Huge thunderstorm on Jupiter captured in best detail ever seen
Huge thunderstorm on Jupiter captured in best detail ever seen
A 3400-kilometre-wide thunderstorm on Jupiter
Shawn R. Brueshaber et al. 2025
A thunderstorm that raged in Jupiter’s atmosphere for weeks was fortuitously captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, giving astronomers the most detailed look ever at a storm on the gas giant.
On 29 November 2021, Juno passed directly over a 3400-kilometre-wide thunderstorm that had been tracked by astronomers on Earth since it started nearly two weeks earlier. Juno’s close approach, about 5700 kilometres above the storm, meant that Shawn Brueshaber at Michigan Technological University and his colleagues could analyse data from three of Juno’s on-board instruments,…
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WA election 2025: Cook and Mettam genial to a fault before tough talk at Leaders Debate
WA election 2025: Cook and Mettam genial to a fault before tough talk at Leaders Debate
Roger Cook and Libby Mettam were all smiles and genial chat … until the TV cameras turned on and the gloves came off.
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5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday
5 things to know before the stock market opens Monday
Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Rocky run
Investors hope U.S. stocks will rally after a dismal end to the last trading week. Equities tumbled Thursday and Friday, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite fell 1.7% and 2.5% for the week, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also dropped 2.5% in its worst week since October. Earnings from Nvidia, among others, will help to drive the market this week. The personal consumption expenditures index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, is also due on Friday. Follow live market updates.
2. Getting chippy
Nvidia and its $3.3 trillion market cap will have the biggest effect on the market this week among the companies reporting earnings. It will be the first time the chipmaker has posted results since the emergence of ******** startup DeepSeek – which claims to make competitive AI models at a small fraction of the cost of U.S. companies – roiled the stock market in January. Results from Home Depot and Lowe’s will also give reads on consumer spending and the health of the housing market. Here are the key reports to watch this week:
Tuesday: Home Depot, before the bell
Wednesday: Lowe’s, TJX (before the bell); Nvidia, Salesforce.com (after the bell)
3. Buffett banks bucks
Warren Buffett walks the floor ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 3, 2024.
David A. Grogen | CNBC
Berkshire Hathaway‘s business is still booming. Warren Buffett’s conglomerate posted operating profit of $14.53 billion in the fourth quarter, up 71% from the prior-year *******. Berkshire ended 2024 with $334.2 billion in cash. Buffett did not offer much explanation of why he has amassed such a staggering cash pile or why he sold $134 billion in stock during 2024. “Despite what some commentators currently view as an extraordinary cash position at Berkshire, the great majority of your money remains in equities,” he wrote in his annual letter. “That preference won’t change.”
4. Don’t divulge to DOGE
Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency took another unprecedented step over the weekend. In a post on his social media platform X, the tech entrepreneur overseeing a dismantling of the federal government said federal employees would receive an email asking them to summarize the work they completed last week, and that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” Federal workers started to receive emails that asked them to list about five bullet points detailing what they accomplished last week, and gave them a deadline to respond by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday – without threatening their employment, according to NBC News. Employees at the FBI, State Department and Defense Department, among other departments and agencies, were told not to respond to the email. Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said Musk and the Trump administration have again “shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”
5. Creating change
Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty dribbles the ball against Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx in the fourth quarter during Game Three of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on October 16, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
David Berding | Getty Images
CNBC’s second annual Changemakers list showcases 50 women who are innovating in business and philanthropy, in areas from health care to AI, sports and media. Women face significant hurdles in the top ranks of the business world: only 11% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women – and that’s a record high. See the full list and read the stories of the women on it here.
– CNBC’s Jesse Pound, Fred Imbert, Yun Li and CNBC.com staff, along with NBC News, contributed to this report.
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BLM secures $20.67m from quarterly oil and gas lease *****
BLM secures $20.67m from quarterly oil and gas lease *****
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office has auctioned seven parcels covering 1,317 acres in its latest quarterly oil and gas lease *****, generating $20.67m in total receipts.
The proceeds from the combined bonus bids and rentals will be shared between the federal government and the state of New Mexico.
Oil and gas lease sales are pivotal for supporting domestic energy production, fortifying US energy independence and contributing to the nation’s economic and military security, according to the BLM.
In alignment with Executive Order 14154, titled Unleashing American Energy, the BLM’s lease sales will help in meeting the energy needs of US citizens and maintaining the nation’s status as a leading global energy power.
Leasing marks the initial phase in the process of developing federal oil and gas resources. The BLM is tasked with ensuring that oil and gas development complies with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, alongside other relevant legal frameworks.
These regulations are in place to safeguard the environment while facilitating resource development.
Once awarded, oil and gas leases are valid for a term of ten years and can be extended as long as there is continuous production of oil and gas in paying quantities.
The federal government benefits from a royalty, which is set at 16.67% of the value of the produced oil and gas.
The BLM conducts its lease sales online via EnergyNet, an established platform for such transactions.
The BLM’s jurisdiction spans more than 245 million acres of public land, primarily in 12 western states including Alaska.
Additionally, the BLM administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate nationwide.
“BLM secures $20.67m from quarterly oil and gas lease *****” was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.
The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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Apple to open Texas AI server factory in $500 billion U.S. expansion
Apple to open Texas AI server factory in $500 billion U.S. expansion
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., greets customers during the first day of in-store sales of Apple’s latest products at Apple’s Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple plans to open a new factory for artificial intelligence servers in Texas as part of a $500 billion investment in the U.S., the company said Monday.
The U.S. technology giant said it would work with partners to open a 250,000-square-foot server manufacturing facility in Houston to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, its AI personal assistant for iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.
The new factory, which is slated to open in 2026, will form part of a major investment plan Apple is committing to over the next four years. In addition to the new Texas facility, Apple said it also plans to hire around 20,000 new employees across the U.S.
Most of the new hires will be focused on research and development (R&D), silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning, Apple said.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement Monday.
The move comes after Apple’s chief executive met with President Donald Trump last week.
The iPhone maker faces pressure from the Trump administration over where it chooses to manufacture its products. Apple assembles most of its products in China.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an order imposing long-threatened 10% tariffs on ******** goods on top of existing tariffs of up to 25% levied during his first presidency.
Apple said its $500 billion investment plan will include work with suppliers across the U.S. and production of content for its Apple TV+ media streaming service in 20 states, as well as new hires and research and development (R&D) spending.
Apple said it “remains one of the largest U.S. taxpayers, having paid more than $75 billion in U.S. taxes over the past five years, including $19 billion in 2024 alone.”
The tech giant also said it would double its U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund to $10 billion from $5 billion currently, create a new manufacturing academy in Michigan, and grow its R&D investments in the U.S. to support cutting-edge fields such as silicon engineering.
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How To Earn Mecha Break Twitch Drops—All Rewards & How To Get
How To Earn Mecha Break Twitch Drops—All Rewards & How To Get
You can earn exclusive Mecha Break rewards through the Twitch Drop scheme. These free-to-earn rewards are easy to obtain and can give your mech-mashing multiplayer gameplay a boost.
Mecha Break is when you take multiple, deadly fighting mechs and throw them into an arena together to wreak havoc. There’s clearly a market for this kind of mechanical warfare too. Mecha Break hit over 317,000 concurrent players on its first day alone. The open beta continues to do well, and Twitch is doing its best to get involved.
You’ve come to the right place if you fancy picking up some straightforward Mecha Break Twitch Drops.
How To Get Free Mecha Break Twitch Drops
I’ll fight you for them. Credit to Amazing Seasun Games
Tune in and watch an officially sponsored Mecha Break live stream on Twitch for a specific amount of time to earn these coveted Twitch Drops rewards.
The Twitch Drop rewards program encourages players to engage with affiliated streams. The whole process is easy enough—whether you’ve done this before or not—but this quick guide should help you out:
Make sure you have a free Twitch account if you don’t already.
Once verified, log into the account on Twitch.
Mosey on over to the Mecha Break Twitch page.
Look for a channel advertising Twitch Drops in its title.
Now, watch the livestream—the length depends on the rewards (more on this below).
Be sure to check your logged time using the Drops Inventory page.
Once the desired reward hits 100%, you can claim the bonus!
Twitch specifies: “Rewards can only be earned on one stream at a time.” I recommend choosing a stream and sticking with it until the allotted time is hit.
You also need to Connect your Twitch account with your Mecha Break account. Doing all of this should get you a shiny reward or two.
All Mecha Break Twitch Drops
Currently, only Mecha Break only has one Mecha Break Twitch Drop reward—Ultimate Maintenance.
You have until March 3 to claim this exclusive goodie, and you must “Watch for 15 minutes” to secure the Ultimate Maintenance reward. Once the date passes, the reward will disappear, and be replaced by something new, or you may miss out on Mecha Break Twitch drops reward forever.
Have you had a chance to play Mecha Break? Is it as ground-Mecha-breaking as it seems? Are you looking to chase some Twitch Drops? Let us know below.
Mecha Break is one of many amazing games, hopefully, arriving in 2025. Others include Lost Soul Aside, Killing Floor 3, Elden Ring Nightreign, and Tales of the Shire A Lord of the Rings Game being others.
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What is DeepSeek: China’s AI has got people talking
What is DeepSeek: China’s AI has got people talking
DeepSeek has become one of the world’s best known chatbots and much of that is due to it being developed in China – a country that wasn’t, until now, considered to be at the forefront of AI technology.
Having produced a model that is on a par, in terms of performance, with OpenAI’s acclaimed o1 model, it quickly caught the imagination of users who helped it to shoot to the top of the iOS App Store chart.
But while it’s more than capable of answering questions and generating code, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman going as far as calling the AI model “impressive”, AI’s apparent ‘Sputnik moment’ isn’t without controversy and doubt.
This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.
What is DeepSeek?
When it was unveiled in January 2025, DeepSeek took the tech industry by surprise. First, its new reasoning model called DeepSeek R1 was widely considered to be a match for ChatGPT. Second, with the US having placed restrictions on China receiving the highest-performance chips, the model was said to be running on older chipsets – prompting questions over whether AI really needed the most cutting edge tech.
As such, a record $593 billion was wiped off the market value of chip giant Nvidia in a single day and ripples soon spread. DeepSeek’s claim to have spent just $6m/£4.8m/AU$9.4m training its chatbot – far less than that of ChatGPT – certainly startled tech companies in Silicon Valley and it also showed that the US wasn’t necessarily the only country at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Since then, however, many governments worldwide have been expressing security and privacy concerns. Worryingly, research conducted by Enkrypt AI found DeepSeek is 11 times more dangerous than other AI chatbots. But there’s still no getting around the fact that DeepSeek was a breakthrough.
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(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)
What can you use DeepSeek for?
DeepSeek can be used for a wide variety of tasks from asking questions about a huge range of topics to searching for information online and within large datasets – as with other chatbots, it has been trained on large amounts of real-world and synthetic data.
It’s also capable of generating text from prompts so you can get it to write documents, emails, stories, scripts, poems and more. And, just as with ChatGPT, you can also get it to produce, debug and optimize code, breaking down programming barriers and speeding up development time. Thanks to reasoning capabilities, DeepSeek can think before it answers to inferences and draw conclusions as well.
What can’t you use DeepSeek for?
You can’t use DeepSeek to ask questions about sensitive political topics related to China. Infamous examples are questions that involve references to the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre – they happened in 1989, led to deaths ranging in number from a few hundred to several thousand, and are well-documented outside of China, but DeepSeek just won’t discuss it. It’ll tend to tell you that it’s beyond its current scope and ask you to talk about something else.
How much does DeepSeek cost?
Deepseek is open source and you can access the DeepSeek-V3 model for free which is perhaps one of the reasons why it’s had such a rapid rise, because it’s effectively opening powerful AI to all. Money is one thing, but what about the cost in terms of privacy and security? DeepSeek’s privacy policy says “we store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People’s Republic of China”. It’s storing your email address, phone number, date of birth and chat histories.
Where can you use DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is available to use via a browser but there are also native apps for iOS and Android which you can use to access the chatbot.
(Image credit: Octavio Castillo)
Is DeepSeek any good?
DeepSeek is a very powerful chatbot – if it was poor, the US markets wouldn’t have been thrown into turmoil over it. But questions about this AI go beyond the actual technical nature of it. You just can’t shy away from the privacy and security concerns being raised, given DeepSeek’s deep-seated connection to China.
Neither can you ignore claims from OpenAI that DeepSeek was trained on its model which, again, shows there’s a lot we need to know about DeepSeek. TechRadar’s editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff is certainly cautious. “There is no reason to trust DeepSeek and its backers’ claims,” he said. “I think the truth about the time and financial investment it took them to get here will come out.”
Use DeepSeek if…
You want a free, powerful chatbot that has great reasoning powers and you’re not bothered that it doesn’t have tools offered by ChatGPT such as Canvas or that it can’t interact with customized GPTs. You should also use DeepSeek if you want a simpler experience because it can feel a bit more streamlined when compared to the ChatGPT experience.
Don’t use DeepSeek if…
You want to generate images, because DeepSeek is purely text-based. For that, you’re better off using ChatGPT which has a superb image generator in DALL-E. You should also avoid DeepSeek if you want an AI with multimodal capabilities (you can’t upload an image and start asking questions about it). And, once again, without wishing to bang the same drum, don’t use DeepSeek if you’re worried about privacy and security.
Also consider
The best alternative to DeepSeek is obviously ChatGPT – the pair, by and large, do much the same thing but the latter goes further with the likes of image generation and its security and privacy policies feel more reassuring. You may also want to consider Google Gemini. We pitted Gemini 2.0 Flash against DeepSeek R1 so it’s worth seeing how they fared.
Want to read more about DeepSeek?
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WA election 2025: A smile, a handshake and kind words: Cook and Mettam genial to a fault before tough talk
WA election 2025: A smile, a handshake and kind words: Cook and Mettam genial to a fault before tough talk
Roger Cook and Libby Mettam were all smiles and genial chat … until the TV cameras turned on and the gloves came off.
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Dow Jones Futures Rise; Nvidia In Focus After Palantir, Axon Lead Market Sell-Off
Dow Jones Futures Rise; Nvidia In Focus After Palantir, Axon Lead Market Sell-Off
Dow Jones futures rose Monday morning, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures, with Nvidia (NVDA) in focus this coming week. The stock market rally suffered a big setback last week. The S&P 500 hit record highs on Wednesday, but the major indexes ultimately suffered solid to sharp losses, with the Dow Jones, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 breaking key…
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Politicians, economists and CEOs react to result
Politicians, economists and CEOs react to result
19 February 2025, Berlin: Visitors walk in front of the ******* flag in the dome of the Bundestag.
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
As a new chapter in ******* politics begins following the federal election at the weekend, there’s a distinct feeling of déjà vu in Berlin as a center-right alliance prepares to once again take the reins in Berlin.
The conservative alliance made up by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) won 28.6% of votes in Sunday’s ballot, followed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in second place with 20.8% and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) in third with 16.4% of the vote, according to preliminary results from the Federal Returning Officer.
The results, set to be confirmed Monday, mean the CDU-CSU’s Friedrich Merz will likely be Germany’s next chancellor, taking over from the SPD’s Olaf Scholz after his three-party coalition collapsed late last year.
The CDU-CSU is no stranger to power having led multiple “grand coalitions” in Germany over the last century. Now, it’s expected to form a new ‘old’ coalition, with the center-left SPD being the most likely partner for the alliance, although the Greens have not been ruled out from partnering with the union.
Familiar challenges remain for Germany’s new leadership, however, with a flagging economy and the need to increase domestic spending — much of which is contingent on ******* lawmakers being able to reform a restrictive debt-limiting rule known as the “debt brake” — forming an immediate and pressing concern.
Then there’s Germany’s difficult relationship with the world beyond, namely, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening trade tariffs that will hurt Germany’s limping car industry further.
******* and U.S. politicians, economists and business leaders are in no doubt as to the hurdles a new government faces but the prospect of a new administration has kindled hopes that there will be change for the struggling economy.
Here’s a selection of the immediate reaction to the ******* election result:
Likely next Chancellor Friedrich Merz:Defeated SPD leader Olaf Scholz:
“It is a bitter election result for the Social Democratic Party. It is also an election defeat, [and] I think that needs to be said once clearly, from the start, given a result like this,” Scholz said at the party’s headquarters Sunday night after the SPD’s drubbing in the ballot.
“This time the election result is bad and therefore I also have responsibility for this election result,” he added.
Carsten Brzeski, global head of Macro, ING Research:
“It’s going to be complicated” to form a new coalition, Brzeski told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach in Berlin on Monday.
“We only have one option and that is another grand coalition. The problem will be that the SPD is extremely hurt – the worst result ever – so they will be in a kind of existential crisis.”
“We will get a bit of cyclical support, we’ll get some tax cuts, we’ll get probably also some investment programs. But the big elephant in the room remains will we get changes to the debt brake? And I think in the current constellation of the next parliament, this will not be possible,” he warned.
Siemens Energy Chairman Joe Kaeser:
Siemens Energy Chairman Joe Kaeser told CNBC that the new ******* government will face “quite an uphill battle” and needs a long-term agenda to restructure Germany over the next five years.
“It is a restructuring case, we need to be honest about this one,” he told CNBC’s Julianna Tatelbaum on Monday.
Kaeser said a “2030 agenda” should have five key areas, focusing on the economy, infrastructure and energy, education and innovation, restructuring the pension system and, lastly, “regaining government control and government reforms.”
“People in Germany are wondering, is our country safe? And they are wondering whether the government and institution have everything under control. That’s been one of the main reasons why so many people were looking towards this AfD, because they’re wondering whether our government, our state, our country, is still in control.”
Arnd Franz, CEO of auto parts maker Mahle:
“From our perspective, it’s really time to act, and after yesterday’s election, we wish that the new ******* government will form together quickly and then enter into decisive, immediate action and also a long, clear, long-term vision and a roadmap to really bring Europe’s economy back on track,” he told CNBC’s Carolin Roth on Monday.
“I think Germany’s manufacturing sector requires some urgent action in terms of taxes, in terms of energy costs, and also in terms of flexibility of the labor market. There’s three big, big things that are important for everyone in the manufacturing sector. For the automotive industry, of course, regulation is a top issue.”
U.S. President Donald Trump:
“Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election. much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,” President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday night.
“This is a great day for Germany,” he added.
John Emerson, former U.S. ambassador to Germany:
“I think it’s very good news for Germany. I am actually quite close to Friedrich Merz,” Emerson, former U.S. ambassador to Germany, told CNBC Monday, reacting to Friedrich Merz’s comments on Sunday night that it was “absolute priority” to “strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can achieve real independence from the U.S. step by step”.
“I think he is dead serious about where he talked about [Sunday night], in effect, declaring independence from the United States and, I guess [U.S. Vice President] JD Vance and Donald Trump can’t complain,” Emerson, told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick.
“Merz is a free trade guy … so I when I hear him talking about independence, I hear that as much more as ‘we need to get to a point where we can stand alone, that we Europe, can defend ourselves and do more in terms of the spending and building up of the military capabilities.’ I hear that more as a national security issue than an economic issue. Merz also has a second job. That job is to help revitalize Germany’s faltering economy.”
Alicia Garcia Herrero, economist at think-tank Bruegel:
“What happens with the U.S., tariff-wise, or trade-wise, is extremely important” for Germany, according to Herrero, a senior fellow at economic think-tank Bruegel. “I think Europe is waking up, and Merz is the best example of this,” she told CNBC Monday.
“They [European leaders] are realizing that they need to get closer together. And that is the silver lining that could make Europe stronger, that could make Germany stronger, that could force Germany, for once, to really think of a EU level military proposal, which would, however, mean that Germany would need to leave the debt break.”
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Apple to open Texas AI server factory in $500 billion U.S. expansion
Apple to open Texas AI server factory in $500 billion U.S. expansion
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., greets customers during the first day of in-store sales of Apple’s latest products at Apple’s Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple plans to open a new factory for artificial intelligence servers in Texas as part of a $500 billion investment in the U.S., the company said Monday.
The U.S. technology giant said it would work with partners to open a 250,000-square-foot server manufacturing facility in Houston to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, its AI personal assistant for iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.
The new factory, which is slated to open in 2026, will form part of a major investment plan Apple is committing to over the next four years. In addition to the new Texas facility, Apple said it also plans to hire around 20,000 new employees across the U.S.
Most of the new hires will be focused on research and development (R&D), silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning, Apple said.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement Monday.
The move comes after Apple’s chief executive met with President Donald Trump last week.
The iPhone maker faces pressure from the Trump administration over where it chooses to manufacture its products. Apple assembles most of its products in China.
Earlier this month, Trump signed an order imposing long-threatened 10% tariffs on ******** goods on top of existing tariffs of up to 25% levied during his first presidency.
Apple said its $500 billion investment plan will include work with suppliers across the U.S. and production of content for its Apple TV+ media streaming service in 20 states, as well as new hires and research and development (R&D) spending.
Apple said it “remains one of the largest U.S. taxpayers, having paid more than $75 billion in U.S. taxes over the past five years, including $19 billion in 2024 alone.”
The tech giant also said it would double its U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund to $10 billion from $5 billion currently, create a new manufacturing academy in Michigan, and grow its R&D investments in the U.S. to support cutting-edge fields such as silicon engineering.
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Opioid cash grab: As federal funding dries up, states turn to settlement money
Opioid cash grab: As federal funding dries up, states turn to settlement money
At a recent Nevada legislative committee hearing, lawmakers faced off with members of the governor’s administration over how to fill gaping holes in the state’s upcoming budget.
At issue: whether opioid settlement money — paid by health care companies that were sued for fueling the opioid crisis and meant to help states abate addiction — should be funneled to two counties for a safety net program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which is aimed at helping low-income children and families.
Previous funding “will no longer be available after June 30, 2025,” the budget proposal says. By then, billions of dollars in covid-era relief from the federal government — including a set-aside for TANF, which can cover emergency aid, job training, child care, and more — is likely to have expired.
Recognizing both the need for and uptake of this assistance, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s budget proposal directs $5 million in opioid settlement cash to shore up the program in the state’s most populous counties, Clark and Washoe.
The prospect of such tradeoffs is smacking many states in the face as they embark on budget season.
Not only is the river of federal pandemic relief that flowed to public health, education, food assistance, child care, and more over the past few years drying up, but a deluge of actions from the Trump administration has thrown into question once-reliable federal funding for a myriad of social services and health care programs. Congressional Republicans have also threatened cuts to Medicaid, a joint federal and state health insurance program for many low-income people.
Together, these financial headwinds have left many states hunting for alternative funds to maintain crucial services.
Opioid settlement money can seem like an attractive option. More than $10 billion has landed in state and local government coffers in recent years and billions more are set to arrive over the next decade-plus.
But recovery advocates, family members who have lost loved ones to addiction, and legal experts say that money has a specific purpose: to address the ongoing addiction and overdose crisis.
Even if $5 million is a small portion of the hundreds of millions Nevada has received, some say spending it elsewhere sets a troubling precedent. Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, a Democrat, raised this concern at the February hearing.
“There doesn’t seem to be a direct link to opioids” in the governor’s proposal directing these dollars to TANF, he said. Settlement money should not be used “to backfill budget accounts.”
Richard Whitley, director of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, insisted at the hearing that this was an appropriate use of settlement dollars. The money flowing through TANF will help “relatives who are raising children whose parents are substance-abusing,” he said.
In addition, Elizabeth Ray, a spokesperson for the Republican governor, told KFF Health News that the money would help families at risk of losing custody of their children due to substance use, with the goal of keeping kids in their homes and “ultimately reducing the need for foster care placements.” Implementing this program through the state’s TANF system would “reduce start-up costs and implementation time,” she wrote in a statement.
But TANF is available to many families living in poverty and it was unclear how these dollars would be targeted to such a subset.
Similar budget conflicts have surfaced in Connecticut — whose Democratic governor, the CT Mirror reports, is asking lawmakers to redirect opioid settlement money to social services that were previously funded through other means, including federal dollars — and Arizona, whose legislature transferred $115 million in settlement money to the state prison system last year to help close a $1.4 billion budget deficit.
National recovery advocate Ryan Hampton expects to see more efforts like this nationwide.
“I have a very high level of fear that states are going to be tapping into these settlement dollars in every creative way they can to fill some of these budget shortfalls,” he said. “It’s a grave misuse of funds and one that is going to have dire consequences.”
Although national overdose deaths have declined recently, tens of thousands of Americans are still dying from overdoses each year. In a few states, including Nevada, such deaths increased in the 12 months leading up to September.
“The intent of these dollars is to save lives right now,” said Hampton, who is in recovery from opioid addiction and founded a Nevada-based recovery advocacy organization. He submitted a public comment opposing the Nevada governor’s budget proposal.
Hampton and other advocates worry that using opioid funds for services that, even if crucial, are only tangentially related to addiction risks a repeat of the tobacco settlement of the 1990s.
At that time, ********** manufacturers agreed to pay state governments billions of dollars annually. Initially, states spent a chunk of that money on anti-smoking programs, said Meg Riordan, a vice president of research at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which tracks states’ spending on tobacco prevention programs.
But over time, states encountered budget crunches and many raided or dissolved trust funds they’d set up to protect tobacco money. Instead, they funneled the cash directly into their general funds and spent it on infrastructure projects and budget shortfalls.
“Once the funds start going somewhere else, there’s a risk that they won’t come back,” Riordan said.
Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable death in America.
The opioid settlements have more guardrails than the tobacco settlement did, but KFF Health News’ multiyear investigation found lax oversight and enforcement.
Nevada and Connecticut are among 13 states that have explicitly restricted the practice of supplantation, or using opioid settlement funds to replace existing funding streams.
Whitley, Nevada’s DHHS director, and the governor’s office have insisted that none of their proposed uses of settlement funds are examples of supplanting.
At the February hearing, Whitley repeatedly suggested that the budget proposal was misworded, creating a false impression. “We’ll clean that up with the language,” he said.
But he also emphasized the importance of settlement dollars as federal funding sources diminish. “As ARPA [the American Rescue Plan Act] goes away and other flexible funding goes away to address problems, this becomes one that really we have to rely on,” he said.
That perspective seems reasonable to JK Costello, director of behavioral health consulting for the Steadman Group, a company that he said is helping about a dozen local governments across the country administer the settlements.
Ideally settlement money adds to existing services, he said, but realistically, some safety net programs, even if they don’t directly address addiction, can be a lifeline for people with opioid use disorder. If major cuts in federal spending imperil those programs, using settlement funds to save them could be worthwhile.
“Getting people into great treatment when their housing voucher is cut isn’t really that helpful,” Costello said. “Treatment isn’t going to work if they’re not able to eat or feed their kids.”
The tricky thing is that many community organizations that work directly on addiction and recovery issues are also feeling the crunch of expiring federal aid and expected federal program changes that would reduce their resources, Costello said. When everyone is strapped, deciding where limited settlement dollars can do the most good becomes increasingly challenging.
Some places presciently set aside opioid settlement funds in “emergency” or “sustainability” accounts that could be tapped for addiction services in case of declining federal aid. South Dakota has such a fund with more than $836,000, according to its 2024 opioid report. None of it has been used yet.
Kristen Pendergrass, vice president of state policy for the addiction-focused nonprofit Shatterproof, hopes states turn to rainy day funds first, before raiding settlement accounts.
Nevada has $1.23 billion in its rainy day fund, more than the national median, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
“It would be a slippery slope if we stop paying attention now” and allow settlement funds to be used for anything, Pendergrass said. “The money was won to remediate harms and save lives. It should be used that way.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
America’s Opioid Epidemic
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France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country was rocked by Pelicot case – CNN
France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country was rocked by Pelicot case – CNN
France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country was rocked by Pelicot case CNNFrench Doctor Is Accused of Child Rapes The New York TimesSurgeon accused of ********* abusing hundreds of children, some under anesthesia The Washington Post
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#France #faces #largest #child #abuse #trial #weeks #country #rocked #Pelicot #case #CNN
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Libby Mettam beats expectations with strong performance against Roger Cook in fiery Leaders Debate
Libby Mettam beats expectations with strong performance against Roger Cook in fiery Leaders Debate
Libby Mettam has beaten expectations in a strong debate performance against a nervous, uncertain Roger Cook, in the only head-to-head showdown between the pair ahead of the State election.
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Assassin's Creed Shadows Pre-Load Date & Download Size Revealed
Assassin's Creed Shadows Pre-Load Date & Download Size Revealed
The pre-load date and download size for Ubisofts upcoming action role-playing game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, have been revealed.
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#Assassin039s #Creed #Shadows #PreLoad #Date #amp #Download #Size #Revealed
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Here comes supercharged Amazon Alexa AI for investors
Here comes supercharged Amazon Alexa AI for investors
A turbocharged Amazon Alexa AI is slated to be unveiled at an event in New York City on Wednesday. A source tells Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi that the company will show off a new generative AI assistant that is dubbed Rufus. The company could charge a modest monthly subscription to gain access to Rufus and its unknown capabilities (as of now). Considering Amazon (AMZN) has more than 200 million Prime subscribers worldwide, even if some people sign up for Rufus, it could be a lucrative new revenue stream for Amazon. At the bare minimum, the event is supposed to showcase Amazon’s investments the past two years to improve the intelligence of Alexa given new generative AI technologies. If unveiled, the company would be firing the first shot at Apple which continues to struggle to upgrade Siri. Interestingly, Amazon investors appear to be yawning into the event – shares of the tech beast are down 1.3% year to date compared to a 2% gain for the S&P 500 () and a modest increase for fellow “Magnificent Seven” component Nvidia (NVDA).
For full episodes of Opening Bid, listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website.
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#supercharged #Amazon #Alexa #investors
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Avowed Review [Capsule Computers] | N4G
Avowed Review [Capsule Computers] | N4G
Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes:
“When it comes to Obsidian Entertainment, you never quite know what they’ll have up their sleeves next, especially in recent years. One minute they’ll go from releasing a space-faring RPG to crafting a title all about surviving as a shrunken kid in your own backyard and eventually go on to make a “ye olde” ******* mystery with all kinds of unique elements. As such, when Obsidian revealed that they would be working on a fantasy RPG again and would even be setting it in the same realm and universe as their beloved Pillars of Eternity titles, fans were eager to see what Avowed would become. So now that it has arrived and is set to make its own mark in the Pillars universe, is Obsidian’s latest release worthwhile?”
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Trump's loyalty-first FBI: Dan Bongino named deputy – Axios
Trump's loyalty-first FBI: Dan Bongino named deputy – Axios
Trump’s loyalty-first FBI: Dan Bongino named deputy AxiosWhat is Dan Bongino’s net worth? Know about his business ventures, luxury cars collection, restaurants, properties Hindustan TimesMAGA Celebrates Dan Bongino FBI Appointment: ‘This. Is. EVERYTHING’ NewsweekRight-Wing Commentator Named F.B.I. Deputy Director The New York Times
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Jewish mum slams PM for ‘doing nothing’ to address rise in anti-Semitism
Jewish mum slams PM for ‘doing nothing’ to address rise in anti-Semitism
A Jewish mother-of-four has slammed the Prime Minister for “doing nothing” to address a rise in anti-Semitic behaviour across the country.
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ICE operation in Alhambra disrupted by local activists
ICE operation in Alhambra disrupted by local activists
The Brief
Alhambra police were alerted by the FBI about a multi-agency task force operation involving ICE, DEA, and FBI agents.
ICE officials stated the operation was part of investigations targeting criminals, not a raid.
Union del Barrio accused ICE of detaining non-criminal undocumented individuals, despite ICE’s claims.
ALHAMBRA, Calif. – A planned ICE operation involving DEA and FBI agents in Alhambra on Sunday was met with resistance from local activists.
Members of Union del Barrio, a long-standing immigrant community activist group, arrived with loudspeakers to protest the presence of federal agents, who eventually left the area.
Protecting the community
What we know
Alhambra police confirmed receiving a call from the FBI about a multi-agency task force gathering at a Target parking lot on W. Main Street for nearby arrests.
However, Union del Barrio activists were already on the scene, prepared to intervene. They reported seeing five ICE agent vehicles.
The activists, known for their community patrols, quickly mobilized to the scene, using loudspeakers to demand the agents’ departure.
The group claims their actions are within legal rights and have been part of their efforts since 1992 to protect communities from perceived threats.
Target employees and customers reportedly did not notice the operation, and corporate officials stated they were unaware of any raid, emphasizing that no one in the store was affected.
The city of Alhambra, a designated sanctuary city, recently reaffirmed its stance, although city officials were unavailable for comment.
No arrests made
What they’re saying
Ron Gochez, an activist with Union del Barrio, stated, “Our people had megaphones, and they called for backup of our folks and they went to both locations.”
The activists’ presence and recording efforts reportedly led to the agents leaving without making any arrests.
“We are super happy to report that once the agents saw that they were being recorded, and that people were alerting the community with megaphones, nobody was taken and those ICE agents they retreated and left the community,” Gochez added.
Investigations targeting criminals
The other side
ICE did not comment on the specific incident but clarified that it was not a raid or sweep and was focused on investigations targeting criminals.
They stated, “Based on intelligence-driven leads, ICE officers do not target noncitizens indiscriminately.”
ICE referred to recent arrests of undocumented immigrants, including a 47-year-old woman in Pomona and a 40-year-old in Vista, both arrested for alleged DUIs.
Gochez disputed this, alleging that ICE often detains individuals without documentation who are not criminals.
‘We are the target’
Local perspective
Union del Barrio activists remain committed to their cause, asserting that ICE’s claims of targeting only criminals are false.
“That’s a lie that they are saying they are only looking for criminals they are going to places, anywhere and everywhere where brown people are that’s what they are looking for, we are the target, we are not going to fall for that lie!” said Gochez.
More volunteers sought
What’s next
Union del Barrio reported another enforcement action in San Fernando that they claim to have stopped.
ICE officials have not provided information about any arrests but indicated that updates would be posted on their social media.
Meanwhile, Union del Barrio continues to seek volunteers for their community patrols, maintaining their commitment to defending immigrant rights.
The Source
Information for this story is from an interview with Ron Gochez of Union del Barrio on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 in Alhambra, and ICE.
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After Killzone, a Transformers-Themed Automaton Army of Decepticons Is the Logical Next Step
After Killzone, a Transformers-Themed Automaton Army of Decepticons Is the Logical Next Step
Fresh off the success of their Killzone collaboration, Helldivers 2 developers have dropped a tantalizing hint about their next crossover event. While the details remain classified (even Super Earth’s best intelligence agencies are scratching their heads), given some recent developments in the gaming industry, we can’t help but theorize about a particularly exciting possibility.
Arrowhead’s next crossover: More than just fancy cosmetics? | Image Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Just as Arrowhead teases they’re “in the very early stages of something new,” Hasbro announces a partnership that has our democracy-spreading senses tingling. And while we’re not saying the stars are aligning, if they were, they’d be forming a very familiar robotic face.
The question isn’t just about what’s next for our beloved bug-squashing simulator—it’s about the potential for something truly transformative. Something that could turn the tide in our endless fight for managed democracy across the galaxy.
What’s next for Helldivers 2‘s crossover content
When Helldivers 2 launched its Killzone crossover, the community’s initial reaction wasn’t exactly a victory for democracy. Overpriced cosmetics had players ready to file complaints with the Ministry of Truth—but Arrowhead’s swift response to feedback proved they actually listen to their citizens.
That’s exactly why a recent Discord exchange has Super Earth’s finest giddy with speculation. When asked about future crossovers, developer Sephez dropped a tease about being “in the very early stages of something new.” And while that could mean anything, the timing lines up suspiciously well with some interesting developments in the robotic sector.
Look at how masterfully Arrowhead has already handled diverse enemy factions. The Illuminate’s Overseers don’t just float there looking pretty—they coordinate their forces with a tactical precision that would make even a Decepticon commander jealous. And those Voteless? They’re proof that Arrowhead knows how to make enemies feel unique and threatening.
Now imagine those same development chops applied to everyone’s favorite robots in disguise. With Hasbro desperately seeking to revitalize the Transformers franchise through gaming, this could be the perfect chance for both companies to roll out something special.
Why Transformers and Helldivers 2 are a match made in mechanical heaven
Democracy needs all the help it can get nowadays. | Image Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios
Speaking of Hasbro, they’ve recently announced something that makes perfect sense for both parties. A fresh partnership with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 maker Saber Interactive, backed by a cool billion-dollar investment in gaming, suggests the company is dead serious about (fingers crossed) bringing their robots back to the digital battlefield.
The timing couldn’t be better. While Super Earth’s forces are stretched thin fighting Terminids, Automatons, and the Illuminate threat across the galaxy, having some Autobot backup wouldn’t hurt. And let’s be honest—who better to help identify Decepticon corruption among the Automaton ranks than Optimus Prime himself?
Just imagine the possibilities: Energon-powered stratagems raining from the sky, bot dropships sporting Cybertronian tech, and maybe even some special team-up mechanics with our new mechanical allies. The potential for both cosmetic and gameplay additions is enough to make even the most stoic Helldiver crack a smile.
But it’s not just about cool factor. Hasbro needs a win after Rise of the Beasts barely scraped by at the box office and Transformers: Reactivate got canceled before it even launched. To that end, Helldivers 2‘s blend of action and humor could be exactly what the franchise needs. After all, nothing says “freedom” quite like dropping a democracy-spreading orbital strike alongside a transforming truck.
What crossover content would you like to see in Helldivers 2? Share your ideas in the comments below!
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Joel Le Scouarnec: France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country rocked by Pelicot case – CNN
Joel Le Scouarnec: France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country rocked by Pelicot case – CNN
Joel Le Scouarnec: France faces its largest child abuse trial, weeks after country rocked by Pelicot case CNNFrench Doctor Is Accused of Child Rapes The New York TimesSurgeon accused of ********* abusing hundreds of children, some under anesthesia The Washington Post
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#Joel #Scouarnec #France #faces #largest #child #abuse #trial #weeks #country #rocked #Pelicot #case #CNN
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