Pelican Press

Army Helicopter Warned Twice Before ****** Army Helicopter Warned Twice Before ****** Originally appeared on E! Online More has come to light about the fatal collision over the Potomac River. Days after American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter collided mid-air in Washington, D.C., officials shared that the military aircraft had been warned by air traffic control about the incoming plane. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Bryce Banning confirmed during a Feb. 1 press conference that the control tower requested the regional jet switch runways at 8:43 p.m. local time. As he explained, “After a brief discussion between the crew, they agreed to Runway 33.” At 8:46 p.m., the tower informed the ****** Hawk helicopter that the traffic nearby was the airplane “just south of the Wilson Bridge” at 1,200 feet that was “circling to Runway 33.” At 8:47 p.m., Banning said an audible radio transmission asked the helicopter if the plane—which carried 60 passengers and four crew members—was “in sight.” More from E! Online After three seconds, the helicopter was directed to “pass behind” the plane, Banning explained, adding that 16 seconds later, the plane’s crew “had a verbal reaction,” and the Flight Data Recorder showed the aircraft began tilting the nose upward before the air traffic control heard “sounds of impact.” (All 67 passengers were killed.) NTSB board member Todd Inman also shared insight into the ****** Hawk’s safety protocol. “We can verify it was on a training flight that would utilize night vision goggles,” he said during the press conference. “We do not know at this time if the night vision goggles were actively being worn, nor what the setting may be.” However, he emphasized, “Further investigation should be able to let us know if that occurred and what factor it may play in the overall accident.” Xinhua/Shutterstock As more details come out about the fatal ******, loved ones mourned the passengers onboard the aircrafts. Andrew Beyer, who lost his wife Justyna and 12-year-old daughter Brielle, reflected on their deaths. The tween even beat her battle with ******* at just 4 months old. “She was just such a fighter in everything she did,” he told ABC News Jan. 31. “She just lived life to the fullest with everything.” And he couldn’t help but gush over Brielle’s work ethic when it came to figure skating. (14 passengers onboard with figure skaters, coaches and parents.) “She was so proud of herself in figure skating for the progress she had made,” he added to the outlet. “Making that team was one of her life goals. And she achieved it. And she was just so, so proud of herself.” Keep reading for more details on the tragic collision. What Happened to the Passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342? On the evening of Jan. 29, American Airlines flight 5342 traveling from Witchita, Kan., to Washington, D.C. collided with a United States Army ****** Hawk helicopter near the Reagan Washington National Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter. The plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members and the helicopter, which had three people aboard, crashed into the Potomac River. The passenger jet, a *********-made Bombardier CRJ-700 series twin-engine jet, was operated by American Airlines’ subsidiary airline, PSA Airlines. What was first a rescue mission has become a recovery operation, District of Columbia fire chief John Donnelly confirmed Jan. 31 that all 67 passengers in both aircraft are presumed dead. “At this point, we do not believe there were any survivors,” the official said at a Jan. 30 press conference. “We will work to find all the bodies and reunite them with their loved ones.” As officials put the pieces together surrounding the horrific incident, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared that the helicopter was in a “standard flight pattern” during the collision and was aware of the plane in the vicinity. “Last night, the helicopter was in a standard pattern,” he explained at the press conference. “If you live in the D.C. area, you’ll see helicopters up and down the river, this flight pattern is seen oftentimes when you live in D.C.” Who Was Onboard American Airlines Flight 5342? Among the 60 passengers were 14 American figure skaters, coaches and family members who were at a camp in Wichita, Kan., according to U.S. Figure Skating. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” the governing body shared in a statement obtained by NBC News. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.” World champion Russian figure skating duo Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who wed in 1995, were also onboard, Russian state media confirmed. “Bad news from Washington today,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, per NBC News. “We grieve and console with the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane ******.” Hamaad Raza, whose wife was also on the American Airlines flight, was waiting for her at the international airport. “I’m just praying that somebody’s pulling her out of the river right now as we speak,” he told CBS affiliate WUSA9. “That’s all I can pray for. I’m just praying to God.” A Cedarville University student, Grace Maxwell, was also onboard the flight after attending her grandfather’s ********, the university said in a Jan. 31 press release. Who Was Onboard the U.S. Army Helicopter Involved in the Collision? The helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Public Affairs Deputy Director for Joint Task Force-National Capital Region/Military District of Washington Ron McLendon II confirmed to NBC News. The official shared that the aircraft was in the middle of a training mission at the time of the collision. What Happens Next After Recover Efforts for American Airlines Flight 5342? The FAA, U.S. Army and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision, with the latter taking the lead. The Pentagon has also initiated its own investigation. While there are still more questions than answers, former NTSB and FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti told Today that the air traffic control communications that night are “going to be scrutinized by the NTSB, that controller will be interviewed and the radar data will be looked at by the NTSB.” Investigators recovered two ****** boxes—which record the information from the flight and its route—that belonged to the airplane Jan. 30, the NTSB told NBC News. Who Has Spoken Out After American Airlines Flight 5342 Crashed Into the Potomac River? President Donald J. Trump shared his condolences about the tragedy. “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” the White House statement said. “May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.” Ilia Malinin, the men’s figure skater who won his third consecutive U.S. figure skating title in Witchita Jan. 26, confirmed he was not onboard the flight. He wrote on his Instagram Stories, “I hope and pray for everyone who was on that flight is OK.” Wichita Mayor Lily Wu also expressed her grief, saying at a press conference that their “hearts are heavy as a city.” “We mourn with all those who have been impacted,” she said. “This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C., and Wichita, Kansas, forever.” Two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan shared an emotional message to reporters about the ****** that claimed the lives of six skaters from Skating Club of Boston, where the athlete also formerly trained. “I just wanted to be here and be part of our community,” Kerrigan said through tears. “When you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it’s an even ******* blow.” For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Source link #Army #Helicopter #Warned #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Man Received Text from D.C. Plane ****** Victim 30 Minutes Before Family Boarded Doomed Flight (Exclusive) – PEOPLE Man Received Text from D.C. Plane ****** Victim 30 Minutes Before Family Boarded Doomed Flight (Exclusive) – PEOPLE Man Received Text from D.C. Plane ****** Victim 30 Minutes Before Family Boarded Doomed Flight (Exclusive) PEOPLEArmy Identifies Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach as Helicopter Co-Pilot Killed in D.C. ****** The New York Times Source link #Man #Received #Text #D.C #Plane #****** #Victim #Minutes #Family #Boarded #Doomed #Flight #Exclusive #PEOPLE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Police rule out anti-Semitism after women egged in Sydney’s east Police rule out anti-Semitism after women egged in Sydney’s east Police have issued an update after eggs were thrown at a group of women in what was feared to be another anti-Semitic attack. Source link #Police #rule #antiSemitism #women #egged #Sydneys #east Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Magma found under volcanoes thought dormant in the Cascade Range Magma found under volcanoes thought dormant in the Cascade Range Unlike old soldiers, old volcanoes seemingly don’t even fade away, much less die, with researchers discovering magma chambers under cones previously classed as dormant after thousands of years of inactivity. In findings published in the journal Nature Geoscience, a team from Cornell University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the US Geological Survey (USGS) used seismic waves to find magma under active and dormant volcanoes alike in the Cascade Range spanning Washington and Oregon in the US and British Columbia in Canada. “All of the volcanoes, including dormant ones, have persistent and large magma bodies,” the team reported. “It appears that these magma bodies exist beneath volcanoes over their whole lifetime, not just during an active state,” said Cornell’s Gaunning Pang. The results challenge “assumptions” about volcanoes, according to the team, in turn raising the question of whether the widely-used “dormant” category could be redundant. Not counting the underwater volcanoes along the 16,000-kilometre Mid-Atlantic Ridge, there are anything from 1,350 to over 1,500 “active” volcanoes worldwide, going by estimates from the USGS and the British Geological Survey (BGS), with many located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which includes the Cascades, site of half of the “very high threat” volcanoes in the US, according to the country’s government. The BGS says there are 82 volcanoes in Europe, more than a third of them on Iceland, while the USGS reckons the US is home to 170 “potentially active” volcanoes. More work needs to be done to track where eruptions could occur, according to the Cornell-USGS team. “If we had a better general understanding of where magma was, we could do a much better job of targeting and optimizing monitoring,” said Cornell’s Geoffrey Abers, who warned of a “great many volcanoes that are sparsely monitored or have not been subject to intensive study.” One place where monitoring is carried out is at Yellowstone National Park, part of which sits atop an enormous 50 kilometre by 70 kilometre caldera. Last month the journal Nature published work led by USGS seismologists revealing that magma underneath the so-called supervolcano is moving. A major Yellowstone disaster would likely level and leave no survivors across a radius of hundreds of miles. The potential scale of such an eruption could spew out enough ash to not only blanket the surface of much of North America but also block sunlight and cause multi-year global volcanic winter, according to many scientific assessments. Source link #Magma #volcanoes #thought #dormant #Cascade #Range Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration to take steps to defund Education Department – Reuters Trump administration to take steps to defund Education Department – Reuters Trump administration to take steps to defund Education Department ReutersTrump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data The Washington PostRepublicans Take Key Step To Abolish The Department Of Education, Imperiling Student Loan Programs ForbesRep. Thomas Massie re-introduces bill to abolish the Department of Education USA TODAY Source link #Trump #administration #steps #defund #Education #Department #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bonobos can tell when they know something you don’t Bonobos can tell when they know something you don’t Kanzi, one of three captive bonobos whose mental abilities were tested in the study Ape Initiative Bonobos are quick to help a person who doesn’t know what they know, a sign that they can deduce the mental states of others. The capacity to think about what others are thinking, known as theory of mind, is an essential skill that allows humans to navigate their social worlds. It enables us to recognise that someone may hold different beliefs or perspectives to our own, underpinning our ability to understand and help others appropriately. The question of whether our closest living relatives also have theory of mind has been hotly debated for decades. Despite some mixed results, non-human great apes seem to have some aspects of this capacity, suggesting it is more evolutionarily ancient than once thought. For example, wild chimpanzees that see a nearby snake, albeit a fake one, seem to call out to alert group members they know haven’t already seen it. But we have been missing clear evidence from controlled settings that primates can track a perspective that differs from their own and then act upon it, says Luke Townrow at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. To investigate this, Townrow and Christopher Krupenye, also at Johns Hopkins University, tested if three male bonobos at the Ape Initiative research centre in Iowa could identify ignorance in someone they were trying to cooperate with, and then gesture to them to help solve the task. On a table between the bonobo and an experimenter were three upturned plastic cups. A second researcher placed a barrier between the experimenter and the cups, then hid a treat, like a juicy grape, under one of them. In one version of the experiment, the “knowledge condition”, a window in the barrier allowed the experimenter to watch where the treat was placed. In the “ignorance condition”, their view was completely blocked. If the experimenter found the food, they would give it to the bonobo, providing a motivation for the apes to share what they knew. Townrow and Krupenye looked at whether the ape pointed at the cup, and how quickly they pointed, after the barrier had been removed over 24 trials for each condition. They found that, on average, the bonobos took 1.5 seconds less time to point and pointed in approximately 20 per cent more trials in the ignorance condition. “This shows that they can actually take action when they realise that somebody has a different perspective from their own,” says Krupenye. It appears that bonobos understand features of what others are thinking that researchers have historically assumed they didn’t comprehend, he adds. This simple yet powerful research gives experimental support to existing findings from wild apes, says Zanna Clay at Durham University, ***. However, she warns that the findings may not apply to all bonobos because the study animals were raised in human-oriented environments. But that doesn’t detract from the results demonstrating that a capacity is there, she adds. Indeed, finding this capacity in these three bonobos indicates that the potential exists within their biology and, very likely then, the biology of our common ancestor as well, says Krupenye. “It suggests that our ancient human relatives likely also had these abilities and could use them to bolster cooperation and coordination with one another,” says Laura Lewis at the University of California, Berkeley. “By understanding when someone may be ignorant, especially about evolutionarily critical information like the location of food, our ancestors could have used these capacities to communicate and coordinate more effectively with their social partners.” Topics: Source link #Bonobos #dont Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Strategy and risk sees John Swinney seal Budget success Strategy and risk sees John Swinney seal Budget success Glenn Campbell Political editor, BBC Scotland News PA Media John Swinney’s government has won the support of three opposition parties for its Budget. There have been times when it seemed like mission impossible for an SNP government without a majority of votes at Holyrood to get a budget through parliament. In certain circumstances that could have brought down John Swinney’s administration and triggered an election. Instead, the SNP’s first budget since throwing the Greens out of government is to be approved with the support of at least four parties. The Greens, the Liberal Democrats and Alba’s sole MSP will join the SNP in voting for it. Labour will not stand in its way and only the Conservatives will vote against. That is to the credit of the finance secretary Shona Robison and her team. Her predecessors in that role, including the first minister John Swinney and his deputy Kate Forbes have struggled to achieve such a rainbow of support since 2014. So how is this possible when the SNP has been in government since 2007 and their political opponents are desperate to unseat them and usher in an alternative government? I think the consequences of not passing a budget, the political risks of fast-forwarding to an election and some smart political strategy by the SNP have all played a part. Financial chaos There has to be a budget. If there is not a new one for 2025/26 that would cause a degree of financial chaos. The default position would be that only one twelfth of last year’s budget would be released each calendar month – without the increases due from the Treasury. That would mean the pay rises promised to public service workers like nurses, teachers and police officers could not easily be paid. No politician would want to get blamed for that and in a parliament of minorities it is not necessarily the governing party that would take the rap. If not passing a budget led to an election, that might seem attractive to opposition parties if they were poised to win big and potentially take power. When Labour swept away the SNP across much of the central belt of Scotland at the *** general election that changed the political narrative. It seemed credible that Labour could do something similar in the 2026 Holyrood vote and return to power after two decades in the wilderness. Anything is possible but if you were the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar you would not want to risk it right now because his party has slid back in recent opinion polls. The performance of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government at Westminster appears to be dragging Scottish Labour down and the apparent rise of Reform *** could snatch votes from across the political spectrum. In short, it looks way too risky for Labour (and the Conservatives) right now. It’s not clear any party is hankering after an early test of public opinion. Getty Images Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said his party will not vote down the Budget There is another factor. You have to be canny to hold onto power for 18-plus years. The SNP is good at it. The party has experienced plenty of turmoil over the last few years with a trio of first ministers, rows over policy on independence, gender and the environment and the police investigation into SNP finances. There is also underperformance in a range of public services which has happened on the party’s watch. None of that can be airbrushed away but under Swinney’s leadership the SNP seems to be rediscovering a focus on day to day issues. He has reinvented himself as a consensus-building politician and demonstrated a commitment to that approach by giving budget concessions to the Greens and the Lib Dems in exchange for their support after that was arithmetically necessary. The big budget breakthrough was when Labour said they would abstain in key votes to let it pass. Shifting the pressure SNP strategy forced them into that position because ministers included Scottish Labour policies in their draft budget – partly reinstating winter fuel payments for pensioners and paving the way to ending the two-child cap on benefits. If Labour had voted against a budget including these policies, the SNP would have exploited that mercilessly. Labour caved in an attempt to neutralise these issues. They even offered to back the budget if the SNP speeded up the policy to end the two-child cap in Scotland which *** ministers are keeping in place elsewhere. In the moment that appeared to shift a little pressure back onto the SNP. Officials in the Scottish and *** governments are still talking about how to make that possible. Rapid progress seems unlikely and political sources in both administrations suggest any hold up is with the other side. So, the SNP gets its budget through. Labour does not stand in the way without having won any new concessions. The Greens and Lib Dems can champion the spending they’ve secured and the Conservatives can stand apart, condemning the others collectively as a “cosy left-wing consensus” that they seek to break. That’s the politics of budget 2025 and a taster of the election campaign to come next year. Source link #Strategy #risk #sees #John #Swinney #seal #Budget #success Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge maintains block on Trump administration’s funding freeze Judge maintains block on Trump administration’s funding freeze Washington — A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily stop its freeze on federal assistance, allowing aid to continue flowing to nonprofit organizations and other entities after the funding was targeted by the White House budget office last week. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan of the federal district court in Washington, D.C., formally granted the request from a coalition of nonprofits that had challenged the directive from the Office of Management and Budget, or OMB. She said the administration’s actions “run roughshod over a ‘bulwark of the Constitution’ by interfering with Congress’s appropriation of funds.” Issued nearly one week ago, the OMB memo directed all agencies to temporarily pause all federal assistance that may be implicated by certain executive orders issued by President Trump in his first days in office. While OMB acting Director Matthew Vaeth rescinded the memo after it led to widespread confusion as to which entities would be affected by the funding freeze, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pause on federal assistance would remain in place and just the memo was being revoked. In a 30-page opinion granting the challengers’ request to block the funding freeze, AliKhan wrote that a review of the programs that should or should not receive federal dollars “could be conducted without depriving millions of Americans access to vital resources.” She notes that the administration’s memo potentially covered up to $3 trillion in financial assistance, a “breathtakingly large sum of money to suspend practically overnight.” “Rather than taking a measured approach to identify purportedly wasteful spending, defendants cut the fuel supply to a vast, complicated, nationwide machine — seemingly without any consideration for the consequences of that decision,” AliKhan, who was nominated for her current seat by former President Biden in 2023, wrote. The judge also cited Leavitt’s statements, writing that “OMB and the various agencies it communicates with appear committed to restricting federal funding.” “By rescinding the memorandum that announced the freeze, but ‘NOT . . . the federal funding freeze; itself, it appears that OMB sought to overcome a judicially imposed obstacle without actually ceasing the challenged conduct. The court can think of few things more disingenuous,” she wrote, quoting a social media post from the White House press secretary. The initial memo from Vaeth brought on legal challenges from the nonprofit groups in Washington and from 22 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, which was filed in Rhode Island. The federal judge overseeing the states’ case temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing federal assistance Friday after concluding that OMB’s actions were likely unlawful. AliKhan’s decision came just before an earlier order that temporarily halted the freeze and maintained the status quo was set to expire at 5 p.m. Monday. She held a hearing earlier in the day to consider the request from the nonprofits to issue a temporary restraining order and suggested then that she would grant their motion. AliKhan had warned that the harm to groups that receive federal assistance could be “catastrophic.” The White House budget office’s directive targeting federal assistance is one of several measures taken by the new Trump administration that have upended the federal government. Mr. Trump has pledged to shrink the federal workforce and spending and tapped billionaire Elon Musk to oversee those efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency, which the president established on his first day back in the White House. Since then, the Trump administration paused new funding for nearly all foreign aid and has targeted the U.S. Agency for International Development for a potential reorganization. The moves from the Trump administration pausing the flow of federal assistance have left organizations in the U.S. and abroad reeling. Domestically, groups that provide meals to the elderly and school-aged children, universities and small businesses were left scrambling to determine whether they would lose access to funding that has already been approved by Congress. Overseas, humanitarian and development groups that receive assistance from the State Department or USAID were forced to furlough workers. Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Judge #maintains #block #Trump #administrations #funding #freeze Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pipe Pro frustration as wait for waves continues Pipe Pro frustration as wait for waves continues Competition at the World Surf League’s season-opening event at Hawaii’s Banzai Pipeline remains on hold but organisers say better surf conditions are forecast. Source link #Pipe #Pro #frustration #wait #waves #continues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hunter Army Airfield on lockdown, alert sent out to service members and civilians on base Hunter Army Airfield on lockdown, alert sent out to service members and civilians on base (This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.) Hunter Army Airfield is currently on lockdown, Hunter Army Airfield Public Affairs Officer Monica Guthrie confirmed in a phone call. The message from the mass alert system to service members and civilians working and/or living on Hunter Army Airfield went out at 1:59 p.m. today, said Guthrie. As a result of the Hunter Army Airfield lockdown, nearby Pulaski Elementary School is on a precautionary lockdown, according to an email sent from Savannah-Chatham County school district Public Information Manager Sheila Blanco. “Good afternoon parents, This is a safety message to let you know that Pulaski Elementary has been placed on a precautionary lockdown today due to a lockdown at Hunter Army Airfield,” Blanco wrote in the message. “Civilian car riders and walkers will be dismissed shortly, but all bus riders will be delayed due to the lockdown on post. In addition, military car riders and walkers who live on post will have a delayed dismissal once the situation on post is resolved. “Please know that the safety of our staff and students is our top priority. We thank you for your support of Pulaski Elementary School.” This is a developing story. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hunter Army Airfield on lockdown Source link #Hunter #Army #Airfield #lockdown #alert #service #members #civilians #base Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bonobos know when you’re clueless – Ars Technica Bonobos know when you’re clueless – Ars Technica Bonobos know when you’re clueless Ars TechnicaApes are willing to tell us what we don’t already know The TimesBonobos can tell when they know something you don’t New ScientistApes may be able to intuitively ‘read minds’ just like humans, scientists reveal Daily Mail Source link #Bonobos #youre #clueless #Ars #Technica Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump pauses tariffs on Canada and Mexico for at least 30 days, Trudeau says Trump pauses tariffs on Canada and Mexico for at least 30 days, Trudeau says President Donald Trump has agreed to pause the implementation of planned tariffs on imports from Canada for at least 30 days, ********* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says. The pause was announced overnight Monday in a tweet by Mr Trudeau hours after Mr Trump and Mexico’s president said Mr Trump would pause for one month planned tariffs on imports from Mexico. Mr Trump on Saturday said he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10 per cent tariffs on goods imported from China. Trump had also planned to impose a 10 per cent tariff on energy resources from Canada. Mr Trudeau in his tweet said “I just had a good call with President Trump”, and suggested that the pause on tariffs was in response to Canada’s agreement to target the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl across the border into the US. Mr Trump’s pause on tariffs on ******** imports likewise came after Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would immediately send 10,000 soldiers to the US border to prevent drug trafficking, fentanyl in particular, from Mexico. Mr Trudeau said Canada had made new commitments “to appoint a Fentanyl Czar”, among other measures. “Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together,” Mr Trudeau wrote. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Mr Trump soon after followed up with a post on Truth Social. “Canada has agreed to ensure we have a secure Northern Border, and to finally end the deadly scourge of drugs like Fentanyl that have been pouring into our Country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, while destroying their families and communities all across our Country.” “I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day ******* to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured,” Trump wrote. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!” CNBC Source link #Trump #pauses #tariffs #Canada #Mexico #days #Trudeau Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Alphabet to report Q4 earnings as investors look to cloud growth, AI spending Alphabet to report Q4 earnings as investors look to cloud growth, AI spending Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is set to release its results for the fourth quarter after the bell on Tuesday, kicking off a second week of earnings for US tech giants as Wall Street looks to see how the search behemoth will respond to the threat of ******** startup DeepSeek’s AI models. The Google parent is also expected to offer updates on its efforts to turn massive AI investments into new revenue streams and the broader performance of the massive digital ad market. Advertising rival Meta (META) reported earnings last week, easily beating Wall Street’s expectations on the top and bottom lines, but declined to provide full-year guidance. Meta, like Alphabet, is investing heavily in its AI efforts as it seeks to use the technology to improve ad sales and user engagement. Google, and US tech companies more generally, are still reeling from the breakout success of DeepSeek’s V3 and R1 models. Purportedly developed for a fraction of the cost of Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, DeepSeek’s efficiency raises questions about whether Silicon Valley is overinvesting in AI hardware. Alphabet is expected to report earnings per share of $2.13 on revenue of $96.6 billion for the quarter, up from $1.64 per share and $86.3 billion for the same ******* last year. Advertising revenue is expected to top out at $71.7 billion, up from $65.5 billion a year ago, while Google Cloud revenue is set to hit $12.1 billion compared to the 9.1 billion the company saw last year. Cloud growth is an important metric for Alphabet as it seeks to gain market share from rivals Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT). Microsoft’s cloud revenue jumped 21% year over year during its most recent quarter, climbing to $40 billion. Still, that was shy of Wall Street’s expectations of $41.1 billion, sending shares of the Windows maker lower. Gemini website is screened on a mobile phone for illustration photo in Krakow, Poland on Feb. 1, 2025. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) · NurPhoto via Getty Images “We believe that cloud growth should keep a high-20s to low-30s percentage growth pace through 2026, driven by greater contribution from artificial intelligence workloads as capacity expands, as well as the December launch of Gemini 2.0,” said Angelo Zino, equity analyst at CFRA Research, in a note. Google, like Meta, is awaiting the outcome of Trump’s advocacy for TikTok, the short-form video app that was supposed to shut down its US operations last month but has continued to run as the president seeks a workaround to avoid an outright ban. Google also continues to face regulatory risks. Late last year, Google appealed a ruling after the courts found that the company abused its monopoly power over the search business. One potential remedy, suggested by government lawyers, is a breakup of the company. The market has largely shrugged off immediate concerns of a drastic shake-up, however. Story Continues CEO Sundar Pichai was among the tech elite who attended Trump’s inauguration, in what many political and market observers see as an industrywide reset toward a more accommodating relationship with the president. What impact Trump’s policies will have on Silicon Valley and what his more business-friendly administration will mean for Google’s court troubles will also be on investors’ minds heading into earnings. Alphabet shares are up 41% over the past 12 months, outpacing Amazon shares, which rose 39%, and easily beating Microsoft shares, which are up just 2% during the same time *******. Sign up for Yahoo Finance’s Week in Tech newsletter. · yahoofinance Hamza Shaban is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering markets and the economy. Follow Hamza on X @hshaban. Daniel Howley is a tech editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him @DanielHowley. Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Source link #Alphabet #report #earnings #investors #cloud #growth #spending Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chiefs vs. Eagles on Sunday, February 9 Chiefs vs. Eagles on Sunday, February 9 The Caesars Superdome will host Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, February 9. Here’s how to tune in to the big game! (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen via Getty Images) Super Bowl LIX is less than a week away, and the big news for the 2025 game is that you can stream it for free. But let’s back up a bit: The NFL’s final game of the season comes together this Sunday, with the NFC champions the Philadelphia Eagles facing AFC champs — and two-time defending Super Bowl winners — the Kansas City Chiefs. If that roster sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl, where the Chiefs edged out the Eagles 38-35. Will the Eagles get their revenge this year, or will the Chiefs go where no NFL team has gone before: an unprecedented three straight Super Bowl wins? We’ll find out on Sunday, Feb. 9. The kickoff for Super Bowl LIX will be at 6:30PM ET at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA — the eighth time the venue has hosted the big game. The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show will feature Kendrick Lamar, riding high on the five new Grammys he snagged just last Sunday, as well as SZA. The championship game will be broadcast nationally on Fox this year and will be available on platforms like DirecTV Stream and Fubo. Looking for a free way to tune in? The Super Bowl will also be livestreamed on Tubi — in 4K, no less! Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Super Bowl. When is Super Bowl LIX? The 2025 Super Bowl will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9. What time does the Super Bowl start? Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. How to watch the Super Bowl live Super Bowl LIX will air nationally on Fox and stream live on Tubi. How to stream the Super Bowl for free this year Tubi will be livestreaming Fox’s coverage of the Super Bowl this year — the first time the free platform has done so. It will also be available in the Fox Sports app on mobile platforms. Beyond that, you can also sign up for free trials of DirecTV Stream, Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, each of which carry Fox in most locations. Two important caveats: Verify that your locality includes a Fox stream by inputting your ZIP code on their respective sites. And if you don’t want to pay, make sure you cancel before the trial subscription ends — they can be as short as three days, so plan ahead. Tubi will host a free livestream of Fox’s game day coverage of the 2025 Super Bowl. If you don’t have cable and aren’t looking to spend a dime to watch the big game, Tubi is a great free option to tune in. And with its pledge to stream the game in 4K, it could also provide the best video quality of the game — assuming your internet provider has the requisite bandwidth. For sports fans looking to catch every moment of the game, it should be noted that this will be Tubi’s first big live event — the Fox-owned platform sees most its views from content in its on-demand library. Beyond the Super Bowl, Tubi has a range of ad-supported on-demand content available totally free. They also have Tubi original programming including last year’s streaming standout: Sidelined: The QB and Me. Watch free at Tubi How to watch the 2025 Super Bowl without cable The Tubi option above is the easiest go-to starting point for free Super Bowl streaming — but no one knows how the service will hold up under what’s certain to be its most intensive influx of concurrent users. There are plenty of worthwhile backups, each of which offer more comprehensive options for cordcutters beyond the game itself — say, watching SportsCenter on ESPN before or after the game. And most of our picks for best live TV streaming services offer free trials, so you can check them out risk-free. If you time it right, your free trial can include the Super Bowl broadcast, too. DirecTV Stream is Engadget’s pick for “best cable without a contract.” And while we haven’t yet fully tested the service’s new MySports package yet, we’re highlighting it here for obvious reasons. It gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS and, of course, Fox. (Important: Verify your ZIP code before signing up to confirm that the local network affiliates, including Fox, are available in your area.) Right now, you can try all this out free, and then get your first three months for just $50/month. After that, the cost of this sports streaming package rises to $70/month (still cheaper than its competitors). So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for watching football (next season), but aren’t ready to commit or drop a ton of money, DirecTV Stream and its MySports tier is worth checking out. You’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage included in whatever DirecTV package you choose. Try free at DirecTV Prior to the debut of the MySports package, we named Fubo TV the best live TV streaming service for sports. It gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS and 100+ more live channels. (Important: Verify your ZIP code before signing up to confirm that the local network affiliates, including Fox, are available in your area.) At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans. But it offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch the NFL, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage. You can try Fubo free right now. Try free at Fubo YouTube TV YouTube TV is our top overall choice for best live TV streaming service. Most locales will have Fox to watch the Super Bowl (again, check your ZIP code). YouTube TV offers sports-friendly stats and “fantasy football” views (at least during the regular season). It also offers tight integration with NFL Sunday Ticket. Just note that service requires an additional hefty fee — and is also available as a standalone. Try free at YouTube TV Hulu + Live TV offers a wide array of sports options (including Fox, in most localities, for the Super Bowl). It’s got fewer regional sports networks than some rivals, but this is the only one that bundles in on-demand services Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ as part of the base fee, which is why it’s number three on our list of top overall streaming TV recommendations. Try for free at Hulu + Live TV Where is the 2025 Super Bowl? The 2025 Super Bowl will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The venue has been host to seven previous Super Bowl games. Who is performing in the Super Bowl 59 halftime show? Kendrick Lamar is headlining Super Bowl LIX, with a guest appearance by SZA. Who is playing in the Super Bowl 2025? AFC champions the Kansas City Chiefs will play NFC champs the Philadelphia Eagles. More ways to watch Super Bowl LIX Thanks to the wide array of streaming options detailed above, you’ll be able to watch the Super Bowl on nearly any current device with a screen. There are plenty of Super Bowl TV deals ahead of the game if you need to upgrade that aging 40-inch screen with the dead pixels in the corner. Live close to a broadcast tower of a Fox station? Attach a good old-fashioned over-the-air antenna (like the Channel Master linked above), and you can get the game for free. Have a fast Internet connection but don’t have access to the latest and greatest streaming apps on your TV? For as little as $40 or less, a new Roku or Fire TV device will ensure that you have all of these apps (including Tubi). See our list of best streaming devices for the full range of options. Source link #Chiefs #Eagles #Sunday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump and Musk move to dismantle USAID, igniting battle with Democratic lawmakers – The Associated Press Trump and Musk move to dismantle USAID, igniting battle with Democratic lawmakers – The Associated Press Trump and Musk move to dismantle USAID, igniting battle with Democratic lawmakers The Associated PressMarco Rubio Says He’s Acting Director of USAID as Elon Musk Works to Shut It Down: Trump Live Updates The New York TimesTrump challenges Congress’ power with plan to shutter USAID, legal experts say CNNCongressional Democrats denied entry to USAID building AxiosRep. Connolly, Sen. Van Hollen, and Others News Conference on USAID C-SPAN Source link #Trump #Musk #move #dismantle #USAID #igniting #battle #Democratic #lawmakers #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Next Xbox Showcase Is Happening Soon, Here’s What To Expect The Next Xbox Showcase Is Happening Soon, Here’s What To Expect Last month, Microsoft held its first Xbox Developer Direct of 2025 and announced Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** among other titles. But fans won’t have to wait very long to learn what else Microsoft’s gaming division has planned for the future, as the next Xbox Showcase is scheduled to take place in February. According to IGN, this year’s IGN Fan Fest will begin with an Xbox Showcase on February 24. Aside from the reveal of “the next big collaboration for Balatro,” details are scarce about what to specifically expect beyond trailers and gameplay footage. However, the announcement of the showcase does note that there will be several reveals from indie studios including Raw Fury, Team 17, Akapura, 11 Bit, and more. During one of last year’s Xbox Showcases, Microsoft announced World Of Warcraft: The War Within and Doom: The Dark Ages, as well as 2025 titles including South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Fragpunk, and Fable. We can only speculate which titles will be showcased in February, but we’d certainly like to see more of Gears of War: E-Day, the upcoming prequel to the long-running shooter franchise. With Microsoft’s push to release more games on PlayStation 5, it’s possible that some cross-platform announcements will also be a part of this Xbox Direct. Microsoft recently revealed that Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PS5, and there have been rumors for months that Halo: The Master Chief Collection may be going to Sony’s console as well. Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are also headed to PS5 later this year. Source link #Xbox #Showcase #Happening #Heres #Expect Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Where Trump policies and Project 2025 proposals match up Where Trump policies and Project 2025 proposals match up Washington — As Project 2025 became a major talking point for Democrats in making the case for why voters should deny President Trump a second term in the White House last year, Mr. Trump repeatedly distanced himself from the initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, saying during the campaign that he had “nothing to do with Project 2025,” had not read it and didn’t intend to read it. But as Mr. Trump has begun implementing aspects of his second-term agenda through a flurry of executive orders and directives, many of the plans he has rolled out so far closely align with those detailed in Project 2025’s playbook, which lays out ways to overhaul the executive branch. Overseen by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 was a multi-pronged initiative that was designed to provide a roadmap for the next Republican president, now Mr. Trump. On the campaign trail, the president called some of the proposals detailed in its more than 900-page book “abysmal” and said he knew nothing about it. But the authors of some of the policy book’s chapters served in the first administration and will be serving in his second. Russ Vought, Mr. Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate soon, and John Ratcliffe is in place as CIA director. Paul Dans, who served as the director of Project 2025 but left his post in July, said of Mr. Trump’s actions so far that they were a testament not only to the initiative’s efforts, but also the readiness of the conservative movement in preparing for the next administration. “They’re home runs,” he said of the president’s plans. “They are in many cases more than we could have even dared hope for.” Some of Mr. Trump’s actions taken in his first days in office reinstate measures he put in place during his first term that were revoked by President Biden. But in other instances, Mr. Trump’s executive actions echo the policies outlined in the pages of Project 2025’s policy blueprint. Redirecting federal aid under FEMA to the states After trips to western North Carolina and Southern California last week, Mr. Trump established a review council to advise him on the ability of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, “to capably and impartially address disasters occurring within the United States.” The council will also advise the president on recommended changes related to FEMA, his order states. Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene last fall, and parts of Southern California were destroyed by deadly wildfires that hit the area earlier this month. Mr. Trump’s action comes after he suggested that he could “get rid” of FEMA and leave disaster response management to the states. “That’s what states are for, to take care of problems,” he said last week. Project 2025’s sweeping book of policy proposals calls for “reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government.” It also urges Congress to change the cost-sharing arrangement so the federal government covers 25% of the costs for small disasters and up to 75% for “truly catastrophic disasters.” Currently, for Public Assistance, which provides financial and direct assistance to state and local governments for disaster response and recovery work, FEMA covers a minimum of 75% of costs, and the president can increase the federal cost-share at his discretion, according to a 2023 report from the Congressional Research Service. The recommendation follows a warning from Project 2025’s authors that FEMA is “overtasked, overcompensates for the lack of state and local preparedness and response, and is regularly in deep debt.” Additionally, it states that since passage of the Stafford Act in 1988, which gave the president powers to “alleviate the suffering and damage” caused by disasters, the number of declared federal disasters has risen drastically as costs were shifted from state and local governments to the federal government. Project 2025’s book also calls on Congress to end preparedness grants for states and localities. “DHS should not be in the business of handing out federal tax dollars: These grants should be terminated,” it states. Ending diversity, equity and inclusion practices The president frequently rails against diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices, and he signed an executive order on the day he returned to the White House ending all DEI programs within the federal government. Mr. Trump claimed in his order that DEI policies can violate federal civil rights laws and shut out Americans “who deserve a shot at the American dream” because of their race or sex. Project 2025’s policy book calls for the next conservative president to delete a variety of terms, including DEI, abortion and gender equality “from every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” It also calls for the “DEI apparatus” at a variety of agencies to be dismantled. Targeting PBS and National Public Radio Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission, informed the heads of National Public Radio and PBS in a letter Thursday that the agency had opened an investigation into the airing of their programming across their roughly 1,500 broadcast member stations, according to the New York Times. Those stations are licensed by the FCC to operate, but are limited to operating as noncommercial educational broadcast stations. These stations, or NCEs, are exempt from licensing fees and operate on a specific “reserved” frequency band. Federal law prohibits these noncommercial educational broadcast stations from commercial advertisements. In his letter, Carr wrote that he is “concerned that NPR and PBS broadcasts could be violating federal law by airing commercials. In particular, it is possible that NPR and PBS member stations are broadcasting underwriting announcements that cross the line into prohibited commercial advertisements.” Carr also said that he also does not see a reason for Congress to continue approving federal dollars for NPR and PBS “given the changes in the media marketplace.” Carr authored the section of Project 2025’s policy book that deals with the FCC, but another portion of the blueprint urges Congress to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides grants to NPR and PBS. According to Project 2025, “stripping public funding would, of course, mean that NPR, PBS, Pacifica Radio, and the other leftist broadcasters would be shorn of the presumption that they act in the public interest and receive the privileges that often accompany so acting.” The outlets should therefore no longer be qualified as noncommercial educational broadcast stations, according to the book. “NPR and PBS stations are in reality no longer noncommercial, as they run ads in everything but name for their sponsors,” the blueprint states. “They are also noneducational. The next president should instruct the FCC to exclude the stations affiliated with PBS and NPR from the NCE denomination and the privileges that come with it.” Whether Carr ultimately decides to take that step as a result of his investigation remains to be seen. Freezing federal assistance One of Mr. Trump’s first actions as president was to establish the Department of Government Efficiency, an entity that is housed within the executive branch and run by billionaire Elon Musk. The body aims to cut regulations and spending and restructure federal agencies. On the heels of that move, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, issued a two-page memo late Monday that ordered a freeze on grant, loan or federal assistance programs implicated by Mr. Trump’s executive orders, which would allow his administration “time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the president’s priorities.” “The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” OMB acting Director Matthew Vaeth said in the memo. The memo sparked widespread confusion and prompted concerns about whether programs providing meals for the elderly, pre-school funding for low-income children and medical research would be impacted by the order. On Wednesday, the White House said it was rescinding the memo but maintaining the funding pause “to end any confusion” created by a federal court order temporarily pausing implementation of the freeze. Mr. Trump’s pick for director of OMB, Russ Vought, authored the section of Project 2025’s policy book covering the Executive Office of the President, which includes the agency he has been tapped to lead. In it, he likens the budget office to an air-traffic control system for the president “with the ability and charge to ensure that all policy initiatives are flying in sync and with the authority to let planes take off and, at times, ground planes that are flying off course.” The memo may be aimed at sparking a legal challenge to the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 law that limits the president’s ability to unilaterally freeze certain funds appropriated by Congress, and in most cases requires the president instead to ask Congress to rescind spending legislation Vought said during his confirmation hearing last week that Mr. Trump believes the law is unconstitutional, and he agrees with that assessment. In Project 2025’s policy blueprint, Vought also wrote the director of OMB must have “sufficient visibility into the deep caverns of agency decision-making,” and can achieve this by ensuring political appointees on his staff sign off on apportionments of funding authorized by Congress. Vought cited a 1870 law known as the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending federal dollars in advance and requires funding be doled out in installments. “This process, whereby agencies come to OMB for allotments of appropriated funding, is essential to the effective financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” he wrote. “OMB can then direct on behalf of a president the amount, duration, and purpose of any apportioned funding to ensure against waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure consistency with the president’s agenda and applicable laws.” Mr. Trump’s pick to lead OMB has advocated for the White House to take aggressive steps to cut federal spending. He wrote the director should not be afraid to wield apportionments “on behalf of the president’s agenda” and be willing to “defend the power against attacks from Congress.” During Vought’s first stint as OMB director, the agency withheld roughly $214 million in security assistance to Ukraine. The Government Accountability Office later found the budget office had violated the Impoundment Control Act when it withheld the aid, and the House launched impeachment proceedings that accused the president of conditioning the assistance to Ukraine on its president announcing investigations that would benefit him politically. Mr. Trump was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate. Restricting gender-affirming care for minors Mr. Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday that bars the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care — puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical procedures — for people under the age of 19. Called “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” the order directs certain executive agencies to take steps to ensure medical institutions that receive federal grants “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.” It also instructs the secretary of defense to take regulatory action to exclude gender-affirming care for minors from insurance coverage provided by TRICARE, the Defense Department’s health care program, and federal employee health benefit programs. Mr. Trump’s order directs the head of the Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw March 2022 guidance on gender-affirming care. Project 2025’s chapter on the Department of Health and Human Services calls for its Office of Civil Rights to “remove all guidance issued under the Biden administration concerning ******* orientation and gender identity,” including the March 2022 document. The book generally criticizes gender-affirming care as causing “irreversible physical and mental harm to those who receive them” and argues there is a lack of evidence surrounding it. Revoking security clearances for the former intelligence officials who signed a letter on Hunter Biden’s laptop Mr. Trump took executive action to start the process of revoking the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 claiming emails found on a laptop owned by Hunter Biden bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. Project 2025 also proposed stripping former intelligence officials of security clearances, in a section on the intelligence community authored by Dustin Carmack, who worked at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence during Mr. Trump’s first term. “The president should immediately revoke the security clearances of any former directors, deputy directors, or other senior intelligence officials who discuss their work in the press or on social media without prior clearance from the current director,” he wrote. Stripping civil servants of employment protections Among the slew of actions Mr. Trump took on his first day back in the White House was to reinstate an executive order issued during his first term that created “Schedule F in the Excepted Service.” The order creates a new employment category for many career civil servants, effectively stripping them of employment protections. The order states that in recent years, “there have been numerous and well-documented cases of career federal employees resisting and undermining the policies and directives of their executive leadership.” “Principles of good administration, therefore, necessitate action to restore accountability to the career civil service, beginning with positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character,” Mr. Trump’s order reads. The order makes some minor changes to the president’s prior measure from October 2020. But it notably adds a section that states that while employees in these new “Schedule Policy/Career Positions,” are not required to personally or politically support the current president or his policies, they are “required to faithfully implement administration policies to the best of their ability, consistent with their constitutional oath and the vesting of executive authority solely in the president.” Failure to do so is grounds for termination of employment, Mr. Trump’s executive order states. Project 2025 repeatedly calls for Mr. Trump’s Schedule F proposal to be reinstated. Reinstating service members who refused COVID-19 Vaccines The president earlier this week issued an order directing the secretaries of Defense or Homeland Security to reinstate all service members, both active-duty and reserve, who were discharged after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. His order also states they should be reverted to their former rank and receive full back pay, benefits, bonus payments or compensation. The Project 2025 blueprint’s section on the Defense Department, authored by Chris Miller, calls for the next administration to “reinstate servicemembers to active duty who were discharged for not receiving the COVID vaccine, restore their appropriate rank, and provide back pay.” Miller served as acting defense secretary in the final weeks of Mr. Trump’s first term. His chief of staff, Kash Patel, has been tapped by the president to lead the FBI. Transgender military ban During his first four years in the White House, Mr. Trump prohibited transgender people from serving in the military. President Biden repealed that ban, but the president earlier this week issued an order that effectively bars transgender people from serving in the armed forces and withdraws his predecessor’s order. Mr. Trump’s executive order states that “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.” Identifying as transgender, it continues, “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.” “It is the policy of the United States Government to establish high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity. This policy is inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria,” the president’s order states. “This policy is also inconsistent with shifting pronoun usage or use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s sex.” Project 2025 calls for a reversal of policies “that allow transgender individuals to serve in the military. Gender dysphoria is incompatible with the demands of military service.” A hiring freeze On his first day in the White House, Mr. Trump issued a memorandum freezing hiring of federal civilian employees. Positions that were vacant as of his inauguration at noon on Jan. 20 should also not be filled, he said. The order was part of his plans to reduce the size of the federal workforce, also a recommendation made in the Project 2025 policy roadmap. The book, though, warns that while “reducing the number of federal employees seems an obvious way to reduce the overall expense of the civil service,” prior attempts to do by presidents of both parties “did not lead to permanent and substantive reductions in the number of nondefense federal employees.” Instead, Project 2025 suggests a “freeze on all top career-position hiring to prevent ‘burrowing-in’ by outgoing political appointees.” Withdrawing from World Health Organization Mr. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in 2020 due to what his first administration said was a mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden reversed that decision when he took office, and Mr. Trump rolled back that move on his first day back in the White House. His latest order directed the secretary of state to inform the secretary-general of the United States and World Health Organization leadership of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the group. Project 2025, too, criticized the World Health Organization of its handling of the pandemic. “The manifest failure and corruption of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 pandemic is an example of the danger that international organizations pose to U.S. citizens and interests,” its book states. It said that when institutions act contrary to U.S. interests, the government “must be prepared to take appropriate steps in response, up to and including withdrawal.” Sending active-duty troops to the southern border Immigration was the topic of several executive actions taken by Mr. Trump on the first day of his presidency, including one order that assigns troops “the mission to seal the borders and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States.” The chapter of Project 2025’s blueprint that covers the Department of Homeland Security was authored by Ken Cuccinelli, who served in the first Trump administration, and it, too, sees a role for the Defense Department in securing the U.S.-Mexico border. The Pentagon, Cucinelli writes, should “explicitly acknowledge and adjust personnel and priorities to participate actively in the defense, including using military personnel and hardware to prevent ******** crossings between ports of entry and channel all cross-border traffic to legal ports of entry.” A section on the Justice Department urges the next administration to “take a creative and aggressive approach” to tackling criminal organizations at the southern border. “This could include use of active-duty military personnel and National Guardsmen to assist in arrest operations along the border — something that has not yet been done,” Project 2025’s chapter on the Justice Department states. Limiting refugee admissions As of Monday, entry into the U.S. by refugees under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program was suspended in accordance with an order by Mr. Trump on Jan. 20. His directive also orders the secretary of Homeland Security to suspend decisions on applications for refugee status. Mr. Trump has claimed that during the Biden administration, the U.S. has been “inundated” with high levels of migration, including through the Refugee Admissions Program. Project 2025, too, blames the Biden administration for overseeing what it says was a “collapse” of U.S. border security and immigration enforcement. To address this “crisis,” Project 2025 calls for “rightsizing refugee admissions.” “The federal government’s obligation to shift national security–essential screening and vetting resources to the forged border crisis will necessitate an indefinite curtailment of the number of USRAP refugee admissions,” its chapter on the State Department reads. The policy book calls for the State Department bureau that administers the Refugee Admissions Program to shift resources to challenges “until the crisis can be contained and refugee-focused screening and vetting capacity can reasonably be restored.” Jacob Rosen contributed to this report. Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Trump #policies #Project #proposals #match Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Blues back up to fourth in EPL after downing Hammers Blues back up to fourth in EPL after downing Hammers Chelsea have climbed back into the Premier League’s top four after they came from behind to beat West Ham United 2-1 and ruin Graham Potter’s return to Stamford Bridge. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s own-goal in the 74th minute was cruel on the visitors and in particular on Potter, who looked for a time like he would exorcise memories of his ill-fated spell in west London that ended with his sacking two years ago. Jarrod Bowen’s goal late in the first half had installed that hope, though it owed to a horror moment from Levi Colwill who had surrendered the ball to his England teammate. The sound of a restless home support in this ground was a familiar one to Potter, but those audible frustrations were extinguished when Pedro Neto side-footed the equaliser in the 64th minute before Cole Palmer’s strike deflected horribly off Wan-Bissaka to win it for Enzo Maresca’s side. It was just a second win in eight in the league for the hosts, whose Champions League challenge looks tentatively back on track following Arsenal’s pummelling of Manchester City. Filip Jorgensen was handed just his second league start in goal over the error-prone Robert Sanchez, the stand-in steadying any early nerves when he shovelled behind Bowen’s near-post drive. When Palmer fired over the bar after 23 minutes, it summed up an opening quarter that had been short of attacking quality. The game needed a flash of skill to crack it open but what it got was a moment of self-sabotage from Chelsea. Colwill, facing his own goal, was under pressure from Mohammed Kudus near the touchline but it should not have prompted such a hideous lapse in focus from the defender. Seeking to offload the ball infield to Moises Caicedo he found only Bowen, who with an opportunistic dart latched onto the loose pass and curled low beyond Jorgensen. Palmer made an audacious late pitch to level things before the break, his free kick was somehow diverted from its goalward path by an outrageous reach from Alphonse *******. Chelsea equalised midway through the second half and the move was finished as it started, by the left boot of Neto. It was his cross to the far post that Marc Cucurella pinged back centrally to where Enzo Fernandez was waiting to shoot at goal. His effort rebounded away off Vladimir Coufal to Neto who did not hesitate in returning it firmly inside *******’s near post to level things. Kudus battered the post with a header as the visitors almost went back in front within a minute. Chelsea’s goal to win it 15 minutes from time was fortunate – it is doubtful that Palmer’s drive would have sailed as it did over ******* but for a huge deflection off Wan-Bissaka. Just as valuable was a block deep in added time by Tosin Adarabioyo to deny Kudus from close range, as Maresca’s side clung on. Source link #Blues #fourth #EPL #downing #Hammers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome delisted | Smash Jump OlliOlli World, Rollerdrome delisted | Smash Jump Two indie games backed by former Take-Two Interactive publishing label, Private Division, have been delisted. It’s not totally clear if this was in direct relation to the publishing label’s ***** to Haveli Investments. Spotted by PCGamesN, the two games, which were developed by Roll7, were dashed from Steam following the publisher’s ***** in late 2024. OlliOlli World is part of the OlliOlli series, kicked back off in 2013. Meanwhile, Rollerdrome was an action game that combined roller skating and firearms in a high-octane arena shooter. Unfortunately, based on all the info about the studio, which includes its closure following the *****, we suspect Roll7’s library isn’t coming back. It’s possible the games could return, but as it stands, it seems these titles will be lost to time. Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger Editor-in-Chief Gabe has been a gamer since he was young, playing games like Pajama Sam, Freddi Fish, Guitar Hero, and whatever looked cool on GameFly. Ever since 2018, he’s been infatuated with the inner workings of the gaming and entertainment industries, covering a wide range of topics from video games to TV and film. Starting as a contributor for PSX Extreme, he’s worked his way up to its Managing Editor. Using what’s he learned over the years, he founded Smash Jump to remind everyone to smash jump. Source link #OlliOlli #World #Rollerdrome #delisted #Smash #Jump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump considering executive action to dismantle Education Department, sources say Trump considering executive action to dismantle Education Department, sources say President Trump is considering executive action that would dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, ending some programs and shifting some to other parts of government, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans. The sources said such a move was not imminent. Slashing the department is in line with Mr. Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk‘s goal of shrinking the federal bureaucracy and workforce. The Wall Street Journal was first to report the news. The Education Department is responsible for distributing federal financial aid for education, and for collecting and disseminating data and research related to schools. The department is also tasked with enforcing non-discrimination policies in schools. Its funds account for less than 10% of the nation’s public school funding, which is primarily driven by state and local taxes. Generally, it supports federal college loan programs and Pell Grants, and also vocational training. It also has programs to help economically disadvantaged children and those with special needs. Officially, the department’s role is to foster student achievement and help keep America competitive on the global stage by ensuring equal access to the education system. Some programs administered by the department were established through legislation. It’s not clear what would happen to them or whether they would be shifted to the purview of other federal agencies. Eliminating the department outright would require congressional approval. Last Wednesday, Mr. Trump signed an executive order prioritizing federal funding for school choice programs. Mr. Trump in 2023 said, “One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states.” “We want them to run the education of our children because they’ll do a much better job of it,” he added. Linda McMahon is Mr. Trump’s nominee to be education secretary. McMahon, a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive who served on the Connecticut State Board of Education, has yet to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Project 2025, a collection of proposals from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, called for transferring some functions — including the administration of student loans, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title I funding —- to other departments, such as the Treasury, Justice, and Health and Human Services Departments. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota sponsored the Returning Education to Our States Act, legislation that would abolish the department and move some loan programs to the Department of the Treasury. President Jimmy Carter signed a law creating the Education Department in 1979. Jennifer Jacobs Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Source link #Trump #executive #action #dismantle #Education #Department #sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge orders acquittal of ex-prosecutor on 1 of 2 counts in misconduct trial over Ahmaud Arbery case Judge orders acquittal of ex-prosecutor on 1 of 2 counts in misconduct trial over Ahmaud Arbery case Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A judge Monday ordered the acquittal of a former Georgia prosecutor on one of the two misconduct charges against her, ruling that prosecutors at her trial failed to present any evidence the she obstructed police investigating the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery. The trial of former District Attorney Jackie Johnson was to continue Tuesday. She still faces a felony charge of violating her oath of office. Soon after prosecutors rested their case Monday, the judge took the rare step of granting a directed verdict on the misdemeanor obstruction charge against Johnson. The ruling means the judge found the case against Johnson on that single charge was too weak for any reasonable jury to convict her. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. “There is not one scintilla of evidence that I’ve heard that would authorize a verdict on that count,” Senior Judge John R. Turner said from the bench. Three white men chased and fatally shot Arbery after spotting the 25-year-old ****** man running in their Georgia neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020. They told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar and argued that he was shot in self defense. Two months passed after the killing before any arrests were made. Eventually, all three men were convicted of ******* and federal hate crimes. Since the trial opened a week ago, prosecutors have tried to build a case that Johnson worked behind the scenes to protect Arbery’s assailants, who included a retired investigator from her office, from being charged in his killing. Source link #Judge #orders #acquittal #exprosecutor #counts #misconduct #trial #Ahmaud #Arbery #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Euro Truck Simulator 2 Gets Greek Mythology DLC Euro Truck Simulator 2 Gets Greek Mythology DLC OtterX46d ago I guess we’re never going to see the Heart of Russia DLC released due to circumstances. It’s been sitting at Coming Soon forever. Just let us drive Ukrainian truck convoys and loads of NATO munitions into Moscow, and all will be good! Source link #Euro #Truck #Simulator #Greek #Mythology #DLC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Polestar takes tariffs ‘very serious.’ CEO talks US manufacturing Polestar takes tariffs ‘very serious.’ CEO talks US manufacturing The Trump administration has proposed a sweeping tariff strategy that could potentially trigger inflationary pressures across multiple sectors, leaving the automotive industry particularly vulnerable. Polestar Global (PSNY) CEO Michael Lohscheller joins Market Domination alongside senior autos reporter Pras Subramanian to discuss how his company is preparing for these potential trade measures to take full effect. “The way we see it, it’s very important that we manufacture locally here in the US, and obviously, the tariff is something that we take very serious,” Lohscheller notes. He acknowledges the potential for headwinds in costs and pricing but emphasizes that Polestar’s US production positions them to mitigate potential challenges. “Polestar is really gaining momentum in the United States, and that’s what we want to accelerate going forward,” the auto executive tells Yahoo Finance. Highlighting Polestar’s current manufacturing strategy, he adds that all Polestar vehicles are being manufactured in the US. “That’s a very good starting point and enables us also to be fast to the market,” Lohscheller says, describing it as “the business model moving forward.” Watch the full interview to hear Lohscheller’s insights on competition within the electric vehicle space. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. This post was written by Angel Smith Source link #Polestar #takes #tariffs #CEO #talks #manufacturing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: PLTR, NXPI, KD Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: PLTR, NXPI, KD Check out the companies making headlines in after-hours trading. Palantir Technologies — Shares of the defense tech company surged 21% after Palantir exceeded estimates on the top and bottom lines for the fourth quarter, and gave better-than-expected guidance for the full year. The company reported adjusted earnings of 14 cents a share while analysts polled by LSEG forecasted 11 cents a share. Revenue came out at $828 million for the *******, while analysts called for $776 million. Palantir’s chief executive Alex Karp said much of the company’s growth is due to its use of artificial intelligence. Healthpeak Properties — The real estate investment trust company’s stock jumped about 2% after Healthpeak gave strong quarterly results and increased its quarterly dividend by 1.7%. For the fourth quarter, the company reported adjusted funds from operations of 46 cents per share and revenue of $698 million, while analysts polled by FactSet expected FFO of 45 cents a share on revenue of $689.7 million. Kyndryl Holdings – The IT infrastructure company slipped nearly 2% after fiscal third-quarter revenues came in shy of Wall Street’s expectations. Kyndryl reported $3.74 billion in revenue for the *******, while analysts polled by LSEG sought $3.81 billion. Woodward — Shares of the aerospace products manufacturer shed about 2.9% after the company reported lackluster revenue for its fiscal first quarter. Woodward posted $773 million in revenue for the *******, while analysts polled by FactSet expected $775.4 million. Woodward’s adjusted earnings of $1.35 per share exceeded analysts’ estimates of $1.18 per share for the first quarter, however. NXP Semiconductors — Shares of the chip company added nearly 2%. In the fourth quarter, NXP Semiconductors reported adjusted earnings of $3.18 per share on revenue of $3.11 billion. The results topped analysts’ estimates of $3.14 per share in earnings and $3.10 billion in revenue, per LSEG. AECOM — Shares of AECOM, an infrastructure consulting company, added 2% on the back of an earnings and revenue beat for the fiscal first quarter. The company reported adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share, while analysts polled by FactSet forecasted earnings of $1.11 per share. Revenue came out at $1.80 billion for the quarterly *******, higher than the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. — CNBC’s Darla Mercado contributed reporting. Source link #Stocks #making #biggest #moves #hours #PLTR #NXPI Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Palantir Reports Q4 2024 Revenue Growth of 36% Y/Y, U.S. Revenue Growth of 52% Y/Y; Issues FY 2025 Revenue Guidance of 31% Y/Y Growth, Eviscerating Consensus Estimates – Business Wire Palantir Reports Q4 2024 Revenue Growth of 36% Y/Y, U.S. Revenue Growth of 52% Y/Y; Issues FY 2025 Revenue Guidance of 31% Y/Y Growth, Eviscerating Consensus Estimates – Business Wire Palantir Reports Q4 2024 Revenue Growth of 36% Y/Y, U.S. Revenue Growth of 52% Y/Y; Issues FY 2025 Revenue Guidance of 31% Y/Y Growth, Eviscerating Consensus Estimates Business WirePalantir shares surge 15% after company posts strong earnings and outlook CNBCPalantir forecasts 2025 revenue above estimates on AI strength, shares surge Yahoo FinancePalantir Earnings Top Estimates. Full Year 2025 Revenue Guidance Beats. Investor’s Business Daily Source link #Palantir #Reports #Revenue #Growth #U.S #Revenue #Growth #Issues #Revenue #Guidance #Growth #Eviscerating #Consensus #Estimates #Business #Wire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]