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2025 NFL Combine results: 7 standouts from the tight ends group – Pride Of Detroit 2025 NFL Combine results: 7 standouts from the tight ends group – Pride Of Detroit 2025 NFL Combine results: 7 standouts from the tight ends group Pride Of DetroitTop Takeaways From Travis Hunter’s Weigh-In, Defensive Back, and Tight End Workouts at the NFL Combine Patriots.comWhy this year’s tight end class could surprise | Football 301 Yahoo SportsNFL Combine Fastest 40-Yard Dash: Tez Johnson, Isaiah Bond Challenge Xavier Worthy Record? Sports Illustrated2025 NFL Scouting Combine: Top 10 fastest 40-yard dash times for tight ends On3.com Source link #NFL #Combine #results #standouts #tight #ends #group #Pride #Detroit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Free spirit Muzza Rudler & the Rudge of his life Free spirit Muzza Rudler & the Rudge of his life Two-wheeling it down a country road in WA’s South West makes for a free spirit is how Murray (Muzza) Rudler describes the sensation of riding a vintage motorcycle. And riding with the pack (Bunbury-based Indian Harley Club) adds a volume of orchestrated pitches only found through the tuned exhaust pipes of yesteryear’s motors, from which Murray finds intriguing. He is a fan of English pre-world war engineers who before the invention of motorcycles created bicycles, including James Starley who co-founded Starley & Smith of Coventry in 1872, which later was to become the Rudge-Whitworth organisation. A Wolverhampton mechanic, Dan Rudge, worked British patent quality into his bicycles which produced racing Rudge high bicycles that won world championships. The Rudge namesake of quality was eventually badged on the Rudge Company’s first motorcycle catalogue in December 1910 with several desirable features including speed, endurance and reliability. Many redesigns followed for Rudge that sealed a reputation in the sport of motorcycle racing to booster sales for regular everyday life road commuters. Rudge made the mark at the renowned Brooklands racing circuit on May 12, 1911, when rider Victor Surridge claimed three world records including the first machine under 500cc to achieve more than 60 miles in one hour. After many race wins and production models sold, sadly, in 1943 the Rudge Company was sold off after crippling financial challenges, a drop in sales, and the cost of war being the final straw in building future promising designs. Murray’s pristine early and rare Rudge multi-bike collection on display at the Bunbury Museum including an early 1911 model, preserves the marque’s history for the enjoyment of the public. His wife, Sharon, who shared common vintage motorcycle interest, also has her British 1914 Royal Ruby on display, which was originally sold new to a Donnybrook police officer, before a local farmer took ownership. “Muzza and I were matched up by friends who also enjoy our passion,” she said. “I rode to WA in 1982 from my birth State of NSW on a Kawasaki, and Muzza and I moved to Boyanup in 2003 and rode and enjoyed vintage bikes together ever since. Murray, 65, who was born in Bunbury, was a mechanic by trade who began his motorcycling at the age of 21. His grandparents lived in Boyanup with John Herbert Rudler managing a local winery and Edna (Nana) working at the Boyanup Hotel. “My mum said I wasn’t allowed to have a bike, but Dad had a Triumph, which I am trying to track down,” he said. “I love nothing more than finding an old bike and get it running in its original unrestored condition. “I advise people if they have old bikes, get them out and ride because once they retire, it may be too late.” Sharon once told Murray that if he ever said he wanted to play bowls instead of going for a ride, “they were over”. A few of Murray’s special rides include a 1936 499cc Rudge Ulster – crowned with a bronze head and, also a few handmade early Sunbeam marque models – “the gentleman’s motorcycle”. “Luckily, I can pick and choose from many of my bikes I have collected to ride in our Bunbury upcoming annual two-day rally on March 8 and 9 with 234 entries,” he said. “Riding early motorcycles requires you to observe what’s going on a kilometre down the road, because some of these old bikes didn’t come with clutches or transmissions and the brakes are limited. “That means sometimes hoping off at a slow stop to balance the bike and prepare to get a running start-up.” As the Rudlers observe their lives on down the road, getting closer to retirement, they are planning to downsize their collection, well, maybe “keep at least six of the best”. Sharon said she would like to keep the Ruby for her granddaughter Bonny Brooks, 6, so she can enjoy a ride in the country, the wind in her hair and the wonderful smell of Castrol motor oil. Source link #Free #spirit #Muzza #Rudler #Rudge #life Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amber Alert canceled for NC teen found safe after a week. Hers was second alert in 2 days Amber Alert canceled for NC teen found safe after a week. Hers was second alert in 2 days Police and the North Carolina SBI announced Thursday night they had located a 15-year-old girl missing from Siler City for nearly a week. An Amber Alert went out statewide Thursday morning asking for information about Geydi Hernandez Fernandez, who was last seen on Friday. The Siler City Police Department and the NC SBI announced Thursday night the teenager had been recovered around 8 p.m. without providing additional details. Two charged in separate missing NC teen case Another Amber Alert was issued Wednesday for Azalea Strifler, a 15-year-old who went missing from Harnett County. The alert was called off Thursday after she was found safe in Dare County. Two men, Elihue Mahler, 31, of Virginia Beach and Austyn Lee Cole of Kitty Hawk, were each charged with human trafficking a child victim, kidnapping and two counts of felony conspiracy in Azalea’s disappearance. Source link #Amber #Alert #canceled #teen #safe #week #alert #days Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wolves’ Anthony Edwards suspended for Friday’s game vs. Utah after NBA upholds technical fouls – Star Tribune Wolves’ Anthony Edwards suspended for Friday’s game vs. Utah after NBA upholds technical fouls – Star Tribune Wolves’ Anthony Edwards suspended for Friday’s game vs. Utah after NBA upholds technical fouls Star TribuneAnthony Edwards given 1-game suspension after earning 16th technical foul Yahoo SportsTimberwolves star Anthony Edwards suspended 1 game by NBA after picking up 16th technical foul The Associated PressWolves’ Anthony Edwards is ejected from loss to Lakers, and he’ll likely be suspended Star TribuneTimberwolves’ Anthony Edwards must learn to contain angst with officiating The Athletic Source link #Wolves #Anthony #Edwards #suspended #Fridays #game #Utah #NBA #upholds #technical #fouls #Star #Tribune Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pokémon Go’s Might and Mastery season will go live with the Powerful Potential and Max Battle Weekend events Pokémon Go’s Might and Mastery season will go live with the Powerful Potential and Max Battle Weekend events Powerful Potential will run from March 5th to 10th Kubfu will make its debut during the event Dynamax Raikou will debut on March 15th during the Max Battle Weekend The Might and Mastery season in Pokémon Go is set to kick off with a series of powerful events, bringing new Pokémon and exciting battles to the fray. The season begins with the Powerful Potential event, running from March 5th to 10th, where you’ll get the chance to team up with Kubfu, the Wushu Pokémon, for the first time. Kubfu is making its Pokémon Go debut through a special research story, where you’ll be able to train alongside it to unlock its true strength. This Special Research will be available until June 3rd, giving you plenty of time to take on the challenge. If you’re looking to expand your collection, keep an eye on Eggs as Kubfu can hatch from any of them. During the event, there will also be themed Timed Research. Completing tasks will not only grant encounters with Charcadet but also unlock a significant bonus, reducing Egg Hatch Distance to just 1/4 when using an Incubator. This stacks with the standard 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance bonus running throughout the event, making it a great time to work on hatching rare Pokémon. The action doesn’t stop there. From March 8th to 9th, Max Battles will feature a fresh rotation of Pokémon. Power Spots will refresh more frequently, and you’ll be able to take on Dynamax Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble in one-star Max Battles. Meanwhile, the six-star Max Battles will feature Gigantamax Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, with a chance to find them in their Shiny forms. Here’s a list of redeemable Pokémon Go codes to earn some freebies! Following Powerful Potential, the Dynamax Raikou Max Battle Weekend will take place from March 15th to 16th, marking the debut of Dynamax Raikou in five-star Max Battles. During this event, the Max Particle collection limit will increase to 1,600, and you’ll be able to gather Max Particles at an increased rate. Download Pokémon Go now for free. Source link #Pokémon #Gos #Mastery #season #live #Powerful #Potential #Max #Battle #Weekend #events Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

LATIKA M BOURKE: World needs strong European voice now more than ever after ugly Ukraine-White House spat LATIKA M BOURKE: World needs strong European voice now more than ever after ugly Ukraine-White House spat Did we just witness the cleavage of MAGA’s America from the West? The Oval Office shouting match showdown between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky was ugly and catastrophic. It has set the conditions for MAGA’s America to draw Russia closer without ending the war while they blame Zelensky and his “disrespectful behaviour” for the conflict. And it leaves the negotiations to end the war, that Europe was delicately trying to find a way into helping broker, hanging off a cliff, piling huge pressure on the ***’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer to help smooth over the tensions between the two presidents ahead of his Sunday meeting with European counterparts for talks aimed at negotiating peace terms. The ugly display between Trump, Zelensky and the US Vice President JD Vance took place just as the US President was trying to wind up his lengthy question-and-answer session that he customarily holds with his visiting counterparts in the Oval Office. Friday’s guest was Zelensky following Starmer’s successful visit on Thursday, and all was going well until Trump said he would move to the last question, when JD Vance intervened. The vice president made a name for himself with his wolf-warrior tactics at the Munich Security Conference when he told European leaders that they were more of a threat to themselves over their migration and tech regulations than Russia or China. He seemed to be spoiling for another fight as he interrupted Trump to offer his two cents on the war in Ukraine. Vance went on to make the case for “diplomacy” resolving the conflict, which Vladimir Putin began when he annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched his full-scale invasion in 2022. Vance was comparing Trump’s methods to those of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who armed Ukraine but gradually and with not enough to win, bringing the conflict to a stalemate for the best part of two years. Volodomyr Zelensky, with whom Trump has had a rocky relationship and has previously called a dictator, asked if he could respond. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you are asking about? What do you mean?” Zelensky said. The fear in Ukraine that while Trump and MAGA talk about wanting peace, what they actually want is a deal that would be appeasement of Russia and at the very least leave Putin unpunished, and possibly rewarded for his ******** invasion. “I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance told Zelensky. “Yes, but if you …” attempted Zelensky. Those four words were a catastrophic mistake from Zelensky, whose mission was to sign the minerals deal and keep the hostile Trump camp onside for providing security guarantees in Ukraine. They were the provocation or slight that Vance seemed waiting for in order to claim victim status. He let loose, launching an all-out assault on his Ukrainian guest in which he told Zelensky that he was forcing conscripts to the frontline, without mentioning once that Russia does too — as well as fielding North Korean troops, accused the Ukrainian president of conducting “propaganda tours” and then bitterly attacked him for campaigning in Pennyslvania for Joe Biden ahead of the last election. Zelensky protested but was then drowned out by a furious Trump, who exploded and started telling the Ukranian leader to be grateful, that he had no cards to play, was gambling with World War Three and was not acting thankful enough. “Great television,” Trump said as he called the media gathering in the Oval Office to a close. The spectacle of two of the world’s most powerful men using their might to hector and bully a man who deals with the grief and guilt of sending tens of thousands of his men to die in a war he never started, (contrary to Trump’s false claim) was ugly, painful and awful to watch. It should have sent a chill down the spine of every weaker ally watching. Vance’s grudges had little to do with what was being discussed. He never once raised Russia’s crimes in starting the war and relying on the United States’ foes in China, Iran and North Korea to sustain the deaths and killings Trump says he is so eager to stop. There was no salvaging the rest. The planned signing of a minerals agreement was cancelled, as was a joint news conference between the two presidents and Zelensky left the White House several hours earlier than planned. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Trump emerged after, wearing a red MAGA cap, saying that he wanted a leader who would make peace. “I want anybody who’s capable of making peace,” Trump demanded. “He’s got to stop the fighting, stop the death, he’s losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers,” he said. Trump had previously tried to decommission Zelensky by calling him a dictator and insisting on elections, which cannot be held while the country is under martial law. This line is also pushed by the Kremlin, which was delighted with the Oval Office spray. “The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office,” former president Dmitry Medvdev said on X. “And Donald Turmp is right: The Kiev regime is ‘gambling with WWIII.’” Republican after Republican praised Trump for “standing up for America,” starting with Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio who slouched, visibly uncomfortable next to the vice president on the sofa in the Oval Office as the tirade took place and the newly installed Director Of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who accused Zelensky of long wanting to drag the USA into a nuclear war with Russia. What is now patently obvious about MAGA is that while they have so much criticism of Zelensky, from the clothes he wears, to his requests for American assistance in helping secure continental peace to his wartime operations, they have only warm words for Vladimir Putin. “I’ve known him for a long time now, we had to go through the Russian hoax together,” Trump said of his Russian counterpart earlier this week. MAGA’s open feud with Ukraine — and Zelensky specifically — doesn’t stop there. The significant tears that were already fraying the transatlantic alliance widened into a rupture after the televised meltdown as leader after leader issued statements supporting Zelensky and directly and indirectly criticising Trump. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz, France’s Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders all posted messages of support for Zelensky on social media. A choice between Trump and Zelensky was not one they would have wanted to make, but if they are forced, well, so be it. If it was ever not clear before, Europe is well and truly on its own now. Re-arming is no longer a question but only one of how soon and how independently of its increasingly unstable NATO ally can it do so. Europe’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who carries no power and found herself in Washington DC this week only to have her meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled, suggested it was time to give up on America. “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader,” she said. “It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge,” she said. She is right in the sense that Europe is urgently looking for a new champion. Starmer called both Trump and Zelensky after the showdown. Whatever he said wasn’t enough for either to have backed down in their subsequent statements to the media. A lot rests on the shoulders of Merz in Germany. Emmanuel Macron in France is weakened, Giorgia Meloni’s much-touted links to Trump have not manifested into anything tangible and the eastern European leaders don’t carry enough weight. Von der Leyen, having been a close ally of Biden’s, appears to be adopting a submarine strategy and talking to anyone and anything bar Trump as the European Union braces for 25 per cent tariffs. It may be that one candidate is Sir Keir Starmer, who was already fashioning himself as a bridge between Europe and DC. He had a hugely successful trip to the White House on Thursday with promises of a State visit to the *** and a possible trade deal made. Those could be jettisoned if Trump’s position on Zelensky ossifies. The British are resolute in their support of Ukraine — there are no MAGA views on Ukraine, even in Nigel Farage’s Reform support base. It was notable that some of the strongest condemnation in the *** came from Conservatives from the most right-wing factions. “I’m sickened by that degrading spectacle,” Robert Jenrick, who positioned himself as a hard right leader during his failed bid to be Conservative leader. “And to think the bust of Winston Churchill was in the same room as it unfolded. “He would be turning in his grave if he saw that happen. “Ukraine’s people, led by President Zelensky, have fought bravely to hold off Putin over the last three years with US and European support. “Zelensky has shown sincere gratitude for the support offered by his partners. “We salute him and the courageous Ukrainians as they fight for freedom against Russian imperialism. “Countries can and do disagree, but the West must show a united front to our enemies.” Starmer called both Trump and Zelensky after the showdown. Whatever he said wasn’t enough for either to have backed down in their subsequent statements to the media. Cooler heads might prevail by Sunday. The *** Prime Minister wisely and deftly built capital with Trump during his masterful visit to the White House this week. Now is the time to spend it, and it may be that more than Ukraine’s future depends on whether or not he succeeds. Source link #LATIKA #BOURKE #World #strong #European #voice #ugly #UkraineWhite #House #spat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Oklahoma wind turbine mysteriously collapses on clear, windless day Oklahoma wind turbine mysteriously collapses on clear, windless day A wind turbine mysteriously collapsed Tuesday morning in northern Oklahoma, leaving debris scattered across a field. Firefighters responded to a call around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday about a downed wind turbine on a private farm east of Kildare, a small town in Kay County that is about 115 miles north of Oklahoma City, news outlets report. Kildare fire chief Travis Harris told community news website Kay NewsCow that the residents at least four miles away reported hearing the sound early Tuesday. Officials told FOX25 that the cause of the incident is not yet known. No injuries or fires were reported. Kildare Fire Department officials told Oklahoma City TV station KOCO that the collapse was “bizarre” because it wasn’t a windy day. Pictures posted to the fire department’s social media page show the collapsed wind turbine in several pieces scattered across the field. It’s unclear which company may have operated this specific turbine. However, the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, which is a map of turbines that’s continually updated by several government agencies, shows that most, if not all, turbines northeast of Kildare are part of Duke Energy Renewables’ Frontier II project, which were manufactured by Nordex and brought online in 2021. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Watch: Oklahoma wind turbine mysteriously collapses, debris scattered Source link #Oklahoma #wind #turbine #mysteriously #collapses #clear #windless #day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe – CNN Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe – CNN Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe CNNInside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance CNNTrump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader The Associated PressEuropean Leaders Rally Around Zelensky After Explosive Meeting With Trump The New York TimesBrooks and Capehart on the implications of Trump’s altercation with Zelenskyy PBS NewsHour Source link #Western #allies #rally #Zelensky #Trump #spat #deepens #rift #Europe #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inquest into fatal mauling of toddler highlights need for change Inquest into fatal mauling of toddler highlights need for change A young boy who died in a horrific dog attack in rural NSW has sparked an inquest into what needs to change. Here’s what the court found. Source link #Inquest #fatal #mauling #toddler #highlights #change Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What are the worst ultra-processed foods? New study links them to nearly 1 in 4 heart and stroke deaths in Canada What are the worst ultra-processed foods? New study links them to nearly 1 in 4 heart and stroke deaths in Canada This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Canadians are consuming too many ultra-processed foods, according to a new study funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. (Photo via Getty Images) Ultra-processed foods are a major part of the ********* diet, and a new study is indicating these products are contributing to health problems and deaths in the country. The research, published on Tuesday, suggested nearly four in 10 heart disease and stroke deaths are linked to consuming ultra-processed products. “More than one-third of all cardiovascular events — or 38 per cent — were associated with ultra-processed food consumption in 2019,” Virginie Hamel a dietitian and PhD candidate at the Université de Montréal who worked on this study, told Yahoo Canada. “This study … shows how ultra-processed foods are a major component of the burden of heart disease and stroke in Canada.” Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. The estimated 38 per cent of cardiovascular events linked to ultra-processed food consumption includes more than 96,000 cases of heart disease and stroke, 55 per cent of which were men. There were also more than 17,400 deaths, where 52 per cent were men. The study also found Canadians over age 20 have diets where these products make up more than 43 per cent of their total daily energy intake. Now, researchers are pushing for more change and new policies, especially around regulating how ultra-processed foods are marketed to children. Dietitian Virginie Hamel reminded people there are alternatives to almost all ultra-processed foods. (Photo via Getty Images) What are some of the worst ultra-processed foods? Hamel said the researchers looked at prior studies of ultra-processed foods Canadians consume most often. “According to the most-recent representative data from 2015 in Canada, one of the most ultra-processed foods is commercial bread,” she added. However, she said some of the other more common ultra-processed foods Canadians consume include chips, frozen meals, cakes, cookies, pies and soft drinks. Other ultra-processed foods may include: Sweetened breakfast cereals and oatmeals Reconstituted meat products like hot dogs and fish sticks Powdered and packaged soups Ice cream and sweetened yogurt Margarine and spreads like cream cheese Ultra-processed foods include products like potato chips, frozen meals, ice cream and soft drinks. (Photo via Getty Images) What are ultra-processed foods? According to Hamel, processed foods are products that might include sugar, salt or oil before they’re packaged for *****. This is done to increase a product’s preservation, but typically no other additives are included and the processing is more simple. On the other hand, ultra-processed foods have “many processing steps” — like extrusion, moulding and milling — as well as “additives we may never have in the kitchen,” she explained. When it comes to ultra-processed foods, Hamel said the goal of the products is for shoppers to have something “practical, durable, convenient and appealing,” but they’re “highly-manipulated.” Ultra-processed foods are also high in sugar, salt and ****, while typically being poor quality and lacking in nutrients. In turn, that can promote weight gain because they don’t make you feel as full. How can I eat less ultra-processed foods? Hamel noted grocery stores are typically laid out in similar fashions. She suggested shoppers start by going around the store and beginning with sections that hold vegetables, fruits and other fresh foods. If you choose to go through the aisles of processed products, she said it’s a good idea to have a goal in mind. Hamel advised grocery store shoppers start by going around the market as opposed to beginning with the aisles of ultra-processed foods. (Photo via Getty Images) “If you really know exactly what you want, that’s a good thing. But you can get lost easily,” Hamel said, adding she understands it’s not easy for everyone to have time to cook proper meals. In those cases, she suggested people seek out ready-to-eat food products that aren’t necessarily ultra-processed. Otherwise, she reminded people that you don’t have to cook daily and can instead meal-prep for your week. But for people who might choose to venture down every aisle stocked full of ultra-processed products, she advised checking the ingredients list to ensure you buy better foods. “If there’s a list of many ingredients that we cannot pronounce and we do not have in our kitchen, … this is an indicator that it’s maybe ultra-processed and maybe not a good idea to put in our groceries,” she said. “We always like to put the weight on people to do better but it’s hard to do better in the context we are in right now.” The PhD candidate also suggested people who are grocery shopping, especially in the aisles, check the ingredients list of products to see if they’re ultra-processed. (Photo via Getty Images) Why experts want ‘change’ Researchers also looked at what would happen if Canadians made changes to their diets. Luckily, there would be an estimated 45,000 fewer heart disease and stroke cases as well as more than 8,000 fewer deaths if people cut their ultra-processed food consumption by half. Even if people cut their consumption by 20 per cent, there would be positive benefits. In that case, there would be 3,000 fewer deaths and the burden of heart disease and stroke associated with consuming ultra-processed foods would drop by 17 per cent. On the other hand, there would be higher problems if people consumed 50 per cent more ultra-processed foods. In that case, there would be nearly 3,500 additional deaths annually and 45 per cent of new cases would be related to ultra-processed food consumption. Hamel said there must be a change in aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods towards children because it has normalized these products, leaving it difficult for parents to compete. “We need a mentality change, we need a systemic change … and strong policies to help people to reduce their consumption of ultra-processed foods,” she said. Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Source link #worst #ultraprocessed #foods #study #links #heart #stroke #deaths #Canada Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe – CNN Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe – CNN Western allies rally around Zelensky after Trump spat deepens rift with Europe CNNInside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance CNNTrump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelenskyy shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway US leader The Associated PressEuropean Leaders Rally Around Zelensky After Explosive Meeting With Trump The New York TimesBrooks and Capehart on the implications of Trump’s altercation with Zelenskyy PBS NewsHour Source link #Western #allies #rally #Zelensky #Trump #spat #deepens #rift #Europe #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chiefs down Brumbies in 12-try Super Rugby Pacific duel Chiefs down Brumbies in 12-try Super Rugby Pacific duel The ACT Brumbies have fallen painfully short once again in another high-scoring Super Rugby Pacific thriller in Hamilton. Despite running in six tries, the Brumbies walked away from FMG Waikato Stadium with nothing tangible to show for their enterprise and endeavour after suffering a 49-34 loss to the table-topping Chiefs on Saturday. The heartbreaker follows a 45-42 defeat to the Western Force in another 12-try extravaganza last Saturday night in Canberra. The sapping loss also somewhat soured celebrations for veteran hooker James Slipper, who joined Aaron Smith as Super Rugby’s most-capped player with his 185th appearance. But there were wide smiles everywhere in the Chiefs camp, none ******* than Gideon Wrampling’s after he grabbed a telling second-half try-scoring double with his first two touches of the ball. The Brumbies deserved the halftime lead after outscoring the Chiefs three tries to two in the opening section. All of the Brumbies’ tries, to lock Nick Frost, flyhalf Declan Meredith and speedster winger Corey O’Toole, came out wide after the forwards methodically drew in the Chiefs defence to create opportunities on the edges. But two conversions and a penalty goal from Damian McKenzie to go with quickfire tries in the space of three minutes to flyhalf Josh Jacomb and centre Anton Lienert-Brown kept the Chiefs in the game. The Chiefs blew the game open with two more quick tries early in the second half, splitting the Brumbies defence right up the middle on both occasions. First livewire centre Quinn Tupaea reeled in his own chip kick, then Wrampling cashed in on a beautifully worked set play from a lineout to cross seconds after joining the fray. Suddenly trailing 29-15, the Brumbies needed a spark. Instead they went back to their bread and butter to score from a rolling maul through Lachlan Lonergan. When Andy Muirhead touched down shortly after, following the Brumbies’ own lineout on halfway, the scores were all tied up again at 29-all. But the deadlock lasted only a matter of seconds after skipper Tupou Vaa’i regained possession from the kick-off and sent Wrampling scampering down the left touchline for his second strike. Another Chiefs penalty stretched the home side’s lead to beyond a converted try with 10 minutes remaining. Muirhead’s second try gave the Brumbies a glimmer of hope, but the Chiefs were not to be denied, remaining unbeaten after Lienert-Brown added the cherry on top with the 12th try of the match on fulltime. Source link #Chiefs #Brumbies #12try #Super #Rugby #Pacific #duel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Life imitates art as Pope Francis fights pneumonia while ‘Conclave’ heads into Academy Awards Life imitates art as Pope Francis fights pneumonia while ‘Conclave’ heads into Academy Awards ******** CITY (AP) — There has long been a ******** taboo against openly talking about a conclave when a pope is sick: It’s considered gauche to speculate about the election of a new pope while the current one is fighting for his life. And that is certainly true as Pope Francis battles double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. But the surprising success of “Conclave” the film and momentum going into Sunday’s Academy Awards have thrust the arcane rules, glorious ceremony and supreme drama of one of the Catholic Church’s most solemn moments into popular culture, and put the Catholic hierarchy in something of a bind as it simultaneously prays for Francis. The film can’t be dismissed as distasteful or blasphemous, since it treats the gravity of a papal election with respect and accurately portrays the ancient rituals and contemporary problems facing today’s Catholic Church. Both the ******** newspaper L’Osservatore Romano and the Avvenire daily of the Italian bishops conference gave “Conclave” rave reviews. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Granted, those reviews were published before Francis entered the hospital Feb. 14 with a complex lung infection that has taken him out of commission for the longest time of his 12-year papacy. It’s unclear if the newspapers would have published them after Francis’ health took such a dire turn. That’s even more the case since it’s clear from the opening scenes in the ********’s modern Santa Marta hotel where Francis lives that “Conclave’s” fictional dead pope is modeled after the real-life current one. But at the very least, the life-imitating-art coincidence of “Conclave” the movie finding mass popular appeal at a time when the world’s media has descended on Rome to monitor Francis’ health has certainly piqued interest in what might happen in a real-life conclave. Author Harris knows it’s a sensitive time “Conclave,” director Edward Berger’s adaptation of the Robert Harris novel starring Ralph Fiennes as the dean of the College of Cardinals, has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It goes into Sunday’s Oscars with a Bafta win for best picture and a SAG award for best ensemble. Harris is well aware of the sensitivity of the moment, and how the surreal turn of events of an ailing pope dovetailing with an Oscar campaign had made his book and the film relevant to say the least. But he is adamant against trying to milk the moment for publicity. “I’ve been refusing all requests to talk about it and a future conclave because I think that’s in extreme bad taste,” Harris told The Associated Press. “I really hope he’s got some more years yet.” Francis suffered a setback on Friday, after he inhaled vomit during a coughing fit and required non-invasive mechanical ventilation to breathe. Doctors said they need 24 to 48 hours to evaluate how and if the isolated episode affected his overall clinical condition, while keeping his prognosis guarded. All of which has made “Conclave” the film a bit too close for comfort in more ways than one for anyone following Francis’ plight and concerned about what it means for the Catholic Church. Mild spoiler alert To recap: The film opens with the death of the pope and turns around the political maneuvering and manipulations behind the election of his successor. Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) is dean of the College of Cardinals, who must organize the conclave amid his own crisis of faith. With the future of the church weighing on him, he has to contend with secrets, scandals, smear campaigns and surprising twists, while ensuring the election’s integrity. Massimo Faggioli, theologian at Villanova University, said the film was “sadly effective” in illustrating the institutional instability that the Catholic Church is going through now, as well as the ease with which a single act or allegation of misconduct can ruin someone. “The main threats (are) now coming not from the outside (Napoleon, or Hitler, or secularization), but from the inside (especially the fear of another ******* scandal),” he said. For sure Berger takes some creative liberties. Cardinal Lawrence, for example, would have been excommunicated two or possibly three times for his efforts to navigate the intrigue, given the ban on communications with the outside world during a conclave and canon laws governing the seal of the confessional and the sealing of the papal apartments after a pope has died. But this is Hollywood, and His Eminence can be forgiven. Catholic media loved the film Avvenire, which hews to the ******** establishment line, praised the film for its sumptuous beauty, twists of plot and “anything but trivial” commentary about the current state of the church. “Let’s face it: ‘Conclave,’ which takes us to the heart of one of the world’s most mysterious and secret events, is a highly entertaining film, especially for an American audience that isn’t terribly picky,” Avvenire said on Dec. 20, when the film opened in Italian theaters and well before Francis got sick. Writing in the ******** newspaper L’Osservatore Romano on Feb. 1, critic Alessandra Comazzi highlighted the short but critical turn played by Isabella Rossellini, as Sister Agnes. As a longtime critic for the La Stampa daily, Comazzi is well aware of the ******** taboo of openly talking of a conclave. But in an interview, she said the film managed to treat a conclave as thriller without causing offense. She said the ******** newspaper was only too happy to publish her rave. “The dean Lawrence has to govern the conclave and liberate it from these false prophets,” she said. “And I think also from the ecclesial and religious point of view, the director managed to do it in a very respectful way.” But a cardinal close to Francis didn’t That said, someone who has actually participated in a conclave gave the film something of a thumbs down. “My experience of being in at least one conclave was not that it was some sort of scene of political backroom plotting of how to get your candidate elected,” Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston, wrote in a Feb. 7 blog post. O’Malley voted in the 2013 conclave that elected Francis pope and is one of his closest allies. He said he and his brother cardinals were well aware that millions of Catholics were praying from afar “so that the Holy Spirit would guide us in our deliberations.” “And, of course, at the moment when each cardinal votes, you take your ballot, stand in front of Michelangelo’s image of Christ in the ‘Last Judgment’ and swear before God that you are going to vote for the person that you believe is God’s will for the church,” he wrote. “It’s a much different experience than what they depicted in the movie,” he wrote. “For all its artistic and entertainment value, I don’t think the movie is a good portrayal of the spiritual reality of what a conclave is.” ___ Associated Press writer Hilary Fox in London contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Source link #Life #imitates #art #Pope #Francis #fights #pneumonia #Conclave #heads #Academy #Awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kalamazoo "Economic Blackout" protests President Trump, Musk, big corporations – WWMT-TV Kalamazoo "Economic Blackout" protests President Trump, Musk, big corporations – WWMT-TV Kalamazoo “Economic Blackout” protests President Trump, Musk, big corporations WWMT-TVEconomic blackout: Will a 24-hour boycott make a difference? The Associated PressTampa Bay residents join nationwide economic blackouts Friday FOX 13 TampaFrom boycotts to ‘good-buys,’ consumers are showing support for DEI The Washington PostThe People’s Union USA’s ‘Economic Blackout’ Organizer Served Jail Time on Sex Charge The New York Times Source link #Kalamazoo #quotEconomic #Blackoutquot #protests #President #Trump #Musk #big #corporations #WWMTTV Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Aussie aces serve it up to rivals to make WTA semis Aussie aces serve it up to rivals to make WTA semis *********** women are serving it up to the world’s best, with two of the country’s tour veterans advancing to the semi-finals of WTA events. In Austin, Texas, Ajla Tomljanovic stands two wins away from a first WTA 500 singles title after claiming a dramatic quarter-final victory on Friday (Saturday AEDT). And in Mexico, qualifier Daria Saville advanced to the last four of the Merida Open Akron when Spaniard Paula Badosa, the second seed, was forced to retire. Saville, ranked No.121, trailed 1-6 5-3 when world No.11 Badosa called it quits with a back injury. In Austin, Tomljanovic surged to a 5-2 lead in the final set of her quarter-final, but needed eight match points to eventually clinch victory against Ena Shibahara. The Japanese qualifier, who had upset *********** Kim Birrell in the previous round, pushed Tomljanovic to a final-set tiebreak before the Aussie closed it out 7-5 3-6 7-6 (10-8) after more than two and a half hours. Tomljanovic next faces No.1 seed Jessica Pegula, who scored a 6-2 6-2 win over Russian Anna Blinkova. World No.111 Tomljanovic, who was given a wildcard to the event, had earlier upset No.7 seed Katie Volynets, before a three-set win over Jodie Burrage, who had ousted comeback star Petra Kvitova in the first round. Tomljanovic, 31, advanced to her first WTA semi-final since June in Birmingham, where she made the final. Her performances in Austin have boosted her ranking to a provisional position of world No.93. At the hardcourt event in Merida, Mexico, Saville next plays Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango. The 30-year-old Saville, who has a career-high ranking of No.20, is set to improve at least 10 places on her current No.121 ranking. She had also scored main-draw wins over Marta Kostyuk and Anhelina Kalinina on her way to her first semi-final since the Hobart International in 2024. Her victory kept the *********** flag flying in Mexico, after teen sensation Maya Joint’s run was ended by world No.45 Elina Avanesyan, the Armenian fighting back after losing the first set to win their quarter-final 4-6 6-2 6-0. The 18-year-old Joint will take heart from another milestone as she makes her first appearance in the world’s top 100 when the rankings are released next week. Joint, who made the semi-finals in Hobart this year, stunned fifth seed Donna Vekic en route to the tournament’s final eight. It was the first time two Australians had reached the Merida quarter-finals and only the third time Australians have done so at a 500-level tournament, the others at Birmingham in 2017 and in Sydney in 2018. Source link #Aussie #aces #serve #rivals #WTA #semis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RFK Jr. issues rule barring public comment on HHS rulemaking RFK Jr. issues rule barring public comment on HHS rulemaking Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday released a policy prohibiting public comments during his department’s rulemaking process, ending more than 50 years of the public’s involvement in crafting his department’s rules. In the policy statement placed in the Federal Register, Kennedy’s office appeared to argue that rescinding the policy goes back to the original intent of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Although the APA exempts the requirement for public comment on matters “relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts,” there has been a waiver, referred to as the Richardson waiver, on this exemption since 1971, allowing for interested parties to take part in the rulemaking process. “The policy waiving the statutory exemption for rules relating to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts is contrary to the clear text of the APA and imposes on the Department obligations beyond the maximum procedural requirements specified in the APA,” according to the policy statement from Kennedy’s office. “Effective immediately, the Richardson Waiver is rescinded and is no longer the policy of the Department,” it added. The move comes shortly after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) postponed a key meeting held by the vaccine committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying at the time that it was delayed to “accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting.” After assuming office, Kennedy had vowed to usher in “radical transparency” at the HHS. Lawrence O. Gostin, faculty director of O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, said this move by Kennedy was a clear effort to avoid accountability. Gostin said he believes the policy is sure to be litigated, noting that courts have enforced the Richardson waiver in the past. “My impression of the rule is that that the Secretary knows that much of what he’s done and what he intends to do to radically transform health policy … has been lawful under the Administrative Procedure Act, and he’s trying to insulate himself from accountability,” Gostin said. Calling it a “dark day for HHS,” Gostin speculated that Kennedy was rescinding public comments in order to quickly “ram through” radical changes to health care, public health and scientific research in the U.S. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Source link #RFK #issues #rule #barring #public #comment #HHS #rulemaking Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance – CNN Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance – CNN Inside the 139 minutes that upended the US-Ukraine alliance CNNIt Was an Ambush The AtlanticBrooks and Capehart on the implications of Trump’s altercation with Zelenskyy PBS NewsHour Source link #minutes #upended #USUkraine #alliance #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cuts to US national parks and forests spark outrage as summer nears Cuts to US national parks and forests spark outrage as summer nears Max Matza BBC News Reporting fromSeattle, WashingtonGetty Images The Trump administration’s steep cuts to staff at national parks, forests and wildlife habitats have triggered a growing backlash, as public access and conservation efforts in these remote wild landscapes fade away. The impacts have already been felt by visitors – who are seeing longer park entrance lines, reduced hours at visitor centres, trails closed and dirty public facilities – and workers who not only are worried about their futures as their jobs vanish, but also the state of these outdoor marvels eroding. Each season, Kate White and her team typically carry 600lbs (270kg) of litter on their backs out of the Enchantments, a sensitive alpine wilderness located in Washington state that welcomes over 100,000 visitors a year. Remote and often covered in snow and ice, staff are needed to maintain backcountry toilets that must be serviced with helicopters, which Ms White says may overflow without proper maintenance. “I’m not totally sure what the plan is to get that done,” she says. “That’s probably gonna be very damaging to the ecosystem in that area, and maybe to the visitor experience.” But one of the most important parts of her job was to keep people safe – and be there if the worst happened. As a National Forest wilderness ranger for over nine years, she has seen her share of tragedy when hikers or campers are confronted with severe weather and remote and tricky terrain. She has comforted people who have faced life-threatening injuries and even recovered bodies of hikers who died while out in the steep and often icy mountain region. “We were kind of usually first on scene if something were to happen,” she says. On any typical Saturday in the summer months, she’d speak to an average of 1,000 visitors. She and her team published reports on trail conditions and helped hikers who appeared unprepared – wearing sandals or not carrying enough water – and guided them to easier and safer routes. Now, those jobs are gone. She worries what the cuts will mean for the future of public safety and how people experience US parks and forests, especially ahead of the busy spring and summer months when millions travel to visit. BBC News/ Max Matza Multiple people have died hiking Aasgard Pass (seen on the left) in the Washington peaks known as The Enchantments Mass terminations, first announced on 14 February, have led to 5% of the National Park Service staff – around 1,000 workers – being forced out. The cuts have hit the US Forest Service, which maintains thousands of miles of popular hiking trails, even harder. Around 10% of the Forest Service’s staff – about 3,400 people, including Ms White and her team – have been fired. The cuts have upended the management of national parks, which get around 325 million visitors annually, as well as national forests, which see about 159 million visitors each year. Long queues of cars were stuck outside Grand Canyon National Park over President’s Day weekend, one day after the mass firing, due to a lack of toll operators to check people in at the gate. Similar lines of cars have been growing at other parks as well. A popular trail outside Seattle was closed indefinitely only hours after the cuts were announced, with a sign at the trailhead explaining that the closure is “due to the large scale termination of Forest Service employees” and “will reopen when we return to appropriate staffing levels”. Photo by: Brittany Colt, www.brittanycolt.com, @brittanycolt At Yosemite National Park, the annual “firefall” spectacle led to a different kind of display this year when a group, which reportedly included employees, hung an upside-down American flag at the park in protest of the Trump administration’s recent deep cuts to staff. Andria Townsend, a carnivore biologist who supervised a team of eight people at Yosemite National Park before she was fired in an email, told the BBC she “100%” supports the protest. “It’s bringing lots of good attention to the issue,” she says. She says she is especially worried for the future of the endangered species that she had been working to protect. Ms Townsend studied and attached GPS collars to the Sierra Nevada red fox and the Pacific fisher, which is related to a badger, in attempts to track and preserve the species. “They both are in dire straits,” she says, with only about 50 fishers and 500 red fox left in the wild. Staff at a sister site conducting similar research were also cut. “I don’t want to be doom and gloom, but it’s really hard to say what the future is now,” she says. “The future of conservation just feels very uncertain.” Getty Images Former Yosemite employee Andria Townsend worries that cuts will affect the survival of the Sierra Nevada red fox, which is critically endangered Long-time couple Claire Thompson, 35, and Xander Demetrios, 36, have worked for the Forest Service for about a decade, most recently maintaining trails in central Washington state so that hikers could explore the snow-capped Cascade mountains. The email firing them and thousands of other staff cited “performance” issues – something they took issue with. “Especially with the amount we’ve gone above and beyond,” says Mr Demetrios, explaining that his work in the backcountry had carried significant risk to his safety, and sometimes involved rescuing people from dangerous situations, including one person who had fallen in a river and become hypothermic. He and Ms Thompson have carried heavy equipment through rugged terrain, through foul weather at times, to clear trails and repair bridges and outhouses – and never being paid more than $22 (£17.40) an hour. “It’s been hurtful – insulting – to just feel like your work is so devalued, and by people who I’m quite certain have like zero concept of what we do at all,” Ms Thompson added. Submitted to BBC Claire Thompson and Xander Demetrios have spent years working for the Forest Service, but are now both out of a job Following a backlash, dozens of national park staff were reportedly rehired since the mass terminations on Valentine’s Day. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the National Park Service (NPS), has also committed to hiring over 5,000 seasonal workers during the coming warm months. “On a personal level, of course, I’ve got great empathy for anybody that loses a job,” Burgum told Fox News last Friday. “But I think we have to realise that every American is better off if we actually stop having a $2 trillion a year deficit.” The Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) being spearheaded by Elon Musk claims to have saved over $65bn from the widespread cuts which have hit dozens of federal agencies across government. However, it has produced no evidence to back that figure, which would represent around 0.9% of the entire 2024 federal budget. Watch: ‘Thank God for Elon Musk’ – Maga Republicans praise Doge cuts Outdoor advocates say that travellers currently planning their outdoor vacations to national parks should expect numerous issues, including increased litter, a shortage of lodging and the unavailability of many services they have come to expect. “If the administration doesn’t reverse these policies, visitors are going to need to lower their expectations,” says John Garder of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in Washington DC. Some of these cuts are already being felt: Yosemite has fired their only locksmith, Gettysburg fired the staff who handle cabin reservations for visitors, and hurricane damage to the Appalachian Trail won’t get repaired in time for through-hikers trying to complete the 2,200-mile (3,540km) trail. Meanwhile, private businesses that operate in and around parks stand to lose out on billions of dollars if visitors drop off, according to the NPCA. Concerns are also growing about the absence of park and forest service personnel who assist in wildfire fighting during the dry season. Wildland firefighters, like Dan Hilden, have so far been exempted from forest service cuts. He says the roles of the people who were terminated are “completely crucial” to fire safety. Many directly fight fires, while others are responsible for “sweeping” backcountry trails – telling people to leave and ensuring that no one is in danger from expanding fires. “I don’t know how we’ll be doing that this summer, because we’re heavily dependent on them,” says Hilden, explaining that it takes several days to travel into the wilderness for these sweeps. “Every year things have been getting worse as the staffing issues go. This year is going to be a lot worse.” Source link #Cuts #national #parks #forests #spark #outrage #summer #nears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Collect or Die Ultra is a remake of the original hardcore retro platformer, launching soon on Android and iOS Collect or Die Ultra is a remake of the original hardcore retro platformer, launching soon on Android and iOS Collect or Die Ultra is a remake of the 2017 game from the ground up 90 levels spread across nine distinct stages Pre-register on Android to receive the Day One Pack for free Collect or Die Ultra is bringing back brutal platforming action when it launches on Android and iOS in a couple of weeks. This isn’t just a simple re-release – it’s a complete remake of the original Collect or Die, first released in 2017. With a revamped art style, new enemies, and 50 additional levels, stickmen are in for more punishment than ever before. In Collect or Die Ultra, you take control of a stick figure trapped in a deadly testing facility, with one goal – gather every coin and survive. The problem? Saw blades, sentry turrets, lasers, and an absurd number of deathtraps stand in your way. The ragdoll physics means every mistake leads to an over-the-top, bone-snapping demise, making each run both brutal and hilarious. The challenge unfolds across 90 levels spread over nine distinct stages, each packed with hazards. If you’re fast and precise, you’ll make it through in one piece. If not, you’ll be torn apart in ways you didn’t think were possible. Leaderboards and achievements add another layer of competition, pushing you to perfect your runs and show off your talent. Visually, Collect or Die Ultra leans into an 80s VHS aesthetic, with scanlines and a retro colour palette setting the tone. Every level feels like a twisted game show, where the only way to win is to keep moving. The new version isn’t just about looks, though; there are new effects, animations, and hazards designed to push your skills to the limit. While you wait, check out this list of the top action games to play on iOS! If you pre-register on the Play Store, you’ll get the Day One Pack for free, which includes infinite lives, no ads, and instant access to all stages. It’s a solid way to dive straight into the action without having to face any restrictions. Collect or Die Ultra will release on Android and iOS on March 13th. Source link #Collect #Die #Ultra #remake #original #hardcore #retro #platformer #launching #Android #iOS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sabalenka lauds WTA mission, welcomes Saudi investment Sabalenka lauds WTA mission, welcomes Saudi investment The world’s top-ranked female tennis player, two-time *********** Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, is delighted the WTA is keen to promote players’ personalities. Source link #Sabalenka #lauds #WTA #mission #welcomes #Saudi #investment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla’s Musk Says ‘No’ to Nissan Acquisition, Shares Tumble Tesla’s Musk Says ‘No’ to Nissan Acquisition, Shares Tumble Tesla (TSLA, Financial) Motors will not acquire Nissan (NSANY, Financial), Elon Musk asserted in a Thursday post on social media platform X in response to speculation he could invest in the financially troubled Japanese automaker, which had been speculated to strike partnerships with Honda Motor and, or the Taiwanese tech manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, commonly known as Foxconn. Market watchers cited an earlier report from the Financial Times suggesting that Musk could buy Nissan’s American assets. That news briefly lifted Nissan’s stock price, but optimism petered out. Later on Thursday, Musk said he continued to focus on Tesla’s Cybercab’ robotaxi initiative and conceded he was not hunting for external acquisitions. Nissan shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange slumped about 10 percent after Musk made his comments, their steepest fall in three weeks. This is another downbeat sign on Nissan’s balance sheet, which lacked a confirmed partner to revive the automaker’s fortunes. Honda had tried to woo the company before, but to no avail, and it wanted to avoid ceding control to a direct competitor. Conflict Watcher, a platform tracking global developments, said in a separate note that it would also add to dysfunction at Nissan if the automaker was not able to find strategic support to rebound from its slump as it faces mounting pressure to rebuild its image. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Source link #Teslas #Musk #Nissan #Acquisition #Shares #Tumble Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Perfect Day takes you back to the turn of the millennium for a nostalgia-fueled experience A Perfect Day takes you back to the turn of the millennium for a nostalgia-fueled experience A Perfect Day is out now for iOS and Android It takes you back to the turn of the millennium before the year 1999 Experience the last day of school on this epoch of a day, and relive it in the pursuit of perfection If there’s one thing about nostalgia, it’s that it can be very specific to a single person, yet somehow so universal. For example, I seriously doubt many (if any) of you reading were a small ******** child in 1999; but even if you aren’t you can still experience the strangely relatable feelings on that turn of the millennium date in The Perfect Day. As you might’ve guessed from that description, A Perfect Day takes you back to 1999 the day before school lets out for the Lunar New Year. Featuring 7 time segments, 11 main characters, 20 event cards and 1 free DLC, you’ll explore different time loops and multiple branching narratives in your pursuit of that perfect day. It’s not just this narrative aspect that you’ll get to explore either. A Perfect Day also features various minigames to while the hours away with, be that the Gamicon console (no relation to another famous console), Mini 4WD racing, or even the humble arcade. Perfection achieved A Perfect Day seems to be following developer Littoral Games’ previous releases like Growing Up: Life in the 90s by offering a slightly more idealised view of the past than most might realise. But while the setting is unusual, I feel this one has more of a universal appeal, weirdly enough. I think most of us have had one day that stands out for being an epoch in our life, one which changes everything for us and makes it seem like nothing will ever be the same. And haven’t we all wanted to go back and change that special day? Well, some of us at least. In the meantime though if this is either a bit too deep or a bit too slow-paced for you, why not try out some of the top releases on our latest edition of the top five new mobile games to try this week? With the best launches from the last seven days to see! Source link #Perfect #Day #takes #turn #millennium #nostalgiafueled #experience Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis Suffers a Health Setback, Inhaling Vomit – The New York Times Pope Francis Suffers a Health Setback, Inhaling Vomit – The New York Times Pope Francis Suffers a Health Setback, Inhaling Vomit The New York TimesPope Francis on breathing machine after suffering sudden respiratory episode CNNPope Francis health concerns top of mind at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Catholic News Agency Source link #Pope #Francis #Suffers #Health #Setback #Inhaling #Vomit #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Esperance and Kalgoorlie-Boulder racing clubs receive funds as part of Cook Government election pledge Esperance and Kalgoorlie-Boulder racing clubs receive funds as part of Cook Government election pledge Esperance Bay Turf Club will receive more than $2 million, and Kalgoorlie-Boulder $700,000, under a regional racing fund to be established if the Cook Labor Government is re-elected next weekend. Source link #Esperance #KalgoorlieBoulder #racing #clubs #receive #funds #part #Cook #Government #election #pledge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meridian mom says her 3-year-old was assaulted at a gym. No one told her for months Meridian mom says her 3-year-old was assaulted at a gym. No one told her for months Amber Paskett had worked at Axiom Fitness in Meridian for roughly three months when she witnessed what she said was a 3-year-old girl being ********* assaulted by another young child in the gym’s child care center. Paskett told the Idaho Statesman that she reported the incident to her supervisor. She said gym management later assured her that the girl’s mother had been informed of what happened and had asked that the matter be kept “private.” So Paskett was confused when, week after week, the mother continued to bring her daughter to the child care center. Paskett said five months had passed when she ran into the mother while working out one day in November. Paskett said the mother mentioned how safe she felt with her daughter at the gym, and it dawned on her that the mother didn’t know about the incident after all. Paskett decided to tell her. The mother told the Statesman that Paskett’s revelation made her “physically ill.” Now the Meridian Police Department is investigating the alleged assault, according to police records obtained by the Statesman. Paskett was fired and is pursuing retaliation claims. And the mother has been left to deal with the emotional fallout of the incident on herself and her daughter. She says she does not want the child who allegedly assaulted her daughter punished but seeks to hold the gym accountable for failing to report what happened to her or the authorities for nearly half a year. The gym was one of four Axiom Fitness centers in the area until California-based Villa Sport Fitness bought the local chain in 2022, though the new owners did not rebrand the gym until roughly two months ago. Villa Sport declined to comment for this story. Several incidents alleged at Meridian gym The Statesman is identifying the mother only by her middle name, Rae, to protect the identity of her daughter. When Rae first brought her 3-year old daughter to the Axiom gym at the corner of Meridian and Overland roads, she said, she was nervous to make sure that her daughter would be safe. The Meridian mom had previously used another Axiom gym at The Village at Meridian, where she said she was horrified one day when she learned that her daughter and another young child had wandered out of the child care center and down a flight of stairs, and were found unattended by the gym exit. After moving to the Meridian Road gym in May, Rae told managers about her concerns. She told the Statesman in a phone interview that they assured her that her daughter would be well taken care of. Around that time, Paskett, a new employee, was starting to question how the gym’s child care center was being managed. Paskett, who previously worked as a state-licensed nanny, told the Statesman she witnessed multiple incidents that left her deeply concerned, and she noticed gym staff and administrators responding in ways she felt were “dishonest.” When an infant showed signs of a spinal injury after being placed in an upright bouncer, Paskett said, her supervisor opted not to tell the infant’s parents. The supervisor told Paskett, “When they get home, if they see something’s wrong, they’ll take her to the hospital,” according to a statement Paskett filed with Meridian police. Amber Paskett, 23, says she still has “nightmares” about her time spent working at the Axiom gym in Meridian, where she said she witnessed a ******* assault between two minors and reported it to her managers. She was later fired. Paskett said these incidents and the way her managers responded made her distrustful of the gym. “I kind of already felt like stuff was being swept under the rug,” Paskett told the Statesman by phone. She relied on the child care center to look after her own daughter while she worked, but after the play-structure incident, “I felt uncomfortable leaving my daughter there,” she wrote in her statement to police. On June 10 — only a few weeks after Rae started bringing her daughter to the gym — Paskett saw a young boy acting “inappropriately” toward the 3-year-old and being “very handsy,” according to Paskett’s police statement. Though Paskett tried to “correct” the behavior, she reported that she saw the boy approach the girl from behind, pull down her pants and underwear, and attempt to stick a toy into the girl’s buttocks and ***** area. Paskett later told the Statesman she was “in shock” but helped separate the children. The boy was removed from the room by his mother, another employee, according to Paskett. Paskett said she believed the boy was 5 years old. Minutes later, Rae arrived to pick up her daughter, Paskett said. No one mentioned the incident to her. A day or so later, Paskett said, she reported the incident to her supervisor, who brought her to the gym’s general manager. Paskett said that she then filed a written incident report to the general manager, and that over the next week she asked several times if the managers had reached out to the girl’s mother. She threatened to quit and inform the mother herself, she said. “As a parent, I would want to know,” Paskett told the Statesman. Eventually, managers told Paskett that they had informed the mother, who had asked that “nobody mention it,” according to Paskett. Paskett said she continued to see Rae come into the gym with her daughter for the next five months before she began to suspect that the mother still didn’t know about the incident. “If they fire me, they fire me,” Paskett told the Statesman, recalling the moment she decided to tell Rae. “She has every right to know.” Gym managers: ‘No evidence of any type of ******* assault’ Rae told the Statesman that after hearing from Paskett what had happened to her daughter, she confronted gym management that day and demanded to see the gym’s video footage of the incident. According to an audio recording of the conversation between Rae, her husband, and gym managers that Rae provided to the Statesman, the general manager, Jeff Bruns, said he reviewed video footage when the incident was reported to him. “I don’t know exactly what the employee said, but I do remember statements being put in, us putting a lot of effort into it, sending it off to make sure we had multiple eyes on it,” Bruns said. “And there was no evidence of any type of ******* assault. “If there was, you would have known. We would have told you.” Bruns also said in the audio recording that he informed his superiors at owner Villa Sport’s national office and spoke with the mother of the boy. According to the recording, neither Bruns nor Annie Ostolasa, Villa Sport’s national vice president of operations, were able to locate within their digital records the incident report Paskett said she filed to Bruns detailing the assault. But Bruns did show Rae and her husband the video. After reviewing almost four hours of footage, Rae said, she and her husband recognized immediately the moment she believes her daughter was assaulted. “This is exactly what (Paskett) said happened,” Rae told Bruns when they reached footage showing 11:09 a.m. on June 10, according to the audio recording. She told Bruns the footage matched what Paskett told her “word for word.” “It’s not very clear,” Bruns said on the audio recording. The Statesman reviewed the video and confirmed, from what was visible through the camera angle, what appeared to be the boy grabbing the girl’s pants from behind and thrusting the toy toward her. Rae later told the Statesman by phone that the gym took “zero accountability” for the incident. “They went into cover-up mode,” she said. Villa Sport Fitness is located at 1455 Country Terrace Way in Meridian. The gym offers child care for children aged three months to 12 years for $24.95 per month on top of membership. Because the child care is only offered for up to two hours a day, while parents or guardians exercise in the same building, Villa Sport’s child care center, like many others at gyms across the state and country, is unlicensed and subject to few regulations. Employee fired after filing police report On Nov. 16, a day after seeing the video, Rae reported the incident to the Meridian Police Department. She told the Statesman that she detailed both the assault and the gym’s failure to report it. She also told police that Paskett told her she had “completed an incident report and passed it on to her supervisor,” according to a copy of the police report. The next day, Nov. 17, Paskett made a statement to the police, reporting three incidents she said she witnessed at the gym, including the one involving Rae’s daughter and the one with the infant placed in an upright bouncer, according to a copy of the statement that Paskett shared with the Statesman. A few days later, Paskett said, she was called into a meeting with a member of the gym’s human resources department. Paskett said the employee showed her the video and asked her to explain her actions. “They were trying really hard to flip it on me,” Paskett told the Statesman. “They tried to tell me that my body language was laughing.” Paskett denied laughing and said she put her hand over her mouth “because it was shock.” A week and a half later, Paskett said, she was called into another meeting with the human resources employee. According to an audio recording Paskett made of the meeting, the employee said Paskett had “created gossip” by speaking to Rae and to other employees. “What we have now is parents and members who, with your help, and quite frankly, as a result of the conversation that you had with (Rae), (are) convinced that the company mismanaged the incident and mismanaged the care of their child,” the employee said. “And that’s not true.” Paskett said she had been told falsely that the mother had been informed. She said she felt “lied to” by her managers. “We cannot corroborate that,” the employee responded. The employee asked Paskett if she still felt she belonged at Villa Sport. “Yeah,” Paskett responded. “We do not feel the same,” the employee said. “Today will be your last day with the company.” Meridian police reopen investigation? According to the copy of the police incident report Rae provided to the Statesman, the police logged her complaint as an allegation of lewd conduct with a minor, a felony under Idaho Code 18-1508. The copy, which Rae received through a public-records request, did not mention any allegations against the gym, though it was heavily redacted and excluded nine pages on the grounds that the case is under investigation. Rae told the Statesman that she has no desire to see criminal charges pursued against the boy, and she did not request any. She said she is more concerned with “the adults” at the gym “who watched my kid and failed to disclose a crime.” According to emails to Rae from the police, as of Nov. 30, no detective had been assigned to the investigation. On Dec. 22, in another email, Meridian Police Officer Shane Beaston told Rae that the department “did some follow up” but that, “The report is now inactive with no further investigation.” Beaston also wrote that the department conducted a home check on the boy, with “no concerns.” But the department’s public information officer, Jordan Robinson, told the Statesman in an email Jan. 9 that Meridian police are “aware of the situation and have an investigation going.” Robinson did not specify whether the police were investigating allegations that the gym failed to report the incident. Responding to follow-up questions on Jan. 13, Robinson declined to “provide additional details,” noting, “Cases in the investigative phase must remain confidential to protect their integrity.” “Our detectives are dedicated to thoroughly investigating every case and ensuring that the appropriate resolution is achieved based on the facts and evidence,” Robinson wrote. When asked why the case was reportedly inactive on Dec. 22 but active as of Jan. 9, Robinson declined to comment and directed the Statesman to the city’s public records portal. After receiving her partially denied records request, Rae followed up with Beaston on Jan. 30, asking if the case had been reopened. Beaston replied the same day, saying the case had been reopened only a day earlier and assigned to a detective. The gym in Meridian formerly known as Axiom was acquired by California-based Villa Sport in 2022. The gym rebranded its name on signs and its website in recent months, and its previous name is still carved in a stone outside the Meridian Road location. Villa Sport owns three other Treasure Valley gyms that were previously owned by Axiom. Prosecutors emphasize treatment, diversion for children According to Shawna Dunn, the chief criminal deputy for the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, “There are practical and logical limitations of how young of an offender will be charged.” In an email to the Statesman, Dunn cited Idaho Code Section 20-520, which says that no offender under age 10 may receive consequences in the form of detention, making it “generally impractical to charge kids under that age,” she wrote. J.W. Bond, a juvenile attorney in Boise, told the Statesman that in most juvenile cases, including felony allegations, police will conduct an investigation and then present information to the prosecutor’s office, often without making an arrest. The prosecutor’s office can decide the best course of action. According to the prosecutor’s office, that course tends to focus on treatment. “For kids younger than 10, and for many kids older than 10, law enforcement, the schools, the Bridge and Ada County Juvenile Court Services all provide various types of diversion or treatment-focused programs which can be helpful in these circumstances,” Dunn said. “In some circumstances the Department of Health and ******** may also be involved and offer certain kinds of programming to both kids.” The Bridge is an Ada County youth and family resource center providing early intervention services like behavioral screenings to “keep youth out of, or prevent further involvement in, the juvenile justice and child ******** systems,” according to its website. AJ McWhorter, a public information officer for the Idaho Department of Health and ********, told the Statesman in an email that, “in a case where there is an incident between two young children the question for child ******** would be if the parents were providing appropriate supervision to those children to ensure those incidents did not reoccur or continue.” McWhorter said he could not comment on specific cases. Mother: ‘I’m not getting straight answers’ It is still unclear whether Meridian police are investigating the gym for failing to report the incident with Rae’s daughter, as the only police documentation the Statesman has obtained classifies the incident as alleged lewd conduct. Rae told the Statesman she felt confused and frustrated when police suggested that gym employees seem to sit in a “loophole” where they are not required to report. Robinson, however, told the Statesman that gym employees are considered mandatory reporters of child abuse under Idaho law, along with all other adults in the state. The Department of Health and ******** confirmed the same. Under Idaho law, failing to report suspected child abuse to the police or the health department within 24 hours is considered a criminal misdemeanor. The law applies to any suspected victims under age 18 and includes reports of “conditions or circumstances that would reasonably result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.” In a Feb. 4 email from Meridian Detective Thomas Erickson to Rae, Erickson wrote that the case “was reopened to take a further look to see if there were any additional incidents with other potential victims.” “Ultimately, it will be closed to file,” Erickson continued. “We just want to make sure we are covering all our bases. At this point no further contact with the gym has been made,” because the mother of the young boy is no longer an employee of the gym, he said. Rae said she is concerned by what feels like a lack of transparency. “I’m not getting the same answers, straight answers,” she said. On Feb. 5, Erickson told Rae in a text message that he had found “another report” filed at the Villa Sport child care center regarding another alleged ******* incident involving different children — months before the incident involving Rae’s daughter. He messaged Rae that he would be “forwarding the two reports to the department of licensing.” The Statesman was unable to determine which department the detective was referring to. Few regulations for Idaho gym child-care centers Unlike traditional child care centers, gym child care centers are not typically licensed or regulated in Idaho, according to IdahoStars, an organization funded by the Department of Health and ********. The organization is tasked with evaluating whether child care centers have met licensing requirements. McWhorter confirmed that gym child care centers are not licensed, because they provide “occasional care exclusively for children of parents who are simultaneously in the same building,” an exemption laid out in Idaho Code 39-1103. Licensed child care centers must pass fire, safety and health inspections. Employees must undergo background checks, obtain first aid and CPR certifications, and “receive annual training about health, safety, and quality in child care,” the IdahoStars website says. An IdahoStars employee told the Statesman by phone that the training requirement is for eight hours and that state licenses are good for two years. McWhorter told the Statesman in an email that the training must cover health and safety and behavior management and support, and that licensed providers must “certify that they will not harm, shake, or abuse children, and that children in their care will not experience maltreatment.” Training and policies can vary among unregulated gym child care centers. Paskett told the Statesman that when she was hired by Villa Sport while the gym was still branded Axiom, she completed an online video training that included a section on how to recognize signs of child abuse. She recalls that the video instructed employees to inform their managers if they observe such signs, and the managers would reach out to law enforcement. Rae said she wants other parents to know that gym child care centers are not held to the same regulatory standards as other day care centers, which can create “a false sense of security.” Mother and daughter ‘left to pick up the pieces’ Rae told the Statesman that her attorney, Mark Nicolarsen of Boise, reached out to Villa Sport but has received no response. She said she wants to sue. Nicolarsen told the Statesman in a text message that he is “looking into potential civil claims.” Paskett, meanwhile, told the Statesman that she is still unemployed and saddled with credit card debt as she attempts to keep up with her bills. Paskett said she is looking for work but finding it is “difficult” to do while caring for her 14-month-old daughter. She said she is too afraid to send her daughter to day care. “I’m kind of scarred,” she said. Paskett, who said she was abused as a child, said she has “nightmares” about her time at Villa Sport and that she still cannot drive down Meridian Road past the gym. She filed a complaint with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging retaliation by her former employer. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor told the Statesman in an email, “As a policy, we do not confirm or deny whistleblower complaints or identities of the complainants.” Paskett also said she reported the incidents to the Idaho Department of Health and ******** and asked that it conduct a wellness check on the boy, noting her concern for the boy’s well-being. Rae told the Statesman that the incident has also taken a toll on her and her family. “It’s sickening,” she said, noting she has struggled to sleep and to “pick up the pieces.” She said she and her daughter have been in therapy since learning about the incident. She said her biggest concern is the gym’s failure to inform her, which she added left her daughter without any support or resources for five months. “So here’s my poor, little baby thinking that this is OK,” Rae said. “You didn’t even let me comfort her, get her help, because all you cared about was saving your own a—. “You took that from me.” ——— What to do if you suspect child abuse If you suspect that a child is experiencing abuse or neglect in Idaho, you are required by law to reach out to the Department of Health and ******** or law enforcement. Several organizations in the Treasure Valley offer services and resources for victims of child abuse and ******* assault, including Faces of Hope, which offers free crisis intervention services to men, women, and children from its office at 209 W. Main St. in Boise. The Ada County Victim’s Service Center provides free medical care and forensic examinations for victims, as well as assistance with filing police reports and mental health care. The center is located at 417 S. 6th St. in Boise, next to St. Luke’s CARES, or Children at Risk Evaluation Services, which provides youth-specific services and resources including medical evaluations. Taylor Marschner, a public relations coordinator with St. Luke’s, offered the following advice if a child discloses abuse: DO: Show interest and concern. Be mindful of conversations about the alleged abuse around the child. Reassure and support the child. Take action and report the abuse. DON’T: Promise anything you can’t control. Blame or minimize the child’s feelings. Overwhelm the child with questions. The Idaho ******* Offender Management Board also has resources, including treatment for individuals who may have committed ******* offenses. The board also partners with the Women’s and Children’s Alliance and the Idaho Coalition Against ******* and Domestic Violence. The Bridge provides additional support for youths in Ada County. Boise police hired Meridian officer amid ‘use of force’ investigation. Then this happened ‘It’s horrific.’ Young man faces trial after Meridian officer presses knee into his neck Accused of killing stranger on Vegas street, 18-year-old Meridian student dies in jail ‘Reprehensible:’ Ex-Nampa School District employee sent to prison for possessing child porn Source link #Meridian #mom #3yearold #assaulted #gym #told #months Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]