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Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** Will Receive ‘Additional Features’ Mid-February Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** Will Receive ‘Additional Features’ Mid-February · · January 30, 2025 Team Ninja announced today that Ninja Gaiden 2 ******’s upcoming update will add additional features along with balance adjustments. Team Ninja’s additional features patch for Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** will be released mid-February. The developers are working on these features and balancing changes based on feedback. However, the new features that will be added to the game have not been revealed. Players in the comment section have already started making their features wishlist for Ninja Gaiden 2 ******, which includes ‘ways to change camera angles’, the ability to take on Tag missions without AI, performance improvements, previously released content to return, and more. Moreover, the developers released patch ver. 1.0.6.0 for Xbox Series X/S and PCs (ver 1.002.000 for PS5) today, which deployed some fixes for Ninja Gaiden 2 ******. After the patch, an issue where options for DLSS and XeSS tools would not appear when selecting the super-resolution type on the Microsoft Store version of the game was resolved. Also, an issue that made it impossible to progress after defeating certain bosses in rare cases was fixed. In other news, Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** was shadow-dropped on Xbox Game Pass. Also, here is the complete list of PC and Xbox achievements for the remake. What are your thoughts on Ninja Gaiden 2 ****** receiving additional features in the next update? Let us know in the comments below or on our community forum! For more from Insider Gaming, read about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown selling 1.3 million units in the first year, and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Ninja #Gaiden #****** #Receive #Additional #Features #MidFebruary Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asus admits its new motherboard can scrap your GPU, but it won’t cause damage Asus admits its new motherboard can scrap your GPU, but it won’t cause damage Asus has responded to recent concerns about its Q-Release Slim feature, following reports that the mechanism may cause damage to GPU PCIe connectors. The Q-Release Slim was introduced in August 2024 for Asus’s 800-series AMD and Intel motherboards, aiming to simplify GPU removal by allowing users to eject the graphics card with a tilting motion rather than pressing a traditional retention clip. However, some users noticed that a metallic component inside the PCIe slot scraped against the GPU’s PCIe connector when using this feature. With repeated use, this scraping leads to visible wear on the connector’s sides. While the damage appears to be mostly cosmetic, users have expressed concerns about its long-term effects on GPU performance and durability. This issue is particularly noticeable for those who frequently swap or upgrade their graphics card. The quick release design on ASUS intel 800/AMD 800 series motherboards can damage the graphics card PCB. ASUS tony response: will contact to solve the problem. pic.twitter.com/EqJiHBobeX — HXL (@9550pro) January 24, 2025 Notably, despite the visible wear, the gold-plated contacts on the GPU’s PCIe connector remain unaffected, meaning the card’s functionality and performance should not be compromised. Asus users have taken to online forums to share images and discuss their experiences, with some worried about potential long-term damage if the scraping continues over time. In response to these reports, Asus conducted internal evaluations and concluded that no damage affecting functionality or performance was found. The company said in a statement shared with Digital Trends: “In our internal testing and evaluation of the extremely small number of cases reported, we found no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality and/or performance.” Asus further explained that all PCIe add-in cards are expected to show signs of wear after approximately 60 installation and removal cycles. The company advises users to follow official GPU removal guidelines to minimize potential wear and tear. To mitigate concerns, Asus recommends carefully following the removal process outlined in their manuals. Additionally, users who frequently swap GPUs should handle the process with extra care to avoid unnecessary strain on the connectors. Asus For those still concerned about possible long-term effects, Asus encourages users to contact their customer support for further assistance. As of now, the company has not announced any design revisions for the Q-Release Slim mechanism, but continued feedback from the community may influence future motherboard designs. Source link #Asus #admits #motherboard #scrap #GPU #wont #damage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Netanyahu Criticizes ‘Shocking’ Hostage Scenes, Delays Release of ************ Prisoners Netanyahu Criticizes ‘Shocking’ Hostage Scenes, Delays Release of ************ Prisoners Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized what he described as “shocking scenes” during the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza on Thursday, January 30. Netanyahu wrote on X that he viewed “with great severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages.” “I demand that the mediators ensure that such threatening scenes do not occur again, and to guarantee the safety of our hostages,” he added. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Footage posted by Quds News Network shows hostages Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes stepping out of vehicles into crowds. Earlier, IDF soldier Agam Berger was the first hostage to be released on Thursday. She was brought to a stage in Jabalia by members of the Al-Qassam Brigades. Omer Dostri, Netanyahu’s spokesman, said the PM and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz had ordered a delay in the planned release of ************ prisoners, “until the safe exit of our hostages is guaranteed”. Credit: Quds News Network via Storyful Source link #Netanyahu #Criticizes #Shocking #Hostage #Scenes #Delays #Release #************ #Prisoners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The search for an all-time scorer that time forgot The search for an all-time scorer that time forgot CHARLESTON, S.C. — Faint yellow with a blue screened-in entrance, the house on Cypress Street is squeezed in among the others, easy to miss if you’re driving past. The roof is adorned with exposed rafters beneath the eaves. A blotch of grass buffers a short, ******, chainlink fence from the street. Things are typically quiet inside, other than the chatter of daytime TV or an occasional developer knocking on the front door, trying to buy the place. The looks shooting around the living room early last month weren’t accusatory, but cautious. Maybe confused. Jackie White and her mother, Mary Lee Rhodes, had known a stranger was coming down to visit, but never could figure out what any of this was about. Back when we’d first spoken, a few weeks earlier, they hung up the landline, looked at each other and wondered why, after all these years, anyone wanted to know. Ronnie Gadsden introduced everyone. An old coach, one used to making connections, he made sure Jackie and Mary Lee were comfortable with the visitor on the couch. Then he pulled over a chair, positioned himself to the side and sat down. He wanted to hear this for himself. That’s when Jackie removed her glasses, placed them atop her head, gave a smile that invited a hug and asked the stranger to remind her how all this came to be. “All right, so there’s this webpage on the internet …” MaxPreps.com is a longtime chronicler of high school sports, one offering rankings, recruiting headlines and highlights of whatever LeBron James’ son is doing at any given time. Down in the site’s archives, past the volleyball All-America lists and the 8-man football national rankings, are loads of historical pages chronicling everyone from American icons to the anonymous names of high school sports. That’s where you can find an assembled record book of the highest single-season scoring averages in boys high school basketball history. Start scrolling and you fall into the page. A gorge packed with all varieties of names from all imaginable places. Each one a story. Bennie Fuller (No. 5, 50.9 ppg) once scored 102 points in a single game for Arkansas School for the Deaf in 1971, then played at Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College, then worked for the U.S. Postal Service. Bjorn Broman (No. 9, 49.4 ppg), a recent Minnesota high school legend, reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Winthrop and is now a TikTok creator with 1.4 million followers. Truitt Weldon (No. 23, 45.0 ppg) was raised in a strict religious home in Sabine Parish, La., and mocked for playing high school games in blue jeans. You find college coaches. Current pros. A former Congressman. Wilt Chamberlain. Trae Young. You find Mickey Crowe, the Wisconsin schoolboy cult hero who witnessed John W. Hinckley Jr.’s assassination attempt on President Reagan and was the subject of a 2013 biography titled “Over and Back.” You get lost for hours. One name after another. Records were compiled by Kevin Askeland, a 59-year-old math teacher from Yuba City, Calif. The self-described high school sports historian says he exhausted all available resources of the National Federation of State High School Associations record books, scanning all 50 state record books. He ended up with a list of 112 names. Each is a rabbit hole, one that should take you somewhere. Except for the No. 1 name on the list. 55.6 ppg — Finnell White, Lowcountry Academy (Charleston, S.C.), 1987-88 Up comes Google. In goes the name. F-I-N-N-E-L-L W-H-I-T-E The search results land like a discarded scratch-off ticket. The only other mention of White’s name comes from the “Faces in the Crowd” section of a March 1988 Sports Illustrated. Kirk Gibson was on the cover that week, wearing Dodger blue. The blurb reads: “Finnell, a senior guard, scored 79 points, made a 64-foot three-pointer to end the first half and a game-winning three-pointer with :06 left as Lowcountry Academy beat Andrews Academy 90-89.” That’s it. No wiki page, no link to a Hall of Fame induction, not even a link to an old story or two. No obituary. How can this possibly be? Such empty results are an affront to our info-wired world. If 55.6 points is indeed the highest average ever by an American prep player, how do we know nothing at all about Finnell White of Lowcountry Academy? How does someone with such a mark vanish in time? And why, more importantly, is there a headstone a few miles from here, over in Sunset Memorial Gardens, for Finell Demetrios White, where the name, apparently misspelled everywhere else, is etched correctly F-I-N-E-L-L? Hearing all this, Jackie White, now 75, nodded and smiled, along for the ride, trying to get her hands around all this. She traded glances with her mom. Ms. Rhodes, 93, suffered a recent stroke but is still strong enough to walk to the corner store. She narrowed her eyes and nodded her head. Then they began. Jackie White knew what was going on both on the inside and the outside. A single mom of two, she worked at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison for women just north of New York City. She clocked shifts in the mailroom looking for contraband, shifts on the floor monitoring gen pop, shifts overseeing the chow hall. Her philosophy on inmate care: “If you act right, I treat you right. If you act a fool, me and you gonna fool together.” It was the mid-80s in East Harlem and Jackie’s rules carried over to home. Raising her boys on Madison Avenue and East 135th Street, she ran a tight ship and often offered sage advice for the streets. Never hold a package someone hands you. Don’t walk around in your nice sneakers; keep ’em in your backpack until you get where you’re going. Finell, the oldest, and his brother, Daryl, mostly listened, but eventually other forces started taking over. Finell grew up playing at Rucker Park, the streetball mecca about a mile and a half from the family’s apartment. If he wasn’t there, he was on any of the other courts dotting the area. He ran in games mixed among the characters of the parks. Old guys, young guys. Guys there to play. Guys there to fight. Guys who played in high school, maybe even college. Guys who’d never worn a real jersey, but were good enough for any team, anywhere. Finell was a little lefty guard. Strong, thick, quick, and clever. He learned the game the way he saw it. Imagination, improvisation, aggression. But that wasn’t his only interest. “Helluva card player, that one,” Jackie laughs, head shaking, hands in the air. Finell didn’t simply play the occasional card game. He started gambling in elementary school, emptying kids’ pockets before lunch break. When he went to Julia Richman High on the Upper East Side, what some local police referred to as “Julia Rikers,” he’d hold court in the cafeteria, dealing hand after hand. That is, when he actually went to school. More often than not, Jackie caught him skipping class, out doing God knows what. By the time Finell was 15, she was no longer worried about him getting arrested, but expecting it. “And that’s when I was like, nah, he’s got to go,” Jackie remembers. “I told him, ‘It’s time to go down South.’” Jackie Rhodes was born in South Carolina. She had moved from Charleston to New York more than a decade earlier, back in 1967, arriving in a city burning with civil unrest. She was 18, on her own, and hoping to enroll in medical trade school. Within a year she was pregnant with Finell. Having split with his father, James White, in 1971, Jackie began making regular treks down to Charleston every summer, where her mother could lend a hand raising the boy. As a toddler, Finell called his grandma “Mae Mae.” Now 16, Finell was moving to Charleston to live full-time. He was the type of kid to get along with anyone, talk to anyone. Fast, funny. Even if he got in trouble, it was hard to be mad at him, let alone stay mad at him. Heading south, he was about to experience life as an outsider. Slower, stricter, smaller. He rode in the passenger seat of Jackie’s burgundy Toyota Corolla along 700 miles of Eastern seaboard, through Philadelphia, through Washington, D.C., past Norfolk, Va., through North Carolina, down to the South Carolina coastline. Jackie dropped him off on Cypress Street and drove 700 miles back. “I told him, ‘This ain’t like New York, now,’” Jackie says. “You’re a squirrel in their world down there.” Mae Mae lived in North Charleston, where the local public school, Burke High, had a booming enrollment of over 1,700 students and a pair of boys 4A state basketball titles in 1976 and 1984. It also had its issues. “We were kind of the trouble school,” says Jamar Washington, a Burke player at the time. “It was a big school with different guys from different areas, different projects, different hoods, all going to one school. Fights, always. East side, west side. Rival gangs. All that.” Mae Mae wasn’t about to send Finell to Burke. Instead, she found a tiny, undersung school out on the edges of Charleston, near the old Middleton Place plantation. Lowcountry Academy was exactly what she wanted — small, private and deeply unserious about basketball. The school’s headmaster, Samm McConnell, once told a Columbia, S.C., newspaper that “the smallness of the place has been conducive to keeping people in school.” Perfect. The Lowcountry basketball team was coached by a man named Howie Comen, a local private eye whom McConnell originally enlisted to investigate what he suspected was possible dope smoking behind the school. Comen didn’t uncover narcotics, but did discover a student body with nothing to do after classes. Comen told McConnell that the kids needed to play sports. McConnell responded by hiring Comen as the school’s athletic director, basketball coach and political science teacher. That’s how the Lowcountry Wildcats were born. “I didn’t exactly know much,” says Comen, whose only prior basketball experience, he explains, was playing in a synagogue league as a kid. “We were pretty dismal, to be honest.” The 1985-86 season was tough. A 1-9 record. In a school with about 120 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, Comen didn’t have enough young men to field a high school boys team or enough young women to field a girls team. So Lowcountry was one of only a handful of high schools in the country with a co-ed varsity basketball team. The lack of a home gym was arguably a larger issue. This was the program Finell White, straight from Harlem, walked into in the fall of 1986. From a distance, at 5 feet 11, he looked like any other kid. Up close, he looked like a man. Sensible mustache. Shoulders like hubcaps. Mellow eyes that had seen some things. Playing a schedule of small, rural, almost exclusively White private schools, the 17-year-old was immediately, and comically, the greatest player the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) had ever seen. He averaged 34.7 points per game in his first season, leading Lowcountry to a 9-5 record. His grade level wasn’t totally clear, but no one seemed to mind. “He was phenomenal,” Comen says. “But the best part was that he didn’t come off like a badass. He wasn’t Mr. Basketball. He had this demeanor that everyone was drawn to. I think he appreciated getting to be a kid.” Comen stepped aside after the 1986-87 season, handing the Lowcountry team over to assistant coach Ronnie Gadsden. He, in turn, set out to improve the Wildcats’ schedule and spread word of the team’s star. The 1987-88 season began with Finell scoring 50 in the opener against St. John’s, 59 against St. Stephen, 60 against Lord Berkeley. The joke among SCISA officials was that Finell averaged 12 steals a game, but eight were from his teammates. None of this sat particularly well with Finell’s friends in North Charleston. No one could understand why one of the city’s best ballers was playing out in the sticks, destroying 5-foot-5 15-year-olds. Everyone at Burke High knew Finell from pickup games in neighborhood parks. They knew he grew up playing at Rucker. They wanted desperately for him to join them on the school team. “We’d have been unstoppable,” Washington says. “He came with a skill set we’d never seen before. No one handled the ball like him. No one. The jumper was kinda suspect, but, hell, he could get to the hole whenever he wanted, so that didn’t matter.” Finell’s scoring totals, fantastical figures tallied in obscure games, grew more and more absurd. Oronde Gadsden (no relation to Ronnie), a future six-year NFL wide receiver with the Miami Dolphins, lived on the same block and counted Finell among his friends. A two-sport star at Burke, Gadsden would race home on Friday nights to watch the 10 o’clock news. “Had to see if our game made the highlights,” Gadsden says, “and how many points Finell scored.” Gaudy numbers are how some names come to drop into and out of history, and how lines begin to blur between myth and reality, legend and lore. In February 1988, Lowcountry traveled to Andrews Academy, an independent school about an hour outside Charleston. Walking in, the Wildcats, according to Ronnie Gadsden, heard a voice yell out, “N— aren’t allowed in this gym.” Finell, one of four ****** players on the team, and Gadsden, the only ****** coach in the SCISA, seethed. Finell responded by scoring 79 of Lowcounry’s 90 points. In the end, launching a 3-pointer with his team down two and six seconds remaining, the 18-year-old turned to the Andrews bench, kept his follow-through high in the air and yelled, “Game!” At least, that’s how the story goes. Gadsden raced to call the newspapers. The Evening Post. The News and Courier. The State. Not only had Finell scored 79 points, but also had done so with his team missing four — four! — starters. Two missed the bus to the game, one was out with the flu, and another fouled out in the first half. The fact that the game was played on a rubber floor in front of maybe 50 people? That didn’t particularly matter. The story soon spread nationally, syndicated in papers across the country. Sports Illustrated printed Finell’s headshot among its “Faces in the Crowd” in the March 7, 1988 issue, a smile so confident you know he flashed it after every one of those 79 points. Appearing in SI, at the time, was equivalent to a moon landing. Issues were passed around Lowcountry, passed about Burke, and passed around Julia Richman, up in New York. Finell followed his 79-point game with a 71-point outing against Country Day School. Then 56 against Archibald Rutledge Academy. Then 48 against Sea Island Academy. All the expected scenes of a schoolboy fever dream followed. Finell was featured in those local papers, named to local all-star teams and rumored to be getting recruited by major colleges near and far. Yet, everywhere he drew praise, his first name was misspelled. An extra N. No one ever bothered to correct anyone. To this day, Jackie remembers once asking her son why. He answered, “Oh, Mommy, they know who it is.” There are disconnects required for threads of history to come short, failing to reach from then to now. For Finell, it wasn’t his name. Hell, today, if you search it correctly, you come up with fewer results than the incorrect version. No, in this case, the disconnect comes via an abrupt end of events. Those rumors of Finell being a big-time college recruit? They don’t particularly hold up. Neither Cliff Ellis, the Clemson head coach at the time, nor George Felton, the South Carolina head coach, can recall his name. Tubby Smith, one of Felton’s assistants, says with a hint of sad uncertainty, “I remember the name, but it’s hard to picture him,” before asking, sincerely, “Did we recruit him?” Finell’s brother, Daryl, is convinced North Carolina was a real possibility, saying, “I don’t know why that didn’t happen. Maybe grades or whatever.” Jim Boeheim, who a local Charleston paper reported had invited Finell to a 1988 spring break visit, based on “sources” around Finell, today can’t recall pursuing anyone by the name of Finell White. Other in-state college coaches, Butch Estes (Furman), ****** Nesbit (Citadel) and even John Kresse, the legendary College of Charleston coach, who worked only 2 miles from Cypress Street, all draw blanks. See, like in life, this story cooperates less the longer it goes. Of all the twists, it turns out Finell finished the 1988 school year a few credits short of graduating and had to complete them at, of all places, Burke High. In the movie version of this tale, he would’ve finally played alongside Jamar Washington, Oronde Gadsden and the rest of the guys from North Charleston, and exploded into the star recruit he could have been. In this version, he was instead ruled ineligible to play, ending his high school career. Depending on whom you ask, it was either the school’s decision, or the coach’s decision, or a high school athletic association ruling. Either way, it’s impossible not to wonder what-if. “If he had a chance to play at Burke,” says Ronnie Gadsden, “I think he would have shown all these people that he was the real deal.” After sitting out the year and finishing high school in the spring of 1989, Finell ultimately considered offers to play basketball at Morgan State, North Carolina A&T, Anderson (S.C.) Junior College and Benedict College. He chose Benedict, an NAIA historically ****** college in nearby Columbia, S.C., but lasted only one season. Story goes that, as a 20-year-old freshman, Finell didn’t get on with the coach, but who knows? Neither the school nor the NAIA have any statistical records from that 1989-90 season. Newspaper clippings dug up in the Charleston Public Library say he regularly came off the bench to score 10 or 12 or 14 points. And that was it. Finell was done. He packed his things after one season at Benedict, gave Mae Mae a hug and set off back to New York, leaving behind a name that lingered, then faded, and the question that persists anytime a story leaves you feeling empty afterward. What happened? In June 1994, Houston Chronicle writer George Flynn traveled to Third Street in New York, to the legendary blacktop known as “The Cage,” for a story idea. Flynn wanted to meet the “street-hoop hall of famers” who were on the courts that day to preview an upcoming NBA Finals matchup between the Knicks and the Rockets. Mario Ellie and Kenny Smith, two members of the Rockets, had both played at The Cage years prior. One by one, Flynn described the players at the park that day. Finell White (spelled correctly), age 24, was “glistening with game sweat,” he wrote. Flynn shared Finell’s thoughts on the series — that Hakeem Olajuwon needed to go to his left, that Charles Smith needed to focus, and that Vernon Maxwell was taking too many jumpers. It was a coincidence Finell was at The Cage to be interviewed that day because, in the mid-90s, he could have been at any court, anywhere, at any time. “Brooklyn one day, Queens another,” says Daryl Smith, 46. “It didn’t matter. He just wanted to play other great players.” It’s said Finell dueled with Felipe Lopez in some all-time bangers. It’s said that he nearly landed a spot in one of those old Spirit streetball commercials. It’s said he carried the cachet of being a known player on any court he stepped upon. Finell White grew up to be one of the guys he grew up playing against. “People would always ask him, like, ‘How are you not in the league?’” Daryl White says. It was a complicated question. In his early 20s, Finell thought another college might come around one day, but the phone never rang. He stayed in shape, his brother says, thinking there might be a tryout somewhere, sometime. At one point, he tried out for an arena league football team. “Almost made it, I think,” Daryl says. He considered traveling overseas, looking for a pro basketball contract, but, as Jackie puts it, didn’t know how to go about such things. “Tried to make the best of it,” Jackie says slowly, thinking of all the chances they thought might come and of all the limits that proved otherwise. “He had a lot of potential, but didn’t know how to carry it. He played all that ball and when he got older, some people would ask, why ain’t he famous? Well, I’ll tell you why. It’s because we didn’t know what to do. And when you don’t know what to do, you don’t know what to do. Maybe it just wasn’t for him.” It could be that simple. In 1980, Bobby Joe Douglas scored 54.0 points per game for tiny Marion High in north central Louisiana — ranking No. 2 all-time, behind Finell. Douglas played college ball at Northeast Louisiana University (now Louisiana-Monroe) and kicked around the old Continental Basketball Association for a bit as a pro. Now 62, Douglas, a minister, says it all bluntly: “Honestly, I don’t think people have a clue how hard it is to make it. When people ask me, I just tell ’em, ‘Man, I wasn’t good enough!’” When friends and fellow players would mention Sports Illustrated or the 79-point game, Finell would laugh it off, the way old guys do. Those were the days. He was embarrassed, Daryl says, during his first few years back in New York. Time, though, has a way of changing things. As years passed, Finell came to appreciate having those old days. He knew all too well what the likely alternative would have been if, as a younger man, he’d stayed at Julia Richman, stayed in New York, stayed doing what he was doing. That would’ve been the real vanishing act. Not everyone gets to say they went and did something. Finell, his friends say, came to understand that. In Charleston, meanwhile, those who witnessed Finell do what he did were always left wondering where the comet went. Contacted for a story 37 years after coaching him, Ronnie Gadsden said he’d always thought Finell played pro ball overseas before dying young. Old Charleston sportswriters all voiced curiosity, with Charles Twardy, formerly of The State, writing in an email: “I was just thinking about that assignment recently and wondered what might have happened to (him)?” Oronde Gadsden thought on it and said: “He ended up going back to New York and playing at a small school or something, right?” Howie Comen knew Finell had died, but didn’t know how. He never could find an obituary. “For people not to know what happened to him,” Comen says, “feels like an injustice.” Finell got older and took a job as a doorman and porter at 2 Horatio Street, a high-end, 17-story co-op overlooking the West Village. He loved the job, loved the people. His best friend and co-worker, Mike Delfish, remembers him carrying on with tenants, always telling stories and cracking jokes. “None of them knew of him as a ballplayer,” he says. “To them, he was just a really friendly guy.” Delfish works at 2 Horatio to this day. In his locker, there’s an old glossy picture of Finell thumbed to the wall with Scotch tape. He was godfather to Delfish’s youngest son, Marquise. After a failed relationship, Finell moved back in with his mother sometime in the late ’90s. He helped her through some health issues, but had one rule — no doctor’s appointments on Mondays. That was his day off, his day to get back to the park. In December 2000, on the day before Christmas, Daryl and Finell played video games at their mom’s place, talking their typical trash. Daryl, then a college student at Delaware State, was home on break. Both he and Jackie were there when Finell suffered a seizure that resulted in him being placed on life support. Finell Demetrios White died two days later at 31. He was mourned in New York and buried in Charleston. Tenants from 2 Horatio handed envelopes of cash — what would’ve been Finell’s holiday bonuses, plus more — to help the family pay for the expenses. Many attended the ******** in New York totally unaware of Finell’s high school heroics. “Everyone was there for the same reason,” Daryl says. “Because he had a good heart.” Someone like that deserves to have his story told. That’s certainly how Jackie White and Mary Lee “Mae Mae” Rhodes see it. Today, down in Charleston, inside that house on Cypress Street, they sit surrounded by pictures of the boy they remember. Some are cracked and curling, others in frames, well-preserved. After all this time, and after hours and hours talking to a stranger, laughing and crying, they can’t quite believe any of this. That there’s this record out there on the internet. That the name atop the list is the one they thought everyone forgot about. And that now Finell can be remembered, just in case anyone goes searching. (Illustration: Oboh Moses for The Athletic; photos: Brendan Quinn / The Athletic, Courtesy of the White family) Source link #search #alltime #scorer #time #forgot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Thursday, January 30 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Thursday, January 30 Table of Contents Table of Contents How to play Strands Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s Strand answers Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “Stopping by woods on a snowy evening” Here’s a hint that might help you: chilly prose. Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers FROZEN BELLS SHAKE LAKE DEEP LOVELY DARK SLEEP Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Thursday #January Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks next to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Carlos Barria | Reuters OpenAI on Thursday said the U.S. National Laboratories will be using its latest artificial intelligence models for scientific research and nuclear weapons security. Under the agreement, up to 15,000 scientists working at the National Laboratories may be able to access OpenAI’s reasoning-focused o1 series. OpenAI will also work with Microsoft, its lead investor, to deploy one of its models on Venado, the supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to a release. Venado is powered by technology from Nvidia and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the partnership at a company event called “Building to Win: AI Economics,” in Washington, D.C. According to OpenAI, the new partnership will involve scientists using OpenAI’s technology to enhance cybersecurity to protect the U.S. power grid, identify new approaches to treating and preventing diseases and deepen understanding of fundamental mathematics and physics. It will also involve work on nuclear weapons, “focused on reducing the risk of nuclear war and securing nuclear materials and weapons worldwide,” the company wrote. Some OpenAI researchers with security clearances will consult on the project. Read more CNBC reporting on AI Earlier this week, OpenAI released ChatGPT Gov, an AI platform built specifically for U.S. government use. OpenAI billed the new platform as a step beyond ChatGPT Enterprise as far as security. It will allow government agencies to feed “non-public, sensitive information” into OpenAI’s models while operating within their own secure hosting environments, the company said. OpenAI said that since the beginning of 2024, more than 90,000 employees of federal, state and local governments have generated over 18 million prompts within ChatGPT, using the technology to translate and summarize documents, write and draft policy memos, generate code and build applications. The government partnership follows a series of moves by Altman and OpenAI that appear to be targeted at appeasing President Donald Trump. Altman contributed $1 million to the inauguration, attended the event last week alongside other tech CEOs and recently signaled his admiration for the president. Altman wrote on X that watching Trump “more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him,” adding that “he will be incredible for the country in many ways.” OpenAI is also part of the recently announced Stargate project that involves billions of dollars in investment into U.S. AI infrastructure. As OpenAI steps up its ties to the government, a ******** rival is blowing up in the U.S. DeepSeek, an AI startup lab out of China, saw its app soar to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings this week and roiled U.S. markets on reports that its powerful model was trained at a fraction of the cost of U.S. competitors. Altman described DeepSeek’s R1 model as “impressive,” and wrote on X that “we will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor!” WATCH: OpenAI highly overvalued Source link #OpenAI #partners #U.S #National #Laboratories #scientific #research Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ESPN’s Adam Schefter: ‘I love to feel the energy of something that is not familiar’ ESPN’s Adam Schefter: ‘I love to feel the energy of something that is not familiar’ Let’s be clear: ESPN NFL insider extraordinaire Adam Schefter loves his job. The moves, the exchanging of information and, maybe most of all, the relationships. That doesn’t mean he never feels like he’s in a “cage,” a prisoner to the pressure of being first and right on every incessant NFL move. He’s been covering the NFL for more than three decades and is paid handsomely at around $9 million per year. A few years ago, he did some sideline work on NBA games and loved it. He has some other dreams. “I like being let out of the cage, and ESPN doesn’t let me out of the cage very often,” Schefter said during a 50-minute interview on my podcast. “I would love to do sideline for golf. They haven’t asked me. I’m just telling you, things like that, that get your juices going a little bit — I love what I do, and I’ll do it for a long time, but I love to feel the energy of something that is not familiar to you, that you haven’t done for 35 years, where it is new faces in a new place. And that, to me, is a little bit stimulating.” Schefter, 58, is not going the way of his buddy Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA insider whose shock retirement last summer revealed that being the news breaker of record for a major league might be worth millions, but it comes with a price. “I’ve done this for 35 years,” Schefter said. “How many more NFL stories do you want to keep covering? I love it. I love it, and I’m blessed and fortunate. I love the people that I interact with and have relationships with and that I’m fortunate to have relationships with. It’s a privilege. But the few times that ESPN has sent me out to cover an NBA game and do a sideline reporting gig, I love that. “I remember the night that my son got into Michigan. I was doing a Cleveland Cavaliers game on a Friday night in late March, and LeBron walks past me, and he goes, ‘What are you doing here? You get lost?’ You interact with people outside of your normal world. To see the coaches walk into these production meetings and they want to know, ‘Hey, what’s going on with the Cowboys? What’s going on with the Broncos?’ It’s refreshing. I love stepping out of this zone on the rare occasions that I can.” Schefter, though, is in the zone most of the time. He’s at his best when you closely listen to him talk about what might happen — when he very much knows it likely will — for hints. So the idea that he is just an old newspaper agate section in human form taking dictation eats at him. “Yes, there are certain things that we can put out that have teams ruling out a player and five minutes later, the injury comes and, ‘Yes, he’s ruled out,’” Schefter said. “OK, that’s a part of the job. There are a lot of elements to the job. A lot.” His role is all-encompassing, and you wonder if Schefter is happy. He says he is, but when Wojnarowski left $20 million in his rearview mirror to make $75,000 to be the general manager at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, Schefter was receiving texts from around the NFL. Are you next? “When Woj did that, that day, I must’ve gotten 15 texts about becoming the GM of Michigan,” Schefter said. “Now, Michigan has a great GM: Sean Magee. Love him. Great respect for him. I don’t want his job right now. I don’t know how my wife would feel about living in Ann Arbor. “Your mind always wonders: What do I want to do? I love what I do. I’ve been blessed to do this for 35 years. You know what the business has become and what it is like. Is it something I want to do another 35 years? No, no. Is it going to be five, 10? I don’t know.” Editor’s note: Listen to the entire conversation between Marchand and Schefter here. (Photo: Jeff Schear / Getty Images) Source link #ESPNs #Adam #Schefter #love #feel #energy #familiar Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Six Years Later, Insurgency: Sandstorm Still Slaps Six Years Later, Insurgency: Sandstorm Still Slaps Neil writes: “We adored Insurgency: Sandstorm when it swept onto Xbox and PlayStation consoles at the back end of 2021. In fact, there were elements about it that were nothing but phenomenal. Today though it’s all about the chance to expand that game, as a number of new DLC packs arrive, letting players build out their Insurgency experience how they see fit.” Source link #Years #Insurgency #Sandstorm #Slaps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, Catch a Pterosaur by Its Neck Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, Catch a Pterosaur by Its Neck Around 76 million years ago, something took a bite out of a young pterosaur. Pterosaurs were large, flying reptiles that roamed our planet’s skies when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Some species were giants. But even their large size didn’t keep them off the menu. Paleontologists have discovered a tooth mark in a neck vertebra of a pterosaur that died in what is now Alberta. In a paper published last week in The Journal of Paleontology, they suggest that the tooth mark was made by a prehistoric relative of the crocodile that either snatched the young pterosaur from the shore or scavenged its dead body. The fossil is now on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. Pterosaurs came in all shapes and sizes and were found worldwide during their tenure on the planet, which lasted from 220 million to 65 million years ago. But they had fragile bones that were often destroyed before being preserved in the fossil record. Paleontologists mostly find neck and finger bones for this species, and that makes them “quite mysterious,” said David Hone, a paleontologist at Queen Mary University of London who was not involved in the research. But scientists actually “have a much better idea of what was eating pterosaurs than what they were eating,” said Caleb Brown, a paleontologist and curator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum who was among the authors of the new study. Paleontologists have so far discovered only around four pterosaur fossils that suggest that predators occasionally dined on these winged reptiles — including a neck bone with crocodile-like teeth marks found in Romania and a partly digested long bone in the belly of a velociraptor uncovered in Mongolia. This latest fossil — a two-inch neck vertebra — was found by students during a dig in 2023 in the Dinosaur Park Formation in the badlands of Alberta. The area is so rich in remains that “you literally can’t walk without stepping on dinosaur bones,” Dr. Brown said. He and his team at the museum identified the fossil as belonging to a young Cryodrakon boreas. Full-grown members of this species had wingspans of more than 30 feet. This youngling was still growing and had reached a wingspan of only around six feet when it died. While examining the fossil, Dr. Brown noticed what looked like a small bite mark. The team examined the puncture hole under a microscope and sent the bone for a CT scan. What they found was consistent with a puncture made by a tooth when the bone was still fresh. Identifying the biter was the next piece of the puzzle. There were many potential candidates. Even though Cretaceous Alberta was farther north than it is today, it was a lush, tropical area that bordered an inland sea. Wetlands near the open water were home to many large dinosaurs, crocodilians and mammalians. But dinosaurs seemed like unlikely culprits. Dinosaur species who lived in the area at the time had blade- or D-shaped teeth that didn’t match the circular shape of the hole. Crocodilians, on the other hand, do make circular-shaped punctures. The hole is also the right size for two species of crocs that coexisted with giant pterosaurs. For Dr. Brown, that made a crocodilian predator or scavenger the “most likely candidate” for the bite mark. Even with a likely suspect, no one knows what the young pterosaur’s last moments were like. Did it die and become a “free lunch” for a hungry crocodilian that happened upon its body, as Dr. Brown speculated? Or was it the victim of an ambush? Both explanations are possible. Like alligators and crocodiles today, their forebears in the Cretaceous ******* “probably grabbed whatever the hell they’re able to get their mouth around,” Dr. Hone said. “It’s what crocs do.” Source link #Eeny #Meeny #Miny #Catch #Pterosaur #Neck Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sam Darnold’s free-agent options: Which teams make the most sense and why? Sam Darnold’s free-agent options: Which teams make the most sense and why? Though Sam Darnold’s final two performances of the season revealed some weaknesses in his game, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback will be coveted this offseason. Darnold, 27, threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, both career highs. According to Pro Football Focus, his big-time throw rate ranked sixth in the NFL among 25 qualified quarterbacks. His EPA per attempt ranked 11th. Two factors favor Darnold ahead of free agency. First, the free-agent quarterback class is comprised of journeymen and aging veterans. Second, the quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft class are not as heralded as those in years past. The Vikings still have the franchise tag at their disposal. It’s a move that might make sense if Minnesota prefers to recoup draft capital in the present — and if another team wants to keep Darnold from reaching the open market. So who might be interested in the quarterback after a career season? Here are five reasonable possibilities, why they could make sense and why they might not. Sam Darnold has been voted NFL’s Most Improved Player by the PFWA. : pic.twitter.com/eV1izN9EKX — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 24, 2025 Las Vegas Raiders Why it would make sense: No quarterback-needy team has more cap space than the Raiders. They have about $90 million of room in 2025 and almost $180 million in available spending for 2026. Additionally, newly hired head coach Pete Carroll has experience with well-traveled former first-round picks. (See: Geno Smith.) Quarterback will be a priority for Las Vegas after two seasons of Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O’Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer. Darnold, meanwhile, would almost certainly be drawn to the prospect of learning from and spending time around Raiders ********* owner Tom Brady. If the size and length of the contract are Darnold’s ultimate focus, few teams have the resources necessary to put together a better financial package. Why it wouldn’t make sense: Darnold’s first five NFL seasons taught him the importance of a committed organization. The Raiders have made the playoffs only twice since 2002 and haven’t reached the divisional round since then. Adding Brady and hiring Carroll might indicate growth for Las Vegas’ leadership structure, but the proof of progress calls for action over time. The Raiders could also be in the market to draft a quarterback. They have the sixth pick, and Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward could be in play. For those two to transition well, or even for a free-agent signing like Darnold to flourish, the Raiders must fortify their skill player group alongside tight end Brock Bowers. GO DEEPER Whether it’s via a trade, free agency or the draft, the Raiders need an upgrade at QB Pittsburgh Steelers Why it would make sense: Earlier this week, Steelers team president Art Rooney II told reporters, “We’ve got to address this quarterback position.” Rooney kept the door open to re-signing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who are set to become free agents. “I think my preference would probably be to have something more than a one-year (deal) in place next time around,” Rooney added. That’s likely what Darnold will be seeking. Pittsburgh has around $40 million in cap space. Head coach Mike Tomlin’s culture is a draw for players. Signing Darnold would prevent the Steelers from potentially having to move up in the draft for a quarterback. GO DEEPER Steelers aim to re-sign Wilson or Fields, ‘probably’ not both, owner says Why it wouldn’t make sense: Wilson and Fields are former starters. Bring back one of them, and it’s difficult to envision Pittsburgh paying a premium for another free-agent quarterback. Also, the Steelers’ offensive talent is lacking. The mercurial George Pickens headlines their receiving corps. Their best offensive lineman is center Zach Frazier, but the rest of the group needs upgrading. Would Darnold feel confident enough about Arthur Smith’s scheme and play calling after his last two seasons, one with Kyle Shanahan and the other with Kevin O’Connell? Smith succeeded in Tennessee with Ryan Tannehill, so it’s possible. Seattle Seahawks Why it would make sense: Let’s begin with newly hired offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. As the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator in 2023, Kubiak worked closely with Darnold, who backed up 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy that year. The Seahawks also have a significant number of offensive weapons: DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III, among others. That combination — familiarity and skill players — could intrigue Darnold. Seattle, meanwhile, won’t have to search far and wide for data points on Darnold’s season. In Week 16 at Lumen Field, Darnold orchestrated a game-winning drive, capped by exceptional pocket movement and a long touchdown pass to superstar receiver Justin Jefferson. The Seahawks could save $31 million on the cap by cutting quarterback Geno Smith. Doing so would mean they’d have to find a new starter. GO DEEPER What’s next for QB Geno Smith, Seahawks? Breaking down Seattle’s 4 offseason options Why it wouldn’t make sense: The Seahawks’ cap situation for 2025 complicates matters. They’re about $27 million over the cap. To acquire Darnold, Seattle would first have to part ways with Smith and then do some gymnastics with its books. There are countless levers the Seahawks could pull. Restructuring defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones would help. Veteran receiver Tyler Lockett also has a sizable contract that would be worth a deeper analysis. Notably, though, Seattle’s cap space increases drastically in 2026, meaning the Seahawks could backload Darnold’s deal to secure his services. New York Giants Why it would make sense: Few teams are more desperate for an answer at quarterback than the Giants. Eli Manning retired in 2019, and New York has been in the market for a legitimate successor ever since. The Giants also have more than $40 million in cap space in 2025 and close to $140 million for 2026. General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are on thin ice, having gone 9-25 over the previous two seasons. Would they be willing to bet their futures on a rookie quarterback? Why it wouldn’t make sense: This list is long. Darnold already spent three years in New York. After the Jets experience, would he entertain the idea of returning and playing for a team that is similar in its process? The Giants might have a one-man explosive play rate in receiver Malik Nabers, but their offensive line has been inconsistent for years. The potential for discontinuity might also raise red flags for Darnold, who worked with multiple play callers in New York and Carolina. Another Vikings quarterback, Daniel Jones, likely apprised Darnold of the Giants’ culture under Schoen and Daboll. Among the five teams on this list, the Giants might be the most similar to the infrastructure he separated from when he left the Panthers. GO DEEPER Exploring how Giants will attack upgrading at QB this offseason Minnesota Vikings Why it would make sense: This all hinges on how the Vikings view young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is recovering from a torn meniscus. If Minnesota thinks he’s close to ready, paying a premium for a free-agent quarterback is not the wisest roster-building strategy. For Darnold to return, McCarthy would have to be further away from readiness, and the competition for Darnold in the market would have to be less than what many expect. In that case, though, returning to the Vikings could make sense. The Minnesota locker room loved Darnold, and it would be beneficial for him to spend another season in O’Connell’s system working with quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. Why it wouldn’t make sense: Minnesota has plenty of roster needs — and only four draft picks to fill them. Using a major chunk of its salary-cap space on a quarterback would limit the Vikings’ chances at fortifying the interior of the offensive line and ensuring their secondary does not lose a step. Still, moving on from Darnold comes with no guarantees. McCarthy is unproven, and expecting another quarterback, including Jones, to produce the way Darnold did is a tall order. That said, O’Connell and the Vikings staff have built a fairly high offensive floor with Jefferson, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and receiver Jordan Addison to ease the transition, even for a youngster like McCarthy. (Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images) Source link #Sam #Darnolds #freeagent #options #teams #sense Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Netflix to bring the WWE 2K series to their gaming service, coming this fall Netflix to bring the WWE 2K series to their gaming service, coming this fall The following match is scheduled for (one) fall… WWE’s debut on Netflix has been a moment of major heat for the company And now, the iconic 2K series of wrestling sims are coming to mobile! Netflix Games is set to debut the 2K series come Fall of this year Whether it’s Roman Reigns regaining the title of tribal chief, the oncoming Royal Rumble and Kevin Owens vs Cody Rhodes I think it’s fair to say the past few months that saw WWE debut on Netflix has been a major high point for the company. And the so-called Netflix Era is set to heat up even further as the iconic WWE 2K series comes to Netflix Games. For wrestling fans out there this series should need little introduction. Beginning with 2K14, both good and bad entries in the wrestling simulation series have dominated shelves alongside other heavyweights like Madden and FIFA. When it comes to putting WWE Superstars front and centre, for better or worse this is the only game in town (literally). And now, you’ll be able to play out your wrestling booking fantasies on your phone! While details are scant at the minute top star CM Punk went on video to confirm the 2K series was making its way to Netflix Games. Starting this Fall you’ll be able to play the most intense wrestling series out there in the palm of your hand! Attitude Adjustment As far as I can tell this won’t be an independent entry in the series. What info we’ve had specified games plural and it wouldn’t be the first time older titles enter Netflix’s back catalogue. It’d certainly be a crowd-pleaser as the 2K series has come roaring back in recent years to regain praise from many fans, even if it can remain shaky in terms of critical reception. It’s certainly not as if wrestling is any stranger to mobile, however, as both WWE and upstart promotion AEW have had many spin-off releases over the years. But the 2K series could represent a new epoch in the kind of additions to the Netflix Games catalogue, in terms of console-quality gaming and prestige. Source link #Netflix #bring #WWE #series #gaming #service #coming #fall Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is known about the collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC – The Associated Press What is known about the collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC – The Associated Press What is known about the collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC The Associated PressLive updates: ‘No survivors’ after plane, helicopter ****** into Potomac River NBC Washington“Oh my”: What Air-Traffic Radio Tells Us About the American Airlines Plane ****** The Wall Street JournalFigure skaters among passengers in D.C. ****** ESPN Source link #collision #passenger #jet #Army #helicopter #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future nears a crossroads with changes ahead on and off the track Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future nears a crossroads with changes ahead on and off the track Max Verstappen is preparing for one of the biggest years of his life. The reigning four-time world champion has his sights set on a fifth straight title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has accomplished, which would cement his place among the all-time greats. Barring a big performance step by Red Bull this winter, the Dutchman faces the most serious challenge to his crown yet, as the inroads made in the second half of last year by McLaren and Ferrari are expected to continue. Off the track, there are changes, too, as Verstappen and his long-term partner Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together, so it’s only natural for him to be thinking about the future. Though only 27, Verstappen has previously said he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, having signed one of the most lucrative contracts in the sport’s history just over three years ago. But with so much change on the horizon, this year could represent a crossroads. Sixty-three wins, 40 pole positions, 112 podiums and four world championships put Verstappen and Red Bull among the most successful driver-team partnerships in F1 history. Ever since Red Bull gambled on Verstappen’s youth, placing him in F1 with its sister team, Toro Rosso, at 17 in 2015 before promoting him to its senior team just a year later, both sides have reaped the rewards. F1 wins with the same constructor Driver Constructor Wins Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 84 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 72 Max Verstappen Red Bull 63 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 38 Ayrton Senna McLaren 35 Alain Prost McLaren 30 Nigel Mansell Williams 28 Jim Clark Lotus 25 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 23 Damon Hill Williams 21 Rarely has Verstappen shown any serious signs of disgruntlement or frustration at Red Bull. The only public hint he could look to leave came early last season when Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko faced scrutiny over his potential role in the leaks surrounding the investigation into team principal Christian Horner. Verstappen said he could not continue at the team without Marko, whose future was resolved quickly after meeting with Red Bull GmbH managing director Oliver Mintzlaff. Verstappen kept saying he wanted a peaceful environment in which to race. By the end of the season, that’s what he had. The fraught start to Red Bull’s year caused Verstappen to be linked with a move to Mercedes, which needed a driver to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has always admired Verstappen and regularly hinted at an interest in signing him across last year — and even spoke with Verstappen’s father and manager in the summer — prior to confirmation that Andrea Kimi Antonelli would join alongside George Russell. Following the announcement, Wolff said he saw the duo as representing Mercedes’ future. Speaking to journalists in December to reflect on the year, Horner said that, “at no point did I have any concerns that (Verstappen) wanted to leave.” While he understood why there’d be interest, Horner noted the public nature of what he described as “noise” around Verstappen’s future. “The serious stuff is usually done behind the scenes,” he said, “not through the media.” The shocking nature of Hamilton’s Ferrari move last February acts as recent proof of that. Horner’s theory would have been front of mind in mid-January when the Daily Mail reported Aston Martin’s commercial chief had told prospective sponsors about the team’s plan to sign Verstappen with a dizzying $1 billion price tag featured in the story. Aston Martin categorically denied the report when reached by The Athletic. Aston Martin has always been ambitious about becoming a world champion operation under Lawrence Stroll. The team has a new state-of-the-art factory at Silverstone. In March, it will welcome Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s outgoing chief technical officer and the most decorated car designer in F1 history. It will also secure an exclusive engine supply from Honda, which has powered Verstappen to all his F1 titles at Red Bull, starting in 2026. All these factors could prove attractive to any driver looking to move, not to mention the financial might behind the project. But the Aston Martin project is still a work in progress. In early 2023, Fernando Alonso emerged as the closest contender to Verstappen and Red Bull, regularly finishing on the podium. The team’s form has since faded. It failed to finish a race any higher than fifth last year and has undergone an off-track reshuffle this winter, with team CEO Andy Cowell now assuming the role of team principal. The building blocks may be coming together for Aston Martin, but it still looks to be a couple of steps off disrupting F1’s established ‘big four’ of Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Aston Martin would love to have Verstappen, but would it appeal to him? (Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) Verstappen’s priority is to drive a winning car. He had to bide his time waiting for Red Bull to get in a position to fight for the title, so dominant was Mercedes through the late 2010s, but he hasn’t lost a championship since getting the machinery capable of winning one in 2021. This year’s competition will be intense, but he proved last year that even without the quickest car for the bulk of the season, he is very hard to beat. Next year could define what the final years of Verstappen’s existing Red Bull contract could look like. The new car design and engine rules promise to shake up the pecking order and give the potential for one team to pull clear and dominate, similar to Mercedes in 2014 or Red Bull in 2022 and 2023. The added significance of 2026 for Red Bull is that its in-house engine program, Red Bull Powertrains, which works in collaboration with Ford, will become the official power unit supplier to the team. Red Bull knows the upside of forming its own engine division. For the first time, it will be in total control of its destiny and not reliant on the performance of a customer engine. Its previous partnership with Renault turned sour when the French manufacturer failed to produce a competitive power unit, leaving Red Bull powerless to contend with Mercedes and Ferrari regularly. But even with the impressive facility under construction in Milton Keynes, going from a start-up operation to an engine manufacturer capable of contending with F1’s established names in under four years is a big ask. Red Bull itself will reap the rewards — or pay the price — for its level of performance in 2026. “For us bringing in our own power units, there are huge risks associated with that,” Horner said. “But there’s also upsides between the integration between the two worlds. We’re the only team other than Ferrari to have everything on one campus, under one roof, and we’re already seeing the synergy between engine engineers and designers and chassis designers.” While power unit performance has more or less evened out in F1, there is an expectation for some large swings at the start of the new rule cycle in 2026 that could be the most significant performance differentiator. It’ll only make it more important for Red Bull and Ford’s new project to get off to a strong start, particularly to ensure Verstappen has the car he needs to keep fighting for wins and championships. Few, if any, of F1’s all-time greats have enjoyed all their success with a single team. Schumacher wrote the bulk of his legacy with Ferrari, but his first two titles came with Benetton in the mid-1990s. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna both had spells at multiple teams, while Hamilton is now embarking on his third team adventure, having joined Ferrari in 2025. Arguably, the only great to do it all with a single team was Jim Clark, whose race starts were all with Lotus in the 1960s. It would make Verstappen something of an outlier if he were to spend the entirety of his F1 career within the Red Bull family. Most greats look to move on and prove themselves elsewhere. But given that Verstappen has little care for statistics or records, it’s unlikely this kind of romanticism would appeal to him in the way it does to other drivers. He’s never seemed like one to harbor dreams of racing for a particular team, as Hamilton did with Ferrari, so for him to see out his career at Red Bull would come as no great surprise. That mindset is also why he does not want to be racing forever. Celebrating his 200th race at Zandvoort last year, Verstappen scoffed at the idea of being around for another 200. “We’re past halfway (in my career), for sure,” he said, adding that his future beyond 2028 was not on his mind. “I just want to see how it goes, also see the new regulations first, if it’s fun or not,” Verstappen said. The next two seasons will be pivotal for Red Bull and Verstappen’s future together. (Mark Thompson/Getty Images) The level of enjoyment Verstappen gets from the new cars arriving in 2026, of which he’s previously cast doubt on how they will drive, will be instrumental to how much longer he wants to race in F1. The moment he stops having fun, he’ll hit pause. It is also why the officiating of F1, namely the controversy surrounding swearing that Verstappen’s relatively innocent F-bomb in Singapore sparked last September, could influence his future. The debate is unlikely to go away after the FIA, the sport’s governing body, announced new guidelines for penalizing so-called ‘misconduct’ with fines, point deductions and even race bans. That’s not to say racing won’t be part of Verstappen’s life whenever he decides to stop. He’s long dreamed of entering the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his father, Jos, and regularly spends weekends driving GT sportscars just for fun. His horizons reach beyond F1. “He’s very old-school in many respects: he just wants to drive,” Horner said. “I think some of the noise and the circus around Formula One is what doesn’t sit comfortably with him. So long as he’s getting the enjoyment out of what he does, he’ll do it. “But I think as soon as that enjoyment drops, he’s got the strength of character and personality to say, ‘Do you know what? I’m going to go and drive GTs next year.’ He’s unique in the sense that Formula One doesn’t define him.” There’s a big, big world beyond F1. Verstappen understands the sacrifices needed to compete for wins in F1, and that may become more acute once he becomes a father. He will be one of only two fathers on the grid, along with Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg, who spoke to The Athletic about how fatherhood changes one’s outlook on racing. But so long as he remains capable of fighting for championships, the motivation will remain as strong as ever. As he put it after scoring win number 19 out of 22 races in 2023, the championship long since a foregone conclusion: “Winning is great. Why would I not want to win when you have the opportunity to win?” As long as Red Bull can keep giving Verstappen a happy environment, a winning car and the means to enjoy the sport, there’s little reason to think he might look elsewhere. Top photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images Source link #Max #Verstappens #Red #Bull #future #nears #crossroads #ahead #track Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, January 30 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, January 30 Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt. Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help. Please enable Javascript to view this content Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today. NYT Mini Crossword answers today New York Times Across Soft rock – TALC First-string squad – ATEAM Soft rock? – MAGMA Tissue layers, e.g. – PLIES Fiona Apple and Tracy Chapman, vocally – ALTOS Down Florida’s so-called “Cigar City” – TAMPA To any degree – ATALL Not sketchy, colloquially 0– LEGIT Brief role in a movie – CAMEO Midnight ___ (Christmas service) – MASS Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Thursday #January Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US economic growth slows after sharp trade decline US economic growth slows after sharp trade decline Charlotte Edwards Business reporter Getty Images Economic growth in the US slowed at the end of last year, as trade declined more sharply than expected and the country was hit by hurricanes and labour strikes. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.3% between October and December, down from 3.1% in the three months before, according to the US Commerce Department. The pace, fuelled by solid growth in consumer spending, was nevertheless weaker than economists had expected. The figures signal potential challenges ahead for US President Donald Trump, as he seeks a major shake-up of economic policies. He has said he is looking to impose higher tariffs on imports, the first of which could be announced this week. The US economy had been forecast to expand at 2.5% in the final three months of 2024 but analysts said details of the Commerce Department report suggested growth remained solid. Source link #economic #growth #slows #sharp #trade #decline Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MultiVersus Season 5 May Be The End Of The Game, Rumor Suggests MultiVersus Season 5 May Be The End Of The Game, Rumor Suggests · · January 30, 2025 MultiVersus could be coming to an end. A new rumor from known MultiVersus leaker AusilMV suggests that the game’s upcoming Season 5 could be the last one. “[MultiVersus] Season 5 may be the final season of MultiVersus, depending on how it performs,” they said while prefacing that this isn’t confirmed yet.. “A notable source shared this rumor with me, stating that Season 5 may be a “last-ditch effort” for the game.” Insider Gaming has reached out Warner Bros. Games and developer Player First Games for comment on the rumor. Should a response be received, it will be amended to this story. RELATED: Year In Review—MultiVersus Had it All And Threw it Away The idea that MultiVersus could be heading towards a tipping point shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to players and outsiders alike. Since the game launched with high player numbers nearly three years ago, its popularity has dwindled. The game saw a peak player count on Steam of 153,433 players before it fell by 99% within its first few months. After it struggled to regain traction, Warner Bros. Games announced it was taking the game down in June 2023 after what it then started to call an “open beta” *******. It was re-released in May 2024 with numerous updates and changes in the months since. However, it has yet to return to the numbers it had when it first launched and the hype from players was there. MultiVersus Season 5 is scheduled to start in early February. It’ll be interesting to see what the developers have planned to try and get players to not only pick up their game, but stick around after. What do you make of the rumors that Season 5 could be MultiVersus’ last? Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, check out the free games coming to PlayStation Plus members in February and and check out the leaked new expansion pack for The Sims 4. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #MultiVersus #Season #Game #Rumor #Suggests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research OpenAI partners with U.S. National Laboratories on scientific research OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks next to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son after U.S. President Donald Trump delivered remarks on AI infrastructure at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Carlos Barria | Reuters OpenAI on Thursday said the U.S. National Laboratories will be using its latest artificial intelligence models for scientific research and nuclear weapons security. Under the agreement, up to 15,000 scientists working at the National Laboratories may be able to access OpenAI’s reasoning-focused o1 series. OpenAI will also work with Microsoft, its lead investor, to deploy one of its models on Venado, the supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, according to a release. Venado is powered by technology from Nvidia and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the partnership at a company event called “Building to Win: AI Economics,” in Washington, D.C. According to OpenAI, the new partnership will involve scientists using OpenAI’s technology to enhance cybersecurity to protect the U.S. power grid, identify new approaches to treating and preventing diseases and deepen understanding of fundamental mathematics and physics. It will also involve work on nuclear weapons, “focused on reducing the risk of nuclear war and securing nuclear materials and weapons worldwide,” the company wrote. Some OpenAI researchers with security clearances will consult on the project. Read more CNBC reporting on AI Earlier this week, OpenAI released ChatGPT Gov, an AI platform built specifically for U.S. government use. OpenAI billed the new platform as a step beyond ChatGPT Enterprise as far as security. It will allow government agencies to feed “non-public, sensitive information” into OpenAI’s models while operating within their own secure hosting environments, the company said. OpenAI said that since the beginning of 2024, more than 90,000 employees of federal, state and local governments have generated over 18 million prompts within ChatGPT, using the technology to translate and summarize documents, write and draft policy memos, generate code and build applications. The government partnership follows a series of moves by Altman and OpenAI that appear to be targeted at appeasing President Donald Trump. Altman contributed $1 million to the inauguration, attended the event last week alongside other tech CEOs and recently signaled his admiration for the president. Altman wrote on X that watching Trump “more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him,” adding that “he will be incredible for the country in many ways.” OpenAI is also part of the recently announced Stargate project that involves billions of dollars in investment into U.S. AI infrastructure. As OpenAI steps up its ties to the government, a ******** rival is blowing up in the U.S. DeepSeek, an AI startup lab out of China, saw its app soar to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings this week and roiled U.S. markets on reports that its powerful model was trained at a fraction of the cost of U.S. competitors. Altman described DeepSeek’s R1 model as “impressive,” and wrote on X that “we will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor!” WATCH: OpenAI highly overvalued Source link #OpenAI #partners #U.S #National #Laboratories #scientific #research Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prescott’s achievements extraordinary, Blair says in eulogy Prescott’s achievements extraordinary, Blair says in eulogy EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock The ******** of former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott took place at Hull Minster on Thursday Former Prime Minister Tony Blair speaking at the ******** of his former deputy John Prescott described his achievements as “extraordinary”. Blair, who was among ministers past and present at Hull Minster on Thursday for Lord Prescott’s ********, gave a eulogy at the service. Blair began his tribute by describing Lord Prescott as a “complicated man, wrestling frequently with the tangle of ambition and altruism”. “He possessed deep principles, but was also determined to make his mark.” Tony Blair said “there is not one of us who thinks of John without a smile” Lord Prescott, who served as deputy prime minister between 1997 and 2007, died on 20 November, aged 86. He had been in a care home living with Alzheimer’s disease. Those paying their respects at Thursday’s service included Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. Lord Prescott’s coffin was carried into the minster as former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell played the Welsh national anthem on the bagpipes. Blair said: “His achievements were extraordinary. “He was essential in designing the major constitutional reforms of our government, the Scottish parliament, the Welsh assembly and the first elected mayor of London. “He pioneered the idea of an integrated transport system. Throw him a problem and he would provide a solution. “There is not one of us who thinks of John without a smile.” PA Media PM Sir Keir Starmer was among those who attended John Prescott’s ******** Other eulogies were delivered, including by Lord Prescott’s son, David, who said: “He taught me the importance of lifting people up and not putting people down.” Brown said: “For 60 years, this great city of Hull was his home. He served it with pride, passion and principle.” The former prime minister added: “We will never see his like again. A man of the people he certainly was. In a class by himself, a one-off, one of a kind, but one of us in the best sense of the word.” John Prescott was described as serving the city of Hull with “pride, passion and principle” The service, hosted by the Rev Canon Dominic ******, included singing by the Choral-Hull children’s choir, made up from pupils across the city. Lord Prescott was first elected as MP for Hull East in 1970 and went on to hold the seat for almost 40 years. In lieu of flowers, the Prescott family requested donations for Alzheimer’s Research ***. Source link #Prescotts #achievements #extraordinary #Blair #eulogy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Monster Hunter Wilds Is a Technical Marvel for Capcom Because of an Oily Squid Boss in the Oilwell Basin Monster Hunter Wilds Is a Technical Marvel for Capcom Because of an Oily Squid Boss in the Oilwell Basin A new area called Oilwell Basin will be introduced to players in Monster Hunter Wilds, and it may prove to be a breathtaking new setting for the series. Some of the most exciting settings are expected of Monster Hunter Wilds given how dynamic the world appeared in the trailers. Monster Hunter Wilds is going to be released on February 28, 2025. | Credit: Capcom. The Oilwell Basin is a good example of how early signs are holding up in that regard, fortunately. With its name and theme, it has a great chance of becoming one of Monster Hunter Wilds‘ more exciting locations. Not only that, this location will feature an apex monster, which is going to be a technical marvel for the game, but a nightmare for the players. Nu Udra is probably the most horrific but technically marvelous monster in Monster Hunter Wilds Nu Udra is going to make your Monster Hunter Wilds journey tougher. | Credit: Capcom. IGN recently released a new video that gives us a close-up look at the Nu Udra, a slimy, oily monster that resembles an octopus and has the ability to burn itself alive. It has far too many orifices that suddenly open, pulses when it grabs you and moves, and writhes when you attack it. Yuya Tokuda, the director of Monster Hunter Wilds is quite proud of it because he thinks not only this creature is brilliantly designed but is also a technical achievement by the development team. Without a doubt, director Yuya Tokuda had to sort through a lot of new monster proposals before deciding which would be included in Wilds. As you might expect, a proposal would be evaluated based on a number of factors, such as overall design, technical viability, and fun factors. Now we know the recently revealed monster is his favorite. This is what Tokuda stated: When we saw the tests, we also thought to make it the apex predator of the Oilwell Basin. While there are countless proposals that I’ve had rejected due to technical reasons, it feels like I’m finally getting to attempt one of those this time around. The monster’s impressiveness is difficult to overstate. It’s difficult to get a creature like that to accurately interact with the landscape, particularly when you include all the lighting effects after it’s on fire. It also darts into a hole, which is a moment the animators want viewers to focus on. We may not all see the same animations because each person’s battle with Nu Udra will be unique. “It might not be easy to get the chance to see it, but the way it squirms around while wrapped around a pipe is so well made, too,” Tokuda continues. Even though the creature is amazing to see, it’s crucial to avoid becoming overly fixated on how disgusting it is. It uses light to signal when and who it will attack thanks to sensory organs at the tips of its tentacles. You can quickly whittle the creature down and transform it into a fresh calamari by cutting off a large number of its tentacles. With these many exciting additions, it’s no surprise that the upcoming title has climbed the top spot in the list of the most-wishlisted games on Steam. Oilwell Basin is the perfect place for Nu Udra to wreak havoc Oilwell Basin is an exciting addition to the game. | Credit: Capcom. Although Oilwell Basin isn’t Monster Hunter‘s first volcanic setting, its visual appeal makes it difficult to overlook. There are spouts of flame, rocky caverns, and oil fields that both monsters and hunters can traverse. Furthermore, some parts of the Basin have scaffold-like structures amidst the fire, giving the impression that they are burning buildings rather than caves. You can even see the same oil dripping from these buildings. Oilwell Basin is unique among Monster Hunter‘s volcanic locations in that it has a particularly eerie atmosphere. The ****** Flame trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds did a good job of showcasing Oilwell Basin, highlighting some of the local monsters. With the latter two being fire-wielding monsters and the ****** Flame and Rompopolo sharing an oil motif, the ****** Flame, Ajarakan, and Rompopolo couldn’t appear more appropriate for the setting. Not only do they all have intimidating appearances, but their unique designs may also result in some really awesome sets of gear for successful hunters. The footage of these creatures in the Basin, particularly the hideous ****** Flame form, effectively conveys the danger of the area. Nu Udra in Monster Hunter Wilds may find fuel in Oilwell Basin, another significant feature of this location. One important factor might be the oil that covers some areas of the environment. For example, hunters without the right gear may find it more difficult to navigate greasy areas because they may be more slick. Furthermore, because the oil is obviously flammable, fire attacks might cause it to ignite when it strikes, causing explosion damage to the surrounding area. This would increase the usefulness of flame-resistant equipment and fire attacks. Oilwell Basin would be a challenging biome to manage with mechanics like these, but that might add to its excitement. Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #Technical #Marvel #Capcom #Oily #Squid #Boss #Oilwell #Basin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RX 9070 GPU could theoretically be an RTX 5070 killer, I’m just worried that AMD may not go for Nvidia’s throat with pricing RX 9070 GPU could theoretically be an RTX 5070 killer, I’m just worried that AMD may not go for Nvidia’s throat with pricing A YouTuber has been outlining some compelling theories on RX 9070 performance versus the RTX 5070 This theorizing is based on purported internal AMD benchmarks for the RX 9070, and napkin maths for RTX 5070 frame rates If it pans out, the RX 9070 XT could easily beat the RTX 5070 Ti, and even come within 10% of the RTX 5080 AMD’s RX 9070 models could handily outgun Nvidia’s mid-range RTX 5070 Ti and 5070 graphics cards, if a considered prediction from a YouTuber pans out. This is regular rumor peddler Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), who in his latest video (embedded below) engages in some napkin maths to work out where the performance of the RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti GPUs are likely to weigh in (more on the intricacies therein shortly). The YouTuber then compares that to internal benchmarks purportedly carried out by AMD a month ago with its RX 9070 models. The upshot is this: going by those internal tests from AMD – add skepticism with all this, meaning the benchmarks, and also MLID’s own theories – Team Red was targeting a slight win for the RX 9070 XT over the RTX 4080 Founders Edition (to the tune of 3% or so). MLID then took that level of estimated performance and overlaid it on a graph of benchmarks (a 17-game average) from Hardware Unboxed that includes the RTX 5080. From this, we see that in theory, the RX 9070 XT is within 10% of the RTX 5080 for rasterized (non-ray tracing) performance at 4K resolution. On top of that, the YouTuber added in the mentioned napkin maths approximations of RTX 5070 performance, which is that the vanilla RTX 5070 is likely to come in at about 20% faster than Nvidia’s RTX 4070 (so in the ballpark of the RTX 4070 Ti). And that the RTX 5070 Ti is likely to be a rather minor generational uplift, and maybe only slightly faster than the RTX 4070 Ti Super. Granted, that adds in a good deal of uncertainty, and ifs-and-buts, though it is based on sound enough reasoning. (Namely the uplifts we’ve seen for the RTX 5090 and 5080, on average – a strong flavor of the architectural gains for Blackwell, in other words – and then the relative specs of the new RTX 5070 models versus their predecessors). RTX 5070 performance may not pan out like this, but if it roughly does, MLID theorizes that the RX 9070 XT (based on those internal AMD benchmarks) could potentially be 15% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti. And that the RX 9070 versus the RTX 5070 could see a win for AMD, too, more to the tune of 10%, but still, a marked victory. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. RTX 5080 Analysis | AMD RX 9070 XT Leak | Nvidia 5090 Supply Update – YouTube Watch On Analysis: Performance means little without price Right, so is AMD set to own the GPU mid-range this year? Well, as I’ve already said a couple of times – but it bears another mention just to underline – a lot of this is up in the air theorizing, albeit workings-out that make sense to me. MLID lays some heavy caveats on all this himself, although the YouTuber does assert that he’s confident enough in these predictions on the whole. We should bear in mind that the graphs used (from Hardware Unboxed) are just straight rasterized performance. Although MLID also notes he’s confident AMD has almost caught up to Nvidia with ray tracing in this generation, but another major piece of the puzzle is DLSS 4 and Team Green’s new frame generation. The latter MFG feature, and other improvements in DLSS 4, are actually huge – and that shouldn’t be underestimated. We don’t yet know how FSR 4, AMD’s rival next-gen tech, will shake out, and so that remains a fairly weighty question mark here. Another critical point here is that it’s all very well analyzing (potential) relative performance levels in a theoretical exercise like this, but even if this proves correct as to the comparative frame rates we’ll get from the RX 9070 versus RTX 5070 models, there’s AMD’s pricing to consider. We know the rough value proposition of the RTX 5070 flavors as we have the MSRPs, but we don’t with the RDNA 4 graphics cards. My worry, then, is that AMD will be calculating where to pitch RX 9070 asking prices based on the Nvidia RTX 5070 reviews when they arrive in February (well, if Team Green sticks to its promised launch timeframe for these mid-range graphics cards). It’s certainly been rumored that AMD is still very much weighing up pricing, and the question then becomes: how much does Team Red want to take Nvidia down in the mid-range space? If that’s a strong motive here, AMD might come in with really competitive MSRPs for the RX 9070 models. But, if maximizing profits and return is higher up the priority list for RDNA 4, then we could get weightier than rumored asking prices. Who knows, is really the point, and the RX 9070 will only be an RTX 5070 killer – assuming MLID’s napkin scribbling and GPU hypothesizing is in the right ballpark – if AMD prices it to be an RTX 5070 killer. Hopefully that’s the intent, and MLID suggests $499 and $649 (US) as possible price tags for a suitably aggressive move with the RX 9070 and its XT sibling respectively. Previously, there were hopes of a sub-$500 price for the RX 9070, but if performance does shape up anything like as suggested here, there’s no reason AMD would need to dip lower than the mentioned $499. And again, this comes back to my worry that AMD might feel free to just push pricing harder than originally intended, perhaps, if the RX 9070 models are outmuscling the RTX 5070s in this vein. You might also like… Source link #GPU #theoretically #RTX #killer #worried #AMD #Nvidias #throat #pricing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

These child tax credit mistakes can halt your refund, experts say These child tax credit mistakes can halt your refund, experts say Millions of families claim the child tax credit every year — and filing mistakes can delay the processing of your return and receipt of your refund, according to tax experts. For 2024 returns, the child tax credit is worth up to $2,000 per kid under age 17, and decreases once adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 for single taxpayers or $400,000 for married couples filing jointly. The refundable portion, known as the additional child tax credit, or ACTC, is up to $1,700. Filers can claim the ACTC even without taxes owed, which often benefits lower earners. However, a lower-income family who doesn’t know how to claim the credit “misses out on thousands of dollars,” National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in her annual report to Congress released in January. More from Personal Finance: Your tax return could be ‘flagged for audit’ without these key forms Education Department: Trump’s federal aid freeze won’t affect student loans Why you may be getting ‘shortchanged’ on CD interest rates More than 18 million filers claimed the additional child tax credit in 2022, according to the latest IRS estimates. By law, the IRS can’t issue ACTC refunds before mid-February. But the Where’s My Refund portal should have status updates by Feb. 22 for most early filers, according to the IRS. Here’s how to avoid common child tax credit mistakes that could further delay your refund. Know if you have a ‘qualifying child’ One child tax credit mistake is not knowing eligibility. The rules can be “very confusing,” according to Tom O’Saben, an enrolled agent and director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals. To claim the child tax credit or ACTC, you must have a “qualifying child,” according to the IRS. The qualifying child guidelines include: Age: 17 years old at the end of the tax year Relationship: Your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister or a descendant of these Dependent status: Dependent on your tax return Filing status: Child is not filing jointly Residency: Lived with you for more than half the year Support: Didn’t pay for more than half of their living expenses Citizenship: U.S. citizen, U.S. national or a U.S. resident alien Social Security number: Valid Social Security number by tax due date (including extensions) You may avoid some eligibility errors by filing via tax software or using a preparer versus filing a paper return on your own, O’Saben said. Tax software typically includes credit eligibility, which can minimize errors. Missing Social Security number Typically, parents apply for a Social Security number in the hospital when completing their baby’s birth certificate. But it can take one to six weeks from application to receive that number, according to the agency, which can create time pressure for families with a new addition around tax season. Filing a tax return and claiming the child tax credit before receiving the Social Security number is a mistake, O’Saben said. “I have seen [the child tax credit] denied for people who have filed before they got the Social Security number for a dependent,” he said. “And there’s no going back.” If you don’t have the number before the tax deadline, you should request an extension, which gives you six months more to file your return, O’Saben explained. However, you still must pay taxes owed by the original deadline. Source link #child #tax #credit #mistakes #halt #refund #experts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

French wife ******* linked to cold ***** and ******* cases French wife ******* linked to cold ***** and ******* cases Dominique Pélicot, the convicted ******* who horrified France by drugging his then wife so other men could ***** her, has been questioned about other cases of ***** and ******* that he’s suspected in. Pélicot is serving a 20-year prison term after he was found guilty in December for the horrific ******* abuse of his now ex-wife, Gisèle Pélicot. His lawyer told The Associated Press that he now faces renewed questioning by an investigating magistrate who specialises in so-called cold cases — those that have proved particularly hard to resolve. The ***** and ******* cases date back to the 1990s. One involves Sophie Narme, a property agent who was killed in Paris on December 4, 1991. His lawyer, Béatrice Zavarro, said Dominique Pélicot denies any involvement in the killing. The other is the attempted armed ***** of another property agent in the Paris suburb of Villeparisis on May 11, 1999. In that case, Pélicot acknowledges that he met the woman and tried to undress her but denies attempted *****, his lawyer said. Dominique Pélicot has been under formal investigation for both of those crimes since October 2022 — a legal status meaning that investigators believe there is an accumulation of serious evidence against him. Victims’ lawyer says cases tied in multiple ways Lawyer Florence Rault, who represents Narme’s family and the woman subjected to the ***** attempt, said an array of similarities between the 1991 and 1999 cases suggested the perpetrator might be the same in both. “One has to remain cautious. Perhaps someone else committed the crime on Sophie Narme. But there are such similarities in the mode of operation, in the way the victims were approached — and the victims are so identical, too — that one can legitimately ask many questions,” Rault said on RTL radio. The two cases were grouped together into one investigation in September 2022 that was taken over by the specialised unit for cold cases and serial crimes. It works out of the Paris suburb of Nanterre. Pélicot’s lawyer says Pelicot says he never met Narme, but has acknowledged to investigators that he met the other property agent. The lawyer said police found traces of his DNA at the scene of their meeting. “He acknowledged having been in contact with this young woman. His DNA is there, so there’s no issue there. He acknowledged having had an altercation with her, having tried to undress her, but with intentions different from attempted *****,” she said. The ***** and ******* cases occurred more than 10 years before the drugging and rapes of Gisèle Pélicot for which Pélicot and 50 other men were convicted — a nearly decade-long stretch of ******* abuse from 2011. He knocked her unconscious by lacing her food and drink with drugs and invited other men he met online to ***** her. Gisèle Pelicot became a hero to many in France and beyond for courageously demanding that the men’s trial be held in open court. Source link #French #wife #******* #linked #cold #***** #******* #cases Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Gran Turismo 7 January Update: Four New Cars and Three Race Events The Gran Turismo 7 January Update: Four New Cars and Three Race Events It’s time for the teaser, although the details for half the line-up have already been confirmed this time. The BEV Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Gran Turismo fictional V12 F1-style car are locked in, alongside what looks to be an older Honda Civic and hybrid Toyota SUV. Source link #Gran #Turismo #January #Update #Cars #Race #Events Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reviewer reports RTX 5080 FE instability — PCIe 5.0 signal integrity likely the culprit Reviewer reports RTX 5080 FE instability — PCIe 5.0 signal integrity likely the culprit Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards are slated to hit shelves today. While initial performance reviews have been disappointing for both GPUs, YouTuber der8auer reported issues with his review sample of the RTX 5080 FE, including boot failures and unexpected crashes when operating in PCIe Gen 5.0 mode. On further investigation, Igor’s Lab discussed this particular problem, and the cause might boil down to Nvidia’s choice of a multi-PCB design for its Founders Edition models. Cramming 575W of power inside a dual-slot package for the RTX 5090 required some creative engineering solutions. For starters, the RTX 5090 FE features three PCBs rather than one large PCB, one for the PCIe 5.0 x16 connector, one for the video ports, and the main PCB hosting the GB202 package, GDDR7 memory, and power delivery circuitry. We suspect these modular boards have been connected via ribbon cables to not interfere with cooling. Der8auer’s test bench featured the Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. For reference, this same setup was used to benchmark GPUs like the RX 7900 XTX, RTX 4080, RTX 4090, and even the RTX 5090, with no issues whatsoever. At the start, the RTX 5080 reportedly showed no signal. Power-cycling and reseating the GPU multiple times finally got it to work. With all drivers installed, the problem persisted as the GPU was not detected after another reboot. Rinse, repeat and the GPU booted after a lot of trial and error but ran at remarkably slow PCIe x8 Gen 1.1 speeds. After manually setting the PCIe configuration to x16 Gen 5.0 in the BIOS, plus all the extra restarts, the GPU successfully ran in PCIe 5.0 mode, only to ******/freeze later in Valorant, PUBG, and Remnant 2. These issues may have several if not many suspects, including driver issues, improper BIOS configurations, faulty components; you name it. However, switching to PCIe Gen 4.0 eliminated all these problems. Given that other GPUs worked fine in the same setup, by deduction the problem likely lies with the RTX 5080 FE, in particular, its design. A Little More Performance but a Lot More PCIe Issues – RTX 5080 FE Review – YouTube Watch On Igor’s Lab noted in his review of the RTX 5090 that signal integrity is crucial for Blackwell GPUs as they use PCIe 5.0, which doubles data transmission speeds to 32 GT/s. Common symptoms of issues with PCIe connectivity include the system failing to initialize the GPU, unexpected crashing, or freezing; the same anomalies that der8auer faced. This issue is especially apparent if you use a riser cable with these GPUs since you’ll have to step down to PCIe 4.0 speeds for stability. The tri-PCB architecture of the Founders Edition in-a-way functions as a riser cable and is suspected to degrade signal quality. As it stands, this is just a theory and not a proven fact. However, if you end up facing the same problem, a simple fix is to force a downgrade to PCIe Gen 4.0 for the GPU in BIOS, which reportedly incurs a minor loss in performance. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Reviewer #reports #RTX #instability #PCIe #signal #integrity #culprit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tulsi Gabbard confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence role begins today Tulsi Gabbard confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence role begins today Gabbard, a former Democrat who represented Hawaii in Congress from 2013 to 2021, is an unconventional pick to oversee the nation’s 18 spy agencies. She served in the Army National Guard for more than 20 years, but does not have a background in intelligence. The 43-year-old was born in American Samoa and grew up in Hawaii in a socially conservative household. She entered politics as a Democrat at age 21 when she was elected to the Hawaii statehouse, but was deployed to Iraq and left the position after a year. After a deployment to Kuwait, she won a seat on Honolulu’s City Council in 2010. She became the first Hindu member of the House when she was sworn into Congress in 2013. She was also the first American Samoan elected to Congress. During her four terms in the House, Gabbard served on the Armed Services, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees. Gabbard opted not to run for reelection to the House in 2020, instead launching a longshot bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Two years later, she left the Democratic Party, saying that it was “under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers.” She endorsed Mr. Trump’s bid for the White House last summer and was tapped to serve as co-chair of his transition team. Gabbard’s decision to join the Trump administration marks the latest political shift for the former congresswoman. Early in her political career, she opposed gay marriage and condemned abortion. But while in Congress she voted to protect abortion rights and supported same-sex marriage. During the 2016 campaign, she gave a leadership position in the DNC to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont. Source link #Tulsi #Gabbard #confirmation #hearing #director #national #intelligence #role #begins #today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]