casino baccarat
Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE or by emailing Kathy Reiser at mailbag@news-gazette.com . An update (of sorts) on digital driver’s licenses for Illinois motorists ... some new quick-serve food options coming to Downtown Urbana ... what’s happening at the former Am-Ko grocery property in Midtown Champaign ... how the Illinois Distributed Museum got its name ... and what you’re buying if you fill your car with Unleaded 88 fuel. All in this week’s Mailbag. This map shows physical locations of Illinois Distributed Museum exhibits that complement its online content. "Enjoyed last weekend’s article on Dr. Virginia Bartow, which was written by Kristen Wilson, coordinator of the Illinois Distributed Museum. What is that, and how did it come to have such an inscrutable name?" The name can be a little baffling if you’re not yet a member of the COIK — clear only if known — club. The museum is “distributed” in the sense of “not centralized.” While most museums exist within a brick-and-mortar building or a complex of closely adjacent buildings, the Illinois Distributed Museum is spread across the 10 (or so) square miles that make up the UI’s Urbana-Champaign campus. It’s a mix of physical locations and online content, and its purpose is to showcase the world-changing innovations and innovators associated with the campus. It is a project of the UI Archives and the UI Library. New content is added every semester, and suggestions for new exhibits/content are welcome. The museum’s website, distributedmuseum.illinois.edu , serves as the collection’s all-in-one guidebook, map, finding aid and docent. Each exhibit has at least one physical location people may visit, along with links to related stories, people and locations. Visitors may plan and organize their tours by a specific type of innovation, societal impacts of an innovation, places or names of people. For visitors from outside the C-U area, and those who simply prefer to explore the museum virtually, the online exhibits may of course be accessed 24/7. "The embossed serial numbers and letters on newer Illinois license plates are in a totally different font than they were for many years. To my eye, the 6s, 8s and 9s on the newer plates are harder to distinguish from one another at a distance. Why did the state make that change?" You’d think this is one of those simple questions to which there would be a straightforward answer. But if there was a compelling reason behind the change, Illinois Secretary of State spokeswoman Erin Henkel was not able to share it for publication. There’s no official word on whether the secretary of state’s office initiated the change, if the contractor that manufactures the plates said “this is how it’s gonna be,” whether law enforcement requested the change, or ... what. In the absence of an official explanation, we went looking for an unofficial-but-credible reason. For what it’s worth, this is the explanation on license-plate aficionado Rick Kretschmer‘s “A Pictorial History of Illinois License Plates” webpage: “In mid-year 2023, plates started appearing with very different-looking plate numbers. These are being stamped using the same dies that have been used to make North Carolina plates for decades, and which have also recently started being used on Alaska and Utah plates. “I understand these plates are being made using a new manufacturing process which involves printing the plate numbers on the reflective sheeting before the number is stamped. At first, these were only seen on remakes of numbers that had been issued on the previous base. It took them a while to work through the inventory of old-die plates with new numbers issued to new registrants, but new-number plates with the new dies began to hit the streets in early 2024.” It does seem rather silly that, more than a year after the change was made, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office can’t or won’t say why the lettering style was changed. ‘I understand Illinois will begin offering digital driver’s licenses in 2025. How soon?’ Don’t hold your breath. In fact, I don’t think anyone with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office has said for sure that the new digital IDs will be available in calendar year 2025. Public Act 103-0824, which amended the Illinois Identification Card Act to allow the state to issue digital (smartphone) versions of Illinois driver’s licenses, was passed by the General Assembly in May and signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August of this year. The law that takes effect on Jan. 1 simply authorizes the secretary of state’s office to begin preparing to issue digital licenses and state ID cards. That process could take a while. Secretary of state spokeswoman Erin Henkel said she could not provide a timetable for it, or a target date by which residents should be able to download the new IDs. Of course, the technology and its security features will need to be rigorously tested — and there’s also no official indication of whether that part of the process has been started or how far along it might be. At least 13 other U.S. states offer digital driver’s licenses, including neighboring Missouri and Iowa. One thing to look forward to — someday — when the new digital IDs become available: the technology will allow individuals to decide what personal information they share on those IDs. According to an August press release from the secretary of state’s office, “mobile IDs will offer privacy-control options that allow people to verify their age when legally purchasing alcohol, cannabis or renting a car, while hiding other personal information — like their address.” "It looks like the former Am-Ko grocery store property at First and Springfield in Champaign has been sold, and there’s a chain-link fence around it. Who owns it now, and what are the plans for that prime Midtown location?” Champaign County property records show the parcel at 101 E. Springfield Ave. was sold to G7 Living in October. Tax bills are sent to G7 at 212 E. Springfield Ave. in Champaign. The city of Champaign permits database says G7 Living applied for a demolition permit in mid-December. As of earlier this week, it was still marked “under review.” We reached out to the real-estate firm that handled the sale, Coldwell Banker Commercial Devonshire Realty, and have not heard back about future plans for the parcel. "I’ve been seeing something called ‘Unleaded 88’ at area gas stations, primarily Circle Ks. What is that?" It is a fuel blend that contains 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol, according to Nate Harris, CEO of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association. The ethanol used in fuel blends is made mostly from corn. Unleaded 88 — which some fuel retailers market as E-15 — usually is about 10-cents-per-gallon cheaper than more common fuel blends that contain slightly less ethanol. Unleaded 88 “typically gets slightly lower gas mileage than regular fuel, but it does give off less carbon emissions, so that’s typically why people want it,” he said. Harris said there’s no difference between E-15 and Unleaded 88; those terms are interchangeable. How it is identified at the pump is strictly a “marketing thing.” The “88” in Unleaded 88 refers to the octane level of the fuel, not the percentage of gasoline in it. “The octane measure is about the fuel’s stability, so a higher octane rating means the fuel can withstand greater pressure,” Harris said. So-called regular unleaded gasoline and blends are typically 87 octane, and mid-grade (sometimes sold as regular-plus) is 89-90 octane. High-performance or luxury vehicles “tend to want you to use the premium or ultra/super — whatever they’re marketing as — the higher-octane, 91 to 94 set,” Harris said. In the past, E-15/Unleaded 88 was sold as a seasonal fuel blend, Harris said. It was not sold in this part of the country in the warmer months, due to concerns that it contributed to smog in hot weather. But in February, the EPA changed the rule so that E-15/Unleaded 88 now can be sold year-round in Illinois and seven other Midwest states. "I saw the word 'Latinx' in the paper again this week, and am curious: What does it mean, exactly, and how do you pronounce it?" While definitions may vary, it generally is used in lieu of “Latino/Latina” as a gender-neutral word to describe people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity. Its origins, the nuances of its meaning and its appropriateness in any given situation may depend on whom you ask. Some people say the word is inclusive, and others term it as “woke.” In a 2020 report on “Latinx” and other pan-ethnic terms, the Pew Research Center said “the emergence of ‘Latinx’ coincides with a global movement to introduce gender-neutral nouns and pronouns into many languages whose grammar has traditionally used male or female constructions.” In a 2024 follow-up report, Pew researchers said “about half (53 percent) of the population that ‘Latinx’ is meant to describe has never heard of the term. While awareness of the term has grown, the share who use ‘Latinx’ to describe themselves is statistically unchanged: 4 percent of Latino adults say they have used ‘Latinx’ to describe themselves, little changed from the 3 percent who said the same in 2019.” Here in the U.S., Pew says the first uses of “Latinx” appeared more than 15 years ago; the Merriam-Webster Dictionary added it in 2018. Just as there is no universal agreement on usage of the word, its pronunciation is a matter of some debate. Merriam-Webster’s website says “the most common way to pronounce ‘Latinx’ is the same way you would Spanish-derived Latina or Latino, but pronouncing the ‘x’ as the name of the English letter X. So you get something like ‘luh-TEE-neks.’” A Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus pulls out of the Illinois Terminal on Aug. 17 in downtown Champaign. "I understand some newly cleared properties on the east side of the CN tracks in Champaign will be used as a temporary transferring zone for MTD buses while the Illinois Terminal is under construction. Is that happening soon?" “It’s still a ways out, but this is in preparation for the Illinois Terminal Expansion project that we’re currently working on with Royse Witte Downtown LLC,” said Karl Gnadt, the C-U Mass Transit District’s managing director and CEO. Readers may recall that a previous development agreement for a multi-use complex called The Yards was terminated earlier this year, after developer Core Spaces withdrew from the project. Gnadt said there is nothing new to report on the continuing negotiations with Royse Witte, the new developer. Meantime, the MTD is starting to plan the workarounds that will keep transportation services rolling while the Illinois Terminal is renovated. “As far as the amenities go with the temporary transfer area — we haven’t yet done any design work for that,” Gnadt said. “We’ll try to provide as much protection as possible, of course, but it will be temporary, so it’s unlikely that we would install a lot of new electrical or plumbing infrastructure. We’ll make every effort to keep Illinois Terminal open throughout, as well.” With the elevated train tracks in the downtown area, “Amtrak can only function from the second floor, so the construction work there will have to be appropriately phased to allow for access to the train platform.” “In general, construction projects at existing facilities where they are active public spaces are, well, a pain. We’ll try to ameliorate the difficulties and frustrations as much as we can, but we surely won’t be able to eliminate them. Patience will be required and understanding that at the end of it we’ll have an improved facility. It will be worth it!” Champaign Township Road District workers leave a salt dome in January 2019 to put de-icing solution on streets in preparation for a winter storm. "Do area road crews still use actual salt to treat icy streets and highways?" Yes, they do. Illinois Department of Transportation engineer Kensil Garnett says IDOT uses both granular salt and a saltwater brine solution to treat roads during ice and snow events. “Salt brine is effective when the roadway temperatures are around 20 degrees F or above,” he said. “When temperatures fall too low for salt to work, we have a Bio-Melt product made from beet juice that we can mix with our saltwater brine to make the treatment effective to temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero.” He said the beet-juice product is very effective and is not corrosive, like salt brine. “However, it is cost-prohibitive to use it at temperatures where salt brine will work,” he said. “The department’s salt stockpiles are in great shape, and we have an active contract to provide more salt throughout the winter as (needed). Prices for the current contract are very similar to what we have seen for the past couple seasons.” The city of Champaign uses rock salt, a salt-brine solution and calcium chloride to treat city streets, depending on conditions, according to Public Works spokesman Kris Koester. Calcium chloride has a lower freezing point than regular salt (sodium chloride), so it is more effective at lower temperatures. “We have two salt storage buildings, a brine-production facility, and two calcium-chloride tanks on the public works back lot,” Koester said. “We have an adequate supply of salt in the dome and we have a contract with the joint state of Illinois salt contract. In March 2024, we had 5,250 tons on hand and (the city) council approved us to buy up to 2,460 more tons for a price of $90.85 per ton.” Champaign County Highway Engineer Jeff Blue said county road crews use rock salt and a salt-brine solution to treat county highways. He said the salt-storage dome at the county complex in Urbana has “an adequate supply of salt in the dome and we have a contract with a vendor to haul in more salt this winter as we deplete our supply. Costs have been relatively consistent the last few years.” No-passing signs have been added to this part of Cardinal Road east of Staley Road. — No-passing zone. Two weeks ago, an alert reader asked why a good-sized hill on Cardinal Road east of Staley Road was not marked as a no-passing zone. Champaign Township Highway Commissioner Keith Padgett looked into it and consulted with county highway engineers, and they determined the hill and its approaches should have had “do not pass” signage and striping all along. Padgett sent us a photo this week, showing new “do not pass” signs on either side of the hill. He says the new striping has since been applied. — H Mart food court offerings. Last week, a reader asked which eateries would be part of the new H Mart food court when the Asian supermarket opens in early 2025 at 220 N. Broadway in Urbana. No specifics were available in time for last week’s deadline, but a few days ago H Mart sent us a note announcing that JAWS Topokki (Korean street food), Cho Dang (Korean-style tofu house and BBQ), Paik’s Noodle (Korean-style Chinese food) and Paris Baguette (bakery-café) will be featured there. Still no official word on H Mart’s projected opening date.
Today, Google is changing the way people view the transformations brought about by artificial intelligence (AI). Around the world, Google is leading the AI revolution with advancements in machine learning , generative AI, and various other technologies. However, there is still so much more to discover! There are numerous ways to demonstrate how Google is at the forefront of the AI revolution . Artificial intelligence is no longer futuristic; it is transforming today's world. Google, one of the top tech giants today, has always been able to position itself as the global leader. They are also changing the way people have witnessed the AI revolution. With the current 1 billion active users across every service, Google is creating unique opportunities to integrate advanced AI capabilities into daily life seamlessly. Google is offering the AI breakthrough with their multiple span domains. They are offering the flagship innovations like DeepMind, an AI subsidiary. It is renowned for the breathtaking advancements in sectors like healthcare and gaming. For instance, the AlphaFold project of DeepMind has shown and easily solved the complex protein folding problem. It also provided predictions for 98% human proteins, which is an accomplishment that is expected to accelerate medical research worldwide. Google is not just about creating innovative tools but also influencing industries like healthcare and education. The right AI-driven enhancements, like Google Health, use predictive algorithms to enhance medical diagnostics and other procedures. There's also Google Classroom , which now allows teachers advanced tools. The statistics and advanced tools predict that the AI industry will contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by the end of 2030, and Google is leading the AI revolution. After this point, the AI-powered search algorithms and language models continuously enhance the elements. These include enhancing the user experience and delivering precise results tailored to individual preferences. As the leader, Google can easily and quickly understand all the ethical implications of the advancement in artificial intelligence. The company has always been dedicated to developing AI tools and systems, withholding strict regulations to mitigate risks and issues. Their commitment can help set the global benchmark for the AI revolution . The future of Google innovation and the AI revolution looks promising. The company plans to enhance global connectivity, bring AI capabilities to underdeveloped regions, and create solutions for pressing issues like climate change. For example, Google's Project Sunroof already uses AI to calculate rooftop solar potential, encouraging renewable energy adoption. With AI spending growing at the right pace and expected to reach $300 billion by 2027 , Google innovations and advancements will continue to influence the trajectory of the sectors . Whether the task is to power smart search, advance robotics, or develop next-gen digital assistants, Google innovation is still the most prevalent innovation in artificial intelligence. With the AI revolution and machine learning, Google is not only defining its role in the tech space but also setting the exact tone for transforming the world's digital environment.25 Festive Things From Walmart That'll Make Your Home Merry And Bright
Michelle Obama slammed for gloomy New Year's message as Trump prepares to take officeMajor health insurer backs off plan to limit payments to anesthesiologists after uproarFarage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbersNone
- Previous:
- Next: live baccarat
