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Smart device can measure how much milk breastfed babies really drink Smart device can measure how much milk breastfed babies really drink It can be difficult to gauge how much milk a breastfed baby is getting lebedinskaia natalia/Getty Images Parents could one day track how much breast milk their baby is drinking, thanks to a device that sends alerts to their smartphones in real time. “A common anxiety around breastfeeding is the uncertainty surrounding the amounts of breast milk that babies get,” says Daniel Robinson at Northwestern University in Illinois. “It increases stress for the breastfeeding mothers, parents and even the clinicians.” Undernourished infants may grow less quickly and, in extreme cases, can become dehydrated. Clinicians often assess how well infants breastfeed by weighing them before and after a feed, and reviewing how frequently they fill diapers, but these are cumbersome and crude measures, says Robinson. To develop a more precise metric, he and his colleagues built a device made up of four electrodes, each a few centimetres wide, that can stick to the breast, away from the nipple. Two electrodes transmit very weak electrical currents from one side of the breast to the other, where they are received by the second pair. The device sends these recordings to a smartphone app that calculates how much milk has been released in real time, based on the electrical signals becoming weaker as more milk is released, says Robinson. To test the validity of the system, the researchers used it on 12 breastfeeding women as they used breast pumps to express into bottles for about 15 minutes. The system estimated the volume of milk collected to within about 2 millilitres of the actual amount, on average, with each participant expressing an average of 50 millilitres. This suggests the device could enable parents, under the supervision of clinicians, to track their babies’ nutrition and make appropriate changes, such as potentially supplementing with formula milk, says Robinson. The device consists of sticky electrodes that attach to the breast Northwestern University In another experiment, one of the women wore the device while breastfeeding. The app calculated that her baby drank 24 millilitres of milk, which is similar to the 20 millimetres the team calculated by weighing the infant immediately before and after feeding, says Robinson. “One of the commonest reasons for mothers with term infants giving up breastfeeding is the perception that they have insufficient milk, so this technique could be helpful in establishing whether that is true or not, and also maybe to see if changing positioning or latching could improve milk flow,” says Mary Fewtrell at University College London. But larger studies are needed to verify the accuracy of the approach, as well as whether the device interferes with milk production, has any long-term side effects and if parents even want it, says Amy Brown at Swansea University in the ***. Topics: Source link #Smart #device #measure #milk #breastfed #babies #drink Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Micro Computer: What’s So Special About this AI Stock? Super Micro Computer: What’s So Special About this AI Stock? Over the last five years, the movement of Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:) stock resembles that of an exciting altcoin. SMCI shares gained 1,434% value in that *******, rising with the accelerating AI hype from late 2023 to an all-time high of $118.81 in March 2024. The server company suffered reputational damage in September 2024 from the Hindenburg Research investment group, which had alleged nepotism and accounting malpractice. During 2025, SMCI stock volatility continued, rallying to $60.25 in February, only to drop to the current price level of $38.36 per share. Nonetheless, Supermicro stock outperformed the (SPX) index year-to-date, at 22% vs flatlined 0.05% SPX gains. With such fruitful price swings in recent history, is it a good idea to consider SMCI stock exposure at its present level? Why Did Supermicro Gain Prominence in the First Place? Although it is possible to have a local large language model (LLM) running thanks to open-source frameworks and models, this will likely remain a niche sector. Case in point, of the global banked population (~6 billion), only 130.4 million individuals own . This is a tiny 2% stake compared to many benefits of having a decentralized store of value that has embedded scarcity. In other words, there is always friction when it comes to integrating novel technology at a personal level. As we explored previously, the nature of AI is such that governments are making it happen via private-public partnerships (PPPs). From content generation and algorithmically regulating that content on a granular level, to productivity tools, the future seems to be AI-powered. And as this new AI layer is added to human experience, it will require vast infrastructure in the form of data centers packed with servers. This is Supermicro’s primary fundamental supply of highly efficient server solutions. At present, the company’s flagship is the X14 Hyper system. Featuring Intel’s CPU in a single socket system, and extensive memory and storage scaling, X14 series is purportedly 4x more performant than the last generation of dual socket systems. Such enterprise-grade solutions are critical for running simulations, AI training and general high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. “The systems now shipping in volume promise to unlock new capabilities and levels of performance for our customers around the world, featuring low latency, maximum I/O expansion providing high throughput with 256 performance cores per system, 12 memory channels per CPU with MRDIMM support, and high performance EDSFF storage options.” Charles Liang, Supermicro CEO in January 2025 Even before the wave of AI investments, Supermicro has been a key supplier to Big Tech companies such as Oracle (NYSE:), currently headed by Larry Ellison as the executive chairman. Since then, Supermicro has expanded its offering into liquid-cooled GPU servers and AI-optimized servers. The question is, how crowded is the server market? Supermicro’s Positioning in the Server Market According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) report this April, the global server market expanded by 89% in Q4 2024. For the full year, the server market grew by 73.5%, compared to non-accelerated (not AI-related) server growth of 16.9% year-over-year. Expanding into 2029, investors should expect to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3% from the server market. According to CSIMarket, Supermicro holds 10.47% market share. Previously covered Dell Technologies (NYSE:) holds the global server crown at 44.48%, followed by Hewlett-Packard. Other Supermicro server rivals all fall under 2% market share. As with the wider semiconductor sector in general, this clearly points to heavy concentration, owing to its inherent complexity and scarcity of human capital. Another filter is Nvidia (NASDAQ:) itself, the primary beneficiary of the AI hype thanks to its full-stack solutions on both the software and hardware side. Although Nvidia partnered with Dell for its end-to-end AI Factory solutions, the company also has Supermicro as its preferred OEM partner. In early February, Supermicro unrolled its first offering of Nvidia’s cutting-edge Blackwell GPUs within its plug-and-play AI Building Blocks modular infrastructure solutions. Is the Server Macro Scene Even More Bullish? Substantial AI moves have occurred since Supermicro’s all-time high stock price of $118.81 in March 2024. Although China’s DeepSeek AI suggested that optimization could lead to lessened server demand, such a projection fails to account for market penetration. At that time, the CEO of ASML (NASDAQ:), a critical chip equipment maker, noted that AI usage is likely to offset such concerns. “We believe that when it comes to the size of our business, the demand will come more from the use of AI” Christophe Fouquet, CEO of ASML in late January 2025 Moreover, the server demand is yet to price in highly compute-demanding video generation, which has an inherent optimization cap. Not only does AI have to generate each frame, similar to text-to-image, but each frame has to have temporal consistency as an extra layer of complexity. This also means that text-to-video output is less amenable to localized AI due to high resource requirements. Once again, this bodes well for Supermicro’s future demand. Following President Trump’s inauguration, it is similarly bullish that the aforementioned Oracle chairman, Larry Ellison, led the White House presentation on the Stargate project, aiming for a $500 billion AI infrastructure funding. As explained previously, content generation is secondary to AI’s primary usage as governance technology. Lastly, Supermicro is aligned with the Trump admin regarding tariff concerns, as an American-Taiwanese company and with Taiwan being an unofficial U.S. protectorate. Supermicro’s Earnings and Price Target For the quarter ending March 31st, 2025, Supermicro generated 19.5% more sales to $4.6 billion compared to the year-ago quarter. For the nine months ending March, the company delivered relatively the same level of profits, at $853.7 million compared to $855.4 million in 2024. However, the R&D development expenses went significantly up in that *******, from $86 million to $141.6 million. From a server-demand side, this is likely bullish as the company unrolls the next generation of server solutions to maintain its market share. For the full fiscal 2025, Supermicro lowered revenue expectations, now within the $21.8 – $22.6 billion range from the previous $23.5 – $25 billion. In fiscal 2024, the company made $14.94 billion net sales, which is again significantly up from $7.12 billion in 2023. At present, Supermicro holds a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 21.10 against the average 26.33 P/E in the IT sector. According to WSJ’s forecasting data, the average SMCI price target is $41.08 against the current price of $38.36 per share. The bottom forecast is $15 while the ceiling price target for SMCI stock is $73 per share. Analyst outlook is somewhat divided, as 6 analysts view SMCI stock as “hold” while 5 think it should be bought at this price point. However, only 2 analysts think investors should sell. *** Neither the author, Tim Fries, nor this website, The Tokenist, provide financial advice. Please consult our website policy prior to making financial decisions. This article was originally published on The Tokenist. Check out The Tokenist’s free newsletter, Five Minute Finance, for weekly analysis of the biggest trends in finance and technology. Source link #Super #Micro #Computer #Whats #Special #Stock Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Mali junta dissolves all political parties in latest opposition crackdown Mali junta dissolves all political parties in latest opposition crackdown Mali’s military junta has dissolved all political parties in the country amid a growing crackdown on dissent since the army seized power. “All meetings of members of political parties and organisations of a political character are dissolved across the national territory,” a statement read on state TV on Tuesday said. The decision was validated by military leader Assimi Goïta, who seized power after coups in 2020 and 2021 and is due to stay in power for at least another five years despite pledges to hold elections. The move is expected to spark fresh resistance by political parties who have been demanding the country returns to democratic rule. Since last year, the military authorities have intensified a crackdown on political activity. Last week, following a rare pro-democracy protest, two opposition leaders were abducted by armed men saying they were police officers. The authorities have not commented on the reported arrests. A national conference organised by the regime – but boycotted by leading opposition parties – last month recommended naming Gen Goïta as president until 2030. The move sparked condemnation from opposition figures and human rights groups. The junta originally committed to holding elections in February 2022. The presidential decree read on Tuesday evening warned Malians not to ignore the dissolution of political parties but did not outline any penalties. It said that anyone working in a political or administrative role could “continue their duties without party affiliation”. The main opposition coalition is yet to comment but one of its members, Nouhoum Togo, downplayed the move in a social media post. “No matter how hard they try to make you invisible, your value doesn’t depend on their recognition,” Togo, president of the Union for the Safeguarding of the Republic (USR) party, posted. The latest order follows the suspension of all political activity – another recommendation from the national conference – which sparked uproar from the opposition. A coalition of a hundred parties had planned a protest against the transitional authorities last week but postponed it following the suspension of political activities. Since taking power, the junta leader has formed an alliance with coup leaders in neighbouring Burkina Faso and ******, pivoting the region towards Russia after drastically reducing ties with former colonial power France. Gen Goïta has also withdrawn Mali from the regional grouping Ecowas over its demands to restore democratic rule. Burkina Faso and ****** have also left the grouping. Source link #Mali #junta #dissolves #political #parties #latest #opposition #crackdown Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ellie Wilson confronts the trauma of her relationship Ellie Wilson confronts the trauma of her relationship Ellie Wilson confronts the trauma of her relationship as her ******* ex nears parole. Source link #Ellie #Wilson #confronts #trauma #relationship Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israeli intensifies Gaza bombing as Trump visits region Israeli intensifies Gaza bombing as Trump visits region Israeli military strikes have killed at least 50 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities say, in a significant escalation of the bombardment as US President Donald Trump continues his visit to the Middle East. Medics said most of the dead, including women and children, resulted from a barrage of Israeli air strikes that targeted several houses in the Jabalia area in northern Gaza. The Israeli military had no immediate comment and said it was trying to verify the reports. Israeli media reports on Wednesday cited security officials as saying they believed ****** military leader Mohammad Sinwar and other senior officials had been killed in a strike on Tuesday. The attack was on what the Israeli military described as a command-and-control bunker under the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. There was no confirmation either from the Israeli military or ******. On Wednesday, witnesses and medics said an Israeli air strike hit a bulldozer that approached the area of the strike at the European Hospital, wounding several people. Late on Tuesday, Islamic ******, an Iranian-backed militant group in Gaza allied with ******, fired rockets towards Israel. Shortly before the Israeli strikes began in response, the military issued evacuation orders to residents in the area of Jabalia and nearby Beit Lahiya. The Israeli escalation came against ************ hopes the Trump visit might provide pressure for a de-escalation of violence. ****** on Monday released ***** Alexander, the last known living American hostage, before Trump’s trip. Speaking in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump said more hostages would follow Alexander and added the people of Gaza deserved a better future. Efforts to agree a ceasefire have faltered in recent weeks, with ****** and Israel exchanging blame. ****** talked to the United States and Egyptian and Qatari mediators to arrange the release of Alexander, and Israel has sent a team to Doha to begin a new round of talks. On Tuesday, Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler met hostage families in Tel Aviv and said they could now see a better chance of an agreement for their release following the deal over Alexander. The US has also presented a plan to reopen humanitarian aid deliveries in Gaza using private contractors. Israel, which imposed a total blockade of supplies going into Gaza from March 2, has endorsed the plan. But it has been rejected by the United Nations and international aid agencies and key details, including funding and donors, remain unclear. Israel began its invasion of Gaza in retaliation for the ******-led attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and saw 251 taken as hostages into Gaza. The Israeli campaign has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and devastated the small coastal enclave. Its population of about 2.3 million people is on the brink of famine, according to aid groups and international agencies. Source link #Israeli #intensifies #Gaza #bombing #Trump #visits #region Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

In Tesla’s wake, more big companies propose voting “Dexit” to depart Delaware In Tesla’s wake, more big companies propose voting “Dexit” to depart Delaware By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, DEL. (Reuters) -In the coming weeks, investors in nine public companies worth at least $1 billion each will vote on proposals to ditch Delaware as their place of incorporation, potentially denting the state’s longtime reputation as Corporate America’s capital, Reuters has found. Five companies with a stock market value of at least $1 billion have moved their legal home out of Delaware since last year, in what some have nicknamed “Dexit.” Tesla made a high-profile move to Texas last year and in April, President Donald Trump’s social media company Trump Media & Technology, which owns the Truth Social platform, decamped to Florida. Most of the companies are dominated by a significant shareholder or founder. Delaware judges have expanded the court’s most stringent legal standard to a growing range of situations involving controllers, increasing the risk of shareholder lawsuits. The decisions culminated with the blockbuster ruling last year that rescinded Musk’s $56 billion pay package from Tesla. Less than an hour after the ruling, Musk said on X: “Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware.” Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla soon reincorporated in Texas. Musk did not respond to a request for comment. Trump Media, which is controlled by a trust that owns shares on behalf of President Trump and is overseen by his oldest son, said in its March proxy statement that Delaware’s “increasingly litigious environment facing corporations with controlling stockholders has created unpredictability in decision-making.” The company cited the Musk pay ruling as an example. It is now incorporated in Florida. Dropbox and The Trade Desk, which each has a large shareholder, and Cannae Holdings have moved their charter to Nevada from Delaware. They did not respond to a request for comment. Among the companies set to vote on proposals to leave are Simon Property Group, which is seeking shareholder approval on Wednesday to reincorporate in Indiana, and gaming platform Roblox, which wants to move to Nevada. Unlike many of the other companies that have proposed a “Dexit,” Simon does not have a controlling shareholder. It declined to comment on its reasons for proposing a move, referring to its latest proxy statement. Roblox said that Nevada law provides greater predictability. To be sure, the share of Delaware-based companies in the Russell 3000 index, which covers nearly all public companies, continues to grow, rising to 62% last year from 56% in 2020, according to ISS-Corporate. However, 2024 was the first year that more companies in the Russell Index left Delaware than moved their incorporation to the state. Story Continues “On the Richter scale, it’s not that high,” said Benjamin Edwards, a professor at the UNLV School of Law, of the changes. “But it’s still shaking the ground.” FEARING AN EXODUS Delaware, which has no sales tax, gets around a third of its general budget revenue from fees and taxes related to chartering businesses. Fearing an exodus of companies leaving after the judicial rulings, the state enacted legislation in March that limits the role of the state’s judges in reviewing certain corporate deals. It also limited the scope of so-called “books and records” requests, a legal tool often used by shareholder attorneys to try to obtain directors’ emails and texts. Despite the recent changes, corporate law in Delaware remains relatively strict when it comes to insiders making deals that would likely benefit them directly, such as a deal to buy assets from a controlling shareholder or Musk and his Tesla pay arrangement, legal experts said. “That’s one area where Delaware has consistently said, ‘Look, we’re going to kick the tires of those decisions with a little bit extra force’,” said Eric Talley, a professor at Columbia Law School. Delaware law typically requires a company that strikes a deal with a controlling shareholder to prove the arrangement met a strict standard showing the price and process were fair, unless it was negotiated by independent directors or approved by shareholders. In Nevada, the same controlling shareholder deal would likely be protected by a legal standard known as the business judgment rule, which shields against lawsuits, regardless of how it was negotiated and approved, legal experts said. Talley said Nevada directors are protected unless they engage in fraud. “It’s actually okay to engage in self-dealing, as long as you don’t lie about it,” he said. A state’s corporate law governs a company’s relationship with shareholders and typically does not affect legal rights of employees or consumers. In Texas, where Tesla and SpaceX are now incorporated, lawmakers last week approved amendments to its corporate law that are aimed at reducing the threat of shareholder litigation, in part by allowing companies to set stock ownership thresholds for lawsuits. The plaintiff in the Musk pay case owned just nine shares when he filed suit in 2018. Governor Greg Abbott has not signed the bill and his office did not respond to a request for comment. Eric Lentell, the general counsel at Delaware-chartered Archer Aviation, said the aircraft developer is considering reincorporating in Texas and believes directors of other public companies should reconsider Delaware. After a Delaware judge refused last year to recognize a vote by Tesla investors to reinstate Musk’s pay, Lentell said it signaled that Delaware judges “have become kind of activist in nature” by appearing to rewrite settled law. “I think that’s where people get nervous,” he said. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; editing by Amy Stevens, Noeleen Walder and Anna Driver ) Source link #Teslas #wake #big #companies #propose #voting #Dexit #depart #Delaware Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

World’s first CPU-level ransomware can “bypass every freaking traditional technology we have out there” — new firmware-based attacks could usher in new era of unavoidable ransomware World’s first CPU-level ransomware can “bypass every freaking traditional technology we have out there” — new firmware-based attacks could usher in new era of unavoidable ransomware Rapid7’s Chrstiaan Beek has written proof-of-concept code for ransomware that can attack your CPU, and warns of future threats that could lock your drive until a ransom is paid. This attack would circumvent most traditional forms of ransomware detection. In an interview with The Register, Beek, who is Rapid7’s senior director of threat analytics, revealed that an AMD Zen chip bug gave him the idea that a highly skilled attacker could in theory “allow those intruders to load unapproved microcode into the processors, breaking encryption at the hardware level and modifying CPU behavior at will.” Google’s Security Team has previously identified a security vulnerability in AMD’s Zen 1 to Zen 4 CPUs that allows users to load unsigned microcode patches. It later emerged that AMD Zen 5 CPUs are also affected by the vulnerability. Thankfully, the issue can be fixed with new microcode, just like a previous Raptor Lake instability. However, Beek saw his opportunity. “Coming from a background in firmware security, I was like, woah, I think I can write some CPU ransomware,” and that’s exactly what he did. You may like According to the report, Beek has indeed written proof-of-concept code for ransomware that can hide in a CPU. Reassuringly, he promises they won’t release it. As per the report, Beek reckons this type of exploit could lead to a worst case scenario: “Ransomware at the CPU level, microcode alteration, and if you are in the CPU or the firmware, you will bypass every freaking traditional technology we have out there.” Beek also referenced leaked comments from the Conti ransomware gang, which surfaced in 2022. In a presentation given at RSAC, he highlighted chat logs from the group. “I am working on a PoC where the ransomware installs itself inside UEFI, so even after reinstalling Windows, the encryption stays,” reads one. Another noted that with modified UEFI firmware, “we can trigger encryption before the OS even loads. No AV can detect this.” The upshot? “Imagine we control the BIOS and load our own bootloader that locks the drive until the ransom is paid,” a hacker hypothesized. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Beek warns that if bad actors were working on these exploits a few years ago, “you can bet some of them will get smart enough at some point and start creating this stuff.” To close his interview, Beek expressed his frustration that “We should not be talking about ransomware in 2025,” and stated that everyone involved should be pulling together to fix the foundations of hardware security. He also bemoaned how many ransomware breaches were underpinned by high-risk vulnerabilities, weak passwords, lack of authentication, and more. 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 #Worlds #CPUlevel #ransomware #bypass #freaking #traditional #technology #firmwarebased #attacks #usher #era #unavoidable #ransomware Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on new 'everything app': Today is just the beginning of a new chapter Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on new 'everything app': Today is just the beginning of a new chapter Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the launch its redesigned app, the debut of services and experiences within the app, the company’s remote work policy, and more. Source link #Airbnb #CEO #Brian #Chesky #039everything #app039 #Today #beginning #chapter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** startup Pony.ai reports first robotaxi fire, no injuries ******** startup Pony.ai reports first robotaxi fire, no injuries A Pony.ai autonomous car. Pony.ai BEIJING — One of Pony.ai’s robotaxis caught fire for the first time on Tuesday, with no people harmed in the incident, the U.S.-listed ******** startup told CNBC. The company did not disclose the reason behind the fire. Videos purporting to show the incident in Beijing had circulated on social media. CNBC could not independently verify this footage. Electric cars such as those from Tesla, which is trying to develop its own robotaxi, have previously caught blaze. Pony.ai said that one of its fully self-driving vehicles was detected as having an abnormal status in Beijing around 9:30 a.m. local time on May 13. The company operates its cars using software that can be centrally monitored. There were no passengers on board at the time of the incident, and the vehicle automatically initiated an emergency stop, resulting in no collisions or injuries, Pony.ai said. It noted that service workers arrived within two minutes of receiving the alert. “During the handling process, the vehicle caught fire,” Pony.ai said. “The on-site staff coordinated with relevant authorities to execute containment measures, safely and effectively resolved the incident. The specific cause is currently under investigation.” Shares of Pony.ai fell more than 10% overnight. The stock is up more than 25% for the year so far. The company in late April announced it was working with Toyota, Beijing’s BAIC and GAC’s Aion for new robotaxi vehicles that the company claimed can cut costs by 70%. ******** autos companies have increasingly ramped up competition with U.S. rivals, with China-made electric cars rapidly becoming dominant players in the domestic market at the expense of Tesla and traditional foreign automakers. Source link #******** #startup #Pony.ai #reports #robotaxi #fire #injuries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dark and Darker Mobile is now Abyss of Dungeons in long-awaited name change Dark and Darker Mobile is now Abyss of Dungeons in long-awaited name change Dark and Darker Mobile is now named Abyss of Dungeons Aside from that, there are few, if any changes But it signals Krafton distancing themselves from Ironmace’s ongoing legal issues Krafton, in their attempt to distance themselves from Ironmace Studios and their ongoing legal battles with Nexon, have finally moved forward with their rebrand of Dark and Darker Mobile. Now titled Abyss of Dungeons, it’s seemingly only the name (and likely some other D&D-specific elements) that are likely to change. If you aren’t already clued in, Ironmace Studios has been embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Nexon over allegations of misuse of trade secrets. Nexon, essentially, argued that Ironmace (founded by ex-employees) had made use of assets and/or ideas from their time at the company, which they developed into Dark and Darker. Regardless of the truth of the matter, the lawsuit is still ongoing, and as we reported back in February, there were rumblings that Dark and Darker Mobile might be getting a name change. And now, with the new name Abyss of Dungeons, it seems to have all come to pass. No difference The name change, fortunately, doesn’t include any other changes to the core gameplay mechanics from what we know. Of course, Dark and Darker Mobile was already diverging heavily from its origin with a new third-person perspective and other alterations, but you won’t need to fear a complete switch-around. Still, for fans of Ironmace, this is sure to be a bit of a downer. Hopefully, the studio’s legal battles will come to an end soon, and fans who enjoy Dark and Darker will be able to take Abyss of Dungeons as a complement to the main PC release. Especially with an upcoming soft launch set for June 11th in Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico! In the meantime, if you want to experience other RPG fun on mobile, there’s no better place to look than our list of the top 25 best RPGs on iOS and Android! Featuring all the best grimdark gruesomeness and flights of fantasy you could wish for. Source link #Dark #Darker #Mobile #Abyss #Dungeons #longawaited #change Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Arabia Saudita recibe a Trump **** toda la opulencia y el lujo de la realeza Arabia Saudita recibe a Trump **** toda la opulencia y el lujo de la realeza ​​El presidente Donald Trump estaba a más de 11.900 kilómetros de Palm Beach, Florida, pero parecía como en casa. **** sus gigantescas arañas de cristal, mármol pulido, alfombras de felpa y retratos del rey Salman bin Abdulaziz en un lugar destacado, la Corte Real saudita tenía un aire a Mar-a-Lago. El martes, primer día de la gira de cuatro días del presidente por Medio Oriente, el príncipe heredero Mohammed bin Salman, gobernante de facto de Arabia Saudita, dispensó a Trump el tratamiento de la realeza. Trump fue escoltado a través del espacio aéreo saudita por tres cazas F-15 que flanqueaban cada lado del Air Force One. La limusina presidencial fue acompañada hasta la Corte Real de Riad, la capital saudita, por jinetes montados en caballos árabes. Sonaron bocinas musicales. Una guardia de honor permaneció en posición de firmes mientras el príncipe Mohammed guiaba a Trump al interior de la corte por una larga alfombra color lavanda. El presidente no podía dejar de sonreír, y era comprensible. La realeza saudita es su amiga y aliada. Son socios comerciales de su familia. Comprenden muy bien sus gustos y deseos. “Creo que nos caemos muy bien”, dijo Trump, sentado junto al príncipe heredero en el despacho del rey. Mientras paseaba **** el príncipe Mohammed por la Corte Real, el presidente parecía impresionado por lo que le rodeaba. Había pan de oro por todas partes: las molduras, las mesas y las patas de los sillones de terciopelo azul eran doradas. Tras almorzar en la Corte Real, Trump habló en el Foro de Inversión Saudita-Estadounidense, en un salón de baile donde el gobierno saudita celebra sus actos más grandiosos, bajo lámparas de araña del tamaño de tanques. Contratistas de defensa, financieros internacionales y ejecutivos de la construcción se reunieron a su alrededor, probándose gafas de realidad virtual y mirando las maquetas arquitectónicas de los megaproyectos previstos por el reino, como “La línea”, un rascacielos de 160 km de longitud **** una fachada imitando espejos, y “Trojena”, una ciudad de esquí que las autoridades pretenden excavar en las áridas montañas del noroeste del país. Entre los tradicionales tocados a cuadros rojos y blancos que lucían los asistentes sauditas, se podían ver algunas gorras MAGA. Trump hizo un recorrido por lo que sus anfitriones sauditas llamaron la “galería de los recuerdos”, que relataba “casi ocho décadas de asociación saudita-estadounidense”. A continuación, se le mostró un escritorio que el presidente Harry Truman regaló en 1950 al rey fundador de Arabia Saudita, Abdulaziz Al Saud. Los funcionarios sauditas invocaron la reunión de 1945 entre el rey y el presidente Franklin Roosevelt, que se describió como un encuentro decisivo “que sentó las bases de una relación diplomática duradera entre las dos naciones”. A continuación, Trump y el príncipe Mohammed fueron escoltados al escenario mientras sonaba música dramática. Después de que habló el príncipe heredero, sonó durante varios minutos “God Bless the USA”, de Lee Greenwood, mientras Trump escuchaba **** aprobación, cantando el último verso. El largo día de tratamiento real para Trump comenzó en el momento en que bajó del Air Force One en la Terminal Real, una sección especial para visitantes VIP en el Aeropuerto Internacional Rey Jalid. El príncipe Mohammed saludó al presidente en el aeropuerto, lo que significa el estatus especial del que goza Trump **** Arabia Saudita. Cuando el presidente Joe Biden lo visitó en 2022 —después de decir que convertiría al reino en un “paria” y de darse cuenta de que necesitaba su ayuda para bajar los precios del petróleo—, el príncipe heredero envió al gobernador de La Meca a recibirlo al aeropuerto. Tras la puesta de sol, el príncipe Mohammed apeló a la pasión del presidente por el sector inmobiliario llevándolo a visitar una gran urbanización en la tierra donde vivieron sus antepasados. Diriyah, una ciudad histórica situada sobre Wadi Hanifah, un valle fluvial a las afueras de Riad, fue la sede original del poder de la familia real saudita, hace 300 años. La ciudad, **** sus murallas de adobe, está siendo restaurada y fue declarada como Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO. El príncipe Mohammed quiere convertirla en un imán para el turismo construyendo un proyecto comercial y residencial de 60 mil millones de dólares, conectado **** Riad por transporte subterráneo. Tras mostrarle a Trump su maqueta del lugar, el príncipe Mohammed tomó el volante de un carrito de golf y llevó al presidente a la cena de Estado. Trump se alojará la primera noche de su viaje de cuatro días en el Ritz-Carlton Riad, un imponente hotel situado en 21 hectáreas de jardines paisajísticos. El Ritz de Riad es el mismo hotel en el que se alojó Trump durante su primera visita presidencial hace ocho años, y en el que se quedó el presidente Barack Obama en 2014. Pero el hotel es más conocido como la prisión de cinco estrellas del príncipe Mohammed. En 2017, utilizó el Ritz-Carlton para detener a opositores, incluidos ministros del gobierno, empresarios y miembros de su propia familia real. El príncipe heredero estaba llevando a ***** lo que describió como una ofensiva contra la corrupción. Otros lo consideraron una consolidación del poder y un presagio de su futuro reinado. Jonathan Swan es un reportero en la Casa Blanca que cubre el gobierno de Donald Trump. Vivian Nereim es la reportera principal para el Times en la cobertura de los países de la península arábiga. Está radicada en Riad, Arabia Saudita. Luke Broadwater cubre la Casa Blanca para el Times. Source link #Arabia #Saudita #recibe #Trump #**** #toda #opulencia #lujo #realeza Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

6000+ Microsoft Employees Laid off Right After Massive Xbox Price Increases 6000+ Microsoft Employees Laid off Right After Massive Xbox Price Increases Doom isn’t the only world where “the dark ages” (hah!) have begun, as the video game industry is hit with more layoffs. Microsoft, yet again, is at the scene of the crime as it lays off more employees amid price increases for all Xbox products, including their video games. This isn’t surprising to anyone but the employees themselves, as laying off people and shutting down studios have seemingly become a part of Microsoft’s yearly routine. However, the number this time is in the thousands again, and in an economy where people can’t afford to lose jobs, they’re doing just the opposite. Around 3% of Microsoft’s workforce, which equates to more than 6,000 employees, have been laid off Microsoft is hit with more layoffs as price hikes make matters worse | Image Credit: Microsoft Yesterday, Microsoft announced that around 3% of its workforce, equivalent to more than 6,000 employees, have been laid off, which is a humongous number, showing that the company isn’t slowing down with its layoffs anytime soon. In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft’s spokesperson stated that the change was necessary to ensure the company’s success, which sounds like classic PR talk. We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace. Ironically, their idea of organizational changes is always laying off the people who are instrumental to the company’s success, and not reducing the salaries of higher-ups to ensure sustainability in today’s market. This layoff makes more sense when you take into account the ridiculous price hikes of Xbox consoles and accessories, including their games, following shamelessly in the steps of Nintendo. It’s also hilariously evident that not only is the price hike an effort to snag premium sales from other platforms, but it’s also their strategy for their players to continue subscribing to Game Pass, since it’s a way cheaper alternative to playing first-party titles on day one without having to shell out the full amount. Can Game Pass shape a sustainable future for Xbox? With these persistent layoffs and price hikes, it’s hard not to think that Game Pass might be one of the contributing factors. Think about it, you can play $70 AAA titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on day one with the help of Game Pass, which costs much less than buying the game. This begs the question: How is Xbox getting the revenue from premium sales when everything is on Game Pass? This is where their multiplatform strategy comes in, since they need to earn back the money spent on developing and marketing a game, which is hardly possible when games are dropping day one on Game Pass. When the revenue generated is lower than the cost incurred, it’s bound to lead to eventual layoffs and studio shutdowns. Just last year in January, 1,900 Xbox and Activision Blizzard employees were laid off, and in September, Microsoft announced 650 job cuts in its gaming division to make things worse. Game Pass has been profitable for Xbox, offering exposure to indie titles that fly under the radar and promoting blockbuster AAA games. Only time will tell whether these profits are enough to prevent the company from getting rid of more employees. One can only hope that Microsoft and Xbox can avoid future layoffs to earn sustainable profits in the long run, but it might be too late. So, what do you think about the Microsoft layoffs? Do you think that the reason they gave is justified and applicable? Or is it another excuse from them to save face? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below. Source link #Microsoft #Employees #Laid #Massive #Xbox #Price #Increases Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cyril Ramaphosa says Afrikaners 'running away' from South Africa to US are 'cowards' – BBC Cyril Ramaphosa says Afrikaners 'running away' from South Africa to US are 'cowards' – BBC Cyril Ramaphosa says Afrikaners ‘running away’ from South Africa to US are ‘cowards’ BBCEpiscopal Church says it won’t help Trump resettle White South Africans The Washington PostWhite South Africans leaving for US be ‘cowards wey go come back’, Ramaphosa tok BBCTrump administration welcomes 59 white South African refugees into the U.S., sparking political debate NBC NewsWhite South Africans arrive in U.S. after receiving refugee status from Trump PBS Source link #Cyril #Ramaphosa #Afrikaners #039running #away039 #South #Africa #039cowards039 #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe will not face criminal charges Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe will not face criminal charges PA Media Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, will not face criminal charges in relation to an allegation of threats, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Lowe was elected as a Reform MP in last year’s general election but was suspended by the party in March, amid claims of threats towards the party’s chairman. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS, said it made the decision not to press charges “following a thorough and detailed review of the evidence”. “Having considered a number of witness statements, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction,” he said. In a statement on X, Lowe accused Reform of carrying out a “brutal smear campaign”. “For the sin of asking legitimate questions about the party’s direction, policies and leadership, I was vilified and targeted,” he said. He also said the Metropolitan Police were dropping their investigation into “false allegations”. Although the CPS statement does not name Lowe, the case relates to an incident at the Palace of Westminster in December 2024. Mr McHaffie said: “The Crown Prosecution Service’s function is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent, and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider. “Based on the careful consideration of this evidence, we have decided that our legal test for a criminal prosecution has not been met.” This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. Source link #ExReform #Rupert #Lowe #face #criminal #charges Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tszyu forecasts belt in his house after Fundora rematch Tszyu forecasts belt in his house after Fundora rematch Taming Sebastian Fundora’s ‘God-given’ abilities is top of Tim Tszyu’s priorities when he seeks to avenge his bloody loss to the American in Las Vegas. Source link #Tszyu #forecasts #belt #house #Fundora #rematch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Square Enix cans Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link Square Enix cans Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link has been canned by Square Enix The GPS-based ARPG was set to take place at a previously-unseen point in the saga However, focus has no shifted entirely to the upcoming Kingdom Hearts IV Square Enix’s upcoming mobile spin-off of their ARPG franchise Kingdom Hearts, Missing-Link, has been cancelled. After more than a few delays, including to its highly anticipated Android closed beta test, it seems Square Enix has chosen to shutter development of Missing-Link and refocus their efforts for the series squarely on Kingdom Hearts IV. Set during a supposed forgotten chapter of the Kingdom Hearts saga, Missing-Link would integrate GPS and ARPG battles. Naturally, it saw you wielding one of the iconic keyblades in your battles to defeat the hordes of monstrous Heartless trying to destroy the world. The integration of GPS elements was one of the key selling points for Missing-Link, however, it wasn’t entirely clear how this would function. By all measures, players would be able to travel to different global locations remotely, although it wasn’t clear how this would function, but the somewhat unusual nature of this mechanic may have caused concern behind the scenes. Be there or be square By now, Square Enix canning their mobile releases has become something of a meme. And a lot of this could be credited to the fact that Square Enix’s catalogue, although critically acclaimed in many cases, is still incredibly dense. For many players in Japan, new mobile releases are welcome, but it can be hard to find an international audience. Something which, of course, wouldn’t have affected Kingdom Hearts. In which case, it’s best to assume that development found the core concept difficult to reconcile, and that their attention would be better placed on the upcoming mainline series entry. But in the meantime, if you need to scratch your RPG itch, then you needn’t fret. Instead, why not check out our list of the top 25 best mobile RPGs on iOS and Android? Featuring flighty fantasy and gruesome grimdark in equal measure. Source link #Square #Enix #cans #Kingdom #Hearts #MissingLink Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Baidu’s robotaxi unit plans Europe expansion Baidu’s robotaxi unit plans Europe expansion More than 70% of Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi rides in Wuhan were fully driverless as of April, and the company said in May it expected 100% of the rides to be completely autonomous in coming quarters. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — ******** tech company Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi business plans to expand to Europe this year, according to a source familiar with the matter. Over the coming months, Apollo Go plans to open an entity in Switzerland and launch operations locally and in Turkey, said the source, who could only comment anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter. Baidu declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. The company’s Apollo Go robotaxi unit operates fully driverless taxis for the public, including in a suburb of Beijing and in other cities in China. Fares are typically subsidized. Weekly analysis and insights from Asia’s largest economy in your inbox Subscribe now In March, Apollo Go announced it plans to expand to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Last week the company said it was carrying out its testing in Hong Kong. Local regulators in China have typically allowed robotaxis to operate fully autonomously after they have gone through several stages of testing, with and without safety drivers inside. Rival robotaxi operator Pony.AI said earlier this month that it had entered a strategic partnership with Uber to launch the company’s vehicles on the U.S. company’s platform, with plans to also gain a presence in the Middle East later this year. Source link #Baidus #robotaxi #unit #plans #Europe #expansion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Precinct review | Loot Level Chill The Precinct review | Loot Level Chill Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes: “Usually in video games players end up facing off against the cops or running from them in one way or another. It might be something as simple as racing away from a police cruiser in a racing game or shooting your way out of a bank robbery. Few titles actually place players in the role of the police themselves tend to either fall into racing games that see players acting almost the exact same as they would anyways or in a complete simulation that tries to hold players to the strictest possible rules. Now here we have The Precinct from Fallen Tree Games, who originally developed a similar game that had players once again on the opposite side of the law, American Fugitive.Taking what they learned with their previous efforts and looking to create a police game that tries to blend the line between arcade action and simulation, have they been successful with The Precinct? ” Source link #Precinct #review #Loot #Level #Chill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Roundtable: Why did customers sail away from VMware? Roundtable: Why did customers sail away from VMware? Hyper-converged infrastructure pioneer Nutanix is among a number of suppliers that smell blood in the water when it comes to VMware and its customers following the virtualisation giant’s acquisition by Broadcom. At Nutanix’s annual .Next bash in Washington DC last week, migration away from VMware and to – it hopes – its own Acropolis hypervisor (AHV) was a constant theme. As part of this, it gathered three customers to talk about their experiences of moving from VMware to Nutanix. Of these, only one was directly attributable to Broadcom’s licensing changes, but Broadcom-Amazon Web Services (AWS) relations were key to another. We asked them about their journey to Nutanix and away from VMware, as well as the precise pain points that prompted their decisions. Here, we talk to: Dom Johnston, IT manager for Golding in Brisbane, Australia, which is a heavy civil and mining contracting company that has operated on the east coast of Australia for about 75 years. Kee Yew Wei, associate vice-president for infrastructure and operations at MSIG, which is a Japan-headquartered insurance company that operates internationally. Mike Taylor, hospital ship joint task director for Military Sealift Command and the US Navy, which operates two hospital ships, Mercy (pictured above) and Comfort. What’s the story of your journey from VMware to Nutanix? Dom Johnston: Golding had its infrastructure sitting in VMware on AWS. We had a three-year contract with VMware for that platform, which ended in February this year. About March of last year, there was a fairly public divorce between VMware and AWS. We weren’t sure where that left us. To cut a long story short, with what we saw over the next two to three months from there, we considered the risk of leaving our infrastructure there beyond the end of that three-year contract was too great for us. Golding had its infrastructure sitting in VMware on AWS. [After the] fairly public divorce between VMware and AWS, we weren’t sure where that left us. With what we saw over the next two to three months, we considered the risk of leaving our infrastructure there beyond the end of that three-year contract was too great. Nutanix has kind of swung in to replace that Dom Johnston, Golding So we went out to market to look at alternatives. And Nutanix has kind of swung in to essentially replace that. We use NC2 [Nutanix Cloud Clusters] to run our production workloads in AWS, for our DR [disaster recovery] capability, and that’s essentially to directly replace the functionality that existed within AWS and VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery, which was the DR product that sat alongside that. So essentially, our DR strategy is that if an event occurs, we immediately spin up the DR environment ready to accept a workload. In the event that is not required, it’s spun back down again, and we’ve lost, you know, a couple 100 bucks worth of compute usage. Kee Yew Wei: Our journey with Nutanix is from 2017. We were looking for a hyper-converged system to simplify our environment, to do away with the traditional three-tier legacy system, to simplify our environment, and to reduce our datacentre footprint. Nutanix is the system, but we didn’t have full confidence in Acropolis at that time, because it was quite new compared to VMware. After a couple of years using Nutanix, we built confidence, so we have recently migrated all our VMware to Nutanix AHV. We completed the full migration last month. All this came about after the acquisition by Broadcom, and we received a quotation with a 300% to 400% increase on our renewal pricing. So, then we made the decision to go for Nutanix. We started planning somewhere around Q3 last year and were quite conservative, with completion planned for maybe somewhere in Q2 this year. My team migrated 1,000 to 2,000 VMs [virtual machines] from Q4 and completed that at the beginning of April. So today, we are a full Nutanix house. Mike Taylor: Our story with Nutanix started way back in 2017. We’d been Nutanix lookers for a long time. On my ships, we had 1,000 blade servers and EMC tiered storage taking up multiple racks. But on the ships, there’s only a finite amount of power they generate, so I needed to find a way to bring everything down into a smaller footprint – but a smarter, smaller footprint, something that would allow me to very elegantly manage and have ease of use that my teams aboard the ships could deal with. After a couple of years using Nutanix, we built confidence, so we have recently migrated all our VMware to Nutanix AHV Kee Yew Wei, MSIG So, we did a bake-off with Dell, Cisco and Nutanix, and we implemented Nutanix on Mercy in 2019 and Comfort in 2020. Now, we’re looking at generational refreshes of all of our equipment and probably expanding from there and getting some new features, with redundancy and disaster recovery. We do have an onboard continuity-of-operations rack, so we have mirrored failover clusters of Nutanix aboard the ships. Now we’re all Nutanix. Everything moved over. That’s like, out of 80-something servers, we only had two or three servers that had hiccups. Can you identify the precise pain point at which you decided to move to Nutanix from VMware? Taylor: I remember standing in my main datacentre on the hospital ships. It’s very anticlimactic if you ever get to go; I just have five racks, but two of those five were purely just to run my server infrastructure. I remember standing there with one of my peers, and we were looking at it and we said, “Oh, hey, we’re still using SAN directors.” And SAN was going away, they were on their way out. Dell had come out with stuff like FX, and other people were dabbling with hyper-converged, whereas Nutanix had already done it, and they had their own software, which was easy to understand for my engineers. So, I’m looking at these racks full of equipment, especially the VNX, which was power hungry. So, we said, “There has to be a better way to do this.” Energy was the problem. Energy was the driver to finding a solution. We weren’t impacted by the Broadcom event. We got in before it. I do still run some VMware, so I am impacted by it there. The challenge we have incurred in continuing to operate that small part isn’t financial. It’s purely that I can’t get to updates. I can’t get to download them. It’s support aspects of the change that impact us the most, not the financial part of it. If we hadn’t moved to Nutanix, if we were still purely ESXi, the financial part would certainly be a burden, like it is for other military commands. Johnston: After AWS and VMware had their thing, we were notified by VMware that we were no longer able to spin up our on-demand DR cluster. They told us that, essentially, we could still use our DR plan if we powered down our production cluster before spinning up a DR cluster. We were testing quarterly, but we were no longer able to do that. In fact, we shifted to testing monthly because there was so much uncertainty in that space. We were left in a situation where, because we couldn’t test, we had zero confidence. Kee Yew Wei: It was all about cost. We got a bill with a 300% to 400% increase on our last renewal. So, this is one of the key factors that drove us to migrate all our workloads to Nutanix. When you migrated to Nutanix, were there some trade-offs, or do you have the same functionality you had with VMware? Taylor: The trade-offs are very, very light, if any. My people were very seasoned with ESXi VMware Tools and the orchestration that VMware had. But the learning curve for Nutanix is very short. It’s very easy to pick up, but you have to learn it. There’s a different way to import an OVA, as opposed to the way you do it within the VMware ecosystem, for example. So, the trade-off is really just time to become a master at using the system with regard to functionality. The learning curve for Nutanix is very short. It’s very easy to pick up Mike Taylor, US Navy In fact, I think I have enhanced capability using AHV as my hypervisor. When it comes to security, using VMware with the military, we have to submit vulnerability scans constantly. That’s just part of our regular drumbeat. I still run VMware on classified parts of my network, and it is very challenging to keep it secure and up to date. I don’t have that issue with Nutanix. Johnson: I second that. As far as trade-offs are concerned, or the functionality, it’s really just a question of semantics in relation to the differences between the two platforms. The way that Nutanix handles snapshots is different to the way that VMware handles snapshots. That was a learning curve for us. It’s like going from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Things are in a different spot, but it’s the same functionality. You need to prepare your team, get them training, show them what to do. I don’t think there’s any loss of functionality. In fact, I think there are faster workflows, better availability of tools. Kee Yew Wei: I don’t see trade-offs. Maybe 10 years ago, compatibility with other suppliers’ software might have been an issue, like backup solutions such as [Veritas] NetBackup. Maybe seven or eight years ago, they did not support Nutanix. But that’s not the case today. Source link #Roundtable #customers #sail #VMware Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ron Johnson is threatening to tank the GOP megabill. He’s been here before. – Politico Ron Johnson is threatening to tank the GOP megabill. He’s been here before. – Politico Ron Johnson is threatening to tank the GOP megabill. He’s been here before. PoliticoOf course Sen. Ron Johnson wants to cut Medicaid. He’s rich and doesn’t need it. | Letters Milwaukee Journal SentinelOpinion | Ron Johnson: The Ugly Truth About the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ WSJSen. Johnson for The Wall Street Journal: The Ugly Truth About the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Urban MilwaukeeSen. Ron Johnson: ‘Big beautiful bill’ is not sustainable NewsNation Source link #Ron #Johnson #threatening #tank #GOP #megabill #Hes #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baidu’s robotaxi unit plans Europe expansion Baidu’s robotaxi unit plans Europe expansion More than 70% of Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi rides in Wuhan were fully driverless as of April, and the company said in May it expected 100% of the rides to be completely autonomous in coming quarters. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images BEIJING — ******** tech company Baidu‘s Apollo Go robotaxi business plans to expand to Europe this year, according to a source familiar with the matter. Over the coming months, Apollo Go plans to open an entity in Switzerland and launch operations locally and in Turkey, said the source, who could only comment anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter. Baidu declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. The company’s Apollo Go robotaxi unit operates fully driverless taxis for the public, including in a suburb of Beijing and in other cities in China. Fares are typically subsidized. Weekly analysis and insights from Asia’s largest economy in your inbox Subscribe now In March, Apollo Go announced it plans to expand to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Last week the company said it was carrying out its testing in Hong Kong. Local regulators in China have typically allowed robotaxis to operate fully autonomously after they have gone through several stages of testing, with and without safety drivers inside. Rival robotaxi operator Pony.AI said earlier this month that it had entered a strategic partnership with Uber to launch the company’s vehicles on the U.S. company’s platform, with plans to also gain a presence in the Middle East later this year. Source link #Baidus #robotaxi #unit #plans #Europe #expansion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to save for college in a volatile market How to save for college in a volatile market Stephanie Phillips | Getty Images More from FA Playbook: Here’s a look at other stories impacting the financial advisor business. “Markets go up and down, but students’ goals remain the same,” said Chris McGee, chair of the College Savings Foundation. 529 plan popularity has soared In 2024, the number of 529 plan accounts increased to 17 million, up more than 3% percent from the year before, according to Investment Company Institute. Total investments in 529s rose to $525 billion as of December, up 11% from a year earlier, while the average 529 plan account balance hit a record of $30,961, data from the College Savings Plans Network, a network of state-administered college savings programs, also showed. “The industry is coming off its best year ever in terms of new inflows,” said Richard Polimeni, head of education savings at ‎Merrill ******. However, “in terms of the current market volatility, that creates some concern,” he added. Even as concerns over college costs are driving more would-be college students to rethink their plans, college savings accounts are still as vital as ever. Roughly 42% of students are pivoting to technical and career training or credentialing, or are opting to enroll in a local and less-expensive community college or in-state public school, according to a recent survey of 1,000 high schoolers by the College Savings Foundation. That’s up from 37% last year. As a result of those shifting education choices, 69% of students are expecting to live at home during their studies, the highest percentage in three years. Despite those adjustments, some recent changes have helped make 529 plans even more worthwhile: As of 2024, families can roll over unused 529 funds to the account beneficiary’s Roth individual retirement account, without triggering income taxes or penalties, so long as they meet certain requirements. Restrictions have also loosened to allow 529 plan funds to be used for continuing education classes, apprenticeship programs and student loan payments. For grandparents, there is also a new “loophole,” which allows them to fund a grandchild’s college without impacting that student’s financial aid eligibility. Managing 529 allocations in a volatile market For parents worried about their account’s recent performance, Mary Morris, CEO of Commonwealth Savers, advises checking the asset allocation. “What you need to think about is assessing your risk appetite,” she said. Generally, 529 plans offer age-based portfolios, which start off with more equity exposure early on in a child’s life and then become more conservative as college nears. By the time high school graduation is around the corner, families likely have very little invested in stocks and more in investments like bonds and cash. That can help blunt their losses. Pay attention to your fund’s approach toward shifting from stocks to bonds, Morris said. “If you are in a total stock portfolio, you may not want that ride,” she said: “You don’t want to get seasick.” If the market volatility is still too much to bear, consider adjusting your allocation. “One strategy is to start de-risking a portion of their portfolio and reallocate a portion into cash equivalent, which will provide a protection of principle while also proving a competitive return and peace of mind,” Polimeni said. Still, financial experts strongly caution against shifting your entire 529 balance to cash. “The worst thing an investor can do in a down market is panic and sell investments prematurely and lock in losses,” Polimeni said. Often that is the last resort. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, only 10% of investors liquidated their entire 529 accounts, and 20% switched to less risky assets, according to an earlier survey by higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. How to help 529 assets recover For those who must make a hefty withdrawal for tuition payments now due, Polimeni suggests considering using income or savings outside the 529 to cover immediate college expenses, and requesting a reimbursement later. You can get reimbursed from your 529 plan for any eligible out-of-pocket expenses within the same calendar year. “Using that strategy gives another six to seven months for the market to recover,” Polimeni said. Another option is to tap a federal student loan and take a qualified distribution from the 529 plan to pay off the debt down the road. However, if you’re thinking of taking out private student loans or a personal loan that starts incurring interest immediately, you may want to spend 529 funds first in that case, and defer that borrowing until later. Once you have a withdrawal plan, you can — and should — keep contributing to your 529, experts say. Not only can you get a tax deduction or credit for contributions, but earnings will grow on a tax-advantaged basis, whether over 18 years or just a few. “The major advantage is the tax-deferred growth, so the longer you are invested, the more tax-deferred growth you will have,” Polimeni said. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Source link #save #college #volatile #market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia jails head of election watchdog for five years Russia jails head of election watchdog for five years A court in Russia has convicted one of the leaders of a prominent independent election monitoring group on charges of organising the work of an “undesirable” organisation and sentenced him to five years in prison. Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Russia’s leading election watchdog Golos, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The case against him is part of the months-long crackdown on Kremlin critics and rights activists that the government ratcheted up after invading Ukraine in 2022. Golos has monitored for and exposed violations in every major election in Russia since it was founded in 2000. Over the years, it has faced mounting pressure from the authorities. In 2013, the group was designated as a “foreign agent” – a label that implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations. Three years later, it was liquidated as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) by Russia’s justice ministry. Golos has continued to operate without registering as an NGO, exposing violations in various elections, and in 2021 it was added to a new registry of “foreign agents”, created by the justice ministry for groups that are not registered as a legal entity in Russia. It has not been designated as “undesirable” – a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organisations a criminal offence. But when it was an NGO, it was a member of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations, a group that was declared “undesirable” in Russia in 2021, and the charges against Melkonyants stemmed from that. Independent journalists, critics, activists and opposition figures in Russia have come under increasing pressure from the government in recent years that intensified significantly amid the war in Ukraine. Multiple independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down, labelled as “foreign agents” or outlawed as “undesirable”. Hundreds of activists and critics of the Kremlin have faced criminal charges. Source link #Russia #jails #election #watchdog #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Real purpose of Trump's ******** trip comes into focus as his explanations fall apart under scrutiny Real purpose of Trump's ******** trip comes into focus as his explanations fall apart under scrutiny Real purpose of Trump’s ******** trip comes into focus as his explanations fall apart under scrutiny Source link #Real #purpose #Trump039s #******** #trip #focus #explanations #fall #scrutiny Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Goldilocks Dividend Grower Thrives With ’Just Right’ Tariffs This Goldilocks Dividend Grower Thrives With ’Just Right’ Tariffs The *** trade deal was apparently the tasty egg roll before the main course of lower ******** tariffs. A delightful order for this dividend grower, ready to feast on the “Peking duck” of trade agreements. China is one of the biggest buyers of US crops, importing tens of billions of dollars of American agriculture every year. Soybeans and corn meander from Midwest farms all the way across the Pacific to feed China’s large (and growing) livestock industry. Higher US-China tariffs have weighed on US farmers’ profitability—and in turn, on business for key ag suppliers like Corteva Agriscience (NYSE:). So the “trade truce” with China (announced Monday) is quite bullish for Corteva. Tariffs have dropped from an atmospheric 145% down to a manageable 30% on US exports to China, and from 125% to 10% on imports from China. This will lift farmers’ bottom lines, and Corteva, thanks to its strong domestic footprint, should flourish in this new “Goldilocks” tariff zone—where tariffs protect US suppliers but don’t restrict trade altogether. Corteva, spun out from DuPont de Nemours (NYSE:) in 2019, comes at the ag biz from many angles. Corteva supplies farmers with products for pest and disease control, as well as seeds, livestock feed and nutrient maximizers, which help stabilize nitrogen levels in the soil. All these products boost crop yields—critical because cheap food prices are a focus for the administration. President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent want lower oil (“drill baby, drill”) and grain prices so that inflation remains subdued. Thus, a domestic manufacturer like Corteva is doubly important to their goal of keeping a lid on corn prices. Upcoming infrastructure investments in the US, especially upgrades to rails and ports to expedite grain exports, will reduce operational costs and help farmers’ margins. They will have the cash to invest more in crop optimization—where Corteva excels. The company’s digital platform, Granular, helps farmers optimize planting decisions, monitor crop health and maximize harvests. This “digital agriculture” is sweeping the heartland, projected to grow 12% per year for the foreseeable future, driving Corteva profits. Each new digital customer, of course, pays Corteva a recurring fee, the standard for profitability and predictability. The company knows it sits in a “sweet spot” of farm productivity and domestic investments. It’s so confident of cash flow and future profits that the board recently announced a $1 billion share buyback program for 2025, an initiative that will take a **** 2.5% of its float off the market. Fewer shares outstanding will bolster Corteva’s earnings, dividend coverage and, of course, the payout itself. Which will set the stage for more dividend hikes down the road because it’s easier to raise with fewer shares to pay out on. Corteva’s divvie growth over its short life has already been tasty. Management has delivered four straight dividend hikes, powering the dividend magnet. Its stock price (orange below) has tracked the payout (purple) higher—sometimes running ahead, sometimes behind, but always snapping back. This was the “dividend magnet” view when we added CTVA to our Hidden Yields portfolio just four weeks ago: Corteva’s Dividend Magnet Was Due Corteva can keep those hikes coming, too. Its conservative 30% free cash flow payout ratio means plenty of runway for future increases. My only problem with Corteva here is that it’s already up 15% since our HY recommendation. This annualizes to a terrific 297%! The dividend magnet acted quickly and snapped this share price above my “buy up to” price of $65. 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 #Goldilocks #Dividend #Grower #Thrives #Tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]