![]() “Even if Congress bans TikTok, millions of apps would still collect the most intimate details about us and profit off of them, and the endless web of data brokers who buy and sell our personal data would continue to exist,” she said. Fitzgerald says a broader ban is possible, but it wouldn’t prevent TikTok or any other foreign adversaries from accessing American’s personal data. In late December, Congress passed a ban of the app on all federal government devices, and in late February, the White House gave a 30-day timeline for federal staff to follow through. Is a ban possible and would it actually work?Īt least 14 states have already banned the use of TikTok on government-issued devices. A majority said they support a government ban on the app. ![]() adults said in the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll that TikTok poses a threat to national security. ![]() Nor would TikTok honour such a request if one were ever made,” a sentiment he echoed several times throughout the hearing.Ībout 7 of 10 U.S. In his prepared remarks to the House, Chew also wrote “TikTok has never shared, or received a request to share, US user data with the Chinese government. This could potentially allow the Chinese government unfettered access to data held by any Chinese company so that China could use TikTok user data to target individuals for blackmail, or recruit spies.” During the nearly five hours of questioning before the House panel on March 23, TikTok CEO Chew said that the app, and its parent company ByteDance had not “spied on Americans at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.” The link to China is “the reason that Congress is talking about a TikTok ban,” Fitzgerald said, adding “Chinese law requires Chinese companies and citizens to assist with Chinese intelligence work. and China have escalated recently, spurred by China’s strengthening of its relationship with Russia and a suspected Chinese spy balloon that traversed sensitive military sites across North America before being shot down by the military. Tech companies, including TikTok, “take the data from your online activity and combine it with the data it collects about you on the app and use it to create profiles in order to target you with ads.” National security and TikTokĭespite the ubiquity of data collection on American devices, TikTok is raising unique national security concerns because it is owned by the China-based company ByteDance. tech companies, collects a huge amount of data about us both while users are on the app and via trackers on other websites, so they know what you’re reading outside the app,” Fitzgerald said. A 2022 study by Consumer Reports found that TikTok is using the same data-tracking practices as Facebook/Meta and others– collecting information about your online and offline activities: your location, what other websites you’re visiting, and what links you click on. ![]() “TikTok is just one app in a vast, commercial surveillance ecosystem,” Fitzgerald said. Watch the conversation in the player above. PBS NewsHour digital anchor Nicole Ellis spoke with Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, about the ways personal data gathered by social media apps could be used, and the latest on a possible ban. TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s first appearance before Congress last Thursday was met with bipartisan scrutiny, concerns about data privacy and calls for the Chinese-owned app to be banned in the U.S. While more than 150 million monthly users are reportedly watching TikTok in the United States, the social media app is also currently capturing the attention of American lawmakers. ![]()
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![]() ![]() Pete, (8:30pm), Was driving up on top the bridge when I saw a blue car, what I think is a Nissan, pull over at the top very slowly then drive off. ![]() It's very sad.Ġ9.30.22, Hillsborough Sheriff, ASSIST OTHER AGENCY, 13:43, 20:38, 7h55mĠ9.13.22, Barbara H., facebook, Yesterday evening I heard a lot of sirens headed to the Skyway and I saw on next door Von Williams on Sunshine Skyway Lane South posted 11 hours ago then people were commenting and Karen Swain said she saw emergency vehicles and two boats with flashing red and blue lights and the helicopter circling and on Twitter for Pinellas it said water rescue marine needed so I'm wondering if there was a jumper.Ġ9.06.22: articles - drop in number of suicides reported.Ġ8.23.22: possible jumper, 8:30pm, femaleĠ8.23.22, Benjamin, St. We now have to suffer for life with her memory. I know in my heart things would have changed for my friend and we'd be seeing that beautiful smile until we are called home at the right time. Have you thought about the pain they will FOREVER feel in life? Life is hard, we all know that.you may not care about yourself.but others care about you whether you feel it or not. I get the feelings of loss,stress or pressure or whatever the reason that people may be feeling at that moment. I had a dear coworker blow her beautiful head off because her boyfriend of 11 years cheated on her and she felt helpless. We all struggle in someway, I've struggled horribly at times.but never ever would I leave my son or family. It literally makes my stomach sick that people think this is the way out. And the thought of surviving and living life Forever in a wheelchair with a broken back should be deterrant on it's own. TOO many people, I feel many cases, not all are action seeking turned deadly. (if only the barrier detractors could think like you do.)ġ1.24.22, Susan P., Water WAY TOO cold, Bridge WAY TOO high, The lil fishies called SHARKS Whether this man or anyone else realizes it (or chooses to do so) or not, the barrier just gave someone a second chance, when they may not have felt like doing so at the time. The barrier eliminates that step in the process by adding another one. They committed themselves to the act in advance in order to not be stopped by either someone else or themselves. Many of them made the decision to jump before they got there. Sean B., I read this look back at all the suicides from previous years and wonder how many of those people would have had the moment that this man did had the barrier been there. I remember grabbing the fence, looking over, and tried to pull myself upwards, but I stopped myself halfway, screamed at myself, slammed my car door and sped off to not get caught by FHP. But where before you could dolphin dive off and not have a second thought about it, now you have to think about doing that climb, and it makes you think "is this really what you want to do, is this how you go out?" It makes it hard to stay firm, especially when my mind was still at war on the span. I had every intention of hopping off, and accounted for the barrier in my plans, cause I can physically climb it, it's not that hard. I do believe the fence has saved me from myself on 2 occasions, on May 17th and Nov. The fence isn't that hard to climb, especially near the supports where it doesn't bend as much.ġ1.25.22, John Doe, Sanford, Florida, I agree with Sean B. I'm the person who stopped on the bridge, and got out of the car to mainly test the fence honestly, I thought about jumping but stopped myself from doing so. At 2:45 pm report of search for "Person in the water, keep lookout"ġ1.22.22, anon, (4:00pm, male), Grey Chevy parked on the side, a man with a red flannel and basketball shorts was messing with the fencing and looking over the edge, might've been attempting to climb the fence just past the construction zoneġ1.22.22, John Doe, (4:00pm, male, no phones, never jumped), Long time, no see. Have any factual news, updates, or additions?Ġ1.04.23, anon, unknown male 6', December 30, 2022, 2 00pm, Heard announcment on ch 16 VHF radio from USCG St Petersburg "Jumper on center span of Skyway bridge boaters be advised". ![]() ![]() ![]() Why we like it: That’s right–we’ve included a four-cylinder. Warranty: 30-month/50,000 miles Ford Racing EcoBoost Crate Engine To complete the setup, add your own intake manifold and induction system. BluePrint adds in its own aluminum cylinder heads, hydraulic roller camshaft, and a double roller timing set. ![]() Inside, it features a cast crank, forged rods, and hypereutectic pistons to handle the extra power. You get a hand-picked, seasoned Ford 302 block that’s been bored. This 347 is a great bang-for-buck option, offering 400 horsepower for under $4,200. Why we like it: We’re fans of stroker motors, and you can find Ford crate motors for 331, 347, 393, and 408 setups, and more. Warranty: 24-month BluePrint Engines Ford 347 400HP Base Stroker Crate Engine Things you’ll need: air cleaner and wiring harness. This is a complete drop-in option, with the carburetor, spark plug wires, and even flexplate included. It gives you extra power in a turnkey package that comes in under the $6,000 mark. You can choose from budget-priced 300HP 351W engines, or go with the stouter 385-horse version. Why we like it: If you’re looking to drop a 351W into your car or truck, this ATK High Performance is the perfect starting point for your project. You’ll need to add your own intake, carburetor, spark plugs, and related accessories.ĪTK High Performance Ford 351W 385HP Stage 3 Crate Engine Includes a new cast steel crankshaft and connecting rods, hypereutectic pistons, hydraulic roller cam, aluminum cylinder heads with 190cc runners, valve covers, timing set, high-volume oil pump, and oil pan. Based on the Ford 302, this small block delivers surprisingly big power–as in 390 horses! Even though it doesn’t come with everything included in the standard 302 above, it’s still competitively priced for the power you get. Why we like it: It’s amazing what a few extra cubes gets you from this BluePrint 306. Warranty: 24-month BluePrint Engines Ford 306 390HP Base Crate Engine This one includes everything from the intake manifold down to the oil pan, including cast iron heads, hydraulic roller cam, OE-style crank and connecting rods, valve covers, damper, timing set and cover, oil and water pumps, and more. If you want the fully dressed version, you can step up to the Stage 3 for extra money. You get most of the essentials–you’ll have to add a carburetor, air cleaner, spark plugs, and a few other items to finish it off. It’s billed as a good choice for daily drivers or mild mannered street rods. ![]() Why we like it: It fits the bill as a solid, affordable replacement for your worn out small block–with a little added kick. Here are 10 great Ford crate engineoptions: ATK High Performance Ford 302 300HP Stage 2 Crate Engines Ford Racing Performance Parts, Edelbrock, BluePrint, ATK, and Roush Performanceall offer crate motors to meet your performance and/or budgetary demands. Whether you’re looking to replace a tired old Ford engine, swap in a more powerful mill, or modernize your classic muscle car or street rod with a mod motor, there are plenty of options available. ![]() ![]() ![]() Currently, you can't specify further, for example, whether you’re open to playing with all other consoles, or if you want to only play with PlayStation users. Once in here, move over to the Gameplay tab, and you will see a subheading for ‘Cross-Platform Play’, where you can select to turn it on or off (see above picture). Do that, opening up a lot of the granular settings for Overwatch 2. Then within the options menu, confusingly, there is another Options button you can select. To do this, you need to open Options with either the Start or Options button depending on if you are on PlayStation or Xbox consoles. Thankfully, you can opt out of crossplay. While you can overcome this disadvantage, it’s not very fun to feel you are starting off on the back foot. However, this will also mean, that as a console player, you could be at the mercy of mouse and keyboard players. Again, this is by design, as one of Blizzard’s main goals this beta is to test out crossplay to the furthest capabilities. If you're on console, you will be opted in to crossplay with PC players by default. ![]() ![]() Can you opt out of the Overwatch 2 beta crossplay? However, if you don’t want to do that, (and don’t mind enormous queues), there is another option. If you're playing on a console, it’s worth noting that you're automatically added to the PC Pool of matchmaking. It’s hard to know if the beta tries to prioritize console players together, if it pools in controller players from PC only, or if it just leaves you at the whims of mouse and keyboard players if you are using a controller. The part that's not clear is how exactly crossplay matchmaking wo rks. They will then have to accept it, and after, they should appear on your right-hand list. Once on this screen, there is an ‘Add A Friend’ option which, if pressed, will prompt you to add your friend’s email address or Battletag. In order to get friends from other platforms, you need to open Options, and then head to Social. No matter if you are on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 or PS5, you can join your friends. However, the broad strokes you’d expect are there. It’s a little tricky to see how Overwatch 2 beta crossplay works, as the details haven’t been shared about the pools or restrictions. ![]() ![]() Seek & find cleverly hidden objects and solve puzzles to find…Īn unexpected storm has left you shipwrecked on a mysterious and remote private island. This is a great feature, because this way boredom and routine are being avoided, thus keeping the game more challenging.Īll in all, Escape Rosecliff Island from Spintop Games is, beyond doubt, a big hit and, if you want to try it yourself before you buy the full 24.99-dollar version, go through the 60-minute gameplay trial and see whether you get hooked on solving puzzles and searching for hidden objects.Escape Rosecliff Island – An unexpected storm has left you shipwrecked on a mysterious and remote private island. Playing Escape Rosecliff Island has proven to be more of a challenge than expected, mainly because each time you start the game and you play the same map, you have to search for different items than the last time. ![]() This makes Escape Rosecliff Island one of the few hidden-object titles that will keep you busy for a long time. Each map has two of them and you have to collect twenty five so that you can play a mystery game, and fifty so that you can unlock the Unlimited Seek & Find mode. This feature can make your life easier, especially when you are on a timed trial.īesides the fact that your main objective is to get off the island and find all the items that you are looking for, the title also presents you with the opportunity to unlock a side-game mode by collecting all the locks that you can find. They are rechargeable, but you can speed the process up by revealing multiple objects one after another. Whenever you get stuck on an item and you simply can’t find it, you can always use the Hints. During this time, you have to keep in mind that each item that you discover will bring you closer to your escape from this traitorous island. The puzzles are not always as simple as you might think, and you will often find yourself spending some serious time solving them. Escape Rosecliff Island also has a series of mini puzzle games that you must solve in order to unlock certain objects or go to the next set of locations. The places have been carefully designed and the high level of detailed graphics makes it a real challenge to search for the desired items. You will find that each location that you search comes with its own soundtrack that makes the game even more exciting. What makes the title even more special than other hidden-object releases is that the gameplay music really sets the mood for a mystery and creepy island. When you wake up, you try to search for various objects that you can use to escape the place and at the same time you explore every bizarre scenario that you encounter. As far as the story goes, you find yourself stranded on a deserted and remote island after you manage to survive a shipwreck. The storyline is both simple and at the same time gives the game a precise purpose, which is that of escaping the island from where you have been trapped. ![]() Just like other titles from the same category, Escape Rosecliff Island brings its own twists that set it apart from its competitors. Spintop Games has released yet another hidden-object game, Escape Rosecliff Island, which has already caused quite a stir around fans. ![]() ![]() ![]() And once Second Light’s focus is clear, the rest of the game feels improved. Though the systems are rudimentary, there’s something undeniably charming about the characters cooking food together, crafting new installations for the school, and just hanging out. This shift in focus aligns the gameplay with the story’s themes of bonding, the making of memories, and home. Rather than the combat grinding that is a staple of most JRPGs, character attributes and abilities can mostly be enhanced through Talent Points, which are obtainable through interacting with characters, completing quests for them, or going on dates with them. Once you make it through the jumbled first chapter of the game, Blue Reflection: Second Light largely seems to find its rhythm. Gust clearly has the instincts to know how to craft a captivating plot, and the sense to slowly feed the player information to keep them hungry, but the way they manage these things is at times incredibly clumsy. ![]() Rather than realising that the Heartscapes they venture out into are representations of their own memories and experiences, again they’re told by ReSource. Rather than deducing that the demons that they’re fighting are embodiments of their own emotions and struggles, the protagonists are simply told by ReSource. But again, this seems to be in fact the clunkiest possible way to handle the mystery of the game. But ReSource falls short of being a Pokédex or a Navi and instead functions as a way to drip feed the game’s revelations to the player. The game also leaves a substantial amount of exposition to ReSource, a strange AI that talks to the girls through a mysterious app on their phones: FreeSpace. Wouldn’t it be more intriguing to experience the events of the game chronologically? Wouldn’t it be more engaging to have our perspective aligned with Ao’s, to experience the jarring transition of walking to school, opening the door to our classroom and realising we’ve been transported to an entirely different world? It seems to be perhaps one of the worst ways to handle the opening sequence of events. Wouldn’t it be more intriguing to begin at the point where Ao is transported to the other world? Instead, the story begins a few days afterwards, with a lot of the occurrences of the first few days shown via flashback. But the starting point of the game seems strange from a narrative sense as well. You get the point.įor the most part, what pulls the player onwards is the intriguing storyline and the anime-style characters, written to be endearing and idealistic. ![]() We walk through the school and initiate a dialogue cutscene, before walking to another point in the school to initiate another dialogue cutscene, before walking to another. Cutscenes are administered so frequently that the agency of the player is undermined and the game shifts into almost visual novel territory. But this isn’t just told to us, we learn it, and then we’re treated immediately to a flashback of Yuki being unable to use her powers. A particularly egregious example is that we learn one of the characters, Yuki, is unable to use powers like the rest of her companions. The story is strangely non-linear and there’s an irritating reliance on flashbacks. ![]() ![]() ![]()
![]() ![]() Bartsch, T.) 200–222 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012). in The Clinical Neurobiology of the Hippocampus (ed. Bartsch, T.) 54–76 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012).īartsch, T. Human hippocampal CA1 involvement during allocentric encoding of spatial information. Focal lesions of human hippocampal CA1 neurons in transient global amnesia impair place memory. Evidence for area CA1 as a match/mismatch detector: a high-resolution fMRI study of the human hippocampus. Pattern separation deficits following damage to the hippocampus. Relating hippocampal circuitry to function: recall of memory sequences by reciprocal dentate–CA3 interactions. The anatomy of memory: an interactive overview of the parahippocampal-hippocampal network. The episodic memory system: neurocircuitry and disorders. Hippocampal-anterior thalamic pathways for memory: uncovering a network of direct and indirect actions. The hippocampus and memory: insights from spatial processing. ![]() We describe results from imaging and epidemiological studies that have shed light on the functional anatomy and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these conditions.īird, C. ![]() Here, we summarize clinically relevant aspects of transient amnesic syndromes, giving practical recommendations for diagnosis and patient management. Moreover, TEA carries a risk of persistent memory impairment that can be mistaken for dementia. Some cases of transient amnesia are attributable to focal seizure activity and are termed TEA, which has a clinical presentation similar to that of TGA, but can be distinguished from the latter by the brevity and frequency of amnesic attacks. TGA is characterized by the sudden onset of a profound anterograde and retrograde amnesia that lasts for up to 24 h, with neuroimaging after an acute TGA event showing transient perturbation of specific hippocampal circuits that are involved in memory processing. Critical clinical distinctions, such as between transient global amnesia (TGA) and transient epileptic amnesia (TEA), as well as important clues to the underlying pathophysiology, have recently been revealed. Diagnosis of such syndromes can be challenging, and their causes have been debated for over 50 years. Transient amnesic syndromes are striking clinical phenomena that are commonly encountered by physicians in acute medical settings. ![]() ![]() ![]() If you are unable to access COVID testing due to a disability, you can request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act by contacting 240‑777‑2982. Seniors and people with disabilities: get a free ride to your COVID-19 clinic Pick up at-home rapid tests at these clinics. Maryland SoccerPlex-private partner clinic You can also see your test results online. You will get an email or text message with your results. If you had a PCR test at a County-run clinic, you will get your test results 2 to 3 days after your test. See isolation and quarantine guidance for positive test results, COVID-19 symptoms, or exposure to COVID-19. To report a positive COVID-19 case at a childcare facility, school, camp, etc., call our COVID-19 Call Center at 24. Positive test results or COVID-19 symptoms Order free rapid tests for at-home delivery from the US Government. See instructions for how to use your rapid test kit. Getting a rapid test is quick and convenient.Get at-home rapid test kits at the clinics listed on this page and at Montgomery County Public Libraries. Stock is being replenished to wholesalers on a daily basis with deliveries being made to pharmacies within a matter of days in order to meet demand.Īnyone with symptoms of COVID-19 – a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – should book a PCR test online or by calling 119. The majority of pharmacies have test kits available but we are aware that some pharmacies are unable to immediately order test kits. This number of tests in the box factors in the potential for a void test. This allows the person to test themselves twice weekly within a 3-week timeframe. The test kits will be provided free of charge to anyone requesting them with one box of test kits per person.Īll pharmacies that sign up to deliver the service will receive a set-up fee and a transaction fee every time a member of the public collects a kit.Įach box contains 7 LFDs. New Yorkers who are immunocompromised or over 65 years old can request free at-home testing by calling 92 between the hours of 9 a.m. They should self-isolate if they get a positive result and order a confirmatory PCR test online or by calling 119. If testing at home, individuals will need to register their results online or by calling 119, even if they get a negative result. Confirmatory PCR testing will also mean variants of concern are detected more quickly. All positive results from LFD tests must be followed up with a confirmatory PCR test within 72 hours. This means that for every 1,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there is fewer than one false positive result. New analysis by NHS Test and Trace shows lateral flow (LFD) tests to have a specificity of at least 99.9%. ![]() The testing only takes 30 minutes and will help people stop the spread of the virus – protecting families and communities and saving lives. ![]() This new service will make it even easier for people to access rapid testing twice a week. I have been delighted at the level of interest and how fast the response has been from pharmacies to take part, with 9 in 10 registering to offer rapid test kits within 10 days. Now, they will play a key role in our rapid testing programme, which is a vital tool in reopening society in the months ahead. Pharmacies make an invaluable contribution our health service – they have gone above and beyond in response to COVID-19 to serve their communities. who can prescribe COVID-19 medication at no charge - regardless of insurance or. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: Testing helps slow the spread of COVID-19 by identifying people without. Regular testing continues to play a critical role in stopping the spread of the virus and breaking the chains of transmission.Īn online checker has launched so people can find their nearest pharmacy offering free rapid test kits. The Pharmacy Collect service is available to people aged over 18 without symptoms, who are able to visit a participating local pharmacy and collect a box of 7 rapid tests to use twice a week at home.Īlongside the rollout of the vaccine, testing will form a crucial part of everyday life as parts of society reopen.Īround 1 in 3 people with coronavirus don’t have symptoms, which means they can spread the virus without knowing it. Rapid, regular testing is now available to everyone in England and the new ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service provides an additional route to regular testing, making it as easy as possible for people without COVID-19 symptoms to access testing twice a week. Nine in ten pharmacies across England are now distributing free rapid lateral flow tests for people to collect and use at home. Pharmacy Collect service provides an additional route to twice-weekly, rapid testing for everyone without symptoms.Regular, rapid testing can detect COVID-19 in 30 minutes, helping break the chains of transmission. ![]() ![]() ![]() Since in the level I was pressed right between two blocks that required precise movement, it was irksome to have to wait for the game to finally let me move. That said, the death transition wasn't all perfectly smooth for me, as in level 64 I noticed a bothersome mechanic that wouldn't let me start moving immediately after respawning. A quick death meant that I'd be right back to the start of the level without intrusive menus, allowing me to jump straight back into the fray and try my hand at dying another dozen times. ![]() ![]() I was thankful to see that the death screen is pretty much nonexistent, seeing as death accompanies you throughout your entire journey. These optional challenges offer yet another layer for those that really want to test themselves and milk the game of every bit of content available. Aside from those, each level has a "par" time that you can try to beat in order to get a little flag beside the level. Despite how much I loved the crown collectibles, I was thankful to see that the game didn't force one into every single level it proved that the developers cared more for the level design than adding needless collectibles. These often require you to approach the level differently in order to beat it and are a fun (and incredibly challenging) experience. This is a great way to slowly get used to what the new ball does, how to handle it, and how it'll work on the larger levels.įor players seeking more of a challenge (as if managing five balls at the same time wasn't difficult enough), scattered throughout the levels are optional crowns that you can acquire. One of my favourite aspects of Kombinera is how smoothly the game implements different mechanics, offering tutorial levels that feel as simple the first one to let you get accustomed to your new power. This meant that, even on the rare occasion where a level design that had been used before was used again, it felt new because of the new powers that forced me to think of a different approach. Purple can't be killed by spikes, yellow breaks other yellow bricks fusing those two means that you have a ball that can neither be killed by purple spikes and can break yellow bricks. To keep the game fresh throughout the 300 levels to beat (and several bonus levels that will make you want to cry), Kombinera offers new balls with unique powers that you will need to fuse in order to pass through a certain obstacle. Kombinera is only as hard as you are stubborn, and I found that to be a charming premise. This meant that I spent some deaths trying to figure out the level hands-on and, if all else failed, I'd sit back and analyse what the developers were telling me with the way the level was built. Whenever I became stuck in a level, I have to sit back and observe: each level is built in a particular way that feels as if it tells you almost exactly what you have to do and how to do it. It's safe to say that Kombinera would be frustrating and infuriating if not for the ingenious level design. What starts as a tutorial comprised of simple levels swiftly turns into a mind-boggling journey where you'll need to control five balls at the same time, each with their unique obstacles and powers, and somehow find a way to make it all work out in the end to fuse them. One of my favourite phrases with games like these is "deceptively simple", but Kombinera does not sell itself as simple it straight up tells you how difficult the levels are by mentioning them as "perilous" in the Steam description. The game's premise is simple, and it's plainly and truthfully told to you on the Steam page without any "glow-ups" in-between something I was thankful for, as I knew what I was walking into before I'd even played my first level. Kombinera is a 2D puzzle platformer in which you'll have to control several balls at the same time - each with their own powers - to fuse them and finish the level. Reviews // 16th Apr 2022 - 1 year ago // By Artura Dawn Kombinera Review ![]() |