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Housing a growing home for Future Fund investment Housing a growing home for Future Fund investment Investments that help boost housing supply and accelerate the clean energy transition will be prioritised under a revamped mandate for Australia’s $230 billion sovereign wealth fund. However, consideration of “national priorities” will always play second fiddle to maximising returns. “This will mean more investment where we need it most but not at the expense of returns,” Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Treasurer Jim Chalmers said in a statement. “The new investment mandate will require the fund to consider Australia’s national priorities in its investment decisions, where possible, appropriate and consistent with strong returns.” The fund will stick with its existing benchmark return rate of the consumer price index plus four to five per cent per annum over the long term. There will be no change to the expected risk profile. As well as the energy transition and housing supply, locally-based infrastructure was similarly flagged as a priority. The sovereign wealth fund will also become an ongoing feature of Australia’s economy under the federal government’s revamp. Drawdowns from the fund will be deferred until at least 2032/33. Earlier in the year, former climate change minister and previous Net Zero Economy Agency boss Greg Combet was picked to replace former Future Fund chairman and founder Peter Costello. Mr Combet welcomed Thursday’s announcement. “The announcements by the government mean that the Future Fund will be in place for years to come,” he said. “This is a great outcome for all Australians.” Mr Combet said the decision to defer withdrawals would allow the fund to provide more focus and resources to the areas of national priority identified in the new investment mandate. The fund already invested in the priority areas, he said, such as new capacity delivered by Tilt Renewables, one of the largest operators and developers of green energy infrastructure in the country. The Future Fund oversees six other wealth funds, including a $22.3 billion medical research fund, a $4.4 billion disaster ready fund and a $16.9 billion disability care fund. It also oversees the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which was set up by the Labor government in 2023 to deal with housing supply. Its portfolio has grown steadily since its inception and is expected to hit $380 billion by the early 2030s. Source link #Housing #growing #home #Future #Fund #investment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Wednesday, November 20 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Wednesday, November 20 The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle’s continued success — and it’s all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible. Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well. I solved today’s puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team’s process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it’s worth moving into a more active development phase “where the game is coded and the designs are finalized.” So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn’t get the response it is hoping for. Digits’ beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games’ website Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Wednesday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Post Office to harness technology to automate scandal financial redress payments Post Office to harness technology to automate scandal financial redress payments In-house teams at the Post Office are working with technology that could speed up the payment of compensation to victims of the Horizon scandal. Subpostmasters, who suffered hugely at the hands of the Post Office and its unreliable Horizon IT system, have waited years for their claims to be settled and pressure is mounting on the government and the Post Office to speed up payments. Straight-through processing technology like that used by banks could automate the payment of smaller sums – up to £75,000 – which make up the bulk of claims. Technology to speed up claims that require assessment is also being considered. This would free up resources to focus on larger, more complex claims. During a Parliamentary Business and Trade Select Committee hearing on the slow pace of Post Office scandal financial redress schemes, Nigel Railton, interim chairman at the Post Office, said the bulk of payments could be automated to speed up the process. He said changes need to be made to how financial redress is paid to scandal victims, but he doesn’t want to slow things down. “The Post Office should not be dealing with financial redress, but we have to be pragmatic.” Railton suggested the Post Office could retain the small, simple claims, which are many in number, while more complex claims should be with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). “In an ideal world, it would all be with DBT, but let’s be pragmatic and think about dividing the schemes. High volume, low complexity with the Post Office, and low volume, high complexity with DBT,” he said. Railton suggested automation technology could be applied to the £75,000 fixed sum payments for applicants to the Horizon Shortfalls Scheme who do not wish to have claims assessed further. “The £75,000 is quite straightforward. As I understand it, we have to find one shortfall, and based on that, we will generate a cheque,” he said. “That, to me, is a process we can automate – it doesn’t need a lot of judgement because the rules are very clear.” The Post Office is considering how it can do this using technology, such as straight-through processing. A company spokesperson said: “For the £75,000 fixed sum, the process enables postmasters to receive payments within 10 days, once valid acceptances of offers are received. We are working in-house to use technology for swift payments and to handle an expected higher volume of claims.” The technology could go further and speed up claims that are fully assessed, according to a Post Office spokesperson. “We are also, alongside government, considering how technology might be applied to accelerate redress for postmasters who opt for full assessment of their claim,” said the spokesperson. Computer Weekly first exposed the scandal in 2009, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffered due to Horizon accounting software, which led to the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history (see below timeline of Computer Weekly articles about the scandal since 2009). Source link #Post #Office #harness #technology #automate #scandal #financial #redress #payments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Delta leans into premium travel to attract millennials Delta leans into premium travel to attract millennials Delta Air Lines (DAL) shared new plans for premium passenger investments, including expectations that premium revenue will surpass main cabin revenue by 2027. The airline will introduce new aircraft, like the A350-1000 that has 50% premium seating, and expand its cabin segmentation. The strategy aims to attract millennial travelers, who are currently spending more on luxury travel than other generations. Morning Brief Co-hosts Brad Smith and Seana Smith share that despite these investments, Delta’s stock is lower pre-market as investors weigh the potential returns. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Cindy Mizaku. Source link #Delta #leans #premium #travel #attract #millennials Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple ****** Friday deals drop the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM to $749 Apple ****** Friday deals drop the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM to $749 Apple ****** Friday deals have arrived, at least on MacBooks. We’re seeing some decent discounts on M-series laptops right now, including the relatively budget-friendly M2 MacBook Air. That notebook with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage has dropped to $749 thanks to various discounts and clippable coupons at Amazon. The regular price is $1,000, so this is a discount of 25 percent. This model easily made our list of the best MacBooks, even with the presence of the newer M3 MacBook Air. Here are the takeaways. This laptop, obviously, includes Apple’s proprietary M2 8-core CPU, which is more than fast enough for basic tasks and fine for even many advanced tasks, like music-making. We called it “Apple’s near-perfect Mac” in our official review. Apple This is not the bare-bones standard model, as it comes with 16GB of RAM. Most versions ship with 8GB of RAM. The multitasking bona-fides are strong with this one. The M2 MacBook Air also ships with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and support for the P3 wide ****** gamut. It’s thin and light. It’s a MacBook Air. This thing weighs around 2.7 pounds. The battery life is solid, at around 18 hours of use per charge. The four-speaker sound system can get surprisingly loud, so headphones are not a requirement when watching random YouTube videos or listening to music. So what’s the downside? There isn’t one. Not really. This isn’t the M3 MacBook Air, so those looking for the latest and greatest model may be let down. The model does only ship with a 256GB solid state drive, but it’s easy enough to plug in an external. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Apple #****** #Friday #deals #drop #MacBook #Air #16GB #RAM Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Telenor unveils analytics and insights service for IoT devices Telenor unveils analytics and insights service for IoT devices After opening a testing facility in Karlskrona, Sweden, earlier this year to offer customers what it said would be a unique way to help customers understand how their connected internet of things (IoT) products behave before deployment, Telenor is upping the ante in IoT with the launch of an analytics and insights service. The leading Nordic operator’s IoT division believes that with thorough IoT device testing before deployment, customers can reduce time to market, improve test coverage and find issues early, thereby preventing costly troubleshooting later when products have already reached the market. However, it emphasises that new features also add complexity, with more scenarios where profiling and tuning of settings are required to extract the optimum performance for a specific use case. Packaged as part of a new flexible service levels offering, the solution is designed to provide businesses with “valuable” insights into their users’ IoT deployments, offering a range of features to help optimise operations, mitigate risks and make better business decisions. Specifically, it is said to be able to allow users to identify areas for optimisation and proactively address potential issues before they impact operations, using insights to inform strategic planning and decision-making. Among the suite of reports and analyses built into the analytics and insights tool is a deployment Insight feature that allows companies to track device locations, monitor global reach and identify coverage gaps or areas for potential expansion. The basic result is said to be the ability to gain insights on how network sunsetting might impact the business and services. Usage analytics offers the ability to understand how deployed devices are used, identify trends and take action based on them. This includes the ability to detect deviations from normal traffic behaviour and see where performance can be optimised. It can also identify deviations from best practice for performance optimisation, flagging device connectivity issues and configurational problems, identifying where they occur and what causes them. The analytics and insights service is going to be no less than a “game-changer” for businesses looking to make use of the full potential of their IoT fleet data, predicted Anders Bresell, head of data at Telenor IoT. “With the increasing amount of connectivity data generated by IoT products, finding ways to easily identify insights to act on is highly desirable. By providing actionable insights, our customers can make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and drive innovation. Whether you’re managing a fleet, monitoring connected cars, or just trying to optimise operations, it gives you the insights you need.” Helén Schager, commercial product manager at Telenor IoT, said: “We are committed to serving our customers even better, adding analytics capabilities into the mix, in addition to the highly praised personal and professional support and high availability. This is just the first release of the tool, and we plan to enrich it with more complex reports and AI in the future.” Source link #Telenor #unveils #analytics #insights #service #IoT #devices Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FTX co-founder Gary Wang avoids prison time for role in crypto ****** FTX co-founder Gary Wang avoids prison time for role in crypto ****** Gary Wang, a former executive of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who testified against founder Sam Bankman-Fried, attends his sentencing on ****** charges at the ******* States District Court in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., November 20, 2024. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Gary Wang, co-founder and ex-technology chief of FTX, was sentenced Wednesday to time served and three years of supervised release on each of the four counts he pled guilty to, becoming the fifth and final ex-employee of the collapsed crypto exchange to be punished. Wang was also ordered to forfeit $11 billion, the same as the other co-defendants. Wang, who took the stand in the trial against his former boss Sam Bankman-Fried, faced a maximum sentence of 50 years for the four ********* counts he pleaded guilty to, including *********** to commit wire ******, wire ******, *********** to commit commodities ****** and *********** to commit securities ******. After FTX’s former engineering chief Nishad Singh successfully avoided prison time when he was sentenced by Judge Lewis Kaplan last month, Wang was seeking the same sentence citing his nearly immediate cooperation with the government. When given the opportunity to address the court, Wang said he was deeply sorry to all the customers and investors in FTX. “I took the easy path, the cowardly path, instead of doing the right thing,” Wang said in a short address to the court, as he clutched a single printed piece of paper that he never referenced from the podium. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to make amends,” he added. Wang’s parents, as well as his wife, who is expecting their first child, were in court to support him. Attorneys for Wang say he didn’t have full visibility on the *******, unlike the other cooperating witnesses, and didn’t know that FTX’s sister hedge fund Alameda Research was taking customer money until after the scheme was underway. The government was also seeking leniency for Wang. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos described Wang as the easiest cooperating witness he had ever worked with, and he credited Wang for essentially deciphering half of the case for the Government by meticulously unpacking the complicated code used by FTX that allowed for the customer money to be taken off the exchange. In the sentencing submission, prosecutors added that since testifying against the former FTX CEO, Wang has “put his extraordinary computer programing skills to use in detecting potential ****** in the stock and cryptocurrency markets,” and has built an interface that the government has started using for detecting potential ****** by publicly traded companies. In addition, “Wang has also been working on a tool for detection of potential ******** activity in cryptocurrency markets, which in the event Wang is sentenced to a ******* of time served, the Government understands he will complete as part of his ongoing cooperation.” Roos also noted that Wang was the first FTX employee to walk through the government’s door but the last to be sentenced, as the FTX ********* proceedings come to a close. In March, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion — the harshest punishment from Judge Kaplan. Alameda’s ex-CEO Caroline Ellison, who was the star witness in Bankman-Fried’s prosecution and his ex-girlfriend, was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the ******. And Ryan Salame, another former top lieutenant of Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in May — beyond the upper limit recommended by prosecutors. All FTX former executives have faced sentencing before Judge Kaplan. The no-nonsense 78-year-old judge is a veteran of the Southern District of New York and has presided over some of the biggest cases to roll through the courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan. “I’ve never seen anything quite like what happened here,” Kaplan said of Wang’s cooperation. “You’re entitled to a lot of credit.” Source link #FTX #cofounder #Gary #Wang #avoids #prison #time #role #crypto #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cost of living and inflation are not the same thing Cost of living and inflation are not the same thing The inflation rate increased to 2.3% in October, well below the level at which it peaked two years ago. But you would be wrong to think the cost of living crisis is over. At energy firm Utilita’s Hampshire call centre on a very cold day earlier this week, I witnessed the cost of living pressures on the frontline. At 10am, red lights flashed up on a map of Britain as prepayment meters ran out of money, and the firm extended “friendly credit” to avoid a middle-of-the-night cut off. A mum with kids requiring refrigerated medicines for ******* rang up with her voice cracking because she could not afford her £5 prepayment top-up and asked to be put onto a credit direct debit. An older customer refused to put on their heating or use hot water and cried down the line to the operator. These harrowing stories come as energy bills rise during what could be a cold winter for the first time since the peak of the energy crisis when Russia invaded Ukraine over two years ago. Britain and Europe have been very lucky with two mild winters since the energy crisis. But now it’s getting colder at a time when most extra government support has been rolled back. It is a clear example of why inflation is not quite the same as the cost of living. The energy inflation spike is behind us, even with today’s bump back up. The inflation rate is not going back up to double digits again. But the cost-of-living crisis might be about to hit ******* than ever. There was no surprise that the rate of inflation jumped again, reflecting the recent hike in the energy price cap. The new news today is that other underlying measures of inflation, for example services, and “core” inflation, both of which are watched closely by the Bank of England as an indication of domestic price pressures, both rose slightly and by more than expected. It comes as an increasing number of firms warn that the tax rises and the higher minimum wage announced in the Budget could lead them to increase prices for customers. In January, Donald Trump, comes into power as the US president, threating a blanket 20% tariff on all imports into the US. Putting this all together and inflation could be on the up into spring next year, not far off 3%. But the path of inflation going forward is unusually uncertain and Bank of England officials, who decide whether to raise or cut interest rates, are divided. Four of the nine-strong Monetary Policy committee on Tuesday said it was was not clear whether prices rises will accelerate or slow in the coming months. Much depends, as numerous members of the Bank of England have suggested, on the pass through of Budget measures into prices and wages. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey reiterated earlier in the week that future interest rate falls would be “gradual”. This is likely to mean a cut at every other Bank of England interest rate meeting – so nothing next month, but then a further cut in early February. If trends continue as expected, there will perhaps be a pause in March. By May, much more data will be available about what has happened with wages and prices since October’s Budget changes. To be clear, recent developments have not fundamentally altered the expectation of a series of rate cuts next year, but perhaps by the end of 2025 rates will be around 4% from their current 4.75%, rather than previous expectations of them being lower. Beyond this, there is a chance that if the geopolitical situation calms, that over the course of this year, gas prices fall significantly. That is a very big “if”, but it is weighing on the minds of energy suppliers. But whatever happens, it is going to be a very tough winter if my afternoon in that Hampshire call centre is anything to go by. Source link #Cost #living #inflation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FromSoftware parent Kadokawa confirms Sony has sent it a ‘letter of intent’ to acquire it FromSoftware parent Kadokawa confirms Sony has sent it a ‘letter of intent’ to acquire it FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa has confirmed that it has received a letter of intent from Sony to acquire the company. Earlier this week it was reported by Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the situation, that talks between Sony and Kadokawa are ongoing. Now, a statement from Kadokawa reads, “There are some articles on the acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation (hereinafter “the Company”) by Sony Group Inc, “However, this information is not announced by the Company. The Company has received an initial letter of intent to acquire the Company’s shares, but no decision has been made at this time. If there are any facts that should be announced in the future, we will make an announcement in a timely and appropriate manner.” Kadokawa owns a majority share in FromSoftware, as well as several anime production houses. Kadokawa also owns Dwango, a ********* telecoms and media company that owns developer Spike Chunsoft (most recently responsible for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero). Earlier this year, it also bought Acquire, the Tokyo studio known in recent years for Octopath Traveler, Octopath Traveler II, and Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Kadokawa’s share price shot up earlier this week as a result of Sony acquisition reports, closing at an increase of 23% to reach their all-time highest value. Source link #FromSoftware #parent #Kadokawa #confirms #Sony #letter #intent #acquire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google AI-Powered Air View+ Announced With Real-Time Hyperlocal Air Quality Information Across India Google AI-Powered Air View+ Announced With Real-Time Hyperlocal Air Quality Information Across India Google announced Air View+, an ecosystem-based solution to address the gaps in air quality data across India, on Wednesday. The system uses the Mountain View-based tech giant’s artificial intelligence (AI) models to process a large volume of air quality data at the hyperlocal level and provide actionable insights to Indian government agencies. For this, the company has partnered with climate tech firms and researchers from various Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) to deploy specialised sensors to monitor air quality data across 150 Indian cities. Google Announces Air View+ to Help Source Air Quality Data in India The rise of particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 in the air of Delhi NCR region to dangerous levels has highlighted the problem of lack of proactive measures in fixing India’s air quality issues. One of the reasons for this is believed to be the lack of consistent air quality data and the technology to convert such large volume of data into actionable insights. Google claims that its AI-powered Air View+ system can solve both of these bottlenecks to help government agencies combat air pollution proactively. The tech giant states that it is an ecosystem-based solution that both collects and processes air quality data from small localities and surroundings. To collect the data, Google partnered with climate tech firms Aurassure and Respirer Living Sciences and built air quality sensors that can measure various parameters including PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NO2, Ozone, and VOCs, as well as temperature and humidity. These sensors take measurements every minute for consistency. A network of these sensors have been deployed in more than 150 Indian cities in locations with high population footfall such as administrative establishments, commercial buildings, utility poles, and more. Google claimed that researchers from IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, state pollution boards and climate action groups have rigorously validated and calibrated these sensors. The idea behind setting up this sensor network is to get consistent hyperlocal data across the city and then using AI to process this information in real time. The company says its AI technology is used to power the Air View+ system. Once processed, Google will send the insights and key highlights from this massive data set to local municipal corporations and other government agencies. The company claims that this will enable them to better prepare action plans and proactive measures by observing patterns in air quality dips. This will also help fill in the data gaps by sourcing air quality information from previously unmonitored areas. This information will also be available publicly via Google Maps. Users of the platform can select the Air Quality layer from the Layer button on the home screen by picking any location. The same information can also be checked on the weather widget on the Explore tab on the home screen. Source link #Google #AIPowered #Air #View #Announced #RealTime #Hyperlocal #Air #Quality #Information #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

COP29 row breaks out with ******** over gender rights COP29 row breaks out with ******** over gender rights Alexander Nemenov/AFP/ Getty Images The ********’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has been the Pope’s representative at the UN COP29 climate conference The ******** has blocked discussions over women’s rights at the UN climate summit following a row over gay and transgender issues, sources have told BBC News. Pope Francis’ representatives have aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to obstruct a deal which would have provided more support, including financial help, for women at the forefront of climate change, Colombia’s environment minister told the BBC. Charities including ActionAid said it is crucial a deal is reached as the UN estimates women and ****** currently make up 80% of those displaced by climate change. Representatives from the ********, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Egypt did not respond to requests for comment. Countries at this year’s COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan were due to update the ten-year old UN action plan to make sure that any work on climate change took account of the experiences of women and channelled more money to them. For a decade it has been called the Lima Work Programme on Gender. But the ********, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and Egypt now do not want any reference to “gender” – over concerns it could include transgender women, and want references to gay woman removed, the BBC has been told by charities observing the talks and negotiators from other countries. This has stalled the whole deal on progressing women’s access to support in the face of climate change, they say. “It is unacceptable,” Colombia’s environment minister and lead negotiator Susana Muhamad said of the stalling. She was one of the only country representatives willing to speak on the record. The others spoke to the BBC anonymously on the grounds that they were taking part in ongoing negotiations. “The ****** ********* countries are working very hard – we will not allow the gender programme to drop and allow human rights to be dropped,” she told BBC News. For more than a decade it has been acknowledged by countries globally that women face a disproportionate burden from climate change, often due to their caring roles and interruption of access to reproductive services during climate disasters. According to UN Women, by 2050 close to 240 million more women and ****** will face food insecurity caused by climate change compared to 131 million more men and boys. Whilst at the same time only 0.01% of funding globally goes to climate change projects that also take account of women. In the new plan ******** and EU countries wanted to also include a line that not all women’s experiences of climate change are the same – that they can differ depending on their “gender, ****, age and race”. The ********, along with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt and Iran, said they took issue with the use of the word “gender” which they think could include transgender women, country negotiators told the BBC. Charities observing this were surprised as over the course of a decade these countries had not taken issue with the use of the word. “I was shocked when the ******** raised their flag and opposed the human rights language,” said Sostina Takure, from ********** charity ACT Alliance. “My heart shattered into a million pieces.” Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images The majority of small scale farms – exposed to extreme weather like drought – are run by women Mwanahamisi Singano, the policy lead for the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, told the BBC the group of countries also opposed the text as they did not want to reference gay women. Ms Singano, who was in the negotiating room, said countries like Iran argued that homosexuality was ******** under their laws and therefore they would not allow those groups to be recognised in the text. Aid charities have said the deadlock has put the whole deal over support for women in jeopardy with just three days to go before the conference ends. “I think if things continue the way they are it is not looking good for women’s rights in the negotiations,” said Zahra Hdidou, senior climate adviser at ActionAid. Muhammad Amdad Hossain/Getty Images Women who are primary carers for their families are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change When asked why the ******** and others were making the intervention now, after nearly a decade, one country negotiator told the BBC: “It is part of a broader global backlash against women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.” Pope Francis has allowed priests to bless same-**** couples under certain circumstances and last year he said transgender people could be baptised in the ********* ******* as long as doing so did not cause scandal or “confusion”. But the ******** said it continued to view marriage as between a man and a woman, and in April it said it remained staunchly opposed to **** changes, gender theory and surrogate parenthood in a text dubbed “Dignitas Infinita” (Infinite Dignity). The current UN programme on gender and climate is due to expire at the end of this year, meaning that if nothing is agreed at COP29 there will be no specific global plan for supporting women facing climate change. But Ms Hdidou told the BBC part of the problem was the scant representation of women at the talks. Last year only 36% of those negotiating at the conference were women, according to the UN. “Our voices are often shut out of the COP29 negotiating rooms. Which means we will get outcomes that don’t reflect the lived realities of women in climate-hit areas,” she said. At the start of the conference the EU published a letter – now supported by 17 countries – which says “our ability to address the climate crisis hinges upon our commitment to the empowerment of women and ******, in all their diversity.” Source link #COP29 #row #breaks #******** #gender #rights Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Overwatch 2’s Newest Tank Hero Looks So Bad That Players Have Rejected Him Even Before the Playtests Begin Overwatch 2’s Newest Tank Hero Looks So Bad That Players Have Rejected Him Even Before the Playtests Begin Overwatch 2 has included a new tank hero in the game, who seems to be getting a lot of hate these days, even before the playtests begin. The major reason for criticism is the hero’s unappealing character design. Hazard is the latest addition to Overwatch 2. Image Credit: Game Trailers YT The recently added hero’s character design is so weak that players confused it for a bad Rein skin at first. It seems to be an amalgamation of all the ideas of previous heroes clubbed together in desperation to just get done with it. Players Do Not Like The New Tank Hero In Overwatch 2 He seems to be getting a lot of hate at the moment. Image Credit: Game Trailers YT Hazard is the most recent addition to the pool of heroes in Overwatch 2 and he belongs to the Tank class. The design for the character seems to be too clean to be taken seriously by players, making him look like a cute neighbor next door rather than a warrior. Players will get a chance to play with Hazard for a limited ******* between November 22 and 25 before it officially arrives in the game with the upcoming Season 14. The trailer that reveals the character portrays him as a risk-taking maniac who is ready to do all it takes to get the job done. His go-to philosophy in life is that if you are in it for me, you are in it for life. All that seems to be adding a little to its appeal, if there’s any. However, largely the player base of the game seems underwhelmed by it. Comment byu/Much-Wrongdoer8005 from discussion inOverwatch Comment byu/Much-Wrongdoer8005 from discussion inOverwatch Comment byu/Much-Wrongdoer8005 from discussion inOverwatch Comment byu/Much-Wrongdoer8005 from discussion inOverwatch This should not be the way forward for Overwatch 2, since players expect more from the game. Currently, this new character is doing the game more harm than good. Maybe He Can Be Fixed By Releasing Better Skins There is still a chance to mold the character in many ways. Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment However, there is still a way to win fans back again. It might be true that the raw nature of the hero might not be as appealing to many, but there is a chance that he can be molded in the right direction by developing good skins for him. As a stand-alone hero, he seems to be a forced addition to the game at the moment. Having said that, it is also true that the hero might grow on players once they try him out in the game. It is still too early to give a detailed overview of him without having played with him. All people can express are their first impressions and nothing more. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Overwatch #Newest #Tank #Hero #Bad #Players #Rejected #Playtests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FTX co-founder Gary Wang avoids prison time for role in crypto ****** FTX co-founder Gary Wang avoids prison time for role in crypto ****** Gary Wang, a former executive of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who testified against founder Sam Bankman-Fried, attends his sentencing on ****** charges at the ******* States District Court in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., November 20, 2024. Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Gary Wang, co-founder and ex-technology chief of FTX, was sentenced Wednesday to time served and three years of supervised release on each of the four counts he pled guilty to, becoming the fifth and final ex-employee of the collapsed crypto exchange to be punished. Wang was also ordered to forfeit $11 billion, the same as the other co-defendants. Wang, who took the stand in the trial against his former boss Sam Bankman-Fried, faced a maximum sentence of 50 years for the four ********* counts he pleaded guilty to, including *********** to commit wire ******, wire ******, *********** to commit commodities ****** and *********** to commit securities ******. After FTX’s former engineering chief Nishad Singh successfully avoided prison time when he was sentenced by Judge Lewis Kaplan last month, Wang was seeking the same sentence citing his nearly immediate cooperation with the government. When given the opportunity to address the court, Wang said he was deeply sorry to all the customers and investors in FTX. “I took the easy path, the cowardly path, instead of doing the right thing,” Wang said in a short address to the court, as he clutched a single printed piece of paper that he never referenced from the podium. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to make amends,” he added. Wang’s parents, as well as his wife, who is expecting their first child, were in court to support him. Attorneys for Wang say he didn’t have full visibility on the *******, unlike the other cooperating witnesses, and didn’t know that FTX’s sister hedge fund Alameda Research was taking customer money until after the scheme was underway. The government was also seeking leniency for Wang. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos described Wang as the easiest cooperating witness he had ever worked with, and he credited Wang for essentially deciphering half of the case for the Government by meticulously unpacking the complicated code used by FTX that allowed for the customer money to be taken off the exchange. In the sentencing submission, prosecutors added that since testifying against the former FTX CEO, Wang has “put his extraordinary computer programing skills to use in detecting potential ****** in the stock and cryptocurrency markets,” and has built an interface that the government has started using for detecting potential ****** by publicly traded companies. In addition, “Wang has also been working on a tool for detection of potential ******** activity in cryptocurrency markets, which in the event Wang is sentenced to a ******* of time served, the Government understands he will complete as part of his ongoing cooperation.” Roos also noted that Wang was the first FTX employee to walk through the government’s door but the last to be sentenced, as the FTX ********* proceedings come to a close. In March, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay $11 billion — the harshest punishment from Judge Kaplan. Alameda’s ex-CEO Caroline Ellison, who was the star witness in Bankman-Fried’s prosecution and his ex-girlfriend, was sentenced to two years in prison for her role in the ******. And Ryan Salame, another former top lieutenant of Bankman-Fried, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in May — beyond the upper limit recommended by prosecutors. All FTX former executives have faced sentencing before Judge Kaplan. The no-nonsense 78-year-old judge is a veteran of the Southern District of New York and has presided over some of the biggest cases to roll through the courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan. “I’ve never seen anything quite like what happened here,” Kaplan said of Wang’s cooperation. “You’re entitled to a lot of credit.” Source link #FTX #cofounder #Gary #Wang #avoids #prison #time #role #crypto #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Acurx Pharmaceuticals to add up to $1 million in bitcoin for treasury reserve, following MicroStrategy’s playbook Acurx Pharmaceuticals to add up to $1 million in bitcoin for treasury reserve, following MicroStrategy’s playbook Thomas Trutschel | Photothek | Getty Images The board of Acurx Pharmaceuticals approved Wednesday the purchase of up to $1 million in bitcoin to hold as a treasury reserve asset. Shares of the the company were last lower by more than 6% after spiking about 8% in premarket trading. “As demand for bitcoin grows, and so does its acceptance as a major and primary asset class, we believe that bitcoin will serve as a strong treasury reserve asset for cash not needed over the next 12 to 18 months” CEO David P. Luci said in a statement. “Its limited supply and inflation-resistant characteristics provide a functional store of value,” he added. “This new treasury strategy is a finance strategy and has no impact on our overarching ***** development plans.” The move takes a page out of MicroStrategy’s playbook. In 2020, the enterprise software company famously adopted bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset, acquiring 21,454 bitcoins at roughly $11,653 each – just before the bull run a few months later. MicroStrategy has aggressively bought more bitcoin since then, as recently as this week, bringing its total to 331,200 bitcoins. Its stock is up more than 500% for 2024. Bitcoin adoption by corporate treasurys is an important but slow-growing catalyst for crypto. The cryptocurrency is trading at all-time highs, and it’s widely expected to double by the end of 2025 thanks to President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of a more crypto-friendly environment for businesses. With that regulatory overhang expected to lift next year, investors are keeping a watchful eye for the next big company after to begin buying bitcoin. Tesla and Block followed MicroStrategy in 2021. Another smaller company, Semler Scientific, did so this year. On an X spaces event Tuesday evening, MicroStrategy Chairman and bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor said he plans to pitch the board of Microsoft in December on his bitcoin treasury strategy. The theme has broadened to the government level this year, with Sen. Cynthia Lummis proposing a national strategic bitcoin reserve this summer. President-elect Trump similarly made mention of a potential national bitcoin stockpile in the same week. The price of bitcoin is up 122% this year. Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Acurx #Pharmaceuticals #add #million #bitcoin #treasury #reserve #MicroStrategys #playbook Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** strikes on Syria’s Palmyra ****** 36, state media say ******** strikes on Syria’s Palmyra ****** 36, state media say At least 36 people have been ******* and 50 others injured in ******** air strikes on residential buildings and an industrial area in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, Syrian state media report. The Sana news agency cited a military source as saying that ******** jets attacked from the direction of the Jordanian border to the south at around 13:30 (10:30 GMT) and that the strikes causes significant material damage. A ***-based monitoring group put the ****** toll at 41 and reported that the strikes hit a weapons depot and other locations in and around an area inhabited by families of Iran-backed militia fighters. The ******** military said it did not comment on foreign reports. ******* has previously acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in recent years on targets in Syria that it says are linked to Iran and allied armed groups such as Hezbollah. The ******** strikes in Syria have reportedly been more frequent since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, in response to cross-border attacks on northern ******* by Hezbollah and other groups in Lebanon and Syria. Videos and photos posted on social media following Wednesday’s strikes appear to show three large columns of ****** smoke rising from the Palmyra area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a ***-based monitoring group, cited its sources on the ground as saying that ******** fighter jets struck three locations in the town. Two were in the al-Jamiya neighbourhood, including a weapons depot near the industrial zone inhabited by families of Iran-backed fighters of Iraqi and other foreign nationalities, it said. The third location was nearby and targeted a meeting attended by leaders of Iran-backed militias based in Palmyra and the surrounding desert as well as leaders of the Iraqi group Nujaba and Hezbollah, it added. The SOHR reported that 41 people were *******, including 22 foreign nationals and seven Syrians, and seven civilians were among the injured. Last Thursday, ******* confirmed that it had carried out several air strikes in the Syrian capital, Damascus, which Syrian state media said ******* 15 people. The ******** military said it had struck “********** infrastructure sites and command centres” belonging to the armed group ************ Islamic ******. Source link #******** #strikes #Syrias #Palmyra #****** #state #media Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl Review – GameSpot Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl Review – GameSpot Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is rough around the edges, but its propensity for creating emergent moments in a deadly and alluring world makes this trip back to the Zone a fraught and compelling experience Source link #Stalker #Heart #Chornobyl #Review #GameSpot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Forget the Nintendo Switch 2 – the MSI Claw is a powerful handheld PC with a big price cut for ****** Friday Forget the Nintendo Switch 2 – the MSI Claw is a powerful handheld PC with a big price cut for ****** Friday Handheld gaming PCs have – somewhat surprisingly – been a focal point of early ****** Friday sales across multiple online retailers, especially at Amazon. Now, the latest portable gaming device to receive a hefty discount is the MSI Claw – it’s now available on Amazon for just $471.18 (was $749) in the US and £498 (was £699) on Amazon in the ***. The US deal is for the model that utilizes the Intel Core Ultra 155H processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, while the *** deal is the slightly less powerful model that uses Intel’s 135H processor with 14 cores and 18 threads. Both processors have 8 Xe GPU cores – which are more important for fast performance in-game – and overall, both models are perfectly capable of playing the latest games, though you might need to tweak your settings a bit for the best performance on the 135H model. While there’s a lot of work to be done on Intel’s part with XeSS upscaling for games compared to Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR, you’ll still be able to utilize this in multiple games (though without frame generation). However, you’ll likely find for many games that FSR 3 is a better option, and it’s perfectly viable here as AMD made it open-source for all to use regardless of hardware. Not in the US or ***? Scroll down to see the best MSI Claw deals in your region! Today’s best MSI Claw 155H deal in the US Today’s best MSI Claw 135H deal in the *** As I mentioned earlier, this discount comes in the wake of multiple sales on handheld PCs this ****** Friday – with hefty discounts on the Lenovo Legion Go and a ridiculously good Asus ROG Ally deal also cropping up this week. Outside of competing PC handhelds, the MSI Claw easily defeats any gaming phone and the Nintendo Switch in terms of raw processing power and could do the same to the Nintendo Switch 2 (if the rumored specs hold any truth). At the current $471.18 / £498 price, it’s certainly ready to compete with any upcoming handheld gaming devices when it comes to bang for your buck. When compared to the Asus ROG Ally X, the Claw maintains some advantages – for example, if you’re using a Wi-Fi 7 router, you’ll reap the benefits of the device’s Wi-Fi 7 compatibility, especially when downloading larger AAA games (spoiler alert, there’s plenty of those). However, it’s worth noting that in terms of pure gaming performance, the Claw doesn’t quite measure up to Asus’s handheld. Despite Intel’s processors having more cores and threads, the Ally X’s Z1 Extreme has 12 RDNA 3 GPU cores, compared to the 155H’s 8 Xe GPU cores. When looking at raw performance in games, the Ally X stands in the lead – it also has 24GB of RAM over the Claw’s 16GB, contributing to better performance in games where system requirements and demands for RAM are more than the 16GB standard. But with this sort of discount, it’s really difficult to quibble over performance differences; the ROG Ally X retails at $799 / £799 / AU$1,599, making it quite a bit more expensive than the MSI Claw’s ***** price. The 155H Claw model’s $749 / £799 / AU$1,599 MSRP price was undoubtedly a point of contention for potential customers – this price drop now makes it an affordable option alongside the ROG Ally and Valve’s Steam Deck, especially when it still does a great job at providing steady frame rates at 1080p. More of today’s ****** Friday sales in the US Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99 Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99 Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99 Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99 Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99 Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99 Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture Lowe’s: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31 Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing Walmart: cheap TVs, ****** vacs, furniture & appliances More of today’s ****** Friday sales in the *** Amazon: up to 68% off toothbrushes and TVs AO: savings on games consoles and appliances Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts Boots: up to 50% off Dyson, *****-B and Philips Currys: early deals on TVs, appliances, laptops Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299 Dyson: up to £150 off Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech EE: up to £600 off Samsung and Apple John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing Source link #Forget #Nintendo #Switch #MSI #Claw #powerful #handheld #big #price #cut #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pakistan ex-PM Khan ‘gets bail’ in state gifts case Pakistan ex-PM Khan ‘gets bail’ in state gifts case A court in Pakistan has granted bail to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan in a case relating to the ******** ***** of state gifts, his party says. Khan, 71, has been in prison since August 2023 but it was not immediately clear if the embattled politician would be released given that he faces a number of other charges too including inciting ********* against the state. “If the official order is received today, his family and supporters will approach the authorities for his release,” one of his party’s lawyers, Salman Safdar, told journalists. Safdar added that, as far as he knew, Khan had been granted bail or acquitted in all the cases he faced. However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, a member of the ruling Pakistan ******* League-Nawaz party, told Geo TV Khan lacked bail in cases in which he is charged with planning riots by his supporters following his arrest in May last year. Khan denies any wrongdoing and alleges all the cases registered against him since he was removed from power in 2022 are politically motivated to keep him in jail. The case in which he was granted bail on Wednesday by the Islamabad High Court is known as the Toshakhana, or state treasury case. It has multiple versions and charges all revolving around allegations that Khan and his wife illegally procured and then sold gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($A770,000) in state possession, which he received during his 2018-22 premiership. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were both handed a 14-year sentence on those charges, following a three-year sentence handed to him in late 2023 in another version of the same case. Their sentences have been suspended in appeals at the high court. The gifts included diamond jewellery and seven watches, six of them Rolexes – the most expensive being valued at 85 million rupees. Khan’s wife was released last month after being in the same prison as Khan for months. Source link #Pakistan #exPM #Khan #bail #state #gifts #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sony’s ****** Friday ***** will include up to 30% off PlayStation Plus Sony’s ****** Friday ***** will include up to 30% off PlayStation Plus Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed the first details of its ****** Friday 2024 deals. Running from November 22 until December 2, its ****** Friday promotion will include savings on hardware, games and subscriptions across PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct, PlayStation Gear and participating retailers. Offers will vary by region and retailer, and the official PlayStation ****** Friday site will be updated with deals once the promotion is up and running. Sony said this year’s promotions on PlayStation Direct will include PS5 console deals. While it didn’t reveal what they’ll be, the platform holder is expected to knock $70 off the PS5 Slim price in the US. It’s also reportedly planning to cut PS5 prices by €75 in Europe, and to discount the PS VR2 headset by €200. PlayStation’s ****** Friday deals in Europe will reportedly include: PS5 Slim Console – Standard Edition: €474.99 instead of €549.99. PS5 Slim Console – Digital Edition: €374.99 instead of €449.99. PlayStation VR2 headset: €399.99 instead of €599.99. PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain Pack: (contains the PS VR2 headset + Horizon Call of the Mountain game activation code): €399.99 instead of €649.99. Sony has confirmed that DualSense controllers will be discounted by up to 25%,. Deals will also be available on Pulse Elite wireless headsets, Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, PS5 console covers, and select PS5, PS4, and PC titles. Players who join PlayStation Plus during the promotion will be able to save up to 30% on 12-month membership plans. Current PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to save 25% on the remainder of their membership when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Extra, or 30% when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe. On PlayStation Gear, which sells officially licensed and limited products inspired by PlayStation, Sony will be offering up to 40% off a range of merchandise and apparel. Xbox’s ****** Friday deals include $50 off select Series X/S consoles and discounts on over 1,000 games. Nintendo of America’s ****** Friday deals and Nintendo of Europe’s ****** Friday deals are live too, featuring discounts on hardware and software. Source link #Sonys #****** #Friday #***** #include #PlayStation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Are calories on menus doing more harm than good? Are calories on menus doing more harm than good? Calories on menus mean we can no longer pretend that fast food is slimming David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images When you go to a restaurant, you may well be presented with a wide array of dishes, each printed on a menu alongside its calorie content. A chicken burger and fries may come to 1597 kilocalories. Swap the meat for a plant-based substitute, and it could rise to 1746 kcal. Opting for the vegan bacon ketchup adds another 300 kcal. Since 2022, these calorie labels have been compulsory for any restaurant, café or takeaway chain in England with more than… Source link #calories #menus #harm #good Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple to Urge Judge to End US Smartphone Monopoly Case Apple to Urge Judge to End US Smartphone Monopoly Case Apple will ask a federal judge on Wednesday to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice’s case accusing the iPhone maker of unlawfully dominating the smartphone market, in the latest Big Tech antitrust showdown. US District Judge Julien Neals in Newark, New Jersey, is scheduled to hear arguments from lawyers for Apple, and from prosecutors who say the company locks users in and keeps competition out by limiting interoperability between the iPhone and third-party apps and devices. Apple has moved to dismiss the case, saying its limitations on developers’ access to its technology were reasonable, and that forcing it to share technology with competitors would chill innovation. Antitrust cases against Big Tech firms are a bipartisan trend. The case against Apple began during the first presidential term of Donald Trump and was filed during the administration of President Joe Biden. In other cases, Alphabet’s Google was found to have an ******** monopoly in online search, Meta Platforms faces trial on claims that it squelched competition by acquiring upstart rivals, and Amazon.com is fighting a case over its policies toward sellers and suppliers. But some claims like the ones at the heart of the Apple case have ultimately *******. A judge dismissed the Federal Trade Commission’s claim against Meta over the social media platform’s restrictions on third-party app developers. In the Google search case, the judge rejected a claim that Google should have done more to accommodate advertisers on Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. Apple cited the ruling in its own case, saying it shows that withholding access to technology should not be considered anticompetitive. The Apple lawsuit filed in March by the DOJ and a coalition of states takes aim at restrictions and fees on app developers, and technical roadblocks to third-party devices and services – such as smart watches, digital wallets and messaging services – that would compete with its own. If the judge finds the claims plausible, the case will be allowed to move forward. © Thomson Reuters 2024 (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source link #Apple #Urge #Judge #Smartphone #Monopoly #Case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

At least 1 ***** and hundreds of thousands without power as ***** cyclone slams Washington state, British Columbia At least 1 ***** and hundreds of thousands without power as ***** cyclone slams Washington state, British Columbia Editor’s Note: Follow the latest on the ***** cyclone here. This story is no longer being updated. A “once in a decade” ***** cyclone lashed the northwest ******* States and parts of Canada early Wednesday with hurricane-force wind gusts –– leaving at least one person ***** and hundreds of thousands without power across Washington state, California and British Columbia. In Seattle and neighboring cities, strong winds are tumbling trees, with some falling on houses and placing lives at risk. In Lynnwood, north of Seattle, a woman in her 50s was ******* when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment shortly after 7 p.m. PT, South County ***** Department told CNN. More than 650,000 customers lost power in the early hours of Wednesday in Washington, while about 140,000 customers were without power in British Columbia, BC Hydro reported on its website. As of midnight PT, over 24,000 customers in California were without power. The National Weather Service has reported notable wind gusts across the region, including off the coast of British Columbia, where winds were blowing at 101 mph at the South Brooks Buoy. Gusts of 72 to 77 mph were recorded in Washington state, including at Cape Elizabeth on the Olympic Peninsula and at Crystal Mountain and Sunrise-Mount Rainier inland southeast of Seattle. “It’s severe out there. Trees are coming down all over the city, with multiple falling onto homes,” the ***** department in Bellevue, east of Seattle, posted in a Severe Weather Safety alert on Facebook. “If you are able, head to the lowest floor you can and stay away from windows. Do not go outside if you can avoid it.” Videos obtained by CNN show multiple fallen trees on power lines in Lake Stevens, Snohomish County, north of Seattle, with Snohomish Regional ***** and Rescue saying that there are “many trees and power lines down.” In Maple Valley, a city southeast of Seattle, two people were rescued after a tree fell on their trailer, according to Puget Sound *****. One patient was freed quickly, while it took firefighters an hour to extricate the second. Both patients were transferred to a nearby hospital. An Amtrak train collided with a fallen tree near an intersection in Stanwood, north of Seattle on Tuesday night, according to CNN affiliate KIRO. The incident left the train inoperable, though none of the 47 passengers on board sustained injuries, KIRO reported. CNN reached out to Amtrak for more information. Several school districts in western Washington will be closed or delayed on Wednesday due to the impact of the storm. “Due to widespread power outages, fallen trees, and high winds in some areas, all school buildings will be closed on Wednesday, November 20th, and all after-school activities have been canceled,” the Eatonville School District, 60 miles south of Seattle, shared on social media. Across western Oregon, winds of 30 to 50 mph were reported with gusts along the coast and offshore reaching over 70 mph late Tuesday. In Northern California, gusts offshore reached 60 mph with the high peaks in Humboldt reaching 80 mph. ‘Bombogenesis’ A forecast model depicts a ***** cyclone and atmospheric river combining to slam the West Coast early Wednesday morning. – CNN Weather The powerful “***** cyclone” will combine with an atmospheric river to unleash over a month’s worth of rain, hurricane-force wind gusts and feet of mountain snow to parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. The storm system rapidly intensified on Tuesday in a phenomenon called “bombogenesis” and earned it the moniker of “***** cyclone.” This was one of the most intense on record for its location, a storm that occurs only “about once every ten years,” the National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon, said. ***** cyclones are formidable and unload heavy snow and strong winds during the winter. This ***** cyclone will work with an atmospheric river, a long plume of water vapor moving like a river through the atmosphere, to wring out heavy rainfall and significant mountain snowfall in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. The pair will stall along the coast and hammer the area with hazardous conditions through the week and into the weekend. Parts of northwestern California could record 16 inches of rain or more in 48 hours. More than a month’s worth of rain is expected in the northern San Francisco Bay area, primarily north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the weather service there said. Rainfall of this magnitude is expected to cause significant urban flooding, debris flow on roadways and river flooding. The heaviest rainfall is expected to begin Wednesday and peak Thursday across northwestern California. A level 3 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in effect there for Wednesday and a rare level 4 of 4 high risk is in place for Thursday, according to the WPC. It’s hard to overstate how big of a deal these high risks are. They are issued on fewer than 4% of days per year on average, but are responsible for more than 80% of all flood-related damage and 40% of all flood-related deaths, research from the WPC shows. Three to 6 inches of rain could fall Wednesday with some spots getting up to 8 inches. Thursday’s rainfall could meet or exceed Wednesday’s totals, especially in the high risk area. Heavy snowfall is expected across higher elevation areas, where winter weather alerts are in place. Blizzard warnings are in effect across parts of the Washington Cascades, where snowfall over a foot and gusts of up to 60 mph are possible through Wednesday morning. “Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines,” the National Weather Service office in Seattle warned. One to 4 feet of snow is possible through Wednesday across the Cascades and the northern Sierra Nevada. Snowfall could create impossible travel conditions on Interstate 5 and Highways 31, 36, 66, 89, 97 and 140. Powerful winds peaked Tuesday for much of the Pacific Northwest as the ***** cyclone began to weaken, but conditions will remain gusty across the region Wednesday. Conditions will start to improve by the weekend, but lighter rain could continue into next week. CNN’s Isaac Yee and Hanna Park contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Source link #***** #hundreds #thousands #power #***** #cyclone #slams #Washington #state #British #Columbia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jets owner Woody Johnson suggested benching Aaron Rodgers in September: Sources Jets owner Woody Johnson suggested benching Aaron Rodgers in September: Sources The New York Jets fired general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday, six weeks after the team fired coach Robert Saleh. According to multiple team sources who spoke to The Athletic about the team’s inner workings, Woody Johnson suggested a more drastic move earlier in the season. According to those sources, the day after the Jets’ loss to the Denver Broncos on Sept. 29, there was a contentious meeting at the team facility. It included Johnson, Douglas, vice chairman Christopher Johnson, team president ****** Elhai, and Ira Akselrad, an adviser to Johnson. It also included a group of coaches: Saleh, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, then-defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer among them. The coaches had been called in to explain what happened with their units during the 10-9 home loss to the Broncos. During the meeting, Johnson suggested to the coaches that they bench Aaron Rodgers in favor of Tyrod Taylor because he felt Rodgers’ performance was holding the team back. The coaches and Douglas, stunned at the suggestion, talked him out of it and convinced Johnson to stay the course and that benching Rodgers, with his pedigree, four games into the season would not sit well with the locker room. The coaches also felt it would embarrass Rodgers. The idea of benching the future Hall of Famer sounded so absurd that one coach asked whether the owner was serious — multiple sources from that meeting believed he was. Johnson was calmed that day, but that set the tone for what happened a week later. On Oct. 8, Johnson made the decision to ***** Saleh without consulting his general manager (or anyone else in the organization, for that matter). Required reading (Photo: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images) Source link #Jets #owner #Woody #Johnson #suggested #benching #Aaron #Rodgers #September #Sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Possible bird flu infection found in California child, health officials say – National Possible bird flu infection found in California child, health officials say – National California’s public health department reported a possible case of bird flu in a child with mild respiratory symptoms on Tuesday, but said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus and that the child’s family members tested negative. California officials said they have sent test specimens from the child to the U.S. Centers for ******** Control and Prevention for confirmation. A CDC spokesperson said the agency is aware of the presumptive positive case of H5 avian influenza, is collaborating with the state’s investigation, and will provide further updates promptly. The agency has said the risk to the general public ******** low. Although human infections in the ******* States have been rare, bird flu has infected 53 people since April, according to the CDC, most recently a person in Oregon last week tied to a bird flu outbreak in a commercial poultry operation in the state. In Canada, officials earlier this month reported that a teen infected with bird flu in British Columbia was in critical condition. Story continues below advertisement 2:12 H5N1 avian influenza: B.C. reports 1st suspected human case of bird flu The child in California was in daycare with mild symptoms before the illness was reported, the state said. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Local health officials have contacted potentially exposed caregivers and families to check for symptoms and offer preventive treatment and testing if they become symptomatic. The child and all close family members have been treated with preventive medication, the state said. The child had no known contact with an infected animal, but public health experts are investigating a possible exposure to wild birds. “It’s natural for people to be concerned, and we want to reinforce for parents, caregivers and families that based on the information and data we have, we don’t think the child was infectious,” said California health department director Dr. Tomas Aragon, adding, “and no human-to-human spread of bird flu has been documented in any country for more than 15 years.” Trending Now Canada Post strike talks continue but ‘lot of ground’ ******** Trump taps Dr. Oz to lead U.S. health insurance programs in next cabinet Story continues below advertisement 5:28 1st human ****** due to bird flu confirmed in Mexico Most U.S. bird flu cases, including 26 in California, have occurred among farm workers working with poultry or dairy cows that were infected with the virus. Because bird flu viruses can mutate and gain the ability to spread more easily between people, California public health officials said they are monitoring animal and human infections carefully. The state urged residents to avoid contact with ***** or ***** wild birds, and renewed the warning against consuming raw milk or raw milk products, which have not undergone pasteurization to inactivate the bird flu virus and other harmful pathogens. More on Health More videos Source link #bird #flu #infection #California #child #health #officials #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Switch 2’s Launch Could Replicate the Holiday Season Madness That Happened During Nintendo Wii’s Release, but on a Larger Scale Switch 2’s Launch Could Replicate the Holiday Season Madness That Happened During Nintendo Wii’s Release, but on a Larger Scale The 18th anniversary of the Nintendo Wii is being celebrated. The Wii, Nintendo’s widely praised video game console, established a standard for subsequent gaming systems, and Nintendo hasn’t turned back since. Nintendo Wii was released on November 19, 2006. | Credit: Nintendo. With its ground-breaking motion-sensing controls, the Wii transformed the gaming industry when it was first released in North America on November 19, 2006. It was one of the best-selling consoles ever thanks to its distinctive approach to interactive gaming and collection of classic titles like Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The Nintendo Wii Revolutionized the Development of Game Consoles Nintendo Wii made games appealing. | Credit: Nintendo Despite the Wii U’s ********, the Nintendo Switch emerged as a true successor to the Wii’s legacy following its success. Since its 2017 release, the Switch has continued to upend the gaming industry by surpassing even the Wii’s capabilities. Nevertheless, the Wii is largely responsible for the Nintendo Switch’s success. Nintendo chose to give up the competition for the best graphics with the Wii. Rather, the console prioritized affordability and accommodated all kinds of gamers, including casual, ****-hard, and even non-gamers. The Wii was marketed to all demographics, including middle-aged and older adults, families, and children, in contrast to its rivals. Using creative and user-friendly controls that would feel natural to players of all skill levels, Nintendo deliberately tried to make games that appealed to everyone. Casual players liked games like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Just Dance, while more ****-hard fans could lose themselves in franchises like Zelda, Super Mario, and Metroid. Nintendo broke down barriers and created a system that a broader audience could enjoy by emphasizing easy-to-use controls that made gaming more accessible and inclusive. It changed people’s perceptions of video games, turning them from a niche pastime preferred by ****-hards to a popular kind of entertainment. Switch 2 Is Going to Carry Foward the Legacy of Nintendo Wii The Nintendo Switch is getting its successor pretty soon. | Credit: Nintendo. Just like the Switch brought back the legacy of Nintendo Wii after the ******** of WiiU, it seems Switch 2 is going to do the same. There is a huge reason for that When the Switch 2 is eventually released, dozens of Wii U games will be accessible on three successive generations of Nintendo consoles. Never in Nintendo’s history has this occurred. However, the company might have to look after the price of the upcoming console after the policies of Donald Trump. 35 Wii U games have been ported to Nintendo’s popular hybrid system, according to Game Rant. These include enhanced versions similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, as well as cross-generation games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Many of these games are first-party, but many third-party titles, such as LEGO City: Undercover and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, are also compatible with the most recent two generations of Nintendo systems, so they will undoubtedly work on the Switch 2. The recently revealed Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, which is slated for release in March 2025, will be at least one additional game to join them. Source link #Switch #Launch #Replicate #Holiday #Season #Madness #Happened #Nintendo #Wiis #Release #Larger #Scale Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]