Pelican Press

Yes, Musk reposted meme calling Americans who use federal programs the ‘Parasite Class’ Yes, Musk reposted meme calling Americans who use federal programs the ‘Parasite Class’ Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Claim: Tech mogul Elon Musk reposted a meme on X that called those who benefit from U.S. federal programs the “Parasite Class.” Rating: Rating: True In February 2025, a screenshot of what appeared to be a post by tech billionaire Elon Musk circled the internet. People claimed he reposted a meme of actor Sydney Sweeney with the caption: “Watching Trump slash federal programs knowing it doesn’t affect you because you’re not a member of the Parasite Class.” Musk appeared to write above the meme image: Why 90% of America loves @DOGE” — meaning the recently established U.S. Department of Government Efficiency — which Musk apparently heads. The claim spread across multiple platforms, including Instagram, X, Facebook and Bluesky. Media outlets such as The Daily Beast, The Atlantic ****** Star and Times Now News also published stories about the post. An episode on the podcast “On With Kara Swisher” discussed the post, as well, calling Musk himself a parasite; Swisher claimed that by 2015, Tesla had received almost $5 billion in government support. The X post is real; Musk did repost the meme (archived) with his own pro-DOGE caption and a laughing emoji on Feb. 12, 2025, at 10:35 p.m. (ET). The X account @Liberty_Memes created the original meme (archived) with a watermark, but the version Musk reposted did not include the Liberty Memes watermark and instead featured the DOGE logo. In sum, because Musk did repost a meme that called those who benefit from federal programs the “Parasite Class,” we rate this claim as true. Sources: Musk, Elon. ‘Elon Musk X Profile’. X.Com, Source link #Musk #reposted #meme #calling #Americans #federal #programs #Parasite #Class Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia warns 'production anomaly' causing performance losses on some GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D graphics cards – Notebookcheck.net Nvidia warns 'production anomaly' causing performance losses on some GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D graphics cards – Notebookcheck.net Nvidia warns ‘production anomaly’ causing performance losses on some GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D graphics cards Notebookcheck.netGeForce RTX 5070 Ti with missing ROPs offers up to 11% lower performance in synthetic tests VideoCardz.comNvidia confirms ‘rare’ RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti manufacturing issue The VergeNvidia explains the missing ROPs — defective silicon in 0.5% of RTX 5090 and 5070 Ti GPUs Tom’s HardwareNvidia confirms ‘rare issue’ with some RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs – here’s how to check if you’re affected and to get a replacement TechRadar Source link #Nvidia #warns #039production #anomaly039 #causing #performance #losses #GeForce #RTX #RTX #RTX #5090D #graphics #cards #Notebookcheck.net Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Overcoming early Lubbock’s shameful treatment of ****** residents, Part 2 Overcoming early Lubbock’s shameful treatment of ****** residents, Part 2 Editor’s Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech Editor’s Note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech University. He can be reached at *****@*****.tld. Today’s article about early Lubbock’s treatment of ****** residents is the second of a two-part series by frequent contributor Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock attorney and award-winning history writer, and Professor Dwight McDonald, Director of Community Engagement at Texas Tech University School of Law. This series alludes to language that is no-doubt painful for many, but aims to show our community’s past and efforts to pursue a better future. More: Caprock Chronicles: Overcoming early Lubbock’s shameful treatment of ****** residents, Part 1 Following the 1920s, Lubbock continued to mistreat its African American residents until long after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s did away with Jim Crow segregation laws. Segregation was the norm in Lubbock at the time, even as African Americans began to create their own ecosystem. Dr. Joel P. Oliver, the first African-American physician in Lubbock arrived in the 1930 , but left shortly after his arrival. Dr. Joseph A. Chatman arrived in Lubbock in 1939 and later established a hospital in what is now the Chatman Hill neighborhood, as was explored in a March 25, 2018 Caprock Chronicles article. By the early 1940’s, Lubbock had its first African-American dentist, Dr. C.H. Lyons. More: Chatman dedicates life underserved community As Lubbock continued to grow, so did its ****** population. By the 1950s, African Americans had physicians, dentists, a hospital, pharmacy, schools and stores, but they were not included in mainstream white society. However, the winds of change were blowing in the Hub City. With the Brown v Board decision of 1954, desegregation/integration became the law of the land, and the Lubbock Independent School District (LISD) “desegregated” in 1955, but the LISD plan consisted of having students attend their neighborhood schools. This solution did not address the true intent of the Brown decision, because African Americans and the schools they attended were still relegated to one side of town, thus not desegregated at all. School busing was offered as a solution. Beginning in 1971, the white majority waged—and lost—a major federal court battle against school busing. Texas Tech University, which was chartered as Texas Technological College in 1923 for “white students,” did not admit a ****** student until 1961. Lubbock resident T.J. Patterson—among many others—was denied entrance due to his race. In the spring of 1961, Patterson’s aunt, Lucille Graves, became the first African-American student admitted to Tech. Eight other African-American students from Dunbar High School were admitted in the Fall of 1961. ****** litigants in Lubbock began using the courts to accelerate the integration of Lubbock. In the 1970s, Gene Gaines’ wife died, and he wanted to bury her at the front of the Lubbock City Cemetery. At the time, the cemetery was segregated. Gaines was told his wife must be buried in the ****** section. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to get the policy changed, but it caused him to look at the larger picture of how the city’s decision-makers were elected. He realized no minorities held elected offices in Lubbock. Lucille Sugar Graves was the first African-American student admitted to Texas Tech in 1961. Three years after becoming the first African American to graduate from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1973, Gaines sued the City of Lubbock to force Lubbock to use single-member district voting instead of the at-large system. The at-large system diluted ********* votes, thereby preventing any ********* representation in any elected office. The litigation dragged on for years, but in 1982, the City of Lubbock was ordered to establish single-member districts. Shortly thereafter, African-American newspaper publisher T.J. Patterson was elected to the City Council, as was explored in a Feb. 20, 2021 Caprock Chronicles article. More: Caprock Chronicles: The lawsuit that won diversity in Lubbock leadership: Jones vs. the City Part 2 Despite all the obstacles, many distinguished members of Lubbock’s ****** community have seen great success over the years, including Charles Quinton Brown Jr., the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American to lead a branch of the United States Armed Forces; McKinley Sheppard, the first African American elected as Justice of the Peace in Lubbock; Terry Cook, internationally renowned opera singer; recording artist/educator Virgil Johnson; Mae Simmons, former Principal at Isles Elementary School; Eric Strong, Director of TTU Upward Bound Program; C.B. “Stubbs” Stubblefield, culture catalyst/barbeque entrepreneur; and professional athletes Jerry Gray, Dennis Gentry and Jarrett Culver. Alfred and Billie Caviel had the unique distinction of being the first African-American couple to own and operate a pharmacy in the United States when they opened Caviel Pharmacy on the corner of Avenue A and 23rd Street. The pharmacy was opened in 1960 and was family owned until it closed in 2009. Billie Caviel became the first ****** person elected to the LISD School Board, as was explored in a July 4, 2020 Caprock Chronicles article. More: From Pharmacy to Canvas: Caviel’s Pharmacy becomes a center of cultural heritage and art Today, Lubbock is a far cry from racist editor James Lorenzo Dow’s Lubbock. LISD and Texas Tech are happily integrated. African Americans are progressing in the Lubbock community, where they hold leadership positions in city government, universities, boards and committees throughout Lubbock. There are still racial issues that we as a community continue to work through, but we should all be proud of the growth and progress Lubbock has made. We should not become complacent. We should continue to be mindful of the fact there is still work to be done, but we certainly are not what we used to be. Lanehart Dwight McDonald This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caprock Chronicles overcoming Lubbock past treatment of ****** people, 2 Source link #Overcoming #early #Lubbocks #shameful #treatment #****** #residents #Part Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China announces rural revitalisation plans in annual policy blueprint China announces rural revitalisation plans in annual policy blueprint John Phillips | Digital Editor for CNBC.com China will deepen its rural reforms as part of efforts to revitalize the agricultural sector and bolster food security in the face of U.S. tariffs, an economic slowdown and climate change, state media reported on Sunday, citing a rural policy document. The State Council’s annual rural policy blueprint, known as the “No.1 document”, outlined plans to improve rewards and subsidy systems for major grain-producing areas, promoting the industrialization of biotech cultivation among other measures, state news agency Xinhua reported. Grain production in the world’s top grain importer reached a record high of 706.5 million metric tons last year, up 1.6% from 2023. The latest policy guideline sharpens China’s focus on self-sufficiency and supply stability to counter potential disruptions to agricultural trade with the United States, the European Union and Canada. While approval has been granted for GM and gene-edited soybeans, wheat and corn, planting remains limited and closely controlled, with progress and scale of cultivation unclear. The document said China would monitor and regulate pig production capacity and support the beef and dairy cattle industries while encouraging financial institutions to increase funding for rural revitalization. Source link #China #announces #rural #revitalisation #plans #annual #policy #blueprint Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Space mission aims to map water on surface of the moon – The Guardian Space mission aims to map water on surface of the moon – The Guardian Space mission aims to map water on surface of the moon The GuardianMeet Trailblazer: A ******* NASA Probe on a Mission to Map the Moon’s Water GizmodoThe quest for water heads to the moon, via spacecraft built in Colorado The Colorado SunDigging for water on the moon with new technology Spectrum NewsJPL’s Lunar Trailblazer Set To Launch On Commercial Moon Mission Pasadena Now Source link #Space #mission #aims #map #water #surface #moon #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker review: simple to use but tricky to master Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker review: simple to use but tricky to master Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: one-minute review If you can’t get your hands on the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker could be the next best thing. It isn’t as advanced as the Ninja machine, but can produce a smooth and ******* dessert once you get used to its quirks. Preparing your ice cream is straightforward, and Cuisinart provides a good online recipe book to get you started. However, you have to keep a very close eye on the machine to ensure you stop it when your mix reaches the right temperature. Stop it too late and you’ll have to wait for it to melt, or pull the churning mechanism out and scoop your ice cream out with a spoon. It’s not the end of the world, but a timer would help avoid such issues arising. The miniature hot plate for keeping sauces or melted chocolate warm is a nice touch and works well, but I’d argue that there’s no need for three different topping containers – particularly since the design of their dispensing mechanism means most candies are too large. It can be fun to use, but it would be difficult to justify spending on the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream maker unless you eat frozen desserts several times a week. It’s reasonably priced and often available at a discount, but it takes up a lot of valuable space in your kitchen Stop the machine when your ice cream reaches “Goldilocks” consistency, and it should pour out smoothly when you open the dispenser (Image credit: Future) Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: price and availability List price $179.95 / £200 / AU$249 Sometimes available at a discount About half the price of Ninja Creami Swirl The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker has a list price of $179.95 / £200 / AU$249. It’s available direct from Cuisinart’s online store, and from third-party retailers such as Amazon. It’s sometimes available for a discount, and you’ll find all today’s best prices below. For comparison, the Ninja Creami Swirl comes in at almost twice the price at $349. At the time of writing (February 2025), international prices and availability had yet to be announced. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the ice cream maker attachment works in a similar way to the Cuisinart, using a frozen bowl and a rotary motor to churn your ingredients while they freeze, but it lacks a soft-serve dispenser. It retails for $99.99 / £149 / AU$209. Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: design Bulky, not very attractive Excellent mini hotplate for sauces Topping dispensers aren’t ideal The Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker is a large appliance, and at 17.7 inches / 45cm, it only just fit beneath my kitchen wall cabinets. Its footprint is relatively small though (9.4 x 11 inches / 24 x 28cm), which is more compact than a lot of coffee makers. You might not want to keep it on the kitchen counter at all times, though; its white plastic chassis is functional and easy to clean, but not a thing of great beauty. From a mechanical perspective, it’s quite simple. There’s a double-insulated bowl that you freeze ahead of time, which cools your ingredients to freeze them as they’re churned. When your ice cream is ready, simply switch off the motor, open a tap on the bottom, and the finished dessert pours out in a smooth stream (provided you’ve judged the timings correctly). You’ll need to freeze the main bowl and chill your blended ingredients for at least four hours before making your ice cream (Image credit: Future) There are three removable topping containers on the top right of the machine, which I initially loaded with candy. Unfortunately, I later realized that they were only capable of dispensing very small items such as sprinkles due to the size of the mechanism inside. Toppings such as M&Ms or nuts will be too large, which is a shame. All three toppings are dispensed through a single funnel, which propels them into your ice cream as it pours. During my tests this mostly worked well, but some sprinkles ended up overshooting. The Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker also has a small hotplate on the left-hand side of the bowl, with a little saucepan that you can use to melt a sauce to pour over your finished ice cream. Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: performance Cuisinart’s website has a good selection of simple recipes for the Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker, all of which can be adapted to suit your tastes. I started with the fresh strawberry ice cream, which is a mix of double cream, milk, hulled strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. You need to keep the bowl upright while it freezes, but I found it fitted in my freezer’s deepest drawer quite easily, and I was able to stuff it with small frozen items to make good use of the space until I was ready to use it. You’ll need to blend your mix (take a look at our roundup of the best blenders, if you’ve been thinking about upgrading) then chill the mix for at least four hours before you start churning. Once your mix is cold, it’s time to begin. The frozen bowl fits easily into place inside the machine, then the lid with the churning mechanism clips on top. Once it’s all in place, you start the machine using the switch on the left; make sure the lever is pushed up into the “closed” position, and pour your mix through the L-shaped hole in the top. I forgot to check the lever on my first attempt, which was a messy mistake. The mini hotplate is activated by turning the control dial all the way to the right, and during testing it worked very well. It provides gentle heat while your ice cream churns, and will melt a cube or two of chocolate by the time your dessert is ready. I initially filled the topping dispensers with candy, but they’re not actually suitable for anything larger than sprinkles (Image credit: Future) Unlike the Ninja Creami Swirl, the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker relies on gravity to dispense your ice cream, so it needs to be just the right consistency. If you allow the mix to chill too long, it will fail to flow through the dispenser, and eventually the churning mechanism will stop turning. This won’t break the machine, but you’ll need to wait for the ice cream to thaw a little before you can continue, or remove the lid and churning mechanism (which can be tricky if the ice cream has become stiff) and scoop out the dessert instead. For best results, don’t churn for longer than 20 minutes. If I wasn’t sure that I’d achieved the right consistency, I found it helpful to turn off the machine, then use a spoon to scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl to assess its thickness. A programmable timer would be a good addition to avoid accidentally over-chilling the mix. The topping dispenser has a tendency to overshoot your dessert (Image credit: Future) I also found that the blades didn’t quite reach all the way to the edge of the bowl, which created a layer of hardened ice cream that wouldn’t dispense. This was difficult to remove with a spoon without thawing everything completely. Performance score: 3.5 / 5 Should you buy the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker Swipe to scroll horizontally Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: score card Attribute Notes Score Value Almost half the price of the Ninja Creami Swirl, although if you have a KitchenAid mixer, the ice cream attachment is cheaper. 4.5/5 Design Functional, but not a thing of great beauty. Churning mechanism is robust and mini hotplate is a great little addition; but topping dispensers can only handle small sprinkles. 3.5/5 Performance Makes ******* soft-serve, but you have to catch it at exactly the right point. A timer would be helpful to help avoid over-freezing. 3.5/5 Buy it if Don’t buy it if Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: also consider How I tested the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker I used the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker to prepare several recipes from Cuisinart’s website, including soft-serve ice cream and sorbet. I tested the hotplate with different types of chocolate, and tried various sprinkles and candies in the topping dispensers. For more details. see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar. First reviewed February 2025 Source link #Cuisinart #Soft #Serve #Ice #Cream #Maker #review #simple #tricky #master Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

*********** leaders mark three years since Russia’s ‘********’ invasion of Ukraine *********** leaders mark three years since Russia’s ‘********’ invasion of Ukraine *********** leaders will commemorate the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion and Ukraine’s ongoing resistance on Monday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton both described the unprovoked attack on February 24, 2022 as “********” and commended the strength of the Ukrainian people. “For three years, Ukraine has bravely resisted Russia’s ******** and immoral war of aggression,” Mr Albanese said in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. “Australia continues to stand with Ukraine. We have committed over $1.5 billion to help Ukraine defend itself. “Once again, Australia calls on Russia to immediately end its war and adhere fully to its obligations under international law, including in relation to the protection of civilians and treatment of prisoners of war. “Working with Ukraine and our partners, Australia supports a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.” The grim milestone comes as tensions between the US and Ukraine came to a head last week, after US President Donald Trump labelled Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator”. Washington officials also re-established relations with their Russian counterparts to attempt to resolve a peace deal but excluded Ukraine from talks. Mr Dutton, alongside shadow foreign minister David Coleman and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie, said it had been an unfathomable three years. “It’s hard for most Australians to fathom that, today, three years have passed since war returned to Europe — three years have passed since Russia’s ********, unprovoked, and abominable invasion of Ukraine,” they stated. “But for three years, Ukrainians have felt every day of war. Camera IconMr Dutton, alongside shadow foreign minister David Coleman and shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie, said it had been an unfathomable three years. Credit: LUKAS COCH/AAPIMAGE “As Australians look on from afar and see the horrors and heartache of war that Ukrainians continue to endure every day, we also see, every day, a country of heroes. “They did not cower in fear — they fought back with courage. “President Zelenskyy has been a brave and inspirational leader in staring down a murderous dictator.” The Coalition took aim at the Albanese Government for it’s “slow and weak” support for the embattled county. “Australia should not just applaud Ukrainians, but continue to support Ukraine through the provision of military equipment, supplies and aid. The Coalition has been disappointed by the Albanese Government’s slow and weak support for Ukraine,” it said. “We saw the Government’s refusal to provide MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. “Labor inexplicably left our embassy in Kyiv vacant for almost three years, and ignored a request to support the nation’s energy needs.” However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers reaffirmed the Government’s backing for Kyiv. “Our support for Ukraine has been unwavering and that will continue. We’ve said that Ukraine obviously needs to be part of any peace discussions,” he said Source link #*********** #leaders #mark #years #Russias #******** #invasion #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Israel indefinitely delays ************ prisoner return after hostages ‘humiliated’ Israel indefinitely delays ************ prisoner return after hostages ‘humiliated’ Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of ************ prisoners indefinitely, in response to “humiliating” ceremonies choreographed by ****** as it returns Israeli hostages. Israel was expected to free 620 Palestinians, including 50 serving life sentences, but they remained behind bars. On Saturday, vehicles apparently carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in, hours after another cruel handover by the terror group. Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “[Because of] repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies.” Ezzat El Rashq, a ****** official, said the Israeli prime minister’s statement was a “deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation’s lack of reliability in implementing its obligations”. Abdul Latif al-Qanou, another ****** spokesman, told Al Araby, the Qatari TV channel, that there were “positive signs” the prisoners would be released soon, and called on mediators to act “immediately” to free them. Qanou also said that ****** will be ready to move to phase two of the ceasefire and release all hostages when “the attack is completely stopped, Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip in full and the reconstruction process begins”. The Telegraph understands that negotiations over phase two have begun, but that Israel wants to expand the first phase and have more hostages released. Saturday’s hostage handover was met with fury in Israel, in part because Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen looked pale and emaciated. Mr Shem Tov was seen waving, smiling and kissing the forehead of an armed ****** member on a stage, a moment orchestrated and filmed by the terror group for its propaganda. Mr Shem Tov’s father later said: “Omer said they told him what to do. You can see in the footage that someone came up to him and told him what to do.” ****** fighters march Omer Wenkert towards the Red Cross workers for handover to Israel – Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, the other two hostages released on Saturday, had spent more than 10 years in captivity and were both suffering from mental illnesses. Mr Sayed, an Israeli Bedouin, was the only hostage returned from Gaza in this round of the ceasefire who was not humiliated and put on a stage in front of a large crowd. Mr Sayed’s father, Sha’ban al-Sayed, said on Sunday that his son was not well. He told Walla, the Israeli news site: “He is broken and may have been held alone. It is strange for him to see people. He does not speak…” Mr Sayed senior told Channel 12 news: “He is not well. He was not in our world. A kind of Tarzan after living for 10 years with animals. He does not communicate.” ****** also brought two hostages, Eviatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, to watch their fellow captives being freed in Gaza on Saturday, filming them inside a car where they were heard pleading to be released themselves. Mr Gilboa-Dalal’s father, Ilan Dalal, said on Sunday: “They forced them to watch their friends being released and then returned them to the tunnels. There is no greater cruelty. They can’t continue. It’s simply inhumane.” Donald Trump also slammed ****** for the way it treated the Israeli hostages. The US president said: “We had the hostages given back today, it’s disgraceful what’s going on there. They’re not in great shape, but we’ve also seen them in worse shape. What a terrible situation it is.” The bodies of hostages Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Tsahi Idan, and Shlomo Mantzur are expected to be returned next week in accordance with the ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, said on Sunday that he has instructed the military to prepare to remain in some of the occupied West Bank’s urban refugee camps “for the coming year”. The Israeli military said it was expanding the raid in the West Bank to other areas and was sending tanks to Jenin, a militant stronghold. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #Israel #indefinitely #delays #************ #prisoner #return #hostages #humiliated Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nikola Jokic says Nuggets might have “tricked ourselves” with 9-game win streak. – The Denver Post Nikola Jokic says Nuggets might have “tricked ourselves” with 9-game win streak. – The Denver Post Nikola Jokic says Nuggets might have “tricked ourselves” with 9-game win streak. The Denver PostDoncic says his breakout in Denver is only the start as he develops chemistry with LeBron and Lakers The Associated PressLakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets Yahoo SportsRecap: Denver Nuggets win streak snapped as they lose 123-100 to Los Angeles Lakers Denver Stiffs Source link #Nikola #Jokic #Nuggets #tricked #9game #win #streak #Denver #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*********** retirees tipped to join world’s wealthiest *********** retirees tipped to join world’s wealthiest *********** pensioners are tipped to be among the richest in the world by 2030 as *********** superannuation funds representatives head to a US summit. Source link #*********** #retirees #tipped #join #worlds #wealthiest Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump gets middling grades on Americans’ top issues, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds Trump gets middling grades on Americans’ top issues, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds By Jason Lange and Bo Erickson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans give President Donald Trump middling marks on his handling of the economy and efforts to shrink the government and are unimpressed by some of the early fights he has picked, such as proposals to take over Gaza, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows. The poll, conducted February 13-18, asked more than 4,000 U.S. adults nationwide whether they supported a range of positions staked out by Trump and how much the issues would motivate them to vote in the future. The results point to Trump putting considerable effort into policies that many Americans don’t like, or don’t consider very important. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. A wave of frustration over prolonged inflation helped power Trump to victory in November, and a majority of respondents — 58% — said inflation would be a major factor in deciding their vote in future elections. But just 32% approved of the job Trump was doing on inflation. Views of the economy by households deteriorated this month to the lowest level in over a year, according to a widely followed survey by the University of Michigan. Just 25% of respondents — and only half of Republicans — said they supported Trump’s idea of having the U.S. government take over Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere. “I thought that was a moronic idea because it’s infeasible,” Willard Moore, a Republican lawyer in New York City who participated in the poll, referring to the Gaza proposal. “If you did it, it would cost a lot of money, and at the end what would you have, some sort of resort? Like, what good is that for anyone?” A notable portion of Trump’s 2024 voters broke with some of the president’s early actions and ideas. About a third of Trump voters opposed the proposal to end birthright citizenship and one in five opposed his administration’s move to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Americans do consider Trump’s push to downsize government important, but are divided mostly along party lines on whether they support it. Sixty percent of respondents said the so-called Department of Government Efficiency task force for cutting federal spending, which is led by Elon Musk, would influence their vote in the next federal elections — 2026, when Democrats will seek to win back control of Congress. But only 42% of the country supports the endeavor and 53% oppose it. “He’s just rushing a little bit. I think the whole thing with the DOGE is being rushed a little bit,” said Gerald Dunn, a Republican 66-year-old martial arts instructor from Staatsburg, in New York State’s Hudson Valley. “I like what he is doing but I think a lot of what he says is just BS. When he starts talking about annexing Greenland and annexing Canada, you know that’s just smoke.” EDUCATION WORRY Trump’s call to abolish the Department of Education — a move that would require Congress’ support — met with broad opposition, with 65% of respondents overall and four in ten Republicans opposed. “I have a child who is on the spectrum, and I have the luxury to provide for her to go to school for children who have autism. If that was taken away, I wouldn’t know what I would do,” said Mikeriah Perry, a 25-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, who said she leans Democratic. “I wouldn’t have the proper resources to assist my child to be the best person they can be when it is time for them to go to the general public schools.” Musk’s cost-cutting, however, is wildly popular among Trump’s hardline supporters – those in the survey who said they strongly identify with the president’s Make America Great Again, or MAGA, movement. Ninety-four percent of MAGA followers back the Musk-led effort and 78% said it would be a “very motivating” or “motivating” for them in future elections. The same share of core MAGA voters consider increasing the deportation of ******** immigrants to be a big motivator for voting. It’s an issue that was at the center of Trump’s presidential campaign last year. Across all respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, just over half – 55% – supported increasing deportations, compared to 41% who were opposed. But Trump’s performance on immigration was approved by less than half of respondents – 47%. Trump also got mixed marks on his proposed tariffs, particularly on Canada. Fifty-nine percent of respondents, including a quarter of Republicans, rejected this idea. “I struggle with things like picking a fight with Canada. Why are we picking a fight with Canada?” said Todd Wellman, a 49-year-old Republican from Indianapolis, who said he wrote in now-Vice President JD Vance as his choice for president in November. Regardless of his doubts about Trump, he said he preferred him to Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and added of Trump: “I support the direction in which he’s trying to take us, but I don’t always support his methods or path in getting us there.” The poll surveyed 4,145 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points. (Reporting by Jason Lange and Bo Erickson; Editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington) Source link #Trump #middling #grades #Americans #top #issues #ReutersIpsos #poll #finds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump ‘victory lap’, Musk’s chainsaw, Bannon’s salute: Key CPAC takeaways – Al Jazeera English Trump ‘victory lap’, Musk’s chainsaw, Bannon’s salute: Key CPAC takeaways – Al Jazeera English Trump ‘victory lap’, Musk’s chainsaw, Bannon’s salute: Key CPAC takeaways Al Jazeera EnglishAt CPAC, Trump Revels in Political Payback The New York Times Source link #Trump #victory #lap #Musks #chainsaw #Bannons #salute #Key #CPAC #takeaways #Jazeera #English Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Slater and Gordon email scandal: Top law firm rocked by all-staff message Slater and Gordon email scandal: Top law firm rocked by all-staff message One of Australia’s most prominent law firms is embroiled in scandal after a “rogue email” was reportedly sent to the entire company. The message, which both The *********** and The *********** Financial Review reported as being critical of senior executives at Slater and Gordon in addition to detailing the remuneration of its entire workforce, purported to be from the firm’s interim chief people officer, Mari Ruiz-Matthyssen. Ruiz-Matthyssen’s name was listed as the owner of the Gmail account which sent the message, but chief executive Dina Tutungi said on Sunday she did not send the email, which has been reported to Victoria Police and cybersecurity experts from outside the company. “The email was not sent by the interim chief people officer Mari Ruiz-Matthyssen. It contains many disparaging, false, and deliberately misleading claims,” Tutungi said in a statement reported by The ***********. “The information attached to the email, while unreliable, should never have been shared.” Among the comments reported to have been shared were descriptions of senior staff including the phrases “senile and needs to retire”, “ruthlessly ambitious” and “lazy and unmotivated”. Camera IconSlater and Gordon is one of Australia’s most prominent law firms. Credit: Supplied On top of pay details of every one of Slater and Gordon’s 906 employees, the email also contained details of bonuses and the performance ranking of all staff. The firm, founded in 1935, became one of the first in the world to be listed publicly almost two decades ago and in 2023 was taken over by private equity in a deal reported to have been worth about $150 million. The email also criticised the actions and alleged plans of that new parent company, Allegro Funds. Among Slater and Gordon’s notable alumni are former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who ascended to partner during her decade-long stint as an industrial lawyer, and Adam Bandt, federal MP and leader of The Greens. Source link #Slater #Gordon #email #scandal #Top #law #firm #rocked #allstaff #message Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Thousands of farms shutting as industry braces for inheritance tax raid Thousands of farms shutting as industry braces for inheritance tax raid Farmers have taken to the streets to protest against the imposition of inheritance tax – Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images Europe Thousands of farms are already disappearing as the industry braces for Rachel Reeves’s inheritance tax raid to take effect in April. Twice as many agricultural businesses are closing down as are opening, according to analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data by Cynergy Bank, as the gulf between company deaths and births widens. In the final months of 2024, 1,370 businesses in agriculture, forestry and fishing shut their doors for good. Only 670 new companies were founded in the industry, less than half as many. Over the past three years a total of 16,905 have closed in the industry, with 9,055 opening, leaving a net loss of 7,850 businesses. Nick Fahy, the chief executive of Cynergy Bank, said it showed “a sobering picture of the *** business environment”. He said: “The farming sector is worst hit. With only half of closing agricultural businesses being replaced, farmers are grappling with rising costs, labour shortages and the looming spectre of inheritance tax changes set to take effect in April. “In stark contrast, sectors such as healthcare, real estate and education are thriving. These sectors highlight the potential for resilience and adaptation within the *** economy, even as agriculture faces significant headwinds.” It comes as farmers protest the looming imposition of inheritance tax on the industry, a change announced by Ms Reeves, the Chancellor, in her October Budget. Currently, they benefit from agricultural property relief which means family farms do not incur inheritance tax. From April, that relief will be cut back with the tax imposed at a rate of 20pc, above a £1m threshold, taking it half way to the usual headline rate of 40pc. Combined with a similar change to business property relief, the Chancellor hopes this will raise around £500m per year. Tom Bradshaw, the president of the National Farmers’ Union, said the ONS data on closures “underscores the severe challenges facing the *** agricultural sector”. He said: “Farmers and growers are trying to make a living while navigating an increasingly volatile environment, exacerbated by fluctuating commodity prices, persisting cost pressures and unpredictable extreme weather in recent years. “The burden of the family farm tax is also intensifying these challenges, threatening the ability for many family farms to pass on their legacy to the next generation. “In my recent meeting with the Treasury, it was evident that our concerns about the tax went unheard. The Government must recognise that its stance is not only detrimental to farmers, but undermines food security for the entire nation.” Story Continues Overall the ONS found 65,450 business births in the final quarter of last year across the nation as a whole, the lowest since its records began in 2017. Those creations were outnumbered by more than 69,000 business deaths. For last year as a whole, almost 307,000 businesses were set up, the lowest on record. However that still outnumbered the nearly 298,000 closures, as other industries beyond agriculture kept growing. A government spokesman said the reduction in agricultural property relief was “a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on”. He said: “For years farmers have been struggling to make a fair profit, faced spiralling costs and have been undercut by trade deals forcing thousands out of business. “This Government recognises that food security is national security. That is why we are investing £5bn into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history. “We are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by using the Government’s purchasing power to back British produce and reform planning rules on farms to support food production.” Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #Thousands #farms #shutting #industry #braces #inheritance #tax #raid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Luka Doncic dominates as Lakers finally end eight-game losing streak in Denver – Los Angeles Times Luka Doncic dominates as Lakers finally end eight-game losing streak in Denver – Los Angeles Times Luka Doncic dominates as Lakers finally end eight-game losing streak in Denver Los Angeles TimesLakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets Yahoo SportsDoncic says his breakout in Denver is only the start as he develops chemistry with LeBron and Lakers The Associated PressPlayer Grades: Lakers vs. Nuggets Silver Screen and Roll Recap: Denver Nuggets win streak snapped as they lose 123-100 to Los Angeles Lakers Denver Stiffs Source link #Luka #Doncic #dominates #Lakers #finally #eightgame #losing #streak #Denver #Los #Angeles #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of the ATF, official says New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of the ATF, official says Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of the FBI, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., Jan. 30, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday. Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department’s largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives. The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it’s announced publicly. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening. Patel was sworn in Friday as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the steadfast Trump ally’s plans to radically overhaul the FBI. ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it’s in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes and analyzing intelligence in shooting investigations. The move was first reported Saturday by ABC News. The news comes days after Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF’s top lawyer. Bondi said in a Fox News interview Friday that she fired chief counsel Pamela Hicks because the agency was “targeting gun owners.” Hicks, who spent more than 20 years as a Justice Department lawyer, said in a social media post that being ATF chief counsel was the “highest honor” of her career. Conservatives have long railed against ATF over its role in regulating firearms and have suggested shuttering the agency. Under the Biden administration, the ATF advanced new regulations aimed at cracking down on ghost guns and requiring thousands more firearms dealers to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores. In an executive order earlier this month, President Donald Trump directed the attorney general to review all actions taken by the Biden administration around firearms “to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens.” Gun safety groups have raised alarm about putting Patel in charge of the FBI, with gun control group Brady calling him a “known gun rights extremist.” Gun Owners of America, a gun rights group, called his confirmation as FBI director “a major victory for gun owners and constitutional rights advocates nationwide.” The last confirmed ATF director was Steve Dettelbach, a former federal prosecutor, who led the agency from July 2022 until last month. He was the first confirmed director since 2015 as both Republican and Democratic administrations failed to get nominees through the politically fraught process. Source link #FBI #Director #Kash #Patel #named #acting #ATF #official Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘My dog lost its leg at the track’ ‘My dog lost its leg at the track’ Oscar Edwards & Iolo Cheung BBC News Essex Havard Essex Havard adopted Jilly after she lost her leg in a race A man who adopted a greyhound that lost a leg while racing believes the “cradle to grave” attitude towards the breed must change. Essex Havard, 58, from Cardiff, first met Jilly six years ago when she was dumped by her owner after breaking her leg. The Welsh government announced on Tuesday the sport would be banned “as soon as practically possible” and was not “impossible” before the next Senedd election in 2026. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) said experts and vets were on site at all times to ensure the highest possible standards of ********. Essex Havard Gilly was abandoned by her owner after breaking her leg in a greyhound race Mr Havard has been a long-time supporter of a ban, even before he met Jilly, and said he was “very pleased” about the announcement. “She came to us three-legged because she broke her leg on the Valley track and was left there by her trainer,” he said. Jilly was taken in by charity Hope Rescue, and Mr Havard said there was a “nervousness” about her when she was first adopted. He said this was common among former racing greyhounds who struggle to adopt to life outside the track. “They’ve lived their lives in concrete boxes. If they’re lucky with another greyhound.” He said the bedding-in process can “take three to six months”, but added it has been a joy to see her transform into the “settled” and “happy” dog she is today. Mr Havard said Jilly is now “bold, curious and very tolerant” and loves playing with other dogs. PA Media Emotions were high at Crayford Greyhound Stadium in London, after it held its final race last month Mr Havard was one of 35,000 people to sign a Senedd petition to ban the sport, which had cross-party support and a government consultation. There is only one greyhound track in Wales, the Valley Greyhound Stadium in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly county, which became licensed by The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) in 2023 after a £2m upgrade. Elsewhere, one of London’s oldest tracks, the Crayford Greyhound Stadium, closed due to “dwindling support”, while New Zealand is also planning a ban due to an “unacceptably high” injury rate. But animal ******** campaigners argued the number of races increased in Wales last year, citing streaming and betting. Mr Havard said the industry did not care about dogs, only “winning and getting money from them”. He claimed 80% of greyhounds bred for racing were born in Ireland, where they often go from “cradle to grave”. “You can’t have one puppy per litter, you need six or seven,” he said. “So they choose the best one, and then they get rid of the rest.” He said the solution was to close the tracks “stifle the supply and kill the demand for these dogs”. Beca Brown Nel was abandoned after losing her racing trials in Ireland Beca Brown, 51, from Llanrug, Gwynedd, also saw signs of mistreatment when she adopted her greyhound, Nel. “Nel was very unsocialised, quite afraid of everything, but particularly men. She was very reactive to any other dog breeds that weren’t greyhounds,” she said. The Gwynedd councillor, also a trustee of Welsh Greyhound Rescue, said greyhounds had been “othered” in contrast to other breeds. “People would be up in arms if that was a labrador or spaniel. But somehow we look at them as racing dogs. “When they come out into into the **** world, they just don’t know how to behave.” She said she was “so glad” the sport was being banned in Wales and she hoped other nations would follow suit. Hope Rescue Beca and Nel have previously lobbied at the Senedd during protests against greyhound racing Lizzie Culpin, from Greyhound Rescue Wales, helps to rehabilitate ex-racing dogs in Garnant, Ammanford. She said the oval track caused significant problems for the dogs, with broken legs and musculoskeletal injuries most common. She said the charity currently held 19 dogs in its 20 kennels and the charity was “prepared” for an influx after the ban, with fears hundreds of dogs will be discarded. “We are working with lots of other charities so that no greyhound will go without a home,” she said. “It’s a very dangerous situation for a greyhound to be in,” she added. Lizzie Culpin says animal charities are prepared for the ban Greyhound Rescue Wales’ chief executive Tim Doyle called the announcement “momentous”. “We are pleased that the Welsh government has put animal ******** first and added Wales to the extensive list of countries that have banned greyhound racing in recent years,” he said. He said the charity was focusing on rehoming greyhounds with the total number “unlikely to decrease in the near future”. A deal to support the Welsh government’s spending plans, including the ban, is expected on Tuesday with support from Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds, who said earlier this week racing dogs underwent “needless” suffering. Getty Images The only official dog ​​racing track in Wales is the Valley Stadium in Ystrad Mynach The GBGB said this was an admission the Welsh government’s decision had more to do with passing the budget than racing itself. Mark Bird, its chief executive, said: “This is not how any piece of legislation should be decided upon and is the kind of cynical behaviour that destroys people’s trust in government leaving them totally disillusioned about how politicians behave.” The GBGB also said all greyhounds racing at officially licensed tracks were supported by a retirement scheme. A £420 bond shared between owners and GBGB helps with costs associated with retirement, including kennelling and caring for the dog until a home is found. Source link #dog #lost #leg #track Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

WA’s Ukrainian community ‘disgusted’ but undaunted by Trump rhetoric on three-year anniversary of invasion WA’s Ukrainian community ‘disgusted’ but undaunted by Trump rhetoric on three-year anniversary of invasion Ukrainians who now call Western Australia home gathered on Sunday to mark three years since their country was mercilessly invaded, as the leader of the free world makes an alarming pivot in favour of Russia. Source link #Ukrainian #community #disgusted #undaunted #Trump #rhetoric #threeyear #anniversary #invasion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Delhi says it is looking into ‘deeply troubling’ information about USAID activities in India New Delhi says it is looking into ‘deeply troubling’ information about USAID activities in India NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian authorities are looking into “deeply troubling” information about U.S. governmental activity in the country, New Delhi said on Friday, after President Donald Trump suggested that a U.S. government agency had spent money trying to influence Indian elections. The Indian foreign ministry comment comes two days after Trump cited information released by DOGE, the department led by Elon Musk, showing that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had spent $21 million on “voter turnout” in India. “We have seen information put out by the US administration regarding certain USAID activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling. This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly news briefing when asked about USAID’s activities in India. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Jaiswal said the “relevant department and agencies” were looking into the matter. USAID did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. On February 16, DOGE published on X a list of funds that USAID, which Trump has put a freeze on, had disbursed, including $21 million for voter turnout in India. “What do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India for? Wow, $21 million. I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected,” Trump said at an event in Miami. His comment and DOGE’s disclosures have caused a political storm in India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress accusing each other of benefiting from foreign funds. On Friday, the Indian Express newspaper reported, citing documents it had accessed, that the $21 million Trump referred to was disbursed to neighbouring Bangladesh, not India. (Reporting by Sakshi Dayal and Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Source link #Delhi #deeply #troubling #information #USAID #activities #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki White Tower The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki White Tower The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki’s Iconic White Tower. Credit: GreekReporter Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, often use its White Tower as a point of reference when giving directions in the beautiful seaside city. That’s because the tower is by far Thessaloniki’s most iconic monument. The ancient city, located in northern Greece, has a rich history stretching from antiquity to the modern era but is most noted for its importance during the Byzantine *******. During that time, Thessaloniki was a competitor with the great city of Constantinople in terms of its wealth and influence. The White Tower was a witness to many of the city’s most important historical events, and its role in Thessaloniki changed, as did the ownership of the city itself throughout the millennia. Studying the history of the White Tower means learning the history of Thessaloniki. The Tower’s strategic location along the Thermaic Gulf made it perfect for guarding the city from threats by ships. The White Tower in Thessaloniki built atop ruins of Byzantine fortification The current 34 meter (111 foot) tall structure was built on top of a Byzantine fortification first mentioned in the 12th century AD. After the Ottoman Empire invaded and seized control of the city in 1430, the existing tower was built on top of the old Byzantine structure. It was connected to the city’s defensive walls, most of which were unfortunately destroyed in 1866. Throughout its Ottoman history, the White Tower was called “the Tower of Blood” or “the Red Tower” because of its reputation as a prison in which many were brutally tortured. The story of how the tower became known as “the White Tower” is a matter of historical debate. Postcard depicting the White Tower before 1912. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain Some say that when the Greeks took Thessaloniki back from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War in 1912, they painted the tower white. This act symbolized an end to the structure’s brutal history and the beginning of its status as a symbol of the city. Others have noted that in early photographs taken before 1912, the Tower was in fact already white. A popular story states that in the second half of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire attempted to literally “whitewash” the tower’s brutal history by considering a new name for the monument. In exchange for his freedom, a prisoner named Nathan Guidili suggested that they paint the tower white and call it the “White Tower.” Regardless of its origin, by the early 20th century, the popular name for the structure was the White Tower, and it has remained so until this day. During World War I, the White Tower served as a center of communications for the Allies, as well as a safe place for the storage of antiquities and other priceless artifacts from the ancient city. It then housed the headquarters for Thessaloniki’s air defense until 1983 when it became property of the state. Building now houses a museum Currently, the monument is home to a museum which lays out the history of Thessaloniki. Visitors can climb up the Tower’s winding stairs until they reach its fascinating exhibition space. At the top of the tower, visitors can admire breathtaking views of the entire city and the Thermaic Gulf. Thessaloniki’s famous seaside pedestrian street, the promenade, also passes by the White Tower, making it a hangout spot for many of the city’s residents. It is by far the best location for photos, encompassing the entire history of the city and showing it off to its best advantage. Source link #Fascinating #History #Thessaloniki #White #Tower Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia confirms ‘rare issue’ with some RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs – here’s how to check if you’re affected and to get a replacement Nvidia confirms ‘rare issue’ with some RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs – here’s how to check if you’re affected and to get a replacement Nvidia has confirmed that approximately 1 in 200 of its RTX 5090 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs have an issue with their graphics chips The problem is a loss of ROPs, a key element of the inner workings of the GPU Nvidia says those with an affected graphics card should contact the maker to arrange a replacement Following reports of some RTX 5090 GPUs failing to perform as well as they should in gaming, Nvidia has confirmed that there is an issue with the chips in the Blackwell flagship, as well as the newly arrived RTX 5070 Ti GPU. This is a hardware-level problem, meaning it’s a fault deep in the chip which can’t be fixed, and it’s slowing down these graphics cards by an appreciable (albeit variable) amount. In a statement addressing the matter, Nvidia told The Verge: “We have identified a rare issue affecting less than 0.5% (half a percent) of GeForce RTX 5090 / 5090D and 5070 Ti GPUs which have one fewer ROP than specified. “The average graphical performance impact is 4%, with no impact on AI and Compute workloads. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement. The production anomaly has been corrected.” Your first question may well be: what’s a ROP, then? ROP stands for Raster Operations Pipeline, and this is hardware that’s a key part of the process of rendering the graphics for your PC games. (It’s a lot more complicated than that, in reality, but that’s all you really need to know). With fewer of those pipelines available to deal with the relevant graphics processing tasks during gameplay, unsurprisingly, performance is a bit slower. Also, if you’re wondering about the mentioned RTX 5090D, that’s the variant of the Blackwell flagship sold in China, which was involved in the initial reports of this issue – notably the RTX 5070 Ti wasn’t, though. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. This whole episode unfolded yesterday, having first emerged courtesy of TechPowerUp’s review of a Zotac RTX 5090 Solid graphics card (via VideoCardz). In its review, the tech site found that this third-party model was somehow underperforming versus an Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition (the performance baseline used by TechPowerUp in gauging the relative power of the flagship GPU variants). Indeed, the Zotac RTX 5090 was around 5% slower than Nvidia’s own model, while running at the same clock speeds, which obviously didn’t make much sense. Not until TechPowerUp investigated and found this wasn’t an issue pertaining to faulty cooling (or other likely-seeming root causes), but in fact that the Zotac GPU was missing ROPs. The RTX 5090 graphics card was showing 168 ROPs enabled (in the GPU-Z utility) rather than the expected count (and official spec) of 176 ROPs. All vendors are potentially affected by this gremlin in the works, of course, as this is an issue with the chips produced by Nvidia, and sent to third-party partners to be used in the manufacturing of their graphics cards. That was swiftly shown yesterday as reports started to come in, as folks started checking their boards for this issue. ok，MSI, Manli, ZOTAC…GIGABYTE pic.twitter.com/NLHO1DkjlOFebruary 21, 2025 While in its statement, Nvidia mentions the lack of one ROP, it is referring to one block of them, so as observed, the ROP count is reduced by eight (the number in a block) with graphics cards that have this issue. (Image credit: ShutterStock) How to check if your Blackwell GPU might be affected To check your RTX 5090 or 5070 Ti, you can fire up a tool that peers deep into the innards of your hardware, monitoring and reporting back on multiple elements of the spec. Obviously what you’re looking for is the ROPs count, and that can be provided by GPU-Z as already mentioned, or an alternative utility like HWiNFO (and probably other software out there, no doubt). In GPU-Z, you’ll find the ROPs number listed in the Graphics Card tab, on the seventh line down, over on the left-hand side (we’ve got an explainer here, if you want further details on GPU-Z). For the RTX 5090, the number should be 176, whereas 168 is what the impaired flagship models are showing. With the RTX 5070 Ti, the correct spec is 96 ROPs, so in theory, it will be reduced to 88 ROPs (but I haven’t seen confirmation of that yet, so perhaps it could have less of an impact). If you do have an RTX 5090 or 5070 Ti with this problem, how much will it affect you in practical terms? Well, that varies as I already mentioned, although as stated the average impact is a performance loss of something in the order of 5% (or thereabouts – Nvidia is saying 4%). However, you may not notice any difference at all in some cases, as one game may use the mentioned pipelines (ROPs) more heavily, while another may hardly touch them at all. So some games could be slowed down by more than 5%, and others may have a negligible loss in frame rates (such a low impact you’d never be able to tell). However, before you go thinking that maybe this isn’t such a big deal after all, rest assured, it is. A fault like this should not have cleared quality assurance and made it into production hardware in the first place. And when you recall how much buyers have forked out for the RTX 5090 in particular – the MSRP is a true wallet-worrier, and many folks have overpaid beyond that – well, you can start to see how this is a big letdown. If you have an RTX 5090 or RTX 5070 Ti, check your graphics card in GPU-Z as outlined above. If your model is showing a loss of ROPs, as advised by Nvidia, contact your board manufacturer and begin the process of having the graphics card replaced. That could be a troublesome matter, though, for those who may have sold their old GPU when they upgraded (if they need to send the faulty Blackwell graphics card back, before receiving a new one – and are left with a gaming PC without an engine, essentially). The other worry is that it’s not like fresh stock is going to be easy to come by, either, right now. Future GPUs shouldn’t suffer from this issue because as Nvidia observes, the ‘production anomaly’ here has been fixed, as you would hope. You might also like… Source link #Nvidia #confirms #rare #issue #RTX #RTX #GPUs #heres #check #youre #affected #replacement Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Astronomers discover 'Quipu,' the single largest structure in the known universe – Yahoo Astronomers discover 'Quipu,' the single largest structure in the known universe – Yahoo Astronomers discover ‘Quipu,’ the single largest structure in the known universe YahooLargest structure ever found in the universe is 1.4 billion light years long Earth.comAstronomers recently discovered the largest known object in the universe Dayton 24/7 NowWhat Is Quipu? Scientists Discover Superstructure Larger Than the Milky Way MSNThe Gigantic Cosmic Quilt: Unraveling the Universe’s Largest Structure scimag.news Source link #Astronomers #discover #039Quipu039 #single #largest #structure #universe #Yahoo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Don’t gift our work to AI billionaires: Mark Haddon, Michal Rosen and other creatives urge government | Artificial intelligence (AI) Don’t gift our work to AI billionaires: Mark Haddon, Michal Rosen and other creatives urge government | Artificial intelligence (AI) Original British art and creative skill is in peril thanks to the rise of AI and the government’s plans to loosen ­copyright rules, some of the ***’s leading cultural figures have said. More than 2,000 people, including leading creative names such as Mark Haddon, Axel Scheffler, Benji Davies and Michael Rosen, have signed a ­letter published in the Observer today calling on the government to keep the legal safeguards that offer artists and writers the prospect of a ­sustainable income. Axel Scheffler’s illustration of Jim the dog. Photograph: Axel Scheffler/Puffin in collaboration with the V&A/PA The urgent plea, highlighting the impact on books, comes after stars including Sir Elton John, Joan Armatrading and Simon Cowell sounded the alarm about the effect on the music industry of the impending copyright exemption. John predicted the proposal “would devastate our creative community”, while helping “powerful foreign technology companies”. Illustration: Chris Riddell/The Observer The letter specifically targets a clause of the government’s ­upcoming AI Opportunity Action Plan, which argues that an end to copyright restrictions and intellectual property law is needed to allow greater data-mining of artwork and writing. The signatories say they ­understand the government aim of ­boosting growth, but describe themselves as “staring in astonishment” at Whitehall’s eagerness “to ­hastily wrap our live’s work in attractive paper as a welcome gift to automated competitors”. “Imagine asking ChatGPT to generate your child’s artwork instead of asking the child. And then sticking that on the fridge. It’s a horrible thought, isn’t it?” said children’s book author and illustrator Ged Adamson. “Why then are we scooping up ­creativity en masse to build something without any soul that will rob us, not only of income, but maybe eventually our ability to think ­creatively? “The idea that all this work and dedication and honing skills was ­ultimately just to make tech billionaires even richer – it makes me feel sick, angry and depressed.” His fellow author Davies said he fears that “the basis of an entire creative culture” is on the point of being sold off. “They’re not even bothering to tell us it will benefit us in the long run because they know that it won’t,” he told the Observer. “Copyright ­protects individual ­creative output and this proposal rides roughshod over that. I’m so ­disappointed with this government.” skip past newsletter promotion Analysis and opinion on the week’s news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion By making the wishes of AI ­developers a priority and relying on an “opt-out” scheme to protect their work, the campaigners say it would be easy to scrape everything else uploaded online. The team working alongside Adamson on the campaign, Simona Ciraolo and Momoko Abe, both illustrators and authors, also emphasise the value of fresh creative work to the wider economy, aside from the pride and pleasure it generates. Employing about 2.4 million people, the sector accounts for more than 5% of gross national product, contributing £124bn. “The big tech mission is to replace our work with their output. The livelihood of workers will become their profit,” said Adamson. The campaign also aims to dispel popular misconceptions. AI, they argue is not innovative. It can only re-mix the past. It cannot discard old prejudices or develop new positions. “If we do not take steps now to protect and respect the space for human culture, creativity and the creators of the future we may lose what it means to be human entirely,” argues supporter Susie Alegre, the author of Human Rights, Robot Wrongs… Being Human in the Age of AI. “Destruction of cultural heritage is an international crime, in part because it paves the way to inhumanity. Without creatives there is no cultural heritage.” A children’s book illustration by Ged Adamson, one of the letter’s signatories. Illustration: Ged Adamson Another signatory, picture book creator Chris Haughton, insists it is not about being “anti-tech”. “But the way generative AI operates is not at all creatively exciting. It is stealing,” he said this weekend. “If these lobbies succeed in convincing our government we will effectively be handing all the wealth created by the creative industries, hundreds of billions, and giving it all straight to the tech industry.” Abe argues that the representation of diverse and ********* groups will take a step back if AI takes the creative reins. “For BAME people, especially east- and south-east Asian, authors and illustrators, the door to the children’s book industry has finally cracked open over the past five years and some of us have managed to squeeze into the super-competitive world,” she said. “But generative AI will create unfair competition for all creatives, and ********* creatives would be the first ones to be squeezed back out.” Her co-campaigner, Ciraolo, adds that the early mistakes made with social media are about to be repeated if there is no protest and the right voices are not heard. “Nothing of what the government proposed offers a single good thing for us. The consultation was designed to create a sense of inevitability, to put people off objecting to it and make us cave in in advance,” she said, pointing out that artists are far from “jealous gate-keepers of privilege”, but instead are hard-working and badly paid. “I am worried we are taking away from kids the opportunity to learn the skills that take effort to develop, but give them a lot of confidence and satisfaction. Generative AI looks like creativity, but it robs you of embodied skills,” she said. Source link #Dont #gift #work #billionaires #Mark #Haddon #Michal #Rosen #creatives #urge #government #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Denmark Hotel’s six-month refresh puts casual comfort back on the map for Great Southern gem The Denmark Hotel’s six-month refresh puts casual comfort back on the map for Great Southern gem After a six-month refurbishment, the Great Southern’s iconic Denmark Hotel is prettier than ever but no less charming, finds ZACH MARGOLIUS Source link #Denmark #Hotels #sixmonth #refresh #puts #casual #comfort #map #Great #Southern #gem Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

MSNBC Chief Plans Evening Shake-Up, Replacing Joy Reid, Alex Wagner MSNBC Chief Plans Evening Shake-Up, Replacing Joy Reid, Alex Wagner MSNBC’s evening line-up may soon look quite different from what die-hard viewers have come to expect. The NBCUniversal-backed cable network is expected to move the trio of Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele to its 7 p.m. weekday slot Tuesday through Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, and the group on Mondays will lead two hours, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The move will have direct implications for Joy Reid, the anchor who currently fills 7 p.m. She is expected to host her last show on MSNBC this week. More from Variety What’s more, Alex Wagner, who has hosted weeknights at 9 p.m. save for a Monday night led by Rachel Maddow, is expected to be named a contributor, according to three people with knowledge of current talks. Wagner, who has been working as a correspondent across the U.S. during the first 100 days of the new Trump presidency while Rachel Maddow anchors each day at 9, is unlikely to return to her weeknight slot, these people indicated. Jen Psaki is expected to take over at least one of the hours, according to one of these people. MSNBC is also in talks with Eugene Daniels of Politico and Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University who specializes in the regulation of sex, marriage, caregiving and reproductive rights that would have them join the network in unspecified capacities, according to one of these people. MSNBC declined to make executives available for comment. Puck previously on some of the aforementioned plans. The moves come quickly after Rebecca Kutler, a former senior executive at CNN who is known for her facility in developing new talent and programming concepts, was named MSNBC’s new president. She takes the helm of the network as it faces unique challenges, including the pressures of working with the Trump White House and being spun off along with other NBCU cable networks into a new publicly-traded company. “Our jobs are hard on a normal day, and these are not normal times,” she told employees on the day that her new role was announced by Mark Lazarus, the NBCU executive who will lead the new spin-off. Like other cable networks, MSNBC is facing significant business challenges. More of the viewers who settle in each evening to watch a few hours of commentary on MSNBC are migrating elsewhere. MSNBC is projected to shed approximately 10.5% of its subscribers between the end of 2023 and the end of 2025, according to estimates from Kagan, a market-research firm that is part of S&P Global Intelligence. Rivals Fox News Channel and CNN are seen experiencing similar erosions in that *******. MSNBC could be left with an average of 61.3 million viewers at the end of 2025, compared with 68.5 million in 2023 — and this with an election year, typically an event that brings viewers back to news, between the two milestones. Kutler has described plans to build an independent newsgathering apparatus for MSNBC, which will lose its ties to NBC News after the new company is formed. She wants to launch a separate MSNBC Washington bureau, and to add a new roster of international and domestic correspondents. She also wants to hire a new head of talent, a Washington bureau chief and a head of content strategy. Yet she has articulated a plan to hew close to the network’s progressive leanings, not trying to steer it to the center. MSNBC has been working to bring viewers back after the results of the 2024 presidential election. Both MSNBC and CNN saw significant erosion following Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the national conversation, and both have unveiled programing shake-ups in recent weeks. At MSNBC, Rachel Maddow returned to hosting the 9 p.m. hour Monday through Friday, compared to the Monday-only schedule (with various special appearances) she has enjoyed in recent years. Since the inauguration, MSNBC’s overall viewership has surged in ********** and across the day, though its audience levels remain well below that of Fox News Channel. Kutler helped create “The Weekend,” the show led by Sanders-Townsend, Melendez and Steele, which has run early Saturday and Sunday mornings. In its first year on air, the program has seen audience for its time slot improve noticeably in both overall viewership and among people between 25 and 54, the demographic most preferred by advertisers in news programs. Psaki, meanwhile, has been a favorite of MSNBC executives since the former Biden White House press secretary joined its Sunday lineup in March of 2023. Kutler may have more changes in store, and has been looking at MSNBC’s daytime and weekend schedule as well. The network has yet to announce a formal replacement for Andrea Mitchell, the NBC News veteran who anchored a noon program for decades, and recently left. Staffers are curious whether the daytime anchors, who are affiliated with NBC News, will stay with MSNBC over the longer haul. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source link #MSNBC #Chief #Plans #Evening #ShakeUp #Replacing #Joy #Reid #Alex #Wagner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]