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Will new battery-powered trains replace diesel, and are they safe? Will new battery-powered trains replace diesel, and are they safe? Inside a test model of Hitachi’s battery-powered train Soon battery-powered trains could be coming to a station near you. As the ***’s fleet of diesel engines approaches retirement, manufacturers are looking to replace them with environmentally-friendly alternatives. Trains currently draw power from overhead electrified wires or, on lines without these wires, from onboard diesel generators. Many trains are capable of running from both power sources and switch between the two. Battery-powered trains would save rail operators the cost of installing overhead wires on unelectrified tracks, which are found throughout the ***. At Hitachi’s factory in Newton Aycliffe, north-east England, testing has just finished on a new “tri-mode” train, in which one diesel generator has been swapped for lithium batteries. This allows it to use up to 50% less fuel when running on lines with no overhead wires. Based on this trial, the company is also planning a train model with no diesel generators at all, which it hopes will be capable of travelling up to 90km (56 miles) on unelectrified stretches of track – with a view to the entire rail network going diesel-free. Siemens is also developing its own battery-only trains at its factory in Goole, Yorkshire. The company says it is anticipating orders for more than 600 trains from operators including ScotRail, Great Western Railway (GWR) and Transport for Wales. GWR also tested its own battery train earlier this year. Solely battery-powered trains are already operating in Japan and Germany, but *** experts say they could pose unique ***** safety challenges. Hitachi engineers tell the BBC, though, that it has done extensive testing on the batteries to ensure passengers would be safe in an emergency. How do battery-powered trains work? Current diesel-electric trains are designed to draw their power from overhead lines on electrified sections of track. Elsewhere, they use diesel generators housed underneath their carriages. Hitachi’s new train replaces one of these diesel generator units with 16 batteries, like those found in electric vehicles (EVs). It says the trains can switch between power sources automatically, and that the tri-mode version would primarily use its batteries in stations and urban areas. Hitachi says these batteries can recharge while the train is travelling on electrified tracks, or in 10-15 minutes while stationary. The company says existing diesel-electric trains could also be retrofitted with batteries to save money. Why now? The first train to rely solely on batteries went into service in 2016 in Japan – so why are they only now being developed in the ***? Koji Agatsuma, Hitachi Rail’s technical chief, who oversaw the company’s battery train project, says there is now interest in the *** thanks to a mix of technological improvement and a change in political climate. He says the new government’s vision is for trains to be “cheaper, greener, more reliable”, while batteries are getting smaller and more powerful. Yet even now, limitations remain. Hitachi designed the tri-mode train because its batteries were not yet able to last long enough to cover all sections of unelectrified track in the ***. More areas of railway can be electrified, but this is costly: in 2020, Network Rail estimated electrification would cost £1m-£2.5m per kilometre of track. Siemens says to run its battery-powered trains on the ***’s rail network, small sections of track would need to be electrified, and fast-charging points placed along train routes. Hitachi’s test train was able to travel 70km (44 miles) using its batteries alone. This would work for services between London and Oxford or Hull, due to the amount of electrified rail on these routes, but it would be unable to run the full length of the line between Crewe and Holyhead, for example. Hitachi Rail Hitachi Rail’s test model of the “tri-mode” train And though it was able to travel 135km (84 miles) using diesel as well as batteries, this was on relatively flat testing track. Routes such as those served by TransPennine – which leant Hitachi the test Class 802 train – have inclines which require more energy, shortening the overall distance it could travel unaided. Jim Brewin, Hitachi Rail’s *** and Ireland chief, says the government’s aim to cut the country’s carbon dioxide emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2050 means fully battery-powered trains are the direction the industry is moving in, with hybrid trains a stepping stone on the way. He says that as cells get lighter and more powerful, the company can swap them out for newer models to improve performance. Its recent testing demonstrated existing trains could also be modified to go full or part battery-powered. Are there safety risks? Experts in lithium batteries say that, when used in road vehicles, EV batteries are at least 20 times less likely to catch ***** than diesel or petrol cars. Hitachi’s train uses Nissan Leaf cells, which have been involved in 16 fires in the 14 years they have been used in road vehicles, according to EV ***** Safe, which gathers data on battery fires around the world. This is out of more than 500,000 cells that have been sold worldwide. “Managed properly, lithium batteries are very safe,” says Jon Simpson, a former firefighter turned ***** safety consultant. But when lithium batteries are corrupted, they can experience thermal runaway – meaning a cell undergoes uncontrollable temperature rises, making a ***** hard to control and extinguish. The kind of “catastrophic event” that could cause something like this would be a ****** or a derailment in which a cell is damaged, says Jon Hughes, managing director of *** ***** Training. But Euan McTurk, a consultant battery electrochemist, says Nissan Leaf cells are “far more robust than people give them credit for”. For them to catch *****, he says “it would take some spectacular lancing of the actual cells themselves, which would mean going through a very strong external structure”. Part of Hitachi’s testing was to deliberately destabilise a cell, including piercing it and overheating it, says Chris Dautel, senior electrical engineer at the manufacturer. He adds that Hitachi has placed a heat shield around each cell to prevent the issue spreading to other cells, meaning “no danger to passengers in [a] case of thermal runaway”. The train is also fitted with a cooling unit on the roof to regulate the batteries’ temperature, and the company has developed software that monitors and regulates the cells. The urgent response to a lithium battery ***** is to flood the cell with as much water as possible to cool it down, says ***** safety consultant Mr Simpson, which may not be viable depending on where the ***** occurs. “Tunnels are probably the riskiest area in a rail environment,” says Graham Kenyon, an electrical engineering consultant. “If you get a *****, probably the worst things to deal with when you’re evacuating people are smoke and fumes, vapours, gases that are toxic.” In some cases, it is safer for the ***** brigade to leave the battery to ***** itself out. But leaving a train on the track could pose a major disruption. Dautel says that a carriage with a battery ***** could still be moved out of the way, even while burning, such was the effectiveness of the ***** barrier around the cells. “In the case of incidents, we would evacuate the passengers, but they wouldn’t see anything,” he says. As each unit operates independently, he adds, the train would still be able to move itself using batteries on other carriages – or be pulled by another train. Source link #batterypowered #trains #replace #diesel #safe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Port Adelaide to clash with Hawthorn in final match of AFL Gather Round in 2025 Port Adelaide to clash with Hawthorn in final match of AFL Gather Round in 2025 The AFL’s Gather Round in 2025 will end with a bang after confirmation Port Adelaide will take on Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in a rematch of last season’s fiery semi-final that ended with Port coach Ken Hinkley $20,000 poorer. Hinkley was fined $20,000 for conduct unbecoming after singling out Hawk antagonist Jack Ginnivan, who had posted a “see u in 14 days” message on Sydney ruckman Brodie Grundy’s Instagram post before the semi-final against Port. After his team’s win, Hinkley allegedly yelled “you aren’t flying anywhere, Jack” to Ginnivan, sparking a verbal exchange with Hawthorn captain James Sicily and condemnation for the Port coach who later apologised. But the AFL has opted to renew the rivalry in a Sunday night clash to round out Gather Round, which will for the first time feature a match in the Barossa Valley with North Melbourne to take on the Gold Coast. Gather Round will run from Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13. Hometown team Adelaide will open Gather Round in a Thursday night clash with Geelong, while Collingwood will take on Sydney in the prime-time Friday night slot. Camera IconKen Hinkley exchanges words with Hawthorn players after the 2024 AFL Second Semi Final. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images “Gather Round is the best of our game, a celebration of footy like no other,” AFL boss Andrew Dillon said. “South Australia really turns it on, and we are excited to bring fans a ******* and better experience in 2025 with some great match-ups and a new venue at Barossa Park. “The Barossa celebrates some of the best of South Australia and we are excited about all the opportunities that will be on offer for our fans to take in while visiting the region, outside of the two incredible games that will be played at the new Barossa Park in Lyndoch. “On behalf of the AFL I want to thank the SA government, led by Premier Malinauskas, who has been committed wholeheartedly to the success of the concept since 2023. Camera IconPort and Hawthorn players post final. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos “Gather Round has a unique feel of a grand final week, from the footy festival and the zip line over the Torrens River to the community engagement activities and all the open training sessions the clubs hold around the town … it has been just an incredibly fun atmosphere which we are looking to top next season.” In the other matches for the festival of footy in Adelaide, Essendon will play Melbourne, Carlton will clash with West Coast, the Western Bulldogs will take on premiers Brisbane, Richmond will play Fremantle and GWS will clash with St Kilda FULL GATHER ROUND FIXTURE Thursday April 10 Adelaide Crows vs Geelong (AO) 7.40pm AEST, 7.10pm local Friday April 11 Collingwood vs Sydney (AO) 7.40pm AEST, 7.10pm local Saturday April 12 North Melbourne vs Gold Coast (Barossa) 12.35pm AEST, 12.05pm local Carlton vs West Coast (AO) 1.20pm AEST, 12.50pm local Western Bulldogs vs Brisbane Lions (Norwood) 4.15pm AEST, 3.45pm local Melbourne vs Essendon (AO) 7.35pm AEST, 7.05pm local Sunday April 13 Richmond vs Fremantle (Barossa) 12.35pm AEST, 12.05pm local St Kilda vs GWS (Norwood) 3.20pm AEST, 2.50pm local Port Adelaide vs Hawthorn (AO) 7.20pm AEST, 6.50pm local Source link #Port #Adelaide #clash #Hawthorn #final #match #AFL #Gather Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

While many U.S. voters welcome Trump’s tougher border policies, his win puts migrants on edge While many U.S. voters welcome Trump’s tougher border policies, his win puts migrants on edge Nogales, Mexico — Ivan Castro Santos, his wife and their four children, including 1-year-old triplets, have been living in a crowded room over the past four months, waiting for an opportunity to enter the U.S. The young family traveled from southern Mexico to the House of Mercy and All Nations shelter in the northern ******** border city of Nogales, joining other migrants from across ****** America. Half of them are children. All of them have one objective: finding work and safety in the U.S. Castro Santos, 22, said he and his wife, Fatima Gonzalez Hernandez, 19, decided to leave Guerrero, Mexico, because of “the ****** and the risk to the children” there. “To protect them,” he added in Spanish, looking at his young children. Tens of thousands of migrants are estimated to be in Mexico, hoping to enter America, including through a program that allows them to use a smartphone app to request a time to be vetted, processed and admitted by ********* border officials. The system was established by the Biden administration to dissuade migrants from crossing the border illegally, but many are now worried that President-elect Donald Trump will make it much ******* for them to make it into the U.S. at all. Migrant children in a classroom await a chance to enter the ******* States. CBS News Castro Santos said he’s worried about Trump “canceling the appointments” offered by the U.S. government app, known as CBP One. “We don’t want to run that risk of going back and putting them at risk,” he said, referring to his children. If allowed into the U.S., he said his family would like to settle in Houston, where his sister lives. He said he would like to learn how to cook and work in a restaurant. Trump made tackling ******** immigration a central theme of his campaign, running on a platform of mass deportations, harsher asylum rules and a reversal of the Biden administration’s border policies, including the app-powered entry system used by migrants in Mexico. His immigration promises appealed to many ********* voters, polls show, including those living near the southern border. Anna Parada, who was born and raised in Nogales, Arizona, just miles away from the border with Mexico, said the “main” reason she voted for Trump was because of his stance on immigration. “I really saw the Biden administration being a little bit too lax on immigration,” Parada said. “And having Trump back in office, I believe it’s going to be a difference again.” On the ******** side of the border, the reaction to Trump winning was dramatically different. Luz Angela, a migrant from Bolivia, said she felt “scared” when she learned ********* voters had elected Trump. “I felt scared because he promised in his speeches that they would deport all the migrants,” Angela said in Spanish. “And that he would close the CBP One application.” Luz Angela and her son both hope to enter the ******* States, but President-elect Donald Trump’s win has Angela worried the CBP One app, which migrants use to schedule appointments with immigration officials, will no longer be available. CBS News A doctor by trade, Angela said she and her 9-year-old son, Matias, fled political persecution in Bolivia. She said she was targeted by the government there after complaining about *********** in the hospital where she worked. Angela and her son have been waiting for a CBP One appointment for nearly 7 months since arriving in Nogales, Mexico. During her wait, she has volunteered as a doctor at the House of Mercy and All Nations shelter, treating fellow migrants. “What we’re looking for is for an opportunity to improve our lives but also perhaps improve the health care system over there,” she said. “I really like helping people who don’t have easy access to healthcare.” U.S. officials worry that Trump’s election will end the months-long lull in ******** border crossings, which plunged this year following an aggressive effort by ******** officials to interdict migrants and President Biden’s move in June to make most of those crossing into the country illegally ineligible for asylum. Larger numbers of migrants, officials have said, could be incentivized to cross into the U.S. unlawfully in the coming weeks, before Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Alba Jaramillo, a Tucson-based immigration attorney, said Trump’s win and the potential end to the CBP One system, could prompt more migrants to cross the southern border without authorization, including along dangerous parts of the Arizona desert where some perish trying to make it into the U.S. “They’re desperate,” said Jaramillo, the co-executive director of the Immigration Law and Justice Network, a pro-immigrant organization. “I mean they have given up everything to come to the north.” Anjali Patil contributed reporting. More Camilo Montoya-Galvez Camilo Montoya-Galvez is the immigration reporter at CBS News. Based in Washington, he covers immigration policy and politics. Source link #U.S #voters #Trumps #tougher #border #policies #win #puts #migrants #edge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s J-35A stealth fighter is ‘****** box’ despite splashy debut China’s J-35A stealth fighter is ‘****** box’ despite splashy debut By Gerry Doyle SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China’s much-anticipated J-35A stealth aircraft, centrepiece of this week’s Zhuhai air show, has been more than a decade in the making, but experts say little is known about its capabilities. The first public appearance of the land-based J-35A will take place on Tuesday, a day after the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), and will include a flying display. Another variant, the J-35, is designed for use with China’s aircraft carriers. Even as it takes to the skies more than 10 years after its progenitor, the J-31, made its first flight, few details are public about the J-35’s performance or stealthiness, military analysts say. “Because of the ****** box typically surrounding PLA miltech developments, we won’t be too certain of the J-35’s performance,” said Collin Koh of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “PRC scientists … have carried out over the years various STEM and advanced studies related to fighter jet tech, including stealth, so I’ll suggest not joining sceptics to dismiss the aircraft outright,” Koh said. The J-35 and J-35A are designed and built by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, a unit of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The state-controlled People’s Daily news outlet said ahead of the air show the J-35A “mainly carries out the task of seizing and maintaining air supremacy”. Both J-35 variants are considerably smaller than China’s other stealth aircraft, the land-based J-20 fighter. An estimated 200 J-20s are operational with the PLAAF. The J-35A is superficially similar to the Lockheed Martin F-35, whose shape – from fuselage to control surfaces – is designed to minimise how large it appears on radar. It is not publicly known if the J-35 models have special radar-absorbent coatings, as the F-35 does, or communications and radar systems that are difficult to detect. China has struggled with high-performance turbofan jet engine design, relying on Russian technology for early versions of its domestic fighters. But the J-31 used ********-designed WS-13 engines and the J-35A could be fitted with the more advanced WS-19, analysts say, which is potentially up to 10% more powerful. Engine technology is critical for advanced fighters, as efficiency entails more range, the ability to carry more gear and weapons, and higher speeds. “Never too sure about much except the shape of the airframe from these air shows,” said Peter Layton, a defence and aviation expert at the Griffith Asia Institute. “The engines used are always a question.” Foreign military attaches and security analysts are closely watching the evolution of J-35 variants, given their importance to Beijing’s aircraft carrier programme. Although China’s three aircraft carriers remain in training and development mode and have yet to stage long-range operations beyond East Asia, a successful J-35 variant is expected to form a key part of the PLA Navy’s ability to project power beyond its home waters in coming years. The six-day China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition takes place in Zhuhai from Nov. 12-17. (Reporting by Gerry Doyle in Singapore; Additional reporting by Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Sophie Yu in Zhuhai; Editing by Nicholas Yong and Tom Hogue) Source link #Chinas #J35A #stealth #fighter #****** #box #splashy #debut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BBC on set with show’s director BBC on set with show’s director Netflix The dystopian Korean drama Squid Game became a global sensation when it was first released in 2021 When I ask the creator of the hit Korean drama Squid Game about reports that he was so stressed while ********* the first series he lost six teeth, he quickly corrects me. “It was eight or nine,” he laughs. Hwang *****-hyuk is speaking to me on set as he films the second series of his dystopian Netflix thriller, which sees hundreds of debt-laden contestants ****** it out for a whopping cash prize, by playing a string of life-or-****** children’s games. But another series was not always on the cards. At one point, he swore against making one. Given the stress it has caused him, I ask what changed his mind. “Money,” he answers, without hesitation. “Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly I didn’t make much,” he tells me. “So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one too.” “And I didn’t fully finish the story,” he adds. The first series was Netflix’s most successful show to date, thrusting South Korea and its home-grown television dramas into the spotlight. Its dark commentary on wealth inequality touched a nerve with audiences around the globe. But having ******* off almost every character, Hwang has had to start from scratch, with a new cast and set of games, and this time audience expectations are sky high. “The stress I feel now is much greater,” he says. Three years after the first series aired, Hwang is even more pessimistic about the state of the world. He points to current wars, climate change and a widening global wealth gap. Conflicts are no longer confined between the rich and poor, they are playing out intensely between different generations, genders and political camps, he says. “New lines are being drawn. We’re in an era of us vs them. Who’s right and who’s wrong?” Netflix The creators of the series say the second season will see more factionalism and fights among the contestants As I toured the show’s playful set, with its distinctive brightly-********* staircase, I picked up a few clues as to how the director’s despair will be reflected this time around. In this series, the previous winner, Gi-hun, re-enters the game on a quest to bring it down and save the latest round of contestants. According to Lee Jung-jae, who plays the leading character, he is “more desperate and determined” than before. The floor of the dormitory, where the contestants sleep at night, has been divided in two. One half is branded with a giant red neon X symbol, the other with a blue circle. Now, after every game, the players must pick a side, depending on whether they want to end the contest early and survive, or keep playing, in the knowledge all but one of them will ****. The majority decision rules. This, I am told, will lead to more factionalism and fights. It is part of director Hwang’s plan to expose the dangers of living in an increasingly tribal world. Forcing people to pick sides, he believes, is fuelling conflict. For all those who were captivated by the shocking storytelling of Squid Game, there were others who found it gratuitously violent and difficult to watch. But it is clear from talking to Hwang, that the ********* is fully thought out. He is a man who thinks and cares deeply about the world and is motivated by a mounting unease. “When making this series, I constantly asked myself ‘do we humans have what it takes to steer the world off this downhill path?’. Honestly, I don’t know,” he says. While viewers of the second series might not get the answers to these big life questions, they can at least be comforted that some plot holes will be filled in – like why the game exists, and what is motivating the masked Front Man running it. “People will see more of the Front Man’s past, his story and his emotions,” reveals the actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays the mysterious role. “I don’t think this will make viewers warm to him, but it may help them better understand his choices.” As one of South Korea’s most famous actors, Lee admits that having his face and eyes covered and his voice distorted throughout the first series, was “a little bit dissatisfying”. This series he has relished having scenes without a mask, in which he can fully express himself – a chance he nearly did not get. Getty Images Director Hwang *****-hyuk says Netflix only paid him a modest upfront amount for the show, which is estimated to have made £650m off Squid Game Hwang tried for 10 years to get Squid Game made, taking out large loans to support his family, before Netflix swooped in. They paid him a modest upfront amount, leaving him unable to cash in on the whopping £650m it is estimated to have made the platform. This explains the love-hate relationship South Korea’s film and television creators currently have with international streaming platforms. Over the past few years, Netflix has stormed the Korean market with billions of dollars of investment, bringing the industry global recognition and love, but leaving creators feeling short-changed. They accuse the platform of forcing them to relinquish their copyright when they sign contracts – and with it, their claim to profit. This is a worldwide problem. In the past, creators could rely on getting a cut of box office sales or TV re-runs, but this model has not been adopted by streaming giants. The issue is compounded in South Korea, creators say, due to its outdated copyright law, which does not protect them. This summer, actors, writers, directors and producers teamed up to form a collective, to ****** the system together. “In Korea, being a movie director is just a job title, it’s not a way to earn a living,” the vice-president of the Korean Film Directors Guild, Oh Ki-hwan, tells the audience at an event in Seoul. Some of his director friends, he says, work part-time in warehouses and as taxi drivers. Park Hae-young is a writer at the event. When Netflix bought her show, ‘My Liberation Notes’, it became a global hit. “I’ve been writing my whole life. So, to get global recognition when competing with creators from across the world, has been a joyful experience,” she tells me. But Park says the current streaming model has left her reluctant to “pour her all” into her next series. “Usually, I’ll spend four or five years making a drama in the belief that, if it’s successful, it could somewhat secure my future, that I’ll get my fair share of compensation. Without that, what’s the point of working so hard?” She and other creators are pushing the South Korean government to change its copyright law to force production companies to share their profits. In a statement, the South Korean government told the BBC that while it recognised the compensation system needed to change, it was up to the industry to resolve the issue. A spokesperson for Netflix told us it offers “competitive” compensation, and guarantees creators “solid compensation, regardless of the success or ******** of their shows”. Squid Game’s Hwang hopes his candor over his own pay struggles will initiate that change. He has certainly sparked the fair pay conversation, and this second series will surely give the industry another bump. But when we catch up after filming has wrapped, he tells me his teeth are aching again. “I haven’t seen my dentist yet, but I’ll probably have to pull out a few more very soon.” The second series of Squid Game will be released on Netflix on 26 December 2024. Source link #BBC #set #shows #director Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Buttler powers England to 2-0 series lead over Windies Buttler powers England to 2-0 series lead over Windies England captain Jos Buttler has bounced back to form after a months-long injury layoff with a brutal innings of 83 in a seven-wicket win for his team against West Indies in the second Twenty20 international. Buttler smashed six sixes and eight fours in his 45-ball innings as England finished on 3-161 with 31 deliveries to spare in Bridgetown on Sunday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Phil Salt, who hit an unbeaten century in the first T20 which England won by eight wickets at the same venue on Saturday, was out to the first ball of the tourists’ innings. But Buttler, who made a first-ball duck in the same match, shook off that setback to top score for England 24 hours later. Buttler returned to the England team for this series after being out since June with a calf injury and won important tosses in both of the first two matches, allowing England to bowl first and successfully chase. Buttler helped to propel England past the home team’s 8-158. He came to the crease with England 0-1 and put on 129 for the second wicket with Will Jacks, who made 38 from 29 ******. Buttler reached his half century from 32 ******. One of the sixes in his innings, off Gudakesh Motie, flew out of Kensington Oval into the surrounding street. “It’s great to spend some time in the middle,” Buttler said. “I was a bit scratchy for the first few ****** but managed to come through that. I really enjoyed it. It’s great to be back out there.” Jacks and Buttler both were out in the 13th over as England slipped to 3-130 but Liam Livingstone (23 not out) and Jacob Bethell (3 not out) calmly saw them home. Earlier, captain Rovman Powell top-scored with a 41-ball 43 in a mediocre West Indies innings. The hosts lost three wickets in the power play, as they did in the first match of the series. Once again Saqib Mahmood bowled superbly at the start of the innings, this time in partnership with Jofra Archer who replaced the injured Reece Topley. Mahmood dismissed Brandon King in the second over and Roston Chase in the fourth. Archer removed Evin Lewis in the third over as West Indies slumped to 3-35. Nicholas Pooran and Powell stabilised the innings, taking the West Indies to 3-63 after 10 overs. Livingstone claimed a key wicket when he had Pooran stumped for 14 with the total 70. Livingstone struck again to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford (1) who tried to sweep a ball that turned and was hit on the pad. England successfully reviewed the umpire’s decision of not out. Powell and Romario Shepherd, who made 22 from 12 ******, helped boost the total. Source link #Buttler #powers #England #series #lead #Windies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

After hurricanes, two earthquakes jolt crisis-hit Cuba After hurricanes, two earthquakes jolt crisis-hit Cuba Two powerful earthquakes rocked southern Cuba in quick succession on Sunday, US geologists said, just days after the island was struck by a hurricane that knocked out power nationwide. The quakes cracked walls and damaged homes, but did not appear to have caused any deaths, according to preliminary reports. They left many residents running into the streets and badly shaken so soon after the passage of Hurricane Rafael, a category 3 storm, which struck the island last Wednesday. “It’s the last thing we needed,” Dalia Rodriguez, a housewife from the town of Bayama in southern Cuba, told AFP, adding that a wall of her house had been damaged. The US Geological Survey measured the second, more powerful tremor on Sunday at a magnitude of 6.8 and 14.6 miles (23.5 kilometers) deep, some 25 miles off the coast of Bartolome Maso, in southern Granma province. It came just an hour after a first tremor, which the USGS put at a magnitude of 5.9. The quakes are the latest events in a cycle of emergencies for the **********-run island following two hurricanes and two major blackouts in the last three weeks. The island suffered a nation-wide ********* on October 18 when its biggest power plant ******* and it was then hit by Hurricane Oscar two days later. The effects of last week’s Hurricane Rafael have sparked rare protests, with an unspecified number of people arrested, according to authorities. Cuba has been suffering hours-long power cuts for months and is in the throes of its worst economic crisis since the breakup of key ally the ******* Union in the early 1990s — marked by soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods. – ‘People got scared’ – The state-run newspaper Granma said no deaths had been immediately reported from Sunday’s quakes, but that they had been felt throughout eastern and central provinces of the Caribbean island nation. “Here people quickly took to the streets because the ground moved very strongly,” Andres Perez, a 65-year-old retiree who lives in downtown Santiago de Cuba, told AFP via telephone of the first quake. “It felt very strong, really, my wife is a bundle of nerves,” he added. “There are houses with cracked walls, others had walls falling down and some had their roofs collapsed,” Karen Rodriguez, a 28-year-old hairdresser, told AFP from Caney de las Mercedes, a small town in Bartolome Maso. Other residents in Bayamo, a city of some 140,000 people, described street poles swaying. “People got scared, everyone came running out of the houses very scared,” 24-year-old welder Livan Chavez told AFP. The US tsunami warning system said no tsunami warning had been issued. Hurricane Rafael left residents in Cuba without power for two days. With concerns of instability on the rise, President Miguel Diaz-Canel has warned that his government will not tolerate attempts to “disturb public order.” Local prosecutors said Saturday that an unspecified number of people had been arrested after demonstrations in the wake of Hurricane Rafael. Around 85 percent of residents of the capital had had their power restored on Sunday, according to the government, while the two worst-hit provinces in the west, Artemisa and Pinar del Rio, remain in the dark. bur-st-adp/dw Source link #hurricanes #earthquakes #jolt #crisishit #Cuba Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nomura names ********* stocks that trade like bitcoin Nomura names ********* stocks that trade like bitcoin Investment bank Nomura has screened for ********* stocks with “high bitcoin price sensitivity,” following a surge in the cryptocurrency’s price. The bank noted that “stocks of exchange operators plus semiconductor, IT, and nonferrous names track BTC but are currently lagging.” It comes as analysts say bitcoin prices could hit $100,000 by the end of the year following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory . Year-to-date, the price of bitcoin was up 72.8% to trade around $76,111 on Nov. 8. BTC.CM= YTD mountain Bitcoin Trump promised several pro-cryptocurrency initiatives as he campaigned for a second term as president. His “call for the loosening of regulations on crypto assets naturally has an influence on the price of bitcoin,” Nomura’s analysts noted. The bank said it conducted multiple regression analyses of stocks to identify which have a high bitcoin price sensitivity. It gave each stock a sensitivity of at least 0.1, with a higher number implying it is more sensitive to changes in the price of bitcoin. The stocks come from a range of sectors and “do not necessarily have any direct connection with bitcoin,” the analysts explained, with some from “adjacent industries” such as semiconductors — which is seeing increased demand as a result of bitcoin mining — and IT. Here are 10 stocks from the investment bank’s screen that stand out for having substantial upside potential, according to FactSet’s consensus price targets: Top stocks Among the names on the bank’s screen are semiconductor equipment manufacturers Micronics Japan and Towa Corporation . According to FactSet, analysts are mostly bullish on both companies. Those covering Micronics give it an average price target of 7,033.33 ********* yen ($46.05) — indicating almost 83% upside potential. Analysts give Towa Corp an average target price of 3,466.67 ********* yen, or 67.5% upside potential, according to FactSet. Elsewhere, investment management giant SoftBank Group also turned up on the screen given its focus on — and significant investment in — artificial intelligence. Sixteen of 20 analysts covering the stock give it a buy or overweight rating, according to FactSet, with an average target price of 11,931.20 ********* yen, implying 29.4% upside potential. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Source link #Nomura #names #********* #stocks #trade #bitcoin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘The ultimate mould to build a perfect striker’ – how good is Newcastle’s Alexander Isak? ‘The ultimate mould to build a perfect striker’ – how good is Newcastle’s Alexander Isak? The goals are flowing again for Newcastle ******* striker Alexander Isak, but could the Magpies soon face a ****** to keep him at St James’ Park? The 25-year-old Sweden forward scored for the fourth time in four games to help his side ****** back to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 on Sunday, and his all-round display impressed former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, who was watching for BBC MOTD2. “When you talk about the mould for the ultimate build of a perfect striker, Isak has got all of those elements,” Walcott told BBC Sport. “I am not saying he is perfect yet, but he has got all the attributes he needs to become perfect. “Whether that will happen at Newcastle, I don’t know. But they need to tie him down pretty quickly otherwise they are going to lose him. “Isak is the sort of player Arsenal genuinely need, but you would say everyone needs a player like him in their team right now, even Liverpool, and it is not just Premier League teams who will be trying to get hold of him either. “Look at Real Madrid’s line-up at this moment in time. They go for these Galacticos and buy these incredible talents, but they sometimes put them in positions where they can’t quite do it. “I would say that if you put Isak in that Real team then he moulds them together in a different way, where you might think they now look like a very well-balanced team. “That’s the level he’s at, and I can absolutely understand why all the very top teams would want him. “As well as his all-round forward play, he scores goals as well – all kinds of different goals. As I said on MOTD2, his finish against Forest when the ball dropped for him in the box was pure class, after the brilliant header he put away against Arsenal last week. “There is more to come from him as well. Newcastle are a good team, but put him in a better team and he would get better too.” Source link #ultimate #mould #build #perfect #striker #good #Newcastles #Alexander #Isak Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lithium miner Liontown Resources reins in Kathleen Valley tonnes amid savings drive Lithium miner Liontown Resources reins in Kathleen Valley tonnes amid savings drive Liontown is reining in production plans just three months after delivering its maiden load of lithium as it hunkers down amid a depressed market for the key battery metal that shows no sign of a recovery. Source link #Lithium #miner #Liontown #Resources #reins #Kathleen #Valley #tonnes #savings #drive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, November 11 (game #1022) Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, November 11 (game #1022) Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers. Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles. SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. Your Quordle expert Your Quordle expert Marc McLaren Social Links Navigation Global Editor in Chief Quordle today (game #1022) – hint #1 – Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1022) – hint #2 – repeated letters Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters? • The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1. Quordle today (game #1022) – hint #3 – uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today? • No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers. Quordle today (game #1022) – hint #4 – starting letters (1) Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter? • The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2. If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier: Quordle today (game #1022) – hint #5 – starting letters (2) What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with? • C • R • G • G Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. Quordle today (game #1022) – the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster) The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1022, are… Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. G is not a letter that features among my three set start words (STARE, DOILY and PUNCH), which makes days when Gs appear more difficult for me. Today was a prime example, with three of them spread across the four answers. On the plus side, two of them were at the start of solutions (GRUNT and GOODY), meaning that once I’d uncovered one I had a huge advantage in solving the other. My G travails aside, this is a standard Quordle. Only one repeated letter to worry about, a couple of less common words in COPSE and GOODY, and one word that has multiple solutions (GRUNT – which could also be BRUNT). Not too hard, not too easy, classic Quordle fare. How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know. Daily Sequence today (game #1022) – the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster) The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1022, are… Quordle answers: The past 20 Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND Quordle #1010, Wednesday 30 October: SLOOP, BRINE, BROOD, FLUID Quordle #1009, Tuesday 29 October: CLIFF, BURNT, SNAKY, POLYP Quordle #1008, Monday 28 October: MACAW, LIEGE, GOUGE, CARGO Quordle #1007, Sunday 27 October: STUNG, CLOUT, SOWER, BASIS Quordle #1006, Saturday 26 October: DUCHY, CANNY, BLOCK, SMART Quordle #1005, Friday 25 October: PRANK, EXIST, RUDDY, PICKY Quordle #1004, Thursday 24 October: DAIRY, RALLY, CURLY, LABEL Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID Source link #Quordle #today #hints #answers #Monday #November #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In a Trump-dominated Washington, new arrivals in the House try to emerge In a Trump-dominated Washington, new arrivals in the House try to emerge Lateefah Simon is a widowed mom who is taking a new job, moving her 13-year-old to a new school. She is legally ****** and her life is about to go through some further upheaval. When asked what worries her most, Simon paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. Simon answered, “I will do whatever I can so that my eighth grader finishes her science homework. And, **** bless, try to help her pass that French class too.” Simon, 48, arrives in Washington Monday for orientation sessions near Capitol Hill having been elected as the new U.S. Congresswoman representing California’s 12th District, which includes Oakland and Berkley. Simon, who counts Vice President Kamala Harris as a close mentor, served as a civil rights attorney and helped the victims of **** trafficking, will be sworn into office with the 119th Congress on Jan. 3, 2025. Lateefah Simon CBS news Simon is arriving in a Washington that is transfixed by the return of President-elect Donald Trump, his outsized personality and his pledges to overhaul the government and secure retribution against political enemies. But Simon and some of her new colleagues do not intend to go unnoticed — no matter which party controls the Congress or the White House. With her vision impaired, Simon has relied on public transportation and has a history of advocating to make mass transit more accessible to low-income people. She is embracing the opportunity to succeed Rep. Barbara Lee, a longtime progressive fixture in Washington who left office to pursue an unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in California in 2024. Speaking to CBS News by phone while preparing for her first trip to Washington as an elected Congresswoman, Simon said she first must rebound from Harris’s defeat in the Presidential race. “I’m devastated. My mentor was the President we deserved. But Kamala would always say: ‘Head up, roll up your sleeves, get to work.’ So that’s what I intend to do.” Simon said she’ll pursue roles with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, considering her background championing issues of mass transportation, and will seek out early leadership roles. Simon told CBS News it is important that there is diversity among the members of key panels. “We must defend the values of not just our party, but the people of the ******* States, particularly me, as disabled people,” she said. “Also the elders, the folks who are seeking health care, ****** kids. I have work to do.” Simon and the dozens of others elected who were newly-elected to Congress on Tuesday face a more immediate hurdle: A tidal wave of life changes. For Simon, that includes moving her daughter to a new community midyear. “As long as my seat is on the floor.. I won’t complain” For Tom Barrett, a military veteran who won a competitive race for a vacated seat in the Michigan 7th Congressional District, it has been impossible to simply open all of the text messages. Tom Barrett CBS News Barrett told CBS News, “I can’t even tell you how many phone calls I’ve received in the last couple of days. I probably received 1,000 text messages just on election night. I haven’t read them all.” Barrett, a Michigan state senator from the Lansing area, bested a Democratic challenger in one of the most heated and expensive House races in the Midwest. Barrett said he is hesitant to make any demands of his new colleagues. “I joked to House Speaker Mike Johnson that as long as my seat is on the floor — and not in the upper Gallery — I won’t complain,” Barrett said. “I recognize that it is a significant job that has a lot of responsibility,” Barrett said. But he appears poised to work comfortably in a Trump-dominated Washington. When asked for his top legislative and leadership priorities, Barrett uncorked a response that name-checked Trump six times. Barrett spoke of “extending a lot of the provisions of the Trump tax cuts”, “Helping the Trump Administration stem the flow of people over the border” and restoring prior “Trump policies.” Barrett served as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army in the Iraq War and said he’d be interested in a seat on the House Committee on Armed Services. But in the meantime, the Eaton County, Michigan, resident must find a different flight plan. He is spending time seeking the best weekly plan to trek by air to Washington, D.C. from either Lansing, Grand Rapids or Detroit. “He’s getting an apple juice; I’m getting a *****” After an exhausting campaign in which he and his campaign volunteers touted that they knocked on 200,000 doors, Democrat Josh Riley said he was looking forward to one quiet, post-election night with his 4-year-old son. “He’s getting an apple juice, I’m getting a ***** and we’re going to watch a Cornell hockey game,” Riley said. Riley won one of the most expensive House races in the nation, defeating first-term *********** Marc Molinaro in an 11-county swath of upstate New York, spanning from Cooperstown to Binghamton and the distant New York City exurbs. Arriving at a tumultuous moment in Washington, Riley said he will not try to compete with Trump or his powerful colleagues for a spotlight. Riley told CBS News, “I’m not searching for a way to stand out. If I do this job successfully, people in upstate New York will have more job opportunities and good wages.” Riley said he will take office with a high priority issue: Housing prices. “One of the things I’d like to do,” Riley said, “Is stop the predatory practice of Wall Street entities running around upstate New York, gobbling up our single family homes and using them to extract profits. Housing should be looked at as a civil right, not as a driver of profits.” Riley, an attorney and former Congressional aide, acknowledged his two-year term is expected to be spent in the ********* party in the House. But with narrow margins, Riley talked of exploring joining a New York ***********’s proposal for housing affordability. Eight Firehoses Rob Bresnahan laughed a bit when he said, “I’m drinking out of nothing less than eight firehoses right now.” Bresnahan is getting his first taste of elected office, but beginning in the big leagues. “It’s starting to feel slightly more real,” Bresnahan told CBS News, “I never thought a **** from Butler Street in Wyoming, Pennsylvania would now be a member of Congress. I mean, it’s, it’s incredible.” Rob Bresnahan CBS News Bresnahan edged a veteran House Democrat to secure the seat representing the Scranton-area of Pennsylvania. He leads an electrical and construction business, while also working in real estate development. His introduction to politics included an unexpected stress: Bresnahan said his fiancée, a local television news anchor, worked as the same broadcast outlet on which his opponent aired ******* ads against him. “I give her so much credit for being able to, you know, watch the horrible things that were being said about me,” Breshnahan said. Bresnahan was one of two Republicans to oust Democratic House incumbents in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Those victories gave Republicans an edge in securing a majority control of the House, which could turbocharge Trump’s legislative agenda in 2025. Bresnahan told CBS News he’d seek a seat on the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “I understand the significance of infrastructure and transportation, outside of traditional roads and bridges,” he said. “Airports, levies, ports, freight rail and power distribution systems and sewer systems, that is the foundation and the hierarchy of needs of a society. I really think I can make a tangible difference with just my history of what I’ve done.” “If you change something and it’s unpalatable to the other side, they’re just going to come and kick it out next time.” Rob Mackenzie will arrive in Washington with a 7-month-old son, who was born just days before Mackenzie won the primary to secure the *********** nomination in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, in the Allentown-area. And Mackenzie will be bringing a rescue dog too. Mackenzie told CBS News that he and his wife “are going to be loading up the SUV and going down and trying to find an apartment.” But the new work begins quickly. Rob Mackenzie CBS News Mackenzie said it is vital for Congress to move swiftly on the issues of inflation and border security championed by candidates, including Trump. After toppling incumbent Democrat Susan Wild in a heated battleground race that captured the attention of both parties, Mackenzie argued that bipartisan efforts hold the most promise of big change. “If you want lasting change, you have to do it in a bipartisan fashion,” he said. “If you change something and it’s unpalatable to the other side, they’re just going to come and kick it out next time. And then the pendulum swings back and forth.” Mackenzie, 42, is one of dozens of Members of Congress-elect who will represent politically-purple Congressional districts, in which the opposing party is likely to muster a well-funded challenger in 2026. He will begin his new job, with an immediate potential political target on his back. Mackenzie said his successful challenge to Wild was an expensive and grueling battle. “In a close and competitive district, it was never going to be a blowout,” he said. “That’s not the reality of this district. So we always knew it was going to be close, always competitive.” Mackenzie has served in the Pennsylvania state legislature, focusing on financial services and banking issues, and would seek similar committee work next year in the House. The House Ways and Means Committee and Financial Services Committee are expected to play outsized roles, as Trump pursues new tax cuts, tariffs and campaign pledges to tackle inflation. “National conversation about Trump-this and Trump-that” Kristen McDonald Rivet capped her victorious election week with a Friday trek to a cellphone store. Her 15-year-old son needed a cellphone repair, which was joking referred to as a “national emergency.” The mother of six already repaired some of the damage her party suffered Tuesday. McDonald Rivet, a state legislator in Michigan, won a competitive race for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District in the Flint-area. Trump prevailed in the 8th Congressional District and Democrats worried about their prospects there, because of the retirement of longtime Democratic Representative Dan Kildee, the latest in a family dynasty that’s held the seat for decades. Kristen McDonald Rivet CBS News “Here’s the thing: My district voted for Donald Trump,” McDonald Pivet told CBS News by phone, after returning from the cellphone store repair mission. “There is a lot of national conversation about Trump-this and Trump-that. When we’re working on things like prescription drugs, the cost of housing and lowering the cost of groceries, then I’m on board.I’m not going to get involved in the yelling and screaming and the stuff that makes politics awful.” She paused a moment, relating to CBS News that it really is striking just how many groceries a 15-year-old son can consume. (She correctly fact-checked that the CBS News reporter’s 14-year-old son was also prodigious at eating high volumes of food) McDonald Pivet arrives in Washington with years of experience in Michigan’s state legislature in Lansing. “I’ve spent my life working on issues, like creating economic security for families, particularly for kids. I started my career in Head Start. These issues are top of mind, including expansion of the child tax credit.” 119th Congress The group of newly-elected US House members arrives at a generally unstable moment in Washington, but amid a rare spec of stability in the lower chamber. Leadership of House Republicans and House Democrats is expected to remain unscathed, after an expensive and heated election in which the margins in the House could emerge unchanged. Orientation sessions for new members of the House begin this week near Capitol Hill, with some of the newly-elected seeking living quarters and training sessions for their unique new jobs. Several of those who spoke with CBS News said they have spent their first days as an elected federal official working to find staff and constituent service experts. Bresnahan, the incoming freshman Representative from northeast Pennsylvania, is among those who must wind down — or find contingency plans – for private businesses back home. “I’m also a real estate developer and am trying to figure out, y’know, who is going to assume my role here,” he said. Bresnahan also has a post on the local SPCA board in Pennsylvania to navigate, as he simultaneously tries to learn to navigate the winding hallways and tunnels of Capitol Hill. As for Simon, who says she is shifting her daughter to a new school in advance of beginning a term in Congress, the juggling of her new career is already well underway. As a single mom, she’s bearing an additional burden. Simon paused a few moments in silence, then told CBS News, “Here’s the deal: It’s going to be a tough job. But there are single mothers who are barely making minimum wage. And they are making ends meet barely. I will figure it out.” More Scott MacFarlane Scott MacFarlane is a congressional correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws. Source link #Trumpdominated #Washington #arrivals #House #emerge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baseball returns to former ********* ********* internment camp Baseball returns to former ********* ********* internment camp In a California desert a few hours north of Dodger Stadium, ********* Americans were held in camps during World War II, a dark chapter in ********* history. In that darkness, prisoners found moments of light in America’s national pastime and now a group of their descendants returned to the site to play ball again. NBC’s Emilie Ikeda reports in this week’s Sunday Spotlight. Source link #Baseball #returns #********* #********* #internment #camp Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, November 11 (game #253) NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, November 11 (game #253) Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints. Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games. SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. Your Strands expert Your Strands expert Marc McLaren Social Links Navigation Global Editor in Chief NYT Strands today (game #253) – hint #1 – today’s theme What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands? • Today’s NYT Strands theme is… To your health! NYT Strands today (game #253) – hint #2 – clue words Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system. RUSE TRACT PLACE PLACED HARM CHARM NYT Strands today (game #253) – hint #3 – spangram What is a hint for today’s spangram? • Playing House NYT Strands today (game #253) – hint #4 – spangram position What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches? First: top, 4th column Last: bottom, 4th column Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. NYT Strands today (game #253) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Strands, game #253, are… NURSE DOCTOR SURGEON PHARMACIST DENTIST SPANGRAM: MEDICALCAREER My rating: Moderate My score: 1 hint I needed a hint to get started today, which is hardly unusual for Strands given that the theme clues can be on the cryptic side of things sometimes. Today’s was ‘To your health!’, which to me suggested ‘Things you say as you toast someone’ or similar – such as CHEERS. But I couldn’t find that or any others, so asked for my hint and got NURSE. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. At that point the task became rather more obvious, and I was able to find DOCTOR, SURGEON and PHARMACIST without too many issues. It took me a while to get the spangram, admittedly, but with that in place I spotted the final answer, DENTIST, and moved on. How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know. Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 10 November, game #252) JUMP CIVIL STRONG BUSINESS BIRTHDAY LEISURE SPANGRAM: WELLSUITED What is NYT Strands? Strands is the NYT’s new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day. Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #answers #spangram #Monday #November #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asia markets live: Singles’ Day, China CPI Asia markets live: Singles’ Day, China CPI Citizens are shopping at a supermarket in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province, on March 9, 2024. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to fall Monday after China’s October inflation numbers came in lower than expected, prompting concerns over the recovery in the world’s second-largest economy. The country’s inflation rate declined to 0.3%, missing expectations of 0.4% and also lower than the 0.4% seen in September. October figures showed inflation fell for a second straight month. On Monday, China will also kick off its Singles’ Day — the equivalent of ****** Friday in the country. A note from ING on Friday said that Singles’ Day will show how consumption was faring in China. “We suspect that given the shift toward value-for-money purchases and online shopping, we’ll continue to see solid growth numbers from the event that should comfortably outpace the overall consumption growth momentum.” Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 20,265, pointing to a weaker open compared to the HSI’s close of 20,728.19. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was also set to fall, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,305 and their counterpart in Osaka at 39,140 against the index’s last close of 39,500.37 Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 started the day down 0.37%. On Friday in the U.S., the stock market climbed to fresh highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 notching their best week in a year after Donald Trump’s election win. The blue-chip Dow rose 259.65 points, or 0.59%, to close at 43,988.99. During the session, the Dow traded above 44,000 for the first time ever The S&P 500 gained 0.38% to close at 5,995.54, after briefly trading above 6,000. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose just 0.09% to 19,286.78. — CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han and Jesse Pound contributed to this report. Source link #Asia #markets #live #Singles #Day #China #CPI Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NFL Week 10 takeaways: Do Steelers belong in Super Bowl talk? How do Chiefs keep doing this? NFL Week 10 takeaways: Do Steelers belong in Super Bowl talk? How do Chiefs keep doing this? Week 10 Sunday brought an even more improbable escape for the Chiefs, the Steelers staying hot and foiling more Jayden Daniels late-game magic, the Falcons stumbling in New Orleans, and the Bucs falling short against the 49ers despite some Baker Mayfield heroics. BAKER & RACHAAD KEEP IT ALIVE : #SFvsTB on FOX pic.twitter.com/9tQ4uwNm6s — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 10, 2024 The Athletic NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their thoughts on all of these storylines and more. After winning in Washington, the first game of a daunting second-half schedule, do the Pittsburgh Steelers belong in the Super Bowl conversation? Jones: Getting a hard-fought win against a quality Washington team was big, but it doesn’t carry as much weight as a win over Baltimore next week would. The Steelers are certainly a playoff team, but let’s hold off for another few weeks before we declare them Super Bowl contenders (if they beat Baltimore, then you might be able to sway me). For now, I see the Steelers as good, but need to see more. We know this team has a balanced offense and a tough defense. They seem to have all of the elements necessary to contend. But keep in mind that only three of their seven victories have come against teams with winning records. This second half of the season will tell me a lot about this team — as noted, it’s a brutal stretch for Pittsburgh. But if they emerge from this run (Baltimore, at Cleveland, at Cincinnati, versus Cleveland, at Philadelphia, at Baltimore, versus Kansas City and Cincinnati) largely unscathed and atop the AFC North standings, then I’ll rank them among the Super Bowl contenders. Nguyen: Let me first say: I was ***** wrong about Russell Wilson. I did not think he would be an upgrade over Justin Fields based on what we saw in Denver, but he’s playing to his strengths: making good decisions on boot plays, throwing on the run, and launching moon ******. The Steelers offense is as good as it has been in years. Sunday was a huge win against a very good Washington team but it might have come at a cost. Edge Alex Highsmith hurt his ankle in the fourth quarter. With the Steelers’ edge depth already being tested, if Highsmith misses time, it could significantly affect the defense. T.J. Watt is already seeing a lot of double teams and chips. If opposing offenses can turn their attention completely to Watt, the defense could struggle. The Steelers have two tough games ahead of them, against the Ravens and Bengals, but they will also get to play the Browns twice in four games. Cleveland is getting healthier and has looked better with Jameis Winston at quarterback, but he’s still itching to throw interceptions. If the Steelers can make it out of the next four games 2-2, they’ll be in good shape. If they can beat the Ravens, they’ll be in really good shape. They need to set themselves up the best they can for the final four games, against the Eagles, Ravens again, Chiefs, and Bengals. I think we’ll see them in the playoffs. Pompei: Here’s what we know about the Steelers: They are tough, resourceful and competitive — as every Mike Tomlin-coached team has been. Here’s what we don’t know: whether they have enough juice to consistently make big plays to win big games down the stretch. They will need to beat some daunting opponents (Baltimore? Philadelphia? Kansas City?) in order to get where they want to go. And whether they can do that depends somewhat on the play of Wilson, who has only started three games after bottoming out in Denver. Given their histories, the Steelers and their new quarterback have earned the benefit of the doubt. The Chiefs survived again — this time by blocking a would-be game-winning chip-shot field goal against the Broncos. Setting aside how they compare to the rest of the NFL in 2024, how do you feel this year’s edition compares to the Chiefs teams of the past two seasons? Are they better or worse equipped for a Super Bowl run? Pompei: We can beat up the Chiefs because their offense isn’t as impressive as past versions, but that would be shortsighted. This is a confident team that knows how to win. Good teams, remember, almost always get fortuitous bounces and kind calls. What the Chiefs do better than any team is they don’t beat themselves — in the NFL, that’s a really underrated quality. They also rise up in the moments that change games. There is every reason to believe the Chiefs will get better as the weather gets colder, especially their offense. Reinforcements are on the way. When the season is over, we might be saying this was the best of all the Mahomes-led Kansas City teams. Jones: I wrote about this a couple weeks ago after their win over San Francisco, and it ******** true today as the Chiefs improve to 9-0: The offensive fireworks that we came to expect from Kansas City might be lacking because of the absence of a consistent, field-stretching home run threat. But that doesn’t mean the Chiefs are no longer great. Patrick Mahomes ******** as gifted and clutch as ever, and Andy Reid still has all of his unmatched creativity. In place of that explosive passing game is a more physical and consistent rushing ******* and a dominant defense. This Chiefs team is more balanced and more well-rounded. In years past, you knew the Chiefs would light up the scoreboard, but you had to hope the porous defense could get a stop or two. Now that GM Brett Veach and Reid have worked to fortify this roster and correct weaknesses, you have a Chiefs team that, while not as prolific, is now more balanced. Another extremely important factor: All of the core players on this team are battle-tested and know what it takes to win. They don’t flinch. They weather storms and get the job done. And so, although the delivery may differ, this Chiefs team is just as equipped to make a Super Bowl run as any of the previous iterations. Nguyen: The Chiefs have reached a point where it’s hard to judge them based on regular-season performance. At this point of the season last year they looked much worse, yet they ended up winning the Super Bowl. Their secondary isn’t as good as they were last season so the offense has to be better. They’re much more efficient — highest success rate in the league — than they were last season but they haven’t had a game when the offense just takes control. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins raises the ceiling for this offense; as he gets more comfortable I think that unit has a chance to be much better. The Chiefs are 9-0. It’s an ugly 9-0 but they’re setting themselves for homefield, and we’ve seen them flip the switch in the playoffs. As weird as it sounds, even with the ugly wins, I’m more confident in the Chiefs now than I’ve been at midseason the past few years. We saw a… close battle in Munich between two teams with little short-term hope and quarterbacks on the brink. Keeping in mind the underwhelming QB draft class and lack of free-agent options coming up this offseason, do you expect Daniel Jones, Bryce Young, both quarterbacks, or neither quarterback to be starting (with their current teams or anywhere else) in Week 1 of the 2025 season? Nguyen: Daniel Jones has had a long, long, long leash and even got a nice contract extension to prove that he could be the guy. It’s hard to imagine him getting another chance with the Giants, especially since the team was already flirting with quarterback prospects in this last draft cycle. Bryce Young has played a lot better ever since being reinserted into the starting lineup but I think he needs to continue to show improvement for them to commit to him — which is weird to say considering he was just drafted last year but impatience with young quarterbacks seems to be the trend around the league already. If Young starts reverting then I’d imagine the Panthers would have a serious conversation whether they should continue to invest in him. Jones: Bryce Young will be starting for the Carolina Panthers in 2025. The second-year pro just needs time and improved support. He’s showing signs of growth. Maybe not dramatic signs, but he has indeed displayed improvement since returning to the starting lineup. Sunday’s showing (15-for-25 for 125 yards and a touchdown, plus two carries for 30 yards) wasn’t *****, but he played within himself, made solid decisions, and above all, took care of the football. The Panthers have their first win streak since Week 3 of the 2021 season — insane. The remainder of this Carolina season is all about Young’s development. If he can continue to take these baby steps forward, he will have something to build on for 2025 when, hopefully for his sake, the Panthers will have improved the roster around him so he doesn’t feel like it’s all on him. Now, as far as Daniel Jones, who threw two more interceptions and no touchdowns in the loss … we’ve seen enough. It’s not going to get any better. I wouldn’t bet on him starting next year. Yes, a number of teams will need quarterbacks, and it’s true this isn’t a strong draft or free agency class at QB, but I can’t see the Giants sticking with him, or any team desperate enough to acquire Jones with the goal of using him as a starter. Pompei: The most likely scenario is both QBs will begin the 2025 season with new teams as backups. It might be difficult for the Giants and Panthers to justify bringing the quarterbacks back, but both have enough potential to merit interest, time and resources from new teams. The formula of taking a step back with a new team to take a step forward has worked recently (see Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield). Young and Jones will be starters again given their abilities and the supply and demand problems at the position. If they end up in beneficial circumstances, they may even make their old teams regret giving up on them. Revisiting the now-struggling NFC South: Was dropping a road game to a Saints team whose front office has already waved the white flag give you pause when it comes to the Falcons holding off the Bucs in the division? Jones: This was essentially a trap game for the Falcons. It’s not uncommon for a team with an interim head coach to have a temporary ***** lit under it and win a game it shouldn’t have. Then, throw in the fact that this was a divisional game, which can always be a little wonky, and this Falcons’ loss isn’t all that surprising. Atlanta is still a solid team. They’re not great. They’re not dominant. But they do a lot of things well. They still have a good shot at winning the NFC South. They’re also helped by the fact that the injury-riddled Buccaneers lost their fourth straight game today. If Tampa can get healthy, then we’ll see these two teams battle it out for the divisional title in the final weeks of the regular season. Nguyen: Luckily for the Falcons, the Bucs also lost a game to a last-second field goal. The Bucs are down two games, were swept by the Falcons and are dealing with a ton of injuries. The Falcons have a bad defense and a quarterback who can’t move. Those issues are going to show up in some games — I wouldn’t be surprised if the Falcons beat any team in the league and I wouldn’t be surprised if they dropped a game to any team. Mayfield has been playing well without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin but it hasn’t translated to wins. The Falcons will have three games in a row against teams without losing records and the Bucs will have three games against teams with losing records after their bye week. This should be the most critical stretch for the NFC South. Pompei: The Falcons are allowed a mulligan. They look like a good team, not a great one (which you could say about almost every midseason contender) – meaning they have to do the little things well every week in order to prevail. Their schedule is reasonably kind down the stretch, and 10 wins are well within reach. With two victories over the Bucs in their back pocket, they are well-positioned to take the division. If they don’t, it will be on them. (Top photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images) Source link #NFL #Week #takeaways #Steelers #belong #Super #Bowl #talk #Chiefs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

England in West Indies: Jos Buttler smashes brilliant 83 as tourists win second T20 England in West Indies: Jos Buttler smashes brilliant 83 as tourists win second T20 The decision to move Buttler down to number three after so much success as an opener for England raised a few eyebrows. But given he was in to face the second ball of the innings after Salt, a day on from his century in the first T20, chipped Akeal Hosein to cover first ball, the England skipper might as well have been opening. After a golden duck of his own on Saturday, Buttler made a careful start and it was Jacks who got things started as England upped the tempo late in the powerplay. From the moment he clobbered Shepherd for a huge straight six in the sixth over, with a pair of boundaries either side, Buttler then led the charge. The 34-year-old picked his moments to ******* but did so with complete conviction when he did. He hammered Gudakesh Motie onto the roof of the stadium and clubbed Chase into stands to bring up a 32-ball fifty. When he nailed back-to-back maximums off Chase a couple of overs later, an England victory seemed assured, as did a Buttler hundred. However, he skied a slower ball from Shepherd in the next over and was denied second T20 international ton. Livingstone came in and smacked an unbeaten 23 from 11 ****** to get the job done in a hurry for England. Relinquishing the wicketkeeping gloves and moving to bat at three were the big decisions made by Buttler before this series and it ******** to be seen whether they were the right calls in the long run. But with two wins from two and a now trademark, swashbuckling innings, the early signs are certainly positive. Source link #England #West #Indies #Jos #Buttler #smashes #brilliant #tourists #win #T20 Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Giants are getting worse, so what is the case for retaining Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen? The Giants are getting worse, so what is the case for retaining Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen? MUNICH — New York Giants co-owner John Mara gave coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen a vote of confidence on Oct. 24. That was three losses ago during a season that hit rock bottom with a 20-17 overtime loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers on Sunday in front of an international audience. That public vow from Mara that “we are not making any changes this season” might be the only thing preventing the seats of Daboll and Schoen from reaching a five-alarm blaze. There’s very recent precedence for a loss to the Panthers serving as the final straw for a coach: The New Orleans Saints fired Dennis Allen last week, a day after a 23-22 loss to Carolina. Like Daboll, Allen was hired in 2022. Allen had an 18-25 record in two-plus seasons in New Orleans. Daboll’s record dropped to 17-26-1 with Sunday’s ugly loss. GO DEEPER Panthers stave off Giants with 20-17 OT victory in Germany: Takeaways Mara left himself some wiggle room with his support of the regime that got off to such a promising start in its first season. “I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason either,” Mara said. Mara likely also did not anticipate losing the Giants’ first game in Germany to the dysfunctional Panthers, who are on their third full-time head coach in the past three seasons. Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch had a lengthy flight across the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday to contemplate the future of the franchise. The question they must wrestle with is why they should entrust Daboll and Schoen to steer out of the ***** they’ve driven the organization into. Mara loathes that he’s been stuck in a cycle of replacing coaches and general managers regularly. But the case for retaining Daboll and Schoen must be stronger than just not wanting to abruptly ***** another regime. It’s difficult to identify what this regime does well. Since catching lightning in a bottle with a 7-2 start to their first season, the Giants have gone 10-24-1. That’s tied for the third-most losses in the league over that stretch. Daboll was hired for his offensive prowess, and he took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka after the Giants averaged 15.6 points per game to finish 30th in scoring last season. The Giants are again averaging 15.6 points this season, inching ahead of the Miami Dolphins, who play Monday night, to move out of last in the league. And unlike last season, there’s no excuse about quarterback injuries. Daniel Jones, the quarterback this regime gave a four-year, $160 million extension to after the 2022 season, has been at the helm for every gruesome loss this season. Sunday’s offensive output was particularly pathetic. The Panthers entered allowing 32.6 points per game. That was the worst in the league by a large margin — the difference between Carolina’s scoring average and the 31st defense was the same as the difference between No. 31 and the 18th scoring defense. The Giants were shut out in a first half that featured a missed 43-yard field goal by Graham Gano and an interception in the red zone when a rolling Jones threw a pass that deflected off the helmet of outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and into the arms of safety Xavier Woods. Clowney Woods : NFL Network pic.twitter.com/kxQnQo0uh8 — Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 10, 2024 The Panthers’ futility allowed the Giants to hang around long enough to mount a drive for a tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation. But then rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who had been sensational, was stripped on the first play of overtime. The Panthers recovered on the Giants’ 23-yard line and kicked the game-winning field goal four plays later. “I believe we have the right people,” Daboll said. “Again, results aren’t there yet.” Sunday’s performance should seal Jones’ fate as the starter. And benching him wouldn’t even be about the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract. The Giants are 3-13 in games started by Jones over the past two seasons. Backups Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito combined to go 5-6 last season. No. 2 quarterback Drew Lock might not be any better than Jones. But it’s at least worth confirming that since Jones has no future with the franchise. Jones’ shortcomings were on full display on a flea flicker Daboll called on third-and-1 from the Giants’ 49-yard line midway through the second quarter. At first glance, it might have seemed like a curious play call. But with the Giants’ struggles to create explosive plays, Daboll rolled the dice at an unpredictable time. An experienced quarterback should know he must throw the ball away if the defense isn’t fooled by the trick play. That way the Giants could still go for it on fourth-and-1. Only, the Panthers were fooled. Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson were wide open running across the field. They were the only two receivers running routes, so this wasn’t a situation where Jones ******* to get off his first read and go through his progressions. Robinson had to be the first read, and yet Jones didn’t pull the trigger as the receiver ran alone 20 yards downfield. Instead, Jones took a sack and the Giants were forced to punt. The @Panthers defense breaks up the trick play : #NYGvsCAR on NFL Network : Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/h2H2ZSBD4W — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024 Daboll was careful not to throw Jones under the bus for the miscue two weeks after pointing out the quarterback’s ******* pre-snap shift resulted in a crucial strip-sack in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. “I wish I had it back,” Daboll said. “Bad coaching.” It’s convenient to pin all the Giants’ woes on Jones. But he’s not responsible for a run defense that once again got shredded, allowing a career-high 153 yards on 28 carries to Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard. The Giants are allowing 5.3 yards per carry, which is the most in the league. Chuba on the move : NFL Network pic.twitter.com/Bp86Q2ffbd — Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 10, 2024 Jones’ time with the Giants is nearing the end. The question is whether the coach and GM who committed to him two years ago deserve the chance to draft a replacement. The Giants could be in a position to finally take a quarterback, as Sunday’s loss has them positioned near the top of the NFL Draft. But Daboll has to navigate seven more weeks of what figure to be choppier waters to even get to that point. The Giants have lost five straight games and are 2-8 for the second consecutive season. He preaches the same message about focusing on improvement and staying the course after each loss. It’s hard to make the case that message is being received. “I think it is. Just has to be comprehended a little better,” defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “I think it’s getting through. It’s just critical moments, and we’ve got to understand what those critical moments are to be able to win and come out on top.” Lawrence acknowledged it’s troubling if the coach’s message needs to be comprehended better at this stage of the season. “It’s annoying, for sure,” Lawrence said. “But I’m not in other people’s heads or brains. Maybe it’s got to be communicated differently or got to hear it from somebody else.” It’s vitally important for Daboll to avoid losing the locker room. That’s the quickest way to seal his fate even if ownership is willing to tolerate the continued losing. There have been cracks in that foundation, namely the ongoing struggle to get second-year cornerback Deonte Banks to play like a first-round pick. Banks, who was benched in-game two weeks ago, was replaced by veteran corner Adoree’ Jackson on the Panthers’ final possession of the first half before returning to play the entire second half. It raised eyebrows in the locker room when the Giants waived versatile cornerback and core special-teamer Nick McCloud last week because he refused to take a rare in-season pay cut. McCloud was highly regarded by teammates and is particularly close with top pass rusher Brian Burns. Cutting McCloud to save $1 million was a strange message to send by leadership that needs players to be all in down the stretch of this lost season. Blaming nebulous culprits like attention to detail is easier to stomach than accepting that a lack of talent ******** a major issue in the third year of Schoen’s rebuild. Here’s the Giants’ reality: Nothing about their program is signaling things are headed in the right direction. They are regressing in Year 3 of this regime. Mara promised Daboll and Schoen will finish the season. So after the bye, they’ll get seven weeks to show why they deserve to lead the franchise into the future. Their case needs to be more compelling than the Giants fired the last guys quick, too. (Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images) Source link #Giants #worse #case #retaining #Brian #Daboll #Joe #Schoen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police charge 27yo over ******** on father Zachary Hepping in Northbridge’s Prince Lane Police charge 27yo over ******** on father Zachary Hepping in Northbridge’s Prince Lane A 27-year-old man has been charged over the alleged ******* of a young father in Northbridge. Source link #Police #charge #27yo #******** #father #Zachary #Hepping #Northbridges #Prince #Lane Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AP Top 25: Indiana gives Big Ten 4 of first 5 as Georgia’s top-10 streak ends AP Top 25: Indiana gives Big Ten 4 of first 5 as Georgia’s top-10 streak ends Ohio State moved up to No. 2 behind Oregon in the AP Top 25 on Sunday, and the Big Ten captured four of the top five spots with Penn State moving to No. 4 and Indiana to No. 5. According to the AP, it’s the first time the Big Ten has had four of the top five. It’s the first time the Big Ten has held the top two spots in the rankings since 2015, and it’s Indiana’s highest ranking since 1967. Room was created by a pair of top-five losses, as Georgia dropped from second to No. 11 after losing to Ole Miss and Miami fell from fourth to No. 12 after losing at Georgia Tech. It’s Georgia’s lowest spot in the poll since 2020, ending a 60-week streak of top-10 appearances. The top-ranked Ducks are a unanimous No. 1 for the second straight week, making them the first team to be unanimous No. 1 for multiple weeks of a regular season since Georgia did it eight times in 2021. The Big Ten holds the top two spots for the first time since Ohio State and Michigan State were atop the poll on Sept. 27, 2015. That was the second of consecutive weeks with the Buckeyes and Spartans at Nos. 1 and 2. AP Top 25 after Week 11 Rank Team Record Prev. Matt’s vote 1 10-0 1 1 2 8-1 3 2 3 8-1 5 4 4 8-1 6 6 5 10-0 8 3 6 8-1 7 5 7 9-0 9 7 8 8-1 10 12 9 7-2 11 8 10 8-2 16 9 11 7-2 2 10 12 9-1 4 13 13 8-1 12 14 14 8-1 13 11 15 7-2 15 15 16 9-0 18 16 17 7-2 19 22 18 7-2 21 18 19 8-1 20 20 20 7-2 22 17 21 6-3 14 19 22 6-3 25 21 23 6-3 NR 23 24 7-2 NR 24 25 8-2 NR NR Others receiving votes: Iowa State 92, Arizona State 35, Pittsburgh 18, Louisiana 14, UNLV 10 Georgia dropping gives Ohio State the longest streak of top-10 appearances at 55, though that could actually be considered an 80-week streak. The Buckeyes were not eligible to be in the poll early in the 2020 pandemic-altered season while the Big Ten was not playing. Georgia dropped to as low as No. 13 in 2020 and spent most of the second half of that season outside the top 10 before finishing seventh. Georgia had not been ranked lower than sixth in each of the past three seasons and started 2024 as preseason No. 1 for the second consecutive year. The only non-Big Ten team in the top five is No. 3 Texas. Tennessee is up a spot to No. 6, and No. 7 BYU and No. 8 Notre Dame each moved up two places. Alabama is No. 9 after blowing out LSU, and Ole Miss moved up six spots to No. 10. Is Penn State properly ranked? No. 4 Penn State is becoming one of the most polarizing teams in the country because of its rankings in both the AP and coaches poll and by the College Football Playoff selection committee, especially for those who are stumping for unbeaten Indiana and BYU. Is that fair? The argument goes that Penn State is getting a helmet bump as a big-brand school over less traditional powers, especially Big Ten conference-mate Indiana. It’s a fair take: Penn State has no victories against teams in the rankings and a seven-point loss at home to Ohio State. Indiana has taken a lot of flak for its less-than-formidable schedule while romping through its opponents with nothing but double-digit victories until Saturday against Michigan. The Hoosiers’ schedule strength is still lagging behind the rest of the highly ranked teams. GO DEEPER Indiana edges Michigan to reach 10 wins, likely Playoff and wants more: What is this world? The better case might be BYU, which stayed unbeaten in dramatic fashion against Utah and has a couple of victories against ranked teams in Big 12 rival No. 20 Kansas State and No. 14 SMU, the first-place team in the ACC. You can make a fair case that either or both the Hoosiers and Cougars should be ahead of Penn State — and maybe even Texas and/or Tennessee. But allow me to play ******’s advocate: If the difference between Penn State, Indiana and BYU is one of these teams played Ohio State and the other two did not, is it really that egregious to have the Nittany Lions ranked highest? Penn State is not the only team impacted by this, but there is a tendency to put all teams into two buckets: ranked teams and bad teams, basically lumping everybody outside the Top 25 in the same grouping. It’s a poor evaluation. There are 134 FBS schools and another 129 more in FCS and each has a value. It’s also not just about who you played, but how you played, and while Indiana has gotten a lot of attention for running roughshod over its opponents, Penn State has six victories of at least 14 points, too, after Saturday’s 35-6 thumping of Washington. This is not so much making a case for Penn State as it is for a more thoughtful approach than everybody stinks. — Ralph Russo, national college football writer GO DEEPER After falling short last week, Penn State finds answers in win against Washington In and out After a second consecutive loss, this time at home to Virginia, Pitt is out of the rankings for the first time in six weeks. The Panthers started the season 7-0 but didn’t quite have the staying power of the turnarounds at Indiana and BYU. Iowa State faced a similar fate, going from unbeaten and ranked to out of the poll after consecutive losses. The Cyclones lost to Kansas on Saturday. Vanderbilt also slipped out of the Top 25 again after losing to SEC rival South Carolina, which is making its season debut at No. 23. The Gamecocks (6-3) are ranked for the first time since 2022 and have one of the country’s most what-could-have-been seasons. Losses to Alabama and LSU by a combined five points, along with a blowout loss to Ole Miss, kept the Gamecocks out of SEC championship and playoff contention. The LSU game was especially painful because of a blindside block penalty that wiped out a pick six. No. 24 Missouri (7-2) returned to the rankings after the Tigers stayed in the “Playoff hunt,” according to coach Eli Drinkwitz. The SEC has nine teams ranked this week, one short of the record of 10 it set early in the 2015 season. No. 25 Tulane (8-2) is ranked for the first time this season, joining No. 13 Boise State and No. 16 Army as teams from Group of 5 conferences in the rankings in the pursuit of an automatic Playoff bid. How Matt voted • I’ve been lower than most voters on Ole Miss all season, but suddenly the Rebels’ resume looks a lot better. The loss to Kentucky still hurts and LSU is getting worse, but the Rebels dominated Georgia 28-10 for their most lopsided win against an AP top-10 team since 1969. Throw in the increased value of their 24-point win against South Carolina and the fact that they lead the FBS in yards per play margin, and the Rebels finally feel like they’ve earned their top-10 billing. I didn’t hesitate to jump them to No. 9 on my ballot — actually a spot ahead of where they are in the poll. GO DEEPER Ole Miss fans carried out the goal posts — and the Rebels could be Playoff-bound • Am I too high on Indiana? Possibly, but who would have thought we’d be parsing a Hoosiers win over Michigan for being too unimpressive? No, the Hoosiers haven’t played a ranked team yet, but they’re 10-0 and they dominated each of their first nine opponents. I have them at No. 3, ahead of one-loss teams like Texas (no ranked wins), Tennessee (lost to Arkansas) and Penn State (no ranked wins), and they’ve been more impressive from week to week than fellow surprise unbeaten BYU. Ultimately, the margin feels very tight from No. 1 to No. 15 — perhaps the tightest since I became a voter in 2017 — and thus I have no problem rewarding the teams that just keep winning … and being swift to penalize a loss, like dropping Miami to 13th after it fell at Georgia Tech. • Only 30 teams received votes this week, and Tulane moved into the rankings at No. 25. The Green Wave were my runner-up for the final spot, as I opted for Arizona State, which is a surprising — and quiet — 7-2 but will have a chance to prove itself the next two weeks against Kansas State and BYU. — Matt Brown, college sports managing editor and AP Top 25 voter How Week 12 will impact the rankings There are two ranked matchups next Saturday, both in the SEC: • No. 6 Tennessee at No. 11 Georgia: The Vols have a chance to do the unthinkable and all but eliminate Georgia from the 12-team Playoff. But they haven’t stayed within single digits or scored more than 21 points against the Bulldogs since 2016. • No. 24 Missouri at No. 23 South Carolina. Nine of 16 SEC teams are ranked, though the ****** here is likely to fall out. The top four will all by heavy favorites on the road — No. 1 Oregon at Wisconsin, No. 2 Ohio State at Northwestern, No. 3 Texas at Arkansas and No. 4 Penn State at Purdue — while No. 5 Indiana is off before its showdown with the Buckeyes. Required reading (Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images) Source link #Top #Indiana #Big #Ten #Georgias #top10 #streak #ends Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Star Wars Villainous Board Game Is Only $15 This Week, But It’ll Sell Out Star Wars Villainous Board Game Is Only $15 This Week, But It’ll Sell Out Multiple Disney Villainous board games are on ***** for super cheap in Target’s Deal Days *****, a new early ****** Friday promotion running until December 16. The ***** includes numerous popular board games for huge discounts, so you’ll definitely want to check out the full list, but the one caught our attention was Star Wars Villainous, Ravensburger’s popular strategy game that places players in the shoes of iconic characters from the dark side of the Force. Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side is available for only $15. Star Wars Villainous sells for $30-$40, though it carries an MSRP of $50. Star Wars Villainous is only available from resellers at Amazon, so we’d be surprised if Target’s deal ******** in stock for the duration of the *****. Check out the best Villainous board game deals at Amazon and Target below. And while it’s not a Villainous game, Star Wars fans should check out Amazon’s deal on awesome Star Wars Deckbuilding Game. Made by Fantasy Flight Games, this tactical card game is discounted to only $16.72 (was $38). Star Wars Villainous Board Game Disney Villainous Board Game Deals at Amazon & Target Star Wars Villainous isn’t the only game in the Villainous series that’s on ***** for cheap. The game that started it all, Disney Villainous: Introduction to Evil, is also discounted to $15 (was $30). This is the Disney 100th Anniversary commemorative edition of the game. Alternatively, you can get the newer edition of Disney Villainous bundled with a Disney Lorcana foil promo card for $17.49 (was $30) at Amazon. It’s the same game, but if you’re shopping for a Lorcana fan, they will surely appreciate the exclusive card. Plus, Prime members can get free shipping. Speaking of the popular Disney TCG, fans should also check out Disney Lorcana: Gateway, a board game that serves as an introduction to the TCG and is available for $15.45 (was $25) at Amazon. Disney Villainous with Lorcana TCG foil promo card All of the Villainous board games list above are playable on their own, with the exception of the Venom character expansion. That said, you can add to your experience by combining the standalone expansions with the core sets. Power of the Dark Side is the “core set” for Star Wars Villainous, so you can combine it with Revenge at Last and/or ***** and Villainy. Power of the Dark Side comes with everything you need to start playing Villainous, allowing you to jump into the shoes of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, and Moff Gideon. Each villain is represented as a sculpted figurine. Star Wars Villainous also comes with over 200 illustrated cards as well as various tokens and trackers used to keep track of the action. Ravensburger’s Villainous series is recommended for players ages 10 and up, and games last roughly an hour. Most entries in the series, including the Star Wars-themed edition, support two to four players out of the box. If you combine sets, the player count can reach six. It is worth noting that ******* and Badder, the version of Villainous focused on Pixar animated movies, is only for two to three players. Source link #Star #Wars #Villainous #Board #Game #Week #Itll #Sell Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I Wish Bitcoin Was Back To $10 A Coin, But Wishing Has Never Made Poor People Richer’ ‘I Wish Bitcoin Was Back To $10 A Coin, But Wishing Has Never Made Poor People Richer’ Renowned investor and author Robert Kiyosaki has set a goal to acquire 100 Bitcoins by 2025, regardless of the cryptocurrency’s fluctuating price. What Happened: In a post on X, Kiyosaki shared that he currently holds 73 Bitcoins and is steadily increasing his holdings. He has mentioned that he does not wait for a price drop to invest, a mindset he equates with “a poor person.” He also said that his investment journey began with silver, which he started buying when it was priced at $1 per ounce. Despite the price hike to $32 per ounce, he continued to invest. Don’t Miss: He employs the same strategy with Bitcoin, having made his initial purchase when it was valued at $6,000. Even with Bitcoin’s current valuation hovering around $76,000, Kiyosaki ******** steadfast. His investment interests are not confined to Bitcoin. Kiyosaki also invests in gold, silver, income-generating real estate, and gold-producing mines. He advocates for a diversified portfolio as a means to grow wealth in various ways. Although Kiyosaki regrets not investing in Bitcoin when it was merely $10 per coin, he underscores the significance of regular investment over time, rather than waiting for prices to drop. His strategy is to accumulate as many assets as possible for the long haul, viewing this as the fundamental principle of wealth creation. Trending: This well known prop trading firm is offering 100% of your first $25,000 profit per account and 90% after that. Here’s how to get a special 50% OFF CODE that lets you start out with monthly investments as low as $147 today. Why It Matters: Kiyosaki’s investment strategy highlights the importance of consistent investment and diversification. His approach of not waiting for price drops to invest, but rather focusing on long-term accumulation of assets, offers a different perspective on wealth creation. Story Continues Source link #Bitcoin #Coin #Wishing #Poor #People #Richer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

49ers’ Ricky Pearsall scores first career touchdown just 10 weeks after ********* 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall scores first career touchdown just 10 weeks after ********* San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall scored his first NFL touchdown Sunday — just 10 weeks after being shot in the chest. Pearsall connected with quarterback Brock Purdy on a deep crosser, setting up the rookie from the University of Florida to outrun the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for a 46-yard score. Pearsall finished the game with 4 receptions for a season-high 73 yards. Ricky Pearsall goes 46 yards for his first career TD! : #SFvsTB on FOX : pic.twitter.com/R7zjs0naAm — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024 Pearsall, a first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft, was shot on Aug. 31 during an attempted robbery while shopping near Union Square in San Francisco. The gunshot wound to the right side of his chest healed quickly after the incident. The 49ers repeatedly referred to the ********* as miraculous considering the bullet passed through his body without striking any vital organs or even a rib. Pearsall was released from the hospital a day after the incident and stopped by the team facility two days later. GO DEEPER 49ers’ Ricky Pearsall goes from feel-good story to needed target in loss to Chiefs Following the *********, Pearsall was placed on injured reserve and returned to game action less than two months later on Oct. 20 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Through three games, he has 11 receptions for 132 yards and one rushing attempt for 39 yards. One to remember for @S1ickSzn pic.twitter.com/uKn0Yp3frO — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024 With Brandon Aiyuk sidelined for the season, Pearsall is likely to play a ******* role in the San Francisco offense behind ********** McCaffrey (who returned on Sunday), Deebo Samuel Sr., George Kittle and Jauan Jennings. Pearsall, who spent a season on the same Arizona State team as Aiyuk and who is close to Aiyuk, essentially is filling in for his friend. Pearsall started Sunday’s game along with Samuel and Jennings, the first time that combination has been used this year. Like Aiyuk, Pearsall’s forte is sharp moves and separation, which makes him a natural replacement for Aiyuk, who’s out for the season with a torn ACL. Pearsall’s touchdown also came on a deep crosser against zone coverage — the type of play Aiyuk made regularly last season when he led the 49ers in receiving yards. Required reading (Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Source link #49ers #Ricky #Pearsall #scores #career #touchdown #weeks #********* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This wind stock tanked after Trump’s win. Analysts now say buy the dip This wind stock tanked after Trump’s win. Analysts now say buy the dip Shares of Vestas Wind Systems tanked on the news that Donald Trump had won the 2024 presidential election. Investors dumped shares of the world’s largest wind turbine maker as Trump has vowed to curtail renewable energy subsidies and favors the oil and gas sector. Other ********* renewable energy firms, such as wind farm operator Orsted , also fell. However, analysts at a number of investment banks have suggested that investors overreacted to fears of a downturn for the sector. VWDRY 1Y line “Donald Trump’s victory and a *********** sweep in Congress is the worst political outcome in the USA for Vestas,” said Jacob Pedersen, head of stock analysis at Sydbank, a Danish investment bank. “But this does not necessarily convert into the worst legislation-scenario or the very negative earnings-scenario that the Vestas share reflects right now.” Pedersen said that any change to the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature policy that offers billions in subsidies for clean energy companies, would not lower revenues for Vestas as it has sufficient orders in the pipeline in the U.S. over the next two years. “Furthermore, is it likely that ***** of changes in legislation can bring forward customers plans and bring new orders forward so Vestas can build an order pipeline through 2026 and into 2027 before we know more about Donald Trump’s intentions for change of the IRA,” Pedersen added in a note to clients on Nov. 5. “We maintain the Buy recommendation on Vestas.” And he’s not alone — the consensus price target of all analysts covering the stock points to an upside of more than 50%. CEO loads up One investor appearing to heed the analysts’ call is the company’s CEO. Vestas disclosed on Nov. 6 that chief executive Henrik Andersen had purchased 10,000 shares amounting to about $150,000 on the Nasdaq Copenhagen exchange. Vestas shares are also traded in the U.S. with the ticker VWDRY . Deutsche Bank’s analysts John Kim and Gael de-Bray agree that the political sentiment in the ******* States is “not supportive” of Vestas’ share price, but suggest that the market’s overreaction may have priced in too much of the worst-case scenario. This could offer investors an opportunity, according to the analysts, as shares could rally if the situation is better than forecast. “We find limited downside from current levels but the shares may not perform short-term due to uncertainty,” they added. In addition to the political headwinds, Vestas Wind Systems has also had to contend with the rising cost of materials and labor over the past few quarters. That’s led to declining margin profits, adding pressure on the stock, which has fallen by more than 50% this year. However, analysts say that costs have stabilized, and the company’s margins are turning around. Adjusting for this, Deutsche Bank lowered its price target on the stock to 150 Danish kroner ($21.56), which still implies a 40% upside from current levels. Source link #wind #stock #tanked #Trumps #win #Analysts #buy #dip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Hello Deion! Colorado is in as the No. 4 seed College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Hello Deion! Colorado is in as the No. 4 seed Alabama’s 42-13 blitzkrieg at LSU coupled with Ole Miss’ 28-10 rout of Georgia has created quite the muddled mess in the SEC. At least eight different teams could still reach the SEC Championship Game. For the purposes of this exercise, I’m projecting the Dawgs to beat Tennessee next week and Texas to win at Texas A&M. Based on my colleague Seth Emerson’s calculations, this would likely produce a Texas-Alabama matchup in Atlanta, and I like the Tide in that one. Meanwhile, at this rate, at least one SEC team is going to finish 10-2 and miss the Playoff. My guess is Tennessee, which would have just one Top 25 win (against Alabama) and possibly only three wins over teams that finish .500 or better. Unless of course the Vols edge out an 11-1 Indiana team with no Top 25 wins. Elsewhere, Oregon has done absolutely nothing wrong, but I’m back to riding Ohio State if they meet in a Big Ten Championship Game rematch. Penn State has an underwhelming resume, but given the committee had them No. 6 last week, an 11-1 Nittany Lions team would likely be seeded above 11-2 Texas and 10-2 Georgia. Finally, Colorado is my new projected Big 12 champ. The Buffs are rolling. It pains me to leave 9-0 BYU out of the field entirely, but the Cougars’ luck is going to run out at some point, possibly at Arizona State in a couple of weeks. A 10-2 Ole Miss team with lopsided wins over Georgia and a possible 9-3 South Carolina team gets my last at-large spot. (Photo: Patrick Mulligan / Getty Images) Source link #College #Football #Playoff #projections #Deion #Colorado #seed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]