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Tree trimmer dies after being rescued from 50-foot palm tree in Phoenix Tree trimmer dies after being rescued from 50-foot palm tree in Phoenix The Brief Crews rescued a man from a 50-foot palm tree on May 10, but he tragically died from his injuries. He was working as a tree trimmer when authorities say a tree skirt fell on him, leaving him unresponsive. Rescue teams used a rope system and drone technology to help lower the man from the tree. PHOENIX – A tree trimmer was rescued from a 50-foot palm tree after a tree skirt fell on him, leaving the man unresponsive on May 10. The family of the man, Jamie Yipiz-Solis, says on GoFundMe that he died from his injuries that same day. What they’re saying It took fire crews about an hour to reach the landscaper, who became trapped between the tree trunk and hundreds of palm fronds. “They thought they had their safety precautions in place and then next thing you know, 911 was called and we went to work,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Scott Douglas. “They can fall down, and they can trap the tree trimmer around his waist. They can trap their chest where they’re not able to get full respirations, and they can’t essentially breathe. I don’t know if that’s what happened here, but they did use chainsaws to be able to freeze some of that dead skirt that was up there some of the dead foliage and be able to put the ladder truck right at his location and secure him and pull him off the tree.” Watch FOX 10 Phoenix live:‘It was too late’ Jamie’s family is, of course, devastated. He leaves behind a large family, including two teenage daughters. His family says he was an expert when it came to trimming palm fronds and had been doing it for over a decade. “It was too late. He was yelling ‘help me, help me’ in spanish,” his family said. “I’m in so much pain, just like them. I am trying to be strong for them but I just cant.” His daughters, who remember their final moments with their dad, say they are holding onto any little thing to remember him, like the hat he was wearing when the accident happened. What we know Rope systems and drone technology were used to help extricate the man off the tree in west Phoenix. They also need chainsaws and a ladder truck to cut the palm fronds down and lower the man. The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of 67th Avenue and Thomas Road. Phoenix FD crews rescue tree trimmer from 50-foot palm tree (Phoenix Fire Department photo) Local perspective A neighbor said that it looked like the tree had never been trimmed before. “He was working around and pulling the palm fronds out,” said Richard Chard, who has lived there for more than 50 years. “I heard some yelling and then there was nothing after that. Big picture view Experts say trimming these giant trees can take a toll on workers. Jason Hawk, co-owner of Arbor Barbour Tree Co. said the fronds can quickly become heavy when layered on top of each other in a thick tree. “You get all that weight crushing you, and it’s just a lot,” he said. Map of where the incident happened: Source link #Tree #trimmer #dies #rescued #50foot #palm #tree #Phoenix Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Plan Would Tie Some Drug Prices to What Peer Nations Pay – The New York Times Trump Plan Would Tie Some Drug Prices to What Peer Nations Pay – The New York Times Trump Plan Would Tie Some Drug Prices to What Peer Nations Pay The New York TimesTrump announces he’ll sign executive order that aims to cut drug prices CNNTrump to sign executive order he says will slash drug prices by up to 80% Fox NewsTrump to pitch sweeping Medicare drug price plan PoliticoTrump Seeks to Align US Drug Costs With Cheapest Ones Abroad Bloomberg.com Source link #Trump #Plan #Tie #Drug #Prices #Peer #Nations #Pay #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

HESTA sells remaining stake in Mineral Resources due to ‘serious’ governance issues following board departures HESTA sells remaining stake in Mineral Resources due to ‘serious’ governance issues following board departures Superannuation fund HESTA has bailed out of Mineral Resources over persistent “serious governance concerns”, but shares in the embattled miner have risen. Source link #HESTA #sells #remaining #stake #Mineral #Resources #due #governance #issues #board #departures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Florida Highway Patrol searching for driver in fatal hit-and-run ****** in Lake County Florida Highway Patrol searching for driver in fatal hit-and-run ****** in Lake County FHP has released information on a fatal hit-and-run ****** that occurred around 10:44 PM on Saturday. Officials say a motorcyclist died in the ****** on U.S. 27 at Citrus Grove Road. The incident occurred when a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe hit a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle from behind after the traffic light had turned green. The Tahoe also hit a 2024 Honda HR-V, which had swerved to avoid the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was taken to South Lake Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The Honda’s occupants were unharmed and stayed at the scene. The Tahoe’s driver fled but left the vehicle abandoned three miles north on U.S. 27. FHP has taken the vehicle and is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact FHP at (*347) or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Source link #Florida #Highway #Patrol #searching #driver #fatal #hitandrun #****** #Lake #County Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2025 NCAA Softball Tournament bracket, schedule revealed – On3.com 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament bracket, schedule revealed – On3.com 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament bracket, schedule revealed On3.comAggies lead SEC-heavy top 8 in softball tourney ESPN2025 NCAA softball bracket: Women’s College World Series scores, schedule NCAA.comSooners selected as No. 2 seed in NCAA softball tournament, will host Norman Regional KOCONCAA softball bracketology: Final predictions for 64-team bracket on Selection Sunday The Oklahoman Source link #NCAA #Softball #Tournament #bracket #schedule #revealed #On3.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ford Ranger tech upgrade to see SYNC4 axed, hands-free driving added Ford Ranger tech upgrade to see SYNC4 axed, hands-free driving added Ford is phasing out SYNC4 in favour of a new infotainment system, with the Ranger to ditch it but gain BlueCruise hands-free driving Source link #Ford #Ranger #tech #upgrade #SYNC4 #axed #handsfree #driving #added Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sununu says Trump administration has ‘about 6 weeks’ on China tariff deal to give market, small businesses confidence Sununu says Trump administration has ‘about 6 weeks’ on China tariff deal to give market, small businesses confidence Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said Sunday that the Trump administration has “about six weeks” when it comes to a China tariff deal to give the market and small businesses “confidence.” “It sounds like they made some headway yesterday, but they’ve got about six weeks to really give the market and some of these small businesses confidence that it’s not going to drag them down,” Sununu told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” of President Trump’s tariffs on China. During the first few months of his second term, Trump’s tariff policy has strained relationships with trading partners such as China, Canada and the European Union and rattled global markets. Trump’s tariffs on China have also increased fears that a U.S. recession could be coming On Friday, the president signaled he was willing to significantly bring down American tariffs on ******** imports. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that an 80 percent tariff for China appeared to be the correct number, significantly lowering the import tax on ******** goods from 145 percent. “80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” Trump said in his Friday post, referencing Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump also suggested Saturday a “total reset” in U.S.-China trade relations might be possible amid talks over tariffs in Switzerland between the two countries. “A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner. We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!” the president said in a post on his Truth Social platform. In his CNN appearance Friday, Sununu said that a recently announced trade deal between the U.K. and the U.S. “definitely sets the groundwork for some of the future agreements” for the Trump administration on trade. The Hill has reached out to the White House, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office and the Treasury Department for comment Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Source link #Sununu #Trump #administration #weeks #China #tariff #deal #give #market #small #businesses #confidence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

China’s CATL to raise at least $4 billion in Hong Kong listing China’s CATL to raise at least $4 billion in Hong Kong listing People visit the booth of battery manufacturer CATL, at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China 2024, in Beijing, China, April 25, 2024. Tingshu Wang | Reuters ******** battery manufacturer CATL aims to raise at least HK$31.01 billion ($3.99 billion) in its Hong Kong listing, according to its prospectus filed on Monday, the largest new share ***** in the city this year. The maker of batteries for electric vehicles is selling 117.9 million shares at a maximum offer price of HK$263 per share, according to filings lodged with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The size of the deal could increase to about $5.3 billion if an offer size adjustment option and a so-called greenshoe option are exercised. More than 20 cornerstone investors, led by Sinopec and Kuwait Investment Authority, have subscribed to buy about $2.62 billion worth of CATL shares, the prospectus showed. The offer size adjustment option means the number of shares could be increased by up to 17.7 million shares to raise up to an additional HK$4.65 billion ($598.00 million). There is a greenshoe option to sell a further up to 17.7 million shares. The shares are due to price between Tuesday and Friday, with the final price to be announced on or before May 19, the filings showed. CATL’s Hong Kong shares will be sold at a small discount to the Shenzhen stock’s closing price on Friday if the share price is HK$263 each. The size of the discount will be larger if the Hong Kong share price is below that level. CATL said in its prospectus that it was granted a Hong Kong Stock Exchange waiver to not publish a minimum price at which its shares could be sold, as it could impact the trading of its Shenzhen-listed stock. There will be 109.1 million shares sold to institutional investors and 8.8 million shares available for Hong Kong’s retail investors to bid for, the prospectus showed. The share ***** will be the largest in Hong Kong since Midea Group raised $4.6 billion last year. CATL’s shares will start trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on May 20. Weekly analysis and insights from Asia’s largest economy in your inbox Subscribe now CLOSE EYE ON US-CHINA TRADE WAR U.S. onshore investors will not be able to buy CATL shares in the Hong Kong deal, the filings showed, but many of those funds have offshore operations that would be able to participate. The company was placed on a U.S. Defense Department list in January of ******** companies it says work with China’s military. CATL said in its prospectus that it was working with the U.S. department to address the ‘false designation’. “It does not restrict us from conducting business with entities other than a small number of U.S. governmental authorities, thus is expected to have no substantial adverse impact on our business,” it said. CATL’s book building comes as the U.S. and China hailed constructive talks in Geneva on the weekend towards de-escalating their trade war, but Washington’s 145% tariff on ******** goods and Beijing’s 125% tariff on U.S. goods remain in place. “Tariff policies have been rapidly evolving. Currently, we cannot accurately assess the potential impact of such policies on our business, and we will closely monitor the relevant situation,” CATL’s prospectus said. CATL has previously said the impact from U.S. tariffs on the company would be minimal as that market accounts for only a small part of its business. Its North American business has been largely restricted due to policies set by the Biden administration, which excluded ******** batteries from an EV subsidy scheme. CATL has been licensing its battery technology to help its U.S. clients, including Ford and Tesla, to build their battery plants instead of building its own while such partnerships are also often being criticized by U.S. politicians. Source link #Chinas #CATL #raise #billion #Hong #Kong #listing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

World’s largest EV battery maker CATL to raise at least $4bn – Financial Times World’s largest EV battery maker CATL to raise at least $4bn – Financial Times World’s largest EV battery maker CATL to raise at least $4bn Financial TimesCATL Starts Taking Investor Orders for World’s Biggest Listing This Year Bloomberg.comCATL Plans to Raise Around $4.0 Billion in Hong Kong IPO WSJChinese EV Battery Giant CATL Aims To Raise $4 Bn In Hong Kong IPO Barron’sChina’s CATL to raise at least $4 billion in Hong Kong listing Reuters Source link #Worlds #largest #battery #maker #CATL #raise #4bn #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Major parties barely fend off independent challengers Major parties barely fend off independent challengers The major parties appear to have held on to formerly safe seats by the skin of their teeth, but a handful of other electorates remain too close to call. Australians handed Labor a sweeping federal election victory, but several former strongholds looked poised to slip from the party’s fingers after independent challengers took the results down to the wire, with less than 100 votes separating the frontrunners at times. But one by one, they fell back into the fold, and on Monday the ABC called the south Canberra and Norfolk Island seat of Bean for Labor candidate David Smith , after a days-long fight against independent Jessie Price. Ms Price hasn’t conceded defeat, noting there were still a few thousand votes to count, but she acknowledges a win looked less likely. “Votes are now coming from people outside of the electorate who maybe weren’t quite as aware that we had such a different option this election,” she told ABC Radio on Monday. “Labor have kind of held on by their fingernails at the end and they are on notice.” The blue-ribbon electorate of Bradfield on Sydney’s north shore has also gone to a major party after days of counting, with Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian fending off independent Nicolette Boele. It wasn’t all bad news for independents. The ABC has called the Melbourne seat of Kooyong for Monique Ryan, giving her a second term. Meanwhile, the Greens have held on to one seat in the lower house after Elizabeth Watson-Brown, the MP for Ryan, beat her Labor challenger. According to the ABC, another four seats remain in doubt, including the southeast Melbourne electorate of Flinders, which was challenged by independent Ben Smith. Monash in eastern Victoria and Longman in Queensland are too close to call, as is Calwell on Melbourne’s fringe, where the final pairing of candidates is hard to determine. In the Senate, the coalition appears poised to lose up to five seats to Labor. This could give Labor and the Greens the power to pass legislation without turning to other members of the crossbench. SEAT COUNT IN 2025 FEDERAL ELECTION: THE NUMBERS * Labor – 93 lower house seats (+16 from 2022 election total) as of Monday morning, with 83.5 per cent of votes counted * Coalition – 41 seats (-17) * Greens – 1 seat (-3) * Independents/minor parties – 11 seats (-1) * Undecided – 4 seats * In the Senate, Labor could gain up to five spots from the coalition, with about 76.1 per cent of the upper house ballots counted as of Monday morning WHERE THE COUNT IS UP TO * Labor has 54.67 per cent of the two-party national count with 6,217,274 votes, an increase of 2.54 per cent, the *********** Electoral Commission says * The Liberals have 45.33 per cent of the national vote with 5,155,522 ballots SEATS STILL IN DOUBT * Calwell (Vic) – Labor candidate Basem Abdo leads the outer Melbourne electorate with just over 30 per cent of first preference votes, but two independents with about 12 per cent each make this seat highly complicated. There is a possibility Carly Moore or Joseph Youhana could snowball up preferences and overtake Mr Abdo in the final tally * Longman (QLD) – Labor’s Rhiannyn Douglas leads LNP MP Terry Young by 219 votes with almost 85 per cent of the ballots counted * Monash (Vic) – Liberal candidate Mary Aldred appears to have the edge in the regional Victorian seat with 32.1 per cent of the primary vote, but the presence of two strong independents – Deb Leonard and Russell Broadbent – complicate the preference distribution * Flinders (Vic) – Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie has secured a commanding 41.4 per cent of the primary vote but her lead could be at risk if independent Ben Smith finishes in second ahead of Labor’s Sarah Race and soaks up Labor and Greens preferences Source link #Major #parties #barely #fend #independent #challengers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This US-owned factory in China made toys for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support This US-owned factory in China made toys for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support By Nicholas P. Brown (Reuters) -The emails started pouring in on April 9, the day President Donald Trump’s 145% tariff on ******** imports took effect. Clients were canceling orders for toys from Huntar Company Inc.’s factory in Guangdong Province, China. But Huntar CEO Jason Cheung, 45, had already halted production at the 600,000-square-foot facility in Shaoguan. He saw the tariff for what it was: an existential threat to his company, which manufactures educational toys bound for the shelves of Walmart and Target, like Learning Resources Inc’s Numberblocks, which help teach kids math. “I needed to start saving money as soon as possible,” Cheung said. In the four weeks since, he has cut production by 60% to 70%, laid off a third of the factory’s 400 ******** workers, and reduced hours and wages to those still employed. Now, he’s pursuing a frantic, long-shot effort to move his operation to Vietnam before the company his dad founded 42 years ago runs out of money. He figures he has about a month. Huntar’s plight typifies a crisis facing countless factories in China, where about 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are manufactured, according to trade group The Toy Association. New orders have fallen sharply amid a brutal trade war with the United States that threatens to devastate the sector in both countries. Huntar is also unique in one key way: based in the U.S., it straddles both sides of the trade war. On paper, Cheung is Trump’s bogeyman, the ******** factory owner taking American jobs. But he’s also the U.S. small business owner tariffs were meant to protect. He’s the American son of a ******** immigrant, running a second-generation family-owned business that employs 15 people in the U.S. – people who would lose their jobs if Huntar falters. Trump has said tariffs will incentivize companies to reshore manufacturing, or, at least, drive it out of China. Huntar illustrates why economists say that’s unlikely: a dearth of facilities and workers with toy making expertise in other countries; heavy equipment that’s hard to move and would cost millions of dollars to replace; and, most acutely, no time to solve those hurdles before coffers run dry. More likely, factories like Cheung’s will simply shut down, a prospect that drove Beijing to the negotiating table with U.S. officials in Geneva over the weekend, three sources familiar with the ******** government’s thinking told Reuters. Realistically, China cannot replace U.S. market demand for product categories like toys, furniture, and textiles, which are already feeling the impact of tariffs, one of the officials said. As trade talks began, Trump signaled he was open to cutting China tariffs to 80%. That wouldn’t help Huntar, Cheung says, noting that any tariff rate over about 50% will make survival difficult. On a practical level, there’s no difference between 80% and the 145% tariffs he’s currently facing. Crises have hit Huntar before, Cheung says, but not like this. The 2008 recession brought a steady slowdown, one he could plan around. And the COVID pandemic dealt a blow, but his volume of production remained high enough to keep him afloat through a temporary slump. This time, he says, “our manufacturing business essentially halted overnight.” Cheung is starting to feel like his only hope is just that – hope. “I refresh my ‘tariff’ Google search five or six times a day, hoping something’s changed,” he says. A DREAM AND A LUCKY DESK Huntar manufactures toys for U.S., ********* and European sellers, like Learning Resources Inc and Play-a-Maze, which distribute them to retailers or sell directly to consumers. It also makes its own educational toys under its Popular Playthings brand, which it has had to stop shipping to the U.S., costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars so far, Cheung estimates. American-owned factories in China are uncommon, as ******** law makes it difficult and costly for foreign entities to own them, says attorney Dan Harris, a partner at Harris Sliwoski who focuses on international manufacturing law. But Huntar has roots in a business Cheung’s father set up in 1983, a few years after escaping ********** China and settling in California’s Bay Area. Cheung grew up in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond district, he says, in a small house whose broken door you could simply kick open. His father would sell clothes and furniture at a flea market to augment his janitor’s wages, with Cheung tagging along, bored to tears. As the operation matured, Cheung’s father set up a factory in China, to exert more control over quality. Cheung, who joined the company in 2004, still uses the desk his father set up in their living room decades ago. “We think maybe it’s lucky or something,” he says. The last few weeks have been anything but lucky. The factory is sitting on $750,000 in canceled shipments – value Cheung couldn’t fully recover even if the trade war ended, because his shipping costs would surely spike as factories raced to clear backlogs. That’s what happened after COVID, Cheung recalls, when shipping costs ballooned from $2,000 per container to more than $20,000. “They don’t deserve this,” said Rick Woldenberg, CEO of toy company Learning Resources, and a client of Cheung’s since his father was in charge more than 20 years ago. Woldenberg has canceled future production in China, saying his annual tariffs would jump from $2 million to $100 million. “It’s not who we want to be,” Woldenberg said, “but they know we have no choice.” According to an April survey by the Toy Association, more than 45% of small and mid-sized toy companies in the U.S. say China tariffs will put them out of business within weeks or months. Learning Resources, which employs 500 people in the U.S. and manufactures 60% of its products in China, has sued the U.S. government, asking a federal judge to stop tariffs from taking effect. “If nothing changes, we’ll be crippled,” Woldenberg said. ‘CANNIBALIZE MYSELF’ Cheung has been scouring his contact list, calling factories in Vietnam in hopes of finding a new home for Huntar. Moving to the U.S. is out of the question. Wages here are so high that manufacturing stateside would be even more expensive than staying in China and absorbing the tariffs, Cheung says. Even in Vietnam, financial and logistical hurdles are proving too tall. Few factories have enough space to handle his operation, and competition is high among others looking to move. Even if he found a good spot, Cheung would have to train a new staff and run safety and quality control checks that could easily take months. There’s also the question of infrastructure. Cheung’s factory is solar-powered, helping ensure profitability in a thin-margin business. It has specific HVAC and wastewater systems designed to negate the environmental risks of spray paint and chemicals used to decorate toys. And it owns more than 30 injection machines, each weighing several tons, which craft toys by pumping molten plastic to steel casings. These likely can’t be moved, and Cheung says he’s not sure where he’d find the money – well over $1 million – to buy new ones. A more realistic move would be to outsource certain operations and shutter others. Cheung could cut losses by finding a Vietnamese factory to take Huntar’s Popular Playthings proprietary line, while ditching the business of manufacturing toys for third party clients. Going all-in – that is, keeping his factory intact in China in hopes the trade war is resolved – is a higher-risk, higher-reward gambit. If tariffs came down quickly, his company would survive, but if they didn’t, he’d lose everything. The costs of keeping a large factory running, and paying employees, while producing just a fraction of his normal output, would sink him within several weeks, he says. “I’m approaching this moment where I have to choose basically to cannibalize myself,” he says. It’s hard to pare down a business that once embodied the American dream. Cheung’s father came to the U.S. in 1978, after escaping China by swimming across the Shenzhen River into Hong Kong – all for a shot at freedom. He “wanted to see this business continue through me and hopefully his grandkids,” Cheung says. His dad, he says, is feeling hopeless these days. Though grateful for the life he built here, America’s sheen as a land of milk and honey has worn off. “His idea of the U.S. has definitely changed,” Cheung says. (Reporting by Nicholas P. Brown. Editing by Vanessa O’Connell and Michael Learmonth) Source link #USowned #factory #China #toys #Walmart #Tariffs #put #life #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Asia Stocks Rise on Hope for Lower Tariffs After U.S.-China Talks – The New York Times Asia Stocks Rise on Hope for Lower Tariffs After U.S.-China Talks – The New York Times Asia Stocks Rise on Hope for Lower Tariffs After U.S.-China Talks The New York TimesStock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures surge as markets cheer US-China trade talks Yahoo FinanceFutures Jump On China Deal Hopes Investor’s Business DailyStocks, dollar up on US-China trade hope, details awaited ReutersMarkets to Decide If Words Are Enough After US-China Trade Talks Bloomberg.com Source link #Asia #Stocks #Rise #Hope #Tariffs #U.S.China #Talks #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Equal Parts Boring And Intense – Visiting The Set Of The Last Of Us’ Second Season Equal Parts Boring And Intense – Visiting The Set Of The Last Of Us’ Second Season Sweaty, tired, and hungry, I sit on a small bus alongside other journalists from outlets all around the world. Though most of them are representing international movie and TV-focused outlets while I sit as the lone games-focused journalist, we laugh about how boring a production set can be. I had no idea how much downtime there is on a set, or how often I’d watch a group of actors perform a scene and immediately reset to do it again, and again, and again. One of the more veteran writers in our group, who tells me he’s visited dozens of sets before today, says that’s often par for the course. Still, as my first set visit, especially to see HBO and Co. film a scene from Episode 5 of HBO’s The Last of Us season two, I expected to be wowed with glitz, glamor, and star power. But, as the veteran journalist explained to me on that bus back in the hot and humid July of Vancouver, Canada, last year, sets are boring, especially for journalists sitting in a video camp for nine hours watching the crew do its thing – it’s work, after all. A scene on a set is just a group of people putting forth their best efforts to, hopefully, create something that feels packed with polish when the final creation airs months later. I think about this set visit every Sunday night when watching The Last of Us because I remember how mundane the set of a major television series production is; I’m even more wowed watching each new episode because of those memories. I watch actors in full Stalker prosthetics, makeup, and costume stir sugar into their coffees while discussing tacos with someone who works behind the scenes whose walkie-talkie crackles with instructions and commands. What I hear through the walkie-talkie might as well have been a foreign language, one I assume everyone on that set understood with perfect clarity. The actor isn’t sure if they’re getting fish tacos or chicken tacos that day, by the way. I later hear them explain why the Yeti brand of coolers is great for keeping things cold and how they scored a nice set of Yeti goods on Facebook Marketplace. It’s here I want to remind you this person was in a full Stalker getup. After I secure my own coffee, wondering if I’ll get to partake in tacos (I don’t), I stroll past a table of Infected actors scrolling on their phones, two of them coincidentally discussing their favorite part of The Last of Us Part II. These infected, like the Stalker I watched make themselves a cup of coffee, are somewhat different from their video game counterparts, but that’s by design. “They [HBO, PlayStation, and Co.] wanted to tweak the design a little bit and give it more of a film aesthetic,” prosthetic makeup department head Paul Spateri tells me. “A lot of video game stuff is quite sharp and edgy, so we wanted to try and soften it a bit and make them look a bit more related, so not quite monstery, making sure there are elements of humanity you can see.” With my coffee in hand, I return to a tent filled with those cool director chairs that actually aren’t very comfy and ponder why they’re the set favorite for directors and crew. There are multiple monitors around me and the other journalists here, and we each wear headphones to listen to what’s happening on the monitor. This tent, a piece of the “video village” as it’s colloquially known, is located in an old milk factory that’s been turned into hunting grounds for 11 Stalkers. One of those Stalkers, Kelsey Andries, joins Spateri for our interview. “What you’re looking at really is not the final article,” Spateri says, pointing out Andries’ Stalker antlers. “The way they self-mutilate themselves by tearing at their skin, tearing their lips off, their eyelids peeling off as well – it’s sort of like a super masochistic self-harming involved effect – that’s really a combination of us and VFX.” If you hadn’t picked up on it in the show yet, tonight’s episode likely made it clear: Stalkers aren’t part of the traditional Infected evolutionary line that leads to Clickers. They are a different evolutionary offspring, Spateri explains. “They are more intelligent, they work like a pack, they can think and outmaneuver; they’re not just blindly following the desire to infect.” Making all of this come through on screen not only requires a lot of post-production effort, but the actors themselves in the moment have to do a lot. Andries explains how all the makeup and costuming, including the 3D-printed antlers, takes four to five hours in the makeup chair, “and that’s before we even start shooting.” Then, because Stalkers are on all fours, they work their full body muscles during each scene they shoot. “Stalkers are tough because they’re quadruped so we’re on all fours a lot and you’re just crawling around, which is incredibly difficult, immensely, and you’re having to do your movements in that form,” she says, adding that she performs as a Clicker in the series as well. “Clickers have so much more fungal growth; their whole face is covered and they have these eye pieces we put in, and once those are in, you’re blind.” Those eyepieces are installed for close-ups, but in action set pieces, they are removed so the actors can perform. Spateri adds that this is where the symbiotic relationship between set and VFX comes into play – it’s VFX’s job to make the action scenes featuring Clickers look just as good as those prosthetic-heavy close-ups. Before Andries departs to head back to shoot a scene, she explains how she approaches playing a Stalker. In short, “with humanity.” She says she 100% believes a human is still in there. “That’s the thing that [writer and showrunner Craig Mazin] is hammering into us: we’re not monsters; there’s an element of humanity still inside. Everyone’s trapped. You’re fighting this thing that’s taking over you. They are victims and monsters […] and that’s what makes the performance interesting.” As we just watched in Episode 5, Isabela Merced’s Dina finds herself trapped by Stalkers (including Andries) in a cage. She’s desperate to kill them and escape death. I hear the pops of set guns a second or two before I see them on screen, and they’re piercingly loud, even with headphones on. Merced, who is my favorite aspect of the season, puts on an excellent performance from what I can tell. But for a reason I’m not privy to, Merced will perform this scene a dozen (maybe even more) times during my set visit. Across my nine hours in that abandoned milk factory, it’s the only scene I watch filmed. It loses its luster a bit, and my respect for the actors and video crew grows immensely during this day. They’re patient, dedicated, and determined to get every little detail right, and ultimately, it creates something special to watch on screen at home. This gap, the mundanity and work-focused grit of a production set, and the slickly produced and edited episode that is the final cut of all that work, remains fascinating to me. I hope to visit other production sets to see more of this contrast in person. MIND THE GAP I asked stunt coordinator Marny Eng, and later Mazin, about this contrast to see how they felt about it. Eng explains it’s part of the challenge with what they do. They’re working to create a final vision that won’t be seen for months. As a result, they have to lay it all on the line and hope it turns out well. “The biggest complication is always staying true to the story, making sure we’re telling the story in the best way the creatives are hoping for,” Eng says, noting they have to put aside their own opinions to help someone else – in this instance, HBO and PlayStation – achieve their vision. “We’re facilitators; we try to bring that vision to life by the performances we create.” Eng was a stunt performer last season, and now oversees an entire team of performers, including the near-dozen Stalker actors that were on set this particular day. She says the biggest difference between her part in season one and her role in season two is the scale. As the first five episodes of The Last of Us season two have demonstrated, the Infected count is way up from season one. There are 11 Stalkers in this episode, and each Stalker gets two makeup artists. For just the Stalkers alone, that’s 33 people involved, not to mention Eng and her team ensuring stunt performances align with what the production needs. Those dozens of people are a tangible view of how much work goes into a scene like the one I watched on set that day. Eng explains there’s a lot of work that happens leading up to this day, too, between stunt concepting, rehearsing, and more. “Over time, getting this sequence together, we’ve been thinking about it forever – probably two months,” Eng says. That gap I mentioned earlier continues to widen: months of work lead up to a 9-hour day of shooting basically one scene over and over again. Then months and months later, I watch an episode featuring this scene and it’s all the best parts of that long day spliced together into a tense and well-made setpiece. In these moments, I’m reminded of the game development process. Hundreds of people poured thousands of hours into, say, The Last of Us Part II’s development, and the final product is a 25-hour experience I beat in a week. Dozens of people pour hundreds of hours into an episode of The Last of Us and I consume it in an hour on my couch on a late Sunday night. Eng closes out our interview discussing her work with Ellie actor Bella Ramsey and Abby actor Kaitlyn Dever. Editor’s note: I’m kicking myself in retrospect for not asking about Merced’s work performing stunts, especially after viewing the most recent episodes of The Last of Us. Eng says Ramsey is an extraordinary human with a phenomenal ability to “pick things up; they’re a real stunt performer in my mind, and if I could work with someone like Bella for the rest of my life, I’d be in heaven.” I ask Eng about contrasting Ramsey’s performance as Ellie with Dever’s performance as Abby in terms of stunt work, considering how differently postured these two characters are in The Last of Us Part II. “[Dever’s] very talented, very physical, and she cares a lot,” she explains. “She’s quite extraordinary herself and very good with this strong and calculated and driven character. “[Ellie and Abby] are very similar but very different. In another world, they might be the best of friends in a weird kind of way because they’re so good at what they do, independently, but they’re on opposite sides.” Unfortunately, I don’t get to see Dever or Ramsey perform, though I did pass by Ramsey leaving the set. They were dressed as Ellie, with the butterfly tattoo on their arm, and speaking outside of character – in other words, it’s quite funny to hear Ellie with a British accent. HBO’S THE LAST OF OUR SET VISIT I’m about four coffees, three 8 oz sugar-free Red Bulls, uncountable sandwich halves, and seven hours into the set visit when a familiar voice echoes in the warehouse nearby. When all you’re doing is sitting in a chair all day, getting a drink and something to eat becomes a great way to give your butt a break. Moments later, a jovial bearded Mazin steps into our media tent. I’ve heard him in interviews before, but I can’t stress enough how funny it is that Mazin, who speaks with passion and love using a voice that I imagine puts any actor at ease, is behind a show like The Last of Us. He’s clearly tired and, likely aware of how visible his fatigue is, immediately addresses it: “This is Day 150, I think, of shooting. It’s going great, but I am whatever is three levels past exhaustion right now; I don’t even notice it anymore.” He calls his work on The Last of Us a labor of love. Echoing my conversation with Eng earlier in the day, Mazin speaks to the contrast between shooting season one and season two. He says season two is more difficult because “with the first season, you don’t know what you don’t know. You find out later and you do your best to learn on the job how to do certain things. The scene we’re doing today, we would have approached very differently in season one. It would not have been as efficient, and we would have spent a lot more money on visual effects.” He touches on something Spateri mentioned earlier, noting that VFX plays a big role in bringing to life everything shot on set, though Mazin says the team is trying to do as much practical as they can. “We try as best we can to do a lot of things practically, so in-camera, and what that means is we build very large sets,” Mazin says. “We built one pretty large set for season one. We have built multiple large sets for season two.” He adds that, to his delight, it’s much harder to see where the on-set work ends and the post-production VFX work begins, and that includes sets. With so many large sets compared to season one, and a shooting schedule that stretches beyond 150 days, Mazin stresses just how much more work season two is compared to the first. One of the ******* changes is multiple filming units. In other words, the same day I watched Merced perform in an abandoned milk factory, another unit might have been shooting a different scene elsewhere. Managing all of that is a challenge, Mazin says, but one that’s worth it. When asked about that word – “worth” – and what it means on a set like this, where an entire day is spent shooting a scene that lasts just minutes in one episode of a seven-episode season two, Mazin says it’s about the feelings he hopes the show elicits out of viewers when it’s over. “When they’ve watched it all, and hopefully they do, and they stay with us for the whole ride, which is incredibly gratifying, I want them to arrive at the conclusion that this was awesome and say, ‘that made me cry, that made me laugh, all these things, I love this show.’ “There’s no individual part where I think, ‘That’s what I want them to love,’” Mazin continues. “I want them to love the experience of the whole thing, and that’s asking a lot because their connection with the story we tell is going to be tested. They’re going to fall in love, get angry, there’s mystery, they’re going to be confused, they’re going to be surprised, and they’re going to be scared, and they’re also going to feel some difficult things. But all that is why we do what we do: it’s to give people a chance to feel difficult things in a safe way.” Much like The Last of Us Part II, the HBO series is not all it seems. In the game, it seems like Abby kills Joel out of cold blood, but there’s more happening within the person holding that golf club. I keep returning to this, the idea that the HBO series is not all that it seems. What I see on screen is a slickly produced, tightly edited, well-shot, and well-acted hour of television. Thanks to this set visit, I know creating this hour of television was so much more work than its ease of watchability. It’s the work of dozens of people whose job that day was to sit in a makeup chair for hours in an abandoned milk factory in Vancouver, Canada; people who perform a scream behind a cage attacked by a group of Stalkers over and over again, maintaining that fear cut after cut; people who keep cast and crew well-fed and comfortable during long shooting days; people who pour over hundreds of hours of footage to splice together a coherent episode; people who spend hundreds of hours finely detailing the VFX that brings to life Infected and more. Do you see what I’m getting at? For all the Hollywood of a highly acclaimed HBO series, it is still a job for the hundreds of people involved. It wouldn’t be possible without the work of every single person on the set that day, in the editing bays, and elsewhere. I already knew this about game development – it’s not any one single person’s work that makes the game sing, but rather the work of a team. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I learned this lesson applies to creating a television show like The Last of Us as well. That’s the aspect of this set visit I’ll never forget. HBO’s The Last of Us airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. Source link #Equal #Parts #Boring #Intense #Visiting #Set #Season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Going after it’: Aussie young gun pumped for US major ‘Going after it’: Aussie young gun pumped for US major Elvis Smylie will lean on superstar stablemate Min Woo Lee and Australia’s other golf heavyweights in an audacious bid for PGA Championship glory in North Carolina. Already believing he belongs and intent on becoming a “global player”, Smylie is feeling anything but overawed ahead of his US major championship debut on Thursday. “I feel like my game has gone to the next level after playing in Europe,” said the young lefthander, who earned his DP World Tour card with victory at the *********** PGA Championship last November. Victory at Royal Queensland relinquished Lee of the Joe Kirkwood Cup he won in 2023 before breaking through for his maiden PGA Tour win in March. After following in Lee’s footsteps at home, Smylie now hopes to nab some tips about how to play Quail Hollow from the world No.25 as well as major-winning compatriots Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith, who are also in the field. “Planning to have a practice round with a couple of the Aussies. Hopefully Min will be one of them and then Adam, Cam, Jason, yeah, whoever’s available,” Smylie told AAP. The son of former *********** tennis star Liz Smylie made his major debut at last year’s British Open and, while he missed the cut by two shots, the classy left-hander is also drawing confidence from matching Lee’s 36-hole total and beating his buddy by five shots in round two at Royal Troon. He knows he’s got the game and grit to compete with golf’s big boys – and is relishing the opportunity to prove it. “When I look around and see the names I’ve played against, Rory McIlroy was in the field at the start of the year in Dubai,” Smylie said. “Jon Rahm and Adam Scott and world-class players that I’ve grown up watching on TV and then to be able to be competing against them, in the same tournament, I feel like I really do belong. “I don’t really get overwhelmed too much. I more think of this as an opportunity to see how good my game is against these guys. “I played a practice round with Adam Scott last year at the Open and he was by far the most impressive ball striker. “His ability to be able to shape shots left, right, high, low, he can do anything with the golf ball. “So just visually seeing their games, I know know that I’m not too far away because I know that mentally I’m very gritty. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going kind of thing, I quite embrace that. So this will be another great learning curve to see where my game’s at again. “I want to be playing against the best players in the world. I want to be playing in majors and I want to take my game globally.” Also excited to be reuniting with super-coach Ritchie Smith, the esteemed mentor who guides the likes of Min Woo and Minjee Lee and fellow major winner Hannah Green, Smylie is targeting more than just making the cut at Quail Hollow. “I’d love to play all four rounds of the major. I think that’s a realistic goal for me,” he said. “And then once we can get through those first two rounds well, then it’s just about really embracing what you’re feeling and just going after it.” Source link #Aussie #young #gun #pumped #major Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former White House Ethics lawyer reacts to Trump’s plans to accept plane gift from Qatar Former White House Ethics lawyer reacts to Trump’s plans to accept plane gift from Qatar The Trump administration is set to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family that will be retrofitted and used as Air Force One during the president’s second term, two people familiar with the agreement told CNN. Former White House Ethics lawyer Richard Painter joins CNN’s Jessica Dean to discuss. Source link #White #House #Ethics #lawyer #reacts #Trumps #plans #accept #plane #gift #Qatar Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New York Yankees vs. Athletics Results, Stats, and Recap – May 11, 2025 Gametracker – CBS Sports New York Yankees vs. Athletics Results, Stats, and Recap – May 11, 2025 Gametracker – CBS Sports New York Yankees vs. Athletics Results, Stats, and Recap – May 11, 2025 Gametracker CBS SportsRice hits first slam, shakes off two plunkings as Yanks roll MLB.comYankees’ Aaron Judge has 4 hits in blowout win over A’s, pushing batting average back above .400 Yahoo SportsYankees 12-2 Athletics (May 11, 2025) Game Recap ESPNYankees rough up Luis Severino in lopsided win over Athletics New York Post Source link #York #Yankees #Athletics #Results #Stats #Recap #Gametracker #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘The closer we get, the hungrier we become’ ‘The closer we get, the hungrier we become’ Mark Savage Music Correspondent Getty Images Remember Monday will represent the *** at the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland this week (L-R): Charlotte Steele, Holly-Anne Hull and Lauren Byrne Since Remember Monday were announced as the ***’s Eurovision act in March, they’ve barely slept in their own beds. “It’s definitely in the single digits,” says singer Holly-Anne Hull, trying to calculate how many nights she has spent at home. “We don’t have time for that.” Instead, they’ve been on a whirlwind tour of Europe, meeting fans, filming endless TikToks and performing their song, What The Hell Just Happened, to anyone who’ll listen. If they’re tired, it doesn’t show. The country-pop trio – Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele – are chatty, excited and focused on fun, and for good reason. They formed at school over a decade ago, and determinedly stayed together during long periods where, in their words, “no-one was listening”. Even after a successful turn on The Voice in 2019, Charlotte had to return to her job as a deputy head teacher, while Lauren and Holly-Anne appeared in West End shows like Phantom of the Opera and Six: The Musical. Eurovision offers chance to change that. They head to Basel, Switzerland this week, hoping to erase the memories of Olly Alexander and Mae Muller, who both finished at the bottom end of the table. It helps that Remember Monday’s song is a certified banger – full of glittery glam-pop flourishes and sizzling harmonies that (crucially) they can pull off live. Just before they set off for Euroland, we sat down with the trio to discuss quitting their jobs, overcoming phobias, and the dreaded “nul points”. The band have travelled all over Europe to promote their Eurovision song, What The Hell Just Happened? It’s eight weeks since you were announced as the ***’s Eurovision entry… Charlotte: No, it can’t be. It feels like six years! How many air miles have you racked up in that time? Lauren: Honestly, I feel bad about our carbon footprint. Charlotte: The thing is, I’m a nervous flyer. I always put an eye mask on, put my headphones in and avoid looking out the window. Then we had to catch a propellor plane from Reykjavik in Iceland, and as it was taking off, the whole thing was shaking from side to side. Lauren: It was really treacherous… but then, the next Easyjet flight we had to catch, Charlotte was like, ‘What a breeze’. Charlotte: I was smiling, talking. It’s like I was cured! When I first heard What The Hell Just Happened, I thought it sounded like something from Six: The Musical… Then I discovered you’d actually been in it. Lauren: That was me! I was Jane Seymour. She’s the one that died, instead of being beheaded. Was it always the plan to put a musical theatre vibe in the song? Lauren: We wrote a brief for the song and there were so many references: Bohemian Rhapsody, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter. But we also said ‘let’s not be afraid to write the pop version of Defying Gravity’. We wanted it to have all that epicness and drama and the West End tricks you don’t get in pop music. Johann Persson/ Manuel Harlan Among the band’s West End credits are Phantom of the Opera, where Holly-Anne played Christine Daaé; and Matilda, where Lauren played Miss Honey. You wrote 15 songs in total. What were the rejects like? Holly-Anne: There are a few we’ll definitely keep [for our album] but there was also one called Achilles Heel that went straight in the bin. Charlotte and Lauren [singing]: How do you feel, Achilles? How is your heel, Achilles? Holly-Anne [cringing]: We’d been writing for three weeks and I think we started to go delusional! That reminds me of something Ed Sheeran says about songwriting: A tap has to run brown before it runs clear. Charlotte: It’s so true, and funnily enough, What The Hell Just Happened was the last song we wrote, a day before the deadline. We’d got to the point where we were like ‘let’s just go 100% on every idea and see where it lands’. Holly-Anne: We thought we had the Eurovision Song, I would say, four or five times. Then this one came up and we were like ‘OK, it’s beaten all of them’. What can you tell me about your performance? Holly-Anne: We come from theatre background, so it’s definitely going to be theatrical. We want to give that a girl-band, concert feeling, like you’re stepping into the world of Remember Monday. There’s a line in the song about ripping your dress. Is that a sneaky Bucks Fizz reference? Lauren: Oh my God! Let’s say yes. We didn’t write it specifically with that in mind… but if the shoe fits! Charlotte: There’s loads of little Easter eggs in the lyrics about our friendship. We’ve had a lot of nights out that ended in a tattoo parlour or losing a shoe somehow. EBU The trio’s Eurovision set will include a fallen chandelier and a mock boudoir, while their pastel-coloured costumes have been described as “Bridgerton meets Moulin Rouge” Do you remember the first time you met? Holly-Anne: It’s impossible to tell because we were in the same sixth form but for the first year we were in different classes. Lauren: I remember Charlotte coming into my class and singing that song from Parade. Charlotte [singing]: “You don’t know this maaan.” Holly-Anne: Then, in the second year, we all joined the same performing arts class, and we were like ‘oh, let’s sing together’. When you graduated you all had full-time jobs – so how did you keep the band together? Charlotte: We always had Mondays off… hence the band name. Holly-Anne: It was so important to us to keep the band alive that we just never let it die. Charlotte: At one point, Holly went on tour for a year and we flew out to Singapore so we could be together. Lauren: Then, maybe 18 months ago, we quit our jobs to do this full-time. Charlotte: We thought, if we don’t throw everything in now, we’ll always regret it. Were your resignation letters like, ‘I’m off to be a star!’? Lauren: Well, Holly and I were in the theatre, so we just didn’t renew our contracts, whereas Charlotte was actually a deputy head teacher. Charlotte: The head was one of my closest friends and a lot of the kids had already seen us at gigs – so everyone knew it was gonna happen. It was just a matter of time. Remember Monday / Holly-Anne Hull The trio have been performing together since they met at sixth form college in Farnborough Are you prepared for how overwhelming Eurovision week is? Lauren: Yeah, but we’re quite good at immersing ourselves in what we’re doing. Charlotte: Even if there wasn’t a bubble around us, the three of us make a bubble. Eurovision is all we talk about, even if we’re not together. Lauren: And then I’m sure from the 18th of May onwards, we’ll have a fair amount of downtime. Holly-Anne: The comedown is going to be rough. What are your hopes for the result? Holly-Anne: We do have a preference. And I think the closer we get to it, the more hungry we are for a good result. A placement in the single digits would be nice. Steve McMahon The band received a warm reception at the Eurovision pre-party in Madrid You have loads of festival performances booked for the summer – so life won’t grind to a halt afterwards. Lauren: That’s so true. And actually, every experience that we’re having in the lead-up to May 17, that’s Eurovision as well. Charlotte: All the places we’ve been to and the people we’ve met – it literally feels like a girls’ holiday. Holly-Anne: Even if we get zero points, we’ll still be singing together, even if it’s in my living room. What’s the one memory you’ll take away from this? Lauren: I will always, always remember the feeling of finding out we’d represent the ***. We’ve been around for a long time, and we’ve had a lot of ‘noes’ as a band, so when we auditioned, we assumed this would be another one. ‘Thank you so much, but we’re going in another direction’. So to finally get a yes after all these years, and to start living what feels like a dream come true with your two best friends? I will never forget that phone call. Source link #closer #hungrier Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Texas Boy Made Secret Service Agent by Trump Unites Law Enforcement, Sets Record in St. Louis Texas Boy Made Secret Service Agent by Trump Unites Law Enforcement, Sets Record in St. Louis In a world often searching for heroes, 13-year-old DJ Daniel is proving that true courage comes not from strength, but from spirit and faith. Diagnosed with terminal brain ******* at age six, DJ is on a mission to be sworn into every law enforcement agency in the country. In St. Louis, Missouri, he made history in April when more than 203 departments swore him in simultaneously. The emotional ceremony, which set a world record, was the brainchild of Detective Steve Runge of the Berkeley Police Department, who was so moved by DJ’s story, he decided to act. What began as an idea to send DJ a small token of support turned into a massive event uniting officers from across Missouri and beyond. “The kid just captured my heart. At first, I thought maybe I’d send him some police swag,” Runge said. “I went home, and I thought, we can do better than that. I started making phone calls and it just exploded. I think the draw with DJ is love and hope.” ***Please sign up for CBN newsletters and download the CBN news app to ensure you receive the latest news.*** DJ’s goal of joining 1,000 agencies is more than a bucket list, it’s a lifeline. Despite enduring 13 brain surgeries and facing an aggressive, incurable *******, DJ credits his strength to divine intervention. “On my 13th brain surgery, God gave me my wings,” DJ said. “But he said, ‘I’m gonna take these back from you, because you don’t get these wings until you graduate the school of life.'” His father, Theodis Daniel, has been by his side every step of the way. “Every day is a good day as in it opens his eyes. He’s got another heartbeat. His feet hit the ground,” Theodis said. “Ain’t nothing he ain’t going to be able to accomplish.” DJ first captured the public’s heart when President Donald Trump recognized him during a 2025 speech to Congress. Since then, he has appeared in a Secret Service recruitment video, received thousands of invitations from departments nationwide, and even received a Cybertruck from Elon Musk to help him travel. “I know that I made America great again,” DJ said with a smile. “Usually that’s Trump’s job.” READ ******* Survivor Honored by Trump Now Sworn-In as State Trooper by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders At the St. Louis event, law enforcement officers from agencies all over the region came together not just to recognize DJ, but to stand for something greater. “To come together for a positive reason to honor such a young, courageous man is truly humbling for all of us,” said Chief Zim Schwartze of the Missouri Capitol Police. “Makes me think about the bad days that I think I’m having, and how really they’re not bad,” added Trooper Andrew Gadberry of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “He’s very strong for what he’s going through,” said Brad Schwarberg of the University City Police. But DJ didn’t let the spotlight stop with him. He surprised nine other young ******* patients by making them honorary officers, too. “I have a friend that is DJ. He’s my person,” said Zephany Bolduc, who came to cheer DJ on. One of the most poignant moments came when Michael Brown Sr., whose son’s 2014 death in nearby Ferguson became a flashpoint in a national debate on policing, accepted Theo’s invitation to stand alongside law enforcement to badge DJ instead of him. “I’m a father too,” said Theodis Daniel. “And it’s just like, what can I do to make this a lot better for everybody?” DJ’s journey also brought him to the pitcher’s mound at Busch Stadium, where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch as a special guest of the St. Louis Cardinals. MORE Father of Honored ******* Survivor Says He Was Offered Money to Leave Spotlight, Demands Apology for Son’s Mistreatment When asked about the role of faith in their journey, Theodis said, “It’s been all of it.” Doctors say DJ will eventually lose his ability to walk. His father has already made peace with what comes next. “I’ll carry him to ceremonies,” Theodis said. “And if God decides to say, ‘I need what belongs to Me back,’ then I’ll carry him home.” With every badge, DJ Daniel isn’t just fulfilling a childhood dream, it’s his testimony – one that’s changing hearts, bridging divides, and reminding the nation that even the smallest officer can make the biggest impact. “Stay blessed. Believe in God. Have faith,” DJ said. Source link #Texas #Boy #Secret #Service #Agent #Trump #Unites #Law #Enforcement #Sets #Record #Louis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

D’Ambrosio eyes NT gear change with Hawks set to fly D’Ambrosio eyes NT gear change with Hawks set to fly Massimo D’Ambrosio has warned high-flying Hawthorn are capable of shifting up several gears as the AFL premiership aspirants eye a huge clash with top-four rivals Gold Coast. The third-placed Hawks (7-2) have swatted away a trio of bottom-four sides on their current three-match winning streak, extended with a 35-point victory over Melbourne last round. But far ******* tests lie ahead, starting with the fourth-placed Suns (6-2) at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Thursday night. D’Ambrosio feels Hawthorn have shown positive signs in recent weeks but are yet to really hit their straps. “We’re building and we’ve shown the depth of our squad,” the 21-year-old Hawks wingman told AAP. “Some people have gone out and others have been able to perform and step up in key moments. “I think we’ll get going and we’ve had three straight wins, so we can’t really complain. “We’re looking to keep improving every week and hopefully keep winning.” Among those who have lifted are veteran Jack Gunston and tall target Mabior Chol, with key forwards Calsher Dear and Mitch Lewis unavailable so far this season. Gunston and Chol combined for five crucial final-quarter majors in the runaway win over Melbourne, and sit first and second respectively on the Hawks’ goal-kicking tally. “It just shows you can’t really contain a great of the game,” D’Ambrosio said of 33-year-old triple-premiership hero Gunston, who started the year out of the team. “He’s been great for us and to be able to do that in the last quarter and get us going was awesome. “He’s been such an experienced head around the club, especially for us young boys. “So to have him around, especially on the field, to guide us has been awesome.” Hawthorn finished full of running against the Demons, breaking open a tight contest with six goals to one in the final quarter. That desire to work hard could be an important factor against a similarly hard-running Gold Coast outfit. “Our work rate to out-number and run in numbers has been our strength and we’re looking to keep improving that and build over the next little bit as well,” D’Ambrosio said. Hawthorn took an extended squad to Darwin on Monday with a plan to spend extra time preparing for the unusual Top End conditions. Gold Coast present a significant challenge, having won their last seven games at TIO Stadium over four seasons, including a 67-point thrashing of the Hawks in 2022. “It’s a five-day break but both teams are in the same boat. We’re looking forward to a great challenge,” D’Ambrosio said. “They’re an in-form side in the competition and we’ll go up there and really embrace the challenge. “They play good footy up there so it will be good to go up there and give it a go. “I’ve been to Darwin, I just haven’t played there. It will be a bit dewy but I’m really looking forward to it.” Hawthorn defender Jarman Impey will miss the Gold Coast clash, allowed time off as he and wife Annabelle await the arrival of their first child. Source link #DAmbrosio #eyes #gear #change #Hawks #set #fly Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

We Asked 5 Nutrition Experts How to Choose the Healthiest Yogurt—They All Said the Same Thing We Asked 5 Nutrition Experts How to Choose the Healthiest Yogurt—They All Said the Same Thing Reviewed by Dietitian Kelly Plowe, M.S., RD Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design. Key Points: Yogurt can be a great addition to your diet if you know what to look for (and what to avoid). Experts suggest yogurts that offer protein and probiotics while being low in added sugar. Dietary **** from dairy (like yogurt) might not be as problematic as was once thought. When it comes to yogurt, it’s easier to tell that some products are inherently healthier than others. A tub of plain Greek yogurt, for example, is a far cry from something that is studded with brownies and tastes suspiciously like ice cream. Still, there’s more to choosing a good-for-you yogurt than you might expect—and clever marketing can add an extra layer of uncertainty. Meanwhile, the debate around the merits of whole-**** versus low-**** dairy continues to add to the confusion. Want to select a ******* treat that’ll really do your body good? We asked five nutrition experts for their top tips on identifying healthy yogurts. Here’s what they had to say. What to Look For In a YogurtHigh Protein Content Though there’s no need to go overboard on protein, this macro has plenty of merit for health. “Protein is essential for muscle repair, and it helps keep you full while supporting a healthy metabolism,” says Lauren Klein, M.S., RDN. It just so happens that yogurt can make a great choice for boosting your protein intake. Many yogurts are loaded with the stuff! Before you purchase, look for a yogurt’s protein content by scanning its nutrition facts label. A yogurt with 10 grams or more (per serving) is considered high-protein since it supplies 20% of the Daily Value of 50 grams. Remember, too, that the type of milk and style of yogurt can make a major difference to protein content. “Yogurt made from real milk is a good source of high-quality protein,” points out Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN. A single-serve tub of high-protein dairy yogurt like Icelandic skyr, for example, typically contains three times the protein of an almond milk-based yogurt., That said, plant-based options like soy yogurt can also bring the protein with about 7 grams per single-serve container. Low Added Sugar It’s good advice, no matter what food you’re selecting: check added sugars before you consume. Overdoing it on the sweet stuff can put the “hurt” in “yoghurt,” since too much sugar in the diet may increase the risk of chronic diseases, says Klein. How much is too much? The American Heart Association recommends that men limit their intake to 9 teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugars per day, and women should aim for less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day. “Eating sweetened yogurt often can cause you to exceed these recommendations without realizing it,” says Klein. Ingredients like cookie pieces, sprinkles, and chocolate are easy to spot, of course, but check labels to determine what you’re getting. Even innocuous-seeming fruit yogurts may get more of their ********** from added sugars than real fruits. “You can look for plain yogurt instead of flavored yogurt to help you limit added sugar, then add some fresh fruit like berries or bananas,” suggests Melissa Altman-Traub, M.S., RDN, LDN. Live and Active Cultures Every yogurt is made with bacterial strains, but in some cases, heat treatment kills them off during processing, meaning they no longer provide benefits. To ensure you’re choosing a yogurt with the digestive health boost of probiotics, look for the “Live & Active Cultures” seal from the National Yogurt Association, recommends Andrea Ballenthin, M.S., CNS, LDN. This seal means that a yogurt brand has at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time it’s manufactured, she says. “These beneficial bacteria support digestion by helping break down food and enhancing nutrient absorption, while also replenishing the gut’s healthy microbes.” High in Essential Nutrients Did you know calcium isn’t the only mineral yogurt provides? Yogurt can also be a source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. Sloan recommends checking labels for the presence of these important minerals. “These nutrients contribute to bone health, energy metabolism and overall nutrient adequacy.” Appropriate **** Content for Your Needs For years, health guidance around dairy foods focused on choosing lower-**** versions whenever possible. But today’s up-to-the-minute research shows that dairy **** isn’t the bogeyman it was once believed to be. “Depending on your dietary goals, both low-**** and whole-milk yogurts can be healthy choices,” says Sloan. “Research shows that neither full-**** nor low-**** dairy products are associated with weight gain.” If you enjoy the richness of a high-**** yogurt, it can be a good choice for promoting feelings of satisfaction and satiety. “Maintaining a little bit of **** in yogurt helps it taste creamier without excess sugar,” says Kerry Hackworth, M.S., RD, LDN. “Also, **** helps absorb certain vitamins and helps to round out your meal.” On the other hand, the American Heart Association continues to recommend non-**** or low-**** yogurt for heart health. If your doctor or dietitian has advised you to stick with a low-**** diet, it’s important to abide by their guidance. Tips for Enjoying Yogurt Once you’ve selected a healthy yogurt, it’s time to put it to good use! With ******* texture and easy blendability, yogurt is among the most versatile foods on the planet. Enjoy it with these expert-recommended tips: Mind the portion size. However you eat your yogurt, keep portions in mind. To balance calories and nutrient intake, Sloan recommends sticking to a standard serving of yogurt, about ¾ cup to 1 cup. Make a fruit and yogurt parfait. “Adding fruit is a great way to enjoy yogurt!” says Klein. “This will add natural **********, color and fiber and makes for a powerfully satiating snack.” Use it as a topping. Sure, you can dollop yogurt on savory dishes like tacos and chilis—but Altman-Traub encourages using it on sweeter foods like pancakes or waffles, too. Make it a dip. Hackworth says she enjoys adding spices and seasonings to transform yogurt into an easy, protein-packed dip for veggies. Use it in baking. “Yogurt tenderizes the protein in flour, resulting in soft-to-the-bite muffins, pastries or cakes,” says Sloan. “Its slightly acidic flavor adds a bit of *****.” The Bottom Line Yogurt is undeniably a healthy food, but the ingredients it contains can either elevate or detract from its overall nutritional impact. A product with a pile of added candy pieces and falling short on protein won’t offer the same nutritional benefits as a low-sugar variety made from high-protein milk. When making a selection at the store, be sure to turn tubs around to compare nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists. They tell the true story of yogurt’s healthfulness, providing details about protein, sugar, **** and micronutrients. Read the original article on EATINGWELL Source link #Asked #Nutrition #Experts #Choose #Healthiest #YogurtThey Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pak Army lost 35-40 men at LoC, its Air Force a few aircraft: Armed Forces – The Indian Express Pak Army lost 35-40 men at LoC, its Air Force a few aircraft: Armed Forces – The Indian Express Pak Army lost 35-40 men at LoC, its Air Force a few aircraft: Armed Forces The Indian ExpressIndian air force says losses are part of combat but all pilots back home ReutersLive updates: Pakistan says India fired missiles at key military bases and that retaliation is underway CNNIndia claims its strikes inside Pakistan territory last week killed over 100 militants AP News”Our Cities Had A Mass Raid Of Drones In Waves”: Air Force on Operation Sindoor NDTV Source link #Pak #Army #lost #men #LoC #Air #Force #aircraft #Armed #Forces #Indian #Express Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SuperRatings director Kirby Rappell says recovery in retirement balances shows risks of trying to panic market SuperRatings director Kirby Rappell says recovery in retirement balances shows risks of trying to panic market SuperRatings warns about the dangers of trying to pick markets as retirement savings rebound after Trump’s tariff turmoil. Source link #SuperRatings #director #Kirby #Rappell #recovery #retirement #balances #shows #risks #panic #market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This US-owned factory in China made toys for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support This US-owned factory in China made toys for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support By Nicholas P. Brown (Reuters) -The emails started pouring in on April 9, the day President Donald Trump’s 145% tariff on ******** imports took effect. Clients were canceling orders for toys from Huntar Company Inc.’s factory in Guangdong Province, China. But Huntar CEO Jason Cheung, 45, had already halted production at the 600,000-square-foot facility in Shaoguan. He saw the tariff for what it was: an existential threat to his company, which manufactures educational toys bound for the shelves of Walmart and Target, like Learning Resources Inc’s Numberblocks, which help teach kids math. “I needed to start saving money as soon as possible,” Cheung said. In the four weeks since, he has cut production by 60% to 70%, laid off a third of the factory’s 400 ******** workers, and reduced hours and wages to those still employed. Shipping containers are unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro Now, he’s pursuing a frantic, long-shot effort to move his operation to Vietnam before the company his dad founded 42 years ago runs out of money. He figures he has about a month. Huntar’s plight typifies a crisis facing countless factories in China, where about 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are manufactured, according to trade group The Toy Association. New orders have fallen sharply amid a brutal trade war with the United States that threatens to devastate the sector in both countries. Huntar is also unique in one key way: based in the U.S., it straddles both sides of the trade war. On paper, Cheung is Trump’s bogeyman, the ******** factory owner taking American jobs. But he’s also the U.S. small business owner tariffs were meant to protect. He’s the American son of a ******** immigrant, running a second-generation family-owned business that employs 15 people in the U.S. – people who would lose their jobs if Huntar falters. Trump has said tariffs will incentivize companies to reshore manufacturing, or, at least, drive it out of China. Huntar illustrates why economists say that’s unlikely: a dearth of facilities and workers with toy making expertise in other countries; heavy equipment that’s hard to move and would cost millions of dollars to replace; and, most acutely, no time to solve those hurdles before coffers run dry. More likely, factories like Cheung’s will simply shut down, a prospect that drove Beijing to the negotiating table with U.S. officials in Geneva over the weekend, three sources familiar with the ******** government’s thinking told Reuters. Realistically, China cannot replace U.S. market demand for product categories like toys, furniture, and textiles, which are already feeling the impact of tariffs, one of the officials said. As trade talks began, Trump signaled he was open to cutting China tariffs to 80%. That wouldn’t help Huntar, Cheung says, noting that any tariff rate over about 50% will make survival difficult. On a practical level, there’s no difference between 80% and the 145% tariffs he’s currently facing. Crises have hit Huntar before, Cheung says, but not like this. The 2008 recession brought a steady slowdown, one he could plan around. And the COVID pandemic dealt a blow, but his volume of production remained high enough to keep him afloat through a temporary slump. This time, he says, “our manufacturing business essentially halted overnight.” Cheung is starting to feel like his only hope is just that – hope. “I refresh my ‘tariff’ Google search five or six times a day, hoping something’s changed,” he says. A DREAM AND A LUCKY DESK Huntar manufactures toys for U.S., ********* and European sellers, like Learning Resources Inc and Play-a-Maze, which distribute them to retailers or sell directly to consumers. It also makes its own educational toys under its Popular Playthings brand, which it has had to stop shipping to the U.S., costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars so far, Cheung estimates. American-owned factories in China are uncommon, as ******** law makes it difficult and costly for foreign entities to own them, says attorney Dan Harris, a partner at Harris Sliwoski who focuses on international manufacturing law. But Huntar has roots in a business Cheung’s father set up in 1983, a few years after escaping ********** China and settling in California’s Bay Area. Cheung grew up in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond district, he says, in a small house whose broken door you could simply kick open. His father would sell clothes and furniture at a flea market to augment his janitor’s wages, with Cheung tagging along, bored to tears. As the operation matured, Cheung’s father set up a factory in China, to exert more control over quality. Cheung, who joined the company in 2004, still uses the desk his father set up in their living room decades ago. “We think maybe it’s lucky or something,” he says. The last few weeks have been anything but lucky. The factory is sitting on $750,000 in canceled shipments – value Cheung couldn’t fully recover even if the trade war ended, because his shipping costs would surely spike as factories raced to clear backlogs. That’s what happened after COVID, Cheung recalls, when shipping costs ballooned from $2,000 per container to more than $20,000. “They don’t deserve this,” said Rick Woldenberg, CEO of toy company Learning Resources, and a client of Cheung’s since his father was in charge more than 20 years ago. Woldenberg has canceled future production in China, saying his annual tariffs would jump from $2 million to $100 million. “It’s not who we want to be,” Woldenberg said, “but they know we have no choice.” According to an April survey by the Toy Association, more than 45% of small and mid-sized toy companies in the U.S. say China tariffs will put them out of business within weeks or months. Learning Resources, which employs 500 people in the U.S. and manufactures 60% of its products in China, has sued the U.S. government, asking a federal judge to stop tariffs from taking effect. “If nothing changes, we’ll be crippled,” Woldenberg said. ‘CANNIBALIZE MYSELF’ Cheung has been scouring his contact list, calling factories in Vietnam in hopes of finding a new home for Huntar. Moving to the U.S. is out of the question. Wages here are so high that manufacturing stateside would be even more expensive than staying in China and absorbing the tariffs, Cheung says. Even in Vietnam, financial and logistical hurdles are proving too tall. Few factories have enough space to handle his operation, and competition is high among others looking to move. Even if he found a good spot, Cheung would have to train a new staff and run safety and quality control checks that could easily take months. There’s also the question of infrastructure. Cheung’s factory is solar-powered, helping ensure profitability in a thin-margin business. It has specific HVAC and wastewater systems designed to negate the environmental risks of spray paint and chemicals used to decorate toys. And it owns more than 30 injection machines, each weighing several tons, which craft toys by pumping molten plastic to steel casings. These likely can’t be moved, and Cheung says he’s not sure where he’d find the money – well over $1 million – to buy new ones. A more realistic move would be to outsource certain operations and shutter others. Cheung could cut losses by finding a Vietnamese factory to take Huntar’s Popular Playthings proprietary line, while ditching the business of manufacturing toys for third party clients. Going all-in – that is, keeping his factory intact in China in hopes the trade war is resolved – is a higher-risk, higher-reward gambit. If tariffs came down quickly, his company would survive, but if they didn’t, he’d lose everything. The costs of keeping a large factory running, and paying employees, while producing just a fraction of his normal output, would sink him within several weeks, he says. “I’m approaching this moment where I have to choose basically to cannibalize myself,” he says. It’s hard to pare down a business that once embodied the American dream. Cheung’s father came to the U.S. in 1978, after escaping China by swimming across the Shenzhen River into Hong Kong – all for a shot at freedom. He “wanted to see this business continue through me and hopefully his grandkids,” Cheung says. His dad, he says, is feeling hopeless these days. Though grateful for the life he built here, America’s sheen as a land of milk and honey has worn off. “His idea of the U.S. has definitely changed,” Cheung says. (Reporting by Nicholas P. Brown. Editing by Vanessa O’Connell and Michael Learmonth) Source link #USowned #factory #China #toys #Walmart #Tariffs #put #life #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump backs Putin’s proposal for Ukraine talks, undermining allies – The Washington Post Trump backs Putin’s proposal for Ukraine talks, undermining allies – The Washington Post Trump backs Putin’s proposal for Ukraine talks, undermining allies The Washington PostZelensky Agrees to Talks With Russia, After Trump Intervention WSJZelenskiy tells Putin to come to Turkey if he wants talks, after Trump intervention ReutersZelenskyy welcomes Russian overtures, but says ceasefire must come before peace talks NPRUncertainty and tension ahead of possible Ukraine peace talks The Economist Source link #Trump #backs #Putins #proposal #Ukraine #talks #undermining #allies #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Poland PM Donald Tusk accuses Russia of Warsaw shopping centre fire Poland PM Donald Tusk accuses Russia of Warsaw shopping centre fire Poland has accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a massive fire that nearly completely destroyed a shopping centre in the capital Warsaw last year. In a post on X, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland knows “for sure” that the blaze at the Marywilska shopping centre was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services. Some of those responsible are already in custody, Tusk added, while all the others alleged to have been involved have been identified and are being searched for. Moscow has not commented on the allegations, but has previously denied accusations of sabotage in Europe. The fire in May 2024 destroyed 1,400 small businesses, with many of the staff there being members of Warsaw’s Vietnamese community. Poland carried out a year-long investigation into the incident, which has now concluded the fire was organised by an unnamed person in Russia. A joint statement by Poland’s justice and interior ministers said the actions of those in custody were “organised and directed by a specific person residing in the Russian Federation.” The two ministries added that they were co-operating with Lithuania “where some of the perpetrators also carried out acts of diversion”. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has detained and convicted several people accused of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services. Polish officials have said that these attacks have been part of a “hybrid war” waged by Moscow. Hybrid warfare is when a hostile state carries out an anonymous, deniable attack, usually in highly suspicious circumstances. It will be enough to harm their opponent, especially their infrastructure assets, but stop short of being an attributable act of war. Nato also believes Russia is waging “hybrid warfare” in Europe, with the aim of punishing or deterring Western nations from continuing their military support for Ukraine. Russia has denied repeated allegations by Nato countries that its secret services are engaged in sabotage operations across Europe. The Marywilska shopping centre opened in 2010 and in the fire many workers lost important documents and large sums of cash which were kept at the shopping centre due to fear of breaks ins at home. Three months after the fire, a temporary shopping centre was opened by Marywilska’s owners, where approximately 400 traders resumed operations. An alternative shopping centre in Warsaw, Modlinska 6D, was opened in October 2024 with traders relocating their businesses to the new site. Source link #Poland #Donald #Tusk #accuses #Russia #Warsaw #shopping #centre #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]