Pelican Press

Trump and Japanese prime minister hold press conference Trump and Japanese prime minister hold press conference [The stream is slated to start at 2:00 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba are set to hold a joint press conference at the White House on Friday. The presser in the East Room follows a bilateral meeting and lunch between the U.S. and Japanese leader. The meeting comes as U.S. Steel pushes Trump to reverse former President Joe Biden’s decision to block a takeover of the American company by Japan’s Nippon Steel. CBS News reported earlier Friday that Trump, who once opposed the merger, is considering allowing the $14 billion acquisition to go through. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Source link #Trump #Japanese #prime #minister #hold #press #conference Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

JD Vance says DOGE staffer who resigned over racist posts should be reinstated – USA TODAY JD Vance says DOGE staffer who resigned over racist posts should be reinstated – USA TODAY JD Vance says DOGE staffer who resigned over racist posts should be reinstated USA TODAYVance tells Musk that DOGE staffer who resigned after posting racist tweets should be rehired CNBCDOGE Treasury Agent Reportedly Resigns After Racist Posts: Here’s What To Know About Musk’s Agency Forbes Source link #Vance #DOGE #staffer #resigned #racist #posts #reinstated #USA #TODAY Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Save 50% On The Modern Halloween Film Trilogy 4K Blu-Ray Collection Save 50% On The Modern Halloween Film Trilogy 4K Blu-Ray Collection The Halloween Trilogy 4K Blu-ray is currently on ***** for one of its best prices ever. Typically sold for $80, right now you can add it to your collection for just $34.49. That matches the pricing we saw around ****** Friday, and it’s among the best prices we’ve seen since February 2024. It’s also packed with bonus features–so even if you’ve seen the films a thousand times, there’s a bunch of exclusive (and bloody) clips for you to enjoy. $34.49 (was $80) This collection gets you 4K Blu-ray and digital versions of Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends. It’s also packed with bonus features, though note that these are offered in standard 1080p and not UHD. Amazon is running this as a limited-time deal, meaning you should check it out soon if you’re interested as it’ll likely expire soon. The Halloween Trilogy Blu-ray is also on ***** for $22 (was $30). Halloween Trilogy 4K Blu-Ray Bonus Features Each film in the trilogy comes with its own set of bonus features. Here’s a look at what you’ll find: Halloween: Deleted and extended scenes Halloween Kills: Extended cut, deleted scenes, gag reel Halloween Ends: Extended scenes, deleted scenes Additionally, you’ll get to go behind the scenes of each film with various interviews of the cast and crew members. This isn’t the only Halloween Blu-ray on ***** right now, as you’ll find a few other bundles plus standalone Blu-rays discounted at Amazon. One of the coolest options is the Halloween 4K Collection: 1995 – 2002. On ***** for $85.56 (was $130), it pulls together Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H20, and Halloween: Resurrection, along with a wealth of bonus content across its 8 discs. There’s also a stylish Halloween (2018) Blu-ray Steelbook for $15 (was $20) and a Halloween 4K Collector’s Edition for $25.89 (was $37). Best Halloween Blu-Ray Deals Source link #Save #Modern #Halloween #Film #Trilogy #BluRay #Collection Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Member of Musk’s Doge resigns after reports of racist posts Member of Musk’s Doge resigns after reports of racist posts A young member of Elon Musk’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit has resigned after being linked to a racist social media account. Media reports tied Marko Elez, 25, who had previously worked for Musk’s SpaceX company, to a now-deleted social media account that promoted racism and eugenics. The White House confirmed on Friday that Elez resigned, though it did not specify why. Musk himself acknowledged the departure, posting a poll on X, the social media platform he owns, asking followers whether he should bring back the Doge staffer who made “inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym”. “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool,” read one post from the pseudonymous account in July. The account connected to Mr Elez – first reported by the Wall Street Journal – posted a variety of incendiary comments which were verified as authentic by the BBC. “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity,” a post on the account said in September. “Normalize Indian hate,” another post that month said. All of the posts have since been deleted. As of Friday morning, more than 385,000 people appear to have participated in Musk’s poll about re-hiring Mr Elez, though it did not mention him by name. So far, 78% have voted in favour of his return. Responding to one user who said Musk should have a talk with Mr Elez “about the racist stuff. Not cool”, the billionaire replied: “True.” Vice-president JD Vance said on Tuesday that while he disagrees “with some of Elez’s posts… I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life”. “So I say bring him back,” he added. Mr Elez’s resignation comes amid growing scrutiny of Doge, the cost-cutting advisory group established by Trump that has emerged as a dominant force in the early days of his second term. Musk and his team have led a dizzying effort to slash the size of the federal government. On Thursday, a US judge threw up a roadblock to one of those initiatives, halting a plan to offer incentives to millions of federal workers to voluntarily resign this month. Musk has also championed an effort to dismantle USAID, the government agency responsible for international development. All but a handful of essential staff – from a workforce of about 10,000 people – are set to be put on administrative leave at midnight on Friday, including thousands based overseas. Source link #Member #Musks #Doge #resigns #reports #racist #posts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Imagine Dragons Starfield Song Will Beam From Moon To Earth This Month The Imagine Dragons Starfield Song Will Beam From Moon To Earth This Month Bethesda’s partnership with the band Imagine Dragons adds another layer with a forthcoming real-world space launch, as the Starfield song, “Children of Sky (A Starfield Song),” will be transmitted from the surface of the Moon back to Earth as part of Lonestar’s Freedom Mission launch on February 26. “Our goal is to inspire the next generation of kids to be excited about the future of space and technology, which is why we chose ‘Children of the Sky’ as the first song in history to be broadcast from the Moon,” Lonestar investor Ryan Micheletti said. The lyrics seem to riff on the themes and ideas from the sci-fi game. “We’re children of the sky / flying up so high / let me be that one / to find the brightest sun,” is one of the song’s verses. “When we look back, what will we see? / We were a part of everything / up in the heavens, down in the seas / we were a part of everything.” Additionally, Bethesda and Lonestar are teaming up for a sweepstakes where one person will win a paid trip to Florida’s iconic Cape Canaveral to watch the Freedom Mission launch later this month. The sweepstakes is only open to US citizens (due to “federal security clearance” reasons) aged 18 or older. To enter, fans can enter the sweepstakes on this website and hope they win the random drawing. The contest is open through February 13. The winner gets to bring a guest to Cape Canaveral and receives two roundtrip flight tickets, one hotel room with four nights’ stay, a ground transportation voucher to the launch site, and a five-day per diem stipend. The launch is scheduled for February 26, but launches require good weather and favorable conditions, so it’s possible the launch could be delayed. If the launch does happen on February 26, the winner and their guest can just hang out in Florida for a few days, with the hotel booking and daily stipend. As for the launch itself, Lonestar is sending a data center to the Moon, riding on a lunar lander from Intuitive Machines, and blasting off from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Source link #Imagine #Dragons #Starfield #Song #Beam #Moon #Earth #Month Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump delays tariffs on small packages from China Trump delays tariffs on small packages from China EPA US President Donald Trump has suspended tariffs on small packages from China, after his sudden order ending duty-free treatment for shipments worth less than $800 left the US postal service and other agencies scrambling to comply. The postal service temporarily stopped accepting packages from China as a result of the order, only to reverse course a day later. The chaos left many in the US wondering about the fate of packages ordered from companies such as Shein and Temu, which had used the exemption for low-value packages to expand rapidly in the US. Trump made the change last weekend as part of a wider decision raising border taxes on goods from China by 10% on 4 February. His revision to the order on Friday said tariff-free treatment for packages from China worth less than $800 would remain in place until “adequate systems are in place to fully and expediently process and collect tariff revenue”. The move comes as some of the other rapid-fire changes Trump has announced since taking office last month have also met with roadblocks, including legal challenges. Last weekend he said he was putting 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, before rapidly suspending those duties for a month to allow talks to continue. On Friday, Trump said he expected to announce “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries next week, a plan he had outlined on the campaign trail by which the US would levy tariffs at the same rates that other counties apply to the equivalent products made in the US. The US had started to re-examine the so-called de minimis exemption for low-value packages before Trump entered office. The US had raised the carve-out from tariffs and other fees for shipments from $200 to $800 in 2016 to facilitate trade and allow officials to focus on higher priority shipments. But that decision has faced criticism as e-commerce has rapidly expanded and the number of packages entering the US under the carve-out surged from 140 million to more than 1 billion in 2023. Former president Joe Biden proposed to tighten the rules on such packages from China in September, as politicians complained of unfair trade practices and “exploitation” of the rule by firms such as Temu and Shein. Source link #Trump #delays #tariffs #small #packages #China Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Final Fantasy XIV: Seekers Of Eternity Features New Dungeon, Raid, And Much More Final Fantasy XIV: Seekers Of Eternity Features New Dungeon, Raid, And Much More Last year, Final Fantasy XIV players celebrated the release of Dawntrail, the game’s first major expansion since 2021. And while a fresh expansion isn’t on the immediate horizon, there is new content coming to the game in late March with the arrival of Patch 7.2, Seekers of Eternity. Producer and Director Naoki “Yoshi P” Yoshida laid out the upcoming additions during a livestream in Japan, but Square Enix has helpfully shared the highlights. There will be additional main scenario quests, as well as a new dungeon called The Underkeep, a fresh raid called The Arcadion: Cruiserweight Tier, a new trail called Recollection–which can be played on normal or extreme–and Hells’ Kier, an Unreal Trial that will pit players against one of the Four Lords: Suzaku. Promotional art for Final Fantasy XIV: Seekers of Eternity. From there, players can blast out into space in Cosmic Exploration as they discover uncharted stars to find new resources for crafting. Players also have the option of exploring a mysterious island called Occult Crescent, which is inhabited by residents who will do almost anything to protect its secrets. According to GamesRadar, Patch 7.2 is also taking measures against a mod that can collect players’ account ID information. Players in the game reportedly feared that the mod could allow stalkers in the game to harass them even when using alternate characters. In 2024, Yoshida apologized to players for the initial bugs in Dawntrail, and noted that Final Fantasy XIV’s successful launch on Xbox Series X|S would lead to more games coming to those consoles. Final Fantasy XIV Mobile is still in development as well. Source link #Final #Fantasy #XIV #Seekers #Eternity #Features #Dungeon #Raid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Is Elon Musk’s DOGE going to break decades-old US government software? Is Elon Musk’s DOGE going to break decades-old US government software? Elon Musk is a close associate of US president Donald Trump K C Alfred/San Diego U-T/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Is a team led by Elon Musk going to ****** US government computer systems? In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of Musk and his associates gaining access to servers at departments ranging from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Treasury. It isn’t clear if these complex, sensitive and ageing computer systems are being updated, or if private data is being accessed, but there are fears of serious harm being caused. Musk’s staff are operating under a task force called the Department… Source link #Elon #Musks #DOGE #break #decadesold #government #software Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RTX 5090D tested with nine-years-old Xeon CPU that cost $7 — it does surprisingly well in some games, if you enable MFG RTX 5090D tested with nine-years-old Xeon CPU that cost $7 — it does surprisingly well in some games, if you enable MFG A ******** tech reviewer benchmarked Nvidia’s all-new “for China” RTX 5090D against a variety of CPUs, from AMD’s flagship Ryzen 7 9800X3D, one of the best CPUs for gaming, to Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K, and all the way down to a nine-years-old quad-core Xeon E5-2680 v4 based on the Broadwell architecture. Despite its age, the $7 chip was at least moderately competitive with modern CPUs when using DLSS frame generation, especially with DLSS4 MFG. The reviewer tested Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals, and Cyberpunk 2077 on an assortment of CPUs paired to the RTX 5090D. The list of CPUs consists of the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K, Core Ultra 5 245K, Core i7-14700KF, Core i5-14600KF, Core i5-12400F, Core i3-12100F, and Xeon E5-2680 v4. On the AMD side, Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 9 7900X, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 5 7500F, and Ryzen 5 5600 were tested. That’s a wide range of processors extending back nearly a decade. Counter-Strike 2 showcased the lowest results for the Xeon E5-2680 v4. At 4K maximum settings, the CPU’s average frame rate was 33% slower than the next-closest Core i3-12100F, never mind higher performance chips like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D that were almost twice as fast. The Broadwell-based chip delivered an average frame rate of 168 FPS, with the Core i3-12100F at 248 FPS. The fastest CPUs topped out at up to 322 FPS — all without any frame generation. 1% Low framerates were even worse, with the Xeon E5-2680 v4 netting just 72 FPS, with the fastest CPU landing at 163 FPS — 2.26X faster. The Xeon chip’s awful frame rate in CS2 shows the problem with pairing such a powerful GPU with an “archaic” processor. But this testing of the RTX 5090D also serves as the foundation for the other tests. Marvel Rivals at 4K highest quality settings almost completely reverses the CS2 results. All the CPUs, from the Core i3-12100F to the Core Ultra 9 285K, shared virtually identical frame rates of 111-115 FPS, revealing a bottleneck that’s not CPU related. The Xeon E5-2680 v4 wasn’t far behind, with an average frame rate of 101. That makes the fastest Ryzen 7 9800X3D only 14% quicker than the nine-years-old Xeon chip. But again, minimum FPS is important, and the Xeon only managed 65 FPS compared to 80–99 FPS on the other processors. It’s up to 34% slower on minimum framerates. Image 1 of 5 Counter-Strike 2 at 4K highest quality settings(Image credit: Bilibili) Marvel Rivals 4k highest quality settings (Image credit: Bilibili) Marvel Rivals 4k highest quality settings with DLSS 3 frame generation(Image credit: Bilibili) Cyberpunk 2077 4K highest quality ray tracing enabled(Image credit: Bilibili) Cyberpunk 2077 4K highest quality ray tracing enabled with DLSS 4(Image credit: Bilibili) Interestingly, DLSS 3 frame generation more than doubled the performance of all the CPUs, with most of the chips at 238–242 FPS. (We have to assume DLSS upscaling was also enabled, as otherwise performance shouldn’t be more than 80~90 percent faster at best from framegen.) With DLSS3 framegen, the Xeon E5-2680 v4 closed the gap slightly, averaging 218 FPS. Minimums were still up to 38% slower, however. And DLSS4 with MFG4X in Marvel Rivals pushed everything into the 400+ FPS range on average. The Xeon this time was only 6% behind the fastest chips. And of course, the 1% lows were still quite a bit worse, at 164 FPS compared to 298–308 FPS on the fastest CPUs. So that’s still a big 40–47 percent deficit, and as we pointed out in our DLSS4 and MFG testing, when you divide by four to get the base framerate and input rate, it was only running at 41 FPS before framegen. Cyberpunk 2077, at 4K maximum RT-Overdrive (possibly Psycho) settings ran at just 34 FPS on the best CPUs, including the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The slower chips like the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i3-12100F landed at 32 and 31 FPS, respectively. The Xeon E5-2680 v4 was the lowest again, but still with an average framerate of 29 FPS. In other words, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D outperformed the Xeon E5-2680 v4 by 17%. Minimum FPS was 19 on the Xeon versus up to 24 on the other CPUs, a 26% lead. DLSS3 framegen and upscaling gives a massive boost to framerates, with the Xeon landing at 95 FPS compared to 125–132 FPS on the other chips. It was up to 28% slower in that case. But then DLSS 4 with multi frame generation (MFG) boosts framerates even more. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D managed 255 FPS, with around 250 FPS on all the other AMD chips save for the Ryzen 5 5600. DLSS 4 with MFG4X on the Xeon E5-2680 v4 allowed the ancient CPU to nearly match the other Intel chips on average FPS. It scored 213 FPS, compared to 219–226 FPS on the other Intel CPUs. That’s only a 6% difference, at most… unless you look at minimum FPS. In that case, the Xeon only managed 78 FPS (basically tying the 12100F), while most of the other CPUs were in the 120–150 FPS range. In short, no, the nine-years-old Xeon processor is not going to keep up with the latest chips, with or without framegen and MFG and upscaling. But it does better than you might expect, at least in the three games that were tested on the RTX 5090D. Frame generation can prove particularly helping in games that are completely CPU limited, as that means the GPU has plenty of headroom to run the AI routines for frame generation. It’s particularly helpful with the Xeon E5-2680 v4, as that’s going to be a severely CPU-constrained environment. That doesn’t mean MFG and framegen are the solution to CPU bottlenecks, though. If you take some of the minimum FPS results and divide by four (like in Cyberpunk 2077), the base framerate was under 20 FPS. It might be playable, technically, after quadrupling that to 78 FPS, but it’s not the smoothest experience at all. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #RTX #5090D #tested #nineyearsold #Xeon #CPU #cost #surprisingly #games #enable #MFG Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mort Künstler, Renowned Painter of Epic Historical Scenes, Dies at 97 Mort Künstler, Renowned Painter of Epic Historical Scenes, Dies at 97 Mort Künstler, whose meticulously researched and dramatically composed paintings of American historical scenes, especially of the Civil War, made him one of the country’s most prominent historical artists, died on Sunday in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 97. His daughter Jane Künstler said he died in hospice. Mr. Künstler developed a sense of dramatic realism early in the 1950s as an illustrator for pulp novels and men’s adventure magazines. He refined his mainstream commercial appeal working for top ad agencies and magazines like National Geographic, where he learned the importance of conducting extensive historical research before ever dipping a brush in paint. As he branched out in the 1970s to create large canvases of epic scenes in American history, including more than 350 images of the Civil War, he consulted historians and experts and visited the locations of his scenes to ensure the accuracy of his work. His paintings sometimes challenged and corrected the factual details of well-known historical paintings, including one of the most famous: Emanuel Leutze’s dramatic 1851 rendering of “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” In the Leutze painting, Washington, at daybreak, stands tall in a crowded rowboat beside an American flag, which hadn’t yet been adopted in 1776, when the crossing took place. Mr. Künstler, by contrast, after months of research, painted Washington in the dead of night gripping the wheel of a cannon on a 60-foot-long flatboat ferry guided by cable and crowded with dozens of troops and horses. “I’m not knocking the original,” Mr. Künstler told The New York Times in 2011. “It’s got great impact, and Leutze did a heck of a job. I give Leutze higher marks for a good painting than for historical accuracy, but why can’t you have both?” Mr. Künstler’s paintings have joined the permanent collections of dozens of museums, and he had scores of solo shows in galleries and museums across the country, including a 2014-5 exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. He has been compared to Rockwell, whose work he cited as an influence, as well as Frederic Remington and Winslow Homer. “He was one of the most highly regarded contemporary historical painters of our time,” said Stephanie Haboush Plunkett, chief curator of the Rockwell museum. “There was a cinematic sense about his work. Mort was an exceptional draftsman with an eye for creating drama.” Morton Künstler was born on Aug. 28, 1927, at his home in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn to Jewish parents of Russian and Austrian extraction, Thomas and Rebecca (Weitz) Künstler. As family lore has it, the name Künstler, which means artist in *******, was bestowed on Mr. Künstler’s paternal great-grandfather, a sculptor, by the Russian czar Alexander III in the small *******-speaking area of Poland where the great-grandfather lived. Mort was a prodigy with a pencil by age 3. He spent stretches of his childhood bedridden by illness, during which he drew everything around him, while his father, an amateur artist, kept him supplied with art materials. On Saturdays, Mort attended art classes at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. As a child, his first paying gig of sorts came as a counterfeiter of (free but scarce) youth tickets for Brooklyn Dodgers games, Ms. Künstler said. As a student at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, he studied under Leon Friend, an art teacher who helped start the careers of many students, including the photographer Irving Penn and the graphic artists Gene Federico and Alex Steinweiss. Mort also excelled in sports. While studying art at Brooklyn College, he competed in basketball and diving and ran track. “He really wanted to be an athlete but pursued art as a backup career choice, as an illustrator,” his daughter said. He transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, on a basketball scholarship but returned to New York after a semester when his father suffered a heart attack. Mr. Künstler worked summers as a waiter and lifeguard at resorts in the Catskills and the Poconos. At one point he shared quarters with the future Celtics basketball star Bob Cousy. They played together in games against other Borscht Belt hotel teams to entertain guests, Ms. Künstler said. He finished college at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1950 and met a classmate, Deborah Goldberg, who would become his wife of 73 years. In addition to his daughter Jane, he is survived by his wife; another daughter, Amy; a son, David; and three grandchildren. By the early 1950s, Mr. Künstler was hustling between publishing houses in Manhattan, snapping up work as an illustrator for pulp paperbacks and popular men’s adventure magazines such as Stag, Male, True Adventures and For Men Only. Those publishers demanded vibrant scenes of red-blooded heroes facing down disaster, mobsters, combat, espionage and femmes fatales. Mr. Künstler’s bold illustrations became emblematic of the hard-boiled pulp genre of the 1950s. “His experience as an illustrator of men’s adventure magazines helped him to refine his storytelling abilities,” said Ms. Haboush Plunkett, of the Rockwell museum. “The more sensational an artwork was, the more readers were drawn to it.” It was a skill that had wide-ranging applications. In 1969, he illustrated an abridged version of “The Godfather,” the Mario Puzo novel that was the basis for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film. In the 1970s, he created memorable posters for action movies, including “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” and then parodied the genre with a goofball version of the 1975 film “Jaws” for Mad Magazine. Working by commission, he painted the 1981 launch of the space shuttle Columbia and in 1994 created a postage stamp commemorating the Buffalo Soldiers, the unit of ****** soldiers formed in the 19th century to serve on the American frontier. For many years Mr. Künstler worked in rented studios in Manhattan, including the Lincoln Arcade, a commercial building on the Upper West Side that was used over the decades by an eclectic mix of bohemian artists, including George Bellows, Edward Hopper and Marcel Duchamp. In 1978, he moved his family to the North Shore village of Cove Neck on Long Island, in the town of Oyster Bay, and set up a third-floor studio overlooking the water. He used a special easel mounted on a large circular platform that rotated by motor under rooftop windows to maximize the natural light. By the end of the 1970s, Mr. Künstler began concentrating on fine-art paintings of historical subjects, often military themes. He painted scenes of wars from the American Revolution through Vietnam. Some paintings, he said, sold for over $100,000 apiece. A commission by CBS to paint a scene for the 1982 mini-series “The Blue and the Gray” piqued his interest in the Civil War. His detailed, panoramic rendering of the Battle of Gettysburg, “High Water Mark,” was unveiled at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum on the 125th anniversary of the battle in 1988. Harold Holzer, a Civil War expert and author, described Mr. Künstler in an interview as “both a scholar of the paintbrush, and a painter of scholarship.” He “gave form and tint to Civil War memory, rescuing our imaginations from the limits of static, ******-and-white early photography,” said Mr. Holzer, director of Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute. “He was to Civil War illustration what Shelby Foote was to Civil War prose: a hypnotic master storyteller with an eye for color and character, drama and detail.” Source link #Mort #Künstler #Renowned #Painter #Epic #Historical #Scenes #Dies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Democratic FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub says Trump fired her. She says she’s not leaving Democratic FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub says Trump fired her. She says she’s not leaving Ellen Weintraub, the current Federal Election Commission Chair and one of three Democratic members on the committee, posted a letter on X Thursday night from President Trump that says she has been removed as an FEC member. The brief letter, dated January 31, 2025, reads, “You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission.” Weintraub is disputing her firing. “There’s a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn’t it,” she said in her post. “I’ve been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way. That’s not changing anytime soon.” The White House has not yet responded to her refusal to step down. LISBON, PORTUGAL – 2021/11/04: Ellen Weintraub, Commissioner at US Federal Election Commission, addresses the audience during the last day of the Web Summit 2021 in Lisbon. Bruno de Carvalho/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The FEC is charged with enforcing campaign finance laws and overseeing federal elections. It has an unusual composition — the commission can be composed of no more than three Republicans and three Democrats. A majority of commissioners must agree to any action, and the even partisan division on the commission frequently leads to gridlock on matters of significance. There’s currently one vacant Republican position. Weintraub’s six-year term expired in April 2007, but according to FEC rules, that didn’t mean she had to leave the commission. “Commissioners serving expired terms may choose to remain until they are replaced,” FEC rules state. The president appoints FEC commissioners, who must then be confirmed by the Senate. The Campaign Legal Center, a legal nonprofit group that deals with voting issues, campaign finance and ethics, released a statement calling the president’s firing of Weintraub ********. Trevor Potter, its president and the Republican former chair of the FEC, says Trump’s move to fire her without a Senate-confirmed replacement is ********. “As the only agency that regulates the president, Congress intentionally did not grant the president the power to fire FEC commissioners,” wrote Trevor Potter, the founder and president of the CLC and a Republican former chair of the FEC. “Trump is free to nominate multiple new commissioners and to allow Congress to perform its constitutional role of advice and consent. It’s contrary to law that he has instead opted to claim to ‘fire’ a single Democratic commissioner who has been an outspoken critic of the president’s lawbreaking and of the FEC’s failure to hold him accountable.” Weintraub is not the only member of an independent commission to be be fired by Mr. Trump. Last month the president fired Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board. On Wednesday, she filed a lawsuit over her dismissal. Her case could determine precedent for the president’s use of executive power to remove officials in independent agencies. In an interview, she told CBS News, “There [wasn’t] any cause or any reason that I was actually terminated.” During Mr. Trump’s first administration, Weintraub rejected his calls to “delay the election until people can properly” vote. He claimed there would be fraud in the 2020 election because of increased absentee voting amid the pandemic. “No, Mr. President. No,” she responded to his post. “You don’t have the power to move the election. Nor should it be moved. States and localities are asking you and Congress for funds so they can properly run the safe and secure elections all Americans want. Why don’t you work on that?” And on Jan. 6, 2021, during the Capitol riot, Weintraub addressed Mr. Trump on social media: “No, Mr. President, the election was not stolen. You lost a free and fair election fair and square. Summon an iota of patriotism: Concede the election you have lost. Condemn the violence you have incited.” Aaron Navarro Aaron Navarro is a CBS News digital reporter covering the 2024 elections. He was previously an associate producer for the CBS News political unit in the 2021 and 2022 election cycles. Source link #Democratic #FEC #Chair #Ellen #Weintraub #Trump #fired #shes #leaving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Alberta teen out of coma after assault at resort bar in Dominican Republic Alberta teen out of coma after assault at resort bar in Dominican Republic Descrease article font size Increase article font size An Edmonton man who was attacked in a resort bar in the Dominican Republic is out of a coma in hospital. Cindy Rowan says she’s relieved her son, Chase Delorme-Rowan, is also talking for the first time since Jan. 14, when he was slammed to the ground during a family vacation celebrating his 18th birthday. She says doctors are still trying to figure out when they can replace a piece of his skull that was removed to allow his swollen brain room to recover – then tossed away. “He’s communicating really well and he’s not in pain. He’s happy, and he makes jokes a lot,” said Rowan. “Doctors are trying to train his brain, because part of it is still dead.” Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Delorme-Rowan was at the resort bar in Punta Cana with family when they say he was lifted by the collar of his shirt and slammed onto a tile floor. Story continues below advertisement His skull was cracked from top to bottom, and a blood clot the size of a grapefruit dislodged his brain, said his mother. 1:52 Teen’s skull fractured in alleged assault at resort in Dominican Republic A ********* man who was also a guest at the resort was charged with assault causing bodily harm and remains in custody on the Caribbean island. Delorme-Rowan was flown back to Edmonton and has been receiving treatment at the University of Alberta hospital. He woke up last week and mumbled, “‘Hi, Mom,’” said his mother. It was difficult telling him about what happened, she said. “He cried, and I told him, ‘That’s the past, look forward.’” He has received hundreds of messages from friends and loved ones on social media, she added. He also continues to undergo physiotherapy. Story continues below advertisement “I’m happy to be in Canada, I tell you. Definitely happy to be home. Happy he’s in a good hospital. His doctors are doing amazing,” Rowan said. “A lot of stress is off my shoulders.” More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Alberta #teen #coma #assault #resort #bar #Dominican #Republic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

We are all bad at choosing random numbers in our own unique way We are all bad at choosing random numbers in our own unique way Picking a truly random number is harder than you think aryna Terletska/Getty Images People are generally bad at producing random actions, but now it seems that we are all uniquely bad in our own way. This makes it possible to predict how an individual will act randomly, which could have implications for data security and choosing suitably strong passwords. Psychologists already know that we struggle with randomness – ask people to name a random colour, and a majority will say “blue”, while the most frequent answer for a random number between 1 and 10 is 7. Source link #bad #choosing #random #numbers #unique Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Broome’s Taj Pigram a breakout star in Warumpi Band rock musical Big Name, No Blankets Broome’s Taj Pigram a breakout star in Warumpi Band rock musical Big Name, No Blankets Broome’s Taj Pigram takes the stage by storm as he takes on role of singer George Burarrwanga in Big Name, No Blankets, a rock musical tribute to the Warumpi Band. Source link #Broomes #Taj #Pigram #breakout #star #Warumpi #Band #rock #musical #Big #Blankets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 3 things benefitting the tech giant The 3 things benefitting the tech giant T. Rowe Price Science and Technology equity strategy portfolio manager Tony Wang joins Catalysts to discuss Amazon’s (AMZN) latest earnings results and share his outlook on the tech giant’s artificial intelligence (AI) ventures moving forward. Wang highlights three key factors boosting Amazon’s outlook: retail margins are improving with e-commerce and a healthier consumer, Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to grow and outperform, and the company’s advertising business is booming. “When you have those three things all working well, I think that this sets up well for the longer term,” he explains, emphasizing his focus on the company’s cost-saving measures for consumers and its advancements in AI chips and robotics. Regarding Amazon’s AI potential, Wang adds, “When you think about what you need to win in AI, it’s probably scale, compute, AI talent, a large customer base, [and] a lot of data. And there are a lot of ways that Amazon’s well-positioned.” To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Angel Smith Source link #benefitting #tech #giant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lawmakers probe Musk ‘infiltration’ into student loan borrower data Lawmakers probe Musk ‘infiltration’ into student loan borrower data U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks to a crowd gathered in front of the U.S. Treasury Department in protest of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Rose Layden | Getty Images U.S. senators expressed concern on Friday that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting effort, the Department of Government Efficiency, had “infiltrated” the Department of Education and possibly gained access to federal student loan data on tens of millions of borrowers. In a letter signed by 16 Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chuck Schumer of New York, the lawmakers said that the Education Department’s student loan database “contains millions of borrowers’ highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, marital status, and income data.” The senators cited reporting by The Washington Post, which noted Education Department staff were “deeply alarmed” by DOGE staffers’ access to federal student loan borrowers’ personal information. “The millions of families who rely on ED to help them achieve the American Dream deserve answers about reports that an unelected billionaire and his team now have access to some of their most sensitive personal information,” the senators wrote. More from Personal Finance:How tariffs may impact U.S. consumersNearly 1 in 5 eligible taxpayers miss this ‘valuable credit,’ IRS saysThese child tax credit mistakes can halt your refund, experts say The lawmakers addressed their letter to U.S. Department of Education Acting Secretary Denise Carter, and asked for answers by Feb. 13, including on whether DOGE staff meet “the strict criteria” that would allow them involvement in the Education Department’s data on borrowers. Musk’s DOGE is an office within the president’s executive office, tasked with looking for ways to shrink the federal budget. Madi Biedermann, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education, said DOGE staff are federal employees. “They have been sworn in, have the necessary background checks and clearances, and are focused on making the Department more cost-efficient, effective, and accountable to the taxpayers,” Biedermann said. “There is nothing inappropriate or nefarious going on.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Recent news that DOGE was granted access to the Treasury Department’s system, which includes Social Security and Medicare payments, also triggered criticism from Democratic lawmakers and advocates. Separately, the Trump administration is considering an executive order that could shut down parts of the U.S. Department of Education, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. It’s uncertain what this would mean for the 42 million Americans with federal student loans. The Education Department administers the country’s $1.6 trillion in outstanding education debt. Public Citizen Litigation Group and the National Student Legal Defense Network, representing the University of California Student Association, also filed a lawsuit on Friday against the U.S. Department of Education for sharing data with Musk’s DOGE. “Students’ participation in federal financial aid programs doesn’t give the government carte blanche to use their personal information for whatever purposes it wants,” said Adam Pulver, an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Lawmakers #probe #Musk #infiltration #student #loan #borrower #data Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chappell Roan was one of the 25 million uninsured Americans Chappell Roan was one of the 25 million uninsured Americans Chappell Roan at the 67th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Christopher Polk | Billboard | Getty Images With a Grammy win for best new artist, Chappell Roan is at a career high. A few years ago, she was one of the millions of Americans without a job or health insurance. “I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels, and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists, would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she said at the Grammy awards show in Los Angeles on Feb. 2. “When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt. And like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance,” she said in her acceptance speech. “If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could’ve been provided care by a company I was giving everything to. So, record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection.” More from Personal Finance: How Trump could change your health care ‘I’m looking for a man in finance’ Recession pop: How music hits on economic trends Roan, whose given name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, was released from her record label in 2020. That’s the same year a huge spike in unemployment resulted in an estimated 1.6 million to 3.3 million people losing coverage through their employers, according to the Health and Human Services Department. At the time, coverage expansions put in place by the Affordable Care Act acted as a safety net for those experiencing coverage disruptions. That government-backed aid significantly lowered the costs of coverage for people buying health insurance plans on the ACA marketplace. Those customers include anyone who doesn’t have access to a workplace plan, such as self-employed individuals like musicians, as well as students and the unemployed, among others. ‘Volatile’ income can make health coverage tricky Chappell Roan accepts the Best New Artist award onstage during the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter | Getty Images Gains in Medicaid and marketplace coverage have contributed to significant declines in the uninsured rate, according to KFF, a nonprofit formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. “With the Affordable Care Act, there’s a health care safety net for artists who previously had none,” said Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy. The ACA also guarantees insurance for pre-existing conditions and subsidizes premiums based on income, he said. Yet, there can still be challenges for artists in getting health insurance if their recording labels don’t provide it, according to Levitt. “If income is volatile, premiums can fluctuate and be unpredictable because subsidies are based on actual income for the year,” Levitt said. “So an artist who has no income for a ******* of time can be left with no viable health insurance options.” “It makes it really hard, especially for starving artists,” said Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and certified financial planner based in Jacksonville, Florida. ‘A flaw in the industry at large’ Jeff Rabhan, the former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, said in a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter that “Roan’s call for record labels to pay artists a livable wage and provide health care was noble — but also wildly misinformed.” In the column, published Feb. 5, Rabhan said “if labels are responsible for artists’ wages, health care and overall well-being, where does it end and personal responsibility begin?” “Should artists have better health-care options? Absolutely,” Rabhan said in the column. “Sounds like a union thing to me. Most independent managers don’t have insurance, either — it’s a flaw in the industry at large, not just on the label side.” Since those in the music industry are often paid as independent contractors, that makes it more likely they will forgo coverage, according to McClanahan, founder of Life Planning Partners and a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council. “Unfortunately, many are not part of a union and are on their own in getting health insurance,” she said. “Sadly, many self-employed people don’t understand the Affordable Care Act and how to obtain insurance on their own.” Even today, there are about 25 million uninsured Americans, KFF research shows. “Most of the country is involved in [an] employer/employee relationship where the company is responsible for their wages, health care, and some care about your well-being. However, most artists don’t have this luxury and don’t understand they are basically running their own business,” McClanahan said. “At least give them the tools.” CNBC’s attempts to reach Roan for comment were not successful, but Roan responded to Rabhan on Instagram by saying she donated $25,000 to support “struggling dropped artists.” Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Source link #Chappell #Roan #million #uninsured #Americans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration for now will not name FBI agents on January 6 probes – Reuters Trump administration for now will not name FBI agents on January 6 probes – Reuters Trump administration for now will not name FBI agents on January 6 probes ReutersFBI, DOJ strike agreement in lawsuit over January 6 agent list amid fears of retaliation Fox NewsFBI agent writes anonymous letter warning Americans CNNTrump admin agrees not to publicly release names of FBI agents on Jan. 6 probes The Hill Source link #Trump #administration #FBI #agents #January #probes #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New allegations rapper assaulted minor in nightclub New allegations rapper assaulted minor in nightclub Samantha Granville BBC News, Los Angeles Reuters New allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs have surfaced, with a man accusing the imprisoned rapper of drugging and raping him in a New York nightclub in 2012. According to a court filing, the man who was 17 at the time, paid a bouncer to enter the club and was invited to Combs’ private table, where he was given multiple shots of vodka. The plaintiff claims that after consuming the drinks, he “began to become hazy and disoriented” and felt himself “losing consciousness and control of his body”. Combs has consistently denied the allegations made against him in a number of civil lawsuits, and has previously labelled them “sickening”. The BBC has sought response from his team on the new allegations. Referred to in court documents as John Doe, the plaintiff alleges he was led to a back room at the SoHo club where people were using drugs and engaging with escorts. He said he realised the drinks he was given were spiked and “impacting his faculties”. In his statement, the plaintiff says he came in and out of consciousness and while he was aware of what was happening, he could not stop it. The statement alleges the “defenceless” plaintiff was ****** by Combs in the back room of the nightclub. In a statement to the BBC in response to separate federal criminal charges, Combs’ lawyer said: “In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr Combs never ********* assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.” The new allegations come as another rapper, Kanye West, urged President Donald Trump to grant a pardon to Combs before his upcoming trial. The 24-time Grammy winner voiced his support on X, posting a direct plea to Trump: “FREE PUFF,” West wrote, followed by another post tagging the president: “@realDonaldTrump PLEASE FREE MY BROTHER PUFF.” In early February, a lawyer representing accusers said there were plans to file more than 10 additional civil suits against Combs. Combs is currently facing more than 30 civil lawsuits alleging ******* assault and misconduct. He has been held in a New York jail awaiting a federal criminal trial on sex trafficking and racketeering. Source link #allegations #rapper #assaulted #minor #nightclub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

15 things Trump and team did this week 15 things Trump and team did this week BBC The third week of Donald Trump’s second term has been marked by more major action from the US president and his team. From announcing US goals on the future of Gaza and massively slashing the US agency for foreign aid to intervening in a golf dispute and banning transgender women from female sports competitions, Trump, his adviser Elon Musk and the rest of his team have pressed on with their agenda. There’s a lot to keep up with – so here’s a reminder of 15 moves this week. 1. Proposed the US ‘take over’ Gaza At a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said the US would “take over” and “own” Gaza, resettling its ************ population in the process. Trump proposed developing the territory, devastated after 15 months of war between Israel and ******, into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” Trump repeated on social media on Thursday, reiterating the idea would mean resettling Palestinians who currently live there. Trump suggested the displacement would be permanent, but administration officials later suggested any relocation would be only temporary. While he does not appear to be advocating the forced deportation of civilians – which would be a violation of international law – Trump is encouraging Palestinians to leave. Can Trump really take ownership of Gaza? 2. Planned to put thousands of USAID staff on leave Thousands of employees at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the government’s main foreign aid agency, are expected to be placed on leave at midnight on Friday. The proposed cuts will affect the vast majority of the agency’s workforce, leaving only a few hundred essential staff out of a total of about 10,000 employees globally. The move comes after workers were asked to stay out of the agency’s Washington DC headquarters earlier this week. Cutbacks at the agency have upended the global aid system, with hundreds of programmes already frozen in countries around the world. The Trump administration reportedly intends to merge the agency, which distributes billions of dollars in aid globally, with the state department, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he was now the acting head of the agency. BBC Verify has debunked false video claims that Hollywood stars were ‘paid’ by USAID to visit Ukraine 3. Imposed tariffs on China and pulled back threats on neighbours Trump imposed a 10% tariff on ******** imports on Tuesday, but held off on his threat of implementing 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for 30 days, after those countries’ leaders pledged to beef up border security. ********* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to reinforce the US-Canada border to clamp down on migration and the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl. ******** President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to bolster the country’s northern border with troops, and in return the US would limit the flow of guns into Mexico. The tariffs, which some experts suggest could exacerbate inflation, were part of Trump’s campaign platform ahead of November’s election. Watch: ‘I’m getting angry and anti-American’ – Canadians on tariff threat 4. Pressed ahead with plan to incentivise federal workers to resign The Trump administration had offered incentives to federal workers to voluntarily resign by a Thursday midnight deadline – part of an effort to slash the size of the government. However, a US judge temporarily halted the plan hours before the deadline, pausing it until a hearing on Monday to determine the merits of a lawsuit filed by federal employee unions, CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, reported. Some of the federal government’s more than two million civilian workers have voiced confusion about the terms of the deal, which the administration says would allow them to receive pay and benefits through September in exchange for resigning. Critics have questioned the legality of the offer and some federal employee unions have advised members to exercise caution around accepting the deal. 5. Sanctioned the International Criminal Court On Thursday, Trump signed an order to impose sanctions on some staff of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions place financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies. The Hague-based court brings global prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Recently, it issued arrest warrants for a ****** commander and Israel’s Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. Trump’s announcement came as Netanyahu was visiting Washington DC. More than 120 countries, including the ***, are members of the ICC, though the US and Israel are not. 6. Ordered strikes against the Islamic State group in Somalia Trump said he ordered military air strikes on a senior attack planner and others from the Islamic State (IS) group in north-east Somalia on 1 February. He said “many terrorists” were killed “without, in any way, harming civilians”. The BBC could not independently verify reports of casualties. The office of Somalia’s president on social media welcomed the “unwavering support of the United States in the fight against international terrorism”. 7. Withdrew from United Nations institutions Trump also took action to end US involvement in several UN institutions. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the main UN agency for ************ refugees, or UNRWA, of which Israel has been highly critical. The same order said the US would no longer participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and the US would conduct a review of its membership in the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) within 90 days. 8. Sent first plane of deportees to Guantanamo The US sent the first group of migrants to Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday, after Trump announced plans to expand migrant detention at the US Navy base in Cuba. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the detainees were part of the Tren de Aragua – a gang that originated in Venezuela’s prisons. Ten detainees were sent, CBS reported, citing multiple US officials. The move came after Trump ordered that an existing migrant detention facility at the base be expanded to hold some 30,000 people. The Naval base has been used to house a small number migrants – a few dozen at a time, in recent years – for decades. Separately, nearly 800 people – most held on suspicions of terrorism – have been jailed at the base’s detention centre since it opened in 2002. About 15 people are still held there now, according to US media. Deportation flights also carried migrants back to India this week. 9. Demanded Ukraine provide rare earth resources On Monday, Trump said he wanted Ukraine to guarantee the supply of more rare earth metals in exchange for $300bn (£240bn) to support its fight against Russia. “We want what we put up to go in terms of a guarantee… we’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where we’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth (minerals) and other things,” Trump said. Ukraine has large deposits of uranium, lithium and titanium, which can be used for defence and electronics manufacturing, CBS reported. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was open to investment by American companies. 10. Banned transgender competitors from women’s sports Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that prevents transgender women from competing in female categories of sports. The order outlines guidance, regulations and legal interpretations largely around high school, university and grassroots sports. However, Trump said the order would include the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, adding he would deny visas for transgender Olympic athletes trying to visit the US to compete. 11. Released water from dams in California Trump on Monday ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in California’s Central Valley after deadly wildfires in Los Angeles in January. Trump had claimed California withheld water supplies that could have made a difference in fighting the fires, which the state’s Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials disputed, CBS reported. The water was released into a dry lakebed more than 100 miles (160km) away from the fires. Experts and officials told CBS the water could not flow to Los Angeles and would likely go to waste. US Congressman Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, said that before the water in the dams was released, it was being “saved for the farmers for the summer season when they needed the water” in the state’s agricultural region. 12. Announced taskforce to tackle ‘anti-Christian bias’ Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that aimed “to protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government”. He appointed newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bond to lead a task force to eradicate what he called “anti-Christian bias” in the federal government. Trump signed the order after giving remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. 13. Intervened in a dispute in the golf world Trump, an avid golf player who owns courses around the world, reportedly intervened in a dispute between championship organiser PGA Tour and its rival series LIV Golf. After the launch of LIV Golf led to a rift, the rivals entered negotiations and announced a “framework agreement” for a merger, but a deadline to complete that deal passed. This week, PGA Tour said it was “closer to a deal” with LIV Golf after calling on Trump to step in. “We asked the president to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved,” said the statement. “We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for reunification of men’s professional golf.” 14. Removed climate change mentions from government websites Starting last week, the Trump administration reportedly ordered some US government agency websites to remove references to climate change. It has affected the websites of the departments of transportation, defence, state and agriculture, which manages the forest service, the Guardian reported. Some climate content remained on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nasa and energy department’s sites. This week, some employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were also ordered to temporarily stop communicating with foreign nationals, US media reported. The change came after reports that staff from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – which is not an official government department – entered the offices of NOAA and took over the agency’s internal websites, removing pages devoted to diversity-focused employee affinity groups. 15. Increased access for Musk’s Doge The Trump administration also gave members of Doge, an initiative to shrink the federal government led by tech billionaire Musk, access to the federal payments system that controls the flow of trillions of dollars in funds every year, US media reported. Reports suggested members of Doge, which is not an official government department, were granted access to a US treasury department system containing the sensitive information of millions of Americans. Musk’s new initiative has been heavily involved in government upheaval. Source link #Trump #team #week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Gino D’Acampo shows axed by ITV following ‘********* inappropriate’ behaviour accusations Gino D’Acampo shows axed by ITV following ‘********* inappropriate’ behaviour accusations Two of Gino D’Acampo’s ITV shows have reportedly been pulled from schedules after the celebrity chef was accused of “********* inappropriate” behaviour towards women working with him on television. The 48-year-old, who has denied the claims, is alleged to have made sexualised comments and gestures to female employees behind the scenes of his popular programmes. ITV News reports dozens of former staff and freelancers have detailed alleged experiences they described as “unacceptable”, “distressing” and “horrendous” while working with him over a ******* of more than 12 years. D’Acampo – a regular on This Morning – has hosted numerous programmes on ITV including the ongoing series Gino’s Italian Escape and Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South, as well as the long-running game show Family Fortunes. The Daily Mail reports that at least two of those series will now not air in their scheduled slots amid the accusations against the Italian. Gino’s Italy: Secrets of the South, was due to be shown on Sunday evening between 6pm and 7pm on ITVBe but has now been replaced by Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes. Family Fortunes, which D’Acampo has hosted since 2020, has also been cut from the schedules. It was due to be shown on ITV2 at 7pm on Friday and Monday but has now been replaced by Wheel of Fortune with Graham Norton. A new series of the game show was due to be broadcast earlier this year but has reportedly been cancelled by ITV following the allegations. D’Acampo has denied the accusations (PA) The Independent has contacted ITV and D’Acampo’s representatives for comment. There are currently no repeats of D’Acampo’s shows scheduled in ITV’s linear programming lineup, although some are still available to stream through ITVX. His legal team said he was mortified to be accused of saying inappropriate words to a junior member of staff on Gino’s Italian Express. “He does not recall this incident at all, and the words alleged are absolutely not ones that he would say,” they said. Another woman claimed that on a magazine shoot in 2011, D’Acampo told her in front of the crew that he wanted to turn her over and “f*** me up the a***”. She told ITV News she remembered “a ripple of laughs” but said nobody objected to the comment, adding that she felt “horror” and “shock”. She said: “I definitely saw it as some kind of power play. The very act of what he said was aggressive.” She added: “I felt like Gino, in that moment, was very entitled and he felt very safe.” D’Acampo’s legal team told ITV News he did not recall the incident and did not accept that it happened. “Mr D’Acampo is horrified to be accused of ‘power play’ and an ‘aggressive act’,” they stated. “He emphatically and unequivocally denies these allegations.” Source link #Gino #DAcampo #shows #axed #ITV #********* #inappropriate #behaviour #accusations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AEW CEO Tony Khan says he wants to keep company private AEW CEO Tony Khan says he wants to keep company private All Elite Wrestling, the upstart professional wrestling league, will remain a privately-held family business instead of pursuing an initial public offering, according to founder and co-owner Tony Khan. Khan told CNBC Sport he had no interest in going public because he wants to pass the league down to his kids — who haven’t been born yet. “I want to build,” said the 42-year-old Khan. “I’m still a relatively young executive, and someday, I’d like to have a family, and hopefully they can work in the business. It’s a family business.” AEW has grown in recent years, buoyed by a new TV and streaming deal with Warner Bros. Discovery. The league competes with TKO Group’s WWE for talent. Source link #AEW #CEO #Tony #Khan #company #private Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, February 8 (game #342) NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, February 8 (game #342) Looking for a different day? A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Friday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, February 7 (game #341). Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints. Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. NYT Strands today (game #342) – hint #1 – today’s theme What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands? • Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Westminster assembly NYT Strands today (game #342) – hint #2 – clue words Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system. NUDE GOING SPOON RIDER KING DROWN NYT Strands today (game #342) – hint #3 – spangram What is a hint for today’s spangram? • Well bred NYT Strands today (game #342) – hint #4 – spangram position What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches? First side: left, 4th row Last side: right, 5th row Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. NYT Strands today (game #342) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Strands, game #342, are… WORKING HOUNDS HERDING TOYS TERRIERS SPORTING SPANGRAM: DOG GROUP My rating: Moderate My score: 2 hints Despite being a big fan of the movie Best In Show – which parodies the prestigious and pretentious dog show world – it took me ages before I realized what today’s theme was about. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Being British, Westminster automatically triggers thoughts of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and all that tourist malarky, rather than The Westminster Kennel Club and its many canine categories. Despite my ignorance, this was still a really enjoyable puzzle, with dozens of hint words lurking in the grid to throw us off scent. Top marks, Strands. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Friday, 7 February, game #341) EMBROIDERY LACE FRINGE TASSEL SEQUINS SPANGRAM: CLOTHING ACCENTS What is NYT Strands? Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day. Source link #NYT #Strands #hints #answers #Saturday #February #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump delays cancellation of de minimis trade exemption targeting China imports – CNBC Trump delays cancellation of de minimis trade exemption targeting China imports – CNBC Trump delays cancellation of de minimis trade exemption targeting China imports CNBCTrump’s de minimis cancellation is bad news for Temu, but worse for Shein ReutersShein and Temu are in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs The EconomistHow Trump Scrapping the De Minimis Rule Could Affect Consumers and Retailers The New York Times Source link #Trump #delays #cancellation #minimis #trade #exemption #targeting #China #imports #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, February 8 (game #1111) Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, February 8 (game #1111) Looking for a different day? A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Friday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, February 7 (game #1110). Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers. Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. Quordle today (game #1111) – hint #1 – Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1111) – hint #2 – repeated letters Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters? • The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2. Quordle today (game #1111) – hint #3 – uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today? • No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers. Quordle today (game #1111) – hint #4 – starting letters (1) Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter? • The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2. If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier: Quordle today (game #1111) – hint #5 – starting letters (2) What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with? • A • A • H • T Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. Quordle today (game #1111) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1111, are… Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Another close shave. After a couple of unlucky guesses and one wild one (Pushy was an extremely unlikely punt) I just about managed to complete today’s puzzle. The word AFOOT is automatically connected to “the game is afoot”, an idiom uttered by Sherlock Holmes to Watson when his detecting senses are pricked by a case. The phrase was not coined by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but by Shakespeare’s Henry V and his impassioned plea for the English to take up arms. Whatever its provenance, for me today’s Classic game was not afoot, but the Sequence most definitely was and I somehow pulled rabbits out of hats to conjure up the four words. A very WOOZY experience. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Daily Sequence today (game #1111) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1111, are… Quordle answers: The past 20 Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI Quordle #1107, Tuesday 4 February: BIRTH, DRAWN, MILKY, JOIST Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP Quordle #1105, Sunday 2 February: LOUSY, PENNE, CHUMP, SALVE Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH Quordle #1097, Saturday 25 January: GIVER, GROOM, GUSTO, MAKER Quordle #1096, Friday 24 January: GRIND, STOCK, SERVE, TOUCH Quordle #1095, Thursday 23 January: RUGBY, SASSY, WORRY, BANAL Quordle #1094, Wednesday 22 January: ******, TRUNK, WOOZY, EATEN Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY Source link #Quordle #hints #answers #Saturday #February #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]