Pelican Press

Drew Brees hints at return to broadcasting Drew Brees hints at return to broadcasting Drew Brees of ESPN Monday Night Countdown on set before the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Nov. 11, 2024. Ric Tapia | Getty Images Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he’d like to join an NFL broadcast team as a game analyst, and hinted he’s already in talks with media companies for a role. Brees signed a multiyear contract with NBC Sports in 2020, but only spent a year as an NFL studio analyst before leaving the role in what then-head of NBC Sports Pete Bevacqua called a “lifestyle choice” for Brees. If he were to return to broadcasting, Brees said he’d feel comfortable as a game commentator, following the footsteps of other quarterbacks of his era including Tom Brady and Tony Romo. Brady signed a 10-year contract with Fox in 2022 worth at least $375 million, according to The Athletic. He will conclude his first season broadcasting Sunday’s Super Bowl 59. “I love broadcast because there’s an insight that comes with playing the position, the quarterback position, for 20 years that you have that nobody else has. I feel like we’re extremely well equipped to be able to talk about and communicate exactly what’s happened on the field and why,” Brees said Thursday in a CNBC Sport interview on Radio Row in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl. “So look, I would, with the right opportunity, I’d love to.” When asked if Brees had already held talks with media executives, he said, “Maybe.” Pressed if a job could begin next season, he also responded, “Maybe.” “I love the game of football, and I will always be involved in the NFL game in some capacity,” said Brees. Source link #Drew #Brees #hints #return #broadcasting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Progressive Caucus calls for Elon Musk to be fired from government – USA TODAY Progressive Caucus calls for Elon Musk to be fired from government – USA TODAY Progressive Caucus calls for Elon Musk to be fired from government USA TODAYDemocrats mobilize to take on Musk after weeks of struggling to find a message CNNCongressional Progressive Caucus Members on Elon Musk and Government Efficiency C-SPAN Source link #Progressive #Caucus #calls #Elon #Musk #fired #government #USA #TODAY Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge temporarily blocks deadline for Trump’s deferred resignation program Judge temporarily blocks deadline for Trump’s deferred resignation program Washington — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Office of Personnel Management’s deadline for federal employees to accept the Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” offer. U.S. District George O’Toole prevented the agency from implementing the program’s deadline during a brief hearing held hours before federal workers were required to notify OPM of whether they would accept or reject the offer to step away from their positions. A Justice Department lawyer said OPM would provide notice to federal employees that the deadline is paused pending further legal proceedings. The Office of Personnel Management sent out an email last week with the subject line “Fork in the Road” that offered the more than 2 million federal employees “deferred resignation.” Under the program, they could resign their positions and retain full pay and benefits until Sept 30. Federal workers who agreed to resign would also be exempt from in-person work requirements through September, the email stated. Employees were given until Feb. 6 to accept or reject the offer. For those who opted to keep their positions, the message from OPM noted that the Trump administration could not give “full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency.” It also noted that “the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force” as part of Mr. Trump’s efforts to reform the federal workforce. In a list of “frequently asked questions,” the agency said workers who accept the proposed buyout would not be expected to work at their government job during the deferred resignation ******* and would be allowed to get a second job. Roughly 40,000 federal workers — or about 2% of the government workforce — have accepted the deal, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News. But the White House expected that number to rise as the deadline to accept drew closer. Days after OPM put forth its offer, a group of four unions that represent more than 800,000 federal employees sued the agency and its acting director, Charles Ezell, arguing the so-called Fork Directive, as the unions call it, violates federal law. “If these employees leave or are forced out en masse, the country will suffer a dangerous one-two punch,” the unions said in their complaint. “First, the government will lose expertise in the complex fields and programs that Congress has, by statute, directed the Executive to faithfully implement. The government will have fewer qualified employees to execute the statutorily-required tasks that still remain. And second, when vacant positions become politicized, as this administration seeks to do, partisanship is elevated over ability and truth, to the detriment of agency missions and the American people.” They noted that funding for federal agencies is set to expire March 14, and there is no appropriation in place to cover the salaries of government workers after that date. They asked the judge to block OPM from implementing the Feb. 6 deadline. The subject line of the OPM email is the same as a 2022 email that billionaire Elon Musk sent to employees of Twitter, the social media platform he purchased that year and renamed X. The White House has said Musk is working in the Trump administration as a “special government employee” leading the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which the president established with the goal of cutting spending and restructuring federal agencies. More from CBS News Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Judge #temporarily #blocks #deadline #Trumps #deferred #resignation #program Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Plan to make social landlords fix mould in force from October Plan to make social landlords fix mould in force from October Getty Images Landlords will be forced to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing in England within strict timescales from October, the government has announced. Campaigners had called for the reforms after two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from mould exposure at his Rochdale home in 2020. However, the implementation of the changes – known as Awaab’s law – will be phased, with timeframes for other hazards, such as structural and electrical issues, not introduced until 2026 at the earliest. Housing charity Shelter said the delays “represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants, and puts lives at risks” From October, social landlords – generally the local council or a housing association – will also be required to repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours. Timescales for investigating other hazards will be set out in the government’s response to a consultation, at a later date. However, previous proposals under the Conservatives suggested social landlords should be required to investigate and provide a timeline for repair within 14 days of being made aware of the hazard. Under those proposals, if there is a significant risk to health or safety repair works must begin within 7 days. Landlords who fail to comply face being taken to court and ordered to pay compensation. In a written ministerial statement, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the phased approach allowed protections from damp and mould to be brought in earlier and enabled an initial ******* of testing to ensure the changes were implemented effectively. In 2026, timeframes for non-emergency repairs will apply to a wider range of hazards including excess cold and heat, structural collapse, fire, electrical faults and hygiene hazards. Then in 2027, this will be expanded to the remaining hazards listed in regulations, excluding overcrowding. The government stressed that this “in no way means that social landlords have any leeway when it comes to meeting their existing duties to address dangers to health and safety present in their homes”. Social landlords already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation and free of hazards. Family handout Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died after he was exposed to mould at his family’s home in Rochdale Awaab’s law was first passed in July 2023 under the previous Conservative government but has not yet been brought into force. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said the latest announcement “means social housing tenants will have to wait years longer for this vital protection”. She added: “The government must make good on their promise and fully and swiftly implement Awaab’s Law.” Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said the sector was “committed to ensuring the failures that led to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak never happen again and that all homes are free from serious hazards”. However, she said housing associations were facing “unprecedented financial pressures” and issues such as overcrowding, which contribute to damp and mould, “can only be solved through funding for new social homes”. The government is also planning to extend Awaab’s law to the private rented sector in the Renters’ Rights Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament. Ministers have previously said they hope the law will be passed by the summer. Damp problems are more prevalent in privately rented homes, with 9% of homes affected, compared to 7% of social housing in 2023, according to the English Housing Survey. Rayner, who is also housing secretary, said: “We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again. “Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.” Source link #Plan #social #landlords #fix #mould #force #October Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These names reporting earnings next week have a track record of beating analyst expectations These names reporting earnings next week have a track record of beating analyst expectations Some stocks slated to report their earnings next week have a history of topping Wall Street estimates and seeing a pop in share price thereafter. The fourth-quarter earnings season is about halfway through, and most results have exceeded expectations. Of the more than 290 S & P 500 companies that have reported, 78% have topped analyst estimates, per FactSet. Next week promises to be another busy one for the season, with 75 companies in the S & P 500 set to report. Many names in the travel industry are on the docket, alongside more restaurant and semiconductor companies. Against this backdrop, CNBC Pro used data from Bespoke Investment Group to compile a list of companies reporting earnings next week that have a history of beating expectations. The names listed in the table below top estimates at least 75% of the time and average a gain of 1.5% or more on earnings days. One name on the list was Zillow , which is slated to report earnings Tuesday. Shares of the real estate marketplace have surged 51% in the past 12 months. Zillow has beaten its earnings expectations 85% of the time, experiencing a 2.2% pop in afterwards. Earlier this month, KeyBanc upgraded the stock to an overweight rating from sector weight. “We believe Zillow’s integrated app experience and increased penetration of enhanced markets can continue driving mid-teens growth in a historically challenging real estate market,” wrote analyst Sergio Segura. “Coupled with high incremental margins and a disciplined investment framework, we believe Zillow is poised for outsized margin expansion.” Sergura’s $100 price target implies that shares of Zillow could rise 20% from current levels. Software firm CyberArk has posted a quarterly earnings beat 98% of the time. Shares have popped an average of 2.88% on the company’s earnings day. CyberArk will next report earnings on Thursday, Feb. 13. The stock has rallied 59% in the past 12 months. In January, Wells Fargo listed CyberArk as a top stock pick for the first quarter. “CyberArk is our top Tactical 1Q25 idea, as we believe the upcoming Analyst Day on Feb. 24 will serve as a catalyst, where management will likely provide more insight around the growth expectations for Venafi and the core organic business,” analyst Andrew Nowinski wrote. Streaming provider Roku also made the list, beating quarterly earnings expectations 86% of the time. Investors have rewarded its stock by sending it 1.97% higher on average on earnings days. Shares of Roku have tumbled nearly 13% in the past 12 months. The company will post its latest results next Thursday. In January, JMP initiated coverage of the stock at a market outperform. “We believe Roku’s position as the top streaming platform in the U.S. is sustainable given its structural cost advantages,” analyst Matthew Condon wrote in a note. “With multiple catalysts across its Home Screen and The Roku Channel monetization and deepening third-party demand partnerships, we believe revenue estimates can move higher from here.” Source link #names #reporting #earnings #week #track #record #beating #analyst #expectations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Airline Pilots in the DC Plane ****** Acted as Expected, Experts Say Airline Pilots in the DC Plane ****** Acted as Expected, Experts Say Just after 8:43 p.m. on Jan. 29, an air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, posed a question to the pilots of American Airlines Flight 5342: Could they land at a different runway? There was nothing unusual about the request or the pilots’ assent to it. But the decision to switch runways was fateful, bringing the plane closer to the Army ****** Hawk helicopter that it would collide with in a ****** that killed 67 people. Exactly what happened is still being pieced together. The National Transportation Safety Board is recovering and examining wreckage from the icy Potomac River. The safety agency is expected to publish a preliminary report in the coming weeks, but a more thorough accounting probably won’t arrive for a year or two. But, based on the details that have emerged so far, the pilots in the American regional jet appear to have acted as expected, according to aviation safety experts and half a dozen airline pilots who have flown to and from Reagan airport. There appeared to be little that they could have done differently, these experts told The New York Times. “There wasn’t anything to do. It was a normal day at Reagan,” said Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline pilot and an assistant professor at the Center for Aviation Studies at Ohio State University, who said that he has piloted aircraft into Reagan National more than a hundred times. Investigators are likely to focus on understanding why the helicopter entered the plane’s flight path and whether the air traffic controller handling both aircraft that night could have or should have done more to keep them apart. The airport is among the country’s most congested and demanding for airline pilots. To fly there, pilots need extra training typically reserved for airports near mountainous terrain. That’s because departing or arriving planes must assiduously avoid the skies above the White House, Capitol, National Mall and vice president’s residence, which are heavily guarded, particularly since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Dulles International Airport, a large airport with hundreds of domestic and international flights a day, is about 25 miles away, filling the region’s skies with even more planes. Of course, there are no mountains in Washington. But the limits on where planes can be effectively makes flying to and from there as challenging as flying in, say, Alaska, said one senior airline pilot, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Sam Lilley, one of the pilots of the American flight that night, understood the demands of operating in the area, according to his father, Tim Lilley, who is also an airplane pilot and earlier in his career flew ****** Hawk helicopters for the Army. Mr. Lilley said that he and his son had discussed the challenges of the Washington airspace. Sam Lilley was proud that he flew there regularly. “You feel accomplished when you’ve conquered that challenge and that’s the way we both looked at it,” Mr. Lilley said. Sam Lilley, who was 28, was a first officer at PSA Airlines, an American Airlines subsidiary, which he joined more than two years ago, his father said. He had hoped to amass enough hours in smaller jets to graduate to flying much larger planes to international destinations. Mr. Lilley, who was engaged to be married this fall, had already used his corporate perks to visit Japan, Ireland and Iceland, and wanted to continue traveling the world, his father said. On the night of the ******, Mr. Lilley and his co-pilot, Capt. Jonathan Campos, had departed Wichita, Kan., on a small regional jet carrying 60 passengers and two other crew members. Around 8:15 p.m., they began descending toward Reagan airport from 37,000 feet, the N.T.S.B. said over the weekend, citing ****** box data. That data also includes audio from the cockpit, and the N.T.S.B. said the times it provided were preliminary. About 25 minutes later, the pilots were cleared for a standard approach to the airport’s Runway 1. A few minutes after that, they were asked — and agreed — to switch to Runway 33. That runway is short, making it less suitable for larger jets, which require longer stopping distances. But it is considered long enough for regional jets like the CRJ700, made by the ********* company Bombardier, that the pilots were flying. Pilots and safety experts said that diverting smaller planes to Runway 33 can allow air traffic controllers to better space out aircraft at busy times. Pilots can decline such a request, but after a brief discussion, Mr. Lilley and Mr. Campos agreed to the change. Around 8:46 p.m., a radio transmission could be heard in which air traffic control informed the helicopter of the presence of an airplane just south of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge at about 1,200 feet, circling to Runway 33, according to the N.T.S.B. Almost two minutes later, after the plane dropped below 500 feet elevation, the controller can be heard asking the helicopter pilots if they had the plane in sight. The airplane pilots could hear those communications from air traffic control, but not the responses from the helicopter because the two aircraft were transmitting on different frequencies. The controller was communicating on both. At that point, the airplane would have been moments from landing, and the pilots would have been sharply focused on reaching the ground safely, experts and other pilots said. One of the pilots would have been flying and guiding the aircraft toward the runway, while the other would have played a supporting role, including monitoring plane systems. The landing gear would have been deployed. “Normally, one pilot is looking straight ahead outside and the other pilot is focusing inside,” said Robert E. Joslin, a professor at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and a top former adviser and test pilot for the Federal Aviation Administration. “They need to focus on landing.” Neither pilot would have been expected to be scanning the area for other aircraft. Even if they had, the helicopter could easily have blended into the city lights behind it or it may have been out of view altogether, experts said. But right after the airplane descended below 500 feet, the pilots received an automated message: “Traffic, traffic.” That alert is not uncommon, but it would have caught their attention, the experts said. The message is intended as a warning that there is another aircraft nearby. Such alerts so close to an airport would be disconcerting, but would not require immediate action beyond trying to identify the source. The warning was produced by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System, known as TCAS, which is widely credited for substantially reducing midair collisions over the last four decades or so, experts said. At low altitudes, one of the system’s most important features would have been suppressed — a feature that instructs pilots on how to separate two aircraft that are dangerously close by telling one to climb and the other to descend. That’s because at lower altitudes, an incorrect warning instructing pilots to make quick changes can be risky. Even if that feature had been on, it would have worked only if the helicopter were also equipped with TCAS, which it most likely would not have been. And while the traffic alert might have concerned Mr. Lilley and Mr. Campos, they might also have quickly been put somewhat at ease. Seconds later, another transmission came through: Air traffic control was instructing the helicopter to pass behind the “CRJ,” according to the N.T.S.B., using a nickname for the type of plane the pilots were flying. It is not clear, and may never be clear, what the airline pilots were thinking at that moment. But experts said it might have provided the pilots, who were focused on landing the plane, some reassurance that air traffic control appeared to be helping to resolve the cause of the traffic alert. About 16 seconds later, just before 8:48 p.m., the airline pilots can be heard verbally reacting to something, according to the N.T.S.B. In that moment, the plane’s nose began to pull up. Then, crashing sounds could be heard, and the recording ended. Source link #Airline #Pilots #Plane #****** #Acted #Expected #Experts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Rural South West communities to get better internet access Rural South West communities to get better internet access Rural South West communities will be able to access the internet more smoothly after communication tower infrastructure was promised for the region. Busselton and Harvey are set to benefit from a State Government push to install 12 fixed wireless masts and towers boosting digital connectivity in the South West. The State Government has partnered with telecommunications provider Swoop to deliver the project, with $1 million in State funding invested to access the Federal Government’s Regional Connectivity Program. In the Busselton area, four 40m-high towers will deliver enterprise-grade fixed wireless broadband services spanning about 1100sqkm. In the Harvey-Brunswick area, new or upgraded towers have been installed at eight sites including Bunbury and Australind, which will deliver services across 1200sqkm. Areas in Harvey have seen major success with the program in the past with three towers erected around the Harvey town site boosting connectivity to the surrounding regions. Regional Development Minister Don Punch said the State Government had been working closely with the Federal Government to make sure regional WA sees the best outcomes. “This is part of making sure that regional WA is connected as fully possible,” he said. “We find the internet now is central for people’s lives, whether for social reasons or for commercial reasons, and high-capacity internet speeds which we previously thought were unattainable 15-years ago are now the norm.” Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said every *********** deserved access to fast, reliable and affordable connectivity regardless of where they lived. “Since coming to office, the Albanese Government has been working to bridge the digital divide with a focus on regional communities in Western Australia,” she said. “These fixed wireless upgrades will make a meaningful difference to residents, local businesses and visitors to the Busselton and Harvey regions. “It builds upon the Albanese and Cook governments’ collaboration to boost connectivity, for example the recent $16m joint funding announcement to deliver better mobile coverage along highways and major roads for Western Australians who live, work or holiday in regional and remote areas.” Source link #Rural #South #West #communities #internet #access Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Star Wars Outlaws’ latest patch adds DLSS 4 for PC and updates PS5 Pro upscaling Star Wars Outlaws’ latest patch adds DLSS 4 for PC and updates PS5 Pro upscaling Ubisoft has released the latest patch for Star Wars Outlaws, containing support for various AI upscaling models. The version 1.0.5.1 patch has now been deployed on all platforms, with the most notable addition being support for DLSS 4. DLSS 4 is mainly aimed at Nvidia‘s latest GeForce RTX 50 series of graphics cards, but some of its new features can also be used in RTX 40, 30 and 20 series cards. RTX 50 series cards will get access to multi frame generation, using AI to significantly boost Star Wars Outlaws‘ frame rates. DLSS 4 also offers faster single-frame generation with reduced memory usage for RTX 50 and 40 models. DLSS 4 support will also improve the game’s quality for all RTX models, offering DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLSS Super Resolution and Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing, improving lighting, resolution and edge smoothing respectively. The patch also affects PS5 Pro users, updating its PSSR – Sony‘s version of DLSS – to the latest version. Thanks for bringing the RANCOR error for PS5 players to our attention – the issue has now been fixed! Please launch the game and reach out to our support team if you’re facing further issues. — Star Wars Outlaws (@StarWarsOutlaws) February 6, 2025 The full patch notes are as follows: Star Wars Outlaws – Version 1.0.5.1 Patch Notes Star Wars Outlaws on PC now features DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 series, which boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three frames per traditionally rendered frame. DLSS 4 also introduces faster single Frame Generation with reduced memory usage for RTX 50 and 40 Series, and new transformer AI models for DLSS Ray Reconstruction, Super Resolution, and DLAA for all GeForce RTX GPUs, which enhances stability, lighting, and detail in motion. Streaming: Fixed a crashing issue on streaming platforms when travelling to Renpalli Station PC: Added support for NVIDIA series 5 GPUs PS5: PSSR has been updated to the latest version for PS5 Pro users All platforms: Fixed an issue where Kay could not dismount the speeder when on a steep incline Fixed an issue where audio from overhead ships would be louder than expected Source link #Star #Wars #Outlaws #latest #patch #adds #DLSS #updates #PS5 #Pro #upscaling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump Said, ‘We Have More Coal Than Anybody.’ See Where We Burn It. Trump Said, ‘We Have More Coal Than Anybody.’ See Where We Burn It. After declaring a national energy emergency on his first day in office, President Trump said Thursday that coal could be a fuel source for new electric generating plants. He announced a plan to issue emergency declarations to build power plants to meet a projected increase in electricity demand for artificial intelligence. “They can fuel it with anything they want, and they may have coal as a backup — good, clean coal,” Mr. Trump said in a virtual appearance at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He added that if gas and oil pipelines get “blown up,” coal could be used as a backup energy source. “We have more coal than anybody,” Mr. Trump said. “We have more oil and gas than anybody.” While the United States is the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, and while it has more coal reserves than any other country, it’s only the fourth-largest producer of coal, behind China, India and Indonesia. But reliance on fossil fuels like coal made the United States one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, which have irreversibly heated the planet and driven global climate change. Despite Mr. Trump’s talk about building coal plants, the United States has drastically reduced its coal generating capacity in recent years. Most of the decline came because natural gas, and now renewables like solar and wind, were cheaper sources of energy. A 2023 study showed that 99 percent of U.S. coal plants were more expensive to run than renewable replacements. By 2023, the 206 coal plants remaining in the United States supplied roughly 16 percent of the nation’s electricity, far below natural gas and less than both renewables and nuclear power. Almost a quarter of current coal generation is slated for retirement by 2040, according to data compiled by the Energy Information Administration in October 2024. Those reductions cross 51 coal plants. The pace of those retirements slowed last year while energy demand increased. Utilities predict a 20 percent increase in demand for electricity by 2035, according to data compiled by RMI, a nonprofit group focused on energy research. Experts said that the rise in electricity use was expected under a clean energy transition and that coal generation wouldn’t be required to meet it. “Utilities are skipping a step and asking everyone to take it as a foregone conclusion that if there’s demand growth from manufacturing, onshoring, and data centers or A.I., then it has to be met with coal, when in fact it’s one of the most expensive resources left for them to operate,” said David Pomerantz, the executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, a research and advocacy group. But industry groups said that under Mr. Trump, it might be possible to increase coal exports and build smaller coal plants. “There’s a sense of optimism with the new administration,” said Emily Arthun, chief executive of the American Coal Council. While the coal industry could experience a small bump under Mr. Trump, experts said coal was simply too expensive to make a comeback. “Coal is fundamentally uneconomic,” said Sean O’Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, an energy think tank. “Any need that isn’t met by wind or solar or battery storage will for the most part be met with natural gas, and coal will still be a distant fourth resource in that mix.” The Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to fossil fuels could hinder the country’s competitiveness in the energy transition. China dominates the United States in virtually every aspect of clean energy, and fossil fuel generation has reached a historic low in the European Union. Last year, solar overtook coal for the first time, and wind overtook both coal and gas, according to a new report by Ember, an energy think tank. Source link #Trump #Coal #Burn Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Data maturity survey finds a quarter of organisations with no strategy Data maturity survey finds a quarter of organisations with no strategy According to research published by data management consultancy Carruthers and Jackson, 26% of organisations, mostly in the *** and US, lack a formal data strategy, and 39% have little or nothing in the way of data governance frameworks, but are increasing their use of artificial intelligence (AI) regardless. Nevertheless, data leaders surveyed in the consultancy’s third Data Maturity Index study are testifying to an evolution from “one-size-fits-all” data governance frameworks to ones that are more tailored to departments in their organisations. The survey found 37% of data leaders reporting the adoption of multiple governance frameworks, a rise from 31% in 2023. Carruthers and Jackson co-founder and chief executive Caroline Carruthers said in a briefing with Computer Weekly: “That is important because that way we can have more confidence that the right data is being looked after in the right way. With one-size-fits-all you tend to come down to the lowest common denominator, which means you’re not treating your crown jewels of data in a way that gives it the respect it deserves.” The study was carried out in November 2024 among almost 200 data leaders, drawn from the community the consultants have developed through the chief data officer (CDO) summer school Carruthers and her colleague Peter Jackson have been running since 2018. Carruthers confirmed she interviewed 10 of the CDOs separate to the survey. The annual poll of hundreds of global data leaders reveals that over a quarter (26%) of organisations still operate without a formal data strategy, and 39% report little or no governance framework. In a statement accompanying the report, Carruthers and Jackson said the study points to “persistent gaps in foundational data management practices. The rapid adoption of AI is further complicating the data landscape, as in just 12 months, the share of organisations not using AI has plummeted by 20%. Today, just 7% of organisations now report no AI usage, a significant drop from 26% last year.” With one-size-fits-all you tend to come down to the lowest common denominator, which means you’re not treating your crown jewels of data in a way that gives it the respect it deserves Caroline Carruthers, Carruthers and Jackson Carruthers said a positive benefit of the increasing prominence of AI in organisations is that it has brought to the ***** ethical considerations connected with data use. But, the consultancy said although 44% of organisations have seen a moderate rise in ethical discussions around AI, only 13% have formalised these conversations into structured policies. Simultaneously, it said while 53% of organisations report an increase in AI usage, more than half (57%) admit that most employees still lack data literacy. Carruthers commented: “An AI Paradox has been created, as the use of AI tools in organisations has surged in the last year, yet employees lack the data literacy to use them effectively, as their fundamental understanding of data remains largely unchanged from last year. Overcoming this requires tailored, scalable training and AI-focused upskilling. “Simultaneously, the adoption of AI means data needs to be cleaner, and teams need to raise their data standards, otherwise the transformative benefits of new technology simply won’t be realised. Encouragingly, more leaders are recognising the need for flexible, department-specific governance to drive data maturity. It is critical to not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and find solutions that fit the specific opportunities and challenges of your organisation David Prime, The Football Association “We are seeing the data landscape begin to evolve, as data leaders are grappling with greater complexity and a deeper appreciation of the requirement for taking a tailored approach to data management. We’re also seeing the role of data leader develop too – rather than having a CDO who knows everything, we’re seeing the emergence of data lineage experts, data governance experts, data observability specialists and so on.” In the report, Andrew Lunt, data management director at Carruthers and Jackson, is quoted as saying: “It’s still worrying to see that almost 40% of organisations have little to no data governance in place. I think my message to the ones that haven’t embarked on this journey yet is think big but start small. In most cases, problems with your data can’t be solved overnight. We’ve helped organisations to understand how to approach data governance at high level in a few hours and then helped them start small and build up to something very capable.” In terms of AI, another consultant at the firm, Ashley Cairns, reported: “We’ve already worked with a number of clients where employees have inadvertently put customer or company data into public AI tools without knowing this was even possible. There has to be more training around AI tools to avoid this situation.” Among the CDOs quoted in the report is David Prime, head of strategy, data and insights at the Football Association. He said: “Data strategy and governance fameworks are critical elements of a high-performing data capability. However, the results of this report are no surprise to me, the high-profile and matrixed nature of data make aligning on these key elements difficult. It is critical to not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and find solutions that fit the specific opportunities and challenges of your organisation.” Source link #Data #maturity #survey #finds #quarter #organisations #strategy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cut Funding for Nuclear Weapons Cut Funding for Nuclear Weapons Easy as Pie Can we all agree that nuclear warfare is bad? Well, then we have an easy way that Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency can absolutely excel at his promise to cut trillions in government spending. Instead of gutting education and health agencies, the First Buddy and his DOGE lackeys could spare us all the noise and drawn-out drama by simply cutting off the US’s exorbitant, multi-trillion dollar nuclear weapons program. As The Scientific American opines, this would almost single-handedly achieve Musk’s promise that he’d shave $2 trillion off in federal spending. Because in years since President Obama earmarked a mere $1 trillion towards modernizing the US’s nuclear arsenal, the effort’s projected funding has ballooned to nearly double its initial number. Granted, that’s not all money being spent in one year. But you’d still be immediately knocking off around $50 billion. Sounds like some efficiency-loving patriots should be looking into that, right? Alt-F4 Musk has signaled interest in reining in out-of-control military spending before. Last November, he tore into Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet, whose notoriously janky development has cost taxpayers $2 trillion — huh, that same number again! — and counting. “Let us stop the worst military value for money in history that is the F-35 program!” Musk wrote in a tweet. That also sounds like a great idea. One of these overpriced jets crashed during a training exercise just the other month, after it malfunctioned mid-flight. Surely Musk and DOGE, who’ve been willing to bulldoze through legal precedents to achieve their aims, will do whatever it takes to stamp out this blatant example of government waste. Strangely, though, Musk hasn’t said a peep about the beleaguered aircraft since — which says a lot about where his real priorities lie. Wake Up All told, it’s all the places that Musk hasn’t called to be put on the chopping block that tells the story. Does the US — or for that matter, the world — really need more nuclear weapons? Two trillion dollars’ worth of them? Is the current stockpile of over 3,700 atomic weapons not a foreboding enough of a deterrent? Who’s to say. Apparently, it’s stuff like DEI initiatives that are the real menace, which is what DOGE is deciding to focus on. Maybe someone should tell Musk that nuclear weapons are woke. More on DOGE: Elon Musk Says DOGE Will Now Shut Down Government Payments He Doesn’t Like Source link #Cut #Funding #Nuclear #Weapons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

This Xbox Console-Exclusive Dungeon-Crawling Game Is Coming To PS5 This Xbox Console-Exclusive Dungeon-Crawling Game Is Coming To PS5 Indie developer Microbird Games has confirmed that Dungeons of Hinterberg will be officially available on PS5 starting March 13. Released last July, the dungeon-crawling game was initially available on Xbox Series X|S devices, although it was also released on PC. As a bonus, a new episode will be included for PS5 players, but it hasn’t been confirmed whether this will also be available to Xbox and PC players. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Dungeons Of Hinterberg – Official Welcome to Hinterberg Trailer Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter Set in a small Austrian town that has become a tourist hotspot thanks to the discovery of dungeons filled with monsters and magic, Dungeons of Hinterberg casts you as Luisa, an office worker looking for an escape from reality. Imagine Tintin meets The Legend of Zelda, and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from the game. Combat and dungeon exploration form a key part of the experience, as players have to use their accumulated skills to progress through these puzzling locations. While that’s the main draw of the game during its daylight hours, nighttime allows you to walk around town, meet new people, and forge relationships that can help Luisa overcome new challenges in future runs, like dangerous monsters and a bad case of burnout. Dungeons of Hinterberg currently has a “generally favorable” metascore of 80 on GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, as a number of outlets praised the game for its charming design, relatable story, and fun gameplay. Meanwhile, another big game from Xbox Game Studios is also on its way to PS5 as part of Microsoft’s multiplatform strategy. Forza Horizon 5 races onto the Sony console in spring, and this year will also see the release of the strategy games Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Mythology: Retold on PS5. Source link #Xbox #ConsoleExclusive #DungeonCrawling #Game #Coming #PS5 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here’s What Trump Ordered in First Week, on Immigration, DEI and More Here’s What Trump Ordered in First Week, on Immigration, DEI and More President Trump’s blunt message after a whirlwind week of executive orders and presidential proclamations may boil down to this: Take me at my word. During four years in political exile after his first term, Mr. Trump vowed to radically reshape American life, culture and politics if he got another chance. His first week has demonstrated that he will seek to do just that — and fast — as he races to make good on the promises that vaulted him back into power. Not all of his directives will succeed in the end. But already, the United States is a different place than it was a week ago. Several efforts to address climate change have been rescinded, and more land opened to oil drilling. The government now recognizes only two “immutable” genders, male and female. Migrants — now referred to as “aliens” — are being turned away at the border, and immigration agents have been freed to target hospitals, schools and churches in search of people to deport. Large-scale tariffs have yet to be imposed, but nations around the world are bracing for those that Mr. Trump says will come on Feb. 1. Diversity efforts in the federal government have been dismantled, and employees turned into snitches. Federal money will once again be barred from paying for abortions overseas. Mount Denali once again will be known as Mount McKinley, and the Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America (at least, according to the U.S. government). Career officials at agencies across the government have been let go as part of Mr. Trump’s pledge to get rid of what he considers disloyal members of the “deep state.” Security clearances and protection has been stripped from people Mr. Trump considers political enemies. TikTok was given a temporary reprieve from a forced shutdown, even as Mr. Trump rescinded his predecessor’s efforts to establish guardrails around the development of artificial intelligence. New regulations and new federal hiring are frozen for now. More than 1,500 people who were convicted of crimes connected to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have been pardoned or had their sentences commuted, including those who assaulted police officers. Here are some of the biggest policy changes Mr. Trump has made. Immigration No single issue received more attention in the first few days from Mr. Trump and his new administration than immigration. The issue has long been at the center of the president’s political identity, and he promised throughout the 2024 campaign to make far-reaching policy changes. Mr. Trump issued more than a dozen immigration-related orders that included scores of policy overhauls based on the premise that the United States is being invaded by dangerous immigrants crossing over the border with Mexico. Many of the most aggressive changes — including new powers to deny asylum seekers from entering the country — are aimed at “aliens engaged in the invasion.” Mr. Trump quickly eliminated policies that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from raiding churches, schools and hospitals. He blocked the entry of thousands of refugees who already had been cleared to come to America. He began the process of expelling a million people President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had allowed in on a temporary but legal basis and halted several programs allowing temporary residency, including for people from Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. And he made good on his longstanding promise to try to scale back birthright citizenship, an order that one federal judge quickly blocked, calling it blatantly unconstitutional. The Trump administration has sought to enlist state and local officials in federal immigration law enforcement and directed federal officials to investigate and potentially prosecute officials in cities and states who interfere with the government’s deportation efforts. And the administration directed agencies to withhold funds from so-called sanctuary cities in which officials refuse to cooperate with federal immigration agents. — Hamed Aleaziz Mr. Trump issued a half-dozen executive orders related to energy aimed at expanding the use of fossil fuels, curbing renewable energy and abandoning the federal government’s efforts to address climate change. He pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement. He shut down several efforts to prepare for the risks of a warming planet. He initiated plans to open larger areas in Alaska to oil drilling. And he ordered a freeze on federal permits for wind farms across the country. Many of Mr. Trump’s promises to “unleash” American energy — which he defined as everything except wind and solar power — will take time to have an impact. He ordered agencies to streamline permitting for gas pipelines and mining and to repeal rules that promote electric cars. But there’s a legally required process for redoing federal regulations that can take years and has to pass muster with courts. Other actions may end up being largely symbolic. Mr. Trump declared an “energy emergency” and has claimed he has authority to get power plants built quickly, but legal experts say the government’s emergency powers are often fairly limited. It remains to be seen how drastically Mr. Trump can reshape the nation’s energy landscape. Many oil and gas companies are not looking to significantly increase output, which is already at record levels, since doing so could lower prices and squeeze profits. But the wind industry, a frequent target of Mr. Trump’s, is bracing for a backlash, and some companies have already delayed or canceled new investments. — Brad Plumer Mr. Trump had previously written on social media that he would impose a 25 percent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10 percent tariff on products from China on Day 1 of his administration, accusing those countries of not doing enough to stop flows of drugs and migrants into the United States. Instead, he released an executive order that requested reports on an exhaustive list of trade issues from various agencies by April 1. Some business groups expressed relief, but that sentiment was short-lived. On Monday night, Mr. Trump told reporters he planned to put a 25 percent tariff on products from Canada and Mexico beginning on Feb. 1, and on Tuesday night, he said he would also put an additional 10 percent tariff on ******** products by the same date. It remains to be seen if those tariffs actually go into effect. But even if they do not, Mr. Trump will have plenty of opportunities in the coming months to make good on his campaign promises to impose sweeping tariffs on foreign products, including high levies on China and a universal tariff on most imports that could help raise money to offset tax cuts. — Ana Swanson Gender and Transgender Rights With an executive order billed as protecting women from “gender ideology extremism,” Mr. Trump ordered the government to effectively recognize only two “immutable” sexes — male and female. By proclaiming that a person’s sex must be a permanent gender identity, the administration reversed efforts by the Biden administration to accommodate people who are intersex or transgender, among others, and allow them to self-identify as such in interactions with the government. It also rejected the mainstream medical understanding among groups such as the American Medical Association, which recommends viewing gender and sex as falling along a spectrum. The order has already prompted administrative changes. The State Department removed the “unspecified or another gender identity” category from passport applications. More broadly, it directs agencies to scrub any mention of nonbinary gender identity from official documents and memos. Certain agencies were urged to “protect men and women as biologically distinct sexes,” in part by maintaining single-sex spaces such as prisons and shelters for women, from which transgender women will be denied access under the policy. And the order explicitly rejected the Biden administration’s interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling protecting transgender workers that was the basis for its extending protections to transgender students through Title IX last year. — Zach Montague Diversity, Equity and Inclusion After declaring in his inaugural address that he would usher in a “colorblind” and “merit-based” society, Mr. Trump ordered federal agencies to immediately purge the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion — or D.E.I. — from the federal government’s policies, programs and practices and targeted civil rights protections for government contractors. He rescinded executive orders issued by Mr. Biden that sought to advance equity for women and ******, Hispanic, Asian and Native American people, as well as people with disabilities. Mr. Trump then issued an order titled, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which halts all work in the federal agencies aimed at reversing systemic racism, sexism and other inequities. The order required the shutdown of offices dedicated to D.E.I. work across all government agencies and the immediate dismissal of any employees working on such initiatives; the employees were placed on administrative leave this week and are to be laid off in the next month. In an effort to root out any D.E.I. initiatives “in disguise,” federal employees were told to report any colleagues that attempted to circumvent the order to a newly created email address. Those who know of any such activity but do not report it within 10 days would face “adverse consequences,” according to emails that were sent by all agency heads. Mr. Trump also revoked a civil rights-era order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 that banned discrimination in government contracting. The order was seen as the underpinning of the federal government’s commitment to affirmative action. — Erica Green Tech and Artificial Intelligence Right after he was sworn into office, Mr. Trump rescinded a 2023 executive order that established guardrails around artificial intelligence. On Thursday, Mr. Trump issued an executive order directing his staff to come up with a plan to pursue policy that would “sustain and enhance America’s global A.I. dominance.” The president also issued an executive order to establish a group that would come up with policy proposals related to cryptocurrency, an industry Mr. Trump has personal investments in. Mr. Trump intervened in the battle over the future of TikTok. Officials in Washington fear that the immensely popular video app could pose a national security threat. Congress passed a law last year that forces TikTok’s owner ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban from working with app stores and cloud providers. The Supreme Court upheld the law this month. The ban took effect on Sunday. But Mr. Trump on Monday told the Justice Department not to enforce the law for 75 days and to instruct companies, like Apple, Google and the cloud computing provider Oracle, that during that ******* there is “no liability” related to their work to distribute and maintain the app. The app is currently working in the United States but is still unavailable in Apple’s and Google’s app stores. — David McCabe Hours after taking the oath of office, Mr. Trump withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization, a move that he pursued in the last year of his first term, as the coronavirus pandemic raged. On his first day in office four years ago, Mr. Biden blocked the withdrawal from going into effect. As he did in 2020, Mr. Trump this week accused the agency of botching its response to the pandemic, and claimed that it asked for “unfairly onerous payments,” with China paying less than the United States. The withdrawal means that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, considered the world’s leading infectious disease agency, would not have access to the global data the W.H.O. provides. It also would deprive the W.H.O. of a key funding source that it uses to protect public health programs in other countries, a shortfall that public health experts say could eventually hurt disease-fighting efforts of American health officials during international outbreaks. A Trump executive order on Monday halted all development aid for at least 90 days to foreign countries, affecting programs aimed at alleviating hunger, disease and wartime suffering. As part of the order, the Trump administration stopped disbursement of funds from a program that supplies most of the treatment for H.I.V. in Africa and developing countries worldwide. The administration also revived the “Mexico City rule,” which bars federal funding for overseas nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote abortions. Mr. Trump on his first day in office also rescinded a health order that called on federal agencies to expand access to coverage on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, and in Medicaid, the joint federal-state insurance program for low-income Americans. Russell T. Vought, Mr. Trump’s nominee to run the White House budget office, told lawmakers this week that he supported the first Trump administration’s strategy of encouraging states to add work requirements to Medicaid. Mr. Trump’s health department also asked officials to refrain from public communications, including publishing reports on the bird flu outbreak. Meetings of advisory panels on health issues were also canceled. Trump administration officials defended the move, saying it allowed them to catch up to activity in the department before signing off on new public messaging. But the scope and duration of the pause unnerved career officials and outside scientists. — Noah Weiland Federal Work Force The administration issued one executive order that makes it easier to fire federal employees by subjecting them to the rules governing political appointees, who have much weaker due process rights. Mr. Trump also issued a memo asserting his authority to fire several thousand members of the so-called Senior Executive Service, top bureaucrats across the government, and the administration began to remove some of them. Other memos told agencies to require employees to return to an office full time “as soon as practicable,” which some federal employees said had prompted them to look for new jobs outside government, and to list employees who are still completing the probationary ******* required of new hires — typically one or two years, depending on the role or category of employee. This memo noted that employees could be terminated during their probationary ******* “without triggering appeal rights” and suggested that the administration would seek to thin the civil service ranks by eliminating many recent hires. Mr. Trump also initiated a 90-day hiring freeze, causing agencies to rescind job offers for candidates whose starting date was imminent. The National Treasury Employees Union, which has about 90,000 active members across dozens of agencies, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Monday challenging the executive order making it easier to fire federal employees. Other unions were still digesting the slew of orders and memos to understand the precise implications. — Noam Scheiber Source link #Heres #Trump #Ordered #Week #Immigration #DEI Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EVGA closes its official forums and transitions to Reddit EVGA closes its official forums and transitions to Reddit EVGA, one of Nvidia’s most prominent partners, made waves two years ago, in September 2022, when it exited the GPU business. If the sudden closure of the EVGA forums is any indication, the company will continue to wind down its business. At the time of writing, a banner on the forum’s main page posted yesterday reads: “Responding to the feedback from our valued customers and in light of Reddit’s widespread popularity, EVGA would like to encourage its community to transition to Reddit. As of this announcement, our existing forums will be read only and our team will actively engage with customers on Reddit threads moving forward.” “EVGA and our Moderators would like to thank all its forum members for the years of posts bringing together a great community of PC Enthusiast, and we hope to continue this community at its new home on Reddit.” “Please head over to our new community home on Reddit at HTTPS://www.reddit.com/r/TEAMEVGA/” So, while the EVGA Forums will continue to exist in a read-only form for an undetermined amount of time, all remaining support and community is being pushed to the TEAMEVGA subreddit. EVGA previously cited major issues with Nvidia from its place as an industry-leading AIB partner. Despite leaving the GPU business, the company denied closing its doors. What does EVGA sell nowadays? Well, not much. The company has erased all mentions of GPUs on its website, leaving just power supplies, gaming peripherals, and a few last-generation Intel motherboards. Although we had seen an EVGA X670E prototype, the motherboard never reached the market. EVGA has managed to (mostly) stay in good favor with its customers since it exited the GPU business, even honoring RMAs for several GPU customers after the fact with its remaining stock. EVGA’s other hardware products, like its power supplies, are generally considered quality options and sell in decent volume. Thus, perhaps there is still hope, which is just a sign of EVGA cutting unneeded ****. However, power supplies aren’t EVGA’s bread and butter, so it remains to see how long the company can stay afloat. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. It’s unfortunate to see how things have progressed since EVGA parted ways with Nvidia. Nvidia customers lost a lot when one of its best AIB partners abandoned the GPU game. Source link #EVGA #closes #official #forums #transitions #Reddit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump taps Gerald Parker to be new head of pandemic office as bird flu threat grows Trump taps Gerald Parker to be new head of pandemic office as bird flu threat grows File: Gerald Parker named head of White House’s pandemic office. Texas A&M website President Trump has selected Gerald Parker, a veterinarian and former top-ranking federal health official, to head the White House’s pandemic office, two U.S. officials tell CBS News. Congress created the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy after the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of one of the lessons learned from the outbreak, the office was intended to formalize the so-called czar roles that had led efforts across the federal government to prepare and respond to pandemic threats. Parker was previously the Associate Dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M University. “One Health” refers to the study of how health threats in animals and the environment are closely linked to human health concerns, including how dangerous viruses and bacteria often emerge in animals before spreading to humans. Spokespeople for the university and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He has served under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, and was recently head of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity under the Biden administration. This office was charged with crafting recommendations for new rules governing research that could create riskier pathogens. Parker has worked for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security. “I’ve not been a fan of every choice that Donald Trump has made. And I’ve been very critical of many of them. This one is a very good choice,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, former White House COVID-19 response coordinator under President Biden. Jha said he had consulted with Parker many times, describing him as widely known within the public health community as “deeply knowledgeable, serious, not particularly partisan, but really just very focused on important issues.” One of the first challenges Parker will have to tackle is the unprecedented spread of bird flu around the country. In recent months, variants of the virus have decimated the poultry and dairy industry, driven up egg prices and led to concerns about spillovers into humans, including one death in Louisiana last year. Under the Biden administration, the office was charged with coordinating the mammoth response operations at HHS agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has struggled to investigate and stomp out spread of the virus in farms. “There are very few public health experts who have that breadth of knowledge around One Health and have dealt with animal health. And so, I think that is an advantage he has over many other people,” said Jha. Other challenges loom on the immediate horizon, including the U.S. response to a new outbreak of an Ebola virus in Uganda that has faced delays due to the Trump administration’s sweeping pauses on foreign aid and shutdown of U.S. Agency for International Development missions. Parker’s selection for the role suggests that President Trump is not planning to do away entirely with the office, a possibility he had raised during his campaign. Some Trump advisers had suggested that the office might be reorganized into the National Security Council, instead of operating as a standalone team. One current health official voiced concern over whether Parker’s team would be adequately staffed for the breadth of work awaiting him, as he starts at the White House this week. “I do know that by picking Gerry Parker, I think at least the Trump White House is signaling they’re going to take biological threats seriously and they’re going to have a serious person at the helm,” said Jha. Alexander Tin Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers federal public health agencies. Source link #Trump #taps #Gerald #Parker #pandemic #office #bird #flu #threat #grows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump federal employee buyout deadline faces court challenge Trump federal employee buyout deadline faces court challenge Trump supporters walk near the U.S. Capitol building as the sun sets the day U.S. President Elect Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential election in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2024. Leah Millis | Reuters A lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s offer of buyouts to federal government employees will be heard by a judge Thursday afternoon — hours before the deadline to accept the offer. The hearing comes as more than 40,000 people — about 2% of the federal workforce — have accepted the offer. The Trump administration confirmed Thursday in a mass email to federal employees that the deadline for accepting the buyout offer will not be extended beyond 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday. But the hearing in Massachusetts federal court could end with that deadline being extended by a judge, who also might agree to block the offer altogether as he considers a challenge to its legality. The offer, laid out in the so-called “Fork Directive,” purports to allow employees to submit a deferred resignation, in which they will no longer have to work but will be paid with benefits until the end of September. Read more CNBC politics coverage A group of unions representing federal workers on Tuesday sued over the program. The lawsuit says “basic information is absent” from the offer, including whether the Office of Personnel Management “can (or will) honor the financial commitment for agencies across government when Congress has appropriated no funds for this purpose, and the statutory basis and appropriation for this promise remain unclear.” The offer is “also contrary to the law,” the suit alleges. “To leverage employees into accepting the offer and resigning, the Fork Directive threatens employees with eventual job loss in the event that they refuse to resign,” the suit says. The plaintiffs are asking a judge to declare that the offer “as issued” is not legal, and remand the directive back to OPM “to provide a reasoned basis for the Directive and extend the deadline accordingly, and until such time as Defendants provide an adequate justification for the Directive.” This is developing news. Check back for updates. Source link #Trump #federal #employee #buyout #deadline #faces #court #challenge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration sues Illinois and Chicago over immigrant sanctuary policies – CNN Trump administration sues Illinois and Chicago over immigrant sanctuary policies – CNN Trump administration sues Illinois and Chicago over immigrant sanctuary policies CNNTrump administration sues Chicago over ‘sanctuary city’ laws BBC.comTrump administration sues Illinois and Chicago over immigration policies AxiosJustice Dept. sues Illinois, Chicago over immigration enforcement The Washington Post Source link #Trump #administration #sues #Illinois #Chicago #immigrant #sanctuary #policies #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******’s Purge is going free-to-play and expanding its soundtrack ******’s Purge is going free-to-play and expanding its soundtrack ******’s Purge, the heavy metal AR shooter, is getting a major new update Not only are there even more pulse-pounding music tracks, but it’s also going free to play! Try out the initial levels out of over 60 and blast the forces of Hell today On my sojourn to Portugal late last year one of the best upcoming releases I got the chance to try out was ******’s Purge. Coming from Ontop, this AR shooter saw you blasting demons and the ****** himself, all set to a hardcore heavy metal soundtrack. Now, if you’ve been putting off trying ******’s Purge there’s no better time to jump in as not only is said soundtrack expanding, but it’s also going free to play! Well, sort of. Inspired by its spiritual predecessor Doom, ******’s Purge is also taking a shareware approach. You’ll be able to try out some of its initial levels completely free, with the option to then pay to unlock the whole game. ******’s Purge sees you not just standing there and pointing, but also actively moving to dodge enemies and reveal their weak spots! So while it may look a bit odd this certainly ain’t Pokemon Go if the demons weren’t already clue enough. Blast ’em! Not only that but as I wrote above the latest update comes with a host of new tracks for the already brutal soundtrack. Featuring music from independent metal artists like Avesso, Visceral, Zero Massive and Tales for the Unspoken and many others. With over 60 levels and a new combat system that lets you customise equipment from the very start with resources from previous sessions, there’s no better time to leap in and take on the forces of Hell! The shift to free-to-play starts today, you can find ******’s Purge over on the iOS App Store! Meanwhile, if you want something completely different why not get Ahead of the Game and see what Catherine Dellosa thought of the cutesy, cosy culinary simulator Cat Restaurant in our regular feature covering upcoming releases that you can play ahead of their official launch? Source link #Devils #Purge #freetoplay #expanding #soundtrack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A $35 Billion Loan Project, Led by World Bank, Aims to Expand Electricity in Africa A $35 Billion Loan Project, Led by World Bank, Aims to Expand Electricity in Africa The leaders of more than half of Africa’s nations gathered this week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s sprawling seaside metropolis, to commit to the biggest burst of spending on electric-power generation in Africa’s history. The World Bank, African Development Bank and others are pledging at least $35 billion to expand electricity across a continent where more than a half-billion people still don’t have it. About half of the money will go toward solar “minigrids” that serve individual communities. The loans will come at below-market interest rates, a crucial stipulation as global lenders usually charge much higher rates in Africa, citing higher risks. In an interview, Ajay Banga, the president of the World Bank, cast the initiative in sweeping terms where economic development met societal stability and basic human rights. “Without electricity, we can’t get jobs, health care, skills,” he said. The success of electrification, he said, is “foundational to everything.” The summit’s promise is to get half of Africa’s 600 million unelectrified people powered up in just six years. That averages out to five million people a month. Mr. Banga said the World Bank, on its own, had not yet even passed the one-million-a-month mark. Despite the unusually strong statements of political will, many people, particularly in Africa’s beleaguered power sector, expressed deep skepticism. In fact, some noted that one need not look farther than the host country, Tanzania, to find a cautionary tale. Recently the world’s biggest developer of solar minigrids, Colorado-based Husk Power Systems, closed up shop in Tanzania because the government insisted that it sell its electricity at the same price as the heavily subsidized government-run electric utility. Unable to make money at that price, Husk said, the company sold its assets, which it had spent millions of dollars on, at a steep loss. Some remain intact but are defunct. Others have been dismantled and are being sold for spare parts. This despite the fact that Tanzania had seemed like an ideal market to Husk when it arrived there in 2015. The country’s new president at the time, John Magufuli, had earned the nickname “The Bulldozer” both for building roads and for reining in corruption. Only a third of Tanzanians were connected to the grid. Husk’s departure left thousands of people powerless and frustrated, as they had been willing to pay Husk’s higher prices. Among them is Mwajuma Mohamed and her family in Matipwili, a community where around 200 houses and businesses briefly got power from a Husk solar minigrid that’s now caked in dust. “When we got electricity, it was like we were normal people suddenly,” she said, showing a visitor around her darkened house. The first thing she bought, she said, was a TV, which is now back in the box it came in. “It feels unfair. It feels like we wasted money.” Without naming Husk, Tanzania’s energy minister, Doto Biteko, said in an interview that some minigrid operators charged artificially high prices, which resulted in inflation. “We are not trying to give anyone a hard time,” he said. “But it is the government’s role to decide what is reasonable.” Lenders are trying to address this issue head on. The loans from the World Bank and the African Development Bank put into place this week are contingent on the regulatory overhauls that, in many cases, allow for private electricity providers to compete more freely with state-run utilities. Tanzania is one of 12 countries signing such “compacts” at the summit meeting. In the coming months, 18 more are expected. In addition to solar minigrids, a roughly equal amount of money will go toward extending traditional, existing power grids, which are mostly supplied by hydropower and fossil fuels. But it is the plummeting cost of building solar power, driven by China’s breakneck growth as a producer of inexpensive, high-quality solar panels, that would be the mission’s main enabling factor. Not only has solar power become more affordable, it takes far less time to deploy than building a dam or power plant and has the added benefit of not emitting greenhouse gases. “It’s the tech and the pricing. That’s why this is finally happening now,” said Raj Shah, who leads the Rockefeller Foundation, which is investing tens of millions of dollars in renewable energy projects around the developing world. “The reason almost 30 heads of state are here is because they now see this is the quickest, least-cost way to create jobs and prevent the kind of instability they see growing in their countries.” In the time since Husk shut down the minigrid in Matipwili, poles carrying power from Tanesco, the state-run utility, arrived in the village. But they serve only a quarter as many people, and the service is inferior, customers say. Like all but four of Africa’s dozens of electric utility companies, Tanzania’s runs at a steep loss and lack of maintenance leads to frequent and lengthy power cuts. “With Husk, we could buy a package at a set price and use however much electricity we wanted, so people like me started businesses,” said Gesenda Mwise Gesenda, the village chairman, who uses a Tanesco connection to refrigerate drinks that he sells. “With Tanesco, it actually costs me three times as much for the same amount of power. Either it is my meter going up and up, or the power cuts for hours, even days.” The experience in Matipwili explains why lenders are increasingly favoring decentralized electrification. “What we’re seeing here is the realization that in many places where a grid doesn’t currently exist, extending it there is not cost-effective nor is it beneficial to end users, at least compared to a solar minigrid,” said Ashvin Dayal, who leads the Rockefeller Foundation’s power and climate program. The mission’s funders say they have been clear with governments that money alone cannot solve the problem and that regulatory change is what might attract even more investment beyond the $35 billion this week. Mr. Banga described attending a climate and energy summit in Kenya last year where he met a group of African leaders. “I said to them, ‘Hey guys, you want to be in your jobs for another few years? You have to promise jobs and quality of life. I can help you, but you need to step up to the plate.’” Multilateral funding is never 100 percent assured, and not just because of concerns about the countries receiving aid. A new administration in Washington that is openly hostile to both renewable energy and foreign aid has caused uncertainty over the World Bank’s core funding, if only because the United States is the World Bank’s biggest contributor and holds outsize sway over who runs the institution. For now, the bank has enough money in its development aid pot to fund its electrification mission, in part because of last-minute decisions made by the outgoing Biden administration. Mr. Banga was circumspect about the chance of hitting the bank’s electrification goals in such a short ******* of time, but said he hoped the investments rolled out in Dar es Salaam would spur private equity, sovereign wealth funds and local banks to follow them. “It’s a huge mountain to climb. You can’t just decree it,” said William Brent, Husk’s chief marketing officer. “Husk is building one minigrid a day and that’s the fastest in the industry. Even if you added 10 more Husks, you’d still only get a fraction of the way there.” Husk has built 70 minigrids in Nigeria, where it has found a receptive regulatory environment. And it said on Monday that it would enter the Democratic Republic of Congo this year. While lenders and presidents rubbed shoulders in Dar es Salaam, however, Congo also offered a reminder of the volatility that threatens progress. Rwandan-backed rebels took the Congolese city of Goma on Monday, where some of the same funders supporting the new initiative had backed a minigrid project. Cities fall, governments renege on commitments and debts pile up. Lenders know they are still up against the same underlying issues that have so limited investment in African infrastructure and left many countries economically hobbled. But lack of electricity is more than just a drag on economies. It’s a drag, *******, to not have electricity in a world where more than 90 percent of people do. It means no internet, no speakers to play music, no cold beer from the fridge, no light for kids to do homework. When Husk came to Matipwili, Mashavu Ali, 45, a mother of eight, was above all excited for one of her daughters, who had the best grades in the village secondary school. She imagined her studying late into the night. Since they lost electricity access, her daughter has dropped to third. Ms. Ali now rents a small rooftop solar panel for roughly 20 cents a day, but the light it provides is dim and, without a battery to store power, it doesn’t work on cloudy days. Her children go to bed soon after the sun sets. And she has set aside her own dreams of how she could support them with just a little bit of power. “My plan had been to open an ice cream business,” Ms. Ali said, sitting outside her house, surrounded by family. It was already dark out and the one outdoor bulb powered by the rented panel began to flicker. “What to say, eh? It remains an idea.” Source link #Billion #Loan #Project #Led #World #Bank #Aims #Expand #Electricity #Africa Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

San Francisco’s New Mayor Is Rich. Is That a Good Thing? San Francisco’s New Mayor Is Rich. Is That a Good Thing? Like the little red labels on the pockets of Levi’s jeans, the heirs to the Levi Strauss fortune are woven into the fabric of Bay Area philanthropy. The Sterns, as in Stern Grove, the 12-acre park in San Francisco that hosts free summer concerts. Haas, as in the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and Haas Pavilion, where the university’s Golden Bears play basketball. Goldman, as in the Goldman Environmental Prize, called the Green Nobels. The families have been a backbone of Bay Area civic life for decades, funding the arts, museums, schools and even professional baseball teams. Without them, the San Francisco Giants might be playing in Florida, and the Oakland Athletics might have skipped town much earlier than last fall. Now, the expansive family tree has extended into city politics. San Francisco’s new mayor, Daniel Lurie, is a wealthy philanthropist himself, his fortune coming from his late stepfather, a Strauss heir and longtime Levi’s chief executive. His rise has inspired optimism in a city desperate for change, but also questions about whether a political neophyte, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, can run San Francisco. At the same time, institutions all over the region are arguably beholden to his family. Mr. Lurie ousted a fellow Democrat, London Breed, after spending $9.51 million of his own fortune on the race — $52 for every vote he received, one of the biggest outlays of personal wealth by a mayoral candidate in American history. Mr. Lurie’s mother, the billionaire Mimi Haas, a longtime benefactor of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, spent an additional $1 million on his campaign. The mayor and his supporters say his wealth means that he owes no favors in a city that has grappled with widespread corruption. “I don’t owe anybody anything except you, the taxpayers and the residents,” he said during the campaign, later saying he would take just $1 of the mayor’s $383,000 salary. And Mr. Lurie points to examples like Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, as his guiding lights. Skeptics, though, question whether Mr. Lurie’s approach to his new job — which focuses heavily on tapping benefactors and hiring aides from the business world — could hand the rich too much say. Justin Dolezal, a bar owner who founded Small Business Forward to help mom-and-pop shops get attention from City Hall, said he believes Mr. Lurie has good intentions, but the mayor’s wealth and connections make him nervous. “A deep obsequiousness to big money, big power and big tech has caused a lot of the problems that we experience day to day in San Francisco,” Mr. Dolezal said, citing homelessness and the pushing out of the middle class. “Being raised in that world does color your view,” he said. In a city awash in new money, Mr. Lurie comes from wealth that is just about as old as San Francisco itself. His stepfather, Peter Haas, was the great-grandnephew of Levi Strauss, an immigrant from Bavaria, one of a wave of ******* Jewish men who fled antisemitism in the 1850s and made their way to San Francisco seeking riches. But Strauss found his wealth in bluejeans, not gold nuggets. He patented the use of rivets at the points of strain on denim pants, making them a durable favorite of workers. He became one of the “merchant princes of San Francisco” who were “mining the miners,” as the local historian Gary Kamiya put it. Strauss, who was childless, died in 1902 and left his fortune of about $6 million, worth roughly $220 million in today’s dollars, to four nephews. Today, the publicly traded company is worth more than $7 billion, with the Haas family retaining majority control. Mr. Lurie’s mother is its largest shareholder. Strauss himself was a philanthropist, supporting several local Jewish organizations and funding 28 scholarships at U.C. Berkeley, which still exist. His heirs — the Haas, Goldman and Stern families — have continued his giving through their numerous foundations. Their mark is everywhere once you start looking, from Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy to the hilltop Walter Haas playground and dog park with views of the city skyline. Walter Haas Jr. rescued the struggling Oakland Athletics baseball franchise from a move to Denver in 1980 and turned the team around. It won the World Series in 1989, years before John Fisher — an heir to the Gap clothing store fortune — bought it and eventually yanked it out of Oakland. The Goldman family helped keep the San Francisco Giants from moving to Florida. “It would be hard to spend any amount of time here in this community without being touched by the institutions the family has helped bolster,” said Larry Baer, the Giants’ president, who has known the family for decades. The city’s tech titans have been less reliable donors than older generations of wealthy residents. Mr. Baer said some tech leaders think that “San Francisco is just where my company is,” whereas Mr. Lurie’s focus, he said, is squarely on making his hometown better. The tech world, though, helped fund Mr. Lurie’s splashy inauguration festivities, with Laurene Powell Jobs’s Emerson Collective group, the angel investor Ron Conway and Kyle Vogt, the co-founder of the driverless car company Cruise, among the contributors. Another Strauss heir has gotten into politics. Daniel Goldman, a cousin by marriage of Mr. Lurie’s, just began his second term in Congress, representing New York. He, too, poured money into his first campaign, spending $4 million in 2022. Mr. Goldman, who vacationed with Mr. Lurie when they were children and shared a Manhattan apartment with him as young adults, said their interest in politics was an extension of the family’s commitment to public service. “We have been incredibly blessed to be the beneficiaries of the American dream,” Mr. Goldman said. “We are very much committed to making sure that every American gets access to it.” So far, Mr. Lurie’s lack of government experience has proved more notable than his riches. He vowed he would declare a state of emergency on fentanyl on his first day in office, hoping to clear bureaucratic hurdles. But the city’s lawyers had to tell Mr. Lurie’s team that only sudden, unforeseen disasters like earthquakes and the Covid-19 pandemic qualified as emergencies. Mr. Lurie instead introduced regular legislation, which he simply branded an emergency. It was passed by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday and will speed along contracts related to the fentanyl crisis and allow the city to accept private donations to build more homeless shelter beds or fund other solutions. But the notion of asking rich people to pay for the regular operations of city government is different from tapping them for a one-time museum exhibit or college building. Ben Rosenfield, a former controller who advised Mr. Lurie after his election, said it was “reasonable and responsible” to raise private money for the crisis, especially as the city faces a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion over the next two years. But turning to wealthy people to pay for homeless services could come with strings, said Jane Kim, a former supervisor who worked with Mr. Lurie and his anti-poverty nonprofit, Tipping Point, to build affordable housing in her district. “Who gets to decide how to spend those dollars?” Ms. Kim asked. “Is it the billionaire, or is it based on what the people of the city would like to see?” Philanthropy will surely not refill the office spaces and retail shops that are still empty five years after the pandemic’s onset. After hammering Ms. Breed during the campaign for leaving a once-vibrant downtown neglected, Mr. Lurie got bad news of his own just days into his new job. Bloomingdale’s is leaving its giant downtown location, and Walgreens is closing 12 stores. Mr. Lurie has said he has called chief executives around the country, pitching them on moving to the city. One company he will not need to woo is Levi’s. Its headquarters remain where they began — in the heart of San Francisco. Alain Delaquérière contributed research. Source link #San #Franciscos #Mayor #Rich #Good Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Real Madrid referee letter: La Liga boss accuses club of ‘playing victim’ Real Madrid referee letter: La Liga boss accuses club of ‘playing victim’ La Liga president Javier Tebas says Real Madrid have “lost their head” after the Spanish club launched an unprecedented attack on the league’s referees. Real Madrid sent a formal letter of complaint, external to the Spanish FA (RFEF) and Spain’s High Council for Sports after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Espanyol on Saturday. The only goal of the game was scored by Espanyol defender Carlos Romero, who Real felt should have been sent off for an earlier challenge on Kylian Mbappe. In the letter they claimed that officials – including video assistant referees (VAR) – are biased against them, “rigged”, and “completely discredited”. The letter said: “Decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored.” Speaking at a meeting with La Liga clubs, RFEF and representatives of Spain’s refereeing committee (CTA) on Thursday – which Real Madrid did not attend – Tebas said: “Real Madrid wants to harm the competition, not just the refereeing group. “They have built a story of victimhood and I think the cherry on top was the letter they published the other day. “The issue has been blown out of proportion, they have lost their head. Football doesn’t revolve around Real Madrid.” Meanwhile, earlier on Thursday, RFEF chief Rafael Louzan had his seven-year ban from holding public office overturned by Spain’s Supreme Court. In 2022 a provincial court ruled against Louzan for misconduct during his tenure as president of Pontevedra Provincial Council. He was elected RFEF president in December after the Supreme Court allowed him to run. “Let this be the beginning of a new, different era, we have the opportunity to create it together,” said Louzan. Source link #Real #Madrid #referee #letter #Liga #boss #accuses #club #playing #victim Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Housing In WoW Will Be “Available To Everyone,” Won’t Come With “Exorbitant Requirements” Housing In WoW Will Be “Available To Everyone,” Won’t Come With “Exorbitant Requirements” World of Warcraft will finally receive player housing alongside its Midnight expansion, and Blizzard has now revealed the first real details on what players can expect from the highly anticipated feature more than 20 years in the making. For starters, Blizzard made clear in a blog post diving into the feature that everyone who wants a house in Azeroth will be able to obtain one. There won’t be hefty gold requirements, limited plots of land for which players compete via a lottery system, or taxes to pay. Players who let their subscription lapse or skip an expansion or two won’t log on one day to find someone else living in their former home. “As part of our focus on wide adoption, we wanted to ensure that housing is available to everyone,” Blizzard said. “If you want a house, you can have a house.” As for where players will be able to build their homes, at launch it will be in two designated housing zones–one for the Alliance and one for the Horde. The Alliance housing zone will be inspired by early-level questing zones like Elwynn Forest, Duskwood, and Westfall, while the Horde’s will be inspired by Durotar and Azshara. Houses will be shared among all the characters in the same Warband, so while an Alliance character can’t purchase a Horde house, if a Horde character in the Warband has a home, the Alliance character would be able to use it as if it were their own. There won’t be faction restrictions when it comes to visiting the house of a friend on the opposite faction, and all housing rewards will be account-wide and usable by any character regardless of faction. Anticipating player questions about why there will only be two housing zones when the feature launches, Blizzard wrote that having too many housing zones would conflict with the team’s goal of player housing being a “deeply social” feature. Blizzard wants players to be socializing and meeting new people, and having multiple zones spread out all around the world would hinder that. Crafting new zones is also a ton of work, Blizzard said. It would rather do a great job on a smaller number of housing zones than do a passable one on a larger number. However, Blizzard said that there will be “more possible places to live in the future.” When it comes to outfitting new homes, Blizzard said it wants the feature to be “player-first” and not “revenue-first.” There will be “hundreds and hundreds” of home-customization options found in-game as rewards, though Blizzard said some items for housing will be for ***** on the in-game microtransaction shop. Concept art for a Horde player housing neighborhood. A newly announced feature coming alongside housing will be neighborhoods. These neighborhoods will consist of 50 homes and be instanced but “persistent,” so that “your neighbors can be your neighbors for years to come (or until one of you moves),” Blizzard said. There will be both public neighborhoods and private ones that groups of friends or guilds can create and customize together. Blizzard did not state when exactly players could expect player housing to arrive, but said it will have plenty more details to share in the future. It also emphasized the feature will be an “evergreen addition” to the game, and one that will have its own roadmap and patches reaching into future expansions. As such, Blizzard said housing isn’t something players should expect to be finished when it releases, but one that will instead continually be updated with new content and systems for years to come. The approach Blizzard is taking for player housing in WoW is already quite different from some other modern MMOs. Final Fantasy 14 Online somewhat infamously had its own in-game housing crisis due to houses being in limited supply, with the developers creating a lottery system to determine who would be eligible to acquire a home. Houses that sit unused are reclaimed and put up for *****–something that won’t be the case in WoW. In Amazon’s New World, houses cost a hefty sum of gold. Players must then continually pay taxes on their properties lest they be unable to use them (though those who don’t pay their taxes never lose the home permanently). WoW’s current The War Within expansion is currently in full swing, and its next update will be going full goblin-mode, taking players to the goblin city of Undermine and handing out keys to customizable goblin hot rods for players to drift through the city streets with. The update is expected to release sometime in February or March, though Blizzard has not officially announced a release date. Source link #Housing #WoW #Wont #Exorbitant #Requirements Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Administration Moves Swiftly to Shake Up Top Career Justice Dept. Ranks Trump Administration Moves Swiftly to Shake Up Top Career Justice Dept. Ranks The frenetic speed and scale of leadership changes that the Trump administration has made at the Justice Department in its first eight days indicate the degree to which it intends to remake not just the political direction of the department, but also the makeup of its senior career ranks. Senior officials handling national security and public corruption at the department have been transferred to areas far outside their expertise, as have high-ranking employees overseeing environmental, antitrust and criminal cases. Top officials overseeing the immigration court system were outright fired, as were more than a dozen prosecutors who worked on the two federal criminal investigations into Mr. Trump. Every new administration replaces the political leadership of federal agencies and, over time, changes some of the senior career officials. But what happened in just a matter of days at the department is much different — sloughing off decades of apolitical expertise to new assignments widely seen in the building as punishments likely to result in resignations. Collectively, the early moves suggest a deep distrust of the career, nonpartisan staff that typically makes recommendations to the political appointees on whether to charge cases, negotiate settlements or close cases without taking action. President Trump and his backers have long complained about a “deep state” of career government officials who they believe are hostile to Republican political leadership, and in many ways, the moves are a blitz against key elements of the department’s career leadership. That dynamic was on full display on Monday: The acting attorney general fired prosecutors who worked for the special counsel Jack Smith, many believed to be career officials; the chief of the public corruption unit resigned; and news of the reassignment of the senior-most career official at the department emerged. The chief of the public integrity unit, Corey Amundson, stepped down rather than accept a forced transfer to a new task force focused on part of the new administration’s efforts surrounding immigration enforcement. “I spent my entire professional life committed to the apolitical enforcement of federal criminal law and to ensuring that those around me understood and embraced that central tenet of our work,” he wrote in his resignation letter to the acting attorney general. “I am proud of my service and wish you the best in seeking justice on behalf of the American people.” The department’s top career official, Bradley Weinsheimer, has also been told he will be reassigned, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Weinsheimer, a respected veteran of the department for three decades, played a critical role under multiple administrations, often acting as the final arbiter of ethical issues or interactions that required a neutral referee. If he had remained in his current job, Mr. Weinsheimer would also play a critical role in any recusal recommendations for senior Justice Department officials — a potentially huge and thorny issue given the number of former lawyers Mr. Trump has moved to put in senior roles there. At the Environment and Natural Resources Division, which brings civil and criminal cases to enforce the nation’s environmental protection laws, attorneys have been ordered to freeze all of its efforts, including making no court filings. For the time being, it cannot file new complaints about companies that are breaking environmental laws, lodge or enter consent decrees to wind down such litigation, or move to intervene in other cases. The order has led to early problems because the division was negotiating settlements to existing lawsuits and, in some instances, was required by court order to issue filings, like procedural updates. The changes also targeted some of the career officials who carry the most authority and institutional experience. At least four of the environment division’s section chiefs — nearly half its total — were reassigned last week to a newly created task force focused on going after so-called sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with immigration enforcement as much as the new administration would like. At least two senior leaders from the department’s civil rights division and at least two from its national security division have also been transferred to the sanctuary cities task force so far, as has the former leader of the criminal division’s section that prosecutes public corruption, according to people familiar with the matter. Many of the senior officials who have been reassigned to immigration issues have little to no legal expertise in the field, having dedicated their legal careers to other issues, such as environmental law. They were told that their pay would remain unchanged and that they had up to 15 days to either accept the transfer or face the possibility of being fired. Some of the measures underway at the department — like the reassignment of the head of the public integrity section, or a senior official handling national security investigations — are not entirely surprising. Mr. Trump has made plain his distaste for the Justice Department and the F.B.I. over criminal investigations of him and his allies, referring to them over the years as “*****.” But in the case of some of the reassignments, career officials in the Justice Department find it hard to discern a reason, other than removing people whose legal views carry great weight in the building. Some Justice Department staff members question whether the decisions violate civil service employment rules, particularly in the case of four senior officials in the office that handles immigration cases. Those people were fired outright, according to multiple people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to publicly discuss personnel matters. Current and former Justice Department officials described the convulsive changes as harrowing for those affected. Multiple people last week described tearful discussions with colleagues who were suddenly forced to consider whether to quit, sue or silently accept their new posting. The reassignment of the senior environmental lawyers is viewed by some in the division as effectively decapitating their leadership structure and demoralizing the officials who remain, according to people familiar with the changes who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Andrew Mergen, who retired in 2023 after more than three decades at the division, said that while senior officials were sometimes reshuffled under previous administrations, it was “more as a prerogative of management than sort of as this big political move. So nothing like this has ever happened.” He said he worried that the moves might drive away the department’s institutional expertise. “Everybody who was there the day that Trump walked in had made the choice to work in the Trump administration, and to do their very best,” Mr. Mergen said, warning of the consequences if there were an exodus of career officials. “It will be a loss to the country if these people leave, and if other attorneys in the Justice Department leave.” A spokesman for the environment division declined to comment. The reassignments at the Justice Department have targeted members of the Senior Executive Service — the upper echelon of career employees, who serve directly for the political appointees at agencies. According to the Office of Management and Budget, such employees “are the major link between these appointees and the rest of the federal work force,” because they “operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 federal agencies.” David M. Uhlmann, who was the head of environmental enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency during the Biden administration, said that simply removing those chiefs “is not going to bring the work of government to a screeching halt,” because their deputies can assume their responsibilities. But it did underline the Trump administration’s approach to environmental regulation, he said. “The message it sends is that the Trump administration does not intend to hold polluters accountable and is not concerned about protecting communities from harmful pollution,” Mr. Uhlmann said. The division was also affected by Mr. Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. While it has none, the work of a small Office of Environmental Justice, which officially opened in the Biden administration, dates back to an executive order issued under the Clinton administration that aims to address pollution and health risks that low-income and ********* communities disproportionately experienced. After Mr. Trump revoked that executive order in recent days, the division was told it could not take any steps that would have advanced its goals. And, like others involved with initiatives that promote diversity across the government, career employees of the division who worked for the environmental justice office have been placed on administrative leave, according to people familiar with the moves, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. As part of the administration’s push to freeze hiring across all agencies, the Justice Department has also rescinded job offers to its honors program. And like other agencies, the department has been told to submit a list of all probationary employees to the White House, meaning those who have not yet served long enough in their roles and so are not yet entitled to full protection by civil service laws. It is unclear what officials plan to do with the list, but the request has elicited concern that it would lead to the mass dismissal of relatively new hires. Lisa Friedman and Glenn Thrush contributed reporting. Source link #Trump #Administration #Moves #Swiftly #Shake #Top #Career #Justice #Dept #Ranks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Netflix series more work than film, says De Niro Netflix series more work than film, says De Niro Robert De Niro has said filming for a new Netflix series about cyber warfare was “like doing three features back to back”. The Oscar-winning actor, 81, was an executive producer on Zero Day, which sees him play former US president George Mullen, who is pulled out of retirement amid a cyber attack that has shut down the country’s entire technology infrastructure. Speaking at a London screening, he said: “It is like doing three features back to back.” He added: “Jesse (Plemons) and I were talking about it, and he was saying, ‘Television’s a little different, you know?’ “And I kind of saw what he meant as time went on. “It’s just that there was a schedule, a very tight thing for me, I was in most of it (the film), and so I had to keep up with everything, even (something) as simple as knowing the lines. “So, I likened it to being in the English Channel, swimming to England from France, looking behind me and not seeing France, looking ahead and not seeing England. “I gotta keep going, otherwise I’m going to sink.” The six-episode series has been co-created by Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim and stars Breaking Bad actor Plemons as Roger Carlson, George Mullen’s former aide, and Mean Girls actress Lizzy Caplan as Alexandra Mullen, a young congresswoman from New York. The political thriller begins with a “zero-day event” which shuts down air traffic control, railroad crossings, subway signals, banking, communication, and other major systems. An ominous message follows from an unknown and unseen enemy saying “this will happen again” before US president Evelyn Mitchell, played by Angela Bassett, calls upon the former president, played by De Niro, to head the Zero Day Commission, charged with finding the designers of the attack. Asked if he had done any research for the film, De Niro said: “Not in a sense, it was basically me reacting in the situation, I didn’t feel that I had to. “I had great people supporting me, Eric, Noah, (executive producer) Michael Schmidt, and technical people. “We had the best advisers we could have had. And so it was there in the script, when I read each episode, I said, ‘This is really good.'” Eric actress Gaby Hoffmann guest stars as Monica Kidder, a controversial Silicon Valley billionaire, with Agents Of Shield star Clark Gregg in a guest role as corporate raider, provocateur, and billionaire Robert Lyndon. The cast ensemble also comprises The White Lotus star Connie Britton, Room star Joan Allen, and Stranger Things actor Matthew Modine. The series was filmed in New York and Washingston DC. De Niro will also star in Netflix film The Whisper Man, a new adaptation of Alex North’s bestselling novel of the same name which will begin production in the spring. Zero Day will be released to the streaming platform on February 20. Source link #Netflix #series #work #film #Niro Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes DLC Roadmap Includes Three Story Expansions Coming Soon Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes DLC Roadmap Includes Three Story Expansions Coming Soon 505 Games has revealed that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will receive three story expansions within the next few months. Each one will cost $8. The first one is called The Chapter of Marisa, launching on February 27. This story revolves around Marisa’s encounter with an enchanted girl who ends up being Marisa’s companion. The two go out on an adventure to uncover the secrets behind the “Child of the Rune.” The second story is The Chapter of Seign, which is launches on March 13. Seign parts ways with Nowa’s troupe to address an issue within the Galdean empire. Here, Seign must conduct a covert mission to find out what really happened inside the empire. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is getting three expansions The last expansion titled, The Chapter of Markus, releases on April 3. Here, Markus, Carrie, and Nowa find a mysterious portal called Menhir’s Distortion. As they go inside of it, they’ll discover a realm beyond their own and learn more about Markus’s past. Eiyuden Chronicle is a spiritual successor to the Suikoden series, with the studio Rabbit & Bear consisting of ex-Konami developers. Hundred Heroes is also getting a sequel despite the creator’s death last year. While Hundred Heroes is a turn-based RPG, its prequel, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a side-scrolling action RPG. Hundred Heroes is available on PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, as well as through Xbox Game Pass. In GameSpot’s Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes review, we said, “Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a retro-JRPG throwback that delivers with great characters, an engaging story, and fun gameplay progression.” Source link #Eiyuden #Chronicle #Heroes #DLC #Roadmap #Includes #Story #Expansions #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]