Pelican Press

Trump administration puts new limits on reporters at Pentagon – Reuters Trump administration puts new limits on reporters at Pentagon – Reuters Trump administration puts new limits on reporters at Pentagon ReutersPete Hegseth, beset by leaks, clamps down on press inside Pentagon The GuardianHegseth hits Pentagon press with stricter orders on credentials in order to protect ‘national security’ Fox NewsDefense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at Pentagon AP NewsUS updates: Hegseth restricts Pentagon reporting DW Source link #Trump #administration #puts #limits #reporters #Pentagon #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alex Pearce: Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers skipper to face Match Review scrutiny for hit on Darcy Byrne-Jones Alex Pearce: Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers skipper to face Match Review scrutiny for hit on Darcy Byrne-Jones Alex Pearce is set to come under Match Review scrutiny following a significant collision with Darcy Byrne-Jones that left the Power forward dazed. WATCH THE INCIDENT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE The Walyalup skipper made heavy contact with the head of Byrne-Jones during the late stages of the second quarter in the sides’ clash at Optus Stadium. Pearce was late to a marking contest as Byrne-Jones looked to accept a loopy kick inside 50. The Docker’s left shoulder made contact with Byrne-Jones’ head, with the Power player taking the best part of a minute to get to his feet before going straight off the field with the assistance of medical staff. Byrne-Jones failed to join his teammates on the ground as the Power returned for the second half, with the club confirming he had been substituted out with concussion symptoms. Dockers coach Justin Longmuir was shown on the broadcast putting both of his hands on his face in the coaches’ box when the hit occurred. Pearce has played all 11 games this season after struggling to stay on the field in the late stages of last season, coinciding with his side’s fall down the ladder. The Dockers travel to Gold Coast to take on the high-flying Suns next week before the club’s bye. More to come Source link #Alex #Pearce #Walyalup #Fremantle #Dockers #skipper #face #Match #Review #scrutiny #hit #Darcy #ByrneJones Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

President Donald Trump Wants to Give Half of All Social Security Retirees a Raise — but It Can Backfire President Donald Trump Wants to Give Half of All Social Security Retirees a Raise — but It Can Backfire Key Points America’s leading retirement program is facing a $23.2 trillion long-term funding shortfall, as well as the possibility of sweeping benefit cuts by 2033. Trump has a popular plan to put more money into the pockets of half of all Social Security retirees. Though the president’s plan would yield near-term rewards for select retired-worker beneficiaries, it would come at a steep cost. For an overwhelming majority of retirees, Social Security represents more than just a monthly check. It’s a financial lifeline that they’d struggle to make do without. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Social Security pulled 22 million people above the federal poverty line in 2023, more than 16.3 million of which were aged 65 and over. Meanwhile, 23 years of annual surveys by Gallup have found that 80% to 90% of retirees rely on their Social Security income, in some capacity, to cover their expenses. Nothing is more important to America’s aging workforce than preserving the financial health of Social Security — and strengthening the program begins at the top, with President Donald Trump. Though Trump has primarily maintained a hands-off approach with Social Security and focused on efficiency-based cost-cutting initiatives, he has one mammoth change in mind that would, ultimately, give half of all retired-worker beneficiaries a raise. Unfortunately, it’s also a proposal that’s ripe to backfire. President Trump delivering his State of the Union address. Image source: Official White House Photo. America’s leading retirement program is in desperate need of reform In January 1940, the very first Social Security retired-worker benefit check was mailed. Every year since then, the Social Security Board of Trustees has published a report that intricately details the inner workings of the program. These annual reports allow the public to peruse how every dollar in income is collected, as well as trace where those dollars end up. But what tends to be even more insightful with these annual reports are the forward-looking projections. These forecasts take into account ongoing demographic shifts, along with changes to fiscal and monetary policy, to determine how financially sound Social Security will be 75 years following the release of a report (i.e., the Trustees’ definition of the “long term”). In each of the last 40 years, the Trustees have pointed to a long-term funding obligation shortfall. Put plainly, projected income collected in the 75 years following a report isn’t expected to be sufficient to cover outlays, which primarily includes benefits but also accounts for the administrative expenses to oversee the program. As of the 2024 Trustees Report, this 75-year funding shortfall stood at $23.2 trillion — and this figure has been growing with consistency over time. The more pressing concern is the asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund (OASI), which are estimated to be depleted by 2033. The OASI’s asset reserves represent the excess cash built up since inception that hasn’t been paid out as benefits or used to cover administrative expenses. This excess income is currently invested in special-issue, interest-bearing government bonds, as required by law. If lawmakers fail to act and the OASI’s asset reserves run out, retired workers and survivors of deceased workers would be facing an up to 21% reduction in their monthly benefit eight years from now. President Trump wants to give roughly half of all retired-worker beneficiaries a raise Donald Trump oversaw a number of Social Security changes during the first 100 days in office of his second nonconsecutive term. However, these efficiency-driven measures aren’t going to put a dent in either the $23.2 trillion long-term funding shortfall, or meaningfully address the expected exhaustion of the OASI’s asset reserves in 2033. But the president does have a proposal to get more money into the pockets of seniors. In a July 31 social media post on Truth Social, then-candidate Trump proclaimed in all capital letters, “Seniors should not pay tax on Social Security.” In recent weeks, he’s doubled down on his sentiment that retirees shouldn’t be taxed on the Social Security benefits they receive. While speaking at a town hall event, the president said, In the coming weeks and months, we will pass the largest tax cuts in American history — and that will include no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime. It’s called “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” In 1983, with Social Security’s asset reserves virtually exhausted, a bipartisan Congress passed, and then-President Ronald Reagan signed, the Social Security Amendments of 1983 into law. This amendment gradually increased the full retirement age and payroll taxation on working Americans, as well as introduced the utterly despised tax on benefits. When the taxation of benefits went into effect in 1984, up to 50% of benefits could be subjected to the federal tax rate when provisional income (adjusted gross income + tax-free interest + one-half of benefits) surpassed $25,000 for single filers and $32,000 for jointly filing couples. A decade later, a second tier was added allowing up to 85% of benefits to be subject to federal taxation if provisional income for single filers and couples filing jointly topped $34,000 and $44,000, respectively. When this tax went into effect in 1984, it was expected to affect approximately 10% of all senior households. But because these income thresholds haven’t been adjusted for inflation since their respective inceptions decades ago, around half of all senior households now pay some level of tax on the benefits they receive. If President Trump is successful in eliminating this hated tax, he would be giving roughly half of all retirees a raise (in the sense that they would no longer have to pay tax on some portion of their benefits). Image source: Getty Images. Donald Trump’s well-intentioned proposal is poised to backfire On the surface, there would be plenty of support from current and future retirees to end the taxation of benefits. An overwhelming majority of retirees in an informal poll conducted by The Senior Citizens League believe Social Security benefits shouldn’t be taxed. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned plan to put more money into the pockets of around half of all current Social Security retirees would be a short-term relief that leads to an even ******* long-term issue. To combat the OASI’s declining asset reserves, America’s leading retirement program needs every cent in income it can collect. At the moment, Social Security generates its income three ways: More than 91% of the $1.35 trillion collected in 2023 came from the 12.4% payroll tax on earned income, which includes wages and salary but not investment income. In 2025, all earned income up to $176,100 is subject to the payroll tax. Approximately 5% derives from the interest income earned on the OASI’s and Disability Insurance Trust Fund’s (DI’s) asset reserves, which as previously noted are invested in interest-bearing government bonds. The remainder of Social Security’s income comes from taxing Social Security benefits. The good news is that the lion’s share of Social Security’s income will continue to be sourced from the payroll tax. As long as Americans keep working and paying their taxes, there will always be funds for the Social Security Administration to distribute to eligible beneficiaries. On the other hand, the program’s interest income will dwindle as the OASI’s asset reserves are steadily exhausted. The interest income generated from the DI’s asset reserves represents a very small piece of the pie. Removing the tax on benefits, with Social Security’s interest income expected to diminish over time, would financially cripple the program. Based on estimates from the 2024 Trustees Report, the income generated from taxing benefits is expected to jump from $50.7 billion in 2023 to $132.8 billion in 2033. While half of all retirees — the half with the highest provisional income — would enjoy a brief raise, the OASI’s asset reserves would be drained even faster without income from the taxation of benefits. In plain English, Trump’s plan would speed up the benefit-cut timeline and potentially increase the percentage benefits would need to be reduced by (i.e., more than the current estimate of a 21% cut) to sustain the program for 75 years. It goes to show that what’s popular isn’t always the best solution. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you’re like most Americans, you’re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known “Social Security secrets” could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more… each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we’re all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies. View the “Social Security secrets” » The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. President Donald Trump Wants to Give Half of All Social Security Retirees a Raise — but It Can Backfire was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #President #Donald #Trump #Give #Social #Security #Retirees #Raise #Backfire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pivoting From Tax Cuts to Tariffs, Trump Ignores Economic Warning Signs – The New York Times Pivoting From Tax Cuts to Tariffs, Trump Ignores Economic Warning Signs – The New York Times Pivoting From Tax Cuts to Tariffs, Trump Ignores Economic Warning Signs The New York TimesTrump’s tariff threat risks a trade war with Europe years in the making NBC NewsTrade Between the U.S. and EU Is Massive. We Break It Down. WSJTrump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones as his trade war intensifies AP NewsMarket starts holiday weekend with new Trump tariff targets: Apple, EU Detroit Free Press Source link #Pivoting #Tax #Cuts #Tariffs #Trump #Ignores #Economic #Warning #Signs #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Liverpool: Mohamed Salah wins Premier League player of season award Liverpool: Mohamed Salah wins Premier League player of season award Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has been named Premier League player of the season. It is the second time the 32-year-old Egyptian has won the award, which is decided after votes from the public are combined with those from a panel of football experts, having also claiming it in the 2017-18 campaign. Salah, who led his side to the Premier League title this season, beat off the challenge from team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch as well as Arsenal’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Declan Rice, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, and Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest. It is the first time since 2018-19 that a Manchester City player has not won the award. Source link #Liverpool #Mohamed #Salah #wins #Premier #League #player #season #award Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Critical Sign That Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Might Be An Economic Disaster The Critical Sign That Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Might Be An Economic Disaster After a spike in U.S. bond rates forced then-President Bill Clinton to back down from his spending plans in 1993, James Carville, one of his top advisers, told The Wall Street Journal, “I used to think, that if there was reincarnation, I wanted to come back as the president or the pope or a .400 baseball hitter. But now I would like to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody.” For the next couple of decades, interest rates on U.S. government debt fell and stayed down. It seemed like the bond market had abdicated its role as a great legislative bully. Well, the bully is back. It’s already won its first fight with the Trump administration, over tariffs — and this week, it is clearly squaring up for another battle over the House GOP’s massive tax cut and spending package. The bond markets’ initial victory came when President Donald Trump suspended the tariffs he announced on April 2 just hours after they went into effect on April 9. Why the almost immediate cave? Here’s what the president said: ”I was watching the bond market. The bond market is very tricky. I was watching it. But if you look at it now, it’s, it’s beautiful. The bond market right now is beautiful. But yeah, I saw last night where people were getting a little queasy.” What the president saw was an acceleration of a post-Liberation Day sell-off in American government debt. Investors were unloading U.S. Treasurys, sending yields soaring. (When the price of a bond falls, the relative amount it pays investors, called the yield, rises. It’s a see-saw-like mathematical relationship, so the financial press often uses “bond prices fall” and “yields rise” interchangeably.) Tumult in the U.S. Treasurys market is an event with financial consequences unlike any other. There’s $28 trillion in U.S. government bonds. That debt is a global financial safe haven and international benchmark. Trillions and trillions of dollars of mortgages, personal debt and corporate debt are priced based on U.S. Treasurys. If you had to choose one number to track the vitality of the American economy and centrality of the United States government in the global order, it would be the price of Treasurys. And now, the bond market is having its say on the president’s massive tax-cutting and spending-slashing bill, which the House GOP just barely managed to pass early Thursday: Treasury yields soared in recent weeks as the details of the legislative package came into focus and now are well above the rate that forced the tariff “pause” in April. A lot of the coverage for why the bond market doesn’t like the “big, beautiful bill” focuses on the fact that its policy changes will increase government debt by slashing taxes without raising anywhere near an equal amount of revenue elsewhere. But the bond market doesn’t always react this way to a growing national debt. The post-Clinton administration U.S. is a great example of this: Debt grew and rates came down and stayed down for decades. Story Continues Part of this, of course, is due to a global phenomenon that came out of the 2008 financial crisis known as “Zero Interest Rate Policy” or known as ZIRP, where central banks around the world kept interest rates at or around zero for years. But a big part of why the bond market hates the GOP tax cuts is how they increase the debt: The bill cuts taxes for the rich while cutting spending on social safety net programs. Overall, economist Justin Wolfers summed it up as “the largest redistribution from poor to rich in American history.” As a result, the GOP budget bill won’t just increase the annual government deficit, it will hurt economic growth. That’s because tax cuts to the rich provide less juice to the economy than other types of spending. Rich people are, well, already rich, so they have less of what economists call “marginal propensity to spend” the extra money they get to keep. Trump’s budget also cuts programs that directly increase economic growth, like clean energy tax benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act. Add to that the fact that Trump’s tariffs remain at levels that amount to one of the greatest tax increases in American history, the cost of which will be borne disproportionately by middle- and lower-income consumers, and the outcome is simultaneous and wildly hypocriticalfiscal austerity and profligacy that will hamper growth and increase the national debt. All the while, Europe, after more than a decade of destructive adherence to austere fiscal principles, is finallyramping up government spending, giving investors looking for debt issued by relatively prosperous economies governed by the rule of law an alternative to U.S. Treasurys. This is more than enough to draw the bond market into another confrontation with the Trump administration. The first time around, the president did what the bond market wanted. This time around, with Republicans seemingly dead set on passing a bill the U.S. Treasurys markets hate while Trump gets back to announcing tariffs on a whim, the bond market bully is going to need to get even more aggressive to get the GOP to do its bidding. Source link #Critical #Sign #Trumps #Big #Beautiful #Bill #Economic #Disaster Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

I'm a TV expert, and these are my favorite Memorial Day TV deals: Save up to $5,000 on big-screen TVs – ZDNet I'm a TV expert, and these are my favorite Memorial Day TV deals: Save up to $5,000 on big-screen TVs – ZDNet I’m a TV expert, and these are my favorite Memorial Day TV deals: Save up to $5,000 on big-screen TVs ZDNetSony will give you a free 55-inch 4K TV right now, and there are many ways to qualify ZDNetHuge Memorial Day Deals on Stellar Big-Screen TVs From Sony, TCL, and Roku PCMagMemorial Day Deal: Get Almost 50% Off a Massive 98-Inch TCL QLED 4K TV at Best Buy CNETThe Best Memorial Day TV Deals We’ve Found So Far IGN Source link #I039m #expert #favorite #Memorial #Day #deals #Save #bigscreen #TVs #ZDNet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Cristiano Ronaldo ‘could play’ in 2025 Club World Cup, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino Cristiano Ronaldo ‘could play’ in 2025 Club World Cup, says Fifa president Gianni Infantino Spanish newspaper Marca, external reported last weekend that an unnamed Brazilian club had made an offer to Ronaldo. Botafogo are one of four Brazilian teams to have qualified and their coach Renato Paiva was asked about Ronaldo, external last Sunday. He laughed before saying: “Christmas is only in December. But if he came, you can’t say no to a star like that. “I don’t know anything – I’m just answering the question. But, as I said, coaches always want the best. Ronaldo, even at his age, is still a goal-scoring machine. In a team that creates chance after chance, he would be good.” Botafogo are owned by American businessman John Textor, who also holds a majority stake in Crystal Palace. Ronaldo won the Champions League four times during nine seasons with Real Madrid before joining Juventus in 2018. Real and Juve are among the 12 European clubs that have qualified, which includes Premier League teams Chelsea and Manchester City. Between them either Ronaldo or Messi won the Ballon d’Or from 2008 to 2017, before Messi won it three more times to give the Argentine forward, 37, a record eight wins. Messi’s Inter Miami are in the same group as Egypt’s Al Ahly, Portuguese side Porto and Brazilian club Palmeiras. Source link #Cristiano #Ronaldo #play #Club #World #Cup #Fifa #president #Gianni #Infantino Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever extend winning streak to five matches after surviving Giants scare Super Netball 2025: West Coast Fever extend winning streak to five matches after surviving Giants scare West Coast Fever survived an almighty scare from cellar-dwellers Giants to extend their winning streak to five with a nine-goal victory at Ken Rosewall Arena on Saturday night. Source link #Super #Netball #West #Coast #Fever #extend #winning #streak #matches #surviving #Giants #scare Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A tsunami that never ends? Study highlights a looming West Coast risk. A tsunami that never ends? Study highlights a looming West Coast risk. The pressure keeps building below the Earth’s surface off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, and a multi-layered disaster could strike at any time. A huge earthquake is brewing along the Cascadia Subduction Zone that could destroy bridges, reshape the landscape and trigger a massive tsunami. Scientists have known about the looming danger for years, but ongoing research keeps painting a clearer picture of what could happen. Among the dangers: A huge tsunami that will wash over costal areas and permanently flood them. The quake is a matter of if, not when, said Tina Dura, a geologist and professor of natural hazards at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia. Recent research has focused on how climate change is increasing the impact of the earthquake on coastal areas that will suddenly sink. Researchers expect the quake will trigger an as much a 6-foot drop in some inland areas — then a massive tsunami will flood those regions, some permanently. “Imagine if, after Hurricane Katrina, after all the horrible things that happened, if we’d also lost big chunks of New Orleans and it never came back,” said Diego Melgar, a professor at the University of Oregon and director of the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center. The loss of swaths of land is just one of the surreal series of events that will occur when the earthquake eventually strikes, researchers say. Areas along the West coast of the United States from northern California to Washington state at high risk of flooding given rising sea levels and the strong possibility of a mega-earthquake and tsunamis in the region. When will the next big Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake strike? This is a mix of bad and good news. The quake is a certainty, but could be hundreds of years off. While it could happen at any time, seismologists have estimated there is a 15% probability of a magnitude 8 in the next 50 years — a substantial risk for such a devastating scenario. Part of their confidence comes from the history of huge earthquakes in the region. “It could be tomorrow or decades from now. But geologically speaking, we’re well within the window of possibility,” Dura said. “The last event was in 1700, and paleoseismic records show these earthquakes recur roughly every 200 to 800 years. By 2100, there is a 30% chance of a large earthquake happening.” The Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake Scientists have a clear picture of what will happen when the earthquake strikes. “First would come extremely strong shaking – shaking that makes it difficult to stand or walk. This would probably last a minute or longer,” said Melgar. Next, land along the coast would drop as much as six-and-a-half feet in places, probably within minutes. “Then there would probably be 30 to 40 minutes of seeming peace. But that’s a false impression, because the tsunami is coming,” he said. The resulting waves would be on the order of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 50,000 people. The tsunami wave from an earthquake of this size could get to 90 or 100 feet tall, Melgar said. The aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku magnitude 9.0 earthquake. It struck off the Pacific coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a tsunami. It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and killed more than 20,000 people. Tsunami trouble When the tsunami wave arrives at the shore “you get this massive surge that lasts for hours, sometimes days,” Melgar said. This is where global warming comes in. Two things play a part in creating the catastrophe their research describes. First, the land would have dropped as much as six feet. At the same time, sea level rise from climate change means that the water which rushes in will cover more land. “You’d hope the tsunami could come to shore, then flow out again and the land would dry out. But there will be parts where it’s now below sea level – the water won’t flow back,” said Melgar. A great Cascadia earthquake could instantly expand flood zones and double flood exposure for residents, structures, and roads. When combined with rising sea levels, these effects could render some coastal communities permanently uninhabitable, said Dura. Even if some areas along the coastline do dry out, they will be much closer to sea level and become susceptible to nuisance flooding if there’s a particularly big storm or high tide. The aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake magnitude 9.0, that struck off the Pacific coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a tsunami. It was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and killed more than 20,000 people. Little earthquakes won’t prevent a big one The West Coast is subject to numerous small earthquakes all the time, but they’re not big enough to relieve the pressure that’s being built up along the Cascadia fault line, Melgar said. So much energy has built up in the zone that even a magnitude 8 earthquake wouldn’t relieve it. “Remember, the magnitude scale is logarithmic. So each increase in magnitude is an increase of 30 in terms of energy,” he said. The great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a magnitude 8 temblor and it was devastating. “If we had one magnitude 8 quake here, we’d still have 29 to go to relieve the pressure,” he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A tsunami that never ends? Study highlights a West Coast risk. Source link #tsunami #ends #Study #highlights #looming #West #Coast #risk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Knicks starters’ clear weakness is about to wreck dream season – New York Post Knicks starters’ clear weakness is about to wreck dream season – New York Post Knicks starters’ clear weakness is about to wreck dream season New York PostKnicks frustrated as lapses on D cost them again ESPNNew York Knicks Explains Karl-Anthony Towns’ Sudden Disappearance Sports IllustratedThe Knicks’ starting unit is hurting New York’s chance at an NBA championship The New York TimesWill Tom Thibodeau shake up Knicks’ struggling starting five? Something needs to change as pivotal Game 3 awaits SNY Source link #Knicks #starters #clear #weakness #wreck #dream #season #York #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here's why – NPR Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here's why – NPR Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here’s why NPRJudge denies request to terminate ************ activist Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation proceedings CNNMahmoud Khalil permitted to hold newborn son for the first time despite government objections AP NewsWhy Mahmoud Khalil Remains in Detention as Other Protesters Are Freed The New York TimesMahmoud Khalil Testifies That Deportation Could Mean Death for Him The New York Times Source link #Mahmoud #Khalil #told #judge #deportation #death #sentence #Here039s #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fear and anger in New Orleans turn to calls for action over jail escape: ‘Get it together’ Fear and anger in New Orleans turn to calls for action over jail escape: ‘Get it together’ NEW ORLEANS — About 18 hours after 10 inmates broke out of jail only a mile away, Lakisha Catchings’ neighbor ran up the wooden stairs to the house she shares with her children. “The police just got a fugitive,” she recalled her neighbor saying, pointing down the street. “It’s so close,” Catchings replied, stunned. In the week since the May 16 jailbreak and resulting manhunt, the mother of eight has remained hunkered down in her New Orleans neighborhood, dotted in places by rutted streets, threadbare wood-frame homes on stilts, corner stores and small churches. She stays mostly inside as five of the 10 escapees, some charged with or convicted of violent offenses, remain at large. But as the fugitive search continues into Memorial Day weekend, her fears are increasingly giving way to frustration, anger and a desire for accountability for putting her family in jeopardy. “How did they let this happen?” said Catchings, 44, as she stood near her front door, a welcome sign hanging to one side. Police officials have said they believe some of the fugitives are still in the city. Amid rewards of $20,000 for tips leading to an apprehension, more than 200 law enforcement personnel led by the Louisiana State Police are seeking to capture them and anyone helping them. On May 22, a third woman was charged for aiding two of the 10 inmates who escaped from the jail known as the Orleans Justice Center, according to police. One jail maintenance worker has also been charged amid several investigations into the escapes at the jail operated by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office A spokesperson for Sheriff Susan Hutson’s office has not responded to requests for comment but previously said she took “full accountability” for the breach. Lakisha Catchings, 44, poses for a portrait with her children Ohsua, 2, Jacob, 11, and Kashay 10, in front of their home in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. In Catchings’ neighborhood, where some residents were avoiding gatherings this weekend, the escape has resurfaced underlying concerns about crime and a jail that has faced staffing shortages and overcrowding. And it has brought new reminders of city’s history of law enforcement misconduct. In 1996, a corrupt patrol officer was convicted of ordering the killing of Kim Groves, the grandmother of escapee Derrick Groves, NOLA.com reported. Derrick Groves, convicted last year for second-degree *******, remains on the loose and has led two prosecutors to flee the state for fear of reprisals. The Department of Justice said last year that the New Orleans police have improved substantially since 2011, when it found evidence of misconduct and bias, including unconstitutional arrests. Neighborhood resident Sidney O’Connor, Jr. said he knows people in jail and doesn’t wonder why they’d want to escape. He isn’t worried that the escapees will commit crimes because he figures they want to lay low and avoid being sent back. Homes along Second Street in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans are visible near where one of the 10 inmates who escaped from Orleans Parish Prison was caught. Others said they hoped investigations and reviews of the jail, including one being conducted by the Louisiana attorney general, would uncover problems that needed solving. “It wasn’t built right,” said Lawrence Wicker, 82, as he completed a crossword puzzle on a folded newspaper at his home. His son, Ron J. Wicker, 57, smoked a cigar on a bench outside the family home they’ve owned and lived in since the 1940s. It was right next door on May 16 that Ron Wicker saw a flood of unmarked police cars suddenly descend to capture on of the escaped prisoners. Authorities were soon putting Robert Moody, 21, who was being held on drug and weapon charges, in custody. Wicker didn’t know how long he’d been hiding there. “I couldn’t believe he was next door,” he said. Ron J. Wicker, 57, left, and his father Lawrence J. Wicker, 82, pose for a portrait in front of their home in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Not far away, Lacy Favaroth, 34, said she, too, has changed her routine amid the escapes, keeping her child inside. She’s seen some police and unmarked law enforcement vehicles since, but was unnerved by one that seemed to follow her on an errand. “I’ve been kind of scared,” she said. “I’m not walking my dog at night at all.” Favaroth said the jailbreak was confounding because it occurred at a facility opened in 2015 to replace aging lockups. But it also tapped into deeper concerns about the root causes that were filling jails, such as insufficient investment in youth programs. Jobs for teens are harder to get than when she was young, she said. “Youth have less to do to keep people out of trouble,” she said. Even as some residents shrug off the dangers, Catchings said she’s worried about her children, who range in age from 9 to 28. And she’s waiting for accountability, including why it took so long to discover the escape – authorities were alerted to the 1 a.m. escape during an 8:30 a.m. headcount – and why she didn’t hear about it until two hours after that. She says the sheriff “has got to go.” “They gotta get it together. Crime is everywhere,” she said. “But to be at your front door? That’s scary.” These days, Catchings is not working so she can help take care of her grandchild. One of her sons, “a Katrina Baby” born in a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was about to graduate high school. She said they’d probably go out to eat rather than hold a party, given the manhunt that seemed like it would continue through Memorial Day weekend. Out front of her home here, a red charcoal barbecue sat unused. For now, she’d continue to hunker down. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Orleans jail escape has residents angry, calling for action Source link #Fear #anger #Orleans #turn #calls #action #jail #escape Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

IDF kills 6 gunmen guarding trucks amid looting as humanitarian aid trickles into Gaza – The Times of Israel IDF kills 6 gunmen guarding trucks amid looting as humanitarian aid trickles into Gaza – The Times of Israel IDF kills 6 gunmen guarding trucks amid looting as humanitarian aid trickles into Gaza The Times of IsraelLIVE: Israeli attacks kill 76; no aid relief for besieged northern Gaza Al JazeeraHeadlines for May 23, 2025 Democracy Now!At least 60 people killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza as Israel lets minimal aid in AP NewsAt least 107 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza as aid continues to trickle in Euronews.com Source link #IDF #kills #gunmen #guarding #trucks #looting #humanitarian #aid #trickles #Gaza #Times #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fears octopus ‘invasion’ is ‘decimating’ shellfish industry Fears octopus ‘invasion’ is ‘decimating’ shellfish industry Janine Jansen BBC News, South West BBC Barry Young holds up a caught octopus at Brixham Fish Market Some fishermen in south-west England say an “invasion” of octopus and a local bylaw are “decimating” the Devon shellfish industry. The octopus, usually found in the Mediterranean, are being found in lobster and crab pots off the coastline. Fishers said they were landing between four and six tonnes of them a day. They said open escape holes in pots for juvenile shellfish, enforced by the bylaw, allowed the creatures in and out to eat shellfish, and fishers wanted to close the gaps. The authority responsible for implementing the bylaw said the holes could be closed if fishers were trying to catch octopus only, and it was working on trying to find a long-term solution. ‘It’s like McDonald’s’ It is thought the octopuses are coming from Morocco, as fishermen there are reporting a shortage of the creatures. Under the unique bylaw for Devon’s waters, some types of crab pots must have “escape holes” as a conservation requirement to allow younger shellfish to escape. Fishers said such escape holes were allowing octopus to enter, devour crabs and leave, resulting in empty pots and no catch for the day. Plymouth crab fisherman Brian Tapper said: “The octopus are ruining us… [They are] coming into the crab pots by the side hatch and it’s like McDonald’s for them. “They go through 50 pots and all you get in here are empty shells.” Brian Tapper says any octopus that gets inside a crab pot leaves behind only empty shells Barry Young, of Brixham Trawler Agents, described the influx as “an invasion” and said the octopus were “decimating the crab fishery at the minute”. “At this morning’s auction, we got 27 tonne of these Mediterranean octopus. We would normally be lucky to get 500kg [1,100lb],” he said. “Long term, it could be devastating for the selfish industry in the *** if these octopus stay. “Unless we see a reduction in these octopus, we won’t see any shellfish.” There are also concerns about a shortage of crabs, scallops and lobsters in restaurants and fishmongers. However, other fishers are welcoming the arrival, as they fetch a high price when sold in Europe. ‘Short-term action’ The escape gaps regulation was placing local fishermen at a significant disadvantage compared to their Cornish counterparts, fishers also argued. The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) is responsible for implementing the bylaw. It said it had listened to the concerns and held an emergency meeting at the end of last week. It said it was aware of the current significant difficulties being experienced due to the “predation of octopus within shellfish pots”. It has agreed to short-term action, allowing fishermen to close the escape hatches, as long as they are only fishing for octopus at the time, and release any crabs or lobsters caught. It said it was in the process of gathering information and evidence, which would be presented to IFCA’s bylaw and permitting sub-committee on 26 June, when issues relating to the octopus industry would be considered in more depth. Source link #Fears #octopus #invasion #decimating #shellfish #industry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Frightening lightning has Zverev set to strike in Paris Frightening lightning has Zverev set to strike in Paris ******* tennis star Alexander Zverev hopes his grand slam luck has changed after his plane heading to Paris for the French Open was struck by lightning. Zverev was dumped out of his home Hamburg Open this week in the last 16 as he battled a stomach virus, and more drama followed as he tried to reach Paris for the clay grand slam, which starts on Sunday. “After take-off, there was a lightning strike on the plane and we had to return to Hamburg and make an emergency landing,” Zverev told reporters. “It seemed pretty funny because there was only a little noise, no real shaking or anything. It was the first time I’d been struck by lightning in the air.” The ******* arrived in Paris late and on a different plane, but does not play until Tuesday, when he takes on American Learner Tien. “It’s not an injury, but a stomach virus. It will go away, then I’ll feel OK again. I hope to be 100 per cent fit,” Zverev said. The ******* is yet to win a grand slam singles title and lost last year’s French Open final in five sets to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. His clay form this season has been mixed. “The first matches will be important for me, that’s for sure,” added the world No.3. Zverev started 2025 in impressive form, making the final of the *********** Open, where he lost in straight sets to Italian world No.1 Jannik Sinner. Source link #Frightening #lightning #Zverev #set #strike #Paris Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend Jordon Hudson Pays Off Millions Owed on Homes Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend Jordon Hudson Pays Off Millions Owed on Homes Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of Bill Belichick, 73, paid off millions of dollars on three of her homes, which were bought after meeting the NFL coach. According to documents viewed by Us Weekly on Friday, May 23, Hudson paid off the remaining balance of the mortgages for the properties, all located in Massachusetts. In Touch was the first to report the news. The official documents show that Hudson had three different mortgages discharged on January 24. Hudson bought the three properties in mid to late 2023. The first property was purchased in June 2023 for $2.3 million and she took out a $1.2 million mortgage on the home. The Real Reason Why 24-Year-Old Jordon Hudson Is Dating 73-Year-Old Bill Belichick: Source December 2023 saw Hudson buy two more properties: a multi-unit apartment building for $3 million as well as a $2.2 million building. (Hudson took out separate $1.2 million mortgages for each of these properties). The documents seen by Us show that all three properties have now been paid off and the $3.6 million in loans has been settled. In addition to the three properties, Hudson bought another property in October 2023 for $610,000, which is reportedly used as one of her main residences. The total sum of her properties is around $8 million. Before entering the real estate market, Hudson was a cheerleader and attended Bridgewater State University. She is the founder and CEO of Trouble Cub Enterprises and was the runner up in the 2024 Miss Maine USA pageant. Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Fanatics) Belichick and Hudson sparked romance rumors in 2023 following his split from longtime girlfriend Linda Holliday. Two years before they started dating, Hudson and Belichick connected while on a flight to Palm Beach, Florida. Since going public with their romance last year, Hudson and Belichick have been a hot topic due to their 48-year age gap. The pair made headlines in April this year after their controversial interview with CBS Mornings. When sitting down with Tony Dokoupil, the journalist asked, “How did you guys meet?” Hudson interjected that they were “not talking about this.” Bill Belichick and Girlfriend Jordon Hudson Have a 48-Year Age Gap: Relationship Timeline Many criticized Hudson’s behavior, leading Belichick to release a statement defending his girlfriend and denied that their relationship was going to be a talking point. “She was not deflecting any specific question or topic but simply doing her job to ensure the interview stayed on track,” he said. “Some of the clips make it appear as though we were avoiding the question of how we met, but we have been open about the fact that Jordon and I met on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021.” CBS subsequently released a statement refuting Belichick’s claims. “When we agreed to speak with Mr. Belichick, it was for a wide-ranging interview,” a spokesperson for CBS News said. “There were no preconditions or limitations to this conversation. This was confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed.” Source link #Bill #Belichicks #Girlfriend #Jordon #Hudson #Pays #Millions #Owed #Homes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How a New Orleans jail escape exposed major security failures – NBC News How a New Orleans jail escape exposed major security failures – NBC News How a New Orleans jail escape exposed major security failures NBC NewsHow Did 10 Inmates Escape a New Orleans Jail Without Anyone Noticing? WSJNOPD arrests man accused of helping two escaped inmate WDSUFifth suspected New Orleans accomplice arrested for allegedly aiding inmates in jailbreak Fox NewsFear and anger in New Orleans turn to calls for action over jail escape: ‘Get it together’ USA Today Source link #Orleans #jail #escape #exposed #major #security #failures #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Magpies depleted by injuries, Hill’s late withdrawal Magpies depleted by injuries, Hill’s late withdrawal Top side Collingwood have continued to lose players in Saturday night’s AFL match against North Melbourne. Premiership defender Brayden Maynard was subbed out in the first quarter with a foot injury. That followed the late pre-match withdrawal of small forward Bobby Hill, with the AFL approving the change because of exceptional circumstances. The Magpies clarified Hill’s absence was because of a family matter. Collingwood also lost veteran midfielder Scott Pendlebury through illness and Steele Sidebottom was managed, while Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey and Lachie Schultz are also out through injury. The Magpies started the game as strong favourites, but the second-last Kangaroos are coming off a draw and a win. Source link #Magpies #depleted #injuries #Hills #late #withdrawal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for May 23, 2025 Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for May 23, 2025 The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Arizona offers Powerball, Mega Millions, The Pick, Triple Twist, Fantasy 5 and Pick 3 as well as Scratchers, Quick Draw and Fast Play. Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history. Money raised from Arizona lottery games goes toward funding higher education, health and human services, environmental conservation and economic and business development in the state. Mega Millions 07-18-40-55-68, Mega Ball: 18 Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here. Pick 3 7-2-7 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Fantasy 5 04-08-21-28-41 Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Triple Twist 02-07-08-11-24-41 Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062. To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations: Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount. Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount. Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999. Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999. Check previous winning numbers and payouts at [Hidden Content]. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Where can you buy Arizona lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos. This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for May 23, 2025 Source link #Arizona #Lottery #Mega #Millions #Pick #results Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Retired FBI agent warns New Orleans prison escape 'should get everyone's attention' – Fox News Retired FBI agent warns New Orleans prison escape 'should get everyone's attention' – Fox News Retired FBI agent warns New Orleans prison escape ‘should get everyone’s attention’ Fox NewsHow Did 10 Inmates Escape a New Orleans Jail Without Anyone Noticing? WSJNOPD arrests man accused of helping two escaped inmate WDSUOfficials in Louisiana weren’t aware inmate was missing from custody until tipster called them NBC NewsFear and anger in New Orleans turn to calls for action over jail escape: ‘Get it together’ USA Today Source link #Retired #FBI #agent #warns #Orleans #prison #escape #039should #everyone039s #attention039 #Fox #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Alexa, what do you know about us?’ What I discovered when I asked Amazon to tell me everything my family’s smart speaker had heard | Amazon Alexa ‘Alexa, what do you know about us?’ What I discovered when I asked Amazon to tell me everything my family’s smart speaker had heard | Amazon Alexa She is always listening. She is unfailingly polite. She is often obtuse. She is sometimes helpful. She frequently frustrates. She isn’t great with bashment artists. Or grime. Or drum’n’bass. She needs to be spoken to slowly and clearly, as you’d talk to an aged relative with diminished faculties. She doesn’t like French accents. ‘“Alexa, how long do wasps live for?” “Alexa, how long do wasps live if you hit them with a tea towel and then a saucepan?” In September 2016, a new presence appears in our house, squatting on the kitchen counter between the kettle and the coffee machine. It is blandly futuristic, a minimal cylinder with an LED ring that glows blue to alert us to the fact that it is ready, poised to answer our questions or carry out our instructions, as long as those instructions are clearly stated and fall within a narrow band of available “skills”. More often than I’d like, the solid blue glow is replaced by a rotating wash of green to tell us that an Amazon order is on its way. Occasionally, the light is red: this happens when someone has turned off the microphone to seize control of the device and impose their music on all of us. Our Amazon Echo is primarily used as the family Bluetooth speaker, and a glance through the music played on it demonstrates that there is very little common ground between our differing tastes. In a household with three young people, the kitchen is a place of musical education and dispute, with the Echo the communal weapon of choice. Our Echo is one of the early ones: essentially a smart speaker connected to a server where the fairly rudimentary Alexa voice assistant attempts to turn our requests and questions into actions and answers. More recent incarnations have screens that allow you to make video calls or stream TV programmes, inevitably, through Amazon Prime. And, when Amazon releases its long-awaited, generative AI-enabled update in the next few weeks or months, my aged unit will be incompatible with Alexa+. It won’t remember my favourite movies or meals, and it won’t help me plan a night out or book an Uber or find a babysitter. But given what Alexa (and, by extension, Amazon) has heard and analysed and stored in the nine years they have been eavesdropping on us, I am happy to settle for our first-generation Echo’s more limited capabilities. Our requests ranged from prosaic to troubling and downright bizarre – there was very little we didn’t ask Alexa Last year, I realised that my relationship with Amazon predated my mortgage, my marriage, parenthood, two distinct careers and a host of other significant life moments. To see if I could distil anything of value – the contours of a 21st-century adulthood, perhaps – from all the information Amazon holds about me, I requested all the available data using an almost impossible to find link. Would I be reassured or disturbed when I found out what Amazon and Alexa knew about my family? A couple of days later, I received an email containing links to gigabytes of information: particulars of every purchase I’ve ever made – from the noir novel I bought on the day that Amazon *** launched to the 28th pair of headphones acquired in as many years. Records of every page turn of every Kindle ebook I’ve opened, every moment of Prime content I’ve watched, measured by the second. And, of course, the details of every interaction we have ever had with our Echo; every question asked, every song requested, every timer set. They don’t make it easy to find gold among the fields of data available for download. Folder and file names are opaque and unhelpful. Competence with spreadsheets is useful and a subscription to a powerful AI assistant is advantageous. Time and patience are necessary. One folder contains nothing but thousands and thousands of sound files, all with the same date and each with a nonsensical string of characters instead of a name. It is definitely fun to click on these at random and hear the voices of various family members mispronouncing band names, asking for Pokémon jokes or demanding that Alexa “play a fart noise”. But without any semblance of order to the files, going through 15,000 of them (“Alexa, never mind”) would truly be a sisyphean task. Or a briefly entertaining family parlour game. Fortunately, along with the sound files, Amazon provides spreadsheets and spreadsheets of text-based data that reduces the amount of time needed to assess our Alexa usage from months to days. Using these spreadsheets and searching for the word “play”, I can see that nearly half of the 15,000 “utterances” registered by Alexa have been instructions to play a song, album or playlist, while 1,823 of them have been the setting of a timer. In our 15,000 utterances we have only said “please” to Alexa 41 times, though, in our defence, we only told her to ***** off twice. These commands allow me to trace the development of the musical tastes of my children: from being a Kanye-obsessed schoolboy, my oldest has diversified his listening, with Bowie and the Smiths appearing as data clusters during university holidays. My middle child’s musical awakening begins with Loyle Carner, though more recently she has apparently developed a liking for vocal jazz. And the youngest has thankfully exited her phonk phase and now fills the kitchen with riot grrrl as she empties the dishwasher. Looking through the list of music played, I see little evidence of my wife’s musical preferences in the data, aside from her oft-used “Alexa, volume down, VOLUME DOWN” instruction. Then, in one cryptically named folder, I find a rich seam of precious material: transcripts of more 1,500 questions that we have asked Alexa since 2018. Ranging from the prosaic (“Alexa, how many days until 28 October?”) to the troubling (“Alexa, what is hentai?”) to the downright bizarre (“Alexa, do jellyfish have bottoms?”), these questions indicate that there is very little we won’t ask our little speaker-dwelling friend. Once I’d read the transcripts of everything we’d asked, I saw that we use Alexa as a surrogate, filling in for all sorts of roles that might be missing due to physical absence, knowledge gaps, or lack of attention or patience. We are lazy. Alexa has given us the opportunity to let someone (or something) else do the reading and learning and thinking for us At different points over the last six or so years, Alexa has been our on-call veterinarian, substitute teacher, big sister, parent, therapist, adjudicator and whipping boy, on top of her familiar roles as DJ and voice-activated timer. She has helped with maths homework, reassured us that, no, bananas are not poisonous to dogs, taught us how to say “so cool” in French (“tellement cool”) and settled the argument of whether Canada is ******* than Russia. My mistake – thanks, Alexa. But she has also advised us on things we can do to make ourselves happy; informed us what might be the appropriate age to start dating (“A good age for teenagers to start dating is 16,” says Dr Eagar of HealthyChildren.org. “A parent can add or subtract a year depending on the teen’s maturity level.”); offered techniques for getting to sleep (“Try lowering the thermostat and try blocking out any outside light”); and suggested how long a girl’s first ******* might last (“From two to seven days”). She has stoically borne the brunt of our frustration (“Alexa, you’re a ******”); refused, I presume, to “Tell Jeff Bezos that Alexa sucks” (“I’m not quite sure how to help you with that”); and passively dealt with our pathetic attempts to flirt with her. “Alexa, are you single?” “I am happily single” “Alexa, kiss me” “OK – mmmwwwah” Without listening to every single sound file, it’s hard to be certain who is asking Alexa what. But we have two Echo devices in our household and the data shows whether a request came from the Echo Plus in the kitchen or the original Echo on our daughter Coco’s bedside table, where it has sat since around her ninth birthday. It has played her hundreds of hours of audiobooks, participated in playdates and sleepovers, collaborated in cheating on maths homework, and offers a rare glimpse into the secret inner world of a networked tween. So I now know that it was Coco who wanted to know what it is to be omnisexual and what omniscient means. And it’s Coco who wants to know what happens when you mix all the colours of the rainbow, what would be the best name to call a leopard, and wants Alexa to sing her a song about cats. Coco is simultaneously the most polite member of the family to Alexa, regularly wishing her a good morning or goodnight, and the rudest: both utterances of “Alexa, ***** off” are attributed to her device. The transcripts from Coco’s Echo reveal her waning interest in Pokémon, her inability to tell the time (“Alexa, how long until 8.45?”) and her problems getting to sleep. What they also clearly show is that, out of the five of us, Coco is the most comfortable talking to a voice assistant – half of the entries in the dataset come from her device – and that there are no boundaries to what she will ask Alexa, with the mix of repetitively mundane to profoundly existential sometimes generating its own abstract poetry. “Alexa, swear” “Alexa, swear” “Alexa, say a bad word” “Alexa, don’t say knickers” “Alexa, knickers” “Alexa, what does knickers mean?” Coco’s relationship with Alexa is, in our family at least, uniquely hers. For a start, she is of an age where she wants to know the answers to questions that may be too personal or embarrassing to ask a parent or sibling. And then she is the only one of us who has an Echo in their own private space. Coco tells me she speaks to Alexa less now than she did two or three years ago, partly because she knows that I’ve seen transcripts of everything she has asked, but mainly because she now has her own phone and WhatsApp and can chat with “like, actual friends”. I asked her why she didn’t come to talk to us about her problems getting to sleep, and she said that most of these questions to Alexa happened late at night when she didn’t want to disturb us or let us know she was still awake. She denies ever swearing at Alexa, but admits that there were occasions when she had friends in the room where things turned a little raucous and Alexa might have been the victim of bullying. Illustration: Steven Gregor/The Guardian I’ve learned plenty through the Alexa-enabled glimpse into Coco’s psyche, and the rest of us have, to a lesser extent, revealed ourselves through our questions and demands. We are, for example, opinionated and argumentative, the Echo in our kitchen being regularly called on to adjudicate on disputed facts, most recently “Alexa, are ducks and geese the same thing?” We didn’t know how old Zendaya or Michael Bublé or Jeremy Corbyn or 67 other celebrities are, and this knowledge was at some point important to us. We are lazy and wasteful, and Alexa has given us the opportunity to let someone (or something) else do the reading and learning and thinking for us. Alexa, what should I do – eat the rest of my sandwich or throw it in the bin? Most years, Amazon ***’s PR team issues a press release containing listicles of the most-asked Alexa questions from the past 12 months, from which I’ve learned that we are not outliers in our usage and behaviour. We are as interested in celebrities as everyone else, though less interested in how tall they are or how much they earn. We differ in that we don’t use Alexa for recipes, and no one in our house has ever said “Alexa, you’re the best!”, which in 2022 was the eighth most recorded utterance about Alexa’s personality. And if our Echo usage is replicated nationwide, my back-of-an-envelope calculations suggest that Alexa will have set more than 3bn timers in the *** last year, and responded to tens of millions of polite or not so polite commands every day.. In 2023, 60% of *** households had a smart speaker, up from 22% before the pandemic. Of these, 72% are Amazon Echo devices. More rough calculations on my part produce the truly astonishing figure that there are nearly 12m Echo devices in the ***. Of course, many of these may well be unplugged and sitting on a shelf, deaf, dumb and dormant. But, clearly, millions and millions of us are comfortable with having an eavesdropper in our homes, listening out for our shopping orders, queries about our favourite sports teams, compliments and insults, score settling, music requests, and revealing, personal, inquiries. And they’re not just listening and responding, but sending the sound files and data to Amazon’s servers, where they are stored, processed and analysed, giving the most sophisticated retailer in history access to a treasure trove of information on who we are, what we want, what we need and what we desire. Isn’t it all a bit creepy? Amazon makes it clear that while Alexa is always listening, she is not always sending audio to Amazon’s servers, only streaming audio to the cloud when a “wake” word has been detected and verified. Amazon says “Alexa is a continuously improving service”, and the requests it collects and stores from our usage helps it to train its speech-recognition services and provide better recommendations of music to listen to and “skills” to enable. It is possible to delete all the data Amazon keeps on file and also choose not to have any voice recordings saved, though text transcripts will be retained for 30 days. I’ve been fairly blase (naive, perhaps) about allowing an Echo to eavesdrop on our lives – but given that Amazon says that humans review some, albeit “an extremely small sample”, of data gathered from Alexa, it is probably worth following mathematician Hannah Fry’s advice to keep Echos and similar devices out of bedrooms, bathrooms and other intimate spaces. It’s something that I might have considered if I’d known before now that Coco was using Alexa for life advice. But what I’ve gleaned from looking through everything we’ve asked Alexa is the melancholy realisation of what is missing in our home and in our lives. We don’t know nearly as much as we think we do, and we need Alexa (and Siri and Google) to fill in the gaps. We often don’t trust each other, and rely on a neutral third party to mediate. And, as parents, we are not always in the room, physically or metaphorically, when we’re needed. We can’t or won’t always be there to help with homework or offer life advice or simply just provide reassurance. But for many of us, and especially for Coco, Alexa is always willing and always available, if not always capable. Above all, Alexa is always present. I can’t say the same for myself. Source link #Alexa #discovered #asked #Amazon #familys #smart #speaker #heard #Amazon #Alexa Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Woman shot dead by police during horror incident in Melbourne Woman shot dead by police during horror incident in Melbourne A woman has been shot dead by police during a horrific incident in South Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. A man was also shot during the incident and has been taken to hospital. Police were called to Cecil Street at about 5pm responding to reports of a man armed with a machete. A police officer was also injured during the incident. Victoria Police said that the Senior Constable was making an arrest when a car was driven at the officer, striking him. The officer shot at the vehicle, hitting the female driver and her male passenger. “The 34-year-old female has died at the scene, while the 26-year-old male has been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Victoria Police said in a statement. Residents reported hearing multiple shots during the incident. The police officer has been taken to hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries. “********* Squad detectives will now investigate the matter with oversight from Professional Standards Command, as is standard procedure for a fatal police shooting,” Victoria Police said. Source link #Woman #shot #dead #police #horror #incident #Melbourne Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

First solar project by Columbus Region Green Initiative to save senior living facility $2M First solar project by Columbus Region Green Initiative to save senior living facility $2M The city of Columbus recently installed its first solar panel project under the Columbus Region Green Fund. The project, which was installed at Corban Commons Senior Living Facility, involved the activation of more than 400 kilowatts of solar panels, according to a news release from the city. As a result of the installation, the city estimates that Corban Commons — a community intended to serve low-income seniors — will save more than $2 million in energy costs. At a May 22 press conference with city leaders, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce said in light of this installation, Corban Commons is proof that “affordable housing can and must be a part of our clean energy future.” “Corban Commons has never been just about housing; it’s about dignity, a place to live” Boyce said. “It’s about ensuring that our seniors have access to safe, stable homes, where they’re seen, valued and supported, most importantly — and now, the integration of solar power.” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, pictured Aug. 13, 2024, spoke at a press conference May 22, 2025, about the city’s first solar panel installation as part of the Columbus Region Green Fund. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, who also spoke at the press conference, said the Columbus Region Green Fund was launched in 2023 out of a desire to promote clean energy and affordable housing, with a specific focus on the communities most affected by climate change. “Today, less than two years later, we’re standing in front of proof that this organization is working as intended,” Ginther said. “This solar panel installation is more than just panels on a roof and on the ground. It represents action, partnership and follow-through.” According to the release, the Columbus Region Green Fund exists through multimillion-dollar investments from the city, Franklin County and the Columbus Partnership — a nonprofit organization of CEOs from the city’s top businesses. Ginther said projects like these go hand in hand with the Columbus Climate Action Plan, which was announced by the mayor in 2020 as a goal for the city to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050. “The Green Fund is a critical piece of the puzzle, and we’re already seeing returns,” Ginther said. “More than 10 nonprofits and affordable housing developments are in the process of being built in 2025 alone. In short, we’re no longer just talking about goals; we’re delivering on them.” Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at *****@*****.tld, or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Region Green Fund installs first solar panels Source link #solar #project #Columbus #Region #Green #Initiative #save #senior #living #facility Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Best Memorial Day Deals Under $25: 45 Discount Finds on Anker, Home Essentials and More – CNET Best Memorial Day Deals Under $25: 45 Discount Finds on Anker, Home Essentials and More – CNET Best Memorial Day Deals Under $25: 45 Discount Finds on Anker, Home Essentials and More CNET15 Best Memorial Day Tech Deals (2025): iPads and Bluetooth Speakers WIRED81+ Best Memorial Day Sales 2025 to Shop Now NBC NewsBest Memorial Day deals 2025: Save on expert-picked tech, BOGO deals, and more ZDNetMemorial Day Sales Are in Full Swing! We Found Deals Under $100 from Ninja, Kate Spade, New Balance, and More People.com Source link #Memorial #Day #Deals #Discount #Finds #Anker #Home #Essentials #CNET Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]