Lauren Laverne given ‘all clear’ following ******* diagnosis
Lauren Laverne given ‘all clear’ following ******* diagnosis
Broadcaster Lauren Laverne has said she has been given the “all clear” after treatment for *******, adding the experience had taught her “so much about what really matters” in life.
The BBC presenter, 46, said on Instagram on Sunday that she would be back to work on The One Show on Tuesday “after taking some time off to get better”.
She said she now feels “more than ever that the small things in life – the connections we make and care we take with each other – are the big things really”.
Laverne, who also hosts BBC Radio 6 Music’s breakfast show Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, revealed her diagnosis in August, saying at the time that her ******* had been caught early and that she “expected to make a full recovery”.
Her post on Sunday went on to thank the “brilliant medical teams who took such great care of me” and “the thousands of people who sent me such beautiful and encouraging messages”.
“Most of all [thank you] to my family: my two astounding kids and especially my husband Graeme, who was absolutely extraordinary throughout,” she said.
“It’s been a difficult time but one that has taught me so much about what really matters.
“I can’t say I suddenly regretted never having hiked the Inca Trail, more that I now see more beauty in ordinary things than I could have imagined.”
Her post also included a picture of her wearing a jumper bearing the words: “Life is beautiful”.
She said in August her ******* had been discovered “unexpectedly during a screening test” and urged anyone who was “avoiding a test or putting off an appointment” to get checked.
Laverne began filling in for Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs in 2018, later taking over as permanent host.
The role has seen her interview the likes of Cillian Murphy, Steven Spielberg, Rebel Wilson, Delia Smith, Kate Mosse and John Legend.
She has previously presented BBC Two’s The Culture Show and Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live, and in the 1990s was a singer and guitarist with alternative rock band Kenickie.
A BBC spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lauren back to the studio this month for The One Show and Desert Island Discs, with new episodes airing on Radio 4 from 1 December, and we look forward to welcoming Lauren back to BBC Radio 6 Music in the new year.”
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An iMac, a coffee maker and an Amazon tablet
An iMac, a coffee maker and an Amazon tablet
It’s almost Thanksgiving week here in the US, and that means gift-shopping season is in full swing. As the hardware launches slow down while companies wait for you to buy their wares, so, too, can our reviews team take a tiny breather. That respite will unfortunately be brief, as we begin to prepare for CES 2025 in earnest while getting some year-end retrospectives ready. Many of our team members will be taking meetings all through December ahead of the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, which is officially starting on January 7 this year, and the news will be coming as early as January 5.
In the meantime, our team’s holiday gift guide and ****** Friday shopping content have been dominating our site, thanks to the relentless hard work of everyone that works at Engadget. There are many people behind-the-scenes involved in the process, as we try to find the best deals this season to better serve our audience. I myself have gone to CamelCamelCamel to make sure a standing-mirror-shelf was indeed 30 percent off, and not just marked as such while being listed at the same price as during non-***** periods. You’ve got to be so careful with your money and not falling for deceptive deals, and our commerce team is truly adept at sussing out the good stuff versus the bad.
Between all the work for our holiday gift guides, planning for CES and taking some well-deserved time off, our team of reviewers has still managed to deliver some great reads, just in time for the holidays.
Apple M4 iMac review
by Steve Dent
Apple
Apple’s 2024 iMac comes with the powerful M4 chip and starts with 16GB of RAM, making it a better value than past models.
*****
Powerful M4 processors
16GB of RAM comes standard
Much improved webcam
Nano-textured display option
*****
Upgrades still too expensive
Needs more screen size options
No vertical height adjustment
$1,199 at Amazon
Steve’s one of our expert photographers and videographers, and his review of the new iMac as a content creator is super insightful. I’ve always admired Steve’s depth of knowledge, and his background brought a different perspective to our review that I found relevant and helpful.
One of the biggest takeaways from Steve’s review is that Apple is finally offering more RAM in the entry-level model, and that’s somehow the most intriguing upgrade here. Though the webcam now has a sharper 12-megapixel sensor, and the display can be configured with a nano-coating, having twice the RAM in the base configuration is the most significant improvement. Steve clearly lays out why.
Fellow Aiden review
by Billy Steele
Fellow/Engadget
The Aiden is an automatic drip coffee machine that actually delivers on its promise of hands-off pour-over quality brewing. It offers tons of customization options and controls, plus guided brewing for novice users.
*****
Excellent pour-over performance
Lots of customization
Reconfigurable for single-cup use
Carafe pours easily
*****
One-button interface slows you down
Some app features are still in development
$365 at Fellow
Whenever Billy files a draft that’s for something outside the audio category, I know I have to be prepared. His mouthwatering descriptions of the meats he smokes or pizzas he makes with the cooking appliances he reviews often evoke FOODMO (food-induced FOMO) and, weirdly, so did this review of the Fellow Aiden. It’s an automatic coffee maker that promises to replicate the quality of brews you’d get using a pour-over cone. I am a casual coffee lover, in that I know my preference for darker roasts and can kind of tell the difference when a cuppa has been prepared well. But aside from convenience, I couldn’t tell you exactly why I prefer my pour-over cone to a French press or drip machine.
Billy’s review clearly explains why the Aiden is the best of the coffee makers that claim to bring pour-over quality in an automatic system. While simultaneously making me somehow crave an expertly crafted cup of morning joe. Be warned, if descriptions of beans can make your mouth water, definitely make sure you have a mug of your favorite beverage nearby before reading this.
Loop Switch 2 review
by Billy Steele
Loop/Engadget
The Switch 2 delivers on Loop’s promise to safely filter loud noise without overly muffling the sound for social gatherings, concerts, commuting and more.
*****
Easy to adjust while wearing
Very comfortable
*****
Priciest model from Loop
Noise levels on vary by 3dB
$60 at Loop
We don’t typically review earplugs, but Billy had done fairly deep testing of the Loop Switch 2, and had enough experience to also compare it to some competing products. That’s why we felt confident about assigning these noise-filtering earbuds a score. You might notice that the scorecard is smaller than usual — this is something you’ll see more of moving forward. It represents reviews that involved first-hand, in-depth testing, but for products that for a variety of reasons may not rise to the level of our full reviews. Rest assured that a scored review on Engadget will always involve thorough first hand testing and thoughtful criticism and evaluation.
Billy’s piece on the Switch 2 had me intrigued, especially as I recently went to a concert and was concerned about the loud music and potential damage to my hearing. I never knew earplugs had gotten so advanced, and learned a lot from Billy’s description of how you can change between levels of noise-filtering without having to take these buds out of your ears.
Amazon ***** HD 8 tablet review
by Jeff Dunn
Amazon
The ***** HD 8 ******** a decent value for a casual media consumption tablet, particularly when it’s on *****, but its iffy display and ad-heavy software make it less appealing at full price.
*****
Cheap, and frequently discounted
Lightweight and comfortable to hold
Improved performance over prior generation
Good battery life
Has a microSD slot and headphone jack
*****
***** OS is ad-heavy and Amazon-centric to the point of hostility
Limited app selection
Display needs a refresh
Poor cameras
Still only powerful enough for light gaming and media consumption
$55 at Amazon
Many Amazon tablets fall under the category of products that we would like to review but don’t typically have the time or bandwidth to get to. That’s why I was excited when Jeff was able to find time to test the ***** HD 8, especially since he is familiar with the Amazon product ecosystem. There are plenty of Android tablets out there, and the ***** series are among the most affordable, making them a popular choice. That’s why it’s important for us to test them, to get a better sense for what people are using and also to inform our other coverage and reviews. Though Jeff didn’t like ***** OS, he did find the HD 8 to be just good enough to be a decent value. As long as you can put up with an ad-heavy interface and a limited app selection, you’ll probably find this to be a competent device for, say, your child to use on the go.
Sonos Arc Ultra review
by Billy Steele
Sonos/Engadget
Sonos’ latest premium soundbar relies on new technology to improve audio quality and the upgrade delivers more than just a bass boost.
*****
Improved bass performance
Crisp, clear and immersive sound
Expanded Speech Enhancement
Compatible with Ace headphones
*****
Still just a single HDMI port
Expansion ******** pricey
Large footprint
$999 at Sonos
Sonos’ Arc Ultra manages to deliver better bass and sound than the original, and thanks to Billy’s explainer on the company’s latest Sound Motion technology, I have a better understanding of how it’s different. According to Billy, the acoustic improvement is significant, and the company’s improved app makes for a greater overall experience that could be worth the extra $100. Considering the Sonos Arc is now on ***** for $699 and the Ultra costs $999, though, the greater difference in cost may be ******* to justify.
Sony’s PlayStation Portal gets a cloud-streaming upgrade
by Devindra Hardawar
Sony announced this week that it was bringing cloud-streaming to the PlayStation Portal, a handheld gaming console that was previously only capable of playing games that were on the PlayStation in your home. Since this drawback was one of the major complaints Devindra had when he reviewed the Portal last year, he dusted off his Portal and got to testing the new cloud-streaming feature and was generally impressed by the performance and latency. It’s nice to see companies deliver features after a product launches, and even nicer when they work well.
But since Devindra still has some unaddressed griped with the Portal, like some clunkiness and lag in connecting to a PlayStation, the cloud-streaming addition doesn’t yet warrant an update to our original review and score. If Sony further updates the Portal and genuinely improves the experience, we will revisit our evaluation. For now, though, Devindra just says he has “started to hate this thing a bit less.”
On the horizon: Upcoming reviews
We’re still awaiting a review unit of the new Kindle Scribe that Amazon announced in October, and continue to work through our backlog of gadgets that includes a Roku, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We’re also taking some time to revisit some older products so we can review them with some time after launch, which should give us a better view of how the things we test hold up over time. Stay tuned for all that, and feel free to send us your feedback and suggestions on what you’d like to see us review. In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it, and we’ll see you soon!
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 gets a new patch to address ongoing stability issues — Microsoft suggests users install 1.1.9.0 patch, relocate Community Folder to mitigate long loading times
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 gets a new patch to address ongoing stability issues — Microsoft suggests users install 1.1.9.0 patch, relocate Community Folder to mitigate long loading times
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s launch has been marred by a handful of issues and clunky backend infrastructure designed for just 200,000 players. To somewhat alleviate this situation, Microsoft’s latest patch for its flight simulator addresses a few common stability problems and advises users to relocate the Community Folder for better performance.
MSFS 2024 (Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024) incorporates a unique design to reduce initial download sizes – streaming assets from the cloud on the go as you play. This has several implications, the first being bandwidth on Microsoft’s end and the second being game preservation, but that’s a topic for another day. Microsoft’s design did not factor in the large swarm of players at launch, and even now, it struggles to keep up with demand. Talk about suffering from success.
In its release notes, Microsoft suggested users transfer the Community Folder to another folder before restarting the game. According to Microsoft, outdated packages in this folder can impact your framerate, so this small step might boost your performance—to a certain extent. A handful of other bugs have also been addressed, as you can see in the list below.
Stability & Performance
Fixed a ****** when you selected “As Arrival” in the EFB.
Fixed a ****** that could occur when closing and invoking the Camera menu after changing the Drone focus mode option to a value other than undefined.
Fixed various crashes across the title.
General Bug Fixes
Fixed missing cursor on Xbox Live sign-in popup
Fixed an issue where you could lose focus when creating a new input profile.
Aircraft selection is accessible via the control menu, but can only be changed from the home page.
Fixed an issue where you could get stuck when accessing the menu bar from any help page.
Users have expressed their frustrations, an example of which is Steam – seeing MSFS 2024’s rating drop to “Mostly Negative.” Admittedly, while server capacity issues still plague the flight-sim, initial testing should have taken these considerations into mind. Global player counts are still on the rise – offsetting Microsoft’s best efforts to mitigate ongoing bandwidth problems.
As we speak, Microsoft has not rolled out a roadmap of any sort to address the community’s concerns. This sort of ties into the increasing player count problem we mentioned above. A game heavily reliant on cloud streaming is bound to run into these issues. The idea is new and innovative but also restricts data and bandwidth-limited users from accessing the game and then you have the obvious subject of game preservation. Nonetheless, MSFS 2024 has been a hit – in all sorts of ways but we expect Microsoft to find solutions to these issues shortly.
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“The House With the Caryatids:” an Architectural Gem in Athens
“The House With the Caryatids:” an Architectural Gem in Athens
“The House With The Caryatids” is a landmark of Athens. Credit: Screenshot YouTube Up Stories
In a quiet street minutes away from the Acropolis Hill, an iconic building with two Caryatids on its balcony has been adorning the heart of downtown Athens for over 100 years. Known as “The House With the Caryatids,” it is a symbol of Greek heritage and an architectural jewel poised between the past and the present.
The simple, two-story building on Asomaton 45 Street was the residence of modern Greek sculptor Ioannis Karakatsanis, who lived and worked at the house until his ****** in 1906. Karakatsanis was a student of Leonidas Drosis, a leading Greek sculptor whose massive statues of Socrates and Plato stand in front of the Academy of Athens on Panepistimiou Avenue. Karakatsanis’ family sold the building after the sculptor *****. It underwent a renovation and since then has been the home of the Greek Olympic Winners Association.
In 1989, the Greek Ministry of Culture listed it as a landmark.
Caryatids of the Erechtheion. Credit: George Rex. CC BY 2.0/flickr
The differences with the Caryatids of the Erechtheion
In contrast with the Caryatids of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis, the two female statues on the balcony of Karakatsanis’ house have their hands crossed in front of them instead of freely falling down. Moreover, their legs are not visible. Instead, they are connected to square stands that are smoothly combined with the balcony.
This deviation from the ancient Greek tradition appears to be far from coincidental. The two Caryatids are said to be representing the image of Karakatsanis’ wife, Xanthi, and his wife’s sister, Eudoxia, thus making the monument deeply personal.
A Caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as architectural support instead of a column in ancient Greece.
The eerie legend behind “The House with the Caryatids”
“The House with the Caryatids” became widely known through a popular legend, which 19th century Athenians loved to tell. That legend ******** alive to this day, adding a veil of mystery to the house.
Panagiotis Kritikakos, a barber who had his shop on the ground floor of the building, told his clients that the two Caryatids represented Karakatsanis’ daughters, who ***** either of a rare ******** or were poisoned by their stepmother. However, his descendants refuted these claims while Karakatsanis’ daughters all lived a long life.
“The House of the Caryatids” in other artists work
In 1952, Henri Cartier-Bresson, a famous French artist and humanist photographer, snapped one of his most legendary pictures in front of “The House of the Caryatids.” It depicts two old Greek women dressed in ****** passing under the building. The photo beautifully contrasts the two female statues with the two, ******-clad Greek women.
Giannis Tsarouxis, a famous Greek painter and set designer, was inspired by the two Caryatids adorning the building and portrayed them in his paintings and set designs.
To this day, “The House of the Caryatids” appears in countless photos posted online and in social media, snapped by local passers-by and tourists.
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‘Wild, Dark, Demonic’ Forces: Woman’s Powerful Ministry to Confront Evil, Offer Healing
‘Wild, Dark, Demonic’ Forces: Woman’s Powerful Ministry to Confront Evil, Offer Healing
Judith MacNutt, founder of ********** Healing Ministries, an organization dedicated to healing prayer, is on a mission to help people find hope — and spiritual recovery.
MacNutt, co-author of “Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Guide to Freedom from the Demonic Realm” alongside her late husband Francis MacNutt, grew up in a ********** home with a mother who believed wholeheartedly in healing.
“When I would listen to her, she would talk about the miracles of ****** for healing and deliverance, and then I would go to our *******, and they would pray for someone, like, in the hospital,” she said on the “Playing With ***** Podcast.” “But there didn’t seem to be that same level of ****** and authority that I saw when I read the Scripture.”
Eventually, MacNutt went to college, studied psychology, and became a psychotherapist. This led her to work in psychiatric hospitals throughout the Boston area, where she started to notice something.
LIsten to her explain her journey:
“It was during that time that the Lord led me to Isaiah 61,” she said, quoting the Scriptures there about **** healing the brokenhearted and setting the captive free. “And I began to see psychology as a wonderful diagnostic tool, and I was thankful for my training and I still am. But, at the same time, it’s limited in helping people.”
MacNutt said research shows one-third of people get better, one-third remain the same, and another third “get worse,” explaining her belief that these numbers aren’t “great.” One of the precipitating events that led her into healing ministry unfolded after a ******** at her hospital.
“One of my clients was able to find a **** and take his life on the hospital grounds,” MacNutt said. “No one ever knew how he got the ****, but that created this real crisis for me, because I began to see the limitations.”
She deeply loved her patients and used medicine and treatment but too many “just weren’t getting well.” MacNutt said she felt at the time as though love simply wasn’t enough.
“When this young man — he was only in his 30s — committed ********, that’s what drove me deeper into finding out more about Scripture, and about healing, and, ultimately — deliverance,” she said.
MacNutt began to pray for her patients, which began a process that changed everything.
“When I started praying with my patients, I didn’t tell anyone,” she said. “I just started praying, and I was running a youth group at that time at a local ******* there in Boston, and I got my students to pray for these patients, like, first name only. They didn’t know anything, but they were so zealous for ****.”
As those prayers progressed, MacNutt said she started seeing her patients “getting well.”
“They really started getting free of the issues they had when they came into the unit,” she said. “So, I saw real-life transformations in the psych hospital.”
Listen to the latest episode of “Quick Start”
All of this paved the way for the work MacNutt does at ********** Healing Ministries, where she said they address four different types of healing: physical healing, inner healing, spiritual healing, and deliverance.
“Most people are familiar with physical healing,” she said. “And then there’s inner healing, which is our emotions and our memories. And then there’s spiritual healing, which is in the area of forgiveness. We need to forgive someone or be forgiven, and then the fourth area of healing is deliverance from evil spirits.”
It’s the last form of healing — deliverance — that often sparks debates in theological circles, as believers battle over the extent to which the demonic can impact Christians, the lengths to which evil manifests today, and other related issues. MacNutt is no stranger to these discussions.
“What concerns me is people take deliverance out of context and they ******* it as some, you know, wild, dark, demonic force coming against people, which is true,” she said. “But they don’t put it in the context of our humanity, and certainly the love of ****.”
MacNutt continued, “And it’s beautiful to see someone set free from a lifetime of ***** use or a lifetime of self-****** in some way, because the demons do have an awful lot of control, whether they’re outside or inside a person.”
She said she always encourages people to return to the ****** to see how ****** handled evil. From the man labeled the Gerasene demoniac in Scripture to the people with mute spirits, ******* always confronted evil in a head-on, intriguing way.
As for the term “exorcism,” a theological practice known more in ********* circles than anywhere else as an expulsion of the demonic from a person who has been fully overtaken by evil, MacNutt said she has only seen one person in 50 years of ministry who needed to undergo such a process.
Most people, she said, simply need deliverance, which she differentiated from exorcism. And she said Christians are often in need of expelling evil that is somehow pressing in or attached to them.
“The rest of them either have like a demonic force kind of pressing on them, oppressing them, or they have one inside,” MacNutt said. “And I know that’s controversial always with a lot of Christians, but … I’ve prayed with so many Christians that I do know that’s absolutely true.”
She continued, “There’s a vast difference between exorcism and deliverance.”
MacNutt said the actions we take in life can open us up to these spiritual evils. She recalled her own journey in middle school playing with a Ouija board. At the time, she didn’t know the dangers. But a friend at a slumber party convinced her to take part in a seance.
Years later, while working in ministry, a man approached her who had a gift of “discerning spirits.”
“He said, ‘You have a spirit of the occult,’” she recalled. “And I said, ‘That’s impossible. I’ve never ever dealt in the occult.’ And the Lord immediately brought back those two memories, and I had to renounce the occult. … And when I had the prayer of renunciation, asking ****’s forgiveness, and then being set free, it really changed me in ways that I had a definite, new freedom.”
MacNutt now helps others find that very freedom through her ********** Healing Ministries, explaining that finding freedom is a “very simple process.” People will call or come to events hosted by the organization, including trainings and healing events.
People will fill out intake forms addressing their lives and backgrounds and then meet with prayer ministers to hear their stories and then work with them.
“Our prayer ministers are really trained in listening, and they know that love is what heals,” she said, explaining how they then pray and help those move past these traumas and evils. Find out more about these efforts here.
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Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Kalen DeBoer’s bad night, Indiana’s silver lining mark wild Week 13
Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Kalen DeBoer’s bad night, Indiana’s silver lining mark wild Week 13
And now, 20 Final Thoughts from Week 13, when four of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s top 16 teams lost to opponents with 5-5 or 4-6 records.
1. No. 5 Indiana finally played its big game against No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday and lost by 23 points. Yet, by night’s end, the Hoosiers found themselves in much better shape to make the Playoff than … Alabama.
2. Don’t let SEC flacks tell you after Saturday, “This just goes to show you how tough it is to win in this conference.” Not this year. No. 7 Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) lost 24-3 at Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5), a team that has spent much of the season struggling to find the end zone. No. 9 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) lost 24-17 at Florida (6-5, 4-4), which until recently wasn’t sure its coach would make it to 2025. And No. 15 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) went down 43-41 in four overtimes at Auburn (5-6, 2-5), even though its distinguishing trait this season has been its ability to cough up turnovers.
Even after all that, the Aggies can still reach the SEC Championship Game if they knock off No. 3 Texas (10-1, 6-1) next week. They’d face No. 10 Georgia (9-2, 6-2), which clinched its berth on a day when it faced UMass. If that matchup happens, it would be the most combined losses in an SEC title game (five) since 2007.
A conference that assumed it would be getting at least four, if not five berths to the first 12-team Playoff may now find itself with a maximum of three.
GO DEEPER
College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Indiana hangs on as Alabama, Ole Miss fall out
3. Alabama’s loss — the first game since 2011 in which it did not score a touchdown — was unspeakably bad for first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, who has overseen the program’s first three-loss regular season in 14 years. The Tide finally had cleansed the stench of October losses at Vanderbilt and Tennessee and could write their ticket to Atlanta. Instead, a swarming Oklahoma defense pressured Jalen Milroe (11 of 26 for 164 yards) into a three-interception night, while the Sooners’ 127th-ranked offense saw freshman running back Xavier Robinson (18 carries, 107 yards, two touchdowns) and quarterback Jackson Arnold (25 carries, 131 yards) run all over the Tide.
This was a seminal win for third-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, whose midseason switch to Joe Jon Finley as offensive coordinator paid off. But unless Alabama still backdoors into the CFP, the first season of the post-Saban era officially will go down as a disaster.
4. Since losing 32-31 at current No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) has answered its biggest questions. They were all on display in the Buckeyes’ 38-15 drubbing of No. 5 Indiana (10-1, 7-1). Quarterback Will Howard, whose late clock-management gaffe doomed the Buckeyes in Eugene, has been impressive since. He finished 22 of 26 for 201 yards and two TDs with one tipped pick Saturday. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles took flak for his defense’s inability to get to the quarterback against Oregon, but it has had 18 sacks in the five games since, including five Saturday. And, of course, popular punching bag Ryan Day emerged from that Oregon game with a 2-6 record against top-five foes. He has doubled his top-five wins since (Penn State and Indiana).
Ohio State’s biggest question ******** its offensive line, though the Buckeyes did not miss injured center Seth McLaughlin in this one. Even so, Ohio State will be a popular national title pick come Selection Sunday.
5. The Hoosiers, who close with 1-10 Purdue next week, present one heck of a riddle for the committee. On the one hand, they likely will finish 11-1, with 10 blowout victories, while playing in a major conference. On the other hand, at most three of Indiana’s 11 wins will have come against bowl-eligible teams, and even those three likely will be 6-6. And then, in the one chance the Hoosiers had to prove themselves against an elite opponent, they lost big.
Still, they’ve only lost once, and we’re down to eight Power 4 teams that can say that. The best guess is the committee will drop Indiana to No. 10, below 9-2 Tennessee and Georgia and just behind 10-1 SMU.
Safe for now, with almost no breathing room.
GO DEEPER
Curt Cignetti thinks Indiana is still Playoff worthy. In 12-team format, we get to debate
6. The good news for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is he no longer has to worry about his team reaching the SEC Championship Game, losing and getting knocked out of the Playoff. The Rebels just skipped right to the last part.
Ole Miss committed every self-inflicted wound imaginable in Gainesville. Twice on fourth-and-1 deep in Gators territory, Kiffin called a direct snap to 325-pound defensive tackle JJ Pegues. He was stuffed on both. And given two chances in the last 3:58 to send the game to overtime, quarterback Jaxson Dart threw two inexcusable interceptions.
Barring a miracle, the most hyped Ole Miss team in a generation will spend the holidays at the Citrus/Gator/Las Vegas bowl. Florida will, too, but that’s a big victory given Billy Napier’s job status only a few weeks ago.
7. When the Big 12 opted to expand from eight teams (after Texas and Oklahoma left) to 16, it inadvertently created possibly the flattest conference ever assembled. There are no alphas and no doormats, just 16 programs that can beat any of the others in a given week. And now, those teams have produced a perfectly fitting stretch run. Four teams — Arizona State, BYU, Colorado and Iowa State — sit tied atop the standings at 6-2 in league play. And none of them play each other next weekend.
If all four win their last game, the Sun Devils and Cyclones will meet in Arlington. But what chance do you give that happening?
8. Kansas (5-6, 4-4 Big 12) is the living embodiment of Big 12 parity. Ranked in the preseason Top 25, the Jayhawks limped to a 2-6 start before upsetting 7-1 Iowa State. And then upsetting 9-0 BYU. And then, on Saturday, likely ending the Playoff hopes of No. 16 Colorado (8-3, 6-2) in a 37-21 rout. Kansas, led by veteran tailback Devin Neal (37 carries, 207 yards, three TDs), played bully ball, running for 331 yards against the Big 12’s third-best rushing defense entering the weekend.
It’s an abrupt turn of events for Deion Sanders’ team, which entered that game on a four-game winning streak with its eyes on a Big 12 title. Barring everything breaking their way next week, stars Shedeur Sanders (23 of 29 for 266 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions) and Travis Hunter (eight catches, 125 yards, two touchdowns) may be playing their last college games Friday against Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8).
9. Arizona State has had a hard time through the years building fan loyalty in its pro sports market, but second-year coach and alum Kenny Dillingham is doing everything possible to change that. Led by star running back Cam Skattebo (28 carries, 147 yards, three touchdowns), the No. 21 Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2) jumped to a 21-3 halftime lead against No. 14 BYU (9-2, 6-2) before hanging on for dear life. They prevailed 28-23 only after a ********** field storming and a BYU Hail Mary attempt that was caught just short of the end zone.
Arizona State, 3-9 a year ago, was picked to finish last in the conference. It may beat that by 15 spots.
GO DEEPER
Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham has proved himself a great coach — with room to improve
10. No. 22 Iowa State (9-2, 6-2) has gone 112 years since its last conference championship, and for a brief moment against Utah (4-7, 1-7), it looked like the drought might continue. The Utes, down to fifth-string quarterback Luke Bottari, drove 91 yards to take a 28-24 lead with 5:51 left. But Cyclones counterpart Rocco Becht is no stranger to late-game drives. Iowa State went up 31-28 with 1:31 left, then Utah’s Cole Becker missed a 54-yard field goal attempt to tie.
Iowa State is in the Big 12 Championship Game with a win next week, but it has the toughest remaining game of the four contenders, against 8-3 Kansas State. “Farmageddon” does not usually have such high stakes.
11. Any hopes of a service academy crashing the CFP likely ended Saturday when No. 6 Notre Dame (10-1) humbled No. 19 Army (9-1) 49-14, ending the nation’s longest winning streak at 13. The Irish defense was just too good. Army was averaging an FBS-best 334.9 rushing yards but had 207, including 71 on its last garbage-time drive. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love needed just seven carries to rack up 130 yards and two scores (he also caught a touchdown pass). And so, it’s down to 6-5 USC standing between the Irish and a CFP first-round home game.
The ****** Knights still have plenty ahead of them: They’ll play for the AAC championship on Dec. 6 against Tulane and then, of course, face Navy. But even were Army to knock off the Green Wave, it’s doubtful it would finish ranked higher than the Mountain West champion.
12. Seeing all those SEC road teams go down Saturday should elicit some appreciation for No. 4 Penn State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten), which survived 26-25 at Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) despite digging itself an early 10-0 *****. The Nittany Lions ran out the clock with a six-minute drive in which they converted three fourth-and-one situations, including a daring James Franklin call. Penn State faked a punt from its 34-yard line with freshman tight end Luke Reynolds breaking off a 32-yard run.
Speaking of tight ends, I’ve been including Penn State’s Tyler Warren on my Heisman Trophy straw poll ballot for the past few weeks. That won’t change after he caught eight passes for 102 yards.
13. Seven programs have moved up from a Group of 5 league to a Power 5 league since 2011. The first six all finished below .500 in conference play in their first year. The seventh, No. 13 SMU, has yet to lose in conference play. The Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 ACC) clinched a spot in the ACC championship game with a 33-7 win at Virginia (5-6, 3-4). SMU has won eight straight games, including its last three by double digits, and it looks like a more complete team with each week. The committee has not been impressed with the Mustangs, but with teams above them losing, they’re moving into potential at-large territory, win or lose the conference.
14. SMU’s opponent in Charlotte will be No. 8 Miami (10-1, 6-1) if the Canes win at Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) next week or No. 17 Clemson (9-2, 7-1) if Miami loses. The Canes broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to run away from Wake Forest 42-14, holding the ****** Deacons (4-7, 2-5) without an offensive touchdown after the first quarter. This season has been a long time coming for Miami fans, who’ve spent most of the past 20 years in purgatory. This is the program’s first 10-win season since 2017, and even that team lost three in a row to end the season. The 2024 edition is aiming for a more satisfying ending.
15. All those SEC teams losing Saturday introduces the possibility of the ACC getting a second CFP berth. If Miami and SMU both go into the conference title game at 11-1, it would be surprising if the ****** fell out of the field.
And then there’s Clemson.
Dabo Swinney’s team, which handled The Citadel 51-14, should move to the cusp of the top 12 on Tuesday heading into a home showdown with current No. 18 South Carolina (8-3). Should the Gamecocks win, they could get blocked out by their losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, but Clemson could have a shot if someone takes an unexpected second loss next weekend.
16. No. 12 Boise State (10-1, 7-0 Mountain West) clinched a berth in the Mountain West Championship Game, which it will host, with a *******-than-expected 17-13 win at Wyoming (2-9, 2-5). Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty briefly left with an injury but came back out to finish with 169 yards on 19 carries, becoming the first FBS 2,000-yard rusher in five years. (He’s now at 2,062.) Jeanty will be playing on championship weekend, but with Colorado losing, his top Heisman competition, Colorado’s Hunter, might not be.
Boise State now seems to have a real chance to finish above the Big 12 champion and earn the No. 4 seed and the accompanying first-round bye. Keep an eye on how high No. 21 Arizona State moves up on Tuesday.
17. Well folks, they did it. The Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-5, 3-5 Big Ten) are going to a bowl game for the first time since 2016, ending the longest drought of any Power 4 team.
Nebraska, which entered Saturday having lost four straight games, avoided one of its patented last-minute losses by hammering Wisconsin (5-6, 3-5) 44-25, ending a 10-game losing streak to the Badgers. A whole lot of demons slayed in one afternoon. Now, Wisconsin has its own streak on the line. Luke Fickell’s team needs to beat Minnesota next week to avoid the program’s first losing season since 2001.
18. USC (6-5, 4-5 Big Ten) did its best to salvage an otherwise ********** season with a 19-13 win over rival UCLA (4-7, 3-6) at a half-full (half-empty?) Rose Bowl. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava has not been spectacular since taking over the starting job two weeks ago, but he has made plays when needed. USC’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter came when Maiava was flushed nearly to the sideline but found his footing and hit Ja’Kobi Lane in the end zone. Next week, the Trojans have a heck of a step up in competition: No. 6 Notre Dame heads to L.A. with a CFP berth in its sights.
19. The first Pac-2 Championship Game ended dramatically, with Oregon State’s Everett Hayes kicking a 55-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to lift the Beavers (5-6) to a surprising 41-38 win over Washington State (8-3). Oregon State had lost five straight games, most recently a 28-0 head-scratcher against Air Force. Now it has a chance to go bowling, but it would have to win Friday at Boise State. Wazzu’s season has taken a disappointing turn since getting to 8-1 and No. 18 in the CFP rankings. First, it lost a heartbreaker at New Mexico and now this, despite the continued heroics of quarterback John Mateer (250 yards passing, 75 yards rushing, four TDs).
20. Finally, Cal (6-5, 2-5 ACC) won its fourth consecutive Big Game, 24-21 over rival Stanford (3-8, 2-6). The Bears had been trailing all game until engineering a 98-yard touchdown drive to take the lead with 2:40 left.
On one hand, these were two programs far from national relevance, marginalized by realignment, playing a game on ACC Network that likely no one outside of their fans watched. On the other hand, this was a season- and career-defining game for those involved, as evidenced by Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s extremely emotional and eloquent postgame interview.
Highly recommend.
The full Fernando Mendoza post game interview after defeating Stanford
I’m not crying, you are#CALGORITHM #GOBEARS pic.twitter.com/5EPIiq7uwM
— c (@calgoldnbears) November 23, 2024
(Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
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Max Verstappen clinches fourth F1 championship as George Russell wins Las Vegas GP
Max Verstappen clinches fourth F1 championship as George Russell wins Las Vegas GP
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LAS VEGAS — George Russell may have won the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton beside him on the podium for a Mercedes 1-2 finish. But all eyes were on Max Verstappen. For the fourth time in as many seasons, the Dutchman was crowned Formula One world champion.
It wasn’t an easy slam dunk like the previous two titles, though Verstappen wrapped up the feat with two grands prix and a sprint race left in the season. In previous years, he won races by a significant margin, like a 33-second gap when he won the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. At the start of the 2024 season, it looked as if Verstappen would dominate once again. He won the ********* Grand Prix by 19.3 seconds, and after that race, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff reckoned, “No one is going to catch Max this year.”
Wolff added, “His driving and the car are just spectacular. You can see the way he manages the tires. Basically, this season now is (about being) best of the rest. That’s the fact, that is all.”
But that’s not how the season evolved.
Verstappen’s resilience pays off
Verstappen had to battle more later in the year, failing to win a grand prix in 10-race weekends. There were times when he crossed the line, such as when the racing rules debate flared, but other times, he put on a masterclass, like the Brazil victory that was arguably one of his strongest wins.
The Ferrari and Mercedes duos challenged him at times, taking a total of eight combined wins this season. It’s the first time since 2012 that seven different drivers have won a race. But Verstappen’s closest rival was McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The Briton threatened Verstappen quite early on, taking his first F1 victory at Miami in May. But different developments across the season raised doubts about whether Norris could catch Verstappen in the title battle — like when the pair collided in Austria, Norris’ streak of poor starts, team strategy calls, and unusual conditions like Brazil, where McLaren gambled in the wet. Some questioned whether the team took too long to enact team orders. McLaren finally publicly confirmed the team orders in September.
Singapore seemed like a turning point in the championship, with Norris putting on a dominant performance as he won the race by 20.945 seconds. The points gap to Verstappen narrowed to 52 points. It wasn’t a 100 percent clean race, the McLaren driver admitting afterward that he had “a few too many close calls,” but the victory wasn’t in doubt.
The U.S. Grand Prix saw Verstappen and Norris battle once again, going wheel-to-wheel and avoiding contact but not a penalty. Norris got dinged with a five-second penalty for overtaking off of the race track and lost third place as a result. The gap extended to 57 points. Afterward, Norris said, “It’s a momentum *******.” McLaren did submit a right of review, which was denied.
Norris and Verstappen clashed again in Mexico, and this time, the Dutchman was dinged. And São Paulo was a decisive moment. Red Bull may have stumbled with its car development, which allowed McLaren to soar past it in the constructor standings, but Verstappen managed to drive around the difficulties. He only won nine grands prix this season, by the time he wrapped up the drivers’ world championship.
Max Verstappen during the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
A championship decider under the lights
Coming into the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, Norris seemed to accept his first F1 title ****** may end in defeat would happen Saturday evening. Verstappen, though, cautioned against whether it was definite the title would come this weekend.
“At the moment, it’s difficult to tell because if you look at the last few races in the dry, we didn’t have the pace. It’s not that because we won in the rain in Brazil, suddenly everything is fixed and everything is looking great,” the Dutchman said. “Of course, it gave us a good position in the championship, but I also have to be realistic that we are still not the quickest.”
Aside from Oscar Piastri being in the incorrect starting position, lining up outside of the grid box and receiving a five-second penalty, the start to the race was relatively clean. Charles Leclerc navigated past Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz early, putting pressure on George Russell. The two came close over the subsequent laps as the Ferrari driver tried to lunge past, but Leclerc never could ******** the move. Sainz, though, seemed to have the stronger pace, and it appeared that Leclerc let his teammate pass.
The driver championship contenders, meanwhile, had different starts to the Las Vegas GP. Verstappen began closing on Leclerc while Norris didn’t advance much. Around when all the first pit stops happened, Verstappen seemed set to win the drivers’ championship, sitting fourth on lap 14 while Norris was seventh. That would put the Dutchman 67 points ahead. By lap 21, Verstappen reached second place while Norris sat sixth, putting the Red Bull driver’s lead at 72 points if the results stayed as they were.
Mercedes’ pace was undeniable, but Ferrari wasn’t helped by being delayed when Sainz wanted to pit. Lewis Hamilton continued navigating through the pack, eventually slipping past Verstappen for second. Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, said over the radio, “Don’t lose sight of our aim today, yeah?” The Dutchman replied, “Yeah, yeah, I’m doing my race.”
The gap between Norris and Verstappen was at around 16 seconds by lap 36, and the rest was history. A Mercedes 1-2 prevented Ferrari from taking a significant chunk out of McLaren’s championship lead, but the Prancing Horse duo still finished ahead of Norris and Piastri. With a sprint race and two grands prix to go, the constructors’ championship isn’t wrapped up just yet.
Here’s how the top 10 finished.
George Russell (Mercedes)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
Top photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
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NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, November 24
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, November 24
Sam Hill / Digital Trends
Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.
Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end.
How to play Connections
Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024
You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android.
In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc.
There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections.
Each group is ******-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups.
Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends.
Hints for today’s Connections
We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below.
Today’s themes
CAREEN
WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES
WORDS AFTER “ASH”
One-answer reveals
CAREEN – HEAVE
WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE – IDEA
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES – AMBIEN
WORDS AFTER “ASH” – BLOND
New York Times
Today’s Connections answers
Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below:
CAREEN – HEAVE, LURCH, PITCH, REEL
WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE – IDEA, PERSON, PLACE, THING
ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES – AMBIENT, HOUSE, JUNGLE, TRANCE
WORDS AFTER “ASH” – BLOND, TRAY, TREE, WEDNESDAY
Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow.
NYT Connection FAQs
What time does the Connections puzzle change?
The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time.
Who edits the NYT Connections game?
Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily.
“A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.”
On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far:
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F1 champion Verstappen hails his most impressive season
F1 champion Verstappen hails his most impressive season
Max Verstappen claims 2024 has been his most impressive Formula One season, if not his best, after winning his fourth successive title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Verstappen needed only to outscore Lando Norris to take the title, which he did by finishing fifth in a race won by George Russell.
The Red Bull driver told reporters he had not had the fastest car for 70% of the season, unlike in 2023 when he won 19 of 22 races in the most one-sided campaign in the history of the championship.
So far this year Verstappen has triumphed ‘only’ eight times in 22 and reaching double figures looks a stretch with two rounds to go and Mercedes, Ferrari and leaders McLaren all fighting for the top step of the podium.
“Last year I had a dominant car but I always felt that not everyone appreciated what we achieved as a team, winning 10 in a row,” Verstappen said after finishing fifth in Vegas to take an unbeatable lead in the standings.
“Of course our car was dominant (last year) but it wasn’t as dominant, I think, as people thought it was.
“That (2023) is for sure my best season. I will always look back at it, because even in places where maybe we didn’t have the perfect set-up, we were still capable… our car was always quite strong, to win races.
“But I’m also very proud of this season because… for 70% of the season we didn’t have the fastest car, but actually we still extended our lead. So that is definitely something that I’m very proud of.”
Verstappen started the campaign with seven pole positions in a row and won seven of the first 10 but then went on a streak of 10 winless races in a row.
The latter part of the season has been about defending the sizeable lead built up in the early months.
“Every championship has actually been very different in emotions,” said Verstappen.
“It will never top the emotions of the first one because that is what you set out to do and that’s your ultimate dream and goal to win one.
“But then you know, the season has been very different to the second one and last year’s one. And that’s, I think, very beautiful because if they’re all fairly similar that’s not as exciting.
“Honestly, when I crossed the line, I was just very relieved. I was like, it’s over. It’s been a tough run of races, and I’m very happy that it rained in Brazil,” he added, referring to his standout win from 17th on the grid.
“When I look back at this season, probably in 20 years’ time when I’m retired, Las Vegas ’24 as a race is not going to be in my top 10. But it’s still very special to win it here.”
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Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, has made history. Can the prodigy become the youngest chess world champion?
Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, has made history. Can the prodigy become the youngest chess world champion?
Dr. Rajinikanth and his wife Dr. Padma would regularly play chess together for fun at their family home in India. Always at their side, watching wide-eyed, observing intensely as each piece was strategically moved on the board, was their son, Gukesh. The young boy was captivated by the calculated ****** and white dance before him.
“He would become fascinated with how the pieces worked,” Rajini tells The Athletic.
Over the next few weeks, Gukesh, still fresh into adulthood, could become the youngest-ever chess world champion. By qualifying for this month’s 2024 World Chess Championship in Singapore, the 18-year-old is already the youngest challenger to compete for the world title.
It has been a meteoric and surprising rise for a player who, until the summer of 2022, was still solely ranked as a junior. “It just happened by accident,” says Rajini, a surgeon. His son’s success wasn’t preordained, he says. Neither he nor his spouse, who is a microbiologist, had planned for or dreamed of their son becoming a phenomenon in the sport. “We never realized he was a special talent,” he explains. “It was the schools, teachers, and coaches who started to tell us, ‘This **** is talented, you should pursue more’.”
Starting on Monday, Gukesh will play titleholder Ding Liren, 32, of China in the best-of-14 classical games match that could last until December 13. For the first time in 138 years, two players from Asia will contest the final.
Gukesh, from the city of Chennai on the Indian south coast, a hotbed for chess talent, won the eight-player 2024 Candidates tournament in Toronto to set up the chance to become the first teenager to win the world title. Aged 17, in his first appearance at what is essentially the final round of World Championship qualifying, he overcame the odds and got the better of five more celebrated players — all with higher rankings — earning his title shot with five wins, one loss, and eight draws to finish with a score of nine out of 14 (one point for a win, half a point for a draw, and zero for a loss). Should he triumph in Singapore, he will become India’s second world chess champion after Viswanathan Anand.
Ding competes against Gukesh during the ***** Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands in January 2023. (Photo by Sylvia Lederer/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Perhaps such success shouldn’t have been surprising given the records he broke as a child. Still young enough to be included in the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) junior world rankings, he is the world’s top-ranked junior male player in classical chess, the longest format of the sport.
That he could beat the defending champion isn’t in the realm of fantasy, either. Gukesh, ranked fifth in the world in this month’s classical rankings, is the in-form player. Ding, currently 23rd, has had a difficult reign as world champion, taking a nine-month break from the sport last year for mental health reasons. He hasn’t won a classical game since January and has only played 44 classical games since becoming world champion.
“I am worried about losing very badly. Hopefully it won’t happen,” Ding said to chess app TakeTakeTake in September. At this week’s press conference, Ding said he wasn’t at his peak but said he was at “peace” and would review his previous best performances for inspiration.
Ding does, however, hold the better record in the pair’s head-to-head classical meetings, winning two and drawing once, and his peak FIDE rating of 2,816 is higher than Gukesh’s (2,794, reached in October).
But Magnus Carlsen, the five-time world champion who opted not to defend his world crown in 2023 but is still ranked as the world’s best classical player, has backed Gukesh to win, and urged the importance of Ding making a fast start.
“Ding cannot lose the first game… from what we’ve seen from Ding for the last one-and-a-half years, I don’t think he’ll come back from losing the first game, so I agree, hesitantly, that he’s going to be the first person to win a game, but I’m very uncertain,” he told chess.com. The Norwegian added: “The only way there’s going to be a low number of decisive games is that Ding gets chances and keeps missing them. We could see a bloodbath.”
‘Gukesh D’ as he is known, started playing chess at the age of seven, winning various junior tournaments before becoming, at the time, the second-youngest grandmaster, aged 12 years, seven months and 17 days. Grandmaster, awarded to players by governing body FIDE for life, is the highest title outside of world champion; today there are more than 1,850.
This year, he became the third-youngest to reach a FIDE rating of 2,700 after claiming two gold medals at the Chess Olympiad — a biennial international tournament that was held in Budapest, Hungary, and he is the youngest player to achieve a rating of 2,750.
Gukesh said his youth could be viewed as a negative and a positive heading into the final, but at this week’s press conference Ding said his opponent played with maturity “in many aspects”. Known for being an aggressive player, Gukesh, who recently revealed he was a fan of the sitcom Friends, is one of a number of young players making a name for himself in the sport. Ding recently decribed the new generation of players as fearless. “There are a lot born after 2000, they play fearlessly and are willing to try different strategies that the previous generation might not have,” he said, according to The Straits Times.
Gukesh is welcomed at Chennai International Airport after winning two gold medals at the FIDE Chess Olympiad (Photo by R. Satish Babu/AFP via Getty)
One of the coaches who told Gukesh’s parents about their son’s special ability and helped his development was Indian grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, who coached the prodigy from 2017 to 2023.
They first met after Vishnu hosted a small training camp for students from Gukesh’s school, Velammal Vidyalaya, which has a great reputation for producing chess talents. Developing a strong mentality was a big focus point for Vishnu. “We discussed a lot of non-chess stuff about mindsets and how people in extreme sports behave,” Vishnu tells The Athletic.
“We talked a lot about Alex Honnold (the ********* free solo climber) and many extreme athletes and what kind of mindsets they try to keep. I always emphasized that chess techniques come and go and can be played around with, so there is no one right technique. But there can be a right mindset that promises performance, and that is the difference between players rather than the chess itself.”
His parents never involved themselves in training, instead making sure life outside of the sport was settled. But, with the approval of Gukesh’s parents, Vishnu, experimenting with his approaches, resisted the use of computer or chess engine assistance until Gukesh was a grandmaster, the aim being to encourage Gukesh to think on his own.
Chess had a deeper impact, too, on the teenager. “He used to be very naughty,” says Rajini.
“He was the only child so whatever he wanted he had to get it sometimes. He used to have all these tantrums but once he started chess he became very observant, how he is now. He started becoming more calm, patient, and observant. Chess has changed him.”
Playing chess can cause mental fatigue because of the concentration required. Yet, Gukesh’s appetite for the game once saw him play 276 games in 30 tournaments across 13 countries over 16 months while squeezing in 10am-5pm sessions with Vishnu in between competitions.
The longest game at a World Chess Championship was in 2021 between Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, taking seven hours and 45 minutes. Such mental focus can take its toll. After the ‘Moscow Marathon’, a World Championship contest between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov that lasted five months and 48 games, Karpov told a Russian magazine he had lost 10kg (22lb) in weight.
Gukesh could become the first Indian world champion since Viswanathan Anand (Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
In Singapore, each classical game will follow the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. From move 41, a 30-second increment will start. Players must remain poised, balanced and consider their moves deeply. A score of 7.5 points or more will win the world title. If the players are level after 14 classical games, a tie-break will be played on December 13. The right mindset is paramount, says Vishnu.
“It’s probably the biggest stage that anyone would get to, it’s all about nerves when you get there,” he says.
“He has been thriving under pressure. So far, he has always delivered in moments where he has a lot to lose and when things are hanging by a thread.”
History is on the line, and so too is a lot of money. The total prize **** for the World Championship is $2.5million, with each player earning $200,000 for each game they win. The remaining prize money will be split equally between the players. This is a significant hike from the €48,000 ($50,489 at current currency conversion) Gukesh banked from winning the Challenger tournament.
Even if Gukesh ******** calm under the Singapore spotlight, his parents will not be relaxed. Padma does not watch her son’s matches because the experience is too stressful. Instead, she will wait for the results to come in.
“I also want to do that, because it is too stressful for us, but it is too difficult to stay away so it’s like a hide-and-seek. So I just watch once every half an hour or hour and just see what position he is in,” says Rajini.
Tournaments have taken Gukesh, accompanied by his father, all over the world. There have been sacrifices, but the family have few regrets.
“Two-thirds of the year we were travelling for tournaments — his mother got very little time to spend with us. That is one thing we regret. Otherwise, we are very happy with how things turned out and we are very fortunate,” says Rajini.
Coach Vishnu saw the pursuit of greatness first-hand. “There is no clear path to recreate what he has done,” he says. “A certain hyper-focus and sacrifice of a regular childhood, a regular school life, and a regular social life of a teenager, you give up all that and focus on the main thing and that is to get better at chess.”
There are increasingly more chess prodigies, but Gukesh has worked persistently to fulfil his potential. “I had no doubt he was going to do well but, still, he exceeded expectations,” says Vishnu.
Gukesh is following in the footsteps of a great: five-time world champion Anand, now the deputy president of FIDE and also from Chennai. Fittingly, Gukesh overtook him in the chess rankings last year to knock him off the top spot as India’s highest-ranked player, a position he had held for 37 years (although Arjun Erigaisi, in fourth place, currently holds that honour).
Anand dominated an era, including winning four consecutive World Championships between 2007 and 2012.
“Playing the world championship and winning the Candidates is trying to fill Anand’s shoes, which is something my generation tried but ******* to do,” says Vishnu, 35.
“So it is very inspiring that Gukesh is close to putting India back on top of world chess, looking back and thinking, ‘That was the **** who was coming and training with me’.”
(Top image: Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images; design Eamonn Dalton)
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The best discounts on consoles, video games, accessories and more
The best discounts on consoles, video games, accessories and more
****** Friday is often a good time to restock on video games and gaming gear on the cheap, and this year is no exception. While the event itself is still a few days away, several retailers have already kicked off their official holiday sales, which means many of the season’s better gaming deals are available now. If you’re looking to add a few games to your backlog, pick up a new console or upgrade your desktop with new accessories, we’ve rounded up our favorite ****** Friday gaming deals below.
We’ll inevitably see more discounts in the days ahead, but the current selection includes a ton of games and accessories we like for their lowest prices to date. The PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch are $75 off, too, while the Xbox Series S is $50 less than usual. We’ve dug through reviews and used price history trackers to ensure each offer below is a genuine deal, and we’ll continue updating this post as new deals pop up over the course of the week.
PlayStation 5 (slim) for $424 at Amazon ($76 off MSRP): This isn’t the absolute biggest price drop to date for Sony’s console, but larger discounts have been extremely uncommon over the past year. You have a few different purchasing options, too. If you’re a Fortnite Person, you can grab a bundle that throws in skins and V-Bucks for that game at no extra cost. Walmart and a few others have a separate bundle that pairs the machine with the recent RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard or one of EA’s sports games for $450. Beyond that, Walmart says it’ll sell the console with an extra DualSense controller for $475 starting on November 25. Also available at Best Buy, Target, GameStop and PlayStation Direct, among others.
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (slim) + NBA 2K25 bundle for $374 at Amazon ($76 off): If you have no interest in buying physical media, you can save an extra $50 upfront by going with the PS5’s discless version. This bundle comes with the latest NBA 2K game as a freebie. If it runs out of stock, you can grab the same Fortnite bundle noted above for the same price. The console alone is $75 off as well. It’s a good price either way, though it’s difficult to get too excited given that the Digital Edition originally sold for $400 before this “slim” revision launched with a $50 price hike. Also at Target, GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart and PlayStation Direct, among others.
The Nintendo Switch (left) and Nintendo Switch OLED (right). (Kris Naudus / Engadget)
Xbox Series S (512GB) for $249 at Amazon ($51 off): The entry-level Xbox has had a difficult time keeping up with the technical demands of some new games, and the 512GB of storage in this model can run out fast. That said, it still has value for casual players or Game Pass subscribers who don’t care about high frame rates and just want a cheap way to play the latest stuff. This $51 drop isn’t an all-time low, but it makes the console a bit more palatable. Just remember there’s no disc drive. Also at Xbox, Best Buy, Target and others.
Nintendo Switch OLED + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle for $275 at Target ($75 off): To be clear, now is not a great time to buy a Switch: Nintendo has already confirmed that it’ll reveal the console’s successor at some point in the next few months and that the new device will be able to play current Switch games. So if you can wait, you should. But if you just want a more affordable route into the fantastic Switch library — or if you’re buying for a **** who doesn’t care about having the latest and greatest — we almost never see the OLED model fall this low. Besides the console, this bundle includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a 12-month subscription to Nintendo’s Switch Online service. Also at Best Buy.
Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle for $225 at Target ($75 off): If you want to save a bit more, you can get the standard Switch with the same add-ons for $50 less. The Switch OLED still has a larger and noticeably more vivid display, so it’s worth the extra cash if you’ll mainly play in handheld mode. That said, the base model can play all the same games just as well, and there’s virtually no difference between the two when they’re docked to a TV. This rare $75 discount is one of the largest we’ve ever tracked. Also at Best Buy.
The Meta Quest 3S. (Devindra Hardawar for Engadget)
Meta Quest 3S (128GB) + $75 Amazon digital credit for $300 at Amazon ($75 off): Meta only released the Quest 3S last month, so while this isn’t a cash discount, any sort of bonus is worth noting. Just clip the on-page coupon or use the code QUEST75 at checkout to see the deal. The device itself is the budget pick in our guide to the best VR headsets: Its older Fresnel lenses certainly aren’t class-leading, but they’re good enough for those new to VR, and the whole thing is just as fast and comfortable as the more expensive Quest 3. Most importantly, it can play the same wide array of apps and games. Also at Target if you’d prefer a different gift card.
PlayStation VR2 + Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle for $349 at Amazon ($251 off): To be candid, it’s difficult to widely recommend the PlayStation VR2: The hardware is excellent, but Sony’s software support has been weak. Like the Meta Quest, you can use the headset on PC with an optional adapter, but some reviewers have said that getting that to actually work can be a hassle. So, we’re mostly noting this deal for posterity. But if you do have cash to ***** and want to ***** into games like Gran Turismo 7, Tetris Effect or the Horizon adventure bundled here, this deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen. If the bundle goes out of stock, the standalone headset is on ***** for the same price. Also at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, GameStop and PlayStation Direct, among others.
ASUS ROG Ally X for $700 at Best Buy ($100 off): The ROG Ally X is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best gaming handhelds. It’s better-equipped to handle recent AAA fare than Valve’s Steam Deck, and its 120Hz VRR display does wonders to keep those games looking smooth. Windows itself ******** something of a tire ***** on handheld devices — which keeps the Deck our top pick overall — but it does give you the flexibility to play games from any PC client. This $100 drop isn’t massive but nevertheless ties the handheld’s lowest price to date.
The PS5’s DualSense Wireless Controller. (Aaron Souppouris/Engadget)
PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller for $54 at Amazon ($21 off): While Sony’s official PS5 controller has gone for less in the past, steeper discounts have been fairly uncommon over the past year, so this is an decent time to stock up if you need a spare or two. The offer applies to several different ****** options, though a few are priced $5 higher than the others. Also at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, PlayStation Direct and others.
Xbox Wireless Controller for $40 at Amazon ($20 off): This is another deal we’ve seen a few times before, but it’s a decent $5 to $15 off the Series X/S pad’s typical street price, depending on which ****** you pick. Several different models are on *****, with some of the more vibrant colorways available for $45 or $50. Just remember that each requires a pair of AA batteries or a separate pack for power. Also at Walmart, Best Buy, Target and others.
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for $49 at GameStop ($20 off): Nintendo’s Pro Controller is far more comfortable to hold and satisfying to press than the standard Joy-*****, so it’s a fine buy if you mainly keep your Switch docked up to a TV. Its 40-hour battery life is great, too, though fighting game and Tetris diehards will likely find its d-pad too imprecise. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen in the last couple of years. Also at Target and Best Buy.
Nintendo Switch Joy-**** controllers for $60 at GameStop ($20 off): Between their beady buttons, lack of analog triggers and longstanding drift issues, the Joy-***** are far from Nintendo’s finest product. Still, they’re the Switch’s default controllers. If you need to restock, this is about as cheap as they’ve been in recent years. Also at Target and Best Buy.
Astro ****. (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
PlayStation Plus 12-month membership for 30 percent off at PlayStation: Sony’s online service became a worse deal with last year’s sizable price hikes, but it’s still required if you want to play PS5 games online or utilize cloud saves. This year’s ****** Friday deal is geared more toward upgrading than saving on your current service, annoyingly, but those just signing up can grab an annual membership for 30 percent off, bringing the standard “Essential” tier down to $64. If you’ve been thinking of stepping up from the base service to the higher “Extra” or “Premium” tiers, you can take 25 or 30 percent off the usual cost of that upgrade. You can check Sony’s overview page for a refresher on what perks are included with each tier.
Astro **** for $50 at Amazon ($10 off): The wonderfully inventive 3D platformer Astro **** is the closest thing the PS5 has to a modern Super Mario game, even if it is a bit too reverential to the PlayStation brand. Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt called it nothing less than “one of the best games Sony has ever made” in her review. This is the game’s first major discount across retailers. Also at PlayStation, Best Buy, Target and others.
Elden Ring for $20 at Amazon ($40 off): There isn’t much we can say about Elden Ring that hasn’t already been said. Its world runs almost unfathomably deep and feels lived-in (really, *****-in) in a way few games ever have. It’s both haunting and darkly funny (hello Ordina). It is unafraid to test your resolve and make its quest matter, yet it grants you the freedom to simply walk in a different direction and find new paths forward. It’s great, and this deal brings it down to the best price we’ve tracked. Also at Best Buy. If you want to double up with the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, a copy that comes with that DLC is on ***** for $50, another new low.
Metaphor: ReFantazio for $50 at Amazon ($20 off): It’s about as subtle as you’d expect a game named “Metaphor” to be, but the latest from the minds behind Persona 5 is a fantasy JRPG through and through: bombastic, stylish and deeply earnest. (And long.) This deal is a new low. Also at PlayStation and Xbox for $2 more.
Elden Ring. (FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $40 at Amazon ($30 off): Engadget *** Bureau Chief Mat Smith gave this grandiose action-RPG a favorable review earlier this year, and it’s one of the year’s highest-rated games overall. You need to have played its predecessor — and, ideally, the original PS1 game — to really get where it’s going, but it’s absolutely stuffed with things to do (for better and worse), and its combat system is still a rush. This is a new low for the PS5 exclusive. Also at Best Buy, or PlayStation for $2 more.
Helldivers 2 for $30 at GameStop ($10 off): The co-op shooter Helldivers 2 straddles the line between Starship Troopers satire and genuinely rousing, strategically engaging action. You could do much worse if you’re looking for a multiplayer game you can hop in and out of at your leisure. This deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen for the PS5 copy. Also at Amazon, Target and Best Buy, or at PlayStation for $2 more.
The Last of Us Part I for $30 at Amazon ($40 off): The PS5 version of Naughty Dog’s tense zombie drama may be the most unnecessary remake of all time, but if you’ve never given it a try, it’s still the best way to play it. This deal is a new low, and it comes as part of a wider suite of discounts on first-party PS5 games, including Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, Horizon Forbidden West, **** of War Ragnarök, ******’s Souls and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for $30 each. Also at Target, Best Buy, GameStop and others.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 for $40 at Amazon ($30 off): Another one of the year’s highest-rated RPGs, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is unusually opaque and unforgiving for a major-studio release, but it owns that. If you can deal with some jank and hate the glut of self-serious hand-holdy “adventures” that’ve come out in recent years, it should be worth the occasional frustration. Don’t bother if you didn’t like the original, though. This the biggest discount to date for the PS5 and Xbox versions. Also at Target and PlayStation, or at Xbox for $2 more.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. (Nintendo)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $42 at Woot ($18 off): This is a new low for the recent Switch remake of the beloved GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar was pretty straightforward in his review: “It’s great, you should play it.”
Super Mario RPG for $32 at Woot ($18 off): The lively and brisk Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars ******** one of the Super Nintendo’s essential games. It didn’t necessarily need a Switch remake, but it got one last year anyway; thankfully, the new version keeps the original’s oddball spirit in tact as it spruces up the visuals for true 3D. If you’re in the market for a lighter RPG, this deal at Amazon subsidiary Woot brings the game down to a new all-time low.
Super Mario Odyssey for $30 at GameStop ($30 off): This matches the lowest price to date for Nintendo’s joyous 3D platformer, which combines pitch-perfect movement with a relentless stream of inventive design ideas. Also at Target and Best Buy. A few other first-party Switch games are available for all-time lows as well, including the adorable real-time strategy games Pikmin 1+2 and Pikmin 4 for $30 and $40, respectively, and the delightful action-platformer Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $35.
Portal: Companion Collection for $5 at Nintendo ($15 off): Portal and Portal 2 are two of the most fully-actualized games ever made, a pair of human-lab-rat simulators overloaded with wit and mind-opening puzzles. The second is also one of our favorite couch co-op games. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the Companion Collection, which bundles both games for the Switch, and it comes as part of a wider suite of digital game deals at Nintendo’s online store.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. (FromSoftware)
Mass Effect Legendary Edition for $5 at Epic ($55 off): The Mass Effect trilogy doesn’t hold up perfectly — the original is very much a game from 2007, while the overarching “morality” system feels ancient in a post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world — but it ******** as accessible and deeply entertaining as any action-RPG series out there. The Legendary Edition remasters all three titles, and this discount brings the compilation down to its lowest price to date. The deal comes as part of the Epic Games Store’s ****** Friday *****, which is otherwise light on standout offers.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon for $20 at GameStop ($40 off): Armored Core VI is a big loud action game about building a mech and using it to ***** up everything in sight. It rules. But it’s not mindless: Its many boss fights are genuine duels, and it’s deeply flexible in how it lets you tweak your ****** machine to tackle stages in different ways. This price is another new low. Also at Amazon and Best Buy.
Unicorn Overlord for $30 at Amazon ($30 off): Unicorn Overlord’s story leans a little too hard on RPG tropes, but it’s gorgeous, and its battle system should satisfy those who pine for classic ***** Emblem or (especially) Ogre Battle games from yesteryear. Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford called it a “must-play for tactics fans” in his review. This discount is the largest we’ve seen for the PS5 and Xbox editions and ties the all-time low for the Switch copy.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 for $19 at Amazon ($21 off): Few games take the responsibility of entertaining you as seriously as the Metal Gear series; even fewer have as clear of a voice and point of view. The Master Collection may not go as far as it should in updating the landmark stealth games for modern consoles, but if you’ve yet to give them a try, you really ought to take the ride. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Best Buy for $1 more.
Cyberpunk 2077. (CD Projekt Red)
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for $40 at GameStop ($20 off): The moody action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 started as a technical disaster, but years of patches have ultimately left it in a healthy place, one that lets it more easily lean on its surprisingly pointed narrative and ******-techno-future art style. This is a new low for the game’s Ultimate Edition, which includes last year’s well-regarded Phantom Liberty expansion. Also at Best Buy.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $25 at Amazon ($45 off): Infinite Wealth is the kind of goofy, playful and wholly excessive RPG that’s come to define the series formerly known as Yakuza. It can border on “too much,” and you’ll need to have played past entries to get the most out of it, but its turn-based combat is fun, and it’s more endearing than obnoxious in the end. This discount ties the best price we’ve seen for the next-gen versions of the game.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 at Xbox ($30 off): This matches the all-time low for The Master Chief Collection, which gathers five of the venerable FPS series’ essential games in one package. It also includes Halo 4 (we ****).
Pentiment for $10 at Xbox ($10 off): Pentiment ******** one of the Xbox’s true gems, a gorgeous and unusually soulful 2D adventure/visual novel that examines the nature of truth itself. This deal for the Xbox version represents an all-time low.
Psychonauts 2 for $12 at Xbox ($48 off): Another entry on our list of the best Xbox games, Psychonauts 2 is a distinctly eccentric, wonderfully written 3D platformer that tackles heavy themes with real warmth. This is another all-time low. Several other digital Xbox games are on ***** as part of Microsoft’s ****** Friday *****.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection. (Xbox Game Studios)
Madden NFL 25 for $30 at Amazon ($40 off): Madden could pretty badly use a creative reset, but it’s ultimately still Madden, so there’s fun to be had if you’re in the football mood and feel like denying Patrick Mahomes a championship in at least one realm of existence. This is the best price to date for this year’s latest installment. Also at Best Buy, or at PlayStation, Xbox and Steam for $5 more.
EA Sports FC 25 for $30 at Amazon ($35 off): We’re not going to sit here and tell you the series formerly known as FIFA is good — AI defending is still a mess, while the Ultimate Team mode still blends grinding with gambling to mind-numbing effect — but we realize that many people just want to mess around as their favorite footy team. This is a new low for the PS5, PS4 and Xbox editions. Also at Best Buy, or at PlayStation, Xbox and Steam for $5 more. The Switch version is down to $30, too, though it won’t run as well.
WWE 2K24 for $24 at Amazon ($11 off): We acknowledge that this is a new low for the physical PS5 and Xbox copies of the latest WWE game, which should scratch the ***** for most people looking to do some fantasy booking and digital powerbombing. Just don’t be surprised if you run into a few bugs every now and then; this is a 2K game, after all. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy, or for $1 less at Xbox. The last-gen versions are on ***** for a few bucks less as well.
NBA 2K25 for $30 at Amazon ($40 off): NBA 2K has its own longstanding issues with pay-to-win online modes and occasional glitchiness, but its on-court play is generally rock solid if you’re looking to play through a season or run some offline games with friends. This is a new low for the PS5 and Xbox copies of the game. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Nintendo has the Switch edition for $4 less, though that version is generally slower and more watered-down than the others.
The WD ****** C50 Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S. (WD)
WD ****** C50 Expansion Card for Xbox (1TB) for $9 at Amazon ($59 off): It’s aggravating, but the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only two of those currently exist, but the C50 is one, and this discount drops the 1TB model to a new low. It’s normally sold for roughly $40 more in recent months. Is this still expensive compared to a normal SSD with the same capacity? You bet. But any extra savings should be welcome. A 512GB model is a couple bucks above its all-time low at $68 as well. Also at Best Buy.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S (2TB) for $200 at Amazon ($160 off): Seagate makes the other official storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X/S. This discount isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, and it’s been live for most of the month, but it’s still about $30 to $50 below the 2TB model’s typical street price. There’s little performance difference between this and the C50, so which is best merely comes down to how much space you need and whatever one costs less.
Crucial P310 (1TB) M.2 2230 SSD for $70 at Amazon ($102 off): The P310 is a small-size SSD you can slot into handheld PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. It uses cheaper QLC memory, not the faster and more durable TLC, but other reviews suggest that it still performs well for what it is. This is a new low for the 1TB model. The 2TB version is down to its best price yet at $140 as well. Also at Crucial and B&H.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller. (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
Backbone One mobile game controller for $70 at Amazon ($30 off): The Backbone One is a nifty mobile gamepad that makes playing console-style games on your phone feel a little more natural. This matches the lowest price we’ve tracked for the second-gen model. Both the USB-C and Lightning versions are discounted. Note that the PlayStation-branded version officially supports Sony’s Remote Play app on both Android and iOS, while the standard model only supports it with the latter. Also at Backbone, Walmart and Best Buy.
8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller for $48 at Amazon ($12 off, Prime only): We’ve raved about this wireless gamepad for Switch and PC in the past. It’s on the small side, but it’s comfortable, and its durable Hall effect joysticks should avoid the “drift” sensation that plagues many modern controllers. This discount isn’t the absolute lowest price we’ve seen, but it’s a solid $12 off the device’s typical street price. It’s exclusive to Prime members at Amazon, but Best Buy has the pad for the same price. If you don’t need Bluetooth support, a version that only connects over a USB dongle and uses Xbox-style face buttons (instead of Switch-style ones) is on ***** for $40.
The Audeze Maxwell. (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
Turtle Beach Atlas Air wireless gaming headset for $141 at Amazon ($29 off): The Atlas Air is our pick for the best gaming headset. It’s one of the few wireless pairs with an open-back design, which helps it create a wider, airier and more natural sound than most of its competition. It’s exceptionally comfortable on top of that, though it lets in and leaks noise fairly easily, so you should only buy it if you normally play in a quiet environment. This deal marks the headset’s all-time low. Also at Best Buy for $150.
Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $90 at Amazon ($40 off): The A40 TR is our favorite wired gaming headset. It’s not quite as comfy or spacious-sounding as the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, our top overall pick, but its open-back design still makes games sound like they’re happening all around you instead of feeling confined in your head. Just know that it won’t block much outside noise, and its mic isn’t the best. Also at B&H.
HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 gaming headset for $30 at Amazon ($20 off): The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide. It’s comfortable, with a solid mic and full-bodied bass, though you shouldn’t expect a particularly accurate sound or exceptional build quality. This deal ties the headset’s all-time low. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.
The Keychron Q3 Max. (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
Keychron Q3 Max mechanical keyboard for $182 at Keychron ($32 off): The Keychron Q Max is the top pick in our guide to the best mechanical keyboards, pairing an upscale (if heavy) aluminum case with a lovely typing experience and extensive customizability. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the tenkeyless model, but other size layouts are similarly discounted. Also at Amazon for $6 more, but only for Prime members.
Keychron V3 Max mechanical keyboard for $87 at Amazon ($22 off, Prime only): The V Max is our favorite mechanical keyboard in the $100 range. It has a plastic frame and suffers a bit more from rattling in the larger keys but otherwise carries most of the same perks as the Q Max series. This Prime-exclusive deal marks the best price we’ve tracked for the tenkeyless model, but other size options are also 20 percent off. Also at Keychron.
Keychron C3 Pro mechanical keyboard for $38 at Amazon ($22 off, Prime only): If you just want to pay as little as possible for a decent mechanical keyboard, the C3 Pro is the budget pick in our buying guide. Its keycaps are a bit slick, but its typing feel and sound are still levels above the membrane boards you usually find in this price range. This Prime-exclusive deal is within $5 of the best price we’ve seen for the model with hot-swappable switches and RGB backlighting. Another model that doesn’t support hot-swap and only has a red backlight is available for $28, though we’ve seen that one go for less in the past.
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (N Edition) for $60 at Woot ($40 off): While not a top pick in any of our keyboard guides, the wireless 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is still a nice value for anyone looking to give their desk a more vintage look, as its keycaps and accents are inspired by Nintendo’s old NES console. It’s comfy for typing and hot-swappable, too, though the default switches are pretty noisy. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen.
The Razer Basilisk V3. (Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon ($30 off): We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our guide to the best gaming mice for those who don’t mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic right-handed shape. We’ve seen this discount several times before, but it matches the device’s all-time low. Note that Razer released an revised version with an improved sensor a few months ago, but that one costs $40 more, and it’s not a massive upgrade in practice. Also at Target, Best Buy and others.
Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite MMO gaming mouse for $50 at Amazon ($30 off): The Scimitar RGB Elite is the top MMO pick in our gaming mouse buying guide. It has 12 customizable side buttons, which make it easier to pull off strings of actions in complex titles like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft. This deal comes within a couple bucks of the lowest price we’ve seen. Also at Corsair and Best Buy. A wireless model with an upgraded sensor is also on ***** for $89, which is the second-best price we’ve tracked for that variant.
ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) gaming laptop for $700 at Best Buy ($400 off): Although it’s a 2023 model, this configuration of the A16 should do the job for value-minded buyers. It comes with a 16-inch 165Hz 1,920 x 1,200 display, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU. You’ll still have to deal with the usual trade-offs of a cheaper gaming laptop — it can get warm under load, it’s bulky, the keyboard isn’t great and the screen is somewhat dim. But it’s powerful enough to run newer games in 1080p, the chassis generally feels sturdy, and the battery can reach double-digit hours when you aren’t gaming. This discount is $20 above than the config’s all-time low but ties the best price we’ve seen otherwise.
Alienware M18 R2 gaming laptop for $2,200 at Amazon ($500 off): The M18 R2 is an iteration of the top 18-inch pick in our gaming laptop buying guide. It’s an absolute tank, but it’s sturdily put together, and this configuration can ***** through new games at high settings in 1080p or 1440p. It comes with a 165Hz 2,560 x 1,600 panel, an Intel Core i9-14900HX chip, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. This deal price is far from cheap, but it’s a new low for this variant. A lower-spec model is also on ***** for $1,900, though that one will likely run into issues sooner with more demanding games.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard. (Will Lipman Photography for Engadget)
LG 32GS95UV-W 32-inch gaming monitor for $1,000 at Amazon ($400 off): This is a variant of the “no-compromise” pick in our guide to the best gaming monitors. It’s a premium OLED panel with a sharp 4K resolution and a fast 240Hz refresh rate, though it can jump to a super-smooth 480Hz if you drop to 1080p (and own a PC that can handle that). That’s great if you spend a decent chunk of time in esports-style games like Counter-Strike 2. Being an OLED monitor gives it excellent contrast with deep ****** tones, though it’s not quite as vivid as the handful of high-end OLEDs that also use quantum dots to boost colors. Still, it’s well worth a look if you have cash to ***** and know you’ll use the dual refresh rate modes. This deal has been live for a month but represents an all-time low. Also at LG and Best Buy. Compared to the recommendation in our guide, the only differences with this model are that it has a white finish and its built-in speakers aren’t as strong.
MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 27-inch gaming monitor for $480 at B&H ($210 off): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for MSI’s QD-OLED monitor, which blends the high contrast and inky ******* typical of OLED displays with ******-enhancing quantum dots. It has a 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, which should be sufficient for most, though like many OLEDs it’ll look better in dim lighting than a bright room. Also at Amazon, or at Best Buy for $20 more.
MSI MPG 321URX 32-inch gaming monitor for $880 at Amazon ($70 off): The MPG 321URX (gesundheit) is a larger high-end monitor with a gorgeous QD-OLED panel, a 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. It also includes a KVM switch and a USB-C port that can deliver up to 90W of charging power. It’s certainly not cheap, but at its current deal price it undercuts its handful of competitors by a fair amount. This is another all-time low. Also at Best Buy.
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM 32-inch gaming monitor for $999 at Amazon ($300 off): If the MSI 321URX runs out of stock, the PG32UCDM is an excellent alternative with a similar list of features. Some reviewers we trust say it can get brighter, too, plus it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format. This discount represents a new lowest price. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.
****** Friday gaming deals that are no longer available
Xbox Series X (1TB) for $448 at Amazon ($52 off): This is well off the lowest price we’ve seen for the higher-end Xbox, and there’s a chance we see alternative deals next week. It is Microsoft’s official discount, though, and any chance to save $50 is still worth calling out. Whether any Xbox is a must-have is another question, as Microsoft has put less and less emphasis on exclusives, but the Series X is still a nice piece of kit if you’re sold on Xbox Game Pass or just have friends who use the platform. Also at Xbox, Walmart, Target and others.
Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset for $200 at B&H ($100 off): The Maxwell is another excellent wireless headset we recommend in our buying guide. It’s bulky, and it doesn’t provide the same sense of width as our top pick, but it still sounds fantastic, with ample bass, crisp highs and impressive detail. A nice mic and long battery life help as well. The headset isn’t discounted very often, so this coupon deal marks a new low. Just note that you won’t be able to checkout until later on Saturday. The price above applies to the PS5/PC model, but the Xbox version is also down to a new low of $230 with the same $100 discount.
Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.
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1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Burlington Stores, Kohl’s
1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Burlington Stores, Kohl’s
• Fed minutes, PCE inflation, Thanksgiving/****** Friday will be in focus this week.
• Burlington Stores is a buy with upbeat profit and sales growth expected.
• Kohl’s is a sell with weak earnings, soft guidance on deck.
U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday to cap off a winning week, as the blue-chip ended at a new record.
For the week, the and the tech-heavy each gained about 1.7%, while the Dow climbed roughly 2%.
Source: Investing.com
With the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, Wall Street will have a shortened week of trading ahead. The stock market will remain shut on Thanksgiving Day Thursday and will close early at 1:00PM ET on Friday.
There will, however, be a full slate of economic data releases coming out in the days prior as investors continue to weigh the Fed’s rate plans for the months ahead.
Source: Investing.com
On the economic calendar, most important will be the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which is the Fed’s preferred inflation measure.
That will be accompanied by the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s November FOMC meeting. Expectations for a December rate cut have diminished lately, with the likelihood now at , a sharp drop from 85% just a week earlier.
Meanwhile, the reporting season’s last big week sees earnings roll in from several retailers such as Best Buy (NYSE:), Macy’s (NYSE:), Nordstrom (NYSE:), Burlington Stores (NYSE:), Kohl’s (NYSE:), *****’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:), and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:). Other notable companies include CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:), Dell Technologies (NYSE:), HP (NYSE:), Zoom Video (NASDAQ:), Workday (NASDAQ:), and Autodesk (NASDAQ:).
Regardless of which direction the market goes, below I highlight one stock likely to be in demand and another which could see fresh downside. Remember though, my timeframe is just for the week ahead, Monday, November 25 – Friday, November 29.
Stock to Buy: Burlington Stores
Burlington Stores stands out as a top buy this week, as the off-price department store retailer’s third quarter earnings report will likely beat estimates thanks to favorable consumer demand trends and an improving fundamental outlook.
Burlington, the third-largest off-price retailer in the U.S. behind TJX Companies (NYSE:) and Ross Stores (NASDAQ:), is set to report its Q3 results on Tuesday at 6:45 AM ET.
Market participants expect a sizable swing in BURL shares following the print, as per the options market, with a possible implied move of 8.4% in either direction.
Source: InvestingPro
Optimism surrounding Burlington’s performance is underscored by 18 upward profit revisions in the past three months, compared to just two downward adjustments. This reflects growing confidence in its ability to navigate macroeconomic challenges, aided by a robust supply chain strategy and expanded inventory.
Analysts expect strong numbers, with adjusted profit forecasted to jump 58% year-over-year to $1.55 per share and revenue projected to grow 12% to $2.55 billion.
Burlington has firmly positioned itself as a leader in the off-price retail sector, leveraging its ability to offer value-driven products to price-conscious shoppers. As the retailer continues to attract budget-conscious consumers, it ******** a compelling investment ahead of the critical holiday shopping season.
BURL stock ended Friday’s session at a fresh 52-week high of $286.17, the strongest level since January 2022. At current levels, Burlington has a market cap of $18 billion.
Year-to-date, BURL stock has surged 47.2%, reflecting its ability to navigate the challenging retail environment.
Source: Investing.com
It is worth mentioning that InvestingPro’s AI-powered quantitative model rates Burlington with a solid ‘Financial Health Score’ of 2.7 out of 5.0, supported by strong earnings growth, an agile business model, and a rising stock price.
Be sure to check out InvestingPro to stay in sync with the market trend and what it means for your trading. Subscribe now and get up to 55% off and position your portfolio one step ahead of everyone else!
Stock to Sell: Kohl’s
Kohl’s, on the other hand, is grappling with a tougher retail environment as it struggles with operational inefficiencies and poor consumer demand. The department store chain’s heavy reliance on discounting has eroded profitability, while weak demand for discretionary items underscores broader challenges.
Kohl’s, which operates over 1,100 stores across the U.S., is scheduled to release its third quarter earnings report ahead of the opening bell on Tuesday at 7:00AM ET.
According to the options market, traders are pricing in a swing of 12.7% in either direction for KSS stock following the print.
Source: InvestingPro
Wall Street projects earnings of $0.28 per share, marking a sharp decline of 47.2% from EPS of $0.53 a year earlier. Revenue is anticipated to fall 3.6% to $3.70 billion.
Despite efforts to revamp its product offerings with categories like home décor, gifts, and **** goods, Kohl’s has struggled to offset higher costs and shrinking margins.
Given these challenges, CEO Tom Kingsbury, who previously led Burlington, may strike a cautious tone on the outlook for the crucial holiday season, further dampening sentiment.
KSS stock closed at $17.03 on Friday after falling to $16.12 the day before, which was the lowest closing price since March 2020. At its current valuation, the Wisconsin-based department store retailer has a market cap of $1.9 billion.
Source: Investing.com
Shares have plummeted 40.6% year-to-date, reflecting mounting investor concerns about Kohl’s long-term prospects as it struggles to adapt to the evolving retail landscape.
It should be noted that Kohl’s currently has a below average InvestingPro ‘Financial Health Score’ of 2.1 out of 5.0 due to accelerating concerns over weakening profit margins and spotty sales growth.
Whether you’re a novice investor or a seasoned trader, leveraging InvestingPro can unlock a world of investment opportunities while minimizing risks amid the challenging market backdrop.
Subscribe now to get up to 55% off all Pro plans and instantly unlock access to several market-beating features, including:
• ProPicks AI: AI-selected stock winners with proven track record.
• InvestingPro Fair Value:Instantly find out if a stock is underpriced or overvalued.
• Advanced Stock Screener: Search for the best stocks based on hundreds of selected filters, and criteria.
• Top Ideas: See what stocks billionaire investors such as Warren Buffett, Michael Burry, and George Soros are buying.
Disclosure: At the time of writing, I am long on the S&P 500, and the via the SPDR® S&P 500 ETF, and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF. I am also long on the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:).
I regularly rebalance my portfolio of individual stocks and ETFs based on ongoing risk assessment of both the macroeconomic environment and companies’ financials.
The views discussed in this article are solely the opinion of the author and should not be taken as investment advice.
Follow Jesse Cohen on X/Twitter @JesseCohenInv for more stock market analysis and insight.
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Robert Kennedy Jr. despises glyphosate. How should Iowa farmers respond?
Robert Kennedy Jr. despises glyphosate. How should Iowa farmers respond?
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. steps into his role as the expected nominee to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa farmers — and by extension, the nation — face a pivotal moment. Known for his vocal opposition to pesticides, particularly glyphosate, Kennedy’s new position could profoundly influence agricultural policies that underpin not just the livelihoods of farmers but the stability of our entire food system.
For Iowa farmers, glyphosate is more than a chemical — it’s an indispensable tool. For the average consumer, it’s the reason food ******** affordable and accessible. The consequences of drastic changes in pesticide policies could ripple through grocery stores, small businesses, and dinner tables across America.
Farming without glyphosate: A house without a hammer
Farmers liken glyphosate to a carpenter’s hammer — simple but essential. This weed ******* enables efficient, cost-effective crop production and supports no-till farming, a technique that preserves soil health and reduces erosion. Without it, farmers would face skyrocketing costs and significantly lower yields, jeopardizing their ability to meet demand.
But Kennedy views glyphosate as a toxin, calling it “a poison” that not only threatens public health but also harms the soil itself. His stance, while rooted in environmental concern, overlooks the reality on the ground: Glyphosate is a necessity, not a luxury, for Iowa farmers.
More: Snapshot of RFK Jr.’s plan for changing the U.S. food and ***** system
The cost of losing a crucial tool
If Kennedy’s policies result in an outright ban on glyphosate, the impact on farming could be catastrophic. Here’s what the future might hold:
Rising costs: Farmers would be forced to adopt expensive alternatives or hire more labor for manual weed control, cutting deeply into already slim profit margins.
Decreased yields: Without effective weed management, crops would compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients, leading to reduced production.
Environmental setbacks: The elimination of glyphosate could force farmers to abandon no-till farming, increasing soil erosion and carbon emissions.
These changes would reverberate beyond the fields, affecting the cost of food, the survival of rural businesses, and America’s food security.
From farm to table: Why it affects you
Farmers may feel the brunt of these changes first, but the effects won’t stop at the farm gate. Here’s how shifts in agricultural policy could hit home for everyone:
Higher grocery bills: Grain shortages would drive up the cost of staples like bread, meat, and dairy, straining household budgets.
Job losses in rural areas: Struggling farmers mean struggling local economies. Co-ops, equipment suppliers, and small-town businesses all depend on agriculture to thrive.
Food security risks: Reduced domestic production would leave the U.S. reliant on foreign food imports, making us vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
The food system is interconnected. When farmers struggle, we all pay the price.
A better path: Balancing change and support
Kennedy’s concerns about pesticides stem from a ******* to protect public health and the environment, which is commendable. But real progress requires policies grounded in collaboration, empathy, and practicality. Drastic measures without viable alternatives would devastate farmers and rural communities. A more balanced approach is needed.
Here’s what that could look like:
Invest in research and development: Farmers aren’t opposed to change — they just need affordable, effective tools to replace glyphosate. Prioritizing innovation is crucial before enacting bans.
Provide transitional support: Sweeping reforms should come with subsidies, training programs, and time for farmers to adapt. Without these measures, transitions could cripple rural economies.
Collaborate with farmers: Policies must reflect the realities of farming. Bringing farmers into the conversation ensures that solutions are practical, not punitive.
Educate the public: Many Americans don’t understand the challenges of farming. Kennedy has a platform to spotlight these realities and foster public support for sustainable, farmer-friendly solutions.
Change is a process, not an overnight mandate. By working together, policymakers, farmers, and consumers can build a future that prioritizes both sustainability and survival.
Understanding Iowa farmers’ reality
It’s important to emphasize that this isn’t an ******* on Kennedy. His commitment to environmental health and his willingness to challenge conventional systems are admirable. But change cannot happen without understanding the challenges farmers face.
Farmers aren’t villains in this story — they’re the stewards of our food supply. They’re the ones who wake before dawn, battle unpredictable weather, and stretch every dollar to feed the nation. Glyphosate is not their first choice; it’s their only viable option in a system that demands efficiency and yield.
If Kennedy truly wants to leave a positive legacy, he needs to walk Iowa’s fields, hear farmers’ stories, and see firsthand the delicate balance they maintain. Understanding their fears, hopes, and challenges is the first step to crafting fair and effective policies.
Building a food system that works for all
The future of farming isn’t about choosing between sustainability and survival — it’s about finding a way to achieve both. Kennedy has the opportunity to lead meaningful reform, but it must be done with respect and partnership. Farmers want healthier soils, cleaner water, and a sustainable future just as much as anyone else. They need the tools, time, and support to get there.
By combining Kennedy’s passion for a cleaner, healthier world with farmers’ ingenuity and resilience, we can create a food system that works for everyone. It starts with listening, collaborating, and crafting policies that reflect the realities of agriculture.
Farming is about more than feeding a nation — it’s about preserving a way of life. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the choices we make today will determine whether we secure a future that is both sustainable and just. Let’s hope we make the right ones — for farmers, for consumers, and for the generations to come.
Brian Frye is a sixth-generation Iowa farmer, a former crude oil broker, and an energy expert with over 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He is passionate about exploring new opportunities for agricultural growth, fighting for common-sense energy policies, and advocating for the rights of farmers and landowners.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: RFK Jr. despises glyphosate. How should Iowa farmers respond? | Opinion
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NFL Week 12 live updates and scores: Playoff projections, schedule, predictions, news, inactives, odds
NFL Week 12 live updates and scores: Playoff projections, schedule, predictions, news, inactives, odds
The Detroit Lions’ Week 11 52-6 dismantling of the Jacksonville Jaguars, combined with the Kansas City Chiefs’ 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, vaulted the Lions into a unique position. For one of the few times in the history of the franchise, they became the consensus Super Bowl favorite at around +325 odds. In fact, by the account of several oddsmakers, it’s likely the first time the team has been favored to win the title in 70 years. After all, the Lions have only made the playoffs 18 times since 1935.
That status has also positioned the Lions as the team most likely to keep those oddsmakers up at night after roaring to a 9-1 start this season. After last season’s inspiring run to the NFC Championship Game, the money has poured in on Detroit, which could cost sportsbooks significantly in payouts to bettors if the Lions were to win Super Bowl LIX.
“They’re by far our biggest Super Bowl liability and pretty much our only one at this point,” BetMGM trader ********** Cipollini told The Athletic. “Anything inside of 10-1 [odds] we don’t tend to build crazy liability that we’re worried about, but everybody has been on them. At this point, the Lions winning the Super Bowl would be a huge problem for us. If I could remove them from futures, I would.”
Adding to the growing liability on Detroit, fans tend to favor their home team with their wagers, and Michigan is one of the 38 states with legal sports ******** (and the 10th-largest by population). The Lions opened the offseason in the 12-1 range to win the Super Bowl, but those odds have dropped significantly to just over 3-1 since. The ******** money has followed that success.
“The ******** momentum in favor of Detroit started prior to the season as they attracted a large number of Super Bowl future wagers,” said Brad Bryant, general manager at Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook, noting the Lions have been one of the Mohegan Sun’s “top-wagered teams on a weekly basis.”
Read more here.
GO FURTHER
‘We hate the Lions’: Why sportsbooks are scared of a Detroit Super Bowl win
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Silent Hill 2 Patch 1.06 Fails to Fix PS5 Pro Problems
Silent Hill 2 Patch 1.06 Fails to Fix PS5 Pro Problems
Graphical issues remain on PS5 Pro
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How fund managers at Fidelity International see China’s stimulus plans
How fund managers at Fidelity International see China’s stimulus plans
For two fund managers at Fidelity International, Beijing’s latest stimulus announcements were significant enough for them to buy more beaten-down real estate stocks. ******** authorities have released a series of incremental measures since late September that range from cutting interest rates to extending financial support for finishing construction on apartments that have already been sold. “This round of the policy pivot is quite significant in the sense that it is a well-coordinated [number of] supporting measures issued by different levels of government bodies,” Theresa Zhou, a fund manager at Fidelity International, told CNBC in an interview Wednesday. “We have been moderately increasing our position in China,” Zhou said. After the September policy announcements, she said the firm turned more positive on “certain cyclical names” in China real estate, after previously focusing on online platforms in the sector. If household confidence returns, that can pave the way for real estate prices to stabilize, especially in China’s larger cities, she said. As of late 2023 and early this year, Zhou said she had been concerned about the housing downcycle given relatively high inventories and falling home prices. Zhou and Ben Li are co-managers of Fidelity’s Greater China Fund . The firm does not disclose exact stock transactions. “We have been selectively increasing positions in quality companies in say the consumer and property sectors,” Li said. “In terms of consumer and property sector, we think they were hurt by the macro challenges in the last few years [and with the policy turning, some] may start to see incremental improvements.” “We think experienced-based consumption will continue to do well,” he said, noting the firm’s investment in online travel agencies. One of the top 10 holdings of Fidelity’s Greater China Fund is ******** online booking platform Trip.com . In McKinsey senior partner Daniel Zipser’s latest assessment of ******** consumer sentiment , he pointed out that property transactions in October and the first half of November rose by 2%, the first increase this year. That’s according to the firm’s analysis of daily transaction data for 30 cities. “It is fair to say that October has seen an uptick in consumption, creating positive momentum,” Zipser said. While China has not handed out cash to the public, authorities have used targeted trade-in subsidies to spur purchases of home appliances and other big-ticket items. Companies, such as Alibaba , have noted a boost in sales. Those trade-in measures helped increase panel TV sales in China since the third quarter, Nomura analysts said in a Nov. 20 note. They estimate that, in a sign of growing demand, utilization of TV production lines at BOE and TCL Technology will likely increase in November from October. Nomura rates the two ******** electronics companies, both listed in Shenzhen, as buy. The two Fidelity fund managers emphasized that their strategy focuses on selecting companies based on their individual competitive advantage. They added that it will take time to see the impact of stimulus, and said that they are watching upcoming government meetings in December and March for more policy details. China’s top leaders typically gather in mid-December to discuss economic plans for the year ahead. Those measures and growth targets are then announced at a meeting of parliament in March. “The positive change from that stimulus package is removing the tail risk and putting a floor [under] the market,” Zhou said, noting she is “cautiously optimistic.” Earnings comments in the last two weeks from major ******** companies have underscored how it will take time to see the impact of stimulus . “When we talk to companies on the ground after the earnings, it’s positive that we do sense some improvement in their tone in terms of the enterprise confidence and also their expectation for the next year,” Zhou said. In terms of geopolitical risk, she pointed out that ******** companies have built out their overseas supply chain, making them better prepared today than they were several years ago for President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs.
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Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year
Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year
You may not know it by looking at sticker prices in grocery aisles, but Thanksgiving dinner is more affordable than it has been in years.
The costs of this year’s holiday feast — estimated at $58.08 for a 10-person gathering, or $5.81 a head — dropped 5% since last year, the lowest level since 2021, according to a nationwide survey of grocery prices by the ********* Farm Bureau Federation, which represents millions of U.S. farmers. But the picture improves further when adjusted for inflation.
“If your dollar had the same overall purchasing power as a consumer in 1984 … this would be the least expensive Thanksgiving meal in the 39-year history of the AFBF Thanksgiving survey, other than the outlier of 2020,” the authors wrote.
For plenty of households, it doesn’t feel that way.
A defining feature of the post-pandemic recovery, and the 2024 election, is the divergence between Americans’ sour views of the economy and its underlying strength. Many shoppers understandably focus on price levels — the dollar value of the things they buy — rather than those purchases’ inflation-adjusted, or “real,” costs. The latter is the true test of affordability, since it reflects an often underappreciated piece of the inflation puzzle: wage inflation.
And indeed, while Thanksgiving food prices are up 19% since 2019, according to the AFBF, federal data shows median household wages growing by about 25% during the same *******.
What’s more, “the average ********* also has to work fewer hours to buy the same meal than in previous years,” the report added. “Wages continued to grow faster following the COVID-19 pandemic, even as inflation cooled. Because average wages rose 4% from 2023 to 2024, it took 9% less work time for us to pay for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner.”
Of course, pay gains haven’t boosted all workers evenly, and long-term expenses like housing costs and child care continue to squeeze families up and down the income spectrum. While consumer confidence has jumped in recent weeks, it ******** below pre-pandemic levels.
Still, the AFBF report said, “even with the decreasing purchasing power of the dollar, some of the goods in our basket are at their long-term lowest prices, even in terms of the ‘current dollar’ price.”
Turkey, for instance, is 6% cheaper than last year, despite bird flu knocking out a portion of turkey inventories. Tighter availability usually drives up prices, but Americans are eating about 1 pound less of turkey per person each year, reducing demand by more than enough to offset the supply hit.
Certain processed foods that may land on Thanksgiving tables are more expensive. Dinner rolls and cubed stuffing are each selling for 8% more than a year ago. On the flip side, sweet potatoes and whole milk have seen the steepest annual price drops, falling 26% and 14%, respectively. While fresh cranberry prices have climbed 12%, reversing an 18% decline the year before, they remain at their lowest level since 2015 — and when adjusted for inflation, they’re on par with prices back in 1987, the report said.
These affordability gains are good news for inflation-weary shoppers, many of whom are increasingly focused on value this year. Major consumer brands have been chasing bargain-hungry customers with price cuts and promotions for months. Some, such as Walmart and TJ Maxx, are seeing greater success than others, like Target.
The wave of discounting has become more competitive heading into the holidays, and grocery retailers are no exception. Food eaten at home was just 1.1% pricier last month than the same time last year, compared with the 2.6% average run-up in consumer prices overall.
Both Target and Aldi have rolled out Thanksgiving deals priced lower than last year. Target is offering a $20 Thanksgiving meal for four, including a small turkey, canned vegetables and stovetop stuffing mix. Aldi has a $47 meal package for 10 people, which it’s advertising as lower than its 2019 prices. Walmart is promoting an “inflation-free Thanksgiving” meal of 29 items that can serve eight people for $56. Amazon Fresh is offering Thanksgiving discounts on turkey, sides and desserts, feeding six people for less than $5 apiece, plus extra savings for Prime members.
The flurry of promotions creates plenty of opportunities to comparison shop, experts say.
“I would just advise consumers to take a look at what those meals are comprised of,” said Robin Wenzel, head of Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute. “Don’t be afraid to check out multiple retailers.”
Some Thanksgiving meal packages offer more ingredients, but that could mean preparing more dishes from scratch. Others have fewer items but require less prep work. “Thanksgiving in many families is so personal,” Wenzel said, and the range of offers allows consumers to tailor their grocery shopping to their gatherings.
One cost-saving strategy is to buy stores’ own “private label” brands, which can save shoppers $17 on a Thanksgiving menu for 10, according to Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute. Experts at Consumer Reports also recommend enrolling in supermarket loyalty and cash-back programs for extra savings, which often come with conveniences such as virtual coupons within the stores’ apps.
Ultimately, how much people pay for Thanksgiving dinner will also depend on geography. Households in the West, the priciest region for the holiday’s groceries, will spend about 18% more on average than those living in the South, where they’re cheapest, the AFBF estimates.
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NYT Crossword: answers for Sunday, November 24
NYT Crossword: answers for Sunday, November 24
The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough! If you’re stuck, we’re here to help with a list of today’s clues and answers.
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Man arrested over Birmingham fatal ********* released
Man arrested over Birmingham fatal ********* released
BBC
Police launched a ******* investigation after a man was shot ***** in Birmingham
A man arrested on suspicion of ******* after a man was shot ***** has been released without charge.
Police found the victim, in his 20s, ***** in a car after officers were called to reports of a ********* on Rotton Park Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, shortly before 23:00 GMT on Friday.
Another man, in his 30s, was found seriously injured and was taken to hospital where he ********, West Midlands Police said.
The arrested man has since been released from the investigation, police said. Officers are continuing to appeal for information about the ********* and have urged potential witnesses to get in touch “urgently”.
Det Ch Insp Laura Harrison said: “This was a tragic incident and we’re working at pace to understand exactly what happened.”
Residents said they heard three gunshots as they sat watching television
Mohammed Faisal, who lives near where a cordon was set up on Rotton Park Road, said he was watching television when he heard gunshots.
He said he heard two shots, shortly followed by a third.
“Five minutes later, I saw the blue lights turn up and I knew something bad had happened,” he said.
“We get a lot of crashes by the junction here, so I wondered if it was that at first but then it became obvious it wasn’t.
“It’s extremely worrying especially when you have children living here like I do. You don’t want something like this happening near your home.”
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The best discounts on Audible, Kindle Unlimited, MasterClass, ProtonVPN and more
The best discounts on Audible, Kindle Unlimited, MasterClass, ProtonVPN and more
While the ****** Friday and Cyber Monday ***** events are arguably the best times of the year to pick up most gadgets, they’re also a great time to save on subscriptions and services you may already have or that you’ve been wanting to try. Whether it’s an audiobook service like Audible, a VPN service like ExpressVPN or an online learning subscription like Masterclass, you can typically find good subscription deals during this time of the year. Many of them also make it pretty easy to give a subscription, too, if you’re considering it as a gift for a loved one this year. To make it easier to find the services you want and need this year, Engadget has curated the best subscription deals you can get for ****** Friday this year.
Best ****** Friday subscription deals
Amazon Kindle Unlimited for $1 for three month ($35 off): Amazon’s ebook subscription service gives you access to a catalog of thousands titles for unlimited reading, select Audible audiobooks to listen to and included magazines to read.
Audible Premium Plus for $3 for three months + $20 Audible credit ($64 off): This deal gives you one title for each of the three months you’re subscribed, plus unlimited access to the Premium Plus library of books, podcasts and other. Anyone who’s not already subscribed to Audible can get this deal, and you’ll get an additional $20 Audible credit to use at your discretion.
MasterClass Premium for $10/month ($10 off): Premium subscriptions, which include access for up to six devices and offline mode, are half off for the holidays. MasterClass’ other subscription tiers are also discounted. Those who love learning and want to pick up a new hobby (or refine an existing one) can take courses with some of the best in their respective fields.
Rosetta Stone lifetime access for $149 ($250 off): Those eager to learn a new language (or two) can get full lifetime access to Rosetta Stone for less for ****** Friday. The one-time payment gives you access to the company’s Dynamic Immersion courses, TruAccent speech recognition technology to help improve your pronunciation and the ability to learn on mobile and desktop.
Adobe Creative Cloud for $30/month ($30 off): First-time subscribers can get half off Creative Cloud for their first year of membership, bringing the cost down to just $30 per month. This gives you access to Photoshop, Illustrator and the rest of Adobe’s suite of apps.
Headspace annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best meditation app has tons of courses that address specific anxieties and worries, a good in-app search engine that makes it easy to find the right meditation you need and additional yoga routines, podcasts and music sessions to try out.
Calm annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Another one of our top pocks for the best meditation apps is a great option for anyone new to meditation thanks in part to the many short and focused sessions it includes. There’s also a dedicated kids section and subscribers get access to a soothing music library.
ProtonVPN Plus two-year plan for $72 ($168 off): Our top pick for the best VPN is based on open-source framework and has a no-logs policy. Its easy-to-use apps are available on most platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and more, and some of them even include a *****-switch feature.
ExpressVPN two-year plan plus six extra months for $150 (82 percent off): Our top pick for best VPN for travelers provides access to tons of servers and had some of the fastest connections of any VPN service we tested. In addition to a VPN, this subscription tier gives you access to an ad blocker and password manager.
NordVPN Plus two-year plan plus three extra months for $121 (70 percent off): In addition to VPN access, NordVPN’s Plus plan gives you a password manager, ad blocker, anti-malware protection and more.
Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.
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Jensen says we are ‘several years away’ from solving the AI hallucination problem — in the meantime, ‘we have to keep increasing our computation’
Jensen says we are ‘several years away’ from solving the AI hallucination problem — in the meantime, ‘we have to keep increasing our computation’
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently said he doesn’t think the industry can solve the AI hallucination issue, wherein an AI makes up information to fill in its knowledge gaps, for several more years. Huang also outlined how he had wooed his wife by promising he would be a CEO by the age of 30. Huang discussed these and other topics, like how much computing needs increased in the past 10 years, during an interview at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
The host said the demand for AI computing power jumps four times annually. “In 10 years, it’s [an] enormous number, actually a million.” He also added that’s why Nvidia’s stock went up 300x. “The computing needs are a million times more, so then it explains the stock probably is not that expensive.” He then asked Huang, “As you look into the future with your crystal ball, are we going to see that a million times more needs increase for the next 10 years?”
Huang did not give a direct answer, but he first explained how artificial intelligence is being developed today. The first area is pre-training, which the Nvidia CEO compared to going to college. Here, the AI takes in all the data in the world and discovers knowledge through it. Huang says this is a “very important milestone, but it’s not enough.” The second area in the AI development process is post-training, where it dives deep into a particular skill via “reinforcement learning [through] human feedback, reinforcement learning [through] AI feedback, synthetic data generation, multipath learning, reinforcement learning [sic]—there’s a whole bunch of techniques.”
Finally, the third area of AI development is Test Time Scaling, which he also referred to as “thinking.” This is much more complicated, as the AI now breaks the problem down step by step to find a solution. It might have to iterate and sometimes simulate various outcomes, especially if the answer is not predictive. He says, “We call that thinking, and the longer you think, maybe the higher quality the answer would become.”
NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang On How He Wooed His Wife Saying He’ll Be CEO By 30, Leaves Students In Splits – YouTube
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But despite all these areas of development, Huang says that we still can’t fully trust the best answers that AI can deliver. “Today, the answers that we have are the best that we can, but we need to get to a point where the answer that you get is not the best that we can provide, and somewhat you still have to decide whether is this hallucinated or not hallucinated, does this make sense, is it sensible or not sensible? We have to get to a point where the answer that you get, you largely trust.” He also added, “I think that we’re several years away from being able to do that, and in the meantime, we have to keep increasing our computation.”
Despite this, he also pointed out what Nvidia has done for AI, “What Nvidia has contributed is that we’ve taken the marginal cost of computing and reduced it by a million times.” He said, “When the cost of something reduces by a million times, your habits fundamentally change…that is the single greatest contribution Nvidia ever made, that we made it so that using a machine to learn exhaustively an enormous amount of data is something that researchers wouldn’t even think twice to do. That’s why machine learning has taken off.”
When someone pointed out that Nvidia’s AI GPUs are still expensive, Huang said that it’d be a million times more expensive if Nvidia didn’t exist. “I gave you a million times discount in the last 10 years. It’s practically free!” said Jensen.
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Jensen Huang promised his wife he’ll be CEO by 30
One other interesting tidbit that came up during the interview was when they asked Huang for advice on “when and why they should start their own thing [company].” The interviewer added, “Besides, you did promise your wife Lori that by the age of 30, you will do a company,” and Huang responded, “That was my pickup line; I didn’t mean it.”
Jensen was 17 when he met his wife, Lori, who was 19 then. He was the youngest **** in his class, and there were only three women among the students. Huang said, “You have to learn how to have a good pickup line.” So, Jensen approached her and asked, “Do you want to see my homework?” She eventually agreed since he promised that if she did homework with him every Sunday, she’d get straight As—resulting in a weekly Sunday date for Huang.
“Just to make sure that eventually she marries me, I told her that by the time I’m 30, I just wanted you [to] know I’m only 20 right now. But by the time I’m 30, I’m going to be a CEO—I have no idea what I was talking about—and then we got married.” Jensen said. “That’s all the advice I’m going to give all the entrepreneurs. That’s it.”
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Top Wall Street analysts are bullish on these dividend stocks
Top Wall Street analysts are bullish on these dividend stocks
An Exxon Mobil gas station in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28, 2023.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
With the Federal Reserve now on a rate-cutting campaign, dividend stocks may soon get their moment in the spotlight.
Investors looking for lucrative dividend-paying stocks can track the recommendations of top analysts, who consider various aspects like a company’s fundamentals and consistency in dividend payments before selecting a stock.
Here are three dividend-paying stocks, highlighted by Wall Street’s top ***** on TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.
Exxon Mobil
This week’s first dividend pick is oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil (XOM). The company recently announced better-than-anticipated third-quarter results, driven by a solid rise in production. It is worth noting that the company achieved its highest liquids production in over 40 years with 3.2 million barrels per day.
The dividend aristocrat returned $9.8 billion to shareholders in the third quarter. Moreover, the company increased its quarterly dividend by 4% to 99 cents per share. With this hike, Exxon has increased its dividends for 42 consecutive years. XOM stock offers a forward dividend yield of 3.3%.
Following the Q3 print, Evercore analyst Stephen Richardson reiterated a buy rating on Exxon stock with a price target of $135. The analyst noted that the company’s strategy to invest through the cycle trough and boost spending on major projects and acquisitions like that of Pioneer Natural Resources boosted the prospects of its Upstream business.
“The benefit of incremental investments and perhaps more importantly the high grading of the asset base has put XOM on a different competitive footing vs. the industry but also vs. its own historical results,” said Richardson.
The analyst noted that the company’s cash flow from operations, excluding working capital changes, of $15.2 billion was flat on a quarter-over-quarter basis but exceeded his expectations by nearly $1.1 billion. He also highlighted that Exxon’s net debt declined by $1.1 billion in the quarter, reflecting $2.3 billion of net working capital inflow.
Richardson ranks No. 924 among more than 9,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 61% of the time, delivering an average return of 9.6%. See Exxon Ownership Structure on TipRanks.
Coterra Energy
We move to another energy player, Coterra Energy (CTRA). It is an exploration and production company with operations focused in the Permian Basin, Marcellus Shale and Anadarko Basin. In the third quarter, shareholder returns represented 96% of the company’s free cash flow (FCF) and included a quarterly base dividend of 21 cents per share and share repurchases worth $111 million.
Coterra Energy aims to return 50% or greater of its annual FCF to shareholders and recently highlighted that it has returned 100% year to date. CTRA stock offers a dividend yield of 3%.
On Nov. 13, Coterra announced two separate definitive agreements to acquire certain assets of Franklin Mountain Energy and Avant Natural Resources and its affiliates for a total amount of $3.95 billion. The company thinks that the acquisition of these two Permian Basin asset packages will expand its core area in New Mexico and boost its organizational strengths.
Reacting to the news, Mizuho analyst Nitin Kumar reaffirmed a buy rating on the stock with a price target of $37 and a “Top Pick” designation. He said that while the assets being acquired are less attractive than Coterra’s existing Permian inventory on the basis of pure well productivity, their higher oil mix and lower well costs offset this shortcoming.
While Kumar thinks that these acquisitions are not transformative, he ******** bullish on CTRA’s long-term prospects and thinks that “as the lowest-cost producer of gas, CTRA should be able to support above-peer cash generation even at lower prices or wide differentials, which complement oil-driven FCF from the Permian.”
Kumar ranks No. 187 among more than 9,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 64% of the time, delivering an average return of 14.3%. See Coterra Energy Stock Charts on TipRanks.
Walmart
Finally, let’s look at Walmart (WMT). The big-box retailer delivered impressive third-quarter results and raised its full-year guidance, thanks to the strength in its e-commerce business and improvement in categories beyond groceries.
Earlier this year, Walmart raised its annual dividend per share by about 9% to 83 cents per share, marking the 51st consecutive year of dividend increases.
Following the results, Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe increased the price target for WMT stock to $105 from $100 and reaffirmed a buy rating. The analyst noted that the company’s same-store sales continued to be fueled by increased transactions, higher unit volumes and favorable general merchandise trends.
Tarlowe highlighted that improvement in Walmart’s margins helped deliver better-than-expected earnings in the quarter. Specifically, WMT’s Q3 ****** margin improved by about 20 basis points due to several reasons like increased e-commerce profitability, inventory management and a favorable business mix. Further, the operating margin expanded by 10 basis points, thanks to drivers like increased ****** margin and higher membership income.
The analyst also noted the improvement in general merchandise sales in Walmart U.S., supported by factors such as enhanced assortment and share gains across all income cohorts.
Overall, Tarlowe is bullish on the stock and ******** “incrementally encouraged by WMT’s ability to offer customers improved value, witness robust growth, and gain share ahead.”
Tarlowe ranks No. 331 among more than 9,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 67% of the time, delivering an average return of 17.6%. See Walmart Hedge Fund Activity on TipRanks.
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Government announces two shipbuilders in running to build WA frigates
Government announces two shipbuilders in running to build WA frigates
Defence has narrowed down the options for the new general purpose frigates that will be built at Henderson to either a ********* or ******* design.
Depending on which is chosen, the first three will be built overseas by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, while the Henderson precinct is overhauled to allow the rest to be constructed locally.
The Government announced on Monday it had whittled its shortlist down from four options to these two shipbuilders in a highly competitive tender process.
Mitsubishi is offering one design and Thyssenkrupp has two.
The ********* Mogami design is 133 metres long while the ******* MEKO-A200 is 121 metres.
Both options would carry maritime and land strike missiles, submarine detection technology, air and self-defence systems and be able to operate MH-60R marine combat helicopters.
Camera IconDeputy Prime Minister Richard Marles along with WA Premier Roger Cook. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West ***********
Defence Minister Richard Marles thanked Germany, Japan, South Korea and Spain for their efforts in supporting the bid process, saying Australia saw their commitment as a reflecting of the strong relationships with those countries.
“We acknowledge the extraordinary achievement of each of these companies in manufacturing platforms recognised by the independent analysis team as the best of their kind,” he said.
The acquisition of new general purpose frigates – smaller than the Hunter and Hobart class ships – is part of a plan to more than double the size of the Navy’s fleet, drawing on the Defence strategic review and surface fleet review.
The work building them is expected to cost at least $11 billion and support thousands of skilled jobs in WA.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the program was moving at pace to make sure the Navy got the ships it needed.
The first of the new frigates is expected to be delivered in 2029.
“The rapid, accelerated work of the general purpose frigate program to date underpins the next stages of the acquisition to ensure this capability is delivered this decade, providing our Navy with enhanced anti-submarine and anti-air warfare capabilities,” Mr Conroy said.
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Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PS5) Demo Impressions | The Outerhaven
Dynasty Warriors: Origins (PS5) Demo Impressions | The Outerhaven
Chris Wray writes:
‘Still, having seen the direction Omega Force is taking Dynasty Warriors: Origins, I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt here, mainly due to the story-focused direction for the player-character. Of course, there’s a lot I haven’t seen, but what I have seen makes me want more. You will also get to try out some of the game now, with an early demo showing exactly how confident Omega Force and Koei Tecmo are with the game.’
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