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Marvel Rivals Chrono Shield Cards Controversy Is Its ‘Helldivers 2’ Moment Marvel Rivals Chrono Shield Cards Controversy Is Its ‘Helldivers 2’ Moment Marvel Rivals players woke up today to find themselves in the middle of a full-blown controversy. NetEase’s introduction of Chrono Shield Cards—items that prevent ranked point losses after defeats—has triggered an avalanche of criticism from the competitive community. The timing couldn’t be more poetic. Just as players were voicing frustrations about matchmaking issues and EOMM allegations, NetEase decided to throw this curveball into the mix. It’s as if they looked at their dumpster and thought, “You know what this needs? More fire.” When nobody asked for a solution Marvel Rivals‘ latest Chrono Shield Cards controversy feels eerily familiar to anyone who witnessed Arrowhead’s struggles with Helldivers 2 last year. Both cases feature developers implementing “solutions” to problems that players didn’t consider priorities, or problems at all. NetEase quickly tried to douse the flames with an official statement clarifying the limitations of these cards: The clarification that these cards only work for Gold rank and below hasn’t exactly calmed the waters. Many players see this as a fundamental misunderstanding of what competitive integrity means in a ranked shooter. Comment byu/BoltexGaming from discussion inmarvelrivals The above sentiment echoes throughout the community. The very concept of ranked play is being questioned when players can simply avoid the consequences of losing. It’s like playing poker… with Monopoly money—the stakes just don’t feel real anymore: Comment byu/BoltexGaming from discussion inmarvelrivals This is particularly frustrating for veteran players because a form of this mechanic already existed with Chrono Shield Tokens. Adding cards (stackable up to 20!) that essentially function as get-out-of-jail-free passes feels like doubling down on a flawed system rather than addressing core issues. Comment byu/BoltexGaming from discussion inmarvelrivals The parallel with Helldivers 2 becomes even clearer when you consider how Arrowhead’s fire damage nerfs arrived just before releasing a pyromaniac-themed premium warbond. Both cases showcase developers making changes that seem to undermine their own game’s core appeal. The competitive integrity is at the forefront Rank inflation: Now with extra padding! | Image Credit: NetEase Games At the heart of this controversy lies a fundamental question: what makes ranked play meaningful? For most competitive players, it’s the knowledge that your rank reflects your actual skill level—nothing more, nothing less. Comment byu/BoltexGaming from discussion inmarvelrivals The frustration isn’t just about making climbing easier—it’s about the downstream effects. Players who artificially climb to ranks beyond their skill level contribute to imbalanced matches, frustrating teammates who expect a certain level of competence at higher ranks. This is where NetEase‘s approach differs most dramatically from other competitive shooters. Games like Overwatch 2 implement placement matches to give players a fair starting point. Marvel Rivals instead opts for a system where everyone starts at Bronze and climbs, now with extra padding against losses. Comment byu/BoltexGaming from discussion inmarvelrivals The irony is that NetEase clearly wants more players engaging with ranked mode—that’s where the real “retention” happens. But by artificially inflating ranks, they risk diluting the very thing that makes ranked appealing: the satisfaction of earning your position through skill and perseverance. For a game already battling allegations of Engagement Optimized Matchmaking (EOMMf. Players were already suspicious that the matchmaking system prioritized engagement over fairness—now they have more reason to believe it. The question remains: will NetEase follow Arrowhead’s eventual path of acknowledging community concerns and adjusting course? Or will they double down on a system that seems fundamentally at odds with competitive integrity? What do you think about the Chrono Shield Cards? Are they a helpful boost for casual players or a threat to competitive integrity? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Chrono #Shield #Cards #Controversy #Helldivers #Moment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thai court issues 17 arrest warrants over Bangkok skyscraper collapse Thai court issues 17 arrest warrants over Bangkok skyscraper collapse A court in Thailand has issued 17 arrest warrants for people connected to the building of a skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake in March. The 30-storey tower, being built to house the State Audit Office, was felled when Bangkok was hit by tremors of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck neighbouring Myanmar. Authorities said they had recovered 89 bodies from the rubble of the tower, while seven remain unaccounted for. Police investigating the cause of the collapse said the warrants were issued to people involved in the design, construction and building supervision of the tower, local media reported. Police named only one of the individuals as businessman Premchai Karnasuta, a former president of Italian-Thai Development PLC., one of Thailand’s largest construction firms. Thai media reported on Thursday that investigators had found structural flaws in a lift shaft in the building. Thai authorities are yet to release their findings into the cause of the building’s collapse. Footage showed high-rise buildings in Bangkok swaying and water falling from rooftop pools onto the streets below resulting from the strong tremors. Buildings in the Thai capital emerged from the quake largely unscathed except for the State Audit Office – a tower made of blue glass and steel that was situated opposite the Chatuchak market, a popular tourist attraction. It had been under construction for three years at a cost of more than two billion Thai baht ($59m; £45m) before it was reduced to rubble. More than 400 workers were at the site when it collapsed and drones, sniffer dogs, cranes, and excavators were brought in to help with the rescue effort. Source link #Thai #court #issues #arrest #warrants #Bangkok #skyscraper #collapse Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Who benefits from ******* child tax credit proposed by House GOP Who benefits from ******* child tax credit proposed by House GOP Jacob Wackerhausen | Istock | Getty Images House Republicans’ child tax credit plan The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, of 2017, temporarily boosted the maximum child tax credit to $2,000 from $1,000, an increase that will expire after 2025 without action from Congress. If enacted, the House bill would make the $2,000 credit permanent and raise the cap to $2,500 from 2025 through 2028. After 2028, the credit’s highest value would revert to $2,000, and be indexed for inflation. However, the plan does “nothing for the 17 million children that are left out of the current $2,000 credit,” said Kris Cox, director of federal tax policy with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ federal fiscal policy division. Typically, very low-income families with kids don’t owe federal taxes, which means they can’t claim the full child tax credit. Plus, under the House proposal, both parents must have a Social Security number if filing jointly and claiming the tax break for an eligible child. “This bill is taking the child tax credit away from 4.5 million children who are U.S. citizens or lawfully present,” Cox said. How the 2025 child tax credit works For 2025, the child tax credit is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child under age 17 with a valid Social Security number. Up to $1,700 is “refundable” for 2025, which delivers a maximum of $1,700 once the credit exceeds taxes owed. After your first $2,500 of earnings, the child tax credit value is 15% of adjusted gross income, or AGI, until the tax break reaches that peak of $2,000 per child. The tax break starts to phase out once AGI exceeds $400,000 for married couples filing together or $200,000 for all other taxpayers. “Almost everyone gets it,” but middle-income families currently see the biggest benefit, said Elaine Maag, senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. A bipartisan House bill passed in February 2024 aimed to expand access to the child tax credit and retroactively boosted the refundable portion for 2023, which would have impacted families during the 2024 filing season. The bill failed in the Senate in August, but Republicans expressed interest in revisiting the issue. At the time of the vote, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, described it as a “blatant attempt to score political points.” Crapo, who is now chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in August that Senate Republicans have concerns about the policy, but are willing to negotiate a “child tax credit solution that a majority of Republicans can support.” Although House Republicans previously supported the expansion for lower-earners, the current plan “shifts directions and focuses the benefits on middle and high-income families,” Maag said. Source link #benefits #******* #child #tax #credit #proposed #House #GOP Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PM’s Albania trip shows tricky path on migration PM’s Albania trip shows tricky path on migration Getty Images A few days on from seeking to sound muscular about his desire to squeeze legal migration, the prime minister is in Albania focusing on ******** arrivals. The Balkan country has provided a rare British success story in the incredibly difficult politics and diplomacy of attempting to cut ******** migration. In 2022, around 12,500 Albanians crossed the English Channel by small boat, but the number has since shrunk massively. The last government, and latterly this one, set up campaigns to put people off attempting the journey and far more migrants have been returned. Sir Keir Starmer wanted to lean into this inherited success from the Conservatives, and sought to make a virtue of being the first British prime minister to make an official visit to the country. But he also wanted to talk up negotiations with a handful of unnamed European countries that might temporarily take failed asylum seekers who have exhausted all avenues to remain in the ***. Downing Street told reporters the move could stop failed asylum seekers stalling deportation “using various tactics, whether it’s losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal”. The PM’s spokesman added it would ensure they also cannot make their removal harder “by using tactics such as starting a family”. Rwanda comparison It is an interesting idea, which draws initial parallels with the last government’s plan to send some migrants to Rwanda, but is different. The Conservatives wanted to send people to the African country immediately after their arrival in the ***, to lodge an asylum claim there or another “safe” country. They argued, given the numbers arriving on small boats, a radical policy shift was needed to put people off. Labour argued it was a vastly expensive waste of money, and scrapped the idea. Now they are talking up their own, narrower plan. But the curiosity is they chose to do just that while on a visit to a country that is not interested in hosting what are being called “return hubs”. Awkward timing And we were to find that out rather bluntly, when no sooner than Sir Keir Starmer had made the case for the idea, the man stood next to him, his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama, said they wouldn’t be doing any more deals than the one they already have with Italy, their neighbour over the Adriatic Sea. Downing Street insisted its own deal with Albania was “never planned as part of the discussions.” In short, though, they had failed to ensure the most eye-catching idea they were talking about matched the pictures, the backdrop, the stage they were on. Cue the Conservatives, whose own record on small boat crossings was poor, but who can point to that specific success with Albania, seizing on Sir Keir’s awkward juxtaposition and branding it an “embarrassment”. It is another episode that serves as a reminder of just how hard it is finding workable, practical, deliverable solutions to a massive and complex issue, which plenty in government acknowledge they simply have to get a grip of. Somehow. Source link #PMs #Albania #trip #shows #tricky #path #migration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Is Verizon a Buy? Q1 Results and Solid Dividend Make Bullish Case Is Verizon a Buy? Q1 Results and Solid Dividend Make Bullish Case Verizon Communications (NYSE:) is a leading U.S. telecommunications company that plays a pivotal role in how millions of individuals and businesses connect. Verizon Communications’ first-quarter 2025 financial results demonstrated encouraging operational and financial progress, upholding its long-standing reputation for consistent dividend-based shareholder returns. This positive momentum, combined with favorable analyst sentiment, projected analyst upside, and a defensive positioning amid recessionary and tariff concerns, presents a compelling investment case for the stock. In recent trading sessions, Verizon’s stock price decline has prompted investors to consider whether the current dip presents a buying opportunity for this dividend-paying stock, potentially making it a foundational addition to their portfolio. Verizon Delivers Solid Revenue and Earnings Growth Verizon’s financial performance in the first quarter of 2025 clearly indicates its current operational strength. The company reported total operating revenues of $33.485 billion, a 1.5% increase compared to the same ******* in the prior year. This growth was primarily driven by its core service revenues, which climbed 1.7% year-over-year to $28.087 billion, underscoring the consistent demand for Verizon’s primary offerings. Wireless equipment revenues also saw a modest increase, reaching $5.398 billion, up 0.7%. Profitability metrics also showed positive trends. Net income attributable to Verizon for the quarter rose to $4.879 billion, a significant 6.0% increase year-over-year. This translated into diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.15. On an adjusted basis, which excludes certain items to provide a clearer view of ongoing operational profitability, Verizon reported diluted EPS of $1.19. This figure notably surpassed analyst consensus estimates of $1.15, a key indicator that the company is performing better than market expectations. Furthermore, Verizon demonstrated healthy cash generation. Cash flow from operations reached $7.8 billion for the first quarter, and the company generated $3.6 billion in free cash flow (a non-GAAP measure calculated by subtracting capital expenditures from cash flow from operations). Free cash flow is a critical metric for investors as it represents the cash available to the company after funding its operational and capital needs, which can then be used for dividends, debt repayment, or further investments, highlighting Verizon’s financial flexibility. Verizon: Winning in the Communications Sector Beyond its established mobile services, Verizon is making significant strides in expanding its broadband footprint, particularly through its Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offerings. In the first quarter of 2025, Verizon added an impressive 308,000 FWA net subscribers. This growth is a testament to the increasing consumer and business demand for alternative high-speed internet solutions. The total FWA subscriber base has now surpassed 4.8 million, and the company has set an ambitious target of reaching 8 to 9 million FWA subscribers by 2028, signaling a key avenue for future revenue expansion. The company’s fiber-optic service, Fios Internet, also continued its positive trajectory, adding 45,000 net subscribers in the quarter. This demonstrates ongoing demand for the high-speed, reliable connectivity that fiber provides. Verizon’s total broadband net additions in Q1 2025 were 339,000, underscoring its successful multi-pronged approach to capturing market share in the broadband space. Verizon also reported positive momentum in the business segment, with 94,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions. This figure includes 67,000 postpaid phone net additions, indicating strength in serving the connectivity needs of enterprise and government customers. This growth in the business segment diversifies Verizon’s revenue streams and highlights its capacity to cater to a broad range of clients. Anchor for Income: Verizon’s Reliable Dividend Verizon’s consistent and attractive dividend is a key appeal for investors. As of May 13, 2025, the dividend yield is 6.36%. The annual dividend is $2.71 per share, paid quarterly at $0.6775. Verizon has a long history of reliable dividend payments since 2000, with 20 consecutive years of increases as of 2022, signaling financial stability. The dividend’s sustainability is supported by payout ratios of approximately 64.52% of earnings and a more conservative 30.52% of cash flow, indicating it is well-covered. Why Verizon Remains a Stable Bet The U.S. telecommunications sector is undeniably competitive. However, Verizon navigates this environment from a position of significant strength. The company is a market leader with extensive network infrastructure, including its expanding 5G and fiber optic networks, and a large, established subscriber base. These assets provide a considerable competitive moat and a foundation for sustained service delivery. While the company, like others in the capital-intensive telecom industry, maintains a notable debt level (a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21 as of March 31, 2025), this largely reflects the substantial investments required to build, maintain, and upgrade its critical infrastructure. These investments are essential for future growth initiatives such as the nationwide 5G rollout and the expansion of Fixed Wireless Access. It is noteworthy that Verizon’s total unsecured debt saw a slight reduction in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, indicating prudent financial management. From a stock characteristic perspective, Verizon exhibits a low beta of 0.39. Beta measures a stock’s volatility in relation to the overall market. A beta less than 1 indicates that the stock is less volatile than the market, which can be an attractive quality for investors seeking relative stability in their portfolios. Verizon: A Bullish Case for Stability and Income Verizon Communications’ recent performance and strategic positioning provide a compelling picture for potential investors. The financial results in the first quarter of 2025, highlighted by revenue growth and an earnings beat, demonstrate operational strength. The company’s successful execution in expanding its broadband services, particularly the rapid growth in Fixed Wireless Access subscribers, points to significant future growth avenues. Furthermore, Verizon’s long-standing commitment to shareholder returns solidifies its appeal for income-focused portfolios. This is complemented by a positive endorsement from the analyst community, which largely maintains a Moderate Buy rating and sees potential upside in the stock’s value. While operating in a dynamic industry, Verizon’s market leadership, ongoing network investments, and demonstrated financial resilience provide a strong foundation. The combination of these factors suggests that Verizon offers a noteworthy blend of stability, income potential, and prospects for continued growth, making it a consideration for investors navigating the current market terrain. Original Post Source link #Verizon #Buy #Results #Solid #Dividend #Bullish #Case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.K. seeking countries to serve as ‘return hubs’ for migrants: Starmer – National U.K. seeking countries to serve as ‘return hubs’ for migrants: Starmer – National Descrease article font size Increase article font size The British government is in talks with unspecified third countries about deals to send them migrants who have been refused the right to stay in Britain and run out of legal options to avoid deportation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to show he can control migration – an emotive subject for many voters who feel it is too high, and one which has for more than a decade driven successive governments to seek to tighten Britain’s borders. On Thursday Starmer confirmed he was talking to “a number of countries” about “return hubs” where Britain could send those who have no legal right to remain in the country and have exhausted all avenues of appeal. Any such deal would draw comparisons with a plan developed by the previous Conservative government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda – a scheme Starmer had dismissed as a gimmick and scrapped immediately after winning power at an election in July. Story continues below advertisement 2:16 Sunak’s bill on Rwandan asylum seekers wins 1st vote in British House of Commons Starmer was speaking during a visit to Albania, where he announced work to tackle people-trafficking gangs who help migrants travel to Britain, often on small and dangerous boats launched from the French coast. Trending Now Should home prices go down? ’No,’ says Canada’s new housing minister As another Canada Post strike looms, here’s what you need to know Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. At a press conference with Starmer, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said a similar returns model agreed between Italy and Albania needed to be fully tested. So far the scheme has faced numerous judicial hurdles. Rama said that while other countries may replicate such deals, he was not willing for Albania to do so for Britain. Starmer said he would give further details on his talks about return hubs “at the appropriate time”. In a separate briefing, his spokesman set out more on who could be covered by any future deal. Story continues below advertisement “This would apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the ***, but are attempting to stall, using various legal tactics whether it is losing their papers or other tactics to frustrate their removal,” the spokesman said. “Under these proposals they will be removed to a safe third country whilst they await new documentation to ensure they don’t have a chance to make their removal harder.” More on World More videos Source link #U.K #seeking #countries #serve #return #hubs #migrants #Starmer #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

An Acquisition Just Made *****’s the Most Exciting Stock in Retail An Acquisition Just Made *****’s the Most Exciting Stock in Retail Average investors focus on the next year or two for a company they consider buying for their portfolios, but those who can keep a longer time horizon in mind stand out above the crowd. There are several examples of legendary value investors who don’t often move their money around, but every time they do, they sure keep a hold of their picks for at least half a decade to let their views properly play out. Today, there’s an opportunity not to be the average investor in the retail sector but rather hang on to an opportunity that will likely develop for a few years to come, unlocking value for shareholders and seeing their portfolios turn green. With a deep fundamental view and taking advantage of all the uncertainty and volatility in the today, an unlikely deal has unlocked the opportunity investors had been patiently waiting for. Athletic and sportswear giant *****’s Sporting Goods Inc (F:) has landed a deal to acquire another well-known brand in the United States, a combination that will likely bring the company to new heights by adding Foot Locker (NYSE:) Inc. to its ecosystem. The connection may not be immediately obvious, but the market clearly sees what’s coming—and the outlook is undeniably optimistic. Price Action Subtly Confirms a Bullish Move When it comes to acquisitions, investors need to keep in mind that the company doing the buying will likely see its stock price come down as an initial reaction to the news, while the company getting bought will rally instead because of the “way out” that is being offered by the ******* fish. For *****’s, a fall from $227 per share down to $183 (a decline of nearly 20%) might spell trouble ahead, or perhaps a sign that management made the wrong move here. However, this is normal behavior, and exactly where investors need to zoom into the implications of a combined business moving forward for its impact on valuations. Falling to only 72% of its 52-week high, shares of *****’s now give investors a chance to reassess the future of this deal and potentially get a great bargain on it, before everyone else realizes where the true value should be moving forward. A Future With Foot Locker by *****’s Side? While some Wall Street analysts may be downplaying the future of this acquisition through a recent downgrade of *****’s stock on the news, investors can see this as a likely reaction to the stock’s price performance which is typically the case as analysts aren’t known for going against the chart most of the time. An analyst from TD Cowen decided to downgrade *****’s stock from a previous Buy rating down to a Hold. However, the price target remained the same, which is interesting. Seeing a fair valuation on *****’s at $216 per share, this suddenly bearish analyst still calls for as much as 20% upside from where the stock has fallen to on the news. There’s a reason this analyst didn’t lower the price target and why the consensus view still calls for a 31.5% upside via a set $236.4 per share price target. It’s all deeply rooted in the fundamentals of the new combined business moving forward. Looking at Foot Locker’s latest quarterly earnings report, investors can find that just the opposite is taking place. The company swung from a net loss per share of $4.13 during the same quarter a year ago to an astonishing shift to profitability this year, reporting as much as $0.51 in earnings per share (EPS). It seems that *****’s decided to acquire Foot Locker just as its business seems to be nearing a bottoming of its internal cycle of profitability and margins. The company saw a 3% increase in gross profit margins over the year, as well as new management initiatives to cut costs and manage capital better. What Is Being Added for Investors? *****’s shareholders now enjoy a return on invested capital (ROIC) rate of up to 15% on the year, which is the sort of theme that value investors hunt for when looking to compound their capital moving forward. Adding the new profitability from Foot Locker will only allow management to keep reinvesting and compounding more capital as the combined businesses go along, though it isn’t the latest $49 million in net income reported, but rather the long-term averages outside of tariff uncertainties that look closer to $350 million. This development might start to justify the fact that 4.5% of *****’s stock’s short interest left the scene over the past month, a sign of bearish capitulation as short sellers face the pressures of a growing business and fundamentals on this new combination. Tying it all together as of May 2025, allocators from the Vanguard Group view the alignment as bullish, which is why they boosted their holdings in *****’s stock by as much as 8.8% to net their position at $1.2 billion today. The opportunity to be inside malls and offer sportswear to match their current consortium will likely bring more growth to this combined entity. Original Post Source link #Acquisition #Dicks #Exciting #Stock #Retail Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Margaret River’s luxurious Basildene Manor scores big in Tripadvisor’s annual Traveller’s Choice awards Margaret River’s luxurious Basildene Manor scores big in Tripadvisor’s annual Traveller’s Choice awards Margaret River’s luxurious Basildene Manor has won a coveted, customer-based award for the second year in a row Source link #Margaret #Rivers #luxurious #Basildene #Manor #scores #big #Tripadvisors #annual #Travellers #Choice #awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Missing hiker found safe after surviving weeks in snowy California mountains Missing hiker found safe after surviving weeks in snowy California mountains LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the Vermilion Valley Resort in California’s eastern Sierra shut down for the winter, the staff left cabin doors unlocked just in case a wayward hiker needed shelter during the frequent mountain snowstorms. That decision may have saved the life of Tiffany Slaton, the 27-year-old Georgia woman who was missing for nearly three weeks in remote wilderness. Owner Christopher Gutierrez spotted a cabin door ajar and a pair of shoes nearby when he arrived Wednesday morning to begin reopening the resort for spring. Suddenly, a young woman appeared in the doorway. “She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said during a Wednesday evening news conference. “It was a pretty surreal moment, and that’s when I realized who this was.” It was Slaton, whose parents had reported her missing on April 29 after not hearing from her for more than a week. The Fresno County Sheriff’s office launched a search, and deputies and volunteers scoured more than 600 square miles (1,550 square kilometers) of the Sierra National Forest, with no luck. Searchers were hampered by heavy snow blocking many roads. On Monday, the sheriff’s office had announced it was scaling back the search effort. Two days later, she emerged from the cabin. Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and called authorities, who brought her to a hospital for evaluation. She was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, sheriff’s officials said. Sheriff’s spokesperson Tony Botti said it was the longest ******* of time he’s seen someone be missing in the wilderness and survive. “Three weeks, it’s unheard of,” he said. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.” Thanks to tips from the public, investigators determined that Slaton had been spotted around April 20 near Huntington Lake, more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the southwest through rough terrain. But authorities didn’t provide details about when or where Slaton’s trek began, what her plans were, and what route she took to end up at Vermilion Valley Resort. Botti said sheriff’s officials planned to interview Slaton to learn the details of her experience, and how she survived in icy conditions at elevations topping 6,500 feet (1,981 meters). Across the country in Jeffersonville, Georgia, her parents were out shopping when they got word that their daughter had been found. “I just grabbed somebody and I said, ‘Can I hug you?’ And I did,” said her mother, Fredrina Slaton. “I was crying and hugging.” Tiffany’s father, Bobby Slaton, said “a ton of weight has been lifted.” He thanked the search-and-rescue team and all the community members who helped in the effort to find her. Sheriff’s officials said snowplows cleared a key mountain pass earlier Wednesday, which allowed Gutierrez to access the resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year. Gutierrez said he had to spend about an hour and a half breaking up ice before he could get into the property. Slaton’s parents said Tiffany was raised with a love of the outdoors, and they always stressed the importance of being able to fend for yourself in a tough situation. “So it’s nice to know, as parents, that all the things that we’ve taught her, she actually did,” her mother said. “We believe that life is an adventure.” Source link #Missing #hiker #safe #surviving #weeks #snowy #California #mountains Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft may have killed the Surface Laptop Studio Microsoft may have killed the Surface Laptop Studio Microsoft is no longer producing the Surface Laptop Studio 2, its most powerful laptop that folds forward to create an easel. There are no rumors of a Surface Laptop Studio 3, suggesting that Microsoft is cutting the hybrid laptop — the only one with a discrete GPU — from its lineup. The news comes from The Verge, which reports that the Laptop Studio 2 ended production earlier this month, and that the system will be pronounced as “end of life” next month. Microsoft didn’t respond to a request for comment from Tom’s Hardware in time for publication, and chose not to make a statement to The Verge. Resellers confirmed to The Verge that Microsoft ceased manufacturing and would continue to provide software and driver updates for the Surface Laptop Studio 2. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is being put out to pasture quietly, much like other devices that the company has sunset. The Surface Studio, a desktop PC that folded down into a creative studio for drawing, was formally discontinued in December without a successor. Microsoft’s audio products, the Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds, have also quietly disappeared. The Surface Laptop Studio’s discontinuance comes at a hazy time for the Surface brand. On the one hand, two new devices — the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch — were just announced and are set to release next week. On the other hand, the lineup lost its champion, former chief Panos Panay, who left Microsoft for Amazon in 2023, reportedly over budget issues and product cancellations. Panay was succeeded by Pavan Davuluri. Since Panay’s departure, the lineup has been cut down to just the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, and the Surface Go 4, the latter of which is only sold to business customers at the moment. Without the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft has removed systems with discrete GPUs from its hardware lineup, potentially alienating creatives and gamers. Prior to the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft’s powerhouse system was the Surface Book, which combined a tablet with a base featuring a discrete GPU. You may like Besides featuring raw horsepower, the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Book were also fairly unique designs that attempted to push system designs forward. Clamshell laptops are table stakes, and many OEMs offer their own versions of the Surface Pro’s tablet design. It seems that Microsoft is experimenting less and focusing more on what it knows already works. Microsoft has been streamlining other areas, too, including its own workforce. This week, the company cut about 6,000 employees, or approximately 3% of its workforce. The company is also focusing more on AI (in Windows and elsewhere), and putting its Xbox Studios games on other systems, like the PlayStation 5. When we reviewed the Surface Laptop Studio 2, we praised Microsoft for adding ports over the original, while prioritizing quiet operation and a bright display. But the company had used a lower-power GPU capped at 80W of power, and the system was expensive. 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. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Microsoft #killed #Surface #Laptop #Studio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s Tariffs on Canada Spark Debate Over U.S. Trade: Does the U.S. Need Canada? Trump’s Tariffs on Canada Spark Debate Over U.S. Trade: Does the U.S. Need Canada? President Trump had one big question on his mind as ********* Prime Minister Mark Carney headed to Washington last week. “I very much want to work with him, but cannot understand one simple TRUTH,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post, reiterating several of ways he believes Canada benefits unfairly from its trade relationship with United States. The president also repeated his incorrect claim that the United States is “subsidizing” Canada to the tune of $200 billion, alluding to the country’s trade deficit with Canada, which is the value of what the United States imports minus its exports. In fact, the trade deficit last year was $63.3 billion, according to U.S. data. And if Canada’s energy exports were stripped out, it turns into a trade surplus. For Mr. Trump, it all boils down to one point: does the United States need Canada? Mr. Trump’s resounding answer is no, and he has imposed tariffs on many ********* goods. “We don’t need their Cars, we don’t need their Energy, we don’t need their Lumber, we don’t need ANYTHING they have, other than their friendship,” he said in the social media post. But industry groups and government say differently. The U.S. needs Canada to make cars The auto industries in Canada and the United States have become highly interconnected over the last three decades — especially between Detroit, Mich., and Windsor, Ontario, the busiest commercial crossing along the border — as the countries knocked down trade barriers. So intertwined are the supply chains that car parts can cross the border as many as eight times during the manufacturing process. That has made it difficult to define what constitutes an auto import. In 2023, the United States imported about 1.24 million vehicles from Canada, the fourth-highest tally behind Mexico, Japan and South Korea. The U.S. needs Canada’s energy The United States is the world’s top oil producer, but many of its refineries rely partially on heavy crude oil, a variety that Canada specializes in extracting. Retooling U.S. refineries to eliminate the need for crude oil would cost billions and companies are not willing to make those investments, especially because of the uncertainty over Mr. Trump’s trade policies. Sixty percent of the heavy crude oil imported to the United States in 2022 came from Canada, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Besides oil, Canada, in 2023, supplied nearly 100 percent of the natural gas and 85 percent of the electrical energy imported by the United States, according to Canada’s energy regulator. ********* electricity is especially important to powering New England. Canada also more provides more than one-fourth of the uranium the United States imports to run nuclear reactors, federal data shows, a higher share than any other nation. The U.S. needs Canada’s lumber Howard Lutnick, the U.S. commerce secretary, is investigating whether lumber imports are a threat to national security. In 2021, the most recent year figures were available, the United States purchased $28 billion worth of lumber from Canada, representing nearly half of lumber imports. American industry groups have estimated that the tariffs on lumber that Mr. Trump has introduced will increase home costs by an average of about $9,000. For now, the United States lumber industry cannot meet the demand from home builders, according to a recent analysis by Fastmarkets, a research company, and it would take the country at least 10 years to whittle down its need for imported lumber. U.S. farmers need Canada to plant their crops Farmers kicking off the planting season this year were reminded of the U.S. agriculture industry’s reliance on ********* imports of key chemical ingredients used in fertilizer, like the potassium-rich minerals called potash. The United States imports 85 percent of its potash from Canada, which is the world’s largest exporter of the minerals. But Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Canada will make potash more expensive for farmers to import and the increases could be passed down to grocery store shoppers, according to the Fertilizer Institute, a U.S. industry group. The next biggest global exporters of potash are Russia and Belarus. Trump says the U.S. needs Canada’s friendship. Many Canadians say forget about it. The usually warm relationship between the two countries is in tatters, with Canada invoking a defensive tactic used in hockey — “elbows up” — as its posture against Mr. Trump’s economic attacks and threats to make Canada a U.S. state. Canadians have taken to boycotting American-made products and shirking summer travel to the United States, with the number of flights scheduled to the country from Canada down by 21 percent, a New York Times analysis shows. A quirky symbol of the countries’ special bond has also suffered. The United States has restricted ********* access to the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a historic site that straddles the border between Quebec and Vermont. American officials said the move was necessary to stop “drug traffickers and smugglers.” Despite the frosty relations, Mr. Carney and Mr. Trump had a cordial exchange in front of news media cameras in the Oval Office last week. Mr. Trump s described his “love” for Canada and desire for continued friendship. Still he repeated his desire for Canada to become part of the United States. Mr. Carney quickly pushed back to make clear that his country was not for *****. Mr. Trump did not relent: “Never say never!” Source link #Trumps #Tariffs #Canada #Spark #Debate #U.S #Trade #U.S #Canada Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Silicon Motion enables PCIe 5.0 SSDs at mainstream prices with SM2504XT controller Silicon Motion enables PCIe 5.0 SSDs at mainstream prices with SM2504XT controller By now, SSD platform companies have already introduced high-end solutions for drives with a PCIe 5.0 interface, so now it is time to bring this technology to mainstream solid-state drives. At the upcoming Computex 2025 trade show in Taipei, Silicon Motion plans to demonstrate drives based on its SM2504XT controller with a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface that promise to wed leading-edge performance with mainstream price points. The Silicon Motion SM2504XT is an NVM 2.0-compliant controller based on a triple-core Arm Cortex-R8 complex that features four 3D NAND channels supporting data transfer rates of up to 3600 MT/s, which is theoretically enough to saturate its PCIe 5.0 x4 interface. You may like In practice, given all protocol and NAND overheads, SMI expects drives based on the SM2504XT controller to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 11.5 GB/s and 11.0 GB/s, respectively, and random IOPS reaching 1.7M read and 2.0M write. That is in line with 1st Generation high-end PCIe 5.0 drives, which are still among the best SSDs available. The chip is made by TSMC using its N6 fabrication process. (Image credit: Silicon Motion) The SM2504XT supports NANDXtend ECC technology relying low-density parity-check (LDPC) error correction codes with a codeword size of 4 kilobytes (4096 bytes) to ensure compatibility with the latest and upcoming types of 3D TLC and 3D QLC NAND memory. In addition, the chip supports separate command architecture (SCA) that separates the command and address transmission paths within the NAND interface, enabling the controller to process commands and addresses in parallel rather than sequentially to cut real-world latency and increase bandwidth. Since the SM2504XT is aimed at mainstream SSDs, it also supports Host Memory Buffer (HMB) for DRAM-less configurations. (Image credit: Silicon Motion) In terms of power, the controller excels with active power consumption under 4.7 W and idle power as low as 1.2 mW, offering up to 24% higher power efficiency than an unnamed competitor and a 12% power improvement compared to the high-end SM2508 platform. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. (Image credit: Silicon Motion) As for security, the SM2504XT supports everything that its higher-end brethren do, including AES-128/256 encryption, TCG Opal 2.0 compliance, secure boot, and hardware SHA/TRNG. Silicon Motion’s SM2504XT comes in a compact 252-ball FCCSP-C (11.6 mm x 6.8 mm) package and is suitable for both full-size M.2-2280/22110 drives as well as miniature M.2-2230 SSDs. Silicon Motion plans to demonstrate drives based on the SM2504XT controller at Computex 2025. For now, it is hard to say when actual drives powered by the new processor are set to be available commercially, but we will surely ask SMI about it at the upcoming trade show. 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 #Silicon #Motion #enables #PCIe #SSDs #mainstream #prices #SM2504XT #controller Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

House Republicans float compromise to placate warring factions: Faster Medicaid cuts and a larger SALT deduction – NBC News House Republicans float compromise to placate warring factions: Faster Medicaid cuts and a larger SALT deduction – NBC News House Republicans float compromise to placate warring factions: Faster Medicaid cuts and a larger SALT deduction NBC NewsTrump package to be changed to appease recalcitrant Republicans The HillTrump’s New Tax Cuts Could Shower Americans With Cash, for Now The New York Times‘First time we were hearing of them’: The GOP megabill is packed with surprises for some Republicans YahooLots of talk, little outward progress as House GOP closes in on megabill Politico Source link #House #Republicans #float #compromise #placate #warring #factions #Faster #Medicaid #cuts #larger #SALT #deduction #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US says Trump and Putin needed for breakthrough in Ukraine talks US says Trump and Putin needed for breakthrough in Ukraine talks Reuters Top US diplomat Marco Rubio says he does not have high expectations for peace talks due to be held between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey and asserted that Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to meet. “It’s my assessment that I don’t think we’re going to have a breakthrough here until President Trump and President Putin interact directly on this topic,” he said, speaking after a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in southern Turkey. Earlier Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukraine would send a delegation to meet Russian officials in Istanbul, but accused Russia of not treating them seriously. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, he criticised the “low-level” Moscow delegation. Its head, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, insisted the Kremlin team had “all the necessary competencies”. Earlier in the day, Trump – who is visiting the Middle East – also suggested that significant progress in peace talks was unlikely until he and Putin met in person. Asked by the BBC on board Air Force One if he was disappointed by the level of the Russian delegation, he said: “Look, nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together”. “He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there and I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together, but we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying,” he added. Trump said he would attend talks in Turkey on Friday if it was “appropriate” but later said he would probably return to Washington. Delegations from Turkey, the US, Ukraine and Russia had been due to meet in Istanbul on Thursday for the first face-to-face Ukraine-Russia talks since 2022. As of Thursday evening, no time for them to take place had been set. Some reports suggest they may now happen on Friday. Watch: Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, Trump says Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks on 15 May in Istanbul in response to a call by European leaders and Ukraine for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky then challenged Putin to meet him in person, but on Thursday the Kremlin said that the Russian president was not among officials due to travel. In Ankara, Zelensky accused Moscow of “disrespect” towards Trump and Erdogan because of the Russian delegation’s lack of seniority and reiterated his challenge to the Russian leader to meet him personally. “No time of the meeting, no agenda, no high-level of delegation – this is personal disrespect to Erdogan, to Trump,” he said. Meanwhile, Medinsky told reporters in Istanbul that Russia saw the talks as a “continuation” of failed negotiations in 2022 that took place shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour. “The task of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is to sooner or later reach the establishment of long-term peace by eliminating the basic root causes of the conflict,” Medinsky said. EPA The head of Moscow’s delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, insisted the Kremlin team had “all the necessary competencies” The Istanbul talks mark the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since the unsuccessful effort in 2022. Members of Moscow’s Turkey delegation were involved in those talks and Russia has indicated it wants to pick up where they left off. The terms under discussion included demands for Ukraine to become a neutral country, cut the size of its military and abandon Nato membership ambitions – conditions that Ukraine has repeatedly rejected as tantamount to capitulation. Fighting in Ukraine rages on, with Russia saying its forces had captured two more villages in the eastern Dontesk region on Thursday. Moscow now controls approximately 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. *** Defence Minister John Healey called on Ukraine’s allies to “put pressure on Putin”. Speaking after a meeting with ******* counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin on Thursday, Healey urged further sanctions on Russia “to bring him to the negotiating table”. Source link #Trump #Putin #needed #breakthrough #Ukraine #talks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Diablo 4’s Most Recent Balance Patch Secretly Added A Great Quality-Of-Life Feature Diablo 4’s Most Recent Balance Patch Secretly Added A Great Quality-Of-Life Feature Diablo 4 Season 8 is in full swing, and the first balance update of the season has brought buffs to a number of classes and seasonal mechanics. Blizzard additionally used the update to introduce a major quality-of-life change, one that it initially forgot to include in the official patch notes. Update 2.2.1, released on May 14, added the ability to turn in Tree of Whisper bounties from any major city, with Ravens of the Tree now located in Cerrigar, Gea Kul, Ked Bardu, Kyovashad, Kurast, and Zarbinzet. It’s actually a feature originally part of Season 7 that has now been added to the game permanently. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter Now Playing: Diablo 4 x Berserk | Official Gameplay Trailer “This is a commonly requested feature from Season 7 that has been brought back into the game to help players save time on Whisper events,” Diablo community manager Adam Fletcher said in a post on the Diablo 4 forums. “This was originally missing from the patch notes, but we will be updating the notes to include this feature.” It might not sound like much, but being able to turn in Whisper bounties in major cities where players likely are already spending their time significantly speeds up the entire bounty running process. Instead of completing 10 bounties, having to navigate to the map, travel to the Tree of Whispers, turn in, and then teleport back to their previous location, players can simply travel to a nearby town and turn it in immediately, or wait for when they are already in town doing various other activities to do it then. The feature has since been added to the official patch notes with a comment from the development team. “We recognized that backtracking to the tree to turn in Whispers made for a bloated gameplay loop,” the patch notes read. “A Raven of the Tree was added to each capital city to cut down on turn in time.” As for other changes in the update, numerous Spiritborn skills and passives have received buffs, along with buffs for multiple Druid passives and some significant damage increases for Barbarian items like Ghor’s Devastating Grips and Twin Strikes. There have been a few season-specific improvements as well. The boss power Sinerat’s Flame received a 25% damage buff, and Apparition Incursions are now both easier to find on the map and spawn Betraying Eyes, needed for some seasonal journey objectives, more consistently. For more details on what all is included in update 2.2.1, be sure to read the full patch notes. Diablo 4 Season 8 started April 29 and brought major, permanent changes to the ARPG’s endgame bosses, making them stronger but more rewarding. Blizzard additionally reworked Diablo 4’s battle pass system, a change that, while better in some ways, didn’t exactly go over well with players. Diablo 4 also crossed over with Berserk for Season 8, and while there are some free rewards for players to earn, the crossover largely feels like a huge wasted opportunity. Source link #Diablo #Balance #Patch #Secretly #Added #Great #QualityOfLife #Feature Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

MAGA leaders want Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin for the ******* of George Floyd. Could that really happen? MAGA leaders want Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin for the ******* of George Floyd. Could that really happen? On Wednesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — the Democratic Party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee — addressed a conservative cause celebre that’s been percolating online for months: the push to get President Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd almost exactly five years ago. There’s “no indication whether [Trump is] going to do it or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it, “ Walz said in response to questions from reporters. “With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do.” Why do MAGA leaders want the president to pardon Chauvin? Is there any reason to think Trump will actually go through with it? And what would happen if he did? Here’s everything you need to know about the debate over Chauvin’s future. Why is Chauvin in prison? Chauvin is serving two concurrent sentences. First, in April 2021, a Minnesota state jury found Chauvin guilty of all three counts brought against him after he knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for more than nine minutes: second-degree *******, third-degree ******* and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was among the police officers who responded to a call the previous spring accusing Floyd, 46, of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a Minneapolis corner store. After Floyd was handcuffed, Chauvin restrained him face down on the street as Floyd repeatedly pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” A Hennepin County medical examiner ruled Floyd’s death a ********* due to “cardiopulmonary arrest” that occurred during “law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” Two months later, in June 2021, Chauvin pleaded guilty — in federal court — to depriving Floyd of his civil rights (and doing the same to a 14-year-old in a separate 2017 case where he also used “excessive force”). “I really don’t know why you did what you did,” a federal judge told Chauvin in 2022. “To put your knee on a person’s neck until they expired is simply wrong.” Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and half years in prison for his state conviction and 21 years for his federal conviction. He is currently incarcerated at a federal facility in Texas. He is expected to be released in November 2037. In November 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s effort to appeal his state conviction. Where is this pardon push coming from? In May 2023, a page from Floyd’s autopsy report started circulating on social media. Users claimed that it was “new” and that it revealed the true cause of Floyd’s death: drugs. “BREAKING NEWS: George Floyd full autopsy released,” read one post. “Says ‘no life threatening injuries identified’ and reveals high levels of multiple additional toxic drugs on top of the Fentanyl that was initially reported.” Another post claimed that “the coroner’s report says Floyd died from drugs — not COPS.” But according to a thorough Associated Press fact check, these posts were false. “The image being shared online simply shows the second page of the autopsy report released three years ago by Hennepin County,” the AP reported. “It does not prove anything new about Floyd’s death, and ignores that the prior page concludes that it was a ********* due to ‘cardiopulmonary arrest’ from ‘law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.’” Independent experts added that Floyd’s underlying medical problems and drug use simply made it “more likely that he would not fare well under [the] stress” of being knelt on for more than nine minutes — and that the lack of “life-threatening injuries” in his neck “does not mean that asphyxia did not occur,” but rather that it didn’t leave behind “major bruising or damage to the muscles, cartilage or bones.” A second autopsy commissioned by Floyd’s family around the same time identified “asphyxiation from sustained pressure” as the cause of death. Regardless, conservative media figures such as Tucker Carlson seized on the idea that Floyd was to blame for his own death — and that Chauvin was therefore innocent. “Derek Chauvin is serving 21 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit,” Carlson posted in December 2023. “If they’d do this to him, they’d do it to you.” “George Floyd died from a drug overdose,” agreed Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylore Greene. “Derek Chauvin should be released from prison and his record should be scrubbed.” In March of this year, two months after Trump returned to the Oval Office, conservative pundit Ben Shapiro launched a petition to get Chauvin pardoned — and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who serves as the de facto head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, said it was “something to think about.” On his podcast, Shapiro argued Chauvin did not receive a fair trial because the ****** Lives Matter movement put “massive pressure on the jury” — and that Chauvin was “not guilty beyond reasonable doubt” because Floyd was “high on fentanyl and had a significant preexisting heart condition.” Shapiro then speculated that Floyd died of “excited delirium” — a “completely fabricated condition,” according to Scientific American. Is Trump considering a pardon? In March, White House reporters asked Trump about pardoning Chauvin. “No, I haven’t even heard about it,” he said. Since then, there has been no indication that the president is planning to move on the issue. As the five-year anniversary of Floyd’s killing approaches — a milestone that could, in theory, trigger a pardon — both the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minnesota Department of Corrections told the Minnesota Star Tribune that they’ve heard nothing to suggest an imminent change in Chauvin’s status (even as Minneapolis officials quietly prepare, just in case). When Walz said earlier this week that a pardon “seems like … something they would do,” he was likely referring to the fact that Trump has not been shy about using his presidential powers to issue controversial pardons (including 1,500 of them for supporters of his who were charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol) or stir the pot on civil rights (by prioritizing white Afrikaners as refugees or dismantling the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that gained momentum in the wake of Floyd’s killing). Can Trump actually pardon Chauvin? And what would happen if he did? Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, Trump has the power to unilaterally pardon Chauvin’s federal conviction — but he can’t do anything about Chauvin’s state conviction. As Walz pointed out Wednesday, this means that if Trump does erase Chauvin’s federal sentence, Minnesota authorities “will simply transfer Derek Chauvin to serve out his [state sentence of] 22-and-a-half years in prison in Minnesota.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office led the state prosecution of Chauvin, echoed Walz in a statement. Source link #MAGA #leaders #Trump #pardon #Derek #Chauvin #******* #George #Floyd #happen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Patch 1.3 Adds Horse Racing To Henry’s Medieval Experience Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Patch 1.3 Adds Horse Racing To Henry’s Medieval Experience If you ever wondered what the Kentucky Derby would look like if attendees traded big hats for medieval garb, Bohemia Interactive has you covered. Today, the developer released Patch 1.3 for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which, among other big changes, brings horse racing to the game–along with a few new quests to boot. The horse racing activity can be found in the Nomads’ camp in the province of Trosky, and players can participate in either cross-country races or mounted archery competitions. Three new quests related to horse racing will also be added: Horses for Courses, Racing Horseshoes, and The Executioner’s Edge. The patch also includes dozens of fixes across the entire game, including improved fast travel speed while riding a horse, a fix for a bug where Henry’s trusty dog Mutt would at times randomly attack him, and more. The full patch notes for the 1.3 update can be found on the official KCD2 website. Patch 1.3 launches alongside Kingdom Come: Deliverance II’s first paid DLC story expansion, Brushes With Death. In it, Henry must help a mysterious painter character complete his life’s work–and in the process, discover secrets from his past. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. PC. Brushes With Death is sold separately, and as part of both the KCD2 Expansion Pass and Gold Edition. Source link #Kingdom #Deliverance #Patch #Adds #Horse #Racing #Henrys #Medieval #Experience Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How Trump’s Order on Birthright Citizenship Fits in His Immigration Efforts How Trump’s Order on Birthright Citizenship Fits in His Immigration Efforts President Trump’s executive order to limit birthright citizenship was just one in a blitz of actions in the early days of his second term meant to transform the way the United States treats immigrants. But the order on citizenship is one of the few changes to immigration policy that Mr. Trump has directed that have not taken effect. Yet. Mr. Trump’s executive order to end automatic citizenship for undocumented immigrants and foreign residents captured intense public attention amid the flurry of his Day 1 actions. But many of the other policies announced when Mr. Trump returned to the White House immediately upended the U.S. immigration system. Mr. Trump militarized border security, deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and tapping the Defense Department to assist deportation efforts by using military flights to deport immigrants to other countries. He canceled a Biden-era program that allowed migrants to make asylum appointments in the United States, leaving in limbo 30,000 would-be immigrants who already had a screening scheduled. He declared an “invasion at the southern border,” and claimed vast powers to block entry into the United States. Mr. Trump declared a national emergency at the border to allow him to circumvent Congress and unlock federal funding for border wall construction and other enforcement efforts. Mr. Trump also designated ******** cartels and Venezuelan and Salvadoran street gangs as terrorist organizations, and created new task forces to round up and deport migrants. Justice Department employees were directed to order U.S. attorneys around the country to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officials who refuse to enforce the Trump administration’s new immigration policies. Overseas, Mr. Trump suspended refugee admissions, stranding more than 10,000 displaced people who had already been approved for travel. And those actions began in just the first few days of Mr. Trump’s second term. In the months since, Mr. Trump has turned the whole federal apparatus to bolster his deportation efforts. He has directed more federal agents toward immigration enforcement as he accelerates his crackdown. He has also pressured countries in Central America to accept deported citizens of other nations. But on Thursday, that will take a back seat to the Supreme Court’s review of his attempted action on American citizenship. Source link #Trumps #Order #Birthright #Citizenship #Fits #Immigration #Efforts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Review | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (PC) – 8Bit/Digi Review | Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (PC) – 8Bit/Digi Richard Bailey Jr. of The Koalition writes: When I previewed Capcom Fighting Collection 2 last month, I described this package as an absolute blast that I couldn’t wait to spend more time with. Having already covered six of the eight games in the collection, I was curious to see what these final two titles would bring to the overall experience. Source link #Review #Capcom #Fighting #Collection #8BitDigi Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Prosecutors Charge Sinaloa Cartel Operatives With Terrorism Crimes Prosecutors Charge Sinaloa Cartel Operatives With Terrorism Crimes Federal prosecutors in Southern California filed narco-terrorism charges Tuesday against two leaders of the Sinaloa drug cartel, accusing them of offering material support for terrorism in connection with their alleged efforts to smuggle large amounts of fentanyl, ********, methamphetamine and heroin into the United States. The indictment filed in Federal District Court in San Diego was the first time that prosecutors had accused operatives of the Sinaloa cartel of terrorism crimes since the Trump administration designated the group a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. The indictment charged a father and son — Pedro Inzunza Noriega, 62, and Pedro Inzunza Coronel, 33 — with violating terrorism statutes while running a drug business that reached from Mexico to Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica. The two men were leaders of the Beltrán-Leyva faction of the cartel, prosecutors said, and were named in the indictment with five of their subordinates, who were not accused of terrorism offenses. The nine-page charging document did not include any details about how the men had engaged in the alleged narco-terrorism. It remains to be seen whether the case against them will reveal any evidence supporting the terrorism charges that go beyond the administration’s decision to identify the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist organization. Trump administration officials have also designated other criminal mafias as terrorist groups, including ******** drug gangs like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and more traditional street gangs like Tren de Aragua, which is based in Venezuela, and the Salvadoran group known as MS-13. Over the past several years, prosecutors claim, Mr. Inzunza Noriega and his son trafficked tens of thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. In December, they said, ******** law enforcement officials raided multiple locations in Sinaloa that were controlled and managed by the men, discovering nearly 20 million doses of the drug in what was described as a record seizure. At the time, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said the operations were part of a long investigation and had resulted in “the largest mass seizure of fentanyl pills ever made.” She added that the operation had seized more than a ton of fentanyl pills worth nearly $400 million. U.S. law enforcement officials have generally supported the idea of designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations — if only because it gives prosecutors the ability to charge cartel defendants under powerful federal statutes that often carry stiff penalties. But prosecutors have not yet had to defend such charges in court and may face pushback not only from defense lawyers, but also from judges overseeing such cases. Prosecutors have traditionally relied on drug conspiracy charges to go after cartel operatives. Last week, for example, Ovidio Guzmán López, one of four sons of the former Sinaloa cartel leader known as El Chapo, indicated in court papers that he planned to plead guilty in July to a sprawling charge known as a continuing criminal enterprise. Source link #Prosecutors #Charge #Sinaloa #Cartel #Operatives #Terrorism #Crimes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

21 Years Ago This Week, GTA 6 Studio Rockstar Released Its Only Movie — It Didn’t Even Cross $1 Million Dollars 21 Years Ago This Week, GTA 6 Studio Rockstar Released Its Only Movie — It Didn’t Even Cross $1 Million Dollars Long before Rockstar Games became known for the billion-dollar franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, the studio tried its hand at something very different: movies. Exactly 21 years ago this week, the studio stepped outside of game development and into film production, and helped bring The Football Factory to *** theaters on May 14, 2004. You may have seen this movie at some point because it is quite a cult classic, especially among the British audience. But at the time, it didn’t achieve the multi-million or even billion-dollar successes that blockbuster movies have today. Which is fair because it wasn’t a blockbuster in the first place. Did you even know that Rockstar made a movie? The movie is so old that you probably don’t even remember it. | Image Credit: Rockstar The Football Factory follows Tommy Johnson, a hardened Chelsea “firm” member who lives for late-night brawls and heavy drinking. Directed by Nick Love from A.J. Lovell’s screenplay, the film portrays the violent rituals of English football hooliganism through Tommy’s frenetic world of street fights, courtroom appearances, and disappointing family ties. On this day 21 years ago, the film ‘Football Factory’ was released. This was first film to be released by Rockstar Games. pic.twitter.com/vEIMfyTMe7 — GTA News RockstarINTEL.com (@GTAonlineNews) May 14, 2025 It starred Danny Dyer, who would go on to become a key voice actor for the studio as the cheeky Kent Paul in GTA: Vice City and San Andreas. While the movie featured no shortage of violence and chaos, its deeper themes explored regret, loyalty, and the cost of toxic masculinity. Interestingly, Rockstar’s involvement was never widely publicized, and even among fans of the studio’s games, there weren’t many who knew of it. Many who watched the film upon release, or rediscovered it years later, only recently learned about the studio’s involvement in the production. Even you may have seen the movie before and only learned of the involvement now. “No way GTA 6 graphics will be as good as the trailer” Literally GTA 5 trailer 2… Rockstar Games look BETTER than the trailers pic.twitter.com/wruwF4m1zl — TGG (@TGGonYT) May 14, 2025 Despite having a quality cast, crew, and even a bit of Rockstar‘s storytelling DNA, The Football Factory didn’t exactly light up the box office. The film earned just £623,138 in the ***, or under $1 million USD. That now seems modest compared to Rockstar’s multibillion-dollar game launches. For context, GTA V generated over $1 billion within three days of release. Even GTA 6 already looks like a movie in its trailer What’s perhaps more surprising is that Rockstar hasn’t tried again since. Given its storytelling pedigree and cinematic flair in games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA 5, many fans have wondered why the studio hasn’t ventured into film or television with more intention. It’s not for lack of material because we know that their games often feel more like movies than games. Despite this cinematic experiment, Rockstar’s focus remains squarely on video games. And with GTA 6 currently set for a May 2026 release, the studio is fully back in its wheelhouse. The game was originally expected earlier, but has already faced internal delays. Some even speculate that Rockstar could push the launch to late 2026 if the studio deems the game unfinished Rockstar has never tried to make another movie since. But in a way, it didn’t need to. Every game it releases feels like one, and GTA 6 might go even further with that, considering how long the game has taken to make and how good the trailer looks. The Football Factory is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video (USA). Source link #Years #Week #GTA #Studio #Rockstar #Released #Movie #Didnt #Cross #Million #Dollars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell tested, performs roughly 10-15% faster than a stock RTX 5090 RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell tested, performs roughly 10-15% faster than a stock RTX 5090 Two outlets have benchmarked Nvidia’s newest RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPU, revealing its full capabilities against the RTX 5090 and other GeForce GPUs. Privaterbok on Reddit revealed eight benchmarks on the new workstation GPU, featuring 3DMark and Geekbench 6 benchmark runs. The Redditor published benchmark runs of the Blackwell-based workstation GPU in TimeSpy, TimeSpy Extreme, Steel Nomad, Port Royal, and Geekbench 6. On average, the RTX Pro 6000 is roughly 10-15% faster than a stock RTX 5090, and even faster with an overclock, according to RTX 5090 data from Videocardz. Swipe to scroll horizontally 3DMark Benchmarks: RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell RTX 5090 (#1 results on 3DMark leaderboards) 3DMark Time Spy 51,776 57,591 3DMark Time Spy Extreme 28,009 29,494 3DMark TimeSpy (with OC) 54,300 57,591 3DMark Time Spy Extreme (with OC) 30,019 29,494 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (with OC) 16,804 18,325 3DMark Port Royal (with OC) 42,374 46,715 Geekbench 6 Open CL 434,166 375,423 Geekbench 6 Vulkan 431,723 395,146 For benchmark comparisons, we paired the Redditor’s RTX Pro 6000 GPU benchmarking data against the best RTX 5090 results from 3DMark’s browser. All of these 3DMark results take advantage of highly overclocked RTX 5090s, giving us an idea of what the workstation GPU is capable of compared to the fastest consumer GPU Nvidia makes currently on full tilt. You may like The RTX Pro 6000 at stock speeds loses to the overclocked RTX 5090 results, with the RTX 5090 being roughly 5-10% quicker on average. Looking at the overclocked RTX Pro 6000 results, the GPUs are on more equal footing, though the RTX Pro 6000 still loses in Time Spy with the RTX 5090 being 5% quicker. However, in Time Spy Extreme, the workstation GPU gains a slight win with a score 1% better than the RTX 5090. These are by no means perfect comparisons; each 3DMark RTX 5090 score probably comes from a different person with different setups and different overclocks. Geekbench 6 is more straightforward; we took the RTX 5090 results straight from the Geekbench website, which are officially validated. In Geekbench 6, the RTX Pro 6000 is anywhere between 9% and 15% faster than the RTX 5090. Level1Techs also put the RTX Pro 6000 through some gaming-centric benchmarks, with several runs of Cyberpunk 2077. At ultra settings running at 4K with DLSS on auto (i.e., performance mode) with path tracing off, the RTX Pro 6000 achieved 127.02 frames per second, and with path tracing on 92.54 FPS Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. The RTX Pro 6000 is Nvidia’s latest high-end workstation GPU (a Titan-like card) and successor to the RTX Pro 5000 (which was also Blackwell-based). The RTX Pro 6000 has 10% more CUDA cores than the RTX 5090 (24,064) and 96GB of GDDR7 memory. Outgoing pricing for the RTX Pro 6000 is in the $8,000 range. Source link #RTX #Pro #Blackwell #tested #performs #roughly #faster #stock #RTX Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tiger Cub hedge fund Coatue unveils a big stake in popular AI startup IPO Tiger Cub hedge fund Coatue unveils a big stake in popular AI startup IPO Philippe Laffont’s Coatue Management took a sizable stake in Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence infrastructure provider CoreWeave amid the first’s highly anticipated March initial public offering. The hedge fund unveiled a $534 million holding in CoreWeave, which in late March had the biggest venture-backed tech IPO for a U.S. company since 2021. On Wednesday, the AI firm reported better-than-expected revenue in the company’s first earnings release since going public. CoreWeave also called for faster growth than expected for this year. Laffont, one of the so-called Tiger Cubs who previously worked under the late Julian Robertson at Tiger Management, owned a slew of stocks tied to the AI ***** that’s been driving the stock market over the past year. Coatue’s top holdings included some of the so-called Magnificent Seven stocks such as Meta Platforms , Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia, while the hedge fund also had a significant stake in Taiwan Semiconductor. Also during the first quarter, the hedge fund built smaller stakes in Carvana , Skyworks Solutions , Pinterest , Tempus AI and Astera Labs . Source link #Tiger #Cub #hedge #fund #Coatue #unveils #big #stake #popular #startup #IPO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Walmart warns it will raise prices within weeks because of tariffs – The Washington Post Walmart warns it will raise prices within weeks because of tariffs – The Washington Post Walmart warns it will raise prices within weeks because of tariffs The Washington PostWalmart stock slides as it signals price hikes due to ‘magnitude’ of Trump tariffs Yahoo FinanceWalmart is raising prices due to tariffs: What you should know TODAY.comWalmart CFO says price hikes from tariffs could start later this month, as retailer beats on earnings CNBCWalmart Becomes Biggest Retailer Yet to Pass Through Tariff Price Increases WSJ Source link #Walmart #warns #raise #prices #weeks #tariffs #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RFK Jr. wavers on vaccines, says not to heed his medical advice – National RFK Jr. wavers on vaccines, says not to heed his medical advice – National U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a committee of Democrats and Republicans Wednesday that the public should not heed medical advice from him, after skirting questions on whether or not he would vaccinate his children. Kennedy faced a bipartisan committee of House representatives, charged with questioning him on proposals for sweeping funding cuts to health care and scientific research for the 2026 fiscal year, and on how he is operating his department. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum / Getty Images The group of lawmakers probed Kennedy’s approach to his job, some arguing that he has endangered vaccine uptake, ******* research and dental health over just a few months in office. Story continues below advertisement But Kennedy stood by the Trump administration’s efforts to redraw the boundaries of the US$1.7-trillion-a-year agency, promising it would create a more efficient operation focused on promoting healthier lifestyles among Americans. 4:04 RFK Jr. calls for investigation into ‘environmental toxins’ linked to autism ‘epidemic’ Previous Video Next Video “There’s so much chaos and disorganization in this department,” Kennedy said during the hearing. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. “What we’re saying is, let’s organize in a way that we can quickly adopt and deploy all these opportunities we have to really deliver high-quality health care to the American people.” The health secretary, who has already downsized his department from 82,000 to 62,000 staff, defended the Trump administration’s proposed budget for next year, which includes a $500-million funding boost for his Make America Healthy Again initiative and its intention to slash funding to infectious disease prevention, medical research and maternal health initiatives. Story continues below advertisement The health secretary navigated scrutiny from both sides of the bench, with Democrat Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman of New Jersey questioning why he plans to effectively eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $4.1 billion in heating assistance to families in need, including those living in remote areas. Trending Now As another Canada Post strike looms, here’s what you need to know Should home prices go down? ’No,’ says Canada’s new housing minister Kennedy said the cuts would save the government money, despite being warned by proponents of the scheme that getting rid of it would “end up killing people.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska, said any savings made would be felt too late for people in her state. More on World More videos “Right now, folks in Alaska still need those ugly generators to keep warm,” she said. Kennedy’s mixed messaging on vaccines, which has already caused a rift within the health department, also proved contentious during Wednesday’s proceedings. “If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?” Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who described Kennedy as a “conundrum,” asked at the hearing. “For measles? Um, probably for measles,” Kennedy said, with a momentary hesitation. “What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.… I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.” Story continues below advertisement When asked whether he would vaccinate his children against chickenpox, Kennedy doubled down, saying he did not want to give vaccine advice. He said the same in response to questioning about protecting against polio. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2000 and 2023, the measles vaccine averted about 60 million deaths related to the disease, and over the past 50 years has saved an estimated 94 million lives. — With files from The Associated Press &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #RFK #wavers #vaccines #heed #medical #advice #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]