Pelican Press

Exxon Mobil Q4 Earnings: Mixed Results, But CEO Promises 'Profitable Growth Well Into the Future' – Yahoo Finance Exxon Mobil Q4 Earnings: Mixed Results, But CEO Promises 'Profitable Growth Well Into the Future' – Yahoo Finance Exxon Mobil Q4 Earnings: Mixed Results, But CEO Promises ‘Profitable Growth Well Into the Future’ Yahoo FinanceExxon beats fourth-quarter estimates with higher Permian, Guyana output CNBCExxonMobil announces 2024 results ExxonMobil Source link #Exxon #Mobil #Earnings #Mixed #Results #CEO #Promises #039Profitable #Growth #Future039 #Yahoo #Finance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Digga D jailed for supplying cannabis for commercial profit Digga D jailed for supplying cannabis for commercial profit A leading *** drill star has been jailed for three years and 11 months for supplying 99lbs (45kg) of cannabis. Digga D, whose name is Rhys Herbert, was arrested at his property near Lincoln in the early hours of 21 February while broadcasting on Instagram Live. Herbert, of Lonsdale Road in Notting Hill, London, pleaded guilty in May to two charges relating to the importation and supply of cannabis. However, the 24-year-old denied being involved in commercial ***** of up to 132lbs (60kg) of the Class B drug at Lincoln Crown Court but the basis of his pleas were not accepted. During a two-day trial of the issue, known as a Newton Hearing, in December, Judge Simon Hirst decided on the level of Herbert’s drug dealing. Passing sentence Judge Hirst said he was “satisfied” Herbert had played a significant role in supplying cannabis and had sold at least 99lbs (45kg) for a commercial profit. The judge told Herbert: “It is agreed you had a significant role on the basis you expected significant financial advantage. On occasions others were involved in the operation of returning and collecting cannabis. “The level of the offending is so serious that there must be a sentence of imprisonment.” Source link #Digga #jailed #supplying #cannabis #commercial #profit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Emergency flood alert issued for Townsville, North Queensland as torrential rain, flooding smashes city Emergency flood alert issued for Townsville, North Queensland as torrential rain, flooding smashes city Emergency services have deployed multiple rescue crews around the North Queensland region of Townsville as flash flooding and torrential rain pounds the area. A flood alert has been issued for the tropical zone, located about 1350km north of Brisbane, and already Queensland Fire and Rescue boat crews have helped rescue two persons from a vehicle stuck in floodwaters. “The Queensland Fire Department has swift water rescue crews pre-positioned across all impacted areas,” a QFES spokeswoman told NewsWire on Friday night. “The public should call triple-0 in emergencies.” Camera IconWater rescue crews have been pre-positioned across impacted areas of the North Queensland region of Townsville, after a deluge of rain led to flash flooding. Supplied / Channel 7 Credit: Channel 7Camera IconA flood alert has been issued for the tropical zone, located about 1350km north of Brisbane. Supplied / Channel 7 Credit: Channel 7 Earlier, QFES deployed eight swift water rescue crews to search for a person who reportedly went missing in floodwaters. The person self-extricated from the water, the QFES spokeswoman said, and is now safe and well. The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group said at 6pm “localised flooding” was hitting the city. “Prepare to leave. Conditions could change quickly.” The Queensland Department of Main Roads’ traffic map shows flood waters over the Bruce Highway just south of Townsville at the Port Access Road and Abbott Road intersection. The Bureau of Meteorology, meanwhile, has warned that major flooding is possible along the Ross River and expected along the Bohle River. Camera IconThe likelihood of a tropical cyclone forming, showing it could be located within a 300 km radius from a given location and within a time window of 48 hours. ECMWF via Weatherzone Credit: Supplied It has prompted authorities to start controlled releases of water from the Ross River Dam. Townsville City Council warned this would contribute to flows downstream in the Ross River. “With forecast heavy rainfall major flooding is expected at Aplins Weir during Saturday,” the bureau said in a warning issued on Friday evening. “Heavy rainfall totals have been observed in the last 24 hours which have resulted in river level rises in the Ross, Bohle and ****** Rivers. “River and creek level rises have been observed in parts of the catchment. Camera IconA flood watch remains in place for coastal and adjacent inland catchments south of Cairns to Mackay. Supplied / Channel 7 Credit: Channel 7 Heavy rainfall is forecast over the next few days, which may cause further river and creek level rises. A flood watch remains in place for coastal and adjacent inland catchments south of Cairns to Mackay, while a severe weather warning is also in place for parts of the North Tropical Coast, Tablelands, Herbert and Lower Burdekin regions. A tropical cyclone could form by early next week – with Weatherzone stating monsoon winds and several tropical lows have helped kickstart the wet season in parts of Australia’s north. The bureau is tracking six separate areas of low pressure in the tropical region- all of which could produce tropical lows or cyclones. “At this stage, there are no clear signs that any tropical cyclones will make landfall over the *********** mainland in the coming week,” Weatherzone states. “However, there is currently a high degree of uncertainty regarding the location, strength and movement of these tropical lows or cyclones, so the situation may change in the coming days. Camera IconMultiple tropical lows forming around Australia on Sunday. Bureau of Meteorology Credit: NewsWire “More heavy rain is expected to fall over northern Qld this weekend and early next week as the low pressure system continues to feed on a seemingly endless supply of tropical moisture.” BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said with soaked sections of the state facing prolonged heavy rains into next week, the forecast was a “big concern” for residents. “That rainfall has kind of set the stage for possibly some pretty big flooding as we move into the weekend and early next week,” Mr Narramore said on Friday. “Out catchments are now wet and saturated. We do have flood watches currently pretty much from Cairns all the way down to Mackay. “From Innisfail all the way down to Tully and around Ayr, those locations, with this rainfall it could lead to not only flash flooding, but river flooding. “As well as that really rapid response to flash flooding, particularly on the end of those heavy falls.” Source link #Emergency #flood #alert #issued #Townsville #North #Queensland #torrential #rain #flooding #smashes #city Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iQOO Z10x 5G Reportedly Listed on BIS Website, May Launch in India Soon iQOO Z10x 5G Reportedly Listed on BIS Website, May Launch in India Soon iQOO Z9x 5G with specifications including Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip and a 6,000mAh battery was unveiled in India in May last year. The Vivo sub-brand has not announced anything about a possible successor of iQOO Z9x 5G yet, but ahead of it, the iQOO Z10x 5G has reportedly been listed on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website, hinting at an imminent launch. The alleged listing reveals the model number of the next iQOO Z series phone. As per a report by MySmartPrice, the unannounced iQOO Z10x 5G has bagged certification from the BIS website with model number I2404. The screenshot of the listing included in the report reveals that the phone received the certification on Friday (January 31). It does not include any specifications of the phone. The discovery of iQOO Z10x 5G on the BIS certification site indicates that it may see an imminent launch in India. The handset may go official in the ******** market first. iQOO Z9x 5G Price, Specifications As mentioned, the iQOO Z9x 5G was unveiled in May 2024 with an initial price tag of Rs. 12,999 for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage configuration. The iQOO Z9x 5G runs on Android 14-based Funtouch OS 14 and features a 6.72-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,408 pixels) LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. It has a dual rear camera setup including a 50-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It sports an 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front. Users get 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage on iQOO Z9x 5G that can be expanded (up to 1TB) via a microSD card slot. It has an IP64-rated build for dust and splash resistance. It houses a 6,000mAh battery with 44W Flash Charge support. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #iQOO #Z10x #Reportedly #Listed #BIS #Website #Launch #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jackson Hospital’s fate may depend on City of Montgomery’s support Jackson Hospital’s fate may depend on City of Montgomery’s support The signs of several staff members who rallied outside Jackson Hospital & Clinic on Thursday morning imploring onlookers to “save their jobs” made two things clear: Jackson Hospital’s situation may be more dire than it previously seemed, and the City of Montgomery’s support appears to be one of the hospital’s last options to remain open under its current ownership. Ahead of the Montgomery City Council vote set for Jan. 31, Ron Dreskin, Jackson Hospital & Clinic’s interim CEO, and Alan Wilen, chief restructuring officer, announced that their plan to ensure financial stability for Jackson Hospital going forward is to ask the city for a $20.5 million guarantee on a loan “that we need to take until a final solution is made, which would be a permanent financial restructuring.” “I want to make sure this is clear: We are not asking for a dollar of funds from the City of Montgomery. What we are asking them is to guarantee the financing that we require to get through the next ******* of time,” Dreskin said. “If we fail to make these payments… If we fail to get this guarantee, it’s going to be difficult to get the cash we need going forward.” Employees hold signs during a rally and press conference on Thursday January 30, 2025 where Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery, Ala., is asking for a guarantee on a loan to keep the hospital running. Under this proposed arrangement, the City of Montgomery would be liable for the hospital’s debt on the loan should the hospital fail to make a payment. “The downside for the city financially is that if the bondholders were to ever call the loan, the city would step into their position, which would include all of the services at the hospital and all the real estate that sits here, so the overall risk to the city is limited,” Wilen said. “There would also be a time ******* between when the bondholders would call the loan and when the bondholders would expect that to be paid, a ******* where that can be rectified, cleaned up, assets sold … the likelihood of the city actually having to write a check at any point in time here is very, very, very minute.” Jackson’s financial woes Among things contributing to the hospital’s financial woes include, as Dreskin said, “increased costs with the pandemic, poor reimbursement rates, uninsured people who don’t get insurance from their companies,” and, in the words of Wilen, “an administrative problem where we could not officially bill and collect for the work we’ve been providing to patients.” More: Key takeaways from Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed’s state of the city address Though Wilen and Dreskin did not provide much in specific updates on how the hospital is ensuring its financial stability ahead of asking the city for this guarantee, they said that their work has been an effort to lead the hospital in the right direction. “Some of that [the tangible steps taken to restructure] is that we are training people here on how to do things in a way that is done in other parts of the country, more efficient ways,” Wilen said. “Certain people who were here before were not providing the right guidance to the hospital, and Ron and his team are coming in and working with the folks who are here to provide guidance and direction as necessary … We have put a lot of this together and fixed a lot of this today so we can be viable in the future as a financially viable, stable hospital.” Jackson Hospital employees gather during a rally and press conference on Thursday January 30, 2025 where Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery, Ala., is asking for a guarantee on a loan to keep the hospital running. Discussions with Montgomery County Wilen said that though the hospital pursued discussions with Montgomery County before this, the county “has decided they don’t have the ability to [make a similar deal] at this point in time.” Wilen said that this plan — asking for a guarantee from the city — doubles as an effort to show community support for the hospital in order to substantiate their credibility to lenders. “The key to this is that when I initially approached the county, I told them that I know writing a check for $20 million, $30 million is a lot of money,” Wilen said. “I’m not asking for a check, I’m asking for a guarantee, which has the likelihood of being called to be minimal, but it provides third parties who are not in this community the understanding that this hospital is important to the city … If the people who are local here can’t support the hospital, then why should somebody who lives on the other side of the country as a lender put money into this hospital to keep it alive?” Jackson Hospital Intirim CEO Ron Dreskin speaks during a rally and press conference on Thursday January 30, 2025 where Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery, Ala., is asking for a guarantee on a loan to keep the hospital running. Wilen said that, if the city agrees to the request, Jackson Hospital will have “the runway we need to place a plan and structure and keep the hospital going into the future.” If not, the hospital’s outlook appears grim. “We may need to shut the hospital [if the city does not give Jackson a guarantee],” Wilen said. “I am also working on other alternative sources of financing that don’t require the guarantee but put a lot more pressure on the process here and on the structure overall.” Outlook for employees In October, the hospital initially said that “employment at the hospital has not seen any changes due to the events,” but considering the hospital’s financial status, Wilen said at the Jan. 30 rally that employment is “always a concern in this kind of situation.” “As long as the hospital is open, the employees will all be here, we need them,” Wilen said. “We had no intentions of doing any kind of mass layoffs, but if we have no ability to finance a hospital, to pay payroll, operate the facilities, and deliver care, then we have no choice but to shut the facility down. I do think at this point in time, with some of the feelings we are getting from city council, that we will get this to pass and we will keep Jackson open.” Though the city has not voted on whether or not to greenlight this guarantee, some city officials have shown support for Jackson Hospital & Clinic. Councilwoman Marche Johnson and Councilman Glen Pruitt spoke at the rally, with Johnson saying that on account of its role in the community and surrounding areas, it’s in the city’s best interest to keep the hospital open if a pathway to do so can be found. Additionally, Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed issued a letter of credit support for Jackson Hospital & Clinic on Jan. 7. Montgomery City Councilwoman Marche Johnson speaks during a rally and press conference on Thursday January 30, 2025 where Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery, Ala., is asking for a guarantee on a loan to keep the hospital running. How did we get here? Jackson Hospital, a historic private hospital with deep history in the Montgomery area, saw its credit rating removed from CreditWatch and its S&P Global Ratings credit rating lower to a “D” on Sept. 4 — indicating default on financial obligation — after a missed interest payment of $60 million. The previous rating of “CC” indicated high vulnerability to default. S&P confirmed on Sept. 4 that most of the hospital’s long-term debt consists of money owed on 2015 bonds. The hospital’s bondholders posted an acceleration notice on Aug. 9 demanding full repayment, and S&P said they are aware that Jackson Hospital’s liquidity was “very thin and insufficient” to meet this request. Jackson Hospital employees gather during a rally and press conference on Thursday January 30, 2025 where Jackson Hospital, in Montgomery, Ala., is asking for a guarantee on a loan to keep the hospital running. Nearly two months later in late October, Edward Crowell, the chair of the hospital’s board of directors, announced that, with bondholder support, the hospital was pursuing a restructuring plan. Allen Wilen and Ronald Dreskin — both of EisnerAmper Advisory Group, which self-describes its company mission on its website as “help[ing] you tackle your toughest business challenges and guid[ing] you through critical decisions” — were introduced to direct the restructuring efforts. The two-pronged effort to address the fallout of the default sees Dreskin leading the hospital’s day-to-day operations and Wilen spearheading restructuring efforts as well as reporting directly to the hospital’s board of directors. Jackson Hospital & Clinic currently services over 200 patients in the emergency room, 225 patients in beds, more patients awaiting admission, sees 1,000 clinic visits daily, and employs 2,100 people, 1,300 are Montgomery residents. Dreskin said that, in asking for the guarantee, they hope to address the availability of healthcare in Montgomery that is already lacking. “The upside [of getting this guarantee] is that we will not only continue providing services but we will do so and thrive,” Dreskin said. “We’ll be able to see more patients more productively and in a more financially astute way. The downside [of not getting the guarantee] is that we are unable to provide for them, forcing other hospitals in the community — who I’ve already indicated cannot handle the current load of patients we have here — into their systems. You would have a dire financial crisis that would affect every single person in Montgomery.” Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at *****@*****.tld or follow her on X @sarahgclifton. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Jackson Hospital’s last lifeline hinges on support from Montgomery Source link #Jackson #Hospitals #fate #depend #City #Montgomerys #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

New painkiller designed to prevent risk of opioid addiction approved in U.S. – National New painkiller designed to prevent risk of opioid addiction approved in U.S. – National U.S. officials on Thursday approved a new type of pain pill designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Journavx for short-term pain that often follows surgery or injuries. It’s the first new pharmaceutical approach to treating pain in more than 20 years, offering an alternative to both opioids and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. But the medication’s modest effectiveness and lengthy development process underscore the challenges of finding new ways to manage pain. Studies in more than 870 patients with acute pain due to foot and abdominal surgeries showed Vertex’s drug provided more relief than a ****** pill but didn’t outperform a common opioid-acetaminophen combination pill. “It’s not a slam dunk on effectiveness,” said Michael Schuh of the Mayo Clinic, a pharmacist and pain medicine expert who was not involved in the research. “But it is a slam dunk in that it’s a very different pathway and mechanism of action. So, I think that shows a lot promise.” Story continues below advertisement The new drug will carry a list price of $15.50 per pill, making it many times more expensive than comparable opioids, which are often available as generics for $1 or less. 3:38 How to use naloxone during an opioid overdose Vertex began researching the drug in the 2000s, when overdoses were rocketing upward, principally driven by mass prescribing of opioid painkillers for common ailments like arthritis and back pain. Prescriptions have fallen sharply in the last decade and the current wave of the opioid epidemic is mainly due to illicit fentanyl, not pharmaceutical medicines. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Opioids reduce pain by binding to receptors in the brain that receive nerve signals from different parts of the body. Those chemical interactions also give rise to opioids’ addictive effects. Vertex’s drug works differently, blocking proteins that trigger pain signals that are later sent to the brain. “In trying to develop medicines that don’t have the addictive risks of opioid medicines, a key factor is working to block pain signaling before it gets to the brain,” Vertex’s Dr. David Altshuler, told The Associated Press last year. Story continues below advertisement Commonly reported side effects with the drug were nausea, constipation, itching, rash and headache. “The new medication has side effect profiles that are inherently, not only different, but don’t involve the risk of substance abuse and other key side effects associated with opioids,” said Dr. Charles Argoff of the Albany Medical Center, who consulted for Vertex on the drug’s development. Trending Now Egg prices soar in U.S. What’s keeping Canada’s prices stable? What ex-security officials think of Pierre Poilievre’s top secret security stance 2:10 Family impacted by opioid crisis speaks about about their grief The initial concept to focus on pain-signaling proteins came out of research involving people with a rare hereditary condition that causes insensitivity to pain. Vertex has attracted interest from Wall Street for its ambitious drug pipeline that involves winning FDA approval for multiple drugs across several forms of chronic pain, which generally represents a ******* financial opportunity than acute pain. But the Boston drugmaker’s share price plummeted in December when Vertex reported disappointing mid-stage results in a study of patients with chronic nerve pain affecting the lower back and legs. The drug didn’t perform significantly better than placebo, the research found. Story continues below advertisement “We believe the data reflect a near worst-case scenario for this key pipeline program,” biotechnology analyst Brian Abrahams said in a research note to investors, adding that the results jeopardized estimates that Vertex’s pipeline could be worth billions across multiple forms of pain. Still, Vertex executives said they plan to move forward with a new, late-stage study of the drug, theorizing that a different trial design could yield better results and pave the way for FDA approval in chronic pain. More on Health More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #painkiller #designed #prevent #risk #opioid #addiction #approved #U.S #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel axes Falcon Shores amid market challenges Intel axes Falcon Shores amid market challenges Intel has canceled the release of its AI accelerator codenamed Falcon Shores, instead focusing on the next-generation chip that the company believed would be more competitive in the data center market. Intel will direct its development efforts on Jaguar Shores, a GPU designed for AI inference and high-performance computing, Intel interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus said during the company’s earnings call with Wall Street analysts on Thursday. The company could manufacture Jaguar Shores using its advanced 18A manufacturing process. Intel is banking on Jaguar Shores to fiercely compete against Nvidia and AMD in the AI market, which Intel has yet to penetrate successfully. Its first AI data center chip, Gaudi, delivered disappointing sales, and its successor, Falcon Shores, wasn’t the product enterprises wanted, Holthaus said. “One of the things we learned from Gaudi is it’s not enough to just deliver silicon,” Holthaus said. “We need to be able to deliver a complete rack-scale solution.” Holthaus did not say when Intel would release Jaguar Shores, which analysts didn’t expect until after 2025. Intel initially planned to design Falcon Shores as a hybrid CPU-GPU before changing the design to a GPU-only product. The chip was not rack-scale technology. “It seems drastic to cancel an AI accelerator product family, but they can ill afford a bad product in a rapidly growing market against a dominant player like Nvidia or a competitor gaining traction like AMD,” said Alvin Nguyen, an analyst at Forrester Research. Intel’s ability to regain revenue growth hinges on reversing its losses against Nvidia and long-time rival AMD. Nvidia has dominated the hyperscale data center market with the most advanced AI accelerators, while AMD has made gains in traditional data centers and PCs. “We have to stem the tide of share loss in the data center, and so we will be fighting for every socket in that business,” Holthaus said. Intel’s current Xeon processor for traditional data centers has narrowed the sales growth gap with AMD, Holthaus said. She expected Diamond Rapids, the next-generation Xeon anticipated by early 2026, to continue this trend. Intel reports revenue drop The company reported revenue of $14.3 billion for the quarter ending in December, marking a 7% decrease year over year. Intel surpassed Wall Street analysts’ expectations for the quarter but provided a revenue forecast below expectations for the current quarter. Intel projected revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion for the ******* ending in March. Nevertheless, Intel’s latest quarterly earnings report, which included a 3-cent loss per share, seemed to satisfy investors. Its stock rose more than 3% in after-hours trading. “Q4 was a solid quarter to close out a challenging year,” interim co-CEO David Zinsner told analysts during the joint call with Holthaus. Intel ended 2024 reporting its third consecutive year of revenue decline and a share price that fell more than 50%. The Intel board appointed Holthaus and Zinsner temporary roles after forcing CEO Pat Gelsinger to retire in December. The executives did not provide details on the search for a permanent CEO. Intel’s financial struggles stemmed from being ill-prepared for the market shift toward chips that run AI models in large, hyperscale data centers. Last August, the company slashed 15,000 jobs, or 15% of its workforce, and set a goal of cutting capital expenditures by $10 billion this year. Intel’s foundry business, now an independent subsidiary called Intel Foundry, has been a significant money drain. Intel has opened its manufacturing operation to third-party chip designers, including competitors. However, Intel executives acknowledge that it will take time to build a customer base. In the meantime, the Foundry expects to break even in 2027, primarily by manufacturing Intel chips. Holthaus, in charge of all Intel products, has committed to using the Foundry’s advanced 18A process to manufacture Panther Lake, the company’s next-generation mobile processor. Intel expects to release Panther Lake in the second half of the year. Holthaus has not committed to using the Foundry to make Panther Lake’s successor, Nova Lake, which is set for release in 2026. Intel contracts with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for some of its products. TSMC is the world’s largest chip manufacturer, accounting for more than 60% of the market. Antone Gonsalves is an editor at large for Informa TechTarget, reporting on industry trends critical to enterprise tech buyers. He has worked in tech journalism for 25 years and is based in San Francisco. Have a news tip? Please drop him an email. Source link #Intel #axes #Falcon #Shores #market #challenges Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Start of luxury upgrade cycle: Here's what to know Start of luxury upgrade cycle: Here's what to know CNBC’s Robert Frank joins ‘Squawk Box’ with a look at the state of the luxury sector. Source link #Start #luxury #upgrade #cycle #Here039s Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78 – The Associated Press Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78 – The Associated Press Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78 The Associated PressView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Marianne #Faithfull #singer #pop #icon #dies #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NATO ponders proposal on Trump’s Greenland push NATO ponders proposal on Trump’s Greenland push Discussions are under way within NATO on a possible proposal to US President Donald Trump for a major expansion of the allied military presence in the Arctic, alliance sources have told DPA. The aim is to ease tensions surrounding Greenland’s status as an autonomous territory of Denmark, an issue that has gained attention due to Trump’s interest in the island, justified with US security concerns. According to the sources, NATO believes strengthening its presence in the Arctic could address these security interests while enabling US participation in the initiative. Trump’s concerns about Greenland are seen as valid, the sources say, particularly in light of Russian and ******** activities in the region. Greenland holds significant strategic value – not only for its vast natural resources but also as a key location for military control of the Arctic. Climate change is also making Arctic shipping routes more accessible, particularly in the summer months. According to alliance sources, the initiative is currently being discussed informally. The proposed military expansion could be based on defence plans adopted in 2023. The classified documents outline measures to bolster deterrence and defence capabilities in the far north. The US already maintains a presence in Greenland through the Pituffik Space Base, operated under agreements with Denmark. This base plays a critical role in missile warning systems, missile defence and space surveillance operations. Danish military personnel is also stationed in Greenland, primarily through the Arctic Command in Nuuk. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for US control over the huge island, which officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. His recent remarks have raised concerns among NATO allies, since he has not ruled out using economic or military means. NATO ally Denmark insists that the people of Greenland should decide their own future. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has held a series of crisis talks with other European NATO leaders, while Greenland’s government has made it clear that it wants to remain neither Danish nor American – but Greenlandic. For NATO, the Greenland debate is particularly delicate. The alliance risks damaging its credibility if a leading member threatens to seize territory from another ally – especially against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s territorial claims over Taiwan. At the same time, a worst-case scenario would be a US withdrawal from NATO over the dispute, given that the alliance’s deterrence relies heavily on US nuclear and conventional military power. Diplomats believe the success of NATO’s initiative will depend on whether Trump’s primary focus is genuinely on security concerns. If his interest in Greenland is also driven by its raw material deposits, the initiative could be doomed to failure. Source link #NATO #ponders #proposal #Trumps #Greenland #push Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

February Temperature Outlook Trends Warmer In South, East, But There’s A Catch February Temperature Outlook Trends Warmer In South, East, But There’s A Catch February’s temperature forecast looks much different than January’s persistent cold, but there’s a late month wild card that could change that, according to an updated outlook released Friday by The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2. How February looks: For the month as a whole, most of the East and South are expected to be warmer than average, particularly from the mid-Atlantic and Southeast to coastal and southern Texas. However, a colder February is expected in the Northwest, Northern Rockies and Northern Plains. Since the map is an overall snapshot for all 28 days in the month, it masks some notable week-to-week temperature swings, which we’ll discuss later. February 2025 temperature outlook How the month’s temperatures might evolve: February should start out generally colder from the Northwest to the Northern Plains, and occasionally into the Great Lakes and Northeast as some cold air in western Canada sweeps across the northern tier. Meanwhile, the southern tier of the country should be warmer than usual for this time of year. However, there’s a pattern change that could happen around mid-month, according to Todd Crawford, Vice President of Meteorology at Atmospheric G2. “Heading into the back half of February, this represents a low-probability colder risk,” said Crawford, referring to this potential pattern change’s impact on temperatures in the East and South. How the pattern change could make it colder later in February: Patterns of the jet stream, including sharp southward plunges and domes of high pressure, help steer storm systems that either deliver or deflect cold air. As of the time this article was published, computer forecast models suggested a dome of high pressure known as a Greenland block could form by mid-month. When that happens, the jet stream is forced to take a southward nosedive over the eastern U.S., delivering more persistent cold there. At the same time a positive phase of the Pacific-North American pattern could move another dome of high pressure near or just off the West Coast. If that pattern change happens, it could shift the country to a warm West – cold East and South scenario for late February. So, you may want to enjoy your February thaw early in the month, while you can. Cold January: This February forecast looks quite a bit different than January, as the map below of January temperature anomalies (through the 27th) shows. According to AG2’s Todd Crawford, it was America’s coldest January since 2014, that’s the January when the “polar vortex” first entered into the pop culture lexicon. The month featured four major winter storms in under three weeks, beginning with Winter Storm Blair and punctuated by the historic Gulf Coast Winter Storm Enzo. January 2025 temperature departures from average through Jan. 27 Source link #February #Temperature #Outlook #Trends #Warmer #South #East #Catch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PCE inflation December 2024: PCE inflation December 2024: Inflation closed out 2024 on a strong note, as a price gauge the Federal Reserve focuses on came in well above the central bank’s target. The personal consumption expenditures price index increased 2.6% on a year over year basis, higher than the November reading and in line with the Dow Jones estimate. Excluding food and energy, core PCE registered a 2.8% reading, also meeting expectations and the same as the prior month. Though the Fed considers both readings, historically officials have seen core as the better gauge of long-run inflation. On a monthly basis, headline PCE rose 0.3% while core increased 0.2%, both in line with forecasts as well. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #PCE #inflation #December Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ExxonMobil announces 2024 results – ExxonMobil ExxonMobil announces 2024 results – ExxonMobil ExxonMobil announces 2024 results ExxonMobilExxon Mobil’s strong fourth quarter fueled by rising production in the Permian, Guyana Yahoo FinanceExxon Mobil’s 2024 production was at highest level in over 10 years MarketWatch(XOM) Exxon’s Rising Production Drives Earnings Beat Despite Oil Slide Bloomberg Source link #ExxonMobil #announces #results #ExxonMobil Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Perth Wildcats beat South East Melbourne as Keanu Pinder, Bryce Cotton and Kristian Doolittle step up big time Perth Wildcats beat South East Melbourne as Keanu Pinder, Bryce Cotton and Kristian Doolittle step up big time Perth Wildcats have played a stunning final quarter to fight back from 12 points down and beat South East Melbourne Phoenix on the back of a mammoth defensive effort and incredible shooting display. Source link #Perth #Wildcats #beat #South #East #Melbourne #Keanu #Pinder #Bryce #Cotton #Kristian #Doolittle #step #big #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Making an Item Central to an Entire Season Is Fortnite’s Biggest Problem Since Chapter 5 Making an Item Central to an Entire Season Is Fortnite’s Biggest Problem Since Chapter 5 To begin the release of Chapter 6, Fortnite offers a plethora of new collectibles, such as a brand-new map that is exclusive to the chapter and includes a number of impressive locales, more movement features, and evil bosses to defeat. Players can access a vast array of weapons in addition to these map modifications. Chapter 6 Season 1 of Fortnite was released on December 1, 2024. | Credit: Epic Games. There is a lot of variety in this season’s weaponry, ranging from the Oni Shotgun to the Fury Assault Rifle. However, the meta in this season is the Typhoon Blade and it is now everyone’s go-to option in close combats. And this is where the problem arises. Not just in this season, this has been a problem from the previous seasons as well. Each season of Fortnite is now heavily reliant on a single mechanic The Typhoon Blade is an overpowered weapon in Fortnite. | Credit: Epic Games. The Typhoon Blade has become the face of Chapter 6 Season 1 in Fortnite. Whenever it’s the close encounter situations, players holster whatever they have in their hands and start swinging these swords at each other. Even if you have the mightiest guns in your hand, you cannot match the capability of the Typhoon Blade. And this is the biggest problem of the game right now. People might mistake this as a meta, but it’s not. It poses a great skill gap between the players and, in the end, makes the game tiring. There’s not much to explore or no new experience as everybody knows what will happen next when players take out their overpowered swords. Even the fans think the same way. Comment byu/canno3 from discussion inFortNiteBR Comment byu/canno3 from discussion inFortNiteBR Comment byu/canno3 from discussion inFortNiteBR Comment byu/canno3 from discussion inFortNiteBR It has been a norm in Fortnite for quite some seasons that the entire season is hugely focused on the central mechanic of that particular season. In the previous season, it was the Elemental Scrolls during the Avatar collab. And in Chapter 5 Season 3, it was the Nitro Fists, which was massively overused by the players. These kinds of seasonal weapons are brought on to add to the fun, but these weapons are actually killing it. The way people are using these, the originality of the game is slowly getting dismantled. Multiplayer games are all about balance. But if a certain weapon gets all the limelight, then there’s no sense in playing that game. That is why it’s high time Epic Games should nerf the Typhoon Blade for the greater good and put a stop to the tendency of centralizing an entire season on a single overpowered weapon. How powerful is the Typhoon Blade? The Typhoon Blade does a lot of other things than slashing enemies. | Credit: Epic Games. Due to the variety of abilities it offers, the Typhoon Blade is a melee weapon that can be used as a mobility item in addition to dealing damage. However, because the weapon depletes durability with each use, it cannot be used indefinitely. Players will lose the item completely once its durability expires. Talking about attacks, the blade poses different types of abilities like Cyclone Slash, Wind Leap, and Air Dash. Along with these, the normal slash attack of the Typhoon Blade inflicts 30 damage per hit. However, if you can chain your slashes together to perform a combo attack, the final slash blows deadly damage of 50 which can instantly knock down a player. Now coming to other abilities, this blade also helps in your movement as well. Equipping the Typhoon Blade increases your sprint speed and decreases your stamina consumption. Also, if you use this blade midair to perform a downward attack, it nullifies the fall damage as well. With so many benefits under its sleeves, it is no surprise why the fans are overusing it right now. Source link #Making #Item #Central #Entire #Season #Fortnites #Biggest #Problem #Chapter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

This 14.5%-Yielding Dividend Stock Has Maintained Its Payment for 58 Months in a Row. Can That Streak Continue in 2025? This 14.5%-Yielding Dividend Stock Has Maintained Its Payment for 58 Months in a Row. Can That Streak Continue in 2025? Dividend sustainability is always a concern for higher-yielding stocks. Many of these companies have such high yields because investors worry about how long they can maintain their payouts, compressing the value of the stock price. AGNC Investment (NASDAQ: AGNC) has maintained its monster dividend (14.5% current yield) for 58 months in a row. The mortgage-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) believes that streak will continue. Here’s what drives that view. Mortgage REITs are complex entities. They typically invest in real estate debt on a leveraged basis (i.e., using debt to increase their investment). They seek to capitalize on the spread between short-term and long-term rates (they borrow at lower short-term rates to invest in higher-yielding, longer-duration debt securities). These REITs also often seek to hedge their interest rate exposure. These financial arrangements can cloud a mortgage REIT’s financial results, making it difficult to determine if it can afford its dividend. For example, last quarter, AGNC Investment reported a comprehensive loss of $0.11 per share, which included $0.10 of net income and a loss of $0.20 per share related to mark-to-market changes in its investment portfolio. With its monthly dividend payments adding up to $0.36 per share in the quarter, it would seem at first glance that the REIT’s high-yielding payout is in trouble. The company’s full-year numbers weren’t any better. Its comprehensive income was $0.84 per share. That was well below the $1.44 per share it paid in dividends last year. CEO Peter Federico discussed the dividend on the fourth-quarter conference call on Jan. 28. He stated, “We don’t want investors to look at [our earnings measures] as a driver of our dividend policy because it is not.” He noted that those numbers are a “reflection of current ******* earnings, not the long-run earnings of our portfolio.” Instead, he noted that the company looks “at the economics of our portfolio from a dividend perspective.” It aims to align the dividend with the returns its portfolio can produce over the long term. Federico highlighted that one factor the company looks at is its return on equity (ROE) on a go-forward basis. That metric must align with its total cost of capital, which includes the cost to run its business and pay its common stock dividend and preferred stock dividend, as well as its operating expenses. The CEO noted that the current return hurdle rate based on its expenses was 16.7% at the end of the fourth quarter. That means it needs to generate a return above that level to afford its current dividend. Story Continues The CEO noted that at today’s valuations, it can generate ROEs between 17% and 18.5%, adding, “And that aligns very well with our total cost of capital, and that’s one of the reasons why, in looking at it that way, we’ve been able to maintain our current dividend for, I think, we’re going on about 58 months.” As long as it continues to generate ROEs above its total cost of capital, AGNC Investment should be able to continue paying its current dividend level. There’s reason to believe it can do that in the future. Federico stated on the call, “The favorable investment themes that emerged in 2024 continue to support our positive outlook for agency mortgage-backed securities.” He noted that the Federal Reserve has started lowering short-term interest rates, which, along with declining inflationary pressures, should provide the company with attractive investment opportunities in the future to earn returns well above its cost of capital. AGNC Investments doesn’t base its dividend on its current earnings. Instead, it focuses on the future returns its strategy can generate. The REIT can currently produce ample returns to cover its dividend, which is why it believes it can maintain its payout for the foreseeable future. However, investors need to keep an eye on the REIT’s returns, since they play a significant role in the dividend’s long-term sustainability. Before you buy stock in AGNC Investment Corp., consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and AGNC Investment Corp. wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $758,099!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 908% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 176% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list. Learn more » *Stock Advisor returns as of January 27, 2025 Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This 14.5%-Yielding Dividend Stock Has Maintained Its Payment for 58 Months in a Row. Can That Streak Continue in 2025? was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #14.5Yielding #Dividend #Stock #Maintained #Payment #Months #Row #Streak #Continue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How To Play Sniper Elite Resistance Co-op Multiplayer With Friends How To Play Sniper Elite Resistance Co-op Multiplayer With Friends Sniper Elite Resistance is intense on your own, but multiplayer and co-op only add to the immersion. Having someone by your side trying to remain undetected adds to the drama and creates more dilemmas in missions. The fear and anxiety I have playing Sniper Elite Resistance on my own is palpable enough. I can’t decide if adding a second person to the equation would make things better or worse. It’s definitely going to be more fun though, and the Sniper Elite series has always encouraged multiplayer and co-op. Lots of things feel familiar in Sniper Elite Resistance, one of which is the incorporation of multiplayer and co-op. How To Play Co-op in Sniper Elite Resistance A tremendous tag team. Credit to Rebellion Playing Sniper Elite Resistance in co-op or multiplayer requires you to “Host co-op game,” and invite someone, “Find a co-op game,” or send a direct invitation via your friend list. There are three ways you can go about co-op play. I’ll point out that the find co-op game option is if you want to play with a random player. Just quick, no-nonsense, jump into the action gameplay with someone you’re unfamiliar with. The other two methods are tailored toward budding up with a friend in Sniper Elite Resistance. How To Invite A Friend in Sniper Elite Resistance You can either invite someone using the “host co-op game” function or send an invite directly using the social mechanics. I’m presuming you own Sniper Elite Resistance, and you know the interface. So let me show you what you need to do step-by-step for greater ease: Choose Play on Sniper Elite Resistance’s home menu screen, and choose your invite preference: Start Host co-op game and then choose Invite Friend. Press Triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox, or the applicable keybind on PC. Select a Friend Online you want to invite. Now press on Invite To Game. The other player needs to accept the invitation. If everything works, you should now be together in the same lobby ready to play! Be warned: If you’re in the middle of an unfinished mission, any autosave progress is overwritten. So either complete your last mission or ensure you’ve manually saved the game first! Axis Invasion is still possible in co-op multiplayer too. So turn the feature on and have some tandem trading of bullets with invading players. Keep on top of all things Sniper Elite Resistance. We have guides on the game’s voice actors, all Propaganda Poster locations, and the Mission 1 and Mission 2 Workbenches. Let us know about the wild antics you get up to in Sniper Elite Resistance multiplayer and co-op. Plus, see if you can find a partner in the comments below for co-op! SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Play #Sniper #Elite #Resistance #Coop #Multiplayer #Friends Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump Asks Elon Musk to Help Rescue ‘Stranded’ Sunita Williams Donald Trump Asks Elon Musk to Help Rescue ‘Stranded’ Sunita Williams US President Donald Trump has reached out to SpaceX founder Elon Musk for assistance in facilitating the return of two American astronauts—Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore—who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. The astronauts, who originally planned for a 10-day mission, have remained in space due to technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was initially designated for their return. Musk confirmed that SpaceX would undertake the mission, stating that the astronauts had been left aboard the ISS for an extended ******* by the previous administration of President Joe Biden. Mission complications and NASA’s response According to reports, NASA had already enlisted SpaceX months ago to facilitate the return of Williams and Wilmore as part of the Crew-9 mission. The original plan involved launching four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, but adjustments were made to accommodate the two astronauts. Instead, only one astronaut and one cosmonaut were sent in September 2024, leaving space for Williams and Wilmore’s return. However, a delay occurred in December 2024 when SpaceX required additional time to prepare the Dragon capsule for the upcoming Crew-10 mission. As a result, Crew-9, which included Williams and Wilmore, was postponed until late March 2025. Despite concerns about their prolonged stay, NASA has maintained that the astronauts are in good health and spirits and are not stranded. Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s statements Elon Musk, in a post on X, stated that SpaceX had been requested to expedite the return of the astronauts and that arrangements were being made. He criticised the Biden administration, describing the delay as avoidable. On Truth Social, Donald Trump commented that SpaceX would be conducting the mission soon and wished Musk success, though no specific timeline was provided. Sunita Williams speaks about her extended stay As reported, Sunita Williams, aged 59, described adjusting to microgravity for such an extended *******. She mentioned that she was trying to recall the feeling of walking, as she had not done so in several months. Despite the delay, she confirmed that she remained in good health while awaiting the return mission. Source link #Donald #Trump #Asks #Elon #Musk #Rescue #Stranded #Sunita #Williams Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prince Andrew emails show contact with Jeffrey Epstein lasted longer Prince Andrew emails show contact with Jeffrey Epstein lasted longer The Duke of York was in contact with the US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein longer than he had previously admitted, emails published in court documents appear to show. “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” said an email sent to Epstein from a “member of the British Royal Family”, believed to be Prince Andrew. The court documents, from the ***’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), show the email as being sent in February 2011. In his BBC Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew had said he had not seen or spoken to Epstein after going to his house in New York in December 2010, a meeting which he described as a “wrong decision”. The email was revealed in a court case involving the FCA and banker Jes Staley, who was banned from senior positions after he mischaracterised his relationship with Epstein. Staley is appealing against the FCA, but the financial watchdog’s evidence about Staley’s contact with Epstein also contains emails relating to a “member of the British Royal Family”, showing what seem to be friendly and familiar exchanges. In June 2010, Epstein emailed: “If you can find time to show jes around with vera that would be fun.. he told me he ran into you tonight,” in messages first reported by business news agency Bloomberg. The Royal Family member responded by asking who Vera was, and a few days later Epstein replied: “my future ex wife, i know jes and she would love to see home”. A dinner then seems to have been arranged. In Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview, he was asked about the extent of his association with wealthy financier Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting a further trial. Andrew said he had ceased contact with Epstein “after I was aware that he was under investigation and that was later in 2006 and I wasn’t in touch with him again until 2010”. A photographer had captured Prince Andrew and Epstein walking together in New York’s Central Park in December 2010, while the prince stayed at Epstein’s house. “Was that visit, December of 2010, the only time you saw him after he was convicted?” interviewer Emily Maitlis had asked the royal. Prince Andrew replied “yes”. Maitlis then asked: “Did you see him or speak to him again?”, to which Andrew responded: “No.” But emails a few months after that New York meeting suggest, if not a direct conversation, there were still friendly exchanges. According to the court documents, on 27 February 2011, Epstein emailed: “jes staley will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time.” There was a reply from the “member of the British Royal Family” with a question: “Jes is coming on 1st March or next week?” The court documents say there was a “discussion of press articles” and then the message: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”. The Duke of York’s office has been contacted for comment. Source link #Prince #Andrew #emails #show #contact #Jeffrey #Epstein #lasted #longer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Property prices continue to slide, but it could be short lived Property prices continue to slide, but it could be short lived Property prices continued to slide in January across nearly every capital city, but buyers are being urged to act quickly as the downturn could be short-lived. Source link #Property #prices #continue #slide #short #lived Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Switch’s Japanese eShop will no longer accept foreign cards or PayPal Switch’s Japanese eShop will no longer accept foreign cards or PayPal BeHunted64d ago “Starting on March 31, 2026, the ******** eShop will no longer offer games or apps for *****, meaning new purchases will not be possible after that date. Then, on May 15, 2026, users will no longer be able to download previously purchased games, DLC, or redeem codes.” Source link #Switchs #Japanese #eShop #longer #accept #foreign #cards #PayPal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Chemical Stocks Defying Tariff Worries With Growth Potential 3 Chemical Stocks Defying Tariff Worries With Growth Potential The market has been worried about the potential implications of President Trump’s new tariffs on some of the United States’ biggest trading partners. The latest announcements were made for Colombia after a clash between presidents over an immigration issue. However, there are a few stocks that can still outperform in the coming quarters. Today’s list of chemical manufacturing stocks offers investors a chance to back some of the potential winners for 2025. These stocks can outperform the market and load up their portfolios with some of the best risk-to-reward setups in the industry to protect their downside. With an agenda to boost domestic manufacturing activity and supply chain nationalization, these net exporting stocks could soar despite tariff talks. This list includes names like DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:), which serves the electronics and industrial sectors across the globe, or household name and renowned giant 3M (NYSE:), which is recovering from some of the negative media that surrounded the stock for the better part of 2023 and 2024. Finally, there is Dow (NYSE:), which also applies the same criteria to give investors the sort of upside they need to get 2025 started on the right foot. 1. Wall Street Sees Double-Digit Upside for DuPont Stock Since the stock bottomed on January 10th, DuPont de Nemours has reached 86% of its 52-week high to return to bullish territory. Now, some in the market, Wall Street specifically, think this stock could not only keep this momentum going but also reach a new 52-week high. Such as analysts from BMO Capital Markets, who not only reiterated their Outperform rating on the stock as of January 2025 but also placed a valuation on it of up to $105 a share. This new view dares DuPont stock to rally by as much as 35.8% from where it trades today. Since the electronics industry has broken out in recent manufacturing PMI reports, the odds favor companies that support the further growth and expansion of domestic manufacturing in that area, which is where DuPont stock lives and thrives. This would explain not only the analyst’s view of the upside but also the recent institutional buying activity. Allocators from Robeco Institutional Asset Management decided to boost their DuPont stock holdings by as much as 20% as of late January 2025, bringing their net position to a high of $75.7 million today and another bullish gauge for investors to lean on. 2. 3M Stock’s Momentum Isn’t Over Yet Over the past month, 3M stock has managed to give investors a net rally of up to 20% to deliver a strong start to the year. However bullish this recent price action may seem, there are reasons to believe this manufacturer will see even better price action ahead. As a net exporter, 3M is set to ride on the tailwinds listed by Goldman Sachs analysts in their 2025 macro outlook report, and other Wall Street analysts have started to pick up on that theme. For example, Bank of America recently decided to keep a Buy rating on 3M stock while also valuing it at $175 per share. This new target would imply an up to 17% upside from where the stock trades today, not to mention a call for it to make a new 52-week high. Taking this new momentum and price action as a buy signal, the same DuPont buyers from Robeco Institutional Asset Management decided to expand their exposure to 3M stock as well. As of January, a 16.1% boost brought the group’s net position to a high of $82.3 million, which should confirm to retail investors that the bullish sentiment is not only accepted but also justified. 3. Dow Stock Brings the Perfect Trifecta As Dow stock traded down to only 68% of its 52-week high, some market participants decided that it is now too cheap to ignore and that the upside potential justifies taking a second look. This is why analysts from Piper Sandler felt comfortable placing a $53 per share valuation on the stock and calling for a 28% upside from where it trades today. More than just upside and limited downside, Dow stock – through its strong international and exporting presence – can pay out $2.80 per share to shareholders in the form of dividends, which at today’s low price would translate into a 6.8% yield. Even though the stock has traded down to bearish territory, short sellers have decided that the move lower is severely limited compared to how much Dow stock could rally, which is why investors can notice a short interest decline of 6.1% over the past month alone, a clear sign of bearish capitulation. Original Post Source link #Chemical #Stocks #Defying #Tariff #Worries #Growth #Potential Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Make iOS 18.3 Your Own by Changing These 8 iPhone Settings Now Make iOS 18.3 Your Own by Changing These 8 iPhone Settings Now Your iPhone is probably the most personal device you own, and the new features in iOS 18 go further than ever before to let you customize it to your liking. Whether you’re just jumping into the world of Apple Intelligence or finally upgrading an older phone, the latest iOS 18.3 update offers a lot to discover. That’s why I’ve put together this collection of eight settings and features that flex what the new system and your iPhone are capable of. CNET Tips_Tech If you have an iPhone that runs Apple Intelligence, be sure to check out the features you’re going to use most. Or if you have no interest in the AI features — which are now enabled automatically — learn how to turn off Apple Intelligence. For more on what’s new in iOS 18, learn about improvements to the overhauled Calculator app and the Mail app. And don’t forget to consult our iOS 18 upgrade checklist, which includes making sure you have a proper backup before upgrading. Change the default buttons on the lock screen In real estate, location is everything, and the bottom corners of the iPhone lock screen are the prime spots, each an easy thumb press away when your device is still locked. Before iOS 18, those posts were held by the flashlight and camera buttons, with no way to change them. In iOS 18, you can finally replace them with other buttons — or remove them entirely, a balm for folks who unknowingly activate the flashlight (believe me, there’s a better way to turn it on). You can add buttons to recognize music via Shazam, enable Dark Mode, set an alarm/timer, enable Airplane Mode, open your Wallet, send money via Tap to Cash and more. Here’s how: 1. On the iPhone’s lock screen, touch and hold anywhere on the display until you see the Customize button. You’ll need to unlock the phone using Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. If it opens the home screen, swipe down from the center-top of the screen (not the right edge, which brings up Control Center. 2. Tap Customize and then choose Lock Screen. 3. Remove one of the buttons by tapping the – (minus) button on the icon. 4. To replace the button with another function, tap its space (now with a + icon) and then choose the one you want on the next screen. (You can also opt to leave that space empty with no button.) 5. Repeat those steps for the other button if you want to change it. 6. Tap Done when you’re finished. 7. Tap the lock screen again to exit the customize mode. Remove a lock screen button by tapping the – (minus) button, and then choose a new control to replace it. Set up some of the new tasks available on the Action button The Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro replaced the dedicated mute switch found on every earlier iPhone model with a configurable control. By default it serves the same purpose — hold it to turn Silent Mode on or off — but you can configure it for other actions like opening the Camera app, performing multiple actions at once or even ordering coffee. In iOS 18, the Action button gets new capabilities. You can bypass Control Center and choose a control of your choice, such as opening the Remote interface for navigating Apple TV or using Shazam to identify a song. To choose a different action for the Action button, go to Settings > Action Button. Swipe sideways to select and activate one of the available actions. For the Controls, Shortcut and Accessibility options, tap the Choose button to pick which specific action to run. iOS 18 now lets you program the Action Button with your favorite Control Center control. Give your home screen a radical new look You wouldn’t think that putting icons where you want is a radical new feature, but that’s because iOS has always had a locked arrangement. Apps get added from top to bottom, left to right. You could rearrange the order in which icons appear and move them to other screens, but that was about it. In iOS 18, apps can be positioned nearly anywhere. You no longer need to deal with a wallpaper image of your kids or pets being obscured by icons. They still adhere to a grid — Apple isn’t about to sanction anarchy — but can be placed freely. Also, Dark mode finally applies to all of the iPhone’s home screen, with options for coloring icons and affecting the brightness of the wallpaper image. Here’s how to customize the looks. Arrange apps: Touch and hold the home screen to enter “jiggle mode,” and then drag the icons to new positions. It will still slide them around to fill spaces, but with patience, you can move them into the spots you want. Position app icons where you want so this very good girl isn’t covered. You can also quickly turn compatible apps into widgets that display more information. Maps, for instance, can be a map of your current location with shortcut buttons to search for places or bring up a list of nearby places (such as dinner spots). Touch and hold the app icon and look for a row of resize buttons in the menu that appears. Once expanded beyond the standard icon size, you can drag the handle in the bottom-right corner of the new icon. To get it back to its single icon size you need to touch and hold again and choose the single-icon button Some apps can be expanded into larger icons that act like widgets. Set Dark mode: If you’ve ever subjected yourself to the retina blast of ****** text on a white background late at night in a darkened room, you will appreciate the new Dark mode option for the home and lock screens. iOS has previously included a Dark mode, where light backgrounds switch to ****** or dark gray, text switches to white or light gray and other interface elements are dimmed to coexist in a dark environment. That’s never been applied to the home and lock screens in any significant way — only the dock and some widgets — until iOS 18. First, touch and hold the home screen to enter jiggle mode. Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner and choose Customize from the menu. At the bottom of the screen, choose a mode for the icons and background: Automatic, Dark or Light (I’ll get to Tinted in a moment). In Dark mode, the icons gain ****** backgrounds, and folders and the Dock become dark gray. (Developers have the option of making Dark mode icons for their apps. In the meantime, apps not yet optimized get a generally darker appearance.) In the home screen’s Dark mode, icons and the background are given a darker treatment. In Dark mode, the background image also changes. Apple’s default iOS 18 wallpaper dynamically changes from light to dark as the day progresses, or you can choose colors that offer both a light and dark option. If you use a photo, its overall exposure is reduced to dim the light output. If you want dark icons but aren’t a fan of the dimmed photo treatment, tap the sun icon in the corner of the options sheet at the bottom of the screen to toggle back to Light mode just for the background. Tinted icons: A new and different option is to tint all of the app icons so they share the same color. In the Customize options at the bottom of the screen, choose Tinted as the icon style. You can then adjust the Hue (the slider with the color spectrum) and Luminosity (the slider with the dark to light range) to choose the color tint you prefer. Apply a universal tint to all app icons, with controls for adjusting the hue and luminosity. What if you want to match a color from a background image? Tap the eyedropper button and then drag the reticle to pinpoint the color you want — the border indicates the selected color. The tint is applied not only to icons but to widgets as well. For a widget such as Photos, the images it displays show up as duotones to match the theme. Large icons: Do the labels below each app icon seem redundant to you? Now you can remove the labels and increase the size of the icons with one setting. Open the Customize options as described above and tap the Large button. Make the home screen icons larger and hide the app labels. After making any of these changes, tap anywhere on the screen to apply them and exit the Customize interface. Change up how the Control Center looks Control Center was once a convenient place to quickly access controls such as playback volume and Airplane mode, but under iOS 18 it’s a configurable playground. You can position controls where you want, resize many to reveal more information and add new controls on multiple screens. Swipe down from the top-right corner to reveal the Control Center (or swipe up from the bottom on the iPhone SE). To enter edit mode, touch and hold or press the + button at the top-left corner. Just as with moving apps, drag a control to another slot on the screen to reposition it. Many of the controls also include a bottom-right handle that can resize the control — in most cases, it reveals the name of the control and its current status (such as Flashlight Off). Rearrange the controls in Control Center and, for some, expand them to reveal more information (or just make the button a larger target for pressing). Control Center also now spans multiple screens. Swipe up to view controls for media currently playing, Home controls for smart lights and appliances and a page dedicated to the communication options that appear when you long-press the Connectivity block containing Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular and others. Look closely and you’ll see that those screens are actually individual controls expanded to occupy the entire Control Center area. You can rearrange the order of those screens by moving their controls. Suppose you want Home controls to be the first swipe instead of Now Playing: In the editing mode, drag the large Home control up to the previous screen (Now Playing will shift to the right to make room). Some controls get their own screens, such as Home. Normally it’s on the third screen, but here it’s been moved to the second screen. To remove controls, tap the – (minus) button that appears. You can also add other controls: Tap Add a Control and scroll through the available options ranging from starting a Screen Recording to a host of accessibility options. Read more: Best iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro cases Lock or hide any of your sensitive apps Our phones carry some of our most sensitive data, and yet it’s not uncommon to hand a phone to a friend to view photos or look up something online. That doesn’t mean they’re going to snoop, but it doesn’t not mean they might be more curious than you’re comfortable with. For data you want to ensure stays out of sight or to add a layer of protection in front of sensitive information, iOS 18 adds the ability to lock and hide apps. For example, let’s say you keep an ongoing set of lists of gift ideas for family members in the Notes app. You can lock individual notes, but that requires a separate step. Maybe a few ideas were made as individual quick notes or drawings. Instead of micromanaging access, you can lock the entire Notes app by doing the following: Touch and hold the app icon you want to lock and choose Require Face ID or Require Touch ID (or Require Passcode if Face ID or Touch ID are not enabled) from the menu that appears. Confirm your choice by tapping Require Face ID (or similar) in the next dialog. To remove the authentication step, touch and hold the app and choose Don’t Require Face ID (or similar). Nothing outwardly indicates that an app is locked — you’ll find out when you try to open it. There’s one more level of app security available, which is to hide apps in a special locked folder. Touch and hold the app and choose Require Face ID and then tap Hide and Require Face ID in the dialog. Confirm the action by tapping Hide App on the next screen. The app disappears from the home screen and gets slotted into a Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library (swipe left beyond your last home screen to view the App Library). To access apps there, tap the Hidden folder and authenticate with Face ID. When you choose Hide and Require Face ID to protect an app, it gets put into the Hidden folder in App Library (top). Tap the folder and authenticate to access the app (bottom). iOS 18 imposes some limitations on hidden apps. Some, such as many of the built-in ones like Notes or Reminders, can only be locked and cannot be hidden at all. Also, the Hidden folder locks itself when you launch an app or swipe away from the App Library. Turn off Loop Videos in the Photos app Many apps have implemented a small but annoying (to me) feature, and now Photos under iOS 18.2 has it too: Videos automatically replay when you watch them until you tap the Pause button. That can be fun once or twice, or when viewing short clips. I’m not a fan of having to take action to make them stop each time. Now I can take action once. Go to Settings > Photos, scroll down until you see Loop Videos and turn the option off. A video will play on its own but then stop at the end as it should. Turn off Loop Videos to stop every video from replaying automatically. If you’d rather the video didn’t play at all until you tap the Play button, also turn off Auto-Play Motion in the same Settings screen. Adjust the view of your calendar Big new features like locking and hiding apps are great additions but so are the tiny changes that you encounter every day. The Calendar app includes two new ways to view your schedule. In iOS 18, when you’re in the Month view in portrait orientation, pinch with two fingers to view more or fewer details. As you “zoom in,” individual events appear as colored bars and then as labeled events with times, all while keeping the monthly grid of days and weeks. In the Calendar app’s Month view, pinch to zoom in and see more details. The Day view, which breaks down your day hour by hour, now has a new Multi Day view that shows two consecutive days to give you context for what’s coming without turning the phone into landscape orientation and viewing the Week view. Tap the View button at the top of the Single Day view and choose Multi Day from the popup menu. The new Multi Day view in the Calendar shows two days at once (right). Improve movie and TV show dialogue in the TV app Trouble hearing dialogue in movies and television shows isn’t a new problem — for example, the Apple TV has had a feature for a while where you can ask Siri, “What did she say?” and it will automatically back up a few seconds, turn on subtitles and replay that section of the video. You can even buy soundbars that can overcome muffled TV speech. There are a lot of reasons it’s harder to hear dialogue, but the TV app in iOS 18 includes a high-tech workaround to make dialog easier to discern. While you’re watching a video in the TV app, tap the More (…) button and then expand the Audio heading in the menu that appears; if the phone is in horizontal orientation, tap the Audio Adjustments button. Tap Enhance Dialogue and choose Enhance or Boost. They each dampen background noise and raise the dialogue’s audio. Turn on Enhance Dialogue in the TV app to discern characters’ speech better in noisy scenes. These are just a few new features and changes in iOS 18. Check out our broader coverage of Apple Intelligence, more impressions of the system after using it for months and how these all work together with the iPhone 16 models. Source link #iOS #Changing #iPhone #Settings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Mary Demarle’s Magic With Guardians of the Galaxy Could Be Key to Mass Effect 5 Succeeding Mary Demarle’s Magic With Guardians of the Galaxy Could Be Key to Mass Effect 5 Succeeding BioWare has been releasing underwhelming games for the better part of a decade now. And after the recent announcements of restructuring within the studio, fans don’t have a lot of hope or goodwill left for the upcoming titles in the Mass Effect series. But there is one reason to hold onto hope, and that is Mary DeMarle’s role as Senior Narrative Director. Mass Effect is the only hope for BioWare. | Image Credit: BioWare DeMarle was the Narrative lead for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and given that the game won Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2021, fans might just get their expectations rewarded. She could bring some much-needed help to BioWare, especially after the poor reception of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Mary DeMarle needs to sprinkle some of her magic on Mass Effect 5 Her work in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is excellent! | Image Credit: Eidos Montreal Mary DeMarle took a very balanced approach to storytelling in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Her focus on balancing humor, emotional depth, and character development is very evident in how she handled the Guardians as a team. If you’ve played the game before, you’ll know that each of the guardians has excellent character traits and writing. Oh, hey! I’m really excited to let you know that Mary DeMarle will be joining the Mass Effect team as Senior Narrative Director. You’ve seen her work in Guardians of the Galaxy & Deus Ex (to name a few!). She’s amazing. — Michael Gamble (@GambleMike) July 4, 2022 On paper, Guardians of the Galaxy (2021) did everything right: -Single player narrative driven -No microtransactions -Intensely detailed graphics -Legit good story But it came out after Avengers so no one played it pic.twitter.com/qP2XRNS5JZ — DoritoGOD (@DoritoGOD2) June 3, 2024 She embraced the heartwarming aspects of the MCU while also making her own changes and taking more from the comic book lore. The game was a great example of how to make good things better while adding a personal twist to it. Given Mass Effect’s focus on squad dynamics and player choice, DeMarle’s style of storytelling could be exactly what it needs. The Mass Effect trilogy has some of the most celebrated games in gaming history. The games had top-notch character writing and worldbuilding, but 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda was nowhere near the quality of what players expected. But with DeMarle at the helm for Mass Effect 5, we hope that the series can come back to form. Seeing Bioware slowly die sucks. I hope the next Mass Effect isn’t their swan song, but it’s not looking good. #Bioware pic.twitter.com/qF4okVIz1X — Anka (@Ankateh) January 30, 2025 Ironically enough, you’ll notice while playing Guardians of the Galaxy that it was heavily inspired by Mass Effect. We find this particularly noticeable in its ship-based interactions and team dynamics. And this influence will now flow in reverse with DeMarle bringing her experience from Guardians to Mass Effect. BioWare is on its last legs after Dragon Age: The Veilguard This is a much-needed awakening for the studio. | Image Credit: BioWare BioWare’s restructuring has placed enormous pressure on Mass Effect 5 to succeed. Following the underwhelming reception and sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, EA recently announced that the company has shifted its focus entirely to the sci-fi franchise. An EA spokesperson told IGN that “the studio has the right number of people in the right roles.” The studio itself has been on a steady downward trajectory for the last decade. Anthem was a colossal flop, Mass Effect: Andromeda is the textbook definition of mid, and even in 2024 Dragon Age: The Veilguard showed us that the studio is just not receptive to player feedback. If this keeps going, it’s unlikely that the studio will survive for much longer. Mass Effect 5 is in the early stages of development so don’t expect to hear any release date announcements anytime soon. But DeMarle’s involvement alone gives us fans a lot of hope. What do you think? Source link #Mary #Demarles #Magic #Guardians #Galaxy #Key #Mass #Effect #Succeeding Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple & Nvidia are Wall Street’s biggest analyst calls Apple & Nvidia are Wall Street’s biggest analyst calls Here are Friday’s biggest calls on Wall Street: Citi adds a positive catalyst watch on Apple Citi added a 90-day positive catalyst watch on the stock following earnings Thursday and raised its price target to $275 per share from $255. ” Apple saw stronger Y/Y sales of IP16 following iOS 18.2 Apple Intelligence release which shows upgrade potential and believes there is still a lot of innovation left in iPhones. Maintain Buy, #1 hardware pick in 2025.” Piper Sandler downgrades Hershey to underweight from neutral Piper said it’s concerned about rising cocoa costs. “We are downgrading HSY to UW from Neutral on expectations that recently elevated cocoa costs will last longer than initially anticipated, adding incremental pressure on EPS, especially in 2026.” Bernstein reiterates Chipotle as outperform The firm said it’s sticking with its top pick status on Chipotle ahead of earnings on Feb. 4. “Despite the near-term volatility, Chipotle remains our top pick for 2025 and we believe it will outperform SSS expectations with the continued improvement of throughput, launch of Honey Chicken, lapping of portion-size boycott and improving consumer demand that compound the structural tailwinds that CMG enjoys.” JPMorgan reiterates Carvana as overweight The firm raised its price target on the stock to $350 per share from $300. “We believe CVNA’s shares are poised for another year of outperformance in 2025 as the company continues on its current path of positive revisions with potential for further multiple expansion.” Goldman Sachs downgrades Occidental to sell from neutral Goldman downgraded the oil and gas stock due to a “paused focus on capital returns to shareholders.” “We are also downgrading OXY from Neutral to Sell and are lowering our price target from $54 to $45 given (1) the company’s paused focus on capital returns to shareholders until significant balance sheet improvements are realized, (2) incremental asset sales could help fund deleveraging in our view, and we look for additional clarity on the form and magnitude of potential sales.” Baird downgrades UPS to neutral from outperform Baird downgraded the stock following earnings. “Lowering rating as UPS works through its strategic reset. It has been a challenging past few years, but execution looked back on track as UPS returned to more resilient performance in Q3/Q4.” JPMorgan initiates Oddity as overweight JPMorgan said the direct-to-consumer beauty and wellness platform is well positioned. “We are initiating coverage of Oddity (ODD) with an Overweight rating and $55 Dec 2025 price target.” Telsey reiterates Amazon as outperform Telsey said it’s bullish on Amazon ahead of earnings on February 6. “We expect continued double-digit sales and profit growth in 4Q24, reflecting healthy holiday season trends and the ongoing strength of online spending, gains from expanded merchandise…” Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said the company’s artificial intelligence conference will be a “major” catalyst for the stock. ” NVIDIA views DeepSeek’s latest models as an ‘excellent AI advancement.’ The company sees DeepSeek’s innovation as an ideal illustration of a novel method to create models that have as foundation widely available models and compliant compute.” Mizuho upgrades Paylocity to outperform from neutral Mizuho said the payroll provider is well positioned. “We also believe that Paychex’s acquisition of PYCR could create near-term disruption and ultimately benefit PCTY. ” JPMorgan upgrades Avery Dennison to outperform from neutral The firm said investors should buy the dip in the maker of RFID tags after its customer, UPS, announced lower shipping volumes on Thursday. “Avery is a supplier of RFID tags to UPS, and investors bid down Avery because of the loss of business at UPS. We believe that the market unduly penalized Avery leading to an investment opportunity.” Bank of America reiterates Alphabet as buy The firm said it’s bullish on earnings next week. “We see Alphabet as well positioned long term with leading AI technology to apply to search, YouTube and Cloud businesses.” Stifel upgrades C.H. Robinson to buy from hold Stifel upgraded the shipper following earnings. “While cost control, freight selection and pricing discipline have been important levers for recent prof improvement, the sustainability of recent productivity gains in the next upcycle will be the true test especially as management looks to resume above market-volume growth. C.H. Robinson has been a show-me story, but at current valuation, we see a favorable-enough risk/reward profile to take the leap.” MoffettNathanson upgrades Electronic Arts to buy from hold The firm said the video game company has increased visibility. “If you could summarize, in one word, the relative advantage EA could claim vs. Take-Two in the minds of investors over the years, it can be boiled down to: visibility.” Bank of America downgrades Comcast to neutral from buy Bank of America downgraded the stock over concerns about declining broadband growth. “For Comcast , 2025 will be a reset year as the company looks to improve it broadband results by leaning into mobile and converged offerings.” Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC. NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032 Source link #Apple #Nvidia #Wall #Streets #biggest #analyst #calls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]