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Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests Schedule for March 2025 Revealed Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests Schedule for March 2025 Revealed Monster Hunter Wilds has just released its Event Quests schedule for March 2025, introducing new limited-time missions for the next three weeks. Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests for Week 1 Between March 4 and March 11, Monster Hunter Wilds players will receive two 4-star quests, Kut-Ku Gone Cuckoo and Stalking Supper. For Kut-Ku Gone Cuckoo, players must gather special materials to obtain the Mimiphyta α headgear. To finish this quest, they must hunt the Yian Kut-Ku in the Scarlet Forest before March 18. Stalking Supper is a mission to gather Kunafa cheese. To complete this quest, players must hunt the Quematrice in Windward Plains before March 11. MHW Events Quests for Week 2 The second week of Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests will begin on March 11 and last till March 18. Players will get two more quests this week, the 5-star ‘Tongue-Tied’ mission and 4-star ‘Kut-ku Gone Cuckoo’. Players must gather Hard Armor Spheres and Advanced Armor Sphere for ‘Tongue-Tied’ and hunt Tempered Chatacabra at Windward Plains before March 18. The requirements for Kut-ku Gone Cuckoo are the same as those for week 1. MHW Events Quests for Week 3 Monster Hunter Wilds Events Quests for Week 3 arrive on March 18 and will remain till March 25. This week, players will receive two 5-star quests, Ballet in the Rain and Sand-Scarred Soul, and one 4-star quest, Like a Fire Hidden by Sand. In Ballet in the Rain, players must gather Glowing Orb – Swords and hunt the Tempered Lala Barina at Scarlet Forest to complete the mission before March 25. In Sand-Scarred Soul, players will need to collect Glowing Orb – Armors and the quest can be completed by hunting the Doshaguma in the Windward Plains before March 25. Lastly, Like a Fire Hidden by Sand needs players to acquire special material to obtain the Expedition Headgear α. The mission can be completed by hunting the Rathian in the Windward Plains before April 1. In other news, Monster Hunter Wilds is the fastest-selling game in Capcom’s history. Also, here’s how to find and capture Gravid Bowfin and Tracktail Lizards in the game. What are your thoughts on Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests for March 2025? Let us know in the comments or on our community forum! For more information from Insider Gaming, read about Marvel Rivals’ upcoming limited-time mode, Clone Rumble. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #Event #Quests #Schedule #March #Revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon’s One Medical CEO stepping down after less than two years Amazon’s One Medical CEO stepping down after less than two years A sign is posted in front of a One Medical office on July 21, 2022 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images One Medical CEO Trent Green will step down from the Amazon-owned primary care provider after less than two years in the role. Green is leaving One Medical to become CEO of National Research Corporation, or NRC Health, a provider of healthcare analytics and other services, the company said in a release on Tuesday. He’ll start there on June 1. Under Green, One Medical expanded into new geographic markets and opened new offices. It also integrated further into Amazon, with the company adding medical services to its Prime membership program. Amazon confirmed Green’s departure in a statement. “After nearly three years with Amazon One Medical, CEO Trent Green has decided to leave the company,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “We are grateful to Trent for his many contributions and wish him well on his next endeavor.” Neil Lindsay, who leads Amazon Health Services, said in a memo to employees on Tuesday that Green is moving back to his home state of Nebraska for the new role. Green’s last day at Amazon will be April 4. Read more CNBC Amazon coverage “Trent has helped One Medical solidify its position as an incredible place for providers to deliver — and patients to turn to (and return for) — high-quality, human-centered care,” Lindsay wrote in the memo, which was obtained by CNBC. Green was named CEO of One Medical in September 2023, succeeding Amir Dan Rubin. The change in leadership came roughly six months after Amazon completed its $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical. The deal for One Medical is the third-largest acquisition in Amazon’s history, behind its 2017 purchase of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion and its $8.45 billion deal for MGM Studios in 2021. Amazon acquired One Medical as part of a deepening push into the healthcare market. The company scooped up online pharmacy PillPack in 2018 for $750 million, before launching its own offering. It’s continued to tweak its health offerings. Amazon launched, then shuttered, a telehealth service, as well as a line of health and fitness devices. WATCH: Amazon enters quantum chip race Source link #Amazons #Medical #CEO #stepping #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A Turkey Meatloaf With a Little Somethin’-Somethin’ A Turkey Meatloaf With a Little Somethin’-Somethin’ Maybe it’s my stint as an interim restaurant critic, but lately I can’t stop thinking about meatloaf. It’s not the sort of thing you find on a menu all that often. As a kid, I ate it on the regular at my grandmother’s house — a thick, ketchup-slicked slice, surrounded by a starch and a green, a good square meal in that classic, midcentury way. And now I’ve been missing it. To celebrate the meatloaves of yore, and, even better, the glorious, pickle-shingled sandwiches you can make from them, I came up with a recipe for a turkey meatloaf, which I adapted from the Seattle chef Renee Erickson’s cookbook, “Sunlight and Breadcrumbs.” Seasoned with Parmesan, orange zest and garlic and drizzled with red wine, this is a robust, brawny brick that’s brightened by the fruity acidity of the wine, which also helps keep it moist. If you can find ground turkey that’s not too lean — I used 94 percent, which is a mix of dark and white meat — you’ll get the juiciest loaf. Or feel free to substitute beef or pork (or a mix, which is what Renee does). Serve it hot from the oven, maybe next to a tangle of Craig Claiborne’s beloved generously buttered parsleyed noodles, and some sautéed kale for the squarest of square meals. Featured Recipe Turkey Meatloaf With Parmesan and Red Wine View Recipe → If what you need is a square meal that’s pescatarian, how about starting with Naz Deravian’s roasted dill salmon? She calls for a pantry-friendly mix of maple syrup, dill (fresh or dried), turmeric and garlic for the marinade, spooned over a large, center-cut fillet. (If you use smaller fillets, just reduce the cooking time slightly.) This bubbles into a heady glaze as the salmon bakes, its rich flesh firming just enough to flake with a fork. Square it up with pretty much any side, though I especially like things that can go into the oven at the same time, like Ali Slagle’s hot honey-glazed roasted root vegetables and Lidey Heuck’s roasted broccoli, tossed with a subtle touch of garlic. On the saucier, more chicken-y side, Colu Henry’s harissa chicken thighs with shallots is a dream to make in a skillet on the stove. Seasoned with harissa and cinnamon, the shallots practically melt into something between a vegetable and a schmaltz-imbued condiment to eat with the golden pieces of chicken. This one just needs a baguette to mop up the juices, and maybe a festive beverage to celebrate such an easy, midweek meal. To end the meal, square or otherwise, I’ll give you a nice, round dessert: Samantha Seneviratne’s snickerdoodles. Rich with butter and spices, these cookies stay soft and chewy for a few days, which gives you plenty of time to dunk them in milk or tea or nibble them on their own. They’re wonderful tucked into a lunchbox, too — perhaps next to a nice, square meatloaf sandwich. To get these and all the other thousands of recipes available at New York Times Cooking, you’ll want to subscribe (and thank you if you already do). For technical issues, send an email to *****@*****.tld; there’s someone there who can help. And I’m at *****@*****.tld if you want to say hello. That’s all for now. I’ll see you on Monday. Source link #Turkey #Meatloaf #SomethinSomethin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon’s One Medical CEO stepping down after less than two years Amazon’s One Medical CEO stepping down after less than two years A sign is posted in front of a One Medical office on July 21, 2022 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images One Medical CEO Trent Green will step down from the Amazon-owned primary care provider after less than two years in the role. Green is leaving One Medical to become CEO of National Research Corporation, or NRC Health, a provider of healthcare analytics and other services, the company said in a release on Tuesday. He’ll start there on June 1. Under Green, One Medical expanded into new geographic markets and opened new offices. It also integrated further into Amazon, with the company adding medical services to its Prime membership program. Amazon confirmed Green’s departure in a statement. “After nearly three years with Amazon One Medical, CEO Trent Green has decided to leave the company,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “We are grateful to Trent for his many contributions and wish him well on his next endeavor.” Neil Lindsay, who leads Amazon Health Services, said in a memo to employees on Tuesday that Green is moving back to his home state of Nebraska for the new role. Green’s last day at Amazon will be April 4. Read more CNBC Amazon coverage “Trent has helped One Medical solidify its position as an incredible place for providers to deliver — and patients to turn to (and return for) — high-quality, human-centered care,” Lindsay wrote in the memo, which was obtained by CNBC. Green was named CEO of One Medical in September 2023, succeeding Amir Dan Rubin. The change in leadership came roughly six months after Amazon completed its $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical. The deal for One Medical is the third-largest acquisition in Amazon’s history, behind its 2017 purchase of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion and its $8.45 billion deal for MGM Studios in 2021. Amazon acquired One Medical as part of a deepening push into the healthcare market. The company scooped up online pharmacy PillPack in 2018 for $750 million, before launching its own offering. It’s continued to tweak its health offerings. Amazon launched, then shuttered, a telehealth service, as well as a line of health and fitness devices. WATCH: Amazon enters quantum chip race Source link #Amazons #Medical #CEO #stepping #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How execs think NFL Draft Top 10 will shake out: Shedeur Sanders’ stock and a mystery third QB How execs think NFL Draft Top 10 will shake out: Shedeur Sanders’ stock and a mystery third QB After the scouting combine one year ago, NFL executives correctly predicted the first three choices in the 2024 draft: Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears, Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders and Drake Maye to the New England Patriots. They got the fifth and ninth picks correct as well: Joe Alt to the Los Angeles Chargers and Rome Odunze to the Bears, respectively. The batting average could be lower in 2025, with the potential for some outright whiffs. “This is as hard as it has ever been,” one high-ranking team exec said from Indianapolis, “because there are only four to five really good players, and everybody else has holes in their game. It’s such a different draft.” The 2025 draft will produce more than four to five really good players, but with 50 days to go, there’s less consensus about how teams might proceed. After running through the top 10 selections with five execs, I’ve singled out one of their ballots as a launching point for discussion and debate — complete with a potential surprise quarterback in the top 10 and divergent opinions on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. 1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami Teams have drafted quarterbacks No. 1 in six of the past seven drafts, eight of the past 10 and 12 of the past 16. It’s what teams do, except in unusual cases. In a year when consensus mock drafts have teams drafting Ward among the top five picks, are we to believe Tennessee — a team that last held the top pick in 1978, when the franchise was the Houston Oilers — will pass up this rare chance to select the QB of its choice? “Tennessee is not going to sign a mediocre quarterback in free agency and roll with him as their guy when they have the top pick in the draft,” the exec projecting Ward to the Titans said. Most mocks have the Titans taking Abdul Carter, the pass rusher from Penn State. “I don’t think they are not taking a quarterback,” another exec said. “I don’t think they are trading with anybody. I think they are going to pick Cam Ward and move on.” A dissenting exec thought the Titans’ leadership, which includes president Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi, would prefer Travis Hunter, the two-way star from Colorado. That led another exec to question the fit in Tennessee’s current defensive scheme, which prioritizes more physical cornerbacks — unless, of course, Hunter were to focus on wide receiver for now. “They can go in about any direction,” this exec said. 2. Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Most execs do not see Sanders as a top-10 prospect. They think he holds the ball too long, lacks high-end traits and hit the wrong notes in combine interviews. Some fear he would be more likely to get a coach fired than help one earn an extension. Some said they had second-round grades on him. GO DEEPER Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock: Why not every NFL team gives the QB a first-round grade But let’s not overthink things. “If you are the leadership of these two teams (Tennessee and Cleveland), even if you have the ability to sign one of those veteran guys, you can’t afford the opportunity cost for the chance that Cam Ward is a real guy, Shedeur Sanders is a real guy,” the exec projecting Ward and Sanders as the top two choices said. Some teams will be scared off of Sanders. “Not because of the kid, but because of the dad (Deion Sanders), the social media stuff and how it’s about him, not the team,” another exec said. But Cleveland, not execs around the league, will be making this selection. Will the Browns be comfortable with him? It’s been fascinating to watch how perceptions of Sanders have changed in the absence of games played. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mocked Sanders to the Giants at No. 3 on Dec. 4 and to the Raiders at No. 6 on Jan. 15. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com mocked Sanders to the Raiders on Feb. 3, noting that his “accuracy and confidence feel like a tempting combination for Tom Brady’s new squad.” Then came the combine. This week, Brugler mocked Sanders to Pittsburgh at No. 21, while Zierlein mocked Sanders to Cleveland at No. 29 after a Browns trade-up. GO DEEPER NFL mock draft: How far could Shedeur Sanders slide? Will Titans move No. 1 pick? “I think (the Browns) draft a quarterback (at 2),” another exec said. 3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State Would the Giants really invest in another edge rusher after using the fifth pick of the 2022 draft to select one (Kavon Thibodeaux) and then acquiring another (Brian Burns) from Carolina last offseason? “You can never have enough rushers,” the exec projecting Carter to the Giants said. “Ask Philly.” The assumption here was that the Giants, with no guarantees they’ll be able to draft the QB of their choosing, will address the position with a veteran in free agency or by trade. That would allow them to use the third pick on a foundational piece. “They have two rushers in Thibodeaux and Burns who are the same position, the same style, the same everything,” another exec said. “I can’t imagine having three of those.” Some execs thought Hunter would be the choice here. All the execs thought the Giants might be best off selecting an offensive lineman, but there were doubts regarding whether any of the tackle prospects merited selection this early, with Carter and Hunter still available. 4. New England Patriots: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado Execs agreed on one thing: New England needs to use this choice on offense, either to address the line or weaponry for quarterback Drake Maye. “The fascinating thing about this draft is, offensive tackle is not great, corner is not great, receiver is not great,” an exec said. “Those are usually the positions that go early. Are they going to take Will Campbell, who is a left tackle, but maybe plays guard ultimately? That is hard to do. Are they going to take Mason Graham?” Execs would feel better about the projection if Hunter fit the punishing physical profile associated with new coach Mike Vrabel, but in this case, premium talent won out. “I haven’t seen a tackle on tape worth taking that early,” another exec said. The exec whose top 10 was used here saw a big gap between Hunter and the other receivers and linemen available. “I could see New England going Tetairoa McMillan, the top receiver, to give the quarterback somebody to throw to,” an exec who thought Hunter would be selected among the top three picks said. “I could see them going with the tight end, (Tyler) Warren, because he is so physical. They could see him as Gronk.” 5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan The Jaguars could use help on their offensive line, so some execs had them selecting LSU’s Will Campbell. Even the exec projecting Graham to the Jaguars here leaned that way initially. “They got the receiver they love last year (first-round pick Brian Thomas), and they’ve got some pass rushers, so if I’m Jacksonville in this spot, you are probably looking at the first O-lineman in the draft,” this exec said. “It might be Will Campbell.” The exec then scanned a list of available players. “Actually, you know who it is going to be? The D-tackle from Michigan, Mason Graham,” the exec said. There’s some thought that the tackles in this draft project as guards in the NFL. The Jaguars’ top football executive, Hall of Fame tackle Tony Boselli, should know an elite offensive lineman when he sees one. What he thinks of the top blockers in this draft could inform this decision. 6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State The Raiders are difficult to figure because there are so many strong voices guiding their decisions, from ********* owner Tom Brady to new GM John Spytek to coach Pete Carroll and even offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Execs thought Las Vegas would likely roll with a veteran quarterback instead of selecting one here. Carroll thinks the team makes the quarterback, more than the other way around, except in those rare cases when there’s a truly elite talent behind center. “I could see Chip Kelly taking a Zach Wilson or somebody like that and reinventing him in his system,” an exec said. Jeanty would supercharge the Raiders’ ground game, and if the defense plays well enough, the team might succeed with whatever quarterback it lands in the veteran market. “Pete is dead set on running the ball,” an exec said. “He had Marshawn (******) in Seattle. He is going to want the back here.” 7. New York Jets: Jaxson Dart, QB, Mississippi (or another QB) Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, who led the team’s search for its new coach and GM, recently called Dart the “clear” third QB in this draft. Was he priming expectations for the Jets to select Dart this early? “They gotta get a quarterback, and this might be where Jaxson Dart goes,” the exec projecting Dart to the Jets said. “They are sitting there with Tyrod Taylor as their starter right now.” So many of the available veteran options are Jets alums, from Aaron Rodgers to Sam Darnold to a potential reclamation project in Zach Wilson. Bringing back any of those QBs appears remote. Could Jaxson Dart, or perhaps another QB, leap into the top 10? (James Gilbert / Getty Images) Not everyone agrees with Tannenbaum’s contention that Dart should be the third quarterback in this class, but all agree the Jets appear desperate heading into free agency, with few appealing options. So we’ve penciled in a quarterback here, leaving open the chance it could be someone other than Dart. “I think it’s going to be a quarterback, but we don’t know which one,” another exec said. One name to keep in mind: Tyler Shough of Louisville. Todd McShay, the former longtime ESPN draft analyst now with The Ringer, predicted Shough would be drafted ahead of Sanders. Because Shough has had only one especially strong season, his stock could appear to rise late as teams work through his 2024 tape. His age (25) and injury history have worked against him so far, but some execs see him as a first-round talent with a shot at cracking the top 10. 8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona In this scenario, the Panthers could choose between the top offensive lineman, the top receiver and the top tight end. Which direction might they go? The exec projecting McMillan to the Panthers did not do so with great conviction. “We get in trouble trying to overthink this,” he said. McMillan would provide Panthers quarterback Bryce Young with a 6-foot-4, 220-pound target able to make spectacular catches, and contested ones. But he lacks the speed some see as a prerequisite for selecting a wideout this early. “I could see them taking a receiver for sure, but McMillan does not play fast,” another exec said. “Maybe they take the (Matthew) Golden kid from Texas, or (Luther) Burden from Missouri.” Burden is more in the Malik Nabers mold. “He will be a top 12 pick,” one exec predicted. What about Tyler Warren? That could be a luxury pick for a team with as many needs as the Panthers. “The tight end (Warren) is going to go somewhere,” another exec said. “I don’t think he gets out of the top 10.” 9. New Orleans Saints: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas The Saints have needs throughout their roster, but the offensive line has been a big issue. Under this scenario, the Saints would have their choice of players at the position. “Kelvin Banks is a clean culture guy fitting that New Orleans mold when it comes to the offensive line,” the exec projecting Banks to the Saints said. Shemar Stewart, pass rusher from Texas A&M, was also mentioned here. But there was more consternation than conviction at this stage. “Does everybody have this much trouble with this (exercise)?” one of the execs asked. 10. Chicago Bears: Will Campbell, OT, LSU The Bears were fascinating for execs to handicap, on the assumption that new coach Ben Johnson will be a primary driver of decisions made atop the draft after six seasons with the Detroit Lions. Not that we should expect the Bears to suddenly mirror Johnson’s former team, which used first-round picks on a linebacker (Jack Campbell) and running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) against expectations. “Detroit had its offensive line already built,” an exec said. Campbell was the choice here because he was still available the way things fell, but there were other options. “Everything was about toughness and grit for Detroit,” the exec projecting Campbell to Detroit said. “The guard from Alabama (Tyler Booker) epitomizes that, but with Campbell still available, he’s a good choice for them.” Most execs thought Chicago would prioritize its offensive line or pass rush here. “They have to find a pass rusher,” another exec said. “I could see them making a play for Carter or one of those outside rushers.” Editor’s note: This selection was made before the Bears traded for Joe Thuney. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos of Shedeur Sanders, center, Ashton Jeanty, left, and Travis Hunter: Stacy Revere, Justin Casterline / Getty Images) Source link #execs #NFL #Draft #Top #shake #Shedeur #Sanders #stock #mystery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is a Smart City? What is a Smart City? A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technology to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve the quality of government services and citizen ********. While the exact definition varies, the overarching mission of a smart city is to optimize city functions, drive economic growth, and improve the quality of life for its citizens using technology and data analysis. Value is given to the smart city based on what it chooses to do with the technology, not just how much technology it may have. Smart city initiatives usually require three major hallmarks, as previously defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation: Networks of sensors and citizens to collect data. Connectivity from the networks, data and citizens to the government. Open data to share the results, changes, improvements and data fairly to the public. Additionally, smart city programs often intersect with other municipal priorities. Several major characteristics are used to evaluate a city’s relative “smartness.” These characteristics may include the following: Technology-based infrastructure. Environmental initiatives. High-functioning public transportation system. Confident sense of urban planning. Humans to live and work in the city and use its resources. A smart city’s success depends on its ability to form a strong relationship among the government, the private sector and its citizens. This relationship is necessary because most of the work done to create and maintain a digital, data-driven environment occurs outside the government. For example, surveillance equipment for busy streets could include sensors from one company, cameras from another and a server from yet another, with the data fed back to the government agency that then acts on it. Additionally, independent contractors may be hired to analyze the data, which is then reported back to the city government. This data could then lead to engaging an application development team to try to address problems found in the analyzed data. This company could become part of the system if the solution requires regular updating and management. A smart city’s success becomes more focused on building positive relationships than on completing a single project. For a smart city initiative to succeed, it must use the data collected to make better decisions. Imagine all a city’s buses being equipped with sensors on the suspension. This data could be used in route planning to reduce underused routes and alleviate overloaded ones. The shock data could also be combined with the bus’s Global Positioning System location and fed to road maintenance crews to find and remediate the worst potholes. Smart city technology Smart cities use a combination of internet of things (IoT) devices, software solutions and communication networks. However, they rely first and foremost on IoT, which is a network of connected devices, such as vehicles, sensors or home appliances, that can communicate and exchange data. Servers on the cloud store data from the IoT sensors and devices. IoT sensors are often linchpins in smart city capabilities. The connection of these devices and use of data analytics facilitate the convergence of the physical and digital city elements, improving both public and private sector efficiency, enabling economic benefits and improving citizens’ lives. When the IoT devices include edge computing capabilities, it’s possible to preprocess the data and take simple actions, ensuring that only the most important, relevant information is communicated over the network. Modern 5G networks can be used to connect IoT devices. 5G greatly increases the reliability and capacity of the data networks. This allows for more sensors and greater amounts of collected data. 5G technology use cases align to several smart city goals. Proper security is also vital in a smart city. Since much of a city’s vital infrastructure is connected to the internet, it opens it up to cyberattack. If not properly secured, data could be stolen, ransomware could cripple operations, equipment could be damaged or lives could be lost if critical services go offline. Other smart city technologies include the following: Features of a smart city In addition to IoT, emerging trends, such as automation and ML, are driving smart city adoption. Theoretically, any area of city management can be incorporated into a smart city initiative. A classic example is the smart parking meter, which uses a mobile application to help drivers find available parking spaces without prolonged circling of crowded city blocks. The smart meter also enables digital payment. Also, in the transportation arena, smart traffic management is used to monitor and analyze traffic flows to optimize streetlights and prevent roadways from becoming too congested based on time of day or rush-hour schedules. Public transit is another smart city focus. Smart transit companies can coordinate services and fulfill riders’ needs in real time, improving efficiency and rider satisfaction. Ride-sharing and bike-sharing are also common smart city services. Energy conservation and efficiency are major objectives of smart cities. Using smart sensors, smart streetlights dim when there aren’t cars or pedestrians on roadways. Smart grid technology can improve operations, maintenance and planning; supply power on demand; and monitor energy outages. As more renewable energy sources join the power grid, smart grid technologies can help to regulate power use. Smart city initiatives also aim to monitor and address environmental concerns, such as climate change and air pollution. Smart technology, including internet-connected trash cans and IoT-enabled fleet management systems, can enhance waste management and sanitation. Sensors can measure and guarantee the quality of drinking water at the front end of the system, with proper wastewater removal and drainage at the back end. The components of a smart city are diverse and encompass the government, private sector and citizens. Smart city technology is increasingly being used to improve public safety, from monitoring areas of high crime to improving emergency preparedness with sensors. For example, smart sensors can be critical components of a system providing early warnings before droughts, floods, landslides or hurricanes. Some cities have systems to detect and locate gunshots. Smart buildings are also often part of a smart city project. Legacy infrastructure can be retrofitted and new buildings constructed with sensors to facilitate real-time space management, ensure public safety and monitor the structural health of buildings. Sensors can detect wear and tear and notify officials when repairs are needed. Citizens can help in this matter, notifying officials through a smart city application when repairs are needed in buildings or for other public infrastructure, like potholes. Sensors can also detect leaks in water mains and other pipe systems, helping prompt timely repairs and reduce costs. Smart city technologies also bring efficiencies to urban manufacturing and farming, creating jobs, saving energy and space, and giving consumers fresher goods. How a smart city works Smart cities use their web of connected IoT devices and other technologies to achieve their goals, typically following four steps: Collection. Smart sensors throughout the city gather data in real time. Analysis. Data collected by the smart sensors is assessed to draw meaningful insights. Communication. The insights found in the analysis phase are communicated with decision-makers through strong communication networks. Action. Cities use the insights to create solutions, optimize operations and asset management, and improve the quality of life for residents. Fostering sustainability with smart cities Sustainability is another target for smart cities. The United Nations reported that around 55% of the world’s population currently resides in an urban area or city; this figure is set to rise to 68% throughout the coming decades. Smart technology will help cities sustain growth and improve efficiency for citizen ******** and government efficiency in urban areas. Smart city technologies could alleviate the environmental impact of municipal emissions, such as those from fossil fuels. Switching to an electric public transportation system can decrease fuel emissions. Cities can also alter the electric power infrastructure to minimize the impact of charging batteries during peak hours of electric use. With proper coordination, electric vehicles, when not in service, could also regulate the frequency of the city’s electric grid. The number of cars used is likely to decrease as municipalities become smarter. Autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, could potentially change a population’s perspective on the necessity of owning cars. The adoption of autonomous vehicles is expected to reduce the amount of vehicles civilians own, decreasing the number of cars on the street and further lowering the emission of detrimental gases. Smart city challenges and concerns Smart city initiatives must include the people they aim to help: residents, businesspeople and visitors. City leaders must raise awareness of the benefits of smart city technologies being implemented and promote the use of open, democratized data to its citizens. If people understand the benefits of what they’re participating in, they are more likely to engage. Fostering collaboration between the public and private sector and city residents is key to creating a smart citizen who is engaged and empowered to contribute positively to the city and community. Smart city projects should include plans to make data transparent and available to citizens, often through an open data portal or mobile app. This enables residents to engage with the data and understand its use. Through a smart city app, residents may be able to complete personal chores, such as viewing their home’s energy consumption, paying bills and finding efficient public transportation. Smart city opponents worry that city managers will not keep data privacy and security top of mind; they fear exposure of the data that citizens produce on a daily basis to the risk of hacking or misuse. Additionally, the presence of sensors and cameras may be perceived as an invasion of privacy or government surveillance. To address this, smart city data collected should be anonymized and not contain personally identifiable information. However, the biggest challenge smart cities face is connectivity. The thousands or millions of IoT devices scattered across the city would be useless without a solid connection, and the smart city itself would be dead. Public transit, traffic, public safety, water and waste, electricity and natural gas management can be unreliable, especially as a system ages and grows. However, the importance of these operations will only increase as the city expands and demands on its infrastructure increase. These systems must be constantly maintained and tested to ensure their proper functioning. Newly built smart cities are also challenged by finding ways to attract and keep residents without a cultural fabric. An area’s cultural essence is often what attracts residents the most; this cannot be programmed or controlled with a sensor. Therefore, planned smart cities may falter because they cannot provide a sense of authenticity, distinctiveness or place. Some smart cities being built from the ground up — like Saudi Arabia’s Neom — lack an established population and must recruit residents. Neom is being built with no past success to provide confidence about generating growth, and concerns have risen over whether there are even sustainable water sources available. Why we need smart cities The primary goal of a smart city is to create an urban environment that yields a high quality of life to its residents, while also generating overall economic growth. A major advantage of smart cities is their ability to deliver more and better services to citizens with less infrastructure and cost. As the population within cities continues to grow, it becomes necessary for these urban areas to accommodate growth with more efficient use of their infrastructure and assets. Smart city applications can satisfy that need, helping cities derive new value from existing infrastructure. Making smart city improvements can be a great investment that ushers in new revenue streams, while creating operational efficiencies that save money. Examples of smart cities While many cities across the world have started implementing smart technologies, a few stand out as the furthest ahead in development. These cities include the following: Kansas City, Missouri. San Diego, California. Columbus, Ohio. New York City, New York. Toronto, Canada. Singapore. Vienna, Austria. Barcelona, Spain. Tokyo, Japan. Reykjavik, Iceland. London, U.K. Melbourne, Australia. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Hong Kong, China. Most of the major smart city projects are concentrated in the Middle East and China, but in 2018, Reykjavik and Toronto were listed alongside Tokyo and Singapore as some of the world’s smartest cities. Often considered the gold standard of smart cities, the city-state of Singapore uses sensors and IoT-enabled cameras to monitor the cleanliness of public spaces, crowd density and the movement of locally registered vehicles. Its smart technologies help companies and residents monitor energy use, waste production and water use in real time. Singapore is also testing autonomous vehicles, including full-size robotic buses, as well as a health monitoring system to ensure the well-being of its senior citizens. Kansas City has implemented smart streetlights, interactive kiosks and more than 50 blocks of free public Wi-Fi along its two-mile streetcar route. The city’s data visualization app publicly displays parking spaces, traffic flow and pedestrian hotspots. San Diego installed 3,200 smart sensors in early 2017 to optimize traffic and parking, enhance public safety, foster environmental awareness and boost overall quality of life for its residents. Solar-to-electric charging stations are available to empower electric vehicle use, and connected cameras help monitor traffic and pinpoint crime. In Dubai, smart city technology supports traffic routing, parking, infrastructure planning and transportation. The city also uses telemedicine and smart healthcare, smart buildings, smart utilities, smart education and smart tourism. In Barcelona, smart transportation and bus systems complement smart bus stops that provide free Wi-Fi, USB charging stations and bus schedule updates for riders. A bike-sharing program and smart parking app include online payment options. The city also uses sensors to monitor temperature, pollution, noise, humidity and rain levels. History of the smart city The concept of the smart city dates to the 1960s and 1970s when the Community Analysis Bureau in Los Angeles started using computer databases, cluster analysis and infrared aerial photography to collect data, issue reports and direct resources to the areas that need them most to fight off potential disasters and reduce poverty. Since then, three different generations of smart cities have emerged. Technology providers led Smart City 1.0. This generation focused on implementing technology in cities despite the municipality’s inability to fully understand the possible implications of the technology or the effects it may have on daily life. In contrast, cities led Smart City 2.0. Here, forward-thinking leaders helped determine the future of the city and how smart technologies and other innovations could be deployed to create it. In the third generation, Smart City 3.0, neither technology providers nor city leaders have exclusive control; instead, a citizen co-creation model has emerged. Achieving equity and a smart community with social inclusion seems to have inspired this evolution. Vienna is one of the first cities to adopt this new, third-generation model. There, a partnership has been formed with a local energy company called Wien Energie. As part of it, Vienna included citizens as investors in local solar plants. Vienna has also highlighted citizen engagement in resolving issues such as gender equality and affordable housing. Smart cities can make residents’ lives easier through real-time traffic information and public safety alerts. However, governments should be aware of how to manage use cases effectively. Learn how IoT data provides a foundation for smart city use cases. Source link #Smart #City Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin Rises Towards $90k As Volatility Reigns Bitcoin Rises Towards $90k As Volatility Reigns Bitcoin Rises Towards $90k As Volatility Reigns Source link #Bitcoin #Rises #90k #Volatility #Reigns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former Miss Australia Found Guilty of Emotionally Abusing and Intimidating Her Ex-Husband: Reports Former Miss Australia Found Guilty of Emotionally Abusing and Intimidating Her Ex-Husband: Reports A former Miss Australia has been found guilty of emotionally abusing her ex-husband, a court in Tasmania has heard Kathryn Isobel Hay, 49, is accused of threatening Troy Shane Richardson with violence, punching him and hitting him several times with a shoe, per reports The former couple were together from 2010 until 2022 and share two children together, according to the *********** Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) A former Miss Australia has been found guilty in court of emotionally abusing and intimidating her ex-husband. On Wednesday, March 5, Kathryn Isobel Hay, 49 — who was Miss Australia and Miss Tasmania in 1999 — was found guilty of emotional abuse or intimidation at the Launceston Magistrates Court in Tasmania, per the *********** Associated Press (AAP). According to the *********** Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Hay pleaded not guilty to a single charge of emotional abuse or intimidation in 2023 before she faced a hearing last year. She’s accused of emotionally abusing her former partner, Troy Shane Richardson, during a time frame that allegedly took place between January 2014 and November 2022, per the ABC. The outlet stated the former couple were together from 2010 until 2022 and share two children. The court heard on March 5 that *********** Labor politician Hay — who is a former Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly — was found guilty, with the “majority of the particulars on the charge proven,” per 9 News. Fairfax Media via Getty Kathryn Hay photographed in 2001 Richardson had told the hearing in 2024 that his former partner had been verbally abusive when they were together, as well as accusing her of threatening him with violence, punching him and hitting him several times with a shoe, per the AAP. The ABC added that Hay also threw a bowl of cereal at him, as well as frequently abusing him online. The outlet reported that Hay had claimed that she was the victim of abuse. Richardson, who said he met Hay at a dog show in 2009 before they tied the knot in 2012, previously told the court their relationship had deteriorated around 2013 after their second child was born, the AAP reported. “She would often make a point of having an argument in public just to make me feel low,” he said of the alleged abuse, per the outlet, claiming that the suspect punched him in 2020, stating he was left with a ****** eye. The following year, Hay was then taken into police custody after being accused of slapping her then-partner for “driving around a corner too fast,” per the AAP. A family violence order was placed against her, but the victim claimed the suspect had “later demanded he have the order revoked.” Magistrate Simon Brown told the court on Wednesday, “It was the prosecutors’ case that the defendant controlled and abused the complainant,” per the ABC. “It was the defense case that the reverse was the case,” Brown added, according to the outlet. Hay — a Labor member for the northern Tasmanian seat of Bass between 2002 and 2006 — reportedly claimed the couple’s finances were “entirely controlled” by her former partner, the publication stated. However, Brown claimed this likely wasn’t the case as the ABC added that she’d allegedly purchased a property at Norwood in northern Tasmania. “The evidence here proves that it was the defendant [Hay] who was the prime mover … she paid a handsome, somewhat overly inflated price [for the property]. The property was registered in her name and her name only,” Brown said, per the outlet. Fairfax Media via Getty Kathryn Hay photographed in 1999 Brown continued, “Generally, I found her [Hay] to be a dishonest and unreliable witness,” the ABC reported. “She, over a ******* of years and years, caused the complainant distress,” Brown said. “If the defendant had stopped to think, she ought to have known that her conduct would have caused her husband to be intimidated.” Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The suspect denied physical abuse but did admit that bad language might have been used occasionally as the relationship became toxic, per the AAP. Hay has been bailed and is expected to be sentenced on April 17, the outlet reported. The Launceston Magistrates Court didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People Source link #Australia #Guilty #Emotionally #Abusing #Intimidating #ExHusband #Reports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bowden’s 2025 MLB report card: Offseason grades, takeaways, predictions for all 30 teams Bowden’s 2025 MLB report card: Offseason grades, takeaways, predictions for all 30 teams With spring training in full swing and Opening Day three weeks away, it’s time for my annual offseason report card that includes a breakdown of every team’s major-league signings and trades. Here are my final offseason grades for all 30 teams, along with each club’s best move, an “under-the-radar” move, a top storyline to watch, and my prediction for where they will finish in the division and wild-card races. I handed out six A’s (including A-pluses and A-minuses), 12 B’s, eight C’s, three D’s, and one F. (Sorry, St. Louis.) Where did your team end up, and do you agree with me? NL East Atlanta Braves Grade: C Free agents: • OF Bryan De La Cruz, one-year deal • RHP Connor Gillispie, one-year deal • Jurickson Profar, 3 years/$42 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Griffin Canning from Angels for OF/DH Jorge Soler • Acquired RHP Davis Daniel from Angels for LHP Mitch Farris Extensions: • RHP Reynaldo López, 3 years /$30 million • LHP Aaron Bummer, 2 years/$13 million Best move: Jurickson Profar improves the everyday left field position for Atlanta. He hit .280 last year with the Padres, belting 24 home runs, stealing 10 bases and recording four outfield assists. He finished second in the NL in on-base percentage (.380), behind only Shohei Ohtani. With Profar in left, Michael Harris II in center and Ronald Acuña Jr. in right, the Braves have one of the best outfields in baseball. Under-the-radar move: Adding Bryan De La Cruz gives the Braves substantial outfield depth and protects them from injuries. He has averaged 19 home runs a year over the past two seasons. What helped or hurt their grade: The Braves lost two of their best starting pitchers, Max Fried and Charlie Morton, in free agency and now are counting on Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson to replace their production in the rotation. Storyline to watch: How will Acuña and ace Spencer Strider fare when they’re ready to return from injury? Getting them healthy and performing at their accustomed level might be the difference between the Braves winning the division or making the playoffs as a wild-card team. Season prediction: Second place (wild-card berth) Miami Marlins Grade: B-minus Free agents: • 3B Eric Wagaman, one-year deal • RHP Cal Quantrill, 1 year/$3.5 million Trades: • Acquired SS Starlyn Caba and OF Emaarion Boyd from Phillies for LHP Jesús Luzardo and C Paul McIntosh • Acquired INF Max Acosta, INF Echedry Vargas and LHP Brayan Mendoza from Rangers for 1B/3B Jake Burger • Acquired 1B Matt Mervis from Cubs for INF Vidal Bruján Best move: Acquiring shortstop Starlyn Caba and speedy outfielder Emaarion Boyd in the trade for Jesús Luzardo. Both players could eventually be long-term answers in Miami’s lineup. Luzardo was too much of a health risk and had only two years of control remaining. Under-the-radar move: Signing Cal Quantrill gives the Marlins essential rotation depth but also a potential trade chip at the deadline. What helped or hurt their grade: I wanted them to invest more to get a couple of veteran position players to help their young hitters develop. That would have also given them more to trade come July. Storyline to watch: The comeback of former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. If he can stay healthy and dominate in the first half, the Marlins could be able to trade him for the biggest prospect haul the industry has seen since the Nationals dealt Juan Soto to the Padres three years ago. Season prediction: Fifth place GO DEEPER Ten MLB Comeback Player of the Year candidates, and what their GMs say about them New York Mets Grade: A-minus Free agents: • RF Juan Soto, 15 years/$765 million • LHP Sean Manaea, 3 years/$75 million • 1B Pete Alonso, 2 years/$54 million • RHP Clay Holmes, 3 years/$38 million • RHP Frankie Montas, 2 years/$34 million • LHP A.J. Minter, 2 years/$22 million • OF/DH Jesse Winker, 1 year/$7.5 million • RHP Ryne Stanek, 1 year/$4.5 million • RHP Griffin Canning, 1 year/$4.25 million • 2B Nick Madrigal, 1 year/$1.35 million • RHP Dylan Covey, 1 year/$850,000 Trades: • Acquired CF Jose Siri from Rays for RHP Eric Orze Best move: Outbidding the cross-town Yankees and landing Juan Soto in free agency. Soto is the Ted Williams of this generation and will be a game-changer offensively for the Mets for years to come. Under-the-radar move: Signing reliever Clay Holmes and transitioning him into a starting role, with adjustments to his repertoire. What helped or hurt their grade: I bumped up the Mets’ grade to “A-minus” when they brought back Pete Alonso on a short-term deal, a move that solidifies them as one of the most lethal offenses in the league. However, I couldn’t get them to an “A” because they needed to do more to improve the top of the rotation, and I don’t think they have enough bulk innings. Too many higher-risk signings like Frankie Montas and Holmes. Storyline to watch: The Mets’ season will likely hinge on how their rotation fares compared to those of the Phillies and Braves. Also, how will their continued pursuit of Padres ace Dylan Cease play out? Season prediction: Third place (wild-card berth) The Mets’ lineup will have power with Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images) Philadelphia Phillies Grade: B Free agents: • OF Max Kepler, 1 year/$10 million • RHP Jordan Romano, 1 year/$8.5 million • RHP Joe Ross, 1 year/$4 million Trades: • Acquired LHP Jesús Luzardo and C Paul McIntosh from Marlins for SS Starlyn Caba and OF Emaarion Boyd • Acquired cash considerations from Rays for RHP Mike Vasil • Acquired RHP Aaron Combs from White Sox for LHP Tyler Gilbert Best move: Acquiring Jesús Luzardo from the Marlins gives them the division’s best and deepest rotation. Under-the-radar move: Signing Jordan Romano, who gives them a high-leverage reliever on a relatively inexpensive contract. Can he stay healthy? What helped or hurt their grade: They didn’t do enough to improve their outfield offensively; it remains one of the weakest parts of their lineup. Storyline to watch: The development of one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Andrew Painter, who will start the year in the minors but could become a difference-maker in the majors by summertime. Season prediction: First place Washington Nationals Grade: C-plus Free agents: • RHP Trevor Williams, 2 years/$14 million • RHP Michael Soroka, 1 year/$9 million • 1B/DH Josh Bell, 1 year/$6 million • RHP Kyle Finnegan, 1 year/$6 million • RHP Jorge López, 1 year/$3 million • LHP Shinnosuke Ogasawara, 2 years/$3.5 million • RHP Lucas Sims, 1 year/$3 million • INF Paul DeJong, 1 year/$1 million Trades: • Acquired 1B Nathaniel Lowe from Rangers for LHP Robert Garcia Best move: The Nathaniel Lowe acquisition gives them improved offense and defense at first base and more of a veteran presence to help their young players develop. Lowe is a 16- to 18-home run hitter who has won Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. Under-the-radar move: Waiting out their closer from last year, Kyle Finnegan, in free agency and then bringing him back for only $6 million. Shrewd negotiating. What helped or hurt their grade: They didn’t spend the money required in trades or free agency to make marked improvement in the standings this year. Storyline to watch: The development of their corner outfielders: Dylan Crews, who is expected to play right, and James Wood, who will play left. Both have the potential to develop into star-caliber players, and for the Nationals to be in a better position next offseason to spend money, they need both to make an impact this year. Season prediction: Fourth place NL Central Chicago Cubs Grade: A-minus Free agents: • LHP Matthew Boyd, 2 years/$29 million • C Carson Kelly, 2 years/$11.5 million • INF Justin Turner, 1 year/$6 million • RHP Colin Rea, 1 year/$5 million • LHP Caleb Thielbar, 1 year/$2.75 million • INF Jon Berti, 1 year/$2 million Trades: • Acquired OF Kyle Tucker from Astros for 3B Cam Smith, RHP Hayden Wesneski and 3B Isaac Paredes • Acquired RHP Ryan Pressly and cash from Astros for RHP Juan Bello • Acquired RHP Cody Poteet from Yankees for CF/1B Cody Bellinger and cash • Acquired RHP Eli Morgan from Guardians for OF Alfonsin Rosario • Acquired INF Vidal Bruján from Marlins for 1B Matt Mervis • Acquired RHP Ryan Brasier and cash from Dodgers for player to be named or cash • Acquired C Matt Thaiss from Angels for cash considerations • Acquired RHP Matt Festa from Rangers for cash • Acquired cash from White Sox for C Matt Thaiss • Acquired cash from Mariners for INF Miles Mastrobuoni Best move: Trading for Kyle Tucker, who gives the Cubs the superstar position player they’ve been missing and a hitter who can carry the team when the rest of the lineup is slumping. Tucker is a 30-homer/30-stolen base talent and a true five-tool player. However, the Cubs won’t be able to re-sign him during the season as he’s too close to free agency; they’ll need to wait to see how he’s valued on the post-Soto-signing open market. This was the best move for the Cubs to make for this year, but if they don’t reach the postseason and don’t re-sign Tucker, it will turn into the worst move because they gave up a future star, Cam Smith, to land him. Under-the-radar move: The Ryan Pressly trade. The 36-year-old righty gives them a much-needed impact closer who brings quiet leadership and mental toughness to their bullpen. What helped or hurt their grade: Their high grade wasn’t just because of the moves for Tucker and Pressly. It was aided by building strong depth in their bullpen and bench this offseason. Storyline to watch: The development of the trio of young players at the bottom of their lineup: center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, catcher Miguel Amaya, and third baseman Matt Shaw, who should be in contention for NL Rookie of the Year thanks to his short, quick stroke, surprising power and ability to create backspin. If those three deliver, the Cubs will participate in October baseball; if not, they’ll probably be on the outside looking in again. Season prediction: First place GO DEEPER Bowden: 30 top Rookie of the Year candidates I can’t wait to watch in MLB spring training The Cubs landed Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade, but will they be able to re-sign him? (Rick Scuteri / Imagn Images) Cincinnati Reds Grade: B Free agents: • LHP Brent Suter, 1 year/$2.5 million • RHP Nick Martinez, 1 year/$21.05 million • OF Austin Hays, 1 year/$5 million • RHP Scott Barlow, 1 year/$2.5 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Brady Singer from Royals for 2B Jonathan India and OF Joey Wiemer • Acquired C Jose Trevino from Yankees for RHP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson • Acquired INF Gavin Lux from Dodgers for OF Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick in the 2025 draft • Acquired LHP Taylor Rogers and cash from Giants for RHP Braxton Roxby Best move: Hiring Terry Francona as manager was their best overall move; his leadership and special ability to communicate and hold players accountable will be a game-changer for this roster. From a player perspective, the acquisition of Brady Singer provides important bulk innings to augment their young rotation. Singer logged 179 2/3 innings last season for Kansas City and has pitched 150 innings or more each season over the past three years. Under-the-radar move: Acquiring former Gold Glove winner Jose Trevino to back up Tyler Stephenson. It gives them a quality catcher if Stephenson gets hurt or needs to play first base or DH on occasion. What helped or hurt their grade: I think they needed one more proven power bat for the middle of their lineup. Although they tried to trade with the White Sox for Luis Robert Jr., they fell short, only willing to give up one of their top prospects, not two. In 2023, Robert hit 38 home runs with 20 steals, numbers he could easily reach again playing half his games at Great American Small Park. Instead, the Reds pivoted to Austin Hays, who was much more affordable at $5 million but provides just 15-18 home run type power instead. Storyline to watch: The development of their young starting pitchers, led by Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder, and maybe even Chase Burns by season’s end. If they all make significant strides, the Reds will win the division. However, a key to reaching those lofty expectations will be the team defense behind them, which was a problem last year. Also, who ends up playing first base, third base and the corner outfield spots is another key storyline; it could be answered quickly in spring training or linger the entire season, and it might determine their fate. Season prediction: Second place Milwaukee Brewers Grade: C Free agents: • LHP Jose Quintana, 1 year/$4.25 million • LHP Grant Wolfram, one-year deal • LHP Tyler Alexander, one-year deal • RHP Elvin Rodriguez, one-year deal Trades: • Acquired LHP Nestor Cortes and 2B Caleb Durbin from Yankees for RHP Devin Williams • Acquired RHP Grant Anderson from Rangers for LHP Mason Molina Best move: Acquiring Nestor Cortes, who should help the rotation if he can stay healthy, and Caleb Durbin, a solid backup utility infielder, in the trade with the Yankees. Under-the-radar move: Trading for reliever Grant Anderson, who’s only had a couple cups of coffee in the bigs but could help out as a 13th pitcher on their staff at some point this year. What helped or hurt their grade: They lost shortstop ****** Adames to the Giants in free agency and impact closer Devin Williams to the Yankees in the Cortes trade. Those departures hurt their grade. Storyline to watch: The comeback attempts of outfielder Christian Yelich, who is trying to return from back surgery, and former ace Brandon Woodruff, who is attempting to make it back from shoulder surgery. They’ll be key to whether the Brewers finish anywhere from first to third place. Season prediction: Third place Pittsburgh Pirates Grade: C-plus Free agents: • OF Andrew McCutchen, 1 year/$5 million • LHP Andrew Heaney, 1 year/$5.25 million • OF Tommy Pham, 1 year/$4.5 million • LHP Caleb Ferguson, 1 year/$3 million • 2B/OF Adam Frazier, 1 year/$1.525 million • LHP Tim Mayza, 1 year/$1.15 million Trades: • Acquired 1B Spencer Horwitz from Guardians for RHP Luis Ortiz, LHP Josh Hartle and LHP Michael Kennedy • Acquired INF/OF Emmanuel Valdez from Red Sox for RHP Joe Vogatsky • Acquired RHP Brett de Geus from Blue Jays for cash. • Acquired RHP Chase Shugart from Red Sox for RHP Matt McShane Best move: Acquiring Spencer Horwitz, who posted a .357 OBP last year with 12 home runs in 328 at-bats for the Blue Jays and isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2027, which fits the Pirates’ financial profile. He underwent wrist surgery last month and will start the season on the injured list. Under-the-radar move: Hiring Brent Strom as assistant pitching coach. Strom served as the pitching coach for the 2023 NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks and the 2021 world champion Houston Astros. He was instrumental in the development of pitchers such as Gerrit Cole and should really help young Pirates arms such as Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller and eventually Bubba Chandler. What helped or hurt their grade: Once again, they didn’t commit significant dollars to improving their offense, which is disappointing, especially because they now have a starting rotation that’s capable of taking them to the playoffs. Storyline to watch: How great can Skenes become? How many innings will the Pirates allow him to pitch this year? Will he win his first Cy Young Award? Season prediction: Fourth place St. Louis Cardinals Grade: F Free agents: None Trades: • Acquired CF Michael Helman from Twins for cash Best move: Crickets. Under-the-radar move: … What helped or hurt their grade: They did not make a single free-agent signing or any trades that moved the meter. They focused on trying to trade Nolan Arenado, and they couldn’t even do that. Storyline to watch: How will Arenado fare at the start of the season? When will he get traded, and to whom? Season prediction: Fifth place NL West Arizona Diamondbacks Grade: A-minus Free agents: • RHP Corbin Burnes, 6 years/$210 million • OF Randal Grichuk, 1 year/$5 million • RHP Kendall Graveman, 1 year/$1.35 million Trades: • Acquired 1B Josh Naylor from Guardians for RHP Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance round pick in the 2025 draft • Acquired INF Grae Kessinger from Astros for RHP Matthew Linskey Extensions: • SS Geraldo Perdomo, 4 years/$45 million Best move: Shocking the baseball world and signing the best free-agent starting pitcher, Corbin Burnes, who gives the Diamondbacks another ace at the top of the rotation to go along with Zac Gallen. A strong rotation makes Arizona the favorite for the first NL wild-card spot. Under-the-radar move: The Josh Naylor trade. It gave them another 30-home run bat at first base to replace the departed Christian Walker, who signed with the Astros. What helped or hurt their grade: The club-friendly contract extension to Geraldo Perdomo, one of the most underrated defensive shortstops in baseball. Storyline to watch: The development of shortstop/third baseman and top prospect Jordan Lawlar; when major-league-ready, the 22-year-old should provide a boost to the D-Backs’ lineup but also improved defense at the hot corner, which could force Eugenio Suárez to move from third base to the full-time DH spot. Season prediction: Second place (wild-card berth) Colorado Rockies Grade: D Free agents: • INF Kyle Farmer, 1 year/$4 million • 2B Thairo Estrada, 1 year/$3.25 million • C Jacob Stallings, 1 year/$2.5 million • LHP Scott Alexander, 1 year/$2 million Trades: None Best move: Signing Thairo Estrada, who hit 14 home runs for the Giants in 2022 and 2023 before slumping last year, batting .217 with nine homers in 96 games. However, at age 29, it’s reasonable to think he can have a bounce-back year. Under-the-radar move: Signing utility infielder Kyle Farmer, who brings positional flexibility off the bench and a positive attitude to the clubhouse. What helped or hurt their grade: The Rockies didn’t make any significant free-agent signing nor a single trade. Instead they continue to rely almost solely on their farm system to improve, but I foresee another last-place finish. Storyline to watch: The continued development of center fielder Brenton Doyle, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and right fielder Jordan Beck. Season prediction: Fifth place Los Angeles Dodgers Grade: A-plus Free agents: • LHP Blake Snell, 5 years/$182 million • RHP Roki Sasaki, 1 year/$6.5 million • LHP Tanner Scott, 4 years/$72 million • RHP Kirby Yates, 1 year/$13 million • OF Teoscar Hernández, 3 years/$66 million • RHP Blake Treinen, 2 years/$22 million • OF Michael Conforto, 1 year/$17 million • 2B/SS Hyeseong Kim, 3 years/$12.5 million • INF/OF Kiké Hernández, 1 year/$6.5 million • LHP Clayton Kershaw, 1 year/$7.5 million Trades: • Acquired OF Mike Sirota and a competitive balance pick in the 2025 draft from Reds for INF Gavin Lux • Acquired RHP Jose Vasquez from Twins for C Diego Cartaya • Acquired player to be named or cash from Cubs for Ryan Brasier and cash Extensions: • INF/OF Tommy Edman, 4 years/$64.5 million Best move: Signing two more No. 1 starters and two more impact closers to bolster a world championship roster. Imagine winning it all and instead of resting on your laurels, signing a proven ace who has already won two Cy Youngs (Blake Snell) and the best pitching prospect in the sport (Roki Sasaki). Then, after re-signing your sub-2.00 ERA backend reliever, Blake Treinen, you add the best left-handed closer in the league last year, Tanner Scott, and All-Star righty reliever Kirby Yates, who posted a 1.17 ERA and 33 saves in 2024. The best move they made was all five of them. Under-the-radar move: The signing of second baseman Hyeseong Kim. He’s a Gold Glove-caliber defender with blazing speed. I don’t know how much he’s going to hit, but his athleticism and base-stealing ability will play, and his glove should help the Dodgers’ pitching staff. What helped or hurt their grade: Their dominance, from ownership on down. The Dodgers continue to be the best in the business, thanks to owner Mark Walter’s willingness to invest in baseball operations more than any club in history. That department, led by Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes, doesn’t just sign or trade for the best players; they provide them with more (and better) technology, information and analytics than any other organization to make them the best they can be. They also sign players at market or below-market prices rather than just outbidding opponents. They have their foot on the gas at all times. They are obsessed with being the best, and it shows on and off the field Storyline to watch: Shohei Ohtani’s transition back to being a two-way player. How will he pitch in his return from elbow surgery? Season prediction: First place The Dodgers extended Tommy Edman, the 2024 NLCS MVP, this past offseason. (Rick Scuteri / Imagn Images) San Diego Padres Grade: C Free agents: • RHP Nick Pivetta, 4 years/$55 million • C Elias Díaz, 1 year/$3.5 million • OF Connor Joe, one-year deal • OF Jason Heyward, 1 year/$1 million • LHP Kyle Hart, 1 year/$1.5 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Ron Marinaccio from White Sox for cash Best move: Signing Nick Pivetta to a club-friendly backloaded contract. Under-the-radar move: Signing former All-Star catcher Elias Díaz, who gives them a veteran alternative to Luis Campusano behind the plate. What helped or hurt their grade: Running out of money hurt their grade. The front office didn’t really have any to spend this offseason to improve the team. Storyline to watch: If the Padres were to fall out of contention, they’d probably trade their two best starting pitchers, Dylan Cease and Michael King, both of whom should bring back a haul of good prospects. Season prediction: Third place San Francisco Giants Grade: B Free agents: • SS ****** Adames, 7 years/$182 million • RHP Justin Verlander, 1 year/$15 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Braxton Roxby from Reds for LHP Taylor Rogers and cash Best move: The signing of ****** Adames, who finally gives them a star shortstop. Last season Adames slashed .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs and 21 stolen bases. He’ll also bring positive energy and enthusiasm to the Giants’ clubhouse. Under-the-radar move: The signing of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who now gets to make half of his starts in pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. Verlander’s leadership and baseball IQ should help the development of San Francisco’s young starting pitchers like Kyle Harrison. What helped or hurt their grade: They didn’t do enough. They need to continue trying to improve the middle of their lineup, and they just weren’t aggressive enough in the boardroom. Storyline to watch: The development of first baseman Bryce Eldridge, a top prospect who has a chance to be the best offensive player the Giants have developed since their president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, was drafted. Season prediction: Fourth place AL East Baltimore Orioles Grade: B Free agents: • OF Tyler O’Neill, 3 years/$49.5 million • RHP Charlie Morton, 1 year/$15 million • RHP Tomoyuki Sugano, 1 year/$13 million • RHP Andrew Kittredge, 1 year/ $10 million • C/DH Gary Sánchez, 1 year/$8.5 million • OF Ramón Laureano, 1 year/$4 million • OF Dylan Carlson, 1 year/$975,000 Trades: • Acquired SS Luis Vazquez from Cubs for cash • Acquired cash from Mariners for C Blake Hunt Best move: Signing Tomoyuki Sugano, who was one of the best pitchers in Japan last year and throughout his 12-year career. He’s not overpowering, but knows how to pitch by adding, subtracting and hitting his spots. The 35-year-old went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA last season in Nippon Professional Baseball. He doesn’t miss bats, but also doesn’t walk anybody. The contract was a shrewd short-term risk by the Orioles. Under-the-radar move: Signing 41-year-old Charlie Morton, who logged a 4.19 ERA over 30 starts last season, away from the Braves. His wealth of knowledge will help the development of younger Orioles starters such as Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer. What helped or hurt their grade: The Orioles lost their ace (Corbin Burnes) and their team leader in home runs (Anthony Santander) in free agency and failed to land any stars to replace them. Storyline to watch: The continued development of their young core, led by Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser. Season prediction: Third place (wild-card berth) Boston Red Sox Grade: A Free agents: • 3B Alex Bregman, 3 years/$120 million • RHP Walker Buehler, 1 year/$21.05 million • LHP Patrick Sandoval, 2 year/$18.25 million • LHP Aroldis Chapman, 1 year/$10.75 million • LHP Justin Wilson, 1 year, $2.25 million Trades: • Acquired LHP Garrett Crochet from White Sox for C Kyle Teel, OF Braden Montgomery, INF Chase Meidroth and RHP Wikelman Gonzalez • Acquired C Carlos Narvaez from Yankees for RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool money • Acquired RHP Joe Vogatsky from Pirates for INF/OF Emmanuel Valdez • Acquired RHP Yhoiker Fajardo from White Sox for LHP Cam Booser • Acquired LHP Jovani Moran from Twins for C/1B Mickey Gasper • Acquired RHP Matt McShane from Pirates for RHP Chase Shugart Best move: The trade for their new ace, Garrett Crochet, who will be my pick to win the AL Cy Young Award this year. The Red Sox paid a steep price in prospects, including catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery, but it was worth it — especially if they can extend Crochet. Under-the-radar move: Signing Walker Buehler, who, in last year’s World Series pitched like he did in 2021, when he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting after going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA over 33 starts. If he can stay healthy, Buehler could end up being the best value free-agent signing of the offseason. What helped or hurt their grade: The late signing of second/third baseman Alex Bregman was the icing on the cake or the cherry on the sundae. It was the final piece for the Red Sox, who have positioned themselves to either win the division or secure a wild-card spot. Bregman’s right-handed power, Gold Glove defense and leadership qualities are exactly what this team needed. Storyline to watch: The biggest storyline is where do Rafael Devers and Bregman end up playing? The best defensive alignment would be Bregman at third and Devers at DH, but how do you tell a 28-year-old third baseman, who, a year ago, signed a 10-year, $313.5 million deal, that he’s now a full-time DH? The next best storyline is the trio of top prospects — second baseman Kristian Campbell, outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Marcelo Mayer — who are en route to the majors. All three may start the year in Triple A but end it in Boston’s starting lineup. Season prediction: Second place (wild-card berth) The Red Sox landed Garrett Crochet in a five-player trade with the White Sox. (Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images) New York Yankees Grade: A Free agents: • LHP Max Fried, 8 years/$218 million • Paul Goldschmidt, 1 year/$12.5 million • RHP Jonathan Loáisiga, 1 year/$5 million • LHP Tim Hill, 1 year/$2.85 million Trades: • Acquired OF/1B Cody Bellinger and cash from Cubs for RHP Cody Poteet • Acquired RHP Devin Williams from Brewers for LHP Nestor Cortes and 2B Caleb Durbin • Acquired RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool money from Red Sox for C Carlos Narvaez • Acquired RHP Fernando Cruz and C Alex Jackson from Reds for C Jose Trevino Best move: The Max Fried signing gave the Yankees the best and deepest rotation in the division, with Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman, though Gil’s early injury will test that depth. Their other best move was the contract extension for Aaron Boone, one of the top managers in the game. Under-the-radar move: Signing lefty reliever Tyler Matzek on a minor-league contract. Matzek posted ERAs of 2.79 and 2.57 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, but has struggled with injuries since. He’s looked good this spring and might even make the Opening Day roster if he keeps pitching like this. What helped or hurt their grade: Losing Juan Soto to the Mets hurt, but the Yankees’ pivot was phenomenal: landing Fried, trading for impact closer Devin Williams, and adding former MVP Cody Bellinger. Storyline to watch: Their improved defense up the middle with Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to second and Bellinger taking over in center field. Shortstop Anthony Volpe will have a much better double-play partner at second than he did last year, and Austin Wells, a top-notch catcher, will continue to improve behind the plate. Other storylines worth watching: Who plays third base? How many games will Giancarlo Stanton miss? What type of rookie season will Jasson Domínguez have? Season prediction: First place Tampa Bay Rays Grade: C-plus Free agents: • SS Ha-Seong Kim, 2 years/$29 million • C Danny Jansen, 1 year/$8.5 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Joe Boyle, RHP Jacob Watters, 1B/OF Will Simpson and a competitive balance round pick in the 2025 draft from Athletics for LHP Jeffrey Springs and LHP Jacob Lopez • Acquired RHP Eric Orze from Mets for CF Jose Siri • Acquired RHP Mike Vasil from Phillies for cash considerations • Acquired RHP Alex Faedo from Tigers for C Enderson Delgado Extensions: RHP Drew Rasmussen, 2 years/$8.5 million Best move: The signing of Ha-Seong Kim improves their shortstop position until top prospect Carson Williams is major-league-ready. Kim’s best season was in 2023, when he hit .260 with 17 home runs and 38 stolen bases while winning a Gold Glove Award. He’s currently rehabbing from October shoulder surgery. Under-the-radar move: Signing Danny Jansen, who is a solid defensive catcher and game caller. An important addition to help their promising young pitching staff. What helped or hurt their grade: Not having the resources to be competitive in the free-agent market hurt their grade, as did having to move from Tropicana Field to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa for home games because of Hurricane Milton’s destruction. Storyline to watch: How is Steinbrenner Field going to affect the Rays’ offense and pitching? Most analysts believe the ballpark will help the hitters and hurt the pitchers. Only time will tell, but a favorable pitching park suits the Rays better; since most teams have much better lineups than them, they have to win with pitching and defense. Season prediction: Fifth place Toronto Blue Jays Grade: B-plus Free agents: • RF Anthony Santander, 5 years/$92.5 million • RHP Jeff Hoffman, 3 years/$33 million • RHP Max Scherzer, 1 year/$15.5 million • RHP Yimi García, 2 years/$15 million • LHP Josh Walker, 1 year/$760,000 Trades: • Acquired 2B Andrés Giménez and RHP Nick Sandlin from Guardians for 1B Spencer Horwitz • Acquired OF Myles Shaw, cash and international bonus pool space from Guardians for player to be named or cash • Acquired cash from Pirates for RHP Brett de Geus Best move: Signing Anthony Santander, who hit 44 homers last year, second most in the AL. With Santander, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays have a trio that will be difficult to pitch around. Under-the-radar move: The trade for Platinum Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez, who improves the Jays’ defense up the middle and gives them another infielder who’s capable of hitting 15 home runs. What helped or hurt their grade: The Jays’ inability to extend the contracts of Guerrero and/or Bichette hurt their grade. In addition, I wasn’t sure about the gamble of giving reliever Jeff Hoffman a three-year deal when two other teams nixed deals with him over medical concerns. Storyline to watch: Will they make Guerrero another offer at some point? If they fall out of contention, will they trade him at the deadline? This storyline isn’t going anywhere until Vlad Jr. signs his next contract — with the Blue Jays or someone else. Season prediction: Fourth place GO DEEPER Ten MLB teams that should prepare to target Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency AL Central Chicago White Sox Grade: B-minus Free agents: • LHP Martín Pérez, 1 year/$5 million • OF Austin Slater, 1 year/$1.75 million • OF Mike Tauchman, 1 year/$1.95 million • RHP Bryse Wilson, 1 year/$1.05 million • INF/OF Josh Rojas, 1 year/$3.5 million • OF Michael A. Taylor, 1 year/$1.95 million Trades: • Acquired C Kyle Teel, OF Braden Montgomery, INF Chase Meidroth and RHP Wikelman Gonzalez from Red Sox for LHP Garrett Crochet • Acquired C Matt Thaiss from Cubs for cash considerations • Acquired LHP Cam Booser from Red Sox for RHP Yhoiker Fajardo • Acquired LHP Tyler Gilbert from Phillies for RHP Aaron Combs Best move: The Garrett Crochet trade. The White Sox controlled him for only two more years but were able to land a strong return, highlighted by their long-term future catcher, Kyle Teel, who should be quick to the big leagues, and right fielder Braden Montgomery, who has 25-30 home run potential once developed. Under-the-radar move: The Martín Pérez signing. If he has a good first half of the season, they might be able to trade him at the deadline for a mid-level prospect. What helped or hurt their grade: Their inability to trade Luis Robert Jr. for two good prospects. However, it probably wasn’t their fault as he’s coming off a down year. His trade market should get better between now and the deadline. Storyline to watch: Robert will be traded at some point this year, but to what team? And for what prospects? He’s the White Sox’s last big trade asset as they take the next steps in their rebuild. Season prediction: Fifth place Cleveland Guardians Grade: B-minus Free agents: • RHP Shane Bieber, 2 years/$26 million • 1B Carlos Santana, 1 year/$12 million • C Austin Hedges, 1 year/$4 million • RHP Paul Sewald, 1 year/$7 million • RHP Jakob Junis, 1 year/$4.5 million • LHP John Means, 1 year/$1 million Trades: • Acquired RHP Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance round pick in the 2025 draft from Diamondbacks for 1B Josh Naylor • Acquired OF Alfonsin Rosario from Cubs for RHP Eli Morgan • Acquired 1B Spencer Horwitz from Blue Jays for 2B Andrés Giménez and RHP Nick Sandlin • Acquired RHP Luis Ortiz, LHP Josh Hartle and LHP Michael Kennedy from Pirates for 1B Spencer Horwitz • Acquired player to be named or cash from Blue Jays for OF Myles Shaw, cash and international bonus pool space. Best move: Re-signing their ace, Shane Bieber. The two-time All-Star is not expected to pitch in the majors until the summer, but should he regain his Cy Young form, he gives Cleveland a top starter for a late postseason push. Provided he returns to full health and has a strong second half, the Guardians will have to contend with the potential of him declining his player option and hitting the market again. Under-the-radar move: Acquiring Luis Ortiz, who gives them another affordable option in their rotation. What helped or hurt their grade: Not replacing Josh Naylor’s 30-home run production after trading him to Arizona. Storyline to watch: How does the Guardians’ right side of the diamond look this season? Juan Brito and Travis Bazzana will compete at second base. What kind of production will they get at first base from the aging Carlos Santana and developing Kyle Manzardo? And in right field from the likes of Will Brennan, Jhonkensy Noel and/or prospect Chase DeLauter. Season prediction: Third place Detroit Tigers Grade: B Free agents: • RHP Jack Flaherty, 2 years/$35 million • 2B Gleyber Torres, 1 year/$15 million • RHP Alex Cobb, 1 year/$15 million • RHP Tommy Kahnle, 1 year/$7.75 million Trades: • Acquired C Enderson Delgado from Rays for RHP Alex Faedo Best move: Bringing back Jack Flaherty, who gives the Tigers a strong rotation with Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and Jackson Jobe, the front-runner for rookie pitcher of the year, along with Reese Olson and Casey Mize. Under-the-radar move: I loved the Tommy Kahnle pickup to help fortify their bullpen, even if he never throws another fastball the rest of his career. What helped or hurt their grade: Losing out on Alex Bregman to the Red Sox in free agency despite making him the best long-term offer hurt their grade, but signing second baseman Gleyber Torres helped it because he improves their offense. Storyline to watch: The biggest storyline will be the left side of the infield and how much production the Tigers will get from Trey Sweeney at shortstop and Jace Jung at third base with Javier Báez still guaranteed $73 million for three more years. Season prediction: Second place The Tigers dealt Jack Flaherty at last year’s trade deadline, then signed him in the offseason. (Mike Watters / Imagn Images) Kansas City Royals Grade: B Free agents: • RHP Michael Wacha, 3 years/$51 million • RHP Carlos Estévez, 2 years/$22 million • RHP Michael Lorenzen, 1 year/$7 million Trades: • Acquired 2B Jonathan India and OF Joey Wiemer from Reds for RHP Brady Singer Best move: The trade for Jonathan India, who gives them a leadoff hitter who can get on base and create traffic for the middle of their lineup, including Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino. The Royals struck out the least of any AL team last season and should repeat that feat again this year. Under-the-radar move: The signing of closer Carlos Estévez, which allows them to move Lucas Erceg to the set-up role, his best spot. The Royals have done an excellent job of rebuilding their bullpen over the past couple of years. What helped or hurt their grade: I’m a little concerned about their starting pitching depth and would like to see them acquire another starter, such as free agent Kyle Gibson. Storyline to watch: Who’s going to play second base, third base, DH and left field on a daily basis? And, with India, Michael Massey, Maikel Garcia and MJ Melendez, among others, involved, how much platooning will they do at those positions? Season prediction: First place Minnesota Twins Grade: D-plus Free agents: • OF Harrison Bader, 1 year/$6.25 million • LHP Danny Coulombe, 1 year/$3 million • INF Ty France, 1 year/$1 million Trades: • Acquired C/1B Mickey Gasper from Red Sox for LHP Jovani Moran • Acquired C Diego Cartaya from Dodgers for RHP Jose Vasquez Best move: Signing Harrison Bader to play left field gives them an above-average defender and important right-handed bat to better balance their overall outfield. He’s known for his hustle, grind and diving plays. Under-the-radar move: The trade for Diego Cartaya, who was once considered a top prospect in the game. The 23-year-old catcher is still an interesting player. He needs to make adjustments but has breakout potential thanks to the change of scenery with this trade and no longer being blocked by Will Smith and Dalton Rushing on the Dodgers. What helped or hurt their grade: Obviously, not making any significant moves this offseason hurt their grade. Storyline to watch: The health of their top three players: Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis. If all three can stay healthy enough to play 140 games, then the Twins have a legitimate shot to win the division. However, Correa played in just 86 games last year due to foot and leg issues, Buxton hasn’t had 400 plate appearances or played in more than 103 games since 2017, and Lewis has never played more than 82 games in a season or had more than 325 plate appearances. As this trio goes, so do the Twins. Season prediction: Fourth place AL West Houston Astros Grade: C-plus Free agents: • 1B Christian Walker, 3 years/$60 million • OF Ben Gamel, 1 year/$1 million Trades: • Acquired 3B Cam Smith, RHP Hayden Wesneski and 3B Isaac Paredes from Cubs for OF Kyle Tucker • Acquired RHP Juan Bello from Cubs for RHP Ryan Pressly and cash • Acquired RHP Matthew Linskey from Diamondbacks for INF Grae Kessinger Best move: Signing Christian Walker, who has won three consecutive Gold Glove awards at first base while averaging 32 home runs a year. Under-the-radar move: Snagging Cam Smith, the Cubs’ first-round pick last year, in the Kyle Tucker trade. To get six (major-league) years of Smith in the deal for Tucker, whom they controlled for only this year, was a coup. They can always try to re-sign Tucker in free agency next winter. Smith homered in his first two spring at-bats with the Astros and should be quick to the big leagues, playing either third base or right field for them. What helped or hurt their grade: The departures of Tucker and Bregman hurt their grade and signaled an end of an era for the Astros, who’ve made the postseason for eight consecutive years. Storyline to watch: How will Jose Altuve’s move to left field go? And what type of offensive production will the Astros get from the rest of their outfield? (The latter will determine if they make the playoffs, extending their streak, this year.) Season prediction: Third place Los Angeles Angels Grade: C-plus Free agents: • LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 3 years/$63 million • RHP Kenley Jansen, 1 year/$10 million • C Travis d’Arnaud, 2 years/$12 million • 3B Yoán Moncada, 1 year/$5 million • RHP Kyle Hendricks, 1 year/$2.5 million • INF Kevin Newman, 1 year/$2.5 million Trades: • Acquired OF/DH Jorge Soler from Braves for RHP Griffin Canning • Acquired cash considerations from Cubs for C Matt Thaiss • Acquired LHP Mitch Farris from Braves for RHP Davis Daniel Best move: Signing Yusei Kikuchi early in free agency. He had a strong second half in 2024, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA over 10 starts after the Blue Jays traded him to the Astros. He had immediate success with Houston after changing his repertoire and pitch sequencing. Under-the-radar move: Bringing in Travis d’Arnaud, who is considered one of the best backup catchers in the game. His leadership and mentorship should help Logan O’Hoppe develop into an All-Star-caliber receiver, and his bat will help the Angels when O’Hoppe or Jorge Soler are given the day off. What helped or hurt their grade: They committed to more than $100 million through free agency and trades, but didn’t really improve their potential win-loss record. They spent their money on quantity over quality, which I don’t think is the best play when you’re trying to rebuild around a core of good young players like Zach Neto, O’Hoppe, Jo Adell and Nolan Schanuel. Storyline to watch: Does Mike Trout’s move to right field help him play a full season? He’s played 82 or fewer games in three of the four past years and last played in 120-plus games in 2019. Baseball has missed him in his recent injury-plagued seasons. Here’s hoping he’s not only a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, but also an MVP candidate again. Season prediction: Fifth place Athletics Grade: B Free agents: • RHP Luis Severino, 3 years/$67 million • RHP José Leclerc, 1 year/$10 million • LHP T.J. McFarland, 1 year/$1.8 million • INF Gio Urshela, 1 year/$2.15 million • INF Luis Urías, 1 year/$1.1 million Trades: • Acquired LHP Jeffrey Springs and LHP Jacob Lopez from Rays for RHP Joe Boyle, RHP Jacob Watters, 1B/OF Will Simpson and a competitive balance round pick in the 2025 draft Extensions: • OF/DH Brent Rooker, 5 years/$60 million Best move: Extending Brent Rooker through 2029 (with a vesting option for 2030) rather than trading him, despite numerous teams showing interest. Rooker hit 39 home runs with a 165 OPS+ last season. He was worth 5.6 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. It was the second year in a row he’****** 30 or more home runs, and he might blast 40 this year, since he’ll play half his games in Sacramento instead of the Oakland Coliseum. Under-the-radar move: The acquisitions of Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino give the A’s much-improved starting pitching. What helped or hurt their grade: The A’s finally spent some money in the offseason, which was a surprise and helped their grade considerably. Storyline to watch: How will the change in home venue, from a major-league park in Oakland to a Triple-A park in Sacramento, help or hinder the A’s offense and run prevention? In addition, will they make progress with their new Las Vegas ballpark? (They plan to break ground in the second quarter this year.) Will the Sacramento fan base support the team? Season prediction: Fourth place Brent Rooker’s extension was part of the A’s post-Oakland spending spree. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images) Seattle Mariners Grade: D Free agents: • 3B Jorge Polanco, 1 year/$7.75 million • INF Donovan Solano, 1 year/$3.5 million Trades: • Acquired 1B Austin Shenton from Rays for cash • Acquired INF Miles Mastrobuoni from Cubs for cash • Acquired C Blake Hunt from Orioles for cash Best move: Re-signing Jorge Polanco, who’s switching to third base full-time and is coming off offseason surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee. He struggled in 2024 (93 OPS+) but has the talent to have a bounce-back season. He’s a career .330 on-base percentage player who has averaged more than 15 homers a year over the past three seasons. Under-the-radar move: The acquisition of infielder Donovan Solano, who gives them a utility player who can play all over the diamond. What helped or hurt their grade: Seattle hitters led the majors in strikeouts in 2024, and the Mariners did nothing to address it in the offseason. They have arguably the best five-man rotation in the AL but haven’t been able to match the offense of the rest of the league’s playoff teams. Despite their needs at both infield corners, they weren’t able to trade for a first baseman such as Josh Naylor or sign a free agent like Christian Walker or Pete Alonso, and they didn’t even make a play for star third baseman Alex Bregman. The lack of moves to improve the offense sealed the Mariners’ bad grade. Storyline to watch: Having a full season under manager Dan Wilson and with Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer as hitting coaches is the biggest storyline to monitor. Since the Mariners weren’t able to augment their offense with trades or free agents, their only path back to the playoffs is if their hitters can improve dramatically. The leadership is in place to help them, but will it be enough? Season prediction: Second place (wild-card berth) Texas Rangers Grade: B-plus Free agents: • RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 3 years/$75 million • OF/DH Joc Pederson, 2 years/$37 million • C Kyle Higashioka, 2 years/$13.5 million • RHP Chris Martin, 1 year/$5.5 million • LHP Hoby Milner, 1-year, $2.5 million • RHP Jacob Webb, 1 year/$1.25 million • RHP Shawn Armstrong, one-year deal • RHP Luke Jackson, 1 year/$1.5 million Trades: • Acquired 1B/3B Jake Burger from Marlins for INF Max Acosta, INF Echedry Vargas and LHP Brayan Mendoza • Acquired LHP Robert Garcia from Nationals for 1B Nathaniel Lowe • Acquired LHP Mason Molina from Brewers for RHP Grant Anderson • Acquired cash from Cubs for RHP Matt Festa Best move: It was a tie between the trade for Jake Burger and the signing of Joc Pederson. Last season, the duo hit a combined 52 home runs; they will significantly lengthen the Rangers’ lineup. Under-the-radar move: The acquisition of lefty reliever Robert Garcia. I think Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux will be able to improve his delivery and thus his command and control. What helped or hurt their grade: The Rangers spent wisely this offseason. That, along with the power bats they acquired, factored into their strong grade. Storyline to watch: The returns of players who were injured last season, from ace Jacob deGrom and lefty Cody Bradford to third baseman Josh Jung and center fielder Evan Carter. If this club can stay relatively healthy, I think it’ll win the AL West, thanks to the most potent lineup in the division by far. Season prediction: First place GO DEEPER Six MLB teams that are poised to bounce back in 2025 GO DEEPER Bowden’s MLB power rankings: Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies 1-2-3 as spring training starts GO DEEPER MLB offseason awards: Bowden’s picks for best trades, signings, most improved team and more (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic. Photos: Carmen Mandato, Christian Petersen, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images) Source link #Bowdens #MLB #report #card #Offseason #grades #takeaways #predictions #teams Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Avengers Directors Are Open To Doomsday And Secret Wars Video Games Avengers Directors Are Open To Doomsday And Secret Wars Video Games The next film from Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo, The Electric State, is set to release on Netflix on March 14, and it’ll be accompanied by a prequel video game. With the duo also set to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, they were recently asked if they’d be interested in developing games for those films, something that the pair say they’re potentially interested in, but they are currently prioritizing their other commitments. What makes this proposition interesting is that Fortnite creator Donald Mustard recently joined their media company AGBO–a partnership that the Russos say will allow them to tell new stories across transmedia projects. “We would definitely be open to it,” Joe Russo said to Variety. “Right now, what we’re doing is creating new IP. At AGBO, we want to tell new stories. We want to tell new stories with new characters and new worlds that people haven’t seen before. So Anthony and I and Donald are working together to build out new worlds. And we have three that we’re currently working on that the intention is, for every world we build to have the scale and depth of a ‘Star Wars’ universe, but in a different genre. And then we’ll build materials around those new worlds. We’ll tell stories in different ways using different media in those worlds.” While the Avengers have been in several video games over the decades, the last high-profile one published by Square Enix didn’t reach the lofty heights that the company envisioned for the IP. Marvel’s Avengers was released back in September 2020, and after the initial hype died down, the game quickly bled players as it was criticized for its anemic content and heavy focus on microtransactions. Support for the game was eventually pulled in late 2023 and it was digitally discontinued that year. While Marvel’s Avengers was seen as a disappointment, other Marvel games have fared better. Insomniac’s two Spider-Man games have been well-received, while Eidos Montreal earned rave reviews–but lukewarm sales–for its Guardians of the Galaxy game. NetEase also debuted Marvel Rivals in late 2024, a free-to-play live-service game that has been very popular since launch, and Insomniac’s next project will star everyone’s favorite X-Man, Wolverine. On the other side of the fence, Marvel competitor DC Comics hasn’t done too well in the video game department. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been a big flop for the company, and last month, the Wonder Woman game was canceled and developer Monolith Productions was shut down. Warner Bros. does have a turnaround strategy for its video game division, and it’s rumored that Rocksteady will be working on a brand-new Batman Arkham game as part of this new initiative. Source link #Avengers #Directors #Open #Doomsday #Secret #Wars #Video #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CrowdStrike slumps 10% on weak earnings outlook, outage costs CrowdStrike slumps 10% on weak earnings outlook, outage costs CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz speaks at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, on Oct. 21, 2019. Martina Albertazzi | Bloomberg | Getty Images CrowdStrike shares dropped 10% after issuing weak earnings guidance as the company signaled ongoing pressure from its global IT outage that rattled businesses in July. The cybersecurity software provider said it expects first-quarter earnings to range between 64 cents and 66 cents per share, versus the average Factset estimate of 95 cents. CrowdStrike is projecting earnings for the year to range between $3.33 and $3.45 per share, excluding items. That fell short $4.42 expected by analysts polled by LSEG. For the *******, CrowdStrike posted a net loss of $92.3 billion, or 37 cents per share, versus net income of $53.7 million, or 22 cents per share, in the year-ago *******. The company also reported $21 million in costs from incident-related expenses and $49.9 million of tax expenses connected to acquisitions. The company also said it anticipates another $73 million in expenses for the first quarter resulting from its July update that spurred a global IT outage, grounded flights and disrupted businesses. CrowdStrike projects an additional $43 million in costs due to some deal packages offered in its wake. The outage has also weighed on free cash flow margins, which CrowdStrike said on the call it expects to return to 30% or more in the fiscal 2027 year. Many on Wall Street expect headwinds from the July issue to start abating in the new fiscal year, with Bernstein’s Peter Weed expecting a pick up in CrowdStrike net retention rate in the new fiscal year. “Although FY26 guidance marked a conservative start to the year, in our view, we expect management is setting the stage for a return to a beat-and-raise cadence we saw before the outage,” wrote JPMorgan’s Brian Essex. CrowdStrike’s disappointing guidance offset better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The company posted earnings of $1.03 per share on $1.06 billion in revenue and said that revenue grew 25% from a year ago. CEO and Founder George Kurtz called the company a “comeback story” on a conference call with analysts Tuesday. “I’m extremely proud of the engagement we’ve had with customers, partners, prospects in the market navigating a year that tested CrowdStrike,” he said. “Q4 showcases the fruits of our labors, giving me strong conviction in our AI-native, single platform, excellent execution, and accelerating market opportunity.” Source link #CrowdStrike #slumps #weak #earnings #outlook #outage #costs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor, dies at 70, weeks after taking office Rep. Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor, dies at 70, weeks after taking office Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas has died, multiple sources tell CBS News, weeks after taking office. He was 70 years old. Turner also served as Houston’s mayor from 2016 to 2025. His death appears to have been sudden. Turner attended President Trump’s joint address to Congress, a source said, but at some point he started feeling unwell and went to the hospital. He then went home and collapsed at his apartment, the source said. Another source said the cause of his death is unclear. Turner won the seat in November after the July death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Michael Kaplan and Nikole Killion contributed to this report. Michael Kaplan Michael Kaplan is an award-winning reporter and producer for the CBS News investigative unit. He specializes in securing scoops and crafting long-form television investigations. His work has appeared on “60 Minutes,” CNN and in The New York Times. Source link #Rep #Sylvester #Turner #Houston #mayor #dies #weeks #office Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CrowdStrike slumps 10% on weak earnings outlook, outage costs CrowdStrike slumps 10% on weak earnings outlook, outage costs CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz speaks at the Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, on Oct. 21, 2019. Martina Albertazzi | Bloomberg | Getty Images CrowdStrike shares dropped 10% after issuing weak earnings guidance as the company signaled ongoing pressure from its global IT outage that rattled businesses in July. The cybersecurity software provider said it expects first-quarter earnings to range between 64 cents and 66 cents per share, versus the average Factset estimate of 95 cents. CrowdStrike is projecting earnings for the year to range between $3.33 and $3.45 per share, excluding items. That fell short $4.42 expected by analysts polled by LSEG. For the *******, CrowdStrike posted a net loss of $92.3 billion, or 37 cents per share, versus net income of $53.7 million, or 22 cents per share, in the year-ago *******. The company also reported $21 million in costs from incident-related expenses and $49.9 million of tax expenses connected to acquisitions. The company also said it anticipates another $73 million in expenses for the first quarter resulting from its July update that spurred a global IT outage, grounded flights and disrupted businesses. CrowdStrike projects an additional $43 million in costs due to some deal packages offered in its wake. The outage has also weighed on free cash flow margins, which CrowdStrike said on the call it expects to return to 30% or more in the fiscal 2027 year. Many on Wall Street expect headwinds from the July issue to start abating in the new fiscal year, with Bernstein’s Peter Weed expecting a pick up in CrowdStrike net retention rate in the new fiscal year. “Although FY26 guidance marked a conservative start to the year, in our view, we expect management is setting the stage for a return to a beat-and-raise cadence we saw before the outage,” wrote JPMorgan’s Brian Essex. CrowdStrike’s disappointing guidance offset better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The company posted earnings of $1.03 per share on $1.06 billion in revenue and said that revenue grew 25% from a year ago. CEO and Founder George Kurtz called the company a “comeback story” on a conference call with analysts Tuesday. “I’m extremely proud of the engagement we’ve had with customers, partners, prospects in the market navigating a year that tested CrowdStrike,” he said. “Q4 showcases the fruits of our labors, giving me strong conviction in our AI-native, single platform, excellent execution, and accelerating market opportunity.” Source link #CrowdStrike #slumps #weak #earnings #outlook #outage #costs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ranking 40 years of men’s NCAA Tournament champions, from 2024 UConn to 1985 Villanova Ranking 40 years of men’s NCAA Tournament champions, from 2024 UConn to 1985 Villanova This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. What better way to commemorate the 40-year anniversary of the NCAA Tournament’s expansion to 64 teams than to create a flawless, universally beloved ranking of every men’s basketball champion in that era? That is, of course, impossible, but I took a stab at it nonetheless. For such a monumental task, I tried to tether myself to some objective guideposts, creating a numerical scoring system as a starting point. Multiple factors went into those scores: Seed – No. 1 seeds received the most points. If you’re among the best teams ever, you’d likely have earned a top seed in your given year. Regular season champions – It seems reasonable to say that if a team was one of the all-time greats, it would have been the best in its conference and won the regular season title. Half credit was given for sharing the crown. Conference tournament champions – Winning this event earned an extra bonus. Teams that did not have a chance to play a conference tournament (some of the older Big Ten and Pac-10/Pac-12 squads) received half credit. Overall win percentage – This one was pretty simple. The fewer losses, the better. Difficulty of NCAA Tournament path – Teams that faced a more challenging path (based on the sum of seeds played) were given a slight reward. Dominance of NCAA run – I summed each team’s total margin of victory over six NCAA Tournament games to approximate their dominance. The higher the margin, the better. Talent – This measure was by far the most subjective. Was this roster loaded with stars and future NBA standouts? Or was it more of a strong college team without much shine beyond the title run? Obviously, this entire system can be debated. There are no adjustments for the strength of a particular conference, so winning a loaded ACC is treated the same as winning a watered-down Big Ten. But combining all of those factors led me to what I believe is a reasonable and defensible list. The best of the best separated themselves with their season-long dominance and emphatic victories in the NCAA Tournament, resulting in two top tiers of all-time greats. A last note to all of the terrific teams of the 2019-20 season (I’m talking to you, Kansas and Dayton and San Diego State and Michigan State and Gonzaga and Baylor): You may insert yourself into this list wherever you see fit. That’s the beauty of the imagination. Tier 5: Proof that March is mad 39. 1985 Villanova Rollie Massimino’s incredible underdog story certainly got the expansion era off to a stirring start. In the first year with a 64-team field, No. 8 seed Villanova went on an incredible run through March and April, beating two No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds in one of the most incredible Cinderella title runs in the event’s history. That run culminated in a monumental upset of Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown in the title game, during which the Wildcats shot an absurd 78.6 percent from the field, knocking off the larger-than-life Hoyas with patience and efficiency. Of course, the 1985 Wildcats are remembered more for the long odds of their run than for their dominance, which is how they ended up last in these rankings. They remain the worst seed (No. 8) to win the NCAA title in the 64-team era, and their combined winning margin — just 30 points in six games — is also the lowest ever since the expansion. Their overall winning percentage (71.4 percent) is the second-worst ever, narrowly ahead of 1988 Kansas (71.1). So while Massimino’s miracle squad may bring up the rear in this particular list, the 1985 Wildcats remain one of the most storied examples of the magic of March Madness. 38. 2014 UConn Three years after Cardiac Kemba carried UConn to a national title, his old sidekick Shabazz Napier similarly put the team on his back. He certainly had some help — Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels each had some big moments — but this was Napier’s team, through and through. The Huskies finished tied for third in the inaugural version of the American Athletic Conference, and they lost in the title game of the AAC tournament. They needed overtime just to escape an opening round NCAA Tournament matchup with Saint Joseph’s. They were led by Kevin Ollie, almost inarguably the most shocking NCAA champion coach of the past 40 years. They did, however, face one of the toughest paths to a title ever, in part because they started as a No. 7 seed. En route to a championship, Ollie defeated Hall of Fame coaches Jay Wright, Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and John Calipari. This Husky run was truly a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. GO DEEPER The March of UConn: At the top, on the edge and really uncomfortable 37. 1988 Kansas Danny and the Miracles, as 1988 Kansas is now known, have some of the strongest branding of any title winner. Danny Manning carried a relatively anonymous supporting cast through the postseason, racking up 27.2 points per game in the Jayhawks’ six NCAA Tournament games. Despite being an unheralded contender, Kansas stunningly took down two top-five teams, Duke and Oklahoma, at the Final Four. The Jayhawks had gone 0-3 against those squads during the regular season. Though the Jayhawks’ run to a title was undoubtedly one of the more magical and captivating March moments ever, this team was clearly lacking relative to other champs. Kansas lost 11 games, finished third in the Big Eight and lost in the semifinals of the Big Eight Tournament. It was also one of the lowest seeds (No. 6) to ever win it all. 36. 1997 Arizona Arizona’s claim to fame (aside from being the last Pac-10/Pac-12 school to win a title) is that it is the only team in the 64-team era to beat three different No. 1 seeds en route to a championship. Lute Olsen’s Wildcats bled out the sport’s bluebloods, knocking off Kansas, UNC and Kentucky on their surprising run. Obviously, that feat is impossible for No. 1 seeds to accomplish (they can only play two others in a single tournament), but it is still impressive. The Wildcats were young but loaded with talent in the backcourt. Mike Bibby and Jason Terry both developed into lottery picks, Michael Dickerson was also a first-round pick, and Miles Simon averaged 18 points per game and won Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. Oh, and freshman walk-on/future head coach and ESPN analyst Josh Pastner was on this team, too! It’s hard to rank Arizona much higher than this, though. The Wildcats finished fifth in the Pac-10 and lost nine games overall. 35. 2011 UConn Jim Calhoun’s “worst” title team at UConn, the 2011 Huskies had a roller-coaster season. At the heart of everything was Kemba Walker, who went on one of the most incredible March heaters ever seen. “Cardiac Kemba” and his Huskies went 14-0 in tournament settings that year: 3-0 at the Maui Invitational, an astonishing 5-0 in five days at the Big East tournament (featuring an iconic Kemba stepback game winner) and, of course, 6-0 in the NCAA Tournament. Despite Walker’s brilliance (and some help from second-in-command Jeremy Lamb), UConn had some major flaws in its profile. The Huskies went just 9-9 in the Big East, losing seven of their final 11 regular season games. They were barely even ranked (No. 21 in the AP Poll) entering the Big East tournament. Additionally, 2011 UConn also played arguably the ugliest national championship game in history, a 53-41 rock fight against Butler in which the two teams combined to go 10 of 44 (22.7 percent) from beyond the arc. That did not factor into this ranking, but maybe it should have. 34. 1989 Michigan No champion of the last 40 years had a stranger coaching situation than the 1989 Wolverines. Just prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, head coach Bill Frieder announced he would take the Arizona State coaching job at the conclusion of the season. Legendary Michigan football coach Bo Shembechler, the athletic director at the time, swiftly dismissed Frieder and declared that “A Michigan man will coach Michigan!” Lead assistant Steve Fisher took over and led the Wolverines on a dramatic run to the national title. Michigan squeaked by Illinois 83-81 in the national semifinal and then edged Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime for the championship. The Wolverines also finished just third in the Big Ten regular season standings; the dominance just is not there to rank highly on a list like this. The wild coaching storyline overshadowed a talented roster led by eventual three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice, who parlayed the national title into the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft. Three other Wolverine champions were selected in the first round the following year, though none of that trio made the same kind of professional impact as Rice. Lowest-seeded champs of 64-team bracket Year Team Seed 1985 8 2014 7 1988 6 2023 4 1997 4 Tier 4: Memorable, but not elite 33. 2006 Florida After a disappointing 5-6 stretch in January/February that doomed the Gators to third place in the SEC standings, they went on a tear in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Joakim Noah emerged as a national icon, a boisterous winner who dominated the paint along with frontcourt bash brother Al Horford. Corey Brewer was another future pro, and the backcourt of Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey filled their roles perfectly. Florida’s handling of No. 1 seed Villanova in the Elite Eight emphatically announced the Gators’ arrival on the national stage. They did, however, benefit from getting to play two No. 11 seeds en route to the title, including Cinderella story George Mason in the Final Four. Ultimately, 2006 Florida’s most noteworthy legacy is that it became 2007 Florida. Every key piece returned, and the 2007 version was clearly a “leveled up” edition of the reigning national champs. 32. 2023 UConn This UConn squad is remembered most for its thorough drubbing of every opponent in its path. In an upset-filled NCAA Tournament, no opponent came within 13 points of the eventual national champion Huskies. Their most impressive performance was a 28-point destruction of Drew Timme’s Gonzaga to reach the Final Four, en route to a combined margin of victory of 120 over six Tournament games, the fifth-highest total of the last 40 years. This team was only a No. 4 seed, though, and the Huskies did not win the Big East regular season title nor even make the Big East tournament final. They lost six of eight games in late December/January and were one of just five champs to win less than 80 percent of their games, and they did not beat a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in their route to the championship. Of course, this roster was the breeding ground for 2024’s juggernaut. Donovan Clingan flashed his incredible impact as a highly useful reserve, and Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban each started 38 of the Huskies’ 39 games. 31. 2003 Syracuse Carmelo Anthony’s magical run through the 2003 NCAA Tournament was the first true “one-and-done” moment, two years before the NBA implemented the rule preventing players from jumping straight from high school to the pros. Anthony’s preternatural scoring talents were the story of that Syracuse squad, even moreso than Jim Boeheim capturing his lone national championship. The hyper-talented freshman averaged 20.2 points per game during the NCAA Tournament and racked up double-doubles in each of the Orange’s final three victories, including a 33-point, 14-rebound explosion to beat Rick Barnes, TJ Ford and Texas in the Final Four. As just a No. 3 seed, though, it’s hard to make the case that this Syracuse team lands among the all-time greats. The Orange did go 30-5 overall and shared the Big East regular season title with Pitt, but they fell to UConn in the Big East tournament semifinals. Plus, the roster beyond Anthony was mostly nondescript. Gerry McNamara (who hit six 3s) and Hakim Warrick (who swatted away a game-tying 3 with seconds to go) starred in the title game, but McNamara never played in the NBA, and Warrick never rose above a solid role player. 30. 2017 North Carolina Someone had to be the lowest-ranked No. 1 seed on this list. Three factors held the 2017 Heels back. First, UNC did not win the ACC tournament and suffered seven losses on the season, a tough hit to the overall body of work. Second, it barely survived on multiple occasions in the Big Dance, needing a Luke Maye buzzer beater to down Kentucky in the Elite Eight and barely surviving a tough Oregon squad 77-76 in the Final Four. And finally, the roster lacked high-end talent relative to its national champion peers. On the bright side, UNC played one of the toughest paths possible for a No. 1 seed (16-8-4-2-3-1) and won the ACC regular season title outright. The Heels also beat one of Mark Few’s best Gonzaga teams in the national championship. An intangible plus for Carolina: It lost in the 2016 title game on Kris Jenkins’ buzzer beater, which means this core was oh-so-close to being back-to-back champions. 29. 1987 Indiana Another team hurt slightly by not having a chance to win a conference tournament, Bob Knight’s last of three NCAA titles as a coach proved he could still get it done in the 64-team expansion era. His 1987 Hoosiers shared the Big Ten regular season crown with archrival Purdue, just edging out Iowa and Illinois. All four schools finished in the AP poll’s top 11, evidence of how loaded the conference was. Although the roster was top-heavy, Indiana did have some solid talent. Steve Alford is one of the best college guards of all time, twice earning first-team All-America honors while racking up nearly 2,500 career points. Three other Hoosiers saw brief stints in the NBA, though none stuck long-term. The 1987 Hoosiers’ lasting legacy, though, is Keith Smart’s game winner to beat Syracuse in the national title game. A seemingly unorganized final possession ended in Smart’s pull-up jumper, creating an iconic March moment. 28. 1991 Duke At long last, Mike Krzyzewski captured a national championship. In his 11th season at Duke, and after four previous Final Four appearances, his Blue Devils got over the hump. That run included a stunning upset of previously undefeated UNLV as big underdogs in the national semifinal, snapping the Runnin’ Rebels’ 45-game winning streak. The Blue Devils followed it up with a win over Roy Williams and the Kansas Jayhawks to secure the title. The Blue Devils’ 1991 run set the stage for one of the best college teams ever. All of Duke’s stars — Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill — returned to school in 1992 and tore through the best the country had to offer. This squad was more of a plucky underdog. Yes, the Blue Devils won the ACC regular season, but they also lost seven games, including a 22-point shellacking at the hands of archrival UNC in the ACC tournament. This was also Coach K’s only national title team that was not a No. 1 seed. Nolan Richardson (middle) led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in three of his 17 seasons, going all the way in 1994. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images) Tier 3: Rock-solid champs 27. 1994 Arkansas The Razorbacks put together a solid case in the regular season, winning the SEC title by two games. Including a defeat to Kentucky in the SEC tournament semifinals, Arkansas lost just three games all season. The Hogs suffered in this analysis because they had a weaker total win margin in the NCAA Tournament (just plus-67 in the six tournament games, a bottom-10 number among the champs) despite playing by far the weakest run of opponents for a champion in the last 40 years. In order, Arkansas beat seeds numbered 16, 9, 12, 11, 9 and 6 — not a single elite foe among them. Of course, Arkansas can do nothing but beat the opponents in front of them. Only Duke in the title game actually got within seven points of the Hogs, so perhaps their overall dominance is being underrated. Led by Corliss Williamson, the Hogs perfectly executed head coach Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell” style, with several unheralded guards helping Arkansas rank third nationally in steals. 26. 2013 Louisville Yes, folks — the 2013 title goes to Louisville in our analysis. We are not in the business of vacating championships. Rick Pitino’s Cardinals easily won the Big East tournament after sharing the regular season title. And they would have won it outright if not for an epic five-overtime loss at Notre Dame in early February. Louisville then faced a relatively soft string of foes in the Big Dance, most notably getting to handle No. 9 seed Wichita State in the Final Four. The national title game was one to remember, though: Michigan’s Spike Albrecht was a flamethrower in the first half, but Louisville gunner Luke Hancock answered back with a barrage of his own and ended up winning the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award. The Cardinals also got dinged by my subjective talent ranking: No Cardinal, not even the electrifying Russ Smith (aka Russdiculous), made any impact in the NBA. This squad perfectly embodied Pitino’s vision of a terrifying defensive group where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. 25. 2004 UConn Five years after his first title, Jim Calhoun returned to the sport’s apex. And once again, the Huskies squeaked past a loaded Duke team to get there, this time in the national semifinals. For a No. 2 seed, UConn had tremendous college talent. Emeka Okafor fueled what was easily the country’s best two-point percentage defense, and Ben Gordon was a lethal long-range shooter who went No. 3 in the NBA Draft after Okafor went second. The Huskies had four more players who would eventually get drafted in the first round. The 2004 tournament’s young role players would become a terrorizing unit of their own in 2006. All that praise aside, UConn did not even win the Big East in 2004, landing a game behind Pitt. The Huskies got the last laugh over the Panthers, though, knocking them off in the Big East tournament championship. 24. 2019 Virginia A year after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the opening round, the Cavaliers wrote the NCAA Tournament’s ultimate redemption story. A talented nucleus of Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy and DeAndre Hunter led the charge, all eager to wipe away the memory of that infamous 2018 upset at the hands of UMBC (which Hunter missed with an injury). The 2019 season had several truly great teams, but after a wild postseason, Tony Bennett’s team was the last one standing. Virginia’s overall resume is hurt by only sharing the ACC regular season title (with Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Duke) and losing in the ACC tournament semifinals. Plus, the Hoos’ NCAA Tournament run was the opposite of dominant. Their final three victories came in dramatic (some would even say lucky) fashion. Against Purdue in the Elite Eight — an all-time display of shot-making by both teams — point guard Kihei Clark tracked down a long tap-out rebound off a missed free throw and hit Mamadi Diakite for a buzzer-beating jumper to send that game to overtime. In the Final Four, UVA survived a 14-0 Auburn run in the final five minutes thanks to a foul on a corner jump shot, after which Kyle Guy coolly buried three straight free throws to win. And in the national title game, Virginia again needed a game-tying shot, this time a corner three from DeAndre Hunter, to force overtime. The banner hangs forever, of course, but repeatedly needing that level of late heroics is a limiting factor when comparing the Cavaliers side-by-side to other champions. 23. 2000 Michigan State This year marks a quarter-century since a Big Ten school last won a men’s college hoops title, a stunning drought made all the more confusing by the amount of teams the league has sent to the Final Four in that span (15). Thus, the legacy of the “Flintstones” lives on — that being the nickname given to Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell, who hailed from Flint, Mich., played together since grade school and reached the pinnacle of college basketball together, earning Tom Izzo what remains his only national championship. Michigan State had some strong accolades, sharing the Big Ten title with Ohio State (ignoring a couple of vacated OSU wins) and winning the Big Ten tournament. The Spartans did drop seven games during the season, though, including one of the worst losses you’ll ever see for a No. 1 seed: a 53-49 defeat in a strange road game at Wright State, which finished 11-17 on the season. 22. 1993 North Carolina A year after Duke wrapped up back-to-back championships with one of the best college teams ever, legendary coach Dean Smith captured his second national title in Chapel Hill. These Heels used the tough, physical duo of center Eric Montross and power forward George ****** to batter foes into submission in the paint. They put together a strong regular season, wresting the ACC title from Duke, and only lost four games all year. Frustratingly, one of those was in the ACC tournament final to Georgia Tech. Still, UNC navigated an extremely difficult NCAA Tournament path, knocking off two No. 2 seeds and exacting revenge on No. 1 Michigan in the title game (UNC had lost to Michigan in Honolulu in late December). UNC’s ranking in this exercise took a hit on the basis of talent. After Montross and ******, the Heels lacked true high-end pieces, and none of the guards were able to stick in the professional ranks. 21. 1986 Louisville Denny Crum’s second national title team is one of our highest-rated No. 2 seeds on the list, in large part due to its outright regular season and conference tournament titles. It’s possible the Cardinals got slightly overrated here, as their dominance of the Metro Conference does not adjust for the caliber of the league, which sent only two other teams to the NCAA Tournament. Notable Cardinals include Billy Thompson, an honorable mention All-American; senior guard Milt Wagner; and “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison, a true freshman starter who eventually blossomed into an All-American and No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. And who can forget Kenny Payne, whose playing career far outshined his coaching tenure with the Cardinals. Louisville’s NCAA Tournament run had some ups and downs, including a somewhat easier path in the Elite Eight (where it beat No. 8 seed Auburn) and Final Four (where it beat No. 11 seed LSU). The Cardinals then thwarted Coach K, Jay Bilas and Duke in a fantastic title game that saw Louisville narrowly prevail 72-69. 20. 2022 Kansas Even Kansas fans would likely agree this was not one of Bill Self’s apex Jayhawk squads, but when it comes to the fickle, single-elimination NCAA Tournament, you never know who will actually reach the mountaintop. Of course, this team was no slouch. The 2022 Jayhawks won the Big 12 tournament after sharing the regular season crown, earning a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson have all carved out roles as NBA wings early on in their careers. The Jayhawks’ path was not overly challenging, though, beating No. 10 seed Miami to go to the Final Four and No. 8 seed UNC in the national title game. Plus, those Heels led by 15 at halftime. Fortunately, Remy Martin caught fire in the second half, burying several crucial triples in the stunning comeback. Had Martin been healthy all season, KU might have avoided some of its five Big 12 losses and won the conference outright. An injury asterisk makes sense here, considering how impactful Martin was at full strength. 19. 2015 Duke This ranking could be controversial. In an epic college basketball season that featured Kentucky going 34-0 before the NCAA Tournament, an all-time great Wisconsin offense, plus terrific versions of Arizona, Villanova, Virginia and others, Duke rose to the top. The freshman trio of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, along with savvy veterans Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones, outlasted everyone else. However, as great as this Duke team was — and as awesome as 2015 was as a year in college basketball — the Blue Devils’ resume falls a little short of the all-time greats. Duke did not win the ACC regular season title, finishing a game back of Virginia. Duke did not win the ACC tournament, either; in fact, it lost to eventual champ Notre Dame in the semifinals. It’s hard to stack these Blue Devils up with other legendary champions if they could not prove themselves to be the best team in their own conference. Of course, the roster was quite loaded for a college team. Okafor, though he did not end up an NBA star as expected, was an All-American interior force in college, and Winslow was drafted in the lottery for a reason. Jones remains a solid point guard option in the NBA, and Cook earned some professional minutes as well. Grayson Allen — a little-used role player who was arguably the MVP of the national title win over the Badgers — has also evolved into a key piece in the pros. 18. 2010 Duke Placing 2010 Duke ahead of 2015 Duke will likely surprise many Blue Devils fans. However, before surviving one of the most famous near-misses in NCAA Tournament history, this Duke squad was impressively dominant. The Blue Devils convincingly ran through the first five rounds of the NCAA Tournament, with only Baylor in the Elite Eight coming within single digits. They dismantled an impressive West Virginia squad (including current Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla) 78-57 in the national semifinal. And before the Big Dance, they shared the ACC regular season title and won the ACC tournament. This roster was not loaded with staggering professional talent or depth, but it fit together perfectly. Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith handled the scoring; that trio rarely left the floor and accounted for 68.0 percent of the Blue Devils’ points. Meanwhile, the frontcourt group of Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas and Miles Plumlee handled the dirty work, dominating the offensive glass and providing outstanding interior defense. Gordon Hayward’s shot may have been the most memorable moment of the 2010 postseason, but Duke ultimately reigned supreme, capturing Coach K’s fourth of five titles. Coach K’s national title teams Year Seed Title game Overall ranking 2 72-65 vs. Kansas 28 1 71-51 vs. Michigan 2 1 82-72 vs. Arizona 6 1 61-59 vs. Butler 18 1 68-63 vs. Wisconsin 19 17. 2002 Maryland When players return to college citing “unfinished business,” 2002 Maryland should be one of the shining examples for how that mission can go right. In 2001, the Terrapins made the Final Four but fell to bitter ACC rival Duke in the national semifinal. Starting forward Terence Morris graduated, but four starters — including superstar guard Juan Dixon — and three reserves came back for another go-round. That returning nucleus certainly finished its business. The 2002 Terrapins went 15-1 in the ACC, with the only loss coming at a mega-talented Duke team, and finished 32-4 overall. They won all six NCAA Tournament games by at least eight points, including a rousing semifinal matchup with a stacked Kansas squad. Maryland did come up short in the ACC tournament, falling in the semifinals to No. 4 seed NC State. Plus, its overall talent level does not quite measure up to some of the elite champions; not even the brilliant Dixon ended up as a consistent starter in the NBA (shout out to Steve Blake’s gritty 13-year career as a role player, however). Ultimately, this Maryland team was more about the cohesion of a group that played a ton of games together. Thus, though they went on a highly impressive run, these Terrapins land near the middle of the pack. 16. 1998 Kentucky Rick Pitino jumped to the Boston Celtics in 1997, leaving college for a chance to build a legacy in the professional ranks. He left plenty in the cupboard, though, and Tubby Smith — hired away from SEC rival Georgia in May of ‘97 — was able to carry on Pitino’s major momentum in Lexington. A dominant frontcourt led by Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett and Jamaal Magloire buried teams in the paint, and Kentucky led the country in both block rate and two-point percentage defense, per KenPom. That interior dominance helped Kentucky win the conference regular season and tournament titles. Surprisingly given those crowns, Kentucky only received a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That placement was a slight (and perhaps unfair) knock in this analysis. One factor on which I had a hard time deciding: Should I discount this Wildcats team for being coached by Smith, who was much more of a journeyman than Hall of Famers Rick Pitino and John Calipari? I did not include coach mystique in my rubric, but it does somewhat influence how I view this Kentucky team. 15. 2005 North Carolina One key item not factored into a broad “Did this team win its conference title?” criteria: the strength of that conference. If I were adjusting for that, 2005 UNC would get a sizable bump for winning an outright ACC title in a league that also included Duke (No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament) and Wake Forest (No. 2 seed). The 2005 Tar Heels also beat a fantastic Illinois team in the national championship game, and they were overflowing with talent: their sixth man, Marvin Williams, was drafted No. 2 overall. Sean May, Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton formed an outstanding trio of juniors that arrived as a heralded recruiting class back in 2002. Roy Williams did not bring in that group — shout out to Matt Doherty — but in his second season in Chapel Hill, Williams led it to a championship. The knocks on these Heels: They did not win the ACC Tournament (and their loss was to Georgia Tech, not Duke or Wake), and they had a couple of close calls in the NCAA Tournament despite a path that did not feature a top-four seed until the title game. 14. 2016 Villanova Kris Jenkins’ title-winning buzzer beater is one of the most memorable shots in NCAA Tournament history, and Jay Wright’s subtle “bang” to himself as the shot went in was a historically cool move. The highest-rated champion of any non-No. 1 seed, these Wildcats received a considerable bump for a huge 124-point cumulative win margin in the NCAA Tournament, all while facing the toughest path (by far) for a No. 1 seed or a No. 2 seed champion. They also won the Big East regular season title, though they lost by a basket to Seton Hall in the conference tournament final. You could definitely argue that the Cats’ 44-point shellacking of Oklahoma in the Final Four is skewing their total margin of victory. But that game also exhibited the terrifying ceiling of this squad, and it avenged a 23-point loss to the Sooners on Dec. 7, 2015, in Honolulu. That Final Four victory even foreshadowed the dominance of the 2018 team, which was led by this squad’s role players (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Phil Booth, even the redshirting Donte DiVincenzo and Eric Paschall). Tier 2: Definitely dominant 13. 1999 UConn Duke’s 1999 squad is the only team in the KenPom era to clear the Everest-esque peak of plus-40 in Net Rating, and the Blue Devils were the heavy, heavy favorite to win the title. The ‘99 Huskies were no slouch either, though. Led by future NBA champion shooting guard Rip Hamilton and bowling ball point guard Khalid El-Amin, the Huskies won the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Their 34-2 overall record is eye-popping, and their winning percentage of 94.4 is tied for the second-best mark for a champion in the 64-team era. It speaks to how impressive that Duke team was that despite those incredibly impressive accolades, the Huskies were still 9.5-point underdogs in the championship game. Before that game, UConn’s path was not overly imposing; the Huskies beat No. 10 seed Gonzaga (the first ever Zags team to make a run) in the Elite Eight and then got No. 4 seed Ohio State in the Final Four. But the Big East dominance places these Huskies on the fringe of the top 10. 12. 1990 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian’s run in the desert set the bar extremely high for all future UNLV coaches. The 1990 title team may have been slightly inferior to the 1991 version that started 34-0 before losing in the Final Four, but these Runnin’ Rebels were stuffed with NBA talent and showed it on the biggest stage. UNLV survived a scare in the Sweet Sixteen, barely edging plucky No. 12 seed Ball State 69-67. The Rebels hit the gas pedal after that, though, blitzing Duke in the national championship 103-73. That 30-point margin remains, by far, the biggest title game blowout in the 64-team tournament era. The Rebels’ overall grade in this analysis was hurt a bit by two things. First, they faced one of the weakest paths to a title ever, facing three double-digit seeds while not playing a single No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Second, they shared the Big West regular season title with New Mexico State (outright titles were given a boost). The talent on this squad — all of which returned for that 1990-91 campaign — was staggering. Larry Johnson was the No. 1 pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, while Stacey Augmon (No. 9) and Greg Anthony (No. 12) were not far behind. All three had long, successful NBA careers. Remarkably, none of that trio earned the 1990 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award; that actually went to guard Anderson Hunt, who erupted for 49 points over the two Final Four games in Denver, Colo. 11. 2021 Baylor If there was any team I wanted to bump up on circumstantial grounds, it was this Baylor team. For the entire 2020-21 season, it was clear these Bears were one of the two best teams in the country. They got off to a 17-0 start, with just two opponents even getting within single-digits. They seemed destined to meet fellow juggernaut Gonzaga in one of the most highly anticipated championship games in history. But the 2020-21 season was far from normal, and a COVID-19-related shutdown for most of February threw off Baylor’s rhythm. The Bears did not look the same coming out of that stoppage, barely edging an Iowa State team that went winless in Big 12 play before taking their first loss at Kansas. Baylor also fell in the Big 12 tournament semifinals to Cade Cunningham-led Oklahoma State. But then the NCAA Tournament started, and Baylor rediscovered its elite identity on both ends of the court. The Bears led by double-digits for essentially the entire 80 minutes of the Final Four, blasting Houston and dominating that long-awaited showdown with Gonzaga. Despite being arguably the best shooting team to win a title (they shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc as a team to lead Division I), the Bears’ calling card was their suffocating defense. Guard Davion “Off Night” Mitchell and forward/linebacker Mark Vital fueled a relentless unit. Had health and safety protocols not thrown a wrench into Baylor’s season, these Bears could have been the first undefeated champion since 1976 Indiana. 10. 1995 UCLA Before his trailblazing lawsuit against the NCAA, Ed O’Bannon was a terror on the court, racking up 20.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the national champion Bruins. He and younger brother Charles O’Bannon formed a dynamic duo on the wing, and senior floor general Tyus Edney controlled the game as an extension of coach Jim Harrick. Big man George Zidek also became a first-round draft pick following the Bruins’ championship run. Per official NCAA records, UCLA went 32-1, but the Bruins actually lost two games; a home loss to Cal was later deemed a Golden Bears forfeit due to NCAA infractions. However, the game happened, so it counts as a loss in this analysis. UCLA is the highest-ranked team on this list to get the somewhat unfair penalty of not winning a nonexistent conference tournament. Had the Bruins won a hypothetical Pac-12 tournament, they would have flirted with Tier 1. 9. 2018 Villanova Part of me expected the 2018 Wildcats to rank higher in this exercise. They were, after all, one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament teams ever, blitzing a strong collection of foes by a combined 106 points. No opponent got closer than 12 points, and Villanova’s demolition of fellow No. 1 seed Kansas in the national semifinal (in which it jumped out to a 22-4 lead) was stunning to behold. However, the Wildcats did not even win the Big East that season, ending up a game back of champion Xavier. A midseason injury to starting guard Phil Booth is partially to blame, and connoisseurs of context might push this team up higher as a result; I would have no issue with that adjustment. This Villanova team was, after all, loaded with talent. Jalen Brunson was the National Player of the Year and is now an NBA All-Star, and Mikal Bridges was also an All-American via several publications. Donte DiVincenzo was a laughably overqualified sixth man in hindsight, as was seventh man Collin Gillespie, a future Big East Player of the Year. Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall both saw time in the NBA. The Wildcats are remembered as one of the elite early adopters of a five-out offense. Everyone could bury a 3 at any moment, and it is no surprise that they rank among the most efficient offensive attacks in the history of Ken Pomeroy’s college basketball ratings. 8. 2008 Kansas Winning a title is, in itself, an incredible accomplishment. But doing so the way Kansas did — in overtime, after an outrageously clutch game-tying three-pointer from Mario Chalmers — might have been just a little sweeter. That shot prevented John Calipari from winning a title at Memphis; he left for Kentucky just one year later. The 2008 Final Four is also notable for being the first to feature all four No. 1 seeds. In a mini-tournament of the true elites of that season, Kansas emerged victorious, and its obliteration of UNC in the national semifinal fueled the Tar Heels’ pursuit of their own title in 2009. But before that loaded Final Four, Kansas actually faced one of the easiest region paths ever — at least by seed. The Jayhawks beat No. 12 seed Villanova in the Sweet 16 and No. 10 seed Davidson in the Elite Eight, though it feels foolish to label any postseason run that features a clash with Steph Curry as “easy”. Kansas barely survived that brush with all-time greatness, edging Davidson 59-57. The Jayhawks got a slight knock in the nebulous “talent” rating portion of this analysis. Though seven players from the roster did play in the NBA, none developed into a star. 7. 2007 Florida The third back-to-back title winner on this list is more than deserving of the top 10. Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer formed the nucleus of Billy Donovan’s juggernaut, but the Gators also returned Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey, giving them the rare distinction of bringing back all five starters from a national championship squad. The preseason No. 1 team in the country, Florida started somewhat slowly, losing twice in the first month of the season, including at unranked Florida State. The Gators also ended slowly, losing three of their final five regular-season contests, all to unranked teams. But when it got down to business, the Gators reminded everyone of their dominance. They steamrolled through the SEC tournament, winning three games by a combined 59 points, then enduring some spirited challenges in the NCAA Tournament but won every game by at least seven points. That included topping Greg Oden, Mike Conley and a wildly talented Ohio State team in the championship game. 6. 2001 Duke A vintage Coach K Duke squad, these Blue Devils combined a senior star (forward Shane Battier) with an elite underclassman (Jay Williams) and filled in the gaps around those two with more future NBA players plus a veteran leader or two. The roster is one of the most talented of any on this list. Williams and Battier were a devastating duo, and both became top-six picks in the NBA Draft (although Williams stuck around another season). Mike Dunleavy Jr., himself a top-three pick in 2002, and Carlos Boozer, a future two-time NBA All-Star, constituted the supporting cast. Chris Duhon, a freshman starter at point guard, also played in the NBA for a decade. The most iconic ‘01 Duke moment actually came in January. Trailing 90-80 at Maryland late, Williams led The Miracle Minute as the Blue Devils stunningly forced OT and escaped with a 98-96 win. The 2001 Blue Devils received small knocks for winning just a hair under 90 percent of their games (four total losses) and sharing the ACC regular season title with North Carolina. Fortunately, Duke got the last laugh against those Heels by trouncing them in the ACC tournament final 79-53. 5. 2012 Kentucky John Calipari’s lone champion in Lexington, this loaded squad had a relatively comfortable run through the 2012 NCAA Tournament. No opponent — including archrival Louisville in the Final Four — came closer than eight points. Calipari’s Cats also posted the highest overall winning percentage (95.0) of any title winner in the past 40 years. As in 1996, Kentucky bulldozed through the SEC with a spotless 16-0 mark and did not post a losing record against any team. It swept two regular-season meetings with Vanderbilt before falling to the Commodores in the SEC tournament final, and it avenged an early-season loss at Indiana (the Wat Shot) by sending the Hoosiers packing in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats had a staggering six players selected in the 2012 NBA Draft, including the unmatched feat of having the No. 1 pick (Anthony Davis) and the No. 2 pick (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist). That helped Kentucky tie for the highest talent rating I assigned to any champion. This team fell just short of the elite tier by missing out on the SEC tournament crown and showing slightly lesser dominance in the Big Dance. Although no one got particularly close, Kentucky did not win a single game by more than 16 points, and its combined winning margin of 71 was a pedestrian number compared to many other champions. 4. 2009 North Carolina The 2009 Tar Heels get some credit for winning an outstanding ACC, separating from a pack that included strong versions of Duke, Wake Forest and Florida State, among others. North Carolina also warrants praise for rolling to Roy Williams’ second of three titles in Chapel Hill after being the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in the history of both the AP poll and the Coaches Poll. The Heels won every NCAA Tournament game by at least 12 points en route to the fourth-highest total postseason margin of victory in the 39-champ sample. That was despite facing one of the toughest paths for a No. 1 seed in history. Even putting seeds aside, UNC’s last four opponents in the NCAA Tournament were all in the KenPom top 13; the Heels won those games by an average of 16 points. This UNC team was led by Tyler Hansbrough, one of the best college players ever. Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green all carved out long NBA careers, and reserve big men Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller both developed into first-rounders down the line, as well. Tier 1: The G.O.A.T. debate 3. 1996 Kentucky The Wildcats make three appearances on this list, and while the 2012 team was dominant as well, the 1996 version was Kentucky’s best to win a title. (And oh, what could have been in 2015.) *** ran through the SEC, going 16-0 and winning just one conference game by fewer than 13 points. A hiccup against Mississippi State in the SEC tournament final knocked them a tiny bit in my evaluation, but the Cats responded by torching their four foes in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament by an average of 28.3 points. This roster was loaded, with four picks in the 1996 draft who went on to long NBA careers. Star forward Antoine Walker went sixth overall, while first-team All-American Tony Delk and Swiss Army knife Walter McCarty were taken 16th and 19th, respectively. Current Wildcats head coach Mark Pope was a second-rounder. As if that was not enough, three future first-rounders (Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, Nazr Mohammed) made up the supporting cast. Another differentiator about these Wildcats: No team has true bragging rights against them. They only lost two games all season (to UMass in Detroit and to Mississippi State in the SEC tournament), and they beat both those squads in separate meetings. They waxed the Bulldogs in Starkville in early January, and they got revenge against John Calipari, Marcus Camby and the Minutemen in the national semifinals. 2. 1992 Duke I strongly considered bumping these Blue Devils to the top overall spot, and they will surely have an ardent army of supporters. They went 38-2 and won both the ACC regular season and tournament titles. And they never got blown out: The Blue Devils’ only two losses all season were by margins of four and two points. Ultimately, 2024 UConn’s utter dominance against all comers in the postseason — including another No. 1 seed, Purdue, in the national title game — just barely elevated the Huskies to No. 1. In contrast, ’92 Duke needed one of the most iconic plays in men’s basketball history — Grant Hill’s full-court pass and Christian Laettner’s picturesque pirouette jumper — to even reach the Final Four. After that 104-103 overtime thriller against Kentucky, the Blue Devils barely escaped another No. 2 seed in the national semifinals, beating Indiana 81-78. That epic Elite Eight showdown with the Wildcats could be a divisive item. Should generating an iconic March moment with such a memorable play actually make the case for Duke as the greatest champ of the past four decades, rather than against it? Obviously, my opinion shades towards the latter, but that Laettner jumper was an all-timer. Those tiny, tiny blemishes aside, this Blue Devils team was loaded. It had the National Player of the Year in Laettner, a future No. 3 pick in Hill and one of the best college point guards ever in Bobby Hurley. Having Mike Krzyzewski, a five-time champ and arguably the best coach in NCAA history, on the sideline is simply another cherry on top. 1. 2024 UConn What are the chances the best champion of the past 40 years was actually last year’s? Remarkably, it might actually be the case. The Huskies check every box you could ask for in a dominant team. They won the Big East regular season title by four games in a conference that featured a No. 2 seed (Marquette) and a No. 3 seed (Creighton). They also won the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. They went 37-3 overall, and against a respectable run of opponents in the Big Dance (i.e., no upstart Cinderellas), they won every game by 14 or more points. The Huskies accumulated the largest total margin of victory (plus-140 points in six NCAA Tournament games) for any of the 39 champions ranked in this exercise. In UConn’s final 13 games, only two opponents even came within single digits. That is dominance on full display. UConn lost only once all season at full strength. One NBA lottery pick, Stephon Castle, missed the Huskies’ loss at Kansas, and fellow top-10 selection Donovan Clingan managed just 14 minutes before sitting out the remainder of a loss at Seton Hall. From a talent perspective, UConn is right up there with any champion. Clingan, aka “Kling Cong,” is arguably one of the best college rim protectors ever, and Castle was an easy one-and-done NBA prospect. Point guard Tristen Newton, the Huskies’ third NBA Draft choice on the roster, was a consensus first-team All-American and a returning starter from the 2023 UConn title team. Forward Alex Karaban was also a key starter on that 2023 team, and shooting guard Cam Spencer posted the highest individual offensive rating in the country (per KenPom). Like the squad that came in as first runner-up, this Huskies team was a back-to-back title winner — only the third such squad to accomplish that feat in this 40-year span. Whether that means anything toward the search for the “best” champion is debatable, but it certainly did not hurt. The Rankings and Tiers series is sponsored by E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Photos: Chris Graythen / Getty Images, Focus On Sport / Getty Images, Manny Millan / Getty Images, Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images) Source link #Ranking #years #mens #NCAA #Tournament #champions #UConn #Villanova Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble LTM Arrives This Week Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble LTM Arrives This Week · · March 5, 2025 Marvel Rivals has announced a new, limited-time game mode, Clone Rumble, which will launch on March 7, 2025. Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble is a new game mode where players must rely on strategy, teamwork and ‘controlled chaos’. Each team will be allowed to select one Hero, and the remaining players must choose between these two. The battlefield will become an “ultimate mirror showdown”, where players will find clones of the same Hero battling each other across the map. In Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble, players will have to adapt to survive. They need to coordinate with team members using the same Hero to bolster their strength and figure out how to exploit the weaknesses of the opposing Hero. Everyone on the map will use the same Hero and abilities, so efficiency and tactical movements will be key. The trailer for Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble provides us with a glimpse of all the chaos that awaits us on March 7. The video starts with a row of 6 Mr. Fantastics marching around the map before they clash with a group of another 6 Reed Richards. We also see a swarm of Punishers wreaking absolute destruction across the map, with turrets popping up in every nook and corner. A new ****** Widow skin will also be introduced, called Widow of Timely. It can be claimed through Galacta’s Cosmic Adventure. In other news, Marvel Rivals has confirmed crossover events and promotions with other media. Also, more esports organisations are flocking towards the game. What are your thoughts on Marvel Rivals Clone Rumble LTM? Let us know in the comments or on our community forum! For more information from Insider Gaming, read about Battlefield Labs starting their first playtest this week. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Clone #Rumble #LTM #Arrives #Week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Patrick Mouratoglou’s tennis partnership with Naomi Osaka and coaching superstars Patrick Mouratoglou’s tennis partnership with Naomi Osaka and coaching superstars The way phenomenal and accomplished athletes’ minds work can often catch regular folks off-guard. How is it that a tennis player like Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, would ever get to a place where she might question her ability? It happens all the time, even with the all-time greats — a subset of the tennis species that Patrick Mouratoglou, the longtime coach and tennis media impresario, has spent most of his career studying. He coached the best of the best, Serena Williams, at the scene of so many of her greatest triumphs. In September 2024, three-quarters of the way through her comeback season after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, Osaka hired Mouratogou to replace Wim Fissette. Osaka had reunited with Fissette (who coached her between 2019 and 2022) the previous summer, to prepare for her return to competitive tennis last January. At first, she was magnanimous about the relationship between improvement and outcome. When she came within a point of beating Iga Swiatek at last year’s French Open, Osaka wasn’t down: “Obviously the results aren’t resulting right now, but I think I’m growing every tournament,” she said in her news conference. When the results still didn’t result, Osaka found herself again struggling with her confidence and decided to move away from the coach with whom she won two of those four Grand Slam titles. Osaka, 27, hasn’t won a title of any kind with Mouratoglou yet, but she has come awfully close. She had to retire with an abdominal injury when she was up a set against Clara Tauson in the final of the Auckland Classic in New Zealand in January and she has played her best tennis since becoming a mother in the past five months, when her body has allowed her to do so. “I just had to believe in myself a lot more,” Osaka said at the *********** Open after her second-round win over Karolina Muchova, one of the world’s most gifted players, who had eased past Osaka at the same stage of the U.S. Open four months prior. There in Melbourne, Osaka was talking about coming back to win the last two sets after losing the first 6-1, but she could have been talking about how, when healthy, she has rediscovered her swagger and her ability to take the racket out of her opponents’ hands. That is not an accident. In an interview in February from Los Angeles, where he and Osaka prepared for her comeback from that abdominal injury, Mouratoglou said they have been working on confronting those moments when she feels her belief slipping and on figuring out ways to overcome them. Patrick Mouratoglou with Naomi Osaka at January’s *********** Open. (David Gray / AFP via Getty Images) “You earn confidence with what you do every day in practice,” Mouratoglou said. After two weeks of hard training, Osaka will try to bring that swagger to the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., this week. In the interview, Mouratoglou, 54, said he expects nothing less from Osaka, a player he says comes to the court every day with an open mind and a hunger to try anything to get better. All the great ones do. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. GO DEEPER Naomi Osaka and the gravity of a superstar at the U.S. Open How is her injury feeling? She has no pain anymore. We have been serving, but slowly and progressively. She’s done the work to try to make sure she does not get hurt again. What is it like to work with players at her level? How does she compare with Serena Williams? I don’t compare anyone to Serena. It is very exciting, because of her potential. She has the potential to win very many more Slams. Her motivation is very high. Tennis is a big priority and she is prepared to come back all the way. How do you know if you are a good fit with her? I don’t know if it’s a good fit — all the players are different, and as a coach you need to adapt. Is it any different when you are coaching a superstar rather than some of the players you have worked with who are not at that level? It’s very important when you work with a superstar that you do the same as if the player is not a superstar. You need to talk to a person in a normal way, like she is a normal player. When they achieve so much they have certainties about what they do, but they have to be open enough to learn and continue to grow. That’s where Naomi is. She really wants to improve. She’s really taking the advice, and giving 100 percent. She is not scared. That’s the champion’s mindset. It’s interesting you say that. I would have thought people who have won so much in the past think they know how to do it again. They are champions because they are doing what it takes to improve; their ability to trust the person working with them to tell them what to do and what it takes. That makes them champions. Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic), they went through so many technical changes. They see the sport as a race. Everybody is improving. That is how Serena was seeing the world. If you’re happy with what you have and don’t try new things, you will be overtaken by others. The progress comes from seeing which areas you can get better with. Why is Osaka better now than she was last year? Her confidence is much higher. This comes from what she has done at practice. She’s practising extremely well. She pushes herself. Her game has gained in consistency. A player has to be aware of how she is feeling, even if she feels she is losing confidence. Before, she didn’t express it to herself. Most of the matches, she lost because she stopped believing and this is not allowed. We do practice matches. She is aware of what she is feeling. We talk about it. We work on it in the moment. It’s fine to have that feeling, it’s natural — there is no shame in being nervous. We just have to be aware of it. It can affect you but it can’t affect you too much — Novak gets super-nervous or angry, but the most important thing is the ability to come back very fast. Otherwise, you are losing points and points and points. You have the right to become nervous and lose confidence, but not too much and not for too long. You don’t talk much during matches other than small messages of encouragement. Why? There is not so much to say, unless I see she is not following the plan one way or another. The match, we prepare it before. The only thing I can do is to support her. In the Muchova match in Melbourne, Muchova was playing great and Naomi was struggling to get to her level. I’ve seen that in the past year. I found out that when she was in trouble, her confidence level would drop a lot and the game was affected. Her first tournament in China, she had lost 20 matches in a row when she had lost the first set. This time, she didn’t let what was happening on the court play with her mind. It’s impossible not to be affected by the score. They need to be affected by the score. How much it affects you and does it affect you in a way that can harm you is the question. You want to be affected but stay under control. Keep believing in what you are doing. Is that what she did against Muchova? She stayed mentally there. You don’t go away. Nobody plays perfectly from the first point to the last. When you coached Serena, you went up against Osaka. Did you share your old game plans with her? No. You don’t want to reinforce the spots that are weaker. I also don’t think you win by improving your mistakes so much. You prepare solutions, and you make your strong points better. If someone has a good game plan to beat Jannik Sinner, I would like to see it. Players at that level, you have to catch them on a certain day when there are weak spots. I want my players to know how to turn their strengths into weapons: ‘What is my player’s game style and how do they win points?’. So what are Osaka’s strengths at this point that should be her weapons? When she is at the top of the game, she plays faster than anyone. She makes it very difficult to organize a point against her. She comes back to you with the ball in such a short time. When the ball touches the racket, it goes so fast to the other side of the net, and she can be very accurate with hitting her spots. She also has big room for improvement. She can return better, be more aggressive on the second serve, take time away from the opponent better. The good thing is that she is extremely open to new ideas. I told her what I thought when I arrived and she told me she was very excited to get to work because she believed she was going to learn new things. Naomi Osaka holds the *********** Open trophy after the 2019 final. (Getty Images) Is that what the best ones tell you? Absolutely. They forget what they have achieved one minute after they achieve it. Serena finishes 2012 winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and the Olympics and the WTA Tour Finals. She’s walking off the court and tells me to come up with a plan for her to win the French Open. She says, “I’ve been chasing it for 10 years. I want to win Roland Garros, make a plan for me to win it.” (Williams won the 2013 French Open.) The past is the past. It’s important not to look at the past. ‘Let’s move on. Always focus on the journey, where we want to go’. That’s Naomi right now. She’s very ambitious. She believes her story is still to be written. That’s important, because when you hold a trophy it only lasts a few minutes. You have to be excited about what’s next. What has changed about tennis in recent years? In general, the fitness level has improved a lot. It’s easy to explain. All of the top players travel with a fitness coach and physiotherapist. It was not true before. The movement of the players is so much better. On the women’s side, (Aryna) Sabalenka, for her height, is moving so well. And then Iga (Swiatek) and Coco (Gauff). (Carlos) Alcaraz, Sinner, it’s crazy how they move on the court. Even someone like Tomas Machac. So it’s harder to hit winners, to get the ball through the court. If Naomi keeps evolving as she is, she will be able to hit as many winners again. Naomi said she didn’t know if you would actually be a good coach, because you had coached Serena and she wondered whether Serena even needed coaching. Others sometimes question how much impact you have when you are coaching these all-time greats? How does that affect you? People who say that don’t know what they are talking about. If I coach Naomi and she doesn’t do something well, I’m going to hear about it. I take no special pride in coaching champions. For me, if I don’t bring her to her top level, I didn’t do a good job. (Top photo: David Gray / AFP via Getty Images) Source link #Patrick #Mouratoglous #tennis #partnership #Naomi #Osaka #coaching #superstars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Russo brothers ‘definitely open’ to developing games tied to upcoming Avengers movies Russo brothers ‘definitely open’ to developing games tied to upcoming Avengers movies The Russo brothers have said their production company AGBO is receptive to the idea of developing games tied to their upcoming Avengers movies. Having previously co-directed Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, plus two Captain America films, Joe and Anthony Russo are helming next year’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. Their most recent film, The Electric State, launches this week on Netflix, and AGBO helped the streaming giant develop a tie-in mobile game which is also releasing this month. In 2022, South Korean gaming giant Nexon made a strategic ********* investment of $400 million in AGBO, and the following November it was confirmed that Fortnite co-creator Donald Mustard had joined the production company as a partner after leaving Epic Games. In a new interview with Variety, the Russos said they have big plans in the gaming space, and while they’re currently focused on large-scale transmedia projects based on new IP, they aren’t ruling out creating tie-ins for their upcoming Avengers movies. “We would definitely be open to it,” Joe Russo said when asked about the possibility, before adding. “Right now, what we’re doing is creating new IP.” Russo went on to discuss AGBO’s current “mission” following Mustard coming on board. “We have a new partner at the company who is one of the greatest game developers in history, Donald Mustard, he’s the creator of Fortnite, and he’s come in now to work with us on building out what we think the future of storytelling could be, which is, some hybrid between linear and virtual and gaming. And we’re really interested in new ways to tell stories using technology. “And so the three of us together are trying to explore and ideate around what opportunities there could be over the next decade using new tools and new technology to tell stories and can we make it can we make it true transmedia, where the same assets that we’re using for CG in movies is also the same assets that are in the game, that are also the same assets in a virtual experience.” Source link #Russo #brothers #open #developing #games #tied #upcoming #Avengers #movies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 6 (game #368) NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 6 (game #368) Looking for a different day? A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Wednesday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, March 5 (game #367). Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints. Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. NYT Strands today (game #368) – hint #1 – today’s theme What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands? • Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Love is in the apps NYT Strands today (game #368) – hint #2 – clue words Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system. LION THAN ROPE LIFE SING GOING NYT Strands today (game #368) – hint #3 – spangram What is a hint for today’s spangram? • Tinder phrases NYT Strands today (game #368) – hint #4 – spangram position What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches? First side: left, 4th row Last side: right, 4th row Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. NYT Strands today (game #368) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Strands, game #368, are… MATCH LIKE CHAT GHOST PROFILE SWIPE MEETUP SPANGRAM: ONLINE DATING My rating: Easy My score: Perfect After initially taking the theme literally and looking for app names, this puzzle revealed itself very easily and was all over quicker than a SWIPE left. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Despite having zero experience of ONLINE DATING, the terminology is commonplace and through friends and family I’ve experienced many of the perils and psychological trauma of dating apps, as well as the happiness they bring. My friend met their partner via an app, despite years of bad mouthing them, after about five minutes of setting up his profile. Even more ridiculously lucky, it was their first time using an app, too, and his was the first picture they clicked on. They’re made for each other and I doubt they would have met any other way. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 5 March, game #367) BEAGLE BOUNTY TITANIC VICTORY MAYFLOWER SPANGRAM: HISTORIC SHIPS What is NYT Strands? Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day. Source link #NYT #Strands #hints #answers #Thursday #March #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

U.S. has halted sharing intelligence with Ukraine, CIA director says U.S. has halted sharing intelligence with Ukraine, CIA director says In the wake of a televised Oval Office squabble pitting President Trump and Vice President JD Vance against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the U.S. has paused intelligence sharing with its war torn ally, according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe acknowledged the halt in intelligence sharing Wednesday morning during an interview on Fox Business. Ratcliffe said the pause is “on the military front and the intelligence front,” but he did not elaborate further on the scope of the pause. Zelenskyy’s Feb. 28 White House visit was intended to be capped by the signing of a landmark agreement granting the U.S. hundreds of billions in potential benefits from mining Ukraine’s minerals agreement. The signing was abruptly scrapped after the meeting descended into finger pointing over Russia and its unprovoked invasion of the country, and whether Zelenskyy had properly thanked the American president. Zelenskyy had previously repeatedly thanked Mr. Trump and the U.S., and continued to do so afterward. Mr. Trump’s top advisers privately shared disbelief about what they viewed as Zelenskyy’s badgering of the president in front of cameras. Zelenskyy has since said he’s ready to get back to the negotiating table. Ratcliffe said in the interview that Mr. Trump made the decision to halt intelligence sharing. The president “said ‘let’s pause.’ I want to give you a chance to think about that, and you saw the response, that President Zelenskyy put out a statement saying ‘I’m ready for peace, and I want Donald Trump’s leadership to bring about that peace,'” Ratcliffe said. Ratcliffe later added that the U.S. still intends to work with Ukraine in the ongoing confrontation against Russia. “We’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, as we have to push back on the aggression that’s there,” Ratcliffe said. Mr. Trump said Tuesday night during his congressional address that he is “working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine.” Intelligence sharing has been crucial for Ukraine in its efforts to strike Russian military targets. Mr. Trump’s confrontational approach with American allies has drawn withering criticism from Democrats, including Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who delivered a response Tuesday to Mr. Trump‘s address. “President Trump loves to say ‘peace through strength.’ That’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. But let me tell you, after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling in his grave,” Slotkin said, implying the president who led the U.S. through most of the late-Cold War 1980s would be more supportive of Russia’s adversaries than Mr. Trump is. Graham Kates Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at *****@*****.tld or *****@*****.tld Source link #U.S #halted #sharing #intelligence #Ukraine #CIA #director Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Markets rebound on hopes for tariff relief and government spending plans – Business Insider Markets rebound on hopes for tariff relief and government spending plans – Business Insider Markets rebound on hopes for tariff relief and government spending plans Business InsiderStock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise after jobs data amid signs of tariff relief Yahoo FinanceStocks open slightly higher despite tariff uncertainty, slower hiring USA TODAYFutures Rise With Trump Tariffs In Focus Investor’s Business Daily Source link #Markets #rebound #hopes #tariff #relief #government #spending #plans #Business #Insider Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Split Fiction Review – Game Rant Split Fiction Review – Game Rant Game Rant Writes “Split Fiction is a must-play and yet another co-op gaming masterpiece from Josef Fares and his team at Hazelight Studios.” Source link #Split #Fiction #Review #Game #Rant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sam Altman tweets delay to ChatGPT-4.5 launch while also proposing a shocking new payment structure Sam Altman tweets delay to ChatGPT-4.5 launch while also proposing a shocking new payment structure ChatGPT-4.5 release for Plus users will be staggered over a number of days Sam Altman proposes new credit-based payment system for subscribers X users offer a mixture of reactions to the idea OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken to X to announce that the release of ChatGPT-4.5, scheduled for tomorrow, will be delayed for all users. Instead of a major release, Open AI will be rolling the product out from tomorrow for a select number of users. ChatGPT-4.5 is the next version of the popular ChatGPT chatbot, and is slated to be its largest and best model yet. It launched last week for ChatGPT Pro subscribers, and will be released to Plus subscribers this week, just not in one go as initially planned. In another tweet, Altman also floated the idea of changing the pricing structure of ChatGPT Plus so that your $20 doesn’t guarantee you unrestricted access. Instead, Altman proposed offering a number of tokens each month to subscribers, which could be spent across its different products, like Deep Research, ChatGPT o1, Sora and ChatGPT-4.5. we are likely going to roll out GPT-4.5 to the plus tier over a few days.there is no perfect way to do this; we wanted to do it for everyone tomorrow, but it would have meant we had to launch with a very low rate limit.we think people are gonna use this a lot and love it.March 4, 2025 Low rate limits In his post on X, Altman states “We are likely going to roll out GPT-4.5 to the Plus tier over a few days. There is no perfect way to do this; we wanted to do it for everyone tomorrow, but it would have meant we had to launch with a very low rate limit.” A “low rate limit” would mean restricting how much people could use ChatGPT-4.5, and it seems that a staggered rollout is OpenAI’s preferred way to stop its servers overloading from everybody trying to use the new LLM at once. Altman continued: “So we think it’s better to let people have real, long conversations with it, but that means we have to stagger people in rather than have everyone hit it hard at the same time. Hope that makes sense and look forward to seeing your feedback!” Altman added “We think people are gonna use this a lot and love it.” Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Referring to his idea of changing the payments structure for ChatGPT Plus Altman added “No fixed limits per feature and you choose what you want; if you run out of credits you can buy more. What do you think? good/bad?” No fixed limits While some X users responded positively, the response was generally negative with user Chubby posting, “Dislike. It discourages you from playing with the models. If you’re worried about running out of credits, you’ll get stingy”, and user Van Mendosa writing, ”This model adds unnecessary friction @sama People don’t want to think in “credits” or micromanage their AI usage like an arcade token system.” Altman’s public use of X to garner user feedback on potentially massive changes to the way that ChatGPT works is unusual, but could partly be explained by the effects of sleep deprivation as he and his partner have recently welcomed a new baby into the world. In a further tweet Altman goes on to say “Very proud of the OpenAI team for what is perhaps the most impressive scientific/technical breakthrough of recent decades.” (Here he seems to be referring to ChatGPT-4.5). “Thought that was the thing I’d always be most proud of in life. Turns out I am now more proud of a preemie baby for learning how to eat on his own! (I realize I am getting neurochemically hacked here but idc, it’s the best).” You may also like Source link #Sam #Altman #tweets #delay #ChatGPT4.5 #launch #proposing #shocking #payment #structure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

GitLab: Get In While It’s Down—Big Rebound Ahead GitLab: Get In While It’s Down—Big Rebound Ahead GitLab’s (NASDAQ:) market may wallow near its early 2024 lows, but lower lows are unlikely, and a strong rebound lies ahead. The Q4 results and guidance for 2025 are the reason. However, the strong results and outlook weren’t the cause. The market had set a high bar driven by ramping demand for AI software, which created a no-win situation for the stock price; no result short of a mind-boggling, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:) -like performance would have been sufficient to catalyze a rally. The critical takeaway from the guidance is that this company forecasts another year of solid 20% growth, and the odds are high that the guidance is cautious. GitLab has outperformed every quarter since its IPO and is unlikely to break the streak due to increasing demand for AI products and services. GitLab’s Strength Overshadowed by Market Forecasts GitLab had a solid Q4, showing increasing demand and leverage with existing clients, which suggests the 2025 guidance is cautious. The company reported $211.4 million in net revenue for Q4, up nearly 30% and 250 basis points better than expected on an increased client count and deepening penetration. Clients contributing $5,000 in ARR grew by 15%, but the more prominent clients, contributing more significant $100K and $1M in annual ARR, grew by 29% and 28%, while retention came in at 123%. Operating leverage is also growing. The company continues to post GAAP losses, but losses are narrowing, adjusted profitability is improving, and free cash flow conversion is impressive. The company widened its adjusted operating margin by 1000 basis points to 18%, generating $63.2 million in operating cash flow with a 98% free cash flow conversion. Free cash flow is up more than 150% yearly and is expected to grow in 2025. The guidance is shy of the consensus reported by MarketBeat but no less potent. The company forecasted 23% revenue growth at the top line and is likely cautious given the strength of large client growth, penetration gains, and the 40% increase in RPO. Outperformance is the likely scenario; the question is how much. The Analysts Affirm GitLab’s Moderate Buy Rating and Upside Potential The analysts’ response to GitLab’s results and guidance is a mix of reduced and reiterated price targets that align with the consensus estimate. It is a 30% upside from critical support targets when reached. The takeaway from the commentary is that GitLab’s results weren’t all that impressive, but the demand outlook has stabilized, and the long-term forecasts are unchanged. The long-term estimates include a 20% top-line compounded annual growth rate for at least the next eight years with a widening margin. Earnings are expected to grow at a rough 30% CAGR for the same *******. Institutional activity aligns with the outlook for higher share prices over time. Not only do the institutions own more than 95% of the stock, but their buying activity ramped to a multiyear high in Q1 2025. Institutional buying in Q1 hit a record high, more than doubled the selling pace, and netted a half-billion dollars worth of shares, about 6.5% of the market cap, with the stock trading near $58. GitLab Confirms Support at a Critical Level; Sets Up for 2025 Rebound GitLab’s price action fell the day before the release and opened with a gap following, but lower lows are unlikely. The market quickly rebounded from its early low to confirm support at the 150-day EMA, an indicator of long-term investor support, including institutions and analysts’ followers. The likely scenario is that support will remain solid in the low to mid-$50s, causing this market to move sideways until traction is regained. Original Post Source link #GitLab #DownBig #Rebound #Ahead Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Marcus Smith dropped with Daly at 15 to face Italy Marcus Smith dropped with Daly at 15 to face Italy Elliot Daly will start ahead of Marcus Smith at full-back for England’s match against Italy on Sunday, with the Harlequins playmaker dropped to the bench. Source link #Marcus #Smith #dropped #Daly #face #Italy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dark and Darker Mobile’s latest patch introduces new content and quality-of-life features Dark and Darker Mobile’s latest patch introduces new content and quality-of-life features Dark and Darker Mobile’s latest season is here It introduces a suite of changes for the Cleric, Barbarian, Fighter & Wizard There’s also quality-of-life features and buffs to mercenaries for platinum-strapped players While parent company Ironmace Studios may have been hit with a whopping $6m bill for compensation over Nexon’s suit against them, for Krafton and their spin-off mobile release Dark and Darker Mobile things are (ironically) looking quite bright aside from a potential name change. And that’s not just because of their latest update, although it does help, offering plenty to dig into for dungeoneering fanatics. Titled A Step Towards Greatness, this latest season offers a bevvy of quality-of-life features and new content. There’s now a reduced cooldown time for Escape Headstones, a marker system for those not making use of voice or text chat, and new visual cues to help you track the status effects of burn, poison and more. Meanwhile, a number of classes have had stat adjustments. Clerics have received buffs to healing, defense and attack to offer more versatility, meanwhile Fighters and Barbarians have received increased skill damage, and Wizards have had adjustments to skill usage counts and active skill balance. Ultimate Underworld But it’s not just in the realm of multiplayer either that things are getting buffed. Your AI Mercenary teammates are also receiving some changes. Smarter AI, more accessible recruitment (gold, rather than platinum to hire them) and higher spawn rates for S-rank mercenaries mean more of you dungeon delvers can beef up your front rank of meatshields- I mean allies. Naturally, Krafton has also promised that this update will bring plenty of optimisation and balance improvements, increasing stability on a range of devices. But the only way to find out how well that works for you is, you guessed it, to leap into the dungeon for yourself! Want to get better at Dark and Darker? Well, why not go ahead and dig into our list of Dark and Darker promo codes to see if you can pick up any extra goodies? Source link #Dark #Darker #Mobiles #latest #patch #introduces #content #qualityoflife #features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]