In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> NHL Western Conference Finals kick off tonight (8:30 pm ET, TNT) with the Dallas Stars taking on the Edmonton Oilers (More) | US investment fund takes ownership of Inter Milan soccer club after Chinese owner misses loan payment (More)

> "Kairos," a novel by German writer Jenny Erpenbeck, wins prestigious 2024 International Booker Prize for best work of fiction translated into English (More)

> Director Mohammad Rasoulof will attend Cannes Film Festival screening of his film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" after fleeing Iran following being sentenced to eight years in prison by the Islamic Revolutionary Court (More)


Science & Technology
In partnership with Miso Robotics

> AI startup Anthropic provides deepest study to date exploring why large language models, including the company's Claude 3 chatbot, generate content in response to different prompts (More) | See research deep dive (More)

> Researchers develop a compound with the elusive radioactive element promethium for the first time, allowing it to be studied more easily; with no stable isotopes, only about one total pound of promethium exists in the Earth's crust at any given time (More)

> Bilingual brain implant decodes words in both English and Spanish from analysis of brain waves; AI-powered device demonstrated in stroke patient who lost the ability to speak (More)


Business & Markets
> Markets close down (Dow -0.5%, S&P 500 -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.2%) on signals Federal Reserve may hold off on lowering interest rates (More) | AI chipmaker Nvidia shares rise 3% in extended trading after reporting more than 260% increase in quarterly revenue year-over-year, will carry out a 10-for-1 stock split (More)

> Mining giant Anglo American rejects takeover bid but will enter talks with rival BHP Group on a $50B acquisition offer; bid would be the largest deal in the history of the mining industry (More)

> Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet steps down citing health reasons, will leave company at end of month; organization is one of the top groups offering preseed investment support for entrepreneurs (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Spain, Norway, and Ireland announce plan to recognize Palestinian statehood on May 28; the Palestinian Authority and Hamas praise the move while Israel recalls ambassadors in protest (More) | Which countries recognize a Palestinian state? (More)

> City of Uvalde, Texas, reaches $2M settlement with families of 19  of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting; city also pledges to overhaul the local police force and create a memorial for the victims (More)

> Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley says she will vote for former President Donald Trump in November, consolidating further Republican support behind the presumptive nominee (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

Econ 101

 

Many people think that economics is complicated and difficult to understand and it is true that advanced economics is not that easy to understand but simple economics is easy to understand.

There are two components of economics:  supply and demand.  As far as supply is concerned, the more a company produces, the more it costs.  Reason:  it takes more labor and more raw materials for 1,000 units than it does for 100 units.

Demand pretty much follows the mindset of the the consumer.  The more the consumer wants, the cheaper each unit should be.  RATIONALE:  100 pencils should cost less per pencil than buying 1 pencil.

Two lines on a graph represent these two components...  like a large X...   (see below)

Demand moves from right to left downward and supply moves left to right upward.  Where these two lines cross each other is the ideal PRICE/QUANTITY.

Price starts at ZERO and increase as the line moves in the direction of the arrow.  Quantity starts at ZERO and increases as the lines moves to the right.

For one pencil the price is high but if I want more than one pencil the price declines.

ALL ECONOMICS is based upon this diagram.  For example, if the supply line represents the number of high school graduates looking for employment, then as you increase those looking for jobs, then the price that companies are willing to pay for high school graduates decreases.

You may want more money but the only way you are going to get more money is if you have a talent or a skill that the other graduates do not have...  MAKING YOU SPECIAL...  Then you are like ONE PENCIL and the employer is willing to pay a higher price for you...

It is just that simple...

Say for instance that everyone in a city gets a raise at the same time.  What this means is that the supply of money has increased...  and, the demand for products has increased as well.  Unfortunately, the companies in that same city do not increase there production to compensate for the increase in money, then the cost of products increase...  

WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU HAVE INFLATION...

This is what happened during COVID and we still have not been able to recover and prices have stayed high...

SIMPLE BASIC ECONOMICS

Cat and Fish

 

Directed Energy Weapon Cheaper

A new directed energy weapon is being rolled out to bolster British defense capabilities. And, at 13 cents a shot, it's just as effective, but a lot cheaper than the multi-million dollar missiles it's designed to replace.


The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) is part of the British government's policy to respond to a changing geopolitical situation, placing the country's defense on more of a war footing as it increases spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. This policy change also includes fast-tracking the rollout of lasers and other directed energy weapons.


The latter is extremely important, because, well, knocking out a drone that costs a few grand with a missile costing millions of dollars per round is bad economics – see, for example, the US$1.3-2.5 million Sea Viper missile used to take out a US$20,000 drone, as reported by Navy Lookout. Also, missile stockpiles tend to be pretty small, and swarms of cheap drones could easily exhaust them.  READ MORE...

White Rabbit

 

In Restless Dreams

 

US Current Demographics

 

PEACE

 

BEST ONLINE GAMES

1. Minecraft
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The popularity of Minecraft is incredibly durable. What happened after Fortnite’s peak? It seems many returned to Minecraft.

There a reason: Minecraft is a beautiful, compelling and surprisingly deep game. At first it seems simply a blocky-looking survival game. Then it turns into a world-creator where you build an esoteric house not bound by the normal rules of physics.

The longer you play, the more complex systems you discover. People have done bizarrely incredible things in Minecraft, like remaking the entire of Pokemon Red for Gameboy within the game, and making working computer systems with its blocks. This is not only an online game, but your can share worlds with others.

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2. Elder Scrolls Online
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This is one of the best alternatives to World of Warcraft. It is set in the same world as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, one of our best open-world games. But it naturally feels different, as a MMORPG.

Its core elements are similar to World of Warcraft's. You explore, level-up, head into dungeons and eventually take part in larger-scale raids. But Elder Scrolls Online offers better visuals, superior storytelling and arguably a more fleshed-out world that seems less of an empty vehicle for its play mechanics.

You don’t have to pay as much either. Elder Scrolls Online is not a free download, but you can play without a monthly subscription. There is a “Plus” membership that grants access to DLC chapters, and quicker progression, but you don’t have to sign up to it. You can even treat ESO like a single-player game if you like.
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3. GTA Online
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If you played Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2013, it probably seems a long, long time ago. You might be surprised to hear how much publisher Take-Two Games made off of its online segment, GTA Online, recently. Thanks to it, GTA 5 has generated more than $6 billion.

A few seconds of GTA Online gameplay looks like Grand Theft Auto V, but loads of modes have been added to it since 2013. These include racing sections inspired by Tron, Rocket League and Hot Wheels. This isn’t the most accessible online game to dive into so many years after its inception, but there’s a lot to try if you already own GTA V.
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4. World Of Warcraft
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One of the true icons of online gaming is now almost old enough to drive. But World of Warcraft still has millions of players in 2019.

It’s a third-person role-playing game in which you fight nasties, level up your character and eventually bulk-up enough to go on raids (big battles) with other players. And while there are many ultra-hardcore players online who have been into WoW for years, this is actually one of the easier online games to slip into.

You don’t have to play against other people, and publisher Blizzard offers a freebie download that lets you get your character to level 20. This is intended to give you a feel for World of Warcraft. After that you need to pay a £9.99 a month subscription (with discounts for longer subs).

The sub also gives you access to WoW Classic, a version of the game made to feel more like the 2004 version. It is arguably more fun for new players.
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5. Tetris 99
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Here's something completely different. Tetris 99 is a game played on Nintendo Switch, accessible when you sign up for the Switch Online service.

You play a game of Tetris, the classic block-dropper, but so do with 98 other players. As you clear rows of blocks, they are sent to other players, to fill up their screens and hopefully finish them off. You can see the other 98 games in action, across the Switch’s screen.

There’s a real sense of competing against a mass of other people, the tension runs high and you don’t have to play for ages to get something out of Tetris 99. Unlike several other picks here.

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6. Rocket League
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Here’s one to try if you have no interest in fantasy worlds, spells or gun-heavy gameplay. Rocket League is a fun, physics based car game. And, no, it’s not really a racer either.

This is football with cars. Matches take place in futuristic arenas rather than open fields. It’s fast, silly and fun, but as with any popular game, many people playing online have aced its mechanics and turned driving a rocket-powered car into an art form.

We recommend playing Rocket League with friends, as it’s a blast.

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7. Overwatch
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Blizzard is a master of online games. It made World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and Overwatch, which belongs to one of the classic online multiplayer sub-genres, the team-based first-person shooter.

It can seem like fast-paced chaos to the newcomer. But each player has a class that all-but mandates a particular style of play: the support, tank, offence and defence.

Overwatch becomes more fun once you know what you’re doing, so be prepared to put some time in to get through the initial confusion (and likely scorn from other players).
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8. PUBG
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PlayerUnknown’s PUBG, or Battlegrounds to use its real name, is the more “realistic” alternative to Fortnite. Its visuals seem closer to Call of Duty or the classic open-arena Battlefield series than the cartoonish Fortnite.

At the start of each round, you and 99 other players parachute into a large map. Ransack abandoned buildings for weapons and armour, then hunt down members of the other team.

As each round progresses, the play area shrinks to push you into combat.

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9. League Of Legends
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Riot Games’s League of Legends is our MOBA pick of the day. That stands for multiplayer online battle arena. And in this case you see the action from above, as two or more teams duke it out, often using finely honed strategy to take down each other’s bases.

You might not glean all that from watching a YouTube video of play, but League of Legends is one of the most popular competitive esport games. It’s quite intimidating to start, as the importance of strategy can quickly see you under fire form other players if you don’t know what you’re doing.

However, there is now a practice mode that lets you have a play without dealing with angry teenagers. Phew.
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10. Fortnite
LOW STOCK
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Fortnite broke into the mainstream like nothing since Pokemon Go. It was on the news and discussed on daytime TV.

That’s all the more surprising when it is at heart an arena shooter, played in bedrooms and living room just like every other “normal” game”.

Popularity was the killer story here. Fortnite had 10.7 million concurrent players at one point in early 2019, and that was after the pop culture spotlight had moved on.

Construction is the specific gameplay mechanic to note here. You run, gun and blast in Fortnite, but you also build, making defences against the other team’s players. It is also notable for its wide availability across platforms including consoles, PC and phones.


Fortnite has recently had a big shake-up with Fortnite Chapter 2, a brand new location featuring thick forests, lakes, mountains - all whilst keeping the number of urbanised areas to a minimum.

Growth of National Debt

 

2024 Budget

 

Exploring

 

Space Glass

Thanks to human ingenuity and zero gravity, we reap important benefits from science in space. Consider smart phones with built-in navigation systems and cameras.


Such transformational technologies seem to blend into the rhythm of our everyday lives overnight. But they emerged from years of discoveries and developments of materials that can withstand harsh environments outside our atmosphere. 

They evolve from decades of laying foundations in basic science to understand how atoms behave in different materials under different conditions.     READ MORE...

Somewhat Political

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
In partnership with Public Rec

> NBA Western Conference Finals kick off tonight (8:30 pm ET, TNT) with the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves (More) | NHL Eastern Conference Finals begin tonight (8 pm ET, ESPN) with the New York Rangers hosting the Florida Panthers (More)

> Pixar lays off 14% of workforce—175 employees—as Disney reduces content output for streaming and prioritizes theatrical releases (More) | Comcast unveils $15 per month streaming bundle including Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+ for Xfinity TV and internet customers (More)

> Los Angeles police are investigating source of ketamine that contributed to "Friends" actor Matthew Perry's death (More) | Fred Roos, Oscar-winning producer and casting director known for work on "The Godfather" trilogy, dies at 89 (More)


Science & Technology
> Volvo debuts self-driving version of its heavy truck, designed for long-haul transport; production-ready vehicle is certified at the fourth level of autonomous safety standards (More) | What are the five levels of self-driving safety standards? (More)

> European Space Agency plans nuclear-powered Martian rover that uses radioactive americium to stay warm, the first time such technology has been used on a spacecraft (More)

> Paleontologists discover fossil of feathered dinosaur with scaly skin, shedding light on the evolutionary transition from scales to feathers roughly 130 million years ago (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.2%) with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching new records; Nvidia's stock rises 0.6% in advance of earnings report today (More)

> Energy Department says it will release 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve in 100,000 barrel increments to lower gas prices this summer (More)

> San Francisco-based Scale AI—which specializes in data labeling for large-language models—raises $1B at a $13.8B valuation; its AI-powered decision-making tool Donovan is being used by the US Department of Defense (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> California voters cast ballots in special election to replace outgoing Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20); McCarthy resigned after being ousted from speaker role in October, see results (More) | Defense rests in hush money case against former President Donald Trump; Trump opts to not take stand, closing arguments set for next week (More)

> Trial begins in Germany over alleged far-right plot in 2022 to launch a coup; nine people on trial include German aristocrat accused of planning to storm the parliament and arrest lawmakers (More)

> Nigerian army rescues 350 hostages, many of them women and children, from extremist group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria (More)

SOURCE:  1440 News

TRUTH

We can argue about truth all day long but in the final analysis, truth is THAT WHICH CAN BE PROVEN IN A COURT OF LAW...

What do I mean by that?

Whoever or whatever controls perception controls the truth.

For example...

If you watch FOX News, you will be confronted with a version of the truth about Donald Trump that they believe.

However, if you watch CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, or NPR, you will be confronted with an entirely different version of the truth about Donald Trump that they believe.

WHO IS TELLING YOU THE TRUTH???

OJ Simpson was found non-guilty in his criminal trial but everyone knew that the truth was he was guilty.

Which version is the truth?

You read about the CIVIL WAR in the USA and are told that the South left the union because they believed in slavery and the north did not.

Historians of that time period will tell you that the south left the union because they did not want to pay taxes and the reason for the war was not due to slavery but because the north believe that the USA needed those taxes to grow strong and powerful.

Which version is the truth?

Those organizations that publish the NEWS perceives that a majority of the general public is not just ignorant (perhaps stupid) but that they do not really know the difference between fake truth and real truth.

The American public is easily manipulated into believing what a majority of people want them to believe.

Additionally, our Founding Fathers did not trust the integrity or the intelligence of the general public so they created The Electoral College to actually decide who the President was going to be.

Most people don't know that FACT of TRUTH even though it was taught to them sometime during their K-12 education.

Finally, the Democrats have a different version of the TRUTH than the Republicans and each party tries to get the general public to BELIEVE THEIR TRUTH instead of the other truth.

Which one is actually telling the truth?

Expanding

 

Chinese Robot can Learn, Think, Work like Humans

Sometimes, you have to see it to believe it.

And in rare cases, like this one, it freaks out observers watching. In the ever-expanding world of humanoid robots, a new star is rising, and its name is Astribot.

The Chinese company’s latest creation, the S1 model, is turning heads with its astonishing speed and precision.

Astribot S1: How it’s breaking speed records
Imagine a robot that can move at a blistering pace of approximately 32.8 feet per second and handle a payload of 22 pounds per arm. That’s Astribot’s S1 for you. It’s like watching a superhero in action. Only this one is made of wires and metal.

The S1’s capabilities are not just impressive; they’re record-setting. The robot’s dexterity is showcased in a video where it performs tasks with such finesse that it can delicately shave a cucumber.    READ MORE...

Water Reflection