cash carnival casino slots withdrawal

cash carnival casino slots withdrawal Santa Claus has no need to worry about recent mystery drone sightings over New Jersey, a US Air Force general said Tuesday, as an annual tradition of "tracking" Saint Nick swung into action. General Gregory Guillot's reassurances came as the joint US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that Santa and his reindeer were making stops in Russia and Iran after visiting countries further east including Japan, North Korea and Indonesia. Santa's journey this year comes after weeks of mysterious sightings of alleged drones in the US state of New Jersey, sparking worldwide curiosity even as many of the reported incidents were debunked. "Of course we are concerned about drones and anything else in the air," NORAD commander Guillot told Fox News. "But I don't foresee any difficulty at all with drones for Santa this year." NORAD's Santa tracker dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with Santa -- but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the joint military nerve center. The director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, answered the phone and quickly realized the child calling had the wrong number. "But (he) didn't want to upset him. So he started talking to the young child and passed along information" on Santa's location, Canadian Air Force Major-General William Radiff, NORAD's current director of operations, told AFP on Tuesday. "And then afterwards, he talked to the rest of the staff there and said, 'please, we're going to get phone calls today... Let's start doing this.'" The interest has gone global. Last year NORAD's modernized Santa tracker website noradsanta.org -- which includes a 3D map displaying Santa's movements in real time and a ticker showing how many presents have been delivered -- had 20.6 million visits, and more than 400,000 calls were made to the toll-free number, according to Radiff. "We get calls from all across the world and they really want to know where Santa is," he said. When not spreading holiday cheer, NORAD conducts aerospace and maritime control and warning operations -- including monitoring for missile launches from North Korea, something perhaps on Santa's mind as he guided his reindeer-hauled sleigh over Pyongyang. Radiff, embracing the Christmas spirit, said NORAD's infrared-capable satellites could monitor Santa's progress in part because "Rudolph's nose gives off the same signature, so we use that to track him around the world." NORAD "always does a fantastic job helping us keep tabs on Santa's navigational heading and bearing in the skies above," astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to ever walk on the Moon, said on social media. Last Christmas, US President Joe Biden joined in the fun at NORAD, taking calls from children. As of midday Tuesday US time, some 2.5 billion presents had been delivered, according to NORAD. bur/nroChiefs head to Pittsburgh on Christmas hoping to lock up the top seed in the AFC Kansas City (14-1) at Pittsburgh (10-5) Wednesday, 1 p.m., EST, Netflix. BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2. Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8; Steelers 10-5 Series record: Steelers lead 25-14. Canadian Press Dec 24, 2024 12:02 PM Dec 24, 2024 12:06 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Kansas City (14-1) at Pittsburgh (10-5) Wednesday, 1 p.m., EST, Netflix. BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 2 1/2. Against the spread: Chiefs 7-8; Steelers 10-5 Series record: Steelers lead 25-14. Last meeting: Chiefs beat Steelers 42-21 in the first round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City. Last week: Chiefs beat Texans 27-19; Steelers lost to Ravens 34-17 Chiefs offense: overall (13), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (11). Chiefs defense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (17), scoring (3). Steelers offense: overall (19), rush (11), pass (25), scoring (12). Steelers defense: overall (11), rush (8), pass (20), scoring (7). Turnover differential: Chiefs plus-4; Steelers plus-16. Chiefs player to watch WR Marquise Brown, who hurt his shoulder on the first play of the preseason and landed on injured reserve, made an impressive regular-season debut against Houston last week. “Hollywood” caught five passes for 45 yards, including an early 13-yarder that converted a fourth down and led to an eventual touchdown. But perhaps most importantly, Brown's mere presence kept Houston from double-teaming Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce all afternoon. Steelers player to watch LB T.J. Watt. The perennial All-Pro is dealing with an ankle injury and had a quiet game in the loss to Baltimore, finishing with just four tackles and didn’t have a single hit against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh's best chance at pulling the upset relies heavily on disrupting Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes at every turn. To do it, Watt will need to do some Watt-like things. The 30-year-old leads the NFL in forced fumbles for a defense that thrives on takeaways. Key matchup Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris against the Chiefs rush defense, which is ranked third in the NFL and allowing just 91.4 yards per game. The Chiefs held the Texans' Joe Mixon to just 57 yards rushing last week, the latest in a season-long trend of shutting down top running backs. The Browns' Nick Chubb had 41 yards the previous week, and the Ravens' Derrick Henry, the Falcons' Bijan Robinson and the Saints' Alvin Kamara are among those who have similarly struggled against Kansas City. Key injuries Chiefs: LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and CB Chamarri Conner (concussion) are likely to miss a second straight game. DT Chris Jones (calf) and RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) are iffy after getting hurt against Houston. Steelers: WR George Pickens (hamstring) should return after missing the past three games. S DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) may also be back after sitting the past two weeks. Starting CB Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and backup wide receiver/special teams ace Ben Skowronek (hip) are out. Series notes The Steelers have dominated the series, leading 23-14, but the Chiefs have won the past three games. That includes a 42-21 rout in their most recent matchup in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 16, 2022 — the last game played by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Prior to the Chiefs' three-game win streak, the Steelers had won three in a row, including an 18-16 victory in the divisional round on Jan. 15, 2017, that they won despite not scoring a touchdown. Stats and stuff Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round playoff bye with a win over the Steelers, or if the Bills lose or tie when they play the Jets on Sunday. ... Pittsburgh has dropped two straight, but can still earn its first AFC North title since 2020 by winning its last two games. ... The Chiefs can set a franchise record for regular-season wins with their 15th by beating Pittsburgh or Denver in their regular-season finale, breaking a tie with the 2020 and ‘22 teams. ... The Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes needs three TD passes to break Peyton Manning’s record of 244 for a QB's first eight seasons. Mahomes did not start as a rookie and has played just 111 games while Manning played 128 over that span. ... Mahomes has dominated the Steelers so far in his career, throwing 14 touchdowns without a pick while leading Kansas City to three victories in as many tries. ... Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins has an NFL-leading 177 straight games with a catch. TE Travis Kelce is second with 173. ... Kelce has 76 TD catches, tied with Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs record. Kelce has 79 total TDs, four shy of Priest Holmes' franchise record. ... WR Xavier Worthy has five TD catches, tied for the sixth most by a rookie in Chiefs history. Worthy also has three TD runs, and the eight total is also tied for sixth most in franchise history. ... Chiefs DB Trent McDuffie has intercepted a pass in back-to-back games. He did not have a pick in his first 48 games. ... This is the 12th game in Steelers history to be played on Wednesday and the first since 2020, when a showdown with the Ravens was repeatedly postponed because of COVID-19 issues. Pittsburgh is 5-6 all time on Wednesdays. ... A healthy Pickens will likely give the Steelers passing game a serious boost. QB Russell Wilson is averaging just 167.7 yards per game in Pickens' absence, down from 271 yards per game with Pickens in the lineup. ... This is Pittsburgh's first regular-season game against a team with 14 wins. ... The Steelers have five wins against the defending Super Bowl champions since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. ... Pittsburgh is 26-12 in Weeks 17 and 18 since the start of the 1990 season, the second-most wins in the NFL over that span behind Green Bay (28). ... The Steelers have won seven straight games and 12 of their past 13 the week following a loss of at least 17 points. ... Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 31 takeaways. and has forced at least two turnovers 11 times. Fantasy tip It might be championship week in your league, so why not turn to a championship quarterback. Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt even in a “down” season by his standards and with Pittsburgh missing its top cornerback and the pass rush slowed of late, give Mahomes a start against a team he has toyed with in his career. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Green Bay's recent dominance on defense has Packers believing they can make a deep playoff run Dec 24, 2024 11:54 AM Chiefs try to secure home-field advantage in the AFC when they visit Pittsburgh on Christmas Dec 24, 2024 11:49 AM Ravens visit Texans on Christmas Day, needing win to keep AFC North title hopes alive Dec 24, 2024 11:24 AMAmazon Workers in Over 30 Countries Take Coordinated Action on Black Friday

NoneNEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellectis (Euronext Growth: ALCLS - NASDAQ: CLLS) (the "Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company using its pioneering gene-editing platform to develop life-saving cell and gene therapies, today announced that it has drawn down the final tranche of €5 million ("Tranche C”) under the credit facility agreement for up to €40 million entered into with the European Investment Bank (the "EIB) on December 28, 2022 (the "Finance Contract"). With the drawdown of Tranche C, the Company has drawn down the full €40 million available under the Finance Contract. Tranche C is expected to be disbursed by the EIB by December 18, 2024. The Company plans to use the proceeds of Tranche C towards the development of its pipeline of allogeneic CAR T-cell product candidates: UCART22 and UCART20x22. As a condition to the disbursement of Tranche C the Company issued 611,426 warrants to the benefit of the EIB, in accordance with the terms of the 14 th resolution of the shareholders' meeting held on June 28, 2024 and articles L. 228-91 and seq. of the French Commercial Code (the "Tranche C Warrants”). Each Tranche C Warrant allows the EIB to subscribe for one ordinary share of the Company, at a price of €1.70, corresponding to 99% of the volume-weighted average price of the Company's ordinary shares over the last 3 trading days preceding the decision of the board of directors of the Company to issue the Tranche C Warrants. The total number of shares issuable upon exercise of the Tranche C Warrants represent circa 0.6% of the Company's outstanding share capital as at their issuance date. Tranche C will mature six years from its disbursement date and will accrue interest at a rate of 6% per annum capitalized annually and payable at maturity. The other terms of the Tranche C Warrants and prepayment events of Tranche C under the Finance Contract are as set forth in the Company's press release of April 4, 2023 and Form 6-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on such date. About Cellectis Cellectis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company using its pioneering gene-editing platform to develop life-saving cell and gene therapies. Cellectis utilizes an allogeneic approach for CAR-T immunotherapies in oncology, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf and ready-to-use gene-edited CAR T-cells to treat cancer patients, and a platform to make therapeutic gene editing in hemopoietic stem cells for various diseases. As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with 25 years of experience and expertise in gene editing, Cellectis is developing life-changing product candidates utilizing TALEN ® , its gene editing technology, and PulseAgile, its pioneering electroporation system to harness the power of the immune system in order to treat diseases with unmet medical needs. Cellectis' headquarters are in Paris, France, with locations in New York, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. Cellectis is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (ticker: CLLS) and on Euronext Growth (ticker: ALCLS). To find out more, visit our website: www.cellectis.com Follow Cellectis on social networks @cellectis on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) TALEN® is a registered trademark owned by Cellectis. Cautionary Statement This press release contains "forward-looking” statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expect,” "plan,” and "will,” or the negative of these and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements, which are based on our management's current expectations and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include statements about the date of disbursement of the Tranche C and the use of the proceeds of amounts received under the Finance Contract. These forward-looking statements are made in light of information currently available to us and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the numerous risks associated with market conditions, and our ability to satisfy the conditions precedent under the Finance Contract. Furthermore, many other important factors, including those described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F as amended and in our annual financial report (including the management report) for the year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent filings Cellectis makes with the Securities Exchange Commission from time to time, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , as well as other known and unknown risks and uncertainties may adversely affect such forward-looking statements and cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. For further information on Cellectis, please contact: Media contacts: Pascalyne Wilson, Director, Communications, + 33 (0)7 76 99 14 33, [email protected] Patricia Sosa Navarro, Chief of Staff to the CEO, +33 (0)7 76 77 46 93 Investor Relations contact: Arthur Stril, Interim Chief Financial Officer, [email protected] AttachmentWhitehall Coach: Tim Cunningham, 22nd year; 30th year overall, Whitehall and Pleasant Valley, 364-213 2023-24 record: 18-3 Class: 3A Twitter/social media: Twitter @zephyrwrestling; Instagram @zephyrswrestling Returning wrestlers: Jr. Wilmont Kai (114-121); Jr. Kade Pascoe (121-127); So. Rocco Delucia (133-139), Sr. Nolan Schmeckenbecher (133-139), Sr. Trokon Kai (133-145), Jr. James Hopkins (189-215), Sr. Elijah Brito (170), So. Justin Heckert (285) Newcomers: Jr. Tyrell Hoff (145-152), So. Layony Sanchez (172), Fr. Rocco Fonzone (139-145), Jr. Adam Gasteratos (114-121), Jr. Jacob Figueroa (172), Sr. Dayvion Marshmon (127-133), Sr. Alex Medina (160), Sr. Joel Guerrero Pena (114), So. Josiah Wright (121), Jr. Tyler Tehonica (215), Jr. Jahleel Garcia (189-215), Jr. Messiah Lugo (285), So. Bayne Brian (285) Top records from 2023-24 (SQ: state qualifier, RQ, regional qualifier): W. Kai 39-7 (PIAA 7th), Hopkins 34-10 (RQ); Pascoe 29-15 (RQ); Delucia 21-13, Schmeckenbecher 22-10, T. Kai 21-11 (RQ); Heckert 6-3 Wrestler you don’t know now, but will by March: So. Bayne Brian (285) Dual match to watch: Parkland, Jan. 16 Outlook: Last year’s impressive Zephyr squad showed the box Whitehall is in pretty well. 18 wins, a trip to the D-11 duals, the first state medalist since 2010 in the slippery, dynamic, fun-to-watch Kai, four regional qualifiers; all terrific accomplishments. The three losses? Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth, then Northampton in the D-11 duals. We like to refer to the Zephyrs, Parkland, Emmaus, the Bethlehem public schools and Stroudsburg as the EPC’s “middle class” – they are several cuts above the rest of the league and they compete against each other with zeal and elan, but they are not near scaling the top of the league. Nothing would be better for D-11 wrestling than for some of the “middle class” to become elite, but that’s an enormous ask. Whitehall’s start to 2024-25 is typical: a 58-12 loss to Nazareth, then romping to win the Case Flynn Duals at Pottsville with six dual triumphs, the closest by 21 points. The Zephyrs can, and will, beat anybody outside of the very elite. But the D-11 3A powers – to which Notre Dame is now added – are just at another level. Whitehall’s focus for improvement could be in getting more state qualifiers and medalists, and with all four regional qualifiers from last back, including state medalist Wilmont Kai, that seems a reasonable ask. A prediction or two: Another fine season, perhaps at the head of the “middle class”. A couple more state qualifiers (Pascoe and Hopkins?) perhaps; Kai higher on the state medal stand. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription. Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com . ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit lehighvalleylive.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

F1 closer to approving expanded grid for GM entryPep Guardiola sends major Man City threat - just days after signing new contract

Kyle Shanahan explains faith in Isaac Guerendo as 49ers make further moves after Christian McCaffrey injury

Wall Street rises with Nvidia as bitcoin burstsGoodshort Breaks Down The Walls Of The Vertical Drama Industry With Enticing Mini-Series For Mobile Audiences

There are more than 200,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia who lack a birth certificate. Without this vital document means accessing essential services such as employment, healthcare and education is nearly impossible. But a new technology platform that was guided in its creation by an Indigenous member is intent on providing access to services through digital identity. WUNA was developed in collaboration with to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, identity is deeply connected to culture, heritage, and community,” says Jason-Urranndulla Davis, founder and CEO of WUNA. “On Human Rights Day, we’re calling for systems that respect and honor this connection.” In Australia, some 15 to 18 percent of births to Indigenous mothers go unregistered in some regions, while mobility and homelessness affect around 20 percent of Indigenous Australians, which further hinder access to legal identity. On World Human Rights Day, ConnectID and WUNA released their whitepaper “Identity in Crisis: Addressing the Gaps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Peoples.” The whitepaper calls for a reimagining of identity systems to honor cultural heritage, foster inclusion and uphold human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that everyone has the right to recognition before the law. The Aboriginal-led digital identity platform WUNA is unique in that it integrates cultural practices like Traditional Owner Membership and Native Title ID, which aim to reduce administrative burdens and provide identity pathways rooted in community. The whitepaper introduces WUNA, a digital wallet that stores a person’s identity documentation, but cleverly relates it to the traditional Aboriginal cultural practice of the “message stick” — a communication tool carried by messengers to deliver news or help recount oral histories between Aboriginal peoples. “WUNA represents a modern adaptation of this trusted system,” the paper explains. ConnectID meanwhile acts as an identity exchange as the organization onboards government social services, financial services, housing and rental services to its exchange, it is working with WUNA to ensure its digital wallet and community-based verifications can be reused to access these critical services. WUNA currently has 17 partner organizations and a pilot extending to 1,000 users. More about WUNA can be learned via its official website . | | | | | |

Stephen Lovass Boosts Confidence With $142K Purchase Of Nordson StockThe Washington Huskies and wide receiver Denzel Boston face the No. 1 Oregon Ducks , led by quarterback Dillon Gabriel on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 (11/30/24) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV . You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV , which is offering half off your first month. Here’s what you need to know: What: NCAA Football, Week 14 Who: Washington vs. Oregon When: Saturday, Nov. 30 (11/30/24) Where: Autzen Stadium Time: 7:30 p.m. ET TV: NBC Live stream: fuboTV (free trial) , DirecTV Stream (free trial) *** Here are the best streaming options for college football this season: Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS. DirecTV Stream (free trial) : DirecTV Stream carries ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS. Sling TV ( $25 off the first month) - Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC. ESPN+ ($9.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college football games each weekend for only $9.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform. Peacock TV ($5.99 a month): Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night. Peacock will also stream Notre Dame home games. Certain games will be streamed exclusively on Peacock this year as well. Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year. *** Here’s a preview capsule via the Associated Press: Washington (6-4, 4-4 Big Ten) at No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0, No. 1 CFP) 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (NBC) Bet MGM College Football Odds: Oregon by 19 1/2. Series record: Washington leads 63-48-5. Oregon, ranked No. 1 in both the AP and CFP rankings, is the nation’s lone undefeated team and has already clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game. The Ducks are 11-0 for just the second time in school history. The game will be the 116th meeting between the two rivals, who both joined the Big Ten this year after leaving the Pac-12. The Huskies have won the last three meetings, including the Pac-12 title game last year, but are looking to play spoiler this time before a bowl game to cap their season. Washington coach Jedd Fisch has picked a starting quarterback for the game against the Ducks, but he’s not announcing who it is. Washington has used both Will Rogers and freshman Demond Williams Jr. situationally throughout the season, but Rogers has been the consistent starter. Whoever starts will face an Oregon defense that is allowing just 15.7 points per game. The Ducks are ranked seventh in total defense, allowing opponents 274.4 yards a game. Washington: Receiver Denzel Boston has nine touchdown receptions, tied for 11th in the nation and tied for first in the Big 10. Boston’s nine regular season TD catches are tied for eighth-most in school history. A sophomore, Boston is averaging 69.5 yards a game. Oregon: Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has set the all-time career record for total touchdowns with 180. He ranks second for passing touchdowns with 147. He also has 32 career rushing touchdowns and one TD reception. He’s thrown for 22 touchdowns and run for six scores this season. RECOMMENDED • nj .com What channel is Washington vs. Oregon game tonight (11/30/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for colleg Nov. 30, 2024, 1:30 p.m. What channel is Oklahoma vs. LSU game tonight (11/30/24)? FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for college foo Nov. 30, 2024, 1:00 p.m. Washington won both meetings against the Ducks last season: The Huskies won in the regular season 36-33 in Seattle, then beat Oregon again 34-31 in the Pac-12 championship game. Washington was undefeated before losing to Michigan for the national championship. ... Huskies running back Jonah Coleman is averaging 91.6 rushing yards per game with nine rushing touchdowns. He ranks 11th nationally with 36 rushing plays of 10 yards or more. ... Oregon coach Dan Lanning would not say whether receiver Tez Johnson, defensive end Jordan Burch and offensive lineman Marcus Harper II would play. All three were nursing injuries. ... With a win Oregon will finish the regular season 12-0 for the second time in school history. The other time was in 2010, when Oregon went to the BCS title game but lost to Auburn. (The Associated Press contributed to this report) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

US President-elect Donald Trump's proposals to impose sweeping tariffs on imports could counter earlier efforts to cool inflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday, warning that consumer prices could rise. Her comments at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit come as Trump has vowed broad tariffs of at least 10 percent on all imports, and higher rates on goods from China, Canada and Mexico. Imposing broad-based tariffs could "raise prices significantly for American consumers and create cost pressures on firms" which rely on imported goods, Yellen said when asked about Trump's plans. She cautioned that this could weigh on the competitiveness of certain sectors and increase costs to households. "This is a strategy I worry could derail the progress that we've made on inflation, and have adverse consequences on growth," she said. But she defended efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to impose targeted tariffs on Chinese goods to counter unfair trade practices by Beijing. She has previously raised concern over China's industrial overcapacity -- which risks a flood of underpriced goods into global markets and could undermine the development of key US industries. On Tuesday, Yellen also expressed regret that the United States has not made more progress on the country's deficit, saying she believes it "needs to be brought down, especially now that we're in an environment of higher interest rates." She stressed the importance of an independent Federal Reserve too, saying that countries perform better economically when central banks are allowed to exercise their best judgment without political influence. Trump has said that he would like "at least" a say over setting the Fed's interest rate. "I think it's a mistake to become involved in commenting on the Fed and certainly taking steps to compromise its independence," said Yellen. "I believe it tends to undermine the confidence of financial markets and, ultimately, of Americans in an important institution," she added. Yellen noted that she has spoken with Trump's Treasury chief nominee, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, congratulating him on his nomination. bys/bjtAmazon Workers in Over 30 Countries Take Coordinated Action on Black FridayIn addition to our main Game of the Year Awards 2024 , each member of the PC Gamer team is shining a spotlight on a game they loved this year. We'll post new personal picks, alongside our main awards, throughout the rest of the month. This year I played three 100-hour Atlus RPGs and I’m alive to sheepishly admit it (but only just). The first was Persona 3 Reload, the last was Metaphor: ReFantazio, and wedged in the middle was Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance, which was easily my favorite. It’s more tonally askew than the Persona games, more psychedelically bleak, and while I didn’t really absorb the story enough to recount it now, its landscapes have left their mark on me. I was compelled to play SMT 5 straight after Persona 3 Reload because a) on paper it's comparatively simple and b) because it was an Atlus RPG and I couldn’t stomach anything else. My favourite thing about Persona is the combat and that’s basically all SMT 5 is. There is no time-consuming, FOMO-inducing social link stuff to grapple with, and no laborious daytime routines or calendars to stress over: it’s fundamentally a combat-first JRPG with creature collecting (and of course, the occasional interminable dialogue sequence, but you can skip them). The rhythm is simple and rewarding: explore big open maps, collect new monsters and deities, and pit them against foes in tactical turn-based battles. What you’re doing in the opening hours of SMT 5, you’re still basically doing 60 hours later. Shin Megami Tensei loyalists are always eager to remind Persona fans that the latter is an offshoot of the former. They’re also wont to point out that Shin Megami Tensei’s monster collecting predates Pokémon. But I think it’s reasonable to describe Shin Megami Tensei as “Persona, but Pokémon”, just as it's reasonable to describe Metaphor ReFantazio as "Persona, but fantasy", because that will make sense to people who never encountered Megaten before Persona 5 launched it into the mainstream western consciousness. It still vastly undersells exactly what SMT is though, because that is near inarticulable when taking into account its minor flourishes. Shin Megami Tensei 5 felt revelatory to me, even though fans (whether of Atlus games or JRPGs more broadly) seem split on whether it’s “great” or just disappointingly “good”. The most gripping element is, of course, Atlus’ Press Turn combat system, which demands a careful and tactical playstyle. It’s fundamentally a process of attacking with the right monsters equipped with the right elemental powers, but the way this set-up gradually blossoms into something akin to chess makes the combat in, say, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, feel hopelessly imprecise and inelegant. Unless you’re over-levelled (and for situations like that there’s a lightning quick auto-battle mode) it’s nearly impossible to brute force through a SMT encounter. It’s a great game then, but what I love about SMT 5 has barely anything to do with what I do on a moment-to-moment basis with my hands. SMT 5 is set in the sandbanked ruins of a future Tokyo. It’s not a graphically impressive game, and that's made all the more obvious due to its lack of Persona’s overblown UI flair. Despite being set in a destroyed re-imagining of a real place, the handful of open world maps in SMT 5 feel more like videogame spaces than most contemporary JRPGs. Big golden collectibles are spread across sand plains and skyscraper corpses, and baddies roam aimlessly in big, dumb packs. It was originally designed for Nintendo Switch, and you can sense while playing it that everything about the game—the level design, the stripped-back UI—was designed with handhelds in mind. It may not be “impressive” graphically, but boy does SMT 5 have atmosphere, and yet, not the kind of atmosphere you expect from a post-apocalyptic videogame designed for millions of players. Usually “post-apocalyptic” implies some sense of vanquished grandeur. There’s usually an inherent melancholy only dispelled by the brutality and doggedness (or zaniness) of the survivors we meet. But you don't meet survivors in SMT 5's fallen Tokyo; there are no survival stories, no attempts to "humanize" the devastation or orientate it with our real life experiences. SMT 5 strikes a distinctly strange tone, one that’s sickly and faintly oppressive, but also dream-like. The protagonist Nahobino doesn’t suffer fall damage and can glide down hills at graceful high speeds. Glowing red columns shuttle Nahobino high above the map, revealing the limits of the land and their artificial “open dungeon” layouts. The movement in SMT 5 is surprisingly lightfooted and balletic but it doesn’t need to be this way, from a gameplay perspective. Light platforming is sometimes required but it never demands full use of the mobile fluidity Nabohino enjoys. Instead, the movement contributes to the deliberate unreality of these sparsely detailed 3D worlds; it’s hard to account for otherwise. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Sound is a huge factor too. The sound design is weirdly enclosed, making no effort to evoke open spaces. When Nabohino’s first fairy companion Amanozako shouts “Hey! Hey!” to alert of a nearby buried treasure, her voice is drenched in an off-kilter reverb quite at odds with the wide open areas I’m exploring. Her stock standard JRPG whimsy gains an awkward kind of menace. Meanwhile, a shift in the moon cycle elicits a lurching ascending drone that sounds like a corrupted take on Ocarina of Time’s discovery chime, broadcast from a seastuck vessel. Below all this, a faintly industrial soundtrack ticks away in the background, sounding more like something from an obscure ‘90s German industrial compilation than anything else I’ve heard in a mass market videogame. Even the rest area music, which sounds at first jarringly chintzy, acquires a chilling dimension over the course of SMT 5’s 80 hours. This is not a game concerned with trying to create “real, living” spaces. Disorientation seems key. Playing SMT 5 puts me in a weird, receptive edge-of-sleep mindspace, and there’s something verging horror in this. Not in the tense, nail-biting mould of blockbuster horror, nor in the psychologically discomforting sense we might associate with something like Silent Hill or Soma. SMT’s is a slightly off surrealist horror. It's never scary—it often tries to be cartoonishly funny—but there is something latently skewed about it. Nothing feels real, nothing is meant to feel real. It’s a sense of the uncanny that modern indie horror developers have nailed over the last couple of years, mainly thanks to their implementation of early 3D graphical shortcomings. Similarly, when you look at more categorically vague modern indies like Liminal Void, or Psychopomp, or even Cruelty Squad, with their deliberately garish art styles that lean wholeheartedly into digital artifice, it’s hard not to see SMT’s fingerprints all over them. When I think about it, that “antiquated 3D” vibe is a quality that most modern Atlus JRPGs share in a more subtle way, even Metaphor: ReFantazio. Look past the loud UI and gorgeous townships—which seem to borrow from Yugoslavian modernist architecture and monuments to striking effect—and Metaphor is a weirdly flat-looking game. Foliage is static and flaky. Distant hills clearly hide nothing beyond them but a blank horizon of unfilled map space. Out in the open field areas, Atlus makes little effort to make their game worlds look like real worlds. I can only assume this is deliberate: despite the social “simulation” aspects in Metaphor and Persona you are not meant to be carried off into an approximation of any real world in Atlus games. Instead, via a number of unusual rubbings together, they feel like waking dreams. SMT 5 is that principle boiled down to its essence. SMT is, after all, the essence of all of its offshoots: it’s the “purest” form of this brilliant studio’s distinctive vision. By now it’s a cliché verging moronic to describe Shin Megami Tensei—or Persona games—as “weird”, but leaving aside that broad preconception, I can’t think of another studio whose games give me such an idiosyncratic sensory rush. In 2025, I’m going to play through all three of the Etrian Odyssey games I just bought during the Steam Winter Sale. I doubt they’ll shift my tastes quite as much as SMT did, but if there’s one great thing about loving games right now, it’s that we have a stupid abundance of choice and a dizzying wealth of deep cuts to explore, and there’s always a new epiphany just around the corner. Overall, Shin Megami Tensei V illuminated, for me, a seeming consistency in Atlus' meaty RPGs that I might not have otherwise noticed, and which I've come to yearn for in other games: an unashamed willingness to embrace the strange beauty of unreal videogame spaces. In Persona, our teenage heroes temporarily escape the familiar backdrops of high schools and shopping malls to enter bizarre, illogical, labyrinthine spaces. In Shin Megami Tensei, illogical labyrinthine space is all there is.

US President-elect Donald Trump's proposals to impose sweeping tariffs on imports could counter earlier efforts to cool inflation, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday, warning that consumer prices could rise. Her comments at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit come as Trump has vowed broad tariffs of at least 10 percent on all imports, and higher rates on goods from China, Canada and Mexico. Imposing broad-based tariffs could "raise prices significantly for American consumers and create cost pressures on firms" which rely on imported goods, Yellen said when asked about Trump's plans. She cautioned that this could weigh on the competitiveness of certain sectors and increase costs to households. "This is a strategy I worry could derail the progress that we've made on inflation, and have adverse consequences on growth," she said. But she defended efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to impose targeted tariffs on Chinese goods to counter unfair trade practices by Beijing. She has previously raised concern over China's industrial overcapacity -- which risks a flood of underpriced goods into global markets and could undermine the development of key US industries. On Tuesday, Yellen also expressed regret that the United States has not made more progress on the country's deficit, saying she believes it "needs to be brought down, especially now that we're in an environment of higher interest rates." She stressed the importance of an independent Federal Reserve too, saying that countries perform better economically when central banks are allowed to exercise their best judgment without political influence. Trump has said that he would like "at least" a say over setting the Fed's interest rate. "I think it's a mistake to become involved in commenting on the Fed and certainly taking steps to compromise its independence," said Yellen. "I believe it tends to undermine the confidence of financial markets and, ultimately, of Americans in an important institution," she added. Yellen noted that she has spoken with Trump's Treasury chief nominee, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, congratulating him on his nomination. bys/bjtFlorida State pounds Charleston Southern for second victory of season

CM Yogi credits PM Modi for BJP’s resounding victory

No. 22 Illinois reaches 9 wins for first time in 17 years with 38-28 victory over NorthwesternWe needed it – Pep Guardiola relieved to end Man City’s winless run

None

What a late-life crisis looks like and what you can do about itDates Set for PG&E Quarterly Stock Dividends

Can't Afford This Kind of Spectacle in Mother of Democracy: VP Dhankhar on Rajya Sabha Disruptions