The mysterious, unreleased Overwatch hero Sombra appears to have "hacked" the Overwatch subreddit and its Discord channel, creating quite a buzz in the community as to whether she will finally be revealed.
Sombra has been the subject of a long-running alternate-reality game (ARG) that has tasked curious players with solving different puzzles and clues that involve the fictional universe of Overwatch. The Reddit hack changed users" profile pictures to Sombra"s purple skull logo and changed a few other cosmetic elements.
Reddit users" images changed to Sombra"s skull logo.
A moderator of the subreddit made an announcement that a website that"s part of the Overwatch universe is "under attack from mysterious assailants, who are seeking assistance with the hack." The website in question is lumerico.mx, which is the homepage for a potentially corrupt Mexican power company in the game.
The amount of traffic heading to LumriCo"s website appears to have crashed the website initially, but some people have been able to get in. The official Discord channel for the Overwatch subreddit also crashed under the weight of traffic but is currently accessible.
Players have been collaborating on /r/Overwatch and multiple Discord channels as they work out the different clues that Blizzard has left in the game and on the internet. Participants of the ARG have been able to help Sombra breach the LumriCo a bit, but the ARG isn"t quite over.
This development in the ARG comes after an image of Sombra leaked Tuesday, showing off what the character will likely look like when she"s available to play.
Along with that leaked image, a news article within the universe was posted on Blizzard"s website, stating that a group called Los Muertos is "organizing a protest to coincide with LumriCo"s unveiling of the Dorado nuclear plant on November 1st."
It"s likely that this event coincides with that post.
Nobody knows exactly when Sombra will be unveiled, but with BlizzCon approaching on Friday it wouldn"t be a surprise to see the reveal then. If the detectives involved in the ARG crack through the clues, though, Sombra could be revealed much sooner.
Maple Leafs Post-Game: Mike Babcock - November 1st, 2016
With pot on the ballot in nine states, the big winner in next Tuesday"s election could be America"s legal cannabis industry. By 2020, legal market sales are expected to surpass $22 billion. And for states struggling with budget shortfalls, that extra revenue would be clearly welcome.
Voters in five states Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. Medical marijuana is on the ballot in Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota.
Supporters believe the marijuana measures will pass in California and Florida, and possibly several other states, because America"s attitude about pot has changed significantly in the last few years.
"Legalization of cannabis is one of the greatest business opportunities of our time."
"It"s well established that the majority of Americans now believe that the responsible use of marijuana by adults should not be a criminal offense," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Two national surveys released in mid-October confirm that, with the Pew Research Center revealing that 57 percent of U.S. adults say the use of marijuana should be made legal while 60 percent were opposed a decade ago.
The latest Gallup Poll showed that support for legalizing marijuana is at 60 percent, the highest ever recorded in this survey. After Colorado and Washington became the first states to allow the recreational use of pot, in 2013, support for legalization reached a majority for the first time.
The inside of the Columbia Care medical marijuana dispensary in New York, one of the state"s first such dispensaries. Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Tax revenue generated from legal sales exceeds expectations
It is far too soon to assess the overall impact to society in states where weed has been legalized. A new report from the Drug Policy Alliance concludes that it"s been "so far, so good" in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C. They found that total marijuana arrests are down, young people smoking pot did not increase significantly, and traffic fatality rates have remained stable, so far.
But there is hard data on the total sales and tax revenue generated by this budding business.
Nationally, legal pot sales grew like a weed last year to $5.7 billion, up from $4.6 billion in 2014, according to a recent report from the ArcView Market Research and New Frontier. Recreational sales grew from $374 million in 2014 to $1.2 billion by the end of 2015.
The report projects strong sales growth this year, with retail sales hitting $7.1 billion, up about 26 percent from 2015. By 2020, the report says, legal market sales are expected to surpass $22 billion.
"Legalization of cannabis is one of the greatest business opportunities of our time and it"s still early enough to see huge growth," noted Troy Dayton, CEO of The ArcView Group, in the report.
The legal cannabis industry has also created tens of thousands of jobs across the country.
"We"re seeing a massive transformation from an illicit economy worth tens of billions of dollars into a legal economy that will probably be worth even more than that," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that supports the legalization of marijuana.
"Legalizing marijuana, taxing and regulating it, is not going to solve a state"s budget problems. It"s not a panacea, but it definitely makes a significant contribution," he said.
A look at the numbers
Tax revenues collected in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have all exceeded initial estimates.
Colorado"s legal pot sales of $996 million generated $121 million in combined sales tax and excise tax revenue last year and created 18,000 new jobs, according to the Marijuana Policy Group (MPG).
Marijuana tax revenue in Colorado was three times larger than alcohol and 14 percent larger than casino revenue, the report noted.
MPG projects that marijuana tax revenue in Colorado will eclipse cigarette tax dollars by 2020.
Washington"s recreational marijuana industry brought in $427 million in sales and excise tax revenue on sales of $1.1 billion since 2014, according to 502data.com.
Oregon"s Department of Revenue reported sales of more than $160 million so far this year, which generated more than $40 million in sales taxes.
But the extra income is just one drop in a very large bucket, according to Joe Henchman, vice president for legal and state projects at the Tax Foundation.
"It"s certainly quite a bit of revenue," Henchman told NBC News. "It"s enough to pay for some extra police or some extra teachers, but you"re just not going to be able to replace many of your other taxes with that revenue."
Proponents of cannabis initiatives often point to the tax benefits of a legal marketplace. They"re asking voters to tax them, something most businesses would never do. Henchman said the industry views this as a way to "legitimize it" and make the idea of legal sales acceptable to most people.
California here we come?
All eyes are on the Golden State, as voters there are asked to approve Proposition 64: Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Medical marijuana is already legal there. This would allow people to grow some weed at home and give municipalities the authority to allow recreational pot stores.
This election could be a tipping point that makes it impossible for Congress to keep ignoring the issue.
Based on the latest polling, Prop 64 is expected to pass.
Cannabis advocates believe a win in California on November 8 could open the floodgates for other states and Congress to legalize the purchase and recreational use of marijuana by adults.
Gallup noted, "If recreational marijuana use becomes legal in California this year, many other states will likely follow, because the Golden State often sets political trends for the rest of the U.S."
Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, believes this election will be "a tipping point" that makes it impossible for Congress to keep ignoring the issue. "If all nine initiatives were to pass, we"d have approximately 62 percent of the US population living in a state where medical or adult-use cannabis access is legal. That"s huge," she said.
It"s still an all-cash business
Even so, West does not expect Congress to legalize marijuana any time soon. She hopes lawmakers will pass legislation to allow the legal cannabis industry to access the nation"s banking system. That"s extremely difficult or impossible for these businesses to do right now because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.
Running an all-cash business creates serious security problems for cannabis retail stores and dispensaries, including the constant threat of being robbed. It also makes it harder to for these legal businesses to pay their employees and the taxes they owe.
The Marijuana Business Access to Banking Act was introduced in July of 2013 by two democrats, U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado and Denny Heck of Washington.
"We"ve just got to get these businesses away from being all cash," Heck said. "It"s more than ridiculous, it"s not safe."
The Perlmutter/Heck bill updates federal banking rules to resolve conflicts between federal and state laws. It would simply enable banks and credit unions to provide services to legitimate marijuana-related businesses in states that have legalized pot, without fear of sanctions from federal regulators.
Despite growing bi-partisan support, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee has refused to let the bill come up for a vote, Heck told NBC News.
"Most of my colleagues understand that the safe thing to do is to allow these businesses to have access to banking services so they"re not all cash," Heck said.
"We"re going to get wind in our sails as a consequence of this election, but whether it will be enough remains to be seen."
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.
Editors note: An earlier version of this story said that Oregon, and not Washington, had legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
Taking a trip down memory lane of recent NFL trade deadlines is somewhat of an exercise of amnesia.
The more you call around the league, the more you hear, "Nothing really comes to mind," in answers to questions about trade-deadline deals that fell through. It"s understandable. So few deals are really in the works that the conversations become forgettable past the deadlines.
"There"s a lot of teams that don"t make in-season trades," New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters last week. "They seem kind of reluctant to trade -- this time of year, especially."
Since the new collective bargaining agreement of 2011, the value of draft picks has escalated and more teams are realizing that building through free agency doesn"t work. Most trades for players are for sixth- or seventh-round picks.
Belichick and the Patriots are the exception. They have become the king of the trade deadline over the past few years, proving it again Monday when they shipped linebacker Jamie Collins -- one of the team"s most talented players -- to the Cleveland Browns.
To coincide with Tuesday"s trade deadline (4 p.m. ET), here are some recent deadline deals that didn"t get done, with help from a few NFL executives across the league who helped jog my memory.
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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls - Full Game Highlights | October 27, 2016 | 2016-17 NBA Season
The Bulls improved to 3-0 with their road victory over the Nets.
Here are three observations.
Jimmy Butler is scoring with efficiency
His 22 points on just 10 shots also featured nine trips to the free-throw line. That followed a 16-point effort on nine shots. In each of the last two blowout victories, Butler sat out the fourth.
Butler"s ability to get out in transition has been heightened thus far by the arrival of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, two unselfish playmakers who like to pass the ball ahead.
"I just keep running the floor because I know Im going to get the ball, Butler said. "When you are open you are going to get the ball whether its from D-Wade, whether from Rondo, Taj (Gibson). If they miss you they know they probably missed you and its, "Im not going to do that again.""
The Bulls are rebounding effectively
The Bulls have been plus-19 over the Celtics, plus-14 over the Pacers and plus-13 against the Nets in their first three victories.
Gibson leads with a 9.7 per game rebounding average. But the Bulls are consistently limiting opponents to one shot and also wreaking havoc on the offensive glass.
Isaiah Canaan is proving himself to be more than a 3-point specialist
The guard"s defensive pressure and ability to pick up fullcourt has impressed. Mostly known as a volume shooter, Canaan has made his presence felt at the defensive end.
After missing all three 3-point attempts in the opener against the Celtics, Canaan also is 6-for-9 from beyond the arc.
His rocky opener made it seem like Michael Carter-Williams would supplant him in the rotation. Now, Canaan could be back in a more prominent role if Carter-Williams is sidelined for an extended period with his left knee injury.
Michael Douglas spoke highly of his Ghost and the Darkness co-star Val Kilmer this weekend, but also made some shocking claims about his health.
ET confirmed The Sun"s report that during a Q&A with Jonathan Ross at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London, England, the 72-year-old star told the crowd that Kilmer had been diagnosed with tongue cancer just like he had been in 2010. Douglas has been cancer-free since January 2011.
"Val was a wonderful guy who is dealing with exactly what I had, and things don"t look too good for him," he said of his former co-star. "My prayers are with him. That"s why you haven"t heard too much from Val lately."
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A source close to Douglas told ET that while the actor did speak about Kilmer"s alleged cancer, he also "hasn"t heard from Val in a long time."
"Hopefully he"s improved," the source added. "I don"t think Michael"s heard from him in over a year."
ET has reached out to an agent for Kilmer
Kilmer has refuted reports in the past regarding his well-being. In October 2015, the 56-year-old actor denied claims that he was admitted into an intensive care unit, but rather said he was visiting the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. "There"s a rumor that I"m unwell again and in hospital which is untrue," Kilmer posted on his Facebook page at the time. "I was in to verify I have no tumor or infection of any kind which was verified by the very caring experts at UCLA."
EXCLUSIVE: Debbie Rowe Says Daughter Paris Jackson Gives Her "a Reason to Get Up" Each Morning Amid Cancer Battle
In January 2015, Kilmer also slammed reports saying he was hospitalized for a possible tumor after reportedly bleeding from the throat. "I have not had a tumor, or a tumor operations, or any operation," he wrote. "I had a complication where the best way to receive care was to stay under the watchful eye of the UCLA ICU. Friends have assisted who know my spiritual convictions and have been most sensitive and kind for the extra effort in making sure there"s minimum gossip and silly talk. I am praying for a speedy return to the boards as they say. G*d bless you all and please don"t worry."
Last year, Douglas spoke to ET about his own health battle, and how grateful he is to be cancer free. "I look at this generally as my third act," he said. "I am also happy. I am cancer-free now, so you have a new appreciation."
New mom of two and Little Women L.A. star Terra Jol is making history as the first little person to compete on Dancing with the Stars, and shes blogging about season 23 exclusively for PEOPLE. Follow Jol, 36, and her partner Sasha Farber, 33, on Twitter!
Scores are important on Dancing with the Stars, but sometimes there are things more important than scores.
It would have been great to win our team challenge but, regardless, I loved Team Future and felt everyone gave it 100 percent. I felt like we were together even though the judges disagreed. Looking back at the footage, I personally loved every minute and didnt see how the judges couldnt! Maybe they werent ready for the future?
Honestly, the only thing that would have put a cherry on top would have been an extreme trick. But learning a crazy trick may have been impossible, given that we had to learn the dance over cell phones due to everyones schedule.
As for my routine with Sasha, I felt like the performance last week was everything I could have asked for. Every step was there, every emotion, and it was fun performing. I loved everything about the dance from the dress to the music! Though I would have loved all 9s or a 10 (but loved that Len said I put the all in small) the scores were really good leaving us second on the leaderboard.
But someone still had to go. Saying goodbye to Maureen was hard. She loved to dance and deserved to be here. Her energy was contagious and the love she shared with everyone makes it hard parting ways, but this is a competition. Eventually everyone will be going home.
This week were celebrating Halloween and dancing a cha-cha to Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) from Beetlejuice. We are reenacting the famous table scene where the family is taken over by the spirits of past residents.
This cha-cha is honestly the most fun Ive had on the dance floor so far. Its weird, funny, and for the first time we are dancing with the troupe! The troupe brings the energy to a different level! I love everything Sasha and I are bringing to this iconic number!
Craig Sjodin/ABC
And Id like to take a second to talk about my bond with Sasha. I never thought we would be this close. We have cried together, screamed at each other and laughed until I borderline peed my pants. It sounds crazy since we only met in August, but I truly love him! He is my brother, and there is a unexplainable bond between us.
Jana Kramer and I have also become really close. We share the motherhood aspect of life and both feel like there are not enough hours in the day with our little ones. She and I also act as therapy for each other at the start of the week when we are still learning the dance. Every week you think youre not going to make it to Sunday, but you do! You may have cried about it or screamed at your partner, but thats only because you want to be here and stay here!
Being a part of Dancing with the Stars has changed my life. I will always be grateful that I will never be the same. It has given me a drive unlike anything Ive experienced with any other show Ive been a part of. You really get to test your emotional and physical limits. Thats why Im so grateful to share the experience with Sasha. He truly brings out the best in not only our dance, but also in me! He makes the experience fun for me while teaching me to be a better dancer!
There isnt another pro dancer I would want to share this journey with.
Dancing with the Starsairs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.
President Obama and the First Lady Welcome Children to Trick or Treat
An adult and two children died Monday when a trailer carrying trick-or-treaters crashed into another vehicle in Newton County, Mississippi, authorities said.
The accident occurred around 7:45 p.m. when a Ford F250 rear-ended the trailer, which was being pulled by a Jeep Wrangler, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The cause was unclear.
The dead victims were related, according to The Associated Press.
In addition to the fatalities, police said, there were multiple injuries in the crash.
"It was just chaos," Newton County Coroner Danny Shoemaker told the AP, describing the scene of the wreck on U.S. Highway 80 in Chunky, a town near the Alabama border, about 80 miles east of Jackson, Mississippi.
Three helicopters and multiple ambulances took the injured to hospitals, and some had life-threatening injuries, police said.
Those on board the trailer, including children and adults, were going house to house trick-or-treating, according to Staff Sgt. Andy West.
