Pelican Press

Baby was ‘unaccounted for’ after deadly car ******. Police now say he was missing for months. Baby was ‘unaccounted for’ after deadly car ******. Police now say he was missing for months. Authorities have arrested the grandfather of a 1-year-old boy who was unaccounted for after a Dec. 8 ****** that killed two of his family members and critically injured his mother. It turns out, the boy was last seen in early September, authorities now say. An emergency missing child alert was issued Tuesday in Alabama for Kahleb Rowan Collins at the request of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, which reported the child missing Monday. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency alert, Kahleb is from Winfield, a city in northwest Alabama about 75 miles northwest of Birmingham not far from the Mississippi state line. Police had been searching for the baby since Dec. 9, one day after the deadly wreck that left his 22-year-old mother, Wendy Bailey of Jasper, hospitalized in critical condition. The boy’s father, Steven Collins, 40, and sister, Raleigh Collins, 2, died as a result of the Dec. 8 ******. A criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY shows the baby’s grandfather and custodian, 55-year-old John Elton Bailey, is charged with failure to report a missing child and claims the baby was actually last seen in September. The documents also indicate the child potentially could have been harmed or taken from their Alabama home. An Emergency Missing Child Alert missing child alert was issued on Dec. 17, 2024 for Kahleb Rowan Collins, age, 1, of Winfield, at the request of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office. The child disappeared on Sept. 4, 2024 law enforcement reported. Bailey was booked into jail just before midnight on Dec. 11, online records show. The sheriff’s office did not provide additional details about the grandfather’s arrest or what they believe may have happened to the child, but a jail spokesperson told USA TODAY that Bailey remained jailed Wednesday in Fayette County on $100,000 bond. Utah family ********* investigation: 3 children, 2 adults dead; teen found critically shot in garage A single-vehicle ****** and a baby left unaccounted for According to news release issued Monday by the sheriff’s office, just before 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 8, deputies assisted Alabama State Troopers with a single-vehicle ****** in Glen Allen in Fayette County. According to troopers, a 2020 Toyota Tacoma driven by Collins left the roadway at a high rate of speed and struck a tree. Collins and his passenger, Wendy Bailey, were injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition. Neither wore a seat belt, troopers said. The couple’s 2-year-old daughter Ryleigh Collins was in the back seat, also unrestrained, and pronounced dead at the scene. Collins, also of Jasper, died at the hospital the next day. That same day, the sheriff’s office said, law enforcement was told the couple in the ****** “had another child” who was unaccounted for, according the release. The condition of the surviving victim in the wreck, Kahleb’s mother, was not immediately known Wednesday. USA TODAY has reached out to the sheriff’s office. Missing baby’s grandfather John Bailey remains jailed A jail spokesperson told USA TODAY John Elton Bailey is set to appear in court on Jan. 8. It was not immediately known whether he had obtained an attorney. Law enforcement described Kahleb as a white male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is 2 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. Anyone with information about the case or knows the baby’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the sheriff’s office at 205-932-3205. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at *****@*****.tld and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama boy Kahleb Collins actually went missing months ago: Police Source link #Baby #unaccounted #deadly #car #****** #Police #missing #months Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple is reportedly giving up on plans to turn the iPhone into a subscription Apple is reportedly giving up on plans to turn the iPhone into a subscription Apple is shelving its plans to offer the iPhone for a monthly subscription, . The company was first said to be exploring a hardware subscription , but like the company’s “buy now, pay later” product, , it seems like it ultimately proved too problematic. The hardware subscription was rumored to work in a similar way to existing options like the or Apple Card Monthly Installments, where you pay off a new phone or other Apple device with monthly payments, and in some cases get the option to upgrade to a new device without changing your subscription fee. Unlike those payment methods, which apply your payments to a one-time loan from either Citizen One or Goldman Sachs, Apple’s subscription was going to be managed through an Apple account and use whatever payment methods you already have connected. Apple’s expectation was that if it fronted the cost for an iPhone directly, people would upgrade more often and increase the company’s recurring revenue. The problem is that much like Apple Pay Later, which let you split Apple Pay purchases into four smaller installments, the hardware subscription might have required Apple to “follow the same regulations as credit card companies,” Bloomberg says. That’s extra scrutiny the company didn’t want to invite. There’s also the potential strain a hardware subscription could put on Apple’s relationships with carriers. You can buy an iPhone 16 from T-Mobile or Verizon with an installment plan that might be technically different from a subscription, but definitely feels like one when you’re paying monthly. Apple’s hardware subscription was never officially announced, but it reflects what could be a larger retreat from the headaches of financial services. Apple Pay Later was and replaced with access to Affirm loans in Apple Pay as part of iOS 18. The Apple Card is also reportedly in limbo as Apple searches for a partner . Source link #Apple #reportedly #giving #plans #turn #iPhone #subscription Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wall Street mixed on Europe stocks for 2025. Here are their big calls Wall Street mixed on Europe stocks for 2025. Here are their big calls Major investment banks are presenting varied outlooks for European equities in 2025, with predictions ranging from modest gains to significant upside potential amid concerns about global growth and trade tensions. .STOXX YTD line Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs lowered its expectations for European stocks, with strategist Sharon Bell forecasting a 12-month price target of 530 for the Stoxx 600 , implying a price return of 3% from current levels. The Wall Street bank’s strategist expects modest earnings growth of 3% and 4% in 2025 and 2026, respectively, citing continued weak economic performance in the region. Bell said that while European stocks have significantly underperformed their U.S. counterparts by more than two standard deviations in the past six months, several catalysts would be needed for this trend to reverse, including a resolution to the Ukraine war, a clear trough in manufacturing or a larger policy response from Europe. “We are doubtful these will provide relief, especially near term. But one area we do see support from is continued dis-inflation in Europe,” Bell said in a note to clients. Barclays Barclays maintains a cautiously optimistic stance, with its European equity strategist Emmanuel Cau setting a year-end 2025 price target of 545 for the Stoxx 600 index, suggesting a 6% potential upside from the current level of 515. The bank expects corporate earnings to grow by 4%, lower than the current market consensus of 8%, citing a continued soft landing scenario as interest rate cuts help maintain global growth close to trend and U.S. trade tariff potential. Cau recommended increasing exposure to luxury goods companies, noting their sharp underperformance year-to-date and strong dollar earnings potential, while also favoring insurance companies over banks due to their relative immunity to trade risks and high capital return potential. Deutsche Bank The ******* bank’s strategist Maximilian Uleer outlined an optimistic three-act scenario for European markets in 2025. The bank expects about a 6% gain for the Stoxx 600, with the first act involving a recovery in rate-sensitive sectors, followed by improved consumer spending driven by positive real wage growth and better consumer confidence. Deutsche Bank’s third act envisions a manufacturing recovery, though Uleer cautioned this may take longer to materialize. The investment bank maintains a constructive view on rate-sensitive sectors, particularly favoring real estate, construction and consumer staples, while also highlighting retail sectors with strong European exposure as potential outperformers. JPMorgan JPMorgan strategist Mislav Matejka maintained his strong preference for U.S. equities over European stocks, despite their already exceptional relative performance. The S & P 500 is up more than 25% this year, while the Stoxx 600 is up just 7.4% over the same *******. The Wall Street bank suggested that any significant rotation toward European equities might not occur until the second quarter of 2025 after there’s more clarity on trade policies and Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. The strategists also expressed particular concern about European earnings expectations, viewing the consensus forecast of 10% earnings growth for 2025 as overly optimistic and on par with U.S. projections. Matejka noted that China’s stimulus measures have been primarily monetary in nature and may not be sufficient to counter structural growth headwinds, leading to a bearish stance on sectors with significant ******** exposure such as European automobiles, luxury goods and semiconductors. Bank of America Bank of America’s Sebastian Raedler has laid out a more cautious outlook, predicting the Stoxx 600 will first decline to 470 by mid-2025, representing an 8.7% drop, before recovering to 500 by year-end. The bank points to concerns about slowing global growth and uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policies as key reasons for their conservative stance. However, Bank of America has turned overweight on European versus global equities, despite their cautious overall outlook. Raedler explained this position by citing improving credit conditions in Europe as the European Central Bank is expected to keep lowering rates, and the potential for higher fiscal spending. The bank also suggests that a possible ceasefire in Ukraine could ease pressure from high energy prices. UBS Wealth manager UBS Investment Bank presented one of the most bullish views among major banks. UBS’ Andrew Garthwaite raised the bank’s end-2025 target for the MSCI All Country World Index to 910 from 900, representing approximately 5% upside, while noting that market conditions could potentially create a financial bubble. The Swiss bank said it had identified six out of seven preconditions for a market bubble, including the end of a structural bull market, pressure on profits, loss of market breadth and increased retail participation. Garthwaite suggests that if such a bubble materializes, certain market segments could see their price-to-earnings ratios expand to between 45 and 72 times earnings, potentially driving the S & P 500 index up by 20%. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting. Source link #Wall #Street #mixed #Europe #stocks #big #calls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Epic Games Sues Fortnite Tournament Cheater Epic Games Sues Fortnite Tournament Cheater Epic Games has announced it is taking legal action against a Fortnite player for cheating during a tournament. The publisher recently filed a lawsuit against against Sebastian Araujo, due to multiple instances of alleged cheating that took place during tournament gameplay. The complaint filed by Epic alleges that Araujo has used cheat software in multiple Fortnite tournaments, giving him an “unfair advantage over other, non-cheating players.” Specifically, Araujo is accused of using both aimbotting software and cheats that allows him to see other players through walls. Worse, Epic claims that using these cheats in Fortnite tournaments allowed Araujo to walk away with thousands of dollars in prize money. “Araujo pocketed thousands of dollars that other competitors in the tournaments–who played by the rules–had no real chance to win,” the complaint states. “We want Fortnite tournaments to be fun and fair for all competitors. People who cheat in tournaments to gain an unfair advantage ruin the experience for everyone. We are making fundamental changes to combat cheating in our tournaments, including taking legal action against players that break our rules,” said Brent Coyle, Competitive Director at Epic Games. This isn’t the first time Epic Games has taken action against Fortnite cheaters. In 2022, the publisher won a lawsuit against an *********** Fortnite cheater, and in a surprisingly wholesome twist, Epic donated the settlement money to charity. If Epic wins this lawsuit, Araujo could end up like the PUBG cheat-maker who was forced to pay $10 million after losing a lawsuit filed by Krafton Inc. and Tencent, or the Destiny 2 cheater who was ordered to pay $500,000 in damages on top of being hit with the perma-ban to end all perma-bans. Source link #Epic #Games #Sues #Fortnite #Tournament #Cheater Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI makes ChatGPT available for phone chats OpenAI makes ChatGPT available for phone chats Sam Altman, co-founder and C.E.O. of OpenAI, speaks during the New York Times annual DealBook summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images OpenAI is giving users a new way to talk to its viral chatbot: 1-800-CHATGPT. By dialing the U.S. number (1-800-242-8478) or messaging it via WhatsApp, users can access an “easy, convenient, and low-cost way to try it out through familiar channels,” OpenAI said Wednesday. At first, the company said callers will get 15 minutes free per month. The news follows a barrage of updates from OpenAI as part of a 12-day release event. The most notable announcement was the official rollout of Sora, OpenAI’s buzzy AI video-generation tool. OpenAI recently hired its first chief marketing officer, indicating plans to spend more on advertising to grow its user base. In October, the company debuted a search feature within ChatGPT that positions it to better compete with Google, Microsoft’s Bing and Perplexity. It’s all part of an aggressive growth plan for OpenAI, as the company battles Amazon-backed Anthropic, Elon Musk’s xAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon in the rapidly expanding generative artificial intelligence market, which is predicted to top $1 trillion in revenue within a decade. OpenAI closed its latest funding round in October at a valuation of $157 billion. The company also received a $4 billion revolving line of credit, bringing its total liquidity to more than $10 billion. For the 1-800 number, users can call without an account, but the company said in a livestream that it’s “working on ways” to be able to integrate WhatsApp messages with a person’s ChatGPT credentials. The team built the tool “just a few weeks ago,” an employee said on the livestream. WATCH: How Sam Altman is tackling a growing threat to the future of OpenAI Source link #OpenAI #ChatGPT #phone #chats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 3 Gameplay Leaks Online Cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 3 Gameplay Leaks Online Back in the mid-to-late 2000s, developer Free Radical Design was working on the third installment of the popular Star Wars Battlefront series for the Nintendo Wii. In 2008, however, Star Wars Battlefront 3 was ultimately cancelled for a variety of he said, she said reasons. Now, 16 years later, Star Wars Battlefront 3 gameplay has leaked online for players to see for themselves. According to the video, the build was found via the Free Radical Archive. According to them, it comes from a build dated roughly a week before the game’s cancellation. “This build, made in the final week of development, is full of content that has not been seen before by fans,” they said. “As this game was cancelled during development, there are still bugs and issues which we hope can be resolved through future modding.” The video below shows both gameplay as well as a recreation of the game’s PC trailer using the Wii build. First uncovered in 2006, Star Wars Battlefront 3 was the third game in the popular early-2000s series. The game was in development for at least two years before it was cancelled in late 2008. The reasons for the cancellation are unconfirmed, but there have been claims. Free Radical Design co-founder Steve Ellis believes it was, in part, due to the fact that LucasArts didn’t want to “spend big” on the game’s marketing. On the other side of things, an unnamed LucasArts employee claimed the developers had regularly missed deadlines, burning goodwill with the publisher. What do you think of the leaked gameplay for the cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 3? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, check out the latest sales milestone for the Nintendo Switch. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to WIN PRIZES this Xmas and receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Cancelled #Star #Wars #Battlefront #Gameplay #Leaks #Online Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Liberals seek to address U.S. ask for sharing police data on sex offenders – National Liberals seek to address U.S. ask for sharing police data on sex offenders – National A measure in the federal government’s new border security plan to expand the sharing of police data on sex offenders appears to answer a U.S. request to help combat cross-border sex trafficking. But advocates say there still needs to be greater collaboration and data sharing between ********* police forces for sex trafficking investigations within the country, where a majority of victims are ********* women and girls. “There’s a profound failure of Canada’s justice system in serving survivors of human trafficking and especially sex trafficking,” said Julia Drydyk, executive director of the ********* Centre to End Human Trafficking (CCEHT), in an interview with Global News. The $1.3-billion border security plan includes a proposal first mentioned in the government’s fall economic statement to amend the Sex Offender Information Registration Act to “enhance” the RCMP’s ability to share information about “high-risk travellers” with domestic and international partners, officials announced Tuesday. Story continues below advertisement “As well, we will enhance and expand information and intelligence sharing between federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous authorities,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters. “Throughout, there will be a sharp focus on fentanyl, human smuggling and organized transnational crime at our borders.” 2:05 Canada commits $1.3B to tighten border security after Trump tariff threat ********* law currently states information in the National Sex Offender Registry is only available to police for limited investigative purposes within Canada. By contrast, U.S. sex offender data from across the country is openly accessible to the public and is easily shared between federal, state and local police forces. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. In an interview on The West Block earlier this month, David Cohen, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, told Global News the “heightened privacy rules and regulations that exist in Canada” regarding sex offenders was “one of the real barriers to full cooperation” with the U.S. government on combating sex trafficking, which he called a “significant issue.” Story continues below advertisement Asked if the U.S. felt those laws were protecting sex traffickers, Cohen responded, “Correct.” Cohen said at the time that legislation was being considered in Canada after conversations with the U.S. that would give convicted sex offenders “a lesser level of privacy protections.” Canada and the U.S. also entered into negotiations in 2022 for a bilateral agreement under the U.S. Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, which would enhance cross-border sharing of data between law enforcement agencies. The proposed legislative amendment isn’t expected to be introduced until Parliament resumes in late January. The fall economic statement itself is facing an uncertain fate after Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister Monday, raising fresh questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political future. ‘Holes in our social safety net’, advocate says The CCEHT has advocated for greater collaboration and data sharing between domestic police forces to stop human smuggling within Canada, including sex trafficking, Drydyk said. Story continues below advertisement Although she said there is evidence of sex trafficking between the U.S. and Canada, “the overwhelming trend is that this is happening domestically to ********* women and girls largely, but across provincial and municipal jurisdictions, not necessarily state borders.” Trending Now Canada Post warns of delays as workers return after strike Read Chrystia Freeland’s letter resigning from the Trudeau cabinet She said police forces across Canada are often working in silos and not sharing data with one another, making it harder to track victims and perpetrators moving between provinces and territories. Intra-jurisdictional police units in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, she added, have proven change can be made with enough resources dedicated to addressing the issue. “This isn’t a legal issue in terms of laws that need to be overcome or changed,” Drydyk said. “It’s about law enforcement changing the way that they operate.” 0:56 ‘Low risk, high reward’: How sex traffickers use coercive debt to exploit survivors The CCEHT’s ********* Human Trafficking Hotline identified roughly 1,500 human trafficking cases out of over 12,000 calls it received between 2019 and 2022. Of those cases, 69 per cent were cases of sex trafficking. Story continues below advertisement Most of the victims and survivors helped through the hotline to date have requested help with finding shelter, navigating the social service system and accessing counselling and mental health supports, Drydyk said. The latest U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report said that while Canada meets the minimum standards for combating human trafficking, there are gaps in both police data collection and victims services and protections, with the latter deemed “inadequate.” Drydyk said traffickers are “honing in on those holes in our social safety net” by preying on people dealing with homelessness, poverty, substance abuse and other vulnerabilities. Those victims then find it just as difficult to access supports as before. She said if the government is serious about combating human trafficking, it needs to consult with victims rather than prioritize issues being raised by U.S. officials. “I think it’s far more complicated,” she said. “We need to be taking an evidence-based, but also survivor-informed perspective. We need to be talking to survivors about where the solutions lie.” Survivors of sex trafficking looking for help can contact The ********* Human Trafficking Hotline 24-7 at 1-833-900-1010. More on Crime More videos &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Liberals #seek #address #U.S #sharing #police #data #sex #offenders #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BBC speaks to Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa BBC speaks to Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said his country is exhausted by war and is not a threat to its neighbours or to the West. Speaking to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen in Damascus, Sharaa said sanctions on Syria should be lifted and that his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), should be de-listed as a terrorist organisation. Sharaa led HTS and other rebel groups in the offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime less than two weeks ago. Read more on this story: Source link #BBC #speaks #Syrian #rebel #leader #Ahmed #alSharaa Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Steam Replay 2024 is live Steam Replay 2024 is live Valve has launched Steam Replay 2024, offering players a look back at what they played throughout the year. The end of year review tool delivers a host of stats, including how many games users have played in 2024 and how many of them were new titles. It lists most played games by percentage of playtime, how many sessions players had, and the number of achievements they unlocked. “How many games did you play, and how does that compare to last year? Did you unlock a bunch of achievements? What about your longest streak? These fun numbers and more are in your Replay,” according to Valve. “There are so many fun ways to look at your year in Steam gaming: playtime by month; playtime by what you played on; even playtime across your Steam Family if you’re part of one! “Each Steam Replay is different, so what will yours look like? Take a look at your own, and share it both on and off Steam with your friends (and see what theirs look like too!)” Nintendo also launched its Switch Year in Review today, enabling players to view and share their gaming highlights of 2024. Xbox’s Year In Review tool launched earlier this month, as did PlayStation’s 2024 Wrap-Up experience. Source link #Steam #Replay #live Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cara Delevingne plays Elton John in Step Into Christmas video remake Cara Delevingne plays Elton John in Step Into Christmas video remake Model and actress Cara Delevingne has taken on the role of Elton John in a new video for his song Step Into Christmas. In a reimagining of the 1973 track’s original video, Delevingne dons oversized glasses and a colourful waistcoat – striking an uncanny resemblance to the music legend. The model said playing the 77-year-old musician was “a dream I didn’t know I had until it happened”. “I wish I could pretend to be Elton every day.” More than 50 years since the original, Wednesday’s recreation takes viewers behind the scenes as producers try to make the set suitably festive. It opens as Delevingne, in full costume including a wig, tells unimpressed producers that she will be playing Sir Elton. Switching between near-identical shots of the two videos, the model sings along to the iconic Christmas tune while playing the piano, imitating Sir Elton’s original moves. Sir Elton said he had seen Delevingne at Glastonbury music festival over the summer, where the pair had discussed how they would love to work together “if the right idea came up”. “She’s hilarious to spend time with, we both have quite a self-deprecating sense of humour,” Sir Elton said. When the idea of Delevingne playing him in the original music video came along, the pop star said it was “the perfect opportunity”. “Thank God Cara thought the same, because it came out great.” Delevingne, 32, said Sir Elton had “always been an idol of mine”. “To say his music has had a deeply profound effect on me is an understatement. “I hope that Elton may one day return the favour and agree to play me in my not yet developed, written, pitched or funded biopic. Fingers crossed.” Step Into Christmas reached number 24 in the *** top 40 on its release in November 1973, and the top of the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in the US. The song is currently number 15 in the *** singles chart. Last month, Sir Elton said he has been unable to finish his new album due to his vision issues. He told ABC’s Good Morning America he lost his vision in his right eye due to an infection and his left eye “is not the greatest”. “I can do something like this [interview] but going into the studio and recording, I don’t know, because I can’t see a lyric for start,” the singer said. But on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, Sir Elton said he was still going to make records and have a “musical future”. Source link #Cara #Delevingne #plays #Elton #John #Step #Christmas #video #remake Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rivian car dashboard screens now support YouTube and Google Cast Rivian car dashboard screens now support YouTube and Google Cast Rivian vehicles now offer more entertainment options with the adoption of Google Cast in the company’s cars. When the cars are parked, passengers can use Google Cast to stream from thousands of apps to the dashboard screen. The cars are also getting native apps for YouTube and SiriusXM for playing media directly from the vehicle’s larger screen. Rivian is offering all its customers a temporary free trial of SiriusXM; after the trial ends, users will need to subscribe to keep using the satellite radio. Google announced in the spring that it would be updating Android for Cars with a casting feature. Rivian seems to be the first manufacturer to take advantage of the tech. The Google updates are just the latest collaboration for the company. Earlier this month, Rivian also opened up its charging stations to use by other brands of electric vehicles. Source link #Rivian #car #dashboard #screens #support #YouTube #Google #Cast Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why health insurance upsets Americans Why health insurance upsets Americans A person holds a sign while standing on the roadside near the McDonald’s restaurant where a suspect in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. December 9, 2024. Matthew Hatcher | Reuters The deadly, targeted shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has unleashed a torrent of pent-up anger and resentment toward the insurance industry, renewed calls for reform and reignited a debate over health care in the U.S. Almost no expert, provider, or patient would say U.S. health care works as it should for patients. The problem is deciding how to improve it. Luigi Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4, as the CEO headed to the annual investor day of his company’s parent, UnitedHealth Group. Investigators have said Mangione was a critic of UnitedHealthcare and the broader health-care industry. The killing sparked a flood of social media posts voicing negative experiences with insurers, morbid praise and justification for Thompson’s killing and threats toward other insurance executives – igniting frustrations that have bubbled for years. Those reactions drew rebukes from others who condemned them as inhumane after Thompson’s death. U.S. patients spend far more on health care than anywhere else in the world, yet have the lowest life expectancy among large, wealthy countries, according to the Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group. Over the past five years, U.S. spending on insurance premiums, out-of-pocket co-payments, pharmaceuticals and hospital services has also increased, government data shows. Many patients, advocacy groups and experts say the industry and U.S. health-care system are flawed or broken entirely, often burdening Americans who simply need care with exorbitant costs and daunting hurdles. But there is less consensus on the root cause of the insurance issues and how exactly to fix American health care, a complicated and entrenched system for delivering services and treatments that costs the nation more than $4 trillion a year. Some experts acknowledged that insurers play a valuable role and must deal with a larger system where multiple stakeholders balance providing care with profit motives. Other experts also noted that insurers have had to grapple with pressures on their businesses, such as lower government reimbursement rates for private Medicare plans and higher medical costs among enrollees in those programs. UnitedHealthcare in particular is also grappling with the fallout from a massive ransomware attack in February targeting its company, Change Healthcare, which processes medical claims. But patients and advocacy groups stressed that those companies’ decisions often come at the expense of patients. Insurers’ moves to rein in costs for services can often lead to denied or delayed claims, higher premiums and unexpected bills, which can leave patients without care and be the difference between life or death. Patients frustrated with a flawed system The U.S. insurance industry is dominated by private-sector companies such as UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health and Cigna, and operates as a largely for-profit enterprise — in contrast with most other wealthy countries. That means the industry’s primary goal is to generate profit by charging premiums to customers and managing claims to minimize payouts while complying with regulations and satisfying customers. That leads insurers to weed out care that’s not medically necessary or not backed by scientific evidence, which helps increase their profit margins. But companies can also deny reasonable and necessary claims, preventing patients in genuine need of care from getting it or leaving them with hefty medical charges. Tactics include delaying or denying valid claims to limit payouts, increasing premiums in a way that disproportionately burdens lower-income patients and people of color, and requiring prior authorization, which makes providers obtain approval from a patient’s insurance company before administering specific treatments. Insurers increasingly rely on technology, including AI, to review claims, which can lead to inaccurate denials or improper payouts. A banner hanging from on overpass along the southbound lane of I-83 that says, “Deny Defend Depose Health Care 4 All.” Lloyd Fox | Baltimore Sun | Tribune News Service | Getty Images Roughly half of insured adults worry about affording their monthly health insurance premium, according to a March survey from KFF, a policy research organization. The survey added that large shares of adults with employee-sponsored plans and government market coverage rate their insurance as “fair” or “poor” in terms of their monthly premium and out-of-pocket costs to see a doctor. A separate KFF survey from 2023 showed that nearly one in five adults had claims denied in the past year. People who used more health services were more likely to have claims rejected, according to the poll. No one knows exactly how often private insurers deny claims, since they are generally not required to disclose that data. But UnitedHealthcare, which as the largest private health insurer in the U.S. posted more than $281 billion in revenue last year, is a frequent target for criticism over how it handles claims. For example, UnitedHealthcare last year settled a case brought by a severely ill student at Penn State University who claimed the company denied coverage for drugs his doctors determined were medically necessary, leaving him with a bill of more than $800,000. An investigation by ProPublica outlined the lengths UnitedHealthcare went to reject claims, including by burying medical reports. UnitedHealthcare has since settled the case. Families of two now-deceased customers also sued UnitedHealthcare last year, alleging the company knowingly used a faulty algorithm to deny elderly patients coverage for extended care deemed necessary by their doctors. In court filings earlier this year, UnitedHealth Group said it should be dismissed from the lawsuit because the patients and their families did not finish Medicare’s appeals process for claims. Some people aired their frustrations with the company’s practices on social media when reacting to Thompson’s death. One Instagram user wrote in a post that “My condolences are out-of-network.” Another user commented under a CNBC Instagram post about the killing, “Sorry but with the way they be denying coverage for everyday patients.. no comment.” The logo of UnitedHealth appears on the side of one of its office buildings in Santa Ana, California, on April 13, 2020. Mike Blake | Reuters Celebrating or justifying the death of anyone is “appalling,” said Caitlin Donovan, senior director of Patient Advocate Foundation, which provides case management services and financial aid to Americans with serious illnesses. But she said it is not surprising that people are frustrated with the health-care system. “People just want the system to be fair,” Donovan said. “They want to pay a reasonable amount and have their health care covered, and they want to be able to access what their trusted provider is prescribing them.” What is the root cause? Though the issues are well understood, parsing out which stakeholders are to blame is a complicated task. Some industry experts argued it is necessary for insurers to control costs under the current health-care system. Insurers are mostly paid by employers and government agencies, which set many of the rules around the coverage they offer. If insurers paid out every claim they received, premiums would likely skyrocket, said Evan Saltzman, professor in the department of risk management/insurance, real estate and legal studies at Florida State University’s College of Business. “If you want to keep premiums reasonable, you do need the insurer to police some of the claims being filed,” Saltzman said. He acknowledged insurers sometimes deny “perfectly reasonable claims” and not just unnecessary or fraudulent care. He said insurers can also help police bad actors in the health-care system, such as some doctors who attempt to prescribe unnecessary treatments to patients to increase profits. Saltzman said one of the underlying causes of insurance issues is “information asymmetry” between insurers and patients. Patients often know more about their personal health risk than their insurance company, but the insurer often knows far more about the health-care networks and coverage details, Saltzman said. UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty similarly blamed a lack of transparency in the insurance industry in a New York Times opinion piece on Friday, his first public remarks since the shooting. He said insurers, together with employers, governments and other payers, need to better explain what is covered and how those decisions are made. Still, he defended the way insurers make claim decisions, saying behind them “lies a comprehensive and continually updated body of clinical evidence focused on achieving the best health outcomes and ensuring patient safety.” But Donovan said Witty’s column “missed the mark.” While the health-care system needs more transparency, Donovan said Witty’s proposed solution “puts the onus on patients when that’s not where it should be.” Insurance policies are often written with technical language that is difficult to understand. Patients could become confused about what is covered, and may not realize the limitations of their coverage until they try to file a claim, she said. Donovan believes the root issue is cost — a system built around maximizing prices and revenue, rather than helping patients. For example, the industry has limited competition after consolidation, and its traditional payment model reimburses providers based on each service they perform, which can lead to overtreatment and higher costs. Drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers — which negotiate drug discounts with manufacturers on behalf of insurance plans — also put pressure on other parts of the system. For example, lawmakers and drugmakers have accused PBMs of charging insurers more for drugs than they reimburse pharmacies, pocketing the difference as profit. Donovan acknowledged that insurers attempt to negotiate with providers to cut prices for services and products. But she said insurers are often more focused on managing costs for their business than advocating for patients. How health care could be reformed Industry experts don’t expect insurance companies to make material changes to their policies in response to the killing. Policy changes at companies alone won’t drastically improve care for patients, according to Veer Gidwaney, the founder and CEO of Ansel Health. His private company offers simplified supplemental insurance for members diagnosed with more than 13,000 conditions Gidwaney said there will need to be structural changes to the entire industry, which will require harder, longer-term legislative efforts. That may prove difficult with Republicans set to take control of a closely divided Congress for the next two years. To decrease costs and barriers to access for patients, Donovan said the government could more heavily scrutinize the health-care consolidation that eats up independent providers. She also said legislators could pass more laws to protect patients from surprise ambulance bills and address shortages across the health-care system that drive up costs, such as the limited supply of certain drugs or clinicians. The incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump could also push for more transparency in the health-care industry, according to Stephen Parente, an insurance professor at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Parente served in two different health policy roles in the first Trump administration and has worked directly with UnitedHealthcare’s Thompson. He noted, for example, that the Trump administration issued a rule that required most employer-based health plans and issuers of group or individual plans to disclose price and cost-sharing information for covered items and services, which went into effect in July 2022. “There might be fresh pressure for denial rates to be put out. I’d like for insurers and Medicare to be transparent about their denial rates,” Parente said. Until any significant changes occur, patients can “really try to take control of their own health,” said Michael Hinton, a patient who was diagnosed with a chronic digestive disease called gastroparesis more than 14 years ago. He said that could look like taking notes and asking questions during appointments, tracking insurance payments, learning more about the condition they suffer from and turning to third parties for help. In Hinton’s case, the Patient Advocate Foundation helped him navigate coverage for a critical surgery that was denied twice by his insurance. “I find it so disturbing and sad. It’s just unbelievable,” Hinton said, referring to the fatal shooting earlier this month. “There are other methods of change — and that could look like trying to be your own advocate.” Source link #health #insurance #upsets #Americans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung 49-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor Is $900, Includes Free 2TB 990 Pro SSD Samsung 49-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor Is $900, Includes Free 2TB 990 Pro SSD The Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey OLED G9 Monitor is one of the most premium options on the market, offering not just tons of real estate, but also an impressive refresh rate, response time, and overall design. It’s also one of the most expensive–clocking in at $1,300, it’s a huge investment. However, ahead of the holidays, Samsung is slashing its price to $900 and bundling in a free 2TB 990 Pro SSD. That makes this one of the best times to upgrade your setup, though it’s unclear how much longer the deal will stick around. $900 (was $1,300) | The free SSD is valued at $180 (was $265) Featuring a 49-inch OLED curved display, a 5120 x 1440p resolution, and an impressive 0.03ms response time, the Odyssey OLED G9 is the ideal companion for gaming. Coupled with its 144Hz refresh rate and support for HDMI 2.1, Micro HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C, and you’ve got an easy way to connect all your devices to the sprawling monitor. The stand is also fairly adjustable, allowing you to find the best viewing angle for your home. Samsung offers a three-year warranty with your purchase. Along with the monitor, Samsung is tossing in its 2TB 990 Pro NVMe SSD with a heatsink for free. This is what makes this deal so good. This model M.2 SSD retails for $265, though it’s currently selling for $180 at Samsung and Amazon. The 990 Pro is a superb high-end SSD for PC, and it’s one of the best SSDs you can buy for PS5. Since it has a heatsink preinstalled, it’s PS5-ready out of the box. The 990 Pro has sequential read and write speeds of 7,450MB/s and 6,900 MB/s, respectively–well above the PS5’s requirements and perfect for high-end PCs. 990 Pro 4.0 NVMe SSD 2TB with Heatsink. Regularly priced at $265, that makes this deal all the more enticing, especially if you’re looking to upgrade your PC or PS5 (the SSD is fully compatible with Sony’s console). While the above Samsung Odyssey G9 is arguably the best deal on the manufacturer’s 49-inch panels, it’s not the only one to consider. The newer Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Monitor is discounted to $950 (was $1,600) at Amazon and offers a faster 240Hz refresh rate. Give it a look if you don’t mind spending an extra $50 and won’t miss out on the free SSD. Stepping away from OLED products, the Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G9 is on ***** for $770 (was $1,000). Along with lacking an OLED display, it also lacks the 0.03ms response time of the two above monitors, instead featuring a 1ms response time. You’ll still get a 240Hz refresh rate–and at $770, it’s worth considering if you don’t need the SSD. Samsung Odyssey G9 49″ Gaming Monitor Deals Source link #Samsung #49Inch #OLED #Gaming #Monitor #Includes #Free #2TB #Pro #SSD Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What does China’s ‘magic weapon’ of influence do? What does China’s ‘magic weapon’ of influence do? Getty Images China’s United Front Work Department is an arm of the ********** Party The People’s Republic of China has a “magic weapon”, according to its founding leader Mao Zedong and its current president Xi Jinping. It is called the United Front Work Department – and it is raising as much alarm in the West as Beijing’s growing military arsenal. Yang Tengbo, a prominent businessman who has been linked to Prince Andrew, is the latest overseas ******** citizen to be scrutinised – and sanctioned – for his links to the UFWD. The existence of the department is far from a secret. A decades-old and well-documented arm of the ******** ********** Party, it has been mired in controversy before. Investigators from the US to Australia have cited the UFWD in multiple espionage cases, often accusing Beijing of using it for foriegn interference. Beijing has denied all espionage allegations, calling them ludicrous. So what is the UFWD and what does it do? ‘Controlling China’s message’ The United Front – originally referring to a broad ********** alliance – was once hailed by Mao as the key to the ********** Party’s triumph in the decades-long ******** Civil War. After the war ended in 1949 and the party began ruling China, United Front activities took a ********* to other priorities. But in the last decade under Xi, the United Front has seen a renaissance of sorts. Xi’s version of the United Front is broadly consistent with earlier incarnations: to “build the broadest possible coalition with all social forces that are relevant”, according to Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow at the ******* Marshall Fund. On the face of it, the UFWD is not shadowy – it even has a website and reports many of its activities on it. But the extent of its work – and its reach – is less clear. While a large part of that work is domestic, Dr Ohlberg said, “a key target that has been defined for United Front work is overseas ********”. Today, the UFWD seeks to influence public discussions about sensitive issues ranging from Taiwan – which China claims as its territory – to the suppression of ethnic minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang. It also tries to shape narratives about China in foreign media, target ******** government critics abroad and co-opt influential overseas ******** figures. “United Front work can include espionage but [it] is broader than espionage,” Audrye Wong, assistant professor of politics at the University of Southern California, tells the BBC. “Beyond the act of acquiring covert information from a foreign government, United Front activities centre on the broader mobilisation of overseas ********,” she said, adding that China is “unique in the scale and scope” of such influence activities. Reuters Xi Jinping has pushed for an assertive China abroad China has always had the ambition for such influence, but it’s rise in recent decades has given Beijing the ability to exercise it. Since Xi became president in 2012, he has been especially proactive in crafting China’s message to the world, enouraging a confrontational “wolf warrior” approach to diplomacy and urging his country’s diaspora to “tell China’s story well”. The UFWD operates through various overseas ******** community organisations, which have vigorously defended the ********** Party beyond its shores. They have censored anti-CCP artwork and protested at the activities of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The UFWD has also been linked to threats against members of persecuted minorities abroad, such as Tibetans and Uyghurs. But much of the UFWD’s work overlaps with other party agencies, operating under what observers have described as “plausible deniability”. It is this murkiness that is causing so much suspicion and apprehension about the UFWD. When Yang appealed against his ban from the *** amid espionage allegations, an immigration court ruled that he had downplayed his ties with the UFWD. *** officials allege he leveraged his relationships with influential British figures for ******** state interference. Yang, however, maintains that he has not done anything unlawful and that the spy allegations are “entirely untrue”. Supplied Mr Yang seen here with Prince Andrew Cases like Yang’s are becoming increasingly common. In 2022, British ******** lawyer Christine Lee was accused by the MI5 of acting through the UFWD to cultivate relationships with influential people in the ***. The following year, Liang Litang, a US citizen who ran a ******** restaurant in Boston, was indicted for providing information about ******** dissidents in the area to his contacts in the UFWD. And in September, Linda Sun, a former aide in the New York governor’s office, was charged with using her position to serve ******** government interests – receiving benefits, including travel, in return. According to ******** state media reports, she had met a top UFWD official in 2017, who told her to “be an ambassador of Sino-American friendship”. It is not uncommon for prominent and successful ******** people to be associated with the party, whose approval they often need, especially in the business world. But where is the line between peddling influence and espionage? “The boundary between influence and espionage is blurry” when it comes to Beijing’s operations, said Ho-fung Hung, a politics professor at Johns Hopkins University. This ambiguity has intensified after China passed a law in 2017 mandating ******** nationals and companies to co-operate with intelligence probes, including sharing information with the ******** government – a move that Dr Hung said “effectively turns everyone into potential spies”. The Ministry of State Security has released dramatic propaganda videos warning the public that foreign spies are everywhere and “they are cunning and sneaky “. Some students who were sent on special trips abroad were told by their universities to limit contact with foreigners and were asked for a report of their activities on their return. And yet Xi is keen to promote China to the world. So he has tasked a trusted arm of the party to project strength abroad. And that is becoming a challenge for Western powers – how do they balance doing business with the world’s second-largest economy alongside serious security concerns? Wrestling with the long arm of Beijing Genuine fears over China’s overseas influence are playing into more hawkish sentiments in the West, often leaving governments in a dilemma. Some, like Australia, have tried to protect themselves with fresh foreign interference laws that criminalise individuals deemed to be meddling in domestic affairs. In 2020, the US imposed visa restrictions on people seen as active in UFWD activities. An irked Beijing has warned that such laws – and the prosecutions they have spurred – hinder bilateral relations. “The so-called allegations of ******** espionage are utterly absurd,” a foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question about Yang. “The development of China-*** relations serves the common interests of both countries.” Some experts say that the long arm of China’s United Front is indeed concerning. “Western governments now need to be less naive about China’s United Front work and take it as a serious threat not only to national security but also to the safety and freedom of many ethnic ******** citizens,” Dr Hung says. But, he adds, “governments also need to be vigilant against anti-******** racism and work hard to build trust and co-operation with ethnic ******** communities in countering the threat together.” Getty Images The UFWD has been accused of pressuring overseas dissidents and critics of the ********** Party Last December, Di Sanh Duong, a Vietnam-born ethnic ******** community leader in Australia, was convicted of planning foreign interference for trying to cosy up to an *********** minister. Prosecutors argued that he was an “ideal target” for the UFWD because he had run for office in the 1990s and boasted ties with ******** officials. Duong’s trial had centred around what he meant when he said the inclusion of the minister at a charity event would be beneficial to “us ********” – did he mean the ******** community in Australia, or mainland China? In the end, Duong’s conviction – and a prison sentence – raised serious concerns that such broad anti-espionage laws and prosecutions can easily become weapons for targeting ethnic ******** people. “It’s important to remember that not everyone who is ethnically ******** is a supporter of the ******** ********** Party. And not everyone who is involved in these diaspora organisations is driven by fervent loyalty to China,” Dr Wong says. “Overly aggressive policies based on racial profiling will only legitimise the ******** government’s propaganda that ethnic ******** are not welcome and end up pushing diaspora communities further into Beijing’s arms.” Source link #Chinas #magic #weapon #influence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Final XDefiant Update Features Content From Five Planned Seasons Final XDefiant Update Features Content From Five Planned Seasons XDefiant is preparing for the ultimate wind-down ahead of its inevitable closure in just a few months. It was recently confirmed by Ubisoft that XDefiant will be taken offline on June 3, 2025, but before then, the team has pushed out one final patch that includes a staggering amount of content. Per the patch notes and confirmed by Mark Rubin on Twitter, the season three update for XDefiant includes additional content from the next five seasons, which will otherwise never see the light of day. What a Farewell In the post on Twitter, Mark Rubin explained: Ubisoft has not only allowed a small team to stay on and continue working to get our Season 3 content out the door, but we’ve also been able to add some extra content to this release from future seasons. So, we have our Season 3 content plus some of the content from Season 4, 5, 6,7 and even Season 8. We are adding 3 new factions this patch with the Assassin’s of course that was planned for Season 3 but also Wolves and Omega Force from Seasons 4 and 5 respectively. Along with the new factions come six new ‘Arena’ maps and three new ‘Linear’ maps that were planned to be released further down the line. That’s a total of 13 new maps – but if you’ve never downloaded XDefiant, you’ll not be able to access them, which makes them somewhat rare. This includes a new ‘Rayman map’ that was scheduled for a takeover event midway through season four. Also, season three marks the arrival of a more esports-focused mode: Defuse. This is the traditional one-life bomb mode that serves as the foundation for games like Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike 2. Those still playing will also have access to ‘Lum Hunt’, ‘Tilt’, ‘Turbo XD’, and a vs-bots mode This is all in addition to new weapons such as the G36K, M1A, and Diceros pistol. Everything that was added behind battle passes has been unlocked for the audience still able to access the game. It’s one hell of an update, but it’s a farewell patch at best for XDefiant. Will you be exploring XDefiant’s latest update? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that a STALKER TV adaptation might be inbound SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to WIN PRIZES this Xmas and receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Final #XDefiant #Update #Features #Content #Planned #Seasons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nottingham head teacher banned after pupils ‘had sex on Swiss ski trip’ Nottingham head teacher banned after pupils ‘had sex on Swiss ski trip’ Google Justine Drury had led the school skiing trip to Switzerland in 2017 A school principal has been banned from the profession after she failed to stop students shoplifting, drinking and engaging in ******* activity on a skiing trip. Justine Drury, who worked at CP Riverside School in Nottingham, was in charge of an excursion to Switzerland in 2017, where teenagers had sex “on multiple occasions”, a misconduct panel heard. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) said she failed to get parental consent for all of the attendees and “did not take sufficient steps to reduce the risk of inappropriate behaviour by pupils”, including one reportedly stealing knives from a hotel kitchen. Mrs Drury, 52, was found guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct”, and her prohibition order will be reviewed after five years. Mrs Drury, who was not present during the hearing, had been principal of the school – which provides “alternative education provision” for children aged 13 to 16 with “behaviour or social issues” – since September 2015. ‘Left unsupervised’ In November 2017, allegations were made about incidents from the trip, which were then referred to the TRA in December 2018. A statement by a witness submitted to the panel found that of the 12 pupils attending the trip, “10 had special educational needs, eight were known to be ********* active, seven were known to have substance misuse problems and three had current justice system involvement”. “In the panel’s view, certain pupils would have likely been identified as unsuitable for attending the ski trip if individual assessments had taken place,” it said. Three staff members and two ski instructors had been organised for supervision, but one of the staff members was an apprentice. While “some steps” were taken to reduce risks, such as having boys and girls in rooms on separate floors, the panel found “******* activity had more than likely taken place throughout the course of the ski trip”. “The pupils were left unsupervised within their bedrooms, leaving them vulnerable to engaging in ******* activity,” the hearing said. “It was evident insufficient steps had been taken to reduce the risk of ******* activity, as this likely took place on multiple occasions.” ‘Failure to disclose’ Though none of the pupils present on the trip were witnesses or provided statements for the hearing, the panel found Mrs Drury “fundamentally failed to safeguard one or more pupils on the ski trip and acted in breach of a number of policies, procedures and guidance”. “[She] failed to put the interests of the school or pupils first and inhibited the effectiveness of measures, which could have taken place shortly after the incidents to safeguard the pupils,” it said. “[Her] failure to disclose the full scope of the incidents, which took place on the trip, fell far below the ethical standards expected of a teacher, particularly given her status as a head teacher.” Source link #Nottingham #teacher #banned #pupils #sex #Swiss #ski #trip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Switch and EA Sports College Football 25 hit huge US sales milestones Nintendo Switch and EA Sports College Football 25 hit huge US sales milestones Nintendo Switch and EA Sports College Football 25 have reached massive sales milestones in the United States. Nintendo’s console has surpassed the lifetime sales of Sony’s PS2, while EA’s college football title has become the best-selling sports game ever based on dollar sales. That’s according to Mat Piscatella, executive director of video games at market research firm Circana. “With its 46.6 million units sold life-to-date, Switch now ranks 2nd in all-time units sold across all video game hardware platforms in the US, trailing only Nintendo DS,” he wrote on Bluesky. Sony recently confirmed that 160 million PS2 consoles have been sold worldwide since its launch in 2000. It remains the best-selling console of all-time, ahead of DS and Switch, which had sold 154.02 million units and 146.04 million units respectively as of September 2024. In October, EA Sports College Football 25 overtook dollar sales of Madden NFL 07 to become the best-selling American football game of all time. And in November, it surpassed the dollar sales of the previous best-selling sports game in US history, NBA 2K21. Piscatella also said EA Sports College Football 25 now ranks among the top 50 best-selling tracked video games of all-time in dollar sales. It’s currently the best-selling game of the year in the US, ahead of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6, which topped the sales chart for the second month running in November. Elsewhere, Circana said PS5 once again led monthly hardware sales in both unit and dollar measures, with Switch ranking second across in both measures. November hardware spending was flat year-over-year. “15% spending growth on PlayStation 5 hardware was offset by a 29% year-on-year drop in Xbox Series spending and a 3% decline in Switch,” Piscatella wrote. “PlayStation 5 Pro accounted for 19% of total PlayStation 5 units sold in the month and 28% of dollars. Launch month dollar sales of PlayStation 5 Pro were more than 50% higher than the November 2016 launch month sales of PlayStation 4 Pro, while units were 12% lower.” Source link #Nintendo #Switch #Sports #College #Football #hit #huge #sales #milestones Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Defending League Cup champs survive Saints scare Defending League Cup champs survive Saints scare Liverpool have kept alive their English League Cup title defence by winning 2-1 at Southampton, with Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott the scorers in the first half for the Premier League leaders. Arne Slot’s much-changed side looked to be easing into the last four as goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott inside the first 32 minutes put the holders in control at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday night. Yet the Saints, under the interim charge of Simon Rusk following the departure of Russell Martin, fought back in the second half. Cameron Archer replied with a fine strike just before the hour and Mateus Fernandes felt he should have had a penalty in the closing minutes, but the Reds survived a nervy finish. In London, Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick — including a crucial second goal from an offside position — as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 3-2 to advance. Replays showed that Jesus was offside for his goal that made it 2-1 in the 73rd minute at Emirates Stadium, but there is no video review until the semis of the competition. The Brazil striker, who had equalised in the 54th, completed his first treble for Arsenal in the 81st to give his team a two-goal cushion. Former Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah ensured a nervy finish by heading home a cross in the 85th to reduce the deficit. Jesus had previously only scored one goal in 20 appearances in all competitions this season — and that was also in the League Cup at second-tier Preston North End in October. Two-time winners Arsenal last reached the final four in the 2021/22 season. At St. James’ Park, Sandro Tonali’s double helped Newcastle United secure their progress with a 3-1 win over Brentford. Tonali put the Magpies ahead with a brilliant first-time strike and the Italy midfielder bagged his brace just before halftime from Anthony Gordon’s corner. Fabian Schar extended the lead after the break with a tidy tap-in before Yoane Wissa earned a consolation for the Bees in added time. Victory sends Newcastle one step closer to ending their 69-year wait for a major domestic trophy. Tottenham host Manchester United in the fourth quarter-final on Thursday. With PA. Source link #Defending #League #Cup #champs #survive #Saints #scare Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prince of Persia Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Found The One Defining Element of the Game “Semi-disturbing” Prince of Persia Actor Jake Gyllenhaal Found The One Defining Element of the Game “Semi-disturbing” Jake Gyllenhaal has built a great career in Hollywood by seamlessly transitioning into any role, from intense dramas to light-hearted action roles. In 2010, he starred in Disney’s highly anticipated Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a film based on the beloved video game franchise. The movie was set to be the major project that could potentially rival other franchise hits. Gyllenhaal was excited to play the role of Prince Dustan. | Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Gyllenhaal was tasked with bringing his unique blend of charm to the screen. He stepped into the shoes of Prince Dustan, a daring acrobatic hero, and promised to showcase his charm in a big, bold, and physically demanding way. However, the road to bringing this athletic character to the screen wasn’t easy, especially not when parkour was involved. Jake Gyllenhaal’s real introduction to the world of parkour The movie was based on the games which were a blend of parkour and engaging narratives. | Image Credit: Ubisoft The Prince of Persia franchise is known for its signature blend of parkour-inspired acrobatics, complex combat mechanics, and an engaging narrative. So for the movie, this aspect had to be showcased as well. However, when Jake Gyllenhaal took on the role of Prince Dustan, a character who leaps across rooftops and fights enemies in breathtaking action sequences, the actor learned that these stunts were too harsh. He even admitted to finding the physical demands of the role both exhilarating and challenging. This was especially true because much of the action in the movie mirrored the game’s parkour sequences. While Gyllenhaal was eager to dive into the action, he quickly realized that some of the more dangerous stunts had to be left to the professionals. In the interview, he recalled watching parkour athletes perform incredibly difficult feats and explained that they frequently got injured. His exact words were: And I watched them do all these crazy things, which was actually semi-disturbing to see because they got injured quite a lot […] I did my own jumps and different things but the dangerous stuff was done by the professionals. This shows that while Gyllenhaal was focused on learning the fundamentals of parkour, he knew when to step back and let the professionals take over for the more hazardous sequences. The movie didn’t live up to its potential The movie didn’t live up to Disney’s high standards. | Image Credit: Ubisoft Despite its big budget and Gyllenhaal’s star power, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time didn’t quite achieve the lasting success Disney had hoped for and didn’t ignite a multi-film series like Pirates of the Caribbean. The general perception was positive, with many praising the action sequences and Gyllenhaal’s performance. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time may not have turned into the lasting franchise Disney envisioned, but it demonstrated the physically demanding nature of the role, pushing actors out of their comfort zones and offering new experiences. While there was some talk about a sequel, it has largely faded away, just like the movie from public memory. However, for Gyllenhaal (he said this in an interview in 2019), the movie was a rewarding experience, even though he felt like the role wasn’t perfect for him. In the end, the franchise’s future remains uncertain (even as a video game), but Gyllenhaal’s time on set was a valuable one, and he learned invaluable lessons from it, both as an actor and as someone willing to embrace new challenges. Source link #Prince #Persia #Actor #Jake #Gyllenhaal #Defining #Element #Game #Semidisturbing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Country music legend Tom Curtain returns to WA as part of his ‘Good Life’ tour Country music legend Tom Curtain returns to WA as part of his ‘Good Life’ tour Tom Curtain, two-time Golden Guitar winner and ambassador for Dolly’s Dream, will soon be performing to country audiences in WA as part of his ‘Good Life’ tour. Source link #Country #music #legend #Tom #Curtain #returns #part #Good #Life #tour Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla shares sink 8%, giving up some gains from post-election pop Tesla shares sink 8%, giving up some gains from post-election pop A Tesla Cybertruck is parked outside of a dealership on November 14, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Tesla shares sank more than 8% on Wednesday, notching their steepest drop since before Donald Trump’s election victory last month, which sparked a sharp rally in the stock. Tesla closed at $440.13, and is still up 75% since Election Day on Nov. 5. Last week, the stock climbed to a record, surpassing its prior high reached in 2021. Ahead of Wednesday’s drop, it had continued going up, notching a closing high of $479.86 on Tuesday. “Most investors we speak to have been stunned by the magnitude of the rally, and are increasingly confused on how to handle the stock given how widely disconnected it appears to be from fundamentals,” analysts at Barclays wrote in a report on Wednesday. They have the equivalent of a hold rating on the stock and a $270 price target. The pullback coincided with a steep drop in the broader market, including a 3.6% plunge in the Nasdaq, the second-worst day of the year for the tech-heavy index. Tesla is coming off a 38% rally in November, its best monthly performance since January 2023 and its 10th best on record. CEO Elon Musk was a major Trump backer, pouring in $277 million primarily into his campaign effort, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Now Musk, the world’s richest person, is set to to lead the Trump administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” which is expected to function as an advisory office, alongside onetime Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. His new role could give Musk, who also runs SpaceX and owns social media company X, influence over federal agencies’ budgets, staffing and the ability to push for the elimination of inconvenient regulations. Musk said during a Tesla earnings call in October that he intended to use his sway with Trump to establish a “federal approval process for autonomous vehicles.” While Tesla still doesn’t produce robotaxis or operate driverless ride-hailing services, its major domestic competitor Waymo on Wednesday said it conducted over 4 million paid robotaxi trips in 2024 as it scaled its commercial operations in the U.S. “Tesla is the only Elon Musk company that is publicly traded and it has often served as a proxy for an investment in Musk himself,” the Barclays analysts wrote. “This value has understandably increased, but this further exacerbates the already-high key man risk in Tesla stock, in our view.” On Wednesday, a Quinnipiac poll found 53% of voters in the U.S. do not approve of Musk “playing a prominent role in the Trump administration.” The split was massive across party and gender lines — only 31% of women surveyed said they approved of Musk taking a big role in the next administration, and only 5% of Democrats approved. Musk has also complained in recent days that the SEC has issued a “settlement demand” tied to his ***** of Tesla shares in 2022 as he was pursuing the purchase of Twitter, now known as X. A spokesperson for the SEC declined to discuss the matter, telling CNBC that the agency conducts probes “on a confidential basis to preserve the integrity of its investigative process.” Tesla is due to report its fourth-quarter and year-end vehicle deliveries in January. Without a major new vehicle added to its lineup since Cybertruck deliveries began in November 2023, Tesla has been working to drive sales of its EVs with an array of incentives, like 0% financing. WATCH: Analyst explains why Tesla’s momentum remains unstoppable Source link #Tesla #shares #sink #giving #gains #postelection #pop Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Onimusha: Way of the Sword: release date window, trailers, and more Onimusha: Way of the Sword: release date window, trailers, and more Table of Contents Table of Contents Release date window Platforms Trailers Gameplay Preorder Gamers are used to waiting exceptionally long for new entries in beloved franchises. We’re still waiting for the likes of Grand Theft Auto 6 and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, after all. One new upcoming video game we can add to that list is Onimusha: Way of the Sword. For those who loved this series on the PS2, it will no doubt be one of the most exciting upcoming PlayStation 5 games to look out for. If you’re new to the series, or a bit rusty, let’s fill our Oni Gauntlet with all the information we have about Onimusha: Way of the Sword. If you are having trouble keeping track of all the upcoming Xbox Series X games, upcoming PC games, and upcoming Switch games, check out our lists to stay up to date. Release date window Capcom Onimusha: Way of the Sword currently has a release window of 2026. For now, that’s as specific as we can be. Please enable Javascript to view this content Platforms Onimusha: Way of the Sword will hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC when it becomes available. Trailers Onimusha: Way of the Sword – Announce Trailer | PS5 Games Our first trailer for Onimusha: Way of the Sword came during The Game Awards 2024. This brief teaser revealed the return of the Oni Gauntlet in the hands of a new protagonist. Based on the game’s official description, we learn a few more details, but not much. The game will take place in Kyoto during the Edo ******* after an evil force called Malice has allowed the series’ classic foes known as Genma to overtake the city. As for our new hero, all we know is that he is supposedly looking for his reason to fight. Gameplay Capcom The major difference we see in gameplay with Onimusha: Way of the Sword from previous entries is the lack of a fixed camera. Those old games played somewhat like Resident Evil games, while this new one will be fully 3D and more action-heavy. So far, only the standard sword was shown, but the series typically has a wider range of weapon options. Preorder Capcom 2026 is quite a ways away yet, and no specific date means you can’t preorder Onimusha: Way of the Sword. For now, the best you can do is wishlist the game and keep an eye on this article for updates. Source link #Onimusha #Sword #release #date #window #trailers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sex for ***** on school’s out of control ski trip Sex for ***** on school’s out of control ski trip A former head teacher has been struck off over a ski trip where one girl said she slept with three boys and was paid for sex by one of them. Justine Drury was principal at the CP Riverside School in Nottingham, which caters for children with behavioural and social issues, when the excursion took place in 2017. The trip to Switzerland was attended by 10 boys and two girls alongside Mrs Drury, another staff member and an apprentice staff member. A Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard that one pupil, known only as Pupil A, said she had had sex with three of the boys, including one in exchange for £30. One pupil filmed two others having sex and used the footage in an attempt to blackmail Pupil A into having sex with him, the panel heard. Mrs Drury said she “found out later” that ******* activity had been filmed and that she was “picking up a vibe that Pupil I had recorded some footage”. On the third day, almost all the pupils broke down the door of the restaurant in the hotel and stole around 10 bottles of spirits, it was said. On another occasion, one pupil was found with a knife, some shoplifted and some of the children attended nightclubs unsupervised, the panel was told. Mrs Drury did not have written consent from the parents of all pupils to go on the trip – INSTAGRAM The TRA found the pupil-teacher ratio was “entirely inappropriate”. Mrs Drury also did not have written consent from the parents of all pupils for them to attend and risk assessments were not completed sufficiently. It was known that 10 of the pupils had special educational needs, eight were known to be ********* active, seven were known to have substance misuse problems and three were involved with the justice system at the time. Mrs Drury had initially taken sufficient steps to try to prevent initial ******* activity, the panel found. She had then allowed pupils to be left unsupervised for long periods and not taken action after she knew that pupils were engaging in ******* activity. The lack of supervision also led to the stealing, it was said. After the trip had ended, Mrs Drury did not tell the school’s trustees and the local authority about what had happened. The TRA cited evidence from witnesses who said she showed “no understanding of why her actions were not appropriate and seemingly had no regard for anyone other than herself.” Mrs Drury was the head teacher at CP Riverside School in Nottingham Mrs Drury, who did not attend her hearing, was banned from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England indefinitely. She is able to appeal the ruling after five years. The panel said it saw “no evidence as to Mrs Drury’s ability as an educator”. It added: “Therefore, the panel considered that the adverse public interest considerations above outweigh any interest in retaining Mrs Drury in the profession, since her behaviour fundamentally breached the standard of conduct expected of a teacher, particularly in her role as head teacher.” CP Riverside School and the East Midlands Education Trust said in a joint statement: “When the allegations emerged following the residential ski trip in February 2017, the school worked with the police and the local authority designated officer, participating fully in their investigations and carrying out an investigation of its own. “Ms Drury left the school in July 2017. East Midlands Education Trust supported the school’s leadership between March 2017 and February 2018 before the school joined the Trust in March 2018. “The school seeks to reassure all parents/carers of students in our care that we take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, hence the action taken at the time.” Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #Sex #***** #schools #control #ski #trip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Five more Amazon facilities authorize worker strikes Five more Amazon facilities authorize worker strikes Teamsters unions at five additional Amazon facilities have voted to go on strikes, following similar action in New York City and Illinois. The international Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) announced in a statement that union members “unanimously” approved measures to authorize strikes in four Southern California facilities and a fifth facility in Atlanta. The four Southern California facilities are based in City of Industry, Palmdale, Victorville and San Bernardino, according to . This brings the total number of Amazon facilities that have authorized worker strikes to eight. The total includes a facility in Skokie, Illinois and on Staten Island and in Queens. The IBT represents just under 10,000 workers in 10 Amazon facilities nationwide. These facilities approved a strike right in the middle of the holiday shopping season, one of the busiest and most lucrative times of the year for the online retail giant. Amazon crews went on strike to protest against low wages, hazardous working conditions and “Amazon’s ******** refusal to recognize their union,” according to IBT statements. Teamsters General President Sean N. O’Brien said in the statement that Amazon has failed to provide adequate compensation and protections for its workforce. If their demands are ignored, O’Brien says they will start strikes. “Amazon workers want to earn a good living, have decent health care and be safe on the job,” O’Brien said. “They are done with the disrespect and if Amazon keeps pushing them, they will push them to strike.” Source link #Amazon #facilities #authorize #worker #strikes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump joins Elon Musk in opposing House GOP’s government funding bill Trump joins Elon Musk in opposing House GOP’s government funding bill Elon Musk (L) shakes hands with Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump back stage during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds on October 05, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday came out against a Republican-backed government spending bill, siding with Elon Musk’s crusade against the package and raising the odds of a government shutdown. Trump is opposed to the continuing resolution put forward by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to a source familiar with the president-elect’s thinking, who was granted anonymity to describe private conversations. The source confirmed that Trump told a Fox News host he is “totally against” the CR. Later Wednesday afternoon, Vice President-elect and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, released a joint statement from him and Trump declaring that politicians should “pass a streamlined bill” that doesn’t give Democrats “everything they want.” “Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling,” read the statement posted by Vance on X. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” their statement read. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #joins #Elon #Musk #opposing #House #GOPs #government #funding #bill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]