Pelican Press

2025 College Football Playoff projections: How 12-team bracket shakes out as leaders approve straight seeding – CBS Sports 2025 College Football Playoff projections: How 12-team bracket shakes out as leaders approve straight seeding – CBS Sports 2025 College Football Playoff projections: How 12-team bracket shakes out as leaders approve straight seeding CBS SportsCFP approves new seeding model next season ESPNCollege Football Playoff Moves to Straight Seeding in 2025, No Consensus on ’26 Changes Sports IllustratedCFP switching to straight seeding format for upcoming season: Why the move makes sense The New York TimesBill Oram: The College Football Playoff’s course correction too little, too late for Oregon Ducks OregonLive.com Source link #College #Football #Playoff #projections #12team #bracket #shakes #leaders #approve #straight #seeding #CBS #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Premier League Darts results: Nathan Aspinall reaches play-offs; Luke Littler sets points record in Sheffield Premier League Darts results: Nathan Aspinall reaches play-offs; Luke Littler sets points record in Sheffield World number eight Aspinall has confounded critics who opposed his inclusion in the eight-man competition, having been ranked 11 when the picks were made. His inclusion was questioned by fellow players Mike de Decker and Dave Chisnall amid suggestions his popular walk-on song Mr Brightside helped his case. The Stockport-born player has battled online abuse over his participation, as well as recovering from injuries and dartitis to reach the final four. “I came off social media because of the abuse I was getting,” said ‘The Asp’ after his second nightly win, in Aberdeen a week ago. “I’m not being exaggerated here, but it ruined my life for a month, not just my life, my family’s. It was horrific. “ Aspinall has also come back from elbow, wrist and back injuries, along with tackling dartitis – a condition where players have a mental block when it comes to throwing on the stage. Missing out on qualification seals a ********** campaign for Van Gerwen, whose last nightly win came back in April 2024. The three-time world champion had seven victories and two runner-up spots from his previous 12 campaigns, with his last Premier League title in 2023. “This is probably one of the hardest Premier Leagues I have ever played in – not in terms of players, but in terms of myself,” Van Gerwen admitted. His cause was not helped when missing the ninth event of the season in Berlin with a shoulder injury sustained while trying to put a shirt on. Humphries reached the semi-finals in Sheffield with a 6-4 win over Rob Cross, while Price lost 6-5 to Chris Dobey, who averaged 109, after leading 4-0. Source link #Premier #League #Darts #results #Nathan #Aspinall #reaches #playoffs #Luke #Littler #sets #points #record #Sheffield Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blue Jays feeling confident in close games Blue Jays feeling confident in close games TORONTO – Before the season began the Toronto Blue Jays got together as a team and had a long conversation about talking things over in the dugout and playing for each other more. That approach has been paying dividends in the month of May. Daulton Varsho tripled in the tying run and then scored on Nathan Lukes’s RBI single in the 11th inning as the Blue Jays recovered from two extra-inning deficits to beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 on Thursday. Varsho said that the three-game sweep at Rogers Centre was because Toronto’s lineup has faith in each other. “Just having good at bats, that’s all we could really care about,” said Varsho outside the home clubhouse. “Just having good at bats, having quality at bats, and being able to move around to the next guy. “When you don’t get it done, it’s OK to pass the baton, and I think we’re doing a really good job as a lineup, being able to do that.” Story continues below advertisement Varsho has repeatedly said that there’s a different feeling in the Blue Jays’ dugout during close games this year. He detailed how their improved collective attitude has made a difference after an 11-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 13. Related Videos 2:22 Blue Jays fans skip out on Seattle series over U.S. trade war Previous Video Next Video “When we were in those situations (last season) I feel like everybody in the lineup was just like, down on themselves,” he said after that game. “This year, there’s no panic at all. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. “It’s just like, ‘we’re going to come back, and whether you like it or not, we’re going to have good at bats.’ I think it’s just a different kind of mojo throughout our dugout and having confidence in everybody.” That never-quit attitude was tested on Thursday against San Diego. Gavin Sheets hit his second two-run homer of the game in the ninth to tie it 4-4. Story continues below advertisement Luis Arraez hit what appeared to be a game-winning RBI single for San Diego in the top of the 10th, but Jonatan Clase tied it 5-5 for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single of his own. Sheets struck again in the 11th, with his RBI single giving the Padres a brief 6-5 lead. Varsho led off the bottom of the inning with his triple scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to tie the game 6-6 and then, three batters later, Lukes hit his winner to plate Varsho. More on Sports More videos “We haven’t really come up with a big hit at times, but I think recently we’ve been able to do it,” said Varhso. “We’ve been hitting ****** hard, just sometimes right at people. Trending Now Canada Post by the numbers: Where things stand as strike looms Trump, South African president have tense exchange in Oval Office “That’s just this game. It can humble you really fast.” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that his team is playing its best baseball so far this season but that Toronto has more potential. “That was a crazy game. You always want to take a two-run lead into the ninth and you feel like you’ve done what you need to do to get there, and it didn’t work out,” said Schneider. “The guys kept coming, kept coming, kept coming back. “If it’s our best baseball, I don’t know if it is. But it’s pretty close.” Story continues below advertisement FRANCIS 77 — Schneider pulled starting pitcher Bowden Francis after just 77 pitches and Toronto leading 4-2. The Toronto manager said he didn’t want Francis to face the Padres potent lineup for a third time. “I think you can say third time through, really, for the majority of Major League pitchers (can be dangerous),” said Schneider. “There’s a handful that kind of neutralize that in today’s game but with Bowden in particular, I think it just comes down to his fastball command.” The Blue Jays went through seven relievers in the game, tough timing ahead of a planned bullpen day in Tampa Bay against the Rays. Schneider announced post-game that Eric Lauer would get the start for Toronto. This report by The ********* Press was first published May 22, 2025. &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Blue #Jays #feeling #confident #close #games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Years later, The FTC has finally dropped its fight against Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal Years later, The FTC has finally dropped its fight against Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially dropped its case against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, two years after the completion of the historic games deal. Microsoft completed the games industry’s biggest ever deal in October 2023, after the US District Court for the Northern District of California denied the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction, allowing the acquisition to be completed. However, unwilling to let the matter lie, the FTC proceeded with an appeal in December 2023, attempting to overturn the court’s decision. Earlier this month, that appeal was rejected, and on Thursday, the Commission officially dropped the case entirely. “The Commission has determined that the public interest is best served by dismissing the administrative litigation in this case,” it said. “Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Complaint in this matter be, and it hereby is, DISMISSED.” Commenting on the news, Microsoft president Brad Smith wrote: “Today’s decision is a victory for players across the country and for common sense in Washington, D.C. We are grateful to the FTC for today’s announcement.” According to the appeals court, the FTC failed to show that Microsoft would have prevented rival companies from gaining access to Call of Duty after acquiring Activision Blizzard. It also dismissed the argument that Microsoft would make Activision games exclusive to Xbox. Since the acquisition was completed, Microsoft has continued to make Call of Duty games available on PlayStation platforms, and has also released numerous former Xbox exclusives on Sony’s console, including such titles as Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Sea of Thieves. This month, it was also announced that Gears of War: Reloaded is coming this summer to Xbox Series X/S, PC and PS5, marking the Xbox series’ debut on PlayStation, as well as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Since the Activision Blizzard deal was completed, the addition of the Call of Duty giant has boosted Microsoft’s earnings significantly, but it was also followed by a significant number of layoffs. Source link #Years #FTC #finally #dropped #fight #Microsofts #Activision #Blizzard #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Giant ground sloths evolved three different times for the same reason Giant ground sloths evolved three different times for the same reason Ancient sloths came in a variety of sizes Diego Barletta A cooling, drying climate turned sloths into giants – before humans potentially drove the huge animals to extinction. Today’s sloths are small, famously sluggish herbivores that move through the tropical canopies of rainforests. But for tens of millions of years, South America was home to a dizzying diversity of sloths. Many were ground-dwelling giants, with some behemoths approaching 5 tonnes in weight. That staggering size range is of particular interest to Alberto Boscaini at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and his colleagues. “Body size correlates with everything in the biological traits of an animal,” says Boscaini. “This was a promising way of studying [sloth] evolution.” Boscaini and his colleagues compiled data on the physical features, DNA and proteins of 67 extinct and living sloth genera – groups of closely related species – to develop a family tree showing their evolutionary relationships. The researchers then took this evolutionary history, which covered a span of 35 million years, and added information about each sloth’s habitat, diet and lifestyle. They also studied trends in body-size evolution, making body mass estimates of 49 of the ancient and modern sloth groups. The results suggest sloth body-size evolution was heavily influenced by climatic and habitat changes. For instance, some sloth genera began living in trees – similar to today’s sloths – and shrank in body size as they did so. Meanwhile, three different lineages of sloths independently evolved elephantine proportions – and it seems they did this within the last several million years, as the planet cooled and the growth of the Andes mountains made South America more arid. “Gigantism is more closely associated with cold and dry climates,” says team member Daniel Casali at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Many of these diverse sloths disappeared during two stages: one around 12,000 years ago and the other around 6000 years ago, says Boscaini. “This matches with the expansion of ***** sapiens, first over the entire American supercontinent, and later in the Caribbean,” he says — which is where some giant sloths lived. Notably, the only surviving sloth species live in trees so are much harder for humans to hunt than massive ground sloths. The idea that humans were the death blow for ancient megafauna is well-supported, says Thaís Rabito Pansani at the University of New Mexico, who wasn’t involved in the study. “However, in science, we need several lines of evidence to reinforce our hypotheses, especially in unresolved and highly debated issues such as the extinction of megafauna,” she says. The new evidence shores up this story. “Sloths were thriving for most of their history,” says Casali. “[The findings] teach us how a very successful [group] can become so vulnerable very quickly.” Topics: Source link #Giant #ground #sloths #evolved #times #reason Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inside Nvidia’s 13F: What the Chip Giant’s Bets Reveal About the Future of AI Inside Nvidia’s 13F: What the Chip Giant’s Bets Reveal About the Future of AI Many investors closely watch 13F filings from institutional money managers. While chip giant NVIDIA (NASDAQ:) isn’t typically seen in that role, it must file as well, since it manages over $100 million in U.S.-traded securities. Below is a breakdown of the six stocks listed on NVIDIA’s most recent 13F. Examining these holdings provides insight into the types of technology that this pioneering company is betting on. All return data calculates the change in price through the May 21 close, since NVIDIA revealed its initial stake in these companies, including their initial rise. NVIDIA’s Top 3 Chip and AI Infrastructure Investments Don’t Fall Far From the Tree By far, NVIDIA’s largest 13F holding was CoreWeave Inc (NASDAQ:). CoreWeave accounted for 78% of NVIDIA’s total reported 13F holdings in Q1. Aside from owning approximately 7% of CoreWeave, the company is also one of NVIDIA’s biggest customers. CoreWeave uses its close relationship with NVIDIA to rent out the company’s most advanced AI chips to customers before anyone else. On its last earnings call, CoreWeave said it was the first to deploy NVIDIA’s GB200 Grace Blackwell systems at scale. Since going public in March, CoreWeave has increased by a staggering 169%, driven largely by the excitement surrounding its NVIDIA relationship. The next two largest NVIDIA 13F holdings are Arm Holdings ADR (NASDAQ:) and Applied Digital Corp (NASDAQ:). They represent around 10% and 4% of NVIDIA’s total $1.15 billion 13F portfolio. NVIDIA actually tried to fully acquire ARM in 2020 for $40 billion; however, the transaction fell through due to regulatory issues. ARM provides “IP cores,” essentially the basic designs of chips that companies base their advanced chips on. As such, ARM is a very important but somewhat underappreciated player in semiconductors. Applied Digital is somewhat similar to CoreWeave, renting out computing power to customers. However, it still gets a good amount of its revenue from cryptocurrency miners, something that CoreWeave no longer dabbles in. The company is also tiny, comparatively, worth only around $1.5 billion. Since November 2024, when NVIDIA first reported owning Applied Digital, the stock is down approximately 1%. AI-Drug Research, Computing, & Autonomous Driving Round Out NVIDIA’s 13F Portfolio NVIDIA’s fourth largest 13F holding is the clinical-stage drug company, Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:). The company has no medicines approved by regulators yet, and thus doesn’t generate much revenue. Overall, the company’s free cash flow over the last 12 months was around -$400 million. The company is attempting to use AI to accelerate drug discovery and development. Importantly, Recursion is an NVIDIA customer that uses the firm’s chips to power its supercomputer to achieve its mission. It is prioritizing work on four ******* treatments and two rare disease treatments. Even after jumping 24% the day NVIDIA revealed its initial investment in February 2024, shares are down 51%. NVIDIA’s final two holdings are Nebius Group NV (NASDAQ:) Group and WeRide Corp ADR (NASDAQ:), each making up around 2% of its portfolio. Nebius’s business model is also very similar to CoreWeave’s, which is renting out AI computing power. Like CoreWeave, it is also seeing incredible revenue growth, reporting a 385% increase in sales in Q1. Nebius will be among the first companies that will offer NVIDIA’s new Blackwell Ultra AI factory platform. Despite rising 7% on the day the initial NVIDIA investment came out, investors have seen shares drop nearly 7% overall. Last up is WeRide Corp ADR (NASDAQ:). The company operates a variety of robotaxis and other autonomous driving vehicle platforms, primarily in China. WeRide uses NVIDIA’s advanced chips to operate its technology. Even including the 83% surge in shares after NVIDIA revealed its initial investment in February, they have fallen nearly 40% overall since then as of May 21. NVIDIA’s 13F Holdings: Prudent Examination Still Reigns Supreme There is one clear common thread among all these companies in which NVIDIA is investing: they are either customers or suppliers of NVIDIA. This makes sense considering that NVIDIA would deeply understand their businesses. Overall, having investments from NVIDIA doesn’t mean investors should blindly follow behind the tech giant and invest in these stocks. This is especially true as merely associating with NVIDIA can often drive wild up moves in these names, only to see their shares crater back to earth. Still, NVIDIA’s investment is a positive, and directing a watchful eye toward these names makes sense. Original Post Source link #Nvidias #13F #Chip #Giants #Bets #Reveal #Future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Daria Saville is last Aussie hope in Paris qualifying Daria Saville is last Aussie hope in Paris qualifying Of the 15 *********** hopefuls who started the week in the qualifying tournament at the French Open, only battle-hardened Daria Saville is still left in the hunt for one of the precious Roland Garros main draw places. The 31-year-old battler had too much know-how on the Paris clay for a promising young Frenchwoman 15 years her junior, Daphnee Mpetshi-Perricard, in the second round of quallies as she eased through 6-2 6-1 on Thursday. If the world No.134 can next defeat the equally experienced American Taylor Townsend in Friday’s make-or-break third-round qualifier, she’ll make it into the Roland Garros main draw for the ninth time, 10 years since her debut on the Paris red clay. Back in 2015, the Russian-born Daria Gavrilova was just embarking on her career representing Australia, just as another ‘Dasha’ – her great friend Daria Kasatkina – will be doing this year. If she makes it through, Saville, who’s twice reached the third round at Roland Garros, will take the *********** contingent in the main draw to 16, the most in recent memory. But there’ll be no more men joining the 10 who’ve already made it after Jason Kubler, one set down when the rains came on Wednesday, couldn’t complete his comeback against Japan’s James Trotter, eventually going down 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-3. The other two remaining *********** women in the draw, Astra Sharma and Talia Gibson, struggled when their second round matches, also held over, finally got under way on Thursday. Sharma lost 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 to Spain’s Leyre Romero Gormaz, while Gibson went down 6-4 6-1 to Argentine Julia Riera. Source link #Daria #Saville #Aussie #hope #Paris #qualifying Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ultracold atoms have been ‘hyperentangled’ for the first time Ultracold atoms have been ‘hyperentangled’ for the first time Some of the lab equipment needed to trap laser-cooled atoms Endres Lab Extremely cold atoms have been connected into a state of quantum “hyperentanglement” for the first time. This demonstrates a new level of control over their quantum properties, which could prove useful for quantum computing. When cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero – the lowest possible temperature – atoms don’t fully freeze in place, because quantum effects that don’t exist at warmer temperatures enable them to keep making tiny motions. A research team at the California Institute of Technology has now used laser light to take control of those motions in an unprecedented… Source link #Ultracold #atoms #hyperentangled #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alphabet Gets Vote of Confidence After Google I/O Alphabet Gets Vote of Confidence After Google I/O Alphabet (NASDAQ:) Inc. has had a bumpy ride in 2025. While peers continue to ride the AI wave and outperform the market, Alphabet has struggled to keep up. Shares are down close to 11% year-to-date, underperforming the broader market and the technology sector. Concerns over competitive pressure in search, regulatory overhang, and questions about how quickly the company can pivot to AI-driven monetization have weighed on investor sentiment. Yet despite these challenges, Alphabet is far from standing still. Recent developments suggest the company is gearing up for a significant comeback and domination, particularly in artificial intelligence. At its highly anticipated Google I/O 2025 conference, Alphabet made a flurry of AI-related announcements that showcased the company’s technical firepower and signaled its intent to lead in next-generation computing. JPMorgan analysts took note, reiterating their Overweight rating on GOOGL and maintaining a $195 price target following the event. Google I/O Highlights: AI at the Center The Google I/O 2025 developer conference clarified that Alphabet’s AI ambitions are more than just hype. The spotlight was on Gemini, Google’s AI platform, which is quickly becoming a key pillar of its long-term strategy. CEO Sundar Pichai announced that Gemini now serves over 400 million monthly users and has attracted more than 7 million developers globally, a sign of growing traction and adoption. Major updates included the launch of Gemini 2.5 models, Flash and Pro, with improved reasoning capabilities, better multimodality, and tools for advanced code generation. New features such as “Deep Think” mode and the Gemini Ultra Plan, which bundles premium AI access with 30TB of cloud storage, are designed to attract enterprise users and developers. Google also unveiled a suite of AI-powered tools across its product ecosystem, from a conversational AI mode in Google Search to a Gemini browsing assistant in Chrome. The company also announced “Project Astra,” an all-purpose AI assistant capable of real-world task execution, like managing a calendar or diagnosing bike issues. Developer tools were another key focus. Google introduced Gemini Code Assist, a coding co-pilot. The no-code app development tool lets developers build from prompts or designs. These announcements collectively signal Google’s aggressive push to create a robust developer ecosystem around Gemini. Expanding Into XR and Generative Media Beyond core AI and cloud, Alphabet also made significant strides in extended reality (XR) and generative media. Through partnerships with Samsung (KS:) and XREAL, the company is advancing into smart glasses and mixed-reality headsets. Project Starline, now rebranded as Google Beam, takes videoconferencing to the next level with 3D video calls and real-time translation. On the creative front, tools like Veo 3 for AI-generated video and Imagen 4 for high-fidelity image generation position Google as a major player in generative content. Analyst and Institutional Support Building The bullish takeaway from the I/O conference wasn’t limited to JPMorgan. Of 40 analysts covering GOOGL, 30 currently rate the stock as a Buy, with the rest leaning toward Hold. The average 12-month price target is $199.75, implying a nearly 19% upside from current levels. Analysts widely agree that while near-term uncertainty remains, Alphabet’s AI investments and product integration could drive long-term upside. Institutional investors are also positioning for a rebound. Over the last 12 months, GOOGL has seen $95.7 billion in institutional inflows versus $52.4 billion in outflows, yielding a substantial net inflow. In Q1 alone, $18 billion flowed into the stock. Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square increased its GOOGL position by 11.33% last quarter, now holding 4.4 million shares, another vote of confidence in Alphabet’s trajectory. The Stage Is Set for GOOGL’s Comeback While Alphabet’s stock performance in 2025 has been disappointing, the story is far from over. The company’s aggressive AI push, underscored by a strong showing at Google I/O, suggests it’s still in the race to lead the future of tech. With strong institutional support, bullish analyst sentiment, and an attractive valuation relative to its peers, GOOGL may be setting up for a comeback that investors won’t want to miss. Original Post Source link #Alphabet #Vote #Confidence #Google Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Second arrest in Brockton double-********* near mall: What happened in court? Second arrest in Brockton double-********* near mall: What happened in court? A second man was arraigned in Brockton District Court Thursday, May 22, on charges he helped the shooting suspect in the double ********* near Westgate Mall in Brockton, evade capture, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. Jaylen Speed, 24, of Dorchester, pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count of accessory after the fact. According to investigators, Speed was allegedly in contact with the shooting suspect, Davinci Leonard, in the hours after the fatal March shooting of Tymari Alberton, 15, and Cevannah Alvarez, 18. Speed is accused of providing his cell phone for Leonard to use to communicate with others to evade capture, the DA’s office said. He was also seen with Leonard and David Mosley-Lott, 32, of Quincy, who pleaded not guilty Tuesday, May 20, to charges alleging he also assisted Leonard in the days after the shooting, including letting him sleep at his house. Bail set at $50,000 Speed was held on $50,000 cash bail, placed on GPS monitoring and ordered to home confinement if released, the DA’s office said. He is scheduled to return for a probable cause hearing on June 18. Is shooting suspect Davinci Leonard still on the run? Yes, as of May 22, Leonard has not been captured. If you have information The DA is asking anyone with information which may lead to Leonard to please contact Massachusetts State Police at 508-894-2584. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton shooting near mall: 2nd man charged with helping suspect hide Source link #arrest #Brockton #doublehomicide #mall #happened #court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Supreme Court insulates Federal Reserve while backing Trump firing of agency leaders – CNBC Supreme Court insulates Federal Reserve while backing Trump firing of agency leaders – CNBC Supreme Court insulates Federal Reserve while backing Trump firing of agency leaders CNBCSupreme Court allows Trump to fire independent regulators for now The Washington PostSupreme Court won’t reinstate top federal labor officials in a victory for Trump’s firing powers CNNSupreme Court Backs Trump’s Ouster of Agency Leaders for Now BloombergSupreme Court grants Trump request to fire independent agency members NBC News Source link #Supreme #Court #insulates #Federal #Reserve #backing #Trump #firing #agency #leaders #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Two people killed in separate house fires in Melbourne’s outer southeast Two people killed in separate house fires in Melbourne’s outer southeast Two people have been killed in separate house fires in Melbourne’s southeast overnight. Source link #people #killed #separate #house #fires #Melbournes #outer #southeast Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Health savings accounts are poised to get a big boost in Trump’s tax package Health savings accounts are poised to get a big boost in Trump’s tax package Tucked inside Republicans’ “big, beautiful” tax package, which passed the House early Thursday, are provisions expanding health savings accounts (HSAs), including the biggest contribution increase ever for next year, along with a range of other benefits. Learn more: What is a health savings account (HSA)? “It’s definitely expanding HSAs with new things people can use their HSA dollars for,” Kaye L. Pestaina, vice president and director of KFF’s program on patient and consumer protection, told Yahoo Finance. While an HSA can be a savvy way to boost savings for retirement and is considered a go-to tool by many financial planners, they were designed as a way to pay current healthcare costs, Pestaina said. “The provisions are aimed to get rid of certain barriers for lower-income people that would allow them to double what they can contribute annually,” she said. “So it’s good news, but they still need the money now even though, in theory, they could leave the money in these accounts to save for future costs.” An HSA offers a triple tax advantage. It’s the only account that lets you put money in on a tax-free basis, lets that money build up tax-free, and lets it come out tax-free for qualified healthcare expenses. (Some states assess state taxes.) In order to put money into an HSA, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). In those plans, you pay a lower premium per month than other types of health insurance plans, but a heftier annual deductible (the amount you pay for covered medical costs before insurance kicks in). For 2025, that translates to a deductible of at least $1,650 for individual coverage and $3,300 for family coverage. You can also open an HSA as a self-employed freelancer or business owner if you have a qualified high-deductible health plan. Some employers match contributions to HSAs, similar to employer-provided retirement savings accounts. Your contributions roll over year after year and are yours to keep when you retire or change employers. There’s a hefty 20% penalty on any withdrawal amount not used toward a qualified medical expense, and you’ll pay income tax on the disqualified sum. For anyone 65 or older, the penalty is gone, meaning you can withdraw funds for any purpose and only pay income tax on it if it’s not a qualified medical expense. Here’s a rundown of the provisions included in the legislation that would be effective January 2, 2026, if signed into law: 1. Increased contribution limits. The 2025 contribution limit for an HSA is $4,300 for individuals and $8,550 for families. Individuals who are 55 or older can contribute an additional $1,000. Story Continues Read more: What are HSA contribution limits for 2025? Under the bill’s provisions, annual contribution limits for HSAs would double, jumping to $8,600 for individuals with self-only coverage and to $17,100 for family coverage. Increased contribution phases out for adjusted gross incomes between $75,000 and $100,000 (individual) and $150,000 to $200,000 (joint filers with family coverage). 2. Both spouses could make catch-up contributions to the same HSA. Under current law, eligible individuals and spouses who are 55 or older by the end of the tax year can increase their contribution limit up to $1,000 for their own accounts. Under the change, spouses who are both eligible are allowed to combine their basic and catch-up contribution amounts and allocate them to one spouse’s HSA. 3. More flexibility with FSAs. When it comes to married couples, there are rules and limitations regarding HSA usage, particularly when both spouses have a flexible spending account (FSA). Right now, individuals are ineligible to contribute to an HSA if their spouse has an FSA, but that prohibition would go away. 4. Gym memberships and other fitness expenses qualify. Currently, funds from an HSA can only be used for “qualified medical expenses” — and your pilates class definitely doesn’t count. Under the new legislation, it would, along with any gym membership. Annual funds from HSAs for this expense would be capped at $500 for single taxpayers and $1,000 for joint filers. 5. Concierge medical care qualifies. A Direct Primary Care (DPC) plan, often called a concierge healthcare plan, offers personalized, top-drawer healthcare services for a membership fee where you shell out a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee directly to a physician or practice for access to services. Under current law many of these arrangements are not eligible to be paid for with your HSA money. Under the provision, certain DPC fees would be HSA eligible if the fee did not exceed $150 monthly for individuals, or $300 monthly where more than one individual is covered. 6. More years to contribute. People who are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part A would be able to continue to contribute to an individual HSA. Right now, when a person reaches age 65 and enrolls in Medicare, they can no longer contribute to health savings accounts. 7. Rollovers allowed. If you are newly enrolled in an HDHP and have an existing health FSA, you would be able to roll over those funds into an HSA. Plus, you would be able to use a distribution from your HSA as payment for medical expenses incurred before the HSA was established, with some restrictions. 8. More health insurance plans can provide HSAs. Individual market bronze and catastrophic plans would be treated as HSA-qualified HDHPs. Under existing law, these plans offered in the individual market are not considered HDHPs, so they’re ineligible to be paired with an HSA. Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note. The reality, as Pestaina noted, is that most account holders use their HSAs to pay for current medical expenses and do not take advantage of all the tax benefits HSAs offer for building retirement savings — but that’s starting to shift. Learn more: A step-by-step guide to retirement planning Last year, roughly 3.5 million HSA holders, representing about 9% of all accounts, had invested a portion of their HSA dollars, up from about 2.6 million health savings accounts in 2022, according to HSA advisory firm Devenir. The higher annual contribution levels could potentially push people to consider using these accounts as a retirement savings vehicle. Medicare has plenty of out-of-pocket expenses and doesn’t cover most dental, vision, or hearing expenses, or long-term care. On average, a 65-year-old retiree who left the workforce last year may need $165,000 in after-tax savings to cover health care expenses throughout retirement. “Most people don’t think about the big health hiccups that can occur — unexpected dental costs or hearing aids can cost a small fortune,” said Carolyn McClanahan, a certified financial planner and physician. Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including the forthcoming “Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future,” “In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work” and “Never Too Old to Get Rich.” Follow her on Bluesky. Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Source link #Health #savings #accounts #poised #big #boost #Trumps #tax #package Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Supreme Court insulates Federal Reserve while backing Trump firing of agency leaders Supreme Court insulates Federal Reserve while backing Trump firing of agency leaders The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, July 19, 2024. Kevin Mohatt | Reuters The Supreme Court on Thursday strongly suggested that Federal Reserve board members would have special protection against being fired by a president in a ruling that, for now, allows President Donald Trump to fire two members of other federal agencies’ boards. The Supreme Court in its ruling said, “We disagree” with arguments by Gwynne Wilcox of the National Labor Relations Board and Cathy Harris from Merit Systems Protection Board that their challenges to their terminations “necessarily implicate the constitutionality of for-cause removal protections for members of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors or other members of the Federal Open Market Committee.” “The Federal Reserve is a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks of the United States,” the majority ruling said. The three liberal members of the court dissented from the decision by six conservative justices, which keeps Wilcox and Harris off their boards as their lawsuit challenging their terminations is pending. While Thursday’s decision does not explicitly bar Trump — or any other president — from firing a Federal Reserve board member, it suggests that any effort by a president to do so would face strong resistance from the Supreme Court as currently constituted. A federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., had enjoined Trump from removing both women from their respective boards. An appeals court later upheld that order. Read more CNBC politics coverage But in early April, the Supreme Court stayed those rulings while the case continued, meaning that Trump did not have to reinstate the women to their boards. That temporary order was formalized in Thursday’s opinion by the high court. “Because the Constitution vests the executive power in the President … he may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf, subject to narrow exceptions recognized by our precedents,” the majority said in the opinion. “The stay reflects our judgment that the Government is likely to show that both the NLRB and MSPB exercise considerable executive power,” the opinion said. “But we do not ultimately decide in this posture whether the NLRB or MSPB falls within such a recognized exception; that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument.” The majority also said their stay “reflects our judgment that the Government faces greater risk of harm from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty.” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who has been a target of criticism from Trump, in November said that he would not resign if Trump asked him to do so. Powell also said that the president does not have the power to fire him. “Not permitted under the law,” Powell said. In a written dissent Thursday, Justice Elena Kagan said that under existing law, Trump “has no legal right to relief” from the order that Wilcox and Harris be reinstated while their lawsuit proceeds. “Congress, by statute, has protected members of the NLRB and MSPB (like Wilcox and Harris) from Presidential removal except for good cause,” wrote Kagan, whose dissent was joined by the two other liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Supreme #Court #insulates #Federal #Reserve #backing #Trump #firing #agency #leaders Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ancient Egyptian Tomb in Luxor Identified as Belonging to High-Ranking Official Ancient Egyptian Tomb in Luxor Identified as Belonging to High-Ranking Official The rock-cut entrance to Tomb Kampp 23 is located in the Al-Asasif area on the west bank of Luxor. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities A joint Egyptian-********* archaeological team has identified the owner of ancient Theban Tomb, Kampp 23, located in the Al-Asasif area on the west bank of Luxor. First discovered in the 1970s, the tomb has now been confirmed to belong to Amun-Mes, a high-ranking official who served as local governor of Thebes during Egypt’s Ramesside *******. The mission includes experts from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and Ontario University. This marks the first time a team has conducted full-scale excavation work inside the tomb since its discovery. The government calls discovery a milestone Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy described the find as a major milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Egyptian and foreign archaeological teams. He said the discovery reflects the strength of Egypt’s partnerships with international academic institutions and adds valuable insight into the lives of elite officials in ancient Egypt. Fathy also reaffirmed the government’s continued support for research that enhances Egypt’s role in global cultural tourism. Statues carved into the tomb wall were found in the sanctuary of Kampp 23. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, noted that while the tomb had been known for decades, its owner and titles remained unknown until the recent excavation. Amunemose held several high-ranking titles Researchers confirmed that Amun-Mes held several prestigious titles, including his role as Mayor of Thebes. Additional inscriptions found across Luxor’s west bank mention a person named Amun-Mes with titles such as “King’s Advisor,” “God’s Father of Amun,” “Tax Collector,” and “Head of Quarry Services” to Wadi Hammamat under Ramses IV. A painted fragment found in the ancient tomb. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities However, Mohamed Abdel-Badei, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, said it is not yet certain whether all these titles refer to the same individual buried in Kampp 23 or another official with the same name. Further excavations planned Dr. Casey L. Kirkpatrick, who leads the ********* team, said future excavation seasons aim to resolve questions about Amun-Mes’ full identity and career. She hoped continued analyses would offer a deeper understanding of his position in Theban society. Abdel-Ghaffar Wagdy, head of the Egyptian group, reported signs that the tomb was reused in later periods. The team discovered colored plaster over limestone inscriptions, remains of a mixed-material entrance, and fragments of funerary objects, including ushabti figurines. Ushabti figurines bearing inscriptions were found inside Tomb Kampp 23 in Luxor’s West Bank. Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Architectural features reflect the Ramesside style Architecturally, the ancient Luxor tomb is carved into rock and features a T-shaped layout typical of the Ramesside era. It includes a courtyard bordered by mudbrick walls, a large eastern pylon, and two entrance niches. An interior corridor leads from the chapel to the burial chamber, which contains rock-cut statues in the transverse hall and sanctuary. The excavation team continues documenting the tomb’s features, hoping to uncover more about Amun-Mes’ life and legacy. Source link #Ancient #Egyptian #Tomb #Luxor #Identified #Belonging #HighRanking #Official Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* deaths linked to alcohol on the rise in the U.S. – NBC News ******* deaths linked to alcohol on the rise in the U.S. – NBC News ******* deaths linked to alcohol on the rise in the U.S. NBC News Source link #******* #deaths #linked #alcohol #rise #U.S #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ross County claim Livingston fan spat in coach’s face in Premiership play-off Ross County claim Livingston fan spat in coach’s face in Premiership play-off “When it happens, our staff members want to protect each other because it’s a disgusting thing to happen. I wanted to calm the situation down. “Livingston have been first class, they have CCTV here so they’ll identify who it was and take action.” County’s chief executive Steven Ferguson echoed his manager’s comments, adding that the Highland club are “not going to accept that”. Livingston manager David Martindale did not witness the incident but said it would be “disgusting if true”. “I’m sure the club will get to the bottom of that,” he added. “It’s vile. Disgusting. Really, really disappointing.” The game ended 1-1 after Ronan Hale’s late penalty cancelled out Danny Wilson’s opener, with the sides meeting in the return leg in Dingwall on Monday to decide which of the two will be in the top flight next season. Source link #Ross #County #claim #Livingston #fan #spat #coachs #face #Premiership #playoff Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Microsoft employees say emails with ‘Gaza’ or ‘Palestine’ won’t send Microsoft employees say emails with ‘Gaza’ or ‘Palestine’ won’t send Security officers block entrance doors after pro-************ protesters attempted to enter the Microsoft Build conference at the Seattle Convention Center Arch building in Seattle, Washington on May 19, 2025. Jason Redmond | Afp | Getty Images Microsoft employees are concerned that the company has been blocking Outlook emails containing the words “Palestine,” “Gaza,” “genocide,” “apartheid” and “IOF off Azure,” even if they’re including those terms in an HR complaint, according to screenshots, recordings and documents viewed by CNBC. Employees said they started noticing the change Wednesday just before noon PST, batch-testing emails with the terms in question and emails without them. Only the ones without such terms appeared in their outboxes, suggesting those containing the terms weren’t received, according to materials viewed by CNBC and three sources familiar with the matter. The people asked not to be named in order to speak freely. One employee with the word “apartheid” in their email signature, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said they sent a typical work-related email around 11:30 a.m. PST on Wednesday successfully. The person said that just before noon on the same day, their emails wouldn’t go through — ostensibly due to their email signature. On internal message boards, messages seen by CNBC showed employees asking why their emails with the word “Israel” may go through but not the word “Palestine,” as well as “Gaza” and other terms. Modifications like “P4lestine” did go through, according to their tests. One employee asked on an internal message board, “Is the company abandoning the inclusivity initiative or is this only targeting Palestinians and their allies?” The Verge was first to report on the potential email block. In a message seen by CNBC, Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s chief communications officer, responded to an employee post, writing: “To clarify, emails are not being blocked or censored, unless they are being sent to large numbers of random distribution groups. There can be a small delay and the team is working to make that as short as possible.” “Over the past couple of days, a number of emails have been sent to tens of thousands of employees across the company and we have taken measures to try and reduce those emails to those that have not opted in,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. But employees told CNBC that even when they attempted to send relatively mundane, solely work-related emails to small groups of colleagues, the emails still didn’t go through if they contained those terms. Another employee who spoke on condition of anonymity said that when they attempted to send a report to HR containing one of the terms in question, they did not receive the auto-response typically confirming receipt until more than 24 hours later. The message also didn’t show up in the online HR portal until more than 24 hours later. Some emails were delivered after being delayed by seven hours or more, according to the group No Azure for Apartheid. The group suggested manual reviews of such emails were taking place before they were delivered. Microsoft protests Microsoft has seen a growing number of protests at recent events over the Israeli military’s use of the company’s AI products. Protesters have also sent emails to the company’s executives outlining their concerns. At Microsoft’s Build developer conference in Seattle this week, protesters interrupted executives during keynote speeches and sessions. On Tuesday, protesters interrupted the Microsoft Build session on best AI security practices, singling out Sarah Bird, Microsoft’s head of responsible AI, who was co-hosting the session with Microsoft AI security chief Neta Haiby. Haiby was formerly a member of the Israel Defense Forces, according to a Tumblr page viewed by CNBC. “Sarah Bird, you are whitewashing the crimes of Microsoft in Palestine,” Hossam Nasr, an organizer with the group No Azure for Apartheid, said. Nasr was one of the Microsoft employees terminated last year after planning a vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza. Earlier on Tuesday during another Microsoft Build session, an unnamed ************ tech worker disrupted a speech by Jay Parikh, Microsoft’s head of CoreAI. “Jay, you are complicit in the genocide in Gaza,” the tech worker, who did not wish to share their name for fear of retaliation, said. “My people are suffering because of you. How dare you. How dare you talk about AI when my people are suffering. Cut ties with Israel.” The worker then called to “free Palestine” and said, “No Azure for apartheid,” a nod to the group and its petition. A demonstrator is removed from the audience as they interrupt a presentation by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella at the Microsoft Build 2025 conference in Seattle, Washington on May 19, 2025. Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images On Monday, Microsoft software engineer Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech onstage, saying, “Satya, how about you show them how Microsoft is killing Palestinians? How about you show them how Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?” Lopez was later fired, according to a document viewed by CNBC that stated the reason as, “misconduct resulting in the violation of both company policy and our expectations of a respectful workplace.” The document said Lopez would be ineligible to return to Microsoft as an employee, contractor, or in any other capacity, including an employee of a Microsoft partner, customer or other third party. At Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event last month, two Microsoft software engineers publicly protested the use of the company’s AI by the Israeli military during executive presentations. The roles of both employees, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, were terminated soon after, according to documents viewed by CNBC. Source link #Microsoft #employees #emails #Gaza #Palestine #wont #send Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump ‘dead white farmers’ pic from Congo, not S Africa Trump ‘dead white farmers’ pic from Congo, not S Africa US President Donald Trump has shown a screenshot of video taken in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of what he falsely presented as evidence of mass killings of white South Africans. “These are all white farmers that are being buried,” said Trump on Wednesday, holding up a print-out of an article accompanied by the picture during a contentious Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. In fact, the video, published by Reuters on February 3 and subsequently verified by the news agency’s fact-check team, showed humanitarian workers lifting body bags in the Congolese city of Goma. The image was pulled from Reuters footage shot following deadly battles with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The blog post shown to Ramaphosa by Trump during the White House meeting was published by American Thinker, a conservative online magazine, about conflict and racial tensions in South Africa and Congo. The post did not caption the image but identified it as a “YouTube screen grab” with a link to a video news report about Congo on YouTube, which credited Reuters. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Andrea Widburg, managing editor at American Thinker and the author of the post in question, wrote in reply to a Reuters query that Trump had “misidentified the image.” She added, however, that the post, which referred to what it called Ramaphosa’s “dysfunctional, race-obsessed Marxist government”, had “pointed out the increasing pressure placed on white South Africans”. The footage from which the picture was taken shows a mass burial following an M23 assault on Goma, filmed by Reuters video journalist Djaffar Al Katanty. “That day, it was extremely difficult for journalists to get in … I had to negotiate directly with M23 and coordinate with the ICRC to be allowed to film,” Al Katanty said. “Only Reuters has video.” Al Katanty said seeing Trump holding the article with the screengrab of his video came as a shock. “In view of all the world, President Trump used my image, used what I filmed in DRC to try to convince President Ramaphosa that in his country, white people are being killed by ****** people,” Al Katanty said. Ramaphosa visited Washington this week to try to mend ties with the United States after persistent criticism from Trump in recent months over South Africa’s land laws, foreign policy, and alleged bad treatment of its white *********, which South Africa denies. Trump interrupted the televised meeting with Ramaphosa to play a video, which he said showed evidence of genocide of white farmers in South Africa. This conspiracy theory, which has circulated in far-right chat rooms for years, is based on false claims. Trump then proceeded to flip through printed copies of articles that he said detailed murders of white South Africans, saying “death, death, death, horrible death”. Source link #Trump #dead #white #farmers #pic #Congo #Africa Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Trump is Trying to Establish Presidential Control Over Independent Agencies How Trump is Trying to Establish Presidential Control Over Independent Agencies President Trump summarily dismissed more than a dozen members of independent oversight bodies during his first two months in office, defying typical procedures and federal laws that say presidents cannot remove certain officials without good cause, like misconduct or neglect. The targeted firings of these officials, which have resulted in multiple legal challenges, are part of Mr. Trump’s strategy to prompt the conservative Supreme Court to decide whether a president can remove members of certain independent agencies at will. The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed, for now, to allow Mr. Trump to remove the leaders of two independent agencies who had filed suits contesting their firings. If the court were to eventually side with Mr. Trump, it could grant a president the authority to dismiss members of independent commissions and boards without cause or explanation — and almost certainly imperil the independence of these bodies. The majority of the court appeared to make an exception for the Federal Reserve Board. “There is a potential for a government that is devoid of a lot of the checks and balances that we have come to rely on,” said Sharon Block, a professor at Harvard Law School and a former member of the National Labor Relations Board, one of the agencies Mr. Trump has targeted. Out of the 13 targeted firings, nine members of independent boards and two leaders of independent watchdog agencies, each represented below by a bar, were fired before their terms had expired. Federal Trade Commission U.S. Office of Government Ethics U.S. Office of Special Counsel National Labor Relations Board Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Merit Systems Protection Board Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Federal Labor Relations Authority Note: In some cases, members can serve in their positions for additional time if a successor has not yet been confirmed; that additional time is not shown here. Two officials whose terms had already expired remained on their boards for additional time, as allowed by law if a successor had not yet been selected. Although Mr. Trump had not nominated successors, he fired them anyway. (One official was removed just a few days before the end of her additional allotted time). Although members of these independent bodies are in most cases appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they were intended by Congress to be insulated from political interference and retaliation. For one, these independent commissions and boards are often required, by statute, to have a bipartisan makeup. Members, in many cases, serve staggered terms of longer than four years, in part so no one president can replace many members all at once. Mr. Trump, however, has largely taken aim at Democratic officials or officials selected by Democratic administrations. The firings hobbled at least four independent bodies, leaving them without the quorum needed to take official actions. Trump at one point left four independent bodies without quorum Note: The makeup of each agency immediately after the firings is shown here, and it does not reflect any court cases requiring members to be temporarily reinstated or members appointed after the firings. One of the hobbled entities, the Merit Systems Protection Board, is at the center of the administration’s efforts to rapidly downsize the civil service. The board hears appeals from federal employees on unfair personnel practices, including wrongful termination. Mr. Trump also fired and replaced the U.S. special counsel, whose office had led a legal challenge on the administration’s mass termination of probationary workers. That office in April dropped its inquiry into more than 2,000 complaints that the Trump administration had improperly fired probationary employees. The Trump administration has also targeted other watchdogs across the federal government, abruptly firing 18 inspectors general without cause or proper notice. Although inspectors general have fewer protections than members serving on independent commissions, a president is legally required to give Congress 30 days’ advance notice before removing any inspector general, alongside detailed and case-specific reasoning for the removal. Source link #Trump #Establish #Presidential #Control #Independent #Agencies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia stock poised to swing more than 7% as crucial earnings report will test the market rally Nvidia stock poised to swing more than 7% as crucial earnings report will test the market rally Nvidia (NVDA) stock is likely to gain or lose as much as 7.4% the day after the AI chipmaker reports quarterly earnings results May 28, options traders tracked by Bloomberg predict. The 7.4% figure from Bloomberg consensus data is lower than the average 11.3% swing in Nvidia shares during intraday trading the day following earnings results over the past eight quarters. This means options traders expect a lower level of volatility from Nvidia shares on May 29 as compared to the prior eight quarters. Nvidia shares fell 8.5% in February after the company’s fourth quarter earnings topped Wall Street’s expectations, but its outlook for first quarter gross margin came in lower than estimates. The day after the chipmaker’s earnings report, shares rose as much as 2.8% and fell as much as 8.6%, trading in a range of 11.4%. While the range expected by options traders for the trading session May 29 could mean Nvidia stock gains as much as 7.4% or loses as much as 7.4%, it also implies other potential scenarios. For example, the stock could gain as much as 5.4% and fall as much as 2%. Or it could fall as much as 4% and rise as much as 3.4%. Though Nvidia shares have, on average, proven volatile following the company’s last eight quarterly earnings reports, investors have seen big gains from holding on to their Nvidia shares. According to data compiled by Yahoo Finance Anchor Jared Blikre over the past 10 years, Nvidia shareholders have seen a nearly 120% median return if they buy shares before Nvidia’s earnings results and hold on to them for 12 months. Nvidia’s May 28 results come after a turbulent year for the stock amid AI developments in China and ever-changing trade policies from the Trump administration. Nvidia stock struggled to start 2025 after a new cheap AI model from ******** startup DeepSeek prompted skepticism of Big Tech’s massive spending on AI infrastructure and fears of a spending slowdown. Signs of a potential slowdown in AI data center investments from Microsoft (MSFT), one of Nvidia’s biggest customers, further fueled those fears. President Trump’s trade war with China, his ban on exports of Nvidia’s specialized chips to the country, and threats of global reciprocal tariffs have also hammered the stock, just as Nvidia’s competition in the ******** market from domestic tech firm Huawei heats up. The US temporary trade truce with China, Nvidia’s business prospects abroad (i.e., its expansion into Saudi Arabia), and Trump’s repeal of a restrictive Biden-era chip trade policy have boosted shares in recent weeks ahead of the chipmaker’s earnings report. Story Continues Wall Street analysts expect Nvidia to report soaring earnings and revenue for its fiscal 2026 first quarter (the April quarter), though they expect its growth to continue decelerating. Analysts project revenue will rise over 66% to $43 billion in the first quarter and adjusted earnings per share to leap 44% to $0.88. By comparison, in the first quarter of last year, Nvidia reported revenue rising a staggering 262% and earnings per share growing 461%. Investors will be closely watching for signs of impact from Trump’s ban on Nvidia’s chip sales to China in next week’s results — a policy CEO Jensen Huang said has cost the company $15 billion in sales. Nvidia stock is likely to gain or lose as much as 7.4% the day after the AI chipmaker reports quarterly earnings results May 28, according to options traders tracked by Bloomberg. (Photo by Li Hongbo/VCG via Getty Images) · VCG via Getty Images Correction: A previous version of this article listed the incorrect time frame for Nvidia’s first quarter. We regret the error. Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @laurabratton.bsky.social. Email her at *****@*****.tld. Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Source link #Nvidia #stock #poised #swing #crucial #earnings #report #test #market #rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s tax bill plan adds to federal debt, prompting investor backlash – The Washington Post Trump’s tax bill plan adds to federal debt, prompting investor backlash – The Washington Post Trump’s tax bill plan adds to federal debt, prompting investor backlash The Washington PostStock Market Today: Bond Market Shows Signs of Stabilizing; Nasdaq Rises WSJStocks Mixed After House OKs Trump Tax Bill; Amazon, Broadcom, Meta Eye Latest Buy Points Investor’s Business DailyTreasury yields ease, US stocks gain; investors assess US tax bill ReutersStocks drift to a mixed close as worries about the U.S. government’s soaring debt continue to weigh Los Angeles Times Source link #Trumps #tax #bill #plan #adds #federal #debt #prompting #investor #backlash #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster proves that they don’t make them like they used to Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster proves that they don’t make them like they used to “They don’t make them like they used to.” As a movie buff, no phrase in the English language gets my eyes rolling more than this. For decades, I’ve had to hear that phrase repeated to bemoan the state of cinema. I’ve always found it to be a silly statement. For one: Of course they don’t. Art, and the tools we use to make it, changes. What gets me more is when the phrase is used to tear down modern film. The implication that the art we grew up with is inherently better than what’s around now always feels like a hard-headed snap take that only shows how resistant we are to change. But after playing — of all things — Capcom’s new Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster, I find myself coming back to that phrase. Returning to the PS2 classic in 2025 is like digging up an ancient artifact. It’s a hypnotic time capsule that feels unlike any new release I’ve played this year. Its cinematic ambitions, paired with the limitations of video games at the time, creates an unmistakable texture that can’t easily be replicated. In this case, they truly don’t make them like they used to. Back to 2002 Before diving into the remaster, my relationship to the Onimusha has always been at a distance. I didn’t have a PlayStation 2 growing up, but I was an avid reader of magazines like EGM and knew about every big game on the system. From that perspective, Onimusha always felt larger than life. It had the feel of a prestige game, right alongside works of the era like Shadow of the Colossus. Magazine screenshots left me to imagine a dark, serious action game that probably looked a lot like Elden Ring does to me now. I was in for an adjustment as soon as I started Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny. An opening story explainer comes out the gate swinging as I’m told that Nobunaga Oda is a.) dead and b.) commanding an army of demons. That detail is delivered so straight-faced in a dramatic voice over that I couldn’t help but crack up. It’s totally absurd, a B-movie premise treated with the gravity of a historical epic. That attitude continued throughout my playthrough. Capcom’s ambitions were lofty for 2002, aiming to create a truly cinematic experience nearly a decade before tech allowed for it. If this were a movie, you’d likely label it as “amateur.” The script is filled with hacky jokes as characters constantly “hubba hubba!” over women. Cutscenes are shot through stiff camera placements that never quite feel like they’re in the right place. The voice cast has big high school theater energy. And to be very clear: It’s positively awesome. Capcom Like many games of its era, Onimusha 2 feels otherworldly. It’s just off-kilter enough in every respect that it approaches surrealism. A fierce ****** will pop up out of nowhere, give a hammy monologue, and then start sprinting in and out of bushes like a Scooby Doo villain. It’s purely comedic on paper, but there’s a serious reverence for the lore and world that Capcom created. It’s a tone that’s always oscillating between wacky and serious, two feelings that many modern games tend to keep separate. It’s not a tone that’s unique to Onimusha either; it’s a running theme of the era. I have the same feeling when I play Capcom’s early Resident Evil games. They’re full of stilted acting and awkward one-liners, and yet, I’m able to take that world seriously instantly. Games like this were exceptional at crafting strange languages and making players fluent in them as quickly as possible. That idea doesn’t just apply to cutscenes, but gameplay too. It’s very clear that Onimusha came in the wake of Resident Evil’s success. It has fixed camera angles that build tension by hiding what’s around every corner. Rooms are lined with random puzzle boxes that I need to solve to reveal hidden ladders. I learn about the world through plain text item descriptions that flatly pop up on screen. All of those design touchstones of the era create a texture that’s both hyper specific and hard to put to words. It’s remarkably atmospheric, claustrophobic and eerie even in its silliest moments. I’m not escaping into another world that is under my full control; I have fallen into a mysterious place dictated by the laws of a creator, and I must learn how to abide by them to make it out alive. It’s the same feeling as entering a hedge maze on a foggy evening. Video games don’t feel like this anymore — at least not the biggest ones. Developers have finally cracked how to actually make a game feel “cinematic,” with the bar raised for acting, writing, and cinematography. That leads to digital worlds that feel more familiar, grounded in a visual language that’s recognizably human. Even this year’s Dynasty Warriors: Origins trades the series’ oddball acting and head-scratching wackiness for something that feels comparatively grounded. Playing Onimusha 2 feels like watching a 1930s Hollywood drama that deals in stage acting and larger-than-life gestures. Ca That’s perhaps why I’m so bullish about the current remake and remaster craze. Onimusha 2 is special because it’s a product of its time. It is defined by the weird quirks that redos like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered so often attempt to flatten. Capcom is thankfully light with its adjustment here, giving it a clean resolution bump, reworked controls, and auto-save. The latter is more trouble than it’s worth, as dying loads the auto save. If that has left you in a bad position, you’ll have to quit and reload your proper save from the main menu. The rest of the package is filled with extras like at galleries that leave the main game untouched in all its glory, giving me plenty of space to appreciate it for what it is — a strange adventure that’s still swimming around my brain while so many new games go in one ear and out the other. This doesn’t make Onimusha 2 better than today’s prestige games, just as I reject the idea that no modern movie could go toe to toe with Gone With the Wind. Playing its remaster now more just highlights how different game design is two decades after its original release. The medium is more defined, with established design rulebooks that prioritize immersion and emergent storytelling over airtight direction. I feel like I know exactly what Capcom’s upcoming Onimusha revival will look like, taking the form of a traditional third-person acting game with blockbuster production value. It’ll be a product of its own time just as Onimusha 2 is now. Maybe today’s young adults will reminisce on it in 20 years and say that 2045’s games just aren’t the same as the ones that launched in the now fabled PS5 era. I hope that happens, because that will be a signal that the medium has moved. They shouldn’t keep making them like they used to; yesterday’s games should always feel like historical documents that tell us something about the artistic landscape of the time. Onimusha 2’s remaster is a perfect opportunity to travel back to 2002 and soak in all the oddball energy of a medium in an experimental creative peak. The Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster launches on May 23 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Source link #Onimusha #Samurais #Destiny #remaster #proves #dont Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Kate officially names new Royal Navy warship HMS Glasgow Kate officially names new Royal Navy warship HMS Glasgow *** Ministry of Defence The Duchess of Rothesay named the ship at a ceremony in Glasgow The Princess of Wales has officially named the Royal Navy’s newest warship HMS Glasgow in a ceremony on the River Clyde. It is the first of eight Type 26 frigates to be built by BAE Systems at its Glasgow shipbuilding facilities in Govan and Scotstoun. Catherine, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, smashed a bottle of whisky against the hull in the traditional naming ceremony. HMS Glasgow was laid down at BAE’s Govan yard in 2017 and launched at the end of 2022, when she was floated off a special barge into the Clyde. AFP Blessing the ship as its official sponsor, Catherine said: “I name this ship Glasgow. May God bless her and all who serve in her.” The event included a flypast from an RAF Poseidon aircraft from HMS Glasgow’s affiliated CXX Squadron. *** Ministry of Defence*** Ministry of Defence It is the second time in a month that the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as Prince William and Princess Catherine are known in Scotland, have been north of the border. They celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on the Isle of Mull in April. BAE Systems managing director Simon Lister said the ceremony was a “historic moment for the Type 26 programme, the city of Glasgow and the thousands of people involved”. He added: “The naming of HMS Glasgow is a significant step towards this cutting-edge vessel joining the Royal Navy fleet and demonstrates our solid progress in delivering these powerful new ships.” While some aspects of a traditional naming ceremony were upheld, BAE Systems abandoned traditional “dynamic” slipway launches on the Clyde 14 years ago. The military firm now favours the “float off” method, which is more controlled and allows a vessel to be launched in a more complete state. *** Ministry of Defence HMS Glasgow is the first of eight new Type 26 warships being built in Glasgow The 150m (492ft)-long ship, which will have a crew of 161, is the ninth Royal Navy warship to be named after Glasgow. The Royal Navy’s Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral, Sir Martin Connell, said the ship was “a pure-bred Anti-Submarine Warfare platform, setting the standard for naval warfare”. All eight of the Type 26 vessels are named after a ***’s city – Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London. HMS Cardiff launched in August 2024 and work has started on the next ships, HMS Belfast, HMS Birmingham and HMS Sheffield. The frigates are expected to enter service between 2028 and the mid-2030s. Their role will include protecting the aircraft carriers and Trident submarines. Source link #Kate #officially #names #Royal #Navy #warship #HMS #Glasgow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fortnite is finally back on Apple’s App Store … sort of Fortnite is finally back on Apple’s App Store … sort of After being unceremoniously booted off Apple’s App Store in 2020, Epic Games’ Fortnite is finally back. Take note, though — it’ll only show up on iPhones and iPads for searches made within the U.S., at least for now. The return of Fortnite marks the end of a nearly five-year ban caused by Epic Games’ implementation of a direct payment system that bypassed Apple’s in-app purchase fees, an act that violated the tech giant’s App Store rules. In a message posted on X on Tuesday, Epic Games’ founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said: “Thanks to everyone who supported the effort to open up mobile competition and #FreeFortnite from the very beginning.” Sweeney added: “And thanks to all of the folks who initially sided with Apple then later came around to the winning side, supporting app developer rights and consumer rights.” Epic Games has been battling away in the courts to get the popular title back on the App Store. It scored a big win at the end of last month when a U.S. court ruling forced Apple to allow apps to include external payment links without charging commissions on those transactions. After Epic Games recently submitted Fortnite for inclusion in the U.S. App Store, Apple has finally approved it, though not before some additional legal issues and delays just last week. If you search for Fortnite on the App Store outside of the U.S., however, it still won’t show up as Apple continues to fight in other regions. But in the European Union, for example, the game continues to be accessible via alternative platforms such as the Epic Games Store and AltStore. Fortnite was allowed back on the U.S. App Store after the recent court ruling found that Apple had violated a previous injunction in 2021 by continuing to restrict competition and prohibit alternative payment methods in its App Store. The judge ordered Apple to comply with the earlier order, forcing it to allow Fortnite’s return and to permit external payment links in apps. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers made several scathing comments about Apple in her ruling last month, criticizing the tech behemoth for deliberately undermining her 2021 injunction, saying that Apple aimed to “sustain a revenue stream worth billions in blatant violation of this court’s injunction.” She even went so far as to refer an Apple executive to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation into their conduct in the case. The Fortnite saga was essentially a landmark battle over digital marketplace power, one that shone a light on the struggle between app developers and platform owners like Apple in areas of control, competition, and the right to offer alternative payment options outside walled-garden ecosystems. Source link #Fortnite #finally #Apples #App #Store #sort Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]