MPs demand bank bosses come clean over IT outages following Barclays ******
MPs demand bank bosses come clean over IT outages following Barclays ******
MPs have written to bosses at the ***’s biggest banks to shed light on the impact of IT failures on their businesses, after a Barclays outage caused chaos on payday last month.
The recent three-day outage at Barclays Bank has heightened concerns over the stability of the banking sector, and the Treasury Committee has written to bosses at nine banks and building societies requesting information about IT outages.
CEOs at Barclays, Santander, NatWest, Danske Bank ***, Nationwide Building Society, Allied Irish Bank, HSBC, Bank of Ireland and Lloyds Banking Group were asked for information on the scale and impact of IT failures over the past two years. They have until 26 February to respond.
Barclays suffered a three-day outage from 31 January to 2 February. This began on payday and clashed with the HMRC’s self-assessment deadline.
The committee asked Barclays 10 questions, while the other eight banks were asked the same four questions.
The questions for Barclays included what caused the latest outage and how it affected customers, as well as how the bank intends to prevent such a failure happening again.
Banks don’t like to talk about IT failures, and while Barclays was quick to rule out a cyber security issue, it would not give details about the cause.
The other eight bank bosses were asked to provide an overview of the number of instances and amount of time in total services have been unavailable to customers due to IT failure over the past two years, how many customers have been affected, the amount of compensation that has been paid to their customers, and a description of the reason for the failures. You can read the letters to the bank CEOs here.
“When a bank’s IT system goes down, it can be a real problem for our constituents, who were relying on accessing certain services so they can buy food or pay bills,” said Treasury Committee chair Meg Hillier MP. “For it to happen at a major bank such as Barclays at such a crucial time of year is either bad luck or bad planning. Either way, it’s important to learn what has happened and what will be done about it.”
She said the closure of high street branches in favour of online banking means bank crashes hit customers harder. “The rapidly declining number of high street bank branches makes the impact of IT outages even more painful; that’s why I’ve decided to write to some of our biggest banks and building societies,” said Hillier.
One source in the IT sector who has worked at Barclays in the past said: “It is a quite cautious firm, and it won’t want to say anything that could have ramifications later if they say something wrong. I am sure they’re going to have to report this to the regulators and they might get called in front of government.
“The Barclays outage sounds like somebody has probably changed or tweaked something and that’s caused the problem, which has obviously affected multiple systems,” they added. “My guess would be it’s something shared which could be a software component, or it could be some infrastructure.”
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Smith set to keep captaincy for Champions Trophy
Smith set to keep captaincy for Champions Trophy
Steve Smith’s comeback to the *********** captaincy is set to stretch into the ICC Champions Trophy.
Stand-in skipper Smith was player of the series guiding Australia to a 2-0 Test whitewash of Sri Lanka in Galle, with an ankle issue and personal leave ruling Pat Cummins out.
Smith retains the mantle for the two-match One Day International series against Sri Lanka that begins in Colombo this afternoon (AEDT) as Cummins’ usual replacement Mitch Marsh nurses a back injury.
Marcus Stoinis (retirement) and Josh Hazlewood (side strain) have also been ruled out of the Champions Trophy since a 15-player preliminary squad was announced in mid-January.
Australia will finalise the CT squad from their Colombo base on Wednesday ahead of the tournament that begins in Pakistan later this month.
AAP understands Smith is all but certain to beat the other player in consideration, Travis Head, to the captaincy.
Head is expected to be named vice-captain for the first edition of the 50-over tournament since 2017.
After the spate of withdrawals, Australia called six men into their ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series – Tanveer Sangha, Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Spencer Johnson.
Australia will draw from that pool to finalise their squad.
Pacemen Abbott and Johnson appear particularly good chances for selection in the final squad following injuries to Cummins and Hazlewood.
Veteran Mitch Starc and recent Big Bash League champion Nathan Ellis are the only two front-line quicks available from the preliminary squad.
Australia could conceivably take all six of their reinforcements to Pakistan, given squads can feature two travelling reserves in addition to a maximum of 15 players.
Sri Lanka’s poor performance at the 2023 World Cup precluded them from qualifying for the Champions Trophy.
But the two-match series in Colombo will help prepare Australia for their own campaign that begins against England in Lahore on February 22.
“I’d be lying if Champions Trophy isn’t at the front of our minds. It’s a big ICC tournament for us,” Smith said.
Smith will play through the elbow issue he first suffered in the BBL last month and that was aggravated on the final day of the second Sri Lanka Test.
“It feels fine. My throwing’s probably going to be limited for a little bit,” he said.
“It feels a lot better than it did when I injured it initially during that Big Bash game. It won’t affect my batting.”
Australia won the Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009 but failed to progress past the group stage at either of the two editions since then.
That means the Champions Trophy is one of few major awards currently missing from Australia’s cabinet, with all Test bilateral trophies, the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship locked away.
Pakistan are the reigning champions.
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Valve’s Move with Counter-Strike 2 Could be the Formula Ubisoft Has Used for Rainbow Six: Siege’s Upcoming Saga
Valve’s Move with Counter-Strike 2 Could be the Formula Ubisoft Has Used for Rainbow Six: Siege’s Upcoming Saga
Ubisoft has been in quite a turmoil these past few years, and it almost feels like the company is failing at what they do best, making games. Ubisoft had one of its worst years in 2024 and is hoping that 2025 will be better. Although their AAA games are significantly underperforming in the gaming market, one of their almost 10-year-old games still has a hold on players, and that game is Rainbow Six Siege.
Rainbow Six Siege still has a massive fan following | Image Credits: Ubisoft
Rainbow Six Siege is Ubisoft Montreal’s masterpiece. Even though the game was released in 2015 with no huge updates, it still has an average of more than 45,000 players per day. After various rumors and leaks, Ubisoft has finally revealed that a sequel to Siege is underway. Will this sequel finally save Ubisoft or will it become the reason for its downfall? Let’s find out.
Rainbow Six Siege sequel is on the way.
Rainbow Six Siege sequel is underway | Image Credits: Ubisoft
Rainbow Six Siege is a 5v5 multiplayer first-person shooter that has never featured a campaign mode in their game. A similar title to Siege is Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 launched in 2023, which is the direct successor to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. While both games have similar core gameplay mechanics and competitive structure, CS 2 has completely absorbed CS: GO and made the game better with a new engine, better graphics, and refining server issues, all while maintaining player progression.
There has been speculation going on that Ubisoft is headed the same way as Valve for their new sequel, Rainbow Six X. Instead of launching an entirely new game that divides the player base, Ubisoft could follow in the same footsteps as Valve, keeping player progression intact while modernizing the game.
Mark your calendars, Operators!
The next chapter in the Rainbow Six Siege saga is almost here. Don’t miss the YouTube Premiere on February 16th — packed with new lore you won’t want to miss.
Click the bell to get notified: pic.twitter.com/SjlFpcCTaU
— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) February 10, 2025
On Siege’s official X (formerly Twitter) page, the developers announced a trailer for the highly anticipated sequel, which is set to be premiered this Sunday, February 16. Alongside the announcement, they also implied that the next chapter of Siege will be packed with new lore, suggesting a deeper dive into the game’s narrative and story elements for fans to explore.
The sequel will decide Ubisoft’s fate.
Will the sequel be the company’s comeback? | Image Credits: Ubisoft
Rainbow Six Siege has been a fan-favorite ever since it was released, although the game has one of the highest skill ceilings, it has retained its player base. However, the steep learning curve poses a significant problem, making it harder for new players to be introduced to the title. With the announcement, fans of the game are speculating that the new sequel would be easier to pick up for new players.
While the future of Rainbow Six Siege remains uncertain, Ubisoft’s approach to the sequel will determine whether the company will stand on its feet or go down blazing. If Ubisoft adopts a similar method to Valve’s Counter-Strike 2, it could revitalize the game and might attract new players as well. However, with the company already struggling, some fans speculate that another failure could be Ubisoft’s breaking point.
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Nvidia confirms RTX 50-series laptops will be available for pre-order starting February 25
Nvidia confirms RTX 50-series laptops will be available for pre-order starting February 25
Nvidia has officially confirmed that laptops powered by its new RTX 50-series laptop GPUs will be available for pre-order starting February 25. This announcement follows the company’s initial reveal at CES 2025, where it gave a brief glimpse of the new mobile GPU lineup with an expected retail launch in March.
During the unveiling of the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070, and RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPUs, Nvidia shared pricing at $2,899, $2,199, $1,599, and $1,299, respectively. These figures likely reflect the cost for Nvidia’s manufacturing partners, meaning retail prices for RTX 50-series laptops will naturally be higher.
It is worth mentioning that several retailers have already listed some of the upcoming gaming laptops featuring Nvidia’s RTX 50-series laptop GPUs. Last month, Best Buy listed multiple gaming laptops with prices ranging from $1,800 to $4,200. The listings included models from Asus and HP, such as the Asus ROG Strix G16, starting at $1,899, equipped with an RTX 5070 Ti GPU and an AMD Ryzen 9 HX processor.
At the higher end, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18, featuring an RTX 5090 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, is priced at $4,199. The HP Omen Max 16, which also offers an RTX 5080 GPU paired with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, was listed at $2,699.
(Image credit: Nvidia)
In addition to retailers, the Asus U.S. webstore page was updated earlier this month to include 16 laptops featuring Nvidia’s latest lineup, ranging from the RTX 5070 to the RTX 5090. While the pricing of these upcoming laptops has not been officially confirmed, users can get an early look at the specifications.
Besides Asus and HP, manufacturers such as Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Lenovo, Mechrevo, MSI, and Razer are expected to introduce new models with Nvidia’s latest GPUs.
The RTX 50 series for laptops features the same Blackwell architecture as the desktop GPUs. The new mobile lineup is expected to improve ray tracing and AI-driven upscaling technologies. Nvidia has also updated its Max-Q technology suite, aiming for up to 40% longer battery life and other enhancements, including Advanced Power Gating, Low Latency Sleep, rapid clock switching, and the use of voltage-optimized GDDR7 memory with ultra-low voltage states.
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Dragon Ring is a fantasy-themed match-three with RPG elements, out now
Dragon Ring is a fantasy-themed match-three with RPG elements, out now
Dragon Ring is a brand-new fantasy-themed match-three puzzler with RPG elements
Take on a storyline of adventure and recruit, then upgrade heroes to take on powerful bosses
Virtually everything and the kitchen sink is thrown into this release
It’s a day ending with a Y and you know what that means! Yes, it’s time for another quickfire puzzler release and this time we’ve got something intriguing. Dragon Ring is a fantasy-themed match-three puzzler boasting some RPG elements. But is that enough to draw people in? Let’s find out!
Like most in the genre, this match-three puzzler is an assortment of mechanics all added together. Not only do you have standard match-three puzzles to solve but you also get to recruit and upgrade heroes before pitting them against powerful bosses, all fuelled by your own problem-solving prowess.
Graphics-wise it boasts an animated, stylish world (although there’s the spectre of AI art lingering on their store listing), while also having some storyline elements ensuring you’re not just playing through a series of levels loosely strung together. Finally, naturally, there’s the additional bonus of being fully offline, so no wi-fi is needed.
Standardly so
While Dragon Ring looks like a perfectly serviceable release I’m not sure it really does all that much to stand out. A brief glance at the store listing hits you with a what’s-what of mechanics and features that can really hit you all at once, and without seeing a trailer it’s hard to tell just how well it stands up once Dragon Ring is in hand.
Still, that’s not to say it looks bad in any way, and if you’re looking to mix up your match-three assortment this week maybe you’ll want to dig into it over on the iOS App Store and Google Play.
If not, why not check out some of our reviews of top new releases and find some hidden gems? Last week Catherine Dellosa dug into the card-shop simulator Kardboard Kings and found it fun, but also somewhat wanting. How so? You’ll just have to read her review to find out.
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Trump’s border czar tells Pope Francis to “stick to the Catholic Church” as pope slams mass deportations
Trump’s border czar tells Pope Francis to “stick to the Catholic Church” as pope slams mass deportations
Rome — President Trump’s U.S. border czar Tom Homan lashed out Tuesday at Pope Francis after the leader of the Catholic Church strongly criticized the mass deportation of migrants that Mr. Trump has initiated in his second term.
In an open letter to U.S. Catholic bishops sent Tuesday, the Argentinian pope criticized Mr. Trump’s mass deportation program, saying those who entered the United States illegally should not be treated as criminals and that the overall plan could not be supported as it violates human dignity.
When asked Tuesday by a Fox News reporter to comment on the pope’s “harsh words,” Homan replied: “I’ve got harsh words for the pope: I say this as a lifelong Catholic. He ought to focus on his work and leave enforcement to us. He’s got a wall around the ********, does he not?”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on as White House border czar Tom Homan gestures during a visit to the border area in Sunland Park, New Mexico, Feb. 3, 2025.
Jose Luis Gonzalez/REUTERS
Homan reiterated that sentiment to other reporters at the White House, saying: “I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us.”
In his letter to the bishops, Francis said he was closely following the “major crisis” in the U.S., but that the “rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the ******** status of some migrants with criminality.”
Francis acknowledged that nations have the right to defend themselves against migrants who have committed crimes, but he said that was not incompatible with policies for orderly and legal migration.
Deporting people who fled extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious environmental deterioration in their home nations, regardless of how they enter the U.S., “damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,” the pope said.
Pope Francis gives a blessing as he leads Holy Mass for Jubilee of the armed forces, police and security personnel in St. Peter’s Square, at the ********, Feb. 9, 2025.
REUTERS/Remo Casilli
“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly,” Francis warned.
The pope, 88, has made the defense of migrants and refugees a priority of his papacy since he was elected to lead the Catholic Church in 2013. Still, it is rare for a pontiff to so directly critique a country’s internal political debate.
The pope also rejected Vice President JD Vance’s use of Catholic theology to justify the immigration crackdown.
In a January 29 appearance on Fox News, Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, described what he said was “a very Christian concept: You love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.”
When critics responded that he had misunderstood the gospel, Vance took to social media to argue that a person’s moral duties to their own children outweigh those, “to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away.”
“Just google ‘ordo amoris,’ Vance wrote, referring to a medieval Catholic concept on the “order of love” or “order of charity” to God, ourselves and our neighbors.
While not mentioning Vance directly, Pope Francis directly contradicted the vice president’s interpretation of Christian love in his Tuesday letter.
“Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,” he wrote. “The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan,’ that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
Where migrants are being raided, deported as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown
06:09
Francis also urged Catholics and others to, “not give in to narratives that discriminate and cause needless suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters.”
He said all nations’ laws and policies should be crafted and considered, “in light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights, and not vice versa.”
The pope and Mr. Trump have clashed on immigration in the past.
In February 2016, asked about Mr. Trump’s vow to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, Francis said, “building walls instead of bridges is not Christian.”
In January, Francis called Mr. Trump’s plan to conduct mass deportations of undocumented migrants a “disgrace.”
“It will be a disgrace,” he said in an interview with an Italian talk show, “because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill… This won’t do! You don’t resolve things this way.”
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House Republicans to move forward with budget plan as Senate pursues competing proposal – CBS News
House Republicans to move forward with budget plan as Senate pursues competing proposal – CBS News
House Republicans to move forward with budget plan as Senate pursues competing proposal CBS NewsGOP rebels mutiny against House leaders as Trump budget bill talks hit impasse Fox NewsHouse and Senate GOP go to war over reconciliation Axios
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The latest Ring Video Doorbell is back on ***** for a record-low price
The latest Ring Video Doorbell is back on ***** for a record-low price
You might have spent the last few years turning your domicile into a smart home with a fancy speaker setup, robot vacuum and voice-controlled lights. Another way to make your home more connected is with a video doorbell, and as it happens, a model from Ring is on *****. The latest version of the has dropped down to $60, which is $40 off. The discount also matches the record-low price.
As the name suggests, this is a battery-powered model, so you won’t have to worry about wiring it up. The doorbell has a USB-C port, and all you have to do to top up the battery is detach it and plug it in for a while.
Ring
The latest version of the Ring Video Doorbell is back on ***** for a record-low price. The device can be yours for $60, which is $40 off.
$60 at Amazon
offers 66 percent more vertical coverage than the previous one, allowing for a head-to-toe view of whoever is on your doorstep. You can keep an eye on what’s going on from your phone, tablet or another compatible device using the live view feature. You can also chat with the person at your door remotely thanks to the two-way talk function.
The Video Doorbell has motion-detection capabilities, and you’ll receive real-time alerts on your phone whenever it spots movement. For more detailed alerts about whether that motion is because of a person or package delivery, you’ll need to sign up for a Ring Home plan, which starts at $5 per month. The subscription also grants access to features such as 180 days of video event history being saved. The premium tier, which costs $20 per month, includes round-the-clock recording on every compatible doorbell and/or camera at your home.
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2 Defensive Energy Stocks to Hedge Against Trade Turmoil
2 Defensive Energy Stocks to Hedge Against Trade Turmoil
The Trump administration imposed new tariffs on goods from China in February 2025 while simultaneously delaying promised tariffs on items imported from Canada and Mexico. As of February 7, 2025, the future of these latter two tariffs remains unclear. Nonetheless, the market has been jolted by the possibility of large-scale changes to the flow of trade between the United States and one or more of its major trading partners.
Naturally, investors have looked for ways to capitalize on this tariff uncertainty. At the same time, though, an unpredictable tariff landscape also poses threats to the stability of the market and investor portfolios, and more risk-averse participants are likely to opt for defensive plays that are likely to withstand any surprising shake-ups.
While it’s never possible to predict whether a company will be a strong defensive play with absolute certainty, two names may be worth a second look for investors taking this more cautious approach: Talen Energy Corp (NASDAQ:) and . Both are energy sector firms, but they occupy distinct spaces in this massive sector.
1. Talen Energy: Diverse Operations Insulate From Turbulence
Talen is a diversified energy company operating in the U.S., where nuclear, , coal, and oil power infrastructure is based. Its production capacity is 10.7 GW, placing it among the largest power infrastructure firms in the country. Talen’s diverse portfolio is a key benefit during times of uncertainty.
As an example, a recent Bank of America analysis named TLN shares a Buy based on the potential for strong data center growth in its nuclear division. However, even if demand for clean energy in data centers—or AI applications—should falter, Talen’s other power sources remain strong.
With a new reliability-must-run agreement with PJM Interconnection, Talen has secured a compelling alternative revenue stream. The agreement, announced on January 27, provides $180 million in fixed annual payments to Talen to operate two power plants in Maryland through May 2029. Further, the agreement includes the reimbursement to Talen of fuel costs and variable operations and maintenance expenses.
Talen Energy is a favorite across Wall Street, with all 11 analysts covering the firm giving it a Buy rating. This is despite the fact that TLN shares have rallied more than 250% in the last year as of February 7, suggesting that analysts still believe investors have a compelling reason to consider Talen.
2. Clearway Energy: Compelling Renewable Energy Profile
Renewable energy producer has stability thanks to its long-term power purchase agreements with large corporations and utility companies. Clearway is also one of the more focused renewable energy firms in the United States, particularly since it jettisoned its thermal assets in favor of higher-return wind and solar projects. It also has a significant energy storage capacity.
Clearway’s appeal to data centers is also clear, given the surging demand for clean energy sources and the company’s focus on building energy infrastructure. For investors wondering about the sustainability of renewable energy during a ******* of increased government focus on traditional fossil fuel sources, Clearway’s impressive 6.49% dividend yield may be appealing. Clearway’s anticipated 7.5% to 12.5% compound annual growth rate for its cash available for distribution in the coming two years signals the firm’s optimism that it will be able to maintain and even grow its dividend in the near term.
Unlike Talen, which has experienced significant share price appreciation in the last year, Clearway’s stock has only risen by 11% during that *******. Analysts generally believe there is more room to grow, as well. Five out of seven analysts have rated CWEN shares a Buy, and together, they have assigned a consensus price target of $32.57. Given the current price of around $26 per share as of February 7, this represents a pretty significant upside potential for the sector of nearly 25%.
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House Republicans to move forward with budget plan as Senate pursues competing proposal
House Republicans to move forward with budget plan as Senate pursues competing proposal
Washington — Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that House Republicans expect to move forward on a budget plan later this week that lays a foundation for approving President Trump’s agenda, though a budget resolution has yet to be released.
“We’ll be rolling out the details of that probably by tonight,” Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday, adding that “we are right on the schedule that we need to be on.”
Leaders in Congress have been pursuing a massive legislative package under the budget reconciliation process that would enact Mr. Trump’s agenda, including resources to bolster border security, extend some of the 2017 tax cuts, incentivize domestic manufacturing and invest in American energy, while working to trim government programs and address the debt limit. But the process has faced delays amid intraparty disagreement on how to proceed. And the stalled progress in the House has prompted the Senate to move ahead with its own proposal in recent days.
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington indicated in the House Republican conference meeting earlier Tuesday that a markup of the budget resolution would be scheduled for Thursday, Johnson said.
Meanwhile, the Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to mark up its budget resolution Wednesday and Thursday. The committee’s chairman, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, unveiled the resolution last week.
File: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican from Louisiana, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Feb. 5, 2025.
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images
The Senate version includes border security, defense and energy priorities, leaving the tax components for a later date. Senate Republicans have generally advocated a two-bill approach, citing the complicated nature of the tax components, while House Republicans have backed a one-bill strategy to get the priorities through their divided conference.
Though the Senate had for weeks deferred to the House to kickstart the reconciliation process, frustrations came to a head among Senate Republicans last week, culminating in Graham’s announcement that they would proceed with their own plan.
Still, Johnson has repeatedly urged the Senate to let the House lead, saying Sunday that “at the end of the day, the House has to drive this process — and we will.”
“I appreciate the Senate’s zeal, we have it in the House as well,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday.” “But as I reminded my friend Lindsey, I have about 170 additional personalities to deal with and he’s only got 53.”
Johnson, with a razor-thin GOP majority in the lower chamber, said he’s made clear to Mr. Trump and his team that a one-bill strategy is essential, giving House Republicans the best chance to deliver on Mr. Trump’s campaign promises. That’s in part because of the difficulties posed by trying to pass two major bills under the budget reconciliation process.
Using this approach, lawmakers can bypass the 60-vote threshold typically required in the Senate in favor of a simple majority, which makes it easier to pass a bill in the upper chamber. But the final product can only include provisions dealing with taxes, spending or the debt limit. And any new spending must be paid for, while the Senate parliamentarian must also sign off on the package to confirm that the provisions have direct budgetary consequences.
The approval of a budget resolution marks the first key hurdle in the process. House Republicans had initially planned to hold a markup of the budget resolution last week, outlining a timeline to have the package on Mr. Trump’s desk before May, but pushback from budget hawks for deeper spending cuts in recent weeks has slowed the process.
The House Freedom Caucus, which has also advocated for a two-bill approach, released its own budget resolution Monday, which would allocate $200 billion for border security and defense, paired with $486 billion in spending cuts, and a proposed debt ceiling increase by $4 trillion.
Kaia Hubbard
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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Steve Bannon pleads guilty in border wall case and avoids jail time
Steve Bannon pleads guilty in border wall case and avoids jail time
Steve Bannon, a long-time ally of President Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who paid for a wall on the US-Mexico border.
Bannon received a sentence of conditional discharge for three years, which means he will not serve jail time under a plea agreement.
The US Department of Justice accused Bannon and three others of defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the “We Build the Wall” campaign, which raised $25m (£19m).
Bannon’s lawyer said on Tuesday he didn’t personally pocket any of the money.
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I’ll Fight Through The Motion Sickness To Play South Of Midnight, Damn It
I’ll Fight Through The Motion Sickness To Play South Of Midnight, Damn It
Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight seems to be exactly what I expected: an action-adventure game featuring platforming and combat that feels reminiscent of the genre during the PlayStation 2 era. Having now played the game for about 90 minutes, the gameplay doesn’t wow me. That said, South of Midnight doesn’t feel like a game that needs to deliver a never-before-seen gameplay experience. The focal point of the game is clearly its celebration of the myths, sounds, culture, and language of the American South, and in that respect, South of Midnight feels like it’s going to exceed those expectations.
You play as Hazel in South of Midnight, desperate to find her mother after their home washes away in a hurricane. Early into her journey, she learns to be a weaver, a person who can both unravel the corrupting forces influencing a community and knit together constructs to glide or leap across dangerous swampland. As Hazel searches for her mom, her abilities and skills as a weaver continue to develop and she comes across numerous legendary monsters, beings who were once humans or animals and have since been twisted into mythical larger-than-life creatures by the trauma and tragedy that surrounded them in life. As a weaver, Hazel’s job is to put these legends to rest.
Hazel can use her weaver abilities to glide, grapple, double jump, and wall-run.
My time with the game saw me step in during an early chapter, which immediately precedes the level and boss battle I saw during my trip to Compulsion Games last year. The chapter starts with Hazel having only recently become a weaver and making the acquaintance of Catfish, who promises to help her find her mother if she first frees him from the grip of a colossal tree that resembles a scared and sad-looking man. The level then establishes the gameplay loop that South of Midnight will presumably follow for the rest of the story: Hazel platforms through largely linear levels, encountering and fighting groups of enemies who guard the memories that detail the truth behind a local legend.
I’m not sold on South of Midnight’s platforming or combat. Admittedly, this demo made me very motion-sick (I assume it was the stop-motion-inspired animation style, even though stop-motion has never been a problem for me before), so I was a tad cranky by the time I finished up. Still, South of Midnight isn’t an especially rewarding gameplay experience. You can mess up the platforming and miss a jump, but the section I played through had their platforms so close together and Hazel is so acrobatic that I never did, with the exception of one early moment when I purposely jumped into the swamp water to see whether Hazel can swim. Spoiler: she cannot. The mistake cost me a portion of Hazel’s health, but since there are no enemies to contend with during the platforming sections, this setback didn’t create any tension like what’s seen in platformers that do something similar.
Catfish acts as a guide and teacher to Hazel after she saves him.
It’s worth noting that the chapter I played through felt extremely early into Hazel’s adventure, very much like a bike-with-training-wheels section. So the platforming could become more challenging and subsequently more fulfilling to clear later on. From what I’ve seen so far, however, Hazel’s double-jumping, gliding, and wall-running through the bayou doesn’t add any excitement to the process of moving from point A to B. The most disappointing part of the demo was a chase sequence right at the end, in which all Hazel had to do was jump back and forth between opposing walls she was running along. There was no floor, and the crescendo in the music curated a sense of tension and suspense, but when all I was doing was jumping back and forth between walls to avoid easy-to-spot gaps, it trivialized what felt like should have been this incredibly suspenseful run for Hazel’s life.
Combat also feels somewhat trivial in service to the narrative. As a weaver, I expected Hazel to possess abilities and movements that reflected the act of suturing, knitting, or tearing, an assumption strengthened by Hazel wielding a spindle and weaving hooks as weapons in combat. Instead, Hazel uses her tools more like twin daggers, needing to dodge out of the way of enemy attacks and slash them enough times so that a prompt pops to unweave them, which Hazel does with a cinematic flourish. She possesses some abilities to augment her tools, like a stun and telekinetic shove, that use a cooldown to keep you from spamming them, and a skill tree lets you unlock additional moves for Hazel, like a ground-pound.
Sometimes bottling up your feelings takes a literal bottle.
Altogether it’s fine. South of Midnight certainly doesn’t quite reach the acrobatic triumphs of something like Sunset Overdrive, nor does Hazel have a block or counter (in what I played, at least–maybe she gets one later), which are necessary mechanics for a more strategic and tactile combat experience on par with Hi-Fi Rush. Since Hazel isn’t all that nimble during combat, the enemies can’t be all that fast and because Hazel cannot block or counter, the enemies’ attack patterns can’t be all that complex. What’s left is a gameplay experience in which you have Hazel dodge out of the way of an enemy’s clearly telegraphed attacks, wail on them with melee attacks and abilities, and repeat. Since Hazel typically takes on at least three or four enemies at a time, there’s a challenge in needing to keep track of where combatants’ placements are, but no enemy I fought had a particular weakness or counter to one of Hazel’s moves, so the strategy of wildly slashing worked on everything. And, of course, once you thin the herd a bit and kill one or two enemies, the remaining enemies don’t have the numbers to pose a rewarding challenge.
I get the sense that combat isn’t supposed to be all that hard, though, or at least not be a roadblock in the player’s path. Each enemy encounter I faced had a pick-up within the combat arena that I could go and interact with to replenish Hazel’s health, trivializing each fight further by ensuring I was never close to death.
The one big exception I could see to this is the boss battles. When Hazel faces these local legends, the encounter can play out in a few different ways. When I went to Compulsion Games’ office and saw the chapter that immediately follows this demo, it concluded with Hazel taking on the colossal Two-Toed Tom. It looked incredible, with Hazel facing Tom through multiple phases of increasing difficulty, but I didn’t get a chance to play it myself. In the chapter I played for this demo, the “final battle” was climbing a tree along a clearly marked path. It was quite cinematic and the slow build-up of the music made the experience feel suitably epic, but it lacked the gravitas of the Two-Toed Tom boss fight I’ve seen (as well as the brief look at Huggin’ Molly’s boss fight during the South of Midnight trailer that debuted during 2025’s Xbox Developer Direct). The boss battles could be where the combat mechanics come together in a more fulfilling way.
Fighting Two-Toed Tom looks so much fun.
All that said: South of Midnight’s art direction, soundtrack, character design, voice acting, and writing seem fantastic, so despite my misgivings with the rest of the game, I want to dive into the full story to see and hear and experience more of its world. Similar to games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Tales of Kenzera: Zua, or Assassin’s Creed: Origins, South of Midnight feels like it’s going to be an experience long remembered for its setting–the real star of the show. There’s clearly been a lot of great care here to not only honor the sights and sounds of the American South, but celebrate the culture and stories told by the people who call the place home.
Lots of love has been devoted to the additional fantasy elements too, with fun nods to sayings or slang in regards to Hazel’s abilities–she uses a bottle to collect the feelings surrounding each legend, for example, in a nod to “bottling up emotions.” What I love most, however, is that South of Midnight seems to not be filled to the brim with documents to find, audio recordings to uncover, or NPCs to explain every facet of whatever fantastical scenario is happening to Hazel. So far, the game has allowed me to just exist in its fantasy, fumbling for answers alongside Hazel, maintaining the overall mysticism of the locale and the legends told about the people and creatures who live there.
I really hope South of Midnight goes full gothic fantasy.
It adds an almost spooky quality to the adventure, framing Hazel as a young woman who has stumbled into something otherworldly that can never be truly understood or explained. What I’ve played so far has not quite reached gothic fantasy, but I have my fingers crossed that that’s where the story is going. Regardless, however, the storytelling and worldbuilding is superb and the voice acting (especially actor Adriyan Rae, who voices Hazel) is remarkably strong, adding a ton of characterization to already memorable character designs.
I hope this love and care extends to the platforming and combat in the rest of South of Midnight, but even if it doesn’t, the game feels like it will at least be an exceptional tale that’s set in a very real region of the world that video games (especially in the AAA space) have largely ignored.
South of Midnight is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, and PC on April 8.
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Intel roasts AMD and Nvidia in its latest product security report, says AMD has 78 vulnerabilities with no fix planned, Nvidia has only high-severity security bugs
Intel roasts AMD and Nvidia in its latest product security report, says AMD has 78 vulnerabilities with no fix planned, Nvidia has only high-severity security bugs
Intel threw shade at its two biggest competitors in its latest product security report, claiming that AMD has over four times more firmware vulnerabilities while Nvidia had 80% more GPU security issues.
The first three points of the key findings summary for Intel’s 2024 Intel Product Security Report focused mostly on itself, highlighting the performance of its internal security research team, saying that it uncovered 96% of new vulnerabilities internally last year and that 100% of hardware issues were discovered within the company.
Intel’s last three points focused on its two biggest competitors: AMD and Nvidia. According to Intel, the former reported “4.4x more firmware vulnerabilities in their hardware root-of-trust” and “1.8x more firmware vulnerabilities in their confidential computing technologies” when compared. It also criticized Nvidia in the GPU category, saying it “had only high-severity vulnerabilities (18)” for 2024.
Aside from these summaries, Intel continued with more details in the report. It said that AMD discovered only about 57% of reported platform vulnerabilities, meaning security researchers or the public have found the remaining 43%. Additionally, AMD has 78 vulnerabilities currently listed as “No fix planned,” meaning AMD has no solution. This is in contrast with Intel, saying that it has provided mitigations or solved all hardware root-of-trust vulnerabilities in all supported SKUs (which, it claims, were all found internally).
On the GPU front, the company claimed that it has the fewest vulnerabilities, saying that there were only 10 reported issues on Intel GPUs, of which only one is noted as a high or severe threat, and the rest are labeled as medium. On the other hand, Nvidia reported 18 security vulnerabilities—all of which are marked as high severity, with 13 of them potentially allowing a bad actor to execute code on the affected PC.
Intel says it prioritizes security within its CPUs and GPUs, even though China accused it of massive security flaws in October 2024. While we should always be skeptical of information like this, especially as this is Intel patting itself on the back, we can easily check these reports on public databases like the National Vulnerability Database as well as in the security bulletins of the respective companies.
Aside from claiming its products are the most secure, Intel is also trying to take AMD and Nvidia down a peg. Now probably isn’t the time for that — although Intel still owns a majority market share in x86 CPUs, AMD recently jumped by 5.7 percentage points in 3Q24, just as Team Blue grappled with the Intel 13th- and 14th-gen instability issues and its disastrous financial results released in late July.
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Simultaneously, Intel is also trying to take on Nvidia in the AI chip space with Gaudi 3, but it has so far failed to hit its target and recently canceled its next-gen Falcon Shores entirely, meaning the company won’t have a competitive AI part for the public for over a year. Meanwhile, Jensen Huang and Nvidia are raking in billions due to the demand for their hardware.
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Fans bid farewell at Manchester United star’s ********
Fans bid farewell at Manchester United star’s ********
Fans clap as hearse carrying Man Utd great passes Old Trafford
Family, fans and footballers from across the generations have bade a final farewell to Manchester United and Scotland legend Denis Law.
About 750 mourners paid their respects to one of the game’s all-time greats at his ******** earlier.
More than 1,000 fans gathered at Old Trafford to applaud as the cortege passed the stadium, pausing at the Trinity statue which depicts him alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, and then travelling on to Manchester Cathedral.
The Red Devils icon and only Scotsman to ever be named the world’s best player died last month aged 84.
PA Media
Denis Law played for Manchester United for 11 years scoring 237 goals in 404 appearances
Footballers past and present turned up to pay their respects to Law as well as Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson who described Law as “my hero” and current manager Ruben Amorim.
Among the myriad of United legends who paid their respects, some of Manchester City’s greats joined the mourners where Law also played.
These included Law’s former teammates Joe Corrigan and Mike Summerbee.
PA Media
The bagpipes played Flower of Scotland as the ******** procession arrived at Manchester Cathedral
The ******** procession arrived at Manchester Cathedral to the sound of bagpipes playing Flower of Scotland.
Diana Law paid tribute to her late father, who she said has now reunited with club greats Charlton and Best.
She said: “There is an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman. I think of them all up there in heaven. Reunited smiling down. Maybe they have started a team already with Sir Matt as the manager.”
Sir Alex also paid tribute to his fellow Scotsman at the service.
“Trying to place Denis in the pantheon of all time greats is a challenge. But it is made easier by *****.
“He was asked if there was a British player who could get in the [great] Brazil team. He said Denis Law – which is a fantastic tribute.”
Reuters
Sir Alex joked Law “would fight his granny for a goal”
Sir Alex then talked about Law’s love for Scotland and how “he loved beating England”.
“He once lined up before a game against England.
“He loved Nobby Stiles and Nobby worshipped him. Nobby came bounding down the tunnel and wished Denis all the best.
“Denis gave him a withering look and let off a volley of abuse Nobby never forgot.”
Sir Alex went on to say he often wondered why supporters called him The King, and came to the conclusion “it was to do with his profile”.
“He would fight his granny for a goal,” he said.
“He had so much courage. A skinny guy standing among all those big defenders.”
PA Media
Law loved Scotland and loved to beat England, Sir Alex told mourners
Leading the service, Cannon Grace Thomas told mourners Law’s death marked “the end of an era, the last of the famous Trinity to go”.
“But what a wonderful legacy he leaves behind for supporters. And also in the hearts, minds and memories of all who loved him,” she said.
Rod Stewart’s rendition of Angel was played as the service ended.
Law who was born in Aberdeen in 1940 was capped 55 times for Scotland.
He remains the country’s joint-top scorer of all time with 30 goals.
Law started out at Huddersfield Town at the age of 15 before going to United’s great rivals, Manchester City.
He left City for Italy’s Torino after a year but moved back to Manchester to join United in 1962.
It was the third transfer involving Law to set a new British record fee.
Law spent 11 years at Old Trafford, where his 237 goals in 404 appearances have kept him in third place on United’s all-time goal scorers list, behind Wayne Rooney and his former teammate Charlton.
His time at the club saw it win two league titles, the FA Cup the European Cup as the first English team to do so.
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Waste Management: Why the Stock Is a Top Defensive Play Now
Waste Management: Why the Stock Is a Top Defensive Play Now
Investors shouldn’t be surprised to see the recent market interest going into defensive areas, especially as call option interest has grown in areas like consumer staples. This theme can be spotted through the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLP). However, not all staple names are treated equally in this market.
Today, there is one opportunity for investors to add momentum and limited volatility to their portfolios by looking into the recent price action in shares of Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: NYSE:). This company is as defensive as it comes, as it deals with scrap and waste generated from everyday activities in the United States economy. Knowing this, it probably doesn’t matter whether the economy is booming or busting; this company is set to do well.
This is exactly why the stock has outperformed the broader over the past month, and this theme will likely continue. Other factors at play make this stock a great addition to any portfolio, such as current institutional and market interest in the company amid all this volatility.
What’s Driving Capital Into Waste Management Stock?
Over the past couple of weeks, a couple of events have awakened volatility in the market. First, there was the DeepSeek debacle with NASDAQ: and the rest of the technology sector. Then, there is the ongoing concern of President Trump announcing the latest round of trade tariffs.
With this uncertainty and shocks to the S&P 500 price action, professional and retail investors alike have looked to safety in names like Waste Management. This is why the stock left the S&P 500 behind by as much as 9% over the past month alone, but the bullish evidence doesn’t stop there.
As of February 2025, those at Charles Schwab Investment Management decided to boost their holdings in Waste Management stock by 3.1%. While this may not sound like much on a percentage basis, it did bring the group’s net position to a high of $434.3 million today, but even that is not only half the picture for this company’s bright future.
Despite the recent stock market shocks, which brought large and sharp down moves, Waste Management stock has managed to still trade within 5% of its 52-week high, giving investors the low volatility they need in their portfolios during times like these.
This stability in fundamentals and price action is also where Wall Street analysts live and thrive, making them more comfortable pushing for a more optimistic rating and price target for the company. Investors can see this theme at play through the recent buy ratings from Citigroup analysts, as recently as February 2025.
Not only did these analysts reiterate their ratings for Waste Management stock, but they also raised their price targets on it to $255 a share from their previous $242 valuation. This new view not only calls for a new 52-week high in the stock but also for a net upside of as much as 13% from where it trades today, not usual for a bit and slow company like this one.
The Market’s Bullish Take on Waste Management Stock
Apart from rewarding this name with bullish price action in recent weeks, there are also other signs investors should be aware of regarding how the market’s sentiment revolves around an individual stock. This is done through valuation multiples. Here’s the clear sign investors need to be aware of.
By trading at a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 13.1x today, Waste Management stock calls for a steep premium compared to the refuse systems industry’s 4.1x average valuation. Now, some value investors might call this an expensive stock that is borderline bloated. Still, seasoned professionals will remind them of one simple truth.
That is the market will always pay a premium for the companies it expects to outperform its peers and the rest of the market. As evidenced by the past month’s price action, that expectation has turned out to pay these buyers very well regarding Waste Management stock.
Ultimately, earnings per share (EPS) tend to drive a stock’s valuation, so investors can feel safe in the fact that Wall Street analysts now forecast up to 20% in EPS growth for the next 12 months. This means today’s valuations from Citigroup (NYSE:) might be conservative after all.
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Trump to host Jordan's King Abdullah as he pushes proposed Gaza plans – CBS News
Trump to host Jordan's King Abdullah as he pushes proposed Gaza plans – CBS News
Trump to host Jordan’s King Abdullah as he pushes proposed Gaza plans CBS NewsLive briefing: Trump pressures Egypt and Jordan to take Palestinians displaced from Gaza The Washington PostTrump latest: Trump faces ‘tricky’ meeting with Jordan’s king after issuing Gaza threat Sky NewsTrump Threatens to Cut Aid to Jordan and Egypt Unless They Accept Palestinians Expelled from Gaza Democracy Now!
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Ark: Ultimate Mobile edition brings fan-favourite community created map Ragnarok onboard
Ark: Ultimate Mobile edition brings fan-favourite community created map Ragnarok onboard
Ark: Ultimate Mobile Edition today adds the fan-favourite Ragnarok map
It encompasses an area more than double that of the original, with distinct features and hazards
Also, take on the Love Evolved event from February 9th to the 16th
When it comes to the exploration of vast, open jungles, Ark: Survival Evolved is certainly a front-running contender if for no other reason than being able to do so on dino-back. But why not take a walk on the wilder side as the frigid, yet fiery, fan-favourite map Ragnarok is officially added to Ark: Ultimate Mobile Edition?
What makes Ragnarok so special? Well, aside from the vast size that makes it double that of the original Ark map, new ice-themed creatures (including wyverns) to encounter, a vast cavern network and even Norse-themed ruins? Well, how about new boss monsters to face down, an exploding volcano, and a huge, varied landscape to explore?
Yes, there’s little surprise as to why exactly Ragnarok is such a fan-favourite as it arguably eclipses the original Ark map in terms of variety and space to explore, not to mention the dense networks of caverns and dungeons. Ragnarok itself will be available as an individual purchase or included with the Ark Pass.
Love (and pterosaurs) is in the air
That’s not all, either, as until February 16th the Love Evolved event is set to arrive with new features for fans to dig into. You’ll be able to grab limited-time event cosmetics, consume Valentine’s candy and chocolates and enjoy boosted rates for harvesting, taming, breeding and an increase in experience.
I can, however, guess there will be some grumblings about the integration of Ragnarok, especially considering that it’s a free map on other platforms. And while Ark: Ultimate Mobile Edition is a very different beast I’m sure some are watching it cautiously.
In any case, if you are jumping into Ark for the first time don’t get caught unawares! Instead, be sure to check out our list of general (and still applicable) tips for Ark: Survival Evolved!
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Should you speed up your car purchase as Trump imposes metal tariffs? – National
Should you speed up your car purchase as Trump imposes metal tariffs? – National
Amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to impose costly tariffs on steel and aluminum, some automotive experts are advising Canadians in the market for a new or used vehicle to accelerate their timelines to get ahead of possible price hikes.
“If you’re going to buy a car sometime in 2025, it would probably be good to speed it up. One hundred per cent,” says Baris Akyurek, vice-president of insights and intelligence at online marketplace AutoTrader.
Others warn that even signed orders come with uncertainty, and improvements in the state of the North American auto industry can provide a buffer of sorts to those buying a new vehicle in the weeks ahead.
Trump signed an order late Monday to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports coming into the U.S., including from Canada, a key metals supplier to the States. The new rules are set to take effect on March 12.
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4:35
Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum
But he might not stop at steel and aluminum inputs — Trump also floated placing tariffs of between 50 and 100 per cent on all *********-made vehicles entering the U.S. during a Monday evening interview on Fox News.
The moves come less than a week after Canada seemingly secured a 30-day pause on blanket tariffs covering all ********* exports to the U.S. amid renewed promises to address Trump’s concerns at the border.
Trump previously imposed import taxes on ********* steel and aluminum during his first term in office back in 2018. Those restrictions that lasted for nearly a year until Canada, the U.S. and Mexico signed a renegotiated trade deal.
Canada’s automotive industry is particularly vulnerable to steel and aluminum tariffs, experts warn.
Steel and aluminum inputs that comprise many of a vehicle’s internal parts and auto body will sometimes cross the Canada-U.S. border multiple times before a finished auto rolls off the assembly line and onto a dealer’s lot.
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Those impacts are compounded if Canada responds to the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs, which happened in 2018.
Erik Johnson, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, tells Global News that primary and fabricated metal inputs work out to about 13.2 cents per dollar of automotive output in that value chain.
If those inputs suddenly become up to 25 per cent more expensive, that becomes a significant cost for automakers to absorb during the assembly process, he says.
The average price of a new vehicle could rise US$400 to US$700 under the new trade restrictions, Johnson estimates, but he warns that could be closer to US$1,000 “if domestic U.S. producers also raise their prices in response to the tariffs.”
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“The longer this goes on, the more meaningful an effect it’s going to have on new vehicle prices in the North American auto market writ large,” he says.
Johnson adds that one saving grace for ********* metals companies and parts makers is that the loonie is around 11 per cent weaker compared to the U.S. dollar than back in 2018 when the tariffs were last applied. That makes ********* steel and aluminum cheaper for American manufacturers to import, and “could cushion the blow somewhat if exchange rates remain relatively steady between now and March,” he says.
Vehicle market getting back in gear
Ahead of a looming trade dispute with the U.S., Canada’s new and used vehicle markets had shown signs of normalizing after pandemic-era disruptions tied to supply chain kinks and semiconductor shortages.
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Akyurek tells Global News that average prices for new vehicles were down 2.9 per cent year-over-year in January to just over $65,000, while the used market saw double that annual decline.
“They’re still higher compared to 2019 levels, but prices are slowly coming down,” he says.
New vehicle inventories are largely restocked and sales interest has been picking up, Akyurek says, thanks in part due to lower interest rates. Without tariffs, which he calls the “elephant in the room,” AutoTrader projects the sector will see more growth in 2025.
5:34
How to avoid scams during spring car buying season
If Trump delivers on steel and aluminum tariffs, it would likely drive up new car prices, Akyurek says.
Specific import taxes on steel and aluminum would put significantly less pressure than the threatened blanket tariffs currently put on hold, which he warns could drive costs for manufacturers up in the thousands of dollars if imposed.
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“Some, if not all of it will be passed on to the consumer,” Akyurek says. “So obviously, when that happens, prices go up.”
Johnson says that for vehicles that are made to order or those that are mid-production, tariff costs could be passed through very quickly in the manufacturing process.
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Trudeau says Canada will push back on ‘unacceptable’ U.S. tariffs
That’s because automakers don’t keep vast supplies of parts on hand in a typical production cycle — the industry operates largely on a just-in-time manufacturing model — and any goods crossing the border will immediately be hit with import taxes, forcing manufacturers to absorb or pass on the costs.
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Johnson says some manufacturers may attempt to front-run the looming tariffs by ordering supplies in bulk just ahead the deadline for import taxes, but this would only serve to delay the higher costs.
And when new vehicle prices start to rise, Johnson and Akyurek note that the used car market will see demand and price increases as prospective buyers are boxed out of the new market.
The good news is, with inventory levels back up to historic levels, there’s a decent supply of vehicles already sitting on lots that won’t face price pressures from tariffs.
That could provide a buffer for new car prices in the early days of a trade war, Akyurek says.
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“Thankfully, we have cars out there that are not going to be impacted, which is very good news for the market. So I think we can absorb it for a while.”
How can ********* consumers beat tariff impacts?
Johnson notes there are some vehicle makes that are primarily assembled in Canada where parts are not crossing the U.S. border frequently and are therefore insulated from tariff impacts.
He says Toyota RAV4s as well as Honda CR-V and Civic models are among those manufactured domestically in Canada, whereas American automakers are more likely to rely on the integrated North American supply chains for their vehicles.
Johnson is unsure Canadians need to start pounding the pavement at their local dealership.
Canada’s officials have “leeway” to negotiate with Trump ahead of the March 12 deadline, he notes, and could carve out exemptions for ********* suppliers before the order comes into effect.
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And with solid inventories and automakers likely readying their manufacturing processes for potential tariffs, Johnson expects at least a short-term reprieve before tariffs spur larger price hikes.
1:30
‘The effects will be devastating’: Projected tariffs, layoffs spark calls for worker support
But he adds that if consumers are eyeing a vehicle that requires a long lead-time before it’s assembled and ready to drive off the lot, “that’s something that would be a little bit more of a focus of potentially wanting to accelerate, depending on how this all pans out.”
Akyurek recommends that anybody who was already planning to make a vehicle purchase in 2025 accelerate their timeline for buying to get ahead of any possible price hikes.
While Trump has delayed imposing tariffs on Canada in the past — first promising the blanket tariffs would come on day one of his presidency, and then at the start of February, and now on hold potentially until March — Akyurek believes he will make good on the running threat.
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“Tariffs have been one of the keywords that we keep hearing since Trump took office. So I think it would be naïve to assume that they will not happen at some point, at some capacity,” he says.
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French prosecutors confirm how Andrew and Dawn Searle died
French prosecutors confirm how Andrew and Dawn Searle died
Facebook
Andrew and Dawn Searle had lived in France for about 10 years
French prosecutors have confirmed how a British couple died, five days after they were found in their rural home in south-west France.
The bodies of Andrew and Dawn Searle were discovered by a neighbour in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, north of Toulouse, on Thursday.
Post-mortem examinations have now confirmed Mr Searle, 62, died from hanging and Mrs Searle, 56, suffered “multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object”.
Prosecutors in Rodez issued an update on the case but the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the couple – who moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago – remain unclear.
The statement added: “The investigation is ongoing, particularly to determine whether the tragedy resulted from a domestic crime followed by suicide or involved a third party.”
Instagram
Former Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr walked his mother Dawn Searle down the aisle in 2023
Ms Searle grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, and Mr Searle was originally from England.
They lived in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, before they moved to France and married in Villefranche-de-Rouergue in 2023.
According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Searle previously worked in financial crime prevention at companies including Standard Life and Barclays Bank.
On Saturday Ms Searle’s son, ex-Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr, issued a statement on social media on behalf of the couple’s four shared children.
France Television
The bodies were discovered at the property early on Thursday afternoon
Mr and Mrs Searle were found dead at about 12:27 on Thursday at their home in Les Pesquiès.
The discovery was made by a neighbour, who went to check on them when they failed to turn up for a planned dog walk.
The area around their detached house was sealed off while investigations took place, and local police called in expert help from Toulouse, which is about 70km (43 miles) away.
As well as intensive forensics activity a helicopter and a drone were also sent to the site.
Mr Kerr, who played PC George Kiss in Hollyoaks and has appeared in Netflix’s Virgin River, previously posted a statement on Instagram.
It read: “At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr) while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.”
The 30-year-old requested that the family’s privacy was respected during this “difficult *******”, adding that they would provide updates as appropriate.
Mr Kerr, who walked his mother down the aisle, has also released a number of country songs.
A spokesperson for the ***’s Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
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The best video game Easter Eggs of all time
The best video game Easter Eggs of all time
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Adventure – Secret credits
Diablo 2 – The cow level
A Link to the Past – The Chris Houlihan room
Dead Space – Chapter name spoilers
Batman Arkham Asylum – Arkham City plans
Wave Race: Blue Storm – Insulting announcer
Halo: Reach – Community spotlight
As long as there have been video games, there have been secrets hidden within them. There are some things like secret endings to find, but Easter Eggs are more about the fun of finding them than actually adding something to the game. It is a tradition that began at the beginning of the video game console generation timeline and persists to this day. Fans love scouring the biggest open-world games and looking into the code of the best indies to see if there’s some secret waiting to be found and shared. We can’t wait to see what Easter Eggs are found in all the upcoming video games, but for now, we wanted to look back and round up all the best ones from gaming history.
Adventure – Secret credits
Atari
We couldn’t start with any other Easter Egg than the one widely considered to be the first one in gaming history. Adventure is a very basic Atari game where you guide a block of pixels around a sprawling map trying to reach a chalace. This was in a ******* when games didn’t have credits, so no one knew who was making them besides the publisher. The solo developer of Adventure wanted to tell the world he made the game, but had to do it in a secret way that Atari wouldn’t see and remove. So, Warren Robinett made a secret room in the game that requires players to carry an invisible pixel to a specific place to access where he wrote out “Created by Warren Robinett.” He wasn’t sure anyone would be able to discover it, but a boy named Adam Clayton managed to somehow figure it out and even wrote to Atari to share his discovery. Thankfully, Robinett had already left the company at that time.
Diablo 2 – The cow level
Blizzard
Some Easter Eggs are born out of rumors, such as the cow level. The urban legend went that players in the original Diablo could click on a herd of cows in town enough times to create a secret portal to a cow level. Fans even went so far as to create fake screenshots of this supposed cow level. While there was no truth to this, Blizzard took notice and actually included a cow level in Diablo 2. To find it, players would need to transmute a Tome of Town Portal and Writ’s Leg in the Horadrix Cube while inside the Rogue Encampment. Trying to mix these items anywhere else in the game will fail. Once done, players can go through the portal into the Moo Moo Farm where a mob of deadly bovine will attack wielding halberds until The Cow King appears as the final boss. Since then, other secret themed levels have appeared in most Blizzard titles.
A Link to the Past – The Chris Houlihan room
Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda games are always jam-packed with secrets, even the original on NES. These are usual secret items, heart pieces, or other collectibles. A Link to the Past has one very unique Easter Egg that was given out as a contest prize during a Nintendo Power promotion. Players could send in a photo of themselves fighting a specific boss from Final Fantasy for a chance to win getting their name put into a future Nintendo title. As it turns out, that game was A Link to the Past and Chris Houlihan was the winner, but accessing his special room is incredibly cryptic and feels more like a glitch than a true secret. To reach it, players have to confuse the game’s coordinates to fool it into putting Link into this failsafe room. If you pull it off, you can collect a ton of rupees and read a little message on the wall that reads “My name is Chris Houlihan. This is my top secret room. Keep it between us, OK?”
Dead Space – Chapter name spoilers
EA
Spoiler alert for Dead Space! Sometimes an Easter Egg isn’t something that takes a lot of searching or performing a series of cryptic actions to find. Dead Space has a few of those, to be sure, but it hides its best Easter Egg in plain sight. The concept of the game is that you play as an engineer attempting to repair a ship where his girlfriend Nicole is stationed after it is overrun by zombie-like aliens. The game is broken up into 12 named chapters, starting with New Arrivals, Intensive Care, Course Correction, and so on. What is only apparent once you’ve beaten the game and looked back is that the first letter of each chapter spells out a big reveal from the end of the game. All lined up, the chapters spell out NICOLE IS DEAD.
Batman Arkham Asylum – Arkham City plans
WB Games
One of the most common Easter Eggs is a tease for an eventual sequel. We didn’t know there was going to be another Arkham game after Asylum until it was revealed, but we could have if anyone had managed to find this Easter Egg before the developers broke down and told us about it. Once Arkham City was already revealed and it looked like no one would find it, Rocksteady told us that there was one specific wall in the game that could be blown up with three explosive charges. There was no other indication that this wall could be broken, which is why no one managed to find it. Once we had the clue, we found a secret room with the blueprints for Arkham City.
Wave Race: Blue Storm – Insulting announcer
Nintendo
Wave Race: Blue Storm was the last entry in this jetski series released in 2001 for the GameCube. Like any great racing game, it featured an announcer who would hype up the players and cheer them on as they raced and pulled off tricks. 9 years after the game came out, one fan discovered a code that would replace all the announcer’s dialogue with sarcastic comments. By inputting a specific button combination on the audio settings screen, you would start to hear lines like “Just because you’re going around in circles, doesn’t make you a big wheel” or “Your wins are like diamonds, kid…very rare.”
Halo: Reach – Community spotlight
Bungie
As the final Halo title developed by Bungie, the team made it a point to include an entire room of Easter Eggs to thank the passionate community. In the game’s final level, there’s a way to hit a secret button outside the bounds of the level to open a hidden door into what is known as the Tribute Room. Once inside, there are several terminals that can be accessed that detail some of the most popular fan projects and communities related to the series. These include Halo.Bungie.org, Red vs. Blue, Warthog Jump, and the developer’s forum moderation team. It is a fun way to see how much Bungie appreciates its community.
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AI Action Summit: global leaders decry AI red tape
AI Action Summit: global leaders decry AI red tape
Key European politicians gathered at the AI Action Summit have committed to cutting “red tape” to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) is able to flourish throughout the continent, signalling closer alignment with the US’s light-touch approach to regulation.
The Paris Summit follows the inaugural AI Safety Summit hosted by the *** government at Bletchley Park in November 2023, and the second AI Seoul Summit in South Korea in May 2024, both of which largely focused on risks associated with the technology and placed an emphasis on improving its safety through international scientific cooperation and research.
However, there are concerns from some civil society groups and AI practitioners there has been a shift away from this focus on safety during the latest AI Summit, as politicians and industry figures are now seemingly prioritising speed and innovation over safety and regulation.
US vice-president JD Vance, for example, told the summit on 11 February: “Excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry … we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it, and we need our European friends in particular to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation.”
Vance’s comments follow US president Donald Trump revoking an Executive Order on 20 January 2025 signed by predecessor Joe Biden that required AI developers to share safety test results with the US government for systems that posed risks to national security, the economy or public health, which prompted concerns at the time about regulatory divergence between the US, Europe and China.
Vance added that while a light-touch approach does not mean throwing all safety concerns out the window, “focus matters, and we must focus now on the opportunity to catch lightning in a bottle”.
Adopting a more aligned, light-touch regulatory approach was also encouraged by industry figures, on the basis it would boost productivity and innovation.
During a speech delivered on the first day of the AI Summit, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said it was important for different regulatory regimes to be aligned: “AI can’t flourish if there is a fragmented regulatory environment, with different rules across different countries and regions.”
He added that while history will look back on today as “the beginning of a golden age of innovation”, positive outcomes cannot be guaranteed: “European competitiveness depends on productivity, so driving adoption is key … The biggest risk could be missing out.”
Pichai also called for governments to invest more in AI innovation ecosystems, highlighting rapid adoption of the technology throughout France: “How do we create more of these pockets in more places?”
Similar sentiments were shared by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in an op-ed for Le Monde published ahead of the summit, who encouraged European politicians to focus on innovation over regualtion: “If we want growth, jobs and progress, we must allow innovators to innovate, builders to build and developers to develop.”
He added: “In Europe, much of the conversation has focused on what former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi has called a European ‘innovation gap’ with the United States and China that poses an ‘existential challenge’ to the EU’s future.”
Both French president Emmanuel Macron and European Union (EU) digital chief Henna Virkkunen strongly indicated that the bloc would simplify its rules and implement them in a business-friendly way to help AI on the continent scale.
“It’s very clear we have to resynchronise with the rest of the world,” said Macron, adding that the French government will adopt a “Notre Dame” strategy, referring to how the cathedral was rebuilt within five years of the 2019 fire: “We showed the rest of the world that when we commit to a clear timeline, we can deliver … The Notre-Dame approach will be adopted for datacentres, for authorisation to go to the market, for AI and attractiveness.”
Virkkunen added: “I agree with industries on the fact that now, we also have to look at our rules, that we have too much overlapping regulation …We will cut red tape and the administrative burden from our industries.”
Following the announcement that France is set to invest around €109bn in datacentres and AI-related projects over the next few years, Macron declared that France is “back in the AI race”.
European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen, however, dismissed the idea that Europe had been left behind in any way: “The AI race is far from over. Truth is, we are only at the beginning. The frontier is constantly moving, and global leadership is still up for grabs”, adding that Europe’s own “distinctive approach” should focus on collaborative, open-source solutions.
She ended her speech by announcing an additional €200bn for EU AI investment, €20bn of which she indicated would be used on gigafactories to help train very large models: “We provide the infrastructure for large computational power. Researchers, entrepreneurs and investors will be able to join forces.”
However, she added: “At the same time, I know that we have to make it easier, and we have to cut red tape – and we will.”
While it is hoped that world leaders attending the summit will sign a joint, non-binding declaration – a draft of which highlights the importance of inclusive, sustainable approaches to AI, as well as the risks of market concentration around the technology – it has been reported that the US and *** are unlikely to sign.
A ‘worrying shift’
Some are concerned that the rhetoric coming out of the summit indicates a worrying shift in the global AI landscape.
Kasia Borowska, managing director and co-founder of Brainpool AI – a global network of 500 AI and machine learning (ML) experts that build custom AI tools for businesses – said that Vance’s speech in particular means governments are “prioritising innovation over regulation”, adding there are serious questions around the safety of AI’s further development.
“If we rush to win the ‘AI arms race’ without establishing robust control mechanisms for existing AI technologies, we will be ill-prepared to manage AGI [artificial general intelligence],” she said. “Regardless of who achieves AGI first, a race-to-the-top approach that prioritises speed over safety could lead to disastrous consequences for everyone. We must implement proper safeguards now, before we reach AGI, when it may be too late.”
Chris Williams, a partner at global law firm Clyde & Co, added that while there remains enormous hype around what AI can actually achieve, the focus has clearly shifted away from balancing AI safety and innovation.
“The ‘safety first’ narrative around AI, which was once prevalent among those now in government has clearly given way to a focus on doing what is necessary to foster innovation, and a good example of this is the *** which aims to become an ‘AI superpower’. No matter the jurisdiction, whether it be the *** or US, the need to create legislative safeguards are being viewed as ‘nice to haves’ rather than essential cornerstones to developing AI in a way that is safe, responsible and ethical,” he said.
“At this stage, the regulatory response might need to be more fluid and less prescriptive to avoid stifling innovation, but it would likely need to include a long-term view of gradually stepping up checks and balances as AI becomes more advanced.”
Commenting on the draft deceleration, Gaia Marcus, director of the Ada Lovelace Institute, said that governments must re-focus on the technology’s safety, which dominated the previous two international AI Summits.
“Based on the initial draft, we are concerned that the scaffolding provided by the official summit declaration is not strong enough,” he said, adding that while it highlights “widespread consensus” on key structural risks such as AI market concentration and sustainability challenges, “it fails to build on the mission of making AI safe and trustworthy, and the safety commitments of previous summits. There are no tools to ensure tech companies are held accountable for harms. And there is a growing gap between public expectations of safety and government action to regulate.
“There will be no greater barrier to the transformative potential of AI than a failure in public confidence … like-minded countries that recognise the costs of unaddressed risks must find other forums to continue building the safety agenda.”
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How to bet on a UPS comeback after its recent stock rout with lesser risk using options
How to bet on a UPS comeback after its recent stock rout with lesser risk using options
UPS recently reported its earnings at the end of January, exceeding both earnings and revenue estimates. Alongside the report, the CEO announced a significant shift in strategy — cutting UPS’s shipping relationship with Amazon by up to 50%. The rationale behind this decision is to prioritize more profitable shipments over sheer volume, which has been a dominant factor in their partnership with Amazon. However, the market reacted sharply to this news, sending UPS tumbling nearly 20% in a single day. Examining the 6-month daily chart, UPS is now attempting to recover from this steep sell-off. To assess the potential for a rebound, I’m using a couple of key technical indicators for confirmation: RSI (Relative Strength Index): When the RSI drops below 30, it signals an oversold condition, often prompting traders to watch for a reversal. In this case, UPS’s RSI dipped below 30 between Jan. 30 and February 5 before bouncing back, a sign that selling pressure may be easing. DMI (Directional Movement Index): The DMI is composed of three lines: DI+ (green), DI- (red), and ADX (blue). A prevailing downtrend is indicated when DI- (red) is above DI+ (green). However, a potential shift occurs when these lines begin to converge or change direction. Currently, both DI- and DI+ are showing signs of reversal, hinting at an early signal of a trend change. While these indicators suggest a potential recovery, price action remains key in confirming whether UPS can sustain this bounce. The trade setup described below only needs a $1 move in UPS stock price to double my investment, meaning as long as UPS stays at or above 115 by expiration, the trade will be profitable. The nearest resistance level is around $118, with another resistance zone at $123. This gives UPS plenty of room to move higher before encountering potential selling pressure. The Trade Setup: UPS $114-$115 Bull Call Spread To take a bullish trade on UPS, I’m using a trade structure called a “bull call spread.” To construct my bull call spread, I need to buy a $114 call option and sell a $115 call option as a single unit. If UPS stock price is at or above $115 by expiration day, this trade will generate a 100% ROI on capital risked. Although this trade can be easily constructed on any trading platform, most options platforms like ThinkorSwim and TastyTrade offer a bull call spread template that automatically pre-fills these parameters, simplifying the order setup. Here is my exact trade setup: Buy $114 call, Mar 14th expiry Sell $115 call, Mar 14th expiry Cost: $50 Potential Profit: $50 I cover many of these setups in my book Mean Reversion Trading and provide further insights and resources on my website . -Nishant Pant Founder: Author: Mean Reversion Trading Youtube, Twitter: @TheMeanTrader DISCLOSURES: Nishant has a UPS 114-115 call spread expiring on 3/14/2025. 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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Demi Moore, On the Verge of Her First Oscar
Demi Moore, On the Verge of Her First Oscar
Demi Moore is the star of one of the goriest, most audacious films ever nominated for an Oscar, the feminist body-horror satire “The Substance.” Onscreen, Moore, 62, dissolves and mutates in often grizzly ways — nude, and in extreme close-up. And she could not be more self-actualized about it.
The role required “wrestling with the flashes of my own insecurity and ego,” Moore explained. “I was being asked to share those things that I don’t necessarily want people to see.”
She was speaking in a video interview last week, dressed in casual ****** and big glasses, twisting and tucking her legs under her, on her office couch, with every thought. Filming through that discomfort was a “gift — silver lining, blessing, whatever you want to call it,” she continued. “Once you put it all out there, what else is there? There’s nothing to hide. Being able to let go was another layer of liberation for me.” The following night, she won the Critics Choice prize for best actress.
Her career and cultural resurgence is overdue, said Ryan Murphy, the showrunner and a friend who at long last convinced her to work with him in last year’s “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” She had the beauty and aura of an old-school movie star, he said, with the professional discipline to match, but the flexibility of a seeker: “Game to do anything,” he said. “She’s a pathfinder. We all talk about what she’s done for the business and for other women.”
And, he added, “she is one of the most emotionally intelligent people that you’ll ever meet. Whenever I have an emotional dilemma or I need advice, I do not go to my shrink — I go to her.”
With “The Substance,” Moore is the Oscars’ best actress front-runner too, for playing Elisabeth Sparkle, a onetime A-lister turned TV fitness instructor who is unscrupulously put out to pasture for the Hollywood sin of existing past 50. Her desperate solution is to inject herself with the mysterious concoction of the movie’s title, and birth — through a gaping wound in her spine — a more youthful self, named Sue (Margaret Qualley). They’re supposed to switch weekly, while the other vegetates. But in the battle for nubile flesh — and thus popularity — Elisabeth loses, grotesquely so.
“The Substance” is a bit of a genre-buster: Moore has described the project as a cross between Oscar Wilde’s classic, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”; the 1992 ****** comedy “Death Becomes Her”; and a Jane Fonda workout video. It’s vying for best picture as well, and the French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat was nominated for directing and for her script.
It’s mostly sparked conversation for its none-too-subtle message. But Moore’s singular performance — which also draws on her real-life past as a sex symbol whose form was both worshiped and castigated — is not just metaphor. It is enthrallingly physical, a feat of wordless emotional range: She has comparatively little dialogue; is hardly onscreen with a co-star (at least when both are conscious); and communicates mostly through tight shots, often gazing at her own reflection — “which is really not the most comfortable place to be,” Moore said. “We look for what’s wrong.”
The prosthetics that turn her into a wizened creature “were their own mixed bag of tricks,” she added, and “figuring out the logic and the rules, because it’s also a world that doesn’t exist. Like, OK, I’m in this totally aged, degraded body, but I can haul **** down a hallway.”
Until its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last May, she added, she wasn’t even sure the movie would work (it wound up winning best screenplay). And she was immediately indelible, in unexpected ways: Moore’s husky voice is one of her trademarks. “I was astonished at how powerful she was in silence,” Murphy said.
In an email, Qualley gushed about her co-star. “Demi is the magic blend of deep consideration and the ability to courageously live in the present,” she said. She learned something every day; their collaboration was “one of the great gifts of my life,” Qualley added.
The production, which stretched over five-and-a-half months in France, was also among the most strenuous of Moore’s 40-year-career, she said. “G.I. Jane,” the 1997 Ridley Scott action drama in which she buffed up to play a Navy S.E.A.L.-esque recruit, “was physically very challenging,” Moore said, “but it was very straightforward. This was emotionally and physically draining every day — every day. Even the simplest scenes.”
And yet it was the leap she sought, after stepping back from acting intermittently over the years: first, soon after her ’90s heyday, to raise the three daughters she shares with Bruce Willis, her ex-husband; and then to take stock of herself.
One thing that emerged from this *******, alongside a renewed focus on sobriety, was her unflinching, best-selling 2019 memoir, “Inside Out.” In it, among many other traumas, she details the disordered eating and overexercising she engaged in for years — she once put a lock on her refrigerator — and how she emerged with a far less fractured sense of self.
The “Substance” role was not handed to Moore; Fargeat considered other actresses and it took a half-dozen meetings between the two to finalize the casting. In one of those encounters, Moore shared a copy of her book (written with Ariel Levy, of The New Yorker). It was a plain-on-the-page vehicle, Moore said, to show how much Fargeat’s story resonated with her — and, she added, “not from a place of the wound, but from the place that actually had healing.”
Moore was not interested in litigating blame. “Look, women being marginalized at a certain age, particularly in the entertainment industry, is the least-new information of the entire movie,” she said.
Neither was she only highlighting what she called “that painful state that I think we’ve all experienced, because we’re human, which is of compare and despair.” What drew her to the screenplay was the way those impulses were turned inward, violently. “Because I can look and say there is nothing that anyone else has done to me, that is worse than what I have done to myself.”
There were vast gulfs between her and the lonesome, career-obsessed Elisabeth, she said. But, she added: “Emotionally, it wasn’t that big of a reach. I really did understand her.”
Moore escaped — or persevered through — a turbulent, peripatetic childhood, striking out on her own at 16. She was a soap opera regular by 19, then made her name on the Brat Pack movies like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and became a superstar with a string of ’90s hits including “Ghost,” “A Few Good Men” and “Indecent Proposal.” Earning a $12.5 million paycheck for “Striptease,” in 1996, made her the highest-paid actress in the world, but did not engender good will. (She acquired the sneering nickname “Gimme Moore.” Willis, who then made even ******* bank as an action hero, got no such derision.)
Another flashpoint came with her 1991 Vanity Fair cover, photographed by Annie Leibovitz. Moore was seven months pregnant with her second daughter and Leibovitz snapped a shot of her, bejeweled and naked, ostensibly as an end-of-day family photo. Long before celebrities gleefully bared their bumps, Moore’s elegant flaunt remains one of her proudest achievements, she said in her memoir. “It helped move the needle culturally, whether I intended it to or not,” Moore wrote. “To help women love themselves and their natural shapes, that’s a remarkable and gratifying thing to have accomplished, particularly for someone like me who spent years doing battle with her body.”
The idea that she bared her skin — in movies or elsewhere — out of confidence was a long-held public misperception, she told me. “I was so uncomfortable. I was trying to just find ways of overcoming it.”
These days, Moore is trying to absorb the critical and industry adulation for “The Substance,” without weighing it too heavily. “Whatever happens, I just keep focusing on remembering not to make it mean too much, but also not to make it mean too little,” she said. “But I can enjoy all of it.”
She seemed to turbocharge her Oscar campaign with her win at the Golden Globes last month. (She had been nominated before, but never won.) In her stunned speech, she mentioned a producer who negated her as “a popcorn actress,” and also repeated some wisdom from a woman she met decades ago, who told her blankly that she would never be good enough — “but you could know the value of your worth, if you put down the measuring stick.”
“It just hit me so deeply,” Moore said to me, as she nuzzled her one-pound micro Chihuaha, Pilaf, the most favored of her six mini dogs. (Don’t fret: “They all have it pretty good.” They all sleep in her bed; they travel; a timid Daschund was on his way to meet with a trainer, for a confidence boost. “Literally everything is built around these silly dogs.”)
The Globes also introduced a factoid about Moore, that she is “an avid doll collector,” with a separate residence “for her 2,000+ vintage dolls.” In her book, she says she started amassing toys when her children were young, to make up for what she missed in her own childhood. Her assemblage extends beyond just figurines — she has miniatures and oversize pieces, quilts and oddities. “I am a curiosity collector,” she said.
Imperfections, she has learned, are worth noticing.
“Not that I like being scared and vulnerable,” she said, “but I know it’s a rich place to be. And that I always am better on the other side.”
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Coca-Cola discusses Trump aluminum tariffs
Coca-Cola discusses Trump aluminum tariffs
Coca-Cola bottles are seen at a shop in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 28, 2025.
Firdous Nazir | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Coca-Cola will shift more of its packaging from aluminum to plastic bottles if President Donald Trump implements his latest wave of tariffs, CEO James Quincey said Tuesday.
“As it relates to our strategies around ensuring affordability and ensuring consumer demand, if one package suffers some increase in input costs, we continue to have other packaging offerings that will allow us to compete in the affordability space,” Quincey said on the company’s earnings conference call. “For example, if aluminum cans become more expensive, we can put more emphasis on **** [plastic] bottles, et cetera.”
Trump on Monday raised tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports to 25% from 10%, starting next month. The action is widely seen as taking aim at China, although the U.S. imports little steel directly from the country.
Quincey downplayed the financial hit for Coke from the tariffs, although he said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the company buys some aluminum from Canada.
“I think we’re in danger of exaggerating the impact of the 25% increase in the aluminum price relative to the total system,” Quincey said on the conference call. “It’s not insignificant, but it’s not going to radically change a multibillion dollar U.S. business, and packaging is only a small component of the total cost structure.”
In addition to shifting to more plastic packaging, Coke can also blunt the effects of duties on its business by finding domestic aluminum sources and increasing the price for customers, Quincey added.
Aluminum is generally more expensive than plastic, but it’s also infinitely recyclable and one of the most commonly recycled materials. In recent years, Coke has shifted to adding more aluminum packaging options, like canned Dasani and Smartwater.
****, or polyethylene terephthalate, is a lightweight plastic that can be easily recycled but is recycled at a lower rate than aluminum. The recycling rate of **** bottles and jars was 29.1% in 2018, compared with the recycling rate of aluminum beer and soft drink cans at 50.4% in the same year, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Even as Coke has tried to use more aluminum, the company has been named the world’s worst polluter by Greenpeace for six straight years for its single-use plastic usage.
And just two months ago, Coke slashed its sustainability goals. The beverage giant now aims to use 35% to 40% recycled material in packaging by 2035, down from its prior target of 50% recycled material by 2030. The company also said it wants to “ensure the collection” of 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans it introduces annually, rather than recycling the plastic equivalent of every bottle it uses by 2030.
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