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The Only Stratagem You Need to Recreate Zack Snyder’s 300 in Hellmire The Only Stratagem You Need to Recreate Zack Snyder’s 300 in Hellmire The latest Helldivers 2 patch has dropped, and while Arrowhead Game Studios has introduced numerous exciting changes, one particular update has the community channeling their inner Spartans. It’s amazing how a single modification to an existing stratagem can completely transform the way players approach combat in the heat of battle. Tonight, we dine on managed democracy! | Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures From the moment the patch notes were released, fans have been flooding social media with references to Zack Snyder’s epic historical action film, 300. And honestly, who can blame them? There’s something undeniably thrilling about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your fellow Helldivers, shields raised against the endless hordes of democracy’s enemies. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as players have been yearning for more tactical defensive options in their fight for Super Earth’s glory. Now, they finally have the tools to make their Spartan dreams come true. This is where we hold them The SH-20 Ballistic Shield stratagem has always been a solid choice against Automatons, providing reliable protection against their ranged attacks. However, its effectiveness against melee-focused enemies left much to be desired, forcing many Helldivers to leave this stratagem behind when facing more aggressive threats. That all changed with today’s patch 01.002.101. The Helldivers 2 community’s excitement exploded when they discovered a game-changing addition to the shield’s capabilities—it now blocks melee attacks. For veterans who have been requesting this feature since launch, this simple change has transformed a situational tool into a versatile defensive powerhouse.: Posts from the helldivers2 community on Reddit The parallels to King Leonidas and his brave 300 were immediate and enthusiastic: Comment byu/ZyraSlyvan from discussion inhelldivers2 And the responses were exactly what you’d expect from Super Earth’s finest: Comment byu/ZyraSlyvan from discussion inhelldivers2 The shield wall strategy isn’t just for show, either. Players are already putting the shield changes to the test, with one particularly resourceful Helldiver reporting remarkable success in fending off an entire Charger assault using the newly improved ballistic shield. There’s something poetically fitting about making your last stand against impossible odds while screaming: Comment byu/ZyraSlyvan from discussion inhelldivers2 The community’s creativity in adapting real-world military tactics to fight for managed democracy has always been impressive, but this takes things to a whole new level. A Helldivers 2 patch worthy of Super Earth’s finest One small step for democracy, one giant shield for Helldivers | Image Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios While the shield improvement has stolen the spotlight, Patch 01.002.101 is packed with other noteworthy improvements: Comment byu/ZyraSlyvan from discussion inhelldivers2 The ability to jog while carrying two-handed items is a game-changer for mobility, and the increased gas effect duration from 6 to 10 seconds makes chemical warfare more viable than ever. The return of emoting while falling or ragdolling adds that extra touch of personality that makes Helldivers 2 so special. Perhaps most importantly, the patch demonstrates Arrowhead‘s commitment to listening to community feedback. From quality-of-life improvements to combat balancing, it’s clear they’re dedicated to making the game the best it can be. They’ve even kept certain “beneficial bugs” that players have grown to love, like the “Siege-Ready” Armor Passive providing extra ammo to all magazine-based weapons. For now, though, most players are too busy living out their Spartan fantasies to worry about the technical details. After all, nothing says “spreading managed democracy” quite like forming an impenetrable wall of shields and screaming ancient war cries at your enemies. What do you think about the new shield mechanics? Have you tried forming a Spartan phalanx with your fellow Helldivers yet? Share your most epic last stands in the comments below! Source link #Stratagem #Recreate #Zack #Snyders300inHellmire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration sued over Jan. 6 and health data Trump administration sued over Jan. 6 and health data The Trump administration was sued Tuesday in separate civil complaints challenging a request for information about FBI employees who worked on cases involving President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and the removal of data from federal health agency websites. The lawsuits are the latest in a growing number of legal salvos seeking to block — or slow down — the rapid-fire series of executive actions Trump and his allies have taken since he returned to the White House on Jan. 20. Both cases were filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The first case, a class-action complaint, was filed by a group of nine unidentified FBI agents and employees of the agency against the Department of Justice. That suit seeks to block the publication or dissemination of information in surveys the plaintiffs or their supervisors have been ordered to fill out identifying “their specific role” in cases involving the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot criminal cases, and the criminal prosecution of Trump himself for retaining classified records after leaving the White House in early 2021. The suit says that the survey was issued “to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer adverse employment action.” “Upon returning to the Presidency, Mr. Trump has ordered the DOJ to conduct a review and purge of FBI personnel involved in these investigations and prosecutions,” the suit says. “This directive is unlawful and retaliatory, and violates the Civil Service Reform Act.” The suit says the plaintiffs “reasonably fear that all or parts” of a list of FBI agents who worked on the Jan. 6 and Trump cases “might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now-pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons.” The second lawsuit was filed by the advocacy group Doctors for America against the Office of Personnel Management, the Health and Human Services Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration. That complaint challenges the abrupt removal last Friday from CDC and FDA websites “a broad range of health-related data and other information.” The suit says that data is regularly used by “health professionals to diagnose and treat patients and by researchers to advance public health, including through clinical trials meant to establish the safety and efficacy of medical products.” The removal of the data came two days after Charles Ezell, OPM’s acting director, issued a memo that ordered federal agency heads to “terminate” programs “that promote or inculcate gender ideology” and remove all websites, social media accounts and other media that have that goal. Ezell’s order came more than a week after Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The suit says that before that unannounced removal, the datasets had been on the websites for years. Their removal “creates a dangerous gap in the scientific data available to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks, deprives physicians of resources that guide clinical practice, and takes away key resources for communicating and engaging with patients,” the suit says. The CDC removed web pages for its Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, pages devoted to data on Adolescent and School Health,” as well as pages for “The Social Vulnerability Index” and “The Environmental Justice Index,” according to the suit. Also removed was a report and web pages related to **** infections, the complaint says. The FDA removed several pages, including one titled “Study of Sex Differences in the Clinical Evaluationof Medical Products,” and another titled “Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment ofParticipants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies.” “The decisions by CDC, FDA, and HHS to remove the webpages and datasets contradict their stated missions and are causing and will cause substantial harm to Plaintiff and its members, as well as other physicians, researchers, and patients who rely on the removed webpages and datasets,” the suit says. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #administration #sued #Jan #health #data Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A New Custom Campaign Mod Mixes Baldurs Gate 3 and World of Warcraft A New Custom Campaign Mod Mixes Baldurs Gate 3 and World of Warcraft A new mod is in to works, mixing Baldur’s Gate 3 and the undead from World of Warcraft, and the teaser level is downloadable right now. Source link #Custom #Campaign #Mod #Mixes #Baldurs #Gate #World #Warcraft Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration sued over Jan. 6 and health data Trump administration sued over Jan. 6 and health data The Trump administration was sued Tuesday in separate civil complaints challenging a request for information about FBI employees who worked on cases involving President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and the removal of data from federal health agency websites. The lawsuits are the latest in a growing number of legal salvos seeking to block — or slow down — the rapid-fire series of executive actions Trump and his allies have taken since he returned to the White House on Jan. 20. Both cases were filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The first case, a class-action complaint, was filed by a group of nine unidentified FBI agents and employees of the agency against the Department of Justice. That suit seeks to block the publication or dissemination of information in surveys the plaintiffs or their supervisors have been ordered to fill out identifying “their specific role” in cases involving the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot criminal cases, and the criminal prosecution of Trump himself for retaining classified records after leaving the White House in early 2021. The suit says that the survey was issued “to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer adverse employment action.” “Upon returning to the Presidency, Mr. Trump has ordered the DOJ to conduct a review and purge of FBI personnel involved in these investigations and prosecutions,” the suit says. “This directive is unlawful and retaliatory, and violates the Civil Service Reform Act.” The suit says the plaintiffs “reasonably fear that all or parts” of a list of FBI agents who worked on the Jan. 6 and Trump cases “might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now-pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons.” The second lawsuit was filed by the advocacy group Doctors for America against the Office of Personnel Management, the Health and Human Services Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration. That complaint challenges the abrupt removal last Friday from CDC and FDA websites “a broad range of health-related data and other information.” The suit says that data is regularly used by “health professionals to diagnose and treat patients and by researchers to advance public health, including through clinical trials meant to establish the safety and efficacy of medical products.” The removal of the data came two days after Charles Ezell, OPM’s acting director, issued a memo that ordered federal agency heads to “terminate” programs “that promote or inculcate gender ideology” and remove all websites, social media accounts and other media that have that goal. Ezell’s order came more than a week after Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The suit says that before that unannounced removal, the datasets had been on the websites for years. Their removal “creates a dangerous gap in the scientific data available to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks, deprives physicians of resources that guide clinical practice, and takes away key resources for communicating and engaging with patients,” the suit says. The CDC removed web pages for its Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, pages devoted to data on Adolescent and School Health,” as well as pages for “The Social Vulnerability Index” and “The Environmental Justice Index,” according to the suit. Also removed was a report and web pages related to **** infections, the complaint says. The FDA removed several pages, including one titled “Study of Sex Differences in the Clinical Evaluation of Medical Products,” and another titled “Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies.” “The decisions by CDC, FDA, and HHS to remove the webpages and datasets contradict their stated missions and are causing and will cause substantial harm to Plaintiff and its members, as well as other physicians, researchers, and patients who rely on the removed webpages and datasets,” the suit says. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #administration #sued #Jan #health #data Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The new ****** is ******… and other bold colours, according some of Perth’s leading architects, as an increasing number of offices and restaurants embrace the midnight hue The new ****** is ******… and other bold colours, according some of Perth’s leading architects, as an increasing number of offices and restaurants embrace the midnight hue The timeless and neutral colour is about to have a renaissance in commercial design this year. Source link #****** #******.. #bold #colours #Perths #leading #architects #increasing #number #offices #restaurants #embrace #midnight #hue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ubisoft Boss Confirms Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Designed To “Sometimes” Favor Yasuke Over Naoe Ubisoft Boss Confirms Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Designed To “Sometimes” Favor Yasuke Over Naoe Ubisoft’s highly-anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been delayed twice now, but it seems like the delays were necessary because the studio is eager to give players an outstanding experience. As we approach the game’s release date, one of the game’s directors, Charles Benoit, talked about the game’s protagonists. Assassin’s Creed Shadows features two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke (Image via Ubisoft) Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature two protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure. Benoit explained that due to the distinctive combat styles of both the characters, there are a few parts in the game where the situation will favor Yasuke over Naoe and vice versa. Naoe, being a shinobi, is a stealth specialist while Yasuke has a more aggressive combat style. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will sometimes favor Yasuke over Naoe Assassin’s Creed Shadows will allow players to explore 16th-century Japan through the eyes of two protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke. Recently, one of the game’s directors, Charles Benoit, appeared for an interview with ScreenRant to talk about these exciting characters. During the conversation, Benoit explained that in some situations, one protagonist will be better than the other because of their different combat styles, It’s more about when something is playable by both characters, we wanted it to be doable for both characters. And sometimes, yes, it will be a bit more in favor of Yasuke because you’re forced into a fight, so that would be more, it’s easier with Yasuke. But we try to not put all the strongest archetypes, so it’s still manageable with Naoe. But habitually, when we make you choose, we have something that is a bit more stealth with Naoe and a bit more fight with Yasuke. Players can progress through the game with any character but using the right protagonist for the right missions would make things easier. For example, using Naoe for missions that require players to be silent and sneaky would be much more sensible. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was initially planned to be released in November 2024 but was delayed to February 14th, 2025 for further polishing. Once again, the release date was pushed to March 20th, 2025 to allow developers to implement more features. There is a lot of anticipation for Assassin’s Creed Shadows Despite the controversies, rumors claim that there is a lot of hype for Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Image via Ubisoft) Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a crucial game for Ubisoft as there are rumors that the studio is struggling to stay afloat. The game has been in the spotlight for its controversies, specifically due to Ubisoft’s decision to feature a fictional version of Yasuke. Many claimed that Ubisoft should’ve featured an indigenous Japanese samurai, in fact, some even claimed that the depiction of samurai in the game is disrespectful. Despite all the criticism, it is safe to say that there is a lot of hype for the game as insiders claim that there is a lot of positive buzz about the game. Many fans are also optimistic that Ubisoft will deliver an exceptional experience. The game is all set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and iPadOS on March 20th, 2025. Source link #Ubisoft #Boss #Confirms #Assassins #Creed #Shadows #Designed #Favor #Yasuke #Naoe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rubio Floats Dark Plan to Deport U.S. Citizens to Third Country Rubio Floats Dark Plan to Deport U.S. Citizens to Third Country Trump and Marco Rubio may soon put a penal colony in El Salvador. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Rubio and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced they’d reached an agreement to “outsource” U.S. prisoners to El Salvador’s mega-prison. “We can send them, and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio said in regard to foreign nationals detained for violating U.S. immigration laws. “And he’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States, even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents.” The agreement was initially supposed to cover alleged gang members. “We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele wrote on X. “We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.” While some cheered the move, others reacted with a mix of shock and horror. Salvadoran opposition party member Manuel Flores stated that El Salvador housing U.S. prisoners would show that the country is America’s “backyard to dump the garbage.” “Bukele is an all-time supervillain. We haven’t had a comprador like this since Chiang Kai-Shek,” criminology lecturer Emmy Rākete wrote on X. “Turning your country into a private ****** site torture-for-profit operation is a world-historical kind of evil.” El Salvador’s prisons have been noted for sweeping human rights violations, incarcerated labor, and inhumane conditions. Source link #Rubio #Floats #Dark #Plan #Deport #U.S #Citizens #Country Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diablo 4 and Diablo 3 teams change structure in an attempt to release less buggy seasons Diablo 4 and Diablo 3 teams change structure in an attempt to release less buggy seasons Via Diablos global director of community Adam Fletcher, Blizzard is introducing new measures to improve the quality of season launches in the future. Across both Diablo 4 and the aging Diablo 3, fans of Blizzards games should all benefit. Source link #Diablo #Diablo #teams #change #structure #attempt #release #buggy #seasons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alphabet Q4 earnings report 2024 Alphabet Q4 earnings report 2024 Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, attends the inauguration of a new hub in France dedicated to the artificial intelligence sector, at the Google France headquarters in Paris, France, on Feb. 15, 2024. Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters Google parent company Alphabet is set to report its fourth-quarter results after the bell Tuesday. Here are the numbers Wall Street will be watching: Revenue: $96.56 billion expected by LSEGEarnings per share: $2.13 expected by LSEG Here are additional estimates expected, according to StreetAccount: YouTube advertising revenue: $10.23 billionGoogle Cloud revenue: $12.19 billionTraffic acquisition costs (TAC): $15.01 billion Wall Street will be looking for Alphabet to report 11% revenue growth following a pressure-filled year that included artificial intelligence announcements, product mishaps and regulatory litigation. Alphabet made a series of announcements in the fourth quarter related to Waymo, showing confidence in its ability to commercialize its self-driving car company more quickly. Waymo’s robotaxi service now operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix, covering more than 500 square miles of public roads. In December, the company said it plans to launch its commercial service in Austin, Texas, and through the Uber app in Austin and Atlanta in 2025. The company also announced that it will begin testing Waymo in Tokyo, its first international expansion. During the third-quarter, new Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi said she wanted to “push a little further” with cost savings across the company as Google expands its spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure in 2025. Employees pressed executives for details on cost cuts in December, and in January, they began circulating an internal petition titled “job security,” CNBC reported. Ahead of expected cuts, Google last week began offering buyouts to U.S. employees in its Platforms and Devices unit. That unit includes more than 25,000 full-time employees who work on Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Google Photos, Google One, Pixel, Fitbit and Nest. Alphabet also continued to face antitrust litigation during the fourth quarter. The Department of Justice in November called for Google to divest its Chrome browser, following an August ruling that the company holds a monopoly in the search market. The DOJ said in a filing that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome — essentially, breaking up the company — would create a more equal playing field for search competitors. Google executives held a 2025 strategy meeting with employees in December, setting the stage for a year of expected increase in competition, regulatory hurdles and advancements in AI. “It’s really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company,” CEO Sundar Pichai said. “The stakes are high.” In January, Alphabet shares closed at $200 per share for the first time as investors grow increasingly bullish on the company’s opportunities in AI, but after the emergence of DeepSeek last month, Wall Street will await any commentary from management about how the ******** entrant could affect its AI strategy. Source link #Alphabet #earnings #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Avowed and two more titles come to Game Pass in February Avowed and two more titles come to Game Pass in February It’s a new month, and that means a new lineup of games coming to Xbox Game Pass — including the long-awaited Avowed, Obsidian’s take on a fantasy RPG. Here are the titles and their respective release dates. Far Cry: New Dawn — February 4 (Standard, Ultimate, PC) Another Crab’s Treasure — February 5 (Standard) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes — February 5 (Standard) Starfield — February 5 (Standard) Madden NFL 25 — February 6 (Ultimate, PC) Kingdom Two Crowns — February 13 (Standard) Avowed — February 18 (Ultimate, PC) If you’re a Game Pass Ultimate or PC subscriber, you might have already seen or even played a few of these games. If you are on the Standard plan, you’ll have to wait a little longer to play the new arrivals, but you will get the chance to play Starfield if you haven’t yet. Sadly, a few games will be leaving Game Pass to make room for these new additions. You have until February 15 to play these if you’d like to give them a spin before they disappear, and of course, you can purchase these games with a 20% discount as long as you do so before they leave the service. A Little to the Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) Bloodstained Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Sports UFC 3 (Console via EA Play) Indivisible (Cloud, Console, and PC) Merge and Blade (Cloud, Console, and PC) Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) Tales of Arise (Cloud, Console, and PC) If you’re an RPG fan, you don’t want to miss the chance to play Tales of Arise. It’s a pretty hefty title, though, so you’ll need to give it your full attention if you want to complete the game before it leaves Game Pass. Don’t worry, we have a beginner’s guide to help out. Source link #Avowed #titles #Game #Pass #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD’s big RX 9070 launch might happen later in February – and we could find out how these GPUs compare to the Nvidia RTX 5070 AMD’s big RX 9070 launch might happen later in February – and we could find out how these GPUs compare to the Nvidia RTX 5070 Rumor has it there’ll be a press event for AMD RX 9070 GPUs at the end of February This should be a big reveal, hopefully complete with pricing details It makes sense that it’d come just ahead of a confirmed on-***** date of March for the RX 9070 and its XT sibling AMD’s RX 9070 models might be formally announced later in February, a new rumor suggests, ahead of the scheduled March arrival for these graphics cards. Harukaze5719 on X noticed that Benchlife, a ******** tech site, posted this info in a story that was primarily about Nvidia’s incoming RTX 5070 GPUs, which will be direct rivals for the RX 9070 cards. (Although AMD’s next-gen GPUs are potential RTX 5070 killers, if some rumors are right). AMD will hold a press conference for the RX 9000 series based on the RDNA 4 GPU architecture at the end of Februaryhttps://t.co/FfHPjpawVbFebruary 4, 2025 We’re told that the current plan is for AMD to “hold a press conference for the Radeon RX 9000 series” at the end of February, but the exact details are still to be confirmed. I’d advise a thick coating of seasoning with this one due to the way the nugget of info is crowbarred in at the end of the article, and the fact that this is translated. Also, Benchlife isn’t top of our list of reliable sites for rumors, but that said, it has got things right in the past – and this makes some sense, as I’ll discuss next. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Pricing details for RDNA 4, ASAP, please The way this rumor is phrased (again, remember the translation leaves some room for doubt) is that things still sound rather up in the air for RDNA 4. However, it is AMD’s intention to debut these RX 9070 GPUs in March as that has been formally announced as an on-***** date, not just a reveal. Team Red subsequently noted that more time was being taken to hone elements like GPU drivers and FSR 4 support, as well as ensuring healthier stock levels for the RX 9070s, which sounds like a good idea to me, particularly given how the Nvidia Blackwell launch has gone (terribly, stock-wise). If we are looking at March for the RX 9070 graphics cards to be on shelves, some kind of formal announcement should come before that (AMD has promised a launch event too – indeed, it was rumored for late January at one point). And so a late February timeframe does make sense in that light, but we still need to maintain an appropriate level of skepticism here. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. The big hope is that we’ll get some pricing details with that reveal in possibly a few weeks’ time, as those MSRPs will be absolutely key in how these RDNA 4 graphics cards stack up to Nvidia’s RTX 5070 models. Although AMD has made another promise here, too, namely that RDNA 4 will be very competitively priced, and so we can hope the RX 9070 models will really pack a value punch in the mid-range of the GPU spectrum. Right now, all we have is a lot of promises, though. We just need to hope that they manifest into a reality of AMD gunning for Nvidia’s mid-range Blackwell offerings in a big way, as that should force Team Green to be more competitive, too. Via VideoCardz You might also like… Source link #AMDs #big #launch #happen #February #find #GPUs #compare #Nvidia #RTX Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump expected to attend Super Bowl, White House official says – CNN Trump expected to attend Super Bowl, White House official says – CNN Trump expected to attend Super Bowl, White House official says CNNExclusive: Bret Baier to interview Trump during Fox’s Super Bowl pregame show AxiosTrump plans to attend Super Bowl in New Orleans CBS NewsSuper Bowl 2025: Trump expected to become first sitting president to attend game Yahoo Sports Source link #Trump #expected #attend #Super #Bowl #White #House #official #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Activision Raises $2.6 Million For Los Angeles Fire Relief Efforts Via Call of Duty DLC And More Activision Raises $2.6 Million For Los Angeles Fire Relief Efforts Via Call of Duty DLC And More Activision has announced that it has raised more than $1.6 million for the Los Angeles fire relief efforts through the ***** of the LA Fire Relief in-game DLC for Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 and Warzone. As announced previously, the funds are being donated to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and Direct Relief. The $1.6 million is in addition to Activision’s previous $1 million donation, which brings the company’s total donation efforts to $2.6 million. “Thank you to the Call of Duty community for their support, which will make a real impact for those who were affected by the LA fires,” Activision said. Thank you Call of Duty community. Players and fans around the world have come together to raise more than $1.6 million dollars through the purchase of the LA Fire Relief Pack. These funds will go directly to the LAFD Foundation and Direct Relief for local fire relief and… pic.twitter.com/MGywT8d0nn — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) February 4, 2025 The LA Fire Relief DLC for ****** Ops 6 and Warzone was priced at 2,400 COD Points, or about $20. This means Activision may have sold around 80,000 of the DLC packs. Activision has held previous donation efforts via in-game Call of Duty DLC packs supporting military veterans. Multiple fires ripped through areas of Southern California in early January, torching thousands of structures and killing more than 25 people in what was California’s biggest urban wildfire event in four decades. Experts believe fires like this in populated areas may increase in time. Source link #Activision #Raises #Million #Los #Angeles #Fire #Relief #Efforts #Call #Duty #DLC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘******* changed a lot for me’ ‘******* changed a lot for me’ Stuart Maisner BBC News, South East Andrew Matthews/PA Wire Dame Tracey Emin attended an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace Artist Tracey Emin has spoken about how her ******* affected her life and work after the King made her a Dame Commander for services to the arts at Buckingham Palace. Dame Tracey is one of Britain’s most acclaimed artists, a member of the Young British Artists movement of the 1980s, a Turner Prize nominee, and now a member of the Royal Academy of Arts. Speaking after an investiture ceremony on Tuesday, the Margate-based artist spoke about the health problems she suffered after she was diagnosed with bladder ******* in 2020 and how it had affected her work. She said the ******* “changed a lot for me” and “suddenly I realised, what am I doing with my life?”. Dame Tracey said: “I’ve always made really serious art but now I’ve actually tried to put that into a reality of helping other people as well.” Her Tracey Emin Foundation opened its doors in March 2023, and offers rent-free space to art students in a studio in converted public baths in Margate. She said: “I think if you come from an impoverished background, it’s almost impossible to even get your qualifications and get into university. “But one thing I would say is do not be put off by the fees. “Go to university and worry about it afterwards, because otherwise, if you don’t have the education, you can’t change anything.” Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire The King made the artist a Dame Commander for services to the arts Tracey Emin’s seminal works include Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995 – a tent with 102 people’s appliqued names – and My Bed, an art installation consisting of her own unmade bed surrounded by detritus. She said: “Growing up in Margate, I left school at 13, so many people told me I couldn’t do things, I wasn’t allowed to do this, I couldn’t go to university, I couldn’t be an artist. “Look at me now. Yes I can, and other people can.” Tracey Emin Emin was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999 for My Bed Asked what she thought of her transition in status from a disruptive contemporary artist to Dame Commander, she said: “I think when I was younger everybody thought I was moaning and screaming and whatever, but now people understand things that I was making work about were important – women’s issues, teenage sex, *****, abuse. “All of these things really matter, and they matter more now. “I think this is my time really. So it’s really appropriate and wonderful that I’ve been rewarded for this.” Additional reporting by PA Media. Source link #******* #changed #lot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Palantir soars 24% to record as AI powers strong earnings and guidance Palantir soars 24% to record as AI powers strong earnings and guidance Palantir surged more than 24% on Tuesday to a record high after reporting stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results and guidance driven by ongoing artificial intelligence gains. The company’s shares have skyrocketed 36% since the start of the year and were on pace for their best day in nearly a year. The move pushed its market capitalization within close range of IBM and Cisco Systems. The Denver-based software company posted adjusted earnings of 14 cents per share and $828 million in revenue. That topped the 11 cents per share and revenue of $776 million expected by analysts polled by LSEG. Palantir also issued upbeat guidance for the current quarter and full year. In the first quarter, the company forecast revenue between $858 million and $862 million. The LSEG estimate called for $799 million. The company projects sales of $3.74 billion to $3.76 billion for the full year, ahead of a $3.52 billion estimate. The software company has been on a record run, with its shares surging 340% in 2024 as its AI platform gained traction amid ongoing investor excitement around the technology trend. Palantir provides software and technology services and is most widely known for its work with defense agencies. In a letter to shareholders, co-founder and CEO Alex Karp called the momentum within its commercial and government segments “unlike anything that has come before.” Read more CNBC reporting on AI The company reported 64% growth in its U.S. commercial revenue, while U.S. government revenue rose 45% year over year. Palantir forecast 54% U.S. commercial sales growth in 2025. “We are at the way beginning of our trajectory, we are at the way beginning of a revolution, and we plan to be a cornerstone — if not the cornerstone company — and driving this revolution in the U.S. over the next three to five years,” Karp said during the earnings call. Karp said Palantir is “very long America” and at the forefront of making the country “more lethal” to scare off adversaries. His comments come after DeepSeek’s climb in popularity last week shook financial markets and raised concerns about the high costs associated with AI models. “Hopefully it wakes America up,” Karp told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan. “Just because we’re the first mover and we have the best tech scene, and we’re the inventors and we’re the builders, doesn’t mean adversaries can’t copy, and we have to just keep running.” Several Wall Street firms lifted their price targets on the stock in the wake of the report. Bank of America’s Mariana Perez Mora called the company an AI “value adder” and lifted her price target, while Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to equal weight from underweight, “Given the strength of the outlook, we acknowledge that we were wrong about our core fundamental catalyst of slowing growth below the 30% level due to the tougher compares in 2025,” wrote analyst Sanjit Singh. “This leaves us with valuation as the primary remaining concern.” Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Palantir #soars #record #powers #strong #earnings #guidance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD is rumored to hold an RDNA 4 launch event later this month — RX 9000 GPUs still planned for March AMD is rumored to hold an RDNA 4 launch event later this month — RX 9000 GPUs still planned for March New information suggests that AMD might be planning a launch event for its Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs by the end of February, per Benchlife. While the GPUs themself are still slated for a March release, this could be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of RDNA 4, provided AMD details those aspects. The initial unveiling of RDNA 4 at CES was quite underwhelming. With many still hoping for a January launch, AMD quickly addressed rumors and confirmed RDNA 4 for March, citing much-needed tuning for maximum performance ahead of launch. Even so, we grabbed a few snippets of Navi 48, the GPU that powers the RX 9070 family, measuring roughly 390mm2, slightly larger than GB203 on the RTX 5080, coming in at 378mm2. In an article detailing the RTX 5070 Ti’s embargo, Benchlife claims that AMD is hosting a dedicated launch event for RDNA 4 later this month. If this information is accurate, we can expect to learn more about AMD’s pricing structure and how RDNA 4 holds up versus Blackwell. For context, the RX 9070 XT is rumored to keep up with the RTX 4080 Super in raster performance. While we don’t expect any more hardware revision, as a handful of retailers already have these GPUs in stock, the performance can further benefit from driver optimizations. “If nothing else, AMD will hold a launch event for the Radeon RX 9000 series with RDNA 4 GPU architecture at the end of February, but details are still to be confirmed.” Benchlife (Translated) The RX 9070 family will be contested by the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070, assuming the latter is even available in stock at launch. With rumored performance numbers within 15% of the RTX 5080, this could be the perfect opportunity for AMD to disrupt the budget market and get these GPUs into the hands of gamers. More competition generally always benefits the end-user. With that in mind, Nvidia is also rumored to launch the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 next month to combat what should be the RX 9060 or RX 9050 from AMD’s dugout, though supposedly at higher ASPs (Average Selling Prices). AMD will debut FSR 4 this generation, which incorporates hardware-based frame generation exclusive to RDNA 4. We’ll have to see how its upscaling counterpart compares to Nvidia’s new transformer model for DLSS. Still, either way, it’s good to see AMD pushing its technology forward to combat Nvidia. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #AMD #rumored #hold #RDNA #launch #event #month #GPUs #planned #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pokemon Go’s upcoming Scattered to the Winds event lets you nab new Shiny Pokemon Pokemon Go’s upcoming Scattered to the Winds event lets you nab new Shiny Pokemon It may be a chilly February but Pokemon Go has a hot new event planned Scattered to the Wind offers new rewards, research and more! Get an increased chance to meet the new shiny versions of Scatterbug, Pewpa and Vivillon While it may still be chilly in most parts of the world as we head into February, Spring is very much on the horizon. But if you need something to keep you going before then, and coax you out into the chilly outdoors, maybe Pokemon Go’s new event, Scattered to the Wind will help. So, what’s this event got to offer? Well, how about 2x XP for spinning a Pokestop and 5x XP for your first spin of the day? You can open up to 40 Gifts per day as well (or 60 with the Eggs-pedition Access: February ticket). And on top of that, there’s an increased chance to encounter the Shiny version of Pidgey. But that’s not all! How about the fact that by pinning postcards given by players from around the world you’ll have an enhanced chance to meet the new Shiny versions of Scatterbug, Pewpa and Vivillon? That’s on top of new Field Research Task rewards, Paid Timed Research and more! Out of your shell Pokemon Go has often focused on getting people out and about with enticing rewards, and for good reason considering that the IRL focus is sort of the point of AR as a concept anyway. Of course, new Pokemon are always welcome, but it is a bit strange to have the focus of their postcard collecting be on international players, many of whom you’ll likely not know beyond just said cards. But in any case, keep your eye out for this latest event, as it’s only going to be in place for a brief ******* between February 18th to the 20th! You’ll want to get in quick and strike while the er, Pokemon is fresh. And if you need an extra boost be sure to check out our list of Pokemon Go promo codes to help you out! Source link #Pokemon #Gos #upcoming #Scattered #Winds #event #lets #nab #Shiny #Pokemon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU seeks early US talks to avert Trump tariffs – Reuters EU seeks early US talks to avert Trump tariffs – Reuters EU seeks early US talks to avert Trump tariffs ReutersEurope Has a Message for Americans: Tariffs on Us Would Hurt You, Too The New York Times‘We will protect our interests, however and whenever needed’: EU’s von der Leyen responds to Trump tariff threats – as it happened The GuardianEU officials react to possible tariffs from President Trump USA TODAY Source link #seeks #early #talks #avert #Trump #tariffs #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 beginner’s guide: 16 tips to help you survive Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 beginner’s guide: 16 tips to help you survive There are countless threats arrayed against Henry of Skalitz in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. You’re not just watching out for hostile armies and roving bandits, but also for issues you’d face when trying to survive, such as food and shelter. Likewise, you must try to stay in the good graces of the common folk, lest you earn their ire whenever you commit misdeeds. Thankfully, our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 beginner’s guide has several tips to help you get started on your journey as you trek across the Bohemian countryside. Master the directional combat system and ranged weaponry Deep Silver Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2‘s melee combat system remains as challenging as ever. This is governed by a direction-based system, which is denoted by a star-shaped icon whenever you battle hostiles: Moving the mouse or right thumbstick toward a certain direction and pressing the attack button causes Henry to swing his weapon from that direction–i.e. an overhead chop (upward), a sideways slash (left or right), or a straight thrust (downward). If you time your block perfectly, you can do a riposte as a counter. Try to swing your weapon toward your opponent’s unprotected side–i.e. the one that’s farthest away from where they’re holding their weapon at that given moment. Later, you can learn powerful Master Strikes, skills that can effectively counter your foe’s moves by attacking from the opposite direction just as they swing their weapon toward you. Note that most of your actions in combat gradually deplete your stamina, so you have to back away from your opponent for a few seconds to catch your breath. Conversely, if you want to take out opponents from further away, you can make wield various ranged weapons instead. These include bows, crossbows, and even a hand cannon that uses gunpowder. Just remember that range weapons tend to be very inaccurate and hard to use. Be more aggressive in fights where you have allies Deep Silver In situations where you have to fight multiple hostiles, it’s better to stay on the defensive until you find an opening. However, when you have several allies with you, whether the fight takes place in a tavern or a besieged castle, it’s best to go on an all-out offensive. That’s because enemy troops remain distracted while they’re battling your comrades, allowing you to hit them from behind. If you take too long, the opposing force might whittle down your merry band and they end up with the numbers advantage. Look for taverns so you can rest and save Deep Silver One important tip in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is to look for taverns in the villages that you visit. Some allow you to stay for the night, though it’s better to pay a higher fee for permanent lodgings (usually in a spare room or a haystack in a barn). There are several reasons for this: Sleeping is the best way to restore lost health and stamina. Sleeping keeps you well-rested, so you don’t pass out while you’re exploring. If you sleep in a bed that you own, you create a manual save. This is fairly handy if you need to reload due to any mishaps. Alternatively, you can buy or brew Savior Schnapps, consumable potions that also allow you to create manual saves. Hunt wild animals and dry your food Deep Silver Whether you’re sleeping in town or heading out on an adventure, the passage of time impacts Henry’s nourishment (i.e. hunger). That’s why it’s important to have enough food with you wherever you go. You could either buy food from grocers, butchers, and bakers, or by hunting animals in the wild. Note that you can either cook, smoke, or dry food. All of these options help provide more nourishment when you eat these meals. However, we recommend drying your food and even herbs if possible. This prevents items from spoiling too quickly, as eating rotten stuff could cause poisoning. Bring a torch with you at all times Deep Silver You’re in 15th-century Bohemia, well before Benjamin Franklin connected two power cables in front of a town hall so he could discover electricity and help his nephew return to his own time *******. It’s obvious that the nights are dark and full of terrors, and you’d hardly be able to see anything. As such, you should have a torch equipped at all times. You can bring out a torch that you’ve equipped by holding the “R” key on your keyboard or the down button on your controller’s d-pad. Lastly, holding a torch alight in settlements also prevents guards from becoming suspicious when they see you out on the streets at night. Familiarize yourself with each merchant’s function and specialty Deep Silver In every settlement in the game, you can meet all sorts of merchants that provide specific types of wares and services: Taverns/inns – As mentioned earlier, you can rent a room for the night or pay for permanent lodging. You can also buy general goods. Traders – Buy most types of items, but these NPCs tend to have a lower amount of Groschen (i.e. gold). Grocers, butchers, and bakers – These NPCs buy and sell vegetables/fruits, meat, and bread, respectively. Weaponsmiths and armorsmiths – These NPCs buy and sell weapons and armors, respectively. Smithy – Tends to have both weapons and armor pieces. Tailors and cobblers – Tailors have clothing (i.e. gambesons and robes), while cobblers mostly focus on shoes and boots. Apothecaries – These NPCs sell all sorts of potions, poisons, and herbs. Scribes – These NPCs have books that either provide background lore or experience points for your skills. Grooms and saddlers – These NPCs sell horses at the stables and horse-related equipment, respectively. Be an expert at haggling Deep Silver You don’t have to pay the full price whenever you see an item that you like. You could always ask a merchant to lower their prices by haggling. This is done by pressing and holding the “X” button or key, which then leads to the haggling interface. Increasing or decreasing the value applies to both buying and selling–i.e. lowering the amount you pay or earn. However, you also need to be careful since merchants won’t readily accept your offer if it’s too low. They’d likely want to meet you halfway, asking you to make a counteroffer. If you keep haggling for lower prices, or if you decline completely, it might make them irate. This causes them to refuse to haggle with you for a time. Also, if you need more Groschen to spare when dealing with merchants, you can learn more from our early-game moneymaking guide. Take note of your equipment and outfit sets Deep Silver Another Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 tip to consider is that Henry has several outfit sets and equipment slots. Here’s a quick summary: You can save up to three different outfit presets. We recommend the following: Outfit preset #1: Combat and general exploration. Outfit preset #2: Civilian clothing with high Charisma. Outfit preset #3: Stealth-focused setup where you’re not wearing heavy armor; you’re only wearing clothes that have lower “noise” values. Craft your own gear and brew your own potions Deep Silver If you don’t want to spend a lot of money in shops, you could always rely on yourself via crafting mechanics: You can craft weapons by learning blueprints that you acquire. You can then use the anvil at the Smithy to create your own gear. If certain items are damaged, you can use the appropriate toolkits to repair them. In the case of weapons, Smithy shops tend to have Sharpening Stones. Place your weapon here to continue sharpening its edge until its durability has increased. For potions, there’s the alchemy bench, which requires you to use herbs and bases to create concoctions. Be mindful of the steps written on the recipe booklet, since you need to follow them correctly to brew items successfully. Increase your reputation through dialogue skill checks Deep Silver One of the most important facets in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 concerns your reputation throughout the region. This is greatly impacted by your choices whenever you see dialogue skill checks. These include Persuasion, Coercion, Impression, Domination, Presence, and Intimidation. Note that these options aren’t solely based on their respective levels or numerical values. Rather, there are other factors that come into play, such as how Intimidation-type responses become more effective if (a) you have high-quality weapons and armor, (b) you have high Strength, Agility, and/or Vitality, and (c) if you look menacing due to the blood or dirt on your clothes. Moreover, these skill checks also help you accomplish tasks in different ways. If a guard catches you stealing an item, they might impose a fine or send you to the pillory. But you could also convince them that you’re just fooling around or you could threaten them. You could learn more about this feature in our reputation system guide. Sneak around at night when everyone’s asleep Deep Silver Speaking of stealing items, we recommend doing any sort of thieving and conniving when it’s late at night once villagers are asleep. You can do this by clicking on the “Wait” button and fast-forwarding the in-game clock. In all likelihood, the main door of villagers’ houses are locked, which means you could either lockpick these doors or find another opening. Once you see a potential target, crouch and sneak toward them, then hold the button prompt for the “Rob” action. The number you see represents how many seconds you’ll have for the next minigame. That minigame involves pickpocketing a target’s inventory, shown as circular panels with hidden items that you need to reveal. The goal is to select the items you want to steal and then clicking on the “exit door” to finish the minigame. If you’re fast enough, you’d get to keep what you selected, you little scoundrel. If you take too long, the target will be alerted and they’ll call on the guards. In any case, we do recommend grabbing any keys that you reveal, as these allow you to instantly open nearby chests. Likewise, you could take a look at our stolen/damaged items guide for more tips. Stay on horseback to tag fast travel points Deep Silver There are times when Henry has to roam around the Bohemian countryside while following certain individuals, such as his pal Hans Capon. In these situations, you might be asked if you want to speed things up to arrive at your destination quickly. This isn’t recommended if you’ve yet to fully explore the region. By continuing to follow an NPC, you could sometimes stumble upon other settlements that act as fast travel points. If you arrive at your destination automatically, you’d have to explore on your own later on just to find settlements that you may have missed earlier. Beware of potential ambushes when fast traveling Deep Silver While we’re on the subject of fast traveling, it’s imperative to remember a Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 tip that concerns random encounters. Some of these shouldn’t cause you to worry at all–i.e. a camp by the roadside might just have minstrels who, like you, are going from town to town. However, it’s also possible that these camps are populated by bandits; you’d get waylaid. You can try to fight your foes even at a disadvantage or you can flee to safety, though your enemies are likely to chase you, too. Be sure to find your loyal dog companion Mutt Deep Silver Early in the campaign, Henry and Hans’ squad get ambushed by brigands. Henry has to look on across the riverbank as he’s separated from his loyal companion Mutt. Eventually, though, you’ll get a side quest to find Mutt and a marker even appears on the world map. Be forewarned that this is a very time-consuming quest that takes you all across the region, but it’s certainly worth it in the end. Mutt, your faithful doggo, has several tricks up his sleeve, as he can bark to distract NPCs and bite enemies to give you an opening. You could also feed Mutt different kinds of meat, as well as **** him, to increase his loyalty stat. Choose the right perks for your character Deep Silver All of the above activities are, in some way, shape, or form, governed by Henry’s attributes, which can be seen in the Player tab. These are: Stats: Main Level, Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Speech. Skills: Alchemy, Craftsmanship, Drinking, Horsemanship, Houndmaster, Scholarship, Stealth, Survival, and Thievery. Combat: Warfare, Swords, Heavy Weapons, Polearms, Unarmed, and Marksmanship. By doing certain actions often, Henry’s expertise in these facets will continue to increase. For example: Walking around while over-encumbered increases your Strength stat, while sneaking around and stealing stuff increase your Stealth and Thievery skills, respectively. Fighting with specific kinds of weapons also improve your proficiency with those armaments. At certain levels, you may even unlock perks that further grant permanent buffs that complement your playstyle. Fall in love or have some brief trysts Deep Silver Last but not least, Henry can sometimes charm his way into the skirts and breeches of certain NPCs. The most common dalliances are with the so-called bathhouse wenches who provide additional “services” on top of cleaning your body and clothing. In other cases, you might meet these individuals at a party or as part of quests. Look for the heart icon to start a brief tryst with these fine femmes and fellahs to trigger romantic scenes. Doing so also nets you the “Time Well Spent” buff, which temporarily grants +1 to your Strength, Agility, and Vitality. Source link #Kingdom #Deliverance #beginners #guide #tips #survive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

We’re making 4 trades, including an exit and an initiation, to reduce our tariff risk We’re making 4 trades, including an exit and an initiation, to reduce our tariff risk Looking to reduce our exposure to tariffs and China, we’re making changes in the portfolio. We’re exiting our position in Stanley ****** & Decker , selling our remaining 510 shares at roughly $86.79 each. We’re buying 50 shares of Home Depot at roughly $409.60. Following the trade, Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust will own 300 shares of HD, increasing its weighting to 3.33% from 2.8%. We’re selling 275 shares of GE Healthcare at roughly $87.80. Following the trade, the Trust will own 625 shares of GEHC, decreasing its weighting to 1.5% from 2.15%. We’re initiating a position in Texas Roadhouse , buying 200 shares at roughly $180.62. We’re taking advantage of Tuesday’s 2% bounce in tool maker Stanley ****** & Decker to exit the position. We’ll use about half of the ***** proceeds to beef up Home Depot . We originally outlined this probable shift in December when we downgraded Stanley ****** & Decker to our 3 rating . From a portfolio management perspective, these trades allow us to maintain our exposure to the home improvement theme without as much tariff risk. SWK HD 1Y mountain Stanley ****** & Decker vs. Home Depot 1 year Future earnings from Stanley ****** & Decker face a serious risk from further escalation in President Donald Trump’s trade war against China. The company previously forecasted that a 60% tariff rate on ******** goods could hit pretax operating income by roughly $200 million per year. The current tariff rate is well below that level as the administration appears to be taking a softer-than-expected stance on China — at least for now. We don’t want to stick around and risk the trade war rhetoric getting more aggressive. Home Depot does have some tariff exposure but not nearly as much. We also view Home Depot as a generally better-run company that should benefit from the cleanup and rebuilding after the Los Angeles wildfires. We called this out in January. Stanley ****** & Decker is scheduled to report earnings before Wednesday’s opening bell. In its typical fashion, we expect the company to provide a conservative 2025 outlook, which could pressure the stock. We’re exiting the position with a small loss of about 1% on our remaining shares. GEHC 1Y mountain GE Healthcare 1 year As for GE Healthcare , we are locking in more profits in this healthcare equipment maker as we remain cautious about the state of the health-care industry in China. Club name Danaher ‘s recent quarter didn’t inspire confidence, and Merck ‘s announcement that it has halted shipments of Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents ******* from HPV, to China represented another negative surprise. GE Healthcare has positive things going for it in the United States between strong capital expenditure trends across its core customer base and also its fast-growing radiopharmaceutical business. However, we think a piece of its 2025 guidance may hinge on China getting better, and that is still too hard to see. From this *****, we will realize a gain of roughly 15% on stock purchased in the summer of 2023. GEHC is set to report earnings next week. TXRH 1Y mountain Texas Roadhouse 1 year With the Stanley ****** & Decker exit, a new spot opened up in the portfolio. So, we’re calling up the restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse from our Bullpen watch list. We added the stock to our Bullpen on Jan. 24. The company is best known for its namesake fast casual steak but also owns two other concepts: Bubba’s 33 and Jaggers. After years of stubborn inflation, what the consumer craves is a good deal. Texas Roadhouse offers this to its customers by serving high-quality food at a surprisingly low price, translating to strong traffic trends. The proof is in the results. In its third quarter, Texas Roadhouse posted comparable sales growth of 8.5%, driven by 3.8% traffic growth and a 4.7% increase in average check. While the totality is important to look at, the breakout between traffic and check provides a lot of insight into how the company operates. The traffic shows more people are dining at the restaurant, while the average check shows how much they are spending. Texas Roadhouse has figured out how to strike a great balance between maintaining its value proposition with only incremental price increases, explaining why customers are so loyal to the chain. “TXRH’s patient approach to margin recovery in favor of traffic gains over the last few years is paying dividends as the company continues to compound traffic and meaningfully outperform the industry,” analysts at Deutscher Bank wrote in an October note. Taking a look at the monthly cadence of Q3, Texas Roadhouse enjoyed a sustained growth rate. The company said comparable sales were up 8% in July, up 8.1% in August, and up 9.3% in September. By the way, management said its comp for the first four weeks of the fourth quarter, which will be reported on Feb. 20, increased 8.3%. The stock had a great 2024, rallying roughly 50% but has pulled back more than 10% since its November high of $205.27. This pullback creates an entry point for us to start a new position. That previous high of $205 is our price target and represents about 28.5 times the FactSet consensus 2025 earnings-per-share (EPS) estimate of $7.18. This week’s tariff-related headlines add to our case to buy the domestic-leaning Texas Roadhouse. It is expanding into international markets, but the overwhelming majority of the company’s restaurants are located in the United States. Compared to a multinational company that does a ton of business overseas, Texas Roadhouse’s exposure to a strengthening U.S. dollar or retaliatory tariffs should be minimal. That’s why the stock outperformed in the market on Monday and gave back those gains as trade war risks eased. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long *SWK, HD, GEHC. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Source link #making #trades #including #exit #initiation #reduce #tariff #risk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tiger Woods pays tribute to ‘biggest fan’ after announcing death of mother Kutilda Tiger Woods pays tribute to ‘biggest fan’ after announcing death of mother Kutilda Tiger Woods has paid tribute to his “biggest fan and greatest supporter” after announcing the death of his mother, Kultida. Former world number one Woods, 49, did not reveal the cause of death of his mother, who attended his TGL match in Florida last week. Woods said none of his personal achievements would have been possible without his mother, who regularly attended his tournaments and was present when he won his fifth Masters title to end an 11-year wait to claim a 15th major in 2019. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I want to share that my dear mother, Kultida Woods, passed away early this morning,” Woods, who lost his father Earl in 2006, said on social media. “My Mom was a force of nature all her own, her spirit was simply undeniable. She was quick with the needle and a laugh. She was my biggest fan, greatest supporter, without her none of my personal achievements would have been possible. “She was loved by so many, but especially by her two grandchildren, Sam and Charlie. Thank you all for your support, prayers and privacy at this difficult time for me and my family. Love you Mom.” Source link #Tiger #Woods #pays #tribute #biggest #fan #announcing #death #mother #Kutilda Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Atari’s Breakout is getting a side-scrolling reboot Atari’s Breakout is getting a side-scrolling reboot Proving that truly no IP is safe from modern reboot culture, Atari’s Breakout is back. The upcoming version of the simple 1976 brick-smashing hit rotates the playing field by 90 degrees and adds auto-scrolling, neon effects, power-ups and local co-op. In other words, Breakout Beyond is the Tetris Effect formula applied to the Led Zeppelin-era arcade classic. The original Breakout was a product of dramatically more limited 1970s hardware, but its simplicity was part of its magic. Rows of bricks sat up top, a player-controlled paddle lived down below and a “ball” (actually a square, thanks to ‘70s graphics) bounced in between. Move paddle, hit ball, smash bricks, wow bellbottom-wearing arcadegoers. The core formula — moving a paddle to bounce projectiles against bricks — remains intact in Breakout Beyond. But the game’s landscape perspective, while better suited for today’s televisions and monitors, may be hard for old-school gamers to get used to. Ditto for auto-scrolling, as this version pans left-to-right toward a goal rather than simply requiring you to break all the bricks on a fixed screen. Atari Visually, the new version’s ball is more like a comet, with a long neon tail trailing off behind its round head. Seizure-inducing effects abound. And there are multiple ****** to contend with, not just one. (However, Super Breakout, the original game’s direct sequel, had two modes with extra ******.) Like Tetris Effect, Breakout Beyond introduces combos, rewarding you with intensified visual and sound effects for stringing together streams of broken bricks. You can also break special blocks that unlock power-ups: bombs that clear out everything from a set radius, a force field to shield the ball and a freakin’ laser cannon that lets you blast bricks out of your way, a la Space Invaders. The game supports two-player local co-op so you can smash bricks with a couch buddy. It has 72 levels and an optional focus mode that slows down time (at the expense of higher scores). Breakout Beyond will arrive “later this year” for PC, Switch, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, PlayStation 5/4 and Atari’s rebooted VCS console. There’s no pricing info yet. You can check it out in the trailer below and learn more on Atari’s product page. To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. Source link #Ataris #Breakout #sidescrolling #reboot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

I wish I'd just walked away and gone home: Kerr I wish I'd just walked away and gone home: Kerr The second day of the trial of Australia women’s soccer captain Sam Kerr on charges of racially aggravated harassment has heard her regret the night’s events. Source link #I039d #walked #home #Kerr Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MLB The Show 25 Revamps Road To The Show, Adds High School And College Ball MLB The Show 25 Revamps Road To The Show, Adds High School And College Ball MLB The Show 25 will be out this March, and as the first game in years to not release on day one for Game Pass, Sony’s San Diego Studio had to make the case for you to spend your money at launch. New features coming to the game this year might just do that, with the sometimes-stagnant Road to the Show mode getting a big upgrade and Diamond Dynasty ditching a system players took issue with. Rather than complete a simple combine exercise before getting drafted by an MLB team, this year’s Road to the Show mode will let you begin your career as a high-school player before making the jump to college and the pros. Authentic amateur-level audio has been included specifically for this, such as the loud “ping” of aluminum bats and the distinct ****** of a player hitting a chain-link fence. Elsewhere, “hundreds” of new gameplay animations have been added, along with a new G.O.A.T. difficulty setting and an “ambush hitting” system. Road to the Show’s progression system has also been overhauled, which Sony says gives you “more control over your player’s development, including crafting Perks to your liking.” With any luck, it should help your players from falling too neatly into one of a few different archetypes, as they could in years past. Diamond Dynasty has also gotten some big changes. The Sets and Seasons system, which limited the players you could take into an online ranked match, have been removed. A new tabletop-like Diamond Quest mode and the multiplayer Weekend Classic have also been added, giving you another way to earn rewards. Last but certainly not least, MLB The Show 25 sees the return of Storylines with The ****** Leagues Season 3. ****** Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick is back to showcase some of the greatest baseball players of all time in an educational mode that always features some unique game situations. MLB The Show 25 releases on March 18 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Switch. Preorders are live now. Source link #MLB #Show #Revamps #Road #Show #Adds #High #School #College #Ball Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Harvey Willgoose a best friend to all, say stabbed teen’s family Harvey Willgoose a best friend to all, say stabbed teen’s family The “utterly heartbroken” family of a 15-year-old boy who was fatally stabbed at a Sheffield school on Monday have described him as a “best friend to all”. Harvey Willgoose died after he was attacked at All Saints Catholic High School on Granville Road on Monday. In a statement issued through South Yorkshire Police, Harvey’s family said: “Our lives are devastated and will never be the same again.” A 15-year-old boy who was arrested on Monday on suspicion of Harvey’s ******* remained in custody, officers said. The teenager’s family said: “We have lost a beloved son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and, most importantly, a best friend to all. “Harvey will be forever known for being a caring, loving and funny young man. “At this difficult time, we ask you to please respect our privacy as we grieve as a family.” A small police scene remained in place at the school on Tuesday as the investigation into the incident continued. Source link #Harvey #Willgoose #friend #stabbed #teens #family Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]