Author: rb809rb

  • Savannah Guthrie Posts New Message Following Release Of Ransom Notes In Mother’s Kidnapping: “Someone Knows Something”

    Savannah Guthrie Posts New Message Following Release Of Ransom Notes In Mother’s Kidnapping: “Someone Knows Something”

    Savannah Guthrie issued a new plea for information on Saturday, after authorities released two ransom notes received in the days after her mother Nancy’s disappearance six months ago.

    Guthrie wrote on Instagram, “We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual – perhaps with someone they deeply love. Perhaps they are afraid to come forward. Perhaps they are conflicted. Perhaps they are angry or upset for being in this situation. There is a way out – to tell what you know. You can do so anonymously. The reward is available. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing.”

    The Today co-host added, “We are real people, facing real grief, doing the best we can, and counting our many blessings along the way – most especially the prayers and love from good people, which we feel deeply. We need your prayers, we need your kindness. We need the good to be stronger than the evil. If you are following this story for entertainment or for profit, you are not on her side – you are part of the harm perpetrated against her.”

    Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Jan. 31, after she was dropped off at her Tucson area home.

    On Friday, the Pima County Sheriff released two ransom notes allegedly sent by her kidnappers, an effort to generate new leads in the case.

    The first note, sent to Tucson news outlet KOLD-TV a day after her disappearance, was addressed to Savannah Guthrie, and said that she was “safe but scared” and would not be released until payment, $4 million in bitcoin, is received, according to the full messages released by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI Phoenix Field Office. The note said that she would be held for a maximum of seven days.

    The second note, sent Feb. 6, also to KOLD, stated that Guthrie died shortly after she was taken.

    That note read, “We did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her, that was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken. We believe it was heart related. She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry.”

    Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The Guthrie family is also offering a $1 million reward for the return of their mother.

    Savannah Guthrie’s complete message is below:

  • Tired of Your Apple Watch Dying Before Bedtime? These 5 Battery-Saving Tips Keep Mine Going All Day

    Tired of Your Apple Watch Dying Before Bedtime? These 5 Battery-Saving Tips Keep Mine Going All Day

    Apple’s battery estimates when it comes to the Apple Watch are typically conservative. For example, the company only predicts about 24 hours for the Series 11, but we got 43 hours out of it in testing. Still, that all depends on how often you use it and what you’re doing with it. During a typical day, my Series 10 will get me through a full day, but it can run low sooner if it’s a day of heavy usage. To keep my watch going longer, whether I’m using it to track sleep or wearing it during a long travel day, these tricks always help.


    How to Check Battery Life

    Don’t know how much of a charge is left? You can check battery life in several ways. Press the Side button on your watch to display the Control Center. The battery icon shows the current percentage of the remaining charge. To get more details, go to Settings, swipe down, and select Battery. The screen displays the current level, the levels from the past day to today, and the level when you last charged it.

    Check the battery level

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)


    1. Turn on Low Power Mode

    Just like your iPhone, your Apple Watch has a low-power mode that aims to preserve battery life by disabling or limiting certain features and settings. This mode turns off the following:

    • Background blood oxygen and heart rate measurements, including those during sleep.

    • Collection of heart data for hypertension notifications.

    • Heart rate notifications for irregular rhythm, high heart rate, and low heart rate.

    • Always On display.

    • Gestures for double-tap and wrist flick.

    • Reminders to start a workout.

    • The time in daylight view.

    This can also affect phone calls and Siri requests. Background app refreshes, complications, and Live Activities will occur less frequently. Additionally, some animations and scrolling might appear less smooth.

    Turn on Low Power Mode from Control Center

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)

    Your watch will prompt you to turn on Lower Power Mode when your battery charge drops to a certain level, but you can also enable it manually at any time. To do this on your watch, press the Side button to launch Control Center and tap Battery percentage > Low Power Mode (or Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode) and then tap Turn On to enable it until you turn it off or Turn On For to turn it on for one, two, or three days.

    A yellow icon appears at the top of the screen to indicate when you’re in Low Power Mode. To turn off this mode, just return to the battery settings screen and tap the Lower Power Mode On button or turn off the switch next to Lower Power Mode.

    Turn off Low Power Mode

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)


    2. Disable the Always On Display

    The Always On Display keeps the watch screen on even when your wrist is down or you’re not looking at it. This feature is enabled by default on the Apple Watch Series 5 and later, the Apple Watch SE 3, and the Apple Watch Ultra and later. Though this sounds handy, it can drain your battery. Low Power Mode automatically turns this off, but you can also turn it off separately if you don’t want to impact the other features and settings. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On and turn off the switch.

    Recommended by Our Editors

    Disable the Always On Display

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)


    3. Stop Wake on Wrist Raise

    By default, your Apple Watch turns on and displays the screen when you raise your wrist. But like other features, this one can also eat into your battery charge. To disable it, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and turn off the Wake on Wrist Raise feature. To view the screen with this option turned off, just tap on it. You can also control how long the screen stays on when you tap it. Select the Wake Duration option, and you’re able to set the screen to stay awake for 15 seconds or 70 seconds.

    Stop the Display from Turning On When You Raise Your Wrist

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)


    4. Turn Off Battery Optimization

    With a feature called battery optimization, your Apple Watch analyzes your daily charging routine to improve your overall battery life. Some Apple Watches also offer an optimized charging limit that determines when your device should stop charging. But these options can reduce the time your watch runs between charges. To turn these off, at least temporarily, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. You can then turn off Optimized Battery Charging or Optimized Charge Limit. You can then opt to turn these off completely or only until tomorrow.

    Turn Off Battery Optimization

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)


    5. Turn on Airplane Mode

    If you’re in an area where you don’t need connectivity, you can turn on Airplane mode just as on your iPhone. Doing so helps preserve the battery charge. But here, you also have a couple of options. Go to Settings > Airplane Mode, then turn it off to disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This will sever the Bluetooth connection between your watch and iPhone. For that reason, you may want to just turn off Wi-Fi and leave Bluetooth enabled.

    Turn On Airplane Mode

    (Credit: PCMag / Apple)

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  • Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Make Surprise Appearance at ‘Practical Magic’ Screening

    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman Make Surprise Appearance at ‘Practical Magic’ Screening

    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are getting an early start on spooky season.

    The duo made a surprise appearance at a Cinespia screening of their beloved 1998 movie Practical Magic on Saturday night, arriving to screams from the crowd at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

    “[Practical Magic] is [the] perfect movie to show at a cemetery,” Bullock said to the crowd, as Kidman added, “Thank you for all your support for getting this second film made that’s coming to you very soon.” They also introduced the sequel’s new additions in Joey King and Maisie Williams, sharing a toast among themselves and the audience.

    The night helped stir up excitement ahead of the upcoming sequel, which sees Bullock and Kidman reprising their roles as orphaned sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. In the original, the two — raised by their witch aunts Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest) and Aunt Franny (Stockard Channing) — embrace witchcraft after avoiding it most of their lives. The sisters work to learn how to use their powers to ward off a curse that threatens women in the family from finding love, and leaves men they fall in love with dead.

    In Practical Magic 2, set 25 years later, Bullock’s character now has two daughters — played by King and Williams — who have their own witchy abilities. King’s character discovers dark family secrets that plunge the Owens family into a crisis, and the women must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel them once and for all.

    Wiest and Channing have also returned for the follow-up, alongside other new additions Lee Pace, Xolo Maridueña and Solly McLeod.

    The Perfect Couple‘s Susanne Bier directed the film, which hits theaters Sept. 11. Bullock and Kidman are producing the sequel alongside Denise Di Novi, who was also behind the 1998 movie. Practical Magic is also returning to theaters for one night only, on Aug. 11, in preparation for the new film.

  • Toymaker Hasbro Reimagines Most Iconic Board Games With Spider-Man-Themed Graphics and Gameplay

    Toymaker Hasbro Reimagines Most Iconic Board Games With Spider-Man-Themed Graphics and Gameplay

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is shaping up to be a big hit at the box office, challenging 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” for the biggest North American movie opening of all time.

    Now, fans can also compete in a different type of challenge, with toymaker Hasbro re-releasing a number of its most popular board games with Spider-Man-themed gameplay. The releases include Spider-Man editions of games like Monopoly, Connect 4, Yahtzee and Chutes & Ladders. Even better: Amazon has put a number of the games on sale on the heels of the “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” release (note: prices were accurate as of this writing, but as with all Amazon deals, the discount could change at anytime).

    Here’s a look at some of the Spider-Man-themed board games available to buy online now.

    Amazon

    AMAZON EXCLUSIVE

    Hasbro Gaming Connect 4 Marvel Spider-Man Edition

    This Spider-Man edition of Connect 4 swaps the red and yellow discs of the original game for red and black discs, in a game of Peter Parker vs. Miles Morales. The game “board” is also rendered in a Spider-Man-inspired blue and red colorway. The first person to form a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line with four of their team’s tokens, wins.

    Amazon says more than 1,000 shoppers have picked up this Spider-Man version of Connect 4 in the last month alone, and it’s selling fast on the heels of the new film.

    AMAZON EXCLUSIVE

    Hasbro Gaming Chutes and Ladders: Marvel Spider-Man Edition

    This version of Chutes and Ladders lets you move around the gameboard as Spider-Man, White Tiger, Iron Spider, Power Man, Venom, Black Cat, Green Goblin or Rhino, with the ability to climb and slide your way to the finish line. Characters from the film franchise also line the board, which is framed by a blue spider web print.

    AMAZON EXCLUSIVE

    Hasbro Gaming Spidey and His Amazing Friends Yahtzee Jr.

    The classic dice game gets re-imagined for younger players and Spider-Man fans alike. In this version of Yahtzee, players shake up the dice and roll them try to match as many characters as they can. Characters include Spidey, Miles Morales and Ghost Spider, among others.

    Amazon says more than 2,000 people have purchased this game in the last few weeks, with almost 80% of shoppers giving it a full, five-star review online.

    POPULAR PICK

    Monopoly: Marvel Spider-Man

    The iconic buying and trading board game swaps collecting properties for capturing super villains as players move around the board as one of six characters from across the Spider-verse, including Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Ghost Spider.

    In this version of Monopoly, players can take the subway for shortcuts, grab the “Symbol of Great Responsibility” to unlock special abilities, and use Daily Bugle cards to find new gameplay options against opponents. Get this game on sale right now at Walmart.com.

    AMAZON EXCLUSIVE

    Monopoly Junior: Marvel Spidey and His Amazing Friends Edition

    Younger players, meantime, can pick up this Spider-Man edition of Monopoly Junior, with players competing as Spidey, Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, or Ms. Marvel to protect their neighborhood.

    The game swaps properties with Marvel characters like Ant-Man, Doc Ock, Iron Man, Wasp and Hulk.

    FAN FAVORITE

    Marvel Guess Who? Board Game

    And Amazon has this Marvel edition of Guess Who?, with players competing to guess 24 of the most celebrated characters from Stan Lee’s superhero universe. Spider-Man is included, as is Captain America, Black Window and Black Panther, among others.

    Hasbro has long been a licensing partner for Marvel, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. In addition to the Spider-Man-themed games above, Hasbro also recently released a Marvel Superheroes Commander Deck as part of Magic: The Gathering’s latest “Universes Beyond” set.

  • NY School District Shelves Plan to Spend $58K on Robot Teaching Assistant

    NY School District Shelves Plan to Spend $58K on Robot Teaching Assistant

    UPDATE 8/1: The school district has paused its pilot project with Realbotix following pushback from parents and teachers.

    The robot teacher plan is “on hold while we work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and continue engaging with our community and stakeholders,” the Salamanca City Central School District said on Facebook.

    “Ensuring that appropriate privacy protections are in place and incorporating input from our community are important parts of the process,” it added.

    That came after the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) took issue with Realbotix’s previous focus on adult AI and sex dolls. “A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,” NYSUT President Melinda Person said in a statement. “Our students don’t need robots. They need real relationships with caring adults.”


    Original Story 7/19:
    For better or worse, AI has wormed its way into America’s classrooms, and it will soon take the shape of a humanoid robot in New York.

    A robotic teaching assistant named “Sally” could be heading to classrooms in New York this fall. Sally is set to have a “lifelike appearance” with silicone skin and long brown hair, according to Andrew Kiguel, CEO of Realbotix, the start-up behind the new teaching assistant.

    In an interview with New York Focus, Kiguel said the robot will be stationary and seated but have a “wide range” of upper-body movements and facial expressions. Students will reportedly be able to talk to the robot to receive personalized learning support based on the data it stores about their progress, after identifying themselves with their unique student ID. 

    Fittingly, the robot will initially be used only in the school’s specialized AI and robotics course, but may be rolled out to other subjects later, depending on the success of the pilot. The course was designed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to increase children’s interest in STEM. 

    Sally will make its debut at Salamanca High School, on the Allegany Indian Reservation, about 60 miles south of Buffalo, teaching juniors and seniors. The product is set to cost the district $57,590, according to the contract posted by the school board, New York Focus reports.

    Recommended by Our Editors

    Many residents of Salamanca, which has above-average levels of poverty, have expressed opposition to the new teacher. “We already have so many issues in our community, including environmental issues. I just don’t understand the concept of adding AI onto that,” one parent said. “Bringing it into the school district is contradicting everything we believe, in my opinion.” 

    In a statement, the school district said the robot will “never replace teachers, staff members, or meaningful human interaction” and that human teachers will “remain at the center of every learning experience.” In addition, the school confirmed the new robot will not store students’ personal data, send data back to its parent company, or record any video or audio. 

    The rollout of AI in schools remains hotly contested by some. The New Yorker reported earlier this year that grassroots lobbying groups are calling on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to declare a two-year moratorium on the use of generative AI in NYC schools.

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  • Gavin Newsom Reportedly Concerned About State Antitrust Suit Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

    Gavin Newsom Reportedly Concerned About State Antitrust Suit Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

    Governor Gavin Newsom is concerned about the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general led by California against Paramount‘s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, and what it will mean for the entertainment industry, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    In a Friday report, sources told the WSJ that Newsom has said if the merger is blocked due to the lawsuit, state employment will suffer. The outlet also notes that “Newsom’s office has encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which has independent authority to file such suits, to find a resolution out of court.”

    Reps for Newsom and Bonta declined the WSJ‘s requests for comment; The Hollywood Reporter also reached out to California’s governor for comment.

    On July 13, the states filed a lawsuit alleging that the merger would combine two of Hollywood’s top five studios, which would lead to higher prices, less movies in theaters and a decrease in the variety and quality of content. “There is no debate here: This merger will snuff out competition, drive up prices, diminish content quality, and produce fewer movies and shows each year,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta at a press conference at the time.

    The filing of the suit led to a temporary pause on the merger, ruled by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín on July 20; that temporary restraining order was subsequently extended on July 23. One day later, Paramount agreed to hold off on the acquisition until the court makes a decision of whether or not the deal violates antitrust laws.

    In a court document filed on July 24, Paramount said they will not consummate the acquisition until June 2027 or five days after the court issues a ruling on the case, whichever is earlier.

    Alongside California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington are involved in the suit.

    While organizations including Cinema United has shown support for the suit and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong called on the U.K. to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger, Newsom is not the only democratic power player to reportedly push for a settlement.

    On Monday, Ari Emanuel, WME executive chairman and CEO of TKO, wrote an op-ed for the WSJ in support of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros.

    “When government officials manipulate markets to reach political outcomes, antitrust stops protecting competition and starts threatening it,” Emanuel wrote. “The attorneys general should drop this case and get back to enforcing the laws as they are written. Let Hollywood creatives get back to trying to rip each other’s heads off at the box office, in streaming, online and everywhere else we compete. It’s what we’re best at.”

  • ‘Wonder Man’ Star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Reacts to Marvel Series Cancellation: “See You at the Emmys”

    ‘Wonder Man’ Star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Reacts to Marvel Series Cancellation: “See You at the Emmys”

    Marvel‘s Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is speaking out after the Disney+ series was un-renewed.

    The streamer picked up the series for a second season in March before reversing course and canceling the renewal on Thursday. The decision came as a surprise after Wonder Man had a solid debut on Disney+ in late January, drawing 618 million minutes of viewing time during its premiere week, according to Nielsen’s streaming ratings. While the show fell out of the top 10 original streaming titles after that, it continued to earn positive reviews from critics and audiences. Abdul-Mateen also received an Emmy nomination for his performance of the title character.

    Following the cancellation, Abdul-Mateen took to Instagram to share his reaction.

    “Word just dropped that Wonder Man won’t be coming back,” he wrote in the caption. “That’s life, right? Everything will shake out.”

    The Candyman actor continued, “I wanted to say thank you to everybody who WATCHED the show, ENJOYED the show, and SHARED that they enjoyed the show in some way or other. The show worked. And that’s my favorite thing about it. I could see it on the faces of the Youtube Reactors (because I watched along with y’all this time. Shoutout to y’all) and I can see in the messages I get saying how the show reminded some of you not to give up, and I feel it in the genuine love shared when I bump into some of you all during the day. So, thinking of you all today. I’m glad we got to be a part of something cool.”

    He concluded his post: “Thank you for watching… And uhh… See you at the EMMYS.”

    Abdul-Mateen is nominated for best actor in a comedy series alongside Steve Carell (Rooster), Matthew Rhys (Widow’s Bay), Jason Segel (Shrinking) and Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building).

    Wonder Man co-creators Destin Daniel Cretton (Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Andrew Guest had also been set to return for a second season. They executive produce alongside Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Jonathan Schwartz and Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation. Guest also served as showrunner, while Cretton directed several episodes.

    Ben Kingsley, X Mayo, Demetrius Grosse, Zlatko Burić, Arian Moayed, Olivia Thirlby, Dan Donohue and Kameron J. Meadows rounded out the cast.

  • Vincent Pastore, Who Played ‘Big Pussy’ on ‘The Sopranos’, Dies at 80

    Vincent Pastore, Who Played ‘Big Pussy’ on ‘The Sopranos’, Dies at 80

    Vincent Pastore, who is best known for playing Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” has died, according to TMZ. He was 80.

    Pastore was a key player on the first two seasons of “The Sopranos,” and helped deliver one of the mob drama’s most iconic moments. In the show, Big Pussy was part of Tony Soprano’s (James Galdofini) most trusted inner circle, until he started wearing a wire for the FBI. In the Season 2 finale, Tony, along with Silvio (Steven Van Zandt) and Paulie (Tony Sirico), makes the difficult decision to kill him off while out on a boat.

    Pastore was cast as a mobster many times throughout his career. He had small parts in early ‘90s crime dramas like “Carlito’s Way” and “Goodfellas.” He saw his stock rise with a pair of roles in the 1995 film “The Jerky Boys: The Movie” and HBO’s 1996 TV movie “Gotti.”

    His other film credits include “Shark Tale,” “Mickey Blue Eyes,” “Witness to the Mob,” “The Deli,” “Spinning Gold,” “Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn,” “Revolver,” “This Thing of Ours,” “Bachelor Party Vegas,” “A Brooklyn State of Mind” and many others.

    On the TV side, Pastore appeared on “New York Undercover,” “Law & Order,” “Bull,” “Son of the Beach,” “Queens Supreme,” “General Hospital” and “Pair of Kings.” He was also a contestant on several reality shows, including “Dancing With the Stars,” “Shark Tank“ and “Celebrity Family Feud.”

    Pastore also hosted “The Wise Guy” show on SiriusXM, which was a weekly three-hour broadcast during which Pastore would interview celebrities and other prominent figures from the Italian-American community.

    Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee.

  • Digital asset SPAC delays crucial merger vote, leaving a deeply undercapitalized Old Glory Bank waiting on a $50M lifeline

    Digital asset SPAC delays crucial merger vote, leaving a deeply undercapitalized Old Glory Bank waiting on a $50M lifeline

    Digital Asset Acquisition Corp., the SPAC seeking to combine with the parent of regulated bank Old Glory Bank, postponed the shareholder vote on the deal to 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 14 from July 31.

    The original meeting date fell two days after the stated July 29 redemption deadline. DAAQ said in a July 31 filing that it would continue soliciting proxies but gave no reason for the delay.

    The postponement did not automatically reopen redemptions. DAAQ’s final prospectus says investors could withdraw a redemption request through the deadline and afterward only with the company’s consent before closing. The filing does not say whether DAAQ has approved any post-deadline withdrawals.

    Capital gap meets the cash test

    The parent company at the center of the deal is Old Glory Holding Company. The bank was below two distinct capital thresholds going into the vote window. The final prospectus said its Tier 1 leverage ratio remained below the ordinary 4% adequately capitalized threshold as of June 29, putting Old Glory in technical noncompliance with a merger-agreement covenant. Old Glory considered that noncompliance nonmaterial, according to the filing.

    A May 2024 consent order from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Oklahoma State Banking Department sets a much higher requirement. It requires a 14% Tier 1 leverage ratio while the order remains in effect, along with regulator-reviewed capital and business plans and prior consent for dividends and bonuses. Separately, prompt-corrective-action rules restrict growth, capital distributions, acquisitions, branches and new business lines while the bank is undercapitalized.

    The holding company’s consolidated financial disclosures say its capital is not expected to cover operating losses and minimum regulatory capital needs over the next 12 months, creating substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

    Management identifies cash from the merger as a mitigation, but says closing depends on other parties and market conditions and is not assured. The warning is not a declaration that the bank is insolvent or about to close.

    The merger agreement requires at least $50 million of closing aggregate cash, calculated from trust cash remaining after redemptions, PIPE proceeds actually received, and proceeds to be received from other transaction financing. The party benefiting from the condition can waive it in a signed writing where lawful.

    DAAQ reported $178.58 million of trust securities and 17.25 million redeemable public shares as of March 31. That historical balance does not show what will be available at closing. The postponement filing disclosed neither the July redemption tally nor the remaining trust cash.

    The July 7 prospectus also said no PIPE or other transaction financing had been entered into or obtained. A June filing said DAAQ intended to negotiate non-redemption agreements, but the attached form identified no executed investor or committed share amount.

    Approval timing remains uncertain. As of the final prospectus, a Federal Reserve application was pending, and Nasdaq approval of the combined company’s initial listing remained a closing condition. The July 31 filing announced neither approval, though its silence does not establish their current status.

    DAAQ now has two more weeks to chase votes, while the deal’s cash picture remains murky. Investors need the redemption count and firm funding commitments to see whether it can clear the $50 million closing test, plus a fresh capital ratio to gauge Old Glory Bank’s shortfall.

  • CZ Warns Bitcoin Holders After $70 Million Wallet Exploit: ‘Nothing Is 100%’

    CZ Warns Bitcoin Holders After $70 Million Wallet Exploit: ‘Nothing Is 100%’

    In brief

    • CZ warned on X that even hardware wallets and long-established wallets can have bugs, suggesting holders split their funds across several wallets to mitigate risk while noting no setup is fully foolproof.
    • The warning follows a Coldcard exploit stemming from a March 2021 firmware build error that drew seeds from a software fallback instead of the hardware generator, making private keys far easier to guess.
    • Galaxy Research, mapping the fund flows from a pattern identified by Block engineers, now pegs losses at about 1,082.65 BTC (~$70.2 million) across 1,196 addresses—nearly double the original $38 million estimate.

    Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is warning crypto owners not to place blind faith in hardware wallets, following an exploit that drained tens of millions of dollars in Bitcoin from Coldcard devices.

    In a Saturday post on X, Zhao cautioned that even hardware wallets can carry bugs, and that older wallets with long histories are not immune. “Nothing is 100%,” he posted.

    He suggested holders consider spreading their funds across several wallets as one way to reduce exposure, while acknowledging the approach carries its own trade-offs and that no setup is entirely foolproof. CZ closed with his familiar refrain urging users to stay informed and keep their funds safe: “Stay SAFU!”

    His comments followed the discovery of a flaw in Coldcard devices made by manufacturer Coinkite. As Decrypt reported, a build error caused seeds on affected units to be drawn from a software fallback rather than the device’s hardware random-number generator, leaving the private keys far easier to guess than intended. The problem traced back to firmware shipped in March 2021, and updating the firmware does not fix a seed already created on a compromised device.

    The scope of the theft has grown considerably since the first estimates. Early reporting pegged losses at roughly 594 BTC, or about $38 million, drained from around 500 wallets. According to a report from Galaxy Research, which mapped the flow of funds based on a pattern identified by engineers at Jack Dorsey’s Block, the toll is now put at 1,196 addresses drained for about 1,082.65 BTC, or roughly $70.2 million, in a 41-minute window on July 30. That is nearly double the initial figure.

    Galaxy said every sweep paid an identical hardcoded fee and left no change output, a signature it described as consistent with an automated tool spending keys it already held rather than owners moving their own funds. The victims spanned native SegWit and older address types, pointing to multi-path key scanning. The stolen Bitcoin was consolidated within minutes into a handful of addresses and, per Galaxy, has not moved since.

    Coinkite has shipped emergency hotfixes and urged exposed users to migrate to newly generated seeds.

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