newsweek--2020-12-11--Air Force Gaming Seeks CODE Bowl Supremacy With Focus on Military Mental Health

It goes without saying that life in general , and military life in particular , has been pretty difficult these past few months .
In 2020 , men and women in uniform have been restricted through quarantine , cut off from the support of family members and unable to interact with friends through daily duties .
And even before the pandemic , the suicide rate for active-duty service members was on the rise over the past few years ; it remains to be seen what effect , if any , COVID-19 might have on those numbers .
To that end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oliver Parsons has created a group dedicated to focusing inward and finding peace through healthy competition and cooperation in video games .
Since formally establishing Air Force Gaming in 2019 , Parsons has united thousands of Air Force and Space Force members behind a common goal , and he 's taking that message to a major esports event on December 11 .
`` With my prior experience doing Twitch streams , building up my own personal community , I realized there 's not a whole lot of positivity and not too much connectivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Newsweek , when speaking about the creation of Air Force Gaming .
`` What we wanted to do was use a digital space to connect airmen , and now space professionals , together to compete and play different video game titles together , and build camaraderie across the service , where time , space , location necessarily does n't matter . ''
Parsons ' desire to bring people together stems from a personal journey .
He described being in `` a very dark place '' in 2016 .
At that time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut out those around him .
`` Things just kind of got worse , because I was isolating myself from friends , community and all that , '' Parsons reflected , `` so what started naturally happening was I met some people online at work that had mentioned they play Destiny 2 , and we started working towards getting some of those raids , and I definitely started feeling less of the loneliness and isolation through that . ''
This experience encouraged Parsons to collaborate with his church to create a special community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was able to vent and talk about [ my experiences ] through what I built with my church ... and seeing the void within the Air Force , we decided , 'Hey , let 's give this a try within the Air Force . '
'' Through his own experiences and the lived stories of those he knew , the initial goal for Parsons and others who informally started Air Force Gaming was to create a place where airmen could connect .
While it was clear that a void existed , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Within 24 hours of creating the Air Force Gaming Facebook group , the page amassed 2,000 members of all ages , ranks and locations before being formally revealed .
Shortly thereafter , top officials in the Air Force recognized the movement and pledged their full support .
`` This is one of the probably more recent scenarios where the Air Force did things right , '' Parsons said .
Military involvement in esports is hardly a new endeavor , as branches like the U.S. Army currently leverage virtual competition as a recruiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Air Force Gaming , Parsons had different plans , to create a mechanism for fighting depression and fostering connection exclusively for those who currently serve .
`` How [ other branches ] utilize recruiting gives us a different opportunity , because we can focus on the resiliency aspect without having to have the recruiting mission in mind when we do things .
We can do things for the airmen , by the airmen .
When some of the other branches do recruiting , it 's like , 'Hey , our mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more sailors , ' and do mainly external showy things , whereas we want to focus inward , '' he explained .
It was also important to Parsons that traditional military standards of rank be left at the door .
`` Typically , Air Force programs are a little bit on the more formal side of things , so it kind of catches people by surprise how rank , age , location is n't a factor when playing together , '' he said .
Today , Air Force Gaming boasts more than 7,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new and highly scalable platform called Rally Cry that organizes formal and informal tournaments for games like Call of Duty , League of Legends and Rocket League .
While it 's still early in its development , Parsons notes that Air Force Gaming already has its fair share of personal success stories .
The mental health group was particularly effective for one airman who 'd spent most of his time in Texas and would soon be heading to Alaska .
`` It was really cool to see that there were three or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Hey , I 'm actually stationed at the base up in Alaska .
Let 's get to playing some Call of Duty , some Rocket League , all those types of games . '
And over the course of four or five months , they developed a friendship , '' Parsons said .
`` So when that airman left Texas and got to Alaska , he already had a support system and friends in place . ''
At its core , creating those avenues for connection is what Air Force Gaming is all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , is competition .
And Air Force Gaming is taking centerstage with multiple teams in one of its biggest esports appearances to date .
On December 11 , the Call of Duty Endowment charity hosts its second-inaugural CODE Bowl .
This year 's event will be virtual , featuring eight military teams from the U.S. and U.K .
Teams will be paired up with Call of Duty League players and well-known streamers in an effort to take home the top prize .
Following a Rally Cry-assisted qualifier featuring 600 airmen spread across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left with its rosters for Air Force and Space Force alike .
Parsons sees plenty of potential in both teams .
`` The cool thing about the [ Air Force ] team is there 's one officer and then there 's three enlisted members on it , and the three enlisted members , they 're the second-lowest rank in the Air Force , '' Parsons described .
`` They 're Airmen First Class and they 've only been in the Air Force probably like a year or two .
So these guys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school and working together as a team . ''
The situation is slightly different for Space Force , who are ultimately in a fight for recognition .
`` The Space Force team , what 's really cool with them is the unique situation that they 're in , '' said the AFG founder .
This will be Space Force 's first team in any sport .
`` The Space Force has its one-year anniversary on December 20 , so they want to really lean into the gaming industry , lean into gaming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these unique ingredients , Parsons feels sure of victory .
`` One of the teams is gon na win , '' he said with a smile .
`` Either Space Force is gon na come out and be like the crazy underdog , or the Air Force is just gon na be like , 'Yup , we told you . '
'' Once the CODE Bowl is over , Parsons and the rest of Air Force Gaming still have big plans for the future .
Its first official competitive season is set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when branches of the Air Force will compete against one another in multiple games .
For those who 'd rather not take things so seriously , there will also be opportunities for pop-up tournaments in chess , Magic : The Gathering and just about anything one could imagine .
Of particular note , Parsons is excited to run tournaments for actively deployed Air Force members during the holidays .
`` We 're going to set the time of the actual tournament to meet their ideal time , so they 'll be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If I 'm here in the U.S. , I 'm probably going to be up till two or three o'clock anyway .
It 's gon na be really cool to be able to support those who are deployed from at home with an internet connection . ''
And this , again , ties back to Air Force Gaming 's central goal of bringing people together .
`` We had somebody come to us saying , 'Hey , thank you for putting in this extra time to build this program .
If it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participate in Overwatch and create friendships and do that , I would n't be here today , ' '' Parsons described .
In that way , organizations like these have been , and can continue to be , a lifeline for our bravest fighters .
As positive as that assurance is , Parsons admits there 's still plenty left to do .
`` We like to say that we 're a plane flying in the air , but we 're building it while we 're already in the air and learning and figuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , Air Force Gaming has been a mission well accomplished .
Who did you expect to come out on top of the CODE Bowl ?
Can video games truly be an effective resiliency tool ?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments section !

It goes without saying that life in general, and military life in particular, has been pretty difficult these past few months. In 2020, men and women in uniform have been restricted through quarantine, cut off from the support of family members and unable to interact with friends through daily duties. And even before the pandemic, the suicide rate for active-duty service members was on the rise over the past few years; it remains to be seen what effect, if any, COVID-19 might have on those numbers.
To that end, Captain and Air Force Gaming founder Oliver Parsons has created a group dedicated to focusing inward and finding peace through healthy competition and cooperation in video games. Since formally establishing Air Force Gaming in 2019, Parsons has united thousands of Air Force and Space Force members behind a common goal, and he's taking that message to a major esports event on December 11.
Building a Flying Plane
"With my prior experience doing Twitch streams, building up my own personal community, I realized there's not a whole lot of positivity and not too much connectivity within the Air Force," Parsons told Newsweek, when speaking about the creation of Air Force Gaming. "What we wanted to do was use a digital space to connect airmen, and now space professionals, together to compete and play different video game titles together, and build camaraderie across the service, where time, space, location necessarily doesn't matter."
Air Force Captain Oliver parsons is the founder of Air Force Gaming. He hopes to use gaming as a resiliency tool for active military professionals. Oliver Parsons/Air Force Gaming
Parsons' desire to bring people together stems from a personal journey. He described being in "a very dark place" in 2016. At that time, he used games as a means to shut out those around him.
"Things just kind of got worse, because I was isolating myself from friends, community and all that," Parsons reflected, "so what started naturally happening was I met some people online at work that had mentioned they play Destiny 2, and we started working towards getting some of those raids, and I definitely started feeling less of the loneliness and isolation through that."
This experience encouraged Parsons to collaborate with his church to create a special community group for family-friendly game streamers. "I was able to vent and talk about [my experiences] through what I built with my church...and seeing the void within the Air Force, we decided, 'Hey, let's give this a try within the Air Force.'"
Through his own experiences and the lived stories of those he knew, the initial goal for Parsons and others who informally started Air Force Gaming was to create a place where airmen could connect. While it was clear that a void existed, it surprised Parsons just how big it was. Within 24 hours of creating the Air Force Gaming Facebook group, the page amassed 2,000 members of all ages, ranks and locations before being formally revealed. Shortly thereafter, top officials in the Air Force recognized the movement and pledged their full support. "This is one of the probably more recent scenarios where the Air Force did things right," Parsons said.
Military involvement in esports is hardly a new endeavor, as branches like the U.S. Army currently leverage virtual competition as a recruiting tool open for the public. But, with Air Force Gaming, Parsons had different plans, to create a mechanism for fighting depression and fostering connection exclusively for those who currently serve.
"How [other branches] utilize recruiting gives us a different opportunity, because we can focus on the resiliency aspect without having to have the recruiting mission in mind when we do things. We can do things for the airmen, by the airmen. When some of the other branches do recruiting, it's like, 'Hey, our mission is to get more soldiers, get more sailors,' and do mainly external showy things, whereas we want to focus inward," he explained.
Air Force Gaming seeks to connect active airmen and space professionals through competition in video games. Formed in 2019, the organization already boasts upwards of 7,000 members. Air Force Gaming
It was also important to Parsons that traditional military standards of rank be left at the door. "Typically, Air Force programs are a little bit on the more formal side of things, so it kind of catches people by surprise how rank, age, location isn't a factor when playing together," he said. Today, Air Force Gaming boasts more than 7,000 members of all ranks, assisted by a new and highly scalable platform called Rally Cry that organizes formal and informal tournaments for games like Call of Duty, League of Legends and Rocket League.
While it's still early in its development, Parsons notes that Air Force Gaming already has its fair share of personal success stories. The mental health group was particularly effective for one airman who'd spent most of his time in Texas and would soon be heading to Alaska.
"It was really cool to see that there were three or four other airmen that were like, 'Hey, I'm actually stationed at the base up in Alaska. Let's get to playing some Call of Duty, some Rocket League, all those types of games.' And over the course of four or five months, they developed a friendship," Parsons said. "So when that airman left Texas and got to Alaska, he already had a support system and friends in place." At its core, creating those avenues for connection is what Air Force Gaming is all about.
The CODE for Success
A secondary purpose, of course, is competition. And Air Force Gaming is taking centerstage with multiple teams in one of its biggest esports appearances to date. On December 11, the Call of Duty Endowment charity hosts its second-inaugural CODE Bowl. This year's event will be virtual, featuring eight military teams from the U.S. and U.K. Teams will be paired up with Call of Duty League players and well-known streamers in an effort to take home the top prize.
Air Force Gaming and Space Force will take part in the 2020 CODE Bowl, teamed up with some of the internet's top streamers. Activision
Following a Rally Cry-assisted qualifier featuring 600 airmen spread across 200 teams, Air Force Gaming was left with its rosters for Air Force and Space Force alike. Parsons sees plenty of potential in both teams. "The cool thing about the [Air Force] team is there's one officer and then there's three enlisted members on it, and the three enlisted members, they're the second-lowest rank in the Air Force," Parsons described. "They're Airmen First Class and they've only been in the Air Force probably like a year or two. So these guys, they're coming straight out of high school and working together as a team."
The situation is slightly different for Space Force, who are ultimately in a fight for recognition. "The Space Force team, what's really cool with them is the unique situation that they're in," said the AFG founder. This will be Space Force's first team in any sport. "The Space Force has its one-year anniversary on December 20, so they want to really lean into the gaming industry, lean into gaming in general for their service."
Given these unique ingredients, Parsons feels sure of victory. "One of the teams is gonna win," he said with a smile. "Either Space Force is gonna come out and be like the crazy underdog, or the Air Force is just gonna be like, 'Yup, we told you.'"
Looking Ahead
Once the CODE Bowl is over, Parsons and the rest of Air Force Gaming still have big plans for the future. Its first official competitive season is set to begin the first quarter of 2021, when branches of the Air Force will compete against one another in multiple games. For those who'd rather not take things so seriously, there will also be opportunities for pop-up tournaments in chess, Magic: The Gathering and just about anything one could imagine.
Of particular note, Parsons is excited to run tournaments for actively deployed Air Force members during the holidays. "We're going to set the time of the actual tournament to meet their ideal time, so they'll be able to play together," he said. "If I'm here in the U.S., I'm probably going to be up till two or three o'clock anyway. It's gonna be really cool to be able to support those who are deployed from at home with an internet connection."
And this, again, ties back to Air Force Gaming's central goal of bringing people together. "We had somebody come to us saying, 'Hey, thank you for putting in this extra time to build this program. If it wasn't for me being able to participate in Overwatch and create friendships and do that, I wouldn't be here today,'" Parsons described.
In that way, organizations like these have been, and can continue to be, a lifeline for our bravest fighters. As positive as that assurance is, Parsons admits there's still plenty left to do. "We like to say that we're a plane flying in the air, but we're building it while we're already in the air and learning and figuring things out." So far, however, Air Force Gaming has been a mission well accomplished.
Who did you expect to come out on top of the CODE Bowl? Can video games truly be an effective resiliency tool? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section!


newsweek--2020-12-11--Inmate Admits To Burning Car To Cover up Murder of Fort Stewart Soldier's Wife

Former federal inmate Devin Ryan of Hardeeville , South Carolina admitted on Thursday that he helped a man he once was imprisoned with an attempt to cover up the killing of a soldier 's wife at the Fort Stewart Army Reservation in Georgia .
Stafon Davis shot 24-year-old Abree Boykin , a resident of post housing Fort Stewart , in July 2018 .
Davis left the military installation in Boykin 's vehicle .
After the shooting , Davis contacted Ryan to assist him in `` helping get rid of a car . ''
Both individuals had previously met in prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Boykin 's vehicle with gasoline before setting it aflame .
After the vehicle exploded , it was taken to a salvage yard and scrapped .
According to the U.S. Department of Justice , both Ryan and Davis were on federally supervised release at the time .
`` Destroying crucial evidence from such a horrific crime is unconscionable , '' said spokesman for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey .
Boykin 's husband , Sergeant Shawn Boykin , was deployed to South Korea at the time of the murder .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Shawn Boykin asked for a welfare check .
Military police discovered Abree Boykin 's body inside the housing unit .
Ryan and Davis were arrested in 2019 , a year after the death of Abree Boykin .
Davis admitted that he had known Abree Boykin since childhood .
Davis pleaded guilty to premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in September .
Ryan pleaded guilty on Thursday to the use of fire in commission of a federal felony , a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` A man with no involvement other than previous time behind bars with an admitted killer needlessly complicated a murder investigation by destroying a significant piece of evidence , '' said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby L. Christine .
`` Rather than stay a free man and hang up the phone when called , Devin Ryan helped cover up a murder—and that choice has earned him more hard time behind bars . ''
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Georgia for further comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military bases has drawn the attention of Army officials .
In April , Specialist Vanessa Guillen was discovered bludgeoned to death near Fort Hood .
Guillen had been reported missing for approximately two months before her remains were discovered .
Her accused murder killed himself as authorities attempted to arrest him in July .
Guillen 's family alleged that she had been the victim of sexual harassment before her death .
Independent investigators claimed that leadership at Fort Hood had created problems at the base , including instances of sexual assault and harassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan McCarthy announced that 14 officers would be suspended or fired for contributing to a perceived toxic culture at Fort Hood .
`` The initial investigation into Vanessa 's death , coupled with high numbers of crimes and deaths at Fort Hood , has revealed a series of missteps and multiple failures in our system and within our leadership , '' McCarthy said .

Former federal inmate Devin Ryan of Hardeeville, South Carolina admitted on Thursday that he helped a man he once was imprisoned with an attempt to cover up the killing of a soldier's wife at the Fort Stewart Army Reservation in Georgia.
Stafon Davis shot 24-year-old Abree Boykin, a resident of post housing Fort Stewart, in July 2018. Davis left the military installation in Boykin's vehicle. After the shooting, Davis contacted Ryan to assist him in "helping get rid of a car." Both individuals had previously met in prison.
Ryan and Davis doused the interior of Boykin's vehicle with gasoline before setting it aflame. After the vehicle exploded, it was taken to a salvage yard and scrapped. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, both Ryan and Davis were on federally supervised release at the time.
"Destroying crucial evidence from such a horrific crime is unconscionable," said spokesman for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey.
Boykin's husband, Sergeant Shawn Boykin, was deployed to South Korea at the time of the murder. After being unable to reach Abree Boykin, Shawn Boykin asked for a welfare check. Military police discovered Abree Boykin's body inside the housing unit.
Ryan and Davis were arrested in 2019, a year after the death of Abree Boykin. Davis admitted that he had known Abree Boykin since childhood.
A South Carolina man admitted to helping burn potentially incriminating evidence in 2018 connect to the case of a murdered woman at Fort Stewart, Georgia. iStock/Getty
Davis pleaded guilty to premeditated murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in September. Ryan pleaded guilty on Thursday to the use of fire in commission of a federal felony, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years with no possibility of parole. In a statement sent to Newsweek on Friday, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Georgia said Davis faces "a possible sentence of up to life in prison."
"A man with no involvement other than previous time behind bars with an admitted killer needlessly complicated a murder investigation by destroying a significant piece of evidence," said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby L. Christine. "Rather than stay a free man and hang up the phone when called, Devin Ryan helped cover up a murder—and that choice has earned him more hard time behind bars."
Violence against soldiers stationed at U.S. military bases has drawn the attention of Army officials. In April, Specialist Vanessa Guillen was discovered bludgeoned to death near Fort Hood. Guillen had been reported missing for approximately two months before her remains were discovered. Her accused murder killed himself as authorities attempted to arrest him in July.
Guillen's family alleged that she had been the victim of sexual harassment before her death. Independent investigators claimed that leadership at Fort Hood had created problems at the base, including instances of sexual assault and harassment.
On Tuesday, U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy announced that 14 officers would be suspended or fired for contributing to a perceived toxic culture at Fort Hood.
"The initial investigation into Vanessa's death, coupled with high numbers of crimes and deaths at Fort Hood, has revealed a series of missteps and multiple failures in our system and within our leadership," McCarthy said.
Updated 12/11/2020 10:56 p.m. EST: This story has been updated with additional information from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia.


newsweek--2020-12-11--'Cyberpunk 2077' 1.04 Update Improves PS4 and PC Visuals, Performance

CD Projekt Red 's Cyberpunk 2077 has had a rough launch , amplified by the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the open world RPG to not be `` up to snuff '' for gamers .
Reports of slow frame rates and low quality visuals have percolated through the internet since the game 's release on Thursday .
However , a brand new Cyberpunk 2077 update has been released to help PS4 and PC players improve their gameplay and visuals .
Update 1.04 has been released as a hotfix by CD Projekt Red that fixed issues during certain quests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now live on PlayStation consoles and PC .
For Xbox systems , we are working to have the update out as soon as possible , '' the studio wrote on the official Cyberpunk 2077 blog .
Here 's all the changes to Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and PC : • Fixed an issue with completing the final objective in Gig : Freedom of the Press .
• Fixed an issue with starting conversation with Johnny at the end in Life During Wartime .
• Corrected a rare issue with NPCs no longer calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned mid-way .
• Fixed an issue with Nix not going into his default state in Spellbound and KOLD MIRAGE .
• Fixed issues blocking progress in I Fought The Law if the quest area is left .
• Fixed issues related to remaining in the second phase of the quest after finishing Pacifica fight with Ozob if played after Finals .
• Fixed an issue with Nomads no longer present if V leaves the quest area mid-combat in With a Little Help from My Friends/Queen of the Highway .
• Adjusted mappings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pèlen/I Walk the Line/Transmission .
• Fixed constraints on freedom to get up and sit down if neither blueline condition is met in Violence .
• Fixed issues with time and space resulting from leaving the quest area or abandoning the quest in Following the River .
• Fixed an issue with conversation with Johnny not starting after leaving the hotel in Tapeworm .
• Fixed an issue with quest being blocked upon leaving the quest area before climbing the hill in Following the River .
• Fixed the objective `` Go into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room 's entered too fast in Automatic Love .
• Fixed Jackie 's issues with sitting still in The Ripperdoc .
• Speeded up switching first person perspective to third person perspective in a vehicle .
• Fixed issues with animations missing from important quest NPCs during cinematics .
• Modified the flashing effect on braindances to reduce the risk of inducing epileptic symptoms .
The effect has been smoothed out and the flashes reduced in frequency and magnitude .
• Removed copyrighted songs incorrectly present in the game with `` Disable Copyrighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Switching language to default in the in-game settings now correctly sets it to the language of your Steam client .
• Improved reflections quality on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to eliminate the smudge effect .
• Fixed `` The Wasteland '' achievement being stuck on 97 % after completing all relevant missions in The Badlands on Xbox .
• Fixed an issue with missing PT-BR VO for Xbox players in Americas .
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC , PS4 , Xbox One .

CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 has had a rough launch, amplified by the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the open world RPG to not be "up to snuff" for gamers. Reports of slow frame rates and low quality visuals have percolated through the internet since the game's release on Thursday.
However, a brand new Cyberpunk 2077 update has been released to help PS4 and PC players improve their gameplay and visuals.
Update 1.04 has been released as a hotfix by CD Projekt Red that fixed issues during certain quests,
"New hotfix to Cyberpunk 2077 is now live on PlayStation consoles and PC. For Xbox systems, we are working to have the update out as soon as possible," the studio wrote on the official Cyberpunk 2077 blog.
Here's all the changes to Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and PC:
CD Projekt Red
CYBERPUNK 2077 UPDATE 1.04 PATCH NOTES
Quests
Fixed an issue with completing the final objective in Gig: Freedom of the Press.
Fixed an issue with starting conversation with Johnny at the end in Life During Wartime.
Corrected a rare issue with NPCs no longer calling V if A Like Supreme quest was abandoned mid-way.
Fixed an issue with Nix not going into his default state in Spellbound and KOLD MIRAGE.
Fixed issues blocking progress in I Fought The Law if the quest area is left.
Fixed inability to find Delamain in Epistrophy.
Fixed issues related to remaining in the second phase of the quest after finishing Pacifica fight with Ozob if played after Finals.
Fixed an issue with Nomads no longer present if V leaves the quest area mid-combat in With a Little Help from My Friends/Queen of the Highway.
Adjusted mappings and re-enabled quest tracker in M'ap Tann Pèlen/I Walk the Line/Transmission.
Fixed constraints on freedom to get up and sit down if neither blueline condition is met in Violence.
Fixed issues with time and space resulting from leaving the quest area or abandoning the quest in Following the River.
Fixed an issue with conversation with Johnny not starting after leaving the hotel in Tapeworm.
Fixed an issue with quest being blocked upon leaving the quest area before climbing the hill in Following the River.
Fixed the objective "Go into booth 9" not completing if the room's entered too fast in Automatic Love.
Fixed Jackie's issues with sitting still in The Ripperdoc.
Other quest fixes
Gameplay
Fixed the preview in weapon crafting.
Visual
Reduced vehicle appearance pop-in.
Speeded up switching first person perspective to third person perspective in a vehicle.
Fixed issues with animations missing from important quest NPCs during cinematics.
Performance & Stability
Improved stability, including various crash fixes.
Miscellaneous
Modified the flashing effect on braindances to reduce the risk of inducing epileptic symptoms. The effect has been smoothed out and the flashes reduced in frequency and magnitude.
Removed copyrighted songs incorrectly present in the game with "Disable Copyrighted Music" feature toggled on.
PC-specific
Switching language to default in the in-game settings now correctly sets it to the language of your Steam client.
Console-specific
Improved reflections quality on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to eliminate the smudge effect.
Fixed "The Wasteland" achievement being stuck on 97% after completing all relevant missions in The Badlands on Xbox.
Fixed an issue with missing PT-BR VO for Xbox players in Americas.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Florida Newspaper Apologizes for Endorsing Candidate Who Wants to Overturn Election

One of Florida 's largest newspapers issued a scathing apology for endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz for re-election this year , after the congressman signed on to support President Donald Trump 's latest efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election .
The Orlando Sentinel apologized to readers in its Editorial section on Friday , and denounced Waltz for supporting a lawsuit brought by Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court that is attempting to overturn election outcomes in Georgia , Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
`` We apologize to our readers for endorsing Michael Waltz in the 2020 general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea , had no way of knowing at the time , that Waltz was not committed to democracy , '' the apology began .
The newspaper cited Waltz as one of 10 Florida Republican members of Congress who signed on to support the lawsuit .
As of Thursday , more than 100 House Republicans had backed the president 's last-ditch efforts to challenge the election .
`` During our endorsement interview with the incumbent congressman , we did n't think to ask , 'Would you support an effort to throw out the votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four states in order to overturn a presidential election and hand it to the person who lost , Donald Trump ? '
Our bad , '' the newspaper wrote .
Waltz , speaking to the Daytona Beach News Journal on December 10 , defended his support of the lawsuit , saying `` For those who are saying this is threatening democracy , I think ignoring them ( voting irregularities ) or sweeping them under the rug is bad for our democracy and restoring the confidence by working through these issues is what 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Orlando Sentinel shot back at the congressman , noting that Trump 's legal team had already tried to present the alleged fraud countless times in courts but failed nearly every time .
`` If Waltz was paying attention , he would understand those alleged irregularities have n't been ignored by the courts , nor by the states , nor by the Department of Justice .
They simply have n't stood up to scrutiny , '' the paper said .
So far , Trump 's legal team has lost more than 50 post-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cite multiple high-profile Republicans who have acknowledged the lawsuit as `` crazy '' and a `` PR stunt , '' and said Waltz and fellow GOP Congress members that support the efforts are actively undermining democracy .
`` We now know what we did n't then—that Waltz , a U.S. Army Green Beret who served his country—is willing to undermine the nation to ensure his political party remains in control of the White House , '' the newspaper wrote .
`` Every American should be appalled at the attempted usurpation taking place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part in this terrifying fiasco and violating their oath to protect the country from enemies , foreign and domestic . ''
`` Everyone who supported Michael Waltz for Congress should feel a deep sense of remorse and regret .
We do , '' the paper added .
Newsweek reached out to Waltz for comment , but did not hear back in time for publication .

One of Florida's largest newspapers issued a scathing apology for endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz for re-election this year, after the congressman signed on to support President Donald Trump's latest efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election.
The Orlando Sentinel apologized to readers in its Editorial section on Friday, and denounced Waltz for supporting a lawsuit brought by Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court that is attempting to overturn election outcomes in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
"We apologize to our readers for endorsing Michael Waltz in the 2020 general election for Congress. We had no idea, had no way of knowing at the time, that Waltz was not committed to democracy," the apology began.
The newspaper cited Waltz as one of 10 Florida Republican members of Congress who signed on to support the lawsuit. As of Thursday, more than 100 House Republicans had backed the president's last-ditch efforts to challenge the election.
"During our endorsement interview with the incumbent congressman, we didn't think to ask, 'Would you support an effort to throw out the votes of tens of millions of Americans in four states in order to overturn a presidential election and hand it to the person who lost, Donald Trump?' Our bad," the newspaper wrote.
Waltz, speaking to the Daytona Beach News Journal on December 10, defended his support of the lawsuit, saying "For those who are saying this is threatening democracy, I think ignoring them (voting irregularities) or sweeping them under the rug is bad for our democracy and restoring the confidence by working through these issues is what's good for a democracy."
On Friday, one of Florida's largest newspapers apologized for endorsing Rep. Michael Waltz for re-election to Congress. In this photo, Waltz listens to an aide during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee December 11, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty
But the Orlando Sentinel shot back at the congressman, noting that Trump's legal team had already tried to present the alleged fraud countless times in courts but failed nearly every time.
"If Waltz was paying attention, he would understand those alleged irregularities haven't been ignored by the courts, nor by the states, nor by the Department of Justice. They simply haven't stood up to scrutiny," the paper said.
So far, Trump's legal team has lost more than 50 post-election lawsuits.
The Florida paper went on to cite multiple high-profile Republicans who have acknowledged the lawsuit as "crazy" and a "PR stunt," and said Waltz and fellow GOP Congress members that support the efforts are actively undermining democracy.
"We now know what we didn't then—that Waltz, a U.S. Army Green Beret who served his country—is willing to undermine the nation to ensure his political party remains in control of the White House," the newspaper wrote. "Every American should be appalled at the attempted usurpation taking place, and at the elected officials taking part in this terrifying fiasco and violating their oath to protect the country from enemies, foreign and domestic."
"Everyone who supported Michael Waltz for Congress should feel a deep sense of remorse and regret. We do," the paper added.
Newsweek reached out to Waltz for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Oklahoma City Black Man Shot and Killed by Police, Sparking Immediate Protests

Oklahoma City police officers were involved in a fatal shooting on Friday , in front of an Extra Cash Gold & Loan near West Hefner Road and Pennsylvania Avenue .
In an email sent to Newsweek , the Oklahoma City Police Department confirmed the man 's death but did not release his name or identified the officers involved in the shooting .
`` Officers responded to a call of a disturbance in the 2100 block of W Hefner Rd .
around noon today in reference to a man bothering customers outside a store , '' the department said in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man matching the description who was holding a knife . ''
Police officials told KOCO 5 News that when officers first arrived to the scene , they encountered a man with a knife .
As the man walked closer to the officers , they backed away and called for backup .
`` He actually called for less lethal support , '' Capt .
Daniel Stewart told KOCO News .
Though police did not identify the man , his family said the victim was Bennie Edwards , a Black man who was homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to KFOR .
Videos of the fatal shooting were posted across social media showing the officers discharging their firearms as the man begins running towards them .
According to the statement sent to Newsweek , officers `` attempted to deescalate the situation in an effort to get the suspect to drop the knife .
Officers deployed a taser and OC Spray , both of which were ineffective . ''
`` The suspect refused to drop the knife and ran toward officers at which time officers discharged their firearms and shot the suspect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene , '' the statement added .
`` One officer sustained a minor injury , but is expected to be okay .
Per our policy , the officers will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation . ''
Following the incident , many protesters flocked to the area where the shooting took place .
`` Demonstrations have begun at Hefner and Penn after an officer involved shooting , '' Austin Breasette of KFOR News in Oklahoma tweeted , sharing a video of protesters arguing with police .
Warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be offensive .
Patrick Spencer , also of KFOR News , responded to Breasette 's tweet , noting that `` legal observers '' from the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) in Oklahoma also arrived to the protest .
Newsweek reached out to ACLU Oklahoma for comment .
As tensions between police and protesters continued to rise , a number of tweets indicated that protesters were helping each other after `` several people have now been pepper sprayed after a clash with officer '' —according to another tweet from Spencer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be disturbing .
Spencer 's tweet was in response to a video that shows protesters continuing to argue and move toward police when one officer uses pepper spray .
Update ( 12/11/2020 , 9:35 p.m. ) : This article has been updated with the identity of the victim .

Oklahoma City police officers were involved in a fatal shooting on Friday, in front of an Extra Cash Gold & Loan near West Hefner Road and Pennsylvania Avenue.
In an email sent to Newsweek, the Oklahoma City Police Department confirmed the man's death but did not release his name or identified the officers involved in the shooting.
"Officers responded to a call of a disturbance in the 2100 block of W Hefner Rd. around noon today in reference to a man bothering customers outside a store," the department said in its statement. "Upon arrival officers located a man matching the description who was holding a knife."
Police officials told KOCO 5 News that when officers first arrived to the scene, they encountered a man with a knife. As the man walked closer to the officers, they backed away and called for backup.
"He actually called for less lethal support," Capt. Daniel Stewart told KOCO News.
Though police did not identify the man, his family said the victim was Bennie Edwards, a Black man who was homeless and suffered from bipolar schizophrenia, according to KFOR.
Police officers shoot pepper balls towards the crowd where Trump supporters and anti-Trump protestors now roam together in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Donald Trump held a campaign rally earlier on June 20, 2020. Brendan Smialowski/Getty
Videos of the fatal shooting were posted across social media showing the officers discharging their firearms as the man begins running towards them.
According to the statement sent to Newsweek, officers "attempted to deescalate the situation in an effort to get the suspect to drop the knife. Officers deployed a taser and OC Spray, both of which were ineffective."
"The suspect refused to drop the knife and ran toward officers at which time officers discharged their firearms and shot the suspect. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene," the statement added. "One officer sustained a minor injury, but is expected to be okay. Per our policy, the officers will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation."
Following the incident, many protesters flocked to the area where the shooting took place.
"Demonstrations have begun at Hefner and Penn after an officer involved shooting," Austin Breasette of KFOR News in Oklahoma tweeted, sharing a video of protesters arguing with police.
Warning: footage below contains some language that may be offensive.
Demonstrations have begun at Hefner and Penn after an officer involved shooting. @kfor pic.twitter.com/3XZn7IpJoJ — Austin Breasette TV (@AbreasetteTV) December 11, 2020
Patrick Spencer, also of KFOR News, responded to Breasette's tweet, noting that "legal observers" from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Oklahoma also arrived to the protest.
Newsweek reached out to ACLU Oklahoma for comment.
As tensions between police and protesters continued to rise, a number of tweets indicated that protesters were helping each other after "several people have now been pepper sprayed after a clash with officer"—according to another tweet from Spencer.
Warning: footage below contains scenes that may be disturbing.
#breaking several people have now been pepper sprayed after a clash with officer. @kfor https://t.co/4DLXB22sYo — Patrick Spencer (@made4tv) December 11, 2020
Spencer's tweet was in response to a video that shows protesters continuing to argue and move toward police when one officer uses pepper spray.
Update (12/11/2020, 9:35 p.m.): This article has been updated with the identity of the victim.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Congress Has Just Days to Reach a Stimulus Deal as Millions Face Eviction

Congress must achieve in the next seven days what it has been unable to accomplish in the past seven months .
But it 's hard to imagine a scenario in which lawmakers leave for Christmas without doing at least something for millions of struggling families , particularly those facing eviction next month .
According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau 's Household Pulse Survey , which ended November 23 , more than 5.5 million adults said at the time that they were very or somewhat likely to be either evicted or foreclosed on in the next two months .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their rent or mortgage payments .
And upward of 10 million said they had zero confidence they would be able to pay December 's rent or mortgage .
In addition , some 12 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits the day after Christmas .
Still , rank-and-file lawmakers have shown little willingness to put aside their partisan differences , as their leadership refuses to cross self-imposed red lines to pass an economic relief package that could save people in the nick of time .
`` I did n't think that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Senator Kevin Cramer ( R-N.D. ) said about going on Christmas vacation without Congress approving any sort of relief bill .
`` But right now , I 'm not so sure .
It 's a 50-50 possibility .
And that 's hard for an optimist like me to say , but I 've watched it play out . ''
Despite the bleak state of affairs , it 's business as usual in the nation 's capital .
The Senate adjourned for the weekend Friday afternoon after a roughly 24-hour delay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House left town on Thursday .
When lawmakers return Monday , they 'll have until next Friday—when government funding will again run out—to approve a fiscal budget and desperately needed economic relief , as eviction moratoriums end at the end of the month .
At this point , the likeliest scenario is that a few provisions like unemployment funding , rent protections and vaccine funding will hitch a ride onto the budget .
Leaders on both sides of the aisle have vowed to remain in Washington until something is passed .
But a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same sticking points that go back to June , draining the all-time-high optimism that emerged a few weeks ago when a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers bypassed their leadership to forge their own proposal .
`` If we need more time , then we take more time , but we have to have a bill , and we can not go home without it , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said Thursday .
`` But we 've been here after Christmas , you know . ''
Liability protections demanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' of `` frivolous '' lawsuits , as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has described them , and money for local and state governments demanded by Democrats are preventing a bipartisan $ 908 billion package from advancing .
`` It 's an unconscionable position , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said .
`` No relief for the American people unless corporations receive blanket immunity from lawsuits . ''
The bipartisan group behind the proposal is still working to end the logjam , but time is quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans simply ca n't wait any longer .
We should n't .
We ca n't get bogged down in issues that do n't help people .
State and local governments need help , '' President-elect Joe Biden told reporters in Wilmington , Delaware .
`` We are in peak crisis right now ... as [ we have ] more deaths than we saw in a single day in 9/11 or Pearl Harbor .
This is serious business . ''
Amid fierce rhetoric this week , Democrats rejected two GOP stimulus plan offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's work .
McConnell and more conservative-leaning senators have been the few people absent from the bipartisan fray .
`` Day after day , [ Schumer ] finds new reasons not to compromise ; new ways to avoid taking 'yes ' for an answer , '' McConnell said .
The first offer , from McConnell , was to move forward with legislation close to his $ 500 billion plan but to remove the liability protections and state and local government aid .
The second , from the Trump administration , was for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ checks but all but eliminated federal unemployment benefits .
`` We 're still working on it .
Nothing is coming out , '' Senator Joe Manchin ( D-W.Va. ) , who 's helping lead the bipartisan talks , said about stripping out the most contentious provisions in the proposal .
Next week will be a make or break moment .
If lawmakers are unable to cobble together a compromise with such a hard deadline—the best circumstance in which Congress usually accomplishes something—it 's unlikely staying over Christmas would change much .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as long as the clock is still ticking , if you could play into overtime , you 're going to keep playing , '' Sen. Cramer said .
`` If you 're in a negotiation and it 's not the end , you 're going to try and get one more thing .
I just think sometimes we need to cut it off . ''

Congress must achieve in the next seven days what it has been unable to accomplish in the past seven months. But it's hard to imagine a scenario in which lawmakers leave for Christmas without doing at least something for millions of struggling families, particularly those facing eviction next month.
According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, which ended November 23, more than 5.5 million adults said at the time that they were very or somewhat likely to be either evicted or foreclosed on in the next two months. More than 17 million said they were behind on their rent or mortgage payments. And upward of 10 million said they had zero confidence they would be able to pay December's rent or mortgage.
In addition, some 12 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits the day after Christmas.
Still, rank-and-file lawmakers have shown little willingness to put aside their partisan differences, as their leadership refuses to cross self-imposed red lines to pass an economic relief package that could save people in the nick of time.
"I didn't think that was even a remote possibility a week ago," Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said about going on Christmas vacation without Congress approving any sort of relief bill. "But right now, I'm not so sure. It's a 50-50 possibility. And that's hard for an optimist like me to say, but I've watched it play out."
The U.S. Capitol stands on December 11 in Washington, DC. Lawmakers are facing a midnight deadline to pass a continuing resolution to avert a partial shutdown and fund the government for another week. Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty
Despite the bleak state of affairs, it's business as usual in the nation's capital. The Senate adjourned for the weekend Friday afternoon after a roughly 24-hour delay, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. The House left town on Thursday.
When lawmakers return Monday, they'll have until next Friday—when government funding will again run out—to approve a fiscal budget and desperately needed economic relief, as eviction moratoriums end at the end of the month. At this point, the likeliest scenario is that a few provisions like unemployment funding, rent protections and vaccine funding will hitch a ride onto the budget.
Leaders on both sides of the aisle have vowed to remain in Washington until something is passed. But a deal still remains elusive because of the same sticking points that go back to June, draining the all-time-high optimism that emerged a few weeks ago when a bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers bypassed their leadership to forge their own proposal.
"If we need more time, then we take more time, but we have to have a bill, and we cannot go home without it," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday. "But we've been here after Christmas, you know."
Liability protections demanded by Republicans to prevent an "avalanche" of "frivolous" lawsuits, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has described them, and money for local and state governments demanded by Democrats are preventing a bipartisan $908 billion package from advancing.
"It's an unconscionable position," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "No relief for the American people unless corporations receive blanket immunity from lawsuits."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speak after the casket with the remains of Representative John Lewis is carried from the U.S. Capitol building on July 29. Photo by Brendan Smialowski-Pool/Getty
The bipartisan group behind the proposal is still working to end the logjam, but time is quickly running out.
"Millions and millions of Americans simply can't wait any longer. We shouldn't. We can't get bogged down in issues that don't help people. State and local governments need help," President-elect Joe Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. "We are in peak crisis right now...as [we have] more deaths than we saw in a single day in 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. This is serious business."
Amid fierce rhetoric this week, Democrats rejected two GOP stimulus plan offers that attempted to undercut the bipartisan group's work. McConnell and more conservative-leaning senators have been the few people absent from the bipartisan fray.
"Day after day, [Schumer] finds new reasons not to compromise; new ways to avoid taking 'yes' for an answer," McConnell said.
The first offer, from McConnell, was to move forward with legislation close to his $500 billion plan but to remove the liability protections and state and local government aid. The second, from the Trump administration, was for $916 billion and included $600 stimulus checks but all but eliminated federal unemployment benefits.
"We're still working on it. Nothing is coming out," Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who's helping lead the bipartisan talks, said about stripping out the most contentious provisions in the proposal.
Next week will be a make or break moment. If lawmakers are unable to cobble together a compromise with such a hard deadline—the best circumstance in which Congress usually accomplishes something—it's unlikely staying over Christmas would change much.
"It's like any kind of competition: as long as the clock is still ticking, if you could play into overtime, you're going to keep playing," Sen. Cramer said. "If you're in a negotiation and it's not the end, you're going to try and get one more thing. I just think sometimes we need to cut it off."
Elizabeth Crisp contributed to this story.


newsweek--2020-12-11--PS5 vs. PS5 Digital: Which One Should You Buy?

While you 're waiting for the PS5 restock update , your probably continuing researching the PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition to figure out which one you should buy and if there is enough of a difference to spend $ 100 more for the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive .
It 's already challenging to find any PS5 in stock , but when you do , you need to know which PlayStation 5 console is the best one for you .
The standard PS5 is $ 499.99 , and the PS5 Digital Edition is $ 399.99 .
While the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can ignore , it is a significant decision .
Buyers need to factor in how they are currently buying and playing games , how they plan to buy games in the future and where they find entertainment .
• How Will You Buy PS5 Games ?
• Which PS5 Console Should You Buy ?
We 've done the hard work researching the consoles and helping you with the most essential information you need before you buy .
The PlayStation 5 is $ 499.99 and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is $ 399.99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in stock and command a hefty premium on eBay and other reselling sites , but the Digital Edition is still typically cheaper .
Saving $ 100 on a console is a huge deal , especially when you factor in all the PS5 games you want to buy and the PS5 accessories you need .
That said , you need to factor in what it means to go digital with your new console .
For many buyers , saving $ 100 is worth it , but it is not the way to go for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edition specs are almost entirely the same .
This is a significant difference compared to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Both of the PlayStation 5 consoles feature the same processor , RAM , storage , and performance .
When you play games on the PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition , you will see the same graphics and experience the same speed and loading times .
We like that you get the same gaming experience and the same available storage on the built-in SSD , which means that there is plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consoles .
PS5 accessories work the same with both editions , and the box includes the same standard accessories .
The PS5 Digital edition is slightly slimmer at the bottom edge , but overall the design is the same .
The only thing missing from the PS5 Digital Edition is the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive that is included on the more expensive PlayStation 5 model .
This is a factor to consider for two reasons .
We 'll start with PS5 backward compatibility .
The PS5 backward compatibility allows you to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Currently , all but nine PS4 games are backward compatible with the PS5 .
You can play PS4 games on the PS5 with backward compatibility , and in some cases , you will see an increased performance with GameBoost .
This feature works on both PlayStation 5 editions .
The most significant factor here is how you bought most of your PS4 games .
If you own your PS4 games on discs , you can place them into the PS5 and play them without additional cost .
If all of your games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PS5 Digital Edition , you wo n't be able to play those games without buying them digitally .
That can add up quickly .
If you own most of your PS4 games digitally , you can buy either PS5 console and play your existing library of games without spending any more money .
Many PS4 games are available with a PS5 version that is included free of charge , though some are only for a limited time .
If you bought the PS4 game on a disc , you need to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the version without rebuying the same game .
For buyers who own the digital version , the upgrade works with either PlayStation 5 .
The other important thing to consider is how you will buy PS5 games .
How Will You Buy PS5 Games ?
The PlayStation 5 console that you buy dictates how you will buy PS5 games .
If you buy the PS5 , then you can buy your games on disc or digitally .
If you choose to save $ 100 and buy the PS5 Digital Edition , you commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While you save $ 100 upfront , you may end up paying more for your games over the first year of owning the PS5 if you go with the Digital Edition .
While there are many good digital game deals , we typically see faster and deeper discounts on disc games .
For example , CyberPunk 2077 is $ 49.94 at Amazon , but it is $ 59.99 on the PlayStation store .
If you buy new games on release day or very soon after , you will save more money on games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When you own the PS5 with a disc drive , you can also borrow a game from a friend , rent a game or buy used PS5 games .
On the flip side , buying games digitally is very convenient .
You can buy them from the comfort of your couch or gaming chair , and they preload so that you can play as soon as the game goes live .
There 's also no need to switch discs or keep track of discs .
There are benefits to both ways of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a choice if you buy the PS5 Digital Edition .
If you want to play your Ultra HD Blu-ray collection , you will want to buy the PS5 with a disc drive .
Unless you already own a 4K Blu-ray player and plan to keep that set up in your entertainment center .
If you play most of your movies through streaming services or buy them digitally , then it does n't matter which PlayStation 5 edition you choose .
Which PS5 Console Should You Buy ?
If you pay attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy a PlayStation 5 as soon as possible , you should get the first one you find in stock .
Buyers who own most of their PS4 games digitally and plan to buy all their new PS5 games digitally can save the $ 100 and go with the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition .
Everyone else is better off spending the extra $ 100 upfront and getting the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive .
This allows you to play PS4 backward compatible games on disk , get the new PS5 versions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PS4 , swap games and watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs .
Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page , but we only recommend products we back .
We participate in various affiliate marketing programs , which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites .

Learn how the PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition compare to figure out which PlayStation 5 you should buy.
While you're waiting for the PS5 restock update, your probably continuing researching the PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition to figure out which one you should buy and if there is enough of a difference to spend $100 more for the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive.
It's already challenging to find any PS5 in stock, but when you do, you need to know which PlayStation 5 console is the best one for you. The standard PS5 is $499.99, and the PS5 Digital Edition is $399.99.
While the $100 PS5 price difference isn't something you can ignore, it is a significant decision. Buyers need to factor in how they are currently buying and playing games, how they plan to buy games in the future and where they find entertainment.
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Price
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Specs and Power
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Backwards Compatibility
How Will You Buy PS5 Games?
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Entertainment
Which PS5 Console Should You Buy?
We've done the hard work researching the consoles and helping you with the most essential information you need before you buy.
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Price
Read more We Put the Highly Sought After PS5 Under the Microscope We Put the Highly Sought After PS5 Under the Microscope
The PlayStation 5 is $499.99 and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is $399.99. Both consoles are tough to find in stock and command a hefty premium on eBay and other reselling sites, but the Digital Edition is still typically cheaper.
Saving $100 on a console is a huge deal, especially when you factor in all the PS5 games you want to buy and the PS5 accessories you need.
That said, you need to factor in what it means to go digital with your new console. For many buyers, saving $100 is worth it, but it is not the way to go for everyone.
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Specs and Power
The PS5 and PS5 Digital edition specs are the same in the areas that impact power and performance. Sony
The PS5 vs. PS5 Digital edition specs are almost entirely the same. This is a significant difference compared to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Both of the PlayStation 5 consoles feature the same processor, RAM, storage, and performance. When you play games on the PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition, you will see the same graphics and experience the same speed and loading times.
We like that you get the same gaming experience and the same available storage on the built-in SSD, which means that there is plenty of room for installing games on both consoles. PS5 accessories work the same with both editions, and the box includes the same standard accessories.
The PS5 Digital edition is slightly slimmer at the bottom edge, but overall the design is the same.
The only thing missing from the PS5 Digital Edition is the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive that is included on the more expensive PlayStation 5 model. This is a factor to consider for two reasons. We'll start with PS5 backward compatibility.
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Backward Compatibility & Upgrades
Josh Smith
The PS5 backward compatibility allows you to play PS4 games on your PlayStation 5 console. Currently, all but nine PS4 games are backward compatible with the PS5.
You can play PS4 games on the PS5 with backward compatibility, and in some cases, you will see an increased performance with GameBoost. This feature works on both PlayStation 5 editions.
The most significant factor here is how you bought most of your PS4 games. If you own your PS4 games on discs, you can place them into the PS5 and play them without additional cost. If all of your games are on disc and you buy the PS5 Digital Edition, you won't be able to play those games without buying them digitally. That can add up quickly.
If you own most of your PS4 games digitally, you can buy either PS5 console and play your existing library of games without spending any more money.
Many PS4 games are available with a PS5 version that is included free of charge, though some are only for a limited time. If you bought the PS4 game on a disc, you need to get the PS5 with a disc drive to upgrade the version without rebuying the same game. For buyers who own the digital version, the upgrade works with either PlayStation 5.
The other important thing to consider is how you will buy PS5 games.
How Will You Buy PS5 Games?
Figure out how you plan to buy PS5 games before you decide between the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. Sony
The PlayStation 5 console that you buy dictates how you will buy PS5 games. If you buy the PS5, then you can buy your games on disc or digitally. If you choose to save $100 and buy the PS5 Digital Edition, you commit to buying games digitally going forward.
While you save $100 upfront, you may end up paying more for your games over the first year of owning the PS5 if you go with the Digital Edition. While there are many good digital game deals, we typically see faster and deeper discounts on disc games.
For example, CyberPunk 2077 is $49.94 at Amazon, but it is $59.99 on the PlayStation store. If you buy new games on release day or very soon after, you will save more money on games when you can buy the disc version. When you own the PS5 with a disc drive, you can also borrow a game from a friend, rent a game or buy used PS5 games.
On the flip side, buying games digitally is very convenient. You can buy them from the comfort of your couch or gaming chair, and they preload so that you can play as soon as the game goes live. There's also no need to switch discs or keep track of discs.
There are benefits to both ways of buying games, but you do lock into a choice if you buy the PS5 Digital Edition.
PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition Entertainment
If you want to play your Ultra HD Blu-ray collection, you will want to buy the PS5 with a disc drive. Unless you already own a 4K Blu-ray player and plan to keep that set up in your entertainment center.
If you play most of your movies through streaming services or buy them digitally, then it doesn't matter which PlayStation 5 edition you choose.
Which PS5 Console Should You Buy?
Which PlayStation 5 edition should you buy? Sony
If you pay attention to the PS5 restock updates and simply need to buy a PlayStation 5 as soon as possible, you should get the first one you find in stock.
Buyers who own most of their PS4 games digitally and plan to buy all their new PS5 games digitally can save the $100 and go with the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.
Everyone else is better off spending the extra $100 upfront and getting the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive. This allows you to play PS4 backward compatible games on disk, get the new PS5 versions of many games you bought on disc for the PS4, swap games and watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.
Newsweek may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. We participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Will Top Companies Follow Elon Musk's Lead and Flee California for Unregulated States?

Elon Musk 's decision to move his home and corporate headquarters out of California has many wondering if it is a harbinger of an exodus of major companies leaving the Golden State .
Many companies , including Musk 's Tesla , a maker of electric cars , cite high taxes , burdensome regulations and deteriorating quality of life as reasons for leaving .
Last Spring , during the first major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic , Musk got into a squabble about re-opening the Tesla production line in Fremont in the East Bay , where his company produces cars in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials ordered it closed as part of the effort to curb spread of the coronavirus .
Musk reopened and dared officials to arrest him .
During the dustup with county authorities in May , Musk tweeted , `` Frankly , this is the final straw .
Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately .
If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all , it will be [ dependent ] on how Tesla is treated in the future .
Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enterprise , a company that traces its origin to David Packard and Bill Hewlett 's garage workshop in Palo Alto , commonly recognized as the birthplace of `` Silicon Valley , '' said it also planned to move its headquarters to Texas .
In August , Palantir Technologies , a data analytics software company , said it would relocate to Denver from Palo Alto .
Despite the departure of some firms , California remains home to the many of the largest technology and internet companies in the world , including Google , Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , PayPal , LinkedIn , Nvidia , eBay and Intel .
Google and Facebook are expanding their operations in California .
DoorDash and Airbnb , which recently launched hot IPOs , are based in San Francisco .
Other top companies based in California include Netflix , Walt Disney , Kaiser Permanente , Amgen , McKesson , Mattel , Safeway , Taco Bell , Chevron , Petco Holdings , Salesforce and Levi Strauss .
If California were an independent country , its $ 2.9 trillion economy would be the fifth largest in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't concerned about California losing Tesla .
`` I 'm not worried about Elon ( Musk ) leaving anytime soon , '' California Governor Gavin Newsom told CNBC in May after Tesla 's CEO threatened to leave the state .
`` I 've had a lot of conversations with him , and we 're committed to the success and the innovation and the low-carbon , green growth economy that he 's been promoting for decades and the state of California is accelerating in . ''
The move to Texas appears to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in line to receive stock options worth billions .
Tesla 's stock is up about 605 % year-to-date .
In a research report , Joseph Vranich , head of Spectrum Location Solutions , a site selection company that helps companies find areas to accommodate future growth , said at least 13,000 companies left California between 2008 and 2016 .
By his estimate , the exodus cost the state $ 76.7 billion and about 275,000 jobs .
`` Every time a company departs the state , or does a U-turn and abandons its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state loses capital investment projects , future tax revenue and jobs , '' he wrote in a research report .
Vranich said companies that leave California have multiple reasons for moving elsewhere .
`` Winning states have lower taxes , sensible regulations , reasonable energy costs and a better quality of life , '' he said .
The state has set a goal of zero emissions by 2045 .
Some critics say the state is over-taxed and over-regulated .
`` California is too expensive , and its taxes and regulations are too high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public policy think tank at Stanford University , said in a research report .
The Tax Foundation ranks the state 48th worst in business climate and regulatory burden .
California 's cost of living is 50 % higher than the national average .
When Erica Douglas moved her company , Whoosh Traffic , to Austin , Texas from San Diego a few years ago , she wrote : '' I 'm leaving you .
I 've struggled with a government that is notoriously business-unfriendly – with everything from high taxes on earning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with bureaucracy .
I paid enough in California income tax in one year alone to hire another worker for my business .
And you charge me $ 800 annually as a corporation fee , when most states charge just a few dollars . ''
Texas imposes a 0.75 % franchise tax on business profits compared with California 's 8.85 % corporate tax .
San Francisco imposes a 0.38 % payroll tax and a 0.6 % gross receipts tax .
Texas does n't have a state income tax .
California 's top rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
The hike may be applied retroactively .
California has proposed a 0.4 % wealth tax that would involve financial assets , off-shore holdings , real estate , pensions , art and collectibles such as antiques .
Proponents believe the measure will generate $ 7.5 billion in new revenue , but that assumes people subject to the levy do n't leave the state , shuffle their holdings or trim their tax liability .
Many European nations abandoned the wealth tax after finding its complexity made it nearly unworkable , and found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1990 , 12 European nations had a wealth tax .
Today , only three continue to impose the levy .
An estimated 42,000 people left France because of the wealth tax , France24 , a state-owned television news network , reported .
The tax debate is ongoing in California and the nation : Who should pay and how much should they be taxed ?
Americans with incomes greater than $ 200,000 a year earn about 45 % of all pre-tax income .
The top 0.4 % of households , or about 700,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million and earn about 13 % of pretax income , the Brookings Institution , a Washington-based public policy think tank , said .
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the top 1 % of U.S. households in 2016 reported that their inflation-adjusted income before taxes rose nearly 300 % between 1979 and 2016 .
The next 9 % of high-earners saw income grow about 75 % while the rest of the population saw pre-tax increase about 33 % during those years .
However , those in higher income brackets pay more in taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 % earned 54 % of all income and paid 69 % of all federal taxes .
The top 1 % earned 16 % of all income and paid 25 % of all taxes , the Congressional Budget office reported .
Couples with taxable income after deductions of $ 612,000 or more now pay at a 37 % tax rate for each additional dollar of income while those with incomes between $ 408,000 and $ 611,999 pay at a 35 % rate .
The top marginal rate dropped from 50 % in 1986 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then has climbed to 39.6 % .
During the Eisenhower administration , generally recognized as the most prosperous period in American history , the top marginal tax rate was 91 % .
Those who believe high earners do n't pay their `` fair share '' of taxes suggest boosting tax rates at the top .
Some Congressional Democrats have proposed raising the top tax rates by one percentage point to raise about $ 25 billion over 10 years .
Others have proposed increasing the top tax rate to as much as 70 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual tax on households with a net worth higher than $ 50 million and a 3 % tax on net worth over $ 1 billion .
For example , a family with a net worth of $ 60 million would pay an addition $ 180,000 wealth tax plus income taxes .
Other proposals include increasing the estate tax and lifting the cap on Social Security taxes .
`` Opponents say this would cut cash wages to the affected workers – the more taxes an employer pays the less it will be willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the Brookings Institution reported .
Democrats hold super-majorities in both houses of the legislature in Sacramento , and could easily raise taxes in line with federal proposals or impose new levies .
Critics say Californians do n't get value for their tax dollars , and point to thousands of people leaving the state as evidence of its decline .
Although California did lead the nation in emigrants in 2018 with 661,026 people leaving the state , it is also the most populous state in the union with 39.51 million people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The California percentage of emigrants was 1.67 % , putting it in virtual tie with Elon Musk 's new home state of Texas , which had 1.61 % of its population depart for greener pastures .
Florida had a greater emigration rate at 2.08 % than either California or Texas , although , like Texas , it has no income tax and is less regulated .
Florida had the largest number of people moving into the state with 566,476 .
It was followed by Texas with 524,511 new arrivals and California with @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Elon Musk's decision to move his home and corporate headquarters out of California has many wondering if it is a harbinger of an exodus of major companies leaving the Golden State. Many companies, including Musk's Tesla, a maker of electric cars, cite high taxes, burdensome regulations and deteriorating quality of life as reasons for leaving.
Last Spring, during the first major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Musk got into a squabble about re-opening the Tesla production line in Fremont in the East Bay, where his company produces cars in a former GM plant. Alameda County officials ordered it closed as part of the effort to curb spread of the coronavirus. Musk reopened and dared officials to arrest him.
They didn't.
During the dustup with county authorities in May, Musk tweeted, "Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be [dependent] on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA."
Earlier this month, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a company that traces its origin to David Packard and Bill Hewlett's garage workshop in Palo Alto, commonly recognized as the birthplace of "Silicon Valley," said it also planned to move its headquarters to Texas. In August, Palantir Technologies, a data analytics software company, said it would relocate to Denver from Palo Alto.
Despite the departure of some firms, California remains home to the many of the largest technology and internet companies in the world, including Google, Facebook, Apple, Cisco Systems, Qualcomm, PayPal, LinkedIn, Nvidia, eBay and Intel. Google and Facebook are expanding their operations in California.
DoorDash and Airbnb, which recently launched hot IPOs, are based in San Francisco.
Sign with logos for Google and the Google owned video streaming service YouTube at the Googleplex, the Silicon Valley headquarters of search engine and technology company Google Inc in Mountain View, California, April 14, 2018. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Other top companies based in California include Netflix, Walt Disney, Kaiser Permanente, Amgen, McKesson, Mattel, Safeway, Taco Bell, Chevron, Petco Holdings, Salesforce and Levi Strauss. If California were an independent country, its $2.9 trillion economy would be the fifth largest in the world.
In May, Governor Gavin Newson wasn't concerned about California losing Tesla.
"I'm not worried about Elon (Musk) leaving anytime soon," California Governor Gavin Newsom told CNBC in May after Tesla's CEO threatened to leave the state. "I've had a lot of conversations with him, and we're committed to the success and the innovation and the low-carbon, green growth economy that he's been promoting for decades and the state of California is accelerating in."
The move to Texas appears to have personal financial benefits for Musk, who is in line to receive stock options worth billions. Tesla's stock is up about 605% year-to-date.
In a research report, Joseph Vranich, head of Spectrum Location Solutions, a site selection company that helps companies find areas to accommodate future growth, said at least 13,000 companies left California between 2008 and 2016. By his estimate, the exodus cost the state $76.7 billion and about 275,000 jobs.
"Every time a company departs the state, or does a U-turn and abandons its plan to move to California, the state loses capital investment projects, future tax revenue and jobs," he wrote in a research report.
Vranich said companies that leave California have multiple reasons for moving elsewhere.
"Winning states have lower taxes, sensible regulations, reasonable energy costs and a better quality of life," he said.
The state has set a goal of zero emissions by 2045. Some critics say the state is over-taxed and over-regulated.
"California is too expensive, and its taxes and regulations are too high," the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank at Stanford University, said in a research report.
The Tax Foundation ranks the state 48th worst in business climate and regulatory burden. California's cost of living is 50% higher than the national average.
When Erica Douglas moved her company, Whoosh Traffic, to Austin, Texas from San Diego a few years ago, she wrote:
"Dear California,
"I'm leaving you. I've struggled with a government that is notoriously business-unfriendly – with everything from high taxes on earning to badgering businesses to work more to comply with bureaucracy. I paid enough in California income tax in one year alone to hire another worker for my business. And you charge me $800 annually as a corporation fee, when most states charge just a few dollars."
Texas imposes a 0.75% franchise tax on business profits compared with California's 8.85% corporate tax. San Francisco imposes a 0.38% payroll tax and a 0.6% gross receipts tax. Texas doesn't have a state income tax. California's top rate is 13.3% and may increase to 16.3%. The hike may be applied retroactively.
California has proposed a 0.4% wealth tax that would involve financial assets, off-shore holdings, real estate, pensions, art and collectibles such as antiques. Proponents believe the measure will generate $7.5 billion in new revenue, but that assumes people subject to the levy don't leave the state, shuffle their holdings or trim their tax liability.
Many European nations abandoned the wealth tax after finding its complexity made it nearly unworkable, and found that it failed to raise expected revenue. In 1990, 12 European nations had a wealth tax. Today, only three continue to impose the levy. An estimated 42,000 people left France because of the wealth tax, France24, a state-owned television news network, reported.
The tax debate is ongoing in California and the nation: Who should pay and how much should they be taxed?
Americans with incomes greater than $200,000 a year earn about 45% of all pre-tax income. The top 0.4% of households, or about 700,000 people, have incomes above $1 million and earn about 13% of pretax income, the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based public policy think tank, said.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the top 1% of U.S. households in 2016 reported that their inflation-adjusted income before taxes rose nearly 300% between 1979 and 2016. The next 9% of high-earners saw income grow about 75% while the rest of the population saw pre-tax increase about 33% during those years.
However, those in higher income brackets pay more in taxes than middle-income wage earners. The top 20% earned 54% of all income and paid 69% of all federal taxes. The top 1% earned 16% of all income and paid 25% of all taxes, the Congressional Budget office reported.
Couples with taxable income after deductions of $612,000 or more now pay at a 37% tax rate for each additional dollar of income while those with incomes between $408,000 and $611,999 pay at a 35% rate. The top marginal rate dropped from 50% in 1986 to 28% in 1988 but since then has climbed to 39.6%.
During the Eisenhower administration, generally recognized as the most prosperous period in American history, the top marginal tax rate was 91%.
Those who believe high earners don't pay their "fair share" of taxes suggest boosting tax rates at the top. Some Congressional Democrats have proposed raising the top tax rates by one percentage point to raise about $25 billion over 10 years. Others have proposed increasing the top tax rate to as much as 70%.
Others have proposed a 2% annual tax on households with a net worth higher than $50 million and a 3% tax on net worth over $1 billion. For example, a family with a net worth of $60 million would pay an addition $180,000 wealth tax plus income taxes.
Other proposals include increasing the estate tax and lifting the cap on Social Security taxes.
"Opponents say this would cut cash wages to the affected workers – the more taxes an employer pays the less it will be willing to pay in cash wages, economists say," the Brookings Institution reported.
Democrats hold super-majorities in both houses of the legislature in Sacramento, and could easily raise taxes in line with federal proposals or impose new levies. Critics say Californians don't get value for their tax dollars, and point to thousands of people leaving the state as evidence of its decline.
Although California did lead the nation in emigrants in 2018 with 661,026 people leaving the state, it is also the most populous state in the union with 39.51 million people, 12.04% of the total U.S. population. The California percentage of emigrants was 1.67%, putting it in virtual tie with Elon Musk's new home state of Texas, which had 1.61 % of its population depart for greener pastures. Florida had a greater emigration rate at 2.08% than either California or Texas, although, like Texas, it has no income tax and is less regulated.
Florida had the largest number of people moving into the state with 566,476. It was followed by Texas with 524,511 new arrivals and California with 523,131, the Census Bureau said.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Multiple Protesters Hit By Vehicle During Manhattan BLM Demonstration

A vehicle has reportedly struck multiple pedestrians around a Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) protest on 39th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan , New York City on Friday afternoon .
The driver , a woman , is in police custody after having struck six people .
One of the people is in serious condition with the other five having minor injuries , according to SpotNews.tv .
Two law enforcement sources said that protesters surrounded the driver 's car , tapping and pounding on it , which caused the panicked driver to speed away while plowing through protestors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness told the media outlet that the protest had been peaceful before the driver struck the pedestrians .
The driver reportedly stayed at the scene with victims , police told WINS-FM , though it 's unclear the extent of victims ' injuries or whether the driver will face any charges .
Officers have now asked drivers to avoid the area and , according to reports on Twitter , have told protesters and pedestrians to leave the area while they conduct an investigation or else risk an arrest .
One protester has already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
An eyewitness told NBC that the navy BMW with two white women in the front seats sped through the crowd , causing `` bodies flying '' as the other protesters attempted to escape the vehicle 's path .
`` I heard people screaming in the front , '' the witness said .
`` I look up , the car is speeding , people are trying to run .
There were bodies and people fleeing to people sitting on the sidewalks who got hit . ''
The accident occurred in the Murray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south of the Chrysler Building and the United Nations Headquarters .
About 30 BLM protesters people were demonstrating in solidarity with six detainees on a hunger strike at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Bergen County , New Jersey , CBS reports .
The detained hunger strikers have resisted food for 26 days and lost over 40 pounds , according to the non-profit Freedom for Immigrants .
Officials at the facility allegedly retaliated against the hunger strikers by denying them water , medical care , heat or sunlight , the nonprofit reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is infested with rodents , poorly cleaned and puts detainees at risk for possible exposure to COVID-19 .
Some lawmakers have proposed bills making it legal for motorists to hit protesters with their cars .
This month , Missouri state Representative Adam Schnelting filed the The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act .
A Missouri state Senator-elect pre-filed a similar bill this month .
`` The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act ensures that motorists who are trapped in their vehicle during a riot are civilly and criminally protected under state law , '' Schnelting tweeted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught in a mob and are being threatened , they should n't be held liable for inadvertently hitting a rioter if they flee the scene in order to save those in the car from physical danger . ''
Schnelting also disagreed that his bill applied to `` peaceful protests , '' tweeting `` The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act protects motorists from rioters & mobs , not 'protestors ' .
Peaceful protesting is a very American idea , one that I will support until the day I die . ''
Newsweek contacted the New @ @ @ @ @ @

A vehicle has reportedly struck multiple pedestrians around a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest on 39th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York City on Friday afternoon.
The driver, a woman, is in police custody after having struck six people. One of the people is in serious condition with the other five having minor injuries, according to SpotNews.tv.
Two law enforcement sources said that protesters surrounded the driver's car, tapping and pounding on it, which caused the panicked driver to speed away while plowing through protestors, according to WNBC-TV. However, a witness told the media outlet that the protest had been peaceful before the driver struck the pedestrians.
The driver reportedly stayed at the scene with victims, police told WINS-FM, though it's unclear the extent of victims' injuries or whether the driver will face any charges.
Officers have now asked drivers to avoid the area and, according to reports on Twitter, have told protesters and pedestrians to leave the area while they conduct an investigation or else risk an arrest. One protester has already been arrested for obstructing governmental administration, CBS reports.
News reports have stated that multiple pedestrians were hit at 39th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan during a Friday protest. In this July 10, 2012, pedestrians cross the street near West 4th Street park in New York City. Rob Kim/FilmMagic
An eyewitness told NBC that the navy BMW with two white women in the front seats sped through the crowd, causing "bodies flying" as the other protesters attempted to escape the vehicle's path.
"I heard people screaming in the front," the witness said. "I look up, the car is speeding, people are trying to run. There were bodies and people fleeing to people sitting on the sidewalks who got hit."
The accident occurred in the Murray Hill neighborhood of east Manhattan, just south of the Chrysler Building and the United Nations Headquarters.
About 30 BLM protesters people were demonstrating in solidarity with six detainees on a hunger strike at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Bergen County, New Jersey, CBS reports. The detained hunger strikers have resisted food for 26 days and lost over 40 pounds, according to the non-profit Freedom for Immigrants.
Officials at the facility allegedly retaliated against the hunger strikers by denying them water, medical care, heat or sunlight, the nonprofit reported. The strikers claim that the facility is infested with rodents, poorly cleaned and puts detainees at risk for possible exposure to COVID-19.
Some lawmakers have proposed bills making it legal for motorists to hit protesters with their cars. This month, Missouri state Representative Adam Schnelting filed the The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act. A Missouri state Senator-elect pre-filed a similar bill this month.
"The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act ensures that motorists who are trapped in their vehicle during a riot are civilly and criminally protected under state law," Schnelting tweeted on Thursday. "If your grandparents are caught in a mob and are being threatened, they shouldn't be held liable for inadvertently hitting a rioter if they flee the scene in order to save those in the car from physical danger."
Schnelting also disagreed that his bill applied to "peaceful protests," tweeting "The Fleeing Motorist Protection Act protects motorists from rioters & mobs, not 'protestors'. Peaceful protesting is a very American idea, one that I will support until the day I die."
Newsweek contacted the New York Police Department for comment.


newsweek--2020-12-11--Next 'Smash Ultimate' Amiibo Release Date Confirmed for March, Pre-Orders Live

Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate fans were treated to a brand new character reveal during The Game Awards 2020 , and now they know when the next wave of amiibo are coming .
Nintendo announced Thursday night that the amiibo for the final three DLC characters of Fighters Pass 1—that 's Banjo and Kazooie , Terry and Byleth—will be released in March of 2021 .
`` Super Smash Bros Ultimate amiibo for DLC fighters Banjo & Kazooie , Terry , and Byleth will be available starting March 26th ! ''
the official Nintendo of America account tweeted .
The announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trailer announcing that Sephiroth , from the Final Fantasy franchise , will be joining Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate .
More information on Sephiroth , including his play style and likely release date , will be revealed during a special demo with series producer Masahiro Sakurai on Thursday , December 17 .
Sephiroth is set to release in Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate before the end of 2020 , which , great , but this post is n't about that new character—it 's about the upcoming amiibo .
While we know that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 , 2021 , some online retailers have pre-orders available now .
The Banjo and Kazooie amiibo for Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate will cost $ 15.99 .
However , there is only one retailer that has the figure available to pre-order , and that 's Best Buy .
We 'll update this list when other retailers have amiibo available .
The Terry Bogard amiibo for Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate will cost $ 15.99 .
Best Buy is currently the only online retailer that has the amiibo available to pre-order .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have amiibo available .
The Byleth amiibo for Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate will cost $ 15.99 .
And—wait for it—Best Buy is currently the only online retailer that has the amiibo available to pre-order .
We 'll update this list when other retailers have amiibo available .
Fans looking for a female Byleth amiibo may be disappointed to learn that there are no plans to make one .
Masahiro Sakurai confirmed in a special Nintendo Direct in October that there wo n't be a female Byleth amiibo , and the one being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course , Corrin—another Fire Emblem protagonist—had its male and female depictions both preserved in amiibo form .
Perhaps a female Byleth amiibo will be released in the future , but for now there are no plans .
Super Smash Bros .
Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch .
What do you think of the new amiibo being released ?
Which of the three are you hoping to purchase ?
Let us know in the comments section .

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fans were treated to a brand new character reveal during The Game Awards 2020, and now they know when the next wave of amiibo are coming.
Nintendo announced Thursday night that the amiibo for the final three DLC characters of Fighters Pass 1—that's Banjo and Kazooie, Terry and Byleth—will be released in March of 2021.
"Super Smash Bros Ultimate amiibo for DLC fighters Banjo & Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth will be available starting March 26th!" the official Nintendo of America account tweeted.
Super #SmashBrosUltimate #amiibo for DLC fighters Banjo & Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth will be available starting March 26th! pic.twitter.com/IrjvmByp4o — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 11, 2020
The announcement came minutes after the release of a trailer announcing that Sephiroth, from the Final Fantasy franchise, will be joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. More information on Sephiroth, including his play style and likely release date, will be revealed during a special demo with series producer Masahiro Sakurai on Thursday, December 17.
Sephiroth is set to release in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before the end of 2020, which, great, but this post isn't about that new character—it's about the upcoming amiibo.
While we know that all three amiibo will be released on March 26, 2021, some online retailers have pre-orders available now.
Byleth (left), Banjo & Kazooie, and Terry amiibo for 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' Nintendo
BANJO & KAZOOIE
The Banjo and Kazooie amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will cost $15.99. However, there is only one retailer that has the figure available to pre-order, and that's Best Buy.
We'll update this list when other retailers have amiibo available.
TERRY BOGARD
The Terry Bogard amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will cost $15.99. Best Buy is currently the only online retailer that has the amiibo available to pre-order.
We'll update this list when other retailers have amiibo available.
BYLETH
The Byleth amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will cost $15.99. And—wait for it—Best Buy is currently the only online retailer that has the amiibo available to pre-order.
We'll update this list when other retailers have amiibo available.
Fans looking for a female Byleth amiibo may be disappointed to learn that there are no plans to make one. Masahiro Sakurai confirmed in a special Nintendo Direct in October that there won't be a female Byleth amiibo, and the one being purchased will depict the male version.
Of course, Corrin—another Fire Emblem protagonist—had its male and female depictions both preserved in amiibo form. Perhaps a female Byleth amiibo will be released in the future, but for now there are no plans.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
What do you think of the new amiibo being released? Which of the three are you hoping to purchase? Let us know in the comments section.