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Meet the Meme Maker Behind the Conclave’s Most Viral Moments Meet the Meme Maker Behind the Conclave’s Most Viral Moments How did you learn a new pope had been elected? Were you glued to a livestream? Maybe you got a push alert. Or, if you are a particularly online type of person, you might have learned from the X account @ClubConcrave, a fan account for the 2024 film about a dramatized papal election process. In recent days, the account has become a source not just for memes but also for regular updates from ******** City. Susan Bin, a 30-year-old artist in Dallas, started @ClubConcrave last year after becoming obsessed with the film, growing a small community of similarly devoted fans and creating a “Conclave”-inspired zine to raise money for charity. When the white smoke started billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, Mx. Bin, who runs the account with another administrator, was ready to post the news within seconds, sharing a litany of memes including a cat stylized as a cardinal vaping. (@ClubConcrave, which also goes by Pope Crave, a riff on the popular culture account Pop Crave, beat the official ******** account to the news by four minutes.) In an interview that has been has been edited and condensed, Mx. Bin discussed the account’s unlikely path from the fringes of fandom to the mainstream. Let’s get one thing out of the way. Are you Catholic? I am not Catholic! I am so not Catholic. I have been to mass once in my life. You seem to have a bit of a fascination with the pope. When did this begin? I’m just a little bit normal about the pope. I’m an artist and I studied fine art — most artists who go through a studio system have some familiarity with the Renaissance and a lot of that’s deeply embedded in the Catholic Church. What drew you to “Conclave?” I don’t typically watch these types of dramatic films. I watch a lot of horror and nonfiction. “Conclave” is not normally a film I would watch, but I saw the trailer was well cut. I then read the novel because I couldn’t find the script. So I knew exactly what I was getting into when I watched “Conclave,” but the way in which the film transformed the text really caught me off guard. In a good way! How many times do you think you’ve seen it at this point? Oh, probably in the 40s. I know. Please don’t laugh. What is its most meme-able moment? I’m going to go for my favorite and just say the loud Lavazza coffee machine. That’s my personal favorite. I know it’s not like the definitive one, but it makes me giggle. You turned that obsession into an online community. Tell me how that happened? I’m not obviously the only person that thought “Conclave” was so prime and ripe for memeing. As soon as I watched, I opened Letterboxd and someone had already written like “the most diabolical vape hit of all time.” I was like I need to talk to people about “Conclave,” *******. I just kept drawing fan art and making memes. Around November we had a small fandom and I started a “Conclave” charity zine. The community grew a lot after the Oscars when the movie was released in Japan and Korea. And then, you know, the real conclave happened. In addition to posting memes, you’ve also been using your account @ClubConcrave to give people news updates. Are you actually in ******** City? I am currently physically not in the ********, but metaphysically I am always in the ******** and in their walls. We do have Pope Cravers on the ground, though. We have a Discord group that grew out of the zine and the zine contributors, and so that’s truly global. There’s even some people inside the ********. Inside? Do you mean they work for the … I cannot say. Why do you think popular culture, whether that is memes or film and television, is so obsessed with the pope? I would say that the aesthetics and patriarchy of the Catholic Church and its institution is like next to none. It’s pretty crazy. I think also the lore … not me referring to a religious institution as lore, but like it has a deep lore. It’s an institution that is a bunch of contradictions, it’s supposed to be sacred and yet in its history it has been super political. It exists as a state and yet, it isn’t. It’s like a video game entity. Has anyone online gotten mad about your content? Honestly, no. Everyone’s been in pretty good spirits. I think this account finds the people it needs to. It comes from a place of sincerity and humor. Pope Francis spoke in Italian about how it’s important to have humor and light in life and that lot of people see Catholic dogma — the institution — as heavy and labor-intensive and, essentially, not fun. I am going on the record and saying I think Pope Francis would enjoy these memes. Source link #Meet #Meme #Maker #Conclaves #Viral #Moments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

6 portfolio names pledged to make big U.S. investments since Trump 2.0 6 portfolio names pledged to make big U.S. investments since Trump 2.0 Many of the biggest U.S. companies have pledged to invest trillions of dollars in the United States since President Donald Trump started his second term — including six names in our portfolio. These moves are aimed at aligning companies with the president’s vision for a new global trade order designed to bring manufacturing jobs back from overseas and to address what he considers decades of unfair tariff barriers abroad. We have been keeping track of these promises, and new companies are being added to the list every day. Here is a rundown of six portfolio names, in alphabetical order, that have committed to major investments in the U.S., and how they see their businesses evolving on the shifting trade landscape. Abbott Laboratories : Abbott last month pledged $500 million to upgrade the manufacturing capabilities at plants in Illinois and Texas and to expand research and development (R & D). About 200 new jobs are expected in Illinois and 100 in Texas, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg. This is part of Abbott’s short-term plan to mitigate tariff impacts, which management estimates to be a “few hundred million dollars.” In a volatile year for stocks, Abbott has gained more than 19% year to date. It is the Club’s second-best performing in 2025. Apple : As part of its commitment to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over four years, Apple said in February that it will open a new factory for artificial intelligence servers in Houston, Texas. The 250,000-square-foot facility is slated to open next year. Apple also plans to onboard about 20,000 new hires across the country over four years. More recently, CEO Tim Cook said on last week’s earnings call that teams and facilities will expand in states including Michigan, California, and Texas. Assuming current tariff levels, Cook estimated $900 million in added costs in the June quarter but would not hazard a guess beyond that. Apple has dropped nearly 21% year to date. It is our worst-performing stock in 2025. Other than Club name Nvidia , Apple has the most to lose if the U.S.-China tensions don’t improve. Bristol Myers Squibb : The drugmaker will invest $40 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, expanding its R & D and manufacturing footprint in the country. Bristol Myers CEO Christopher Boerner said in an op-ed Monday that funds will go across research and development, technology, and domestic manufacturing. “Through this investment plan, we will strengthen our presence across the country, ramp up radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, and invest in artificial intelligence and machine learning to help us significantly increase the pace of innovation,” Boerner wrote. Last month, when releasing earnings, Bristol Myers hiked guidance and said it accounts for existing tariffs on U.S. products imported into China. The stock has fallen more than 16% year to date. It is our second worst in 2025. Eaton : The global power management company revealed plans in February to add a new transformer manufacturing facility in Jonesville, South Carolina. The operations there will support data centers, grid modernization as well as electrification and industrialization. Eaton will spend $340 million to increase U.S. production of its three-phase transformers. Eaton has invested more than $1 billion in manufacturing for electrical solutions in North America since 2023. Incoming CEO Paulo Ruiz said on last week’s earnings call that the company aims to manage through the tariffs by adjusting costs, supply chains, and prices as needed. Eli Lilly : Lilly is looking to grow its domestic presence , with four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites. Announced in February, this $27 billion investment pushes Eli Lilly ‘s total capital expansion commitments in the United States to over $50 billion since 2020. Lilly expects the four new locations to bring more than 3,000 jobs, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians. Like Bristol Myers, Lilly is still waiting to hear whether Trump will put industry-specific tariffs on pharma. The president and administration officials have hinted that they are coming. On last week’s earnings call, Lilly management said they expect announced tariffs will have “limited impact financially, which we have absorbed within our 2025 guide” of sales between $58 billion and $61 billion. Shares of Lilly have fallen roughly 1.5% year to date. They would have been much higher if not for their big slide that started last week on news of a partnership between CVSHealth and rival Novo Nordisk on weight loss drugs. Nvidia : Through partnerships with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing , Foxconn, Wistron and others, Nvidia pledged to produce up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure in the U.S. over four years. Production of some of the company’s Blackwell chips has started at TSMC’s plant in Phoenix. Nvidia is also building supercomputer manufacturing plants with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas. Production is expected to increase in the next 12 to 15 months at both facilities. Shares of Nvidia, which doesn’t report earnings until May 28, have dropped 12% year to date. Late Wednesday, Nvidia investors breathed a sigh of relief after the Trump administration scrapped the implementation of a controversial Biden-era rule on AI chip exports. Last month, however, Trump tightened another Biden chip export rule, saying slower, made-for-China chips need a license. Consequently, Nvidia on April 15 said it would book a $5.5 billion inventory charge . (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long AAPL, ABT, BMY, LLY, ETN, NVDA. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. People walk by the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City on May 1, 2025. Kylie Cooper | Reuters Many of the biggest U.S. companies have pledged to invest trillions of dollars in the United States since President Donald Trump started his second term — including six names in our portfolio. Source link #portfolio #names #pledged #big #U.S #investments #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FEMA leader fired after breaking with Trump administration on eliminating agency FEMA leader fired after breaking with Trump administration on eliminating agency The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was fired Thursday morning, three U.S. officials with direct knowledge confirmed to CBS News — after the leader appeared to publicly break with the Trump administration on whether to eliminate the nation’s disaster relief agency. Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s acting administrator, departs the nation’s disaster relief agency roughly three weeks before the start of the Atlantic hurricane season and as Congress reviews the Trump administration’s proposal to slash FEMA’s budget, nixing $646 million in non-disaster grants during the 2026 fiscal year. Department of Homeland Security Senior Advisor Corey Lewandowski and Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Troy Edgar dismissed Cameron Hamilton during an in-person meeting at DHS headquarters, according to three sources with knowledge of the meeting. The firing came at the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the sources said. A FEMA spokesperson confirmed Hamilton “is no longer serving” as the agency’s leader. David Richardson, another DHS official who acted as Assistant Secretary for DHS’ Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, will now head the agency in an acting capacity, the spokesperson said. The dismissal came one day after Hamilton publicly testified that he did not support scrapping FEMA, as President Trump and members of his administration have suggested. “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton said at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday. In a separate hearing a day earlier, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told the same committee that Mr. Trump believes “FEMA, as it exists today, should be eliminated — empowering states to respond to disasters with federal government support.” Mr. Trump said days after taking office he planned to “begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” criticizing the agency for allegedly responding slowly to natural disasters. The president later ordered a review of FEMA, tasking Noem and other administration officials with assessing the agency’s performance and considering “whether FEMA can serve its functions as a support agency, providing supplemental Federal assistance, to the States rather than supplanting State control of disaster relief.” Michael Kaplan contributed to this report. Nicole Sganga Nicole Sganga is CBS News’ homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C. and reports for all shows and platforms. Source link #FEMA #leader #fired #breaking #Trump #administration #eliminating #agency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Proposed Medicaid Cuts Put Vulnerable Republicans in a Political Bind – The New York Times Proposed Medicaid Cuts Put Vulnerable Republicans in a Political Bind – The New York Times Proposed Medicaid Cuts Put Vulnerable Republicans in a Political Bind The New York TimesJohnson targets smaller tax package with $1.5T in spending cuts PoliticoHouse GOP infighting turns ugly over Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ CNNTrump’s tax bill will require him to work with Congress MSNBC NewsGOP senators hope to avoid Trump agenda becoming a ‘train wreck’ The Hill Source link #Proposed #Medicaid #Cuts #Put #Vulnerable #Republicans #Political #Bind #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The One Area Elden Ring Nightreign Heavily Focused on Is What The Elder Scrolls 6 Needs to Rectify The One Area Elden Ring Nightreign Heavily Focused on Is What The Elder Scrolls 6 Needs to Rectify There’s no denying that Elden Ring Nightreign is not going to appeal to the fans of the original RPG. It’s a spin-off by FromSoftware that focuses on the co-op PvE side of things, unlike the single-player-focused experience we saw in Elden Ring. Although the title’s reception has been lukewarm so far, FromSoftware isn’t backing down. The developer is overhauling the original game’s mechanics to fit this Roguelike experience. One aspect that’s been given a lot of attention in Nightreign is combat. FromSoftware wants to evolve this mechanic to new heights, and that’s a path the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6 needs to follow as well. FromSoftware has raised the bar once again in Elden Ring Nightreign While chatting with PlayStation Blog’s Sachie Kobari, Elden Ring Nightreign’s director, Junya Ishizaki, opened up about the co-op multiplayer. He gave insights into FromSoftware’s innovative design philosophy and how the developer is planning to elevate the gameplay with the co-op. Ishizaki has previously worked on level and combat design for various FromSoftware games. When asked if he’s focused on anything specifically in Nightreign, here’s what the game director had to say; If I had to pick one aspect that we focused on the most, it would be combat. The game’s main goal is to defeat the Nightlord at the end of each nigh According to Ishizaki, combat in Nightreign was FromSoftware’s primary development focus. The game’s world and characters have been set up to support the ultimate goal of defeating the Nightlord each night. The development team wants players to approach their targets and engage them strategically. Elder Scrolls 6 is still years away from being released. (Image via Bethesda Game Studios) Let’s be honest, the combat mechanics in the Elder Scrolls series are quite outdated compared to modern games. Bethesda and Todd Howard can take a page out of Nightreign‘s approach by bringing the aspect of strategy and timing in combat for Elder Scrolls 6. We could see enemies in Elder Scrolls 6 adapting to player behavior and constantly changing the combat dynamics. However, this should all be done in a manner without ruining the series’ core identity, just like Nightreign is doing within the Elden Ring universe. Elden Ring Nightreign has a major problem Elden Ring Nightreign isn’t going to support crossplay. (Image via FromSoftware) From all the Elden Ring Nightreign trailers we’ve seen so far, the co-op experience looks to be promising. FromSoftware has highlighted the diverse roster of playable characters, each packed with unique designs and abilities. That’s not all, in typical FromSoftware fashion, there’s also going to be intense boss battles. However, they may not be as tough as in Elden Ring; several adjustments have been made to keep them balanced for co-op. Although Nightreign isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, a section of gamers is hyped for the title. However, there’s one glaring issue with the co-op that everyone seems to have forgotten about: a lack of crossplay. Even though the game is launching on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, PS5, and PC, Nightreign won’t support crossplay. That’s super disappointing for a lot of players out there. Due to this, all players will be locked onto their respective platforms. This limitation is quite surprising, as FromSoftware wants to deliver the ultimate co-op experience. However, it restricts players on different systems. Elden Ring: Nightreign is all set to release on 30 May 2025. Source link #Area #Elden #Ring #Nightreign #Heavily #Focused #Elder #Scrolls #Rectify Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Watch 2023 interview with Pope Leo after Pope Francis chose him as prefect Watch 2023 interview with Pope Leo after Pope Francis chose him as prefect The new pope Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo XIV – the first American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church. Two years ago, Pope Francis chose him to replace Marc Ouellet as prefect of the ********’s Dicastery for Bishops, handing him the task of selecting the next generation of bishops. Source link #Watch #interview #Pope #Leo #Pope #Francis #chose #prefect Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cash Cleaner Simulator Review – Thumb Culture Cash Cleaner Simulator Review – Thumb Culture ““Check it, clean it, sort it, ship it.” Cash Cleaner Simulator, developed by Mind Control Games and published by Forklift Interactive, lets you experience what it could possibly be like to have tons of cash in your hands. The game releases for PC on May 8th, with a version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S coming later this year.” Charlie @ Thumb Culture Source link #Cash #Cleaner #Simulator #Review #Thumb #Culture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Margaret River police plead with residents for more caution with online scams running rampant Margaret River police plead with residents for more caution with online scams running rampant Margaret River’s top police officer says residents desperately need to show greater caution when it comes to online scams. Source link #Margaret #River #police #plead #residents #caution #online #scams #running #rampant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******: The Old Country uncovers the origins of organized crime on August 8 ******: The Old Country uncovers the origins of organized crime on August 8 lukasmain26d ago (Edited 26d ago ) Well DS2 comes late June, and ****** comes August 8th. So that will give me a month and a half to play Death Stranding 2. Also, when I play a game, I don’t play any other games at all. Just one game at a time. I work, but I don’t have kids lol. So it “should” give me enough time to Platinum Deaths Stranding 2. But no matter what, I will not start the new ****** until I have that DS2 Platinum. So if it takes me longer, then so be it \(O_O)/ Source link #****** #Country #uncovers #origins #organized #crime #August Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Leo XIV shared social media critical of Trump, Vance Pope Leo XIV shared social media critical of Trump, Vance WASHINGTON — Before being elected pope May 8, Pope Leo XIV shared social media posts criticizing President Donald Trump‘s and Vice President JD Vance‘s stances on immigration. In three posts, then Cardinal Robert Prevost was critical of Vance’s take on religion, posted article critiquing Vance’s statements on deportation of migrants and retweeted criticism of Trump and President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele’s response to the deportation to El Salvadorian national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a resident of Maryland. One, posted on Feb. 3, pointed to an article in the National Catholic Reporter titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” A screenshot of an X post by Cardinal Robert Prevost, elected Pope on May 8, 2025, who shared an opinion column from the National Catholic Reporter about Vice President J.D. Vance on Feb. 3, 2025. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, had cited medieval-era Catholic teaching to justify the United State’s new immigration policy under Trump Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis rebutted the theological concept Vance used to defend the crackdown in an unusual open letter to the U.S. Catholic bishops about the Trump administration in February. The new pontiff largely avoided posting to the account in 2024, but posted hundreds of times since 2011 in English and Spanish In 2015, he posted a link to Washington Post opinion piece titled “Cardinal Dolan: Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.” Francis clashed repeatedly with Trump and Vance, particularly over the administration’s immigration policies. He was critical of their plans to deport millions of migrants from the U.S., as well as widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic ******** programs. Vance was one of the last officials to see Francis before his death. Francis hosted Vance at the ******** a day before his death. Neither the White House nor Vance’s office immediately responded to a request for comment on the ex-cardinal’s previous tweets. Trump in a post on Truth Social had earlier celebrated the first-ever election of an American as pontiff. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Cardinal. Pope Leo critical of Trump, Vance on social media Source link #Pope #Leo #XIV #shared #social #media #critical #Trump #Vance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elden Ring Nightreign Will “Give you an edge” by Letting You Know the Weakness of Every Boss Before the Fight Elden Ring Nightreign Will “Give you an edge” by Letting You Know the Weakness of Every Boss Before the Fight Elden Ring fans counting down to Nightreign’s May 30 release just got some eye-opening news. Game director Junya Ishizaki revealed that the game will flat-out tell you each boss’s weakness before you fight them—a complete 180 from FromSoftware’s usual “die until you learn” philosophy. This mechanic flips the traditional Soulslike formula on its head. Instead of wasting hours discovering through painful trial and error that your lightning spells tickle a storm giant, you’ll apparently know exactly what tools to bring to each fight. Knowledge is power in Nightreign’s boss encounters The three-player cooperative structure of Elden Ring Nightreign calls for a different approach than its single-player predecessor. With limited time to survive three day-night cycles, players can’t burn precious hours figuring out what hurts each Nightlord through repeated deaths. As Ishizaki explained in a latest PlayStation Blog interview: In the final version of the game, you’ll be able to determine the weakness of each boss before heading out. So, if poison is effective against an upcoming boss, you may proactively search for and loot items that inflict poison more often in that run. This flips how players will tackle each session. Knowing a boss melts against frost means you’ll hunt down every Coldbone Arrow and Frostbite Grease you can find, rather than grabbing whatever random loot crosses your path. Taking advantage of their susceptibility will give you an edge in the fights. But FromSoftware wouldn’t be FromSoftware without a ****** twist. The bosses won’t just stand there while you exploit their weaknesses—they’ll actively change their defenses mid-fight: The same strategy won’t always work when fighting the bosses. Your initial strategy may be effective for a while, but the bosses will gradually evolve and your tactics will no longer be viable, forcing you to rethink your approach. This dynamic boss behavior sounds wickedly clever. Picture yourself hammering away with poison daggers only to watch the boss suddenly purge the toxins, leaving your entire strategy useless. It’s classic FromSoftware—giving you a hint with one hand while literally smacking you with the other! Combat drives every aspect of Nightreign’s design Evolve or die trying. | Image Credit: FromSoftware This change fits perfectly with Nightreign’s session-based structure. The game is not about spending weeks perfecting a single character build—it’s about adapting on the fly with whatever tools each run gives you. And combat sits at the core of everything, as Ishizaki emphasized: If I had to pick one aspect that we focused on the most, it would be combat. The game’s main goal is to defeat the Nightlord at the end of each night, and the elements that form the character builds and the world map are placed around the world to make the gameplay more compelling. This combat-first philosophy even shaped the bizarre revival system that lets players resurrect fallen teammates by—wait for it—attacking them. It’s exactly the kind of weird mechanic that makes FromSoftware games so unique: We realized that ‘attacking’ is the most consistent element of Nightreign’s gameplay. We tested to see if it would work for resuscitation, and we discovered a wide variety of tactics depending on range, frequency, and probability, so we formally implemented it. The weakness-revealing system feels like the devs acknowledging that Nightreign’s time-limited structure needs different rules than their typical games. When you only have three nights to defeat the Nightlord, every minute spent figuring out basic strategies is a minute wasted. By giving players this crucial information upfront, the challenge shifts from discovery to execution—knowing what to do is just the beginning. Actually pulling it off against a boss that evolves mid-fight? That’s where the real FromSoft challenge begins. What do you think about Nightreign’s approach to boss weaknesses? Will it enhance the experience or negatively affect what makes FromSoftware games special? Share your thoughts in the comments! Source link #Elden #Ring #Nightreign #Give #edge #Letting #Weakness #Boss #Fight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pontiff, Took A Global Route to the Top Post Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pontiff, Took A Global Route to the Top Post Robert Francis Prevost, who was elected the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday and took the name Pope Leo XIV, is the first pope from the United States. The decision from the 133 voting cardinals, which arrived in a plume of white smoke at the end of their second day of voting inside the secrecy of the Sistine Chapel, defied longstanding belief that church leaders would never select a pope from a global superpower that already has considerable influence in world affairs. Taking the name Pope Leo XIV, the immediate successor to Pope Francis has the potential to shake up the global Catholic power structure. As an American, he is uniquely positioned to stand in contrast to the energized conservative Catholicism in his home country, and has pushed back forcefully against the militant vision of Christian power that the Trump administration has elevated. Despite his American roots, the Chicago-born polyglot, 69, is viewed as a churchman who transcends borders. He served for two decades in Peru, where he became a bishop and a naturalized citizen, then rose to lead his international religious order. Under Pope Francis, he held one of the most influential ******** posts, running the office that selects and manages bishops globally. That made him an attractive choice to the Roman Curia, the powerful bureaucracy that governs the church and which, after frequently experiencing reprimands and upheavals from Pope Francis, wanted someone who knew, and appreciated, the institution. A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he shares Francis’ commitment to helping the poor and migrants,. He told the ********’s official news website last year that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom, but rather called authentically to be humble, to be close to the people he serves, to walk with them, to suffer with them, and to look for ways that he can better live the gospel message in the midst of his people.” Often described as reserved and discreet, he likely will depart stylistically from Francis as pope. Supporters believe he will most likely continue the consultative process started by Francis to include lay people in some meetings with bishops. In a conclave with ideological divides between those who wanted to continue Pope Francis’ inclusive but at times provocative agenda, and those who preferred to return to a more conservative path focused on doctrinal purity, Pope Leo XIV likely represented a balanced alternative. “He’s not a grandstander,” said the Rev. Mark R. Francis, a former classmate of Cardinal Prevost, who runs the American arm of the Clerics of St. Viator, a religious order, in Chicago. “He is a very balanced, measured kind of person who deals well with crisis in a certain sense,” said Father Francis. “It doesn’t fluster him. He thinks things through and offers very stable leadership.” He has spent much of his life outside the United States. Ordained in Rome in 1982 at age 27, he received a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also in Rome. In Peru, he was a missionary, parish priest, teacher and bishop. As the Augustinians’ leader, he visited orders around the world, and he speaks Spanish and Italian. Francis sought to expand the geographical diversity of the church’s hierarchy and named many new cardinals, some from countries that had never had one before. Francis gave Cardinal Prevost his red hat in 2023, making him one of the more recent members of the College of Cardinals that elected him. A diplomatic treaty required that he be naturalized as a citizen of Peru before he could become bishop in Chiclayo, a city in the northwestern part of the country. During his time as bishop in Chiclayo, he frequently visited far-flung communities. He incorporated lay people into pastoral social work, said Yolanda Díaz, a teacher and member of the church in Chiclayo. “Instead of thinking of pastoral work as people going to church,” she said, “he wanted the church to go to the people.” Sister Dianne Bergant, who taught him in ****** classes at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he received a masters in divinity in 1982, said he was a quiet “A student.” She said that when he was made a cardinal decades after he had been a student in her class, he responded immediately to a congratulatory email she sent him, thanking her for helping him in his theological development. Pope Leo XIV may not be as openly welcoming in tone to L.G.B.T.Q. people as his predecessor, who famously said “Who am I to judge?” when asked about gay clerics. In a 2012 address to bishops, before Pope Francis’s oft-cited words, Cardinal Prevost lamented that Western news media and popular culture fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel.” He cited the “*********** lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.” As bishop in Chiclayo, he opposed a government plan to add teachings on gender in schools. “The promotion of gender ideology is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist,” he told local news media. Cardinal Prevost, like many of the others who ultimately elected him, has drawn criticism over his dealings with priests accused of ******* abuse. In Chicago, advocates for victims of ******* abuse say that his office did not warn a nearby Catholic school that a priest who church leaders determined had abused young boys for years was sheltered in a monastery nearby, starting in 2000. As head of the Midwestern order of Augustinians at the time, Cardinal Prevost would have approved the priest’s move to the monastery. Friends say he is laid back and humble, dropping by the Augustinian monastery in Rome to eat with priests in the order and always washing his own dishes, said the Rev. Alejandro Moral Antón, Cardinal Prevost’s successor as Augustinian leader in Rome. The Rev. Michele Falcone, 46, a priest in the Order of St. Augustine previously led by Cardinal Prevost, said his mentor and friend had a collaborative leadership style and could be flexible depending on the context. He might wear highly formal vestments for an imperial Mass while dressing more casually for a local parish. He is known to play a game of tennis and is a fan of baseball, explaining the rules to some of his Italian friends and fellow Augustinians. In recent years, the Catholic archdiocese in Chicago, led by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, became an important region of support for Pope Francis’s agenda for the church. Chicagoans immediately rejoiced at the news that the first American pope was a native of their city. Father William Lego, the pastor of St. Turibius Church in Chicago, knew the new pope when they were young seminarians. “I think my classmate just got it,” he said, sounding stunned, from his office. “They picked a good man. He always had that sense of being conscious of the poor and trying to help them.” When his name was first announced in the square, many in the crowd were completely perplexed. “Not Italian?” several said, and one man replayed the announcement he had captured on his phone to see if he could hear the name. Behind him, Nicole Serena, 21, an Italian-American studying marketing in Rome, said “I think an American pope just got elected.” Benjamin Smith 20, from Crosby, Minn., said he had never heard of Cardinal Prevost. “But this is so awesome,” said Mr. Smith, an exchange student studying theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, where the cardinal received his doctorate. “I’m so excited,” Mr. Smith said. In Peru, Father Pedro Vásquez, 82, a priest in Chiclayo, where Cardinal Prevost served as archbishop, was so excited he said that “My heart is going to fail me!” “I’m going to faint!” he said, “Oh my god, oh my god!” Mitra Taj contributed reporting from Lima, Peru, Julie Turkewitz from Bogotá, Colombia, Josephine de La Bruyère from Rome and Julie Bosman from Chicago. Source link #Pope #Leo #XIV #American #Pontiff #Global #Route #Top #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Augustinian Friar and Villanova University Alumnus Elected Pope – Villanova University Augustinian Friar and Villanova University Alumnus Elected Pope – Villanova University Augustinian Friar and Villanova University Alumnus Elected Pope Villanova UniversityLive updates: Conclave elects Cardinal Robert Prevost to be Pope CNNU.S. leaders react to Pope Leo XIV’s selection AxiosFirst American Pope Named: Trump, Others React As Prevost Becomes Pope Leo XIV (Live Updates) ForbesWho Is Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the New Pope? What to Know About Leo XIV The New York Times Source link #Augustinian #Friar #Villanova #University #Alumnus #Elected #Pope #Villanova #University Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why Joby Aviation Stock Could Take Off in 2025: Inside the Q1 Progress Report Why Joby Aviation Stock Could Take Off in 2025: Inside the Q1 Progress Report Joby Aviation (NYSE:) provided investors with a comprehensive update on its progress towards commercializing electric air taxi services during its first-quarter 2025 earnings report and conference call on May 7, 2025. While the financial results reflected the ongoing investments required for a pre-revenue company in this capital-intensive sector, the key takeaways centered on significant operational and certification achievements. These strategic wins for the company collectively reinforce Joby’s narrative of consistent execution and solidify its perceived leadership position within the eVTOL industry as it progresses towards its target of launching initial passenger services in late 2025 or early 2026. Joby’s Flight Test and Regulatory Momentum Joby Aviation’s earnings call highlighted that the company has gone from the milestone of a single-piloted eVTOL transition to successfully executing piloted full transition flights on a regular basis, a key operational milestone. This capability, allowing seamless transitions between vertical takeoff, 200 mph cruise flight, and vertical landing with a pilot onboard, is now considered routine. Three company pilots have completed multiple such flights. CEO JoeBen Bevirt views this achievement as critical for commencing Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flight testing with FAA pilots, the final step in aircraft certification. Chief Test Pilot James “Buddy” Denham reported excellent handling and low pilot workload during these transitions. This success follows extensive prior testing, including over 40,000 miles of flight testing, hundreds of remotely piloted transitions, simulations, and redundancy testing. Joby also reported significant progress with the FAA-type certification process, marking its second consecutive quarter of record advancement. As of May 5, the company is 43% complete with the FAA side and 62% complete with the Joby side of Stage 4 (Testing & Analysis), representing a 12% point increase from the previous quarter. Stages 1, 2 (Means of Compliance—essentially complete), and Stage 3 are all complete. This consistent progress through the certification stages is vital for meeting commercial launch targets. Joby’s Manufacturing Ecosystem Matures Joby is steadily progressing in its strategy to manufacture eVTOL aircraft at scale. In the first quarter, they powered on their fifth pilot production aircraft in Marina, California, which is undergoing final checks before joining the flight test program as the sixth operational vehicle. The company is continuously improving manufacturing efficiency, evidenced by a 30% reduction in final integration time on the fourth aircraft due to new sub-assembly processes developed with Toyota (NYSE:)’s support. Expanding its manufacturing footprint, Joby’s larger facility in Marina is expected to be completed in June 2025, more than doubling their existing space. This facility will also include expanded pilot training with a full-motion simulator arriving by year-end 2025, as well as aircraft maintenance capabilities. Concurrently, retrofitting and tooling installation are underway at their larger planned manufacturing site in Ohio, with initial parts production expected soon. Joby is taking a deliberate, phased approach to scaling production, leveraging Toyota’s expertise instead of immediately attempting mass production. Joby’s Cash Position, Guidance, and Go-to-Market Plan Joby Aviation’s financial results for the first quarter of 2025 indicate a company focused on future growth through significant investment and determined strategic execution. The net loss improved to $82.4 million (or $0.11 per share) from $94.6 million in Q1 2024. This was mainly due to a larger gain from warrant and earnout share revaluation ($71.0 million vs. $39.0 million). The loss from operations increased as operating expenses rose to $163.3 million (from $145.9 million), driven by higher personnel costs, R&D, and prototype part purchases for certification, manufacturing, and testing. Due to these increased expenses, adjusted EBITDA, excluding certain items, showed a wider loss of $127.1 million compared to $110.4 million in the prior year. Joby Aviation Stock Forecast Details Despite the expected elevation in losses as the company moves toward certification, Joby maintains a strong financial position with $812.5 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at the end of the quarter. The company also confirmed the finalization of agreements for the initial $250 million tranche of Toyota’s $500 million investment, which is expected to be reflected in the second-quarter cash balance. Joby reaffirmed its full-year 2025 cash usage guidance of $500 million to $540 million. The earnings call provided details on Joby’s go-to-market strategy, which includes three key approaches: direct sales (initially defense-focused with potential expansion), partnership-operated services (primarily international, utilizing local expertise like ANA in Japan), and Joby-operated direct-to-consumer services (the main US model with support from partners like Delta and Virgin Atlantic). This multi-faceted strategy aims to balance near-term revenue generation, long-term profitability, and market share growth within the evolving urban air mobility (UAM) sector. Joby’s Flight Crew: Leadership and the Critical Path Ahead Joby Aviation has appointed Rodrigo Brumana as Chief Financial Officer, effective May 29, 2025, to bolster its executive team as it transitions to commercial operations. Brumana’s background includes leadership positions at technology giants such as Amazon (NASDAQ:) and others, along with hardware manufacturing experience from Fairchild Semiconductor and Palm. Joby management believes his experience in driving growth and operational efficiency will be critical for scaling manufacturing and preparing for service launch. Key upcoming milestones for Joby include the commencement of formal TIA flight testing with FAA pilots, following the recent successful piloted transition. The company also plans to deliver an aircraft to Dubai by mid-2025 for hot weather and pilot-on-board testing, supporting its target of launching initial commercial flights in Dubai in late 2025 or early 2026. Further progress on the Ohio manufacturing facility and the finalization of its manufacturing alliance with Toyota, which will release the second investment tranche, are also significant factors for investors to watch. Joby’s Progress Solidifies Leadership Position Joby Aviation’s Q1 2025 update confirmed expected operational advancements, notably the routine execution of complex piloted transition flights. This, along with ongoing progress in FAA certification and manufacturing preparation, solidifies the company’s disciplined approach to commercialization. Despite typical development-stage net losses, Joby reported a robust cash reserve, anticipated funding from Toyota, and transparent projections for cash utilization and market entry strategies. Adding a seasoned CFO enhances the leadership team for upcoming scaling efforts. For investors, consistent execution remains paramount. Despite market fluctuations and short interest, Joby’s future success and long-term value in the urban air mobility sector hinge on achieving key technical and regulatory milestones, specifically the upcoming TIA flight testing and preparations for the Dubai launch. Original Post Source link #Joby #Aviation #Stock #Progress #Report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Turkey moves to silence jailed Erdogan rival by blocking account on X Turkey moves to silence jailed Erdogan rival by blocking account on X Access to the social media account of Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, has been blocked by the authorities in Turkey. Imamoglu, who is the main rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, can no longer send messages in Turkey to his 9.7 million followers on X. His account is still accessible abroad. His social media feed has been his main tool for communicating with his supporters and keeping himself in the public eye. He had been posting daily by sending messages out from prison via his lawyers. “It’s like the authorities want to make him disappear,” one commentator said. Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) – the main opposition party in Turkey – told the BBC that blocking his account was a continuation of “the coup attempt on 19 March”, when he was arrested. ”Now they won’t even allow him to speak to the public,” said CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Boke. “It clearly shows the fear of those in power that they will be losing power. It’s a coup attempt against the next ballot box.” Opinion polls suggest that Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been elected mayor of Turkey’s largest city three times, would win a presidential election if he was able to stand. The next presidential election is not due to be held until 2028. A message on his account on Thursday said it had been blocked due to a legal demand, although it is still available in Turkey with the use of a virtual private network (VPN). A lawyer representing X said he had filed a court challenge to the ban, at the request of the social media platform. Istanbul prosecutors are investigating a post on Imamoglu’s account, on the basis that it may constitute an incitement to commit crime, according to the president’s communications office. In that post last month, the mayor condemned his arrest and a wider crackdown on the opposition and called on the nation to complain and “raise your voice”. Some X users have replaced their profile pictures with images of the mayor, including Yusuf Can, analyst at the Middle East Programme of the Wilson Centre in Washington. “Elon Musk has blocked the account of the hostage mayor and presidential candidate, upon Erdogan’s request – silencing the country’s most prominent opposition voice. We are all Imamoglu,” he said. The mayor has been behind bars since March on corruption charges, which he has denied. He is being held in Marmara high security prison in Silivri, on the outskirts of the city he was elected to run. He has plenty of company – around 100 people were arrested with him – including city officials and members of his party. Dozens more have been arrested since, including his lawyers, and lawyers acting for those lawyers. Human rights groups say the arrests are part of an accelerating attack on civil society in Turkey. Imamoglu’s supporters say the charges against him are politically motivated, and that Turkey’s courts have been weaponised. The government has said the judiciary are independent. In his most recent post, on Wednesday, Imamoglu called on supporters to join a protest rally in Istanbul that night. It was one of the biggest in recent weeks with tens of thousands turning up. His arrest in March sparked the largest anti-government protests in Turkey in over a decade. The protests were largely peaceful but around 2,000 people were arrested in just a few days, many of them students. The demonstrations are continuing in Istanbul, and around the country, but numbers have been smaller. Source link #Turkey #moves #silence #jailed #Erdogan #rival #blocking #account Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Recreation Centre booming with Friday night lights for youngsters in teenage Rec Connect program Recreation Centre booming with Friday night lights for youngsters in teenage Rec Connect program A popular and proactive program for Margaret River’s teenagers is back tonight at the Recreation Centre. Source link #Recreation #Centre #booming #Friday #night #lights #youngsters #teenage #Rec #Connect #program Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kiborg Review | TheSixthAxis | N4G Kiborg Review | TheSixthAxis | N4G WTMG’s Leo Faria: “I think this is the best way to sum up KIBORG: a neat premise that just ended up feeling like a mixed bag. For every admittedly interesting aspect, such as its visuals, ultraviolence and combat, there’s something else that brings it down a handful of notches, such as the awful voice acting, difficulty spikes, and bugs. With that being said, considering how flooded and overly saturated the roguelike/lite market is nowadays, KIBORG does manage to stand out, even if by just a little bit. It’s not terrible, it’s also far from being amazing, but it’s certainly not entirely fogettable.” Source link #Kiborg #Review #TheSixthAxis #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump urged Speaker Johnson to raise top tax rate, sources say Trump urged Speaker Johnson to raise top tax rate, sources say By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump privately urged House Speaker Mike Johnson during a phone call on Wednesday to raise the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans and close the carried interest loophole for Wall Street investors, two people familiar with the conversation said on Thursday. Trump and Johnson spoke as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives prepares to unveil landmark legislation to extend the president’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for businesses and individuals, while eliminating taxes on tip income, overtime pay and Social Security benefits. Republicans are aiming to complete Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” by late next week and pass it in the House ahead of the May 26 U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Trump is pushing to raise the top tax rate from 37% to 39.6% for individuals earning $2.5 million and higher or joint filers earning $5 million, with carve-outs for small businesses, according to one source. “They’ve been talking about this for weeks,” another source said. Republicans have been under pressure from the Trump’s populist MAGA base to raise taxes on the wealthy. But Johnson and other top Republicans have resisted an increase in the top tax rate, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters last week that Trump had ruled out the idea. The current legislative plan calls for offsetting tax cuts by reducing spending on the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans and nutrition support programs and by eliminating popular environmental tax credits, changes opposed by Republican centrists. “The spending reduction side of this equation has been the most challenging, which is a sad commentary on my party and my conference. But it’s the reality,” House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington told reporters. Arrington and other House Republicans said failure to achieve $2 trillion in spending cuts over a decade would jeopardize Trump’s hopes of making his 2017 tax cuts permanent. A higher tax rate on the wealthy could provide added revenues to compensate for cuts elsewhere. Representative Jason Smith, who chairs the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee, said in a recent interview that his panel could close tax loopholes that benefit the rich in the upcoming bill. (Reporting by David Morgan, Steve Holland and Jasper Ward; Editing by Alistair Bell) Source link #Trump #urged #Speaker #Johnson #raise #top #tax #rate #sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This stock tied to crypto is breaking out as bitcoin retests $100,000 level, according to the charts This stock tied to crypto is breaking out as bitcoin retests $100,000 level, according to the charts Shares of Coinbase (COIN) are demonstrating constructive technical characteristics going into today’s quarterly earnings report. With bitcoin retesting the “ultimate resistance” at $100,000 , and news this week of Coinbase acquiring crypto options firm Deribit, the recent rally may just be the beginning of a new bullish phase. The daily chart of COIN features a cyclical pattern from a low in September around $150 to an early December peak at $350. Coinbase then proceeded to lose almost 60% of its value, retracing 100% of the way back to $150 in early April 2025. The PPO indicator featured a bullish divergence as the price made a new swing low in April, hinting that COIN could find support as it retested that September low. Over the past four weeks, Coinbase has now bounced above its 50-day moving average, leaving a breakout above the 200-day moving average as the last validation of a new uptrend phase. The weekly chart of COIN is close to confirming the bullish evidence on the daily chart, as it shows how the September 2024 and April lows represented a 61.8% retracement of the 2023-2024 bull market phase. This could also help to structure our risk vs. reward scenario, now that we see how this recent support is based on a confluence of technical approaches. The weekly PPO indicator gave a bullish signal in October, soon after the September low at $150. With the recent rally for shares of COIN, the weekly PPO is very close to generating a similar signal in the coming weeks. We’re also noting that the 150-week moving average, a long-term barometer of market trends, is currently right around those 2024 and 2025 lows. Any play on Coinbase is essentially a play on bitcoin, and the good news is the charts suggest further upside for this leading cryptocurrency. A bullish divergence into the April 2025 low has been followed by a dramatic rally to retest the $100,000 level for the first time since February. With bitcoin back above moving average support, and the RSI pushing into the overbought region, we’re noting a number of similarities to previous bull cycles. If we see a successful push above the $100,000 level, and a retest of the all-time highs from December 2024 and January 2025, Coinbase and other crypto plays could just be in the early stages of a new bullish trend phase. David Keller, CMT marketmisbehavior.com DISCLOSURES: none. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Source link #stock #tied #crypto #breaking #bitcoin #retests #level #charts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo's Switch 2 sales forecast predicts 15 million consoles in its first fiscal year – Engadget Nintendo's Switch 2 sales forecast predicts 15 million consoles in its first fiscal year – Engadget Nintendo’s Switch 2 sales forecast predicts 15 million consoles in its first fiscal year EngadgetNintendo Gives Conservative Switch 2 Sales Outlook of 15 Million Bloomberg.comNintendo Issues ‘Conservative’ Switch 2 Sales Forecast Amid Uncertainty Around Tariffs IGNNintendo forecasts sales of 15 million Switch 2 consoles as it gears up for launch CNBCNintendo low-****** its Switch 2 sales estimates, but they’re still huge Polygon Source link #Nintendo039s #Switch #sales #forecast #predicts #million #consoles #fiscal #year #Engadget Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US and *** agree deal slashing Trump tariffs on cars and metals US and *** agree deal slashing Trump tariffs on cars and metals Getty Images/Pool/AFP The US has agreed to reduce import taxes on a set number of British cars and allow some steel and aluminium into the country tariff-free, as part of a new agreement between the US and ***. The announcement offers relief for key *** industries from some of the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump since entering office in January. But it will leave a 10% duty in place on most goods from the ***. Though hailed by leaders in the two countries as significant, analysts said it did not appear to meaningfully alter the terms of trade between the countries, as they stood before the changes introduced by Trump this year. No formal deal was signed on Thursday and the governments were light on details. Speaking from a Jaguar Land Rover factory in the West Midlands, Sir Keir Starmer described the deal as a “fantastic platform”. At the White House, Trump called it a “great deal” and pushed back against criticism that he was overstating its importance. “This is a maxed out deal that we’re going to make *******,” he said. What’s in the deal? The two sides said the US had agreed to reduce the import tax on cars – which Trump had raised by 25% last month – to 10% for 100,000 cars a year. That will help luxury carmakers such as Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce, but could limit growth in the years ahead, as it amounts to roughly what the *** exported last year. Tariffs on steel and aluminium, which Trump had also raised earlier this year to 25%, have also been slashed, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The office also said the two sides had agreed to “reciprocal access” for beef exports, with a quota of 13,000 metric tonnes for *** farmers. Those figures were not confirmed by the White House, though it said it expected to expand its sales of beef and ethanol to the ***, a longstanding demand on the part of the US. The US said the deal would create a $5bn “opportunity” for exports, including $700m in ethanol and $250m in other agricultural products. “It can’t be understated how important this deal is,” US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. *** Steel Director General Gareth Stace welcomed the agreement saying it would offer “major relief” to the steel sector. “The *** Government’s cool-headed approach and perseverance in negotiating with the US clearly paid off,” he said. Other business groups expressed more uncertainty. “It’s better than yesterday but it’s definitely not better than five weeks ago,” said Duncan Edwards, chief executive of BritishAmerican Business, which represents firms in the two countries and supports free trade. “I’m trying to be excited but I’m struggling a bit.” In the House of Commons, Conservative Shadow Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith dismissed the announcement as “a Diet Coke deal, not the real thing”. Trade Minister Douglas Alexander stressed that the deal was “jobs saved, not job done”. Win for US ranchers? The US and *** have been discussing a trade deal since Trump’s first term. They came close to signing a mini-agreement at that time. But the US has long pushed for changes to benefit its farmers and pharmaceutical issues, which had been non-starters politically for the ***. It was not clear how much those issues had advanced. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the agreement in-principle had delivered a “tremendous win” for American ranchers but the US Meat Export Federation, which tracks trade barriers for farmers in the US, said it was still trying to pin down information about the changes. The *** said there would be no weakening in food standards for imports. While the *** appears to have made some commitments, “the ****** will be in the details,” said Michael Pearce, deputy chief economist at Oxford Economics, which said it was making no change to its economic forecasts as a result of the announcement. Other issues loom. Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to tax imports of pharmaceuticals, in a bid to ensure the US has a strong manufacturing base for critical medicines. The *** said the US had agreed to give British firms “preferential treatment”. But Ewan Townsend, a lawyer at Arnold & Porter, who works with health care firms, said the industry was now “left waiting to see exactly what this preferential treatment will mean”. Source link #agree #deal #slashing #Trump #tariffs #cars #metals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered review | Loot Level Chill The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered review | Loot Level Chill CCG writes – “Overall, Oblivion Remastered is a mixed bag. While the general stability enhancements are very welcome, the new graphical style may prove divisive to fans of the original. Morally, this is obviously a game meant only for mature audiences. If you want to play Oblivion again or are getting into it for the first time, then this is a pretty decent way to do so, provided you have the hard drive space available.” Source link #Elder #Scrolls #Oblivion #Remastered #review #Loot #Level #Chill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston after ‘crashing into actor’s home’ Man charged with stalking Jennifer Aniston after ‘crashing into actor’s home’ A man accused of crashing his car through the gates of actor Jennifer Aniston’s home has been charged with stalking and vandalism. Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, of New Albany, Mississippi, is accused of repeatedly sending the Friends star unwanted voicemail, email and social media messages since March 2023. The 48-year-old is alleged to have crashed his grey Chrysler PT Cruiser through the front gate of Aniston’s home in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. Prosecutors said the collision caused major damage and Aniston, 56, was at home at the time of the incident. According to the LA Police Department, a security guard stopped Carwyle on Aniston’s driveway before police arrived and arrested him. Carwyle has been charged with felony stalking and vandalism, prosecutors said on Thursday. He also faces an aggravating circumstance of the threat of great bodily harm. Carwyle is accused of harassing the Friends actor since 1 March 2023 by sending her unwanted communications. He is due to appear in court on Thursday. If convicted of the charges, he could face up to three years in prison, according to the LA Police Department. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said: “Stalking is a crime that can quickly escalate from harassment to dangerous, violent actions. “My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting those who stalk and terrorise others.” Aniston has not yet commented on the incident and there have been no reports of injuries. This is not the first time Aniston has encountered stalking, having previously obtained a restraining order against a man who believed he was in a relationship with her in 2010. Source link #Man #charged #stalking #Jennifer #Aniston #crashing #actors #home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes loses appeal rehearing bid Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes loses appeal rehearing bid Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes arrives to begin serving her prison sentence for defrauding investors in the failed blood-testing startup, at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, May 30, 2023. Go Nakamura | Reuters Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes on Thursday lost her bid to have an appeal of her 2022 fraud conviction reheard. The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied Holmes’ request for a rehearing before the original three-judge panel that upheld her conviction. At the same time, the court said no judge on the circuit court had asked for a vote on whether to have the full court rehear the appeal. The decision leaves Holmes with the Supreme Court as her last chance to undo her conviction. She will have to ask the court to hear the case. Holmes, 41, was sentenced in January 2023 to 11 years and 3 months in prison after being found guilty of four counts of wire fraud in January 2022. She was found guilty of deceiving investors about the capabilities of Theranos, the blood-testing company she founded in 2003. The company crumbled after a Wall Street Journal story outlined the firm’s struggles and shut down in 2018. Holmes and former Theranos executive Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison on fraud charges, were ordered to pay $452 million in restitution. Balwani was Holmes’ mentor and former lover. Holmes began serving her sentence on May 30, 2023, at a women’s federal prison in Bryan, Texas. She has since had time shaved off her sentence. In July 2023, about two years were cut and in May 2024 her time was reduced by a further four months. Holmes, the one-time rising star of Silicon Valley, has two children, one born before her trial in 2021 and the other after her sentencing. — CNBC’s Scott Cohn contributed to this report. Source link #Theranos #founder #Elizabeth #Holmes #loses #appeal #rehearing #bid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******: The Old Country – Release Date, Trailer, $50 Price, Smaller Time Commitment, And Everything Else We Know ******: The Old Country – Release Date, Trailer, $50 Price, Smaller Time Commitment, And Everything Else We Know 2K’s ****** franchise returns this August with ******: The Old Country. The game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and in a big shift from other AAA games, it’s priced not at $70 or $80, but $50. It’s the first new ****** game since 2016’s ****** III, and it comes from the same studio, Hangar 13. In this post, we’re running through everything we know about ******: The Old Country, including its status as a less-expensive, less time-consuming title, preorder details, story information, and lots more. When will ******: The Old Country be released? ******: The Old Country is set for release on August 8, 2025. That’s about a month before the next big 2K game, Borderlands 4, launches in September. GTA 6–another title from 2K owner Take-Two–was set to follow sometime after in 2025, but the game has been delayed to May 2026. ******: The Old Country platforms ******: The Old Country is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It’s not coming to PS4 or Xbox One, and it’s not going to be in the Game Pass or PlayStation Plus catalogs at launch. Preorder ******: The Old Country ******: The Old Country is available to preorder today on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, starting at $50 for the standard edition. A $60 Deluxe edition is also available to preorder, and it comes with a variety of extras, including cosmetics, weapons, the soundtrack, and a digital art book. Everyone who preorders ******: The Old Country gets the Soldato Pack, which includes various cosmetics. Be sure to consult GameSpot’s preorder guide–coming soon!–to learn more about the game’s various editions and bonuses. ******: The Old Country trailer The newest trailer for ******: The Old Country debuted in early May 2025, showing off a detailed look at the game’s setting, 1900s Sicily, the main character Enzo, and lots of combat. The game was developed using Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 and leverages the company’s MetaHuman technology–basically, it looks quite impressive. Take a look at the trailer below. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. ******: The Old Country – “Whatever it Takes” Gameplay Trailer Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter ******: The Old Country story, setting, and characters ******: The Old Country takes players back to, well, the old country–that is, Sicily. Players take on the role of Enzo Favara, a mobster whose life began in forced labor in his childhood. Now, 2K says he’s “ready to risk everything to become a man of honor in the Torrisi crime family.” The game will play like a “classic mob movie,” 2K says, and this means players will encounter the criminal underworld and everything that entails. Players can expect to face off against “cutthroat enemies” as they live the life of a mobster battling in turf wars. “Enzo’s story unfolds in a time when skill with a stiletto blade was a deadly asset, a lupara sawed-off shotgun was a go-to firearm, murderous vendettas raged for decades, and mafiosi patrolled their protection rackets on foot, horseback, or behind the wheel of turn-of-the-century motorcars,” 2K said. Not open world Unlike previous entries in the series, ******: The Old Country is a liner, narrative-driven game as opposed to an open-world title. 2K has said it believes there is a “large audience for compelling stories that don’t require massive time commitments.” 2K is releasing The Old Country as a linear game, and priced at $50 instead of $70 or more, against the backdrop of the proliferation of games with ballooning budgets, higher price points, and ******* asks from players to spend more time in their worlds. So far, players have responded positively to the news of The Old Country’s lower price point and trimmed-down scale, but it’s too soon to say if this will pay off both in terms of the game’s critical reception or sales. ******: The Old Country game engine ******: The Old Country is developed using Epic’s Unreal Engine 5, as well as Epic’s AI-powered MetaHuman technology for its character models. In this developer video, the developers talk about using Epic’s game engine to hone in on “tiny details” to make The Old Country look alive. The use of MetaHuman allows characters to have “micro-expressions” and lifelike details, developers said. A scene from ******: The Old Country Who’s developing ******: The Old Country? ******: The Old Country is developed by Hangar 13, the same team that made 2016’s ****** III, as well as 2020’s ******: Definitive Edition. The studio also made 2024’s TopSpin 2K25–very much not a mobster game. The ****** franchise was created by Illusion Softworks, which rebranded to 2K Czech when 2K bought the studio in 2008 and put the team on ****** II. 2K Czech later merged with Hangar 13. ******’s creator, Daniel Vavra, now heads up Kingdom Come studio Warhorse. Source link #****** #Country #Release #Date #Trailer #Price #Smaller #Time #Commitment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]