Pelican Press

Trump wants non-U.S. movies to face 100% tariff. Who could it impact? Trump wants non-U.S. movies to face 100% tariff. Who could it impact? President Donald Trump is opening a new salvo in his tariff war, targeting films made outside the U.S. In a post Sunday night on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he has authorized the Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to slap a 100 per cent tariff “on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” he wrote, complaining that other countries “are offering all sorts of incentives to draw” filmmakers and studios away from the U.S. “This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” It wasn’t immediately clear how any such tariff on international productions could be implemented. It’s common for both large and small films to include production in the U.S. and in other countries. Big-budget movies like the upcoming “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” for instance, are shot around the world. Story continues below advertisement Incentive programs for years have influenced where movies are shot, increasingly driving film production out of California and to other states and countries with favourable tax incentives, like Canada and the United Kingdom. Yet Trump’s tariffs are designed to lead consumers toward American products. And in movie theaters, American-produced movies overwhelming dominate the domestic marketplace. China has ramped up its domestic movie production, culminating in the animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” grossing more than $2 billion this year. But even then, its sales came almost entirely from mainland China. In North America, it earned just $20.9 million. 2:55 Carney to visit Washington next week for tariff negotiations, invites King Charles to Ottawa In New Zealand, where successive governments have offered rebates and incentives in recent years to draw Hollywood films to the country, the film industry has generated billions of dollars in tourism revenue driven by the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” films, which featured the country’s pristine and scenic vistas. More recently, the blockbuster “Minecraft” movie was filmed entirely in New Zealand, and U.S. productions in 2023 delivered $1.3 billion New Zealand dollars (US$777 million) to the country in return for NZ$200 million in subsidies, according to government figures. Story continues below advertisement New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was awaiting more details of Trump’s measures before commenting on them but would continue to pitch to filmmakers abroad, including in India’s Bollywood. “We’ve got an absolutely world class industry,” he said. “This is the best place to make movies, *******, in the world.” Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The Motion Picture Association, which represents major U.S. film studios and streaming services, didn’t immediately respond to messages Sunday evening. The MPA’s data shows how much Hollywood exports have dominated cinemas. According to the MPA, the American movies produced US$22.6 billion in exports and US$15.3 billion in trade surplus in 2023. More on Lifestyle More videos Trump, a Republican, has made good on the “tariff man” label he gave himself years ago, slapping new taxes on goods made in countries around the globe. That includes a 145 per cent tariff on ******** goods and a 10 per cent baseline tariff on goods from other countries, with even higher levies threatened. Trending Now Plane crashes into Los Angeles-area neighbourhood, killing 2 people and a dog Military action against Canada is ‘highly unlikely,’ Trump says By unilaterally imposing tariffs, Trump has exerted extraordinary influence over the flow of commerce, creating political risks and pulling the market in different directions. There are tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum, with more imports, including pharmaceutical drugs, set to be subject to new tariffs in the weeks ahead. Trump has long voiced concern about movie production moving overseas. Shortly before he took office, he announced that he had tapped actors Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone to serve as “special ambassadors” to Hollywood to bring it “BACK — *******, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” Story continues below advertisement U.S. film and television production has been hampered in recent years, with setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood guild strikes of 2023 and the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Overall production in the U.S. was down 26% last year compared with 2021, according to data from ProdPro, which tracks production. The group’s annual survey of executives, which asked about preferred filming locations, found no location in the U.S. made the top five, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Toronto, the U.K., Vancouver, Central Europe and Australia came out on top, with California placing sixth, Georgia seventh, New Jersey eighth and New York ninth. The problem is especially acute in California. In the greater Los Angeles area, production last year was down 5.6% from 2023 according to FilmLA, second only to 2020, during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Last, October, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, proposed expanding California’s Film & Television Tax Credit program to US$750 million annually, up from US$330 million. Other U.S. cities like Atlanta, New York, Chicago and San Francisco have also used aggressive tax incentives to lure film and TV productions. Those programs can take the form of cash grants, as in Texas, or tax credits, which Georgia and New Mexico offer. “Other nations have been stealing the movie-making capabilities from the United States,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Sunday night after returning from a weekend in Florida. “If they’re not willing to make a movie inside the United States we should have a tariff on movies that come in.” Story continues below advertisement —Associated Press writers Gary Field in Washington and Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this report from Washington. Source link #Trump #nonU.S #movies #face #tariff #impact Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WHO EMRO | EMHJ issue 4 for volume 31 is out | RSS WHO EMRO | EMHJ issue 4 for volume 31 is out | RSS EMHJ issue 4 for volume 31 is out [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content] We’re happy to announce that issue 4 for volume 31 of the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is out. Source link #EMRO #EMHJ #issue #volume #RSS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Doohan’s F1 future looking more uncertain after Miami Doohan’s F1 future looking more uncertain after Miami *********** Jack Doohan’s Formula One future looks increasingly uncertain amid speculation the rookie could be replaced at Renault-owned Alpine before the next race at Imola. Doohan, son of motorcycle great Mick, has yet to score a point in six races this season and one at the end of 2024. Website Race.com said Alpine were evaluating Doohan’s position following another retirement at Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix. The 22-year-old has been dogged for months by questions about his future, with Alpine signing Argentine Franco Colapinto from Williams as a reserve before the start of the season. Colapinto raced nine times for Williams last year as replacement for dropped American Logan Sargeant and scored five points, with a best finish of eighth in Azerbaijan. Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore, a boss of the team in its former guises of Benetton and Renault, is a fan of Colapinto and is known to be keen to get him into the race seat. Team boss Ollie Oakes cancelled his regular media session after Sunday’s race in which Doohan collided with New Zealander Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls on the opening lap and retired. Alpine are ninth of the 10 teams in the constructors’ standings. “As it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre (Gasly),” Oakes had said on Friday when asked to confirm Doohan would be in the car at Imola. “We always evaluate, but yeah, today, that is the case.” Apart from Doohan’s lack of points and failure to finish higher than 14th, the latest rumour of an impending change were triggered by one of Colapinto’s Argentine sponsors suggesting in an unguarded television moment last month that it would happen for Imola. He later clarified it was only a personal opinion. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people in Argentina who’d like him in the car this Sunday,” said Oakes when asked about that on Friday. “We’ve been pretty open as a team that that’s just noise. Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But it’s natural that there’s always speculation there.” Doohan said in a team review of the Miami race that he was focusing on the coming European races. “We have the week ahead to reset and work to prepare for the upcoming triple-header as we head into the start of the European season,” he said. Source link #Doohans #future #uncertain #Miami Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Brit who fought in Ukraine says Russia’s army is so barbaric his unit vowed never to be taken alive A Brit who fought in Ukraine says Russia’s army is so barbaric his unit vowed never to be taken alive An international volunteer who fought in Ukraine said his unit vowed never to be taken alive by Russia. Macer Gifford told *** that Putin sees this as a “war of annihilation,” with tactics taken from ISIS. Gifford gave a stark warning to onlookers who view it as just a “war on the edge of Europe.” An international volunteer who fought in Ukraine told Business Insider that Russia’s armed forces have such a reputation for brutality that his unit agreed never to be captured alive. Russian forces are “incredibly dangerous, oftentimes fanatical or desperate people that would torture you and kill you if they caught you,” said Macer Gifford, the nom de guerre of British former trader Harry Rowe. A veteran of the Ukrainian army, who previously volunteered to fight in Syria, Gifford fought in key locations in Ukraine, including in Kherson and Lyman. He spoke to ***’s Authorized Account about the realities of fighting Russia, and the tough decisions his unit had to take. ‘Every depth of depravity’ While some Russians have reported torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Ukrainian captors, it has largely happened at the point of capture and “stopped when prisoners arrived at official places of internment,” a UN investigation found last year. Not so Russia. The investigation said that there is “widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment” of prisoners of war throughout Russia’s entire system of internment. This includes beatings, electric shocks, ******* violence, suffocation, sleep deprivation, and mock executions, it said. There have also been killings: Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Matsievsky became a cause célèbre after he was forced to dig his own grave before being shot in captivity, the BBC reported. “Russia has gone to every depth of depravity you could possibly imagine,” Gifford said. That’s why his unit entered into a pact — even expelling one member who tried to surrender during a firefight, he said. There was an agreement that “no one in the unit was allowed to be taken alive.” Acknowledging that all wars are violent, Gifford said he was nonetheless “genuinely shocked” by what he saw fighting against Russia. Learning from ISIS Gifford believes that Russian forces learned many of their more brutal tactics in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin gave military support to Syria’s then-president, Bashar Assad, starting in 2015, supplying military equipment and air strikes to push back rebel groups, including the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. But it’s the jihadist group that appears to have provided a model for Russian troops in Ukraine, Gifford said. The “level and scope” of Russia’s barbarity on civilians, he said, reminded him “of the same tactics that the Islamic State used.” Macer Gifford in Syria.Courtesy Harry Rowe/Macer Gifford Gifford recalled how, during his time fighting in Syria, he would find cages, torture instruments, and mattresses with chains next to them for holding female captives in Islamic State-controlled areas. “I thought that the Islamic State was a fringe, that it was a unique thing,” he said, but in his view, “many of their brutal practices have been adopted by Russia — mainly, I suppose, because they were so effective in Syria,” he added. Russia’s war machine Gifford described Russia’s war machine as “incredibly big and incredibly dangerous.” But while Russia leads in scale — its army is on track to grow to 1.5 million active troops — its forces have been “decimated” in Ukraine, he said. Ukrainian soldiers carrying small drones.Courtesy of Harry Rowe Russia’s approach to war is about scale and “meat wave” attacks in which astonishing numbers of casualties are tolerated, Gifford said. The “real differences” between the countries come down to “the way they value life,” he added. “The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. Russia is just fighting for more territory, and that’s the difference.” But Gifford stressed that Ukraine’s allies need to stop seeing the war as “a conflict on the edge of Europe,” and that for Putin it means much more. For him, it’s “a war of annihilation,” Gifford said. It’s “the war to end all wars in the eyes of Vladimir Putin.” Russia has routinely denied allegations of war crimes. The Russian Ministry of Defence didn’t respond to a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Brit #fought #Ukraine #Russias #army #barbaric #unit #vowed #alive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

S&P 500: Deep Pullback or Major Higher Low and Reversal? S&P 500: Deep Pullback or Major Higher Low and Reversal? S&P 500: Deep Pullback or Major Higher Low and Reversal? Source link #SampP #Deep #Pullback #Major #Higher #Reversal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why inflation has priority over labor market Why inflation has priority over labor market 00:00 Speaker A What happens if the labor market does start to roll over? We continue to hear people say, well, that’s just pre-tariff data. We need to see the post-tariff data. If we do see the labor market roll over, do you think the Fed would potentially look at that part of their dual mandate more than the inflation part? 00:21 Speaker B So, Fed Chair Powell’s April 16th speech, I think, I would point to as a very informative in that view. Uh, the first Chair Powell said, we can’t have a strong, sustained, um, labor market without price stability first. That kind of gives you a hint on on what their focus is. Right. The second thing, the Fed Chair Powell would say, we’d look at how far away we are from our employment and from our, uh, inflation goals and over what time frame we could get back to those. And that’s how we’d set policy appropriately. In theory, you’re going to be significantly further away from your inflation goals, uh, by let’s call it the middle of the summer of this year, if if tariffs go into effect as expected, and the employment goal that remains to be seen. If there’s a sharp, uh, decline in the in the labor market, you know, three, two to three months of of large negative prints with corroborating data and jobless claims and, you know, rising unemployment rates, sure, they’re going to they’re going to cut. They’re not going to be immune to it. But relative to the 2018, 2019 *******, where the Fed could be preemptive in addressing downside risks to the economy, they can’t do that this time because of the inflation backdrop and where inflation expectation, where inflation is expected to be going. So, you know, they’re skating they’re skating toward the puck on inflation and not necessarily skating toward the puck when it comes to the labor market at this point. 04:26 Speaker A Mhm. 04:47 Speaker B Yeah. Source link #inflation #priority #labor #market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Warren Buffett to remain Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Greg Abel to become CEO at year-end, board votes – CNBC Warren Buffett to remain Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Greg Abel to become CEO at year-end, board votes – CNBC Warren Buffett to remain Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Greg Abel to become CEO at year-end, board votes CNBCBerkshire Hathaway shares fall as Buffett to step down as CEO at year-end Yahoo FinanceHow Warren Buffett Changed the Way Investors Thought of Investing The New York TimesMeet the man Warren Buffett trusts with his $1.2 trillion empire FortuneThe $348bn question for Warren Buffett’s successor The Economist Source link #Warren #Buffett #remain #Berkshire #Hathaway #chairman #Greg #Abel #CEO #yearend #board #votes #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beware phony IT calls after Co-op and M&S hacks, says *** cyber centre Beware phony IT calls after Co-op and M&S hacks, says *** cyber centre Joe Tidy Cyber correspondent, BBC World Service Getty Images The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned criminals launching cyber attacks at British retailers are faking IT help desk calls to break into organisations. Hackers have targeted Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods in the last two weeks, and on Friday the anonymous group told the BBC there will be more attacks soon. Now the NCSC, the government agency responsible for cyber security, has issued guidance to organisations urging them to review their IT help desk “password reset processes” to reduce their chances of getting hacked. “We believe by following best practice, all companies and organisations can minimise the chances of falling victim to actors like this,” it said. It said firms should reassess how their IT help desk “authenticates staff members” before resetting passwords, especially senior employees with access to high-level parts of an IT network. It highlighted press speculation around “social engineering” as a way hackers may have gained access to accounts. Criminals use social engineering techniques to get people to trust them when they call or text pretending to be from a company’s IT help desk – ultimately tricking employees into handing over their log in passwords and security codes. This also works the other way – calling people who work on the help desk and pretending to be an employee locked out of their account. Cyber security experts now recommend further layers of security to deal with these sorts of attacks. “Having code words that get used when an employee phones up to change their credentials, such as “BluePenguin”, is one thing being discussed in the cyber community as a way to check that the member of staff is genuine,” said Lisa Forte from cyber security firm Red Goat. “Ultimately it comes back to the same issue with login credentials as always – we need multiple ways to do it to ensure it isn’t easy to bypass.” NCSC advice The NCSC advice is the strongest hint yet the hackers are using tactics most commonly associated with a collective of English-speaking cyber criminals nicknamed Scattered Spider. The name derives from “spider” being the label given to financially motivated cyber criminals, while “scattered” is because they are not a cohesive, organised gang. In the past two years these disparate hackers, in their teens or early twenties, have coordinated and planned attacks on Discord and Telegram to breach dozens of companies and steal or scramble data to extort their victims. The NCSC does not specifically name the group as being responsible for the current wave of attacks, but acknowledges Scattered Spider are known for these types of hacks. In other NCSC advice, cyber defenders are being urged to watch out for “Risky Logins”. This means looking out for when and where employees have logged in from – for example late at night or from strange locations. Although cyber criminals could be anywhere in the world, young English-speaking hackers in the *** and US have become adept at using social engineering in their attacks. Scattered Spider hacks Scattered Spider hackers have been responsible for high profile attacks including the coordinated moves against casinos in Las Vegas in which MGM Grand Casinos and Caesar’s Palace were hit in quick succession. There have been six arrests in the last year of hackers accused of being from Scattered Spider in the US and ***. In July 2024 a 17-year-old from Walsall was arrested as part of an FBI investigation into the MGM hack – and months later a person of the same age and location was arrested in connection with another hack on Transport for London. Police would not say if the alleged hacker was the same person. On Friday, the hackers responsible for the current wave of attacks spoke to the BBC. The criminals repeatedly denied they are Scattered Spider hackers and would only call themselves DragonForce – the name of a cyber crime service hackers can use for malicious software and extortion. The hackers, who were fluent English speakers, revealed to the BBC they had compromised Co-op and stolen a large amount of customer and employee data. They would not discuss the M&S hacks. But it is thought DragonForce ransomware was used to scrambled the firm’s IT servers. While the NCSC said it “had insights”, it added it was “not yet in a position to say if these attacks are linked”. “We are working with the victims and law enforcement colleagues to ascertain that,” it said. Source link #Beware #phony #calls #Coop #hacks #cyber #centre Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

GSFL 2025: Mt Barker’s second victory of new season a tale of hits and misses as they see off Denmark-Walpole GSFL 2025: Mt Barker’s second victory of new season a tale of hits and misses as they see off Denmark-Walpole An impressive Mt Barker maintained their winning start to the season with a 40-point walloping of Denmark-Walpole at McLean Park on Saturday. Source link #GSFL #Barkers #victory #season #tale #hits #misses #DenmarkWalpole Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Epcon Communities building 150-home subdivision for older adults in New Albany Epcon Communities building 150-home subdivision for older adults in New Albany As central Ohio continues to grow, housing specifically for older adults is coming to New Albany. A 150-home subdivision called The Courtyards at Haines Creek by Epcon Communities is coming to a nearly 64-acre site in New Albany. Generally, the site is located just inside the Franklin County line at the northwest corner of Central College Road and Jug Street Road NW. Crews have started engineering work on the site, New Albany spokesperson Josh Poland wrote in an email to The Dispatch. The subdivision is set to open in the fall, the Epcon Communities’ website shows. A site plan shows the 150-home subdivision called The Courtyards at Haines Creek by Epcon Communities is coming to a nearly 64-acre site at the northwest corner of Central College Road and Jug Street Road NW in New Albany. The neighbor is specifically for adults aged 55 and older and offers ranch homes with first-floor owner suites, abundant natural light, open floor plans and private courtyards. The development’s website also states residents will have a “low-maintenance lifestyle,” as they’ll handle all the lawn maintenance. The subdivision will also feature numerous amenities for residents, including a clubhouse, fitness center, pool, pickleball and bocce courts and community garden, the website states. The Courtyards at Beulah Park are senior patio homes developed by Epcon Communities. The developer is building a similar development on a nearly 64-acre site in New Albany at the northwest corner of Central College Road and Jug Street Road NW. Prices for the Haines Creek homes are not listed on the development’s website. Epcon Communities has built similar subdivisions nearby, including The Courtyards at New Albany, northeast of New Albany-Condit and Central College roads and The Courtyards at Morse Circle, southwest of Morse and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads. Elsewhere in central Ohio, Epcon is wrapping up another courtyard community at Beulah Park in Grove City and is building others in Dublin, Powell, Hilliard and Plain City, according to Epcon’s website. Eastern suburbs reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at *****@*****.tld and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 150-home subdivision coming to Central College Road in New Albany Source link #Epcon #Communities #building #150home #subdivision #older #adults #Albany Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Warren Buffett to remain Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Greg Abel to become CEO at year-end, board votes Warren Buffett to remain Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Greg Abel to become CEO at year-end, board votes Warren Buffett speaks during the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2025. CNBC This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. The Berkshire Hathaway board voted unanimously on Sunday to make Greg Abel president and CEO on January 1, 2026 and for Warren Buffett, 94, to remain as chairman, sources told CNBC’s Becky Quick. Buffett shocked Berkshire shareholders and Abel by announcing in the final minutes of the annual shareholder meeting Saturday that he would be asking the board to replace him as CEO at year-end with the current vice chairman of non-insurance operations for Berkshire. Buffett, who currently holds both the chairman and CEO title, did not make it clear whether this would mean he would relinquish the chairman title as well, although he did say he would be hanging around to help where he could. Buffett did make clear that the final word on company operations and capital deployment would be with Abel, 62, when this transition takes place. However, with Buffett remaining as chairman, shareholders may be comforted that the ‘Oracle of Omaha’ will remain to help Abel with any big acquisition opportunities that may arise in possible volatile markets ahead as the conglomerate Buffett took over in 1965 sits on more than $347 billion in cash. Source link #Warren #Buffett #remain #Berkshire #Hathaway #chairman #Greg #Abel #CEO #yearend #board #votes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Social Security overpayment withholding rate drops to 50% for some Social Security overpayment withholding rate drops to 50% for some Fertnig | E+ | Getty Images Just weeks after announcing a 100% withholding rate on new overpayments of benefits, the Social Security has slashed the rate down to 50% for certain beneficiaries. Yet that clawback on monthly benefit checks may still cause a financial burden for individuals who are affected, experts say. For new overpayment notices sent on or after April 25, the 50% default withholding rate will apply to so-called Title II benefits, which include retirement, survivors and disability insurance, according to an emergency message released by the Social Security Administration. The withholding rate for Supplemental Security Income benefits remains 10%. More from Personal Finance: Should you wait to claim Social Security? Here’s what experts say Americans more worried about running out of money in retirement than dying Nearing retirement? These strategies can protect from tariff volatility “Obviously, it’s better not to lose all of your income,” said Kate Lang, director of federal income security at Justice in Aging, a national organization focused on fighting senior poverty. “But if you’re relying on your benefits to pay your rent or your mortgage and buy food, losing half of that income is going to be devastating and can still result in people becoming homeless,” Lang said. How beneficiaries end up owing Social Security Beneficiaries may owe the Social Security Administration money due to overpayments — when their monthly benefit checks are more than what they are owed. The erroneous payments can happen for a variety of reasons, such as if a beneficiary fails to report a change in their circumstances to the agency or if the agency does not process information promptly or enters errors in its data. When the Social Security Administration determines a beneficiary has been overpaid, a notice is sent to request a full and immediate refund, according to the agency. Beneficiaries typically have 90 days to request a lower rate of withholding, a reconsideration or waiver of recovery. If they do not make such a request within that 90-day window, the agency will withhold up to 50% of their benefits until the sum of the amount that was overpaid is fully recovered, according to the agency’s update. The Social Security Administration had previously announced that it would increase the default withholding rate for overpayments to 100%. Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the default withholding rate had been dropped to 10% of a beneficiary’s monthly benefit or $10 — whichever was greater. Generally, the rate beneficiaries are subject to is based on the terms at the time they were notified. “In the last 100 days, we’ve gone from as low as 10 [percent] to 100 and now to 50,” said Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. The 100% withholding rate was “ridiculously draconian and cruel,” Fiesta said. The Social Security Administration had said the change to that full recovery rate would generate about $7 billion in program savings in the next decade, based on estimates from the chief actuary. Yet even with the default withholding rate cut in half, beneficiaries may still struggle financially. “Losing 50% [of benefits] for a lot of people could put them into immediate economic hardship,” Fiesta said. In most cases, it wasn’t the beneficiary’s fault that they were overpaid, Fiesta said. “They shouldn’t be put in a worse situation because of something they never caused in the first place,” he said. ‘A lot of discretion’ in negotiating repayment terms While beneficiaries do have the ability to negotiate the payments, there is no guarantee they will be successful and the outcomes may vary, according to Lang. “There are thousands of employees that individual beneficiaries are going to be dealing with to ask for a waiver or ask to negotiate a different repayment rate,” Lang said. “And those employees have a lot of discretion in what they decide.” Beneficiaries who are dealing with overpayment issues also face long wait times to make an appointment to visit a Social Security Administration office, which can interfere with their ability to exercise the options available to them, she said. The Social Security Administration did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment. Source link #Social #Security #overpayment #withholding #rate #drops Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

At least 3 dead and 5 wounded after shooting at a restaurant in Glendale, Arizona, police say – NBC News At least 3 dead and 5 wounded after shooting at a restaurant in Glendale, Arizona, police say – NBC News At least 3 dead and 5 wounded after shooting at a restaurant in Glendale, Arizona, police say NBC NewsMultiple people injured in Glendale shooting AZFamilyShooting at Arizona restaurant leaves multiple people injured, police say CNNSeveral people shot at a restaurant near 59th and Glendale avenues Sunday ABC15 ArizonaGlendale shooting injures several people; police call scene ‘chaotic’ FOX 10 Phoenix Source link #dead #wounded #shooting #restaurant #Glendale #Arizona #police #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Reveals the Basic of Combat with Spectacular Gameplay Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Reveals the Basic of Combat with Spectacular Gameplay Marvelous Entertainment released an extensive trailer of the upcoming mecha action game Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, focusing on combat. Source link #Daemon #Machina #Titanic #Scion #Reveals #Basic #Combat #Spectacular #Gameplay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inside GM’s battle to revive Cadillac as the American luxury car brand Inside GM’s battle to revive Cadillac as the American luxury car brand The “Saarinen Lobby” inside General Motors’ global design headquarters on the campus of its Warren Technology Center outside of Detroit, Michigan. GM WARREN, Mich. — Walking into General Motors’ global design headquarters is like taking a step back in time. Much of the midcentury-modern architecture and designs have remained untouched since the space opened in the 1950s. The massive tech campus was built during a time when the Detroit automaker reigned supreme. It was GM’s so-called “Golden Era,” with its luxury Cadillac brand leading the way as “the standard of the world” — before decades of U.S. market share declines amid increased competition from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and others. GM President Mark Reuss wasn’t alive to witness that, but he’s harkened back to it as he and his teams have methodically overseen a product renaissance for Cadillac, which wants to regain its prominence as the American luxury brand. “There isn’t a lot of American luxury brands. There just isn’t. I think it’s time, and I’m deeply passionate about that, for GM and Cadillac to show the world what we can do,” Reuss told CNBC from his second-story office adjacent to the lobby. Cadillac’s domestic competition has historically been Ford Motor’s Lincoln luxury brand, which sells roughly a third of the vehicles in the U.S. as its GM competitor. Other luxury brands from Germany, Japan and, more recently, South Korea have entered the market as well. All-electric vehicle competitors Tesla and Lucid Group are also in the mix. The luxury vehicle market is crucial for automakers. The vehicles have higher profit margins than their mainstream counterparts and cater to a more affluent customer that views them as much as a status symbol as a mode of transportation. GM President Mark Reuss during the reveal of the all-electric 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ on Aug. 9, 2023 in New York City. Michael Wayland / CNBC Reuss’ responsibilities as president include overseeing all the automaker’s products and brands, but he has always taken a special interest in Cadillac, which is on its fourth leader since 2015. Those involved with the brand have described Reuss as a protector, vanguard and even spiritual leader of sorts for Cadillac. While not everything has gone perfectly to plan — there have been issues with sales in China and electric vehicle production and adoption — Cadillac has largely stayed true to a plan that the company undertook to bolster the luxury brand a decade ago. It’s a not-so-easy accomplishment amid regulatory uncertainty and budget cuts in an automaker the size of GM. “If you would have looked at Cadillac’s financials and portfolio, it was not delivering,” Reuss said. “It’s been a long road taking a 150-year-old brand from where it was, which was not healthy. It was not ‘the standard of the world.’ Still isn’t. We’ve got work to do, but the vision is there and it’s pretty clear.” That vision currently relies heavily on all-electric vehicles, sporty sedans and the brand’s flagship Escalade — one of GM’s longest-standing and most prominent nameplates — to bring Cadillac back to prominence. It’s a race Cadillac executives describe as having a never-ending finish line. Resurrecting Cadillac In the summer of 2018, Reuss, GM design chief Michael Simcoe and then-Cadillac head Steve Carlisle, among others, mapped out what they wanted Cadillac to be ahead of a broader executive rollout at GM’s renowned design dome. It was a re-evaluation of sorts of a plan laid out for Cadillac in 2015. The overall strategy was to largely isolate Cadillac’s products from GM’s other brands and not allow the sharing of consumer-focused parts. They would share some bones, motors and other powertrain parts, but the interiors and even some of the engines would be exclusively Cadillac. Mary Barra, chair and chief executive officer of General Motors Co., center, and Michael Simcoe, vice president of global design for General Motors Co., right, on the floor of General Motors Design West during an interview on “The Circuit with Emily Chang” in Warren, Michigan, US, on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Emily Elconin | Bloomberg | Getty Images “We wanted to lay tracks down in terms of what the brand could be. We didn’t have a very consistent approach,” Carlisle recalled during a phone interview. “Many have tried and most have failed.” The idea was to get Cadillac’s portfolio back into shape with sporty, sleek vehicles that elevate the brand’s status and, in turn, lead to higher residual values of the vehicles. The brand also sought to lower incentives. Reuss, around that time, described it as Cadillac’s “one chance,” saying the Detroit automaker would “leave nothing on the table.” Cadillac has largely been able to get its house in order with most of those objectives, according to executives, auto analysts and industry metrics. “Right now, I think they’re in really good shape.” said Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility. “They have been more consistent with how to handle the Cadillac brand, and that’s going to continue to be incredibly important … consistency over time is one of the most important things you can do.” Cadillac decided to focus its future products to be all-electric vehicles, in a bid to compete with Tesla’s pricey Model Y and Model X at the time. The plan was for Cadillac EVs to eventually take the place of gas-powered models as soon as 2030, but now it’ll offer a full lineup of EVs as well as gas-powered vehicles. The first product released under the new strategy was the all-electric Lyriq that went on ***** in 2022, but the pinnacle of the plan is the bespoke, $300,000 Celestiq that the brand is currently “relaunching.” The 2018 showing at the design dome – hallowed ground for the automaker – was crucial to sell the current vision of Cadillac, according to Simcoe, Carlisle and others involved. “In the dome, there was a vision for Celestiq and the Cadillac requirements,” Simcoe told CNBC from his corner design office overlooking the dome. “It was basically all the things that would define the brand. “There was a vision for the customers we’re addressing. There was a vision for the portfolio we needed. There was a vision for pretty much everything inside the business,” Simcoe said. People look at the Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle at the Cadillac booth at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on September 14, 2022. Geoff Robins | AFP | Getty Images The dome show took place after the exodus of Cadillac’s last president, Johan de Nysschen (all other Cadillac leaders since have been vice presidents), who had discussed the need for the brand to have its own vehicle platforms and powertrains. De Nysschen, an auto industry veteran who’s also led Audi and Infiniti, said he believes Cadillac “has made a lot of progress” since his departure. “I am pleased to say, in broad terms, that they’ve stayed true to the strategic direction that we had been agreed upon with GM top management,” he said during a phone interview. Value over volume GM’s rule of thumb has been to prioritize “volume over value,” which includes achieving scale on mainstream models ahead of producing luxury vehicles such as Cadillacs. The strategy has helped GM’s profits but it’s been a challenge for Cadillac at times. It’s caused the brand to be late to vehicle segments and resulted in products such as the short-lived Cadillac ELR (a version of the Chevrolet Volt) a decade ago and, more recently, the outgoing XT6 crossover. That is no longer the case for Cadillac as it’s refocused, officials said. For example, there were expectations that GM would do a Cadillac version of the mid-engine Corvette, but Reuss said such a vehicle would not have fit into the brand’s new strategy, noting it would have shared a majority of components with the Corvette. “It was developed as a secondary car to the Corvette, on purpose. We would never do that,” Reuss said, citing potential room for additional specialty, Cadillac-specific vehicles outside of its $300,000-plus Celestiq. Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO, speaks during the unveiling of the Cadillac Celestiq electric sedan in Los Angeles, Oct. 17, 2022. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images The all-electric Celestiq is a bespoke vehicle that the company is hand building at its tech and design campus in Warren. It was always meant to be low-volume production but orders as of the end of last year were only in the dozens. After delayed starts to production and sales, Reuss said GM is essentially relaunching the car after the automaker has gotten its software — a crucial part of the business — in order. “Just to be really transparent, we struggled launching our regular EVs, and so we’ve built our software capability to really execute and execute on time,” Reuss said. “We didn’t want to execute the car without everything being perfect on the software front. … To be honest, we’re relaunching the car.” First customer deliveries of the Celestiq are expected by midyear, according to the company, which declined to disclose how many orders it has received for the car. If successful, it could create a new two-unit business model for the company: one focused on hand-built, high-end vehicles and the other on mass-produced models. Challenges remain Wall Street is starting to once again take notice of Cadillac inside GM’s business, as other growth opportunities have faltered. “One of the real gems is Cadillac that we don’t think gets enough airtime and there’s huge opportunity,” BofA analyst John Murphy said at an investor conference last month with Cadillac’s current leader, John Roth. The decade-long plan for Cadillac also has the brand’s momentum building, particularly in North America — its home market. During the first quarter of this year, Cadillac reported an 18% increase in sales, including its best retail performance since 2008, Roth said. It hit that while offering among the lowest incentives as a percentage of sales price on record average transaction prices of $77,900. “That’s building brand health. That’s building brand value,” Roth, Cadillac global vice president, said at the BofA conference. “It’s a growth brand.” April sales were the brand’s best for that month since 2007, GM CEO Mary Barra said on a call Thursday. She noted all of its U.S. vehicles are produced in America – a potential advantage over ******* luxury brands and others. “So there is a huge opportunity for us to continue to build and leverage our product strength and the fact that these vehicles are built in the U.S.,” Barra said. Reuss declined to comment on potential impacts to Cadillac as a result of tariffs, but said the American brand is well positioned to continue to grow. While Cadillac grows domestically, Cadillac’s sales in China — its largest market for years until 2024 — have been in a freefall. It’s an industrywide problem, as ******** brands grow in the country, dominating Western brands such as Cadillac, BMW and others. “China is difficult for everyone. How Cadillac addresses that and improves that is not entirely in their control,” Brinley said. “Their products are strong, but I think the dynamics in China are just not in an imported brand’s favor right now.” Cadillac’s sales in China peaked at nearly 232,000 vehicles in 2021, representing 62% of Cadillac’s global sales. In 2024, ******** sales totaled roughly 110,400 units, or 38%, of its 294,200 sales globally — marking the first time since 2015 that they’ve dropped below 300,000. Reuss, GM’s president, said China remains a focus for the automaker, which also is attempting to return to Europe with Cadillac. GM exited the market after selling its European operations in 2017. A classic Cadillac is displayed in a dealership’s window in Manhattan on April 1, 2025 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Reuss declined to discuss sales targets for Cadillac, but said both China and Europe continue to have a “major role” to play for the brand’ renaissance. “I think the way we execute vehicles globally will change, but Cadillac will be there with the latest and greatest, and we need to rebuild the sales capability, which we’re doing,” Reuss said. Cadillac last year remained off the winner’s podium in terms of sales. It was fifth in the U.S. and seventh globally, according to industry data confirmed by Cadillac. It trailed global leader BMW as well as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, among others. Roth last month said the brand’s success includes sales, but Cadillac’s goals are multifaceted and the race to profitably grow Cadillac continues. “We talk about Cadillac being the ‘standard of the world,'” Roth told investors last month. “Every day that standard never has a finish line. We keep moving that finish line, keep raising the bar on what the brand needs to stand for in the marketplace and keep growing and evolving the brand on a forward-looking basis.” Source link #GMs #battle #revive #Cadillac #American #luxury #car #brand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Yemen's Houthis announce campaign targeting Israeli airports – Reuters Yemen's Houthis announce campaign targeting Israeli airports – Reuters Yemen’s Houthis announce campaign targeting Israeli airports ReutersIran denies ordering Houthi attacks, as Yemen group reports wave of US airstrikes The Times of IsraelIsrael’s Netanyahu vows response to Iran after Houthi attack on airport Al JazeeraSouthern Yemeni diplomat denounces Houthi targeting of Ben-Gurion Airport – interview The Jerusalem PostHouthi missile strike at Israel airport halts flights ahead of key vote on Gaza war NPR Source link #Yemen039s #Houthis #announce #campaign #targeting #Israeli #airports #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Review – The Wickie: Journey of a Lighthouse Keeper (PC) | WayTooManyGames Review – The Wickie: Journey of a Lighthouse Keeper (PC) | WayTooManyGames WTMG’s Heidi Hawes: “Honestly, I’m really disappointed that The Wickie: Journey of a Lighthouse Keeper wasn’t released more fully developed. I love the concept of being dropped into a strange world with no exposition dumps, and only your exploration and puzzle solving skills being able to guide you through and make sense of things. I’d love to revisit this game someday when it’s in a more playable state, but as of now it’s more of a frustration than a challenge.” Source link #Review #Wickie #Journey #Lighthouse #Keeper #WayTooManyGames Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bullwinkel: Recount likely in WA’s newest seat as it turns to postal votes in a photo finish Bullwinkel: Recount likely in WA’s newest seat as it turns to postal votes in a photo finish Postal votes are set to decide the race for Bullwinkel, but a recount is likely with the Labor and Liberal candidates currently neck and neck. Source link #Bullwinkel #Recount #newest #seat #turns #postal #votes #photo #finish Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The viral psychological horror dating sim “Cooking Companions” is now available for consoles The viral psychological horror dating sim “Cooking Companions” is now available for consoles Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes: “If there is one thing that the visual novel genre can be known for is its flexibility. Developers and writers of visual novels can explore all manner of topics and even delve into creepy and uncomfortable territory if they so wish, either going for it blatantly or putting it all together in a cute package that hides its sinister secrets beneath a bright veneer. One such title happens to be Cooking Companions from Deer Dream Studios, where a cute and colorful package complete with chatty vegetables called Chompettes belie the psychological horror within. Originally releasing on PC back in 2021, Serenity Forge has stepped in to help the developers bring the game to consoles with some touch ups, a few new animated scenes, and other additions. So now that Cooking Companions has arrived to a wider audience, is this meal a fulfilling one or will players be left hungry once these bowls are clean?” Source link #viral #psychological #horror #dating #sim #Cooking #Companions #consoles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tech site says Signal-like app used by Trump adviser was hacked Tech site says Signal-like app used by Trump adviser was hacked A security breach in an unofficial version of the encrypted messaging app Signal has raised concerns about the vulnerability of communications within the highest levels of the US government, according to a report by tech site 404 Media. The app, TeleMessage, which mimics Signal’s functionality, was reportedly used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, as indicated by a Reuters photograph showing him using the app during a cabinet meeting. The vulnerability exploited by the hacker highlights potential security risks associated with using unofficial communication platforms for sensitive government discussions. Waltz was ousted Thursday, several weeks after the eruption of a scandal over his creation of a Signal group to share realtime updates on U.S. military action in Yemen. The chat drew particular attention because Waltz, or someone using his account, accidentally added a prominent journalist to the group. The revelation that Waltz was using TeleMessage, which appears to have a similar interface and functionality as Signal, has only heightened the concerns over the security of his communications. 404 Media quoted the hacker – who didn’t identify themself – as saying that they had broken into TeleMessage’s backend infrastructure and been able to intercept some of its users’ messages. 404 Media said the hacker provided them with material, some of which the news site was able to independently verify. Mike Waltz, US national security adviser, during a lunch with US President Donald Trump and Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store (EPA) The publication said that the hacker did not intercept messages from Waltz or other Trump cabinet officials. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Messages seeking comment from TeleMessage and its corporate owner, Portland, Oregon-based Smarsh, were not immediately returned. Messages seeking comment from Waltz and the White House also weren’t immediately returned. Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging platform whose technology is meant to frustrate hostile surveillance. Smarsh’s product TeleMessage, which the company is in the process of rebranding as Capture Mobile, is designed to capture the messages once they’ve been decrypted so they can be preserved and stored. That kind of additional functionality can be useful for complying with government rules on document retention but if poorly implemented it can introduce security risks. A Signal spokesperson told Reuters earlier this week that the company “cannot guarantee the privacy or security properties of unofficial versions of Signal.” Source link #Tech #site #Signallike #app #Trump #adviser #hacked Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NanoApostle Review | TheXboxHub | N4G NanoApostle Review | TheXboxHub | N4G “The London-based (the ***) indie games publisher PQube and Taiwan-based indie games developer 18Light Game Ltd., today announced with great happiness and thrill that they have just released a free demo for their upcoming sci-fi boss-rush game “NanoApostle“ (the said demo is available right now for PC via Steam).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #NanoApostle #Review #TheXboxHub #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UBS says this energy stock is primed for even more gains ahead UBS says this energy stock is primed for even more gains ahead A couple of catalysts could send shares of EQT even higher over the next year, according to UBS. Analyst Josh Silverstein upgraded shares of the American natural gas company to buy from neutral and hiked his price target by $10 to $64, implying 23.4% upside from Friday’s close. That upgrade comes as the stock is already up 12% in 2025, beating out the S & P 500’s more than 3% decline in that time. Shares have also soared more than 38% in the past six months. EQT 6M mountain EQT, 6-month “We remain constructive on the natural gas outlook in 2026, underpinned by the three large scale [liquefied natural gas] facilities startups in the Gulf, and the growing demand for power generation from the nation wide [artificial intelligence] data center buildout,” the analyst wrote in a Monday note to clients. “We see EQT as well positioned to capture the potential upside given its unhedged exposure in 2026.” AI data center demand could even bolster the company this year, as Silverstein noted the potential for a power supply contract – particularly in the Appalachian Basin – to take place given that the company is currently involved in more than 10 commercial negotiations. The company announced last month that it’s buying oil and gas company Olympus Energy for $1.8 billion, in a deal expected to close in the third quarter. That could serve as another catalyst for growth in the coming months, Silverstein said. Silverstein’s upgrade puts him with 16 others who have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock, according to LSEG. Eight others have taken a neutral view, having a hold rating. Source link #UBS #energy #stock #primed #gains #ahead Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Conservatives have long dreamed of passing a bill to shred tons of regulations. They may be closer than ever. – Politico Conservatives have long dreamed of passing a bill to shred tons of regulations. They may be closer than ever. – Politico Conservatives have long dreamed of passing a bill to shred tons of regulations. They may be closer than ever. PoliticoRep. Bob Goodlatte: Bill reins in agency rulemaking Federal News NetworkBill should rein in regulation Northeast Mississippi Daily JournalRepublicans use reconciliation to target agency rulemaking E&E News by POLITICOJudiciary Committee Proposals Would Rein In Regulatory Overreach National Taxpayers Union Source link #Conservatives #long #dreamed #passing #bill #shred #tons #regulations #closer #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The cozy 2d pixel-art life simulator “To Pixelia” is now available for PC via Steam The cozy 2d pixel-art life simulator “To Pixelia” is now available for PC via Steam “The San Diego-based indie games publisher and game developer Crytivo and Antalya-based (Turkey) indie games developer Pixeduo Studios, are today very happy and excited to announce that their cozy 2d pixel-art life simulator “To Pixelia”, is now available for PC via Steam.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #cozy #pixelart #life #simulator #Pixelia #Steam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Says He Wants Alcatraz Restored as a Prison – The New York Times Trump Says He Wants Alcatraz Restored as a Prison – The New York Times Trump Says He Wants Alcatraz Restored as a Prison The New York TimesTrump says he is directing Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz to house ‘ruthless and violent offenders’ CNNPresident Trump says he will direct agencies to reopen Alcatraz NBC Bay AreaTrump seeks to reopen Alcatraz, place tariffs on movies made abroad PoliticoTrump says he will reopen Alcatraz as a federal prison The Washington Post Source link #Trump #Alcatraz #Restored #Prison #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]