Pelican Press

Supreme Court denies Trump’s request to cancel USAID payments Supreme Court denies Trump’s request to cancel USAID payments A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to let President Donald Trump’s administration withhold payment to foreign aid organizations for work they already performed for the government as the Republican president moves to pull the plug on American humanitarian projects around the world. Handing a setback to Trump, the court in a 5-4 decision upheld Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amir Ali’s order that had called on the administration to promptly release funding to contractors and recipients of grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department for their past work. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented from the decision. The order by Ali, who is presiding over an ongoing legal challenge to Trump’s policy, had originally given the administration until February 26 to disburse the funding, which it has said totaled nearly $2 billion that could take weeks to pay in full. Chief Justice John Roberts paused that order hours before the midnight deadline to give the Supreme Court additional time to consider the administration’s more formal request to block Ali’s ruling. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices Trump appointed during his first presidential term. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said in a Supreme Court filing on March 3 that blocking Ali’s order “is warranted to prevent reinstatement of a new, short-fused deadline that would unlawfully commandeer federal payment processes anew.” Harris argued that the judge’s order amounted to judicial overreach and had given the administration too little time to scrutinize the invoices “to ensure the legitimacy of all payments.” Lawyers representing the administration said in a separate February 26 filing that full payments could take weeks. The Republican president, pursuing what he has called an “America First” agenda, ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid on his first day back in office on January 20. That order, and ensuing stop-work orders halting USAID operations around the world, have jeopardized delivery of life-saving food and medical aid, throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos. Aid organizations accused Trump in lawsuits of exceeding his authority under federal law and the U.S. Constitution by effectively dismantling an independent federal agency and canceling spending authorized by Congress. Aid organizations said in a Supreme Court filing on February 28 that they “would face extraordinary and irreversible harm if the funding freeze continues,” as would their employees and those who depend on their work. The organizations’ “work advances U.S. interests abroad and improves — and, in many cases, literally saves — the lives of millions of people across the globe. In doing so, it helps stop problems like disease and instability overseas before they reach our shores,” lawyers for the foreign aid groups wrote. “The government’s actions have largely brought this work to a halt,” the lawyers wrote, adding that the Trump administration “comes to this court with an emergency of its own making.” Among the plaintiffs in the litigation are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Journalism Development Network, international development company DAI Global and refugee assistance organization HIAS. The Trump administration had kept the disputed payments largely frozen despite a temporary restraining order from Ali that they be released, and multiple subsequent orders that the administration comply. Ali’s February 25 enforcement order at issue before the Supreme Court applied to payment for work done by foreign aid groups before February 13, when the judge issued his temporary restraining order. Ali, who was appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden, issued his temporary restraining order to prevent irreparable harm to the plaintiffs while he considers their claims. Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, have taken dramatic steps to reshape and shrink the federal government. They have dismantled some agencies, fired thousands of workers, dismissed or reassigned hundreds of officials and removed the heads of independent agencies, among other actions. As he moves to end American-backed humanitarian efforts in numerous countries, Trump’s administration has sent funding termination notices to key organizations in the global aid community. Global aid groups have said the U.S. retreat endangers the lives of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people including those facing deadly diseases and those living in conflict zones. Source link #Supreme #Court #denies #Trumps #request #cancel #USAID #payments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

C.I.A. Director Says U.S. Has Paused Intelligence Sharing With Ukraine C.I.A. Director Says U.S. Has Paused Intelligence Sharing With Ukraine The C.I.A. director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that intelligence sharing with Ukraine had been paused alongside military aid to pressure its government to cooperate with the Trump administration’s plans to end the country’s war with Russia. Speaking on Fox Business, Mr. Ratcliffe applauded the Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky’s statement on Tuesday praising President Trump and insisting that he supported peace with Russia. Mr. Ratcliffe said he thought intelligence sharing would resume. “President Zelensky put out a statement that said, ‘I am ready for peace and I want President Donald Trump’s leadership to bring about that peace,’” Mr. Ratcliffe said. “And so I think on the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, I think will go away, and I think we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have, to push back on the aggression that’s there.” On Tuesday, after Mr. Trump ordered a halt to military assistance, officials differed on whether the United States was continuing to share intelligence. One official said all intelligence that was not directly related to the protection of Ukrainian troops had been put on hold. Another official said that exception covered most intelligence sharing, and information still was flowing to Ukrainian forces. Mr. Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that Mr. Trump asked for a pause on intelligence sharing. And his comments suggest that the C.I.A. put at least some of its intelligence sharing with Ukraine on hold for a short time. Trump administration officials have said the pauses were a warning to the Ukrainians of the consequences if they did not cooperate with Mr. Trump’s peace plan. The details of those plans remain unclear. Mr. Trump has spoken approvingly of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and his aides have endorsed elements of the country’s ideas for ending the war. But European countries are trying to develop their own plan that could win over both Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky. Source link #C.I.A #Director #U.S #Paused #Intelligence #Sharing #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Release Window Revealed By Voice Actor Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Release Window Revealed By Voice Actor The release window for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has seemingly been confirmed by one of the game’s voice actors. In a new interview with The Direct, voice actor Khary Payton said that the current plan for the game’s launch is around Christmas time this year. “We’re still working,” the ****** Panther voice actor said. “We’re planning on 2025… We’re thinking like a Christmas situation. But I’m so excited.” PODCAST: Wonder Woman Canceled And Is It The Games Media’s Fault? A Christmas 2025 release is the most definitive information regarding the game that fans have gotten in some time. The game was first revealed during GDC 2024 with its name and first trailer shown. Since then, however, it’s been quiet on all fronts as the game’s development continues. Set in occupied Paris during World War II, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is based on the 2010 limited series comic Captain America / ****** Panther: Flags of Our Fathers. The story follows an alliance between ****** Panther and Captain America as they work to prevent Hydra from coming into power. The game will allow players to control one of four main protagonists throughout, including Captain America Steve Rogers, Azzuri (****** Panther), the leader of the Wakandan Spy Network Nanali, and Howling Commandos member Gabriel Jones. Neither developer Skydance New Media nor publisher Plaion have commented officially on the game’s release date. Should the Christmas 2025 window be confirmed, it’s likely to happen sometime in the next few months as more gaming events such as Game Developers Conference 2025 and Summer Games Fest 2025 take place. What do you think of a Christmas 2025 release window for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, check out our exclusive details on Ubisoft restarting the development of the Far Cry multiplayer game. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Marvel #Rise #Hydra #Release #Window #Revealed #Voice #Actor Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sammy J: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet) | Comedy Sammy J: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet) | Comedy Hello, internet! It’s your old friend Sammy J. Just dropping by to say thanks for your service. And to remind you that some of us still remember what the world was like before you existed. We weren’t given a choice. We were just told one day that school was “getting the internet” and that from Tuesday we could “borrow a modem” from the library and use it to “surf the web”. It all sounded so silly and frivolous but then you were just … there. Forever. Don’t get me wrong. I love you dearly and I’d die without you, but this is just a gentle reminder that the world existed for a very long time before you did and people were probably a bit happier on balance. Still, I’ll never forget the thrill of setting up my first Hotmail account or Asking Jeeves to fetch me a photograph of Gillian Anderson. They truly were the glory days, and it’s in that spirit of innocence that I present some of your more enjoyable offerings. 1. Man tries not to burp, fails badly Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. I don’t watch a lot of funny videos but when one tickles me, I will watch it 200 times and still laugh. This one is a go to with the kids. Seeing the ****** American swagger descend so rapidly into a head injury is a wonderful way to start your day. 2. Pull me up by my nippies Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. The worst thing about the internet is the disrespect it pays to professional production values. And yet … the best thing about the internet is the disrespect it pays to professional production values. At no other time in human history could one person have filmed an old painting with a phone, narrated with a stupid voice, and entertained so many so quickly. 3. Did you threaten to overrule him? This one arrived during YouTube’s infancy and it was a glorious instruction manual for aspiring politicians on how not to answer a question that you don’t want to answer. At the time it was hilarious, but now it’s just a quaint reminder of a time when politicians still made an effort to not lie. Bring back these kind of weasel words, I say. #freetheweasel 4. Climb in a window, go viral Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. Yeah this one did the rounds, but deservedly so. The fact that these two then did the rounds on British talk shows to celebrate their fail gives me hope. Hope for what, I’m not exactly sure. But given we were watching stuff like this on Australia’s Funniest Home Videos before the internet arrived, maybe I’m hopeful that humans doing dumb things and laughing about it rather than helping each other will outlast even the world wide web. 5. Backyard Cricket by Aunty Donna No collection of funny internet videos is complete without an Aunty Donna clip, and this one is a masterclass in commitment that should be shown to aspiring comedy writers for many decades to come. 6. Thomas Sainsbury’s 80s mum and Sarah/Sara Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. Full bias declaration here, I grew up in the 80s with an older sister called Sara. But nobody was making sketches about it back then, because we were given four TV channels and mainstream content only. This is the lovely thing about this ocean of ones and zeros that we spend most of our lives now swimming in: we’ll all drown in it one day, but at least we’ll get some very targeted and niche entertainment along the way. 7. This cool little home exercise routine Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. Just a cute little palate cleanser for you all as you make your way through my playlist. Remember to stay hydrated. We’re over halfway, don’t worry. 8. Shaun Micallef’s wine cellar sketch This existed before the internet, so we had to share it the old-fashioned way: by hooking two VCRs up to each other and copying them manually. Piracy used to involve effort, dammit. *Wipes tear from eye* 9. POV: your kid is obsessed with stuffed animals Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’. If you don’t have kids in your life who are obsessed with stuffed animals, you will hate this video so hard. If you do, you might enjoy it. If, like me, it’s basically an actual transcript of your bedtime routine, you’ll adore it. 10. The shortest political career in history I might be a bit biased here as I’ve just finished five years of breakfast radio and I’ve spoken to many politicians who probably wanted to walk away from their job many times over. But none have ever done so in quite as spectacular fashion as this. I’m offering this up for younger generations in case they’ve never seen it, and as a reminder to all of us that it’s never too early to pull the pin. Source link #Sammy #funniest #internet #Comedy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Supreme Court won’t lift lower court order unfreezing foreign aid funds Supreme Court won’t lift lower court order unfreezing foreign aid funds Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to halt a lower court order that required the Trump administration to unfreeze nearly $2 billion in foreign-aid funding, clearing the way for the money to flow to groups that have done work for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development overseas. The decision from the high court ends a pause Chief Justice John Roberts issued last week to allow the high court time to more fully consider a request from the Trump administration to intervene in the ongoing court battle over a 90-day pause on foreign assistance funds. The chief justice issued a brief administrative last Wednesday — with a midnight deadline for foreign aid payments approaching — before the full court acted on President Trump’s bid for emergency relief. The high court split 5-4 in denying the request from the Trump administration. The orders are among the first from the Supreme Court issued as dozens of legal challenges to the president’s policies move through the federal courts. The high court has been asked to intervene in one other case so far, arising out of Mr. Trump’s removal of the head of the federal agency that oversees whistleblowers. It put off the president’s request to allow him to fire that official, special counsel Hampton Dellinger, amid ongoing legal proceedings and has not yet weighed in further. The Trump administration came to the high court for emergency relief last week after U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ordered the government to pay all invoices and reimbursement requests to USAID and State Department contractors for work finished before Feb. 13. Ali is overseeing a challenge to Mr. Trump’s 90-day pause on foreign assistance brought by a group of nonprofits and businesses that receive foreign aid funding and argue the freeze is an unconstitutional exercise of presidential power. Last month, he temporarily barred the administration from halting the foreign-assistance funding. Then, after State Department and USAID contractors said last week that they were still not receiving money they were owed, Ali issued an order requiring the Trump administration to comply with his earlier Feb. 13 directive and pay all invoices and funding requests on contracts, grants and other agreements for work finished before that date. The judge required the government to pay the contractors by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 26. The Justice Department appealed Ali’s order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but it declined to intervene after finding that order could not be appealed. In seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris asked the court to first temporarily halt the district court’s order — pausing the Wednesday night deadline for the administration to unfreeze foreign aid funds — and then toss it out altogether. Harris said that Ali’s order was not limited to payments to the nonprofits and companies that brought the case, but was more broad and required it to pay nearly $2 billion on thousands of payment requests. “This new order requiring payment of enormous sums of foreign-assistance money in less than 36 hours intrudes on the prerogatives of the Executive Branch,” she wrote in a Supreme Court filing. “The president’s power is at its apex — and the power of the judiciary is at its nadir — in matters of foreign affairs.” The acting solicitor general said the district court’s order prevents the executive branch from not only “ensuring that foreign-aid payments are consistent with the president’s policy priorities, but from conducting even basic diligence to ensure that payments are free from fraud and abuse.” Harris reiterated that in seeking emergency relief, the Trump administration wanted to ensure agencies were not at risk of violating a federal court order requiring the foreign aid payments. But restarting the funding required multiple stages and multiple agencies, she said, making compliance with Ali’s deadline effectively impossible. “The Executive Branch takes seriously its constitutional duty to comply with the orders of Article III courts,” she said. But lawyers for the company and nonprofits urged the Supreme Court to deny Mr. Trump’s request, in part because it lacks jurisdiction to review a district court order that directed the government to comply with its temporary measure. “The government’s application, in this posture, amounts to a request for license to continue defying” a temporary restraining order that requires it to administer USAID and State Department programs established under the law, they argued. The lawyers said in a filing that Mr. Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order and subsequent State Department and USAID memoranda halting foreign aid and ordering contractors to stop work “plunged” the organizations into “financial turmoil” and forced them to layoff employees. Some are even facing civil and regulatory actions for employment violations, evictions, insolvency and “physical threats to personnel in conflict areas,” the lawyers wrote in the Supreme Court filing. “Respondents’ work advances U.S. interests abroad and improves — and, in many cases, literally saves — the lives of millions of people across the globe. In doing so, it helps stop problems like disease and instability overseas before they reach our shores,” the nonprofits wrote. “The government’s actions have largely brought this work to a halt. With Americans out of work, businesses ruined, food rotting, and critical medical care withheld, the public interest weighs heavily against the government. These are the fruits of the government’s actions.” They also noted that since Feb. 13, when the district court issued the initial order, the Trump administration “never once voiced concerns about the feasibility of compliance.” Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Supreme #Court #wont #lift #court #order #unfreezing #foreign #aid #funds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US and Israel reject Arab alternative to Trump's Gaza reconstruction plan – BBC.com US and Israel reject Arab alternative to Trump's Gaza reconstruction plan – BBC.com US and Israel reject Arab alternative to Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan BBC.comUS rejects alternative Gaza reconstruction plan proposed by Arab leaders CNNIsrael criticizes Cairo Arab summit outcome, ****** welcomes it ReutersEgypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan endorsed by Arab League, rejected by Israel: What to know The Indian Express Source link #Israel #reject #Arab #alternative #Trump039s #Gaza #reconstruction #plan #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PS3 system software update 4.92 is available now PS3 system software update 4.92 is available now brewin909d ago Yet they all turned out to be great systems with lots of gems, except for Jaguar. Wii U was a criminally underrated system. The Gamepad implementation of Zelda Twilight Princess was incredible! I was so disappointed they removed it altogether for Breath of the Wild because they wanted “parity” with the Switch version. Its a shame and it was a lame excuse. You can tell BotW was designed around the gamepad usage, with all that menu navigation. That item management and weapon switching would have been 100x better with the gamepad. The worst part was they never let the wii U players know they were removing it! I got the game for Wii U at launch and was disappointed it wasnt there. PS3 was a mess at first but what a turnaround! That was a crazy generation. Uncharted 1,2,3, Infamous 1 & 2, God of War 3, Last of Us, MGS4, Ratchet and Clank series, Little Big Planet, Modnation Racers, Killzone, Resistance. My god they were so on point later in that generation it was crazy! Source link #PS3 #system #software #update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The AMD RX 9070 XT delivers exactly what the market needs with stunning performance at an unbeatable price The AMD RX 9070 XT delivers exactly what the market needs with stunning performance at an unbeatable price Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Two-minute review AMD had one job to do with the launch of its RDNA 4 graphics cards, spearheaded by the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, and that was to not get run over by Blackwell too badly this generation. With the RX 9070 XT, not only did AMD manage to hold its own against the GeForce RTX monolith, it perfectly positions Team Red to take advantage of the growing discontent among gamers upset over Nvidia’s latest GPUs with one of the best graphics cards I’ve ever tested. The RX 9070 XT is without question the most powerful consumer graphics card AMD’s put out, beating the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX overall and coming within inches of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 in 4K and 1440p gaming performance. It does so with an MSRP of just $599 (about £510 / AU$870), which is substantially lower than those two card’s MSRP, much less their asking price online right now. This matters because AMD traditionally hasn’t faced the kind of scalping and price inflation that Nvidia’s GPUs experience (it does happen, obviously, but not nearly to the same extent as with Nvidia’s RTX cards). That means, ultimately, that gamers who look at the GPU market and find empty shelves, extremely distorted prices, and uninspiring performance for the price they’re being asked to pay have an alternative that will likely stay within reach, even if price inflation keeps it above AMD’s MSRP. The RX 9070 XT’s performance comes at a bit of a cost though, such as the 309W maximum power draw I saw during my testing, but at this tier of performance, this actually isn’t that bad. This card also isn’t too great when it comes to non-raster creative performance and AI compute, but no one is looking to buy this card for its creative or AI performance, as Nvidia already has those categories on lock. No, this is a card for gamers out there, and for that, you just won’t find a better one at this price. Even if the price does get hit with inflation, it’ll still likely be way lower than what you’d have to pay for an RX 7900 XTX or RTX 4080 (assuming you can find them at this point) making the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT a gaming GPU that everyone can appreciate and maybe even buy. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Price & availability (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) How much is it? MSRP is $599 (about £510 / AU$870) When can you get it? The RX 9070 XT goes on ***** March 6, 2025 Where is it available? The RX 9070 XT will be available in the US, ***, and Australia at launch The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is available as of March 6, 2025, starting at $599 (about £510 / AU$870) for reference-spec third-party cards from manufacturers like Asus, Sapphire, Gigabyte, and others, with OC versions and those with added accoutrements like fancy cooling and RGB lighting likely selling for higher than MSRP. At this price, the RX 9070 XT comes in about $150 cheaper than the RTX 5070 Ti, and about $50 more expensive than the RTX 5070 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070, which also launches alongside the RX 9070 XT. This price also puts the RX 9070 XT on par with the MSRP of the RTX 4070 Super, though this card is getting harder to find nowadays. While I’ll dig into performance in a bit, given the MSRP (and the reasonable hope that this card will be findable at MSRP in some capacity) the RX 9070 XT’s value proposition is second only to the RTX 5070 Ti’s, if you’re going by its MSRP. Since price inflation on the RTX 5070 Ti will persist for some time at least, in many cases you’ll likely find the RX 9070 XT offers better performance per price paid of any enthusiast card on the market right now. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Specs (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) PCIe 5.0, but still just GDDR6 Hefty power draw Swipe to scroll horizontally AMD RX 9070 XT vs RX 9070 vs RX 7900 XTX Header Cell – Column 0 RX 9070 XT RX 9070 RX 7900 XTX Process Node TSMC N4P TSMC N4P TSMC N5/N6 Transistor Count (Billion) 53.9 53.9 57.7 Compute Units 64 56 96 Shaders 4,096 3,584 6,144 RT Cores 64 56 96 Tensor Cores 128 112 Row 5 – Cell 3 Render Output Units 128 128 192 Cache (MB) 64 64 96 Base Clock (MHz) 1,660 1,330 1,929 Boost Clock (MHz) 2,400 2,520 2,498 Memory Clock (MHz) 2,518 2,518 2,500 Memory Type GDDR6 GDDR6 GDDR6 Memory Pool (GB) 16 16 24 Memory Interface (bits) 256 256 384 Effective Memory Speed (Gbps) 20.1 20.1 20 Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) 644.6 644.6 960 PCIe Interface 5.0 x16 5.0 x16 4.0 x16 TGP (W) 304 220 355 Recommended PSU (W) 700 550 750 Power Connector 2 x 8-pin 2 x 8-pin 2 x 8-pin The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the first RDNA 4 card to hit the market, and so its worth digging into its architecture for a bit. The new architecture is built on TSMC’s N4P node, the same as Nvidia Blackwell, and in a move away from AMD’s MCM push with the last generation, the RDNA 4 GPU is a monolithic die. As there’s no direct predecessor for this card (or for the RX 9070, for that matter), there’s not much that we can apples-to-apples compare the RX 9070 XT against, but I’m going to try, putting the RX 9070 XT roughly between the RX 7800 XT and the RX 7900 GRE if it had a last-gen equivalent. The Navi 48 GPU in the RX 9070 XT sports 64 compute units, breaking down into 64 ray accelerators, 128 AI accelerators, and 64MB of L3 cache. Its cores are clocked at 1,600MHz to start, but can run as fast as 2,970MHz, just shy of the 3GHz mark. It uses the same GDDR6 memory as the last-gen AMD cards, with a 256-bit bus and a 644.6GB/s memory bandwidth, which is definitely helpful in pushing out 4K frames quickly. The TGP of the RX 9070 XT is 304W, which is a good bit higher than the RX 7900 GRE, though for that extra power, you do get a commensurate bump up in performance. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Design (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) No AMD reference card High TGP means ******* coolers and more cables There’s no AMD reference card for the Radeon RX 9070 XT, but the unit I got to test was the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT, which I imagine is pretty indicative of what we can expect from the designs of the various third-party cards. The 304W TGP all but ensures that any version of this card you find will be a triple-fan cooler over a pretty hefty heatsink, so it’s not going to be a great option for small form factor cases. Likewise, that TGP just puts it over the line where it needs a third 8-pin PCIe power connector, something that you may or may not have available in your rig, so keep that in mind. If you do have three spare power connectors, there’s no question that cable management will almost certainly be a hassle as well. After that, it’s really just about aesthetics, as the RX 9070 XT (so far) doesn’t have anything like the dual pass-through cooling solution of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, so it’s really up to personal taste. As for the card I reviewed, the Sapphire Pulse shroud and cooling setup on the RX 9070 XT was pretty plain, as far as desktop GPUs go, but if you’re looking for a non-flashy look for your PC, it’s a great-looking card. AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Performance (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Near-RTX 4080 levels of gaming performance, even with ray tracing Non-raster creative and AI performance lags behind Nvidia, as expected Likely the best value you’re going to find anywhere near this price point A note on my data The charts shown below offer the most recent data I have for the cards tested for this review. They may change over time as more card results are added and cards are retested. The ‘average of all cards tested’ includes cards not shown in these charts for readability purposes. Simply put, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the gaming graphics card that we’ve been clamoring for this entire generation. While it shows some strong performance in synthetics and raster-heavy creative tasks, gaming is where this card really shines, managing to come within 7% overall of the RTX 4080 and getting within 4% of the RTX 4080’s overall gaming performance. For a card launching at half the price of the RTX 4080’s launch price, this is a fantastic showing. The RX 9070 XT is squaring up against the RTX 5070 Ti, however, and here the RTX 5070 Ti does manage to pull well ahead of the RX 9070 XT, but it’s much closer than I thought it would be starting out. On the synthetics side, the RX 9070 XT excels at rasterization workloads like 3DMark Steel Nomad, while the RTX 5070 Ti wins out in ray-traced workloads like 3DMark Speed Way, as expected, but AMD’s 3rd generation ray accelerators have definitely come a long way in catching up with Nvidia’s more sophisticated hardware. Also, as expected, when it comes to creative workloads, the RX 9070 XT performs very well in raster-based tasks like photo editing, and worse at 3D modeling in Blender, which is heavily reliant on Nvidia’s CUDA instruction set, giving Nvidia an all but permanent advantage there. In video editing, the RX 9070 XT likewise lags behind, though it’s still close enough to Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti that video editors won’t notice much difference, even if the difference is there on paper. Gaming performance is what we’re on about though, and here the sub-$600 GPU holds its own against heavy hitters like the RTX 4080, RTX 5070 Ti, and Radeon RX 7900 XTX. In 1440p gaming, the RX 9070 XT is about 8.4% faster than the RTX 4070 Ti and RX 7900 XTX, just under 4% slower than the RTX 4080, and about 7% slower than the RTX 5070 Ti. This strong performance carries over into 4K gaming as well, thanks to the RX 9070 XT’s 16GB VRAM. Here, it’s about 15.5% faster than the RTX 4070 Ti and about 2.5% faster than the RX 7900 XTX. Against the RTX 4080, the RX 9070 XT is just 3.5% slower, while it comes within 8% of the RTX 5070 Ti’s 4K gaming performance. When all is said and done, the RX 9070 XT doesn’t quite overpower one of the best Nvidia graphics cards of the last-gen (and definitely doesn’t topple the RTX 5070 Ti), but given its performance class, it’s power draw, its heat output (which wasn’t nearly as bad as the power draw might indicate), and most of all, it’s price, the RX 9070 XT is easily the best value of any graphics card playing at 4K. And given Nvidia’s position with gamers right now, AMD has a real chance to win over some converts with this graphics card, and anyone looking for an outstanding 4K GPU absolutely needs to consider it before making their next upgrade. Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT? Swipe to scroll horizontally AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Scorecard Category Notes Score Value With an MSRP of $600 and a lower likelihood of scalping and price inflation, the RX 9070 XT offers a compelling alternative to higher priced 4K cards. 5 / 5 Specs While it lacks the faster GDDR7 VRAM of the Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, the RX 9070 XT works wonders with what it has. 4 / 5 Design Given the heat dissipation required by its specs, any RX 9070 XT is going to be a chonky card, but the rest is in the eye of the beholder. 4 / 5 Performance With near-RTX 4080 levels of performance at a seriously low launch price for a 4K card, this card is easily one of the best performance-to-price propositions of this generation. 5 / 5 Final score Given the uneven rollout of Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs, 4.5 / 5 Buy the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT if… Don’t buy it if… How I tested the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT I spent about a week with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT I used my complete GPU testing suite to analyze the card’s performance I tested the card in everyday, gaming, creative, and AI workload usage Test System Specs Here are the specs on the system I used for testing: Motherboard: ASRock Z790i Lightning WiFi CPU: Intel Core i9-14900K CPU Cooler: Gigabyte Auros Waterforce II 360 ICE RAM: Corsair Dominator DDR5-6600 (2 x 16GB) SSD: Crucial T705 PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PF3 1050W Platinum Case: Praxis Wetbench I spent about a week with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, which was spent benchmarking, using, and digging into the card’s hardware to come to my assessment. I used industry standard benchmark tools like 3DMark, Cyberpunk 2077, and Pugetbench for Creators to get comparable results with other competing graphics cards, all of while have been tested using the same testbench setup listed on the right. I’ve reviewed more than 30 graphics cards in the last three years, and so I’ve got the experience and insight to help you find the best graphics card for your needs and budget. Originally reviewed March 2025 Source link #AMD #delivers #market #stunning #performance #unbeatable #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Romanians on the march after arrest of presidential favourite Romanians on the march after arrest of presidential favourite Nick Thorpe Eastern Europe correspondent in Bucharest BBC Tens of thousands of Romanians marched on Bucharest’s Victory Square, the seat of the Romanian government, at the weekend, after the presidential election favourite was taken in for questioning. Calin Georgescu was picked up on his way to register as a candidate, and he was later charged with attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, as well as membership of a neo-fascist organisation. “Georgescu’s mentality is the same as the mentality of Trump,” said Lavinia approvingly, as she steered her three-year-old daughter’s pushchair through a sea of Romanian tricolour flags. “He will listen to our opinion, just as we listen to him. We came here today for freedom, and democracy.” On the day of Georgescu’s arrest came an unexpected twist. Guns, grenade launchers, and gold bullion buried beneath the floorboards were found in raids on 47 properties by Romanian police targeting a network, allegedly run by a former French legionnaire and militia chief in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Horatiu Potra’s current whereabouts are unknown, but his alleged links to Georgescu have only added to the intrigue. While Horatiu Potra has admitted to ******** possession of weapons, Georgescu has denied all wrongdoing. In just three months, Romania has gone from a stable and loyal member of the European Union and Nato, to a country where a far-right, pro-Russia figure has come from almost nowhere to become favourite for the presidency. Romanian Police Police released video of one of their raids taking place in Romania Georgescu led the first round of last December’s election, but the run-off vote was then annulled after Romanian intelligence revealed Russia had been involved in 800 TikTok accounts backing him. The election is being rerun on 4 and 18 May. For Georgescu’s critics, photographs of the weapons cache are the ultimate proof of his danger to the republic. For his supporters, they’re the latest bout of mud-slinging, the doomed attempt of a corrupt regime to resist inevitable, Trump-inspired change. At the roadside, a lone busker played the same tune over and over again on an electric piano, as a sea of protesters passed by. “We are talking about the freedom to choose our own president,” said Oana Eftimie, vice-president of the Patriotic Party of Romanians, another right-wing grouping. One of the peculiarities of the Calin Georgescu phenomenon, is that he seems to have reached beyond existing nationalist parties like AUR, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, which won 18% and 63 seats in the House of Deputies in the Parliamentary elections on 1 December. Some polls put him as high as 40%. Oana Eftimie (L) sees Georgescu’s candidacy as fundamental to Romanian democracy Georgescu has eclipsed both the firebrand AUR leader, George Simion, and the leader of SOS Romania, Diana Sosoaca. Oana Eftimie dismisses the charges against Georgescu, and some of his backers, as reheated slanders: “He was prosecuted for all that before, and the case was closed last year for lack of evidence. So he’s not a fascist, we’re not fascists, we’re just normal people wanting to be able to choose our leader, and exhausted with those that are in power now.” In a quiet flat not far from the noisy marchers, Elena Calistru, president of Funky Citizens, a liberal-minded, non-governmental organisation, admits that the protesters’ anguish about a corrupt, complacent elite, has some basis in fact. “But if you have a house and the roof is leaking. You don’t burn down the house. You fix the roof, right? “Unfortunately for us though, the malaise that we see all over Europe, the lack of leadership, the lack of politicians capable of talking to the general public without trying to compete with the populists, is also present in Romania.” As a loyal US ally, Romanian military analysts are holding their breath over the fate of substantial US military infrastructure in Romania, which includes 4,500 US personnel. “Dacian Spring”, a major Nato exercise scheduled for the spring, has been postponed until after the May elections. Candidates have until 15 March to register their candidacy for the presidential elections. If the Romanian Constitutional Court rules that Georgescu cannot stand, because of the charges levelled against him, how will the Americans react? US Vice-President JD Vance made an apparent criticism of Romania at the Munich Security Conference last month. “If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.” “Now, the good news is that I happen to think your democracies are substantially less brittle than many people apparently fear”, added Vance. Romanians on both sides of the political spectrum seem unconvinced. Source link #Romanians #march #arrest #presidential #favourite Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Crossword: answers for Wednesday, March 5 NYT Crossword: answers for Wednesday, March 5 The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn’t the Sunday issue! If you’re stuck, we’re here to help you out with today’s clues and answers. Source link #NYT #Crossword #answers #Wednesday #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Our Daughter Expects Child Care Even When Her Toddler Is Sick. Help! Our Daughter Expects Child Care Even When Her Toddler Is Sick. Help! My husband and I, in our 70s, provide child care for our 18-month-old granddaughter. She spends two days a week with us and three days in day care. She is frequently sick, and we have contracted R.S.V., colds and the flu from her. When I suggested to my daughter that she keep our grandchild at home on the worst days, she replied that my germophobic anxiety was causing her anxiety and that she would use the day care full time. (She also said I needed professional help.) The issue: My husband is devastated! He wants to care for our granddaughter whether she is sick or not. But if he gets sick, I will, too. I mask, but I am still exposed. So I am reluctant to make plans with friends, and I cancel others, for fear of infecting people. Meanwhile, my daughter accuses me of rejecting her “gift” of spending time with our granddaughter. Help! GRANDMOTHER I’m sorry that your daughter spoke to you so unkindly — while you are doing her a favor, no less! I sympathize with her need for reliable child care, which is often difficult to find and expensive. But providing it is not your responsibility. You have already raised your children. If you and your husband want to pitch in, wonderful! But it is also reasonable for you to discuss your boundaries: Who will take care of the child when she is sick or infectious? Even if your daughter moves her child to day care full time, there is still the question of sending her when she is sick. Contagious children are not generally welcome. And framing your sensible concern for your health as hypochondriacal — while she casts her own need for child care as a gift — seems manipulative. So on to a possible solution: Your husband wants to care for your grandchild regardless of her health. Perhaps on days when she is ill, he can watch her at your daughter’s house. He should mask and wash his hands frequently. And if he is rigorous about this protocol, he may be able to pull it off without becoming ill or infecting you. If he can’t, child care experiment over! Left Out in the Cold by a Seating Policy For my partner’s birthday, I took her to the hippest restaurant in our city. Its website says that reservations are not accepted and that first come first served is a fair experience for everyone. So, we waited in the cold for 30 minutes. When we were next in line, we watched the staff push together several tables and even move an already seated couple to accommodate a party of six that was behind us in line. The host then told us that there would be no room for us that evening. Did the restaurant do us dirty? DINER Filthy dirty! Unless there is a proviso on the restaurant’s website that reservations are accepted for larger parties (which I see occasionally), I believe that you were treated unfairly. Call the manager to report your experience. The host may have made an error in judgment that evening. We all make mistakes! If the manager does not apologize (or offer you a little something to lure you back), take comfort in the knowledge that even the hippest joints shorten their life expectancy when they treat customers badly. The Presence-Is-a-Present Principle My family plans to attend the international destination wedding of a close relative. I estimate that the trip will cost more than $8,000 for air travel, car rental, hotels and food. Still, we are delighted to make this trip for the happy couple. My question: What is our gifting obligation to the bridal couple when we will have spent so much to attend their wedding? GUEST In my experience of international destination weddings (grand total: two), the bridal couples implicitly acknowledged the cost of travel with a simple line on their invitations: No gifts, please. I complied and wrote congratulatory letters instead. So, check the invitation if you have not yet received one. If the invitation is silent about gifts, let common sense and budget be your guide. Eight thousand dollars is a great deal more than you would normally spend to attend a wedding, I assume, and the bridal couple knows this. So, consider a token gift or a warm letter in lieu of your regular present, if you like. No wedding — not even one for a close relative — is worth breaking the bank. Keeping Temptation Out of Craving Range My partner has lost his taste bud sensitivity, so he doesn’t eat much. But he buys ice cream and says that eating it is therapeutic for him. I struggle with my weight, and it is hard for me to resist ice cream if it’s in the house. We have discussed this at length without resolution. Advice? PARTNER I also struggle with sweets. But that does not entitle me to prohibit my husband, with his speedier metabolism, from bringing them into our home. He lives here, too! Absent a more serious health concern, try our compromise: My husband keeps his candy and ice cream in his home office — away from the kitchen — and I have trained myself to steer clear of them. Could a minifridge work? For help with your awkward situation, send a question to *****@*****.tld, Philip Galanes on Facebook or @SocialQPhilip on X. Source link #Daughter #Expects #Child #Care #Toddler #Sick Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Apple’s MacBook Air gets M4, new color, and a lower price Apple’s MacBook Air gets M4, new color, and a lower price Apple’s MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops around, and soon it will be faster and, surprisingly in 2025, start at a lower price. Today, the company announced that the next iteration of our pick for best ultrabook will get bumped up to an M4 chip and feature a new color option, “sky” blue. Outside of that new color, the M4 MacBook Air looks the same. It still comes in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, and there are still a pair of Thunderbolt ports on the left side, along with MagSafe for changing, while the right side is home to the headphone jack. (What I wouldn’t do for Apple to move one of those two ports to the other side). There are other upgrades. The M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and goes up to a 10-core GPU. Memory goes up to 32GB of RAM, rather than the 24GB max on the M3 Air. Like the M3 laptops, M4 starts at 16GB of memory. Ahead of the launch, Apple showed demos of a MacBook Air running 32GB. Some of them were heavy on machine learning and Apple Intelligence. These included using Pixelmator to take a profile picture using the Center Stage webcam, and creating a mask to remove the background and replace it with a different one. In another, Apple Intelligence was used in the Markdown notes app Bear to organize information into a table quickly. Perhaps the most impressive was Blender, which made a 4K render with 12 million pixels in 18 seconds, about five times faster than with an M1. M4 will let the MacBook Air power two external monitors with the display open, which is a bump up from M3, which could only do that with the lid closed. Apple is also boosting the webcam to a 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam that we also saw on the M4 MacBook Pro, including support for Desk View. (Image credit: Apple) The sky blue is a pretty color, and I think it’ll be a hit. It’s similar to a toned-down version of the sapphire color on Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. It adds a bit of a pop to the MacBook Air, which is in mostly muted tones like silver, starlight, and midnight, all of which will remain for *****. Space gray, however, has been shown the door. Apple’s new pricing is a nice touch. In the M3 generation, Apple kept the M2 MacBook Air around to hit the $999 price point, while M3 started at $1,099 in a 13-inch chassis. The 15-inch version started at $1,299 and had no M2 option. But now, Apple is doing away with keeping the previous generation around, and will simply start the 13-inch M4 at $999, while the 15-inch laptop will begin at $1,199, dropping each price $100. It’s rare to see anything getting cheaper these days, so I’m very happy to see Apple pack its latest in at the $999 price. The M2 version may stick around as a budget pick in some markets, but don’t expect to see it here in the US. The new MacBook Air is available for pre-order today and will launch on March 12. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Apples #MacBook #Air #color #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple’s MacBook Air gets M4, new color, and a lower price Apple’s MacBook Air gets M4, new color, and a lower price Apple’s MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops around, and soon it will be faster and, surprisingly in 2025, start at a lower price. Today, the company announced that the next iteration of our pick for best ultrabook will get bumped up to an M4 chip and feature a new color option, “sky” blue. Outside of that new color, the M4 MacBook Air looks the same. It still comes in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, and there are still a pair of Thunderbolt ports on the left side, along with MagSafe for changing, while the right side is home to the headphone jack. (What I wouldn’t do for Apple to move one of those two ports to the other side). There are other upgrades. The M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and goes up to a 10-core GPU. Memory goes up to 32GB of RAM, rather than the 24GB max on the M3 Air. Like the M3 laptops, M4 starts at 16GB of memory. Ahead of the launch, Apple showed demos of a MacBook Air running 32GB. Some of them were heavy on machine learning and Apple Intelligence. These included using Pixelmator to take a profile picture using the Center Stage webcam, and creating a mask to remove the background and replace it with a different one. In another, Apple Intelligence was used in the Markdown notes app Bear to organize information into a table quickly. Perhaps the most impressive was Blender, which made a 4K render with 12 million pixels in 18 seconds, about five times faster than with an M1. M4 will let the MacBook Air power two external monitors with the display open, which is a bump up from M3, which could only do that with the lid closed. Apple is also boosting the webcam to a 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam that we also saw on the M4 MacBook Pro, including support for Desk View. (Image credit: Apple) The sky blue is a pretty color, and I think it’ll be a hit. It’s similar to a toned-down version of the sapphire color on Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptop. It adds a bit of a pop to the MacBook Air, which is in mostly muted tones like silver, starlight, and midnight, all of which will remain for *****. Space gray, however, has been shown the door. Apple’s new pricing is a nice touch. In the M3 generation, Apple kept the M2 MacBook Air around to hit the $999 price point, while M3 started at $1,099 in a 13-inch chassis. The 15-inch version started at $1,299 and had no M2 option. But now, Apple is doing away with keeping the previous generation around, and will simply start the 13-inch M4 at $999, while the 15-inch laptop will begin at $1,199, dropping each price $100. It’s rare to see anything getting cheaper these days, so I’m very happy to see Apple pack its latest in at the $999 price. The M2 version may stick around as a budget pick in some markets, but don’t expect to see it here in the US. The new MacBook Air is available for pre-order today and will launch on March 12. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Apples #MacBook #Air #color #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zelensky’s conciliatory letter to Trump suggests he’s run out of road Zelensky’s conciliatory letter to Trump suggests he’s run out of road On whether Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to patch up relations with his US counterpart Donald Trump depends on who you ask in Ukraine. “A very bad decision,” remarked blogger and army serviceman Yuriy Kasyanov, who thinks the US “won’t help Ukraine with anything” after this mineral deal is signed. “The president behaved with dignity” said former MP Boryslav Bereza, who described Zelensky’s softening of tone as an “apology”. Last night, Ukraine’s leader gave his evening address from the courtyard outside Kyiv’s Presidential Office. It was the same spot where he gave the now famous “we are all here” speech with his cabinet on the second day of Russia’s invasion. Back then, he’d turned down offers to leave. Many in the West expected Russia to be in the capital within days, with the president being captured or killed. Three years on, it seems his choice to keep fighting has gradually been taken away from him. He said he was ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” and that it was “time to make things right”. Washington’s hostile rhetoric, that Oval Office meeting and the “pausing” of US military aid have forced him to bend to Trump’s peace vision. Up until last week, Zelensky had held firm that Ukraine would only agree to peace if its security was guaranteed, otherwise it would fight on. He also accused Trump of living in a “disinformation space” after the US president repeated some of Moscow’s claims. All of this served as a prelude to Friday’s fiery exchange with Trump and US Vice-President JD Vance, who accused Zelensky of having “disrespected” the US and ultimately told him to leave. The Ukrainian leader had a warmer reception from European leaders at the weekend – but while they pledged to help secure Ukraine in the future, they made clear peace would still require US involvement. Then, on Tuesday, Trump paused US military aid to Ukraine, raising concerns it may only be able to hold out for a matter of months – and leaving Zelensky to make his peace with the situation. In a letter to the US president, he even gave specifics on what the first stage of a peace process could involve, including a naval and aerial ceasefire – proposals first suggested by France’s President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend. Trump said he appreciated the letter, in a sign of cooling tensions between the two leaders, and that Zelensky had agreed to strike a peace deal. What is more telling is Zelensky’s willingness now to sign a mineral deal without the security guarantees he is hoping for – and had portrayed as essential until very recently. The US has suggested the presence of US companies mining for natural resources would be enough to put Russia off breaking a ceasefire. However, American businesses didn’t exactly put Moscow off from launching its full-scale invasion. What’s even more telling are the lack of compromises Russia would seemingly have to make in any peace agreement. Perhaps Zelensky has run out of political road, and with his European allies acknowledging that they still need the US, Washington seems still to be the only place for him to turn to. Source link #Zelenskys #conciliatory #letter #Trump #suggests #hes #run #road Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Russo Brothers Say They Are Open to Developing Games Ties to Their Avengers Movies Russo Brothers Say They Are Open to Developing Games Ties to Their Avengers Movies In a new interview, the Russo brothers have said that they are open to developing video games tied to their Avengers movies. The interview comes courtesy of Variety, where the Russo brothers were pushing their latest project “The Electric State.” In the interview, it was said that the Russos helped Netflix develop a mobile game based on Electric State with their media company AGBO and will be expanding with recent hire of Nifty Games vet Pete Wanat as president of interactive technology. It was said that the company now plans to produce three large-scale transmedia projects based on original ideas, but are open to developing games tied to their upcoming Avengers films. This includes Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers Secret Wars. “We would definitely be open to it,” said Joe Russo. “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,” he continue. So although it might be a ways off, the Russo’s are definitely open to having a games tied to the Avengers games and its upcoming movies. Would you like to see an Avengers Doomsday or Secret Wars video game? Let us know in the comments or on the Insider Gaming forum. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out everything we know about Fallout 76 Season 20 SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Russo #Brothers #Open #Developing #Games #Ties #Avengers #Movies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Curtin University study reveals mother’s cannabis use triples risk of disruptive behaviour in children Curtin University study reveals mother’s cannabis use triples risk of disruptive behaviour in children Children exposed to their mother’s cannabis use during pregnancy and after birth are three times more likely to develop behavioural problems, new Curtin University research has revealed. Source link #Curtin #University #study #reveals #mothers #cannabis #triples #risk #disruptive #behaviour #children Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Wednesday, March 5 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Wednesday, March 5 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Strands Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s Strand answers Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “Ahoy!” Here’s a hint that might help you: I cristen thee… Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers MAYFLOWER BOUNTY BEAGLE TITANIC VICTORY Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Wednesday #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WhatsApp Said to Be Working On a Redesigned Meta AI Interface on Android WhatsApp Said to Be Working On a Redesigned Meta AI Interface on Android WhatsApp for Android might soon get a redesigned Meta AI interface. As per the new leak, the instant messaging platform is making several changes to the way users access and use the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. The new interface is said to offer an automatic voice mode, and it comes with prompt suggestions to help users get started. These new features are said to be under development, and not available to beta testers. Notably, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that Meta AI will be significantly upgraded in 2025. According to WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo, the messaging platform is working on enhancing the Meta AI experience for users. The new interface of the chatbot was spotted with the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.5.22 update. However, since it is under-development, beta testers will not be able to try it out at this time. Meta AI redesigned interface Photo Credit: WABetaInfo Based on screenshots shared by the feature tracker, the Meta AI icon located at the bottom-right corner of WhatsApp’s chats screen can now be long pressed to open Meta AI in a new interface and trigger the voice mode. The new Meta AI interface is not like the existing chat window, instead a large part of the screen is occupied by the chatbot’s logo and the word “listening” underneath. Users can begin to converse with the AI or to ask it a question. Android also shows the green microphone icon in the status bar to highlight that the interface is accessing the device’s microphone. As per the feature tracker, users can seamlessly switch to the text mode by tapping the microphone button or by typing something in the text field. Meta AI is said to listen to users only till they are in this interface. If they exit the window, the session is said to end. The new interface also adds prompt suggestions that are aimed at users to get inspiration from. This new interface is said to be rolled out to users in a future update. However, it is unclear when that might be. Notably, WhatsApp has not officially announced this Meta AI redesign. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #WhatsApp #Working #Redesigned #Meta #Interface #Android Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Stocks Offering Best Momentum Plays With Strong Dividend Yields 3 Stocks Offering Best Momentum Plays With Strong Dividend Yields Whether deserved or not, dividend stocks have a reputation for being somewhat boring—sturdy and dependable, but in low-growth industries or comprising companies that are well beyond their days of rapid share price gains. Though dividend stocks are not necessarily safe in all cases, they have a reputation for being a strong defensive play. On the other hand, Momentum stocks often don’t pay dividends because they are in a high-growth stage of development when companies typically reinvest capital into the business itself to fuel further expansion. Thus, when a company has an impressive dividend yield and a recent history of upward price movement, it’s a win-win for investors. Three companies with strong year-to-date share price momentum also happen to have compelling dividend profiles and, in two cases, hearty recommendations from Wall Street analysts. These companies may offer the best of both the dividend and momentum stock worlds. 1. Greystone’s Savvy Approach to Mortgage Revenue Bonds Has Protected Income Greystone Housing Impact Investors (NYSE:) invests in mortgage revenue bonds that are used to finance multifamily, senior, and student housing. With the turbulence in in recent years, Greystone proactively adopted a hedging strategy in 2022 that allowed it to be a net receiver on its interest rate swap positions in both 2023 and 2024. This has helped stabilize the company’s cash flows despite ongoing uncertainty. Greystone also has a new construction lending joint venture with BlackRock (NYSE:) Impact Opportunities. This partnership led to the closing of two deals in the latest quarter which will likely continue to grow in 2025. With this venture, Greystone can fill a gap left by commercial banks that are unable to provide affordable construction lending opportunities. Greystone shares declined throughout much of 2024 but have partially rebounded so far in 2025. Year-to-date, as of February 28, the firm’s stock is up 17.4%, though it remains down almost a quarter on a 12-month basis. What’s more, the company paid a dividend of 37 cents per share each quarter last year and has a dividend yield of an impressive 11.9% as of February 28. The hedging strategy may be key to maintaining this dividend in the quarters to come, as Greystone also has a dividend payout ratio of 192%. 2. Impressive Yield in the Energy Sector, But Beware the Payout Ratio Energy stocks experienced significant volatility at the end of 2024 and the beginning of the new year. However, oil and development firm TXO Partners (NYSE:) managed to escape the worst of this. Although TXO shares fell fairly consistently from a 52-week high in May 2024 through December, they have bounced back in recent weeks. The stock price is up about a quarter since reaching a low point in mid-December. With a dividend yield of 11.9%, TXO Partners may be attractive to investors looking for steady passive income. However, investors should keep a close eye on the firm’s dividend payout ratio—as of February 28, at -39%—which may be an indicator of difficulties maintaining the current payout plan going forward. 3. Shipping Volatility Doesn’t Dampen Frontline’s Growth and Dividend Prospects The oil shipping firm Frontline (NYSE:) has been subjected to volatility in the energy and global shipping business in recent quarters. This has caused shares to fall by almost 29% as of February 28, although, like the companies above, Frontline has bounced back by more than 9% year-to-date. Analysts have sent mixed signals on Frontline in recent months. In December, both Jefferies and Kepler Capital revised their assessments; Jefferies lowered its price target by $6 to $20 per share, and Kepler downgraded FRO shares to Hold from Buy. However, the company still enjoys an overall Buy rating based on five analyst opinions, and its consensus price target of $24.46 suggests more than 52% upside potential. In addition to that, a healthy dividend yield and payout ratio of 8.5% and 55.5%, respectively, and FRO shares look enticing to both momentum and dividend investors. Original Post Source link #Stocks #Offering #Momentum #Plays #Strong #Dividend #Yields Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Key takeaways from Trump’s speech to Congress – National Key takeaways from Trump’s speech to Congress – National United States President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress in a televised speech on Tuesday, six weeks into a tumultuous term during which he has upended decades of U.S. foreign and domestic policy and stretched the limits of the presidency. Here are some takeaways from Trump’s 100-minute-long speech: Foreign policy gets short shrift The opening weeks of Trump’s presidency have been dominated by foreign policy, with several cabinet members engaging in furious shuttle diplomacy throughout Europe and the Middle East in a bid to wind down the Ukraine war and the conflict in Gaza. Story continues below advertisement But you wouldn’t know it from Trump’s speech on Tuesday, which was focused almost entirely on domestic affairs. The president waited until the end of his address to discuss the Ukraine war, the Middle East or national security generally. And when he did, he largely repeated his greatest hits, reiterating his intention to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal and describing the war in Ukraine as a bloody war of attrition that needs to be stopped. 0:27 “How did that work out?”: Trump mocks Democrats over alleged weaponization of justice system He did make two pieces of news, however. Trump said he received a letter earlier in the day from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, saying he was ready to sign a proposed critical minerals deal between the two nations, just four days after an Oval Office meeting between the two leaders devolved into a ****** public argument. Trump also said the mastermind of a 2021 bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan had been detained. While Trump offered few additional details, a White House official identified that individual as Mohammad Sharifullah, a high-ranking member of ISIS in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Story continues below advertisement Since taking office on January 20, Trump has disrupted and upended foreign and domestic affairs through the use of trade policy, diplomacy, immigration controls and executive orders. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. As with any administration, Congress will now have to do some heavy lifting, beginning with the massive tax cut and border bill Trump is seeking to pass. He also asked Congress for funding to build a massive “Golden Dome” missile shield over the country and ultimately to balance the budget. Unlike his predecessor, President Joe Biden, who sought dialog with Republicans and bipartisan victories, Trump did not look to enlist support of Democrats for his agenda. Instead, he largely mocked and dismissed them during the speech as if he were still a candidate on the campaign trail. In response, several Democrats either turned their backs to Trump or walked out of the chamber. By the time Trump was finished, their side of the aisle was half empty. Story continues below advertisement Trump used the speech as an opportunity to highlight some easy early wins to please his conservative supporters. But the next months likely will tell a more complete tale about the early arc of his second term, as he tries to push his legislative agenda through and keep his promises to bring an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. 0:32 Trump on Greenland: “We’ll get it one way or another” The No. 1 issue that helped get Trump elected was inflation and the cost of basic goods like groceries. On Tuesday, it was a subject the president was not eager to discuss. Story continues below advertisement When he did, he put the blame on Biden’s administration while providing little detail on how he would bring down, for example, the cost of eggs. Trending Now Parents are holding ‘measles parties’ in the U.S., alarming health experts Read the transcript of Justin Trudeau’s response to Trump’s tariffs “Joe Biden, especially, let the price of eggs get out of control,” Trump said. Egg prices are at an all-time high, but largely because bird flu outbreaks have led to shortages by wiping out millions of hens. “Secretary, do a good job on that,” Trump said, presumably to Brooke Rollins, the new secretary of agriculture. Beyond that, Trump didn’t have much to propose in terms of bringing down costs other than what he said during the election campaign: increased energy production and cutting what he calls fraud and waste in the federal government, both of which may affect inflation indirectly over time. 0:59 Trump addresses tariffs on Canada and Mexico during speech before U.S. Congress Trump drew cheers when he introduced tech billionaire Elon Musk as the spearhead of the effort to downsize the federal payroll and spending. Trump credited Musk with identifying “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud,” an assertion that far exceeds even what the administration has claimed so far. Story continues below advertisement Trump spent more time discussing his actions on hot-button social issues and conservative talking points, each of which earned him rousing applause from the Republicans in the chamber. They included renaming the Gulf of Mexico and a mountain in Alaska, making English the official language of the country, ending government diversity programs and preventing transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams. All of those were a result of Trump’s executive orders and came at a stroke of his ****** Sharpie pen. The price of eggs: That’s harder. Trump began his address in an expansive and celebratory mode, suggesting that he had turned voter attitudes around since taking office on January 20. But he still may have real work to do to win over skeptical viewers at home. “For the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction — an astonishing record 27-point swing, the most ever,” Trump said. Story continues below advertisement Trump may have polls of his own that support his boast, but Reuters/Ipsos polling does not. The most recent poll, taken over the two days ahead of the speech, had 49% of Americans saying the country was on the wrong track compared to just 34% of those who said it was on the right one. With Trump levying steep tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and inflation still not tamed, the president is getting low marks on economic concerns, with only 1 in 3 Americans approving his handling of cost of living issues, the poll found. Overall, Trump’s approval rating is holding steady at 44 per cent. That’s only slightly higher than Biden’s during much of his latter time in office, the man Trump assailed throughout the evening. More on World More videos Source link #Key #takeaways #Trumps #speech #Congress #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Russian drone attack on Odesa kills at least one person Russian drone attack on Odesa kills at least one person STORY: :: Ukrainian authorities say a Russian drone attack killed at least one, and knocked out power in Odesa for a second day :: State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa region :: Released March 5, 2025 :: Given as Odesa, Ukraine :: Maryna Martynenko, Odesa Emergency Services :: “The enemy has again attacked the Odesa region, private residential buildings, shops, pharmacies, right in the middle of a residential area. More than 60 rescuers are currently working. Doctors, police, all emergency services are on the ground working, helping, trying to eliminate all fires as quickly as possible. All information will be available later regarding the consequences, regarding the victims. We are working.” Video footage released by local emergency services showed firefighters battling flames in a residential area. Reuters was able to partially verify the location of the video as one building matched file imagery. The date could not be verified. The attack also hit an energy facility in Ukraine’s southern region of Odesa, energy firm DTEK said. Oleh Kiper, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said a woman aged 77 had died of shrapnel wounds on the outskirts of the city. Critical infrastructure was damaged, leaving neighborhoods without services, he said. Kiper said fragments from downed drones had damaged private houses and started fires in outlying city districts. It was the fourth attack on the region’s energy infrastructure in two weeks, DTEK added in its statement on the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday. Source link #Russian #drone #attack #Odesa #kills #person Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anker charging gear is up to 35 percent off right now Anker charging gear is up to 35 percent off right now Anker’s latest ***** has brought prices down on a number of power banks and wireless charging gear. One of the best discounts of the bunch is 35 percent off the Anker 621 magnetic power bank, bringing it down to $26. The discount applies to all color options, too, so you can choose the one that best matches your personality. You can pick this one up either at Amazon or from Anker direct. This model is MagSafe-compatible, meaning it’ll attach magnetically to an iPhone 12 and above (but, annoyingly, not the new iPhone 16e unless you resort to a workaround) and charge your phone wirelessly. However, if you plug a cable into the Anker 621’s USB-C port, you can top up your phone’s battery a little faster — at a rate of 12W vs. 7.5W for wireless charging. The power bank has a capacity of 5,000mAh, which Anker says is enough to charge an iPhone 15 to 85 percent of its capacity from zero and an iPhone 14 to 80 percent. Anker Anker makes some of the best power banks and best portable chargers around, in our opinion. There are lots of options to consider as part of this *****. A new power bank that Anker introduced at CES has a large enough capacity to top up an M3-powered MacBook Air’s battery approximately 1.3 times, per the brand. This model has dropped by 18 percent from $110 to $90. This particular power bank can charge four devices simultaneously — it has two built-in USB-C cables, another USB-C port and a USB-A port. It supports fast charging at up to 100W as well. Elsewhere, a 3-in-1 charging cube is down to $104, which marks a 31 percent discount given that it usually costs $150. This compact device can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods at the same time. There are a few other deals that caught our eye. An Anker Zolo power bank with a built-in USB-C cable is just $13, which is half off. It has a capacity of 10,000mAh, which Anker says is enough to fully charge an iPhone 15 Pro twice over. Meanwhile, Prime members can pick up a travel-friendly 3-in-1 charging station (that can top up your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods batteries simultaneously) for $88, which is a $21 discount. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. Source link #Anker #charging #gear #percent Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Radcliffe wave: The solar system was once engulfed by a vast amount of gas and dust Radcliffe wave: The solar system was once engulfed by a vast amount of gas and dust A visualisation of the Radcliffe wave, a series of dust and gas clouds (marked here in red) across the Milky Way. It is about 400 light years from our sun, marked in yellow Alyssa A. Goodman/Harvard University Our solar system passed through a vast wave of gas and dust around 14 million years ago, dimming Earth’s view of the night sky. The wave may even have left traces in our planet’s geological record. Astronomers have previously discovered large ocean-like waves of stars, gas and dust in the Milky Way that undulate up and down over millions of years. One of the closest and best-studied of these is the Radcliffe wave, which is nearly 9000 light years in width and sits only about 400 light years from our solar system. Now, Efrem Maconi at the University of Vienna and his colleagues have found that the Radcliffe wave used to be much closer to us, crossing our solar system between 11 million and 18 million years ago. Maconi and his team used data from the Gaia space telescope, which has tracked billions of stars in the Milky Way, to identify recently formed groups of stars within the Radcliffe wave, along with the dust and gas clouds from which they formed. Using these stars to indicate how the wave as a whole is moving, they tracked the orbits of the clouds back in time to reveal their historic location. They also calculated the past path of the solar system, winding the clock back 30 million years, and found that the wave and our sun made a close approach between around 15 million and 12 million years ago. Estimating exactly when the crossing began and ended is difficult, but the team thinks the solar system was within the wave around 14 million years ago. This would have made Earth’s galactic environment darker than it appears today, as we currently live in a relatively empty region of space. “If we are in a denser region of the interstellar medium, that would mean that the light coming from the stars to you would be dimmed,” says Maconi. “It’s like being in a foggy day.” The encounter may also have left evidence in Earth’s geological record, depositing radioactive isotopes in the crust, though this would be hard to measure given how long ago it happened, he says. Explaining Earth’s geological record is an ongoing problem, so finding galactic encounters like these is useful, says Ralph Schoenrich at University College London. More speculatively, the crossing appears to have happened during a ******* when Earth was cooling called the Middle Miocene. It is possible the two are linked, says Maconi, although this would be difficult to prove. Schoenrich thinks it is unlikely. “A rule of thumb is that geology trumps any cosmic influence,” he says. “If you shift continents or interrupt ocean currents, you get climate shifts from that, so I’m very sceptical you need anything in addition.” Topics: Source link #Radcliffe #wave #solar #system #engulfed #vast #amount #gas #dust Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Tipped to Get Larger Battery Over Galaxy Z Flip 6 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Tipped to Get Larger Battery Over Galaxy Z Flip 6 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 may launch later this year alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Details about the purported foldable smartphones have been surfacing online over the past few weeks. Both models are tipped to get Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets, improved hinges, and better cameras. A new report has no surfaced claiming that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 clamshell foldable could pack a larger battery than the preceding Galaxy Z Flip 6, which packed a 4,000mAh battery. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 May Pack Larger Battery The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will likely be equipped with a 4,300mAh battery, according to a GalaxyClub report. The report notes that the clamshell foldable will likely come with an EB-BF767ABY cell, which has a rated capacity of 2,985mAh, alongside an EB-BF766ABY cell, which has a 1,189mAh rated capacity. These two cells together offer a rated capacity of 4,174mAh, which will likely be marketed as a 4,300mAh typical capacity battery, the report added. Notably, the existing Galaxy Z Flip 6 dual cell batteries are said to have a combined rated capacity of 3,887mAh. It ships with a 4,000mAh typical capacity battery which is claimed to offer a video playback time of up to 23 hours. The aforementioned report claims that paired with Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to offer a longer battery life than all preceding clamshell foldables from the South Korean tech giant. Previous reports has also claimed that the phone could be powered by the Exynos 2500 chipset. Further, the report added that the slightly larger 4,300mAh battery could be a key differentiating feature between the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and a rumoured Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE variant. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Other Features (Expected) The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been tipped to arrive with a stronger hinge and a less visible display crease. It is expected to get a new flexible glass and a larger vapour chamber for thermal management as well. The phone is said to sport a 3.6-inch cover and a 6.8-inch inner display, which are slightly ******* than a 3.4-inch outer and a 6.7-inch screens of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. In the camera department, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will likely get a 50-megapixel main sensor alongside a 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter at the back. The phone will likely support 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB or 512GB of storage options. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #Samsung #Galaxy #Flip #Tipped #Larger #Battery #Galaxy #Flip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) Q4 2024 earnings Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) Q4 2024 earnings Abercrombie & Fitch’s growth story is starting to slow down. The apparel retailer issued weaker-than-expected guidance for its current quarter and fiscal 2025, and said it expects its sales will grow more slowly than Wall Street anticipated. Abercrombie is expecting sales to rise between 3% and 5% in fiscal 2025, well below estimates of 6.8% growth, according to LSEG. During its current quarter, the company anticipates earnings per share will be between $1.25 and $1.45, short of expectations of $1.97. Shares fell more than 7% in premarket trading. Beyond its guidance, Abercrombie narrowly beat Wall Street’s expectations in its fiscal fourth quarter. Here’s how the retailer performed compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: $3.57 vs. $3.54 expectedRevenue: $1.58 billion vs. $1.57 billion expected The company’s reported net income for the three-month ******* that ended Feb. 1 was $187 million, or $3.57 per share, compared with $158 million, or $2.97 per share, a year earlier. Sales rose to $1.58 billion, up 9% from $1.45 billion a year earlier. Like other retailers, Abercrombie benefited from an extra selling week in the year-ago *******. That negatively skewed comparisons for many companies, but Abercrombie sales jumped even with one less selling week. Beyond sales and earnings, Abercrombie said it expects another key metric – operating margin – to be lower than Wall Street anticipated in the current quarter. Abercrombie is expecting its operating margin to be in a range of between 8% and 9%, well behind estimates of 12.8%, according to StreetAccount. In January, Abercrombie offered investors a glimpse into its holiday performance when it released an early set of results and raised its fourth-quarter outlook. Still, its stock tumbled that day because the forecast showed that Abercrombie was expecting its growth to moderate and thought its operating margin would not increase beyond its previous forecast. Concerns around its operating margin are now likely increasing after Abercrombie issued its fiscal first quarter guide. However, not all of Abercrombie’s guidance was a disappointment. During its current quarter, it expects sales to rise between 4% and 6%, in line with expectations of 5.8%, according to LSEG. For the full year, it anticipates earnings will be between $10.40 and $11.40 per share, which at the mid- to high-end is higher than expectations of $10.83 per share. Following about two years of explosive stock and sales growth, Abercrombie’s business appears to be leveling out, and the markets may be turning away from retail’s biggest star in favor of names with more immediate upside. The company is still growing, and working to build out its international market, but it’s unclear if it’s still going to see the blockbuster numbers it’s been putting out after implementing a turnaround under CEO Fran Horowitz. It faces tough prior-year comparisons, and some of the buzz from the turnaround might be starting to fade. Plus, consumers have been noticeably cautious since the start of the year, which is always going to pressure specialty retailers that sell discretionary goods like clothes. Geopolitics, unseasonably cool weather and mass tragedies like the wildfires in Los Angeles have dampened consumer demand, but shoppers are also concerned about things like rising prices from tariffs. In February, consumer confidence slipped to its lowest levels since 2021. The slowdown is most acute at Abercrombie’s namesake banner, which had been leading the company’s growth in prior quarters more than Hollister, its chain that caters more to teenagers. During the quarter, sales at Abercrombie grew just 2%, while Hollister sales jumped 16%. Comparable sales at Abercrombie rose 5% while Hollister comps spiked 24%. The results mark a turning point for the company and indicate the Hollister brand could once again be a more important growth driver ahead. It also puts pressure on management to do more to stimulate the Abercrombie brand and ensure it doesn’t go stagnant. The start of the year has been a bit worse than expected for a number of other companies, including Target and E.l.f. Beauty. Like E.l.f., Abercrombie could have seen an impact from the proposed TikTok ban, which dragged on the cosmetics company’s performance at the start of the year. Both of the companies rely heavily on TikTok for marketing. In February, E.l.f. CEO Tarang Amin told CNBC that he suspects the proposed ban impacted cosmetics sales because people weren’t posting things like “get ready with me” videos or clothing hauls, which can drive sales. In a news release in January, Horowitz signaled that moving forward, Abercrombie will be more focused on boosting profits than sales as it looks to “drive long-term shareholder value.” “Following an expected two years of double-digit top and bottom-line growth, I am as confident as ever in the power of our brands and operating model as we move forward, supported by the outstanding capabilities we’ve built,” said Horowitz. “In 2025, we will look to continue sustainable, profitable growth through the execution of our playbooks to win and retain customers around the world. Our goal is to leverage our healthy margin structure and balance sheet to grow operating income dollars and earnings per share at rates faster than sales.” That suggestion came true on Wednesday when Abercrombie announced a new $1.3 billion share repurchase authorization and said it expects to spend $400 million on stock buybacks in 2025. Source link #Abercrombie #Fitch #ANF #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]