Pelican Press

The S&P 500 closed at a new high amid Trump’s blitz The S&P 500 closed at a new high amid Trump’s blitz Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 13, 2025. Danielle DeVries | CNBC U.S. President Donald Trump’s whirlwind blitz through the bureaucracy, economic policy and geopolitical affairs isn’t ending. As top U.S. officials meet their Russian counterparts for high-level talks, Trump suggested to reporters that Ukraine was somehow responsible for inciting Moscow’s invasion of the country. On other fronts, however, Trump is leaving things undisturbed. His administration left intact stiff rules — put in place during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s term — overseeing corporate mergers. That could come as a let-down to Wall Street, which had been looking forward to an uptick in deals because of expectations that the Trump administration would be pro-business and less opposed to mergers and acquisitions. But that didn’t disappoint investors much. The S&P 500 set a new closing record on Tuesday. And, further from Trump, the European Stoxx 600 also notched a fresh high. What you need to know today Records on both sides of the AtlanticOn Tuesday, the S&P 500 added 0.24% to close at a fresh high of 6,129.58. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat and the Nasdaq Composite ticked up 0.07%. However, Meta shares snapped their 20-day winning streak. Over in Europe, the continent’s regional Stoxx 600 index also notched a record close after climbing 0.32%. European defense stocks continued marching higher, with Lubawa jumping 14% and Renk Group gaining 2.7%. Optimism over potential Intel split Intel shares surged 16.1% on Tuesday after news broke that Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing are reportedly eyeing deals that could break up the U.S. chipmaker. After enjoying its best day since March 2020, Intel’s stock closed at $27.39. With Tuesday’s gains, its shares are up nearly 31% this year following a 60% slump in 2024. Broadcom shares dipped 1.9%, while TSMC dipped less than 0.6%. Strict merger rules left intactThe Trump administration on Tuesday said it will keep using strict guidelines, adopted during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s term, to review proposed corporate mergers. The decision is a victory for the anticorporate wing of the Trump administration, embodied by Vice President JD Vance, but a blow to Wall Street, which had been anticipating more deals under a loosened framework for evaluating proposed mergers. Musk’s xAI launches Grok 3Elon Musk’s xAI on Tuesday announced its latest artificial intelligence model, Grok 3, claiming it can outperform offerings from OpenAI and China’s DeepSeek based on early testing. The xAI team also said it was launching a new product called “Deep Search,” which would act as a “next generation search engine.” U.S. meets Russia in Saudi ArabiaU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday morning in Saudi Arabia, the first formal sit-down meeting between top U.S. and Russian diplomats since January 2022. Both sides emphasized that talks were preliminary. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine “should never have started it,” referring to Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022. [PRO] Divided over Europe’s outperformance of U.S.The Stoxx 600 index rose 6.3% in January, far higher than the 2.7% gain of the S&P 500. The former’s outperformance has persisted into February, rising more than the U.S. broad-based index month to date. While some analysts are optimistic the trend can endure, others warn that “European investors may need to enjoy it while it lasts” because of one fundamental driver of markets And finally… A Huawei Technologies Mate XT smartphone arranged in Hong Kong on Sep. 24, 2024. Lam Yik | Bloomberg | Getty Images Huawei launches $3,660 trifold phone outside of China as it charts international comeback Huawei launched the Mate XT on Tuesday, pricing it at 3,499 euros ($3,660). The handset was released in China last year and drew global intrigue for being the first-ever trifold phone. Normal foldable devices can be folded once in half, either vertically or horizontally. The Mate XT has two points at which it can fold and can display content on a single, double or triple screen. Huawei was once the biggest smartphone player in the world. U.S. sanctions beginning in 2019 cut off Huawei’s access to advance chips and Google’s Android operating system, causing its market share to plunge. However, in China, Huawei’s market share grew to 17% in 2024 from 12% the year before, according to the IDC. Huawei is hoping to bring that momentum to its overseas market. Source link #closed #high #Trumps #blitz Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

JWU hopes to become Hispanic Serving Institution despite Trump’s calls to end DEI policies – WPRI.com JWU hopes to become Hispanic Serving Institution despite Trump’s calls to end DEI policies – WPRI.com JWU hopes to become Hispanic Serving Institution despite Trump’s calls to end DEI policies WPRI.comEducation Dept. Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs The New York TimesAfter Trump’s diversity threats, what should colleges do? Inside Higher Ed Source link #JWU #hopes #Hispanic #Serving #Institution #Trumps #calls #DEI #policies #WPRI.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Love Island star helped me find ‘**** built-up’ condition Love Island star helped me find ‘**** built-up’ condition BBC Emma Griffiths was about 11 when she developed symptoms for lipoedema For years, Emma Griffiths was self-conscious about the fact her legs had grown out of proportion with the rest of her body. But it wasn’t until she was watching Love Island one night that the nurse noticed contestant Shaughna Phillips had the same shape legs – and started doing some research. Experts online suggested Shaughna had lipoedema and amateur triathlete Emma then knew “this is what I had, I’m not just obese”. The 35-year-old mother has now joined calls for more support to be available on the NHS for people with lipoedema. Lipoedema causes **** to abnormally build-up mainly in the hips, buttocks and legs, leading to a disproportionate shape. The exact cause of the chronic condition is unknown but it is not from being overweight. Lipoedema may be caused by changes in hormones and is believed to affect about one in 10 people worldwide – although many do not know they have it. Lipoedema causes **** to abnormally build-up mainly in the hips, buttocks and legs Emma was about 11 when her legs started to feel heavy and throb and said they started to grow *******. “I was looking in the mirror and thinking ‘there’s something wrong here, why are my legs different to girls my age?’,” she recalled. Despite leading a healthy lifestyle and at one point losing five stone, Emma’s bottom half remained ******* and she suspected something was wrong. “I thought this is not responding to diet and exercise – something is going on here,” said the mum-of-two from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire. Speaking in 2020 Love Island’s Shaughna Phillips said she was trolled for her **** legs “If I hadn’t had seen Shaughna Phillips on Love Island, I don’t think I would have known that I had lipoedema… or at that point, had the diagnosis. “I went to see the GP and he didn’t know what I was talking about.” Despite having some NHS support, Emma asked to be referred to a lymphoedema clinic and a private surgeon diagnosed her with stage two lipoedema in 2022. Emma Griffiths Emma Griffiths had lipoedema while keeping herself fit by competing in regular triathlons Liposuction surgery removed four litres of **** from her thighs and while Emma said it helped, she said it did not cure her condition. She now manages it through a healthy lifestyle, wearing compression stockings and dry brushing her skin. She says that helps with swelling and pain relief. ‘My legs weighed about 11 stone before surgery’ Gemma Robinson has also struggled with lipoedema and before her surgery, her legs were estimated to weigh about 11 stone (70kg). The 45-year-old has spent almost £70k on eight surgeries over two years to have 86 litres of **** and excess skin removed. “Every time I was going back to the clinic my legs were growing,” said the mother-of-two from Cardiff. Gemma said at one point she was almost housebound and could only get around through the help of a pushchair or shopping trolley. Despite losing nine and a half stone, she said it was mainly from her top half. “My mobility was decreasing and I was going to end up in a wheelchair with my children pushing me,” she said. Gemma spent years going back and forth to her GP where she claims her symptoms were “brushed off” and put down to obesity, until she saw something on TV and asked for a referral. “A doctor said to me ‘if I gave you a lettuce leaf for every meal for the rest of your life, you would still not lose much more weight’,” she recalled. Gemma Robinson says ‘people don’t understand I’m not obese, I’ve just got lipoedema’ Gemma was diagnosed with stage four lipoedema and secondary lymphoedema. She said surgery was “life-changing” but the psychological impact was “horrific” and now has body dysmorphia and scarring. “Living with lipoedema is very hard,” said Gemma. “If I was diagnosed earlier, I wouldn’t have lived my whole life thinking I was just obese, that it was all my fault.” Gemma claimed she was offered compression therapy on the NHS and believed support for women with lipoedema is lacking. ‘Women are put on the scrapheap’ The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – which advises what medication and treatments should be available on the NHS – has said the use of liposuction for chronic lipoedema was not recommended, except for research. They said there was not enough evidence on how safe and effective it was. Current treatments include lifestyle changes and compression. Emma Griffiths Emma Griffiths had liposuction surgery which removed four litres of **** from her thighs The BBC has spoken to 15 women across England and Wales with lipoedema and many said influencers and their own research led to their diagnosis. Some claimed GPs dismissed symptoms as a “severe bout of cellulite”, “growing pains”, obesity and arthritis. One teenager said she was prepared to use her inheritance to fund liposuction, while another woman said she was using her pension funds and was willing to sell their house to fund her daughter’s surgery. Two women said they developed eating disorders – and two more said they felt suicidal. Over the course of eight months in 2024, an NHS body set up in Wales to raise of awareness of the condition saw 8,485 women – and more than 5% (459) were diagnosed with lipoedema, a freedom of information request by the BBC revealed. That number is the “tip of the iceberg” according to a specialist lipoedema charity that was calling for more specialists that can diagnose the condition. “It’s absolutely infuriating that a treatable condition like this is ignored and that women are put on the scrap heap,” said Lipoedema ***’s head of research Dr Lesley Steinitz. Dr Cheryl Pike said healthcare professionals believing their patients can make a big difference Lymphoedema specialist Dr Cheryl Pike also wants to increase awareness among GPs. “If somebody could believe their patient and know that any health care professional can refer, it will make a big difference,” said Dr Pike of Lymphoedema Wales Clinical Network. The network run by the seven health boards in Wales has started the first psychological support service of its kind in the ***. They want the Welsh government to help fund research to discover the effectiveness of liposuction for those with lipoedema. The Welsh government said it worked closely with the NHS’ lymphoedema network to raise awareness of lipoedema. “Liposuction is not routinely available for lipoedema patients, unless under certain circumstances, and surgery is being offered for those with the greatest need,” added a government spokesperson. NHS England has been asked to comment. Source link #Love #Island #star #helped #find #**** #builtup #condition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Keys, Osaka relish chance to be Queen’s of tennis court Keys, Osaka relish chance to be Queen’s of tennis court *********** Open champion Madison Keys and four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka will feature when women’s tennis returns to Queen’s Club in England for the first time since 1973 with a WTA 500 event in June. British No.1 Katie Boulter, former US Open winner Emma Raducanu and Eastbourne defending champion Daria Kasatkina are also lined up for the tournament, the Lawn Tennis Association said on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT). “I’m thrilled to confirm Katie, Emma, Madison and Naomi will be headlining the Championships in June,” tournament director Laura Robson said. “Fans will see some of the best female players on the planet, and with three grand slam champions and the British number one in the mix, it promises to be a spectacular return to the Queen’s Club for women’s tennis.” The event at the iconic Queen’s Club will be held in the first week of the grasscourt season – a week before the men’s tournament – in the lead-up to Wimbledon. Source link #Keys #Osaka #relish #chance #Queens #tennis #court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chevron staffers absorb long-awaited layoffs as CEO pledges accountability Chevron staffers absorb long-awaited layoffs as CEO pledges accountability By Ernest Scheyder and Sheila Dang HOUSTON (Reuters) – During an internal town hall meeting last week, roughly 40,000 Chevron employees were shown a video touting the oil giant’s success in Colorado as the largest oil and gas producer in the state. Less than 30 minutes later, executives announced plans to cut up to 20% of the global workforce. Despite progress in safety and financial performance, Chevron had fallen behind its competitors, company leaders told employees during the internal meeting on February 12. The business had become over-complicated, costs had crept up and Chevron struggled to quickly make decisions, they said on the webcast. Reuters reviewed presentation slides and a recording of the town hall that was webcast to staffers globally. Chevron’s plan to cut as much as a fifth of its workforce – about 8,000 people – comes after oil prices traded in the $70-80 per barrel range for most of the past year. Oil prices and refining margins were lower than the previous year, but still sufficient to drive a full year 2024 profit for Chevron of $18.3 billion, down from $24.7 billion in 2023. The layoffs cap a tough 18 months for the second-largest U.S. oil producer, which inked a $53 billion agreement to acquire New York-based oil firm Hess in October 2023 in order to gain an important stake in Guyana’s profitable oilfields, only to have Exxon Mobil and CNOOC, Hess’ partners in Guyana, challenge the deal in court. The deal is stalled pending arbitration. NYSE – Delayed Quote • USD At close: February 18 at 4:00:02 PM EST Four Chevron employees told Reuters the layoffs were widely expected internally. Some even conceded the move was necessary to compete with Exxon and other rivals. “I think it will be a good thing,” said a Chevron employee, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “It’s tough going through this, but we are the last of the majors to (make cuts). Everyone was wondering when Chevron would do it.” Chevron said in November it aimed to cut up to $3 billion in costs by 2026, including by changing how and where work is performed. A Chevron spokesperson said changes to the company’s structure will improve efficiency and results. “While these changes are necessary, the decision to reduce our workforce is not an easy one,” the spokesperson said. ***-based oil major Shell planned to scale back its oil and gas exploration and development workforce by 20% as part of a cost-saving drive, Reuters reported in August. Rival *** major BP said last month it would lay off about 4,700 employees and cut 3,000 contractor positions. Story Continues Three Chevron employees said they had been through several rounds of layoffs during their careers, due to the cyclical nature of the oil and gas business. Layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic were worse, one of them said. “They always say it will be the last time,” the employee said. The outlook for global fuel demand is uncertain due to the rapid increase in electric vehicle sales in the world’s largest crude importer China, which for over a decade has driven rising oil consumption. Uncertainty about global demand and China’s economy could cap oil prices in the future, said Nick Hummel, an equity analyst at Edward Jones. Mass layoffs in the oil industry usually come after a plunge in oil prices. One Chevron employee expressed dismay at the timing of the layoffs during a ******* of relative price stability. “It bites,” said the person outside Chevron’s Houston headquarters who identified himself as an employee but declined to give his name. “Oil prices seem stable and then they bring the hammer down.” ACCOUNTABILITY During the town hall, Chevron’s vice president of the Rockies business unit, Kim McHugh, read questions submitted by employees, who asked whether Chevron executives would hold themselves responsible for the company’s lagging performance. “People feel like they are being held accountable. Their question is, how is leadership accountable?” McHugh said. CEO Mike Wirth said he looked for action and transparency within the leadership team. “When things aren’t going well, do you get a nice explanation and a pile of excuses, or do you get a plan?” he said. In simplifying the business, Chevron will also clarify which roles have decision-making rights and hold those individuals accountable, Wirth said in response to another question. After several previous reorganizations, staffers are seeking reassurance that the latest restructuring will be successful, McHugh told Wirth. “I think the employees would want me to say, ‘You’ve committed to giving us simplicity,'” she said to the CEO. “Let’s make sure this time that you pick the people and stuff to make this work, so that we don’t have to go through this again.” (Reporting by Sheila Dang, Ernest Scheyder, Arathy Somasekhar and Marianna Parraga in Houston; Editing by Simon Webb and Nia Williams) Source link #Chevron #staffers #absorb #longawaited #layoffs #CEO #pledges #accountability Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

China M&A activity set to rise as companies prepare for Trump tariffs China M&A activity set to rise as companies prepare for Trump tariffs A man carrying a kite in the shape of the ******** national flag walks along the Bund while buildings of Pudong’s Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images China is starting to see a rebound in its mergers and acquisition scene after years of decline as the ******** government’s stimulus measures start to bear fruit and pressure from Donald Trump’s tariffs mounts. In 2024, China’s M&A activity was on course to log its fifth straight year of decline, until the final quarter of the year, which saw a sudden acceleration in activity. The value of deals conducted during that ******* jumped 78.5% to $129 billion from $72 billion in the previous quarter, data from Dealogic showed. And the pace in deal-making is about to pick up even faster, according to industry watchers whom CNBC spoke to. The uptick in deal flow in the fourth quarter of 2024 was in part fueled by stimulus efforts introduced by policymakers in late September, said Vivian Wong, head of M&A Analytics at ION Analytics, which is under the same group as Dealogic. Those measures aimed to consolidate domestic industries in order to enhance competitiveness in China’s slowing economy, added Wong. China’s M&A volume has been trending downward since 2020. Furthermore, the total value of deals logged in 2024 is about 45% less than the $553 billion generated in 2020, according to data from Dealogic. This was largely because of weak overall economic activity in China and the ensuing bearish sentiments, said Theodore Shou, chief investment officer at Skybound Capital, an alternative assets manager. The conservative positioning of ******** corporations also led to less appetite for private market transactions in the past couple of years, he added. In fragmented industries with struggling players, that’s another area that will see a lot of consolidations. However, 2025 will “see significant merger and acquisition activities involving China,” Zhe Yu, a partner at Shanghai-based Zhong Lun Law Firm, which offers legal support for M&A ventures and IPO deals in China, told CNBC. A hedge against Trump tariffs? Apart from Beijing’s stimulus measures, the flurry of tariff threats before U.S. President Trump’s term and their eventual implementation are also a key driving force for ******** companies to adapt by diversifying their supply chains and ensuring they have the means to do so, said Deloitte’s APAC M&A Services Leaders Stanley Lah, who is also the firm’s deputy leader of financial advisory in China. Trump signed an order imposing 10% tariffs against China on Feb. 1. They came into effect Feb. 4 and will apply on top of the existing tariffs of up to 25% on ******** goods levied during his first presidency. That development will nudge ******** companies toward M&A transactions as they look for alternative shipping routes to the U.S. that avoid China as a point of origin, as well as try to become more effective in global markets, Lah said. “It’s something they need to do quickly, and buying is faster than building a green field,” he added, referring to building facilities and infrastructure from scratch. This pressure is most keenly felt by small companies in China. In the third quarter of 2024, China’s micro and small enterprises reported average revenue of 136,000 yuan ($18,700), marking a 4.8% decline compared with the same ******* in 2023, according to Peking University’s Centre for Enterprise Research’s most recent survey on MSEs. To stay afloat, many MSEs had to cut back on hiring and shrink their operations, among a slew of cost-cutting strategies, the survey said. M&A transactions also allow small companies to better compete on an international scale. For example, ******** banks or security houses need to consolidate and attain a large-enough scale to prevent downsizing, said Ernst & Young’s Asia-Pacific IPO Leader Ringo Choi. China saw its biggest wave of rural bank mergers last year as smaller banks were plagued by weak loan growth and increasing bad loans, according to Reuters’ analysis of government data. “It no longer makes economic sense for small players to reinvent the wheels again and again just to stay in the game and ultimately, they will not be able to afford that,” said Skybound Capital’s Shou. ******** companies are competing “too forcefully” with each other, which is lowering their margins, he added. M&A deals also offer an attractive exit strategy for some of those companies, especially as filing an IPO in the ******** stock markets becomes increasingly uncertain, Yu said. Fewer regulatory hurdles, more financial means Last September, in a bid to enhance deal-making efficiency, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced that it will simplify its approval processes and cut down the review time for qualified companies. It will also encourage firms to raise capital for their M&A deals in phases. Previously, deal-makers faced long approval periods and had to contend with extensive information disclosure demands that came with antitrust and data security concerns. While antitrust laws and hurdles remain, merging filing requirements have relaxed significantly, Yu said. “Many transactions that would otherwise have been subject to merger filing clearance are no longer required to be filed.” Interest rates in China are also likely to remain at current levels, which may facilitate M&A financing cost at a reasonable level, he added. Companies with a stronger balance sheet and cash piles also have the capacity to buy out firms in a weaker position as a form of investment, said Lah. ******* ******** companies are accumulating large reserves of cash, with ********-listed firms paying out a record 2.4 trillion yuan in dividends last year. Goldman Sachs estimates that ******** companies’ cash distribution could hit $3.5 trillion yuan this year to notch a new high. Big tech companies like Pinduoduo, a ******** online retailer, currently have a lot of dry powder, which could go into dividend payouts, share buybacks and even M&A, Ernst & Young’s Choi observed. More domestic M&A A larger portion of the incoming M&A deals will center around domestic transactions rather than cross-border ones, said Deloitte’s Lah, a sentiment echoed by Shou. Both believe that foreign interest in buying ******** companies has yet to recover. Moreover, cross-border M&A activities in the high-tech sector is unlikely because of geopolitical factors, said Yu. Still, ******** companies may bail out failing foreign peers by conducting M&A deals with them, said Shou. Domestically, some ******** companies may opt for joint ventures in attempts to expand to new markets, Shou said. The “really hot sectors” which are doing well, such as technology and green energy, will see money coming in, according to Lah. Similarly, Zhong Lun Law Firm’s Yu sees many potential M&A opportunities in industries related to new energy, such as solar and wind energy and nickel mining, among others. Less competitive industries and companies could also let themselves be bought out as a means to survive, the industry watchers whom CNBC spoke to suggested. One sector that will experience more consolidation is “fragmented industries with struggling players,” Lah said, because it’s “difficult to make profits as a small company.” “They need a ******* scale,” or merge with a company with “******* performance to survive in this new normal,” he said. Source link #China #activity #set #rise #companies #prepare #Trump #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

PGA Tour and LIV Golf Look for Merger Deal Under Trump PGA Tour and LIV Golf Look for Merger Deal Under Trump The PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund are racing to reshape their plans to combine their rival golf circuits, emboldened by President Donald J. Trump’s eagerness to play peacemaker for a fractured sport, according to four people familiar with the matter. Since the start of secret talks in April 2023, PGA Tour executives and their Saudi counterparts have been weighing how they could somehow blend the premier American golf circuit with the Saudis’ LIV Golf operation. But negotiators have struggled to design a deal that would satisfy regulators along with players, investors and executives. Mr. Trump’s return to Washington has offered a new opening: After an Oval Office meeting this month that ethics experts have said tested the bounds of propriety, the two sides are considering options that might have stalled during Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s presidency but that the Trump administration’s antitrust enforcers could offer a friendlier glance. The details of any prospective agreement, including LIV’s fate, remain in flux. In general, regulators would see any transaction that led to the dissolution of one of the leagues as anticompetitive; under Mr. Trump, though, antitrust regulators could take a more relaxed view. The two sides are looking beyond a simple cash transaction, though it is unclear how exactly the deal would be structured. The PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, has said they are looking at a “reunification,” but there are many complicating factors, including how to value both ventures. There is also the matter of how to handle any deal alongside a separate $1.5 billion investment in the PGA Tour by a band of American sports magnates. The people familiar with the deal talks spoke on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations are confidential. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Before Mr. Trump returned to power on Jan. 20, Mr. Biden’s Justice Department had been reviewing term sheets that called for the Saudis to invest $1.5 billion in a new commercial arm created by the PGA Tour. Regulators sat for months poring over reams of documents, but talks were at an effective standstill. The chance now to explore potentially cozier terms is a remarkable turnabout and underscores how the legal and political realities of deal-making can quickly change under Mr. Trump, especially when he acts as mediator. The Saudi-backed LIV league roared into the golf world in 2022 with huge contracts for established stars and a shorter, livelier tournament format that challenged the PGA Tour. But it effectively split the stars of the golf world across two circuits, fracturing the audience and weakening the business prospects for both leagues. The Saudi wealth fund is valued at about $925 billion, but its golf operation has bled money for years, even as LIV sought to cut a swaggering public profile. In an Oval Office meeting two weeks ago, Mr. Trump met with Mr. Monahan and spoke by telephone with Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Saudi wealth fund’s governor. Mr. Trump’s lifelong love of the sport and his family’s ownership in more than a dozen golf properties around the world suggest his involvement could raise conflicts of interest. The PGA Tour has not held a tournament for its flagship circuit at a Trump property since 2016, and Mr. Trump has been especially close to LIV and its power brokers. His company’s courses have hosted LIV tournaments, and another is planned for Trump National Doral, near Miami, in April. Mr. Trump has often appeared at LIV events. Mr. al-Rumayyan and Mr. Trump are both expected to attend a meeting of investors and executives hosted by the Saudi wealth fund in Miami Beach this week. It is not clear whether they will try to complete a golf deal at the conference, which is about far more than sports. But Tiger Woods, the greatest player of his generation, sounded a broadly optimistic note over the weekend. “We’re going to get this game going in the right direction,” Mr. Woods, a member of the PGA Tour’s board, told CBS on Sunday. “It’s been heading in the wrong direction for a number of years, and the fans want all of us to play together, all the top players playing together, and we’re going to make that happen.” Mr. Woods also said another meeting with Mr. Trump was “coming up.” The clock on the Justice Department’s review of the original agreement expired this month, according to two of the people familiar with the talks. Ordinarily, that would have meant the parties could just proceed with the agreement. Instead, they have turned toward the possibility of better options. Even the possibility that golf’s turmoil could end with an antitrust whimper, rather than a regulatory thunderclap, shows how much the environment has shifted over the last two years. In 2023, LIV officials encouraged a federal inquiry into professional golf, arguing that the PGA Tour’s efforts to stem defections to other leagues threatened the labor market’s integrity. Investigators examined cellphones and interviewed LIV players, including Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, as they studied the tightknit structures of men’s professional golf. Then came the surprise agreement between the Saudis and the tour to pursue a joint venture. Mr. Monahan stunned observers the day it was announced when he publicly declared that a deal could “take the competitor off of the board,” a comment that antitrust experts saw as a flagrant red flag. The Justice Department pressured the two sides to abandon the no-poach clause they had included in their preliminary accord. The PGA Tour’s television ratings have declined sharply, and Mr. Monahan told reporters last week in California that people wanted to see the world’s top players competing against one another again. (For the most part, tour and LIV players meet only at the four major tournaments: the Masters, the P.G.A. Championship, the U.S. Open and the British Open.) Asked whether the talks could lead to the end of LIV, Mr. Monahan did not answer directly. “What it means is the reunification of the game, which is what we have been and are focused on,” he said. Mr. Monahan added that he could “certainly see a day where we’re adding Trump venues to our schedule.” Source link #PGA #Tour #LIV #Golf #Merger #Deal #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

College football's credibility at stake as Big Ten, SEC aim to tighten stranglehold on playoff access – CBS Sports College football's credibility at stake as Big Ten, SEC aim to tighten stranglehold on playoff access – CBS Sports College football’s credibility at stake as Big Ten, SEC aim to tighten stranglehold on playoff access CBS SportsCFP Insider – What sources are saying about playoff change ESPNSources: SEC, Big Ten building momentum to further expand College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams Yahoo SportsMandel: Arrogance of Big Ten, SEC leaders on full display in New Orleans college football meetings The AthleticUnpacking the latest College Football Playoff proposals — and what it means for Ohio State cleveland.com Source link #College #football039s #credibility #stake #Big #Ten #SEC #aim #tighten #stranglehold #playoff #access #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Susie Maxwell Berning, Hall of Fame Golfer, Is Dead at 83 Susie Maxwell Berning, Hall of Fame Golfer, Is Dead at 83 Susie Maxwell Berning, a three-time champion of the United States Women’s Open golf tournament who was known for her tenacity on the fairway and her grace off it, died on Wednesday at her home in Indio, in Southern California. She was 83. Her daughter Cindy Molchany confirmed the death. She said her mother had had lung ******* for two years. Emerging from Oklahoma City in the 1960s, when women’s professional golf was still a developing sport (she later estimated that there were only about 70 golfers on the tour at the time), Berning built a glittering career. She shone brightest when the stakes were highest. Four of her 11 wins on the L.P.G.A. tour were in major tournaments, including the Western Open in 1965. The three others were U.S. Open wins in 1968, 1972 and 1973. Berning was one of just six women to win three or more, along with Betsy Rawls, ***** Didrikson Zaharias, Hollis Stacy, Annika Sorenstam and Mickey Wright — all members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2021, Berning finally joined them in the Hall, which honors both male and female stars of the sport. She was inducted in the same class as Tiger Woods. Full recognition of her accomplishments came slowly in large part because her career was abbreviated, as she consistently prioritized family. During her decade-long prime, which began in 1968, she averaged fewer than 13 events a year, including only seven in 1970, when she was pregnant with her daughter Robin, and two in 1977, while pregnant with her daughter Cindy. Berning had not played in about a month before her first U.S. Open win, in which she beat Wright, a four-time champion, by four strokes at the Moselem Springs Golf Club in Fleetwood, Pa. She had been on her honeymoon with her husband, Dale Berning, a real estate investor. In her induction speech, Berning called her daughters her “fifth and sixth major,” adding: “I always thought that having my family on tour was not just a blessing, but it was an advantage. No matter how the round went, I was Mom first.” In those days, the relatively small pool of female professional golfers also functioned as something of a family. “On the course, we tried to beat each other’s butt,” she said in that speech, “but there was never any love lost. Off the course, we took care of each other. We would eat, room and travel together from town to town in caravans.” The petite Berning excelled on tight, difficult courses where shooting par was considered the standard, according to Golf Oklahoma magazine. In her second Open win, in 1972 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., she triumphed by a single stroke over three runners-up, including Judy Rankin, who had been Berning’s maid of honor and was one of the few other women on the tour with a family. Berning successfully defended her title the next year at the Country Club of Rochester in upstate New York. She started strong in the tournament but faltered on the green. Her husband then gave her a different putter, which he had bought for $5. After spending an evening practicing with it in their motel room, she won the tournament by five strokes on her 32nd birthday. As she put it in her speech, “Not bad for a girl, five-two, from Oklahoma who really thought horses was going to be her future, not golf.” Suzanne Maxwell was born on July 22, 1941, in Pasadena, Calif., the fourth of five children of Shields and Isabelle Maxwell. Her father owned a restaurant and later a turkey farm, in Southern California, but the family moved to Oklahoma City after both the restaurant and the farm were damaged by fire. When she was young, her brothers Roger and Bill were making good money as caddies at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City. Interested in income rather than the sport itself, she inquired about a job. She was told that caddying was not for girls. Instead, she became devoted to her family’s two horses. As Berning recounted last year on the podcast “***** the Good of the Game,” she was taking them both on a stroll on a bridle path near the golf course when one of them broke free, trampling fairways and greens. When groundskeepers hauled her to the course’s pro shop for punishment, the head professional at the course, U.C. Ferguson, a renowned golf instructor, forgave her and asked if she wanted to give riding lessons to his children. He also offered to introduce her to golf. “I kept saying, ‘No, that stupid game, you chase this little white ball around, no sir, thank you,’” she recalled. A year later, he invited her to a golf clinic being given by Patty Berg, a founding member of the L.P.G.A. Her reaction, she recalled, was “That’s what golf is? I’d like to try that.” Ferguson became her mentor, and starting in her sophomore year of high school, where there had not been a girls’ team until she started a small one, Berning proved a prodigy. She won three consecutive Oklahoma high school golf championships. She later played down the accomplishment because there were so few girls playing at the time. “I shot a 121 at one of these tournaments,” she said, “but see, there was no competition.” After graduation, she became the first woman to earn a golf scholarship to Oklahoma City University, which was planning to start a women’s team. Because she was the only female player to express interest, she was forced to play on the men’s team, where she was given the nickname Sam. While pondering possible postgraduation careers during her senior year, she saw that two local golf rivals were already “winning a little bit of money here and there,” she said. “I kept thinking, ‘I can beat those. I beat them a couple of years before.’” Not long after, she joined the tour. She took home Rookie of the Year honors in 1964. Berning continued to compete off and on into the 1990s before turning her attention to teaching; she divided her time between the Reserve Club near Palm Springs, Calif., and Maroon Creek Club in Aspen, Colo. In addition to Ms. Molchany, she is survived by her other daughter, Robin Doctor, and two grandchildren. She and her husband divorced in 1997. Despite her storied career, Berning earned a pittance compared with the professional golfers who would follow. She made light of that fact in her induction speech, turning to that year’s superstar inductee in the audience and saying: “By the way, Tiger, of my three U.S. Opens, the total winnings was $16,000. I was wondering if you’d like to swap checks.” Source link #Susie #Maxwell #Berning #Hall #Fame #Golfer #Dead Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

War Robots has just hit $1 billion in lifetime revenue War Robots has just hit $1 billion in lifetime revenue War Robots has been around for a decade, with consistent growth Even now, 4.7 million players log in every month Regular updates with new weapons and events are released every year After a decade of intense mech combat, War Robots has just passed the massive milestone of $1 billion in lifetime revenue. With millions still jumping into battles every month, the PvP mech shooter continues to dominate its genre across mobile and PC. Since its launch, around 300 million people have downloaded War Robots, with up to 4.7 million logging in each month and 690,000 piloting their war machines daily. Whether you’re playing on Android, iOS, or PC, the battlefield remains as active as ever. The majority of War Robots’ success comes from mobile, which accounts for 95% of installs and 94% of revenue. Android leads in player numbers with 212 million downloads, while iOS has around 70 million. Despite the difference, spending is nearly even between both platforms, showing how engaged the community remains. Regular updates and new content have kept the action going for over ten years. The Pixonic team adds around 100 new pieces of content each year, from robots and pilots to weapons and events. On top of that, nine major in-game events roll out annually, giving you plenty of reasons to jump in and test out fresh strategies. Looking for similar games to play with friends? Here’s a list of the top multiplayer games to play on iOS right now! War Robots has also built a strong presence in some of the most competitive gaming markets, including the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and Great Britain. The U.S. alone has brought in $380 million in revenue, with 36 million installs and a top ranking in the country’s vehicle shooter category. Even ten years later, War Robots is still going strong. You can enjoy the combat yourself by downloading War Robots on your preferred link below. It is free-to-play with in-app purchases. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #War #Robots #hit #billion #lifetime #revenue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MPs criticise ‘wealth-hoarding’ boomers stereotype as ageist MPs criticise ‘wealth-hoarding’ boomers stereotype as ageist MPs are challenging stereotypes around older people stockpiling wealth as younger generations struggle. A report from the Commons’ women and equalities committee is calling for action to tackle age discrimination, which MPs describe as widespread in the ***. They criticise depictions of baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 and now in their 60s and 70s – as either frail or enjoying a life of luxury at the expense of their children and grandchildren. The report also hits out at what the authors say was a failure by previous governments to address digital exclusion of older people as services, particularly around banking and health, increasingly move online. The ***’s population continues to get older overall, with 11 million people in England and Wales now aged over 65, and more than half a million people aged over 90. However, the Commons report highlights evidence that ageist stereotyping is still highly prevalent across all media in the ***, including “portrayals of older people as frail, helpless or incompetent, or conversely as wealth-hoarding ‘boomers'”. Research from the Centre for Ageing Better found that this type of generational stereotyping contributes to the “othering” of older people, causing “divisive and “harmful tensions in society”. An example might be the “OK Boomer” meme used to dismiss older people’s opinions by suggesting they are out of touch. The Commons committee wants to see a crackdown on these sorts of stereotypes by watchdogs including the Advertising Standards Authority and the broadcast media regulator Ofcom. Some older people are also still at high risk of “digital exclusion”, MPs believe, because they do not have the skills to access online banking, council or GP services – despite the government launching a digital inclusion strategy 10 years ago. Latest figures from Ofcom say nearly one-in-three people (29%) aged over 75 do not have access to the internet at home, compared to roughly one-in-16 (6%) of all adults. The Commons report concludes that existing laws against age discrimination are too weak and “failing older people” because they are rarely enforced, despite evidence of the harm such attitudes cause. Committee chair Sarah Owen, a Labour MP for Luton North, said it was time for a review of how to shrink the ***’s “pervasively ageist culture” and bring in enforcement with teeth. “It is a considerable failure of government that the digital inclusion strategy has not been updated, nor progress tracked, for a decade,” she said. “Ultimately much more must be done to tackle ageist attitudes and discrimination across society, including in access to healthcare, local services, banking and transport.” Owen is calling for the *** government to follow the Welsh example of establishing a commissioner for older people alongside community champions to deliver a national strategy. Source link #MPs #criticise #wealthhoarding #boomers #stereotype #ageist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Family of two boys killed in Monterey street race ****** share ‘unbearable’ grief Family of two boys killed in Monterey street race ****** share ‘unbearable’ grief The family of two young boys killed in a street race ****** say “nothing has made sense” since the night of the horrific accident. Source link #Family #boys #killed #Monterey #street #race #****** #share #unbearable #grief Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Please Help Me, Take Me Home’ ‘Please Help Me, Take Me Home’ An abandoned pup is looking for a new home. On Friday, Feb. 14, a dog was found in the parking lot of a Meijer grocery store in Kent County, Mich. with a handwritten note in a plastic bag tied to her collar. “My name is Rukey. Please help me, take me home,” the message read. She was then taken to the Kent County Animal Shelter to be cared for and placed with a new family. Related: Michigan Shelter Seeking Answers After Finding Dog Tied to ‘Do Not Abandon an Animal Here’ Sign Kent County Animal Shelter/Facebook Dog abandoned in Meijer parking lot with a note on her collar “To the person who had to make the heartbreaking decision to let her go — please know that Rukey is safe and deeply loved by our staff,” the shelter wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. “We can only imagine how difficult this choice was for you, and we sincerely hope you find brighter days ahead,” they continued. Rukey, described as a “sweet” dog with a “gentle personality,” has already charmed the staff. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the same post, KCAS director Angela Hollinshead reminded the Kent County community that “help is available” to those in need. “If you’re struggling to feed yourself or your ****, please reach out. We can assist with food, connect you to social services, and help facilitate other resources as needed,” she wrote. She also reminded everyone to “please be kind to yourself and others as “we never know the battles someone is silently facing.” Kent County Animal Shelter/Facebook Dog abandoned in Meijer parking lot with a note on her collar Related: Shelter Saves Abandoned Dog Left Tied to Pole in ‘Freezing’ Va. Weather, Asks Pup’s Former Owner to ‘Do Better’ “If you need help, please ask. Our goal is to keep pets and families together, and we will do everything we can to provide resources to support and preserve the human-animal bond,” she concluded. KCAS will continue to provide updates on Rukey until she is adopted. Read the original article on People Source link #Home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A$AP Rocky dives into Rihanna’s arms as not guilty verdict is read at felony assault trial – The Associated Press A$AP Rocky dives into Rihanna’s arms as not guilty verdict is read at felony assault trial – The Associated Press A$AP Rocky dives into Rihanna’s arms as not guilty verdict is read at felony assault trial The Associated PressA$AP Rocky verdict is in CNNA$AP Rocky, rapper and Rihanna’s longtime boyfriend, found not guilty in felony assault trial Fox NewsASAP Rocky Acquitted of Shooting Former Friend The New York Times Source link #AAP #Rocky #dives #Rihannas #arms #guilty #verdict #read #felony #assault #trial #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GFG Alliance Whyalla steelworks falling into administration GFG Alliance Whyalla steelworks falling into administration The huge Whyalla steelworks in South Australia is barrelling towards administration. The South *********** government held an emergency meeting on the stricken steel plant, owned by GFG Alliance, on Wednesday morning, passing legislation in the Upper and Lower houses to give it the power to act on the debts it is owed by the firm. The company, led by British steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta, owes creditors tens of millions of dollars, from the SA government to local subcontractors. The steelworks has suffered losses for months and the government had grown increasingly sceptical GFG Alliance would meet its debt obligations. Camera IconThe Whyalla steelworks employs 1000 people directly. Ben Clark Credit: News Corp Australia The steelworks is core economic engine for Whyalla, a town of 22,000 people on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, and the state more broadly. Mr Gupta purchased the plant in 2017 for $700m, promising to reinvest in the ageing works and transform it into a “green steel” plant. Whyalla is Australia’s only fully integrated steelmaking enterprise, producing slabs, billets, hot rolled structural steel and rail products. Premier Peter Malinauskas is due to front the media shortly. More to come. Source link #GFG #Alliance #Whyalla #steelworks #falling #administration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cornered! Trump on defense over ‘Nixonian’ confession Cornered! Trump on defense over ‘Nixonian’ confession Career DOJ prosecutors are clashing with the Trump administration, leading to a wave of resignations. Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor involved in the January 6 cases, joins MSNBC’s Ari Melber to discuss.(The Beat’s YouTube playlist: Ari: / arimelber Beat merch: www.msnbc.com/Beat5) Source link #Cornered #Trump #defense #Nixonian #confession Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Breaking down Trump’s Ukraine comments, judge’s DOGE ruling Breaking down Trump’s Ukraine comments, judge’s DOGE ruling Breaking down Trump’s Ukraine comments, judge’s DOGE ruling – CBS News Watch CBS News A federal judge said the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to sensitive government agencies’ data appears to be “unchecked authority of an unelected individual,” but allowed the access to continue. At Mar-a-Lago, President Trump defended Elon Musk, but went on the offense against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over Russia’s invasion. Nancy Cordes has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Breaking #Trumps #Ukraine #comments #judges #DOGE #ruling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump says he will introduce 25% tariffs on autos, pharmaceuticals and chips – Reuters Trump says he will introduce 25% tariffs on autos, pharmaceuticals and chips – Reuters Trump says he will introduce 25% tariffs on autos, pharmaceuticals and chips ReutersTrump Floats 25% Tariffs on US Auto, Drug, Chip Imports BloombergTrump: Auto tariff rate will be around 25% Yahoo FinanceCars could get more expensive again as tariff-loving Trump warns automakers: You’re next Fortune Source link #Trump #introduce #tariffs #autos #pharmaceuticals #chips #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police officer recalls death of 12-year-old Police officer recalls death of 12-year-old Lyndsey Telford BBC News NI FAMILY PHOTO Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, was in Omagh as part of a language exchange trip Warning: This story contains distressing details A police officer who was at the scene when the Omagh bomb exploded in 1998 has said the death of a 12-year-old Spanish boy had “the most profound and lasting effect” on him. Norman Haslett, who is now a superintendent with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, (PSNI) was just two years into his career when the explosion happened. The Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in the County Tyrone town in August 1998, including a woman who was pregnant with twins. Supt Haslett had gone into the town following the bomb warning to help oversee the evacuation. He told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that what he “saw and heard and smelled” at the moment of the explosion resembled “hell”. “It was pure carnage and chaos,” he said. Omagh Bombing Inquiry Norman Haslett was on duty in Omagh on the day of the bomb ‘Beautiful wee boy’ Supt Haslett said he had been particularly struck by the body of a boy with brown hair, brown eyes and a “Mediterranean complexion”. The boy, he said, was Fernando Blasco Baselga, who was in Omagh as part of a language exchange group. “The only possession that this beautiful wee boy had on him was a small red Swiss army knife which I found in one of his pockets,” he said. “I was relieved to hear he hadn’t suffered any pain. He just looked to me as if he was asleep.” Supt Haslett said Fernando was “just an innocent wee boy on his holidays with his pen knife in his pocket”. “He was murdered for a political cause by people of insignificance whose humanity was indifferent to the consequences of their actions.” ‘Inhumanity’ Supt Haslett said some victims were “crying out in pain and some were very quiet and still”. “I remember seeing people who were obviously beyond help, some horribly mutilated with arms and legs missing.” The dead accumulated in an entryway, he said, and officers numbered them using “torn up strips of paper and a biro pen”. He said: “Looking back this sounds awful and terribly impersonal but it was the only way we could keep an accurate count of the number who had died and who we had recovered.” Supt Haslett told the inquiry the blankets used to cover the bodies were seeped through with blood stains. ‘Horrors’PA Media The car bomb exploded in Market Street on a busy Saturday afternoon when the streets were packed with shoppers Another police officer who provided first aid to the injured described the “horrors” he had witnessed after the attack. In a statement read to the inquiry, Allan Palmer, who was badly injured himself, said he was “moving through the terrible scene trying to assist where [he] could”. He saw a young man on the ground with serious facial injuries but “there was nothing [he] could do to save his life”. Mr Palmer also described seeing “a woman lying on the ground with the engine of a car on top of her” and a male “lying near a gutter with his head on fire”. He added: “The memories and emotions that I carry with me every day are too many to include in this statement. “The horrors, the guilt, the helplessness, the anger, the hurt, and many more have all had a serious impact on both my physical and psychological health.” ‘There are bodies everywhere’ Richard Scott, a police officer who helped gather the bodies of those killed, told the inquiry he had binned his blood-soaked clothing after his shift to try to “disassociate from the scene”. Mr Scott, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the bomb, described the devastation when he arrived in the town centre with a colleague. “He said to me, ‘This is terrible, there are bodies everywhere’,” Mr Scott said. “I said, ‘I’m sorry but I can’t see any bodies’, and he said, ‘Look down at your feet’. “And I looked down at my feet and there was a body at my feet. And then as I glanced around there I could see bodies to my left, I could see bodies to my right.” Omagh Bombing Inquiry Richard Scott speaking at the inquiry with his wife by his side Mr Scott was tasked with moving bodies and body parts from the scene to a nearby entry (alley). He told the inquiry he had grabbed blankets and curtains for the dead to “give them back their dignity”. “It’s one of the most important points that I’ve tried to emphasise over the years, how we treated the bodies, and how we treated everyone with respect and moved them to the entry and gently laid them down,” he said. Mr Scott said the entry was a reminder to him of the “carnage” that day. He set up the voluntary organisation Military and Police Support of West Tyrone to help other officers with trauma. ‘Stampede’ of relatives Julian Elliot was a police sergeant tasked with setting up an incident centre at Omagh Leisure Centre to help families search for loved ones. In a statement read to the inquiry, he said there had been a “stampede” of people desperate for news of relatives. He said that while he could not officially confirm the deaths, he chose to inform people in an unofficial capacity. “I decided to take my uniform head off and put my human head on,” he said. “I thought if I was one of these poor people, I would want to know. “Some hugged me, some beat my chest. Some hyperventilated and collapsed on the floor.” Omagh Bombing Inquiry James Baxter was RUC sub-divisional commander in Omagh at the time of the bomb A senior RUC officer who led the police response said many officers “felt guilty and responsible” for moving members of the public to the area where the bomb went off. The bomb warning said the explosive was at the courthouse in Omagh, but it exploded in Market Street, where civilians had been evacuated. James Baxter, who was sub-divisional commander in Omagh at the time, told the inquiry he referred some officers for professional counselling. ‘Very distressing’ Mr Baxter said he had to maintain a professional manner, while also grieving a personal loss as his son’s girlfriend was killed that day. Visiting the families of the bereaved was “the most difficult and emotional duty” of his career, he said. Mr Baxter told the inquiry the sight of the bodies laid out in this temporary mortuary was “very distressing” and “brought home vividly the impact of the atrocity that had been inflicted on the people of Omagh”. He said the bomb and subsequent events had such an effect on his well being that he cut his police career short and left the service in 2003. What was the Omagh bomb?Press Association/MOD The car bomb exploded in Market Street on a busy Saturday afternoon when the streets were packed with shoppers The bomb that devastated Omagh town centre in August 1998 was the biggest single atrocity in the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine people were killed, including nine children, a woman pregnant with twins, and three generations of one family. It came less than three months after the people of Northern Ireland had voted yes to the Good Friday Agreement. Timeline of events Who carried out the Omagh bombing? Three days after the attack, the Real IRA released a statement claiming responsibility for the explosion. It apologised to “civilian” victims and said its targets had been commercial. Almost 27 years on, no-one has been convicted of carrying out the murders by a criminal court. In 2009, a judge ruled that four men – Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly – were all liable for the Omagh bomb. The four men were ordered to pay a total of £1.6m in damages to the relatives, but appeals against the ruling delayed the compensation process. A fifth man, Seamus McKenna, was acquitted in the civil action and died in a roofing accident in 2013. Source link #Police #officer #recalls #death #12yearold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek blames WA for delay in decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek blames WA for delay in decision on Woodside’s North West Shelf The Federal Environment Department has pushed out its deadline for making a decision about extending the life of Woodside’s North West Shelf Venture by a month. And it could be even longer. Source link #Environment #Minister #Tanya #Plibersek #blames #delay #decision #Woodsides #North #West #Shelf Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here’s what you should know about the procedure Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here’s what you should know about the procedure President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aiming to reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility build their families. “Americans need reliable access to IVF and more affordable treatment options, as the cost per cycle can range from $12,000 to $25,000,” the order said. “Providing support, awareness, and access to affordable fertility treatments can help these families navigate their path to parenthood with hope and confidence.” The order instructed the assistant to the president for domestic policy to give Trump a list of policy recommendations on protecting IVF access and “aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment” within 90 days. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. IVF became a talking point during the 2024 presidential campaign when Alabama agreed to protect in vitro fertilization providers from legal liability a couple of weeks after the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. Trump said at the time he strongly supported its availability. And a June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults support protecting access to IVF, with 26% neutral and about 1 in 10 opposed. In 2018, assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, contributed to 2% of all infants born in the United States, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here’s what to know about this increasingly common fertility treatment. What is IVF? The procedure offers a possible solution when a woman has trouble getting pregnant, and it’s normally tried after other, less expensive fertility treatments have failed. It involves retrieving the woman’s eggs and combining them in a lab dish with a man’s ****** to create a fertilized embryo, which is then transferred into her uterus in an attempt to create a pregnancy. IVF is done in cycles and may take more than one. The procedure can use a couple’s eggs and ****** or those from a donor. Does insurance cover the procedure? Insurance coverage of IVF and other fertility treatments can be patchy and depends on who provides insurance for the patient. More large employers are offering the coverage to attract and keep workers. Many businesses also are extending coverage beyond those with an infertility diagnosis, making it accessible to LGBTQ+ couples and single women. Government-funded programs such as Medicaid largely limit fertility treatment coverage. Coverage is less common among smaller employers. Critics have said the lack of widespread coverage creates a divide, limiting treatments mainly to people who can pay thousands of dollars out of pocket. What is the history of IVF? The first baby conceived through IVF was born in 1978 in England. But the first in the U.S. was in 1981 in Norfolk, Virginia, with the birth of Elizabeth Carr. Her mother, Judith Carr, had had three abnormal pregnancies, forcing the removal of her fallopian tubes. She and her husband sought treatment from Howard and Georgeanna Jones, doctors who opened a fertility clinic at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The Norfolk clinic faced resistance before it even opened. When it sought a required state certificate in 1979, more than 600 people jammed into a public hearing. Several women voiced support for IVF and testified about wanting to start a family, while anti-abortion groups raised concerns about doctors interfering with human conception and embryos being discarded. Despite proposed state legislation to stop the clinic, it opened in 1980, with others following soon afterward in California, Tennessee and Texas. By 1988, at least 169 in vitro centers were operating in 41 states. The use of IVF continued to grow, but sentiments against it never really went away in the American anti-abortion movement, said Margaret Marsh, a history professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Many abortion opponents had made an uneasy peace with the technology as a treatment for infertility, Marsh said. But opposition to IVF has gained momentum since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. “Not everyone in the anti-abortion movement opposes these reproductive technologies, but many do,” she said. How are embryos made? The treatment often uses hormones to trigger ovulation so multiple eggs are produced and a needle is used to remove them from the ovaries. Eggs can be fertilized by adding the ****** to the eggs in a lab, or a single ****** can be injected into each egg. The fertilized egg is cultured over about five to six days to create the blastocyst — the early stage of an embryo — and is either transferred or stored for future use, said Dr. Jason Griffith, a reproductive endocrinologist in Houston. Griffith said that on day three after fertilization, an embryo is anywhere from six to 10 cells. By day six, it’s between 100 and 300 cells. In comparison, he said, a person contains more than 1 trillion cells. How are embryos frozen and stored? Frozen embryos can be used for future pregnancies, and the vast majority survive the thawing process. The freezing process involves replacing the water in embryo cells with a protectant fluid and flash-freezing with liquid nitrogen, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Frozen embryos are stored in tanks containing liquid nitrogen at hospital labs or reproductive medicine centers. Griffith said they can also be kept in storage facilities contracted by health care facilities, especially when they are stored for many years. Frozen embryos can be safely preserved for a decade or more. Griffith said conditions are monitored in these facilities and there are physical security mechanisms to safeguard the tanks and backup generators in case of power outages. ___ Ungar reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis and Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia contributed reporting. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Source link #Trump #signed #executive #order #IVF #Heres #procedure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

"It's time to act": Senate GOP steams past House on reconciliation – Axios "It's time to act": Senate GOP steams past House on reconciliation – Axios “It’s time to act”: Senate GOP steams past House on reconciliation AxiosWhat’s in the FY2025 Senate Budget Resolution Bipartisan Policy CenterSenate to vote on budget resolution this week, speeding ahead of House CBS NewsUS Senate Republicans look to advance part of Trump agenda this week Reuters.com Source link #quotIt039s #time #actquot #Senate #GOP #steams #House #reconciliation #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Race to save whales stranded on remote *********** beach Race to save whales stranded on remote *********** beach Rescuers are rushing to save more than 150 whales which have been stranded on a remote *********** beach. Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment said 157 false killer whales had beached near Arthur River, in the island’s north west. Conservation experts and veterinarians at the site estimate 136 of the animals – which witnesses say include juveniles – are still alive. They are planning an operation to return them to sea. Tasmania has seen a series of mass whale strandings in recent years – including the worst in *********** history, involving almost 500 pilot whales, in 2020. Authorities asked members of the public to avoid the site – about 300km from the city of Launceston – as there are bushfires burning in the area and limited road access. “Stranding response in this area is complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “If it is determined there is a need for help from the general public, a request will be made.” Local resident Jocelyn Flint told the *********** Broadcasting Corporation she had travelled to the site on Wednesday morning after her son noticed the pod while out shark fishing overnight. “There are babies… There’s just families of them. Their eyes are open, they’re looking at me, like ‘help’.” “It’s just absolutely horrific. They’re all struggling.” More than 80% of *********** whale strandings take place in Tasmania – often on its west coast. Around 470 pilot whales were stranded further south at Macquarie Harbour in 2020 and about 350 of them died despite rescue efforts. Another 200 become stranded in the same harbour in 2022. Whales are highly social mammals and are well known for stranding in groups because they travel in large, close-knit communities which rely on constant communication. There are a range of theories for why beachings occur. Some experts say the animals can become disoriented after following fish they hunt to the shore. Others believe that one individual can mistakenly lead whole groups to shore. Source link #Race #save #whales #stranded #remote #*********** #beach Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

CSR2 brings the iconic DeLorean to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future CSR2 brings the iconic DeLorean to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future The DeLorean Time Machine is now available in CSR2 UI inspired by Back to the Future You can also take part in a narrative challenge The DeLorean Time Machine has arrived in CSR2, giving you the chance to race one of the most iconic movie cars ever. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future, Zynga has teamed up with Universal Products & Experiences to bring the film’s legendary vehicle to the drag racing simulator as a collectible and drivable machine. More than just a car, the Time Machine comes to CSR2 with a themed experience. A custom Back to the Future-inspired UI sets the scene, alongside a new narrative and special challenges. Three flash events will highlight the DeLorean’s legacy, and a community competition will give you another reason to hit the track. If you’ve ever wanted to put the DeLorean through its paces on the quarter-mile, now’s your chance. The collaboration is already live, meaning you can start collecting and racing the Time Machine now. More themed events will roll out throughout the year, keeping the celebration going long after the first wave of content. Before you go on, check out this list of the top racers to play on iOS right now! Speaking about this new addition, Zynga Vice President, Games, Sam Cooper, said: “There is no picture car more recognizable and beloved as the Back to the Future Time Machine. We can’t wait for players to travel back in time, popping open those gullwing doors, hopping in, and gunning it to 88 as they compete in the four events we have planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future throughout the year.” Whether you’re racing for nostalgia or just looking to expand your garage, this is one collector’s car that stands out from the rest. Get your hands on it by downloading CSR Racing 2 now on your preferred link below. It is free-to-play with in-app purchases. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #CSR2 #brings #iconic #DeLorean #celebrate #40th #anniversary #Future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

DOGE “receipts” show approved spending, not evidence of fraud DOGE “receipts” show approved spending, not evidence of fraud DOGE “receipts” show approved spending, not evidence of fraud – CBS News Watch CBS News Elon Musk and President Trump have said that DOGE’s mission is to root out waste and abuse. The White House claims the agency has uncovered fraud and released a “wall of receipts” to show its findings. As Weijia Jiang reports, roughly $14 billion worth of federal program cuts identified were all approved spending. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #DOGE #receipts #show #approved #spending #evidence #fraud Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]