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Today, the full House will consider legislation that would ban assault weapons for the first time in nearly two decades, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a letter to Democratic colleagues. The measure stands virtually no chance of in the evenly divided Senate but Democrats hope that House passage will send a message that the party is serious about gun-safety legislation following a spate of high-profile mass shootings across the country. Earlier Friday, Pelosi held a ceremony to celebrate passage of the $280 billion Chips and Science Act, a measure that would subsidize domestic semiconductor manufacturing and invest billions in science and technology innovation. The legislation now goes to President Biden for his signature. Meanwhile, Pelosi did not say whether she intends to visit Taiwan when asked about an upcoming trip to Asia during her weekly news conference. Her office has been silent on her plans to this point, citing security issues. Some Biden administration officials are concerned that Chinese leaders would see a visit by Pelosi to Taiwan as a provocation. Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, who lives in Moscow, worked for nearly eight years with Russian officials to fund and direct the U.S. groups, according to the indictment filed in Florida. The 24-page indictment does not name the groups but charges that Ionov also advised the campaigns of two unidentified political candidates in Florida. Ionov “allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government,” Matthew Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s national security division, said in a written statement. In 2017 and 2019, Ionov allegedly monitored and supported the campaigns of two Americans running for local office, identified in court papers only as Unindicted Co-Conspirator-3 and Unindicted Co-Conspirator-4. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that the president has contacted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to offer his support in the wake of floods that have killed at least 16. Biden also issued a major disaster declaration for Kentucky on Friday as many people remained without power from disastrous flooding. Biden also ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts, Jean-Pierre said. “The White House is continuing to closely monitor the devastating flooding in eastern Kentucky,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. “Our hearts break for the families of those who have lost their lives or are missing.” Biden left Beshear a voice mail, Jean-Pierre said, and expects to talk to him at some point later in the day. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was on the ground Friday, touring flood-damaged areas with Beshear and local officials. FEMA also deployed rescue personnel to assist with efforts, Jean-Pierre noted. “Unfortunately, Kentucky is no stranger to catastrophic climate events, and the federal government will continue to provide assistance,” Jean-Pierre said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/post-politics-now-house-to-take-up-assault-weapons-ban-today-pelosi-tells-colleagues/ar-AA1060dD

Bees have long impressed behavioral scientist Lars Chittka. In his lab at Queen Mary University of London, the pollinators have proved themselves capable of counting, using simple tools, and learning from nest-mates. What really surprises Chittka, however, are the nuances in the insects’ behavior. In 2008, for instance, a study from Chittka’s lab looked at how bumblebees reacted to a simulated attack by a fake spider on a flower. The bumblebees later approached suspect flowers cautiously and sometimes left even spider-less flowers quickly“as if they were seeing ghosts,” Chittka recalls. By contrast, the bees were seemingly more upbeat after receiving a sugar treat. To Chittka, these observations defy a long-held view that insects are robotlike, controlled by hardwired cognitive programs. Rather, bees’ behavior seems to be influenced by subjective experience a perception of “pleasant” and “unpleasant.” Chittka said he suspects more and more that “there’s quite a rich world inside their minds.” Early in his career, Chittka never protested when his colleagues opened bees’ skulls and inserted electrodes to study their nervous system. But he now wonders whether such procedures might create “potentially very unpleasant situations” for the insects. Like most invertebrates any animal without an internal skeleton insects tend to be legally unprotected in research. Regulations intended to minimize suffering in vertebrates such as rodents largely don’t apply. Some countries have already improved the welfare of select invertebrates, such as octopuses, squid, crabs, and lobsters. But there’s disagreement over whether other invertebrate species a kaleidoscopically diverse cast of animals also deserve protection. Some scientists believe species with relatively simple brains, such as insects, or perhaps even those with no central nervous system at all also deserve ethical consideration, although the details are under debate. None of the experts who spoke with Undark argued that research on these invertebrate species should stop. Some organisms, including widely used species of fruit flies or nematode worms, have long led to breakthroughs in genetics, cell development, and other biological processes, and have played important roles in almost a fifth of Nobel Prizes for Physiology or Medicine that were based on animal research. Many scientists are also shifting their research from vertebrates to invertebrates to avoid ethical bureaucracy associated with animal-welfare regulation. Still, recent research is prompting some scientists to rethink traditional research ethics. As Adam Hart, an entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire, puts it, “I think we are at a point where people are willing to entertain the idea that perhaps ethics isn’t just something for animals with backbones.” The rationale to legally protect animals in scientific research typically rests on their presumed ability to feel pain and suffer one facet of consciousness or sentience. Nearly all animals are capable of physically detecting injuries and displaying reflexes to avoid a threat. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they experience pain, which is not just a sensory experience, but a cognitive, conscious experience of harm and suffering. Establishing that an animal experiences pain is tricky, but there are some behavioral clues that go beyond simple reflexes including coping mechanisms such as nursing wounds and learning from previous injuries. “It’s kind of complicated,” the animal behaviorist Jennifer Mather, of the University of Lethbridge, says. “But we can get a decent idea of whether they have something that we would call pain if it were in us.” Scientists have long observed that vertebrates display behaviors consistent with a conscious experience of pain, such as avoiding situations in which they’ve been harmed or withdrawing from social activity. Legislation to protect vertebrates dates back to at least 1876, when British parliament passed the Cruelty to Animals Act. Today, in many countries, regulations mandate that the use of vertebrates in research be scientifically justified and limits any possible suffering. Standing committees at universities and research institutions typically provide oversight, reviewing research proposals and deciding whether a specific approach is justified. But invertebrates have historically been deemed incapable of conscious experiences such as pain. The resulting scarcity of regulations means that for most invertebrate species, there’s not much to stop scientists from, say, using large numbers of individuals for a particular experiment, amputating limbs without using anesthetic, keeping them in cramped containers, or dissecting them live. Invertebrates are largely left “open to do whatever you want with them,” Mather says. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/07/insect-invertebrate-pain-research-experiments/671000/

Steeler Nation is in Latrobe today as the team wraps up its first week of training camp. To finish up the first week, plenty of fans will be in attendance. Latrobe is expected to see nearly triple the number of fans who attended the first public practice. There are expected to be about 15,000 people at Steelers training camp today. STEELERS TRAINING CAMP: Fans come from all over for Steelers' first public practice at Saint Vincent College since 2019 Steelers 2022 Training Camp Fan Guide Business owners ready to see familiar faces as Steelers return to Latrobe Steelers return to Saint Vincent College for training camp for first time since 2019 Steelers unveil 2022 training camp schedule That shows you just how deep Steeler Nation is. We're only a few days into camp but on the days fans have been able to attend, those fans have not been disappointed. They've been amazed at how good rookie receiver George Pickens has looked going up for catches, and obviously, there's a close watch on first-round pick Kenny Pickett's place on the quarterback depth chart. If you haven't been to a Steelers training camp practice before and today will be the first time, there are a few things to keep in mind! St. Vincent's campus opens to fans at noon, practice begins at 1:55 p.m., and while practice is free, fans do need a ticket to enter. Those can be found on Ticketmaster. Training camp has always been a great experience for the fans and it's a homecoming of sorts since the Steelers have not been in Latrobe since 2019 due to the pandemic. Fans will be able to get their gear signed, younger fans can take part in football drills and other activities for the fan experience. Stick with us here on air and at KDKA.com for coverage of 2022 Steelers Training Camp! https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/thousands-of-fans-expected-in-latrobe-for-steelers-open-practice/

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Happy birthday @robila I hope you are happy in your life and someday you will return to the Journalist project.

When it comes to over-the-top roleplaying games, it’s hard to beat the bonkers worlds and stories I’ve come to expect from the Xenoblade Chronicles saga. With Xenoblade Chronicles 3, massive improvements have been made to combat, quest design, and the RPG sandbox, while retaining the absurd and awesome environments, and a laser-focus on great characters and an impressive (if convoluted) story. Of course, while this third entry evolves in some key areas that make the epic journey more consistently fun than the two mainline games that came before it, it also repeats some of the same mistakes, including sloppy writing, weak bosses, and graphics that often leave something to be desired. Even so, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is already competing for the spot as my favorite iteration of this beloved series. At the heart of any Xenoblade game is a fantastically bizarre world and an epic story that’s propelled into utter insanity by the end, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is no exception. Everything about the war-torn world of Aionios is completely foreign, from the 10-year life spans the world’s pod-grown residents live, to the constant war to power up “flame clocks” that each faction draws life from, to the Off-Seers who play flutes to release the dead as sprites of light. All of these puzzling elements unravel over the course of the extensive adventure, and being a part of that journey is uniquely satisfying in a way only Monolith Soft seems capable of pulling off. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Slideshow Even those who have never played a Xenoblade game before will be able to enjoy this extremely self-contained story. There are definitely references and tie-ins to Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2, but they’re not crucial to anything so you aren’t likely to take notice of them at all unless you know what to look for. For those like myself who have been following along from the beginning, there’s plenty to enjoy that felt like a nice reward for keeping up with the series for all these years. But while the story and world are delightfully weird, they aren’t always effectively used, especially when it comes to the extremely hit-or-miss writing that has characters retreading the same developments over and over again and beating you over the head with the story’s themes and ideas. The concepts and characters almost never stop shining, but it’s not always told with finesse, and oftentimes three lengthy cutscenes are used to accomplish what might have just as well been covered with a single line of dialogue. Some sections had so many exhaustive cutscenes occurring one after another that a painful sense of deja vu crept over me and dragged down what was an otherwise interesting development. Not to mention the fact that just about every anime story cliche in the book has been included in the maximum doses legally permitted. Add in some severe pacing problems, like one section that has you go undercover to perform menial tasks, or another that has you trotting across the world to collect pieces of metal, and I often felt like my time wasn’t being respected with so much filler padding out the adventure. Some of that is fine, but in a game that took 150 hours to complete it might’ve been better to trim out some of the unessential parts. The good news is that, even when the story drags a bit the characters shine brightly, with very few exceptions. Whether you’re hanging out with the brash meathead Lanz and his simple charms or spending time with the studious bookworm Taion, it was really hard for me to not grow to love the ragtag band of misfits and ne’er-do-wells that comprise your party. Sure, they aren’t the most original characters – I’ve definitely seen their like in half a hundred games and shows before – but after so many hours with these lovable scamps, I’ve come to regard them all as my chosen family. That’s especially true when each character is given so much time in the limelight, with every party member getting extensive personal histories and fully voice-acted optional side quests that flesh out their backstories and provide additional color. Even some of the less interesting members like Sena, the under-achieving jock who I considered the runt of the litter, still ended up winning me over in the end thanks to all the time and attention given to developing her. Of course, it wouldn’t be Xenoblade without bizarre, otherworldly locations to adventure in, and the environments in this one are suitably odd. There’s one area that takes place inside of a giant discarded sword, and another that leads you along the branches of a massive tree. Exploring these areas as you unravel the mysteries of Aionios add to the unpredictability and weirdness of the world in a really awesome way. That said, compared to some of the bonkers destinations from previous Xenoblade games, the places you visit in this odyssey are mild by comparison. There are a few highlights, but nothing that comes close to climbing up a giant dead robot’s elbow or winding up inside the body of an ancient creature. Instead you mostly explore standard settings like a snowy area, a big, sandy desert, or a large body of water with some small islands. It still captures the spirit of exploration and discovery for which Xenoblade is known and there are certainly a few surprises, but I do find myself wishing the developers had gotten a bit weirder with it considering the series’ track record. Trailer: https://www.ign.com/videos/xenoblade-chronicles-3-release-date-reveal-trailer More Info: https://www.ign.com/articles/xenoblade-chronicles-3-review

One of the best features that the AirPods have to offer is automatic audio switching. In a nutshell, the audio device stays connected to your iPhone and Mac at the same time, and can automatically switch the audio stream when needed. For example, AirPods instantly switch away from the Mac and to your iPhone when you get a call on your iPhone. After years of waiting, Google is finally bringing that facility to Android phones. The feature is rolling out for the Pixel Buds Pro starting today, but support is limited to Android phones and tablets only. Google says a handful of Sony and JBL audio gear that supports Bluetooth multipoint technology will also offer the perk soon. The company is also promising that audio switching will make its way to more devices and platforms (like Windows) "over time," but there is no concrete window as to when those plans are going to materialize. In January 2022, Google promised that audio switching will also make its way to Chromebooks and Android TV, but there is no timeline for these two in-house platforms either. Audio switching on Android works in a way that's extremely similar to its Apple ecosystem counterpart. Your earbuds and headphones will remain connected to a tablet and phone simultaneously, but only one device will be sending an audio stream at a time. If you get a phone call while watching a movie on a tablet, the audio stream will instantly switch to the phone so that you can attend the call. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/android-audio-switching-should-help-juggle-your-gadget-addiction/ar-AAZPqJa

"In the first half of 2022, I have been very impressed by the momentum generated by our General Manager model. Our focus on our products and customers’ needs continues to drive improvement in our NPS and the nature of the deals we sign. Over the first half, our core product-based strategy had a real impact. Thanks to our B2B offering, we were able to sign our largest deal of the period through a multi-million euros Axway Managed cloud contract with a new customer. Our MFT portfolio also continued to attract new customers and grow within its large installed base, while API Management pursued its development through the success of the Amplify Marketplace and Axway Open Finance offerings. We also strengthened our capabilities by acquiring a cloud integration start-up, DXChange.io, at the end of June. While we were anticipating a decline in H1 2022 compared to the good performance of the previous year, the number of Axway Managed subscription contracts signed during the period exceeded our expectations. This shift is disrupting our revenue even though we have achieved our sales forecasts, as evidenced by the satisfactory growth of our ARR. Should this trend continue, our 2022 organic growth target of between 1 and 3% may become difficult to achieve in favor of more stable and predictable revenues in the years to come. At this stage we are looking at a full-year landing in the low end of our guidance, but we will have a better picture of the situation at the end of Q3." Comments on business activity in the first half of 2022 In the first half of 2022, Axway continued to adapt to its new market paradigms at a good pace. This resulted in Axway Managed subscription growth of almost 400%, which helped ARR growth of 8.6% and builds future revenue stability. Over the first six months of 2022, in an inflationary economic environment, Axway's margin and booking performance was in line with internal forecasts. While the first half of 2021 represented a high comparison basis, Subscription revenue, which had been growing steadily between 2018 and 2021 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.5%, was slowed by several large new contract signatures for Axway Managed cloud offerings. These contracts, which, as evidenced by the continued increase in ARR over the period, generate more recurring revenue over time and do not result in any early revenue recognition. On the operational side, the company continues to implement its strategy focusing on its significant product lines and markets. This approach involved several major developments: - The company moved to an execution model with General Managers ("GM") for each core product: API, MFT, B2B and Digital Finance. Each GM oversees the strategy and budget for a product line and works closely with regional entities allowing teams to continue to get closer to the customer and their needs. - The initiative to rationalize the product portfolio, which involves 5-7% of the company's 2021 total revenue, has been launched. As such, several specialized products have been put in the process to be sold or discontinued. - In addition to its product portfolio rationalization, Axway is working to secure its market positions. As part of this plan, it was decided to serve Chinese market with partners and therefore, Axway's subsidiary in China will be closed. - As mentioned at the beginning of the year, the acquisition strategy was re-engaged with a first transaction completed at the end of June 2022. Axway acquired the India-based start-up, DXChange.io, which offers a cloud integration platform that will be leveraged across the entire core portfolio. This strategic technological acquisition will enable Axway to respond effectively to the convergence of the API Management and IPaaS markets, which are rapidly evolving towards a common framework for integration and management of hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Finally, over the first six months of the year, customer satisfaction has risen sharply breaking a new record, with a Net Promoter Score of 37 compared with 29 at the end of 2021. Axway’s customers continue to be excellent external advocates of the company’s offerings and value. Comments on operational performance in the first half of 2022 In the first half of the year, Axway generated revenue of €136.4 m, down 5.8% organically and 1.4% in total. While there were no changes in the scope of consolidation during the first six months of the year, currency fluctuations had a positive impact on revenue of €6.5 m, mainly due to the appreciation of the US dollar against the euro. Profit on operating activities amounted to €6.7 m for the period, or 4.9% of revenue. More Info: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/axway-software-accelerated-migration-cloud-154500382.html

Current quantum computers are stuck using binary processes designed for traditional computers. It’s no secret that quantum computers are advancing in both power and efficiency every day, and may eventually become a strategic asset that could even give governments advantages over one another. Simply looking at the timeline, quantum computing has come a long way in a very short period of time, having achieved quantum supremacy by demonstrating the ability to solve complex problems faster than a traditional computer back in 2019. Meanwhile, the federal government is planning for a post-quantum future where powerful quantum machines shred today’s encryption protections. NIST and private companies are currently scrambling to create new cybersecurity protections that can withstand a quantum assault. All of that points to a bright future for quantum computers, which only started generating attention and interest around 2016 with their non-traditional computing methods apparently breaking the laws of physicsto solve complex problems. However, beneath the surface, quantum computers still face a lot of obstacles. The biggest one is that while they are able to quickly solve most problems, they also return a lot of wrong answers along with the proper solutions. Imagine a student being given a lengthy exam in school, completing it in just a few seconds, and then turning it in with all of the correct answers buried within pages of incorrect responses. That student probably wouldn’t earn a very good grade. And yet, that is the kind of data that quantum computers normally send back in response to queries. This is called “noise” by quantum scientists, and every quantum computer operating today, regardless of how powerful it is, generates a lot of it. There are many reasons why quantum computers generate noise. They are very fragile, with their calculations influenced by almost any outside factor, including temperature, soundwaves, vibrations, light, invisible quantum entanglements and even background radiation. That is why most quantum machines are housed in dark, vault-like boxes that are kept close to absolute zero. Beyond environmental factors, one of the biggest reasons for the noise is the fact that a quantum computer’s qubits, which are the equivalent of traditional computing bits, are able to exist in billions of possible states at the same time, whereas traditional computer bits are either a one or a zero, with nothing in between. That is why quantum computers are able to process complex problems so quickly, but also a big reason why there is so much noise in their results. They are able to use superposition having their qubits exist in multiple states to solve a problem, but are still bound to binary computing constructs when trying to finalize their results. Several post-processing solutions have been suggested to improve quantum computing accuracy. For example, combining a traditional supercomputer with a quantum machine and then charging that supercomputer with helping to eliminate the noise might speed up the time needed to get to valid solutions, as might employing artificial intelligence to remove much of the obvious noise. Earlier this year, computer scientists suggested creating better software that would allow users to ask quantum computers better questions from the start. Most potential solutions to the quantum noise problem involve dealing with the problem after the fact. But now, several scientists have proposed a way to modify the hardware of quantum computers to finally remove their dependency on binary computing. Essentially, their new quantum computer design would allow systems to escape having to adapt to a binary environment. In an article published in Nature Physics, computer scientists Martin Ringbauer, Michael Meth and others put forward a design for a quantum processor that uses trapped ions as the core processor. This would allow their quantum machine to “think” in nonbinary ways where its qubits were not subjected to just two states of matter (the one and the zero of traditional binary computing). Theoretically, this could not only speed up calculations, but also eliminate the noise that happens when trying to shoehorn quantum computing solutions back into a binary structure. As they explain it, “Most quantum computers use binary encoding to store information in qubits the quantum analogue of classical bits. Yet, the underlying physical hardware consists of information carriers that are not necessarily binary, but typically exhibit a rich multilevel structure. Operating them as qubits artificially restricts their degrees of freedom to two energy levels.” According to the paper, what quantum computers need to improve their accuracy is the ability to operate in higher-dimensional areas known as Hilbert spaces, essentially freeing them from binary computing constructs altogether. Their new hardware design is apparently able to do that, at least in theory. They even call the bits that their machine would use qudits instead of a qubit. “Here we demonstrate a universal quantum processor using trapped ions that act as qudits with a local Hilbert-space dimension of up to seven,” the authors state in their paper. “With a performance similar to qubit quantum processors, this approach enables the native simulation of high-dimensional quantum systems, as well as more efficient implementation of qubit-based algorithms.” If quantum computers can be made to operate more efficiently, while also eliminating the noise they generate with their answers, it could boost the already fast-moving quantum development timeline. It might also complicate government efforts to create post-quantum encryption security, which currently is operating on the assumption that quantum computers will still be at least somewhat dependent on binary operations. A computer that could break that bond, could also likely break any post-quantum encryption that still relies on it. John Breeden II is an award-winning journalist and reviewer with over 20 years of experience covering technology. He is the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau, a group that creates technological thought leadership content for organizations of all sizes. https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2022/07/new-quantum-hardware-could-allow-computers-process-information-more-naturally/374891/

US stocks ended lower Tuesday as Walmart's earnings warning added to growing alarms about the economy. The world's largest retailer cut its profit forecast, citing high inflation and changing consumer habits. Oil prices reversed lower as recession fears weighed on prospects for demand. US stocks closed lower Tuesday, extending losses from earlier in the session, as earnings news raised more fears about the economy ahead of another big rate hike from the Federal Reserve. Walmart, the world's largest retailer, trimmed its profit projections late Monday as high inflation turns consumers more cautious on spending. The sour outlook added to the shifting economic picture on Wall Street, with retail rivals like Amazon and Macy's set to report earnings next week. Meanwhile, the Fed wraps up its meeting Wednesday, and Wall Street is expecting another 75-basis-point rate hike as policymakers continue their focus on cooling down inflation. A Morgan Stanley wealth-management executive told Bloomberg TV that the recent market uptick is merely a bear-market rally and that significant dips may still lie ahead. The Fed's preferred recession indicator is signaling turmoil, as the bond market's three-month bill premium has slumped 95 basis points in July. The US is the top exporter of liquefied natural gas so far this year and has increased outbound flows 12%, with 71% of the LNG making its way to Europe and the UK. Oil prices gave up earlier gains to turn lower, with West Texas Intermediate crude falling 1.6% to $95.27 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.87% to $104.04 per barrel. Gold ticked down 0.2% at $1,716 an ounce. The 10-year yield rose 1.5 basis points to 2.805%. Bitcoin fell 4% to $20,859. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-stocks-tumble-as-earnings-add-to-worries-about-the-economy-ahead-of-more-fed-rate-hikes/ar-AA100dW1

More than 1000 animals died in Gujarat due to the infectious lumpy skin disease. The virus has spread in 15 districts of the state. A high level meeting was called by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel amid the growing cases of the infections among animals in the state. Discussions were held on how to save animals from the deadly virus. Till now, over three lakh animals have been vaccinated against the disease. Along with this, the survey and analysis of lumpy skin diseases has also been started in which survey and vaccination work is being done through 192 veterinary officers and 438 livestock exports. A 24-hour toll free number has also been started by the Gujarat government, in which the cattle owners can call the number 1962 and get information. If a case is detected in any village then all animals are being vaccinated on a large scale within a radius of 5 km. Companion Lumpy Skin Disease is spread through the virus in animals like cows and buffaloes. Shelter home is also being started for lumpy virus affected cattle. In Gujarat, this skin disease has been found in cows and buffaloes in 1,126 villages of Disis, Jamnagar, Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar, Morbi, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh, Botad, Gir Somnath, Banaskantha, Surat and Patan districts. Its effect has been seen in 41,242 animals. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/lumpy-skin-disease-kills-more-than-1000-animals-in-gujarat/ar-AA1000IW

ABC News is doubling down on documentaries and docuseries, launching a new non-fiction division called ABC News Studios. The studio already has 15 series in various stages of production, as well as 3 feature-length documentaries, which will live under the ABC News Films banner. “It really felt like there was a much bigger opportunity for ABC News to really scale the narrative non-fiction storytelling that we were doing,” ABC News Studios head Mike Kelley tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the studio will significantly expand ABC News’ presence in streaming. “In particular, to lean into the narrative non-fiction space that is rooted in journalism, but entertaining at its heart. Those are the stories that we want to tell.” Kelley says the studio wants to play in the long-form documentary film space; the limited series space; the formatted anthology space; and will produce one-off specials. “From a genre perspective, we are focused on true crime, on investigations, on pop culture, on docuseries with interesting characters and words to explore, and topics that are broadly news-adjacent, all of it underpinned by the journalism that ABC News is known for,” he says. Among the filmmakers working with ABC on the initial slate are Dawn Porter, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Stanley Nelson, Irene Taylor, and Lana Wilson. “We are making sure that we are looking at diverse stories, diverse storytellers, diverse characters, and making sure that we are putting our money where our mouth is in the organization, and telling unique, untold stories in a way that haven’t been told before,” adds ABC News senior vp of streaming and digital content Reena Mehta. “We really want to be open to the best and biggest and most diverse ideas from around the world, and to work with the best producers who can bring that content to us,” Kelley adds. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with those production companies, to work with them but also to provide our expertise as well, around the journalism, the archive, the legal expertise. It is really a case by case basis, but we want to create the best possible IP, wherever it comes from.” The studio is also developing series that are closely tied to other programs and talent at ABC News. That includes a weekly newsmagazine for Hulu based on Nightline featuring investigations, deep-dives, interviews and profiles. “The show never takes place in a studio, it’s instead always out in the world,” the logline says, with Mehta adding that it is “a very different take” on the late night news franchise. “For Nightline in particular we have really done a lot of research on the Hulu side, on our side, on news in general, and we believe what consumers want to experience these stories and see them told in a different way,” Mehta says, noting that one of the show’s leads previously worked on Vice News’ HBO program. And it also includes an concept featuring Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, also for Hulu. The show is a weekly political docuseries that tied to the upcoming midterms, which will feature the veteran ABC anchor, who will also produce through his own banner. Mehta says the news division wanted to figure out “how do we leverage his intelligence, his skill, his obvious strong expertise in the political space, but for a younger audience?” For broadcast news divisions, documentary and non-fiction storytelling has become a strategic imperative, particularly as their parent companies invest in their own streaming platforms. In 2020 NBC News launched a division called NBC News Studios, with a strategic imperative to create content for “emerging platforms” like NBC’s own Peacock. And last year CBS launched See It Now Studios, led by former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky, which is creating documentary and nonfiction programming for CBS, Paramount+ and other platforms. ABC News Studios is no different when it comes to parent company Disney’s priorities. The studio will create programming for ABC, Disney+, Hulu and National Geographic and other platforms within the company. “There is a lot of inspiring content that we think fits really well with what those brands are trying to do, so it is a great partnership for us, it is a very collaborative environment,” Mehta says, adding that they are working closely with creative leaders at those brands to figure out what content would work best where. “We are trying to be really intentional about the kinds of content that work well on linear vs streaming,” Kelley adds. And ABC News Studios is also developing fare tightly connected to its corporate parent. Among the projects are Cinderella, a news special “dedicated to the legacy” of the 1997 ABC TV movie, which starred Whitney Houston and Brandy; Iwaju, a special for Disney+ looking at the making of the animated series of the same name ABC News Studios is also producing new episodes of National Geographic’s Explorer. More Info: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/abc-news-launches-studio-expand-130048489.html

• @Lexman. has been removed from our team. Reason: Lack of Interest/Activity.

This topic will be closed because you did not respect the model! Next time, respect the model and the rules in the sections.

Hello @Mindsphere., Good to see you back here. You know that I have always respected you and will continue to do so. But you know that you will have to do this request, you are going to start from 0 being a moderator doing activity in the projects and making reports. Are you sure you want to start from 0 ? Personally, when I saw the reason why you left the journalist project, I never agreed that you were blacklisted for that reason and I think you could see what happened with Dark this week...So you will be welcome in our project if you want to come back.

I don't quite understand what you mean here, can you be more precise ? I mean i dont have responsabilities in that time because me only member in GoG and Journalist I am not Leader but i have responsabilities To do hard work in our project to do activity daily and i think if me continue this performance I will be Leader in the future and this is what i am looking forward to I'll will be honest with you, reaching the rank of leader in a project is not as easy as you think because it requires a lot of responsibility and looking at the posts of the other members to see if they respected the rules in those sections and you must have patience so that someday you will deserve it. I will answer you in this order as the questions I asked you before: 1. In Journalist proyect, I hope you continue to have good activity but also that you do not make a post/video inciting hatred towards another community (even if you hate it, you can't quote others members to do it.) as I gave you a warning at the beginning of this month (here) 2.I think you misunderstood my question, I was asking if you have an idea that can improve our community or a proposal something like that.. 3. In fact, your answer is logical since everyone prefers a project that he/she likes, interested in and demonstrate their potential. I think it's too early for a request to be a moderator. Contra from me.

So what? Those aren't your posts, you should make your own posts there! Rejected. Come back with a new request in 1 week. T/C

You were removed from Journalist & VGR Project for lack of Interest/Activity and now you are applying for moderator ? Do you know that you have 0 activity in the projects for a long time ? And this: Do you really think that without activity you will be a moderator...And for you to say such things in your qualities, I doubt it. Contra from me.

Your request will be pending for 3 days. - I will see if your activity will be constant and u show us interest.

Hello @-ShylOo, Thank you for your application to be a moderator but even though you are active in the projects, you joined our community last month.. I don't quite understand what you mean here, can you be more precise ? However, I would like to ask you 3 questions: 1. if u get a moderator, what did u want to make on the first time ? 2. How did you help the community? 3. What project you like the most in the forum and why ?

Stray is very upfront about its unique selling point: you get to play as a cat. This USP earned the PlayStation console exclusive significant pre-release interest as social media delighted in the idea of stepping into the paws of an adorable stray cat on a mission to find its way home. Considering video games allow players to experience grand science-fiction adventures on distant planets or create their own fantasy hero destined to save entire realms, it’s perhaps somewhat surprising that the concept of merely playing as a pussycat seems to have such broad appeal. But then again people really like cats. Developer BlueTwelve Studio clearly has a great affinity for felines as well. And in large part, Stray feels like a loving tribute to the affectionate-but-independent pets that many of us share our home with. But don’t mistakenly believe that Stray is a game built solely around a single gimmick: there’s more to Stray than pawing at scratching posts and lapping up saucers of milk. Stray offers the chance to explore a remarkably detailed world and roaming around on four paws grants a unique perspective that only adds to the delight that comes from unraveling the world’s many secrets. It’s a shame the game doesn’t challenge the player a little more, and it’s all over far too soon. But Stray is a unique experience that is worthy of attention, even from those who aren’t quite so crazy about cats. Read on for our full Stray review. Stray’s opening moments are wonderfully serene. The game begins with its feline protagonist awaking from a peaceful slumber and after a few playful moments where you’ll get to grips with what it’s like to control a cat, you venture off to explore the ruins of an abandoned facility alongside your furry friends. While jumping across steel beams and running along moss-covered pipes your kitty falls down a deep hole and awakes in a mysterious underground city. There are no people in this strange place, just humanoid robots going about their daily lives and wandering the neon-lit streets of an eerie, but also oddly inviting, cyberpunk world. Your quest is a simple one: find your way back to the surface. You don’t have to undertake this mission alone either. You receive help from several friendly robots, but most crucially you have a small drone companion named B-12 strapped to your back. This little guy is useful both in terms of game action and for dolling out surprisingly intriguing snippets of lore. Narrative cutscenes are rare, but Stray does still have a main story. However, it’s a pretty barebones tale that doesn’t really develop beyond its initial premise of trying to find a way back to the surface. Nevertheless, it gives you enough motivation to keep pushing forward, and the end is surprisingly poignant, bringing the game to an overall satisfying, if pretty predictable, conclusion. While Stray’s story predominantly takes a backseat after all, you’re a cat that can’t actually communicate with anyone there is still plenty of optional lore to unearth. Venture off the beaten path and you’ll find collectible memories that flesh out the somber history of the expansive city. While in other games these sorts of pickups can feel like busywork, in Stray they are well worth seeking out as they add welcome color to the world. It’s important to note in Stray the hero is just a standard everyday cat. It’s not a cat that’s been imbued with unique powers, or can be upgraded with various cybernetic enhancements, or evolved into some sort of biomutant. It’s a regular household ginger cat and plays like one. You’re frequently given the opportunity to do regular cat activities from scratching sofas and rugs, to drinking from puddles and sleeping on anything that looks even vaguely comfortable (there’s actually a Trophy for napping for a whole real-world hour). And a dedicated meow button allows you to audibly express yourself whenever you feel like it. You’ll likely spend your first thirty or so minutes with Stray enamored with scratching everything in sight and hammering the meow button until you’ve heard each audio clip multiple times. However, doing the various things that cats often do does get old pretty fast and after the first couple of chapters these opportunities to express your inner cat-ness feel more like distractions than meaningful game mechanics. You may find yourself leaving surfaces unscratched quicker than you might expect. Thankfully there is more to Stray than just interacting with the world as a cat would. Although the game does keep things a little too simple throughout. Platforming is a big part of how your traverse the city. But jumping is always contextual and a single button press automatically guides you from one place to another. This makes it impossible to fail any platforming sequence as there’s no way to mistime your jumps. Stray can also feel quite restricted during some platforming sections as the route your cat must follow is too heavily guided. Things are mixed up further with chase sequences where you must evade small fleshy creatures, and stealth segments where drones shooting deadly electric bolts try to hunt you down. Neither the chase or stealth elements are especially complicated, but both add some much-needed variety not to mention ramp up the stakes in the final chapters. However, the biggest moments of joy in Stray come from exploring the intricately-detailed city. Touring such a stunning location from the perspective of a cat never gets old, and there’s plenty of incentive to search every nook and cranny because of the game’s meaningful collectibles. Two chapters in particular stand out because they allow you properly off the virtual leash. These sections set you loose in a small open area and require you to complete multiple objectives to progress further. Neither segment is especially head scratching what you need to do next is always clearly signposted — but they’re hugely rewarding all the same and prioritize exploration, which is the game’s biggest strength. Stray’s most unfortunate fault is there isn’t nearly enough of it. I rolled credits in around five hours, with a few collectibles still to find, but even a thorough playthrough is unlikely to clock in at longer than eight hours. There’s arguably merit to leaving players wanting more, but Stray wraps up before you’re ready to say goodbye to your feline friend. Stray looks fantastic on PS5. From the highly-detailed environments to the fluid, almost unnervingly lifelike, animations of the playable cat, watching Stray in action is a constant pleasure. Creating a convincing playable cat was clearly BlueTwelve Studios’ top priority, and in this area the team has done a phenomenal job. Cat lovers are going to immediately fall in love with this digital feline and the way it scampers across rooftops and nuzzles up against robots is always adorable. Yet the visual star of the show isn’t the cat, but the cyberpunk city you venture through. Each inch of the game’s world feels handcrafted, and the contrast between futuristic neon and overgrown nature is striking. Stray is the type of game that is absolutely begging for a photo mode, making the lack of one at launch feel like a real missed opportunity. The game also sounds great with its mostly lowkey soundtrack fitting the overall relaxed vibe. There's also a robot you can meet early on in the game with a metal guitar who can play sheet music you find in the world. Listening to these tunes offers a great excuse to put down the controller and just zone out for a minute. Stray is also pleasingly polished. Across my first playthrough, I only endured a small handful of bugs and no major glitches or hard crashes. I did encounter a few times where the cat would get stuck on objects, but a quick checkpoint restart fixed these. Thankfully, Stray is generous with autosaves so no major progression was ever lost. The biggest criticism of Stray I can muster is its short length, which is a real testament to its overall quality. The game action is a little too simplistic. But the thrill of exploring such a well-realized world more than makes up for this not to mention the stunning visuals help as well. It should also be noted that Stray is available as part of Sony’s revamped PlayStation Plus service. It’s currently being offered at no extra cost to subscribers at the Extra or Premium level; its inclusion is a very compelling perk for early adopters. And for those on the fence, Stray easily justifies upgrading your subscription if you’re at the base Essential level. Stray is a consistently high-quality adventure that will appeal to more than just feline fanatics. You may come for the chance to step into the paws of a cute cat, but Stray will ultimately keep you hooked because of its rewarding exploration and gorgeously detailed environments. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/stray