Pelican Press

Why Bill Gates wouldn’t want to be in Nvidia’s CEO’s shoes Why Bill Gates wouldn’t want to be in Nvidia’s CEO’s shoes The race for AI chip dominance is one of the hottest battlegrounds in tech today, and tech legend Bill Gates has thoughts about it. On a recent episode of Opening Bid with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi, Gates praised Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang for turning the company into one of the world’s most valuable. Gates specifically singles out Nvidia’s innovations “at the design level — the silicon, the buses, [and] the interconnects.” But Gates also acknowledged the intense pressure Huang faces in a competitive industry, noting, “I wouldn’t want to be Jensen, necessarily.” While Nvidia is leading the charge, other tech giants, including Microsoft (MSFT), are developing their own AI chips, making it harder to predict what comes next. Nonetheless, Gates marveled at Huang’s ability to stay ahead, calling Nvidia’s success “unbelievable” in the AI age. For full episodes of Opening Bid, listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website. This post was written by Rachael Lewis-Krisky, producer for Opening Bid. Source link #Bill #Gates #wouldnt #Nvidias #CEOs #shoes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EA is giving fans a chance to test the next Battlefield early EA is giving fans a chance to test the next Battlefield early EA is ready to take the wraps off the next Battlefield early. The publisher shared a brief glimpse of footage from an alpha version of the game as part of an announcement video for Battlefield Labs, a new early access program that will give fans a taste of in-development Battlefield before it launches. Battlefield Labs is designed to let Battlefield’s developers “test concepts and experiences” before the next Battlefield game is released, according to a press release announcing the program. Developers hope to collect feedback on what the release describes as a critical part of the game’s development. Anyone participating in Battlefield Labs will be under NDA and will “test (almost) everything” in the game. That includes “core combat and destruction,” things like “weapons, vehicles and gadgets” and “maps, modes, and squad play.” 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. EA is running a similar playtesting program for the next Skate game — appropriately dubbed “Skate Insiders” — ahead of that game’s early access release in 2025. Battlefield is currently being developed by a collection of EA studios under the umbrella of “Battlefield Studios,” including DICE, the creators of the franchise, Criterion, a former Need for Speed developer that was shifted to Battlefield in 2023, Ripple Effect and Motive, the developer of Star Wars Squadrons and the recent Dead Space remake. There’s not a ton to go off of in the footage EA shared, but the game’s developers did confirm that the next Battlefield will include a single player campaign, a notable omission from multiplayer-only Battlefield 2042. You can sign-up to participate in Battlefield Labs right now on EA’s website if you’re in Europe or North America. The test will be limited to “a few thousand participants” to start, but the company plans on expanding the program to other regions and players in the future. Even if you’re not playing the early access version of the game, EA says you’ll also be able to track Battlefield’s development through “work-in-progress public updates” and the game’s Discord. Source link #giving #fans #chance #test #Battlefield #early Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 2025 Just 100 rankings The 2025 Just 100 rankings Just Capital’s annual list of America’s “most just” companies ranks the Russell 1000 universe using a methodology based on public polling that since 2015 has taken the pulse of nearly 200,000 Americans, asking them to identify and prioritize the issues that they think contribute the most to just business behavior. To produce the 2025 JUST 100, the research spanned 17 core issues, 88 underlying data points, and five stakeholder groups: workers, communities, shareholders & governance, customers, and the environment. Financial and professional support for workers, as well as privacy practices and climate efforts, are among the issues where corporate disclosures are analyzed to inform the rankings. According to Just Capital, the top-performing companies across all industries pay workers significantly more than stock market peers, provide more career training, and offer more paid leave. They are also less likely to sell user data and generate revenue with lower carbon emissions profiles. 2025 Just 100 RankingsRankCompanyTicker1Hewlett Packard Enterprise CompanyHPE2HP IncHPQ3Bank of America CorporationBAC4Union Pacific CorpUNP5Accenture plcACN6Trane TechnologiesTT7Eversource EnergyES8The Bank of New York Mellon CorporationBK9Citigroup IncC10The Cigna GroupCI11Principal Financial Group IncPFG12Dow IncDOW13Applied Materials IncAMAT14Medtronic plcMDT15The Hershey CompanyHSY16ServiceNow IncNOW17Verizon Communications IncVZ18Huntington Bancshares IncHBAN19Alphabet IncGOOG20American Electric Power Company IncAEP21M&T Bank CorpMTB22Nasdaq IncNDAQ23Advanced Micro Devices IncAMD24Elevance HealthELV25The Hartford Financial Services Group IncHIG26Ecolab IncECL27S&P Global IncSPGI28Organon & CoOGN29Akamai Technologies IncAKAM30Salesforce.com IncCRM31Abbott LaboratoriesABT32Mastercard IncMA33Fifth Third BancorpFITB34Zillow Group IncZ35Marathon Petroleum CorpMPC36Intel CorpINTC37JPMorgan Chase & CoJPM38Duke Energy CorporationDUK39American Express CompanyAXP40PNC Financial Services Group IncPNC41Merck & Co IncMRK42Boston Scientific CorpBSX43NVIDIA CorpNVDA44Qualcomm IncQCOM45Avangrid IncAGR46Visa IncV47Truist Financial CorporationTFC48T-Mobile US IncTMUS49CF Industries Holdings IncCF50International Business Machines CorporationIBM51Equinix IncEQIX52Lear CorporationLEA53Micron Technology IncMU54Edwards Lifesciences CorpEW55PayPal Holdings IncPYPL56Illumina IncILMN57BlackRock IncBLK58PG&E CorporationPCG59Keysight Technologies IncKEYS60Freeport-McMoRan IncFCX61Edison InternationalEIX62Johnson Controls International plcJCI63PPL CorpPPL64Entergy CorporationETR65Dayforce IncDAY66Adobe IncADBE67Delta Air Lines IncDAL68AES CorpAES69Assurant IncAIZ70Hasbro IncHAS71Bristol-Myers Squibb CoBMY72Otis Worldwide CorporationOTIS73Ciena CorporationCIEN74Public Service Enterprise Group IncPEG75Apple IncAAPL76KeyCorpKEY77Owens CorningOC78Humana IncHUM79Prudential Financial IncPRU80Comerica IncCMA81Affirm Holdings IncAFRM82Cummins IncCMI83Ball CorpBALL84Gilead Sciences IncGILD85RTX CorpRTX86The Allstate CorporationALL87Lincoln National CorpLNC88Agilent Technologies IncA89Constellation Energy CorporationCEG90Workday IncWDAY91Cirrus Logic IncCRUS92Goldman Sachs Group IncGS93American Water Works Company IncAWK94Colgate-Palmolive CompanyCL95Capital One Financial CorporationCOF96Texas Instruments IncTXN97Starbucks CorporationSBUX98Waste Management IncWM99Jones Lang LaSalle IncJLL100NIKE IncNKE Source link #rankings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple shares fall on concern Trump tariffs on China will hit profit Apple shares fall on concern Trump tariffs on China will hit profit Apple’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook attends the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 24, 2024. Pedro Pardopedro Pardo | Afp | Getty Images Apple shares fell more than 3% on Monday after President Donald Trump announced 10% tariffs on China, where the company assembles the majority of its products. Apple’s decline was steeper than all of the tech megacaps, other than Tesla, and shows how vulnerable the iPhone manufacturer could be to increased import costs. While Apple faced tariffs during the first Trump administration, the company was largely able to avoid fees by securing waivers for its specific products. It also expanded its supply chain to do some assembly in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and India. But Apple remains reliant on ******** production. Apple declined to comment on tariffs. They go into effect on Tuesday. “Apple being included in China tariffs is contrary to our expectations,” wrote Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett in a note on Monday. Crockett wrote that he expects Apple to pass price increases to the consumer, a move that he said could upset Trump. “We thought history would repeat. But that’s not the case right now,” Rosenblatt wrote. Last week, Apple reported 4% revenue growth in the December quarter to $124 billion. However, the company guided investors to expect merely “low to mid single digits” growth in the current quarter, and said sales in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong declined 11% in the latest *******. The ultimate effect of the tariffs on Apple’s profit may depend on how much U.S. demand the company can fill from production locations outside of China. If Apple can source 80% of U.S.-bound devices from outside of China and doesn’t raise prices, it could hurt annual earnings by 5 cents per share, or less than 1%, according to a note on Monday from Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan. If half of U.S. Apple devices are from China, it would hurt Apple’s full-year earnings by 12 cents, Mohan estimates. For the fiscal year ending in September, analysts expect Apple to report earnings of $7.34, according to LSEG. “As the new tariff is imposed on imports from China, Apple could have its manufacturing partners ramp up production in India and ship to the U.S.,” Mohan wrote. “This could also be done for other Apple products that are manufactured in countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, etc.” WATCH: Apple ‘built for earnings resiliency’ Source link #Apple #shares #fall #concern #Trump #tariffs #China #hit #profit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple shares fall on concern Trump tariffs on China will hit profit Apple shares fall on concern Trump tariffs on China will hit profit Apple’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook attends the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 24, 2024. Pedro Pardopedro Pardo | Afp | Getty Images Apple shares fell more than 3% on Monday after President Donald Trump announced 10% tariffs on China, where the company assembles the majority of its products. Apple’s decline was steeper than all of the tech megacaps, other than Tesla, and shows how vulnerable the iPhone manufacturer could be to increased import costs. While Apple faced tariffs during the first Trump administration, the company was largely able to avoid fees by securing waivers for its specific products. It also expanded its supply chain to do some assembly in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and India. But Apple remains reliant on ******** production. Apple declined to comment on tariffs. They go into effect on Tuesday. “Apple being included in China tariffs is contrary to our expectations,” wrote Rosenblatt analyst Barton Crockett in a note on Monday. Crockett wrote that he expects Apple to pass price increases to the consumer, a move that he said could upset Trump. “We thought history would repeat. But that’s not the case right now,” Rosenblatt wrote. Last week, Apple reported 4% revenue growth in the December quarter to $124 billion. However, the company guided investors to expect merely “low to mid single digits” growth in the current quarter, and said sales in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong declined 11% in the latest *******. The ultimate effect of the tariffs on Apple’s profit may depend on how much U.S. demand the company can fill from production locations outside of China. If Apple can source 80% of U.S.-bound devices from outside of China and doesn’t raise prices, it could hurt annual earnings by 5 cents per share, or less than 1%, according to a note on Monday from Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan. If half of U.S. Apple devices are from China, it would hurt Apple’s full-year earnings by 12 cents, Mohan estimates. For the fiscal year ending in September, analysts expect Apple to report earnings of $7.34, according to LSEG. “As the new tariff is imposed on imports from China, Apple could have its manufacturing partners ramp up production in India and ship to the U.S.,” Mohan wrote. “This could also be done for other Apple products that are manufactured in countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, etc.” WATCH: Apple ‘built for earnings resiliency’ Source link #Apple #shares #fall #concern #Trump #tariffs #China #hit #profit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Temu parent PDD’s stock tumbles as Trump tariffs close trade loophole Temu parent PDD’s stock tumbles as Trump tariffs close trade loophole Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images Shares of Temu parent PDD Holdings slid more than 5% on Monday, after President Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement signaled the end of a trade loophole used by the ******** e-commerce giant and other online retailers. Trump on Saturday signed executive orders imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, while adding an additional 10% levy on goods from China. Trump on Monday agreed to pause tariffs on Mexico for one month, while the import taxes remain in place for China and Canada. An overlooked provision in the orders eliminates the “de minimis” trade loophole relied on heavily by ******** online retailers like PDD’s Temu and Shein. The de minimis exemption allows packages worth less than $800 to be shipped into the U.S. duty free. It’s been a critical tool for Temu and Shein as they look to grow their presence in the U.S. by offering rock-bottom prices on everything from clothes and furniture to electronics and home decor. Lawmakers have zeroed in on de minimis in recent years, arguing it gives ******** companies an unfair advantage by allowing them to bypass tariffs. Officials have also said de minimis packages are “subject to minimal documentation and inspection,” raising product safety concerns. Trade organizations and advocacy groups have also pushed Trump to curb de minimis shipments because they argue that it has allowed shipments of fentanyl to enter the U.S. Without that tax advantage, it’s unclear if Temu, Shein and other ******** e-commerce platforms will be able to keep prices low and sustain the explosive growth they’ve seen in the U.S. in recent years. Temu and Shein have previously said their business models don’t rely on de minimis. Shein and Temu have opened distribution centers in the U.S., allowing sellers in China to ship goods to the U.S. and store them in local warehouses. It’s more in line with Amazon’s logistics network, which spans hundreds of warehouses across the U.S. That may not be enough to soften the blow of the removal of de minimis. In a note to clients on Sunday, analysts at Citi estimated Temu’s local warehouse program remains a small portion of its overall business. “Although Temu’s efforts in ramping up its local warehouse/semi-managed model over the past year could help mitigate some of the tariff risks, we estimate the [gross merchandise volume] from local warehouses might have contributed 20%+ to U.S. GMV by end-2024,” the analysts wrote. They added, “We believe the new tariffs will still have a negative read-through to Temu’s growth in 2025 and beyond.” The end of de minimis could also dampen Temu and Shein’s digital ad spending, as they look to “offset concerns on rising product costs,” Bank of America analysts wrote Monday in a note to clients. Shein and Temu have been significant contributors to Meta‘s advertising revenue in recent quarters. The companies have gone on a digital marketing blitz in an attempt to reach more American consumers. “Meta’s 10-K indicates that revenue from China-based advertisers represented 11% of Family of Apps revenue (vs 6% in 2023), and we estimate Temu and Shein exposure could be 2-4% of ad spend for Google and Meta,” the Bank of America analysts wrote. WATCH: Tariffs’ toll on e-commerce Source link #Temu #parent #PDDs #stock #tumbles #Trump #tariffs #close #trade #loophole Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marco Asensio: Aston Villa sign Paris St-Germain midfielder on loan Marco Asensio: Aston Villa sign Paris St-Germain midfielder on loan Aston Villa have signed Spain midfielder Marco Asensio on loan from Paris St-Germain until the end of the season. The three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid is Villa’s fourth signing of the winter transfer window after Marcus Rashford, Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia. Villa will reportedly cover the 29-year-old’s wages but do not have an option to make the move permanent. Asensio has scored seven goals in 47 appearances for PSG since joining from Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. He helped the club win the French title last season, but this term he has made just eight league starts. He was also part of the Spain squad that won the Nations League in 2023. Source link #Marco #Asensio #Aston #Villa #sign #Paris #StGermain #midfielder #loan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Gambling Animal review: How humans evolved to think about risk may cost Earth dearly The Gambling Animal review: How humans evolved to think about risk may cost Earth dearly Traders on Wall Street show how institutions can take big risks Spencer Platt/Getty Images The Gambling Animal Glenn Harrison and Don Ross (Profile Books) Insights into animal evolution used to come from studying a creature’s evolutionary relationships to its closest relatives. To lampoon this slightly: we once saw humans as a kind of chimp. Our perspectives widened and, looking across ecosystems, we began to see what drives animals who share the same environment towards similar survival solutions. This is convergent evolution – the process by which, say, if you are a vertebrate living in an aqueous medium, you are almost certainly going to end up looking… Source link #Gambling #Animal #review #humans #evolved #risk #cost #Earth #dearly Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Need for Speed is on hold, but EA says it ‘will return in new and interesting ways’ Need for Speed is on hold, but EA says it ‘will return in new and interesting ways’ Electronic Arts has confirmed that Need for Speed developer Criterion Games is currently fully engaged with the Battlefield series. It seemingly means that plans for a new Need for Speed are on hold, although the publisher has said it’s planning to return to the racing series in the future. EA announced in September 2023 that Criterion had moved divisions within the company to work on the Battlefield franchise. At the time, Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella, who leads the EA studios responsible for Apex Legends, its Star Wars and Battlefield games, said a core group at Criterion would continue working on what’s next for Need for Speed. That statement was followed by the launch of an additional year of content for 2022’s Need for Speed Unbound. “The Need for Speed team at Criterion are joining their colleagues working on Battlefield,” Zampella said today in a statement issued to Eurogamer. “As a company, it was important to us to take the last year to listen to our Need for Speed community and use their feedback to create content for Unbound. “With an increased understanding of what our players want in a Need for Speed experience, we plan to bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways.” Zampella’s statement was shared to coincide the release of the first pre-alpha gameplay footage of the next Battlefield game, alongside details of a new community testing program, which players can register for now. Criterion is one of four internal EA studios building a connected Battlefield universe set in the modern day. It’s mainly focused on single-player content for the next series entry. EA announced in 2020 that it had handed Need for Speed development duties back to Criterion as it planned to restructure Ghost Games, which had made the last four entries in the series. Best known for the Burnout series, Criterion had also developed two previous Need for Speed titles: 2010’s Hot Pursuit and 2012’s Most Wanted. It contributed to 2013’s Need for Speed Rivals too, and later to DICE’s Star Wars Battlefront II, Battlefield V and Battlefield 2042. Its most recent game was Need for Speed Unbound, which was delayed after Criterion was moved into a support role on Battlefield 2042. Source link #Speed #hold #return #interesting #ways Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, February 4 (game #1107) Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, February 4 (game #1107) Looking for a different day? A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Monday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, February 3 (game #1106). Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers. Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. Quordle today (game #1107) – hint #1 – Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1107) – hint #2 – repeated letters Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters? • The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0. Quordle today (game #1107) – hint #3 – uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today? • Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today’s Quordle answers. Quordle today (game #1107) – hint #4 – starting letters (1) Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter? • The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0. If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier: Quordle today (game #1107) – hint #5 – starting letters (2) What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with? • B • D • M • J Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. Quordle today (game #1107) – the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster) The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1107, are… Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. I only just scraped through today thanks to some brain freeze. That said, without incorrectly guessing the word “Right” when I already had an incorrect “T”, I would never have got BIRTH. Sometimes a mistake can unlock the rest of the puzzle – that’s what I’m telling myself, anyway. I certainly should have also guessed JOIST ahead of Moist – it’s exactly the kind of word Quordle loves to catch us out with. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Daily Sequence today (game #1107) – the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster) The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1107, are… Quordle answers: The past 20 Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP Quordle #1105, Sunday 2 February: LOUSY, PENNE, CHUMP, SALVE Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH Quordle #1097, Saturday 25 January: GIVER, GROOM, GUSTO, MAKER Quordle #1096, Friday 24 January: GRIND, STOCK, SERVE, TOUCH Quordle #1095, Thursday 23 January: RUGBY, SASSY, WORRY, BANAL Quordle #1094, Wednesday 22 January: ******, TRUNK, WOOZY, EATEN Quordle #1093, Tuesday 21 January: CHART, VIGOR, PRINT, SPAWN Quordle #1092, Monday 20 January: SIXTY, THONG, TATTY, ROBIN Quordle #1091, Sunday 19 January: WREST, RINSE, SCOUR, CANNY Quordle #1090, Saturday 18 January: BLARE, ITCHY, BICEP, PIPER Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY Source link #Quordle #hints #answers #Tuesday #February #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How Fed Rates Influence Mortgages, Credit Cards, Savings and More How Fed Rates Influence Mortgages, Credit Cards, Savings and More The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its key rate steady on Wednesday, after a series of cuts that lowered rates by a full percentage point last year. And with inflation ticking slightly higher, economists do not expect another cut for a while, which has implications for rates on credit cards, home equity and other loans that are influenced by Fed policy. The Fed’s benchmark rate stands at about 4.6 percent. In an effort to tamp down sky-high inflation, the central bank began lifting rates rapidly — from near zero to a high of 5.33 — between March 2022 and July 2023. Prices have cooled considerably since then, and the Fed pivoted to rate cuts, lowering rates in September, November and December. More recently, the strong economic data, coupled with potentially inflation-stoking polices from President Trump, could make more cuts unnecessary. Auto Rates What’s happening now: Auto rates have been trending lower but car prices remain elevated, making affordability a challenge. Car loans tend to track with the yield on the five-year Treasury note, which is influenced by the Fed’s key rate. But other factors determine how much borrowers actually pay, including your credit history, the type of vehicle, the loan term and the down payment. Lenders also take into consideration the levels of delinquent auto loans. As those move higher, so do rates, which makes qualifying for a loan more difficult, particularly for those with lower credit scores. The average rate on new car loans was 6.6 percent in December, according to Edmunds, a car shopping website, down from 7.1 percent in the same month in 2023 and 6.7 percent in 2022. Rates for used cars were higher: The average loan carried an 10.8 percent rate in December, slightly lower than 11.4 percent last December but up from 10.3 percent in December 2022. Where and how to shop: Once you establish your budget, get preapproved for a car loan through a credit union or bank (Capital One and Ally are two of the largest auto lenders) so you have a point of reference to compare financing available through the dealership, if you decide to go that route. Always negotiate on the price of the car (including all fees), not the monthly payments, which can obscure the loan terms and what you’ll be paying in total over the life of the loan. Credit Cards What’s happening now: The interest rates you pay on any balances that you carry should fall after the Fed has acted, though it may not be instant and it will vary by card issuer. Last week, the average interest rate on credit cards was 20.14 percent, according to Bankrate. Much depends, however, on your credit score and the type of card. Rewards cards, for instance, often charge higher-than-average interest rates. Where and how to shop: Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sent up a flare to let people know that the 25 biggest credit-card issuers had rates that were 8 to 10 percentage points higher than smaller banks or credit unions. For the average cardholder, that can add up to $400 to $500 more in interest each year. Consider seeking out a smaller bank or credit union that might offer you a better deal. Many credit unions require you to work or live someplace particular to qualify for membership, but some ******* credit unions may have ******* rules. Before you make a move, call your current card issuer and ask them to match the best interest rate you’ve found in the marketplace that you’ve already qualified for. And if you do transfer your balance, keep a close eye on fees, whether your initial interest rate expires and if so, what it might jump to. Mortgages What’s happening now: Mortgage rates have been volatile. Rates peaked at about 7.8 percent late last year, and had fallen as low as 6.08 percent in late September. But strong economic data and concerns about President Trump’s potentially inflationary agenda pushed rates higher again. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages don’t move in tandem with the Fed’s benchmark, but instead generally track with the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds, which are influenced by a variety of factors, including expectations about inflation, the Fed’s actions and how investors react. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.96 percent as of Thursday, down from 7.04 percent the previous week but up from 6.6 percent a year ago. Other home loans are more closely tethered to the central bank’s decisions. Home-equity lines of credit and adjustable-rate mortgages — which carry variable interest rates — generally adjust within two billing cycles after a change in the Fed’s rates. Where and how to shop: Prospective home buyers would be wise to get several mortgage rate quotes — on the same day, since rates fluctuate — from a selection of mortgage brokers, banks and credit unions. That should include: the rate you’ll pay; any discount points, which are optional fees buyers can pay to “buy down” their interest rate; and other items like lender-related fees. Look to the “annual percentage rate,” which usually includes these items, to get an apples-to-apples comparison of your total costs across different loans. Just be sure to ask what’s included in the A.P.R. Savings Accounts and C.D.s What’s happening now: Falling Fed rates can be disappointing for savers, who have benefited from juicier yields on everything from online savings accounts and certificates of deposit to money market funds. Those are all likely to inch lower, in line with the Fed’s policy, but some providers may move faster than others. That usually depends on whether the bank wants to attract new customers by dangling yields that are more attractive than their competitors’ offerings. But you can safely assume that online high-yield savings account will still offer the most competitive rates, with some banks still offering yields above 4 percent, according to Bankrate. Traditional commercial banks’ yields, meanwhile, have remained anemic throughout this ******* of higher rates. The national average savings account rate was 0.55 percent in late January, according to Bankrate. Where and how to shop: Rates are one consideration, but you’ll also want to look at providers’ history, minimum deposit requirements and any fees (high-yield savings accounts don’t usually charge fees, but other products, like money market funds, do). DepositAccounts.com, part of the online loan marketplace LendingTree, tracks rates across thousands of institutions and is a good place to start comparing providers. If you’re considering certificates of deposit, now is probably the time to lock in a decent rate if you haven’t already. Online C.D.s with a one-year term averaged 3.63 percent in January, according to DepositAccounts.com, down from 4.1 percent six months earlier. Check out our colleague Jeff Sommer’s recent columns for more insight into money-market funds. The yield on the Crane 100 Money Fund Index, which tracks the largest money-market funds, was 4.19 percent as of Monday, down from 5.13 percent at the end of July. Student Loans What’s happening now: There are two main types of student loans. Most people turn to federal loans first. Their interest rates are fixed for the life of the loan, they’re far easier for teenagers to get and their repayment terms are more generous. Current rates are 6.53 percent for undergraduates, 8.08 percent for unsubsidized graduate student loans and 9.08 percent for the PLUS loans that both parents and graduate students use. Rates reset on July 1 each year and follow a formula based on the 10-year Treasury bond auction in May. Private student loans are a bit of a wild card. Undergraduates often need a co-signer, rates can be fixed or variable and much depends on your credit score. Where and how to shop: Many banks and credit unions want nothing to do with student loans, so you’ll want to shop around extensively, including with lenders that specialize in private student loans. You’ll often see online ads and websites offering interest rates from each lender that can range by 15 percentage points or so. As a result, you’ll need to give up a fair bit of information before getting an actual price quote. Source link #Fed #Rates #Influence #Mortgages #Credit #Cards #Savings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump orders the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. Here’s what that means. Trump orders the creation of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. Here’s what that means. Washington — President Trump on Monday took the first steps toward his administration creating a government-owned investment fund, tasking the heads of the Treasury Department and Commerce Department with beginning the process to create an American sovereign wealth fund. Mr. Trump signed an executive order that charges Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, Mr. Trump’s nominee to lead the Commerce Department, with beginning a process “that will hopefully result in the creation of an American sovereign wealth fund,” announced Will Scharf, Mr. Trump’s staff secretary. “We’re going to create a lot of wealth for the fund, and I think it’s about time this country had a sovereign wealth fund,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office Monday, calling the news “very exciting.” The president said the U.S. may somehow put TikTok in the sovereign wealth fund. A law that took effect in January was meant to ban the app in the U.S. unless its ******** parent company sold it, but Mr. Trump has delayed enforcement of the law, keeping it alive for now. Bessent said the creation of the fund will “monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people.” He said the sovereign wealth fund will be up and running within 12 months, putting U.S. assets to work for Americans. The treasury secretary said the Trump administration will study best practices around the world to develop the fund. Sovereign wealth funds generally use a nation’s reserves and invest the funds to generate returns, which can be used to address deficits, pay down debts or bolster savings. It’s unclear what types of safeguards would be placed around a U.S.-owned investment fund to ensure it has transparent reporting obligations and that the investments aren’t benefiting political allies. Other countries that have a sovereign wealth fund include China, Singapore, New Zealand, Norway and Saudi Arabia, among others. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund of Norway, is the largest in the world, with assets valued at $1.7 trillion, a substantial figure for a country of 5.5 million people. The Norwegian government is only permitted to spend a small part of the fund each year, but the total amounts to nearly 20% of its annual budget. Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Source link #Trump #orders #creation #U.S #sovereign #wealth #fund #Heres #means Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Graham Arnold joins South Sydney in new coaching role Graham Arnold joins South Sydney in new coaching role Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has been signed by Wayne Bennett to mentor the South Sydney goalkickers in the 2025 NRL season. Arnold will start working immediately in a coaching capacity to assist Latrell Mitchell and the back-up goalkickers to improve their accuracy. Mitchell landed 33 from 46 in 11 games last year for a strike rate of 71.74 per cent, well below the best kickers such as Penrith maestro Nathan Cleary who is regularly striking at over 80 per cent. Arnold has a high regard for the Rabbitohs as an organisation and a long and close association with Rabbitohs coach Bennett. He credited the mastercoach for his advice before making the tough decision of stepping away from the Socceroos coaching job last year. Bennett, who returned to Souths after his stint setting up the Dolphins, wants to improve the Rabbitohs in every facet after their 16th-placed finish last year and told AAP that Arnold was the man for a key role. “Graham will be doing some work with our goalkickers. He knows what he is talking about,” Bennett told AAP. “He is a good person and a very good coach. All of our goalkickers can improve. Latrell will be our goalkicker this year but the back-up wasn’t where it should have been last season. “Graham will work with the back-up goalkickers as well. He will be taking over our goalkickers.” Arnold has a long history of assisting NRL players with their kicking. He is highly regarded for his wisdom and it is of note that elite goalkickers have sought him out for guidance. Former Manly skipper Jamie Lyon called on Arnold during the 2013 finals series after his usually reliable boot had let him down in several matches, including landing just two from seven against Melbourne late in the season. He was kicking at just 67 per cent for the year before Arnold diagnosed that he was laying the ball too flat on the kicking tee. With a few other adjustments to his run-up Lyon landed five from five and then four from four in finals wins over Cronulla and South Sydney respectively, before landing four from five in the grand final against Sydney Roosters. Former Wests Tigers stars Brett Hodgson and Benji Marshall are others Arnold has assisted. Sharp shooter Hodgson often calling on the soccer great to fine-tune his craft. Throughout his coaching career Bennett has been prepared to delegate responsibilities to those he trusts in order to improve his players. He appointed former Brisbane Lions gun Daniel Rich as the Dolphins kicking coach most recently. Rich has had a positive influence on the general kicking of rising half Isaiya Katoa in particular. With Arnold the connection runs deep. The former Socceroos mentor made that clear in September last year when a chat with Bennett convinced him that it was time to move on from the Socceroos, “I’ve got a great relationship with Wayne and I always have,” he said.. That relationship is set to continue for the benefit of the Rabbitohs. Source link #Graham #Arnold #joins #South #Sydney #coaching #role Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Ultimate Illuminate Threat Is a Weapon We All Agree Is Nightmare Fuel The Ultimate Illuminate Threat Is a Weapon We All Agree Is Nightmare Fuel Arrowhead Game Studios announced the second major update for Helldivers 2, Omens of Tyranny, during the 2024 Game Awards in December. The update finally added the Illuminate, an enemy faction from the first Helldivers game. Fighting the Illuminate is a little more challenging than fighting Automatons or Terminids as these new enemies were quite strong, however, Super Earth’s brave soldiers have managed to slow down their invasion. The Illuminate faction from the first Helldivers game has made a comeback (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) Only a few Illuminate units have been added for now and players have found weaknesses for almost each one of them, but there is one that is extremely annoying. This threat is not even a moving unit and that might be the reason why many players often overlook it. Helldivers 2 players hate this one particular Illuminate threat The Illuminate Tesla Towers work just like the regular Tesla Tower (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) The Omens of Tyranny update has been out for quite some time now and the Helldivers 2 community has agreed that this is the worst Illuminate threat from the update. In a viral post on the r/helldivers2 subreddit, a player expressed their hate for Illuminate Tesla Towers and it seems like everyone hates this unit. This static defense is often found at Illuminate Encampments and Objectives, targeting all Helldivers that move around it. Like Super Earth’s Tesla Tower Stratagem, this Tesla Tower also takes down everything in close range. Destroying it isn’t really difficult, but its unexpected placement is what gets everyone killed. Many players have complained that they often get thrown around the map due to explosions and if by any chance, they fall near this unit, it is over for them. Players must remain prone around it in order to avoid getting killed, however, the constant attacks from the rest of the Illuminate units make it difficult to remain prone. The best way to destroy them is to throw a grenade near them as soon as you spot them. More Illuminate units are on their way More Illuminate units will be added to Helldivers 2 soon (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) When the Omens of Tyranny update was first announced, game director Mikael Eriksson told IGN that the initial invasion involved the Illuminate Vanguard Fleet, confirming that more Illuminate units will be added to the game. Currently, the Illuminate faction features Voteless, Watchers, Overseers, Elevated Overseers and Harvesters. Recently, the Galactic Maps in Helldivers’ Super Destroyers revealed that some Space Fluctuations have been detected, leaving the players convinced that Arrowhead Game Studios is planning to roll out more Illuminate units. The game is about to become far more challenging, but that is what players were looking for. The update played a key role in reviving Helldivers 2‘s hype as the game lost most of its fanbase due to nerfs and PSN account linking policy. Fortunately, the active player count is looking good once again and it is all because Arrowhead started prioritizing players’ feedback. Source link #Ultimate #Illuminate #Threat #Weapon #Agree #Nightmare #Fuel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to spot Bode’s galaxy this month How to spot Bode’s galaxy this month M81 or Bode’s galaxy Alf Jacob Nilsen/Alamy There is something about seeing our home from a distance that is special – whether it’s spotting your neighbourhood from an aeroplane or looking at pictures of Earth taken from space, it lends a sense of perspective. Astronauts call this the overview effect: a feeling of awe and connection to the communities and world around us, and the beauty of our little green planet. It has always seemed a bit sad to me that we couldn’t get an even broader perspective, a picture of our whole solar system or galaxy from afar,… Source link #spot #Bodes #galaxy #month Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Charts indicate further downside is ahead for Tesla, auto stocks just as tariff threat emerges Charts indicate further downside is ahead for Tesla, auto stocks just as tariff threat emerges Auto stocks faced a steep sell-off at Monday’s open following the implementation of new tariff policies. Electric and autonomous vehicle companies were hit particularly hard. This newfound struggle for auto stocks could contribute to a broader, long-term trend of underperformance for the industry group, with technical headwinds expected to persist. The Global X Autonomous and Electric Vehicles ETF (DRIV) has been in a sustained downtrend since late 2021, and the chart points to further declines over the intermediate term. After failing to break above long-term trendline resistance, DRIV appears to have downside risk to a long-term support zone closer to $20. The stochastic oscillator is pointing lower with room to oversold territory, and a new MACD ‘sell’ signal increases the possibility of a test of support as geopolitical tensions foster more selling pressure. Tesla (TSLA) is DRIV’s largest holding, accounting for about 5% of its weighting, and it has seen a loss of intermediate-term upside momentum solidified by a breakdown below its 50-day moving average Monday. TSLA reached new all-time highs after we last featured it on December 9 and it has since entered a corrective phase that we expect to continue, ultimately allowing for a more favorable entry point within TSLA’s long-term uptrend. Like DRIV, TSLA has a new MACD ‘sell’ signal and room to oversold levels, suggesting further downside toward support near $350, if not secondary support around $314-$315. With both DRIV and TSLA showing intermediate-term downside potential, the outlook for electric and autonomous vehicles looks tenuous. Key support levels are in play for traditional automakers, as well, with Ford Motor (F) testing previous lows and General Motors (GM) testing its 200-day moving average. Until the technical indicators show improved intermediate-term momentum, we would be managing risk to the downside in auto stocks. —Katie Stockton with Will Tamplin Access research from Fairlead Strategies for free here . DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Fairlead Strategies Disclaimer: This communication has been prepared by Fairlead Strategies LLC (“Fairlead Strategies”) for informational purposes only. This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice. You should consult appropriate advisors concerning such matters. This material presents information through the date indicated, reflecting the author’s current expectations, and is subject to revision by the author, though the author is under no obligation to do so. This material may contain commentary on broad-based indices, market conditions, different types of securities, and cryptocurrencies, using the discipline of technical analysis, which evaluates the demand and supply based on market pricing. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author. This material should not be construed as a recommendation, or advice or an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or ***** of any investment. The information is not intended to provide a basis on which you could make an investment decision on any particular security or its issuer. This document is intended for CNBC Pro subscribers only and is not for distribution to the general public. Certain information has been provided by and/or is based on third party sources and, although such information is believed to be reliable, no representation is made with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such information. This information may be subject to change without notice. Fairlead Strategies undertakes no obligation to maintain or update this material based on subsequent information and events or to provide you with any additional or supplemental information or any update to or correction of the information contained herein. Fairlead Strategies, its officers, employees, affiliates and partners shall not be liable to any person in any way whatsoever for any losses, costs, or claims for your reliance on this material. Nothing herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to future performance. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. Opinions expressed in this material may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed, or actions taken, by Fairlead Strategies or its affiliates, or their respective officers, directors, or employees. In addition, any opinions and assumptions expressed herein are made as of the date of this communication and are subject to change and/or withdrawal without notice. Fairlead Strategies or its affiliates may have positions in financial instruments mentioned, may have acquired such positions at prices no longer available, and may have interests different from or adverse to your interests or inconsistent with the advice herein. Any investments made are made under the same terms as nonaffiliated investors and do not constitute a controlling interest. No liability is accepted by Fairlead Strategies, its officers, employees, affiliates, or partners for any losses that may arise from any use of the information contained herein. Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest. Any prices or levels shown are either historical or purely indicative. This material does not take into account the particular investment objectives or financial circumstances, objectives or needs of any specific investor, and are not intended as recommendations of particular securities, investment products, or other financial products or strategies to particular clients. Securities, investment products, other financial products or strategies discussed herein may not be suitable for all investors. The recipient of this information must make its own independent decisions regarding any securities, investment products or other financial products mentioned herein. The material should not be provided to any person in a jurisdiction where its provision or use would be contrary to local laws, rules, or regulations. This material is not to be reproduced or redistributed absent the written consent of Fairlead Strategies. Source link #Charts #downside #ahead #Tesla #auto #stocks #tariff #threat #emerges Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

HBO’S The Last of Us Season 2 Will ‘Mess Around’ With The Timeline From The Game HBO’S The Last of Us Season 2 Will ‘Mess Around’ With The Timeline From The Game In a new interview with HBO’s The Last Of Us Season 2 showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, it’s been revealed that the timeline will be slightly different from the games source material. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Druckmann said that there’s from “deviations of where we place things” in terms of the shows timeline compared to that of the game because of how a show has its own challenges. We certainly are going to mess around with time the way it was in the source material, but as Neil said, we messed around in ways that we felt were appropriate for the show,” Mazin continued. Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly what Mazin and Druckmann are referring to here, but fans familiar with the second game will know that a considerable character death does occur. In theory, it would make sense to keep said character alive for as long as possible, especially because the showrunners want it to continue well past season 3. “I think it’s pretty likely that our story will extend past a season 3,” Mazin says. “How far past? I can’t say. And that’s not to say that there are not other stories that could be told, but this story is the one that Neil and I are telling.” The Last of Us Season 2 will have seven episodes, with the showrunners promising “high-calorie, dense episodes.” Mazin went on to say that “each one of these episodes packs quite a wallop. You will not be bored.” The Last of Us Season 2 is scheduled to release sometime in April 2025, but no exact release date has yet been given. Are you looking forward to the show? What do you think the showrunners did to mess around with the The Last of Us Season 2 timeline? For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out our review of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #HBOS #UsSeason #Mess #Timeline #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why we must investigate Phobos, the solar system’s strangest object Why we must investigate Phobos, the solar system’s strangest object Walter Myers/Science Photo Library Next to Earth, Mars may be the most-studied world in our solar system, currently home to a fleet of orbiters, landers and rovers. But above the red sands on which the rovers trundle, a strange moon rises twice each day. And despite all the scrutiny that Mars itself receives, this moon, Phobos, remains shrouded in mystery. Phobos and its smaller neighbouring moon, Deimos – both discovered in 1877 – are two of the most perplexing worlds in the solar system. “They’re the only objects at this stage, in the solar system, for which we have pretty much no idea what they are,” says Pascal Lee at the SETI Institute in California. “We know what other moons are. We know asteroids and comets. Phobos and Deimos? No idea.” The Martian moons might be captured asteroids, or they could have formed from the same disc of primordial planet-stuff as Mars. Perhaps they were forged from a fiery cataclysm like the collision that crafted Earth’s moon. Or maybe their origin story is something else entirely. “What the heck are they?” asks Abigail Fraeman at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “I think this is one of the great mysteries of planetary science.” Now, there is hope we might finally solve that puzzle, thanks to a new mission to Phobos that is in the works. Doing so would offer more than just a satisfying answer: it could also open a new window on the history of the inner solar system, and perhaps point to the source of life’s building blocks on Earth. It… Source link #investigate #Phobos #solar #systems #strangest #object Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why the water Trump ordered released in California won’t help Los Angeles firefighting Why the water Trump ordered released in California won’t help Los Angeles firefighting Following the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles in January, President Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to release billions of gallons of water from two reservoirs in California’s Central Valley, more than 100 miles away from the fire zones. Mr. Trump had claimed that California withheld water supplies that could have made a difference in fighting the flames. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials disputed those claims. Now, the water released from dams at Lake Kaweah and Lake Success is rushing into a dry lakebed in the Central Valley, where experts say it can’t flow to Southern California and will likely go to waste. “There is absolutely no connection between this water and the water needed for firefighting in L.A.,” said Peter Gleick, a climate and hydrology expert. “There’s no physical connection. There’s no way to move the water from where it is to the Los Angeles basin.” Gleick, who co-founded the Pacific Institute, a research center in Oakland, says the move ignores the reality of water management in California. “The farmers in the basin own the water and that water is stored in these dams in the winter, during the rainy season, so that farmers can use it in the very hot, long, dry summer season,” he explained. From the perspective of the farmers, he said, the water is “assumed to be lost.” California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said the release of the water also presented a risk of flooding. “I think even the water managers got only a short bit of notice to say, ‘Please don’t. You can’t do that. That’s way too much water,'” he said. “And frankly, had they not talked the Army Corps off the ledge, there would’ve been serious flooding. It would have been an even ******* problem.” Schiff criticized Mr. Trump’s order as “stupid and ridiculous and dangerous and wasteful.” “We’re gonna need people to speak publicly about the harm this is doing,” Schiff said. “This is a waste of precious water. We just don’t have the water to waste.” More Jonathan Vigliotti Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. He previously served as a foreign correspondent for the network’s London bureau. Source link #water #Trump #ordered #released #California #wont #Los #Angeles #firefighting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Construction and home costs could rise Construction and home costs could rise The U.S. housing market was already struggling under the weight of high mortgage interest rates, a low supply of existing homes for ***** and historically high home prices. Now tariffs on building materials are adding even more pressure. Roughly 30% of softwood lumber consumed in the U.S. is imported, largely from Canada. Wallboard, known as gypsum, is imported from Mexico. The 25% tariff President Donald Trump levied on goods from the two key trading partners will make those products that much more expensive. The Mexico tariffs were postponed for a month Monday, but they are still on the table in the future. “More than 70% of the imports of two essential materials that home builders rely on — softwood lumber and gypsum — come from Canada and Mexico, respectively,” wrote Carl Harris, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders in a release. “Tariffs on lumber and other building materials increase the cost of construction and discourage new development, and consumers end up paying for the tariffs in the form of higher home prices.” Home prices are already up well over 40% since the start of the pandemic and were still 3.8% higher in November, compared with the previous November, according to the latest read from the S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller national home price index. That annual increase was higher than the 3.6% in October. Duties on building materials could make the market even harder for buyers. “We believe this could make worse the affordability crisis for first-time buyers. On the plus side, it could increase pressure on Congress to enact policies that encourage more entry-level construction including expanded tax credit programs,” wrote Jaret Seiberg, housing policy analyst for TD Cowen Washington Research Group. Prospective home buyers leave a property for ***** during an Open House in a neighborhood in Clarksburg, Maryland. Roberto Schmidt | AFP | Getty Images The NAHB is asking the Trump administration to exempt building materials from the 25% tariffs, noting his executive order on the first day of his presidency which sought to “expand housing supply.” While the U.S. has ramped up lumber production in recent years, 70% of the country’s sawmill and wood product imports — $8.5 billion — come from Canada. They are already subject to a 14.5% tariff, so Trump’s new policy would raise it to over 39%. And 71% of lime and gypsum product imports are from Mexico, totaling $352 million. Other materials like steel and appliances are sourced from China. Trump put an additional 10% tariff on goods from China on Saturday. New duties on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico could raise construction material costs by $3 billion to $4 billion if they all take effect, affecting builders’ ability to complete projects, according to the NAHB. The tariffs are likely to hit smaller homebuilders with tighter margins harder, but big builders are not immune. “Even with a smaller portion of our lumber coming from Canada, and some materials from Mexico, we will all be affected—which, in turn, can impact consumers and their ability to purchase a home in the short-term,” said Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Arizona-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison. “In a time where some consumers are still struggling to overcome higher interest rates, my sincere hope is that these will be short-lived.” Builders are already contending with a labor shortage that is only getting worse after the Trump administration started mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Roughly 30% of construction workers are estimated to be immigrants, and a significant share of those workers are undocumented, according to the National Immigration Forum, an immigration advocacy group. “You can run them all out of the country, but who’s going to build houses?” said Bruce McNeilage, CEO of Nashville-based Kinloch Partners, a single-family rental home developer. While the bulk of the effect of tariffs is on new housing construction, the existing market could also feel the effects. If the costs of other consumer goods increase, all potential buyers will have less spare cash to save for a down payment. There was also an expectation that interest rates would fall this year, but if inflation heats up again due to the tariffs, rates could even rise. This layering of both economic realities and emotional perceptions of personal wealth could hit the all-important, upcoming spring market hard. Source link #Construction #home #costs #rise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why The Last Of Us Season 2 Made This Major Change To Abby Why The Last Of Us Season 2 Made This Major Change To Abby Kaitlyn Dever joins the cast for HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, stepping into the role of Abby. In the video game, Abby has big muscles, but in the show, she won’t. Showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have now explained why they wanted to go this way for the TV show adaptation. Druckmann told Entertainment Weekly that part of it came down simply to casting. “We would’ve struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role,” he said. He also pointed out how the game and the TV show were never aiming to offer the same kind of experience. In the game, you play as both Ellie and Abby, and for a video game, it was important that they play differently, Druckmann said. “We needed Ellie to feel smaller and kind of maneuver around, and Abby was meant to play more like Joel in that she’s almost like a brute in the way she can physically manhandle certain things,” he said. In the TV show, though, the team is doing something else. “That doesn’t play as big of a role in this version of the story because there’s not as much violent action moment to moment. It’s more about the drama. I’m not saying there’s no action here. It’s just, again, different priorities and how you approach it,” he said. For his part, Mazin said he was excited by the opportunity to present Abby as someone who is “physically more vulnerable” than she was in the game, “but whose spirit is stronger.” Druckmann went on to assure fans that Dever was the right choice for the role of Abby. “Kaitlyn has the spirit of the game in her,” Druckmann said. “When you look at Kaitlyn, there’s just something in her eyes where, even no matter what she’s experiencing, you connect. It was important that we found somebody that we could connect to the way we connect to Bella.” Abby not being as muscly in the TV show as the game may not be the only change for Season 2. Mazin has said he expects Season 2 to elicit “furor” from fans of the game, due in part to how the second season will depart from the story of the game. Mazin said, “We don’t operate to either make people happy on social media or avoid making them upset. We just do what we think is right.” The Last of Us Season 2 debuts this April on HBO and Max. As for the game series, Druckmann has heavily teased that The Last of Us Part 3 is in the works. Developer Naughty Dog has two single-player games in the works now, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and a second that many believe to be The Last of Us Part 3. Source link #Season #Major #Change #Abby Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Omega-3 supplements seem to slow down biological ageing Omega-3 supplements seem to slow down biological ageing Omega-3 supplements could be a simple way to slow down ageing Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Getty Images A daily omega-3 supplement seems to slow biological ageing in older people, particularly if combined with vitamin D and exercise. We already knew that omega-3s – “good” fats found in seeds, nuts and some fish – can boost our immunity, heart health and brain function. They have also been linked to changes in “epigenetic” markers, chemical tags on DNA that alter the activity of genes and, in turn, how cells behave. This suggests that omega-3s reduce the pace of biological ageing, often defined as a measure of how quickly someone’s body is deteriorating compared with the general population’s. To explore this further, Heike Bischoff-Ferrari at the University of Zurich and her colleagues split 777 people in Switzerland, aged 70 to 91, into eight groups. They also wanted to find out how omega-3 may work alongside vitamin D supplements and exercise. “Omega-3 plays on multiple pathways of ageing, such as being anti-inflammatory. Similarly, vitamin D and exercise have multiple benefits,” says Bischoff-Ferrari. “We thought, if you play on each of these differential pathways, do you get an additive benefit?” Some of the participants were already taking these supplements or doing strength training at the start of the study. It didn’t seem ethical to tell them to stop exercising or stop taking certain supplements, says Bischoff-Ferrari, so they were allowed to continue. On top of their existing lifestyle habits, each group was told to take varying combinations of a daily 1-gram dose of omega-3, placebo pills and 2000 international units of vitamin D. In addition, some groups were instructed to do 30 minutes of strength training three times a week. For instance, some people were told to take omega-3 pills, but not vitamin D supplements or to do any additional strength training, while others were told to add in strength training and take vitamin D, but not omega-3. At the start of the study, the researchers estimated the participants’ biological ages using “epigenetic clocks” previously developed by the team and other researchers. These analysed DNA markers called methyl groups in their blood samples that generally decline with age, impairing cell function. By doing the same three years later, the scientists found that the participants who were told to take omega-3 only had aged by around 3 months less, on average, than those who were only given placebo pills. They accounted for factors that could affect the results, such as the participants’ actual age, sex, weight and height. “This is the biggest trial we have today that hints that a simple supplement contributes to slowing biological ageing,” says Bischoff-Ferrari. What’s more, those who took omega-3 along with vitamin D and did strength training aged even less, compared with people who didn’t introduce any of these habits as part of the trial. “The effect was somewhat more pronounced, almost four months of rejuvenation,” says Bischoff-Ferrari. These effects may seem small but could be important for some, says Richard Siow at King’s College London. “For an older person, in about three months, there could be a lot of age-related decline going on, so this becomes more significant,” he says. But epigenetic clocks are not a perfect measure of biological ageing. “Just because biomarkers on your DNA indicate that you resemble someone who is younger, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are healthier in some way,” says Siow. Further research should assess what the changes mean for measures such as cognition, ability to exercise and heart health, he says. Bischoff-Ferrari’s team is now analysing the participants’ data on such outcomes. Another limitation of the study is that the participants were relatively healthy and active, and mostly not deficient in vitamin D. Further studies that involve people without these characteristics, and who are younger and live in other countries, are needed, says Bischoff-Ferrari. Topics: Source link #Omega3 #supplements #slow #biological #ageing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Renter affordability has improved — here's what's behind the trend Renter affordability has improved — here's what's behind the trend The cost to rent is coming down faster in some areas of the U.S. than others. Here are some of the most and least affordable spots. Source link #Renter #affordability #improved #here039s #what039s #trend Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rice variant slashes planet-warming methane emissions by 70 per cent Rice variant slashes planet-warming methane emissions by 70 per cent Rice fields are a major source of methane emissions Thirawatana Phaisalratana/iStockphot​o/Getty Images A new variety of rice created by simple crossbreeding could reduce the crop’s emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, by nearly three-quarters. Rice growing is responsible for around 12 per cent of anthropogenic release of methane, a gas that has a warming effect 25 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. The emissions come from soil microbes in the flooded paddy fields where rice is grown. These organisms break down chemicals known as root exudates released by the plants, producing nutrients that the plants can use, but also making methane in the process. To learn more about factors affecting the production of methane from rice roots, Anna Schnürer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and her colleagues grew two strains of rice in a laboratory: a Japanese cultivar called Nipponbare with average methane emissions and a genetically modified strain with low methane emissions called SUSIBA2. SUSIBA2 produced less fumarate, a root exudate known to be a key driver of methane emissions, than Nipponbare. But when both strains were treated with oxantel, a chemical that inhibits the breakdown of fumarate by bacteria, the SUSIBA2 strain still produced less methane. This meant there must be another factor causing the difference between the varieties. It turned out that the SUSIBA2 crop was secreting high levels of ethanol, which also seemed to be suppressing methane emissions. The team then turned to traditional breeding techniques to produce a new rice strain by crossing a high-yield elite variety with the Heijing cultivar, a strain that produces low fumarate and high ethanol. Over two years of field trials in China, the new strain produced crop yields of more than 8 tonnes per hectare, compared with the global average of just over 4 tonnes, and it emitted 70 per cent less methane than the elite variety it was bred from. Johannes le Coutre at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, says the study is an example of well-executed research into the culprits behind the crop’s greenhouse gas emissions. “The core point of the study is they don’t use hard-core gene engineering or editing technologies or transgenic approaches,” says le Coutre. “They use traditional crossbreeding in order to create new rice lines which lower the synthesis of methane.” Topics: Source link #Rice #variant #slashes #planetwarming #methane #emissions #cent Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Tariffs Live Updates: Mexico Says It Reached Deal to Delay Tariffs – The New York Times Trump Tariffs Live Updates: Mexico Says It Reached Deal to Delay Tariffs – The New York Times Trump Tariffs Live Updates: Mexico Says It Reached Deal to Delay Tariffs The New York TimesMexico’s president announces one-month pause in US tariffs – video The GuardianMexico agrees to deploy 10,000 troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause Fox NewsTrump’s walkback on ******** tariffs sends stocks on the verge of a comeback CNN Source link #Trump #Tariffs #Live #Updates #Mexico #Reached #Deal #Delay #Tariffs #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]