsbooks at Lake Charles two casino resorts the Golden Nugget and LAuberge are expected to bring further revenue and a potential new set of gamblers to dine at the venues restaurants or float down their lazy rivers.

A third resort, the former Isle of Capri riverboat casino, across the Calcasieu River in Westlake, was damaged after it was set adrift by Hurricane Lauras 150 mph winds. It is expected to reopen as the land-based Horseshoe Casino in the fall of 2022 and include a Caesars Sportsbook.

Construction on the land-based Horseshoe Casino continues at the site of the now-closed Isle of Capri riverboat casino property Wednesday, November 10, 2021, in Lake Charles, La.

The Delta Downs racetrack in nearby Vinton is also seeking a sportsbook license.

But there are legitimate questions over how long the region will be able to ride the wave of new money. There have been efforts to legalize casino gambling next door in Texas, and while that could still be years away, such a move would cut deeply into the Lake Charles areas customer base.

More than 80% of the Golden Nuggets business comes from the Beaumont and Houston areas, said general manager Greg Hennagin.

Take Mike and Sandra Sutherland, for instance. They were strolling the cavernous halls of LAuberge on a recent day on one of their regular trips from Houston. They appreciate the convenience of having two large casinos in walking distance of one another, plus their hotels, restaurants and other amenities, allowing them to stay put and enjoy themselves. Theyve occasionally done some fishing in the area.

But asked if theyd just stay in Texas if a casino opened closer to home, Mike Sutherland, 60, an auto parts industry manager, said: Probably so because of the convenience piece of it.

Local officials here are obviously aware of that possibility and say they are prepared for it. They have taken steps to try to insulate themselves against any drop in gaming revenue.

LAKE CHARLES The Panorama Music House in this citys struggling downtown looks like a mess

Calcasieu Parish does not budget casino revenue in the year it is generated, instead holding it in reserve until the following year, said Alberto Galan, assistant to the parish administrator. The city, like the parish, uses the money for nonrecurring expenses such as infrastructure projects and debt payments, said Finance Director Karen Harrell. A parishwide pool has been created to distribute the revenue based on formulas, which also helps spread the loss if one casino happens to perform poorly in a given timeframe.

Still, the permanent loss of a Texas-sized customer base could not be ignored. Gaming accounts for about 7.5% of Lake Charles revenue and around 3 to 5% for Calcasieu Parish.

While noting there are social costs, since gambling addiction is a serious problem, local officials say the jobs and revenue gaming has brought have been positives. Calcasieu Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said the industry accounts for up to 5,000 direct jobs when all facilities are open, not counting employment in related businesses.

Once a week we'll send you the top stories we find in the Lake Area

My feeling looking back over what is now basically a generation of 25 years, I do feel like overall the gaming presence has been positive for Calcasieu, Beam said. You've got thousands of direct jobs and indirect jobs because of it. You have a much higher profile for visitors, not just from Texas, but from a lot of areas that wouldn't come otherwise. And it's been a nice additional set of funds for some public agencies to do some big things.

L'Auberge Casino can be seen in distance as traffice passes over the I-10 bridge Wednesday, November 10, 2021, in Lake Charles, La. The sign directs motorists to the old Isle of Capri Casino site, which is being turned into a land-based Horseshoe Casino, across the lake from L'auberge and Golden Nugget.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said we view the gaming industry as an integral part of a diversified economy, though he said he would like to see the companies explore investment in poorer sections of the city, such as by locating offices there.

To have them bring just a few drops of that investment and put it within some of our underserved communities I think would be a great thing moving forward, said Hunter.

The industrys time in Lake Charles, beginning with the states first riverboat casinos in the 1990s, has not come without turbulence. The Harrahs riverboat complex in Lake Charles was badly damaged by Hurricane Rita in 2005. That area of the citys lakefront alongside Interstate 10 remains vacant, though a childrens museum and science center along with a bar and restaurant are being planned.

LAKE CHARLES In a century-old building in a long-faded part of town, the lights go on, the

Hurricane Laura, one of the most powerful storms in state history, tore through southwest Louisiana in August 2020, and the region has struggled to rebuild since. It was also hit by Category 2 Hurricane Delta six weeks later, a severe freeze in February and flooding in May.

In addition to setting the Isle of Capri riverboat adrift, Laura also damaged the Golden Nugget and LAuberge, though they were able to reopen within weeks. First responders were able to set up there in the meantime.

Revenue, of course, plummeted during that period, but it has rebounded strongly. Receipts from the LAuberge and Golden Nugget totaled $49.2 million in September, compared to $16 million in the immediate aftermath of Laura in 2020.

Jim Richardson, an emeritus LSU professor and former member of the states revenue estimating conference, said: I appreciate people having moral arguments about gambling, but I think from a purely economic perspective, this is an industry that has been successful.

He said when the state first approved it in the 1990s, revenue expectations may have been too high, raising false hopes. But the additional money that did come, along with jobs and tourism, has been significant, he said.

Right now, gaming and casinos make up about 7 to 8% of the overall state budget, said Richardson. That's a good amount. So in that sense, it provides that type of relief. Otherwise, wed have to use another type of tax on individuals or businesses to get that money.

All the more reason for Lake Charles to keep a close eye on Texas. The casinos here have worked to create a resort experience, with amenities like golf courses, shopping, bars and restaurants. Their current sportsbooks are temporary, with plans for permanent, larger facilities in the works.

Ronnie Johns, the former state senator from the Lake Charles area who is now chairman of the state Gaming Control Board, said continuing on that path will be key.

Every time you go to Las Vegas, you see these properties offering some new amenity, he said. They know their business, they know their market. They're always willing to reinvest in their properties, and I think that's what's going to keep them competitive.

Continued here:

Louisiana's biggest casino market is hitting the jackpot again. How long will the party last? - The Advocate

Posted in Casino | Comments Off on Louisiana’s biggest casino market is hitting the jackpot again. How long will the party last? – The Advocate