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Tempest Rising Gameplay Video | N4G Tempest Rising Gameplay Video | N4G “A new era of warfare is almost here. “Tempest Rising”, the highly anticipated, modern real-time strategy game coming April 24, 2025, from Saber Interactive’s 3D Realms label and Knights Peak, is available to pre-order today on PC via Steam.” – Saber Interactive, 3D Realms, and Knights Peak Source link #Tempest #Rising #Gameplay #Video #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The record-breaking run of ‘Ne Zha 2’ may seem like a surprise. It shouldn’t be The record-breaking run of ‘Ne Zha 2’ may seem like a surprise. It shouldn’t be ******** animation blockbuster Nezha 2 was released in late January alongside several other films for the local Spring Festival holiday *******. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — For someone who’s lived in China since before the pandemic, the success of the animated film “Ne Zha 2” marks more of an industry milestone than a surprise. The steady drumbeat of homegrown animation had picked up in 2023, just after the end of Covid-19 restrictions, with popular releases such as “Chang An” — a re-telling of ******** poet Li Bai’s life from the perspective of his friend. It raked in about $250 million as the only animated film in China’s top 10 movies for the year, according to box office data from Maoyan. The team behind “Chang An,” Light Chaser Animation, works largely out of an old white building in the sleepy outskirts of Beijing. The ceilings are high; stairs wind through the building to connect multiple floors and rooms — and a gym. When I visited this week, some animators — working on their computers in the dark — were racing to finish cinematic lighting effects on scenes for this summer’s movie. Others designed historical ******** robes, detailed eyebrows and re-created buildings. “This place is no longer big enough,” Yu Zhou, president of the studio, said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He said the 380-person company needs to hire at least 100 more people in the next year to keep up with its new production plan: two movie releases annually starting from 2026, up from one a year currently. AI, he said, can only be a tool for now. Light Chaser plans to move to a new office in the second half of this year. Beijing-based Light Chaser Animation had more than 380 employees as of February 2025. The studio sticks to a three-year production plan for all the movies it’s making simultaneously. It tries to imagine the future, and whether 20 million to 30 million people will watch it when the movie comes out, Yu said. “Will this story work in three years?” This film slated for this summer, “Curious Tales of a Temple,” re-tells “******** ghost stories,” Yu said. The studio is in talks with “Hollywood mainstream players” for releasing the movie in theaters overseas, including in North America, at the same time as the planned China launch, he said. Alluding to the studio’s appeal among global audiences, Yu claimed Light Chaser’s “Green Snake” — which is a rendition of a ******** legend sets it partially in a futuristic city — did well on Netflix after its 2021 launch, remaining in the top 10 non-English content for three weeks. Among the other animated features in the works, video-streaming company iQiyi is developing “Master Zhong” that’s expected to be released in China this year. Ya Ning, a senior vice president at the firm, said ******** animation had started to break its “childish” image and was turning into an industry, expanding into movie merchandise and games as well. A recent history ******** animated films have only started to make a splash in the last 10 years. “In the history of ******** animation, there has never been a film like “Big Fish and Begonia.” … as far as the ******** industry goes, this bold and breathtaking fantasy adventure stands alone,” entertainment industry magazine Variety wrote after the movie’s 2016 release. The film was made by Beijing Enlight Media. That’s the same producer behind this year’s “Ne Zha 2” and “Ne Zha 1” that came out in 2019 — it had topped China’s box office that year. “Deep Sea,” from Beijing studio OctMedia, won acclaim in early 2023 with its fantastical pastel-colored rendering of a young girl’s journey of healing following her mother’s abandonment. While popularity hasn’t always turned into box office sales, “Ne Zha 2” was able to succeed in part because it appealed to all ages, Liu Anxing, manager at a movie theater in Chengdu, told CNBC. While Liu said he was proud of ******** animation industry’s achievements, he didn’t expect another “Ne Zha 2”-like blockbuster in the near future — at least not until “Ne Zha 3” comes out in 2028. “Ne Zha 2” came out in China in late January as one of six movies for the week-long Spring Festival holiday — and took half the box office for the *******, according to Maoyan. After its release in North America on Feb. 14, Maoyan data showed the movie beat Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as the top-grossing animated film worldwide with more than 13 billion yuan ($1.79 billion) in ticket sales. Strategy and plans In contrast to Light Chaser’s focus on in-house production, the makers of “Ne Zha 2” relied on various studios. The director came from Chengdu-based Coco Cartoon, while Beijing Enlight Media was the primary producer and distributor. ******** state media said nearly 140 businesses contributed to the production. State media also highlighted how government subsidies from Chengdu to Qingdao have helped support domestic animation. Beijing in 2021 laid out a national plan for “building China into a major cinematic player” by 2035 that included a call for producing 50 films a year with box-office sales of at least 100 million yuan each. Jonathan Clements, author of “Anime: A History,” cautioned that over-production of films could unpleasantly shock studios and investors. “Animation consumers are themselves a resource that needs to be carefully managed,” he said. Clements added that in contrast to how Disney blockbusters made more than $1 billion in box office sales across multiple countries, “Ne Zha 2” has done so primarily due to sales in China. “You don’t have to worry about whether your story, or your characters, or your attitudes will play in other countries.” China’s plan also specified that domestic films should account for at least 55% of the country’s annual box office sales. Hollywood films, when allowed into China, have seen waning interest from domestic audiences. “Godzilla x Kong” was the only one to crack the top 10 last year, according to Maoyan. “Oppenheimer” failed to enter China’s 20 top-grossing movies in 2023, and “Barbie” was even further behind. Back in 2019, “Avengers: Endgame” ranked third by domestic box office, according to Maoyan, just behind ******** sci-fi sensation “The Wandering Earth” and the first “Ne Zha” film. The characters and plots of many ******** animated television series have come from stories written online by relatively unknown authors. China Literature, the operator of a major app for user-generated content, said 15 of the top 20 most watched online animated series in the first half of last year were based off content on its platform — in the last few years it’s also started putting the adaptations on YouTube as it strives to broaden its audience. ******** creators are also leveraging generative AI for filmmaking. Short-video streaming app Kuaishou is releasing a seven-part mini series, “New World Loading,” that’s largely created using the company’s Kling AI for video generation. Director Chen Xiangyu said the team just fed the AI model simple scripts, instead of having to draw characters. Source link #recordbreaking #run #Zha #surprise #shouldnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Balatro is No Longer Tagged as Gambling, Gets Age Rating Lowered from 18 to 12 Balatro is No Longer Tagged as Gambling, Gets Age Rating Lowered from 18 to 12 Balatro, despite being one of the most popular and successful games of 2024, has been re-classified by PEGI (Pan European Game Information). Source link #Balatro #Longer #Tagged #Gambling #Age #Rating #Lowered Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Each House Member Voted on the Budget Blueprint – The New York Times How Each House Member Voted on the Budget Blueprint – The New York Times How Each House Member Voted on the Budget Blueprint The New York TimesHouse GOP pushes ‘big’ budget resolution to passage, a crucial step toward delivering Trump’s agenda The Associated PressTrump budget bill with $4.5 trillion in tax cuts survives House vote Fox NewsUS House narrowly passes Trump-backed spending bill BBC.comHouse Republicans narrowly advance plan for Trump’s agenda USA TODAY Source link #House #Member #Voted #Budget #Blueprint #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

E.T.E Chronicle lets you battle through ground, sea, and air with mechagirls by your side, now in pre-registration E.T.E Chronicle lets you battle through ground, sea, and air with mechagirls by your side, now in pre-registration Battle with cool mechagirls in 3D combat Pre-registration goodies up for grabs Coming to mobile next month according to the App Store Chens Global Limited has opened pre-registration sign-ups for E.T.E Chronicle, the studio’s upcoming mech-themed RPG. You can expect to dive into a post-apocalyptic world filled with 3D sci-fi delights – more specifically, with mechagirls that’ll fight relentlessly on the battlefield for you. I’ve always been easily attracted to ultra-cool visuals at first glance, and this one does seem to hit all the right notes when it comes to aesthetics. There’s your appealing roster of mech-enhanced female warriors, your futuristic political struggles and the ever-present hubris, and the action-packed combat – all these seem to tie together nicely despite the end of the world. Perhaps the trailer alone should show you what to expect here, but just in case you’re still on the fence about signing up, pre-registration rewards seem to include premium currency along with a special S-Rank Weapon Choice Box x 2. It’s all very reminiscent of KanColle in some ways, at least to me. If you’re on the hunt for something else to tide you over until the official launch though, why not take a look at our list of the best gacha games for Android to get your fill? In the meantime, if you’re eager to join in on all the fun, you can do so by checking out E.T.E Chronicle on the App Store and on Google Play. It’s free-to-play with in-app purchases, and the App Store slates it for a March 13th release. Do take that with a grain of salt though, as these things often change without notice. You can also join the community of followers on the official Twitter page to stay updated on all the latest developments, visit the official website for more info, or take a little peek at the embedded clip above to get a feel of the vibes and visuals. Source link #E.T.E #Chronicle #lets #battle #ground #sea #air #mechagirls #side #preregistration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samantha Murphy disappearance: Alleged killer Patrick Orren Stephenson appears in Victorian Supreme Court Samantha Murphy disappearance: Alleged killer Patrick Orren Stephenson appears in Victorian Supreme Court The Ballarat man police allege killed Samantha Murphy has returned to court just weeks after her disappearance reached a grim milestone. Source link #Samantha #Murphy #disappearance #Alleged #killer #Patrick #Orren #Stephenson #appears #Victorian #Supreme #Court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Retired Chicago cop lost $87K life savings to fraud and can’t get it back as she didn’t report it to bank in 30 day Retired Chicago cop lost $87K life savings to fraud and can’t get it back as she didn’t report it to bank in 30 day This former Chicago-area police sergeant lost her $87,000 life savings due to fraud — and the bank denied her claim because she didn’t report it within 30 days. Why she didn’t see it sooner A former police sergeant lost her entire life savings to fraud — and Chase Bank refuses to make her whole because, they say, she didn’t report the fraud in time. For more than 20 years, Courtney White diligently contributed to her savings account at the bank “I worked my butt off,” White told NBC 5 Chicago. “I was the overtime queen at work. So all my overtime money went into my savings for my family.” To protect her funds, she set up the savings account so that she had to walk into the bank to carry out transactions. She didn’t have a debit card or checks attached to it. By 2022, White had amassed nearly $90,000 in savings. That’s when she received a shocking message. There were “insufficient funds” in the account. In fact, it had been completely drained. The fraudster impersonated White, walking directly into Chase branches with fake ID to withdraw money from her account, sometimes multiple days in a row White admits she hadn’t checked her bank account in months when she discovered the fraud. When she finally reviewed her bank records, she immediately noticed something was wrong. As she demonstrated to NBC, her handwriting and that on the withdrawal slips don’t match up. Despite these inconsistencies, Chase Bank allowed the transactions to continue — until White’s savings were wiped out. “Somebody should have recognized that this is an outrageous amount of transactions every day,” White told NBC News Chicago. Read more: Home prices in America could fly through the roof in 2025 — here’s the big reason why and how to take full advantage (with as little as $10) After losing her life savings, White had to pull her son out of private school. “I worked hard for that money. And that’s what I did for a living. Help people who are victims of crimes, fraud. And here I became a victim myself,” White shared. White didn’t discover the fraud until late in the game, explaining that she rarely checked the account, only withdrawing money in person for her son’s allowance and other family expenses. However, Chase has a strict fraud policy: Customers must report fraudulent transactions within 30 days of receiving their bank statements. Most banks have a similar policy. That’s why the bank denied her fraud claim. Story Continues NBC News investigated the Chase branch where the majority of the fraudulent withdrawals occurred. Chicago police records show that multiple customers at that branch reported unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts. More than a dozen customers also reported being robbed or scammed while using the branch’s ATM. Chase reviewed White’s case but said their decision will not be reversed. They shared a statement that read, in part: “As we remind all customers, it is important to review your monthly statements and if you see any unauthorized transactions to let us know right away. We provide customers with many steps to boost account security, including setting up account alerts to receive notifications whenever there’s a purchase or withdrawal from your account that’s over a certain amount.” To protect yourself, make it a habit to review your bank statements regularly and report any suspicious activity immediately. If your bank offers transaction alerts, set one up. These notifications can warn you in real-time about unusual activity, large transactions or card-not-present purchases. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Source link #Retired #Chicago #cop #lost #87K #life #savings #fraud #didnt #report #bank #day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Administration Plans to Require Undocumented Immigrants to Register – The New York Times Trump Administration Plans to Require Undocumented Immigrants to Register – The New York Times Trump Administration Plans to Require Undocumented Immigrants to Register The New York TimesDHS will require migrants without legal status to register with U.S. government Nebraska ExaminerTrump administration threatens undocumented immigrants who fail to join registry with jail time, fines CBS NewsTrump to Force Migrants to Join Registry or Face Fines, Prison Bloomberg Source link #Trump #Administration #Plans #Require #Undocumented #Immigrants #Register #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Crisis’: NSW Nurses and Midwives Association picket for pay rise ‘Crisis’: NSW Nurses and Midwives Association picket for pay rise Nurses and midwives have slammed the NSW government for exacerbating “unsustainable” conditions in the sector, claiming they are being ignored because of their gender. Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) gathered in front of state parliament on Wednesday to demand the Minns government direct new money into health to ensure nurses and midwives get fair and equal pay with other states. “We expect this government to sit down and negotiate with the biggest female workforce in this state,” NSWNMA general secretary Shaye Candish said. “If they really care about gender equity, that should be their single most valuable reason to sit down and find a solution to this pay dispute.” NSWNMA Coffs Harbour branch secretary Joanne Cooper has been working in the sector for more than 42 years. She told NewsWire she had “never seen the health system in such crisis”. Camera IconJoanne Cooper said nurses and midwives were in ‘crisis’. NewsWire / Ria Pandey Credit: Supplied “I have never seen nurses and midwives in the situation financially that they are in now. It’s slowly deteriorated, and it’s got to a point where it has become a crisis for most families,” she said. Ms Cooper added the union’s demand for a one-off 15 per cent wage increase was the “bare minimum” for workers to break even. *********** Bureau of Statistics data shows that the average salary for a registered nurse in NSW ranges from $69,810 to $98,014. Meanwhile, registered nurse in Queensland earns from $79,058 to $106,144, while Victorian nurses have capped salaries at just below $130,000, making them the highest paid in the country. NSWNMA RPA branch member Emma Castro, who has been working as a nurse for five years, said colleagues were leaving the state, and the profession, en masse. ”Colleagues, especially senior colleagues, that are what we need to be able to actually grow and nurture the new nurses coming through are leaving the profession in droves because they can’t afford Sydney,” Ms Castro said. Camera IconEmma Castro said nurses were being ‘undervalued’’” in the dispute process. NewsWire / Ria Pandey Credit: Supplied “They can’t afford to be undervalued like this. They know that they can get better pay if they go private sector, if they go interstate, or if they leave the professional altogether and, ultimately, that leaves us short.” Ms Castro added that while nurses could manage a “hard day” being short-staffed, ultimately patient care was impacted. “We get to go home, but my patients don’t. What my patients get is understaffing due to the crisis that has been caused by the government not paying nurses effectively, and I can’t care for my patients properly when I don’t have the human resources to do that,” she said. NSW Health agreed to give nurses and midwives a 3 per cent wage increase in September 2024 after an Industrial Relations Commission recommendation. It also recommended the union and the state government enter a four-week ******* of negotiations, but the talks fell through. Camera IconThe picket was done in members’ own-time in front of NSW parliament as the Premier sat inside for Senate estimates. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia The union rejected an offer for the 15 per cent wage increase to be delivered over multiple years with a slightly larger boost for early career nurses. Ms Candish told reporters on Wednesday that the NSW government had not engaged in any formal negotiations over the dispute since October 2024. “Even with our own-time rallies, we have MPs refusing to meet with nurses and midwives in their own communities where nurses are going to talk about severe understaffing, closures of mental health services, closures of maternity services. We are being ignored, that is a gender issue.” NSWNMA’s campaign for fairer pay comes days after a planned strike across eight hospitals was called off on Friday. It had been called amid claims of unsafe staffing levels and worker burnout in a dispute with private healthcare operator Healthscope. The planned strike action was scheduled a day after a Healthscope hospital in the northern beaches became the centre of an independent inquiry into the death of a toddler in September last year. The Premier’s office has been contacted for comment but did not respond before publication. Source link #Crisis #NSW #Nurses #Midwives #Association #picket #pay #rise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meta in talks for $200 billion AI data center project, The Information reports Meta in talks for $200 billion AI data center project, The Information reports (Reuters) – Meta Platforms is in discussions to construct a new data center campus for its artificial intelligence projects, with potential costs exceeding $200 billion, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Meta executives have informed data center developers that the company is considering building the campus in states such as Louisiana, Wyoming or Texas with senior leaders having visited potential sites this month, the report said. Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, investment in AI has surged as companies across various sectors strive to incorporate artificial intelligence into their products and services. Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters request for a comment. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company plans to spend as much as $65 billion this year to expand its AI infrastructure. In comparison, Microsoft said it was planning to invest about $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to develop data centers, while retail giant Amazon stated that its 2025 spending would be higher than the $75 billion estimated in 2024. (Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Sherry Jacob-Phillips) Source link #Meta #talks #billion #data #center #project #Information #reports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House GOP pushes 'big' budget resolution to passage, a crucial step toward delivering Trump's agenda – The Associated Press House GOP pushes 'big' budget resolution to passage, a crucial step toward delivering Trump's agenda – The Associated Press House GOP pushes ‘big’ budget resolution to passage, a crucial step toward delivering Trump’s agenda The Associated PressHouse GOP pulls key vote in troubling sign for Trump agenda CNNHouse Republicans advance plan for Trump’s legislative agenda in dramatic turnaround USA TODAYHouse Passes G.O.P. Budget Teeing Up Enormous Tax and Spending Cuts The New York TimesTrump budget bill with $4.5 trillion in tax cuts survives House vote Fox News Source link #House #GOP #pushes #039big039 #budget #resolution #passage #crucial #step #delivering #Trump039s #agenda #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NSW Premier Chris Minns fronts budget estimates hearing NSW Premier Chris Minns fronts budget estimates hearing NSW Premier Chris Minns has acknowledged escalating concerns from nurses and hospital workers that someone could die as a result of the state’s buckling mental health system. Mr Minns, appearing before a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday, said there had been a decline in the state’s bed capacity for mental health patients following the mass resignation of public psychiatrists over January and February. “There has been a decline in the mental health bed capacity in NSW,” he said. “Less than 1 per cent, the triage and emergency measures NSW Health has put in place are largely covering what is a complex field.” A total of 52 psychiatrists have walked away from the health system as of early February amid a long-running pay dispute with the government. The union representing the health workers wants a 25 per cent one-year pay increase, but Mr Minns claims the demand is unreasonable and the dispute has now moved to the Industrial Relations Commission. Camera IconPremier Chris Minns fronted a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: NewsWire On Wednesday, Opposition upper house member Sarah Mitchell told the committee a schizophrenic patient had spent 88 hours in Westmead Hospital’s emergency department. She asked the premier whether “horrific stories” from nurses on the frontline of mental health care imbued him with concern the state’s wards might record a fatality. “Of course I am,” he replied. “I’m faced with a major issue.” Mr Minns said the chaos had its roots in the previous Coalition government’s decision to place wage caps on public health workers. Camera IconThe committee heard of growing stresses on Westmead Hospital’s mental health services. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp Australia He said the union was now pushing to make up for “12 years” of wage suppression. “Our argument is, it’s not possible to do it,” he said. “It was a decade worth of wage suppression that you (the Coalition) put in place.” The government has offered a 10.5 per cent increase and is paying locum doctors to fill service gaps. Ms Mitchell also criticised the Premier’s decision to approve a January holiday for Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson as the mass resignation event approached. Mr Minns said the Ms Jackson had organised visiting medical officers, triage measures and had offered the workers a pay increase before taking her leave. “For all of those reasons, I believe it was appropriately managed,” he said. Minns bats away ********** legalisation Mr Minns also batted away a call to legalise ********** in NSW. Under questioning from committee chair and Legalise Cannabis Party member Jeremy Buckingham, Mr Minns said he did not have a mandate to deliver the controversial reform. “It would be a big change … I think I’ve said to you previously, we don’t have a mandate to do that,” he said. “We didn’t go to the election promising to make that change.” Mr Buckingham queried whether the ACT, which has legalised small amounts of cannabis for personal use, had become a “honeypot of vice and corruption” following the change. Camera IconMr Minns told estimates on Wednesday ********** legalisation was unlikely to happen in the short term. NewsWire Credit: NCA NewsWire But Mr Minns said he needed to take into consideration the concern of clinicians about the impact of ubiquitous use of **********. Mr Minns said any change in the area was not “imminent” and he would not commit to taking it to the next election. “I’m not prepared to speculate on that,” he said. “It’s not something that is imminent. It’s not something we are considering.” Mr Minns has previously expressed support for legalising **********. The NSW Libertarian Party is currently pushing for a plebiscite to decriminalise the drug. Source link #NSW #Premier #Chris #Minns #fronts #budget #estimates #hearing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Is What The Classified AIM-260 Missile Actually Looks Like, Air Force Confirms This Is What The Classified AIM-260 Missile Actually Looks Like, Air Force Confirms The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that a recently released rendering of the AIM-260A does indeed reflect the actual design of what is also known as the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). The JATM, details about which are still highly classified, is expected to ultimately supplant the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) in U.S. military service. The new AIM-260A rendering was included in an unclassified U.S. Navy industry day briefing that the service posted online earlier this month. The complete briefing provides an overview of projects that fall under the broad umbrella of Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation & Strike Weapons (PEO U&W). JATM is more specifically within the purview of PEO U&W’s Air-to-Air Missile Office, or PMA-259. The AIM-174B air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), which was only formally unveiled last year, as well as the AIM-120, AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-7/RIM-7 Sparrow missiles, are also in PMA-259’s portfolio. The full slide from the PEO U&W briefing that includes the AIM-260A rendering. USN As its name makes clear, JATM is also a joint program that the Air Force is directly involved in. When asked for more information about the AIM-260A rendering and for a more general update on the missile’s development, NAVAIR redirected TWZ to the Air Force. “This is a rendering of the AIM-260A,” an Air Force spokesperson subsequently told TWZ. “A higher-resolution rendering is not available for public release.” “Specific programmatic and technical details of the program are classified,” they added. “JATM milestones and capabilities are classified.” In 2022, now-retired Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, then head of Air Combat Command (ACC), also shared artwork of upgraded F-22 Raptors with new stealthy sensor pods and drop tanks seen below. One of the jets was depicted firing a then-unknown missile now definitively established to be a JATM. At least one other official AIM-260A rendering has emerged previously, which also aligns with the design seen in the PEO U&W briefing. Via USAF Gen. Mark Kelly All three AIM-260A renders show the same core missile design optimized for high speed and low drag with just four fins at the tail end. For comparison, the existing AIM-120 has four tail fins and another four along the middle of its body. There are some minor detail differences between the AIM-260A renders that are now available, including the number and location of what appear to be conformal antennas along the front end of the missile’s body. The latest depiction of the JATM from the PEO U&W briefing also has markings that point to a rocket motor that is substantially longer than the one found on the AMRAAM. Per U.S. military-standard munition markings, brown bands denote the presence of low-order explosives like solid-fuel rockets. On missiles, a pair of brown bands typically reflects where the rocket motor starts and ends within the body. Yellow bands mark the location of high-explosives used in warheads. Training missiles with inert rocket motors and/or warheads have blue bands instead. A side-by-side comparison of the AIM-260A render, at top, and a live AIM-120 missile, below. The distance between the brown bands on the AIM-260A represents a notably larger proportion of the missile’s overall length compared to what is seen on the AIM-120. USN/USAF An advanced rocket motor with highly loaded propellant has long been seen as a likely route to give the AIM-260A significantly greater range, as well as speed, over the AIM-120 without making the new missile larger. A core known requirement for the JATM is that it has to have the same general form factor as the AMRAAM, in large part to ensure that it can fit inside the internal bays on stealth fighters like the F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In addition to crewed aircraft, AIM-260As are expected to arm future stealthy drones like the ones under development under the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. “The Next-Generation Highly Loaded Grain project team has matured the technology and seeded the development of future mission-modular propulsion systems that can increase weapon ranges by up to 1.5x while maintaining inner boundaries for short-range and time-critical missions,” according to a factsheet detailing notable achievements by NAVAIR’s Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCAD) in 2023. PMA-259 has been similarly looking at highly loaded grain rocket motors as part of work toward a possible improved Block III version of the AIM-9X Sidewinder in recent years, as TWZ has explored in detail in the past. As part of the annual defense policy bill for the 2025 Fiscal Year, or National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed and signed into law last year, Congress has demanded the Air Force and the Navy look into whether extended-range variants or derivatives of the AIM-9X and the AIM-120 could also help meet future air-to-air missile needs. “The Next-Generation Highly Loaded Grain project team has matured the technology and seeded the development of future mission-modular propulsion systems that can increase weapon ranges by up to 1.5x while maintaining inner boundaries for short-range and time-critical… pic.twitter.com/gA7mlcSSi7 — 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) February 24, 2025 The AIM-260A’s rocket motor is also likely to be a dual-pulse design that retains energy across the flight envelope to further extend range and help dramatically with endgame maneuverability. Thrust vectoring capability would also be a requisite to give the missile sufficient agility in the absence of additional control surfaces. If the renders of the AIM-260A prove fully accurate, the missile will also have a high-explosive warhead rather than be a hit-to-kill design intended to destroy its target through sheer force of impact. At the same time, if the AIM-260A’s rocket motor is longer than that of the AIM-120, but the two missiles are roughly similar in size, this will reduce the space inside JATM for other components. This, in turn, could point to a smaller, but more advanced warhead designed to produce suitable destructive effects with less mass. A broadly similar rearrangement of internal space has also been observed on the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) compared to the preceding AGM-88E AARGM. A previously released briefing slide showing the internal configuration of the AGM-88G AARGM-ER and the considerable space inside devoted to its solid rocket motor. USN Details about the AIM-260A’s capabilities otherwise remain limited. An active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) seeker is likely. Multi-mode seeker capability, potentially with imaging infrared and passive radiofrequency (RF) guidance capabilities, could be extremely valuable in the face of an ever-expanding countermeasure ecosystem, although we have no idea if this is a feature now or not. It’s also possible it could be introduced in later variants. Advanced networking capabilities would be a key feature, allowing the missile to get additional targeting information from an array of third party sources. This is especially imported for engaging targets beyond the reach of the launch platform’s own sensors and it can allow the aircraft firing the missile, especially a stealthy one, to avoid having to switch on its radar and increase its vulnerability to detection as a result. Multiple networked JATMs might even be able to prosecute engagements cooperatively. As TWZ has written in the past: “The U.S. military has said explicitly in the past that concerns about increasingly longer-range ******** air-to-air missiles have been a key driver behind work on the AIM-260. Even an extra 50 miles would give JATM a huge boost in capability over the AIM-120D. Better end-game energy state and multi-mode seeker would further boost its comparative abilities. As such, it would sit atop the AIM-120 as a long-range air-to-air weapon, with some significant overlap. Networking capabilities on all these weapons also give them the ability to leverage third-party targeting and all the guileful tactics that come with that feature set.” It’s also it’s unclear when the first JATMs might enter the U.S. military arsenal. When the program first emerged publicly in 2019, the goal was to begin fielding the missiles in 2022. However, there have been no indications publicly that this has occurred despite active testing of the missile, including live-fire shots, and other work to support its entry into service. No imagery of a real AIM-260A has emerged to date. What we do know for sure now is that the rendering in the recently released Navy briefing, as well as ones that have merged in the past, do show the AIM-260A JATM design. Contact the author: *****@*****.tld Source link #Classified #AIM260 #Missile #Air #Force #Confirms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How the House Voted on the Budget Blueprint How the House Voted on the Budget Blueprint The House voted 217 to 215 to approve a budget resolution, a key step toward passing much of President Trump’s legislative agenda. All but one Republican voted “yes.” Measure passed with 217 “yes” votes to 215 “no” votes. Vote Total Democrats Dem. Republicans Rep. Bar chart of total votes 217 0 217 215 214 1 1 1 0 The resolution, which will also need to pass the Senate to move forward, lays out instructions to various House committees to come up with specific tax and spending cuts. The instructions allow for the extension of expiring tax cuts and increased spending on border security. At least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts would help pay for some of it, but the plan would most likely add trillions to deficits over the next decade. How Every Member Voted Republicans Member Answer No N Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Yes Y Democrats Member Answer No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N No N Did not vote Source link #House #Voted #Budget #Blueprint Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House Republicans advance Trump’s tax cut plan House Republicans advance Trump’s tax cut plan Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on the potential budget resolution vote and other issues, after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives late on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump‘s tax-cut and border agenda, delivering a major boost to his 2025 agenda. The vote on passage was 217-215, with one Republican voting in opposition and no Democrats supporting the controversial measure. One Democrat did not vote. It followed an unusual series of maneuvers by Speaker Mike Johnson in which he canceled a vote on the bill — apparently because it lacked the votes for passage — and members of the House were advised there would be no further votes for the night. He then promptly reversed course, only to bring the budget up for passage. The turn of events came after Johnson and No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise spent hours persuading holdouts to back the move, a preliminary step to extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts later this year. Both leaders said Trump himself had also been contacting reluctant members about the need to advance the $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan, which would also fund the deportation of migrants living in the U.S. illegally, tighten border security, energy deregulation and military spending. Doubts about House Republican unity prompted Senate Republicans to enact their own budget resolution as a Plan B ploy last week: a $340 billion measure that covers Trump’s border, defense and energy priorities but leaves the thornier issue of tax policy for later in the year. The House budget seeks $2 trillion in spending cuts over ten years to pay for Trump’s agenda. The tax cuts Trump is seeking would extend breaks passed during his first term in office, his main legislative accomplishment, that are due to expire at the end of this year. Several hardline conservatives sought deeper spending cuts and stronger control over separate government funding legislation to avert a potential shutdown after current funding expires on March 14. Source link #House #Republicans #advance #Trumps #tax #cut #plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intuitive Machines-2 Launch to the Moon – NASA (.gov) Intuitive Machines-2 Launch to the Moon – NASA (.gov) Intuitive Machines-2 Launch to the Moon NASA (.gov)Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Intuitive Machines’ Moon lander on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center Spaceflight NowMIT engineers prepare to send three payloads to the moon MIT NewsIntuitive Machines’ second moon landing mission ‘ready to go’, executive says Reuters Source link #Intuitive #Machines2 #Launch #Moon #NASA #.gov Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How Claude’s 3.7’s new ‘extended’ thinking compares to ChatGPT o1’s reasoning How Claude’s 3.7’s new ‘extended’ thinking compares to ChatGPT o1’s reasoning Anthropic just released a new model called Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and while I’m always interested in the latest AI capabilities, it was the new “extended” mode that really drew my eye. It reminded me of how OpenAI first debuted its o1 model for ChatGPT. It offered a way of accessing o1 without leaving a window using the ChatGPT 4o model. You could type “/reason,” and the AI chatbot would use o1 instead. It’s superfluous now, though it still works on the app. Regardless, the deeper, more structured reasoning promised by both made me want to see how they would do against one another. Claude 3.7’s Extended mode is designed to be a hybrid reasoning tool, giving users the option to toggle between quick, conversational responses and in-depth, step-by-step problem-solving. It takes time to analyze your prompt before delivering its answer. That makes it great for math, coding, and logic. You can even fine-tune the balance between speed and depth, giving it a time limit to think about its response. Anthropic positions this as a way to make AI more useful for real-world applications that require layered, methodical problem-solving, as opposed to just surface-level responses. Accessing Claude 3.7 requires a subscription to Claude Pro, so I decided to use the demonstration in the video below as my test instead. To challenge the Extended thinking mode, Anthropic asked the AI to analyze and explain the popular, vintage probability puzzle known as the Monty Hall Problem. It’s a deceptively tricky question that stumps a lot of people, even those who consider themselves good at math. The setup is simple: you’re on a game show and asked to pick one of three doors. Behind one is a car; behind the others, goats. At a whim, Anthropic decided to go with crabs instead of goats, but the principle is the same. After you make your choice, the host, who knows what’s behind each door, opens one of the remaining two to reveal a goat (or crab). Now you have a choice: stick with your original pick or switch to the last unopened door. Most people assume it doesn’t matter, but counterintuitively, switching actually gives you a 2/3 chance of winning, while sticking with your first choice leaves you with just a 1/3 probability. Crabby Choices Claude 3.7 Sonnet with extended thinking – YouTube Watch On With Extended Thinking enabled, Claude 3.7 took a measured, almost academic approach to explaining the problem. Instead of just stating the correct answer, it carefully laid out the underlying logic in multiple steps, emphasizing why the probabilities shift after the host reveals a crab. It didn’t just explain in dry math terms, either. Claude ran through hypothetical scenarios, demonstrating how the probabilities played out over repeated trials, making it much easier to grasp why switching is always the better move. The response wasn’t rushed; it felt like having a professor walk me through it in a slow, deliberate manner, ensuring I truly understood why the common intuition was wrong. ChatGPT o1 offered just much of a break down, and explained the issue well. In fact, it explained it in multiple forms and styles. Along with the basic probability, it also went through game theory, the narrative views, the psychological experience, and even an economic breakdown. If anything, it was a little overwhelming. Gameplay That’s not all Claude’s Extended thinking could do, though. As you can see in the video, Claude was even able to make a version of the Monty Hall Problem into a game you could play right in the window. Attempting the same prompt with ChatGPT o1 didn’t do quite the same. Instead, ChatGPT wrote an HTML script for a simulation of the problem that I could save and open in my browser. It worked, as you can see below, but took a few extra steps. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. (Image credit: Anthropic) While there are almost certainly small differences in quality depending on what kind of code or math you’re working on, both Claude’s Extended thinking and ChatGPT’s o1 model offer solid, analytical approaches to logical problems. I can see the advantage of adjusting the time and depth of reasoning that Claude offers. That said, unless you’re really in a hurry or demand an unusually heavy bit of analysis, ChatGPT doesn’t take up too much time and produces quite a lot of content from its pondering. The ability to render the problem as a simulation within the chat is much more notable. It makes Claude feel more flexible and powerful, even if the actual simulation likely uses very similar code to the HTML written by ChatGPT. You might also like Source link #Claudes #3.7s #extended #thinking #compares #ChatGPT #o1s #reasoning Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Evercade – interview with Sean Cleaver (Head of Marketing, Blaze Entertainment) Evercade – interview with Sean Cleaver (Head of Marketing, Blaze Entertainment) An interview with Sean Cleaver (Head of Marketing, Blaze Entertainment) where I get to discuss a number of topics pertaining to the Evercade console, and also get to ask him as to what inspired his company to get into the gaming hardware business, as well as what the future holds. At the same time, I’m also able to ask him as to what advice he would give to those who are looking to release their own gaming hardware platform, and how best they can ensure its success. Enjoy! Source link #Evercade #interview #Sean #Cleaver #Marketing #Blaze #Entertainment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DOGE releases updated “wall of receipts” with more discrepancies DOGE releases updated “wall of receipts” with more discrepancies For the second time in two weeks, DOGE’s “receipts” don’t match its claims. On Monday, the Department of Government Efficiency released another round of so-called “receipts” — or canceled contracts to show its cost cutting — and posted them on its “wall of receipts.” As was the case with the first round, this set, too, contained inaccuracies. Despite doubling the number of listed contracts, the updated itemized savings now total $9.6 billion, a sharp drop from the original $16.6 billion in savings DOGE itemized last week. At the same time, DOGE is now claiming total savings of $65 billion — far higher than the amount itemized, and an increase from its earlier claim of $55 billion, much of which has previously been called into question. $65 billion is approximately 0.9% of the entire 2024 federal budget of $6.75 trillion. DOGE’s website claims this higher figure includes savings from contract and lease terminations, renegotiations, grant cancellations, layoffs and other miscellaneous reductions, but DOGE has not supplied documentation for the vast majority of the savings it claims. In addition, $144.6 million is attributed to real estate savings, but DOGE has provided no supporting details beyond the dollar figure, agency and city, making independent verification difficult. DOGE has not explained why it reduced the itemized total, but this is likely due to errors in the original reporting — many of which were first identified by news organizations including CBS News. Initially, DOGE listed 1,127 receipts. That number has now grown to 2,299, though 34% of them report zero savings. The newly added receipts also contain apparent errors and instances of double, triple and even quadruple counting. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds copies of receipts from government contracts identified for cuts by DOGE during a press briefing at the White House on Feb. 12, 2025. Nathan Howard / REUTERS Many of the contracts included in the “wall of receipts” were unlikely to reach the amount of savings that DOGE is claiming. According to Michael LeJeune, a private consultant with an expertise in government contracts, many of these are specific types of agreements with “unfunded requirements and they rarely get used” to the full amount. He also says it appears that some of these unfunded or partly-funded contracts are being counted multiple times. For example, there is a quadruple listing for a contract for DEI training and assessment services for the Department of Agriculture. The overall contract was $25 million, and four companies that provided these services drew funding from that single contract. DOGE, however, mistakenly listed each company as having a separate $25 million contract — wrongly claiming a total of $100 million in savings. Other listings also raise questions, including: Three separate items list savings of $15 million each, but each item references the same contract, a blanket purchase agreement, under different contractors. A blanket purchase agreement is a standard government agreement that is often used for simple repetitive purchases. In this case, the Environmental Protection Agency contract was for “human resources consulting services.” The Trump administration terminated the agreement on Jan. 25, referring to the contract as “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Enterprise Services Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs).” It is unclear how much of the contract’s funding had already been spent. Two line items list $9,999,999 in savings for a Consumer Finance Protection Bureau contract cancellation, although both of those are for the same contract. In its first receipt release, DOGE listed another contract three times, claiming total savings of $1.965 billion. In reality, government records indicate that only $400 million had been spent over four years across 44 subcontracts, with minimal remaining expenditures expected. The latest DOGE update now lists one of these contracts as saving $0.35, another at zero savings, and a third at $18,171,886. An earlier posting incorrectly claimed $8 billion in savings from a canceled contract, due to an apparent typo in the original document. The actual contract was worth $8 million. The contracting company, D&G Solutions, confirmed to CBS News that this was an accounting error and that $3.8 million had already been spent. Despite this, DOGE continues to list $8 million in savings for the contract’s cancellation, when the actual figure is $4.2 million. DOGE has also taken credit on X for the ***** of a building in Washington, D.C., claiming it as savings. However, CBS News found that the building was actually auctioned off during the Biden administration for approximately $4 million. The largest single new “receipt” was $1.9 billion for IT work for the IRS, but it’s not clear if the cancellation was for the entire project or for a portion of the larger contract. CBS News has reached out to the contractor for more details and didn’t immediately hear back. There were at least five other awardees eligible for this seven-year blanket purchase agreement. In late 2020, the Brookings Institution published a study that noted that in the government workforce, contractors outnumbered federal staff — that year, there were about 2.2 federal workers for every 5 contractors (the study also notes that President Trump added about 2 million jobs to that workforce during his first term). Now, as DOGE zeroes out these contracts, tens of thousands of government employees and contractors have likely lost their jobs as a result. Source link #DOGE #releases #updated #wall #receipts #discrepancies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brain surgery took all my childhood memories Brain surgery took all my childhood memories Debbie Jackson BBC Scotland News Weronika Somerville Weronika Somerville lost all her childhood memories after brain surgery when she was 14 years old When 14-year-old Weronika Somerville woke up from brain surgery to remove a tumour, she didn’t recognise the people in her hospital room. They were her parents. On the way to a post-op scan, a medic started to talk to her. He realised she had no idea who he was – despite the fact he was the surgeon who had carried out her procedure. Weronika had suffered a rare complication – unusual retrograde amnesia. She couldn’t recall events or people from her past life. Her memories never returned. “I only know from what my parents have told me,” Weronika told BBC Scotland News. “The doctors were checking if I knew them – I remember so many faces I hadn’t seen before. “On the way home it was petrifying – getting in a car was scary. I was just going along with what I was told to do. “It felt like I was going home with strangers who said they were my mum and dad – my mum was showing me my room they had done up for me for after my surgery – but none of it looked like it belonged to me. “I remember looking at my clothes and thinking who would wear this?” Weronika, from Prestonpans near Edinburgh, said she knew it was ok to be there, but said her whole personality, and her family relationships, changed. She said: “They never lost that connection with me, but even now, I don’t think my relationship is as close as they would want it – I am more isolated and have been my own person since the surgery. “My parents kept showing me photo albums – and that really annoyed me – they were talking and laughing about things I did when I was younger but no matter how hard I tried to focus on it, I got nothing. “I didn’t like looking at photos with them because they have emotional attachment to these moments and I don’t.” BBC/Dragonfly Film and TV Productions Imran Liaquat, consultant neurosurgeon at NHS Lothian Weronika had to re-learn everything – starting with primary school maths and English. She said it took little time to re-learn as after the lessons were taught, the memory of that seemed to be unlocked – she learned her times tables after going over them twice. Back at high school, she struggled. She did not recognise any of her friends, and, starting over, she gravitated to different people. After a decade of monitoring, Weronika’s tumour started to grow slowly, and in March last year, the time had come for action. More brain surgery Weronika – now 25 and about to be married – needed surgery. And one of her first thoughts was – would she lose her memory again? “I was devastated,” she said. “The surgeon said it was definitely possible that it could happen again. But the tumour was deeper this time and I needed the surgery to improve my life expectancy.” Weronika’s treatment is followed in the new series of Surgeons: At the Edge of Life on BBC Two. In the seventh series, which follows surgeons in NHS Lothian, consultant neurosurgeon Imran Liaquat explains the jeopardy of the complicated procedure. The tumour is in the right frontal lobe of Weronika’s brain – the area responsible for abstract thought, creativity and concentration. He will have to identify what is tumour and what is normal tissue then resect – or cut – around it without taking tissue that would affect brain function. BBC/Dragonfly Film and TV Productions Drahoslav Sokol performed both of Weronika’s brain surgeries Mr Liaquat said: “Preserving cognitive function is very important – it’s the essence of who we are as an individual and that can be disrupted by surgeons. We carry the complications and push the barriers of optimal resection and that does bear on you.” He added that it was imperative to remove as much as possible. “Evidence for tumours like Weronikas is that we need to remove at least 80-90% of the tumour to add survival advantage.” Assisting in the operating theatre is the man who performed Weronika’s original surgery when she was a teenager – consultant neurosurgeon Drahoslav Sokol. Mr Sokol said: “It’s not easy to think about doing another surgery, particularly in the context of her previous complication but we really need to remove her tumour to prevent further problems in the future.” ‘What if I don’t like him?’BBC/Dragonfly Film and TV Productions Fiance Cameron made a scrap book of their relationship in case she didn’t remember anything Weronika was terrified she would wake up and not know who her fiance Cameron was. “The fear was that the last time it happened it changed who I was – what if I don’t actually like him?” But Cameron took it in his stride, making photographic memory books and scrapbooks of their relationship and writing notes and letters to his fiancee. He said: “She means everything to me – absolutely everything. If she was to lose her memory I would just have to make her fall in love with me all over again and take it from there.” Practically, Weronika wrote down all her banking details and passwords, organised a will, and wrote a letter to her partner for the worst-case scenario. Coming round from her operation, the room held its breath. Weronika Somerville The extremely happy couple at their wedding in December after successful surgery left Weronika’s memory intact “I woke up and everyone was there – this time around I didn’t feel like I had a surgery, I felt like I had a nap,” Weronika said. “My family were in pieces the whole time. “But I was completely aware and I knew exactly what happened. I was able to talk. “I saw Imran and I remember saying ‘I still remember you’.” Weronika is recovering well and married Cameron in December. She is looking forward to a happy life after 100% of the tumour was removed and she is indebted to the two men who made it happen. “I don’t think I could express my gratitude to those two surgeons enough,” she said. “This is the second time they have saved my life. “When you watch it you realise what goes into it and they are like gods – they are amazing.” Source link #Brain #surgery #childhood #memories Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reporter’s Notebook: Federal worker morale amid shrinking bureaucracy Reporter’s Notebook: Federal worker morale amid shrinking bureaucracy Reporter’s Notebook: Federal worker morale amid shrinking bureaucracy – CBS News Watch CBS News To shrink the bureaucracy, act like the bureaucracy — this appears to be the goal of Elon Musk’s surprise email that asked federal workers “What did you do last week?” The approach may shrink the ranks, but how does it affect those who remain? John Dickerson gives his take. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Reporters #Notebook #Federal #worker #morale #shrinking #bureaucracy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Model’s alleged attack on ex-boyfriend caught on CCTV Model’s alleged attack on ex-boyfriend caught on CCTV A model and aspiring social media influencer has allegedly been captured on camera throwing a lamp at her ex-boyfriend inside one of Sydney’s swankiest restaurants. Natalie Marangos, 34, allegedly assaulted her ex-boyfriend Dean Contos, 37, at Tanuki restaurant in Double Bay just before midnight on Saturday. Mr Contos was dining with another woman when Ms Marangos allegedly grabbed a lamp from a restaurant table and hurled it at his face. He sustained facial injuries but Ms Marangos had left the scene by the time police arrived. Camera IconNatalie Marangos allegedly threw a lamp at her ex-boyfriend at a fancy restaurant in Sydney. NewsWire /Ben Symons Credit: NewsWireCamera IconShe has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. NewsWire /Ben Symons Credit: NewsWire Her lawyer Kiki Kyriacou on Wednesday told Sydney Downing Centre Local Court that there was surveillance footage of the incident. He said he needed to inspect the CCTV and “investigate further material” before the matter could proceed. “I’m not sure how the matter will progress until I view the footage,” Mr Kyriacou said. He noted his client was also an alleged victim of a crime involving Mr Contos, who is due to face court this week for four domestic violence charges. According to court records, Mr Contos has been charged with choking a person without consent, intimidation, and two counts of contravening an apprehended domestic violence order taken out to protect Ms Marangos. Camera IconMs Marangos is a part-time model and aspiring social media influencer. Instagram Credit: SuppliedCamera IconShe is on bail. Instagram Credit: Supplied He has not yet entered pleas to the charges. Mr Kyriacou indicated he was considering making an application to dismiss the charges against Ms Marangos on mental health grounds, which would require a report for Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson agreed to grant a three week adjournment. Ms Marangos did not comment as she walked out of the courthouse on Wednesday. Source link #Models #alleged #attack #exboyfriend #caught #CCTV Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Orangutan Gets Introduced to a Mirror, and the Result Is Pure Diva Energy Orangutan Gets Introduced to a Mirror, and the Result Is Pure Diva Energy Everyone is probably familiar with the expression “monkey see, monkey do.” Apparently, this old phrase holds true for other primates, such as Orangutans. Just look at Amber, the Orangutan in this video. She recently got to examine her reflection in the mirror for the first time, and she had an absolute blast! Oh, Amber… She definitely gives off diva vibes, LOL! She just takes her time, really looking at her face and mouth from all kinds of different angles. There’s a lot of curiosity here. You can tell that she is probably thinking, “Oh, is that what I look like from that angle?” She’s definitely having a good time checking herself out. Unsurprisingly, the Internet was completely enamored with Amber’s preening gazes. Many people in the comments section admitted to examining their own reflections in front of the mirror in a similar fashion. TikTok user Delilah xx wrote, “POV me going home and making faces in the mirror to see what I looked like out when I made an expression.” Related: Baby Orangutan Rescued From Animal Smuggling Ring Has the Most Hopeful Eyes However, some people in the comments section, such as TikTok user kitajc, proposed that this behavior is common for some animals when they wrote, “Self-aware animals tend to make weird faces/gestures/poses in mirrors because they like to examine parts of their bodies they don’t get to see often.” That’s an interesting point to think about. But is it true? And how self-aware are animals in general? Animal Awareness And Mirrors There has been much debate over which animal species are able to recognize their reflections and what that says about their level of self-awareness. Orangutans and other primates, such as Chimpanzees, have passed the mirror recognition test since scientists began administering it in 1970. This test was designed to determine if animals showed signs of self-awareness when they encountered a mirror. Only a handful of animals have displayed such signs. Most do not, and numerous species have exhibited behaviors that scientists deem inconclusive in determining self-awareness. Orangutans, like Amber in the video, first passed this test in 1973 when they were able to identify markings on their bodies using a mirror. However, gorillas have not conclusively been able to do this. Neither have many species of monkeys, which typically consider their reflections to be other monkeys. Many dog parents have likely seen their canine companions reach a similar conclusion about their reflections when they are confronted with a mirror. Conclusion Amber, the Orangutan, definitely knows that she is looking at herself in the mirror. The question is, is she examining her mouth and teeth so that she can clean them later on, or is she simply passing the time, entertaining herself, similar to how humans like to take selfies? Given how much she positions her mouth at different angles, we think she is trying to gauge how she looks. While not every Orangutan might necessarily examine their teeth in a mirror this way, it is possible that Amber learned this behavior by observing another Orangutan or even a human doing something similar. In addition to recognizing themselves in the mirror, Orangutans are also capable of social learning. Scientists have observed different Orangutan groups in the wild using leaves as napkins to wipe their faces or gloves to help them while handling spiny fruits. Not all Orangutan groups do this. According to scientists, these are learned behaviors that are passed down from elder Orangutans to the younger generation. So, it is possible that Amber is reenacting a behavior she learned from observing another Orangutan or a human. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable **** by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest **** updates and tips. Source link #Orangutan #Introduced #Mirror #Result #Pure #Diva #Energy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House Republicans advance Trump’s tax cut plan House Republicans advance Trump’s tax cut plan Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on the potential budget resolution vote and other issues, after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives late on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump‘s tax-cut and border agenda, delivering a major boost to his 2025 agenda. The vote on passage was 217-215, with one Republican voting in opposition and no Democrats supporting the controversial measure. One Democrat did not vote. It followed an unusual series of maneuvers by Speaker Mike Johnson in which he canceled a vote on the bill — apparently because it lacked the votes for passage — and members of the House were advised there would be no further votes for the night. He then promptly reversed course, only to bring the budget up for passage. The turn of events came after Johnson and No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise spent hours persuading holdouts to back the move, a preliminary step to extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts later this year. Both leaders said Trump himself had also been contacting reluctant members about the need to advance the $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan, which would also fund the deportation of migrants living in the U.S. illegally, tighten border security, energy deregulation and military spending. Doubts about House Republican unity prompted Senate Republicans to enact their own budget resolution as a Plan B ploy last week: a $340 billion measure that covers Trump’s border, defense and energy priorities but leaves the thornier issue of tax policy for later in the year. The House budget seeks $2 trillion in spending cuts over ten years to pay for Trump’s agenda. The tax cuts Trump is seeking would extend breaks passed during his first term in office, his main legislative accomplishment, that are due to expire at the end of this year. Several hardline conservatives sought deeper spending cuts and stronger control over separate government funding legislation to avert a potential shutdown after current funding expires on March 14. Source link #House #Republicans #advance #Trumps #tax #cut #plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. lawmakers warn that China could use Musk to influence Trump U.S. lawmakers warn that China could use Musk to influence Trump Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House’s Oval Office. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives’ select committee on China warned on Tuesday that Beijing may try to exert leverage with Elon Musk in a bid to win favorable U.S. policies, and that Washington must counter any such effort. Republican committee chair John Moolenaar and Democratic ranking member ***** Krishnamoorthi said they believed the ******** ********** Party wants to use U.S. business leaders including Musk, who have commercial interests in China, to advance its goals in talks with Washington. “To the question of Elon Musk, I do believe that the CCP will try and leverage any opportunity,” Moolenaar told an event hosted by the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington. “Are people going to be looking for that and make sure that his lane is one that is not influencing China policy? I believe that is the case,” Moolenaar said, when asked whether Congress has a role in preventing Beijing from negotiating with the White House through Musk. Musk and the White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment. China’s Washington embassy said China welcomed “mutually beneficial cooperation” with “people from all walks of life in the United States.” “We are happy to see foreign-funded enterprises invest and start businesses in China, deepen their presence in the ******** market and share development opportunities,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said by email. China has some pressing priorities. Just over a month into his second term, President Donald Trump has announced additional 10% tariffs on ******** goods, called for greater restrictions on ******** investment in the U.S., and named China hardliners to key posts. Musk, the world’s richest man and among Trump’s biggest donors in the 2024 election, could be attractive to Beijing as a potential conduit to Trump because he has become one of the president’s closest White House advisers. Trump named Musk to lead an effort to radically downsize the federal government. The billionaire also for years has had contact with senior ******** officials, including President Xi Jinping. China may also be able to grant Musk things that he wants. His biggest business interest in China is electric car company Tesla, which he leads as CEO. Tesla delivered 36.7% of its cars to customers in China last year, its second-largest market worldwide based on sales. But Tesla’s market share has declined in China as domestic electric vehicle makers have grown, and it has faced regulatory roadblocks to the rollout of its self-driving features there that could boost sales while regulators have allowed ******** firms to move ahead. Apart from Tesla, some of Musk’s other ventures, including commercial rocket and satellite firm SpaceX and social media platform X – the latter is banned in China – are viewed by Beijing as security risks. Circumventing China hawks Krishnamoorthi told the Brookings event that Beijing viewed Musk as way to circumvent China hawks on Trump’s national security team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz. “They absolutely see him as an asset to them in any kind of negotiations, a way to bypass Rubio, a way to bypass Waltz, a way to bypass those whom they see to be less friendly to them on their issues,” Krishnamoorthi said. “My hope is that the president is going to be listening to everybody very carefully,” he said. The lawmakers did not detail the evidence supporting their views. The White House has said Musk has no decision-making authority in the Trump administration and his efficiency initiative has no direct involvement in U.S. foreign policy. Trump’s praise for Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have stoked concerns that he might pursue a grand bargain with Beijing that sidelines Taiwan. China claims the island as its territory, and Taipei has historically counted on Washington as its most important backer, a major irritant to China. Krishnamoorthi said he worried Trump could put core U.S. interests, such as support for Taiwan or freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, up for negotiation in any direct talks with Xi to achieve wins on trade. Moolenaar said he had confidence in Trump’s national security team, but also “limited hopes” for what talks with China might achieve given Beijing’s failure to live up to past promises. Source link #U.S #lawmakers #warn #China #Musk #influence #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]