On March tenth, non -profit organizations, veterinarians, rescue groups, conservationists and pet guards will recognize International day of parrot awareness day. This day underlines the existential crises which can be exposed to each wild and captive parrots all around the world. Parrots are sensitive beings which can be often seen as invaluable goods, although they are literally not suitable for a life in captivity.

Did you already know that each time a parrot is bought from a store or a breeder, his “value” moves to areas through which you fly freely? 29 percent of every type of parrot on the planet are critically endangered, endangered or threaten to preserve the natural red list within the international Union. Fifty -eight percent of every type of parrot are in a decline. In many areas, the poaching rate is 100% – no chicks escape wildlife trade. Ninety percent of the enclosed birds die after capture. Despite the international anti-poach policy all around the world, also within the USA, parrots proceed to administer, often marginalized people in search of economic possibilities-to meet the necessities of world pet trade.

Relatives: Berkeley's two famous mountain climbing falcons will not be the one ones that disappear from North California

Did you already know that parrots are one of the crucial incessantly abandoned accompanying animals? Your wild nature and natural tendency to loud and frequent vocalization, aggression and wish to chew wood along other enrichment and social needs are an excessive amount of for many guards. Standard practices of the breeding industry reminiscent of handicrafts of chick DH to deprive the parent-complicated aspects, since they really undermine the power of a parrot to mature right into a mentally healthy, well-adapted adults, and increases the likelihood of bird failure as a “pet”.

Did you already know that folks often by accident create an exclusive couple bond with their parrot, which isn’t sustainable when the parrot gets sexually ripe? Breeders and pet shops don’t offer the essential training and sometimes adopt parrots as “low -maintenance” companions. Nothing may very well be faraway from the reality. Even the loving and knowledgeable parrot guards are sometimes unable to fret their long -standing pets within the event of a declining health, financial struggle or other living conditions. Many sorts of parrots can live in captivity for as much as 80 years and a few are in garages, basement and other socially disadvantaged areas through which Wächter cannot meet their needs. So it isn’t surprising that sanctuaries and rescues are capability worldwide and that day by day inquiries after give up cannot meet because increasingly birds flood the market of breeders and animal transactions.

Relationships: owls have disappeared in California in California

The best approach to help parrots is to take over or promote them from well -respected rescues and to support their local rescue or protected area. Learn every part you’ll be able to, about your natural history and wishes. Never buy animals which can be sold on Nextdoor or Craigslist or at “Expos”. If you like parrots, buy, breed or don’t sell them. If you have already got a parrot and wish to learn more about what you would like for a secure and enriching environment, visit the Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue website at Mickaboo.org Register for a free online class. To learn more or cope with the protection of the parrots, follow the International Alliance to guard parrots @alliance4Parrots or visit parotalliance.org.

When Game Director Hugo Martin spoke about “Doom: The Dark Ages”, three pictures appeared within the discourse. The first is Leonidas within the “300”, which fights against the Persians at the new gate within the thermopylene. The second is one other Frank Miller project “The Dark Knight Returns” and the last one is a tank.

These pictures embody what the ID Software team tried to create with this “Doom” (2016) prequel. “The Dark Ages” brings the Slayer Testament traditions to life, about which the players have read within the two previous titles. When Martin and his team developed the sport, they wanted it to feel different from the newest entries. When it got here to “Doom” (2016) about race and shooting and “Doom Eternal” gave the players the sensation that the Doom Slayer was a fighter jet, then the Prequel was about giving the players the sensation of being a tank that races through the powers of hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tk8lkmygwQ
Built like “a monster truck”
It is a way of pondering that matches the protagonist and the “The Dark Ages” topics. It is about brutally treating enemies, not with finesse, but with raw strength. At this concept of ​​”The Doom Slayer” Martin considered how Miller had designed an older Batman in “The Dark Knight Returns” as a thick and stocky superhero. “Instead of a Ferrari, he is a monster truck,” said Martin. “Everything is difficult for him.” This is reflected in the whole lot that concerns the armor and weapons of the Doom Slayer.

Leonidas from the “300” goes into the design process since it resonates The combat style that they had imagined For “The Dark Ages” Doom Slayer. In the prequel, the hero will progress tirelessly. The players don’t scurry through the air, but attack their enemies and don’t dodge. The key to the brand new gameplay loop is the shield saw.

Opportunities in simpler controls
The Doom Slayer can throw it and it may well cut enemies and boomerangs back to him. He can ward off enemy blows and thus create opportunities for counterattacks. If enemies fire energy rays to players, they will distract certain of them on them. The Doom Slayer may even throw his sign and jump on what looks like a type of crossing. The neatest thing about it’s, in keeping with Martin, that every one of this is completed at a push of a button.

A less complicated, more ergonomic control scheme is created. He said this was a response to a mistake in “Doom Eternal” and identified that his complex layout was a drawback. It demanded an excessive amount of of the players. With an easier scheme in “The Dark Ages”, players can consider the motion and react greater than think. It is suitable for the visceral gameplay that could be a trademark of the franchise.

Floor play changes the extent design
Due to the more down -to -earth gameplay, the extent design of “The Dark Ages” is flat and more extensive. The developers needed a bigger area to accommodate the old skool gameplay of the unique games. In fact, the team was strongly inspired by the classic and tried to mimic its attack -intensive battles, and this shows that the players almost need to avoid enemy projects like a glow.

Another point of criticism of the design is that the developers have revised the Glory Kill system to make it more natural. It now flows into the fight, which makes it less repetitive. Even higher: players can now select from three melee weapons that they need to take to the battle. The Doom Slayer begins with the fast electrified glove, but the choices are expanded to incorporate the stable matters and an iron threshing flail.

The developers also presented another weapons and the manager producer Marty Stratton said: “'The Dark Ages' will have some of the most incredibly powerful weapons in the franchise.” He added that it will only make it “Doom” moments.

Larger, higher trips
Two of those extraordinary weapons are the 30 floors high Atlan mech and the opposite is a fire-breathing dragon. The developers said that these special rides have quite a lot of skills that give them the sensation that they’re greater than just unique. It feels like the players may have several options to manage each in special levels.

The developers said that they had withdrawn all of the plans for a multiplayer mode in order that they might consider offering the players a greater single player experience that incorporates these two gameplay applications.

The other great innovation for “The Dark Ages” is the issue system. The game not only incorporates “Hurt Me Plenty”, “Ultra Violence” and “Nightmare”. This time it’s more nuanced since the players have the chance to adapt the speed of the sport to parry and other facets with sliders.

It improves accessibility in order that players can fully benefit from the implementation of the Doom Slayer Testament, which was written within the two games.

“Doom: The Dark Ages” is scheduled to seem on Xbox Series X and Series S and PC on May fifteenth.

At first glance, it was easy to wonder if Melania Trump was dressing for a funeral as an alternative of her husband's inauguration on Monday, but her very dark-looking coat, pencil skirt and wide-brimmed hat were actually dark blue, not black.

Still, the ladies in Donald Trump's family wore loads of somber colours at his swearing-in ceremony within the US Capitol Rotunda – an odd alternative considering Monday was purported to be a celebratory day for his stunning return to power in Washington, DC and in of your entire American cultural landscape. Melania Trump was also pleased on the prospect of returning to her duties as first lady.

In a way, Melania Trump's tailored ensemble works, by New York designer Adam Lippeslooked black. So does Ivanka Trump's dark green ensemble and beret-style hat. But when the brand new first lady and her stepdaughter weren't wearing black, the ensembles of daughter Tiffany Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump and granddaughter Kai Trump seemed somewhat buried.

This dark color palette is actually in contrast to what the Trump wives wore at his first inauguration in 2017. Melania Trump wore a now-iconic baby blue dress and jacket by Ralph Lauren – “a nod” to Jackie Kennedy's ensemble during John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, Harper's Bazaar wrote. Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, alternatively, each selected suffragette white.

Now, eight years later, the Trump women dressed way more soberly, with some traditions associating black and others dark colours with darkness, evil and death. The only notable exceptions to this dark palette on the Trump podium were JD Vance's wife Usha Vance, wearing Barbie pink, and green-clad U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, who helped plan Trump's inauguration.

The dark colours chosen by Trump's family also reflected elements of his inaugural speech. His aides said his speech could be optimistic and hopeful, but that it was in some ways “a reworking of his 2017 “American Carnage” speech to Jonathan Swan of The New York Times. On Monday, the forty seventh president ticked off an inventory of grievances, claiming America's newest leadership was incompetent and corrupt and describing America “as a disastrous mess of crime and chaos,” reporter David Sanger added. His lament concerning the state of the nation included falsely claiming that the devastating Los Angeles fires were burning “without symbolic defense.” because the Associated Press noted.

Trump also used some pretty evocative language to explain how he survived a gunman's attempted assassination of him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. “I was saved by God to make America great again,” Trump said to applause.

Trump also presented himself because the only one that can solve all of America's problems. He announced that his return to the Oval Office would usher in a brand new “golden age for America.” But when he said this, outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t join within the applause. Notably, Harris also seemed to be wearing black.

Originally published: January 20, 2025 at 11:22 am PST

By HALELUYA HADERO

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of TikTok users within the United States can not watch videos the social media platform as a nationwide ban on the hugely popular app comes into effect.

The company's app was faraway from popular app stores, including those of Apple and Google, on Saturday evening, while the web site told users that the short-video platform was not available. The blackout began just hours before the law got here into effect.

Users who opened the TikTok app on Saturday encountered a pop-up message that prevented them from scrolling videos that said “Sorry, TikTok is currently unavailable.”

“A law has been passed in the US to ban TikTok,” the message said. “Unfortunately, this means you won’t be able to use TikTok for the time being.”

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reintroduce TikTok after he takes office,” the statement continued, referring to President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to relaunch the platform to “save”. The company urged its users to remain updated.

The only option the message offers US users is to shut the app or click an alternative choice that takes them to the platform's website. There, users will see the identical message and have the choice to download their data. According to TikTok, this motion can take days to process.

Before the announcement got here out, TikTok said in one other message to users that its service could be “temporarily unavailable” and that the corporate was working to revive its US service “as soon as possible.” But how long the platform will remain dark is unclear.

Apple said in an announcement on its website that the TikTok and ByteDance apps are not any longer available within the United States, while visitors to the country can have limited access. “Apple is committed to following the laws in the jurisdictions in which it operates,” the corporate said.

“If you already have these apps installed on your device, they will remain on your device. However, they cannot be downloaded again if deleted or restored when moving to a new device. In-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible,” the statement said, adding that the change could impact performance, security and compatibility with future versions of iOS and iPadOS.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew posted a video thanking Trump for his commitment to working with the corporate to maintain the app available within the US and for his “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” .

“We are grateful and excited to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform. One who has used conversations to express his own thoughts and perspectives, connect with the world, and in the process generate more than 60 billion views of his content,” said Chew.

In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he was considering giving TikTok a 90-day extension to permit the corporate to proceed operating. Should such an extension occur, Trump – who once supported a TikTok ban – said it might “probably” be announced on Monday, the day he will likely be sworn in as president. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is predicted to be in attendance Trumps Inauguration with first-class seating.

In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have long raised concerns in regards to the app, which they view as a national security threat due to its Chinese ownership. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based technology company that operates popular video editing apps CapCut and Lemon8, each of which were also unavailable Saturday evening.

Federal law required ByteDance to chop ties with TikTok by Sunday or face a nationwide ban. The bill was passed by Congress in April after being signed into law High priority $95 billion package which provided foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. President Joe Biden I quickly signed itafter which TikTok and ByteDance quickly filed suit on First Amendment grounds.

While defending the law in court, the Biden administration argued it was concerned that TikTok could collect vast amounts of U.S. user data that would find yourself within the hands of the Chinese government through coercion.

Officials have also warned that the algorithm that drives what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to change content on the platform in ways which can be difficult to detect. However, thus far the US has not provided any public evidence that TikTok is sharing user data with Chinese authorities or tinkering with its algorithm to advance Chinese interests.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday that the national security risk posed by TikTok's ties to China outweighs concerns about restricting speech on the app or its 170 million users within the United States.

After TikTok's service stopped working, some in China criticized the US, accusing it of suppressing the favored app. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Chinese Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper, said: “TikTok's announcement that it will suspend services in America marks the darkest moment in the evolution of the internet. “ .”

“A country that claims to have the greatest freedom of expression has carried out the most brutal suppression of an internet application,” said Hu, now a political commentator. TikTok does not operate in China, where ByteDance instead offers Douyin, TikTok's Chinese sibling, which follows Beijing's strict censorship rules.

After the court ruling, both White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Biden administration would leave implementation of the law to President-elect Donald Trump, as his inauguration falls on the day after the ban takes effect falls.

But TikTok said Friday evening that it will be “forced to stay silent” unless the government provides a “final explanation” to companies like Apple, Google and Oracle that offer their services in the United States

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok's demand a “stunt” and said there was no reason for TikTok or other companies to “take motion in the subsequent few days before the Trump administration takes office.” But despite these statements from the administration, confusion continued about what would happen until TikTok began blocking its service.

By law, mobile app stores are prohibited from offering TikTok and internet hosting services are prohibited from offering the service to American users. Violators can face fines of up to $5,000 for each user who continues to access TikTok. This means that the penalties that companies face if they continue to offer TikTok could amount to a large amount.

As it is written, experts say the law does not require TikTok to shut down its platform. It is therefore unclear whether the company turned it off voluntarily or whether it was unable to continue the service after losing access support from its technology providers. The company did not respond to questions asked this week about its plans.

The statue allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is underway. However, there are no clear buyers, and ByteDance has previously stated that it will not sell TikTok.

Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI on Saturday submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that would merge Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. operations, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Perplexity isn't about buying the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok users' videos based on their interests and has made the platform such a phenomenon.

Other investors have also been keeping an eye on TikTok. “Shark Tank” star Kevin O'Leary recently said a consortium of investors put together by him and billionaire Frank McCourt had offered ByteDance $20 billion in money. Trump's Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also said last 12 months that he would put together a bunch of investors to purchase TikTok.

___

Associated Press author Kanis Leung contributed to this story from Hong Kong.

Originally published: January 18, 2025 at 8:00 pm PST

Philadelphia sports fans like to consider themselves as “dark.”

In Philadelphia, rudeness could be defined as a working-class ideology that thrives on being “the.”outsider“ and emphasizes toughness, labor, physicality and fighting defiance.

No event could more hyperbolically define the broad identity of Philadelphia sports fans than when Eagles fans threw things at Santa Claus with snowballs at Franklin Field on December 15, 1968.

Over 50,000 Eagles fans turned out for the ultimate game of the season on that freezing December day to support their team, which had an abysmal record of 2-11 this season. A Christmas parade was planned for halftime, but Santa never showed up. An worker trying to avoid wasting the pageant spotted a small, 19-year-old fan, Frank Olivo, wearing a hand-me-down Santa Claus costume within the stands. Frank was chosen as Last minute alternative. As the imperfect Santa walked across the sphere attempting to greet the gang, fans were in no mood given their team's record.

The rest is history.

As sportswriters and news outlets repeatedly enlarged and reproduced the Christmas story, it cemented the storyline characterize Philly's sports fans as mean and hostile – the the worst of the worst.

But Philly sports fans' passion for his or her teams goes beyond just brawling and brawling.

I’m dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and a Professor of communication science at Eastern University, which is situated in a suburb of Philadelphia. my colleague Ellen Santa Mariawho’s a deputy instructor within the Department of Communication Studies at West Chester University, and I recently took a more in-depth have a look at Philly sports fans. dark identity.

We argue that this identity, based on each fact and fiction, not only explains the fervour of Philly sports fans, but additionally underscores the ability of myth in our society today.

Myths in American Culture

A myth is an act driven by memory and imagination that represents an oversimplification of events, people, and relationships.

The content of the parable is emotional somewhat than logical, combining reality and fiction. Myths also convey values ​​and beliefs that individuals and groups accept as true influences their actions and behavior.

Cultures create myths Communicate morals, reinforce beliefs, and justify actions. Examples of myths from American culture include: American exceptionalismThe American borderThe robust individual and the American dream.

Since myths are based on belief, the mere mention of an incident or circumstance is enough confirm the parablewhile information on the contrary is conveniently ignored, downplayed or rationalized. For example, rugged individualism emphasizes the self-made persona – the concept that success could be achieved independently. However, this myth ignores or downplays the fact that the majority individuals who succeed have significant social, financial, or political support.

Philly’s “courageous” fans

Where does Philly's dark identity come from? A standard explanation is that it got here into being as early as 1800 as Philadelphia lost his status because the nation's capital, which was moved to Washington, DC. As a result, Philadelphians viewed their city as one Underdog city.

Today, Philly sports fans expect their local teams and players to display a working-class ideology of their type of play. Philadelphians love players who’re persistent, hardworking and provides their best every game.

And Philadelphia's sports history is filled with examples of this dark identity.

For example, Veterans Stadium, where each the Phillies and Eagles teams played for a long time before the sector was built Demolished in 2004was known for being one Prison in his basement for stubborn fans.

The Nineteen Seventies Flyers hockey team was often known as the “Broad Street Tyrants” as a consequence of their aggressive, physical type of play that won them the Stanley Cup.

An infamous 1990 Eagles game against the Washington Redskins is usually often known as this Body Bag Game. Six Washington players were forced out of the sport as a consequence of injuries. One of the Eagles players in some unspecified time in the future reportedly said on the bench in Washington: “Do you need more body bags?” In reality, not one of the injuries were fatal.

In 2010 a Phillies fan was insulted by a Philadelphia police officer for running onto the sphere. The Footage of the fan Bypassing security before he fell to the bottom reinforced Philly fans' repute for being unruly and obnoxious.

And in 2018, the Flyers introduced their latest mascot – a big, pot-bellied orange monster with a beard and googly eyes named “Grabbly.”

Rocky: A dark icon

But no character could have had a greater impact on sealing Philadelphia's gritty identity than fictional boxer Rocky Balboa the 1976 cult classic “Rocky.” written by and starring Sylvester Stallone.

Rocky is an Italian-American working-class boxer from South Philly who went from small-time club fighter and loan shark enforcer to eventual world heavyweight champion.

Rocky embodies the definition of a myth because the film combines reality and fiction. The character is being made right into a film real places in Philadelphiaincluding the Italian Market, Independence Hall, Pat's King of Steaks and the Philadelphia Art Museum. This gives the character authenticity, however the rags-to-riches plot is unlikely but emotionally satisfying.

Philadelphia has embraced the character a lot that there’s now an annual Rocky day, Rock festival And Rocky run. And the Philadelphia Art Museum, despite its world-famous art collection, is probably higher known for its “Rocky steps” and outdoors “Rocky” statue where tourists line as much as pose for photos.

So when the following “serious” incident hits Philly sports headlines, those that find Philly fans rude and offensive will likely cite it as further evidence, while Philly sports fans dismiss or rationalize the characterization as a misunderstanding of their fans turn out to be devotion.

The water that makes up the oceans has been a key component in the event of life on Earth. However, scientists still don't know where Water here on earth got here here in the primary place.

A number one idea is that space rocks reminiscent of comets and asteroids transported water to Earth through impacts. As Planetary ScientistI'm interested by the forms of space objects that might need led to the formation of the oceans. For the past few years, I've been studying a style of object I called a dark comet – and that may just be the perpetrator. In one latest study Published in December 2024, my colleagues and I discovered two classes of those elusive dark comets

What is a comet?

The solar system associates with small bodies reminiscent of comets and asteroids. These space rocks were fundamental constructing blocks of the planets within the early solar system, while the remaining remnants are the comets and asteroids seen today.

These objects are also pathways through which material may be transported throughout the solar system. These small worlds can contain things like debris, ice, and organic material as they travel through space. That's why researchers see them pretty much as good potential candidates for releasing ice like water and carbon dioxide into the Earth because it forms.

Traditionally, the difference is between Comets And Asteroids is that comets have beautiful cometary tails. These tails arise because comets contain ice, while asteroids supposedly don’t.

As a comet approaches the sun, these ice layers heat up and sublimate, meaning they rotate from ice to gas. The gas heats up from sunlight and is then blown off the comet's surface in a process called outgassing. This outgassing brings with it debris and small grains of dust that reflect sunlight.

AsteroidsHowever, they should not have comet tails. They are probably more much like classic rocks – without ice on the surface.

What is nongravitational acceleration?

The material outgassing from a comet's surface creates a comet's tail and a rocket-like recoil. The fast-moving gas pushes on the surface of the comet, namely causes it to speed up. This process drives the movement of comets through space along with the movement brought on by the Sun's gravitational pull.

So when comets outgas, they’ve what planetary scientists call nongravitational acceleration – motion that just isn’t brought on by the gravity of objects within the solar system. Planetary scientists typically measure the nongravitational acceleration of comets after discovering their cometary tails.

What are dark comets?

Our team identifies a category of small bodies within the solar system that tackle some properties of comets and asteroids. We called them dark comets.

Like comets, these dark comets have nongravitational accelerations, in order that they experience a rocket-like recoil from cometary outgassing. However, they should not have the dusty tails that almost all comets have.

In other words, they give the impression of being like typical asteroids, but gravity alone cannot explain their movement.

The first interstellar object 'Oumuamuawas the primary comet or asteroid-sized body discovered within the solar system that got here from outside the solar system.

“Oumuamua showed the same mysterious combination, namely not a dust tail, but a comet-like tail.” non-gravitational accelerationwhich led to many theories trying to clarify what the article might need been. One possibility is that it outgassed like a comet, but doesn’t produce a dusty tail.

Since 'Oumuamua was first spotted in 2017, my colleagues and I actually have identified additional dark comets within the solar system. In ours studywe found seven latest dark comets, bringing the whole to 14.

Now that now we have found more dark comets, we noticed that they are available two flavors. Outer dark comets are larger – a couple of mile wide – and are situated further out within the solar system in additional elliptical orbits. Inner dark comets are smaller – typically 1,000 feet across – and in circular orbits near Earth.

Contributions to Earth's Oceans?

It's still not clear what exactly these dark comets are. If they don't have an icy surface, they could not even be traditional comets.

However, the probably answer to their nongravitational accelerations is that they outgas water like a comet, but don’t produce a dust tail – no less than not one which we will see after we take a look at them with our telescopes.

If that is the case, then that is actually the case many more of those objects that march around like asteroids and have yet to be identified.

Since scientists don't know exactly where Earth's water comes from, if there really are loads of dark comets near Earth which have water, it's possible that these dark comets contributed water to the early Earth.

These dark comets could tell researchers more concerning the formation of Earth's oceans and the evolution of life here on Earth.

Reasons to be excited concerning the future

This research is definitely just the tip of the iceberg, as now we have only just began finding these dark comets in 2023.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Timecoming online in 2025, will begin scanning your entire southern sky almost every night to identify anything that moves. This telescope, situated on a mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert, houses the most important camera ever built.

It will give astronomers nearly five orders of magnitude greater sensitivity for detecting moving objects within the night sky. It will probably help my colleagues and I discover many latest dark comets within the near future.

Telescopes already in operation, reminiscent of the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, could also help my team search for outgassing or ice on the surface of the 14 dark comets now we have already identified.

After all, that's it JAXA Hayabusa2 The prolonged mission is meant to rendezvous with certainly one of the inner dark comets. 1998 KY26in 2031. Therefore, we’ll give you the chance to see the surface of a dark comet in exquisite detail.

Patriots

FOXBOROUGH – As shocking because the Patriots' 2-6 record could also be to this point this fall, it's fair to say that expectations for a rebuilding squad in Foxborough weren't all that prime to start with.

The same can’t be said for the New York Jets. Although New York opened the 12 months with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, after the Patriots' dramatic 25-22 win at Gillette Stadium, it now sits at the identical miserable 2-6 record as New England.

Beyond the expected return of future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, New York was poised to field a stacked roster with young playmakers on each side of the ball, similar to Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.

But things have quickly gone downhill for Rodgers and the Jets, culminating in Sunday's last-minute loss to a Patriots team that was without its most dynamic player in Drake Maye (concussion) for a lot of the game.

And with New York now observing one other season with an eye fixed on the playoffs, Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich pulled no punches in his postgame address.

“I'm pissed off. They are angry. I'm hurt. They’re hurt,” Ulbrich said. “We are not performing well in critical moments, especially not on the home stretch. We had the opportunity to win that game, should have won it, but we didn't. …This is a moment of darkness and we understand that the outside world will now become very loud.

“But the one thing I know in life is that when things get dark and hard, you work and point the finger at yourself and look within and figure out what I can do better from an individual perspective.”

Despite Ulbrich's rather gloomy attitude, Rodgers agreed with his coach's opinion about the state of an imploding Jets organization.

“I was in the dark,” Rodgers said. “You have to go in there and make peace with it. Offensively, our goal simply has to be to score 30 points. No matter what the other two teams do. We have confidence in our defense and our teams, but if we don't score 30 points we are underperforming. This offense can do that every week.”

“I was in the dark. You have to go in there and make peace with it.”

Aaron Rodgers was asked if this was a moment of darkness for the Jets and get out of it: pic.twitter.com/Cv7SjGHaAR

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 27, 2024

The 40-year-old Rodgers, once considered one in every of the pillars of the Jets' supposed success, was underwhelming in his first full season with New York.

Rodgers finished Sunday's loss completing 17 of his 28 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. But he still falls in need of the high standards he set for himself in Green Bay — throwing 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in eight games this season.

While Rodgers was never a real dual-threat QB, his agility and talent to operate from his own pocket made him one of the dangerous playmakers in NFL history. But the veteran QB might be showing his age, especially after being limited this week with knee and hamstring injuries.

Several Patriots players noted after Sunday's 25-22 win that Rodgers had trouble escaping pressure.

“Yeah, I think he’s struggling right now,” Davon Godchaux said of Rodgers. “That’s a Hall of Fame quarterback right there. You hate to see him perform like that, but you'll always win against him on your resume.

“But he definitely doesn’t look the same. He kept moving back there – I was able to overrun him and catch him. He doesn't look mobile at all. It was good for us. We know we can come out and attack them in the passing game too.”

At this point within the season, New York has already exhausted several options in hopes of turning the season around. The Jets already fired head coach Robert Saleh earlier this month and traded for Rodgers' longtime Packers teammate Davante Adams two weeks ago.

The Jets at the moment are 0-3 under Ulbrich, while Adams (seven catches, 84 yards, zero touchdowns) has yet to be a game-changer on offense in two games.

At this point, the Jets are what they’re under Rodgers and company. And it's not all that different from previous iterations of this franchise.

“Yes, I imagine it could be, yes. Not for me, but I imagine it could be,” Rodgers said when asked if Jets players who haven’t had success are hard to purchase into. “That's why the guys who were having success had to take the lead to get us out of this.”

Hurricane Helene destroyed greater than 4 million homes and businesses at nighttime through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after visiting Florida's Big Bend region strong category 4 storm Late on September 26, 2024. As Helene's rain moved inland and over mountain rivers caused devastating floodswarned officials to repair broken utility lines and restore power would take days in some areas.

Electricity is important for nearly everyone – wealthy and poor, young and old. But when severe storms strike, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often wait the longest to get better.

This will not be only a perception.

We analyzed Data from over 15 million consumers in 588 U.S. counties that lost power when hurricanes made landfall between January 2017 and October 2020. The results show that poorer communities actually waited longer for the lights to return back on.

A ten percent decline in socioeconomic status within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index was related to a mean 6.1% longer outage. This equates to a mean of a further 170 minutes waiting time, sometimes even longer, for power to be restored.

Impact on politics and utilities

A probable reason for this disparity lies in the knowledge provided by utility firms. Standard storm recovery guidelines. When restoring power after an influence outage, these policies often prioritize critical infrastructure first after which large business and industrial customers. Next, they fight to revive as many households as possible as quickly as possible.

Although this approach could seem procedurally fair, these restoration routines appear to have the unintended effect of often making vulnerable communities wait longer for power to be restored. One Reason could also be that these communities are farther from critical infrastructure or are situated primarily in older neighborhoods where power infrastructure requires more extensive repairs.

The result’s that there are households that do that already at greater risk Those affected by severe weather – whether because they’re in flood-prone areas or in vulnerable buildings – and people least prone to have insurance or other resources to assist them get better are also prone to face the longest storm-related power outages. Prolonged outages can lead to refrigerated food spoiling, lack of running water, and delays in repairing damage, including delays in running fans to dry out water damage and stop mold.

Our study covered 108 utility regions, including investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, and public utilities. The disparate impacts on poorer communities weren’t attributable to any particular storm, region or utility. We also found no association with race, ethnicity, or residential type. Only the common socioeconomic level stood out.

How to make energy recovery less biased

There are ways to enhance power restoration times for everybody that transcend the obligatory work to enhance power distribution stability.

Policymakers and utilities can begin by rethinking power restoration practices and power infrastructure maintenance, akin to: B. replacing aging power poles and felling trees, while also keeping disadvantaged communities in mind.

Electric utilities have already done it Detailed power consumption data And Network performance of their supply regions. They can begin experimenting with alternative recovery routines that keep in mind their customers' vulnerability in a way that doesn’t significantly impact average recovery times.

For socioeconomic endangered regions In areas where prolonged outages are expected attributable to their location and potentially aging energy infrastructure, utilities and policymakers can proactively make sure that households are well prepared for evacuation or have access to backup power sources.

The US Department of Energy announced in October 2023 that it could put money into Develop dozens of resilience hubs and microgrids to assist provide local energy to critical buildings inside communities when the larger grid fails. Louisiana is planning several of those solar and large-scale battery hubs in or near disadvantaged communities.

Policymakers and utilities also can put money into broader energy infrastructure and renewable energy in these vulnerable communities. The US Department of Energy Justice40 program notes that 40% of the profits from certain federal energy, transportation and housing investments profit disadvantaged communities. This might help residents who need public assistance essentially the most.

As global temperatures rise, severe weather events have gotten more frequent. This increases the necessity for higher planning and approaches that don’t leave low-income residents at nighttime.

Chenghao Duan, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech, also contributed to this text. This article, originally published on February 7, 2024, has been updated in light of the increasing variety of power outages attributable to Hurricane Helene.

The original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was unforgettable. Despite the wealthy lore wherein the project was embedded, it failed to depart a robust impression, and that's a travesty, because Game Workshop's dark sci-fi universe is one of the vital fascinating and original franchises on the market.

It is stuffed with Space Orcs, Chaos Demons, and highly advanced Aeldari, to call just a number of factions. Humanity is at the middle of things, nevertheless it's a dark and militaristic version, mixed with a spiritual zeal for power. “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2” takes players into this world within the role of Demetrian Titus, the protagonist of the unique. After his exploits in the unique, he was branded a heretic as a consequence of his unusual resistance to corrupting energies. He disappeared from the records, but reappeared while attempting to avoid wasting the planet Kadaku from a Tyranid invasion.

The insect-like creatures are a dangerous enemy, and this was proven when a Carnifex critically wounded Titus. He was almost dead, but was resurrected and eventually reunited along with his old faction of the Ultramarines. He has the duty of throwing himself back into the fray along with his two recent comrades, Sergeant Gadriel and Brother Chairon. They must fend off waves of the highly adaptable creatures and rescue the leaders of a mysterious Project Aurora.

This results in much more conspiracies because the ragtag team learns to work together and trust one another while battling an countless horde and a chaotic enemy from Titus' past.

ADDS SPICE TO RANGED AND CLOSE COMBAT
Right from the beginning, “Space Marine 2” pursues the clear vision of a third-person shooter wherein players can attack from a distance, but may mix these with melee attacks if vital. Players contend with floods of Tyranids, an alien enemy that overwhelms armies in numbers. As Titus, players are mostly ground dwellers who must shoot enemies from a distance, but after they get close they’ll switch to a melee weapon.

Melee combat presents its own hurdles as players must learn to dam and dodge attacks. Developer Saber Interactive has incorporated smarter mechanics that accentuate combat without being too complex. For example, players can easily parry enemies by pressing their block button after they see a blue circle, alerting players to an impending attack. Afterwards, players can deliver a strong blow with a pistol.

Another problem is how health is restored in combat. As players wade through a sea of ​​enemies, they need to continually swing their chainsaw sword to remain alive, as eliminating cannon fodder restores their health. Additionally, Titus has an armor bar that provides players a further level of health. However, if it collapses under enemy attacks, players can replenish their armor by stunning enemies and finish them off by pressing an execute button for a bloody kill.

RIGHT WEAPONS FOR THE JOB
Weapons represent one other element of the strategy. “Space Marine 2” limits players to 2 firearms and one melee weapon, but gives them loads of opportunity to swap weapons. They must adapt their approach for every level based on the environment and expected events. If there may be an open area with wide lines of sight, it’s best to decide on a long-range bolt gun with a scope. If Titus enters an underground area stuffed with corridors, they may need a Melta Rifle for those narrow areas.

Saber Interactive can also be swapping out abilities to offer more variety. In some levels, Titus and his crew wear jump packs that allow them to fly through the air and attack enemies from above. It's used a number of times and creates nice verticality in some stages, but unfortunately it's not used often enough.

The diverse abilities and limited weapons support easy mission design. The important campaign doesn’t require players to finish too many complex tasks. Instead, Space Marine 2 draws heavily on the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe to create epic moments as players fend off a swarm of Tyranids.

AN EXCELLENT CO-OP EXPERIENCE
Luckily, this doesn't apply to the multiplayer modes, where players spend the vast majority of their time. Eternal War is an honest competitive mode wherein players of various classes fight against one another, while the superb Operations mode allows players to tackle the role of other squads supporting Titus within the central campaign. It's form of just like the B-side of the important narrative.

In these cooperative missions, players select certainly one of six classes and set out in a squad of three to finish an objective. This is where teamwork comes into play, as players face harder circumstances and must depend on the team's diverse skills to survive. There are also more complex tasks that require more collaboration.

The important campaign may also be played cooperatively, but what makes Operations different is that players construct their very own Space Marine. It features progression systems that allow players to speculate points into bonus and weapon trees. This allows players to tailor a category to a playstyle while strengthening it for harder missions.

All of this ends in a game that feels more concrete and focused in comparison with the unique, while also leveraging the wealthy mythos of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

---

“Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2”

3½ out of 4 stars
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S
Evaluation: Tires

Originally published: September 27, 2024 at 1:59 p.m

Hurricane Helene destroyed greater than 4 million homes and businesses at the hours of darkness through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas after visiting Florida's Big Bend region strong category 4 storm Late on September 26, 2024. As rains moved inland in Helene, officials warned that broken utility lines needed to be repaired and power restored would take several days in some areas.

Electricity is significant for nearly everyone – wealthy and poor, young and old. But when severe storms strike, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often wait the longest to get well.

This will not be only a perception.

We analyzed Data from over 15 million consumers in 588 U.S. counties that lost power when hurricanes made landfall between January 2017 and October 2020. The results show that poorer communities actually waited longer for the lights to come back back on.

A ten percent decline in socioeconomic status within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index was related to a mean 6.1% longer outage. This equates to a mean of a further 170 minutes waiting time, sometimes even longer, for power to be restored.

Impact on politics and utilities

A possible reason for this disparity lies in the knowledge provided by utility corporations. Standard storm recovery guidelines. When restoring power after an influence outage, these policies often prioritize critical infrastructure first after which large business and industrial customers. Next, they fight to revive as many households as possible as quickly as possible.

Although this approach could appear procedurally fair, these restoration routines appear to have the unintended effect of often making vulnerable communities wait longer for power to be restored. One Reason could also be that these communities are farther from critical infrastructure or are situated primarily in older neighborhoods where power infrastructure requires more extensive repairs.

The result’s that there are households that do that already at greater risk Those affected by severe weather – whether because they’re in flood-prone areas or in vulnerable buildings – and people least prone to have insurance or other resources to assist them get well are also prone to face the longest storm-related power outages. Prolonged outages may end up in refrigerated food spoiling, lack of running water, and delays in repairing damage, including delays in running fans to dry out water damage and forestall mold.

Our study covered 108 utility regions, including investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, and public utilities. The disparate impacts on poorer communities weren’t as a consequence of any particular storm, region or utility. We also found no association with race, ethnicity, or residential type. Only the common socioeconomic level stood out.

How to make energy recovery less biased

There are ways to enhance power restoration times for everybody that transcend the crucial work to enhance power distribution stability.

Policymakers and utilities can begin by rethinking power restoration practices and power infrastructure maintenance, reminiscent of: B. replacing aging power poles and felling trees, while also keeping disadvantaged communities in mind.

Electric utilities have already done it Detailed power consumption data And Network performance of their supply regions. They can begin experimenting with alternative recovery routines that bear in mind their customers' vulnerability in a way that doesn’t significantly impact average recovery times.

For socioeconomic endangered regions In areas where prolonged outages are expected as a consequence of their location and potentially aging energy infrastructure, utilities and policymakers can proactively make sure that households are well prepared for evacuation or have access to backup power sources.

The US Department of Energy announced in October 2023 that it might spend money on Develop dozens of resilience hubs and microgrids to assist provide local energy to critical buildings inside communities when the larger grid fails. Louisiana is planning several of those solar and large-scale battery hubs in or near disadvantaged communities.

Policymakers and utilities can even spend money on broader energy infrastructure and renewable energy in these vulnerable communities. The US Department of Energy Justice40 program notes that 40% of the profits from certain federal energy, transportation and housing investments profit disadvantaged communities. This may help residents who need public assistance probably the most.

As global temperatures rise, severe weather events have gotten more frequent. This increases the necessity for higher planning and approaches that don’t leave low-income residents at the hours of darkness.

Chenghao Duan, a Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech, also contributed to this text. This article, originally published on February 7, 2024, has been updated in light of the increasing variety of power outages attributable to Hurricane Helene.