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Rams’ Jared Verse earned respect from ‘hated’ Eagles fans

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A week later, with their team on the verge of possibly playing in the Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles fans apparently have nothing but respect for Rams rookie Jared Verse.

Verse, the Rams’ boisterous edge rusher, riled the Eagles faithful before the NFC divisional round playoff game by saying he hated them and found them annoying. Verse subsequently embraced verbal abuse before and during a 28-22 defeat, in which he recorded two sacks. Verse said afterward that playing the role of villain hyped him up.

Before Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Washington Commanders, a Times reporter navigated Eagles tailgates outside Lincoln Financial Field to ask fans their before and after reactions to Verse, a finalist for NFL defensive rookie of the year.

“He was trying to do something to fire up his team,” said Mike Carter, wearing a No. 20 Eagles jersey. “I don’t know if it backfired or not, but he kind of came clean after the game and said that he enjoyed the atmosphere.

“He kind of knew what he was doing. He knew what he was going to get and we gave it to him. After the game he showed respect, and we showed respect. It’s all good.”

Joe Friel, a season ticket-holder since 1971, said Verse was a good player.

“I respect the guy for what he did,” Friel said. “I think he tried to get his team going.”

Eagles fans Jay Vignetti, left, and Tal Sims said Jared Verse should have used different words, but he earned fans’ respect by backing up his comments with good play.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

Said Kevin Fitzpatrick: “He kind of realized that we’re much nicer than everyone says, and we recognize when a guy is sticking up for his team.”

Down a row of gatherings, Tal Sims said he would have picked different words than Verse chose.

“I would probably say, ‘Hey, I’m not really crazy about playing in Philly,’ but he said what he said and I think it was more of an in-the-moment kind of thing.”

Jay Vignetti said that when Verse’s comments were displayed on the stadium video board, “‘it fuels us.”

Still, Verse impressed Sims and Vignetti.

“If you’re going to say something like that, come out and say it to our face and we’ll respect you a lot more — and he did,” Sims said.

Eagles fan Ted Holloway shows off an Eagles necklace, jacket and hat at a tailgate.

Eagles fan Ted Holloway said he respects Jared Verse but he got the same treatment at Lincoln Financial Field as Santa Claus.

(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)

As Ted Holloway leaned into the back of pickup, he said he gave Verse “a tiny bit” of respect because like Verse he’s a Florida State man.

“But he should know better than that,” Holloway said. “Ask everybody in the league: Before you play the Eagles, dude, do not talk trash because we’re going to make you eat those words.”

Holloway said he was in the stands for the game against the Rams. Verse got the same treatment Santa Claus received at halftime of an infamous 1968 game at Franklin Field.

“We threw snowballs at him,” Holloway said. “So he gets the same thing Santa gets.”



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht is taking his shot, and swishing it

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Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, still sweaty from the career-high 27 points that helped bury the Pelicans on Saturday night, wanted a minute. His Tennessee Volunteers were driving against Georgia, and as he stared down at his phone, he asked for one more play before he began his postgame interview.

Tennessee committed a penalty and was forced to punt, an opportunity squandered.

Despite being an all-American at the university a year ago, Knecht couldn’t relate. Because when he’s gotten chances, like the one in front of him with the Lakers, he doesn’t move backward.

After Knecht put his phone down, he talked about the confidence the Lakers have in him, about how, after drafting him 17th, they’ve empowered him to let it fly, with coach JJ Redick drawing up specific plays for Knecht to shoot.

“It’s always good to have a coach like that, that’s super confident in you, always wanting you to shoot the ball,” Knecht said. “So when I go out there and I do shoot some crazy shots or something that I shouldn’t be shooting, it’s always good that JJ will have my back.”

Despite the greenest possible light, at least one of his 93 NBA field-goal attempts have had to cross Knecht’s “crazy or something like that” threshold, right?

“No, not at all,” he said with a grin. “I think every time I shoot the ball, I think it’s a great shot.”

It’s exactly the mindset the Lakers had hoped for.

In Redick’s first official act as Lakers head coach, the team prepped for the NBA draft, a group of players including Tristan Da Silva and Yves Missi the likely targets for the Lakers, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

Yet Knecht, projected by some to be taken inside the top five, found himself in a draft-night freefall. Concerns about his age (he’s 23) and his ability to execute NBA defensive concepts were pushing him down the board and, suddenly, right into the Lakers’ laps.

One year after passing on the draft’s big slider, Cam Whitmore, and on an established veteran like Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Lakers didn’t make the same mistake twice — grabbing the scorer even if the Lakers hadn’t actually done any extensive homework on him as a prospect.

Whether it was at Northeastern Junior College, Northern Colorado or Tennessee, Knecht could score.

The fit was ideal for both. The Lakers, desperate to add shooting for seemingly the 100th consecutive offseason, got one of the best available in college basketball. And Knecht landed in a situation where there would be early opportunity to play for Redick, a player Knecht’s college coach, Rick Barnes, tried to model his game after.

“We didn’t think Dalton would be available at 17,” Redick said after the Lakers picked Knecht. “But he provides something we just don’t have. He’s a movement shooter, he can obviously play off the bounce. We viewed him very highly on our draft board, and he can score at all three levels. He’s got size, there was a lot of things to be excited about with Dalton. And I’m excited to coach him.”

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht talks with coach JJ Redick along the sideline during a break in play earlier this season at Crypto.com Arena.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The excitement didn’t fade as the two started working together, Redick quickly anointing Knecht as an elite shooter, even to NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller before Knecht scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime in a preseason win against Phoenix.

He finished with 35 points. The last Lakers rookie with that many points in the preseason was Kobe Bryant.

“The thing about him is just the mentality,” Redick said. “It’s been very obvious in pickup before the season. In training camp, thus far in games, he’s got no fear. He’s not afraid of the moment. That was a show that he put on.”

And then, the show stalled.

The game in Phoenix gave Lakers fans a taste of what Knecht could do, a shooter and scorer who, at any time, could burn up the nets with a flurry of buckets. Preseason or not, people were excited.

Snoop Dogg nicknamed him “Westside Knecht” on ESPN the day after the preseason explosion against the Suns.

Yet rookies rarely avoid adversity, and Knecht was no exception. Despite beginning the season in Redick’s rotation, he was mostly on the fringes of their early wins, and by the time the Lakers hit the road for the first time, Knecht was almost in a full-fledged slump.

He scored 18 in a blowout loss to Cleveland, but the bulk of that came with the game already over. He made just four of18 shots from three-point range over the next five games.

“I am undeterred in my thinking that he is a tier one, top-one percent shooter,” Redick said after the Cleveland game. “I see it almost every day.”

Lakers fans didn’t have to wait long to see it for themselves.

Knecht’s shooting flipped a game later in the third quarter against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, when he made all five of his threes on his way to 19 points.

Lakers guard Dalton Knecht hangs on the rim after a dunk

Lakers guard Dalton Knecht, hanging on the rim after dunking against the Pelicans on Saturday in New Orleans, has shown the ability to score at all three levels as a rookie.

(Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)

Then, with Rui Hachimura dealing with an ankle injury, Redick moved Knecht into the starting lineup and he scored 14 against the Spurs on Friday, setting the stage in New Orleans on Saturday when he finished with a career-high 27 points — three straight games in which Knecht showed that the Lakers might’ve gotten a draft night bargain.

“It’s no surprise to me,” LeBron James said Saturday.

Redick said as Knecht’s role has expanded, so has his rookie’s feel and timing.

“He’s getting comfortable,” Redick said. “But I would also say when you are an offensive player, when you’re a guy who is a high-level shooter, getting more extended runs and getting more minutes, you’re naturally just going to be more in the flow of the game. I think maybe I called a play or two, for him. But he just kind of got it through our offense and our passing and ball movement. So it’s just, I think the flow of the game for him is there when he gets extended runs.”

Opposing teams have targeted Knecht on the defensive end, and the results have been about as expected. Redick said at times, he’s held up. Sometimes, he hasn’t. Generally, though, Knecht has played with the kind of competitiveness and toughness that can overcome some of the deficiencies on the defensive end.

And on offense, the Lakers think they’ve got themselves something special.

“He’s already pro ready. It’s kinda how like [Damian Lillard] was. You go through college for so long, you mature, get older,” Anthony Davis said in New Orleans. “He doesn’t need the confidence. But when you have guys telling you to shoot the ball, that usually shows that we have the utmost confidence in you to go out there and make shots. He takes big-time shots, he makes big-time shots.

“And, like I said, it gives us a boost, especially when, two or three go in. We’re looking for him. We’re looking for him to shoot the basketball and it just opens up everything else for us.”

Over the last three games, Knecht has emerged as an X factor for the Lakers, the type of rookie weapon teams don’t normally draft midway through the first round.

After Knecht’s preseason show in Phoenix, Redick was asked about making sure Knecht wasn’t going to get too far ahead of himself.

“Dalton’s easy,” Redick said. “He’s not going to get too high or too low. He’s, in the best possible way, has like a short-term memory with stuff. He’s just onto the next thing. It’s represented in his background and the way he’s come up and his path and journey to get to the stage. He’s just onto the next thing. He’s got a growth mindset.”

Thirteen games into his NBA career, Knecht has showed that — and there’s time to show a lot more.



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Albert Pujols in middle of bizarre Dominican winter league controversy

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Baseball great Albert Pujols found himself in the middle of a bizarre controversy in the Dominican winter league championship series. 

Pujols was managing Leones del Escogido against Tigres del Licey in the championship series. 

The controversy came on Sunday night when Leones found itself one out away from winning the championship when Gustavo Nunez — a former Mets minor leaguer — hit a two-run homer that tied the game for Tigres, who eventually won in 13 innings to force a Game 7. 

Pujols, a three-time NL MVP, questioned the legitimacy of the home run and requested that Nunez’s bat be checked to make sure he wasn’t using an illegal bat to hit the homer. 

Albert Pujols managing Leones del Escogido. AFP via Getty Images

“Bat is inspected, and dissected, this morning. Bat is found to be legal,” baseball reporter Shawn Spradling posted on X. 

Several posts on social media showed just how thoroughly the bat was inspected, with one video showing workers chopping the bat up into little pieces in order to determine if it had been corked. 


The bat in question is sawed to see if it's corked.
The bat in question is sawed to see if it’s corked. X/@Shawn_Spradling

The posts clearly showed that it was indeed clean. 

Regardless of the outcome in Game 6, Pujols still led Leones del Escogido to a championship in Game 7 with the ballclub coming away with a 6-5 victory on Monday night. 

Nunez was in the Mets farm system at Double-A Binghampton for the 2017 season.




This story originally appeared on NY Post

Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn | The Recipe Critic

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This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.

Crunchy and sweet, red hot cinnamon popcorn is like caramel corn with a hint of cinnamon! The butter and sugar mellow out the bold cinnamon flavor of red hots, resulting in a buttery, lightly spiced treat. It’s less intense than cinnamon bears but just as addictive. Perfect for fans of caramel corn and red hots!

Angle shot of red hot cinnamon popcorn in a bowl. Angle shot of red hot cinnamon popcorn in a bowl.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Crunchy and Sweet: Combines caramel corn’s crisp texture with a hint of cinnamon sweetness.
  • Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this a fun and quick recipe.
  • Addictive Treat: A unique twist on classic caramel corn that’s hard to stop snacking on!
  • Crowd-Pleaser: Great for parties, movie nights, or gifting during the holidays. After you make this amazing cinnamon popcorn, try our grasshopper popcorn, popcorn balls, and funfetti popcorn!

Bright Red, Flavorful Popcorn

This festive popcorn is so beautiful and makes the perfect addition to any Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or Christmas party. It tastes amazing and is easy to make with minimal ingredients. If you’re a fan of hot tamales, but they can be too spicy, this is the snack for you! It has the perfect amount of cinnamon without overwhelming heat!

Ingredients for Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn

Overhead shot of labeled ingredients. Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.

How to Make Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn

When my sweet tooth hits, I love having a poppable snack like cinnamon popcorn! It only takes 10 minutes to prep! Be sure to plan ahead because it takes some time to bake and then cool.

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large, deep roasting pan or a large oven-safe Dutch oven with pan spray and add your popped popcorn to it. Set aside.
  2. Melt Butter: Add the butter to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat.
  3. Heat Ingredients: Once the butter is melted, add the corn syrup, sugar, salt, and red hots candy to the saucepan.
  4. Stir and Boil: Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the red hots are melted and the mixture is boiling. Stop stirring and let it boil for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in Baking Soda: Turn off the heat and stir in the baking soda. The red hot mixture can bubble up a bit at this stage. Make sure the pot you use has high sides, and you stir continuously until the bubbling up subsides.
  6. Coat Popcorn: Pour the red hot mixture over the popcorn and stir it as best you can until the popcorn is as evenly coated as you can get it.
  7. Bake, Stir, Cool: Bake the cinnamon popcorn for 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes. Once the hour is up, turn out the popcorn onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.

Tips for Making Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn

This recipe is super easy, but follow these simple tips for perfect flavor and crunch every time!

  • What kind of popcorn should I use? I prefer to pop my own popcorn using an air popper. But if you would like to use microwave popcorn, you can! I recommend using one without butter and salt, if possible.
  • Be patient coating the popcorn! The red hots mixture doesn’t initially coat the popcorn as evenly as regular caramel corn. But as you continue to cook it in the oven and stir it around, it will all get coated!
  • Just keep stirring! As you stir the popcorn every 15 minutes, it might feel like you are going to crush it. This is okay! It’s not going to crush it into crumbs, but instead, it will help disperse the coating more evenly. Just keep going!
  • What if I don’t have a large oven safe pot? If you don’t have a large oven safe pot, pour the coated popcorn onto a large, greased sheet pan. Add a silicone mat to the bottom if you have one, and bake the popcorn on that instead.

Overhead shot of red hot cinnamon sugar. Overhead shot of red hot cinnamon sugar.

How to Store Cinnamon Popcorn

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Overhead shot of red hot cinnamon popcorn in a bowl. Overhead shot of red hot cinnamon popcorn in a bowl.

More Delicious Snack Recipes

Here are some of my other favorite snack recipes to try—perfect for any craving or occasion! Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet, savory or a little of both, these snacks are sure to hit the spot.

Pin this now to find it later

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  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large, deep roasting pan or a large oven-safe Dutch oven with pan spray and add 14 cups air-popped popcorn to it. Set aside.

  • Add ½ cup butter to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat.

  • Once the butter is melted, add 11 ounces red hots or cinnamon imperials, ½ cup corn syrup, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the red hots are melted and the mixture is boiling.

  • Stop stirring and let it boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon baking soda. The red hot mixture can bubble up a bit at this stage, so make sure the pot you use has high sides, and you stir continuously until the bubbling up subsides.

  • Pour the red hot mixture over the popcorn and stir it as best you can until the popcorn is as evenly coated as you can get it.

  • Bake the cinnamon popcorn for 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes. Once the hour is up, turn out the popcorn onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.

Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 183mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 224IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.




This story originally appeared on TheRecipeCritic

The Eurasia Mining (EUA) share price has jumped 43%. Time to buy this penny share?

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Image source: Getty Images

Over the past year, penny share Eurasia Mining (LSE: EUA) has jumped 43% in price. But it still sells for less than 3p apiece.

Past price action is not necessarily an indication of what may come in future.

Still, it has me wondering: should I add the share to my portfolio?

Taking the long-term view

As a long-term investor, my reaction on seeing that impressive one-year performance is to wonder how typical it is of the longer trend – and what if anything may change that trend.

Over five years, the share price has sunk 27%.

Even that number does not capture the full story, as during that period the price actually touched 40p. So some investors today could be sitting on a much higher paper (or actual) loss than 27%.

The catalyst for the rising price over the past 12 months — including an 82% increase since the end of May — has been the ongoing question of whether lossmaking Eurasia will be able to offload its Russian assets and if so whether it could get a good price for them.

Along the way last year, it issued new shares as part of a trade finance agreement. Given the company’s financial position (net cash outflows in the first half were £1.2m), I see a risk of further shareholder dilution in future if Eurasia needs to bolster liquidity further.

So, what is the latest news of a possible sale?

It remains a wait and see, with the company repeatedly emphasising last year that there is no guarantee of any sale in future.

Investing, not speculating

Here, I think, is where being an investor not a speculator helps me make a clear decision, quickly.

Warren Buffett asks (in general, not specific to Eurasia) why someone might want to buy a share if they are not attracted by the idea of owning the whole company.

Eurasia has a market capitalisation of £72m. But the company had no turnover in the first half of last year, is consistently lossmaking and its key assets (in Russia) are basically stranded in a geopolitical quagmire over which it has limited, if any, control.

Would I want to buy that company in general, let alone for £72m? No. Absolutely not.

So, do I want to buy a share in EUA at today’s price, or almost any price? Again, no.

That does not mean that this could not be a very lucrative opportunity. If Eurasia can offload its assets at a good price, I reckon the share price could shoot up even from where it currently stands. Bear in mind that 40p price – just a few years ago, enough buyers and shareholders felt that was justifiable to make it happen.

But buying today in the uncertain prospect of an asset sale is far too speculative for me.

Trade financiers and speculators with a radically different risk appetite to me might do very well here (or very badly) at some point. As an investor, though, I will not be joining them.  



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool

Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. Beauty Drops Its Dreamglow Line

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Ariana Grande poses for r.e.m. Beauty’s Dreamglow collection. Photo: Katia Temkin / r.e.m. Beauty

Ariana Grande is a shimmering vision with the latest r.e.m. Beauty drop, the Dreamglow collection. The singer and actress channels vintage glamour with a glossy pout, radiant cheeks, and a sculpted updo with delicate curls in a setting bathed in soft pink hues.

r.e.m. Beauty Dreamglow Campaign

r.e.m. Beauty debuts its Dreamglow collection featuring a glossy balm.
r.e.m. Beauty debuts its Dreamglow collection featuring a glossy balm. Photo: Katia Temkin / r.e.m. Beauty

The campaign, shot through a dreamy lens, spotlights the latest line. There are the three new Dreamglow Highlight Serum shades, alongside the Eclipse Blush + Lip Stick in fresh, vibrant hues and Essential Drip Glossy Balm for a glass-like shine.

Ariana Grande poses with r.e.m. Beauty's Dreamglow Highlight Serum.
Ariana Grande poses with r.e.m. Beauty’s Dreamglow Highlight Serum. Photo: Katia Temkin / r.e.m. Beauty

Makeup artist Michael Anthony crafts Ariana’s dewy, lit-from-within glow, enhancing her signature cat eye flick. Hairstylist Alyx Liu creates a sleek yet romantic updo, perfectly complementing the ethereal aesthetic.

Ariana Grande shows off her hand tattoos for r.e.m. Beauty.
Ariana Grande shows off her hand tattoos for r.e.m. Beauty. Photo: Katia Temkin / r.e.m. Beauty

The Dreamglow collection’s shades range from soft pink pearls to warm terracottas, embodying a celestial look.

Ariana Grande for r.e.m. Beauty Dreamglow collection.
Ariana Grande for r.e.m. Beauty Dreamglow collection. Photo: Katia Temkin / r.e.m. Beauty



This story originally appeared on FashionGoneRogue

DeepSeek triggers shock waves for AI giants, but the disruption won’t last – Computerworld

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John Belton, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, an asset management firm whose funds include shares of Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and others, said DeepSeek’s achievements are real, but some of the company’s claims are misleading.

“No, you cannot recreate DeepSeek with $6 million and the extent to which they distilled existing models (took shortcuts potentially without license) is an unknown,” Belton said via email to Computerworld. “However, they have made key breakthroughs that show how to reduce training and inference costs.”

Belton also pointed out that DeepSeek isn’t new. Its creator, Liang Wenfeng, a hedge fund manager and AI enthusiast, published a paper on the performance breakthroughs more than a month ago and released a model with similar methods a year ago.



This story originally appeared on Computerworld

The Chinese AI assistant sending shockwaves through US rivals

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Obsessed with throwing money and resources at AI in any way they can, the likes of OpenAI, NVIDIA, Google and Amazon all just got a surprise.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Chinese AI assistant is suddenly the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store in the US and elsewhere, beating more familiar names, like ChatGPT. The open-source DeepSeek V3 model reportedly requires far less computing power than its competitors and, depending on who you believe, was developed for under $6 million. Shocks all around — especially for OpenAI and all the billions it has

Focusing on coding and research, DeepSeek’s models are similar to other AI assistants you’ve heard of. Its first DeepSeek-R1 release is available under an MIT license, so it can be used commercially without restrictions.

How does it compare with the far pricier US rivals now China is unable to import the most powerful AI chips? Well, to start with, DeepSeek’s founder Liang Wenfeng reportedly stockpiled NVIDIA A100 chips before the US export ban and is pairing those with less powerful chips from China. An MIT Review report also suggests the side effect of the US sanctions are innovations that focus on efficiency and collaboration.

All the attention and a small financial market wobble has put DeepSeek in the crosshairs for “large-scale malicious attacks.” Those cyberattacks mean new user registration may be slow, so if you’re intrigued, you’ll have to wait to check it out.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

TMA

Majin Bu

Device leaker Majin Bu shared on X what they claim is the new iPhone SE 4. As proof, they posted a video of the device from all angles and four photos of both a black and a white model from the back. With a single camera (gasp!) and a smaller-seeming body to current iPhones, the big twist is the return to a notch. At this point, all iPhones available from Apple’s store (aside from the iPhone 14) have a Dynamic Island cutout instead of the notch.

Traditionally, the SE series has a throwback hardware design, so this would make sense. And hey, the Pixel 8a needs some competition. While the dummy phones leaked look convincing, Majin Bu has missed with some of their predictions and leaks in the past. So pinch of salt, and all that.

Continue reading.

TMATMA

Bandai Namco

Yes. Yessssss.

Continue reading.

As X continued to walk the plank, Bluesky experienced explosive growth last year. That meant a big ramp up in its moderation efforts. Bluesky said user numbers jumped from 2.9 million users to nearly 26 million. Its moderators received 17 times the number of user reports in 2023 — 6.48 million in 2024 compared to 358,000 the previous year. The bulk of these reports were regarding “harassment, trolling or intolerance,” spam and misleading content (including impersonation and misinformation). Moderators took down 66,308 accounts in 2024, while its automated systems took down 35,842 spam and bot profiles.

Continue reading.



This story originally appeared on Engadget

Some Democrats Are Looking To Use The Debt Ceiling To Kill Trump’s Presidency

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In the next couple of months, the debt ceiling is going to become the dominant story in American politics. It is also something that has Trump scared because Republicans control Congress and the White House, but they don’t have the votes to increase the debt ceiling.

For decades, Republican presidents have counted on Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and do the right thing to avoid a default, but all of that looks to be changing.

According to The Washington Post:

As America hurtles once again toward a potential debt crisis, Democrats see an opportunity to turn the tables to cut off Trump’s agenda and take the debt limit off the table in future legislative battles.

“The days of Democrats just voting to raise the debt ceiling under a Republican president, they need to be over, period,” Rep. Brendan Boyle (Pennsylvania), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told The Post. “We need to make sure that Democratic priorities are met, if we are in any way going to vote to increase the debt ceiling. But at the very least, we need to make sure there’s a permanent resolution to the perennial debt ceiling dysfunction.”

Getting rid of the debt ceiling is not enough of a concession because it would be a giant favor to Trump and the Republicans that would allow them to cut taxes for the wealthy as much as they wanted with no consequences.

It is also not enough to get policy concessions for this year and next.

A default on the debt would derail the Trump presidency. There are at least more than a dozen House Republicans who want a default because they want to stop spending.

Democrats have no responsibility to vote to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans control the Congress and the presidency. The debt ceiling is their problem.

Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries has said that House Democrats won’t vote for anything that paves the way for Trump’s tax cuts, and Republicans haven’t even contacted him to get his thoughts.

All Democrats got for doing the right thing was another Trump presidency.

There is no reward to be had in demoralizing Democrats even more. If Democrats want to show that they are serious about holding Trump accountable, they can start by forcing Republicans to fix their own debt ceiling mess.

How do you feel about Democrats potentially saying no deal on the debt limit? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Leave a comment



This story originally appeared on Politicususa

CIA Nukes ‘Affinity Groups,’ Bans Rainbow Lanyards, and Guess Which ‘History Month’ Just Got Axed: Report | The Gateway Pundit

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The Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI is causing major changes in some federal agencies, according to social media posts by one attorney.

Mark Zaid, an attorney who focuses on national security issues, shared what he was hearing in a post on social media platform X.

“It goes beyond what happened at DHS & NASA today,” he wrote Wednesday.

“CIA employees were told all resource & affinity groups are canceled. No black history month or MLK celebration, or any other ethnic recognition months. DEI folks are to be fired rather than allowed to rotate to former offices,” he wrote.

“CIA is also apparently banning lanyards that have to do with affinity groups. Women’s Council had to take down website & cancel all events, incl women’s history month,” he wrote in another post.

“They are also compiling lists of members within affinity groups. Because that’s not reminiscent of 1930s,” he wrote.

There was no official confirmation of what was taking shape internally in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump to dismantle the DEI apparatus in every federal agency. John Ratcliffe was confirmed as the new CIA director on Thursday, according to USA Today.

Trump’s order required “all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.”

“I further order all agencies to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities,” the order said.

That was followed by an order from the Office of Personnel Management to put all federal staff holding jobs in which they implemented DEI rules to be put on leave, according to NBC.

A report from Fox News said that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in the hot seat because it tried to shift an employee who was its chief diversity officer to the title of “senior executive.”

“The ATF defied @realDonaldTrump’s order to place DEI workers on leave, instead giving their DEI officer a new title. They attack citizens’ rights, ignore leadership, and act as though they’re above the law. Enough is enough. Time to abolish the ATF!” Republican Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri posted on X.

Lisa T. Boykin had been the ATF’s chief diversity officer until Tuesday, when after the DEI order was issued, her title became “senior executive” in the agency.

The ATF is part of the Department of Justice.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.




This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit