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‘I did encourage the battle’: PlayStation vs Xbox console war was ‘healthy’ but has lost its feistiness, Peter Moore says ‘I did encourage the battle’: PlayStation vs Xbox console war was ‘healthy’ but has lost its feistiness, Peter Moore says Former Xbox executive Peter Moore says the Xbox vs PlayStation console war was “healthy for the industry”, but that things have changed. In an interview on Danny Peña’s YouTube channel, Moore was asked about Xbox‘s current strategy of releasing its first-party games on other systems, most notably PS5. Moore – who joined Xbox in 2003 to help it compete with the PS2 and GameCube, then oversaw the launch of the Xbox 360 – said that in that era the concept of ‘console wars’ was a good thing for the industry, because it kept each side in the public eye. According to Moore, the mainstream press previously “blamed all of society’s ills on video games”, saying that they were “a waste of time, creating violence, blah blah blah, all of that”, and that “the early 2000s was a phenomenal platform for us to get off the back pages and to get on the front pages, and to be taken seriously as an entertainment medium”. Moore was notorious for appearing at shows like E3 with game tattoos, such as his Halo 2 tattoo (used to announce its release date) and his Grand Theft Auto IV tattoo (used in an attempt to convince the public that GTA was now associated with the Xbox brand). Moore says these and other PR stunts were necessary at the time for helping to grow the industry. “We needed to do a ton of missionary work in those days, and at the same time we were young enough to have fun, and do all the daft stuff that we did, and all the stunts,” he replied. “I think the console wars that you’re kind of alluding to were healthy for the industry. “Look, I’ve said it before – certainly, I did encourage the battle, because I think gamers loved to see Xbox versus PlayStation, maybe Nintendo as well, and that I think was a rising tide that lifted all ships.” Today’s situation, Moore stressed, is different, and while Microsoft continues to make Xbox consoles, he thinks it would stop doing so and focus on games if it could, but that there’s still a public appetite for buying hardware. “If [Microsoft] had the choice, would they make hardware? No,” he explained. “Would they be delighted if they could be a multi-hundred billion dollar entity delivering content directly to your television, to whatever monitor you choose to play on? You bet. “You know, the classic Netflix model, you just select – ‘Who’s playing this? 5000 people playing this? I’m going to jump in right now’, no latency, no lag, you’re in, and there doesn’t need to be a box between you and your controller and the TV set. But still, you know, consoles are – as we’ve seen particularly with Nintendo now – people love their hardware. Moore added that while he understands that Microsoft’s intention is no longer to get involved in console wars, he says he feels some of the “feistiness” has gone as a result. “The acquisition of Activision Blizzard changed things, I think – not I think, I know – at Microsoft,” he said, “and so this is not the old days of the console wars, and punching each other, and trying to steal customers and trying to get market share and build your attach rate. This is ******* than that in an economic sense. “Has it lost a little bit of the feistiness that the industry I think fed upon and grew upon? I think so, yeah.” Source link #encourage #battle #PlayStation #Xbox #console #war #healthy #lost #feistiness #Peter #Moore Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The time change for daylight saving 2025 hits tomorrow night. Here's what to know when we "spring forward." – CBS News The time change for daylight saving 2025 hits tomorrow night. Here's what to know when we "spring forward." – CBS News The time change for daylight saving 2025 hits tomorrow night. Here’s what to know when we “spring forward.” CBS NewsMore Than Half in U.S. Want Daylight Saving Time Sunsetted GallupWhen does daylight saving time start? The Journal NewsIt’s time to spring forward. Daylight saving time begins this weekend. The Washington Post Source link #time #change #daylight #saving #hits #tomorrow #night #Here039s #quotspring #forward.quot #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rennsport lands on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S 2025, cross-platform with PC Rennsport lands on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S 2025, cross-platform with PC Nacon will publish the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S version later in 2025 alongside a Version 1.0 release for PC. Source link #Rennsport #lands #PS5 #Xbox #Series #crossplatform Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Startup claims its Zeus GPU is 10X faster than Nvidia’s RTX 5090: Bolt’s first GPU coming in 2026 Startup claims its Zeus GPU is 10X faster than Nvidia’s RTX 5090: Bolt’s first GPU coming in 2026 Bolt Graphics, a GPU startup from Sunnyvale, California, this week introduced its Zeus GPU platform that is designed for gaming, rendering, and supercomputer simulations. The company says that its Zeus GPU not only supports features like upgradeable memory and built-in Ethernet interfaces, but it can also beat Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 by around 10 times in path tracing workloads, according to slide published by ServeTheHome. There is one major catch: Zeus can only beat the RTX 5090 GPU in path tracing and FP64 compute workloads because it does not support traditional rendering techniques. This means it has little of no chance to become one of the best graphics cards. RISC-V multi-chiplet GPU Unlike GPUs from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia that rely on proprietary instruction set architectures, Bolt’s Zeus relies on the open-source RISC-V ISA, according to slides published by ServeTheHome. The Zeus core relies on an open-source out-of-order general-purpose RVA23 scalar core mated with FP64 ALUs and the RVV 1.0 (RISC-V Vector Extension Version 1.0) that can handle 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit data types as well as Bolt’s additional proprietary extensions designed for acceleration of scientific workloads. (Image credit: Bolt Graphics) As Zeus is aimed at path tracing rendering technique as well as compute workloads, it does not seem to have traditional fixed-function GPU hardware like texture units (TMUs) and raster operation units (ROPs), so it has to rely on compute shaders (or similar methods) for texture sampling and graphics outputs. This saves precious silicon real estate for compute elements. Nonetheless, each Zeus GPU has one DisplayPort 2.1a and one HDMI 2.1b output. Like many processors these days, Zeus relies on a multi-chiplet design. The entry-level Zeus 1c26-032 features a single processing unit that is equipped with 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory at 273 GB/s and can be mated with up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory using two SO-DIMMs (at 80 GB/s). The Zeus GPU is also paired with an I/O chiplet that packs a QSFP-DD port for 400GbE/800GbE, two PCIe Gen5 x16 slots with CXL 3.0 on top (enabling efficient memory sharing across multiple cards), and a GbE port for BMC. The GPU chiplet connects to its I/O chiplet at 256 GB/s. The more advanced Zeus 2c26-064/128 uses two Zeus processing units, an I/O chiplet, and supports either 64 GB or 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory. The most powerful — Zeus 4c26-256 — implementation integrates four processing units, four I/O chiplets, 256 GB LPDDR5X and up to 2 TB of DDR5 memory. The quad-chiplet Zeus implementation is not a card, but rather is a server. Unlike high-end GPUs that prioritize bandwidth, Bolt is evidently focusing on greater memory size to handle larger datasets for rendering or simulations. Also, built-in 400GbE and 800GbE ports to enabling faster data transfer across networked GPUs indicates datacenter focus of Zeus. Performance Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 – Cell 0 Bolt Zeus 1c26-032 Bolt Zeus 2c26-064 Bolt Zeus 2c26-128 Bolt Zeus 4c26-256 Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Board Power (W) 120 250 250 500 575 FP64 / FP32 / FP16 vector TFLOPS 5 / 10 / 20 10 / 20 / 40 10 / 20 / 40 20 / 40 / 80 1.6 / 105 / 105 INT16 / INT8 matrix TFLOPS 307.2 / 614.4 614.4 / 1,228.8 614.4 / 1,228.8 1,228.8 / 2,457.6 818.4 / 1,636.8 Path Tracing (gigarays) 77 154 154 307 32 On-chip cache (MB) 128 256 256 512 120 LPDDR5X memory 32 GB LPDDR5X 64 GB LPDDR5X 128 GB LPDDR5X 256 GB LPDDR5X – DDR5 memory 2x DDR5 SO-DIMMs 4x DDR5 SO-DIMMs 4x DDR5 SO-DIMMs 8x DDR5 DIMMs – Max memory and bandwidth Up to 160 GB @ 363 GB/s Up to 320 GB @ 725 GB/s Up to 384 GB @ 725 GB/s Up to 2,304 GB @ 1.45 TB/s 32 GB @ 1.8 TB/s Video Encoding (AV1, H.264/265) 2x 8K60 AV1 streams 4x 8K60 AV1 streams 4x 8K60 AV1 streams 8x 8K60 AV1 streams 3x 8K60 AV1 streams Display outputs DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b – 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, HDMI 2.1b PCIe 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 8x PCIe 5.0 x16 PCIe 5.0 x16 GbE 400 GbE (QSFP-DD) 400 GbE (QSFP-DD) 400 GbE (QSFP-DD) 6x 800 GbE (OSFP) – High-quality rendering, real-time path tracing, and compute are key focus areas for Zeus. As a result, even the entry-level Zeus 1c26-32, offers significantly higher FP64 compute performance than Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 — up to 5 TFLOPS vs. 1.6 TFLOPS — and considerably higher path tracing performance: 77 Gigarays vs. 32 Gigarays. Zeus also features larger on-chip cache than Nvidia’s flagship — up to 128 MB vs. 120 MB — and lower power consumption: 120W vs. 575W, making it more efficient for simulations, path tracing, and offline rendering. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. However, the RTX 5090 dominates in AI workloads with its 105 FP16 TFLOPS and 1,637 INT8 TFLOPS compared to 10 FP16 TFLOPS and 614 INT8 TFLOPS offered by single-chiplet Zeus. If Zeus could do traditional rendering, then the 1c26-32 with with its 10 FP32 TFLOPS performance would have no chance against the RTX 5090’s 105 TFLOPS. The quad-chiplet 4c26-256 — which still consumes less power than the GeForce RTX 5090, but is likely to be more expensive — can beat Nvidia’s gaming flagship in all workloads except FP32 and FP16, which emphasizes that traditional gaming was not the priority. The company indicates that the quad-chiplet variant is optimized for electromagnetic field modeling, photonics research, and FFT calculations. With its larger memory pools and reduced reliance on external storage, Zeus promises to improve speed of large-scale simulations. Assuming, of course, that its hybrid memory subsystem works efficiently across all workloads. Software Software support will be a critical factor in the success of Bolt’s Zeus GPUs, as hardware capabilities alone are not enough to compete with established players like AMD and Nvidia. Unlike CUDA for Nvidia and ROCm for AMD, Bolt’s Zeus lacks a mature, widely adopted software ecosystem. Since it is based on RISC-V, Zeus can potentially leverage existing open-source tools and libraries, but without strong developer support, adoption will be limited. One thing that Bolt introduced is its Glowstick path tracing rendering engine, which could be a promising in-house solution for real-time rendering. Traditional rendering workflows require long processing times to visualize changes, whereas Zeus significantly reduces this delay, which makes it useful for professional visualization applications. Compared to existing solutions, Bolt claims up to 2.5x faster performance on single-chip variants, scaling higher with multiple GPUs. However, it is unclear whether Zeus can support industry-standard frameworks such as OpenCL, Vulkan, and CUDA-translation layers, which are essential for gaining traction in HPC workloads. If Bolt Graphics provides strong developer tools, robust compiler support, and compatibility with Linux-based HPC environments, Zeus could establish itself as a competitor in scientific computing and rendering, but it faces an uphill battle against Nvidia’s well-established ecosystem. Availability Bolt Graphics says that the first developer kits will be available in late 2025, with full production set for late 2026, which will give time for software developers to play with the hardware. The number of discrete GPU developers from the U.S. and Western Europe has shrunken to three companies in 2025 from around 10 in 2000. Nvidia dominates the market and is followed by AMD and Intel, which can compete in select segments only. No company in the recent years — at least outside of China — was bold enough to engage into competition against these three contenders, so the very emergence of Bolt Graphics seems like a breakthrough. However, the major focuses of Bolt’s Zeus are high-quality rendering for movie and scientific industries as well as high-performance supercomputer simulations. If Zeus delivers on its promises, it could establish itself as a serious alternative for scientific computing, path tracing, and offline rendering. However, without strong software support, it risks struggling against dominant market leaders. Source link #Startup #claims #Zeus #GPU #10X #faster #Nvidias #RTX #Bolts #GPU #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Active managers keep lagging market: Why it’s so tough to beat the indexes Active managers keep lagging market: Why it’s so tough to beat the indexes S & P Dow Jones Indices is out with its annual survey of the performance of active fund managers, and once again the performance is dismal. Sixty-five percent of large-cap fund managers underperformed their benchmark (the S & P 500) in 2024. The long-term performance is even worse: 84% underperformed after 10 years. The SPIVA U.S. Scorecard , run by S & P Dow Jones Indices, is the gold standard for evaluating the performance of active fund managers against their benchmarks. The 2024 report includes more than 2,000 mutual funds and ETFs in the U.S., substantially all the domestic funds in the U.S. 2024 in line with historic averages, but small cap did better Last year’s large-cap fund tally was slightly worse than the 24-year average of 64% of funds underperforming. Mid-cap managers did not fare any better although ,surprisingly, small-cap managers had a better performance: only 30% underperformed their benchmarks, far below the historic average of 60% underperforming. Fund manager underperformance in 2024 Large-cap managers: 65% Mid-cap managers: 62% Small-cap: 30% Source: SPIVA Why did small cap managers do relatively well last year? The S & P 600 small-cap index returned less than 7% last year, “and there was a huge return differential (16%) between the large cap S & P 500 and the small cap S & P 600,” Anu Ganti, head of U.S. Index Investment Strategy for S & P Dow Jones Indices and the author of the report, told CNBC. “That may have helped active small cap managers because they may have been able to take on exposure to larger cap stocks.” Active managers long-term track record terrible Over the 24-year history of the SPIVA survey, one striking feature stands out: not only do the majority of fund managers underperform each year, but the underperformance rates go up as the time horizon lengthens. As bad as it is, the underperformance only gets worse still after 10 years. Large-cap fund managers underperformance (vs. S & P 500) After 1-year: 65.2% After 5-years: 76.2% After 10-years: 84.3% After 20-years: 92.0% Source: SPIVA “These numbers have not changed much over the years, showing how difficult it is to outperform long-term,” Ganti told me. Surveying the results, the 2019 SPIVA study concluded, “[T]he persistence of fund performance was worse than would be expected from luck.” An important point about the SPIVA study: it accounts for both fees and survivorship bias. Many funds liquidate or merge over time. Over a 10-year *******, about one-third of funds go out of business, largely due to poor performance, but the SPIVA report accounts for those funds. Long-term, it’s really hard to beat the market Beating the stock market is a very difficult game. Stock pickers tend to do better during periods when: 1) there is high volatility, 2) markets are trending down, and 3) megacaps are underperforming. With the exception of a few moments, none of those conditions prevailed in 2024: volatility was relatively low, the S & P 500 returned another strong year (total return of 25%) and there was a generally strong performance from a small group of large-cap tech stocks. It’s particularly tough for active managers when a small group of stocks push the indexes up all year, as again happened for most of last year. Why? When a small group of stocks lead, active managers would have to pick those exact few stocks that outperformed — and have an even higher concentration in them to outperform. But it is almost impossible to consistently pick those few winners and, at any rate, active managers are usually reluctant to take such concentrated bets. Active management outperformance is getting harder Active managers do not underperform because they are dumb. Just the opposite, Ganti tells me: the quality of active managers has never been higher. “Everyone is getting too smart,” Ganti told me. Ganti identified three consistent problems active managers encounter: 1) Active managers’ fees are higher than index fund fees; 2) The market is composed of professional traders who do not have an information advantage; and 3) Only a ********* of stocks typically outperform in any given year, and it is almost impossible to select what stocks will outperform ahead of time. “It boils down to the increasing professionalization of the industry, the higher costs, and the fact that there is only a handful of stocks that drive outperformance, and it’s like finding a needle in a haystack to identify them,” Ganti said. Outperformers don’t last If 90% of active managers underperform the market over time, why not just take the 10% that do outperform? Answer: the 10% who do outperform don’t last long either. “The top fund managers who do outperform over short periods do not do so for very long,” Ganti said. “A fund manager that outperforms over, say, a five-year ******* is unlikely to be the same fund manager that outperforms in the next five years.” There is also a very big difference between luck and skill. The data shows that a good part of the reason that 10% outperform is luck, and that is very different from skill. “If I am a good stock picker one year, you might expect me to be a good stock picker next year,” Ganti said. “But the data indicates that the success of the small ********* of active managers that do outperform is more attributable to luck than skill. If there really was skill, you would think the best would outperform consistently, but they do not.” “This really makes the case for diversification and the use of low-cost indexing,” Ganti said. “Being a stock picker is hard work, and 2024 again demonstrated the difficulty of finding those managers.” Source link #Active #managers #lagging #marketWhy #tough #beat #indexes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rigas Feraios: On the Trail of the Protomartyr of Greek Independence Rigas Feraios: On the Trail of the Protomartyr of Greek Independence Rigas Feraios was the protomartyr of Greek Independence.Credit: (Left image) Public Domain. (Right image) Alex Billinis. Rigas Feraios was a Greek revolutionary who fought in the mountains and worked as a writer, merchant, and revolutionary agitator in the wide Balkan Diaspora forming in the states neighboring the Ottoman Empire. He had done it all. Like so many Greek kids in the diaspora, I attended Greek School for a while. The March 25th Celebration always entailed a few kids in Foustanellas and Amalias and the obligatory poem. On the shortlist was always the “Thourios Ymnos” of Rigas Feraios, in which he wrote that “one hour of freedom is better than forty years of slavery,” stirring words – and Feraios wrote many. I always had a fondness for Feraios, a man of both letters and action. One who was both radical and tolerant, wishing to replace the sultan’s tyranny with a restored Byzantine “Republic” that would have a place for all of its ethnicities, including the Turks. Following Rigas Feraios’ footsteps As it happens, my travels and life experiences allowed me to follow in his geographical footsteps. In the mid-2000s, we lived in Greece, and many a time, driving towards Thessaloniki, or further north to my wife’s Serbian hometown, we would pass the village of Velestino, the town in Thessaly where Feraios (also known as Velestinlis) was born. Like many people in the region, he was bilingual in Vlach (a dialect similar to Romanian) and Greek. Multilingualism was common in the Ottoman Empire of the time, but he most definitely identified as a Romios, namely a Greek-speaking Orthodox (Byzantine) subject of the Ottoman Empire. Serbs also count him as a Balkan hero. Traveling further north into Serbia, we traced the overland route trod by so many merchants from Thessaly and Macedonia towards the markets of the Austrian Empire, which in Feraios’ time began just across the Danube and Sava Rivers from Belgrade. Feraios becomes a publisher in Vienna Like so many talented Greeks at the time, particularly those from Thessaly and Macedonia, Feraios gravitated towards the Greek communities established in the Austrian Empire. After years of warfare, as the Austrians pushed the Turks back to the Danube and Sava Rivers, Greek and Serbian merchants and settlers poured into the Austrian Empire, including to Vojvodina Province, where we once lived. Though Greeks and Serbs were established in communities throughout the Empire, Feraios settled in the capital, Vienna, in 1793. His interests went far beyond the commercial. He had cut his teeth with klephts in the mountains as a youth, and he believed in putting his talent for words into action. Once established in Vienna, he quickly threw himself into publishing with the support of many in the wealthy Greek mercantile community there. We should remember that Greek newspapers appeared in print for the first time in Vienna, and Feraios was one of the first newspaper editors. The paper still exists and is published in the city of Siatista, Macedonia, Greece. Feraios also published his vision of a “Map of Great Greece,” incorporating much of the Balkans and Asia Minor, a copy of which I found prominently displayed on the walls of the Greek Community Center in Budapest, Hungary. While visiting Vienna in 2010, I managed to retrace my steps as a student over twenty years earlier to find Vienna’s Greichenviertel (Greek Quarter). Not far from the Greek Orthodox Cathedral—a beautiful structure with a late eighteenth-century façade—I found the yellow baroque building where Feraios edited his newspaper, Efimeris. Plaques commemorate his work there, and on another Greek Church nearby on Greichengasse (Greek Lane). In a real sense, in addition to being the first martyr, or “protomartyras,” of the modern Greek nation, he is a founder of the modern Greek press. Within the Church compound, the Vienna Greek School was in session when we visited. Founded in 1804, it is older than the modern Greek state itself, and students no doubt studied many of the same poems I had. Their author penned many of his stirring works just steps away from their school. I felt a chill run up my spine from the presence and proximity of history. Feraios a threat to Austria While Vienna and the Austrian regime of his time provided many opportunities for the Greek community, authorities were extremely hostile to any and all revolutionary activity. Feraios wanted to overthrow the Ottoman Empire and restructure it as a “Greek” republic, but with full rights for all nationalities, including the Turks. This goal posed not only a threat to the Ottoman Empire but to the Austrians’ own multiethnic monarchy. At the time, the consequences of the French Revolution were still being felt throughout Europe, and its supporters and adherents were actively looking to export its ideology. In Feraios, the French Revolution had an avid admirer who sought to implement its ideals within the political reality of the Balkans. Accordingly, Feraios set out for Trieste in 1797. Feraios moves over the Alps Over the Alps from Vienna, there is another lovely former Austro-Hungarian city, the Italian port of Trieste, which was once Austria’s key maritime outlet. Like Vienna, it also had a very active and influential Greek community. On our family’s visit there in 2011, while enjoying the city and taking in its Greek and Serbian churches and monuments, we once again found we were following in Feraios’ footsteps. Taking coffee one lovely May morning in the Caffé Degli Specchi, a Triestine landmark café founded nearly two centuries ago by Greeks, I sat with Archimandrite Gregory, the current Greek priest there, who is an urbane, learned, and pious man. I mentioned to him how much I loved the city’s café culture; cafés have always been the center of Triestine commerce, culture, and conspiracies. Apparently, outside one famous Trieste café, the Caffé Tomasso which we had visited the day before, “our own Rigas Feraios was arrested by the Austrian secret police,” Archimandrite Gregory told me while sipping his espresso. Again, serendipitously, we had traced Feraios’ footsteps. In both Vienna and Trieste, we had met up with Feraios by accident. Yet later, in Belgrade, we met again—this time by design. Rigas Feraios moves to the frontier of the Ottoman Empire Belgrade today is a bustling and sophisticated if somewhat chaotic European capital, straddling both sides of the Sava and Danube Rivers. For centuries, Belgrade served as the first frontier fortress of the Ottoman Empire. Having apprehended Feraios, the Austrians dispatched him, along with his co-conspirators, across the Danube to Belgrade, where the Turks eagerly awaited him. After a sufficient round of tortures in June of 1798, Feraios and his comrades were strangled and their corpses flung into the Danube. At the foot of Belgrade’s majestic Kalemegdan Fortress, there lies a Turkish-era structure known locally as Nebojsina Kule (Nebojsa’s Tower). Nebojsa’s Tower is just steps from the Sava’s confluence to the Danube River, the site of Feraios’ watery grave. The main complex of Kalemegdan fortress rises steeply from the tower. The Rigas Feraios statue in Belgrade. Credit: Alex Billinis Just off the road and tramway ringing Kalemegdan, a statue stands at a fork in the road. It is of Feraios, called Riga od Fere by the Serbs. His name is inscribed in both Greek and Cyrillic Serbian along with a short inscription, namely “Grcki i srpski narod” (Greek and Serbian nation). As he was carried off to strangulation, he proclaimed, “I have sown a rich seed which others will reap.” Though a new Byzantium was not to be, the fruits of this seed are the modern Greek and Serbian states. Source link #Rigas #Feraios #Trail #Protomartyr #Greek #Independence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

********* musician J.P. Cormier won’t tour in U.S. until Trump’s tariffs end ********* musician J.P. Cormier won’t tour in U.S. until Trump’s tariffs end J.P. Cormier, the award-winning musician from Nova Scotia, has made the decision to cut ties with the United States, saying he will no longer be touring the country for as long as President Donald Trump’s tariff threats stay alive. Cormier, who has family south of the border and has been traveling to the U.S. for over 40 years, said his decision comes from what he describes as an “ongoing attack on Canada’s economic well-being.” Cormier emphasized the importance of national solidarity in the face of these challenges. “I’m going to conduct myself at this point in time as a ********* and nothing else,” Cormier said. “And that’s the only way we’re going to survive this if it gets worse. Even more importantly, we must band together as a nation,” he told Global. 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. Cormier expressed that he used to be a fan of Trump during his first term in office, believing Trump would encourage career politicians to work more for the people. Story continues below advertisement However, Cormier now feels the tariff threats posed during Trump’s presidency could negatively impacted Canada’s economic interests. The U.S. says they will impose a 25% tariff on ********* steel and aluminum, further straining the economic relationship between the two countries. “I have to stand up for my country the same way that they would stand up for theirs,” Cormier said. “That’s what we do.” More on Politics More videos He also pointed to the long-standing history of cooperation between Canada and the U.S., noting the collaborative efforts made by Canadians in past wars and conflicts. Trending Now Alberta’s premier makes the rounds on U.S. TV networks to defend new booze rules ‘Not going back’: Ford will cancel Starlink-Ontario deal even if tariffs are lifted “There’s 40 million of us. And we’re all feeling that right now,” he added, referring to the impact of the tariffs on Canadians. “I’m sorry if they’re offended, but I have to stand up for my country.” Cormier believes Canadians need to come together during this time of hardship and look out for one another. “We have to look after each other. And this is the way to do it — show complete solidarity,” he said. “And if that means putting part of your career on hold, then that’s what you should do as a *********.” Despite the personal and professional toll this could have on the musician, Cormier remains hopeful for the future and determined to continue his music career. Story continues below advertisement While disheartened by the current state of affairs, Cormier’s message to everyone remains strong, “we grow our own food. We make our own liquor. Who cares? Let’s just gang up and be together.” &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #********* #musician #J.P #Cormier #wont #tour #U.S #Trumps #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Syrian forces seek to snuff out nascent insurgency Syrian forces seek to snuff out nascent insurgency Security forces battle for a second day to crush a nascent insurgency by fighters from Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect in western Syria, with scores reported killed as the Islamist-led government faces the biggest challenge yet to its authority. Syrian authorities said remnants of the ousted Assad regime launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces on Thursday in the coastal region heavily populated by the members of the Alawite *********. Authorities have not issued a death toll, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 120 people had been killed. Reuters could not independently verify the toll. The violence has shaken interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control as his administration struggles to get US sanctions lifted and grapples with wider security challenges, notably in the southwest where Israel has said it will prevent Damascus deploying forces. Thursday’s violence was largely focused in the Jableh area but the unrest spread more widely. Curfews were declared in the coastal cities of Tartous and Latakia, state news agency SANA said. Security forces launched combing operations in both cities and nearby mountains, it said, citing a security source. Civilians were advised to stay at home, it said. A resident of Latakia city reached by phone said clashes had been going on there for 12 hours. Government reinforcements had arrived in the city, he said. A resident of Tartous city said heavy gunfire was heard as government forces entered the city on Friday morning and began firing into the air. A security source said reinforcements had managed to enter Latakia city on Friday morning, having been unable to on Thursday because the road had been cut. Clashes were continuing on the city’s outskirts, security forces were working to open the road to Jableh, which had also been cut, and Assad-linked militias were surrounding a number of positions in Jableh, the source said. Alawite activists say their community has been subjected to violence and attacks since Assad fell, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia. While Sharaa has pledged to run Syria in an inclusive way, no meetings have been declared between him and senior Alawite figures, in contrast to members of other ********* groups such as the Kurds, Christians and Druze. The Assad-led government recruited heavily from the Alawite community for the security apparatus and bureaucracy of the Syrian state, which the Islamist-led authorities are seeking to remake, including through mass sackings. While Sharaa has brought much of Sunni ******* majority Syria under the sway of Damascus, important areas remain outside its grasp, including the northeast and east which are controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A statement by a grouping of Alawite clerics, the Alawite Islamic Council, laid blame for the violence on the government, saying “military convoys had been sent into the coast with the pretext of ‘regime remnants’ to terrorise and kill Syrians”. It called for the coastal region to be put under UN protection. Saudi Arabia, which has offered diplomatic backing to Sharaa’s administration, condemned “crimes being undertaken by outlaw groups” in Syria and their targeting of security forces. Riyadh “stands alongside” the Syria government in its efforts to preserve security and civil peace, it said in a statement. Source link #Syrian #forces #seek #snuff #nascent #insurgency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baird upgrades Bank of America, as this week’s sell-off is a buying opportunity Baird upgrades Bank of America, as this week’s sell-off is a buying opportunity The recent pullback in Bank of America is an opportunity for investors to buy the stock, according to Baird. Analyst David George upgraded shares to outperform from neutral. He also notched his price target $5 higher to $50, implying shares could rise around 20.6% from Thursday’s close. According to George, Bank of America is a “great franchise at [a] reasonable price.” The analyst cited Bank of America’s “best-in-class deposit franchise, consistent execution, relatively low credit risk, and top-tier markets businesses.” Thanks to the stock’s 10.6% sell-off this week, he believes shares are now trading at a more reasonable valuation. Bank of America and other big banking peers have tumbled this week amid a broader market pullback, due to concerns of weaker U.S. economic growth and global transactional activity stemming from tariffs. “BofA is under-earning currently given its below-normal [net interest margin], which should provide a nice tailwind over the coming years, and BAC is well-positioned to return capital given its healthy PPNR profitability and modest balance sheet growth,” George added. BAC 5D mountain BAC in past 5 trading days Most analysts are bullish on the stock, per LSEG. Of the 24 who cover it, 19 have a buy or strong buy rating. In addition to Bank of America, George also raised his rating on JPMorgan Chase to neutral from underperform. JPMorgan shares also slipped nearly 7% week to date. Despite JPMorgan’s “best-in-class franchise” and the stock’s recent decline, the analyst believes shares are still trading at too-high of a valuation. “JPM shares are off ~11% in the last month (vs. SPY -5.5%), and we are having a tough time making the short case in the name after this recent weakness. With the stock still relatively expensive at ~2.55x TBV, we aren’t buyers of the stock but don’t believe it makes sense to be short, as defensive-minded market participants will likely move into JPM if economic data gets a little more volatile,” George noted. Source link #Baird #upgrades #Bank #America #weeks #selloff #buying #opportunity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Battlefield Releases Its First Community Update on Battlefield Labs Playtests Battlefield Releases Its First Community Update on Battlefield Labs Playtests Battlefield Labs will have its first-ever playtest for the next Battlefield game today and with it, the developers have released the first community update. The update is intended to keep the entire community updated on Battlefield Labs – even those not in the playtest. For the first test, Battlefield Labs will be testing the games Gun and Movement. If you’re not in the test, players can still sign up to Battlefield Labs. The first Battlefield Labs test update reads: We’ve continually evolved our gunplay and movement mechanics throughout the Battlefield series. Now, within Battlefield Labs, we’re focused on refining the best elements from past titles, modernizing them, and validating if they feel fun and rewarding, and have the right balance between intuitive control and dynamic combat. We’re designing the combat experience to ensure players of all skill levels can enjoy our gunplay and movement systems. Our goal is to offer gameplay that rewards skill with precise weapon feedback and movement options for veterans, while providing an intuitive experience for new players to learn and enjoy. For gunplay we’re exploring designs centered on helping you learn and develop skills and muscle memory through action, as weapons naturally signal their recoil direction. This feedback loop allows you to understand and adjust your aim, making it easier to handle different weapons. This system not only adds variety but also enhances each weapon’s unique feel and play style. Movement is also deeply integrated with gunplay, as your actions and targets are all part of the same cohesive combat experience. We aim to make movement both feel intuitive and rewarding to move within the world and during combat, but also when playing against someone using both the gunplay and movement systems to their maximum potential. What’s new and improved for gunplay and movement? Initially we’ll test select but important areas that create the foundation required to create a fun and rewarding Battlefield combat experience. We’re making focused efforts to create consistent and optimized millisecond-to-millisecond soldier combat, and we’ll share some key examples of changes that will be available during our initial playsessions. We’ve reduced the time it takes for bullets to appear on your screen from when you press fire. This change decreases input delay, makes shooting feel more responsive, and helps you better track and hit moving targets. We’re optimizing for a 60Hz tick rate, ensuring the game server more frequently updates the positions and actions for all players. This results in responsive gameplay across all platforms and inputs. You’ll notice more precise shooting and movement, enhanced damage feedback, and more accurate representation of other players’ positions and combat outcomes. We’ve adjusted the recoil system to make the different weapon types feel unique when firing them. Through enhancements to gunplay recoil, camera shakes, and firing settles, each shot’s recoil direction now matches its gameplay angle. The weapon visually stabilizes the more accurate your handling is, making you feel like you’re actually firing and controlling it. To evolve the moment system we’ve revamped animations and reintroduced movement features such as crouch sprint, combat dive and landing roll, and added visual indicators to make it easier to understand when movements such as vaulting or leaning are possible. Feedback and Validation At this stage content within Battlefield Labs is pre-alpha, and playsessions take place within a closed dev environment focused on testing small chunks of a larger array of features. Some gameplay features are placeholder, work-in-progress and with bugs and performance not being representative of the final experience. However, even during this early stage of development you’ll get a good sense of our new design approach. During our first playsession our teams will be validating the systems and stability of Battlefield Labs such as server performance, while participants will be able to familiarise themselves with what’s next for Battlefield through testing the gunplay and movement experience, focused on: Feel of the different weapon archetypes Improvements to aim and control Weapon balance and fun factor Look and feel of movement Moving and interacting within the map Combat pacing Stay Tuned Lastly, a reminder that while our playsession will be within a closed environment, and we can’t invite everyone to every session, we’ll make sure to keep you informed on ongoing Battlefield Labs playsessions and learnings through these regular Community Updates. We’ll be back in the coming weeks to talk more about our learnings from our first playsessions, as well as another feature focused Community Update. Have you already signed up to the Battlefield Labs playtests? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum if you have any success. For more Insider Gaming, read about the latest Xbox Insider update reportedly causing consoles to reset to their factory settings. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Battlefield #Releases #Community #Update #Battlefield #Labs #Playtests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baywatch and Knight Rider star Pamela Bach dies aged 62 – Euronews Baywatch and Knight Rider star Pamela Bach dies aged 62 – Euronews Baywatch and Knight Rider star Pamela Bach dies aged 62 EuronewsPamela Bach, ‘Baywatch’ Actress and David Hasselhoff’s Ex Wife, Dies by Suicide at 62 PEOPLEPamela Bach, actor and ex-wife of David Hasselhoff, dies at 62 The Associated PressDavid Hasselhoff’s Ex-Wife Pamela Bach Dead at 62 TMZPamela Bach wrote message of ‘happiness’ and ‘gratitude’ in heartbreaking final post before her tragic death Yahoo Entertainment Source link #Baywatch #Knight #Rider #star #Pamela #Bach #dies #aged #Euronews Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Project Swerve codes (February 2025) Project Swerve codes (February 2025) Updated February 3, 2025: Looked for new codes! Car lovers know there’s no better experience than taking your tricked-out car onto the highway and flooring the gas pedal to push your machine to its limits. Unfortunately, real-life highway racing is ********, but you can recreate the feeling via Roblox and make your dream car with Project Swerve codes! All Project Swerve codes list Active Project Swerve codes G500 — Mustang GT 500 NFS Edition Expired Project Swerve codes HAPPYBIRTHDAY TUNING XMAS2023 SORRY NFS REFUND Related: Driving Empire codes and MotoRush codes How to redeem codes for Project Swerve Follow our simple guide to learn all there is about redeeming Project Swerve codes: Image by PC Invasion Launch Project Swerve on Roblox. Click the bird button (1) on the right. Type a working code into the Insert Code Here text field (2). Click Redeem (3) to collect your rewards. Project Swerve codes come and go, but not before we catch them and put them on our list! Bookmarking this article will let you come back to it quickly and check for new codes whenever you need them! PC Invasion is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy Source link #Project #Swerve #codes #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AFL: Fans slam gigantic Fox Footy scoreboard, change to channel 7 AFL: Fans slam gigantic Fox Footy scoreboard, change to channel 7 Despite Sydney and Hawthorn putting on a stellar season opener at the SCG, fans have been enraged by a change to a beloved staple of AFL broadcasts: the scoreboard. AFL superstar Bailey Smith led a chorus of high-profile voices slamming Fox Footy for their unsightly and gigantic scoreboards as the season kicked off in the wet on Friday night. The Geelong midfielder posted a picture of his television to his Instagram, and the new graphic was circled in white. He didn’t ****** his words either. “Get this s*** off my TV. Why’s it so big?” he wrote. His next post showed he’d switched to the free-to-air broadcast on Channel 7. Plenty of other fans were on Bailey’s, who sought a trade to the Cattery from the Western Bulldogs during the off-season side, swamping multiple social media platforms with complaints. BluesNuff took to X to claim, “This might be the worst scoreboard I’ve ever seen in AFL history”. Camera IconAFL superstar Bailey Smith led a chorus of high-profile voices. Credit: Bailey Smith/Instagram Some fans mourned the loss of the old scoreboard graphic with crying emojis. However, a page named The AFL Lab may have found a silver lining. “The new Fox scoreboard was designed for pensioners watching the game on an ipad from 3m away,” they posted. Other fans hoped the board would be changed at the halftime interval, having already become fed up with the new look. Jayden Cameron felt more drastic action was required. “Whoever determined the new score boxes should be sacked … immediately! They are disgusting!” he posted on X. The scoreboard featured a new Friday Night Footy logo alongside team logos and full scores, the information-heavy graphic stretching out over half a screen. The drama appeared to overshadow an impressive 20-point win for the Hawks for those watching on television; former West Coast premiership player turned Sydney coach Dean Cox forced back to the drawing board ahead of round one. Source link #AFL #Fans #slam #gigantic #Fox #Footy #scoreboard #change #channel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trains to and from Paris disrupted by unexploded World War Two bomb Trains to and from Paris disrupted by unexploded World War Two bomb STORY: :: The discovery of an unexploded World War Two-era bomb disrupts trains to and from Paris’ Gare du Nord :: March 7, 2025 “We said to ourselves ‘We’ve had really bad luck here!’. It’s a pretty weird situation.” :: Paris, France :: London, England “The point I was making is how do you discover suddenly after all these years you know, on the tracks even, with all the trains that went through. It seems strange to me, the whole thing. But until we know further, nothing you can do but wait.” The disruption is affecting local metro lines, commuter rails and national and international trains, including Eurostar services. Departure boards at London’s St Pancras International train station showed multiple trains heading to Paris canceled, leaving dozens of passengers stranded. The bomb was found 1.55 miles (2.5 km) from Paris Gare du Nord train station, in the middle of the train tracks, the H line said. It said train traffic would remain disrupted until the de-mining operation was completed. Paris police said the bomb had been discovered at 3:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) in Saint-Denis, a northern Parisian suburb, during construction work. Source link #Trains #Paris #disrupted #unexploded #World #War #bomb Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All Rare & Legendary Jokers in Balatro & What They do All Rare & Legendary Jokers in Balatro & What They do Balatro’s assortment of Rare and Legendary Jokers should always be on your mind. While you can build toward most decks and strategies, there’s a good chance you need to pivot if one of these bad boys comes along. Let’s teach you about each one and how to unlock them. Every game of Balatro is different—unless you use one of the best Balatro Seeds. The final destination may be similar to runs you’ve had before, but the sheer depth of the game’s content means practically every run is new. There are thousands of possibilities, and one run could see you solely pursue Tarot Cards, or you may seek out Balatro’s Rare and Legendary Jokers. If you’re new to Balatro—because of Xbox Game Pass or something else—you might need a quick walkthrough of every Rare and Legendary Joker. All Rare Jokers in Balatro & What They do You have much to learn and unlock. Image by Insider Gaming There are 20 Rare Jokers in Balatro. Many are unlocked from the get-go, whereas others need to be unlocked through nefarious and devious means. Here’s every Balatro Rare Joker, giving you a glimpse into powerful, game-changing Jokers. Legendary Joker Name Description How to Unlock DNA If first hand of round has only 1 card, add a permanent copy to deck and draw it to hand. Available from start. Vagabond Create a Tarot card if hand is played with $4 or less. Available from start. Baron Each King held in hand gives X1.5 Mult Available from start. Obelisk This Joker gains X0.2 Mult per consecutive hand played without playing your most played poker hand (Currently X1 Mult) Available from start. Baseball Card Uncommon Jokers each give X1.5 Mult Available from start. Ancient Joker Each played card with [suit] gives X1.5 Mult when scored, suit changes at end of round. Available from start. Campfire This Joker gains X0.25 Mult for each card sold, resets when Boss Blind is defeated (Currently X1 Mult) Available from start. Blueprint Copies ability of Joker to the right Win 1 run. Wee Joker This Joker gains +8 Chips when each played 2 is scored (Currently +0 Chips) Win a run in 18 or fewer rounds. Hit The Road This Joker gains X0.5 Mult for every Jack discarded this round (Currently X1 Mult) Discard 5 Jacks at the same time. The Duo X2 Mult if played hand contains a Pair Win a run without playing a Pair. The Trio X3 Mult if played hand contains a Three of a Kind Win a run without playing a Three of a Kind. The Family X4 Mult if played hand contains a Four of a Kind Win a run without playing a Four of a Kind. The Order X3 Mult if played hand contains a Straight Win a run without playing a Straight. The Tribe X2 Mult if played hand contains a Flush Win a run without playing a Flush. Stuntman +250 Chips, -2 hand size Earn at least 100 million (100,000,000) Chips in a single hand. Invisible Joker After 2 rounds, sell this card to Duplicate a random Joker (Currently 0/2) (Removes Negative from copy) Win a game while never having more than 4 jokers. Brainstorm Copies the ability of leftmost Joker Discard a Royal Flush. Driver’s License X3 Mult if you have at least 16 Enhanced cards in your full deck (Currently 0) Enhance 16 cards in your deck. Burnt Joker Upgrade the level of the first discarded poker hand each round. Sell 50 cards. All Legendary Jokers in Balatro & What They do It’s time for the cream of the crop. Balatro’s Legendary Jokers are the rarest and some of the most devastating. Getting a Soul Card is quite difficult and only happens every few hours of gameplay (unless you’re lucky), but you learn to savor a Legendary Joker if you get the chance to use one. Take a look at the greatness each Legendary Joker holds. Legendary Joker Name Description How to Unlock Canio This Joker gains X1 Mult when a face card is destroyed. (Currently X1 Mult) Find this Joker from the Soul card. Triboulet Played Kings and Queens each give X2 Mult when scored. Find this Joker from the Soul card. Yorick This Joker gains X1 mult every 23 [23] Cards discarded. (Currently X1 Mult) Find this Joker from the Soul card. Chicot Disables effect of every Boss Blind Find this Joker from the Soul card. Perkeo Creates a Negative copy of 1 random consumable card in your possession at the end of the shop. Find this Joker from the Soul card. Have you got your eye on any Jokers in particular? If you’re a regular Balatro player, which of the Rare or Legendarys do you favor above others? Let us know. For more Balatro guides, check out what the Blank Voucher does, what -1 Ante -1 Hand means, and the Balatro Trophy List. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Rare #Legendary #Jokers #Balatro Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump puts new limits on Elon Musk’s authority amid backlash to DOGE cuts Trump puts new limits on Elon Musk’s authority amid backlash to DOGE cuts Elon Musk listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 11, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters President Donald Trump said he told his Cabinet secretaries during a meeting Thursday that staffing decisions will be left up to them, not Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. Trump said he instructed Cabinet members to work alongside DOGE on spending and workforce reductions while clarifying that final job cuts will be at the discretion of the department leaders. “We just had a meeting with most of the Secretaries, Elon, and others, and it was a very positive one,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It’s very important that we cut levels down to where they should be, but it’s also important to keep the best and most productive people.” “As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go. We say the ‘scalpel’ rather than the ‘hatchet,'” Trump added. The sweeping cuts carried out by DOGE have led to lawsuits, voter anxiety and heightened concerns from congressional Republicans. Trump’s message was also a rare public curtailing of Musk’s authority as he moves to help reshape the federal government, at times stepping on the Cabinet secretaries’ toes. Several members of Trump’s Cabinet bristled when Musk recently ordered federal employees to outline their work or face termination, with multiple agencies and departments initially fending off the effort. At the same time, Trump also praised Musk and DOGE after Thursday’s meeting. “I think they’ve done an amazing job,” he told reporters. Musk called the meeting “very productive” in a post on X. It was his second time attending a Trump Cabinet meeting; he dominated the first gathering last month when he called DOGE a “support function” to help the federal agencies “find 15% reduction in fraud and waste.” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that his directive to his Cabinet members was: “Keep all the people you want, all the people that you need.” But he also indicated that Musk would step in if the department heads don’t make sufficient cuts. “If they can cut, it’s better. If they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting,” Trump said. Trump and Musk have sought to drastically cut the size of the federal workforce, firing thousands of employees and moving to shutter entire agencies. The speed and intensity of the cuts have roiled some Republican members of Congress and sparked calls for greater transparency into DOGE’s work, particularly after some lawmakers faced fierce backlash from people at town halls in their districts. Musk met with Senate Republicans for nearly two hours behind closed doors Wednesday to address their concerns over potential voter backlash to the cuts. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., organized the lunch meeting after several Republican senators raised concerns to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles last month about being uninformed on DOGE’s work. Musk also met with House Republicans on Wednesday, later telling reporters that he spoke about the “opportunity to improve expenditures in the government.” Source link #Trump #puts #limits #Elon #Musks #authority #backlash #DOGE #cuts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Last Cloudia announces return of hit collaboration with classic RPG Mana series Last Cloudia announces return of hit collaboration with classic RPG Mana series Last Cloudia is once more set to collab with the hit Mana series This crossover will feature both new and returning units A March 10th livestream will showcase fresh additions If you’re a fan of both the popular mobile RPG Last Cloudia, and the classic Mana series from Square Enix then you’ll be glad to know that they’re set to collaborate again! After previously crossing over back in 2021 this latest collab will mark the release of the latest entry in the Mana series, Visions of Mana. Redux Arks and units will make a return from the previous collaboration, as well as whole new additions exclusive to this newest event! An upcoming livestream being broadcast on March 10th will provide further details on what you can expect when the collaboration goes live. But if you’re already getting impatient you can still enjoy some early-bird rewards! A daily collab countdown login bonus is being made available to Last Cloudia players up until March 13th. Meanwhile, an express version of the livestream will also be made available on the 10th to give you all the highlights and most exciting parts of the event. Mana y mana The Mana series is one of those old classics that many fans point to when Final Fantasy seems to hog the spotlight. It seems that Square Enix has a glut of those, so no surprise that promoting the latest release is still on the cards after it hit shelves last year. For fans of Last Cloudia, this presents a great opportunity to nab both older rewards and brand-new additions! And with the lavish 2.5D graphics of Last Cloudia, fans of the Mana series are sure to be pleased with how their favourite characters are presented. Meanwhile, if you need a way to occupy your time ahead of this collaboration be sure to check out our latest edition of Off the Appstore. This column sees us looking at new releases only available on third-party storefronts, with this week’s subject being retro-battling Astro Brawl! Source link #Cloudia #announces #return #hit #collaboration #classic #RPG #Mana #series Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Luka Dončić and LeBron James lead LA Lakers to thrilling OT win over New York Knicks, extend win streak – CNN Luka Dončić and LeBron James lead LA Lakers to thrilling OT win over New York Knicks, extend win streak – CNN Luka Dončić and LeBron James lead LA Lakers to thrilling OT win over New York Knicks, extend win streak CNNLeBron, Luka tout supporting cast in OT victory ESPNLuka, LeBron leave OT with WIN, Brunson leaves LIMPING | Kevin O’Connor Show Yahoo SportsKnicks suffer crushing OT loss to Lakers as Jalen Brunson exits with injury New York Post Knicks vs. Lakers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and Best bets for March 6 NBC Sports Source link #Luka #Dončić #LeBron #James #lead #Lakers #thrilling #win #York #Knicks #extend #win #streak #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sheffield Shield: Western Australia’s Lance Morris restricted through two final days of New South Wales Sheffield Shield: Western Australia’s Lance Morris restricted through two final days of New South Wales Bowling restrictions will limit West *********** pace ace Lance Morris across the final two days of their crucial Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales at the WACA Ground. Source link #Sheffield #Shield #Western #Australias #Lance #Morris #restricted #final #days #South #Wales Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The ChatGPT Mac app just got a massive coding upgrade – and it’s coming to Windows soon The ChatGPT Mac app just got a massive coding upgrade – and it’s coming to Windows soon ChatGPT can now automatically insert code directly into Xcode That means you no longer need to copy and paste code back and forth It could save developers a great amount of time in the long run One of the main uses of ChatGPT is helping with coding and programming, and it’s one of the best AI tools for that purpose. Now, the latest version is able to generate code and add it directly into Apple’s Xcode development app in macOS without any longwinded steps. That could help make the whole process run much more smoothly than before. In a post on X, ChatGPT developer OpenAI explained that the latest ChatGPT update features a new “Apply” button that automatically inserts the generated code into the correct location in your project. There’s also a toggle to “Auto-apply code,” which streamlines the workflow even further. You’ve been able to spin up code in ChatGPT for a while now, which has helped make it more capable than even the best text editors for your coding needs. Yet ChatGPT has previously required you to manually copy and paste the generated output into Xcode yourself. Now, the two apps are much more tightly integrated. ChatGPT can detect the code editing app that you’re using, whether that’s Xcode, VS Code, or something else. That allows it to automatically insert the code it creates in the right spot. Coming to Windows soon (Image credit: Shutterstock / Elle Aon) ChatGPT’s developer OpenAI says that these changes are coming to all desktop ChatGPT users on Mac, including those on the app’s free plan. It also sounds like these capabilities will be coming to additional apps and integrated development environments in the future, although OpenAI didn’t specifically explain which ones. Windows users don’t need to miss out either, as OpenAI staff member Alexander Embiricos confirmed on X that this functionality will be coming to Microsoft’s operating system “soon.” The update brings ChatGPT in line with GitHub Copilot and Xcode’s own Swift Assist tool, which is already built into the app. Swift Assist runs on Apple’s private cloud servers, and the company says that your code is not stored or used for training. That might make it a more secure option than ChatGPT if you’re concerned about your code being swept up by a third-party artificial intelligence (AI) tool. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set to open its doors in June, we could see further updates to Swift Assist at that time, and it’s a good bet that ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot will receive plenty of new features in the meantime. That means if you’re looking for an AI coding assistant, you’ve got plenty of options. You might also like Source link #ChatGPT #Mac #app #massive #coding #upgrade #coming #Windows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk tells Republican lawmakers he’s not to blame for federal firings Elon Musk tells Republican lawmakers he’s not to blame for federal firings WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s not his fault. Billionaire Elon Musk is telling Republican lawmakers that he is not to blame for the firings of thousands of federal workers, including veterans, as pushes to downsize the government. Instead, he said in private talks this week that those decisions are left to the various federal agencies. The message from one of President Donald Trump’s most influential advisers came as Republicans publicly support Musk’s work at the Department of Government Efficiency digging up waste, fraud and abuse, but are privately raising questions as personnel cuts ripple through communities across the nation. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. “Elon doesn’t fire people,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., after a dinner-time pizza meeting with Musk in the basement of the Capitol. “He doesn’t have hiring and firing authority,” added Hudson, who leads the House Republicans’ campaign arm. “The president’s empowered him to go uncover this information, that’s it.” It’s a remarkable shift of emphasis away from the chainsaw-wielding tech entrepreneur whose vast power has made him an admired, revered and deeply feared figure in the second Trump administration. The Republican president weighed in Thursday after a Cabinet meeting, saying he has instructed department secretaries to work with DOGE but to “be very precise” about which workers will stay or go — using a “’scalpel'” he said in a social media post “rather than the ‘hatchet.” “I don’t want to see a big cut where a lot of good people are cut,“ Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump suggested that Cabinet and agency leaders would take the lead, but Musk could push harder down the line. “If they can cut, it’s better. And if they don’t cut, then Elon will do the cutting.” He had said in the earlier post that Musk and Cabinet officials will meet every two weeks to advance their cost-cutting goals The comments come amid mounting legal disputes over Musk’s attempts to centralize management of the government workforce and bypass the traditional role of Congress to appropriate federal dollars. For example, the White House’s Office of Personnel Management directed federal agencies to fire probationary workers, who lack full civil service protection. The scorched-earth approach led to deep cuts that have occasionally been reversed, such as when workers on nuclear weapons programs were brought back on the job. A federal judge in San Francisco expressed concerns that layoffs violated the law, leading administration officials to insist that it was individual agencies — not Musk or the Office of Personnel Management — calling the shots. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said Musk told lawmakers that “some of the folks that were the probationary people, he didn’t fire them, they were actually supposedly fired by the agencies —and they messed up.” Did Musk actually say “they messed up?” “Well, if they were in fact, you know, critical people, and the agency did the firing, then yeah, they messed up,” Gimenez said. “But not him.” Musk and his team have burrowed into agencies, accessing sensitive data and rattling career officials with their demands. Top officials, including at the Social Security Administration, abruptly stepped down after refusing to comply with Musk’s team. Tens of thousands of workers accepted an offer to resign early and more are facing potential layoffs. “We’re making good progress,” Musk said late Wednesday as he dashed through the halls of the Capitol. The richest person in the world, Musk is known as a driven, demanding executive who is willing to take bold risks, often with great rewards. His enterprises include the rocket company SpaceX, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and social media platform X, known the world over. But his perch at DOGE is Musk’s first public foray into the grit of governing. The speed and scale of the cuts, which are being challenged in dozens of court cases, are introducing the businessman to the concept of political blowback. When the topic of the fired federal workers came up during a Senate lunch, Musk deflected blame. “I would say that there was an argument that that’s not coming from DOGE, it’s actually coming from individual agencies,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Another Republican, Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, said that Musk went so far as to emphasize that not only had DOGE not recommended mass termination of probationary employees, but that he thought some federal agencies were either incompetent or sabotaging the effort. Musk told them he wanted more precise terminations of those not performing. “The point that he was making is that DOGE had not made recommendations for across-the-board cuts of all probationary employees at every agency,” Barr said. “But the agencies had implemented it improperly through either incompetence or in a handful of cases actual malicious efforts to sabotage and create a public relations problem for DOGE.” In fact, scores of fired workers are being recalled back to work across the federal agencies. This week, about 180 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were being told they could come back, in an email that said: “Read this email immediately.” Musk was invited to Capitol Hill this week by Trump’s allies and party leaders to provide more information to lawmakers facing questions about the DOGE cuts. Many Republicans are being hammered at town halls back home, so much so that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has encouraged them to meet with constituents in other venues. Musk gave his cellphone number to the senators –- though not the members of the House –- and his team is setting up a dedicated phone line the lawmakers can call if they have further questions, complaints or suggestions about his work, and about jobs and agencies that should be spared. Democrats, and their allies in outside advocacy groups, have been highlighting the way the cutbacks will hurt Americans. On Thursday, 141 House Democrats led by Virginia Rep. Gerald Connolly, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, urged the OPM to reinstate all the probationary employees who have been unlawfully terminated. “We write in strong opposition to the expansion of the Trump Administration’s efforts to purge nonpartisan civil servants from the federal workforce, specifically recent unlawful mass terminations of employees in probationary status,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to the office’s acting director, Charles Ezell. “Indiscriminately firing thousands of these employees threatens the future of the nonpartisan federal workforce and our government’s ability to deliver life-saving services to the American people.” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said that if the White House wants to abolish an entire agency such as the Department of Education, “Bring the bill to Congress. We welcome that fight.” Jeffries added: “We’ll stand on the side of the American people, and (Republicans will) continue to stand on the side of Elon Musk.” ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Leah Askarinam contributed to this report. Source link #Elon #Musk #tells #Republican #lawmakers #hes #blame #federal #firings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

European leaders back defense spend push amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine European leaders back defense spend push amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine A week since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s heated expulsion from the White House, European leaders have upped the ante on defense spending plans as they seek to support Kyiv and fill a potential void of U.S. aid. This week, the European Commission proposed measures for fiscal flexibility on defense spending and a plan to borrow 150 billion euros ($163 billions) to lend to EU governments for Europe-wide defense capabilities, including artillery systems, missiles and anti-drone systems. With this equipment, the EU stressed it could “massively step up” its support to Ukraine, which has depended on both Europe and the U.S. for military and humanitarian aid throughout its three-year resistance to Russia’s invasion. Altogether, the so-called ReArm Europe plan could mobilize nearly 800 billion euros. European leaders backed the initiative at a meeting on Thursday, with European Council President Antonio Costa saying the continent — which fears Russia could set its sights on other member states if it prevails in Ukraine — was now “putting our money where our mouth is” and “moving decisively towards a strong and more sovereign Europe of defense.” Donald Tusk, prime minister of Poland — which borders Russia — backed the plan, saying Europe must “arm itself more wisely and faster than Russia” and faced a “new arms race started by Putin.” Critically, Costa said that member states should be allowed flexibility under common EU fiscal rules, which currently restrict the amount of debt a country can undertake. Europe’s largest economy, Germany, set the tone with similar discussions earlier this week, when Berlin lawmakers under expected-next chancellor Friedrich Merz announced plans to reform the nation’s long-standing debt policy to allow for higher defense spending. Outside of the EU, the U.K. last week announced intentions to raise its defense contribution to 2.5% of the country’s gross domestic product from April 2027. “The move on defense has very clear motives and reasons behind it. It is welcome in terms of the security and safety of Europe, if that is the case. And if it is well designed, it can only have a positive impact in the in the economy and in the European society,” European Central Bank policymaker Mario Centeno told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Friday. Orban: EU support for Ukraine will ‘ruin Europe’ This week’s EU proposals were not universally endorsed, however, with historically pro-Russia Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opting out of the joint EU statements on support to Ukraine. Orban, who has refused to send weapons to Ukraine and frequently described himself as a “peacemaker” in the conflict, said on Friday that the EU’s current support initiative for Ukraine through additional defense spending will “ruin Europe.” “If now the U.S. quits (financing the war) …why would the other 26 member states have a chance to take this war to the end?” Orban said on state radio, according to Reuters. ING analysts were also reserved on the EU plans, saying that Europe’s rearmament strategy will have a “moderate” impact on eurozone growth and fiscal spending, and that Europe’s low defense production capacity will likely lead to higher imports. They added that, under the strategy, the need for the European Central Bank to continue easing monetary policy — as it did through a sixth interest rate cut on Thursday — will “fade quickly,” with the bank pushed into the role of a “lender of last resort of eurozone government” amid higher bond yields and the potential widening of spreads. Transatlantic strains A splintering relationship with the White House has left Europe with few cards to play beyond accelerating its defense spending. Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, the U.S. has threatened steep tariffs on the EU as part of its protectionist policies designed to ease Washington’s trade deficit — setting up a heavy blow to Europe’s already listless economy. Trump has also repeatedly criticized the failure of European countries to meet NATO’s 2%-of-GDP defense contribution target, claiming this week that “Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine by far,” without clarifying whether the assessment referred to nations within the EU or the continent whole. The transatlantic geopolitical fissures deepened last week after a public White House clash between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy that left U.S. aid to Ukraine under question and paralyzed the planned formalization of a critical minerals development deal. Trump, who has also rekindled relations with an isolated Kremlin and broached potential peace talks, last week accused Zelenskyy of being unprepared to discuss an end to the war. The White House leader has since softened his tone, claiming this week to have received a letter that expressed Zelenskyy’s willingness to “work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts” and sign the minerals agreement. The Ukrainian president echoed the sentiment in a Google-translated Telegram post on Thursday, saying: “As we told President Trump, Ukraine is working and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and reliable peace,” and separately noting on X that Ukrainian and American teams have “resumed work” with a “meaningful meeting” targeted to take place next week. Sidelined throughout the U.S.-Russia talks, the EU has sought to reinstate itself in the peacemaking process amid fears that dwindling aid from Washington could force Ukraine into truce-geared territorial concessions to Moscow. “Dear Volodymyr, we have been with you since day one. We’ll continue to be with you now, and we will continue in the future,” Costa said in an address, separately telling reporters that the bloc was preparing to support Kyiv when it engages in negotiations to reach the “positive outcome” of a “just and lasting peace.” — CNBC’s Sophie Kiderlin contributed to this report Source link #European #leaders #defense #spend #push #uncertainty #Trump #aid #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question – CNN Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question – CNN Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question CNNWhy Do Republicans Want to Dismantle the Education Department? The New York TimesHouse education chair backs Trump move to abolish federal agency Fox News‘Stay of execution’: Where’s Trump’s order to shut down Education Department? K-12 Dive Source link #Dismantling #Education #Department #puts #future #trillions #dollars #student #loans #question #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Caputo steers City to win over Bulls, second in ALM Caputo steers City to win over Bulls, second in ALM Melbourne City are up to outright second in the A-League Men after Max Caputo’s double delivered a 2-0 win over Macarthur FC at AAMI Park. Source link #Caputo #steers #City #win #Bulls #ALM Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A firing squad is executing Brad Keith Sigmon in South Carolina today. What to know. A firing squad is executing Brad Keith Sigmon in South Carolina today. What to know. A South Carolina man who beat his ex-girlfriend’s parents to death in a fit of rage is set to become the first inmate to be executed by firing squad in the U.S. since 1977 and the first ever in the state’s modern history on Friday. Brad Keith Sigmon is expected to be strapped to a specially made chair and have a hood over his head while three volunteer corrections staffers aim loaded rifles at his heart and each fire off a live round, according to the state’s execution protocols. Sigmon, 67, was convicted of the 2001 murders of Gladys and David Larke, who were beaten to death with a baseball in their small-town home in northwestern South Carolina. Sigmon, who chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, has always admitted to killing the Larkes. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am guilty,” Sigmon told jurors at his trial, according to archived coverage in the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. “I have no excuse for what I did. It’s my fault and I’m not trying to blame nobody else for it, and I’m sorry.” Sigmon’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Armstrong, told USA TODAY − in her first interview in the 24 years since her parents’ ******* − that Sigmon’s actions ripped her family apart and that “he should answer for what he’s done,” though she doesn’t believe in the death penalty. Here’s what you need to know about Sigmon’s execution, how the firing squad will work and what else his victims’ family has to say. When and where will Brad Keith Sigmon be executed? Sigmon is set to be executed just after 6 p.m. ET at the Broad River Correctional Institute in Columbia, South Carolina. How will Brad Keith Sigmon be executed? Sigmon will sit restrained in a metal chair, a hood over his head, in the corner of a room shared by the state’s electric chair, “which can’t be moved,” according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ execution protocols provided to USA TODAY. The firing squad team − three voluntary corrections staff − will stand behind a wall with loaded rifles 15 feet from Sigmon. The wall will have an opening for the weapons. “A small aim point will be placed over his heart by a member of the execution team,” the department said. “After the warden reads the execution order, the team will fire … After the inmate is declared dead, the curtain will be drawn and witnesses escorted out.” Witnesses to the execution, which typically involve family members of both the inmate and victim, members of the news media, attorneys and prison staff, “will see the right-side profile of the inmate.” The department said that bullet-resistant glass has been installed between the death chamber and the witness room. What was Brad Keith Sigmon convicted of? On April 27, 2001, Sigmon showed up at David and Gladys Larke’s house with a plan that he hatched while doing crack ******** the night before: He was going to them up and kidnap his ex, he told police. Instead, he beat the couple to death with a baseball bat, hitting each of them nine times, according to police and a medical examiner’s report. Sigmon kidnapped Armstrong in his car but she jumped out of the moving vehicle and was able to escape, though Sigmon shot her once in the foot before his gun ran out of bullets, according to court records. Sigmon told jurors at his 2002 trial that he had no excuse for what he did, saying that when Armstrong fell out of love with him, it “set me off,” according to the Greenville News. “I was obsessed with her,” he told jurors. “Did I love her? More than anything else in the world.” He continued to tell jurors that the death penalty was probably appropriate in his case, saying: “I hate what I did.” “Do I deserve to die? I probably do,” he said. “I don’t want to die … I just want to live for my family’s sake.” The Larkes’ family says they were their ‘glue’ Jurors in Sigmon’s ******* trial also heard from family members of David and Gladys Larke, who were 62 and 59, respectively, when they were killed. Their adult children wept on the witness stand and spoke of their devastation. “I am who I am because of him (my dad) and my mom,” Darrell Larke said, according to the Greenville News. “He taught me how to fish, how to hunt, how to enjoy life, how to be responsible.” Armstrong told USA TODAY this week that her parents were simple country folk who had five children and were always looking out for everyone. Her mom loved cooking up a feast for the whole family and her dad “had a good heart” who was quick to forgive and ask forgiveness. “They were the glue of the family,” Armstrong said, adding that they’ve missed the births of some of their eight grandchildren and five great-grand children since they were murdered. “He took that away.” She said she does not plan on attending the execution, but her son, Ricky Sims, told the Greenville News that he will be there, wearing the pair of boots that were the last gift his grandparents ever gave him. “He’s going to pay for what he’s done,” Sims said. “He took away two people who would have done anything for their family. They were the rock of our family … They didn’t deserve it.” Rebecca Barbare, who now goes by Rebecca Armstrong, sits and watches as attorneys talks about testimony given by her ex-boyfriend Brad Keith Sigmon on July 18, 2002. Who were Gladys and David Larke? More about the couple killed by Brad Keith Sigmon Who is Brad Keith Sigmon? Before the murders, Sigmon was as “a hard worker and a loving brother who worked factory shifts as a teenager to make sure his brothers and sisters could eat,” his attorney, Gerald “Bo” King, said in a statement. He said that Sigmon became a “tortured” man because of an undiagnosed mental illness that caused “irrational and impulsive episodes,” something he tried to treat with street drugs. “And that Brad, who was already struggling with organic brain damage and grief from his violent childhood, succumbed to a psychotic break,” King said. “The jury that sentenced him had no idea of how severely compromised his mental health was, or that he was probably incompetent even to stand trial.” Armstrong said that she and Sigmon were best friends for five years before their romance began and lasted another five years. Armstrong, who had three children when she met Sigmon, said that while he had anger issues and slapped her once, she never would have imagined him capable of the evil he committed. Since he’s been in prison, King said Sigmon has been “transformed” to a repentant, God-loving man and a “peaceful, trusted presence on Death Row.” “He serves as an informal chaplain to his fellow prisoners,” King said. “He is a source of strength to his siblings and children. He is also in declining health and poses a danger to no one.” What is the modern history of the firing squad in the U.S.? Five states − South Carolina Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho − have legalized firing squads as an execution method, most recently Idaho in 2023. The last inmate in the U.S. to be killed by firing squad was in 2010, when Utah executed Ronnie Lee Gardner for killing a man during a robbery. Both other firing squad executions were in Utah, Gary Mark Gilmore in 1977 and John Albert Taylor in 1996. Among the witnesses to Gardner’s execution was an Associated Press reporter who said that five volunteer prison staff members fired at him from about 25 feet away with .30-caliber rifles, aiming at a target pinned over his chest as he sat in a chair. One of the rifles had a blank so none of the volunteers knew whether they fired a fatal bullet, AP reported. King, Sigmon’s attorney, said in a statement that “there is no justice” with Friday’s execution. “Everything about this barbaric, state-sanctioned atrocity − from the choice to the method itself − is abjectly cruel,” he said. “We should not just be horrified – we should be furious.” Contributing: Terry Benjamin II, the Greenville News This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Firing squad: What to know about today’s execution in South Carolina Source link #firing #squad #executing #Brad #Keith #Sigmon #South #Carolina #today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]