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Flogging Molly cancels its 2025 tour over Dave King’s health

MUSIC

LATimes

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February 8, 2025

Flogging Molly cancels its 2025 tour over Dave King’s health

Flogging Molly, the Celtic punk band that formed in L.A. in the ’90s, is calling off its 2025 shows so frontman Dave King and his bandmate wife, Bridget Regan, can deal with what the group described as a “very serious health condition.”

That means a host of shows on the band’s Road to Rebellion tour, including a St. Patrick’s Day gig planned at the Hollywood Palladium, are off the table. Other shows had been scheduled for the southeastern and southwestern U.S. and in Austria, Belgium, France and Switzerland.

“Our fearless leader, the inimitable Dave King, is currently battling a very serious health condition. Dave and Bridget ask everyone to respect their privacy at this time, we will share as we can. Any good thoughts or prayers you can send Dave’s way, he and we would appreciate it,” the band said Wednesday in a statement on social media.

No details were given about the 63-year-old rocker’s condition. The band simply said it was “unable to perform” this year.

The other five band members, however, will show up as planned for a five-day nautical jaunt in less than two weeks, embarking in Miami and stopping on Grand Cayman island and in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The Flogging Molly‘s Salty Dog Cruise 2025 boasts 18 other bands onboard, including Circle Jerks and the Gaslight Anthem, plus DJs and professional skateboarders.

Band members said in the statement that they will be there “to celebrate the cruise, the community and our captain, Dave King.”

Flogging Molly was famously named in recognition of Molly Malone’s Irish Pub on Fairfax Avenue, where the members first came together and which supported the band in its infancy.

King was born in Dublin but eventually came to Los Angeles, meeting Regan and other band members and for a time struggling with his own immigration status.

“When I was living in L.A., there was a period when I couldn’t get to Ireland, I had a problem with my visa,” King told The Times in 2017, partially explaining how a Celtic punk rock band manifests in the first place. “And the band were just starting to get out of Molly Malone’s; we were starting to tour the West Coast. So it really reinforced in me, the time I couldn’t leave, how much Irish music meant to me.

“I said to myself, if I can’t physically go back home, I’ve got to go back musically — but in my own way, with what I’ve learned growing up.”

He added, “As a child I never saw things politically; I didn’t see the future, or that things would get better. But touring around, I’m very proud every time we go back to Ireland now to see the optimism, the celebration of life.”

This story originally appeared on LA Times

2025 Critics Choice Awards: Winners in Film Categories: Full List

MUSIC

Billboard

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February 8, 2025

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2025 Critics Choice Awards: Winners in Film Categories: Full List

Wicked, Emilia Pérez and The Substance each won three awards at the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards, which were held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. on Friday (Feb. 7). But none of those films took the top prize, best picture, which went to Anora (which won no other awards on the night).

Jon M. Chu, the director of Wicked, won best director. He’s the third director to win a Critics Choice Award for a musical, following Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) and Damien Chazelle (La La Land). Chazelle went on to also win the Oscar for that film. Luhrmann and Chu weren’t even nominated for these films. Wicked’s other Critics Choice Awards were best production design and best costume design.

Emilia Pérez won best foreign language film, best original song for “El Mal,” and best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, who was took the lead on singing “El Mal” in the film.

The Substance won best actress for Demi Moore, best original screenplay and best hair & make-up.

Films receiving two awards were A Real Pain, Conclave and Challengers.

“El Mal,” co-written by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, also won the Golden Globe Award for best original song on Jan. 5. With these two wins, “El Mal” appears to be the front-runner in the race for best original song at the Oscars.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ acclaimed score for Challengers won the Critics Choice Award for best original score, just as it won at the Golden Globes. But it cannot win the Oscar as it wasn’t even nominated. It’s just the third film score to win both the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award and not even be nominated at the Oscars. The first two were Howard Shore’s score for The Aviator and Justin Hurwitz’s score for First Man.

Chelsea Handler hosted the Critics Choice Awards for the third year in a row. The show was originally set for Sunday, Jan. 12, but was postponed to Sunday, Jan. 26, and then postponed again, because of wind-whipped wildfires in Los Angeles that began on Jan. 7. The three-hour show, which included awards for both film and television, aired at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!. The show will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Here’s the full list of nominations on the film side for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, with winners marked.

Best Picture

A Complete Unknown

WINNER: Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

The Substance

Wicked

Best Song

“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Music by: Andrew Wyatt
Lyrics by: Andrew Wyatt, Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li

“Compress/Repress” – Challengers – Music by: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Lyrics by: Trent Reznor, Luca Guadagnino

WINNER: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Music by: Clément Ducol, Camille
Lyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard

“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig

“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Music & Lyrics by: Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi

“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Music & Lyrics by: Clément Ducol, Camille

Best Score

Volker Bertelmann – Conclave

Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist

Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot

Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Pérez

WINNER: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers

Hans Zimmer – Dune: Part Two

Best Acting Ensemble

Anora

WINNER: Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Saturday Night

Sing Sing

Wicked

Best Actor

WINNER: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig – Queer

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Hugh Grant – Heretic

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths

Angelina Jolie – Maria

Mikey Madison – Anora

WINNER: Demi Moore – The Substance

Best Supporting Actor

Yura Borisov – Anora

WINNER: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress

Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Margaret Qualley – The Substance

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

WINNER: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

Best Young Actor/Actress

Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Elliott Heffernan – Blitz

WINNER: Maisy Stella – My Old Ass

Izaac Wang – Didi

Alisha Weir – Abigail

Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

Best Director

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker – Anora

Edward Berger – Conclave

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

WINNER: Jon M. Chu – Wicked

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys

Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

Best Original Screenplay

Sean Baker – Anora

Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David – September 5

Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist

Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain

WINNER: Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Justin Kuritzkes – Challengers

Best Adapted Screenplay

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox – Wicked

Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley – Sing Sing

RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys

WINNER: Peter Straughan – Conclave

Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two

Best Cinematography

WINNER: Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu

Alice Brooks – Wicked

Lol Crawley – The Brutalist

Stéphane Fontaine – Conclave

Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two

Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys

Best Production Design

Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia – The Brutalist

WINNER: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked

Suzie Davies – Conclave

Craig Lathrop – Nosferatu

Arthur Max, Jille Azis, Elli Griff – Gladiator II

Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau – Dune: Part Two

Best Editing

Sean Baker – Anora

WINNER: Marco Costa – Challengers

Nick Emerson – Conclave

David Jancso – The Brutalist

Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two

Hansjörg Weißbrich – September 5

Best Costume Design

Lisy Christl – Conclave

Linda Muir – Nosferatu

Massimo Cantini Parrini – Maria

WINNER: Paul Tazewell – Wicked

Jacqueline West – Dune: Part Two

Janty Yates, Dave Crossman – Gladiator II

Best Hair and Makeup

Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener, Neal Scanlan – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Hair and Makeup Team – Dune: Part Two

WINNER: Hair and Makeup Team – The Substance

Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount – Wicked

Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton, David White – Nosferatu

Mike Marino, Sarah Graalman, Aaron Saucier – A Different Man

Best Visual Effects

Mark Bakowski, Pietro Ponti, Nikki Penny, Neil Corbould – Gladiator II

Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk – Wicked

WINNER: Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer – Dune: Part Two

Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs – Better Man

Visual Effects Team – The Substance

Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, Rodney Burke – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Best Animated Feature

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

WINNER: The Wild Robot

Best Comedy

WINNER: A Real Pain

WINNER: Deadpool & Wolverine

Hit Man

My Old Ass

Saturday Night

Thelma

Best Foreign Language Film

All We Imagine as Light

WINNER: Emilia Pérez

Flow

I’m Still Here

Kneecap

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

This story originally appeared on Billboard

How Shep Rose Is Winning Us Over in Southern Charm Season 10

TV

RealityTea

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February 8, 2025

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How Shep Rose Is Winning Us Over in Southern Charm Season 10

For 10 seasons, Shep Rose has graced the landscapes of Southern Charm. The men of this series, Shep included, often behave like petulant toddlers. However, as Season 10 airs, Shep appears to be shedding some of his Peter Pan-like ways. As a result, he is winning me and many fans over, as his storylines now involve sticking up for others and settling down, not settling up bar tabs while belittling his conquests.

Sadly, his love interest this season will soon flop. But seeing Shep speak about his eagerness for marriage and children has created a full-circle-like character arch. When he finds his perfect fit, Shep will be ready. And I have a suggestion below on where he might want to look first.

While Shep sorts out his next romantic steps, I must admit that his portrayals in Season 10 remain endearing. I am here for this version of Shep, a sentence I never expected to type. But, as Kurt Vonnegut penned (and I reprise often), “So it is.”

Shep Rose is kind to Taylor Ann Green while gently shading her potentially problematic new man

During Seasons 7-8, Shep and Taylor Ann Green were an item. However, Shep spoke horribly to Taylor. And at the reunion for Season 7, we also learned that he had cheated on her. Thankfully, Shep owned up to his mistakes, and by Season 9, both parties were moving on with their lives.

Yet, Season 9 then saw Taylor behaving poorly. She sent a racy photo of herself to one of his friends, and then she kissed another. On the plus side, Taylor also owned up to her mistakes.

Before the cameras picked up to film Season 10, Shep touched on his relationship with Taylor at BravoCon. The way that he spoke about Taylor was endearing. I noticed this, thinking about how great it would be to see Shep presenting in this same manner once their cameras arrived back in Charleston. Luckily for me (so far), my hopes have come true.

As Shep stated (back then and again during Season 10), he is now rooting for Taylor. He wants Taylor to be happy, no matter what. There are “deep roots” here, Shep explained, and as Season 10 progresses, we see Shep holding to this statement.

Sadly, Taylor is now dating a man that mystery follows. The rumor mills have not been kind towards Gaston Rojas. But Shep remains friendly towards Taylor. However, he has also acknowledged his fears over her new man.

Sinners cannot turn into saints overnight, as his drunken antics following BravoCon proved. Plus, this is reality television, and Shep also owes Gaston nothing. So I will admit, I chuckled when Shep described Gaston as ‘mid.”

I hear you. Liking Shep feels wrong. But here I am. Loving his gentle approaches and humor-filled responses this season on Southern Charm.

Shep Rose is in love and partying less around Charleston

Following BravoCon, Shep course corrected the wind in his sails, charting a course for Costa Rica. Here, Shep participated in an ayahuasca retreat. He described his time spent here as “revelatory. Everything opened up,” Shep recalled, praising this psychedelic plant.

When Shep returned to film for Season 10 of Southern Charm, he revealed that he was fresh off his “spiritual journey” in Costa Rica. He was ready to rebuild his friendships. Naturally, certain friends and his ex side-eyed him because of his history.

Craig Conover noted that Shep could have destroyed his image solely based on his problematic, drunken admissions at BravoCon. Our boy Shep agreed. Hence, the new and improved (and likely heavily PR-trained) version of this man we are getting in Season 10.

Now, Shep is partying less. His scenes read more like proverbs than problems. He wants his friends to win, and he wants to strengthen his bonds within this cast.

But Shep loves Sienna Evans. Or I guess I should say loved, as they are now broken apart. But as Season 10 airs, we are learning about his then-leading lady who resides in the Bahamas.

We are finally seeing Shep turning into a smitten man. For the first time, he can envision himself married with children, making his Season 10 presence a far cry from his Seasons 1-9 showings, where his classist tendencies and womanizing ways first aired. Please keep swimming upstream, Shep, because you are growing on fans this season.

When damaging rumors swirled regarding JT Thomas, Shep Rose did not engage

JT Thomas is an interesting fellow. He is friends with many cast members on Southern Charm. Yet, JT has only been on this series for two seasons, and in both seasons, he seems like an underdog (of sorts) with the males in his cast.

But his heart and his intentions are mostly good. So when Craig accused JT of calling Patricia Altschul a b*tch, Shep (and others, thankfully) sprung up in his defense. JT has never used this word, and we do not think he would start using it with a woman like Ms. Pat, is what they proclaimed, and Shep agreed. Unfortunately, JT still quit filming for this series midway through Season 10.

Shep was recently asked for further intel on JT. The manners in which Shep spoke about his deflated costar were touching, showing that Shep has grown as a man. Shep acknowledged that JT made the right choice in stepping away from filming. Smartly, Shep also stressed that they are not doing important work on this series, so JT prioritizing his mental health was the right call.

Watching Shep handle delicate issues with grace and maturity has been a night-and-day experience for loyal fans of this series, such as myself. Hopefully, Shep will continue down this path for all further seasons.

The support Shep Rose lends to Molly O’Connell is endearing

Molly O’Connell is my new favorite star on Southen Charm. This down-to-earth newbie is a doppelganger of Jennifer Lawrence in so many ways. Her scenes always leave me wanting more, and it looks like Shep feels the same.

In one scene, Shep is driving around Charleston. He spots Molly in a park, walking a shelter dog like a precious human. Shep honks at Molly and then pulls into a parking spot so they can chat.

After Shep parked, he hugged Molly before greeting her adoptable furry friend, who jumped on him immediately, like a good boy. Not realizing who she was at first, Shep tells Molly that she looked like “a babe” walking around. Molly sarcastically replied, “Oh, yeah,” as a beaming Shep notes, “That probably happens all the time” for you.

Molly needed to hear kind words, especially after Whitney Sudler-Smith fat-shammed her while she was enjoying a harmless cupcake. So thank you, Shep, for being a true Southern gentleman this season. Further proving this point, Shep encouraged Molly to give herself some credit, as she IS a babe.

Molly then revealed that she was playing her miniature tuba in the Charleston Concert Band. This announcement is where I died. I also play the tuba and speak fluent sarcasm. Call me, Molly.

He asks Molly if he can attend her concert, and she answers yes. The entire time Molly plays, Shep watches from his seat through kind, proud eyes.

Hear me out. Molly admitted that Shep is her type. And Shep appears equally impressed with Molly. Either way, Season 10 Shep remains improving.

Southern Charm is streaming on Peacock.

TELL US – IS SHEP ALSO GROWING ON YOU THIS SEASON? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SHEP SCENE THUS FAR?

This story originally appeared on Realitytea

Jake Confesses to Bode About Gabriela

TV

TV Insider

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February 8, 2025

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Fire Country Season 3 Episode 10 “The Leone Way.”]

Among the relationships that Bode (Max Thieriot) had to repair when Fire Country first premiered with him returning to Edgewater at Three Rock — besides with his parents Vince (Billy Burke) and Sharon (Diane Farr) — were the friends he’d left behind, Jake (Jordan Calloway) and Eve (Jules Latimer). The show has shined since Season 1 when it’s focused on that trio, and, to be honest, we haven’t gotten enough of the three of them together. The midseason premiere, however, was a great episode, with Bode and Jake stepping up to help Eve save her family’s ranch from an out-of-control fire.

Season 3 has already been a good one for Bode and Jake’s relationship, with the latter having to balance being the former’s friend and boss while he was training earlier, especially when it came at a time he was struggling with his late girlfriend’s daughter spending time with and ultimately moving in with her biological father. Then, something Fire Country wisely did is not have a hookup between Jake and Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) — both his and Bode’s ex — be about the restart of the love triangle. It happened once and neither is interested in getting back together, which is good because while it may seem like something’s poised to happen with Bode and Audrey (Leven Rambin), we all know he and Gabriela will eventually get back together. (Also: Gabriela helping Audrey as a firefighter and teaching her to swim? Love it.)

Sergei Bachlakov/CBS

Instead, as Episode 10 highlights, right now, it’s about how Bode will react to the news, and when better for Jake to break it to him than during the family camping trip — and yes, Jake is family, as pretty much every Leone has to remind him during this episode. (That trip also ends up leading to Vince’s father Walter, played by Jeff Fahey, accepting that he might have some sort of cognitive issues as he’s been having memory problems.)

Ahead of that trip, Gabriela doesn’t think they have to tell Bode, but points out that since Jake said he wants to own it, he should go ahead. Jake hesitates, since Bode’s talking to Audrey. He’s then about to tell him while they’re fishing, only for Walter to interrupt to get them to move to what he deems a better spot. Jake later tells Luke (Michael Trucco), who sympathizes; he fixed things with Sharon and Vince after his really bad decision to hit on her, however, by giving her a kidney. Jake wants his advice, but all Luke can offer is that he broke the bro code, so he has to own it. Whatever else is going on, he is still family, Luke emphasizes, and families forgive.

It’s not until they’re back at 42 that Jake tells Bode he and Gabriela slept together “consensually, drunkenly, regrettably.” Bode’s not sure how to react, but Jake reminds him of how he reacted when it was the other way around. Jake tells him they’re brothers, and what he and Gabriela did was a mistake and he just wants to own it. He backslid on Bode and his integrity. Bode assures him that when he told him he was part of the family during the trip, he meant it. What happened is hard to swallow, but they’re good, he says. With that, the two hug.

Something this episode highlights and not just in that last conversation and which we started to see a bit of at the end of the midseason premiere when Jake watched Sharon, Vince, and Bode together, is that Jake doesn’t seem like he thinks he’s part of the Leone family. Plus, Sharon had just asked Vince about what’s going on with him and Jake when they were interrupted by Walter showing up and thinking it was time for Bode’s graduation (which had already happened).

Jake tells Bode he’s surprised he was invited on the camping trip since it’s a family thing; Bode reminds him he’s family, and Jake says he’s not sure everyone (presumably Vince) would agree. Later, when Luke reveals he got a job out of the country (new Cal Fire program to train firefighters in Japan) and Vince argues with him about who will look after Walter, Jake tries to leave since it sounds like a family thing. Bode again reminds him he’s family, and Walter agrees. Then, upon hearing about Walter’s terminology for an improvised rescue (Swiss army job) and Luke calling it Leone lingo, Jake remarks that he’s still not fluent.

Thieriot told TV Insider around Episode 5 of Bode and Jake, “Over the course of the season, we get to—which I’ve been really looking forward to—really kind of explore their friendship more and more and more and get to see a lot of that, which I think is something the audience is going to love getting to experience. It’s always been sort of at a distance and now we get to see the two of them together a lot, which is fun.”

This feels like just the start of that, which is a good thing because anything that highlights their brotherhood and all its complications — like in this episode — makes for great TV. We’ve seen how well these two can work together, even when they’re at odds, and we’re just starting to see that when they’re not. It’s seeing them get past the rough patches, like this one now about Gabriela, that makes the moments they’re firmly on each other’s side all the more special. And given what “The Leone Way,” and the issues yet to be resolved between Jake and Vince, something tells us there’s much more coming.

Fire Country, Fridays, 9/8c, CBS

This story originally appeared on TV Insider

The FTSE 100 index hits new highs! But will Legal & General shares outperform it in 2025?

STOCK MARKET

Motley Fool

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February 8, 2025

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The FTSE 100 index hits new highs! But will Legal & General shares outperform it in 2025?

Image source: Getty Images

The FTSE 100 leading index of shares shows no signs of slowing down after its blistering performance of 2024.

After hitting repeated record highs last year, the Footsie continues to break new ground at the start of 2025. In recent days it struck new all-time peaks around 8,767 points. It’s up 5.4% since New Year’s Day.

The FTSE 100’s gains are thanks to improved optimism over interest rate cuts, solid corporate earnings news, and fresh weakness in the UK pound. Lower sterling boosts overseas profits for the index’s multinational companies.

Yet some individual blue-chip stocks have performed even more strongly than the broader index. I’m confident some of them will continue outpacing the FTSE, too.

Legal & General (LSE:LGEN) is one such company I believe can keep climbing.

Buyback boost

Up 7.7% since 1 January, the share price has mainly been boosted by news of a major upcoming divestment.

It announced on Friday (7 February) the sale of its US protection business to Japan’s Meiji Yasuda for a total £1.8bn. In addition to this, Legal & General said it will cede a 20% stake in its pension risk transfer (PRT) business to the Japanese company.

As for the proceeds, £400m will be shuttled into the new PRT arrangement, while a further £1bn will be made available for share buybacks following completion.

As a result, the firm said it “now expects to return the equivalent of [roughly] 40% of its market cap to shareholders over 2025-2027 through a combination of dividends and buybacks.”

Room for growth?

Thanks to its exceptional cash generation, Legal & General is famed for its huge dividends and ambitious share repurchase plans. For 2025, analysts expect a 14th year of dividend growth out of the last 15, which in turn drives its yield to 8.8%. Friday’s buyback news puts another layer of icing on the cake.

Legal & General dividend growth — *Source: DividendMax*

Legal & General’s share price has been under pressure over the past year. But boosted by lower interest rates and growing structural demand for financial planning services, I’m optimistic it may continue its recent rebound this year, providing a blend of healthy capital gains and dividend income.

The company’s cheap valuation certainly leaves plenty of scope for fresh gains, in my opinion.

For this year, it trades on an undemanding price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.3 times. What’s more, its price-to-earnings growth (PEG) for 2025 is a modest 0.3.

That’s some distance below the benchmark of 1 and below that indicates a share is undervalued.

Looking good

Being able to accurately predict near-term share price movements is exceptionally tough. This is no different with Legal & General, demand for whose shares could sink amid fresh signs of weak economic growth and sticky inflation that impacts revenues.

But on balance, I think things are looking pretty bright for the financial services giant. This view’s shared by City analysts, who expect sustained earnings growth of 33% and 10% in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Regardless of its share price, outlook for this year, I think Legal & General shares are a top FTSE 100 share to consider. I own it in my own portfolio and plan to hold it for the long haul.

This story originally appeared on Motley Fool

Students Sue The Department Of Education Over Illegal Elon Musk Hack

POLITICS

PoliticusUSA

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February 8, 2025

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Students Sue The Department Of Education Over Illegal Elon Musk Hack

PoliticusUSA is ad-free with no corporate influence because of readers like you. Please support us by becoming a subscriber.

The American people didn’t vote for Elon Musk to be given access to all of their personal data. Given how Trump stole classified documents that belonged to the American people when he left the White House for the first time, it is shocking that the thought didn’t enter the collective mind that Donald Trump should never be entrusted with anyone’s personal information.

Too many people were distracted by the media circuses of first drumming Joe Biden off the Democratic ticket and then complaints about Kamala Harris not doing enough interviews to ponder the consequences of a second Trump presidency.

Some Americans hoped that Donald Trump would lower prices and give them another stimulus check. Eggs are hitting a record-high price, and Trump has unleashed Elon Musk to find $4.2 trillion so that taxes can be cut for the rich.

Musk’s pursuit of money to put in his pocket inspired him to hack government agencies and steal the personal data of every American. Elon Musk has gone from department to department, downloading data and reportedly adding software.

All of Musk’s behavior is against the law.

Students are the latest group to push back against Musk’s hack.

Public Citizen alerted The Daily, “Representing the University of California Student Association, Student Defense and Public Citizen Litigation Group filed a lawsuit today against the Department of Education for sharing confidential student data with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”

It is illegal for the Department of Education to share the data of students with Elon Musk.

The lawsuit alleges:

The Defendants have violated the Privacy Act, Internal Revenue Code, and Department regulations by allowing DOGE-affiliated individuals to access the Department’s data and the computer systems that house federal student financial aid information.

This story originally appeared on Politicususa

JUST IN: Trump Dismantles Biden’s Gun Control Actions, Signs Executive Order to Protect Gun Owners | The Gateway Pundit

POLITICS

TheGatewayPundit

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February 8, 2025

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JUST IN: Trump Dismantles Biden’s Gun Control Actions, Signs Executive Order to Protect Gun Owners | The Gateway Pundit

Credit: White House

President Trump on Friday signed an Executive Order dismantling Joe Biden’s gun control actions.

“The Second Amendment is an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty. It has preserved the right of the American people to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms since the founding of our great Nation. Because it is foundational to maintaining all other rights held by Americans, the right to keep and bear arms must not be infringed,” President Trump’s Executive Order said.

Trump ordered US Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all of Joe Biden’s unconstitutional gun control Executive Orders to assess ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment.

“Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens, and present a proposed plan of action to the President, through the Domestic Policy Advisor, to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans,” Trump’s EO said.

Pam Bondi will review “All Presidential and agencies’ actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” the EO said.

Biden waged a war on the Second Amendment during his four years in office.

In April 2021, Biden’s six executive actions included:

The Justice Department, within 30 days, will issue a proposed rule to help stop the proliferation of “ghost guns.”
The Justice Department, within 60 days, will issue a proposed rule to make clear when a device marketed as a stabilizing brace effectively turns a pistol into a short-barreled rifle subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act.
The Justice Department, within 60 days, will publish model “red flag” legislation for states: Red flag laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring people in crisis from accessing firearms if they present a danger to themselves or others.
The Administration is investing in evidence-based community violence interventions.
The Justice Department will issue an annual report on firearms trafficking.
The President will nominate David Chipman to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

In one of his last gun control executive orders, Biden targeted private gun sellers.

“The executive order directs the attorney general to increase background checks by cracking down on gun sellers who don’t perform them when required, with the goal of “moving us as close as we can to universal background checks without new legislation,” as Mr. Biden put it. The order also directs federal agencies to improve public awareness and promote the use of “red-flag” laws, and instructs the attorney general to release more information about federally licensed firearms dealers who violate the law,” CBS News reported.

Shortly before leaving office, Joe Biden signed an executive order banning ghost guns.

Biden also targeted gun manufacturers and vowed to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

BIDEN: “I am determined, once again, to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines!” pic.twitter.com/KDmIhk7ZXQ

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 14, 2023

This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit

Confronting a surge in femicides in Kenya

WORLD

France24

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February 8, 2025

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Confronting a surge in femicides in Kenya

The brutal murder of Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei in September 2024 brought renewed global attention to a silent epidemic in Kenya: femicide and other forms of violence against women. With nearly 100 women murdered by men in just three months, 2024 was one of the deadliest years on record for Kenyan women. With mentalities slow to change and in the absence of a meaningful response from the government, some Kenyan women are taking matters into their own hands by enrolling in self-defence classes. And while William Ruto’s government unveiled a 42-member task force to address gender-based violence in January, feminist activists are already voicing concerns it will do little make a significant impact. Erin Ogunkeye spoke to feminist and security professor Awino Okech of SOAS University of London for more. She’s also the director of the Feminist Centre for Racial Justice.

This story originally appeared on France24

Thailand’s struggling battle against air pollution | World News

WORLD

SkyNews

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February 8, 2025

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Thailand’s struggling battle against air pollution | World News

For weeks now, most of the friends and families I know have had a cough of some kind. The pollution in the dry season in Thailand has long been a problem.

But recently, it’s reached dangerous and deeply worrying levels.

Bangkok was the fourth most polluted city in the world this month. Across 31 districts 352 schools were also closed because of pollution.

For weeks, I’ve had to rush my children into school with masks on, as the cheery teachers apologetically declare: “Pollution day so straight into class please.”

I like to go running with my son before school. But these days we’ve had to check the air quality index before we venture out.

Unfortunately, there have been plenty of mornings when the red bar appears, the screen reads, “very unhealthy” and we have to stay in.

It’s not a ritual I ever imagined having to go through with my kids in an era when governments know full well the dangers of pollutants and have the technology and know-how to reduce it.

Pollution is linked to the deaths of 100 children under five daily in South East Asia and the Pacific, according to a report this week by UNICEF.

This when clean air should be a universal right.

I’ve started to really worry about what living in Bangkok and many other parts of Thailand is doing to little lungs long term.

You can feel the smog in the back of your throat and sometimes, you can see the haze. But other days it’s hidden – a silent killer.

‘Rainmaker’

The Thai government hopes a plane that’s become known as the “rainmaker” might help.

In Hua Hin, about a three hour drive south of Bangkok, we get on board for a flight back to the capital. Two big plastic containers are being filled with 1,000 litres of icy water through a pump.

Today they’re dropping it over 16km of land shrouded in pollution. They do it twice a day across the country.

It’s an unconventional method and critics say so far unproven, but the hope is that it will cool down the warm air below and help disperse the trapped polluted particles cloaking the city.

The big worry right now is the PM 2.5 levels – cancer-causing particles that get into the lungs and bloodstream. Recently, they were eight times what the World Health Organization recommends.

Pollution ‘getting worse every year’

Pilot Aim Suracharttumrongrat tells me: “It’s a very huge scale problem. Our mission here is one of helping. But it’s not solving the problem.”

He gestures out the window to show how hard it is to see. “I’m very surprised,” he says of how bad the pollution currently is. “It’s higher every year.”

A couple of hours drive away in Ratchaburi province, you can see a big part of the problem – burnt fields of rice, sugar cane and corn – the product of slash-and-burn farming.

It’s a cheap and efficient way for poor farmers to clear the land, and they’re encouraged by big businesses driving up demand.

International smog and toxic traffic

It’s not the only problem.

Toxic traffic is playing its part too. The government has been trying to counter that by offering free public transport.

Winds from China and India have also contributed to the recent haze – earlier and more intense than previous years.

The government has rules in place against burning crops. But punishments aren’t always enforced and if Thailand and other countries are serious about improving the situation, holding big agricultural companies to account will be key.

China and Singapore are two nations that have turned things around.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently admitted despite adopting a wide range of measures, air quality is still bad.

She said she had personally raised the issue of transboundary smog with ASEAN foreign ministers.

But Thailand will arguably have to go much further than that if it’s to turn things around – in policy and practice.

This story originally appeared on Skynews

Trump says he is revoking Biden’s security clearances : NPR

US NEWS

NPR

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February 8, 2025

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Trump says he is revoking Biden’s security clearances : NPR

President Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office on Friday. In a posting on his Truth Social site, Trump said he was revoking former President Joe Biden’s security clearances.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Trump says he is “immediately revoking” former President Joe Biden’s security clearances — access that Biden stripped from Trump four years ago.

Former presidents are historically given intelligence briefings after leaving office. In 2021, Biden revoked Trump’s access just weeks after being sworn in, arguing Trump exhibited “erratic behavior.”

Now, Trump appears to be repeating the move.

In a post Friday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Biden “set this precedent” by taking away his clearances shortly after Trump left office.

Trump criticized the former president’s cognitive ability and referenced a report by special counsel Robert Hur that described Biden as having a “poor memory.” Biden was investigated by Hur for his alleged mishandling of classified materials after he left the vice presidency, but prosecutors ultimately determined that charges were not warranted.

Special counsel Hur defended Biden classified documents probe before Congress

“The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information,” Trump said on Truth Social. “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED.”

A spokesperson for the former president could not be immediately reached for comment.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a hearing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 19, 2024. The committee held the hearing to question retired U.S. Generals on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

“What value is giving him an intelligence briefing?” Biden said in an interview with CBS News four years ago. “What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”

Trump’s decision to revoke Biden’s access follows similar moves taken by the administration against past critics of the president. Last week, the Pentagon revoked retired Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley’s security detail and suspended his clearance. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton have also had their security details removed by Trump.

This story originally appeared on NPR

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