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Pelican Press

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  1. Water ice detected in a debris disk around young nearby star Water ice detected in a debris disk around young nearby star The disk image (0.6–5.2 µm combined) of HD 181327 after the removal of the stellar point spread function. Credit: Xie et al., 2025. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and elsewhere have detected water ice in a debris disk around HD 181327—a young star located within 160 light years away from the Earth. The finding was reported in a paper published May 14 in the journal Nature. Debris disks are collections of small bodies around stars, including asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, comets, and also micron-sized debris dust. Observations of debris disks could help us better understand the evolution of planetary systems, the composition of dust, comets, and planetesimals outside our solar system. Given that water plays a key role in the formation of planets and minor bodies, astronomers look for its presence also in debris disks. However, although water ice has been commonly detected in Kuiper belt objects and comets in the solar system, no definitive evidence for water ice in extrasolar debris disks has been found to date. Now, a recent study conducted by a team of astronomers led by JHU’s Chen Xie claims the discovery of water ice in a debris disk of HD 181327—an F6-type star at a distance of some 155.5 light years away. The detection was made using JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec). “Here, we report the discovery of water ice in the HD 181327 disk using the James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Spectrograph,” the researchers write in the paper. The disk of HD 181327 is at a distance of approximately 84 AU and its width is about 25 AU. Previous observations of this disk have identified the presence of volatile-rich planetesimals similar to comets and Kuiper belt objects. This, together with the star’s relatively young age of 18.5 million years, makes the disk a young Kuiper belt analog and therefore an excellent place to search for water ice. Xie’s team reports that the disk reflectance spectrum of HD 181327 at 90–105 AU from it has a broad bowl-shaped dip between 2.7 and 3.4 µm. This is consistent with the 3 µm feature of water ice. Moreover, they detected a narrow and strong peak at 3.1 µm in both the disk spectrum and its reflectance spectrum and they attribute it to the Fresnel peak of water ice, as observed in the spectra of Saturn’s rings and Kuiper belt objects. “The presence of the Fresnel peak is indicative of refractive lensing by the crystalline form of large (i.e., >1 mm) water ice particles,” the astronomers explain. Therefore, based on the new findings, the scientists conclude that the debris disk of HD 181327 harbors a water-ice reservoir, rich in materials found in icy bodies in the outer parts of the solar system. The water-ice mass fraction at the outer part of the disk around HD 181327 was measured to reach 13.9% and the disk was found to be dynamic, with micron-sized icy particles being continuously created and destroyed. In addition to the detection of water ice, the study also found the presence of iron sulfide and olivine in the investigated disk. The authors of the paper explained that iron sulfide has been found in micrometeorite and comet samples, while olivine is a very common refractory dust species in protoplanetary disks, debris disks, as well as in comets and asteroids. More information: Chen Xie et al, Water Ice in the Exo-Kuiper Belt Around HD 181327, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08920-4. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2505.08863 © 2025 Science X Network Citation: Water ice detected in a debris disk around young nearby star (2025, May 26) retrieved 27 May 2025 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 #Water #ice #detected #debris #disk #young #nearby #star Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  2. Building resilient cyber threat intelligence communities Building resilient cyber threat intelligence communities Over the last six years, I’ve had the privilege of working with governments, national central banks, and communities of interest around the world, helping them build and refine their cyber threat intelligence (CTI) communities. From the most cyber mature entities to those in emerging economies with lesser resources, there are clear pattens. And while maturity levels may vary a great deal, the core challenges and the solutions are remarkably similar. Coming from a military intelligence background, I have always viewed intelligence sharing as a fundamental principle. While “need to know” was a core dictate, “need to share” was equally vital – especially when it came to operations. Moving into the private sector was a culture shock, because the hesitation to share intelligence wasn’t just a reality, it was pervasive. Size matters This led to my first key lesson – size matters. Take, for example, when I was working with a national central bank to build a CTI community. Despite the effort and a lot of good intentions, the initiative was sadly doomed to fail. Why? Because the country’s biggest banks already had their own, smaller, highly trusted network. They just didn’t want to share intelligence outside of that group. The argument here is pretty simple. No financial institution is individually resilient. Cyber risk affects everyone and banks have a responsibility to protect the wider financial ecosystem. At the other extreme, I observed an active global Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) where dozens of members participated in calls, yet very little of value was exchanged. The issue here was that the community was too big. People just were not willing to share intelligence with faceless individuals that they didn’t know and thus, trust. So, clearly CTI communities must be big enough that they actually have an impact on the whole of the ecosystem, but also small enough to that trusted relationships develop. Intelligence vs. Data My second key lesson, was around the constant struggle over the definition of “intelligence.” A term we know well, but older communities, built out of IT teams, struggled to understand. Many CTI communities were highly tactical, focused solely on indicators of compromise (IoCs) that were shared via platforms like the Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP). But in reality, this wasn’t intelligence. It was the sharing of threat data. The conversation needed to be elevated, so I advocated for broader discussions on threat information, strategic intelligence and best practices. Also, that intelligence needed to be tailored for different audiences. For example, automated data outputs for analysts; technical papers for cyber experts; intelligence summaries for CISOs, and strategic reports and horizon scanning for executives and board members. Intelligence briefings that were relevant to them and their unique community. Ultimately, intelligence products must have a clear “so what?” that identifies what the intelligence means and crucially what the decision makers should do with it. There’s little point to threat intelligence if it has no context and does not inform decision making. Navigating the legal challenge There are obviously legal concerns in intelligence-sharing communities. Unfortunately, these have in the past been used as an excuse not to share. GDPR, for example, initially caused uncertainty but over time organisations understood that data privacy regulations were not meant to be barriers, they are guidelines for structured sharing. To mitigate privacy concerns, most successful intelligence sharing communities will implement centralised contracts and terms of reference to ensure liability protection, along with sharing guidelines that define permissible data exchange within legal frameworks, and automated threat data processing. CIISI – a successful framework The CIISI-EU framework is a testament to the power of trusted intelligence sharing. Five years ago, the European Cyber Resilience Board (ECRB) and the European Central Bank (ECB) discussed creating a small, yet highly effective community focused on strategic insights, best practice exchange and operational intelligence. From this initiative, the CIISI framework was established and has since been adopted by other nations. Comprised of 26 entities – including SecAlliance and ThreatMatch as the centralised intelligence function – alongside Europol and ENISA, CIISI strikes the right balance between tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence. It brings together joint research, coordinated intelligence functions, workshops and training, to ensure that decision-makers at all levels have access to relevant intelligence products. A defining strength of the framework is that the ECB not only implemented it but also released its white paper and intelligence-sharing rulebook, allowing other organisations and nations to learn from its approach. Having been directly involved in the creation of CIISI, I was able to apply its principles to replicate similar frameworks across various countries, adapting each to fit specific sectoral, cultural and maturity requirements. However, while every community does have its own unique needs, certain fundamental principles are constant. Firstly, intelligence should be shared as widely as possible within appropriate classification levels to maximise its impact while preserving trust. Communities must also be large enough to drive meaningful outcomes, but small enough to maintain the necessary level of confidence among members. It is essential to develop intelligence products tailored for different audiences, ensuring engagement at the executive level to secure leadership buy-in and funding. Building trust is a cornerstone of successful intelligence sharing. And that is why meeting face-to-face at least twice a year is really important for strengthening relationships among community members. Intelligence assessments, informational insights and data should be actively exchanged, with automation playing a key role in making this process more efficient. Now in 2025, tactical intelligence sharing should largely be more automated, enabling more time on operational and strategic outputs. Establishing a centralised platform is crucial, moving intelligence sharing away from fragmented channels such as email and WhatsApp. This platform must distribute not only indicators of compromise (IOCs) but also finished intelligence products and strategic reports. It must be human centric and easy to use for all user types, not just technical teams. It must control the dissemination at community, but also organisational and individual level to allow members to control access to their intelligence. A dedicated intelligence function is essential to drive dissemination, identify patterns, add assessments, and act as a catalyst for engagement. To reinforce commitment, members should sign up to a charter, rulebook, or formal terms of reference, outlining their obligations to contribute intelligence. Additionally, providing templates and policy frameworks can help organisations navigate internal legal challenges, ensuring that regulatory barriers do not stifle collaboration. CIISI has demonstrated that implemented properly, structured intelligence sharing frameworks can drive real impact. Its principles continue to shape communities worldwide, refining how intelligence is exchanged, processed, and acted upon to enhance cyber resilience at national and sectoral levels. In 2025 and beyond, as cyber threats continue to evolve, intelligence-sharing communities must continue to adapt to become more strategic, more collaborative and more impactful. The principles outlined in this article provide an outline for building resilient, effective CTI ecosystems that contribute to national and sector-wide cybersecurity resilience. Source link #Building #resilient #cyber #threat #intelligence #communities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  3. Quantum Stocks Explode as IonQ Channels Nvidia-Like Vision Quantum Stocks Explode as IonQ Channels Nvidia-Like Vision Quantum computing stocks have become known for their massive volatility, something that rang particularly true on May 22. The most followed pure-play quantum computing stocks skyrocketed that day. This includes IonQ, Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, Quantum Computing, and Quantum-Si. All these names rose by at least 14%. As of the May 23 close, they are all now up at least 60% over the past month. However, three of them are still down in 2025 overall, encapsulating the dramatic swings that characterize quantum stocks. This volatility is understandable. Quantum computing is still in the early stages of being useful in the real world. Combined, these stocks have generated only around $77 million in revenue over the last 12 months and free cash flow of -$365 million. Despite this, these five stocks total over $23 billion in market capitalization as of the May 23 close. Naturally, the stock that was the driving force behind the rise, IonQ, was also the largest gainer. IonQ’s “Big Green” Vision Creates Billions in Value Overnight In an interview with financial publication Barron’s, IonQ’s top leader likened the company’s future to one of the world’s most successful firms, NVIDIA (NASDAQ:). When discussing the future of quantum computing, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Niccolo de Masi told Barron’s, “I believe IonQ will be the NVIDIA player. There will be other people who copy us and follow us; they have always copied and followed us.” This led to IonQ gaining over $3 billion in market capitalization in just one day. Why Other Quantum Stocks Jumped on the IonQ News As often happens, other quantum stocks also rallied big-time on the news. Quantum stocks tend to move together because the technology is still far from generating large, steady revenues. Strong positive declarations and events are typically seen as good for all of these firms, signaling a promising path forward for the industry as a whole. This is especially true as Masi noted that IonQ is “trying to drive ecosystem” around quantum. This suggests that the success of IonQ would lead to the success of other quantum firms and related technologies. This certainly makes some sense when considering the vast ecosystem that has been created around NVIDIA. NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art graphics processing units (GPUs) lie at the heart of the AI ecosystem. Their success has led to the success of many other firms. One example is a company like Arista Networks (NYSE:). They make routers and switches that direct the flow of information around data centers. Arista likely would not have succeeded to the degree it has if not for the downstream demand created for its products due to NVIDIA’s products. This is true, even though NVIDIA competes with Arista to some extent. Still, Arista benefits as NVIDIA’s chips help grow the overall AI infrastructure pie. IonQ hopes to establish itself as a similar ecosystem leader as the quantum computing industry progresses. Short Interest Emphasizes High-Risk-High-Reward Quantum Dynamic Despite these soaring stock prices, it makes sense to have reasonable apprehension. Becoming the NVIDIA of quantum is exponentially easier said than done. This statement alone does not seem to justify the roughly $5.2 billion in market value it generated in one day for these five companies combined. The market’s ability to respond in this way is likely one reason why these names all have such high short interest. Quantum-Si’s percentage of its floated shares sold short is just over 12%, the lowest among these names. For Rigetti, the figure comes in at 23%. The other three see the number in the mid-to-high teens range. Sure, these levels of short interest could lead to short squeeze potential, but they also indicate a large amount of bearish sentiment. At the same time, however, these valuations also show the massive long-term potential many see for quantum computing. Overall, IonQ’s sky-high ambitions are but another interesting turn in the ever-evolving world of quantum computing. Original Post Source link #Quantum #Stocks #Explode #IonQ #Channels #NvidiaLike #Vision Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  4. Is Venus hiding dangerous asteroids? Is Venus hiding dangerous asteroids? Most of the solar system’s asteroids are in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, others are co-orbital with planets, like the Jupiter Trojans, which form two groups: one behind and one ahead of Jupiter. Astronomers are finding more asteroids co-orbiting with Venus, posing a threat to Earth. Credit: NASA/LPI Twenty years ago, the U.S. Congress instructed NASA to find 90% of near-Earth asteroids threatening Earth. They’ve made progress finding these asteroids that orbit the sun and come to within 1.3 astronomical units of Earth. However, they may have to expand their search since astronomers are now finding asteroids co-orbiting Venus that could pose a threat. New research tries to understand how many more may co-orbit Venus and how we can detect them. They can be hidden in the sun’s glare and resist our efforts to find them. It comes down to observability windows and how the asteroids’ brightness changes. The research is titled “The invisible threat: assessing the collisional hazard posed by the undiscovered Venus co-orbital asteroids,” and has been submitted to the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The lead author is Valerio Carruba, an assistant professor at São Paulo University in Brazil. The paper is currently available on the arXiv preprint server. “Twenty co-orbital asteroids of Venus are currently known,” the authors write. “Co-orbital status protects these asteroids from close approaches to Venus, but it does not protect them from encountering Earth.” Venus’s co-orbital asteroids are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHA) if they have “a minimum diameter of about 140 meters and come within 0.05 astronomical units (au) of Earth’s orbit,” they explain. The big question is, do these pose a collisional threat to Earth? “We aim to assess the possible threat that the yet undetected population of Venus co-orbiters may pose to Earth, and to investigate their detectability from Earth and space observatories,” the authors write. Only one of the 20 known asteroids has an orbital eccentricity below 0.38. This makes sense since asteroids with wider orbits come closer to Earth and are easier to detect. So its detection is likely the result of an observational bias. Unfortunately, it also means there could be many more of them with minor orbital eccentricities that are very difficult to detect. One problem in determining their danger is that co-orbitals have unpredictable orbits. “The co-orbital asteroids of Venus are highly chaotic, with Lyapunov times of the order of 150 years,” the authors explain. The Lyapunov time refers to how long an object’s orbit takes to become unpredictable because of chaotic dynamics. This means that studying a single orbit of an object doesn’t tell us much about what its orbit will evolve into in more than about 150 years. The authors write that a statistical study of “clone” asteroids provides a clearer picture. The researchers created a grid with different orbital inclinations and populated it with 26 cloned asteroids with different orbital characteristics. They then integrated them with the orbits of the solar system’s planets for 36,000 simulated years. Then they checked to see if any cloned asteroids had a close encounter with Earth. “There is a range of orbits with eccentricity < 0.38, larger at lower inclinations, for which Venus’ co-orbitals can pose a collisional hazard to Earth,” the authors write. Then they checked to see if they are observable from Earth with the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory. They found that these objects are only observable periodically due to the sun’s glare. These observational windows mostly occur when the objects are near their closest approach to Earth. The Vera Rubin Observatory will see first light in July 2025. Once it gets going, it will release a flood of data and discoveries and find more potentially hazardous objects, including those co-orbiting Venus. Credit: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA “The combination of elevation constraints and solar elongation limitations restricts our observations to specific periods throughout the year,” the authors write. Solar elongation means the angular distance between one of these asteroids and the sun, as measured from Earth’s perspective. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. The study shows how difficult it can be to detect these dangerous asteroids from Earth. One solution might be to send a spacecraft to Venus’ orbit. “However, observations conducted from Venus’ orbit, positioned facing away from the sun, may enhance the detection of these bodies,” the researchers explain. Several missions have been proposed, including to the sun-Earth or sun-Venus L1 or L2 halo orbit. We know there are asteroids out there with considerable chances to strike Earth. Some of them are large enough to destroy entire cities. Even a relatively small asteroid 150 meters in diameter can strike Earth with a force equal to hundreds of megatons of ****. That’s thousands of times more potent than the atomic bombs dropped in World War 2. “Among these, low-e Venus co-orbitals pose a unique challenge, because of the difficulties in detecting and following these objects from Earth,” the authors write in their conclusion. The Vera Rubin Observatory should detect many asteroids during its regular survey operations. However, finding potentially dangerous asteroids co-orbiting with Venus might take a special effort. “While surveys like those from the Rubin Observatory may be able to detect some of these asteroids in the near future, we believe that only a dedicated observational campaign from a space-based mission near Venus could potentially map and discover all the still ‘invisible’ PHA among Venus’ co-orbital asteroids,” the researchers conclude. More information: V. Carruba et al, The invisible threat: assessing the collisional hazard posed by the undiscovered Venus co-orbital asteroids, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2505.15968 Provided by Universe Today Citation: Is Venus hiding dangerous asteroids? (2025, May 26) retrieved 27 May 2025 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 #Venus #hiding #dangerous #asteroids Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  5. Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, May 28 (game #1220) Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, May 28 (game #1220) Looking for a different day? A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Tuesday’s puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #1219). Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers. Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. You may like Quordle today (game #1220) – hint #1 – Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today? • The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*. * Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1220) – hint #2 – repeated letters Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters? • The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3. Quordle today (game #1220) – hint #3 – uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today? • No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers. Quordle today (game #1220) – hint #4 – starting letters (1) Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter? • The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0. If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier: Quordle today (game #1220) – hint #5 – starting letters (2) What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with? • H • B • V • P Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. Today’s best Get Better At Wordle deals Quordle today (game #1220) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1220, are… Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. A huge slice of luck got me over the line today, with a wild guess of BEADY coming off. HELLO took me a while to see – but I tripped up with PURER, going with PUREE instead, while VIGIL is one of those words that seems more common in Quordle world than it does in the real world. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Daily Sequence today (game #1220) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1220, are… Quordle answers: The past 20 Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, ****** Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ******, PURGE, DOWNY Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE Source link #Quordle #hints #answers #Wednesday #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  6. UBS believes this under-the-radar health stock has 50% upside UBS believes this under-the-radar health stock has 50% upside UBS says LifeStance Health stock is undervalued compared to the company’s performance. The firm upgraded shares of the outpatient behavioral health services to buy from neutral on Sunday, and reiterated its $8.50 per share price target. UBS’ forecast implies more than 54% upside from Friday’s $5.49 close. LifeStance shares rose more than 6% in early trading. Analyst Kevin Caliendo says investors may be overlooking the stock over concerns tied to conservative current quarter and full-year earnings guidance from the executives in LifeStance’s most recent earnings release, as well as a change from a stock-to-cash incentive program. He also pointed to the federal government no longer enforcing the mental health parity rule as an additional reason for pressure on the stock. However, the analyst thinks these concerns are overdone. LFST YTD mountain LifeStance Health Group stock in 2025. “We see continuity in the underlying LFST model with the refreshed [management] team alongside a clear path to medium-term targets,” Caliendo said. “LFST has demonstrated success in a 100% organic recruiting model consistently growing clinician count y/y by 10%+. This results in reduced burn and improved ROI, a solid FCF profile (2025e FCF yield of ~3% of equity), and coupled with a healthy balance sheet ($134M in cash; $276M in debt), LFST is well-positioned to pursue further growth opportunities (not contemplated in the 2025 outlook).” Shares have pulled back more than 25% in 2025. The analyst views the sharp pullback as a buying opportunity for investors at an attractive entry point. “Despite the sell-off, which dates back to March, our view is that LFST’s [long-term] growth profile remains intact. The valuation today provides an attractive entry point and a complimentary Risk/Reward (4:1); with the company benefiting from positive secular tailwinds, large and underpenetrated [total addressable market], and a refreshed mgmt. team,” Caliendo said. Source link #UBS #believes #undertheradar #health #stock #upside Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Smartest Accessibility Feature Understands Players More Than Most RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Smartest Accessibility Feature Understands Players More Than Most RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 includes a feature that waits until players have forgotten how to play before reminding them of why they always loved it. Source link #Kingdom #Deliverance #2039s #Smartest #Accessibility #Feature #Understands #Players #RPGs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  8. How the ‘Gollum effect’ hinders research and careers How the ‘Gollum effect’ hinders research and careers Credit: One Earth (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101314 Data and findings are not always shared openly in science. Sometimes, researchers hoard those data and provide little to no access to colleagues from their field. These were the results of a survey of 563 researchers from 64 countries conducted by scientists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the ******* Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. The so-called “Gollum effect” hampers collaborations and harms the careers of less established researchers, claims the team. Scientific research should serve the good of mankind, which is why data is not kept under lock and key and findings are shared openly. “Unfortunately, the academic world does not always live up to this ideal. Possessiveness, exclusion, and the hoarding of data, resources and ideas are widespread issues,” explains Dr. Jose Valdez, a biodiversity researcher at MLU and iDiv. The phenomenon is known as the “Gollum effect,” a term coined by the researchers themselves and inspired by the tragic character in “The Lord of the Rings”—a figure so fixated on a magic ring that his obsession pulls him into the abyss. “In science, possessive behavior undermines scientific progress and disproportionately impacts early-career and less established researchers,” says Valdez. To find out more about how widespread the Gollum effect is in the scientific community, Dr. Valdez teamed up with Dr. Sandeep Sharma from MLU and iDiv, and Dr. John Gould from the University of Newcastle in Australia. The researchers surveyed 563 researchers from 64 countries about their experiences. Most were active in the fields of ecology, biodiversity conservation and environmental sciences. Their results are published in the journal One Earth. The findings: Almost half of those surveyed stated that they had experienced the phenomenon themselves. Two-thirds reported that they had experienced it repeatedly over the course of their careers. “This ranged from being denied access to study sites or data, to having their research ideas stolen, to authorship manipulation, and the obstruction of research work. The experiences of some of the interviewees even led to serious mental health problems that required medical intervention,” says Dr. Valdez. According to the study participants, the obstacles were often created by established researchers and sometimes even by their own supervisors, or by colleagues within their own research group, as well as competing laboratories. The study found that while researchers across all stages experienced the Gollum effect, researchers just starting out in their scientific careers and people from disadvantaged groups are the most disproportionately affected. According to Valdez, “Our findings show that the Gollum effect is a systemic problem fueled by the hypercompetitiveness and pressures of modern academia such as limited positions and resources.” The consequences of the Gollum effect can be serious. More than two-thirds of those surveyed reported significant career setbacks. Many were forced to abandon their research topics, change research groups and institutes, or even leave science altogether. Only a third of those who had experienced the Gollum effect said that they took any actions to defend themselves. Nearly a fifth of respondents even admitted to likely having displayed Gollum-like behavior themselves. “When the scientific environment becomes hostile, it’s not just about professional setbacks, it’s about unrealized ideas, shattered self-confidence and lost potential,” says co-author Dr. Sharma. The survey also gave participants the opportunity to suggest solutions to the problem. The most frequently mentioned strategies included raising awareness of the problem, rewarding ethical behavior, and promoting a culture of openness and collaboration. Institutional reforms were proposed, such as more stable funding, especially for junior researchers, incentives for teamwork and mentoring, as well as clear guidelines concerning data exchange and authorship. According to Dr. Gould, “Having experienced the phenomenon ourselves in the course of our academic careers, the first step was to recognize and put a name to the problem. We want to encourage an open discussion that will lead to science that is fairer and more collaborative.” More information: Jose W. Valdez et al, Systemic territoriality in academia: The Gollum effect’s impact on scientific research and careers, One Earth (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101314 Provided by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Citation: Knowledge transfer vs. possessiveness: How the ‘Gollum effect’ hinders research and careers (2025, May 26) retrieved 27 May 2025 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 #Gollum #effect #hinders #research #careers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  9. Pornhub and three other adult websites face EU child safety investigation | Internet safety Pornhub and three other adult websites face EU child safety investigation | Internet safety The EU executive has launched an investigation into four pornographic websites over alleged failure to prevent children from seeing adult content. After analysis of company policies, the European Commission accused Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos of failing to have effective age verification measures to stop minors accessing their content. The investigation was opened under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a wide-ranging law to combat online harms, including disinformation, cyber-attacks, hate speech and the ***** of fake goods. The DSA also includes tough provisions to protect children online, including preventing damage to mental health caused by seeing adult content. According to the commission, all four platforms had one-click self-declarations to verify age, which it deemed ineffective to prevent under-18s from viewing adult content. “Today is a good day for minor protection online in the EU, because with the enforcement actions that we are launching … against four very large online platforms with pornographic, adult content, we are clearly showing that we mean it when it comes to the effective protection of minors under the DSA,” an EU official told reporters. There was no fixed timetable to complete the investigation, the EU official said, while stressing “a commitment to act relatively fast on potential next steps, depending on what the reaction of the platforms will be”. The platforms could resolve the investigation by coming up with forms of age verification deemed effective by EU regulators. But if the complaint is upheld they could be fined up to 6% of global annual turnover. Under the DSA, the commission regulates platforms with more than 45 million users, such as Google, Meta and X, while national authorities in the 27 member states are responsible for those below this threshold. The commission said on Tuesday that Stripchat was no longer designated a “very large online platform”, after an appeal by the company, meaning its activities would in future be regulated by Cyprus, where its parent company, Technius Ltd, is based, rather than Brussels. The investigation into age verification tools will continue, however, as the new designation does not apply until September. Stripchat’s child protection obligations remain the same. Both Technius and the parent company of Pornhub, Aylo Freesites, were approached for comment. A Brussels-based lawyer who has recently represented the parent companies of XVideos (WebGroup Czech Republic) and XNXX (NKL Associates) in EU legal proceedings was also contacted for comment. Source link #Pornhub #adult #websites #face #child #safety #investigation #Internet #safety Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  10. King Charles's Throne Speech to Canada's Parliament – follow live – BBC King Charles's Throne Speech to Canada's Parliament – follow live – BBC King Charles’s Throne Speech to Canada’s Parliament – follow live BBCWhat to know about King Charles’ Canada speech and how it relates to Trump AxiosKing Charles to outline Canada’s priorities in Parliament amid Trump annexation threat ABC NewsKing Charles III visits Canada in apparent pushback against Trump’s annexation threats France 24King Charles to deliver speech from the throne as 45th Parliament opens CBC Source link #King #Charles039s #Throne #Speech #Canada039s #Parliament #follow #live #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  11. Old Skies Review – Alternative Magazine Online Old Skies Review – Alternative Magazine Online Bolstering the quality of the storytelling are the games high production values. Led by Sally Beaumont as Fia and Edwyn Tiong as Nozzo, the talented voice actors give authentic and believable performances across the board, ensuring that the pacing never drags despite the heavy focus on dialogue and conversation. The hand-drawn graphics are beautiful too, particularly the backgrounds and the close-up shots, with each time ******* vividly realised, and Thomas Regins score hits all the right notes. Source link #Skies #Review #Alternative #Magazine #Online Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  12. How much should parasitic gig companies contribute to city resources? How much should parasitic gig companies contribute to city resources? Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The gig economy is rapidly reshaping urban life. The way we shop, eat and travel has been transformed by apps and the workforce behind them. Yet digital labor platforms do not provide their employees with adequate support. Instead, they have to find basic provisions like toilets and break facilities entirely independently. At a global level, the total number of people working in the gig economy is relatively unknown, but there may be as many as 435 million people when online gig workers (or cloud workers) like social media chat moderators and data entry workers are included. But according to ABC News, almost 250,000 people work in Australia’s gig economy. Home to an even larger gig economy is Bangladesh, reported as the second-largest online outsourcing destination. The Southern Asian city has around 800,000 people working in the gig economy, including 300,000 location-based workers and approximately 500,000 cloud workers. Despite gig workers’ contribution to economic development in Australia and Bangladesh, they are classified as independent workers rather than employees. This classification allows platform companies to avoid providing their workers with essential amenities like parking, drinking water, toilets and phone or e-bike battery charging, each of which is vital to rideshare and delivery work. Even though the provision of public amenities should vary greatly between Dhaka and Melbourne due to geographical location and economic differences, our research shows that the experiences of gig workers in Australia and Bangladesh are not so different. From ride-sharing giants like Uber and Pathao to food delivery services like DoorDash and Menulog, although these gig platforms depend heavily on urban infrastructure to function, they take little responsibility in ensuring workers can access the resources they need. This has led to a phenomenon we call ‘parasitic platform urbanism’. Similar to how parasites benefit from their host, digital labor platforms profit from cities’ existing public services without acknowledging this reliance or contributing to their maintenance. Platforms profit while workers struggle The consequences are visible on the streets. When we asked Melbourne-based delivery riders about the kinds of amenities they would like greater access to, many emphasized toilets. “Toilets are the most important and there should be more of them around. They have toilets in parks, but they’re all locked,” says Chitapanya, a 25-year-old Melbourne-based food delivery rider. The responses we collected suggest that public amenities are insufficient, especially for riders who work at night. Similarly, Uber drivers in Dhaka, Bangladesh pointed out how the lack of public toilets negatively impacted their health: “I do not drink enough water when I drive. As there are not many public toilets and public parking available in Dhaka city, it’s hard to find a toilet. Also, we can’t go to the toilet if we have a customer. But it has impacted my health now. I have diabetes now,” says Riad, an Uber driver in Dhaka. Dhaka Uber drivers often face police harassment due to a lack of designated parking. In Melbourne, food delivery riders struggle to find safe places to rest or charge their phones and e-bikes, especially at night. Though fast food restaurant chains offer some respite, delivery riders feel unwelcome. Drevan, a food delivery rider in Melbourne, highlighted the value of having somewhere to exchange information. “It would be nice to have a space to discuss where it is busy, and any incidents that have occurred, with other delivery drivers.” Respondents expressed a desire for a space to share advice and socialize, illustrating the potential of any dedicated rider amenity to also act as a social space. These daily hurdles experienced by gig workers expose a growing gap in urban planning, revealing that cities have yet to adapt to the demands of the gig workforce. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Who should bear responsibility? Our research calls for greater accountability from platform companies, urging them to share the responsibility for maintaining urban infrastructure. While local governments typically manage public resources like parking and sanitation, we also suggest that digital platforms should contribute financially to infrastructure development that directly supports their workers. While some city officials in Melbourne have shown interest in addressing the parking needs of rideshare and delivery drivers, no such interest has been shown by officials in Dhaka. In both contexts, policymakers must recognize the increasing role of gig workers in the urban economy and act accordingly. Policy changes needed to ensure fair working conditions One potential solution is extending occupational health and safety laws to cover gig workers. For example, regulations ensuring employees have access to clean drinking water should also apply to delivery riders and rideshare drivers. Another approach would involve expanding public amenities like bike lanes, accessible rest areas and additional public toilets with extended hours. Unless governments and unions hold platforms accountable, the lack of access to essential amenities will continue to burden workers. While cities struggle to manage the consequences of a growing gig workforce, a lack of public investment in infrastructure leaves platform workers vulnerable. By acknowledging these infrastructural needs, cities can move towards a more sustainable and equitable urban future—one where public amenities support gig workers. Provided by University of Melbourne Citation: How much should parasitic gig companies contribute to city resources? (2025, May 27) retrieved 27 May 2025 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 #parasitic #gig #companies #contribute #city #resources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  13. Armed forces charity steps in to address cyber mental health crisis Armed forces charity steps in to address cyber mental health crisis The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) has linked up with armed forces and veterans charity PTSD Resolution to try to address the increasingly severe mental health challenges faced by cyber security professionals during the course of their work. Over half of security professionals have reported serious mental health impacts from work-related stress, often arising from highly pressurised and fractious incident remediation and investigation work – for example, during the recent Marks & Spencer ransomware incident, it was reported that IT teams had no alternative but to sleep in shifts at the office. CIISec said that with *** businesses responding to nearly nine million cyber incidents every year, the psychological toll on frontline defenders was now reaching crisis levels. Tony Gauvain, a former colonel in the British Army who founded PTSD Resolution in 2009, said the burnout and trauma experienced by cyber pros were in many ways similar to that experienced by veterans during their service. “Both involve high-stakes decision-making, constant vigilance and potential for moral injury when security breaches occur despite best efforts,” he said. “With cyber security professionals facing an avalanche of threats, the psychological impact is profound. Through this partnership, we can extend our proven Human Givens Therapy approach to help cyber security professionals before burnout leads to serious mental health issues.” The collaboration will offer comprehensive mental health support through trauma awareness training and access to professional therapists. PTSD Resolution will lead on the provision of free introductory Trauma Awareness Training for Everyone workshops for CIISec Corporate Members, running twice a year, as well as half-day comprehensive trauma awareness training sessions for organisations, to equip security leaders and line managers with the tools to recognise the signs of mental trauma. CIISec’s 10,000-odd Individual Members will also receive direct access to the charity’s network of 200 accredited therapists – PTSD Resolution says the therapists it works with generally run about seven sessions per treatment programme. Importantly, they will not need employer or medical referral to do so, potentially removing one barrier to access. CIISec members who served in the military will also receive these services free of charge, in line with PTSD Resolution’s founding ideals. The partnership will, in particular, focus on the perennial issue of burnout – a frequent problem for Britain’s cyber workforce which manifests through symptoms such as emotional exhaustion, depression and a reduced sense of accomplishment in one’s work. Amanda Finch, CEO of CIISec, said: “The mental well-being of cyber security professionals is intrinsically linked to the security of our digital infrastructure. With our members on the frontlines defending against sophisticated attacks that could compromise critical national infrastructure, the psychological pressure is immense. “This partnership with PTSD Resolution addresses a critical but often overlooked aspect of our industry,” she said. “By providing our members with access to these specialist services, we’re not only supporting individual well-being, but also strengthening the ***’s cyber defence capabilities through a more resilient workforce.” CIISec members can access more information on the new initiative through the member’s section at its website, available here. Source link #Armed #forces #charity #steps #address #cyber #mental #health #crisis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  14. Glen Quartermain: West Coast Eagles will need Oscar Allen to fill forward void after Jake Waterman injury Glen Quartermain: West Coast Eagles will need Oscar Allen to fill forward void after Jake Waterman injury Jake Waterman’s season-ending injury means the Eagles have no choice but to turn to their former No. 1 forward and co-captain Oscar Allen to permanently fill the void. Source link #Glen #Quartermain #West #Coast #Eagles #Oscar #Allen #fill #void #Jake #Waterman #injury Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  15. 1 No-Brainer S&P 500 Index Fund to Buy Right Now for Less Than $200 1 No-Brainer S&P 500 Index Fund to Buy Right Now for Less Than $200 The S&P 500 is widely considered to be the best indicator of how the U.S. stock market is doing, and it’s easy to understand why. After all, it contains 500 of the largest companies in the United States, and these collectively represent 80% of the overall value of all publicly traded companies. However, one characteristic of the S&P 500 that is very important for investors to understand is that it’s a weighted index, which means that larger companies account for a greater percentage of the index’s performance. And with the rise of trillion-dollar megacap technology companies over the past decade or so, this weighting has resulted in a rather high concentration in just a few big companies. Image source: Getty Images. For example, the largest companies in the United States, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), make up 6.8% and 6.2% of the entire weighting of the S&P 500, respectively. The 10 largest companies in the index make up 35.6% of the S&P 500’s performance. That’s more than the smallest 300 components of the index combined. In simple terms, I like the idea of investing in 500 of the largest and most successful U.S. companies. But I don’t like that much of my investment performance dependent on just a few stocks, while hundreds of others barely have any impact on my long-term returns. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEMKT: RSP) solves this problem. It invests in the same 500 companies as an S&P 500 index fund, except every single component has the same influence on the ETF’s performance. That means companies such as General Motors (NYSE: GM), Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY), and Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) carry the same weight as tech behemoths such as Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). The idea is that if American business collectively performs well, you’ll reap the benefits. But you also won’t feel a significant sting if, say, Nvidia posts a bad quarterly report. Sure, you’ll miss out on some of the benefits if massive companies perform well, but this tends to be offset over time by the greater exposure to smaller components of the S&P 500, which tend to have more dynamic growth potential. Story Continues Speaking of growth potential, although the equal weight S&P 500 has underperformed the traditional version of the index during the megacap tech surge of the past few years, you might be surprised to learn that the equal weight index has actually outperformed its weighted counterpart over the long run. In fact, over the past 40 years, the S&P 500 equal weight index has produced a total return that’s more than 400 percentage points greater than the weighted S&P 500. ^IQX data by YCharts The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF has a 0.20% expense ratio, which is a bit higher than you’d pay for most standard S&P 500 index funds but is still on the low end for a specialized ETF product. There’s nothing wrong with simply buying a traditional S&P 500 index fund and holding it for the long term. Doing so has historically been a strong wealth creation strategy, and in full disclosure, I own shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) in my portfolio. However, the relative top-heaviness of the S&P 500 makes the index’s performance disproportionately dependent on just a few companies, so if you aren’t too comfortable with this level of concentration, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF is an alternative that could be worth a closer look. Before you buy stock in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $639,271!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $804,688!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 957% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 167% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Matt Frankel has positions in General Motors and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors and Occidental Petroleum and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 No-Brainer S&P 500 Index Fund to Buy Right Now for Less Than $200 was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #NoBrainer #Index #Fund #Buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  16. Salesforce to acquire data management company Informatica in $8 billion deal – CNBC Salesforce to acquire data management company Informatica in $8 billion deal – CNBC Salesforce to acquire data management company Informatica in $8 billion deal CNBCExclusive | Salesforce Strikes $8 Billion Deal for Informatica WSJSalesforce Nears $25-Per-Share Deal for Informatica Bloomberg.comSalesforce to buy Informatica for $8 billion to bolster AI data tools ReutersWhy Salesforce plans to buy Informatica in an $8 billion AI deal MarketWatch Source link #Salesforce #acquire #data #management #company #Informatica #billion #deal #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  17. Star Wars Battlefront 2 Sets New Steam Player Record Star Wars Battlefront 2 Sets New Steam Player Record There is a disturbance in the force. Star Wars Battlefront 2 on Steam has hit a staggering new peak for concurrent users, marking an incredible resurgence four years after its last record all thanks to a campaign launched on social media. The resurgence all started on May 4th on the wave of enthusiasm for the Star Wars Day celebrations, when the servers surprisingly repopulated, reaching 5,000 concurrent users. The Star Wars Battlefront 2 servers have experienced a resurgence with both seasoned and new players. Since then, the numbers have continued to grow, reaching a peak of 18,635 concurrent users yesterday—almost double the roughly 10,000 reported in January 2021. This surge indicates that the social media campaign has not only drawn back previous players but has also attracted new ones. Join the rebellion and see you on the battlefront. Source link #Star #Wars #Battlefront #Sets #Steam #Player #Record Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  18. Liverpool parade ******: Virgil van Dijk ‘praying’ for injured fans Liverpool parade ******: Virgil van Dijk ‘praying’ for injured fans Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp added on social media: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are injured and affected.” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at a news conference on Monday: “Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with them”. Ex-Liverpool manager and player Kenny Dalglish said he was “shocked, horrified and deeply saddened” by the incident. Liverpool’s chief executive officer Billy Hogan said: “I would like to extend our heartfelt thoughts to all those who’ve been affected by this appalling incident. “This weekend was one of celebration, emotion and joy spread across the city in our entire fanbase, and it ended in unimaginable scenes of distress with this appalling incident.” Tens of thousands of supporters were on the streets of Liverpool on bank holiday Monday to celebrate the side winning the Premier League. Water Street was closed to traffic for the parade. However, eye witnesses said the car ignored ‘road closed’ signs. The car ploughed into supporters at about 18:00 BST, approximately 10 minutes after the bus containing Liverpool’s players, staff and the Premier League trophy had departed. Police say they are not treating the incident as terror-related. Twenty-seven people were taken to hospitals around the city after the incident. Source link #Liverpool #parade #****** #Virgil #van #Dijk #praying #injured #fans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  19. Dow Jones Forecast: DJIA Rebounds as Trump Postpones Steeper EU Tariffs Dow Jones Forecast: DJIA Rebounds as Trump Postpones Steeper EU Tariffs U.S. stocks are set to open higher on Tuesday, the first day back after the long weekend, as investors cheer President Trump’s postponement of plans to impose 50% tariffs on the European Union, averting a costly trade war. Attention turns to Fed speakers and US data. US Futures 0.06% at 42,094 0.03% at 5880 -0.05% at 21220 In Europe -0.29% at 8772 0.72% at 24182 Trump postpones EU 50% trade tariff until July 9 Fed speakers in focus Nvidia (NASDAQ:) rises ahead of earnings tomorrow holds steady with OPEC in focus Trump Delays EU 50% Tariffs Until July 9 U.S. stocks are set to open higher on Tuesday, the first day back after the long weekend, as investors cheer President Trump’s postponing plans to impose 50% tariffs on the European Union, averting a costly trade war. On Sunday, Trump said he’d agreed to postpone the steep tariffs on goods from the EU until July 9 following a call with EU president Ursula von der Leyen. The US and the EU will begin serious trade talks amid improving relations between the two regions. These developments brought some relief to the markets, which were unnerved on Friday by Trump threatening tariffs not only on the EU but also on Apple (NASDAQ:). This sent US indices sharply lower at the end of last week. The deadline for Trump’s reciprocal tariffs is July 9, and the market is watching closely to see whether close trading partners can reach an agreement in time. The latest U-turn by Trump highlights the unpredictability of his trade policies, undermining investor confidence in the US. The market will listen closely to comments from Fed speakers, as well as digest the smaller-than-expected fall in at -6.3% down from 8.6%. Consumer confidence is also due later. Corporate News Nvidia is rising 2.5% higher, ahead of quarterly earnings on Wednesday, with investors looking for clues over the impact of US chip curbs on China will cost. Apple is rising after data showed that US iPhones shipped from India reached 3 million last month, up 76% this year. Tesla (NASDAQ:) is rising 2.2% despite data showing that European sales nearly halved last month, falling for a fourth straight month amid a backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political views. Salesforce (NYSE:) is rising 1.5% after the WSJ reported that the software company is nearing an agreement to buy Informatica in a deal worth $8 billion. Dow Jones Forecast – Technical Analysis The extended its recovery to 42,880 before turning lower, taking out the 200 SMA and spiking to a low of 41,163, before recovering back above the 42,000 round number. This combined with the RSI above 50, keeps buyers hopeful of further gains. Buyers would need to rise above the 200 SMA to bring 42,880 back into focus. A rise above here creates a higher high. Sellers would need to break below 42k and 41,000 the round number and 50 SMA. Below here and 40,880 could see sellers gain traction. FX Markets – USD Rises, EUR/USD Falls The is rising after last week’s losses and after a long weekend, as the focus shifts to mid-tier data. The improved mood is helping the USD as the EU and the US are keen to progress trade talks. The is falling amid a stronger USD and after cooler than forecast French will ease to 0.6% YoY, its lowest level since December 2020. The data adds to expectations that the ECB will again in June, highlighting the divergence between the ECB and the Fed. is easing back from a fresh 3-year high reached overnight. Strong retail sales and sticky inflation data last week support the view that the BoE will not cut rates at the coming meeting and will adopt a cautious stance to further cuts until further disinflation is seen. Oil Holds Steady With OPEC in Focus Oil prices are little changed at the start of the week after losses last week and amid a cautious mood ahead of the OPEC+ decision on Saturday. The OPEC JMMC will meet tomorrow ahead of the June 1st full meeting, at which the group will discuss an output hike three times the originally scheduled monthly increase. The oil cartel is expected to agree to further production increases of 411,000 borrowed barrels per day, which could cap any gains in the oil price. News that Trump will extend trade talks with the EU until July 9th has eased fears of tariffs suppressing fuel demand, supporting oil prices. Original Post Source link #Dow #Jones #Forecast #DJIA #Rebounds #Trump #Postpones #Steeper #Tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  20. As US Nuclear Status Slides, China Has Learned a Terrifying Nuclear Lesson from Russia As US Nuclear Status Slides, China Has Learned a Terrifying Nuclear Lesson from Russia Most Americans assume the United States is the world’s unrivaled nuclear superpower. The truth is, America’s nuclear stockpile has shrunk significantly. Meanwhile, China is building nuclear weapons at a rapid pace, and arms experts believe the world’s security is now at serious risk due to the ********** regime’s expansionist schemes. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has dramatically reduced the number of nuclear weapons it has deployed or in storage. That arsenal today is roughly 85 percent smaller than at the height of the nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, and the number of operational nukes is tiny compared to 40 years ago. America’s nuclear stockpile has fallen to levels not seen since the 1960s, while China has embarked on an unprecedented nuclear buildup. The U.S. may have as few as 1,700 operational nuclear weapons, and the newest is over 35 years old. Since the 1960s, across Asia, the U.S. has withdrawn its nuclear weapons from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, leaving only a base on Guam with nuclear forces. If war were to break out over Taiwan, experts fear our base on Guam could be neutralized in a ******** first strike, leaving America with no land-based battlefield nuclear option in the Pacific. “All of this requires urgent action,” says Frank Gaffney, the host of Securing America. Gaffney served as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration, when a strategy of ‘peace through strength’ and a nuclear arms buildup helped defeat the Soviet Union. “All of that has essentially gone over the side. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is, having experienced all of that, to see what we are hoping that nobody notices that we haven’t done a whole lot with our nuclear deterrent since I left the Pentagon,” Gaffney said. ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** The US has also retired the nuclear variant of the Tomahawk cruise missile, removing an important tactical option. It seems as if the U.S. assumed the threat of nuclear war would be a thing of the past. China, meanwhile, has taken a different course, tripling the size of its nuclear arsenal in just 5 years. It is now the planet’s fastest-growing nuclear power. “I think that they are increasing the size of their nuclear arsenal, because they want to use it to coerce others into standing down,” says China expert Gordon Chang. Chang believes Beijing learned a lesson from the way Russia’s Vladimir Putin used the threat of nuclear war to deter the West from more direct involvement in the Ukraine war. “So the ******** saw that this actually works. I think that they will precede any invasion of Taiwan, Japan, whatever, with threats to use their nuclear weapons to get the U.S. not to come to the aid of its friends and partners,” Chang explained. The U.S. military does have new nuclear weapons systems under development. The Sentinel is supposed to replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. And the Pentagon has finally announced a new gravity nuclear bomb, the kind dropped from aircraft, to replace the B-61, which has been in service since the 1960s. But having dealt with the Soviets, Gaffney thinks China has even more nuclear weapons than the world thinks it has, some stored in its western desert. “They never bought this idea that Ronald Reagan, my mild and much-revered boss, famously said, which is ‘a nuclear war, can never be won and must never be fought.’ They don’t buy that. They believe nuclear war is a thing – a nuclear war is something that can be used decisively,” Gaffney explained. Then there are the growing nuclear threats from Russia, North Korea, and Iran. But to counter the fastest-growing nuclear power, China, some defense experts believe the U.S. would need to return at least some nuclear weapons to bases in Asia, something that would probably face stiff political opposition within the U.S. Source link #Nuclear #Status #Slides #China #Learned #Terrifying #Nuclear #Lesson #Russia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  21. Subnautica takes you below the waves of an alien planet as it’s set to come to mobile Subnautica takes you below the waves of an alien planet as it’s set to come to mobile Subnautica is set to arrive on mobile on July 8th Explore the depths of an alien world and gather resources to get off-planet Beware of dangerous wildlife, crushing pressure, and alien influence If you’ve been wanting to start a new life under the sea, then you’re in luck. Because survival crafting, sealife simulator Subnautica is coming to mobile! Set to arrive on iOS and Android on July 8th, it offers the definitive underwater survival experience, as you contend with an alien world and all the horrors in its depths. Subnautica sees you playing an anonymous colonist ejecting from a crashing spaceship over a watery alien world. Armed with your wits, an advanced 3D printer and AI to guide you, you’ll need to go from surviving to gathering resources, building your own base and constructing a ship to get off-planet. Between you and that, however, are leagues of watery depths to explore and a myriad of dangerous wildlife. Subnautica isn’t as simple as other survival crafters, because while water and food are important, so is heat, darkness and crushing pressure. And if you want to explore the deepest depths, you’ll need something a bit better than a snorkel. Are you sure whatever you’re doing is worth it? Subnautica is one of those oddities in gaming that has managed to remain wholly distinct in a genre where riffing and twisting any concept is a given. Off the top of my head, I don’t think I could name another underwater survival crafter like this. And now you’ll be able to take all that watery challenge into the palm of your hand! Remember, though, there’s a lot more than just your own survival to think about. After all, nobody said that the only life on this planet was non-sapient… Need something to tide you over ahead of the launch of Subnautica? Be sure to check out our list of the best survival games for iOS and Android. Be it something fun and arcadey, or grim and gritty fights for your very life. Source link #Subnautica #takes #waves #alien #planet #set #mobile Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  22. Russia seizes villages in push into northeast Ukraine Russia seizes villages in push into northeast Ukraine Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, a local official says, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had issued an order to establish a buffer zone along the border. Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region, where a surprise Ukrainian incursion in 2024 captured a pocket of land in the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. Creating a buffer zone could help Russia prevent further Ukrainian cross-border attacks there. Meanwhile, a Russian bombing campaign that had escalated in recent days slowed overnight as far fewer Russian drones targeted Ukrainian towns and cities. Moscow’s invasion has shown no signs of stopping despite months of intense US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and get traction for peace talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey earlier in May for their first direct talks in three years, a large prisoner exchange has been the only tangible outcome, but negotiations have brought no significant breakthrough. Between Friday and Sunday, Russia launched about 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said, amid a spate of large-scale bombardments. On Sunday night, Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the three-year war against Ukraine, firing 355 drones. From Monday to Tuesday, Russia fired 60 drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said. Russia’s defence ministry claimed its air defences downed 99 Ukrainian drones overnight over seven Russian regions. The weekend surge in Russia’s bombardments of Ukraine drew a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who said Putin had gone “crazy”. That comment prompted a sharp Kremlin reaction on Monday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticising “emotional reactions” to events. Peskov adopted a milder tone Tuesday, hailing US peace efforts and saying that “the Americans and President Trump have taken a quite balanced approach”. In Sumy, Russian forces are trying to advance deeper after capturing villages, Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy regional military administration, said in a statement. Ukrainian forces were endeavouring to hold the line, he said. Residents of the captured villages were evacuated earlier, and there is no immediate threat to civilians, Hryhorov said. Putin visited the Kursk region last week for the first time since Moscow claimed in April that it drove Ukrainian forces out of the area where they captured land last August. Kyiv officials have denied the claim. The long border remained vulnerable to Ukrainian incursions, Putin said. He said he told the Russian military to create a “security buffer zone” along the border but provided no public details of where the proposed zone would be or how far it would stretch. Putin said a year ago that a Russian offensive at the time aimed to create a buffer zone in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. That could have helped protect Russia’s Belgorod border region, where frequent Ukrainian attacks have embarrassed the Kremlin. Source link #Russia #seizes #villages #push #northeast #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  23. NPR sues Trump administration over executive order to cut finding to public media NPR sues Trump administration over executive order to cut finding to public media WASHINGTON (AP) — National Public Radio and three local stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against President Donald Trump, arguing that an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding for the organization is ********. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington by NPR, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KUTE, Inc. argues that Trump’s executive order to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR violates the First Amendment. Trump issued the executive order earlier this month that instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and requires that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. Trump issued the order after alleging there is “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting. “The Order’s objectives could not be clearer: the Order aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes and chill the free exercise of First Amendment rights by NPR and individual public radio stations across the country,” the lawsuit alleges. “The Order is textbook retaliation and viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment, and it interferes with NPR’s and the Local Member Stations’ freedom of expressive association and editorial discretion,” it said. Source link #NPR #sues #Trump #administration #executive #order #cut #finding #public #media Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  24. Can Nvidia Beat EPS Forecasts While Losing Ground in China? Can Nvidia Beat EPS Forecasts While Losing Ground in China? On Wednesday, May 28th, Nvidia (NASDAQ:) is scheduled to report its Q1 earnings ending April 2025. To beat investor expectations, the dominant AI chip designer would have to beat the analyst forecast of $0.8 earnings per share (EPS), per Zacks Investment Research. In the year-ago quarter, Nvidia reported an of $0.58, which was 625% higher than the EPS reported in Q1 2023. But now that the company has an enormous market weight of $3.2 trillion, the expected yearly EPS uptick is a moderate 38%. Year-to-date, NVDA stock performance is in the negative yield territory, at -5%, having its Relative Strength Index (RSI) fall under 70 last Tuesday. Over a month, however, NVDA shares gained 26.5% value, as it became clear that President Trump’s “Liberation Day” regarding the imposition of global tariffs has dubious leverage. Ahead and beyond Wednesday’s earnings report, what can investors expect from NVDA stock exposure? Nvidia’s Diminishing Prospects in China When the ******** startup launched its eponymous DeepSeek R1 model, it surprised the West. ******** developers managed to harness Nvidia’s H800 chips, as nerfed versions of H100 GPUs, to deliver higher efficiency and lower computing costs with clever parallelism and compression techniques. Nvidia’s H800s were the company’s answer to the federal government’s first wave of chip export controls implemented in October 2022. Since then, it has been a bipartisan consensus to stifle China’s access to cutting-edge chips with even greater export controls. In other words, the AI race mirrors geopolitics between the US-aligned West and China. In early May at the Milken Institute, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that the US has to “win in AI and Quantum”. Otherwise, “if we don’t win, everything else doesn’t matter.” For fiscal year 2025, China generated $17.11 billion in revenue for Nvidia. If we take into account the smuggling of AI chips via Singapore, Nvidia’s sales in that region would account for 33.26% of the company’s total revenue for that *******. Expectedly, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is not pleased by escalating chip controls to target China. Most recently at Computex Q&A, Huang noted that Nvidia had to exercise “writing off multiple billions of dollars” just on H20 series restriction alone. In total, Huang regrettably informed the audience that the Biden admin lowered Nvidia’s market share in China from 95% to 50%. Huang also observed that such restrictions would only accelerate China’s chip design and manufacturing ecosystem. Indeed, we have concluded that Huawei, in concert with SMIC, is likely to nullify Western advantage by 2030 or earlier. Offsetting Factors for Nvidia’s Bottom Line Although aggressive chip export controls are concerning for Nvidia’s bottom line, as a global purveyor of AI tech through TSMC, it is also likely that AI demand will offset it. From the very beginning of the AI hype, we’ve kept reminding readers that Nvidia’s compute power is yet to see a demand uptick once text-to-video outputs become more than a novelty. In just two years, Google’s Veo 3 video generator crossed that major milestone recently, as it is now exceedingly difficult to discern the difference between AI content and video recordings. Video generation, combined with audio generation, requires drastically more compute power. Not only is each frame equivalent to text-to-image output, but all frames have to have temporal consistency. Additionally, video generation mimics physics modeling to make interactions and object motion indistinguishable from real footage. To offer greater control in AI apps of the future, alongside robotics, we will likely see a hybrid approach with physics-informed loss functions. This fits perfectly into Nvidia’s full-stack offering of GPUs and AI accelerators that simulate physics, such as Newton. Case in point, Flexcompute announced in March that integrating Nvidia’s Blackwell platform made it possible to achieve 100x faster physics simulations. On a large scale, Nvidia will also be a key player in supplying tech for smart cities in the form of public-private partnerships (PPPs), as we’ve recently seen with Saudi Arabia’s AI investment spree. Specifically, to enable decision-making in AI-powered governance systems, Nvidia’s Omniverse Cloud can run “physical AI solutions with digital twins”. Exerting its hegemony, the USG has already made inroads with the Stargate project, announced shortly after President Trump’s inauguration. Most recently, on May 22nd, UAE announced the deployment of Stargate UAE cluster utilizing Nvidia’s GB300 platform, in joint collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle (NYSE:). For the USG allowing Nvidia tech in the UAE, the Emirates committed up to $1.4 trillion AI infrastructure investments in the US. In short, Nvidia should not only be viewed as the dominant semiconductor designer company, but as an integral part of US efforts to secure its technological and geopolitical hegemony. We are likely to see many more PPPs that benefit Nvidia’s bottom line in the future. After all, as we’ve maintained all along, AI deployment is primarily about erecting new types of governance systems. NVDA Price Targets Presently priced at $131.29 per share, the average NVDA price target sits at $161.82, according to WSJ’s forecasting data. The bottom estimate is $100, while the ceiling is all the way up to $235.92 per share. Only one analyst recommends selling, while the overwhelming majority, 52 analysts, view NVDA stock as a buy opportunity at this price point. *** Neither the author, Tim Fries, nor this website, The Tokenist, provide financial advice. Please consult our website policy prior to making financial decisions. This article was originally published on The Tokenist. Check out The Tokenist’s free newsletter, Five Minute Finance, for weekly analysis of the biggest trends in finance and technology. Source link #Nvidia #Beat #EPS #Forecasts #Losing #Ground #China Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  25. JPMorgan Chase is heading upmarket to woo America’s millionaires JPMorgan Chase is heading upmarket to woo America’s millionaires A living space in the new J.P. Morgan financial center branch format in Palm Beach. Courtesy: JP Morgan JPMorgan Chase thinks it has cracked the code on managing more money for America’s millionaires. It’s not a new financial product, a novel software program or an enticing sign-up bonus. Instead, it’s a refurbished take on an old concept — the brick-and-mortar bank branch — along with new standards for service that are at the heart of its aspirations. The bank is unveiling 14 of these new format branches — each acquired when JPMorgan took over First Republic in 2023 — in tony ZIP codes in New York, California, Florida and Massachusetts, including Napa, Palm Beach and Wellesley Hills. It’s part of JPMorgan’s push to convince affluent Americans, many who already use Chase checking accounts or credit cards, that the bank is ready to manage their millions. JPMorgan is the country’s biggest bank by deposits and assets and has a top share in areas as disparate as Wall Street trading and retail credit cards. But one of the only major categories where it isn’t a clear leader is in wealth management; peers like Morgan Stanley and Bank of America exceed it there. While half of the 19 million affluent households in the U.S. bank with JPMorgan, it has just a 10% share of their investing dollars, according to Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. “We have this giant opportunity to convince customers to have their wealth management business with us in addition to their deposit relationship,” Roberts said in a recent interview. Helped by its acquisition of First Republic, which was known for catering to rich families living on either coast, JPMorgan decided to launch a new tier of service. Called J.P. Morgan Private Client, it is anchored by the new physical locations, of which there will be 31 by the end of next year. The service comes with its own mobile banking app, but its main appeal is the in-person experience: Instead of being handed off to multiple employees like at a Chase branch, J.P. Morgan Private Client members are assigned to a single banker. “What First Republic did really well was deliver a concierge-level of service where if you have an issue, a person owned it for you and you didn’t have to worry about it,” Roberts said. “So with this experience we are going to deliver a more elevated concierge type of service, like you would expect at a high-end hotel.” The price of entry: at least $750,000 in deposits and investments, though Roberts said the bank is aiming for those with around $2 million to $3 million in balances. Quiet opulence The new locations, dubbed J.P. Morgan Financial Centers, have a warm feel and an earth-tone color palette that intentionally sets them apart from the nearly 5,000 Chase branches operated by the bank. During a recent visit to a Manhattan location, the vibe is family office-meets hotel, with soaring ceilings, living room-style seating areas and art-filled meeting rooms scattered over two floors. Gone is the traditional row of bank tellers; there is instead a concierge desk and a solitary ATM machine. Instead of lollipops, visitors are offered squares of Dylan’s chocolate. The space is quiet, except for the crack of a Perrier being opened or the whir of an espresso machine. JP Morgan’s Palm Beach Reception. Courtesy: JP Morgan The design elements and hushed environment are “really meant to illustrate that we’re there to have a more serious, less-transactional conversation about your wealth planning over the course of time,” said Stevie Baron, JPMorgan’s head of affluent banking. Those conversations involve planning for long-term goals and examining clients’ portfolios to see whether they are on track to reach them, he said. Elements of the new high-end branch format could find their way to regular Chase branches, especially the 1,000 or so that are in high-income areas, Baron said. JPMorgan executives have said the bank’s branch network has already succeeded as a feeder into the firm’s wealth management offerings. The new service tier — which sits above the bank’s Chase Private Client offering, which is for those with at least $150,000 in balances and is delivered in the regular branches — is expected to help JPMorgan’s retail bank double client assets from the $1.08 trillion it reached in March. “Obviously it’s a big challenge, because clients already have their established wealth managers, but it’s something that we’ve been making really strong progress in,” Roberts said. Come one, come all But attempting to create a new, more luxurious brand from a mainstream one — think the difference between Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus — is not without its risks. Or at least, momentary confusion. So far, the two flagship financial centers in New York and San Francisco opened late last year haven’t seen heavy foot traffic, Roberts admitted. “Our biggest challenge is that we don’t have people walking in because they don’t really understand what they are,” Roberts said. “So we just need to get the awareness out there.” While JPMorgan is leaning on the first part of its name, rather than Chase, to signal exclusivity for the new branches, that may deter people from walking through the doors and starting conversations. “I just want this to be acknowledged: We’re never going to turn someone away. Any customer can come and leverage any of our branches at any time,” Roberts said. “We want people walking in, having the experience, meeting with our experts and understanding how we can help support their financial goals over time,” she said. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #JPMorgan #Chase #heading #upmarket #woo #Americas #millionaires Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

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