Royals join thousands to mark 80 years since WWII’s end
Royals join thousands to mark 80 years since WWII’s end
Thousands of people have lined the roads around the ***’s parliament and Buckingham Palace as British and allied troops paraded past to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
After Big Ben tolled at the stroke of noon, actor Timothy Spall recited the victory speech that Winston Churchill delivered to a roaring crowd in central London on May 8, 1945.
Britain started its four-day commemorations of VE Day three days early, because Monday is a public holiday in the ***.
The Cenotaph, the nation’s war memorial, was covered with Union Jack flags. It was the first time the memorial had been draped in the flags since it was unveiled by King George V in 1920, two years after the end of World War I.
About 1300 members of the British armed forces are being joined by troops from the United Kingdom’s NATO allies and Ukraine – a nod to the present war in Europe.
The procession started in Parliament Square and swept past Buckingham Palace, where King Charles took the salute.
Maria Crook, 69, who wore a hat with red, white and blue ribbons, travelled from Devon to London to watch the procession.
“I think it’s extremely important to pay our respects and honour those who have died for us,” she said.
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As Musk steps back, experts say Doge cuts have harmed government services | Elon Musk
As Musk steps back, experts say Doge cuts have harmed government services | Elon Musk
As Elon Musk steps back from his role heading the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), many experts on government operations complain that Doge has done nothing to improve the quality of services the government provides to the American people.
“Doge is not offering any solid claims that it has improved services in any way,” said Donald Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan. “Rather, it has made the quality of some government services worse.”
Musk, the world’s richest man, was appointed to run the government efficiency drive by Donald Trump in January and as a “special government employee” was barred from working for more than 180 days for the administration. He also has his own business woes to attend to.
But on his way out of the White House, Musk has boasted that Doge has achieved $150bn in savings, although many budget experts question the accuracy of that figure. Musk has repeatedly made exaggerated and erroneous claims about savings, which are a fraction of Musk’s goal of $1tn in cuts.
Moynihan and other public policy experts said it was unfortunate that Musk and Doge took the hard-charging focus of profit-maximizing business executives – of aggressively seeking to cut jobs and payroll – instead of adopting a broader focus aimed at making government more efficient while improving services.
Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Yale Budget Lab, said Musk evidently has little interest in making services better. “They were the ‘department of government slash and burn’,” Gimbel said. “There doesn’t seem to be an approach to dig in on places where government services could really be improved. Any improvement in government services takes time. You have to invest. You have to build it out. You have to figure out how to fix it.”
There has clearly been a degeneration of government services
Martha Gimbel of the Yale Budget Lab
Asked whether Musk and Doge had improved any government services, Gimbel burst out in laughter. “No,” she said. “There has clearly been a degeneration of government services.”
Public policy experts and members of the public have pointed to numerous ways that government services have deteriorated due to Doge’s cuts. There have been longer waiting times to get appointments at veterans’ hospitals, longer waits when people call the Internal Revenue Service, longer lines at social security offices. The departure of many highly experienced social security employees has led to workers with far less training giving advice on benefits.
At a White House news conference on 1 May, Musk defended Doge’s accomplishments. “In the grand scheme of things, I think we’ve been effective. Not as effective as I’d like. I think we could be more effective,” Musk said. “But we’ve made progress.”
Musk acknowledged that his $1tn goal had been far harder to reach than he had anticipated. “It’s sort of, how much pain is the cabinet and the Congress willing to take?” he said. “It can be done, but it requires dealing with a lot of complaints.”
The White House did not respond to the Guardian’s questions about the deterioration of some government services or to the Guardian’s request for any examples of how Doge has improved services.
Gimbel said that Americans don’t realize that many government services will get worse in coming months as the tens of thousands of Doge-ordered job cuts play out. “Things will definitely get worse,” she said. For instance, the administration has far to go in carrying out its plan to cut 80,000 employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
While many public policy experts say Trump and Musk wildly exaggerate in their claims that there is huge waste, fraud and abuse in government, Gimbel said there is of course waste in government. “There is waste, and you can go after it,” she said. “People who have been in government know where those places are. There is a ton of tech that needs modernizing. Doge doesn’t seem interested in that. There’s a lot of Medicare and Medicaid overbilling. Doge doesn’t seem interested in that either. What you have is a relatively expensive exercise in slash-and-burn that sometime in the future will cost a lot to fix.”
It’s hard to offer any rational basis for the decisions that are being made. There certainly aren’t any improvements that the American public will see
Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service
Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit research group, said that many business executives – including Jack Welch, the former General Electric CEO famed for cost-cutting and increasing profits – would be unhappy with Musk’s quick and brutal cuts. Stier complained that Musk and his team of twentysomething tech whizzes made steep cuts while knowing little about an agency’s operations or about the qualifications and responsibilities of the people they fired or pushed out.
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“Jack Welch would be appalled by the approach that Doge has taken,” Stier said. “It’s not actually about cost-cutting. It’s about capability destroyed. Jack Welch would never, ever have fired people without having a real understanding about the way the organization worked and about the qualities of people who were being fired. This is an arbitrary exercise that has moved out employees who are often by far the most qualified rather than the least qualified.”
Stier noted that Trump has described Doge as an exercise in cost-cutting and organizational improvement. “That’s just not the case,” Stier said. “It’s hard to offer any rational basis for the decisions that are being made. There certainly aren’t any improvements that the American public will see.”
“It’s burning down government capability,” he continued. “It’s unquestionably clear that they are firing people ******-nilly and are disrupting government services without any understanding of the consequences or concern about the consequences. It’s a break-it-is-to-fix-it mentality. It isn’t a mentality that predominates in Silicon Valley. It’s sheer reckless behavior in the public sector because real people get hurt.”
Musk’s claim of $150bn in savings is a vast overestimate because it fails to include the considerable costs of Doge’s moves, said Stier. Stier’s group estimates that as a result of firings, rehirings, severance pay, paid leave and lost productivity involving more than 100,000 workers, Doge’s maneuvers will cost taxpayers $135bn this fiscal year. And several public policy experts said the increased wait times and hassles the public will face due to Doge’s cuts should also be subtracted from the $150bn.
Moynihan said Musk has precisely the wrong vision for someone tasked with making government more efficient. “His vision is that there is no way that government employees can produce anything of value,” Moynihan said. “So the idea of tools that makes government services better is completely alien to the Musk mindset.
“I think he believes that nothing public employees do has any real value, that they are not capable employees and therefore cutting them will do no harm,” Moynihan added. “It’s a vision that doesn’t understand what public services are, why they exist and how they benefit people.”
Moynihan faulted Musk for gutting one of the government’s main efforts to use technology to improve services and efficiency. He also criticized Musk for helping kill Direct File, a free and user-friendly way for people to report and file their taxes.
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the main US union federation, said Doge’s cuts will hurt workers. She pointed to the sharp cuts at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, saying that that agency, for instance, does important research to ensure that firefighters’ personal protective equipment is safe as possible.
“There’s this notion that Doge is just cutting line items on a spreadsheet. It’s hurting real lives and real people,” Shuler said. “They’ve treated federal workers with blatant disregard and have been nothing short of dehumanizing and insulting toward them.”
Gimbel of the Yale Budget Lab warned of another downside to Doge’s cuts. “Part of what government does is mitigate risk,” she said. “Take food safety. Government inspectors decrease the risk that you will get listeria or salmonella. But when they reduce the number of food inspectors, will you get listeria or salmonella tomorrow? No. Will it probably increase the chances of people getting listeria and salmonella over the next five years? Yes.”
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Overpriced, Overhyped and Due for a Fall: 3 Big Dividends to Sell Now
Overpriced, Overhyped and Due for a Fall: 3 Big Dividends to Sell Now
We just saw the first real signs that the “vibecession” is becoming something more—and this is our cue to pluck from our portfolios (or avoid adding!) three funds that are way into bubble territory. (Names and tickers below.)
Let’s start with that slowdown signal.
In this chart, from Apollo Global Management (NYSE:), we see that the total number of Americans who are only making the minimum payments on their credit cards is at its highest level in over a decade. This tells us that inflation and a slowdown in the job market are putting direct (and increasing) pressure on household budgets.
There are other signs, too. Like a Lending Tree survey showing that the percentage of Americans who use “buy now, pay later” services to buy groceries has more than doubled. That follows warnings from Walmart (NYSE:) a couple of months back (before President Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement) that more Americans are cutting back due to high interest rates and persistent inflation.
Recent Market Bounce Lets Us Prune Weaker Holdings
The natural instinct of mainstream investors is to sell and hide out when bad news arrives. But we’re income investors first and foremost, and the last thing we want to do is cut off our income streams.
In fact, times like these are exactly why we buy high-yielding investments such as closed-end funds (CEFs)! These funds’ high payouts (8%+ in the case of many CEFs) let us calmly fund our lives with our payouts when volatility hits.
History also serves up example after example of why indiscriminate selling on bad economic news will hurt returns. Consider, for instance, the first peak in the chart above, at the start of 2013. If you’d sold then and waited to buy when the share of people paying the minimum on their debts bottomed out, in the spring of 2013, you would’ve missed out on a quick, steady return:
Panic Selling Would Have Meant Missing a 35% Return
Similar missed gains would’ve happened for someone who did the same at most of the peaks on the chart above.
Which brings me back to those three overbought funds we’re selling. In the CEF world, it’s easy to see if a fund is overbought: Simply look at its discount or premium to net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying portfolio). If the fund is trading at a premium to NAV—particularly at an extreme premium like the three funds below—it’s very likely overbought.
CEF Sell Call No. 1: The Destiny Tech100 Fund (DXYZ)
I warned about Destiny Tech100 (NYSE:) in my February 27 article. Back then, the fund had an absurd 807% premium to NAV (not a typo!). As of this writing, it’s at a more “modest” 490% premium.
In part, that premium has shrunk because of the fund’s 6.6% decline between the time I wrote about it and now. But keep in mind that this fund’s return was actually down 29% until the last week of April. The volatility here is off the charts.
A Wild Ride for Persistent Losses
DXYZ’s focus on high-risk private companies has attracted a lot of attention and hype, but how long can that last if the market becomes more risk-averse and DXYZ is overpriced by nearly 500%? This is a clear sell, unless you want a roller coaster ride.
CEF Sell Call No. 2: Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)
Our second top sell among CEFs is Gabelli Utility Trust (NYSE:), which is in many ways the opposite of DXYZ, focusing on utility stocks like NextEra Energy (NYSE:) and Duke Energy (NYSE:). But its premium to NAV is a whopping 71%. And for that, investors are getting a fund that has returned less than 2% in the last three years.
GUT: A High Premium for Meager Returns
Unless GUT swings to a lower premium or a discount, it’s best to leave it out of your portfolio, despite its 11.2% dividend yield.
CEF Sell Call No. 3: Barings Corporate Investors (MCI)
Some CEFs offer lower (for a CEF) yields that are considered sustainable and attract prudent income investors. The 7.8%-yielding Barings Corporate Investors (NYSE:) is an example here: It’s a well-managed fund with a long track record.
Unfortunately, though, now is not the time to buy MCI, because its premium is 21%, and that premium has been creeping up for years now:
MCI Keeps Getting Pricier …
This has made MCI’s total return look impressive: Over the last three years, including dividends, investors have earned 87%, crushing the S&P 500’s still-impressive 41%. But that’s almost entirely due to the rising premium, since its portfolio of privately held debt hasn’t appreciated nearly as quickly—up about 23% as of the end of 2024, the last time it was publicly disclosed:
… But Its Portfolio Can’t Keep Up
On an annualized basis, that NAV return (in orange above), rose just an annualized 7.2%, much less than the stock market and much less than MCI’s payouts, which come to a 9.5% yield, based on the latest quarterly payout and per-share NAV, not the market price.
When MCI shareholders realize MCI is underperforming stocks and that its total profits can’t sustain its dividend, expect that premium to fade and MCI’s market price to fall. If MCI were to cut its payouts, that drop would be worse.
***
Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.”
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RFK Jr. Calls Out King Abdullah: ‘They’ve Cut Us Off’
RFK Jr. Calls Out King Abdullah: ‘They’ve Cut Us Off’
It’s a rare moment today in American politics that Donald Trump’s West Wing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi are on the same side of an issue. And it’s rarer still that each of these parties is irritated at the same person.
Yet as Jordan’s King Abdullah II returns to Washington on Monday, top Trump aides, Kennedy, and Pelosi are venting their frustration with one of the Middle East’s longest-serving monarchs.
At issue: the commitment Abdullah made in February sitting by Trump’s side in the Oval Office to accept 2,000 children from Gaza with ******* and other grave illnesses.
Abdullah, say multiple high-ranking officials in both parties, is slow-walking his pledge, and Jordan has only accepted a fraction of sick children because of fears Israel will not let them and their families return to Gaza after treatment.
“They took 44, and then they’ve cut us off,” Kennedy told me over the weekend.
Alluding to Abdullah, an adviser and ally to American presidents for over a quarter-century, Kennedy said: “I would encourage him to put the ******** of these children first and put the politics aside.”
The health secretary pointedly recalled that the king’s “statements to President Trump were really unconditional.” Kennedy repeatedly emphasized the life-and-death urgency of the patients. “These kids are very, very fragile,” he said.
A top West Wing official involved in the discussions was even more to the point, calling Jordan’s reluctance to fully fulfill their pledge “a sad commentary” and that “the war makes things difficult for obvious reasons.”
Pelosi, who has a longstanding friendship with Abdullah, took matters into her own hands last week and had a blunt, private conversation with Jordan’s ambassador to the U.S., Dina Kawar. Kawar told Pelosi that Abdullah’s pledge was contingent on Israel allowing those children who’ve finished treatment to return to Gaza and suggested the former speaker talk to the king, I’m told by a person familiar with the conversation.
Pelosi has been closely monitoring the evacuation of the children since it began under former President Joe Biden, and one of her advisers emphasized that she has “the highest regard” for Abdullah and that other countries, including Israel, must do their part for the children.
A spokesperson at the Jordanian embassy declined to comment. However, the line the ambassador conveyed to Pelosi — that they can’t continue admitting children without assurances that they’ll be allowed back to their war-torn home — has also been delivered to Trump aides.
As Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza and block humanitarian aid, the politics of even helping *******-stricken children has grown complicated for Arab countries.
The Gaza children — some only “holding on by a thread,” as Kennedy said — have sadly become pawns.
This has only deepened the exasperation of American officials, who were already alarmed by how few Gazan children the Jordanians had taken and are now irritated about being told the original pledge was conditional.
As Kennedy pointed out, the king was unambiguous when he made his pronouncement in the White House: “One of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either ******* children or in a very ill state to Jordan as quickly as possible,” Abdullah said on Feb. 11.
The president immediately sought to highlight the pledge, quieting reporters in the Oval Office to underscore the moment with surprise and Trumpian flourish.
“I didn’t know that, what you just said, 2,000 children with ******* or other problems — and that’s really a beautiful gesture, that’s really good, and we appreciate it,” said Trump, with a touch of wonder.
The meeting between the two heads of state was mostly remembered for Trump’s insistence that the U.S. should control Gaza after the war. Yet for the Americans who’ve been working on retrieving sick children from the devastated region, Abdullah’s commitment was momentous. And the lack of follow-through has been maddening.
There have been vanishingly few initiatives that have survived from Biden’s administration to the Trump administration. Yet the multi-national, multi-agency effort by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the World Health Organization to move sick children from Gaza to hospitals in other parts of the world has continued.
That’s in part because of Kennedy’s behind-the-scenes work, which began before he was even confirmed to lead the Health and Human Services Department.
The health secretary, who had no previous government experience, said after the election he first talked to Ron Dermer, one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest advisers, about the sick children.
“It was very opaque because there were so many different institutions involved,” said Kennedy, adding: “It appeared that Egypt may take them, but then they cut it off.”
Matters were also complicated when Elon Musk decided to eviscerate USAID, the humanitarian agency, at the outset of Trump’s administration. But Kennedy insisted that did not impede their progress.
“I went to the president very early on, after the inauguration, and he said that he wanted to get involved and wanted to get the kids out,” the secretary recalled. Trump linked Kennedy to Steve Witkoff, the developer and Trump confidante who has also become involved in this project while also attempting to forge peace agreements in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Kennedy said he then contacted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to loop in State, which has absorbed what was USAID.
“I called Marco to make sure USAID people who were involved in this would not be terminated,” said the health secretary.
Rubio has been fully briefed on Jordan’s pledge and the lack of progress and, along with Witkoff, is expected to meet with Abdullah in Washington on Monday, I’m told.
Kennedy is not in touch with Pelosi, but he said that “a very beautiful part of this is we’re working together, Republicans and Democrats, to make this happen.”
And then, perhaps with an eye on Abdullah’s meetings this week with Trump officials, Kennedy emphasized again that “President Trump is really committed” to evacuating the sick children.
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Ruthless Steph Curry erupts late to haul Warriors over Rockets in Game 7 – The Guardian
Ruthless Steph Curry erupts late to haul Warriors over Rockets in Game 7 – The Guardian
Ruthless Steph Curry erupts late to haul Warriors over Rockets in Game 7 The GuardianWarriors credit meeting for sparking Game 7 win ESPNStephen Curry demolished the Rockets once more for old time’s sake The Washington PostWarriors validate the Jimmy Butler trade with playoff series win over the Rockets The New York TimesCurry, Butler, Hield Wow Fans as Warriors Eliminate Rockets from NBA Playoff Bracket Bleacher Report
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Monday’s top Wall Street analyst calls like Nvidia
Monday’s top Wall Street analyst calls like Nvidia
Here are Monday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: Jefferies reiterates Tesla as hold Jefferies said it’s standing by its hold rating on the stock. “TSLA is now regaining some tech initiative with June’s Robotaxi launch in Austin, but its edge may be scalability over technology as AV initiatives accelerate elsewhere. Having returned to a $1trn valuation, the shares give TSLA the benefit of the doubt on 152/107x 2025/26 PE.” Mizuho upgrades Bloom Energy to outperform from neutral Mizuho said in its upgrade of Bloom Energy that it sees an attractive risk/reward for the energy company. “We upgrade to Outperform as we see asymmetric risk/reward upside from marginal orders from utilities or other large load customers.” Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said it’s sticking with Apple following its quarterly 10-Q report. “We share 4 observations from Apple’s 10-Q: (1) we see clear evidence of component/finished goods pull-forward in F2Q, (2) Advertising, App Store and Cloud continue to drive Services growth, (3) Op margins reached a 10 year high, and (4) Apple does not rule out raising prices to mitigate tariffs.” Morgan Stanley upgrades Ascendia Pharma to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the biopharma company’s hormone replacement drug, Yorvipath, is performing well. “Clean runway for Yorvipath performance to drive ASND in 2025, particularly through 2Q/3Q25 results; Moving to OW.” Goldman Sachs upgrades Sotera Health to buy from neutral Goldman said the testing lab company is well positioned in an uncertain environment. “While SHC has always maintained a durable business model with exposure to commercial pharmaceutical and medical devices, which are less volatile in an economic downturn due to the necessary nature of the products, we believe this exposure has become much more attractive to investors in the current environment given increased macro-related uncertainty.” UBS upgrades EQT to buy from neutral UBS said the energy company is undervalued. “We see 3+% upside potential to EQT’s FCF and production outlook from each of these catalysts, which we believe are not reflected in the stock price.” UBS upgrades Portland Electric to buy from neutral UBS said the electric utility company is attractive. “We upgrade POR to Buy from Neutral.” UBS reiterates Berkshire Hathaway as buy The firm said it’s standing by the stock following earnings and the announcement of a CEO change. “Buffett leaves a company that is less reliant on his investing capabilities, with an array of leading businesses with strong cash flows. Operationally, we expect little change at BRK and the culture/strategy to remain unchanged under [Greg] Abel.” Loop initiates Okta as buy Loop said the identity access management cyber company is well positioned. “With Okta having the most strategic asset and the most strategic customer relationship (OpenAI) in this emerging AI-driven demand wave, we believe Okta is perhaps the best-positioned vendor in the identity security market.” JPMorgan upgrades Wendy’s to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said store economics are stabilizing. ” Wendy’s current share price provides a value-oriented opportunity as we see significant upside to equity value with 6-7% FCF yield (F26-28) with potential for this to step further up to 8.5%+ ex-funded franchise development.” Bank of America reiterates Advanced Micro Devices as neutral The firm is sticking with its neutral rating on the stock heading into earnings on Tuesday. “Maintain Neutral on AMD’s consistent execution, reasonable valuation and attractive compute market exposure, offset by strong competitive headwinds.” Canaccord upgrades Worthington Enterprises to buy from hold Canaccord said the machinery company has plenty of upside. “After reporting its fifth ‘clean’ quarter in March, coupled with an advantageous manufacturing/sourcing position in the current environment, we upgrade our recommendation from Hold to BUY and raise our PT to $67 ($54 prior), driven by increased estimates and a higher target multiple.” Seaport upgrades Reddit to buy from neutral Seaport said investors should buy the dip. “RDDT reported strong 1Q revenues (61.5% y/y) and EBITDA as well as strong 2Q revenue/EBITDA guidance. That said, slowing 2Q user growth (particularly in the U.S.) driven by Google search changes resulted in shares selling off. Melius reiterates Broadcom, Nvidia, IBM and Microsoft as buy The firm said it’s standing by a slew of tech stocks. “We are reiterating our buy ratings on Microsoft, Nvidia, Broadcom and IBM. We think Apple will eventually get through the tariff noise and revamp its iPhone line-up. However, a reacceleration in services is what it is really needed to get the stock going.” Bank of America initiates Taylor Morrison as buy Bank of America said the homebuilder has an attractive valuation. “We believe TMHC is relatively well positioned in a tough housing market given its more affluent customer base and lower exposure to entry level buyers.” Raymond James upgrades Lumen Technologies to outperform from market perform The Wall Street firm said it sees a slew of positive catalysts ahead for the telecommunications company. “We are upgrading our rating on shares of Lumen (LUMN) to Outperform from Market Perform as we believe there are several items in the next 6-9 months that could materially impact the equity value.” Jefferies initiates EHang as buy Jefferies said the eVTOL company has a “huge” total addressable market. ” EHang as the only player in the world securing all approvals required should be the biggest beneficiary in the space. Initiate on EH with BUY.”
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GEORGIE PARKER: AFL should provide guidelines on how clubs spend their soft cap budget
GEORGIE PARKER: AFL should provide guidelines on how clubs spend their soft cap budget
The Cronulla Sharks had bad week in the NRL leading into their win over Parramatta on Friday after they advertised an assistant physiotherapy job for their women’s team as a volunteer role for the upcoming NRLW season.
The response online was swift with backlash from not just female footy fans but from the physiotherapy guild as well.
While the job listing has now been amended to a paid position, I find it so sad that in a women’s high-performance team, a position as important as a physiotherapist would be asked to be done for free.
The controversy had me thinking about the AFL, and question how and where clubs spend their money in the soft cap.
I’m not going to get into a gender war here on the differences of soft caps, how much clubs spend on their football departments — although I do want to note that in the AFL the men’s soft cap is $7.675 million and the women’s is $1.175m — but I think the soft salary cap, for both men and women, needs to be kept in check.
They both have problems, but given the difference in the amount, their problems are vastly different.
With staff severely overworked in both the AFL and AFLW, the question then becomes is the problem not enough money, particularly after the big drop in the soft cap after COVID, or are the clubs spending their money poorly?
The clubs decide where the money goes. If a club employs a calibre of coach like Damien Hardwick they need to allocate $1 million to pay him, but a less in-demand coach won’t eat up as much of the cash and a club will have more to spend elsewhere.
When it comes to the coaches in the women’s programs though, the difference is between having a coach that is full-time or whether they’re full-time but a percentage of their time is spent working with the men’s team.
You could go through every department to find examples of this, but I believe the soft cap needs to have limitations and boundaries.
I think money should be spent on certain roles before it is allocated elsewhere.
Camera IconDamien Hardwick would take up a fair share of the Suns’ soft cap. Credit: Albert Perez/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
For example, AFL assistant coaches have become a hot talking point of late, as fewer people are wanting to join the coaching ranks in such a tough and time-consuming role.
I think an assistant coach in the AFL should be paid a minimum amount to better protect them financially and provide greater incentive for former players and others to take on the job.
A club can spend more on its assistant coaches, but for the protection of them all, there is a minimum salary.
In the AFLW, there should be a minimum wage the coaches are paid that is enough to ensure it’s a full-time role and to make their assistants nearly full-time (as full-time currently isn’t an option).
A full-time physiotherapist should be standard in the women’s game to keep continuity for the athletes all year round, and from my experience within a club, the physios in the men’s side are also severely overworked, so a fixed minimum number of medical staff probably should be in place for the men as well.
I’d love some guidelines from the AFL to clubs on how to manage their cap.
It could say you can spend over the allocated for each area, but there’s a minimum spend for specific and important roles for the ******** of the players and staff.
It would not involve auditing the funds the clubs are spending; it’s just making sure the big-ticket items are being dealt with before the clubs get to go wild like a kid in a candy shop.
There is an AFL Players Association and there is an AFL Coaches Association, but with no union or off-field staff association, the AFL should make sure there is no one being taken advantage of.
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The Physical Release Of ****** Myth: Wukong Performed So Well It Saved Businesses, Says Publisher
The Physical Release Of ****** Myth: Wukong Performed So Well It Saved Businesses, Says Publisher
Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the most-nominated game at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, with 11 nominations.
However, the Cambridge-based studio’s action-adventure game has missed out on a Best Game nomination; instead the nominees are ****** Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Astro Bot, and Balatro.
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Asus ExpertBook P1 is the only laptop I probably won’t manage to break
Asus ExpertBook P1 is the only laptop I probably won’t manage to break
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Is it performant?
What makes the ExpertBook P1 stand out?
Practicality, above anything
Over the years, I have curated a rather non-envious track record with handling electronics around me. From shattering the screen on iPhones, breaking the hinge of a foldable phone, a torn laptop lid, flattening the edges of MacBooks, and forgetting items in transit, the history of my misadventures is pretty diverse. And expensive.
But nothing hurts more than the damage incurred to a laptop, which you can’t just hide behind a skin or case. I’d like to believe there are a few others like me, seeking a machine that can handle rough usage, or just happens to be sturdier than the rest. Asus certainly sees an opportunity in that bracket.
The company recently introduced a trio of laptops in the ExpertBook P series. To my surprise, the company focused less on the usual performance-centric presentations, and more on the practical side of things, such as durability.
Is it performant?
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
A few days after the launch, I got my hands on the ExpertBook P1. I was in for a pleasant surprise. It’s a fairly competent laptop, but more than that, it can brush off mechanical stress with ease. And on top of that, it fortifies a few areas that most brands barely pay any special attention to.
The configuration I tested came equipped with an Intel Core i7 (13620H) processor, ticking alongside 32GB of RAM and 512GB of M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. Thanks to extra slots, the RAM and storage are upgradable up to 64GB and 2TB, respectively. Over at the front is a 14-inch full-HD panel.
Now, this is neither the latest Intel chip nor the fanciest display out there. It is sharp and offers wide viewing angles without any noticeable color crushing. I wish it were a glass-based panel, but I would take Asus’ anti-glare approach any given day.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The 10-core silicon is fairly powerful, though not the latest that Intel has to offer. When pitted against the 14-core Intel Core Ultra 5, it barely manages to achieve a higher single-core performance, but delivers a 30% lower multi-core performance.
The aging Intel processor again serves a higher single-core tally at Cinebench 2024 compared to Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon X Elite, but underwhelms with its multi-core chops, yet again.
On the graphics front, the integrated Intel UHD graphics unit is roughly 18-20% behind the Arc graphics shipped with the second-gen Arrow Lake Ultra Series 2 processors. But numbers aside, this is still a pretty capable combination.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
If you aren’t diving into any demanding creative software suite, the configuration will get past most productivity software with ease. My workload involved Chrome (across two screens and three windows), Slack, Trello, Teams, and a handful of web instances for tools like Asana and consistent wireless music playback.
Running the laptop in Balanced profile, I easily got a full day of usage without any stutters or UI crashes. The battery, on the other hand, is promised to last three years without its electrochemical health falling below the 80% mark. It usually lasted me about 9-10 hours of continuous usage, but you can definitely extend it with a slightly modest brightness and performance tuning.
What I like the most is the charging flexibility. Natively, the triple-cell 50Whr battery supports 65W fast charging, but it allows the full spectrum of 5V-24V power input. I was able to charge the laptop with a power bank and gave it some last-mile juice. I hope more brands hop on to this trend this year!
What makes the ExpertBook P1 stand out?
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The Asus laptop is not out there to turn eyeballs with aesthetics. It’s clean and industrial, with a familiar Asus design. What sets it apart is the sturdy engineering, despite the laptop weighing just around three pounds.
This is a US MIL-STD 810H military-grade kit, covering nearly a dozen categories of tests. In addition to the usual temperature and altitude tests, the fortified build allows it to handle strong vibrations (500Hz) for a sustained *******, mechanical shocks, and ingress protection against dust.
Asus says the base can survive a drop from a height of over a meter on a concrete floor. The build is plastic, but the chassis has been reinforced using metallic parts. It’s hard to discern that the ExpertBook P1 offers all that, but after using it as my daily workhorse, I am confident that it can brush off a few accidents.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
On the more practical side of things, both sides of the laptop can endure a smushing force worth around 110 pounds. This comes in handy for situations such as rough luggage handling, like the infamous airline baggage transport, packed under-carrriage in buses, or cramped slots in trains.
The lid itself can sustain a load of up to 55 pounds without causing any damage to the screen. For business professionals on the move or students in college, such structural hardiness is nothing short of a reassuring boon.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
I tried to simulate the load test with some of my gym equipment, and the laptop came out unscathed. The base is certainly more sturdy, while the display lid is quite flexible. Asus says the laptop is tested to survive over 50,000 chassis twisting tests.
Laptop lids and the linked hinge mechanism are often a weak link. I have broken two in the span of five years, so I know the hurt and learned the pricey lesson. On the ExpertBook P1, Asus has used 1.2mm stainless steel hinge inserts and thicker screws, which are touted to survive 66% higher pulling force than an average laptop.
The hinge mechanism is indeed pretty durable. The flexing is visible, but there is no worrisome creaking to be heard. This is me holding the laptop at the hinge point, while exerting base pressure on the lid part:
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The components are also locked tightly in place, and even when the laptop is dropped, there are no chinks or chimes to be heard, save for a flat thud.
Practicality, above anything
As laptops started to get smaller and slimmer, the industry adopted a trend of culling the ports. Asus has dodged that trend on the Expertbook P1. There are a couple of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports and an equal number of USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports on the laptop.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
You also get an HDMI 1.4 and an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, alongside a 3.5mm combo jack and a Kensington Nano lock. While the port diversity is a welcome move, Asus didn’t cram them on one side. Instead, they are spaced out across the left and right edges.
I have often struggled with laptops that position the ports on one side. The MacBook Air is the best example. Anything thicker than an average USB-C cable blocks access to the other port. The only option left is to invest in a pricey port hub.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Interestingly, the Asus ExpertBook P1’s I/O ports are also special. They have been certified to last 5,000 insert-eject cycles, but more importantly, they offer a pretty secure lock-in for the cables and accessories.
When I first saw the ExpertBook P5 dangling by a USB cable, I was surprised. Then I tested my P1 variant at home, and it didn’t disappoint. Have a look:
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The resilient character also extends to the keyboard, which can handle liquid spills. Personally, that’s a huge sigh of relief. My cat recently orchestrated a soda spill on a laptop, and it ended up frying the circuits on the motherboard. I could never get it repaired.
The ExpertBook P1 integrates a FIDO-compliant fingerprint sensor within the trackpad area. It’s a tad small, but it gets the job done. Asus also offers a whole bunch of security protection at both software and hardware levels. Among them is intrusion detection against unauthorized devices, and a discrete Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip built within.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
For BIOS attacks, downgrades are prevented to block exploits, and there’s also an automatic recovery system in place if the BIOS is corrupted. For added privacy, there’s a physical webcam shutter at the top.
Overall, with the ExpertBook P1, Asus has created a rather compelling laptop that is geared at professionals as well as students alike. It undercuts the MacBook premium, while also offering a handful of practical perks that are hard to find in the laptop market.
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Fisher Price toy for babies and toddlers has been recalled over safety fears
Fisher Price toy for babies and toddlers has been recalled over safety fears
A Fisher Price toy advertised as suitable for babies and toddlers has been recalled over fears a part could become detached and cause injury or death by choking.
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Balancing Trump criticism and bipartisanship, Democrat Jon Ossoff walks a fine line in Georgia
Balancing Trump criticism and bipartisanship, Democrat Jon Ossoff walks a fine line in Georgia
MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — There’s the Jon Ossoff who built his political career around criticizing Donald Trump.
There’s also the Ossoff who works with Republicans, advancing the interests of Georgia’s farmers and military bases.
But they’re the same guy — a 38-year-old first-term U.S. senator from Georgia who says his race will be the “main event” in 2026. He’s the only Democratic senator seeking reelection from a state Trump carried in winning last year’s presidential election.
Ossoff is among many Democrats looking for the right way to challenge Trump and Republicans after the GOP won the White House and congressional majorities in 2024. While some Democrats may be eyeing the presidency in 2028, Ossoff has a more immediate goal — retaining his seat in Georgia, where Republicans hope to pad their narrow Senate majority.
Still, midterm elections typically favor the party opposing the president. And Republicans in recent years have often nominated candidates seen by moderates as as too extreme, including in Georgia.
Ossoff, meanwhile, picks his spots carefully, challenging Trump vigorously on some fronts while still professing a willingness to work with him. In recent weeks, he launched his reelection bid with a blistering critique of Trump’s second term, weathered criticism from Democrats that he wasn’t fighting hard enough, and touted patriotism and service to potential military academy students at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.
Fighting Trump and working with him
Ossoff says there’s no clash between bipartisanship and fighting Trump, but in this still-early stage of the second Trump administration, he’s clearly looking to strike the right balance. Georgia voters returned to Trump in 2024 after narrowly choosing Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and giving Democrats control of the Senate by electing Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in twin runoffs.
“My first and highest obligation is to deliver for the state of Georgia,” Ossoff said in an interview with The Associated Press, vowing to pursue “opportunities to work with this administration or to continue to partner with Republicans in Congress.”
But Ossoff isn’t new to criticizing Trump. He became a resistance hero in his unsuccessful 2017 run in the first special election of Trump’s first term, setting a then-record for spending on a House seat.
“We have never seen a president try to wield the federal government to crush his critics and political adversaries. That is something new in American history, and it is, in my view, un-American,” Ossoff said. “And it’s something that should chill us to the bone, no matter our politics, no matter our policy preferences.”
At a recent town hall, some voters pressed Ossoff to more directly confront Trump.
“Do you think that there’s nothing going to be done?” asked Kate Denny, of Avondale Estates. ”No. Do something more.”
While Ossoff told Denny that “there is no doubt that this president’s conduct has already exceeded any prior standard for impeachment,” he also said he has “no magic button” to stop Trump. The only reliable solution, he said, is reclaiming the House and the Senate.
Ossoff said he won’t change his approach.
“I am who I am, and I speak directly, I speak candidly,” Ossoff said. “I also think before I speak.”
Democrats had hoped 2021 victories by Ossoff and Warnock signaled the party’s resurgence in Georgia. But Republican Gov. Brian Kemp cruised to reelection in 2022 over Democrat Stacey Abrams. Warnock needed a runoff to dispatch the flawed Senate campaign of former football star Herschel Walker.
In 2024, Georgia voters favored Trump over then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 2 percentage points. Many Republicans bet Ossoff’s election in 2020 was a fluke and aim to keep him from running to the center as Warnock did in 2022.
“Ossoff’s far-left politics only worked in specific moment of GOP chaos,” Republican political consultant Dan McLagan said. “Now it’s like he’s showing up at a Lee Greenwood Fourth of July concert with a ‘Free Palestine’ sign and a Che Guevara T-shirt. Everyone has already seen him, and it’s too late to change his clothes.”
Moves have rankled some Democrats
Even within his own party, Ossoff’s course hasn’t always been smooth. Some ****** Democrats took offense at his effort to oust U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams of Atlanta as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. The party changed its rules to make the position paid and full time, with Williams stepping down before Democrats elected a new chair Saturday. Ossoff said he asked Williams to quit, saying that to progress “Georgia Democrats need a statewide party organization with nationally unparalleled professionalism, resources and capabilities.”
The first Jewish senator from Georgia, Ossoff also upset many Jewish voters when he supported a November resolution by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, to block the ***** of some weapons to Israel.
The vote earned Ossoff a public letter of rebuke from many Jewish institutions, including The Temple, the historic Atlanta synagogue where he had his bar mitzvah. A second letter, first reported by The New York Times, was sent privately by top Jewish donors to Kemp urging him to seek Ossoff’s seat.
In April, Ossoff voted against a new set of Sanders resolutions, and tensions have eased, said Alli Medof, a Democrat long active for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel group. “The temperature is lowered, but the trust level is not yet restored,” she said.
Ossoff touts his success in getting India to lower tariffs on Georgia-grown pecans and has cultivated voters in Republican areas beyond Atlanta. He enthusiastically backed Biden’s incentives to build electric vehicles and has competed with Kemp to take credit for investments.
Ossoff walks a finer line on immigration. He voted for the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention of immigrants who are in the U.S. illiegally and are accused of theft and violent crimes. The law is named after a slain Georgia nursing student whose case Republicans publicized. Ossoff said that Americans “deserve secure borders” and that “the Biden administration failed in its border policies,” but he also says immigration policy must be “humane.”
Republicans have already launched ads attacking Ossoff’s opposition to a bill barring schools from allowing transgender women to participate in women’s sports. Ossoff calls that an obsession most voters don’t share.
Ossoff the investigator
One of Ossoff’s trademark moves is to announce investigations — a callback to his job producing documentaries examining corruption before he ran for the Senate.
“I think that in some ways, Congress has neglected now for decades the vigorous use of our oversight authorities,” Ossoff said at the town hall.
One investigation led to the Federal Prison Oversight Act, which mandated prison inspections and created an ombudsman to investigate complaints. But not all reform moves have succeeded. After announcing a bipartisan agreement in July to ban congressional stock trading — a major theme of Ossoff’s winning campaign against Republican Sen. David Perdue — the deal went nowhere.
One question is who Ossoff’s Republican opponent will be. Kemp, likely the strongest GOP candidate, may decline to run. If he opts out, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is one possible Republican candidate.
Greene could be Ossoff’s dream opponent, and he has seemed to invite her entry — betting the north Georgia firebrand would repel swing voters who couldn’t stomach Walker.
Either way, the race won’t be cheap. Ossoff raised $11.2 million in 2025’s first quarter and is already spending heavily.
Ossoff declines to discuss possible opponents but says he’s ready.
“I welcome any challenger,” he said, “and I am more than prepared for any challenger.”
___
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Why Did Nintendo Sue Genki? Switch 2 Leak Controversy Explained
Why Did Nintendo Sue Genki? Switch 2 Leak Controversy Explained
Nintendo’s legal team has earned a reputation for being quite ninja-like, always lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at anyone who dares to breach their intellectual property. This time, the target is Genki, an accessory company that showcased mockups and accessories for the Switch 2 months before the console was even announced.
In typical fashion, Nintendo has filed a lawsuit, throwing the legal book at the accessory maker in what can only be described as a swift and decisive move. Genki’s crime? Allegedly leaking confidential information and misleading consumers about its connection to the highly anticipated new console.
So, what exactly happened here? Let’s break it down.
What was leaked about the Nintendo Switch 2?
At CES 2025, Genki showcased what it claimed was a replica of the Nintendo Switch 2, a mockup made entirely by them, without any input from Nintendo. This was months before the console was even officially teased.
However, the company didn’t just stop off a few renders. According to reports, at the CES event, the company presented 3D-printed mockups, video renders, and accessories that were “compatible” with the upcoming console.
To make matters worse, it continued using Nintendo’s marks and designs in their videos, social media, and marketing, implying an official connection that didn’t exist. This didn’t just catch the attention of the gaming world, it raised serious red flags for Nintendo.
In fact, the Japanese giant even had to issue a statement clarifying that the hardware at CES is unofficial and was not provided by them (via Sankei Shimbun).
Nintendo filed the lawsuit on May 2nd, accusing the accessory maker of false advertising, trademark infringement, and unfair competition. The lawsuit argues the claims of “day one” compatibility could only be true if Genki had unauthorized access to the Switch 2’s internal specs, something it didn’t.
Furthermore, Nintendo contends that the accessory maker misled consumers into believing they had insider information or an official relationship with the company. That’s a lot of red flags, more than enough to set off the legal team of any company.
How did Genki respond to Nintendo’s legal action?
The CES 2025 showcase of a “Switch 2 replica” lands the accessory maker in hot water. | Image Credit: Nintendo
After the lawsuit made headlines, Genki responded quickly and publicly. On Twitter, the company issued a statement acknowledging the legal action, saying it is “taking it seriously” and is working closely with legal counsel to craft a thoughtful response.
While it didn’t dive into specifics (probably to avoid making things worse), it did make it clear that the company is committed to handling the matter professionally.
A Note from the Genki Team
You may have seen that Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against us. We’re taking it seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully.
What we can say is this: Genki has always been an independent company focused on building innovative…
— GENKI (@GenkiThings) May 4, 2025
Genki also emphasized its identity as an independent company and reiterated its focus on creating innovative gaming accessories. While it’s proud of its work, due to the ongoing legal complexities, the company noted that it could not comment further on the matter.
Even though these words seem strong and filled with confidence, whether that’s enough to prevent Nintendo from steamrolling them remains to be seen.
Nintendo’s history of suing over leaks and IP infringement
The company starts another legal showdown. | Image Credit: Nintendo
Let’s be real: Nintendo is no stranger to filing lawsuits, and Genki is just the latest in a long line of targets. In fact, its legal history could almost serve as a guidebook for intellectual property protection in the gaming world.
Take, for example, Palworld, the quirky survival game that caught its attention for using assets similar to those in Pokémon. The company sued the developers for copyright infringement (even though the patent was filed after the fact), forcing the developers to change the mechanic.
And, it’s not just game developers that are on the radar. The company has been vigilant in its pursuit of ROM websites (like Yuzu), hackers, and streamers who leak or modify games and consoles. In Japan, a man was even sent to prison for selling illegally modified Switch consoles (via Automaton).
The pattern is clear: The company doesn’t discriminate against anyone if it believes the person, a company, or a website is violating its intellectual property; be ready for a lawsuit.
Even though the lawsuit against Genki seems like a more solid case than others, it’s just another chapter in the company’s long-running efforts to keep a tight grip on its brand and prevent any leaks or unauthorized content from slipping into the public eye.
As for Genki, the company shouldn’t have been so bold in its approach to revealing its ‘compatible’ products, it may have underestimated the power of Nintendo’s ninja-like legal team. For now, the drama continues. Let’s see how this gets settled.
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Apple plans to split iPhone 18 launch into two phases in 2026 – TechCrunch
Apple plans to split iPhone 18 launch into two phases in 2026 – TechCrunch
Apple plans to split iPhone 18 launch into two phases in 2026 TechCrunchApple Plans iPhone Release Schedule Shakeup, New Styles The InformationApple’s design for the 20th-anniversary iPhone is apparently so ‘extraordinarily complex’ it must be made in China, report says YahooKuo: Apple already working on updated iPhone Air model with larger screen 9to5MacApple reportedly wants to split up the iPhone’s release schedule Engadget
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Microsoft has fixed a bug in Windows 10 that broke part of the Start menu – and the reason why this happened might annoy you
Microsoft has fixed a bug in Windows 10 that broke part of the Start menu – and the reason why this happened might annoy you
A bug that broke jump links in the Start menu was previously flagged up with Windows 10’s April update
That glitch was actually floating about in earlier updates (going back to February)
Microsoft has fixed the problem, which related to a change to bring a Microsoft account-related panel to the Start menu in Windows 10
Remember that odd Windows 10 problem where the April update for the OS broke part of the Start menu for some people? The good news is that Microsoft has resolved this bug.
If you missed this one, it was a glitch that meant jump lists – extra options that pop up with a right click on an icon – no longer worked properly for some apps in the Start menu.
Windows Latest caught an update from Microsoft about the issue, which both confirmed that this bug is (or was) present in Windows 10, and also that it’s now fixed, thankfully.
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In a release health dashboard update, in the known issues section, Microsoft acknowledged the bug and admitted it was more widespread than just the most recent April cumulative update for Windows 10. In fact, this Start menu faux pas has been present since the February preview (optional) update.
Microsoft explains that the problem related to bringing in Microsoft account “control experiences” to the Start Menu, a limited rollout that began in March 2025. (So, it would also have been present in the late February update, which was a preview of the March full release.)
Whatever was happening with introducing that feature caused the jump list functionality to vanish for some Windows 10 users. Upon realizing this, Microsoft paused the rollout of that Microsoft account-related addition to the Start menu on April 25. A fix was piped through, as well.
Microsoft says: “This [jump link] issue was resolved by a service change that was rolled out on April 25, 2025. If you are still facing this issue, please ensure that your device is connected to the internet to receive the automatic resolution that has been rolled out. After the next reboot, this issue should be resolved.”
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
Analysis: Backporting blues
Windows Latest, which experienced this problem on some of its Windows 10 PCs, has confirmed that the bug is now cured on those devices, so that’s good to hear.
While jump lists – which provide extra context-sensitive abilities for certain apps on the Start menu, like opening recently used files, ‘jumping’ straight to them – might sound like a pretty minor thing, some people use them a lot. And this functionality getting broken really messed with the workflows of those Windows 10 users, and seriously annoyed them (as you could see from some of the complaints aired online).
Back when this bug was first reported, I guessed that it could be the result of backporting features from Windows 11, and that turned out to be the case. The Microsoft account panel being introduced to the Start menu is already in Windows 11, and is being brought to Windows 10 – or it was, anyway, though that work is now paused.
It may be (and probably is) still inbound, then, although I’m not quite sure why Microsoft is providing additions for Windows 10 at this point, when the operating system has less than half a year left on the clock before support runs out. Perhaps that’s a measure of just how important the company feels it is to promote visibility for Microsoft accounts.
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Harley Reid: West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter concedes they didn’t do enough to support midfielder
Harley Reid: West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter concedes they didn’t do enough to support midfielder
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has conceded his team did not do enough to support Harley Reid as he worked through a tag from Melbourne star Jack Viney at the weekend.
The Eagles have been slammed for their handling of Reid in the midfield during their 32-point defeat to Melbourne on Saturday night.
Channel 7 analyst Kane Cornes went as far as urging the second-year midfielder to leave the Eagles because he is not being helped in his role.
The 20-year-old had 13 touches in a head-to-head match-up with Viney in the clash.
McQualter revealed he addressed players today about better looking after their players who are under the close watch of opposition midfields.
He also ruled out giving Reid a week off as they prepare to take on Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
“He doesn’t need a week off, definitely not that, but we certainly didn’t help Harley enough in the game,” he told 7NEWS on Monday night.
Camera IconWest Coast has conceded it didn’t do enough to support Harley Reid in the defeat to Melbourne. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
“And we haven’t helped Tim Kelly enough when he has been tagged as well.
“That’s been a topic of conversation in our meetings today, that when our players are getting tagged we are going to ensure we are looking after them and support them on the field and the expectation is they will be able to support themselves and demand that support as well.”
Cornes said Reid should “get out” of the Eagles after being “mauled” by Viney.
It comes as Danielle Laidley gave Reid a four out of ten in her weekly player ratings for The West ***********.
“I just wonder if this is a moment where Harley Reid thinks ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore. This is not that enjoyable where I am getting the No.1 tagger from the opposition’,” Cornes told AFL.com.au.
“And Viney absolutely mauled him. This is a 31-year-old tenacious veteran that’s gone over to Harley Reid and did not leave his side for the whole night.
“Harley Reid is having a tough year, we know that … He needs help but there’s no help coming.”
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd called on West Coast to get on the front foot with Reid, if he does not plan to extend his contract beyond next season.
Camera IconHarley Reid warms up before the clash with Melbourne. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
“My view is, if you’ve got players that don’t want to be at your club – no matter how good they are – you move them on,” he told AFL.com.au.
“You have got Oscar Allen and Harley Reid in this situation, who are unsure of what they want to do.
“I don’t think Harley is helping them in any way this year. On the weekend he had 13 touches, he is averaging 16.
“So for the culture of the West Coast Eagles … I think they have to make a serious call. Let him go, because it is awful for your environment and your football club if you have a player that deep down doesn’t want to be there.
“So can you bring in three players, cream-of-the-crop players, West Australians, who want to be at your football club, rather than holding a player that you know is going to leave at the end of his contract.”
McQualter also said he would weigh up handing a recall to ruckman Bailey Williams after Matt Flynn was soundly beaten by Melbourne’s Max Gawn.
The Eagles are already without veteran defender Jeremy McGovern, who was concussed in the defeat.
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NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope has begun its mission to map the entire sky in 3D
NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope has begun its mission to map the entire sky in 3D
A space observatory designed to map the entire sky over a ******* of two years to further our understanding of the early universe has started snapping images. SPHEREx, which launched in early March, got started with its observations this past week after over a month of setup procedures and system checks, according to NASA. The space telescope will complete about 14.5 orbits of Earth per day, capturing roughly 3,600 images daily and observing the sky in an unprecedented 102 wavelengths of infrared light. Its observations will eventually be combined to create four “all-sky” maps.
SPHEREx’s 25 month survey will be a comprehensive one. The spacecraft “orbits Earth from north to south, passing over the poles, and each day it takes images along one circular strip of the sky,” NASA explains. “As the days pass and the planet moves around the Sun, SPHEREx’s field of view shifts as well so that after six months, the observatory will have looked out into space in every direction.” Researchers will use the SPHEREx observations to study the universe’s expansion in the moments after the big bang, and search for the ingredients for life elsewhere in the Milky Way.
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What to know about Greg Abel, the CEO Berkshire Hathaway's board voted unanimously to replace Warren Buffett – Business Insider
What to know about Greg Abel, the CEO Berkshire Hathaway's board voted unanimously to replace Warren Buffett – Business Insider
What to know about Greg Abel, the CEO Berkshire Hathaway’s board voted unanimously to replace Warren Buffett Business InsiderWarren Buffett delivered more than a 5,000,000% return to investors. This guy is going to replace him CNNBerkshire Hathaway shares fall as Buffett to step down as CEO at year-end Yahoo FinanceThe $348bn question for Warren Buffett’s successor The EconomistHow Warren Buffett Changed the Way Investors Thought of Investing The New York Times
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Connolly man Craig Middleton attacked by dog at Bonnie Doon Park
Connolly man Craig Middleton attacked by dog at Bonnie Doon Park
A Connolly man feels lucky to be alive after a dog attack left him needing surgery.
Craig Middleton was at Bonnie Doon Park on Saturday afternoon when he was mauled by a Mastiff, and instead of checking to see if he was ok, the dog’s owner ran off.
“For the last 15 years I’ve had dogs and walked them down near the park and never had anything like this,” he told 7NEWS.
The 42-year-old was at the park with his dog when he says the Bull Mastiff attacked and Mr Middleton put his own body in the firing line to protect his four-legged friend.
“As I’ve picked my dog up to get it away from it, it went and bit me. It’s bit me in a spot where no man ever wants it to happen. It’s one of the worst injuries ever,” he said.
Mr Middleton was taken to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment, while the Mastiff’s owners took off without stopping to help.
The City of Joondalup said it “takes all dog attack reports seriously and will investigate the incident as a matter of priority”.
Camera IconCraig Middleton was at Bonnie Doon Park on Saturday afternoon when a Mastiff attacked him. Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWS
They have asked any witness or anyone with information to contact the City field officers.
Mr Middleton, who is now home with his two-year-old Staffy Indy, is hopeful someone will come forward — with a plea for the dog’s owner.
“You’ve gotta think about what’s happened to the person it’s attacked,” he said.
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This Supersonic Jet’s Sharkskin-Like Coating Helps Reduce Its Emissions
This Supersonic Jet’s Sharkskin-Like Coating Helps Reduce Its Emissions
*****’s recent supersonic tests included an experimental sharkskin-like material that makes the aircraft smoother and therefore more efficient. Developed by Micro Tau in Australia, the riblet-skinned material reduces drag, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions.
Last fall, ***** applied patches of the material during testing of its experimental XB-1 to its underbelly. The material is a film with microscopic grooves or riblets on the surface. It is designed to mimic a shark’s skin by reducing friction and smoothing out turbulent airflow. A shark’s skin is covered in microscopic grooves called dermal denticals that allow it to swim more efficiently, using less energy.
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The gray underbelly is the section with the sharkskin material. The inset shows its microscopic ridges.
The first XB-1 flights were initially subsonic flights to test the material’s adhesive qualities, and its later supersonic tests also left the Micro Tau material unscathed. ***** tested the material for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Department of Defense’s organization for accelerating the adoption of commercial and dual-use technology, and the Air Force Operational Energy Office, dedicated to increasing operational efficiency of military aircraft.
Typically, an aircraft design deals with drag by increasing engine thrust, which necessitates more fuel. That in turn leads to a heavier aircraft which, by definition, requires larger engines. Reducing drag by even a small percentage reduces fuel consumption (and therefore emissions) while enhancing operational efficiency.
The sharkskin-like material could be used by the U.S. Air Force on legacy aircraft that include the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules cargo transport and the KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling airplane. The three large aircraft, which carry large amounts of cargo or fuel, require unusual amounts of fuel.
The behemoth C-130 Hercules military cargo transport plane will also get the sharkskin-like material to enhance its operational efficiency.
Delta Airlines is also testing the Micro Tau skin on its Boeing 767 fleet. The shark skin can be applied to an aircraft’s fuselage, wings, and tail, and could improve efficiency up to 4 percent, according to Micro Tau estimates. “From a big-picture perspective, our Riblet Package product can potentially save the aviation industry up to $10 billion in fuel annually,” said MicroTau Founder and CEO Henry Bilinsky in a statement. “Due to the fuel cost savings, our customers in commercial aviation can expect a profit uplift of around 20 percent.”
Last year, Lufthansa equipped some of its cargo fleet with a similar material called AeroSHARK from materials specialist BAF. The material is applied in small sections across the underbelly, and each section can be removed for maintenance and repairs. Japan Airlines and Swissair have also used AeroSHARK on selective fleet aircraft.
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Pokémon ****** and White anniversary set will introduce a new rarity to Pokémon TCG
Pokémon ****** and White anniversary set will introduce a new rarity to Pokémon TCG
Pokémon’s upcoming trading card game set, which will celebrate 15 years of Pokémon ****** and White, will introduce a brand-new rarity.
The set will celebrate the Unova region, which first debuted in Pokémon ****** and Pokémon White, released for the Nintendo DS in 2010. The set will include all 156 of the Pokémon originally found in the Unova region to celebrate 15 years since the games were released.
The Pokémon Company has announced that the set will see the debut of a new rarity type, “BWR.” It’s assumed that this will stand for ****** and White Rare, which will serve as the highest rarity in the new set. The three cards revealed so far featuring this BWR rarity marker include Reshiram, Zekrom and Victini.
These Pokémon cards, which you can view below, feature unique one-colour designs, which have rarely been seen in the history of the Pokémon TCG. The last time The Pokémon Company printed an entirely silver card was Dialga EX from Phantom Forces, which was released in 2014.
While entirely gold cards are common, cards that are entirely one colour other than gold are extremely rare. It’s unclear if other legendary Pokémon from the Pokémon ****** and White games will also get a BWR card.
Images via PokeBeach
The Pokémon Company hasn’t announced the name for the English equivalent of this set, but we do know that it will be released only a month after its Japanese counterpart, and that the set will have around 300 cards to collect when it debuts.
The next English Pokémon TCG set, Destined Rivals, will be released on May 30.
Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company released a statement addressing multiple fan reports that trading cards have been difficult to find.
“We’re aware that some fans are experiencing difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) products due to very high demand impacting availability,” the statement reads.
“We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this. Reprinted products are expected to be available at participating retailers as soon as possible.”
Special sets like Prismatic Evolutions, and the final printings of Pokemon 151, have seen retailers inundated with scalpers who buy the product with the sole intention of selling them for a highly inflated price later.
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This tech stock could become a bellwether as AI use proliferates, Loop Capital says
This tech stock could become a bellwether as AI use proliferates, Loop Capital says
The generative artificial intelligence ***** could benefit shares of identity security platform Okta , according to Loop Capital. Seeing the identity security market at an inflection point as a result of AI initiatives, the firm initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and $140 price target. That reflects 24% upside from Friday’s close. “The overall identity security market is on the verge of a mass market adoption phase driven by the need to secure GenAI deployments, which require a modernized, holistic approach to securing the identities of workforce, customers, and non-human entities (AI agents and API calls) and managing their access to data and services,” wrote analyst Yun Kim in a Monday note. “With Okta having the most strategic asset (Auth0) and the most strategic customer relationship (OpenAI) in this emerging AI-driven demand wave, we believe Okta is perhaps the best-positioned vendor in the identity security market,” he continued. This bullish stance comes amid an already strong year for the stock, having surged more than 43% in 2025. It’s also advanced more than 52% in the last six months and nearly 23% in the past month, outperforming the S & P 500 . OKTA 6M mountain OKTA, 6-month Believing that the company has gotten past many of the headwinds that could hurt growth — especially those related to its user base and security incidents — Kim expects it will see accelerated growth as early as the second half of 2025 even as macroeconomic uncertainty looms over the market. “The market is one high-profile, AI-related security breach away from a sudden surge in demand for securing AI deployments, which will likely focus on securing non-human identities and API calls,” Kim wrote. “We believe Okta has essentially become Palo Alto of identity security as the one-stop shop for all identity security needs.” Kim also sees strong growth for the company in the next few years that could transform it into “one of the tech’s bellwethers.” Most of Wall Street is similarly bullish on Okta. Of the 44 who cover it, 24 rate it a buy or strong buy, LSEG data shows. Another 17 have a hold rating.
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Inside GM’s decade-long battle to revive Cadillac as the quintessential American luxury car brand – CNBC
Inside GM’s decade-long battle to revive Cadillac as the quintessential American luxury car brand – CNBC
Inside GM’s decade-long battle to revive Cadillac as the quintessential American luxury car brand CNBC
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Bungie fails to provide evidence for Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit because the content is ‘vaulted’
Bungie fails to provide evidence for Destiny 2 copyright lawsuit because the content is ‘vaulted’
Bungie has failed to have a copyright lawsuit thrown out, because it’s incapable of presenting the game content being challenged now that it’s been ‘vaulted’.
Writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau sued Bungie last year for copyright infringement, alleging that Destiny 2’s Red Legion was taken directly from his writings on WordPress four years before the game was released.
Bungie filed a motion to have the case dismissed, stating that the examples cited in Martineau’s suit are demonstrably different in Destiny 2 than in his work, but the ‘demonstrably’ part has become an issue for the studio.
Much of the content being cited comes from Destiny 2’s Red War campaign and DLC like Curse of Osiris. However, because Destiny 2 is a live service with an evolving storyline this content has now been placed in the Destiny Content Vault, where it can no longer be accessed by players, or even by Bungie itself.
Bungie sent the court an affidavit by Destiny 2 game director Tyson Green, in which he explained why the studio was unable to provide the Red War and Curse of Osiris content to the court in its original form.
“The Red War and Curse of Osiris legacy builds can no longer run because their outdated code is incompatible with Destiny 2’s underlying operational framework, which has evolved considerably since the Red War and Curse of Osiris campaigns were retired,” Green said (via The Game Post).
“As a result, Bungie cannot feasibly provide the Court with the original Destiny 2 game as it existed in 2017, including the accused Red War and Curse of Osiris campaigns, in any operable or reviewable form. Nor will Bungie be able to produce the accused campaigns in operable or reviewable form if this matter proceeds to formal discovery.”
Bungie attempted to make up for this by instead submitting player-made YouTube videos and entries from the fan-written Destinypedia wiki explaining the lore of the now-archived content.
The court, deciding this wasn’t sufficient evidence, has denied Bungie’s motion to dismiss the case, because Martineau’s accusations are aimed at the game’s story itself, not third-party retellings of it.
“While Plaintiff does reference Destiny 2 in his complaint, he does not reference the YouTube videos containing Destiny 2 game footage, the Destinypedia pages, or the Tyson declaration,” Judge Susie Morgan’s order said.
She added: “The Court will not consider the exhibits attached to Defendant’s motion to dismiss and will not convert the Defendant’s motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment,” the court wrote. “There has not been sufficient time for discovery, and the attachments are admittedly of third-party origination. Their authenticity has not been established.”
The case will therefore continue.
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Why is fuel up to 10p more expensive in the town than Whitby?
Why is fuel up to 10p more expensive in the town than Whitby?
Emily Johnson
BBC News, Yorkshire
Reporting fromScarboroughBBC/ Emily Johnson
Driving instructor Nigel Brown wants fuel prices in Scarborough to be brought in line with those in Whitby and Bridlington
Fuel prices can be affected by a variety of factors from global conflicts to the cost of a barrel of crude oil, but in parts of North Yorkshire a 30-minute drive can see the cost of a litre drop by up to 11p.
Now motorists in Scarborough, who say they are routinely paying more than those in nearby Whitby, Malton and Pickering, have backed calls for retailers in the town to bring their prices in line with the rest of the county.
Scarborough-based driving instructor Nigel Brown says he can cover about 3,000 miles (4,800km) each month and spend more than £100 a week on petrol.
But he says he rarely stops at petrol stations in the town due to the cost.
Earlier this week at the Sainsbury’s petrol station in Scarborough a litre of unleaded was priced at 134.9p and a litre of diesel was 143.9p.
Yet, less than 20miles (32km) away at the same supermarket’s forecourt in Whitby unleaded was selling for 126.9p a litre and diesel 132.9p.
Similarly other retailers prices outside of Scarborough are also notably cheaper.
BBC/Emily Johnson
Fuel prices in Scarborough (right) are higher than in neighbouring towns
“I work all around, in Malton, Driffield and Pickering, and it’s at least 10p dearer in Scarborough than all of those places,” the My Four Wheels driving instructor says.
“I tend to save mine and get it further afield, especially when I’m in Malton doing lessons.
“I know it’s not a massive difference, but the extra miles you get makes all the difference.
“If they can bring all the petrol prices in line, there’s no reason why they can’t have Scarborough the same as Bridlington and Whitby, they’re all interlinked.
“Whitby is also a tourist place but their prices are a lot lower.”
He says he thinks the higher price also impacts on the cost of driving lessons in the area, which is about £35 an hour.
BBC/ Emily Johnson
Iain and Lynne Hall, who operate Hall Driving School, made the switch to electric cars partly due to fuel prices
Fellow driving instructors Iain and Lynne Hall who operate Hall Driving School in Scarborough say they had noticed fuel costs were steeper in the town after visiting other North Yorkshire villages and making a trip to Liverpool.
“I don’t understand why one coastal town would be more expensive than another coastal town, it seems bizarre,” Mrs Hall says.
“I haven’t a clue why it is, I know they all compete with each other, but I don’t know how they set the prices,” Mr Hall adds.
The couple recently decided to make the switch to electric cars, citing fuel costs as part of the reason.
“We didn’t realise until we’d gone electric how much difference there would be,” Mr Hall says.
“Regarding regional variations with fuel, there doesn’t seem to be a variation with electric.
“It doesn’t matter where we are in the country, the price stays the same whether we charge here or charge up the road.”
As they are retired and only work part-time, each estimate they drive about 200 miles (320km) a week.
“I worked out recently how much we’d saved based on petrol prices and it’s about £2,000 a year in fuel,” Mr Hall adds.
“It’s a huge amount, it’s made a big difference.”
Getty Images
A new government scheme will help motorists find cheaper fuel near them
A Sainsburys spokesperson said the supermarket prices fuel locally and always aims to be competitive.
However, neither Sainsburys nor the Petrol Retailers Association were able to explain the reason for the gap in prices in North Yorkshire.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said that despite asking this question for years, it was still veiled in mystery.
“Sometimes it can be because an area is more affluent than another area but sometimes it can be just that there isn’t a presence of a lower cost retailer,” he said.
“Everyone pays the same wholesale price, albeit at a slightly different time, depending on when they’re buying.
“The supermarkets buy the most fuel because they sell the most fuel, so they have the ability to reflect wholesale changes up or down far more quickly than small independent retailers who tend only to buy new stock every couple of weeks.”
According to the RAC, the Competition and Markets Authority found that major retailers overcharged drivers by £900m in 2022 and in 2023, while across the board retailers were deemed to have overcharged by £1.6bn.
The RAC has called for all retailers to lower their pump prices to reflect wholesale prices.
Meanwhile, Luke Bodset from the AA said the problem was a “long-running gripe” with motorists known in the industry as the “pump-price postcode lottery”.
“The focus has been primarily on supermarkets: why, when eggs, bread, etc are the same price wherever you go, is road fuel not treated similarly?” he said.
“The ‘reasons’ given by the retailers are [that] pump prices are set locally – forecourts within an area will compare their prices with those of nearby rivals and set them accordingly.
“And so, unless one forecourt budges on price, the others don’t see a need to move.”
He said that competitive fuel stations were hard to find unless you live locally to them, but hoped that would change with a new government scheme.
Expected to come in early next year, the fuel finder project will require every forecourt to register its pump prices with a central database so people can compare prices.
“It is expected that the transparency will not only direct drivers to the cheap fuel stations, without having to come across them by chance, but also spur competition,” Mr Bodset said.
“Those retailers who keep their prices high will see customers drawn away to the cheaper ones and be pressured to bring down theirs in turn.”
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