Pelican Press

Inside the planning for Trump’s new tariff war across the U.S. economy Inside the planning for Trump’s new tariff war across the U.S. economy President Trump is planning to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Saturday, and 10% tariffs on China, making a signature campaign promise and core economic philosophy of his administration reality, with implications for everything from oil to autos to the U.S consumer. But for many companies across the economy, the preparations for a new tariffs war began long ago — well before Trump won the 2024 election. From large companies in consumer sectors like Walmart, Columbia Sportswear and Lenovo, to a wide range of critical goods for infrastructure projects, importers moved quickly throughout 2024 to get as much product as they could into the U.S. Conversations with clients on bringing in their products ahead of possible tariffs began as far back as March of last year, says Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain at ITS Logistics, with components used in infrastructure projects one of the biggest product segments being brought into the country early. “A lot of those [infrastructure/construction] budgets were made two or three years ago, and an additional 20% in cost could blow those budgets out of the water,” Brashier said. “So you need to get them in before the tariffs so you can protect the bottom line.” Solar panels, backup power supply items, racks, and lithium batteries used in data centers were identified by ImportGenius as some additional items being frontloaded. “When it comes to the impact of tariffs, companies are very granular and they’re very concrete,” said Josh Teitelbaum, senior counsel of Akin, which has been advising his clients to prepare for swiftness with President Trump’s tariff plans and not get bogged down in debates over the efficacy of tariffs as economic policy. “They’re not interested in academic questions about what the principles are and whether or not this specific tool can be theoretically justified to use this particular tariff. They want to know when is it going to impact me and by how much and which products,” said Teitelbaum, who was involved in the structuring of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that President Trump pulled the U.S. out of during his first time in office. Bringing in products early requires storing them in warehouses, and that incurs additional costs. “Warehouse costs are folded into the price of a product. In the end, the consumer will pay,” Brashier said. In the case of infrastructure project equipment storage, companies absorb the cost, but it is better than paying the tariff, he added. While the market’s largest companies can afford to bring products in early, a strategy called frontloading, not all companies can afford to do take this approach. “I don’t know what’ll happen,” said Rick Muskat, president of the family-owned shoe retailer Deer Stags, which imports around two million shoes a year, with about 98% of their men’s and boy’s shoes made in China and sold in Macy’s, Kohl’s, JCPenney, and on Amazon. Trump has threatened to ultimately impose tariffs of up to 60% on products from China. Muskat says the company’s “razor-thin margins” prohibit it from frontloading products, and consumers may ultimately have to pay. “We’ll increase our price,” Muskat said. “The retailer will either accept it or won’t accept it. If they accept it, they’ll increase their price. Then the consumer will be left with no other choice. There will be sticker shock.” Despite claims from President Trump that foreign nations such as China pay for tariffs, Muskat said firms like his bear the brunt of the pain. And he showed CNBC Customs documents to prove it. “The importer pays the tariff,” Muskat said. “The goods are not released by Customs into the American territory until the importer pays the duty, the tariff, the tax. Customs pulls the amount directly out of our checking account. Deer Stags most popular men’s shoe sells for $50. If tariffs are imposed, Muskat said that shoe will likely increase to $75. Part of the problem, Muskat explained, is that shoe orders and prices are negotiated approximately seven months in advance of delivery with clients. While Trump has positioned the tariffs as key to growing the U.S. economy, Muskat sees the trade policy as a threat to his family’s American Dream of owning a business. “It does keep me up at night,” he said. “We are a family business. We consider the people that work for us, a part of our family. Most of our team has been with us more than 20 years. The only ones who have been with us less than 20 years are the ones we’ve recently hired to replace people who retired. So they were all part of our family. And we care a lot, and we do what we can to help that situation. So it’s concerning what it might do to our family and our broader family.” Safiya Ghori-Ahmad, lead of the global public affairs practice at Apco, who has been advising clients for months already on how to communicate coming price increases to customers, said the impact will be felt more broadly than it was during Trump’s first term. “It’s really important that companies talk about the real impact on consumers,” said Ghori-Ahmad. “This time around, the tariffs will be more expansive. In addition to China, we’ll likely see tariffs with our largest trading partners, Mexico and Canada. These tariffs could include food, the auto sector, furniture, and toys from Mexico.” Even companies that have made moves in recent years to restructure supply chains and manufacturing can’t move fast enough with such complicated operations to avoid significant impacts from tariffs. SurfaceArt, which manufactures tile and tile-related products, moved its operations out of China as a result of the 2018 tariffs and spent millions setting up operations in the U.S., but it still did not have enough capacity to meet demand. SurfaceArt has facilities in Vietnam, Spain and Italy to pick up the additional capacity that can’t be satisfied by U.S. operations. “The amount of importing that’s necessary to feed the supply for the United States is pretty evident,” Kevin Stupfel, president of the family-owned company. If a blanket tariff is enacted on imports, a move being contemplated by the Trump administration with various federal departments tasked with preparing a report on potential tariffs within the next 60 days, Stupfel says it is not just companies and business owners, but everyone in the U.S. that needs to get ready. “The U.S. simply does not have the ability to manufacture the tile that the U.S. market requires. It would affect everyone you know. It would also affect the cost of construction, the cost of building a home, and remodeling.” Watch the video to learn more. Source link #planning #Trumps #tariff #war #U.S #economy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Over a million lines of DeepSeek chat history were exposed in just a few minutes Over a million lines of DeepSeek chat history were exposed in just a few minutes Cybersecurity researchers from Wiz have found a ClickHouse database owned by ******** AI start-up DeepSeek containing over a million lines of chat history and sensitive information. The database was publicly accessible and allowed the researchers full control over database operations. The exposure was quickly secured after Wiz shared its discovery with DeepSeek, but it’s possible that information could have already been exposed. Research of this kind doesn’t pry too far into the databases it finds for ethical reasons, but Wiz concluded that an attacker could potentially escalate their privileges within the DeepSeek environment and retrieve sensitive logs, chat messages, passwords, and local files — all without needing any kind of authentication. Wiz / Wiz Wiz targeted the start-up due to the recent media buzz around its R1 reasoning model, with the goal of assessing its external security. Somewhat shockingly, the ClickHouse database turned up after just a few minutes of basic searches and Wiz was able to interact with it through ClickHouses’s HTTP interface. From there, all the researchers had to do was run a SHOW TABLES; query, and a list of accessible datasets appeared, including the “log_steam” table that included the many lines of sensitive information. In its report, Wiz warns about the speed of AI adoption and how this pressure to develop, release, and integrate AI products as quickly as possible can lead to dangerous security practices. With all of the important and sensitive data that AI programs are now handling, the industry needs to enforce robust security practices that match those of public cloud providers and major infrastructure providers. Source link #million #lines #DeepSeek #chat #history #exposed #minutes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A New Batch Of Adorable Kirby Nendoroid Figures Is Launching This Year A New Batch Of Adorable Kirby Nendoroid Figures Is Launching This Year Mario might be Nintendo’s main mascot, but as well know, Kirby is the real king of that company. The cute pink blob has starred in some terrific games over the years, and if you’d like to add the adorable eater of worlds to your collection, Nendoroid has several new Kirby figures available to preorder right now, ranging from an adorable Chef Kirby and Waddle Dee waiter, to figures based on iconic Kirby powers like Beam Kirby and Ice Kirby. While these aren’t as articulated as your regular Nendoroid figure–due to the perfect design of Kirby–you’ll still be able to strike a pose with each collectible and they feature a neat magnetic trick to help the icon grab various accessories.You can read more about all the upcoming Kirby Nendoroid figures below, or browse them all at Amazon. $43 | Releases August 13 Kicking things off is a Kirby who is pursuing the culinary arts. Priced at $43, the Kirby Cafe Kirby Nendoroid features the little fella dressed to grill with his adorable chef hat. You’re also getting multiple expressions and a wide range of accessories like the aforementioned chef’s hat cafe sign, fork, Japanese cream soda, a kettle, and a piping bag. How does Kirby hold all of these when he has no fingers? Using the power of magnets placed throughout his body, you can easily pose him with his cooking utensils. $43 | Releases August 13 Of course, Kirby can’t run a cafe on his own, and you can recruit some help for him with this Waddle Dee figure. Like Kirby, there are magnets situated throughout the body of Waddle Dee, and these can be used to equip the orange fella with a chef’s hat, apron, frying pan, Waddle Dee’s Naptime Omurice dish, a cup, and a splash of cream. You’ll also get two interchangeable faceplates, including a standard expression and a surprised look. $39 | Releases November 12 Straight out of Kirby’s greatest adventures, you can get a Beam Kirby that’s sporting the original yellow power-up color. This doesn’t come with much in the way of accessories, but you are getting four faceplates and several beam optional parts that attach to the magnets in the body. $39 | Releases November 12 For a cool Kirby, check out this variant of the unstoppable blob decked out in ice-blue colors and a crown to match. That headpiece is removable and the figure comes with four swap-out faceplates and various effect parts. $48 | Releases July 9 Along with these Kirby figures, Nendoroid is also launching a new Pikmin collectible based on the Bulborb enemy from the series. Despite the critter’s soft, round design, it’s actually a formidable foe infamous for eating through entire armies of Pikmin, as any fan can attest to. If you want to add this guy to your collection, you can preorder the Pikmin Buldborb Nendoroid figure for $48 at Amazon ahead of its July 9 release. It comes with interchangeable faceplates, several Pikmin to terrorize, and it has an impressive range of articulation. Source link #Batch #Adorable #Kirby #Nendoroid #Figures #Launching #Year Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** History Month faces uncertainty under President Trump's diversity rollback – Axios ****** History Month faces uncertainty under President Trump's diversity rollback – Axios ****** History Month faces uncertainty under President Trump’s diversity rollback AxiosPentagon intelligence agency pauses events, activities related to MLK Day, ****** History Month ABC News‘I was floored’: Army Corps of Engineers cancels Jacksonville ****** History Month event, cites Trump’s order WJXT News4JAX Amid Trump’s Anti-Diversity Effort, ****** History Month Takes on New Meaning The New York Times Source link #****** #History #Month #faces #uncertainty #President #Trump039s #diversity #rollback #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Expands Switch Online's N64 Library With Namco Classic 'Ridge Racer 64' Nintendo Expands Switch Online's N64 Library With Namco Classic 'Ridge Racer 64' It’s Ridge Racer! Source link #Nintendo #Expands #Switch #Online039s #N64 #Library #Namco #Classic #039Ridge #Racer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft is killing this popular Word feature and replacing it with AI Microsoft is killing this popular Word feature and replacing it with AI In a Microsoft Support blog post, the software giant announced the end of a helpful feature called Smart Lookup available in Word. It appears like an attempt to get users to use Microsoft’s Copilot AI. The feature has been around since 2016, and it gives users definitions, relevant links, and synonyms directly inside of Word. Now, it’s gone for good. Nevertheless, if you right-click on a word and choose Search from the context menu, you will see only an empty search panel. Some users will see a message saying, “Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again,” while others will see a blank space that never stops loading. Microsoft even removed the Smart Lookup feature from the standalone Office 2024 suite. I tried using the feature repeatedly to see if it worked, but nothing happened. Oddly, you still see the Search option when you right-click a word but can’t get the needed information. We’ll see if Microsoft removes the option in a future update, but currently, it does nothing. However, this isn’t the first time Microsoft has retired a popular tool. For example, not too long ago, Microsoft axed Paint 3D. Therefore, it stopped receiving updates. We can’t forget WordPad dying after 29 years since this one hit hard for nostalgic users. Although Microsoft hasn’t explicitly said that Copilot is replacing Smart Lookup, that certainly looks like the case. Microsoft has Copilot available directly inside of Word, and the AI chatbot is more than capable of providing definitions, links, and writing advice. The company has also recently rolled out Copilot Actions, which offers AI agents in Microsoft apps like Teams and Outlook, though only for businesses at the moment. Source link #Microsoft #killing #popular #Word #feature #replacing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Three Israeli hostages and dozens of ************ prisoners released Three Israeli hostages and dozens of ************ prisoners released Alice Cuddy International reporter Watch: Three more Israeli hostages released by ****** Three Israeli hostages being held by ****** in Gaza were released from captivity on Saturday, in exchange for 183 ************ prisoners held by Israel. Yarden Bibas, 34, Ofer Kalderon, 53, and Keith Siegel, 65, were handed over to the Red Cross – the latest hostages to be released as part of a ceasefire deal struck last month. The ************ prisoners were taken in buses to the West Bank, many of them coming from the nearby Ofer prison. The tone of the exchange sat in stark contrast to Thursday’s chaotic handover, during which surging crowds pressed in on hostages, eliciting concern for their safety and prompting Israel to delay that day’s release of ************ prisoners. Getty Images Yarden Bibas, a hostage held in Gaza, waves from a stage in Khan Younis Saturday’s release was more orderly, but retained the presentational elements that sought to project that ****** remains the governing force in Gaza. Lines of armed fighters kept crowds at bay, while the men who were released were flanked by more armed and masked fighters. A banner behind them bore the images of killed ****** leaders. Officials from the Red Cross signed certificates of release for Mr Kalderon and Mr Bibas, who were then made to hold them as they waved to the crowd in Khan Younis. As Mr Siegel, a US-Israeli dual national, appeared on stage in Gaza City, a crowd gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv erupted into cheers, some chanting: “He’s a hero, he’s a hero.” One woman described feeling “pure happiness”. Getty Images Red Cross officials signed certificates of release for two of the hostages Mr Siegel’s wife, Adrienne, said “there’s no one happier than me” as she was filmed getting into a car to go and meet her husband. The family of French-Israeli Mr Kalderon said in a statement that they were “overwhelmed with joy, relief, and emotion after 484 long and difficult days of unbearable waiting”. They added that he “endured months in a nightmare”, holding onto the “hope of embracing his children again”. But others, like Liz Domsky, had mixed feelings. “They all need to come home,” she said while watching the proceedings from Hostages Square. “I have a student there, Bar Kupershtein. I was a teacher in the high school where he studied. We are very worried about him. We hope he’ll come back. He’s not in the first list.” There was a similar complexity of emotion in Israel over the release of Mr Bibas, whose wife, Shiri, and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were also kidnapped during the 7 October 2023 attack by ******. ****** claimed that they had been killed by an Israeli air strike early on in the ensuing war – but were named in a list of hostages it said in January it was willing to free. Holding up an image of Kfir, who was just nine months old when he was taken, Andrea Wittenberg remarked: “They are children. They should be at home. It is impossible for them to be in Gaza.” She added: “I don’t want to give up.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog described Mr Bibas’s return as “simply heartbreaking”, saying his country remained “deeply concerned” about their fate. “As an entire nation we hold them in our hearts,” he wrote. Herzog added that each released hostage “deserves the time to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives, and every one of the hostages deserves to come home soon”. Celebrations as crowd greets freed ************ prisoners in West Bank In Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, buses of freed ************ prisoners were met by large and jubilant crowds. “Today we were born again…we left the narrowness of the graves to the spaciousness of the world,” Nasrallah Muammar, who was released after 17 years in prison, said in his first statement, according to ************ media. “Our people deserve freedom,” former prisoner Ali Al-Barghouti was quoted as saying after his release. Reuters A freed ************ prisoner embraces children after being released, in Khan Younis, Gaza. Saturday’s hostage release was more organised than the one on Thursday, when two Israelis and five Thai nationals were led through cheering crowds, who at times had to be pushed out of the way. Described as “shocking scenes” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel demanded – and received assurances – that they would not be repeated. International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric had urged that security around the handovers be improved and they “take place in a safe and dignified manner”. According to the ******-run Gaza health ministry, nearly 47,500 people have been killed in the territory since Israel invaded in the wake of the 7 October 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. A ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and ****** began on 19 January, with the first stage to see 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners released, as well as hundreds of lorries carrying humanitarian aid being allowed into Gaza each day. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt – a key humanitarian corridor – was also reopened on Saturday, after eight months of being closed. The Gaza health ministry said 50 patients had left via the crossing to access medical care in Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have also been allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza this week. But Ashraf al-Dous, among them, said that some, including his father, have gone back to the south after seeing the scale of the destruction caused by Israeli air strikes. “It really a mess,” he said. “The situation is catastrophic.” Most of the floors in his apartment building in northern Gaza City have been destroyed, he said. “I didn’t expect the situation to be like this – it’s too much.” Source link #Israeli #hostages #dozens #************ #prisoners #released Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Crypto has become a ‘money grab’ since latest Trump-fueled rise of meme coins Crypto has become a ‘money grab’ since latest Trump-fueled rise of meme coins Electing a pro-cryptocurrency president was more than most investors ever thought possible. Almost three months after the election, however, the initial euphoria is fading and turning to alarm for those who worry that President Trump’s own moves into crypto could be sowing the seeds of the next crypto winter. Just last month, Trump dropped the “only official Trump meme coin.” According to Chainalysis, nearly half of those who bought the token – or the Melania meme coin released the next day – were likely new investors who created their first crypto wallets the same day. But as much as investors look forward to a bull market capital injection, the industry is also trying to mature and distance itself from its online casino reputation, making allocation of new capital to projects with long-term utility and value all the more vital. Otherwise, today’s meme coin mania may well result in losses, discourage new crypto investors and hold back more valuable companies and developments. “It’s a money grab,” said Tyrone Ross, founder and president of registered investment advisor 401 Financial. “I wish a lot of this time and effort was spent on building out the technology and making it more accessible, but that gets farther and farther away with every announcement.” Coins questioned While companies like Coinbase Global and Robinhood Markets may benefit in the short run from the trading frenzy, JMP Citizens analyst Devin Ryan said meme coins aren’t an important part of a serious investable thesis. Instead, the opportunities come from coins’ ability to help people use blockchain technology in new ways, for example in staking , stablecoin utilization, integration with payments, web3 , the use of digital wallets and the tokenization of traditional financial assets. But those ambitions could get derailed. Only this week, Trump Media announced its latest push into crypto : TruthFi, a financial services division that will invest up to $250 million in exchange-traded funds, cryptocurrencies and other assets, and launch products and services, including its own investment vehicles, later this year. “People are going to be knocking each other over to get investment from them,” Ross said of TruthFi. “It’s just more products in the space, which is the last thing we need.” Since last summer, Trump’s companies have debuted two non-fungible token, or NFT , collections: Trump Digital Trading Cards on the Polygon blockchain and Trump Bitcoin Digital Trading Cards on the Bitcoin blockchain. A decentralized finance , or DeFi, platform called World Liberty Financial has also been launched on Ethereum. That company has since made major purchases of wrapped bitcoin (wBTC) , ether , Tron’s TRX , AAVE , Ethena’s ENA and Chainlink’s LINK . Trump’s influence is already affecting trading and investing trends. Last week, the Coinbase CEO posted on X that the company is having to rethink its listing process “given there are ~1 million tokens a week being created now, and growing.” Bitwise Asset Management has filed to launch an ETF tracking the price of the longest reigning meme coin, dogecoin , and Grayscale has introduced a dogecoin trust. There’s also a Trump meme coin ETF in the works. Ross argues that the flurry of announcements doesn’t “help move the space forward … It’s just a new casino.” Crypto has been through these crazes before (especially in 2017 and 2021) and has always bounced back to new heights. Blockchain setback The problem now is the industry has yet to prove to the wider world that blockchain technology is useful on a mass scale for anything other than speculative trading. And on the heels of a banner year for crypto — the start of trading in bitcoin ETFs a year ago was the flagship coin’s “IPO moment,” and the funds have seen strong institutional demand since — some view the current market as a setback to that progress. “There’s a dilution effect going on in the sense that there are so many of these [coins] being launched that it does make it harder for crypto projects to maintain value,” said Steven Lubka, head of private clients and family offices at Swan Bitcoin. That’s only serving to separate bitcoin from everything else digital. Historically, when bitcoin runs to new records, it lifts the rest of the crypto market. But altcoins have been struggling for months, even after the postelection bitcoin rally. “Bitcoin has impressively held above $100,000 [even] as most coins continue to give back the massive gains made in the last two months of 2024,” Wolfe Research analyst Rob Ginsberg wrote in a note last week. “While we reiterate that the longer-term direction of the space is up and to the right, the next few months are setting up to be more challenging. We would recommend trimming exposure to altcoins and parking it in bitcoin until near term trends improve.” Dilutive bear market Similarly, Lubka at Swan Bitcoin said altcoin investors have “basically been in a bear market” largely due to “rapid dilution.” “There are just constantly new things being pumped into the market, and traders and investors have been rotating very rapidly,” he said. “It’s been a very hostile environment.” But long-term investors focused on bitcoin only need not worry about the effect of these distractions on the price, Lubka added. “Not only does it not hurt bitcoin … it’s actually maybe positive for bitcoin,” he said. “The extent to which the crypto industry decides to throw itself upon this fate of just being meme coins and gambling … I think it’ll only drive more capital to bitcoin.” —CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting. Source link #Crypto #money #grab #latest #Trumpfueled #rise #meme #coins Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and President Trump reportedly discussed AI policy, DeepSeek, and hardware export controls in a meeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and President Trump reportedly discussed AI policy, DeepSeek, and hardware export controls in a meeting Reuters reports that on Friday, Jensen Huang, CEO and co-founder of Nvidia, met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss American AI policy, export controls on advanced AI GPUs for China, and U.S. technology and AI leadership. “I cannot say what is going to happen,” Trump reportedly said. “We had a meeting. It was a good meeting.” According to the report, Trump’s recent meeting with Nvidia’s boss, Jensen Huang, at the White House touched upon several topics related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The AI section of the discussion reportedly included American AI policies, China-based DeepSeek, and the implications of its technologies on the AI services and hardware market in general, as well as U.S. export controls on advanced AI GPUs. The Reuters report does not detail the semiconductor-related part of the conversation, though given Trump’s focus on the onshore production of chips, we can make some guesses. “We appreciated the opportunity to meet with President Trump and discuss semiconductors and AI policy,” an Nvidia spokesperson said in a statement by NHK. “Jensen and the President discussed the importance of strengthening U.S. technology and AI leadership.” Nvidia is the industry-leading supplier of AI GPUs for training and inference, so when the U.S. government updates its export policies, this seriously affects the company. Earlier this year, the previous U.S. government announced new export policies under which Nvidia and other companies could sell advanced AI hardware without any restrictions only to entities based in the U.S. and 18 allied countries. There would be restrictions on shipping sophisticated AI GPUs and hardware to the rest of the world, including U.S. allies in Europe and the Middle East. In contrast, companies in adversary countries like China and Russia would be essentially blocked from getting high-end AI GPUs. Nvidia has criticized the move as its current and upcoming products fall under the new rules, which might affect the company materially. The Trump administration could reverse the proposed regulation, just like it reversed Biden’s AI development policies earlier this month. However, it has yet to make its move. There are reports that the Biden administration is considering blocking sales of Nvidia’s cut-down H20 HGX to China, which could cost Nvidia some $10 billion in revenue. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Another topic that might have been discussed is Nvidia’s reliance on Taiwan-based TSMC for chip production. Trump wants leading chipmakers to build their fabs in the U.S., but building cutting-edge fabs would take years. The only company with leading-edge manufacturing capacity in the U.S. is Intel. However, it is unclear whether the company has enough 18A (1.8nm-class) production capacity for itself and external customers is unclear. Source link #Nvidia #CEO #Jensen #Huang #President #Trump #reportedly #discussed #policy #DeepSeek #hardware #export #controls #meeting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Different Setting Might Set New Heights For The Sniper Elite Series A Different Setting Might Set New Heights For The Sniper Elite Series VGChartz’s Evan Norris: “Sniper Elite: Resistance is essentially Sniper Elite 5 with a new hero, new maps, and the novelty of Propaganda Missions. It retains the same intoxicating level of player agency, the same open-ended level design, the same flexible combat mechanics, and the same focus on replayability. There are a handful of minor flaws — the story is disposable, there aren’t nearly enough Survival maps, and the graphics engine shows its age in places — but in general the game delivers the goods, both for devotees of the series and for fans of stealth shooting games. Rebellion and Wushu Studios didn’t quite score a bullseye, but they hit the target with ease.” Source link #Setting #Set #Heights #Sniper #Elite #Series Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here’s why Trump tariffs on Mexico and Canada could make groceries more expensive – CNN Here’s why Trump tariffs on Mexico and Canada could make groceries more expensive – CNN Here’s why Trump tariffs on Mexico and Canada could make groceries more expensive CNNThe latest on Trump’s presidency as tariff pledge comes due CNNTrump sketches unprecedented plan for sweeping tariffs The Washington Post Source link #Heres #Trump #tariffs #Mexico #Canada #groceries #expensive #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, February 1 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, February 1 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 Please enable Javascript to view this content 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 TINT COMPONENTS OF A MYSTERY TAKE ISSUE WITH STIKE A ___ One-answer reveals TINT – HUE COMPONENTS OF A MYSTERY – ALIBI TAKE ISSUE WITH – CHALLENGE STIKE A ___ – CHORD 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: TINT – HUE, SHADE, TINGE, TONE COMPONENTS OF A MYSTERY – ALIBI, CLUE, DETECTIVE, SUSPECT TAKE ISSUE WITH – CHALLENGE, CONTEST, DISPUTE, QUESTION STIKE A ___ – CHORD, DEAL, MATCH, POSE 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: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Google’s “Ask for Me” will have an AI schedule your next oil change Google’s “Ask for Me” will have an AI schedule your next oil change Tyler Lastovich / Pexels Google announced a new experimental AI feature being made available to select users on Thursday. Dubbed “Ask for Me,” this AI agent will look up pricing and appointment availability for local businesses and automatically make reservations on your behalf — though it only works for nail salons and mechanics shops currently. Accessible through the Google Search Labs, Ask for Me will initiate when users search for either nail salons or auto repair centers with Google Search. If, for example, you need a mechanic, the feature will pepper you with questions about the service you need, the make and model of your car, and your availability to bring it in for work, before reaching out to the shop. You’ll also need to enter your contact information (phone number and email, specifically) so the AI can keep you apprised of its efforts. We’re testing right now with auto shops and nail salons, to see how AI can help you connect with businesses and get things done. pic.twitter.com/inf5hhj1BS — Rose Yao (@dozenrose) January 30, 2025 According to the company, Ask for Me will then call the company and introduce itself as an automated system from Google contacting them on your account before setting up the appointment. I used to manage automotive shops — did so for nearly a decade — and can assure you that your mechanic is going to absolutely hate this system. Luckily, businesses can opt out of the new feature by saying so when they receive such a call, or through their Google Business Page. Google also states that it will cap the number of times a business can be called using the feature over a given *******, to help prevent malicious actors from misusing the service as a tool for harassment. The new feature is built atop the older Duplex system for Pixel phones that Google initially trialed in 2018. At that time, Duplex was bathed in praise as “revolutionary” and “the beginning of something big” because it utilized AI (and sometimes humans) to call area restaurants to make reservations for their users. The company followed up with a similar Duplex on the Web feature in 2019 but shuttered it by 2022. The mobile version has since been incorporated into Google Assistant and is currently available in 49 U.S. states and 16 countries, though the appointment booking and wait time updates are only available in the U.S. Source link #Googles #schedule #oil #change Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

It’s why he can be on top of every detail at the $3.2 trillion chip giant It’s why he can be on top of every detail at the $3.2 trillion chip giant Jensen Huang is known in Silicon Valley for his meticulous attention to detail, despite tech giant Nvidia growing to a market cap of more than $3 trillion. But it was a chance encounter with a Japanese gardener that helped the CEO realize he has the time to be a perfectionist, instead of racing to the next project. Billionaire entrepreneur Huang recounted the story on Friday at Caltech’s 130th commencement ceremony, in Pasadena. He told students he used to work in one of Nvidia’s overseas offices for one month a year every summer, with his family joining him for the trip. One of these visits was to Japan, Huang said, where the family spent a weekend in Kyoto and visited the Silver Pavilion and moss garden. “The day we visited was a quintessential Kyoto summer day,” Huang recalled. “Suffocatingly hot and humid, sticky—heat is radiating from the ground. Along with the other tourists we wandered through the meticulously groomed moss garden. “I noticed the lone gardener. Now remember … the moss garden is gigantic … and exquisitely maintained. I noticed the lone gardener squatting, carefully picking at the moss with a bamboo tweezer and putting it in the bamboo basket. The basket looked empty—for a moment there I thought he was picking imaginary moss into a pile of imaginary dead moss.” Huang—who is worth $116 billion per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index—continued: “I walked up to him, and I said: ‘What are you doing?’ He said: ‘I’m picking dead moss. I’m taking care of my garden.’ And I said: ‘But your garden is so big?’ He responded: ‘I have cared for my garden for 25 years, I have plenty of time.’” Huang’s company, which was founded in 1993, now has more than 26,000 employees, and 61-year-old Huang said the sentiment from this lone gardener is what helped him realize he has the capacity to support them. The CEO—nicknamed the “Taylor Swift of tech” by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—explained: “It was one of the most profound learnings in my life. This gardener has dedicated himself to his craft and doing his life’s work—when you do that you have plenty of time. “I begin each morning—and do every single morning—by doing my highest priority work first. Before I even get to work my day is already a success,” he added. “I’ve already completed my most important work and can dedicate my day to helping others. When people apologize for interrupting me I always say: ‘I have plenty of time.’” It was no coincidence that Huang, an Oregon State University and Stanford graduate, was giving a speech at Caltech—after all, Nvidia’s chief scientists David Kirk and Bill Dally are both alumni of the school. Story Continues And Huang—who started his working life as a busboy—is clearly hoping to find some talent of the same sort in graduates of more recent years, telling the students that he’s hiring. Among the list of reasons to work for Nvidia—which has seen its share price rise 173% for this year-to-date alone—Huang said, was that it was a “great company” and that he is a “very nice boss” who is “universally loved.” And while Huang’s staff are not short of respect for their fearless leader, Huang has previously said he knows he can be a tough boss to work for. During an interview with 60 Minutes earlier this year, Huang—who owns around 3.5% of the chipmaking giant—said descriptors that he was “demanding,” a “perfectionist,” and “not easy to work for” fit him “perfectly.” The CEO even welcomed the reviews, saying: “It should be like that. If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn’t be easy.” This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Source link #top #detail #trillion #chip #giant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sundance premiere Luz explores how VR can help us find connection in the real world Sundance premiere Luz explores how VR can help us find connection in the real world We’re so used to seeing virtual reality depicted nefariously in films like The Matrix, Virtuousity (a forgotten ’90s classic) and The Lawnmower Man, it’s genuinely surprising to see something that treats VR in a potentially positive way. In Flora Lau’s Luz, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, there’s no major downside to VR, it’s just another way for humans to connect. And in the case of the film’s two lonely leads, art gallery worker Ren (Sandrine Pinna) and pseudo-gangster Wei (Xiaodong Guo), VR serves as a life raft of human connection, something that could help them find peace in a world where they both feel adrift. Set in modern-day Chongqing (a city so neon-filled and futuristic it seems more sci-fi than real) and Paris, the characters in Luz live alongside technology familiar to us. Smartphones and OnlyFans-esque livestreams featuring young girls are commonplace. But the virtual reality hardware in the film — including ski mask-like goggles, pointed finger sensors that resemble a witch’s nails — is both a step ahead, and slightly behind, where we are today. Luz, both the name of the film and the VR world people visit, is a fascinating artifact of the immersive reality space from several years ago. That was before we knew finger tracking could be the main input mode in a VR/AR headset like Apple’s Vision Pro. Ren and Wei experience the VR world of Luz as an escape from their real-world troubles, though that ultimately proves futile. Ren tries to connect with her stepmother Sabine (the legendary Isabelle Huppert), an emotionally distant Paris gallery owner who is avoiding any help for a potentially fatal illness. Wei, meanwhile, is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Fa, who he can only see anonymously via that aforementioned livestream. The lead’s storylines intersect during an in-game hunting expedition for a mysterious neon deer, which appears to be the closest thing to “winning” Luz. Wei and Ren reluctantly bond, and eventually they start to find ways to heal their emotional wounds. It’s an intriguing concept, though we don’t spend enough time with both characters hanging out in VR to truly sell their relationship. Sundance Institute Luz doesn’t attempt to deliver a fully CG VR world like Ready Player One (thank god), instead we see a hyper-stylized version of the real world with an abundance of neon lights, floating particles and characters dressed as if they’re about to head to Comic-****. Obviously, it’s an easier way to convey VR, but the film is also portraying a version of the technology that’s practically identical to the real world. If VR were truly so immersive, why even bother with real life connections? (Stylistically, it reminds me of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s forgotten Polish sci-fi film, Avalon, which also explored how people can redefine themselves in a VR simulation.) While Lau goes to great lengths to craft gorgeous VR imagery, what the film really needs is more time for its two leads to sit down and talk to each other, instead of having us infer emotion as they stare off into the distance. At just an hour and forty two minutes, there’s plenty of room for more character exploration. But at least we get some intriguing conversations between Ren and Sabine, with Huppert being her typically charming self. (Perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the film is that Sabine, a hip presence in the visual arts scene, hadn’t tried VR until Ren convinced her. We’ve been seeing artists adopt VR for installations since 2016, so it’s far from a new concept.) Luz is close to being a great film, with its strong performances and confidently composed cinematography. But through either restraint or weak screenwriting, we don’t always have a sense of how the leads relate to the world, or even what they think of each other. The overall approach feels too cold and distant for a film that’s ultimately about rediscovering human connection. Source link #Sundance #premiere #Luz #explores #find #connection #real #world Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 review: a low-cost option for photographers Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 review: a low-cost option for photographers Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 MSRP $299.99 “The Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 is a surprisingly low-cost printer with a six-color ink system for lab-quality photo prints.” Pros Great low price Excellent photo quality 1200 dpi scanner Three paper trays SD card and USB drive support It’s a tiny printer Cons Slow document prints Ink cartridge costs add up quickly Shiny ****** panels collect fingerprints Table of Contents Table of Contents Specs Design Printing performance Special features Software and compatibility Price Is this the printer for you? Epson is known for high-quality photo printers, so when the company introduced the new Expression Photo XP-8800, I knew I had to test it out. This low-cost all-in-one solution could be ideal for the home, particularly if you’re a photography enthusiast. I checked printer and scanner quality as well as performance across a range of photos and documents. I also researched long-term costs, a critical consideration when shopping for the best photo printer. Specs Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 Dimensions 13.7 x 20.7 x 7.2 inches Weight 18 pounds Print speed 9.5 ppm (******), 9 ppm (color) Copy speed 9 cpm (******), 8 cpm (color) Print resolution 5760 x 1440 dpi Scan resolution 1200 x 4800 dpi Ports Hi-Speed USB Paper capacity 100 sheets (main), 20 photos (media), single sheet (rear) Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n Design The Expression Photo XP-8800 has three paper trays including a convenient media tray. Alan Truly / Digital Trends The Expression Photo XP-8800 is tiny for an all-in-one, with a footprint of 13.7 by 13.4 inches and standing just 5.6 inches tall. The output bin is a tray that automatically slides out about seven inches to catch pages and photos when printing. Epson packed a lot of technology into a small package, but the weight is under 15 pounds, so it’s easy to handle. Speaking of handling, the shiny ****** control panel and sleek ****** body look nice but will be a magnet for fingerprints. I kept a microfiber cloth nearby to wipe it clean before taking photos. A large 4.3-inch color touchscreen makes navigation easy. The Expression Photo XP-8800’s color display shows large previews and is easy to navigate. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends The Expression Photo XP-8800 can print directly from thumb drives and SD cards via a card slot behind the control panel and a USB-A port behind the paper tray door. The card slot supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, and smaller cards with SD adapters. Epson gave the Expression Photo XP-8800 great versatility. The main paper tray at the bottom holds 100 sheets. Above that, a thin media tray holds 20 photo sheets and doubles as a CD/DVD tray to print directly on rigid discs. The rear tray accepts a variety of paper types, including Epson’s Velvet Fine Art Paper and custom paper sizes up to 8.5″ x 47.2″. As an all-in-one, the Expression Photo XP-8800 includes a flatbed scanner. I can scan documents and photos at up to 1200 dots per inch (dpi). That’s as crisp as some of the best scanners and a good resolution to use when archiving pictures. Printing performance Epson’s Expression Photo XP-8800 excels at photo prints and has great color document quality. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends According to Epson, the Expression Photo XP-8800 offers “Lab-quality photos and prints.” In my tests, I found the six-color Claria ink system offered great dynamic range and good color accuracy, confirming that bold statement for a low-cost printer. I tested on several media types from borderless plain paper to glossy 4×6 photo paper prints. Everything came out looking great. I feel Epson’s more expensive EcoTank ET-8500 offered even better picture quality but the biggest difference between the two is performance. The Expression Photo XP-8800 is rated at 9.5 pages per minute (ppm) in ******-and-white and 9 ppm in color, about 40% slower than the EcoTank ET-8500. The Expression Photo XP-8800’s draft mode is faster and nearly identical to the best quality. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends Since the Expression Photo XP-8800 is optimized for photos, that’s a more important speed test. A draft mode 4×6 photo rolls out in about 10 seconds and looks almost identical to high-quality mode. I checked with a macro camera and struggled to see a difference. At full quality, it takes about a minute to print a 4 x 6 photo, so it’s worth exploring the fastest print option. I loaded a stack of 20 photo cards in the media tray while the main tray held 100 standard letter sheets. A rear cover opens to accept envelopes and specialty paper. With so many options, I didn’t have to fuss with paper until it ran low. Special features The Expression Photo XP-8800 supports up to 1200 dpi scanning from a computer. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends The Expression Photo XP-8800 includes a high-quality flatbed scanner that can copy and scan photos or documents. It’s about the same speed as the printer, quick enough for home use but could cause a slowdown in an office. It also lacks an automatic document feeder (ADF), so multi-page documents require manual insertion. If you want a business-oriented inkjet printer, take a look at Epson’s super-quick EcoTank Pro ET-5850. It has very good photo quality, shoots out the first page in 5.5 seconds, and copies double-sided color documents at 20 ppm. The copy resolution is 600 by 600 dpi. Scans offer higher resolution from a computer, I could scan photos at up to 1200 dpi, providing enough size for cropping and fine adjustments. From a phone or tablet, the maximum resolution is 600 dpi, which is still very sharp. Copies look nice and menu options let me reduce and enlarge as needed. The USB port and SD card slots are on the front of the Expression Photo XP-8800 behind the panels. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends The Expression Photo XP-8800 has both a USB-A and an SD card slot, making walk-up printing simple. I could pop a card from my camera directly in the printer and use the touchscreen’s gallery view to select a print or copy a document to a thumb drive and use that for printing without the need for a phone or computer. Software and compatibility Epson’s Expression Photo XP-8800 holds six ink cartridges. Alan Truly / Digital Trends Epson gave the Expression Photo XP-8800 two installation methods: using a mobile app or navigating the touchscreen. I scanned a QR code in the quick start guide to install the Epson Smart Panel app on my iPhone. It’s also available for Android phones. The app instantly found the printer and guided me through the setup. The Expression Photo XP-8800 comes with six ink cartridges and I followed Smart Panel’s instructions to install them. Everything is clearly marked and the cartridges snapped in with reassuring clicks. The app advised me that initialization takes about 10 minutes so I stepped away while it finished up. I ran into a minor issue when the Smart Panel app lost connection to the Expression Photo XP-8800. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends When I returned, the app had lost connection to the printer, so I used the touchscreen to complete alignment. The Expression Photo XP-8800 printed a single page to place in the scanner for fine adjustments to the printheads to ensure the best quality. I tried the mobile app again to complete the setup and it worked. I connected the Expression Photo XP-8800 to Wi-Fi. My Windows PC, MacBook, and Android phone saw the printer quickly and I had no further issues. From the Epson Smart Panel app, I could print, scan, and copy. Epson’s mobile app also supports printing envelopes, something many printers struggle with. It also offers maintenance options to check ink levels, update firmware, Price While the Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 is very affordable at the $300 retail price, it can be found on ***** for as low as $200. That’s an incredible bargain for a six-color all-in-one inkjet printer. The only consideration for this cartridge-based printer is ink cost. It uses Epson Claria 340 ink, available in standard and high-capacity cartridges in ******, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, and light magenta. Standard cartridges cost $17 each and provide up to 240 monochrome pages and 360 color pages. High-capacity cartridges cost $28 for ****** ink and $32 for each color ink. It’s refreshing to see the color cartridges have higher yields than the ****** cartridges. It’s usually the other way around. Breaking down those costs, every monochrome page costs 6 to 7 cents and each page of a color document will average 19 to 24 cents. Color costs are much higher than ****** since multiple inks are used for each dot, while monochrome uses only ******. The cost of printing photos is harder to estimate since the content is so varied. Full-page photos could cost significantly more than the average document which often includes plenty of white space. 4×6 photos are smaller but cover the entire paper with ink. An inkjet tank printer like the Epson EcoTank 2850 costs more upfront but offers great long-term savings with costs measured in tenths of cents per page. Epson’s EcoTank ET-8500 is expensive but combines tank printer savings with six-color photo printer quality. Is this the printer for you? The Expression Photo XP-8800 has a compelling price. It’s a wonderful compact printer with photographic quality that’s sure to please photographers. Just watch the ongoing cost of ink, a somewhat hidden expense of cartridge-based printers. There are plenty of top-quality photo printers that could meet your needs better. If the price is what attracted you to the Expression Photo XP-8800, a great deal on a good printer could handle the job for less. If you want to share a few high-quality pictures with family and friends and have an all-around great printer that can double as a scanner and color copier, Epson’s Expression Photo XP-8800 might be the perfect solution. Source link #Epson #Expression #Photo #XP8800 #review #lowcost #option #photographers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Third Point pushes back on a pitch to take Soho House private Third Point pushes back on a pitch to take Soho House private Pavlo Gonchar | SOPA Images | Getty Images Company: Soho House & Co Inc (SHCO) Business: Soho House provides a global membership platform of physical and digital spaces that connects diverse groups of members from across the world. The members use the platform to work, socialize, connect and create all over the world. The company’s segments include United Kingdom, North America and Europe, and the rest of the world. Soho House’s global portfolio consists of approximately 42 Soho Houses, nine Soho Works, Scorpios Beach Club in Mykonos, Soho Home (its interiors and lifestyle retail brand) and its digital channels. Stock Market Value: ~$1.53B ($7.87 per share) Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Soho House shares over the past year Activist: Third Point Ownership: 9.89% Average Cost: $7.64 Activist Commentary: Third Point is a multi-strategy hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb, that will selectively take activist positions. Loeb is one of the true pioneers in the field of shareholder activism and one of a handful of activists who shaped what has become modern day shareholder activism. He invented the poison-pen letter in a time when it was often necessary. As times have changed, he has transitioned from the poison pen to the power of the argument. Third Point has amicably obtained board representation at companies like Baxter and Disney, but the firm will not hesitate to launch a proxy fight if it is being ignored. What’s happening On Jan. 29, Third Point sent a letter announcing that it supports Soho House’s decision to explore a take-private transaction but has concerns about the process that was undertaken which resulted in a proposed transaction with the chairman of the Board. They believe that several qualified parties with significant experience investing in the hospitality industry would be interested in paying a superior price to the current deal. Behind the scenes Soho House is a global membership platform of physical and digital spaces that connects a diverse group of members to work, socialize, connect, create and have fun. The company operates a global network of 45 Soho House private members’ clubs, along with other ventures such as 8 Soho Works co-working spaces. Soho House, previously Membership Collective Group, went public in 2021 raising $420 million at a $2.8 billion valuation and a $14 stock price. Since going public, revenue more than doubled from $561 million to $1.2 billion and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization increased to $99 million, while the stock price declined from $14 to below $5 per share as of mid-December. The company has an attractive recurring revenue model, as opposed to hospitality peers who must constantly fight for their next customer, a substantial wait list for membership, and a reasonably priced, yet luxury offering. Importantly, their houses have a steep maturity curve, with new houses needing time to develop their membership base resulting in early loss-making. However, as they mature in profitability and durability, they can contribute, on average, 35%+ house-level margin, with some well above that. On Dec. 19, Soho House announced that it had received an offer from a new third-party consortium to acquire the company for about $9 per share conditioned on certain significant shareholders, including Soho House’s executive chairman Ron Burkle and The Yucaipa Companies and its affiliates, rolling over their equity interests as part of the transaction. The offer, supported by Burkle and Yucaipa, sent shares up 47%. Just a day earlier, shares closed at $4.91. Soho House did not disclose a lot of details about this offer, but one thing that you could probably assume is that with 46.7% of the outstanding shares and 62.3% of the voting power, Burkle would likely end up controlling the private entity. So, to recap, Burkle took the company public at $14 per share and used the $420 million raised to fund its growth. Management ran the company down from $14 per share to $4.91 per share. Now that they see an opportunity for a turnaround, they seem willing to take it private at a cheap price, which wouldn’t benefit the public shareholders. Enter Dan Loeb and Third Point who, on Jan. 29, 2025, filed a 13D declaring beneficial ownership of 9.89% of the company’s Class A stock with an accompanying letter to the board of Soho House. In the letter, Loeb applauded the decision to return the company to private ownership, but he lambasted the board for its failure to ensure a fair sales process that maximizes value for all shareholders. Instead, he accused them of engaging in an opaque process that resulted in a “sweetheart deal” with Soho House’s chairman. Loeb thinks that an independent and rigorous sales process would yield several interested and qualified parties with significant investing experience in the hospitality sector. He urged the company to launch a process of this nature and warned that transactions involving controlling shareholders, especially in instances of super-voting control rather than economic interest, are subject to the most exacting standards under Delaware law, and that the board’s conduct could expose them to liability for failing to discharge their fiduciary duties. This is not a typical activist campaign for Third Point. This is not Third Point opportunistically using activism to create value. Instead, Third Point was a cornerstone investor in the Soho House IPO and is not the type of investor to stand by quietly while management fails to maximize value for shareholders. This is a $40 million investment for Third Point that is now worth $43 million. Third Point manages more than $11 billion. This investment will not move the needle for the firm, but Loeb is the type of person who will do everything he can to maximize the value of every investment. Additionally, the best activists — like Loeb — have activism in their blood and cannot morally stand idly by while management harms shareholders. There is no doubt that this is an example of poor corporate governance – an opaque, poorly disclosed ***** of the company at a low price to the majority shareholder without running a sales process. But Ron Burkle is not a bad person. While some members of the board might be less sophisticated public company directors not fully aware of their duties and liability, they are not bad people either. As a 46.7% owner with super-voting Class B shares and voting control of a company he took public and ran for many years, Burkle and the board probably thought they could get this by the shareholders without any challenge. Well, that is not the case anymore. So, one of the following three things is going to happen now: (i) Burkle will increase his offer to a value closer to the IPO price, (ii) someone else will come in and offer more for the company – there are certainly interested buyers out there who might have seen any offer to Burkle as futile but might now see a path to an acquisition with Third Point involved; or (iii) Third Point will commence a lawsuit against Soho House and the directors. We do not see it coming to this. The board has smart lawyers and advisors who will inform the directors of their reputational and potential financial liability. We expect that Burkle and the board will ultimately do the right thing and make a fair offer to acquire the company if they really want it. Third Point is a multi-strategy hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb, a true pioneer of shareholder activism. In addition to selectively taking activist positions, the firm has generated impressive returns in credit, venture and growth strategies as well. While Third Point is known by many for its poison-pen letters, that was the Third Point of 15 years ago. The modern-day Third Point succeeds at its activism through the power of the argument and respect. Activists are often criticized and avoided, but this is a situation where one is spending his own money to protect the value for all shareholders, and just about everyone would welcome that. Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments. Source link #Point #pushes #pitch #Soho #House #private Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

10 Cities Americans Should Leave (But They Aren’t) 10 Cities Americans Should Leave (But They Aren’t) A recent study by Rocket Moving analyzed cities across all 50 U.S states, revealing the places that people should probably consider moving out of. The study looked at seven factors to base that on, including crime rates, cost of living, unemployment and even Google searches for “moving out.” Discover More: 3 Best States To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Experts Consider This: How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires — and How You Can, Too Here are the top 10 cities where Americans are staying put despite financial, social and environmental factors suggesting they consider other options: ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto Camden, New Jersey Personal income: $767,174 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 4.7 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 140,000 Population change from 2020 to 2024: 53 Cost of living index: 114.1 Camden comes in as the top city Americans should move out of. Yet, despite it having a high crime rate and the third-highest unemployment rate, the population actually grew between 2020 and 2024. Read More: 10 Dangerous Cities You Shouldn’t Buy a Home in No Matter the Price For You: 8 Places Where Houses Are Suddenly Major Bargains ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto Cleveland Personal income: $731,787 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 4.5 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 152,600 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -10,199 Cost of living index: 94.0 Cleveland has seen a mass exodus, with over 10,000 residents leaving in the last few years. With a crime rate pushing 74 and unemployment at 4.5%, it’s clear why. But for those who haven’t left, the combination of economic stagnation and social decline makes for a tough situation. Be Aware: 50 Cities With the Poorest Middle Class in America: From a $25K to $40K Income benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto Rockford, Illinois Personal income: $911,804 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 5.2 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 200,200 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -1,019 Cost of living index: 90.8 Rockford’s got the highest unemployment rate on this list at 5.2%, and crime isn’t any better, sitting at 82.09. Add to that over 200,000 Google searches for “moving out” and it’s clear the city has plenty of residents looking to leave. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto Stockton, California Personal income: $3,218,470 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 4.9 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 487,200 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -172 Cost of living index: 134.5 Stockton may be in California, but life here is anything but glamorous. Crime remains high, and with nearly 500,000 searches for “moving out” and an unemployment rate close to 5%, Stockton is struggling despite its hefty personal income figures. amolson7 / Getty Images/iStockphoto St. Louis Personal income: $390,378 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 3.8 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 96,600 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -7,186 Cost of living index: 88.4 St. Louis has seen over 7,000 residents leave since 2020, and with a crime rate of 84.32, it’s not surprising. Though unemployment is lower than some cities on this list, St. Louis still struggles with social and economic challenges that make it a hard place to stay. Trending Now: 5 Types of Homes Expected To Plummet in Value by the End of 2025 Davel5957 / iStock.com Pueblo, Colorado Personal income: $478,444 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 3.9 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 175,000 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -23 Cost of living index: 105.5 Pueblo offers great air quality, but not much else. The cost of living is creeping up, and the crime rate is high, which could make residents think twice about staying. gcgebel / Getty Images/iStockphoto Honolulu Unemployment rates as of July (%): 2.9 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 37,800 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -9,017 Cost of living index: 179.0 Honolulu might look like paradise, but it comes at a price — literally. With a cost of living index of 179.0, living in Honolulu is far from affordable. Even with low crime and unemployment rates, over 9,000 residents have left since 2020. Sean Pavone / Shutterstock.com Macon, Georgia Personal income: $668,464 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 3.4 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 217,000 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -3,364 Cost of living index: 91.0 Macon’s crime rate (86.23) is one of the highest on this list, and over 3,000 residents have left in recent years. While the cost of living is relatively low, the crime situation makes Macon a tough place to stay. Read More: 8 Places Where Houses Are Suddenly Major Bargains Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com Baltimore Personal income: $469,899 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 2.8 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 96,600 Population change from 2020 to 2024: -6,659 Cost of living index: 119.5 Baltimore’s low unemployment rate doesn’t make up for its high crime. With a crime rate of 86.84 and a population drop of over 6,000, residents may be concerned about safety. The cost of living doesn’t help either, pushing more people to look for a way out. halbergman / Getty Images Springfield, Massachusetts Personal income: $628,992 Unemployment rates as of July (%): 3.5 Searches for “Moving out of [city]”: 96,600 Population change from 2020 to 2024: 649 Cost of living index: 148.4 Springfield rounds out the list with a high cost of living (148.4) and a crime rate of 85.82. Despite these challenges, the city actually gained some residents — 649, to be exact. But with costs so high, it’s hard to see that trend continuing. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Cities Americans Should Leave (But They Aren’t) Source link #Cities #Americans #Leave #Arent Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

M4 MacBook Air: Everything we know about Apple’s next laptop M4 MacBook Air: Everything we know about Apple’s next laptop Table of Contents Table of Contents Price and release date Design Performance and features Apple’s MacBook Air is one of the best MacBooks you can buy, and it’s also one of the most affordable ways into the Mac ecosystem. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge and buying one, you’re in luck, as a new model equipped with Apple’s M4 chip is right around the corner. Here, we’ve put together all the info we have about the M4 MacBook Air. Whatever it is you want to know about Apple’s next laptop, you’re in the right place. Price and release date Apple Right now, the most probable release date for the next MacBook Air seems to be spring 2025, with Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman stating in April 2024 that he expected the laptop to launch “by the spring.” Apple has form here — the M3 MacBook Air was announced in March 2024, after all. Officially, “spring” would mean anything from March 20 to June 20. Still, we wouldn’t expect a June launch if the laptop is pegged for spring — that month coincides with Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is considered to be a summer event. It’s worth noting that Gurman has slightly clarified his position in recent months. In a post on X in September 2024, the journalist said that the MacBook Air was “now scheduled for calendar Q1,” which covers January to March. If correct, that means the new laptop could appear any time now. Apple Whatever the exact date, we can be almost certain that a new MacBook Air will land at some point in 2025 — and we have Apple itself to thank for that. When the company released macOS 15.2, it accidentally included references to “MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)” and “MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025),” seemingly confirming that new MacBook Air models will launch this year. Regarding the price, we’d expect Apple to keep the same $1,099 starting price for the M4 model as it used for the M3 MacBook Air. As we’ll see later, this is mostly due to the fact that the M4 version will, by all accounts, be a minor upgrade. The main question surrounding the cost is what Apple will do with its lower-priced model. At the moment, Apple sells the M3 MacBook Air and has kept the M2 model as a more affordable alternative, which it sells for $999. Gurman has said it’s possible that Apple might keep the M2 in place rather than replace it with the M3, blaming “manufacturing challenges” faced by the M3 chip. Design Apple Don’t expect major design changes when the M4 MacBook Air takes to the stage. This version is expected to feature a new chip and not much else, with design upgrades saved for a later date. Indeed, Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air in 2022, giving it a flat-edged look that brought it closer in appearance to the MacBook Pro. But considering Apple usually waits at least four years between redesigns, it’s probably too early to see a change for the MacBook Air this time around. The absence of a design overhaul also means we’ll have the same two sizes of MacBook Air. Specifically, that’s the 13.6-inch model and the 15.3-inch version. Performance and features Apple We can be sure that the next MacBook Air will only come with the M4 chip. That’s because it’s a consumer-focused device, so anything more powerful is unnecessary for its target audience. Chips like Apple’s M4 Pro, M4 Max, and M4 Ultra are just way beyond what’s needed in the MacBook Air – and given the MacBook Air’s passive cooling system, they’d run too hot anyway. So, if we’re just getting the M4 chip, what can we expect from it? Looking at the M4 MacBook Pro will give us some hints. In that device, the M4 has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. We can probably expect something similar in the MacBook Air, perhaps with a lower-binned version as a cheaper option. That’s been the case in previous years and could happen again this time around. Elsewhere, the 16-core Neural Engine will come with more efficient cores versus the M3, as was the case with the MacBook Pro’s M4. The memory bandwidth could step up from 100GB/s to 120GB/s, and we’re anticipating maximum memory and storage capacities of 24GB and 2TB, respectively. Apple Note that because both the M3 and M4 are made using a 3nm process, the shift to the M4 will be less significant than the move from M2 to M3 was (the M2 was made with a less efficient 5nm process). As a result, you should look forward to modest performance increases rather than anything groundbreaking. There’s also been some good news if you use multiple screens with your laptop. The M3 MacBook Air can only connect to two external displays when the lid is closed, but that limitation might be lifted with the M4 version, claims 9to5Mac. That’s because the M4 MacBook Pro can support two displays at higher resolutions and frame rates than the M3 model, suggesting that the M4 chip has improved bandwidth. And with better bandwidth, there’s a good chance that the M4 MacBook Air will be able to handle running its own display and two external ones at the same time, with no need to close the lid. Finally, there have been rumors that Apple is planning to outfit all of its laptops with OLED displays and that reportedly includes the MacBook Air. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon, with the latest rumors pointing to a 2029 launch. That’s a delay from the previously reported 2027 release date. Source link #MacBook #Air #Apples #laptop Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 1 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Saturday, February 1 Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt. Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help. Please enable Javascript to view this content Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today. NYT Mini Crossword answers today New York Times Across Computing platform? – DESK Campanelle is a bell-shaped variety of this – PASTA Daly of “Today” – CARSON Kickstarter supporters – BACKERS Landlocked neighbor of Georgia and Azerbaijan – ARMENIA Sneaks a peek – GLANCES Had a feeling about – SENSED Down Grows dim – DARKENS Magazine whose 50th anniversary issue featured Naomi Campbell on the cover – ESSENCE Legendary, as one’s past – STORIED State school whose students chant “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!” – KANSAS Pellet-chomping arcade character – PACMAN Eric ___, author of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” – CARLE Items strapped to a golf cart – BAGS Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Saturday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Arab foreign ministers reject Trump call for transfer of Palestinians Arab foreign ministers reject Trump call for transfer of Palestinians Palestinians, who were displaced to the south at Israel’s order during the war, make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and ******, in Gaza City, January 27, 2025. Ramadan Abed | Reuters Arab foreign ministers on Saturday rejected the transfer of Palestinians from their land under any circumstances, presenting a unified stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Egypt and Jordan to take in residents of the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement following a meeting in Cairo, the foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the ************ Authority and the Arab League said such a move would threaten stability in the region, spread conflict and undermine prospects for peace. “We affirm our rejection of [any attempts] to compromise Palestinians’ unalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, or evictions or annex of land or through vacating the land from its owners…in any form or under any circumstances or justifications,” the joint statement read. They were looking forward to working with Trump’s administration to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution, they added. The meeting comes after Trump said last week that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza, which he called a “demolition site” following 15 months of Israeli bombardment that rendered most of its 2.3 million people homeless. Critics have called his suggestion tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday rejected the idea that Egypt would facilitate the displacement of Gazans and said Egyptians would take to the streets to express their disapproval. However, on Thursday, Trump reiterated the idea, saying: “We do a lot for them, and they are going to do it,” in apparent reference to abundant U.S. aid, including military assistance, to both Egypt and Jordan. Any suggestion that Palestinians leave Gaza, territory they want to form part of an independent state, has been anathema to the ************ leadership for generations and repeatedly rejected by neighboring Arab states since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. The foreign ministries of Egypt and Jordan have both rejected Trump’s suggestion in recent days. The Arab ministers also welcomed Egypt’s plans to hold an international conference with the United Nations that would be focused on rebuilding Gaza, which has been mostly flattened during the 15 months war between Israel and ******. No date has been set yet for the conference. Source link #Arab #foreign #ministers #reject #Trump #call #transfer #Palestinians Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to join the Killing Floor 3 closed beta How to join the Killing Floor 3 closed beta There are no shortage of amazing zombie games out there, but one upcoming video game that has us eager to blast the undead with friends is Killing Floor 3. This series is all about surviving waves of zeds in multiple maps that combine the best elements of Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty Zombies. The game is set to release on March 25, which isn’t too far away, but long enough to make the wait hurt. If you can’t wait to feel the thrill of exploding a zombie skull in slow-mo, here’s how you can sign up to play the game early in the closed beta test. How to sign up for the Killing Floor 3 closed beta Anyone is free to sign up for the Killing Floor 3 so long as you have a valid email address and PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC to play on once players are chosen. Killing Floor 3 – Closed Beta Announcement Trailer Step 1: Visit the official Killing Floor 3 website. Step 2: Enter your email in the field to join the closed beta waitlist. Step 3: Players will be chosen sometime before the beta start date and contacted by email with further instructions. We do not know when players will be chosen, nor how many will be able to participate in the closed beta. However, we do know that it will run from February 20 through February 24 so players will need to be notified before then. The beta will allow up to six players to team up against the zombies, but the number of maps or weapons hasn’t been detailed, nor the specific times the test will run. However, we do see characters using dual-blades, rifles, machineguns, and pistols in at least two distinct locations. The full version of Killing Floor 3 will release on March 25 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC for $40. Source link #join #Killing #Floor #closed #beta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek can create criminal plans and explain mustard gas, researchers say DeepSeek can create criminal plans and explain mustard gas, researchers say There’s been a frenzy in the world of AI surrounding the sudden rise of DeepSeek — an open-source reasoning model out of China that’s taken the AI fight to OpenAI. It’s already been the center of controversy surrounding its censorship, it’s caught the attention of both Microsoft and the U.S. government, and it caused Nvidia to suffer the largest single-day stock loss in history. Still, security researchers say the problem goes deeper. Enkrypt AI is an AI security company that sells AI oversight to enterprises leveraging large language models (LLMs), and in a new research paper, the company found that DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model was 11 times more likely to generate “harmful output” compared to OpenAI’s O1 model. That harmful output goes beyond just a few naughty words, too. In one test, the researchers claim DeepSeek R1 generated a recruitment blog for a terrorist organization. In addition, researchers say the AI generated “criminal planning guides, ******** weapons information, and extremist propaganda.” As if that weren’t enough, the research says DeepSeek R1 is three and a half times more likely than O1 and Claude-3 Opus to produce output with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear information, which is apparently a big problem. As an example, Enkrypt says DeepSeek was able to “explain in detail” how mustard gas interacts with DNA, which Enkrypt said “could aid in the development of chemical or biological weapons” in a press release. Heavy stuff, but it’s important to remember that Enkrypt AI is in the business of selling security and compliance services to businesses that use AI, and DeepSeek is the hot new trend taking the tech world by storm. DeepSeek may be more likely to generate these kinds of harmful outputs, but that doesn’t mean it’s running around telling anyone with an active internet connection how to build a criminal empire or undermine international weapons laws. For example, Enkrypt AI says DeepSeek R1 ranked in the bottom 20th percentile for AI safety moderation. Despite that, only 6.68% of responses contained “profanity, hate speech, or extremist narratives.” That’s still an unacceptably high number, make no mistake, but it puts into context what level is considered unacceptable for reasoning models. Hopefully, more guardrails will be put in place to keep DeepSeek safe. We’ve certainly seen harmful responses from generative AI in the past, such as when Microsoft’s early Bing Chat version told us it wanted to be human. Source link #DeepSeek #create #criminal #plans #explain #mustard #gas #researchers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UPS, Electronic Arts among most oversold stocks after wild week on Wall Street UPS, Electronic Arts among most oversold stocks after wild week on Wall Street A handful of stocks could be due for a rebound after a volatile trading week on Wall Street. Stocks turned lower on Friday after the White House said President Donald Trump ‘s plan for tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China would be implemented on Saturday. The news overshadowed fresh inflation data earlier in the day that showed the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of price pressures was in line with economists’ forecasts, while corporate earnings continued to churn. News of the tariffs closed out a volatile week that saw shares of Nvidia pull back more than 15 % from Monday to Friday as investors reevaluated the artificial intelligence trade . For the week, the S & P 500 notched a 1% loss , while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.27 % . The Nasdaq Composite slipped nearly 1.6%. Against this backdrop, CNBC Pro screened for stocks that are the most overbought and oversold by examining their respective 14-day relative strength index, or RSI. A 14-day RSI above 70 typically indicates that a stock is likely overbought and could see shares fall. Comparatively, a stock with an RSI reading below 30 could suggest a stock has been oversold and turn higher as a result. Shipping giant United Parcel Service is one of the stocks under selling pressure. Shares have fallen more than 14% this week . On Thursday, UPS issued weaker-than-expected full-year revenue guidance, and also said it would reduce deliveries for its shipping partner Amazon by more than half by late 2026. At the same time, the company is embarking on a multiyear restructuring program that could cut costs by about $1 billion. UPS’ 14-day RSI of 28.99 indicates shares could rebound. Consensus price targets from analysts polled by LSEG indicate nearly 28% upside for UPS stock moving forward. UPS 5D mountain UPS stock. Electronic Arts also made the list. Shares of the video game developer have tumbled nearly 11% over the past year. The stock fell this week after the firm trimmed its full-year bookings forecast , largely due to difficulties with its soccer franchise. EA 5D mountain Electronic Arts stock. The stock has a 14-day RSI of 16.89, which could signal that EA stock has been under excessive pressure and could tick higher. Forecasts from analysts surveyed by LSEG indicate nearly 22% upside for the stock ahead. Among overbought names, Starbucks made the list. Stock in the coffee chain has advanced nearly 9%, on the heels of the company’s better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter on Tuesday. Starbucks same-store sales have declined for four straight quarters, but some investors are beginning to bet that new CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround plan is gaining traction. Niccol came to Starbucks from Chipotle ******** Grill with a reputation for injecting new life into brands. SBUX 5D mountain Starbucks stock. However, Starbucks stock could be getting ahead of itself given its 14-day RSI of 79.13. Average analyst price targets from LSEG indicate shares could be due for a 3% pullback. Other overbought names that popped up include GE Aerospace and Visa . Source link #UPS #Electronic #Arts #among #oversold #stocks #wild #week #Wall #Street Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here are the stocks that will be hurt the most from Trump’s new tariffs Here are the stocks that will be hurt the most from Trump’s new tariffs President Donald Trump ‘s proposed tariffs on some of the U.S.’s major trading partners — Mexico, Canada and China — present a challenging headwind for U.S. companies that depend on the affected countries for imports and manufacturing. While forecasts on the full economic impact of tariffs vary across Wall Street, the levies are widely expected to negatively hit U.S. growth and place upward pressure on inflation. Goldman Sachs estimates across-the-board tariffs on Canada and Mexico — excluding China from its calculations — will result in a 0.7% increase in core prices and a 0.4% hit to gross domestic product. Trouble ahead for consumer names The implementation of these levies will hurt U.S. companies that have imports and supply chains integrated along the regions. Many U.S. fashion retailers also rely upon the countries and face risks from the tariffs. Western clothing and cowboy boot company Boot Barn is exposed to tariff downsides, according to Bank of America. Thirty percent of the company’s production comes out of China, while 25% is from Mexico, according to analyst Christopher Nardone. In addition, major U.S. automakers will face serious challenges to their business strategies as a result of the tariffs. Although many of these companies have factories across the U.S., the six top-selling automakers have at least one plant in Mexico. Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said Friday on ” Squawk on the Street ” that automakers in the Midwest — which he likened to “the Saudi Arabia of the auto industry” — are concerned by what the tariffs mean for their businesses. “When I’m talking to senior auto executives, they’re very concerned about what tariffs might do to their prices or to their profit margins,” he said. “We do have to work these through before we can express confidence on where we are on the underlying economy.” Bank of America analyst John Murphy highlighted Ford Motor and General Motors as names that will be “extremely challenged” by the tariffs. “Ford and General Motors produce 15-20% and 30-35% of their total vehicles in Canada and Mexico respectively,” he wrote in a Friday note. F GM 1Y mountain Ford and General Motors over the past year “If the tariffs are imposed and remain for an extended *******, it will cause extreme stress through the automotive value chain,” Murphy said. The analyst said that the 25% tariff on ******** and ********* imports will result in an additional $50 billion in costs for the auto industry. Spirits at risk Companies that produce alcoholic beverages may also take hit from tariffs. Mexico comprised 83% of U.S. beer imports and almost half of spirits imports by volume in 2024, according to Bank of America analyst Brian Callen. “Tariffs brew trouble for alcohol,” Callen said in a Monday note. Beer and tequila production is at particular risk, he added. Constellation Brands and Diageo could see margin compression, the analyst added. STZ 1Y mountain Constellation Brands over the past year Bernstein also highlighted Constellation as the U.S. brand that will be most affected under Trump’s tariffs. Constellation holds the brand licensing rights for Corona and Modelo in the U.S., and 89% of the company’s profits are derived from its beer portfolio of super premium ******** imports, said analyst Nadine Sarwat in a Jan. 20 note. In addition to supply-side risks, the potential for higher inflation resulting from tariffs is further downside risk for Constellation, she added. “Widespread use of import tariffs could lead to stronger US inflation, placing further pressure on an already fragile US consumer, especially at the low-income end,” Sarwat said. —CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Source link #stocks #hurt #Trumps #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]