Meta’s historic winning streak comes to an end. What the charts say happens next
Meta’s historic winning streak comes to an end. What the charts say happens next
Meta’s impressive 20-day winning streak rightfully drew a lot of attention — until it abruptly ended Tuesday. Ranking among the longest in history for any stock, its streak was bound to end at some point. Now that it has, the key question is: what happens next? First, let’s acknowledge the obvious—there are no clear near-term support levels right now. This could be frustrating for investors who have been waiting for a dip. Typically, when buying weakness, we have at least one reference point to lean on, but META is currently in “support discovery” mode. We typically use that term when describing stocks in a freefall: traditional support levels don’t matter (moving averages, trendlines, former highs, etc.). While META has earned the right to see profit-taking, there’s no clear indication of where the next bid will emerge. Despite this uncertainty, there’s some good news: we don’t need to know where demand will return. When a stock (or the market) finds a floor, that point becomes the new support. From a technical perspective, that first new low will be the starting point for the next potential pattern to form. For illustration purposes, here’s an example of how META’s next consolidation phase could unfold. If it mirrors past setups, it may help position the stock for another leg higher. But how likely is that, considering how extended META had become? The 20-day winning streak was historic, but what’s not being discussed is that META’s 20% gain over those 20 days isn’t unprecedented. While impressive, it’s not the biggest such move. Coming off the 2023 lows, META surged nearly 50% in just 20 days. While these extreme rallies are rare, they’ve happened enough to reveal a pattern. Looking at META’s historical performance after 20-day, 20% surges, all but one (red line) occurred within uptrends. In most cases, the stock continued higher over the following months or even years. Of course, there’s no guarantee that history will repeat. However, if demand returns during this pullback, META will have the chance to consolidate, digest its gains, and potentially build a foundation for its next move higher. META vs. S & P 500 META has been a leading stock since bottoming in late 2022, flipping from a severe underperformer against the S & P 500 to a consistent outperformer over the past two years. The concern now is whether META has run too far relative to the market, with its latest surge amplifying this move. However, as this relative chart highlights, the META/SPX ratio has now returned to the long-term uptrend it crashed below in 2022. In other words, META is likely due for a pause after its recent 20% gain in 20 days, but once it digests this move, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it resume its outperformance and sustain the uptrend once again. — Frank Cappelleri Founder: DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
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Pokemon Go Developer In Talks To Sell Games Division To Saudi Arabia’s Savvy For $3.5 Billion – Report
Pokemon Go Developer In Talks To Sell Games Division To Saudi Arabia’s Savvy For $3.5 Billion – Report
Pokemon Go developer Niantic is reportedly in discussions to sell its games division to Saudi Arabia-owned Scopely Inc for roughly $3.5 billion. Scopely was acquired by Saudi Arabia owned Savvy Games in 2023 for $4.9 billion.
Reported by Bloomberg, the deal could be announced in the coming weeks, although an agreement has not yet been made, so the deal could fall through. The deal is specifically for Niantic’s games division and not the AR company in its entirety. The purchase would include Niantic’s current games as well, including the highly popular Pokemon Go. Both companies declined to comment on the Bloomberg report. Niantic partnered with Savvy Games to expand Pokemon Go operations into Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt (via Pocketgamer.biz).
This report comes after Niantic has struggled to find success for its titles outside of Pokemon Go. The company’s Harry Potter mobile game shut down in 2021 and Niantic laid off 230 people in 2023 after canceling a Marvel project and shutting down NBA All-World.
Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in games in recent years. In 2022, it was reported that the country was looking to invest $38 billion into video game companies and it has made significant investments in companies like Nintendo. The deal to purchase Niantic’s games division would be one of the larger investments the country has made in an effort to diversify the country’s economic investments.
In 2024 Niantic announced that it had used Pokemon Go player data to train a real-world navigation AI, with the company later stating it doesn’t want that data used for war. Recently, the company announced a partnership between Major League Baseball and Pokemon Go to place themed PokeStops in stadiums, in addition to some clubs hosting Pokemon Go nights during the baseball season.
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Aviation groups urge Congress for emergency air traffic control funds
Aviation groups urge Congress for emergency air traffic control funds
An American Airlines Airbus A319 airplane takes off past the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, January 11, 2023
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
The U.S. aviation industry on Wednesday urged Congress to approve “robust emergency funding” for air traffic control technology and staffing.
Three weeks after a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C., marked the worst air disaster in the U.S. since 2001, groups representing industry heavyweights like Boeing, major U.S. airlines, private aviation and a host of labor unions wrote to lawmakers calling for urgent funding and improvements to U.S. airspace.
They also said the Federal Aviation Administration should be exempt from government shutdowns “to ensure a predictable funding stream to ensure continued safety and air traffic control personnel hiring and training.”
A 2019 government shutdown left federal workers without pay for several weeks, including air traffic controllers and airport screeners. That shutdown ended hours after staffing shortages snarled flights at several major U.S. airports.
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Over 32 million players have played Palworld in its first year, developer says
Over 32 million players have played Palworld in its first year, developer says
Palworld has crossed 32 million players in one year, according to its developer.
The game, which entered early access in January last year, has seen more than 32 million players across Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, Pocketpair announced on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, developer Pocketpair provided an update on the game’s upcoming roadmap.
According to the studio, it will continue to update the Early Access version of the game with features such as co-op crossplay, a final boss and ending scenario, world transfers for Pals, and more.
First released in Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview last January, the monster-catching survival game was an immediate hit, attracting 25 million players in just its first month.
The game was also featured widely across streaming platforms such as Twitch and TikTok, becoming one of the platform’s most-streamed games during its debut month.
However, that attention also caused many to focus on the game’s alleged similarities to the Pokemon franchise.
Shortly after the game was released for PlayStation 5 in September it was announced that developer PocketPair faced a legal challenge from Nintendo and The Pokémon Company in Japan, who alleged that Palworld “infringes multiple patent rights”.
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Trump Falsely Suggests Ukraine Is to Blame for the War: What to Know
Trump Falsely Suggests Ukraine Is to Blame for the War: What to Know
In comments that stunned America’s allies in Europe and angered Ukraine’s government, President Trump on Tuesday appeared to blame Ukraine’s leaders for Russia’s invasion.
He also suggested that they do not deserve a seat at the table for the peace talks that he has initiated with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
“You should have never started it,” Mr. Trump said, referring to Ukraine’s leaders. “You could have made a deal.” He followed up on Wednesday in a post on social media, calling Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, a “dictator without elections” and saying he had “done a terrible job” in office.
Here’s a look at how the war began, the state of the peace talks and Ukraine’s election record.
What caused the war in Ukraine?
There is no doubt that Russia started the war by invading Ukraine. Russian troops stormed over the border almost exactly three years ago, with the explicit aim of toppling the pro-Western government of Mr. Zelensky in Kyiv, the capital. Russia’s military attacked from the east and north, including from Belarus, as well as from the Russian-occupied southern province of Crimea. That attack started the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Leaders around the world, including former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., denounced Russia’s invasion as an act of unprovoked aggression against a sovereign state, and the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Russia’s immediate withdrawal. Since then, Russian firepower has leveled whole cities and killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have also been killed and wounded, and Russian soldiers have committed a series of atrocities, not least in the city of Bucha, north of Kyiv. The Kremlin has said its soldiers do not commit war crimes.
The International Criminal Court has also accused Mr. Putin of war crimes in Ukraine and issued a warrant for his arrest, along with another senior Russian official. Last year it also issued warrants for the arrest of two Russian commanders.
Mr. Putin and the Kremlin have referred to the invasion as a “special military operation,” avoiding the term “war,” and he has said he sought to demilitarize but not occupy Ukraine. He put forward several explanations for the move, saying that in part he was acting to protect civilians in Ukraine’s east.
He also characterized the invasion as a last-ditch effort to thwart what he called the West’s expansion toward Russia’s borders. The enlargement of the NATO military alliance to incorporate countries in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War, he claimed, was effectively a plot to destroy Russia.
And Mr. Putin said that Russia, and specifically the Bolshevik revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, created modern Ukraine, a position historians deride as false. Ukrainians voted in 1991 in a democratic referendum to leave the Soviet Union. Mr. Putin also said that the invasion aimed to demilitarize Ukraine and combat “Nazis,” an apparent reference to far-right parties and elements of the Ukrainian Army. Far-right parties won about 2 percent of the vote in the country’s 2019 election. Mr. Zelensky, who is Jewish, signed a law several months before the invasion combating antisemitism.
In a speech on the war’s first day, Mr. Zelensky vowed that his country would resist Russian aggression and framed Moscow’s invasion as an attack on freedom itself. “Putin began a war against Ukraine, and against the entire democratic world,” he said. Since then, Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine stood as Europe’s first line of defense against Russian encroachment.
Before the full-scale invasion, Russia seized the Ukrainian province of Crimea, which it annexed illegally in 2014, and also took territory in the eastern Donbas region, including the provincial capitals of Donetsk and Luhansk.
What is happening on the battlefield?
In all, Russia now occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine, but so far it has failed in its key objectives of breaking Ukraine’s military and securing Kyiv. The fighting is largely confined to a front line in the east and south of the country, with Russian forces creeping forward amid heavy losses.
Last August, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into the Russian region of Kursk, where Russian forces assisted by soldiers from North Korea have been fighting back.
Military experts say that in the immediate term, Ukraine has little chance of recapturing its lost territory, particularly if the United States slows or stops the flow of military aid.
What has happened in the peace talks so far?
Representatives of Ukraine and Russia held talks in the weeks after the start of the war in 2022 but failed to reach a cease-fire agreement. Since then, Ukraine has tried to gain international support for its own 10-point Peace Formula, which demands a full withdrawal of Russian forces, the prosecution of war crimes and the payment of reparations.
The prospect of peace talks, however, has gathered pace since President Trump’s inauguration last month. Mr. Trump held a lengthy call with Mr. Putin last week, which blindsided Ukraine’s government and allies in Europe and suggested that the two men intended to negotiate Ukraine’s fate directly without their involvement, a priority for the Kremlin.
In a major change from former President Biden’s policy that Ukraine would decide whether to make concessions in exchange for peace, the U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said that it was unrealistic for Ukraine to regain the territory it held before Russia’s 2014 invasion, and that Mr. Trump did not support Ukraine’s entry into NATO. In a further blow to Ukraine, Mr. Hegseth said that after a peace deal, the responsibility for guaranteeing the country’s security would fall mainly on European countries rather than on NATO.
At a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, agreed to reset their countries’ relationship and to work on a peace plan for Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky, who was not invited to the meeting, sharply criticized it and said his country would “never” accept a peace deal if Ukraine did not have a seat at the negotiating table.
Why haven’t elections been held in Ukraine?
The Kremlin has called Mr. Zelensky an illegitimate leader because his five-year term has elapsed. Elections in Ukraine were suspended under martial law after Russia’s invasion, with frontline towns and cities governed solely by military administrations.
Mr. Trump also appeared to cast doubt on Mr. Zelensky’s legitimacy as president on Tuesday, and appeared to use that doubt to justify not inviting the Ukrainian leader to peace talks. “I would say that when they want a seat at the table, you could say the people have to — wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say, like, you know, it’s been a long time since we had an election?” Mr. Trump said. “That’s not a Russia thing. That’s something coming from me and coming from many other countries also.”
Mr. Trump also said Mr. Zelensky was “down at 4 percent in approval rating.” Although Mr. Zelensky’s approval rating has fallen from once-lofty heights, it is at around 50 percent in recent polls, not too far from Mr. Trump’s rating.
Mr. Zelensky became president after winning an election in 2019 by a landslide. A fresh election was due in 2024, but under the country’s constitution, it cannot be held while martial law is in force. Holding an election would also be a logistical nightmare, as Russian missiles rain down on the country and fighting rages.
Election experts say that any vote held during wartime would effectively disenfranchise citizens living in Russian-occupied areas, those who have fled the country as refugees and soldiers in combat.
However, internal political tensions over the use of martial law have been rising, and the mayor of Kyiv is among the officials who have accused the president’s office of abusing its powers. At the same time, Ukraine’s leaders have been under pressure from their allies over the issue, not least as part of wider efforts to demonstrate good governance.
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Stick World Z is a newly-released tower defence that’s a Flash throwback, out now on iOS and Android
Stick World Z is a newly-released tower defence that’s a Flash throwback, out now on iOS and Android
Stick World Z: Zombie War TD brings some They are Billions-like action to mobile
Take on hordes of zeds as you build up your fortress, recruit troops and more
Experience a campaign and constantly-scaling action as you play
In the pseudo-mythical past of Adobe Flash, there were two subjects for the long-gone days of gaming that were always popular: Stick men and zombies. So, little surprise then that some mad genius has decided to mix the two, as they have with Stick World Z: Zombie War.
The best way to describe Stick World Z is as something of an off-brand mobile version of They Are Billions, the arguably top zombie tower defence out there. And while it may lack those more detailed graphics and enormous hordes of zeds, there’s still something fairly charming at Stick World Z.
As far as gameplay and features go, Stick World Z has virtually everything you’d want from something in this genre! Build up your base, recruit troops, place fortifications and prepare for a constantly scaling threat from the hordes. Going from regular zombies to more deadly and fearsome foes to keep you constantly on your toes.
Fetch me their souls
Stick World Z also promises to offer various other features, such as its own storyline and constant upgrades. And while I reckon this is not going to be someone’s go-to zombie defence release, I do think it looks to be a competent and well-put-together entry.
Certainly, it supports my constant argument that the world of mobile gaming has a surprising amount owed to it by the world of Flash games. Whether that’s just the subject matter, such as stickmen and zombies, or even the gameplay aspects, there’s a lot of historical inspiration that’s always interesting to see.
In the meantime if you’re looking for more ways to test your tactical acumen why not try out some of the releases on our lists of the top 25 best strategy games for iOS and Android, featuring the best and most recent releases?
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Meta’s historic winning streak comes to an end. What the charts say happens next
Meta’s historic winning streak comes to an end. What the charts say happens next
Meta’s impressive 20-day winning streak rightfully drew a lot of attention — until it abruptly ended Tuesday. Ranking among the longest in history for any stock, its streak was bound to end at some point. Now that it has, the key question is: what happens next? First, let’s acknowledge the obvious—there are no clear near-term support levels right now. This could be frustrating for investors who have been waiting for a dip. Typically, when buying weakness, we have at least one reference point to lean on, but META is currently in “support discovery” mode. We typically use that term when describing stocks in a freefall: traditional support levels don’t matter (moving averages, trendlines, former highs, etc.). While META has earned the right to see profit-taking, there’s no clear indication of where the next bid will emerge. Despite this uncertainty, there’s some good news: we don’t need to know where demand will return. When a stock (or the market) finds a floor, that point becomes the new support. From a technical perspective, that first new low will be the starting point for the next potential pattern to form. For illustration purposes, here’s an example of how META’s next consolidation phase could unfold. If it mirrors past setups, it may help position the stock for another leg higher. But how likely is that, considering how extended META had become? The 20-day winning streak was historic, but what’s not being discussed is that META’s 20% gain over those 20 days isn’t unprecedented. While impressive, it’s not the biggest such move. Coming off the 2023 lows, META surged nearly 50% in just 20 days. While these extreme rallies are rare, they’ve happened enough to reveal a pattern. Looking at META’s historical performance after 20-day, 20% surges, all but one (red line) occurred within uptrends. In most cases, the stock continued higher over the following months or even years. Of course, there’s no guarantee that history will repeat. However, if demand returns during this pullback, META will have the chance to consolidate, digest its gains, and potentially build a foundation for its next move higher. META vs. S & P 500 META has been a leading stock since bottoming in late 2022, flipping from a severe underperformer against the S & P 500 to a consistent outperformer over the past two years. The concern now is whether META has run too far relative to the market, with its latest surge amplifying this move. However, as this relative chart highlights, the META/SPX ratio has now returned to the long-term uptrend it crashed below in 2022. In other words, META is likely due for a pause after its recent 20% gain in 20 days, but once it digests this move, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it resume its outperformance and sustain the uptrend once again. — Frank Cappelleri Founder: DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
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Cynthia Erivo Will Host This Year’s Tony Awards
Cynthia Erivo Will Host This Year’s Tony Awards
Cynthia Erivo, the Tony Award-winning actress whose Oscar-nominated performance in the “Wicked” film has brought her wide recognition, will host this year’s Tony Awards.
The American Theater Wing and the Broadway League — the two organizations that present the awards — announced on Wednesday that Erivo would host the ceremony on June 8 at Radio City Music Hall. Much of the event will be broadcast on CBS.
Erivo, 38, is a British actress who had her breakout role in “The Color Purple,” starring as Celie in a revival of the musical adaptation of the Alice Walker novel. That production opened on Broadway in 2015; Erivo’s performance was the talk of the town that season, and she won the Tony Award for best leading actress in 2016.
She pivoted quickly to work in film and television, picking up two Oscar nominations, for best leading actress and for best original song, for the 2019 film “Harriet,” and this year she is nominated as best leading actress for “Wicked,” which is the first installment of a two-part film. (The second half, in which Erivo also stars, is to be released in November.) In the “Wicked” films, Erivo plays Elphaba, the green-skinned witch whose debatable wickedness is the subject of the story.
Erivo has been busy this year — ubiquitous as she has promoted “Wicked” with her co-star Ariana Grande, but also pursuing her own projects. On Tuesday, the Hollywood Bowl announced one more: in August Erivo will star as Jesus in a one-weekend revival of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
The Tony Awards honor plays and musicals staged on Broadway; this year’s ceremony will considers shows that open between April 26, 2024, and April 27, 2025. This year’s nominees are to be announced on May 1.
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Richmond watch robbery: Mannix Pedro found guilty
Richmond watch robbery: Mannix Pedro found guilty
A man has been been found guilty of conspiring to commit robbery after watches worth £1.38m were stolen from a south-west London jewellery store.
Mannix Pedro, 37, was “closely involved in the planning and execution” of the robbery from 247 Kettles in Richmond on 25 May last year, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
The store’s office manager Oliver White, 27, took his life the following day “as a direct result” of the raid, jurors were previously told.
The jury found Pedro, from Surrey, guilty after more than 23 hours of deliberation. A second defendant, Junior Kunu, 30, from Mitcham in south-west London, remains on trial charged with the same offence.
Prosecutors argued Pedro did not go into the shop during the robbery, but instead organised the use of a stolen Audi as one of two getaway cars.
None of the watches stolen in the robbery were recovered and none were insured, despite the business being a victim of theft three years earlier, jurors were previously told.
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There May Actually Be a Justifiable Reason Behind Nintendo Removing Gold Points Ahead of Switch 2
There May Actually Be a Justifiable Reason Behind Nintendo Removing Gold Points Ahead of Switch 2
As excitement builds for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, players are eagerly awaiting the details to be revealed in the upcoming event on April 2. Fans are hoping to learn more about the device’s features, launch window, and what new titles the console will offer at launch.
Fans can’t wait for the April 2nd to learn more about the device. | Image Credit: Nintendo
While the buzz continues to grow, Nintendo has made an unexpected announcement, not about the device itself, but about a significant change to its services. The company revealed that it will be discontinuing the Gold Points system, a major component of its loyalty program, much to the surprise of fans.
A final look at Nintendo’s gold points in loyalty program
The company has announced the discontinuation of its gold points. | Image credit: Nintendo
Launched in 2016, the ‘My Nintendo’ program quickly became an integral part of the ecosystem. The loyalty program allowed players to earn rewards for various things: buying digital games, completing various missions, and using mobile apps.
However, it wasn’t until 2018 that the company introduced the Gold Points system, which became one of the most beloved features of the program. Users can earn these points on eligible purchases of digital (5% of the price) and physical games (1% of the price).
Then, the user can redeem these points for discounts on future eShop purchases. The system was simple yet effective, encouraging players to keep engaging with the console’s digital marketplace and rewarding them for their loyalty.
For nearly 7 years, these points helped build a connection between the company and its fans. But, now it’s getting removed. The program will end on March 25. While this decision has left many puzzled, some players are focusing on the potential of a new system that could arise from this shift.
Comment byu/redditsucksass1028 from discussion inNintendoSwitch2
Comment byu/redditsucksass1028 from discussion inNintendoSwitch2
Comment byu/redditsucksass1028 from discussion inNintendoSwitch2
Given the company’s track record of innovation and capitalizing on every opportunity, fans are speculating that it may be preparing to replace Gold Points with something new, possibly tied to the upcoming hybrid console.
A new chapter for the loyalty program
Fans are looking forward to see what new system will replace it. | Image Credit: Nintendo
While the discontinuation of Gold Points might initially feel like a loss, it’s important to look at the ******* picture. The decision to retire the system could be part of a larger strategy to create a more streamlined, impactful loyalty program for the Switch 2 era.
Rather than just focusing on discounts, the company could be looking to reward players for being part of the ecosystem in more meaningful ways, whether through enhanced NSO memberships or other exclusive offerings.
This would make sense as it would deepen the connection between players and the subscription service while driving more people to sign up for NSO. Instead of a one-time reward for each purchase, NSO members could receive ongoing benefits that encourage long-term engagement with the service.
This is purely speculation as nothing is confirmed, but it’s clear that the company is positioning itself to offer a new and exciting rewards experience for players.
In the end, whether this means a new loyalty system or better perks for NSO subscribers, there’s no doubt that the company is preparing itself to take the next step forward.
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Price of Glory launches major 1.4 update, taking it from 2D to 3D
Price of Glory launches major 1.4 update, taking it from 2D to 3D
Price of Glory, the turn-based strategy, is getting an overhaul for its 1.4 update
A new tutorial system is being introduced, to help ease players in
Meanwhile a major graphical overhaul adds a 3D effect to many aspects
Turn-based strategy and HOMM-like Price of Glory is set to receive a major overhaul as part of its 1.4 update. Revamping graphical effects and the introduction for new players, it’s available to download for free right now. What’s included? Let’s dig in and find out!
To start, there’s the graphical overhaul. Those of you unable to get immersed in the admittedly visually pleasing 2D art can now enjoy 3D effects placed across landscapes, characters and buildings. While not quite the same as full 3D it still adds a nice amount of depth to this turn-based strategy.
Meanwhile, if there’s anything you could say about the Heroes of Might & Magic-like (HOMM-like) genre, it’s that it can be confusing for new players. But, fortunately, a new tutorial system in Price of Glory ensures that no one’s getting left out! This so-called Guided Sandbox can take you through all the basics and more.
Visual concessions
While the changes to Price of Glory’s graphics aren’t exactly major I’m sure there are some of you out there who’ll be swung into giving it a try. 2D graphics may be accepted amongst most players, but I know there are plenty who are still put off by anything that falls short of their preferred visual style.
I think what’s even more of a game-changer here, however, is that of the Guided Sandbox tutorial. Mixing Heroes-style strategy, base defence and all manner of distinct abilities can be confusing at best. So a good tutorial is sure to help out those of you who’ve bounced off Price of Glory.
Meanwhile, are you looking to up your strategy experience on mobile? In which case why not check out our list of the top 25 best strategy games on iOS and Android, featuring all the best releases for brain-busting battle tactics?
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Amid DOGE cuts, Elon Musk turns focus to Social Security beneficiaries over 100
Amid DOGE cuts, Elon Musk turns focus to Social Security beneficiaries over 100
FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk speaks as his son X ? A-12 and U.S. President Donald Trump listen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 11, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
As Elon Musk continues to look for ways to cut federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency, he has raised questions as to just how long some Social Security beneficiaries have been receiving payments.
With a “cursory examination” of Social Security, “we’ve got people in there that are 150 years old now,” Musk said during a Feb. 11 CNN interview.
In recent days, he re-upped those claims on social media platform X. “Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” Musk posted on Feb. 16.
Just because the Social Security Administration has millions of people in its database who are very elderly and not marked as deceased does not necessarily mean benefits are fraudulently being paid, said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the Cato Institute, a public policy research organization.
“The amount of fraud is likely miniscule,” Nowrasteh said.
When asked for comment, the White House provided an email statement from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt citing a 2024 investigation that found the Social Security Administration made about $71.8 billion in improper payments out of almost $8.6 trillion in benefits paid from fiscal years 2015 to 2022.
Notably, deceased beneficiaries were one of multiple reasons that may prompt improper payments, according to the report from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
“The Social Security Administration is now working to find even more waste, fraud and abuse in the Administration’s whole-of-government effort to protect American taxpayers,” Leavitt said in the emailed statement.
This week, acting Social Security commissioner Michelle King stepped down over reported concerns over DOGE access to sensitive data at the agency. In a new statement released Wednesday, Lee Dudek, who is now acting commissioner, said the agency plans to prioritize transparency and protect benefits and information.
“The reported data are people in our records with a Social Security number who do not have a date of death associated with their record,” Dudek said. “These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.”
The Social Security Administration did not respond to requests for further comment.
Data doesn’t influence benefit payments, expert says
In recent days, Musk has shared data on the numbers of Social Security beneficiaries by age on X. Experts say the data likely came from the Social Security Administration’s electronic file of personally identifiable information on everyone with a Social Security number, known formally as Numident.
Numident is an electronic file that has personally identifiable information — such as name, date of birth and other details — for every individual who has been issued a Social Security number, according to a 2023 Social Security Office of the Inspector General report focused on Social Security number holders ages 100 and up.
The Social Security Administration inputs death information it receives from various sources on Numident, according to the report. From there, the agency uses Numident to create a full file of death information, the Death Master File, that is shared with other agencies that pay benefits to help prevent and detect fraud.
In the 2023 report, the Office of the Inspector General found about 18.9 million Social Security number holders were born in 1920 or earlier and had no death information on their Numident records. However, Census Bureau data estimates at the time of the review showed only about 86,000 individuals living in the U.S. were age 100 or older.
If a death is not properly recorded, that can interfere with efforts to prevent and identify fraud by both federal and private entities, the OIG report said.
Just because Numident records are out of date doesn’t influence the Social Security Administration’s payments, according to a former Social Security Administration employee.
“The payment records that send 70 million checks payments a month aren’t driven by the Numident,” the former Social Security Administration employee said. “To correlate the two is just manipulative.”
For decades, the agency had reached out to beneficiaries who are over 100 years old, who have not recently used Medicare, to verify their identities, the former Social Security employee said.
“To say, ‘Oh, well, there’s 150-year-old people,’ that’s just silly,” the former Social Security Administration employee said. “That particular operation over the years did yield cases where there was fraud being committed, but not a lot of it.”
Undocumented immigrants pay into program
Individuals over age 100 are more susceptible to having their Social Security numbers fraudulently used by undocumented immigrants for work rather than having their benefits stolen, Nowrasteh said.
“A good number of these Social Security numbers are being used by ******** immigrants to work and pay taxes,” Nowrasteh said.
Importantly, that likely means more money coming into Social Security through payroll taxes than leaving the program through benefit payments, according to Nowrasteh.
In tax years 2016 to 2020, employers and individuals received about $8.5 billion in wages, tips and self-employment income from 139,211 Social Security numbers attributed to individuals ages 100 and up, according to the 2023 SSA OIG report that looked at number holders ages 100 and up.
“Probably zero of them are working,” Nowrasteh said of the data. Instead, that revenue into the program is likely coming from undocumented workers who won’t receive benefits, he said.
“Because they’re ******** immigrants, they don’t have access to the benefits on the back end when they retire,” Nowrasteh said.
More from Personal Finance: Ending taxes on Social Security benefits would help high-income households Following Social Security Fairness Act, beneficiaries wait to see higher benefits ‘Keep your hands off our Social Security,’ lawmakers warn amid DOGE budget cuts
Immigrants consumed 21% less ******** and entitlement benefits than native born Americans per capita, or per person, as of 2022, according to new research Nowrasteh co-authored.
If the administration cracks down on payroll taxes coming into Social Security using false numbers, “then it might actually worsen the fiscal soundness of the program and make it insolvent sooner,” Nowrasteh said.
The Social Security Administration relies on ongoing payroll taxes to pay benefits. To supplement those payments, the agency also draws from money set aside in trust funds. Because those trust funds are running low, just 83% of both retirement and disability benefits may be payable starting in 2035, Social Security’s trustees projected last year.
It remains to be seen whether Congress will act sooner to prevent those changes.
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Pressure on Pakistan as Kiwis win Champions opener
Pressure on Pakistan as Kiwis win Champions opener
New Zealand have made an impressive start to the Champions Trophy with a comfortable 60-run victory over hosts and holders Pakistan in the tournament’s opening match.
Will Young struck 107 and Tom Latham smashed an unbeaten 118 to help New Zealand overcome a careful start and post a commanding 5-320 after being put into bat at the National Stadium in Karachi..
Glenn Phillips chipped in with a brisk 61 as New Zealand posted a challenging total having been put in to bat.
“I think Pakistan bowled pretty well…but the way Young and Tommy were able to rotate (strike) and get the odd boundary, that partnership set us a very good platform,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said.
Pakistan’s chase never really started, being 2-22 after ten overs. Fakhar Zaman was unable to open having been off the field for some time with a rib muscle injury sustained early in New Zealand’s innings and the reshaped order struggled against tight bowling and superb fielding.
Babar Azam made 64 but took 90 ****** to do so while Fakhar, when he batted, was struggling even to run a single. He made 24 off off 41.
Although Khushdil Shah (69 off 49) and Salman Ali Agha (42 off 28) provided some late hitting Pakistan were always well behind the rate and were all out for 260 in 47.2 overs.
Santner and Will O’Rourke each took three wickets while Michael Bracewell’s ten overs went for 38 and Matt Henry took 2-25 off 7.2 overs.
By then the initially raucous crowd was silent, hushed by the disappointment on what was a landmark day for Pakistan as they hosted a major cricket tournament for the first time in 29 years.
They now go to Dubai to play arch rivals India knowing defeat, given the damage this loss inflicted on their net run rate, could knock them out of their own tournament. The match is in India due to political tensions between the nations.
With Fakhar likely to be absent the pressure on their misfiring batting line-up is considerable.
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Google Lens for iPhone now lets you draw to do visual searches
Google Lens for iPhone now lets you draw to do visual searches
Google is introducing two small but meaningful enhancements to its Lens technology. To start, Chrome and Google app users on iPhone can now draw, highlight or tap on text and images to carry out a visual search of what they see in front of them. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Google is basically bringing over an interface paradigm it debuted last year with Circle to Search on Android to iPhone. While the implementation is different and more limited due to the constraints of iOS, the idea is the same: Google wants to save you the trouble of opening a new Chrome tab or saving a screenshot when you want to find more information about an image you see.
For now, Google says you can access the new feature, whether you’re using Chrome or the Google app, by opening the three-dot menu and selecting “Search Screen with Google Lens.” In the future, the company will add a dedicated Lens shortcut to the address bar in Chrome.
Separately, the next time you use Lens, you’ll be more likely to encounter Google’s AI Overviews, particularly when you use the software to find information on more unique or novel images. In those instances, you won’t need to prompt Lens with a question about the image you just snapped for the software to try and offer a helpful explanation of what you’re seeing. Instead, it will do that automatically.
Ahead of today’s announcement, Harsh Kharbanda, director of product management for Google Lens, gave me a preview of the feature. Kharbanda used Lens to scan a photo of a car with an usual surface on its hood. An AI Overview automatically popped up explaining that the car had a carbon vinyl wrap, which it further said people use for both protection and to give their rides a more sporty appearance. According to Kharbanda, Google will roll out this update to all English-language users in countries where AI Overviews are available, with the feature first appearing in the Google app for Android and iOS, and arriving soon on Chrome for desktop and mobile devices.
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Eero launches new Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers starting at $169
Eero launches new Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers starting at $169
Following the launch of the Eero Max 7 mesh router in late 2023 and the Eero Outdoor 7 in late 2024, Eero is delivering two new products that leverage the improved capabilities of the Wi-Fi 7 standard. The most important thing to know about these new products is that they come with a much lower starting price than the Eero Max 7, which launched at $599 for a single wireless node and $1,699 for a complete three-node system (now $479, $919, and $1,359 for single-, dual-, and tri-node systems). The new Eero Pro 7 and Eero 7 undercut those prices by hundreds of dollars.
The Eero Pro 7 is a tri-band solution (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) that delivers wireless speeds up to 3.9 Gbps (compared to 4.3 Gbps for the Eero Max 7). Whereas the Eero Max 7 gives you two 10 GbE ports and two 2.5 GbE ports, the Eero Pro 7 only features two 5 Gbps ports per node. The Eero Pro 7 also takes a step back in its wireless footprint, covering up to 2,000 square feet instead of 2,500 square feet for a single node. If you opt for a tri-node setup, maximum coverage expands to 6,000 feet.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Eero Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Routers
Row 0 – Cell 0
Eero 7
Eero Pro 7
Eero Max 7
Wi-Fi Standard
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Wireless Bands
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
Maximum Wi-Fi Speeds
1.8 Gbps
3.9 Gbps
4.3 Gbps
LAN Ports
2x 2.5 GbE
2x 5 GbE
2 x 2.5 GbE, 2 x 10 GbE
Starting Price (Single Node)
$169
$299
$599
These performance downgrades shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance for most consumers. In addition, the specs downgrade also means that Eero was also able to make some significant cuts to pricing. The Eero Pro 7 costs just $299 for a single node, while dual- and tri-node options are $549 and $699, respectively. That makes the Eero Pro more cost-competitive with similar entries from value-priced brands such as TP-Link.
Eero 7 (Image credit: Amazon)
While a $299 starting price is undoubtedly more palatable, some customers won’t mesh support at an even lower price point. That’s where the Eero 7 comes in, with a starting price of just $169. Of course, there are plenty of compromises to achieve that low price. While the Eero Max 7 and Eero Pro 7 are tri-band solutions, the Eero 7 is a dual-band router (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). You miss out on the performance-laced 6 GHz band but still get to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 technologies like 4K-QAM and multi-link operation (MLO). You’re limited to just two 2.5 GbE ports per node, and wireless speeds max out at 1.8 Gbps, less than half of what’s possible with the Eero Pro 7. However, you still get up to 2,000 square feet of coverage with a single wireless node and up to 6,000 square feet with a tri-node setup. A two-node system costs $279, and a tri-node system costs just $349.
The Eero Pro 7 and Eero 7 are available for pre-order today from Amazon and will ship in the United States on February 26. Shipments will commence in Canada on March 26.
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11-year-old took her own life after classmates threatened to call ICE on her family, devastated mother reveals
11-year-old took her own life after classmates threatened to call ICE on her family, devastated mother reveals
An 11-year-old girl took her own life in Texas after she was tormented by classmates who threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities and have her family deported from the U.S, her grieving parents have said.
Jocelynn Rojo Carranza passed away on February 8 after spending five days being treated in a Dallas hospital. This came after she was taunted with deportation threats for weeks by sixth-grade classmates at Gainesville Intermediate School, around 70 miles north of Dallas, her mother Marbella Carranza told Univision.
Her death comes amid President Donald Trump’s ordering for the “largest deportation operation in American history,” prompting agents with ICE and other federal authorities to launch targeted raids on approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants nationwide.
For Jocelyn however, the climate of fear became all too grave.
Classmates allegedly harassed the young girl by telling her she would be left alone without her family once they were deported.
But the alleged abuse spiraled, and despite reportedly informing school officials on numerous occasions, no action was taken to stop it.
When asked to comment on this story, the Gainesville Independent School District did not acknowledge Carranza’s death but rather issued a statement pointing to its strict anti-bullying code.
Jocelynn Rojo Carranza,11, pictured on a crowdfunding page that was set up by a member of her family (GoFundMe)
Carranza told Univision: “I waited a whole week for a miracle that my daughter would be well, but unfortunately nothing could be done.”
“My daughter will always live for me, and I will always love her.”
Her mother revealed to the outlet her daughter had been seeing a school counselor multiple times per week.
ICE officials have nearly doubled their daily arrest rate as part of the crackdown since Trump’s inauguration and over 10,000 people have already been deported on military flights widely publicized by the White House.
A GoFundMe donation page was created while the 11-year-old was desperately fighting to survive in hospital.
Her father Ernesto Alonso Rojo, shared a statement on February 15: “Please all help me and my daughter Jocelynn Rojo. She needs to come back home; she is in an emergency children’s hospital. Any help, God blesses you back. Thank you very much to all praying. Dios los bendiga y le mande salud a mi niña!!!”
One person wrote an emotive message of condolence, posting in Spanish: “My deepest condolences — there are no words. Fight for justice for your beloved Jocelynn, and hopefully one day you will feel peace knowing that she is no longer suffering and that so many have her in their thoughts and prayers.”
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the ***, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or *****@*****.tld
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4 Nations Face-Off championship predictions: Picks for Canada vs. USA, MVP and more
4 Nations Face-Off championship predictions: Picks for Canada vs. USA, MVP and more
By Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, James Mirtle, Mark Lazerus and The Athletic NHL Staff
The 4 Nations Face-Off, regardless of what happens in Thursday’s championship game, has already been an unfettered success for the NHL. Still, every great fireworks show deserves a grand finale, and that’s what we’re expecting when the United States and Canada drop the puck at TD Garden.
What are the best moments and biggest surprises of the tournament thus far? Who has the inside track for MVP? How might the big game unfold? The Athletic surveyed its NHL staff for predictions on that and more. Providing commentary on the results are senior writers Sean Gentille, James Mirtle and Mark Lazerus and analytics know-it-all Shayna Goldman.
You can find our 4 Nations Face-Off pre-tournament predictions here.
Lazerus: OK, I’m pretty sure more than 52 percent of our staff is American, so we need to root out the traitors. It speaks volumes about how scary the ********* forward group is when the results are this close despite Connor Hellebuyck being in one net and Jordan Binnington being in the other. Though I do wonder what these results would look like if we could ensure another American defenseman comes down with some sort of mystery illness in the next two days and Quinn Hughes steps in, Willis Reed-style. We saw Monday just how different the ********* team looked with Cale Makar out there for nearly half the game. Hughes would have a similar effect on the Americans.
GO DEEPER
Quinn Hughes to join Team USA in Boston ahead of 4 Nations final vs. Canada
Gentille: I went with the option least likely to trigger an IRS audit.
Mirtle: I picked the U.S. So there’s one traitor for you. But I’m finding it hard to go with Binnington over Hellebuyck given the talent level on these rosters is fairly similar otherwise, assuming injuries aren’t a factor. And the Americans played so well defensively in the first matchup.
Goldman: Team USA is so deep and may get reinforcements for their injuries in the form of Hughes, who is one of the most valuable defensemen in the league. Two sets of brothers for two wins over Canada? The one thing that is making me question my USA vote (and almost 52 percent of the staff here) is that I can’t see Team Canada losing twice to the same team in one tournament — remember what happened at the 2010 Olympics?
Lazerus: If the Americans win, Hellebuyck should be unanimous. He enters the final with a .957 save percentage in his two starts. Binnington is at .892, Filip Gustavsson was at .813 and Kevin Lankinen was at .811. There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about the goaltending disparity between the United States and everyone else, and hey, turns out we were all correct for once.
Gentille: Is it too late to write in Quinn Hughes?
Mirtle: I went with the goalie, but boy, wouldn’t it be fun to see Crosby do it again, at this level, at age 37? Talk about a Team Canada GOAT.
Goldman: I think the narratives around Hellebuyck strengthen his case because here he is absolutely thriving in a high-pressure environment. And if the USA is going to beat Canada again, he will have to be the difference (again). Connor McDavid has been the standout for Canada over the last couple of games, but Crosby is the pick here.
Juuse Saros allowed six goals on 32 shots in Finland’s 6-1 opening loss to the United States on Thursday. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
Lazerus: I’m not surprised to see Elias Pettersson top the list here, and he’s a worthy choice, for sure. But I went with Juuse Saros. A year ago, he was considered one of the top goaltenders in the world and signed an eight-year contract extension with the Predators. Now he’s giving up six goals in his one game and getting replaced by Kevin Lankinen. That nobody even batted an eyelash when Finland stuck with Lankinen over Saros for a do-or-die game against Canada on Monday says it all.
Gentille: Yep, I also went with Saros. He came into the tournament a little wobbly, but I wasn’t expecting him to face-plant in his first game, either.
Mirtle: Unfortunately, this is what Pettersson has been for a while now, as Vancouver fans can attest. It’s hard to watch. This was actually a tough category to pick — many of the players you’d expect to deliver in this thing have done so.
GO DEEPER
Where’s Elias Pettersson? Sweden is on the ropes without center’s offense
Goldman: Auston Matthews’ two-way game has been solid, but I get why he’s on this list — his best weapon, his shot, isn’t shining enough. But I went with Pettersson here because a change in environment and teammates hasn’t been enough to re-energize him.
Gentille: The “Should Erik Karlsson have made Team Sweden” storyline seemed silly, but I also wasn’t expecting him to be one of the few best defensemen in the tournament. Nothing Dylan Larkin has done surprised me.
ERIK KARLSSON RIFLES HOME NYLANDER’S FEED TO PUT SWEDEN UP 3-2 #4Nations pic.twitter.com/fYKFDC36Y8
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 15, 2025
Lazerus: It’s hard to say anybody “surprised” me because everyone in this tournament is quite good at hockey. But I went with Crosby, just because I expected him to be more limited than this. I didn’t think he’d be a glorified mascot or anything, but I didn’t expect him to be the top playmaker on the team, either. It seems ridiculous to say, but we really do sometimes take Crosby for granted, and this week has been a good reminder of just how fortunate we are to see him play.
Mirtle: There was some angst up here in Canada over the Drew Doughty selection, but that’s looked dead wrong. He’s been excellent, at 35 years old and coming off a serious injury. But Mikael Granlund getting some love is nice to see; he’s always felt a bit underappreciated.
Goldman: I like that some of the older players are on this list. We all know Crosby is still elite, but it would have made some sense if McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon overshadowed him a bit more at this point in his career — especially with his injury situation in mind. The same goes for Doughty, after only playing six NHL games this season heading into the tournament.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel helped deliver a memorable start to the USA vs. Canada rivalry matchup. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
Lazerus: Legit madness that anyone picked Mario Lemieux showing up over the start to U.S. vs. Canada. Though we do have a rather robust Pittsburgh bureau.
Gentille: Wasn’t me, though I did think about writing in Crosby’s empty net goal against Finland.
Mirtle: I think the right answer is probably the entire lead-up and first ******* of U.S. vs. Canada. Closest it’s felt to an Olympics in more than a decade.
Goldman: The expanded overtime between Sweden and Canada absolutely slapped, but it’s hard to pick anything besides the opening to U.S. vs. Canada. Expectations were high and the game delivered.
Matt Boldy and Dylan Larkin have played a big part in Team USA’s success. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
Lazerus: Feels strange to call Zach Werenski a breakout star nine years into his excellent NHL career, but he’s been a monster for Columbus this year and he’s been a monster for the United States this tournament. Quinn Hughes and Makar probably run away with most of the Norris votes, but Werenski’s performance in the 4 Nations should raise his profile even higher. A big Olympics next year could put him into that same rarefied air.
Gentille: I, along with a grand total of one other person, voted for Lucas Raymond. He was one of Sweden’s best forwards and he’s leveled up in each of the last two seasons. Lots of meat left on that bone.
Mirtle: I wanted to pick Thomas Harley, but he played only one game and Canada is so deep at left defense that it’ll be a challenge to crack the Olympic roster. But what a showing in a difficult situation for a kid no one talked about even being here. Matt Boldy has been really noticeable in limited minutes at 23 years old, so that bodes well for Milano Cortina 2026. The Americans’ depth is visibly on another level at every position in this tournament.
GO DEEPER
For Team USA’s Matt Boldy, Boston roots make 4 Nations a chance to bring hockey journey full circle
Goldman: In hindsight, I wish I had put Brandon Hagel here because he’s gaining a lot of national attention at this tournament, which should help build some momentum into Milano Cortina. But I went with Larkin for two reasons — he only has so much experience in this type of environment (just five NHL postseason games) and other star centers sometimes overshadow him a bit. Just look at where he was originally slotted to open this tournament, and how he forced himself into a more meaningful role.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; The Andre Ringuette, Andrea Cardin / 4NFO / World Cup of Hockey / Getty Images)
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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review | TheXboxHub
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review | TheXboxHub
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is totally bonkers in places, but don’t let that put you off; there’s a surprising amount of heart in its narrative, and the game effortlessly captures the thrill and spirit of adventure. With tons of content, rewarding and cinematic combat, and a memorable cast of characters, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is nothing less than a triumphant spinoff.
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UnitedHealthcare offers buyouts, could pursue layoffs
UnitedHealthcare offers buyouts, could pursue layoffs
A general view outside the United Healthcare corporate headquarters on December 4, 2024 in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Images
UnitedHealthcare is offering certain employees in its benefits operations unit the option to accept buyouts if they quit by March 3, following a tumultuous year for the insurance giant, CNBC has learned.
Those who don’t accept the offer will either continue in their current role or a comparable position, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC. If the company does not meet a resignation quota through buyouts, it will lay employees off, the people said, citing an internal resource site.
The company declined to share how many employees received buyout offers under the so-called Voluntary Resignation Separation Program. The benefits operations unit oversees multiple subdivisions that help manage customer service, claims, enrollment, customers’ insurance benefits and more, one person said.
UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, is the largest private health insurer in the U.S. UnitedHealth Group had more than 440,000 employees as of December 2023, but it does not disclose how many people work in its benefits segment or overall insurance business.
UnitedHealth Group is the biggest health-care conglomerate in the U.S. based on revenue and its roughly $460 billion market cap, but it has tried to cut costs as medical expenses increase for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and it deals with the fallout from the costly cyberattack against its subsidiary Change Healthcare. It has also faced renewed anger over high health-care costs in the U.S., following the killing of its insurance unit CEO Brian Thompson in December.
Employees eligible for the buyouts include full-time or part-time U.S. workers assigned to four internal segments under benefits operations, including corporate, consumer operations, core services and provider services, according to the memo.
“This voluntary option is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our team is best positioned to meet the evolving needs of the people and customers we are honored to serve,” a UnitedHealth spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. “We continue to grow our workforce with more than 3,200 positions currently available on UnitedHealth Group’s careers site.”
The company expects employees’ termination date to be no sooner than May 1, according to an internal memo sent on Monday and viewed by CNBC. The memo said some employees who accept buyouts may need to work beyond that date, but the company does not expect to require them to work past Nov. 13.
Their severance packages will depend on the number of years they have spent at the company and their salary grade, and will kick in on their termination date, the memo said. The benefits provided to employees included in any potential future layoffs may not be “as favorable” as those offered to workers under the buyout program, according to the memo.
Workers who received the buyout offers are in shock, especially after UnitedHealth Group reported its highest-ever annual revenue in 2024. The company said in its January earnings release that it generated $400.3 billion in revenue in 2024, up 8% year over year.
UnitedHealth executives said “digital adoption” helped the company lower costs during the company’s fourth-quarter call in January. CEO Andrew Witty called it a “modernization agenda” which includes but isn’t limited to artificial intelligence.
He added that UnitedHealth is “just kind of scratching the surface of the opportunity.”
Workers were informed about the buyouts during a meeting that lasted around 10 minutes on Monday, the people said. They will have the opportunity to ask questions in information sessions in the coming days.
The buyouts follow the shooting of Thompson, which unleashed a torrent of pent-up anger and resentment toward the insurance industry and renewed calls for reform.
That came only months after Change Healthcare, which processes medical claims, was hit by a cyberattack last February that compromised the protected health information of around 190 million people. UnitedHealth Group has paid out more than $3 billion to providers affected by the cyberattack.
UnitedHealth Group also laid off workers in its Optum health services division last year.
Shares of the company were up nearly 1% on Wednesday.
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firm gambles on AI features at lower cost
firm gambles on AI features at lower cost
Apple has announced a new iPhone which brings artificial intelligence (AI) features at a lower cost than its flagship handsets.
The iPhone 16e has the same processor as the larger iPhone 16, Apple said, with similar storage options, though a lower spec elsewhere, including fewer cameras.
Apple has been struggling to find a new product that excites consumers – sales of iPhones dropped at the end of last year.
It will be hoping bringing enhanced AI functionality to a less expensive phone will address that – however analysts have been cautious about the sales boost such tools bring.
Its name is clearly a nod to its iPhone SE series, which were released from 2016 to 2022, and similarly priced significantly lower.
Apple said the iPhone 16e will be available for pre-order from February 21 in 59 countries
It will launch in the *** for £599, which is £200 less than the iPhone 16 – but more than double what the original iPhone SE went for when it launched in 2016.
“This now becomes one of the most affordable powerful iPhones now on the market,” industry analyst Paolo Pescatore told BBC News.
“The move should help accelerate adoption and especially its foray into AI with Apple Intelligence.
“Apple’s trust and credibility is critical – this alone will help drive sales and lure users from rival devices and platforms.”
Much of the conversation around the new handset will likely centre around its power, with Apple electing to use the same A18 chip behind its more expensive devices.
This means the 16e will be capable of playing the same games and running the same apps as other iPhones – though AI is likely at the heart of this decision.
Apple boss Tim Cook said in the announcement the new model featured “the performance, intelligence and privacy” Apple fans “expect” from the firm.
And he said the Apple Intelligence features on the device would “help you save time, quickly get more things done, and express yourself in new ways”.
The firm introduced its spin on the tech – Apple Intelligence – with this series of devices, which includes new tools for writing and incorporating OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT into Siri.
It hasn’t always gone well, with the firm at one point suspending its AI-generated news alerts after they created false headlines attributed to news organisations including the BBC.
It now presents the summaries in italics.
Apple said its new phone is “built for Apple Intelligence”, and pointed to certain features of the tech, like an easy way to clean up photos or search your image library.
Other phone manufacturers have similar features on their devices – though the iPhone 16e will be by far the cheapest way to access AI on an Apple handset.
“The iPhone 16e generates a new revenue stream for Apple, and this will be particularly noticeable in key markets like India, where iPhones are out of reach for most people,” said Forrester principal analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee.
“There is also a second-order effect of cheaper devices like the iPhone 16e, bringing new customers into the Apple ecosystem.
“We’ve seen a limited appetite among many of the installed base to upgrade from previous versions, but the new phone reduces the cost hurdle of joining the Apple Intelligence bandwagon.”
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NFL 50 under 40: Young coaches ascending, along with other league difference-makers
NFL 50 under 40: Young coaches ascending, along with other league difference-makers
Some are names and faces you know — Jason Kelce, Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell, Nicole Lynn — while others are behind the scenes and under the radar … for now.
This is The Athletic’s NFL 50 under 40, a list of rising coaches, executives, personalities and other personnel who significantly impact the NFL and will continue to do so in the coming decades.
Over the last year, The Athletic closely monitored a group of more than 100 rising coaches, executives and other NFL personnel who were in contention for this list. Some candidates were nominated by their colleagues, their bosses or even their players, others by high-profile team and league sources, and still others by our vast network of beat writers. Candidates were discussed and debated over the span of several months and via team and league sources, and eventually the group was narrowed to 50 names.
Media members who directly cover the NFL as broadcast, print, podcast or digital journalists were not considered, nor were active players. In the case of analysts, broadcast booths and personality-driven show hosts were considered.
This list began in 2020 as the 40 under 40, a product of hiring trends at that time toward younger coaches and executives following McVay’s success as the Los Angeles Rams’ new head coach at age 30. Waves of 30-somethings skyrocketed to the top of their respective organizations during what was coined “the Sean McVay effect” in the late-2010s. Our two-year hiatus only revealed a growing pool of talented people — and merited the list’s expansion to 50.
Recently, the NFL has returned to proven veteran head coaches like Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel, and certainly not every standout organization is packed with 30-something nominees.
Still, the intent of this list has been to reveal something deeper than a quick trend: the movers and shakers in every corner of the NFL’s ecosystem who will help mold it for years to come.
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The 29-year-old Purdue product bounced around the NFL as a backup quarterback before connecting with Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona. He then followed Kingsbury to Washington, where he assisted Kingsbury, Brian Johnson and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard with the development of Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury described Blough as “one of the brightest quarterbacks I’ve ever been around,” and praises his rapport with his players, his insight and communication skills. Blough received interest from Aaron Glenn and the Jets about their quarterbacks coach opening, but the Commanders blocked Blough from interviewing, viewing him as a valuable piece to their quarterback room and with potential to rise through the ranks of their organization.
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Washington Commanders
Last season, Brady landed his second full-time offensive coordinator position before hitting his 35th birthday. After serving as interim OC in 2023, Brady faced the task of keeping Buffalo’s offense among the league’s elite in 2024 despite the absence of a proven No. 1 wideout. Not only did Brady direct a more balanced and effective attack wherein “everybody eats,” as the Bills ranked 10th in total yards and second in scoring, he also helped Buffalo reach the AFC Championship Game and quarterback Josh Allen win his first league MVP honor.
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Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn
Coen has made a rapid rise through the coaching ranks, landing Jacksonville’s head job despite having only five years of NFL experience and just one as his team’s primary play caller. Coen broke into the NFL as an assistant wide receivers coach with the L.A. Rams in 2018, and two seasons later moved to assistant quarterbacks coach. After a season (2021) as Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, Coen returned to the Rams as offensive coordinator — a position he held for one season. Coen landed the same role with Tampa Bay in 2024, and displayed an ability to get the most out of his players and direct a potent attack despite dealing with injuries at key positions throughout the season. Coen helped Baker Mayfield throw for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. The Bucs won their fourth consecutive divisional title and reached the playoffs for a fifth straight year.
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James Gilbert/Getty Images
An NFL season highlighted by the quarterback comeback story was also profoundly marked by the rejuvenation of Bryce Young in Carolina. The first pick in 2023, Young was mentally and physically battered after a tumultuous rookie season in which Frank Reich lasted just 11 games as head coach. Owner David Tepper moved to correct the mistakes, hiring Dan Morgan as GM and Dave Canales as head coach. Canales, the ultra-positive QB mentor, needed a right hand to help Young while the first-time head coach oversaw the entire building. Enter Idzik, whose work with Young in meetings and on the field not only rebuilt the quarterback’s confidence — but reverted him to the bona fide budding star everyone saw at Alabama.
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Eric Hartline/Imagn
Johnson was a top head coaching candidate in multiple hiring cycles before landing with the Bears this winter. His knack for creating in general is an early trademark — whether that means plays and play calls, scheme and design, strategy or relationships with his players. Johnson, the former star Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, is part of an ascending wave of head coaches such as Dan Campbell or Kevin O’Connell who are experts in certain areas like game strategy, quarterbacking and/or leadership but who can also apply a broader lens to their entire ecosystem. In fact, he seems a cross between the both of them — now his NFC North rivals. Johnson’s next moves in Chicago with 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams will be a big NFL story in 2025.
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Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The former Utah quarterback spent 11 seasons in the college ranks before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as quarterbacks coach in 2021 and 2022 and offensive coordinator in 2023. Johnson moved to the Washington Commanders’ staff as assistant head coach and offensive pass game coordinator last season. There, he joined forces with Kliff Kingsbury to help guide Jayden Daniels to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in a season in which Washington won 12 games and reached the NFC Championship Game after fielding one of the top offenses in the league. Kingsbury may depart for a head coaching job in the next hiring cycle. Johnson would likely succeed him as OC if he doesn’t get snatched up by another team.
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Washington Commanders
Johnson’s extensive background with C.J. Stroud and several ascending young quarterbacks in general through development groups such as Nike’s Elite 11 made him an invaluable part of the Houston Texans’ talent identification process. Now Stroud — the No. 2 pick of the 2023 draft — is one of the faces of the NFL. Johnson has interviewed for offensive coordinator jobs in the last two hiring cycles but many in league circles believe his true potential lies beyond that — as a future head coach.
Entering his third season as quarterbacks coach for the Buccaneers, Lewis has played a role in Baker Mayfield’s career revival. The former Duke quarterback and NFL journeyman was a coaching intern with Tampa Bay in 2020 and then served as assistant wide receivers coach in 2021 and 2022. Lewis took over as quarterbacks coach in 2023 and helped position Mayfield for back-to-back 4,000-yard campaigns and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. As a result, Lewis has started generating interest on the offensive coordinator level.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Seahawks’ second-year head coach dazzled as defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 and 2023 before leaving for Seattle. Macdonald held various position coach jobs with Baltimore from 2014-2020 before leaving to be Michigan’s defensive coordinator. He returned to the Ravens a year later as DC. At the time of his hiring, Macdonald (now 37) became the youngest active head coach in the league. In his first season at the helm, Macdonald guided the Seahawks to a 10-7 record and second place in the NFC West.
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Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Is this guy 40 yet? Not quite. The youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach in NFL history turned 39 this year, but it seems like he’s lived an entire lifetime of coaching since he was initially hired to lead the Rams in 2017 — at age 30. After considering a departure from football in 2022, McVay helmed the pivot from the “F them picks” championship era to the team’s current draft-and-develop model and postseason appearances in back-to-back years. McVay, the winningest head coach in franchise history, also has led the Rams to two NFC championships, four NFC West titles and missed the playoffs just twice in his eight seasons.
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The former Boise State star turned NFL coach has spent the last seven seasons as an assistant with Dallas, the L.A. Chargers and Philadelphia. He has long been viewed as a future head coach and after interviewing for positions during several cycles, he finally landed his first leading gig, signing with the New Orleans Saints. Moore directed some of Dallas’ most prolific offenses in recent years, but delivered his finest work this season with Philadelphia as he helped guide Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LIX. Two days later, the Saints made Moore the youngest head coach in the league.
After winning a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator of the L.A. Rams to cap the 2021 season, O’Connell landed the Vikings’ head coaching job and has made an instant impact, posting a 13-win season in Year 1 and a 14-win season in Year 3. Minnesota’s 14 wins in 2024 represented the most for the team since 1998’s 15-win campaign. The Vikings have reached the playoffs in two of O’Connell’s three seasons. The AP Coach of the Year in 2024, O’Connell delivered an impressive body of work while helping resurrect the career of quarterback Sam Darnold, who previously had been deemed a bust after disastrous stints with the New York Jets, who drafted him third overall in 2018, and the Carolina Panthers. Darnold earned Pro Bowl honors after ranking fifth in the NFL with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes.
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Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images
The departure of Mike Macdonald to Seattle put Orr in the spotlight as the Ravens’ new defensive coordinator in 2024. Less discussed? The Ravens also lost multiple position coaches, including Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson and Orr’s job was to smooth over those significant gaps within a scheme known for its complexity to newcomers. Orr, a former Ravens linebacker, kept fiddling with position changes and adjustments while growing with his new assistants — and the defense markedly improved down the backstretch of the season.
Parker was specifically identified by Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio (who he worked with in Denver) to help overhaul a bad secondary in 2024, and along with safeties coach Joe Kasper turned a unit featuring a unique mixture of young players and veterans into the best passing defense in the NFL. En route to a Super Bowl title, Parker helped develop standout rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Parker interviewed for the Packers’ and Patriots’ defensive coordinator jobs in 2024, the Saints’ defensive coordinator job this week and league sources believe he has significant buzz for such a role heading into next offseason’s hiring cycle.
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Philadelphia Eagles
Petzing is viewed as a future head coach thanks to a steady climb from Cleveland Browns coaching intern in 2013, before holding various offensive assistant positions with Minnesota during a six-year span. The former Middlebury College (DIII) defensive back returned to Cleveland, where he was tight ends coach and then quarterbacks coach. Success under Kevin Stefanski with the Browns led Petzing to Arizona, where he has been offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Players and colleagues praise Petzing for his vision, his knack for finding ways to maximize his players’ strengths and his strong communication skills.
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
After four seasons as Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach, Pitcher took over as offensive coordinator last season when Brian Callahan took the Titans’ head coaching job. Coach Zac Taylor praises Pitcher for his work with Cincinnati’s quarterbacks, including Joe Burrow, whom Pitcher helped develop after the Bengals drafted him first overall in 2020. Taylor also credits Pitcher for the effectiveness on third downs, where Cincinnati ranked fifth. Pitcher has started sparking interest as a future head coach and it’s believed in NFL circles it’s a matter of when, not if.
Sean McVay promoted Pleasant to assistant head coach as the 2024 season began, and considers the defensive coach to be one of his closest confidants. Pleasant’s work as a technical coach and his knack for reaching players helped the Rams’ young defense exceed expectations after major roster turnover in 2023, and transition into one of the NFL’s ascending groups quickly after Aaron Donald’s retirement last spring. Pleasant interviewed for the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator vacancy this winter.
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn
When Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon picked Rallis as his first-time defensive coordinator in 2023, everyone on staff understood the roster had a long way to go and expectations were low. But under Rallis, a talent-thin Arizona defense outperformed those expectations and — watch the tape — played hard every week for their young coordinator. Veteran quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford noted Rallis’ scheme as malleable, able to shapeshift from week to week to attune to the matchup (and often experimentally so). With patience and roster investment, Rallis could be coaching one of the league’s top units in the coming seasons.
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Robinson was hand-selected by Falcons coach Raheem Morris for his attention to detail and work with quarterbacks and running backs in L.A. (Robinson helped revive Baker Mayfield’s career in his brief stint with the Rams in 2022, and worked with Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams to overhaul the L.A. run game in 2023). His challenge in 2024? Coach and scheme for two quarterbacks at once, as veteran Kirk Cousins physically declined and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ascended. The Falcons underwhelmed last season in part because Cousins hit a wall, but people around the league believe the future partnership between Robinson and Penix is very bright.
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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
A former Illinois quarterback who still holds records there, including for scrimmage yards (10,634), Scheelhaase coached in various roles at Illinois and Iowa State (where he was offensive coordinator) between 2015-23. Scheelhaase got on Sean McVay’s radar last spring and has taken on a significant role in assisting the Rams head coach and the quarterbacks room.
“He will be a head coach in two years,” said one senior NFC executive of Scheelhaase, who interviewed for the Bucs’ and Jaguars’ offensive coordinator vacancies before McVay talked him off the interview circuit with the intent of promoting him in Los Angeles.
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Michael Ainsworth/AP
A first-time coordinator in 2024 after a long stint as a position coach in Los Angeles, Shula faced a steep task after future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s retirement last spring. Week by week as the season continued, Shula and his assistants steadily improved a unit that featured all rookies or second-year starters along the defensive line, undrafted free agents at inside linebacker, and either rookies or second- and third-tier free agents at safety and cornerback. In December, the defense held opponents under 10 points per game for three consecutive weeks and stifled the high-powered Vikings in their wild-card win
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Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Springer is one of just a few staffers from the previous regime retained by Mike Vrabel this offseason, and previously worked under Sean McVay. His high-level energy and eccentric but personable manner reaches top special teamers and bottom-of-the-roster players alike. He can coach: The Patriots went from the Nos. 28 and 32-ranked special teams units in 2022-23 to No. 13 last season. Springer also might be the only coach on this list who ran with the bulls in Spain in 2024. That’s the ideal level of insanity for a top special teams coach.
A direct nomination from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, Udinski was among the coaches who worked closely with quarterback Sam Darnold during his season of rejuvenated play. Udinski also took on a lead role with rookie J.J. McCarthy to onboard him into the offense despite his season-ending knee injury and surgery. O’Connell took a special interest in developing Udinski after hiring him in 2022 and other assistants in Minnesota say the younger coach reminds them quite a bit of O’Connell. Udinski was a candidate for offensive coordinator jobs with the Bucs, Texans and Seahawks before the Jaguars hired him.
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Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn
In a season all about the development of high-profile rookie quarterbacks, Bo Nix’s steady growth in Denver wasn’t just a product of Sean Payton’s scheme. Webb, a former Texas high school quarterback who played at Texas Tech and Cal and then for a brief stint in the NFL, was handpicked by Payton to work with Nix/an incoming young quarterback as the team considered its options post-Russell Wilson. Webb was among those whose opinions Payton leaned on when deciding to draft Nix, the head coach said in June.
The former scout is the right-hand man of Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, who leans on Brown because of his versatility, extensive knowledge and keen eye for talent. In addition to his five seasons with the Bengals, Brown also has worked in the Patriots’ and Eagles’ front offices, as well as with the AAF’s Birmingham Iron and XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. Brown has been on the radar for several teams in search of general managers the last couple years, interviewing with the Jets and Jaguars this offseason.
With her appointment in 2022, Coleman made history as the second-ever female team president in NFL history. And if we can be totally honest, Coleman has had her work cut out for her. On her fix list: a partially-built practice facility in Rock Hill, S.C., that was ultimately demolished, a relatively new owner who was last virally in the news for throwing a drink on a heckling fan, a franchise in despair only a few years removed from a ******* and racial abuse workplace scandal involving the previous owner. But as 2024 continued, an air of hope started creeping into the franchise. Coleman, David Tepper and their staff made key decisions like hiring new head coach Dave Canales, reconstructing the front office under Dan Morgan and re-committing their investment into a bright local community in Charlotte. They also expanded their international brand with their recent game in Germany.
Coleman’s efforts paved her ascension into her promotion to CEO of Tepper Sports and Entertainment in 2024, a multi-franchise operation in a rapidly expanding Queen City. Between her efforts and some optimism in the football building, the Panthers might just be at the turn of the tide.
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Cunningham, a former University of Virginia offensive lineman who studied education and psychology, has put his expertise in those fields to use while rising through the NFL’s scouting and executive ranks since 2008. Cunningham has been a member of two powerhouse staffs: the Baltimore Ravens (2008-16) and the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-21) before good friend Ryan Poles coaxed him to Chicago to serve as assistant general manager. Cunningham, who had a lead role in drafting quarterback Caleb Williams last spring and in hiring new head coach Ben Johnson, has been a finalist for multiple GM openings over the last two seasons because he is knowledgeable, experienced and well-rounded between football, scouting and analytics departments. He is a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM opening, with those interviews continuing Wednesday.
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Brian Cassella/Getty Images
The ready-to-win Texans made big moves in free agency and via trade this past season, led in part by Debick’s efforts in pro personnel. Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, Azeez Al-Shaair and Stefon Diggs were all key additions (though Diggs suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8), and extending star receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz was important while C.J. Stroud remains on his rookie contract. Debick also played a key role in bringing in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, a former Rams assistant who was among the top candidates in this coaching cycle.
Disner wears many hats for the Lions, overseeing both the team’s football operations and administration as well as the business side’s strategy and revenue teams. Lions coach Dan Campbell credits Disner for cleaning up the Lions’ cap situation and positioning them to build the squad into a contender in the last several seasons. Meanwhile, Disner also has worked to strengthen the culture of the organization by serving as a bridge between the team and community and past legends.
Engelken was a rare example of an impassioned nomination from both Broncos ownership and executive leadership for her efforts leading the Denver Broncos Foundation. Engelken manages programs that serve 175,000 Colorado youth, leads community engagement efforts for players and staff, and helped make girls flag football a high school varsity sport in the state. Under Engelken, the Broncos were ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year in 2022 and new ownership trusts her directly to spearhead ongoing and new initiatives. The foundation recently announced it will donate 15,000 new football helmets across all 277 Colorado high schools, a $12 million investment.
The Rams nailed their last two draft classes, identifying 10 starters through that span with just one first-round pick. Standout players from the 2023 and 2024 classes include receiver Puka Nacua, outside linebackers Byron Young and Jared Verse, defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske and guard Steve Avila. Turner was a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 while Verse won it in 2024. Gladstone oversaw the strategic overhaul of the Rams’ draft processes after 2022 and has since led their modern and complex methods. He is a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM vacancy, with those in-person interviews scheduled Wednesday.
As GM Howie Roseman’s longtime right-hand man, Halaby was once pigeonholed as an “analytics executive” by a previous Eagles coaching regime. All the while, the Harvard graduate helped Roseman build out the best offensive and defensive lines in football and championed the signing of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley last offseason while many analytically minded experts argued against paying the position. League sources said Halaby was a runner-up for the New York Jets’ GM opening this cycle, and the Carolina Panthers’ opening last winter.
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Drew Hallowell/Philadelphia Eagles
Pastoors was the financial architect of the “F them picks” Super Bowl-winning Rams era, and then the abrupt pivot into their sprint rebuild of 2023. The Rams took a risk by incurring the second-most dead money in NFL history the latter season as they gutted their championship roster. They balanced a 14-member rookie class with cheap but quality veterans and became a wild-card playoff team that found its future young core of players. Pastoors, who now works directly with owner Stan Kroenke upon team president Kevin Demoff’s promotion, is believed to be on a team president track in L.A. or elsewhere after drawing interest over the last few years.
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn
Now in his fourth year as general manager in Chicago after 13 seasons with the Chiefs, Poles has remade the Bears’ roster thanks to a strong emphasis on building through the draft. He also has made some strategic trades and shrewd free-agent signings to meet the Bears’ need for veterans at key areas. At 39, Poles is the second-youngest general manager behind Cleveland’s Andrew Berry (37). Colleagues say Poles is a meticulous planner who encourages input, and is big on player and staff development. And, “when it’s go-time,” Poles executes and leads with decisiveness. Poles still is looking for his first winning season as a general manager, but just landed a top head coaching candidate in Ben Johnson, so Chicago appears to be trending in the right direction.
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Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Eagles’ VP of football operations left the world of finance to intern in Washington’s front office and worked his way up the ranks as a scout during a nine-year span. Scott joined Philadelphia’s scouting department in 2021 and continued his ascension while being promoted to his current role in 2024. Scott handles a wide variety of responsibilities including college and pro talent evaluation, roster evaluation, player development and more. After helping build the Eagles into a Super Bowl champion, Scott may soon draw interest around the league for future general manager openings.
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Philadelphia Eagles
After holding a variety of administrative jobs with college programs like the Cincinnati Bearcats and USC Trojans, Sosna joined the Detroit Lions as senior director of football administration in 2022. After two years, he moved to Washington, where as senior vice president of football operations, Sosna serves as lead contract negotiator. Sosna also oversees Washington’s analytics, health and performance departments while also taking part in aspects of the team’s business operations.
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Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn
Streicher headlines a small but valued group of coaches in hybrid situational management/analytics/coaching roles who have made their way onto the field and into the headset of the head coach. Championed by now-Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel because of a knack for exploiting tiny rules and situational advantages during their time together with the Titans and then poached by Sean McVay for that same reason in 2024, Streicher has helped to evolve the two prominent coaches’ in-game decision-making.
The former college offensive lineman and congressional intern just completed his third season with the Philadelphia Eagles and his 12th overall in the NFL. Walls played at Old Dominion University before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a master’s in public administration. Walls worked in the Packers’ scouting department from 2013-20 and then spent two seasons as a college scout for the Browns. In Walls, Jeff Scott and senior director of scouting Brandon Hunt, 43, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has a strong cast of young, future GMs assisting in Philly’s championship efforts.
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Philadelphia Eagles
One senior former colleague in San Francisco calls Washington “Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s go-to guy” in Minnesota, where Washington is building out advanced draft and pro personnel talent identification processes using technology, analytics and bespoke programming alongside traditional football scouting methods. Washington’s understanding of how to marry technology with football is championed by Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings’ scouting and football departments. The two executives previously led the San Francisco 49ers’ forward-thinking Research and Development department before teaming up in Minnesota in 2022.
Williams, a Columbia University graduate and former financial analyst, has worked in a range of scouting and front-office roles in San Francisco since 2011 and held a lead role in building the playoff teams of 2019 and 2021-23, including two Super Bowl appearances. After his first season as the 49ers’ director of scouting and football operations in 2024 (where he opted to stay instead of joining GM Adam Peters in Washington), he became a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM vacancy, with in-person interviews starting Wednesday. Williams also organizes a multiday forum for a diverse group of ascending NFL and NBA executives each offseason — an event that amplifies elite candidates throughout both sports and promotes networking and career development opportunities.
In 2020, the former NFLPA employee launched a social media account intended to celebrate the intersection of football and fashion by highlighting the ways NFL players expressed themselves through unique dress. Five years later, Anoh’s company, Blitzfits, has expanded to not only highlight players’ fashion choices, but also to team with the athletes to tell their stories with a blend of sports and fashion, while also serving as a partnership-forming bridge between players and apparel brands.
Where most of the NFL’s hiring cycles are controlled by a few powerful agencies, Carter stands out. His relentless effort to amplify his clients despite working for a relatively smaller company was noted by several people in the nomination process. Carter was the only player or coach/executive agent nominated specifically by a significant number of beat reporters across several cities and media outlets because his methods are atypical in the space. Carter has strong relationships with top insiders, but doesn’t limit information-sharing to just those people nor only to transactions. He works every beat at a grassroots level, providing context for a variety of levels of media and building coach-to-reporter connections that ultimately shape his coaches’ and players’ larger legacies.
As head of business and legal affairs at NFL Players Inc., Gage serves as one of the leading advocates for NFL players while overseeing legal strategy, litigation management and business development. Gage serves as a trusted mentor/adviser and problem solver while offering creative visions that empower players and strengthen the NFLPA.
What initially began as an idea for a training program for athletes has turned into a multimillion-dollar operation that is skyrocketing in popularity, and Hawkins — a former wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals — is at the center of it all. In 2020, Hawkins and former college quarterback Troy Jones started sports software company StatusPro and two years later launched Pro Era, a first-person virtual reality video game that uses player data to create simulations of NFL action. Now licensed with the NFL and NFLPA, the game has more than one million users and last year raised $20 million in funding to expand its reach and capabilities.
After retiring from the NFL, the former Philadelphia Eagles center has turned into a media darling, serving as an analyst and late-night talk show host for ESPN, which signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract. Kelce, of course, still hosts the ever-popular “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Travis. Regardless of platform, the colorful former lineman brings both insight and comedic relief and a wide array of unique wardrobe choices.
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Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Lynn has made a steady rise to prominence in the player rep world. In 2019, she became the first ****** woman to represent a top-three draft pick (Quinnen Williams). Then, in 2020, she became the first to represent top-10 picks in back-to-back drafts. In the 2023 offseason, Lynn negotiated what was at the time a record-breaking $255 million contract for Jalen Hurts, who just won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP honors.
McCarthy earned several nominations — including across other agencies — for his work with high-profile clients such as Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, rising offensive coordinators Zac Robinson (Atlanta Falcons) and Nick Caley (Houston Texans) and players such as Philadelphia Eagles rookie star defensive back Cooper DeJean. McCarthy is a former Notre Dame and NFL player whose relentless energy and strong relationships with his clients has drawn praise from senior members of his agency.
“Kyle embodies what people should be about in this business,” LaFleur said. “He operates with integrity and his work ethic is second to none. He’s dealt with more than most people know — displaying toughness and dedication through anything life throws at him.”
McClendon joined WME’s newly formed coaches division in 2023 after serving as the Rams’ director of football affairs. A former NFL player who earned his master’s degree from Brown during L.A.’s Super Bowl run in 2021, McClendon’s unique combination of competitiveness and amiability has quickly broken through the space. He represents Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales and Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, among other coordinators and high-ranking executives across the NFL.
“Jacques cares about our clients and works tirelessly to serve them on the field and off,” said WME co-head of coaches Clint Dowdle. “His dynamic and infectious personality has helped him build genuine and lasting relationships throughout the industry.”
While Olsen’s talent in the booth is undeniable, people in every profession felt a kinship with the former tight end turned Fox color analyst after he was supplanted by the less experienced Tom Brady this season. Olsen’s skill — and his open desire to get back to calling the biggest games — sent an early signal to every TV partner of the NFL. Olsen’s Charlotte-based “HEARTest Yard” initiative has also raised more than $8 million in support, in-home and advanced hospital care for pediatric patients and their families battling congenital heart disease.
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Cindy Ord/Getty Images
The Stanford offensive lineman turned analytics expert served as director of football operations for the XFL and played a large role in the reimagination of the kickoff, which the NFL has adopted with a couple tweaks of its own. Schwartzstein and XFL officials wanted to return the kickoff to relevance while also finding ways to improve player safety. They accomplished that goal with the modification of the kickoff formation, and experienced so much success that the NFL took note. After carefully studying the success of Schwartzstein’s version of the kickoff and making modifications, NFL officials approved a rule change to implement the “dynamic kickoff,” which both made the play relevant once again, while also reducing concussions across the league. He is now Prime Video’s analytics expert for “Thursday Night Football.”
(Top illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; photos of Kevin O’Connell, Jason Kelce and Nicole Lynn: Brace Hemmelgarn, Jerritt Clark, Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
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