Officials, including Multnomah County District Attorney at the Card Rhino press conference
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has indicted and arraigned five people accused of operating a large-scale retail theft “fencing” operation connected to a secondhand store known as Card Rhino.
Prosecutors allege the business knowingly purchased stolen merchandise at steep discounts and resold the goods for significant profit.
Photo via the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office
According to the indictment, Card Rhino — a secondhand store in Multnomah County — accepted new-in-the-box merchandise stolen from retailers by what authorities describe as some of Portland’s most prolific “boosters,” or repeat retail thieves.
Investigators say the stolen goods were either delivered directly to Card Rhino or first exchanged fraudulently at retail stores for gift cards. Those gift cards were then sold to Card Rhino. The store allegedly paid only a fraction of the items’ market value — in some cases, “pennies on the dollar.”
Prosecutors further allege that businesses associated with Card Rhino transported the stolen merchandise to related operations and resold the products online at substantial markups.
Search Warrants Yield Thousands of Items
On March 18, 2025, the Portland Police Bureau and investigators with the District Attorney’s Retail Theft Task Force executed search warrants at three locations tied to the investigation:
Direct Deals HQ LLC/Limit Deals, 19300 S.W. Boones Ferry Road, Suite 2C, Tualatin
Great Deals 2.0, 5305 N.E. 121st Ave., Suite 509, Vancouver, Washington
Photo via Multnomah County Sheriffs Office
Police reported seizing more than 31,000 pieces of evidence, including approximately $14,000 in cash, gold and silver, as well as high-value new merchandise. Authorities estimate the total value of the seized property exceeds $300,000.
Defendants and Charges
Five people have been charged in connection with the alleged operation:
Nickolas Ragsdale (Case 25CR62909) faces 68 charges, including multiple counts of money laundering, conspiracy to commit first-degree theft, theft in the first degree, aggravated identity theft and identity theft.
Alisha Scott (Case 26CR06975) faces 37 charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to commit theft, first-degree theft, organized retail theft, identity theft and aggravated identity theft.
Aaron Scott (Case 26CR06966) faces 27 charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, theft in the first degree and identity theft.
Chris Woodley (Case 26CR06961) faces 14 charges, including conspiracy to commit first-degree theft and money laundering.
Michael Burgess (Case 26CR06983) faces four charges, including theft in the first degree, organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit first-degree theft.
All defendants have been indicted and arraigned. As with all criminal cases, they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Salem, Ore. — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has joined attorneys general from 13 other states in launching a new public service announcement campaign aimed at protecting consumers from gift card scams, a form of fraud that typically spikes during the holiday season.
The campaign, funded by the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance, begins as millions of Americans prepare to redeem holiday gift cards — a time scammers often exploit by impersonating trusted organizations or individuals and pressuring victims to provide gift card codes.
“Gift cards are meant to be a simple way to celebrate the holidays — not a way for scammers to steal from people,” Rayfield said in a statement. “These scams work because they create urgency and fear, and they can happen to anyone.”
The PSAs will run from Dec. 26, 2025, through Jan. 31, 2026, and feature a unified message from participating state attorneys general emphasizing that while gift cards themselves are safe, consumers should remain alert to common scam tactics. The announcements provide tips for safe gift card use and urge people to report suspected fraud to their state attorney general’s office.
Gift card scams frequently involve criminals posing as government agencies, businesses, or even family members, then demanding payment through gift cards. Victims are often told to act immediately or keep the transaction secret — warning signs consumer protection officials say should raise concern.
Lisa LaBruno, executive director of the RILA Communities Foundation, which leads the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance, said the coordinated effort is meant to both deter criminals and empower consumers.
“It takes a village to combat gift card fraud,” LaBruno said. “By joining forces with attorneys general, we’re giving consumers tools to protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Consumer protection officials stress that legitimate government agencies and reputable companies will never request payment via gift cards. Anyone who believes they have been targeted by a gift card scam is encouraged to report it to the Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division, which uses reports to track criminal activity and build cases against fraud networks.
For more than three decades, lifelong New Yorkers and tourists visiting the Big Apple have shared the experience of a MetroCard swipe gone wrong. Swiping the transit card too fast or too slow, with the stripe facing the wrong side, or having insufficient fare all led to the subsequent, seemingly judgmental thud of the turnstile slamming into you.”It’s embarrassing. You feel like you’re not an authentic New Yorker if you’re not swiping your MetroCard the right way,” said Mike Glenwick, 37, who has lived in the city most of his life and has been collecting limited-edition MetroCards since he was six.Now the days of swiping the blue and yellow plastic cards are numbered. Come January 1, the Metropolitan Transit Authority will no longer sell MetroCards, and riders will be required to use OMNY, a contactless fare payment system. (Existing MetroCards will continue to be accepted at terminals, though MTA said their “final acceptance date will be announced at a later time.”)Bidding farewell to the card has been a journey for New Yorkers and the MTA alike.From tokens to cardsNew York City subway’s iconic tokens were the default form of fare payment before the MetroCard was introduced. When tokens were initially rolled out in 1953, they were about the size of a dime and most had a hollowed-out Y between an engraved N and C, spelling out NYC.Though clunky to carry around, they were easy to use: all transit passengers had to do was drop the tokens into a turnstile or farebox. For the MTA, it overcame the issue of being able to increase fares without having to redesign fare collection systems to accept various kinds of coins.But in 1983 Richard Ravitch, then the commissioner of the MTA, began to envision a different fare payment system. Instead, he floated a magnetic stripe card with a stored value.”His argument was that New York is a very modern cosmopolitan city and there are other modern cosmopolitan cities that are using this as their fare payment system,” said Jodi Shapiro, curator of the FAREwell MetroCard exhibit at the New York Transit Museum. But as his idea gained traction, it quickly became about more than just keeping up with other cities. At one point the MTA considered integrating MetroCards with pay phones so callers didn’t have to use coins (that didn’t end up happening, though).The MTA initially thought the shift to MetroCards would “spell the death knell for fare evasion” since many riders were previously getting away with using various other kinds of coins and tokens, said Noah McClain, a sociology professor who has researched MetroCard technology and fare evasion trends. But that was hardly the case: “Fare evasion certainly endured, albeit often in different forms.”One famous one, “swipers,” as they came to be known, sold bent MetroCards that allowed riders to fraudulently bypass turnstiles. Separately, a group of hackers was able to successfully reverse engineer many parts of the MetroCard.But riders saw benefits, too. One of the biggest selling points for the MetroCard was that users could purchase different, more flexible fares. That included discounts for seniors, disabled people and students, as well as cards that offered unlimited rides throughout the month.Cards also came with a massive perk that tokens didn’t: free transfers. One swipe of a MetroCard on a bus or subway meant riders didn’t have to pay again if they transferred to another bus or subway train.A collector’s itemBut just as New York subway tokens became icons of the city, so did the MetroCard. And that was by design.”MetroCards were made to be collected,” Shapiro said. The year the MTA launched the MetroCard, 1994, was also when it released an inaugural limited edition card. Since then there have been around 400 commemorative MetroCards issued. Some of those have featured advertisements, a major source of revenue for the MTA, while others have commemorated historic events, such as Grand Central’s centennial anniversary and the first game between the Yankees and Mets in 1997, a tradition now known as the “Subway Series.”Other notable cards include the Supreme-branded ones and the David Bowie ones aimed at marketing a museum exhibit timed to the release of cards. New Yorkers reported hours-long lines to purchase these at stations.Glenwick has nearly 100 MetroCards in his collection, and his first featured members of the New York Rangers after the team won the Stanley Cup in 1994 for the first time in 54 years.The idea to collect MetroCards immediately clicked for him: “It was something that was accessible to collect. I didn’t spend extra money because we used the MetroCards anyway,” he said.An art mediumThomas McKean has lost track of how many MetroCards he’s accumulated over the past 25 years. It all started on a subway ride where he forgot to bring a newspaper or a book, something he’d typically do before the age of smartphones.In their absence, to pass the time, he stared at his MetroCard, idly wondering how many words he could wring from its letters. When he got off the subway, he grabbed a fistful of MetroCards lying around on the ground of the station, and once he got home, he started making MetroCards with different words.”And then without even realizing it, I got hooked because I love the material and aesthetic,” McKean told CNN. His designs were initially two-dimensional, using the front and back of MetroCards cut up and pieced together like a mosaic, but eventually he started experimenting with three-dimensional designs, too.McKean’s art has been featured at home goods store Fishs Eddy in Manhattan, as well as on the cover of a Time Out New York magazine. His art will also be featured at an upcoming exhibit at the Transit Museum’s Grand Central gallery. Over the years, he’s taken on several commissions. To his surprise, many of those customers aren’t based in New York and yet they exhibit the same admiration for the MetroCard as lifelong New Yorkers.McKean said he has several thousand untouched MetroCards left in his reserves in addition to all the scraps from prior projects. “I never throw anything away until it’s just too small to use.”A tap-and-go futureThe transit system going forward, OMNY, short for One Metro New York, replaces swipes with taps at turnstiles via smartphones or smartwatches with mobile wallets, credit cards or OMNY cards.For now, riders can still use cash to purchase OMNY cards for $1 at vending machines at subways and at retailers across the city. But many feel as though it’s a matter of time before the MTA stops accepting cash, like many retailers have, which has essentially excluded people who are unbanked and lack a credit or debit card. (The MTA didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment.)”While there’s no doubt the MetroCard will remain an iconic New York City symbol, tap-and-go fare payment has been a game changer for everyday riders and visitors, saving them the guessing game on what fare package is most cost efficient for their travels and making using NYC’s transit system much easier,” MTA chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara said in a statement in March, when the phaseout of the MetroCard was announced.At the time, the MTA said the change will save the agency $20 million annually “in costs related to MetroCard production and distribution; vending machine repairs; and cash collection and handling.”But for all the benefits that the MTA has advertised OMNY contains, including unlimited rides after your 12th of the week, Glenwick is not ready to make the transition.”I feel like part of my childhood is disappearing… I don’t want to let it go until I have to.”
CNN —
For more than three decades, lifelong New Yorkers and tourists visiting the Big Apple have shared the experience of a MetroCard swipe gone wrong. Swiping the transit card too fast or too slow, with the stripe facing the wrong side, or having insufficient fare all led to the subsequent, seemingly judgmental thud of the turnstile slamming into you.
“It’s embarrassing. You feel like you’re not an authentic New Yorker if you’re not swiping your MetroCard the right way,” said Mike Glenwick, 37, who has lived in the city most of his life and has been collecting limited-edition MetroCards since he was six.
Now the days of swiping the blue and yellow plastic cards are numbered. Come January 1, the Metropolitan Transit Authority will no longer sell MetroCards, and riders will be required to use OMNY, a contactless fare payment system. (Existing MetroCards will continue to be accepted at terminals, though MTA said their “final acceptance date will be announced at a later time.”)
Bidding farewell to the card has been a journey for New Yorkers and the MTA alike.
From tokens to cards
New York City subway’s iconic tokens were the default form of fare payment before the MetroCard was introduced. When tokens were initially rolled out in 1953, they were about the size of a dime and most had a hollowed-out Y between an engraved N and C, spelling out NYC.
Though clunky to carry around, they were easy to use: all transit passengers had to do was drop the tokens into a turnstile or farebox. For the MTA, it overcame the issue of being able to increase fares without having to redesign fare collection systems to accept various kinds of coins.
But in 1983 Richard Ravitch, then the commissioner of the MTA, began to envision a different fare payment system. Instead, he floated a magnetic stripe card with a stored value.
“His argument was that New York is a very modern cosmopolitan city and there are other modern cosmopolitan cities that are using this as their fare payment system,” said Jodi Shapiro, curator of the FAREwell MetroCard exhibit at the New York Transit Museum. But as his idea gained traction, it quickly became about more than just keeping up with other cities. At one point the MTA considered integrating MetroCards with pay phones so callers didn’t have to use coins (that didn’t end up happening, though).
The MTA initially thought the shift to MetroCards would “spell the death knell for fare evasion” since many riders were previously getting away with using various other kinds of coins and tokens, said Noah McClain, a sociology professor who has researched MetroCard technology and fare evasion trends. But that was hardly the case: “Fare evasion certainly endured, albeit often in different forms.”
One famous one, “swipers,” as they came to be known, sold bent MetroCards that allowed riders to fraudulently bypass turnstiles. Separately, a group of hackers was able to successfully reverse engineer many parts of the MetroCard.
But riders saw benefits, too. One of the biggest selling points for the MetroCard was that users could purchase different, more flexible fares. That included discounts for seniors, disabled people and students, as well as cards that offered unlimited rides throughout the month.
Cards also came with a massive perk that tokens didn’t: free transfers. One swipe of a MetroCard on a bus or subway meant riders didn’t have to pay again if they transferred to another bus or subway train.
A collector’s item
But just as New York subway tokens became icons of the city, so did the MetroCard. And that was by design.
“MetroCards were made to be collected,” Shapiro said. The year the MTA launched the MetroCard, 1994, was also when it released an inaugural limited edition card. Since then there have been around 400 commemorative MetroCards issued. Some of those have featured advertisements, a major source of revenue for the MTA, while others have commemorated historic events, such as Grand Central’s centennial anniversary and the first game between the Yankees and Mets in 1997, a tradition now known as the “Subway Series.”
Other notable cards include the Supreme-branded ones and the David Bowie ones aimed at marketing a museum exhibit timed to the release of cards. New Yorkers reported hours-long lines to purchase these at stations.
Glenwick has nearly 100 MetroCards in his collection, and his first featured members of the New York Rangers after the team won the Stanley Cup in 1994 for the first time in 54 years.
The idea to collect MetroCards immediately clicked for him: “It was something that was accessible to collect. I didn’t spend extra money because we used the MetroCards anyway,” he said.
An art medium
Thomas McKean has lost track of how many MetroCards he’s accumulatedover the past 25 years. It all started on a subway ride where he forgot to bring a newspaper or a book, something he’d typically do before the age of smartphones.
In their absence, to pass the time, he stared at his MetroCard, idly wondering how many words he could wring from its letters. When he got off the subway, he grabbed a fistful of MetroCards lying around on the ground of the station, and once he got home, he started making MetroCards with different words.
“And then without even realizing it, I got hooked because I love the material and aesthetic,” McKean told CNN. His designs were initially two-dimensional, using the front and back of MetroCards cut up and pieced together like a mosaic, but eventually he started experimenting with three-dimensional designs, too.
McKean’s art has been featured at home goods store Fishs Eddy in Manhattan, as well as on the cover of a Time Out New York magazine. His art will also be featured at an upcoming exhibit at the Transit Museum’s Grand Central gallery. Over the years, he’s taken on several commissions. To his surprise, many of those customers aren’t based in New York and yet they exhibit the same admiration for the MetroCard as lifelong New Yorkers.
McKean said he has several thousand untouched MetroCards left in his reserves in addition to all the scraps from prior projects. “I never throw anything away until it’s just too small to use.”
A tap-and-go future
The transit system going forward, OMNY, short for One Metro New York, replaces swipes with taps at turnstiles via smartphones or smartwatches with mobile wallets, credit cards or OMNY cards.
For now, riders can still use cash to purchase OMNY cards for $1 at vending machines at subways and at retailers across the city. But many feel as though it’s a matter of time before the MTA stops accepting cash, like many retailers have, which has essentially excluded people who are unbanked and lack a credit or debit card. (The MTA didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment.)
“While there’s no doubt the MetroCard will remain an iconic New York City symbol, tap-and-go fare payment has been a game changer for everyday riders and visitors, saving them the guessing game on what fare package is most cost efficient for their travels and making using NYC’s transit system much easier,” MTA chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara said in a statement in March, when the phaseout of the MetroCard was announced.
At the time, the MTA said the change will save the agency $20 million annually “in costs related to MetroCard production and distribution; vending machine repairs; and cash collection and handling.”
But for all the benefits that the MTA has advertised OMNY contains, including unlimited rides after your 12th of the week, Glenwick is not ready to make the transition.
“I feel like part of my childhood is disappearing… I don’t want to let it go until I have to.”
Every dragon can grant help completing an Episode Battle. Choosing that wish will give you an exclusive item called a Dragon Orb. These can be used only when hovering over an Episode Battle with branching paths, as they make the secondary objectives easier to meet. Even though a lot of these objectives just require you to win within a certain time, using a Dragon Orb for a bit more leeway can be a big help. The only caveat is that you won’t earn victory rewards from it, but that’s not too bad of a trade-off to see some really fun what-if stories.
This option won’t pop up until you’ve come across an Episode Battle with potential branching paths. Although that occurs early on in Goku’s story, those who immediately spent a lot of time in multiplayer modes or received a free Shenron summon—depending upon which edition they purchased—would likely not have seen this. Make sure to keep an eye out for this option if you didn’t see it during your first summon(s)!
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero doesn’t spend much time explaining the nuances of summoning the dragons, and leaves it all for us to discover. As fun as that idea is, nobody likes to feel like they made the wrong choice, especially with how rare it can be to see Porunga and Super Shenron.
The best choice for you depends entirely on preference and how far along you are, but you should be better equipped to select a more favorable option. Go out and make your wishes in confidence!
Mike and Jesse kick off the show with breaking news: Topps has significantly expanded its Disney partnership to include Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars card rights. They break down how this move will reshape the card industry and address the troubling rise in theft within the card community (3:00). Later, they welcome Nick Andrews, also known as the Boston Card Hunter, to talk about the pros and cons of using CT scans in card collecting and the ethical issues it presents (18:00).
Hosts: Mike Gioseffi and Jesse Gibson Guest: Nick Andrews Producer: Devon Renaldo
It’s hard to overstate the impact artist Mitsuhiro Arita has had on trading card games. Nearly 30 years ago, as a member of the original design team on the PokémonTrading Card Game, Arita contributed to the look and feel of the franchise’s original 150 monsters. He also authored the art for some of the most iconic Pokémon cards, images that have global recognition — including some of the first interpretations of Pikachu and Charizard.
Image: The Pokémon Company
Image: The Pokémon Company
Image: Wizards of the Coast
Since then, Arita has remained one of the Pokémon TCG’s most prolific illustrators, while occasionally contributing art for other card games such as the Shin Megami Tensei Trading Card Game, the Monster Hunter Hunting Card Game, and even the Power Rangers Collectible Card Game.
And now, for the first time, Arita’s work will appear on a Magic: The Gatheringcard as part of its latest expansion, in a world of anthropomorphic animals known as Bloomburrow. Although his art will only feature on one card in the set, a special, full-art treatment for a new creature called Lumra, Bellow of the Woods, the massive elemental bear highlights the detailed approach that makes Arita one of the most cherished TCG artists in the world.
Polygon was able to share questions with Arita ahead of Bloomburrow’s official tabletop release on Aug. 2. What follows are his professionally translated answers, which have been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
Polygon: Was working on a Magic card different from your typical process with the other card games you have contributed to?
Mitsuhiro Arita: In Japan, it’s very common to have detailed checks at every stage of the drawing process. Character consistency in particular is strictly controlled. I’m used to making changes all the way through the process. Usually you present the piece for detailed feedback around 60-70% of the way through, so you can make adjustments before starting on the final details. With Magic, the most thorough checks were at the conceptualization stage. After that, there weren’t any further corrections, so I realized I had to make sure things were spot-on from the beginning.
Can you describe your process in creating the art for this Magic card?
I was asked to create the piece using sketches by Matt Stewart as a reference. After that, the process was like any other job — I’d draw the rough, and once that had been approved, I’d draw the pencil sketch, scan it, and paint the final image using software [such as Photoshop and Painter].
Like many rare and mythic Magic cards these days, Lumra, Bellow of the Woods will have several versions, featuring different artists or card templates. While Arita drew one of the full-art variants of the card, the equally prolific Magic artist Matt Stewart handled the standard variant that will appear with Magic’s traditional card frame.Image: Wizards of the Coast
What was your opinion of Magic: The Gathering’s art style before you were asked to illustrate a card for the game?
I’ve always liked the feel of high fantasy, and have wanted an opportunity of drawing in that style.
Can you describe Magic’s reputation in Japan, compared to other trading card games?
In Japan, TCGs based on existing manga, anime, and video game franchises, which are aimed primarily at the collectors’ market, are very prominent. On the other hand, card products like Magic, which has a solid card game at its core, can feel a bit overshadowed. Of course, it’s not just card games but all games played face-to-face which are losing ground. I think a lot of it stems from how smartphones are eating up any bits of free time in which you’d otherwise have played a game like that.
For Magic or in general, is it hard transitioning your art style to other card games?
When I’m drawing, I usually like to put myself in the shoes of the fans. I think to myself “What kind of Arita artwork would I want to see?” Of course, each job provides its own challenges and you need to adapt your vision, but I didn’t go out of my way to do anything specifically different. If you look at my website’s blog, I think you can see how varied my style has been over the years.
Looking through Arita’s body of work, his art from the original PokémonTCG base set feels noticeably simpler, minimalistic, and two-dimensional compared to his current style. For instance, the evolution line he did for Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard mostly feature the Pokémon in profile, and there’s no mistaking them as cartoons.
Image: The Pokémon Company
Image: The Pokémon Company
This approach is not at all indicative of whoArita is, as an artist, today. The art he did for the Power Rangers CCGcould be mistaken for stills from the television show. Lumra, like many of the Pokémonhe now draws, exists in a highly detailed and lived-in environment.
Image: Bandai
Image: Bandai
His takes on Pokémon and Magic almost could be mistaken for photorealism, if the subject matter of both games weren’t so steeped in fiction and fantasy. He creates action that jumps off the page, or the card in this case, giving his illustrations a practically tangible weight that in turn makes the cards themselves feel unique.
Image: Matsuhiro Arita/Wizards of the Coast
Your work has appeared across so many card games over the years, it’s a wonder you haven’t worked on Magic until now. Are there any other games, or brands that you still hope to work on for the first time?
Magic has always been high on my list of card games which I’d like to do work for, so I was extremely happy to get the opportunity to be involved on this project. I’d done work for Culdcept before, and I’m very keen to do so again, if there’s ever a sequel. It was the first job in my career when I got to go all-out on a series of high-fantasy artworks.
How important is understanding a new game before designing art for it?
It’s important to try and understand that the perspective of hardcore fans is not an entirely objective perspective. In fact, I think that introducing the perspective of an outsider can help bring about positive innovation. I’ve been involved with [Pokémon] for a long time, but [my work] still feels very fresh [to the fans]. I think that having multiple product lines which employ various styles has helped to change and progress it over time.
When creating characters for a new client, such as Magic, how do you tailor your approach to fit the specific lore and themes in that game’s identity?
When doing research for a creature, I think about it as if it really existed. If it had this set of characteristics, what would it look like? Where would it live? How would it behave? And I always keep in mind the visual impact while I think through these things.
How much did you have to learn about Magic before working on your first Magic card?
I like to keep my work feeling fresh and original, so I tend to avoid looking at other artists’ work. I prepared for this project just as I would for any other project — I didn’t really do anything differently.
In some ways, Arita’s career in art was an unexpected one. Not only was Pokémon TCG his first professional job as an artist, prior to that assignment he had very little formal training in art or drawing.
I read that your art is self-taught, following a natural talent from a young age. Is this true, and have you ever sought some formal training once your career in arts began to take shape?
I did attend sumi-ink painting classes at a cultural center. Watching the instructor do live demonstrations, I came to understand how water and pigment behave inside the body of the brush, and the techniques used to control it. I also took all five of the workshops at the Liquitex School, which focuses on acrylic paint, where I learned about the history and special chemical properties of paint.
That knowledge turned out to be a very useful foundation for when I started working in watercolor and other liquid-based media later on. As I didn’t have a comprehensive art education, I’d only had limited experience with [legacy] art materials. Every time I tried my hand at a new medium — watercolor, opaque watercolor, acrylic paint, oil paint — I was able to increase my understanding by paying close attention to the work of my predecessors.
Apart from formal training, how do you continue learning at this stage in your career?
When I’m grappling with new subject matter, I turn to YouTube and get studying.
As Arita’s career expanded beyond his roots in Pokémon TCG, he eventually had to adjust his style to new stories, characters and worlds. These new projects also brought with them new audiences and expectations, and for a mostly self-taught artist like Arita, this came with the unique challenge of evolving and adapting beyond the potential comfort zone of his home within Pokémon.
A render of the gold raised foil version of Arita’s Lumra, Bellow of the Woods. The rare treatment is only available in Collector Boosters.Image: Wizards of the Coast
Do you need to make an effort to evolve and explore new styles, or does it come naturally through the work you’re assigned across different games?
I actually find it more natural and not at all laborious to continue to change and take on new challenges. I’m convinced that I won’t catch anyone’s interest unless I draw with an intense level of focus. One of the things that has contributed most to my changing creative style has been the fact that I’ve worked on so many different kinds of projects, in so many different domains over the years.
How do you handle feedback and critique from fans and colleagues?
You’d think that you needed a distinct and consistent style and set of themes, if you wanted to be an established artist but, for some reason, I haven’t really been criticized for not following that path. The fans are very much up for the adventure, and they enjoy following me on that journey, for which I’m very grateful. I find it slightly curious that fans will seek out some of my art pieces, even when they have no consistency with the rest of my work, just because it’s by me. I really appreciate the open-mindedness of my clients and my fans.
Can you recall an instance where constructive criticism significantly influenced one of your pieces?
The idea that you don’t have to draw things as they look in real life really freed me up as an artist. But, for a while, I just couldn’t get it!
Mitsuhiro Arita’s first Magic card can be found in all Bloomburrow booster packs, including Play Boosters and Collector Boosters, when the set goes on sale Aug. 2. The most coveted version of the card, the raised foil borderless treatment with the first-of-its-kind gold accents, is exclusive to Collector Boosters.
Here’s a statistic that’s hard to understand: More than 600,000 Californians with low to moderate incomes haven’t touched the free cash the state gave them during the pandemic.
They haven’t spent it, nor have they stashed it away for a rainy day. Instead, they’ve left the money — $200 to $1,050, depending on their income level and tax-filing status — sitting on unactivated prepaid debit cards, where it doesn’t even earn interest.
The state called the handout a Middle Class Tax Refund, although truth be told, it wasn’t a refund — it was a grant from the state’s erstwhile budget surplus, ostensibly to offset the high price of gasoline and other goods. If you filed your 2020 state tax return on time, you qualified for a grant as long as your income was no more than $250,000 (for individuals) or $500,000 (for couples or heads of households).
The Franchise Tax Board made the vast majority of the grants between October 2022 and February 2023, ultimately awarding $9.2 billion to 16.8 million California taxpayers. The state sent the money straight into the bank accounts of 7.2 million households that had signed up for direct deposit, paying an average of $555, according to the tax board. The other 9.6 million households were supposed to receive their money in the form of prepaid debit cards, collecting an average of $542 per household.
Here’s the interesting thing. According to the state, more than half the cards issued still had unspent funds as of April 8. In fact, about 624,000 cards had not even been activated. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars encased in plastic, benefiting no one.
The FTB said an unspecified number of cards were “pending updated address information,” meaning they couldn’t find the intended recipient. The board didn’t reveal how many cards were held up by this problem. It’s easy to imagine the state having trouble finding addresses for taxpayers experiencing homelessness, but such cases can’t account for most of the 624,000 unactivated cards.
By now you may be wondering whether you are one of those taxpayers still waiting for a card in the mail. If you filed a 2020 California tax return on time, earned less than the income limits for the Middle Class Tax Refund that year and have not given your banking information to the FTB (you sent money to the FTB or received refunds from it via checks, not electronically), and you’re still a California resident, then you would appear to be eligible for a grant.
You might think that the tax board would have a list of people still missing their prepaid cards, so you could ask whether you’re on it.
You would be mistaken.
Instead, the FTB offers two potential courses of action. “If you have not received your debit card and believe that you are eligible, make sure that your address is up to date with FTB,” the board says on its website. “Visit our Help with the Middle Class Tax Refund page for instructions to update your address.”
Alternatively, you can call the contractor distributing the prepaid cards, Money Network, at (800) 240-0223. To find out whether a card was issued to you, you’ll need to navigate through a series of automated prompts, then enter the last six digits of the Social Security number used on your 2020 tax return, followed by your ZIP Code, to see if Money Network has an account that matches.
If not, you weren’t issued a Middle Class Tax Refund on a prepaid card. You can then find out whether a card was ever sent to your address and, if necessary, request a new one.
You may also find out, however, that your card was issued and all of the funds have been spent. There have been numerous reports of cards being hacked and accounts being drained by thieves who use physical or electronic tools to grab card numbers, PIN codes and other identifying information.
Money Network’s contract requires it to keep the fraud rate below 1%, but considering the number of cards issued, even 0.5% would mean 48,000 households victimized.
Attorney Kevin Kneupper of the Huntington Beach-based law firm Kneupper and Covey filed a class-action lawsuit against Money Network in August on behalf of Californians whose Middle Class Tax Refund cards were hacked or not issued. But in April, U.S. District Judge Kenly Kato dismissed the complaint, ruling that individual Californians did not have standing to sue because they weren’t the intended beneficiaries of the contract between the state and the company.
Kneupper said his firm has probably heard from about 100 people who’d had problems with cards, with more complaints coming in every day.
You still have a remedy if your card is tapped by hackers, though. By law, you are entitled to be reimbursed for any unauthorized charges on your card.
The FTB and Money Network say that if you suspect your card was used without your authorization, you should call the company at (800) 240-0223 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday. You’ll need to enter the number on your prepaid card, then wade through a series of automated scripts and responses to get where you’ll need to go.
To avoid hackers and thieves tapping into your prepaid card, transfer the balance into your bank account, if you have one. You can do so at no charge through mctrpayment.com, via the Money Network mobile phone app or by calling (800) 240-0223. Money Network lays out the steps on its Frequently Asked Questions page.
Alternatively, you can sign up for transaction alerts on the Money Net mobile app. That way, you can find out quickly if someone is using your card without your permission. You can use the app to lock the card to prevent any money from being withdrawn if you suspect a problem or if you know you won’t be using it for a while.
Card battling games are often beloved by many gamers who enjoy fairly straightforward and relaxing gameplay mechanics, or an element of collecting different cards and building decks to go up against your opponents. If you’re looking for some new card collecting and battling games to try out on PC, we’ve rounded up 10 of the most suitable titles that are likely to take your interest.
Hearthstone
Image Source: Blizzard Entertainment
Hearthstone is a great choice if you’re looking for a new digital card-battling game to play. Not only is this title free to play and available on both PC and mobile, enabling you to play even on the go, but there are multiple variants of the game to keep you entertained.
Classic Hearthstone involves collecting cards, building decks, and battling other players. Battlegrounds is an auto chess card battling game where eight players duke it out for the number one spot by building an active bench from card options that are randomly generated each turn, and Mercenaries enables players to collect mercenaries and build an active party, leveling them up through progressive quests.
Pokemon TCGO
Image Source: The Pokemon Company
If you’re a massive fan of collecting and playing with Pokemon cards IRL, then you’ll surely love Pokemon Trading Card Game Online. Hell, even if you’re not into the physical cards but you enjoy Pokemon, then you’ll be likely to gain enjoyment from this title. Pokemon TCGO is free to download and play and operates the same as the physical card game, just in digital format.
Furthermore, if you do like to buy physical Pokemon card packs, you can use the code cards inside these packs to unlock a digital pack of the same variant in Pokemon TCGO. You can build your deck, complete matches against player CPUs, or other online players, earn coins to buy more packs through gameplay, trade cards with other users, and stay up to date with all of the latest expansion packs.
Marvel Snap
Image Source: Marvel Snap Zone
Marvel Snap is a great choice for several reasons. Firstly, and most obviously, it is adapted from a much-beloved franchise, giving everyone a chance to embrace their favorite heroes and villains through collection and gameplay. Secondly, matches of Marvel Snap only last an average of 3 minutes, meaning that the game is relatively simple, easy to pick up, and fast-paced.
Because of this, you can get a very decent amount of matches played within a relatively short period, especially in comparison to other titles. On top of this, Marvel Snap is free to play, and even has a mobile option to play on the go.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Image Source: Konami via Twinfinite
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is a free-to-play digital adaptation of the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game and is just one of many Yu-Gi-Oh game titles in existence. However, this title, in particular, stands out not just for being very accessible due to both being free and having a mobile version to play on the go, but also because it offers so many fun features. You can play solo matches to learn mechanics and unlock new cards to power your deck, or go up against other players in one of several different multiplayer duel options.
You can also earn points through dueling to spend on digital card packs to further your collection and give you more options for refining your decks with new monsters, spells, and traps, which keeps playing in repetition feel that much more worth it. Lastly, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel also tends to have in-game events, enabling you to double down on rewards from time to time.
Slay the Spire
Image Source: Mega Crit
Slay the Spire is a single-player deckbuilding game that combines everything players love about roguelikes and card-battling titles. With hundreds of different cards to obtain, deck building in Slay the Spire is nothing less than a joy, enabling you to establish strategy through the synergy of your cards. You’re also in charge of your decisions in Slay the Spire, with the Spire changing through each journey.
As the player, you get to decide which paths you take and make decisions that may lead to discovering bosses, relics, or new cards to further improve your deck. You can even participate in a custom mode, which enables you to select from many different gameplay modifiers, enabling a unique experience.
Monster Train
Image Source: Good Shepherd Entertainment
Monster Train is a strategic roguelike deckbuilding game in which you can choose different routes, each location offering you various benefits. From upgrading cards, recruiting units, and upgrading your champion, there is plenty to do as you work your way through Monster Train.
With several different clans, there are many different primary and secondary combinations you can select to form your deck and create unique synergies. With this amount of content in the game, there is enough to keep you entertained for numerous hours, as there’s just so much you’ll find yourself wanting to try out along the way.
Inscryption
Image Source: Devolver Digital
Inscryption is a game that blends elements of escape rooms and roguelike deck builders with a dark, horror-like aesthetic. However, Inscryption does not just focus on these core deckbuilding and horror elements alone but also contains a narrative that will keep players on their toes by throwing twists and turns at their faces around every corner. Devoted fans seem to preach that to get the best experience from Inscryption, players should head into the game as blind as possible, so we’ll leave the information at that.
Magic: The Gathering Arena
Image via Wizards of the Coast
If you’re a fan of the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card game, then Magic: The Gathering Arena may be the perfect digital card game for you, as this form of the game enables you to play for free against your friends without the need for digging out your physical cards.
Magic: The Gathering Arena has also been set up with new players in mind, meaning there’s no experience with Magic needed to jump in and start having fun — you can simply play and learn the game as you go, thanks to well-structured tutorials. Once you’ve got the hang of things and are starting to feel confident, you can even enter in-game tournaments to try your hand at winning some prizes or participate in in-game events.
Legends of Runeterra
Image Source: Riot Games
Look, a few months ago people were complaining that Legends of Runeterra was well headed toward the grave, but as of recently, Riot has confirmed this is far from the truth, which is all the more reason to give this one a try. Players will be able to collect cards featuring elements and characters from the world of Runeterra, known through the MOBA game, League of Legends, and the animated series, Arcane.
Players can choose to embark on solo adventures by facing off against AI or turn to battle others in PvP matches. LoR is fairly well-balanced and surprisingly generous to players who want an entirely free-to-play experience, in comparison to other titles that may favor paid ‘meta’ cards or decks.
Many players have shared that within a year of playing without spending a single cent, they have gained access to any card that they want, which creates feelings that the time you invest in the game is very rewarding. If you’re looking for a card game referencing a very unique and lovable universe that also carries some of the most fair monetization on the market, Legends of Runeterra is worth a shot.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Image Source: Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is a free-to-play card game revolving around the beloved Elder Scrolls franchise. Unfortunately, there’s both good news and bad news when it comes to considering this title for your next card-battling game go-to. We’ll break the bad news first: The Elder Scrolls: Legends has unfortunately not received any updates in around 2 years, with much of the playerbase accepting that the game has pretty much been abandoned and left in the dust.
However, the good news is that it is still one hundred percent playable, and people still have nothing bad to say about the game — other than they wish it would receive a revival of sorts. This was reason enough to make it in as the final entry of the list, as seeing people talk so passionately about a game that isn’t necessarily receiving the attention it once had is quite a rare thing.
Going off recommendations from players who have put hundreds of hours into the title, you’re likely to still have an absolute blast picking this one up — just be warned: dedicated fans have stated that although the game is thoroughly enjoyable, the lack of attention from devs means that it is not worth forking out on microtransactions to give yourself a head start or advantage.
About the author
Grace Black
Grace is a writer and digital artist from New Zealand with a love for fiction and storytelling. Grace has been writing for Twinfinite for one year and in the games industry for two years. She’s an enthusiast of everything spooky, an occasional anime enjoyer, and a die-hard Ghost-Type Pokemon fangirl. Her favorite video games include Overwatch 2, Life is Strange, The Last of Us, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Pokemon – all of which she will never tire of.
It’s a new year, but for Marvel Snap(Free) the more important thing is that it’s a new month. Most Seasons in Marvel Snap run for about one month, and that means it’s time for the Power Cosmic to make its exit and more terrestrial oddities to step into the spotlight. We’re heading to the Savage Land, and you’d best watch your step because pretty much everything bites.
The new card for this season is Zabu, Kazar’s trusty sabretooth tiger friend. Zabu is a 3-Cost and 2-Power card with an Ongoing effect that makes all 4-Cost cards cost 2 less to play. That naturally makes him go great with Kazar, but cards like Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, and Thing will benefit as well. Like all new cards, Zabu is only available for the time being via the $9.99 Season Pass, which will also reward you with new Variants, Card Backs, Icons, and more.
There are five new locations coming in as well. The Rickety Bridge can only hold one card, destroying all others at the end of the turn. The Altar of Death will destroy cards placed on it, giving you +2 Energy in the next turn. Eternity Range adds a Rock to the losing player’s side after turn 3. Plunder Castle can only have 6-Cost cards played on it. The Collapsed Mine is filled with Rocks, and you can only destroy them by skipping a turn.
Naturally, there are also some new Series 5 cards. Some of them really fit the theme, too. Sauron is a 3-Cost, 3-Power card with an On Reveal ability that removes all abilities from Ongoing cards in your hand and deck. Hm. Shanna the She-Devil is a 4-Cost, 2-Power card that has an On Reveal ability which adds a random 1-Cost card to each location. Dazzler is 4-Cost and 4-Power, with an Ongoing ability that gives her +6 Power if you have four cards at each location. Finally, Shadow King is a 4-Cost, 3-Power card whose On Reveal ability sets all cards at the location to their base Power. Hm, lots of 4-Cost cards there for Zabu to synergize with.
That’s the lot for this time, friends. The Savage Land has a lot of cool stuff that could potentially change up a lot of strategies. Those locations make me think destruction decks are going to stay popular for a while, though. I’m just happy to see Zabu in the game. More Marvel Pets, please! Lucky the Pizza Dog for life!
Teachers have big jobs. HUGE jobs. I used to volunteer every day in my son’s school and I am constantly in awe of how much they take on. Most of them have children of their own, and yet they give so much of their time, patience and love to other children. Our children. And that’s why I am always trying to think of ways to help my beans’ teachers.
Sure, I love sending in snacks or little gifties to them. My friends call me a suck-up (lol), but truthfully, they deserve presents. Lots and lots of presents. And not crap like “World’s Best Teacher” mugs… they want useful things: an Amazon, Walmart or Chapters/Indigo gift card can go a long way. And you know what they really love: SAQ gift cards! Heck, I’d give them straight cash if I had extra cash to give.
But I also try and make my teacher’s job as easy as possible, and that means keeping track of memos at my end. I check my son’s journal and go on ClassDojo and the other apps daily, just to make sure I’m on top of everything. I see how often teachers are scrambling when parents forget things like supplies, snacks, spare clothes, signed forms, etc. He/she has enough to do chasing my kid around – they shouldn’t have to chase us too.
I check in with my son’s teacher, either in person or via email, just to ensure everything is going smoothly periodically throughout the year.
I keep my son’s teacher in mind when sending in snacks and lunches (I always make sure to properly organize everything, and I make sure I send him with containers he can open), or spare shoes/clothes (easy to slip on and off items only).
I follow protocols when it comes to reporting absences or early pick-ups, and everything to do with keeping our kids healthy and safe. I send money for his lunch in a Ziplock bag, not because I think this is the most eco-friendly or efficient way of doing things but because I was asked by his teacher to do so.
I sound like a total teacher’s pet. I know. But being in the school, I see how laid-back parents can be when it comes to their child’s school lives. They really just leave everything to the teacher. And sometimes, it’s too much.
So, if you can help out your child’s teacher, even just a bit, please do. After all, they practically spend as much time with your child as you!
A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.
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