Pelican Press

********* man extradited to U.S. for alleged sextortion of South Carolina teen who died by suicide – CBS News ********* man extradited to U.S. for alleged sextortion of South Carolina teen who died by suicide – CBS News ********* man extradited to U.S. for alleged sextortion of South Carolina teen who died by suicide CBS NewsNigerian extradited to US to face charges over nude photo that led to teen’s death Yahoo! Voices’Reprehensible’: ********* man indicted for sextortion that led to death of SC lawmaker’s son WCNC.comNigerian man indicted in sextortion case involving death of SC lawmaker’s son Rock Hill Herald Source link #********* #man #extradited #U.S #alleged #sextortion #South #Carolina #teen #died #suicide #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Six Nations 2025: Adam Jones aims to help lift Warren Gatland’s Wales in new coaching role Six Nations 2025: Adam Jones aims to help lift Warren Gatland’s Wales in new coaching role It has been 11 years since Jones was most recently involved on the international stage, in what was a controversial end to his Test playing career. Gatland brought Jones off after just 30 minutes against South Africa in his 100th and final international. Jones was unhappy at the time and also wrote about the experience later in his autobiography. He insists any issues are now a thing of the past. “We have kissed and made up,” said Jones. “It got twisted a little bit when I finished. Anyone who finishes their career is going to be upset. What he (Gatland) did for me as a player was huge and I worked with him for a decade. “I wouldn’t have got to 95 Wales caps, won Grand Slams or gone on Lions tours if he hadn’t have come in at that time and pushed me in the right direction. “He had a certain way of doing things and got me to that level and I was always be thankful for that, so I’m happy to work for him because he had such a massive influence on my career.” Gatland is under extreme pressure having been given a vote of confidence for the Six Nations despite overseeing Wales’ worst losing run. “For someone who has been around the block as long as he has, he’s calm and knows what he wants,” said Jones. “What he is good at, when I was a player, was that backs-to-the-wall narrative. “Gats is brilliant at the underdogs mentality and bringing a team together quickly in a short space of time and getting results out of them. He’s exceptional at that and I’m backing him to pull it round.” Source link #Nations #Adam #Jones #aims #lift #Warren #Gatlands #Wales #coaching #role Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

********* man extradited to U.S. for alleged sextortion of South Carolina teen who died by suicide ********* man extradited to U.S. for alleged sextortion of South Carolina teen who died by suicide A ********* man was extradited to the U.S. after he was indicted in connection with the sextortion of a South Carolina teen who died by suicide, the Justice Department said Monday. Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, 24, allegedly posed as a young woman on social media and got 17-year-old Gavin Guffey to send him “compromising photos,” the Justice Department said. Lawal then allegedly threatened to ruin Guffey’s reputation by leaking the photos unless he sent Lawal money, the Justice Department said. Guffey, the son of South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey, died by suicide in 2022. Lawal was indicted in October 2023 on charges of child exploitation resulting in death, distribution of child ************, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in ******* activity, cyberstalking resulting in death and attempted extortion. “We will not allow predators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean. Today we honor Gavin’s life and continue our fight against sextortion by holding this defendant accountable,” U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina said in a statement. State Rep. Brandon Guffey of Rock Hill stands outside the federal courthouse in Columbia on Monday with a photo of his son, Gavin Guffey. The State Lawal faces up to life in prison and mandatory restitution, where the court may order him to pay for losses incurred by the family due to his scheme. After Guffey’s death, Brandon Guffey sponsored a bill known as Gavin’s Law, which made ******* extortion “a felony offense and an aggravated felony if the victim is a minor, vulnerable adult, or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime.” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed the bill into law in August 2023. Social media giant Meta warned in July that ******* extortion scams are on the rise, with criminals from Nigeria frequently targeting adult men in the U.S. Meta said it had removed about 63,000 accounts from Nigeria that had been attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email *****@*****.tld. Source link #********* #man #extradited #U.S #alleged #sextortion #South #Carolina #teen #died #suicide Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Neck boost for Reynolds as Maguire rakes over the coals Neck boost for Reynolds as Maguire rakes over the coals Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds is on track to play the Sydney Roosters in round one after taking a key step in his recovery from neck surgery. The 34-year-old had surgery in December after a season in which he played just 13 NRL games, the lowest number in his 13-year career, due mainly to a biceps rupture. The most recent surgery has been successful, and Broncos head of performance Dave Ballard said Reynolds would be available to lead the side in the NRL blockbuster in Sydney on March 6. “Reyno’s rehab is progressing well. He’s already begun non-contact sessions with the squad and is still on track to be ready for round one,” Ballard said. The veteran half’s positive progress comes as new coach Michael Maguire prepares to make a crucial decision on the make-up of his spine. The race for the hooker and No.14 jersey is the most competitive at Red Hill, with four contenders – Billy Walters, Cory Paix, Blake Mozer and Tyson Smoothy – all doing their best to impress the coach. Maguire is keeping his cards close to his chest and making the battle one of suspense as he rotates his rakes with regularity at training. Paix has without doubt moved up in the pecking order after being consigned to Queensland Cup for the 2024 season, where he did not play an NRL match. Walters is the incumbent and is having pressure put on him by 20-year-old Mozer, who has a wily skill-set at his disposal. The absence of Reynolds in most field sessions has also given Maguire more of a look in drills at 18-year-old half Coby ******. The highly rated teenager has impressed with his kicking game and possesses a booming boot that has tested fullback Reece Walsh at training. Maguire’s other big selection call revolves around his middle forward rotation. Test prop Payne Haas has undergone ankle surgery and is not expected to play until round one. That will give bench specialist Kobe Hetherington more of a chance to convince Maguire that he deserves a starting spot, which could potentially move Pat Carrigan from lock to the front row. Haas is expected to be ready for the Roosters showdown. “The surgery was a minor clean-out of the ankle. In consultation with the medical staff, we felt it was best for Payne to get it done now before the start of the season,” Ballard said. “We expect him to spend several weeks with our rehab staff, before he’s integrated back into the full squad ahead of round one.” Source link #Neck #boost #Reynolds #Maguire #rakes #coals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Switch 2 preview event confirmation emails are being sent out Nintendo Switch 2 preview event confirmation emails are being sent out Nintendo has started informing members of the public who registered for the chance to attend Switch 2 preview events whether they’ve been successful or not. Following years of speculation about its next console, Nintendo finally announced Switch 2 earlier this month. It confirmed that the system will launch this year, with a full reveal planned for April 2. It also announced plans to hold a series of Switch 2 preview events, giving attendees the chance to try out the console before it’s released. Yooo I got selected for the Switch 2 event pic.twitter.com/4X1qsUWptd — c o n n o r (@connortlv) January 27, 2025 The tour will begin in New York and Paris on April 4, before moving on to various locations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia over the following two months. And on Monday, Nintendo started informing players whether their application to attend one of the preview events had been successful. While some users took to social media to express their joy at being selected to attend one of the events, many said they hadn’t been so fortunate. The latter group included Geoff Keighley, the producer and host of The Game Awards and Gamescom Opening Night Live. Have a rotten day. pic.twitter.com/GDxB6Wtlze — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) January 27, 2025 Nintendo said those who were unsuccessful in their application might get another chance to attend a preview event should there be cancellations, with waitlists scheduled to open up on January 29. The list of Switch 2 preview event dates is as follows: North America New York – April 4-6 Los Angeles – April 11-13 Dallas – April 25-27 Toronto – April 25-27 Europe Paris – April 4-6 London – April 11-13 Milan – April 25-27 Berlin – April 25-27 Madrid – May 9-11 Amsterdam – May 9-11 Oceania Asia Tokyo (Makuhari) – April 26-27 Seoul – May 31 – June 1 Hong Kong – TBD Taipei – TBD Nintendo has yet to officially confirm a release date or price for Switch 2, or indeed any software titles. However, the console’s reveal trailer featured what appears to be a new Mario Kart game. Third-party publisher Nacon has said it expects Switch 2 to be released between April and September 2025. Source link #Nintendo #Switch #preview #event #confirmation #emails Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

California considers letting wildfire victims sue oil companies for damages California considers letting wildfire victims sue oil companies for damages SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change -related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers. The proposal, introduced by two Democratic lawmakers, claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms and wildfires and caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market to a crisis where companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said. Under state law, utility companies are liable for damages if their equipment starts a wildfire. The same idea should apply to oil and gas companies, said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, “for their massive contribution to these fires driven by climate change.” 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. The bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens on victims of such disasters and insurance companies by allowing them to sue the oil industry to recoup their losses. It would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, created by the state as a last resort for homeowners who couldn’t find insurance, to do the same so it doesn’t become insolvent. If approved, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such lawsuits, according to the author. “We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change,” state Sen. Scott Wiener, who authored the bill, said at a Monday news conference. The new measure is bound to face major backlash from oil and gas companies, who have faced a string of defeats in California in recent years as the country’s most populous state started to shift policy priorities to address climate change. The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil and gas companies in five states, already signaled it will fight the bill. President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the LA fires to “scapegoat” the industry. “We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics,” Reheis-Boyd said in a statement. “Voters are tired of this approach.” Supporters said the measure will also help stabilize the state’s insurance market by allowing insurers to recover some of the costs after a natural disaster from oil companies, which will prevent increased rates from being passed onto policyholders. The bill is supported by several environmental and consumer protection groups. The legislation comes as California begins the long recovery process from multiple deadly fires that ripped through sections of Los Angeles and burned more than 12,000 structures earlier this month. The fires were named the most destructive in the modern history of the city of Los Angeles and estimated to be the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Lawmakers last week voted to spend $2.5 billion to help the area rebuild. Dozens of U.S. municipalities as well as eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those suits are still making their way through the courts, including one filed by California more than a year ago against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels. Scientists overwhelmingly agree the world needs to drastically cut the burning of coal, oil and gas to limit global warming. That’s because when fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide forms and is released, which accounts for over three quarters of all human-caused greenhouse gases. California is also working to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the state by giving insurers more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more issuing policies in high-risk areas. Citing ballooning risks of climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies doing business in California in 2023 either paused or restricted new business in the state. The state now allows insurers to consider climate change when setting their prices and will soon also allow them pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers. Source link #California #considers #letting #wildfire #victims #sue #oil #companies #damages Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Survivors Commemorate 80th Anniversary Auschwitz Liberation Survivors Commemorate 80th Anniversary Auschwitz Liberation new video loaded: Survivors Commemorate 80th Anniversary Auschwitz Liberation transcript Back transcript Survivors Commemorate 80th Anniversary Auschwitz LiberationSurvivors of Auschwitz, where the Nazis murdered more than 1.1 million people, urged world leaders to be vigilant against a dangerous rise in antisemitism and extremism during a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the death camp’s liberation in 1945. Translator: “Let’s take seriously what the enemies of democracy preach. We must avoid the mistake of the 1930s, when the world failed to take seriously the Nazi regime.” “We have an obligation not only to remember, which is very, very important, but also to warn and to teach that hatred only begets more hatred. Killing more killing.” Recent episodes in Europe Show more videos from Europe Source link #Survivors #Commemorate #80th #Anniversary #Auschwitz #Liberation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely, again, amid trade demand after walking out of shootaround – Yahoo Sports Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely, again, amid trade demand after walking out of shootaround – Yahoo Sports Heat suspend Jimmy Butler indefinitely, again, amid trade demand after walking out of shootaround Yahoo SportsButler walks out of practice; faces 3rd suspension ESPNJimmy Butler suspension: Heat sideline star indefinitely without pay after he walks out of shootaround CBS SportsHEAT STATEMENT ON JIMMY BUTLER NBA.ComButler again set to return for Heat. Also, Rozier’s shooting and Adebayo’s chat with Dr. J Miami Herald Source link #Heat #suspend #Jimmy #Butler #indefinitely #trade #demand #walking #shootaround #Yahoo #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Personality disorder patients let down by ‘misleading’ diagnosis Personality disorder patients let down by ‘misleading’ diagnosis Zola Hargreaves Wales Live Jessica Matthews says she was mistreated due to having Borderline Personality Disorder. For some, the diagnosis of a personality disorder can be a route to treatment and understanding. But others have said their diagnosis has led to mistreatment and stigma. Jessica Matthews was 21 when she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She said the diagnosis led to her being turned down for life insurance, mistreated in hospital and being treated differently. ”I’m always afraid to speak openly with people I meet because I know that as soon as they hear the words ‘personality disorder’, they’re going to start treating me differently,” she said. Jess, from Swansea, was diagnosed while struggling with her mental health as a nursing student at university. ”I found myself doubting my abilities and that turning into a fear of failure,” she said. Despite loving her course, she started to have panic attacks. “It just felt like the world was caving in on top of me,” she added. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a disorder of mood and how a person interacts with others. It is the most commonly recognised personality disorder. Those with a personality disorder will differ significantly from those without in terms of how they think, perceive feelings or relate to others, according to the NHS. After a ******* of going back and forward to her GP, Jess began to have suicidal thoughts. ”I really felt like the only way to stop the pain was to end my life. I felt like those around me and the world was better off without me.” It was after this that she was put in touch with her local crisis team for a consultation. Jess said: ”I explained what I thought was the problems like the stress of being a student nurse and fear of failing.” But the doctor, who she had not met before, believed something else might be going on. ”They gave me a Mind booklet of personality disorders and told me to go home and pick which one I related to the most,” she said. “If I’d picked any other personality disorder, I would have received that diagnosis instead.” Jess felt “completely invalidated” at a time when she was in and out of hospital She went back for an appointment with a psychologist in the crisis team who confirmed the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Initially, Jess said she was hopeful it could get her the help she needed. “I was desperate and it felt like the diagnosis was the key to getting that support,” she said. But this relief was short lived after she began facing stigma from those involved in her care while in hospital. ”The medical professionals withheld medication from me and ignored my distress,” she said. ”I was told regularly that I was manipulative and attention seeking and that I had no reason to be suicidal. ”They just completely invalidated me, and all of my experiences. ”I always felt like no one wanted to support me because I was that borderline patient.” This feeling wasn’t specific to medical care – Jess also felt stigma in many other ways. She has been denied life insurance and struggled to open up about her mental health, fearing how people will react to her. Jess added that for some people a diagnosis is “really helpful and helps them understand themselves”. “I hope that everyone, regardless of a diagnosis, is seen as a human being,” she said. Jess thinks the societal attitude towards BPD is “really negative” Mind, one of the ***’s most prominent mental health charities, has heard many similar stories to Jess’ experiences. Rosie Weatherly, from the charity, said there is a “huge amount” of stigma that comes with a personality disorder label. “Calling someone’s personality disordered suggests there’s something fundamentally wrong with who they are and that in itself can do harm,” she said. ”People tell us that they’re not believed when they talk about their experiences or are denied access to emergency services.” She is keen to stress that not everyone that gets a personality disorder finds it a “disquieting experience”. ”It explains why they’ve been struggling for so long. It gives them a framework to help articulate and advocate for themselves,” she added. Dr Jen Daffin says people with a personality disorder can become “stuck” in a system that does not understand them Platfform are a mental health and social change charity who are currently campaigning for an urgent review of the use of Personality Disorders. ”We’ve seen in our clinical practice, experience in projects and services, as well as from people we’ve spoken to, that it can often be misused and is a diagnosis for exclusion,” said Dr Jen Daffin, a clinical psychologist with Platfform. ”The majority of people we work with have either experience of trauma and adversity in their childhood or they have differences that are being obscured by the diagnosis such as neurodiversity or a diagnosis of autism.” Platfform are not alone in their criticisms. In June this year, hundreds of medical professionals, including former Health Minister Sir Norman Lamb signed a letter to the health secretary asking for the diagnosis to be abandoned for children. They point to the ”misleading and stigmatising” consequences of the label. In October, after years of battling against her diagnosis, Jess has finally had the diagnosis removed. She is now waiting for an autism assessment. Jess complained about her treatment to her local health board in 2017 which has since changed names and boundaries. Cwm Taf Morgannwg, who are now responsible for Jess’ care, said: “Jessica’s concerns about her experiences of care at Princess of Wales Hospital pre-date the establishment of our health board. ”However, we have worked closely with Jessica to learn from her experiences, as part of our commitment to continuous improvement in mental health services, both in our hospitals and in the community.” Swansea Bay University, formerly ABMU health board, said ”Patient confidentiality prevents us from commenting on individual cases.” The Welsh Government said: “We recently consulted on our draft Mental Health and Well-being Strategy which set out our approach over the next 10 years for trauma informed, person centred, and evidence based mental health support in Wales.” It added that it will aim to publish its strategy later this year. If you’ve been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line Source link #Personality #disorder #patients #misleading #diagnosis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rowan Marshall, Dougal Howard in doubt for St Kilda’s round 1 clash with Mattaes Phillipou ruled out Rowan Marshall, Dougal Howard in doubt for St Kilda’s round 1 clash with Mattaes Phillipou ruled out With round 1 of the AFL fast approaching, the injury news out of St Kilda isn’t good for a trio of star players. Source link #Rowan #Marshall #Dougal #Howard #doubt #Kildas #clash #Mattaes #Phillipou #ruled Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

California utility reports fault on power line miles away from origin of deadly Eaton fire California utility reports fault on power line miles away from origin of deadly Eaton fire GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — Southern California Edison on Monday reported a fault on a power line connected miles away from ones located near the origin of the Eaton Fire, the deadly blaze that ignited outside of Los Angeles on Jan. 7 and killed at least 17 people. Edison says that there is still no evidence that its equipment caused the blaze, which has destroyed more than 9,000 structures in and around the community of Altadena. The official investigation into the fire’s cause has not been completed. The utility’s new filing with the California Public Utilities Commission comes on the same day as a court hearing in a case filed by attorneys for a homeowner whose property was destroyed in the fire. The attorneys allege the utility’s equipment sparked the fire, pointing to video taken during the fire’s early minutes that shows large flames beneath electrical towers. 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. The attorneys have now introduced new video they say shows arcing and electrical sparking on a transmission tower in Eaton Canyon just before the wind whipped the fire into a fast-moving and destructive blaze. They say the video came from security footage of a gas station. The Eaton Fire was one of two massive and deadly blazes that sparked on Jan. 7 amid hurricane-force winds that whipped across the parched Los Angeles region. At least 28 people have died and firefighters have continued battling the blazes for weeks. The Eaton Fire is now nearly contained, meaning firefighters almost have it surrounded, as the region gets its first rain in months. In its new filing, Edison reported that the fault occurred at 6:11 p.m. While those lines that experienced the fault do not traverse Eaton Canyon, they are connected to the system, which did experience a surge, the utility reported. “Preliminary analysis shows that, because SCE’s transmission system is networked, the fault on this geographically distant line caused a momentary and expected increase in current on SCE’s transmission system, including on the four energized lines (in the fire area),” SCE’s filing said. “The current increase remained within the design limits and operating criteria for these circuits and, as intended, did not trigger system protection on these lines.” Attorneys for Altadena resident Evangeline Iglesias argued that, together, the fault and gas station video provide “evidence that SCE’s equipment in Eaton Canyon was the source of the initial ignition, and there is a near-certainty that physical evidence of the cause exists somewhere along the SCE transmission lines that run parallel to the line on the tower that erupted in flame.” Video and photos taken by residents also captured flames beneath Edison’s electrical towers in the Eaton Canyon area in the early minutes of the fire. One resident said he heard a loud pop at the outset of the conflagration. Kathleen Dunleavy, a spokesperson for Southern California Edison, said the company received the footage of the gas station video from The New York Times on Saturday night and contacted authorities to ensure they had the video as well. She said it was premature for them to comment on the footage as experts investigated what caused the blaze. “As of today, January 26, no one knows what caused the Eaton Fire,” Dunleavy said in an email Sunday. “Our investigation is ongoing, and we will continue our longstanding commitment to transparency.” Iglesias’ attorneys have accused the utility of destroying evidence. A judge last week ordered Edison to preserve evidence in the area, concerned that the utility is discarding equipment that may hold clues to the fire’s origin. SCE’s attorneys say the company has preserved evidence in the area where the fire originated as its crews work to restore power to about 2,000 homes in Altadena that are still dark. In an earlier filing to the CPUC, Edison reported two days after the fire started that it had not received any suggestions that its equipment was involved in the ignition. “Preliminary analysis by SCE of electrical circuit information for the energized transmission lines going through the area for 12 hours prior to the reported start time of the fire shows no interruptions or electrical or operational anomalies until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire,” the utility reported. This assertion was repeated in the utility’s Monday filing. Source link #California #utility #reports #fault #power #line #miles #origin #deadly #Eaton #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How TikTok Evaded a Ban Again and Again, Until Now How TikTok Evaded a Ban Again and Again, Until Now In mid-2023, TikTok had just eluded an effort in Congress to ban the video app, the latest Houdini-like escape for the young tech company. For several years, during both Republican and Democratic administrations, lawmakers and officials had trained their sights on the app, saying its ******** ownership posed a national security risk. Inside TikTok, a small group of employees started formulating a plan to ensure that the regulatory threat would never reappear, three people with knowledge of the project said. The employees pitched a campaign of TV commercials, messages to users and other public advocacy to turn Washington’s attention elsewhere. They called it Project Achilles. But TikTok’s leaders lost interest by the end of the year. Several, including Shou Chew, its chief executive, seemed to think the threat of a ban was no longer imminent, the people said. Project Achilles never became reality. The misreading of the political winds could not have been greater. Just a few months later, Congress overwhelmingly passed and President Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok unless the app’s owner, ByteDance, sold it to a non-******** company. On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law. TikTok is set to be removed from app stores on Sunday, when the law goes into effect. The ban will end a remarkable eight-year roller-coaster ride for TikTok in the United States. The company wriggled its way out of political danger time and again. The threats to its very existence came so often, from so many directions, dealing with them became almost second nature for executives — perhaps to the point of complacency. All the while, TikTok reached new heights of popularity and public influence. It boasts 170 million monthly U.S. users, giving the company confidence that those masses could help beat back whatever regulators aimed its way. Behind the scenes, TikTok conducted secretive negotiations with government officials and advertising blitzes aimed at rescuing it. But in the end, the company ran into a well-organized and focused effort among Washington officials that it could not stop. Its biggest gamble yet was that it could overturn the law and avoid a ***** altogether — a bet that failed. Many social media companies have skyrocketed in popularity only to fade away nearly as fast, and others, like Facebook and X, have faced tough scrutiny in Washington. But none have been effectively forced to erase their presence in the country. Only TikTok will have that distinction. “The vast majority of people I’ve talked to have said TikTok will figure something out, without a very clear answer to what that something will be, because they always have,” said Joe Marchese, a venture capitalist and former TV network executive. People “can’t picture it not working out.” TikTok is already appealing directly to President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to save the app, somehow. Mr. Chew posted a direct appeal to Mr. Trump on TikTok after the Supreme Court decision, thanking him “for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.” TikTok declined to comment on Project Achilles. Late Friday, the company said that unless the Biden administration made it clear to service providers that they could continue providing services to the app after the law took effect, “unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on Jan. 19.” But on Saturday, the White House press secretary called TikTok’s statement “a stunt.” And Mr. Trump indicated in an interview with NBC News on Saturday that he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension once he takes office on Monday. TikTok users are grieving, often couching their dismay in dark humor. Few seem to believe the app will be blocked on Sunday. “In 2020 I did an interview about the TikTok ban, and I was saying the same thing: ‘I don’t think it’s going to get banned,’” said Yumna Jawad, a recipe developer and content creator who goes by Feel Good Foodie. “Five years later, I’m still doing the same interview.” It ‘Can Change Somebody’s Life’ Before it was TikTok, it was Musical.ly, a ******** lip-syncing app popular with teenagers and tweens. Musical.ly’s two founders had nearly run out of venture funding for an education app when they decided to pivot to D.I.Y. music videos in 2014. The app let users film over 15-second clips of popular songs, often accompanied by a distinct brand of hand choreography. As Musical.ly grew, ByteDance took notice. It paid around $1 billion for Musical.ly in 2017 and ultimately folded its technology and users into an app that ByteDance had launched internationally only a few months earlier: TikTok. By 2018, TikTok was roaring into the rankings of the most downloaded apps in the United States. During the Covid-19 pandemic, TikTok became a mainstay in Americans’ lives. The app, with its endless stream of short-form entertainment, was perfectly positioned for a ******* when many people had more free time than ever. Or, as the musician Curtis ****** put it in the video that would make him one of the pandemic’s earliest breakout stars, a time when many people were “bored in the house.” “I joined just to post my little funny videos, and TikTok turned into something that can change somebody’s life,” Mr. ****** said in a recent interview. TikTok seemingly left no corner of culture untouched. Emma Straub, an author and owner of the independent Books Are Magic bookstores, recalled seeing backlist titles like Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achilles” suddenly in high demand after BookTok made them popular again. In the culinary world, TikTok sent feta cheese and, later, cucumbers flying off the shelves as home cooks clamored to recreate viral recipes. Jane Wickline leveraged parody videos into a role on “Saturday Night Live.” TikTok was the most downloaded app in the United States and world in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Almost overnight, teenagers became household names. By November 2020, Charli D’Amelio had amassed 100 million followers, making her, at that time, the most-followed person on TikTok in the world. She became, at age 16, famous for recording dance videos in her bedroom. By 2021, her family would have a reality show on Hulu. “It was a vehicle for my kids and us to follow their dreams,” said Marc D’Amelio, Ms. D’Amelio’s father. Regulatory Reality As TikTok’s popularity surged, so did scrutiny from the U.S. government. But TikTok managed to evade almost everything officials threw at it. The first serious effort to ban the app in the United States came in the summer of 2020 from Mr. Trump, during his first term as president. TikTok was already on edge after a ban in India. Then Mr. Trump raised concerns that ByteDance could hand over sensitive TikTok user data to the ******** government. “As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” he said in July 2020. Mr. Trump later hedged, saying he did not mind if Microsoft or another “very, very American” company bought TikTok instead. In August, he issued an executive order that effectively barred app stores from hosting TikTok. It gave companies a 45-day deadline to comply. TikTok sued to block the executive order. As the deadline approached, the company tried to find a path that would assuage Mr. Trump’s fears by having two American companies take a stake in a new U.S.-based company, TikTok Global, which would go public within a year. But at the 11th hour, the deal appeared to be imperiled by the ******** government and conflicts over ByteDance’s involvement. Suddenly the ban seemed imminent — and yet TikTok emerged unscathed. That fall, two federal courts agreed with TikTok that the executive order was unlawful and stopped the ban from going into effect. Shortly afterward, Mr. Trump lost his bid for re-election, complicating policymakers’ approach to addressing the concerns they had about TikTok and shelving the contentious deal. TikTok wasn’t out of the woods. The Biden administration had many of the same national security concerns about the app. And some states began acting on their own against it. By early 2023, more than a dozen states had blocked the app from government-owned devices and networks, joining previous bans by the Army and the Air Force. That April, Montana passed a law to block the app outright in the state to protect its citizens’ data from China. TikTok sued, saying the law was overreaching and violated the First Amendment. Congress had also started discussing a ban in earnest — conversations that multiplied after lawmakers grilled Mr. Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, in a five-hour hearing in March 2023. TikTok had also been working for years on a proposal to show it could operate independently from China, but that same month, the Biden administration started to seem increasingly skeptical of it in public. That fall, Republican lawmakers began accusing TikTok of amplifying pro-************ and anti-Israel videos and a decades-old letter by ****** bin Laden through its algorithmic feed. Yet by the end of 2023, TikTok had escaped defeat again. A huge lobbying campaign that included flying TikTok stars to Washington helped fend off the proposal that Congress had been discussing. The company’s legal case against the Montana law prevailed, too. That November, a federal court ruled that TikTok wouldn’t have to go dark in that state after all. By December 2023, more than 150 million people were using TikTok in the United States. ‘Lower the Temperature’ With both the congressional effort and Montana’s ban behind them, some of TikTok’s top leaders seemed to believe the worst of the threats had passed. Mr. Chew agreed to a rare profile in Vogue Singapore. Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of policy for the Americas, and Zenia Mucha, who oversees TikTok’s marketing and communications, were among executives who flew to Singapore, where Mr. Chew was based, and downplayed the near-term risk of a ban to company leaders, two people familiar with the trip said. After all, President Biden had just joined the app around the 2024 Super Bowl. Ms. Mucha reflected that the company needed to “lower the temperature” and keep TikTok out of the news, according to four employees who heard her use the phrase when dismissing efforts, like Project Achilles, to prepare for a ban. What ByteDance and TikTok didn’t realize — despite their well-paid policy staff and millions in lobbying expenditures — was that a small bipartisan group of lawmakers was secretly working on drafting a new law designed to withstand every legal challenge that TikTok had raised in the past. It was formally introduced last March. TikTok was blindsided. It scrambled to respond, flying creators to Washington and sending pop-up messages to users, urging them to call their representatives to oppose the legislation. But this time, its campaign failed. Congress passed the bill rapidly, with rare bipartisan support, and Mr. Biden signed it into law in April, less than eight weeks after its introduction — leading some aides to nickname it “Thunder Run.” Unlike Mr. Trump’s executive action, the law was upheld in the courts. A Last Hope Despite TikTok’s looming ban, it was largely business as usual inside the company. Two weeks after Mr. Biden signed the TikTok law, Mr. Chew and his wife joined dozens of celebrity guests at the 2024 Met Gala in Manhattan, which TikTok sponsored. The company told advertisers like L’Oreal and Victoria’s Secret that it wasn’t backing down from its U.S. business over drinks in New York and on the French Riviera at the ad industry’s annual confab in Cannes. It said it would sponsor the Washington Capitals hockey team in September. TikTok executives have, at times, made light of the possible ban, suggesting in one staff meeting over the summer that it would one day be the subject of a Hollywood film. In October, Mr. Beckerman held a gathering for his team in Lima, Peru, flying dozens of employees there, three people with knowledge of the outing said. The team outings were typically a mix of business and fun — but the jaunt struck some as surprising given the company’s situation. (TikTok said a hurricane had forced it to switch from an original destination of Miami.) Now, TikTok is pinning its last hope on Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump, who now has 14.8 million followers on his TikTok account, publicly changed his stance on the app last March. He has vowed to save it, though his options, even as president, are limited. He cannot overturn the law on his own, and it is not clear how he might stop its enforcement. He could try to exercise a one-time 90-day extension for TikTok if he determines ***** talks are underway that would meet the terms of the law. TikTok does not seem to be giving up. The company is spending thousands to be the headline sponsor of an event on Sunday, the day the law is scheduled to go into effect, celebrating the conservative influencers who helped shape the 2024 election. On Monday, Mr. Chew will attend the inauguration, alongside former presidents, family members and other important guests. TikTok’s stars do not seem to believe this is the final blow, either. Bethenny Frankel, the Bravo star and entrepreneur, said she had a hard time believing that TikTok could be gone on Sunday. TikTok’s users will figure out a way forward, she said. “They’re club kids, and they’re going to figure out where the after-party is,” Ms. Frankel said. “They’re not letting the club get shut down.” Source link #TikTok #Evaded #Ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Biggest Market Loss In History: Nvidia Stock Sheds Nearly $600 Billion As DeepSeek Shakes AI Darling – Forbes Biggest Market Loss In History: Nvidia Stock Sheds Nearly $600 Billion As DeepSeek Shakes AI Darling – Forbes Biggest Market Loss In History: Nvidia Stock Sheds Nearly $600 Billion As DeepSeek Shakes AI Darling ForbesDeepSeek Panic Live Updates: Nasdaq Suffers Worst Day Of 2025—As Ultra-Rich, Nvidia Lose Billions ForbesA shocking ******** AI advancement called DeepSeek is sending US stocks plunging CNNNvidia sheds almost $600 billion in market cap, biggest one-day loss in U.S. history CNBC Source link #Biggest #Market #Loss #History #Nvidia #Stock #Sheds #Billion #DeepSeek #Shakes #Darling #Forbes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CNN Settles Defamation Suit After Being Ordered to Pay $5 Million CNN Settles Defamation Suit After Being Ordered to Pay $5 Million A jury in Florida on Friday ordered CNN to pay $5 million for defaming a private security contractor in a five-minute segment that ran on the network in November 2021. CNN settled the lawsuit hours later for an undisclosed sum, before the jury had an opportunity to award additional punitive damages in the case. Those damages could have been far higher than the initial figure awarded by the jury. News organizations are facing an increasingly adverse legal and political environment. There are robust First Amendment protections for journalists, and plaintiffs in defamation cases must prove that a news outlet published false information despite knowing the information was wrong. But public opinion has turned sharply against news organizations, just as financial constraints on the industry’s business model have made it tougher to fend off suits. ABC News surprised industry observers last month when it agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation claim brought by President-elect Donald J. Trump. “We remain proud of our journalists and are 100 percent committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN,” a network spokeswoman said in a statement, “though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case.” The CNN case was concluded after a two-week trial in a Panama City, Fla., courtroom, where lawyers for the contractor, Zachary Young, argued that the network had falsely accused him of illegally participating in a “****** market” for exfiltration services in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American forces. The segment, narrated by the correspondent Alexander Marquardt, focused on contractors who, the network said, were charging exorbitant fees to evacuate Afghans. Mr. Young, a Navy veteran, filed his lawsuit in 2022. He was the only contractor featured by name in the segment, which he said ruined his reputation and harmed his business. Mr. Young said that he provided his services to major corporations seeking to aid employees in Afghanistan, and that his prices were fair. The trial included testimony from Mr. Marquardt, who was confronted with internal CNN communications, revealed as part of the litigation, that showed him deriding Mr. Young to colleagues. At one point, he wrote, “We gonna nail this Zachary Young,” and referred to him with an expletive. Other messages showed some CNN staff members calling the report “flawed.” “It was not a hit piece, I don’t do hit pieces,” Mr. Marquardt testified. The correspondent said that he followed the facts in his reporting and had learned “unsavory” details about Mr. Young’s business practices. CNN argued that its report, which aired during an episode of “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” did not assert anything false about Mr. Young. In 2022, the network removed the segment from its website and said it regretted the use of the term “****** market,” arguing that the phrase was intended to refer to unregulated activities, not unlawful ones. Lawyers for the network said that its journalists had taken good-faith efforts to ensure an accurate report, and that they were seeking to bring attention to the plight of Afghans attempting to flee a chaotic and violent situation. The location of the trial, in a Florida county where Mr. Trump won roughly three-quarters of the vote in 2024, was considered a disadvantage for CNN, whose coverage has been vilified by Mr. Trump and his supporters. Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against ABC, which was ultimately settled, was also filed in Florida. “Libel law is becoming a more serious concern, including for traditional mainstream media,” said Eugene Volokh, a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution who studies First Amendment law. He said that the rise of hyper-politicized news outlets and unchecked social media had influenced public perceptions of the industry. Among jurors, he added, “I do think there’s a sense that media these days are a lot less careful than they used to be.” Source link #CNN #Settles #Defamation #Suit #Ordered #Pay #Million Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Justice Dept. fires employees tied to Jack Smith probes as officials launch review of Jan. 6 cases Trump Justice Dept. fires employees tied to Jack Smith probes as officials launch review of Jan. 6 cases About a dozen Justice Department employees who worked for former special counsel Jack Smith on the investigation and prosecution of President Trump are being fired, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. The federal prosecutors were informed of the decision to terminate their positions via a letter sent over email after Justice Department leadership determined they were unable to carry out Mr. Trump’s agenda. “Acting Attorney General James McHenry made this decision because he did not believe these officials could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president,” a Justice Department official told CBS News. Smith was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 and took over two ongoing investigations of the president, one related to his handling of classified records and the other tied to his conduct following the 2020 presidential election. Both cases were dismissed after Mr. Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Smith informed the judges overseeing the cases that Justice Department policy forbids the prosecution of a sitting president. Throughout his probes, the former special counsel amassed a staff of prosecutors and agents to conduct grand jury investigations and try the cases in court. It is not immediately clear which members of Smith’s team were fired, but the move makes good on a Trump campaign promise to clean house in the Justice Department. Last week, the president signed an executive order to take on the “weaponization of the federal government,” a characterization he applied to Smith’s prosecutions. Fox News was first to report on the firings. The news of the firings came on the same day that Washington, D.C.’s top federal prosecutor launched an internal review of the charging decisions behind hundreds of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases. Two people familiar with the move confirmed to CBS News that Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin ordered prosecutors in his office to turn in documents, emails and other information related to the previous administration’s decision to bring an obstruction charge against more than 200 Capitol attack defendants. The cases at issue are those in which defendants were charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, a charge that the Supreme Court later ruled was too broadly applied by federal prosecutors. Throughout the sprawling Jan. 6 investigation that abruptly came to an end last week after President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 individuals, defendants and their attorneys brought challenges against the obstruction case on multiple fronts as they contested the Justice Department’s application of the law in the Capitol riot cases. The Supreme Court ultimately limited prosecutors’ use of the statute. The new review is set to examine the decision making behind the use of that charge, the people said. News of the review was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The U.S. attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Smith — who resigned from his position following the completion of his investigation — wrote in his report on the probe that his team had collected evidence “sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial,” if the case involving Mr. Trump’s alleged conduct around the 2020 election had gone to trial. Only the first volume of Smith’s report, which described the investigation into Mr. Trump’s post-2020 election conduct, was released to the public. The second volume is currently shielded from public view while an appeal in the classified documents case is ongoing. In the report, Smith defended his work as apolitical. And in a letter accompanying the final draft, he wrote, “To all who know me well, the claim from Mr. Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.” Mr. Trump called Smith “desperate” and “deranged” and consistently denied wrongdoing throughout the investigations. Also on Monday, the chief of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section resigned from his position after being reassigned, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. The official was appointed to the position during the first Trump administration, and his political corruption unit later advised Smith on various aspects of cases against Mr. Trump, according to court documents. NBC News first reported the resignation. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Last week, numerous career Justice Department officials who held high-profile positions were reassigned. The officials affected included senior criminal and national security leaders within two of the department’s most critical sections, two sources told CBS News at the time. The career officials have handled numerous high-profile investigations across administrations. Trump Investigations More More Robert Legare Robert Legare is a CBS News multiplatform reporter and producer covering the Justice Department, federal courts and investigations. He was previously an associate producer for the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.” Source link #Trump #Justice #Dept #fires #employees #tied #Jack #Smith #probes #officials #launch #review #Jan #cases Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anita Asante column: Why Chelsea signing Naomi Girma is so good Anita Asante column: Why Chelsea signing Naomi Girma is so good Girma’s big transfer fee could bring pressure. But because the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) calendar is not aligned with ours – they are in pre-season still – I think Bompastor will give her some time to learn about how Chelsea play, their expectations, the environment, the people, to make that transition of moving to London a bit easier. I don’t think it will faze Girma too much. American players are more used to those heights of attention. They have always played with pressure because of the great players who have gone before them. They have had to step into big shoes their whole life. I think she will embrace the pressure. The USA players are under scrutiny at college. It is so competitive to get scholarships. I was talking to USA international Tobin [Heath] the other day and she said the players know whatever choice they make at college is going to set them on a certain path for life. It is such a big decision and a big choice to make at a young age. Girma has taken these experiences in her stride. With American players, you can always guarantee self-belief and professionalism. They commit to everything. That is their foundation. It is the one attribute that you can never question and I never did with any of the USA players I played with. She has won things at the highest level and has sat next to big leaders. She has talked about Alex Morgan being someone that inspires her so she understands what it takes to be a proper leader. I think she will want to fill or bridge gaps at Chelsea. She will be a voice in that team. She comes across as a very calm character and a good communicator. You need that in every winning team. I think Girma is going to be an inspiration for a lot of people. She is really proud of her heritage. She was the first player of Ethiopian descent to represent the USA and that is giving visibility to people from those communities. Chelsea have now added another superstar with real kudos in Girma. Sam Kerr is also set to come back. That is a scary prospect for players and rival teams alike. Anita Asante was speaking to BBC Sport’s women’s football news reporter Emma Sanders. Source link #Anita #Asante #column #Chelsea #signing #Naomi #Girma #good Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is DeepSeek: ******** AI model overtakes ChatGPT in app store downloads, sparks big losses on Wall St What is DeepSeek: ******** AI model overtakes ChatGPT in app store downloads, sparks big losses on Wall St On Monday, ******** artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek took over rival OpenAI’s coveted spot as the most-downloaded free app in the US on Apple’s App Store, dethroning ChatGPT for DeepSeek’s AI Assistant. Global tech stocks sold off and were on pace to wipe out billions in market cap. Later on Monday, DeepSeek said it would temporarily limit user registrations “due to large-scale malicious attacks” on its services, though existing users will be able to log in as usual. Tech leaders, analysts, investors and developers say that the hype — and ensuing fear of falling behind in the ever-changing AI hype cycle — may be warranted. Especially in the era of the generative AI arms race, where tech giants and startups alike are racing to ensure they don’t fall behind in a market predicted to top $USD1 trillion in revenue within a decade. What is DeepSeek? DeepSeek was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, co-founder of High-Flyer, a quantitative hedge fund focused on AI. The AI startup reportedly grew out of the hedge fund’s AI research unit in April 2023 to focus on large language models and reaching artificial general intelligence, or AGI — a branch of AI that equals or surpasses human intellect on a wide range of tasks, which OpenAI and its rivals say they’re fast pursuing. DeepSeek is still wholly owned by and funded by High-Flyer, according to analysts at Jefferies. The buzz around DeepSeek began picking up steam earlier this month, when the startup released R1, its reasoning model that rivals OpenAI’s o1. It’s open-source, meaning that any AI developer can use it, and has rocketed to the top of app stores and industry leader boards, with users praising its performance and reasoning capabilities. Like other ******** chatbots, it has its limitations when asked about certain topics: When asked about some of ******** leader Xi Jinping’s policies, for instance, DeepSeek reportedly steers the user away from similar lines of questioning. Another key part of the discussion: DeepSeek’s R1 was built despite the US curbing chip exports to China three times in three years. Estimates differ on exactly how much DeepSeek’s R1 costs, or how many GPUs went into it. Jefferies analysts estimated that a recent version had a “training cost of only $US5.6m (assuming $US2 hour rental cost). That is less than 10 per cent of the cost of Meta’s Llama.” But regardless of the specific numbers, reports agree that the model was developed at a fraction of the cost of rival models by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others. As a result, the AI sector is awash with questions, including whether the industry’s increasing number of astronomical funding rounds and billion-dollar valuations is necessary — and whether a bubble is about to burst. Source link #DeepSeek #******** #model #overtakes #ChatGPT #app #store #downloads #sparks #big #losses #Wall Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CDC staff ordered to cut off communication with WHO CDC staff ordered to cut off communication with WHO Staff across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were ordered Monday to cut off all communications with the World Health Organization, multiple federal health officials confirmed to CBS News, to comply with President Trump’s executive order last week. Beyond calling for the U.S. to begin the yearlong process to formally withdraw from funding the U.N. health agency, Mr. Trump’s executive order had also instructed federal agencies to “recall and reassign” any U.S. government personnel from working with the WHO. The sweeping directive to implement the order was issued by the CDC’s Deputy Director for Global Health John Nkengasong in an email Monday, one official said, pending further guidance for when and how exceptions might be carved out. CDC staff assigned to work for the WHO are also being told not to come into the office, the email said, pending further guidance from leadership. Mr. Trump has long been critical of the WHO, blaming the organization for mishandling COVID-19 and saying it gets too much money from the U.S., which donates the most of any country. At an event in Las Vegas on Jan. 25, he said the WHO had offered to cut the U.S. funding commitment down to around the amount given by China. “Maybe we would consider doing it again. I don’t know. Maybe we would. They have to clean it up a little bit,” Mr. Trump said. Former health officials tell CBS News they worry the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO could endanger efforts to respond to diseases, both undermining the U.N. agency and also making it harder for American officials to prepare. The first way U.S. officials would sometimes hear about worrying outbreaks was through the WHO, especially in countries wary of working with American authorities. The WHO also relies on disease experts dispatched by the U.S. and other countries to fill its ranks. “As has been repeated many times, infectious diseases know no boundaries and in today’s world of rapid travel, an outbreak anywhere is a threat everywhere,” said James LeDuc, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Between working for the U.S. Army’s medical research and heading the Galveston National Laboratory, LeDuc worked for CDC as a WHO medical officer and later one of the agency’s top-ranking global health officials. “The fact is that there is no alternative to WHO. WHO has the global mandate that allows health issues to be addressed on a global scale in a coordinated manner,” LeDuc said. A World Health Organization spokesperson declined to comment on the move. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Preparing for seasonal and pandemic influenza The gag order comes ahead of a key committee meeting next month, where CDC officials were scheduled to help the WHO pick out strains for next winter’s influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccine manufacturers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rely on the data and findings by that panel to decide on the shots used every fall around the Northern Hemisphere. The CDC also plays a key role as a WHO “collaborating center” for flu, serving as one of the world’s one of the world’s top laboratories for testing and studying the virus. Many countries send samples of worrying influenza cases to the CDC’s Atlanta laboratory for scrutiny of mutations that might pose a pandemic threat, like after deaths from bird flu or swine flu. Responding to viruses like polio and Marburg CDC staff assigned to work for the WHO often serve as liaisons with the agency’s disease experts, offering insights into worrying new germs the WHO is responding to around the world. Others work with other countries to stomp out lingering diseases, like the Global Polio Eradication Initiative backed by both agencies. The WHO also plays a key role in issuing licenses and coordinating trials that allow for the use of medicines to respond to diseases, especially for smaller countries facing outbreaks of new diseases. Multiple former federal health officials said the WHO also played a key role in facilitating the response and rollout of a U.S. vaccine to respond to an outbreak of Marburg, an Ebola-like disease, in Rwanda last year. Authorities are closely watching another outbreak of Marburg this year in Tanzania, which the WHO announced confirming last week. Replacing U.S. expertise at the WHO “The expertise provided by CDC and other U.S. government agencies is absolutely essential to the success of WHO activities and to the well-being of the United States,” said LeDuc. LeDuc recalled that U.S. staff were once proud to don WHO uniforms, working steps away from scientists from former Cold War adversaries to stem emerging disease threats out of the international organization’s Geneva office. “I don’t think we want, particularly as public health experts, to feel like they can only wave the U.S. flag in those positions. The reason why it worked is because we were able to be American and also to be global citizens,” said Loyce Pace, director of global affairs for HHS under the Biden administration. Pace said there are hundreds of American health agency officials who work with the WHO. She said it is likely other countries will likely try to step to fill the void left by American public health officials. Another former federal official said China has been seeking to fill more posts within the U.N. agency, worrying some U.S. officials about how they may seek to use their positions. “My hope is that there’s a part of us that will continue to work to see that not as a weakness but as a strength, to distinguish us from other actors who don’t have that approach and, frankly, have not been as effective in building partnerships to protect the world,” said Pace. Alexander Tin Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers federal public health agencies. Source link #CDC #staff #ordered #cut #communication Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A Big Day for Fox News, but TV Ratings Were Down for Trump Speech A Big Day for Fox News, but TV Ratings Were Down for Trump Speech Fox News was far and away the most-watched TV network during President Trump’s inauguration on Monday, a sign of both the channel’s dominance in cable news and the overall drop in Americans who rely on television to keep up on current events. A peak of 34.4 million people tuned in live to watch Mr. Trump’s lunchtime swearing-in on the major TV networks, according to statistics from Nielsen. The peak TV audience was down from the nearly 40 million viewers who watched former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s speech in 2021, and the 38.3 million who watched Mr. Trump’s first inaugural speech in 2017. The downward trend is in keeping with the country’s media consumption habits writ large, as more Americans turn away from traditional television and follow major events on websites, social media, and other digital platforms. Fox News’s audience, however, was roughly in line with its 2017 viewership. About 10.3 million people watched the network between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday, more than twice the number that tuned in to any other channel, according to preliminary data from Nielsen. The Fox News viewership in that time slot outstripped the 9.3 million who watched CBS’s telecast of this month’s Golden Globe Awards. Viewership for CNN and MSNBC between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday fell significantly from four years ago. CNN recorded about 1.7 million viewers, down from about 10 million for Mr. Biden’s inaugural speech; MSNBC, whose anchors lamented Mr. Trump’s return to office, was seen by 848,000 people on Monday, according to the early Nielsen data. It had about 6.5 million viewers for Mr. Biden’s speech in 2021. Nielsen said that the average viewership across 15 major networks on Monday, between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, was 24.6 million people. Source link #Big #Day #Fox #News #Ratings #Trump #Speech Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* Highway Bridge Demolished in Controlled Explosion ******* Highway Bridge Demolished in Controlled Explosion A section of a highway bridge near Dortmund, Germany, that dated back to 1984 was blown up in a controlled explosion on Sunday, January 26. WDR News reported that it was the third section of the Liedbachtal Bridge on the A1 to be demolished. According to a statement from the Autobahn, the first two sections of the bridge were demolished in mid-December. Footage filmed by Jan Schroth captured the dramatic explosions as the third section of the Liedbachtal Bridge in Unna was brought down. Credit: Jan Schroth via Storyful Source link #******* #Highway #Bridge #Demolished #Controlled #Explosion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads the 2025 Oscar Nominations With 13 Nods ‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads the 2025 Oscar Nominations With 13 Nods The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences showered little-seen movies rooted in progressive politics with nominations for the 97th Oscars on Thursday. “Emilia Pérez,” a musical exploration of trans identity, and “The Brutalist,” a three-and-a-half-hour study of immigrant trauma and antisemitism, emerged as films to beat by securing nominations in most of the major categories, including best picture and best director. “Emilia Pérez,” a Netflix entry, received 13 nominations in total, the most of any film. “The Brutalist,” a low-budget movie from A24 that arrives in theaters nationwide on Friday, received 10 nominations. One blockbuster, “Wicked,” with its messages about the dangers of authoritarianism and the power of resistance, also did well with voters. It garnered 10 nominations, but failed to crack the important directing and screenplay categories. While the acting races have taken clearer shape over the past month, the best picture contest remains unusually wide open. Unlike last year, when “Oppenheimer” cemented its front-runner status almost immediately and never looked back, multiple films remain in the hunt for Hollywood’s top prize this time around. The nominees for best picture included “Conclave,” a ******** thriller that explores identity politics; “The Substance,” a feminist manifesto in the form of a body horror flick; “Nickel Boys,” a historical drama set at a racist reform school in 1960s Florida; “Anora,” a Cinderella story about a sex worker who impulsively marries the hard-partying son of a Russian oligarch; “I’m Still Here,” a Brazilian drama about family life and political oppression; and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” The big-budget studio movies “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two” filled out the category. The academy expanded the best picture field to 10 in 2022; it previously had a sliding number with as few as five slots. The academy positioned the changes as part of an expanded focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”) and Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”) were nominated for best actor, as expected. Sebastian Stan drew the wild-card spot for his performance as an unsavory, early-career Donald Trump in “The Apprentice,” an independent film that nearly did not make it to theaters. (The big studios balked, in part because Trump threatened to sue. He has called the film “garbage.”) Demi Moore (“The Substance”) has been the favorite to win best actress since she delivered a poignant acceptance speech about Hollywood pigeonholing at the Golden Globes this month. Academy voters waved her through to the nomination stage while also giving best actress nods to Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”), Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”) and Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”). Gascón became the first openly trans actress to receive an Oscar nomination. Left out were Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) and Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”), both of whom were active on the Oscar campaign circuit. Kieran Culkin, fresh off winning a Golden Globe for his performance in the dramedy “A Real Pain,” received a nomination for best supporting actor. Filling out the category were Yura Borisov (“Anora”), Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”), Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”) and Jeremy Strong (“The Apprentice”). For supporting actress, Oscar voters handed nominations to the favorites Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) and Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), both of whom played lead roles but decided to run as secondary candidates. Joining them were Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”) and Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”). A majority of the acting nominees — 13 out of 20 — were first-time academy honorees, perhaps underscoring the organization’s effort over the past decade to make its voting ranks less dominated by older white men. The academy now has roughly 10,000 voting members, up from about 6,700 in 2017. In the director category, the academy nominated the favorites Sean Baker (“Anora”), Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”) and Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”). Rounding out the category were James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”) and the French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”). Prominent omissions included Edward Berger (“Conclave”) and Jon M. Chu (“Wicked”). Fargeat becomes the 10th woman to be nominated in the best director category in the academy’s 97-year history. Only three have won: Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”) in 2022, Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) in 2021 and Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”) in 2009. The nominees for original screenplay included the favorites “Anora,” “The Brutalist” and “A Real Pain.” The remaining two slots went to “The Substance” and “September 5.” Adapted screenplay nods went to “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez ,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Nickel Boys” and “Sing Sing.” Netflix is having a banner week, announcing on Tuesday that it crossed 300 million subscribers and then walking away Thursday morning with 16 nominations, beating all of the big studios. (Universal had 25 in total, but 12 of those came from its semiautonomous Focus Features art film division.) Thirteen nods for “Emilia Pérez” alone makes the irreverent musical Netflix’s most-nominated film ever. (“Emilia Pérez,” which is presented in Spanish, also became the most-nominated non-English-language film in Oscar history. The previous record-holders were “Roma” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” with 10 each.) “Emilia Pérez” was an acquisition for Netflix out of last year’s Cannes Film Festival and has been on an awards tear ever since, even though it has not attracted a wide audience. Previously, Netflix’s most-nominated film was 2018’s “Roma,” which garnered 10 nominations. The streaming giant has amassed 23 trophies since 2016, when it landed its first with the documentary short “The White Helmets.” It has also scored two best director wins: Campion for “The Power of the Dog” and Alfonso Cuarón for “Roma.” It has yet to land the coveted best picture prize. The nominations were announced at the academy’s Beverly Hills, Calif., headquarters in an early-morning ceremony hosted by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott. The ceremony will be held on March 2. In their quest to find a host who will generate buzz but not blow up in their faces, Academy Awards organizers traded a current late-night comedian (Jimmy Kimmel) for a former one: Conan O’Brien. Since he has never hosted the Oscars before, O’Brien will presumably bring a freshness to the show, which can come off as old-fashioned at best and out-of-touch at worst. At the same time, he is a safe choice — a seasoned pro whose comedic style has been honed over decades and who has successfully hosted other award shows, including the Emmys. The recent wildfires in Los Angeles County, which have destroyed at least 10,000 homes, had prompted the academy to delay the nominations announcement. Amid the devastation, questions about the ceremony have circulated in Hollywood. Should it be turned into a fund-raising telethon? Or scrapped altogether? Academy officials rejected both of those notions, saying in a letter to members on Wednesday that “honoring the unifying spirit and creative synergy of moviemaking” remained their primary focus for the ceremony. Still, the show will “acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires.” Perhaps to add a sense of solemnity, the show will also “move away from live performances” of nominated songs. A toned-down Oscars would mark a reversal from recent years, when the academy sought to dial up the razzle-dazzle as part of a frantic effort to attract more viewers. ABC’s telecast of the most recent ceremony attracted about 20 million viewers, a four-year high. Double that number tuned in as recently as 2014, however. To make the Oscars more relevant to young people, the academy agreed in December to stream the ceremony online (on Hulu) for the first time. ABC, which like Hulu is owned by Disney, remains the academy’s broadcast partner. Source link #Emilia #Pérez #Leads #Oscar #Nominations #Nods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Middle East latest: Israel lets displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza – The Associated Press Middle East latest: Israel lets displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza – The Associated Press Middle East latest: Israel lets displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza The Associated PressGazans return to ruined homes, communities and lives The Washington PostPalestinians celebrate their return to northern Gaza after 15 months of war The Associated PressLIVE: Israel allows displaced Palestinians to finally return to north Gaza Al Jazeera EnglishGaza residents stream home to the north after hostage breakthrough Reuters Source link #Middle #East #latest #Israel #lets #displaced #Palestinians #return #northern #Gaza #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hollywood Work Was Already Drying Up. Then the Fires Hit. Hollywood Work Was Already Drying Up. Then the Fires Hit. “Is this our get-out-of-jail-free card?,” the cinematographer Gabriel Patay, 40, said he wondered after he and his wife, a documentary producer, lost the home they spent nine years restoring. “We are tied to this property, we are stuck in L.A.,” he has thought. “Should we leave?” Patay is cleareyed that his insurance will not cover the cost of rebuilding. He and his wife are looking into mortgage deferment and recently applied for hardship status with their bank. Job opportunities have not been robust either. Patay recently finished work on a documentary for Hulu, but described current job prospects as “bleak.” Now the couple is considering rebuilding their home, slowly over time, if they can somehow make the economics work. Some have rethought their futures in other ways. Madeline Power, a 32-year-old producer, had been just about ready to leave Los Angeles before the diaster. With no work, the past 12 months had been “the worst financial year of my life,” she said, noting that she took odd jobs babysitting and cleaning. She felt, at times, like the city itself was rejecting her. Then her house burned down. She found purpose using her skills as a producer to help raise money for her neighbors, and when people heard of her situation, some came to her with job leads. Now she, too, has $30,000 in donations — more money than she says she has ever had. There is no question in Power’s mind. She is staying. “L.A. caught me,” she said. “L.A. came and just showed up.” John Koblin contributed reporting from New York and Alyce McFadden from Los Angeles. Source link #Hollywood #Work #Drying #Fires #Hit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘A long, long road ahead’: Gaza rebuilds from zero ‘A long, long road ahead’: Gaza rebuilds from zero Paul Adams BBC diplomatic correspondent Watch: Belongings in hand, thousands of Gazans begin journey home On foot or by car, the trek home has begun. For Gazans displaced for the 15 months, the distance is not far – the Gaza Strip is a tiny place – but today’s journey is just the start of a desperately uncertain future for this war-ravaged place. The scale of the looming humanitarian challenge is hard to comprehend. “There are no facilities, no services, no electricity, no water, no infrastructure,” Gazan journalist Ghada el-Kurd said, as she prepared to make her own way back north from Deir el-Balah, where she’s been sheltering for months. “We have to re-establish again from the beginning, from zero.” The immediate needs – food and shelter – are starting to be addressed. “Aid is flowing at levels we’ve not seen since the start of the conflict,” Sam Rose from the UN’s ************ refugee agency, Unrwa, said. “So we’re able to meet the bare minimums in terms of food, water, blankets, hygiene items. But beyond that, this is a long, long road.” Finding shelter in the apocalyptic ruins of Gaza is going to be the first of many huge, long-term challenges. As many as 700,000 people fled from Gaza City and the surrounding areas during the early weeks of the war. An unknown number, perhaps as many as 400,000, stayed put. Some of the areas left behind were obliterated, while others have just about survived. The UN estimates that around 70% of the Gaza Strip’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023, with much of the worst destruction in the north. Jabaliya, home to a pre-war population of 200,000, about half of whom lived in one of Gaza’s oldest and biggest refugee camps, has been virtually destroyed. It is clear that for many people, the days of living in a tent are far from over. Gaza’s ******-run Government Media Office has put out an urgent appeal for 135,000 tents and caravans. The UN says it’s now able to bring in 20,000 tents that have been stuck on the border since August, along with large quantities of tarpaulin and mattresses. But it says it’s going to struggle to meet the sudden demand for shelter. “There simply aren’t that many manufactured tents for aid operations anywhere in in the world,” Mr Rose said. People who have managed to stay in the north throughout the war fear that pressure for accommodation, already acute, will get worse as civilians return and look to move back into homes abandoned over a year ago. “There’s a huge problem because people used to stay in houses of relatives or friends who are in the south,” says Asmaa Tayeh, whose family had to flee Jabaliya but never left the north. “Now they have to empty these houses and give them back to their owners. So a new kind of displacement has started.” Asmaa says four families are already living in her building with three more expected soon. The lack of space and privacy, she says, have already led to tensions. The return of refugees is having other knock-on effects. “I went to the market today to buy frozen fish for the first time,” Asmaa says. “But already sellers are raising prices.” Pressure on already scarce water and electricity supplies is also expected to increase. But for all the widely anticipated hardships, those returning speak, sometimes in widely optimistic terms, of their relief and sense of expectation. “We are overjoyed to return to the north, where we can finally find comfort,” one woman told the BBC. “Leaving behind the suffering we endured in the south and returning to the dignity of Beit Hanoun.” According to recent accounts from Beit Hanoun – in the far north-eastern corner of the Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel – the town is unrecognisable. Getty Images Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza face the immediate challenge of finding shelter What of Donald Trump’s suggestion that people should move, temporarily or permanently, to Egypt or Jordan? Egyptian and Jordanian officials were quick to condemn the suggestion. Both countries fear the social and security implications of a sudden influx of traumatised refugees. “Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said. His country is already home to 2.4 million registered ************ refugees. Among Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right cabinet colleagues, President Trump’s suggestion received an enthusiastic welcome. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who favours Israeli annexation and settlement of the Gaza Strip, called it “a great idea”. Last year, speaking at a conference of supporters, he talked of creating “a situation where Gaza’s population will be reduced to half its current size in two years”. Unless Gaza is quickly rehabilitated and Gazans are given a glimpse of a better future, Smotrich may have his way. “I think for the first few months, they will see what will happen,” journalist Ghada el-Kurd says. “If they lost everything and the reconstruction process is delayed, I think people will not stay in Gaza.” Around 150,000 people have already left since the war began in October 2023. Ghada says she expects others who can afford it to follow, seeking futures in the Arab world or beyond, while the poorest and most vulnerable are left behind. “I agree with Trump that people deserve a better life,” she says. “But why not in Gaza?” Source link #long #long #road #ahead #Gaza #rebuilds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sniper Elite: Resistance Review (PS5) Sniper Elite: Resistance Review (PS5) I’m hiding on a bridge in the middle of the night. The night is calm and quiet. I’ve spotted my target across the river, a high-ranking Nazi officer patrolling the docks. Lifting my scope, I line up the shot while hiding from watch towers at the bridge’s end. I pull the trigger and watch as the officer crumples on the pavement. While the officer was dead, my shot rang out in the night, calling every Nazi to my position. I hide behind boxes of supplies as enemies hunt incessantly for me. Eventually, the search is called off and I can continue my mission. These encounters are the highlight of Sniper Elite: Resistance. Unfortunately, they are few and far between. What you are left with are missions that are focused more on hunting down the elusive contextual button prompt and are held together by a next-to-nonexistent narrative. It is a serviceable stealth game that lacks the intricacy or excitement of its peers. Functional storytelling You follow Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent Harry Hawker’s attempt to stop a Nazi chemical weapon in occupied France. After a brief meeting with the French resistance, Hawker hunts down information and attempts to sabotage the Nazi superweapon. Beyond the introduction and the closing cutscenes, the narrative is strictly used to set up the next mission. There is little characterization of Hawker, his allies, or his enemies. Any attempts to create dramatic tension fail since they are stock characters at best. Despite Hawker not having a personality, he still comments throughout each mission. Whether it is to confirm the next steps of an objective or to remind the player of the usefulness of tall grass for the 15th time, Hawker’s chatter is both dull and repetitive. It is one thing for a character to talk too much, but it is another annoyance when that chatter does not add anything to the story, world, or characters. Shoot or sneak As a stealth-action game, Sniper Elite: Resistance stays safe within the genre’s conventions. You can run, shoot, and hide reasonably well and have a few tools to distract or disable guards. None of these tools are unique as they are the same bottles, grenades, and med-kits seen elsewhere. Each map may be large, but the stealth challenges remain simple. Even with each map’s multiple pathways, you are still hiding behind the same walls and in the same patches of grass. Worse, the maps have a surprising sense of rigidity with invisible walls sending players down those paths. Even if you get spotted, combat remains exploitable. Yes, you go down quickly if you are caught out in the open, but if you hide behind a doorway or above a staircase, an army of Nazis will run straight into your line of fire. An alarm may be raised but that can be quickly silenced if you shoot it and even if you cannot, it will just add more Nazis to the meat grinder you set up behind that door. Searching enemies can restock your ammo and healing supplies, so as long as you do not run out into the open, you will outlast them. This takes out a lot of the tension from being spotted, especially if you are near a building or some sort of entryway. Some maps have more open environments and make this strategy less effective, but then you can turn to the classic stealth strategy of running away until the alarm shuts off. If you do choose to wait it out, it does take a while for the enemies to settle down so you will be spending a decent amount hiding in that tall grass. Press triangle to sabotage Even when the stealth and combat do click, the mission structure often loses the excitement of the action. Each mission has a set of main and optional objectives with the main objectives usually involving reconnaissance or sabotage. Both of these make heavy use of contextual button prompts with multiple objectives boiling down to infiltrating a location, pressing triangle as Hawker gives some commentary, and then exiting the area. Sometimes that infiltration turns into a search for where the contextual button prompt is hiding with you having to find a key or explosive to unlock the prompt, but there is very little freedom in navigating these objectives. The side objectives fare a little better with both button-fueled sabotage and more open-ended assassination targets. While the optional sabotage and intel-gathering objectives fall into the same issues as most of the main objectives, the assassination targets allow you to make use of your tools as a stealthy sniper. You can snipe from afar or sneak in and deal with your target up close and personal. The sniping itself is relatively simple but when you snipe, you can either risk alerting enemies or attempt to mask your sound within surrounding noises. Whether it is rolling thunder or a misbehaving generator, you can time your shots to eliminate your targets without giving away your position. You can be rewarded with a gory X-ray shot, but admittedly I found them to break the pace and intensity of the actual mission and quickly turned them off after a couple of shots. Regardless, these assassinations are the highlight of the game. You can also keep exploring for optional collectibles and secrets, yet it all feels unnecessary. There are pure collectibles that you can hunt for experience and some background knowledge, but there are also propaganda posters and optional infiltration points. The propaganda posters unlock missions that are challenge rooms that focus on stealth, combat, or sniping. They are tangential and with how underwhelming the combat tends to be, not worth it. The infiltration points give you optional entrances for repeated playthroughs, but the rigid objectives of the main missions discourage replaying said missions. There are even upgrade stations that are honestly unnecessary considering how effective you are with your starting weapons. Sniper Elite: Resistance has a fair amount of fluff that may not hinder the game but does not help it either. Conclusion Sniper Elite: Resistance can have exciting moments. Getting spotted while finishing your last objective and making a hasty escape from the area can be exhilarating. However, these moments are squandered by rigid mission structures and stealth mechanics that have been implemented in more interesting ways in other games. It is a serviceable game that is functional but not exceptional. Sniper Elite: Resistance releases on January 30. William Dowell William Dowell is a freelance writer with bylines on Unwinnable, Fanbyte, and Rock Paper Shotgun. When not writing, William maintains a career as a freelance musician. 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