Pelican Press

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company seek an injuction and damages from Palworld developer Pocketpair Nintendo and The Pokemon Company seek an injuction and damages from Palworld developer Pocketpair Palworld developer Pocketpair has revealed more details on Nintendo and The Pokémon Company‘s lawsuit against it. The issue stems from three patents that are related to gameplay, all of which were initially filed by Nintendo and The Pokemon Company between February and July this year. Palworld was released on January 19. “As announced on September 19, 2024, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo Co Ltd (hereinafter referred to as the Plaintiffs) have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against us,” a statement from Pocketpair reads. “We have received inquiries from various media outlets regarding the status of the lawsuit, and we would like to report the details. “The Plaintiffs claim that Palworld, released by us on January 19, 2024, infringes upon the following three patents held by the Plaintiffs, and are seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.” Pocketpair then lists the three patents said to be affect, then states that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are each seeking 5 million yen, plus late payment fees. “We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings,” it adds. Released in January via Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview, the monster-catching survival game was an immediate hit, attracting 25 million players in just its first month, according to Pocketpair. Source link #Nintendo #Pokemon #Company #seek #injuction #damages #Palworld #developer #Pocketpair Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kindness in academic workplaces tied to stronger institutional identity and well-being Kindness in academic workplaces tied to stronger institutional identity and well-being Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study highlights the importance of kindness in academic workplaces, especially as many health professionals face increasing levels of burnout. Kanoho Hosoda, director of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), led the research, which was recently published in PLOS One. The study found that receiving kindness boosts well-being, reduces stress, and strengthens institutional identity, while giving kindness has less impact. Key elements of kindness, such as feeling safe and acknowledged, promote positivity and inclusion in higher education. Hosoda’s study advances the science of kindness by showing that academics who receive kindness have stronger institutional identity, better well-being and less stress. These individuals are also more likely to perform acts of kindness themselves. It also demonstrates that kindness—both given and received—can be reliably measured in students and faculty. “We wanted to develop measures of kindness,” Hosoda explained. “When I say ‘let’s be kind to each other,’ we want tangible, specific actions we can implement.” Model effects of receiving kindness on reduced stress and well-being mediated by institutional identity. Credit: PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312269 Surveying higher education experiences The study defines kindness as actions that affirm dignity and social inclusion, based on 10 dignity-affirming metrics, including trust, autonomy, understanding, inclusion, fair treatment, acknowledgment, safety, and acceptance of identity. To gather insights, Hosoda surveyed 182 higher education members about their experiences with these elements. She hopes these findings will encourage the JABSOM community to foster a kinder environment. Hosoda acknowledged that JABSOM is already on a positive trajectory, thanks to faculty members such as Martina Kamaka, Dee-Ann Carpenter, and Vanessa Wong, who create safe spaces for students through Learning Communities, providing support within the rigorous curriculum. As the principal investigator of a two-year NIH grant, Hosoda understands the challenges of navigating higher education and believes in the importance of community. “Sometimes you feel like a lone wolf going through your Ph.D.,” she said. “JABSOM has created communities that promote these dignity elements.” Connecting kindness to Hawaiian values Hosoda connects her research to the Hawaiian value of ALOHA, which includes kindness (Akahai), unity (Lōkahi), and humility (Haʻahaʻa). She believes that if kindness is nurtured in medical education, it will extend into clinical practice, benefiting the broader community. “I want to see growth in kindness from students, faculty and staff, ultimately impacting society in Hawaiʻi,” she said. More information: K. Kanoho Hosoda et al, The influence of kindness on academics’ identity, well-being and stress, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312269 Provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa Citation: Kindness in academic workplaces tied to stronger institutional identity and well-being (2024, November 8) retrieved 8 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Kindness #academic #workplaces #tied #stronger #institutional #identity #wellbeing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ESET shines light on cyber ********* RedLine empire ESET shines light on cyber ********* RedLine empire Cyber security analysts at ESET have released an in-depth look at the inner workings of the RedLine Stealer operation and its clone, known as Meta, in the wake of a Dutch-led operation that saw the cyber ********* empire ***** low. Operation Magnus saw the Dutch National Police force, working with ********* Union support and other agencies including the FBI and the ***’s National ****** Agency (NCA), dismantle the infamous infostealers’ infrastructure. The action was the culmination of a lengthy investigation to which ESET – which initially notified the authorities in the Netherlands that some of the malwares’ infrastructure was being hosted in their jurisdiction – was a key contributor, taking part in a preliminary operation last year that targeted the gang’s ability to use GitHub repositories as a “*****-drop” control mechanism. In an extensive dossier, ESET said that having conducted an extensive analysis of the malwares’ source code and backend infrastructure in the run-up to Operation Magnus, it was now able to confirm with certainty that both Redline and Meta did indeed share the same creator, and identified well over 1,000 unique IP addresses that had been used to control the operation. “We were able to identify over 1,000 unique IP addresses used to host RedLine control panels,” said ESET researcher Alexandre Côté Cyr. “While there may be some overlap, this suggests on the order of 1,000 of subscribers to the RedLine MaaS [malware as a service],” he added. “The 2023 versions of RedLine Stealer ESET investigated in detail used the Windows Communication Framework for communication between the components, while the latest version from 2024 uses a REST API.” Global operation The IP addresses found by ESET were dispersed globally, although mostly in Germany, the Netherlands and Russia, all accounting for about 20% of the total. Approximately 10% were located in Finland and the US. ESET’s investigation also identified multiple distinct backend servers, with about 33% in Russia, and Czechia, the Netherlands and the *** all accounting for about 15%. What was RedLine Stealer? Ultimately, the goal of the RedLine and Meta operations was to harvest vast amounts of data from its victims, including information on cryptocurrency wallets, credit card details, saved credentials, and data from platforms including desktop VPNs, Discord, Telegram and Steam. The operators’ clients bought access to the product, described by ESET in corporate terms as a “turnkey infostealer solution”, through various online forums or Telegram channels. They could select either a monthly rolling subscription or a lifetime licence, and in exchange for their money received a control panel to generate malware samples and act as a personal command and control server. “Using a ready-made solution makes it easier for the affiliates to integrate RedLine Stealer into larger campaigns,” said Côté Cyr. “Some notable examples include posing as free downloads of ChatGPT in 2023 and masquerading as video game cheats in the first half of 2024.” At its peak, prior to the takedown, RedLine was probably the most widespread infostealer in operation, with a comparatively large number of affiliates. However, said ESET, the MaaS enterprise was likely orchestrated by a very small number of people. Crucially, the creator of the malwares, named as Maxim Rudometov, has been identified and charged in the US. Source link #ESET #shines #light #cyber #********* #RedLine #empire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 Stocks Poised to Ride US’s Manufacturing and Silver Revival 3 Stocks Poised to Ride US’s Manufacturing and Silver Revival As the market digests the election results, it looks like manufacturing stocks might be back in favor of investors today. Three names stand out for consideration, as Wall Street analysts see double-digit upside potential in all of them. Short sellers are bailing out of these stocks and being replaced just as quickly by institutional investors. With the ******* States election over, investors are left figuring out which stocks and sectors they should invest in for the coming months. Most of the interest and capital are focused on the technology sector as momentum chasers step on the ; however, a new trend is about to flip the script. This trend creates new upside potential for the ******* States economy in the domestic manufacturing sector, which is an underlying proposal from the new administration. Investors must understand that the market is already behaving as if this were a reality today. Price action in basic materials stocks like ******* States Steel (NYSE:), whose shares rallied by over 8% the morning after the election, reveals the next step. This next step will include agricultural and manufacturing stocks, which have been sitting on the sidelines, such as Deere & Co (NYSE:), Mosaic Co (NYSE:), and CF Industries (NYSE:). 1. Why Short Sellers Are Running From Deere Stock Today Over the past month, short interest in Deere stock declined by over 11.2%, showing investors enough signs of bearish capitulation to consider a bullish case of their own. Now, to replace these short sellers, new institutional buyers have flooded the scene to help Deere stock’s renewed upside. Leading the way recently were those at KBC Group, who boosted their position in Deere stock by as much as 10.9% as of early November 2024. This new allocation brought their holdings in the company up to $42.5 million today, and the timing of the transaction begs the question of whether the evidence for a rally was more apparent today than ever. Wall Street analysts, particularly those at Truist Financial, might be able to answer that question. After reiterating their Buy rating, these analysts also pushed valuations for Deere stock as high as $496 a share, a significant boost from their previous $443 price target. To prove these new views right, the stock would have to rally by as much as 23% from where it trades today, not to mention get to a new high for the year. This would add further pressure for the bears to close their short positions and further buying pressure on the company. 2. Analysts Forecast Strong Double-Digit Gains for Mosaic Stock Fertilizer and chemical stocks have underperformed as the domestic manufacturing and agricultural cycle has declined. However, after a 15.5% decline for the past 12 months, Mosaic stock faces new double-digit upside projections from Wall Street analysts today. The company’s high valuation range is set at $48 a share, calling for up to 74% upside from today’s price to show significant outperformance potential compared to other propositions in this new cycle. According to Mosaic’s latest investor presentation, a catalyst might already be underway to bring investors closer to these price targets. The price of fertilizers and other chemicals is now at its cyclical lows, while demand in Asia and South America is beginning to tick up higher. With low prices, the supply hasn’t been expanding as producers have no incentive to profit, which creates a double tailwind for Mosaic’s margins in the coming months. Even if this trend takes a little longer to play out, Mosaic shareholders can count on the company’s $0.84 a share payout, which calls for a dividend yield of up to 3% today. While enough to beat inflation, the dividend is not a factor investors should focus so much on; rather, they should look at the new institutional buying activity. Particularly noteworthy are the new buys from Versor Investments, which more than tripled as of November 2024 to reach a high of $2.3 million. That new allocation is a drop in the bucket, though, as up to $1.3 billion of institutional capital made its way into Mosaic stock over the past 12 months. 3. CF Industries Stock Primed for a New Rally, Here’s Why If Mosaic is right about its projections for crop and fertilizer demand in the coming quarters, then CF Industries stock will likely see a spillover effect from the tailwind, and Wall Street analysts are willing to bet on this. Investors can see this through the bold projections made by the Royal Bank of Canada, where analysts not only reiterated their Outperform rating on CF Industries stock but also boosted their price targets to a high of $100 a share. This new view suggests the stock has enough room to deliver a rally of up to 21% from today’s price. Being in front of a potential double-digit rally sent some bearish traders home. CF Industries stock’s short interest collapsed by over 23% in the past month alone, amplifying a quarterly downtrend. As is apparently common in all of these names, institutions also found enough reasons to start buying the stock recently. Buyers from International Assets Investment Management decided to boost their exposure in CF Industries stock to $375.4 million today, making them one of the biggest institutional holders of this agricultural stock ******** on the new price rally. Original Post Source link #Stocks #Poised #Ride #USs #Manufacturing #Silver #Revival Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla hits $1 trillion market cap as stock rallies after Trump win Tesla hits $1 trillion market cap as stock rallies after Trump win Elon Musk on stage before *********** presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images Shares of Tesla climbed more than 6% in midmorning trading Friday, pushing the electric vehicle maker’s market cap past $1 trillion. The company’s stock has rallied about 27% this week after President-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election and investors have grown optimistic that the former president’s return to the White House could benefit Tesla. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been a key ally for Trump throughout his campaign, pouring at least $130 million into a pro-Trump campaign effort. Tesla had a market cap of $807.1 billion through Tuesday’s close. Prior to this week’s rally, shares of the carmaker were up about 1% for the year. Tesla’s stock is now up about 26% year to date. Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards Tesla rejoins a growing club of tech names that are now worth more than $1 trillion, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta (though all but Meta are worth more than $2 trillion). Tesla’s market cap first crossed the $1 trillion mark in October 2021. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives has said that a potential Trump administration could spell less regulation for Tesla and other companies. “Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched in the EV industry and this dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment, coupled by likely higher China tariffs that would continue to push away cheaper ******** EV players (BYD, Nio, etc.) from flooding the U.S. market over the coming years,” Ives wrote in a note to clients this week. Trump has said previously he may cut the federal $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. Those credits have helped to drive sales of Tesla vehicles historically. In its most recent earnings update, Tesla reported revenue of $25.18 billion and net income of $.217 billion in the third quarter. CEO Elon Musk said on the earnings call that his “best guess” was that “vehicle growth” would reach 20% to 30% next year, due to “lower cost vehicles” and the “advent of autonomy.” (edited) Tesla has been promising, and developing, driverless vehicle technology for more than a decade. Its key US competitor, Alphabet-owned Waymo, has pulled ahead and is already operating commercial robotaxi services in several major cities. On the third-quarter call, Musk said he would use his sway with a Trump-Vance administration to establish a “federal approval process for autonomous vehicles.” Currently, approvals happen at the state level, which the CEO sees as a regulatory hurdle Tesla will need to overcome once it finally offers more than partially automated driving systems. — CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this report. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Tesla #hits #trillion #market #cap #stock #rallies #Trump #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hidetaka Miyazaki Gave us 1 ****** in Shadow of the Erdtree That’s Even More Annoying Than the Revenants Hidetaka Miyazaki Gave us 1 ****** in Shadow of the Erdtree That’s Even More Annoying Than the Revenants Elden Ring became a landmark when it launched, not just for its vast open world and deep narrative, but for its brutally challenging combat. FromSoft’s signature once again proved that its Soulslike formula is alive and well, demanding that players learn ****** ******* patterns, master dodging, and prepare to face ****** again and again. Every ****** is a test, and every victory feels hard-earned. Players have found a new common ****** to not like in the game. | Image Credit: FromSoftware The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC continued that journey and even introduced more obstacles for players to overcome. Among these new foes, one in particular has quickly risen to fame as one of the most infuriating enemies in the entire game: the Curseblade. These dual-wielding warriors are agile, relentless, and devastatingly quick, leaving players with little room for error. Many players find them even more annoying than the Revenants, who were the annoying foes of the base game. A New Challenge Introduced with Elden Ring’s DLC Shadow of the Erdtree Players have been frustrated with Curseblade and trying to find new ways to ***** it one-shot. | Image Credit: FromSoftware The Curseblade are fast-moving, highly agile ****** that wields dual blades that are shaped like Rings (attached to their hands). These new foes are introduced as part of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and it doesn’t take long for players to realize that these enemies are designed to scare players and be relentless in combat. Curseblades are considered common enemies, appearing in both open spaces and narrow corridors throughout the DLC. But don’t let their status as regular foes fool you, they are a headache to deal with, not just because of their speed, but because of their ability to deal devastating amounts of damage with their dual-wielded weapons. What makes the Curseblade even more frustrating, though, is their tendency to hide in unexpected places. These are often found high on walls or lurking atop pillars, these enemies lie in wait for the perfect moment to strike. It’s no wonder that many players, after encountering these annoying foes, have resorted to using endgame builds, just to get revenge for the jump scares and sheer irritation these enemies cause. Comment byu/pickleparty16 from discussion inEldenring Comment byu/pickleparty16 from discussion inEldenring Comment byu/pickleparty16 from discussion inEldenring Comment byu/pickleparty16 from discussion inEldenring Despite their annoyance, there’s a strange enjoyment in these encounters. The Curseblades are exactly the type of challenge fans of the game crave: enemies that test their adaptability and keep them on your toes. While they may frustrate players at the moment, they ultimately add a layer of unpredictability and excitement to the game, ensuring that no two fights are ever the same. Players looking forward to more challenges Players are excited to see what new enemies the future updates or DLC will bring. | Image Credit: FromSoftware With the success of the DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, it has raised the stakes once again. It is clear that FromSoftware has no intention of letting up on the difficulty curve. Fans have enjoyed the new DLC and are now eagerly speculating about what might come next in future updates and DLCs. Well from all the enemies and narratives already present in the game, it’s safe to assume that new enemies will be more terrifying and will provide unforgiving challenges that will make the players frustrated but enjoy the victory even more. While there will always be enemies that make players’ lives **********. It’s become part of the charm of the Soulslike genre. That sense of dread and frustration is balanced by the satisfaction of overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. The addition of the Curseblades is a sign that FromSoftware also knows that is doubling down on what made the game such a hit: brutal, rewarding gameplay that keeps you coming back for more. As Elden Ring continues to unfold under the vision of Hidetaka Miyazaki, players can expect even tougher enemies, more intricate battles, and an ever-expanding world of challenges. The future of the game is incredibly promising, with updates likely to test the mettle of even the most seasoned Tarnished. In the end, whether a player is a veteran Tarnished, or new to the game, there will always be those enemies that haunt your dreams. But that’s part of what makes the game so special. Source link #Hidetaka #Miyazaki #Gave #****** #Shadow #Erdtree #Annoying #Revenants Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Move over Steam Deck and forget the Switch 2 – the next-generation of handheld gaming PCs is almost here Move over Steam Deck and forget the Switch 2 – the next-generation of handheld gaming PCs is almost here The OneXFly F1 Pro will be the first handheld gaming PC featuring AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 series APUs Multiple models will be available at the end of November 2024 It’s expected to outperform the rumored Ryzen Z2 Extreme handheld gaming PCs The handheld gaming PC market has been reignited ever since Valve released the Steam Deck – an affordable option for many gamers that inspired a new generation of rivals, including the likes of Asus’ powerful ROG Ally, and now the OneXFly F1 Pro ($1,099 / around £849 / around AU$1,660) is set to kickstart the next generation. Using AMD’s Ryzen AI 370 and 365 APUs, OneNetbook’s F1 Pro will be the first ‘Strix Point’ APU for handheld gaming PCs as spotted by VideoCardz – they will be driven by AMD’s RDNA 3.5 architecture, which Team Red claims will improve performance and battery life. Both APUs will feature 12 Zen 5 cores and 24 threads, which could open the door for high-level performance on each model. While we await Asus’ next move for a ROG Ally X successor (rumored to use the Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU), this will give a strong hint at what the next-gen could look like performance-wise for Strix Point handheld gaming PCs. It’s also important to note that it’ll start at $1,099 with 32GB of RAM (up to 64GB depending on the model), which is becoming a system requirement for optimal performance and visuals in many games such as Returnal. As well as the strong APU specifications, the F1 Pro will utilize a 1080p OLED display providing direct competition to Valve’s Steam Deck OLED – though considering the Steam Deck OLED’s pricing ($549 / £479 / AU$899), it will more than likely remain a more popular option despite its weaker performance. (Image credit: OneXPlayer) Can the OneXFly F1 Pro compete with other handheld gaming PCs? Without a doubt, the OneXFly F1 Pro will outperform current handheld gaming PCs from Valve, Asus, and Lenovo, thanks to the Ryzen AI 300 series APUs. Now, there’s no confirmation from other handheld makers (including the Nintendo Switch 2’s reveal or release date), but rumors suggest both Lenovo and Asus will use the Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU in future handhelds. Despite the Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU being anticipated to be the weaker Strix Point silicon chip compared to the Ryzen AI 370 and 365 (according to leaks), AMD claims RDNA 3.5 could improve battery life which was a weak point for the Z1 Extreme Ally (fortunately, ROG Ally X’s battery is much better as mentioned in our review). While this new handheld arms race is exciting, pricing could still be the deciding factor for most gamers. There are currently no reviews on OneNetbook’s new handheld gaming PC, so we will have to wait and see how it fares in terms of battery life and fan performance (cooling) – as well as overall value for money, which could really determine if it will be able to beat the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch 2. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. You might also like… Source link #Move #Steam #Deck #forget #Switch #nextgeneration #handheld #gaming #PCs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This software stock is well-positioned to benefit from Trump’s agenda, trader says This software stock is well-positioned to benefit from Trump’s agenda, trader says In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, the technology sector stands poised for renewed momentum, echoing the performance seen during his 2016 presidency. A pro-business agenda, regulatory flexibility, and potential tax incentives under his administration could once again set the stage for technology stocks to outperform. Adobe (ADBE) , a leader in AI-enhanced creative solutions, is particularly well-positioned to capitalize on this environment. Following a record earnings report that underscores the demand for its Digital Media, Document Cloud, and AI-driven creative tools, Adobe’s recent oversold conditions offer a rare opportunity for investors to add exposure at a reasonable valuation. With its superior growth rates and operational margins that set it apart from peers, Adobe’s valuation presents a compelling entry point amid strong fundamentals and a supportive administration. Adobe recently reached oversold conditions on both daily and weekly timeframes and recently showed signs of positive divergence. This signals that sellers are starting to get exhausted and presents an opportunity for buyers to start stepping in for a strong counter-trend rally. The stock has been trading in a broad range but shows resilience near recent support levels, indicating a solid base from which it could move higher. This set-up offers an attractive risk/reward entry point for adding bullish exposure. Adobe’s fundamentals are strong, with a 10% year-over-year increase in revenue to a record $4.89 billion. The company also achieved notable growth across its core segments: Digital Media, Document Cloud, and Experience Cloud, which grew by 11%, 15%, and 11%, respectively. Adobe’s operating margins remain impressive at 25.6%, significantly higher than the industry average of 16.8%, while the stock trades at only 23.5x forward earnings, compared to the industry average of 27.8 times. With growth rates and margins that exceed the industry, ADBE’s 15% discount reflects a substantial upside opportunity from a valuation perspective. To capitalize on a potential rally in Adobe, consider buying the December 20, 2024, $500/550 Call Vertical @ $18.05 Debit. This position entails: Buying 1 Dec 20, 2024, $500 Call @ $27.40 Selling 1 Dec 20, 2024, $550 Call @ $9.35 This call spread strategy allows for significant upside potential with limited risk. The maximum potential reward is $3,195, achieved if ADBE closes above $550 at expiration, while the maximum risk is capped at $1,805 if ADBE ******** below $500 at expiration. Given Adobe’s technical and fundamental strengths, this strategy aligns with the bullish thesis and benefits from a potential rally in ADBE shares driven by AI advancements and continued revenue growth. DISCLOSURES: (ADBE position) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Source link #software #stock #wellpositioned #benefit #Trumps #agenda #trader Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why individual investors need to look at private investments to further grow wealth Why individual investors need to look at private investments to further grow wealth In the past decade, private investments exploded from $4 trillion to $14 trillion. Primarily led by institutional capital, investors poured money into private markets in their search for differentiated returns and alpha generation. This makes sense as alternative investments have consistently outperformed global public markets on 10-, 15-, and 20-year time horizons. Now, the investor base is expanding to individuals. Bain estimates that assets under management in alternatives from individuals has risen to around $4 trillion and projects potential growth to $12 trillion in the next decade, a rapid expansion. Adding alternatives to portfolios requires careful consideration and we believe most individuals will opt to work with experienced advisors in that process. Interested individuals should focus on three big themes in alternatives investing: the longer-term time horizons; sizing investments in amounts that effectively can be put aside; and diversification, across a portfolio and within alternative sleeves. This applies to individuals across wealth categories as new open-end funds expand access for high-net-worth investors. For more than 20 years, I have been working with ultra-high-net-worth clients focused on growing and preserving their capital by investing in alternatives. We believe private market investments can help clients with the appropriate risk profile build a diversified portfolio. With recent product innovations, the most immediate opportunities will be for investors at higher wealth levels, but those opportunities continue to expand. As more companies stay private for longer, a portfolio limited to public companies inevitably will miss market opportunities. The universe of U.S. public companies has declined 43% since 1996, while the number of US private equity (PE) backed companies has increased five-fold since 2000. Fewer than 15% of companies with revenues over $100 million are public. This means individual investors have narrower exposure to growing businesses in the broad economy by investing solely in public markets. We believe this trend of companies choosing to stay private is expected to continue, owing to greater control and flexibility, lower regulatory reporting requirements, and better access to capital. While private markets offer advantages of broader economic exposure, diversification and alpha generation, it is important to understand their differences from public markets. Private markets require longer-term capital commitments. This necessitates careful selection of investment vehicles and precise allocation sizing. They are also less efficient than public markets. We stress the value of committing to managers who maintain consistent strategies and methodologies, and who have proven track records of outperforming public markets over time. Our advice to clients has been, and ******** to be, to spread their investments across a variety of alternative asset classes, managers, and funds. For years we have built alternative portfolios for ultra-high net worth clients who can tolerate illiquidity, often in the 20-30% range of overall holdings. High-net-worth investors might look at half of that (10-15%) as a potential target. We advise clients in traditional closed-end funds to invest through consistent allocations across multiple strategies over time. Sizes should be similar each year. Being consistent and persistent can enhance diversification over “vintage years.” The introduction of innovative open-end investment vehicles has simplified the investment process for investors across wealth brackets. Unlike traditional closed-end methods involving capital calls and drawdowns, these new vehicles require full capital upfront. Minimums in open-end funds can be significantly lower than traditional closed-end strategies, allowing high-net-worth investors to diversify across fund categories and managers as they grow their alternative exposure. While they offer a degree of liquidity, individual investors must understand that these vehicles are not truly liquid. In favorable market conditions, when the funds are performing well and attracting more investments, open-end products will allow redemptions, usually on a quarterly basis. However, when a large number of investors wish to withdraw their investments simultaneously, it should be assumed that full liquidity will not be available and account redemption may not be possible. Individuals should only make commitments in amounts they can afford to have tied up and treat these open-end funds as if they were conventional alternative investments – largely illiquid. Many newer open-end funds do not yet have significant performance track records, not having been through full cycles, but their managers can have long track records in other structures and strategies. Investors can judge by their resources: how strong are their teams? What are their competitive advantages? In private credit, it may be sourcing or top-quality credit selection. In other asset classes, such as private equity, top managers may be good at driving company growth organically, fixing problems, and helping companies create operational efficiencies. Yet it can be hard for individuals to judge all of this. We suggest they work with financial advisors who have access to wealth platforms with proven alternatives managers. With the ability and resources to monitor multiple managers, they can help investors with diversification. Over time, more opportunities for investors at different wealth levels could increase as retirement providers look to make alternatives available in plans that naturally have long time horizons. As companies stay private for longer, investors seek alpha generation, and the emphasis on portfolio diversification grows, opportunities and access to alternative investments should only continue to expand for individual investors. Source link #individual #investors #private #investments #grow #wealth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SILENT HILL 2 | Accolades Trailer SILENT HILL 2 | Accolades Trailer Celebrating 1 Million copies sold worldwide: SILENT HILL 2 available now! Investigating a letter from his late wife, James returns to where they made so many memories – Silent Hill. What he finds is a ghost town, prowled by disturbing monsters and cloaked in deep fog. Confront monsters, solve puzzles, and search for traces of your wife as you explore the town of Silent Hill. See a sampling of the praise SILENT HILL 2 is enjoying from gaming news outlets around the world in this latest trailer. *Combined global sales figure is per internal tracking, as of Oct 11, 2024. Includes both digital and package sales. Source link #SILENT #HILL #Accolades #Trailer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Treating bullying as everyone’s problem reduces incidence in primary schools Treating bullying as everyone’s problem reduces incidence in primary schools Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The largest trial of its kind in the U.K. has shown how a low-cost, structured, anti-bullying program can improve social dynamics in primary schools and reduce victimization. The year-long trial of the KiVa school based bullying prevention program was implemented in more than 100 primary schools in England and Wales and involved more than 11,000 students. It significantly reduced incidents of bullying and was equally effective across socio-economically diverse schools and from small rural schools to large, urban ones. The project was led overall by Bangor University working with the Universities of Exeter, Oxford, Warwick, and Birmingham and the trial itself was managed by the Center for Trials Research, Cardiff University. The Children’s Early Intervention Trust charity, that has the *** KiVa dissemination license, organized intervention costs, training schools and implementation. The “KiVa” program focuses on the behavior of all children and emphasizes the role that bystanders can play. Children in schools that implemented the program were 13% less likely to report being bullied, compared to schools using standard procedures. The schools undertaking KiVa also reported that their children were more empathetic towards victims and that children’s problems with their peers were reduced. Economic analyses by public health economists from Bangor University found that KiVa is also a low-cost intervention, which is particularly important given budget restrictions in schools. Lucy Bowes, Professor of Psychopathology at the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology, said, “Being bullied may have devastating consequences for children and young people, including increasing the risk of mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, as well as poor school outcomes. “This means that any improvement is worthwhile and even small percentage changes can have a substantial impact for those individual children and will cumulatively improve the situation in the school over time. “The Finnish data show year-on-year improvements over seven years for schools that continue with the program. Addressing bullying in schools is a major public health concern, and evaluating anti-bullying programs used in our schools is vital.” Professor Judy Hutchings, from the Center for Evidence Based Early Intervention at Bangor University, said, “Bullying in childhood is one of the biggest risk factors for later mental health problems in childhood, adolescence and beyond. Unfortunately, it is widespread in U.K. schools; and while all schools are required to have a bullying policy, it’s rarely evidence-based. “The KiVa ‘whole school’ approach has had really significant effects on bullying in other countries because it focuses on everyone’s behavior, and removes the social rewards usually gained by the perpetrators.” The Finnish Kiusaamista Vastaan (“Against Bullying”), or KiVa, program, is based on research that demonstrates that bystanders—children who are present, but not directly involved in bullying incidents—have a major role to play in defending the victim, making bullying less socially acceptable, and so reducing the motivation of bullies. The research is the largest randomized controlled trial to date of the KiVa program outside Finland, involving 118 schools across England and Wales. Half the schools adopted Kiva and half continued standard practice. Data were obtained from 11,111 pupils who filled in surveys about bullying, and from teacher-reported pupil behavior questionnaires on 11,571 pupils, both before and after the trial. The trial ran for a full academic year. However, KiVa is designed to be embedded into ongoing school practice and many schools involved in the trial are continuing to use the program. The schools on the KiVa arm of the trial set up fortnightly lessons for pupils which focused on recognizing and responding to bullying and helping to support victims. There were also whole-school assemblies on bullying, poster campaigns and information for parents. Teachers supervising breaktimes wore high-visibility vests. For every identified bullying incident, staff followed KiVa’s recommended actions. Rather than the traditional response of blame and punishment for the bully, the schools had individual discussions with the children involved and made sure that the bullying pupil committed to clear actions to support the victim. The results from the *** trial of 13% reduction in bullying are less compelling than those from earlier studies in other ********* countries. However, the U.K. trial took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved major classroom disruption for pupils and considerably higher levels of absenteeism, and researchers believe this may have affected the results. More information: The effects and costs of an anti-bullying programme (KiVa) in *** primary schools: a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial. Psychological Medicine. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291724002666 Provided by University of Oxford Citation: Treating bullying as everyone’s problem reduces incidence in primary schools (2024, November 8) retrieved 8 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Treating #bullying #everyones #problem #reduces #incidence #primary #schools Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel resumes free coffee and tea for its employees — $100-million-per-year program partly reinstated to boost employee morale Intel resumes free coffee and tea for its employees — $100-million-per-year program partly reinstated to boost employee morale Struggling chipmaker Intel announced to its workers that they’re getting free coffee and tea in breakrooms once more. These beverage benefits are one of the things the company suspended after it revealed its massive $1.6-billion loss last August, according to The Oregonian. Although it may seem minor, the company said via internal messaging, “…we understand that small comforts play a significant role in our daily routines. We know this is a small step, but we hope it is a meaningful one in supporting our workplace culture.” The reinstatement of free drinks for its employees comes after the company suspended some of the most generous benefits found in the industry. Some of these include free fruit and beverages, fitness coaches in the gym, a sabbatical after four years with the company, and the grounding of the Intel Air Shuttle that flies between California, Arizona, and Oregon. The ******* cause of concern, though, is the changes that the company will implement in its annual stock bonuses for employees, especially as they’re a big chunk of worker pay. According to Intel, its free and discounted food and beverages cost at least $100 million annually. “We really aren’t in a situation where we could continue to afford benefits and programs that are above market practice,” says Intel Chief People Office Christy Pambianchi. She also added, “Until we get into a better financial health position, we need to be suspending those.” However, it seems that the company has changed its mind—at least partially—about the food and beverage benefits. While free coffee and tea certainly won’t ease the anxiety of its employees about the future, they should give them some energy to get through the day. We hope this little news comforts its people, mainly as a huge chunk of its workforce—at least 15,000—is getting ***** off. Nevertheless, Intel’s Pat Gelsinger is slowly backing the company away from the edge, especially as its 18A process node has promising results. If everything goes well, the company could hopefully turn around sooner rather than later. After all, we don’t want it to reach a point where the government would intervene just to ensure its survival. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Intel #resumes #free #coffee #tea #employees #100millionperyear #program #partly #reinstated #boost #employee #morale Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Atlassian Is Up +60% in 3 Months: What’s Causing the Rally? Atlassian Is Up +60% in 3 Months: What’s Causing the Rally? Atlassian’s share price has been on a rollercoaster ride in 2024, but it has been up big since August. The company’s transition to its cloud-based product delivery went smoother than expected last quarter. A reasonable valuation versus peers and cloud transition momentum are positive signs going forward. Atlassian (NASDAQ:) is a tech stock that has been on the rise big-time lately after suffering a difficult first seven months of 2024. The stock’s 52-week low was back on Aug. 7. At that point, shares were down 42% during the year. But since then, they have made a massive comeback, up 62%. All in all, shares are still down just over 5% in 2024 but exhibit a positive trend. I’ll provide some background on what this company does and examine the ride it has gone on so far this year. I’ll close by providing my view on the future of this stock. Atlassian’s Productivity Boosting Software (ETR:) and Product Delivery Atlassian makes software that allows teams to collaborate more efficiently. Some of its main products are Jira, Confluence, and Loom. Jira is a project management software that allows technical and business teams to plan together more effectively and complete projects. Specifically, it could allow the web development and social media teams at a company to better manage the rollout of a new section of their website. This could help balance the need to provide engaging content in a way that is also user-friendly. Confluence is a platform where employees can share documents and data to work on them in a collaborative fashion. Loom allows for asynchronous video communication between team members. This means a team member can record a video and send it to their colleagues. They can watch it at their convenience instead of joining a live video call. The thought behind this is that it allows for a more human sharing of ideas without needing to communicate in real-time. For example, this could allow for a better expression of an appreciative tone when asking a teammate for help as opposed to a written message. Last quarter, 95% of revenue came from subscriptions to its software products. Another important point of note is the two main ways customers can access the software. The first is Cloud, where Atlassian runs the software on its own hardware, and customers access it through the internet. The second is Data Center, where enterprises run the software on their own hardware. Outlining Atlassian’s Tumultuous 2024 Journey The company’s shares have dropped massively after each of its first three earnings releases in 2024. On average, shares fell just under 15% in the three days after each of these results. This was despite the company beating expectations on both sales and adjusted earnings per share each time. The company beat estimates again in its fourth earnings report of the year. But this time, the reaction was different. Over the next three days, shares were up nearly 17%. So, why was this the case? The company has been pushing more customers to use its cloud-based platform and posted strong numbers in that part of the business. It beat its cloud revenue growth guidance of 27% strongly, with actual growth coming in at 31%. This wasn’t the case in previous quarters. This showed that the migration of customers, the increase in relationship size, and new growth went faster than expected. It also raised growth guidance for the full year for this segment, adding to the optimism. Atlassian’s High R&D Spending Is A Double-Edged Sword The cloud progress is a good sign, but it is also important to note that Atlassian is still consistently unprofitable. That is a bit of a scary sign for a company worth $57 billion. Despite its long history, it ranked 11th out of 40 large-cap U.S. software companies for revenue growth last quarter. Supporting growth is the company’s decision to spend an average of 48% of its revenue on research and development (R&D) since 2016. The number is 50% over the last twelve months, the highest percentage out of those 40 stocks. This leaves a lot of room for the company to improve its margins if it cuts R&D spending to become profitable. However, revenue growth is also likely to drop much faster than otherwise if it does. On valuation, the company’s Enterprise Value to Sales ratio is basically right in the middle of the pack among those 40 stocks. Given this, the positive momentum in its cloud transition, and the still-recent introduction of its AI tool Rovo, I wouldn’t be surprised if this stock continues its run-up. Wall Street overall isn’t super excited at this point; the stock’s average price target implies just an 8% upside. Original Post Source link #Atlassian #Months #Whats #Causing #Rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beyoncé overtakes Jay-Z to become most-nominated artist ever Beyoncé overtakes Jay-Z to become most-nominated artist ever Beyoncé has made history by becoming the most-nominated artist of all time at the Grammy Awards, overtaking her husband Jay-Z. The couple had been tied on 88 nominations each – but Beyoncé has now pulled ahead thanks to recognition for her latest album, Cowboy Carter. She picked up her 89th nomination in the best pop solo performance category on Friday, for the song Bodyguard. The full shortlists for the 2025 awards are currently being announced. Beyoncé is already the Recording Academy’s most-honoured artist, with 32 wins as a solo artist and a further three as part of Destiny’s Child. However, she has never won the coveted album of the year trophy, despite four nominations in the category. Most recently, Harry Styles beat her to that prize at the 2023 ceremony, where Beyoncé’s disco odyssey Renaissance had been the bookmakers’ favourite to win. Earlier this year, Jay-Z appeared to scold Grammy voters for Beyonce’s lack of recognition in the top category as he accepted a lifetime achievement prize. “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady,” he told the audience. “But she has more Grammys than everyone and never won album of the year. “So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work. Think about that. The most Grammys; never won album of the year. That doesn’t work.” She is widely expected to pick up her fifth nod for album of the year as the full nominations for the 2025 Grammys are revealed on Friday. Other artists expected to be in the running for the top prize include Taylor Swift for The Tortured Poets Department, Billie Eilish for Hit Me Hard And Soft, and Chappell Roan for The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess. The nominations for all 94 Grammy categories are being revealed in a livestream on the ceremony’s YouTube Channel, featuring Kylie Minogue, Mark Ronson and Victoria Monét. British star Raye picked up several early nominations, including songwriter of the year and best new artist. The Rolling Stones were also on the shortlist for best rock album for Hackney Diamonds, their first album of original material since 2016. This story will be updated as the shortlist comes into focus. Source link #Beyoncé #overtakes #JayZ #mostnominated #artist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fossils of Dinosaur With Armoured Plate and Bony Spikes Found, Could Withstand Impacts From Car ****** Fossils of Dinosaur With Armoured Plate and Bony Spikes Found, Could Withstand Impacts From Car ****** A study has shown that the well-preserved fossil of a nodosaur, a plant-eating dinosaur, could withstand the force of a high-speed car ******. The fossil, discovered in Alberta, Canada, belongs to Borealopelta markmitchelli , a species that lived around 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous *******. This fossil is one of the best-preserved dinosaur specimens ever found, offering unprecedented insights into the defensive capabilities of the nodosaur’s armour. Study Insights from Expert Researchers The research, led by biomechanical paleontologist Dr. Michael Habib from UCLA, revealed that the keratin sheaths covering the nodosaur’s bony spikes were significantly thicker than originally thought. The thickness of the keratin layer on the fossil was measured at nearly 16 centimetres in some areas, much thicker than the keratin found in modern-day animals like cattle horns. This keratin, combined with bony spikes, provided an exceptionally strong defence. According to Dr. Habib, the strength of the nodosaur’s armour was such that it could withstand over 125,000 joules of energy per square metre—equivalent to the force from a high-speed car collision. The research highlighted that this armour was a defence against predators but it also likely played a role in combat between males of the same species. Adaptations for Flexibility and Protection The study further suggested that the nodosaur’s armour, consisting of a flexible keratin layer, allowed for greater mobility and protection. If the keratin was damaged, it could be shed, offering a quick recovery mechanism compared to brittle bone armour that could ****** under impact. The presence of keratin would also have allowed the dinosaur to ****** effectively with its rivals, which could have been crucial in mating battles. The fossil’s remarkable preservation has led to further insights into the armour of other dinosaur species, with researchers suggesting that similar adaptations might have been widespread among armoured dinosaurs. Source link #Fossils #Dinosaur #Armoured #Plate #Bony #Spikes #Withstand #Impacts #Car #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Automotive drives strong Q4, fiscal year for Qualcomm Automotive drives strong Q4, fiscal year for Qualcomm At CES in January, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon predicted that the automotive industry could be the next computing space offering the opportunity for the company to hit the accelerator on providing bedrock technology for artificial intelligence (AI)-driven and connected devices in that sector, and for other use cases such as the internet of things (IoT) and Industry 4.0. This prediction looks to have borne fruit for the company in the fourth quarter of the company’s financial year, driving robust year-on-year revenue growth. For the quarter ended 29 September 2024, Qualcomm reported total revenues of $10.244bn, a 19% increase compared with the same ******* of 2023, driving earnings before taxes of $2.597bn, soaring 83% year-on-year. Net income virtually doubled in 12 months to $2.92bn. Drilling deeper into the quarterly results, Qualcomm revealed that for its core QCT semiconductor division, revenues were $8.2bn, at the high end of its guidance range with combined automotive and IoT revenues totalling $2.6bn. Handset business brought in $6.1bn in Q4, with the company boasting strong design traction, with successful launches at Xiaomi, Honor, Oppo and Vivo. It’s set for additional launches at Samsung and ASUS among others. IoT revenues amounted to $1.7bn, with PC original equipment manufacturers, including Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Acer and ASUS, offering devices powered by the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core platform. Qualcomm currently has 58 platforms launched or in development across the X Series portfolio. At $899m, automotive revenues alone were 68% higher than for the same ******* in 2023. Leading car manufacturers including Li Auto, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have adopted Snapdragon Elite automotive platforms for their future software-defined vehicles. The Qualcomm Technology Licensing Division saw revenues of $1.5bn, also at the high end of previous guidance. For the fiscal year, Qualcomm saw revenues rise 9% on an annual basis to $38.962bn, with EBT climbing 39% year-on-year to $10.336bn. Net income saw an almost identical strong lift to total $10.142bn. “We are pleased to conclude the fiscal year with strong results in the fourth quarter, delivering greater than 30% year-over-year growth in EPS,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm. “We are excited about our recent product announcements … as they continue to extend our technology leadership and position us well across handsets, PC, automotive and industrial IoT.” At the recent Snapdragon Summit, the company launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform, which Qualcomm said offers the world’s fastest mobile CPU and is the “the most powerful and world’s fastest” mobile system-on-a-chip. It offers technologies such as the second-generation custom-built Oryon CPU, Adreno GPU and enhanced Hexagon NPU, all of which, said Qualcomm, deliver “game-changing” performance improvements. These include personalised, multi-modal on-device generative AI, enabling the understanding of speech, context and images to enhance use cases such as business productivity. Source link #Automotive #drives #strong #fiscal #year #Qualcomm Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why individual investors need to look at private investments to further grow wealth Why individual investors need to look at private investments to further grow wealth In the past decade, private investments exploded from $4 trillion to $14 trillion. Primarily led by institutional capital, investors poured money into private markets in their search for differentiated returns and alpha generation. This makes sense as alternative investments have consistently outperformed global public markets on 10-, 15-, and 20-year time horizons. Now, the investor base is expanding to individuals. Bain estimates that assets under management in alternatives from individuals has risen to around $4 trillion and projects potential growth to $12 trillion in the next decade, a rapid expansion. Adding alternatives to portfolios requires careful consideration and we believe most individuals will opt to work with experienced advisors in that process. Interested individuals should focus on three big themes in alternatives investing: the longer-term time horizons; sizing investments in amounts that effectively can be put aside; and diversification, across a portfolio and within alternative sleeves. This applies to individuals across wealth categories as new open-end funds expand access for high-net-worth investors. For more than 20 years, I have been working with ultra-high-net-worth clients focused on growing and preserving their capital by investing in alternatives. We believe private market investments can help clients with the appropriate risk profile build a diversified portfolio. With recent product innovations, the most immediate opportunities will be for investors at higher wealth levels, but those opportunities continue to expand. As more companies stay private for longer, a portfolio limited to public companies inevitably will miss market opportunities. The universe of U.S. public companies has declined 43% since 1996, while the number of US private equity (PE) backed companies has increased five-fold since 2000. Fewer than 15% of companies with revenues over $100 million are public. This means individual investors have narrower exposure to growing businesses in the broad economy by investing solely in public markets. We believe this trend of companies choosing to stay private is expected to continue, owing to greater control and flexibility, lower regulatory reporting requirements, and better access to capital. While private markets offer advantages of broader economic exposure, diversification and alpha generation, it is important to understand their differences from public markets. Private markets require longer-term capital commitments. This necessitates careful selection of investment vehicles and precise allocation sizing. They are also less efficient than public markets. We stress the value of committing to managers who maintain consistent strategies and methodologies, and who have proven track records of outperforming public markets over time. Our advice to clients has been, and ******** to be, to spread their investments across a variety of alternative asset classes, managers, and funds. For years we have built alternative portfolios for ultra-high net worth clients who can tolerate illiquidity, often in the 20-30% range of overall holdings. High-net-worth investors might look at half of that (10-15%) as a potential target. We advise clients in traditional closed-end funds to invest through consistent allocations across multiple strategies over time. Sizes should be similar each year. Being consistent and persistent can enhance diversification over “vintage years.” The introduction of innovative open-end investment vehicles has simplified the investment process for investors across wealth brackets. Unlike traditional closed-end methods involving capital calls and drawdowns, these new vehicles require full capital upfront. Minimums in open-end funds can be significantly lower than traditional closed-end strategies, allowing high-net-worth investors to diversify across fund categories and managers as they grow their alternative exposure. While they offer a degree of liquidity, individual investors must understand that these vehicles are not truly liquid. In favorable market conditions, when the funds are performing well and attracting more investments, open-end products will allow redemptions, usually on a quarterly basis. However, when a large number of investors wish to withdraw their investments simultaneously, it should be assumed that full liquidity will not be available and account redemption may not be possible. Individuals should only make commitments in amounts they can afford to have tied up and treat these open-end funds as if they were conventional alternative investments – largely illiquid. Many newer open-end funds do not yet have significant performance track records, not having been through full cycles, but their managers can have long track records in other structures and strategies. Investors can judge by their resources: how strong are their teams? What are their competitive advantages? In private credit, it may be sourcing or top-quality credit selection. In other asset classes, such as private equity, top managers may be good at driving company growth organically, fixing problems, and helping companies create operational efficiencies. Yet it can be hard for individuals to judge all of this. We suggest they work with financial advisors who have access to wealth platforms with proven alternatives managers. With the ability and resources to monitor multiple managers, they can help investors with diversification. Over time, more opportunities for investors at different wealth levels could increase as retirement providers look to make alternatives available in plans that naturally have long time horizons. As companies stay private for longer, investors seek alpha generation, and the emphasis on portfolio diversification grows, opportunities and access to alternative investments should only continue to expand for individual investors. Source link #individual #investors #private #investments #grow #wealth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nearly 70% of Gaza war ***** women and children Nearly 70% of Gaza war ***** women and children Reuters About 44% of verified victims were children and 26% women, the UN said The UN’s Human Rights Office has condemned the high number of civilians ******* in the war in Gaza, saying its analysis shows close to 70% of verified victims over a six-month ******* were women and children. The agency said the high number was largely due to *******’s use of weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas, although some deaths may have been the result of errant projectiles by ************ armed groups. The report said it found “unprecedented” levels of international law violations, raising concerns about “war ******* and other possible atrocity *******”. ******* has in the past said it targets ****** and takes steps to mitigate risk to civilians by using precise munitions. The BBC contacted the ******* Defense Forces (IDF) for comment in response to Friday’s report. The UN agency said it verified the details of 8,119 people ******* in Gaza from November 2023 to April 2024. Its analysis found around 44% of verified victims were children and 26% women. The ages most represented among the ***** were five to nine-year-olds. About 80% of victims were ******* in residential buildings or similar housing, the agency added. The report said the data indicates “an apparent indifference to the ****** of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare”. Gaza’s ******-run health ministry, whose figures the UN sees as reliable, has reported a ****** toll of more than 43,300 people over the past 13 months. Many more bodies are believed to remain under the rubble of bombarded buildings. The health ministry said it obtained full demographic data for a majority of those ******* and reported that children account for one in three of that number. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said in a statement that “this unprecedented level of ********, and injury of civilians is a direct consequence of the ******** to comply with fundamental principles of international humanitarian law”. He cited the laws of distinction, which requires warring parties to distinguish between combatants and civilians, proportionality, which prohibits attacks where harm to civilians outweighs military advantage, and precautions in attacks. Türk called for a “due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law”. The IDF has previously told the BBC in response to criticism that it “will continue to act, as it always has done, according to international law”. Reuters The UN said the high number of women and child casualties was largely due to *******’s use of weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas The report also said the way the warring parties have conducted the conflict in Gaza has “caused horrific human suffering”. The UN said ************ armed groups have waged war from densely-populated areas and indiscriminately used projectiles, likely contributing to the ****** toll, while the IDF has destroyed civilian infrastructure and “left many of those alive, injured, displaced and starving, without access to adequate water, food or healthcare”. The situation is worst in north Gaza, which aid groups say has been under siege since early October when ******* launched a new ground offensive against ******. The UN said no food aid entered the north during the first two weeks of October. This prompted the US to issue an ultimatum to ******* to increase aid by 12 November or risk losing some military support. Jan Egeland, the head of aid organisation Norwegian ******** Council, told the BBC on Friday that he saw “devastation, despair, beyond belief” on a recent visit to Gaza. “There is hardly a building that is not damaged. And large areas looked like Stalingrad after the Second World War. You cannot fathom how intense this indiscriminate ******** has been on this trapped population,” he said. “It’s evident that it is first and foremost children and women who are paying a price for this senseless war,” he added. ******* launched its current military offensive in Gaza after ******’ ******* on 7 October 2023 that ******* 1,200 people in ******* and took 251 hostages back to Gaza. Source link #Gaza #war #***** #women #children Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Red ***** Redemption 2 Modder Creates Supersonic Horses, Is ******* Almost Constantly By Pony Soprano Red ***** Redemption 2 Modder Creates Supersonic Horses, Is ******* Almost Constantly By Pony Soprano The open-world of Red ***** Redemption 2 is built on rules, but what happens when they’re broken? One modder was so obsessed with making horses and carriages move at supersonic speeds that they didn’t stop to consider the consequences, and it looks like the mod has led to some homicidal horseplay. No matter where you are in the game, you’ll never be safe as this mod sure likes to stirrup trouble. As demonstrated by BlurbsTV, their mod turns Red ***** Redemption 2 into a horror spectacle that Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of. Think you can mind your own business on a desolate stretch of land? Wrong, you’re about to get a horse to the face. Walking down a peaceful street? Prepare to get intimately acquainted with the road when you’re run over. Enjoying a sunset while camped out on a mountain? We say thee neigh. In related news, Red ***** Redemption finally made its way to PC last month. This version includes both the base game and its Undead Nightmare expansion, as well as several graphical upgrades for its PC release. Developer Rockstar Games is also working on Grand Theft Auto 6 and the game is still on track for a Fall 2025 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. If you’re planning to modify the game so that its cars move ridiculously fast, you’ll have to be patient as GTA 6 isn’t officially scheduled to be released on PC yet and Rockstar is prioritizing consoles first. Source link #Red #***** #Redemption #Modder #Creates #Supersonic #Horses #******* #Constantly #Pony #Soprano Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chemists showcase power of pathbreaking method to make complex molecules Chemists showcase power of pathbreaking method to make complex molecules Credit: Emory University Chemists have synthesized a highly complex natural molecule through a new strategy of functionalizing normally inert carbon-hydrogen (C-H). The journal Science has published the breakthrough. Led by chemists at Emory University and Caltech, the work is the most dramatic example yet of a sequence of C-H functionalization reactions selectively transforming low-cost materials into complex building blocks of organic chemistry. Ten of the steps involved in their synthesis of cylindrocyclophane A—a natural compound with antimicrobial properties—involved C-H reactions. “It’s by far the most complex natural product we have made using our method,” says Huw Davies, Emory professor of chemistry and co-corresponding author of the paper. “This is a game changer. We’re doing chemistry on C-H bonds that formerly would have been considered as unreactive. And we’ve shown how we can orchestrate a suite of 10 C-H functionalization steps, targeting a single C-H bond at a time in a specific sequence.” “This work moves the field forward by showing the power of C-H functionalization,” adds Brian Stoltz, professor of chemistry at Caltech and co-corresponding author of the paper. “It will open people’s eyes to the possibilities of using these very selective and unusual transformations in a really complex setting.” The first author is Aaron Bosse, who did the work as an Emory Ph.D. student. Bosse has since graduated and is now a medicinal chemist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A major transformation in organic synthesis The work marks a capstone achievement for the National Science Foundation Center for Selective C-H Functionalization (CCHF), which was founded at Emory in 2009 as an NSF Center for Chemical Innovation. Directed by Davies, the CCHF grew to encompass 25 professors from 15 universities across the ******* States. The center also built global connections in Germany, Japan, South Korea and the U.K. The center led a major transformation in organic synthesis, opening new chemical space for exploration. “C-H functionalization represents a whole new way for chemists to synthesize material in what were once barren sites. It opens the possibility for synthesizing materials that are completely different from anything we’ve known,” Davies explains. Traditionally, organic chemistry has focused on the division between reactive, or functional, molecular bonds and the inert, or non-functional bonds, including carbon-hydrogen (C-H). These inert bonds provide a strong, stable scaffold for performing chemical synthesis on the reactive groups. C-H functionalization flips this model, designing tools to get reactions to occur at C-H bonds. To achieve such an ambitious goal, the CCHF first had to catalyze a new culture within the field, breaking down barriers between labs and institutions to collaborate across specialties. “Prior to the CCHF, organic chemistry was really very insular,” Stoltz says. “Individual investigators tended to covet their ideas. They would only present their findings to those outside of the lab when they had proven results.” “We all recognized the grand challenge before us,” Davies says. n-Propyl Grignard addition followed by deoxygenation the resulting ketone SM-4 or the derived alcohol SM-5. Credit: Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp2425 A new way of teaching That openness also led to changes in how organic synthesis is taught. Rather than just learning the techniques of one lab and one professor, students gain an array of expertise in fine chemicals development, materials science and ***** development through collaborations—including exchange programs between institutions. Students also regularly present during virtual symposia, learning to explain their research and ideas across specialties and to think collaboratively. In fact, a virtual symposium in 2015 sparked the collaboration that led to the current Science paper. Kuangbiao Liao, an Emory Ph.D. student who has since graduated and gone on to launch an organic synthesis company in Guangzhou, China, described new dirhodium catalysts for C-H functionalization with unprecedented site selectivity. That breakthrough developed by the Davies lab eventually resulted in a Nature paper. The new catalysts streamlined the process of C-H functionalization by eliminating the need for introducing a directing group to target a specific C-H bond. Instead, the three-dimensional exteriors of the catalysts act like a lock and key, allowing only one particular C-H bond in a compound to approach the catalyst and undergo the reaction. The lock-and-key method of the catalysts also controls the 3D shape of the resulting molecules. This architecture is particularly vital to the development of ***** molecules since shape can influence their effects on biological molecules. Combining forces While the Davies lab primarily specializes in developing methodologies for C-H functionalization, the Stoltz lab primarily specializes in synthesizing complex molecules. Stoltz immediately saw cylindocyclophane A as a good candidate to apply this new chemistry. “The features of the molecules that the Emory group was making with the new catalysts had similar features to cylindocyclophane,” he says. “The structures weren’t a perfect match but they were close.” Within days, the Davies and Stoltz labs began working together on the quest to synthesize this complex compound in a completely new way. As the project developed and the ideas were refined, it became clear that it was a chance to highlight the impact of C-H functionalization by building the whole synthesis around different strategies developed through the CCHF. The expertise of co-author Jin-Quan Yu, a chemist at the Scripps Research Institute, was brought in to expand the repertoire of C-H methods that could be applied to the synthesis. Leading new era One focus of the Catalysis Innovation Consortium (CIC), another Emory-led initiative, is to drive further advances in C-H functionalization through high-throughput experimentation and machine-learning techniques. “Instead of experimenting with one flask and one reaction, high-throughput experimentation allows you to use a plate and experiment with hundreds of different reactions in one go,” Davies explains. “We will use machine learning to analyze the resulting large datasets. That will allow us to develop predictive models for the optimum conditions to functionalize specific C-H bonds.” Just over 20 years ago, Davies notes, many chemists called the idea of selectively functionalizing C-H bonds “outrageous” and “impossible.” Now, C-H functionalization is set to enter the mainstream. “We’ve had a tremendous impact on developing C-H functionalization as both an academic discipline and for industry applications,” Davies says. “We want to continue leading this new era in organic synthesis.” More information: Aaron T. Bosse et al, Total synthesis of (−)-cylindrocyclophane A facilitated by C−H functionalization, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adp2425 Provided by Emory University Citation: Chemists showcase power of pathbreaking method to make complex molecules (2024, November 8) retrieved 8 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Chemists #showcase #power #pathbreaking #method #complex #molecules Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beyond VPNs: The future of secure remote connectivity Beyond VPNs: The future of secure remote connectivity As more companies adopt cloud services and remote work, the limitations of virtual private networks (VPNs) are becoming obvious. VPNs were designed to secure a fixed network perimeter, but they don’t work well with decentralised, cloud-based infrastructures. Today’s complex IT environments need solutions that offer more than just encrypted traffic. Data shows that almost 70% of VPN providers fail to meaningfully comply with privacy regulations. In this current environment, other remote access alternatives are both more secure and come with fewer privacy-related inconveniences. Why VPNs are no longer enough VPNs have been crucial for secure remote access but were designed for a time when employees worked in fixed locations, which isn’t the case today. As more people work remotely and use cloud applications, VPNs have struggled to keep up. One of the biggest issues is scalability. When too many employees and devices connect through a VPN, performance drops. This leads to slower speeds, higher latency and a frustrating user experience. VPNs also rely on a perimeter-based security model, assuming that everything inside the network is trusted. This leaves organisations exposed to threats that come from within the network. Another problem is the lack of control. VPNs lack detailed, dynamic security policies. Once users connect, they can access more resources than they may need, which becomes a security risk if their credentials are stolen. This means that additional identity theft protection measures may be required, depending on the importance of the data involved. VPNs also aren’t built for cloud environments, where resources are distributed across different services, making them ******* to secure. What is a software-defined perimeter? Software-defined perimeter (SDP) is a modern security framework designed to provide secure remote access by hiding network resources from unauthorised users. Unlike traditional security models that rely on a fixed perimeter (such as firewalls), SDP takes a zero-trust approach, where no one is trusted by default, regardless of their location. SDP works by dynamically creating secure, encrypted connections between users and the specific resources they need. It first verifies the user’s identity, device and context before granting access, and only allows connection to the resources that user is authorised for. This approach reduces the ******* surface because unauthorised users can’t even detect the existence of resources they don’t have access to. Another key benefit of SDP is its flexibility. It’s cloud-native, meaning it can secure connections across on-premise and cloud environments seamlessly. This makes it ideal for remote work, BYOD policies and hybrid infrastructures where traditional VPNs fall short. Additionally, SDP minimises the risks of lateral movement within a network. Thanks to the zero-trust model, if an attacker gains access to one part of the network, they can’t move freely to other areas. SDP also integrates well with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other identity verification tools to enhance security further. What is secure access service edge? Secure access service edge (SASE) is a cloud-based architecture that combines network and security functions into a single, integrated service. Unlike traditional setups where security tools and networking are separate, SASE merges them, providing security and networking through the cloud. This approach is designed to support today’s distributed workforces and cloud-based applications. SASE offers important security features such as firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), secure web gateways (SWG), cloud access security brokers (CASB), and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). These features work together to give users secure access to the resources they need from any location, without relying on traditional on-premise security systems. A key strength of SASE is its scalability. It easily adapts to different environments, such as hybrid, multicloud and remote work setups. Since it operates in the cloud, SASE reduces the need for complex on-site infrastructure, saving costs and simplifying management. SASE excels in performance as well. Instead of routing traffic through a centralised datacentre, which can cause delays and higher latency, SASE sends traffic through the nearest cloud service point. This results in faster data transmission and a smoother user experience. Studies have shown that SASE significantly reduces latency compared with traditional VPN setups, boosting productivity for remote teams worldwide. SASE enhances performance further by minimising latency. Rather than sending traffic through a central location, SASE directs it through the nearest cloud service, optimising speed and efficiency. VPNs, SDP and SASE: Which is right for you? Choosing between VPNs, SDP and SASE depends on the specific needs of your organisation and how you manage remote access. VPNs can still be a good option for smaller organisations with limited remote access needs or for individuals to use to secure their digital footprints. They are simple to set up and cost-effective for securing smaller, less complex networks. However, as larger organisations increasingly leverage AI for automating processes like customer service, data analysis or sales, the security risks grow in complexity. VPNs, which rely on traditional perimeter-based security models, are often not equipped to handle the advanced threats that emerge with AI integration. AI-driven systems handle sensitive data and are prone to new forms of attacks, such as AI-targeted malware or data breaches. Even efficient use of AI for sales might create problems for remote companies. Is the boost in productivity worth the higher risk? This raises the stakes for companies, making advanced security solutions such as SDP and Secure SASE more attractive. SDP uses a zero-trust model that verifies every user and device before giving access, which is critical for protecting AI systems and sensitive data. On the other hand, SASE combines networking and security into one cloud-based service. It works well for large teams, multiple offices and cloud-heavy businesses. When is the right time to switch from VPN to SDP or SASE? The choice depends on your organisation’s size, network complexity and security needs. If your company is facing any of the following situations, it may be time to make the switch: Increased reliance on remote work or hybrid teams If a significant portion of your workforce is working remotely, VPNs may not scale efficiently. When too many users connect, VPNs often create latency and performance bottlenecks, leading to productivity loss. Additionally, traditional VPNs aren’t built to secure cloud resources, making remote access to cloud applications vulnerable. Need for better security VPNs operate on a perimeter-based model, which assumes that anyone inside the network is trusted. This can be risky as it opens up the network to potential lateral movement if one segment is compromised. SDP’s zero-trust approach verifies every user and device before granting access, ensuring tighter security controls, especially for organisations handling sensitive data or complying with regulatory standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS. Challenges with managing complex or distributed environments If your organisation is spread across multiple locations or heavily dependent on cloud applications, managing a traditional VPN setup can become cumbersome. SASE offers an integrated solution that combines networking and security in a single cloud-based platform. This reduces the need for separate, on-premise security tools, simplifies management, reduces operational costs and ensures better performance through local cloud gateways. Performance issues due to network complexity VPNs often route traffic through a central location, which can lead to delays and higher latency, especially for global teams. SASE optimises performance by routing traffic through the nearest cloud service, reducing latency and improving the user experience. If your users are experiencing significant delays with VPNs, moving to SASE can alleviate those issues. Conclusion Organisations are changing how they manage secure remote access due to the need for stronger, more adaptable solutions. Traditional perimeter-based security no longer fits today’s decentralised, cloud-based environments. As remote work grows and cyber threats become more advanced, the need for better security is clear. Solutions such as SDP and SASE offer the flexibility, scalability and security that older technologies lack. Companies that adopt these modern solutions are better equipped to protect their networks and data while allowing secure access from anywhere. Source link #VPNs #future #secure #remote #connectivity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fiserv Is Up 50% This Year and Can Go Another 50% Higher Fiserv Is Up 50% This Year and Can Go Another 50% Higher Fiserv is the leading fintech providing merchant and financial services globally. The growth, analyst revisions, and institutional buying trends support the uptrend in the stock price. Robust capital returns will continue to reduce the share count and strengthen fundamental tailwinds. Fiserv’s (NYSE:) stock rallied in 2024 because of its position in the financial services industry and growing business leverage. The company is the first choice for payment and card services globally for merchants and financial institutions, growing its reach while its clients deepen ************ of a growing middle class. The growing middle class drives consumption of goods and services across industries and verticals, and with consumption comes the need for financial middlemen like Fiserv. Estimated at over 4 billion in 2024, the middle class is expected to grow by 25% by the decade’s end, providing ample opportunity for this fintech that it capitalizes on today. Fiserv Raises Guidance, Leads Market to New Highs Fiserv’s FQ3 results were mixed relative to the consensus reported by MarketBeat but are solid nonetheless. The company reported $4.88 in adjusted revenue, up 7% YoY, missing the consensus by only a slim margin. The growth was driven by both segments, with Merchant Solutions up a strong 29% and Financial Solutions up a slower but still solid 9%. Organically, revenue is up by 15% and compounded by a wider margin, which is expected to stick. Adjusted operating margin increased 170 basis points to 40.2%, driving substantial cash flow and free-cash-flow improvement. Fiserv’s cash flow and free cash flow are central to the investment. It is growing FCF at an accelerated rate, up 23% YTD, sufficient to sustain the company’s growth trajectory while buying back significant amounts of stock. The buybacks topped $1.3 billion in Q3 and $4.3 billion year-to-date, reducing the count by 5.4% at the end of the quarter. The balance sheet reflects the impacts of aggressive share buybacks, including reduced cash and equity, but ******** healthy. The company is well-capitalized, has a growing free cash flow, and has low leverage with long-term debt of less than 1x equity. Guidance and Analysts Trends Provide a Tailwind for Share Prices The guidance provides strength for Fiserv’s stock price tailwind. The guidance was increased on the top and bottom line, the third increase this year, to levels outpacing the analysts’ consensus and likely increased again due to mounting leverage. The company announced several wins with new and existing clients and product innovation that will drive growth over the next few years. The analysts like the trends in Fiserv’s results and are lifting their estimates for future results and the stock price. The 26 analysts tracked by MarketBeat show a high conviction in the Moderate Buy rating, with 85% of them rating at Buy. The price target lags the market but provides significant technical support, rising nearly 20% following the Q3 release due to revisions. The revisions suggest this stock will move to the high-end range of analysts’ targets, a new all-time high near $245. Fiserv Insiders Sell Shares Fiserv insiders are selling shares in 2024 but pose no threat to investors. The sales are consistent with activity related to share-based compensation and align with the trends. The insiders sell this stock regularly in small amounts and own less than 2% of shares, so they provide only a weak headwind for the stock price action. Institutions are a more significant force in this market, owning 90% of the shares and buying on balance in 2024. The price action in Fiserv shares is bullish. The market is rising strongly, supported by multiple tailwinds, including growth, cash flow growth, share repurchases, and sell-side interest, including those of analysts and institutions. The uptrend in share prices will likely continue with this in play, easily hitting the $244 target by mid-2025 and extending the rally to new highs as business growth and capital return continue over the long term. Original Post Source link #Fiserv #Year #Higher Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nigeria offers free Caesareans to poorer women Nigeria offers free Caesareans to poorer women Nigeria has announced that free emergency Caesarean sections will be made available to “poor and vulnerable” women in an ambitious plan to bring down the high number of mothers dying in childbirth. At 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, *******’s most populous nation has the fourth highest maternal mortality rate in the world and the lack of access to Caesareans is thought to be one of the reasons. Many pregnant women, particularly in rural Nigeria are unable to receive emergency medical care partly due to the cost. “No woman should lose her life simply because she can’t afford a C-section,” Health Minister Muhammad Pate said while announcing the “powerful move”. While the price may vary across Nigeria’s different states, on average, a Caesarean costs around 60,000 naira ($36;£28) which can be beyond the reach of many. More than 40% of ********** live below the international extreme ******** line of $2.15 per day, according to 2023 data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics. The Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative launched on Thursday will now allow all eligible women to access Caesarean sections in public hospitals. To be a beneficiary, one must be registered under the country’s public health insurance scheme. “By removing financial barriers to this life-saving procedure, we ensure that no woman in need is denied critical care due to cost,” Pate added. The health scheme covers emergency situations only, Tashikalmah Hallah, a communication adviser to the health minister, told the BBC. Social ******** units in public hospitals will help determine eligibility and identify those who cannot afford the procedure, Mr Hallah added. Pate said maternal mortality remained “unacceptably high”. Caesareans are seen as essential for preventing obstructed labour in cases where a woman’s pelvis is too small, the baby is in a breech position, or is too large to exit the birth canal. Without intervention, a constricted baby may fatally rupture the *******, or cause tears that catastrophically haemorrhage. While offering to support the new initiative, the World Bank’s Trina Haque, described it as a “game-changer”. “If implemented right, this initiative will deliver. We’re here to support every step of the way,” Kazadi Mulombo, the WHO country rep, said. Causes of maternal deaths include severe haemorrhage, high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia), unsafe abortions and obstructed or prolonged labour. The new policy will “improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country”, Rhoda Robinson, executive director of HACEY, an NGO advocating for healthcare access for vulnerable populations in Nigeria. “Especially for women from low-income communities who might resort to alternative and often unsafe care options,” she told the BBC. Mabel Onwuemena, national coordinator of the Women of Purpose Foundation, another NGO advocating for better maternal health access in *******, praised the initiative and urged the ********* government to expand it to include free drugs and ultrasound to pregnant women. Source link #Nigeria #offers #free #Caesareans #poorer #women Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lions Super Bowl? McCarthy’s seat the hottest? The Athletic NFL staff’s midseason picks Lions Super Bowl? McCarthy’s seat the hottest? The Athletic NFL staff’s midseason picks Back in September, The Athletic’s NFL staff made picks for MVP, Super Bowl champion and more. Two months later, the season’s (approximate) midseason point, is the perfect time to update those predictions. Some things remained the same (like the consensus Super Bowl LIX matchup), while others have changed (MVP and Super Bowl winner picks). Forty-six staffers responded. Here are their predictions. Voter fatigue might have been a factor in Lamar Jackson drawing zero MVP votes in our poll two months ago, but his performance to this point has been undeniable. Patrick Mahomes was the pick before the season started, but while he’s been better than his box-score statline would suggest he might have too steep a statistical hill to climb to overtake Jackson. GO DEEPER NFL midseason predictions for every team: Kirk Cousins wins comeback award; NFC East champ is …? Like his quarterback teammate who now leads the MVP race, Derrick Henry didn’t draw a single OPOY vote from our staff in the preseason, though Henry now seems to be a healthy second half of the season away from clinching the award for a second time in his career. The two top vote-getters in September have been done in by injuries — Tyreek Hill to his quarterback, and ********** McCaffrey to himself. Watt finished third in the preseason vote, behind Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. Parsons’ injury and Garrett’s (relatively) down season have swung the door open for Watt to win DPOY honors for a second time — which would put him one trophy away from catching big brother J.J., a three-time winner with the Houston Texans. Warner and Chris Jones also drew votes in September’s poll. GO DEEPER 2024 NFL trade deadline winners, losers: Chiefs, Lions get richer; why did Giants stay put? Jayden Daniels finished second to the draft’s top pick, Caleb Williams, in the preseason vote. Though while Williams’ play has improved as the season has gone on, Daniels has been spectacular and is primarily responsible for the staggering turnaround of the Commanders’ on-field fortunes. (Also, while we didn’t split the rookie vote into Offensive and Defensive awards like the NFL does, one voter did highlight Rams edge rusher Jared Verse as the top defensive rookie.) The Chiefs drew 28 of 42 votes (67 percent) to win the AFC in September, and now get a similar share (63 percent) at midseason. They have run into some injury issues (specifically top receiver Rashee Rice) coming off a 21-game season a year ago, but with a perfect record things are set up to run through Kansas City in the AFC playoffs. There’s not much reason to move off the two-time defending champs. GO DEEPER NFL Coach of the Year, MVP and biggest surprises (and disappointments) at midseason While the Lions were the preseason pick with less than half the vote (16 of 42, 38 percent), their performance in the first half of the season, specifically of late, has made them heavy favorites in the NFC (87 percent of the vote). The Packers, 49ers and Eagles were second, third, and fourth, respectively, in September as well. Scoop City Newsletter Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign Up While the two conference champion picks held from the summer, the Lions have won over the staff’s confidence when it comes to potentially lifting the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl LIX. While the Chiefs got more than half the vote (23 of 42) in September, Detroit drew only two votes to win the Super Bowl before the season started, tied for fifth (behind the Chiefs, 49ers, Texans and Bengals) at that time. What they said “The Dolphins are flawed on defense and can’t afford more than two more losses, but they’ve got a supercharged offense and the conducive schedule (Rams, Raiders, Patriots, Browns, Jets twice) to go on a run and steal the AFC’s seventh playoff spot.” — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer “It’s the 49ers if they get ********** McCaffrey back and he’s able to stay on the field. Otherwise, I’d go with the Bengals.” — Mike Sando, NFL senior writer “I almost picked the 49ers to win the NFC despite their 4-4 start. They have played shorthanded all season, and while they’re not getting Brandon Aiyuk or Javon Hargrave back I think they have enough elsewhere to win it all if things break right. Brock Purdy has taken another step, and the offensive line has more upside than in previous years. If ********** McCaffrey gets right, San Francisco could be a juggernaut again.” — David DeChant, senior editor “The Rams are in a vulnerable division, and the offense is getting healthy.” — R.J. Kraft, staff editor GO DEEPER 2025 NFL mock draft: How many QBs ****** the top 10? Is Travis Hunter worth the No. 1 pick? What they said “Doug Pederson is under the most pressure; Jaguars ownership publicly set expectations so high entering the season.” — Mike Sando, NFL senior writer “It might already be unsalvageable in Dallas, but there’s no way Jerry Jones can turn back to Mike McCarthy if this thing goes further off the rails.” — Jim Ayello, senior editor “You just don’t bench a 22-year-old quarterback who was the fourth overall pick for his 39-year-old backup if you aren’t all-in on this year.” — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Sam Hodde / Getty Images, Patrick McDermott / Getty Images, Cooper Neill / Getty Images) Source link #Lions #Super #Bowl #McCarthys #seat #hottest #Athletic #NFL #staffs #midseason #picks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jail for ****** ****** driver on wrong side of road Jail for ****** ****** driver on wrong side of road A chef who was driving on the wrong side of the road has been sentenced to two years and four months for ******** a taxi driver in a ******. Christopher Boyle, 57, ***** on 2 September on the A4139 between Tenby and Penally in Pembrokeshire. Mateusz Sikorski, 30, pleaded guilty to ****** by dangerous driving. The court previously heard Sikorski had been visiting the *** from Poland, and was staying with friends. He was driving towards Penally when he collided head-on with Mr Boyle, who was travelling in the opposite direction. Sikorski initially told police at the scene that Mr Boyle was travelling on the wrong side of the road, but later admitted he was on the wrong side of the road, which was backed up by CCTV footage from a nearby petrol station. He claimed the taxi’s *********** blinded him. Craig Harding, prosecuting, said: “Mateusz Sikorski’s manner of driving posed a major risk to other road users and resulted in fatal consequences. “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Mr Boyle’s family and friends who have suffered a dreadful loss.” Source link #Jail #****** #****** #driver #wrong #side #road Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]