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DALLAS — Have you noticed an unexpected line item on your restaurant receipt lately? TouchBistro says service charges, also known as, “mandatory fees...sometimes referred to as junk fees” that “may not be particularly popular with guests” are being added by many Texas restaurants to bring in some extra revenue to offset higher food, rent and labor costs. TouchBistro provides technology for those convenient point of service payment systems and other computer programs to help run thousands of restaurants. They surveyed restaurant owners and found that 34% of them in Houston, 30% in Austin, and 26% of them in Dallas are now adding an extra charge to the check to help their bottom lines. So, look out for service charges, even though restaurateurs have apparently already figured out that the hungry folks of Texas are fully fed up with paying more when they go out to eat. Sizable percentages of them in Texas (57% in Austin, 45% in Dallas, and 30% in Houston) acknowledged they've raised menu prices this year, and that many of them then observed that many of us started spending less, tipping less, and ordering less alcohol and fewer food dishes. Truth be told, I wish I had ordered one less dish recently when I opted for a slice of key lime pie at a Texas restaurant that shall remain unnamed here. I never saw it on the menu, the waiter just suggested it. And the pie was good. But then I got the bill and saw it was $12.95 a slice. Frankly, it wasn’t that good. There were a few other interesting takeaways from the TouchBistro restaurateur survey. If you are wondering what is taking so long in the Dallas area, the survey found the restaurant staffing shortages are worse there (an average of 4.5 positions short) than at the average restaurant in Austin (3.7 positions that need to be filled) and Houston (3 positions shy of full staffing). Also, it looks like those QR code menus are here to stay. Responding to TouchBistro’s questionnaire, restaurants reportedly indicated, “QR code menus and QR code payments have been among the most popular tech to implement”. They also found that more of us here in Texas are ordering takeout. The survey says that compared to last year, 52% of restaurant owners report ‘slightly increased’ takeout/delivery orders, with another 36% noting ‘significantly increased’ to go order activity. The check-in with restaurants also revealed that more and more Texas eateries are trying to entice us to come in or take out by advertising on social media. And while higher percentages of them are using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, 44% are on TikTok and that number is growing, “Likely driven by the fact that organic content can gain much wider reach via TikTok’s ‘For You Page’ discovery tool”. A word about tipping (outside of restaurants) How does your holiday tipping budget look? This has become a big thing. Bankrate put out a survey and tipping comparison for all sorts of vital service professionals in our lives. Here are the varying percentages of people giving holiday gratuities and the median amount they are giving to the people on whom they rely: Housekeeper: 57% plan to give a median of $50 Childcare provider: 55% plan to give a median of $50 Teacher: 53% plan to give a median of $25 Landscaper/gardener/snow remover: 41% plan to give a median of $30 Mail carrier: 31% plan to give a median of $20 Trash/recycling collector: 26% plan to give a median of $20 Kiplinger also put out a holiday tipping article and went much further, offering suggested gratuities, including: Newspaper delivery person: Suggested Tip: $10 to $30 Grocery delivery person: Suggested Tip: $10 to $30. Hair stylist: Suggested Tip: The cost of one visit Pet’s groomer: Suggested Tip: Up to the cost of a session Personal trainer: Suggested Tip: Up to the cost of one session Personal caregiver: Suggested Tip: One week to one month of pay Golf, pickleball or tennis pro: Suggested Tip: A nice gift FedEx/UPS/Amazon drivers: Suggested Tip: Basket of pre-packaged goods So, how’s your holiday budget looking after all that? A final note from the Bankrate survey: Most people reported they add a holiday tip to say thanks or for good service or to be generous. But a decent percentage admitted they do it because it’s expected or because they want to get better service next year. Perhaps sometimes it is just the money that should count and not the thought...SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks activated center Nico Sturm off injured reserve Monday and made room for him on the 23-man roster by assigning defenseman Jack Thompson to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. The transactions mean that the Sharks currently have 14 forwards, six defensemen, and three goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek, and rookie Yaroslav Askarov. Sturm’s return to the Sharks’ active roster was believed to be imminent after he showed signs of improvement last week and practiced with the team on Sunday. He also took part in the Sharks’ morning skate on Monday, when he was officially considered a game-time decision by coach Ryan Warsofsky. The Sharks play the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night in the second game of a four-game homestand. Warsofsky did not say who his starting goalie would be. Warsofsky said he had a few players who were “nicked up” and considered game-time decisions, although it would be a surprise not to see Sturm, a mainstay as the Sharks’ fourth-line center, play against the Kings. Sturm, injured in the Sharks’ game earlier this month against the New York Rangers, is the Sharks’ faceoff leader by percentage and is one of the team’s leading penalty-killing forwards. Thompson has been on the Sharks’ roster for almost the entire season and played in 13 of the team’s 23 games. His five points are third-most among all Sharks defensemen, as he’s averaged just under 16 minutes of ice time per game. The Sharks have had three goalies on their roster since Nov. 18, when they recalled Askarov from the Barracuda. At the time, Vanecek was considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but Vanecek backed up Blackwood on Saturday in the Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Askarov made his Sharks debut on Thursday, making 29 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. Please check back for updates to this story.None

Seoul-based cinema technology pioneer CJ 4DPLEX has elevated company veteran Jun Bang as its new CEO. The announcement, made Wednesday, highlights Bang’s contributions to the company’s ongoing success in revolutionizing the cinematic experience in South Korea and beyond. Bang, who joined CJ 4DPLEX in 2018, most recently served as COO of content and marketing, where he oversaw original content investments, theatrical distribution, and global marketing operations. He was instrumental in building the company’s alternative content business, producing and distributing nearly 20 original films annually, including concert films from K-pop stars and major U.S. acts, like Coldplay’s , as well as other live theatrical broadcasts of top-billed events like the Korean Baseball Organization’s playoff series, shown in the immersive ScreenX format. Before leading the content division at CJ 4DPLEX, he was a senior director of content business innovation, overseeing investment and distribution strategies as well as ScreenX and 4DX studio operations. He was also instrumental in building the ScreenX VFX Production Studio, which houses nearly 100 visual artists and has allowed the ScreenX format to significantly increase its content slate to encompass major Hollywood blockbusters as well as local tentpole projects from Japan and Korea. “Transitioning into the role of CEO at CJ 4DPLEX, I am excited to lead the company in its next phase during a pivotal moment in cinematic entertainment,” said Bang. “With all the recent momentum our theaters have gained, we will aggressively expand all facets of our operation as more moviegoers seek out 4DX and ScreenX experiences worldwide.” CJ 4DPLEX operates two innovative cinema technologies that have attempted to redefine the theatrical experience. The 4DX format offers a multisensory experience through motion-based seating synchronized with effects like wind, water, scents, and vibrations, creating an immersive connection to on-screen action. There are over 800 4DX theaters across 70 countries. The ScreenX format expands select sequences of a film onto the left and right walls of the auditorium, creating a 270-degree panoramic experience. With over 420 ScreenX theaters in 40 countries, the technology provides a virtual reality-like experience with cinema-quality resolution. CJ 4DPLEX is a subsidiary of CJ CGV and a part of the larger CJ Group, which includes entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM. Bang’s appointment was hailed by Don Savant, CEO and president of CJ 4DPLEX America. “Jun’s leadership in developing alternative content and expanding our VFX capabilities has been a game changer for the cinema industry, which is fighting to differentiate itself from home and streaming platforms,” Savant said in a statement. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter

Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert broke new ground over the weekend when she became the first sitting member of Congress to offer personalized messages for sale — starting at $250 — through . The Windsor Republican, who won election to this month after moving across the state, started the account Saturday. The website allows customers to buy personalized video messages from celebrities. On Monday morning, Boebert advertised her messages starting at $250, though she stopped taking requests by 10:45 a.m. mountain time. “Whether you or someone you know needs an America-first pep talk, if you want to surprise friends or family with a message for a special day, or if you just want to know my thoughts on whatever’s on your mind, Cameo is the place to connect with me,” Boebert says in an introductory video. Brandon Kazimer, a Cameo spokesperson, confirmed that the account belonged to Boebert. Boebert’s office declined to comment Monday. Kazimer said she’s the first sitting member of Congress to sign up for the service as talent. At least two other former members of Congress, George Santos of New York and Matt Gaetz of Florida, have sold videos on the platform. Santos soon after he was expelled from Congress last year over allegations he for personal financial gain. Gaetz, who is a friend of Boebert’s, Friday, days after he withdrew his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to be the U.S. attorney general following that he paid a teenage girl for sex. Boebert does not appear to have advertised the service on her other social media accounts on X or Facebook. will limit how much Boebert can earn from the videos. In 2023, members were limited to making $31,815 in outside income beyond their annual $174,000 salaries. She will have to report any earnings from Cameo on her annual disclosures. The law also prohibits people from using their public office to make outside money, said Kedric Payne, a vice president and senior director of ethics for the Campaign Legal Center. Ultimately, the restriction is meant to give voters confidence that elected officials aren’t using public office for personal gain — or putting that gain ahead of their public service. Boebert describes herself on Cameo as “Not your typical Colorado Republican politician. Jesus loving, Constitutionalist, America first, freedom fighter.” An earlier version of her Cameo page listed Boebert as a politician and categorized her as a political commentator, but it was updated to list her under the influencers category. Because she doesn’t use her title or appear to use other facets of her public job for the videos, such as filming in her congressional office, “that should take away any concern she’s trying to use her public job for personal gain,” Payne said. He added that the limit on outside income also anticipates these kinds of problems by limiting the incentive for members to spend more effort on outside business ventures than their public service. But, he noted, people can cross that line quickly if it’s not clear if they’re acting in their public or private capacity. The earned income that’s subject to the annual cap is considered separate from passive income made through things like stock market investments, Payne said, because it is actively made by selling goods and services. “We’ll be watching to see if this becomes a trend,” Payne said of the Cameo side work. “If this is just a one-off where someone does this for a month or so, that’s one thing — but if it becomes a trend, where members of Congress are trying to act as influencers and get paid, that could point to a bigger problem.”Rivian Automotive ( RIVN 0.67% ) didn't blow away investors with its third-quarter earnings report last month, but November was still a big month for the company and its stock. The company did reiterate some operational guidance, but parts supply issues resulting in a lower production outlook for the year forced the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer to forecast increasing losses. Yet the stock soared by 21.1% in November, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence . That's because the longer-term outlook for Rivian improved immensely with two announcements that will meaningfully bolster the company's capital position . Rivian investors are thinking long-term In its third-quarter earnings report in early November, the EV start-up told investors it still expected to deliver between 50,000 and 52,000 units in 2024. That guidance had been reduced in October, however, due to supply chain issues on certain parts. Maybe more importantly, management held to the prediction that Rivian would generate a positive gross profit in the fourth quarter thanks to ongoing progress in reducing costs. But the supply issues still forced the company to lower its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ( EBITDA ) guidance for 2024 by as much as $175 million. That mixed news isn't what drove the stock higher, though. More impactful was word that global auto giant Volkswagen Group would be investing as much as almost $6 billion in a new partnership with Rivian. The investment includes $1 billion through a convertible note that would automatically convert into Rivian equity . Another $1.3 billion is a direct cash infusion to close a new technical joint venture between the two companies. The plan is then for further equity investments from Volkswagen over the next several years. Things got even better for Rivian That news was huge for Rivian as it helps reduce its capital needs heading into the start of production of its next-generation R2 next year. That fully electric midsize SUV is expected to start at a price of about $45,000, making it more affordable than Rivian's current lineup, and potentially more desirable for a larger customer base. The deal also calls for Volkswagen to fund 75% of the shared platform costs in the new joint venture. Investors see the potential for other automakers to tap into Rivian's EV platform architecture in the future, too. Investors also got a chance to envision another phase of growth for Rivian beyond the Volkswagen partnership. In late November the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a commitment for a conditional loan of up to $6.6 billion for Rivian. The DOE loan would help the company with the construction of a planned new production plant in Georgia. That plant is expected to expand the capacity for Rivian's R2 platform as well as build a future, smaller R3 SUV. Investors now see a real path for Rivian to grow into profitability. That explains the big November move in the stock.

By KENYA HUNTER, Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington . As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race , held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating residents’ pets , he didn’t just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris , many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris’ loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women’s concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution , which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government programs and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people . Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,”’ she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Some of Trump’s plans affect people in Olivia Gordon’s immediate community, which is why she struggled to get behind the “Black women rest” wave. Gordon, a New York-based lawyer who supported the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, worries about who may be left behind if the 92% of Black women voters who backed Harris simply stopped advocating. “We’re talking millions of Black women here. If millions of Black women take a step back, it absolutely leaves holes, but for other Black women,” she said. “I think we sometimes are in the bubble of if it’s not in your immediate circle, maybe it doesn’t apply to you. And I truly implore people to understand that it does.” Nicole Lewis, an Alabama-based therapist who specializes in treating Black women’s stress, said she’s aware that Black women withdrawing from social impact movements could have a fallout. But she also hopes that it forces a reckoning for the nation to understand the consequences of not standing in solidarity with Black women. “It could impact things negatively because there isn’t that voice from the most empathetic group,” she said. “I also think it’s going to give other groups an opportunity to step up. ... My hope is that they do show up for themselves and everyone else.” Brown said a reckoning might be exactly what the country needs, but it’s a reckoning for everyone else. Black women, she said, did their job when they supported Harris in droves in hopes they could thwart the massive changes expected under Trump. “This ain’t our reckoning,” she said. “I don’t feel no guilt.” AP polling editor Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Driving are evading detection from speed cameras by using so-called 'ghosts plates' that aren't picked up by traditional enforcement tools. Authorities are cracking down on the use of these unique plates that obscure the registration from camera detection, rendering them illegitimate. The illegal 3D and 4D 'ghost plates' reflect light, concealing the plate to skirt detection. Now, police forces are arming themselves with advanced cameras capable of spotting these deceptive devices. The head of the UK's Automatic Number Plate Recognition system technology expressed concern over the use of 'ghost plates'. According to Professor Fraser Simpson, who called it, 'staggeringly simple' practice, previously wrote a letter to then-Transport Secretary Mark Harper after leaving his role as Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, lamenting the lack of action being taken to curb this issue, reports Wales Online. READ MORE: Veteran was 'programmed to ignore pain' - it had tragic consequences READ MORE: Blue Badge warning as breaking rules could lead to £1,000 fine Local authorities are now being equipped with cameras designed to 'see' these elusive plates. Wolverhampton is one locality where council officers have been provided these upgraded cameras as part of the intensified efforts. Car owners found using these unlawful number plates can expect to receive a £100 penalty. Councillor Craig Collingswood, responsible for environment and climate change at Wolverhampton City Council, spoke to BirminghamLive about the initiative. "Wolverhampton is leading the way as the first council investing in this state-of-the-art technology to deter and detect offenders," he said. Also known as 3D and 4D plates, police are now equipping themselves with special cameras to detect people flouting the law (Image: Wales Online) "Bus lanes are essential for the public transport network to operate efficiently and speed cameras help to keep the public safe from speeding vehicles and reduce the likelihood of a crash. "All motorists can expect to pay a fine if found to be using these illegal methods to avoid cameras and taxi drivers licensed by Wolverhampton may have their licence suspended or revoked." Writing to Mr Harper, Professor Sampson revealed that people are evading fines by cloning number plates, using reflective tape, and purchasing 'stealth plates', allowing them to speed or sneak into low-emission zones undetected. "All motorists can expect to pay a fine if found to be using these illegal methods to avoid cameras," says Councillor Craig Collingswood (Image: Getty Images) He added that despite technology being advanced, there is still only a 97% accuracy with number plate recognition – leading to approximately 2.4 million misreadings daily, which could result in faultless drivers being mistakenly ticketed. Professor Sampson said that around 15,400 traffic lanes monitored by cameras create between 75 and 80 million number plate reads daily and sometimes exceeding 80 million, with predictions this could surge to 100 million reads every day by the conclusion of 2024. Prof Sampson has highlighted a significant flaw in the ANPR system, despite its technological advancements and operational indispensability. "For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle. Traffic cameras still only a 97% accuracy, according to Professor Sampson (Image: Getty Images) "Served by a wholly unregulated market, what my predecessor termed the humble number plate represents a single and readily assailable point of failure with the ANPR network being easily defeated by the manufacture and sale of stealth plates, cloned registration marks and other rudimentary obscurant tactics. "The result is that the ability to frustrate the ANPR system remains staggeringly simple at a time when proper reliance on it for key public services such as policing, law enforcement and traffic management is increasing daily. "Emission zones and other strategic traffic enforcement schemes put motorists in situations where they have to make significant financial choices and it is at least arguable that the incentives for some to 'game' the ANPR systems have never been greater." "One in 15 drivers may already be using anti-ANPR technology," says Prof Sampson (Image: MEN Media) Prof Sampson also mentioned how easy it is to obtain means to deceive the technology. "Merely by applying reflective tape to distort part of a registration plate or purchasing stealth plates from online vendors, motorists can confuse and confound current number plate recognition technology and both of these are easily obtainable. "One recent estimate suggested that one in fifteen drivers may already be using anti-ANPR technology; it is reasonable to expect this conduct to increase as the reliance on ANPR for new traffic management schemes continues."