The world is becoming more cognisant of what we add and remove from our atmosphere. And after centuries of industrial sky-clogging, it’s about time, too. However, changing habits can do little to reverse the poison we’ve already unleashed onto the planet, which continues to evolve and affect the environment in newer ways everyday. Touted as the miracle material of the past, plastics remain a deafening example of one such toxin, and new research has shown that its new forms have begun to inadvertently affect <keyword id="6359992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weather" source="Orion">weather</keyword> as well.<br /><br />And once again, we’re talking about microplastics, of course. These tiny fragments of plastic are increasingly being found in unexpected places, from the unfathomable depths of the ocean to the snow on mountains. And it’s annoyingly difficult not to produce them, since they originate mainly from the regular wear and tear of many essential daily-use items such as clothing and packaging.<br /><br />We’ve known of their sinister potential to float around the atmosphere and affect weather, but to what extent still remains a mystery. To answer this pertinent question, researchers collected 28 samples of liquid from clouds at the top of <keyword id="3944311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mount-tai" source="Orion">Mount Tai</keyword> in eastern China.<br /><br />They found that the clouds contained low levels of water-attracting microplastics, with lower-altitude and denser clouds containing the most. The particles were made of common polymers, including polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyamide. Y’know, the stuff that makes up your <keyword id="6360916" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pet" source="Orion">PET</keyword> bottles, clothing, food containers, disposable utensils, and so on.<br /><br />The reason these findings are so significant is because these minuscule plastic pieces have the potential to accumulate water, effectively creating clouds. Fascinatingly, the cloud-like conditions also roughened up the microplastics over time, allowing them to become more adept at accumulating metals like lead, mercury and oxygen.<br /><br />In addition to changing the movement of airborne metals, the presence of these extra, often-toxic elements could help the atmospheric microplastics gather water and congregate clouds more easily. Models estimated that most of these teeny pieces travelled to the mountaintops from highly populated inland areas, rather than over from nearby mountains or the ocean.<br /><br />The presence of <keyword id="6489736" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="microplastic" source="Orion">microplastic</keyword>s in clouds is a cause for concern, as it suggests that these tiny particles may have a more widespread impact on the environment than previously thought. Further research is needed to determine the full extent of this impact, but it is clear that microplastic pollution is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.<br /><br />The findings of this research have been published in <em>Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</em> and can be accessed <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00729" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.<br />

Microplastics floating through our clouds could soon start changing the Earth's rainfall and weather patterns

<ul class="summary-list"><li>With about 350 days of sunshine per year, <keyword id="13391518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="palm-springs" source="Orion">Palm Springs</keyword> has much to do in the desert.</li><li>Insider's list of must-do activities will help you map out your itinerary for the perfect getaway.</li></ul><p>If you only come to Palm Springs to lounge in the pool with a mai tai … well, you're doing it right.</p><p>But the city and its environs offer much beyond that thanks to 350 days of sunshine per year that provides an incredible backdrop for golf, tennis, and all sorts of sports. </p><p>The city's famous association with midcentury modern style makes it a worthy destination for design buffs looking to tour architectural marvels, and street fairs provide the chance to score vintage art and souvenirs. </p><p>I come here every year for all of that and more. In between pool dips, I plan my trips around hikes amid otherworldly landscapes, shop at designer boutiques, and take my family to the zoo. </p><p>Whether you're into retro design, outdoor pursuits, or family-friendly activities, you'll find so much to do in the desert. Here are my favorites.</p><div type="image" title="A tram car in the mountains." height="2274" width="3024" msid="90232874" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Palm Springs Aerial Tramway</strong></p><p>The <a href="https://pstramway.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Palm Springs Aerial Tramway</a> tops my list of must-do activities in Palm Springs. Billed as the world's largest rotating tram car, it's guaranteed to make your palms sweat over its two-and-a-half-mile ascent along Chino Canyon to the wilderness of Mount San Jacinto State Park. </p><p>Mind your wardrobe even if it's hot on the valley floor. At an elevation of 8,516 feet, it can be a lot colder than down below, by as much as 40 degrees. In fact, would you believe I once experienced a truly magical Christmas Eve snowfall here at the summit? </p><p>At the top of the mountain, you'll find restaurants, observation decks, a natural history museum, a gift shop, and more than 50 miles of hiking trails.</p><div type="image" title="A giant statue of Marilyn Monroe surrounded by palm trees." height="3268" width="4358" msid="90232877" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Palm Springs Art Museum</strong></p><p>In addition to all that sun, soak up some culture at the <a href="https://www.psmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Palm Springs Art Museum</a>. The largest cultural institution in the Coachella Valley (and the only major art museum between L.A. and Phoenix) features a huge permanent collection spread across 150,000 square feet. </p><p>The collection features 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century works with an emphasis on contemporary California art from the likes of Marina Abramović, Louise Bourgeois, John Chamberlain, Antony Gormley, Duane Hanson, Mona Hatoum, Anish Kapoor, Anselm Keifer, Sarah Sze, and Stanley Whitney. </p><p>The 433-seat Annenberg Theater within the museum hosts concerts and events like Broadway shows, cabaret, jazz, classical, opera, dance, and entertainment-industry speakers.</p><div type="image" title="A street fair with people and Palm Trees in Palm Springs" height="800" width="1066" msid="90232880" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Palm Springs VillageFest</strong></p><p>If you're in town on a Thursday night, head straight to downtown Palm Springs for <a href="http://villagefest.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">VillageFest</a> on Palm Canyon Drive for this great market. The street closes to vehicles and comes alive with pedestrians for a traffic-free art walk with vendor booths offering a mix of art, food, and other shoppable temptations set up on both sides of the street, from Indian Canyon Drive to the east and Belardo Road to the west. </p><div type="image" title="Giraffes grazing on a field behind palm trees." height="800" width="1066" msid="90232881" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Living Desert Zoo &amp; Gardens</strong></p><p>The <a href="https://www.livingdesert.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Living Desert Zoo &amp; Gardens</a>, a nonprofit zoo and desert botanical gardens in neighboring Palm Desert is a favorite among families with kids who need an outing for all ages. The park focuses on desert climates, so it's not like the average zoo and is home to more than 500 animals representing more than 150 species. </p><p>The zoo includes a newly opened four-acre Rhino Savanna with 12 African species, as well as a giraffe-viewing platform where you may feed the giraffes for an added fee. There are also hiking and nature trails, a petting zoo, a discovery center, an Australian-themed area, and so much more to explore.</p><div type="image" title="Sunnylands center and garden in Rancho Mirage, Desert with a body of water with rocks visible in it." height="900" width="1200" msid="90232883" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Sunnylands Center</strong></p><p>The former Annenberg Estate located in Rancho Mirage is a 200-acre site that is currently run by the nonprofit Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnyland. Visit the <a href="https://sunnylands.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Sunnylands</a> Center, an airy glass building with rotating art exhibitions, café, gift shop, and multimedia offerings, and explore its gardens; admission is free. </p><p>For a fee, the historic estate is open for tours (outdoors only for now), and the campus also hosts an array of peaceful outdoor classes and <keyword id="12337190" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="experiences" source="Orion">experiences</keyword>. Note that some group activities like yoga and tai chi are still on hold due to COVID-19.</p><div type="image" title="Tables an umbrellas set up in front of a van in the desert." height="4000" width="5333" msid="90232886" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Palm Springs Vintage Market</strong></p><p>Bring a taste of Palm Springs' vintage design home with a visit to this monthly seasonal market held at the Camelot Theater. On the first Sunday of each month, from October through May, the <a href="https://palmspringsvintagemarket.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Palm Springs Vintage Market</a> is a mecca for vintage-loving locals and visitors. Pay $5 to enter and find your fill of housewares including glassware, lamps, furnishings and other "Mad Men"-era finds to trick out your place back home (or the Palm Springs vacation rental your trip inspires you to buy).</p><div type="image" title="Three people standing in front of a rock formation in the desert." height="3024" width="4032" msid="90232889" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Joshua Tree National Park</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Joshua Tree National Park</a> is a visual stunner and a must-visit about 40 miles from Palm Springs that's known for its rugged rock formations, dramatic desert landscapes, and famous twisted trees for which the park is named. Park, hike, and then pop over to neighboring Pioneertown for a stop at Pappy &amp; Harriet's for cold beers and live music.</p><p>You can even enjoy the park as a quick pit stop as I recently did. We paid the park entrance fee, parked by the side of the road, and spent a pleasant hour or two bouldering around the 1.7-mile Skull Rock Nature trail loop.</p><div type="image" title="Thousands of people sitting in an outdoor stadium." height="3388" width="4517" msid="90232890" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Indian Wells Tennis Garden</strong></p><p>The desert region around Palm Springs is one of the top destinations in the world for tennis. Located just 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs, the <a href="https://indianwellstennisgarden.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Indian Wells Tennis Garden</a> is the second-largest tennis stadium in the world, with more than 16,000 seats. Serious fans will want to come for the annual Indian Wells Masters tournament in March (and expect peak hotel prices). The facility also has a year-round tennis club that's open to the public — a bucket-list opportunity for a fan of the sport.</p><div type="image" title="Rock formations surrounded by Palm trees and more rocks in the Palm Springs desert" height="2666" width="3555" msid="90232892" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Indian Canyons</strong></p><p>When the weather is mild, there are few greater pleasures than hiking trails in Palm Springs and its surroundings. You'll find dozens of trails here, from succulent-studded wide-open spaces to shaded oases flowing with trickling streams. <a href="https://www.indian-canyons.com/trail_maps" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Indian Canyons</a> is a favorite for its more than 60 miles of hiking and walking trails. The otherworldly desert landscape starts out vast and stark, before revealing a lush oasis of towering palms and trickling streams. </p><div type="image" title="Rocks in a stream leading to the mountains with shrubbery." height="902" width="1200" msid="90232894" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Tahquitz Canyon</strong></p><p>Additional great hiking is found at <a href="http://www.tahquitzcanyon.com/canyon" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Tahquitz Canyon</a>, a moderately easy 1.8-mile loop trail framed by towering rock formations that leads to a 60-foot seasonal waterfall. I visited recently to get in a little cardio before heading back to the Ace Hotel for drinks — a perfectly balanced day in the desert. The center's observation deck has great views, too. Just remember to pack lots of water on any hike.</p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-traveling-to-palm-springs-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting Palm Springs.</em></a></p>

I've been visiting Palm Springs for 2 decades and these are 11 things I always do in the desert that have nothing to do with the pool

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Giovanna Vargas, 38, is a villa host at the <keyword id="11970521" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="four-seasons" source="Orion">Four Seasons</keyword> <keyword id="11970522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="resort" source="Orion">resort</keyword> in <keyword id="11970520" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bora-bora" source="Orion">Bora Bora</keyword>.</li><li>As guests' go-to resource, she's in charge of planning last-minute parties and private excursions.</li><li>This is what her job is like, as told to freelance writer Kaila Yu.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Giovanna Vargas, a 38-year-old villa host at the Four Seasons Bora Bora. It has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>Bora Bora is the ultimate dream destination. Many of our guests save up for years to <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">travel</keyword> here to celebrate weddings and memorable milestones.</p><p>That's why as a villa host, I do everything I can to make each guest's experience especially remarkable. </p><p>I get to wake up every day in Bora Bora, and it's heaven on earth. I'm originally from San Jose, Costa Rica, and I first started in the <keyword id="11970523" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hospitality" source="Orion">hospitality</keyword> industry as a freelance tour guide in 2004.</p><p>In 2008, after giving birth to my daughter, I decided to look for a more stable career and left my resume at the Four Seasons desk at a travel industry job fair. </p><p>I was so excited when I got called in, and after several rounds of interviews, I was offered the job of villa host at the Four Seasons Bora Bora and moved there in November 2011. I live in staff residences provided by Four Seasons, which are a 15-minute boat ride from the resort.</p><h2><strong>As a 5-star resort, we go above and beyond to exceed guests' expectations. </strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="Four Seasons Bora Bora" height="963" width="1284" msid="85714099" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>So much of our great service is thanks to our staff - many of whom are local Tahitians and eager to share their culture with guests.</p><h2>As the villa host, I greet guests at the airport and escort them to the resort via a private yacht.</h2><p>Once they settle in, I'm their primary contact to ensure that everything is perfect. </p><p>We pay attention to every detail, including guests' food preferences, special occasions, favorite wines, and even their desired cut of steak.</p><p>I also handle everything from travel planning to charter arrangements to restaurant and spa reservations to private excursions and special celebrations. My job is like a cross between a butler and a personal assistant.</p><h2><strong>There's very little routine in my day and time flies by since I'm always busy.</strong></h2><p>My schedule tends to be based on the villa guests' routine.</p><p>If they're early-risers, so am I. If they prefer late dinners and evening events, I stay up, too.</p><p>I spend some time in the office for administrative duties, but most of the time I'm at the villas catering to our guests. </p><h2><strong>Each villa has a private infinity pool, outdoor wooden deck, and a full alfresco kitchen.</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="Four Seasons Bora Bora" height="1200" width="1600" msid="85714102" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>At the Four Seasons Bora Bora, we have seven beachfront villa estates that lie on a private stretch of white sand beach overlooking Bora Bora's famous lagoon and the Mount Otemanu.</p><p>The villas are huge with two to three bedrooms each and have beachfront decks with private entrances. It's like staying in your own mini resort.   </p><p>We also recently added eight new overwater bungalow suites and MoeMoea - a 3,550-square-foot shopping center - so guests never have to leave the hotel.</p><h2><strong>Guests in the villas are often CEOs, celebrities, entertainers, and athletes.</strong></h2><p>The villas are private and luxurious, so they're well-suited for guests who demand confidentiality.</p><p>One of my proudest moments was working with a CEO staying at the resort with his family. Halfway through his stay, his children reminded him that it was "mommy's birthday." He reached out to me in a panic to organize something on the fly - in less than 24 hours.</p><p>Our team jumped into action and threw together an epic surprise party, which included a private chef-cooked dinner, a beach party with a live band, fireworks over the lagoon, and her favorite cake for dessert. The event looked like it took weeks to plan, and the CEO's wife was none the wiser.</p><p>Another time, an actress was staying at one of the villas with her husband. She wanted to treat one of her security guards to a day of fun, so we organized a day for him. We surprised him with a private guided snorkel excursion with our marine biologist and a Mai-Tai cocktail class, and he spent the rest of the day at the spa. They said they'd never seen him happier!</p><p>I enjoy helping guests plan their special occasions, such as a famous musician who wanted to set up a scavenger hunt for his girlfriend for an engagement proposal. The search included a customized map with treasures to find all over the resort, culminating with a buried ring on the beach.</p><p>I was so paranoid the ring would get lost somehow that I was on edge all night. But she ended up finding the ring just fine, and the romantic proposal followed. After that, they toasted the night away with champagne and a private fire dance by a Polynesian dance troupe.</p><h2><strong>There are occasional hiccups and challenges that come with the job, even in paradise.</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="Four Seasons Bora Bora" height="1200" width="1600" msid="85714104" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>Once, one of our guests lost her diamond engagement ring while swimming in the lagoon. She called me in a panic and minutes later, our security and dive teams started canvassing the lagoon in front of their villa, diving, tracking the tide, and combing the sand.</p><p>Within two hours, we found the ring and it was back on her finger. Our resort pearl boutique also adjusted the size of the ring for her so she wouldn't lose it again. </p><p>Many of our guests come back year after year, so I keep in contact with them even after they leave. Some even start planning for their next stay as soon as they get home, and I'm always glad to be their point of contact and welcome them when they return.   </p>

I'm a concierge at a 5-star resort in Bora Bora. My job is to cater to VIP guests' every need.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/583c37aae02ba760658b55a7-1280/undefined" alt="iPhone 7 concept" data-mce-source="Yasser Farahi/Oval Picture" data-link="http://iphone.ovalpicture.com/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://iphone.ovalpicture.com/">Yasser Farahi/Oval Picture</a></span></p><p class="caption">A drawing. Not what the iPhone 8 will look like.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple is testing more than 10 prototypes for new iPhones that could go on sale next year, the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-iphone-with-curved-screen-could-come-as-soon-as-next-year-1480326466">Wall Street Journal reported</a> on Monday. </p><p>Citing sources, some of those prototypes may have a new design centered around a curved screen.</p><p>The technology that would enable that curved screen is called OLED, which is a newer kind of display that has deeper blacks and lower power consumption.</p><p>The fact that Apple will need tens of millions of these OLED screens for next year is setting off a race among screen makers, including Samsung, LG Display, Foxconn-owned Sharp, and Japan Display.</p><p>The WSJ says that Samsung will supply "most" of Apple's initial OLED needs, confirming <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-17/apple-wants-oled-in-iphones-but-most-suppliers-aren-t-ready-yet">what Bloomberg reported earlier</a>.</p><p>But Apple is pushing the other three to gear up to supply OLED iPhone screens as soon as 2018. That would require significant investment - the Journal says that Sharp would need to spend more than $5 billion to develop the technology and capacity to supply OLED screens to Apple. </p><p>"We don't know whether Apple's OLED iPhones will be a hit, but if Apple doesn't walk down this path and transform itself, there will be no innovation. It is a crisis but it is also an opportunity," Sharp chief executive Tai Jeng-wu said last month. </p><h2>A clear picture</h2><p>The information in Monday's Journal story lines up with other reports from <a href="http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/All-three-iPhone-8-models-to-have-glass-backs">Nikkei</a>, as well as analyst reports from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-8-5-inch-and-58-models-rumors-details-specs-2016-11">Barclays</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-rumors-suggest-iphone-7s-2016-11">KGI Securities</a>. </p><p>As iPhone sales decline, pressure is mounting on Apple to deliver a very desirable new iPhone model in 2017 to return the line to growth. </p><p>This model is widely expected to feature glass casing, wireless charging, and a new edge-to-edge screen design, in addition to the latest chips and technologies.  </p><p>"iPhone 8 design didn't sound 100% locked down but we believe the move is to a bezel-less design with screen sizes getting larger and curved edges in the original envelope," Barclays analysts <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-8-5-inch-and-58-models-rumors-details-specs-2016-11">wrote</a> in November. </p><p>KGI Securities pointed to three iPhone models in 2017, with only one sporting the new kind of OLED screen. "We predict three new iPhone models will be launched in 2017: 5.1-5.2" OLED, 4.7" TFT-LCD, and 5.5" TFT-LCD," the KGI Securities analyst wrote.</p><p>The Journal warns that the OLED iPhone could be scrapped before its expected launch next fall. After all, Apple is testing 10 prototypes and reportedly killed an iPhone model <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-kills-iphone-model-months-before-launch-nikkei-reports-2016-8">months before launch</a> in 2016. It sounds like what Apple ends up launching will depend on whether Apple's Asian suppliers can provide enough next-generation screens. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sleep-8-hour-cycle-ancestors-myth-2016-11">We sleep much differently than our ancestors - here's why</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lmNHZlNDE62K8PfH58_T7HwvnamGott-" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'lmNHZlNDE62K8PfH58_T7HwvnamGott-',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Apple is testing more than 10 different prototypes of the iPhone 8

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54888e0869bedd61368b456b-1200-924/macau-casino-2.jpg" border="0" alt="macau casino"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>It's now undeniable that Chinese President Xi Jinping's corruption crackdown will change Macau's casino business forever.</p>
<p>Cheung Chi Tai, a powerful junket operator, <span>is being investigated for money laundering. The FBI had already </span><a href="http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/chinese-mob-linked-world-cup-betting-ring-bust-las-vegas">been monitoring him as an alleged member of the Triad</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> - China's fearsome mafia - since 1992.</span></p>
<p><span>He was once the biggest shareholder of one of Macau's biggest junkets, </span><span>Neptune Guangdong Group, and continues to have ties to the company.</span></p>
<p>As the investigation proceeds, Cheung's assets have been frozen, according to the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/police-launch-money-laundering-probe-into-macau-gambling-boss-1418215884?tesla=y&amp;mod=djkeyword&amp;mg=reno64-wsj">Wall Street Journal. </a> In other words, <span>Hong Kong regulators are very serious this time, and if someone as powerful as Cheung can go down in flames, no one in Macau's junket world is immune.</span></p>
<p>Junkets made $30 billion for Macau last year by providing financing for casino high-rollers - mostly from mainland China. That's about 70% of Macau's casino revenue, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/24/uk-casinos-vegas-regulators-idUSLNE89N01X20121024">according to Reuters. </a></p>
<p><span>Investors give junket operators money in exchange for guaranteed returns of about 1%-2%. However, since this spring when one junket operator stole $1 billion in cash from the pool, investors have wanted higher returns for perceived additional risk.</span></p>
<p><span>This has already started breaking down the island's casino industry. At first analysts were hopeful, believing that a free-fall in casino revenue that started this summer would somehow find a stopping point, or that a higher volume of retail gamblers would make up for lost high-rollers. But none of that has happened. </span></p>
<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54888dc4eab8ea5f748b4569-475-674/screenshot 2014-12-10 13.15.13.png" border="0" alt="Macau"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Wells Fargo estimates that casino revenue in Macau could be down 25%, and revenue is at its lowest level since 2012.</span></p>
<p>Wall Street is now coming to terms with the idea that Macau's business model is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/macau-malaise-spreading-to-las-vegas-2014-11">"near broken</a>." </p>
<p><span>And based on this arrest, it seems the Chinese government doesn't have a problem with that. Even as the country's economy slows, Xi is still cracking down on the powerful, dangerous people who, like Cheung, make this money-making system work.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">This will eventually have an impact on American casino companies who've made more money from Macau than Las Vegas in the last few years. Companies like Caesars, Wynn, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Grand have created separate subsidiaries for their Macau businesses, but they're still subject to US laws like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Indeed regulators are investigating Sands over allegations of bribery in Macau, and Wynn has disclosed that it is being investigated for alleged violations of the FCPA. If found guilty, the Nevada Gaming Control Board could revoke their licenses.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">All of these companies have ties to the junkets, of course. Some junkets have even brought revenue to Las Vegas.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Cheung's <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/24/uk-casinos-vegas-regulators-idUSLNE89N01X20121024">Neptune is one of three Macau junket</a>s that has been allowed to bring high-rollers to Las Vegas, something Nevada regulators have been watching with mounting concern. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Wynn and MGM both used Neptune chairman, Lin Cheuk Fung, as an agent from 2005 to 2009. That means Lin arranged for wealthy gamblers to head to MGM and Wynn casinos to play. The problem is that it's not a very transparent process, and regulators don't have a full handle on who those gamblers are.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>"We're getting to understand the junkets and how the VIP rooms operate," Nevada Gaming Control Board member A.G. Burnett told Reuters in October. "We haven't decided whether that's offensive to the way we operate."</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>In Cheung's case, Nevada may be much closer to coming to a decision. One of his companies has been connected to an illegal World Cup gambling ring that was busted in Las Vegas this summer. Eight people were arrested in the sting, and based on computers and cellphones federal agents collected from the Caesars Palace villas where they stayed, Cheung's companies were helping the alleged ring settle up with gamblers.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>What all this means is that once-thought-untouchable junket operators need to be on their guard from now on, and Macau's VIP rooms will suffer for that.</span></span></p>

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