Pelican Press

Nvidia beats, but fails to provide spark Nvidia beats, but fails to provide spark By Jamie McGeever (Reuters) – A look at the day ahead in ****** markets. Investors hoping that Nvidia’s eagerly-awaited earnings after the U.S. close on Wednesday would inject renewed vigor into world markets will be disappointed, heralding the prospect of a lukewarm open in Asia on Thursday. Wall Street spent all day Wednesday firmly in the red before a late rally, bond yields and the dollar were higher, and a weak 20-year U.S. Treasury bond auction was a reminder of how deep Washington’s fiscal deficit runs and the strain on investors to fund it. The global picture wasn’t particularly reassuring either. ********* stocks fell for a fourth day – their worst run in over two months – China’s yuan slipped to a three and a half month low on the spot market, and volatility ticked higher. Then came Nvidia. The world’s most valuable company reported a beat on third-quarter earnings per share and forecast fourth-quarter revenue slightly above estimates. But shares immediately fell in after-hours trading by as much as 5% before recovering, and Nikkei and Wall Street futures are pointing to a lower open in Japan and the US on Thursday. Is the AI darling’s shine beginning to fade? Thursday’s economic calendar in Asia is relatively light, with South Korean export, Indonesian current account and Hong Kong inflation data the main releases. Annual inflation in Hong Kong is seen slowing to a 1.7% pace in October from 2.2% in September, which would mark the steepest decline since April and heighten concern that deflationary pressures on the ******** mainland could be spreading. There may be more market fireworks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda, who is scheduled to speak at a financial forum in Paris. Investors and traders will be trying to determine if his tone and signals differ from his fairly balanced remarks earlier this week that kept the door open to a December rate hike but also cautioned against moving too fast. Judging by the yen’s behavior recently, whatever markets think the BOJ will do is being completely overwhelmed by renewed hawkishness surrounding the Fed outlook. The yen has only appreciated in one out of the last eight trading sessions, and finds itself back below 155.00 per dollar. It might need a notably hawkish signal from Ueda to engineer a sustainable recovery or get September’s 140.00 per dollar back into view. But right now, the ********* swaps market is pointing to less than 50 bps of BOJ tightening by the end of next year. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is moving closer to a historic break above $100,000, boosted by increasing confidence that President Donald Trump’s administration will be a crypto-friendly regime. Story Continues Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Thursday: – Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks in Paris – Hong Kong inflation (October) – South Korea exports (October) (Reporting by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Deepa Babington) Source link #Nvidia #beats #fails #provide #spark Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will be impacted by ***** Martino’s exit How Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will be impacted by ***** Martino’s exit As Inter Miami closed in on a record-setting 74-point season and a Supporters’ Shield trophy, much of the credit was given to Lionel Messi. When healthy, the 37-year-old Argentina national team captain was dominant. Messi played in just 19 of Miami’s 36 league matches but was still performing at MVP level, even if this was perhaps unsurprising for an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Messi, though, has attributed Miami’s rise from a last-place club to the league’s standard to head coach ***** Martino. “The team has grown so much with Martino’s arrival,” Messi told reporters on the eve of the Leagues Cup final in August 2023. He repeated that on October 2 this year in a post-match interview with Apple TV after scoring two goals against the Columbus Crew to secure the Supporters’ Shield. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported Martino had resigned as Miami’s head coach due to personal reasons. The club announced that Martino, club co-owner Jorge Mas and president of football operations Raul Sanllehi will address the media on Friday. The reasons for Martino’s abrupt departure from Miami, who were eliminated from the MLS playoffs on November 9, will become more clear. But it may not answer every pending question regarding the future of the club and how this change will affect Messi. The World Cup winner has a contract through the 2025 season and a reported option for 2026. Messi is much more than a star player at the club. His contract includes a purchase option that would make him a partial owner in the future. He’s an influential figure. Martino speaking to Messi in training (Megan Briggs/Getty Images) In June 2023, cameras in Argentina captured Martino leaving Messi’s gated community in Rosario. The unconfirmed meeting took place two weeks after Messi told the world that he would end his ********* career and head to the ******* States. It preempted the third iteration of a Messi-Martino partnership. Martino coached Messi for one season at Barcelona in 2014 then again in 2015-2016 with the Argentina national team. Former Barcelona director of football Andoni Zubizarreta claimed in 2020 that Martino had voiced concerns about Messi’s authority at the Catalan club during a Barcelona training session a decade ago. According to Zubizarreta, Martino told Messi, “I know you can call the president and he’ll ***** me, but *****, you don’t have to demonstrate that every day. I already know.” “Those words never came out of my mouth,” Martino said shortly after. Their relationship has been overanalyzed. The fact that Martino could not win a major trophy alongside Messi fueled the hypothesis that a lack of success had created fissures between the two. The evidence at hand, though, doesn’t add up. Messi and Martino shared an embrace during last summer’s hype-filled Leagues Cup run which seemingly put an end to that theory. Messi’s public support of Martino this season carries weight as well. A stinging loss can change everything in professional sport. But Martino’s resignation coincides with a shift in dynamics inside the walls of Miami’s facility in Fort Lauderdale. To begin with, there is no shortage of decision makers at the club. There’s Mas, the outspoken billionaire executive who personally recruited Luis Suarez. His brother Jose Mas is also a club adjudicator. Co-owner David Beckham has a say across multiple departments, too. Martino himself had significant authority on player signings early in his short tenure. Things get complicated when it comes to the club’s sporting department. It was originally led by chief soccer officer Chris Henderson until Mas hired Sanllehi to oversee that division. It will be Sanllehi, not Henderson, who will flank Martino and Jorge Mas during Friday’s press conference. Sanllehi has twice held the position of director of football, first at Barcelona and then at Arsenal. He and Martino crossed paths during the Argentine’s lone year in La Liga. Before joining Miami, Sanllehi was the director general of Real Zaragoza in Spain — where Mas is part of the ownership group. Shortly after Sanllehi arrived in Zaragoza, the club’s owners replaced head coach Juan Ignacio Martinez with Juan Carlos Carcedo, a former assistant of Unai Emery at Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla, among other clubs. Sanllehi described Carcedo, the current head coach of Cypriot team Pafos FC, as “hard-working, knowledgeable and modern” in an interview with The Athletic in 2022. By hiring Sanllehi, Mas sent a clear message. He has experience in key administrative positions in Europe and will help shape Miami’s sporting strategy. But there are major differences between managing a top-tier ********* side and maneuvering the convoluted squad and financial restrictions of an MLS club. Sanllehi (left) is a key figure at Miami (Inter Miami) Sanllehi was instrumental in the highly-publicized deal that saw Neymar move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. Neymar has been the latest superstar to be linked to a move to Miami. But Messi also has allies within the club in important roles. One is Guillermo Hoyos, Miami’s director of player development and methodology. Hoyos, an Argentine, was a youth coach of Messi’s at Barcelona. In 2010, Messi referred to Hoyos as “my footballing godfather.” Henderson is one of just a few professionals within the organization who has vast experience as an MLS executive. The club’s director of player personnel and compliance, Meghan Cameron, is a former MLS league office employee who was hired in 2021 after Miami were sanctioned for the MLS salary budget and roster guidelines. Henderson has thus far survived the ongoing shakeup. Miami’s vice president of soccer operations Niki Budalic, who works closely with Henderson, ******** at the club. Others do not. Former first team director of scouting and recruitment Mark Prizant, a former Manchester ******* scout, left the club over the summer for new MLS expansion side San Diego FC. He was named assistant sporting director. After Miami’s 2-1 win over Atlanta ******* on October 25, Martino credited Henderson, Budalic and others for identifying midfielder Yannick Bright in the 2023 college draft. Bright, 23, was a revelation in 2024. Martino clearly respected their opinions. With so many important voices in some of Miami’s most prominent positions, Martino had limited sway. In the end, Martino, who took Miami from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the league’s best-ever point total, is just a coach. Never mind that his eye for talent identification has resulted in two of MLS’ most prolific teams. Atlanta ******* in 2018 and the 2024 version of Inter Miami have Martino’s fingerprints throughout both teams. But as Martino told reporters two weeks ago, Miami fell well short of their objectives this season. The bar was high when he was hired shortly after Messi announced his decision to join. The standard, now, is even higher. Martino’s successor will have to manage up and appease the club’s most powerful voices. Miami’s next head coach must find common ground with Messi immediately, and outperform the team’s 2024 exploits. Carcedo could be a dark horse candidate based on his previous history with Mas and Sanllehi. Former Barcelona midfielder and manager Xavi, currently unemployed, checks the most boxes. Together with Messi and Sergio Busquets, Xavi was an integral part of Barcelona’s glorious run from the mid 2000s. Mas admires the Barcelona DNA. His successful courtship of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Jordi Alba have been a boon for the club and for MLS. Mascherano could be an option for Miami (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) Then there’s Javier Mascherano, another former Barcelona midfielder and a legend with the Argentina national team. Mascherano and Messi have a long history together. Mascherano, 40, is the head coach of Argentina’s U-20 and U-23 teams. He talks openly about his friendship with Messi. He also tried to include Messi in his squad for the Paris Olympics as an overage player. The Miami job is a desirable one from the outside. Thanks to Messi, the club’s brand is well known around the world. But whoever is hired as Miami’s next manager will have the unenviable task of coaching an aging Miami team with limited depth at next summer’s Club World Cup. Martino’s exit has been put down to personal reasons — but what Martino says on Friday, in what will be a highly visible news conference, could be telling. (Top photo: AFP via Getty Images) Source link #Lionel #Messi #Inter #Miami #impacted #***** #Martinos #exit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fellows Heres What We Know About the Doggos of The First Descendant So Far Fellows Heres What We Know About the Doggos of The First Descendant So Far During the official Season 2 announcement video, Nexon confirmed that companions, or Fellows as is their in-game name, are indeed dogs and will be coming to The First Descendant with Season 2. Source link #Fellows #Heres #Doggos #Descendant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snowflake (SNOW) Q3 earnings report 2025 Snowflake (SNOW) Q3 earnings report 2025 The New York Stock Exchange welcomes Snowflake to usher in the first day of winter on Dec. 21, 2021. NYSE Snowflake shares on Wednesday spiked 19% in extended trading after the data analytics software maker reported fiscal third-quarter earnings that beat estimates. Here’s how the company did, compared to LSEG analyst expectations: Earnings per share: 20 cents, adjusted vs. 15 cents expected Revenue: $942 million vs. $897 million expected Snowflake’s total revenue rose 28% year over year in the quarter, which ended on Oct. 31, according to a statement. The company’s net loss of $324.3 million, or 98 cents per share, widened from $214.3 million, or 65 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier. Product revenue, at $900.3 million, represented around 96% of total revenue. Snowflake called for $3.43 billion in fiscal 2025 product revenue, implying 29% growth. That’s up from the $3.36 billion forecast management gave three months ago, which suggested 26% growth. The full-year view also includes an adjusted operating margin of 5%, up from the 3% guidance in August. Snowflake is focusing more on saving money, CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy told analysts on a conference call. “We’ve been creating centralized, more efficient teams for some areas and removing redundant management layers, which enables us to make decisions faster,” he said. But the company isn’t doing a major round of layoffs, finance chief Mike Scarpelli said. Snowflake had 10,618 customers at the end of October, having added 369 in the fiscal third quarter. Analysts polled by StreetAccount had expected 10,601. For years, Snowflake has put up with competition from cloud providers such as Amazon and Microsoft, but they also are key partners that provide the company with underlying computing resources. “Through our collaboration with AWS, we have booked over $3.9 billion over the past four quarters,” Ramaswamy said. Also on Wednesday, Snowflake announced a multi-year partnership with Anthropic, the Amazon-backed artificial intelligence startup and OpenAI competitor. And it said it had agreed to buy startup Datavolo for undisclosed terms. As of Wednesday’s close, the stock was down 35% so far in 2024, while the S&P 500 index was up 24%. Executives will discuss the results with analysts on a conference call starting at 5 p.m. ET. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. WATCH: Q3 is one of Snowflake’s ‘best quarters we’ve seen in a long time’, says Jefferies Brent Thill Source link #Snowflake #SNOW #earnings #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) earnings show mixed performance Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) earnings show mixed performance Target’s stock tumbled to a 52-week low on Wednesday, a day after Walmart shares soared to an all-time high — as the rival retailers’ earnings reports again underscored how their performance has diverged. Target posted its biggest earnings miss in two years and cut its forecast. The company spoke about a “deceleration in discretionary demand” and blamed higher costs caused by the rush to move inventory ahead of the short-lived port strike in October. On the company’s earnings call, CEO Brian Cornell described U.S. consumers who are “shopping carefully as they work to overcome the cumulative impact of multiple years of price inflation” and holding out for the best possible deal. Walmart, on the other hand, hiked its full-year forecast. It said it’s gaining upper-income shoppers and seeing better trends for sales of merchandise outside of the grocery department, even as consumers look for value. Customer traffic gains were similar at the two stores, yet Walmart’s sales trends looked much better than Target’s. Walmart’s traffic growth edged out its rival’s, with a gain of 3.1% at Walmart U.S. versus 2.4% at Target. Walmart’s same-store sales rose 5.3%, while Target’s increased only 0.3% year over year. Walmart’s e-commerce sales in the U.S. rose 22%, a ******* increase than the nearly 11% at Target. The sharp differences between the two big-box retailers — and how their businesses are executing in the same economic backdrop — illustrate where consumers are willing to spend money and where they are pulling back as they remain selective about spending. That sharp divergence of the winners and losers in the industry could become even starker as retailers enter their most crucial sales season of the year. Michael Baker, a retail analyst at D.A. Davidson, said Target’s disappointing results reflect the company’s performance rather than the health of consumers. “It’s as simple as this: They are losing share,” Baker said. “They are losing share to Walmart, Amazon and Costco.” He said Target’s inconsistent results over the past year are a warning sign about **********. The company has missed Wall Street’s quarterly sales and earnings expectations in two quarters and beat on them in two other quarters. “That kind of back and forth makes you wonder if there’s something going on internally,” he said. Several equity research analysts, including Citi Research, Deutsche Bank and HSBC Global Research, downgraded Target’s stock Wednesday, citing concerns that the Minneapolis-based retailer has lost shoppers and sales to competitors. Its stock dropped more than 20% in trading Wednesday. In a research note, Paul Lejuez, a retail analyst for Citi, said the company’s poor results and weak outlook show Target is “likely losing share” to Walmart and risks losing more of the market unless it steps up promotions. One of the roots of Target’s troubles is the company’s merchandise mix, said Kate McShane, a retail analyst for Goldman Sachs. About 60% of Target’s sales come from discretionary items, such as home goods and clothing. That’s the opposite of Walmart, which draws about 60% of its sales from everyday necessities, such as groceries and household items such as paper towels. Those discretionary categories, which customers sometimes splurge or pull back on, explain “some of the volatility and the bumpiness you are seeing that is more specific to Target,” she said. Both Walmart and Target mentioned the negative impact of the port strike, but Target appeared to put a major share of the blame for its weak quarter on the stoppage. D.A. Davidson’s Baker said weak sales can “make those kinds of cost increases stand out more.” Target has other questions that will factor into its future, including who will lead the company. Cornell, who has been chief executive since 2014, agreed in September 2022 to stay on as the company’s leader for three more years. On a call with investors Wednesday, Cornell pointed to “green shoots” in the business, even as sales results disappointed. He spoke about customer traffic growth, online sales gains and relative strength in apparel sales, even as unseasonably warm weather kept shoppers from buying clothes for cooler temperatures. Yet on that same call, several analysts posed questions about Target’s plans for the future. UBS equity research analyst Michael Lasser asked if Target needs to make changes or invest more in its business. Cornell said the company will stick with what it already does: offering unique items and national brands, opening new stores, expanding its advertising business and offering more ways for shoppers to buy online. “We’ll continue on our current strategy, stay in step with the consumer and make sure Target’s doing the things that consumers across America expect from us,” he said. Source link #Walmart #WMT #Target #TGT #earnings #show #mixed #performance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inside F1 Las Vegas’ plans for a successful sequel — and no drain cover drama Inside F1 Las Vegas’ plans for a successful sequel — and no drain cover drama LAS VEGAS — The start of Formula One’s Las Vegas residency last November was a major moment in the 73-year history of the sport. F1 spent over half a billion dollars to put on one of the most-hyped races in its history, taking over the reins of promoting and organizing the entire grand prix. Despite a bumpy start — a loose water valve cover canceled first practice and severely delayed FP2 on a lousy opening night — the event was a huge success. On the track, the ****** for the win went down to the closing laps as Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc scrapped back and forth for position. The fast-flowing layout, incorporating a long straight down the Strip, proved a hit with the drivers and made for the most entertaining race of the year. The grand prix was a money-spinner, even with locals’ frustrations resulting from the disruption of having F1 in town. November is typically the city’s eighth-best month of the year. In 2023, it was the second-best month in its history. “We knew it would be big, but the attention … frankly, F1 did a fantastic job of building up that race,” said Steve Hill, the CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). “It was two or three times more marketing value than we would have expected going in. We would have been happy with a third of what we got. “We were going to be thrilled with what we expected, but what we got was eye-opening.” As F1 returns for its second shot in Las Vegas, there is a new dynamic. The novelty factor has diminished, but in its place comes experience and, for the organizers, a playbook to work from. There is a bar to try and meet once again. The spotlight on the race action in Las Vegas has only increased thanks to the closer competitive picture through 2024. By this point last year, Verstappen had already long been crowned champion; now, there is a chance he could clinch his fourth title Saturday night, so long as he finishes ahead of Lando Norris. The potential of F1 crowning a champion at its glitziest event is appealing for the sport and something the race organizers know would offer a unique chance to put a Las Vegas twist on the celebrations. “I’m sure that we would be able to pull some ideas out of our hat, maybe pre-arrange some pretty exciting opportunities,” Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, said of a potential coronation, noting the high-end hospitality options at the properties along the Strip. “There’s so many opportunities to highlight the drivers, and particularly if we actually do have the benefit of being able to get a champion.” While the organizers of the race may not be able to influence the sporting spectacle, the success of last year’s Saturday night race was enough reassurance that no changes were needed for 2024. The circuit ******** unchanged, but they anticipate heightened fan interest with a late-season championship ****** underway. “In the U.S., we love to see good competition, and it’s less about who the particular team or driver is,” Wilm said. “So to know that there is still so much on the line and that the championship is going to be up for grabs, and the fact you’ve had so many different drivers on the podium is itself creating a lot of excitement and buzz.” A different approach has been taken to appeal to fans for the second running of the race. In the lead-up to the 2023 grand prix, there was scrutiny of high ticket prices and how unaffordable it would be for people to attend. This year, over 10,000 extra general admission tickets have been made available across three fan zones as part of rejigging the ticket inventory. The hope is to make it a race that can cater to everybody, not just those chasing high-end experiences. The Las Vegas Grand Prix also changed how it marketed the race, starting the build-up around 100 days out instead of over a year in advance. Wilm said in October that ticket sales had been “pretty consistent with what we did expect” and that she anticipated a surge closer to the race due to Las Vegas’ reputation as a last-minute town. She also believed many fans would wait until after the U.S. presidential election, which may have left some “a little hesitant to know what their November is going to look like.” According to a statement issued by the race last week, 300,000 attendees are expected “based on calculated data from ticket sales and bookings for race-related programming.” A more concerted effort has also been made to connect with the local community ahead of the second year. A free fan festival will take place Friday and Saturday, giving attendees a chance to get a flavor of what F1 brings to Las Vegas, with tickets quickly being fully reserved. Hill thought it would help “build both goodwill in the community and an additional fan base in the southwest” of the ******* States. Race organizers have taken efforts to inform the public about traffic around the race. (Dan Istitene / Formula 1 via Getty Images) Developing goodwill with the community was particularly important after the frustration many locals in Las Vegas felt about the level of disruption last year. The requirements of repaving the sections of the road for the circuit — taking 10 inches off the surface and replacing it with one suitable for F1 cars — led to significant road closures and traffic issues. With so much of the construction work already completed last year, there wasn’t a need to repeat it this year. “This year, the community knows more about what to expect, and what we’re doing is not building the circuit,” Hill said. “We really didn’t start any kind of lane disruption until the first week of October, where last year, that started in the middle of April. It just wears you out after a while.” Wilm said they were “just light years ahead of where we were October of last year, in terms of local sentiment. This is the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It’s also Liberty and Formula One’s grand prix. So it is so important to us that everyone embraces this event as much as we do.” Communication with locals is one area the organizers of the race felt there was room for improvement. “We communicated, but we didn’t communicate with the level of sophistication that this race demands,” Terry Miller, the general manager who oversees the track construction, told The Athletic. In 2024, the race improved a bespoke, interactive website to provide all the information about road closures and any possible disruption. It introduced a texting program, giving locals a “week ahead” view, and met with over 900 stakeholders to ensure no surprises. Another surprise from 2023 that F1 will be keen to avoid is the disruption caused by the loose water valve cover Thursday night that destroyed Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, caused FP1 to be canceled after eight minutes and delayed FP2 so long that police asked fans to leave the track by that point. While it was hardly the first time a utility cover had come up at an F1 street track, it was by far the most infamous incident. Miller explained that new protocols are in place for this year. “Due to what occurred last year, we do have, in fact, a protocol and a process that we’ve gone through over the last five months to secure the lids, even to the point where we will do three or four visual checks of what’s going on in the roadway before and after a race event,” he said, confirming there were extra checks after what happened last year. “You can never guarantee that nothing is going to happen,” he said. “But you can certainly have the mitigating efforts in place to reduce the risk, and that’s what we’ve done.” Even with the frustration felt by some in Las Vegas, the commercial success of the race was significant. A report by Clark County estimated the total economic impact of the grand prix to be $1.5 billion, $884 million of which came through visitor spending. It raised $77 million in tax revenue and turned what is normally the second-worst weekend of the year into “one of the best weekends we’ve ever had,” according to Hill, surpassing all expectations. Matching that in 2024 is going to be a big ask, nor is there an expectation it can be repeated in quite such spectacular fashion. “We’re not probably going to be able to compete with year one numbers again, and (we) don’t need to in order for it to be successful,” Hill said. “If the numbers were half that, it would still be a game changer.” It means a successful second running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix is more about sustainability — putting on another spectacular show with fewer issues or frustrations. Not everything will be to everyone’s liking. The start time of 10 p.m. PT Saturday ******** unchanged, and it will inevitably bother drivers and their team personnel; a fresh dose of time zone confusion to kick off a tripleheader that continues with two weeks in the Middle East to see out the season. While there is a ******* to reduce the demands placed on drivers for the “spectacle” around the grand prix, the show versus sport debate will also likely reignite when they get to the paddock Wednesday. But now it’s about reaching what Hill thought was “an equilibrium point” between excitement over something new and the uncertainty or concern it could cause locally, proving this can be an event for the long term. “That kind of sustainability matters a lot,” Hill said. “It’s a tough race to put on, it’s down one of the busiest streets in the world and putting that on is not an easy thing to do. But it’s going to be a fantastic week.” (Top photo: Bob Kupbens / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Source link #Las #Vegas #plans #successful #sequel #drain #cover #drama Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox Cloud Gaming’s beta now lets you play your own games, even outside the catalogue Xbox Cloud Gaming’s beta now lets you play your own games, even outside the catalogue Xbox Game Pass has moved to let players stream releases from outside their catalogue It means titles not in the Game Pass catalogue can be streamed via your phone or tablet Witcher 3, Space Marine 3, Baldur’s Gate 3 and more are all available Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will soon be able to stream titles they own, even ones that are not included in the usual Game Pass catalogue, via a number of new devices. The newest update to the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta currently supports 28 countries, and the addition of 50 new releases means you can stream even more via your chosen device. Previously only regular Game Pass releases that were available through their catalogue were available for the cloud gaming feature, which has itself been in beta for a while. So the move to allow you to play your own catalogue is a key one in expanding the available releases on streaming. It also means that some amazing titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Space Marine 2, Balatro and more will be available to stream via your phone or tablet! A pretty amazing, if not totally unprecedented new feature for streaming like this. The Cloud’s the limit Personally speaking, I feel like as a feature this is long overdue. One of the many issues with cloud gaming for me is the amount of hoops you have to go through to play through titles outside of a very limited selection in a service. So the ability to actually stream games that would otherwise be unavailable just makes sense. I also reckon it’ll be very crucial to see how well streaming can do competing with classic mobile gaming. After all, this is something that’s been bouncing around for a long time, but a new feature like this is sure to push the envelope even further. If you need some basic pointers on how to get set up for console streaming, we’ve got a guide for just that. Not to mention another guide for streaming from your PC to boot! So you can play wherever and whenever you want. Source link #Xbox #Cloud #Gamings #beta #lets #play #games #catalogue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mayors are the leaders we need to help ****** climate change Mayors are the leaders we need to help ****** climate change It hasn’t been a good year for people who care about climate change. A hoped-for peak in carbon emissions has ******* to emerge, meaning we continue to warm the planet at an accelerating rate (see “Humanity has warmed the planet by 1.5°C since 1700”). Meanwhile, the election of Donald Trump for a second term as US president is likely to see the country retreat on climate action, with his pledge to “drill, baby, drill” for new oil and gas supplies. Similar sentiments towards fossil fuels come from Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, who has called the natural resources of his oil-rich nation a “gift from ****”. Aliyev made the comments at the COP29 climate summit, hosted in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku. Ironically, this “gift” will become increasingly inaccessible as the Caspian Sea dries up in a warming world, stranding billions of dollars of fossil fuel infrastructure (see “COP29 host Azerbaijan faces climate disaster as Caspian Sea dries up”). In light of this ******** by politicians on the international stage to get to grips with the reality of climate change, other leaders need to step up – and, surprisingly, city mayors may be best placed to do so. Adapting cities to cope with the specific effects of urban heat will be essential While mayors can’t be expected to influence the global climate, they oversee the well-being of the more than 50 per cent of the world’s population who live in urban centres – a figure expected to grow to 70 per cent by 2050, at which point temperatures will have risen by 2.5°C under current projections. Adapting cities to cope with the specific effects of urban heat will be essential, from promoting green spaces to investing in buildings that can be cooled without air conditioning (see “Extreme heat is now making cities unlivable. How can we survive it?”). The good news is many mayors are already aware of their responsibilities. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, is aiming for the city to reach net zero by 2030. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, France, has planted trees and banned cars in certain areas. And Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles, has promised a green transformation ahead of the city hosting the Olympics in 2028. Organisations like C40 and Climate Mayors are helping unite local politicians across the world in action. This won’t solve climate change, but it will make living in a warming world more bearable for many. Topics: Source link #Mayors #leaders #****** #climate #change Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Snowflake (SNOW) Q3 earnings report 2025 Snowflake (SNOW) Q3 earnings report 2025 The New York Stock Exchange welcomes Snowflake to usher in the first day of winter on Dec. 21, 2021. NYSE Snowflake shares on Wednesday spiked 19% in extended trading after the data analytics software maker reported fiscal third-quarter earnings that beat estimates. Here’s how the company did, compared to LSEG analyst expectations: Earnings per share: 20 cents, adjusted vs. 15 cents expectedRevenue: $942 million vs. $897 million expected Snowflake’s total revenue rose 28% year over year in the quarter, which ended on Oct. 31, according to a statement. The company’s net loss of $324.3 million, or 98 cents per share, widened from $214.3 million, or 65 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier. Product revenue, at $900.3 million, represented around 96% of total revenue. Snowflake called for $3.43 billion in fiscal 2025 product revenue, implying 29% growth. That’s up from the $3.36 billion forecast management gave three months ago, which suggested 26% growth. The full-year view also includes an adjusted operating margin of 5%, up from the 3% guidance in August. Snowflake is focusing more on saving money, CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy told analysts on a conference call. “We’ve been creating centralized, more efficient teams for some areas and removing redundant management layers, which enables us to make decisions faster,” he said. Snowflake had 10,618 customers at the end of October, having added 369 in the fiscal third quarter. Analysts polled by StreetAccount had expected 10,601. Separately, Snowflake announced a multi-year partnership with Anthropic, the Amazon-backed artificial intelligence startup and OpenAI competitor. And it said it had agreed to buy startup Datavolo for undisclosed terms. As of Wednesday’s close, the stock was down 35% so far in 2024, while the S&P 500 index was up 24%. Executives will discuss the results with analysts on a conference call starting at 5 p.m. ET. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. WATCH: Q3 is one of Snowflake’s ‘best quarters we’ve seen in a long time’, says Jefferies Brent Thill Source link #Snowflake #SNOW #earnings #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ray Lewis wants FAU head-coaching job, but Charlie Weis Jr. still the frontrunner: Sources Ray Lewis wants FAU head-coaching job, but Charlie Weis Jr. still the frontrunner: Sources FAU football, which rose to national relevance under Lane Kiffin, has backslid over the last five seasons under ******* Taggart and the recently fired Tom Herman. The Owls’ new coaching search, though, might be the most interesting one of this year’s coaching carousel. And it got a little more interesting this week, as Miami great Ray Lewis has made it known that he really wants to be the Owls’ next coach, a source briefed on Lewis’ thinking said Wednesday. The 49-year-old Lewis, a 13-time Pro Bowl linebacker, has observed the model of what Deion Sanders has done transforming Colorado football in the past two years and is expected to present a plan to the Owls’ leadership in the next week for how he’d do something similar at FAU. Lewis’ old buddy, fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter, is the Owls’ executive director of player engagement and is expected to be a good resource for Lewis. A big hurdle for Lewis is, unlike Sanders, he doesn’t have any previous college coaching experience. “Ray wants it bad,” the source briefed on Lewis’ thinking said. Lewis lives five minutes from the FAU campus. “He really wants it.” Lewis, however, is not considered a serious candidate at this point, according to a source involved in the coaching search. The frontrunner for the FAU vacancy, according to multiple sources involved in the search, is Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. The 31-year-old son of former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who lives a half-hour from Boca ******, is the play caller at a hot Rebels program and runs the nation’s No. 2 offense, putting up 7.58 yards per play. GO DEEPER FAU coaching job profile: What will Tom Herman’s replacement inherit? The younger Weis was Kiffin’s former offensive coordinator at FAU and knows the program well. He has a lot of support from some key FAU people, according to sources involved in the search. Kiffin has strong influence back at FAU and will push Weis for the job, those sources said. Financially, Weis — who makes $1.65 million at Ole Miss — might have to take a pay cut to go back to FAU but a source briefed on the matter said he doubted that would stop Weis from wanting this job. Other expected candidates for the FAU job Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner might make more sense for the Owls. The 43-year-old helped turn Tech from the ACC’s No. 11 offense to No. 3 last year. In 2022, the year before he was hired in Atlanta, Georgia Tech ranked last in the ACC in red zone offense. His offense is No. 2 in the ACC in red zone TD percentage. Penn State assistant head coach/co-OC Ja’Juan Seider is a well-regarded coach with deep local ties and is expected to get some consideration. The 47-year-old Belle Glade, Fla., product was a star quarterback at Florida A&M and is well-connected around South Florida. Players really respond to him. He also has been a key assistant in Happy Valley, at Marshall and West Virginia. UCF offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. has spent his whole coaching career in the state. He was a four-time NCAA All-********* in track at Miami and then spent five years as a successful high school coach in South Florida at Miami’s Booker T. Washington High before spending seven seasons at FIU. Since then, he’s coached at Miami and UCF, where he has produced the Big 12’s most prolific offense at 6.76 yards per play. UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, a former Miami Dolphins wideout who lived in Boynton Beach, not far from the Owls’ campus, might be an intriguing option. He has proven to be a terrific offensive coordinator in two stops at the FCS level before an excellent two-season run of transforming the Rebels into a winning program. Last year he led the Rebels to No. 6 in the country in third down offense and No. 8 in red zone offense despite his starting QB going down early and having to turn to an unproven freshman in Jayden Maiava, who went on to win Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors. This year, the Rebels, with Maiava having left for USC, are No. 6 in the nation in scoring at 39.9 points per game. GO DEEPER What’s on Feldman’s radar: Everyone’s terrified of Ole Miss, and everyone wants an old coach FSU defensive backs coach Pat Surtain could be in play at his alma mater Southern Miss, but he also has strong ties here. He played a decade in the NFL before becoming a top high school coach in South Florida. The 48-year-old spent one season with the Miami Dolphins as an NFL assistant before joining FSU’s staff in 2023. Georgia assistant head coach Todd Hartley, 39, spent three years coaching in South Florida on the Canes’ staff. He is someone Kirby Smart has leaned on in elevating the program since Hartley’s return to Athens in 2019. Southern Miss also has a lot of interest in Hartley for its head coaching vacancy. Duke defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke, a Manny Diaz protege who was on the staff at Miami, is a rising star at defensive coordinator. He’s had a strong debut season in Durham and also could be in play. Miami defensive ends coach Jason Taylor. The Pro Football Hall of Famer, who had been a high school assistant for five seasons at powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, is a legendary figure around South Florida. In 2007, Taylor won the NFL’s prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year honors and has been an excellent addition to the Canes staff the past two seasons. — Chris Vannini contributed to this report Required reading (Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images) Source link #Ray #Lewis #FAU #headcoaching #job #Charlie #Weis #frontrunner #Sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Threads rolls out its custom feeds tool after a quick testing phase Threads rolls out its custom feeds tool after a quick testing phase The battle over who will get all of X’s users now that it’s an utter cesspool continues. Threads just began rolling out its own custom feeds feature to compete with rival Bluesky. Custom feeds have long been a hallmark of Bluesky and now Threads users can get in on the action. Meta announced it was testing custom feeds just last week, so those tests must have been successful. It’s either that or they want to stall Bluesky’s continuing momentum. Simply put, the feature allows users to pin topic-based feeds to the home screen of the app. This gives people the option to scroll through additional feeds beyond the algorithmic “for you” feed. This is a very good thing, as Thread’s current “for you” algorithm can be easily manipulated by just posting stuff like “who likes cats?” I have seen quite literally 400 posts like that in my feed, all looking for engagement. I like cats but, come on. In any event, users can create a custom feed by searching for keywords and taping the “…” menu to get started. A feed will be created based on the keyword, though the toolset allows for more granular adjustments. For instance, users can add specific profiles to customize each feed. Threads aficionados can create up to 128 custom feeds. Threads has one significant advantage over Bluesky when it comes to custom feeds. Making one on Bluesky is something of a process. It took me around two seconds to make a Star Trek feed on Threads. Lawrence Bonk / Threads Despite Bluesky’s continued growth, it’s still a minor player when compared to Threads. Bluesky just announced 20 million users, which is great, but Threads has more than 275 million users. Threads has also been growing by around a million users a day, according to a recent post from Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Source link #Threads #rolls #custom #feeds #tool #quick #testing #phase Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US blocks Security Council ceasefire resolution US blocks Security Council ceasefire resolution The US has blocked a Gaza ceasefire draft resolution at the ******* Nations Security Council – the fourth time it has used its veto power during the conflict to shield its ally, *******. Fourteen of the 15 Council members voted in favour of the draft, which demanded that the war in Gaza “must end immediately, unconditionally and permanently and all remaining hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released”. Deputy US ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said the document “abandoned” the necessity for there to be “a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of hostages”. Wood said the proposed resolution would have sent a “dangerous message” to ******. The UNSC is composed of five permanent members which have veto power – and 10 which are elected. This group proposed the draft resolution which also “rejected any effort to starve Palestinians”. The vote was held as the UN warned that Palestinians were “facing diminishing conditions for survival” in parts of northern Gaza under siege by ******** forces because virtually no aid has been delivered in 40 days. Earlier this month, a UN-backed assessment said there was a strong likelihood that famine was imminent in areas of northern Gaza. The ******** military has said its six-week-long offensive targets regrouping ****** fighters, and that it is facilitating civilian evacuations and supply deliveries to hospitals. After the US veto, China’s ambassador said people could not help but ask: “Do ************ lives mean nothing?” France said international humanitarian law was being trampled and the only response should have been an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The *** said it wanted to end the war, stop the suffering in Gaza and secure the immediate release of all hostages. But the harshest criticism of the US came from outside the Council doors. Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) UN director, Louis Charbonneau, accused Washington of “once again” using its veto power “to ensure impunity for ******* as its forces continue to commit ******* against Palestinians in Gaza”. ******* rejects the accusations. It says it has substantially increased the amount of aid getting into Gaza, and accuses aid agencies of failing to adequately distribute it. The current war broke out after ****** gunmen burst through the border and attacked ******** communities, ******** about 1,200 people, according to ******** tallies, and taking 253 into Gaza as hostages. More than 43,920 people have been ******* in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry. Source link #blocks #Security #Council #ceasefire #resolution Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro Patch Not Happening, Dev Confirms Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro Patch Not Happening, Dev Confirms A lot of big games are getting patches to take advantage of the PS5 Pro’s power, but CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is not among them. The Polish developer confirmed this on social media in response to a question from a fan. “We currently have no plans for [a] PS5 Pro patch,” the studio said (via Eurogamer). The wording here leaves the door open for these plans to change at some point down the line, but for now, no one should expect a PS5 Pro patch. CD Projekt Red did not go into any further detail as to why it won’t release a PS5 Pro patch for Cyberpunk 2077. However, it might have something to do with how there is no one at CD Projekt Red working on Cyberpunk 2077, and that’s been the case for months now. These staffers have moved on to other projects, including the next Cyberpunk and Witcher games. When the PS5 Pro launched in early November, a number of high-profile games were patched to support the console, including Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and Spider-Man 2. However, some PS5 Pro users reported that for games like Silent Hill 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, the PS5 Pro patches actually made these games look worse. For its part, EA acknowledged the issues with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and said its teams were investigating the issue. The PS5 Pro is available now, priced at $700 USD. It’s still early days, but Sony reported that the system’s price tag didn’t negatively impact sales. In other PlayStation news, the next wave of the 30th-anniversary limited-edition slim PS5 model goes on ***** via PlayStation Direct on November 21, starting at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Source link #Cyberpunk #PS5 #Pro #Patch #Happening #Dev #Confirms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ukraine fires ***-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for first time Ukraine fires ***-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for first time Getty Images Kyiv has previously only been able to use the missiles within its own borders Ukraine has fired ***-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time, the BBC understands. The war-torn country was previously restricted to using the long-range missiles within its own borders. Reports of the strikes come after Ukraine was given permission from Washington to ***** US-supplied missiles at Russian territory. The government has refused to comment on the reports for operational reasons, but officials confirmed Defence Secretary John Healey spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday night. Ministers are likely to exercise caution in their response to the reports due to concerns over Russia’s reaction, as well as to ensure the move is not seen as being led by the ***. In the Commons earlier, Healey said: “Ukraine’s action on the battlefield speaks for itself.” Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has also declined to confirm that his country has used the Storm Shadow missiles within Russian territory, but said it was “using all the means to defend our country”. Matthew Miller, the US State Department’s spokesman, would also not comment on the use of the ***-supplied missile or whether the US was providing navigational assistance for their use. When asked by the BBC if Ukraine was consulting with or informing the US about the use of missiles provided by the ***, Mr Miller said he would not “speak publicly to the use of another country’s weapons”. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Kyiv’s western allies to authorise the use of long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, saying it is the only way to bring about an end to the war. Storm Shadow is considered an ideal ******* for penetrating hardened bunkers and ammunition stores, such as those used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. The US and *** had previously not given permission, with suggestions this was related to not wanting to escalate the war. But at the weekend, US President Joe Biden gave the green light for Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) supplied by the US to strike Russia. On Sunday Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the news – which came via briefings from US officials – saying “such things are not announced, missiles speak for themselves”. The Atacms was then used by Ukraine to target the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine on Tuesday. The US has also approved sending landmines to Ukraine, in an attempt to slow down Russian troops. Speaking at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, *** Prime Minister Sir Starmer said the *** would “ensure Ukraine has what is needed for as long as needed”. Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 250km (155 miles). The French call it Scalp. It is launched from aircraft then flies at close to the speed of sound, hugging the terrain, before dropping down and detonating its high explosive warhead. BBC Verify showed images on Telegram claiming to show fragments of a Storm Shadow missile in Kursk to weapons experts. Amael Kotlarski, Weapons Team manager at Janes, said: “We can confirm that the large, rectangular piece of debris, featuring a ***** in the centre, does indeed match part of the mounting interface of the Storm Shadow / SCALP EG missile.” Another expert could not reach a judgement based on the images. Additional reporting by Rebecca Hartmann in Washington and Rupert Carey in London. Source link #Ukraine #fires #UKmade #Storm #Shadow #missiles #Russia #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox Cloud Streaming Of Own Games Launches Today Xbox Cloud Streaming Of Own Games Launches Today · · November 20, 2024 Xbox has officially launched, in beta form at least, its Cloud Streaming feature the lets players stream the games they own on a variety of devices. Before the update, cloud gaming was only available for games included in the Xbox Game Pass library. This new feature expands that option to games that may not be a part of the service. The feature is launching with 50 games available with more to come as the weeks and months continue. For the game’s listed, players are able to stream any version of the game they own. Microsoft used the example of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can access the feature in a number of ways such as through a browser at Xbox.com/Play or via the Xbox app on supported TV’s and the Meta Quest headset. The full list of owned games you can now stream via the Xbox Cloud are: Animal Well *********’s Creed Mirage Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Balatro Baldur’s Gate 3 Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II The Casting of Frank Stone Cyberpunk 2077 Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Dredge Dying Light 2 Stay Human Farming Simulator 25 ***** the Spotlight Final Fantasy XIV Online Final Fantasy Final Fantasy II Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy VI Hades Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions High On Life Hitman World of ************** Hogwarts Legacy House Flipper 2 Kena: Bridge of Spirits Lego Harry Potter Collection Life is Strange: Double Exposure Metro Exodus Mortal Kombat 1 NBA 2K25 PGA TOUR 2K23 Phasmaphobia Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Rust Console Edition 7 Days to **** Star Wars Outlaws Stray The Crew Motorfest The Outlast Trials The Plucky Squire The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 TopSpin 2K25 Undertale Visions of Mana Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 WWE 2K24 For more Insider Gaming, check out our in-depth review of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Xbox #Cloud #Streaming #Games #Launches #Today Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shoppers face ‘bare shelves’ as Woolworths warehouse strike begins Shoppers face ‘bare shelves’ as Woolworths warehouse strike begins More than 1500 Woolworths warehouse workers will walk off the job on Thursday over a pay dispute, threatening bare shelves for shoppers. Source link #Shoppers #face #bare #shelves #Woolworths #warehouse #strike #begins Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary console restock is coming in the US this Thursday PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary console restock is coming in the US this Thursday Sony will be selling another batch of PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Limited Edition console bundles in the US this week. Fresh stock will be made available on Thursday morning through the company’s online store, PlayStation Direct. “Not in stock? Please check back on Thursday 21st November from 9am PST,” reads an update on the bundle’s store page. The 30th Anniversary Edition Bundle comes with a grey PS5 Slim Digital Edition console and DualSense controller, as well as various extras also designed to pay homage to the original PlayStation. Price at $499.99, it’s set for release on November 21. There’s currently no official word on plans for a restock in Europe. PlayStation’s 30th Anniversary Collection, which also includes a grey PS5 Pro console, was announced in September. Initial pre-orders for the sought-after consoles were snapped up quickly, and many are now being listed by resellers at huge mark-ups ahead of their launch tomorrow. PS5 Pro launched on November 7 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $699.99 / £699.99. PlayStation’s ****** Friday ***** will run from November 22 until December 2, Sony announced today. It will include savings on hardware, games and subscriptions across PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct, PlayStation Gear and participating retailers. Source link #PS5 #Slim #30th #Anniversary #console #restock #coming #Thursday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What’s The Average ‘Upper Class’ Retirement Nest Egg? Here’s A Look At What The Wealthiest 20% Have Stashed Away What’s The Average ‘Upper Class’ Retirement Nest Egg? Here’s A Look At What The Wealthiest 20% Have Stashed Away What’s The Average ‘Upper Class’ Retirement Nest Egg? Here’s A Look At What The Wealthiest 20% Have Stashed Away You’re scrolling through social media and another friend is showing off their latest Mediterranean cruise. It’s hard not to wonder – are they living the dream or ignoring the whole “retirement savings” thing? If they’re part of the upper class, there’s a good chance they have the money to fund both their vacations and their future. But how much have they saved for retirement? And where do you stand? Don’t Miss: What’s Considered “Upper Class?” Before examining the numbers, it’s important to understand what “upper class” actually means. According to Pew Research, the median income for a three-person upper-class household was $256,920 in 2022. However, income is only part of the equation. Wealth – defined as net worth – is a major factor, especially regarding retirement savings. A New York Times analysis suggests that the top 20% of families have a wealth-to-income ratio of about 3 to 1. A household earning $256,920 has a net worth of around $770,760. Now, let’s compare that to data from the Federal Reserve. According to their latest Survey of Consumer Finances: The top 10% of households have a median net worth of $2.7 million. The next bracket (11th – 25th percentile) holds a median net worth of just over $790,000. So, whether you’re using income or wealth as your metric, the upper class is miles ahead of the national average. Trending: Many are using this retirement income calculator to check if they’re on pace — here’s a breakdown on how on what’s behind this formula. The Average Retirement Savings for the Upper Class When it comes to retirement savings, the upper class doesn’t disappoint. According to data from The Motley Fool: The top 10% of earners have a median retirement savings balance of $900,000. Those in the next tier (75th – 89.9th percentile) have a median balance of $269,000. Since the upper class typically includes the top 20%, a reasonable estimate for their median retirement savings is between $400,000 and $500,000. While exact numbers aren’t available for the full group, their savings are far above the national medians: Median retirement savings for all U.S. households: $87,000. Households under 35: Just $18,800. If your retirement savings are in the six-figure range, you’re closer to the upper-class average than most people. If not, there’s still time to step up your game. Story Continues What Sets the Upper Class Apart? How do the wealthiest 20% accumulate so much more for retirement? It’s not just about higher paychecks. Here’s what sets them apart: Higher Incomes = ******* Savings: Yes, they make more, but they also save more. Investing Like *****: The wealthiest 10% control nearly 93% of the stock market, leveraging long-term growth to their advantage. Consistent Saving Habits: It’s not sporadic. For them, saving is a disciplined, ongoing process. Maximizing Tax-Advantaged Accounts: From 401(k)s to IRAs, they know how to use the system to their benefit. Access to Financial Advice: With professional guidance, they make smarter, more strategic financial decisions. See Also: ‘Scrolling to UBI’: Deloitte’s #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones – invest today with $1,000 for just $0.25/share How Can You Close the Gap? If your retirement account isn’t where you’d like it to be, don’t panic. Here are some practical steps to build your savings: Start Saving Today: Even small contributions can grow thanks to compounding. Max Out Employer Matches: It’s essentially free money – don’t leave it on the table. Open an IRA: Traditional or Roth, these accounts add flexibility to your savings plan. Diversify Your Investments: Stocks, bonds, mutual funds – spread your risk. Increase Your Savings Rate: When you get a raise, increase your contributions. Catch-Up Contributions: If you’re over 50, take advantage of higher contribution limits. Comparing your retirement savings to the upper class might feel intimidating, but don’t let it overwhelm you. The key isn’t hitting a magic number – it’s about making steady progress. Start where you are, make smart decisions and focus on building a retirement fund that supports your goals. After all, the real dream isn’t just affording a Mediterranean cruise – knowing you’ll still be comfortable long after the vacation photos are posted. Read Next: UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article What’s The Average ‘Upper Class’ Retirement Nest Egg? Here’s A Look At What The Wealthiest 20% Have Stashed Away originally appeared on Benzinga.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Source link #Whats #Average #Upper #Class #Retirement #Nest #Egg #Heres #Wealthiest #Stashed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rumored Steam Controller Could ******** PS5, Xbox Sales Rumored Steam Controller Could ******** PS5, Xbox Sales Many might remember how, back in late 2015, Valve essentially tried to revolutionize conventional gaming controllers with its Steam Controller, which featured some standout features for its time, such as a trackpad for aiming and rear paddles. The Steam Controller and its touchpad – Image Credit: Valve. But, instead of making waves within the market, it was a ship that, unfortunately, sank too quickly, leaving Microsoft and Sony’s utter dominance in the area. Since then, Valve found success in other areas, such as its VR Headset and, more recently, the Steam Deck. But the controllers? That was a closed chapter—at least until now. The Steam Controller’s Second Coming Couldn’t Have Happened at a More Perfect Time The rear paddles of Steam Controller – Image Credit: Valve. We all know the original Steam Controller was a weird piece of tech. Its design ditched the traditional right-side joystick for a customizable track page. It offered an insane level of customization via Steam, but it also had an unconventional layout that divided people’s opinions. For most of its life, it just couldn’t generate enough sales, so Valve pulled the plug on the whole thing in 2019, not before giving Corsair and SCUF a massive middle finger for being patent trolls by slashing the controller’s price to $5 per unit and liquidating its entire stock—a pretty bold move, something that you just wouldn’t see today. But since its untimely demise, the controller market hasn’t had a shakeup of any sort, being dominated by Microsoft and Sony’s controllers. Many may refuse to believe it, but there’s a problem with these two offerings. While the Xbox Series controller is arguably one of the most comfortable devices to hold for long hours, the fact ******** that it has largely remained unchanged for two generations now, three if you take a stretch and include the 360 controller too, with little innovation in between. While boasting an insane level of features, the Dualsense controller has proven to be a rather delicate piece of hardware, with many reports of people experiencing stick drift and battery issues a short while after using it. There are smaller companies, too, like 8BitDO, GameSir, Gulikit, and Anbernic, offering enough features at a competitive price point. These, however, have yet to be able to achieve the kind of mainstream success required to bring some change. That’s why, in this current landscape of cautious evolution, only Valve’s return could shake things up in a way only GabeN knows how. Valve’s Steam Controller 2 Might Just Be Nearing the End of Its Testing Stage Xbox Elite Wireless Controller product image – Image Credit: Microsoft As rumors from Insider Brad ****** have pointed out, the company’s next attempt at a controller—codenamed Ibex—is already “being tooled” for mass production. The details are, admittedly, a little thin at the moment, but the fact ******** that, yes, GabeN’s company is indeed giving the controller market a second shot. When you think about it, it’s just the perfect time to get back in the game, too. Both Microsoft and Sony have already played their hands in this market and are busy working on other things, like getting their platforms in check, building a solid competitor to the Steam Deck, releasing good games, etc. There’s clearly a gap in the market now for a controller that can innovate in a way that feels both reliable and functional. Imagine Hall Effect joysticks to eliminate drift, revamped trackpad (inspired by the Deck) for better precision, modular attachments such as a mini-keyboard for added functionality, and robust build quality that outlasts the competition. If the Steam Controller 2 can deliver on even half of those things, it’ll already be a massive win for PC gamers. That said, price is going to play a critical role too. To truly get a strike against all the other Market players, Valve needs to position the controller between between the $20-$30 offerings from budget brands and the $70 Xbox/DualSense models. If the company plays its cards right, as it continues to do with the Steam Deck, we might just be in for a significant change within the controller space, and we, for one, can’t wait to see when that happens. But with all that said, what are your thoughts on this? Would you be willing to give Valve’s new controller a shot? Let us know in the comments below! Source link #Rumored #Steam #Controller #******** #PS5 #Xbox #Sales Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ethics Committee deadlocks on releasing Matt Gaetz ****, ***** probe report Ethics Committee deadlocks on releasing Matt Gaetz ****, ***** probe report Vice President-elect, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) (L) and former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) leave the U.S. Capitol after meeting with *********** members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images The bipartisan House Ethics Committee deadlocked Wednesday on whether to release a report on its investigation into allegations of ******* misconduct and other wrongdoing by former *********** Rep. Matt Gaetz. The outcome of the vote means that the report on Gaetz, who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next U.S. attorney general, will not be released for the time being. Ethics Chair Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters after the closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, “There has been no agreement to release the report.” But Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, the panel’s ranking Democrat, pushed back on that characterization. “The chairman has essentially suggested that there was agreement of the members of the committee, which there most definitely was not,” she said. She stressed that the vote in the 10-member committee, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, fell along partisan lines. “There was no consensus on this issue,” Wild said. She noted that the panel did agree to reconvene on Dec. 5 to “further consider this matter.” When asked if she agreed with Guest’s prior remark that the panel’s report is unfinished, Wild paused before saying, “I really don’t care to comment on the status of the report, except to say that we were in a position to vote today.” The ethics probe centered on whether Gaetz engaged in ******* misconduct or illicit ***** use, as well as whether he accepted improper gifts, gave special favors to personal contacts or sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. The committee had paused its probe in May 2023 at the request of the Department of Justice, which was conducting its own investigation into allegations that Gaetz ****-trafficked a minor girl. The DOJ ended that probe without filing charges. The committee reauthorized its investigation in May 2023. It was investigating Gaetz until he resigned from Congress last week, shortly after Trump tapped him to become the nation’s top law enforcement officer. His resignation removes him from the committee’s jurisdiction, Guest has said. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Ethics #Committee #deadlocks #releasing #Matt #Gaetz #**** #***** #probe #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for Gaza Cease-***** U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for Gaza Cease-***** new video loaded: U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for Gaza Cease-***** transcript Back transcript U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling for Gaza Cease-FireThe ******* States said it vetoed the ******* Nations Security Council resolution calling for a cease-***** between ******* and ******, because it did not make the cease-***** contingent on the release of the hostages held in Gaza. We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-***** that ******* to release the hostages. Because as this council has previously called for, a durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity, and for that reason, the ******* States could not support it. Simply put, this resolution would have sent a dangerous message to ******. There’s no need to come back to the negotiating table. There are still seven ********* citizens in the hands of ******. We will not forget them. For our part, we will continue to pursue a diplomatic solution that brings peace, security and freedom to Palestinians in Gaza. Recent episodes in *******-****** War Show more videos from *******-****** War Source link #U.S #Vetoes #U.N #Resolution #Calling #Gaza #CeaseFire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spellagis review – Games Asylum Spellagis review – Games Asylum Games Asylum: “The popularity of the auto-********* genre doesn’t seem to be on the wane, with 2-3 typically launching weekly. With stiff competition in mind, it definitely helps to have a unique selling point or at least attempt to incorporate something new. Simply being a cheap download offering similar thrills to Vampire Survivors no longer cuts it. This is where Spellagis stumbles the most, being one of the most ordinary auto-shooters we’ve seen this year.” Source link #Spellagis #review #Games #Asylum Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

North Carolina Republicans Push to Seize Power From Top Democrats North Carolina Republicans Push to Seize Power From Top Democrats The ***********-controlled legislature in North Carolina passed a bill on Wednesday that would strip key powers from the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general in addition to giving the G.O.P. more control over elections and judicial appointments. The changes, included in a 131-page bill that was designed to deliver much-needed disaster relief for areas of the state devastated by Hurricane Helene, come as Republicans are likely to lose their supermajority in the legislature after defeats in this month’s elections. Josh Stein, a Democrat, will be the next governor, succeeding Roy Cooper, another Democrat. The bill would significantly restructure the state election board, the top authority over voting in North Carolina, wresting appointment power away from the governor’s office and handing it to the state auditor, who will be a *********** next year. The change would be likely to put the board, which currently has three Democrats and two Republicans, under G.O.P. control. The legislation would also significantly restrict the governor’s ability to fill vacancies on state courts, including the Supreme Court, by limiting the options to candidates offered by the political party of the judge leaving the seat. And it would curtail the ability of the attorney general — currently Mr. Stein, and next year Jeff Jackson, another Democrat — to challenge laws passed by the legislature. Beyond those proposals, the bill would make major changes to state election procedures. It would significantly shorten the time voters have after Election Day to address problems with their mail and absentee ballots — a process known as curing — and would require local election officials to finish counting provisional ballots within three days of the election. The State Senate’s passage of the bill on Wednesday sends it to Mr. Cooper, who has 10 days to sign or veto the legislation before it becomes law automatically. North Carolina does not allow its governors to veto parts of a bill, so he would have to ******* the entire measure, including the hurricane relief provisions. Adding to the drama, Mr. Cooper was in Washington on Wednesday, seeking more federal hurricane relief — which under North Carolina law meant that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the controversy-prone *********** who lost the governor’s race to Mr. Stein, was serving as the acting governor. But Mr. Cooper’s office said it did not expect the bill to reach the lieutenant governor on Wednesday. The *********** supermajority in the legislature means that the party could override a veto by Mr. Cooper if its lawmakers all vote together. But they could face some intraparty headwinds: On Tuesday night, three House Republicans from the western counties hit hardest by the hurricane voted against the bill, only 13 pages of which ultimately included storm relief measures. One of those Republicans, State Representative Mike Clampitt, said in a brief interview on Wednesday that he had been deeply disappointed and surprised by the bill, particularly because it did not provide sufficient money for disaster aid. “There was stuff that should be in next year’s budget that was in there,” he said. “That shouldn’t have been in there.” Asked if he would vote to override a potential veto from Mr. Cooper, Mr. Clampitt said: “I’ll have to cross that bridge when I get to it. We’re not there yet.” The gallery in the State Senate was packed on Wednesday as the chamber debated the bill. Onlookers hissed and flashed a thumbs-down as State Senator Ralph Hise, a ***********, discussed the bill’s details, and cheered Democratic lawmakers who stood in opposition. Mr. Robinson, agitated at the applause for the Democrats, ordered the gallery to be cleared less than 20 minutes into the debate, saying they were “immature people.” “You are overturning the will of the people!” one person yelled. “You’re a fascist,” another screamed as the crowd exited the building to chants of “shame! shame!” Mr. Hise, rising in defense of the bill, ignored the criticisms of provisions that would erode the authority of the governor and others, and instead defended the bill as a necessary first step in recovery from the hurricane. “This is not a quick recovery for western North Carolina; this will be a yearslong process,” he said, adding that he still could not drink the water in his home. He criticized those making “a whole bunch of crazy claims that were not doing anything for the people of western North Carolina.” Earlier in the debate, Mr. Hise said the reason for shortening the timeline for counting provisional ballots was to achieve a “timelier resolution of election outcomes.” Provisional ballots have tended to favor Democrats in recent elections, including in North Carolina’s State Supreme Court race this year. The Democratic incumbent, Allison Riggs, led the race by about 600 votes after provisional ballots and outstanding absentee ballots were counted; it is now heading to a recount. The first state senator to rise in opposition to the bill was Julie Mayfield, a Democrat who represents western North Carolina. “This bill does not meet the spirit of the moment, and I will not be able to vote for it,” she said. “It would have been easy to break out the Helene relief portions from this bill from the rest of a bill that takes purely partisan aim at some of the foundational pillars of our democracy,” she said. Republicans have had a stranglehold on the North Carolina legislature since 2011, and they have pursued similar power grabs in recent years. After Mr. Cooper was elected in 2016, the legislature sought to limit the number of state employees the governor could hire, shift some of his responsibilities to the lieutenant governor and require Senate confirmation for cabinet positions. During the 2021 redistricting process, the legislature drew a congressional map with 11 of the state’s 14 House seats favoring Republicans — a striking advantage in a state that is almost evenly divided politically. Despite its long history of partisan fights, North Carolina had recently come together in response to Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western areas of the state. Asheville, a fast-growing city tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was hit by unrelenting flooding, which left tens of thousands of residents without drinkable water or power for weeks. Mr. Stein, the incoming governor, criticized the legislature for tethering hurricane relief to the measures targeting Democratic power. “Many people and communities are hurting and need our help,” Mr. Stein wrote on social media on Tuesday. “But instead of stepping up, the Republicans in the General Assembly are grabbing power and exacting political retribution.” Mr. Jackson, the next attorney general, said in an interview on Wednesday that the bill “should be focused on Helene response to help people — it really shouldn’t be used to sneak through major policy changes,” including some that would “undermine the independence of the attorney general.” Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a statement that the board had not been consulted about the legislation. She added that the bill “may make it impossible for the county boards of elections to adequately ensure every eligible ballot cast is counted, especially in high turnout elections.” This is not the first time Republicans have tried to give their party control of the state election board. Last year, G.O.P. lawmakers passed a bill to allow the legislature to make appointments to the board. Mr. Cooper challenged the law, arguing that it was an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers. A three-judge state panel agreed with him, and the effort was in legal purgatory during the 2024 general election. By shifting authority over the election board to the state auditor, the legislature appears to be working around the legal concerns about separation of powers, because the auditor is part of the executive branch. The effort to tighten election laws in North Carolina also follows a yearslong push by Republicans in battleground states to exert more influence over how elections are run. After the 2020 election and ahead of the 2022 midterms, right-wing activists backed by the election-denial movement organized a coalition of candidates to run for secretary of state, the top role overseeing elections in most battleground states other than North Carolina and Wisconsin. But those candidates were defeated in every competitive state in 2022. Dave Boliek, the incoming *********** auditor, ran a campaign promising to rein in spending, especially at the state’s division of motor vehicles. He often pledged to “audit” the board of elections, but offered little detail. In August, he earned the endorsement of Donald J. Trump, who called out Mr. Boliek by name during a speech about the economy, recalling that the candidate for auditor had told him, “I’m only in politics for you, sir.” “Where is Dave?” Mr. Trump said from the stage, scanning the audience. Spotting Mr. Boliek, he asked, “Do you mean that?” Mr. Boliek shouted back, “I mean it!” “If you mean that, I’m for you all the way,” Mr. Trump replied. “He has my endorsement. Thank you, Dave.” Source link #North #Carolina #Republicans #Push #Seize #Power #Top #Democrats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Billionaire Gautam Adani charged ******, bribery in New York Billionaire Gautam Adani charged ******, bribery in New York Gautam Adani, chair of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, addresses a gathering during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, Jan. 10, 2024. Punit Paranjpe | AFP | Getty Images Gautam Adani, chair of India’s Adani Group and one of the world’s richest people, was indicted in New York with others for an alleged multi-billion-dollar ****** scheme, authorities said Wednesday. Adani and seven other defendants are accused of agreeing to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain “lucrative solar energy supply contracts with the Indian government,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn said. Those contracts were projected to generate more than $2 billion in post-tax profits over two decades. Adani allegedly met in person with an Indian government official on several occasions as part of the bribery scheme, prosecutors said. Adani and two other defendants, his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain, who are executives of Adani Green Energy Limited, are also accused of conspiracies related to allegedly lying to U.S. and international investors about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from those investors. A worker walks past rows of solar panels at the Adani Group- owned Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Khavda, India, Jan. 12, 2024. Punit Paranjpe | Afp | Getty Images This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Billionaire #Gautam #Adani #charged #****** #bribery #York Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dragon Mania Legends spreads awareness on proper battery disposal at the Green Game Jam 2024 Dragon Mania Legends spreads awareness on proper battery disposal at the Green Game Jam 2024 Winner of the UNEP’s Choice and Google’s Choice awards Cool AR feature to help with disposing of batteries in the house Learn more about Playing for the Planet It seems that Gameloft has plenty of reasons to celebrate this year as Dragon Mania Legends has just bagged first place at the UNEP’s Choice and Google’s Choice awards, particularly for the Green Game Jam 2024. Environmental awareness is always a good thing, and it does appear that Gameloft’s commitment to that is very much reflected in the concepts of sustainability and recycling within the family-friendly mobile adventure. Just in case you’re not familiar with it, Dragon Mania Legends lets you breed all manner of dragon species, nurturing them and playing with them as you go along. You can also build your very own dragon-themed haven – there even looks to be an adorable robo-dragon you can hatch, for crying out loud. Specifically, the Runner Event will have you gathering batteries that have been disposed of improperly with the Battery Dragon – you can even use AR to spot batteries around your house. This should help players stay privy to disposing of them in the right way. If you’re curious about the initiative, you can take a gander at the official Playing for the Planet website to learn more. Or, if you’re on the hunt for more family-friendly experiences on mobile, why not take a look at our list of the best educational games on Android to get your fill? In the meantime, if you’re eager to join in on all the fun, you can do so by checking out Dragon Mania Legends on the App Store and on Google Play. It’s free-to-play with in-app purchases. You can also join the community of followers on the official Facebook page to stay updated on all the latest developments, visit the official website for more info, or take a little peek at the embedded clip above to get a feel of the vibes and visuals. Source link #Dragon #Mania #Legends #spreads #awareness #proper #battery #disposal #Green #Game #Jam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]