The Lost Crown Selling 1.3 Million Units in the First Year Raises Questions About Ubisoft Disbanding Team
The Lost Crown Selling 1.3 Million Units in the First Year Raises Questions About Ubisoft Disbanding Team
The gaming industry has a peculiar way of defining success these days. While selling over a million copies would be cause for celebration for most developers, it seems that some publishers have different ideas about what constitutes a “hit.” Case in point: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed return to the beloved franchise’s 2D roots.
When a million copies sold isn’t enough to survive. | Image Credit: Ubisoft
Despite garnering widespread praise and breathing fresh life into a series that had been dormant for over a decade, The Lost Crown‘s development team at Ubisoft Montpellier was disbanded in October 2024. Now, three months later, we’ve learned that the game has sold 1.3 million copies in its first year—a number that has many questioning Ubisoft’s decision to break up the team.
The curious case of The Lost Crown’s “disappointing” sales
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When X user Timur222 spotted an interesting detail on Ubisoft Associate Marketing Director Alexandre Guenounou’s LinkedIn profile (which has since been taken down?), it sparked a heated debate about what constitutes success in today’s market:
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold 1.3 million units in its first year pic.twitter.com/rLhi4ZXAB3
— Timur222 (@bogorad222) January 30, 2025
Let’s put these numbers in perspective: 1.3 million copies for a $60 Metroidvania is no small feat, especially in a market where most genre hits like Hollow Knight ($15) and Dead Cells ($25) launched at less than half that price. Even with frequent sales dropping the price to around $40, The Lost Crown has managed to carve out its own space in a highly competitive genre.
Naturally, the revelation has left many fans scratching their heads about Ubisoft’s expectations:
1.3 is bad??? What they were expecting? It’s a great game but Ubisoft never treated it like a real PoP and it took too long to be released in Steam. Also, it’s an expensive game compared to others of the genre.
— IAMM_78 (@Ivan_M_M) January 30, 2025
Indeed, the game’s premium $59.99 price tag for a Metroidvania title likely didn’t help its commercial performance. For comparison, most successful games in the genre launch at $29.99 or less. Even more baffling is Ubisoft’s decision to initially skip a Steam release, only making the game available on the platform months after launch.
1.3 for a smaller title is good though, what was its budget for that to be bad, and how much was it that the studio had to shut down
— RockPegasus8032 (@gmscoop7) January 30, 2025
The frustration among fans is palpable, especially considering the game’s quality and positive reception:
Hey @Ubisoft you’re like @EA now? 1.3M isn’t enough? Get f’ bent
— Casey Payne (@casey_Payne23) January 30, 2025
If we do some quick math, even accounting for regional pricing differences and various sales discounts throughout the year, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has likely generated $45-50 million in revenue for the company. For a 2D Metroidvania with presumably modest development costs, that’s hardly chump change.
A troubling pattern at Ubisoft
The last hurrah of a team that deserved better. | Image Credit: Ubisoft
The disbandment of The Lost Crown’s team is just the latest in a series of concerning decisions from Ubisoft. The once-revered publisher seems to be struggling to understand its audience, with recent releases like Star Wars Outlaws falling short of expectations—because apparently, it’s possible to mess up a Star Wars game now.
I love how in the current climate selling over a million means the game flopped…this industry needs a reset
— Venomchuu~ (@venom2431) January 30, 2025
This isn’t just about numbers anymore; it’s about a fundamental disconnect between publisher expectations and market realities. While Ubisoft chases the elusive “billion-dollar franchise” dragon, they’re systematically dismantling teams that create unique, critically acclaimed experiences.
And nowhere is this disconnect more evident than in Ubisoft’s decision to reject The Lost Crown‘s sequel pitch and redistribute its talented team—ironically, to projects like Beyond Good & Evil 2, a game that’s been languishing in development hell since 2008. The irony of moving developers from a successful project to one that’s become infamous for its 15-year development cycle is almost poetic.
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows facing its second delay (now launching March 20, 2025), one has to wonder if Ubisoft has learned anything from these experiences. The company’s tendency to set unrealistic expectations while simultaneously undermining their games’ potential success through questionable business decisions is becoming a troubling pattern.
Perhaps most frustrating is the message this sends to developers: that critical acclaim and solid sales figures aren’t enough anymore. In Ubisoft’s world, it seems even a successful reimagining of a beloved franchise can’t save you from the chopping block.
What do you think about The Lost Crown’s sales figures? Was Ubisoft too hasty in disbanding the team, or is there something we’re missing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New York City office demand is finally back to normal
New York City office demand is finally back to normal
The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building and One Vanderbilt are seen amongst other buildings in midtown Manhattan on January 11, 2024 in New York City.
Angela Weiss | Afp | Getty Images
Demand for New York City office space has finally returned to pre-pandemic levels, driven by an influx of new workers as well as a drive by employers to see current workers return to the office.
During the fourth quarter, office demand in the city jumped 25% from the year before, according to VTS, which measures demand through unique new tenant tours of properties. The measure is an early indicator of new leasing.
“New York City’s shift back to in-office work reflects the city’s unique cultural and economic dynamics, especially in the finance and tech sectors,” said Nick Romito, CEO of VTS, in a news release.
SL Green Realty Corp, a REIT concentrated in Manhattan office and retail, released earnings last week, and while it missed revenue expectations, analysts pointed to further tightening in the office market as leasing demand accelerates.
On a call with analysts, SL Green Realty CEO Marc Holliday noted that the city’s Office of Management and Budget is forecasting about 38,000 new office-using jobs in 2025, mostly stemming from finance, business services and information technology.
“That translates into millions and millions of square feet of new absorption for each one of those bodies, and those are not work from home bodies for the most part,” said Holliday. “Combine that with the fact that on-site attendance is rising every month as companies are calling people back to the office four and five days a week. We expect to see very strong demand for office space throughout 2025.”
Holliday also noted SL Green ended the year at 92.5% occupancy, and is projecting over 93% leased occupancy in the coming year.
Tech giant IBM recently signed a 92,663-square-foot expansion lease with SL Green at One Madison Avenue, increasing IBM’s total footprint at the property to more than 362,000 square feet.
“The expansion of IBM’s flagship office at One Madison Avenue reaffirms a long-standing commitment to advance the technology sector in New York City and New York State, with a vibrant and collaborative workspace designed to bring employees, clients and partners together from around the world,” said Joanne Wright, IBM senior vice president for transformation and operations, in a release.
New York is the clear winner in the office recovery, but VTS notes other improving markets. San Francisco saw 32% annual growth rate in demand — a faster growth rate than New York’s, though it was starting at a much weaker position. Seattle and Chicago saw growth rates of around 15% each as employers in those cities increasingly embrace hybrid work models that require consistent in-office presence.
“The data shows that while some markets, like New York City, are rapidly returning to traditional office settings, the national picture reflects slow but steady progress,” said Ryan Masiello, chief strategy officer of VTS.
Nationally, demand in the fourth quarter was up 12% from the previous quarter. Historically, demand declines from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.
“This growth is notable — not only for defying seasonal expectations, but for emerging in the midst of a cooling labor market. Businesses appear more willing to invest in office space despite economic uncertainty, signaling a shift in confidence and long-term planning,” Masiello said.
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Bungie’s Own Success With Light vs Darkness Saga May Hinder Destiny 2: Frontiers
Bungie’s Own Success With Light vs Darkness Saga May Hinder Destiny 2: Frontiers
It’s been a while since the Light vs Darkness saga came to an end in Destiny 2. Bungie had been telling us this story right since the inception of the game. It contained an epic conflict between the forces of Light and Darkness and took Guardians on a journey showcasing their sacrifices and resilience.
Destiny 2 is still making waves in the gaming industry. (Image via Bungie)
However, Bungie is moving forward. Last year, the studio revealed a partial roadmap revealing several changes and Frontiers saga. While we still don’t know what the studio has in store, gamers believe that whatever ends up coming, it would be a disaster, considering what Bungie did during Light vs Darkness.
Destiny 2 gamers have lost trust in Bungie’s capabilities
Destiny 2 treated its very first saga in a horrific way. (Image via Bungie)
Over on Destiny 2‘s official subreddit, one gamer has compared Destiny 2’s sagas to Marvel’s Infinity Saga. What separates them is the fact that fans can watch Marvel movies all the time, but that’s not the case with Destiny 2, as its content is removed, and that creates a gap in the story.
Even though Bungie plans to expand Destiny 2, it might end up running into the same issues as it did with Beyond Light due to more content being vaulted. If the game really wants to survive as on the live-service model, removing story content is a wrong move.
Bungie managed to elevate Destiny 2 with Light vs Darkness Saga, as it brought an epic-scale cosmic conflict that involved a number of galaxies and generations. The studio did an incredible job with Guardian stories and bringing mysterious enemies.
However, gamers are worried about what’s going to happen with the next saga considering the fact that Bungie vaulted several key content over time. Expansions like Forsaken and seasonal content were completely axed out of the title.
Comment byu/RayS0l0 from discussion inDestinyTheGame
Comment byu/RayS0l0 from discussion inDestinyTheGame
Comment byu/RayS0l0 from discussion inDestinyTheGame
If Bungie really wants to consider bringing new sagas and expansions to Destiny 2, the studio needs to start thinking about the technical limitations of the game. Locking old content, which is valuable to the storyline, makes it a horrendous experience for new players and pushes them away.
Is Destiny 3 happening anytime soon?
Destiny 3 isn’t happening anytime soon (Image via Bungie)
With Destiny 2 reaching its technical limitations, one might wonder if Bungie is working on a successor, considering it one of the biggest properties for the studio. However, that doesn’t look to be happening.
Last year, Bungie was hit hard with massive layoffs. Following these job cuts, rumors started floating around that the move had also led to the cancellation of Destiny 2 successor, dubbed as projected “Payback.”
However, as reported by Insider Gaming, industry insider Jason Schreier reported that Destiny 3 wasn’t the project that was axed because it was never in development to begin with. According to him, Payback was a spin-off that was supposed to take place in the Destiny universe and not a sequel of any kind.
It seems like gamers will have to wait longer for Destiny 3. Let’s hope Bungie can figure out how to keep pouring new content into Destiny 2 to keep the game fresh without vaulting its expansions.
With that said, do you believe Destiny 2 needs to unvault old expansions? Let us know in the comments below.
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Thousands of Costco workers prepare to strike with midnight contract deadline looming – The Associated Press
Thousands of Costco workers prepare to strike with midnight contract deadline looming – The Associated Press
Thousands of Costco workers prepare to strike with midnight contract deadline looming The Associated PressCostco Raises Pay To Over $30 An Hour For Non-Union Employees, Leaving 18,000 Union Members Waiting ForbesClock ticking toward possible Costco strike Saturday CNNCostco Increases Pay to Over $30 an Hour for Most Store Workers Bloomberg
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Arcane Blast review – ChristCenteredGamer
Arcane Blast review – ChristCenteredGamer
CCG writes – “Arcane Blast is a magic-based entry into the ever-expanding action-roguelite genre. The story is fairly light and simplistic: A sorcerer named Adrian was betrayed by his pupil and thrown into a mysterious fragmented world called Shadowville. Adrian travels through various worlds, battling hordes of magical creatures to stop his traitorous student and return home.”
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Six Nations 2025: England captain Maro Itoje says losing is not what he is about
Six Nations 2025: England captain Maro Itoje says losing is not what he is about
New England captain Maro Itoje says losing is not what he is about as his side prepare to open their Six Nations campaign against Ireland on Saturday.
Itoje replaced Jamie George as skipper earlier this month after England only won five of their 12 Tests in 2024.
Steve Borthwick’s side beat Ireland, who are seeking a historic third championship in a row, at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium last year and will be hoping to start positively in Dublin to help their bid for a first Six Nations title since 2020.
“I don’t want to lose and losing is not what I am about,” Itoje told the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly.
“There is no greater honour than winning with England. You win with your club and that is special, but winning with England is a different kettle of fish.
“I want this team to feel that and achieve that and I think we can.”
Itoje led England to the Under-20 world title in 2014 but only stepped up to lead Saracens this season in the wake of previous captain Owen Farrell’s departure to France.
The 30-year-old lock made his debut in England’s 2016 Grand Slam-winning campaign and enjoyed a successful start to his international career under Eddie Jones, reaching the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
In a 2021 book, Jones questioned whether Itoje was suited to captaincy, writing that the second row was “very inward-looking” and did not “usually influence people off the field” – a view Itoje later denied.
Courtney Lawes, who captained England during their Australia tour in 2022, said Itoje is not a loud talker, external when it comes to pre-game team talks, but the new England captain is happy to hand over those duties to louder squad members.
“If there are swearing obligations I will hand that over to the 14 members of the team!” Itoje added.
“Everyone has things to work on. I like to think I am a reasonably self-aware person and I think I am humble enough to acknowledge where I need support from others.”
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OpenAI’s o3-mini is here and available to all users
OpenAI’s o3-mini is here and available to all users
OpenAI’s latest machine learning mode has arrived. On Friday, the company released o3-mini and it’s available to try now. For the first time, OpenAI is making one of its “reasoning” models available to free users of ChatGPT. If you want to try it for yourself, select “Reason” in the message composer to get started.
According to OpenAI, o3-mini is faster and more accurate than its predecessor, o1-mini. In A/B testing, the company found o3-mini was 24 percent faster than o1 at delivering a response. Moreover, set to its “medium” reasoning effort, the new model can come close to the performance of the more expensive o1 system in some math, coding and science benchmarks.
When OpenAI first previewed o3 and o3-mini at the end of last year, CEO Sam Altman said the latter would arrive “around the end of January.” Altman gave a more concrete timeline on January 17 when he wrote on X that OpenAI was “planning to ship in a couple of weeks.”
Now that it’s here, it’s safe to say o3-mini arrives with a sense of urgency. On January 20, the same day Altman was attending Donald Trump’s inauguration, China’s DeepSeek quietly released its R1 chain-of-thought model. By January 27, the company’s chatbot surpassed ChatGPT as the most-download free app on the US App Store after going viral. The overnight success of DeepSeek wiped $1 trillion of stock market value, and almost certainly left OpenAI blindsided.
In the aftermath of last week, OpenAI said it was working with Microsoft to identify two accounts the company claims may have distilled its models. Distillation is the process of transferring the knowledge of an advanced AI system to a smaller, more efficient one. Distillation is not a controversial practice. DeepSeek has used distillation on its own R1 model to train its smaller algorithms; in fact, OpenAI’s terms of service allow for distillation as long users don’t train competing models on the outputs of the company’s AI.
OpenAI did not explicitly name DeepSeek. “We know [China]-based companies — and others — are constantly trying to distill the models of leading US AI companies,” an OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian recently. However, David Sacks, President Trump’s AI advisor, was more direct, claiming there was “substantial evidence” that DeepSeek had “distilled the knowledge out of OpenAI’s models.”
Developing…
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Man Files $7 Million Lawsuit Over Family’s Food Poisoning Deaths at All-Inclusive Resort
Man Files $7 Million Lawsuit Over Family’s Food Poisoning Deaths at All-Inclusive Resort
A ********* man says his wife and 8-year-old son died because of food poisoning at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, according to the civil suit filed at the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario on Monday.
Stephen Gougeon, 38, a lawyer from Toronto, is seeking nearly $7 million in damages from the Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort, as well as a tour operator and other companies.
Mr. Gougeon said his family vacation in December 2023 turned into a nightmare after he, his wife, April Gougeon, and their two young sons ate at the buffet on the first night of their planned weeklong stay at Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham, one of a growing number of all-inclusive properties in the Caribbean nation.
The family awoke the next morning vomiting so intensely that they could not walk to the medical clinic at the resort.
“We couldn’t even make it to the washroom,” Mr. Gougeon said in a phone interview.
He said he asked the clinic for urgent help but was told its policy barred it from tending to guests in their rooms. After calling again to plead for assistance later that afternoon, the four were moved using wheelchairs to the clinic and then by ambulance to a hospital.
At the hospital, his 8-year-old son, Oliver, went into cardiac arrest and died. April, 41, died while unconscious on a ventilator. Mr. Gougeon and his son Wesley, then 6, were hospitalized for two days.
Autopsies in the Dominican Republic concluded that April and Oliver died of secondary causes from food poisoning, according to the civil suit.
“I don’t think I’ll ever recover,” Mr. Gougeon said. “I’ve lost my wife, who I loved so much, and my son, who was just such a beautiful person and who I was so looking forward to seeing grow up.”
The lawsuit alleges the resort, the Transat Tours Canada tour operator and other companies are guilty of negligence because of improper food preparation, inadequate emergency protocols and staff training, and the lack of timely medical care.
The Viva Dominicus resort and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the Wyndham brand, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
In a statement, Transat, through which the family purchased the vacation package that included flights and accommodation, rebutted the allegations in the suit.
“At the time of these events, we supported the Gougeon family. In such cases, we act with diligence, prudence and compassion, making every effort to assist our clients,” the company said. “We choose our suppliers with great care and the hotel operator has assured us of its full cooperation with the authorities in shedding light on these tragic deaths.”
The autopsies did not identify the pathogen or source of contamination. Buffet offerings that night included seafood, meats, fruit, breads and desserts, Mr. Gougeon recalled. “Everyone was having a bit of a mix of everything.”
The Dominican Republic has emerged as one of the Caribbean’s top tourist destinations after years of heavy investment in infrastructure to open it up to international visitors. It features dozens of all-inclusive resorts on palm-tree-lined sandy beaches overlooking turquoise waters, and is particularly abuzz with tourists in winter months.
In 2019, the nation drew unwanted international attention when at least 10 American tourists died there and reports emerged of other travelers being assaulted at resorts. An investigation by the F.B.I. found no wrongdoing, and that some deaths came from natural causes, but the events prompted questions about the country’s medical responses and safety procedures.
According to government estimates, the number of visitors dipped 9 percent. But during the pandemic, the country quickly eased its entry rules for international travelers and tourism roared back. Last year, the Dominican Republic drew a record 11 million tourists, according to the government.
The Gougeon family booked their trip at the last minute, purchasing the vacation through Transat because it was known as a reputable company in Canada, Mr. Gougeon said.
“We had a lot of trust that we were doing something that was safe,” he said. “We thought that they’d check all the boxes.”
Mr. Gougeon said he hopes the lawsuit would prompt the industry to improve its medical response.
“These resorts should have appropriate procedures for situations when people are ill and are unable to seek medical attention themselves,” he said. “I don’t think anyone should have to endure what I’ve endured.”
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Students get more power over ******* assault complaints
Students get more power over ******* assault complaints
Students are being empowered to escalate ******* assault and racial vilification complaints if they believe their university hasn’t done enough to address their concerns.
An independent student ombudsman will start taking complaints online from Saturday and be open to calls from Monday.
It will initially have 40 dedicated staff operating under first assistant ombudsman Sarah Bendall, increasing to 60 from July.
One in 20 university students are victims of ******* assault and one in six of ******* harassment, according to one study.
Half of the students who complained to their university believed the institution didn’t listen or said they didn’t get the outcome they needed.
Ms Bendall said her team was ready to hit the ground running and had modelled the service to handle about 15,000 complaints a year.
There were concerns about how complaints were handled, including about ******* assault, racism and timing and transparency.
“In general terms, what I’m hearing is what we all know about the need to improve how complaints about ******* violence are handled,” she told AAP.
“We’re clearly hearing concerns about racial violence, racial vilification, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus and virtually.”
There’s optimism about the impact the office will have with studies highlighting barriers to students making complaints, Commonwealth ombudsman Iain Anderson said.
How gender-based violence had been handled was one of the major reasons the office had been stood up, he said.
“There’s certainly a strong concern that complaints about gender-based violence weren’t being treated appropriately by higher education providers,” he told AAP.
“More recently we’ve seen a lot of concern about anti-Semitism on campus and about people, students, feeling very unsafe and unwelcome on campuses.”
The national ombudsman will act independently to investigate complaints and gain insight into the sector to recommend systemic changes.
It won’t deal with academic marks or employment issues.
It has been welcomed by the sector’s peak body Universities Australia, with CEO Luke Sheehy saying students deserved to be fully supported.
Universities and previous governments had failed students for too long, Education Minister Jason Clare said.
“I hope it’s a game changer and it means that students are finally being listened to when the worst happens to them,” Mr Clare told AAP.
Mr Clare will introduce legislation in parliament in the coming days that would give the minister the power to implement a code of conduct requiring action from higher education providers on gender-based violence.
He will table a draft code alongside the bill, forcing universities to comply with the ombudsman’s recommendations.
Vice-chancellors will be accountable under the code and universities will have to report to their governing body every six months about progress on prevention strategies and measures they’ve put in place to address gender-based violence.
Universities will be barred from forcing students to sign non-disclosure agreements and will need to ensure staff are adequately trained or appropriate experts are brought in to support victim-survivors.
Independent-run student accommodation on campuses will be captured by the code if they want to maintain their affiliation with a university.
“Some of the worst instances of ******* assault and ******* violence perpetrated against students happen in student accommodation,” Mr Clare said.
“They need to be subjected to this code and the code needs to be enforced in those colleges just like it is in every other part of the university.”
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National ******* Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578
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Four Years After Microsoft Acquisition, Esports Site Start.gg Goes Independent With Some Changes
Four Years After Microsoft Acquisition, Esports Site Start.gg Goes Independent With Some Changes
Just over four years ago, Microsoft purchased the esports tournament organizing platform Start.gg, which was then known as Smash.gg before its rebranding. Now, Start.gg has announced that Microsoft no longer owns the site and stated that it will “be returning to its roots as an independent company supporting grassroots and professional esports communities.”
Chris Ogle–the co-founder of Smash.gg–shared the news on Medium and thanked Microsoft and Xbox for their support. He also noted that the site will continue with members from the original Smash.gg team alongside “grassroots tournament organizers, and engineers who are passionate about improving the platform for the communities we support.”
One of the biggest changes going forward is that starting on February 14, Start.gg will be charging a registration fee to support the expenses of running the site. In addition to making that change for the sustainability of the business, Start.gg will be upgrading its user interface and tournament support.
“Since our inception back in 2015, our goal has always been to foster esports communities around the games people love to play,” wrote Ogle. “This goal remains at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to continuing our journey with you.”
Despite some downward trends in the gaming industry, esports remain popular. Last year’s Evo 2024 was officially the largest esports competition ever. Evo 2025 will look to maintain that momentum when it returns to Las Vegas between August 1-3.
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Trump Broke the Federal Email System and Government Employees Got Blasted With Astonishingly Vulgar Messages
Trump Broke the Federal Email System and Government Employees Got Blasted With Astonishingly Vulgar Messages
Email Empowerment
Turns out that putting underqualified kids in charge of the federal government’s HR agency wasn’t the smartest move. Last night, an exploit in the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) new home-cooked email server seems to have made it possible for anyone with an email address to blast messages to vast numbers of federal employees.
As a result, over 13,000 employees with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found their inboxes bombarded with spam and messages from vulgar trolls. Some users signed the NOAA up for newsletters from entities like the Church of Scientology, or the Perfect Jean — “Welcome to Jean Perfection,” a screenshot reads. One particularly vulgar email offered pointers on Trump’s alleged performance at a ******* act. An “Important Weather Alert” warned that the next four years have a 99 percent chance of fecal showers. “Aren’t you tired of working for a complete c***?” asked one sender. A missive from a sender identified as “Craig” simply reads “yo.”
Ken Klippenstein, the national security reporter who revealed the breach, once again took the opportunity to plug his infamous newsletter with the subject line: “urgent, time sensitive.”
If you feel this paints a pretty grim picture of the state of our government agencies, you’re not alone. “Goes to show you how fast this [new comms system] was cobbled together,” one NOAA employee told Ken Klippenstein. “No security or screening on this address.”
Spam of God
The whole thing apparently stems from an overhaul at the OPM led by oligarch-in-chief Elon Musk. On Tuesday, Wired reported that Musk had been given free reign to replace the agency’s high-level staff with lackeys from his previous ventures.
Those included a 21-year-old who had previously worked for Peter Thiel, and a summer intern from Neuralink who just graduated high school. It also included Amanda Scales — a former xAI HR staffer who is reportedly in place as the OPM’s new chief of staff.
Scales is allegedly implementing what some have called a hostile takeover of the OPM, axing the Chief Information Officer Melvin Brown II for refusing to implement the new regime’s in-house email server. Brown evidently made the right call, as the new system — on top of all the aforementioned drama — was immediately hit with a class-action lawsuit for failing to pass Bush-era cyber security checks.
All this server drama is important, as it’s reportedly key in DOGE’s goal of gathering information on every government employee. Tuesday’s much-reported “fork in the road” email memos came from this unsecured server, which unintentionally revealed the involvement of two non-government individuals, both heavily involved in Project 2025.
As Trump’s acolytes look to gut the federal government and install their own yes men, the drama swirling around this email server will have a lot to reveal about the new administration’s unprecedented strategy.
More on email leaks: In Leaked Email, Elon Musk Admits Defeat on Twitter
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Fact-checking Trump’s claims about diversity schemes and the Washington plane ******
Fact-checking Trump’s claims about diversity schemes and the Washington plane ******
Jake Horton & Lucy Gilder
BBC Verify
Getty Images
President Donald Trump has caused controversy after suggesting that diversity programmes supported by his predecessors played a role in Wednesday’s mid-air collision between a passenger jet and helicopter in Washington DC.
In a news conference on Thursday, Trump said that under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden candidates with “severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities” could be hired as air traffic controllers (ATCs). He suggested, without offering any evidence, that this could be to blame for the ******.
When challenged by reporters about why he thought this, he responded: “Because I have common sense.”
The investigation into the cause of the ****** – which officials say killed 67 people – is continuing. The president has also blamed the helicopter’s flight path for the collision.
Some aviation experts said that while there had been diversity recruitment schemes within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ATC candidates still had to pass rigorous medical and psychological tests.
BBC Verify has looked into the facts behind the president’s claims.
Can people with ‘severe intellectual or psychiatric disabilities’ be hired as controllers?
President Trump said a “diversity push” by the FAA – the US government agency in charge of civil aviation – had focused “on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities”.
He added: “They can be air traffic controllers.”
The president appeared to be referring to diversity and inclusion policies established during the Obama administration. They included “targeted disabilities that the federal government, as a matter of policy, has identified for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring”.
Details were available on the FAA website until December. BBC Verify found an archived version of the page.
It listed a number of “targeted disabilities”: “Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism”.
The FAA employs around 45,000 people, of which ATC staff number about 14,000.
A new programme was established in 2019, during Trump’s first term in office, seeking to give people with disabilities a pathway to work in air traffic operations.
An FAA press release at the time said the aim was to “help prepare people with disabilities for careers in air traffic operations” and that up to 20 people would train for up to one year at a number of air traffic control centres.
It also emphasised that “candidates in this program will receive the same rigorous consideration in terms of aptitude, medical and security qualifications as those individuals considered for a standard public opening for air traffic controller jobs”.
One of the first three graduates of the program became an air traffic control ******** in August 2021, the FAA said in a blogpost.
Watch: Traffic control radar shows moment of Washington DC ******
Candidates seeking to become ATCs have to go through years of training, as well as physical and mental tests. The FAA says they are screened during the recruitment process for psychological issues.
****** Babbitt – a former head of the FAA – told the NewsNation network: “They have very, very high standards to be an air traffic controller. Diversity has nothing to do with it.”
BBC Verify has asked the FAA if it has hired any air traffic controllers with severe intellectual or psychiatric disabilities since 2013, but is yet to hear back.
Did a directive call the aviation agency ‘too white’?
When talking about standards in the aviation agency under the Obama administration, Trump said: “They actually came out with a directive, too white.”
In 2011 Obama did introduce an initiative to make the FAA a “more diverse and inclusive workplace” – although this didn’t label the agency “too white”.
The Obama administration also added a “biographical questionnaire” to the air traffic control recruitment process as part of efforts to hire more diverse candidates.
This came after several reviews had found equal opportunity issues with the FAA’s hiring process.
In 2019, a legal firm filed a lawsuit against the FAA because of this questionnaire on behalf of more than 2,500 aspiring air traffic controllers.
According to the firm, the questionnaire awarded higher points to candidates for selecting certain answers to multiple choice questions about their socio-economic background.
On one question about job history, it claimed, an applicant would be awarded the highest points available if they indicated that they had not been employed in the last three years.
BBC Verify has not been able to independently verify the marking system for the questionnaire.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that they were discriminated against by the FAA because they did not fit its “preferred ethnic profile as determined in the biographical questionnaire”.
The FAA and the Department of Transportation are contesting the lawsuit.
The questionnaire was removed for air traffic controllers in 2018 under Trump.
In 2024, it was removed for wider FAA hiring, after Republicans in Congress introduced a provision to scrap the biographical questionnaire into a funding bill, which was signed by then-President Biden.
The diversity of the FAA workforce, on some measures, has gradually increased in recent years, according to the agency’s Office of Civil Rights.
In 2016, under Obama, white men made up 59% of the workforce and people with targeted disabilities made up 0.7%.
In 2020, the final year of Trump’s first term, 57% were white men and 1% of the workforce had targeted disabilities.
In 2023, those figures stood at 55% and 2%.
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Season 5 of MultiVersus will be its last
Season 5 of MultiVersus will be its last
The were true: platform fighting game MultiVersus will shut down online services after ends on May 30. The upcoming season, which begins February 4, promises two new characters: Aquaman and Lola Bunny. Real money can no longer be used for microtransactions as of today, but players with premium currency in-game can use it until the shutdown.
The game had less than a month after the open beta began in July 2022, but the developing studio Player First Games also for 10 months in March 2023, only fully launching on May 28, 2024. Despite the strong start, the player count dropped sharply in 2023, and the hype died instantly, as seen on . The open beta’s promise was seemingly by predatory microtransactions and a long grind to unlock content.
MultiVersus will remain playable offline after Season 5 ends, though the game will be removed from Steam and other stores. While disheartening to see a once-promising platform fighter head to the landfill, Brawlhalla, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 and Fraymakers remain viable alternatives, as does the obvious poster child for the genre, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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WA farmer Blythe Calnan and her gorgeous dog Banksi set to star on Muster Dogs season three
WA farmer Blythe Calnan and her gorgeous dog Banksi set to star on Muster Dogs season three
It’s hard graft being a Muster Dog. If you’ve watched the first two seasons of ABC’s series of the same name, you’ll be all too aware just how dedicated those little pups have to be to cut it on their handlers’ farms and stations.
But for little Banksi, the WA kelpie pup who’s front and centre in the upcoming third season, there are certain benefits.
“He does spend a bit of time on the couch with me,” Banksi’s Muster Dogs partner and handler, WA regenerative farmer Blythe Calnan, admitted.
“Wherever I am, he is.
“He’s got his crate inside, and if I’m inside in the office, I’m most comfortable where I can see him — and he is most comfortable where he can see me.
“He’s my A team; my best mate, and we spend so much time together.”
Calnan farms a property in Uduc, 40km north of Bunbury, raising cattle and pasture-roaming chickens. She connected with producers for the hit ABC series via her good friend Aticia Grey, who appeared in series one alongside her own pup, Gossip.
This time around, the show is putting Australia’s top working dog breeds, border collies and kelpies, to the test to determine the ultimate Champion Muster Dog.
Calnan said she knew she wanted to be involved.
Camera IconIt’s Kelpies versus Collies in the recent series of Muster Dogs. Credit: Supplied/ABC
Paired with Banksi in “Team Kelpie”, the pair had an instant connection.
“He was just a delight,” she said of their meet-cute.
“Whenever you meet a puppy, you are not only meeting that puppy, you have got this big imagination around the life you will have together, and with this being a Muster Dogs pup, this tiny, gorgeous, innocent pup represented this big adventure we were both about to go on together.”
Banski had to hit the ground running once arriving in WA from South Australia.
Not only did he have to fit into Calnan’s sizable working dog contingent and learn on the job quickly, he would also be required to meet Muster Dogs milestones, passing various challenges set for him by the show’s training experts, designed to rate each pup’s progress.
“It was a lot of pressure,” Calnan said.
“But I work quite well under pressure, so I was enjoying the fact this dog was part of such a big show, and because we had these milestones, it meant (training) was definitely a priority.”
Calnan, who has trained dogs for several years, said she thoroughly enjoyed her intensive time with Banski in front of the cameras as it reminded her of the very first time she worked with pups in a professional capacity.
“It takes you back,” she said.
“Everyone’s first dog is so special, because you invest so much in that relationship. But as you go on in life, and life gets busier, there is just not as much investment made, so this felt almost a rerun of having that ‘first dog’ again, because we got so close, and spent so much concentrated time together — it’s been a real gift.”
Banksi is now one of a large menagerie who call her Uduc property home. As well as the chooks and cattle, there are also several working dogs.
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“I have (currently) got six herding dogs altogether — some older dogs, and some pups,” she said.
“We also have five guardian dogs (who guard our chickens), and they are just incredible.
“They are a very different dog to the herding dog — their skills and their dedication and the amount of instinct they bring to their job is amazing. They bond to the chickens when they are young — actually, they bond to anything — and whatever they grow up with, then that’s their village.”
But how will Banski go with all his new feathered friends nearby?
“I will get absolutely hung and quartered if I give away anything,” Calnan said.
Will he end up graduating off the couch? You’ll have to watch to find out!
Muster Dogs: Collies and Kelpies starts on February 2 at 7.30pm on ABC.
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Alienware RTX 50-Series Gaming PCs Are Up For Preorder For A Small Fortune
Alienware RTX 50-Series Gaming PCs Are Up For Preorder For A Small Fortune
Nvidia’s newly released GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs are difficult to find in stock at the moment. We would expect stocks to fluctuate over the coming weeks as the first wave of these graphics cards slowly make it to store shelves. However, if you’re interested in upgrading all of your components and willing to wait a bit longer, you can preorder a prebuilt Alienware Area-51 gaming PC equipped with an RTX 5080 through Dell’s online store. The Alienware Area-51 5080 PCs start at $4,450 and are expected to arrive on March 25. While that’s much more expensive than the 5080’s $1,000 MSRP, if you were thinking of getting a new gaming desktop, the Area-51 is equipped with top-notch components.
Starts at $4,450 | Releases March 25
Dell says Alienware Area-51 models with the RTX 5090 will also be available soon. For now, there are multiple RTX 5080 hardware configurations available to preorder. Here are the options:
Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC with RTX 5080 GPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 32GB DDR5 memory, and a 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD — $4,450
Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC with RTX 5080 GPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 64GB DDR5 memory, and a 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD — $5,050
Both models feature Alienware’s Area-51 ATX motherboard and the Area-51 PC case, which includes a tempered glass panel door, built-in cable management, and a dedicated daughterboard for easily plugging in lights and system fans. It also has three M.2 expansion slots if you want to add more SSD storage.
In addition to those internal hardware specs, both PCs run Windows 11 and come with a mouse and keyboard.
Where to Find Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs
While the Alienware Area-51 gaming PCs are a solid way to ensure you get an RTX 5080 within the next few months, they’re quite a bit more expensive than buying the new Nvidia GPUs by themselves. If you’re willing to try your luck, you can wait for the GPUs to come back in stock which would save you quite a bit compared to buying an entire pre-built PC, and–assuming you snag one in time before they sell out again–potentially get you the new GPU even sooner.
You’ll find listings for the RTX 5080 and 5090 listings at multiple retailers in the links below. They’re still sold out at the time of writing, but keep checking to see if they’re back in stock. The RTX 5070 isn’t available to buy yet, but the “budget” 50-Series GPU is expected to release in February.
Nvidia RTX 50-Series Restock Tracker
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Gov. JB Pritzker bans convicted Jan. 6 participants from consideration for state jobs, in memo
Gov. JB Pritzker bans convicted Jan. 6 participants from consideration for state jobs, in memo
CBS News Chicago
Live
CHICAGO (CBS) — Governor JB Pritzker is calling on the Department of Central Management Services to reject those pardoned by President Trump for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attacks at the U.S. Capitol for consideration for state jobs.
In a letter addressed to director Raven DeVaughn, Pritzker says those who participated in attacks violated the State’s personnel code.
“I hereby direct CMS to apply the State Personnel Code and consider any participation in the January 6 insurrection as infamous and disgraceful conduct that is antithetical to the mission of the State,” the letter said.
Upon returning to office, Mr. Trump signed about 200 executive orders, one including pardons to defendants convicted of crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Federal judges in Washington, D.C., who presided over the cases, strongly opposed the order.
View the entire letter below:
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Jeramie Bizzle
Jeramie Bizzle is a web producer for CBS Chicago. Jeramie began working with CBS Chicago as an intern in 2017 and returned as a full-time Web Producer in 2021. He has previously written for the Austin Weekly Newspaper, OakPark.com and Sportskeeda.
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Federal employees told to remove pronouns from email signatures by end of day
Federal employees told to remove pronouns from email signatures by end of day
Employees at multiple federal agencies were ordered to remove pronouns from their email signatures by Friday afternoon, according to internal memos obtained by ABC News that cited two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office seeking to curb diversity and equity programs in the federal government.
“Pronouns and any other information not permitted in the policy must be removed from CDC/ATSDR employee signatures by 5.p.m. ET on Friday,” according to one such message sent Friday morning from Jason Bonander, the CDC’s Chief Information Officer. “Staff are being asked to alter signature blocks by 5.p.m. ET today (Friday, January 31, 2025) to follow the revised policy.”
Federal employees with the Department of Transportation received a similar directive on Thursday, the same day the department was managing the fallout from the D.C. plane ****** near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
MORE: Trump 2nd term live updates: Several senior FBI officials told to resign or else be fired or demoted
Employees were instructed to remove pronouns from everything from government grant applications to email signatures across the department, sources told ABC News.
Employees at the Department of Energy who received a similar notice Thursday were told this was to meet requirements in Trump’s executive order calling for the removal of DEI “language in Federal discourse, communications and publications.”
It was not immediately clear whether employees in other federal agencies received similar messages. Spokespeople for the Transportation Department, Energy Department, HHS and CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
The mandate to remove pronouns from email signatures is the latest result of the Trump administration’s push to do away with diversity and equity efforts in the federal government.
PHOTO: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025. n Washington (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
On his first day in office, Trump signed a pair of executive orders calling for an end to what his administration called “radical and wasteful DEI programs” and seeking to restore “biological truth to the federal government.” Both orders were referenced in the Friday message to agencies.
The memos included instructions for how to edit email signatures.
At least one career civil servant met the order with irritation.
“In my decade-plus years at CDC I’ve never been told what I can and can’t put in my email signature,” said one recipient, who asked not to be identified out of fear of retribution.
A memo issued Wednesday by the Office of Personnel Management also directed agencies to “Review agency email systems such as Outlook and turn off features that prompt users for their pronouns.”
ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.
Federal employees told to remove pronouns from email signatures by end of day originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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OpTic Shotzzy Wants More EU Majors Thanks to Madrid Crowd
OpTic Shotzzy Wants More EU Majors Thanks to Madrid Crowd
The Call of Duty League’s Major I tournament is unravelling in Madrid as we speak. It’s the first major CDL event in Europe in several years, and the fans are electric. One player who wants to see more events in Europe is OpTic Texas’ Shotzzy, who I caught up with after OpTic’s close win over LA Guerrillas M8.
It has been many years since Call of Duty esports (outside of Warzone) landed in London, but that’s a fan – and a player – favourite for a future event.
‘I Love The EU Crowd’
Speaking after a 3 – 2 win over LAG that was closer than many people expected, Shotzzy revealed his love for the EU crowd:
I love the EU crowd, they’re insane. I love y’all.
I will say you guys are definitely the better crowd than NA, but obviously we love NA, so.
When I probed and asked if Shotzzy wanted to go anywhere else in Europe, he revealed:
I’d say London. I had a really bad interview back then, in London, so I’ve got to get my get back.
OpTic’s Huke, who started with the team following Pred’s sudden departure last year, mirrored Shotzzy’s sentiment:
I think the EU crowd is crazy, I’m not going to lie – in a good way.
OpTic Texas came into Major I as the first seed, but a 2 – 3 loss handed down by the Miami Heretics (damn that curse) sent the team into the elimination bracket. Following a win over LAG M8, OpTic now moves forward to face the Carolina Royal Ravens.
At the first CDL Minor tournament, the Royal Ravens forcefully ejected OpTic Texas from the running, before being promptly eliminated by FaZe. Could this be an opportunity for OpTic Texas to, as Shotzzy puts it, ‘get their get back’?
Stay tuned for more of the latest news from the CDL Major I tournament in Madrid.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out the news that League of Legends is getting a game changers circuit
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Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China begin Saturday, White House says
Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China begin Saturday, White House says
U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., Jan. 30, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters
In an apparent ending to weeks of intense speculation, the White House confirmed Friday that President Donald Trump will be leveling aggressive tariffs this weekend on major U.S. trading partners.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Trump will be leveling 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada as well as a 10% duty on China, in retaliation for “the ******** fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country.”
The White House provided few details on exactly how the levies will be meted out, saying that they will be available for public inspection at some point Saturday.
Stocks, which had been positive earlier in the session, fell on the news, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 200 points, or about 0.5%. However, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite stayed positive.
“These are promises made and promises kept by the president,” Leavitt said.
There was no word on potential exemptions to the tariffs; the White House denied an earlier Reuters report that there would be at lease some exclusions rather than simply blanket measures covering all products.
Together, the U.S. does about $1.6 trillion in annual business with the three countries. Trump is seeking to use the tariffs as both bargaining chips and methods to affect foreign policy changes, specifically the immigration and drug trade issues.
“We’ve got the Super Bowl coming up, and eerily, the amount of people that fit in the [New Orleans] Superdome are almost exactly equal to the number of people dying every year here in America from fentanyl, and that comes from China and Mexico,” Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC in an interview earlier Friday. “This is why we have these kind of discussions.”
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
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Our Sales Skyrocketed When I Told Helldivers 2 Players “To not buy the game” Until We Fix 1 Issue
Our Sales Skyrocketed When I Told Helldivers 2 Players “To not buy the game” Until We Fix 1 Issue
Helldivers 2 is currently one of the most popular games in the world, however, the journey was not easy for Arrowhead Game Studios. The independent Swedish video game developer has been around for quite some time now, but it was 2015’s Helldivers that solidified their place in the industry.
Arrowhead didn’t expect Helldivers 2 to become so popular (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios)
In terms of gameplay, Helldivers 2 was very different from the first game as Arrowhead moved to a third-person view. When the game was initially released in February 2024, it became a worldwide sensation, to the point where the studio couldn’t handle the high active player count. Johan Pilestedt, the CCO of Arrowhead, once explained that they had to encourage players to stop playing the game because the studio needed time to resolve server issues. But that move completely backfired as the game gained even more players.
Helldivers 2 gained even more popularity when Arrowhead Game Studios asked players to stop playing the game
In May 2022, Johan Pilestedt, the Chief Creative Officer of Arrowhead Game Studios, appeared for an interview with GamesIndustryBiz to talk about the unexpected success of Helldivers 2. During the conversation, Pilestedt revealed that the studio wanted players to stop playing the game because the servers couldn’t handle it,
I told people to not buy the game until we can manage the servers… but that actually increased the amount of users, unfortunately.
The idea clearly backfired as Helldivers 2 witnessed a significant boost in its active player count. As per SteamDB, the game had 450,000 active players at one point, something that Arrowhead didn’t expect at all.
Within three months of its release, Helldivers 2 sold over 12 million copies. Unfortunately, the player base slowly started shrinking as players were not happy with the unnecessary nerfs that ruined the gaming experience.
Helldivers 2 has made a strong comeback
The Omens of Tyranny update added a new enemy faction to Helldivers 2 (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios)
Players were already not happy with Arrowhead due to a lack of new content and nerfs, but it still didn’t damage the game’s reputation as much as the PSN account linking policy did. Sony, being the game’s publisher, tried to force PC players to create a PSN account in order to continue playing the game. This move completely ruined the game’s image as Helldivers 2‘s Steam page was flooded with negative reviews.
Arrowhead hoped that it would be able to revive the game’s hype with the first major update, Escalation of Freedom, but it was not well-received by the fans. The studio was convinced that its strategy was not working and decided to prioritize players’ feedback.
Many players returned to the game after Arrowhead buffed various fan-favorite weapons and Stratagems. The announcement of the Omens of Tyranny update successfully revived the game’s hype as it peaked at over 150,000 concurrent users on Steam at one point.
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India clinch T20 series v England amid substitute drama
India clinch T20 series v England amid substitute drama
Harshit Rana has claimed three wickets in his debatable appearance as a concussion substitute to help India to a series-clinching 15-run victory against England in the fourth T20 International.
Put in to bat on Friday, India overcame Saqib Mahmood’s three-wickets-in-an-over burst to post a competitive 9-181 following half-centuries by Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.
England were 166 all out with two deliveries left in their innings as India grabbed an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
Allrounder Dube was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer and seamer Rana replaced him despite it not being a like-for-like replacement as concussion substitute rules’ mandate.
“When Dube came back, two overs into the chase, I was told (about being the concussion substitute),” Rana told the broadcasters.
“I have been waiting for this moment to prove myself,” he added, of his “dream debut”.
England fast bowler Saqib also impressed on debut as he began with a three-wicket maiden over to rattle India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium.
India opener Sanju Samson fluffed his pull shot, No.3 Tilak Varma perished at deep third leg and captain Suryakumar Yadav was caught at short mid-on, prolonging his lean patch in the series.
Abhishek Sharma (29) and Rinku Singh (30) propped up India before the left-right combination of Dube and Pandya counter-attacked during their 87-run partnership.
Pandya and Dube smashed identical 53s but India managed only three runs from the eventful last over from Overton, losing three wickets in the process.
Phil Salt (23) and Ben Duckett (39) milked 32 runs from the first three overs of India’s seam bowling, prompting Suryakumar to employ spin from both ends.
Thanks to their unbridled aggression, England were 1-62 after the first six powerplay overs compared to India’s 3-47.
But India struck back through spin as Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) dismissed Duckett and Jos Buttler in his successive overs, while Axar Patel removed Salt.
Harry Brook (51) hit Rana for back-to-back sixes en route to a 25-ball fifty but Varun Chakravarthy turned the match on its head, claiming two wickets in his final over.
Brook fell attempting a scoop shot against the spinner and, two ****** later, Brydon Carse was snared at deep square leg as India tightened their grip on the contest.
Mumbai hosts the fifth and final T20 International on Sunday, which will be followed by three one-dayers between the sides.
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Get four Apple AirTags for $70, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals
Get four Apple AirTags for $70, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals
It’s time for another edition of Engadget’s weekly deals roundup where we bring together worthwhile tech deals from the past week. If you’re in the market for home entertainment gear, you’re in luck thanks to Super Bowl-adjacent sales. Even if you don’t care about the repeat clash between the Eagles and Chiefs, you can still save up to 25 percent on Sonos speakers and get discounts on a number of decent TV sets. You can check those out in our separate TV deals roundup or browse a few highlights below. As for non-sports-related tech deals, a bunch of Apple gear is on ***** right now, including AirTags, the Apple Watch and three models of iPads (the Pro, Air and mini). Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Sonos Era 100 (Sonos)
Sonos Era 100 smart speaker for $199 ($50 off) at Sonos: One of our favorite smart speakers has returned to its lowest price yet. As part of a wider ***** at both Sonos and Amazon, the Era 100 is $50 off. We gave it a score of 88 in our review thanks to its great audio that can reach loud volumes. We’re also fans of connectivity options that include Bluetooth and line-in. Sonos simplified its Trueplay tuning feature that optimizes the audio output for the room and the speaker will work with Alexa and Sonos’ own voice assistant (which just handles music duty, and the speaker doesn’t support Google Assistant).
Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $399 ($100 off) at Sonos: We named the Beam the best midrange soundbar and right now it’s $100 off. That’s $30 more than it was for ****** Friday, but still a decent deal on a quality TV speaker that will make movies more immersive and dialogue more clear. You can also pick up the original Arc soundbar for $250 off — that version is likely being discontinued in favor of the Arc Ultra, which unfortunately is still full price.
Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $70 ($29 off) at Amazon: A new model of Apple’s AirTag is likely coming this year with predicted upgrades that include a longer range. But as it stands now, these are the best way for iPhone users to keep track of their bags, keys, luggage and more, according to our testing. AirTags rely on other iPhones to anonymously ping lost tags and we found that system almost spooky in its accuracy. This is a return to the record-low price the 4-pack of tags has hit many times over the past few months. Also at Best Buy.
Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off) at Amazon: We saw this deal a couple weeks ago and now it has returned. It represents an all-time low on Apple’s latest small-scale tablet. The iPad mini 7 is our pick for the best compact iPad — in part because it’s the only one —and we gave it a score of 83 in our review. Apple refreshed it last October with a faster chip and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. This configuration has 128GB of storage and Apple’s A17 Pro chip. It also boasts 8GB of RAM, which is enough to support Apple Intelligence features.
Apple iPad Air M2 (Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget)
Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M2, 128GB) for $499 ($100 off) at Amazon: This is a great time to grab our pick for the best iPad for most people. This is just a dollar off from the record low of $498 we’ve seen previously. We gave the M2 iPad Air a score of 91 in our review when the tablet came out last May. We think it hits the sweet spot between performance, features and price — particularly right now. The 13-inch Air is also $100 off. Both deals are also available at Best Buy.
Apple iPad Pro 13-Inch (M4, 256B) for $1,099 ($200 off) at Amazon: Apple’s latest high-end iPad is back down to a record-low price. The smaller 11-inch M4 iPad Pro is on ***** for $899, though it’s been that price for much of the past few months. The M4 is Apple’s latest chipset — Apple put it in the iPad Pro before putting it in a MacBook. The Pro is an absurdly powerful tablet, handling tasks as demanding as video editing alongside the usual streaming, gaming and browsing people usually use tablets for. In our review, we called it one of the nicest portable screens we’ve seen with extremely fast performance, but also called it “prohibitively expensive,” especially when you factor in the accessories needed to get the most out of its potential.
Apple Watch Series 10 (Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget)
Google Nest Pro Wi-Fi routers (Engadget/Daniel Cooper)
Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E mesh router for $120 ($80 off) at Amazon: Here’s a 40 percent discount on the Fog colorway — other hues are full price. This made our list of the best mesh routers because it’s reliable, easy-to-use and is perfect for those who want a mesh system that you can set up and then forget about. Also at B&H Photo.
Google 2024 Nest Learning Thermostat for $240 ($40 off) at Amazon: The latest iteration of Google’s smart thermostat is $40 off, which is about $10 more than the lowest price we’ve seen. Google says this latest model delivers more accurate readings thanks to the help of AI, offering suggestions on how to lower your energy usage and automatically adjusting your settings based on schedules, ambient temp, weather and more.
Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $28 ($17 off) at Amazon: A couple of Anker’s Soundcore speakers made our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, proving that the company is good at making more than just charging accessories. This one has an IPX7 waterproof rating, 24-hours of play time on a charge and 12 watts of output. The ***** price is a return to a low we’ve tracked many times over the past year or so.
Anker USB C to USB C cable for $7 ($2 off) at Amazon: If your puppy also likes to chew on cables she finds on the floor, you may be in the market for a new one (cable, not puppy). Anker accessories number among our favorites on countless buying lists and this one is down to just $7. The 60 watt rating should be more than enough to fast charge any smartphone or tablet out there.
Anker USB C Charger (Nano 65W) for $30 ($26 off) at Amazon: For an equally speedy wall adapter, you can snag this 65 watt Anker charger for nearly half price. The compact brick sports three ports, two USB-C and one USB-A so you can charge up three different devices at once.
Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
TV deals ahead of the Super Bowl
LG
Engadget’s Jeff Dunn put together a roundup of TV deals that retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and others are offering ahead of the Super Bowl. These sales aren’t necessarily tied to the game — TV prices often fall around this time of year as manufacturers get ready to reveal new models in the spring. Still, there are some decent prices on TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense that other trusted reviewers have deemed worthy (we don’t formally review TVs here at Engadget). A few picks are detailed here, but you can head here to see full list.
LG B4 OLED TV (48″) for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off MSRP): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG’s 2024 OLED lineup. While it’s not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep ****** tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and the like. It’s also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice
Hisense U7N QLED TV (65″) for $698 at Amazon ($300 off): Several reviewers we trust say that the U7N delivers better brightness, contrast and HDR performance than most TVs in its price range. It’s built with most of the features expected from pricier LED sets, including quantum-dot color, mini-LED backlighting and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also runs on the handy Google TV platform. Its viewing angles are poor, so it’s not great for watching shows with a large group, and you may need to tinker with settings to get an optimal image. But the 65-inch model should be a strong value at this price, which is only about $20 more than the all-time low we saw briefly around Cyber Monday. Also at Walmart and Best Buy. — J.D.
Samsung The Frame TV (Amy Skorheim)
Samsung The Frame 2024 QLED TV (55″) for $868 at Woot ($630 off): This deal from Amazon subsidiary Woot has been live for a few weeks, but it ties the best price to date for the 55-inch version of Samsung’s stylish Frame TV outside of a one-off eBay coupon deal. You’d buy this set for its design above all else: It can’t match the contrast and color volume of other TVs in its price range, as it lacks local dimming altogether, but it’s convincingly built like a framed piece of wall art that can blend in with your home decor. Its matte panel helps it fend off glare in a bright room, and you can display actual artwork onscreen when you’re not watching something. It’s worth noting that Samsung unveiled a new and improved “Frame Pro” TV at CES, but we’d expect that to cost more whenever it arrives. — J.D.
Deals from last week that are still live today
We assemble this deals roundup each week — and sometimes discounts from the previous week are still going strong when we put together the new one. If you didn’t catch last week’s post or were waiting to jump on an item or two, here are the sales that are still active today:
Crucial X9 Pro (1TB) for $70 at Amazon ($31 off MSRP): The X9 Pro is our pick for the best portable SSD, as it combines steady performance for most needs with a rugged, super-compact design that’s easy to take on the go. We saw this deal earlier this month, but it matches the largest discount for the 1TB model since late 2023. Also at Best Buy. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice
Meta Quest 3S (256GB) + $15 Newegg gift card for $350 at Newegg ($65 off): The Quest 3S is the budget recommendation in our guide to the best VR headsets. While its older fresnel lenses aren’t as crisp or clear as the pancake lenses in the superior Quest 3, they’re good enough for most people just getting started with VR, and the headset as a whole is just as fast as the pricier model. More importantly, it supports all the same apps and games. The 256GB model has been $50 off at several retailers for a little over a week, but at Newegg you can now get a $15 gift card thrown in for no extra cost. Also at Amazon, Meta and others without the gift card. Meta says the price drop will end on February 8. — J.D.
Astro A40 TR gaming headset (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)
Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $100 at Amazon ($30 off): The Astro A40 TR is the top wired choice in our guide to the best gaming headsets. Its open-back design helps it sound wider and more spacious than most options in this market, which makes it better for picking out enemies in online shooters or just feeling more immersed in a big action game. Being open-back means it leaks and lets in a good chunk of outside noise, so you shouldn’t buy it if you often play in a noisy environment. The built-in mic isn’t the best, either. Still, the enveloping sound makes it worthwhile. This deal is only $10 more than the all-time low we saw around ****** Friday. Also at Logitech and Newegg. — J.D.
SanDisk Ultra (1TB) microSD card for $69 at Amazon ($16 off): The SanDisk Ultra is slower than the top recommendations in our microSD card buying guide, especially when it comes to write speeds, so you wouldn’t want to stress it with large file transfers. If you can afford one of our main picks, get that instead. But if all you want is a big chunk of storage for as little cash as possible, it should be fine enough in a cheap tablet or gaming handheld. This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the 1TB model. It’s a dollar more at SanDisk and B&H. — J.D.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC) for $15 at Steam ($45 off): Its mission structure is dated, the movement is clunky and some of the writing can be, let’s say, less than graceful. But Rockstar’s Old West epic remains an achievement in maximalist world design: painstakingly detailed (literally), filled with stories and shot with unusually cinematic flair. You may not finish it until 2026, but if you’ve been waiting to take the plunge, this is a new low for the Steam copy and only $2 more than the lowest price we’ve seen overall. Other Rockstar games are also on *****. — J.D.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (PC) for $10 at Steam ($30 off): We’ve seen this deal multiple times over the past year, but it ties the all-time low for Microsoft’s Halo compilation, which gathers six of the iconic FPS series’ essential games in one package. (Well, five essentials, plus Halo 4.) We include this one in our list of the best couch co-op games, but note that the PC version here only supports online co-op, not local play. — J.D.
Super Mario RPG for $30 at Target: Super NES classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars didn’t necessarily need a remake, but this Switch version thankfully adheres the original’s oddball spirit while sprucing up the visuals for true 3D. If you’re in the market for a breezier, lower-stress RPG, it should fit the bill. This deal matches its all-time low. — J.D.
The ASUS ROG Ally (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)
ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) gaming handheld for $450 at Best Buy ($200 off): The original ROG Ally isn’t as powerful or long-lasting as the newer ROG Ally X, and all Windows gaming handhelds are saddled with less optimized software than Valve’s Steam Deck, which remains the top pick in our buying guide. However, when it’s discounted to this extent, the older Ally is worth considering if you really want a handheld PC that can play games from any client, be it Steam, the Epic Games Store or the Xbox app. It’s still a touch more powerful than the Deck, too, and its 120Hz VRR display does wonders to keep games looking smooth. And for as slipshod as Windows can be, ASUS has made its Armoury Crate app at least a little easier to navigate over time. Just don’t expect more than a couple hours of battery life, and don’t bother using the microSD slot. This deal ties the all-time low for the model with a Z1 Extreme chip. — J.D.
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Trump and Project 2025: President’s early moves mirror conservative playbook – National
Trump and Project 2025: President’s early moves mirror conservative playbook – National
In 2024, Donald Trump denied multiple times he had anything to do with the conservative policy agenda known as Project 2025, going so far as to claim he’d never read the Heritage Foundation’s 900-plus-page book of policy recommendations that’s sold itself as a blueprint for the “next conservative President.”
But an early barrage of executive orders signed by the president in the first weeks of his second term align with many ideas promoted in Project 2025.
In some cases, overlap is to be expected — Project 2025 outlines some standard Republican policies and builds on some of the ideas Trump has proposed and talked about over the years, like tougher border enforcement, slashing regulations and lowering taxes. Other policies Trump has acted on predate Project 2025, as well.
But, as an analysis conducted by Bloomberg corroborates, more than 30 of Trump’s 47 early executive orders show clear parallels with Project 2025, some of which the president didn’t address or talk about much on the campaign trail.
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Continue reading to learn more about Project 2025, who’s behind it and how the Trump administration seems to be echoing some of the specific ideas that appear in the document.
Who’s behind Project 2025?
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, published the sprawling manifesto in April 2023.
The project has claimed to not speak for any presidential candidate, though last year it said it believed Trump would win and could “decide which recommendations to implement.”
PROJECT 2025 SPOKESPERSON:
“As we’ve been saying for more than two years now, Project 2025 does not speak for any candidate or campaign.
We are a coalition of more than 110 conservative groups advocating policy & personnel recommendations for the next conservative president. — Project 2025 (@Prjct2025) July 5, 2024
Despite Trump saying he had “no idea who is behind” Project 2025, journalist Judd Legum was the first to report that 31 out of the 38 people who helped write and edit the book served in Trump’s first administration or were nominated to positions in it.
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This is also not the first time the Heritage Foundation has created a presidential “transition project.” The first such project was published in 1981 ahead of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.
“By the end of that year, more than 60 percent of its recommendations had become policy,” the foreword of Project 2025 reads.
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For his part, Trump has repeatedly said he has nothing to do with Project 2025 and believes “some of the things that they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous.”
“People who advised him, on his team, would have searched for the Heritage Foundation’s report and found those recommendations that aligned with Trump’s policies,” Donald Abelson, academic director of the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement and professor of political science at McMaster University told Global News, calling the overlap between Trump’s executive orders and Project 2025 “unsurprising.”
However, Ableson says it’s likely true Trump did not directly read the report, pointing to its sheer size.
“People very close to him would have looked at his priorities and then they would have gone to the [Project 2025] playbook and looked at how Project 2025 would have shaped those proposals,” he explained.
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What is outlined in Project 2025?
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Notably, Project 2025 advocated for the dismantling of the Department of Education, bringing the Department of Justice (DOJ) under presidential control, criminalizing abortion drugs and abolishing the Federal Reserve, among many other suggestions.
To help achieve this dramatic reshaping of the U.S. government, the project recommended that thousands of federal workers be fired and conservative appointees take their place. The initiative went so far as to release an online questionnaire, vetting individuals for a “Presidential Personnel Database” that the next president can use to staff the federal bureaucracy.
“Our goal is to assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives to go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State,” the project proclaimed on its website.
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The overlap between Trump’s executive orders and Project 2025
While Trump has taken steps so far that are not explicitly mentioned in Project 2025, like attempting to curb birthright citizenship, declaring a national emergency and changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, there are scores of parallels or outright mirroring between his early executive orders and Project 2025 recommendations, including ending certain international agreements, loosening environmental regulations and scaling back on or dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“There’s no balance anymore and he feels liberated, he feels emboldened and he feels untouchable and thinks he can do anything and get away with it, and that’s very frightening,” said Ableson.
“At this point for Trump it’s all about signalling his intentions, he likes getting people nervous, he likes exploiting people who are vulnerable — this is all part of his strategy. If people thought he was untethered the first go-around, they haven’t seen anything,” he warned.
“He’s got a conservative court, he’s got a majority in both the House and the Senate, he’s emboldened by the fact he never spent time in jail, although he was a convicted felon, he was pretty much given a free pass. Here’s a person, now, who feels untouchable and wants to do whatever he can in four years.”
President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci / The Associated Press
Freezing federal job hiring
On page 79, Project 2025 proposed a freeze on “all top career-position hiring” to “prevent ‘burrowing in’ by outgoing political appointees” and noted that several recent presidents began with hiring freezes.
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The White House, meanwhile, has ordered a hiring freeze on all federal civilian employees in the executive branch, barring national security, law enforcement, military or immigration position hires.
Declaring a gender binary
On page 450, Project 2025 recommended that Health and Human Services cancel programs that recognize transgender people and, on page 489, that Health and Human Services “proudly state that men and women are biological realities.” The blueprint also recommended, on page 104, barring transgender troops from serving in the armed forces and expelling anyone currently serving who identifies outside of male or female.
Trump signed an executive order declaring there are “two sexes, male and female” and that “sex” is not a synonym for gender identity. He also rescinded protections put in place by the previous administration that allow transgender Americans to serve in the military, and also barred the use of pronouns “that inaccurately reflect an individual’s sex.”
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Trump’s executive order on gender identity worries some Canadians
Cutting off gender-affirming care
On page 485, Project 2025 proposed that the government withdraw all guidance to teens seeking “gender-affirming care” or “gender transition.”
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Trump ordered an end to federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors, including hormones and puberty blockers, calling it the “end of chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
Allowing unvaccinated troops back into the military
On page 103, Project 2025 addresses troops who were discharged for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccination during the mandated *******. The blueprint recommends allowing those troops to be reinstated.
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A White House executive order will reinstate those discharged for refusing to get the vaccine, and will also allow discharged members to return to their previous rank and receive back pay from the time they were not actively serving.
Withdrawing from the WHO and Paris climate agreement
Project 2025 proposed, in multiple ways and on multiple pages, ending programs designed to meet the Paris climate agreement, with the goal of ceasing a “global, climate-themed agenda” and the “perceived threat of climate change.”
The blueprint also proposed reducing support, “including withdrawal,” from the World Health Organization, on page 191.
Trump’s White House has started the process of withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, including financial commitments and related agreements, and is also withdrawing from the WHO.
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How could Trump withdrawing from Paris Climate Accord affect world?
Suspending refugee admissions and asylum claims
Project 2025, on page 178, proposed curtailing the number of refugees admitted under the U.S. Refugee Admission Program, as well as proposing that the government raise the standards for “credible fear of persecution at the southern border,” on page 148.
Trump, on Jan. 20, signed an executive order suspending the Refugee Admission Program, with the possibility of renewal of the program every three months, based on advice from the secretary of state. Trump also signed an order suspending all asylum claims at the southern border until he’s confident that “the invasion at the southern border has ceased.”
Upping security and militarization at the southern border
On page 555, Project 2025 proposed increased security along the border with Mexico, recommending that the National Guard and active-duty personnel be sent to assist in arrest operations, particularly with drug cartels.
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Trump, meanwhile, went further than Project 2025’s recommendations, declaring a national emergency and ordering the Defense Department to send troops and National Guard members to the border to deal with any potential ******** aliens, not just criminal gangs.
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****** Hawk helicopters deployed to Alberta-U.S. border amid security concerns, tariff threats
Ending DEI programs
At the very top of its blueprint, on page 3, Project 2025 proposed getting rid of the terms “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) from every single federal contract, grant, rule, regulation and piece of legislation.
Trump signed an executive order ending DEI programs, activities, mandates and policies at the federal level, as well as some federal contractors, calling them “radical and wasteful.”
Drilling in Alaska
On page 523, Project 2025 proposed that the government open up oil and gas drilling and exploration access in Alaska’s wilderness, “to establish a competitive leasing and development program.”
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The White House’s executive order, signed by Trump, now directs federal agencies to expedite oil and gas project permits in the northernmost state, giving priority to liquefied natural gas projects.
A ticking clock and a matter of ego
Aaron Ettinger, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University, says that while Trump is distinctive in the sheer amount of executive orders signed in the first days of his term and the enormity of their implications, it boils down to part strategy, part ego.
“Trump is, if nothing else, predictable. He’ll do what makes him look like a winner and implementing the sweeping programs in Project 2025 is an easy pathway to looking like a winner,” Ettinger told Global News in an email, citing the free-wheeling and off-the-cuff promises Trump often made on the campaign trail.
Other experts agree that the president is likely feeling the pressure of a ticking clock and a final term.
“Trump, given the fact he’s now a lame duck president…he can’t seek re-election again, he can’t pull — although I’m sure he would love to — a [Russian president] Vladimir Putin and be president for life, that’s not going to happen,” said Ableson.
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“So, he is in a rush to make good on his campaign promises, he’s thinking about his legacy, he’s thinking about throwing as much red meat to his base as possible.”
Greg Anderson, a professor of political science at the University of Alberta, agrees, adding that Trump is also likely feeling the pressure of upcoming reviews from the American public.
“Trump is in some sense already a lame duck president. He doesn’t have a lot of time to get some things done. Midterms and a referendum by voters on how he’s doing are not far away.”
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Trump signs executive orders targeting military, federal aid
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How 4 older Americans retired comfortably — and why some wish they worked less
How 4 older Americans retired comfortably — and why some wish they worked less
Brian Loffredo, 68, still does his own yard work and watches his grocery spending despite having millions in the bank.
Loffredo, who lives in Connecticut, worked in retail management for decades but said finances were tight early in his career while raising four stepchildren. He recalled winters when he could “see the breath coming out of our mouths” because he couldn’t afford heat.
As he navigated higher-paying jobs, including management roles where he worked 50 to 70 hours a week, he learned how to do home improvements himself to save money. In addition to smart investments and staying at one company for 26 years, these strategies helped him grow his wealth during difficult times — and he plans to keep them.
“You do what you have to do, you learn to do it yourself, and you can get it done,” Loffredo said. “In the meantime, you’re saving money that allows you to buy presents for the kids.”
Loffredo could be seen as an example of a “millionaire next door,” as described in a classic 1996 finance book. Many wealthier Americans live in middle-class areas and achieve their wealth through careful planning and investing instead of risky business moves or very high-paying jobs.
For many Americans like Loffredo, more money doesn’t necessarily mean a drastic lifestyle shift. Business Insider heard from dozens of older Americans who retired comfortably but still remain frugal. Some older Americans said they were working while enjoying seven-figure net worths, whether for financial security or simply having something to do.
Some regretted oversaving and not enjoying their money when they were younger, but most said they would change little about their retirement strategies and believed they wouldn’t be who they are without making those sacrifices.
Loffredo hadn’t thought seriously about investment strategies until 2000, a few years after his wife died. He watched financial cable news channels and read about diversifying his portfolio. He took $100,000 of his savings and day-traded it before taking the buy-and-hold approach.
After searching for areas with less costly real estate, he sold his 2,200-square-foot house for a 3,500-square-foot home that cost only $10,000 more. Despite a demotion from a six-figure income to about $60,000, his investments, including his 401(k) and IRA accounts, continued to grow.
“I could have bought a house for a million and a half, and my investments have made some money,” Loffredo said. “I don’t believe in wasting that kind of money, and every house you get that is more valuable costs you more to maintain it.”
Loffredo retired in April 2021 and volunteers in the community. He recently splurged on a Corvette, though he continues living frugally in other aspects. He still sometimes waits until he has a coupon to get new clothes.
“Before you spend money, think about what that money could have earned if you hadn’t spent it,” Loffredo said. “Whether it’s a frivolous vacation or a fancier car, is that more important to you than what that extra money might have earned?”
Ken Curell, 73, recalls reading an article from a financial magazine decades ago arguing that people should save money before spending it. Curell said that except for wishing he’d invested more in Roth IRAs, his retirement planning strategies worked well.
The Ohio resident served in the Air Force for more than three decades. During this time, he married his wife and raised two children. He left active duty to fly for airlines until his retirement in 2012, and he taught his children how to fly planes.
“Angry perseverance for me was the impetus, the fuel, the ignition source for not giving up on flight and doggedly pursuing an avenue where I wanted to go,” Curell said.
Ken Curell retired in 2012.Ken Curell
Curell said one of his major regrets was devoting too many hours to work. “My employers conditioned me to the idea of more time spent in the office and after-work-hours attention to work-related actions made me the better employee,” Curell said.
Many older Americans who told *** they retired well said they wished they’d worked less. In December, *** released a series on older Americans’ retirement regrets, and a common theme was oversaving — being too frugal or putting in long hours without vacations.
Curell read extensively about retirement planning, investing in stocks, bonds, low-cost funds, and IRAs that have grown to seven figures. He said his portfolio was about 70% stocks and 30% bonds. In the early 2000s, amid pay cuts for pilots, he said he cut coupons and cut back on unnecessary expenses. He and his wife of 46 years, also an Air Force veteran, receive annuities that have made retirement planning less stressful.
“The first rule of thumb is to check your emotions at the door when you start dealing with your finances, making it purely about the numbers,” Curell said.
Deborah Hrustich, 69, has rediscovered herself in retirement.
Hrustich, who lives outside Albany, worked 5 a.m. shifts as a neurosurgeon so she’d finish early enough to attend her three children’s activities. She spent years sleeping five hours a night, working until she was 61.
Hrustich said she had few regrets about her spending, as she spent a lot on her children’s activities but cut back on cars, clothes, and her home. She and her husband spent her money and saved his — they took extensive trips, bought Super Bowl and World Series tickets, and paid off their mortgage early.
They hired an accountant to manage their money, as she said neither of them knew how to properly invest. She said they’d saved enough money to live until 100 and be financially stable.
“I don’t think young people at 35 understand that you have to have money to retire, that you can’t live on Social Security, but you want to balance that with fun times,” Hrustich said. “If you dream of taking a trip somewhere, take it.”
But with millions saved for retirement, it took a few years to fully enjoy it, she said. Her husband died suddenly three years ago, putting her retirement plans in flux. She also wished she would have taken more time for herself earlier in life.
“I never ate the last piece of cake,” Hrustich said. “I always put the needs and wants of everyone else first.”
She said it took two years after her husband’s death to rebuild her life and surround herself with people who share her values. Hrustich volunteers as a caregiver for Alzheimer’s patients and as a tutor, and she hopes to continue traveling.
Karen Jones, 69, didn’t have stable work or actively save until her 30s. She worked as a customs broker while her husband stayed home with their children, and she started a customs brokerage and forwarding firm in Boise, Idaho, at 44.
“We were in our late 30s before we even thought of or cared about retirement, and we had a lot to make up,” Jones said. “We maxed out our 401(k). If we had to make payments for two years for a couch, we didn’t buy it.”
Karen Jones retired comfortably after selling her company.Karen Jones
She ran her company for 16 years, working long hours and saving much of her earnings. She and her husband stayed in the same house for 25 years, drove their cars for more than 20 years, and bought a camper in cash. She planned to find a buyer for the firm after 10 years, but she ran it until she was 61 and retired at 64. She sold her company for about $700,000, including the payout for three additional years, and paid off her house and other debts.
“We were the only customs broker for a long time in Boise, but I treated my customers like there were a million of us around,” Jones said.
Three days after her retirement, while preparing for a camping trip, her husband had a heart attack and never fully recovered. She spent 2 ½ years as his caregiver until he died, and she regretted not taking more time off while working to go on trips with family.
Jones teaches college courses, takes piano lessons, tends to her garden, and travels frequently. She earns about $5,000 a month from Social Security and investments and plans to move to Madrid.
“My finance guy keeps telling me to spend more,” Jones said. “People save all their lives, and then they can spend it, but they don’t know what to spend it on. Still, I don’t think I have to worry about money.”
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