Pelican Press

Transcript: Kevin Hassett on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 16, 2025 Transcript: Kevin Hassett on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 16, 2025 The following is the transcript of an interview with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 16, 2025. MARGARET BRENNAN: We want to turn now to the economy and inflation, which, compared to last January, ticked up about 3% last week. Kevin Hassett is the director of the National Economic Council, and he joins us now. Good morning to you, Director. KEVIN HASSETT, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: Good morning, Margaret, good morning. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I don’t have to tell you, but the rest of the country saw their egg prices at the grocery store go up. We’re now at a record high due to that bird flu outbreak, but also labor costs, and that’s contributing to food costs overall. When will the administration get that outbreak under control? HASSETT: Right, well, what’s going on, right, as you know, is that there is an inflation problem that’s very large. We saw the consumer price index come out, and we found out that the stagflation that was created by the policies of President Biden was way worse than we thought. Over the last three months, across all goods, including eggs, the average inflation rate was 4.6%, way above target, and an acceleration at the end of the Biden term. And, you know, this is really not just us. You could go look at Jason Furman, Larry Summers, economic advisers of President Biden kept saying, don’t do this. You’re going to cause massive inflation. In fact, Jason Furman has a very thought provoking peace in “Foreign Affairs” right now, calling the Biden economic record a tragedy. And this is them, not us, right? It’s- so, now we’ve got a lot of things that we’re doing to get ahold of it– MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about fiscal spending there. HASSETT: Excuse me? Yeah, that’s right. MARGARET BRENNAN: You were talking about fiscal spending there. But– HASSETT: Well, where does inflation come from, right? And so what we’re doing now is, we’ve- we’ve got, really, a multi- multi-faceted plan to end inflation, and I’ll go quickly, because I want to end with what we’re doing with egg prices, but we’re going to have a macroeconomic change that has supply side tax cuts so we have more supply, and we’re going to reduce government spending, both through what DOGE is doing, and through congressional action. And so therefore, the macroeconomic forces that Jason Furman said were a tragedy are going to be reversed. That’s a good thing. Then we’re also going to have a lot of energy production, a lot of deregulation. And then finally, when needed, we’re going to focus on the individual thing-by-thing pieces. And so, for example, you mentioned avian flu. President Biden didn’t really have a plan for avian flu. Well, Brooke Rollins and I have been working with all the best people in government, including academics around the country and around the world, to have a plan ready for the president next week on what we’re going to do with avian flu. In fact, I was editing the thing with them tomorrow, but- but the final thing- and then I’ll give it back to you, I promise not to filibuster- that, the question is like, why did we do this? Why did we do this? That’s what everybody’s talking about. But the thing that I always start with when I’m looking at what we’re doing, what the President wants us to do, is, why did they do that? Why did they do that? And- and there are too many times where it feels like nobody thought about that in the press, or maybe– MARGARET BRENNAN: Oh, gosh– HASSET: –the left wing “Economist,” why did they do that? Why did Biden print so much money and cause so much inflation? Why did he do it? MARGARET BRENNAN: Oh, Kevin– HASSETT: That’s- that’s what I’m thinking about. MARGARET BRENNAN: Kevin, you know, we talked about that on “Face the Nation” quite a lot. Quite a lot. HASSETT: I don’t mean to criticize you. Okay, good for you. MARGARET BRENNAN: No, no, no. So next week, we’ll see the plan on how to get avian flu- how to get bird flu, under– HASSETT: I could talk about it right now if you’d like to, yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: –well, sure, what- what is the plan you’re going to- what are you going to do? HASSETT: Yeah, so- so again, the- the Biden plan was to just, you know, kill chickens, and they spent billions of dollars just randomly killing chickens within a perimeter where they found a sick chicken. And so you go- I just went to the grocery store. I shop for our family, in part because I love to look at prices. And there were no eggs at the store yesterday, just a few. And- and so that happened because they killed all the chickens. And so what we need to do is have better ways, with biosecurity and medication and so on, to make sure that the perimeter doesn’t have to kill the chickens. Have a better, smarter perimeter. And so having a smart perimeter is what we’re working on, and we’re finalizing the ideas about how to do that with the best scientists in government. And that’s the kind of thing that should have happened a year ago, and if it had, then egg prices would be, you know, a lot better than they are now. But the avian flu is a real thing– MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. HASSETT: –and by the way, it’s spread mostly by ducks and geese. And so- think about it, they’re killing chickens to stop the spread, but chickens don’t really fly. The- the spread is happening from the geese and the ducks. And so, why does it make any sense to have a big perimeter of dead chickens, when it’s the- the ducks and the geese that are spreading it? MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the Department of Agriculture policy has been to kill those chickens, as you know, but we’ll watch the details of that. But let’s get back to something the president said. Higher interest rates, as you know, are part of that battle against inflation that the Federal Reserve has been waging, but this past week, the President called for interest rates to be lowered. Why does he think that’s going to lower your grocery prices? KEVIN HASSETT: Well, first of all, I- I want to say that- I, just this weekend, have arranged to begin, once again, regular lunches with Jay Powell at the Federal Reserve. And Jay and I have a long and collegial relationship, and I’m going to go over there with him and the other governors. So we’re going to talk about our views about what’s going on, and listen to his and that collegiality has been going on for four years when I was here before, and the President very much values that. I think that the- the thing about– MARGARET BRENNAN: But that’s not to influence– HASSETT: –lower interest rates, no, I’m going to talk about- well, Jay is going to- Jay is an independent person. The Fed- independence is respected. And- and the point is, the President’s opinion is also- can be heard. He’s the president of the United States. But here’s the thing that I think is interesting, that if we get inflation under control, then that takes the pressure off the Fed. And one way to tell whether markets think, are we getting inflation under control, is to look at longer term interest rates that the Fed doesn’t affect directly. And if you look at it, the 10 year treasury rate has dropped about 40 basis points over the last couple of weeks while we announced our plan to control inflation. That saved the American people about $40 billion, about $40 billion, just from talking about the stuff that we’re about to do. MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay. HASSETT: It’s pretty good. MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. But the President’s statement contradicts economic policy, as you know– KEVIN HASSETT: No, inflation- no, inflation rates are already- I’m saying the interest rates are already lower by 40 basis points. So, in- interest rates are lower. The one that matters– MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re briefing the president on it. Okay– HASSETT: –the most for the economy is maybe the 5 or 10, year rate. Those the ones that matter the most. So those are down already. So the President’s right about that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Before we run out of time, I really want to make sure I get to you on tariffs– HASSETT: Okay, sure. MARGARET BRENNAN: –because there’s concern that that will add to prices, because they’ll be added on to consumers and what they pay. How are these reciprocal tariffs going to work? The President was tweeting he wants to put them on, like 175 different countries that have a VAT tax, a value added tax. KEVIN HASSETT: You know, we’re talking to leaders of other countries all the time. Last night into the wee hours of their morning and kind of a late night for me, I was talking to Minister Reynolds from the *** about this very matter. But here’s the way I’d like to think about it, that right now, U.S. companies are spending, are paying, foreign governments about $370 billion a year in tax, and foreign comp- companies are paying the U.S. government about $57 billion in tax, and a lot of it is because of the VAT. But if we didn’t have to pay the foreign government’s tax, over 10 years, it’d be about $5 trillion of tax that U.S. citizens don’t have to pay. That would more than pay for the tax cuts that we’re debating right now. And so if we get some of that money back, either through tariffs, or for, obviously, if they reduce the tariffs of that, that that’s good for Americans, it’s going to put more money in their pockets, and- and that’s what President Trump is trying to do. MARGARET BRENNAN: Kevin Hassett, I’d like to have you come back, sit at the table and talk through this in- in more detail at another time. We have to leave it there for today. HASSETT: Thanks. Happy, happy to be here. MARGARET BRENNAN: Take care. A lot more “Face the Nation” in a moment. Face The Nation Transcripts More More Source link #Transcript #Kevin #Hassett #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Feb Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2025 Daytona 500 props, odds, best bets, expert predictions: Include William Byron in NASCAR parlay picks – CBS Sports 2025 Daytona 500 props, odds, best bets, expert predictions: Include William Byron in NASCAR parlay picks – CBS Sports 2025 Daytona 500 props, odds, best bets, expert predictions: Include William Byron in NASCAR parlay picks CBS SportsNASCAR Daytona 500 race: Live updates, highlights, live leaderboard of Cup Series race Yahoo2025 Daytona 500 odds, NASCAR predictions: Best bets by proven racing expert who called last year’s winner CBS SportsDraftKings NASCAR DFS Picks for Daytona: Fantasy NASCAR Strategy and Picks for 2025 Daytona 500 Fantasy Labs Source link #Daytona #props #odds #bets #expert #predictions #Include #William #Byron #NASCAR #parlay #picks #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jannik Sinner’s tennis ban and WADA agreement reopen deep wounds in the sport Jannik Sinner’s tennis ban and WADA agreement reopen deep wounds in the sport Tennis, a sport with such a clear hierarchy of haves and have-nots that it resembles a medieval feudal system, is once again under scrutiny for its approach to fear and favor. Saturday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that it had reached a case resolution agreement with men’s world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner. Sinner will serve a three-month ban for two positive doping tests, a resolution which, its most vocal critics claim, is the latest and most egregious example of a two-tier system working in the interests of the sport’s favorites. Instead of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing scheduled for mid-April that the world thought would decide the Italian’s fate, a WADA press release delivered the verdict on the case that has dominated the top of tennis since August. Sinner will miss four ATP Masters 1,000 tournaments — the second tournament class on the tour — and lose 2,100 ranking points, but crucially he will not miss any Grand Slams. “Convenient” was a word being used a lot in tennis circles on Saturday. There were plenty of harsher ones too. “I don’t believe in a clean sport anymore,” wrote three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka on X. Feliciano Lopez, Spain’s former world No. 12, responded in defense of Sinner: “He’s taking full responsibility for the mistakes of others. A longer suspension would have made the sport cleaner? I don’t think so.” Speaking in French at the Provence Open 13 in Marseille, France, Daniil Medvedev — who Sinner beat to win the *********** Open in 2024 — said: “I hope that the next time, the players are going to be able to do that – ‘speak to WADA.’ “WADA says, ‘Well, we’ve found this, you are banned for two months,’ and you are there, you say, ‘Well, no, I want one month.’ “I hope that this is going to create a precedent by which everyone will have the opportunity to better defend themselves.” Nick Kyrgios, a vociferous critic of Sinner over the last few months, who has said that the Italian and Iga Swiatek’s doping cases were “disgusting’” for the sport, was less considered: “Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a three-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” he wrote on X. “Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.” Sinner did lose his prize money and ranking points from Indian Wells, under the initial decision of the tribunal convened by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Neither the ITIA nor WADA sought the disqualification of any further results, because neither disputed that Sinner did not intentionally dope. GO DEEPER Jannik Sinner’s doping case explained: What three-month ban, WADA settlement mean for tennis Tim Henman, the former world No. 4, told Sky Sports: “When I read the statement this morning it just seems a little bit too convenient. “Obviously having just won the *********** Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn’t have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport.” The criticisms now are similar to those from August 2024, when the ITIA and Sinner’s team announced the initial decision in his case. Whether or not Sinner was intentionally doping has not been in dispute, and in the August decision, the tribunal concluded that the quantity of clostebol in Sinner’s system did not give him any competitive advantage. WADA did not dispute this in its appeal, either. It appealed the original “no fault or negligence” verdict because, under its Anti-Doping Code, every athlete is responsible for the actions of their team, even if they are not individually culpable. Sinner accepted this, which was a pre-requisite to him being able to reach a case resolution agreement with WADA. “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love,” Sinner said in a statement Saturday. “On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3-month sanction.” WADA’s appeal to CAS has been withdrawn. In some ways, tennis is fighting for its reputation against human nature. Different players are better at the sport than others, so they win more matches, receive more prize money and get favorable court times, practice schedules, match schedules and myriad other benefits. All doping cases are different and will have different outcomes depending on the evidence submitted and the resources of the players involved – players with more resources can afford better lawyers and can more quickly make appeals or submit evidence in their favor. Both Sinner and Swiatek had provisional suspensions attached to their positive tests kept private because they successfully appealed them within a 10-day window. This is entirely in line with ITIA protocol, but lower-ranked players with less resources cannot mobilize at the same speed. None of this is conspiratorial, but it still adds to a feeling of ‘one rule for them, one rule for us’ that is baked into such a hierarchical, two-tiered sport from top to bottom. Sinner’s case resolution agreement, which a WADA spokesperson described as being “used dozens of times for cases with exceptional circumstances” in a text message sent to The Athletic, has not been seen in tennis in recent times. Jannik Sinner first discussed his case publicly at the U.S. Open in August. A tournament he won. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images) A case resolution agreement must be agreed by the athlete, WADA and the anti-doping organization (in this case the ITIA) and can be initiated by either side. Representatives from WADA, the ITIA and the Sinner camp did not confirm who initiated the agreement in this instance. It appears extraordinary. He is the world No. 1. The gap between those things gets filled with resentment. The on-court disparities that players accept because they are so clearly linked to performance spill over when integrity and fairness are under scrutiny, creating similar feelings of anger even when doping protocols are followed correctly. “I guess only the top players’ images matter,” Tara Moore, whose career-high ranking is No. 145, tweeted last August. “I guess only the independent tribunal’s opinion on the top players is taken as sound and right. Yet they question them in my case. Just makes no sense.” Moore was given a provisional suspension by the ITIA in May 2022, after she tested positive for the anabolic steroids boldenone and nandrolone. Moore did not appeal her provisional suspension; under Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) protocol, a player who does not appeal (or appeals unsuccessfully) is suspended for the duration of the subsequent investigation. Moore was exonerated when an independent tribunal convened by the ITIA ruled that she bore no fault or negligence, Where Moore’s case dragged on for 19 months, and she had to set up a GoFundMe page to pay her legal bills, Sinner can afford to retain lawyers for as long as is required. “We spoke to ITIA about this case (and others) multiple times,” said Romain Rosenberg, deputy executive director of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) via WhatsApp on Saturday. “And their main point is that ‘every case is different’ so there can’t be a uniform process. “But that’s exactly what’s creating the injustice. It’s opening the door for tailored deals (provided that they have any interest in you as a player of course). Furthering the injustice for lower ranked players with lesser financial means.” The PTPA recently announced a program giving tennis players access to pro-bono legal support from two global firms, designed to mitigate some of the disparity in representation, but other resources are also important in doping cases. When Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August, she provided evidence that it came from a contaminated dose of melatonin — sold as a medication, not a supplement, which affected her potential punishment — by submitting her container and a sealed container from the same manufacturer for laboratory testing. She missed three events while provisionally suspended, costing her the world No. 1 ranking, but the perception reigned that her ultimate ban of one month, imposed during the off-season, was hardly a punishment at all. The ITIA points to players with nothing like the fame of Sinner and Swiatek receiving quick verdicts, because of the evidence presented in their cases. Marco Bortolotti, an Italian doubles player with a career-high ranking of No. 87, avoided a ban last year when, like Sinner, it was agreed that he bore no fault or negligence for his adverse analytical finding (AAF) for clostebol. Nikola Bartunkova, a promising 18-year-old tennis player from the Czech Republic, was given and accepted a six-month no significant fault or negligence ban in November when she was able to prove that the TMZ found in her system that February and March came from a contaminated supplement. The irony in this case is that WADA’s intervention is partly about precedent. Had Sinner’s case been left as it was, a precedent would be set that athletes can be exonerated entirely from the culpability of the teams that they hire, possibly weakening the strict liability principle which is fundamental to WADA’s code. The terms of its involvement have instead inadvertently entrenched the perception that the star names are dealt with more lightly. Terms like “agreement,” especially, aren’t strong rejoinders to any feeling that Sinner’s and Swiatek’s cases were a bit too cosy even when they were conducted according to protocol. GO DEEPER What players’ reaction to Sinner’s doping case says about their trust in their sport Sinner, who described his case as having been hanging over him, can now move forward with a degree of certainty. For tennis, it now feels like open season on the topic of preferential treatment, with the tensions lurking below the surface of the sport boiling over once again — and more frequently than before. Ahead of January’s *********** Open, Kyrgios said that he would love to face Sinner, adding: “I would just get every single person in the crowd to get on him. I would just turn it into an absolute riot.” Earlier this week, the U.S. Open confirmed that its mixed doubles event would now prioritize singles ranking for entry, making it essentially off-limits for doubles specialists unless they are given wildcards. The gloves were quickly off, with last year’s champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, calling the tournament’s new format “a profound injustice” and “a pseudo-exhibition.” The USTA said: “We understand and are sympathetic to the feedback from doubles specialists. We acknowledge that change is difficult, however overall we believe this reimagined Mixed Doubles Championship will elevate mixed doubles with a ******* spotlight and provide a greater opportunity to inspire more people to play and grow the sport.” This feeling of injustice at the preferential treatment of elites is a subject that resonates with many — both inside and outside of the sport. In November, Conor Niland’s “The Racket” was the first tennis book to win the ***’s prestigious William Hill prize for the world’s best sporting book of the year. Niland is a former world No. 129 whose book details the reality of life for players in that area of the tennis food chain. He outlines the chasm that exists between those at his sort of level and the royalty at the top who are fawned over to such an extent that they sometimes invent requests just to give their courtiers something to do. In an interview with The Athletic in December, he described doping cases as a “perfect example” of why tennis is perceived to be a two-tier sport. “The fact that they’re able to announce to the world on their terms on their own Instagram page … Tennis has a bad habit of thinking the very best players in the sport are the sport and that they’re ******* than the sport. It’s the way these things are managed and the feeling that it’s the haves and the have-nots,” he said. For many, this would have felt extremely pertinent on Saturday as they digested the Sinner news. Tennis once again faces a crisis of perception having followed its own rules, and this two-tiered resentment does not look likely to fade away any time soon. (Top photo: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images) Source link #Jannik #Sinners #tennis #ban #WADA #agreement #reopen #deep #wounds #sport Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Vic on the hunt for a new top cop after Patton bows out Vic on the hunt for a new top cop after Patton bows out Victoria will begin the hunt for a new top cop after Shane Patton called time on a 45-year policing career, following a no-confidence vote. Source link #Vic #hunt #top #cop #Patton #bows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rosenthal: When the Red Sox drafted Alex ‘Bergman’ in 2012, plus more MLB notes Rosenthal: When the Red Sox drafted Alex ‘Bergman’ in 2012, plus more MLB notes The morning after Alex Bregman made his free-agent decision, Fred Petersen sent a text to his former boss with the Boston Red Sox, Amiel Sawdaye. “We got BERGMAN,” Petersen wrote. With that, a running joke between those who were with the Red Sox when the team drafted Bregman in 2012 came full circle. Sawdaye, now an assistant general manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks, was the Sox’s amateur scouting director when the Sox chose Bregman out of Albuquerque (N.M.) Academy in the 29th round. Petersen, who at the time was a crosschecker and remains with the club as an area scout, was announcing the names of the team’s later picks on the conference call set up by the league. “Part of the shtick was that I would do this AM-FM radio voice,” Petersen recalled. “Ami (Sawdaye) was down the hall and he literally flew into the room, screaming, ‘You ****—-! You can’t do that! You’re embarrassing the club!” And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ He pointed at the card. ‘Oh, it’s Bregman. My bad.’” Sawdaye said no one listening to the picks on MLB.com actually could hear “Bergman”; the only audible voice was of the MLB official repeating the selection. But that didn’t stop Sawdaye from jokingly accusing Petersen, for more than a decade, of blowing the Red Sox’s chance to sign Bregman out of high school. “Ami said — and I don’t know if this is true or not — that when he called (Bregman) to congratulate him on being a Red Sox selection, that Alex was all ******* off. ‘I can’t believe guys would mispronounce my name. It’s bush league. I have no respect for the Red Sox.’ He relays that to me and of course I’m feeling like a real jerk. “I just misread the card.” Bregman, in a text, said he was not aware of Petersen’s miscue. Sawdaye said Petersen “deep down” knows he has been kidding all this time. But Petersen countered, “Ami hasn’t been here for 10 years and it still comes up. ‘Who is he going to mispronounce now?’” The truth was, the Red Sox ran out of money to sign Bregman. The 2012 draft was the first with a soft cap on teams’ signing-bonus pools. The Red Sox selected another shortstop, Deven Marrero, with their top pick, the 24th choice overall. They also committed sizable bonuses to two other high picks, left-hander Brian Johnson and right-hander Ty Buttrey. After that, they were pretty much tapped out. Still, the Red Sox were enamored with Bregman, who Sawdaye said might have gone in the first three rounds if he had not missed his senior year after breaking his right middle finger on a bad hop off a fungo. When Bregman was a junior, the Sox were the first team to work him out privately, at the urging of their area scout in New Mexico, Matt Mahoney. Sawdaye had flown to Albuquerque, only intending to see the catcher the Sox eventually would draft No. 26 overall, Blake Swihart. He had never heard of Bregman, who was a childhood friend of Swihart’s, a year younger and undersized. But that season, Bregman set a New Mexico state record with 19 home runs. “He’s small,” Mahoney told Sawdaye, “but he hits bombs.” Bregman proved that description accurate during his joint workout with Swihart. Sawdaye remembered that workout even after Bregman missed his senior year. And after Bregman recovered from his finger injury, another Red Sox scout, Jim Robinson, went to see him play in a summer event. “Jimmy calls me. He’s like, ‘Wait, we can sign this guy?’” Sawdaye recalled. “And I said, ‘I don’t know if we can sign him. We can try. We don’t have much money left.’ If this was 2011 when there was no pool, we would have signed him easy. I still remember him telling me: ‘This guy is the best shortstop in the class.’” That class included Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Addison Russell, but Bregman went to LSU, where he wore No. 30 as a freshman to remind himself of the number of teams that declined to draft him in the first round. The Red Sox strongly considered drafting him again in 2015, but Bregman went second overall to the Houston Astros, and the Sox chose outfielder Andrew Benintendi with the seventh pick. For so long, Bregman was the one who got away. But no more. In his text exchange with Sawdaye after Bregman agreed to join the Sox, Petersen recalled his mispronunciation once again, saying, “Not sure if you wanted to fire me or hit me, but I’ve never seen you so *******.” Sawdaye couldn’t resist another jab. “It’s why he was never a Red Sox,” Sawdaye said. Cubs flailing and failing Cubs owner Tom Ricketts authorized the fourth-largest offer Alex Bregman received during his free-agency negotiations. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) Theo Epstein famously used the phrase, “If not now, when?” to justify the Chicago Cubs’ trade for Aroldis Chapman during the 2016 season. Epstein, then the Cubs’ president of baseball operations, was trying to end a 108-year title drought. Nine years later, the Cubs’ position is not as urgent, but the availability of Bregman amounted to a new opportunity. The team, after years of exerting financial discipline and making a win-now trade for Kyle Tucker, had every reason to revive Epstein’s mantra from 2016 in its pursuit of Bregman. Instead, owner Tom Ricketts authorized an offer that was only Bregman’s fourth highest in total guaranteed money: four years, $115 million, with opt-outs after the second and third years, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. The Red Sox made the big-market push the Cubs backed away from, signing Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract with opt-outs after the first and second years. The deferrals in the deal lowered its present-day value to $95.1 million, or slightly more than half of the $182 million the San Francisco Giants committed to shortstop ****** Adames. At the start of the offseason, few would have predicted such an outcome between Adames and Bregman. In a relative sense, Bregman turned out to be something of a bargain. Yet the Cubs, who would have deferred only a portion of Bregman’s signing bonus, according to a source who briefed Mooney on the negotiations, still fell short. The Cubs in 2023 were top five in both revenue and franchise value, according to Forbes. But their current estimated luxury-tax payroll ranks 14th, according to Baseball Prospectus. They potentially are wasting what likely will be their only season with Tucker, who would have benefited from the addition of Bregman to the lineup. If Ricketts couldn’t land Bregman on a short deal, why should anyone expect him to keep Tucker long-term? It’s not as if Ricketts’ payroll commitments are suffocating. Only two Cubs are under contract past 2026: left-hander Shota Imanaga (through 2027 if he exercises player options) and shortstop Dansby Swanson (signed through 2029). The team is more than $31 million under the luxury-tax threshold and possibly could have remained under even if it had signed Bregman, through deferrals or other moves. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, however, told reporters the organization “philosophically” has avoided the kinds of large-scale deferrals other teams employ. These words from Hoyer, regarding his case to ownership for Bregman, were telling: “I realize this is a financial stretch above our budget, but I realize this is the moment to do it.” The Cubs are projected to win a weakened NL Central even without Bregman, but his addition might have sealed the deal. He was a better fit for their roster than he is for Boston’s. And by getting him on a short deal, the Cubs could have given additional development time to third-base prospect Matt Shaw. If not now, when? Lately, with Ricketts, the answer seems to be “never.” Jesse’s back — again! Jesse Chavez finished 2024 with a 3.13 ERA over 63 1/3 innings. (Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images) Entering his 18th season, Texas Rangers reliever Jesse Chavez is in position to accomplish an incredible feat. When Chavez turns 42 on Aug. 21, his age will match the round in which he was drafted — the 42nd, by the Rangers, out of Riverside (Ca.) City College, in 2002. Let’s see The Athletic’s Jayson Stark find another player who was drafted in as low a round and still was pitching in the majors at that age. It surely won’t happen again, because the draft now only consists of 20 rounds. Chavez is in Rangers camp on a minor-league contract. His career not only is coming full circle in his fourth stint with the organization, but he also has fulfilled the prophecy of his former coach at Riverside, Dennis Rogers. Chavez said that while he was in school, Rogers told him he would pitch until he was 40. “I thought he was full of s—,” Chavez said. Rogers, though, said he saw a number of signs that Chavez was capable of a long career. Flashes of velocity as a freshman. A low-stress delivery. A fearless approach. And perhaps more than anything, “a psychological toolbox that many people didn’t have.” “We talk about being mentally in tune,” said Rogers, who spent 26 years as Riverside’s coach and has remained a professor of kinesiology in the past nine. “He was already there as an 18-19-20-21-year old. It just grew and grew. He had repairable mental skills. He could repair on the fly, whatever he saw.” In 2003, Rogers was doubling as manager of the Oakland A’s rookie-ball team in Vancouver when he crossed paths with Chavez, who was in his first year of pro ball with the Rangers’ organization. “Hey coach, watch me play long toss,” Chavez said. Rogers obliged. “It was the farthest I had ever seen anybody throw with no stress,” Rogers said. Rogers, 73, recalls telling Chavez he could pitch “forever” without mentioning a specific age. “Forever” will not happen. Chavez said this is his final season. He told his wife, Crystal, and three daughters, 21, 15 and 9, that he had one more year left in his body. And they responded, “If that’s the case, let’s do it.” Angels: No insurance on Rendon Adding insult to injury, the Los Angeles Angels do not have insurance on third baseman Anthony Rendon or any other player, according to sources familiar with the club’s policy. The reason: Owner Arte Moreno does not wish to incur the additional cost. Moreno hardly is alone in his thinking. A number of other clubs choose not to purchase insurance. But with Rendon, who signed a seven-year, $245 million free-agent contract before the 2020 season, insurance would have been a wise choice. Rendon, 34, is expected to miss the entire season recovering from hip surgery. If indeed he is out all year, he will have appeared in only 25.3 percent of the Angels’ games over five seasons. The team owes him $38.6 million in 2025 and another $38.6 million in ‘26. The deductible for teams that purchase insurance generally ranges from 60 days to one year. Premiums and benefits vary depending on a player’s injury history. But one industry source briefed on players’ insurance policies estimates the Angels might have received a net benefit of at least $50 million on Rendon. (Top photo of Alex Bregman: Kevin M. Cox / Associated Press) Source link #Rosenthal #Red #Sox #drafted #Alex #Bergman #MLB #notes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Increased Luck Will Unexpectedly Strike Increased Luck Will Unexpectedly Strike As the heavens turn, we leave one zodiac sign season for another. When the Sun becomes submerged in the deep seas of Pisces on Feb. 18, we will be eager to explore our hidden depths, intuition and emotional natures. The month ahead will amp up the cosmic energy even more since we’re now inching our way toward eclipse season. With lunar and solar eclipse on the horizon, destined turning points could be upon us bringing new beginnings and endings our way. As we march forward each day, we can feel an increasing crackle in the air, so pay extra close attention to your intuition. Jupiter (the planet of expansion) is now awake and gaining speed, allowing us the potential to see a hint of blessings increasing in our lives. Each zodiac sign will be granted a glimmer in a particular area of their life, so seize the day and focus on where your luck will be! As for cosmic energy this week, Feb. 20 is the most active day of the week. We could feel particularly excited, social and optimistic. Use this energy to meet new people or have big conversations. Above all, though, don’t let your ego get too inflated! Keep yourself grounded. Read on for what the stars have in store for your zodiac sign this week. Related: The Ultimate 2025 Horoscope Predictions for Each Zodiac Sign, According to a Celebrity Astrologer Aries (March 20-April 19) Aries Life is back in the fast lane, Aries. There’s a social vibe once again! In the months ahead, expect more growth around your friendships, as well as a faster pace in your daily affairs. Note that there is also more luck favoring you when it comes to your ideas, too. For instance, some of you may become more involved in communication or intellectual pursuits. Travel may be on your docket more than usual. Learning, writing, speaking and opening your mind to vast new possibilities will be perfect ways to harness this energy. Last, note that more luck could come to you from siblings, neighbors or close friends. Taurus (April 19-May 20) Taurus Prosperity is back on the table, Taurus! In the months ahead, you’re likely to see your nest egg increase. Consider ways you can monetize more. This may be a good time to find a new job, raise your rates or ask for more hours on the job. On a separate note, you could instead be attracting beautiful and luxurious new possessions. Indulgence will be particularly gratifying, just be mindful not to overdo it! Gemini (May 20-June 20) Gemini Last year, Gemini, you felt a surge of many opportunities presenting themselves to you. A new chapter has arrived, and you could be venturing forth on that same new chapter either personally or professionally once again now. This is a paramount ******* to pursue expansion, growth and abundance in all forms. You could likely achieve at least one lifelong milestone in the months ahead if you work swiftly now. ******* (June 20-July 22) ******* You’ve been in a slower ******* of life, *******, one filled with more stillness and solitude. This isn’t a bad thing, though! In fact, you’ve likely been daydreaming vast and inspiring visions of the years to come. Note that your intuition, dreams and psychic abilities are especially powerful now. The universe is speaking to you in riddles, synchronicities and mysteries. Your spiritual connection to the divine may also increase. Related: The Year of the Snake Signals Radical Transformation for These 4 ******** Zodiac Signs Leo (July 22-Aug. 22) Leo Life has been especially active and vibrant in the past year, Leo. It likely felt a bit more fast-paced, too. The energy is shifting for you and you’re seeing increased luck when you join groups and communities, circulate among friends or pursue the expansion of your network. Soulmate platonic connections could fill your life. You may also find that in the months ahead, you form vibrant memories with your pals. This is a crucial time to look at the vision board of your heart’s greatest desires and start to race toward them like you’re chasing the sunrise. Virgo (Aug. 22-Sept. 22) Virgo Stars will be in your professional favor now and in the months ahead, Virgo. Finding more success, recognition and glory could be top priorities for you at this time. Consider your strategic actions to climb the corporate ladder, impress V.I.P.s or court attention in the limelight. Launching a major endeavor could fare well now. On a separate note, if you’re unfulfilled in your professional world, you may look for a new career path. Libra (Sept. 22-Oct. 22) Libra The months ahead will put you back into the fast line with opportunities for more adventures, Libra. At least one of the following themes will bring you more joy: travel, culture, academia, spirituality, media or legalities. If these aren’t your priorities, though, you could simply find yourself becoming fascinated with more expression, philosophies and new experiences. Regardless, the more that you step out of your comfort zone, the more you will find freedom and laughter. Related: February Brings Challenges Around Decision-Making and These 3 Zodiac Signs Will Face Their Biggest Test Yet Scorpio (Oct. 22-Nov. 21) Scorpio The universe is bringing you opportunities for more closeness and growth, Scorpio. You will feel more supported by the cosmos. This may take the shape of more trust, fairness and assets falling in your favor (think wealth!). This could be a vital moment to build your assets, investments, stocks or portfolio. Consider discussing these matters with an accountant or advisor and you could win big in the end. On a separate note, this energy could bring luck around a line of credit or inheritance. Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Sagittarius The heavens are aligned with your relationships, Sagittarius. Union, commitment and working side by side will bring you great joy. A soulmate partner — in love, business or collaboration — could be here for you. If you’re looking for a perfect match, know what you’re seeking and get out there! If you are already in a key relationship, though, you may find that you’re building in perfect tandem as you reach toward personal and professional goals. Negotiations and contracts could also favor you in the months to come. Capricorn (Dec. 21-Jan. 19) Capricorn While you always tend to be productive, Capricorn, you’re back in the fast lane! You aren’t afraid of long work sessions, especially because you feel so satisfied seeing yourself get ahead. Note that employment, routines and physical health are likely to improve and thrive in the months ahead. Assess your work and life balance, as well as how you can handle all of your irons in the fire. Consider getting on a better diet or fitness regimen. If seeking more clients or a better job, hunt now! Related: Your February Love Horoscope Is Full of Unexpected Romances and These 3 Zodiac Signs Are Feeling the Chemistry Aquarius (Jan. 19-Feb. 18) Aquarius Magic is back on the menu for you, Aquarius! Note that there will be many opportunities for romance, fertility, creativity and pleasure in the months to come. A romantic soulmate connection could be around the corner, fulfilling you on levels more deeply than ever before. If already coupled up, you could find that you’re igniting passion within one another more sweetly than you have in ages. Let yourself pursue your heart’s desires and the world will reward you. Pisces (Feb. 18-March 20) Pisces In the months ahead, Pisces, extra luck can be found in your roots, traditions and domestic life. Home and family may bring you a greater sense of joy and peace. For instance, you could be moving, renovating, redecorating or finding gorgeous possessions for your living space. Connecting with your kindred will be magnificent now. If you’d like to get closer to your family or parents, the months ahead could provide the opportunity to do so. Read the original article on People Source link #Increased #Luck #Unexpectedly #Strike Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Remembering Dikembe Mutombo: All-Star record setter and ‘phenomenal human being’ Remembering Dikembe Mutombo: All-Star record setter and ‘phenomenal human being’ SAN FRANCISCO — There’s a shared skill among former NBA stars who played from 1991 to 2009. Many of them can do a solid imitation of the Dikembe Mutombo finger wag. After all, they saw the original up close. Vernon Maxwell, a longtime guard, does a particularly strong version by adding the subtle trash talk few fans ever heard. Dropping into a deep voice Friday, the Florida native shifted into his version of a Congolese accent, wagged his index finger like a scolding schoolmaster and said: “Maxey, you better stay outta here. … Don’t come back down here.” The key to the bit is to keep a wide smile behind the menacing finger. That’s how Mutombo did it. “He had a Cookie Monster laugh,” Jerome Williams, a nine-year NBA vet, said Friday. “Everybody knew he was having fun all the time. Those things just brought people to him.” Mutombo, the charismatic 7-foot-2 center who registered 3,289 blocked shots — second only to Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830) in NBA history — died of brain ******* on Sept. 30. He was 58. The Basketball 100 The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest plays in NBA history. Buy Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center marks the first gathering of basketball’s greats since his passing. It’s an apt venue for Mutombo memories, as he was a marvelous All-Star Game performer. He set an All-Star Game record with 19 defensive rebounds and three blocks during the 2001 game in Atlanta. The eight-time All-Star had four blocks at the 1995 game in Phoenix — as an injury replacement for Cedric Ceballos. We put one question to his contemporaries during a meeting at the Retired Basketball Players Association in a San Francisco hotel ballroom: What do you think about when you think about Dikembe Mutombo? Antonio Davis, power forward/center, 1994-2006 Davis was a starter on the East squad that benefited from Mutombo’s record-setting 19 defensive boards (and 22 total) at the 2001 All-Star Game. It didn’t take much to jar his memory. “Dikembe was really instrumental in us winning that game,” Davis said. A West team led by Kobe Bryant ushered an 89-70 lead into the fourth quarter, so East coach Larry Brown shifted gears late in the game in a way that banked on Mutombo’s unique skill set. “Larry Brown decided in those last six minutes, or whatever it was, that we were going to win that game,” Davis recalled. “At that point, everybody kinda checked their egos and said, ‘OK, what do we need to do?’ Larry decided to go with Dikembe and, really, four guards. When you’ve got Allen Iverson on your team and you’ve got these other guys pushing the ball up the floor and making things happen … they had no answer for that. “He just told Dikembe: ‘Listen, all we need you to do is rebound and block shots.’ It all just kind of came together, and it was a beautiful thing.” The East roared back to win 111-110, outscoring the West 41-21 in the fourth quarter. Davis likes to tell modern players that they’re lucky they didn’t play in an era when dominating centers roamed the earth. “I try to tell them, ‘You guys don’t have that night in and night out, where a guy like Dikembe is protecting the basketball at all angles,” he said. “You see these guys come flying in for all these dunks and all that? That wouldn’t have happened! Not with that guy!” Mutombo was a special player and a special person, particularly off the court. Mutombo’s humanitarian efforts towered above his basketball career. “Dikembe was, first of all, a phenomenal human being,” Davis said. “I lived in Atlanta. I attended a few of his events when he was raising money for special causes. I just remember him more off the court than I do on the court because of that wonderful work. It hurts to lose a man like that, especially a brother in this basketball community.” Mutombo, in 2013, assisted with the NBA FIT All-Star Youth Celebration in Houston. (Brett Davis / USA Today) Jerome Williams, power forward, 1997-2005 You wouldn’t figure a player nicknamed “Junkyard Dog” would need reassurance. But he was glad Mutombo was by his side. “If you were with him,” he said, “you had nothing to worry about.” That calming presence proved invaluable during a trip to Botswana. They were at a campsite late one night when someone in the group started listing the predators out in the darkness. “They said, ‘Yeah, there’s hyenas out here, a few leopards,” Williams recalled. “They were naming all these animals, and Dikembe’s just like, ‘Don’t worry, Jerome. If they eat somebody, they eat me first.’” Williams laughed at the memory. “I told him, ‘No they wouldn’t! You’re too big for that! They’re going to run from you!’” Williams, like Mutombo, played college ball at Georgetown. He remains forever grateful for the fraternity of big men that forged a bond back then. He said Mutombo helped to pursue his dreams with summertime runs with fellow Georgetown alums Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning. Williams said he and Mutombo often ended up on the same team. Mutombo taught Williams that the art of shot blocking was using the “off arm” to disrupt the shooter. “Hit ’em first, and then you go up and block the shot. That was his trademark,” Williams said. “His arm length was God-given, but nobody could block shots like Dikembe. That’s why he’s a Hall of Famer.” More than anything, Williams remembers the trips to Africa. In 2007, he opened a hospital in Kinshasa, just outside of his hometown, and named it after his mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo. The 300-bed facility has treated more than half a million patients. Mutombo funded $15 million of the $29 million project. “That was a huge task. To have a guy like that, with that type of passion for reaching back, was great to see,” Williams said. “He’s the only person I would have gone to Africa with because he didn’t treat you like you were a guest. He treated you like you were a part of his family, which made you feel like you were a part of the African society family.” Williams treasures a photo of himself as an honorary Zulu tribe member, along with fellow NBA players such as Darvin Ham and Marcus Camby. “That’s what Dikembe did,” Williams said. “He accepted you where you were and made you feel like family.” Vernon Maxwell, guard, 1989-2001 Maxwell was born in September 1965. Mutombo was born nine months later. But Mutombo’s wisdom and worldliness seemed to warp time. “It just felt like he was way older than me,” Maxwell recalled. “Great father, great ballplayer. But the ballplayer stuff, that was just icing on the cake. I mean, he was just a great man.” As a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard, Maxwell never had to bang in the paint with Mutombo like other NBA alumni. But as someone who would drive the lane, Maxwell respected how the big man understood his craft. “He just always knew the timing of the block,” he said. “You’ve got to be good off the feet, jump off the feet quick. And then, you’ve got to have long arms. He did that all his career. That’s what he was, an intimidator.” Did he ever get you? Maxwell laughed. “Aww, yeah,” he said. “He got everybody.” That meant Maxwell’s been a victim of Mutombo’s signature finger wag. But, like others, he recalled being more amused by it than annoyed. As a testament to his character, Mutombo could seem endearing, even while showboating. “He was just a likeable guy, on and off the floor,” Maxwell said. A Denver Nuggets staff member wore a shirt in reference to Dikembe Mutombo shortly after his death in 2024. (Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images) Cliff Robinson, center/power forward, 1979-89, 1991-92 Listed at 6-foot-9, the career of the player nicknamed “Tree Top” — who played 11 NBA seasons with six teams — overlapped with Mutombo for a short time. They were two large ships passing in the night. Robinson played only a handful of games during his final season, 1991-92, which was Mutombo’s rookie season. Still, they became friends. When asked about Mutombo, Robinson reached for his phone and scrolled until he found a photo of them smiling together. “I love that man,” Robinson said. “That’s my dude right there.” Because he was a tad older, Robinson grew up hearing shot-blocking wisdom from Bill Russell, the Hall of Famer who would be way up on the all-time blocks list if they had counted them through all of his pro days. In Mutombo, Robinson said, Russell had a worthy heir. “I remember hearing Bill Russell talking over the years and saying, ‘Shoot, these guys block shots, but it goes out of bounds.’ And he took issue with that. Mutombo was able to block it and keep it in bounds.” Mutombo led the NBA in blocks three times and was a six-time All-Defensive Team selection. But the more Robinson talked, though, the less that rebounding, blocks or anything else in the stat sheet compared to Mutombo’s larger imprint. “It wasn’t about basketball with him. It was about life. It was about helping people,” Robinson said. “He used basketball just to get things so he could help more people.” (Photo: Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for Concordia Summit) Source link #Remembering #Dikembe #Mutombo #AllStar #record #setter #phenomenal #human Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Captain America’ Box Office: ‘Brave New World’ Opens to Bullish $100M in U.S., $192M Globally – Hollywood Reporter ‘Captain America’ Box Office: ‘Brave New World’ Opens to Bullish $100M in U.S., $192M Globally – Hollywood Reporter ‘Captain America’ Box Office: ‘Brave New World’ Opens to Bullish $100M in U.S., $192M Globally Hollywood ReporterDisney Calls ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ 4-Day At $100M Opening – Box Office Update Deadline‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Has The MCU’s Lowest Cinemascore Ever Forbes’Captain America: Brave New World’ teases Marvel future in post-credits scene USA TODAYWhy is the Red Hulk red? Polygon Source link #Captain #America #Box #Office #Brave #World #Opens #Bullish #100M #U.S #192M #Globally #Hollywood #Reporter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Team USA beat Canada to clinch berth in 4 Nations Face-Off final: Takeaways How Team USA beat Canada to clinch berth in 4 Nations Face-Off final: Takeaways MONTREAL — Team USA, riding the surge of three first-******* fights in the opening nine seconds, claimed a 3-1 win over Team Canada on Saturday at the Bell Centre. Matthew Tkachuk started the fisticuffs against Brandon Hagel. Brother Brady Tkachuk followed with a tilt against Sam Bennett. J.T. Miller completed the set by fighting Colton Parayko. According to Brady Tkachuk, he and his brother were among the participants in a Saturday group chat that discussed the possibility of off-the-drop fisticuffs. Matthew Tkachuk started it by asking Hagel to fight. “Had to send a message,” Matthew said. “We’re here in Montreal on a Saturday night. We want it to be our time. That’s the message sent right from the get-go.” Brady felt like he had no choice but to follow. “Matthew’s fight to start it off was just such an energy boost,” Brady said. “I think I was more excited, more nervous than my own. Then Millsy to cap it off, to (go) against a big guy like that, he did a great job. It was a pretty awesome experience.” Jake Guentzel does not get involved in such confrontations. Nevertheless, he enjoyed it. “That was just unbelievable,” said the skilled forward. “The start of the game, that was pretty electric, getting the fans into it. Hats off to those guys. It just gets you into the game. You’re already into the game, but just seeing those guys go out like that, that was pretty cool. Everyone just ramped up even more.” Meanwhile, the Americans stifled the explosive Canada offense by limiting the Canadians to 26 shots. Connor Hellebuyck, playing his signature technically sound game, stopped 25 shots, including a Connor McDavid high-slot chance in the third to keep it 2-1. “It’s pretty cool to see all the best players in the country chipping pucks in the third, blocking shots and doing the little things that count,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “I had a front-row seat for it. It was pretty cool to see the buy-in from everybody. You’re seeing some of the best players in the world doing it. I think it speaks volumes to what type of character we have on that team. Growing up, it’s kind of instilled in us.” Team USA, with six points, has earned a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game on Thursday. Matthew Tkachuk injured Tkachuk was limited in the third *******. The winger stayed on the U.S. bench, but he did not take a single shift since 7:24 of the third. It was one of three shifts for the power forward in the third *******. Matthew Tkachuk just told the coaching staff he couldn’t go, according to Ray Ferarro pic.twitter.com/d2WOHKuDyr — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 16, 2025 Tkachuk did not disclose what he was dealing with in the third. It’s unknown whether he’ll be available for the Americans’ game against Sweden on Monday. Coach Mike Sullivan classified it as a lower-body injury. “Felt good,” said Tkachuk. “Feels way better after a win. Should be good.” Larkin emerges in second Dylan Larkin started the tournament as America’s No. 4 right wing. He will not be back there anytime soon. Larkin, promoted to third-line center against Canada, was electric in the second *******. He nearly executed an inside-out move in front of Jordan Binnington, but rang his shot off the left post. Larkin made up for his miss later in the second. The Americans made a stout play in the defensive zone. Matt Boldy picked off a Sidney Crosby pass to initiate a two-on-one rush for Larkin and Miller. Meanwhile, Thomas Harley had gone off the ice for a change after getting the puck into the offensive zone. With only Travis Sanheim back for Canada, Larkin pushed the pace and whistled a shot on net, never even looking at Miller as an option. Larkin’s shot sizzled through Jordan Binnington, giving the Americans a 2-1 lead. USA TAKES THE LEAD #4Nations : ABC & @ESPNPlus : @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/XwYDc9Snxk — NHL (@NHL) February 16, 2025 Limited offense for Canada The Canadians had 26 shots, but not enough of high quality, especially from the top six. Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner had one shot each. Crosby had none. “It was tough to generate offense both ways,” said McDavid (three shots). “Two teams that have got a lot of respect for each other offensively, and it comes down to a shot. I think that’s the way we expected it to go.” Quiet but steady play from Slavin Jaccob Slavin does not have the dynamic offensive game of Zach Werenski. But Slavin, the steady left-shot defenseman, led the Americans with 17:28 of ice time through two periods. The stay-at-homer was on the ice for both of his team’s goals. Slavin is not the fastest skater either. But he is smart positionally and has a good stick. McDavid vs. McAvoy Charlie McAvoy is one of the league’s stouter defenders. But McAvoy was helpless against Connor McDavid’s ludicrous speed. In the first *******, after taking an outlet pass in the neutral zone from Drew Doughty, McDavid punched the turbos, blew past McAvoy and catapulted a backhander over Hellebuyck for the game’s opening goal. McAvoy seemed to take it personally. Later in the first, McAvoy dropped McDavid with a hip check, then shoved his head toward the ice. On the following shift, McAvoy thumped McDavid along the boards. McAvoy and partner Werenski were tasked with matching McDavid, Sam Reinhart and Marner. “That also is a message-sending moment,” Matthew Tkachuk said of McAvoy flattening McDavid. “Probably one of the plays of the game. They just scored a goal. The building was rocking. Charlie comes in there and he pops McDavid. Like, one of the hardest hits I’ve seen. I thought we did a great job of handling our emotions and hitting when possible. I thought Charlie was incredible tonight.” Binnington shaky early Jake Guentzel approached with pace off the rush. He took a tape-to-tape pass from Jack Eichel. But Guentzel was outside the left dot when he released a 22-foot shot. Most goalies stop such shots with ease. But Jordan Binnington let Guentzel’s shot slip through his pads, tying the game at 1-1. It was a shot Binnington had to stop. While it was Guentzel’s goal, Eichel created the chance. The center stripped Devon Toews in the defensive zone and rapidly carried the puck through the neutral zone. Eichel has been the Americans’ best transition center. Makar out, Harley in Cale Makar did not play against the U.S. because he was sick. Harley, added to Canada’s roster, replaced Makar on defense. Harley took Makar’s usual spot next to Devon Toews. Brad Marchand served as the No. 2 alternate captain in Makar’s place. McDavid is the other alternate. Marchand played with Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis. Bennett replaced Travis Konecny. Healthy scratches Chris Kreider, Jake Sanderson and Jeremy Swayman were the healthy scratches for the Americans. They were also out of uniform against Finland in the tournament opener. Konecny and Sam Montembeault were the healthy scratches for Canada. Sullivan knows Crosby best There is no coach who knows Crosby better than Mike Sullivan. So whatever the Team Canada captain does, such as set up his team’s winning overtime goal in the tournament opener, is no surprise to Sullivan. “He’s a big-game player,” said the Team USA coach. “I’ve witnessed it firsthand for a decade now. Sid tends to be at his best when the stakes are high. That’s what I witnessed the other night. I anticipate he’ll be at his best against us.” (Photo of Dylan Larkin: Andre Ringuette / 4NFO / World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images) Source link #Team #USA #beat #Canada #clinch #berth #Nations #FaceOff #final #Takeaways Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How well do you know the nation’s favourite soap? How well do you know the nation’s favourite soap? How well do you know the ***’s favourite soap? As EastEnders celebrates 40 years of Albert Square drama, do you consider yourself Queen of the Vic when it comes to EastEnders knowledge, or is it last orders for you and time to “Get outta’ my pub!”? Take our quiz and find out. Source link #nations #favourite #soap Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The best Victor Wembanyama cards to collect: Rookie cards and where to find his autographs The best Victor Wembanyama cards to collect: Rookie cards and where to find his autographs There are some athletes who at a young age simply seem destined to achieve greatness, and Victor Wembanyama is one of them. I haven’t seen the basketball card hobby this exited about a player’s rookie cards since LeBron James’ NBA debut in 2003. Collectors are buying up cards of the San Antonio Spurs’ center with hopes that he becomes the best big man of all-time. And so far, his sky-high potential has translated into strong production on the court, winning the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Award by unanimous decision. So what are the best options when it comes to collecting Victor Wembanyama trading cards? Here are our picks. Top pick (full recommendations below) 2023 Panini Donruss Optic #225 Holo rookie card Wembanyama’s 2023-24 Donruss Optic #225 Holo parallel rookie card is my best value recommendation based on scarcity in gem mint grades and price (currently about $300 in a PSA 10 grade). Optic’s connection to the historic Donruss brand and its iconic “Rated Rookie” logo that adorns the cards of first-year players makes it especially appealing to collectors. Holo parallel cards radiate a rainbow-like sparkle and are one of the most desired variations for basketball rookies because of their more limited supply compared to base cards. Things to know before buying The value of sports cards can fluctuate for various reasons such as condition, print runs, or graded population. Other factors that can cause prices to go up or down include player performance, market trends, and health of the wider economy. The secondary sales market for individual cards of a given sport generally hits its lowest point during the offseason (in other words, you can usually find better prices in the offseason than during the season). My recommendations are not an attempt to promote specific investment behavior or trading advice, but to guide and inform readers about popular and unique cards that are celebrated by the sports card community. While the demand for Wembanyama cards is currently very high — he was among the 10 most searched athletes on eBay every month in 2024 — so is the supply. Even though he is just in his second year in the NBA, Wembanyama already has the sixth highest total population of graded cards all-time among athletes across all sports, with more than Derek Jeter or Tom Brady, according to Gemrate, which tracks graded card populations. Ultimately, the best cards to collect are always the ones you will personally enjoy most, regardless of whether they go up or down in value. The recommendations below should serve as a starting point for cards to consider, but a big part of the fun in collecting is the hunt for the cards you like. “Raw” cards vs. Graded cards Cards can come out of the pack (their “raw” state) with a wide variety of imperfections that can impact their value. Card grading is a process in which an expert of the field determines the condition of a card based on a number of factors (including corner sharpness, image centering, print imperfections, and more) and assigns a numerical grade, usually on a scale of 1-10 (with the latter being close to perfect) and sealed in a protective case. There are a number of grading companies, each with their own unique grading scales, but PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is by far the largest and most prominent in the industry. Cards graded a “PSA 10” can carry a significant value multiplier compared to raw cards or those graded by other companies. It’s fine (and often cheaper) to buy cards raw, but if you want to ensure authenticity and/or a minimum condition level, and you’re not experienced at determining card condition for yourself, you may want to buy a graded card instead — particularly if you’re buying online and only able to see the card in photographs. Best low-end (~$1-$99) Victor Wembanyama cards This is a category for collectors who are on a tighter budget or aren’t as concerned about the long-term monetary value of the cards they buy. 2023 Panini Hoops #277 rookie card The 7-foot-3 sensation’s 2023 Panini Hoops #277 card is a budget-friendly base rookie that’s modestly priced in PSA 10 graded copies. As I write this, raw examples are selling on eBay for as low as $5, and PSA 10s are fetching between $25 and $45. Hoops is one of Panini’s low-end basketball releases printed on traditional paper card stock. (In many cases, the value, condition sensitivity, and desirability of a card can depend on the quality and thickness of the card stock.) Hoops cards were introduced to collectors in 1989 when the inaugural set included a rookie card of another Spurs center with huge expectations coming into the league, David “The Admiral” Robinson. If you’re looking to add an inexpensive Wembanyama base rookie card to your collection, this is a great first choice and a practical alternative to his Donruss rookie. More expensive variations and parallels: Blue, Hyper Blue, Impulse, Neon Green, Purple, Purple Winter, Red Backs, Teal Explosion, Winter, Yellow, Premium Box Set (/199), Silver (/199), Green (/99), Hyper Red (/99), Gravity (/75), Red (/75), Blue Explosion (/59), Artist Proof (/25), Hyper Green (/25), Orange Explosion (/25), Red Explosion (/15), Artist Proof Gold (/10), Hyper Gold (/10), Artist Proof ****** (1/1) 2023 Panini Prizm #136 rookie card Prizm is Panini’s flagship brand, so I had to include Wembanyama’s 2023 Prizm #136 base rookie card here. Prizm is printed on chromium card stock, which his thicker and has more of a metallic shine than paper stock cards. Despite Prizm’s popularity, this card lands in the low-end section of the price ranges because it has high print runs, particularly in recent years. PSA has graded over 40,000 copies of his Prizm #136 base rookie with nearly 25,000 receiving a PSA 10 grade. As a result of that high supply, collectors can purchase gem-mint graded examples for less than $100. However, Prizm offers an abundance of variations and parallels (see the long list below) that I’d recommend pursuing if you want a much more limited Wembanyama Prizm rookie card. Prizm’s growing print runs combined with the brand’s mainstream appeal to both novice and experienced collectors alike makes it one of Wembanyama’s most transacted rookie cards. More expensive serial numbered parallels of this card: Silver, Red Prizm (/299), Red Seismic Prizm (/299), Teal Ice Prizm (/225), Blue Prizm (/199), White Prizm (/175), Blue Fast Break Prizm (/150), Purple Ice Prizm (/149), Blue Sparkle Prizm (/144), Blue Ice Prizm (/125), Red Fast Break Prizm (/100), Blue Seismic Prizm (/99), Purple Prizm (/99), Choice Red Prizm (/88), Multi Wave Prizm (/88), Purple Fast Break Prizm (/75), Red Power Prizm (/75), Orange Wave Prizm (/60), Pink Fast Break Prizm (/42), White Wave Prizm (/38), Blue Shimmer Prizm (/35), Purple Pulsar Prizm (/35), White Ice Prizm (/35), Green Pulsar Prizm (/25), Mojo Prizm (/25), Gold Sparkle Prizm (/24), Bronze Fast Break Prizm (/20), Choice Cherry Blossom Prizm (/20), Gold Prizm (/10), Gold Shimmer Prizm (/10), Wave Gold Prizm (/10), Choice Green Prizm (/8), Green Sparkle Prizm (/8), Lucky Envelopes Prizm (/8), ****** Gold Prizm (/5), Green Shimmer Prizm (/5), Neon Green Fast Break Prizm (/5), ****** Prizm (1/1), ****** Shimmer Prizm (1/1) Choice Nebula Prizm (1/1) Best value (~$100-$499) Victor Wembanyama cards This is a category for collectors looking to pay a bit more for cards that have some degree of scarcity and have a better chance at retaining or increasing in value long-term. 2023 Panini Donruss Optic #225 Holo rookie card Panini’s Donruss Optic sets are the premium, chrome-ified versions of standard Donruss and its classic “Rated Rookie” cards, which were first introduced in 1984. For this particular recommendation, I wanted to move away from base cards and suggest one of the more memorable refractors that’s been a highlight of Optic since 2016: the “Holo” parallel. This parallel has a reflective prism-like effect when held up to the light and is a more limited card that runs parallel to the base set. Wembanyama’s 2023 Panini Optic #225 Holo rookie card has a unique rainbow-like shine and showcases his giant hands around the basketball as he attempts to make a pass. The exact number of Holo parallel cards printed per set is unknown, but it’s substantially less than base cards. Collectors can find six Holo parallels in every sealed hobby box and two per blaster box (on average). According to PSA, there are less than 2,300 examples of Wembanyama’s Optic #225 Holo rookie card graded by the company and less than 1,100 have received a PSA 10 grade. (For comparison, there are around 6,300 PSA graded examples of the popular 2023 Prizm #150 Silver parallel and about 4,200 PSA 10s.) The nostalgic aspects of Donruss’ Rated Rookie cards and the limited quantity of Wembanyama Optic Holo PSA 10 graded cards make this one my best value recommendation. Not to mention, It’s also priced lower than his Prizm #136 Silver parallel. Raw and PSA 10 copies of his Optic Holo #225 rookie card are fetching between $100 and $300 on eBay. More expensive variations and parallels: White Sparkle, Red Velocity (/299), Aqua (/249), Blue Seismic (/249), Premium Box Set (/249), Orange (/199), Lime Green (/149), Red Seismic (/130), Copper Glitter (/99) Fast Break Purple (/99), Hyper Orange (/99), Red (/99), Red/Gold International (/99), Red Choice (/88), Pink Velocity (79), Green Glitter (/77), Fast Break Red (/75), Red Glitter (/75), Green International (/65), Blue (/49), Fast Break Blue (/49), Green Velocity (/49), ****** Velocity (/39), Fast Break Pink (/25), Pink (/25), Blue Mojo Choice (/24), Purple Stars (/17), Blue Glitter (/15), Fast Break Gold (/10), Gold (/10), Gold International (/10), ****** Gold Choice (/8), Lucky Envelopes (/8), Fast Break Red and Yellow (/7), Fast Break Neon Green (/5), Green (/5), ****** (1/1, Fast Break ****** (1/1), Gold Vinyl (1/1), Nebula Choice (1/1) 2023 Panini PhotoGenic #200 rookie card I typically stick to cards from traditional releases that have built a large following, but sometimes sets that have debuted in recent years, like Panini’s PhotoGenic Basketball, can be worthy of consideration too. Launched in 2021 as an online-exclusive, these photography-centric cards use some of the finest and most distinctive images of the NBA’s top rookies, stars, and legends. 2023 PhotoGenic base rookies are short-printed and come with only three rookie cards per box, so the chances of pulling a Wembayama #200 out of a pack are not in your favor. As a result, the base rookie card has a low PSA graded population with less than 50 gem mint PSA 10 copies in existence (for the time being). The card’s image of Wembayama denying Giannias Antetokounmpo’s dunk attempt truly represents his gifted shot-blocking ability. This is one of the best-looking rookie cards of his that Panini has to offer, in my opinion. It’s also worth noting that this is the first card I’ve mentioned showing the 21-year-old playing in an NBA game rather than images used from photoshoots. PSA 10 sales on eBay are in the $350-$450 ballpark. Additional variations and parallels: Silver (/99), Diamond (/75), Wedges (/49), Maze (/25), Gold (/10), Fireworks (/5), Platinum (1/1) Best high-end (~$500+) Victor Wembanyama cards This is a category for collectors looking to acquire the most desired Wembanyama cards on the market. 2023 Topps Chrome #CG-VW Autograph Topps lost the exclusive license to produce NBA cards to Panini in 2010, but after a long hiatus, Topps Chrome Basketball made its return in 2024, reintroducing the product with Wembanyama rookie cards and autographs as the set’s main attraction. However, you won’t find a Topps Chrome Wembanyama rookie or autograph card with a Spurs logo. Yet. Panini still has the exclusive NBA trading card license for a bit longer, meaning they are the only card manufacturer that can print official NBA team names and logos on their trading cards. Unlicensed cards, like those currently produced by Topps for basketball, generally generate lower collector interest, but Wemby’s Topps Chrome autograph is one of his most prized high-end cards since he’s only signing cards produced by Topps. Fanatics (which owns Topps) may not be able to produce NBA-licensed cards right now, but they do have exclusive trading card autograph and memorabilia deals with superstars like Wembanyama, and most recently Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Raw examples of this card are selling on eBay for close to $1,000 and PSA 10’s are fetching between $2,000-$2,500. Additional variations and parallels: Refractor, Purple Geometric Refractor, Gold Refractor (/50), Orange Geometric Refractor (/25) ****** Wave Refractor (/10), Red Geometric Refractor (/5), ****** Geometric Refractor (/2), SuperFractor (1/1) 2023 Panini Crown Royale #11 Kaboom! Since Wembanyama has no Panini rookie autograph cards with a Spurs or NBA logo, hobbyists have been chasing his most visually captivating inserts with extremely low print runs (known as super short prints). Out of the popular insert cards produced of the Frenchman, Wembanyama’s Panini #11 Kaboom! from Crown Royale is one of his most valuable. In 2024, his Kaboom! Gold parallel 3/10 sold in near-mint condition (PSA 7 grade) for $40,260 at Goldin Auctions. Wembanyama was also featured on the 2023 Kaboom! checklist for Panini’s Crown Royale Euroleague Basketball release, but is pictured wearing his LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne jersey from 2021. Value put aside, Kaboom! cards have become some of the most sought-after inserts of the modern era thanks in part to their relative scarcity and flashy, comic-book style design. Additional variations and parallels: Gold (/10), Green (1/1) Other cool Victor Wembanyama Cards 2023 Sports Illustrated for Kids #1053 One of Wembanyama’s first cards before his time with the Spurs can be found in a Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine. The card’s image captures him soaring through the air for a dunk while playing for Metropolitans 92 in France’s LNB pro basketball league. The monthly magazine for young sports fans has produced cards in each issue since 1989 and has included early cards of legends across various sports, such as Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Tony Hawk. SI for Kids come with a sheet of nine perforated trading cards that can be individually removed by gently folding and tearing along the perforated lines. Since these cards have to be pulled apart, there’s a higher risk of the card being damaged. These cards often have image centering issues too — a key element considered by graders. These issues have resulted in a minuscule number of PSA-authenticated examples in high grades. Only eight copies have received a PSA 9 and none have earned a gem-mint 10 grade. Out of the nearly 1,700 cards submitted to the company for authentication, PSA 6 was the most common grade received, with around 450 copies in existence. Raw sales of Wembanyama’s SI for Kids card span from $30 to as high as $150 depending on the condition and how centered the borders are. Personally, I’d be interested in buying a complete copy of the magazine that the card was issued in so I could carefully remove it from the sheet myself. The 2023 January/February issue of S.I. for Kids including Wemby’s card can be found on eBay with sales in the $100 range, give or take. 2023 Topps Now Yankees Event Worn Jersey Relic #472B In the summer of 2023, the Yankees invited Wembanyama to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game in New York, which happened to be two days before the NBA draft, where he became the No. 1 overall pick. Topps Now — a print-on-demand product used to quickly commemorate milestones and significant moments — produced MLB-licensed Wemby cards that featured a piece of the Yankees jersey he sported during the occasion. Cards including a piece of memorabilia or relics are common in the hobby, but this “event-worn” baseball jersey of an NBA player is an unusual sports card crossover. 2023-24 Panini Court Kings Acetate Rookies Panini’s Court Kings sets have some of the best eye-appeal of any basketball cards, and the Acetate Rookies inserts are among the most unique. Acetate cards are made from a clear plastic instead of the usual paper-based stock, allowing designers to make parts of the card see-through. The Acetate Rookies inserts were only available outside the U.S., adding a further level of intrigue to them. Perhaps because they’re not as well known among American collectors, they tend to be pretty cheap despite how cool they look and how limited they are, so you can still get an ungraded copy for $50 or less. Getting the best price Prices for a certain trading card can vary wildly and fluctuate quickly, making it important to check recent sales of a given card to make sure you’re buying at a fair value. You can check recent sales of an item on eBay by selecting the “sold items” filter on search results. You can also run a search on 130point.com, which is a free site that provides sales data from a number of top online marketplaces. There are also several apps that provide more in-depth sales data, often charging subscription fees for full access. To account for outliers and scams, it’s important to consider multiple previous sales, not just the single most recent. It’s also important to note the recency of those sales and any real-world factors that could affect changes in value. Why you should trust us As a second-generation collector, Tyler Holzhammer started collecting cards and attending the National Sports Collectors Convention at 10 years old. He’s evolved his passion as a collector into a career, previously providing sports card content and market analysis for companies like Sports Card Investor and Goldin Auctions. Tyler’s sports card collection is centered around players from his favorite teams, the Los Angeles Rams and the St. Louis Cardinals. Our other recommendations The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top photo: Darren Carroll/NBAE via Getty Images; card images: eBay) Source link #Victor #Wembanyama #cards #collect #Rookie #cards #find #autographs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes Reveals New Character Ogre and His Release Date Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes Reveals New Character Ogre and His Release Date VGChartz’s Chinh Tran: “As these games wrestled, jostled, and brawled to stand out in an increasingly crowded space, gamers had no shortage of options when it came to fighters. Bandai Namco took the Budokai Tenkaichi series to new heights with the release of Dragon Ball: Sparkling! Zero. The same company also unleashed Tekken 8, continuing the series’ intense combat mechanics for gamers to master. Arc System Works gave us one final installment of the Under Night In-Birth series, in the form of [Sys: Celes]. And finally 2K Games gave wrestling fans WWE 2K24, which further refined the long-running series’ mechanics.” Source link #Night #InBirth #SysCeles #Reveals #Character #Ogre #Release #Date Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scientists make incredible discovery after studying innovative planting technique — here’s how it could revolutionize agriculture Scientists make incredible discovery after studying innovative planting technique — here’s how it could revolutionize agriculture Researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology at the ******** Academy of Sciences in Shenyang have found that adding cover crops to corn crops boosts nutrients in the soil and will help protect against food insecurity. According to Phys.org, “Soil degradation, driven by unsustainable farming practices, poses serious threats to food security and regional agricultural development.” The research team studied how legumes, grasses, and both would affect soil in northeastern China in Changtu County. When the researchers used legume cover crops, the soil could absorb organic carbon and use the nitrogen in the soil, so the microbes in the soil could use the carbon to improve its health. Phys.org added, “Grass cover crops, on the other hand, helped maintain soil carbon and total nitrogen levels while boosting overall microbial biomass, particularly among bacterial groups.” The researchers found that using legumes and grass as cover crops was the best approach. This combination of crops combined the benefits of both while “maintaining overall soil nutrient balance.” Watch now: Local hero single-handedly repopulates endangered butterfly species According to the National History Museum, soil degradation causes many problems, including flooding, landslides, loss of food production, and increased pollution. Droughts also threaten food security. A 2023 report found that 1.84 billion people worldwide lived under drought conditions in 2022. So finding solutions such as using legumes and grass as crop covers is vital for the future. Cover crops are already being used in the United States but aren’t widespread. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Cover crops increased 17% between 2017 and 2022.” They covered only “4.7 % of total cropland in 2022,” per the USDA. Phys.org said the researchers believe this research provides “valuable insights into developing and implementing cover crop-maize intercropping techniques, particularly in ****** soil regions facing degradation.” ****** soil is found worldwide, including in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, per the United Nations. Research such as this is vital in preparing the world to be resilient to a changing climate. You can help this crucial work by donating to climate causes that conduct the research. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Source link #Scientists #incredible #discovery #studying #innovative #planting #technique #heres #revolutionize #agriculture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

5 massive AI trends I’m looking out for in 2025 5 massive AI trends I’m looking out for in 2025 AI feels inescapable right now – and so do opinions about it. Many people, especially those in the tech industry, embrace it with excitement, shouting (loudly) about its potential. Others see it as a looming threat, raising concerns about job loss, misinformation, and its environmental impact. As we enter 2025, the reality likely lies somewhere in between. AI is already bringing game-changing opportunities alongside serious challenges. But is it just another tech bubble set to burst, or are we witnessing a fundamental shift that will redefine how we live and work? Looking beyond the marketing hype, I’ve identified some key trends shaping AI’s evolution in 2025 and beyond. Not just trends, but shifts we hope to see – developments that I think could make AI more useful, responsible, and integrated into all our everyday lives. New ways to regulate and detect AI content From articles and music to deepfake videos, AI-generated content is everywhere. And with it comes mounting pressure on governments and tech companies to regulate it and develop better ways to flag what’s made by AI. In 2025, I expect new policies and watermarking techniques aimed at distinguishing AI-generated media from human-created content. But here’s the catch – these tools aren’t always reliable. Human-written copy can get mistakenly flagged as AI, and as models become more advanced, detection gets even trickier. But this really matters. Even for those who see AI as a net positive, distinguishing AI from reality is crucial – especially when it comes to misinformation. Deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation are becoming harder to spot, but there’s hope: AI is being developed to fight back. That’s right – AI detecting AI. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely necessary. This year, I hope to see even more tools designed to verify sources, flag manipulated content, and help people navigate an increasingly AI-altered landscape – a much-needed counterbalance when truth and fiction are becoming harder to separate. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. (Image credit: OpenAI & Google & Microsoft) AI assistants will become more than chatbots AI assistants are everywhere – and in everything – but only some are genuinely useful. Many still struggle with language processing, make things up, or seem exciting for a day or two before becoming more hassle than help. New iterations could change that. Instead of waiting for explicit commands or performing isolated tasks, AI assistants could become more context-aware, proactive, and seamlessly integrated into workflows. These advances are driven by what’s called multimodal AI – machine learning systems that process and respond to text, voice, and visual inputs simultaneously. Imagine an AI assistant that joins your video call without being asked, takes notes, identifies actions, and updates your project management apps instantly. A lot of this is already possible, but it needs to be more seamless and genuinely useful – otherwise, we’re still stuck correcting mistakes, logging into different tools, and wasting time. Not just personalization, practical personalization Look around – AI is everywhere, and a big part of its job is personalizing things. It curates your music, tailors recommendations, and even analyzes health data to suggest changes. But how useful is it, really? I hope to see AI-driven personalization evolve beyond basic recommendation engines into smarter, more adaptive systems that respond to individual needs across all sorts of digital touchpoints. This could have a huge impact on how everyone interacts with technology, from shopping and entertainment to education and healthcare. AI will create more hyper-personalized experiences by understanding context, emotional states, and long-term behavior patterns – not just what you click on. However, greater personalization brings greater privacy concerns. So AI developers will need to strike a balance between transparency, control, and an ever-more tailored AI experience. Environmental impact transparency – is more sustainable AI possible? As AI systems grow in complexity, so does their energy consumption. Training large AI models demands massive amounts of electricity, contributing to carbon emissions. (Image credit: Getty Images / quantic69) In 2022, data centers, cryptocurrencies, and AI collectively accounted for almost 2% of global electricity use. In response, expect a push for energy-efficient AI models, sustainable computing hardware, and greater transparency in AI energy consumption. I hope that companies will face mounting pressure to disclose AI-related carbon footprint details and invest in greener infrastructure. The challenge will be balancing AI’s benefits with its environmental impact. More jobs, not less AI is reshaping the job market, and for many, that’s understandably terrifying. Some jobs already seem like they could be obsolete soon, and plenty of people are worried. But AI isn’t just about replacing work – it may also create entirely new roles, some of which we can’t even imagine yet. Think AI-related jobs like AI ethics officers, who ensure responsible AI development. Or MLOps specialists, who manage machine learning workflows. Maybe there’ll be more AI and human interaction designers, who make AI more intuitive for human use. We’re already seeing more people lean into prompt engineer roles, optimizing how people interact with AI models. Of course, this might be an optimistic take. But ideally, AI won’t just create new jobs – it will also transform traditional roles, requiring more collaboration between humans and AI rather than outright replacement. The key to staying ahead in this evolving landscape will be continuous learning and adaptability. AI in 2025 and beyond I hope AI in 2025 moves beyond the hype, becoming more seamless, more useful, and genuinely beneficial. But with that progress come big questions about privacy, bias, and environmental impact. Public opinion remains sharply divided. Some see AI as an exciting evolution and others worry it’s creeping into everything, whether we like it or not. The real challenge is striking a balance between innovation and responsibility – making AI smarter, fairer, and more transparent. You might also like Source link #massive #trends Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Daytona 500: Where to watch, start time, lineup, picks, drivers, live stream, preview for the 2025 race – CBS Sports Daytona 500: Where to watch, start time, lineup, picks, drivers, live stream, preview for the 2025 race – CBS Sports Daytona 500: Where to watch, start time, lineup, picks, drivers, live stream, preview for the 2025 race CBS SportsNASCAR Daytona 500 race: Live updates, highlights, live leaderboard of Cup Series race Yahoo2025 Daytona 500 odds, NASCAR predictions: Best bets by proven racing expert who called last year’s winner CBS SportsWhat channel is the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona on today? Time, TV schedule, stream info Daytona Beach News-Journal Source link #Daytona #watch #start #time #lineup #picks #drivers #live #stream #preview #race #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia RTX 5050, 5060, and 5060 Ti surface in Zotac EEC filings Nvidia RTX 5050, 5060, and 5060 Ti surface in Zotac EEC filings Zotac has registered a slew of Nvidia GeForce GPUs with the EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission), including two new entries: the RTX 5060 series and the RTX 5050 (via Harukaze). Of the two, this is the first time we’re hearing about an RTX 5050, succeeding the RTX 3050 as the RTX 40 series didn’t feature a 50-class counterpart. In any case, we’ll proceed with caution because a large number of SKUs listed at the EEC never actually see the light of day. The newfound RTX 5050 could be Nvidia’s first foray into the sub-$250 price bracket in a long time. This segment of the market has been primarily catered to by second-hand RTX 30 or Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs for the past few years. Lately, Intel’s new Battlemage-based Arc B580 and Arc B570 have been a popular choice for budget gamers, though with a few caveats. As far as AMD is concerned, RDNA 4 will debut with the RX 9070 family (Navi 48) meaning budget RX 9060 or RX 9050 GPUs could take some time to materialize. To reiterate, EEC listings never guarantee a GPU’s release. OEMs typically register placeholder product names at these regulatory bodies, in case Nvidia launches said product in the future. With that in mind, it appears Zotac has filed several GPUs at the EEC spanning across multiple generations; from Kepler to Blackwell. The list includes the RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5060, and the RTX 5050. (Image credit: EEC) Now, the RTX 5060 Ti is rumored to carry two variants: one with 8GB and the other with 16GB of VRAM. Hopefully, that’s the only differentiating factor between the two, unlike the Pascal GTX 1060 series. Similarly, the same source claims that the RTX 5060 will offer only 8GB of memory and not much is known about the RTX 5050. Reports suggest the RTX 5060 family will debut next month, but alleged RTX 5070 delays might introduce some uncertainties. Budget gamers will likely have to wait until Computex in late May for potential RTX 5050 and RX 9060/9050 reveals. It is far too early to expect anything from Intel, given that Battlemage launched just two months ago. Celestial will arrive with Panther Lake CPUs in the second half of 2025, with dedicated GPUs potentially coming later. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Nvidia #RTX #surface #Zotac #EEC #filings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chloe Kelly: Happy return for Arsenal forward in fresh start Chloe Kelly: Happy return for Arsenal forward in fresh start With Arsenal cruising when Kelly was introduced, she slotted into a free-flowing frontline and created opportunities. She hit the crossbar with a dinked effort late on, shortly after the crowd cheered as she made her way to the corner flag to take a set-piece. Before coming on, fans were on their feet in anticipation, watching the fourth official as manager Renee Slegers spoke to Kelly on the touchline. “My final message was, ‘Enjoy it, you get your welcome back in an Arsenal shirt and it is a very special occasion, so enjoy it’,” said Slegers. “She has been smiling a lot in training and working really hard. She’s passionate as a person. You can see she’s smiling a lot and is very happy with where she’s at. “I think that’s important, that you have players in a good place, [who] feel good and feel motivated. That is when you get the most out of yourself.” Kelly was in high spirits at full-time, walking around the pitch smiling and laughing with England captain Leah Williamson. On hitting the bar, she said: “I thought it was going in.” Williamson joked: “And the shirt would have come off!” It has not been plain sailing for Kelly since her iconic celebration – when she took off her Lionesses shirt and waved it around her head seconds after scoring the winning goal in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium. But she is enjoying her football again. “The challenge is always there and I am ready to fight for my shirt and I want to work hard to do so,” added Kelly. “It’s all about building relationships with those players that you play together with on the field. “I have settled in really well and am building those relationships already. I am just having fun.” Source link #Chloe #Kelly #Happy #return #Arsenal #fresh #start Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* town a test case for new geothermal technology ******* town a test case for new geothermal technology Residents in the ******* town of Geretsried have long wanted to run their buildings with clean heat and electricity from geothermal energy instead of fossil fuels. Their hopes were dashed about 15 years ago when a drilling company couldn’t find enough hot water close to the surface to be profitable using traditional geothermal technology. That basically left them with natural gas. “We gave up. We had big hopes,” recalled First Mayor of Geretsried Michael Müller. Today the next generation of geothermal companies is trying to succeed where previous efforts failed. They don’t rely on hot water close to the surface, but instead use techniques developed in the oil and gas industry to drill deep and extract heat from dry, hot rock. One of them, Eavor, is starting up its first commercial power plant in Geretsried — turning the tiny town of about 26,000 people, south of Munich, into a proving ground for the future of geothermal energy. Can technology like this be scaled and really make a difference for the future of the planet? The International Energy Agency thinks so. In a recent report, it said technology breakthroughs are unlocking huge potential for geothermal energy. Now that companies are drilling deeper than three kilometres nearly every country has the potential to make heat and electricity this way, the IEA said. “It has been a niche energy and concentrated in a few countries,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in an interview. But soon, Birol said: “geothermal can contribute to the global energy picture in an accelerated manner”. Eavor was drawn to Geretsried because the traditional technique failed there. No one would’ve been impressed if the ********* company demonstrated its technology in Iceland, a place with abundant, easily accessible hot water, Eavor CEO John Redfern said. “Our whole point is that we want to have geothermal anywhere, everywhere,” Redfern said. “What better way to prove that than to put our first well where they tried and failed with traditional geothermal systems.” Eavor says Geretsried geothermal will power up this year. This project will start by generating electricity in Geretsried, then add heat as the town fully builds out a district heating system. With district heating, heat is generated in a central location and distributed to homes and businesses. The way it works is that Eavor drills two wells about four kilometres deep, then branches out and drills a dozen lateral wells, to maximize contact with the hot rock. The wells intersect to create a closed loop where water can flow, the “Eavor loop.” The Geretsried project will have four loops, each with two vertical wells and about 12 lateral ones. Eavor does not frack, or hydraulically fracture, to create cracks and increase the permeability of rock. Instead in Geretsried, it will pump water down to flow through the hot rock, heating up on contact. It will rise naturally to the surface through an outlet well. That hot water can be used to heat the utility’s water so it can be sent through pipes to heat the equivalent of about 36,000 homes. The hot water also can be routed to a power plant to make steam and then recirculate. When used to spin a turbine, that steam can generate electricity without any planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Müller, the mayor, said it’s better to start changing the approach to energy today than push it off to tomorrow. “We want to remain future-proof,” he said. “So let’s start the future.” Source link #******* #town #test #case #geothermal #technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Detrimental impacts on human health’ ‘Detrimental impacts on human health’ A team of researchers from China has determined that ozone pollution in the winter has started reaching levels previously only seen in the warm summer months. What’s happening? A new report from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University showed that alkene pollution from local petrochemical industries in China is causing higher than usual levels of ozone pollution. This has traditionally been an issue only when strong solar radiation is present in warm weather, but the researchers recorded alarming levels on cold January days. “Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has attracted public attention in the past decades due to its detrimental impacts on human health, vegetation growth, and climate change,” the authors said in the report. Why is it important? Alkenes are volatile chemical compounds that can be formed as a byproduct of oil and natural gas production. They contribute to air pollution that can be dangerous to human health and the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight,” the EPA says on its website. Watch now: Local hero single-handedly repopulates endangered butterfly species Reducing ozone pollution has been a major focus of environmentalists for several decades, and thankfully, we are on the road to repairing the holes in the ozone layer. This was made possible because people listened to scientists’ warnings, and government officials all over the world came together to ban the harmful chemicals causing the worst of the damage. What’s being done about it? The researchers said that the pollution problem can be tackled if we are able to reduce alkene levels, specifically during early afternoon hours. They determined that this is the most effective time of day to achieve significant reductions. “This study updates how we understand O3 pollution, proving that intense O3 formation can occur in cold, low-light conditions,” said Jin Yang and Yangzong Zeren, co-authors of the study. “Our findings complement conventional views and call for targeted action in industrial regions.” Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Source link #Detrimental #impacts #human #health Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Civilization 7’s Removal of Builders Was a Long Time Coming Civilization 7’s Removal of Builders Was a Long Time Coming NoobFeed editor Turzo writes – Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, in its attempt to tone down the repetition and micromanagement, has harmed it more than any good it did. Aside from the main and core issues of lacking depth in its content and having a horrible UI, Civilization VII isn’t that bad. If you want a better game, though, stick with Civilization VI or V. Source link #Civilization #Removal #Builders #Long #Time #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FBI to help police with inquiry into killer’s deleted searches FBI to help police with inquiry into killer’s deleted searches PA Media The attack took place at a dance class at the start of the summer holidays in July The FBI are providing support as British police try to recover deleted searches from the Southport killer’s online accounts. Axel Rudakubana cleared his internet history just before he travelled to the dance class where he stabbed three girls death and injured many more in the Merseyside town on 29 July last year. Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Jason Pye said in January that the process to retrieve his online history “could be years” because the crime had not been categorised as terrorism as officers did not find evidence that Rudakubana had been motivated by any specific ideology. If it had been, he said, the process could have been easier. Investigators found no signs of any allegiance to a single cause, which is why – despite Rudakubana pleading guilty to downloading a terror manual – his case has never been treated as a terrorism investigation. They have had to apply to access Rudakubana’ search history on Google and Microsoft, which are based in the US, via a specialist prosecutor in the country. PA Media/Elizabeth Cook Axel Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January In a new joint statement, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Merseyside Police confirmed the FBI were now involved as the inquiry continues. It said: “A specialist liaison CPS prosecutor in the United States has been working with international partners to obtain material which may be relevant. “We are thankful to the US Department of Justice and the FBI for their ongoing assistance and the importance which they have placed upon our request.” Merseyside Police have previously said that Rudakubana’s view of violent footage of the attempted ******* of a bishop in Australia – made minutes before he left home on the day of the attack – was the only thing that remained from his online history after he deleted his searches. Officers have contacted Google, which owns browser Chrome, and Microsoft, which owns search engine Bing, to uncover what Rudakubana had been searching in the months before the attack. Elsie Dot Stancombe (aged seven), Alice Dasilva Aguiar (nine) and Bebe King (six) were killed in the attack Detectives also discovered more than 164,000 documents had been downloaded from the internet and stored on Rudakubana’s devices. Jailing the 18-year-old for a minimum of 52 years in January, Mr Justice Goose said the material showed he had “a longstanding preoccupation with violent killing and genocide”. At the time, Det Ch Insp Pye said an ongoing process in the US courts to retrieve Rudakubana’s online searches “could be years”. “Our case has always been – based on the evidence – it’s not counter-terrorism. There is nothing in terms of ideology,” he said. “So I couldn’t go down that path to try and get that information any quicker. “There is a process of getting it quicker, but because it’s in the serious organised crime, major crime category, unfortunately I can’t get it as quick as we would like.” Source link #FBI #police #inquiry #killers #deleted #searches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Final Fantasy XIV Korea Reveals New Glamour Outfit that Global Users Will Pine After Final Fantasy XIV Korea Reveals New Glamour Outfit that Global Users Will Pine After Everyone knows that glamour is the true endgame of Final Fantasy XIV, so when a new outfit is revealed, it’s a big deal. Source link #Final #Fantasy #XIV #Korea #Reveals #Glamour #Outfit #Global #Users #Pine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Transcript: Secretary of State Marco Rubio on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 16, 2025 Transcript: Secretary of State Marco Rubio on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 16, 2025 The following is the transcript of an interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Feb. 16, 2025. MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to “Face the Nation.” We want to begin today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Jerusalem on the second leg of his trip through Europe and the Middle East. Mr. Secretary, I know it’s the evening hours there, and you’ve had a long day. We appreciate your time. You’ve got quite a busy schedule. You met earlier with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He said he’s lock step with the Trump administration, but he can’t share details on, quote, “when the gates of hell will be open…if all our hostages are not released.” Did he tell you he wants to keep talks going to get to phase two of this hostage deal? SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO: Well, I think we share a common goal. We want to see every hostage released. Frankly, I think, and the President has said this, we want to see them out as soon as we possibly can. And- and certainly, you know, the world has watched these images of people, and it’s just heartbreaking to remember that some of them have been now almost two years there. It’s a horrifying situation. So we coordinate and work very close with them. We share the goal that every hostage needs to come home, every single one, without delay. Obviously, the- there are details of how we’re pursuing that and coordinating that we’re not going to share publicly because we don’t want to endanger the hostages and we don’t want to endanger this process. But suffice it to say that if it was up to us, every one of these hostages would be home right now, and we want it to happen as soon as possible. MARGARET BRENNAN: OK, so the deal stands? SECRETARY RUBIO: Again, we want every hostage out as soon as possible, and- and we want to see them home. There are some that are supposed to- under the deal, there are some that are supposed to be released coming up next weekend. We expect that to happen, but we’d like to see them all come out. We’re not going to- we’re not in favor of waiting weeks and weeks. Now, that may be the process that’s in place because of the deal, but we would like to see them all out as soon as possible, and we continue to coordinate. That- that’s what we’d like to see as the outcome. Who wouldn’t want all these hostages to be home and with their families? MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood. I want to ask you about Iran as well. President Trump has said he wants a diplomatic deal with Iran. Are you reaching out to them? And alongside that, does the U.S. support a preemptive strike by Israel on Iran to take out its nuclear program? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, first of all, Israel will always have to act in what they believe is their national interest and their national defense. And so I’m not going to speak about whatever strategies they may have on this or any other topic. I will say that we don’t have any outreach from Iran. We haven’t seen any, and ultimately, we’ve seen in the past that efforts that Iran has undertaken diplomatically have been only about how to extend the time frame that- but continue to enrich and rep- and- and in addition to sponsored terrorism, in addition to build these long range weapons, in addition to sow instability throughout the region. But let’s be clear, there’s been zero outreach or interest to date from Iran about any negotiated deal. Ideally, yeah, I would love to wake up one day and hear the news that Iran has decided not to pursue a nuclear weapon, not to sponsor terrorism, and re-engage in the world as a- as a- as a normal government. We’ve had no indication of any of that, not just now, but for 30 years. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you head from Israel to Saudi Arabia next, I know you’ll be talking about Gaza, but we’ve also learned that Saudi Arabia is trying to facilitate this diplomacy with Russia about Ukraine. Which Russian officials do you expect to be meeting with, and what will the focus of your talks there be? Do you actually believe Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate and make concessions? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, here’s what I know. I know President Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin last week, and in it, Vladimir Putin expressed his interest in peace, and the President expressed his desire to see an end to this conflict in a way that was enduring and that protected Ukrainian sovereignty, and that was an enduring peace, not that we’re going to have another invasion in three or four years. That’s a good call. Now, obviously it has to be followed up by action, so the next few weeks and days will determine whether it’s serious or not. Ultimately, one phone call does not make peace. One phone call does not solve a war as complex as this one. But I can tell you that Donald Trump is the only leader in the world that could potentially begin that process. Other leaders have tried, they have not been able to do so. When he ran in his campaign and he was elected as president, one of his promises was, he would work to bring an end to this conflict in a way that’s sustainable and fair. And obviously, you know, this is the first step in that process, but we have a long ways to go. Again, one call doesn’t make it, one meeting wouldn’t make it. This- there’s a lot of work to be done. But I- I thought it has- you know, even the longest journey begins with the first step. So we’ll see what happens from here, hopefully good things. MARGARET BRENNAN: Who will you be meeting with? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, nothing’s been finalized yet. I was scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia anyways, we invited- we announced that trip a week ago, and- a week and a half ago. So ultimately, look, if at any point in time there’s an opportunity to continue the work that President Trump started last week, to begin to create an opening for a broader conversation, that it would involve Ukraine and would involve the end of the war, and would involve our allies all over the world, particularly in Europe, we’re going to explore it, if that opportunity presents itself. I don’t have any details for you this morning, other than to say that we stand ready to follow the president’s lead on this and begin to explore ways, if those opportunities present itself, to begin a process towards peace. Now, a process towards peace is not a one-meeting thing. This war has been going on for a while. It’s difficult, it’s complicated. It’s been bloody, it’s been costly, so it will not be easy to end a conflict- and there are other parties at stake that have opinions on this as well. The European Union has sanctions as well. The Ukrainians are obviously fighting this war. It’s their country, and they’re on the front lines. So, one meeting isn’t going to solve it, but I want to reiterate, the President made clear he wants to end this war, and if opportunities present themselves to further that, we’re going to take them if they present themselves. We’ll see what happens over the next few days. MARGARET BRENNAN: But to be clear, Keith Kellogg, who is the envoy appointed to help with these talks, says these are going to be parallel negotiations, meaning the Ukrainians and Russians aren’t talking to each other yet. When you meet with your Russian counterpart, whoever that is, are you going to be sitting there arguing Ukraine’s position? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, first of all, I think the- we have to understand is, right now there is no process. What- what we have right now is a call between Putin and President Trump in which both sides expressed an interest in ending this conflict. I imagine there will be follow up conversations to figure out what a process to talk about that would look like, and then at that point, perhaps we can begin to share more details. So it’s a bit premature. I know there’s been a lot of reaction to it, because there’s been no conversation about it, any serious conversation, but I want to go back to the point I made. President Trump ran, he was very clear, he thinks this war needs to end, and if he sees an opportunity to end it, which is what he’s looking for, whether there is an opportunity or not, we’re going to pursue it. Ultimately, it will reach a point when you are- if it’s real negotiations, and we’re not there yet, but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they’re the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because the oth- they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well, and- and they’ve contributed to this effort. We’re just not there yet. We really aren’t, but hopefully we will be, because we’d all like to see this war end. MARGARET BRENNAN: No doubt, the last administration did have contact through the intelligence agencies with Russia, but they didn’t believe there was any proof that Vladimir Putin was interested in talks. You know the history with Vladimir Putin. He likes to use diplomacy as a cover to distract while he continues to wage war. Do you trust that this time is different? SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah, I don’t think in geopolitics, anyone should trust anyone. I think these things have to be verified through actions. I said yesterday that peace is not a noun, it’s a verb. It’s an action. You have to take concrete steps towards it. What I can tell you is, I know of no better negotiator in American politics than President Trump. I don’t- I think President Trump will know very quickly whether they say- is this a real thing, or whether this is an effort to buy time. But I don’t want to prejudge that. I don’t want to foreclose the opportunity to end a conflict that’s already cost the lives of hundreds of thousands and continues every single day to be, increasingly, a war of attrition on both sides. I think everyone should be celebrating the fact that we have an American president that is seeking to promote peace in the world, not start wars, but end them, in a way that’s enduring. That’s something we should be happy about. Whether it’s possible or not, we’re certainly willing, but it’s not entirely up to us, obviously, but we’ll find out. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you did speak in a phone call with Russia’s top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov. The Russian side claimed that you discussed restoring trade, which seemed to be a nod to sanctions, easing restrictions on diplomats, and other gestures like a high level leaders meeting. Are you actually considering- is the Trump administration considering lifting sanctions on Russia? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, the phone call was to establish communications that are consistent with the call the President made last week with Vladimir Putin. Because if- we are- if there is going to be the possibility of- of progress here towards peace, we are going to need to talk to the Russians. I mean, that is going to have to happen, and we’re going to have to be able to be able to do it across our channels– MARGARET BRENNAN: About lifting sanctions, though? SECRETARY RUBIO: –I also raised in that conversation concerns that- well, we didn’t go into any details. I mean, what we just discussed is basically the ability to begin communicating. I’d never spoken to Mr. Lavrov in my life, so it was an opportunity for us to begin to open that channel of communication, which, again, if there’s the potential for peace here, that’s a channel that has to exist. But let me add one more thing. I also raised the issue of our embassy in Moscow, which operates under very difficult conditions. I raised that because it’s important, it’s going to be very difficult to engage in communication with Russia about anything if our embassy is not functioning. And he raised concerns about his diplomatic mission in the United States. So at a very basic level, if, in fact, there is going to be an opportunity here to pursue peace by engaging with the Russians, we’re going to need to have functional embassies in Moscow and in Washington, D.C., and that’s certainly something foreign ministers would talk about as a matter of normal course. MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about what happened in Munich, Germany, at the Security Conference. Vice President Vance gave a speech, and he told U.S. allies that the threat he worries about the most is not Russia, it is not China. He called it the “threat from within,” and he lectured about what he described as censorship, mainly focusing, though, on including more views from the right. He also met with the leader of a far-right party known as the AfD, which, as you know, is under investigation and monitoring by ******* intelligence because of extremism. What did all of this accomplish, other than irritating our allies? SECRETARY RUBIO: Why would our allies or anybody be irritated by free speech and by someone giving their opinion? We are, after all, democracies. The Munich- Munich Security Conference is largely a conference of democracies in which one of the things that we cherish and value is the ability to speak freely and provide your opinions. And so, I think if anyone’s angry about his words, they don’t have to agree with him, but to be angry about it, I think actually makes his point. I thought it was actually a pretty historic speech, whether you agree with him or not. I think the valid points he’s making to Europe is, we are concerned that the true values that we share, the values that bind us together with Europe, are things like free speech and democracy and our shared history in winning two world wars and defeating Soviet communism and the like. These are the values that we shared in common, and in that cold war we fought against things like censorship and oppression and so forth, and when you see backsliding, and you raise that, that’s a very valid concern. We can’t tell them how to run their countries. We are- he simply expressed in a speech his view of it, which a lot of people, frankly, share. And I thought he said a lot of things in that speech that needed to be said. And honestly, I don’t know why anybody would be upset about it. People are- you know, you don’t have to agree on someone’s speech. I happen to agree with a lot of what he said, but you don’t have to agree with someone’s speech to- to at least appreciate the fact they have a right to say it and that you should listen to it and see whether those criticisms are valid. I assure you, the United States has come under withering criticism on many occasions from many leaders in Europe, and we don’t go around throwing temper tantrums about it. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, he was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide, and he met with the head of a political party that has far-right views and some historic ties to extreme groups. The context of that was changing the tone of it. And you know that. That the censorship was specifically about the right– SECRETARY RUBIO: — Well I have to disagree with you. No- I have- I have to disagree with you. Free speech was not used to conduct a genocide. The genocide was conducted by an authoritarian Nazi regime that happened to also be genocidal because they hated Jews and they hated minorities and they hated those that they- they had a list of people they hated, but primarily the Jews. There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none. There was also no opposition in Nazi Germany, they were a sole and only party that governed that country. So that’s not an accurate reflection of history. I also think it’s wrong- again, I go back to the point of his speech. The point of his speech was basically that there is an erosion in free speech and intolerance or opposing points of view within Europe, and that’s of concern because that is eroding. That’s not an erosion of your military capabilities, that’s not an erosion of your economic standing, that’s an erosion of the actual values that bind us together in this transatlantic union that everybody talks about, and I think allies and friends and partners that have worked together now for 80 years, should be able to speak frankly to one another in open forums without being offended, insulted, or upset. And I spoke to Foreign Ministers from multiple countries throughout Europe. Many of them probably didn’t like the speech or didn’t agree with it, but they were continuing to engage with us on all sorts of issues that unite us. So again, at the end of the day, I think that, you know, people give all- that is a forum in which you’re supposed to be inviting people to give speeches, not basically a chorus where everyone is saying the exact same thing. That’s not always going to be the case when it’s a collection of democracies where leaders have the right and the privilege to speak their minds in forums such as these. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Secretary, I’m told that we are out of time. A lot to get through with you. We appreciate you making time today. We’ll be back in a minute. Face The Nation Transcripts More More Source link #Transcript #Secretary #State #Marco #Rubio #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Feb Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Peal of prestige Peal of prestige Here lies a rare opportunity to own a masterpiece in design and architecture created by the iconic Iwan Iwanoff in 1972. Source link #Peal #prestige Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

With the Right Amount of Creativity, Doctor Strange and Punisher Can Be the Most Lethal Duo in Marvel Rivals With the Right Amount of Creativity, Doctor Strange and Punisher Can Be the Most Lethal Duo in Marvel Rivals In Marvel Rivals, few things bring more joy than watching two heroes work together in perfect harmony. While NetEase’s hero shooter offers plenty of powerful character combinations, one particular duo has been turning heads lately with their creative approach to battlefield control. Doctor Strange: Making unlikely partnerships work since 1963. | Image Credit: NetEase Games Doctor Strange and The Punisher might seem like an odd couple at first glance—one’s a mystical master of the arcane arts, the other’s a gun-toting vigilante with a penchant for excessive firepower. But as one clever player recently demonstrated, sometimes the best partnerships are the ones you least expect. When mystic arts meet military hardware The Pentagram of Farallah might just be the most ingenious ability NetEase has ever implemented in a hero shooter. With a generous 20-second duration balanced by a hefty 3-minute cooldown, these mystical portals have become the source of countless highlight reels and “galaxy brain” plays. We’ve seen Stranges sending entire enemy teams to their doom by placing portals at spawn exits, outsmarting other Stranges with counter-portals, blinding opponents by placing portals in the sun, and even tricking opponents into jumping through what they thought was their own team’s portal. But this latest discovery takes things to a whole new level: What you’re witnessing here is tactical brilliance in action in Marvel Rivals. A Punisher player, stuck with a less-than-ideal vantage point on Tokyo 2099: Spider-Islands, suddenly finds themselves blessed with the perfect line of sight thanks to a well-placed portal. The result? A completely unexpected angle of attack that leaves the enemy team scrambling for cover. Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals The community’s reaction to this display of teamwork has been overwhelmingly positive: Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals And some Captain America mains couldn’t contain their… patriotic enthusiasm: Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals The seamless physics interactions between Strange’s portals and other abilities showcase NetEase’s commitment to creating a truly dynamic battlefield where creativity is rewarded. After all, it’s this attention to detail that keeps players coming back to discover new combinations. Taking portal tactics to the next level in Marvel Rivals Sometimes the best plays require a PhD in 4D chess. | Image Credit: NetEase Games But this is just scratching the surface of what’s possible with this dynamic duo. Some players have discovered even more creative applications, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible when mystical arts meet military hardware: Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals The Doctor Strange player’s mindset here is crystal clear: Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals Speaking of bringing new things to the point, Marvel Rivals is about to get even more interesting. On February 21, The Thing joins the Vanguard roster, bringing the total to a modest nine heroes. Meanwhile, Human Torch will become the twentieth Duelist, proving that NetEase clearly has a favorite class to develop for. Comment byu/MrUnderman from discussion inmarvelrivals The beauty of Strange’s portals lies not just in their offensive potential, but in how they’ve become a tool for creative problem-solving. Whether it’s repositioning a teammate’s turret, creating unexpected angles of attack, or simply making the enemy team question their life choices, the possibilities seem endless. With the Fantastic Four family finally complete in-game, we might see even more creative ability combinations emerge. Though let’s be honest—it’s going to take something truly spectacular to top the sheer brilliance of a portal-powered Punisher raining freedom from above. Have you discovered any other creative hero combinations in Marvel Rivals? Share your tactical masterpieces in the comments below! Source link #Amount #Creativity #Doctor #Strange #Punisher #Lethal #Duo #Marvel #Rivals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]