Supreme Court deadlocks 4-4 on nation’s first religious charter school
Supreme Court deadlocks 4-4 on nation’s first religious charter school
A member of the Capitol Police K-9 unit walks a dog in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is on April 07, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kayla Bartkowski | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Oklahoma will not be able to launch the nation’s first religious public charter school after the Supreme Court on Thursday deadlocked 4-4 in a major case on the separation of church and state.
The decision by the evenly divided court means that a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that said the proposal to launch St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School violates both the federal Constitution and state law remains in place.
As there was no majority, the court did not issue a written decision, and the case sets no nationwide precedent on the contentious legal question of whether religious schools must be able to participate in taxpayer-funded state charter school programs.
A key factor in the outcome was that conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who would have been the deciding vote, did not participate in the case. She did not explain why, but it is likely because of her ties with Notre Dame Law School. The law school’s religious liberty clinic represents the school.
The one-page decision did not say how each justice voted. During oral arguments last month, most of the court’s conservatives indicated support for the school while liberals expressed concern. At least one conservative is likely to have sided with the liberals, most likely Chief Justice John Roberts.
The court will likely be asked to weigh in on the issue in future cases.
St. Isidore would have operated online statewide with a remit to promote the Catholic faith.
The case highlights tensions within the Constitution’s First Amendment; one provision, the Establishment Clause, prohibits state endorsement of religion or preference for one religion over another, while another, the Free Exercise Clause, bars religious discrimination.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court had cited the state’s interest in steering clear of Establishment Clause violations as a reason not to allow the proposal submitted by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to move forward.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court had cited the state’s interest in steering clear of Establishment Clause violations as a reason not to allow the proposal submitted by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to move forward.
A state board approved the proposal for St. Isidore in June 2023 despite concerns about its religious nature, prompting Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to file suit.
The case saw Drummond on the opposite side of fellow Republicans in the state who backed the idea, but he prevailed at the Oklahoma Supreme Court the following year.
The Supreme Court, when Barrett is participating, has a 6-3 conservative majority that often backs religious rights. In recent years it has repeatedly strengthened the Free Exercise Clause in cases brought by conservative religious liberty activists, sometimes at the expense of the Establishment Clause. Some conservatives have long complained that the common understanding that the Establishment Clause requires strict separation of church and state is incorrect.
Lawyers representing the school and the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board sought to portray the dispute as similar to a series of recent rulings in which the court has said that under the Free Exercise Clause states cannot bar religious groups from government programs that are open to everyone else.
The push for religious public charter schools dovetails with the school choice movement, which supports parents using taxpayer funds to send their children to private school. Public school advocates see both efforts as broad assaults on traditional public schools.
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Xbox’s PC Game Bar Just Raised The Bar With Refreshed Quick Settings
Xbox’s PC Game Bar Just Raised The Bar With Refreshed Quick Settings
Microsoft’s newest update for PC has freshened up the settings widget within the Game Bar, offering players better access to adjustments for audio levels and screen brightness. In addition, not only are these improvements available in compact mode, but these quick settings provide a toggle for going into compact mode or back into desktop mode.
The Xbox app update on PC also features streamlined ways to see an on-screen keyboard, tinker with Bluetooth-connected devices, and turn on airplane mode through the Game Bar’s settings widget. This comes shortly after Wi-Fi and battery status icons were added to compact mode, as Microsoft continues to make the Xbox app more handheld friendly. Then there are the photo leaks of an Xbox-branded ROG Ally 2 that corroborate earlier reports of Microsoft partnering with Asus on a handheld device.
The overhauled settings widget within the Game Bar offers quicker access to changing screen brightness and audio levels on the Xbox app for PC.
These new features are part of a larger Xbox update that also saw Retro Classics arriving for all Game Pass membership tiers. The catalog includes well-known titles like Pitfall and Commando–as well as original PlayStation game MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat.
Earlier this week, members of the Xbox insider program also received new ways to customize their console home screen. For example, you can hide system apps from showing up under “recently played” as well as pin up to three games (or apps) to appear in the “recently played” horizontal bar.
Looking ahead, Microsoft has the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 planned for June 8 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM ***. Afterward, there will be a special The Outer Worlds 2 Direct.
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DSIT makes £5.5m of funding available to new projects
DSIT makes £5.5m of funding available to new projects
The government has announced £5.5m of funding to support projects that will be streamlined by the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) to cut bureaucracy.
The RIO, headed by David Willetts, was set up by the government to cut red tape, remove barriers to innovation and accelerate the time it takes to bring emerging technologies to market.
Willetts, who took on the role of chair of the RIO in March, hopes to shape regulatory approaches that empower new technologies, supporting Labour’s pledge to bring the ***’s most promising new technologies to the public quickly and safely while kickstarting economic growth.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said it would offer funding between £50,000 and £1m on regulator-led and local authority-led projects, which run from six to 12 months. The projects must start from 1 October 2025 and end by 30 September 2026. The deadline for applications is 31 July 2025, and DSIT is expected to start awarding funding from 1 October 2025.
This is the fourth round of funding. In the last round, funding helped Milton Keynes trial local authority drone deliveries for urgent medical supplies and environmental monitoring. The trial included exploring low-risk test flights and sensors to track the drones’ path to safely test and approve these services.
“Thanks to the RPF [Regulators’ Pioneer Fund], we’ve been able to start building the groundwork for using drones to make services more efficient,” said Shanika Mahendran, cabinet member for planning and placemaking and Milton Keynes City Council.
“It’s given us a chance to explore what safety checks and rules we need to follow so we can move from just testing drones to using them in the long-term.”
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA’s) exploration of the use of synthetic data in clinical trials was another project in the third funding round. The project used computer-generated data to replace some of the participants who would normally receive a placebo. The MHRA said this approach can make trials quicker, cheaper and more inclusive, while still ensuring safety and effectiveness.
Puja Myles, director of the clinical practice research datalink at the MHRA, said: “The RPF grant has given us a better understanding of the scenarios when synthetic data could be used to boost sample sizes of clinical trials.
“This project is part of the MHRA’s work to promote innovation and embrace emerging technologies in clinical trials, to help get new treatments to patients faster.”
The fourth round of the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund is open to regulators and local authorities across the ***, and will include projects in key growth areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, engineering biology, space, and connected and autonomous vehicles.
“Smarter, more agile regulation is key to businesses bringing ideas to market faster, while giving the public confidence in new technologies,” said science minister Patrick Vallance.
“These projects show how regulators can work with industry to unlock breakthroughs – from autonomous drones improving emergency services, to AI that cuts the cost and time spent on clinical trials.
“By backing this kind of innovation, we’re helping to make the *** the best place in the world to launch, test and scale new ideas, and drive the economic growth we need to improve lives and deliver our Plan for Change,” he said.
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House passes Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill and sends it to Senate – The Guardian
House passes Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill and sends it to Senate – The Guardian
House passes Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill and sends it to Senate The GuardianMike Johnson, Donald Trump get ‘big, ‘beautiful’ win as budget passes House Fox NewsHouse GOP Passes “Big, Beautiful Bill,” Slashing Social Programs and Showering Tax Cuts on the Rich Democracy Now!US House passes Trump tax and spending mega-bill – live updates BBCTwo House Republicans missed the big vote Politico
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Pokémon TCG Pocket kicks off Ultra Beast expansion with Extradimensional Crisis arriving soon
Pokémon TCG Pocket kicks off Ultra Beast expansion with Extradimensional Crisis arriving soon
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s latest expansion goes live on May 29th
It introduces the Ultra Beasts, Pokémon from a different dimension
These powerful new Pokémon boast dangerous abilities and come alongside a roster of additional cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket’s next expansion is right around the corner, arriving in a timely manner on May 29th. What’s included? Well, nothing less than the introduction of Ultra Beasts when the new expansion, Extradimensional Crisis, goes live next month!
But what exactly is an Ultra Beast? Well, these Pokémon were introduced back in Pokémon Sun and Moon, and originate from wormholes to other dimensions. Extremely powerful and not particularly happy about being ripped from their homeworld, they present a potent new addition to the Pokémon TCG Pocket roster.
Unfortunately, while there is a trailer and official socials announcement, Pokémon TCG Pocket hasn’t yet released a full news post detailing everything being added. But at just a glance, the trailer shows off some fan-favourite Pokémon from the Ultra Beast lineup such as Buzzwole, Nihilego, Celesteel and Guzzlord. There’s also a new trainer in the form of Lusamine, and a bunch of other additions that’ll be made available in the expansion.
Plus Ultra!
Minutiae aside, it seems pretty clear that Extradimensional Crisis will be focused firmly on the Alolan region once more, and specifically all of the content from Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. But for the moment, more details are a bit scarce.
Still, regardless, these are some great new additions to the Pokémon TCG roster (and a perfect opportunity for old-school fans to be flabbergasted at how many new Pokémon have been added!) So if you needed a reason to jump in this summer, be sure to check in on May 29th when this expansion goes live!
Need something to tide you over ahead of Extradimensional Crisis’ release? Don’t want to get too tired of TCG ahead of it? Well, why not try something new by digging into our list of the top five new mobile games to try this week?
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Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is reportedly still on track for a 2027 launch – and I hope it’s a MacBook rather than an iPad
Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is reportedly still on track for a 2027 launch – and I hope it’s a MacBook rather than an iPad
A well-known leaker has said Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is still inbound possibly as early as 2027
Amazon also has a ‘similar’ large foldable in the pipeline, though
With Huawei recently airing a foldable laptop, Apple may feel it’s falling behind rivals – and we still don’t even know the exact nature of its device
Apple’s rumored big foldable device – which might be a MacBook that’s all-screen and no physical keyboard, or a huge iPad tablet – has popped up on the grapevine once again with a claim that it could be here in 2027. However, Amazon might beat Apple to the shelves here, we’re told.
As Wccftech noticed, renowned Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X to let us know that Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is still set to go into mass production in either late 2027 or 2028 (a timeframe he’s previously mentioned, and I’ll return to that point later).
Apple’s competitors in the large-sized foldable device market may not be limited to Huawei. My research indicates that Amazon is also internally developing a similar product, which has not yet officially kicked off. If development progresses as planned, it is projected to enter…May 20, 2025
This comment came after Huawei revealed its MateBook Fold laptop at Computex 2025 earlier this week, which is an 18-inch device, so very similar in size to Apple’s theoretical product here. (I should note that both this and the rumored Apple foldable are 18 to 19-inches when fully unfolded, so that’s the total size of the device).
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Kuo further observed that Amazon is developing a “similar product” which has yet to be made official, but it could be due to hit the production lines in late 2026, or perhaps 2027 (add plenty of seasoning with all of this).
Analysis: Falling behind rivals?
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The hint being dropped here, then, is that Apple is falling behind the pacemakers in the giant foldable device arena, with Amazon’s timetable apparently being a year in advance of Apple’s. Although that said, for something which isn’t even officially underway yet, the Amazon device debuting at the close of next year seems like a pretty fast track through development.
The key question, of course, is will Apple be producing an 18.8-inch foldable MacBook or iPad? (Incidentally, if a foldable laptop seems like an odd term – and it is, given that all notebooks fold up – it refers to a folding screen, rather than chassis. This is a notebook that doesn’t have a keyboard, and instead uses a virtual keyboard displayed on one half of the screen).
This is where things get a bit odd as rumors have suggested Apple’s foldable device could be either a laptop or tablet. Kuo comparing it to Amazon’s foldable – which is surely a Fire tablet – would seem to suggest it’s a huge iPad. But then a direct comparison is also made to Huawei’s foldable laptop. Furthermore, the leaker notably uses the neutral term ‘device’ rather than any hint of mentioning a laptop or tablet.
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What that suggests to me is that Apple is working through concepts on both sides of the fence, tablet and laptop, and still hasn’t made the decision of which OS to go with, macOS or iPadOS, and what’ll be more useful: a MacBook with a folding screen (and virtual keyboard), or an iPad that can fold out to be a giant display.
Personally I think the MacBook idea is the frontrunner (and rumors about Apple working on a notebook with a virtual keyboard have been around for ages). Although more innovative and attention-grabbing, that is the riskier move, admittedly, in terms of getting Mac fans to accept the ditching of a physical keyboard in favor of a screen-based effort. It’d have to be a very good virtual keyboard, that’s for sure. A big iPad would be a safer avenue to tread when you look at these ideas in that light.
What’s also interesting is that Kuo hasn’t changed the release timeframe for this 18.8-inch foldable since talking about it in mid-2024, which could be read as Apple being on track with its development schedule here. Or Kuo simply hasn’t heard anything else, especially regarding that decision on whether to make the hardware a laptop or tablet.
All in all, that’s a bit of a worry, but if this large foldable device really is coming from Apple, we should receive some firmer hints soon enough. And it’s certainly true that plans from rival laptop (or tablet) makers will help spur Apple’s thought processes and the realization of this product, or I’d imagine so, anyway.
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The Last Of Us Director Sheds New Light On The First Game’s Ending
The Last Of Us Director Sheds New Light On The First Game’s Ending
Ten years before The Last of Us became a hit HBO series, the original game ended on a bleak note as Joel made a decision about Ellie’s future that left a lot of blood on his hands. Joel’s actions have been the subject of a lot of fan debates, and a major catalyst for the story of The Last of Us Part II and The Last of Us Season 2. Now, The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann is weighing in on one of the ending’s unanswered questions: Could the Fireflies really have created a cure by sacrificing Ellie?
“Could the Fireflies make a cure? Our intent was, ‘yes, they could,'” said Druckmann during his appearance on the Sacred Symbols podcast (via IGN). “Now, is our science a little shaky that now people are now questioning it? Sure. Our science is a little shaky and people are now questioning it. I can’t say anything. I can say our intent was that they would have made a cure. That makes the most interesting philosophical question for what Joel does.”
The reason why Joel didn’t allow the Fireflies to create the cure is that they would have had to euthanize Ellie, whom he loved like a daughter. Rather than let that happen, Joel slaughtered all of the Fireflies in the hospital–an action that came back to haunt him in more ways than one.
During the same interview, Druckmann reiterated that The Last of Us Part 3 could still happen, if the developers at Naughty Dog come up with a “worthy” story. As for the HBO series, Druckmann and his co-showrunner Craig Mazin have indicated that Season 3 will tell the story of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), the young woman whose father was murdered by Joel during the incident at the hospital. Mazin also recently shared his opinion that The Last of Us Season 4 is essential to finishing the story they’ve begun. But for now, HBO has only confirmed that Season 3 will go forward.
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Pulp’s ‘rubbish’ riff that became a Britpop anthem
Pulp’s ‘rubbish’ riff that became a Britpop anthem
Simon Thake
BBC News, Yorkshire
Getty Images
Jarvis Cocker said Common People was based on the changes he saw moving from Sheffield to London
Thirty years ago today Pulp let loose their biggest hit. In just five minutes and 51 seconds Common People shone a light on class, politics and Britain in the 90s.
Three decades on the song remains as popular as ever, but how did a riff Jarvis Cocker’s bandmates initially dismissed as “a bit rubbish” become one of the defining records of the Britpop era?
Early 1995; John Major’s Conservative government is faltering, Eric Cantona is serving an eight-month ban for kicking a supporter, rogue trader Nick Leeson has brought Britain’s oldest bank to its knees and Britpop is booming.
At the same time in the Town House recording studio in west London, the members of Pulp were scratching their heads at what to do with their latest song.
“It didn’t really go anywhere, it felt a bit one dimensional,” drummer Nick Banks told the BBC ahead of the song’s 30th anniversary.
The keyboard part at the centre of Common People had been written by frontman Cocker the previous year with little fanfare.
“It seemed kind of catchy, but I didn’t think too much about it,” the singer revealed in a 2004 BBC documentary.
“I didn’t think ‘wow, that’s a masterpiece’ I just thought it could come in handy for something.”
Bass player Steve Mackey – who died in 2023 – was a little more scathing: “It sounded pretty rubbish.”
Only keyboardist Candida Doyle saw its potential, remarking in the documentary how she thought it was “great straight away”.
“It must have been the simplicity of it, you could just tell it was a really powerful song,” she said.
‘It built like a runaway train’
However, when it came to rehearsing the song Banks said the band kept naturally speeding up, building to a final crescendo when they actually wanted to maintain a consistent rhythm.
But, he said, when they managed to keep the tempo down “everyone was bored to tears” by the halfway point, and the track became “slow and ponderous”.
Making it faster didn’t work either, he said, so the band decided to embrace the change of speed and set a “timed framework” that gathered momentum as it went on.
“It was my inaccurate time keeping that created a happy accident,” Banks said.
“It built like a runaway train, and that was the mystery secret of the song.”
Tom Jackson
Common People was recorded at the Town House studio in West London in 1995
But it is more than just the driving energy of Common People that has made it an enduring success.
The lyrics and narrative also captured people’s imagination.
From the intrigue surrounding the mystery student who inspired the opening lines – “She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge/She studied sculpture at St Martin’s College” – to the acutely observational reflections on working-class life.
Speaking in 2004, Cocker, who grew up in the Intake area of Sheffield before going to study film at St Martin’s in 1988, said: “It was [written] not that long after I had moved down to London and so the sensibility is definitely that of somebody moving from up north to down south.
“You just see more of society, there’s more extremes in London. For a start you see people with money.”
As to who was the muse of the piece, in 2015 the Athens Voice claimed they had identified her as Danae Stratou – the wife of the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis.
In an interview with BBC World News Mr Varoufakis said: “Well, I wouldn’t have known her back then.
“But I do know that she was the only Greek student of sculpture at St Martin’s College at that time. And, from personal experience, she is a very fascinating person.”
Getty Images
Manchester United maverick Eric Cantona appeared at an FA disciplinary hearing in 1995 for his kung-fu kick on a member of the crowd at a game
Despite the popularity of the song, Common People was beaten to number one by former Soldier Soldier actors Robson Green and Jerome Flynn and their rendition of Unchained Melody and White Cliffs of Dover.
Recalling the moment the band learned their fate, Banks said they had been booked to take part in a live BBC Radio One chart rundown in Birmingham’s Centenary Square.
With the rain lashing down, the band sat waiting backstage as one by one the other acts left, until only they were left and just two names remained in contention.
“Robson and Jerome hadn’t actually bothered to turn up, but we were announced number two,” Banks said.
“We went out, Jarvis was wearing his usual quite stacked heels and promptly went ***** over apex on the slippery flatbed lorry and ended up lying flat on his back miming along to Common People on the radio.”
Pop historian Jonathan Rice said the song was among an “eminent list” of hit singles that never reached number one.
“Strawberry Fields by The Beatles never made the top,” he said.
“Vienna by Ultravox was kept off number one by Shaddupyaface by Joe Dolce.
“[But] these are songs that stood the test of time and are much more memorable than the songs that beat them to number one.”
As the author of The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, Rice said Common People “defined a generation”.
“It was a song that just summed up the atmosphere at the time felt by younger generation. It reflected the class barriers in such a witty and clever way.”
Offical Charts
Robson and Jerome pipped Pulp to the number one spot – Scatman John took fourth
Prior to 1995, Pulp had failed to trouble the upper echelons of the charts, only reaching number 33 with their 1994 track Do You Remember The First Time?
So why did Common People catch on in a way that previous Pulp material had failed to?
Eric Clarke, a former Professor of Music at the University of Oxford, said it was in part the band’s ability to reflect the mood of the country mixing “a genuine energetic, celebratory quality” with “anger and a sneering quality”.
“Common People is the most brilliant single from the 1990s
“It was coming to the end of the Thatcher and Major *******, people were sick to the back teeth of years of Tory government.
“There was a general upwelling of feeling that surely things could be different.
“It mixes thin, cheesy synth sounds with a really driving beat that seems to always be accelerating, the whole song is driving on to that incredible anthemic chorus at the end, which feels, to my ears, like an outpouring, a genuine release of frustration.”
Listen: Sheffield’s “unofficial national anthem” at 30
Nicola Dibben, now music professor at the University of Sheffield, was herself a student in the city in 1995.
“What’s really striking and meaningful is how the song captures what it means to be poor,” she said.
“Common People sends up class tourism. I love the anger and glee that Jarvis deals with through his acerbic witticisms.
“His confessional breathy lyrics, he’s so close to the mic – you can hear the lip smacks – it draws you in to the story right from the start.”
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Pulp, pictured here in 1991, are back on tour in 2025 with their new album More
Perhaps the moment that cemented Common People’s place in history was the band’s last-minute headline appearance at Glastonbury.
After Stone Roses guitarist John Squire broke his collar bone falling off a bike, the Sheffield band were drafted in to plug the hole.
What followed was arguably one of Glastonbury’s most famous headline shows.
The moment was not lost on Cocker.
Addressing the enormous crowd, he said: “If you want something to happen enough then it will actually happen. I believe that. That’s why we are stood on this stage today.
“If a lanky git like me can do it, then so can you.”
Now, 30 years on, as the band prepare to tour again – their first since the death of bassist Mackey – Banks said he believed Common People was “still a song that gets you going”.
“To me it still sounds fresh, vibrant and immediate and a worthwhile social commentary,” he said,
Reflecting on the songs enduring success in 2004, Doyle said: “I remember at one point thinking I wish we could write a song that would be fantastic for ever and ever and ever – and then I thought ‘oh, we have’.”
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Helldivers 2 Has Given the Illuminate Fleshmobs the Same Amount of HP as the Most Fearsome Terminid Unit
Helldivers 2 Has Given the Illuminate Fleshmobs the Same Amount of HP as the Most Fearsome Terminid Unit
Democracy has a new threat, the Illuminate faction wreaks havoc on Super Earth. The powerful foes are causing a lot of damage to the prestigious world of Helldivers 2, and Fleshmobs act as their most powerful frontmen. The community also found out that they have a huge health bar, which is concerning.
Fleshmobs are a new enemy that has been added as a part of Helldivers 2‘s newest Heart of Democracy update. The high HP of these new enemies is similar to Bile Titan, which was one of the most feared Terminids. Just thinking of an equally powerful enemy instills fears in every player’s heart. But they have to overcome it and restore democracy, as always.
Bile Titan and Fleshmob have the same huge health bar in Helldivers 2
Before the Illuminate invasion in Helldivers 2, Super Earth had fought against many powerful factions like Terminids and Automatons. Against all these odds, the warriors of Super Earth have come out on top. However, the battle wasn’t easy, and they had to face some challenging foes, especially the Bile Titan from the Terminids faction.
The heavily armored, huge Terminid that not only looks scary, but is also really terrifying when it attacks. Furthermore, the health of these things made them a pain to deal with, and the community still gets PTSD whenever they have to face them. However, the same is happening now with the Fleshmobs, from the Illuminate faction.
Both Fleshmob and Bile Titan have 6000 HP, making them extremely challenging to eliminate. Fleshmob can be killed if all the blue orbs on it are destroyed, as they act as the weak spots. Bile Titan, however, requires a lot of shooting and throwing explosives to destroy it.
However, do keep in mind, Fleshmobs are fash and durable creatures, and hard to stagger. Even though they cannot change their movement path quickly, and traverse in a telegraphed manner, they charge at you pretty quickly. So dodging them and being on the move while shooting at their weak points is the key here.
Ways to take down Fleshmob in Helldivers 2
They are pretty scary up close. | Image Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios
Fleshmobs in Helldivers 2 have one big weakness; they don’t have armor on them. Which does most of the job, as bullets penetrate it like butter, just make sure to carry a lot of them. Just don’t get ahead of yourself, and try to kill with a melee weapon. You can land a final blow with one to make it look cool.
The Fleshmob targets a single Diver, so it tends to ignore everyone else. If you have a squad, they can attack it while you create the opening and leave it vulnerable. Attacking their legs with high-damage weapons is also a good tactic to follow.
If you have a good aim, you can just feed them some tasty bullets to their head. The head is easy to spot as it has glowing eyes, which makes it a lot easier to focus. Keep these tips in mind when you’re encountering the enemy in Helldivers 2.
While you are aiming for their head, don’t forget to shoot the blue orbs on their body to eliminate them, clear them up as soon as you see the enemy. Just know, no ammo is wasted if you hit the target, paving the way to restore democracy.
Do you think Fleshmob is hard to deal with in Helldivers 2? What is your strategy to take down these enemies? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to know your methods.
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Apple devices to power Georgia hospital in a first for the U.S
Apple devices to power Georgia hospital in a first for the U.S
A customer carries an Apple MacBook Pro laptop outside an Apple store in Walnut Creek, California, US, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple devices will power a hospital in Georgia, a first for the company as it continues its push into the health-care sector.
Emory Healthcare on Thursday announced that its Emory Hillandale Hospital will be the first U.S. hospital that runs on Apple products, including the iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, iMac and Mac mini. The devices will also integrate with software from Epic Systems, the leading electronic health record vendor in the nation.
Hillandale is using Apple products because they are user-friendly, require less IT support, offer cybersecurity advantages and have long-lasting hardware and battery life, Emory executives told CNBC.
Since this is new territory for the health system, Emory said it will closely monitor the devices to ensure they improve the organization’s quality of care.
“It can certainly be a game changer that’s not been done anywhere else in the country,” Emory Healthcare CEO Dr. Joon Lee said in an interview. “And like everything else, it’s not going to be without its challenges, but it really opens the door to multiple possibilities.”
Emory Healthcare is an academic health system in Georgia that operates 10 hospitals and supports roughly 26,400 employees. Its Hillandale facility is a 100-bed community hospital on the outskirts of the greater Atlanta metro area.
“At Apple, we believe in technology’s power to improve lives,” Dr. Sumbul Desai, vice president of health at Apple, said in a statement to CNBC. “We’re thrilled that Emory Hillandale Hospital is using Apple products to deliver exceptional care — because doctors and nurses should have the best technology in the world to serve their patients.”
The health system’s interest in using more Apple products was partially inspired by the major CrowdStrike outage that rocked businesses, including Emory, last July, said Dr. Ravi Thadhani, the executive vice president for health affairs of Emory University.
More CNBC health coverage
Thadhani said more than 20,000 of the health system’s devices were “paralyzed” by a faulty CrowdStrike software update, but notably, all of its Apple products were still working. In the aftermath of the outage, executives asked engineers from Apple and Epic to visit Emory and explore a deeper integration.
“They were working on each other already, you could get Epic on an Apple device, but it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t seamless,” Thadhani said. “And so they came, they descended here.”
Epic is Emory’s electronic health record, or EHR, provider. EHRs are digital versions of a patient’s medical history that are updated by doctors and nurses. The software is often referred to as the “central nervous system” of a health-care organization, said Seth Howard, Epic’s executive vice president of research and development.
Howard said Epic has worked with Apple for many years, deploying apps for the iPhone as far back as 2010. Last year, the company released Epic on Mac, which made its complete suite of applications available on Apple’s computer operating system macOS.
“The Epic on Mac project was really an extension and natural next step for us on this journey with Apple,” Howard said in an interview.
Emory was an early adopter.
Before Emory decided to roll out Apple devices throughout an entire hospital, it conducted a smaller pilot across one floor of a facility. Thadhani said the feedback from doctors and nurses was “phenomenal,” which gave the health system confidence to expand the scope.
If the launch at Hillandale is a success, Lee said the health system could deploy Apple products across other Emory facilities in the future.
“Certainly our intent and hope is that it will show a difference, and that we can expand and it will also be a model for other health systems across the country,” he said.
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What to know about President Trump’s crypto dinner
What to know about President Trump’s crypto dinner
What to know about President Trump’s crypto dinner – CBS News
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President Trump will have dinner Thursday with the biggest backers of his private cryptocurrency. The top 25 holders are invited to a private VIP reception with Mr. Trump. It has raised concerns over conflicts of interest. CBS News’ Nancy Cordes has more.
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Brodie Charles Proctor: Man charged with manufacturing weapons and ammunition in Coolgardie
Brodie Charles Proctor: Man charged with manufacturing weapons and ammunition in Coolgardie
A man police say has links to a bikie gang on the east coast has been accused of manufacturing weapons and ammunition in his Coolgardie home.
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U.S. tech giants OpenAI, Nvidia and Oracle partnering
U.S. tech giants OpenAI, Nvidia and Oracle partnering
Alphabet Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat (L) and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (R) wait to meet the Saudi Crown Prince at the Royal Court in Riyadh on May 13, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images
Technology giants OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia and Cisco are joining forces to help build a sweeping Stargate artificial intelligence campus in the United Arab Emirates.
“AI is the most transformative force of our time,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in a release Thursday. “With Stargate UAE, we are building the AI infrastructure to power the country’s bold vision – to empower its people, grow its economy, and shape its future.”
The announcement confirms previous CNBC reporting on the project.
During his Middle East tour last week, President Donald Trump and the U.S. Commerce Department announced a slew of new AI deals, including the UAE Stargate project slated for Abu Dhabi.
The project, in collaboration with Emirati firm G42, will span 10 square miles and include a 5-gigawatt capacity.
As part of the deal, OpenAI and Oracle are slated to manage a 1-gigawatt compute cluster built by G42. The project will include chips from Nvidia, while Cisco Systems will provide connectivity infrastructure.
The companies said an initial 200-megawatt AI cluster should launch next year.
OpenAI said in a release that the project “reinforces OpenAI’s commitment to strengthening U.S. infrastructure while helping allies gain access to transformative AI responsible and securely.”
The latest project marks the first international iteration of the Trump administration’s multi-billion dollar joint AI infrastructure project announced in January between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. At the time, the companies committed $100 billion to the project and an additional $500 billion over the next four years.
OpenAI said in February that it was weighing data center campuses in 16 states as part of the deal.
WATCH: Stargate is just the beginning of the AI renaissance in the U.S.: Playground Global’s Sasha Ostojic
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‘Why didn’t she leave?’ The complicated truth about victims and their abusers
‘Why didn’t she leave?’ The complicated truth about victims and their abusers
When disturbing surveillance footage recently emerged of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs violently attacking singer Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway, a familiar question ricocheted through the public consciousness: Why did she stay?
It’s always the question people have. It’s a natural one to ask. We all want to believe in our own autonomy. It’s a fundamental narrative, central to our core identity of manifesting our own destiny through our actions. But beneath the question often lies an assumption: The person had full freedom and agency, and simply didn’t use it.
As a domestic violence survivor and the CEO of HiveSTRONG — a community providing wrap-around support and career pathways for survivors — I know the truth is far more complicated. On average, a victim of intimate partner violence tries to leave seven times before successfully escaping. That’s not a lack of willpower. It’s the result of deep, neurobiological chains that bind victims to their abusers.
The allegations against Diddy have pulled back the curtain on a form of abuse as insidious as it is misunderstood: coercive control, a sustained pattern of manipulation, isolation and psychological domination. Understanding the neuroscience behind coercive control and the formation of trauma bonds illuminates why breaking free can feel almost impossible.
Coercive control takes over a person’s body and mind in ways that are hard to see from the outside. When someone is stuck in a cycle of fear, threats and unpredictability, their nervous system goes into overdrive. The brain becomes flooded with stress hormones like cortisol, making it harder to think clearly or make decisions that feel safe, even rewiring the brain over time. Instead of focusing on what’s best for them, the person becomes laser-focused on how to avoid the next outburst, how to survive from one moment to the next. It’s not weakness. It’s biology.
Layered into that is something called trauma bonding. It happens through “intermittent reinforcement,” a cycle in which abuse is punctuated by periods of affection, apology or even euphoria. These fleeting moments release dopamine and oxytocin, neurochemicals that fuel trust and attachment. The abuser becomes both the source of fear and the only perceived path to relief.
This is why leaving can feel like withdrawal. Victims may experience panic, confusion and even physical symptoms. The abuser, now their primary source of perceived safety and validation, often becomes the only thing that feels familiar. When victims are also isolated from family, friends or support systems, the dependency only deepens.
This neurological loop doesn’t just play out in intimate relationships. It can take shape in high-control groups, professional settings or so-called “spiritual” gatherings where charismatic leaders manipulate followers. The fear of social exclusion, the desire for acceptance and the intermittent positive reinforcement of being included can create similar bonds. The mechanisms are the same: intermittent reward, emotional dependency, fear of rejection and the slow erosion of self-trust.
Jurors in this courtroom sketch are shown images of what Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, left, described as bruises from Sean “Diddy” Combs, during Combs’ sex trafficking trial May 14 in New York City.
Cassie Ventura’s courage in speaking out has opened the door for others. But survivors shouldn’t have to relive their trauma in public just to be believed. We need to stop asking, “Why didn’t she leave?” and start asking, “What systems made it so hard for her to go?”
Understanding the science behind abuse helps us shift blame away from survivors and toward the perpetrators, and the cultures that enable them.
There is a way forward. Just as trauma can rewire the brain, so can healing — through safety, connection and community. I’ve lived that transformation myself. I’ve seen what’s possible when people are met not with judgment, but with support and opportunity.
But it starts with listening. It starts with believing. And it starts with understanding that staying wasn’t weakness. It was survival.
Rachael Kelly is a survivor and CEO of HiveSTRONG, a nonprofit that provides financial, legal and mental health support to help survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking leave their abusive situations. She lives in Texas.
Help is here
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Victims can receive support from the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233); TTY: 1-800-787-3224; chat online at thehotline.org; or text: “START” to 88788. The hotline provides 24/7 confidential support, crisis intervention, safety planning and referrals to local resources.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ‘Why didn’t she leave?’ It’s not weakness. It’s survival | Opinion
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Supreme Court deadlocks in dispute over effort to create first religious charter school
Supreme Court deadlocks in dispute over effort to create first religious charter school
Washington — An evenly divided Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision that invalidated a contract approved the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board that established the nation’s first religious charter school.
The high court split 4-4, which leaves in place the decision of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the case. The high court issued a one-line unsigned decision stating “the judgment is affirmed by an equally divided court.”
The case, argued at the end of April, could have opened the door to public dollars flowing directly to religious schools. But following the arguments, it appeared that the outcome of the case would hinge on Chief Justice John Roberts, who focused on the level of state involvement in its charter school program.
A decision in favor of the school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, could have led to the country’s first religious charter school. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who argued against establishment of the school, had warned that a decision allowing its contract to stand would upend laws in at least 45 states and the District of Columbia, as well as the federal charter school program, all of which require charter schools to be nonsectarian.
Oklahoma has offered charter schools within its public education system since 1999 and, like at least 44 other states and the federal charter school program, requires the institutions to be “nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations.” The state has at least 30 charter schools that serve more than 50,000 students, and they received $314 million from the state and $69 million in federal funds in the 2022 to 2023 school year, according to a 2023 report from the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
In January 2023, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa formed the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School Inc. for the purpose of establishing and operating St. Isidore as a Catholic school, according to court records. That May, St. Isidore applied to the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board to establish it as a virtual charter school that “fully embraces the teachings of the Catholic Church’s Magisterium” and “fully incorporates these [teachings] into every aspect of the school.”
The school estimated initial enrollment of 500 students and projected it would receive roughly $2.7 million in state funding for its first year of operation, according to court documents.
Ahead of a vote by the board, Drummond warned against approval of St. Isidore’s application, and said an earlier analysis from his predecessor supporting the school could be “used as a basis for taxpayer-funded religious schools, which is exactly what [St. Isidore] seeks to become.”
Still, the charter school board voted 3-2 to approve St. Isidore’s application, and in October 2023, it and the school entered in a contract establishing St. Isidore’s as a charter school.
That month, Drummond sued the board directly in the Oklahoma Supreme Court and asked it to rescind the charter contract and declare St. Isidore’s establishment as a charter school unlawful.
The attorney general prevailed before the state’s highest court, which ruled that because St. Isidore’s is a public charter school, it violated the state’s requirement that those entities be nonreligious, as well as the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, in part because it would “permit state spending in direct support of the religious curriculum and activities within St. Isidore.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Melissa Quinn
Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.
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April home sales dropped to the slowest pace for that month since 2009
April home sales dropped to the slowest pace for that month since 2009
A “*****” sign in front of a home in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The spring housing market continues to struggle amid high interest rates and low consumer confidence.
Sales of previously owned homes in April fell 0.5% from March to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 4 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. That is the slowest April pace since 2009.
Sales were down 2% from April of last year. Housing economists were expecting a gain of 2.7%.
This count is based on closings, meaning contracts that were likely signed in February and March, before mortgage rates moved higher in April.
“Home sales have been at 75% of normal or pre-pandemic activity for the past three years, even with seven million jobs added to the economy,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist in a release. “Pent-up housing demand continues to grow, though not realized. Any meaningful decline in mortgage rates will help release this demand.”
Inventory jumped 9% month to month and was nearly 21% higher than April of last year. There were 1.45 million homes for ***** at the end of April, which at the current sales pace represents a 4.4-month supply. That is the highest level in five years, but still below the six-month supply which is considered a balanced market. One year ago, there was a 3.5-month supply.
More supply is starting to cool prices. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $414,000, an increase of just 1.8% year-over-year. That is the highest April price on record, but the slowest appreciation since July 2023. Annual price gains had been much higher last year. Both the South and West regions saw prices fall.
“At the macro level, we are still in a mild seller’s market,” Yun said. “But with the highest inventory levels in nearly five years, consumers are in a better situation to negotiate for better deals.”
Homes sat on the market an average 29 days, faster than March, but longer than April of last year. First-time buyers accounted for 34% of sales, almost the same as last year.
Cancellation rates, or how many people cancel their contracts, are also rising, hitting 7% of sales in April. That is up from a recent average of 3 to 4%.
Activity is still stronger on the higher end of the market. Sales of homes priced over $1 million rose nearly 6% from a year ago. Those priced between $100,000 and 250,000 dropped just over 4%. Yun, however, noted that the gains on the high end are shrinking.
“I think that is partly due to the stock market shakeout that has occurred,” he said.
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Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping Review – Thumb Culture
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping Review – Thumb Culture
“Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is an adventure game made by Happy Broccoli Games. This game is a sequel to Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. I honestly didnt expect to get so absorbed and invested into a game that looks simplistic, yet fun.” Ruddy @ Thumb Culture
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MSI’s new PinSafe Design motherboard promises no more pricked fingers
MSI’s new PinSafe Design motherboard promises no more pricked fingers
Seasoned PC DIYers have always had to wear dexterity-stifling gloves or put up with pricked fingers when upgrading a motherboard or putting together a new PC build – until now. MSI showcased a series of motherboard design tweaks at Computex 2025, including a feature dubbed ‘PinSafe Design’ which enables users to “avoid injury caused by sharp pins during the assembly process.”
(Image credit: Future)
The concept here isn’t difficult to grasp, unlike a traditional prickly motherboard. MSI’s mobo manufacturing arm appears to be adopting a far tidier component soldering technique, which results in elegantly flat pads on the reverse of the PCB, rather than forests of spikes.
Admittedly, this isn’t the greatest of technological achievements, Nevertheless, there might have been some component strength, reliability, or stability concerns preventing such a manufacturing change. So we have a baby step here, which should be welcomed as long as the finished product doesn’t suffer in any way compared to a traditional design.
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(Image credit: Future)
Other touted PinSafe Design benefits
Saving your fingers from pricks and lacerations isn’t the only benefit of PinSafe Design, according to MSI. Likely the result of fevered brainstorming, threaded with some thin strands of truth, MSI says that the PinSafe Design boosts system stability and ESD protection. We think the lack of protruding pins might also give foreign objects less chance of getting caught or jammed between contacts, reducing the potential to create shorts.
MSI’s first MPOWER motherboard for AMD processors
The above PinSafe Design looks set to debut on MSI MPOWER series motherboards, designed for enthusiasts and overclockers. MSI is preparing new MPOWER boards, and the B850MPOWER sample we saw was actually the first AMD-based motherboard from MSI to use this set of features.
(Image credit: Future)
Standard MPOWER features include; leveraging the Dragon Alliance collaboration with memory brands, using only 2x DIMM slots for reliable DDR5 overclocking, and the equipping of the EZ Dashboard which integrates power, reset, clear CMOS, and a debug LED on the board for simpler troubleshooting.
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Lloyds and Nationwide to use *** finance sector LLM
Lloyds and Nationwide to use *** finance sector LLM
Lloyds Banking Group and Nationwide Building Society are set to roll out a generative AI (GenAI) tool that has been specifically designed for the *** finance sector.
The tool, known as FinLLM, was developed in the *** by Aveni alongside the two financial services companies, with both also investing money in the firm.
The large language model (LLM) is an attempt to offer GenAI designed for use in highly regulated *** finance companies.
LLMs are a type of artificial intelligence algorithm that uses deep learning techniques and massively large data sets to understand, summarise, generate and predict new content.
Banks are in the early stage of its application across customer services, operations, and compliance and security.
Following the completion of its core capabilities, FinLLM is set to move from research into real-world deployment. Both Lloyds Bank and Nationwide are now set to use the system, which is aligned with FCA guidance and the European Union (EU) AI Act. The tool will eventually be available to the wider industry.
An LLM for the financial services sector could, for example, provide customers with explanations of complex financial matters, as well as support banks’ decisions in relation to regulatory compliance and staff making complicated calculations.
Into the real world
Nationwide’s chief data officer, Sri Kanisapakkam, said the company worked with Aveni on the development. “We’re excited by the performance of FinLLM and the potential benefits it will bring both Nationwide and our customers, as we continually look to deliver better service and experience through the responsible adoption of new technologies,” he added.
Ranil Boteju, group chief data and analytics officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said Aveni’s FinLLM “will be a game changer for *** financial services”.
The bank first invested in Aveni in 2024, and co-created and tested FinLLM on real-life AI use cases.
Lexi Birch, head of Aveni Labs, said the company brought together the expertise of its natural language processing researchers and financial industry professionals “to shape a roadmap for delivering reliable generative AI to a highly regulated sector – where accuracy and trust are non-negotiable”.
When developing LLMs, banks are paying close attention to potential risks associated with data privacy, security, regulatory compliance and potential bias in AI-based decision-making.
In terms of use cases, Chris Skinner, fintech industry expert and CEO at The Finanser, said industry-specific LLMs could help with the security of both banks and their customers. “AI bots will work out what you can trust, e.g. verifying whether the connections you make are real or fake, which in finance is critical,” he said. “With romance and deepfake scams, the more protections that AI can deliver to recognise the issues the better.
“Looking longer-term, your agentic AI bot will be the biggest security for any trade or transaction, as it will be your digital twin with its own identity and the protections therein,” said Skinner. “It’s not there yet, but FinLLM is a good start.”
Separately, Lloyds Bank announced last month that it will build, deploy and scale AI systems using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI to build a machine learning and GenAI development platform, which more than 300 of its data scientists will use.
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BBC at the scene of shooting outside Jewish museum
BBC at the scene of shooting outside Jewish museum
Two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday evening.
The BBC’s North America correspondent Nomia Iqbal has sent us this report from the scene, taking us through what we know about the shooting so far.
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Here’s How Arcade1Up Makes Pac-Man Home Arcade Cabinets
Here’s How Arcade1Up Makes Pac-Man Home Arcade Cabinets
There are few more iconic video game characters than Pac-Man. One of the earliest and most recognizable video game mascots, Pac-Man was a massive and ongoing success, as cabinets remained mainstays in arcades and restaurants for decades after its original release. Bandai Namco is celebrating the anniversary of the game on May 22, 2025–a full 45 years after its first release in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Since then, the simple character has gone through several redesigns and revisions, from 3D platformers to pinball and even a kart racer. Bandai Namco has made the character broad and flexible, with oddball experiments like 2005’s Pac Pix living alongside respectful homages like the breakout hit Pac-Man Championship Edition, which played very much like the original with new mechanics and mazes to test the skills of even the most dedicated Pac enthusiasts. But the original Pac-Man, along with Ms. Pac-Man that followed, is still the purest distillation of the idea, a game that has been ported countless times and been played throughout the years.
To mark the occasion, GameSpot spoke with Cyrus Rosenberg, SVP of licensing and business development at Arcade1Up, which has made a point of producing nostalgic, arcade-accurate scale cabinets of some of the most beloved classic arcade games around, including Pac-Man. The company has produced multiple cabinets based on Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, so we spoke with Rosenberg about working with the Bandai Namco license to create cabinets that replicate the feeling of plunking a quarter into an arcade machine in the corner of a pizza parlor.
Pac-Man stand-up cabinet from Arcade1Up
To start, Rosenberg says that it works with the licensor to obtain original arcade ROMs and then puts in the work to make sure they convert cleanly to its own modern-day boards. The importance, he says, is capturing the essence of how the game felt.
“Sometimes they are readily available. However, we go through an individual QA process on all ROMs, on all different machines to make sure that they are arcade accurate,” he said. “And the way I personally, as a fan of our product, like to speak about it is it feels closer to what we’re seeing in the modern video game remasters: as you remember, not how it was. And what I mean by that is we have fresh artwork, there’s no broken controllers, it is essentially a brand-new arcade machine. Which you may remember, but actually compare it to what was in the original arcade, they may have been a little worn down from use.”
And since they’re using the original ROMs as the basis for their conversions, that means glitches are intact too. In the case of Pac-Man, that means that the original Map 256 Glitch can be triggered, if you have the skills to reach it.
Replicating that level of responsiveness with new hardware is an important factor, and that includes becoming intimately familiar with the original arcade cabinet. Small factors like the joysticks should be made to match as closely as possible, or players would notice that it doesn’t match. Arcade1Up machines are typically built to three-quarters scale, so they’re slightly smaller than the original arcades–and easier to fit in your living room–but other than that, the company aims for direct accuracy.
“Very similar to our ROMs, we always start with the model of an original machine. So even when it comes specifically to Bandai Namco products, there were some games that required a four-way joystick, some that required an eight-way joystick, but we always make sure they are a match to what was in the original arcade when it comes to format. Pac-Man’s screen for example is a vertical screen and we made sure that the selected games list of ROMs that would match both the four-way control stick as well as the vertical screen itself. So again, while many of our arcades are about three-quarters scale, they do match the experience of an original arcade.”
Similarly, Arcade1Up uses original artwork for its cabinets and converts them into the new form factor. Rosenberg says its key mission is “retro and authenticity,” and so there could be minor shifts from artwork placement from the original cabinets, they should always be recognizably accurate to how the artwork appeared back in 1980.
Rosenberg says this approach to authenticity as a guiding principle was the result of feedback–fans wanted to see the same care and affection put into the cabinet hardware as the software.
“This is an example of fan feedback really directly influencing our company,” he said. “In our original launch in 2018, we had a design that we called the shark fin just internally. And what that really was is a standard format size arcade across all of the different units. However, almost one of the very first pieces of feedback we got on our initial launch was that people wanted to match the original cabinet shape. Now, when it comes to the history of arcades at large, there are only a certain number of those shapes so that there would be some crossover. We match the design for both Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man as much as possible. So while size is not retained, the shape absolutely is one-to-one.”
Ms. Pac-Man will be celebrating its own anniversary in 2027, and it’s often known as the superior retro Pac-Man game–it was famously an independent project brought to Midway and adapted into an official Pac-Man game. That occasion is sure to make gamers nostalgic all over again. But as well-crafted as that improved iteration was, the original stands alone as the trailblazer. Even 45 years later, the original game holds up beautifully with a simple elegance that most games can’t hope to replicate, and in its own way Arcade1Up is helping to maintain it.
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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #446)
NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #446)
Looking for a different day?
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Thursday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 (game #445).
Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
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NYT Strands today (game #446) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… The musical fruit
NYT Strands today (game #446) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
BEGIN
DINT
LANE
BAIT
*****
REEK
NYT Strands today (game #446) – hint #3 – spangram letters
How many letters are in today’s spangram?
• Spangram has 9 letters
NYT Strands today (game #446) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: top, 3rd column
Last side: bottom, 5th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Today’s best Get Better At Wordle deals
NYT Strands today (game #446) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #446, are…
*****
KIDNEY
******
GREEN
NAVY
CANNELLINI
SPANGRAM: BEAN SALAD
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
The biggest challenge today was working out how to spell CANNELLINI. Other than that, this was one of the fastest games of Strands I’ve ever played – maybe because I eat so many beans.
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I immediately knew what we were looking for from the theme “the musical fruit” as, well, beans do have a reputation of causing people to perform a few **** notes. The way to avoid this is to use dry beans that have been soaked overnight in a pinch of salt, but that’s quite a palaver if you’re just a casual BEAN SALAD chomper.
As to the argument over the classification of beans, the answer is that technically, beans are a type of fruit, specifically a legume. However, they are often categorized as vegetables and you’re unlikely to find them hanging out with bananas.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Thursday, May 22, game #445)
STEWARD
GUARDIAN
PROTECTOR
CUSTODIAN
TRUSTEE
SPANGRAM: TAKE CARE
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
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3 Deep-Value Stocks to Buy as Bulls Take a Breather
3 Deep-Value Stocks to Buy as Bulls Take a Breather
The U.S. stock market has experienced significant volatility in recent months. After a sharp decline in early April, triggered by the announcement of sweeping tariffs by the Trump administration, markets rebounded following a 90-day pause on tariffs, including those against China. This recovery was bolstered by strong corporate earnings and resilient economic data.
Despite this rebound, concerns remain. Moody’s recent downgrade of the U.S. credit rating has raised questions about the country’s debt levels, leading to increased demand for safe-haven assets like gold. Additionally, rising Treasury yields have contributed to market nervousness.
In this context, investors are seeking opportunities in undervalued stocks that may offer above-average returns if bulls resume their charge higher. In this article, we’ll examine three such stocks that appear to be mispriced by the market, despite the recent bullish surge.
1. Open Text
One stock that remains undervalued based on its fair value estimate is Open Text Corporation (NASDAQ:), which shows more than 50% growth potential.
Source: InvestingPro
Very often, such values are attributed to companies that are moving in a permanent downtrend, which increases the percentages as the price goes lower and lower. In this case, however, the price has been moving northward for more than a month while defending long-term lows.
The attractiveness of the valuation is also highlighted by the price/earnings and price/book value ratios, where the former is currently one of the lowest in the entire strategy at 11.1x. It looks equally attractive doing a comparison to sector competitors, placing the company in the lower left corner on the P/E and P/B ratio axis.
Source: InvestingPro
Such large upside estimates are often tied to companies stuck in a persistent downtrend, which inflates valuation gaps as share prices fall. In this case, however, Open Text has been trending upward for over a month while holding key long-term support levels.
Its valuation appeal is further supported by attractive ratios—especially the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 11.1x, one of the lowest in the strategy. A comparison with sector peers places Open Text in the lower-left quadrant of the P/E and price-to-book value axes, signaling strong relative value.
Source: InvestingPro
2. Adobe Systems – Rising Earnings Support Optimism
While Adobe Systems (NASDAQ:) doesn’t show as dramatic a fair value gap as Open Text—approximately 25%—it still reflects meaningful upside potential. What drives this optimism is the company’s robust fundamentals and strong financial health.
Source: InvestingPro
Adobe’s consistent net profit growth over recent years (with just one exception last year) is another bright spot. The next earnings release on June 12 could offer an opportunity to reinforce this upward trajectory.
3. Merck & Co. – In Search of a Trend Reversal
Merck & Co. (NYSE:), a major U.S. healthcare company, shows about 46% upside potential on paper. However, the technical setup remains the key factor—so far, there’s been no clear signal of a trend reversal.
Currently, sellers have pushed the price down to a support level near $74 per share. A bullish breakout above $85 would be the first sign of reversal, potentially setting the stage for a challenge of the next major resistance around $100.
Bottom Line
While the market’s bullish momentum continues, identifying undervalued stocks remains a prudent strategy. By focusing on companies with strong fundamentals and growth potential, investors can position themselves to capitalize on future gains. The three stocks discussed exemplify opportunities that may still be mispriced, offering a chance to enhance portfolio performance even in a rising market.
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Disclaimer: This article is written for informational purposes only. It is not intended to encourage the purchase of assets in any way, nor does it constitute a solicitation, offer, recommendation, or suggestion to invest. I would like to remind you that all assets are evaluated from multiple perspectives and are highly risky, so any investment decision and the associated risk belongs to the investor. We also do not provide any investment advisory services.
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Republicans Pass Strictest Medicaid Work Requirement They Have Ever Put Forward
Republicans Pass Strictest Medicaid Work Requirement They Have Ever Put Forward
Among the spending cuts proposed in House Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” is a policy they have sought to enact for a decade: a requirement that Medicaid recipients provide proof of employment as a condition of receiving health insurance.
Republicans have repeatedly tried and failed to enact such rules. They proposed laws that didn’t pass, and attempted state-level experiments that were blocked in court.
The work requirement in the bill that just passed the House represents the strictest version Republicans in Congress have ever put forward. The reporting requirements are more stringent than in previous bills. It would be easier to lose benefits, and harder to re-enroll. And it would apply to a larger set of Medicaid recipients, including Americans previously determined to be too old to need such requirements.
The legislation, which President Trump supports, still needs to pass the Senate, where Republicans members are supportive of work requirements but where a few have expressed reservations about large Medicaid cuts.
Republican leadership has described the policy as combating “waste, fraud, and abuse.” President Trump has said no one will lose health insurance under the legislation. But experts say it would leave millions uninsured.
While House Republicans fought fiercely among themselves over other Medicaid cuts, like dialing back funding for the Obamacare expansion, they have universally embraced work requirements. The policy is popular with the public, too: Recent polling finds that 60 percent of Americans and even 47 percent of Democrats support the idea.
But by designing the work requirement proposal to be so rigid, the change could be just as transformative to the program as other large cuts that Republicans rejected. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this and other Medicaid changes in an earlier version of the bill would cause 7.6 million people to become uninsured. Most of the people expected to lose coverage would be eligible for the program but unable to prove it under the law’s strict paperwork standard.
The C.B.O. estimates that the work requirement would save the federal government $280 billion over six years, about triple what the nonpartisan budget office had estimated earlier Republican plans would cut. All of those savings, which would help pay for President Trump’s tax cuts, are expected to come from fewer people having Medicaid.
“What this is really about is producing budget savings,” said Benjamin Sommers, a professor of health policy at Harvard who has studied Medicaid work requirements. “This is not savings through improved efficiency, or more people going to work. It’s savings by kicking people out of the program who are mostly eligible.”
The current proposal would require childless adults without disabilities who want Medicaid coverage to prove that they had worked, volunteered or attended school for 80 hours in the month before enrollment. But states could require that people work six months or even a year before becoming eligible for public benefits.
Those who fail to meet the work requirement would also be blocked from receiving subsidies for private plans sold on the Obamacare marketplace, another new restriction in this version of the Republican plan. The legislation is unclear on how long the prohibition would last.
The law includes a series of possible exceptions — such as having a substance abuse disorder or caring for a sick family member — but does not detail how people will qualify or how frequently they will need to do so to remain covered. States could lose Medicaid funding if they fail to stop covering people who do not document their eligibility.
Older versions of Medicaid work requirements were somewhat more flexible, although they still came under intense opposition from Democrats. The plan that congressional Republicans came up with in 2023, for example, allowed poor people to prove they were working after they signed up for Medicaid, and exempted those older than 55.
Those who support Medicaid work requirements say the policy is about more than money. Some, like House Speaker Mike Johnson, say the requirement will encourage more poor Americans to contribute to society.
“You return the dignity of work to young men who need to be out working instead of playing video games all day,” he told reporters last month. The budget office, however, has said that these policies do not increase employment.
Others believe that asking people to take some effort in exchange for public benefits builds trust in the programs.
“It’s reasonable to have a work requirement because it sends an important message,” said Kevin Corinth, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. “If you’re not going to comply, that suggests you don’t value the insurance and it’s maybe not worth the government spending those extra dollars.”
Mr. Corinth, who worked for President Trump during his first administration, did concede that there could be health effects, pointing in particular to a sweeping academic study from earlier this month finding that Medicaid saves lives.
The federal government already has work requirements as part of its food assistance and ******** systems. Those programs boost the incomes of poor Americans, potentially making it easier for them to get by while working less.
Opponents of Medicaid work requirements contend it’s a fundamentally different program because it does not provide cash benefits to individuals.
They also note that most Medicaid enrollees are already working, in school or too sick to be employed, as several studies have found. While Speaker Johnson has highlighted young men as a group that a work requirement could “get off the couch,” unemployed Medicaid enrollees are more likely to be older women.
In the first Trump administration, a couple of states were allowed to test work requirements. They now offer a preview of what a national work requirement could mean for poor Americans’ coverage.
Arkansas put in a work requirement in 2018 for people enrolled in the Medicaid expansion. It allowed beneficiaries to miss three months of reporting before losing coverage. The state also went to great lengths to automatically exempt people when it had the necessary payroll or medical data to do so. Research from Mr. Sommers found that the Arkansas plan still led to lost coverage for 18,000 people, without increasing the number of poor Arkansas residents who worked. Most people who lost coverage simply didn’t know about the rule or didn’t understand how to comply.
In 2019, Georgia gained approval to start a different work requirement program that required proof of work to sign up, a design similar to the congressional proposal. Unlike Arkansas, Georgia had not expanded Medicaid, so the plan did not cause any insured people to lose coverage. The program began in 2023, and the state has spent more than $30 million to manage it. But only 7,000 people have enrolled, falling significantly short of the 100,000 enrollees Georgia officials had thought could sign up.
Cynthia Gibson works for Georgia Legal Services Program, a nonprofit that helps Georgians appeal their Medicaid denials. She has seen numerous cases in which an application should have been approved but wasn’t, including those where the state took too long to process the application and the work information was out of date.
“When you add different layers and more red tape, people will get kicked off and denied even when they meet the eligibility requirements,” she said.
Both states made large investments to help manage the data and paperwork involved in administering the work requirement. The Republican bill sets aside $100 million to help all 50 states get ready.
The legislation originally gave states four years to prepare, with work requirements beginning in 2029, just after the next presidential election. Mr. Johnson defended the delay on Fox News last week, saying that states needed time to “retool their systems.” But more conservative lawmakers have fought hard to move up the start date. The current version of the bill would require states to set up their systems by the end of 2026.
“The idea they’re going to be able to stand up these fairly complicated systems to implement a work requirement seems unlikely, unless they do it in ways that just basically put all of the burdens on individuals,” said Pamela Herd, a professor of social policy at the University of Michigan, who has co-written a book about how administrative burdens affect participation in government programs. “If they implement it poorly, they’re just going to end up kicking tons of people off the program.”
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