Bruins

David Pastrnak sees some similarities between him and Matt Poitras.

No, the 20-year center of the Bruins cannot exercise the identical bubble-one timer who was capable of stack it pastrnak in his profession 18 hat tricks.

But Boston's top strikers can draw many parallels between his early days, navigated by the growling of the NHL and the present growing pain with which Poitras has to do.

Pastrnak just isn’t probably the most impressive figure on the ice at 6-foot 0 and 200 kilos. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old wing player made considerable progress from his early days with regards to searching the contact and never letting him out of his game.

And on Saturday evening against the Rangers Poitras won a page from the identical script and achieved 6: 3 victory against New York with just a few strips … and just a few apples on the scoreshet.

“We were both easy boys who came to the league,” said Pastrnak about Poitras. “So I can definitely refer to it. He became as much stronger than he came compared to one and a half years [to the NHL]. Obviously he used the unfortunate injury he had and he is much stronger. He has self -confidence … When he plays such a game, it's fun to see it. “

Pastrnak's four-point night (three goals, One Assist) has settled Boston's Bounce Back victory within the Causeway Street with a stroke within the Causeway Street. But it was the sport of Poitras that Pastrnak's Tor-Salvo had triggered when he arrange each parts of Pastrnak on a 5-to-5 game.

“He is an incredible player, so he only finds him for me and he does the rest,” said Poitras of setting pastrnak's goals.

At some point it looked prefer it was an early night for the talented boy.

A bit of greater than 10 minutes after the beginning of the competition, Poitras became Rangers, the Bugnacious Blueliner Ryan Lindgren, tested and slammed into the boards when a scrum followed.

Unfortunately, Poitras was no stranger to punish hockey's highest level. .

These heavy checks and crunches within the frozen sheet demanded their toll last season and cut the promising rookie campaign 2023-24 shortly after he was forced to get under the knife to repair a torn shoulder.

The first optics weren’t good on Saturday after Lindgren's violation. But Poitras got out of the fracas and went on the bench with a smile on the face.

A bit of greater than seven minutes later, Poitras switched his weight to take revenge on the blues shirts.

Poitras over the offensive blue line was present in a foot race with the defender Adam Fox in a foot race. Poitras was the primary to get back the Skittering puck behind New York network, with the young striker protected the biscuit from Fox and maintained control over it in Grade-A-Ice.

With the puck secured on his stick, Poitras fed him in front of the network-so that Pastrnak accepts the offer to Igor Shesterkin to be able to provide Boston a 2-1 lead at the moment.

“He has an incredible ability,” said Charlie McAvoy about Poitras. “So this second goal there – that's all he. This is an incredible piece behind the net. He sees these games. He can play these games.

“It is difficult in this league because you have to allow the boys to play with self -confidence to play these games. But if mistakes occur, it is difficult. It can be discouraging, right? So somehow you go this line to play a clever brand [of hockey]But also to see such a man and encourage him to make the plays when he can.

“He has the ability and he has the will and fights for there. He doesn't get nervous and the teams will play him hard. He's not the biggest type, but he jumps back and he works hard. ”

Regardless of the hope that the Bruins will return to the playoff picture this spring, might be about Pastrnak and his ability to shoulder Boston's Torlast.

So far he has grown to the duty and has scored a whopping 14 goals and 28 points because the calendar in 2025 (a complete of 15 games).

However, the continued rise of a balanced playmaker in Poitras can be a welcome sight if Boston tries to find more Tor talents on this deep card.

Further ice packs are needed this season, as Poitras continues to try to search out traction within the NHL ranks.

It is an element of the sport – one which begins to resolve the Poitra when he tries to anchor himself as a player presented on this squad.

“I just feel more comfortable for me,” said Poitras. “I actually have the sensation that my off -ity habits have improved. And I'm just attempting to do increasingly more daily and be sure that my body treats so many games. It just tries to feel good in every game. “

The demand for office space in New York City has finally returned to a pre-Pandemic level, that are on account of an influx of recent employees and a visit by employers to see that current employees return to the office.

According to VTS, the office in town's demand increased by 25%within the fourth quarter, which measures the demand through unique recent real estate trips from real estate. The measure is an early indicator of the brand new leasing.

“New York City's change in the in-office work reflects the unique cultural and economic dynamics of the city, especially in the finance and tech sector,” said Nick Romito, CEO of VTS, in a press release.

SL Green Realty CorpAn actual estate investment trust or riding that focused on the office and retail in Manhattan published revenue last week. Although she missed the sales expectations, analysts identified that the office market was further tightened because the leasing demand accelerated.

On a call to analysts, the CEO of SL Green Realty, Marc Holliday, found that town's office for management and budget forecasts around 38,000 recent jobs for office use in 2025, that are mainly from funds, company services and knowledge technology.

“This leads to millions and millions of square foot for each of these bodies, and most of them are not at home from home,” said Holliday. “Combine this with the fact that the number of visitors on site is increasing every month, since people call back to the office four and five days a week. We expect a very strong demand for office space during 2025,” added Holliday .

Holliday also found that SL Green ended the yr with an occupancy of 92.5% and is predicted by greater than 93% occupancy in the approaching yr.

Tech giant IBM A 92,663 square meter expansion filler with SL Green has recently signed in a Madison Avenue, which increased your entire IBM footprint on the property to greater than 362,000 square foot.

“The expansion of the IBM flagship in a Madison Avenue confirms a long -term obligation to promote the technology sector in New York City and New York State, with a lively and collaborative work area that is supposed to bring employees, customers and partners from the world”, “, Said Joanne Wright, Senior Vice President for Transformation and Operations, in a press release.

New York is the clear winner of office recovery, but VTS notes other improvement markets. San Francisco recorded an annual growth rate of 32%, a faster growth rate than New York, although it started in a much weaker position. Seattle and Chicago recorded a growth rates of around 15%each, since employers in these cities increasingly included hybrid working models, which require uniform presence in the office.

“The data show that some markets like New York City quickly return to traditional office environments, however the national image reflects the slow but constant progress,” said Ryan Masiello, Chief Strategy Officer from VTS.

Nationally, demand rose by 12%in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter. Historically, the demand from the third quarter to the fourth quarter drops.

“This growth is remarkable-not for the defiant seasonal expectations, but in addition for the looks in the course of a cooling labor market. Companies appear to be more ready to take a position in office space despite economic uncertainty, which signals a shift in trust and long-term planning.” Said Masiello.

Epicenter of world growth

“Back with a vengeance”

When Sergio Pérez brought his automobile to a halt after being hit by Valtteri Bottas, he will need to have known it might likely be his last act as a Red Bull Formula 1 driver.

At the tip of a disappointing – in his own words, “terrible” – 12 months, Pérez didn't even have the possibility to finish a single lap on the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Bottas' hit, for which the Sauber driver was penalized, caused Pérez's RB20 to lose power and are available to a halt.

It denied Pérez the chance to say goodbye to F1 2024 on a positive note. But after his retirement he admitted for the primary time that he may not drive for Red Bull in 2025.

“We are talking about what is best for the future and we will see what happens in the coming days,” Pérez said. He added that he and the team would “discuss the situation for both parties and see if we can reach an agreement.”

On the method to Abu Dhabi it became clear that Pérez's time at Red Bull was running out. The team had lost the constructors' championship and finished the season third behind McLaren and Ferrari – and with it the prize money that got here with it. It is barely the third time since 2000 that drivers' champion Verstappen isn’t driving for the constructors' champion.

At the tip of a 12 months of speculation about Pérez's future, it seems that Red Bull has finally decided that enough is enough and that a change is required for 2025.

Until Sunday, Pérez had defiantly insisted he could be at Red Bull next 12 months, despite his subpar performance this season. He scored barely a 3rd of Max Verstappen's total points and hasn't made it onto the rostrum for the reason that fifth round in China. As he kept saying, he signed a contract extension in June.

Pérez remained committed to his contract until 2025 until media day on Thursday. After qualifying on Saturday, he still didn't think that Sunday could be his last race with Red Bull, saying there was “nothing new I could add to what I said before”.

Pérez's change of mood on Sunday was also reflected in Red Bull's post-race press release. In it, the team quoted Pérez as saying: “We will see what happens in the coming days, I don't know what will happen at the moment, I have a contract and the team and I have spoken.” It's about it discuss what’s best for everybody in the longer term.”

In Abu Dhabi, talks began between Pérez's camp and Red Bull about figuring out the agreement Pérez was referring to, essentially an agreement for him to offer up racing next 12 months. Given Pérez's contribution to Red Bull's recent success in Formula 1, some form of ambassadorial role is actually on the cards.

After the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the team wanted to sit down down with Pérez and “consider what the right and appropriate path forward is.” He highlighted Pérez's efforts for the team, particularly the 2 constructors' titles and his support for Max Verstappen on the 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi. Despite the difficulties of 2024, there continues to be great respect for the driving force at Red Bull.

“As he sits here now, he’s still our driver,” Horner said. “So it would be wrong for me to speculate about what next year might look like until he and I sit down and discuss this year and we think about it as a team.”

But Horner also said the drop to 3rd within the championship showed why it was crucial for 2 drivers to attain consistently, especially ahead of one other competitive season in 2025. “Ferrari will be strong with its line-up next year,” said he. “McLaren has a strong lineup. Mercedes will have an inexperienced driver in one of its seats. That’s why it’s very important for us that both drivers perform well and that there is no significant gap.”

Once an agreement is reached on Pérez's likely exit, Red Bull's next task can be to choose who will start alongside Verstappen. Horner said the four-time champion was the “most difficult teammate in the world to have”.

All signs in Abu Dhabi pointed to Liam Lawson getting the nod from RB to change into a Red Bull Racing driver in 2025. The New Zealander made a late exit in Abu Dhabi after a previously loose wheel cost him the possibility to fight for points, and he now has 11 F1 races to his name. However, he was all the time held in high regard throughout the Red Bull team, especially with advisor Helmut Marko. Red Bull have also supported such inexperience prior to now, promoting Alex Albon to change into Verstappen's teammate after just twelve races in 2019. The 22-year-old Lawson has only one loss and 6 points.

Lawson's promotion could be a blow to Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified ahead in all six races they spent as teammates this 12 months. The 24-year-old Tsunoda has been driving for RB since 2021 and has made decent progress yearly, but Red Bull still seems to have doubts about promoting him to the senior team.

“I think Liam did a very good job in difficult circumstances,” said Horner after the race in Abu Dhabi. “If you analyze what he did in the time he had and the race pace he had, I think he did a good job.

“I think Yuki did a good job. If something were to be decided with Checo, they would be the candidates we would look forward to.”

If Red Bull names Lawson as Verstappen's teammate for 2025, it might unlock a spot alongside Tsunoda at RB, which is prone to be filled by Isack Hadjar. 20-year-old Hadjar finished second on this 12 months's F2 standings and took part in two F1 training sessions for Red Bull in 2024. In Qatar, he hinted that he already knew his plans for 2025, having emerged as a number one teenager in Red Bull's youth program waiting to maneuver as much as Formula 1.

Pérez's struggles leading as much as 2024 have been difficult to look at. He began strong and achieved 4 podiums in the primary five races. At Suzuka, a real “drivers’ track” where Verstappen’s natural talent involves the fore, he was only a tenth off pole. As his form began to say no, Red Bull believed the brand new contract would give him the support and boost he needed. Horner admitted Friday that it just “didn’t work.”

These efforts to support Pérez have left the team in its current position, attempting to work out acceptable terms for his exit and ending a four-season rollercoaster ride. Horner said there was “no immediate rush” to sort things out, but a fast resolution will surely profit all parties.

It would give Red Bull the possibility to show things around and focus entirely on 2025 – and Lawson, assuming he gets the seat, the utmost time possible to organize for probably the most demanding task in all of racing: being Verstappen's teammate. It's a task that Pérez warned Thursday that knowing how the wind blows would perhaps be a serious challenge for any young rider.

“Since I was a teammate of Max at Red Bull as a young driver, if I’m honest I don’t want to be in this situation,” said Pérez.

“People can’t underestimate the challenge this seat presents.”

“Enough,” Katie Holmes declared Sunday in a rare, unprecedented response to a different tabloid report about her, her daughter Suri and Suri's complicated relationship along with her megastar father Tom Cruise.

In an Instragam postobjected Holmes a Daily Mail reportwhich claimed that her 18-year-old daughter Suri had grow to be a millionaire after a trust fund reportedly arrange by her estranged father “intervened”.

“Totally wrong,” Holmes wrote over a screenshot of the article within the British tabloid with the headline “Suri Cruise, the millionaire!” Tom Cruise's trust fund is “started” and mother Katie Holmes has one for her too.”

“Daily Mail, you can stop making things up,” Holmes added.

With her post, Holmes finally, after many years, publicly commented on a gossip or news report about her, her daughter and her famous ex-husband.

While Holmes clearly denies this particular report about a Cruise trust fund, it appears that the “Dawson's Creek” alum is also fed up with at least some of what the Daily Mail has published about her, Suri, and the “Top Gun.” Star.

Definitely like the Daily Mail to publish regular updates about Holmes and Suri, with the photographers following her and Suri around New York City, where they have lived since Holmes' high-profile divorce from Cruise in 2012. The Daily Mail is also among the gossip and entertainment outlets that followed her in dropping incoming freshman Suri at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in August.

But the Daily Mail is not the only publication that has speculated over the past 12 years about the reasons for Holmes' divorce from the 62-year-old “Mission: Impossible” actor and his long and obvious estrangement from his once-beloved daughter or Holmes ' Raising Suri as a single mother.

The floor plan of Reports Part of their divorce was that Holmes didn't want Suri to join the controversial, cult-like organization, so she left the marriage. Cruise soon faced accusations in another tabloid that he had “abandoned” Suri because of Scientology's rules about separating members from nonbelieving family and friends who are considered “suppressive individuals” and hostile to the organization .

In a 2013 deposition to a $50 million libel lawsuit Cruise filed against the tabloid In Touch, the actor vehemently denied that he had “abandoned” Suri. He disputed claims that he, a prominent member of Scientology, had “endlessly” chosen the church over his daughter.

“'Abandoned by Daddy,'” Cruise said angrily in the statement, referring to the story's headline. “I mean, come on, this is absolutely disgusting. This is absolutely disgusting.”

But more than a decade later, another tabloid, The Sun, reported that Cruise had not seen his daughter in 11 years. However, The Sun also reported that Cruise provided financial support for Suri. Under the terms of the divorce agreement, Holmes was awarded sole custody while Cruise was required to pay $400,000 a year to help raise her.

This Sun report is consistent with other reports about Cruise's estrangement from Suri and was prompted by Cruise missing a major milestone in Suri's life: her graduation from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. Instead, Cruise was photographed at one of Taylor Swift's sold-out Eras Tour performances in London this weekend.

Cruise's absence from Suri's graduation made headlines. And then came more headlines about the 18-year-old dropping her father's last name for the ceremony. Instead, she used the name “Suri Noelle.” At the time, sources told Page Six that the new name was a tribute to her mother, who raised her. Noelle is Katie Holmes' middle name.

But as in years past, Holmes remained publicly silent about Cruise's no-show at Suri's graduation ceremony.

But something about the Daily Mail's trust fund story finally sparked a reaction, and people can speculate as to why. Maybe it's the implication that Suri has suddenly become “a wealthy teenager who can do anything she wants.” One person responded to Holmes' Instagram post, saying the claim “puts a goal on her back.”

The Daily Mail report also states that Suri began gaining access to a trust fund set up by Cruise when she turned 18 in April. Additionally, it said Holmes has set up her own trust fund for her only child, quoting a source who said: “She wants him to be well cared for and have a prime quality of life.”

Whatever Holmes' reasons for finally speaking out and hitting back at the Daily Mail, she was flooded with praise and support on her Instagram feed.

“I’m so proud of you for confronting her. I love you to the moon!” wrote actress Zoey Deutch. Actor John McGinty also wrote: “We have your back.”

Another user said: “People must stop saying 'ignore her!' In the comments. @katieholmes has a daughter who doesn't live as a public figure but travels the world, and the Daily Mail just painted a goal on her back. How would you are feeling if that was your child?!”

Originally published: December 9, 2024 at 9:37 am PST

Ruby Franke was once certainly one of YouTube's hottest family vloggers, posting videos featuring her husband and 6 children on her channel 8 Passengers, which have garnered over 1 billion views.

In some, she documented her family vacations and family activities, similar to painting together. In other cases, she described banning her 16-year-old son from sleeping in his bedroom for seven months and threatening to behead a stuffed animal.

In August 2023, Franke was charged with child abuse And pleaded guilty 4 months later.

While the crimes that led to the fees, similar to denying her children water and being handcuffed for prolonged periods of time, didn’t appear on 8 Passengers, her children viewed the vlogging as a bigger pattern of abuse.

In October 2024, 21-year-old Shari Franke, Ruby's eldest daughter, testified to Utah lawmakers about what being a baby influencer against her will had done to her.

“I come today as a victim of family vlogging,” Shari said, “to shed light on the ethical and financial issues that come with being a child influencer.” She added, “If I go back and everything If I could do it all over again, I'd rather have an empty bank account right now and not have my childhood plastered all over the internet. “No sum of money I've received has made what I've experienced worthwhile.”

Her testimony took place just weeks after California passed a law It stipulates that a portion of the proceeds from social media content featuring children have to be placed in a trust for the kid after they turn 18.

I’m a Social media researcher Who has spent the last two years advocating for this? for the youngsters of family vloggers. Just 18 months ago, I wrote about how there isn’t a legal protection for influencers' children, regardless that child actors have strict laws protecting their income.

Now that’s starting to vary – but there’s still lots to do.

New laws for a brand new era

Some children have been featured of their parents' social media content go viral as toddlers; other have their first menstrual cycles transmitted into the world; they usually might be pressured by their parents to be the talent that secures her family's financial livelihood.

California has that Coogan lawwhich protects the financial interests of entertainers under the age of 18. However, this was passed in 1939, long before the arrival of social media; Until recently, there was no comparable Coogan Law for the youngsters of family vloggers.

In August 2023, nevertheless Illinois became the primary US state to pass a law to guard the financial interests of youngsters of family vlogging. The bill requires parents to put aside 50% of their income for content during which their child appears. The money must go right into a trust fund that the kid can access after they turn 18. If there isn’t a money for the kid, he can sue his parents.

Minnesota was the following state to pass such a law. in May 2024. This went beyond financial considerations and banned children under 14 from appearing in greater than 30% of their parents' social media content. If children appear in these videos and the videos are monetized, money have to be deposited into an account, just like Illinois.

In December 2023, I consulted with legislators on drafts of California's measure. This bill, which went into effect in September 2024, is comparable to Illinois law but is seen as a vital step in regulating family vlogging content given the state's relationship with the entertainment industry.

Work is figure

These laws will not be aimed toward casual parents who wish to share an image of their child on Facebook or Instagram. They are establishing protections for a type of child labor that until recently had little control.

In the spring of 2024, I provided written testimony to the state of Missouri, which was considering its own law. I identified that there are greater than 500 hours More videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute, TikTok boasts greater than 150 million energetic monthly users within the US alone and Instagram users are watching 17.6 million hours rolls per day. I explained how I've interviewed over 150 content creators and influencers over the past decade – and I often hear them say they've been paid greater than $8,000 per post.

Brand sponsorship stays a gray area in these laws; Most latest laws only cover payments directly from platforms. But I would like to emphasise that we're not talking about just a few extra dollars here and there. It might be enough money to begin a family. And it’s work – for everybody involved.

What's next?

Illinois, Minnesota and California can have passed laws, but elsewhere the difficulty stays.

Washington state attempted to introduce such a bill, and Shari Franke's statement got here as Utah began considering its own laws.

However, I consider that any work to combat the issue of kid social media exploitation requires a holistic approach.

It is significant that children cannot consent to publication of their parents' content. While it is perhaps fun to seem in Mom or Dad's video, young children do not know in regards to the dangers of the Internet. They don't understand that content can transcend the audience. They don't understand that the web is perpetually – that someday after they apply for school or a job, Google search results might show up their baby photos.

In 2023, Maryland attempted to introduce laws that may include the next Right to be forgotten Provisions – an addendum that permits children to request that social media platforms delete content about them after they turn 18. The measure never gained momentum and the bill stalled. But states can take inspiration from the European Union, which has among the strictest right-to-be-forgotten laws on this planet.

Social media platforms also play a job. If they wanted, they might regulate or ban monetized content focused on children. Apart from that, Family vlogging content is a money maker for platforms: It generates billions of views, making the audience stay longer on the hosting site like YouTube or Instagram. One might subsequently assume that platforms would never intervene on their very own initiative if there was a risk that their bottom line can be affected.

But I learned one thing from studying social media platform governance is that public opinion matters. And in my ongoing research into family vlogging, I've seen an enormous shift in public opinion over the past two years. because the press pays more attention to the phenomenon, the content creators and the audience are more critical about it and former children of family vloggers like Shari Franke tell their stories.

If platforms can quickly develop their very own versions of AI chatbots, they’ll create teams to work out how one can regulate and implement family vlogging laws within the US – and, for my part, have the chance to be on the precise side of the history to face.

Think of your favorite fantasy or science fiction novel. Of course you realize the writer and the title. But can you think that of the editor or publisher?

In publishing, the individuals who work behind the scenes rarely get by. But on October 1, 2024, not less than one industry pioneer got here into the highlight. That day, PBS aired “Judy Lynn del Rey: The Galaxy Gal“, the first episode of his new documentary series “Renegades,” which highlights little-known historical figures with disabilities.

Judy-Lynn del Rey, a girl with dwarfism, was best known for founding Del Rey Books, a science fiction and fantasy publisher that made fantasy specifically a significant publishing category.

As a scholar of fantasy literatureI used to be fortunate to function a research consultant for the PBS project. However, resulting from time constraints, the episode was only capable of tell half of Del Rey's story, ignoring how she influenced science fiction and fantasy itself.

Judy-Lynn del Rey had very clear ideas about what sort of stories people desired to buy. For some critics, she also committed the unforgivable sin of being right.

The mother of “Star Wars”

Over the course of her profession, del Rey gained a popularity as a superstar editor amongst her writers. Arthur C. Clarke, co-writer of the screenplay for “2001: A Space Odyssey,” called it the “The most sensible editor I actually have ever met“, and Philip K. Dick said she was the “biggest editor since Maxwell Perkins“, the legendary editor of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

However, she started off as an editorial assistant – in point of fact, a “gofer” – for probably the most acclaimed science fiction magazine of the Nineteen Sixties. galaxy. There she learned the fundamentals of publishing and quickly rose through the ranks until she was headhunted by Ballantine Books in 1973.

Soon after, Ballantine was acquired by publishing giant Random House, which then appointed del Rey editor-in-chief. But her first big step was dangerous: she separated from the Ballantine writer John Normanwhose hugely popular Gor novels were widely criticized for his or her misogyny.

Nonetheless, del Rey's mission was to develop a robust backlist of science fiction novels that might appeal to latest generations of younger readers, not to say adults. An early success was her Star Trek Log series, a series of ten novels based on episodes of Star Trek Log.Star Trek: The Animated Series.”

But del Rey had even greater success when he secured the novel rights to a science fiction film that was then Few Hollywood executives believed he would do well: “Star Wars.”

This smart enterprise resulted in Ballantine receiving lucrative additional products similar to calendars, art books, sketchbooks, etc. for years Star Wars Intergalactic Pass and naturally other novels set within the Star Wars universe – so many various tie-ins that del Rey called herself the “Mama of Star Wars.”

After that she became someone who as reporter Jennifer Crighton put itHe exuded “the shameless joy of a rebel force, an upstart who has won.”

A significant player in major fiction

Del Rey's tendencies as an editor were sometimes criticized – often by Competitors who couldn't sustain with the success of their line – because he’s too focused on Ballantine’s bottom line. But she also selected to work within the publishing landscape because it actually existed within the Seventies, fairly than the one she only wished existed.

In his book “Great fictionPublishing scholar Dan Sinykin calls this period the “conglomerate era,” a period during which publishing houses—mostly small and family-run—were consolidated into larger corporations.

However, one good thing about this shift was greater corporate investment within the industry, which resulted in increases in print runs, marketing budgets, writer advances, and staff salaries.

Ballantine's parent company, Random House, was also considered an industry leader in free speech because of the efforts of legendary CEOs Bennett Cerf And Robert L. Bernstein.

Accordingly, Random House granted its publishing divisions, including Ballantine, immense creative autonomy.

And when del Rey finally got her own signature in 1977, she took her biggest risk: imagination.

That was Del Rey

In previous many years, fantasy had a popularity for being unmarketable – unless, after all, your name was JRR Tolkienotherwise you wrote Conan-style barbarian novel. While the highest science fiction magazines often had excellent circulation, fantasy magazines often failed resulting from lack of sales.

However, in 1975, del Rey hired her husband, Lester del Reyto develop a fantasy series, and when Del Rey Books launched two years later, it enjoyed great success with bestsellers like Terry Brooks' “The Sword of Shannaraand Stephen R. Donaldson's “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever.” But although Lester edited the fantasy authors, Judy-Lynn oversaw the imprint and marketing.

A lesser-known example of their skills is “The Princess Bride.”

Today most individuals understand it the 1987 filmhowever the film originated as a much earlier novel by William Goldman. However, the unique 1973 edition sold poorly. It might need been forgotten had del Rey not been determined to revitalize Ballantine's backlist.

She republished “The Princess Bride” in 1977 with a surprising die-cut gatefold cover and a brand new promoting campaign, without which the novel—and the film—may never have achieved its subsequent success.

The awards are piling up

Thanks to those efforts, Del Rey Books dominated genre publishing and produced more bestselling titles by 1990 than every other science fiction and fantasy publisher combined. Yet despite complaints that the publishing house prioritized business success over literary merit, Del Rey's authors received their fair proportion of literary awards.

The prestigious Locus Poll Award for Best Science Fiction Novel went to Del Rey authors Julian May and Isaac Asimov 1982 and 1983. Other Locus honorees include Patricia A. McKillip, Robert A. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Barbara Hambly.

Barry Hughart's “Bridge of Birds“was one of two winners of the World Fantasy Award in 1985 and won the Mythopoeic Society Award in 1986. What was even more impressive was that Del Rey ran away with it Science Fiction Book Club Award In the first nine years of its existence, it won seven of them. The imprint's titles also won three times in a row August Derleth Fantasy Awards – now called the British Fantasy Award – from 1977 to 1979.

Yet despite these accolades, Del Rey's popularity continued to suffer from his own business success. Notably, Judy-Lynn del Rey was never nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Professional Editor. When she died in 1986, the Hugo Committee belatedly attempted to provide her a posthumous award, but her husband Lester did refused to just accept itsaid it was too late.

Although the present narrative continues to be that Del Rey Books published mostly formulaic, mass-market fiction in its science fiction and science fiction novels Fantasy linesThe time could also be ripe to have fun the vision and iconoclasm of a publisher who has expanded speculative fiction beyond the confines of a small genre fan base.

A rare, almost complete fossil of an extinct North American porcupine helped me and my colleagues resolve a decades-long debate about how modern North American porcupine developed from its ancestors.

In our paper published in Current Biology, we argue that the ancestors of North American porcupines could well be 10 million years old, but wouldn’t be recognizable until about 8 million years later.

By comparing the bone structure of porcupines in North and South America, we found that, surprisingly, during those 8 million years, North American porcupines still looked like their cousins, the Neotropical porcupines that now live within the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Our findings make clear the evolution of the North American porcupine from South America – and at the identical time solve the mystery of why it was so difficult to seek out its ancestors.

I’m a paleontologist who studies the fossilized bones and teeth of extinct animals. With Museum curator Jon Bloch, I created a course where we analyzed bone structure to succeed in the conclusions of our study.

Why it can be crucial

Modernity North American porcupine differs from its spiny relatives. It has a brief tail, a jaw with which it may well scrape bark from trees and weighs between 10 and 25 kilos (4.5 and 11.3 kilograms).

Although clearly related, Neotropical porcupines look different. They have long, grasping tails, weaker jaws and weigh between 1.5 and 10 kilos (0.68 and 4.5 kilograms).

DNA analyses of recent animals estimate that these two groups are about 10 million years before.

This is where the mystery is available in. Fossils of the North American porcupine are all younger than 1.8 million yearsIn other words, fossils of the North American porcupine dating back about 8.2 million years were missing.

All the researchers had were parts of jaws and tails that looked like they belonged to Neotropical porcupines.

Two competing hypotheses could explain the similarity.

Some scientists have argued that the jaw and tail fossils of early ancestors of North American porcupines should more closely resemble their modern descendants. Researchers who support this concept have said that the fossil record is incomplete for unknown reasons, but that it continues to be possible that fossils supporting their hypothesis will eventually emerge.

Other scientists have suggested that each one early porcupine ancestors could have had jaws and tails much like those of recent neotropical porcupines. The ancestors of North American porcupines could also be hidden in the present fossil record because, based on their jaws and tails alone, they give the impression of being an identical to the ancestors of neotropical porcupines. Only more moderen fossils would show distinctive features because these features appeared at the moment.

The debate continued for many years. With the available fossils it was inconceivable to resolve the issue.

How we worked

Then researchers from the Florida Museum of Natural History excavated a 2 million 12 months old almost complete skeleton of a porcupine in north central Florida in 2005.

The fossil had an extended tail and no jaws to chew bark, much like neotropical porcupines. But it also had dozens of other bones that we could use to elucidate the relationships.

To gather this evidence, we needed to comb through all of the bones, on the lookout for lots of of tiny details – just like the shape of ridges or patterns of bone edges – and compare those details to skeletons of recent North American and Neotropical porcupines. Bloch and I developed a course through which each student took on a component of the project.

Together, we compiled a listing of nearly 150 insightful details. Although the specimen had some features much like those of neotropical porcupines, additional evidence supported the concept that this fossil was a more in-depth relative of North American porcupines.

Since this porcupine had a jaw and tail like its neotropical cousins, it is probably going that the majority of the North American porcupine's older relatives also lacked the characteristic features of their modern descendants.

In other words, the reply to the puzzle is that the fossil record of North American porcupines appears young since the stronger jaw and shorter tail evolved relatively recently. Porcupines looked different than we expected for much of their 10-million-year-old ancestry.

WOODSIDE — Generation Z is referred to by some because the “sustainability generation” – they’re more willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products and more prone to make purchasing decisions that consider their personal, social and environmental values.

Some studies show that they’ve scored above average by way of their concern for the environment. A world survey by international marketing company Kadence states: 82% of Generation Z Respondents expressed concern concerning the state of the planet and 72% said that they had proactively modified their behavior to cut back their environmental impact. Deloitte's “Survey on Generation Z and Millennials 2024” stated that “many are actively trying to align their careers and consumer behavior with their environmental values.”

But the image is rather more complex, as a conversation with among the most passionate and energetic environmental activists at a Bay Area highschool shows.

Gen Z—those born between 1997 and 2010—grew up in a world full of knowledge and convenience. Students at Woodside High School in an affluent area of ​​San Mateo County know the hazards of plastic and are grumpy about not with the ability to avoid it. But they’ll't imagine a world without plastic—and so they know they've gotten used to it, perhaps to their very own detriment.

“I just use [plastic] excessive, and I'm in the green club. I studied environmental science, and I still use way too much plastic – for example, I order clothes online, from Amazon, get food delivered, or go to a store and need groceries, but half of it is plastic, and I consciously try not to buy things that have plastic in them, but it still happens to me,” said Kyla Burfoot, who will graduate from Woodside High School in 2024 and plans to study cognitive science at UC Berkeley this fall.

Earlier this year, the Green Party's Environmental Club met for its weekly meeting in Ann Akey's Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES, as it's called) classroom. The group – represented on this day by eight young women – regularly participates in environmental activities, such as the occasional beach cleanup, but also makes an effort to educate peers and the community about plastic and recycling.

For example, the club has formed a small “watch committee” whose job it’s to hang around on the trash cans during lunch and help other students determine which of the three trash cans – landfill, recycling and compost – they need to throw their trash in.

“So we stand there and when someone desires to throw away a chunk of trash, we ask them, 'Hey, do you realize which trash can to throw it in?' If they know, they get a chunk of candy. If not, we teach them,” says Jessica Lin, another 2024 graduate who plans to go to UC Berkeley in the fall to study clinical psychology and biology.

“And whenever you, as a student, see other students fascinated about what they throw away after we've helped them and educated them, it's really impressive. It's also inspiring since it shows that change is feasible,” she added.

Unlike previous generations, environmental competence has been an integral part of the Green Party’s education since they started school.

“I believe our generation is pretty much informed because they’re aware of the environmental crisis,” Burfoot said. But, she added, education is pointless if people are not able to put what they learn into action.

“When I’m going to the shop, I need to purchase fresh produce and stuff,” said Kate O'Toole, who was set to attend New York University in the fall to study film and television. “But I can't do this. I can't buy a pack of raspberries without also buying the plastic packaging they're in. It's so difficult to avoid plastic. Even if we try, we will't control what's in our Amazon package – like all of the plastic packaging or the large, massive box that has somewhat notebook in it.”

Her comment led the group to discuss the convenience of plastic in their lives and its ubiquity.

“I believe most of us are used to it,” Lin said. “When I used to be a child, my parents would often take us to the beach. And while I used to be playing, they’d say, 'Go over there or to this part, there's not as much plastic washing up there.' Or my mom would say, 'Okay, let's pick up some stuff.' I believe lots of us are only used to it. It's not prefer it wasn't there after which it was there. It was at all times there.”

The students say they have never known a world in which the plants, grass and soil along highways were not covered in plastic. Or an ocean in which animals did not suffocate and die from plastic.

They also don't know a world where you can't order something from Amazon and have it on your doorstep the next day. Try scrolling through the TikTok store, Lin said. That “alone is addictive. But then there are these ads where you possibly can buy something super low cost and have it delivered right to your door.”

In fact, price and convenience are very important to many young consumers. A report by McKenzie & Co. states that according to a recent survey, “the current cost of living crisis (that big inflation monster just won’t stop) is undermining Generation Z’s willingness to buy sustainable products,” which “often come with a higher price tag.”

Of course, such reports do not take into account the fact that while privileged people have the ability to make such decisions, there are many who do not. And in most cases, it is these people who will be most affected and suffer the effects of climate change. Research has shown repeatedly that marginalized groups are more affected by heatwaves, extreme weather events, wildfires, work disruptions and environmental degradation.

Lin acknowledges some of the challenges of being a consumer in 2024. “I believe convenience is powerful, and folks idiot themselves into considering they’ll recycle the items which can be packaged in plastic. But they really can't. But they persuade themselves they’ll, throw the items within the recycling bin, and move on,” she says.

Burfoot agreed, saying this was one of the things her generation had also perfected: dissociation.

“We know plastic is bad. If we’ve a alternative, we try to seek out alternatives without plastic,” she said. But they also can't shake the instant gratification of Amazon and TikTok.

Companies and politicians, say the Greens, need to make a lot more effort. “I mean, regardless of how lots of us grow to be vegan or stop eating beef, thousands and thousands of pieces of waste are still being dumped into the oceans by firms,” said Burfoot.

“Ultimately, convenience is what keeps it alive, but soon we'll realise how inconvenient it actually is,” Burfoot said. “In 20 years, once we're all literally manufactured from plastic ourselves,” people might start to change their minds.

And Burfoot and her classmates place all the blame squarely on the older generations.

“I'm growing up in a world that I didn't create and I feel like there are particular inequalities – the older generations hope we figure it out, but I believe it's as much as them to bridge that gap and do their part to make this world livable for us and our kids in the longer term,” she said.

And governments must give people the opportunity to choose an alternative lifestyle that does not involve plastic, said several Greens.

“I believe there are ideas which can be really good for sustainability,” Lin said. “But they should not at all times feasible in our society and on this economic environment. Sustainable living costs money and it shouldn't.”

Maybe, they said, if business leaders and government officials sorted through all the garbage themselves and saw all the useless waste from disposable Starbucks cups or energy shots, they would understand better.

“If you might be empathetic and compassionate, you possibly can put yourself in other people's shoes and in addition within the shoes of your kids and grandchildren,” Lin said. “You need to put yourself in other people's shoes.”

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©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit www.latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Originally published: September 19, 2024 at 10:50 am

Women run for US President since 1872and for nearly as long, people have been wondering what women have to do to interrupt through what Hillary Clinton calls “highest, hardest glass ceiling“ in American culture.

Almost nobody has asked what men have to do to repair the issue that this job has been off-limits to greater than 50% of the talent pool for ages.

At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, that modified. Democratic men made decisions that were entirely latest or extremely rare to support a female presidential candidate and serve the nation. This was unprecedented.

As Communication scientist who studies gender and political leadershipI even have argued that the most important obstacle to electing a girl president will not be a scarcity of qualified candidates, but a collective inability to acknowledge them as suchThe fault lies not with the candidates, but with American culture.

As it turned out, men in politics were also accountable.

Faced with competition from female presidential candidates, many men previously have used their power and privilege in ways in which undermine women's candidacies. But the Democratic National Convention was different.

For the primary time in history, the lads of a significant political party unanimously supported a female candidate. They avoided strategically using the stereotype that strong women are unlikable, Barack Obama did this with Hillary Clinton within the 2008 Democratic primaries.

They accepted the party’s overwhelming support for a female candidate as an alternative of insisting Entitlement to superdelegateslike Bernie Sanders did in 2016.

And they put their careers on hold to support their spouse’s candidacy, moderately than undermining it by offering support to challengers in the first, as Bob Dole did when Elizabeth Dole ran for the Republican Party nomination in 2000.

“Relinquishing male power”

Rhetorical decisions reveal the underlying motivations of people and groups. The messages from Democratic men on the 2024 convention signaled that their party was finally able to do something no major party has done before. Not only did they nominate a female candidate, but in addition they renounced male power and privilege.

Biden surprised everyone by withdrawing from the race in response to pressure of declining poll numbers, skeptical donors and party leaders, and nervous candidates on the lower ballots. But any resentment he could have felt didn’t translate into irritation or pettiness on the convention.

As the gang chanted “Thank you, Joe,” he instructed: “Thank you too, Kamala” and promised to be “the best volunteer the Harris-Walz camp has ever seen.” He didn’t just hand over his candidacy. He gave up his authority – to the people and the party, but additionally specifically to Harris.

Although Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg to be Harris' running mate and possibly still harboring his own presidential ambitions, he didn’t use his place on the convention to advertise the 2028 campaign. Instead, he took on the role historically reserved for girls at party conventions: presenting the party's message from the angle of a parent whose primary concern is “Kitchen table” politics, Issues that the majority directly affect children and families.

The speech by the presidential candidate's spouse on the convention has historically been a possibility for future First Ladies to portray their husbands because the patriarchs of a perfect American family. In his speech, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff emphasized painted an image a “complicated” and “patchwork family” and not using a patriarch, but with two energetic partners who may be equally successful of their careers and be intensively committed to the family.

When Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate, She defied many experts and the Bookmaker who considered Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to be the most effective strategic selection. The performance of the convention was described by a news channel as a message from a “Midwestern man” and an “antidote to toxic MAGA masculinity.” Even Ms. Magazine praised it as “Populist motivational speech on masculinity.”

But Walz did something that Americans are usually not used to seeing from “real men.” He made it clear that he couldn’t only work with a girl, but additionally for her. And that everybody should try this.

After inform the gang that the pick was within the metaphorical “fourth quarter,” the team was “a field goal behind,” and the offense was “driving down the field,” Coach Walz made it clear that, as in his time as a highschool coach, he was the assistant coachTheir leader was Kamala Harris, and “Kamala Harris is tough. Kamala Harris is experienced. And Kamala Harris is ready.”

Satisfied second fiddle

To be clear, Harris' early success as a presidential candidate is primarily as a result of her skillful and skilful response to a series of unprecedented events and to the competent support of black women who’ve long supported the Democratic Party.

But the lads of the Convention made a joint decision, “their supporting roles,” as one Axios reporter described it, and treat Harris like a commander in chief. This shouldn't be anything special. Women have been doing this for presidential candidates since… endlessly. But to see so many white men step down so enthusiastically for a lady of color was almost unbelievable.

Stepping back will not be the identical as walking away. This is vital since the overarching message of the Convention was the best way to create an inclusive, democratic community. If you want to expand a circle and let more people in, step back. That doesn't exclude you from the circle. It makes your circle greater.

The congress offered a big selection of topics, including Gay fathers raise strong-willed toddlers, Patchwork families attending synagogue and church, Football coaches who kill pheasants and function Faculty Advisor of the High School Gay-Straight Alliance ClubAnd Presidents who hand over their power for the great of the country.

This features a presidential candidate who’s unlike another president in US history. This is a big step forward for the country.