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Morgan Stanley’s Wilson Says Buy US Stock Dips After Moody’s Cut – Bloomberg Morgan Stanley’s Wilson Says Buy US Stock Dips After Moody’s Cut – Bloomberg Morgan Stanley’s Wilson Says Buy US Stock Dips After Moody’s Cut Bloomberg‘Sell America’ Is Back as Moody’s Pushes 30-Year Yield to 5% Yahoo FinanceSell America Debate Back After Moody’s Downgrade BloombergMarkets Head Lower in Wake of Concerns About U.S. Debt The New York Times30-year Treasury passes 5% after Moody’s downgrades U.S. credit rating CNBC Source link #Morgan #Stanleys #Wilson #Buy #Stock #Dips #Moodys #Cut #Bloomberg Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The End review: Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End is a superb musical set in the end-times The End review: Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End is a superb musical set in the end-times Michael Shannon, George MacKay and Tilda Swinton in The End Neon The End Joshua Oppenheimer (Streaming on MUBI) Life on the planet’s surface has become nigh-on unbearable, but with money and resources enough, the finest feelings and highest aspirations of our culture can be perpetuated underground, albeit only for a chosen few. In Joshua Oppenheimer’s unearthly drama The End, Michael Shannon plays the father, an oil magnate who, years ago, brought his family to safety in an old mine. Here, he rewrites his history and that of his company in a self-serving memoir dictated to his grown-up but inexperienced… Source link #review #Joshua #Oppenheimers #superb #musical #set #endtimes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South Africa to pursue appeal against ********* pastor acquitted of ***** South Africa to pursue appeal against ********* pastor acquitted of ***** South African authorities say they will continue with legal proceedings against ********* televangelist Timothy Omotoso who was acquitted of ***** last month, even though he has left the country. Mr Omotoso, who denied the 32 charges against him, was accused of ********* assaulting young women from his church in Port Elizabeth. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will still appeal against the judgement which found Mr Omotoso not guilty, saying his presence is not required. Local reports stated that Mr Omotoso was en route to Nigeria, departing from OR Tambo International Airport, where he was filmed by public broadcaster SABC wearing a hoodie and dark sunglasses. Mr Omotoso was first arrested in 2017 as he attempted to leave South Africa. Among his accusers was a woman who said she was ****** by the pastor when she was aged 14. In a statement, South African prosecutors accepted “there are no legal grounds to prevent” Mr Omotoso from leaving the country following his acquittal. However, if the appeal were allowed, the authorities would apply for Mr Omotoso to be extradited back to South Africa, the statement added, highlighting South Africa’s “bilateral extradition treaty with Nigeria”. After his acquittal in April, Mr Omotoso also faced immigration issues, with the Department of Home Affairs alleging earlier this month that he was in South Africa illegally. The department has said that Mr Omotoso faces a five-year ban from the country. South Africa’s public broadcaster reports that the pastor left the country voluntarily. Mr Omotoso leads the Jesus Dominion International church which has branches in the ***, Nigeria, France and Israel as well as in many parts of South Africa, according to its website. Mr Omotoso’s trial made South African history as the first high-profile ***** case to be broadcast live. Source link #South #Africa #pursue #appeal #********* #pastor #acquitted #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

TD Cowen downgrades UnitedHealth on changes to Medicare Advantage TD Cowen downgrades UnitedHealth on changes to Medicare Advantage TD Cowen is moving to the sidelines on UnitedHealth . The firm downgraded the health insurance giant to hold from buy and trimmed its price target $308 per share from $520. TD Cowen’s new forecast implies about 6% upside from Friday’s close. Analyst Ryan Langston said changes to the V28 Medicare Advantage model could serve as a lingering headwind over UnitedHealth. “We believe v28 risk model changes are disproportionally impacting UNH given outsized RAF [risk adjustment factor] scores vs industry and 2026 is further effected with the year 3 phase-in,” Langston said. “Accelerating MA cost trend with potential increases in commercial/Medicaid as well as recent regulatory scrutiny further complicate the story.” Langston’s call comes during a rough ******* for UnitedHealth. The company announced last week that CEO Andrew Witty stepped down for “personal reasons” and suspended its 2025 guidance . On top of that, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was the subject of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation . Shares have plummeted more than 42% in 2025. Last week alone, it dropped over 23%. UNH YTD mountain UnitedHealth stock. “UNH correctly foreshadowed accelerating cost trend in mid-2023. If this accelerating activity were to materialize in Commercial and/or Medicaid (to be clear, UNH says that is not currently the case), we see further potential downside risk to consensus estimates,” the analyst added. Despite the downgrade, shares were up more than 4% in the premarket. . Source link #Cowen #downgrades #UnitedHealth #Medicare #Advantage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mexico mourns killed Navy cadets Mexico mourns killed Navy cadets Vanessa Buschschlüter BBC News MARCO ANTONIO PEREZ/AFP via Getty Images) Mexicans are mourning the death of two young Navy cadets who were killed on Saturday when the training tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc crashed into Brooklyn Bridge. América Sánchez, 20, and 23-year-old Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos were among the 277 crew members on board the ******** Navy’s sailing ship when its three masts snapped as they hit the bridge. According to ******** media, Sánchez was one of the cadets who was standing on top of the masts at the time of the accident. Twenty-two other crew members were injured, three of them critically, the ******** Navy said. The commander of the ******** Navy, Admiral Pedro Raymundo Morales, said all the crew members well enough to travel would be taken back to their homeland soon. The body of América Sánchez is scheduled to be transferred to the Naval Academy in her home state of Veracruz later on Monday. Her mother, Rocío Hernández, described the 20-year-old cadet as “an exemplary daughter” who was “a dedicated student” aiming to become a naval engineer. Standing before an impromptu altar adorned with flowers and photos of América Sánchez dressed up for her “quinceañera”, the party marking her 15th birthday, Ms Hernández paid tribute to her daughter. Reuters The body of América Sánchez will be taken to her home town of Xalapa on Monday “She was a warrior, a soldier who didn’t give up, who always fought for her goals,” she said, adding that her daughter only had one year left until her graduation. “They [the Navy] will hold a private ceremony in her honour at the Veracruz Naval Academy for her and then I will bring her home,” Ms Hernández said thanking all of her daughter’s relatives, friends and teachers, whom she asked “to remember her [América] with affection”. In San Mateo del Mar, a coastal town in Oaxaca state, friends and relatives of Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos have also been paying their respects after the young cadet was confirmed as the second fatal victim of the ******. His friends told local media that the 23-year-old had always dreamt of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a sailor. Being on board the Cuauhtémoc, also known as “Knight of the Seas”, had been his greatest wish, they recalled. “The sea saw him being born and the sea was a witness to his passing,” one friend to media, adding that “all of us who knew him will remember him as a role model of an intelligent youth”. Facebook Friends said Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos had always dreamt of becoming a sailor The investigation into how the accident happened is still under way. New York police officials said it appeared that the Cuauhtémoc had lost power as it was leaving New York Harbour and was dragged towards Brooklyn Bridge by the current. Its three masts, measuring more than 48m, hit the base of the bridge, which -according to the New York transport department’s website – only has a clearance of 41.1m. All three masts collapsed and video footage taken by bystanders shows some of the crew members dangling from the yards and sails. Video shows ship crashing into Brooklyn Bridge Mexico’s Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles said in a statement the results of any investigation would be followed with “total transparency and responsibility”. The Cuauhtémoc left Acapulco, Mexico, on 6 April on a tour that included stops in New York and Aberdeen, Scotland, for the city’s Tall Ships race in July. Source link #Mexico #mourns #killed #Navy #cadets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

2026 Six Nations fixtures: France to host Ireland in opening game 2026 Six Nations fixtures: France to host Ireland in opening game The opening three rounds of matches will be played in successive weeks, with the weekend of 28 February and 1 March left free. The final two rounds will follow on successive weekends, ending in a ‘Super Saturday’ of back-to-back fixtures with France hosting England in the final match. It is hoped the shorter length of the tournament will allow it to gather more momentum, with narratives holding the public attention more easily. Previously, the third round of fixtures would have been sandwiched between two rest weekends. After France take on Ireland, the rest of the opening round of fixtures sees Scotland travel to Italy on Saturday, 7 February (14:10 GMT) and England host Wales on the same day (16:40 GMT). France are still to confirm the venues for their games. The French Rugby Federation said in December it had not yet received a satisfactory proposal to stay at the Stade de France, their usual Paris home. It added it was considering “the various opportunities available” elsewhere. France played in Marseille, Lille and Lyon in the 2024 Six Nations while preparations for the Olympics in Paris meant the Stade de France was off limits. All three venues can hold more than 50,000, but none can match the 80,000 capacity and revenue generated by the Stade de France. Six Nations organisers have also confirmed that the 2026 women’s tournament will kick off three weeks later than the 2025 edition, pushing it to an April start and May finish. The change is part of new and separate global calendar for the women’s game. It means England’s PWR season will conclude after mid-summer with the top flight having a rest weekend followed by two regular-season rounds, semi-finals and a 27 June final after the conclusion of the Women’s Six Nations. Source link #Nations #fixtures #France #host #Ireland #opening #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

*** to regulate buy now, pay later firms like Klarna and Affirm *** to regulate buy now, pay later firms like Klarna and Affirm Klarna is synonymous with the “buy now, pay later” trend of making a purchase and deferring payment until the end of the month or paying over interest-free monthly installments. Nikolas Kokovlis | Nurphoto | Getty Images The U.K. government on Monday laid out proposals to bring short-term loans under formal rules as it looks to clamp down on the “wild west” of the buy now, pay later sector. Fintech firms like Klarna and Block’s Afterpay have flourished by offering interest-free financing on everything from fashion and gadgets to food deliveries — while at the same time stoking concerns around affordability. The space is highly competitive, with U.S. player Affirm launching in the U.K. just last year. City Minister Emma Reynolds said in a statement Monday that the U.K.’s new rules were designed to tackle a sense of “wild west” in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space, adding the measures “will protect shoppers from debt traps and give the sector the certainty it needs to invest, grow, and create jobs.” Under the U.K. proposals, BNPL firms will be required to make upfront checks to ensure people can repay what they borrow and make it easier for customers to access refunds. Consumers will also be able to take BNPL complaints to the Financial Ombudsman, a service created by the U.K. Parliament to settle disputes between consumers and financial services firms. The rules are expected to come into force next year, according to the government. Klarna said it has long supported calls to bring BNPL into the regulatory fold. “It’s good to see progress on regulation, and we look forward to working with the FCA on rules to protect consumers and encourage innovation,” a spokesperson for the company told CNBC via email. “Regulation will give clarity and consistency to the sector, establishing a consistent operating environment and compliance standards for all providers,” spokesperson for Clearpay, the U.K. arm of Afterpay, said in an emailed statement. “It will also create a more sustainable foundation for the future of BNPL as it continues to grow as an everyday payment option for consumers.” While buy now, pay later firms have publicly expressed support for regulation, many were concerned about regulators applying outdated rules to their business models. The Consumer Credit Act, which regulates lending and borrowing in the U.K., has existed for over 50 years. For its part, the government said it plans to adapt the Consumer Credit Act to allow for a “modern, pro-growth framework that reflects how people borrow today.” WATCH: CNBC’s full interview with Affirm CEO Max Levchin Source link #regulate #buy #pay #firms #Klarna #Affirm Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This 8% Dividend Is AI’s ’Secret’ Winner This 8% Dividend Is AI’s ’Secret’ Winner Can we still call ourselves contrarians if we buy into “mainstream” trends like the stunning growth of AI? Of course, we can. Today we’re going to do just that. But of course, we’re not picking up obvious names like NVIDIA (NASDAQ:). Instead, we’re looking to an 8%-paying fund I see having even more upside than the “go-to” AI stocks everyone else is buying. For Profitable Contrarian Investing, Think “Oblique,” Not “Direct” The technique we’re going to use here is a very underappreciated concept called “oblique investing.” Sounds a bit dry, I know, but it’s anything but. The idea here is, roughly speaking, to invest in big forces driving the market and shifting the economy over the foreseeable future. Obvious, right? There’s more here, though, because, of course, doing this directly by investing in the trend itself means you’ll likely overpay, since the market has already picked up on it. So instead, we’re going to look to stocks (and funds!) that are well-positioned to ride the trend higher but aren’t the obvious names in their sectors. NVIDIA Was a Prime “Oblique” Investment in the Last Decade … It’s best to look at this through an example: In the mid-2010s, technology’s rise to dominance over other sectors was a clear trend. So anyone who bought the “big three” semiconductor stocks—NVIDIA, Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:) and Intel (NASDAQ:)—would have easily beaten the on average. Buying the Trend Pays Off Handsomely As we can see, big gains from AMD (in blue) and NVIDIA (in purple) more than offset losses on Intel (in green). However, back then, buying NVIDIA, which was best known for making graphics cards for gamers, seemed like a losing move compared to Intel, which made the CPUs in almost every computer. Even Apple (NASDAQ:) had switched to Intel processors. In other words, the “obvious” investment in the future did not play out, while the closely related, but not directly plausible—or “oblique,” if you will—story did play out. … But It’s Anything But Today Fast-forward to today and we’re looking at another trend in the process of rewriting tech—and many aspects of society as a whole: AI. Here too, NVIDIA is the major player, with its chips powering the AI trend, much like Intel’s chips powered the rise of tech more generally in the 2010s. Thanks first to its gains from powering the tech sector and then to its AI dominance, NVIDIA has grown to become the second-largest stock in the S&P 500. The numbers are staggering: Over the last 10 years, NVIDIA went from being 0.063% of the S&P 500 to 5.8% now. And as I write this, following the tariff selloff, investors are starting to turn back to the story of US economic growth driven by, you guessed it, technology such as AI. And so NVIDIA is starting to recover, but its ceiling is much lower than it was in the past. It’s already risen some 25,000%+ in the last 10 years, and another 25,000%+ gain over the next decade is simply not in the cards. Where does that leave us? Obviously, we want to invest in AI’s ongoing growth, but we don’t want to get into a crowded trade. Enter AIO: A Top “Oblique” AI Pick That brings me to a closed-end fund (CEF) called the Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (NYSE:), which we once held in my CEF Insider service. CEFs are, of course, wildly underappreciated, so to say AIO is “oblique” compared to NVIDIA might be the king of understatements! Nonetheless, this 8%-yielding fund (more on the payout in a moment) does hold NVIDIA, so we get some exposure to the company’s ongoing growth (which will continue, even if it doesn’t hit those 25,000% gains of the past). We’re getting the other “usual suspects” in AI, too, including Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:). But the real key to AIO’s “oblique” appeal is that it also holds firms that benefit by using AI in their day-to-day businesses, like drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:), insurer Progressive Corp. (NYSE:) and heavy-equipment maker Deere & Co. (NYSE:). Firms like these are key to profitable AI investing because it’s likely to be the users of this tech—not the providers—that reap the biggest profits from it. While it’s best known for its chatbot, AI leader OpenAI also has many enterprise clients, including John Deere. In short, Deere uses AI to make its products more efficient, such as its herbicide spray, which uses fewer chemicals than competitors’ offerings. That results in healthier, cheaper products, said Justin Rose, Deere’s president of lifecycle solutions, supply management and customer success, in his recent conversation with OpenAI. (If you’re into farming, the entire interview is worth reading.) Of course, these are far from obvious cases of AI integration, so they’re not priced into stocks like Deere yet, and that is exactly why AIO is holding them. Same goes for Progressive using AI to lower its marketing costs and Eli Lilly using AI to discover new drugs. AIO is collecting these “hidden” AI plays for investors to hold for the long haul. Finally, there’s that 8% dividend, which has held steady since AIO’s launch. Investors have picked up a couple of nice special dividends, too. Source: Income Calendar This, by the way, is yet another benefit of “oblique” CEFs: high (and often monthly paid) dividends you have zero hope of getting from a mainstream tech name like NVIDIA. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #Dividend #AIs #Secret #Winner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) forward Jake Waterman reveals how Eagles handled Adam Selwood’s death Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) forward Jake Waterman reveals how Eagles handled Adam Selwood’s death A raw Jake Waterman has opened up on how Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) dealt with the sudden death of premiership player Adam Selwood, with the big forward revealing the alarming number of ex-AFL players suffering with mental health issues scares the “s***” out of him. Emotions were high as the Eagles finally tasted victory on Sunday, taking down Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) by 28 points at Optus Stadium and snapping a nine-game losing streak to start the season. But the victory was shadowed by the tragic loss of Selwood, whose death came just three months after his twin brother Troy’s. The club released emotional statements and tributes in the lead-up to the clash and during the game, Waterman revealing the news shook the playing group barely 24 hours out from bounce down. “The team meeting had to be pushed back a little bit because everyone was in the room, but I don’t know how many of the boys were mentally involved in the captain’s run meeting,” he told 6PR. “Some blokes were mourning. Myself, I was rattled and just felt an emptiness and a lack of motivation. “Obviously, when game time comes around, the adrenaline gains as the game comes closer, but there was just an overwhelming sense of sadness and grief for a lot of our past players at the moment.” Waterman also took time to reflect on the issue at large and had a poignant message for the industry. “It’s an interesting one to sit back and think about in terms of what it means to past players of this club, because we play this career and you rock up to footy every day to be a part of something ******* than yourself,” he said. “You’ve got this routine, you run out on game day, you play in flags, you run out in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and then you retire one day. “And then 10 years down the track, it feels like nothing can compare to what we go through as footballers, and it scares the s*** out of me, to be honest, that we’re losing so many great people who you think are going fine, but they’re just not. “The message is for current players and past players to reach out and get some help because you are loved much more than you know. “We are losing too many great men.” Eagles coach Andrew McQualter revealed on 7NEWS Selwood had been engaged with the club’s WAFL side in recent weeks and that support networks were being put into place to help players and staff. “This is going to be ongoing for a little while for a lot of people,” he said. “There were a lot of deep connections with Adam for people throughout our organisation, and he had such a big impact on a lot of people. “Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, (he was) helping out with our WAFL program, and he’ll be sorely missed.” Lifeline: 13 11 14. Source link #Waalitj #Marawar #West #Coast #Jake #Waterman #reveals #Eagles #handled #Adam #Selwoods #death Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Critics say Trump’s religion agenda will benefit conservative Christians the most Critics say Trump’s religion agenda will benefit conservative Christians the most White House Faith Office. A Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. A Religious Liberty Commission. President Donald Trump has won plaudits from his base of conservative Christian supporters for establishing multiple faith-related entities. “We’re bringing back religion in our country,” Trump said at a recent Rose Garden event, on the National Day of Prayer, when he announced the creation of the Religious Liberty Commission. “We must always be one nation under God, a phrase that they would like to get rid of, the radical left.” But others, including some Christians, are alarmed by these acts — saying Trump isn’t protecting religion in general but granting a privileged status to politically conservative expressions of Christianity that happen to include his supporters. What’s up with the ‘separation of church and state’ debate? Critics are even more aghast that he’s questioning a core understanding of the First Amendment. “They say ‘separation between church and state,’” Trump said at the prayer day gathering, when he talked about establishing the White House Faith Office. “I said, all right, let’s forget about that for one time.” Trump’s creation of these various bodies is “definitely not normal, and it’s very important to not look at them as individual entities,” said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director of Faithful America, a progressive Christian advocacy organization. “They are indicative of an entire system that is being constructed at the national level,” she said. “It’s a system specifically designed to guide and shape culture in the U.S.” Fleck worries about the combined effect of Trump administration actions and a spate of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. The court, now with three Trump appointees, has lowered barriers between church and state in its interpretations of the First Amendment’s ban on any congressionally recognized establishment of religion. “My freedom of religion runs right up to the point when yours begins, and if I am then trying to establish something that’s going to affect your right to practice your faith, that is against the First Amendment,” Fleck said. But religious supporters of Trump are happy with his expansion of religion-related offices. “We were a nation birthed by prayer, founded on the Judeo-Christian ethic to ensure that people could worship as they wished,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, at the Rose Garden ceremony where he was announced as chair of the Religious Liberty Commission. Many members are conservative Christian clerics and commentators; some have supported Trump politically. The event featured Christian praise music along with Jewish, ******* and Christian prayers. White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers, via email, said the commission is ensuring “that all Americans’ God-given right is protected, no matter their religion.” Rogers said the criticism is coming from anti-Trump advocacy groups that are trying to undermine his agenda. A closer look at the new religious entities The three entities created under Trump overlap in their marching orders and, in some cases, their membership. In February, Trump established the White House Faith Office, led by evangelist Paula White-Cain as a “special government employee,” according to the announcement. She’s resuming a similar role she held in the first Trump administration. White-Cain — who also serves on the new Religious Liberty Commission — was one of the earliest high-profile Christian leaders to support Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and is considered Trump’s spiritual adviser. Her office is designed to consult “experts within the faith community” on “practices to better align with the American values.” It also is tasked with religious-liberty training and promoting grant opportunities for faith-based entities; and working to “identify failures” in federal protection for religious liberty. Also in February, Trump created a Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi with representatives from several federal departments. Its mandate is to expose and reverse what Trump claims were “egregious” violations of Christians’ rights under former President Joe Biden. Many of those claims have been disputed, as has the need for singling out for protection the nation’s largest and most culturally and politically dominant religious group. A White House action focused on a specific religion is not unprecedented. The Biden administration, for example, issued strategy plans to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. Both Trump administrations have issued executive orders on combating antisemitism. An April hearing of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias featured witnesses from across federal departments, alleging that Christians during the Biden administration faced discrimination for such things as opposing vaccine mandates or “DEI/LGBT ideology” on religious grounds. Some claimed that schools’ legal or tax enforcement actions were actually targeted because of their Christian religion. The State and Veterans Affairs departments have asked people to report alleged instances of anti-Christian bias. The White House said the Justice Department formed specific task forces to respond to what it called a “concentration of bias” against Christians and Jews, but that it’s committed to combating discrimination against Americans of any faith. The latest entity to be created, the Religious Liberty Commission, has a mandate to recommend policies to protect and “celebrate America’s peaceful religious pluralism.” Patrick, the chair, has supported legislation requiring Texas school districts to allow prayer time for students and says he wants his state to emulate Louisiana in requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms. Among the commission’s mandates: to look into “conscience protections in the health care field and concerning vaccine mandates” and government “displays with religious imagery.” Among the commissioners are Catholic bishops, Protestant evangelists, a ****** and attorneys focused on religious liberty cases. Its advisory boards include several Christian and some Jewish and ******* members. A commission member, author and broadcaster, Eric Metaxas, supported its work in a column Friday for the conservative site Blaze Media. “This commission’s goal is to strengthen the liberty of every single American — regardless of that person’s faith and even of whether that person has any faith,” he wrote. “It also aims to restore those liberties attacked by hostile and misguided secularists.” Fulfilling a priority for Trump’s conservative Christian backers Charles Haynes, senior fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation focused on First Amendment rights, said the various entities reflect Trump’s attempt to fulfill an agenda priority of his conservative Christian supporters. He said the entities’ work reflects their long-standing contention that the First Amendment has “been misapplied to keep Christians out of the public square, to discriminate against Christianity, by which they mean their understandings of Christianity.” Trump’s moves and recent Supreme Court cases are reversing a consensus dating at least to the 1940s that the First Amendment strictly prohibits government-sponsored religion at the federal and state levels, Haynes said. He said the First Amendment actually provides broad protections for religious expressions in settings such as public schools. He helped write a Freedom Forum guide on religion in public schools, endorsed by groups across the ideological spectrum. It notes that within some limits, students can pray on their own time in schools, express their faith in class assignments, distribute religious literature, form school religious clubs and receive some accommodations based on religious belief. But Haynes noted that the Supreme Court is now considering allowing Oklahoma to pay for a Catholic charter school, which he said could erase a long-standing standard that public-funded schools don’t teach a particular religion. “It’s a very different day in the United States when both the Supreme Court and the president of the United States appear to be intent on changing the arrangement on religious freedom that we thought was in place,” Haynes said. “It’s a radical departure from how we’ve understood ourselves.” ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Source link #Critics #Trumps #religion #agenda #benefit #conservative #Christians Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Senate Republicans want to break up House’s Trump bill into bite-sized pieces – The Hill Senate Republicans want to break up House’s Trump bill into bite-sized pieces – The Hill Senate Republicans want to break up House’s Trump bill into bite-sized pieces The HillTrump’s tax and immigration bill clears hurdle after late-night vote The Washington PostTrump’s legislative agenda clears key committee vote after weekend of negotiations CNNOpinion | How Trump’s ‘bribe now, pain later’ budget scheme hit a surprise roadblock MSNBC NewsTrump’s big bill advances in rare weekend vote, but conservatives demand more changes MPR News Source link #Senate #Republicans #break #Houses #Trump #bill #bitesized #pieces #Hill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tickets now on ***** for BitSummit 2025, Japan’s leading indie game expo Tickets now on ***** for BitSummit 2025, Japan’s leading indie game expo Tickets have gone on ***** for this year’s BitSummit. The event, which is Japan’s most popular indie games expo, will return to its regular venue at the the Miyako Messe in Kyoto from Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21. While July 19 is a business day, the weekend dates of July 20-21 will be open to the general public, with tickets on ***** now. Tickets can be bought from the Ticket Pia website. Japanese attendees can use this link to buy tickets, while overseas visitors can use this link to buy tickets, which provides full information in English. Tickets cost ¥2000 ($13.80) in advance, or ¥2200 ($15.20) at the door. Prices for students under 18 years of age are ¥1000 ($6.90) in advance and ¥1200 ($8.28) at the door, while children under 12 can attend free of charge. Because this is the 13th BitSummit event, this year’s theme is BitSummit the 13th: Summer of Yokai, referring to supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. More than 60 indie publishers are confirmed to be showing games at the event, as well as sponsored booths from such companies as Nintendo, Sony Interactive Enertainment, Cygames and Devolver Digital. VGC will be covering BitSummit again this year, with daily reports from the show floor. BitSummit was originally founded in 2012 with the aim of promoting interesting Japanese indie games to an international audience. The first show was a small-scale industry-focused event with around 200 attendees, but this has continued to grow, and last year’s event – which for the first time took over the entirety of the Miyako Messe, expanding to both floors of the venue – saw more than 38,000 attendees. As has been the case for a number of years now, VGC is the western media partner for BitSummit and you can expect full coverage of the event on these pages, as it happens. VGC attended last year’s show, titled BitSummit Drift, and provided daily coverage of some of the games on display. VGC’s Chris Scullion also handed out a Media Showcase award to VGC’s game of the show, which was J-hip-hop action game Sonokuni. Source link #Tickets #***** #BitSummit #Japans #leading #indie #game #expo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What’s in the ***-EU deal? What’s in the ***-EU deal? Sam Francis Political reporter EPA The *** and the EU have reached a new deal setting out post-Brexit relations on areas including fishing rights, trade and defence. The full details will be set out later. But here’s a look at what we know is in the deal. FishingA new deal will keep the current status quo giving EU boats continued access to *** waters until 2038, the BBC understandsThe 2020 Brexit deal, which saw the *** regain 25% EU fishing quotas, was due to run out next yearThe *** will continue to agree yearly quotas with the EU and Norway and issue licences to control who fishes in its watersLater, the government is due to unveil a £360m “fishing and coastal growth fund” to invest in coastal communities Farming exportsIn return for extending current fishing rules, the *** has secured a deal to reduce checks on food exports to the EUOfficials will drop some routine border checks on animal and plant shipments to and from the EUThe new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement means the *** can sell burgers and sausages back into the EU for the first time since Brexit SecurityA formal ***-EU defence and security pact has been establishedBoth sides have been pushing for closer cooperation and information-sharing since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump has re-entered the White HouseThe government says the agreement “paves the way” for ***-based arms firms to access the Security Action for Europe (Safe) – a £150bn EU fund providing loans for defence projects Carbon taxThe *** and EU will link their carbon markets to avoid taxes on carbon-intensive goods like steel and cement travelling between the *** and EUThe *** launched its own carbon system after exiting the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) The government says it will save £800m in taxes and shield British steel from EU tariffs, thanks to a ***-only deal worth £25m a year Passport e-gatesBritish holidaymakers will be able to use e-gates at more European airportsWhen Brexit ended freedom of movement, it changed the rules for people travelling to European countries. Now, British passport holders can’t use “EU/EEA/CH” lanes at EU border crossingsA new passport system will make it easier for *** pets to travel, ending the need for repeat vet certificates Still up for negotiationThe BBC understands some key aspects are still subject to further negotiation – such as the idea of a youth mobility schemeWhat finally makes it into this package will set the agenda for the next set of post-Brexit negotiations early next year Source link #Whats #UKEU #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Realme GT 7T Leaked Renders Suggest Design, Colour Options; Said to Get MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Max SoC Realme GT 7T Leaked Renders Suggest Design, Colour Options; Said to Get MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Max SoC Realme GT 7T is all set to go official in India and other global markets on May 27. Ahead of its official unveiling, the design of the new GT series smartphone has been leaked online through alleged renders. The leaked renders give us an early look at the colour options as well. The Realme GT 7T is tipped to come with a 6.8-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is said to run on a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Max processor. The phone is confirmed to ship with a 7,000mAh battery with 120W wired charging support. Realme GT 7T Design Leaked Tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) shared alleged images of the Realme GT 7T on X. They show the phone from all angles in ******, blue, and yellow colour options. The yellow colour variant has ****** stripes on the rear, giving it a sporty look. The handset has a square-shaped camera module that includes two sensors and a ring-like LED flash. The display has a hole-punch cutout at the centre and narrow bezels. Realme GT 7T full specs & renders – Dimensity 8400 MAX – 6.8″ AMOLED, 2800 x 1280, 120Hz – 50MP Main, OIS (f/1.8) + 8MP Ultrawide (f/2.2) – 32MP Selfie (f/2.4) – 7,000mAh, 120W – Android 15, Realme UI 6.0 – 162.42 × 75.97 × 8.88mm | 205g – WiFi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, USB 2.0 -… pic.twitter.com/04RKjczA41 — Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) May 16, 2025 The post also includes the possible specifications of the Realme GT 7T, corroborating previous rumours. It is said to come with Android 15-based Realme UI 6.0 and a 6.8-inch (1,280×2,800 pixels) AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. It could run on the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Max chipset. For optics, the Realme GT 7T is tipped to have a dual rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS support and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture. For selfies, it could pack a 32-megapixel front camera with an f/2.4 aperture. It is said to come with an IP68-rated build. The Realme GT 7T is said to include Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, USB Type-C port, and Wi-Fi 6 for connectivity. It could measure 162.42 x 75.97 x 8.25mm and weigh 202 grams. Realme has already confirmed that the GT 7T will feature a 7,000mAh battery with 120W wired charging. The Realme GT 7T will launch on May 27 in select global markets and India. It will be announced alongside the Realme GT 7. Both phones will go on ***** in India through Amazon and Realme India e-store. Source link #Realme #Leaked #Renders #Suggest #Design #Colour #Options #MediaTek #Dimensity #Max #SoC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Teacher Turnover Spiked During COVID. But It’s Now Fallen for 2 Years in a Row Teacher Turnover Spiked During COVID. But It’s Now Fallen for 2 Years in a Row According to the latest data, teacher turnover rates have been coming down for the last two years. That finding comes from a hodgepodge of state documents and research reports. With the caveat that those sources may count things in slightly different ways and at different time periods, the pattern that emerges is consistent. In fall 2020, the country was still in the thick of the COVID pandemic. The economy was on uncertain footing, many schools stayed remote and teacher turnover rates fell. That is, more educators stayed put. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter But as the world began to open up, teachers started leaving in higher numbers, first in 2021 and then again in 2022. That fall, the country hit modern highs in the percentage of teachers leaving their positions. Related Public Schools Added 121,000 Employees in 2024 — Even as They Served Fewer Kids But those moves were temporary. Last year, Wall Street Journal (and former 74) reporter Matt Barnum found that teacher turnover rates fell in 2023 for each of the 10 states for which he was able to find data. Not all the changes were big, but the trends were all falling. For fall 2024, the current school year, I was able to find data from six states: Colorado, Delaware, Arizona, Texas, South Carolina and Massachusetts. All but Texas experienced year-over-year declines in teacher turnover. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey shows similar trends nationally. For a broad category that includes all state and local government education employees, employee quit rates surged in 2022, fell in 2023 and then decreased again in 2024. Similarly, the American School District Panel from RAND found turnover rates falling among teachers and principals in the fall of 2023 and 2024. Notably, the biggest declines were seen in the places where turnover had surged the most during the initial pandemic years. You could squint at the data closely and note that turnover rates are still a bit higher than where they were pre-pandemic. But zoom out, and the numbers look broadly similar to historical trends. For example, Dan Goldhaber and Roddy Theobald looked at teacher turnover rates in Washington state from 1984-85 to 2021-22 and found that total turnover, including teachers who left the profession, switched schools, or left teaching but stayed in education, has ranged from about 14% to 20% in Washington since the mid-1980s. It did indeed hit a modern peak (of 19.8%) in 2021-22, but Goldhaber and Theobald’s more recent work in Washington showed turnover was again starting to fall in 2023. How should we put these figures in context? First, despite its recent surge, public education has maintained lower quit rates than any other industry except for the federal government. In any given month, less than 2% of public education employees leave their jobs, compared with rates twice that high in the private sector. Within public education, teachers tend to have lower turnover rates than other employees do. Colorado, for example, has published turnover data by role since 2007. The chart below shows the results. Teachers (in red) tend to have similar turnover rates as principals (light blue), but those are much lower than the turnover rates in other roles. Paraprofessionals, in dark blue, typically have turnover rates that are 10 to 15 percentage points higher than teachers do. How should we square this with soft data coming out of teacher surveys? Those results are messier, but they could fit the same basic trajectory. One high-quality study out of Illinois found that teacher working conditions worsened substantially from 2021 to 2023. And research looking at a range of survey and pipeline indicators suggested that the state of the profession was at 50-year lows as of data ending a couple years ago. More recently, Education Week’s Teacher Morale Index showed a significant rebound in 2024-25 over the prior year. Related New Study: Teacher Working Conditions Worsened After COVID — and Still Are None of this is to say that policymakers should be content with the status quo. And indeed, there continue to be problem spots. Rural schools, those in low-income areas and certain teaching roles, especially in special education, tend to have higher turnover rates than others. But those call for more specialized and tailored solutions rather than universal policies. Moreover, policymakers can at least take heart that the worst of the teacher turnover surge appears to be in the rearview mirror. Source link #Teacher #Turnover #Spiked #COVID #Fallen #Years #Row Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘This is a crisis’: New Apple report claims we’ll get no Siri upgrades at WWDC 2025 due to AI turmoil ‘This is a crisis’: New Apple report claims we’ll get no Siri upgrades at WWDC 2025 due to AI turmoil A new report claims we won’t see any AI Siri improvements at WWDC 2025 One source claims Apple’s AI strategy “is a crisis” while Bloomberg has seen internal data that shows Apple “remains years behind its competition” Apple is working internally on LLM Siri, which could bring the voice assistant up to speed with competitors If you were excited about seeing Apple’s AI-powered Siri at WWDC in June, think again. A new report claims we won’t get a glimpse of any Apple Intelligence voice assistant improvements next month. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple’s new Siri, which was previously expected to launch at the beginning of 2025, and instead was indefinitely delayed, will not be part of next month’s WWDC keynote. Instead, Apple is expected to focus on new Apple Intelligence features, such as a rumored Battery Intelligence, which will help extend your device’s battery life through the power of AI. You may like It’s claimed one senior member of Apple’s AI team told Bloomberg, “This is a crisis,” while another said Apple’s AI strategy has been “sinking for a long time.” Bloomberg says it has seen internal data which shows Apple “remains years behind its competition,” despite an internal shakeup and a new approach to its Siri strategy. While we’re unlikely to see anything related to Siri, it could be the case of “good things come to those who wait,” as this in-depth report from Gurman gives a deeper insight into Apple’s new AI strategy and the powerful tool the company is working on. A new AI model incoming? According to Bloomberg, “Employees say Apple now has its AI offices in Zurich creating a new software architecture to replace the problematic Siri hybrid—a so-called monolithic model, entirely built on an LLM-based engine, that would eventually make Siri more believably conversational and better at synthesizing information.” That project is codenamed LLM Siri, and would be a major upgrade to the voice assistant compared to not only what we currently have on the best iPhones, but even in comparison to the initial promise Apple showcased at WWDC 2024. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. It’s claimed Apple is training this LLM with synthetic data that allows the company to train the AI “without feeding actual user information into the models.” At WWDC 2025, we can expect Apple to show improvements to Apple Intelligence, while “sources say the company, despite its hopes for LLM Siri, is also preparing to separate the Apple Intelligence brand from Siri in its marketing.” Personally, I’m still optimistic Apple will turn its recent AI shortcomings around. If that means waiting longer for LLM Siri and functionality that allows me to truly harness the power of AI on my iPhone, then I’m willing to wait. Apple, don’t let me down. You may also like Source link #crisis #Apple #report #claims #Siri #upgrades #WWDC #due #turmoil Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

*** and EU Strike Brexit Reset Deal – The New York Times *** and EU Strike Brexit Reset Deal – The New York Times *** and EU Strike Brexit Reset Deal The New York TimesUK and EU announce deals on food, fishing, defence and *** access to passport eGates BBCEU-U.K. Deal Opens Door to British Arms Makers Accessing the Bloc’s Procurement Programs WSJ5 years since Brexit, are Britain and the EU getting back together? NPRBritain agrees trade and defence reset with EU Reuters Source link #Strike #Brexit #Reset #Deal #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Cat caught smuggling drugs into Costa Rica prison Cat caught smuggling drugs into Costa Rica prison Officers at Pococi Penitentiary in Costa Rica have caught a cat carrying two packages of drugs attached to its body. According to a statement on Facebook from the country’s Ministry of Justice, guards spotted the animal in a green area of the prison on 6 May, before capturing it. The cat was carrying packages containing 235.65g of ********** and 67.76g of heroin, authorities said, adding that the drugs have been confiscated and the animal handed over to the National Animal Health Service for health evaluation. Source link #Cat #caught #smuggling #drugs #Costa #Rica #prison Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Skyblivion and Oblivion Remastered romance continues to blossom The Skyblivion and Oblivion Remastered romance continues to blossom “Seeing the excitement from the Bethesda team” was “absolutely unreal”, according to Skyblivion project lead. Source link #Skyblivion #Oblivion #Remastered #romance #continues #blossom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trade tensions spur consumers to spend less on discretionary purchases Trade tensions spur consumers to spend less on discretionary purchases A customer shops in an American Eagle store on April 4, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images After a bout of panic buying, more consumers are prepared to rein in their spending and live with less, recent studies show. Even President Donald Trump suggested that Americans should be comfortable with fewer things. “[Americans] don’t need to have 250 pencils,” Trump said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “They can have five.” According to a study by Intuit Credit Karma, 83% of consumers said that if their financial situation worsens in the coming months, they will strongly consider cutting back on their non-essential purchases. Over half of adults, or 54%, said they’ll spend less on travel, dining or live entertainment this year, compared to last year, a new report by Bankrate also found. The site polled nearly 2,500 people in April. “Moving forward, people may not be able to absorb these higher prices,” said Ted Rossman, Bankrate’s senior industry analyst. “It sort of feels like something has to give.” More from Personal Finance: How to save on your grocery bill After ***, China trade deals, tariff rate still highest since 1934 Stagflation is a looming economic risk Economy is ‘at a pivot point’ While many Americans are concerned about the effect of on-again, off-again tariff policies, few have changed their spending habits yet. Up until now, that is what has helped the U.S. avoid a recession. Because it represents a significant portion of Gross Domestic Product and fuels economic growth, consumer spending is considered the backbone of the economy. “Consumers are still spending despite widespread pessimism fueled by rising tariffs,” said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist of the National Retail Federation. “While tariffs may have weighed on spending decisions, growth is coming at a moderate pace and consumer spending remains steady, reflecting a resilient economy.” However, now the economy is “at a pivot point,” according to Kleinhenz. “Hiring, unemployment, spending and inflation data continue in the right direction, but at a slower pace,” Kleinhenz said in a recent statement. “Everyone is worried, and a lot of people have recession on their minds.” Trump’s tariffs jump started a wave of declining sentiment, which plays a big part in determining how much consumers are willing to spend. “Any time there is this much uncertainty, people tend to get a little more cautious,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. The Conference Boards’ expectations index, which measures consumers’ short-term outlook, plunged to its lowest level since 2011. The University of Michigan’s consumer survey also showed sentiment sank to the lowest reading since June 2022 and the second lowest in the survey’s history going back to 1952. “The cumulative effects of inflation and high interest rates have been straining households, contributing to record levels of credit card debt and causing consumer sentiment to plummet,” Rossman said. Tack on the Trump administration’s resumption of collection efforts on defaulted federal student loans and many Americans, who are already under pressure, will suddenly have less money in their pockets. As it stands, roughly half — 47% — of U.S. adults would not consider themselves financially prepared for a sudden job loss or lack of income, according to recent data from TD Bank’s financial preparedness report, which polled more than 5,000 people earlier this year. Another 44% of Americans said they think about their financial preparedness every single day. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Source link #Trade #tensions #spur #consumers #spend #discretionary #purchases Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) coach Andrew McQualter’s concerning update for defender Jeremy McGovern Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) coach Andrew McQualter’s concerning update for defender Jeremy McGovern Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) coach Andrew McQualter has given a concerning update on veteran key defender Jeremy McGovern ahead of a trip to Adelaide. It comes as the first-year head coach revealed Adam Selwood had been working with the club’s WAFL side in the weeks before his sudden death. The Eagles saluted for their first victory of the season on Sunday, taking down Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) at Optus Stadium by 28 points. The win even came without their defensive general in McGovern, and they may need to battle without him again on Saturday against Kuwarna (Adelaide) with the 33-year-old still in concussion protocols more than two weeks after taking a blow to the head against Narrm (Melbourne). “Gov’s still in concussion protocols at the moment, and we will just see how this week progresses,” McQualter revealed on 7NEWS. “The medical team will have full authority over that, and they’re experienced in that space. “We’ll work with them and Gov through the week.” It would be a third week on the side lines for the five-time All-***********. McQualter also said small forward Matt Owies was likely to miss multiple weeks after being subbed out in the first half against the Saints with ice on his calf, but that he expected ruckman Matt Flynn to pull up well from a shoulder complaint. The Eagles’ emotional victory came in the wake of the tragic death of Selwood only a day before, and McQualter said the club would be supporting players and staff as an ongoing process across the coming months. “This is going to be ongoing for a little while for a lot of people,” he said. “There were a lot of deep connections with Adam for people throughout our organisation, and he had such a big impact on a lot of people. “Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, (he was) helping out with our WAFL program, and he’ll be sorely missed.” Sunday’s victory was also a first since moving west for McQualter, the club producing their worst-ever start to a season with nine straight defeats. And McQualter said he was proud his players could rise to the occasion on an emotional afternoon in front of the home fans and earn their reward for hard work across the past fortnight. “It was a really difficult day for everyone involved and the football club,” he said. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. “We just spoke to our players about playing the game in the right spirit, being great teammates, and that’s what our guys were able to do yesterday, and that produced a win for us. “It was terrific reward for our guys. They’ve been toiling hard over the last four or five weeks. “We’ve put a lot of work into our game, and we’ve been starting to build a bit of belief without getting a win. “But to be able to put a fair bit of it together for four quarters and get that result, I’m really proud of the players.” Source link #Waalitj #Marawar #West #Coast #coach #Andrew #McQualters #update #defender #Jeremy #McGovern Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Macron thwarts *** over fish – and this is only the beginning Macron thwarts *** over fish – and this is only the beginning Brussels has landed a whopper of a “Brexit reset deal” on fish, securing 12 years access to British waters. It’s a significant victory for the European Union, a humiliating surrender from Sir Keir Starmer, and yet another example of Brexit-voting British fishermen being thrown under the bus. Britain originally pushed for a one-year deal, setting up annual negotiations on fishing rights to replace the five-year pact struck in the Brexit trade negotiations, which expires next year. That was the plan when the *** conceded to EU pressure in the final hours of those painful, high stakes talks that brought a deal signed on Dec 30 2020. But once Brussels has a concession, it never willingly surrenders it. Instead it uses it as a foothold to push for more. It demanded five years, which, after some haggling, brought Britain to make a compromise offer of three years. By Sunday, 24 hours before Monday’s ***-EU summit, Britain had moved to four years. European Commission negotiators, under pressure from EU capitals, especially Paris, were turning the screws. If Britain wanted to limit fish to four years, then the Swiss-style veterinary deal to boost trade would be limited to four years as well. Tying the two deals together would make it much harder to claw back more fish for British boats in the future. It’s an established Commission tactic; the first Brexit fishing deal expires at the same time as an agreement on continued *** access to the EU electricity market. The British wanted the veterinary deal to be kept permanent. Otherwise its decision to sacrifice Brexit freedoms and align with EU plant and animal health rules would look very weak. It would undermine the Government’s claims it will bring economic growth and lower grocery prices if the deal was temporary. Experts believe that the deal will bring a 0.1 per cent boost to GDP, which seems a moderate return for such a concession. But the deal will make it easier to export British fish to the EU, which is the major market for the ***, which exports most of what it catches. With the summit hours away, and Sir Keir hoping for a third deal with a major partner in recent weeks, the *** was in a weak negotiating position. This was the moment the EU was waiting for as the talks entered the endgame. The clock was ticking, as Michel Barnier used to say. The EU could easily walk away with no deal, but that was not an option for a Prime Minister bleeding support to Reform ***. If Britain wanted no deadline on the veterinary deal, it would have to pay big for it in fish, three times as much as it had offered. In the wee small hours of the morning, Britain surrendered and agreed it would last 12 years. Britain originally pushed for a one-year deal setting up annual negotiations to replace the five-year pact struck in Brexit trade negotiations – Nathan Laine/Bloomberg At this stage it is unclear whether this will mean fish catches on the same terms as the expiring deal, which would be an EU victory, or potentially allow even more. What is clear is that Sir Keir has surrendered one of the few points of leverage the *** had in its dealings with the EU, where fish is politically very important, until 2038. Experts believe that the veterinary deal will bring a 0.1 per cent boost to GDP, which seems a moderate return for such a major concession. The reset has also secured a defence pact with the EU and paved the way for *** involvement in EU rearmament programmes after Emmanuel Macron’s France insisted it was conditional on a deal on fish. The EU’s last minute ambush in the dying hours of the reset negotiations has paid off in spades. Brussels was always confident it would. There is precedent. The same thing happened during the last hours of the Brexit trade negotiations. Britain under Boris Johnson also caved on fish to get a trade deal, that prevented an economically devastating no deal and a return to World Trade Organisation terms. Mr Johnson at least had the excuse that he got a trade deal in return, rather than a reset agreement that merely tinkers around the edge of one already weighted in the EU’s favour. The negotiations with the EU were always going to be an uphill battle. Brussels knows that Britain needs the deal more than it does and that size matters. Its tough negotiation stance, which has secured a promise for more talks on youth mobility, is based on the belief that the heft of its Single Market with 460 million consumers will always tell in the end. That conviction was strengthened in these new talks because the *** does not have the shelter of a trading bloc at a time when Donald Trump is threatening to trigger a global trade war. The threat of Russia has also weakened Britain’s hand, although it made the defence pact easier to do and accelerated the reset. Britain has given away an awful lot for some modest gains. Brussels is ruthless about negotiating in the EU’s own interest, and its own interest alone. Sir Keir, a Remainer who once pushed for a second referendum, might have hoped he’d be given an easier ride by the European Commission than the Tories. In the end it was a case of plus ça change – the more things change, the more things stay the same. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #Macron #thwarts #fish #beginning Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

MSI’s new 500 Hz QD-OLED monitor leverages AI tech to save it from burn-in MSI’s new 500 Hz QD-OLED monitor leverages AI tech to save it from burn-in MSI has shown off its new MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 gaming monitor at Computex 2025. This display is particularly notable for packing in an AI Care Sensor, which detects human presence and modifies what’s on-screen to prevent the chance of image burn-in. Additionally, the X50 boasts great performance specs. Read on for more details of the X50 and several other new gaming monitors we saw at the MSI exhibition space. MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 At the heart of this 27-inch 1440p monitor is what MSI calls a 3rd-gen QD-OLED panel. This helps deliver a heady mix of great color and contrast, plus high performance. In terms of color quality, the X50 delivers the striking contrast OLED panels are known for, with 99% DCI-P3 color coverage, and backed by certifications such as VESA ClearMR 21000 and DisplayHDR True ****** 500. You may like Performance is also top-notch, with the QD-OLED panel capable of running up to 500 Hz, and with the characteristic speedy response of an OLED, said to be 0.03ms GTG in this model. (Image credit: Future) As mentioned, MSI has some special AI sauce to elevate the appeal of the X50. Probably the most practical and welcome new AI feature is dubbed the AI Care Sensor. This enables “real-time human detection, dynamically adjusting settings to protect the monitor and boost efficiency,” says MSI. It will also power down the screen when it detects no one is there to view it. This AI relies on the combination of an NPU-based IC with an always-on CMOS sensor, built into the X50. The AI Care Sensor works in concert with MSI’s established OLED Care 2.0 system, which employs tricks like pixel shift, taskbar detection, multi-logo detection, and others to reduce the chance of burn-in. Last but not least, with respect to this feature, buyers are covered by a 3-year (OLED) burn-in warranty. MSI’s AI Navigator puts all the new AI features in one place. Here you will find the AI Menu zone, to “effortlessly adjust and optimize MSI’s AI settings in one place,” plus the AI Care Sensor settings. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. MSI MPG 242R X60N with ‘Rapid TN’ panel MSI also showcased the MPG 242R X60N in Taipei. You can probably decode MSI’s naming scheme yourself to conclude that this is a 24-inch monitor. However, it is aimed at a different gaming scene – those that demand the fastest 1080p performance possible. The X60N eschews OLED and packs a ‘Rapid TN’ panel, which is capable of up to 600 Hz refresh, paired with a 0.1ms GTG response time. These panels are usually weaker in terms of color quality, so MSI’s specs card sidelined such things, and all we know is that the X60N has VESA DisplayHDR400 certification. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Other MSI monitors at Computex 2025 MSI has a new 27-inch dual-mode gaming monitor called the MPG 27RURDFW E16M. We are changing screen technology again, as this one packs a QD-enhanced Mini LED display with 1,152 zones. As a dual mode, this monitor facilitates one-click switching between 4K / 160 Hz and FHD / 120 Hz modes. Whichever you choose, the response time is 0.5ms GTG. MSI has a bit more to crow about with the color quality specs here. This model supports VESA DisplayHDR 1000, and has a quoted 98% DCI-P3 gamut, and Delta-E of less than 2. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) We also saw the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED. This is a 27-inch 240 Hz 4K monitor that uses a 5-layer tandem OLED display. Color quality stats shared by MSI include the VESA ClearMR 13000 and DisplayHDR True ****** 400 certifications. Again, there’s a 3-year OLED burn-in warranty, but we aren’t sure if this one is powered by the AI Care Sensor, even though it has AI Navigator on board. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Source link #MSIs #QDOLED #monitor #leverages #tech #save #burnin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Key House committee advances Trump agenda bill after appeasing conservatives Key House committee advances Trump agenda bill after appeasing conservatives Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., stops outside the House chamber to speak to reporters about the ongoining reconciliation budget negotiations in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images WASHINGTON — The House Budget Committee advanced President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar domestic policy package Sunday night, two days after a group of conservatives voted to reject it. The vote was 17-16 along party lines, with the four Republicans who opposed the bill in committee Friday voting “present.” The outcome is a positive sign for the massive party-line bill after a significant setback Friday, but it will still need changes before it secures the votes to pass the full House. And if it does, it will face plenty of challenges in the Senate, where Republicans have made it clear it won’t pass without major changes. The package includes a major spending increase for immigration enforcement and the military, and it would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of this year. It includes a series of cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and clean energy funding to pay for the trillions of dollars in tax cuts and new red ink. The successful vote was a product of Republican leaders’ making inroads over the weekend with conservative hard-liners who said the bill failed to achieve meaningful spending cuts and would increase the U.S. deficit. Those conservatives have insisted that Medicaid work requirements take effect immediately and that the clean energy tax credits be eliminated sooner. “I’m excited about the changes we made, and I will vote present,” one of the conservative hard-liners, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said before the vote. He ignored questions from committee members about what changes he was referring to. Norman, along with Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, all voted “present.” They voted against the bill Friday, preventing it from advancing. The committee’s top Democrat, Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, began by asking Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, to be transparent with the committee about what “side deals” were struck to flip votes. “Deliberations continue at this very moment. They will continue on into the week and I suspect right up until we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House,” Arrington said. “We’re not going to disclose the deliberations. I’m not sure I could disclose all the deliberations.” “I don’t know anything about the side deals or any deal,” he said, adding that there is no score on deficits and impact from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Arrington added in response to inquiries about what changed in the bill, “There are no formal or final changes.” Roy said on X that the changes included making the Medicaid work requirements — currently scheduled to take effect in 2029 — kick in sooner and reducing “the availability of future subsidies” for clean energy. “But the bill does not yet meet the moment,” Roy said, adding, “We can and must do better before we pass the final product.” House GOP leaders struck an optimistic note earlier in the day. “We’re on track, working around the clock to deliver this nation-shaping legislation for the American people as soon as possible. … This really is once-in-a-generation opportunity that we have here,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on “Fox News Sunday.” Johnson said he expects the package will move to the Rules Committee by the middle of the week and to the House floor by the end of the week, so House Republicans can meet their self-imposed Memorial Day deadline for final passage. Source link #Key #House #committee #advances #Trump #agenda #bill #appeasing #conservatives Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Qualcomm to make data center processors that connect to Nvidia chips – Reuters Qualcomm to make data center processors that connect to Nvidia chips – Reuters Qualcomm to make data center processors that connect to Nvidia chips ReutersQualcomm to launch data center processors that link to Nvidia chips CNBCQualcomm’s Return to the Data Centre Market: Explained Data Centre MagazineNvidia unlocks NVLink for third-party CPUs from Qualcomm, Fujitsu Capacity MediaQualcomm signs AI pact with Saudi Arabia’s Humain, eyes return to data center CPU race digitimes Source link #Qualcomm #data #center #processors #connect #Nvidia #chips #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]