IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes government – Reuters
IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes government – Reuters
IRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes government ReutersIRS layoffs underway around the country as millions prepare to file taxes ABC News
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A week-long free trial of EA Sports FC 25 is coming to Switch soon
A week-long free trial of EA Sports FC 25 is coming to Switch soon
The Switch version of EA Sports FC 25 will soon be free to play for a week-long *******.
EA‘s football game is the latest Switch title coming to Nintendo‘s Game Trial programme, where games are made available to play for free for a limited time on Nintendo Switch Online.
From February 24 to March 2, Switch Online subscribers will be able to download EA Sports FC 25 and play it for free.
As opposed to a demo, where players are given a smaller part of the game to try out, Nintendo’s Game Trials give players access to the full game without restrictions.
Once the trial ******* runs out the game will no longer be playable, but those who decide they enjoyed it enough to buy it from the eShop will be able to continue with their previously saved data.
EA’s football series recently turned a corner on Switch, after years of Nintendo players complaining that they were feeling short-changed.
The first Switch edition, FIFA 18, was missing a lot of features present in the Xbox One and PS4 versions, and essentially played like the Legacy versions on Xbox 360 and PS3.
The subsequent five entries, from FIFA 19 to FIFA 23, were identical in terms of gameplay and modes, with the main changes being new rosters, kits and menu music.
This changed with the release of EA Sports FC 24, which finally gave Switch owners full feature parity with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game.
EA Sports FC 25 did the same, meaning the new 5v5 Rush mode introduced in this year’s game is present on the Switch, as it is on other current-gen fomats.
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Dubois vs Parker: World title fight in doubt as Briton falls sick
Dubois vs Parker: World title fight in doubt as Briton falls sick
Heavyweight Daniel Dubois’ world title defence against Joseph Parker on Saturday is in doubt after the champion fell ill.
The Briton is under medical evaluation in Riyadh and did not attend Thursday’s news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Unfortunately at this moment in time Daniel is being evaluated with the doctor,” his promoter Frank Warren said.
“When we have more news, we will share it with you and update you.”
A replacement is reportedly being sourced should the 27-year-old not be deemed fit to fight, with New Zealand’s Parker, 33, to remain on the card.
“If he is ill, I hope he gets better soon and I’m looking forward to Saturday and having a great show,” Parker said.
“I am ready to go. I’ve put in all the hard work with my team in Ireland my team here in Riyadh.”
Parker did attend the news conference alongside his manager, Spencer Brown, who said his team are in “lots of discussions.”
Brown added: “Joe will be there on Saturday whatever happens and he’s ready to win. Joe doesn’t care who he fights.”
Dubois has won 22 pro fights with two defeats. He won the ‘interim’ IBF title against Filip Hrgovic and was elevated to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
The Londoner made a first defence of his belt by stopping Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September.
New Zealand’s Parker, 33, has a record of 35 wins and three defeats. He held the WBO heavyweight title between 2015 and 2017.
The contest is the chief support to the undisputed light-heavyweight fight between champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Also on the card, Briton Hamzah Sheeraz challenges Carlos Adames for the WBC middleweight title.
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Microsoft’s Next-Gen Console Can Checkmate Sony By Choosing AMD
Microsoft’s Next-Gen Console Can Checkmate Sony By Choosing AMD
While the console wars for this generation have pretty much declared the PlayStation 5 as its winner (with the Nintendo Switch being in a whole niche of its own), the upcoming PlayStation 6 and much rumored Xbox Prime could very well see things pan out quite differently.
While architectural changes are very unlikely to shift in the next console generation, Microsoft could easily one-up Sony by leveraging its multi platform strategy, and make use of the market’s move toward PC gaming as a more widespread medium in its favor.
Xbox Prime choosing AMD might make for a winning formula
Xbox should continue to choose AMD | Image Credit: Xbox
The still rumored Xbox Prime console is likely still in its planning stages, as both Microsoft and AMD work together to craft a new breed of silicon that can play the latest and greatest video games while pushing the limits of visual fidelity.
AMD has historically been the preferred partner for consoles, with both Xbox and PlayStation using very similar chips designed from the company. Xbox in particular, has been using AMD since the 360 days, and has little reason to switch over to Nvidia after their misadventures with the original Xbox console.
As such, both Xbox and PlayStation are likely to stick to AMD, which should mean that both consoles should perform roughly similar – which has been the case since the launch of the Xbox One S. However, numbers aren’t everything.
Where things could change however, is in Xbox’s handling of third party integrations and its general push for Xbox as a brand and not just a console.
AMD has always been the go to choice for consoles | Image Credit: AMD
Microsoft was, after all, pretty burnt from the past generation, where it lost to PlayStation by a landslide. They have now shifted gears, and are aiming to incorporate Xbox into more products, by choosing multi platform launches.
All games come to PC now, sooner or later – even PlayStation exclusives. As such, Microsoft’s tight integration with AMD tech could very well mean that its PC ports could be of a much higher quality. After all, the Xbox uses DirectX, which is a Windows component unlike the PS5’s use of a custom API.
This could also extend into other services, such as cloud gaming and Game Pass which have the advantage of being built with PC hardware in mind. PlayStation has no viable alternative that could entice players to switch, and PlayStation Plus, while an overall decent service, simply lacks many of the perks associated with Game Pass (such as PC ports, shared saves and day one releases).
Sony is unlikely to shift gears and join team green either way though, but its outdated policies might spell its doom, while Xbox embraces the future of change. Xbox’s strategy is quite the bold move here, but with over 15 million PC Game Pass users, it is definitely onto something – the migration of gaming toward cloud and PC mediums.
Sony is handicapping itself with exclusivity
PlayStation’s obsession with exclusives will not work any longer | Image Credit: PlayStation
The exclusivity formula has worked for decades, and is one of the major ways to sell a console. No amount of CPU/GPU horsepower will save a console from going extinct if it doesn’t have enough good games to offer after all (as seen in the unfortunate case of the ***** Dreamcast).
However, things are quite different now, with publishers pushing for day one, multi platform releases. The exclusivity game holds a lot less weight now, and could turn out to be Sony’s achilles heel in the long run.
PS
By limiting their games to one or two platforms, PlayStation is effectively handicapping itself in the process and being quite shortsighted. Technical accomplishments are becoming less and less notable across console generations, and Sony has to keep up with the times and find an alternative way to popularize its gaming division further – and is sorely lacking when compared to Xbox in this very regard.
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Tales Of The Shire: A Lord Of The Rings Game Has Been Delayed Again
Tales Of The Shire: A Lord Of The Rings Game Has Been Delayed Again
There’s a famous line in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings where Gandalf the Grey explains that a wizard is never late or early. Instead, “he arrives precisely when he means to.” Video games, on the other hand, are another matter. Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game has been delayed again.
The game’s developers, Private Division and Wētā Workshop, jointly announced that Tales of the Shire will now be released on July 29. Prior to that, Tales of the Shire was delayed from its 2024 release window and was scheduled to land on March 25. Now, fans will just have to wait until summer to move into the virtual Shire.
In the statement below, the given reason for the delay is that the devs want to ensure “the same cozy experience” is available on all platforms. The note also states that the developers want the game “to feel like a warm hug from Middle-earth.”
The complete message from Tales of the Shire developers Private Division and Wētā Workshop.
There will be no epic quests or ring-tossing into Mount Doom in this game. Tales of the Shire is all about the tranquil lives of Hobbits when they aren’t out saving the world or having adventures. Truthfully, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins–as well Sam, Pippin, and Merry–were always outliers among their people. Most of the Hobbits prefer to stay at home in the Shire.
This game will allow players to create their own Hobbit character, and put together a beautiful home for them. Players can also enjoy simple Hobbit tasks like farming, gardening, decorating, and trading for rare items with fellow residents of the Shire.
Tales of the Shire will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and mobile devices via Netflix Games. GameSpot had a hands-on preview for Tales of the Shire last year, which called it “charming” and praised its “good fundamentals,” while also stressing the need for several quality-of-life improvements and more compelling gameplay. Hopefully the final version of the game will deliver those adjustments.
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Investors are flocking to this higher-yielding tax-free corner of the bond market
Investors are flocking to this higher-yielding tax-free corner of the bond market
Municipal bonds are already beloved by high-income investors, but those seeking additional yield and beefier returns are reaching for a little more risk. The high-yield muni bond corner of the market includes issues with below-investment grade ratings – that is, rated below BBB by Standard & Poor’s. This also means that these issuers face a greater risk of default and missing their interest payments compared to their AAA-rated counterparts. But investors willing to take a little more risk are rewarded with heftier returns. The U.S. high-yield muni bond fund category posted an average 12-month return of 5.22% as of Jan. 31, according to data from Morningstar Direct. That compares to an average 12-month return of 2.38% for U.S. national muni bond funds with an intermediate duration of four to six years. To top it off, interest from municipal bonds is free of federal income taxes – and exempt from state taxes if the investor resides in the issuing state. Hefty inflows in the past year With those returns, it’s no wonder that in the 12 months ending Jan. 31, high-yield muni bond funds and ETFs collected nearly $14.8 billion in estimated net flows, Morningstar found. “This is to say that the high-yield muni strategies performed relatively well last year,” said Beth Foos, associate director of fixed income strategies Morningstar. She noted that credit quality across the municipal bond market has remained strong, and that’s helped to attract investors. “There was a record year of issuance for munis in 2024 after some more lackluster supply years, and you did see that when folks came back to the muni space, they maybe relocated from national intermediate or long-duration funds into something that’s offering a little more yield,” she added. See below for a list of the top five high-yield muni bond funds based on fund size, per Morningstar Direct. These are the top five high-yield muni bond funds based on trailing 12-month returns, per Morningstar Direct. Returns are based on the oldest share class of fund. Taking an active approach Since the muni bond space has a wide array of issuers, and because of the higher default risk relative to bonds with sterling ratings, an ETF or a mutual fund might be the best way for an investor to navigate the space. To that end, BlackRock earlier this month converted its high yield muni fund into an actively managed ETF, now known as the iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU) . The fund has a net expense ratio of 0.42% and a 30-day SEC yield of 4.54%. Patrick Haskell, head of the municipal bond group at BlackRock and a portfolio manager on HIMU, noted that many municipalities have a “very strong foundation, but a lot of the sugar rush is off and states that were in a surplus situation are now in a deficit – not many but a few.” His team has used an array of tools to monitor economic activity across the country and to follow natural disasters – issues that would affect municipalities and could unearth buying and selling opportunities. Performing due diligence Even as investors may be better off handing off the responsibility for security selection to a manager, versus hunting for high-yield munis on their own, they will still need to perform due diligence as they pick through different high yield muni funds and ETFs, according to Morningstar’s Foos. “We spend a lot of time talking to larger managers about the size of their team, how they look at risk, the technology they use not make sure they have enough qualified resources to understand credit risk and structure,” she said. Investors can start out by analyzing the contents of a fund’s portfolio, getting a better grasp of how many of the holdings are below-investment grade and how many are simply not rated. “Those might be OK, but it’s still something to keep in mind that will potentially add to the volatility of returns,” Foos said. Investors should also be aware of how a high-yield muni bond fund might fit into the greater scheme of their portfolio. These offerings have interest rate risk and some element of credit risk, so it’s not really a place to park your idle cash and collect tax-advantaged yield while doing so. “You have to keep in mind that it’s not a substitute for cash or for money markets,” Foos added. Finally, fees are a factor in choosing a fund, as higher expenses will take a chunk out of your returns.
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Weekend at Loews Miami Beach Hotel: A Family-Friendly Paradise
Weekend at Loews Miami Beach Hotel: A Family-Friendly Paradise
Courtesy of Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Miami Beach is often thought of as a destination best suited for party-goers and adults looking to enjoy the vibrant nightlife, but that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Loews Miami Beach. This hotel proves that Miami Beach is just as ideal for families, offering an array of activities, amenities, and dining options that cater to both adults and children alike. Our family of three—including our energetic 3-year-old—had the most incredible weekend at Loews, and here’s a look at how it all unfolded.
Adria Valdes
The Rooms
From the moment we walked into our room, we knew we’d made the right choice. The spacious accommodations were designed with families in mind. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite that comfortably fit the three of us. There was plenty of room for playtime, and the soft furnishings were perfect for lounging together after a long day in the South Florida sunshine. The separate living area was also a great way place for mom and dad to relax in the evenings after our little one went to bed early. The view of the ocean was breathtaking, and we were so glad we had a a balcony to enjoy the breeze.
The Food
Loews Miami Beach offers a variety of dining options that cater to different tastes and preferences, making it easy to find something for everyone, including our 3-year-old. Bar Collins, located in the heart of the hotel lobby, serves a casual menu with comforting favorites like pizza and wings, perfect for a quick and satisfying meal. The vibrant atmosphere makes it a fun spot for families, while offering options that kids will love. For a more intimate dining experience, Rao’s Miami Beach, a cozy 10-table restaurant, serves simple and delicious Italian dishes like traditional meatballs, linguini with clams, and grass-fed lamb chops.
The Property
The hotel is right on the beach, making it easy to take a stroll or spend hours playing in the sand. We rented a cabana for the day, which was a game-changer. The cabanas are spacious and well-equipped, with comfortable seating, a mini fridge, and personalized service. It was the perfect way to spend a day by the ocean while keeping our toddler cool and entertained.
If you’re looking for a poolside experience like no other, we recommend booking a Soak Cabana. These private cabanas come with AC, a bathroom, and a personal concierge to ensure you’re well taken care of. Our toddler loved the shaded, cool environment while we relaxed by the pool, and we could easily take breaks in the comfort of our cabana without losing sight of the action. Make sure to order a refreshing coconut water served straight from the coconut, offering a tropical, authentic experience.
Adria Valdes
Not to miss: the pizza-making class available on the weekends. Our little guy and I had the best time kneading dough and creating a pizza — that we later got to eat — with our favorite toppings. It’s an experience he still talks about.
Adria Valdes
The Kids Club
Beyond the pizza-making class, our little one absolutely loved the kids club. It’s not just any kids’ club—it’s an adventure zone! The treehouse was the highlight, offering a perfect spot for climbing, playing, and imagining. There were also video games, arts and crafts, and plenty of activities to keep your little ones entertained. We felt completely at ease leaving our toddler in the capable hands of the staff for a few hours while we had some adult time.
Adria Valdes
Other kid-friendly highlights include Friday Family Movie Nights, taking place on the outdoor lawn (weather permitting). A little rain during our stay transitioned this activity indoors, but it did not miss a beat. An indoor ballroom was transformed into a cozy movie room, complete with bean bags, glow sticks and snack like popcorn and cotton candy.
Adria Valdes
Overall, our weekend at the Loews Hotel Miami Beach was the perfect family getaway. From the spacious rooms to the fantastic dining and kid-friendly amenities, it was a stay that we’ll remember fondly. If you’re looking for a family-friendly retreat, this hotel checks all the boxes—and then some.
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‘My Soul Was Being Sucked Out of My Body’: One Woman’s Terrifying Battle to Escape the Occult
‘My Soul Was Being Sucked Out of My Body’: One Woman’s Terrifying Battle to Escape the Occult
A Search for Truth Leads into Darkness
A New Age survivor is revealing her dark journey into the Golden Dawn occult movement and how she finally found deliverance through Jesus Christ.
The “No Longer Nomads” podcast recently interviewed Jac Marino about her quest for spiritual truth. Lured by what seemed like wisdom and power, and a deeper spiritual connection, her search for enlightenment turned into a path into darkness.
At first, Jac still considered herself a Christian during her occult practices. But before long, she found herself deeply entrenched in the occult – until a chilling encounter with true evil forced her to confront the one name that holds ultimate power – Jesus.
“I was spiritually attacked and it felt like my soul was being sucked out of my body into complete darkness and I had no control over it,” she recalls.
In what podcast host Josh Doyle calls “an electrifying episode,” No Longer Nomads uncovered the harrowing reality of spiritual deception and the unseen war waged over human souls.
A Seductive Trap: The Occult’s Hidden Dangers
Jac’s story begins with a longing for truth and a desire to control the chaos in her life. Childhood wounds and supernatural encounters led her to explore mystical practices, each one promising deeper knowledge and power. From energy manipulation to crystal magic, the road seemed to offer enlightenment, but it led her straight into the hands of the enemy.
Joining the Golden Dawn, a secretive occult order rooted in ritual magic, Jac was exposed to the true face of deception. The deeper she went, the stronger the unseen forces became – until they revealed their sinister nature in a night of sheer terror.
A Spiritual Attack Followed by Peace Like No Other
As the darkness she once embraced turned against her, Jac found herself trapped in a relentless spiritual assault from the enemy. In the chaos of what can biblically be described as spiritual warfare, she spoke the name of Jesus and the attack came to a dramatic halt.
“In that moment, I fell on my knees and said, Jesus Christ save me,” she explains.
When she called upon Jesus, the evil disappeared. The force that had once claimed power over her fled in an instant. What followed was a peace unlike anything she had ever known.
The Unmasking of Evil: Alien Deception, ‘Good Witches,’ and the Angel of Light
But Jac explains that her journey didn’t stop at her escape. She began to see the occult for what it truly was – a well-disguised trap, luring in seekers of truth and chaining them in spiritual ********. She eventually found answers to deeper questions such as:
Were her past supernatural encounters really aliens? Or something much darker?
Was the pursuit of “white magic” truly harmless, or was it the enemy hidden by a shining veneer?
And why does Satan masquerade as an angel of light, deceiving so many into thinking they’ve found divine wisdom?
“No Longer Nomads” explored those subjects in the interview as Jac exposed the true nature of the spiritual realm and the unseen war over every human soul.
The Christian Perspective: One Name That Breaks Every Chain
Doyle says New Age beliefs masquerade as “alluring deceptions” that turn into “terrifying realities of the supernatural.”
“Jac’s testimony is a powerful warning and an undeniable declaration of Jesus’ authority over all darkness,” Doyle says.
Whether you’ve dabbled in the occult, questioned the spiritual world, or simply want to hear a testimony of radical transformation, the ****** offers answers.
As the story of Jesus delivering a ******-possessed man describes in Mark 5:4, only Jesus has the power to deliver people from their chains and shackles.
Acts 4:12 confirms, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
You can listen to the podcast here:
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
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Despite Being in Early Access, Avowed Has Already Split the Player Base into Two
Despite Being in Early Access, Avowed Has Already Split the Player Base into Two
The highly anticipated RPG from Obsidian, Avowed has already faced significant online backlash, even though it was still in Early Access for the most part. It has found itself caught in a storm of negativity, much of which seems to be driven by online perceptions.
The early reviews are ruining the reputation of the game. | Image Credit: Obsidian
One of the most significant complaints against the game has been the narrative and its supposed “wokeness.” Many are unhappy with the direction the game is taking, with some expressing disappointment in the story’s themes or overall character dynamics. Yet, for those who are playing, the picture is far from bleak.
Why Avowed is receiving mixed reactions
Let’s get straight to the point: the major issue of the players on social media has been about Avowed‘s narrative and how it’s perceived as ‘woke.’ Many are complaining about the narrative not being immersive, with some pointing out that the characters feel disjointed.
Additionally, many are upset about the game having an option for “pronouns.’ This backlash has led to a wider and often unfair labeling of the game. Some are accusing Obsidian of pandering to certain cultural trends, an argument that is quickly gaining traction online.
This is where the issues arise. Many players are truly enjoying the game. Even if we put the narrative aside, whose appeal is always subjective, the game offers an incredibly polished world, with visuals that impress on next-gen consoles.
The world’s design is expansive and filled with intricate details, showcasing the incredible work Obsidian has done to create an immersive environment. On top of this, the combat system is dynamic, varied, and engaging, offering a satisfying challenge and flexibility in playstyles.
Unfortunately, all this good news seems to be drowned out by the noise on social media and content creators. Despite being in Early Access, when not many players get to make their own opinions.
Comment byu/YeahhhhhWhateverrrr from discussion inavowed
Comment byu/YeahhhhhWhateverrrr from discussion inavowed
Comment byu/YeahhhhhWhateverrrr from discussion inavowed
Many reviews have been vocal about their displeasure with the game, often offering negative or rushed takes. This has led to a split in the community. A vocal segment of fans who enjoy the game and see its potential feel alienated by the overwhelming negativity.
Negative reviews and their ripple effect can be severe
The reviews need to be fair and consider everything. | Image Credit: Obsidian
In today’s gaming landscape, where players often turn to online reviews and content creators for opinions, a slew of negative, quick takes can harm a game’s reputation and even its sales.
For Avowed, the early flood of criticism has the potential to prevent new players from even giving it a chance. Many prospective buyers rely on these reviews when making decisions, and when they see nothing but harsh commentary, they’re less likely to try the game themselves.
This not only affects the game’s immediate sales but could also damage Obsidian’s reputation in the industry. The studio is known for its quality RPGs like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity.
However, a single game with a tarnished reputation, regardless of its true quality, could make the studio hesitant to take risks and pressured to make safer, more formulaic games. Moreover, these negative reviews extend beyond the game itself, and the gaming industry’s future could suffer as well.
In the end, the premature backlash against Avowed serves as a reminder of how quickly negative perceptions can take root in the gaming community. While criticism is essential for improvement, it’s crucial that reviews and opinions are fair and reflective of the game’s current state.
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Adam Scott at White House as PGA-LIV Saudi deal looms
Adam Scott at White House as PGA-LIV Saudi deal looms
Tiger Woods and Adam Scott have been part of a White House meeting which signals a deal may be getting closer between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s Saudi backers.
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Grand Theft Auto V on PC is finally getting ray tracing and some graphics options
Grand Theft Auto V on PC is finally getting ray tracing and some graphics options
Earlier this morning, Rockstar Games announced in a blog post that the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V, long left languishing without the addition of ray-traced shadows and reflections available on PS5/XSX, would be receiving a free update to add those graphical features among several other exclusive tweaks to the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V . This free update is being released as a new executable, so the old version of the game, which is far easier to run, will still be available to gamers whose PCs can’t meet the new specification requirements.
Besides ray-traced reflections and shadows being added from the next-gen console versions of GTA V, other ray-traced features coming exclusively to PC include RTAO (ambient occlusion) and RTGI (global illumination), bringing the picture far more in line with other ray-traced games instead of rasterized titles with a few RT effects. DirectStorage support for improved SSD performance has also been added alongside Dolby Atmos support.
Finally, a suite of display options and image enhancement technologies, including AMD FSR 3 and Nvidia DLSS 3 with Frame Generation (and “higher” framerates in general, though it hasn’t been specified if they will be unlocked) have been added. Enhanced support for “higher resolutions” and “higher aspect ratios” are also mentioned, which would seem to indicate Ultrawide support and some degree of high-DPI scaling for the HUD.
Image 1 of 2
Minimum and Recommended Specs for the Grand Theft Auto V PC update, now leveraging a new executable. The old executable with the original system requirements will still be present, but segregate online play.(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Screenshot of the newly updated PC port of Grand Theft Auto V, now flaunting ray traced effects.(Image credit: Rockstar Games)
Overall, the new Grand Theft Auto V PC requirements with RT enabled still seem pretty reasonable, considering how great the game already looked before all these RT effects were added. Unfortunately, Rockstar doesn’t tell us what the resolution and FPS targets for the “Minimum” and “Recommended” specs are, and we do anticipate those hoping to make the most of high-res, ultrawide, or high-refresh displays will want to invest in yet higher-end gaming CPUs and RT-capable gaming GPUs.
Anyway, that’s all of the technical information. A bevy of in-game bonuses are also being added with this version of the game, which we recommend perusing in the official blog post or allowing to surprise you when the update drops on March 4. There’s even DualSense adaptive trigger support! The only real downside of this update seems to be the lack of support for multiplayer between the old GTA V executable and the new one, which will somewhat segregate low-spec players from high-spec players and vice versa— otherwise, this is a clear win and arguably overdue update for GTA fans on PC. (At least, until the long wait for GTA 6!)
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Sifu Movie Moving Ahead At Netflix With John Wick Veteran
Sifu Movie Moving Ahead At Netflix With John Wick Veteran
A movie based on the video game Sifu was first revealed back in 2022, and now it’s gathering steam. It was confirmed today that Netflix has signed the movie, which is based on the Slocap game and will be produced by John Wick veteran Chad Stahelski’s 87Eleven banner.
T.S. Nowlin (The Maze Runner) is writing the script, with Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg from Story Kitchen producing. From 87Eleven, Stahelski, Jason Spitz, and Alex Young are producing as well. Deadline was first to report on the Sifu movie coming to Netflix. Story Kitchen, formerly known as dj2, is behind the popular Sonic the Hedgehog series, as well as the upcoming It Takes Two, Just Cause, Vampire Survivors, and Disco Elysium movies and TV series.
Story Kitcken’s Johnson and Goldberg said in a statement that Sifu has “all the makings of an unforgettable cinematic experience,” listing off things like action, emotional stakes, and a unique take on martial arts as being selling points for a live-action feature.
Sifu has had a transmedia adaptation before, as the game was featured in Prime Video’s Secret Level anthology TV show. As for developer Slocap, the studio announced a new game, Rematch, during The Game Awards in December 2024. It’s due out later this year, and it looks great.
It’s still early days for the Sifu movie, and there is no word yet on if it’s animated or live-action, or who may direct and star in it. It’s one of many video game movies in the works, the next two set for release being A Minecraft Movie (April 4) and Until Dawn (April 25).
Check out the gallery below to see some of the other video game movies in the works now.
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Elon Musk Hits Astronaut With Shocking Slur After Being Slammed Over ‘Lie’
Elon Musk Hits Astronaut With Shocking Slur After Being Slammed Over ‘Lie’
Elon Musk called a Danish astronaut “fully ret—ed” in an argument on the billionaire’s social media platform.
Musk’s used the term, which many in the disabled community consider a slur, as an insult against Andreas Mogensen—a European Space Agency astronaut who in 2023 piloted a mission for Musk’s SpaceX.
Early on Thursday, Mogensen rebuked Musk for claiming that the two NASA astronauts currently stranded in space were left there for “political reasons.”
“What a lie,” Mogensen, 48, wrote on his X account. “And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media.”
Musk did not take well to the criticism.
“You are fully ret—ed,” the world’s richest man fired back. “SpaceX could have brought them back several months ago. I OFFERED THIS DIRECTLY to the Biden administration and they refused. Return WAS pushed back for political reasons. ******.”
In his response, Mogensen took the high ground, but doubled down on his criticism of Musk’s original claim, which the two astronauts in question—Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been in space for eight months—have themselves rejected.
“Elon, I have long admired you and what you have accomplished, especially at SpaceX and Tesla,” Mogensen wrote. “You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September. Even now, you are not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home. They are returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since last September.”
Musk and President Donald Trump have both repeatedly blamed the Biden administration for not bringing the astronauts back sooner after their return home from the International Space Station was delayed by issues with the aircraft.
In an interview with CNN last week, the astronauts challenged this narrative.
“We don’t feel abandoned. We don’t feel stuck. We don’t feel stranded. I understand why others may think that,” Wilmore said from the ISS. “We come prepared. We come committed.”
NASA announced in December that Williams and Wilmore would begin their return to Earth on March 12.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (L) and Suni Williams, wearing Boeing spacesuits. / MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO / AFP via Getty Images
In 2023, Mogensen, who has nearly two decades of experience as an astronaut, became the first non-American pilot of a U.S. spacecraft.
The mission, a collaboration between NASA and SpaceX, saw the crew spend more than six months in orbit, conducting science experiments.
Musk, who Trump has tapped to gut the federal bureaucracy, has dramatically ramped up his use of the words “*******” and “*********” on X since the now-president was elected.
The billionaire has been firing off tweets in rapid succession since Trump took office, with one report stating he is averaging 100 tweets a day and almost 1500 posts from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4 despite being entrusted with leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
A search of Musk’s account shows that he only used the slur six times prior to November, all from 2024. Since then, he has done so more than a dozen times.
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Broadcom founder Henry Samueli to receive the IEEE’s Medal of Honor award
Broadcom founder Henry Samueli to receive the IEEE’s Medal of Honor award
At an event today in Manhattan and streamed worldwide, the IEEE announced Henry Samueli, one of the two founders of Broadcom, will be the recipient of the organization’s top award, the Medal of Honor for 2025. Aside from the recognition and prestige of joining the list of previous winners (including TSMC founder Morris Chang and GPS developer Bradford Parkinson), the award includes a newly expanded $2 million prize.
While a professor at UCLA at the end of the 1980s Samueli and then-PH.D student Henry Nicholas began work on the mixed-signal communications technology that would lead the two to form Broadcom in 1991. Before long, the company would spearhead the global growth of broadband that makes much of our modern internet, communications, and streaming services possible.
“IEEE Medal of Honor Laureate Henry Samueli’s vision and communications technology innovations spurred the development of products used by nearly every person around the world,” said 2025 IEEE President and CEO Kathleen Kramer via the IEEE’s press release. “From the billions of consumer smartphones, set-top boxes and tablets, to laptops and IoT devices, Samueli created new and novel ways to power connections and unite humanity.”
The IEEE, or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is the world’s largest technical professional organization, with the stated goal of “advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To that end, the IEEE also prominently praised Samueli’s notable charitable contributions. “In addition, his prolific philanthropy has deeply impacted many lives for the better – from generous support of STEM education to a pledge to give away the majority of his money during his lifetime, said K. J. Ray Liu, chair of the award committee and 2022 IEEE President and CEO. “These contributions are exemplary for technologists, modeling the impact they can have not just on the world they live in, but for those who follow them.”
Broadcom is also integral, both metaphorically and literally, to the story of the Raspberry Pi SBC and the ecosystem that has built up around it. It’s no coincidence that Broadcom chips power the more than 61 million units sold as of early 2024.
“The Raspberry Pi is a fascinating story,” said Samueli at the NYC event. “It was created by a Broadcom engineer, Eben Upton. And he had this idea that we could take one of our SoC chips that we had built for set-top boxes and modify it slightly and turn it into this mini computer… to stimulate young kids to get into computer science and learn coding.”
While Samueli didn’t have a direct hand in the development of the Pi, his company makes the chips and fostered an environment where Pi founder and now company CEO Upton could turn an idea into an affordable, largely open-source platform for budding coders and talented makers alike.
Henry Samueli may not be as high-profile as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang or AMD’s Lisa Su, but there’s no denying the many ways his contributions have improved the tech we use every day.
The event today with Samueli and current and previous IEEE CEOs served primarily as the announcement of Medal of Honor award. The organization will hold an award ceremony on April 24th in Tokyo, Japan.
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What could the Amazon deal mean for 007’s future?
What could the Amazon deal mean for 007’s future?
Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter
Getty Images
The closing credits of 2021’s No Time To Die, the most recent film in the 007 series, ended with a familiar message: “James Bond will return.”
But for the last few years, fans haven’t been so sure.
A year after the release of Daniel Craig’s final film in the franchise, Amazon bought the series’ parent company MGM. Since then, very little has happened.
That finally changed on Thursday, when Amazon announced a new deal that would see long-term Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson step back, and Jeff Bezos’s company take full creative control.
In the intervening years, it’s been widely reported that there was tension between Amazon, who understandably wanted a return on their investment, and Wilson and Broccoli, whose top priority remained protecting the Bond brand.
The news of the deal has been met with mixed reaction from 007 fans.
“I’m in two minds,” says David Zaritsky, creator of The Bond Experience fan channel on YouTube and Instagram.
“The nostalgic part of my mind feels a little bit of sadness. Broccoli and Wilson have been the custodians for all these years, so it feels like a bit of royal blood in lineage has been severed.
“That being said, nobody likes inactivity. And there’s been a lot of inactivity around the James Bond franchise for many years, and I know that Amazon as a company will not have patience for inactivity.
“So I’m very hopeful, and dare I say even a little bit excited, that they’re going to do something with the franchise that will be interesting nonetheless.”
Getty Images
Bond character extensions could follow in the footsteps of films such as Emma Stone’s 101 Dalmatians spin-off Cruella
Other franchises which have drastically expanded perhaps offer some clues about what we can expect from the forthcoming Amazon era of Bond.
Lancelot Narayan, a James Bond historian, journalist and filmmaker, told BBC Radio 5 Live a good comparison is George Lucas selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, giving the company control of the Star Wars brand.
“They went off and made that sequel trilogy, and whether you like it or not, it got made rather quickly,” he notes. “There wasn’t a three-year wait between films.”
However, despite the explosion in productivity, there is a feeling that both Marvel and Star Wars have overstretched themselves with their spin-off products.
Narayan says he believes Star Wars has become “creatively redundant” since the explosion in productivity.
“The Star Wars TV series have been very hit and miss – Andor is fantastic, The Mandalorian is OK, I haven’t seen Skeleton Crew… but there are very disparate creative voices going on there,” he notes. “So this is the worry, you need the correct creative people to run the show.”
Similarly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe built on the films by launching a string of Disney+ TV shows.
The subsequent decline in Marvel’s popularity arguably owes much to fan fatigue, something which won’t have been helped by the huge number of story strands they had to keep up with.
Both cases, Marvel and Star Wars, highlight the risks of brand expansion, which can cause long-term damage for short-term financial gain.
Fans will be hoping any Bond extensions will be better than 2023’s dubious game show 007: Road to a Million, hosted by Succession’s Brian Cox, which was poorly received.
Getty Images
Billie Eilish is among the stars who have been enlisted to sing the theme songs in recent years
The James Bond franchise, and particularly the subject of which actor will take over from Craig, is of such fascination to the public that it’s the focus of a new show currently playing in Cirencester, called A Role To Die For.
“There are a lot of people who have grown up with it, for whom James Bond has been part of their culture their entire lives,” says the appropriately named Derek Bond, who directs the show.
“As time has gone on, being able to reinvent that character and have him perhaps change with the times, has been the secret to his longevity.
“But I wonder if we’re now in a situation where the times have changed so much, that James Bond now feels as if he belongs in a different era, and it needs something really radical to keep him relevant today.”
Character origin stories
One area the company will almost certainly be looking at now they’re in creative control is the potential for character origin stories, in a similar vein to other famous and beloved film characters who have received their own spin-off films.
Cruella, an extension of the 101 Dalmatians villain, and Wonka, of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, have both been hugely successful film spin-offs in their own right in the last five years, with Emma Stone and Timothée Chalamet respectively bringing the characters and worlds to a whole new audience.
It’s not hard to imagine the popularity of a similar film or show based on famous Bond villains such as Jaws, Oddjob, Blofeld, Goldfinger or May Day – all big brands in their own right.
“I mean, why has nobody made Moneypenny?!” laughs Derek Bond. “There’s a great series to made about her and her journey.
“Also M, I’d love to know how ***** Dench’s M ended up in that role. And the villains especially, it’s a very rich universe, and it’s easy to imagine the Marvelisation of it, where you have a kind of spin-off for every character that James Bond ever passed in a corridor.”
But Zaritsky notes: “I think Amazon will stop short of doing it ad nauseum, to the point where they’re having spin-offs about the MI6 janitor that sleeps in the corner. If they do have spin-offs, I think it’s going to be prime characters.”
Getty Images
Brian Cox, pictured with Barbara Broccoli, hosted the poorly-received game show 007: Road To A Million
Not everyone is a fan of the idea. “This is quite possibly the WORST thing to happen to this franchise,” tweeted Griffin Schiller of Film Speak after Amazon’s announcement.
“James Bond was more than your average franchise. It had class, prestige, they were indie films made as blockbusters… now? It’ll be milked dry. It’s truly the end.”
Broccoli has been seen as a steward of the brand throughout her tenure; a safe pair of hands who protected the traditions of the original character.
That may not necessarily have been compatible with Amazon, who were presumably looking to buy a brand rather than only a film franchise, in an effort to maximise profit.
“It does tend to be a slightly older generation that it skews to, and there’s a whole generation of people who have not experienced a James Bond film, and now, I wonder if they will,” Bond says.
In her own tenure, Broccoli has made efforts to keep attracting young audiences in other ways, however, such as selecting popular young artists such as Billie Eilish to sing the theme songs.
Getty Images
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos asked followers on X to suggest which actor could take over as James Bond
A repositioning of of the brand could see Amazon try to take the franchise in a direction that appeals more to a younger audience as well as an American market, which is culturally slightly cooler on the Bond brand than the ***.
“I think it’s quite bad news for the franchise, and British film as a whole,” movie journalist Hannah Strong told Radio 4’s PM following Amazon’s announcement.
“It’s the premiere British film property, and I think the control reverting to an American company, not least one that hasn’t shown that much commitment to great cinema, is probably quite a worrying sign.”
That said, Amazon will be aware that Bond makes a huge amount of money as it currently is – and the company will be aware that altering the core product itself in way that appeals more to an American audience would be a huge risk.
Strong added: “When Amazon bought MGM, Barbara Broccoli was quite outspoken about the fact she was finding it difficult to come to a middle ground with Amazon. I suspect the middle ground involves an awful lot of money.”
The biggest decision remains who will replace Craig in the leading role.
Broccoli previously said James Bond could be any race, but that he would remain male. That guarantee may no longer stand now she is has handed over the reins, although her approach was widely regarded as sensible and Amazon are unlikely to rock the boat too much.
How long could it be until we see the first new Bond product? Zaritsky suggests Amazon won’t wait around, although the first thing to launch may not be a film.
“It could be with merchandise, or in the form of fan outreach,” he says. “Whatever it is, I think we might see something extremely fast.”
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Patch Lets Players Keep Pouring The Wine
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Patch Lets Players Keep Pouring The Wine
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 hasn’t even been out for a month yet, but the wildly successful game already has another patch ready to go from Warhorse Studios. Although there are a handful of ****** fixes, there aren’t many major issues at all in this patch, which Warhorse is calling Hotfix 1.1.2. Instead, the most exciting revision comes in The King’s Gambit, where players can now keep the wine flowing for the king.
As related on Reddit, some players ran into an issue in The King’s Gambit where the option to pour wine for the king disappears. When the king asks to switch from red wine to white, players failed the task when they couldn’t fulfil that simple request.
Warhorse shared the Hotfix 1.1.2 breakdown on the official site for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. According to the developers, the primary adjustments include stability improvements and quest fixes. There’s also a specific fix for the game on the Epic Games Store. Taken together, these changes may not seem very significant, but they’re meant to help players have a more refined experience.
So far, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been a massive hit for Warhorse Studios. It sold 1 million copies in its first 24 hours, and recently passed the 2 million mark as well. It also peaked at 250,000 concurrent users on Steam. Additionally, official mod support is coming to the PC version of the game as well.
Players have also found entertaining details in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, including a hidden ending that can only be achieved by letting the main character embrace all of his worst instincts. The complete patch notes for Hotfix 1.1.2 are reproduced below.
Fortuna
Bozhena and Pavlena will no longer report the player for crimes during the quest.
The King’s Gambit
The quest interactor for wine will no longer disappear, allowing players to continue pouring wine for the guests.
Combat
Fixed the crossbow aiming zoom on ultrawide resolutions.
Platform-specific fixes
Epic Games Store: Fixed the issue with achievements not being completed after longer than one hour of play.
PROS
Improved the issue with rewards sometimes requiring game restart to be awarded.
Stability
Fixed a ****** when looking at certain locked doors and chests.
Fixed a ****** sometimes occurring loading the game after finishing the dice mini-game.
Fixed a ****** related to opening the horse inventory.
Fixed a ****** related to interacting with a cart.
Fixed a ****** when spamming keys on the EULA screen.
Fixed a ****** when having conflicting versions of the Bink library.
A few dozen additional stability fixes and improvements.
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Veteran brigade firefighter calls for end to prescribed burns and renewed focus on townsite protection
Veteran brigade firefighter calls for end to prescribed burns and renewed focus on townsite protection
One of the region’s longest-serving volunteer firefighters wants to reignite debate on a touchy topic many want extinguished for good.
Speaking before Sunday’s serious bushfire in the heart of Dunsborough, Witchcliffe resident Ken Collins, a 40-year brigade veteran, said it was time to abandon prescribed burning quotas and focus on protecting townsites instead.
His views were informed by a long-running debate between firefighting experts and conservationists who believe WA’s prescribed burning regimen, mostly run by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, does more harm than good and doesn’t focus enough on population centres.
Mr Collins told the Times he believed bushfire had to be treated like an enemy invasion which included equipping communities with fire klaxons to warn in case of major outbreaks.
“Our native forests are becoming more stressed with a drying climate, fungal diseases and insect attack, making any excessive prescribed burning an added threat to our bushland,” he said.
“Strategic fuel reduction areas need to be employed around townsites and infrastructure but I can’t see the logic in lighting up thousands of hectares away from any centres of population just to get burning quota up.
“Additional burning is warranted where an area of bushland needs to be regenerated or backburning to help mitigate a wildfire.”
Mr Collins’ comments come after anti-prescribed burn activists rallied in Margaret River last year in opposition to DBCA’s burn quotas, though at the time other experienced firefighters blasted the opponents for lacking experience on fire grounds or the scale of resources available in the South West.
The 2011 bushfires sparked a major overhaul of how bushfire was managed in the South West, with significant resources including long-range tankers and fixed-wing planes now based in the Capes during peak season.
But Mr Collins said he and others had long memories of those fires, started by DBCA then badged as the Department of Environment and Conservation while undertaking controlled burns that escaped and destroyed more than 50 buildings.
“Bushfires need to be treated like an enemy invasion,” Mr Collins said.
“We need our own dedicated fleet of firefighting air tankers which are not leased or borrowed from another State or country.”
Although the volunteer’s argument was backed by the Margaret River Regional Environment Centre — of which he was a member — agencies gave those views short shrift.
A DBCA spokesperson said climate change and the consequences for bush dryness made prescribed burns more important than ever.
“Prescribed burning is the State’s principal risk mitigation for protecting the community from the devastating impact of intense summer bushfires,” a spokesperson said.
“It is the most effective strategy in reducing the likelihood, size and severity of bushfires.”
Other agencies defended standard operating procedure that reduced fuel loads in outlying hinterland as a key bulwark against inevitable summer bushfires.
A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said controlled burns and mechanical works were “essential” to reduce the risk of destructive fires.
“Halting prescribed burning in large areas of bushland and focusing on townsites would not adequately protect the communities or forests,” they said.
“When fires get large and hot enough, they can create their own weather systems, and in these extreme situations, they are extremely difficult to control and mitigation around communities may not be enough to protect lives and homes.”
DFES said prescribed burns, in consultation with traditional owners, contributed to healthy ecosystems.
“Fire is part of a healthy landscape in WA and planned burning techniques are guided by scientific research and consultation with traditional owners who have been managing Country for thousands of years,” the DFES spokesperson said.
“Without mitigation to reduce the fuel load, bushfires will burn hotter and destroy everything in their path.”
Shire of Augusta-Margaret River acting chief executive Nick Logan said the local government worked with agencies to deliver hazard-reduction programs as well as delivering its own.
DBCA’s overarching approach was focused on the same priorities flagged by Mr Collins.
“The (prescribed burning) program considers the risk posed to communities, key public assets and conservation values in determining the priorities to deliver risk-mitigation actions where they will be most valuable,” the agency said.
“There is evidence that the general climatic warming trend that is being experienced in Australia has a direct link to fuel dryness making bushfires harder to contain.
“DBCA recognises this heightened bushfire threat and the critical importance of prescribed burning in reducing the risk and severity of bushfires impacting communities and the environment.”
Mr Collins’ views were strongly supported by conservationists from MRREC.
Despite authorities saying the latest generation of mobile phone apps were better alert systems than town-centre alarms, Environment Centre spokesperson Tracy Skippings said the concept of early-warning systems was worth investigating, especially for tourism towns.
But it was controlled burns in Capes wilderness which had the group most alarmed.
“We have concerns about the prescribed burning that takes place in our reserves as we see, from experience working in them, an abundant amount of understorey regrowth which makes it difficult to further control and get into to undertake weeding and maintenance including camping and rubbish removal.
“More hands on manual fuel reduction is necessary, and if there is any burning to protect assets, it should be slow and cool, a trickly burn — and definitely not firing up huge areas of forest nowhere near any human habitation.”
Volunteers who were involved in the weekend efforts reining in the Dunsborough fire said it was absurd to suggest the Capes region lacked an adequate rapid response.
Those firefighters echoed previous comments by Shire of Augusta-Margaret River councillor and firefighter Ian Earl that much had changed since 2011 and the South West was well protected.
Those volunteers also backed the value of premeditated burns to the hilt.
“This is the brutal truth,” a Wallcliffe Fire Services Brigade spokesperson said on social media.
“The areas of long-unburnt bush did not magically thin over decades.
“Instead, fuel loads in this type of bush created a fire so hot it left little chance for anything in its path, and generated significant ember attack into surrounding areas.”
Bushfire Front chairman Roger Underwood, who has a long history of concern about risks in the Capes region, told the Times it was worrying to see the spread of misinformation about the downsides of prescribed burning.
Any argument that DBCA burns should halt was wrong, he said.
“I oppose that idea completely,” Mr Underwood said.
“First, it is the big ****** fires starting a long way away that cannot be stopped and then burn into residential areas. This is what killed Yarloop.
“Second, why would anyone want to see our beautiful parks and forests incinerated, as they surely will be if there is no fuel reduction?”
However, Mr Underwood agreed more focus was needed reducing fuels directly abutting townsites.
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The Deeply Spiced Meatballs That Call Back to Haiti
The Deeply Spiced Meatballs That Call Back to Haiti
Growing up in Jérémie, Haiti, Elsy Dinvil often spent Sunday mornings watching her mother prepare meatballs: first at the market, picking the most marbled filets she could find, then at home, pulling out a manual grinder to prepare the meat. It was an education in cooking with care.
Ms. Dinvil’s mother died in 2018, two years before Ms. Dinvil self-published the recipe — and its story — in her e-book, “Cooking With My Mother: Your Guide to Haitian Homecooking.”
“My mother couldn’t even write her own name in Creole, so I know she’d be proud of me writing a book in another language,” she said.
Based in Oregon since the 1990s, Ms. Dinvil has become a beloved member of Portland’s food scene, sharing homey Haitian dishes like her mother’s meatballs at cooking classes and farmers’ markets through her company, Creole Me Up. She’s even worked with the award-winning Haitian chef and author Gregory Gourdet helping with his first pop-ups and in the lead-up to opening his restaurant Kann in 2022.
“She showed me less ‘cheffy’ dishes,” he said, “and more rustic Haitian cooking.” Haitian patties, flakier than Jamaican ones and a touch less spicy, were also a lesson, he said.
Oregon wasn’t where she envisioned herself landing. But as part of a scholarship through the Haitian government in the early 1990s, she was sent off to the state, where she studied food science at Mount Hood Community College, using a French-to-English dictionary to understand her textbooks.
It wasn’t until two decades later, when gastrointestinal issues prompted her to start playing with the Haitian food she knew and loved, that she became passionate about owning her own food business. In 2016, Jaime Soltero Jr., the chef and owner of Tamale Boy, a food truck and catering business, encouraged her to start her own pop-ups and even loaned Ms. Dinvil a free commercial space to get started. “People started asking me if they could buy the pikliz I made,” she said, adding, “so I started bottling it.”
Her journey hasn’t been without challenges: There have been periods of homelessness, illness and grief. But sharing her family’s story and recipes, and serving as a kind of cultural ambassador for Haiti, combating negative misconceptions in a predominantly white city, has become her guiding mission.
“The Haiti I know is a country where the people are full of hope, love life, want to work,” she said, adding when she listens to a foreigner’s views about Haiti, she sometimes has to bite her tongue to stop herself from getting angry at their negative generalizations.
By 2017, she was selling her pikliz, Haiti’s spicy cabbage condiment, offering cooking classes and talking to people about Haitian cuisine — the flavors, the techniques, the home that she missed. These days, she’s growing her business to include spice blends, pickles, dressings and marinades, seeking to share them nationally. She’s even working with a local vineyard to create and release her own white wine and rosé.
But keeping those rustic dishes alive and sharing those memories of Haiti are still guiding missions for Ms. Divil, so she stays close to home in her cooking, and to her mother’s recipes. A few years ago, at an estate *****, she bought a manual hand grinder because it reminded her of the one her mother used so long ago. Ms. Dinvil hasn’t used it yet, preferring to keep it in its box, but its presence is a reminder of those childhood lessons.
“I’m never letting this grinder go,” she said, “it feels like carrying a piece of my mom with me.”
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Robot umps are here: What MLB players need to know to navigate ABS this spring
Robot umps are here: What MLB players need to know to navigate ABS this spring
It was pitchers and catchers who reported to spring training last week. Been there, done that.
But you know who reports to spring training this week who has never been or done any of this? Get ready. Here come the robots.
We’ve never lived in a world in which major-league spring training games had ****** and strikes called by robot umps, otherwise known as the Automated Ball-Strike system (ABS). But it’ll happen this spring, when MLB will give its players a chance to test out the ABS challenge system in games all over Florida and Arizona. The dry run begins Thursday in a nationally televised Cactus League game between the Cubs and Dodgers.
So is that a sure sign those robots will arrive in a regular-season ballpark near you by 2026? Not necessarily. The arrival date remains uncertain. The league might want to postpone implementing anything significant until it gets to the other side of the next labor crisis in two years. Or not.
But does it feel inevitable that one of these years, MLB will be using technology to get the big ball-strike calls right? Not much doubt about that.
So it’s a good thing they’re not unleashing the robots without getting extensive feedback from the players. And those reviews will be flowing within days, as soon as teams test-drive a system in which each club will get two chances per game to challenge ball-strike calls. (Just like replay, they won’t burn a challenge if ABS — and the Hawk-Eye cameras that power it — decides: You’re right.)
Fan feedback will also be a thing this spring. MLB will be paying close attention to how fans react to seeing umpires have actual strike calls overturned in actual games played by actual major leaguers. And won’t that be fun?
So in many ways, just that ongoing feedback loop will make this a spring training unlike any other. But that’s a good thing, according to the half dozen or so big leaguers I’ve surveyed. Most of them are all in on this.
“I was in Triple A, rehabbing, once, and I saw it,” Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow told me last summer. “And dude, it was like, the most fun part of the game. Oh, it was so much fun — because (when you challenge and you’re right), you feel vindicated.”
So Glasnow is eager to spend this spring getting a feel for what ABS thinks a strike looks like — or doesn’t look like.
“I definitely think spring training would be enough time to get used to it, because it’s not really changing the game,” he said. “It’s not like the pitch clock or anything. You’re still playing the same game. You just get to challenge if you don’t like the call.”
His teammate, the always forward-thinking Freddie Freeman, was right there with him when we talked last summer. Would a spring experiment with this technology be helpful? Of course, Freeman said.
“The only other time you would ever experience that,” he said, “is if you went into a rehab game (in the minor leagues). … But we’re pretty good at adapting and trying to figure stuff out and just taking things on the fly. So it’ll be interesting.”
The Athletic: You’d be good at challenging, right?
Freeman: I mean, I probably wouldn’t even do it. But we have a couple of guys that I would be worried that they’d just challenge every (pitch), that every strike call would be challenged and we’re going to run out in the first inning.
The Athletic: So there are certain guys you would never let challenge if you were in charge?
Freeman: We won’t name names. There’s a couple that I think would challenge a lot more than other guys. Put it that way.”
So should he be worried about a wild and crazy adjustment ******* for those unnamed teammates — or others? And what else should he be looking for? We can help with that. Here is what every big leaguer needs to know before he meets those robots, according to some of the helpful folks I’ve spoken with who experienced all this in the minor leagues.
Lesson one: The strike zone is not the same
We’ve all watched baseball games on TV. We’ve all seen that attractive-looking rectangle that comprises the K Zone. So is that K Zone what big leaguers are about to get dropped into? Um, not quite. This zone — unlike those zones — will actually be accurate.
But there will be one important similarity between those TV zones and the ABS zone — namely …
That rectangle.
We’ll let you in on a critical secret that is about to get exposed. That strike zone called by human umpires in the big leagues may be a rectangle in theory — but it’s more like an oval in real life. That’s because many pitches up and in, or up and away, are not called strikes by human umps, even though they’re technically in the zone.
You know what big leaguers are about to find out — in real time? Those robot umps don’t give a flying Joe West what human umps call.
“So a lot of pitches that have historically been called strikes won’t be,” said Morgan Ensberg, the manager of the Durham Bulls, the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate. “The catcher is going to immediately challenge on it, and he’s going to be off by about three-eighths of an inch, and that will blow one challenge.”
Will it take one challenge like that — or 20 — before big leaguers get a feel for that? Stay tuned. But for most players who have lived the full ABS experience, that’s the biggest initial shock. Here, though, comes the second biggest shock.
GO DEEPER
The robo ump could cause a unexpected casualty: the TV strike zone box
Lesson two: The strike zone never changes
Let’s go back to those TV strike zones. The rectangle on the screen looks the same on every pitch. But again, that is not how human umpires call ****** and strikes.
When it’s a 3-and-0 pitch, and the score is 12-1 in the ninth inning, humans — how shall we put this — adapt for that. And that word, “adapt,” is not in the robots’ vocabulary.
“No matter the situation,” Ensberg said, “the zone is the same. With runners on base. Ninth inning. First inning. Third inning. Key situation. Non-key situation. It is exactly what it is.”
Technology isn’t there to give the pitcher an extra half-inch on a 3-and-0 pitch. It also isn’t built to call a ball if a catcher sets up on the outside corner, but the pitcher flies open and misfires a pitch on the inside corner.
No, this technology only cares about one thing: Was that pitch in the strike zone or not? So are major leaguers ready to play baseball in technology’s universe — as opposed to Vic Carapazza’s universe? They’re about to find out.
Umpire Brian Walsh uses an earpiece during a Triple-A game to hear from the ABS system whether a pitch was ruled a ball or a strike. (Rich Schultz / Getty Images)
Lesson three: Don’t put games in the robots’ hands
Do robot umps even have hands? We’re pretty sure they don’t. But let’s not worry about that right now.
We just learned a critical lesson — that robots don’t dance or weave or fluctuate from whatever is programmed into their hard drive. So if big-league pitchers want some sage advice on what that means for them, Rays reliever Cole Sulser is here to provide it.
“You’ve got to attack the zone,” said Sulser, who spent part of last season pitching in Triple A in the Rays’ and Mets’ systems. “I would say: Attack the zone early, just because there is no more, ‘Hey, I made a really good pitch, so let’s expand a little bit with the catcher. Let’s try to dot the catcher right off the corner.’ You can’t do that because (if there’s a challenge) they’re going to have the ability to say: ‘No, it’s a good pitch, but it’s half an inch off the corner.’”
Yes, those four little words — if there’s a challenge — may not even come into play. But with this challenge system, that ABS strike zone is always lurking. Also …
Lesson four: Don’t get all emotional
To challenge or not to challenge: That’s about to be the question. We’ll dig into the strategy that goes into that shortly. But first, this important advice for big leaguers everywhere:
Don’t be That Guy whose heat-of-the-moment challenge decisions leave your teammates shaking their heads and calling you names you won’t want to see displayed above your locker. Be smart. Be cool. Be thoughtful. And control those emotions!
“That’s the thing with pitchers. They can get too emotional,” said Phillies reliever Max Lazar, who led the Phillies’ Triple-A team (Lehigh Valley) in saves last season. “Maybe, like, right after an error, or they don’t like a (ball-strike) call, or they just got two or three (calls) in a row they didn’t like, so they try to try to steal one back (by challenging). So you’ve got to try to limit that.”
And you know the best way to limit that? Here it comes.
Lesson five: Don’t let pitchers challenge — ever
The rules say that only three people in the stadium can challenge a call — the hitter, the catcher or the pitcher. Two out of three ain’t bad.
Pitchers may be an indispensable part of baseball life. But a theme I heard over and over was: They’re not good at challenging. Many minor-league teams won’t even let them challenge.
“The catchers and the hitters need to challenge, and hopefully not the pitchers,” Ensberg said, “because the pitcher’s view is not a good view for whether or not it’s a ball or strike. And so pitchers challenging doesn’t have a lot of success at all. To be fair to them, it does look like a strike from their vantage point. But it really is not.”
Of course, spring training is different — in many ways. But in this case, the biggest difference is, it’s a time for experiments, not winning the World Series. So teams might be more lenient if, say, Gerrit Cole wants to challenge, maybe even just to see what happens.
But here’s a bet: You’ll see fewer than 10 challenges all spring from pitchers who have tested this out in the minor leagues, because that group already has learned the hard way.
“The catchers really know the zone better than the pitchers,” Lazar said. “They’re back there for every pitch. So I try to leave it up to them.”
And if that’s going to be the norm, then …
Lesson six: Make this all about the catchers
There may be nine defenders on the field for every pitch this spring — every one of them trying to figure out what those robot umps think the strike zone looks like. But here is Ensberg’s most important advice:
Nobody needs this ABS experiment more than the catchers. So every team needs to encourage its catchers to do lots of challenging — and ask lots of questions.
“If I was a catcher, I would just ask every umpire, nonstop: Was that a ball? Was that a strike? Because if they do that, they could calibrate that (knowledge) immediately.
“I think, too, that they are simply going to have to practice challenging pitches. They need to say: ‘OK, I’m going to give this one a shot. This is that close pitch that I’ve been looking for’ — like a slider, low and away in this certain spot, and you’re (challenging) strictly for educational purposes.”
Like every player at every position, catchers will have access to a special iPad app in the dugout that shows them how ABS would have called every pitch — in the game they’re playing. So if you see players wearing out those iPads this spring, they may be enrolled in Robot Ump 101 class.
The league is also open to holding ABS training sessions, before or after games, that would give catchers (and other players) the same sort of feedback. It’s unclear how that would work. But if those sessions are offered, catchers should make it a point to attend them.
Braves catching prospect Drake Baldwin is a fan of ABS. (Mike Janes / Four Seam Images / Associated Press)
They already play the most important defensive position on the field. But the more catchers gain an understanding of when to challenge and when not to, the more their potential impact can only grow.
“I like it,” Braves catching prospect Drake Baldwin told me last July at the Futures Game. “If I just have a gut feeling about a big pitch, if I think it clipped a corner or something, I’ll challenge it. And I think it’s a cool aspect of the game.
“The other day,” he went on, “I was hitting, and I challenged one that would have ended the game. It was a full-count pitch outside. The umpire rang me up. I challenged. It ended up being a ball. So I got a walk. And then we walked it off on the next hitter. So it definitely can change games.”
Baldwin said he’s spent a lot of time digging in on the strategies of when to challenge — some of them more subtle than many catchers have probably even processed yet.
For instance, most people assume the pitches most likely to get challenged are strike three and ball four. But those aren’t the only pivotal pitches in an at-bat.
“Our pitching coach, he’s big on the 0-0 challenges,” Baldwin said, “because he says the biggest jump between batting average comes on whether (the count, after the first pitch, is) 1-0 or 0-1. So if you have a gut feeling on that first pitch in that at-bat, don’t be afraid to challenge it. …
“And obviously, late in the game, if you have two challenges left, take a shot. Or if your pitcher is struggling finding the zone, take a shot here and there if it’s close.”
But is that the same strategy we’ll see teams use in spring training? Don’t be so sure. So here’s one more lesson …
Lesson seven: It’s a test, so don’t save your challenges
We all know the pitches we would challenge if we were in these games. Bases loaded. Ninth inning. Two outs. One-run game. And a miscellaneous umpire — let’s make up a name and call him, say, Angel Hernandez — rings up Aaron Judge on a pitch that was eight inches outside.
Ball game! … or is it?
Not necessarily. At least not when the challenge system is in place. So in the minor leagues, teams tend to save their challenges for the late innings, for just those moments. But is that the strategy teams should use in spring training? That’s a vociferous no!
In spring training, the veteran players might only be in the game for five innings. The late-inning relief monsters might be in and out by the sixth inning. The players whose feedback matters most are almost never in the game with two outs in the ninth.
So what should the challenge strategy be this spring, when this is all an experimental act in progress? I asked Ensberg what he would tell big-league managers — and players — about how to get the most out of this lab experiment.
“I would say there’s two ways of doing this,” Ensberg said. “If this system was in place, there is a strategic portion to this — which is an understanding of when to strategically give this a shot: Bases loaded, key situation, late in the game. …
“I would not suggest doing that in spring training. My advice would be: OK, today, the first two batters get to challenge, because we want them calibrating (and learning the ABS strike zone). So we want to challenge something close, right? And tomorrow, it will be the guys in the three-four holes, so they can challenge in the first few innings.”
And if any veteran pitchers are going to be allowed to experiment with challenging this spring, shouldn’t it be the esteemed closers of America? They’re the pitchers most likely to be on the mound in the ninth inning of the real games, when the challenges matter most — the ones you’ve saved for those moments. And that means not saving challenges for the ninth inning when those palm trees are swaying in the March breeze.
“I think that if you drew a parallel of how you use your pitchers in a spring training game,” Ensberg said, “your closer might throw the third inning and get his work done and leave. He’s not throwing the ninth and nailing down a save, right?
“Similarly, I think the everyday big leaguers will probably have more freedom to use these challenges than a (minor-league) guy who doesn’t have his last name on the back of his jersey. So if you do that, the players will still be able to get a feel for how it works and what it looks like and provide some feedback.”
Spring training has always been a time of sunshine and warmth, phenoms and rising stars, flushing the past and welcoming the future. But that was spring training before the robots came to town.
So get ready for a spring of calibration and experimentation, of strikes that turn into ******, of boos that turn into cheers. We’re plunging into one of the most game-changing spring trainings in baseball history — not just for Alex Bregman and Roki Sasaki, but for baseball’s invisible robots. Ready or not, here they come.
GO DEEPER
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(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Aaron Doster / MLB Photos via Getty Images; Rich Schultz / Getty Images)
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AC Shadows Depicting Yasuke As a “Legendary Samurai” Is Inappropriate Because He Was More of a “Spectacle” Than Warrior
AC Shadows Depicting Yasuke As a “Legendary Samurai” Is Inappropriate Because He Was More of a “Spectacle” Than Warrior
The controversy surrounding AC Shadows has yet to settle, particularly especially over its choice of Yasuke. Despite multiple delays, the game is now scheduled for release on March 20. While these delays have improved aspects of the gameplay, one thing remains unchanged: the historically inaccurate protagonist.
The game has been surrounded by controversy since its announcement. | Image Credit: Ubisoft
The anger from fans, especially about Yasuke being depicted as some sort of legendary samurai, is mostly understandable. Even historian Yuichi Goza, an expert in medieval Japanese history, has weighed in on the controversy, and his insights are not looking good for Ubisoft.
From historical figure to video game protagonist in AC Shadows
The historical accuracy doesn’t match the game’s material. | Image Source: Ubisoft
Yasuke, a man of African descent who arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, served under the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga. While this is historically accurate, in an interview with JapanForward, Goza emphasizes that portraying him as a samurai is purely speculative.
The historical evidence suggests that he served as a bodyguard and entertainer rather than a traditional warrior. Goza explains that while some records suggest Nobunaga gave Yasuke a sword and a residence, such gestures did not necessarily elevate him to samurai status.
Even if he was treated as a samurai (a big ‘if’), Goza stresses that this role may have been more about showcasing Nobunaga’s own power, using a rare African background man as a spectacle. So, his presence might be more about attracting attention rather than being a battle-hardened warrior.
To put it bluntly, Yasuke may have been seen as something of a spectacle, since having such dark skin was rare.
Goza firmly states that Yasuke should not be portrayed as a “legendary samurai” who single-handedly defeats foes in battle, as even if he participated in combat at the time, he was more likely a combatant rather than a commander.
While Ubisoft is no stranger to blending fiction with historical facts in their Assassin’s Creed series, Goza added this action is a step too far as it could be seen as diminishing Japan’s samurai culture by inaccurately elevating one’s status.
Will Ubisoft address the concerns?
The anticipation of the game’s release is high, not all for good reasons. | Image Credit: Ubisoft.
With AC Shadows now set to release on March 20, the question remains: Will the controversy surrounding Yasuke be addressed, or will the team stand by its portrayal despite the backlash?
Given that Yasuke’s role is still portrayed as a samurai, which is central to the game’s narrative, it seems unlikely the character has been significantly altered before release, even after multiple delays.
Now the only thing that remains to be seen is whether Ubisoft refined the narrative to better align with the character’s historical accuracy or not. This long-running backlash has made it clear that fans’ concerns are not baseless.
While fans can go overboard, the backlash is rooted in a genuine concern for how Assassin’s Creed Shadows handles the portrayal of Japan’s samurai culture. If the studio fails to address these concerns, it risks alienating its audience and disrespecting the culture it aims to portray.
In the end, as the game heads toward its release, it will be interesting to see if the game’s narrative was altered to better reflect historical accuracy or if it sticks with its current direction, continuing to stir controversy even after its release.
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Leaker claims Ryzen 9 9950X3D embargo lifts on March 11
Leaker claims Ryzen 9 9950X3D embargo lifts on March 11
The exact embargo date for AMD’s upcoming 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D has been leaked, giving us a clue as to when the CPU will launch in March. Golden Pig issued a post on Weibo stating the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (that will vie for a spot in our Best CPUs for Gaming) will be released on March 11.
AMD already confirmed the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D will launch in March, but didn’t specify what day. If the leak is accurate, the two chips will launch in around three weeks. Golden Pig did not specify the exact launch date of the 12-core 9900X3D, but there is a chance it will launch on the same day as its 16-core counterpart if AMD keeps the same launch cadence as its previous generation X3D parts. The 9900X3D will launch in March regardless.
Golden Pig 9950X3D embargo leak (English translation via Google Translate) (Image credit: Weibo)
AMD originally announced the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D, along with their aforementioned March release date, during CES 2025. The new chips are higher core-count variants of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D launched roughly four months ago. The new 9950X3D sports double the core count of the 9800X3D, featuring 16 Zen 5 cores and 144MB of L2 and L3 cache courtesy of its dual CCDs. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the middle child of the Ryzen 9000X3D lineup, featuring 12 Zen 5 cores and 140MB of total L2 and L3 cache.
AMD confirmed that the new high-core count Zen 5 X3D chips are utilizing the same 3D-VCache configuration as their predecessors, with (only) one of the two 8-core CCDs sporting a 3D-VCache slice. This was done primarily for cost reasons, as AMD’s latest 3D-VCache implementation in the Zen 5 architecture no longer penalizes clock speed headroom. (Due to the 3D-VCache slice now being installed underneath the CCD, rather than the top.)
AMD claims the Ryzen 9 9950X3D provides 8% higher gaming performance than the previous-gen 7950X3D and 20% faster gaming performance than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. AMD did not share non-gaming benchmarks, but Geekbench leaks reveal the 9950X3D’s multi-core performance is 12% faster compared to the 7950X3D and 14% in single-core likewise.
The biggest unknown about the 9950X3D (as well as the 9900X3D) is pricing. AMD has yet to provide pricing details on its high-core count Ryzen 9000X3D chips, and we probably won’t get official confirmation until launch day or close to it. Regardless, we can expect these two upcoming CPUs to be significantly more expensive than the 9800X3D. For instance, the 7950X3D launched at an MSRP of $700.
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Leonardo finds new partner for aerostructures unit after Boeing issues
Leonardo finds new partner for aerostructures unit after Boeing issues
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s Leonardo has identified a new industrial partner for its aerostructures unit which has been hit by the problems of U.S. planemaker Boeing, the state-controlled group’s CEO said on Thursday.
Leonardo has been attempting for several years to return its aerostructures business to profit. CEO Roberto Cingolani said in November it was looking for new opportunities for the division, which manufactures two sections for Boeing’s 787 plane.
“We have identified an investment partner, in the defence and space sector, to co-invest in a possible new industrial initiative in aerostructures,” Cingolani told an analyst post-results call.
He said the group was fully committed to finding a solution as soon as possible but did not give further details.
“Tight negotiations are ongoing in these hours and in these days,” he said.
A broader plan to overhaul the unit, which employs around 4,000 people in four plants located in southern Italy, will be announced at the group’s strategy update on March 11, Cingolani added.
Orders from Boeing in 2024 were higher than the year before, results showed, and Cingolani said Leonardo had agreed a repricing for components with the U.S giant.
However, the Italian group has had to revisit its delivery roadmap several times, with shipment rates falling to very low levels.
A company slide showed that last year Leonardo delivered 49 fuselage sections to Boeing, up from 39 in 2023, and 28 stabilizers, down from 32 the previous year.
“This is not enough, the problem is getting *******,” Cingolani said.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Gavin Jones)
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Supercharged U.S.-Canada finale to have anthem animosity, maybe a fight, but mainly heart
Supercharged U.S.-Canada finale to have anthem animosity, maybe a fight, but mainly heart
Bill Guerin nailed it the other day when he went on Fox and said there’s “a little bit of a political flare” going on in the hockey rivalry between the United States and Canada.
Of course there is. President Trump, you’ll recall, has taken to referring to Canada as “the 51st state.” In keeping with that theme, the president has bestowed a new title on ********* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him “Governor Trudeau.” (As belittling, sophomoric Trump nicknames go, you have to admit that one is pretty good.)
And don’t forget Trump’s tariff threats, which could trigger a trade war.
Speaking of wars, the United States faces Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston.
Even as a politics-free stand-alone, the game is guaranteed to be memorable, which is why tickets are going for a minimum of $1,250 on the secondary market, per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. And if the television ratings for the USA’s 3-1 victory over Canada last Saturday night in Montreal are any indication, they’re going to sizzle for Thursday’s finale.
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Ticket prices soar ahead of USA-Canada rematch in 4 Nations final in Boston
Politics and name-calling aside, United States-Canada is a for-real rivalry, especially when one takes into account the hammer-against-the-nail success the Canadians have had against the Americans over the years in international competition. Canada’s record against the US is 13-4-1 in “best-on-best” competition, including victories in the gold medal games at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. And don’t forget that Thursday’s championship game is being played in Boston, where Canadiens versus Bruins remains every bit as intense as Yankees versus Red Sox.
Can Team USA create their own Miracle moment in 2025? @emilymkaplan gives a status check ahead of USA vs. Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship pic.twitter.com/Ij3FkBLQDW
— ESPN (@espn) February 19, 2025
Now, back to Guerin’s comment about that “little bit of a political flare,” which reveals the Wilbraham, Mass., native to be a little bit of a political scientist. As general manager of the United States team, Guerin had an up-close-and-personal look at last week’s United States-Canada matchup in Montreal, which got underway after the Bell Centre crowd loudly booed the American national anthem. And then the game began, and the boobirds were still settling in their seats when “Three fights in nine seconds!” cemented itself as an instant-classic sports catchphrase, right up there with “And down the stretch they come!” and “Do you believe in miracles!?”
Let’s summarize:
• ********* fans booing the American national anthem.
• Three fights in nine seconds to start the game.
• A spirited victory by the United States.
Think there’s anything more that can be done to draw attention to this game?
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“We would love it if President Trump was in attendance,” Guerin said during his Fox appearance. “We have a roomful of proud American players and coaches and staff, and, listen, we’re just trying to represent our country the best way we can.”
There’s already been plenty of speculation about how the Garden crowd is going to react to the ********* national anthem. I have some thoughts on that. Here goes: Do whatever you want. Take your patriotism to whatever heights, or lows, you believe are suitable for the occasion. Cheer. Boo. Sit. Stand. Do something. Do nothing.
GO DEEPER
4 Nations championship predictions: Picks for Canada vs. USA, MVP and more
However, I do invite you to consider what took place at Montreal’s Stade Olympique on the night of Sept. 18, 2001. The Montreal Expos were hosting the Florida Marlins in their first home game since the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes, and players on both teams lined the sidelines during the playing of the American and ********* national anthems. The crowd was small — an announced 2,917 for a late-season game between two teams whose playoff hopes had long since vanished — but those who were there stood up and saluted America. According to the Miami Herald, “Five members of the Royal ********* Mounted Police marched in from center field under silence, leading a contingent of law enforcement and fire fighters who carried American flags and ringed the field for the anthem.”
After the ceremony, the public address system played John Lennon singing, “Give Peace a Chance.”
An 18-year-old Montreal woman, Isabelle Lepage, brought an American flag to the game. “I bought it in New York in 1997 in a shop near the World Trade Center,” Lepage said, according to the Associated Press. “I wanted to show our solidarity with the United States.”
Fast forward to April 15, 2013. Robin Watson of Vancouver had just competed in the 117th Boston Marathon in 2:15:33, which was 11th overall, making him the top ********* finisher. He was at the Copley Place Hotel having lunch with family members — including his brother, Pete Watson, now director of men’s and women’s track and field at Boston College — when two bombs planted by terrorists went off at the finish line, just across Copley Plaza.
I reached out to Watson, now 41.
“I’ll always love the city of Boston and the people of Boston just for the way they reacted to that,” Watson told me. “They took care of us. It was their city that was under attack. It was happening in their community. But what I remember most is everyone around us making sure we were safe and secure.
“Something that will always resonate with me is that after the bombs went off you had more people running toward the explosion than away from the explosion,” Watson said. “It was a coming-together. It was people helping people.
“Boston may have a reputation for being rough around the edges,” Watson said, “but they care. They’re good people.”
Watson will be rooting for Canada tonight with all his heart.
Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 8 p.m., following the playing of the ********* and American national anthems.
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(Photo of Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk and Team Canada’s Brandon Hagel: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
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