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Google’s Magic Editor will watermark its AI-tweaked photos Google’s Magic Editor will watermark its AI-tweaked photos Spotting AI’s work can be increasingly difficult as its capabilities and subtleties continue to improve. This continued shift makes labeling AI generated work all the more critical — something that is being done in bits and pieces. The latest development to do so comes from Google, which will now use SynthID technology to mark mages edited using Reimagine in Magic Editor. Google DeepMind launched SynthID in 2023, a technology that allows for imperceptible digital watermarks within any content created with generative AI. The company has previously used it in AI-powered programs such as Lyria, Imagen and Gemini. Now, SynthID will be making its literal mark on Magic Editor. The tool allows users to reimagine their photos by moving, erasing or adding special effects to different aspects of the image. The Reimagine feature is available for anyone 18 or older and on the Pixel 9 or later. Users who click Reimagine can enter a prompt to change bits of the image. Google recommends entering specific, simple phrases, such as “autumn leaves,” and then explore potential options before picking one. The only difference is now that image will have a watermark from SynthID. It’s available for anyone to see by clicking “About this image.” Source link #Googles #Magic #Editor #watermark #AItweaked #photos Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Workers at E.P.A.’s Office of Environmental Justice Are Told They May Be Put on Leave Workers at E.P.A.’s Office of Environmental Justice Are Told They May Be Put on Leave Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice were told in a telephone meeting this week that some of them could soon be placed on administrative leave, according to four people familiar with the matter. The move was seen as the first step in President Trump’s widely expected plan to do away with the office. On his first day back in the White House, he signed an executive order to eliminate all government programs on environmental justice, which are aimed at protecting poor and ********* communities from disproportionate harm from pollution. The people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation, said that it included the office’s roughly 100 staff members who report to E.P.A. headquarters in Washington. They were told by Theresa Segovia, the agency’s acting assistant administrator of environmental justice, that the agency was “moving forward with complying” with that executive order, the people said. The steps involved would mirror those recently taken to place federal workers in diversity, equity and inclusion programs on administrative leave, the people said. The E.P.A. employees on the call were not told which or how many people would be placed on leave, but were told that staff members would be notified individually. The people said they expected that the notifications were “imminent.” Many of the agency’s additional 100 or so environmental justice employees who work in its regional offices around the country are expected to be the next in line to be placed on administrative leave, said these people. An online screening and mapping tool used by the environmental justice office, called “EJScreen,” had been taken down as of Thursday morning. Earlier this week, the E.P.A. notified about 1,100 career employees who had been hired in the past year and had probationary status that they could be “fired immediately.” That number appeared likely to include a large number of employees of the office of environmental justice, which was created in 2022 under the Biden administration. Asked to confirm the plan to put employees on leave, Molly Vaseliou, an agency spokeswoman, responded by email: “If we have something to announce, we’ll let you know.” Mr. Trump’s advisers have proposed plans to dismantle other parts of the E.P.A., which is charged with protecting the nation’s public health by regulating pollution that harms the air, water and climate. The agency’s Office of Environmental Justice grew out of decades of efforts within the agency to incorporate civil rights with environmental protection. The office’s work has focused in part on ensuring that air, water and chemical safety regulations, many of which affect the profits of electric utilities, automakers and other big companies, are inscribed with provisions that try to mitigate the impact of environmental damage to poorer and ********* communities. It is also charged with enforcing portions of the Civil Rights Act. Source link #Workers #E.P.A.s #Office #Environmental #Justice #Told #Put #Leave Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House Democrats push security probe of Elon Musk's team – Reuters House Democrats push security probe of Elon Musk's team – Reuters House Democrats push security probe of Elon Musk’s team ReutersMusk associates sought to use critical Treasury payment system to shut down USAID spending, emails show CNNElon Musk barred from accessing US Treasury payments data Financial TimesMusk’s DOGE granted access to US Medicare and Medicaid systems Reuters Source link #House #Democrats #push #security #probe #Elon #Musk039s #team #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All New Destiny 2 Heresy Weapons All New Destiny 2 Heresy Weapons The final Destiny 2 Episode, Heresy, is now live, bringing with it plenty of new additions. There have been tweaks to the subclasses, meaning that crafting the best Destiny 2 builds has changed all over again. What use is a great build without some fun new weapons to wield alongside it, though? We’ve got a full list of all of the new guns added to Destiny 2 for Heresy. Destiny 2 Heresy Exotics Lodestar Exotic trace rifle Lodestar This Arc Exotic Trace Rifle fires a low-intensity Starlight Beam and boasts enhanced stability and accuracy. Dealing Arc damage from any source will align the weapon’s battery coils. When alignment is complete, press your alternate weapon action button to disengage the safety. This will enable a hip-fired Starlight Beam to apply Jolt to any targets damaged for a short time. You can slow the rate at which the battery drains by aiming down the weapon’s sights. This new Exotic can be obtained in the season pass, and its Arc energy means it’s a perfect pairing for the Arc adjustments that have been made for all classes. Finality’s Auger This Solar Linear Fusion Rifle is the Exotic you can get from completing the Sundered Doctrine dungeon. Its Ruinscribe’s Forge perk allows you to hold your alternate weapon action button to fire a special projectile that will deploy a Ruinscribe Turret. This costs three ammo to fire, and can be aimed towards the sky to provide the best and clearest sightlines for the turret. When deployed, the turret will automatically shoot at nearby enemies. While the turret is deployed, Finality’s Auger can paint targets with its laser projectiles, making the turret prioritize those painted targets, firing more powerful rounds at them. You can use the alternate weapon action button to trigger the laser fire mode on or off. While this weapon isn’t yet viewable in-game, you can expect to see it following the first completion of the new dungeon. Barrow-Dyad Exotic submachine gun Barrow-Dyad One of the most interesting-looking weapons in Destiny 2 to date, not much is yet known about Barrow-Dyad. It was revealed during the Heresy broadcast on Bungie’s channels, and seems to be an overpowered Strand SMG. Its intrinsic perk, Panic Response, means that it generates Blight by dealing damage to enemies. When not firing, Blight depletes, and the magazine is refilled automatically. Reloading manually will convert the stored Blight into Blighted Seekers, which hunt down enemies and deal Strand damage when bouncing between multiple foes. Taken Divergence, another of Barrow-Dyad’s perks, grants large amounts of Blight if you hit three or more targets in rapid succession. While it’s not yet known how you grab this weapon, we’d place our bets on it making an appearance during one of Heresy’s Exotic missions. The Destiny 2 Heresy seasonal weapons Destiny 2 Heresy seasonal weapons There are four new weapons available to get through Heresy Act 1’s seasonal activity, The Nether. Adamantite Adamantite is a Strand Auto Rifle capable of healing allies and injuring enemies. Dealing damage to targets will build a restorative charge that can be deployed at an ally to heal them by hip firing. Rapid healing will also increase the weapon damage of your ally, and spawn additional Unraveling projectiles that will seek out and injure nearby foes. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Reciprocity Slice Unrelenting Subsistence Ensemble Demolitionist Pugilist In its second perk slot it can roll with: Elemental Honing Hatchling Circle of Life Tear Attrition Orbs Frenzy Kill Clip Psychopomp One of the catchier names of the new weapons, Psychopomp is an Arc Grenade Launcher with burst-fire projectiles. Each one creates a lingering pool on impact that deals damage over time–think Witherhoard, but without taking up an Exotic weapon slot. In this way, it’s reminiscent of Lost Signal which behaves similarly, and was added during Episode: Echoes. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Envious Arsenal Eddy Current Ambitious Assassin Feeding Frenzy Pugilist Stats for All Threat Detector In its second perk slot it can roll with: Harmony Elemental Honing Frenzy Full Court Rolling Storm Demolitionist Unrelenting Watchful Eye Watchful Eye sits in the Power weapon slot, and is an Arc Machine Gun. It rolls with Aggressive Frame, meaning it has high damage at the sacrifice of high recoil. Aside from that, it seems to be your run-of-the-mill Destiny 2 Machine Gun. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Overflow Dynamic Sway Reduction Mulligan Wellspring Hip-Fire Grip Field Prep Eddy Current In its second perk slot it can roll with: Jolting Feedback Rolling Storm Killing Tally Elemental Honing Surrounded Target Lock Sword Logic Abyssal Edge Abyssal Edge is a Strand Sword that has the Wave Sword Frame intrinsic perk. This means its heavy attack can deploy a shockwave to uppercut and launch you into the air. Immediately following this up with a swing will deploy a strike that homes in on and aggressively seeks out a nearby target. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Energy Transfer Slice Tireless Blade Relentless Strikes Duelist’s Trance Valiant Charge Flash Counter In its second perk slot it can roll with: Hatchling Elemental Honing En Garde Sword Logic Redirection Surrounded Demolitionist Destiny 2 Heresy Trials of Osiris weapons Destiny 2 Heresy – Trials of Osiris weapons Keen Thistle This Solar Sniper Rifle is brand new to the game, and comes with the Aggressive Frame perk: high damage, but high recoil. As with all Trials of Osiris weapons, it has an Adept version. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Snapshot Sights Lone Wolf Under Pressure Incandescent Envious Arsenal Slickdraw Triple Tap In its second perk slot it can roll with: Opening Shot Closing Time Discord Bait and Switch Moving Target Vorpal Weapon Fourth Times the Charm Exalted Truth Exalted Truth is a reprised weapon with brand-new perks. The Void Hand Cannon can only be obtained during Trials of Osiris, and like all Trials weapons, it has an Adept version. In its first perk slot it can roll with: Slideshot Lone Wolf Destabilizing Rounds Moving Target Zen Moment Keep Away Withering Gaze In its second perk slot it can roll with: Eye of the Storm Opening Shot Precision Instrument Magnificent Howl One for All Repulsor Brace Resounding fusion rifle Destiny 2 Heresy Ritual Weapons Some of these weapons are brand new for Heresy, including the Void rocket sidearm Lotus-Eater and the first Legacy PR-55 Frame Pulse to be added since 2021, Redrix’s Estoc. However, you might recognize some of the others as reprised or remastered weapons: Lotus-Eater – Void Rocket Sidearm The Palindrome – Arc Hand Cannon Cynosure – Strand Rocket Launcher Backfang – Arc Glaive Joxer’s Longsword – Void Pulse Rifle Redrix’s Estoc – Stasis Pulse Rifle Resounding – Strand Fusion Rifle All new Destiny 2 Heresy weapon perks As has been the case during Destiny 2’s episodic format, there are new perks being added to the game for Heresy. The new weapon perks are: Demoralize – Precision final blows Weaken nearby targets. Cooldown between activations is reduced. Detonator Beam – Dealing sustained damage creates an explosion around the target. Elemental Honing – Dealing unique elemental damage grants this weapon a stacking damage bonus for an improved duration which is increased further for Kinetic weapons. Melee Momentum – Melee final blows grant this weapon additional bonus energy and provide increased movement speed while blocking. Reciprocity – When healing projectiles meet allies, you also receive more healing. Recycled Energy – Reloading after defeating enemies grants increased energy to your lowest charged ability. Rolling Storm – Final blows grant Bolt Charge. While Amplified, final blows grant an additional Bolt Charge. Tear – Precision final blows cause nearby targets to become Severed, and reduces cooldown between activations. There are also new origin traits being added to the game. These are exclusive to the Vault of Glass, Seasonal, and reprised Season of Arrivals weapons. They are: Timelost Magazine – Exclusive to Vault of Glass. Final blows with this weapon grant bonus Super energy. When your Super expires, this weapon’s magazine size is doubled for a long duration and reloads from reserves. Willing Vessel – Exclusive to Seasonal activity. Dealing damage or defeating targets with this weapon gradually grants increased stability, handling, reload speed, and charge rate. This effect gradually decreases over time, but is gained more quickly while near allies. Paracausal Fluid – Exclusive to reprised Season of Arrivals weapons. Gain bonus handling and mobility when damaging targets with this weapon. Swords gain an increased charge rate while this perk is active. Now you’ve got the lowdown on all of the new and reprised weapons being added to the game in Heresy, check out the Destiny 2 Star Wars collaboration, and everything it includes. Source link #Destiny #Heresy #Weapons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Kennedy Says He Will Give HPV Vaccine Lawsuit Proceeds to His Son Kennedy Says He Will Give HPV Vaccine Lawsuit Proceeds to His Son “When you were confronted about this accusation, you said you were, quote, not a church boy, and that you, quote, have so many skeletons in my closet. You then texted Miss Cooney an apology and indicated you had no memory of what you described,” Ms. Murray said, asking pointedly whether he had made ******* advances. “No, I did not,” Mr. Kennedy said. He added that the account had been debunked, without offering information to substantiate his claim. Ms. Murray asked why he had apologized. “I apologized for something else,” he replied. (In the text, whose contents were reported by news organizations including The Times in July, Mr. Kennedy wrote, “I have no memory of this incident, but I apologize sincerely for anything I ever did that made you feel uncomfortable or anything I did or said that offended you or hurt your feelings.”) Ms. Murray pressed on, asking Mr. Kennedy if there were “any other instances where you have made ******* advances toward an individual without their consent? Just yes or no.” “No,” Mr. Kennedy replied. In the answers he submitted on Friday, he did not specify the type of settlement he had reached, or the nature of the “misconduct or inappropriate behavior” of which he was accused. In an email statement to The Times on Friday, Ms. Murray recalled the exchange over the babysitter, and said that Mr. Kennedy was “patently unfit” to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. “His answers to the finance committee are deeply troubling — the American people deserve answers, and senators must have them before a vote is held on his nomination,” the statement said. Source link #Kennedy #Give #HPV #Vaccine #Lawsuit #Proceeds #Son Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Administration Prioritizes High-Birthrate Areas for Transportation Funds Trump Administration Prioritizes High-Birthrate Areas for Transportation Funds The day after Sean Duffy was confirmed as President Trump’s transportation secretary, he signed a memo dictating how federal transportation funds should be allocated. The list of new criteria included one directive that stood out: All of the department’s grant and loan programs should prioritize projects in “communities with marriage and birthrates higher than the national average,” to the extent allowed by law. It is not unusual for new administrations to apply different standards to funds that their agencies hand out. But some advocacy groups and policy experts said they found the move puzzling and were unsure how it connected to the Trump administration’s overall transportation goals. In a statement, the Transportation Department said the order would help advance Mr. Trump’s agenda “to support economic development and strengthen American families by focusing on real, measurable benefits rather than ideological considerations.” The department did not respond to requests for further comment. Some conservatives, including Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have fixated on America’s declining birthrate, viewing it as catastrophic for the national economy as retired people start to outnumber younger workers, and reflective of eroding family values. But it remains unclear how directing more transportation funding to areas with higher birth and marriage rates would reverse the trend. “It’s hard to know what sort of transportation policy would promote fertility or marriage,” said Scott Winship, the director of the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “You could imagine that someone might think if we had more bike lanes people might have more kids, but there’s just not good evidence that any of that is going to be effective.” Prioritizing areas with higher birthrates would, however, send more federal funding to Republican states. South Dakota, Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and Texas are among the states with the highest fertility rates, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States that have the lowest fertility rates include Vermont, Oregon, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, none of which voted for Mr. Trump in the 2024 election. “Clearly this is helping red states,” said Phillip Levine, an economics professor at Wellesley College who has studied the topic of falling U.S. birthrates. Marriage rates are less correlated with partisan leanings. States with the highest marriage rates include Nevada and Hawaii, which fall on opposite sides of the partisan divide, although red states like Montana, Utah and Arkansas also top the list, according to C.D.C. data. Even if the policy does not result in more babies being born, directing transportation dollars to areas with higher birth and marriage rates could help parents in those places, Mr. Levine said. Brad Wilcox, a senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, noted that the new criteria would effectively prioritize suburban highway projects, rather than urban public transit — something he viewed as a positive for growing families, since many find raising children in cities to be difficult. “This policy will reorient transportation dollars to lower-density communities where there are more single-family homes, family life is often more affordable, and family formation is higher,” Dr. Wilcox wrote in an email. “I think we can expect many more creative family policy moves of this kind from this administration.” Conservatives praised the department’s new guidance. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation think tank, called it a “fantastic move.” “This is exactly the kind of pro-family policy we need to put children, parents, and marriage back at the center of politics,” Mr. Roberts wrote on the social platform X. “It’s time to Make America Kid-Friendly Again.” Some transportation policy researchers said they were not sure if the change would help direct funding to areas that could benefit most from federal transportation funding. “It’s extremely unusual,” said Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who specializes in infrastructure policy. “We don’t know if this aligns at all with the places most in need of federal support.” The Transportation Department was authorized roughly $600 billion as part of a 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill, which President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed into law. The bulk of those funds is directly distributed to states, but the department was also given billions of dollars to dole out as competitive grants. The Biden administration’s priorities included making transportation infrastructure more resilient to climate change, investing in disadvantaged neighborhoods and increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists as well as drivers. For instance, the administration rolled out a $4 billion program that sought to reconnect communities of color that had been split by highways. Mr. Duffy’s memo will likely reorient the allocation of funds to different places and for different purposes. The memo also directed the department to give preference to projects that “require local compliance or cooperation with federal immigration enforcement” and to direct funding to places designated as federal opportunity zones. It also criticized the use of the “social cost of carbon,” a metric that quantifies the damage from climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions, when considering where to invest, and required the use of cost-benefit analysis, which may minimize concerns around environmental impact and racial equity. Ben Casselman contributed reporting. Source link #Trump #Administration #Prioritizes #HighBirthrate #Areas #Transportation #Funds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 factors keeping the US strong despite policy uncertainty 3 factors keeping the US strong despite policy uncertainty Goldman Sachs Investment Strategy Group head of tactical asset allocation Brett Nelson joins Catalysts to analyze market (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) dynamics amid ongoing political policy uncertainty. Nelson highlights the Trump administration’s diverging economic approach, noting “market-friendly” policies like tax cuts and deregulation while acknowledging potential challenges with immigration and tariff strategies. “It’s really a question of how far that dial is turned in either direction,” he tells Yahoo Finance, describing market-friendly options as “the cornerstone” of the administration’s economic strategy. Nelson emphasizes the United States’s unique global economic position, noting it remains the wealthiest country with the deepest financial markets. “It’s the only country in the world that has all three of those characteristics,” he explains, arguing that these advantages transcend individual administrations and will continue regardless of uncertainty. “These are things that are likely to persist regardless of the headline noise we get around tariffs,” Nelson concludes, expressing continued confidence in market growth for the year. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Angel Smith Source link #factors #keeping #strong #policy #uncertainty Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PSN Store “PlayStation Indies” Kicks Off, Here Are the Discounted Games PSN Store “PlayStation Indies” Kicks Off, Here Are the Discounted Games z2g20h ago(Edited 20h ago) I’m confident no one will agree with me, but I only finish about 1/3 to 1/2 the single player games I buy. They’re often times too long and not varied enough to hold my interest after a certain point. There are exceptions of course, but I find myself playing online multiplayer games more and more, simply because I’m competitive and it’s just more exciting to me. Helldivers,Gran turismo mp, Forza ms live events, heist missions on gta etc… that’s where I’ve been having the most fun. Time flies. Source link #PSN #Store #PlayStation #Indies #Kicks #Discounted #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

C.D.C. Site Restores Some Purged Files After ‘Gender Ideology’ Ban Outcry C.D.C. Site Restores Some Purged Files After ‘Gender Ideology’ Ban Outcry On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention purged from its website thousands of pages that included terms such as “transgender,” “L.G.B.T.” and “pregnant person,” to comply with an executive order barring any material that promoted “gender ideology.” By Monday, some of the pages had reappeared, in part in response to intense media coverage, backlash from the scientific community and concern for the public’s health, according to a senior official with knowledge of the matter. The purge had also swept up vaccine information statements, which must be given to patients before they can be immunized; guidelines for contraception; and several pages on how race and racism affect health outcomes. Also removed was a database containing 20 years of H.I.V. data that doctors rely on to determine whether a pregnant woman lives in an area of high H.I.V. prevalence and should be tested for the virus in her third trimester. Some of these resources were also reinstated, but the return was not entirely smooth. Charts and tables in the H.I.V. database could be reached through a Google search, for instance, but the C.D.C.’s own portal remained broken. C.D.C. employees are “fully and completely implementing the executive order,” said a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. But “historical data, articles, and clinical guidelines continue to be available,” the official said. “That essentially is how this is being applied.” The shake-up accompanied two other directives also aimed at expunging information on certain topics. C.D.C. scientists were ordered late on Friday to withdraw any pending publications, at any scientific journal, that mention the forbidden terms, according to an email viewed by The New York Times. Separately, a directive prohibiting C.D.C. employees from holding scientific meetings or communicating with other organizations or the public was indefinitely extended on Saturday, when it was expected to lapse, according to another email obtained by The Times. “I am very fearful and I am very angry about what is happening right now,” said Dr. Ina Park, an expert in H.I.V. and other ********* transmitted infections at the University of California, San Francisco. The directive also targeted pages on other government websites, including a webpage on Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, under the aegis of the Health and Human Services Department. That provision forbids “discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, ******* orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities.” It, too, was back online on Monday. The C.D.C.’s recommendations are the bedrock of clinical practice in the United States. Every hospital’s procedural manuals are filled with the agency’s documents, and clinicians regularly refer to the recommendations, on the website or through the agency’s app. Now, however, searching for some terms leads to a dead link or to pages that have been stripped of key details, or the search yields a suggestion to explore another topic instead. For instance, a search for the word “abortion” suggests that the user “also try: adoption.” Some pages — for instance, those on transgender health — were expected to remain absent because they might promote “gender ideology.” “I have no idea what that term means,” said Dr. Richard Besser, who served as acting director of the C.D.C. in 2009. “We’re not talking here about ideology — we’re talking about public health,” he added. “We’re talking about people whose lives are being put at risk.” The disappearance of the pages is already affecting medical care. In Washington State, Dr. Tim Menza, a medical director for King County’s ******* health clinic, worried that hard-won progress against early ********* in gay and ********* men would be lost. Dr. Jessica Weyer, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Concord, N.H., said she could not guide her patients’ choice of contraception without access to the complex eligibility criteria. For instance, the guidelines for birth control include recommendations for patients with various medical conditions. They also list drug interactions that must be taken into account and give providers information on newer methods like ******** rings. “If a patient has high blood pressure or migraine headaches, I need to know what’s safe for her,” Dr. Alison Stuebe, an obstetrician-gynecologist in North Carolina, said. The C.D.C. website is ostensibly being altered to comply with Mr. Trump’s executive orders on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and “defending women.” But vaccine information statements and contraception guidelines are unrelated to those orders, Dr. Weyer said. “This just seems like a purposeful removal of important information providing safe contraception, which I view as terrifying,” she said. “It sounds like they want to control women, not defend women.” Although the executive orders did not mention race, several resources on structural racism and health disparities in certain communities also disappeared on Friday. In the United States, race and ethnicity are strongly linked to health. ****** and Native American women are two to three times as likely as white women to die during pregnancy and after childbirth, and their babies face roughly twice the risk of dying before their first birthday. Diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases are also much more prevalent, and life expectancy is lower, among racial and ethnic ********* groups. Information on racial disparities is crucial for helping health care providers to focus on the groups most at risk, said Linda Goler Blount, president of the Women’s ****** Health Imperative, an advocacy group. During the Covid pandemic, she noted, health researchers discovered that pulse oximeter devices, which measure blood oxygen levels, “didn’t work on people with dark skin.” That disparity might have contributed to higher death rates among communities of color. “If we can’t collect data by race, ethnic identity and gender identity, we’re going to see mortality rates increase,” Ms. Blount said. Mr. Trump’s orders purged more than 8,000 web pages across more than a dozen U.S. government websites. In some cases, the executive orders also targeted the work of private citizens. A memo to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which publishes papers from both government and academic researchers, gave employees until 5 p.m. on Friday to scrub the agency’s publication, Patient Safety Network, of terms including “transgender,” “nonbinary,” “L.G.B.T.” and “gender identity.” Among the roughly 20 research papers that were taken down was one from 2022 detailing how clinicians can better identify emergency room patients at risk of suicide. The paper’s lead author, Dr. Gordon Schiff, is the director of quality and safety for the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care; he is not a government scientist. The paper was flagged for a single line: “High risk groups include male sex, being young, veterans, Indigenous tribes, lesbian, gay, *********, transgender, ******/questioning (L.G.B.T.Q.).” Dr. Schiff said he was shocked by the new administration’s “extreme censorship.” “This whole idea that the risk factors or commentary should be based on political ideology rather than data and truth is a pretty scary prospect,” he said. Some experts are exploring the legality of the administration’s deleting content from federal websites and papers written by C.D.C. scientists. But in the case of Dr. Schiff’s paper, the administration clearly crossed the line, said Larry Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Center on Global Health Law. “To me, that’s classic viewpoint censorship in violation of the First Amendment,” Mr. Gostin said. “While the administration may be able to silence government health officials carrying out their official duties, it cannot drag private scientists into its web of censorship,” he added. “And all that censorship for expressing a single word with which the government objects.” Source link #C.D.C #Site #Restores #Purged #Files #Gender #Ideology #Ban #Outcry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Doom runs on an Apple Lightning to HDMI dongle — SoC inside adapter has enough power for smooth gameplay Doom runs on an Apple Lightning to HDMI dongle — SoC inside adapter has enough power for smooth gameplay A developer could hack into the Apple Lightning to HDMI dongle and run Doom directly on the accessory. According to nyan_satan’s comments in the YouTube video (h/t MacRumors), the $49 Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter features a custom Samsung SoC with a 400MHz ARM Cortex-A5 core and 256 MiB of DRAM. The dongle should be enough to run Doom, which requires a 386 processor and 4MB of RAM. Apple put an SoC inside the dongle because the USB 2.0 protocol that Lightning used did not have the bandwidth required to run HDMI. So, it compressed the data from the Lightning device and then used the chip inside the adapter to decompress it for viewing on HDMI displays. The adapter runs a simplified version of iOS, but since it doesn’t have persistent storage, the developer used their MacBook to load firmware with a file system. They also use the laptop’s connection for controls, but aside from that, everything runs directly on the dongle. Although Doom runs well already, nyan_satan said the game has yet to hit 60 FPS on the dongle with proper resolution. However, reimplementing the function that populates frames into the framebuffer can vastly improve performance, allowing the game to reach the desired quality on the Apple accessory. The developer said he plans to release the software behind this Doom project as a package in the future, allowing anyone with a jailbroken iOS device to run it and try it for themselves. In the meantime, he plans to improve it further, like introducing sound output and finding a way to attach a controller to the dongle so you can play Doom without needing a Mac. Doom is popular among many enthusiasts and developers, with the “But can it run Doom?” becoming a fun challenge to port the old game from 1993 to just about anything. And with the increasing power of chips, even the ones found in adapters and accessories, many people are finding ways to do just that. We’ve seen the game run on the Nintendo smart alarm clock and on a neural chip that uses just one mw, and we’ve also encountered ports of the game on the most unexpected of places, like a Microsoft Word document, a PDF file, and even a Captcha. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Doom #runs #Apple #Lightning #HDMI #dongle #SoC #adapter #power #smooth #gameplay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Wall Street analysts cheer greater clarity around MicroStrategy’s bitcoin acquisition methods Wall Street analysts cheer greater clarity around MicroStrategy’s bitcoin acquisition methods Bitcoin treasury pioneer MicroStrategy’ s upbeat financial results Wednesday night has invigorated Wall Street about the direction of its unique crypto bet. The fourth quarter was “one for the record books,” said Canaccord Genuity’s Joseph Vafi. The company, which will now be known as Strategy, announced its name and logo change along with the results. During the quarter, it made its largest-ever increase in bitcoin holdings, adding 195,250 bitcoins. The company reached a BTC yield of 48% in the fourth quarter, compared with 5.1% in the third quarter. It also got ahead of schedule on its three-year plan to raise $42 billion – $21 billion in equity and $21 billion in fixed income – and buy an equivalent amount in bitcoin. In the fourth quarter, it issued $16.7 billion in equity – about 80% of the $21 billion target – and $3.6 billion in fixed income securities. Management said that as a result, the company will emphasize fixed income issuance this year. “While some may see the company’s BTC acquisition strategy as risky, we see an emerging and rational cadence to acquisition activity here: exploiting periods of very high demand with heightened acquisition activity, while still consistently being buyers during periods of more normalized demand,” Vafi said. The company also introduced two new metrics to gauge its ability to acquire bitcoin in an accretive manner: BTC Gain, which is the number of bitcoins the company has at the beginning of a ******* multiplied by the BTC yield for the *******; and BTC $Gain, which takes the BTC Gain metric and translates its value into dollars based on the market price of bitcoin as 4 p.m. ET on the last day of the quarter. Strategy guided to $10 billion of BTC $Gain for 2025, compared with $13 billion last year. “Given the significant number of BTCs that MSTR holds, the BTC gain of $10bn is nominally very large,” said Mizuho’s Dan Dolev, who has an outperform rating on the stock. “This is evidence of MSTR’s first mover advantage and scale relative to other companies that may attempt to deploy similar BTC strategies.” Cantor Fitzgerald’s Brett Knoblauch noted the company would need to raise about $19 billion at a premium of 110%, which he said is doable. “With our view that 2025 will be a good year for bitcoin (both seasonality and regulatory/political tailwinds), we believe this is feasible,” he said. “If we treat BTC $Gain as earnings, MSTR would currently be trading at less than 10x earnings, which we argue is what a lot of the Street is missing about MSTR’s capital markets flywheel.” Knoblauch reiterating his overweight rating on the stock and raised his price target to $619 from $613. Cannacord’s Vafi maintained his buy rating but lowered his price target to $409 from $510. —CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting. Source link #Wall #Street #analysts #cheer #greater #clarity #MicroStrategys #bitcoin #acquisition #methods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s Gaza Plan Has Many Pitfalls, ****** Among the Biggest Trump’s Gaza Plan Has Many Pitfalls, ****** Among the Biggest President Trump took the world aback with his declaration that the United States was going to “own” Gaza and move out the Palestinians there to build “the Riviera of the Middle East.” As unrealistic and bizarre as it may seem, Mr. Trump was pointing to a serious challenge: the future of Gaza as a secure, peaceful, even prosperous place. A former French ambassador to Washington, Gérard Araud, put the dilemma neatly. “Trump’s proposal for Gaza is met with disbelief, opposition and sarcasm, but as he often does, in his brutal and clumsy way, he raises a real question: What to do when two million civilians find themselves in a field of ruins, full of explosives and corpses?” That is an issue Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has always dodged. He has refused to engage on the question of who will rule Gaza after the conflict, largely because it would undermine his governing coalition, which depends on far-right parties that want to resettle Gaza with Israelis. As outlandish and unworkable as Mr. Trump’s proposal on Tuesday may seem, it is “no less than an historic resetting of decades of received diplomatic wisdom,” said Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser. However unrealistic, he said, “it may force the sides to reconsider long-held positions, stir things up dramatically and lead to new openings.” What Mr. Trump described — the forced relocation of two million Palestinians from Gaza to countries like Egypt and Jordan that are fiercely opposed to taking them — is not going to happen, said Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London. “Trump is a man who doesn’t want new military commitments, and now he wants to move two million people who don’t want to go to places that don’t want them,” he said. “But Trump picks up on a real problem, about how to reconstruct Gaza. The important thing with Trump is to pick out the real issues and deflect the stupid ones.” In his news conference, Mr. Trump failed to discuss one of the biggest problems with his dream: ******, the armed ************ group devoted to the destruction of Israel. ****** set off the war that has devastated Gaza and killed nearly 50,000 ************ civilians and combatants, with the Oct. 7, 2023, attack it led on Israel. Despite vowing to destroy ****** and dismantle its control over Gaza, Israel has not achieved either goal, leading key far-right members of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition to demand that the war continue after Phase 1 of the current cease-fire. Mr. Trump has made it clear he does not want the fighting to begin again, but he also seems to have no answer to how to dislodge ****** from Gaza, a precondition for getting help from many Arab governments to rebuild the enclave. The idea of American troops fighting and dying in Gaza seems implausible from a president who has wanted to pull them out of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Keeping the peace to allow reconstruction and resettlement to take place would probably involve tens of thousands of American troops for perhaps a decade or more. Trump officials were backtracking on some of his proposals on Wednesday, saying that any population transfer would be temporary. But ****** has made it clear it is going nowhere, and presumably it would fight American troops as it fought Israeli ones. As Basem Naim, a member of the group’s political bureau, said in a statement denouncing the Trump proposal, what Mr. Netanyahu failed to do with the support of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. — “to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip” in “carrying out genocide against our people” — “no new administration will succeed in implementing.” Michael Milshtein, an Israeli analyst of ************ affairs, said that in discussions with Jordanian, Egyptian, Gulf Arab and ************ colleagues, “no one even wants to discuss this deal, because there will be no readiness of ****** to evacuate Gaza, and I cannot find one Arab country or leader willing to accept the Palestinians.” Even if nothing comes of Mr. Trump’s proposal, just floating it now is threatening the stability of Jordan and Egypt, two crucial allies in the Middle East with the longest history of diplomatic relations with Israel and, thus, is “strategically incomprehensible,” said Tom Phillips, a former British ambassador to Israel and Saudi Arabia. Jordan already is more than half ethnic ************, and for King Abdullah, who will meet with Mr. Trump next week, to accept more ************ refugees “would undermine the kingdom and be the end of the king,” Mr. Milshtein said, a judgment echoed by many. Already, many Jordanians are suspicious that there is “a Zionist conspiracy” to annex the occupied West Bank and create a ************ state out of Jordan, he and Mr. Phillips said. Egypt may have more acreage and is in desperate need of American financial aid, but its president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is a fierce opponent of Islamist radicalism, which he has tried to stamp out brutally in the Sinai, and of the ******* Brotherhood, of which ****** is a part. The notion that he would allow “hundreds of thousands of people supporting ****** into Egypt” is unthinkable, Mr. Milshtein said. Even at the height of the fighting, Mr. el-Sisi created a walled-off area near the border with Gaza in case Gazans were pressed into Egypt, to prevent them from going any farther. And Egypt, which considers itself the most important Arab country, would not want to be seen as being pushed around by Washington. Christoph Heusgen, a former ******* ambassador to the United Nations who leads the Munich Security Conference, recalled that Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, talked of Gaza as great real estate last year, but then suggested resettling Gazans in Israel, in the Negev. Arab countries will simply refuse a population transfer, he said, “and the only other way is military force, and that’s genocide.” The Saudis are demanding a ************ state that Mr. Netanyahu opposes, and Mr. Trump “says he wants out of conflicts,” not to send American troops into another one, Mr. Heusgen said. “It seems dead on arrival,” he said. There has been serious diplomatic conversation, begun under Mr. Biden, of some sort of international grouping to oversee Gaza and its reconstruction that would involve officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other countries under the aegis, at least, of the weak ************ Authority of Mahmoud Abbas. That presumes that ****** will no longer be in control. But ****** has no intention of giving up its control or its aims, let alone disarming. It has expressed willingness to create an “administrative committee” to rule Gaza with other parties, including Arab countries and the ************ Authority, expanding on an Egyptian initiative. Such a committee is thought to be only a cosmetic cover that allows ****** to retain control of security while reducing its responsibility for civilian governance. Mr. Trump was silent on the future of an independent ************ state, which has become a crucial demand of Saudi Arabia after the destruction and death in Gaza. The Saudis were quick to oppose Mr. Trump’s plan in a statement overnight, and made it clear that any normalization with Israel, as Mr. Trump wants to promote, is dependent on concrete steps toward a viable independent ************ state, including Gaza. That is exactly the outcome that Mr. Netanyahu has vowed to prevent. Simone Ledeen, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East during the first Trump presidency, said Mr. Trump was setting out an initial negotiating stance. This is “a starting position,” she said. “It’s a negotiation — it’s the Middle East.” Mr. Trump’s success in helping forge the 2020 Abraham Accords — bilateral agreements normalizing relations between Israel and some Gulf States — “hinged on setting aside the paradigm and recognizing that it’s broken,” Ms. Ledeen said, and now he is trying to reset the conversation. Mr. Trump spoke of American troops, she said, but “he’s left the door open for other parties to participate or take it over.” Still, there remains enormous skepticism in the region about Washington’s ability to build statehood in the Middle East, after American failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, or about its willingness to stay the course over many years. The Trump proposal also overshadowed the real and present problem in Gaza: whether Israel and ****** will succeed in moving past this first phase of their cease-fire agreement to the much tougher second phase, which would involve Israeli concessions that Mr. Netanyahu has been so far unwilling to make. His coalition partners have vowed to bring down the government if he makes them and effectively ends the war with ****** still standing. Whether Mr. Trump, by his proposal, has helped Mr. Netanyahu assuage his partners remains to be seen — as well as whether Mr. Trump keeps the pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to make that deal regardless of the political cost. Source link #Trumps #Gaza #Plan #Pitfalls #****** #Among #Biggest Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Democrats zero in on Musk as a way to attack Trump – POLITICO Democrats zero in on Musk as a way to attack Trump – POLITICO Democrats zero in on Musk as a way to attack Trump POLITICODemocrats focus on Elon Musk as they search for a message to fight Trump The Washington PostDemocrats mobilize to take on Musk after weeks of struggling to find a message CNN Source link #Democrats #Musk #attack #Trump #POLITICO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Doodle Jump 2+ brings the hit platformer to Apple Arcade, out now Doodle Jump 2+ brings the hit platformer to Apple Arcade, out now Doodle Jump 2+ is one of the latest additions to Apple Arcade The sequel to the hit mobile platformer it brings more mechanics and worlds to explore Beat your friends’ high scores, collect stars and conquer new and exciting challenges Back in the day, one of the top platformers to grace mobile was, I think we can all agree, Doodle Jump. With charming, inoffensive graphics and some genuinely challenging gameplay, it was a great time, and its sequel delivered even more so. Now if you haven’t had the chance to try it yet you can do so right as Doodle Jump 2+ comes to Apple Arcade! Doodle Jump is simple, deceptively so. You leap from platform to platform in a scribbled-out world while evading enemies and obstacles. Functionally, it’s not that different from the original (a great platformer in its own right) but in Doodle Jump 2 you’ll have access to a whole new suite of worlds to explore. Whether that’s exploring a Cavemen world packed with prehistoric creatures and obstacles, diving into the earth with the Mysterious miner world to nab yourself some gold, or even Space world and its moon cheese platforms, aliens and rockets. And, of course, being on Apple Arcade it’s all completely free! Well, if you’re subscribed, that is. Jump for it With its numerous spin-offs and pedigree on mobile, although Doodle Jump may not have become the flagship release of some world-spanning studio, I think it has a fond place in the hearts of many players. Admittedly, it’s a long time for it to be coming to mobile, with Doodle Jump 2 having launched all the way back in 2020, but it’s better late than never, right? Plus, if you sign up, there are plenty of other excellent games to enjoy. And if you’re looking for more top launches on mobile, look no further. Just take a gander at the latest entry in our regular feature offering you the top five new mobile games to try this week! Featuring the best launches from the last seven days in virtually every genre. Source link #Doodle #Jump #brings #hit #platformer #Apple #Arcade Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chris Wright Is Confirmed as Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Is Confirmed as Secretary of Energy The Senate confirmed Chris Wright to lead the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday, putting the former oil executive in a key position to help shape President Trump’s energy policies. Mr. Wright, the founder and chief executive of Liberty Energy, a fracking firm, was confirmed by a vote of 59 to 38, with support from all Republicans present and a smaller number of Democrats. He would be the 17th secretary of energy, a position that was created in 1977. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Wright said his top priority was to “unleash” domestic energy production, including liquefied natural gas and nuclear power. He also told Democrats that he believed climate change was a “global challenge that we need to solve” and that he would support the development of renewable energy like wind and solar power. At the same time, Mr. Wright said he would “work tirelessly” to support Mr. Trump’s “bold” energy agenda. The president has frequently dismissed climate change as a hoax, disparaged wind and solar power and said he wants to expand the use of oil, gas and coal, the burning of which is driving climate change. The Energy Department plays a central role in developing new energy technologies. The agency oversees a network of 17 national laboratories that conduct cutting-edge research as well as a powerful loan office that has backed dozens of low-carbon energy projects, including battery factories in Ohio and Tennessee and two giant nuclear reactors in Georgia. Mr. Wright would also oversee approvals of liquefied gas export terminals, which the Biden administration tried to slow, angering industry groups. Mr. Trump has already ordered the Energy Department to restart reviews of proposed export facilities. The Energy Department is a sprawling agency. About 80 percent of the department’s $52 billion annual budget goes toward maintaining the nation’s nuclear arsenal, cleaning up environmental messes from the Cold War and conducting research in areas like high-energy physics. Under the Biden administration, the department aggressively supported new clean energy technologies such as advanced nuclear power, enhanced geothermal energy, green hydrogen fuels, next-generation batteries and more. Backed by new funding from Congress, it issued tens of billions in loans and grants to everything from firms making low-carbon cement to power companies building new transmission lines. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Wright mostly declined to go into details about how he would run the department. Some conservative groups have urged Mr. Wright to reorient or even shutter the agency’s Loan Programs Office, which was given roughly $400 billion in loan authority by Congress to bring promising energy technologies to market. Under the Biden administration, the office finalized more than $60.6 billion in loans and loan guarantees to companies that were mining lithium, restarting a shuttered nuclear plant, converting wind and solar power into hydrogen fuels and more. It also issued $47 billion in conditional loans that have not been finalized. As of Jan. 17, there were still 160 companies seeking more than $200 billion in loans and loan guarantees. But the loan office’s work has largely been paused since Mr. Trump took office, and it is unclear what will happen to those applications. Most major environmental groups and many Democrats opposed Mr. Wright’s confirmation, saying that he downplayed the risks of a warming planet. In a social media post in 2023, Mr. Wright wrote, “There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition, either.” On a podcast last year, he said that climate change would have “a slow-moving, modest impact two or three generations from now.” On podcasts and in speeches, Mr. Wright has frequently made a moral case for fossil fuels, arguing that the world’s poorest people need access to oil, gas and coal to enjoy the benefits of modern life that rich nations take for granted. Still, some Senate Democrats joined Republicans in voting to approve Mr. Wright’s nomination. They included Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, as well as Angus King, an independent from Maine who normally caucuses with Democrats. “While I do not agree with Mr. Wright on a number of issues, he has committed to working with us in good faith” on issues like investing in national labs and building out high-voltage power lines, Mr. Heinrich said last month. Mr. Wright graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and did graduate work on solar energy at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1992, he founded Pinnacle Technologies, which created software to measure the motion of fluid beneath the Earth’s surface. The software helped bring about a commercial shale-gas revolution. Mr. Wright started Liberty Energy in 2011, and the company has worked with others on geothermal energy and small, modular nuclear reactors. Mr. Wright holds 2.6 million shares in the company, which were worth roughly $47 million based on Monday’s closing stock price. In a written statement to the Senate he promised to step down from Liberty Energy and divest his holdings within 90 days after being confirmed. According to his ethics agreement, he is scheduled to get paid his last bonus from the company in March. Lisa Friedman contributed reporting. Source link #Chris #Wright #Confirmed #Secretary #Energy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Morgan Stanley says buy the DeepSeek dip in Nvidia, calls it top pick into earnings Morgan Stanley says buy the DeepSeek dip in Nvidia, calls it top pick into earnings The recent DeepSeek-fueled sell-off in technology stocks has made Nvidia shares ripe for the picking, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Joseph Moore reiterated Nvidia as a top pick and repeated an overweight rating on the stock in a Thursday note to clients. His $152 price target on the dominant maker of arthificial intelligence chips indicates roughly 22% potential upside ahead for the stock, based on Wednesday’s close. “While sentiment has worsened around potential longer term risks, near term business continues to firm, Blackwell supply visibility continues to build [and] customer desire to spend is clearly on display,” Moore wrote. “We remain very optimistic on how the balance of the year plays out.” Nvidia shares have soared nearly 85% over the past year but took a hit after the emergence of ******** AI startup DeepSeek, which used less-efficient Nvidia chips to create an AI model that rivaled OpenAI’s ChatGPT — but at a fraction of the cost American tech hyperscalers are committing to the AI race. DeepSeek bought 10,000 Nvidia A100 chips, first released in 2020, and two generations prior to Nvidia’s current Blackwell chip, before the A100s were restricted for ***** in China in late 2023, according to the Stanford University Cyper Policy Center . The tech sell-off on January 27 led Nvidia to plunge 17%, losing a record amount of market value in one day of any company in history. Nvidia, which will post earnings on Feb. 26, is now down more than 6% this year. NVDA 1Y mountain Nvidia stock performance over past year. According to Moore, DeepSeek creates some headwinds around export controls and longer-term AI investment, but near-term catalysts in the form of Blackwell and Hopper chip solutions for Nvidia remain intact. Demand remains strong for Blackwell and “very promising” signals for future demand came in CoreWeave’s Tuesday announcement that it brought Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 instances to its platform, making it the first cloud service provider to make Blackwell generally available, Moore said. The analyst is also sticking by Nvidia as capital spending commentary from the company’s largest customers reaffirmed their AI investment plans. Nvidia’s cloud customers, for example, remain committed to buying more graphics processing units in an effort to boost revenue, he said. “For the investments that are not generating revenue today there remains an ongoing commitment to advancing the state of the art,” Moore said. “Many of the architects of the largest [Artificial General Intelligence] clusters have reiterated a commitment to scaling out large training clusters with no indication that DeepSeek changes that momentum.” Looking ahead, Moore believes the biggest long-term catalyst for Nvidia goes beyond AI training and taps into the company’s leadership in the inference market, particularly as inference tasks become more complex. Inference refers to a process where a trained AI model applies its knowledge to new data and can make predictions or decisions based on that data. “We remain convinced that Nvidia is the biggest beneficiary of long inference workloads,” he said. Source link #Morgan #Stanley #buy #DeepSeek #dip #Nvidia #calls #top #pick #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snow, sleet, icy rain could cause dangerous driving conditions in Mass. today Snow, sleet, icy rain could cause dangerous driving conditions in Mass. today A messy winter storm packing a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain could cause dangerous driving conditions in Massachusetts on Thursday. Hundreds of schools across the area announced closures due to the forecast. Boston 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear has us on a WEATHER ALERT and the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for nearly all of Massachusetts. Snow will arrive in central and eastern Massachusetts between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and roads will quickly become snow-covered with chilly temperatures in place, Spear noted in her latest weather blog. Mixing with sleet will work north to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Boston around noon, resulting in snowy, icy, and slushy roads across the region. A switch to freezing rain across the state is expected by 3 p.m., likely leading to a slick and slow-going evening commute. “It’s not like we’ve got blockbuster snow totals, we’ve got slippery travel conditions during the afternoon,” Spear said in her latest forecast. Drizzle and freezing drizzle could linger through 6 p.m., according to Spear. “I would say through the evening commute, we’ve got to be real careful on the roads,” Spear warned. A widespread 2 to 4 inches of snow is expected across western and central Massachusetts, south of the Pike through Boston, and north to the New Hampshire line. One to 2 inches of snow is expected on Cape Cod and southern Plymouth and Bristol counties. The Islands will likely see just a coating to 1 inch of snow. Four to 6 inches of snow is on tap for southern New Hampshire. The winter weather advisory in Massachusetts spans 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To stay up to date with the latest forecast, visit the Boston 25 Weather page. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Source link #Snow #sleet #icy #rain #dangerous #driving #conditions #Mass #today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek limits model access due to overwhelming server demand DeepSeek limits model access due to overwhelming server demand DeepSeek recent explosion in popularity continues to be a problem for the AI startup. In a notification spotted by Bloomberg, the company said it was temporarily limiting access to its application programming interface service in response to a shortage of server capacity. “Due to current server resource constraints, we have temporarily suspended API service recharges to prevent any potential impact on your operations,” DeepSeek said. “Existing balances can still be used for calls. We appreciate your understanding!” Separately, DeepSeek announced pricing for its chat model would increase to $0.27 per million input tokens and $1.10 per million output tokens starting February 8. DeepSeek has been dealing with overwhelming demand for its services since the debut of its R1 model on January 20. The company’s emergence as a leading premier AI provider, and the fact it was able to train R1 for a fraction of the price it cost OpenAI to develop its o1 reasoning model, sent US investors into a panic. Major tech stocks, including NVIDIA, shed $1 trillion of value the Monday after DeepSeek’s chatbot hit the top of the App Store. Since then, OpenAI has released its o3-mini model and Deep Research feature for ChatGPT. Source link #DeepSeek #limits #model #access #due #overwhelming #server #demand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NASA’s VIPER Gave Up a Ride to the Moon. This Startup’s Rover Took It. NASA’s VIPER Gave Up a Ride to the Moon. This Startup’s Rover Took It. NASA’s second thoughts about VIPER opened an opportunity for someone else to book that ride to the moon. Just because its cargo was canceled did not mean Astrobotic’s journey was off — it remains scheduled for later this year. And on Wednesday, a small startup named Venturi Astrolab Inc. announced it had claimed that opportunity to accelerate its own lunar rover plans. “We’re excited to get actual wheels in the dirt this year and see how all our tech performs,” Jaret Matthews, the chief executive of Astrolab, said in an interview. (Despite the similar names, the two companies are unrelated.) Many people inside and outside of NASA were perplexed by the cancellation of VIPER, because the rover, while over budget and behind schedule, had been completed. It needed just one more round of testing before it would be ready for launch. NASA officials said that instead, the finished rover would be disassembled. In addition, they said NASA would still pay $323 million to Astrobotic. Thus, canceling the mission would save NASA a relatively paltry amount — $84 million — after it had spent about $800 million. For its fee, Astrobotic would conduct the mission as planned, but the lander spacecraft, known as Griffin, would carry a nonfunctional ****** weight instead of VIPER. NASA officials said that for Astrobotic to perform the landing successfully was in itself a valuable exercise, and that the company was free to sell the payload space on Griffin to another customer if it could, replacing the ****** weight. “We had more than 60 organizations from around the world knock on our door,” said John Thornton, chief executive of Astrobotic. Astrolab, he said, was the best match. “They could move fast,” Mr. Thornton said. “They had a payload that matched the interfaces already for the lander.” The rover that Astrolab will fly on this mission is also roughly the same size as VIPER. Mr. Matthews declined to say how much Astrolab was paying Astrobotic. Astrolab is developing a rover the size of a Jeep Wrangler that could autonomously drive cargo or people across the moon’s surface. The company calls it FLEX, short for Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover. FLEX is much too big and heavy to fit on Astrobotic’s lander. Astrolab has already booked space for FLEX on a future flight of Starship, the gargantuan spacecraft currently under development by SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk. But before sending FLEX to the moon, Astrolab wants to send a smaller, 1,000-pound rover named FLIP — short for FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform — to test technologies like batteries, motors, power systems and communications. A particular goal is studying how to minimize problems caused by particles of lunar dust, which are angular and sharp. The smaller FLIP is the one that Astrobotic’s Griffin will take to the moon. Mr. Matthews said FLIP would also carry a couple of commercial payloads that would be announced later. Despite Astrobotic’s failure last year, Mr. Matthews said he had confidence in Astrobotic. “From our perspective, it’s actually a way to reduce risk for our subsequent missions,” he said. “If we didn’t have full confidence in Astrobotic, we wouldn’t be doing this.” Mr. Thornton said the past year had been one of introspection for the company. “It’s like the old saying, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’” he said. “I think in this case, it really did.” Despite NASA’s efforts to kill VIPER, the rover is not dead nor dismantled yet. NASA asked for and received proposals to continue the mission without additional investments from NASA. The agency expects to make a decision this summer. But with the new Trump administration indicating more interest in Mars than the moon, everything could change soon. Mr. Thornton said Astrobotic was not worrying about that possibility yet. “There’s certainly a lot of conversation in D.C.,” he said. “But right now we’re focused on what NASA has contracted us to do, and that is to deliver Griffin to the surface of the moon.” Mr. Matthews said that if NASA indeed made a sharp turn toward Mars, Astrolab could pivot too. “We’ve always considered ourselves to be a multi-planet business,” he said, “and we would be excited to go to Mars as well.” Source link #NASAs #VIPER #Gave #Ride #Moon #Startups #Rover Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Panama’s leader rejects State Department claim of deal for U.S. warships to traverse Panama Canal for free Panama’s leader rejects State Department claim of deal for U.S. warships to traverse Panama Canal for free Panama City — Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday denied the U.S. State Department’s claim that his country had reached a deal to allow U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal for free. Mulino said he had told U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday that he could neither set the fees to transit the canal nor exempt anyone from them and that he was surprised by the U.S. State Department’s statement suggesting otherwise late Wednesday. “I completely reject that statement yesterday,” Mulino said during his weekly press conference, adding that he had asked Panama’s ambassador in Washington to dispute the State Department’s statement. On Wednesday evening, the U.S. State Department said in a social media post: “U.S. government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the U.S. government millions of dollars a year.” The department had no immediate comment Thursday on Mulino’s remarks. Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino (C) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrive for a meeting at the presidential palace in Panama City, Feb. 2, 2025. MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/POOL/AFP/Getty The Panama Canal Authority put out its own terse statement later Wednesday night saying it had “not made any adjustments” to the fees, adding that it was “willing to establish a dialogue with the pertinent officials from the United States in regards to the transit of U.S. Navy ships.” Mulino said the U.S. statement “really surprises me because they’re making an important, institutional statement from the entity that governs United States foreign policy under the president of the United States based on a falsity. And that’s intolerable.” The differing versions came just days after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mulino and canal administrators and visited the critical trade route. He had carried a message from President Trump that China’s influence at the canal was unacceptable, as the Trump administration makes a push for U.S. control of the canal, which it says it needs for America’s economic security. Trump doesn’t rule out using military force to take control of Panama Canal, Greenland 03:18 The Panama Canal serves as a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. And although the U.S. led the construction of the major waterway that around 40% of the world’s cargo ship traffic now moves through, its control was given to Panama in 1999. In their meeting, Rubio told the Panamanian leader that Mr. Trump had determined that China’s influence on the canal constituted “a threat to the canal and represents a violation of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Mulino has refuted those claims, and he said Thursday that both Panama’s constitution and laws regulating the Canal Authority make clear that neither the government nor the authority can waive fees. “It’s a constitutional limitation,” he said. Source link #Panamas #leader #rejects #State #Department #claim #deal #U.S #warships #traverse #Panama #Canal #free Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bank of England’s Bailey says *** can’t avoid U.S. tariff impact Bank of England’s Bailey says *** can’t avoid U.S. tariff impact Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank Of England, pauses before the start of the Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank Of England on February 6, 2025 in London, England. Kin Cheung – WPA Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images Even if the U.K. is not the “direct recipient” of potential tariffs imposed by the U.S., “it will have an effect,” Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said Thursday. If tariffs are announced, their effect on the global economic growth and inflation would need to be looked at, Bailey told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick. “Now I think that in terms of growth in the world economy, if this will lead to a, you know, fragmentation of the world economy, that is not good for growth,” Bailey said. “The impact on inflation is more ambiguous, because it depends upon what other countries do in response, it depends on what the consequences of those actions and reactions are for trade,” he added. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the U.K. could be in line for tariffs, but has also indicated a deal could potentially be struck. Trump last week announced tariffs on goods imported from China, Canada and Mexico, before pausing planned duties on imports from the two latter economies. Bailey on Thursday also noted that the U.K. “does not have a substantial trade imbalance with the U.S.” The U.S. was the U.K.’s biggest trading partner in the year to September 2024, accounting for over 17% of total U.K. trade, according to official data. Depending on which figures you look at, the two countries either have a small trade deficit or surplus. What’s important for Trump, though — who has expressed dissatisfaction when the U.S. exports less to a country than it imports — is the numbers are almost balanced. Bailey also pointed out that services are a large part of U.K. trade, which classic tariffs do not affect in the same way as other goods. A ‘gradual’ and ‘careful’ BOE decision The Bank of England on Thursday cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to to 4.5%. Seven members out of the nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) voted in favor of the cut, while two members voted for a larger 50 basis-point reduction. After the announcement, Bailey said in a press conference that the MPC expected to be able to cut interest rates further as disinflation progressed, but noted that these decisions would be taken on a meeting-by-meeting basis. Speaking to CNBC, Bailey described the cut as “careful” and “gradual,” adding that the central bankers were using those words “very deliberately.” The word “gradual” referred to the disinflation process, while “careful” was a nod toward “risks and uncertainties,” he said. Such uncertainties, “could lead to us having, frankly, you know, higher inflation, which we will have to deal with. We’re going to have this sort of uptick in inflation.” He added that this inflation is unlikely to persist. The BOE on Thursday also halved its growth expectation for the U.K. for 2025, from 1.5% to 0.75%. The economy flatlined in the third quarter, according to data released in December, while the latest monthly GDP reading showed the economy expanded just 0.1% in November, after shrinking by 0.1% in October. — CNBC’s Chloe Taylor and Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report. Source link #Bank #Englands #Bailey #avoid #U.S #tariff #impact Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Inside the mind of Chiefs star Travis Kelce: ‘He’s always in his own zone’ Inside the mind of Chiefs star Travis Kelce: ‘He’s always in his own zone’ NEW ORLEANS — On Fridays, Travis Kelce wanders. Before games, as the Kansas City Chiefs go through their practice protocol — 10 plays for the offense against the scout-team defense, and vice-versa — Kelce is a man unto himself, locked into the task at hand and transfixed during what would otherwise be dead periods. When it’s the first-team defense’s turn, while the rest of his offensive teammates watch from the sideline, Kelce roams onto an adjacent field and enters his own realm. He paces and stutter-steps, cutting in and out of imaginary breaks, running through plays in his head while talking to himself. No one disturbs him. No one questions him. In the Chiefs’ inner sanctum, it’s merely an accepted fact that one of the NFL’s most accomplished players is also one of the sport’s most serious dudes when it comes to preparing for battle. Mentally, coaches and teammates don’t know where Kelce goes in those moments. They just know he’s very much at home. “Trav is a guy that, you can tell, he’s always in his own zone,” veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who the Chiefs acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans last October, told me Wednesday. “He’s always locked in at practice. He takes everything seriously. How he practices, and how he goes about his day is incredible to see.” This is the Travis Kelce the rest of the world doesn’t see, the onetime screwup who has matured as a man, become obsessive about his craft and wants to keep doing it at a high level for as long as it’s athletically viable. The 35-year-old tight end has a chance to earn his fourth Super Bowl ring on Sunday, when the Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and add to his future first-ballot Hall of Fame resume. He has many good reasons to call it a career, including broadcast stardom, a slew of acting opportunities and a hot-and-heavy romance with singer Taylor Swift, perhaps the world’s biggest celebrity. Yet Kelce’s intention — win or lose, as reiterated during the Chiefs’ media session at their New Orleans hotel Wednesday morning — is to keep playing the sport he reveres, on his terms. “I want to play as long as I can play,” Kelce said. GO DEEPER Chiefs Super Bowl media night: The Travis Kelce experience, embracing villainy and more Two days earlier, Kelce expressed a similar sentiment, telling reporters, “It’s months like these that make me feel like I can play forever. I’ve still got a lot of football left in me.” As Kelce’s fame has grown — at first due to the highly popular “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with his brother, recently retired Eagles center Jason; and then, exponentially, once he and Swift became an item early in the 2023 season — his workplace has become his protective cocoon, an environment where he can be a leader and tone-setter and also have the freedom to prepare in his own, idiosyncratic manner. The football field is a cocoon for Travis Kelce, away from the spotlight of starring for a football dynasty and dating pop megastar Taylor Swift. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images) One of only 14 players, and three tight ends, to have recorded more than 1,000 career receptions, Kelce will go down as an all-time great. Many players in his age bracket regularly take days off, in training camp and during the season, but Kelce refuses to do either. Even when Kansas City coach Andy Reid or his assistants suggest scaling back his reps in a given practice, Kelce pushes back. “He’s getting older, and so we’re trying to cut back some of his reps, and he won’t do it,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Tuesday. “He gets mad at you if you take him out of practice. And that bleeds into the entire team. Whenever you’re tired and whenever you’re not wanting to take a practice seriously or take a rep seriously, you look at him and he’s going full speed, scoring touchdowns after every catch, and it motivates you to take your game up to another level.” Kelce’s motivational magic was on full display in the Chiefs’ 32-29 AFC Championship Game victory over the Buffalo Bills. Early in the game, second-year punt returner Nikko Remigio called for a fair catch despite having some room between him and the Bills players charging toward him. Remigio later told FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams that Kelce approached him on the sideline and said, “That’s not being great, bro.” On his next return opportunity, in the second quarter, Remigio raced 41 yards, setting up a touchdown that gave Kansas City a 21-10 lead. Said Remigio: “He was the first one to greet me coming to the sideline, and he was like, ‘That’s how you be great, dog!’ And I was like, this is a dream.” Teammates and coaches say that Kelce is often the first and most vocal person to greet new acquisitions, even when they’re relatively anonymous practice-squad signees. He clearly relishes his role as an organizational standard-bearer, especially in light of the way he began his career, and how far he has come in terms of his professionalism. Once infamously suspended from the University of Cincinnati football team for an entire season after failing a ********** test, Kelce still had some rough edges when he arrived in Kansas City as a third-round pick in the 2013 draft. Early in his career, he made an obscene gesture that Reid called “an immature act” during a “Sunday Night Football” defeat to the Denver Broncos. He has since described himself as having been selfish, stat-obsessed and overly casual in his work ethic. When Kelce was asked on Wednesday how different his approach is now than it was in his first few seasons, he shook his head and said, “It’s night-and-day different. I was a lot more focused on individual success and, you know, what comes with having the individual success is being able to be comfortable in who I am, and confident in who I am. “And I think with that individual success, I’ve started to really understand what’s real — and what’s real is this game’s only fun if you win football games with the people around you. And once I figured that out, it really just took off for me, and I’ve loved playing in the league ever since, man.” GO DEEPER What makes Andy Reid one of the all-time great coaches? Not just rings and records This is not to say that Kelce’s fire has disappeared. Remember his celebrated confrontation with Reid during the second quarter of last February’s thrilling Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers? Kelce, removed from the game on a pivotal red-zone play that resulted in a Chiefs fumble, was irate when he came to the sideline and bumped up against Reid, nearly knocking over the then-65-year-old coach. While quarreling with the perception that he pushed Reid, Kelce’s recollection is not a pleasant one. “A push is a bit of an exaggeration,” Kelce said. “I would never push my coach like that. I was fired up, though, and Coach Reid knows I get fired up, and sometimes he gets fired up the same way to get me going. And at that point in the game, I just wanted to let him know, ‘You can put it on me, man. I’m ready for it.’ I was pretty heated in that moment. I know I can’t catch him off guard like that to where he stumbles.” Three weeks ago, Kelce caught some fans off guard in the Chiefs’ playoff opener, catching seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in a 23-14 divisional-round victory over the Houston Texans. On some plays, including a 49-yard catch-and-run to the Houston 1-yard line in the second quarter, the tight end evoked images of his physical prime. After a somewhat ho-hum regular season, Travis Kelce has again turned it on in the playoffs. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images) At times during what for him was a relatively tame regular season (97 catches, 823 yards, 8.5 yards per catch, three touchdowns), Kelce appeared to be visibly slowing down, to the point where some wondered whether the end of his time with the Chiefs might not be voluntary. His performance in the Texans game shredded that storyline, but few premier pass catchers have thrived into their late 30s, and Kelce knows that nothing is promised. Because of that, he’s savoring every second of his team’s quest to become the first to win three consecutive Super Bowls. “It’s such a special time in Chiefs history, and this legacy is just so fun to be a part of, because of the people that we have here,” he said Wednesday. “And I’m just trying to cherish all these memories and make the most out of all these opportunities that we have chasing these rings.” GO DEEPER Travis Kelce hits a different level come playoff time: ‘He has the heart of a champion’ As he tries to add to his gaudy postseason profile and hoist another Lombardi Trophy, Kelce is experiencing excitement for the players around him, especially those newcomers who have yet to be part of a championship run. “I think at this point, I just want this Super Bowl even more so for the guys around me than I do myself,” he said. “It’s just where I’m at in my career, and I feel like I’m a lot more selfless nowadays than I was early on. This team is more special than any I’ve ever been on. “You know, I used to want to be known as the greatest tight end ever, but I think it’s just more so enjoying these moments that I have with my teammates and trying to get these wins and create these memories. I’ve gotten away from wanting to be known as that. I think I want to be known as just one of the best teammates these guys have ever had.” Kelce will, because his energy is infectious — and because on any given day at the facility, and especially on Fridays, it’s very, very obvious how much he cares. He’s not ready to walk away from the game he loves. But know this: On Friday at Tulane University, when it’s the first-team defense’s turn to run through its plays, Kelce will wander off and enter his distinctive, rambling realm, and no one in his presence will say a word. (Top illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; photo: Brooke Sutton / Getty Images) Source link #mind #Chiefs #star #Travis #Kelce #Hes #zone Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Space Marine 2 Datavault Update Brings New Difficulty And PvP Map Space Marine 2 Datavault Update Brings New Difficulty And PvP Map Focus Entertainment has released a new major update for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 titled the Datavault update. It contains more free content, a new difficulty, and a new map, as well as new quality-of-life features. The main draw of the new update is the Datavault, where players can fulfill Ordeals and collect enemy research data to trade in for Requisition Points, cosmetics, and armor. The Eternal War mode now has a new Necron-themed map called Tomb, and operations players can encounter a new enemy called the Tyranid Biovore, which can inflict damage from both close and long range. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. 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 Now Playing: Space Marine 2 – Datavault Update Overview Trailer There’s also a sixth and final difficulty setting added called Absolute, along with a bevy of new settings. Players can choose whether to engage in cross-play during PvP matches and exchange their Armory Data for Requisition Points. PC players can even change their FOV with a new slider. Lastly, Season Pass owners can receive the Raven Guard cosmetic and Salamanders Champion packs. The Raven Guard cosmetic pack includes a Mark VI “Corvus” helmet and over 40 other Raven Guard Successor Chapters cosmetics. The Salamanders Champion pack contains a new Champion skin for the Sniper class and a Bolt Sniper Rifle skin. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is now available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. In GameSpot’s Space Marine 2 review, we said, “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a more-than-worthy successor to the 2011 original. Its brutally gory action is as riveting as ever, but it’s also more considered and tactile, making for a much more satisfying experience.” Source link #Space #Marine #Datavault #Update #Brings #Difficulty #PvP #Map Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

What It’s Like to Be a Football Fan in Antarctica What It’s Like to Be a Football Fan in Antarctica For about a week leading up to the A.F.C. championship game, Meredith Nolan had been living on a hulking research vessel parked in an Antarctic port. The ship, called the Noosfera, had been waiting for favorable sea conditions before plowing into the icy waters below the southern tip of South America. It was late January, and Nolan was headed home after spending three months at Palmer Station, a tiny American research base in Antarctica. She had been studying the effects of climate change on zooplankton, and, in her spare moments, cheering for her favorite football team, the Buffalo Bills. She wore a beanie with a Bills logo on the front and a blue poof on top when she went out on a boat to collect zooplankton in nets, or hiked the receding glacier behind the station. Her hat alerted two other Bills fans that she was one of them. In some ways, she did not behave like a typical Bills fan, causing joyful chaos and destruction to celebrate the team. When Meredith Nolan isn’t studying the effects of climate change on zooplankton, she is rooting on the Buffalo Bills.Credit…Meredith Nolan “We’ll see if Meredith starts diving through tables,” Ricky Robbins, who was there studying seabirds, said in reference to a popular activity among fans at Bills tailgates. But in one important way, she did. “Every year I get excited,” Nolan said cheerfully in early November. “But I’m hopeful that this is the year.” Since the 1950s, the National Science Foundation has funded research projects in Antarctica. Palmer Station, built in 1968, is the smallest of its three stations, housing around 40 people in the summer and about 20 in the winter. It is also the warmest, but that still means below-freezing temperatures and snow, even in the summer. Some of those there, like Nolan, are studying the effects of climate change on the environment. For many, sports are a way to stay linked with the outside world, even when connecting with their teams is a challenge. Until recently, high-speed internet access was limited, when it was available at all. A participant manual from 2018 cautioned: “Large downloads and streaming media have a negative impact on everyone else.” Sports fans, then, would save up their internet rations for game times. In 2013, Ken Halanych, then a professor at Auburn University, was on a ship when Auburn won a game against its hated rival, the University of Alabama, by returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown as time expired. Halanych spent four hours uploading a video so he could see the play. He has been to Antarctica eight times since 2000. In 2004, when Auburn was one of three undefeated teams hoping for a spot in the national championship game, he persuaded the station manager at Palmer Station to let him raise an Auburn flag on the ship. “I wrote ESPN trying to connect with them and saying, ‘Here’s my vote from Antarctica,’” Halanych said. “ESPN never responded.” Darren Roberts has gone to Antarctica 13 times. He loves the work, though he recognizes that it can be isolating. Roberts isn’t sure he would still be going if his wife, Megan, weren’t part of his research team. Following the Denver Broncos helps him connect with his brother, who is 13 years older. “It is really sweet,” Megan Roberts said. “They all really bond, especially over the Broncos, even when we’re in these crazy remote places. It’s amazing to see. He keeps in touch with his family because of what’s going on with the Broncos.” Darren Roberts would follow Broncos games through a Google graphic that showed a little football on a digital field. Its movements corresponded to what was happening in the game. But when the Broncos won the Super Bowl in 2016, the couple were on a research ship called the Laurence M. Gould. It was captained by a man named Ernest Stelly, a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Even though the Cowboys weren’t playing, Stelly pulled the vessel close enough to Palmer Station that it could use the station’s internet to pick up a radio broadcast. The cooks whipped up party snacks, and Stelly hosted a Super Bowl party. “I remember it was great, like sitting in the dark on the ship listening to the Super Bowl on the bridge,” Roberts said. “And it was really actually very special and kind of a unique thing, especially at that time. The United States also operates a base at the South Pole, which is much colder but slightly more populous, and an outpost called McMurdo Station, which is south of New Zealand and can support 1,500 residents. Robbins, who is on the seabirds team with the Robertses, has worked in even more remote locales, which has made it hard for him to follow his favorite teams. He once worked on a small island in Hawaii on which just seven people, including himself, lived. Experiences like that make Antarctica feel “big city almost,” he said. “Having, like, a galley with chefs and a bedroom and running water and freshwater showers is like, it feels very luxurious,” Robbins said. The seabird group works out of a small building separate from other scientists. Robbins called it “the birder hut.” “Darren’s rumor is that we used to be in the big building with an office, but everybody got really sick of smelling penguin poop,” Robbins said. Work got busier toward the end of their stay, which meant it wasn’t as easy to follow the end of football season. All the birds’ eggs were hatching, and the team had to measure their chicks. The researchers tagged some birds, and removed tags from others, sometimes late at night or early in the morning. They were out counting penguin colonies and measuring giant petrel chicks when the Broncos lost to the Bills in the playoffs. Nolan was happy with the outcome of that game. Sports are a bonding point between Nolan and her father, Jim. He is extraordinarily proud that his daughter works in Antarctica, and has grown accustomed to explaining zooplankton to others. “It’s kind of the bottom of the food chain,” he tells people. “Without zooplankton we’d all be in trouble.” At home, Meredith lives about 30 minutes away from her parents, as a graduate student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. They love hearing about her work and receiving pictures of penguins via text message. “She’s an amazing kid,” Jim said. They text constantly during games, particularly when Jim isn’t too stressed. In late December, when the Bills played the New York Jets, she was putting krill into bottles to begin an experiment. Jim texted to her that she shouldn’t worry, the game was a blowout. The Bills won, 40-14. Palmer base now uses the Starlink satellite system for high-speed internet access. In mid-December the satellites began pinging from the United States rather than Chile, which meant YouTube TV was available on the base. Nolan could stream her Bills live. Jim is a Bills fan because he grew up in upstate New York, and Meredith inherited the condition from him. He lived through decades of disappointment, including four consecutive losses in the Super Bowl. His daughter, 24, has seen less of that. “She’s a very optimistic person, probably more optimistic than I am,” Jim said. “But sometimes, being a Bills fan, it can be tough.” The Noosfera finally got clearance to sail away on that Sunday evening last month, minutes before the A.F.C. championship game kicked off. Jim tracked the boat on a site called MarineTraffic.com. He doesn’t worry about Meredith too much, but the Drake Passage, an expanse of sea between Palmer Station and Chile, can have 40-foot waves. After she settled in, Nolan fired up her iPad and logged into YouTube TV. She sent a photo of the setup to her father — it showed the back of Josh Allen’s head and the score of the game, 21-10, Chiefs. She watched as the Bills attempted a comeback, then lost, 32-29, just one game short of the Super Bowl. “It was quite a bummer,” Nolan said in a text message as the ship made its way toward the potentially treacherous Drake Passage. She added an emoji of a crying face. “But still a great season!” Source link #Football #Fan #Antarctica Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

S&P 500 is little changed after latest batch of earnings reports: Live updates – CNBC S&P 500 is little changed after latest batch of earnings reports: Live updates – CNBC S&P 500 is little changed after latest batch of earnings reports: Live updates CNBCStock market edges up as Wall Street sifts through earnings onslaught USA TODAYWall St ends higher as investors digest earnings, rate cut prospects ReutersTop Stock Movers Now: Alphabet, AMD, Match Group, and More Investopedia Source link #SampP #changed #latest #batch #earnings #reports #Live #updates #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]