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It’s almost time for the Pumpkin King to go full Sandy Claws as Halloween Town makes way for Christmas Town—but don’t worry, the holidays can stay haunted with the latest collections inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas . Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/LotJzMk

In a recent development, asset manager VanEck joins the list of applicants who have made revisions to their Spot Bitcoin ETF prospectus . Many continue to speculate that these revisions could mean that approval of these funds by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is imminent as it forms part of the process before an ETF launches.  Notables From VanEck’s Revised Prospectus  In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) platform, prominent finance lawyer Scott Johnsson mentioned how the asset manager’s revised prospectus shared a similar language to BlackRock’s as it relates to seeding. However, he said it isn’t too surprising since the same lawyers at the international law firm Clifford Chance represent both asset managers.  Despite the similar language, there was a particular difference he highlighted between VanEck’s latest filing and BlackRock’s. While revealing plans to seed, VanEck suggested that it would be done with Bitcoin, unlike BlackRock , which ...

If you’re in the U.S. and you want to watch any new Doctor Who that’s yet to air—including the eagerly awaited 60th anniversary specials starring the returning David Tennant , and the equally anticipated debut of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor— you’ll need Disney+ . But if you also want to watch seasons 1-13 of “New… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/UoH4TdX

The "About Damn Time" singer went all out, donning a classic Turner wig and a black leather dress with a bedazzled fringe. from New York Post https://ift.tt/i4rfm3O

ST. LOUIS - A big moment in St. Louis soccer history - the first playoff game of St. Louis CITY SC - is set for Sunday evening. St. Louis CITY SC will host Sporting Kansas City for the first match in a best-of-three series Sunday evening. What to know for St. Louis CITY SC’s playoff debut Tens of thousands of fans are expected in downtown St. Louis, though with possible freezing temperatures and high demand for tickets, there's a chance you'll want to catch the action from home. If you want to watch CITY SC on Sunday from your TV, here's what you need to know: Kickoff: Scheduled for 9 p.m. TV Channel: FS1 Stream: Apple TV Fans essentially have two options to watch the big match on Sunday, including one free option. The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1, following the MLS broadcast of FC Cincinnati vs. the New York Red Bulls. Because of this setup and other MLS scheduling considerations, CITY SC's playoff game might start closer to 9:20 or 9:30 p.m....

ST. LOUIS - A man admitted to supplying fentanyl that killed a teenager last year in Jefferson County. William Edward Martin, 23, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to four felonies on Friday in connection with the death. According to a federal indictment, Martin provided fentanyl to a 19-year-old who died after an overdose. Investigators say Martin sold fentanyl to the teen when they met in a Walgreens parking lot in Arnold on the evening of June 23, 2022. ‘On Fire’ film shooting in St. Louis links hope and baseball Per the indictment, surveillance video shows the victim getting into a car with Martin. A short time later, the video showed Martin reportedly dragging the victim out of his car and placing the victim in the back of another vehicle. Investigators say the victim appeared incapacitated and in medical distress. Police said the victim was found dead the next morning, and she died of a suspected overdose. Arnold officers spotted Martin was spotted in the BMW ...

AP Photos DETROIT — Jeep maker Stellantis has reached a tentative contract agreement with the United Auto Workers union that follows a template set earlier this week by Ford, two people with knowledge of the negotiations said Saturday. The deal, which still has to be ratified by members, leaves only General Motors without a contract with the union. The agreement could end a six-week strike by more than 14,000 workers at Stellantis assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, and at parts warehouses across the nation. Related Autoworkers reach deal with Ford, a breakthrough toward ending strikes against Detroit automakers Like workers at Ford, the strikers at Stellantis are expected to take down their picket lines and start returning to work in the coming days, before 43,000 union members vote. The people, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the talks, said most of the main points of the deal at Ford will carry over to Stella...

The Hyatt House Hotel, 210 22nd St., in Oak Brook. Google Maps A 41-year-old Chicago man has been sentenced to 88 years in prison for sexually assaulting an Oak Brook hotel employee at gunpoint in 2019. Julius Ramsey was found guilty in May 2021 of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a firearm, one count of aggravated kidnapping with a firearm and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The attack happened in a vacant hotel room on Sept. 9, 2019, prosecutors said. The employee, who worked at the Hyatt House at 210 W. 22nd St. in Oak Brook, managed to get away from Ramsey and call the police. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment. He voluntarily turned himself in to the Oak Brook police four days later. He was denied bond and has been in custody at DuPage County Jail since. Ramsey was sentenced Friday to 22 years for each of the sexual assault and kidnapping convictions, and ...

A few weeks before its release, Wizards of the Coast revealed it’s pushing back the physical editions of its Deck of Many Things set. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/M31oWZ5

Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall (left) is defending Chief Deputy Sheriff Andrew Schroeder (right), who joined the Oath Keepers in 2010. Stephenson County sheriff’s website A sheriff in northwest Illinois says his chief deputy once joined the Oath Keepers, thinking it was just an organization that backed police and the military — but now renounces any ties to the anti-government extremist group. The name of Andrew Schroeder, the chief deputy sheriff for Stephenson County, popped up on leaked membership data analyzed by WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project . An investigation  published earlier this week  found Schroeder was among dozens of law-enforcement officers across Illinois who had supported the Oath Keepers, according to the leaked data, which stretches from 2009 until 2018. Schroeder was working for the police department in Freeport, the Stephenson County seat, when he signed up for the Oath Keepers. ...

Rita Ferro, president of global advertising for Disney, is currently focused on next week’s rollout of the Disney+ ad-tier option for subscribers in Europe and beyond, as well as expanding the streamer’s advertising capabilities. But she did have an interesting tidbit to share about how customers have reacted to the… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/sJW3mYr

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. - Heads up, Kia owners. You can take your vehicle to the St. Louis Galleria this weekend and get new anti-theft software installed in your car for free. Kia America is holding a software upgrade service center event this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, Kia owners can visit a mobile clinic for a software upgrade. Multiple people reported dead, injured in Maine shootings This comes in an effort to reduce Kia thefts around the St. Louis region. The City of St. Louis and St. Louis County both reported 10 times as many Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts in 2022 compared to previous years. Police claim the ability to steal a Kia or Hyundai became wide-known from a TikTok trend earlier this year, leading to a spike in such thefts not only in St. Louis, but also nationwide. Many believe these videos first started gaining attention on YouTube last year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily...

Ever since Elon Musk took over X , formerly known as Twitter, this time last year, plenty of decisions ranging from head-scratching to plain bad have been made. Now, one year later, there is clear data indicating that those decisions have done next to nothing except destroy the once massive and respected platform’s… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/8FUKZ6t

Chucky wraps up t he first half of its third season tonight before going on hiatus until next year—but the episode, cheekily titled “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” offers a perfect end point. io9 got a chance to talk to Chucky’s creator , Don Mancini , to learn more about season three’s themes and what’s to come. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/T2mHgnD

The Coalition for Justice in Palestine held a counter-protest Tuesday afternoon outside a pro-Israel rally in Chicago. Michael Schmidt/Sun-Times “Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird,” William Nietzsche writes: “Anyone who fights with monsters, should be careful that he does not become a monster.” That aphorism has been clanging in my head like an alarm bell ever since Israel began its counter-attack on Gaza . The trick is “How?” and the honest answer is: once the blood-letting begins, it’s already too late. The monster is unleashed, to rage for a long time, maybe years, before we realize what we’ve become. Or never realize, because the killing has gone on so long, it just makes sense. We had to massacre those folks. They had it coming. Fourteen hundred Israelis slaughtered Oct. 7, mostly civilians. Five thousand killed in Gaza since then, with more slain every day. Opinion bug Opinion All hidden behind a solid wall of justi...

Ever wondered where the creepy clowns —the most unsettling part of Stephen Cognetti’s Hell House LLC found-footage horror series —came from? Enter Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor, the fourth film in the series, which follows an internet sleuth whose cold-case digging unearths fresh frights. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/BR8qriH

Matthew Vaughn , the director of X-Men: First Class (2011), the Kingsman franchise, and the upcoming  Argylle , shared a few opinions on superhero films at New York Comic Con last week. “I genuinely don’t know what’s happening with the superhero in the sense that, I do think, maybe we all need a little bit of time off… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/qAREVng

NASA’s Voyager team has rolled out important measures in an attempt to further prolong the interstellar journey of the two Voyager spacecraft, which have been transmitting data from deep space since 1977. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/QW9J5bI

If you’re on the internet browsing with the recently redesigned Google Chrome , you’re probably not the most privacy-minded person out there. Still, the world’s most popular browser is gearing up to allow users to hide their IP address from websites, even without a VPN . Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/n7myBOq

You can now use passkeys to sign into your Amazon account, the company announced on Monday. Amazon is following suit from other big tech players who are moving away from passwords and towards biometrics, such as your fingerprint or face, as well as pins to secure your digital identity. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/iZzbcsu

Bagent made his first career start Sunday against the Raiders. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Things are going just fine for the Bears with undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent making his first start. Bagent hasn’t been great or disastrous against the Raiders, but has kept the offense moving and took the Bears into halftime with a 14-3 lead at Soldier Field. Bagent has completed 14 of 19 passes for 104 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for an 86.3 passer rating. Running back D’Onta Foreman, the Bears’ third option at the position, finished their scoring drives with touchdown runs of three and two yards. The Bears took a 14-0 lead while their defense held the Raiders scoreless for their first three possessions. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson missed wide left on a 41-yard field goal in the first quarter, and Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepted a pass from Brian Hoyer that put the team in scoring range at the Raiders’ 34-yard line. Starting quarterback Justin Fields we...

Major newspapers are trying to carve out a deal with AI firms , as an argument brews over the copyrighted material that said firms have used to train their content-generating algorithms. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/oO3yIMl

In a little under two months, WB will finally release Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom . Like the original movie , this new film looks like a wild romp that manages to stand out from other blockbuster superhero fare thanks to its visual splendor and weird mishmash of aesthetics. Whatever you may think about these movies, they… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/6DeAayL

If you were to take a stroll through the suburbia of Hurstville in Sydney’s south, you might stumble across a single-story red-brick house that is more akin to a fortress than a home. from New York Post https://ift.tt/NDTP1Ze

The excitement surrounding the potential approval of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) located in the United States is developing, as evidenced by the spike in Google searches for this cutting-edge financial instrument. The increased interest from the general public and retail investors highlights the growing excitement about the possible early 2024 launch of a spot Bitcoin ETF. According to Google Trends data, this week will mark the peak value of 100 for the global search value of the term “spot Bitcoin ETF” over a five-year period, indicating the highest level of interest among users. The search value for “Bitcoin ETF” has also increased to 39, the highest level since ProShares’ futures-based ETF was launched two years ago. Search Trends Highlight Enthusiasm The increase in searches indicates that more people are actively looking for information on these financial products and how they can affect the market capitalization of Bitcoin, which is currently the largest c...

With the newly released Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 , Insomniac Games introduces Venom to its superhero gaming franchise. The classic Spider-Man nemesis is voiced by Tony Todd and a pretty big dude who’s been featured heavily in the game’s marketing. And given the nature of superhero media, plus the studio’s previous… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/ypMIwFA

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell throws against the Chargers. Kevork Djansezian, Getty Raiders coach Josh McDaniels won’t say who he’ll start at quarterback Sunday against the Bears . Speaking to Raiders reporters before Friday’s practice, McDaniels danced around whether he’d start veteran Brian Hoyer, who replaced Jimmy Garoppolo and led the Raiders to a win Sunday, or rookie Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell, who attended Stevenson High School and Purdue, started against the Chargers earlier this month. McDaniels said his staff would meet after practice Friday and make the call. “We’re just gonna make the right decision .... ” McDaniels said. “Both of them are going to be ready to go. ... Both of them have played already — that’s a unique situation. … I’m confident in both of them.” The 38-year-old Hoyer was drafted in 2009 and has been a steady backup quarterback for most of his NFL career. He hasn’t won a game as a starter, though, since he led the Bears to a 17-14 vict...

When it came to making the stars of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza come to life, Blumhouse and Universal brought out the big puppeteering guns from the Jim Henson Company. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/I28suGj

In July 2022, the Webb Space Telescope detected an intense jet shooting across the equator of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. The jet is traveling at about 320 miles per hour (515 kilometers per hour) and is about 25 miles (40 km) in altitude, corresponding to Jupiter’s lower stratosphere. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/6GIaTVf

In a continued effort to make a dying platform profitable, Elon Musk unveiled two subscription tiers for X, formerly known as Twitter . At the same time, Musk continues his vendetta against news publishers by stripping The New York Times’ official account of its gold verification checkmark , as first spotted by the… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/G4KeHlW

After years of capturing the massive world of Jupiter, the Juno spacecraft has recently turned its attention to its Jovian moons. During a close flyby of Jupiter’s spookiest moon, Juno imaged the charred surface of a volcanic world caught in a haunting gravitational tug. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/wj6bUx9

It’s been a tumultuous decade but Rick Riordan is finally all in again on Percy Jackson and Hollywood. The creator of the popular book franchise was famously unimpressed about how Fox treated his characters with its two movie adaptations, 2010's Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2013's Percy… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/ibfK4Gk

A sweeping analysis of European and Asian genomes over the last 40,000 years reveals when and how some genetic exchange occurred between Homo sapiens and our closest cousins, Homo neanderthalensis. It also shows how the Neanderthals’ genetic footprint depended on later exchanges between members of our own species. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/tNGIMZB

YouTube introduced a dedicated news-watching experience to help viewers across 40 countries find the latest stories from reputable sources, the company announced on Wednesday. The aim is to make reliable news more readily accessible with two added features including a watch page and a “Shorts Innovation Program.” Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/wVM6uh0

The Internal Revenue Service will offer a pilot run of its free, electronic tax filing service, called Direct File, in thirteen states for the 2024 tax season. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/v2peQT7

The probably-not-so final film from the legendary Hayao Miyazaki has just shared its stellar English voice dub cast. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/9E7CGTt

On Monday, Analogue  revealed that it will release a recreation of the Nintendo 64 console, the Analogue 3D, which will play cartridges like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in 4K. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/EokCbU2

A new Gallup survey found more than half of teenagers in the U.S. spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media each day. The responses came from 1,591 people ages 13-19 years old, and the survey’s findings show that as teens got older, they stayed on social media even longer. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/c9lPGvB

In 2018, Wizards of the Coast made a major change to the way Magic: The Gathering was sold when it split the then-standard booster pack of cards into two different varieties: Draft Boosters, focused on the game’s build-and-play formats, and Set Boosters, aimed at people looking to fill out collecting a set. Now, it’s… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/59Dg3tc

Apple’s iPhone lost its top spot among Chinese smartphones, according to a Jefferies analyst note originally reported by CNBC . A lackluster release of the iPhone 15 allowed Huawei to replace the iPhone as the number one spot for market share. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/eI2BKwf

The "7 Rings" singer was seen smiling and waving at fans as she attended her brother Frankie Grande's performance in New Hope, Pa., on Friday evening. from New York Post https://ift.tt/PZcDSLF

Loyola’s William Carlson (14) and Finley Miller (42) celebrate Miller’s second touchdown against Benet. Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times It’s always tough to drop teams a few spots when they didn’t lose. But ranking Barrington and York below Prairie Ridge and Kankakee wasn’t sitting well. So the Broncos and Dukes both jump up after big wins in Week 8. Kankakee and Prairie Ridge are both state title contenders, but their regular season schedules haven’t allowed for major wins. It was a typical week overall with a handful of teams dropping out of the rankings. Palatine is out after the loss at Barrington. Lincoln-Way West falls after being upset by Homewood-Flossmoor. St. Laurence was a difficult decision. The Vikings lost 20-9 at St. Rita. That’s a tough game, but there were some teams that I felt deserved spots, so St. Laurence is out after one week in the rankings. Downers Grove North, Wheaton North and Prospect all rejoin the Super 25. Those are three solid teams w...

CHICAGO (WMBD)-- Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan have received a federal funding award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Midwest Hydrogen Hub, a $1 billion decarbonization network that uses strategic hydrogen use to reduce carbon emissions. A Governor's Office news release states the new hydrogen hub will reduce carbon emissions by approximately 3.9 million metric tons a year. “The fight against climate change and the path toward a sustainable future require innovative solutions,” said Governor JB Pritzker. How to see the “Ring of Fire” eclipse on Saturday He continued, “Through this collaborative partnership with our neighbors and with the federal government’s support, we will foster a healthy economic environment for the hydrogen production market, while creating more clean energy jobs and lowering emissions across the region.” Hydrogen use will soon be coming to industrial sectors including steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy-duty ...

The Marlins celebrate after winning the 2003 NLCS at Wrigley Field. Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images Maybe you were a Cubs fan in 1969 and had your heart broken as the team faded out of playoff contention. If you were around as the things deteriorated for the Cubs in the 1989 division series, you know it was no fun. The back-to-back NLDS blankings in 2007 and 2008 were beyond frustrating, for sure. But those Cubs disappointments don’t stack up in infamy to the ones in 1984 and 2003. Saturday is the 20-year anniversary of the fateful Game 6 against the Marlins in the NLCS, so, in this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the site formerly known as Twitter, we asked which Cubs postseason failure hurt the worst. “I was absolutely crushed in 1984,” @ChiTownSports commented. “Not afraid to admit I cried.”  We also asked which league has the best postseason between the NBA, NFL, NHL and the major leagues. “I have to give it to the NFL,” @Mr_Woof...

Dragon Ball Super’s anime adaptation ended over five years ago, and though the franchise has been kept alive with various games, movies , and a web series, there hasn’t had a proper mainline anime installment since. Fortunately, that’s about to change in a big way with the release of Dragon Ball Daima. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/BzckAal

Nine young flamingos are now at Brookfield Zoo. Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo Flamingos have returned to Brookfield Zoo for the first time since 1997. Nine young American flamingos, ranging from 5 months to 2 years old, were recently welcomed to the zoo. The “flaminglets” can be seen at the zoo’s swamp habitat and during daily outdoor appearances. “Brookfield Zoo is thrilled to welcome back American flamingos to the zoo’s family of aquatic birds,” Cody Hickman, associate director of avian care at the zoo, said in a statement. Accompanied by zoo staff, the flamingos will be at the zoo’s Roosevelt Fountain every day at noon so visitors can view the birds up close. The birds will be featured in zoo chats and make appearances during outdoor programming. The zoo is also creating a new program for summer 2024 that will allow visitors to feed the birds. Nine young flamingos are now at Brookfield Zoo. Accompanied by zoo staff, the flamingos will be at the zoo’s Roosevel...