Pelican Press

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Review | NoobFeed Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Review | NoobFeed 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 #Sid #Meiers #Civilization #VII #Review #NoobFeed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Michelin star hotspot outside of London ‘not many people know about’ Michelin star hotspot outside of London ‘not many people know about’ Rumeana Jahangir and Jon Parker Lee BBC News Moor Hall Chef Mark Birchall says it “takes so much work” to make high-quality food About 8,000 people live in Aughton yet the Lancashire village hosts not one, but three restaurants with Michelin stars – more than big city neighbours Liverpool and Manchester combined. The latest awards were announced at a glittering ceremony this week, with Aughton’s Moor Hall ascending to the catering version of Everest when it attained the prestigious three-star rating. Judges described the restaurant, housed in a 16th Century aristocratic property since 2017, as a “delightful gastronomic getaway” where “every dish is now simply brilliant, with consistent levels of precision, balance and purity of flavour”. Chef Mark Birchall, who was born in the Lancashire town of Chorley, says it’s “always great to have a [Michelin-starred] restaurant in the county I’m from”. Except he doesn’t have one acclaimed restaurant, he has two. Because next door is The Barn, which opened as the “more informal sister” some months after Moor Hall, and secured one Michelin star in 2022 for its “modern and imaginative” cooking. “We start on our doorstep and work our way out to some amazing producers,” Birchall says. Jon Parker Lee Lancashire is known as the “salad bowl of England” because of the growers on the banks of the Ribble Estuary Moor Hall also has a Michelin green star – a rating introduced in 2021 to recognise exemplary standards in sustainable practices. Lancashire is often dubbed the “salad bowl of England” and Birchall says there are “amazing tomato grocers literally around the corner”. “We’re so lucky – it’s an amazing county, it’s got beautiful surroundings, the produce that is grown here is fantastic.” But while the location is surrounded by farms he says they will also source food from other counties and countries if necessary as the restaurant’s priority is “the food, it’s solely about that”. “We go as far as we need to go to get the best we can afford to put on the menu.” Jon Parker Lee Sō-lō, which is run by chef Tim Allen, won its Michelin star in 2023 – within 17 months of opening Amid his Valentine’s Day bookings, Tim Allen – who bagged a Michelin star in 2023 for his restaurant Sō-lō in Town Green, Aughton – says Birchall’s success has “put the place on the map”. He consulted the chef before opening his venture in 2021, adding: “Moor Hall has always been world-class – we’re very lucky, it’s brought much focus and Mark’s three-star success is just amplifying that.” Allen says his team take advantage of being in what he calls the “larder of Lancashire”, using local produce from strawberries to brassicas. “If we’re buying something local, it has to be quality… the name of the game is consistency.” Despite sharing Birchall’s focus on ingredients and a relentless push for excellence, he adds that Sō-lō offers “something different… otherwise it would be boring if we’re all doing the same things”. “We need our local regulars – of which we have a lot – and we need to develop as a destination.” Moor Hall Achieving a three-star rating is “the absolute global epitome”, according to restaurant critic Thom Hetherington Manchester-based restaurant critic Thom Hetherington told BBC Radio Lancashire: “The interesting thing for somewhere like Aughton and Lancashire generally, is that restaurants don’t work as well when they’re out on their own. “They work better when they are a cluster because then, instead of just feeding people locally, which is important, you start pulling in visitors. “Aughton has three Michelin-starred restaurants so that is going to be pulling people from all over. So that’s more money, more spend going into the local economy, more jobs that’s supporting local suppliers.” Despite the cost-of-living crisis, he says “the upper end of the restaurant scene is stronger than ever”. “One of the most valuable things that restaurants do, is bring in that outside spend into an area – it’s almost like inward investment.” Jon Parker Lee Aughton has about 8,000 residents and three Michelin-starred restaurants The three Michelin-starred restaurants are within a three-minute drive but, on hearing that the village had more than many northern cities combined, local butcher James Henshaw admits: “Bloomin’ heck, I didn’t know that myself. “If I am brutally honest, many people don’t know about it.” Vikki Harris, from the Marketing Lancashire body, says they’re “delighted” by Moor Hall’s recent inclusion in the prestigious three-star category. Only nine other restaurants in the *** have reached that pinnacle, including six in London, two in the royal borough of Windsor and one in Cumbria. “We’re sure that the news of an additional star for Aughton – bringing its total to five – will be very welcomed,” Ms Harris says, “and we’ll see yet more people putting the village on their must-visit list.” Jon Parker Lee Butcher James Henshaw says villagers and visitors are “very passionate about food” Mr Henshaw, who lives a 10-minute drive away, says he “jumped at the opportunity” to open his butcher’s shop in the area at the age of 23, adding: “It looked like a nice, busy area – I thought it would do really well. I know of other shops in this area that do really, really well. “I think it helps being in a village where everyone seems very, very passionate about food. We also see plenty of incomers, who again love the food.” He says his business is “still growing and expanding and, more importantly, we’re still getting busier”. Daniel Vernon, who works for the wine bar Arthur’s of Aughton, says the area is “a bit of a cultural hotspot” and that the Michelin-starred restaurants have a “positive after-effect” for its “discerning” community. “You’ve got people choosing to live here from Liverpool but also residents from way back with cultural ties that are deep.” Emma and Mark McClean moved to the area five years ago and Mr McClean reckons the place has “a Formby vibe about it”, referring to the beach town which has often accommodated Premier League stars, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. “It’s not as big. I think it’s a better place to live.” Mrs McClean adds: “I suppose we’re quite lucky – to have three Michelin restaurants on our doorstep.” Source link #Michelin #star #hotspot #London #people Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 15 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 15 Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt. Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help. Please enable Javascript to view this content Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today. NYT Mini Crossword answers today New York Times Across Governing body of world soccer – FIFA “___ is a world within itself, with a language we all understand” (Stevie Wonder lyric) – MUSIC Opposite of rough – GENTLE Pictures that employ the “flip camera” button – SELFIES Away from the ocean – INLAND Earthenware pot – CROCK Clark ___ a.k.a. Superman – KENT Down Cool bit of trivia – FUNFACT Admission of ineptitude – ISTINK Smoothed, as fingernails – FILED AAAA, in a deck – ACES Pittsburgh’s Carnegie ___ University – MELLON Rom-com or thriller – GENRE “Totally awesome!” – SICK Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Activist Elliott calls for a three-pronged approach to streamline Phillips 66 Activist Elliott calls for a three-pronged approach to streamline Phillips 66 The Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery Wilmington Plant stands on November 28, 2022 in Wilmington, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Company: Phillips 66 (PSX) Business: Phillips 66 is an energy manufacturing and logistics company. It operates through the following segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment provides crude oil and refined petroleum product transportation, terminaling and processing services, as well as natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation, storage, fractionation, gathering, processing and marketing service. The Chemicals segment consists of the company’s 50% equity investment in Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem), which manufactures and markets petrochemicals and plastics on a worldwide basis. The Refining business refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasoline, distillates and aviation fuels, as well as renewable fuels, at 12 refineries in the U.S. and Europe. Finally, the Marketing and Specialties segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products and renewable fuels. Stock Market Value: $52.88B ($128.04 per share) Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Phillips 66 shares over the past year Activist: Elliott Investment Management Ownership: ~4.6% Average Cost: n/a Activist Commentary: Elliott is a very successful and astute activist investor. The firm’s team includes analysts from leading tech private equity firms, engineers, operating partners – former technology CEOs and COOs. When evaluating an investment, the firm also hires specialty and general management consultants, expert cost analysts and industry specialists. It often watches companies for many years before investing and has an extensive stable of impressive board candidates. Elliott has historically focused on strategic activism in the technology sector and has been very successful with that strategy. However, over the past several years the firm’s activism group has grown, and it has been doing a lot more governance-oriented activism and creating value from a board level at a much larger breadth of companies. What’s happening On Feb. 11, Elliott issued a letter and presentation to the Phillips 66 board outlining “Streamline66,” a plan to resolve the company’s continued underperformance and poor corporate governance practices despite its portfolio of attractive assets. It includes the following steps: (i) streamline the company’s portfolio through a ***** or spin-off of the midstream business as well as a potential ***** of its interest in CPChem; (ii) initiate an operating review by committing to ambitious refining targets and closing the EBITDA-per-barrel gap with its peers; and (iii) increase oversight and bolster accountability of Phillips 66’s management team by adding new independent directors to the board. Behind the scenes Phillips 66 (PSX) is an energy manufacturing and logistics company. The company maintains four valuable asset segments, each offering scalability and strong competitive positioning. Its Midstream segment operates a vertically integrated wellhead-to-water natural gas liquids (NGL) business across the Permian and DJ basins. The Chemicals segment comprises their world-scale petrochemical joint venture CPChem. The Refining segment is one of the largest refining systems in the U.S. The Marketing and Specialties segment consists of a scaled fuels marketing business and production of specialty products. Despite the attractiveness of these assets individually, Phillips trades at a significant discount to its sum-of-the-parts valuation. While approximately 70% of the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization comes from the premium multiple Midstream, Chemicals and Marketing segments, which trade as high as 10-times EBITDA, PSX trades closer to the multiple of its lowest-valued Refining segment at 6.6-times. As a result, the company has significantly underperformed the average of its closest peers, Valero Energy (VLO) and Marathon Petroleum (MPC), in cumulative total return by 9%, 33%, and 97% over the past 1-, 3-, and 5-year periods, respectively. Elliott first publicly engaged PSX in November 2023, when the firm sent a letter to the board of directors announcing its $1 billion investment in the company. Elliott criticized PSX for its history of underperformance, citing issues such as shifting away from and being poorly prepared to take advantage of the refining super-cycle in ’22 and ’23, rising refining operating expenditures (OPEX) per barrel in absolute and relative terms compared to peers VLO and MPC, and increasing costs relative to peers in the wake of a cost-reduction program. Elliott saw a potential stock price of more than $200 per share at the time, but the firm shared Wall Street’s concern that PSX was primarily an execution story. Despite this, Elliott acted the way we want active shareholders to do so, as opposed to how they are perceived by many. The firm gave CEO Mark Lashier the opportunity to demonstrate meaningful progress on his targets of $14 billion of mid-cycle EBITDA by 2025, non-core asset divestitures of $3 billion and increasing PSX’s long-term capital return policy. They quickly and amicably agreed with the company to add two new directors with refining experience to the board. The company added Robert Pease, a former executive of Cenovus, to the board in February 2024, and agreed to continue to work with Elliott on identifying a second director in the coming months. The second director never materialized. Now, more than a year later, Elliott has increased its position to $2.5 billion and is going to become more active in creating shareholder value, issuing a public letter and presentation to “Streamline66.” Elliott identifies three primary sources of PSX’s underperformance. First, the firm argues that the company’s intrinsic value has been obscured by its inefficient conglomerate structure, resulting in it trading in line with its lowest multiple refining segment despite a majority of EBITDA coming from its other premium businesses. Second, PSX’s operating performance has failed to meet management’s targets and profitability continues to lag peers. In 2024, PSX delivered annualized adjusted EBITDA of between $4.5 billion and $8.7 billion, well short of its $14 billion 2025 mid-cycle target. The company’s OPEX per barrel has risen in two consecutive quarters, and its EBITDA per barrel profitability gap has only widened versus VLO. Third, Elliott asserts that management’s continuous claim of a successful turnaround without any tangible financial results has eroded their credibility with investors. The firm also said the board has failed in its fundamental oversight duties, rewarding management with compensation disconnected from the company’s performance. This is what has led Elliott to releasing its three-pronged plan to: (i) streamline PSX’s portfolio, (ii) review operational performance with an eye toward refining margin improvements, and (iii) improving management credibility with the addition of new directors. First, Elliott suggests spinning or selling PSX’s midstream assets, estimating that they could deliver approximately $40 billion to $45 billion as a standalone or in a ***** to a strategic buyer. In addition, Elliott also suggests the ***** of CPChem and JET, estimating that net proceeds of $48 billion from the three assets would be equivalent to 96% of the company’s current market cap. The raising of that amount of capital could allow PSX to repurchase between 60% and 90% of the company’s shares outstanding and increase the payout ratio to 100% of free cash flow like its refining peers. With enhanced oversight enabled by the addition of new directors with industry and operational experience, PSX could get on track towards improving its EBITDA per barrel and progress towards its refining targets. Elliott estimates that this plan could yield a share price of approximately $200 per share. Moreover, the firm asserts that if PSX executes the playbook Elliott employed in its engagement at MPC, shares could increase to over $300. At Marathon, Elliott helped facilitate the addition of a new director, transition to a new CEO, closure of the gap in per barrel EBITDA with VLO, retirement of 50% of its shares outstanding since 2021, and ***** of the Speedway retail operation for $17 billion in after-tax cash proceeds. Since Elliott sent its first letter to Marathon on Nov. 21, 2016, MPC has outperformed VLO and PSX by 56% and 116%, respectively. Having a good plan is the first step, implementing it is another story. This time, Elliott will not be settling for one or two directors, especially after PSX failed to follow through on the agreement last time to add a second director with refinery experience. Elliott gave management time to execute. Management failed. Now, Elliott will do what the board is supposed to do, but did not: hold management accountable. Elliott does not explicitly state that it’s looking to replace senior management, but it does discuss management’s damaged credibility and eroded investor confidence, and that is hard to fix without replacing management. Moreover, Elliott does cite CEO replacement as the first item which led to successful turnarounds in their engagements at Marathon and Suncor. With the company’s nomination window closing this week and four directors on the 14-person board up for election, we expect Elliott will nominate a full slate of four directors, if only to preserve its options while discussing governance with the board. Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments. Source link #Activist #Elliott #calls #threepronged #approach #streamline #Phillips Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UN mission deputy chief injured in Beirut convoy attack UN mission deputy chief injured in Beirut convoy attack The outgoing deputy force commander of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) in Lebanon was injured after a convoy taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport was “violently attacked”, UNIFIL said. The mission demanded a full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators of Friday’s attack to be brought to justice, it said in a statement. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack on Saturday, saying that security forces would not tolerate anyone who tries to destabilise the country, according to a statement from his office. The French government also condemned the attack. “France calls on the Lebanese security forces to guarantee the security of blue-helmet peacekeeping forces, and calls on Lebanon’s judicial authorities to shed all light on this unacceptable attack and to go after those responsible,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar called for an emergency meeting before noon on Saturday to discuss the security situation, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported. “He affirmed the Lebanese government’s rejection of this assault that is considered a crime against UNIFIL forces,” NNA reported, citing the minister. He also gave instructions to work on identifying the perpetrators and referring them to the relevant judicial authorities. The minister told reporters on Saturday that more than 25 people had been detained for investigation over the attack. The United States earlier condemned the attack. A State Department statement said the attack was carried out “reportedly by a group of Hezbollah supporters”, referring to the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon. Source link #mission #deputy #chief #injured #Beirut #convoy #attack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rainbow Six Siege Players at Risk as Allegations of Account Theft against Support Staff Surfaces Rainbow Six Siege Players at Risk as Allegations of Account Theft against Support Staff Surfaces Ubisoft’s troubles seem to never end, and the latest in a string of controversies surrounding Rainbow Six Siege is just the tip of the iceberg. In short, Rainbow Six Siege is having its well-established, hard-earned player accounts stolen (which was already a thing before this recent development). However, recent reports allegedly point toward Ubisoft employees themselves being behind these attacks, which sounds quite concerning. This situation is in active development, and more and more information has begun to surface online. Rainbow Six Siege players at risk of account theft Account theft is rampant in Rainbow Six Siege| Image Credit: Ubisoft As detailed in a recent post on the r/Rainbow6 subreddit, an X post has recently surfaced online with some serious allegations against Ubisoft staff. The post states that certain Ubisoft staff are directly linked to the (********) termination and subsequent selling of pre-existing accounts to third-party buyers. Comment byu/YodaForce157 from discussion inRainbow6 These alleged employees apparently have real-world connections with actual Rainbow Six Siege players and are abusing their power to siege accounts. Assuming this is all true, it could result in some serious repercussions (with probably lawsuits) against Ubisoft, and will only further accelerate the brand’s decline in favor of the public eye. Comment byu/YodaForce157 from discussion inRainbow6 Interestingly, Ubisoft has apparently fired one such employee on these grounds of misuse of power, but the problem still remains rampant and persistent, which indicates that there are multiple actors at play. Comment byu/YodaForce157 from discussion inRainbow6 It should also be noted that Ubisoft isn’t the first company to have its employees abuse their power – PlayStation also had a recent breach, with a well-regarded trophy collector receiving an unjust account ban – of which there has been no resolution to date. Comment byu/YodaForce157 from discussion inRainbow6 Another thing to note is that contacting Ubisoft support has usually been nothing short of pointless, given that they cannot verify the ownership of an existing account – no matter the number of official documents submitted as proof for the same. Ubisoft really needs to comb through its support team, identify these malicious actors – and remove them before it’s too late. Items seem to randomly disappear from inventories | Image Credit: Ubisoft Adding further fuel to the ongoing speculations of misconduct, certain players have often remarked that they have noticed items disappearing from their inventory, with many providing screenshots as proof. Comment byu/YodaForce157 from discussion inRainbow6 Most players have begun to uninstall Rainbow Six Siege in retaliation, and Ubisoft might find it wise to address the controversy as soon as possible, lest it loses its player base rapidly – given that it is a complete breach of trust, privacy, and security. Ubisoft is in a sticky situation Ubisoft needs to act before it is too late | Image Credit: Ubisoft The Rainbow Six controversy is just one of the many issues plaguing Ubisoft currently, ranging from poor player retention to rumors of the company being sold off by its investors. In general, Ubisoft is going through a rough patch and things seem to get worse at each turn. A lot is banking on its upcoming AAA showcase, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but initial previews seem to paint it with very mediocre reviews, and Ubisoft might have lost its old-school charm and formula that made its games so lovable back then. Slumping into mediocrity is akin to becoming irrelevant, and these are precarious times for Ubisoft, with its whole future at stake. Source link #Rainbow #Siege #Players #Risk #Allegations #Account #Theft #Support #Staff #Surfaces Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Overlooked No More: Lena Richard, Who Brought Creole Cooking to the Masses Overlooked No More: Lena Richard, Who Brought Creole Cooking to the Masses This article is part of Overlooked, a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. In 1949, as the chef Lena Richard stirred steaming pots of okra gumbo and shrimp bisque on live TV in New Orleans, viewers across the city — mostly white housewives and the few ****** women who could afford a television set — scribbled down ingredients and instructions, eager to bring her Creole flavors into their own homes. After the studio lights cooled on the set of her show, “Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book,” on WDSU-TV, cameramen pushed past one another for leftovers. Viewers moved from couch to kitchen, measuring, chopping, boiling and frying, adding a little pinch of this, substituting a little dash of that. During the Jim Crow era, when domestic work was the primary form of employment for ****** women, Richard found a measure of fame as a champion of Southern cuisine, and in particular Creole cooking — a fusion of primarily French, Spanish, West African and Native American ingredients and techniques that originated in New Orleans and often includes a roux (a mixture of flour and **** used as a thickening agent) and a “holy trinity” of onions, bell peppers and celery. Not only was Richard the first ****** person to host a television cooking show and to write a Creole cookbook, but she also owned three popular restaurants, established a line of frozen foods, and founded a catering company and cooking school, according to the historian Ashley Rose Young. “She was an entrepreneur who built a business despite structural barriers in place,” Young, who once worked for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s Food History Project, said in an interview. “How did she secure loans? How did she secure the lease for her restaurant business? We don’t know.” Young has been searching for clues to Richard’s life — photographs, correspondence, business agreements, diaries — which have been lost to moves, mishaps and misunderstandings. (No recordings are known to exist of her 30-minute cooking show, which was seen twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, in 1949 and 1950.) And she has been partnering with Paula Rhodes, Richard’s granddaughter, to compile a biography. Rhodes, a human rights lawyer who was 1 year old when Richard died, said she was impressed by her grandmother’s ability to carve out a career. “She was a dark-skinned ****** woman,” she said in an interview. “Colorism was front and center in New Orleans, not only from the white community but within the ****** community. If you were lighter than a brown grocery store bag, you could have certain privileges. She didn’t meet those standards.” Lena Richard, who was baptized Marie Aurina Paul, was born on Sept. 11, 1892, in New Roads, La., about 100 miles northwest of New Orleans. Census records show that she was one of 10 children of Jean-Pierre Paul, a farmer, and Françoise Laurent, who cooked for the New Orleans garter manufacturer Nugent Vairin and his wife, Alice, and their five children. The Vairins hired Lena to cook for them when she was a teenager, and she prepared lunch before graduating to more complex dinners and events. Richard’s sardine and egg sandwich recipe on NYT Cooking. Lena’s employer, recognizing her early culinary talent, “told me that I could go to the store and pick out any kind of cooking utensils that I wanted,” Richard said in a statement found in the archives of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, “and that she was going to give me cooking lessons and send me to cooking schools and every demonstration. If no other colored woman could get places, I certainly could.” “She was very fortunate that she was championed by the white person for whom she cooked,” Jessica B. Harris, a historian and the author of “High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey From Africa to America” (2011), said in an interview, adding, “Had that not taken place, her talent may never have had a chance to be developed.” In 1918, Richard was sent to Fannie Farmer’s School of Cookery in Boston. “When I got up there, I found out in a hurry they can’t teach me much more than I know,” she told The New York Herald Tribune in 1939. “I learned things about new desserts and salads, but when it comes to cooking meats, stews, soups and sauces, we Southern cooks have Northern cooks beat by a mile.” When she returned to Louisiana, Richard began working for herself, catering parties, weddings and debutante ******. Her husband, Percival Richard, whom she had married in 1914, managed maintenance duties for her. In 1937 she established a cooking school, where she tested her recipes and provided ****** students with the skills to open their own businesses. Among her specialties were crawfish bisque, turtle soup, potato pancakes, stewed eggs and oysters, a 16-pound fruitcake, and lamb chops with pineapple. She began receiving so many requests for her recipes that she published “Lena Richard’s Cook Book” in 1939. (It was later republished as “New Orleans Cook Book.) The book — dedicated to Alice Vairin, who had died in 1931 — included traditional recipes from other ****** cooks who influenced Creole cuisine. Richard dictated more than 300 recipes, menus and culinary tips to her daughter, Marie, who wrote them down and then passed them on to a typist. To pay the printer, Richard held cooking demonstrations. She toured the country to promote her cookbook, selling 700 copies priced at $2 each in one month. The book went beyond Southern cuisine to include recipes for chocolate waffles, asparagus sandwiches and tea dainties. “Her recipes are not only Creole but for tea parties and other events,” the chef and TV personality Carla Hall said in an interview, adding, “If she wanted to hit a really wide market with her cookbook, she’d have to include ingredients that people were familiar with.” Richard quickly catapulted to fame in the culinary world. She was hired as the head chef at the Bird and Bottle Inn in Garrison, N.Y., and at Travis House in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. In 1945, she set up her frozen food business, shipping stews, okra gumbo and other dishes from New Orleans to New York, California and Panama. “****** middle class always meant you were one paycheck away from poverty,” Rhodes said, but Richard “was a good businesswoman. She was always looking for ways to make money.” In 1949 Richard opened Lena Richard’s Gumbo House across the street from a white neighborhood. Known as Mama Lena to her customers, she served 54 gallons of gumbo a week on 12 tables covered with white tablecloths and, defying segregation laws, served ****** and white patrons, including the white priest and parishioners from the nearby Holy Ghost Catholic Church. On Sunday, Nov. 26, 1950, Richard attended mass, then went to her restaurant to meet a devotee who had flown in from Los Angeles and ordered every item on the menu. After a long day, Richard complained of feeling unwell and returned to her home in New Orleans. She died there of a heart attack early the next morning. She was 58. Richard’s legacy was bequeathed to Dee Lavigne in 2022, when Lavigne became the second ****** woman in New Orleans to open a cooking school. Richard’s legacy lives on: In 1940, Houghton Mifflin republished her cookbook as “New Orleans Cook Book,” and the chef Terri Coleman‌ has been cook‌ing her way through it on YouTube and TikTok. “She seemed like a woman that just kept going,” Coleman said in a Zoom interview. “She didn’t take no for an answer, and she did what she wanted to do. Lena Richard is very much alive with us because we are using her recipes.” Source link #Overlooked #Lena #Richard #Brought #Creole #Cooking #Masses Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kellogg says Russia-Ukraine peace plan could come in days or weeks Kellogg says Russia-Ukraine peace plan could come in days or weeks AUVERS-SUR-OISE, FRANCE – 2025/01/11: Lt Gen. Keith Kellogg, former National Security Advisor to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the conference and says the regime in Iran is weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades. It should not be feared but challenged. At the Trans-Atlantic conference in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris, titled New Policy Toward the Iranian Regime: Standing with the Organized Resistance, former world leaders and military officials from Europe and the U.S. gathered to discuss and propose a fresh strategic approach toward Iran. (Photo by Siavosh Hosseini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said Saturday that a peace plan for the two warring nations could come within days or weeks. “I’m on Trump time,” Kellogg told delegates at a fringe event at the Munich Security Conference, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s famed fast-moving decision making. “He’ll ask you to do this job today and he’ll want to know tomorrow why isn’t it solved,” said Kellogg, a key negotiator for Ukraine and allied nations in the recently tabled peace talks. “You got to give us a bit of breathing space and time, but when I say that, I’m not talking six months, I’m talking days and weeks,” he said. Kellogg said there was currently a “dual-track” approach to peace talks, with U.S. representatives liaising with Russia, and separately with Ukraine and allied nations. Kellogg, for his part, said he was working on behalf of the latter grouping and insisted — contrary to earlier U.S. suggestions — that both Ukraine and Europe must be a part of those talks. “You’ve got to bring the allies with you. Are they [Ukraine and Europe] going to play a part? Of course they are. You can’t do it at the exclusion of anyone,” he said. “We want to make sure it’s lasting and it’s sustainable peace,” he added. When asked if he could outline the requirements for a credible security guarantee for Ukraine, Kellogg said he could not yet do so. “The answer right now is no,” he said, noting that he was at the conference to gather insights from Ukraine and Europe. Sometimes the U.S. has a “problem only looking through their own lens,” he added. This is a developing story and will be updated shortly. Source link #Kellogg #RussiaUkraine #peace #plan #days #weeks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pete Vizza recalled for life of service as Johnstown councilman, school board member, Tribune-Democrat photographer Pete Vizza recalled for life of service as Johnstown councilman, school board member, Tribune-Democrat photographer JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Pete Vizza used his photographs to capture moments of celebration and sorrow, historic significance and day-to-day life on the pages of his hometown newspaper, The Tribune-Democrat, for almost three decades. After leaving the paper, Vizza continued a life of service, volunteering with organizations, serving on the Greater Johnstown School District Board of Directors and spending time on Johnstown City Council. He was a beloved son, brother, uncle, friend and co-worker. Vizza died Thursday at age 68 after what his brother Paul Vizza described as years of dealing with a “very serious, catastrophic illness at a relatively young age.” “Everyone said the same thing about Peter – he was selfless, one of those people who loved everyone,” his brother, Vince Vizza, said. “And what we see is everyone loved Peter. He was always there to help others out. … He touched so many lives in such a positive way. Anyone who knew him knew him from an act of kindness, a kind word, a hand to help somebody. Big heart, amazing, amazing person.” On-the-spot coverage Vizza worked at The Tribune-Democrat from 1976 until 2005. Vince Vizza recalled how his brother would have a police scanner constantly running at home. With his camera at the ready, Vizza would wait to hear of some newsworthy event that he would need to go photograph, just like what happened when a deadly flood struck Johnstown on July 19-20, 1977. “All of Ash Street was messed up; Fronheiser Street was in pieces,” Vizza recalled in a 2017 article commemorating the 40th anniversary of the flood. “I just started taking pictures.” He later joined Army National Guardsmen on a helicopter flight to deliver supplies to people in Seward that was not accesible by road. “It was maybe 48 hours later, but it was like a third-world country,” Vizza said in the article. “They were desperate.” Years later, he was among The Tribune-Democrat photographers who recorded the horror, tragedy, resolve and community spirit when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Vizza also photographed countless activities, including high school sports, political events and social gatherings. “Pete was an institution at The Tribune-Democrat, and I was fortunate to work with him for many years,” Tribune-Democrat Publisher Chip Minemyer said. “His photography work was always top-notch, and he was the nicest person you could ever meet. We’re all very saddened at word of his passing. “Many significant moments in Johnstown’s history were seen and understood through the lens of Pete’s camera. He took our readers to the news with his images.” Vizza served as president of the Communications Workers of America 14815/Johnstown Typographical Union 137 at the newspaper. “Talented, talented photo- grapher and definitely he had a knack for getting that great shot that told the story, engaged the reader,” said the union’s current president, Mike Mastovich, a longtime sportswriter. “As a union president, he was really effective and cared about the members of the union, but also making sure that the product was a great product for the public to read. And the most important thing about Pete is he was just the most friendly, caring, kind person who would basically do anything to help you out.” ‘Wonderful person’ Vizza graduated from Greater Johnstown High School. Decades later, he worked with the ******* College Access Center, a program that helps high school students who are interested in continuing with post-secondary education in college or trade schools. He also served on the school board. “We could always count on him to build those great relationships (with post-secondary schools),” Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Amy Arcurio said. “He just had a wonderful way with people. “We knew that as long as he was in that seat those relationships would continue. He did that for a number of years before he officially retired from that position, and then he did spend a few years on the school board of directors really just ensuring that that same work was happening, those same opportunities were happening from a school board director position, building policies and initiatives from that leadership position to ensure that that work continued for our students.” Arcurio described Vizza as “a wonderful person, wonderful human being all around.” On Johnstown City Council, Vizza was selected as deputy mayor by his fellow members in 2014. “First and foremost, I appreciate the confidence these guys have placed in me,” said Vizza at the time in The Tribune-Democrat. “I’ll do whatever I can for the people that elected me. I’m very grateful for their support at the polls and the support we’re getting in council. We don’t always agree on stuff, but at the end of the day, we all want what’s going to benefit the people that we serve and we’re honored to serve.” Current Mayor Frank Janakovic served with Vizza. “My involvement with him on the council was he was always a standup guy dealing with our community and our city,” Janakovic said. ‘Always positive’ Paul Vizza recalled his brother as a “selfless” person with a “sunny temperament.” Vince Vizza said he was a “great brother” who was “sort of a second father” to his nine nieces and nephews. “Peter had this way of developing friendships easily,” Paul Vizza said. “He maintained friendships. He was a good friend to many, many people. He was a wonderful friend to his brothers, his family. We can’t think of a better role model for young people. Peter providing his expertise and friendship to students at Johnstown High School just seemed so appropriate because he was of great moral character, great integrity, tireless energy, always ready to help others.” Both men watched their brother go through his years-long illness without complaining. “He faced it and he was strong,” Paul Vizza said. “He was strong until 6:30 (Thursday) morning.” Vince Vizza added: “He always stayed strong. He was always, always positive. That was his motto, that’s what he always told our kids, that’s what he always told everyone. He’d leave you by saying ‘stay strong.’” Dave Sutor is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5056. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Sutor. Source link #Pete #Vizza #recalled #life #service #Johnstown #councilman #school #board #member #TribuneDemocrat #photographer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Helldivers 2 leaves it mark at this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards Helldivers 2 leaves it mark at this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards The 2025 D.I.C.E. Award winners have been announced, and to no one’s surprise at all, Astro Bot stole the show. These awards are given each year across multiple categories and have often been compared to the Academy Awards, just for video games. Aside from Astro Bot, Helldivers 2 won four awards, while Balatro and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle each rounded out the show with three wins. Astro Bot not only won Game of the Year, but also Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design. Helldivers 2 won Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design, Action Game of the Year, and Online Game of the Year. Arrowhead Games These standouts weren’t the only winners, though. ****** Myth: Wukong took home the prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, while Tekken 8 won Fighting Game of the Year. F1 24 sped away with Racing Game of the Year, while Role-Playing Game of the Year went to Metaphor: ReFantazio. Please enable Javascript to view this content The addictive Balatro won Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year, and MLB The Show 24 snagged the coveted Sports Game of the Year. Starship Home, a game for the Meta Quest, won the award for Immersive Reality Technical Achievement, while Batman: Arkham Shadow won Immersive Reality Game of the Year. Animal Well won Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction. Here’s a full list of the nominees for each category, with the winner highlighted in bold. Outstanding Achievement in Animation Astro Bot Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Neva Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction ****** Myth: Wukong Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Lego Horizon Adventures The Plucky Squire Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Outstanding Achievement in Character 1000xResist – Watcher Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth – Yuffie Kisaragi Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones Indika – Indika Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Senua Bethesda Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Astro Bot Helldivers 2 Monument Valley 3 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Star Wars Outlaws Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design Frostpunk 2 Helldivers 2 Monument Valley 3 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Still Wakes the Deep Outstanding Achievement in Story 1000xResist Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Metaphor: ReFantazio Still Wakes the Deep Thank Goodness You’re Here! Outstanding Technical Achievement Astro Bot Batman: Arkham Shadow Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Digital Trends Action Game of the Year Batman: Arkham Shadow ****** Myth: Wukong Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Helldivers 2 Stellar Blade Adventure Game of the Year 1000xResist Animal Well Indiana Jones and the Great Circle The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Family Game of the Year Astro Bot Cat Quest III Little Kitty, Big City The Plucky Squire Super Mario Party Jamboree Fighting Game of the Year Blazing Strike Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Tekken 8 Underdogs Racing Game of the Year F1® 24 MotoGP24 Night-Runners Prologue Game Science Role-Playing Game of the Year Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Dragon Age: The Veilguard Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Metaphor: ReFantazio Sports Game of the Year EA Sports College Football 25 EA Sports FC 25 MLB The Show 24 NBA 2K25 Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year Balatro Caves of Qud Frostpunk 2 Tactical Breach Wizards Satisfactory Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Alien: Rogue Incursion Batman: Arkham Shadow Skydance’s Behemoth Starship Home Underdogs Immersive Reality Game of the Year Alien: Rogue Incursion Batman: Arkham Shadow Escaping Wonderland Skydance’s Behemoth Underdogs Camouflaj Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Animal Well Balatro – WINNER Grunn Indika Mouthwashing Mobile Game of the Year Balatro Halls of Torment Monument Valley 3 Paper Trail Wuthering Waves Online Game of the Year Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Helldivers 2 Marvel Rivals Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Animal Well Astro Bot Balatro Helldivers 2 UFO 50 Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction 1000xResist Animal Well Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Riven Thank Goodness You’re Here! Game of the Year Astro Bot Balatro ****** Myth: Wukong Helldivers 2 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Source link #Helldivers #leaves #mark #years #D.I.C.E #Awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The competition between AMD and Nvidia is finally heating up The competition between AMD and Nvidia is finally heating up Table of Contents Table of Contents Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti is almost here AMD strikes back Nvidia opened this year with two of the best graphics cards, but AMD largely stayed silent. Now, for the first time in 2025, the competition will start heating up. Yesterday, Nvidia announced the release date for its next GPU, the RTX 5070 Ti. AMD immediately struck back with an important announcement about the RX 9070 XT. Here’s what we know. Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti is almost here Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti is right around the corner, and it marks yet another win for leakers who predicted the release date correctly. Set to arrive on February 20, the GPU will start at $749, but realistically, finding one at MSRP (recommended list price) might be tough. Prices aside, the RTX 5070 Ti will feature 8,960 CUDA cores, a boost clock of up to 2.45GHz, and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM across a 256-bit memory bus alongside a 300-watt TGP. GeForce RTX 5070 Ti availability starts February 20th at 6AM PT from our add-in-card partners and system integrators. pic.twitter.com/T2LzKfEjHz — NVIDIA GeForce (@NVIDIAGeForce) February 13, 2025 Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming It’s a step down from the RTX 5080, but not too major, considering that both cards sport 16GB of video memory — a much-needed asset in today’s gaming scene. However, compared to the RTX 5080, the RTX 5070 Ti will use slower memory modules, bringing the memory speed down from 30Gbps to 28Gbps. The same is true for the rest of the RTX 50-series lineup as we know it; the RTX 5080 is the only card to get faster memory for now. One interesting tidbit is that the RTX 5070 Ti will not appear in Nvidia’s own Founders Edition model. It’ll only be available from Nvidia’s add-in board (AIB) partners, so expect to see a wide range of prices depending on things like clock speeds and extra cooling. AMD strikes back AMD didn’t let Nvidia bask in the glory of its upcoming GPU for too long. David McAfee, AMD’s vice president and general manager of the Ryzen CPU and Radeon graphics division, took to X (Twitter) to post an update about the RX 9000 series. The good news: We know when we’ll learn more. The bad news? We don’t know anything beyond that. “The wait is almost over,” said McAfee in the post, inviting everyone to join AMD on YouTube on February 28 at 8 a.m. Eastern time. Although he didn’t clarify which RX 9000 series GPU would be announced, he specified that the cards would hit the shelves in early March, which falls in line with what we expected based on leaks. In all likelihood, we’ll see the RX 9070 XT and the RX 9070. I don’t expect the RX 9060 XT to make an appearance just yet. So far, AMD seems to be taking cues from Nvidia, so it’s possible that the midrange cards will arrive in April, which is when the RTX 5060 is now said to be launching. Announcing the GPU a week after Nvidia’s RTX 5070 Ti could be a strategic move on AMD’s part. It’ll give Team Red a little time for any final price adjustments based on the way the RTX 5070 Ti is received. If reviewers love it, AMD may need to price its own offering more competitively in order to stand out. We’ll find out more within the next couple of weeks. Source link #competition #AMD #Nvidia #finally #heating Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kellogg says Russia-Ukraine peace plan could come in days or weeks Kellogg says Russia-Ukraine peace plan could come in days or weeks AUVERS-SUR-OISE, FRANCE – 2025/01/11: Lt Gen. Keith Kellogg, former National Security Advisor to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the conference and says the regime in Iran is weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades. It should not be feared but challenged. At the Trans-Atlantic conference in Auvers-sur-Oise, north of Paris, titled New Policy Toward the Iranian Regime: Standing with the Organized Resistance, former world leaders and military officials from Europe and the U.S. gathered to discuss and propose a fresh strategic approach toward Iran. (Photo by Siavosh Hosseini/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said Saturday that a peace plan for the two warring nations could come within days or weeks. “I’m on Trump time,” Kellogg told delegates at a fringe event at the Munich Security Conference, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s famed fast-moving decision making. “He’ll ask you to do this job today and he’ll want to know tomorrow why isn’t it solved,” said Kellogg, a key negotiator for Ukraine and allied nations in the recently tabled peace talks. “You got to give us a bit of breathing space and time, but when I say that, I’m not talking six months, I’m talking days and weeks,” he said. Kellogg said there was currently a “dual-track” approach to peace talks, with U.S. representatives liaising with Russia, and separately with Ukraine and allied nations. Kellogg, for his part, said he was working on behalf of the latter grouping and insisted — contrary to earlier U.S. suggestions — that both Ukraine and Europe must be a part of those talks. “You’ve got to bring the allies with you. Are they [Ukraine and Europe] going to play a part? Of course they are. You can’t do it at the exclusion of anyone,” he said. “We want to make sure it’s lasting and it’s sustainable peace,” he added. When asked if he could outline the requirements for a credible security guarantee for Ukraine, Kellogg said he could not yet do so. “The answer right now is no,” he said, noting that he was at the conference to gather insights from Ukraine and Europe. Sometimes the U.S. has a “problem only looking through their own lens,” he added. This is a developing story and will be updated shortly. Source link #Kellogg #RussiaUkraine #peace #plan #days #weeks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The best video game romances The best video game romances Table of Contents Table of Contents Nate and Elena – Uncharted Tidus and Yuna – Final Fantasy X Samantha and Yolanda – Gone Home Commander Shephard and Garrus – Mass Effect Geralt and Triss – The Witcher Sora and Kairi – Kingdom Hearts Ellie and Dina – The Last of Us Part 2 Each genre of video game offers something different. You could load up the best FPS to satisfy your competitive nature or challenge yourself against one of the hardest games of all time. As games have become more sophisticated and started telling more complex stories with deeper characters, we started seeing romantic couples as a focus. Some games feature a pair that is narratively tied, while many more let you choose who you want your main character to enter a relationship with. In either situation, it is the writing and chemistry that determine how effective that couple is on us. These are the best video game romances that will give you high relationship goals. Warning: Some spoilers ahead for each of the games covered! Nate and Elena – Uncharted Naughty Dog The best part about Nathan and Elena’s relationship is how rocky it is. They start out a bit adversarial but come together through a dangerous situation. While the two both have plenty in common, they actually break up between games before rekindling their relationship, and nearly break up again in the final game due to Nate’s selfishness. It isn’t that he’s selfish for wanting to go on an adventure — Elena would understand that more than anyone — but the fact that he felt like he had to lie about it. That’s some real, human behavior that most games don’t touch. As rocky as things get, though, the thing that makes them such a power couple is that neither one is willing to give up on the other. Tidus and Yuna – Final Fantasy X Square Enix There’s something so bittersweet about Tidus and Yuna. Tidus meets Yuna and agrees to protect her on a pilgrimage to save the world from the monster Sin, but is the only one in the group who doesn’t know that doing so means Yuna will die. They form a bond slowly over the journey, helping each other grow and step out of their parents’ shadows. Tidus and the group do break the cycle, but only then realize that he was never real. He was a dream, and killing Sin meant that dream would end and he would vanish. I challenge anyone to play this game and not tear up at the end when Yuna attempts to hug Tidus one last time but falls through him like a ghost. Samantha and Yolanda – Gone Home . A game needs exceptional writing to make us fall in love with a couple that we never even see interact. Gone Home is a game where you piece together what has been going on with your family while away, including your sister Samantha who has fallen for a girl named Lonnie. We see how they bond over video games and music, eventually blooming into a romance. This is a new experience for both of them, and you see how the two help one another grapple with not only their own identities but also the judgment of those around them. In the end, you learn that the two have run off together to escape their families who refuse to accept them for who they are. Commander Shephard and Garrus – Mass Effect EA Whether you’re a male Shephard or female, Garrus is the ultimate romance option in all three Mass Effect games. Right from the start, Garrus has your back in the fight against the Reapers, but his loyalty goes deeper than that. Unlike most other romances, Shephard and Garrus as a couple actually feel like a team. There’s trust and a lot of depth to his morals that help shape Shephard. Garrus makes you a better character (unless you’re trying to be a renegade) and you find yourself wanting to live up to his vision of you. He might look like a strange bird creature, but he has a heart of gold. Geralt and Triss – The Witcher CD Project Red Some will argue that Geralt and Yennifer are the true pairing, but I find Triss to be the more fitting romance for the Witcher. For one, he and Yennifer have never exactly been healthy for one another, but I think they also work better as adoptive co-parents to Ciri than a romantic couple. Triss, meanwhile, is the perfect ying to Geralt’s yang. She is warm and kind, but strong enough to not put up with being treated unfairly. She’s the one who found Geralt after losing his memory and has stuck with him ever since. Unlike Yennifer, she has never abandoned him or put herself above his needs. Sora and Kairi – Kingdom Hearts Disney/Square Enix I can understand why this romance wouldn’t make sense to most people since Sora and Kairi don’t share almost any screen time together throughout the franchise, but hear me out. This is a romance built in the distance between the characters. We know Sora has a bit of a crush on Kairi at the start of the series and see it grow as he fights to find and rescue her. Once he does, it is a short-lived reunion where Sora is forced to separate himself from her to save Riku, but only because he knows she’s safe. It’s unconventional, but the way that their hearts always find a way back to one another is very touching. Ellie and Dina – The Last of Us Part 2 Sony / Digital Trends/Naughty Dog Most of the couples we talked about were formed in less-than-ideal circumstances, but none as grim as The Last of Us. Ellie and Dina have an uphill battle in every sense. Not only are people still intolerant toward their relationship despite the state of the world, they also have the physical threats of nature, infection, and other human factions to worry about. It is one small bright spot in the world that, sadly, does not survive unscathed. Dina is willing to risk everything to help Ellie get revenge, but eventually, that lust for vengeance is what drives them apart. There is still hope that they reconnect, but that chapter has yet to be written. Source link #video #game #romances Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Meta’s next big bet might be AI humanoid robots for at-home chores Meta’s next big bet might be AI humanoid robots for at-home chores What’s next for Meta? The social media giant’s interests have swayed wildly over the past few years. Phones, crypto, tablets, metaverse, smart glasses, and finally, AI. The next avenue for Meta is apparently humanoid robots. According to Bloomberg, the company is pouring resources into the development of AI-powered humanoid robots. “Meta plans to work on its own humanoid robot hardware, with an initial focus on household chores,” says the report. The pivot is not surprising. In 2021, the company gave a glimpse of its DIGIT tech for robotic fingers. It relies on a vision-based tactile sensor to identify the objects it is gripping and simulate what us humans refer to as “touch.” The company also partnered with Carnegie Mellon researchers to develop a low-cost, replaceable touch-sensing skin for robots called ReSkin. The elastomer-based surface mimics the human skin for accurately applying pressure levels. Meta Unlike Elon Musk and his Optimus robot, which are still firmly rooted in the vaporware territory, Meta is not merely planning to hawk robots that handle household chores. Meta chief, Mark Zuckerberg, is apparently eying a firm position in the industrial supply chain itself. To that end, the company is building the whole stack so that it can sell the underlying tech — or parts of it — to interested companies. The social media titan hopes to sell the foundation elements of a humanoid robot, to put it in simpler terms. That includes the underlying software for making sense of the world around it (aka computer vision), the sensor assembly, and computing modules. Meta is reportedly seeing the humanoid robot project as an avenue for integrating the work it has already done with AI, augmented and mixed reality (AR and MR), as well as hardware sensing. Unsurprisingly, Meta hopes to push its Llama AI models as an apt platform for robotics, as well. The biggest difference compared to the likes of Boston Dynamics is that Meta wants to make humanoid robots that will assist with at-home tasks, instead of getting deployed into workhouses and factories. Now, I am not sure how many people would be psyched about the idea, especially with the company’s not-so-stellar track record with user privacy. And it seems Meta knows the risks, as well. “At least initially, it doesn’t plan to build a Meta-branded robot — something that could directly rival Tesla Inc.’s Optimus — but it may consider doing so in the future,” adds the report. Meta has reportedly hired the chief of General Motors’ self-driving tech division to lead its robotics effort. The company is also said to be in talks with Unitree Robotics and Figure AI to begin its work. The humanoid robot project will reportedly fall under the aegis of Meta’s Reality Labs division, which is already busy developing the holographic Orion smart glasses, mixed reality software ecosystem, and a bunch of sensor tracking hardware, too. Source link #Metas #big #bet #humanoid #robots #athome #chores Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

An asteroid has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Here’s how astronomers are tracking it – CNN An asteroid has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Here’s how astronomers are tracking it – CNN An asteroid has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Here’s how astronomers are tracking it CNN’City killer asteroid’ as large as Statue of Liberty and 100x power of Hiroshima’s bomb could blaze toward The Economic TimesNASA’s Webb Telescope To Study Asteroid 2024 YR4 As Impact Risk Rises ForbesDo You Need to Worry About an Asteroid Hitting Earth? TIME Source link #asteroid #chance #hitting #Earth #Heres #astronomers #tracking #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia’s AI obsession is causing delays in its PC business Nvidia’s AI obsession is causing delays in its PC business Component manufacturer, Nvidia appears to be short on GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs for laptops, which were originally set to launch in January. Reports indicate that the supplier has been so focused on developing AI Chips that other parts of its business have lapsed. This has caused delays in supplying the GeForce RTX 50 Series chips to computing partners. According to Wccftech, the graphics chip will now launch in March. Meanwhile, Other expected Nvidia GPUs, including the RTX 70 and RTX 60 series are set to be unveiled in April. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Further details indicate the delay was caused by miscommunication between Nvidia and its board partners about the RTX 50 series SKUs. There have also been unknown issues with the laptop segment. According to the Taiwanese publication Digi Times, the RTX 50 series delay has subsequently pushed back the release of several other Nvidia components until March, including the high-end laptop RTX 5090 and RTX 5090 GPUs. These graphics card models were also intended for a January launch but were held back due to low availability. Being delayed on components is unusual for Nvidia, with the brand being considered a “model student” in the supply chain industry, the publication added. This also happened at NVIDIA, which has never been late in the past, and it is estimated that it is related to NVIDIA’s all-out sprint to the AI server. Even if there are differences in the design and process of server and PC chips, the company’s resource allocation may still affect the debugging efficiency of new products. – Digi Times While Nvidia sorts out its supply issues internally, the company has announced that gaming laptops featuring the RTX 50 GPU will be available for pre-order starting February 25. The devices won’t begin shipping until March. Similarly, these laptops won’t be customizable to RTX 60 and RTX 70 GPUs since those components won’t be official until April. Wccftech noted that while vendors and retailers are beginning to display laptops that will feature the RTX 50 series online, they are doing so with other partners, such as Intel and AMD. Components in the laptops include the Intel Core Ultra 200HX, AMD Fire Range, and Strix Point. Source link #Nvidias #obsession #causing #delays #business Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elden Ring Nightreign Took the Most Toxic Aspect of FPS Titles and Added a Twist to It Because It Maintained “that flow of battle” Elden Ring Nightreign Took the Most Toxic Aspect of FPS Titles and Added a Twist to It Because It Maintained “that flow of battle” Elden Ring Nightreign recently launched a limited entry closed network test, giving players a taste at what FromSoftware’s foray into a multiplayer-focused souls-like title might shape up to be. It most certainly is quite impressive, and FromSoftware brings in a lot of unique takes to the already established formula. One of these additions is having to voluntarily attack your party members to heal them – which is quite the interesting concept. FromSoftware makes players attack allies in order to heal them Attacking your allies can heal them in Elden Ring Nightreign | Image Credit: FromSoftware Speaking with Gamespot in a recent interview, Junya Ishizaki (the game director for Elden Ring Nightreign) spoke up about the game’s development and the team’s many design choices that went through to the beta. For starters, despite its multiplayer-only focus (which is quite a stark contrast from the developer’s mostly single-player games) Nightreign still plays and feels like your standard FromSoftware title. Changing the tempo was something we put great importance on when creating Nightreign. Despite initial similarities, having to work with other players in order to complete an objective can be something a bit unfamiliar to Souls players, which is what Nightreign aims to accomplish here, especially with regard to game freedom and depth. One of the more drastic changes would be allowing players to ‘heal’ allies by attacking them – which fosters a sense of teamwork and trust in the otherwise notorious player base. After all, raids are common in Souls-likes, and removing the ability to attack players entirely does force everyone to form a new strategy – and avoid griefing in the process. We did consider several traditional methods such as approaching your downed ally and holding a revive button–things like this. But we felt like a lot of these didn’t quite maintain that sense of tension and that sense of focus in battle that we wanted to keep; that flow of battle in Nightreign. FromSoftware did try the more traditional method of having players manually revive others with the press of a button or consumable, but this turned out to be quite slow and disruptive. In the end, having attacks connect to players (thereby healing them in the process) was favored as it kept the action going, without unnecessary interruptions. The combat has more depth to it now | Image Credit: FromSoftware For example, a long-range weapon can now be used to both attack an enemy and heal an ally when within the vicinity of the weapon’s range – making things a lot easier. Expect enemies to be balanced around the mechanic though. Griefing and team kill are commonplace in FPS games (even if some of them disable friendly fire), and Nightreign’s clever use of this mechanic is sure to be a hit. The closed network test also features a few interesting additions The closed beta network test is currently live | Image Credit: FromSoftware While the closed network test is certainly not indicative of the final content that will be present in the retail version of the game, there are some interesting additions here and there. For example, certain bosses and monsters from Elden Ring make an appearance in Nightreign, which indicates a deeper connection between the two titles. How both these campaigns will connect remains a mystery though. The connection was not a coincidence, and FromSoftware wants to make players feel at home in the new game world, by bringing back familiar sights and sounds. Overall, Elden Ring Nightreign is shaping up to be quite the treat for souls-like veterans, offering a fresh but nuanced take on the already well-established Souls formula. Source link #Elden #Ring #Nightreign #Toxic #Aspect #FPS #Titles #Added #Twist #Maintained #flow #battle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Woman dies after village pub shooting Woman dies after village pub shooting BBC A woman has died after a shooting outside a village pub in Kent as a manhunt continues, police have said. Kent Police said it was called to a “disturbance” at the Three Horseshoes on Main Road, Knockholt, just after 19:00 GMT on Friday. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. Source link #Woman #dies #village #pub #shooting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Presidents’ Day Lego Deals — Get creative, Get discounts Presidents’ Day Lego Deals — Get creative, Get discounts Table of Contents Table of Contents Lego Creator 3-in-1 Flatbed Truck with Helicopter — $16 $20 20% off Lego Speed Champion 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R — $20 $25 20% off Lego Super Mario Bowser’s Muscle Car — $24 $30 20% off Lego Icons Plum Blossom — $24 $30 20% off Lego Minecraft The Nether Portal Ambush Adventure Set — $30 $38 20% off Lego Marvel Dancing Groot — $36 $45 20% off Lego Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House — $48 $60 20% off Lego Star Wars Droideka Model — $52 $65 20% off Lego Star Wars R2-D2 — $82 $100 18% off Lego Art Hokusai, The Great Wave — $85 $100 15% off Presidents’ Day is right around the corner, and so are the deals. There are a lot of pretty serious things to buy at a discount at this time of the year. You can get Presidents’ Day power tool deals to help you get your home DIY ready. Or, maybe upgrade your computer setup with Presidents’ Day Dell deals. Maybe even get a better night’s sleep via Serta’s Presidents’ Day *****. But why does it all have to be so serious, so future thinking? Sometimes you just want a good hobby or a thinking toy for kids. That’s why we’re looking closely at the Presidents’ Day Lego offerings. These deals on favored Lego sets traverse everything from Lego Marvel to Lego Harry Potter and every Lego franchise in between. Most items are 20% off as well, giving you healthy savings across the board. So, check ’em out and see what you want, because sometimes the play and fun has to take a front seat. Lego Creator 3-in-1 Flatbed Truck with Helicopter — $16 $20 20% off Lego This kit, now marked down to just $16 possessed the ability to create a host of different objects, depending on how to configure the blocks. With just 270 blocks adults and kids 7+ can create a truck and helicopter, plane and fuel truck, or hot rod and SUV car. It’s a fun way to teach ingenuity, the “reuse” part of the recycling trio, and keeping fun in a compact setting. This makes a great gift for a child interested in vehicles, planes, and fast-paced action. Lego Speed Champion 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R — $20 $25 20% off Lego Whether you just like the Nissan Skyline GT-R, the 2 Fast 2 Furious franchise, or fast cars, this 319 piece set suitable for those aged 9+ is a great buy. The blue racing stripes across the door and body of the vehicle make it look fast, even when sitting still. This makes a fun action toy or a display piece for fans of the series, especially at just $20. Lego Super Mario Bowser’s Muscle Car — $24 $30 20% off Lego This kit has has a dual purpose. For many, it will be the perfect way to display that you’re the bad boy of your Mario Kart playing friend group. However, for others, there will be a greater component as the toy works alongside others in the Lego Super Mario series and has its own action tag for interactive play. At $24, buying this for either purpose is a good deal. Lego Icons Plum Blossom — $24 $30 20% off Lego If you’re looking to cultivate a sense of wonder of the natural world without actually having to care for a living thing, this is the kit for you. Be amazed as the snappable plastic blocks come together to resemble a gorgeous plum blossom in this set that is now just $24. Lego Minecraft The Nether Portal Ambush Adventure Set — $30 $38 20% off Lego This $30 Lego Minecraft set works as a great stand alone or expansion to your existing Lego Minecraft goodies, allowing you to enter the dangerous nether. Dodge the disc-shooting ghast’s fireballs or flee thru the nether portal you entered in. Lego Marvel Dancing Groot — $36 $45 20% off Lego Lego Marvel’s Dancing Groot toy is more involved than it looks. Once assembled, you can wind a lever on the model’s backside to make Groot move and dance. It’s one of those toys that makes you think about how it works as you build it and is a great $36 gift for kids 10 years of age or older. Lego Disney and Pixar ‘Up’ House — $48 $60 20% off Lego Remember the last time you cried during a children’s movie? It was probably Disney Pixar’s Up. Now you can build the movie’s iconic house for $48. It’s 598 pieces and stands 10.5 inches tall when complete. Lego Star Wars Droideka Model — $52 $65 20% off Lego The increasing amount of franchise build-and-display models is in full swing with this Droideka model from the Lego Star Wars collection. While it is only 583 pieces, the model looks quite complex, so you should have a blast building it, especially if you can nerd out over Star Wars while doing so and only pay $52. Lego Star Wars R2-D2 — $82 $100 18% off Lego A 1,050 piece Lego Star Wars R2-D2 figurine for $82. Even if you snapped 75 pieces together per night it’d take you 2 weeks to complete this model, which stands 9 inches tall upon completion. Lego Art Hokusai, The Great Wave — $85 $100 15% off Lego The mystique of the Japanese woodblock print comes to life in Lego form with this creative set. Everything from the faces of the men on the boats to the display frame itself is made in delightful Legos, with the waves jumping out of the page for an awesome textured look at the artwork. Perfect to display on your wall and a delightful “print” at just $85. Source link #Presidents #Day #Lego #Deals #creative #discounts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Our reliance on AI-generated news could lead to more bank runs, per new report Our reliance on AI-generated news could lead to more bank runs, per new report European Union Fake news reports and disinformation campaigns driven by generative AI pose a significant risk to causing bank runs, according to a new study out of the U.K. Per the research firm, Say No to Disinfo, and communications company Fenimore Harper, generative AI systems can easily be leveraged to create fake stories appearing on social media that suggest banks suffer from specific security deficiencies or that their depositors’ money is not safe. “As AI is making disinformation campaigns easier, cheaper, quicker and more effective than ever before, the emerging risk to the financial sector is rapidly growing but often overlooked,” the report said. It also notes that web-based and mobile banking transactions can transfer an account’s funds in seconds. Specifically, the study found that for every ~$12 worth of social media advertising spent, scammers could pull in as much as $1.2 million in fraudulent spending. This potential danger demands that banks and other financial institutions monitor account withdrawals to identify when false information instigates their customer behavior, according to the study. “Whilst we believe an industry event like this is unlikely, it is still possible, so it’s essential that financial institutions are prepared,” Woody Malouf, Revolut’s head of financial crime, told Reuters. However, the financial institutions reportedly remain bullish on the emerging technology. “Banks are working hard to manage and mitigate risks around AI and the regulatory authorities are looking at the potential financial stability challenges the technology poses,” *** Finance told Reuters. This news comes as AI companies and advocates meet in Paris as part of the AI Summit in France occurring this week where JD Vance previously argued that the U.S. can, and must, produce “the most powerful” artificial intelligence processors in the world. Source link #reliance #AIgenerated #news #lead #bank #runs #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Canon Selphy QX20 review: a fun, portable printer with photo-quality prints Canon Selphy QX20 review: a fun, portable printer with photo-quality prints Canon Selphy QX20 MSRP $149.99 “Canon’s Selphy QX20 is a fun, portable photo printer that’s great for journaling, with two sizes of sticker paper and creative layout options in the mobile app.” Pros High-quality photo prints Supports two paper sizes It’s tiny for a dye-sub printer 40 seconds per photo Charges in a 80 minutes Cons Limited battery life Cost per print is high Table of Contents Table of Contents Specs Design Printing performance Special features Software and compatibility Price Is this the printer for you? The Canon Selphy QX20 is a tiny, portable printer that can fit into a small bag or an expanding pocket on cargo pants and sports jackets. It runs on battery power and prints on wallet-size glossy sticker paper. While it isn’t as versatile as the best photo printers, it could be a perfect solution for printing on the go and at special events. The Selphy QX20 sounds like a lot of fun, so I went hands-on to check its quality, speed, and battery life. If it offers enough value, Canon’s newest Selphy might earn a place on our list of the best portable printers. Specs Canon Selphy QX20 Dimensions 4.0 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches Weight 1 pound Print speed 40 seconds per photo Print resolution 287 x 287 dpi Ports USB-C (charging) Paper capacity 10 sheets Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Direct 802.11b/g, single band Design Canon’s palm-sized Selphy QX20is takes almost no space on my printer stand. Alan Truly / Digital Trends When I unboxed Canon’s Selphy QX20, I was struck by its diminutive size. I’m used to making room to set up a desktop printer or clearing an entire printer stand to hold a bulky all-in-one printer. By comparison, the Selphy QX20 blends into any space effortlessly. It’s about the size of a thick paperback book but heavier since it’s packed with electronics. Canon sells the Selphy QX20 in two colors: off-white and medium gray. I tested the gray model, which will be slightly more susceptible to warming up in direct sunlight than the white model. I live in a northern climate so the darker model is a good idea. In both colors, the surface is textured, providing a little extra grip to prevent drops. The Selphy QX20 is made from high-impact plastic but I wouldn’t want to test its durability on concrete or a hard floor. There’s no display, but two LEDs signal the printer’s charge level and print status. For more information, I can check Canon’s Selphy Photo Layout app. A side door holds the ink ribbon and the paper tucks into a bottom panel that opens with a switch on the back. The only other control on the device is the power button. Everything else is handled via the mobile app. Printing performance The Selphy QX20’s photo quality is impressive for such a tiny printer. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends Canon’s Selphy QX20 uses dye diffusion thermal transfer, more popularly known as dye sublimation, to print on sticker paper by heating ink ribbons. The end result is a high-quality picture on glossy paper. I was impressed by the quality of the Selphy QX20. Every photo I printed looked good and most were excellent. On a few occasions, I felt the color was a bit less vibrant than the original, but still perfectly acceptable for a tiny, low-cost printer. The Canon Selphy QX20 uses a four-part process, printing one color at a time. Alan Truly / Digital Trends The four-part printing process is fascinating to watch. The Selphy QX20 fully prints a photo in only yellow, rolling the paper out the front, then pulls it back in to lay down magenta, before finishing the image with cyan, and applying an overcoat. I already knew printers combine three or more colors to produce an image but it was mesmerizing to see this in action. The entire process takes 40 seconds, which is fast for a small, battery-powered printer. The Selphy QX20 is the quickest Selphy model. The Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 can print 4×6 photos in 10 seconds and uses a six-color ink system for lab-quality prints. However, it costs more and isn’t portable. For the first time, I can print nearly borderless photos with a Canon Selphy portable printer. The top and both sides are truly borderless but photos still have a thin strip of white at the bottom, reminiscent of Polaroids. Canon’s accelerated testing indicates Selphy QX20 prints could last up to 100 years in dark storage with controlled temperatures. Exposure to light and moisture could shorten the lifespan, which is true of any photo paper. Special features Canon’s Selphy QX20 can print 20 photos on a single charge. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends What makes the Canon Selphy QX20 special is its compact size and battery-powered operation. I can tuck it in a bag or backpack and bring it to an event or outing and print photos anytime I want without waiting to get back home or to the office. The battery lasts long enough to print a full 20-sheet pack of photos, even after taking the Selphy QX20 out for a brief excursion into the cold. Eventually, a blinking red status and flashing green battery LEDs alerted me to the need for a charge. The Selphy QX20 is compatible with every USB-C charger I tried and it takes a little over an hour to fully recharge the printer. Software and compatibility Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends Setup was simple and the Selphy QX20 was ready to print in minutes.Setting up the Canon Selphy QX20 was super simple. I installed the ink ribbon and paper, downloaded the Selphy Photo Layout app, then scanned a QR code on the inside of the ink door to pair my phone to the printer. In under a minute, I was ready to start printing. Canon recommends charging the Selphy QX20 fully before first use and I followed those instructions. I didn’t use the ridiculously short USB-A to USB-C cable that came in the box. I have a nice long cable I use with my iPad and it worked perfectly. Canon bundles a short USB cable with the Selphy QX20, but it works with a standard USB-C cable and charger. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends I resisted the urge to start printing when I saw a firmware update was available. With charging complete and firmware current, I selected my first print from my iPhone. It worked with no issues. I also installed the app on my iPad and Android phone. In each case, the app makes a direct Wi-Fi connection to the Selphy QX20 so I can use it anywhere without the need for a router. Canon’s Selphy Photo Layout app provides creative inspiration for Selphy QX20 prints. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends The Selphy Photo Layout app is easy to use and I enjoyed the collage feature which lets me fit multiple photos on a single sticker sheet. It would be great for journaling or labeling boxes with photos of what’s inside. There are creative options to add stickers, text and even draw on pictures. It’s a nice app that unlocks plenty of possibilities. Price It’s fun to print lots of photo stickers with the Selphy QX20, but costs will add up. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends Canon’s Selphy QX20 isn’t the least expensive portable photo printer, but $150 is quite affordable given the compact size and high-quality results. Most dye-sublimation printers are larger and heavier. Canon doesn’t include paper and ink with the Selphy QX20, so you’ll need to order supplies at the same time you get the printer. The Selphy QX20 accepts two paper sizes and holds 10 sheets. Canon bundles ink and paper together and the amount exactly matches the number of sheets in a pack. The XS-20L pack contains 20 sheets of square sticker paper measuring 2.7 by 2.7 inches. Canon recognizes that some photos work best in portrait or landscape aspect ratios. The Canon XS-20L pack includes 20 sheets of sticker paper that’s 2.1 by 3.4 inches, the same size as business cards. The square XS-20L paper was the only type available at the time of this review. While I have no experience with the XC-20L, the aspect ratio should be the only difference. Canon’s XS-20L and XC-20L cost $15 each, so each print costs 75 cents. If you buy the bulk set XC-60L, you get enough portrait sticker sheets and ink ribbons to print 60 photos. The XC-60L costs $41, reducing the cost per photo to 68 cents. It’s hard to put a price on the joy of handing out photos at a live event but cost is always a consideration. Is this the printer for you? The Canon Selphy QX20 is a small wonder and I enjoyed using it. If you’re looking for a portable printer to create photos during a trip, you’ll be pleased with the quality and speed. After 20 prints, you’ll need to recharge so a professional event photographer would want a more robust solution. For casual use, the Selphy QX20 is great fun, and playing with the collage feature can inspire creativity. It’s also a nice option if you don’t have room for a standard printer but like the idea of a tiny, personal printer to share memories. While the speed is good for a battery-power printer, it will take quite a while to print a big batch of photos. Print costs add up faster with a Selphy QX20 than a desktop printer. The best photo printers maximize quality, support a wide range of media, and offer greater speed. Ultimately, choosing the right printer requires some research and depends on your particular needs. We have guides to the best printers for general-purpose use that can handle photos and documents, as well as the best all-in-one printers that include scanners that work well for home offices. Source link #Canon #Selphy #QX20 #review #fun #portable #printer #photoquality #prints Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israeli president condemns hostage handover ceremony as ‘cynical’ Israeli president condemns hostage handover ceremony as ‘cynical’ Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the “cynical ceremony” staged as three hostages were freed on Saturday while at the same time expressing joy at their release. “After the despicable and cynical ceremony you were forced to endure, we are happy that you are now being reunited with your families,” Herzog posted on X. “Completing a hostage deal is a human, moral, and Jewish imperative. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring back all our sisters and brothers from captivity in Gaza – until the last one returns!” Herzog said. The three men were led onto a stage, had to hold up “release documents” and were made to speak into a microphone while guarded by masked men wielding assault rifles and in front of a crowd of hundreds. Herzog posted that Sagui Dekel-Chen would now meet his new daughter for the first time. Israeli media reported that the man reacted with joy to the news of her birth. Asked how he was, Dekel-Chen responded that we was well as he had a daughter. Referring to the fact that Iair *****’s brother was still being held as he was released, Herzog said: “These are not horror movie scripts – this is the reality of innocent civilians abducted by ****** terrorists, and now being freed after 498 days in the tunnels and dungeons of Gaza.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office: “We have prepared for their return and will assist, along with their families, in their rehabilitation, following the long and agonizing days in captivity.” Freed Israeli hostage lexander Sasha Troufanov is escorted by fighters of the Islamic ****** and Ezz al-Din Al-Qassam brigades, the military wing of ******, before being handed over to representatives of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Freed Israeli hostages, Iair ***** (L), Sagui Dekel Chen (3rd L), and Alexander Sasha Troufanov (speaking), stand on stage with fighters of the Islamic ****** and Ezz al-Din Al-Qassam brigades, the military wing of ******, before being handed over to representatives of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Source link #Israeli #president #condemns #hostage #handover #ceremony #cynical Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Avowed Review | NoobFeed | N4G Avowed Review | NoobFeed | N4G NoobFeed editor Joy writes – Avowed is a well-crafted RPG that excels in storytelling and exploration but falls short in combat depth and enemy variety. It’s a game that understands the joy of adventure, offering a rich, immersive experience that, while not without flaws, is well worth the journey. Source link #Avowed #Review #NoobFeed #N4G Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Crypto, Trump, GOP leadershipo gang up on FDIC over debanking Crypto, Trump, GOP leadershipo gang up on FDIC over debanking A US Postal Service worker outside a Signature Bank branch in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images Anchorage Digital CEO Nathan McCauley wants everyone to know what happened to his crypto company in 2023 during the Biden administration. “Our story is pretty ridiculous,” McCauley told CNBC in an interview after testifying at a Senate hearing, titled, “Investigating the Real Impacts of Debanking in America,” earlier this month. “We had a bank that we had a growing relationship with for a number of years, who basically on a dime, decided to turn off our bank account.” No explanation. No warning. After two years working with the bank, access was cut off. He didn’t name the bank and an Anchorage spokesperson said the company is declining to provide it. McCauley’s peers across the crypto industry have shared similar sagas about being locked out of the U.S. financial system, losing access to payroll, checking accounts and payment processing. Industry leaders call it “Operation Choke Point 2.0,” an alleged coordinated effort by regulators during the Biden presidency to pressure banks into severing ties with crypto. The 1.0 version, they say, occurred when the Obama administration went after banks that backed gun manufacturers and payday lenders. With the word “debanking,” crypto execs and investors have found immediate allies among top Republicans in both houses of Congress and in the White House, who are ready and willing to investigate any potential malfeasance that occurred when Democrats were in charge. President Donald Trump has coopted the agenda for political gain. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, he accused JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America of politically motivated debanking, claiming major financial institutions have shut out conservatives under pressure from regulators. The banks denied the claim and Trump hasn’t provided any evidence to back it up. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has tied himself closely to Trump and, as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, used his opening remarks at the hearing on Feb. 5, to echo the president’s sentiment. “It is incredibly alarming and disheartening to hear stories about financial institutions cutting off services to digital asset firms, political figures, and conservative-aligned businesses and individuals,” Scott said. Nathan McCauley, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anchorage Digital Bank, during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images For crypto industry leaders like McCauley, Republican leadership in Washington has provided a platform to publicly air their grievances. McCauley, whose company is a federally chartered crypto bank, recounted Anchorage’s abrupt loss of banking services in June 2023. He said that while his company has faced numerous challenges, the environment has been even worse for less-established startups. “You can only imagine what was happening to the smaller entrepreneurs who didn’t have the resources to be able to marshal in order to keep their bank accounts open,” McCauley told CNBC. In his testimony to Scott’s committee, McCauley said that after losing access to its banking services, Anchorage had to lay off 20% of its workforce, including 70 U.S. employees. To this day, clients are unable “to send wire transfers to third parties,” he said. The high-profile hearings so early in Trump’s second administration underscore the sudden influence of the crypto industry, which was instrumental in getting its favored candidates elected across the country in November. Crypto exchange Coinbase was one of the top corporate donors in the 2024 election cycle, giving more than $75 million to a group called Fairshake and its affiliate PACs, including a fresh pledge of $25 million to support the pro-crypto super PAC in the 2026 midterms. Ripple doled out around around $50 million. Coinbase and Ripple were both involved in protracted legal battles with the SEC under former Chairman Gary Gensler. Returning the favor Trump is paying them back in a variety of ways. His executive order on crypto promises “fair and open access” to financial services. And Trump appointed venture capitalist David Sacks, a longtime ally of Elon Musk, as the White House’s first AI and crypto czar. Meanwhile, the SEC has already signaled a rollback of rules that previously kept banks from holding bitcoin on their balance sheets, and the FDIC is under pressure to revise guidelines that made it harder for banks to serve digital asset companies. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal testified before the House Financial Services Committee on Feb. 6, along with Fred Thiel, CEO of bitcoin miner MARA Holdings. In a hearing titled “Operation Choke Point 2.0: The Biden Administration’s Efforts to Put Crypto in the Crosshairs,” they described aggressive pressure from U.S. regulators to effectively push banks to cut ties with crypto firms. “No one wants to see anyone denied basic banking services on the basis of their political views or whether they happen to work in an industry that might be out of favor with the current administration,” Grewal told CNBC. “There are concerns across the political aisle and across the Congress that banking services have in the past been weaponized in order to run roughshod over those who may be out of favor.” The FDIC last week released hundreds of pages of internal records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The documents show that the regulator sent “pause letters,” urging banks to rethink their relationships with crypto clients. Nic Carter, founder of Castle Island Ventures, has spent months chronicling revelations in the Choke Point investigation. He said the FDIC records show that banks were being pressured to avoid crypto clients even in the absence of clear laws. “Ultimately, the smoking gun is the communications between the regulators and the banks themselves,” Carter said As part of its probe, the House committee is investigating claims that bank executives and financial regulators secretly blacklisted crypto firms. Thiel, in his testimony, said that the “discriminatory banking and financial policies threaten the digital asset ecosystem” and that “banks and payment processors are effectively deciding which industries can exist and grow within the U.S. economy.” Closure of Silvergate, Signature Among the Choke Point incidents that most caught the ire of crypto investors were the forced closures of Silvergate Bank and Signature Bank in 2023, following the meltdown at Sam Bankman Fried’s FTX months earlier. Silvergate and Signature were the leading FDIC-insured banks for crypto firms. Silvergate Capital, the bank’s parent, acknowledged in its bankruptcy filing last year that there had been a “rapid contraction” of it business in early 2023, but said it had “stabilized” and was able to “meet regulatory capital requirements” and “had the capability to continue to serve its customers.” Silivergate attributed its insolvency to “increased supervisory pressure on Silvergate and other banks focused on servicing crypto-asset businesses.” Signature Bank was seized by regulators in March 2023. Former Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, a Signature board member, claimed that the FDIC shut it down specifically “to send a very strong anti-crypto message.” The FDIC arranged a ***** of Signature’s assets, excluding $4 billion in crypto-related deposits. Mike Lempres, who was chairman of Silvergate and previously spent two years as Coinbase’s legal chief, wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal this week that the “federal government is finally changing course after four years of vilifying cryptocurrencies and using legally dubious policies to force companies to bend to its will.” While the crypto industry at large is rallying around that message, many in Congress are focused on making the case that banks were targeting conservatives for their political views. Carter said lawmakers are trying to reach a wider audience because “most regular folks don’t care about crypto.” “I think this was a political choice made by the folks in Congress and the administration that are going after debanking, was to tack on the conservative stuff as well,” Carter said. “So it became an issue with a much broader appeal.” For Trump, there’s more to gain from crypto than just political points. There’s potentially lots of money involved. Before he was even back in office, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had already launched meme coins that instantly added billions of dollars in paper value to the family’s net worth, in addition to the tens of millions of dollars the projects earned in trading fees. A week into his term, Trump launched Truth.Fi, a financial arm of Trump Media, promising ETFs, cryptocurrency investments, and “Patriot Economy” assets — all custodied with $250 million at Charles Schwab. Musk, meanwhile is at the center of the Trump administration and has his own project underway. He’s positioning his social media platform X as an alternative online bank, enabling users to move funds between traditional bank accounts and their digital wallets to make instant peer-to-peer payments. The good vibes are being expressed across the industry. “it’s a brand new day for crypto in America,” said David Marcus, the former head of crypto at Meta and current CEO of infrastructure startup Lightspark, in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week. What’s happening under Trump, he said, is “quite a polarity flip of atmosphere and energy for our entire industry.” WATCH: Lightspark CEO David Marcus on the new era for crypto Source link #Crypto #Trump #GOP #leadershipo #gang #FDIC #debanking Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Investor Tim Seymour says now is the ‘wrong time to quit Boeing.’ Here’s why Investor Tim Seymour says now is the ‘wrong time to quit Boeing.’ Here’s why Quality control concerns and a machinists’ strike sent shares of Boeing down 32% last year, but investors would be making a mistake to walk away from the stock now, according to Tim Seymour, founder and chief investment officer of Seymour Asset Management. Seymour appeared on CNBC’s ” Power Lunch ” on Friday to share his take on the aerospace stock, alongside two other formerly beaten-down stocks. Here’s what the investor had to say. Boeing Since reaching its 2024 closing low of $138.14 last November, Boeing has managed to stage an impressive comeback. The stock has risen nearly 34% from that level, through Friday’s close. With this recent surge in mind, Seymour said that now is not the time to give up on the aerospace giant. “I can’t quit Boeing, and it’s the wrong time to quit Boeing,” he said. “The reality is, Boeing’s got to get their own house in order. I think they’ve done that … This company — it’s burned cash, it’s made no money , and I think that’s about to change.” Seymour emphasized his belief that Boeing should become free-cash-flow positive in 2026, while 2025 will be spent “getting to that place by the end of the year.” “Then I think this is really a free-cash-flow machine as you look at the future,” he added. CVS Health CVS Health was another company that underperformed last year, ending 2024 with a 43% decline. But shares have surged to start the new year, up about 47%. CVS cinched a roughly 22% gain this week following its strong fourth-quarter earnings report on Wednesday. The pharmacy retailer earned an adjusted $1.19 per share on revenue of $97.71 billion in its fourth quarter. The results exceeded the earnings of 93 cents per share on $97.19 billion in revenue that analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected. Seymour called CVS “a turnaround story,” attributing much of the company’s success to its recent C-suite changes. Seymour also applauded new CEO David Joyner, who took on the role in October, for his focus on growing the margins around Aetna’s health insurance business. “This has been a disaster for probably two or three years … But we just got numbers,” Seymour said. “I think the floor is in. I think there’s a margin story. I think they’ve right-sized the business.” Intel On the other hand, Seymour singled out Intel as a stock to leave. Shares of Intel tumbled 60% in 2024, but they rose almost 24% this week after Vice President JD Vance said that the U.S. will defend American artificial intelligence and chips against potential “adversaries.” Despite this reassurance from the Trump administration, Seymour said that he felt “betrayed” by the stock. “The reality is this is a rudderless ship. We need a CEO, we need a plan,” he said. “I think you’re fading this one.” Source link #Investor #Tim #Seymour #wrong #time #quit #Boeing #Heres Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]