Trump Tests Legal Limits in Pushing out Federal Employees
Trump Tests Legal Limits in Pushing out Federal Employees
The one-sentence email from the White House arrived in Cathy Harris’s inbox at 10:49 p.m. Monday, startling her when she woke up and read it early the next morning.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position on the Merit Systems Protection Board is terminated, effective immediately,” wrote Trent Morse, the deputy director of the presidential personnel office.
Ms. Harris, a Democratic member of the little-known but critical panel that adjudicates federal employee discipline, was the latest official caught up in the Trump administration’s effort to drastically reduce the size of the government work force and reshape it with loyalists.
In his assault on the federal bureaucracy, Mr. Trump has engaged in a multilevel strategy, targeting political appointees like Ms. Harris while instructing agencies to initiate plans for “large scale” reductions in staffing. Trump appointees, many working with Elon Musk’s downsizing initiative, moved quickly to place thousands of federal employees on administrative leave at the American aid agency known as U.S.A.I.D., as well as at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Education Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
But Mr. Trump’s blitz has run into a complicated set of legal roadblocks. In targeting executive branch officials whose positions are supposed to be protected by different restrictions against arbitrary removal, Mr. Trump has defied those legal limits. In a number of cases, the courts have already delivered setbacks to his efforts.
“Many of these systems have developed over decades, and they’re not necessarily designed at one point in time to achieve a particular purpose,” Don Moynihan, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, said of the different laws protecting federal employees that Mr. Trump has targeted all at once.
Ms. Harris sued the Trump administration to contest her firing, and faces a hearing on Thursday in the case.
The leeway that Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk’s team have to make cuts depends on the positions in question. For example, the Justice Department prosecutors who worked on the federal criminal investigations against Mr. Trump — and who were recently fired — are entitled to civil service protections.
The Trump administration has tried to place thousands of U.S.A.I.D. workers on administrative leave, in what could be a precursor to mass layoffs, and has eyed probationary employees at different federal agencies. Those workers do not have full civil service protections.
At the General Services Administration, which manages the federal real estate portfolio and much of the government’s tech work force, widespread layoffs began on Wednesday, concentrated among probationary hires.
Some of the highest-profile removals have been more surgical efforts that appear designed to neuter independent agencies and offices. In recent days alone, the Trump administration has sought to fire the chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission and the head of the Office of Special Counsel, a government watchdog agency — a move temporarily blocked by a federal judge. Eight former inspectors general who were fired by Mr. Trump last month filed a lawsuit on Wednesday asking a judge to declare their removals ******** and order the government to reinstate them.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump fired another inspector general, Paul K. Martin of U.S.A.I.D., after he published a report on the president’s freeze on foreign aid.
In Ms. Harris, the Trump administration targeted a key gatekeeper of the federal government’s firing authority, a move that could make it easier for the White House to appoint at least one more Republican to the panel and conduct broad layoffs without as much pushback.
“If they don’t respect the rule of law and don’t uphold the rights of the civil service, then we’ll see firings for political partisan reasons,” she said in an interview on Wednesday. “We’ll see corruption. We’ll see grift. All the things that the Merit Systems Protection Board was created to guard against.”
The firing of Ms. Harris echoed other recent moves by Mr. Trump, who effectively crippled other agencies by ousting Democratic members before their terms ended at the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Ms. Harris had been serving a seven-year term, and argued in her lawsuit that she did not commit offenses that would have made her eligible for firing, such as malfeasance or neglect. Hampton Dellinger, the watchdog official whom Mr. Trump sought to fire while serving a five-year term, made the same argument in court.
In their lawsuit, the fired inspectors general noted that the president must provide Congress with 30 days’ notice and a written explanation of rationale used for a firing.
The law creating the labor board restricts a president’s ability to fire its members at will. But the statutes that created the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission do not explicitly limit a president’s ability to eject its board members for something like misconduct.
David E. Lewis, a Vanderbilt University expert on presidential power, said that the gutting of those panels in particular seemed designed to test the so-called unitary executive theory, which holds that the president wields exclusive control of the executive branch, making laws that give independence to other officials unconstitutional.
The Trump administration has appeared eager to test that view in court, which could allow the Supreme Court to further expand presidential prerogative.
Those sympathetic to that theory, Mr. Lewis said, “believe that the president has these expansive powers, and the way you put that into practice is by saying, ‘I get to fire people.’”
“They don’t mind the message it sends about their efforts to aggressively get control of the administrative state,” he added.
Federal workers who are laid off or suspended typically have the chance to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. They are first routed through a system of administrative judges, and appeals are directed to the board for a final decision.
“It’s a federal agency, but it’s effectively a court,” said Nick Bednar, an administrative law expert at the University of Minnesota.
The panel’s decisions can set precedents.
Mr. Bednar said that even if the Trump administration did not succeed in gutting or reshaping the ideological makeup of the panel, its attempts to fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers could grind the group’s work to a halt, clogging its schedule.
“If you’re a federal worker, you’re more likely to just move on,” he said. “You can’t afford to wait for the legal process to be finished.”
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Evacuations issued in Southern California as heavy rain brings threat of debris flows in areas scarred by wildfires – CNN
Evacuations issued in Southern California as heavy rain brings threat of debris flows in areas scarred by wildfires – CNN
Evacuations issued in Southern California as heavy rain brings threat of debris flows in areas scarred by wildfires CNNEvacuation order, warnings in effect for SoCal burn areas with major storm set to bring heavy rain ABC7 Los AngelesCalifornia Storm Will Bring Flooding to Areas Burned by Wildfires The New York Times
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Johni Broome’s chase for greatness and ‘embodiment of the American dream’
Johni Broome’s chase for greatness and ‘embodiment of the American dream’
AUBURN, Ala. — Pastor Carl McKay goes back with the Broome family of Plant City, Fla. So far back, he was there for the earliest inklings of the Broome family.
“I was picking my daughter up from the rec center and out comes John (Broome) and Julie (Murray) holding hands,” McKay said of two people who now share 20 years of marriage and three kids, including one of the best college basketball players in America. “They would have been 13. I said, ‘Y’all, stop holding them hands, you’re too young for that stuff.’”
McKay has continued dispensing advice over the years, solicited and unsolicited — like the time he told John that his son Johni clearly was going to be a basketball star and needed to stop wasting time on the football field. The Broomes have belonged to the congregation at St. Luke Independent Church for McKay’s 20 years there. Two weeks ago, the congregation heard McKay’s story of an interrogation he once received from an especially inquisitive child.
“David and Goliath” was the Sunday school lesson, a classic tale of faith, courage and overcoming enormous odds. But the kid wouldn’t let him off the hook. How could this happen? A guy that big? A guy that small? The small guy winning? How does that make sense? Resourcefulness was the answer, of course, and a prevailing trait along with faith and courage that defined the protagonist.
When McKay revealed to the congregation that the questioner was 9-year-old Johni Broome, smiles and nods greeted the twist. America knows 22-year-old Johni Broome as a national player of the year candidate who stars for the top-ranked Auburn Tigers, but Plant City remembers when he was a slow, unathletic, unranked prospect who was passed over by the Florida Atlantic Owls. Without making his basketball success biblical, what a way to frame it: Broome building a slingshot over years and blasting away at his limitations.
“He’s an amazing example for our community,” McKay said. “And that goes way beyond what he is as a basketball player.”
What he is as a basketball player goes way beyond what he was supposed to be, and the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Broome credits the foundational aspects of his life. He still has questions on spirituality for McKay and for Auburn team chaplain Jeremy Napier. He has Scripture inked on his body and on his phone’s lock screen, and he leads the Tigers’ “aura group” of biblical scholars in weekly discussions. His best friends are brother John Jr. and sister *****’a.
Broome spent hot summer days in Plant City, 24 miles east of Tampa, passing out flyers to market his father’s lawn-care company, and then he’d be the one cutting the grass on the family’s acre of land. When he transferred to Tampa Catholic for the final two years of high school, that meant a 6 a.m. daily drive of more than an hour. It meant getting home at 8:30 p.m. after practice and individual skill work with a trainer.
“He did his chores,” Julie Broome said. “He did his homework. He didn’t do knucklehead stuff.”
If he got a “C,” John and Julie took away his phone and video games for nine weeks.
“I think that happened twice,” John said.
“My family deserves a lot of credit for everything,” Johni said, and yet, even with priorities in order and pitfalls avoided, even with an opportunity to visit his football-playing brother at Florida International and get a taste of life as a college athlete, he was no lock to become one.
Basketball excellence was ordained when Broome was 3 by his late great-grandmother Ernestine Hughes, who looked at the long-legged, pigeon-toed toddler and declared he would be the next Shaquille O’Neal. He didn’t quite turn out to be 7-1 and twitchy, though.
He didn’t even make the first AAU team he tried out for. He missed on the Nike camps. He turned himself into a terrific high school player, 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds a game as a senior, named Hillsborough County Player of the Year. He got himself up to No. 41 in Florida in the Class of 2020 in the 247Sports Composite and started receiving mid-major interest, though the knocks remained the same.
“Can’t move, too slow, can’t jump,” John said.
“I had no idea who he was,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Never saw him, never heard of him. What was he, No. 371 in the nation?”
Actually, it was No. 471.
Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May took an interest and that was Broome’s preference, but the open spots dried up in a recruiting class that included eventual Final Four participants Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis. He went with Morehead State over Bryant, to play for coach Preston Spradlin. The Broomes were thrilled — scholarship, room and board for their kid who had worked so hard to earn it.
“Morehead was a blessing,” Julie said.
And it was a launching point. Broome always loved the game, always had a special feel for it, but now he had college strength training. Now he had film study at the touch of an iPad and sophisticated schemes to absorb. He changed his body dramatically in a year, during which he was named Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year, destroyed Belmont with 27 points in an OVC title game upset and got his first NCAA Tournament taste with 10 points and nine rebounds in a first-round loss to West Virginia.
Johni Broome reshaped his body during his time at Morehead State. (Courtesy of Broome family)
The following November, Morehead State lost 77-54 at Auburn. Broome had 12 and eight. An Auburn fan chatted up the Broomes and joked that their son should consider transferring to Auburn in the future. They still laugh about it. Pearl got familiar with Broome for the first time in preparation for that game, noticing all the little things he did on both ends to make his team better — and that making his team better seemed to be the priority.
This was an outstanding player, a whiff for all who dismissed him on measurables and missed the nuances of his game. He passed like a guard, rebounded like a center and defended anyone who got in front of him.
“I’ve always said Larry Bird is one of the greatest athletes to play the game of basketball, and Larry Bird couldn’t jump over a line,” Pearl said. “But he had unbelievable balance, hands, timing, vision. All of it was unbelievable. That’s athleticism too. It’s kind of like a golfer who is able to strike the ball a certain way, over and over again. Just because Johni Broome can’t jump very high doesn’t make him a non-athlete. There are guys who can jump out of the gym who can’t catch a cold. Johni has a lot of those same traits that make him special.”
By season’s end, with Broome coming off OVC Defensive Player of the Year and Lou Henson Mid-Major All-America honors, money was flowing to players and players were switching schools like never before. Broome loved Morehead State but had the opportunity to start making serious money as a basketball player. John Calipari and Mark Few were after him. Penny Hardaway wanted a word.
“(Pearl) didn’t get in on the recruitment until like Day 3. I had heard from everybody else,” said Broome, whose eight finalists included Florida, Houston and Louisville as well. “He calls and it’s like, ‘Oh, Bruce Pearl! What’s up?’ The thing I really liked is that he kept it real with me.”
Yes, Pearl sold Broome on his career record of developing players into pros. He said he saw Broome as something stylistically in between the Tigers’ stars of the previous season, Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler. Also, Pearl admitted he didn’t have firm answers yet on roster and resources for the 2022-23 team.
“When we first talked, Walker hadn’t made his mind up yet about going,” Pearl said. “Rather than try to sell (Broome) on, ‘Hey, come play aside Walker,’ I made it clear we had another really good player in Jaylin Williams. I said, ‘Look, if Walker does stay, I don’t have enough for you.’ I think he and his family really appreciated that.”
Kessler decided to go. A few weeks later, Broome chose the Tigers. He led Auburn in scoring in his first season. He was the program’s 14th All-American in his second. He’s jousting with Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg for National Player of the Year honors in his final collegiate season, and it’s shaping up to be one of the closest races of all time.
GO DEEPER
Cooper Flagg is on the clock
“I’d like to win it — but mostly, I’d like to win a national championship,” said Broome, who has yet to experience the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, his 24 points and 13 rebounds not enough to avoid a first-round upset to Yale last March.
“The beautiful thing about the choice for player of the year is they both took such different paths, and neither path is better than the other,” Pearl said. “Since Flagg was 15 years old we all knew how great he was, and not just because he was so gifted but also because he worked so hard and played so hard. And then you’ve got Johni, not ranked, not known, no stars in front of his name. Not one year and then the pros, but five years of college basketball. And here they are, taking completely different paths and actually being in the same spot as players.”
Pearl will declare Broome the clear holder of one distinction in college basketball.
“He has to go down as the greatest player of all time ever picked up in the transfer portal at this point,” Pearl said. “Just look at his three-year run.”
It would have been a two-year run, but Broome was afforded an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, he’ll leave Auburn with a college degree and a better chance of going in the first round — The Athletic’s NBA Draft analyst Sam Vecenie projects him to go somewhere between picks 20 and 45.
“NIL allows people to come back and not have to rush to the league to help their families or help their loved ones or help themselves,” said Broome, who has gone through the draft process the past two years to test himself against other prospects. “It allows you to go when you’re actually ready.”
Broome’s readiness comes from the work ethic that gave him this opportunity in the first place, and from added investment that can enhance today’s college athletes. He has signed with sports agency CAA and has worked for the past two years with Minneapolis-based trainer Reid Ouse.
Ouse, who founded Catalyst Training and works with Andrew Wiggins, Mark Sears and Paige Bueckers, among others, is not merely a skills coach. He spent several years as a college assistant coach and attends Auburn games and practices, collaborating with the staff on Broome’s development and how it fits into the Tigers’ schematic priorities.
Johni Broome has worked with trainer Reid Ouse for two years. (Courtesy of Broome family)
He reviews the film of every possession of every game and shares notes with Broome. He works with him on details that can’t be part of every Auburn practice. Broome gets strength training courtesy of both entities, Auburn and his agency. He has always been resourceful; now there’s no resource spared in pursuit of greatness.
“And then there are some plays Johni makes on a nightly basis that people have no idea how difficult they really are,” Ouse said. “His hand-eye coordination? He’s the guy who can play at the YMCA when he’s 70, his hips don’t work anymore, but he’s still able to dominate just because of the way he plays.”
Pearl has almost as much appreciation for the way he leads. There’s no question who’s in charge when the Tigers are on the floor, on both ends. Off the floor, Broome has taken a particular interest in mentoring uber-talented freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford, in Biblical studies and beyond. Of that, Pearl said: “What fifth-year senior is best friends with what freshman?”
GO DEEPER
Meet the 30-year-old play caller behind college basketball’s No. 1 offense
“All the guy cares about is winning,” Pearl said. “He’s the ultimate example of what great support at home can do, and that Broome name? It’s tattooed on his back, it’s embroidered in his jersey, it’s in his soul. He just goes to work every day, trying to do something special for his family. To me, he’s the embodiment of the American dream.”
Broome doesn’t have to be at Auburn. He could have cleaned up in the portal last spring.
“He could have gotten between $200,000 and $400,000 more,” Pearl said. “I don’t mind stating that. He could have.”
But developing, winning and having a good time should count, too. And the Broomes have become close over the years with the coach they call “BP.” Broome said Pearl “says crazy things about four times a week” but also makes himself available to the Tigers at all times.
“A lot of coaches say that, but he means it,” Broome said. “Every time I call, he picks up the phone, whether it’s about something funny, something stupid or something serious. That means something. That makes you want to play for someone.”
Loyalty is serious currency in the Broome household. John and Julie get to McKay’s sermons whenever they can, though it’s tougher during the season with Saturday games and travel all over SEC country. They were on hand for his story about “David and Goliath,” smiling along with everyone else at the revelation that young Johni was his questioner.
Here’s what McKay didn’t tell the congregation: The large check the church had just received from an anonymous donor, to help it rebuild amid $12,000 in damage caused by Hurricane Milton? That was Johni Broome, too.
(Top photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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Fortnite Reload drops massive update for new season
Fortnite Reload drops massive update for new season
Epic Games just released a massive update for Fortnite Reload, including a new season and numerous loot pool changes.
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A hedge for investors skeptical the government can cut inflation and spending enough to lower rates
A hedge for investors skeptical the government can cut inflation and spending enough to lower rates
Before the election, I highlighted the continued inflationary pressure the policies of either candidate might introduce, possibly hampering hopes for rates to decline to the historically low levels consumers, investors, and home buyers enjoyed between 2008 and 2023. Many may have begun to feel those levels were “normal,” yet they are well below the longer-term average. Even now, with 10-year rates at 4.56%, while certainly much higher than the average since the beginning of the Great Financial Crisis and the heterodox monetary and fiscal responses that were introduced (depicted by the green line), they are still well below the longer term average over the past 60-plus years. Investors were greeted with unpleasant inflation data on Tuesday. CPI (the “Consumer Price Index”), a commonly used inflation benchmark, although not the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure, came in hotter than expected. Food and energy are essential to consumers, but economists frequently exclude them from the data because commodity prices tend to introduce volatility. Ignoring those, the annual CPI is 3.3% – well above the Federal Reserve’s stated 2% inflation target. Thursday’s PPI (Producer Price Index) measures the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, again excluding food and energy. The reported 0.3% was spot-on consensus estimates. Thinking Wednesday’s inflation concerns were overblown, longer-dated Treasuries are now rallying. The trade: TLT In an article just before last year’s election, citing continued inflationary pressures, we highlighted a bearish February 14th put spread in iShares 20+ Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) , the ETF that tracks long-term Treasuries. (As rates rise, the value of TLT decreases.) That trade has been profitable, but it expires Friday. So the question now is, do I still believe we face inflationary pressures, or, like bond buyers today, did the PPI data make me more sanguine? Unfortunately, my concerns about inflation persist. The “new” Trump administration’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) appears to be trying to move quickly to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. According to gao.gov , the scale and scope of waste, fraud, and abuse in US government spending are breathtaking. According to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Watchdog, improper payments alone have likely exceeded $2.7 trillion since 2003. A report released last year estimated fraud at between $233 billion and $521 billion annually. To comprehend how big a number that is, consider that according to IRS data, the bottom 75% of US income taxpayers paid a total of $274 billion in income taxes in 2022 (the most recent summary available). The bottom 90% paid $599 billion. So, if improvements in government efficiency would reduce inflation, and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency is identifying massive savings, why am I still concerned about inflation? Three reasons. Identifying waste, fraud, and abuse is one thing. Congress and the Treasury Department have known about it for years, and little has been done to correct it. The cuts the Trump Administration is attempting are already facing lawsuits. The President acknowledged that because they are complying with a court order, the government is continuing to make payments they know are improper. Elected officials come and go; bureaucracies are forever. Tariffs — Although the earliest proposed tariffs appeared to be negotiating tactics to help enforce border security, the threat of more significant tariffs affecting many more countries still looms. It has been suggested that some CPI/PPI data may result from companies lifting prices in anticipation of future tariffs. The deficit – As big as a half trillion in waste fraud and abuse in government spending – is, the deficit is much more significant: ~ $2 trillion, nearly 6.7% of GDP. Ideally, it should be 3% of GDP or less. A sustainable path would be 3% or less, assuming 3% annual economic growth. We don’t need $500 billion in savings. Assuming tax rates remain the same, we need $1.1 trillion in savings, and arguably the best place to find those savings, the Pentagon, is virtually impenetrable from an accounting point of view. TLT 1Y mountain iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond, TLT Investors who remain skeptical that the government can get its fiscal house in order and, therefore, wish to maintain a neutral to bearish bond posture with a TLT put spread. I’ve provided an example below: Buy TLT Apr. 30 $90 put Sell TLT Apr. 30 $84 put DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
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Suspect in Christmas cake poisoning found dead in jail cell
Suspect in Christmas cake poisoning found dead in jail cell
A Brazilian woman suspected of poisoning her husband’s family with an arsenic-laced Christmas cake has been found dead in her prison cell in what police think was most likely a suicide.
Deise Moura dos Anjos, 42, had been in pre-trial detention since January after prosecutors accused her of the ******* on Christmas Eve of three relatives and the attempted ******* of another three.
The victims had all eaten from the cake, which forensic experts found had been baked with flour contaminated with the deadly poison.
Police were also investigating if she may have killed her father-in-law, who died in September.
Forensic experts who exhumed his body found high levels of arsenic, which led them to believe that he, too, had been poisoned.
Moura dos Anjos denied any wrongdoing but local police chief Cléber dos Santos Lima told reporters last month that he was “certain that she researched, bought (…) and used the poison to kill her victims”.
He added that police had found evidence showing that she had bought arsenic on four separate occasions.
Investigators tested many food items in the home of Moura dos Anjos’s mother-in-law, where the six victims were taken ill, in order to find the source of the poisoning.
Eventually, they found sky-high levels or arsenic in the flour – some of which Moura dos Anjos’s mother-in-law, Zeli dos Anjos, had used to bake the Christmas cake.
As Zeli dos Anjos had herself eaten from the cake and was taken seriously ill, police quickly ruled her out as a suspect even though she had prepared the cake.
Zeli dos Anjos survived but two of her sisters and one of her nieces died.
Her 10-year-old grandson and the husband of one of her sisters were also among those poisoned but recovered.
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NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women
NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women
An NCAA committee recommended on Wednesday adding flag football to its emerging women’s sports program, a significant step toward it becoming an officially sponsored championship sport in all three divisions.
The NCAA said at least 65 schools are already sponsoring flag football at either the club or varsity level, with more moving in that direction. With a push from the NFL, flag football also has been added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The NFL has vigorously promoted flag football for several years, including starting a global ambassador program in 2022. Domestically, the league and its teams have been pushing for flag football to be sanctioned as a varsity sport in high schools around the country.
Once in the NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program, flag football would need a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring it at the varsity level and meet minimums in games played and player participation to be considered for NCAA championship status.
The NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program was created to help facilitate more opportunities for women and give schools more opportunities to sponsor teams.
The last sport to move through the program was women’s wrestling, which was approved last month to become the NCAA’s 91st championship sport. The first women’s wrestling championship will be held in 2026.
Five other sports are currently in the program: acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon. Five sports have previously emerged from the program to earn NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).
(Photo: Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)
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People Won’t Stop Buying Monster Hunter World
People Won’t Stop Buying Monster Hunter World
By the end of February, players will get their hands on Monster Hunter Wilds after sampling the open beta earlier this month. While anticipation for the sequel seems to be high, Wilds will have a long way to go to match the sales numbers put up by its predecessor, Monster Hunter World. In the last quarter alone, Monster Hunter World added another 1 million units sold, and it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Via Automaton, Capcom has shared the financial results for its last fiscal quarter ending in December 2024. According to that report, Monster Hunter World’s latest numbers have pushed it to 28.1 million copies sold. It was already Capcom’s best-selling game of all time, and a very consistent performer over the past year. From the numbers provided in Capcom’s March 2024 financial results, Monster Hunter World has been selling approximately 1 million copies every three months.
Monster Hunter World’s DLC expansion, Iceborne, also sold 900,000 units during the final months of 2024. Those numbers may have been helped by holiday discounts for both Iceborne and its parent game, as well as the ongoing hype for Monster Hunter Wilds. Regardless of the cause, Monster Hunter has become one of Capcom’s most successful franchises with 108 million units sold, which is only behind Resident Evil’s 167 million units.
Capcom will almost certainly add a significant amount to Monster Hunter’s lifetime totals when Monster Hunter Wilds arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on February 28. Earlier this week, Capcom also debuted an early look at Monster Hunter Wild’s first post-launch update, which will include the return of Mizutsune, a Leviathan-class monster.
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Nvidia’s new WHQL driver squashes some game-crashing bugs, adds support for Avowed and Civ VII
Nvidia’s new WHQL driver squashes some game-crashing bugs, adds support for Avowed and Civ VII
Nvidia has released the GeForce Game Ready Driver 572.42 WHQL. The new software delivers day-one support for Avowed (Feb 18), Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, an Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation (MFG) update, and the Wuthering Waves DLSS Frame Generation (FG) update. It also claims to fix some gaming bugs and irons out annoying wrinkles.
For lucky GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 owners, this is the first WHQL update since the launch driver, building on a Hotfix released on February 11. However, we have confirmation that the RTX 5070 Ti will be available from February 20, so relaxed Nvidians might want to wait a week. Another new driver will inevitably land on that day—unless the games mentioned above are in their libraries.
The first game-ready driver supporting the new RTX 5090(D) and RTX 5080 graphics cards came out at the end of January (572.16 – WHQL). It was an important release as it debuted DLSS 4 technology for titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Star Wars Outlaws, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Avowed – Pre-Order Trailer – YouTube
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Feb 11’s Hotfix stopped Valorant crashing on startup, which afflicted those with shiny new Blackwell GPUs and patched up a bug that caused Final Fantasy XVI to freeze on exit.
Today, we welcome the 572.42 WHQL driver and it WHQL-izes what the hotfix offered, and adds a game fix for Delta Force players. Some team-based shooter players were getting slower performance when Resizable BAR was enabled, which was an obvious error.
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(Image credit: Nvidia)
(Image credit: Nvidia)
(Image credit: Nvidia)
Another fix in the newest driver affects the 3DMark DXR Feature Test. It is peculiar, as the release notes say user tests resulted in an “Unusually low score for Blackwell GPUs.” If that fixes everything, then the software developer time spent here hardly seems worthwhile.
The new 572.42 WHQL driver could also be a welcome download for the owners of several new monitors added to the G-Sync Compatible tier. Four AOC and one new Philips model can now benefit from a baseline Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) experience on supported Nvidia GPUs.
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(Image credit: Nvidia)
Looking at the big picture, the launch of the Blackwell architecture GPUs hasn’t been smooth sailing for anyone involved. Thanks to our old friends (under)supply and demand, we’ve had availability and pricing issues. Now, a frightening number of users seem to be experiencing the second great wave of melting power connectors. While we wait for the worrying hardware and perhaps some firmware issues to be fixed on the newest GeForce family, the game optimizations and bug fixes in software offer little consolation.
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5 Spring Break Destinations for a Sunny or Scenic Trip
5 Spring Break Destinations for a Sunny or Scenic Trip
The fastest way to speed up spring’s arrival is to chase it down with a vacation to somewhere sunny and scenic. But how to choose a destination when you’re overloaded with options and short on time? We’ve zeroed in on five places that should appeal to a range of budgets and preferences — whether you’re in the mood to park yourself on a white-sand beach, hike through meadows or gorge on art, baguettes and socca. All the hotels listed below still have availability (at press time) for March, April and May; rates listed are for March.
Food: Nice, France
Finding a good meal in Nice was never the problem, says Philip Haslett, the Provence-based founder of the travel agency French Promise. After all, this perennially sunny city, the largest on the French Riviera, is home to sumptuous outdoor markets (open year-round), excellent seafood and countless inventive bistros (like Peixes and Olive & Artichaut). The art scene is just as prodigious. But until recently, high-end hotels were scarce. Now, two old winter palace hotels have been resurrected with splashy new occupants — the 151-room Anantara Plaza Nice Hotel, from a Thailand-based luxury brand (from about $360 a night), and, down the street, Maison Albar’s Le Victoria, with 132 rooms and a marbled spa (from about $370 a night). Another notable newcomer, Hôtel du Couvent, resides in a 17th-century convent, this one in the middle of Nice’s Old Town. Opened last summer, it’s a discreetly glamorous and surprisingly kid-friendly compound with 88 guest rooms, three restaurants, gardens, thermal baths, an herbalist, a bakery and its own monthly farmers’ market (from about $400 a night).
Beach: Turks and Caicos
When it comes to the Caribbean fantasy of powdery sand and translucent sea, few places deliver like Turks and Caicos, even if it isn’t actually in the Caribbean. The British territory, a cluster of nine inhabited islands and dozens of islets and cays, sits southeast of the Bahamas in the Atlantic, within easy reach of the U.S. mainland. That’s why the old-guard hotels that line Grace Bay, on the main island of Providenciales, tend to book up quickly in winter and spring. Jill Taylor, a travel adviser at Jetset World Travel, says the area is especially well-suited for avid swimmers and families with young children: In spring especially, “the barrier reef keeps the water really calm.” For more modest rates, she steers families to the West Bay Club, an oceanfront condo hotel (from about $660 a night). The newer Rock House, down the beach and evocative of a Greek island retreat, is arguably a better fit for couples or broods with older kids (from about $1,040 a night). The most indulgent option on the island, Amanyara claims a prime spot on the island’s northwest coast, just outside a national marine park ( from about $3,585 a night). For even more privacy, Pine Cay is the only hotel on the island of the same name and has just 11 large rooms and two stand-alone cottages, all beachfront, with two new larger houses set to open in April (from about $2,200 a night).
Mountains: The Peruvian Andes
March and early April fall at the end of Peru’s rainy season. But visiting then means avoiding crowds and steep prices, says Joe Sandillo, a co-founder of the specialty tour operator Exeter Latin America. “And it isn’t like it rains all day, every day,” he says. For those determined to see Machu Picchu, Sandillo suggests flying to the mountain city of Cusco, then driving immediately to the Sacred Valley (which sits at a slightly lower elevation) to better acclimate to the altitude. Base yourself at Sol y Luna, where the profits from the 43 casitas help fund a local school (from about $550 a night), or the riverside Belmond hotel Rio Sagrado, with its 19 rooms and two villas (from about $750 a night). After a few days of hikes and poolside pisco sours, head back to culturally rich Cusco and settle into Belmond’s Palacio Nazarenas, a 17th-century palace and convent turned kid-friendly resort (from about $960 a night). For return visitors, Sandillo recommends Colca Canyon in Southern Peru, where the landscape is equally spectacular but far less touristed, and where Puqio, a new luxury camp, offers guided hikes and village visits (from about $1,120 a night, including meals and excursions).
Wildflowers: Asheville, N.C.
After Hurricane Helene tore through Asheville last year, “many people are hesitant to visit,” says the ceramist Akira Satake, who lost his studio in the low-lying River Arts District. “But our community is working hard to get back to normal, and we need visitors.” Around April, when dozens of varieties of wildflowers start blooming in the surrounding mountains, most sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469-mile scenic drive that cuts through town, should be open again, along with the majority of the area’s hiking trails (check with the tourism office for updates). Asheville’s other big draw, the Biltmore Estate, was largely spared by the storm. Though some of the grounds, which were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, are still closed for repairs, the 1895 Biltmore House and the Walled Garden, where the spring blooms are meticulously choreographed, are open to visitors. The Inn on Biltmore Estate, the more pampering of the two on-site hotels, plans to finish renovations of all 210 rooms by May 9 (from about $370 a night). Downtown, where the center of Asheville’s celebrated restaurant scene is, are two newer boutique hotels: the pattern-happy Blind Tiger (from about $150 a night) and Zelda Dearest, which moved into four 19th-century buildings around the corner from the popular Indian restaurant Chai Pani (from about $200 a night).
City: Lisbon, Portugal
“Lisbon used to be sort of like fado music,” says Virginia Irurita, the founder of the travel company Made for Spain and Portugal, “sad, quiet and decadent. But it’s full of energy now.” That’s especially true in summer, but spring is increasingly popular too: The days are mild, the city’s many orange trees are fragrant and restaurant reservations at cool neighborhood spots like Da Noi are easier to come by. You’ll also find more elbow room at the museums, including MAC/CCB, and in the hilltop palaces of Sintra, 20 miles north. Among the most serene of a new crop of hotels is the 24-room Pátio do Tijolo, a breezily modern retreat in the hilly Barrio Alto neighborhood (from about $190 a night). A year before Covid, the One Palacio da Anunciada opened near Avenida da Liberdade, the city’s high-end shopping street, with 82 rooms and suites and a swimming pool. “It’s a little resort in the middle of the city, great for kids,” says Irurita (from about $310 a night). Another of her favorites, the 61-room Palacio Ludovice, is a wine-themed hotel that occupies the 18th-century home of a royal architect (from about $310 a night).
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BLAST.tv Austin CS2 Major Qualifiers Will be Played Entirely Online
BLAST.tv Austin CS2 Major Qualifiers Will be Played Entirely Online
The Major Regional Qualifiers for the BLAST Austin Major will be played entirely online, after consecutive years of offline qualifiers determining which Counter-Strike teams attend the Major. BLAST has revealed the full details of the MRQ’s, which are scheduled to take place in April.
BLAST.tv Austin Major Regional Qualifiers Information
Because of the decision to those the Major Regional Qualifiers online, the MRQs for the Americas and Asia will be split into sub-regions to prevent major ping issues. Valve added to their Major rulebook this year that Major qualifiers could be held online, so it’s not surprising to see tournament organizers take advantage.
In Europe, the top 10 teams according to the Valve Regional Standings will be invited directly to Stage 2 or Stage 3 of the Major. The next 16 ranked teams, starting with number 11, will compete in the European MRQ, in a Swiss stage featuring best-of-three matches for advancement and elimination. The top six from this Swiss stage will qualify for Stage 1 of the Major. The dates for the European MRQ are April 14-17.
The top five Americas teams will be invited directly to the Major. The Americas MRQ will consist of a North American MRQ and a South American MRQ. Each one is an eight-team GSL-style group stage, consisting of the top teams from each sub-region, excluding the top five Americas teams already invited. Three teams from each sub-region will qualify for Stage 1 of the Major. The dates for the Americas MRQs are April 15-17.
Only the top ranked team in Asia will be invited directly to the Major. The Asian MRQ will consist of three for each sub-region: China, Oceania/Southeast Asia, and Mongolia/Western Asia. Each region will utilize a four-team double elimination bracket. The sub-region with the highest-ranked invited team will send two teams to Stage 1, while the other sub-regions will send one team to Stage 1. The dates for the Asian MRQs are April 15-17.
What do you make of the decision to hold Major qualifiers online? Let us know down below and on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out our coverage of G2’s elimination at SI 2025.
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What’s up with Gen Z?
What’s up with Gen Z?
A study suggests that less than half of Generation Z are proud to be British.
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Elden Ring Nightreign Gameplay Only Revealed 4 Out of the 8 Classes But Not the One We Needed to See the Most
Elden Ring Nightreign Gameplay Only Revealed 4 Out of the 8 Classes But Not the One We Needed to See the Most
The dream of trying out what FromSoftware developers have always wanted to do in its games is finally coming true with the upcoming title called the Elden Ring Nightreign. The game has finally pushed the studio to do something other than a Souls genre title and get rid of any itch they might have left over from 2022’s Elden Ring.
The studio is stepping out of its comfort zone with Elden Ring Nightreign | FromSoftware
The original game released 3 years ago and made the players choose a pre-defined character that would have helped them build their character ever since the very start. The up-and-coming- Nightreign also makes use of this mechanic, with the only exception being how it is exaggerated and the player won’t be able to do anything but choose from 8 different classes of characters when they hop in.
Elden Ring Nightreign introduces different classes but misses out on a fan-favorite one
There are going to be 8 different classes in Elden Ring Nightreign | FromSoftware
Called Nightfarers, the 8 different pre-defined characters will supposedly have different abilities and skill sets that would help them survive the 3 nights in the game. So far, players have an idea of what 4-5 of these character classes are going to look like, and the absence of one fan-favorite build has started to make them very worried.
Revealed through promotional material and other sources such as closed network tests, fans of Elden Ring Nighreign know how the different characters they get to choose from will range from someone who will make sole use of Spirit Ashes, to another character that completely goes into assassin mode.
Unfortunately, the 8 different classes do not include the very much loved strength build of players seen in the original game. Maxing out on stamina and using big colossal weapons was the go-to strategy for a major chunk of the player base, and a Barbaric class character that would in some way revolve around this idea would be the cherry on top.
What Elden Ring Nightreign is going to be big
Main Cover for Elden Ring Nightreign | FromSoftware
Scheduled to release on May 30th, the next game in sequence by FromSoftware might just change the trajectory of the studio forever. The director of the game, Junya Ishizaki, even revealed in an interview how the game showed itself as an opportunity to slingshot the studio out of the Souls prison it has trapped itself in.
From Dark Souls to the original Elden Ring, millions of players have loved the co-op multiplayer aspect of these games, even when it was only supported limitedly. It is exactly this experience that the creators are now betting on, and seeing how the response was on the unofficial seamless co-op mod, Nightreign might just be the next big thing.
Apart from the gravely missed Barbarian class, the game does feature other character classes that the players would eventually come to enjoy. This includes the sorcerer class Recluse, the generic knight class Wylder, and more.
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Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! review – ChristCenteredGamer
Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! review – ChristCenteredGamer
CCG writes – “If you enjoyed Chicken Police: Paint it RED! you’ll definitely want to check out Chicken Police: Into the HIVE!. While you can play Chicken Police: Into the HIVE! first, you’ll miss some of the character development from the previous game so I recommend playing them in order. Without giving away any spoilers, some people are disappointed with the ending and I was a little bummed by it. I hope there will be more titles in this series and I look forward to checking out more games from The Wild Gentlemen.”
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Top cryptography experts join calls for *** to drop plans to snoop on Apple’s encrypted data
Top cryptography experts join calls for *** to drop plans to snoop on Apple’s encrypted data
Over a hundred cyber security experts, companies and civil society groups have signed a letter calling for the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper to drop demands for Apple to create a back-door that would allow the *** government access to encrypted communications and data stored on Apple’s iCloud service.
The letter follows disclosures this week that the Home Office has issued a secret order to Apple, requiring the company to give the *** access to all encrypted material stored by any Apple users anywhere in world on its cloud servers.
The Home Office’s intervention has raised alarm bells among members of congress in the US, who have raised concerns that the move will weaken the security and privacy of ordinary American citizens as well as government officials and government agencies that use Apple computers and iPhones for official business.
Apple introduced its Advanced Data Protection for iCloud (APD) as an optional security feature in December 2022. It allows users to extend Apple’s end-to-end encryption from messaging to personal data, including photos, notes and iCloud backups, offering according to Apple, invaluable protection for users’ private information from threats to data security.
Risk to *** data sharing with EU
Robin Wilton, senior director of the Internet Society, one of the signatories to the letter, said that the Home Office’s plans could threaten Britain’s data protection adequacy status with the EU, potentially disrupting the exchange of data between companies in the *** and the EU.
“The *** government has insisted not only on accessing Apple’s data, but insisted on access to it even after it reaches the United States. That raises questions whether the *** can retain its adequacy under GDPR,” he told Computer Weekly.
In an open letter prepared by the Global Encryption Coalition, a network of civil society groups, businesses and trade associations, cyber security experts warn that the ***’s move to create a back-door into people’s personal data jeopardises the security and privacy of millions of people, undermines the *** tech sector and sets a dangerous precedent for global cyber security.
The letter has been signed by prominent cyber security experts, including cryptographer Phil Zimmerman, inventor of the email encryption software PGP, Ronald Rivest one of the inventors of the RSA encryption algorithm, cybersecurity author Bruce Schneier, and
David R. Jefferson, former supercomputer scientist at the US Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It remains open for further signatures until 20 February.
*** tech industry will suffer reputational damage
The letter warns that the move by the *** government to secretly undermine the security of Apple’s encrypted storage, creates the risk that Apple and other technology companies may pull their services out of the *** just as the *** government is stressing the role of tech companies in boosting economic growth.
“For some global companies, they may choose to leave the *** market rather than face the global reputational risks that breaching the security of their products would entail. *** companies will also suffer reputational damage, as foreign investors and consumers will consider whether their products are riddled with secret *** government-mandated security vulnerabilities,” it warns.
Leaks to the Washington Post revealed that the Home Office issued a Technical Capability Notice (TCN), under Section 253 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 requiring Apple to provide access to encrypted data stored by Apple users anywhere in the world on its iCloud service.
If the move succeeds, it would mean “the world’s second-largest provider of mobile devices would be built on top of a system security flaw, putting all of its users’ security and privacy at risk, not just in the *** but globally.”
Risk to *** national security
The letter warns that government moves against encryption, threaten to undermine the ***’s national security.
“For national security professionals and government employees, access to end-to-end encrypted services allows them to safeguard their personal life. Ensuring the security and privacy of government officials is vital for helping prevent extortion or coercion attempts, which could lead to greater national security damage,” it says.
According to the letter, the consensus among cybersecurity experts is that there is no way to provide government access to end-to-end encrypted data without breaking end-to-end encryption.
It cites Ciaran Martin, former director and founder of the *** government’s National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, who wrote in a 2021 paper that “E2EE [end-to-end encryption] must expand, legally unfettered, for the betterment of our digital homeland.”
Undermining the confidentiality of cloud services would have a harmful impact on people at the greatest risk, including families, survivors of domestic violence, and LGBTQ+ individuals, the letter argues. “For these and other groups, the confidentiality guaranteed by end-to-end encryption can be critical in preventing harassment and physical violence,” it says.
International human rights bodies have recognised the importance of end-to-end encryption to enable people to communicate and express their views safely and securely, the signatories argue. The European Court of Human Rights has confirmed the importance of anonymity in “promoting the free flow of ideas and information” including protecting people from reprisals for their views.
In a landmark case in February 2024, the ECHR found that an order issued by Russia to the messaging app, Telegram, requiring it to disclose technical information including encryption keys breached human rights law.
“To ensure the national and economic security of the United Kingdon, the Home Office must end its technical capability notice forcing Apple to break its end-to-end encryption,” the letter states.
Human rights groups that have signed the letter include Article19, Access Now, Digital Rights Ireland, Privacy International and Big Brother Watch.
It has also been signed by prominent British academics including Richard Clayton of the University of Cambridge, visiting professor Ian Brown and Peter Sommer of Birmingham City University.
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Liverpool chaos, Arsenal crisis as title race heats up
Liverpool chaos, Arsenal crisis as title race heats up
The Premier League title is Liverpool’s to lose while a healthy seven points clear at the top.
In theory, at least.
For the chaotic scenes at the end of the Merseyside derby on Wednesday were a reminder that, with 14 rounds to go, there was plenty of time for more twists.
Everton’s stoppage-time equaliser for 2-2 denied Liverpool the chance to open up a nine-point lead over second-placed Arsenal.
The angry, on-field melee that followed was fuelled by typical intensity in the last-ever derby at Everton’s Goodison Park, but also frustration from Liverpool at having blown a victory so late.
Even the normally even-tempered coach Arne Slot was shown a red card, for using abusive language.
“To concede an equaliser that late is always disappointing,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said.
“We saw the celebrations they had in the end so we know how much it meant for them, but the fact is it was disappointing for us.”
The fact that Liverpool still managed to extend their lead at the top appeared to be lost in the hot-blooded finish.
With Arsenal gripped by an injury crisis in attack and Manchester City’s title defence having unravelled before the turn of the year, Liverpool remain strong favourites to be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time.
Liverpool led by only two points this time last year, before finishing nine points behind eventual champions City.
Arsenal led by two points with a game in hand at this stage in 2023, and eventually lost to City by five points.
Next up for Liverpool are Wolves at home on Sunday before a tricky run of games away at Aston Villa and City before hosting Newcastle.
Arsenal’s hopes of chasing down Liverpool’s lead were dealt a blow when Kai Havertz was injured during a warm weather training trip to Dubai this week which will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is already short of options up front with Gabriel Jesus out for the season and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli also sidelined as they prepare to travel to relegation-fighting Leicester on Saturday.
Ahead of the Champions League play-off second leg against Real Madrid next week, City face Newcastle in a game that could be significant in the race to secure a place in the top four.
Fifth-placed City are above Newcastle only on goals scored, with the teams having near identical records in the league and equal goal difference.
City’s line-up could be affected by next Wednesday’s game at the Bernabeu after losing the first leg 3-2.
Failure to overturn that scoreline would see the 2023 Champions League winners eliminated before the round of 16 for the first time since 2012.
In ideal circumstances, Pep Guardiola would likely prefer to rest key players ahead of such an important game but given his team’s domestic struggles, he cannot take any risks against Newcastle.
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Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake is a new-look version of the charming Metroidvania
Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake is a new-look version of the charming Metroidvania
The remake is set to arrive on March 7th
It’s sporting a new, more colourful look than the original
There is also new content to tackle with ******* dungeons and additional bosses
If you’re a long-time mobile gamer, you might remember a delightful retro-styled Metroidvania that was released around 10 years ago called Tiny Dangerous Dungeons. Well, now it’s coming back as Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake because, well, it’s been remade. Surprise!
Don’t worry if you’re already getting that nostalgic itch, either. You won’t have to wait too long. Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake releases for iOS and Android on March 7th, with pre-registration open now if you’re like me and struggle with keeping dates in your brain but want to enjoy this little gem when it drops.
Harry Slater reviewed the original when it launched back in 2015, awarding it a 4-star score. He praised it for feeling fresh while providing those warm fuzzy feelings Game Boy fans still secretly crave. However, it appears that has changed slightly with the remake. Gone are the sepia tones, now replaced with a splash of more colour. It still looks decidedly old school but is much less reminiscent of the GB specifically now.
A whole new world
That’s not a bad thing, of course. Personally, I prefer the more colourful aesthetic. It still gives me those nostalgic pangs while being more interesting to look at than before. The facelift isn’t the only change it has received, though.
Developer Jussi Simpanen has also added a completely new soundtrack and improved the physics, which hopefully quashes a few of the minor gripes Mr Slater had with the original release. There’s also new content to enjoy, with the titular dungeon now twice as large as before and packing five additional bosses. Beyond that, expect a few new secrets, but the developer isn’t going to give those away yet, are they?
Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake is available to pre-order on the App Store and Google Play ahead of its upcoming March 7th launch. It’ll be a premium experience that costs $3.99 or your local equivalent. You can pre-register on your preferred platform using the buttons below.
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Apple will introduce its ‘newest member of the family’ on February 19
Apple will introduce its ‘newest member of the family’ on February 19
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
It seems Apple is ready to show off something new. In a tweet on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook told Apple aficionados to “get ready to meet the newest member of the family.” What that product is remains a slight mystery, though we won’t have to wait too long to find out what Apple has up its sleeve. The reveal will take place on Wednesday, February 19. In case there was any ambiguity, Cook’s tweet included an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
Cook’s tweet also featured an animated image of a shimmering Apple logo on what appears to be the outline of an AirTag. It’s been rumored for a while that Apple would introduce a second-gen tracker sometime this year. The purported AirTag 2 is expected to have a longer range and a speaker that’s more difficult to remove, as well as Apple Vision Pro integration.
In addition, reports suggest that Apple will reveal a new iPhone SE very soon. The unveiling was initially believed to be happening sometime this week. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said on Tuesday that the “new iPhone SE is still imminent and should be announced by next week, when the company is holding product briefings.” He added that an Apple Vision Pro announcement appears to be in the offing, while the M4-powered MacBook Air is slated to arrive “within weeks.”
It seems that Apple has a lot of irons in the fire at the minute. As such, the company has a bunch of different options for what to reveal next week.
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Amazon is holding a devices event on February 26, here’s what to expect
Amazon is holding a devices event on February 26, here’s what to expect
Amazon is holding an event on February 26 at 10AM ET, and that’s unusually early in the year for the company, which typically has its launches in the fall like the rest of its peers. However, considering the last time Amazon had a “devices and services” showcase was in September 2023, this one is overdue. (Yes, there was a Kindle launch in October last year, but that doesn’t really count.) While we don’t exactly know what the company plans on showing off, we certainly have some educated guesses. Let’s get into it.
First of all, the company’s hardware chief, Panos Panay, and his devices and services team will be on hand. This indicates the presence of new gadgets at the event. However, the main focus will likely be more information on the long-promised next-gen Alexa.
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How do we know this? Amazon sent out five versions of a bare-bones invite to the event. Internet sleuths pieced the images together and, lo and behold, the background spells out the word “Alexa.”
The AI-infused refresh has faced several delays since first being announced back in 2023. We reported that the team was having trouble getting the updated chatbot to do basic things, like creating a timer and turning on smart lights. These kinds of tasks have been the bread and butter of the current Alexa chatbot for years. The development team has also reportedly had issues with hallucinations.
The company claims the new LLM-powered Alexa will be able to “process nuance and ambiguity—much like a person would—and intelligently take action.” Amazon says that it’ll be able to complete complex requests, like “Alexa, every weeknight at 9PM, make an announcement that it’s bedtime for the kids, dim the lights upstairs, turn on the porch light and switch on the fan in the bedroom.” That sounds useful, if it works.
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That brand-new Alexa would likely benefit from some dedicated hardware, thus the inclusion of Panay and his team. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten updates to the Echo line of smart speakers, so a refresh of some kind is more than likely. It’s also possible the budget-friendly and useful Echo Buds earbuds will get an upgrade.
What shouldn’t we expect? Well, Amazon just introduced some new Kindles at the tail-end of last year. It’d be weird to see an e-reader at this event. Also, while it’s possible the company could introduce new Fire tablets and the like, that doesn’t really gel with the whole Alexa theme.
Update, February 13 2025, 12:05PM ET: This story has been updated to add context in the intro on when Amazon last held a “devices and services” event.
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Federal employee layoffs begin at Education Department as DOGE tries to shrink government
Federal employee layoffs begin at Education Department as DOGE tries to shrink government
The Education Department made department-wide cuts on Wednesday, including in its civil rights office, according to multiple sources familiar with the move, a day after President Trump said he’d like to see the department eliminated.
The terminations were primarily sent to newer probationary employees hired within the last year, sources said. Layoff letters were emailed to employees Tuesday. The letters informed employees that they could appeal their firing to the Merit Systems Protection Board if they felt they had been terminated “for partisan political reasons or because of your marital status.”
The firing notifications landed as billionaire and former World Wrestling Entertainment chief executive Linda McMahon, Mr. Trump’s nominee to be the secretary of education, faced questions from senators at her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday.
Mr. Trump has long suggested he wanted to shutter the Department of Education, and his willingness to dismantle much of the U.S. Agency for International Development suggests he could try to follow through on his threats to try to shut down the Education Department. As CBS News previously reported, Mr. Trump is considering executive action that would dismantle the department, ending some programs and shifting some responsibilities to other parts of government, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans.
“Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately,” the president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “Look, the Department of Education is a big **** job.”
A spokesperson for the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the largest employee unions, said probationary employees at the Small Business Administration have been affected, too. AFGE doesn’t have an exact number of workers impacted by the layoffs yet. The union said it’s only aware of the workers who have contacted them. McMahon ran the SBA during Mr. Trump’s first term.
It’s not yet clear how extensive the terminations at the Education Department or elsewhere are.
The terminations at the Education Department could complicate McMahon’s hearing, as Democrats press her on whether she would follow through with any plan by the president to close the department “immediately.”
Late Wednesday, a federal judge allowed the Trump administration’s offer to most federal employees to submit a deferred resignation to proceed. A senior administration official said about 75,000 federal workers accepted the offer, though unions warned the federal government may not fulfill its promise to pay them through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. The Office of Personnel Management announced Wednesday night that the program is now closed to new applicants.
Jennifer Jacobs and
Kristin Brown
contributed to this report.
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Aaron Navarro
Aaron Navarro is a CBS News digital reporter covering the 2024 elections. He was previously an associate producer for the CBS News political unit in the 2021 and 2022 election cycles.
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Pacific Islands beauty pageant turns ugly
Pacific Islands beauty pageant turns ugly
The Miss Pacific Islands beauty pageant was supposed to show that the area is “stronger and happier when we are unified”.
Instead, it descended into a regional crisis after allegations of vote rigging, online death threats and the judges being prevented from leaving the Solomon Islands by police.
Before the finale, contestants had said that the glamorous week-long pageant – which featured a sarong parade instead of swimsuits, and traditional clothing instead of evening gowns – was not dominated by “rivalry or hate”. But those ideals were undermined after Litara Ieremia-Allan, the Samoan entrant, was crowned the winner ahead of Tonga’s Rachael Guttenbeil on a tie-break vote at a packed event.
Trouble began after an initial tie between the Samoan and Tongan contestants, according to Pamela Naesol, an accountant from the Solomon Islands, who was appointed as a “scrutineer” of results.
After the results were fed into a spreadsheet, Miss Tonga and Miss Samoa were level – meaning the head judge Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, a lawyer and hotelier from Samoa, had a casting vote. He picked Ms Ieremia-Allan, “ultimately crowning Miss Samoa as the winner”.
Racheal Guttenbeil, Miss Tonga, said ‘no matter what happens around us, we stand united’ amid acrimony over her losing out in a tie-break vote
Shortly after the results were announced, one Tongan critic accused the head judge of rigging the scores, in allegations stoked online by grainy footage that purportedly documented foul play. It quickly became a national crisis when the Solomon Islands responded with a temporary “stop notice”, preventing all judges from leaving the archipelago as the police investigated vote tampering.
Accusations were levelled at Mr Brunt, who was among those stopped from boarding a plane at Honaria airport. He has insisted that he did nothing wrong.
“I hold the integrity of the entire Pacific Islands pageant show in high regard, and I feel saddened by these false accusations. It’s impossible for me to rig any scoresheets in front of thousands of eyes,” he told the outlet In-depth Solomons.
The newly crowned Miss Pacific Islands, Litara Ieremia Allan
“Again, I really don’t know where the conspiracy and allegations are coming from. God is my witness.”
Ms Naesol also told In-depth Solomons: “I am 100 per cent confident that the process that led to the choosing of the winner of the 2025 Miss Pacific Islands was followed throughout the event.”
She added that once the results had been counted in a spreadsheet, they were placed in two envelopes and handed to the event’s host – one included the overall winner, the second a range of smaller prizes, from “best interview” to “best talent”.
However, after the verdict was announced, Ma’ata Mo’ungaloa Tupou, a Tongan judge, claimed that three other judges had actually voted for her nation’s candidate. Ms Naesol told her to take the issue up with the organisers, but stressed that she personally had seen no evidence of vote-rigging.
‘If the results were rigged, it would be us’
“I was the one who handed over the results to the MCs,” she said. “I want to clarify that if the results were to be rigged, we would be the ones rigging the scores because no one has access to the results.”
As the accusations heated up, the Solomon Islands government stepped in to launch an investigation – and, in a move that provoked diplomatic scorn from their counterparts in Samoa, banned all judges from leaving the country. That “stop order” was lifted on Wednesday afternoon, but a police investigation continues.
On Thursday, the event organisers finally responded to the chaos that had ensued since Saturday night, stressing that the board “recognises and deeply regrets the distress caused by recent disputes concerning the results”.
Adding that the drama was against the “noble aims” of the event to promote unity, they said: “Unfortunately, these allegations have escalated to the extent of subjecting contestants to degrading treatment and issuing threats against the lives of certain judges, thereby detrimentally impacting the camaraderie and ethos of the pageant.”
After Miss Samoa’s win, judges on the Miss Pacific Islands contest were questioned by police and stopped at the border
Hoping to put the issue to bed, Ms Guttenbeil said: “My sister Miss Samoa did so well … as well as my other Pacific sisters.
“On the last day, the girls, we were sharing our thoughts… no matter what happens around us, we stand united, our bond is beautiful and should not be tarnished.”
She said that Miss Samoa was the rightful winner, adding: “Let her take her crown.”
Ms Ieremia-Allan said she was “humbled, honoured and thankful”.
This is not the first time that a pageant in the region has descended into vitriol. Last year, the Miss Universe Fiji pageant made headlines worldwide when it was beset by accusations of racism, vote-rigging, conflicts of interest and “conspiracy theories”.
In Thailand, the Miss Grand International gala in Bangkok saw a row that reignited old rivalries, when the Myanmar team insisted their contestant deserved to be ranked higher than third. She was later banned from the pageant for life.
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Mecha Break’s Next Open Beta Lets Players Try Its Extraction Mode For The First Time
Mecha Break’s Next Open Beta Lets Players Try Its Extraction Mode For The First Time
Amazing Seasun has confirmed that an open beta for its multiplayer mecha shooter Mecha Break will begin on February 23. It will be the most comprehensive one for the game yet, featuring most of what players can expect in Mecha Break at release.
The Global Storm Open Beta begins at 2 AM PT / 5 AM PT on February 23, while no end date has been confirmed yet. Global Storm will contain the 6v6 Operation Verge and 3v3 Ace Arena modes that have been in previous Mecha Break betas, but it will be the first to feature full cross-play across PC and console and include Mashmak. Mashmak is Mecha Break’s PvPvE extraction mode, where teams of players work together or fight each other over an element called Corite.
Mashmak gets its name from the map on which this mode takes place. An evil organization called Theia’s Vanguard has taken over the Mashmak Isles and its massive supply of Corite. That serves as the narrative backdrop for why players explore, collect resources, and fight each other before extracting. From a gameplay perspective, Mashmak stands out because players can equip themselves with special mode-exclusive equipment to enhance their suits’ abilities.
Mecha Break will launch for PC and Xbox Series X|S sometime in Spring 2025 before coming to other platforms later in the year. The PC version of this open beta can be pre-loaded on Steam from 2 AM PT / 5 AM ET on February 20.
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Senate votes to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
Senate votes to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
The GOP-controlled Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, to lead the country’s most powerful health care agency.
Kennedy was confirmed as health and human services secretary on a mostly party-line vote of 52-48. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., broke ranks on yet another of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees, joining all Democrats in opposition.
McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, said Kennedy had a “record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions.”
“Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency,” McConnell said in a statement. “As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions.”
Still, Thursday’s vote marks another win for Trump, all of whose Cabinet-level nominees who have come before the Senate have been approved.
Kennedy will now be in charge of an expansive, $1.7 trillion agency that steers pandemic preparedness, manages government-funded health care for millions of people and oversees vaccine and pharmaceutical drug development.
Kennedy, a scion of the famous Democratic family, managed to overcome concerns among some Republicans over his past stances on vaccines and abortion.
The Republican senator who most vocally questioned Kennedy’s qualifications, Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana, ultimately voted to confirm him. Cassidy, a longtime physician who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, had said he was “struggling” with his decision after he quizzed Kennedy at two confirmation hearings.
But Cassidy, who is already politically vulnerable should he run for re-election, said in a floor speech last week that Kennedy gave him a series of reassurances that he would maintain the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee on immunization practices and that he would not remove statements on the CDC’s website noting that vaccines do not cause autism.
Kennedy also secured the backing of two other key Republicans, Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, and Susan Collins, of Maine, before the vote.
Murkowski announced her support after, she said, Kennedy reassured her about his stance on vaccines.
“He has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research,” Murkowski wrote on X on Wednesday. “These commitments are important to me and, on balance, provide assurance for my vote.”
Collins offered a similar statement this week, saying Kennedy had allayed her concerns about his stances on vaccines.
In addition to the CDC, the HHS secretary oversees the heads of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Kennedy initially ran for president last year as a Democrat before he launched an independent campaign. He eventually dropped his bid and endorsed Trump, taking his “Make America Healthy Again” message onto the campaign trail.
Kennedy’s call to more closely examine chemicals in the nation’s food brought support from both parties. But his past activism against vaccines and his advancement of false theories that they are linked to autism prevented him from winning any Democratic support.
“When you continue to sow doubt about settled science, it makes it impossible for us to move forward,” Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., told Kennedy in an emotional statement at a committee hearing last month. “So that’s what the problem is here, is the relitigating and the rehashing and the continuing to sow doubt so we can’t move forward. And it freezes us in place.”
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