general 101 - The Latremie Post

AOC’s speedy OLED gaming monitor is down to $450 today

OLED monitor deals were on fire last year, but in 2025, it’s been a lot harder to find one that’s affordable. (Okay, affordable is a relative term—it’s been harder to find a significantly discounted model.) Fortunately, things are finally starting to settle back down.

Take this AOC Agon monitor as an example: today, it’s going for just $449.99 on Amazon. The Agon AG276QZD2 hits about the baseline for a current OLED, featuring a familiar 27-inch, 2560×1440 panel with a 240Hz refresh rate—a definite upgrade over lower-priced monitors from just a year ago.

That refresh rate is fast enough to handle the twitchy gameplay of online shooters like Counter-Strike and Valorant, while still delivering the gorgeous colors and perfect contrast that make OLED so desirable.

You can read more in PCWorld’s full review of this monitor, which didn’t fare great at $1,000 but looks a lot more palatable at less than half that price.

This basic model is still a little spare when it comes to expansion options. It lacks a USB-C port and offers just two USB-A ports for accessories. So, it’s not an ideal companion for a gaming laptop. However, the double HDMI and DisplayPort options make it a good choice if you like to have game consoles alongside your desktop PC.

This is the lowest I’ve seen a name-brand 240Hz OLED go in a while, but you might have more options coming for Black Friday later this month. If you’re still looking, be sure to check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best monitors on the market.

Get a 24-inch AOC OLED gaming monitor for MONEY_.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2963284/aocs-speedy-oled-gaming-monitor-is-down-to-450-today.html

A New Documentary Oscar Campaign Stop Launches in London

Apple TV‘s *Come See Me In The Good Light*, a documentary about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley, will kick off the inaugural London-based documentary showcase LLDNDOCS on November 21.

The newly formed three-day event will feature a lineup of 10 documentary features that explore how memory and time shape our relationships and the lasting impact they leave. In addition to Ryan White’s *Come See Me In The Good Light*, the lineup includes fellow Oscar contenders Ben Stiller’s *Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost* (Apple TV), Brittany Shyne’s *Seeds*, and Tamara Kotevska’s *The Tale Of Silyan* (Nat. Geo.).

The majority of screenings will be followed by post-screening Q&A sessions with attending directors, producers, and special guests, offering audiences deeper insights into the films. The showcase will also feature a short film program comprised of Palestinian filmmakers creatively engaging with archival footage and images from Palestine.

LLDNDOCS was created and launched by Ben Fowlie, former Points North executive, artistic director, and founder of the Camden International Film Festival. Fowlie moved to London in 2024 and has an extensive background in documentary festivals. He conceived the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) in Maine in 2004, with the inaugural event taking place in 2005. In 2016, he co-founded the Points North Institute, which produces an annual documentary festival each September, alongside Sean Flynn and Caroline von Kuhn.

Fowlie says he launched LLDNDOCS “to build greater access to bold, ambitious nonfiction filmmaking in a city that continues to be a vital center for the global creative documentary community. It’s exciting to be helping to expand the awareness of the artists and stories pushing the form forward. For a city of nine million, London still feels intimate, and we intended to curate a program and create an experience that felt similarly.”

The 2025 LLDNDOCS showcase will take place November 21–23 at the Curzon Bloomsbury Cinema in the Brunswick Centre, London.

### LLDNDOCS 2025 Lineup Highlights:

– **The Bend In The River**
Director: Robb Moss
This film is the final installment of Moss’ documentary trilogy about a group of free-spirited friends navigating their way through life.

Stay tuned for more details on the full lineup and ticket information for this exciting new documentary festival in London.
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/lldndocsa-new-documentary-festival-london-1236566473/

Canada Follows U.S. in Regulating Stablecoins in Budget

**Canada to Establish New Stablecoin Laws, Mirroring the U.S. GENIUS Act**

Stablecoins are gaining worldwide attention for their ease of use in payment transactions. In response, Canada is on track to introduce new regulations for stablecoins, aligning its approach with recent legislative developments in the United States.

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### Canada Moves Forward with Stablecoin Regulations

As disclosed in the Canadian government’s 2025 budget released on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, stablecoin issuers will soon need to meet specific criteria under proposed federal legislation. These requirements include holding sufficient reserves and establishing clear redemption policies. Additionally, issuers must implement robust risk management frameworks designed to protect personal and financial data.

Starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the Bank of Canada will allocate $10 million over two years to oversee a smooth regulatory rollout. Following this initial phase, stablecoin issuers are expected to cover an estimated $5 million annually in regulatory costs. These rules will come under the ambit of the Retail Payment Activities Act.

The government’s primary goal is to deliver faster, cheaper, and safer digital transactions to benefit Canada’s 41.7 million residents. This effort also forms part of a broader initiative to modernize the country’s entire payment system.

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### No Central Bank Digital Currency for Now

Currently, Canada does not have a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The country canceled its digital loonie project in September 2024, with Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem stating, “No strong case yet.” Since then, Canada has shifted focus from developing a digital currency toward modernizing its domestic payment infrastructure.

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### Canada’s Stance Amid Market Movements

In an unexpected move, the National Bank of Canada adopted a bearish stance towards Bitcoin. The bank filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to exercise a put option on its BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF holdings, valued at more than $1.3 million.

Despite this cautious approach towards cryptocurrencies, Canada is eager not to lag behind in regulatory frameworks and global competition. The move to establish clear stablecoin laws follows the United States’ passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, signaling a growing emphasis on regulating digital assets.

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### Stablecoin Market Expansion

The introduction of regulatory frameworks in both the U.S. and Canadian markets comes amid rapid expansion in the stablecoin sector. Currently, the stablecoin market sits at approximately $309.1 billion. The U.S. Treasury estimated in April 2025 that this figure could surge to $2 trillion by 2028.

Stablecoins have already become dominant in several markets. For example, in Latin America, Tether (USDT) and USDC stablecoins hold a leading position. In Argentina, stablecoins make up 72% of all cryptocurrency purchases in 2024, far surpassing Bitcoin, which accounts for only 8%.

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### Innovation in Stablecoin Payments

Partnerships are accelerating the adoption of stablecoin payments worldwide. Recently, DeCard partnered with Polygon Labs to enable stablecoin payments across over 150 million merchants globally. This platform allows users to convert popular cryptocurrencies like USDT and USDC into traditional fiat currencies, which can be spent anywhere cards are accepted.

In Canada, payment platforms such as Tetra Digital are emerging as key players in the stablecoin space. Tetra Digital has raised $10 million to create a digital version of the Canadian dollar, backed by investments from major firms including Shopify, Wealthsimple, and the National Bank of Canada.

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Canada’s regulatory efforts and market innovations indicate a significant step toward integrating stablecoins into mainstream finance, ensuring secure and efficient digital payment options for Canadians.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/canada-follows-u-s-in-regulating-stablecoins-in-budget/

Dark matter obeys gravity just like ordinary matter, scientists discover

For decades, scientists have been trying to understand dark matter—the mysterious, invisible substance that makes up about 85% of all matter in the universe. It doesn’t emit or reflect light, making it impossible to see directly, and its nature remains one of the biggest puzzles in physics.

Now, a new study from researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and their international collaborators suggests that dark matter behaves much like ordinary matter when it comes to gravity.

The findings, published in *Nature Communications*, indicate that dark matter falls into gravitational wells—the regions of space distorted by the pull of massive objects—just as normal matter does. This discovery supports the idea that dark matter follows Einstein’s general theory of relativity and is not influenced by a mysterious “fifth force.”

However, the results still leave open the possibility that an undiscovered force could exist, albeit one much weaker than gravity.

Ordinary matter—the kind that makes up stars, planets, and humans—responds to four known forces: gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces that operate inside atoms. But dark matter, which interacts very little with anything other than gravity, has long been suspected of possibly obeying an additional, unknown force.

To test this, the UNIGE-led team examined the motion of galaxies across the universe. Because galaxies are mostly made of dark matter, their movements should reveal how dark matter behaves under the influence of gravity.

“We compared the velocities of galaxies with the depths of the gravitational wells they fall into,” explained Camille Bonvin, a theoretical physicist at UNIGE and co-author of the study.

If dark matter followed different rules than ordinary matter, galaxies would move in unexpected ways—falling faster or slower into these wells depending on whether another force was acting on them.

“Our results suggest that dark matter obeys the same equations that describe ordinary matter,” Bonvin said. Specifically, the researchers found that Euler’s equations, which describe how matter moves under gravity, still hold true for dark matter.

However, they caution that this does not fully eliminate the possibility of a new, extremely weak force. According to Nastassia Grimm, the study’s lead author, if such a fifth force exists, it would have to be less than 7% as strong as gravity, or it would have already been detected.

The team’s next goal is to push these limits even further. Future astronomical surveys—such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)—will collect even more precise data on galaxy motion. These new observations could detect forces as faint as 2% of gravity’s strength, offering deeper insight into dark matter’s true nature.

“This study marks an important step forward,” said Isaac Tutusaus, co-author and researcher at the University of Toulouse. “We now know dark matter doesn’t blatantly defy gravity—but the universe may still be hiding subtle forces we’ve yet to uncover.”
https://knowridge.com/2025/11/dark-matter-obeys-gravity-just-like-ordinary-matter-scientists-discover/

Three new businesses part of Brookfield revitalization

**Brookfield Experiences Growth Surge Amid Revitalization Efforts**

The town of Brookfield is witnessing a significant growth surge thanks to its revitalization initiatives aimed at attracting companies looking to relocate or expand their businesses in the area.

“Brookfield has experienced higher-than-historical-average growth since potable water mains were installed along the Federal Road corridor about 15 years ago,” said Greg Dembowski, Brookfield’s Economic Development Director.

Since 2016, 705 housing units have been constructed across 13 multi-housing developments, all situated along Federal Road. This growth accelerated following the implementation of the town’s revitalization plan, crafted as part of the 2015 Plan of Conservation and Development. The plan included zoning regulation changes that allowed for mixed-use development, further encouraging growth.

With the influx of new housing developments, the town has also welcomed two new grocery stores, dozens of retail shops, medical and personal care services, professional businesses, light manufacturing facilities, and restaurants.

Recently, Brookfield celebrated the grand opening of three new businesses: a family-focused swim instruction center, a family-owned and operated restaurant, and a premier wine and spirits retailer.

“Brookfield continues to demonstrate smart, sustainable growth that benefits residents and businesses alike,” said Maura Ruby, President & CEO of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce.

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### LIVE2SWIM Opens in Brookfield

Located at 94 Old State Road, LIVE2SWIM is a year-round children’s swim school dedicated to teaching lifesaving swimming skills in a clean, comfortable, and child-friendly environment.

“It’s an honor to bring LIVE2SWIM to Brookfield. We’re excited to join this amazing community and to play a role in helping children build lifelong water safety skills, confidence, and a true love for swimming,” said Dylan Elkind, the school’s principal.

The facility has been renovated to include a new viewing area, updated shower and restroom facilities, a game room, and more, creating a welcoming space for children and their families.

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### Brookfield Grill: A Family-Run Dining Experience

Brookfield Grill, located at 450 Federal Road, is a family-run restaurant featuring a diverse menu that includes steak, fish, chicken, a raw bar, salads, a kids’ menu, and an extensive dessert selection.

“Our family has been in the restaurant business for 35 years, and we are proud to have one of the area’s best chefs on our team,” said Avni Brahimaj, proprietor of Brookfield Grill.

Maura Ruby, who attended the restaurant’s grand opening, praised the establishment as a great addition to the community. “It’s always wonderful to support a family-run business. The owners have crafted a quality menu that will satisfy a wide range of tastes, from family dining to more refined options. This thoughtful addition highlights the kind of businesses that contribute to Brookfield’s vibrant community,” she stated.

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### Total Wine & More Brings a Premier Wine Shopping Experience

Total Wine & More, known as America’s Wine Superstore, is the country’s largest independent retailer of fine wine. The Brookfield location spans 25,000 square feet and offers an extensive selection focusing on fine wines.

Most Total Wine stores carry more than 8,000 different wines from every wine-producing region worldwide. The store also features over 2,500 beers, ranging from popular American brands to rare microbrews and imports, as well as more than 3,000 different spirits.

In addition to wine and spirits, the Brookfield store offers a cigar shop and a spacious workshop/event area.

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### Looking Ahead: Continued Growth and Development

Brookfield’s revitalization strategy includes strategic infrastructure investments and zoning updates that appeal to dynamic companies, supporting the town’s diverse and expanding local economy.

“Three residential developments will be opening before the end of 2025,” Greg Dembowski shared. “They are The Willows at Brookfield at 518 Federal Road, Overland Crossing at 101 Laurel Hill Road, and Marin Village at 468 Federal Road. Property managers are currently accepting applications, and more than 180 individuals have expressed interest.”

The town is actively encouraging growth in areas that bring new jobs and opportunities to the community, ensuring a prosperous future for Brookfield and its residents.
https://westfaironline.com/latest-news/three-new-businesses-part-of-brookfield-revitalization/

Don’t Count on China To Boost Your Portfolio: Macro Man Podcast

Source: Bloomberg, 6:19
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2025-11-05/don-t-count-on-china-to-boost-your-portfolio-macro-man-podcast

USD/JPY consolidates around 153.60 amid divergence – BBH

USD/JPY remains around 153.60 as Japan’s on-hold policy stance keeps the pair elevated despite yield-based valuation concerns, BBH FX analysts report.

Japan’s Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs, Atsushi Mimura, highlighted that USD/JPY is trading above the level implied by US-Japan bond yield differentials. “We agree,” the analysts noted.

However, the Bank of Japan’s on-hold policy stance means this divergence is unlikely to close anytime soon.

The swaps market continues to see a 50% chance of a December 25 basis points rate hike to 0.75%, with a full 25 basis points move priced in for January or March.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/usd-jpy-consolidates-around-153-60-amid-divergence-bbh/

Crypto recovery remains slow despite global liquidity boost: Wintermute

**Why Crypto Markets Are Not Bouncing Back Despite Favorable Macroeconomic Conditions: Insights from Wintermute**

Global liquidity is rising, stocks are soaring, and interest rates are falling — yet the cryptocurrency market continues to underperform. According to Wintermute’s latest market update dated November 3, despite a supportive macroeconomic environment, capital is not flowing into crypto markets at the same pace as other risk assets.

### Expanding Liquidity but Limited Crypto Inflows

The report highlights that global liquidity is expanding as central banks cut interest rates and wind down quantitative tightening (QT). Stock markets are sitting near all-time highs, reflecting overall positive financial conditions. However, this improvement has not translated into substantial inflows into the crypto space.

Wintermute attributes this underperformance to a redirection of liquidity. While inflows are primarily targeting equities, particularly sectors like artificial intelligence (AI) and prediction markets, crypto-specific channels have largely stalled.

### Slowdown in Key Crypto Growth Drivers

Earlier in the year, ETF inflows and Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) activities were significant drivers of crypto growth. Today, both have significantly slowed. The report notes: “The tap isn’t off, it’s just pointed somewhere else.”

The only crypto-related metric still showing growth is stablecoin supply, which has increased by over $100 billion year-to-date. In contrast, Bitcoin ETF assets under management have stagnated near $150 billion, and secondary DAT volumes have plummeted.

### Market Performance Reflects the Trends

Market data echoes this slowdown. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) have remained range-bound, with Bitcoin trading near $101,000 and Ethereum around $3,300. Meanwhile, the broader crypto market has recently experienced heavy losses, with gaming tokens, layer-2 solutions, and meme coins suffering double-digit declines over the past week.

### Wintermute Declares the Four-Year Bitcoin Cycle “Dead”

Wintermute challenges the traditional four-year Bitcoin cycle theory, arguing that it no longer holds relevance. The firm contends that in mature markets like crypto, price movements are now driven primarily by liquidity flows rather than miner supply or halving events.

This represents a fundamental shift requiring investors to adjust expectations and place greater emphasis on monitoring macroeconomic conditions and institutional behaviors.

### Crypto Market Structure Remains Healthy

Despite the current stagnation, Wintermute emphasizes that the crypto market structure remains fundamentally healthy. Leverage has been significantly reduced, volatility is subdued, and market positioning is cleaner compared to earlier in the year.

The firm remains cautiously optimistic that renewed ETF or DAT inflows could trigger the next leg of the crypto recovery. However, for now, crypto remains the weakest performer among global risk assets.

### Outlook: Recovery Hinges on Capital Inflows

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have recently seen a five-day outflow streak. Until capital starts flowing back into crypto-specific instruments, a robust recovery will likely remain elusive — even in an environment characterized by abundant liquidity.

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**In summary, while macroeconomic conditions are favorable, capital redirection and stalled inflows have kept crypto markets subdued. Investors should monitor liquidity trends closely to identify signs of a potential turnaround in this evolving landscape.**
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/crypto/crypto-recovery-remains-slow-despite-global-liquidity-boost-wintermute/

CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: SUI Gains 9.6%, Leading Index Higher

Avalanche and AVAX (+9.0%) showed strong performance, while laggards included ICP (-18.1%) and BTC (+2.4%). The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms across several regions globally.

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### Inside Zcash: Encrypted Money at Planetary Scale
*By CoinDesk Research | Nov 3, 2025*
*Commissioned by Gen Zcash*

Zcash has undergone a significant transformation in 2025, evolving from niche privacy technology into a fully functioning encrypted-money network. This evolution is marked by substantial growth in shielded adoption and a shift towards privacy becoming standard practice.

Currently, between 20-25% of circulating ZEC is held in encrypted addresses, while 30% of all transactions involve the shielded pool. This increase in privacy usage is largely attributed to the Zashi wallet, which has made shielded transfers the default option, pushing privacy from being optional to a standard feature.

Additionally, Project Tachyon, led by Sean Bowe, is underway to amplify transaction throughput to thousands of private transactions per second, further enhancing Zcash’s scalability and usability.

Zcash’s advancements have recently led it to surpass Monero in market share, establishing it as the largest privacy-focused cryptocurrency by capitalization.

Stay tuned for more updates as Zcash continues to develop its zero-knowledge architecture and expand its encrypted transaction ecosystem.
https://www.coindesk.com/coindesk-indices/2025/11/05/coindesk-20-performance-update-sui-gains-9-6-leading-index-higher

Humana Reports $195 Million Profit As Costs Land Within Expectations

Humana Reports $195 Million in Q3 Profits as Medical Cost Trends Stabilize

Humana reported $195 million in third-quarter profits on Wednesday, with the health insurer’s medical cost trends aligning with previous company forecasts. Like its industry peers, Humana has faced increased costs, particularly within its Medicare Advantage plans—a substantial component of the company’s business.

Medicare Advantage plans are government-contracted and offer seniors additional benefits and services, such as disease management, nurse helplines, vision, dental care, and wellness programs. To improve performance, Humana exited certain “unprofitable” plans and counties during the quarter.

“Our 3Q25 insurance segment benefit ratio of 91.1% is in line with our guidance of ‘just above 91%,’” Humana stated in prepared management remarks released alongside its earnings report. The benefit expense ratio, which is the percentage of premium revenue allocated toward medical costs, was 91.1% compared to 89.9% in the same quarter last year.

Despite the elevated expense ratio, Humana’s net income dropped to $195 million, or $1.62 per share, down from $480 million, or $3.98 per share, a year ago. However, revenue increased to $32.6 billion, up from $29.4 billion in the prior-year period.

Humana attributed some stability to less volatile industry cost trends over the past year, reaffirming its full-year 2025 adjusted earnings per share outlook of “approximately $17.00” and maintaining insurance segment benefit ratio guidance of 90.1% to 90.5%. This outlook, Humana noted, is “supported by solid execution and results.”

The company also reported improvements in its Medicare Advantage enrollment, reaching over 5.2 million individual enrollees by the end of the third quarter. “We now anticipate a FY 2025 decline of approximately 425,000 Individual Medicare Advantage (MA) members, improved from our previous expectation of a loss of up to 500,000, driven by stronger retention and better-than-expected sales,” the company said.

Meanwhile, Humana’s CenterWell healthcare services business continues to expand, reporting growth of 56,600 patients, or nearly 15%. “CenterWell Pharmacy continues to drive strong growth across payor-agnostic offerings, with increased Specialty volumes and strong Direct-to-Consumer growth, both exceeding previous expectations in 3Q25,” the company said.

Looking forward, Humana executives expressed confidence in the company’s strategy and outlook. “Our strategy of putting the consumer at the heart of everything we do is working, with solid year-to-date performance and strong momentum heading into the Annual Election Period,” said President and CEO Jim Rechtin. “We feel positive about the direction we’re headed and the value we are creating for our members, patients, and investors.”
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/humana-reports-195-million-profit-as-costs-land-within-expectations/