Pelican Press

Kate Emery: Forgotten baby syndrome isn’t about being a bad parent Kate Emery: Forgotten baby syndrome isn’t about being a bad parent There’s no getting around it: this column is a sad one. This week, one-year-old Olivia died after being left in a car, apparently after her father mistakenly believed he had dropped her off at daycare in Sydney. He arrived in the evening to collect her, only to be told she’d never been delivered. He found her still in her car seat. Police will investigate but, on face value, this appears to be a case of what some call forgotten baby syndrome. And if you think it could never happen to you, you’d better hope you never drove to work, made yourself a coffee or tied your shoes on autopilot. No accurate data exists on how often it happens, because the only cases that get reported are when it results in the baby’s death. But when I asked an online Perth mums’ group if it they’d ever forgotten their baby in the car, I was shocked by the number of mothers who had done just that — thankfully only briefly. Forgetting your baby isn’t about being a bad parent. It’s a down to a part of the brain known as the basal ganglia — a brilliantly handy thing until it isn’t. The basal ganglia is the part of the brain that lets us perform routine tasks without having to consciously think about what we’re doing at every step. It’s why we can drive to work without thinking about every turn and why it’s so easy to forget to do something that represents a break in the routine. Unfortunately, when the basal ganglia goes bad, it goes really bad, putting our brain into autopilot with tragic consequences. University of South Florida behavioural neuroscientist David Diamond, arguably the leading expert on forgotten baby syndrome, describes it as a memory failure caused by a clash between the brain’s “habit memory” system (which is all about the the basal ganglia), and its “prospective memory” system (which is all about the parts of the brain called the hippocampus and the frontal cortex). I’’ll quote what Mr Diamond wrote for The Conversation website because if I try to summarise it in my own words, I’ll probably remember why I have a degree in English, not science. “Prospective memory refers to the planning and execution of an action in the future, such as planning to take a child to day care,” he wrote. “Habit memory refers to tasks that involve repetitive actions that are performed automatically, as in routinely driving from one location to another, such as from home to work . . . A suppression of prospective memory caused by the dominance of the brain’s habit memory system is an almost daily occurrence. “It happens, for example, when we forget to interrupt a drive home to stop at the store for groceries. In this case, the habit memory system takes us directly home, suppressing our awareness (prospective memory) that we had planned to stop at the store.” Habit memory is more likely to override prospective memory if someone is stressed, distracted or has a change in routine. And any parent knows stress and distraction are as much a part of the package as sleep deprivation and poonamis. Camera IconKate Emery. Credit: Ian Munro/The West *********** Those risk factors combined in the case of 21-month-old Oregon baby Remi Engler. When Remi’s dad was too tired to drop her at day care after a night shift, her mother offered to do it on her way to work. Remi’s mum drove to work on autopilot, only realising her mistake when she finished her own shift to find her daughter still in her car seat. There are many such stories. Now to the point of the column, which is that there are strategies to outsmart your brain. The most common recommendation is to leave something in the ********* that you need: a handbag or keys that you can’t leave without. Alternately, leave a visible reminder of the child in the front seat: a toy, a nappy bag or a well-placed post-it. Some car manufacturers include alarms that are triggered by movement inside a locked car, while similar gadgets can be bought online. There are also campaigns for daycare workers to alert parents when children are not dropped off, the way most schools do. The other point of this column is to urge compassion when we see these stories and shake our heads at the idea that anyone could forget their own child. Because unless your basal ganglia is a marvel hitherto unknown to science, it could happen to you too. Source link #Kate #Emery #Forgotten #baby #syndrome #isnt #bad #parent Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US service member, 3 contractors killed in surveillance mission plane ****** in southern Philippines US service member, 3 contractors killed in surveillance mission plane ****** in southern Philippines Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways MANILA, Philippines (AP) — One U.S. service member and three defense contractors were killed Thursday when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said. The aircraft was conducting a routine mission “providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies,” the command said in a statement. It said the cause of the ****** was under investigation. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also confirmed the ****** of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province. It did not immediately provide other details. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. The bodies of the four people were retrieved from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, said Ameer Jehad Tim Ambolodto, a safety officer of Maguindanao del Sur. Indo-Pacific Command said the names of the crew were being withheld pending family notifications. Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told The Associated Press that she received reports that residents saw smoke coming from the plane and heard an explosion before the aircraft plummeted to the ground less than a kilometer (about half a mile) from a cluster of farmhouses. Nobody was reported injured on or near the ****** site, which was cordoned off by troops, Beaty said. A water buffalo on the ground was killed as a result of the plane ******, local officials said. U.S. forces have been deployed in a Philippine military camp in the country’s south for decades to help provide advise and training to ********* forces battling ******* militants. The region is the homeland of ********* Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation. Source link #service #member #contractors #killed #surveillance #mission #plane #****** #southern #Philippines Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Macross -Shooting Insight- (NS) Review | VGChartz Macross -Shooting Insight- (NS) Review | VGChartz VGChartz’s Evan Norris: “Shooting Insight is a remarkably solid space shooter, both for Macross fans and shoot-’em-up players without any allegiance to the anime. Thanks to multiple modes, high replay value, energetic moment-to-moment action, terrific tunes, and, most importantly, five playable characters who arrive with their own stories, ships, and play styles, it’s easy to recommend. With a few tweaks here and there — more level variety, the removal of behind-the-back sections, and the ability to transform on command — it could be great. Even without, it’s a worthy international debut for the beloved franchise.” Source link #Macross #Shooting #Insight #Review #VGChartz Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meet the 1 Number From Palantir That May Keep This Supercharged Stock Soaring – The Motley Fool Meet the 1 Number From Palantir That May Keep This Supercharged Stock Soaring – The Motley Fool Meet the 1 Number From Palantir That May Keep This Supercharged Stock Soaring The Motley Fool1 AI Stock to Buy Before It Soars 335% to $1 Trillion, According to a Wall Street Analyst Yahoo FinanceInside the lovefest between Palantir and its army of retail investors Business InsiderWill Palantir Be the World’s Most Valuable Software Company? Nasdaq Source link #Meet #Number #Palantir #Supercharged #Stock #Soaring #Motley #Fool Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Metal Gear Solid Delta Confirmed for August 28, 2025 Release, New Trailer Drops on PS Store Metal Gear Solid Delta Confirmed for August 28, 2025 Release, New Trailer Drops on PS Store Metal Gear Solid Delta is set to arrive on August 28, 2025. New trailer reveals upgraded visuals, modern controls, and the return of Snake vs Monkey mode. Source link #Metal #Gear #Solid #Delta #Confirmed #August #Release #Trailer #Drops #Store Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RTX 4060 gaming laptops are as low as $799 in the pre-RTX 5000 clearance sales RTX 4060 gaming laptops are as low as $799 in the pre-RTX 5000 clearance sales I think we’re in a superb spot right now for gaming laptop deals. Yes, I know the RTX 5000 series machines are just around the corner but there are some superb value choices on the soon-to-be-older RTX 4000 models in various retailer’s clearance sales. Over at Best Buy, for example, you can get a machine with an RTX 4060 for as low as $799. That’s around the same price we saw over ****** Friday back in November. Two of my favorite cheap RTX 4060-equipped options at the retailer are this Lenovo LOQ for $799.99 (was $999) and this Acer Nitro 5 for $799.99 (was $1,099). As stated, both of these machines carry the mid-range RTX 4060 GPU, as well as a decent chipset and 16GB of RAM. While you’ll still have to put up with a relatively meagre 512GB storage drive, these are both great starting points for the casual or budget gamer looking for decent 1080p gaming performance. Personally, I’m partial to the Lenovo with its Ryzen 7 chipset, but the Acer Nitro 5 is certainly no slouch with a 13th gen Intel Core i7 chip. You can expect similar performance out of both of these machines so definitely consider them if you’re looking for a decent budget machine in the run-up to this year’s Presidents’ Day sales. Two super cheap RTX 4060 gaming laptop deals View Deal View Deal Need something with more power? Check out more of this week’s best cheap gaming laptop deals. Source link #RTX #gaming #laptops #preRTX #clearance #sales Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Chelsea Handler ‘thanks’ Lively and Baldoni at awards ceremony Chelsea Handler ‘thanks’ Lively and Baldoni at awards ceremony BBC/Getty Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni starred together in It Ends With Us TV host Chelsea Handler “thanked” actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni at Friday night’s Critics Choice Awards during her opening monologue. The comedian said that people in Los Angeles and across the country had been “through a lot lately”, and that it was important in such times to have a “distraction”. Handler’s remarks were met with laughter by the audience but on social media she was criticised for “trivialising” the feud. Lively, 37, sued Baldoni, 41, in December, accusing him of ******* harassment and a smear campaign. Baldoni is counter-suing Lively and her husband, the actor Ryan Reynolds, on claims of civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy. Baldoni is also suing the New York Times for libel. Both parties strongly deny the claims. Handler began the ceremony, which was held in Santa Monica, by praising the first responders who had tackled the recent deadly wildfires in LA. “I want to acknowledge that we’ve been through a lot lately, not just here in Los Angeles, but our entire country waking up every day, not knowing what news we are going to hear that will disappoint or horrify us,” she said. “So, it is important in times like these to have a distraction. And that’s why I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. “Thank you for providing us with that distraction. I’m grateful… I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you’re on, we can all agree to accept that there’s probably not going to be a sequel.” “It ends with us, guys,” Handler concluded, in a reference to the 2024 film It Ends With Us in which Lively and Baldoni co-starred. Neither Baldoni or Lively were present at the awards on Friday night. Video footage posted online shows the monologue as well recieved by the audience. But on social media, one X user said Handler was “trivialising” the feud while another said the jokes were “in poor taste”. Big wins for Demi Moore and Anora Meanwhile, Demi Moore took another leap ahead in the Oscars race, winning best actress at Friday’s ceremony. The 62-year-old, who also scooped up the award at last month’s Golden Globes, has enjoyed a remarkable career resurgence thanks to her role in body horror The Substance. “This has been such a wild ride,” said Moore. She thanked critics for celebrating “this genre of horror films, that are overlooked and not seen for the profundity that they can hold”. Moore’s win came at the expense of Emilia Perez rival Karla Sofia Gascon, whose past tweets caused a significant fallout. But the Spanish-language musical did manage to pick up several awards on the night, including best supporting actress for Zoe Saldana. Anora, a film about a stripper and occasional sex worker who marries the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch, bagged the prize of best picture at the end of the night, having missed out in earlier categories. Anora’s triumph shakes up the race for the most sought-after award at the Oscars next month. Other wins on the night included Adrian Brody, who won best actor for his role in historical epic The Brutalist, and Jon M. Chu who won best director for Wicked. Conclave won best adapted screenplay. Source link #Chelsea #Handler #Lively #Baldoni #awards #ceremony Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 Review – IGN The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 Review – IGN CCG writes – “The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a fantastic follow-up after the already excellent Trails into Reverie. I was skeptical that this new arc could somehow be even better than the last, and it’s probably to early to call it as such. But Daybreak is a truly excellent start to the new arc, and one of my favorite Trails games to date. ” Source link #Legend #Heroes #Trails #Daybreak #Review #IGN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samantha Rogers: Nathan Lyon’s career comes full circle in Galle, as he claims 550th wicket where it all began Samantha Rogers: Nathan Lyon’s career comes full circle in Galle, as he claims 550th wicket where it all began Not even Nathan Lyon could have imagined what he would achieve when he bowled his first ball in Galle back in 2011. But the first scalp he claimed, Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkar, might have been an omen. Source link #Samantha #Rogers #Nathan #Lyons #career #full #circle #Galle #claims #550th #wicket #began Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Concerns Surrounding Brookfield Renewable’s (NYSE:BEPC) Performance Concerns Surrounding Brookfield Renewable’s (NYSE:BEPC) Performance The recent earnings posted by Brookfield Renewable Corporation (NYSE:BEPC) were solid, but the stock didn’t move as much as we expected. However the statutory profit number doesn’t tell the whole story, and we have found some factors which might be of concern to shareholders. Check out our latest analysis for Brookfield Renewable NYSE:BEPC Earnings and Revenue History February 7th 2025 To properly understand Brookfield Renewable’s profit results, we need to consider the US$693m gain attributed to unusual items. While it’s always nice to have higher profit, a large contribution from unusual items sometimes dampens our enthusiasm. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. We can see that Brookfield Renewable’s positive unusual items were quite significant relative to its profit in the year to December 2024. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items are making its statutory profit significantly stronger than it would otherwise be. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. As previously mentioned, Brookfield Renewable’s large boost from unusual items won’t be there indefinitely, so its statutory earnings are probably a poor guide to its underlying profitability. As a result, we think it may well be the case that Brookfield Renewable’s underlying earnings power is lower than its statutory profit. On the bright side, the company showed enough improvement to book a profit this year, after losing money last year. The goal of this article has been to assess how well we can rely on the statutory earnings to reflect the company’s potential, but there is plenty more to consider. So if you’d like to dive deeper into this stock, it’s crucial to consider any risks it’s facing. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for Brookfield Renewable (3 are significant!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing. Today we’ve zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Brookfield Renewable’s profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to ‘follow the money’ and search out stocks that insiders are buying. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Source link #Concerns #Surrounding #Brookfield #Renewables #NYSEBEPC #Performance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia is investigating reports of crashes plaguing RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs, with possible driver issues maybe hitting RTX 4000 models too Nvidia is investigating reports of crashes plaguing RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs, with possible driver issues maybe hitting RTX 4000 models too Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards are experiencing ****** issues This could be tied in to the latest drivers, given problems are seemingly also affecting RTX 4000 GPUs Nvidia is “investigating the reported issues” and hopefully we’ll hear more from Team Green before long Nvidia is investigating reports of problems with its new RTX 5000 GPUs which is causing some graphics cards to ******. The issues appear to be occurring repeatedly for some, in a variety of circumstances, potentially leaving Team Green with a major headache around its new cards. The troubles began when Nvidia pushed out a new graphics driver (version 572.16) and people started experiencing crashes with some PC games. After that came reports of the RTX 5090 misfiring badly, including crashes happening, or the GPU not being recognized by the host PC. (And even the odd tale of a Blackwell flagship being bricked, but we must be very careful around those rare assertions). The problems now seem more widespread, and are apparently affecting both RTX 5090 and 5080 models, with repeated crashes occurring as noted – often freezes leaving you staring at a ****** screen. Part of the difficulty here is the wide range of circumstances that these different problems are manifesting in. From apparently non-functional GPUs to issues with multi-monitor setups, there’s a bewildering array of nuances to the individual complaints from RTX 5090 and 5080 owners. Nvidia told PC Gamer that it is now “investigating the reported issues with the RTX 50-series,” and I’ve got a feeling that this presumably deep dive into what’s going on here is going to take some time. (Image credit: Nvidia) Analysis: Clean install to cure driver blues? Clearly, the volume of reports across the usual forums (Reddit, and Nvidia’s own message board) has prompted Nvidia to let us know it is indeed taking action on this front. Until we hear further feedback from Team Green, all we can do is trawl through a whole pile of suggested fixes, some of which work for some folks, but not for others. However, this can of worms does appear to be related to the latest driver, an idea backed up by a scattering of reports of problems with RTX 4000 graphics cards and this most recent GPU driver. As PC Gamer theorizes, these gremlins might pertain to old driver files kicking about in the background, clashing with the new setup somehow after the user has installed this latest driver. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. That’s why our sister site advises a full driver wipe (using Display Driver Uninstaller, or DDU, to fully remove every bit of the old graphics driver; this doesn’t happen with a normal install – tiny bits of driver detritus can remain) before setting up your shiny new RTX 5000 GPU. So, driver-wise, your choices are to roll back to the previous Nvidia graphics driver before this latest release, or do a full wipe (using DDU as mentioned) before reinstalling the latest driver, keeping your fingers firmly crossed. Or, just live with your gaming PC as it is – if the crashing isn’t excessively annoying in your particular case – in the hope that Nvidia deploys a hotfix soon enough. It’s possible this could happen, as one recently arrived to solve the crashing issues with a couple of games in the latest driver. Meanwhile, if you’re in ‘live with it’ mode, there are some common workarounds you can try which are simple and have done the trick for some folks. They include turning off HDR in Windows 11 (assuming you have it on, of course) and reducing the refresh rate of your monitor to 60Hz. The latter appears to have worked for a fair few people to resolve some, if not all, of the crashing. So that’s one to have a shot with, definitely. It might also help to explain why multi-monitor setups are seemingly potentially more wonky, as if there are monitor-related issues in the driver, then obviously they’re more likely to happen in that scenario. Bear in mind that as advised in the past, some RTX 5090 owners have found a solution in going into the BIOS and dropping down their graphics card from using PCIe 5.0 to PCIe 4.0. That will mean the GPU runs slower, but not in a major way, and if it means a ******-free experience then clearly that’s a much better path forward for now, as a temporary fix, until Nvidia comes out with its report (and hopefully a fix). As already noted, I’ve a feeling that the solution might be a tricky one here, so I’m not overly optimistic about a quick hotfix – but you never know. You might also like… Source link #Nvidia #investigating #reports #crashes #plaguing #RTX #GPUs #driver #issues #hitting #RTX #models Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Inside the lovefest between Palantir and its army of retail investors – Business Insider Inside the lovefest between Palantir and its army of retail investors – Business Insider Inside the lovefest between Palantir and its army of retail investors Business Insider1 AI Stock to Buy Before It Soars 335% to $1 Trillion, According to a Wall Street Analyst Yahoo FinanceIs Palantir (PLTR) Overvalued? The Empirical Data Might Surprise You. BarchartWill Palantir Be the World’s Most Valuable Software Company? Nasdaq Source link #lovefest #Palantir #army #retail #investors #Business #Insider Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Mandelson’s strategy for charming Trumpworld? What is Mandelson’s strategy for charming Trumpworld? Joe Pike Political correspondent PA Media When Labour lost the 2010 election, rising star Ed Miliband was asked whether Peter Mandelson, who had just published a headline-grabbing autobiography, could play a role in the party’s future. “All of us,” Miliband drily replied, “believe in dignity in retirement.” Mandelson winced and smiled at that quip, he later wrote. But ignored the advice. Fifteen years later, at the age of 71, the political veteran who helped mastermind Labour’s renewal in the 1980s and 1990s, and was twice forced to resign from Tony Blair’s government, has staged yet another comeback. “It’s a whirlwind,” admits a member of his new team in Washington. “Because he’s a whirlwind kind of guy.” The first political appointee to the role of *** ambassador to the United States in 50 years arrived in DC with a lot on his plate. Even by American standards. But why did Sir Keir Starmer recruit him, what explains Mandelson’s hunger for the job, and how does he plan to charm Team Trump? “Peter is supremely political,” explains a Downing Street source. “And this is a very political White House. He is a brilliant operator.” Lord Mandelson has already moved into the ambassador’s vast official residence, recently refurbished at a cost of £118.8m. His new life will involve more than Congressional meetings and ********* parties. He now oversees 800 *** staff in the country many of whom are seconded to the Pentagon and defence bases. At the embassy, beneath a Warhol portrait of the late Queen, Mandelson has already hosted lunch for General Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia. This was merely a warm up for the real challenge later this month: accompanying Keir Starmer to the Oval Office to meet President Trump. The new president may be erratic and impulsive yet No 10 officials are determined the two leaders will develop a strong relationship despite their differing personalities. “The PM will be asking Peter: ‘How on earth do I handle this crazy guy?’,” says a former colleague. “As an ambassador in the court of Donald Trump you need someone who can tickle him under his chin. Peter will be the absolute fixer and bridge builder.” Unlike the imminent turnover of leaders in continental Europe (Mandelson’s long friendship with Emmanuel Macron is no longer so helpful), Starmer and Trump are likely to be in office and working together for the next four years. One official says part of the ***’s pitch is about emphasising that both men are winners: “Our message to him is we won big in July. You won big in November. Let’s do business together.” Mandelson has regularly provided advice to Keir Starmer in recent years and acted as an unofficial mentor to the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Matthew Doyle. These relationships suggest Downing Street and the US embassy will have an unusually close and constant level of contact. In an administration where billionaire businessmen have unprecedented influence, Peter Mandelson’s contacts from his time as EU trade commissioner, *** business secretary, and via his international lobbying firm Global Counsel is already being deployed. “He’s essentially been a businessman for the last 15 years,” says a source. In conversations with Trump, Mandelson could drop the names of numerous mutual friends: he knows Peter Thiel, the right-wing billionaire backer of vice president JD Vance, and Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape, who is on the board of Meta. Mandelson has met Elon Musk, holidayed with Trump’s new Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and built a relationship with Mark Burnett, the TV producer behind The Apprentice who is now Trump’s special envoy to the ***. Yet Mandelson’s expertise in charming these elites (former President George W. Bush nicknamed him ‘Silvertongue’), and his penchant for luxury have also led to problems throughout his career. “He has weaknesses,” says one longtime friend. “He likes the high life. A lifestyle he can’t afford.” Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska during his time at the EU provoked questions about conflicts of interest – Mandelson had stayed on Deripaska’s yacht. The European Commission cleared him of wrongdoing. A name Mandelson will likely not drop in Trump’s company is that of their late former friend Jeffrey Epstein. Both knew the billionaire paedophile who died by suicide in 2019. Mandelson maintained a relationship with him even after Epstein signed a plea deal in 2008 and served an 18-month jail term for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14. Epstein is said to have referred to Mandelson as “Petie”. Photographs released in court documents show Mandelson trying on a belt alongside Epstein in a clothing shop, and the pair blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Lord Mandelson has said he “deeply regrets” both ever meeting Epstein and the hurt caused to his many victims, and has also said that he never had any kind of professional or business relationship with him. But in an interview with the Financial Times this week, the diplomat also added: “I’m not going to go into this”, and swore explosively at the interviewer. That undiplomatic language was a rare media misstep and contrasts with No 10’s expectation that Mandelson will be a far safer pair of hands with journalists than his predecessor, outgoing ambassador Dame Karen Pierce. “Karen just wasn’t reliable enough for broadcast,” one senior insider tells me. Starmer aides want Mandelson to regularly appear on US TV, including Trump’s favoured channel Fox News. Dame Karen’s glittering career as a diplomat may have meant she had less experience of television, but her expertise in national security and persistence in charming Trump’s allies paid dividends. So much so that Donald Trump’s co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita objected to Sir Keir replacing a “professional universally respected ambo [ambassador] with an absolute moron”. Dame Karen stood out in the largely male and often stale world of Washington in her colourful tailor-made suits, occasionally complemented with a feather boa. As she packed her bags, at one farewell event she was presented with a commemorative champagne sabre engraved with the words “always the Dame of DC”. Dame Karen Pierce Dame Karen Pierce posted a picture of her and Donald Trump in the Oval Office on X, after Trump won the November election Swapping a beltway bon vivant for the so-called Prince of Darkness is, however, a risk. Concerns have been raised about potential conflicts with clients of Mandelson’s lobbying firm Global Counsel, which have included Shell and China-linked companies like TikTok. He resigned from Global Counsel’s board last summer but remains a shareholder. Mandelson has already appeared on Fox News to apologise for his previous criticism of Donald Trump. He said his claims that the president was “a bully” were “ill-judged and wrong”. Friends say the new ambassador is well aware that even before he arrived in the US capital he had other prominent detractors like Steve Bannon, Trump’s former top adviser who called his appointment a “terrible pick”. Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk attended Trump’s inauguration in January Mandelson’s diplomatic strategy so far involves dividing Trumpworld into three groups and approaching them in different ways. The groups are: ideological MAGA (Trump’s campaign mantra Make America Great Again), national security MAGA, and the technocracy. The first of these groups includes Bannon and may be the trickiest to mollify. “They want to do as much damage as possible to Starmer and the ***/US relationship,” says a diplomat. “And they want to discredit Peter.” Mandelson privately considers himself a foreign policy hawk so is more optimistic about his luck with group two: national security MAGA. These officials are more anti-Putin than others in the president’s orbit, and they could be helpful when discussing policy on Ukraine, Russia and China. Group three – the technocracy – should also be open to the ambassador’s advances. Mandelson wants the signature policy of his time in Washington to be a technological partnership involving AI and quantum computing. “So Western nations and economies retain a technological edge over our adversaries,” explains one involved. Before all that, the most pressing priority for the *** is avoiding trade tariffs. To help smooth the path, Mandelson’s team have pointedly decided to frame their interactions with the White House in America First terms. “We have a balanced trading relationship with America,” insists one British diplomat. “We’ll be demonstrating where the *** partnership adds value to America not just saying ‘this is good for Britain’.” As the president floats unconventional and controversial ideas, one key *** tactic will be to simply stay out of the President’s firing line. “We’re not getting involved,” is a regular refrain from Downing Street. On Monday, Lord Mandelson will present his diplomatic credentials (a formal letter from King Charles) at the State Department. He is understood to already be planning how best to deploy his ultimate line manager with officials considering inviting the president on a second state visit to London. President Trump appeared to revel in a recent meeting with Prince William, who he said “looks better in person”. Trump also insists, without evidence, he was Elizabeth II’s favourite president. One minister jokes that when the prime minister visits the White House later this month he should take “something from the Buckingham Palace gift shop… Maybe give Trump a royal family colouring-in book”. Forty years after he became Labour’s director of research and communications, Peter Mandelson is back at the heart of British politics. As to why he still has the hunger for high office, one friend points to the four years he spent in the political wilderness after resigning from Tony Blair’s government for the second time in 2001. That bruising experience, they argue, left him feeling unfulfilled and desperate to prove himself. “He should have been foreign secretary,” says the friend. “Instead in those years he sat at home watching his contemporaries and intellectual inferiors on Newsnight.” Another ally characterises Lord Mandelson’s ambition in simpler terms: he has an insatiable thirst for power. “Peter’s great mission in life”, they say, “is to stay relevant.” Source link #Mandelsons #strategy #charming #Trumpworld Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk, who arrived in the U.S. at age 31, is being questioned on his citizenship again. What to know Elon Musk, who arrived in the U.S. at age 31, is being questioned on his citizenship again. What to know Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has attacked the world’s richest man Elon Musk and drawn attention to the fact that he has not always been a US citizen as part of a social media spat between the pair. Musk – whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is at work scrutinizing the running of the federal government with a view to implementing cost-cutting measures at the behest of new president Donald Trump – began the argument by circulating a post on his X platform drawing attention to Cheney’s early career working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk suggested Cheney was “spawned” by USAID, which is tasked with handing out foreign aid and which he is targeting for abolition, earlier this week referring to it as a “criminal organization” without explaining himself. Dozens of agency officials have since been placed on leave and billions of dollars have been frozen as the Trump administration attempts to merge it with the State Department. Cheney did indeed work for USAID before she enrolled at the University of Chicago Law School in 1996 and again during the George W Bush administration, serving on projects in Hungary and Poland. Now a pariah to the MAGA movement for working on the House committee that investigated January 6 and for campaigning with Kamala Harris in last year’s election, Cheney responded to the billionaire’s post about her USAID background by saying: “Damn right, Elon. I’m proud of what America did to win the Cold War, defeat Soviet communism, and defend democracy. “Our nation stood for freedom. You may be unfamiliar with that part of our history since you weren’t yet an American citizen.” In light of her comments, here’s a look at Musk’s citizenship status and what it might mean for his future political ambitions. Elon Musk carries his son “X” on his shoulders during a visit to the US Capitol in Washington D.C. on December 5 2024 (Andrew Harnik/Getty) Does Elon Musk have American citizenship? Yes. Although Musk was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, he emigrated to the United States as a student in 1992 and obtained American citizenship in 2002, according to Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography of the tech entrepreneur. Musk himself said in an X post last year that he originally arrived in the country on a J-1 visa, which permits foreign students to study in the U.S., before transitioning to a H-1B temporary work visa. Can he run for the White House? No he cannot. The US Constitution says that only people who are natural-born citizens are eligible to become American presidents. However, naturalized citizens may hold other high federal offices, including within an America-born president’s cabinet. Where else does he have citizenship? In addition to his American citizenship, Musk also retains South Africa citizenship and is also a ********* citizen through his mother Maye Musk, who was born and raised in Canada but lived most of her adult life in South Africa. Her connection to the country enabled Elon to obtain a ********* passport in 1989 and study for two years at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, before arriving in the U.S. What citizenship do his children have? Elon Musk has fathered 12 children in total, the first six of which were born to his first wife, ********* author Justine Wilson, between 2002 and 2006, with the couple’s first born Nevada tragically passing away from sudden infant death syndrome at the age of 10 weeks. He has more recently had two more children with the ********* pop star Grimes and a further three with ********* tech executive and venture capitalist Shivon Zilis. Musk’s children all have ********* citizenship thanks to the shared nationality of their three mothers while any born in the United States will also have automatic American citizenship, assuming Trump does not succeed in ending the principle of birthright citizenship, which he has attempted to do as part of his crackdown on ******** immigration but which has already faced a series of legal challenges. Source link #Elon #Musk #arrived #U.S #age #questioned #citizenship Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DR Congo crisis: What roles are Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda playing? – BBC.com DR Congo crisis: What roles are Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda playing? – BBC.com DR Congo crisis: What roles are Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda playing? BBC.comCongo Buries Its Dead After Rebel Assault The New York Times2nd Meeting, 37th Special Session of the Human Rights Council Welcome to the United NationsNearly 3,000 people killed after rebels seize key city in DR Congo, UN says CNN Source link #Congo #crisis #roles #Rwanda #Burundi #Uganda #playing #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge blocks Musk team access to Treasury Department records Judge blocks Musk team access to Treasury Department records A federal judge has blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from accessing the personal financial data of millions of Americans in Treasury Department records, according to court documents. US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction on Saturday to prohibit access, ordering Musk and his team to immediately destroy any copies of records. The move comes after 19 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration after Doge, a cost-cutting initiative led by Musk, was given access to the records. They argued access for Musk, a “special government employee”, and Doge, which is not an official government department, violated federal law. There was no immediate comment from the White House, President Donald Trump or Musk. The Democratic state attorneys general sued Trump, the Treasury Department and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. Engelmayer’s order, issued early on Saturday, said the states would “face irreparable” harm without immediate relief. “That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” the order read. The order restrains the defendants from granting access to Treasury Department records containing personally identifiable or confidential information to special government employees, political appointees, and other employees from outside the department. The injunction restricts anyone else from accessing those records other than civil servants who need to do so for their work at the Bureau of Fiscal Services and have passed background checks. The judge further ordered any person among those restricted to immediately destroy copies of records. The conditions will remain in place until the next court hearing on 14 February. Tech titan and billionaire Musk has been heavily involved in upheaval during Trump’s second term, with Doge leading major cuts at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which distributes billions of dollars of aid globally. Source link #Judge #blocks #Musk #team #access #Treasury #Department #records Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A new restaurant is coming to Lacey at Huntamer Park. You’ll recognize the owner’s name A new restaurant is coming to Lacey at Huntamer Park. You’ll recognize the owner’s name Rick Nelsen, who founded the steakhouse Ricardo’s and later sold the business, is getting back into the game, announcing this week that he has started work on a new restaurant not far from the old one. The new venture is an Italian restaurant, serving Italian wines, called Bottega, which Nelsen says translates into a “master’s work place where he perfects his trade.” For someone who has worked in the restaurant business for 20 years, the name seemed fitting, Nelsen said. Work has just started on the space, which measures more than 5,600 square feet on the ground floor of the 640 building on Woodland Square Loop, near Huntamer Park. In fact, garage-style doors at the restaurant will open to the park, Nelsen said. In addition to the restaurant, Bottega will feature a bar, a banquet room, a wood-fired oven and side rooms. He described Bottega as an upscale restaurant, although it won’t be too expensive, he said. The restaurant is expected to open this summer, Nelsen said. That’s not the only activity at the 640 building, said Mike McClure, a partner in Kirkland-based MJR Development. The engineering company KPFF also has leased 12,000 square feet on the ground floor, he said. Years ago, MJR acquired a number of state office buildings in the immediate area and they continue to redevelop them. An office building turned into apartments is almost complete, and then their next big project is to build 376 apartments on a site east of the 640 building. It’s currently a parking lot. The 640 building at Huntamer Park in Lacey will be the future home of Bottega, a new restaurant being launched by Ricardo’s founder, Rick Nelsen. He is taking 5,600 square feet behind those garage-style doors. Photo Feb. 6. 2025 MultiCare Capital Medical Center explores new project MultiCare Capital Medical Center is exploring a new development for medical specialists northwest of the hospital on McPhee Road. Developer representatives met with Olympia’s site plan review committee on Wednesday. The hospital owns the parcel and is now trying to determine if it will be feasible to bring a two-story, 40,000-square-foot building to the site, said Capital Medical Center President Will Callicoat. The hospital has built up its primary care services, but also needs a place to house specialists that patients can be referred to, he said. Other MultiCare news: The health system is working to raise $1.6 million for a comprehensive breast center, which would fill existing space on McPhee Road. The center would be set up so that patients could get a mammogram and a biopsy immediately if the mammogram detected something that needed to be checked, Callicoat said. The goal is to minimize the ******* of anxiety for patients waiting for medical results, he said. So far they have raised $1.2 million. MultiCare’s fifth Indigo Urgent Care location in Thurston County is set to open in Yelm this May. The location is at 937 Yelm Ave. W. The four other locations are in Hawks Prairie, Lacey, Tumwater and west Olympia. MultiCare Capital Medical Center in west Olympia. El Sarape location is now Charro A reader writes: “I drove by the El Sarape in west Olympia and noticed they have changed their name to “Charro.” Indeed, they have, according to a social media post on Instagram. Charro is at 955 ****** Lake Blvd SW. “If you’ve dined with us recently, you may have noticed something different,” the post reads. “Allow us to introduce CHARRO. The same mouthwatering menu you love, served by the same friendly faces you know.” It also doesn’t appear to be part of El Sarape anymore. The El Sarape website shows locations only in Lacey and Shelton. Tire business looks at Tumwater site Representatives of Purcell Tire were set to meet with Tumwater’s development review committee on Thursday to discuss an interior remodel of space at 2775 29th Ave SW, according to city information. Local government site plan and development review committees provide developers with information about what will be expected of their projects. Biz news: Red Wind Casino opens new food court. Olympia manufacturer to close, lay off 54 Ricardo’s ‘sexy beef’ makes its move to central Lacey One of Lacey’s best known restaurants has a new owner. Now, about those Costco rumors… If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at *****@*****.tld. Source link #restaurant #coming #Lacey #Huntamer #Park #Youll #recognize #owners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bird flu suspected in deaths across multiple species at Queens and Bronx zoos – Gothamist Bird flu suspected in deaths across multiple species at Queens and Bronx zoos – Gothamist Bird flu suspected in deaths across multiple species at Queens and Bronx zoos GothamistLive poultry markets ordered shut in New York City due to avian flu outbreak NBC New YorkNew York Live Bird Markets Ordered to Close After Bird Flu Is Found The New York TimesBird flu confirmed in Rockland; H5N1 suspected in other dead geese found in Spring Valley The Journal NewsPresumptive positive case of Bird Flu in Schoharie Co. NEWS10 ABC Source link #Bird #flu #suspected #deaths #multiple #species #Queens #Bronx #zoos #Gothamist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Federal Election 2025: Albanese Government’s $573m cash splash on women’s ******* and reproductive health Federal Election 2025: Albanese Government’s $573m cash splash on women’s ******* and reproductive health Two common combined oral contraceptive pills, Yaz and Yasmin, will be listed on the PBS from March 1 — saving women hundreds of dollars who usually pay upwards of $350 each year. Source link #Federal #Election #Albanese #Governments #573m #cash #splash #womens #******* #reproductive #health Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Royal Caribbean and Carnival 1 vote away from new Caribbean port Royal Caribbean and Carnival 1 vote away from new Caribbean port When I took my very first cruise many years ago, I was disappointed to miss out on visiting one of the ports of call on my cruise itinerary due to rough sea conditions. My experience with this cruise destination was not uncommon—cruise ships tend to miss this particular port more often than others. Related: Forget Mexico, U.S. adds travel warning for unlikely cruise ports Because the port doesn’t have a pier that can accommodate cruise ships, it requires ships to anchor offshore and shuttle passengers to the island via tender boats. Poor weather conditions make tendering unsafe so cruise ships are forced to skip this port when winds and waves pick up. Cruise ports that don’t rely on tendering and can accommodate cruise ships at their docks provide more reliable access to a destination. Visits to these ports are less likely to be canceled due to weather than tender ports. As cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival build larger ships, cruise destinations that haven’t yet built berthing facilities for large cruise ships are no longer just risking weather conditions. Cruise lines have made it clear that tender ports may soon be bypassed completely. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Creating a dock that can handle larger ships is key for many ports. Image source: Matthew Frankel/Come Cruise With Me Larger cruise ships won’t call to tender ports like Grand Cayman With today’s giant ships carrying more than 5,000 passengers, tendering passengers to shore from large cruise ships can be an operational nightmare. Cruise lines need to ensure an easy way for passengers to disembark from the ship, spend more time in port, and not wait in long lines to board a tender to get back to the ship. Because of this, the tender port that my Carnival cruise ship missed so long ago, Grand Cayman, is already seeing a decline in cruise ship arrivals. At the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference held in Grand Cayman in September, cruise line executives from Carnival and MSC Cruises warned that ships may stop calling on Grand Cayman altogether if a berthing pier is not built. Related: Norwegian Cruise Line places order for its largest ships yet Cayman Islands leaders have been grappling with this issue for some time. A government-backed plan to build a new Cayman Islands cruise port facility was shelved back in 2020 following a battle with an activist group that opposed the project. Over the last several months, the debate over the country’s cruise port future has ignited again as the Cayman Islands government initiated a new referendum effort to gauge public interest in the cruise industry. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Cayman Islands’ cruise port future to come to a vote Caymanian lawmakers have now reached an agreement to move forward with a public referendum on cruise berthing infrastructure in the upcoming election cycle. The question “Should the Cayman Islands develop cruise berthing infrastructure?” will now be put to voters in the Cayman Islands general elections on April 30. The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT) in the Cayman Islands has been a leading force in the effort to bring the issue directly to the Caymanian people. Related: MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean skip popular port for clear reason “This is exactly the outcome ACT has worked tirelessly to achieve,” said ACT’s Executive Program Manager Ellio Solomon. “It is a major step toward aligning Cayman’s cruise berthing infrastructure with modern standards, and we are proud that our efforts have ensured the voices of Caymanians will be heard on this critical issue.” Cruise Port Referendum (CPR) Cayman activists against the construction of a new port facility believe that cruise berthing in Grand Cayman would be damaging to the island and its people. The group wants to ensure the country focuses on sustainable community-centered tourism. “CPR Cayman champions a future for the Cayman Islands where sustainable tourism and community well-being take precedence over short-term economic gains,” the group said in a recent press release. “CPR Cayman believes that a sustainable tourism model that invests in overnight tourism and nurtures a boutique cruise tourism sector will yield higher long-term returns for the local economy, while minimising negative impacts on our overall community well-being,” the press release continued. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered. Source link #Royal #Caribbean #Carnival #vote #Caribbean #port Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Until Xbox gets AAA & indies to organically support ‘Xbox Play Anywhere,’ MS’ strategy wont pay off Until Xbox gets AAA & indies to organically support ‘Xbox Play Anywhere,’ MS’ strategy wont pay off Original title: Until Xbox can get AAA studios and exciting indies to organically support ‘Xbox Play Anywhere,’ Microsoft’s current gaming strategy will not pay off. Without exclusive games, Xbox customers deserve investment in exclusive features. Microsoft needs to display a bit more urgency. Source link #Xbox #AAA #indies #organically #support #Xbox #Play #strategy #wont #pay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Federal judge rules not to immediately block DOGE access to Labor Department systems – Fox News Federal judge rules not to immediately block DOGE access to Labor Department systems – Fox News Federal judge rules not to immediately block DOGE access to Labor Department systems Fox NewsGovernment unions sue over DOGE access to Labor Department The HillJudge declines to restrict DOGE’s access to Labor Department systems CBS NewsA federal judge won’t immediately block DOGE access to the US Labor Department The Associated Press Source link #Federal #judge #rules #immediately #block #DOGE #access #Labor #Department #systems #Fox #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi’s British family ‘very emotional’ Freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi’s British family ‘very emotional’ The British family of an Israeli hostage freed from Gaza on Saturday have described a “pendulum of emotions” as he was released 16 months after his capture. Eli Sharabi’s brother-in-law Steve Brisley, who lives in Bridgend, Wales, expressed joy at his release, but voiced concerns over Mr Sharabi’s gaunt appearance and whether he knew his wife and daughters had been killed in the 7 October attack. Mr Sharabi, 52, was taken by ****** from Kibbutz Beeri on 7 October, while his British-born wife, Lianne, and two teenaged daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were found murdered in their home. He was one of three hostages handed to the Red Cross by ****** in a choreographed release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. Mr Brisley told the BBC he was experiencing “the whole pendulum of emotions – joy and relief through to heartache and everything in between”. “To finally have confirmation that he’s alive and that he’s coming out is obviously what we’ve been working towards for last 15,16 months, but to see him paraded in the way he was in that propaganda fashion was incredibly difficult,” Mr Brisley told BBC Breakfast mere minutes after Mr Sharabi was released to the Red Cross. “And to see the physical state of him – on one hand he’s upright and walking independently at least, but he’s gaunt, thin and just the light gone from his eyes. “All the way through this, we’ve not known if he was alive or dead,” he said. Mr Sharabi’s name being on a list of hostages to be released on Saturday was the first confirmation that the family had of him being alive since the attack in 2023, Mr Brisley said. Mr Sharabi’s father-in-law Pete Brisley, who also lives in Bridgend, says there were no witnesses to the attack on the Sharabi home, which means the family does not know whether he is aware of the deaths of his family. “We still don’t know whether he knows that he’s lost his family, his wife and daughters because nobody knows whether he saw them murdered or whether he was taken outside before,” he told the BBC’s Lucy Manning. “It’s just very, very emotional here,” he said. Lianne Sharabi was Pete Brisley’s daughter and Steve Brisley’s sister, and Noiya and Yahel their granddaughters and nieces respectively. “We’ll find out some time in the next couple of hours, because his mum and his sister are waiting at the hospital to greet him,” Pete Brisley said. “I would think his first question will be, where are they? “If he did see them murdered, then he’s had to live with that for the last 15 months, 16 months.” The release of Mr Sharabi, and also Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, comes under the ceasefire deal between ****** and Israel, which came into effect on 19 January. The deal sees a total of 33 hostages taken on 7 October released in weekly hand-overs in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Israel is releasing 183 ************ prisoners on Saturday. More than 70 are serving life or long sentences; others are Gazans detained during the war. On 7 October ****** seized 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when it attacked Israel, triggering the war. At least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, according to Gaza’s ******-run health ministry. About two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed by Israel’s attacks, the UN says. Source link #Freed #Israeli #hostage #Eli #Sharabis #British #family #emotional Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A lone sailor and his wooden boat have washed up on Goode Beach in Albany overnight after the motor failed A lone sailor and his wooden boat have washed up on Goode Beach in Albany overnight after the motor failed A lone sailor and his wooden boat washed up on an Albany shore in the early hours of Saturday morning. Source link #lone #sailor #wooden #boat #washed #Goode #Beach #Albany #overnight #motor #failed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

North Naples man survived gator attack thanks to his neighbors North Naples man survived gator attack thanks to his neighbors Rick Fingeret never saw the alligator coming. Not until it was too late. “I looked up and I saw this thing coming after us with its mouth open,” the North Naples resident says. “You don’t want to ever see that.” The alligator bit down on his right leg — hard — and wouldn’t let go. For several painful, terrifying minutes, Fingeret thought this might be the end for him. And if two neighbors hadn’t seen him there on the ground, waving and yelling, it probably would’ve been the end, he says. He’d most likely be dead. Rick Fingeret (middle) poses with Walt Rudder and Paula Keegan, the two neighbors who saved him from an April 2024 alligator attack in North Naples. That’s why Fingeret nominated those neighbors, Walt Rudder and Paula Keegan, for a Naples Daily News contest to win tickets to see comedian Jay Leno. They won the tickets and attended Leno’s show and a meet-and-greet Thursday, Feb. 6, at Hertz Arena. Fingeret wanted to repay his neighbors — now close friends — anyway he could. “They saved my life,” he says. “I wouldn’t be here today without those two. They are truly heroes.” ‘I was scared sh—less’ The alligator attack happened while Fingeret was walking his Labrador retrievers, Shelby and Beans, in the gated community The Quarry. It was about 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 19. The road was dark, but there were streetlights on the sidewalk, and Fingeret brought along a flashlight. Suddenly, he felt his dogs strain against their leashes. That’s when he looked up. “All of a sudden, this guy’s coming,” Fingeret says. Just five feet away, an alligator raced toward him across the grass — about 30 feet from a nearby pond where gators usually swam and sunbathed on the bank. Fingeret had never seen an alligator that far from the water. Read more: ‘We have a man down. An alligator is on him.’ Listen to 911 call for Naples gator attack North Naples resident Walt Rudder, right, poses with the alligator that attacked his neighbor, Rick Fingeret, in the gated community The Quarry on the night of April 19, 2024 The 11-foot gator moved quickly through the shadows — its mouth wide open and full of big, white teeth. Fingeret tried to back away and escape, but instead he fell onto the ground. And then the gator was on him. “I tripped in all the frenzy,” he says. “And the minute I fell — (he claps his hands together to simulate the gator’s jaws closing) … He got me.” The second he fell, the alligator clamped down on his right leg and knee. Fingeret heard popping sounds as the gator’s blunt teeth punctured his skin. “I was scared sh—less,” he says. “You’re like, ‘This is not good.’” ‘I wanted it to know that I was there. I had a lot of fight left in me.’ They lay like that for three to five minutes, he thinks: Fingeret scared and full of pain. The gator, expressionless, latched onto his leg, its cold reptilian eyes just a foot from his face. The creature never made a sound. “Every so often, you’d feel a lurch,” Fingeret says. “A tug. He wanted to move me, but he couldn’t. I was ******* than he had anticipated.” Fingeret didn’t know what else to do, so he started punching the gator’s hard, jagged body armor. Poking its eyes with his fingers. Trying to pry open its massive jaws with his hands. “I wanted it to know that I was there,” he says. “I had a lot of fight left in me. And I was very conscious of not passing out. Because the minute that would happen, I would be done.” Nothing worked, though. The gator never let go. “He never opened,” he says. “He just squeezed harder. More pressure.” Rick Fingeret and his dogs, Shelby and Beans, survived an April 2024 alligator attack in the North Naples gates community The Quarry. The dogs stayed curled up next to him. Fingeret hadn’t released their leashes, somehow, throughout the entire attack. Shelby and Beans were terrified, but they never barked. Not once. Fingeret kept yelling, hoping a neighbor or someone walking their dog would see him there on the grass near the sidewalk. As he lay there, he thought about what would happen next. Would he die? Would he lose his leg? “It’s hard,” Fingeret says. “You’re sitting there thinking, ‘This is it.’” Then he saw the *********** coming down the street. Help arrives Rudder and his friend Keegan were driving in Rudder’s Lincoln Nautilus when they saw Fingeret on the ground. He was pushed up on his side and waving frantically at them. So they stopped to help — not realizing what they were getting themselves into. “We saw him and we thought he’d just fallen and he couldn’t get up,” Keegan says. “And the dogs were there. “And then the dogs moved a little bit and we both looked at each other and said, ‘Holy sh–! It’s an alligator!’” Rudder jumped out of the car and ran to Fingeret’s side, but he wasn’t sure what to do with the 11-foot gator clamped onto Fingeret’s leg. Luckily, Fingeret did. It was amazing, Rudder says. Fingeret kept an almost supernatural level of calm and cool throughout the ordeal. Rudder credits the man’s analytical nature. “Rick was in total control,” he says. From the ground, bleeding, Fingeret told them to grab his dogs and take them to their car. “My adrenaline’s going,” Rudder says, “and so I picked up two 75- to 80-pound dogs. They had bloody paws.” Keegan called 911, and Rudder returned to Fingeret to see what he could do next. And Fingeret already had a plan. “Run him over!” he yelled. “Run him over!” That’s exactly what Rudder did. He jumped behind the wheel of his Nautilus, backed up and threw the SUV into drive. Throughout the attack, the gator watched them but never let go. “He was focused on his dinner,” Keegan says. “I don’t think he really cared what we were doing — until the end, when he realized we were going over him.” Rudder rammed the SUV over the alligator’s midsection, just once, with its front wheels. And once was enough. “Instantly, the gator released me,” Fingeret says. “And I was saved.” After the alligator attack Rudder was relieved when the gator let go and scurried away, he says. “The best thing I ever saw — we saw — was this alligator running down toward the pond.” As soon as that happened, Rudder and Keegan rushed back to Fingeret’s side. And once again, Fingeret had a plan. Rudder took off his shirt and tied it around Fingeret’s thigh to stop the bleeding, but the blood still flowed. So Fingeret told them to grab one of the dogs’ leashes from the car and make a tourniquet. Fingeret has no idea how he kept such a clear head during the ordeal. He has no military training or anything like that. “I’m a finance guy!” he says and laughs. Rick Fingeret (middle) and his dogs pose with Walt Rudder and Paula Keegan, the two neighbors who saved him from an April 2024 alligator attack in North Naples. Eventually, they heard sirens coming down the street toward them. Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and other emergency officials had arrived. The emergency crews worked on Fingeret a while before transporting him to a nearby hospital and then — by helicopter — to the trauma center at Gulf Coast Medical Center for emergency surgery. The puncture wounds were so deep, Fingeret says, the doctors could see his tendons. Two days later, he was released. Fingeret says he’s lucky. The gator’s bite never punctured his femoral artery, broke his bones or damaged his tendons. After the attack, workers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came and took away the gator. The friends aren’t sure what happened to the creature after that. “Just go to the Macy’s luggage department,” Rudder says and grins. Bonded for life: Alligator attack brings together new friends Fingeret returned to the hospital a second time for more surgery, due to infection and other issues. But now he’s well on the road to recovery. “I get stronger every day,” he says. Sure, there’s lots of scarring — “I’m not entering a beauty contest,” he says and smiles — but Fingeret feels lucky to be alive and to have more time with his wife and two sons. And he owes it all to two neighbors he barely knew before the gator attack. That changed after that awful night. Now they see each other all the time and occasionally have dinner together. “Now we’re bonded for life,” Keegan says and laughs. “Whether we like it or not, we’re bonded for life.” Walt Rudder and his wife Patricia pose with comedian Jay Leno on Thursday, Feb. 6, at Hertz Arena. Walt Rudder and his friend Paula Keegan won tickets to Leno’s stand-up show and a meet-and-greet, as part of a Naples Daily News contest. Keegan and Rudder, by the way, say they had a great time at the Leno show. They’re already big fans. Leno was performing as part of a headlining gig for the annual Naples Automotive Experience. “Oh, it was absolutely fabulous!” Rudder says. “One of the best shows I’ve ever seen.” They even got to meet the former The Tonight Show host and get a photo with him. “He’s a very, very gracious man,” Rudder says. Fingeret wanted his new friends to get more recognition for their heroism. That’s why he nominated them for the Naples Daily News contest. But Keegan and Rudder say they probably did what anyone would do in that situation. They saw a neighbor in need. And they jumped out of the car to help. “We never gave it another thought, really,” Keegan says. “We just thought, ‘OK, we did what we had to do.’ “We were there — luckily we were there.” Rick Fingeret and his dogs, Shelby and Beans, survived an April 2024 alligator attack in the North Naples gates community The Quarry. Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email *****@*****.tld. Follow or message him on social media: Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram and Threads (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells) This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: North Naples alligator attack: Survivor celebrates ‘hero’ neighbors Source link #North #Naples #man #survived #gator #attack #neighbors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]