Pelican Press

New Boston Celtics owner solves NBA rule issue, will finalize ***** (report) New Boston Celtics owner solves NBA rule issue, will finalize ***** (report) The Celtics $6.1 billion ***** to lead owner Bill Chisholm and his group is expected to be finalized within the next week according to a new report from Front Office Sports. Chisholm was reportedly seeking out additional investors for his group as recently as the past week. However, FOS reports that Chisholm has found enough investors for his group to complete the purchase and is even “oversubscribed” per two sources. Advertisement Chisholm has also secured the necessary funding to ensure the deal will be compliant with NBA private-equity rules. A global investment firm named Sixth Street will be an investor in the deal but was not allowed to be the largest stakeholder per league rules. It’s unclear just how big of a stake Chisholm will have in the team, but he must purchase at least 15 percent of the $6.1 billion price tag per league rules. Current Celtics ********* co-owner Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Sixth Street are other known investors in the purchase alongside Chisholm. Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck hinted last month in an interview with WBZ that the team’s ***** process was going smoothly. “I think this can be a really positive transformation,” Grousbeck said. “It’s going to happen this summer, but it’s definitely going to happen. I think we’re oversubscribed. We have more capital coming in than we even have room for. Appreciation to those people who are believing. A lot of former partners are coming in now, which is a new change, and that’s great. Advertisement “So it’s the old and the new mixing in together. But there’s new energy and there’s new excitement. We’ve been in 22 years, my group, and now most of us are going to be in going forward, including me. I’m doubling down on all my stuff and putting everything I’ve got in to stay for a while. It’s really exciting. There’s a new vibe. They don’t want to change anything. They want it to be just the way it’s been.” Chisholm’s group will ultimately take a controlling stake in the franchise if the deal is approved by the league in the first part of a two-part *****, with 51 percent occurring this summer. Current governor Wyc Grousbeck is expected to remain in his current role until the close of the ***** in 2028. The NBA board of governors is expected to vote on the deal in June for final approval. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive. Source link #Boston #Celtics #owner #solves #NBA #rule #issue #finalize #***** #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The cosmic horror/card/RPG “The Horror at Highrook” is available for PC via Steam The cosmic horror/card/RPG “The Horror at Highrook” is available for PC via Steam “The Washington-based (the US) indie games publisher Outersloth and Brighton-based (the ***) solo indie games develeper Nullpointer Games, are today very proud and delighted to announce that their cosmic horror/card/RPG, “The Horror at Highrook” is coming to PC via Steam on May 1st (2025).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #cosmic #horrorcardRPG #Horror #Highrook #Steam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Public broadcasting chiefs vow to fight Trump's executive order cutting federal funding for PBS, NPR – AP News Public broadcasting chiefs vow to fight Trump's executive order cutting federal funding for PBS, NPR – AP News Public broadcasting chiefs vow to fight Trump’s executive order cutting federal funding for PBS, NPR AP NewsENDING TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZATION OF BIASED MEDIA The White House (.gov)Trump says he’s ending federal funding for NPR and PBS. They say he can’t NPRPress Release | Corporation for Public Broadcasting Statement Regarding Executive Order on Public Media Corporation for Public BroadcastingTrump Eliminates Funding to NPR, PBS: What to Know U.S. News & World Report Source link #Public #broadcasting #chiefs #vow #fight #Trump039s #executive #order #cutting #federal #funding #PBS #NPR #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Will Nintendo Switch 2 Have Joy-**** Stick Drift Issues? Will Nintendo Switch 2 Have Joy-**** Stick Drift Issues? The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch very soon. It will bring with it next-gen visuals and performance, something that was sorely lacking in the first-generation Switch. Indeed, while the console proved to be a massive hit amongst players, multiple hardware issues soured the overall experience. One of the more prominent issues was stick drift, which resulted in many Joy-Cons being abandoned and rendered useless quickly. With the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2, how Nintendo will address the issue remains to be seen. What is stick drift, and why was it a major issue on the original Switch In a nutshell, stick drift is a phenomenon observed when any of the analog sticks of a controller begin to move on their own, for no apparent reason erratically. This ghost movement is known as ‘drift’. Stick drift could be returning to the Switch 2 | Image Credits: Nintendo Stick drift is a common issue plaguing consoles across the globe, and this is partly due to the deliberate use of a more obsolete design, instead of the Hall-effect sensors present in modern iterations of PC controllers. The Nintendo Switch, in particular, had a very bad case of stick drift in its Joy-Cons, which was reported to be affecting quite a large number of retail units. Given the pricey nature of the Joy-Cons (especially when attempting to buy a first-party replacement), many users were understandably upset with the whole affair. The situation got so bad that Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, formally apologized and offered a free repair program. Given the high failure rate of these controllers, buyers were notably infuriated. Early reports on Nintendo Switch 2’s stick drift from users and reviewers While we are yet to get our hands on the retail version of the Nintendo Switch 2, one thing was made abundantly clear – the Switch 2 will use traditional, potentiometer-based analog sticks, instead of the much superior (albeit pricey) hall effect variants. We still don’t know a whole lot about the Switch 2 | Image Credits: Nintendo This isn’t very reassuring, as it brings with it the possibility of stick drift, which is quite likely to occur in these Joy-Cons as well. To make matters worse, it was alleged that the Switch’s Joy-**** drift was caused by a fundamental design flaw, which eroded its circuit boards over time. This meant that there was no quick and easy fix available, with the only realistic solution being a complete replacement. The Switch 2 seems to be a lot better in terms of build quality and overall longevity, at least from first impressions. Producer Kouichi Kawamoto has assured buyers that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature better, longer-lasting Joy-Cons, being designed from the ground up. Nothing concrete has been said about stick drift, though, and it remains to be seen how these newer Joy-Cons will stand the test of time. Nintendo’s response and potential fixes for Joy-**** drift in the Switch 2 Speaking out in a recent ‘Ask the Developer’ news piece from Nintendo, the company explained how they attempted to remake the Joy-Cons from scratch for the new system. In short, the newer Joy-Cons feel a lot tighter, snappier, and should theoretically last a lot longer. Interestingly, the whole interview was missing any mentions of stick drift, which Nintendo has chosen to avoid. As such, there is no way to say whether the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons will have stick drift. If anything, the problem is likely to manifest later down the line, albeit at a much, much lower rate—assuming Nintendo did its homework this time. Source link #Nintendo #Switch #JoyCon #Stick #Drift #Issues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Two dead after navy ship hits Amazon River oil platform Two dead after navy ship hits Amazon River oil platform A Peruvian navy vessel has collided with an oil platform in the Amazon River, killing at least two people and leaving one missing. The collision happened in the early hours of Friday morning at the junction of the Napo and Amazon rivers, causing “severe damage”, Peru’s defence ministry said. Thirty crew members were rescued from the vessel, with specialised diving teams and helicopters deployed as part of the search operation, the statement added. It is not clear if the platform, owned by Anglo-French company Perenco, was damaged or whether oil has leaked into the river. The Peruvian defence ministry said it was investigating the cause of collision. “Peru’s Navy deeply regrets the irreparable loss of our crew members,” the defence ministry said, adding that it would provide assistance to their loved ones. The ministry said the vessel, called Ucayali, hit the platform while it was navigating near the mouth of the Napo River in northern Peru. BBC News has approached Perenco for comment. There are hundreds of gas and oil blocks in areas of Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador covered by the Amazon rainforest. Spills in the region have had a devastating impact on indigenous communities and local wildlife. In 2022, the Peruvian government said almost 12,000 barrels of oil had leaked into the sea after a tanker was hit by waves linked to a volcanic eruption on Tonga. Source link #dead #navy #ship #hits #Amazon #River #oil #platform Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to watch Google I/O 2025 and The Android Show How to watch Google I/O 2025 and The Android Show Google’s annual I/O developer conference is coming on May 20, and for the first time, there’s two major events you’ll want to watch to stay on top of all the updates the company’s making to its software platforms. I/O 2025 kicks off on May 20, and a week earlier on May 13, there’s also The Android Show: I/O Edition, a dedicated showcase for the Android ecosystem. The Android Show: I/O Edition airs on May 13 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT. Android is developed partially in the open, so there’s already some indication of what could be coming with Android 16. So far, that’s a visual redesign of some of the operating system’s core features, like the notification shade, a take on Apple’s Live Activities for tracking ongoing events and possibly a Samsung DeX-like “Desktop Mode” for Android phones. To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. I/O 2025 starts on May 20 at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with Google’s keynote, typically a series of updates on Android, Search, Google Workspace and Gemini. It’s worth noting: Google typically doesn’t set aside separate time for Android announcements. The company said there will be some Android news at I/O, but the safe bet is that Gemini will be the star. We expect Google to share Gemini updates, along with Android XR news and maybe further demonstrations of experimental projects like Project Astra. Google’s I/O keynote will be available to watch on Google’s YouTube channel and right here once the livestream is up on May 20 at 1PM ET. The Android Show: I/O Edition will air on Google’s Android YouTube channel on May 13 at 1PM ET, and since it appears to be pre-recorded, we’ve already embedded it above. Source link #watch #Google #Android #Show Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Seeks to Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts Trump Seeks to Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts President Trump proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities in the budget he released Friday, taking aim once again at two agencies that he had tried and failed to get rid of during his first term. The endowments, along with the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, were among the entities listed in a section titled “small agency eliminations” in his budget blueprint for the next fiscal year. The document said that the proposal was “consistent with the president’s efforts to decrease the size of the federal government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities” and noted that Mr. Trump’s past budget proposals had “also supported these eliminations.” In 2017, during his first term, Mr. Trump proposed eliminating both the arts and the humanities endowments. But bipartisan support in Congress kept them alive, and in fact their budgets grew during the first Trump administration. Since Mr. Trump returned to office this year, his administration has taken aim at the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, canceling most of their existing grants and laying off a large portion of their staffs. But the arts agency had yet to announce major cuts. The proposal to eliminate the endowments drew a quick and furious reaction from Democrats. One, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, vowed to fight the plan to eliminate the N.E.A. “tooth and nail.” Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, who serves as the top Democrat on the House subcommittee overseeing the N.E.A., said in an interview that Mr. Trump was “making a broad-based attack on the arts, both for funding and content.” She cited his proposals to eliminate the endowments as well as his takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington and his efforts to influence the Smithsonian Institution. “We were able to restore the funding last time,” she said, “but as you know, based on the first 100 days of this administration, they’re in no mood to keep much of government alive anymore, and their attack is focused on everything, and the arts have already got a bull’s-eye on their back.” The N.E.A. supports arts organizations and projects in every congressional district in the country, which has traditionally made it popular with lawmakers in both major parties. Many of its individual grants are modest in size. But they can be important, particularly for smaller organizations, where they make up a larger percentage of the budget. The grants are often seen as marks of distinction, which can help attract potential donors from the private sector. The arts endowment has been without a permanent leader since Maria Rosario Jackson, who was appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., resigned when Mr. Trump took office. Mary Anne Carter, who served as the agency’s chair during the first Trump administration, has been overseeing the agency this year, with the title of senior adviser. The Trump administration had already upended the endowment’s distribution of grants. Shortly after the second term began, the N.E.A. announced it was eliminating grants this year from a program supporting projects for underserved groups and communities. Then the agency announced that it would require grant applicants to promise not to promote “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “gender ideology” in ways that run afoul of President Trump’s executive orders — creating confusion and concern among arts groups applying for grants. Both requirements were put on hold as court challenges were considered, and recently the agency posted a notice suggesting that it would no longer require grant applicants to certify that they will not promote gender ideology but will expect the agency’s chair to review grant applications in accord with statutory requirements. The arts endowment, established in 1965, is a federal agency that distributes grants to arts organizations and state arts agencies across the country. Its budget was $207 million in 2024, and its financial report that year said it had provided more than $163 million in grants. Even as it moves to shut down the arts endowment in fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration is moving to redirect some of its already appropriated funding. Last month, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that it and the arts endowment would each contribute $17 million to build President Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes, a patriotic sculpture park that is central to his plans for commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. Jennifer Schuessler contributed reporting. Source link #Trump #Seeks #Eliminate #National #Endowment #Arts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Seeks to Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts Trump Seeks to Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts President Trump proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities in the budget he released Friday, taking aim once again at two agencies that he had tried and failed to get rid of during his first term. The endowments, along with the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, were among the entities listed in a section titled “small agency eliminations” in his budget blueprint for the next fiscal year. The document said that the proposal was “consistent with the president’s efforts to decrease the size of the federal government to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities” and noted that Mr. Trump’s past budget proposals had “also supported these eliminations.” In 2017, during his first term, Mr. Trump proposed eliminating both the arts and the humanities endowments. But bipartisan support in Congress kept them alive, and in fact their budgets grew during the first Trump administration. Since Mr. Trump returned to office this year, his administration has taken aim at the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, canceling most of their existing grants and laying off a large portion of their staffs. But the arts agency had yet to announce major cuts. The proposal to eliminate the endowments drew a quick and furious reaction from Democrats. One, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, vowed to fight the plan to eliminate the N.E.A. “tooth and nail.” Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, who serves as the top Democrat on the House subcommittee overseeing the N.E.A., said in an interview that Mr. Trump was “making a broad-based attack on the arts, both for funding and content.” She cited his proposals to eliminate the endowments as well as his takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington and his efforts to influence the Smithsonian Institution. “We were able to restore the funding last time,” she said, “but as you know, based on the first 100 days of this administration, they’re in no mood to keep much of government alive anymore, and their attack is focused on everything, and the arts have already got a bull’s-eye on their back.” The N.E.A. supports arts organizations and projects in every congressional district in the country, which has traditionally made it popular with lawmakers in both major parties. Many of its individual grants are modest in size. But they can be important, particularly for smaller organizations, where they make up a larger percentage of the budget. The grants are often seen as marks of distinction, which can help attract potential donors from the private sector. The arts endowment has been without a permanent leader since Maria Rosario Jackson, who was appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., resigned when Mr. Trump took office. Mary Anne Carter, who served as the agency’s chair during the first Trump administration, has been overseeing the agency this year, with the title of senior adviser. The Trump administration had already upended the endowment’s distribution of grants. Shortly after the second term began, the N.E.A. announced it was eliminating grants this year from a program supporting projects for underserved groups and communities. Then the agency announced that it would require grant applicants to promise not to promote “diversity, equity and inclusion” or “gender ideology” in ways that run afoul of President Trump’s executive orders — creating confusion and concern among arts groups applying for grants. Both requirements were put on hold as court challenges were considered, and recently the agency posted a notice suggesting that it would no longer require grant applicants to certify that they will not promote gender ideology but will expect the agency’s chair to review grant applications in accord with statutory requirements. The arts endowment, established in 1965, is a federal agency that distributes grants to arts organizations and state arts agencies across the country. Its budget was $207 million in 2024, and its financial report that year said it had provided more than $163 million in grants. Even as it moves to shut down the arts endowment in fiscal year 2026, the Trump administration is moving to redirect some of its already appropriated funding. Last month, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that it and the arts endowment would each contribute $17 million to build President Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes, a patriotic sculpture park that is central to his plans for commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. Jennifer Schuessler contributed reporting. Source link #Trump #Seeks #Eliminate #National #Endowment #Arts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prince Harry’s emotional avalanche hits the Royal Family Prince Harry’s emotional avalanche hits the Royal Family This BBC interview with Prince Harry will become one of those famous moments when television collides with the world of the royals. It was like an emotional avalanche. It began with some stones being kicked over with questions about security and then the interview turned into a spectacular release of what seemed to be a rolling mountain of pent-up frustration and a poignant sense of separation. The starting point was Prince Harry’s defeat in the courts as he sought to overturn a downgrading of his security in the ***. He seemed wounded. Had he decided it was time to have his say? And then really say some more? A conversation about security was suddenly becoming about a whole range of insecurities. Prince Harry looked upset, it seemed a cry from the heart when he said that his father “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff”, even though he didn’t know “how much longer my father has”. This was a first-hand confirmation of the scale of the rift in the Royal Family. There was also the lack of contact between his children and their wider family in the ***. He was “gutted” and “devastated” and tired of only coming home for funerals and court cases. And like all family rows, there was a balancing act between wanting to air grievances, to throw emotional punches, and then still want to get back together and hug and make friends. So Prince Harry talked of the downgrading in his security in terms of this family dispute, suggesting that the Royal Household had influenced the decision, using security as leverage to keep him within the Royal Family. Then he talked with great frankness, sounding like a slightly homesick son stuck overseas, when he spoke about wanting reconciliation. “There’s no point continuing to fight any more. Life is precious,” he said, holding out an olive branch the size of a small palace. The “sticking point” for reconciliation is security when he visits the ***, said Prince Harry. And as well as calling on his father the King to help resolve this, he also called on the prime minister and home secretary to intervene. At that point, it’s worth stepping away from the drama and taking a cold draught of unemotive legal air, from the judge who ruled against Prince Harry on Friday afternoon. Sir Geoffrey Vos told the court that Prince Harry’s “sense of grievance” did not add up to the same thing as a legal argument. He upheld the decision that security arrangements had been changed because Prince Harry’s circumstances had changed, he was no longer a working royal and no longer living in the ***. It might have annoyed Prince Harry, but the courts had again rejected his claim about unfair treatment. There was also a response from Buckingham Palace that sounded like a weary parent. “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.” It wouldn’t be right for the King to wade into issues being reviewed by the courts and considered by government departments, suggested the Palace. While Prince Harry wore his frustration on his sleeve in this interview, you have to wonder how the rest of his family will privately respond to this outburst, with this story ricocheting around the world, on billions of mobile phones and TV screens. These clips are going to be seen again and again. Netflix would have spun it out into a mini-series. VE Day 80 is coming up next week, with the Royal Family prominent at commemorations. But the public might still be thinking of Prince Harry’s accusations about them. How will that work alongside messages of togetherness and unity? Like in all families, arguments can go back a long way. And Prince Harry’s testimony was disarmingly candid, restlessly baring his feelings, and suggesting that his departure from the *** was still unresolved. He was looking back with some uncertainty at home, and the question now will be how people at home look back at him. Source link #Prince #Harrys #emotional #avalanche #hits #Royal #Family Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beijing weighs fentanyl offer to US to start trade talks, WSJ reports Beijing weighs fentanyl offer to US to start trade talks, WSJ reports WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Beijing is considering ways to address the Trump administration’s concerns about China’s role in the fentanyl trade, potentially providing an off-ramp from hostilities to allow trade talks to start, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The paper cited unnamed people familiar with the matter as saying that ******** Minister for Public Security Wang Xiaohong had been inquiring in recent days about what the Trump team wants China to do when it comes to the chemical ingredients used to make the potent drug fentanyl. The report said part of Beijing’s thinking involved dispatching Wang to the U.S. to meet with senior officials of President Donald Trump’s administration, or to have him meet with U.S. officials in a third country. It cited the sources as cautioning that the discussions remained fluid and that Beijing would like to see some softening of Trump’s trade offensive against China. The White House and China’s Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The report came after the ******** Commerce Ministry said it was evaluating an offer from Washington to hold talks over Trump’s 145% tariffs on China, although it warned the U.S. not to engage in “extortion and coercion.” Trump has linked the U.S. trade war with China, which has roiled global markets and upended supply chains, to the fentanyl crisis killing large numbers of Americans. Washington says ******** chemical manufacturers and exporters provide most precursor chemicals used by drug cartels to produce synthetic opioids, the cause of nearly 450,000 U.S. overdose deaths. China has long defended its tough drug laws and record of cracking down on smugglers, and says the U.S. must get a handle on its own addiction woes. Trump said on Wednesday he believed there was a “very good chance” his administration could do a deal with China, hours after ******** President Xi Jinping called on officials to take action to adjust to changes in the international environment, without explicitly mentioning the United States. Sources told Reuters last month that the Trump administration had engaged in direct talks with ******** counterparts, mostly between the top staff at the ******** embassy in Washington and the U.S. National Security Council. However, the sources said the talks had not yielded results and American negotiators have accused the ******** of failing to negotiate in good faith. On Friday, the Trump administration ended U.S. duty-free access for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong, removing the “de minimis” exemptions used by Shein, Temu and other e-commerce firms, as well as by traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit goods. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington and Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Franklin Paul and Rod Nickel) Source link #Beijing #weighs #fentanyl #offer #start #trade #talks #WSJ #reports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sims 4 Needs and Motives: How To Keep Your Sims Happy And Alive Sims 4 Needs and Motives: How To Keep Your Sims Happy And Alive Just as you do in real life, the digital people who occupy the worlds of The Sims 4 have needs that have to be fulfilled, or else they won’t be happy and something bad will probably happen. Potentially something really bad, like dying. Fortunately, meeting your sims’ needs is not the most complex affair–our digital people aren’t quite so complicated as real people are. Still, a little knowledge goes a long way, and you’ll find more than a little knowledge below as we break down how needs work and how you can best address them, whether it be through activities your sim partakes in, or permanent lifetime rewards that allow you to ignore them entirely. Let’s dive in. Even sims gotta eat. Most of them, anyway. The Sims 4 Needs list Hunger Solution: eat food Related perks: Hardly Hungry and Forever Full If your sim doesn’t eat food, they’ll get hungry. If they continue not eating food until their hunger gauge depletes entirely, they’ll soon die from starvation or, if they’re a child, be taken away by Child Protective Services and adopted by a different family. Because the stakes are pretty high with this one, hunger is the only need your sim has that absolutely has to be dealt with every time, because it’s the only baseline need that is guaranteed to kill a sim if it’s not addressed. So don’t forget to make your sim eat. There are two reward perks that will make dealing with hunger much, much easier. Hardly Hungry (4,000 reward points) will dramatically decrease the rate your hunger gauge depletes, and Forever Full (10,000 reward points) will make it so your hunger gauge will no longer deplete naturally. Energy Solution: sleep, drink caffeine Related perks: Seldom Sleepy, Never Weary One of the most annoying aspects of human life is the consistent need for sleep, and your sims are no different than you are in this respect. Sims need to rest, and if they’re tired they’ll be worse at all tasks they attempt, gain skills more slowly than usual, and have an increased risk of injury during certain tasks, like rock climbing and building robots. The best way to replenish your energy gauge is by sleeping. You can also drink coffee for a burst of energy, but that’s only a temporary solution–your characters will need to sleep eventually. Vampires have two additional methods for resting: sleeping in coffins, and dark meditation. Fortunately, the stakes for this need are fairly low–if your sim’s energy bar depletes all the way, they’ll just pass out on the floor, and will otherwise be fine aside from a temporary negative moodlet. But there is one big danger: If a sim runs out of energy and passes out while swimming, they’ll drown. There are two unlockable aspiration rewards related to energy. Seldom Sleepy (4,000 points) will make your sim’s energy gauge drain much more slowly, and Never Weary (10,000 points) will completely remove your sim’s need for sleep. Likewise, a fully upgraded vampire won’t need to sleep, except to replenish their vampire energy. Bladder Solution: use a toilet Related perks: Steel Bladder After your sim eats, the waste from the food has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is hopefully a toilet–because using a toilet will completely replenish the bladder meter. The only real risk with this need is your sim ******** their pants, which makes them dirty, smelly and embarrassed. The Steel Bladder aspiration reward (2,000 points) will make your bladder meter deplete much more slowly. The Hardly Hungry and Forever Full perks also help with the bladder need, since this need only goes down when your sim consumes food–they’ll never have to use the bathroom if they never eat. Or you could approach this problem from a different direction with the Shameless reward (2000 points), which will make it so your sim doesn’t mind ******** themselves. Hygiene Solution: take a shower, brush your teeth Related perks: Antiseptic, Forever Fresh As your sim goes about their business, they’ll gradually become dirtier and stinkier, and that process will go faster if they do vigorous activities like working out or doing WooHoo–or ******** their pants. Bathing will completely take care of this need right away, and a sim can also brush their teeth or wash their hands for a small boost to their hygiene meter. If you have the Laundry Day stuff pack and have placed laundry machines on your sim’s home lot, they’ll also need to wash their clothes, which will get dirty just like their bodies do. The hygiene need can be mitigated using two aspiration reward perks. Antiseptic (3,000 points) will make your hygiene meter decrease slower, and Forever Fresh (8,000) will prevent you from ever having to bathe. Fun Solution: do things your sim enjoys Related perks: Carefree Just like you, your sims need to do things to entertain themselves, or else they’ll lose their minds–or, more specifically, they’ll get really tense and ornery. But the solution is pretty uncomplicated: Your sim just has to do something they enjoy. The options are pretty limitless, as they can play video games, play with their pets or children, playing competitive games like sports or chess, and hobby activities like fishing, swimming, and working out all will satisfy the fun need as long as your sim actually likes doing it. You can look, or choose, your sim’s preferences in Create-a-Sim if you aren’t sure what they like. But you don’t even really need to figure this one out, because if you let your sim operate autonomously they’ll almost always handle this one on their own. Seeking out fun stuff to do seems to be the main operating mode for autonomous sims. If you don’t want to ever have any fun, the Carefree aspiration reward (2,000 points) will prevent your sim from ever getting tense, which negates the effects of a low fun meter. Sims are very social creatures. Social Solution: talk to other sims, or the toilet Related perks: Independent, Needs No One Sims are very social beings, just like we are, and spending time with other people is a crucial part of their lives. If your sim’s social meter depletes too far, they’ll become cripplingly sad and depressed until they talk to somebody. Actually going outside and directly interacting with other sims, or inviting sims over to hang out, is probably the most obvious solution, but there’s really no need for in-person interaction–chatting with others on the computer or social media also will raise your social meter. And if you want to get really introverted about this one, your sim could get the talking toilet in build mode and become friends with it, removing any need to deal with other people. The Independent lifetime reward (2,000 points) will make your social need deplete much more slowly, and Needs No One (5,000 points) will negate this need entirely. Vampire vulnerabilities Solutions: carry an umbrella, and drink plasma from sims, fruit or plasma packs Related perks: Tamed Thirst, Sun Resistance Vampires have two unique needs that regular sims do not: They need to drink plasma from other sims (this replaces hunger), and they need to not stand in direct sunlight or they will suffer and eventually die. The sunlight thing is fairly simple to deal with–just carry an umbrella, and your vampire sim will use it when they go outside during the day. Plasma is more complicated, because drinking from other sims is generally frowned upon, even though it doesn’t technically harm them–and if you get too thirsty, your sim will temporarily go feral and randomly attack another sim. If you don’t mind the reputation hit, drink away, but if you want your sim to stay on good terms with folks, there are two alternative and benign sources of plasma: buying plasma packs on the computer and picking plasma fruit from a plasma tree. Plasma trees grow wild in Forgotten Hollow, and you can use a plasma fruit to plant your own plasma trees. The vampire skill tree has perks that can permanently deal with both of these vulnerabilities, however, though they’ll take a while to unlock. Tamed Thirst, a max-level vampire skill, will make it so your sim will never have an adverse reaction to thirst. And Sun Resistance is a fourth-level skill with three tiers that will let your sim become a daywalker. Mermaid hydration Solution: drink water, bathe, swim Related perks: Forever Fresh Even in their human form, mermaids need to stay moist thanks to the hydration need, which replaces hygiene for this particular form of being. But because it uses the hygiene meter, your mermaid sims won’t die from dryness, they’ll just get very tense and annoyed and won’t be able to use their mermaid-specific abilities. But this is an easy fix: Mermaids can increase their hydration with any water-related activity aside from sitting in a hot tub. So, taking a bath, going swimming, or drinking water will do. The Forever Fresh perk, which permanently solves your hygiene need, will also have the same effect on the hydration need for mermaids. Source link #Sims #Motives #Sims #Happy #Alive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems – AP News Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems – AP News Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems AP NewsTrump brings DOGE fight over access to Social Security data to Supreme Court CNNUS appeals court will not allow DOGE to access Social Security data ReutersTrump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security data USA TodayAppellate court won’t lift restrictions on DOGE access to Social Security information AP News Source link #Trump #administration #asks #Supreme #Court #DOGE #access #Social #Security #systems #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*********** Federal election: Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton, who is going to win and by how much? *********** Federal election: Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton, who is going to win and by how much? Need a bit of a refresh on how Federal election day works? Well, here is what you need to know. How do you win?A political party needs 76 seats in the House of Representatives to form a majority governmentA net loss of just three seats will leave Labor needing to negotiate with the crossbench to form a ********* governmentThe coalition requires a net gain of 19 seats to govern in its own right, or a uniform swing of about 5.3 per centIf neither party makes it to the requisite 76 seats, whichever has the most would enter into negotiations with the crossbench firstPublished polls suggest Labor is most likely to win government but could fall short of a majority, while the coalition claims its internal data paints a vastly different pictureA ********* parliament would be the first since 2010 and only the third since 1943Where do things stand?Feel like giving the politicians a rating this Federal election? Our Pollie Rater lets you do just that. Rate the politiciansLabor – 78 seats (including seat redistributions)Coalition – 57 seats (including vacant seats after retirement, former MPs who defected to the crossbench and seat redistributions)Independents – nine seatsGreens – four seatsKatter’s *********** Party – one seatCentre Alliance – one seatWhat’s changed since the last election?The Victorian seat of Higgins and the NSW seat of North Sydney have been abolished after a redistributionWestern Australia has gained an electorate with the seat of Bullwinkel in Perth’s outskirtsNationals MP Andrew Gee left the party to become an independent, while coalition MPs Russell Broadbent and Ian Goodenough also defected to the crossbenchThe former Liberal safe seat of Aston fell to Labor at a 2023 by-election Source link #*********** #Federal #election #Anthony #Albanese #Peter #Dutton #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze after dispute over trans athletes Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze after dispute over trans athletes PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday agreed to halt all efforts to freeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program after initially suspending those dollars due to a disagreement between the state and Trump over transgender athletes. In response, the state will drop its lawsuit that had been filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced. “It’s unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,” Frey said in a statement. “But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.” An email message seeking comment was sent Friday to the Agriculture Department. The settlement closes a dispute first sparked by the federal government’s decision to freeze federal funds to Maine for certain administrative and technological functions in the state’s schools. A letter from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explained that the decision stemmed from a disagreement between the state and federal governments over whether Maine was complying with Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex. Trump had accused Maine of failing to comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports. Soon after the secretary’s letter was sent, Maine’s Department of Education could not access several sources of federal funds for a state nutrition program, according to the court’s written order. Maine quickly sued the Trump administration, where the state’s attorneys argued that the child nutrition program received or was due to receive more than $1.8 million for the current fiscal year. Prior year funds that were awarded but are currently inaccessible total more than $900,000, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also said that the program was anticipating about $3 million that is typically awarded every July for summer meal program sponsor administration and meal reimbursement. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds last month after finding that Maine was likely to succeed in its legal challenge. Source link #Trump #administration #settles #Maine #funding #freeze #dispute #trans #athletes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prince Harry says he wants ‘reconciliation,’ but Charles won’t talk to him – The Washington Post Prince Harry says he wants ‘reconciliation,’ but Charles won’t talk to him – The Washington Post Prince Harry says he wants ‘reconciliation,’ but Charles won’t talk to him The Washington PostPrince Harry tells BBC he wants ‘reconciliation’ with Royal Family BBCPrince Harry BBC interview: Harry seeks family reconciliation after losing court case that caused split with King Charles III ABC13 HoustonBuckingham Palace issues rare statement after Prince Harry loses bid for *** security, his bombshell BBC interview New York PostPrince Harry Says He’s at Risk From ‘Institutions That Preyed Upon’ Diana Newsweek Source link #Prince #Harry #reconciliation #Charles #wont #talk #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The sitcom absurdity of the federal election battle The sitcom absurdity of the federal election battle Fuel pumps, a fall and a football gone astray were just a few of the scenes that made up a month of campaign inanity. Source link #sitcom #absurdity #federal #election #battle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New bill that would ban unlicensed ********** product sales headed to Ohio House New bill that would ban unlicensed ********** product sales headed to Ohio House A bill that would ban unlicensed adult use ********** is headed to the state House. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate this week. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7’s Mason Fletcher speaks with dispensary workers about how consumers can make sure they are buying a regulated product LIVE on News Center7 at 5:30 p.m. “It’s not tested properly, it’s not regulated. I think it’s gone under the radar for a long time,” Tracey McMillin of Pure Ohio Wellness said. McMillin says SB 86 is long overdue in Ohio. TRENDING STORIES: The bill would ban any intoxicating hemp product that is sold at an unlicensed dispensary. “A child is not going to walk in and buy anything from us, but my understanding is they can walk into those places and buy something,” McMillin said. A doctor from Dayton Children’s Hospital spoke to state senators, saying ER visits for kids who were exposed to unlicensed products went up more than 570 percent from 2019 to 2023. The doctor added that the hospital gets multiple calls a day for children under 6-years-old who were exposed to unlicensed products. State licensed dispensaries have much more strict rules. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Source link #bill #ban #unlicensed #********** #product #sales #headed #Ohio #House Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prep For The Holidays With These Official Video Game Decorations Prep For The Holidays With These Official Video Game Decorations Christmas is still over half a year away, but it’s never too soon to start planning for the holidays. And if you’re looking to upgrade your decorations for 2025, you’ll want to explore the new gaming collection from Hallmark. The main attraction is a Mario Super Star Tree Topper that plays music from Super Mario Bros., but you’ll also find ornaments inspired by Zelda, Minecraft, Pokemon, and other popular brands. We’ve picked out a few of our favorites below, but you can also browse Hallmark’s entire 2025 video game collection to see all the upcoming ornaments. Preorders for all the items are expected to open soon, and they’ll likely be listed at both Hallmark and Amazon. $93 | Releases July 12 It’s not cheap, but the Super Star Tree Topper should make a premium addition to any Christmas Tree. Along with a design based on its in-game counterpart, the topper comes with a remote control that triggers a light show syncing to Super Mario Bros. music. It’s a bit flashy and completely geeky–but if you’re living in a house full of gamers, it’s an excellent way to complete your tree. $24 | Releases July 12 Elephant Mario is one of the best power-ups in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and now you can bring the powerful figure to your Christmas tree. Crafted from plastic and tucked away in a Keepsake Ornament gift box, it’s a fun choice either for yourself or as a holiday gift. $32 | Releases October 11 This premium Master Sword ornament is crafted out of metal, giving it a luxurious appearance. It’s quite sizable at around 5.5 inches, and it’s a wonderful way to bring a piece of Hyrule to your holidays. $29 | Releases July 12 Relive the glory days of gaming with this fancy Xbox 360 ornament. Featuring both the console and controller, you can press the power button to kick off a light show and hear it play a startup sound. You could also pick up last year’s Hallmark Keepsakes, which include Master Chief, Bowser, Link, and other familiar faces. There’s also a much more affordable Super Mario Star Tree Topper if you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative. It’s not part of the Hallmark collection, but it’s hard to argue with its low price. Source link #Prep #Holidays #Official #Video #Game #Decorations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Could Make Billions If Trump’s Budget Proposal Is Approved – The New York Times Elon Musk’s SpaceX Could Make Billions If Trump’s Budget Proposal Is Approved – The New York Times Elon Musk’s SpaceX Could Make Billions If Trump’s Budget Proposal Is Approved The New York TimesTrump aims to cut $6 billion from NASA budget, shifting $1 billion to Mars-focused missions CNBCProposed 2026 NASA budget slashes $6 billion, mostly from science programs NBC NewsThe Planetary Society condemns deep, damaging 24% cut to NASA’s budget The Planetary SocietyTrump’s 2026 Budget Proposes Cutting NASA Funding by $6 Billion The New York Times Source link #Elon #Musks #SpaceX #Billions #Trumps #Budget #Proposal #Approved #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

List of Central Texas school districts with early release Friday due to severe weather List of Central Texas school districts with early release Friday due to severe weather Several school districts in Central Texas have announced early releases for school or the cancellation of after-school activities after threats of severe weather in the area. A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for a swath of Central Texas, including Travis and Williamson counties, with the possibility of tornadoes, hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The service predicts the main risks to residents is large to very large hail and damaging wind gusts. Schools Austin — all after-school activities canceled Georgetown — high school release at 1:45 p.m.; middle school release at 2:10 p.m.; elementary school release at 3 p.m. (regular schedule) Hutto — elementary school release at 1:30 p.m.; middle school release at 2:20 p.m.; ninth grade center and Hutto High School release 3 p.m.; after-school activities canceled; buses will run 1.5 hours early Round Rock — all after-school activities canceled This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Central Texas districts releasing early Friday ahead of severe weather Source link #List #Central #Texas #school #districts #early #release #Friday #due #severe #weather Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to expect from Android 16, Android XR and Gemini What to expect from Android 16, Android XR and Gemini In a couple of weeks, Google’s annual developer conference will kick off on . The event is probably the most important on the company’s calendar, offering a glimpse at everything it has been working on over the past year. Judging from rumors and information Google has trickled out, I/O 2025 should be one of the more exciting tech keynotes in recent memory. Plus, this year Google has a dedicated Android showcase planned a whole week earlier. If you want to know what to expect from the company later this month, read on. Android 16 In years past, some of my favorite I/O moments involved watching Dave Burke take to the Shoreline stage to talk about the latest updates for Android. But for the past couple of years, Android hasn’t had much of a spotlight at Google’s annual developer conference. That’s about to change, with the company hosting a dedicated showcase that will air a week before I/O proper. Scheduled for May 13, Google says it has “so many things to share” during the Android Show: I/O Edition. To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. The presentation will feature Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat, who took over for Burke in 2024. As for what to expect from Samat and company, a preview of Android 16 is an obvious bet. Google has already confirmed the new operating system will arrive sometime before the second half of the year. As such, it may even release a stable build of Android 16 that same day. One feature Google could announce for Android 16 is Live Activities-like . Per , Google could also add a more robust photo picker, with support for cloud storage solutions. Android XR Remember ? No, how about ? Maybe ? After sending (at least) three XR projects to the , you would think even Google would say enough is enough. Instead, the company is preparing to release Android XR after at the end of last year. This time around, the company says the power of its Gemini AI models will make things different. We know Google is working with Samsung on a headset codenamed Project Moohan. Last fall, Samsung that the device could arrive sometime this year. Whether Google and Samsung demo Project Moohan at I/O, I imagine the search giant will have more to say about Android XR and the ecosystem partners it has worked to bring to its side for the initiative. AI, AI and more AI If Google felt the need to split off Android into its own showcase, we’re likely to get more AI-related announcements at I/O than ever before. The company hasn’t provided many hints about what we can expect on that front, but if I had to guess, features like are likely to get substantive updates. I suspect Google will also have something to say about , the web-surfing agent it demoed at I/O 2024. Either way, Google is an AI company now, and every I/O moving forward will reflect that. Project Astra Speaking of AI, was one of the more Google showed off at I/O 2024. The technology made the most of the latest multi-modal capabilities of Google’s Gemini models to offer something we hadn’t seen before from the company. It’s a voice assistant with advanced image recognition features that allows it to converse about the things it sees. Google envisions Project Astra one day providing a truly useful artificial assistant. However, after seeing an in-person demo of Astra, the Engadget crew felt the tech needed a lot more work. Given the splash Project Astra made last year, there’s a good chance we could get an update on it at I/O 2025. Wear OS Last year, Wear OS didn’t get a mention during the company’s main keynote, but Google did preview during the developer sessions that followed. The company only began rolling out to Pixel devices in March. Given that, you might expect Google wouldn’t have much new to share, but the official Wear OS X account told fans to watch the Android Show for updates. NotebookLM Since 2023, Google has offered on desktop. The note-taking app uses machine learning for features like automated summaries. Based on App Store and Google Play listings, the company is getting ready to release a mobile version of the service on the first day of I/O 2025. Everything else Google has a terrible track record when it comes to preventing leaks within its internal ranks, so the likelihood the company could surprise us is low. Still, Google could announce something we don’t expect. As always, your best bet is to visit Engadget on May 20 and 21. We’ll have all the latest from Google then along with our liveblog and analysis. Source link #expect #Android #Android #Gemini Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Ends ******** Tariff Loophole, Raising the Cost of Online Goods – The New York Times Trump Ends ******** Tariff Loophole, Raising the Cost of Online Goods – The New York Times Trump Ends ******** Tariff Loophole, Raising the Cost of Online Goods The New York TimesA massive tariff on millions of Americans’ purchases just went into effect — cue the chaos CNNTemu halts shipping direct from China as de minimis tariff loophole is cut off CNBCTrump’s tariffs come for fast fashion, and the blowback could be fierce. PoliticoAs Trump moves to tax small parcels, some retailers give up on US Reuters Source link #Trump #Ends #******** #Tariff #Loophole #Raising #Cost #Online #Goods #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How To Complete Fortnite’s Secret Star Wars Story Quests How To Complete Fortnite’s Secret Star Wars Story Quests Everything about Fortnite battle royale is different in the game’s first-ever Star Wars season–just look at the new loot pool, which is entirely made up of energy weapons that don’t use ammo, something Fortnite has never done before. Another fun quirk is that the story quests for Star Wars season don’t hold your hand quite as much as the story quests usually do. In fact, the game doesn’t even tell you what the quests are–it just mentions that there are quests, and puts a lot of circles on the updated map to indicate the general area where you can find them. Like this: Completing this season’s story quests requires a little more effort than usual. Since the quests are hidden, it can be tough to tell how many there even are or whether you’ve done everything that’s currently available. If you’re trying to be efficient with your leveling, trying to do these quests might be a little bit irritating. But don’t worry, we’ve got all the details you need for this first round of seasonal storytelling. Right now we have five story quests, none of which is very difficult or requires much time, and you can do them in any order you want, but you’ll have to find them first. So let’s go through them. Where to find Fortnite’s Star Wars story quests Blow up stuff with an X-Wing Where to find Poe Dameron. First up is Poe Dameron’s quest to destroy objects with an X-Wing’s lasers. The first thing you’ll need to do is find Poe at the Resistance Base in the northwest corner of the map, where Whiffy Warf used to be. Talk to him at the marked location above to activate the quest, and then use any X-Wing on the island to blow up 25 objects. Fortunately, the Resistance Base is home to a couple of them. Once you’ve completed the object, return to Poe to close out the quest. Deliver a lightsaber to General Grievous Where to find General Grievous. After that we have a quest to deliver a lightsaber to General Grievous, which you’ll need to activate by chatting with the evil cyborg–he’s hanging out midway between Seaport City and Masked Meadows, just north of the old ****** market outpost. Once you’ve started the quest, you just need to retrieve a padawan lightsaber and bring it back to him. The easiest way to do this is to visit a training hologram of a Star Wars character and have them train you and give you a saber, but looting one off an enemy player should also work. Once you’ve returned the lightsaber to Grievous, the quest is done. Repair a damaged TIE Fighter Where to find the damaged TIE Fighter. Next up is a mission to repair a damaged TIE Fighter that’s lying on its side next to the road just south of Flooded Frogs. When you arrive at the spot, the first thing you’ll need to do is click on the terminal that will be marked with a quest icon when you get close enough. Then you’ll need to gather three barrels of fuel, which are nearby and similarly marked, then click on the TIE itself to get it working again. When you’re done, you’ll have a working TIE Fighter that you can fly around in. Retrieve stormtrooper data logs All the stormtrooper data logs can be found fairly close together inside Vader Samurai’s Solitude. The fourth quest is to click on a series of four stormtrooper data logs, all of which are located at Vader Samurai’s Solitude in the southwest corner of the island. When you’re in that place, the locations of the datalogs will be marked on your mini-map and will also show up in the general UI, so they won’t be too difficult to find. Retrieve Rebel data logs The rebel data logs are a little bit scattered around. Lastly, we’ve got a quest to click on four Rebel data logs, which are more spread out than the stormtrooper ones. Two of the logs are just to the northwest of Brutal Boxcars, one is near the previously discussed broken TIE Fighter south of Flooded Frogs, and the last one is on a road intersection next to the Burd station midway between Shiny Shafts and the Resistance Base. Those are all the story quests you can do right now, but there will be many more as the season moves along–expect more story quests on a weekly basis. Source link #Complete #Fortnites #Secret #Star #Wars #Story #Quests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What To Watch TV reviews: Bergerac, Strife season two, Jock And Me, The Piano and the return of Poker Face What To Watch TV reviews: Bergerac, Strife season two, Jock And Me, The Piano and the return of Poker Face BergeracSunday, 8.30pm, ABC Bergerac’s back — but not as you know it. The Jersey-set British crime series which ran for 10 years from 1981 and starred John Nettles in the title role of Jim Bergerac is back on screens. But this time Brassic star Damien Molony is stepping in to play the troubled DCI, and things look very different indeed. Those vintage enough to remember this popular crime drama the first time around may be disappointed to note a few key changes, chief among them the updating of the accordion theme tune — it’s now a much darker, moodier affair, setting the tone for the series as a whole. This time around Bergerac emerges as a recently bereaved father of one, on stress leave and hitting the bottle after his wife’s untimely death six months earlier. But when a member of one of Jersey’s wealthiest families is murdered, police call back their No.1 man, and it’s up to him to piece together what happened. But is he up to the job? Joining Molony is a great ensemble cast, which includes the reliably great Zoe Wanamaker, who plays Jim’s mother-in-law, begrudgingly helping as Bergerac battles to get his life back on track. He’s struggling to contain his grief and put on a brave face for his teenage daughter — Wanamaker’s on hand to set him straight. This time around the series takes on a different format: instead of a case-of-the-week, it follows Bergerac as he investigates the wealthy woman’s *******. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing — there’s still much to like about this darkly reimagined crime drama. Oh, and good news: Bergerac’s leather jacket and burgundy 1947 Triumph Roadster remain! A win for fans. This is great Sunday night fare. StrifeThursday, streaming on BingeCamera IconStrife is streaming on Foxtel and Binge. Credit: John Platt Asher Keddie returns as women’s publishing powerhouse Evelyn Jones, a character clearly based on real-life maven Mia Freedman. This season sees our hero (is she though?) besieged on all sides as her media empire is set upon by rivals, including a new women’s website launching with Eve’s old colleague at the helm. Mary Coustas, Nathan Page, Dylan Alcott and Tim Minchin join the cast. One to watch. Jock And MeSunday, 8pm, 7NEWS SpotlightCamera IconLauren Zonfrillo is speaking to Liz Hayes on this weekend’s 7NEWS Spotlight. Credit: Supplied Liz Hayes is popping up for the first time on 7NEWS Spotlight with this exclusive sit-down with Jock Zonfrillo’s wife, Lauren. This is the first time Lauren has spoken publicly about the death of her high-profile husband, who was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in May 2023. His cause of death has never been released. This is sure to be fascinating — Liz is an icon and it’s great she’s back on screens over at Seven. The PianoSunday, 7.30pm, ABCCamera IconHarry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam join Amanda Keller. Credit: ABC Get the tissues ready, this one will have you welling up — in the best possible way. Amanda Keller hosts this six-part series, which gives ordinary people who love the piano the opportunity to perform publicly in places like train stations and shopping centres. The twist? Watching on are Harry Connick Jr and concert pianist Andrea Lam, who will pick out performers to join them at a special concert. This is lovely, life-affirming television. Poker FaceThursday, streaming on StanCamera IconPoker Face is returning to Stan, with (multiple versions of) Cynthia Erivo popping up in episode one. Credit: Supplied Everyone’s favourite human lie-detector is back, and no porky pie is safe! Natasha Lyonne returns as unintentional super-sleuth Charlie Cale, an ex-casino worker with an uncanny ability to sniff out an untruth. This season she’s on the run, with nothing but her wits and trusty Plymouth Barracuda to keep her company. Keep an eye out for Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo who pops up in episode one — she’s a delight. Source link #Watch #reviews #Bergerac #Strife #season #Jock #Piano #return #Poker #Face Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Differently Abled Gamers Have Always Wanted an ‘Easy Mode’ For the Hardest Hidetaka Miyazaki Game Differently Abled Gamers Have Always Wanted an ‘Easy Mode’ For the Hardest Hidetaka Miyazaki Game While known for his brilliant storytelling capabilities and world-building, Hidetaka Miyazaki doesn’t really excel when it comes to making his games accessible to a vast group of gamers out there. His “patience and pain equal reward” mentality made him deliver back-to-back timeless classics that really offer nothing but suffering when it comes to combat and boss battles. Getting back to the accessibility part, if you’ve ever had a hands-on experience with any Soulsborne title, whether that be Dark Souls or Elden Ring, you’d know that FromSoftware does not fool around when it comes to difficulty. So, where do differently abled gamers, who are perhaps not able to play the same way as others, fit in this equation? Especially when it comes to the hardest Souls game, Sekiro. Hidetaka Miyazaki and an ignorance towards differently abled gamers when it comes to Sekiro Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not very accessible to the majority of gamers | FromSoftware So far, the world of Soulsborne games has remained exclusive to just a small chunk of players. Anybody who’s looking for just “casual gaming” needs to stray away, unless they want to gamble on what will become their new addiction or the reason why they break their keyboard and controller. However, as we move towards a more inclusive world that considers accessibility as a basic for video games, it’s hard to determine where Hidetaka Miyazaki’s creations stand. When the renowned director’s hardest game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, came out, this is what Steve Saylor, a video game accessibility consultant, had to say on his official YouTube channel: A lot of games we play that may seem easy for you when it comes to your skill level, are extremely difficult, and when we do get to that point where we do beat the game, or beat a certain challenge. It’s not because it was easier for us, it was still a challenge, and we want to be able to feel the same way in all of the games that we play. Talking in the context of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Saylor previously, in his statement, brought up the “easy mode takes away the experience” debate and talked about how even a normal game is extremely difficult for differently abled gamers. Hence, adding an easy mode doesn’t “take away” the essence of what the director has aimed for but rather helps bring down the difficulty and make it level to what any, for lack of a better word, normal gamer would play. Hidetaka Miyazaki and the difficulty toggle, a never-ending tango Hidetaka Miyazaki doesn’t like difficulty toggle in his games | Nintendo While the director has outright revealed his dislike for an easy mode in Souls games, the craft is ultimately done for gamers. Players, especially the ones on PC, find a way around that helps them bring down the intensity of FromSoftware titles. A perfect example of this would be this one, Dark Souls Easy Mod, which might seem like a good idea at first; it has ultimately left the community divided on how to feel. On one hand, it offers more accessibility to beginners and those who need it, but on the other, it feels like training wheels on a bicycle that might just never come off. It’s hard to determine which side is the right one in this debate, because perhaps, there isn’t one. Hidetaka Miyazaki, his hardcore fans, and those who need more accessibility in video games all stand fair and square, making modding perhaps the best peaceful solution out there to settle the scores. Source link #Differently #Abled #Gamers #Wanted #Easy #Mode #Hardest #Hidetaka #Miyazaki #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]