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Meet Rune Factory: Guardians of Azumas 16 Romance Candidates Meet Rune Factory: Guardians of Azumas 16 Romance Candidates Meet the 16 romance candidates featured in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. Including 14 in the base game, and 2 DLC. Source link #Meet #Rune #Factory #Guardians #Azumas #Romance #Candidates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Bluesky? The new social media network explained What is Bluesky? The new social media network explained If you’ve found that Twitter/X has become an unsavory place since Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media platform in October 2022, then Bluesky may be the alternative you’ve been waiting for. Originally started as a side project by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Bluesky has since gone on to emass a staggering user base of more than 31.3 million users as of February 2025 with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Whether your friends and family have migrated over, or you just want to see what all the fuss is about, TechRadar’s here to explain Bluesky in detail so you can see whether the social media platform is right for you. For even more info, you can see how Bluesky compares to Twitter. (Image credit: Getty Images) When was Bluesky founded? Bluesky debuted in 2019 as an experiment from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, originally billed as a research project looking into ways of possibly decentralizing Twitter. By early 2021, the project had amassed a staff of around 50 people, and funding of $13 million from the parent company, which was used in part to hire Jay Graber, the current CEO of Bluesky since August 2021. It was not launched to the public until February 6, 2024 where users could sign up to the platform, originally via invitation, before you could sign up by conventional means. Releasing around 18 months after Elon Musk bought Twitter (later rebranding it to X), the platform was seen as something of a safe haven from the new direction that the former was being taken in. During this initial launch *******, Bluesky had a rough daily active install base of between one and 10 million users throughout the first half of 2024, with its popularity exploding towards the end of that year. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey left Bluesky Social in May 2024, stepping down to pursue othe projects. By November 2024, the social media platform had grown to over 20 million users. (Image credit: Shutterstock/JR des) What is Bluesky Social? Bluesky is described as an “open network” social media platform that utilizes a singular account and a streamlined easy-to-use flow, giving users greater control over their feeds and preferences when compared to Twitter/X. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Its users can follow profiles to add their posts to the news feed, as well as send direct messages which should be immediately familiar to anyone who has experience with older social media platforms. Similarly to Twitter, Bluesky has a strict 300-word character limit for posts, and you can upload up to four images at a time, so the user experience should be fairly straightforward if coming from one account to another. However, Bluesky also incentivizes the creation of threads to engage in longer posts. Videos are handled in a near-identical manner, too; up to 60 seconds in length, and strictly one per post. Regardless of type, you can have up to eight hashtags used in a post, be that text, image-based, or video. You can also repost. What makes Bluesky different? (Image credit: Future) Where Bluesky differs is with its suite of features. Getting started doesn’t necessarily mean rebuilding from the ground up; users have access to create and share what’s known as “Starter Packs” which can feature a careful curated list of people and topics. This could mean a list of people who were migrating over from Twitter (some users even sharing the same handle), or notable names in the fields of music, video games, news, and more. Bluesky users can also create custom feeds by creating lists which can also influence the main Discover feed (as well as impact algorithmic feeds). In short, if you engage with specific types of content, you will see more of it. A common complaint of Musk’s X is that users may be shown content from accounts they did not follow, something that the newer platform is attempting to cut down on (if not outright eradicate). The Feeds tab is an important part of Bluesky. You may be prompted to use the Discover tab, backed directly by @bsky.app itself (with more than 36,000 likes), or engage in curated Science, News, and Artists feeds instead. One of its most popular feeds is Blacksky, an algorithmic feed made to promote ****** users on the network, which anyone can add to by utilizing a specified hashtag, #Blacksky appropriately. A similar approach is taken towards what’s known as Clusters (manually added groups of users). Where Twitter/X and Meta’s suite of social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) utilize a checkmark verification system, Bluesky does away with this. Instead, users can self-verify on the network by naming their account after an established domain and proving ownership. Bluesky handles can include full website names which can make things more straightforward; the site has provided a full guide on how to become verified if you want to know more about the process. Considering one of Musk’s more controversial decisions was to effectively make blue checkmarks a paid perk, this alternative seems to make sense. What are the downsides of Bluesky? (Image credit: Shutterstock) Arguably the largest downside of Bluesky Social is its notably smaller install base when compared to its contemporaries such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. While the network has grown exponentially in the year since its public launch in February 2024, now amassing over 30 million users, it is still dwarfed by its rivals. Launched by Meta on July 5, 2023, Threads (also billed as a Twitter/X alternative) has a monthly user base of around 300 million users with around 100 million daily users. That means that Bluesky is around 10 times smaller than a very similar product on the market, despite not being a replacement for Twitter in our opinion. As a result, some users of Bluesky have said that the actual content on the platform can feel lacking when compared to more established social media networks that have been around considerably longer. If you primarily want to use Bluesky to keep up with what your friends and family are doing then this is likely to be less of an issue, however, as an out-and-out replacement for Twitter/X, it may be lacking in this area. Bluesky takes what is called a “stackable approach to moderation” as of March 2024. It works in partnership with the open-source moderation tool known as Ozone, where both teams and individuals can collaborate to independently review and label content appropriately according to the community guidelines. While admirable in nature, this decentralized approach to blocking and filtering content by making it the users’ responsibility, can mean there can be the potential for misinformation and bias (however inadvertent). Published in January 2025, the Bluesky 2024 Moderation Report outlines that the company has scaled its moderation team to “roughly 100 moderators” and will “continue to hire more staff”. The site grew from 2.89 million to 25.94 million users that year alone, with a 17x increase in reports on the previous year. As such, there have been fears that gaps could arise in blocking potentially inappropriate or hateful content on the platform. It’s described as “developing” and therefore, unfinished. As such, users should be mindful with what they post and diligent in reporting anything that doesn’t look right or breaks community guidelines. You might also like… Source link #Bluesky #social #media #network #explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Toast, Occidental Petroleum 1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Toast, Occidental Petroleum • Fed FOMC minutes, Walmart earnings will be in focus in the holiday-shortened week ahead. • Toast, a leader in restaurant technology, is expected to deliver a strong earnings report that could propel its stock higher. • Occidental Petroleum faces significant challenges that could hamper its near-term growth, making it a stock to approach with caution. • Looking for more actionable trade ideas? Subscribe here for 50% off InvestingPro! U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday, but the and still scored solid weekly gains amid bullish momentum in tech shares. For the week, the S&P 500 rose 1.5%, while the Nasdaq rallied 2.6% and the added 0.5%. Source: Investing.com The holiday-shortened week ahead is expected to be an eventful one as investors continue to gauge the outlook for the economy, interest rates, and inflation. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for the Presidents Day holiday. In a data-light week, most of the focus will fall on the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s January FOMC meeting. This could give some insight into the future path of interest rates. As of Sunday morning, traders are pricing in at least one 25 basis-point rate cut by the end of 2025, with a roughly 50% chance of an additional cut, according to the Investing.com . Source: Investing.com Elsewhere, in corporate earnings, Walmart (NYSE:), Carvana (NYSE:), Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:), Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:), Arista Networks (NYSE:), Analog Devices (NASDAQ:), Block (NYSE:), Rivian (NASDAQ:), Toast (NYSE:), Alibaba (NYSE:), and Baidu (NASDAQ:) are some of the notable names lined up to report results. Regardless of which direction the market goes, below I highlight one stock likely to be in demand and another which could see fresh downside. Remember though, my timeframe is just for the week ahead, Monday, February 17 – Friday, February 21. Stock To Buy: Toast Toast, a leading provider of cloud-based point-of-***** (POS) systems for restaurants, is poised for a strong earnings beat when it delivers its fourth quarter update after the closing bell on Wednesday at 4:05PM ET. Market participants predict a sizable swing in TOST stock after the print drops, according to the options market, with a possible implied move of 13.7% in either direction. Shares gapped up 16.6% after the last earnings report in November. In a sign of growing confidence, the restaurant management software provider, which has emerged as a key player in the restaurant technology arena, has received seven upward profit forecast revisions in recent days, with zero downward revisions. Source: InvestingPro Analysts forecast earnings per share (EPS) of $0.17, marking a significant turnaround in profitability from a loss of $0.07 per share in the year-ago *******. Revenue is projected to rise by 31% annually to $1.31 billion thanks to growing user adoption, and operational efficiency improvements. As restaurants increasingly adopt digital solutions to streamline operations, Toast’s integrated platform—offering everything from digital ordering and payroll to marketing and analytics—has garnered significant attention. Over 106,000 small-to-midsize restaurant clients rely on Toast’s all-in-one tools, creating sticky recurring revenue (85% of total sales). Looking forward, I believe that Toast’s management will strike an optimistic tone in their forward guidance amid improving profitability trends and increased adoption of its integrated platform. Recent launches in Canada and the U.K. open a $35B+ total addressable market. Source: Investing.com TOST stock closed at $40.49 on Friday, earning the software-as-a-service company a valuation of $23 billion. Shares have more than doubled during the past 12 months, rising 108%. It is worth noting that InvestingPro’s AI-powered models rate Toast with a solid Financial Health Score of 2.8 out of 5.0, indicating solid operational performance, improving cash flow and growing profit margins. Be sure to check out InvestingPro to stay in sync with the market trend and what it means for your trading. Subscribe now and position your portfolio one step ahead of everyone else! Stock to Sell: Occidental Petroleum In contrast, Occidental Petroleum is facing an uphill battle heading into its Q4 earnings report due to a challenging energy market. Oxy is scheduled to release fourth quarter results after the market closes on Tuesday at 4:15PM ET. According to the options market, traders are pricing in a swing of around 5% in either direction for OXY stock following the print. The company’s outlook appears to be less optimistic, and analysts have recently revised their forecasts downward amid concerns over margin compression and slowed production growth. Source: InvestingPro Occidental is expected to post Q4 EPS of $0.67, falling 9.5% from the $0.74 profit recorded a year ago. Revenue is expected to decline by about 1% year-over-year to $7.1 billion. Weakness in prices (down 10% from Q3 averages) and lower chemical margins are key drags. As a major oil and gas producer, Occidental has been grappling with persistent headwinds, including fluctuating oil prices, rising input costs, and geopolitical uncertainties. With these pressures mounting, Oxy’s stock looks increasingly unattractive, suggesting that investors might consider selling or reducing their positions in the energy giant. Source: Investing.com OXY stock ended Friday’s session at $48.06, not far from a recent 52-week low of $45.17 touched Dec. 19. At current valuations, the Houston, Texas-based energy company has a market cap of $45 billion. Shares, which are trading below their key moving averages, are down 16.6% over the past year. Be aware that Occidental currently has a below-average InvestingPro Financial Health score of 2.4 out of 5.0 due to lingering concerns about its debt-laden balance sheet, fading cash flow, and spotty revenue growth. Whether you’re a novice investor or a seasoned trader, leveraging InvestingPro can unlock a world of investment opportunities while minimizing risks amid the challenging market backdrop. Subscribe now and instantly unlock access to several market-beating features, including: • ProPicks AI: AI-selected stock winners with proven track record. • InvestingPro Fair Value: Instantly find out if a stock is underpriced or overvalued. • Advanced Stock Screener: Search for the best stocks based on hundreds of selected filters, and criteria. • Top Ideas: See what stocks billionaire investors such as Warren Buffett, Michael Burry, and George Soros are buying. Disclosure: At the time of writing, I am long on the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq 100 via the SPDR® S&P 500 ETF (SPY), and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ). I am also long on the Invesco Top QQQ ETF (QBIG), Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP), and VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH). I regularly rebalance my portfolio of individual stocks and ETFs based on ongoing risk assessment of both the macroeconomic environment and companies’ financials. The views discussed in this article are solely the opinion of the author and should not be taken as investment advice. Follow Jesse Cohen on X/Twitter @JesseCohenInv for more stock market analysis and insight. Source link #Stock #Buy #Stock #Sell #Week #Toast #Occidental #Petroleum Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Netflix star Kim Sae-ron dies aged 24: Actress who starred in hit K-drama Bloodhounds found dead in her home a – Daily Mail Netflix star Kim Sae-ron dies aged 24: Actress who starred in hit K-drama Bloodhounds found dead in her home a – Daily Mail Netflix star Kim Sae-ron dies aged 24: Actress who starred in hit K-drama Bloodhounds found dead in her home a Daily MailSouth Korean actress Kim Sae-ron found dead at home, police official says ReutersActress Kim Sae-ron found dead at home 코리아타임스Korean actress Kim Sae-ron, who was forced into hiding after DUI ******, found dead at 24 New York Post Bloodhounds star Kim Sae-ron found dead at home, aged 24 The Independent Source link #Netflix #star #Kim #Saeron #dies #aged #Actress #starred #hit #Kdrama #Bloodhounds #dead #home #Daily #Mail Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Succession meets Return of the Obra Dinn in this thrilling mystery game Succession meets Return of the Obra Dinn in this thrilling mystery game Table of Contents Table of Contents Down the rabbit hole Family matters One thing about me is that I am a sucker for a good mystery. That’s why I’ve been delighted by the so-called “Metroidbrainia” genre rising to prominence. That label includes games like Return of the Obra Dinn and Rise of the Golden Idol that champion more involved information gathering and deduction on the part of the player. Yet as great as the puzzles these titles offer are, the narratives surrounding them are rarely as satisfying. Genealogical mystery The Roottrees are Dead, however, fixes that problem. Centered on the secrets of the titular family, The Roottrees are Dead is both a compelling puzzle box and a surprisingly deep story. What begins as a simple challenge to identify every member on the family tree quickly turns into a subtle statement on how this one family, the descendants of a Logan Roy-eque business mogul, are beholden to one dead man’s obsession with legacy. Down the rabbit hole To anyone who has played other Metroidbrainias, the core gameplay loop of The Roottrees are Dead will feel familiar. Information is gathered and then applied to blank fields for each member of the Roottree family. Specifically you need to correctly identify the name, face, and occupation of each direct blood relative of the family’s patriarch, Elias. The twist is in the method of information gathering. The Roottrees are Dead is primarily played through a simulated computer desktop equipped with a search engine. Evil Trout Successful searches will bring the player to web pages, newspapers, and books that hold the answers they are looking for. This recreation of falling down a particularly alluring internet rabbit hole is the key to The Roottrees are Dead’s success. It’s almost second nature for most players and the ease of searching one term after another leads one to realize hours have passed seemingly in the blink of an eye. By creating such a seamless way to input and browse the game’s digital web of clues, it becomes easier than ever to lose yourself in the mystery. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming That mystery starts as an anonymous request to identify all 50 members (living and dead) of the Roottree family and quickly turns into an unraveling of the family’s carefully constructed public image. What is so effective is how slowly the grand narrative presents itself. It’s delivered in tidbits hidden within the web pages and articles used to identify family members, so subtly that I didn’t even realize it until hours into my investigation. Evil Trout There is a saying attributed to Elias that pops up throughout The Roottrees are Dead: “Blood is thicker than syrup.” It refers to the importance Elias placed on his direct bloodline over even the thriving candy company that still lines the pockets of his descendants. Through the generational feuds the Roottrees have found themselves to paint a picture of Elias not truly valuing family but his own legacy, something that is itself linked to the success of his business. Players will likely first identify members of the Roottree family directly linked to the candy company. That includes Elias, as the founder and first president, as well as the four presidents that succeeded him … all of which are men. In the first hour or so of a playthrough, the names and faces that fill out the family tree at first are all male. Elias entrusted the business to them, and so their pictures grace magazines and webpages. It tricks the player into feeling that this information gathering may not be as hard as one expects, since collecting these prolific men in the family occurs rather smoothly. Family matters When you do start identifying the Roottree women it is likely through the diaries of Lauren Roottree, Elias’s granddaughter. Rather than the public facing magazine profiles that identity the men, Lauren gives a behind the scenes look into the private lives and conflicts of the Roottrees. An early entry recounts Elias’s choice of his successor, his grandson Zac. “He’s the first born son of [Elias’s] first born …” writes Lauren, “I’m not sure how that’s relevant to running a company, but Grandad always had very particular views when it came to the bloodline.” She even asks the family if a woman could be president, which receives nothing but laughs. When you do identify the occupations of the first two generations of Roottree women, the majority are housewives. Though they continue the bloodline, they are not deemed worthy of inclusion in the business. Another of Lauren’s entries recounts that Elias was found of “pruning” the family tree as he saw fit. Evil Trout Uncovering the lives of the Roottree women is noticeably more difficult than the men of the family. This mechanical difficulty reflects how Elias’s thoughts on their place in the family tree has affected your search. The Roottrees have failed, or chosen, to neglect recording and archiving the lives of its women. Meaning that there is less information on them for you to find in the game’s digital records. After Elias’s death, newer generations of the Roottrees are able to work their way out from under his thumb. While tying up the family’s inheritance to the company’s profits gives Elias some level of posthumous control over his descendents, he has less active ability to keep them from abiding to his wishes. While I love the puzzle box mysteries of Return of the Obra Dinn and Case of the Golden Idol, what little stories those games have don’t say much. The Roottrees are Dead ties its deductive mechanics directly to its story. Each bit of information isn’t just a clue to a grand mystery, it’s insight into the lives of every individual on the family tree. Filling out the entire tree gives agency to these people and their stories, helping bring them out from under the shadow of a controlling patriarch and into the light. The Roottrees are Dead is now available on PC. Source link #Succession #meets #Return #Obra #Dinn #thrilling #mystery #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red ****** Limited Edition listed by MicroCenter as PCIe 5.0 GPU – VideoCardz.com PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red ****** Limited Edition listed by MicroCenter as PCIe 5.0 GPU – VideoCardz.com PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red ****** Limited Edition listed by MicroCenter as PCIe 5.0 GPU VideoCardz.comAMD’s 32 GB RDNA 4 GPU Might Be Called Radeon RX 9070 XTX, Double The VRAM For AI WccftechRX 9070 XT Red ****** packaging recommends a 900W power supply — AMD’s Frank Azor confirms custom cards with lower wattage requirements Tom’s HardwareAMD’s RX 9070 GPUs could go on ***** March 6, the day after Nvidia’s RTX 5070 – and I wouldn’t fret about those 900W power supply rumors TechRadarAMD is finally spilling the beans about the RX 9070 series during a live stream on February 28 PC Gamer Source link #PowerColor #Red #****** #Limited #Edition #listed #MicroCenter #PCIe #GPU #VideoCardz.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Crossword: answers for Sunday, February 16 NYT Crossword: answers for Sunday, February 16 The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn’t the Sunday issue! If you’re stuck, we’re here to help you out with today’s clues and answers. Source link #NYT #Crossword #answers #Sunday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

France to host European summit on Ukraine France to host European summit on Ukraine France is set to host a summit of European leaders to discuss the Ukraine war and European security as the continent tries to respond concretely to US President Donald Trump’s unilateral approach to the conflict. Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg said on Saturday Europe would not have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks after Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv. “(French President Emmanuel Macron) will convene the main European countries to discuss European security,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio, adding that the Monday meeting would be a working session that should not be “over-dramatised”. The French presidency has not announced the meeting, although invitations have been sent for the summit to take place on Monday afternoon, diplomats said. ******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attend the summit, ******* government sources told Reuters. As will Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a member of Poland’s upper house of parliament said. They said the meeting aimed to see what immediate help can be given to Ukraine, what concrete role Europe can play in providing security guarantees for Kyiv as well as how to strengthen Europe’s collective security. It was not clear whether anything concrete would come out of it, they said. Six European diplomats said invites had gone at least to Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, which would represent Baltic and Scandinavian countries, the European Union leadership and the NATO Secretary General. Since a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, there have been concerns in Europe and Ukraine that Europeans might be excluded from any peace agreement. There are fears that Trump does not want Europeans at the negotiating table, yet expects them to bear the burdens of implementing a peace solution. Negotiations for peace in Ukraine are meanwhile gaining momentum: in the coming week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior Russian representatives are reportedly set to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end to the Russian war. Additionally, a meeting between Trump and Putin is to be prepared in the Arab kingdom. According to Politico, no European representatives are expected to be present at next week’s talks in Saudi Arabia. Citing a Ukrainian official, the US outlet reported that Ukraine will also not send representatives there. with dpa Source link #France #host #European #summit #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, February 16 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, February 16 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Connections Hints for today’s Connections Today’s Connections answers NYT Connection FAQs Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end. How to play Connections Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024 Please enable Javascript to view this content You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android. In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc. There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections. Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups. Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends. Hints for today’s Connections We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below. Today’s themes GLIMMER CORRESPOND WELL WITH FAMOUS PUPPETS DOG BREEDS MINUS “ER” SOUND One-answer reveals GLIMMER – HINT CORRESPOND WELL WITH – COMPLEMENT FAMOUS PUPPETS – LAMB CHOP DOG BREEDS MINUS “ER” SOUND – BOX New York Times Today’s Connections answers Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below: GLIMMER – HINT, SUGGESTION, TOUCH, TRACE CORRESPOND WELL WITH – COMPLEMENT, FIT, MATCH, SUIT FAMOUS PUPPETS – LAMB CHOP, OSCAR, PUNCH, TRIUMPH DOG BREEDS MINUS “ER” SOUND – BOX, POINT, RETRIEVE, SET Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow. NYT Connection FAQs What time does the Connections puzzle change? The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time. Who edits the NYT Connections game? Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.” On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Sunday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

President Trump will be at today's Daytona 500. Here's when, what to know – Daytona Beach News-Journal President Trump will be at today's Daytona 500. Here's when, what to know – Daytona Beach News-Journal President Trump will be at today’s Daytona 500. Here’s when, what to know Daytona Beach News-JournalDaytona 500 2025: Start time, TV, streaming, weather, lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR race USA TODAY2025 Daytona 500 Fantasy rankings, racing picks, advice, lineups for NASCAR at Daytona International Speedway CBS Sports Source link #President #Trump #today039s #Daytona #Here039s #Daytona #Beach #NewsJournal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Can't find any good Netflix shows? I used these secret codes to unlock the full catalog – ZDNet Can't find any good Netflix shows? I used these secret codes to unlock the full catalog – ZDNet Can’t find any good Netflix shows? I used these secret codes to unlock the full catalog ZDNet Source link #Can039t #find #good #Netflix #shows #secret #codes #unlock #full #catalog #ZDNet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD’s next-gen GPUs to go on ***** next month AMD’s next-gen GPUs to go on ***** next month AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards are officially set to hit the market on March 6, according to certain retail listings. The new GPUs, based on AMD’s RDNA 4 architecture, will launch just a few weeks after Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti and possibly before the RTX 5070, setting the stage for a heated mid-range GPU battle. As per Tom’s Hardware, screenshots of RX 9070 and 9070 XT models from XFX listed on Amazon were shared by hardware leaker momomo_us having a price range from $649 to $849. One of these listing notably mentions, “This item will be released on March 6, 2025.” These cards are expected to deliver performance improvements over their predecessors, with the RX 9070 XT reportedly featuring 16GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, positioning it as a high-capacity alternative to Nvidia’s offerings. While official specifications remain unconfirmed, leaks suggest that AMD is focusing on efficiency and raw VRAM capacity rather than competing directly with Nvidia’s AI-accelerated features like DLSS 3 and ray tracing advancements. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Ahead of the launch, AMD has announced a special event on February 28, where the company is expected to provide official details on the RX 9070 series and possibly other upcoming GPUs. This announcement comes as Nvidia gears up to launch the RTX 5070 Ti, making AMD’s timing a direct challenge to its competitor. The event is likely to include final specs, performance comparisons, and AMD’s marketing push against Nvidia’s latest offerings. The wait is almost over. Join us on February 28 at 8 AM EST for the reveal of the next-gen @AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series. Get ready to make it yours when it hits shelves in early March. RSVP by subscribing to the AMD YouTube channel: — David McAfee (@McAfeeDavid_AMD) February 13, 2025 With the launch of the RX 9070 series, AMD aims to strengthen its presence in the high-end 1440p and entry-level 4K gaming markets. The company is expected to leverage its historically strong price-to-performance ratio to appeal to gamers looking for an alternative to Nvidia’s 50-series lineup. While Nvidia’s RTX 5070-series is anticipated to dominate in AI-driven applications, AMD’s bet on high VRAM capacity could appeal to content creators and users who prioritize memory over proprietary upscaling technologies. This launch also follows AMD’s strategic shift in its GPU lineup, as the company has reportedly scaled back on high-end RDNA 4 models in favor of focusing on the mid-to-upper segment of the market. As the February 28 event approaches, more details on the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT’s performance and feature set are expected to emerge, giving buyers a clearer picture of how they stack up against Nvidia’s latest offerings. Source link #AMDs #nextgen #GPUs #***** #month Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thousands of birds to be culled over suspected avian flu Thousands of birds to be culled over suspected avian flu Thousands of birds are to be culled in County Tyrone after suspected avian flu was reported at a commercial poultry premises. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) was notified about the suspected case at a business in Dungannon on Friday. Minister Andrew Muir said after further investigation appropriate disease control measures had been put in place, including the “humane culling of all poultry on site”, which is 64,000 birds. He said it was a “precautionary measure”. Temporary control zones “This suspected incursion of HPAI, following the recently confirmed case at a captive bird premises near Magherafelt further shows we cannot afford to be complacent,” he added. Temporary control zones (TCZ) are also in place to mitigate any further spread of the disease. Chief veterinary officer for Northern Ireland, Brian Dooher, appealed to all bird owners, both “backyard and commercial”, to take necessary steps to protect flocks. “This includes ensuring continuous excellent levels of biosecurity and adhering to all the requirements mandated under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ),” he said. “Samples from the infected premises have been sent to the National Reference Laboratory to confirm strain and pathogenicity. Should HPAI be officially confirmed, these TCZs will be revoked and replaced with a three kilometre Protection Zone (PZ) and 10 kilometre Surveillance Zone (SZ),” he added. Last week the department announced that all kept birds and poultry must stay indoors from Monday to mitigate against the potential spread of avian flu. A similar order has been issued in the Republic of Ireland. An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has applied across NI since 18 January. Source link #Thousands #birds #culled #suspected #avian #flu Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Justice Department's independence is threatened as Trump's team asserts power over cases and staff – The Associated Press Justice Department's independence is threatened as Trump's team asserts power over cases and staff – The Associated Press Justice Department’s independence is threatened as Trump’s team asserts power over cases and staff The Associated PressOpinion | Trump’s Legal Shakedowns Won’t End With the Adams Case The New York TimesMass resignation marks a new kind of defiance in the second Trump era The Washington PostHonig on ‘incalculable damage on DOJ’ CNNAs Trump shakes Justice Department, deeply conservative prosecutors head for exits Reuters Source link #Justice #Department039s #independence #threatened #Trump039s #team #asserts #power #cases #staff #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hurry up and buy Nvidia and others ahead of earnings, Morgan Stanley says Hurry up and buy Nvidia and others ahead of earnings, Morgan Stanley says Analysts at Morgan Stanley said there’s still plenty of overweight-rated stocks to buy ahead of earnings as the reporting season wraps up. The firm says it’s sticking with stocks like Nvidia heading into quarterly reports. Other stocks Morgan Stanley likes include: EQT , Arista Networks and Tuya. Arista Networks Analyst Meta Marshall is standing by shares of the networking stock ahead of earnings on Tuesday. “[The] company has beaten revenue by ~300-400bps over the last 3-4 years, about in line with buyside expectations into the quarter,” she wrote. Still, Marshall said the fourth-quarter results are not likely to move the needle. “Further multiple expansion” is on hold until the company shows a meaningful amount of new customers, she added. The company does, however, having an underappreciated opportunity in the data center space. “Our checks were incrementally more positive on networking this quarter, with data center an area of focus and expectations of gradual improvement throughout the year,” she said. Arista shares are up 61% over the last year. EQT Buy any dip in shares of the hydrocarbon exploration company, according to analyst Devin McDermott. “The pullback creates an attractive entry point, with valuations now more compelling,” he wrote in a recent note. EQT remains a top pick at the firm ahead of earnings on Wednesday. The stock has risen more than 60% over the past 12 months, and is already up 16% year to date. McDermott said the stock’s recent choppiness is due to concerns around DeepSeek’s AI model, which has the potential to lessen power demand. The firm acknowledged that those concerns may persist, but says it still sees a buying opportunity. “Rising power consumption is a source of longer-term gas demand upside, but LNG [liquified natural gas] is a much larger near-term growth driver,” he wrote. “We continue to prefer gas over oil exposure within E & Ps and recommend buying the gas pullback,” he went on to say. Tuya Tuya shares are up a whopping 66% this year, but the firm says the China internet of things and AI company has plenty more room to run. The firm reiterated its overweight rating in a recent note clients, saying there is “strong revenue growth momentum” that’s likely to continue. However, analyst Yang Liu said there’s a “mismatch between fundamentals and share price,” urging investors to remain calm. “We think it leaves significant room for the share price to catch up with value,” she added. The firm acknowledged some tariff risk, but says there’s too many other positive catalysts to ignore right now. Liu also raised her price target to $3 from $2.30 with fourth-quarter earnings on deck on Feb. 26, which is the same day Nvidia reports its results. “The robust top-line growth is likely to be sustained by strong overseas IoT demand and Tuya’s market share gains,” she in her quarterly preview. Nvidia “While sentiment has worsened around potential longer term risks, near term business continues to firm, Blackwell supply visibility continues to build, customer desire to spend is clearly on display. … .We believe that NVIDIA should trade at a premium given its higher probability of upward revisions in the near term.” EQT “We continue to prefer gas over oil exposure within E & Ps and recommend buying the gas pullback. … .The pullback creates an attractive entry point, with valuations now more compelling. … .Rising power consumption is a source of longer-term gas demand upside, but LNG [liquified natural gas] is a much larger near-term growth driver.” Arista “Company has beaten revenue by ~300-400bps over the last 3-4 years, about inline with buyside expectations into the quarter. … .Further multiple expansion likely requires news of additional material customers or advancement on paused trials. … .Our checks were incrementally more positive on networking this quarter, with data center an area of focus and expectations of gradual improvement throughout the year.” Tuya “We reiterate our OW rating & raise our PT to factor in sustained strong revenue growth driven by overseas IoT & good cost control. … .The robust top-line growth is likely to be sustained by strong overseas IoT demand & Tuya’s market share gains. … .Strong revenue growth momentum to be sustained. … .Mismatch between fundamentals & share price. … .We think it leaves significant room for the share price to catch up with value.” Source link #Hurry #buy #Nvidia #ahead #earnings #Morgan #Stanley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Conclave' leads the pack and struggling 'Emilia Pérez' faces a test at Britain's BAFTA film awards – The Associated Press 'Conclave' leads the pack and struggling 'Emilia Pérez' faces a test at Britain's BAFTA film awards – The Associated Press ‘Conclave’ leads the pack and struggling ‘Emilia Pérez’ faces a test at Britain’s BAFTA film awards The Associated PressBaftas 2025: Demi Moore, Mikey Madison, and Ariana Grande among stars gathering for ceremony BBC.comTV tonight: all the glitz, gowns and gossip of the Baftas 2025 The Guardian’Conclave’, ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Anora’ battle for best film at BAFTAs Hindustan TimesBAFTA Film Awards 2025 Party List Deadline Source link #039Conclave039 #leads #pack #struggling #039Emilia #Pérez039 #faces #test #Britain039s #BAFTA #film #awards #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Time to buy cheap stocks and these fit the bill, says Bank of America Time to buy cheap stocks and these fit the bill, says Bank of America The time has come to invest in cheap stocks for outperformance, according to Bank of America. Over history, cheap stocks have generally tended to beat their more expensive counterparts, Bank of America’s head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy Savita Subramanian said in a recent note. She added that since 1986, the bank’s low forward price-to-earnings factor has beaten its high price-to-earnings factor by 4.6 percentage points each year. However, ahead of a market peak, the opposite tends to happen — that is, cheap stocks will underperform expensive ones, as they have over the past six months. But now, the market has seemingly reached an inflection point, where cheaper value stocks will fare better than growth names, Subramanian said. “The ‘Recovery’ regime unequivocally favors Value over Growth. Narrow bull markets led by growth stocks as in ’99/’00 tend to reverse violently into Value leadership. Inflation came in hot, the Fed might be done as our economists forecast a month ago and Value has generally outperformed Growth in the six months after the last rate cut,” she wrote. In the same note, the strategist shared a list of Bank of America’s buy-rated stocks that have low price-to-forward earnings ratios. Select stocks from the basket are shown below: One name on the list was First Solar . Shares of the solar energy equipment supplier are up about 1% in the last 12 months, and its current forward earnings yield is just 12.9%. In February, Mizuho upgraded the stock to an outperform rating from neutral. “Our opinion on the sales outlook post-2026 has materially improved,” wrote analyst Maheep Mandloi. “The stock has likely underperformed YTD given negative sentiment around 45X manufacturing tax credits surviving Republican administration but, even in our base case assuming 45X expires after 2026 (1-year off-ramp), we see less pain for FSLR anyway offset by tariffs, leading to better negotiating power in 2027.” The 45X advanced manufacturing production credit was established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. It provides a credit for the production and ***** of certain solar and wind energy components, inverters and more. Mandloi raised his price target to $259, up from his previous estimate of $218. This implies a roughly 62% potential upside ahead for the stock. Pharmacy retail stock CVS Health boasts a forward earnings yield of just 10.7%. The stock is down nearly 14% in the past 12 months. However, its strong fourth-quarter earnings report propelled shares to a weekly gain of nearly 22%. Following its latest quarterly results, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares to an overweight rating from neutral. Analyst Sarah James also upped her price target to $71 from $62. This updated forecast is nearly 8% above where shares closed on Friday. James wrote that she decided to upgrade the stock “on increased confidence in a successful turnaround now that we have proof-of-concept cost trends returned to predictable patterns, and 2025 bids should be sufficient to drive margin expansion.” The analyst added that the sweeping changes CVS has recently made to its executive team, like hiring CEO David Joyner in October, has also increased her optimism for the company’s future. ” We believe CVS has the right team in place to execute the turnaround of Aetna and navigate a challenging environment on the regulatory and retail front,” she said. Shares of Charter Communications have surged 25% in the last year. The telecommunications stock’s current forward earnings yield is 10.7%. In December, KeyBanc analyst Brandon Nispel upgraded the stock to an overweight rating from sector weight. Nispel’s price target of $500 corresponds to roughly 39% upside for shares of Charter Communications. “Excluding ACP, we think CHTR should have modestly better underlying Broadband subscriber trends in ’25 vs. ’24, and see Rural net adds accelerating,” he wrote, referring to the Affordable Connectivity Program , which ended last June and affected a swath of Charter clients. “We think cost efficiency is under-appreciated, [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] should grow.” Source link #Time #buy #cheap #stocks #fit #bill #Bank #America Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk’s trans daughter learned about potential sibling on social media — after influencer claims to have had tech mogul’s 13th child – New York Post Elon Musk’s trans daughter learned about potential sibling on social media — after influencer claims to have had tech mogul’s 13th child – New York Post Elon Musk’s trans daughter learned about potential sibling on social media — after influencer claims to have had tech mogul’s 13th child New York Post Ashley St. Clair Says Elon Musk Hasn’t Acknowledged Their Baby, Urges Him to ‘Finish Their Agreement’ PEOPLEMusk breaks silence after influencer Ashley St. Clair claims she’s the mother of his 13th child Hindustan TimesAuthor Ashley St. Clair Says She Welcomed Elon Musk’s 13th Baby Yahoo EntertainmentElon Musk breaks his silence after influencer Ashley St. Clair claims to have given birth to his thirteenth child Marca English Source link #Elon #Musks #trans #daughter #learned #potential #sibling #social #media #influencer #claims #tech #moguls #13th #child #York #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stocks to play EV-maker BYD’s new driver-assist rollout Stocks to play EV-maker BYD’s new driver-assist rollout As electric car giant BYD gets serious about driver-assistance systems, analysts expect its suppliers can benefit. Shares of the Hong Kong-listed automaker hit a record high in the past week after the company launched a driver-assistance system for a range of its cars, including one of its low-cost models priced below 70,000 yuan (roughly $9,600). BYD also said it’s integrating DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence capabilities. Companies that sell parts for BYD’s new driver-assist system “are likely to enjoy solid growth ahead,” Nomura analysts said in a note Tuesday. “Meanwhile, we believe more [car manufacturers] will have to accelerate their smart driving functions upgrade in order to catch up with peers, and this may result in increasing demand for smart driving-related components in the entire auto market,” the analysts said. Their picks include the automaker’s Hong Kong-listed subsidiary BYD Electronics , which makes autonomous driving components, Hong Kong-traded chipmaker Horizon Robotics and lidar developer Hesai Tech , listed in the U.S. Lidar is short for light detection and ranging. In driver-assist systems, a lidar sensor uses lasers to create a 3D map of a car’s surroundings. Driver-assist features have increasingly become a selling point for automakers in China’s competitive electric car market. Tesla , whose Full Self-Driving has yet to get China’s approval, saw its shares tumble on Tuesday following the news of BYD’s driver-assist rollout. China’s efforts to build tech self-reliance and U.S. restrictions have supported the development of a homegrown ecosystem. BYD’s driver-assist announcements Monday were focused on the China market, rather than the automaker’s export business. Beijing-based Horizon Robotics is one of BYD’s major chips suppliers. BYD’s founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu said at a Horizon Robotics event last year that the future of electric cars would rely on semiconductors. Goldman Sachs analyst Allen Chang on Monday raised his price target on Horizon Robotics to 6.95 Hong Kong dollars (89 cents), up from 6.10 HKD previously, based on expectations of higher earnings. The firm rates the stock a buy. “With another push by major car [manufacturers] to bring smart driving to lower-priced cars, we are positive on the ability of Horizon Robotics, as one of the leading smart driving chip providers in China, to obtain more design-wins with its Journey 6 new chipset series,” the report said. Chang expects the Journey 6 series to grow from 3% of the chip company’s revenue this year to 40% in 2027. Shares have already soared more than 60% year to date as of Thursday’s close at 5.88 HKD. In a separate note Monday, Goldman analyst Verena Jeng raised her price target on buy-rated BYD Electronics to 58.46 HKD, up from 51.02 HKD previously. The stock has gained more than 30% so far this year to 56 HKD as of Thursday’s close. The Goldman report noted expectations that more than 3 million BYD cars will adopt advanced driver-assist this year, and pointed out that since the systems are pricier than, say an automotive speaker, that will increase how much revenue BYD Electronics can generate per car. BYD’s “Dipilot” driver-assist system uses different components depending on price point. The most basic one uses Horizon Robotics’ chipset along with Nvidia ‘s Orin, while more advanced versions only use other Nvidia chips, according to Nomura’s research. The driver-assist versions that support driving on city streets use lidar from companies such as Hesai, Nomura pointed out. While Hesai is contesting U.S. government allegations that it supports the ******** military, Goldman Sachs analysts in mid-January upgraded the U.S.-listed stock to a buy from neutral, citing the company’s new product cycle, according to FactSet. The analysts raised their price target on Hesai to $18.40 from $5.50. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Source link #Stocks #play #EVmaker #BYDs #driverassist #rollout Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hearthstone has kicked off the Year of the Raptor with a myriad of new content Hearthstone has kicked off the Year of the Raptor with a myriad of new content New Core Set upgrade with returning cards, balance changes, and new additions Two Seasonal Championships and a World Championship will be held this year Major Arena update coming in Patch 32.2 The Year of the Raptor has arrived in Hearthstone, bringing a fresh expansion cycle, a Core Set update, and the return of esports. The first expansion of the year, Into the Emerald Dream, is set to launch soon, with a special event leading up to its release. You can also look forward to a new Year of the Raptor board with refreshed visual and audio systems. This year’s Core Set update in Hearthstone introduces a mix of returning cards, balance changes, and a few brand-new additions. To refine the experience, some cards with burst damage and other frustrating effects have been removed. More details on the update will be shared closer to its release. Competitive play is also making a return, with two Seasonal Championships and a World Championship forming the backbone of Hearthstone Esports in 2025. Partnering with Netease Thunderfire, the program will feature at least $600,000 in prizes, aiming to bring more players into the competitive scene. Additional details on the format and ruleset will be announced soon. Looking ahead, a major Arena update is planned for Patch 32.2, launching after Into the Emerald Dream. While details are still under wraps, this update is expected to refine the drafting experience and offer a fresh approach to the mode. The patch will also bring a Battlegrounds Seasonal Update and the Into the Emerald Dream Mini-Set, which will arrive one patch earlier than usual. Before you go on, check out this list of the top turn-based games to play on mobile! This shift in the patch schedule is part of a broader adjustment to better align development and content cycles. The overall Into the Emerald Dream expansion will still follow the usual structure, with all expected updates and events. After Patch 32.4, the schedule will return to its standard format in Patch 33.0. Embrace this thrilling new year by downloading Hearthstone now for free. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #Hearthstone #kicked #Year #Raptor #myriad #content Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis hospitalized: Live updates – Catholic News Agency Pope Francis hospitalized: Live updates – Catholic News Agency Pope Francis hospitalized: Live updates Catholic News AgencyPope Francis showing ‘some’ improvement amid hospitalization for bronchitis, ******** says ABC NewsPope Francis has restful night and continues his therapy in hospital ******** News – EnglishDoctors report Pope Francis’ health is improving America: The Jesuit Review Source link #Pope #Francis #hospitalized #Live #updates #Catholic #News #Agency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meta plans 50,000 km undersea cable to connect the U.S., Brazil, Africa, India, and Australia Meta plans 50,000 km undersea cable to connect the U.S., Brazil, Africa, India, and Australia Meta just announced an ambitious new undersea internet cable project that spans over 50,000 km to connect North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The Facebook parent company is part-owner of several undersea communications cables, but this new plan, called Project Waterworth, will apparently be the first that it will solely own and operate. Meta says it will be the longest cable deployed so far and will likely cost the company over $10 billion. The areas that Project Waterworth will connect, namely the U.S. East Coast, Brazil, South Africa, India, Australia, and then back to the U.S. West Coast, are already connected to the rest of the world via several other underwater cables. However, if Meta’s map is accurate, this project will be the first one that will directly connect Brazil to South Africa. It will also be the only one connecting India to Australia while bypassing the Strait of Malacca. “This project will enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions,” says the company. “For example, in India, where we’ve already seen significant growth and investment in digital infrastructure, Waterworth will help accelerate this progress and support the country’s ambitious plans for its digital economy.” (Image credit: Meta) However, sources also say that the social media giant is building this project so that it will have its own physical infrastructure that avoids global geopolitical hotspots. During the past few months, there have been several incidences of undersea cables, including those used for communications and electrical transmission, reportedly being cut by civilian cargo ships with connections to Russia and China. Project Waterworth’s routing seems to specifically avoid areas where there’s a higher chance of disruption, including near Europe and the South China Sea. Project Waterworth will supposedly deploy a more resilient cabling technology to help it withstand the usual wear-and-tear better. However, Meta will also lay the cable in deep water, sometimes at depths of around 23,000 feet, to make it harder to reach and sabotage. It also said that it will use “enhanced burial techniques in high-risk fault areas, such as waters near the coast, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.” Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Meta #plans #undersea #cable #connect #U.S #Brazil #Africa #India #Australia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s broadside against wind industry puts projects that could power millions of homes at risk Trump’s broadside against wind industry puts projects that could power millions of homes at risk A view of the turbines at Orsted’s offshore wind farm near Nysted, Denmark, September 4, 2023. Tom Little | Reuters President Donald Trump promised to unleash U.S. energy dominance, but his sweeping executive order targeting wind power puts a pipeline of projects at risk that would generate enough electricity for millions of American homes. The order Trump issued on his first day in office indefinitely paused new offshore wind leases in U.S. coastal waters and halted new permits pending the completion of a review. The order jeopardizes proposed projects on the East Coast that have not yet secured permits totaling 32 gigawatts of power, according to data from the consulting firm Aurora Energy Research. “At the moment, it’s really hard to see how any of these projects will be able to move forward,” said Artem Abramov, head of new energies research at the consultancy Rystad. Like Aurora, Rystad estimates that around 30 gigawatts of projects on the U.S. East Coast are at risk. Those projects, if realized, would provide enough combined power for more than 12 million homes in the U.S., according a CNBC analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration. The order is not expected to impact projects under construction totaling about 5 gigawatts, according to Aurora. Trump has abandoned commitments made during the Biden administration to fight climate change, withdrawing the U.S. for a second time from the Paris agreement. He has focused on boosting fossil fuel production, opening U.S. coastal waters to oil and gas leasing on the same day he withdrew those waters for wind. Trump’s order will jeopardize the efforts of states in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to transition away from fossil fuels and decarbonize their electric grid, Abramov said. New York, New Jersey and Virginia, for example, have ambitious clean energy goals adopted at the state level. But they are too far north to rely on solar with battery for power, Abramov said. “If you want to achieve the future where the power generation in New York or New Jersey or Virginia is completely fossil free, if that’s the ultimate goal, there are not so many alternatives to offshore wind,” Abramov said. The order could ultimately force states to rely more on carbon-emitting natural gas, according to Rystad and Aurora. But it is virtually impossible for a state like New York to meet its climate goals and ensure an adequate energy supply, particularly downstate in the New York City metro area, without offshore wind, said Julia Hoos, who heads Aurora’s U.S. East division. Power projects waiting in line to connect to the electric grid in downstate New York through 2027 are almost entirely wind and transmission, Hoos said. “There is virtually no possibility to bring online new gas in the next 18 to 24 months, unless there’s a significant reform or there’s some sort of fast track to bring online that gas, so you really can run into reliability issues,” Hoos said. But more natural gas generation will likely be built later in the decade on the back of Trump’s policies, Hoos said. Investor sentiment was already shifting toward gas before the election results due in part to the need for reliable power to meet demand from artificial intelligence data centers, Abramov said. Immediate impact Two weeks after Trump’s order, New Jersey decided against moving forward for now with the Atlantic Shores project, which stood to become the first offshore wind development in the state. The state utilities board cited “uncertainty driven by federal actions and permitting” and European oil major Shell pulling out of the project. “The offshore wind industry is currently facing significant challenges, and now is the time for patience and prudence,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement backing the board’s decision. Murphy, who has set a goal to achieve 100% clean energy in New Jersey by 2035, said he hoped “the Trump Administration will partner with New Jersey to lower costs for consumers, promote energy security, and create good-paying construction and manufacturing jobs.” Offshore wind in the U.S. “has come to a stop, more or less with immediate effect” in the wake of Trump’s order, Vestas Wind Energy Systems CEO Henrik Andersen told investors on the company’s Feb. 5 earnings call. Denmark’s Vestas is one of the world’s leaders in manufacturing and servicing wind turbines. Industry headwinds Trump’s order deepens the challenges of an industry that was already facing an uncertain outlook after years growth. Wind has surged as power source in the U.S. over the past 25 years from 2.4 gigawatts of installed generating capacity to 150 gigawatts by April 2024, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Generation from wind hit a record that month, surpassing coal-fired power. Wind currently represents about 11% of total U.S. power generation. But the industry has struggled against supply chain bottlenecks and high interest rates. Offshore wind was already the the most expensive form of renewable energy, Abramov said. Developers in the U.S. have faced a lot of cost certainty due to the challenges of building on water as opposed to land, Hoos said. “The industry was hoping that the cost would come down,” Abramov said. “We haven’t seen any projects in the United States which was able to achieve lower levelized cost of energy.” The world’s largest offshore wind developer, Denmark’s Orsted, decided on Feb. 5 to ditch its goal to install up to 38 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Orsted also slashed its investment program through the end of the decade by about 25% to range of 210 to 230 billion Danish crowns (about $29 billion to $32 billion), down from 270 billion crowns previously. Orsted’s Sunrise Wind and Revolution wind projects that are under construction offshore New York and New England respectively should not be impacted by Trump’s order, CEO Rasmus Errboe told investors the company’s company’s Feb. 6 earnings call. Future developments, however, may be at risk. “We are fully committed to moving them forward and deliver on our commitments,” Errboe said. “We do not expect that the executive order will have any implications on assets under construction, but of course for assets under development, it’s potentially a different situation.” The order also should not impact Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, the largest such project under construction in the U.S. at 2.6 gigawatts of power, Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue told investors on the utility’s Feb. 12 earning call. “Stopping it would be the most inflationary action that could be taken with respect to energy in Virginia,” Blue said. “It’s needed to power that growing data center market we’ve been talking about, critical to continuing U.S. superiority in AI and technology.” Looking for clarity The wind industry lobby group American Clean Power in a Jan. 20 statement described Trump’s order as a blanket measure that will jeopardize domestic energy development and harm American businesses and workers. The president’s order contradicts the administration’s goal to reduce bureaucracy and unleash energy production, ACP CEO Jason Grumet said in the statement. The ACP is now trying to get clarity from the Trump administration on how the executive order will be implemented, said Frank Macchiarola, the group’s chief advocacy officer. It’s unclear, for example, when the review of permit and lease practices will be complete, Macchiarola said. A spokesperson for the Interior Department simply said the department is implementing Trump’s executive order when asked for comment on a detailed list of questions. When asked when the review of permit and lease practices will be complete, the spokesperson said any estimate would be hypothetical. The wind industry is committed to working with the Trump administration, supports the president’s push for energy dominance agenda and is making the case that renewables have a key role to play in that agenda as the largest new source of electricity in the U.S., Macchiarola said. “When past administrations have chosen to stifle American energy development that has been almost universally viewed as a mistake,” Macchiarola said. Onshore wind permitting has also been halted pending the review, but the part of the industry is unlikely to face a substantial impact, Rystad’s Abramov said. Wind farms onshore are almost entirely built on private rather than federal land, he said. The market is also already saturated and adding capacity is largely dependent on building out more energy storage first, the analyst said. Offshore wind, however, is a much less mature market in the U.S. and was viewed as major growth opportunity for the industry, Abramov said. But that appears to changing rapidly. “They don’t see the U.S. as a market for continuous offshore wind expansion as long as this order is in place,” the analyst said. — CNBC’s Gabriel Cortes contributed to this report. Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Trumps #broadside #wind #industry #puts #projects #power #millions #homes #risk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

McDonald’s, Chipotle warn of weak first quarter McDonald’s, Chipotle warn of weak first quarter A McDonald’s restaurant in El Sobrante, California, on Oct. 23, 2024. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images In like a lion, out like a lamb. That’s how restaurant executives envision 2025 after a rough start to the year, largely caused by freezing temperatures, wildfires and consumer caution. Many restaurant chains, like Restaurant Brands’ Burger King and Popeyes, said sales improved in the fourth quarter as value offerings brought back diners who had been cooking at home instead. Even McDonald’s domestic traffic grew, despite a 1.4% decline in U.S. same-store sales. But the trend reversed in January. “We’ve started the year facing some overall industry traffic headwinds, exacerbated by significant weather events across the country,” Wendy’s CFO Kenneth Cook said on the company’s conference call on Thursday. Fast-food net sales rose 3.4% in January, compared with the year-ago *******, but the growth was down slightly from December’s spike of 4.9%, according to restaurant market research firm Revenue Management Solutions. Traffic for breakfast and lunch both declined during the month. “I think consumers are still wary,” Subway U.S. President Doug Fry told CNBC. “I think they’re waiting to see how the economy goes, but they’re also not willing to sacrifice that quality and portion size and the quantity of what they’re eating. They want to find that best value for the dollar they spend.” Traffic and sales growth are expected to pick up as the year progresses, in part due to the easy comparisons to last year’s declines. Industry traffic was negative every month except November, and sales slid over the summer, which is typically a high point for restaurants. “We expect year-over-year comparisons to ease into the summer months,” Restaurant Brands CFO Sami Siddiqui said. January blues A customer holds a bag of food outside of a Chipotle restaurant in New York on Jan. 12, 2024. Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images January always brings colder temperatures, but this year it also included wildfires in Los Angeles and new uncertainty after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Chipotle ******** Grill estimates that the wildfires hurt its January same-store traffic growth by 400 basis points, or 4%. Overall, traffic to Chipotle restaurants open at least a year fell 2% in January compared with a year ago, hurt by the weather and New Year’s Day falling on a Wednesday. Chipotle CFO Adam Rymer told analysts that the company believes its first-quarter same-store sales will be roughly flat. Looking to the second quarter, Chipotle also expects weaker same-store sales as it faces comparisons to last year’s popular promotions. While the company predicts stronger sales in the second half of the year, its weak forecast for the coming months led to a 4% decline in the stock. For now, restaurants aren’t predicting any major impact on their businesses from the Trump administration’s trade war. Chipotle, which imports roughly half of its avocado supply from Mexico, downplayed concerns about how currently suspended tariffs of 25% would raise food costs. The company, along with Wendy’s and McDonald’s, did not include any impact from the new 10% duties on China and potential levies on Mexico and Canada in its outlook. But consumers are worrying about tariffs and the potential pressure on their wallets. U.S. consumer sentiment hit a seven-month low in February as households fear rising prices over the next year. Already, inflation in January was hotter than expected, with away-from-home food prices rising 3.4% over the last 12 months, according to the Department of Labor. Second-half comeback For the chains plotting a comeback, sales are expected to improve later this year. For example, McDonald’s is still waiting for its sales to rebound fully after an E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder burgers began weighing on sales in mid-October. The fast-food giant is predicting that demand will recover by the beginning of the second quarter, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said on the company’s conference call on Monday. Plus, if overall consumer health strengthens, McDonald’s predicts even more sales gains. “Should the underlying environment improve beyond our initial expectations, especially with respect to lower-income consumers, we would expect to benefit disproportionately relative to our competitors,” McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden said. People are seen leaving a Starbucks in New York City on Jan. 14, 2025. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images Then there’s Starbucks, which will need a much longer timeline to turn around its business. The coffee chain’s same-store sales have fallen for four straight quarters as consumers opt to buy their caffeinated drinks elsewhere. Starbucks suspended its outlook for fiscal 2025, so it didn’t provide any insight into its expected sales for the year. However, Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri told investors that the company’s earnings are expected to improve in the second half of its fiscal year. “[Earnings per share] is expected to be the lowest in [the fiscal second quarter] on an absolute basis due to seasonality, the organization restructuring I just spoke about and elevated investments, with year-over-year pressure also intensifying in the quarter,” she said in late January. “EPS is then expected to improve in the latter half of the fiscal year 2025, both sequentially and year-over-year.” Source link #McDonalds #Chipotle #warn #weak #quarter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mac McClung makes Slam Dunk contest history during All-Star weekend – CNN Mac McClung makes Slam Dunk contest history during All-Star weekend – CNN Mac McClung makes Slam Dunk contest history during All-Star weekend CNNIs Dunk Contest too easy for Mac McClung? Here’s how NBA can make it more of a challenge for three-time champ CBS SportsJa Morant in NBA Dunk Contest? Grizzlies star teases idea after watching Mac McClung Commercial AppealAnalysis | Three cheers for Mac McClung, the perfect antidote to NBA all-star malaise The Washington PostNBA All-Star Saturday: Mac McClung thrills in dunk contest 3-peat with perfect night, dunk over car; Tyler Herro wins 3-point contest Yahoo Sports Source link #Mac #McClung #Slam #Dunk #contest #history #AllStar #weekend #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]