MPs fear future politicians being deterred by levels of abuse
MPs fear future politicians being deterred by levels of abuse
Grace Wood and James Vincent
BBC News, Yorkshire
PA Media
MP Naz Shah said there had been moments when she feared for her life
Worsening levels of abuse are deterring future politicians from careers in parliament, a group of MPs have warned.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah, Rother Valley MP Jake Richards and ex-Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood said women received more threats and abuse than male colleagues – and it was discouraging their staff from careers in politics.
The politicians made the claims after Spen Valley MP Kim Leadbeater told Radio 4 earlier this week that the level of abuse had increased since her sister Jo Cox was murdered by a far right terrorist in 2016.
Leadbeater said the level of “abuse and nastiness in politics” then was “nowhere near what it is like now”.
Richards, who worked on the prosecution of Cox’s killer as a junior lawyer, said the abuse had caused members of his parliamentary staff to reconsider careers in politics, which was “pretty shocking”.
He said: “We need people from all backgrounds and perspectives to get into public life and to represent us or we’ll go wrong politically.
“It’s not just about looking after MPs and not hurting feelings, it’s about how we make our politics work better.”
PA Media
MP Kim Leadbeater said the level of abuse and nastiness now was worse than ever
Shah, said since she was first elected to parliament in 2015, every election had got worse.
“Since the last election, those risks have gone up and public discourse on places like X exacerbates it,” she said.
“The kind of abuse that you get is magnified. I can’t see it stopping or retracting. I don’t have the confidence this is going anywhere.”
Earlier this month a man was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, for harassing Shah during her 2024 general election campaign.
Shah says: “Online threats and Islamophobia in particular, misogyny, racism, threats to life have become quite normal.
“It’s real horrible abuse. If you get a chance to look at X it’s a lot more, and I’ve stopped looking because it’s not good for my mental health.”
Shah said there had been moments when she feared for her life.
“Somebody sent me an email asking if I would like a bullet through my head or through my home. It was a number of years ago.
“At that point I felt there was a risk because I thought someone was outside my house so I had to move my children around midnight while the police came.”
She adds the intersection of race and gender made her more of a target than other MPs.
She says: “Lots of people don’t like politicians so you get hatred, but if you happen to then be female that’s an added bonus, and if you happen to be a female of colour that adds to it, and then if you happen to be a ******* it’s even worse.
“I try not to think about it and get on with the day job.”
*** Parliament
Ex-Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood lost his seat in the 2024 election
Ex-Dewsbury MP Eastwood, who lost his seat in last year’s election, said the worst thing about the abuse was how it affected friends and family.
He said: “I’ve had verbal abuse in the local pubs. On social media you get tonnes of abuse from keyboard warriors.
“The worst thing about it was the impact it had on my family who were looking at the social media posts or with me in the pub. That’s difficult and shouldn’t happen.”
But he said it had been worse for female colleagues and he feared that would put off women from standing in future.
“Political parties have got to try and temper their campaigning – the personal attacks on politicians from opposition parties. Everyone needs to take more responsibility,” he added.
Analysis: James Vincent, BBC Yorkshire political editor
I’ve been talking to politicians about this for over 20 years and they think it is getting worse.
Every time we interview an MP we have to be careful about where and when we’re doing it. Politicians have accepted it to an extent – but why should they? No-one should be going to work and getting death threats.
Some wouldn’t talk to me on camera about this – they say the abuse is so bad that being on TV talking about it would just make it worse. One told me that they’d been punched and another said the abuse contributed to them deciding to give up being an MP.
They’re worried about people being put off getting into politics, they’re worried about their families and members of staff and they’re worried about themselves.
Rother Valley MP Jake Richards was first elected in 2024
Rother Valley MP Richards, who was first elected last year, said he had been shocked by how often the abuse had “gone well beyond what I deem to be acceptable”.
He said: “The online aspect of modern-day politics has made it far worse. When I am in parliament and you look on social media you get endless abuse frankly.
“There’s something about the online platforms and the anonymity it gives people that shows the worst side of public discourse.”
He agreed the abuse towards family, friends and staff members was the most difficult to deal with.
“When they’re not focusing on me, and my choices, and my politics, but when they’re focusing on my staff or my family, that’s a line I don’t think people should cross and too often it is being crossed at the moment,” he said.
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Syria’s interim president lands in Saudi Arabia on first trip abroad, likely a signal to Iran – The Associated Press
Syria’s interim president lands in Saudi Arabia on first trip abroad, likely a signal to Iran – The Associated Press
Syria’s interim president lands in Saudi Arabia on first trip abroad, likely a signal to Iran The Associated PressSyria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa to visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday Al Jazeera EnglishAhmed al-Shara, Syria’s New Interim President, Travels to Saudi Arabia The New York TimesSyrian President Sharaa Meets Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh on First Foreign Trip U.S. News & World ReportEgypt’s president Sisi congratulates Syria’s new president Sharaa, statement says Reuters
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Man charged after police officers injured
Man charged after police officers injured
A man has been charged with attempted ******* and six other offences following an incident at a police station in which three officers were injured.
It happened at Talbot Green Police Station, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on Friday evening.
Alexander Stephen Dighton, 27, from Llantrisant, also faces a charge of assaulting an emergency worker, assault, arson, criminal damage, possession of offensive weapon and possession of knife/bladed article.
He is due to appear before magistrates in Merthyr Tydfil on Monday.
Two officers were taken to hospital and received treatment for their injuries but have since been discharged.
Chief Supt Stephen Jones from South Wales Police said: “I wish to thank the local community and the wider public for their support and concern for the officers involved.
“Our officers showed great bravery and quick thinking during the altercation and, despite being understandably shaken, I am very glad to report that none of the officers involved sustained any major injuries.”
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Beyonce competes for the big prize – again – at Grammys
Beyonce competes for the big prize – again – at Grammys
The Grammy Awards are set to take centre stage in Los Angeles at a celebration that will honour the best of music while acknowledging the deadly wildfires that scarred a hub of the industry.
Beyonce will compete for the top Grammy prize of album of the year with her country record Cowboy Carter.
The superstar singer has never won the album trophy despite winning 32 career Grammys, more than any other musician.
Also in the running for album of the year are megastar Taylor Swift for The Tortured Poets Department and Billie Eilish for Hit Me Hard and Soft.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8pm ET on Sunday (11am AEDT on Monday) from the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
Who is sitting where at the 2025 #GRAMMYs? Find out which of your favorite artists are sitting next to each other during Music’s Biggest Night: pic.twitter.com/HZwznmfGuM— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) February 2, 2025
Comedian Trevor Noah returns to host the telecast which will be part awards show, part fundraiser for musicians and others affected by the recent fires.
Hundreds of people in the music business were among those who lost homes in the disaster.
“It will be a little tricky to pull off but I’m starting to think they’re going to be able to do it,” said Paul Grein, awards editor at music publication Billboard.
With the fires under control, “people can take a breather and express gratitude and relief that we made it through that”.
Eilish and best new artist nominees Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims are among the night’s scheduled performers.
The show will feature a tribute to Quincy Jones, the prolific music producer who died in November.
At last year’s Grammys, Beyonce’s husband and rapper Jay-Z argued that voters had not given proper recognition to ****** artists including his wife.
Grammy winners are chosen by the 13,000 singers, songwriters, producers, engineers and others who make up the Recording Academy.
“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work,” Jay-Z said on stage.
Cowboy Carter was viewed by experts and fans as a reclamation and homage to an overlooked legacy of African-Americans within country music and culture.
It became the first album by a ****** woman to land at No.1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart when it was released last northern hemisphere spring.
The Beyonce album was snubbed however by voters for the Country Music Awards in their nominations in September.
The Cowboy Carter nomination is Beyonce’s fifth entry in the album of the year category.
Swift has won the honour a record four times, including last year for Midnights.
Beyonce leads all Grammy nominees this year with 11 nods, followed by Eilish, Charli XCX, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone with seven nominations each.
Swift landed six nominations and will present one of the night’s awards.
Beyonce’s other Grammy nods include record and song of the year for single Texas Hold ‘Em.
Competitors for song of the year, an award for songwriters, are Eilish for Birds of a Feather, Carpenter for Please Please Please and Roan for Good Luck, *****.
In record of the year, nominees include Carpenter’s Espresso and Swift’s duet with Post Malone, Fortnight.
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Glorious GMMK 3 Review: Customized mainstream gaming
Glorious GMMK 3 Review: Customized mainstream gaming
Glorious is trying something new with its GMMK 3 gaming keyboard lineup — a custom keyboard builder that lets you build your ideal gaming keyboard, from the size, layout, and switch plate to the keycaps, top and bottom cases, and rotary knob color. It’s not cheap — far from it, in fact — but the brand is also selling a standard selection of pre-built GMMK 3 keyboards for those who don’t need a customized build.
The GMMK 3 comes in several iterations of both the barebones and pre-built versions. These keyboards aren’t cheap — the cheapest option you can buy is a 65-percent barebones wired keyboard with a plastic case and an aluminum switch plate for $79.99. Larger sizes (75-percent, full-size), premium materials (all-aluminum body), and support for magnetic (HE) switches cost more, with the most expensive barebones option coming in at $259.99. Pre-built versions, which come with switches and keycaps installed, start at $119.99 for a 65-percent wired keyboard with a plastic case and standard mechanical switches, and go all the way up to a whopping $409.99 for a full-size wireless keyboard with an all-aluminum body and magnetic (HE switches). That’s already quite a bit for a mainstream gaming keyboard company — the full-size Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro costs $230.
If you decide to build your own keyboard using the Boardsmith, the price will start at $149.99 and can go all the way up to $608, depending on the options you choose. That price includes the $30 fee Glorious charges to assemble the keyboard, which seems fair given the labor involved. We did go through the GMMK 3 Boardsmith for this review, and our review unit, as configured, comes out to $568.99 — even pricier than the $500 Asus ROG Azoth Extreme, which is the only other mainstream gaming keyboard that even approaches this range.
Design and Construction of the GMMK 3
Glorious’ custom keyboard builder is called the GMMK 3 Boardsmith, and it’s a step-by-step process that lets you configure the keyboard piece by piece — you pick the parts and Glorious builds the board. The Boardsmith is easy to use and updates your build in real time, so you can see what it looks like as you build it. Each option is accompanied by a “Help Me Choose” button that gives you more information on each of the choices and how they’ll affect your build/experience — a nice feature for anyone who’s new to custom boards.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
First you’ll pick the language/layout (US English, *** English, *******, Nordic, or French), size (65-percent, 75-percent, or full-size), and connectivity (wired or wireless). Both wired and wireless (2.4GHz) offer up to an 8,000 Hz polling rate, which is impressive and almost certainly unnecessary. Wireless includes both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, but adds $116 – $130 to the price.
Then you’ll pick the type of switch technology you want your board to support: standard mechanical switches or magnetic Hall Effect switches. It’s worth noting that the magnetic option supports both magnetic switches and standard mechanical switches, and this is actually the first board we’ve seen with a PCB that lets you swap between standard and magnetic switches, though you’ll need to run switch calibration on Glorious’ software when you swap between the two.
As with other magnetic keyboards, switch support is limited — Glorious officially only supports its own magnetic switches, but other magnetic switches may work (I was able to swap in the Gateron double-rail Nebula switches from the Keychron Q1 HE). If you go with the standard non-magnetic switch PCB, you can also choose either north- or south-facing orientation (the magnetic switch PCB can only be mounted north-facing).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Once you have your layout down, you can move onto aesthetics, starting with the case. The top and bottom cases are selected separately, and both come in a selection of colors in plastic (******, translucent gray, translucent purple, white) or aluminum (arcade pink, arctic blue, jet ******, matte white, midnight blue, sage green, silver), as well as a couple of limited-edition colors. You can mix and match colors and case materials, but a full aluminum case will cost an extra $160 – $175 over a full plastic case.
Next, you’ll pick switches, and the selection will vary based on the PCB option you chose earlier. If you picked a standard PCB, you’ll see a selection of standard MX mechanical switches from Glorious: Fox Ultralight MX (linear), Fox Standard MX (linear), Fox Heavy MX (linear), Lynx Standard MX (linear), Lynx Silent MX (linear), Panda Standard MX (tactile), Panda Silent MX (tactile), Mako Standard MX (tactile), Mako Ultralight MX (tactile), Raptor Silent MX (clicky).
If you chose a magnetic PCB, you’ll see Glorious’ HE switches: Fox Standard HE (linear), Lynx Standard HE (linear), Lynx Silent HE (linear), Raptor Standard HE (clicky), Panda Standard HE (tactile), Panda Silent HE (tactile). You will not see any of the standard switches as options, even though the magnetic PCB does support both types. Glorious wants to make sure that people buy switches that are compatible with their PCB choice, but it also wants to avoid the possible issue of customers picking the magnetic PCB and accidentally pairing it with standard switches and thus overspending on the PCB. While it’s possible you could want a magnetic PCB for future flexibility (but you just want to grab cheap standard switches now), I guess Glorious figures that’s not likely to happen often enough that it outweighs potential mistakes (which is probably true).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Then you’ll see a range of keycaps from Glorious, including several types of shine-through keycaps — standard (shine-through legends), “aura” (translucent sides and legends), and “polychroma” (fully translucent), as well as plenty of opaque keycaps in basic colors, gradients, and several limited-edition styles. You can also buy the keyboard without switches (-$32.99) and keycaps (-$29.99) if you want to bring your own. There are a few more details to customize: the “Glorious Badge,” which is a decorative badge that frames an LED indicator light in the upper right corner, the rotary knob, and the USB-C cable (you can grab one of Glorious’ decorative coiled cables for $40 instead of the regular $50).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Finally, you can customize the feel and sound of your keyboard, to some extent, by customizing the switch plate material and the gasket modules. Glorious’ barebones and pre-built GMMK 3s come with aluminum switch plates, but the Boardsmith also offers polycarbonate (flexible with deeper acoustics), FR4 (flexible and soft), and brass (rigid and dense) switch plate options. You can opt for firm or flexible gasket modules, so you can build your keyboard with as much (or as little) flex as you like.
For our review model, we went with a high-end build: wireless, full-size, full aluminum case, magnetic switches, and a brass switch plate. The aluminum case is hefty, with a matte finish and chamfered edges, and RGB light strips along the sides where the top and bottom cases meet. There’s a half-inch bezel around the keys, making it a little larger than it absolutely needs to be — it measures 18.2 inches (462mm) wide by 6 inches (152mm) deep, and is 1.8 inches (44.5mm) thick at its thickest point (including keycaps). This is almost the exact same size as the full-size Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, but the GMMK 3 doesn’t have any extra macro or media keys (the BlackWidow V4 Pro has an extra column on the left side).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The bottom of the keyboard features Glorious’ logo and eight small rubber anti-slip feet evenly spaced along the top and bottom. As configured, this keyboard is pretty hefty — 6.31 pounds (2,863g), so it shouldn’t move around too much on your desk regardless of what you’re using it for. The USB-C port is located in a center recess along the top of the board, along with a switch for toggling between PC/Mac modes and a switch for wireless connectivity.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Size
65-percent / 75-percent / Full-size
Number of keys
90
Switches
Glorious Panda Standard HE
Backlighting
Yes
Onboard Storage
Yes
Dedicated Media Keys
Rotary knob
Game Mode
Yes
Additional Ports
0
Connectivity
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, wired (USB-C)
Cable
USB-C to USB-A
Keycaps
Double-shot PBT
Construction
Plastic or aluminum body
Software
Glorious Core
Dimensions (LxWxH)
`18.2 x 6 x 1.8 inches / 462 x 152 x 44.5 mm
Weight
6.31lbs / 2,863g
MSRP / Price at Time of Review
Row 15 – Cell 1
Release Date
Sept. 2024
Typing and Gaming Experience on the GMMK 3
In the box, the keyboard comes with keycap and switch pullers, a screwdriver, samples of each switch (magnetic or standard, depending on board), extra gaskets, switch dampeners, and screws, and a USB-C to USB-A cable. If you get a custom-built board with keycaps, it will also come with the extra keycaps from that set.
Our review unit came with Glorious’ Panda Standard HE switches, which are “tactile” magnetic switches with a “rounded tactile bump” and a light thocky sound. I was intrigued by these switches as thus far I’ve only seen linear magnetic switches — which makes sense, since magnetic switches actuate via disrupting an electromagnetic field, not by physical contact (like regular mechanical switches). So, a tactile or clicky magnetic switch will include some sort of manufactured bump (and/or click) in there.
The Panda Standard HE switches are factory-lubed and have an actuation force of 45g, 4mm of total travel, and a customizable actuation point (which is what you’ll find in all magnetic switches. The magnetic switch technology also supports Rapid Trigger (sets the reset point to match the actuation point, so you can spam inputs without lifting your fingers), Dynamic Keystroke (lets you assign up to four functions at different actuation points — two on the downstroke and two on the upstroke), and Mod Tap (different functions based on whether you tap or hold down the key).
Despite these switches having a pretty typical 45g actuation force, I thought they felt a bit heavier than my other 45g switches, and I found the “rounded tactile bump” to be a little… manufactured-feeling. It definitely felt like it wasn’t a full bump, and it made the keycaps wobble a little more than I would have preferred. The factory lubing on the switches is smooth enough, but the keys are a bit rattly regardless — and there’s a lot of stabilizer rattle in the spacebar. Still, compared to other mainstream gaming keyboards, the GMMK 3 sounds pretty good.
Typing on the GMMK 3 is a decent experience, especially with tactile switches (even if they’re not my favorite tactile switches). Glorious’ keycaps have a Cherry profile, which is lower-profile than standard OEM keycaps, with sculpted rows and tops with a subtle dip. It’s a popular, comfortable profile in mechanical keyboards, but it’s not what you’ll find in most mainstream gaming keyboards — gaming brands such as Razer, Logitech, and HyperX generally stick to standard OEM keycaps. While this isn’t anywhere close to my favorite keyboard for typing, it’s more satisfying than most mainstream gaming keyboards, which are terrible for typing. I will point out that the pre-built GMMK 3 keyboards come with an aluminum switch plate and firm gaskets, so it will be a very stiff typing experience. Our review model had a brass switch plate, which is stiff, but is somewhat offset by the flexible gaskets.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The GMMK 3 is better for gaming than it is for typing, but it doesn’t particularly stand out against other magnetic switch keyboards. While it does have an 8,000 Hz polling rate, all this really seemed to do was sap the battery life fairly quickly (though I couldn’t tell how quick, exactly, because the Glorious Core software is… not great), and not much else. That said, at the standard 1,000 Hz polling rate, the keyboard is as responsive as other mainstream gaming keyboards and it has the gamer-friendly magnetic switch features on top of that. Glorious’ software is missing the ability to switch profiles automatically upon opening various games/programs — not that this is a necessary gaming feature, but it is one of the features that makes gaming-specific keyboards stand out against mechanical keyboards that can also be used for gaming.
Features and Software of the GMMK 3
The GMMK 3 is configurable using Glorious’ Glorious Core software. Options will vary depending on your keyboard’s configuration, but you can use Glorious Core to adjust polling rate, customize lighting, remap keys, and adjust actuation point and turn on Rapid Trigger (if you have magnetic switches). There’s also a switch calibration feature, which Glorious recommends using to ensure switches are working after you swap in new switches (especially if you’re swapping between mechanical and magnetic switches).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The software comes with 18 preset color effects, including a custom cycling spectrum mode called “Glorious Mode” and several single-color effects you can customize the color, speed, and brightness of. You can also create and layer your own custom lighting on a per-key basis, though the options are limited to color choice and a breathing effect. You can layer these effects over the preset options, though, for a more interesting lighting look (and frankly, anything much more complicated than this is probably not going to be something the majority of users bother with).
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
That said, Glorious Core is — unsurprisingly — sort of a mess. Not so much in terms of organization and usability, however — it’s laid out as expected and is about as usable as any other gaming peripheral software. But I had a lot of issues with this software, once I downloaded it (I used the keyboard for a little while without downloading the software and had no issues). It was a lot of little things — the polling rate seemed to occasionally switch, the battery life indicator never dipped below 100%… ever, the keyboard lighting occasionally reset itself and/or stopped working until I turned the keyboard on and off, etc. While there’s no peripheral software that I’m in love with, I can at least keep most on my PC while I’m using the product, but Glorious Core seems to cause more issues than it’s worth.
Battery life and Wireless on the GMMK 3
The wireless GMMK 3 offers three forms of connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired (USB-C). It gets up to an 8,000 Hz polling rate over both wired and wireless connections, though as I mentioned earlier, this didn’t seem to make much of a difference other than draining the battery quicker. A polling rate higher than 1,000 Hz (1ms latency) might make a difference in some speed-oriented games… but even then, it’s often barely noticeable on a mouse (and a mouse is constantly moving, unlike a keyboard). Still, for those who are looking for a keyboard with an 8,000 Hz polling rate, this is one of the only options (alongside the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme).
Battery life on the GMMK 3 is not great. According to Glorious, it’s rated for around 22 – 28 hours of battery life over 2.4GHz wireless and 19 – 26 hours over Bluetooth, depending on size. This is, presumably, with the backlighting off and the polling rate set to 1,000 Hz. Well, the $500 Azoth Extreme gets 92 hours of battery life with the OLED screen and backlighting turned on, and over 1,600 hours with the lighting turned off. Of course, the Azoth Extreme doesn’t have magnetic switches (which do require power to actuate). Keychron’s wireless Q1 HE, however, gets “up to 100 hours” with the back lighting turned off, which is still about five times the battery life of the GMMK 3.
The Bottom Line
The GMMK 3 is… interesting — it’s built more like an enthusiast mechanical keyboard, but it’s aimed at gamers. However, it doesn’t really fully deliver on either side, and it’s somehow more expensive than both — the cheapest pre-built GMMK 3 is $119, while the priciest is $409.99. The Boardsmith custom board builder is a nice idea for introducing gamers to the enthusiast side of mechanical keyboards, but there are other companies with similar tools (such as Mode’s Loop TKL).
If you’re looking for a gaming keyboard with all the gaming bells and whistles, mainstream gaming keyboards such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro or Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless offer a better gaming experience, and if you’re looking for a magnetic switch gaming keyboard, there are several that feel and sound great, such as the Arbiter Polar 75 Pro and the Keychron Q1 HE.
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Young Women Are Transforming Pop. Now They’re Taking On the Grammys.
Young Women Are Transforming Pop. Now They’re Taking On the Grammys.
A close-up look at Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan — and their loyal fans.
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Young Women Are Transforming Pop. Now They’re Taking On the Grammys.
Young Women Are Transforming Pop. Now They’re Taking On the Grammys.
A close-up look at Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan — and their loyal fans.
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#Young #Women #Transforming #Pop #Theyre #Grammys
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Honda’s new EV production revolution begins with $1 billion in Ohio
Honda’s new EV production revolution begins with $1 billion in Ohio
A Honda sedan moves down the assembly line on Jan. 28, 2025 at the automaker’s assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
MARYSVILLE, Ohio — Honda Motor is launching the next generation of its manufacturing in a historically unusual place for the 75-year-old Japanese automaker: Ohio.
Honda is in the midst of completing more than $1 billion in new investments — upped Wednesday from an initially announced $700 million — in the state this year. Upgrades most notably include installing six “giga presses,” which were made well-known by Tesla, and a new “cell” manufacturing system for its upcoming electric vehicle battery cases.
The company’s emerging EV hub in Ohio, including a separate $3.5 billion battery plant, will be the flagship for Honda’s global manufacturing operations. That includes its Marysville Auto Plant being capable of producing traditional vehicles, hybrids and EVs on the same assembly line, officials said during a daylong tour of the operations.
“The Honda EV hub in Ohio is establishing the global standard for EV production for people, for technology and for processes,” said Mike Fischer, North American lead for Honda’s battery-electric vehicle projects. “As we expand EV production regionally and globally, this is the footprint and the characteristic performance that will be used.”
Honda displays half of one of its new battery packs for electric vehicles on Jan. 28, 2025 at its engine and components plant in Anna, Ohio.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
Typically such important manufacturing changes would begin in Honda’s home country of Japan and then get rolled out to facilities in the U.S. and elsewhere, according to company officials.
The Ohio investments were initially announced in October 2022 as part of the Biden administration’s push to on-shore manufacturing. They remain important amid threats of potential increases in tariffs for imported products such as automobiles by President Donald Trump.
Honda produced more than 1 million vehicles at five U.S. assembly plants in 2024. About 64% percent were sold in the U.S., while the remainder were exported. It has one assembly plant in Mexico.
Once completed, Honda will be able to produce roughly 220,000 vehicles annually at its Marysville plant, located in central Ohio outside of Columbus. The 4 million-square-foot facility currently produces several Honda and Acura vehicles, which are expected to be joined later this year by an all-electric Acura RSX crossover — the first EV produced by Honda.
Honda 0 Saloon & Honda 0 SUV prototypes
Honda
The Japanese automaker was late to invest in EVs compared with other automakers. It currently sells two all-electric crossovers — Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX — in the U.S., but those vehicles are produced by General Motors in Mexico.
The new Acura crossover will be followed by the Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon EV prototypes the company debuted last month at CES in Las Vegas.
The aluminum battery packs for the new EVs will be produced at Honda’s nearby engine complex in Anna, Ohio — the company’s largest engine facility globally that has grown from a small rectangle building in 1985 to a more than 2.8-million-square feet plant.
“We’re establishing this large aluminum production technology for all Honda,” Tim Stroh, EV battery case project leader, said. “The goal here is to roll that out to other products, other factors across the world.”
A row of Honda’s new 6,000-ton high-pressure die cast machines that will “megacast,” or “gigacast,” as Tesla has referred to it, battery packs for the automaker at its engine and components plant in Anna, Ohio.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
To produce the battery packs and other EV components, as well as potentially engines in the future, the company is installing six massive, 6,000-ton high-pressure die cast machines that will “megacast,” or “gigacast” materials, as Tesla has referred to it. The massive machines are the size of a small house and use an enormous amount of pressure to form parts. Current Honda presses go up to 3,500 tons in Ohio.
Done correctly, gigacasting can theoretically slash per-unit manufacturing costs by eliminating the welding of dozens of body parts by casting one single module, according to S&P Global Mobility.
Once the packs are cast, they will be shipped from Anna to Marysville and other plants to have battery cells from Honda’s joint venture operations with LG Energy Solution installed before being used in the final assembly of EVs.
A Honda employee at the automaker’s large vehicle assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio demonstrates
Michael Wayland / CNBC
To combine the battery cells and packs in Marysville, Honda is installing nearly 60 flexible manufacturing “cells,” or zones, for the battery assembly. Instead of a traditional assembly line, where parts are installed as a vehicle moves, the new production process occurs parallel to the main line in zones that make it so any potential slowdowns or problems don’t impact the main line.
“This is considered the second founding for Honda,” said Bob Schwyn, senior vice president of Honda Development and Manufacturing of America. “We’re using the opportunity to reimagine our approach to manufacturing.”
Honda has referred to its transition to electric vehicles, including fuel cells, as its “second founding.” Despite slower-than-expected adoption of EVs in the U.S., the company maintains previously announced goal of achieving zero environmental impact by 2050, through three critical action areas: carbon neutrality, clean energy and resource circulation.
Rows of new “cell,” or zone, production system for assembly of electric vehicle battery packs on Jan. 28, 2025 at Honda’s Marysville Assembly Plant.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
That goals also includes exclusively selling zero-emissions vehicles by 2040. Many other automakers have delayed or withdrawn such targets in recent years.
The more than $1 billion investments in current Ohio facilities also include several new manufacturing processes and techniques to lower emissions and waste, including using a special form of structural aluminum for the EV battery packs that can be recycled and reused.
“We’re using the opportunity to reimagine our approach to manufacturing and create new value in the area of environmental responsibility,” Schwyn said. “This includes strategies to recapture our products at end-of-life and then recycle or reuse 100% of the materials, especially finite materials for EV batteries to essentially make new Hondas out of old Hondas.”
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AI tools used for child ******* abuse images targeted in Home Office crackdown | Artificial intelligence (AI)
AI tools used for child ******* abuse images targeted in Home Office crackdown | Artificial intelligence (AI)
Britain is to become the first country to introduce laws tackling the use of AI tools to produce child ******* abuse images, amid warnings from law enforcement agencies of an alarming proliferation in such use of the technology.
In an attempt to close a legal loophole that has been a major concern for police and online safety campaigners, it will become ******** to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child ******* abuse material.
Those found guilty will face up to five years in prison.
It will also become ******** for anyone to possess manuals that teach potential offenders how to use AI tools to either make abusive imagery or to help them abuse children, with a potential prison sentence of up to three years.
A stringent new law targeting those who run or moderate websites designed for the sharing of images or advice to other offenders will be put in place. Extra powers will also be handed to the Border Force, which will be able to compel anyone who it suspects of posing a ******* risk to children to unlock their digital devices for inspection.
The news follows warnings that the use of AI tools in the creation of child ******* abuse imagery has more than quadrupled in the space of a year. There were 245 confirmed reports of AI-generated child ******* abuse images last year, up from 51 in 2023, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
Over a 30-day ******* last year, it found 3,512 AI images on a single dark web site. It also identified an increasing proportion of “category A” images – the most severe kind.
AI tools have been deployed in a variety of ways by those seeking to abuse children. It is understood that there have been cases of deploying it to “nudify” images of real children, or applying the faces of children to existing child ******* abuse images.
The voices of real children and victims are also used.
Newly generated images have been used to blackmail children and force them into more abusive situations, including the live streaming of abuse.
AI tools are also helping perpetrators disguise their identity to help them groom and abuse their victims.
Technology secretary Peter Kyle said the *** has ‘failed to keep up’ with the malign applications of the AI revolution. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing/Getty Images
Senior police figures say that there is now well-established evidence that those who view such images are likely to go on to abuse children in person, and they are concerned that the use of AI imagery could normalise the ******* abuse of children.
The new laws will be brought in as part of the crime and policing bill, which has not yet come to parliament.
Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, said that the state had “failed to keep up” with the malign applications of the AI revolution.
Writing for the Observer, he said he would ensure that the safety of children “comes first”, even as he attempts to make the *** one of the world’s leading AI markets.
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“A 15-year-old girl rang the NSPCC recently,” he writes. “An online stranger had edited photos from her social media to make fake nude images. The images showed her face and, in the background, you could see her bedroom. The girl was terrified that someone would send them to her parents and, worse still, the pictures were so convincing that she was scared her parents wouldn’t believe that they were fake.
“There are thousands of stories like this happening behind bedroom doors across Britain. Children being exploited. Parents who lack the knowledge or the power to stop it. Every one of them is evidence of the catastrophic social and legal failures of the past decade.”
The new laws are among changes that experts have been demanding for some time.
“There is certainly more to be done to prevent AI technology from being exploited, but we welcome [the] announcement, and believe these measures are a vital starting point,” said Derek Ray-Hill, the interim IWF chief executive.
Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, said the charity’s Childline service had heard from children about the impact AI-generated images could have. She called for more measures stopping the images being produced. “Wherever possible, these abhorrent harms must be prevented from happening in the first place,” she said.
“To achieve this, we must see robust regulation of this technology to ensure children are protected and tech companies undertake thorough risk assessments before new AI products are rolled out.”
In the ***, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
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Why can’t I stop looking at myself on video calls? | Life and style
Why can’t I stop looking at myself on video calls? | Life and style
Why can’t I stop looking at myself on video calls? It’s become obsessive, to the point where I have to turn off the camera. Daniel Brown, London
Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to *****@*****.tld. A selection will be published next Sunday.
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#stop #video #calls #Life #style
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Clues and answer for Sunday, February 2
Clues and answer for Sunday, February 2
Hey, there! We hope you’re having a relaxing and/or reinvigorating Sunday. Perhaps your plans for the day involve playing the latest edition of Wordle. In case you need a helping hand with that, here’s our daily Wordle guide with some hints and the answer for Sunday’s puzzle (#1,324).
It may be that you’re a Wordle newcomer and you’re not completely sure how to play the game. We’re here to help with that too.
What is Wordle?
Wordle is a deceptively simple daily word game that first emerged in 2021. The gist is that there is one five-letter word to deduce every day by process of elimination. The daily word is the same for everyone.
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Wordle blew up in popularity in late 2021 after creator Josh Wardle made it easy for players to share an emoji-based grid with their friends and followers that detailed how they fared each day. The game’s success spurred dozens of clones across a swathe of categories and formats.
The New York Times purchased Wordle in early 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The publication said that players collectively played Wordle 5.3 billion times in 2024. So, it’s little surprise that Wordle is one of the best online games and puzzles you can play daily.
How to play Wordle
To start playing Wordle, you simply need to enter one five-letter word. The game will tell you how close you are to that day’s secret word by highlighting letters that are in the correct position in green. Letters that appear in the word but aren’t in the right spot will be highlighted in yellow. If you guess any letters that are not in the secret word, the game will gray those out on the virtual keyboard.
You’ll only have six guesses to find each day’s word, though you still can use grayed-out letters to help narrow things down. It’s also worth remembering that letters can appear in the secret word more than once.
Wordle is free to play on the NYT’s website and apps, as well as on Meta Quest headsets. The game refreshes at midnight local time. If you log into a New York Times account, you can track your stats, including the all-important win streak.
How to play Wordle more than once a day
If you have a NYT subscription that includes full access to the publication’s games, you don’t have to stop after a single round of Wordle. You’ll have access to an archive of more than 1,200 previous Wordle games. So if you’re a relative newcomer, you’ll be able to go back and catch up on previous editions.
In addition, paid NYT Games members have access to a tool called the Wordle Bot. This can tell you how well you performed at each day’s game.
Previous Wordle answers
Before today’s Wordle hints, here are the answers to recent puzzles that you may have missed:
Yesterday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, February 1 — RIVET
Friday, January 31 — TOAST
Thursday, January 30 — FALSE
Wednesday, January 29 — UDDER
Tuesday, January 28 — FEVER
Today’s Wordle hints explained
Every day, we’ll try to make Wordle a little easier for you. First, we’ll offer a hint that describes the meaning of the word or how it might be used in a phrase or sentence. We’ll also tell you if there are any double (or even triple) letters in the word.
In case you still haven’t quite figured it out by that point, we’ll then provide the first letter of the word. Those who are still stumped after that can continue on to find out the answer for today’s Wordle.
This should go without saying, but make sure to scroll slowly. Spoilers are ahead.
Today’s Wordle help
Here is a hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A task to take care of around the house.
Are there any double letters in today’s Wordle?
There are no repeated letters in today’s Wordle answer.
What’s the first letter of today’s Wordle?
The first letter of today’s Wordle answer is C.
The Wordle answer today
This is your final warning before we reveal today’s Wordle answer. No take-backs.
Don’t blame us if you happen to scroll too far and accidentally spoil the game for yourself.
What is today’s Wordle? Today’s Wordle answer is…
Today’s Wordle answer for Sunday, February 2 – CHORE
CHORE
Not to worry if you didn’t figure out today’s Wordle word. If you made it this far down the page, hopefully you at least kept your streak going. And, hey: there’s always another game tomorrow.
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Grammy Awards 2025: Where to watch, who’s hosting, and who might win – The Washington Post
Grammy Awards 2025: Where to watch, who’s hosting, and who might win – The Washington Post
Grammy Awards 2025: Where to watch, who’s hosting, and who might win The Washington PostHow LA fires devastation will change the Grammys this year BBC.comGrammy predictions 2025: Who will win the Big Four — and who should Page SixHow to watch the 2025 Grammys CNNGrammy Awards 2025: How to Watch, Time and Streaming The New York Times
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The Sims 1 And 2 Legacy Editions Out Today
The Sims 1 And 2 Legacy Editions Out Today
Electronic Arts‘ popular free-to-play life-simulation video game franchise “The Sims” is breaking from tradition, with the gaming company confirming Tuesday that there are no plans for a “The Sims 5” game as the successor to the current edition, “The Sims 4.”
Instead, “The Sims 4,” now a 10-year-old title and the longest-running installment in the franchise’s 25-year history, will continue to receive updates and paid expansions, most notably a multiplayer mode and partnering with some “Sims” players who develop their own custom content for the game to sell it through the EA store as “Creator Kits.”
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This 79-year-old lost home to California wildfires, hopes to rebuild
This 79-year-old lost home to California wildfires, hopes to rebuild
Remains of Karen Bagnard’s Altadena, California, house after it burned in the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires.
Courtesy: Chelsea
On the night of Jan. 7, Karen Bagnard sat in her Altadena, California, house in the dark.
Forceful winds had caused her home to lose power, and she also had no running water, save for one bathroom.
“My daughter called and said, ‘Mom, do you realize there’s a fire?'” said Bagnard, who is 79 years old and legally blind. “I had no idea there was a fire.”
At that point, the evacuation zone for the Eaton Fire was far enough away for her to feel safe.
“I thought, ‘Oh, they’ll never get to my house,'” Bagnard said.
More from Personal Finance: How climate change is reshaping home insurance costs California wildfire victims may receive a one-time $770 payment Top-rated charities active in Los Angeles fire relief efforts
About 30 minutes later, her daughter Chelsea Bagnard called back. With the fire spreading quickly, Bagnard’s home was now near the border of the evacuation zone.
After Bagnard’s grandson, Dalton Sargent, who is 32 and also lives in her home, came back from work, the two decided to leave for the night.
In the more than 50 years she lived in the house, Bagnard had been close to evacuating before but had never actually left.
“I thought, ‘Okay, we’ll evacuate this time, but we’ll be back,'” she said.
That was the last time she stepped foot in her home.
The next day, Bagnard’s daughter and grandson returned to the neighborhood to check on the home before authorities sealed off the area. What they found was a “smoldering pile of debris,” her daughter wrote on Facebook, with only larger appliances such as the refrigerator and stove recognizable.
It was Jan. 22 before Bagnard was able to return to her neighborhood to see the devastation for herself.
“They brought a chair for me, and I sat in the driveway, and what I could see was just the land,” Bagnard said of the surreal scene. “I started looking at it in terms of, ‘How would we rebuild?'”
Karen Bagnard, 79, sits in the ruins of her Altadena, California, home, after it burned in the Los Angeles-area wildfires of January 2025. “I hope to live long enough to see it rebuilt,” she said.
Courtesy: Chelsea Bagnard
Older adults especially vulnerable to natural disasters
The Los Angeles-area wildfires destroyed tens of thousands of acres, ruining homes and entire neighborhoods. Insured losses could climb to $50 billion, according to estimates from JP Morgan.
Additionally, an unknown number of residents have been left homeless.
For older individuals, the catastrophe comes at a vulnerable time in their lives, when relocating and coping with physically difficult conditions can be more challenging.
By 2034, we’ll have more people over 65 than under 18 in our country, according to Danielle Arigoni, an urban planning and community resilience expert and author of the book “Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation.”
Yet those demographics are not used as a lens for climate resilience planning in most cases, she said.
“In two decades, we have not seen any improvement in the fatality rate of older adults in these kinds of disasters,” Arigoni said. “When you see that kind of trend line, to me that just screams for a different approach.”
The LA-area wildfires forced some assisted living facilities to evacuate, and some burned down, according to Joyce Robertson, CEO and executive director of Foundation for Senior Services.
In the aftermath of the fire, the public charity is focusing on providing supplies, including wheelchairs, and is working with nursing and assisted living facilities to help fill gaps for services and resources.
“You can imagine the stress for all those seniors having to evacuate,” Robertson said.
For older individuals who live on their own, the risk is that they will not be able to leave their homes, said Carolyn Ross, co-executive director of the Village Movement California, a coalition of 50 neighborhood-based community organizations that provide community programming and expertise to help older residents age in place.
“In natural disasters, they are disproportionately affected, more likely to be the ones found in their homes because they couldn’t evacuate,” Ross said.
The hardest hit of the Village Movement’s communities — Pasadena Village — had around 60 members displaced by the fires, and 19 lost their homes entirely, including Bagnard.
“It’s been heartbreaking,” said Katie Brandon, executive director at Pasadena Village.
“But it’s also been really beautiful to see the older adults really support each other, be there for each other, and see the communities of support that they’ve built over the last months and years really work for them,” Brandon said.
As Bagnard searched for a new residence, one of the Pasadena Village members stepped up to offer her a six-month temporary lease to live with her in her home, though the two women had not previously met.
Bagnard has been a valued member of the Pasadena Village for many years, according to Brandon, having hosted many events and programs at her “beautiful house, outside on her patio.”
As Bagnard regroups, the Pasadena Village is replacing the computer she lost with the accessibility features she needs due to her vision loss. The community organization is working with other affected area residents to help provide the equipment they need, such as air purifiers and computer printers. Where possible, it’s also encouraging older residents to continue to gather socially.
“The insurance companies seem to be pretty good at reacting and seeing what they can replace, but sometimes it’s quite a process,” Brandon said. “The sooner we can get our older adults the resources and equipment that they need, the better off they’ll be in this recovery *******.”
Older victims face greater health, financial risks
Experts emphasize that older individuals may face a prolonged recovery.
In the aftermath of a disaster, there tends to be a lot of people helping, providing donations and other support, said Joan Casey, associate professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health.
Yet in the rebuilding ******* that follows, there’s often a lull, where volunteer efforts and donations dry up, she said.
Yet more than a year from now, those same disaster victims may still be displaced from their homes, she said.
“It’s that medium-term disaster ******* where we still want to check in on people,” Casey said.
They may be more susceptible to certain health and financial risks, particularly if they do not have a community safety net.
Nearly 80% of older adults have two or more chronic conditions, according to research from the National Council on Aging. If that includes respiratory or heart disease, the worsened air quality may be even more harmful to their health.
Older adults may also have paid off their homes, which means they may not be required to have homeowners’ insurance. Consequently, some may be completely uninsured, while others may be underinsured in an effort to keep their monthly expenses down, Arigoni said.
Scientific literature on how disasters affect older adults is “pretty mixed,” especially with regard to mental health, according to Casey. Some neurologists have found natural disasters may be a tipping point in cognitive function for older adults, she said.
Yet there’s also evidence that older individuals may be more resilient because they have developed better strategies to deal with stress over time, Casey said. They may have already experienced a disaster before, and therefore may be better prepared to handle another event.
‘I hope to live long enough to see it rebuilt’
Remains of Karen Bagnard’s Altadena, California, house after it burned in the January 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires.
Courtesy: yesterday, my mom saw her home of over 50 years for the first time since it burned
Prior to losing her home in the wildfire, Bagnard, a professional visual artist, had recently gone through a big life adjustment as she dealt with her vision loss.
In early 2024, she held a show of her work at Pasadena Village, where she talked about coming to terms with blindness. Her favorite piece — of a sphere falling — played on darkness and light amid a color scheme of blue, teal and ******, a symbol of her own journey.
“Knowing that you’re going blind is like a free fall into the darkness, and then at some point you realize that you bring the light with you, so it isn’t really dark,” Bagnard said. “You have a different kind of light; the light is inside.”
That piece was destroyed and is now among her home’s ashes, along with most of her other artwork.
For most of her life, Bagnard did pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor washes. Since the onset of her vision loss, she has transitioned to other methods, using decoupage and handmade papers as well as writing haikus.
The process of coping with her vision loss has helped her to keep the more recent loss of her home in perspective, she said, though she admits she still has moments of frustration.
To help rebuild, she has applied for a Small Business Administration loan, and her daughter started a GoFundMe account.
Other community organizations, in addition to Pasadena Village, have also stepped in to offer support.
A local nonprofit organization, Better Angels, has provided grant money to Bagnard and her grandson. And Journey House, a provider of foster care services, has promised to help Bagnard’s grandson, a former foster youth, who also lost everything in the fire.
Amid her home’s rubble, Bagnard said she has also seen signs of hope. A Danish plate with a mermaid, which Bagnard considers an art muse, survived the fire, as well as cement stairs she had painted with images of the four seasons.
She has told her two daughters and grandson it is up to them to decide what to do with the property they will eventually inherit.
“I’m going to be 80 next month, and I hope to live long enough to see it rebuilt,” Bagnard said.
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1 Must-Own Energy Stock for the Coming Power *****
1 Must-Own Energy Stock for the Coming Power *****
Electricity demand in the U.S. has meandered along for the past couple of decades. It has only increased by about 9% as energy efficiency gains helped offset demand growth.
However, the outlook for the next 20 years is much more bullish. Forecasters expect power demand to surge 55%, about 6 times faster than it has grown over the past two decades. Demand catalysts include artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, the onshoring of manufacturing, the electrification of everything, and growing commercial, residential, and industrial electricity usage.
Few energy companies are in a better position to capitalize on the coming power ***** than NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE). It’s the undisputed leader in the utility sector. Because of that, it’s in an excellent position to grow its business and shareholder value in the coming years, making it a must-own energy stock to cash in on this megatrend.
NextEra Energy’s CEO, John Ketchum, discussed the massive scale of the company’s business on its recent fourth-quarter conference call. He highlighted:
FPL (Florida Power & Light) is the largest electric utility in the U.S., and Energy Resources is the world’s leader in renewables and storage. Together, we operate the largest natural gas-fired generation fleet in the country, are one of the largest nuclear operators in the U.S., and are widely viewed as an industry leader in transmission. We are one of the top five infrastructure investors in the United States, and we have invested more than $150 billion in our nation’s energy infrastructure over the last decade, building everything from nuclear uprates, natural gas pipelines, and natural gas-fired generation to battery storage and renewables.
The heavy investment in growing its clean energy infrastructure has paid big dividends for the company’s shareholders. Ketchum noted on the call: “Since 2021, we have delivered compound annual growth in adjusted EPS of over 10%, which is the highest among all top 10 power companies. In fact, if you look over the last five, 10, 15, and 20 years, you will see the same absolute and relative performance.”
The utility hasn’t just squeaked by its rivals in the power sector; it has pulverized their performance. It has grown its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) by more than double the rate of its peers over the past 20 years (8.9% versus 3.8%). That has given it the power to grow its dividend at a 10% compound annual rate during that *******. This growth has helped it produce superior total returns (15.7% annualized compared to 9.8% for the average utility and 10.2% for the S&P 500).
Story Continues
NextEra Energy expects to grow even ******* in the coming years. Ketchum stated on the call, “Over the next four years alone, we plan to invest roughly $120 billion across the country, which would allow us to grow our combined fleet to roughly 121 gigawatts.” Of that amount, the company anticipates that its energy resources segment alone will operate about 75 GWs of renewable energy capacity by the end of 2027 based on the midpoint of its current development ranges. Ketchum put that into perspective, noting that it “would be larger than the installed renewables capacity of all but seven countries.”
The company has plenty more renewable-powered growth beyond that time frame. For example, it has signed two framework agreements with large companies to potentially develop up to 10.5 GW of renewable energy capacity through 2030. It also has a 4.5 GW joint development agreement with fellow utility Entergy.
However, renewables are just one growth driver. The company recently signed a framework agreement with GE Vernova to partner on building new natural gas-power generation solutions. GE Vernova is the leader in building gas turbines, while NextEra Energy is a leader in developing gas-fired power generation capacity. The company aims to offer customers solutions that pair gas with renewables to help them meet their growing need for low-cost energy.
NextEra Energy is also evaluating the recommissioning of its Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa. It could potentially restart that plant by the end of 2028. In addition, the company is evaluating the potential for developing small modular reactors. While that’s a much longer-term opportunity and potentially more limited in scope due to the costs, its experience in the sector positions it to potentially capitalize on new nuclear power opportunities as they emerge.
NextEra Energy is the leader in owning, operating, and developing clean energy infrastructure. Because of that, it’s in an excellent position to capitalize on the expected surge in power demand over the coming decades. The company can continue investing in expanding its asset base, which should allow it to grow its earnings at above-average rates. That positions it to continue generating robust total returns for its shareholders, making it a must-own energy stock for the long haul.
Before you buy stock in NextEra Energy, consider this:
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Matt DiLallo has positions in NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends NextEra Energy. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
1 Must-Own Energy Stock for the Coming Power ***** was originally published by The Motley Fool
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Gaza deal's future hangs on Trump-Netanyahu meeting – Axios
Gaza deal's future hangs on Trump-Netanyahu meeting – Axios
Gaza deal’s future hangs on Trump-Netanyahu meeting AxiosLIVE: Israel’s Netanyahu heads to US to meet Trump before ceasefire talks Al Jazeera EnglishNetanyahu Heads to Washington at a Critical Juncture for ******** The New York TimesIsrael’s Netanyahu departs for US to meet with Trump, hoping to strengthen ties with Washington Fox NewsLive briefing: Netanyahu heads to Washington for Trump’s first meeting with foreign leader The Washington Post
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1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Amazon, AMD
1 Stock to Buy, 1 Stock to Sell This Week: Amazon, AMD
• Trump’s trade war, U.S. jobs report, and more ‘Big Tech’ earnings will be in focus this week.
• Amazon looks set to deliver strong Q4 results, driven by its cloud computing dominance and operational efficiencies, making it a strong buy.
• AMD faces a tougher road ahead, with increased competition and analyst downgrades, making it a stock to avoid this week.
• Looking for more actionable trade ideas? Subscribe here to unlock access to ProPicks AI winners.
U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, capping a volatile week for markets.
The tech-heavy and ended with a weekly loss of 1.6% and 1%, respectively. The blue-chip finished the week 0.3% higher.
Source: Investing.com
Over the course of the week, investors processed a wave of significant developments, such as the debut of China’s DeepSeek AI lab, the Federal Reserve’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged, and the latest personal consumption expenditures (PCE) data, which aligned with economist forecasts for both core and headline inflation.
However, markets faced renewed volatility on Friday after Trump unveiled fresh trade measures, including 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10% duty on ******** goods, sparking fresh uncertainty.
The coming week ahead is expected to be another eventful one as investors react to Trump’s aggressive tariffs as well as a flurry of market-moving events.
Most important on the calendar will be Friday’s U.S. employment report for January, which is forecast to show the economy added 154,000 positions. The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 4.1%.
Source: Investing.com
Elsewhere, the earnings season continues, with the list of notable tech-related names on deck, including Alphabet (NASDAQ:), Amazon (NASDAQ:), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:), Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:), Palantir (NASDAQ:), Fortinet (NASDAQ:), and Snap (NYSE:). Some of the other high-profile reporters are Eli Lilly (NYSE:), Novo Nordisk (NYSE:), Pfizer (NYSE:), Uber (NYSE:), Ford (NYSE:), Walt Disney (NYSE:), and Pepsico (NASDAQ:).
Regardless of which direction the market goes, below I highlight one stock likely to be in demand and another which could see fresh downside. Remember though, my timeframe is just for the week ahead, Monday, February 3 – Friday, February 7.
Stock To Buy: Amazon
Amazon is set to release its fourth quarter earnings report after the market closes on Thursday at 4:00PM ET, and expectations are high. A conference call with CEO Andy Jassy is set for 5:30PM ET.
Market participants predict a sizable swing in AMZN stock after the print drops, according to the options market, with a possible implied move of 6.7% in either direction. Shares gapped up 2.7% after the last earnings report in October.
In the weeks leading up to the report, 33 out of the last 35 EPS revisions have been upward, signaling increased confidence in Amazon’s financial health. Additionally, the company’s investments in automation and artificial intelligence are expected to drive operational efficiencies and enhance profit margins.
Source: InvestingPro
Analysts project earnings per share (EPS) of $1.49, marking an impressive 49% jump from the year-ago *******. Revenue is forecast to increase 10.2% year-over-year to $187.3 billion, driven by continued strength in e-commerce and its growing cloud business.
A key area of focus for investors will be the performance of Amazon Web Services. AWS revenue surged 19% in Q3 to $27.5 billion, reaffirming Amazon’s leadership in the cloud computing space ahead of rivals like Microsoft (NASDAQ:) Azure and Google Cloud.
As is often the case, guidance will be just as crucial as the earnings numbers. Given Amazon’s dominant position in e-commerce, advertising, cloud computing, and retail, there’s good reason to believe the tech titan will provide an upbeat outlook for the months ahead.
Source: Investing.com
AMZN stock ended Friday’s session at $237.68, a tad below its all-time high of $241.77 reached on Jan. 28. With a valuation of $2.5 trillion, Amazon is the fifth most valuable company listed on the U.S. stock exchange. Shares are up 8.4% so far in 2025.
It is worth noting that InvestingPro’s AI-powered models rate Amazon with an above-average Financial Health Score of 3.2 out of 5.0, emphasizing its strong profit and sales growth outlook.
Be sure to check out InvestingPro to stay in sync with the market trend and what it means for your trading. Subscribe now and position your portfolio one step ahead of everyone else!
Stock To Sell: Advanced Micro Devices
In contrast, AMD is facing a more challenging outlook as it prepares to report its Q4 earnings this week. The results are due after Tuesday’s closing bell at 4:15PM ET and a call with CEO Lisa Su is set for 5:00PM ET.
The expected move in the options market is about 9% up or down. Shares fell 7% after the company’s Q3 report came out in late October.
In the three months leading up to the earnings update, analysts have slashed their EPS estimates 30 times, compared to just four upward revisions. This downward trend underscores several near-term headwinds that could weigh on AMD’s stock performance.
Source: InvestingPro
Wall Street expects AMD to post earnings per share of $1.09 on revenue of $7.52 billion. While these figures are respectable, a closer look at analyst sentiment suggests potential trouble ahead.
First, AMD operates in an increasingly competitive semiconductor landscape. The company battles Intel (NASDAQ:) in the CPU market for personal computers and servers while also going head-to-head with Nvidia (NASDAQ:) in the GPU segment.
Nvidia’s continued dominance in AI and data center technology has placed additional pressure on AMD, particularly as Nvidia expands its offerings in accelerated computing with new Arm-based CPUs.
Taking that into account, CEO Lisa Su may adopt a cautious tone in her forward guidance, acknowledging these industry-wide challenges.
Adding to the uncertainty, AMD has been caught in the recent volatility surrounding the semiconductor sector, exacerbated by news of DeepSeek’s AI advancements. Investor sentiment has been shaken as market participants reassess their positions in chip stocks, contributing to recent downward pressure on AMD’s share price.
Source: Investing.com
AMD stock closed at $115.95 on Friday, not far from a recent 52-week low of $112.80 touched on Jan. 27. At its current valuation, AMD has a market cap of $188.2 billion. Shares, which are trading below their key moving averages, are down 4% to start the new year.
Be aware that AMD currently has a subpar InvestingPro Financial Health score of 2.3 out of 5.0 due to lingering concerns about sales growth and free cash flow.
Whether you’re a novice investor or a seasoned trader, leveraging InvestingPro can unlock a world of investment opportunities while minimizing risks amid the challenging market backdrop.
Subscribe now and instantly unlock access to several market-beating features, including:
• ProPicks AI: AI-selected stock winners with proven track record.
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Disclosure: At the time of writing, I am short on the S&P 500 and via the ProShares Short S&P 500 ETF (SH) and ProShares Short QQQ ETF (PSQ).
I regularly rebalance my portfolio of individual stocks and ETFs based on ongoing risk assessment of both the macroeconomic environment and companies’ financials.
The views discussed in this article are solely the opinion of the author and should not be taken as investment advice.
Follow Jesse Cohen on X/Twitter @JesseCohenInv for more stock market analysis and insight.
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CBS agrees to hand over ’60 Minutes’ Harris interview transcripts to FCC
CBS agrees to hand over ’60 Minutes’ Harris interview transcripts to FCC
CBS says it will turn over an unedited transcript of its October interview with Kamala Harris to the Federal Communications Commission, part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing fight with the network over how it handled a story about his opponent.
Trump sued CBS for $10 billion over the “60 Minutes” interview, claiming it was deceptively edited to make Harris look good. Published reports said CBS’ parent company, Paramount, has been talking to Trump’s lawyers about a settlement.
The network said Friday that it was compelled by Brendan Carr, Trump’s appointee as FCC chairman, to turn over the transcripts and camera feeds of the interview for a parallel investigation by the commission. “60 Minutes” has resisted releasing transcripts for this and all of its interviews, to avoid second-guessing of its editing process.
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The case, particularly a potential settlement, is being closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump’s lawsuit “completely without merit” and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed.
The Harris interview initially drew attention because CBS News showed Harris giving completely different responses to a question posed by correspondent Bill Whitaker in clips that were aired on “Face the Nation” on Oct. 6 and the next night on “60 Minutes.” The network said each clip came from a lengthy response by Harris to Whitaker’s question, but they were edited to fit time constraints on both broadcasts.
In his lawsuit, filed in Texas on Nov. 1, Trump charged it was deceptive editing designed to benefit Harris and constituted “partisan and unlawful acts of voter interference.”
Trump, who turned down a request to be interviewed by “60 Minutes” during the campaign, has continued his fight despite winning the election less than a week after the lawsuit was filed.
The network has not commented on talks about a potential settlement, reported by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Paramount executives are seeking Trump administration approval of a ***** of the company to another entertainment firm, Skydance.
ABC News in December settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta has reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
___
David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and [Hidden Content]
——
This story was first published on Jan. 31, 2025. It was updated on Feb. 1, 2025, to correct the amount of damages President Donald Trump is seeking in his lawsuit against CBS. He is seeking $10 billion, not $10 million.
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The Switch’s newest game is the next best thing to Animal Crossing
The Switch’s newest game is the next best thing to Animal Crossing
When it comes to Nintendo Switch games, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. Nintendo’s next console is right around the corner and new releases for its old one have stalled as a result. We expect Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A to be the system’s last games, but we’re only getting ports of a few older games until then. If you’re used to getting a big new Switch game every month, you might find yourself a little restless for the next few months.
Thankfully, third-party publishers are doing their part to fill that gap. This week, Switch owners just got what might be one of its last must-own games thanks to Hello Kitty: Island Adventure. The life sim is the closest thing you’ll get to a new Animal Crossing game on the Switch. Considering that Nintendo has no games of its own scheduled to launch until March, this is the next best thing.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure – Launch Trailer – Nintendo Switch
Originally released as an Apple Arcade exclusive in 2023, Hello Kitty: Island Adventure takes the idea of Animal Crossing but replaces Nintendo’s characters with Sanrio favorites like My Melody and Kuromi. It’s a match made in heaven that has supposedly paid off for Apple, as the company claims that it’s one of the service’s most popular games. With it now widely available on Nintendo Switch and PC (with PlayStation and Xbox launches to come), it’s easy to see why.
On its surface, Island Adventure is a fairly standard genre game. Players can buy clothing, catch fish, bake treats, and decorate cabins just as you can in Animal Crossing. It wears its inspiration on its sleeve, even if it’s mechanically lighter in places. Updates over the past two years have added significantly more content to the game, though, and that’s all available in the new port.
What makes Island Adventure memorable is where it departs from its inspiration rather than copies its notes. While it’s a life sim at its core, it’s also a small-scale open-world game. In between daily tasks, players explore an island filled with different themed biomes, from a spooky zone to an underwater area. There are story quests to complete in each area and even Breath of the Wild-esque puzzle shrines, collectibles, and time trials scattered through the world. It’s somewhere between Animal Crossing and Infinity Nikki.
Sunblink
There are even features here that the next Animal Crossing game could stand to borrow. For instance, Island Adventure takes a more involved approach to villager interactions than New Horizons. It features a bond system, where players can increase their standing with each NPC by bringing them gifts and completing quests. That’s a step up from Animal Crossing’s flatter approach to characters that doesn’t quite make them feel like neighbors so much as friendly faces that ***** out one-liners. It’s clear that Sanrio cares about its characters and wants to make sure they feel like friends with their own distinct personalities, not visitors who interchangeably move in and out of town on a whim.
If that all sounds great, remember to keep your expectations in check. This is still a game that was designed with mobile in mind, even though it’s coming to consoles. The platforming shrines tend to revolve around unremarkable box pushing puzzles and the core social loop is built to tease players into logging in day after day. It can get repetitive after a while, which led me to bounce off the original release eventually once it felt like I was logging in every day to collect the same few resources and bake the same pies.
Even with some limitations, Hello Kitty: Island Adventure feels right at home on Nintendo Switch. It’s a kind-hearted game filled with soft visuals, cute characters, and approachable gameplay. You’d think that Nintendo itself made it. It’s a cozy little delight that should keep you warm until Nintendo’s much anticipated April Switch 2 Direct.
Hello Kitty: Island Adventure is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, and iOS via Apple Arcade.
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Punxsutawney Phil predicts more weeks of wintry weather
Punxsutawney Phil predicts more weeks of wintry weather
Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow and predicted six more weeks of wintry weather, his top-hatted handlers have announced to a raucous, record-sized crowd at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania.
Phil was welcomed with chants of “Phil, Phil, Phil,” and pulled from a hatch on his tree stump shortly after sunrise before a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club read from a scroll in which he boasted: “Only I know – you can’t trust AI”.
The woodchuck’s weather forecast is an annual ritual that goes back more than a century in western Pennsylvania, with far older roots in European folklore, but it took Bill Murray’s 1993 Groundhog Day movie to transform the event into what it is today – with tens of thousands of revellers at the scene and imitators scattered around the United States and beyond.
When Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that is said to usher in an early spring.
When he does see it, there will be six more weeks of winter.
The crowd was treated to a fireworks show, confetti and live music that ranged from the Ramones to Pennsylvania Polka as they awaited sunrise and Phil’s emergence.
Governor Josh Shapiro, local and state elected officials and a pair of pageant winners were among the dignitaries at the scene.
Self-employed New York gingerbread artist Jon Lovitch has attended the event for 33 years.
“I like the cold, you know, and this is probably the best and biggest midwinter party in the entire world,” Lovitch said in Punxsutawney.
“And it’s just a really good time.”
Phil has predicted a longer winter far more often than an early spring, and one effort to track his accuracy concluded he was right less than half the time.
What six more weeks of winter means is subjective.
Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says there are two types of people who make the trek to Gobbler’s Knob: the faithful seeking to validate their beliefs and the doubters who want to confirm their scepticism.
Phil communicated his forecast to Dunkel through “Groundhog-ese” with the help of a special cane that Dunkel has inherited as the club’s leader.
“He’ll like wink, he’ll purr, he’ll chatter, he’ll – you know – nod,” Dunkel said.
Attendance is free but it costs $US5 ($A8) to take a bus and avoid a 1.6km trek from the middle of town to the stage where the prediction was made, 123km northeast of Pittsburgh.
The need for so many buses is why the local schools, where the sports mascot is the Chucks, close when Groundhog Day falls on a weekday.
After the forecast was made on Sunday, club members and Phil posed for photos with people from the crowd.
Phil has a wife, Punxsutawney Phyllis, and two pups born this spring, Shadow and Sunny, although his family did not join him on stage for the big event.
The club’s lore is that Phil is the same woodchuck who has been issuing weather forecasts for the past century, thanks to an “elixir of life” that keeps him immortal.
“There’s only one Phil, and it’s not something that can be handed down,” Dunkel said.
“Just like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, there’s only one.”
Groundhog Day celebrations, formal and informal, were being held in many Pennsylvania towns and elsewhere on Sunday.
There have been Groundhog Day events in at least 28 US states and ********* provinces.
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NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, February 2
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Sunday, February 2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to play Connections
Hints for today’s Connections
Today’s Connections answers
NYT Connection FAQs
Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.
Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end.
How to play Connections
Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024
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You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android.
In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc.
There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections.
Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups.
Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends.
Hints for today’s Connections
We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below.
Today’s themes
DEJECTED
BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS
TV COMEDY FAMILIES
WORDS AFTER “K”
One-answer reveals
DEJECTED – BLUE
BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS – DUCK
TV COMEDY FAMILIES – GRIFFIN
WORDS AFTER “K” – MART
New York Times
Today’s Connections answers
Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below:
DEJECTED – BLUE, DOWN, HANGDOG, SORRY
BIRDS THAT ARE VERBS – DUCK, GROUSE, HAWK, ********
TV COMEDY FAMILIES – GRIFFIN, MUNSTER, PARTRIDGE, PICKLES
WORDS AFTER “K” – MART, POP, STREET, SWISS
Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow.
NYT Connection FAQs
What time does the Connections puzzle change?
The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time.
Who edits the NYT Connections game?
Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily.
“A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.”
On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far:
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5 Japanese Cars To Stay Away From Buying
5 Japanese Cars To Stay Away From Buying
Valentino Snap / Shutterstock.com
Japanese cars have earned and maintained a well-deserved reputation for reliability, driving experience and affordability. For instance, the 2024 Toyota RAV4 was the third bestselling car in the U.S. in 2024, according to Car and Driver.
Discover More: 7 SUVs To Avoid Buying in 2025
Try This: 4 Low-Risk Ways To Build Your Savings in 2025
It falls just behind two American classics — the Ford F-Series and the Chevy Silverado — exemplifying Americans’ love for pickup trucks. Rounding out the top 10 you’ll also find Japanese car models such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota Camry, Nissan Rogue and Honda Civic. However, not every Japanese car will get you as far down the road as you think.
In fact, Japanese manufacturers, including Honda and Toyota, have had some duds over the decades. You might want to avoid these models if you’re shopping for a classic Japanese car that will hold its value while delivering performance, comfort and style.
Mazda RX-8
The first-generation Mazda RX-8 was sold from 2004 to 2008. It had a 4-cylinder engine that wasn’t winning any races with 212 HP. But worse than that, it ranks just 11th in reliability out of 19 Mazda models evaluated by MazdaProblems.com.
The site reveals complaints about engine failure, power steering jerks, excessive oil consumption and numerous recalls over the years.
Find Out: 2 Reasons New Car Prices Will ****** in 2025
Mitsubishi Eclipse
The Mitsubishi Eclipse is a sporty little car with great gas mileage and decent handling. If you’re buying one of the older models today, you can snag it for just around $3,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. But models made between 1999 and 2003, and again in 2007, seem to be plagued with problems, according to MitsubishiEclipseMA.com.
The rims and wheels tend to become damaged easily or suffer wear and tear over the years, which can make this car look worn out before its time. The tires also wear out more quickly than some models of vehicles. The interior tends to be cheaply made, which means parts can break. Finally, drivers reported trouble with the automatic transmission, power train, and steering on the 1999 model, in particular.
Story continues
Honda CRX Del Sol
Honda remains a trusted Japanese brand today, with the Honda Civic and Honda CR-V models making Car and Driver’s list of bestselling cars for 2024. However, the Honda CRX Del Sol, designed to replace the beloved Honda CR-X in 1992, was nothing better than “terribly disappointing,” according to HotCars.com.
The roof leaked. The cabin was noisy. And front brake rotors tended to warp. Far from the sporty coupe of its namesake, the Honda CRX, it seemed to be nothing short of a lemon. Honda no longer makes a car equivalent to the Del Sol.
The sportiest model you’ll find in the Honda line today is the two-door version of the Civic Si, with late-model used versions going for around $20,000 and worth every penny, considering that Hondas tend to hold their value.
Toyota Paseo
We wouldn’t blame you if you read “Toyota Paseo” and said, “Toyota Pa-what?” While other Toyotas, like the Camry, Tacoma, RAV4, and even the Prius — one of the first hybrid cars to gain mainstream popularity — are household names, the Paseo was barely a blip in the 1990s.
Manufactured from 1991 to 1997, the sub-compact car could have captured more market attention or love from Toyota fans despite being built on the Corolla frame. The car came in a controvertible and regular model. Today, these vehicles go for thousands in excellent condition.
It’s not so much that the Paseo is a bad car. It’s not plagued with mechanical problems like others on this list; it just failed to capture the hearts of ’90s drivers, so Toyota discontinued it quickly. As such, if you pick one up to restore, with so few available in the U.S., it could be hard to find parts.
Suzuki Samurai and Suzuki X-90
The ’90s was a rough decade for Japanese auto manufacturers. Suzuki launched the Suzuki Samurai SUV with boxy lines reminiscent of the Jeep Wrangler. But the car was given a safety rating of “not acceptable” by Consumer Reports, according to SlashGear.com. It was prone to flipping during sharp maneuvers.
Likewise, the Suzuki X-90 successor had a similar problem of tipping over. However, unlike the Samurai, which had an appealing style, the two-seater X-90 had a weird design. Suzuki was curious to know if it was a coupe, a sports car, or the front half of a pickup truck. It boasted only 90 horsepower and, ultimately, crawled into oblivion, along with the Samurai, as one of the worst Japanese cars ever made.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Japanese Cars To Stay Away From Buying
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NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Sunday, February 2
NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Sunday, February 2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to play Strands
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strand answers
Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle.
Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below.
How to play Strands
You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable.
If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it.
Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once.
Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow.
The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints.
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s theme is “Album of the year”
Here’s a hint that might help you: the highest award.
Today’s Strand answers
NYT
Today’s spanagram
We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own:
Today’s Strands answers
CROSS
STYLES
WONDER
JONES
KING
HILL
SWIFT
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