El Máster Edwin

Nick movie: The Terminator Time: October 26, 1984 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 107 M Trailer:

Yup, Hyundai’s bonkers 641bhp hot hatch requires serious financial commitment "Christ that’s not cheap!" Those are the exact words of a fellow TopGear.com staffer when told this morning that the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will cost a towering £65,000. Pretty restrained, right? The reaction, not the figure. There aren’t many hot hatch EVs to provide context here, nonetheless… the MG4 XPower is almost a full £30k cheaper, as is the Cupra Born. But then neither of those pack 641bhp, do they? You’ll be familiar with the details already, but as a refresher the highlights are thus: the insane power comes from a dual-motor set-up and results in a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 161mph. Meanwhile Hyundai’s engineers have used their thinking caps to combat the lack of feedback often provided by EVs. To that end there is much reinforcement within to improve stiffness, and ‘specially tuned’ rack-mounted power steering increases the steering ratio and enhances torque feedback. Then there are the entirely fake - and actually very convincing - simulated gear shifts, as well as an ‘N Drift Optimizer’ setting and fully variable torque distribution with 11 levels. Yup, the electronic limited slip diff can literally be turned up to 11. We’ve driven a pre-prod version and the results were predictably astonishing. Order books in the UK are open now and standard kit basically amounts ‘everything you could possibly want’: included are 21-inch wheels shorn in Pirelli P Zeros, Alcantara/leather bucket seats, a pair of 12.3-inch screens and much else besides. In fact, all you need to do is pick your paint (nine colours), and go/no-go a panoramic sunroof, and that’s it. Then stump up the £65k, of course. Christ, that’s not cheap is it? Link

Biden, who doesn't know Johnson well, is first going to try to work with the new speaker to get additional aid for Ukraine and Israel and domestic priorities, White House officials said. President Joe Biden, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. WASHINGTON — The White House sees the election of House Speaker Mike Johnson as a “new moment” in which to, at least at the outset, work across the aisle, and is beginning to assess whether it’s possible to cut a spending deal with him that avoids a government shutdown in three weeks, according to White House officials. “We’re not going to pre-judge the new speakership on day two,” one official said. Officials said President Joe Biden, who does not know Johnson well, is first going to try to work with the new speaker to secure additional aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as other domestic priorities. They said they need to wait and see what kind of speaker Johnson, R-La., intends to be before committing to any larger legislative strategy. At the same time, officials concede there’s not much time to get to know him before the White House and Congress must come to an agreement on federal spending or face a government shutdown. It’s too early to know whether another short-term measure would be the solution to avoiding a shutdown, White House officials say. While it isn’t the White House’s preferred path, officials aren’t ruling it out. They said the president will continue to press for any scenario that spares Americans the economic impact of a shutdown. Officials also said the president will continue to push back on any Republican proposal that would cut spending below the levels that Congress and the White House agreed to earlier this year to avoid a first-ever default. While officials say it’s too soon to say what kind of working relationship Biden and Johnson will have, the president moved quickly to connect with him. “This is a time for all of us to act responsibly, and to put the good of the American people and the everyday priorities of American families above any partisanship,” Biden said in a statement after Johnson was elected on Wednesday. The president then followed up with a phone call to congratulate Johnson and, according to the White House, pledge to work together to find common ground. By Thursday, Johnson was headed to the White House at the president’s invitation to receive a classified briefing in the Situation Room on national security issues the Biden administration is asking Congress to fund in the coming weeks, including the wars in Ukraine and Israel. Biden went to the Situation Room to meet with Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, before the briefing began. The briefing was led by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young and White House Legislative Affairs Director Shuwanza Goff. How Johnson will govern remains a big unknown in both parties. Top Democrats say they’ve never dealt with him. Many senators in both parties say they’ve never even met him. There is some hope among Democrats that in this upcoming round of spending negotiations Johnson is in somewhat of a honeymoon period where Republicans are willing to give him flexibility to operate — flexibility that many didn’t give Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “I’ve made a commitment to my colleagues here that this Speaker’s office is going to be known for members being more involved and having more influence in our processes,” Johnson said after he was elected. “My office is going to be known for trust and transparency and accountability.” Johnson has pitched a short-term bill to keep funds flowing until Jan. 15 or April 15, depending on what colleagues prefer, while they continue to work on individual appropriations bills. And some of the far-right Republicans who evicted McCarthy for passing a short-term bill say they will give Johnson some latitude. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she’s still reviewing Johnson’s government funding plan but emphasized that she trusts him. “I have great faith in our new speaker to do the right thing,” she said. “And I know that he’s very much so focused on being a fiscal conservative, which we need more of in Washington." Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., said he believes Johnson has the desire and the ability to avert a shutdown. “I do,” he said. “That’s what he’s saying. And I take him at his word.” Link

Maine State Police Col. William Ross said the suspect remains armed and dangerous A US Army reservist is wanted for murder after 18 people were killed and 13 others injured in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. Police said they issued an arrest warrant for Robert Card on eight counts of murder. "It's eight counts because 10 people have not been identified," Maine State Police Col. William Ross said. The suspect is at large and is considered "armed and dangerous", Col. Ross said. The shooting began at a bowling alley in the small town of Lewiston just before 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT), the police colonel said. One woman and six men were killed there. Within about 10 minutes, gunfire was reported at a nearby restaurant, Schemengees Bar & Grille, where eight more men were fatally shot. Sixteen injured people were initially transferred to local hospitals, three of whom later died. On Thursday night local law enforcement and FBI agents surrounded Mr Card's home, around 20 minute drive from Lewiston where the shooting happened. Police yelled through a megaphone telling the suspect to come out of the house "with your hands up". But it is unclear what prompted the search, and a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety said officers were "simply doing their due diligence by tracking down every lead in an effort to locate and apprehend Card". Meanwhile, Lewiston and three nearby towns remain under a shelter in place notice. Schools as well as most local businesses have closed and many will remain so on Friday. Beyond a few dog walkers, most people appeared to have stayed at home on Thursday. Police have been posted on the streets. The only bustles of activity are near the two shooting sites and the Central Maine Medical Center. Dr John Alexander, the chief medical officer there, called the attack "unprecedented" for the small city. He said about 50 medical providers, nurses, respiratory therapists and surgeons answered the call to help treat the victims. Maine State Police said the suspect had recently reported mental health issues, including "hearing voices and threats to shoot up a military installation in southern Maine". He had reportedly been admitted to a mental health treatment facility in the summer, after behaving erratically during training at the US Military Academy. Police denied earlier reports that he was a firearms instructor, saying there was "no indication he attended advanced weaponry courses". The suspect was identified by police as Robert Card Maine's Governor Janet Mills, a former Lewiston resident, called it a "dark day" for her state and pledged "to seek full justice for the victims and their families". The FBI and other federal US law enforcement agencies are aiding local and state police in the manhunt. Neighbouring states are also providing resources and remaining vigilant, as the suspect could have travelled across state lines. President Joe Biden ordered flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect for those who died. He also called on Republican lawmakers in Congress to pass gun safety legislation. "This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars – physical and mental – of this latest attack," he said. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Maine Senator Susan Collins called for a ban on high-capacity magazines. "Our hearts are heavy with grief," she told reporters. "This heinous attack, which has robbed the lives of at least 18 Mainers and injured so many more is the worst mass shooting that the state of Maine has ever experienced and could ever imagine." Link

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Nick movie: the conjuring Time: July 15, 2013 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 112 M Trailer:

Video title: UNUSUAL MEMES COMPILATION V240 Content creator ( Youtuber ) :UnusualVideos Official YT video:

It's almost hibernation time, but some bears are still awake, hungry and on the prowl for food, officials in Colorado said. A bear, prowling for pre-hibernation snacks, raided the kitchen of a luxury Colorado resort and injured a responding security guard, authorities said Tuesday. The late-night food run unfolded around 11 p.m. Monday at the St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen when the guard surprised the four-legged intruder in the kitchen, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) statement. The bear attacked and knocked the guard down before he got away and called 911, officials said. The guard was taken to the hospital, treated for scratches to his back and was released Tuesday. The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Aspen, Colo. Parks officers got to the resort early Tuesday and learned that "the bear had entered the hotel through a series of doors near the courtyard," according to an agency statement. "Wildlife officers were also able to get a description of the bear, including specific identification markers to assist in locating and properly identifying the bear," the statement said. Wildlife officers believe they spotted the animal later Tuesday but said they couldn't "tranquilize and capture the bear" due to "public safety" concerns. "This incident serves as an unfortunate reminder that bears are still active as they prepare for hibernation," CPW said. "While it is common for people to see bears and other wildlife inside Aspen town limits, it is everyone’s responsibility to give wildlife space and remember the importance of being 'bear aware' at all times." Representatives for CPW and Marriott, owner of the luxury mountain resort, could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday. Link

Current-gen sports car finally gets a refresh… eight years after it was launched Amid much chatter about the long-term future of the MX-5 - Mazda’s stand at the Japan Mobility Show is headlined by this RX-7-esque, rotary-powered sportscar concept after all - we bring news more relevant to the here and now. You see, an updated model is set to land in the UK in March next year. And for the first time since it was launched in 2015, Mazda has actually bothered to tweak the exterior design this time. Admittedly the changes are oh-so-subtle - check out the gallery above to study the new LED headlights and taillights - but given Mazda’s shifted more than 25,000 of these on our shores, there was no need to rock the boat, was there? Inside the updated MX-5 gets a larger 8.8-inch touchscreen running Mazda’s MZ Connect system, as well as an updated instrument panel. Meanwhile the rear-view mirror is now a frameless number (yup, feels like straws are being clutched) and USB-C ports have been introduced. Score! The engine line-up is unchanged, meaning you can either have a 1.5-litre petrol with 130bhp or a 2.0-litre with 182bhp. However, the dynamic stability control has been recalibrated to step in later (but not too late to prevent misadventures), the throttle response has supposedly been improved and power steering adjustments – combined with reductions in rack friction – deliver and even more fluid drive, claims Mazda. The 2.0-litre car still gets a front strut brace, limited slip differential and Bilstein dampers as standard, although new for 2024 is an ‘Asymmetric’ LSD that uses a new cam mechanism to optimise ‘limiting force of slip’ during acceleration and deceleration. It’s more stable, in other words. Elsewhere, active safety tech like lane keep and intelligent speed assistance are brought into the fold, while the traffic sign recognition tech has been updated. “When it comes to driver engagement, the current generation MX-5 has established itself as a benchmark sports car, and with the 2024 Mazda MX-5 we continue to offer one of the most exciting and satisfying to drive cars money can buy,” said Jeremy Thomson, Mazda UK’s MD. “Our engineers created a sports car that incorporates our ground-breaking Skyactiv technology, modern safety and superb efficiency with the driver focused enjoyment for which the MX-5 is loved. The MX-5 is Mazda’s brand icon and it embodies all that is great about our products. Mazda’s unceasing commitment to refining the vehicle over its 30-year history is highlighted again with the subtle but focused updates to the 2024 MX-5, which ensure this car continues to be an affordable, engaging, world-class sports car”. Link

Trump was called to testify for the first time in the New York trial and was fined $10,000 for violating his gag order again. Donald Trump stormed out of a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday after a heated day in court that saw the former president called to the witness stand in his $250 million fraud case and fined $10,000 for violating a gag order. Trump's abrupt departure appeared to surprise even his own lawyers and his Secret Service agents, who went scurrying after him. He returned to the courtroom after the court day ended, and after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, finished his contentious testimony. Judge Arthur Engoron handed down the financial penalty after calling Trump to testify under oath in the afternoon about who he was talking about when he told reporters earlier in the day that the person sitting next to the judge was "very partisan." Trump said he was referring to Cohen, who he's previously called a rat, a liar and a felon. The judge asked Trump if he'd previously referred to his law clerk as "partisan" and Trump said, "maybe unfair." "I think she is very biased against us. I think we've made that clear," Trump added. But, Trump insisted, he was referring to Cohen when he told reporters earlier that Engoron is “a very partisan judge with a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.” Engoron's law clerk sits next to him and has been the subject of complaints from Trump's team, including earlier Wednesday when Trump lawyer Alina Habba asked that there be no eye-rolling or whispers from the bench during her questioning of Cohen. Engoron asked Trump if he generally referred to Cohen by his full name. "No," Trump responded. Trump lawyer Chris Kise added that Trump would normally call him "worse" names. Engoron said he found Trump's brief testimony "not credible." He fined Trump for violating the gag order he issued earlier this month after the former president had smeared his law clerk on social media. A red-faced and angry-looking Trump stormed out of the courtroom about 45 minutes later after the judge denied a motion from his lawyers on a separate legal issue. Trump lawyer Cliff Robert had seized on Cohen's testimony that Trump never explicitly instructed him to inflate his financial statements to ask the judge for a directed verdict dismissing the AG's claims about the statements, which Engoron refused. The abrupt departure appeared to catch even his attorneys by surprise and caused gasps throughout the courtroom. "The witness just admitted that we won the trial and the judge should end this trial immediately. Thank you," Trump told reporters after he left. Under questioning from AG's office, Cohen testified later Trump didn't specifically tell him to inflate the numbers and said he was like a "mob boss" who tells you what he wants without directly telling you. When Cohen wrapped up his fiery two days on the witness stand, Robert again asked the judge for a directed verdict, a request he said was "absolutely denied." "This case has credible evidence all over the place," said the judge, who's already ruled Trump engaged in "persistent fraud" with his financial statements. "There is enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom," he added. “They wanted to make a motion to dismiss the case, to which the judge responded: ‘Yeah, absolutely not,’” Cohen told reporters after leaving the courtroom. “You know why? Because he will ultimately be held accountable.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said Cohen, who admitted to having previously lied under oath in court and to Congress while he was on the witness stand, is "not the main witness" in the case. She added that his "evidence has been corroborated by the mountains of evidence." Judge Arthur Engoron questions former President Donald Trump on the witness stand in New York Supreme Court on Oct. 25, 2023. Trump's lawyers had earlier asked the judge to reconsider the fine, again contending the "partisan" person Trump referred to was Cohen. Kise said Trump had been focused on Cohen's testimony, an argument the judge didn't buy, noting that their cross-examination of the former Trump lawyer had focused on past contradictory statements, with no discussion of his political leanings. "The focal point was he's dishonest, not that he's some sort of partisan Democrat," Engoron said. "The ruling stands," he said, telling Trump, "You're fined $10,000. Don't do it again or it will be worse." This is the second time Engoron has fined Trump for violating the gag order. Engoron issued the order on the second day of the trial after Trump posted on Truth Social a different user’s Instagram post showing the law clerk at an event where she posed with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. In his post, Trump falsely insinuated that she had a personal relationship with Schumer, and then pointed out it to reporters during a break in the trial. “You saw what was just put out about Schumer and the principal clerk? That is disgraceful,” Trump said. Schumer's office has called the post "ridiculous, absurd, and false." The judge ordered Trump to take down the "disparaging" and "untrue" post, which he said he was concerned could lead to threats and violence. “Consider this a gag order on all parties with respect to posting or publicly speaking about any member of my staff,” Engoron said. “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate and I won’t tolerate it,” he added. Last week, the judge said he'd learned the offending post had remained on Trump's campaign website for 17 days. Kise told the judge the posting had been automatic and was "truly inadvertent." The judge fined Trump $5,000, and warned in a written decision that "future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him.” Link

State TV showed the defence minister recounting the tests to Vladimir Putin Russia has rehearsed its ability to deliver a "massive" nuclear strike, the Kremlin says. The military exercise involved delivering a "response to an enemy nuclear strike", Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. State TV showed him recounting the rehearsal to President Vladimir Putin. It comes as Russia's parliament backed the withdrawal of Moscow's ratification of a global treaty that bans all physical testing of nuclear warheads. Russia and the United States conduct regular nuclear readiness simulations - Moscow has traditionally held its own towards the end of October. The exercises this year involved "delivering a massive nuclear strike by strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy nuclear strike", Mr Shoigu reported to President Putin. A Kremlin statement said that "practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles" had taken place. A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from a test site in Russia's far-east, and another missile was fired from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea, the statement said. The defence ministry released footage of the tests. A still image from video, released by the defence ministry, shows a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile Earlier this month, Mr Putin said Russia had held a "final successful test" of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. The experimental weapon, first announced in 2018, was hailed as having a potentially unlimited range, but President Putin's account has not been independently confirmed. The latest tests will be seen as a display of force which coincides with Moscow de-ratifying an international nuclear test ban treaty. Parliament completed the passage of a law that withdraws Russia's ratification of the treaty on Wednesday. Mr Putin called upon ministers to back the change to reflect the position of the United States, which signed but never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT, agreed in 1996, bans "any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion" anywhere in the world. Russia waged a full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February last year, raising concerns over nuclear war. In June, Russia stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Mr Putin told a forum they would only be used if Russia's territory or state was threatened. The US government says there is no indication the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine. Link

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Yes @Inmortal??

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Nick movie: Thor Time: April 17, 2011 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 114 M Trailer: