Prolific computer storage maker LaCie has released its latest portable drive during CES 2025, debuting the Rugged SSD Pro5 with support for Thunderbolt 5.
The new drive, arriving in a stunning new blue, has a familiar design by Neil Poulton. It has a rugged silicone exterior with the LaCie logo right in the center.
The new LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 works on iPad Pro and the latest Macs
It has incredibly fast read and write speed, buoyed by Thunderbolt 5. The company says that it will hit 6700 Megabytes per second read and 5300 Megabytes per second write.
The drive is also extremely durable. There is three meters of drop protection as well as IP68 water and dust resistance which means it will withstand any dust ingress and can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes and be fine.
Over 45% of the materials used in the Rugged SSD Pro5 are recycled, improving its environmental footprint.
The new drive comes in black, blue, and orange
The device is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and USB devices, including 10/20/40Gbps USB-C hosts on Windows, Mac, and iPad Pro. LaCie provides a 5 year warranty and includes data recovery services in the event of accidental data loss.
The new drive is now available to order for $399 for the 2TB and the 4TB will run you $599.
After a three-week break for the Holidays, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back TONIGHT (Sat., Jan. 11, 2025) with its first event of the New Year as UFC Vegas 101 goes down later inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the ESPN+-streamed event is a women’s strawweight rematch between Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas. In the co-headlining act, Santiago Ponzinibbio will battle Carlston Harris in a Welterweight affair.
What’s Hot:
Many had high hopes for Dern when the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist jumped into UFC’s Octagon six years ago. After all, she had shown promise in the minor leagues, jumping out to a perfect (5-0) record. She did start of great with two wins under UFC’s banner before running into Ribas in Oct. 2019, the first loss of her career in what was considered a huge upset at the time. Dern was able to bounce back to win four straight before running into yet another tough contender in Marina Rodriguez, who defeated her via unanimous decision in 2021. It was after that defeat when Dern’s inconsistencies really came to light, going a sub-par 3-4 since, which includes tough defeats to Yan Xiaonan and Jessica Andrade, who beat the submission guru from pillar to post thanks to an excellent display of striking. Dern snapped her two-fight skid in Aug. 2024 with a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez and now eyes her first back-to-back wins in four years against the first person to ever defeat her.
Since defeating Dern, Ribas has also been very inconsistent when it comes to getting back into the winner’s circle. She has alternated wins and losses over her last eight fights, with tough defeats to Maycee Barber, Rose Namajunas and the aforementioned Rodriguez along the way. Coming off a tough defeat at the hands of “Thug Rose,” Ribas is looking to bounce back and has the confidence she needs in her back pocket having already defeated Dern. That said, Dern has made improvements since their last meeting and will come in hungry for revenge and will attempt to use the momentum she has with her most recent win to push her through. A win for Dern won’t warrant a trilogy fight between the two, but I fully expect her to come out on top here in a closely-contested bout.
What’s Not:
Nurullo Aliev is undefeated (9-0), which includes winning his UFC debut fight in early 2023 by defeating Rafael Alves via majority decision. He’s been on the bench for nearly two years now, so it will be interesting to see just how much ring rust plays into the fight. The matchmaking here I don’t get because his opponent, Joe Solecki, is currently on a two-fight losing streak, so I would have liked to see matchmakers book Aliev against someone with a bit more upside, someone coming off a win (not back-to-back losses).
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
Preston Parsons was originally set to face Andreas Gustafsson at this event before Gustafsson withdrew from the fight and was replaced by Jacobe Smith, who will be making his UFC debut. Also, Nurullo Aliev and Yanal Ashmouz were set to throw down at 155 pounds before Ashmouz withdrew for unknown reasons and was replaced by Joe Solecki. Plus, Germaine de Randamie was in talks to face Jacqueline Cavalcanti on this card before “Iron Lady” decided to call it a career.
Injuries:
No injuries were reported for this event.
New Blood:
There are several newcomers on this card including Bruno Lopes, who will make his UFC debut against Magomed Gadzhiyasulov. Lopes is 13-1 so far in his MMA career, earning his way to the big show via the Contender Series by knocking out Mikheil Sazhiniani in Aug. 2024. He will have a tough challenge in his first fight because Gadzhiyasulov is undefeated at 9-0, which includes a win over Brendson Ribeiro in his own UFC debut.
Nicolle Caliari will look to make a splash in her UFC debut when she battles Ernesta Kareckaite. Caliari is currently on a four-fight win streak and is also a Contender Series winner, defeating Corinne Laframboise via submission last September. The Brazilian strawweight is 8-2 as a pro. As for Kareckaite, she came up short in her own UFC debut by losing to Dione Barbosa, so dropping her first two fights under the UFC banner wouldn’t exactly be ideal.
Smith agreed to step in for Gustafsson after he withdrew from his fight against Parsons. Smith is undefeated (9-0), winning his fight on Contender Series via second round technical knockout, his seventh win in that manner. As for Parsons, he has seen better days, going just 2-3 in his first five fights inside the Octagon.
Austin Bashi, 23, will make his UFC debut against Christian Rodriguez, puttung his 13-fight win streak on the line in the process. Of those 13 wins, eight have been finishes — three via knockout and five by submission. He submitted Dorian Ramos on Contender Series to earn his shot, and is now out to make a splash right away against Rodriguez, who saw his four-fight win streak go up in flames at the hands of Julian Erosa in his last fight, losing via submission with 10 seconds remaining in the first round.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
Jose Johnson and Felipe Bunes will throw down in a Flyweight bout between two fighters coming off defeats. Johnson is coming off a loss at the hands of Asu Almabaev and is 1-2 in three fights under UFC’s banner. As for Bunes, he came up short in his UFC debut after getting knocked out by Joshua Van one year ago.
Thiago Moises has had a real rough strength of competition schedule when it comes to his UFC fights, facing off against the likes of Islam Makhachev, Beneil Dariush, King Green, and Benoit Saint Denis, so there really won’t be much that Trey Ogden will be able to throw at him that he hasn’t already seen before. Still, Moises needs to be on his toes because he can not afford another loss after coming up short against Ludovit Klein in his last outing.
Fatima Kline came into UFC’s ranks undefeated (6-0), but her debut didn’t go exactly as planned, suffering the first loss of her pro career at the hands of Jasmine Jasudavicius last summer. She will try to get the bad taste of defeat out of her mouth when she goes up against Victoria Dudakova, who is also coming off the first and only setback of her otherwise mint career at the hands of Sam Hughes five months ago.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Ihor Potieira is currently riding a two-fight losing streak and is 1-4 overall in his last five fights. All told, he is just 2-5 inside the Octagon, so if he loses his third straight it could be the end of the road for him as he welcomes Marco Tulio to the Octagon. The UFC rookie will put his eight-fight win streak on the line in his promotional debut. Tulio is yet another product of Contender Series, with eight of his 12 wins coming by way of impressive (technical) knockout.
STRAWWEIGHT SHOWDOWN! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads back to its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Jan. 11, 2025, with an important 115-pound main event featuring jiu-jitsu phenom Mackenzie Dern, who looks to avenge her 2019 loss to Brazilian bruiser Amanda Ribas. In addition, longtime welterweight slugger Santiago Ponzinibbio returns to face off against “Mocambique” mauler Carlston Harris in UFC Vegas 101’s hard-hitting co-headliner.
In the co-main event of the evening, Santiago Ponzinibbio will battle Carlston Harris. Ponzinibbio was at one time considered a legit threat to the title in the 170-pound division, but has fallen on rough times over the last few years. “Argentine Dagger” is coming off two straight defeats and is 1-4 in his last five fights. Granted, three of those fights have been razor-thin split decisions going the other way, but the fact remains: he needs a win badly here because while he won’t get cut based on his name value, he won’t be getting co-headlining slots moving forward. As for Harris, he is coming off a 90-second knockout loss to Kalinn Williams (see it here), snapping his two-fight win streak in the process. All told, he is 4-2 inside the Octagon, and a win over Ponzinibbio would be the biggest of his career.
Another matchup I was scratching my head at was the one between Cesar Almeida and Abdul Razak Alhassan. Almeida is 6-1 as a pro, 2-1 under the UFC banner, while Alhassan is a just 2-5-1 in his last seven fights and hasn’t won consecutive fights in eight years. The math simply isn’t adding up when we talking about level of success in the combat world, which is still mind-boggling to me that with such a robust roster matchmakers can’t find better matchups. Then again, records don’t matter once they are locked inside the cage.
Chris Curtis recently made headlines after admitting that he didn’t accept a fight against Alex Pereira because he knew that the path to victory was a very slim and arduous one, and because he accused his opponent of planting spies in his camp. “Action Man” will attempt to get back into the UFC win column when he takes on Roman Kopylov in a middleweight affair. Kopylov is coming off a split-decision win over the aforementioned Cesar Almeida, bringing his UFC record to 5-3.
Kicking off the main card is a 170-pound tilt between Punahele Soriano and Uros Medic. Soriano snapped his two-fight losing streak last summer by defeating Miguel Baeza via unanimous decision. He has an even 4-4 record inside the Octagon, but will look to go one up in the win column against Medic, who is 4-2 under the UFC banner and is coming off a TKO win over Tim Means (see it again here).
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris 185 lbs.: Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan 185 lbs.: Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov 145 lbs.: Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi 170 lbs.: Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
UFC Vegas 101 ‘Prelims’ Card on ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes 185 lbs.: Marco Tulio vs. Ihor Potieria 155 lbs.: Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden 170 lbs.: Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith 125 lbs.: Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari 205 lbs.: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes 115 lbs.: Fatima Kline vs. Victoria Dudakova 155 lbs.: Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki
*Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.*
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 101 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 101: “Dern vs. Ribas 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
Hoda Kotbleft the TODAY show after nearly 20 years on the air. She announced her decision in September 2024, explaining the reason for her exit. “A new decade of my life lies ahead, and now, my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.,” she said.
Hoda Kotb with daughter Haley in 2018. (Elder Ordonez / SplashNews)
Over the years, it was clear that Hoda prioritized her children above her career. However, she was able to balance both with grace.
“Sometimes I wonder like, ‘How did this happened? How did I get this?’” Hoda said of becoming a parent to E News. “I used to feel almost undeserving of it. But I don’t anymore. Something happened within me where I was like, ‘You know what, I’m worthy of these children, I’m worthy of myself. I’m enough just as I am. I will nurture and love these little girls, as long as God lets me have them for as long as I’ll be here.’”
And she’s very much open to adopting another child to expand her brood! Or at least she was toying with the idea in 2020, while she was still engaged to her boyfriend of 9 years, financier Joel Schiffman. “We wondered, you know, would our family be better with another child? Do we have enough love, do we have enough time, you know, will we be a better family unit?” she recalled to ET. “And the answer to all those questions seems to be ‘yes, we would be.’ But you can’t control how life works,” she added. “It’s in God’s hands, it’s not in mine, so if it’s meant to be, we’re happy ’cause, you know, we have room and we have love.”
Sadly, Hoda announced she and Joel broke off their engagement in January 2022. “We decided that we are better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided that we are going to start this new year on our new path as loving parents to our adorably delightful children and as friends,” Hoda said on the third hour of Today. It remains to be seen if Hoda’s two daughters will still end up with another sibling, but drama did rock the family in February of 2023 when Hoda disappeared from the Today Show, later to reveal that her youngest daughter Hopehad been hospitalized. She’s since been brought home and is recovering.
Let’s meet Hoda’s two girls, below!
Hayley Joy
In February 2017, at the age of 52, Hoda told her Today family that she welcomed her first child, Hayley Joy Kotb. “She’s a Valentine’s baby. She is the love of my life,” Hoda said on the show at the time. “I didn’t know my heart could feel like this. This is a moment in my life that I never thought would happen, and here it is, happening to me.”
Hoda, who was previously married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2007, also celebrated the news on her Instagram. “And then my soul saw you and it kind of went, ‘Oh there you are. I’ve been looking for you,’” read the inspirational message.
Hope
The TODAY show anchor revealed to her co-hosts on the April 16, 2019 episode of the morning show that she adopted a baby again, another little girl named Hope Catherine Kotb. Hoda went on to talk about the sweet moment Hayley found out that she was a big sister. “We had Hayley downstairs, and Joel and I were like, ‘Wait; we have a present!’ So we went upstairs, and came down holding her. And we have been telling her ‘baby Hope is coming.’ She literally walked up to her, looked up at her, and she goes, ‘Hope.’ It was like one of those moments,” Hoda explained.
She also explained how she chose the moniker, claiming she hoped, prayed, and dreamed about having another child. How sweet! And check out how big Hoda’s two girls have grown on her most recent Instagram posts!
In March of 2023, news broke that Hoda had disappeared from The Today Show over a “family health issue.” It was later revealed that her two week leave of absence came about because Hope had been hospitalized. By March 6, her 3-year-old was home. “[Hope’s] vibrant and brilliant. She’s home,” she said in part on the show. “I’m over the moon that she’s home, and I can’t believe how amazing people are.” On June 6, she took to Instagram to share her daughter’s first pic since the ordeal.
Christy Turlington poses for Stuart Weitzman’s How Lovely to Be a Woman campaign. Photo: Stuart Weitzman
Christy Turlington, renowned supermodel and maternal health advocate, is the face of Stuart Weitzman’s latest installment of its “How Lovely to Be a Woman” campaign. This collaboration highlights a shared mission to empower women while supporting Every Mother Counts.
The non-profit Turlington founded is made to promote safe, equitable maternal care worldwide. As part of the campaign, Stuart Weitzman has donated $50,000 to the cause.
Stuart Weitzman How Lovely to Be a Woman Campaign
All smiles, Christy Turlington wears leather boots in a new Stuart Weitzman campaign. Photo: Stuart Weitzman
The campaign features stunning black-and-white portraits of Turlington styled in minimalist white shirts paired with sleek, over-the-knee leather boots. Her signature radiant smile shines through each image.
Supermodel Christy Turlington strikes a pose in Stuart Weitzman boots. Photo: Stuart Weitzman
Turlington shared her gratitude, stating, “I’m very grateful for Stuart Weitzman’s support of Every Mother Counts and their help to raise awareness about maternal health. Both Stuart Weitzman and Every Mother Counts are united in a shared goal of supporting women by sharing their stories, and the ‘How Lovely to Be a Woman’ campaign celebrates that.”
An ISA can be a platform for building wealth over the long term – but that is never guaranteed. As well as making the right moves, it is important to try and avoid making the wrong ones.
Here are three mistakes I will be striving to avoid this year when making choices about what to do with my Stocks and Shares ISA.
1. Paying unnecessary costs
In a good restaurant or pub, you can get so caught up with what is going on inside that you do not pay much (or any) attention to the building itself.
An ISA can be a bit like that. Some investors focus so much on what shares to buy (or sell), or dividends coming in, that they pay scant attention to the ISA wrapper itself.
But there is a wide array of Stocks and Shares ISAs on the market and they can come with very different costs and fees. So I make sure to compare some of the options to try and make sure that I am getting what I need without spending more than I need to. I would rather the money in my ISA was used for investing, not keeping a stockbroker in clover!
Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice. Readers are responsible for carrying out their own due diligence and for obtaining professional advice before making any investment decisions.
2. Trading too often
Legendary investor Warren Buffett has said his preferred holding time for a share is “forever” and indeed he has owned shares like American Express and Coca-Cola for many decades.
Another comment from Buffett that caught my eye was that he pins a large part of his success on one “truly good” decision every five years or so (and taking a long-term approach to investing).
That makes sense to me. It can be temping to keep chopping and changing the holdings in an ISA. But brilliantly successful investors like Buffett typically focus on buying stakes in outstanding companies and holding them for the long run.
3. Focusing too much on one share
One of the more interesting moves Buffett made last year was selling a significant chunk of his Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares.
The reasons for that are not entirely clear, but one benefit is that it means his portfolio is now more diversified than it was before the sale.
Apple has been a phenomenally successful investment for Buffett, with his stake increasing in value by tens of billions of pounds since he bought it.
A lot of what has helped the share do well is still true. Apple has a strong brand, large customer base and proprietary technology that can help set it apart from rivals. No wonder it is massively profitable.
But – and I have seen this happen to shares in my ISA before – one risk of owning a great share is that it is indeed a great share. That can attract other investors, pushing the price up and meaning that the one share increasingly comes to dominate a portfolio.
That might not sound like a problem – but what happens if the price suddenly falls? Apple faces risks such as lower cost Asian competitors eating into its market share in developing countries. All shares face risks.
It is possible to have too much of a good thing when it comes to investing. That is why I like to keep my ISA diversified.
There are different ways to try and build wealth. One I use is buying stakes in proven blue-chip businesses that I hope can grow in value over time, as well as potentially paying me dividends along the way.
At the moment, some FTSE 100 shares look like bargains to me, so I am excited to keep making the most of this strategy in 2025!
A share isn’t cheap because of price alone
What do I mean when I talk about “bargain” shares? It can be tempting to look at a penny share and think it is cheap just because the price is in pennies. But, as Warren Buffett says, “price is what you pay and value is what you get”.
In other words, price is just that. It does not indicate whether something is cheap or expensive. For that, we need to know what is being bought and make a judgement about its value compared to what it costs.
Why would a stock be a bargain?
The theory sounds well and good. But it may raise a question: why would a well-known FTSE 100 share be selling at a bargain price?
After all, the rest of the world can – if it chooses to – see the company accounts and information about a firm, just like I can. So if it is a bargain, why are they not buying the share and pushing up the price?
There are different possible explanations and it is also important to remember that a lot of this is based on judgement. I judge that a company is worth a certain amount while another investor thinks it is worth more or less. There may be no objectively correct answer.
To illustrate, look at the share price chart for AstraZeneca over the past year.
The business has had good and bad points during that period. But objectively, was it really worth over a quarter less at the start of November than it had been two months before? I doubt it.
Exploiting weak prices as investing opportunities
As an investor though, that sort of price volatility is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be great as it presents opportunities to buy into proven blue-chip companies at an attractive price (what market professionals call the “entry point”).
As an example, one share I think investors should consider is M&G (LSE: MNG). It too has had its fair share of price volatility over the past 12 months, selling as high as £2.41 and as low as £1.70.
In other words, at its highest price, it was 42% above its lowest price. That is just within one year. Over a longer timeframe, it has moved around even more.
Are there risks that could help explain some of the price weakness? Sure there are. In the first half of last year, for example, the core business saw clients take out more funds than they put in. If that trend continues, profits could suffer.
Still, M&G has proven an able generator of excess cash. Thanks to a strong brand, large client base and high demand for asset management, that should continue to be the case, in my view.
That has helped the firm grow its dividend. Its yield now stands at 10.2%, among the highest of any FTSE 100 share.
To retire comfortably, I’m searching for the best UK shares for long-term growth.
The UK market’s uniquely positioned to provide a stable foundation for long-term investment. Some of the top British stocks in 2025 have been around for over 100 years, delivering consistent value to investors since the 17th century.
Such well-established companies offer an excellent foundation to build on.
I’ve identified three FTSE 100 shares that fit the criteria, each boasting a strong dividend history, global reach, broad diversification and a sustainable business model.
Company
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
Key Strengths
Risk Factors
Unilever
3.5%
~7%
Global reach
Cost inflation
Diageo
3.1%
~6%
Brand loyalty
Economic sensitivity
Tesco
3.3%
~4.4%
Market dominance
Industry competition
A consumer goods giant
Unilever’s (LSE: ULVR) a consumer goods giant with a a £114.2bn market-cap and a diverse portfolio of globally recognised brands. The shares are up from around £10 in 2005 to £45 today, with revenue in 2023 reaching almost £60bn. Over the past 20 years, it’s held a consistent yield of around 3% with annual dividend growth of around 5% a year.
A key attraction is its stable and defensive nature. Historically, it’s remained resilient during economic downturns.
But it still faces challenges. Rising inflation has revealed flaws in its model, with cash-strapped consumers opting for lower-cost alternatives. If it fails to address changes in economic behaviour, it risks losing market share to competitors.
It recently announced a restructuring effort to save £670m which includes 7,500 job cuts and the sale of its ice cream brands Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum.
A global brand leader
Diageo‘s (LSE: DGE) a worldwide distributor of premium alcoholic beverages, flaunting a portfolio of famous brands such as Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. Its focus on emerging markets in Asia and Africa has helped drive profits in recent years.
For over 20 years, dividends have grown at an average annual rate of 5.4%, achieving a yield between 2% and 4%.
However, the company risks losses as inflation has led to consumers shying away from premium brands. Revenue declined from £17.1bn to £16.1bn last year, bringing down net income by 17.5%. This trend’s exacerbated by the growing popularity of healthier, alcohol-free lifestyles among younger generations.
To avoid losing market share, a shift in focus to healthier products may be necessary.
A retail giant
Tesco’s the country’s leading supermarket chain, with over 4,270 stores across Europe. It commands a dominant market share and enjoys high turnover. As a highly defensive stock, it benefits from steady consumer demand even when the economy dips.
Revenue for 2023 came in at £68.19bn with an operating profit margin of around 3.8%. Its dividend yield sits around 4.3% and is well-covered by cash flow with a long history of payments.
Recently, it’s come under pressure to improve sustainability and reduce carbon emissions, resulting in higher operational costs and threatening profits. While this may limit short-term price growth, the long-term benefits are worth it.
Compounding returns
When thinking of retirement, the power of compounding returns cannot be understated. It makes it possible to snowball a small investment into something huge. Plus, focusing on multi-year gains (rather than monthly) helps avoid panic-selling during minor dips or short-term volatility.
I believe the above three stocks are worth considering for investors looking to achieve long-term growth.
The world’s most powerful passport for 2025 has been revealed, and the United Kingdom has found itself in fifth place.
It lowered one place from fourth in 2024.
The Henley Passport Index shared its definitive list of the most powerful passports for 2025.
It included 199 different global passports and 227 travel destinations.
How it works is that the index compares visa-free access of the 199 passports to the destinations.
If no visa is required, then the passport is awarded a value of one.
The same applies if you can obtain a visa on arrival (VOA), a visitor’s permit, or an electronic travel authority (ETA) when entering the destination.
However, if a visa is required, or a passport holder has to get a government-approved electronic visa before departure, it is given a score with a value of zero.
This also applies if you need pre-departure government approval for a visa on arrival.
Having collated all the data, the most powerful passport in the world for 2025 is Singapore, for the second year in a row, with access to 195 countries.
It was closely followed by Japan in second (193), and a number of countries in joint third which have access to 192 visa-free.
At the other end of Global Passport Ranking in 106th place was Afghanistan (26), Syria in 105th (27), Iraq in 104th (31), and Pakistan and Yemen in joint 103rd with access to 33 countries visa-free.
When travelling on a UK passport, the destinations where a visa or an electronic visa is needed include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Benin, Bhutan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Yemen.
World’s Most Powerful Passports 2025
Singapore – 1st – 195
Japan – 2nd – 193
Finland – 3rd – 192
France – 3rd – 192
Germany – 3rd – 192
Italy – 3rd – 192
South Korea – 3rd – 192
Spain – 3rd – 192
Austria – 4th – 191
Denmark – 4th – 191
Ireland – 4th – 191
Luxembourg – 4th – 191
Netherlands – 4th – 191
Norway – 4th – 191
Sweden – 4th – 191
Belgium – 5th – 190
New Zealand – 5th – 190
Portugal – 5th – 190
Switzerland – 5th – 190
United Kingdom – 5th – 190
You can compare your passport and see the full list here.
Hazard depicts the opioid crisis ravaging rural America with a raw and unflinching lens. Writer and director Eddie Mensore pulls no punches as a drug user’s entire family is consumed by a deadly epidemic’s unsparing brutality. The film takes an all-encompassing view that incorporates multiple perspectives. We see desperate users clamoring for their next fix, regardless of the consequences; a frustrated cop trying to stem the tide; and ruthless profiteers supplying the carnage without a thought to the devastating aftermath. Hazard is admittedly heavy-handed at times and offers few narrative surprises, but tells harsh truths that sadly cannot be discounted.
Set in Hazard, Kentucky, the majestic beauty of the Appalachian mountain range is juxtaposed by grime-covered coal miners leaving another arduous shift. Will (Alex Roe) coughs and winces as a pill mill doctor writes another prescription for OxyContin. He gets high before driving in a daze past dilapidated homes and shuttered stores. Poverty reigns as bluegrass country music thunders from his rusty old pickup truck.
A Family Portrait Shattered by Drugs
Your changes have been saved
A young man confronts difficult life decisions and personal tragedies while he strives to overcome the cycle of addiction that fractures his family.
Release Date
January 10, 2025
Director
Eddie Mensore
Runtime
1h 29m
Cast
Alex Roe
, Sosie Bacon
, Steven Ogg
, Dave Davis
, Abigail Esmena Froehle
, Kevin Sizemore
, Mellanie Hubert
, Austin J. Rutherford
, Barbara Eaker
, Mark Helms
Writers
Eddie Mensore
Pros
A non-judgmental but raw and unflinching look at a community torn apart by opiods.
The film refuses to compromise with its intimate look at suffering and drug use.
Sosie Bacon is especially poignant.
Cons
The script is very heavy-handed in its melodramatic approach.
Will arrives at a trailer home where he was once welcome. Sara (Sosie Bacon) can tell that Will’s drugged up, but allows him to take her to work and their young son Morgan to school. She listens as he promises to give them a better life. Sara, also a recovering addict, can’t help but be enamored by Will. She’s still in love with him despite everything they’ve been through. Will swears he’ll stop by the house again later. Sara doesn’t think that’s a good idea.
Will visits another trailer but no one’s home. He heads to a park where local addicts meet dealers. Carl (Steven Ogg), Will’s disabled father, sits passed out in his van. Will struggles with Carl, who can barely move without crying out in pain. He begs his son to help him get right.
Hazard’s portrayal of intravenous drug use is ugly and disturbing. There’s no glamorous heroin chic here. Carl’s body is broken from his years toiling in the mine. What started as pain management has insidiously evolved to complete addiction. Will injecting Carl to stop his father’s suffering is both tragic and heartbreaking. Their drug-addled codependency speaks to the larger problem. The vicious cycle of addiction pervades throughout the town with no generational gap.
The following films intricately highlight the grief and pain that comes with a life of substance abuse.
Cogs in a Wheel of Destruction
Dave Davis co-stars as Officer John Lang, Sara’s older brother and Will’s former classmate. He watches in horror as his beloved sister and the community are torn to shreds. Hazard addresses law enforcement’s woeful lack of resources in tackling a juggernaut. John needs help, but there’s nothing the government can do. Bigger cities with wealthier populations have the same problem but worse. Bodies piling up in a small county is just a blip on the radar. This infuriating response leads John to take matters into his own hands, a turn of events which again illustrates the scope of a losing war with seemingly unending casualties.
Swift, sharp, and fierce, the Netflix miniseries packs a punch, and overcomes its occasional forced messaging.
Hazard points the blame directly at pharmaceutical companies and the unscrupulous doctors churning out bogus prescriptions. Gun-toting cartel drug dealers aren’t running wild through the streets in a hail of bullets. Opioids are handed out like candy in broad daylight. Will simply has to park in front of the pharmacy to find the source of his next hit.
Prescription drugs have value in a place where money’s scarce. Those selling their supply have hungry bellies and mouths to feed. That’s if they’re not hooked. These people aren’t villains to be demonized but cogs in a wheel of destruction. Mensore, known for his documentary The American Buffalo and feature film Mine 9, is careful when placing blame. Will, Sara, and his father are simply products of their environment. They’re trying to survive in a place with no options.
Tragedy in Appalachia
Hazard hits a somber and compassionate note with tender glimpses of daily life in Appalachia. Sara tries her best to be a good mother. She’s already been through hell with Will and understands the dangers of relapsing. But addiction is a disease that’s never truly beaten. Your best efforts may not be good enough against withdrawal’s awful severity. Addicts are always one step away from falling back into the pit. They pay a steep price when they stumble. The risk of losing sobriety and its carefully laid progress is real.
An alcoholic (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to Scotland’s Orkney Islands and achieves sobriety in nature’s solitude.
Will’s choices in a fraught third act are fairly predictable. But Mensore isn’t aiming for salacious twists and shock entertainment value. His plot stays firmly grounded in reality. Addicts must make the difficult and excruciating decision to break free of drug abuse. He wants the audience to know these people need help, not incarceration. Hazard is a tough pill to swallow, but a necessary one.
Hazard is a production of Emphatic Films, Beside Productions, and Slated. It will have a limited theatrical release on January 10th across Appalachia, expanding on the 17th, and then opens in New York and Los Angeles on the 31st, with additional markets on February 7th from Concourse Media. You can find theaters and tickets here.
Supernatural
‘s dedicated fanbase is still crying out for a season 16, but if they get the chance to continue the show, they need to adjust one character’s ending significantly. Throughout the show’s run, Supernatural established a dedicated fanbase, which meant the series thrived for a spectacular 15 years. Across more than 300 episodes, the show introduced, killed off, and resurrected characters frequently, with deeply emotional arcs for fan favorites.
However, there was one character who was an integral part of the show for years, but was ultimately snubbed by the show’s end. Despite being played by an outstanding actor, having had a transformative story arc, and being deeply loved, the ending did not justify what the character contributed. But, if the show does come back for Supernatural season 16, they have the chance to correct this error for everyone’s benefit.
Mark Sheppard Wasn’t A Fan Of Crowley’s Supernatural Ending
Crowley Disappeared From Supernatural For The Final Three Seasons
Mark Sheppard played the crossroads demon, Crowley, who was initially introduced as an antagonistic character who worked against the Winchesters. However, over time, Crowley formed a bond with the Winchesters, which led to him advancing to become the King of Hell, and meeting his long-lost mother, Rowena. But despite a lengthy stint on the show, Crowley was unceremoniously written off at the end of season 12, three seasons before the show wrapped for good.
Supernatural season 16 is still possible, but it would really need to address one of the show’s most compelling side characters, Lucifer.
While Crowley’s ending in Supernatural was a wonderful moment of self-sacrifice, growth, and bravery, considering Crowley was able to literally seal Lucifer in Hell through his actions, this sacrifice was eventually made worthless. Because by the time the show had reached its final season, Crowley was dead and gone, but Lucifer came back. Overall, the hasty ending, and the limited sacrifice were not things that actor Mark Sheppard was particularly pleased with, and the fans appear to echo that same sentiment with frustration about Crowley being written off the show.
Supernatural Season 16 Would Be The Perfect Time To Bring Back Crowley
A Supernatural Revival Could Right Some Wrongs
However, if Supernatural gets a chance to continue the story in season 16, it has a chance to tie up loose ends and correct blunders from earlier in the show’s run. And considering the series ended with Dean having died, and the brothers eventually reuniting many years later in Heaven, it could be the perfect time to explore more of what’s going on on that side of the veil. Sam and Dean died a lot in Supernatural, but this is the first time their souls have continued on to find peace.
And, with Jack stepping up as the new god, he has made adjustments, restoring destroyed universes, and bringing Castiel back from the void. So, it’s possible that he could do something similar for Crowley, and perhaps even redeem his soul. If that is the case, maybe Supernatural season 16 could explore the new structure in heaven, or see the Earth’s greatest hunters and their allies brought back to mortality for one more big adventure. Either way, getting Crowley in on the action would be incredibly fun and satisfying after his absence from the finale.
How Crowley Could Actually Return In A Supernatural Revival
Crowley Still Has A Story To Tell In Supernatural
Since Lucifer was able to triumph over death, and break the bands of Hell that Crowley sacrificed himself to bind, it seems only fair that the character be given another chance. In life, he was not a particularly good man, and in death, he climbed the ranks in Hell to become a Demon King. Crowley is ambitious, determined, and clever, which makes him an immense threat, and a powerful ally. So, if the Winchesters need to return for another adventure, it makes sense that their newly empowered friend, Jack, provides them with the additional strength and support they may need to fulfill such a mission.
I’ve been rewatching Supernatural recently and was shocked at how many actors I recognized from elsewhere, who I’d forgotten were in the show in the first place. A stand-out example for me was Corey Monteith in the second episode. I knew that he had starred in projects other than Glee, but nothing too notable, and I had completely forgotten he had been eaten by the Wendigo.
If the show is to return, there needs to be a strong plot. And, it would likely be a final send-off by simply building on the show and offering an epilogue. If this is the case, then it makes a lot of sense to reunite characters who were unable to participate in the finale, and Mark Sheppard’s Crowley deserves that chance. He could be seeking redemption, learning how to live life in heaven, or causing trouble and chaos as usual. But however it goes down, it would be a mistake for the show to snub the character and the actor for the second time in Supernatural.
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Created by Eric Kripke, Supernatural is a fantasy/drama series that premiered in 2005. The series follows the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester – two men wronged by supernatural beings as children who now spend their days investigating and hunting demons, ghosts, and monsters across the United States.
Release Date
September 13, 2005
Franchise(s)
Supernatural
Finale Year
November 30, 2019
Seasons
15
Story By
Eric Kripke
Writers
Eric Kripke
, Andrew Dabb
, Robert Berens
Directors
Philip Sgriccia
, John F. Showalter
, Robert Singer
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