The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is warning loan servicers to stop collecting private student loans that were discharged by bankruptcy courts, the agency announced Thursday.
The agency found that some servicers were continuing to collect payments on loans after bankruptcy proceedings had concluded, in violation of federal laws, and many borrowers ended up paying thousands of dollars they did not owe. The agency directed those servicers to return the money.
“When a court orders the discharge of a loan, lenders and servicers should not treat this as a suggestion,” CFPB director Rohit Chopra said in a news release. “The CFPB has found that some servicers are ignoring bankruptcy court orders. The student loan servicing industry should ensure that their collection practices are compliant with the law.”
The agency said that student loan servicers failed to differentiate between the loans that could be discharged in a standard bankruptcy proceeding and those that can’t. Typically, borrowers have to show during bankruptcy that they would suffer “undue hardship” if the student loans are not discharged—a higher bar than for other types of debt. Not all types of private student loans are subject to that standard.
“The CFPB expects servicers to proactively identify student loans that are discharged via standard bankruptcy orders, permanently cease collections, and refund any consumers who have been affected by unlawful collections in the past,” the agency said in the release.
The Student Borrower Protection Center drew attention to the issue in a January 2022 report and applauded the agency’s decision.
“After years of unfair, deceptive, and shamelessly predatory behavior by some of the largest financial companies in the world, the nation’s top consumer watchdog has finally stepped in to protect student loan borrowers,” SBPC counsel Amber Saddler said in a statement. “The entire student loan industry should take notice—the days of cheating borrowers out of their legal right to bankruptcy are over.”
In the run-up to its original 2005 release, Capcom was refreshingly – and publicly – clear about their intentions for Resident Evil 4. Feeling that the classic top-down formula that had seen the series thrive during the 90s had grown stale, this follow-up was to be a total reinvention of survival horror as a concept. Something fresh. Dynamic. Exciting. The slate was wiped completely clean, and from that blank canvas, something exceptional was created. A game that not only redefined the franchise, but third-person action games as a whole.
For eighteen tumultuous years, Capcom has tried to surpass the success of Resident Evil 4. The fifth and sixth entries doubled down on the action to mixed results, while seven and eight focused on scares as seen from a first-person viewpoint. Meanwhile, 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake looked to the past for its inspiration, delivering a masterful retread that blended responsive third-person combat with the exquisite production values of the series’ more modern titles. But with the release of Resident Evil 4 remake, Resident Evil has finally come full circle. Whereas the original release was a rejection of the games that came before, this remake is instead a celebration of where the series went next. Action-focused combat. Photo-realistic environments. Gooey monsters, hammy characters, ridiculous storylines. What better way to remake the highest peak of the series, than to build it upon the foundations of the very games it went on to inspire? Resident Evil 4 is a rambunctious thrill ride that is as good – if not, dare I say it, a bit better – than the original game.
Manhattan: Dear “journalist” Matt Taibbi: If what you say is true about the FBI pressuring Twitter (and all Big Tech) to censor or silence any content the FBI and its bosses (Dem or GOP) don’t like — and I believe that’s exactly what the FBI and even local police do every day and have done since day one — then you would be in trouble, no?
You expect us to believe you had no clue about this for 20 years? And you only realized it after the richest man on Earth got you to reveal Twitter censorship only against his enemies? No one believes this, you ladder-climbing phony. You lied under oath just like your skeevy pal Jim Jordan, another Fifth-pleader. I watched you lie to Congress that you reported Twitter silenced both liberals and conservatives, but if this were true, your “Twitter Files” would be fair and balanced. It’s not. It’s what right-wing robber-baron Elon Musk ordered you to do, in a partisan fashion, because he was mad that his fellow cons were silenced. He is silencing us liberals on Twitter every day and night because we challenge capitalism when cons won’t, and you will not defend any of us against your new boss.
If you’re going to lie, you need to get better at it. I used to respect you, but now I think you’re a shape-shifting liar like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Money is all you care about, and the right wing pays 10,000% better than the left does. Honesty never pays the bills! You want a conservative audience because they are less educated than us leftists and can’t spot your dumb lies! Janice Amato
Brooklyn: To Voicer Donald Ziminski: Take your head out of the ground and awaken your mind long enough to realize you’ve been blinded by the right for so long. You’ve mislaid your common sense if you think Jan. 6 was anything but a failed insurrection. Neil S. Friedman
Davie, Fla.: To Voicer Larkin Novak, who does not like seeing bald heads: Remember, Mr. Novak, God only created a few perfect heads — the rest he covered with hair. One more thing, Mr. Novak: Grass won’t grow on a busy street! Alan Abriss
Sunnyside: It was very upsetting to read “Migrant kids hit” (March 14). People always say “it takes a village” when talking about child care. What “village” can migrant families turn to when they need someone to help with their kids? In my Latin culture, family members often take charge of child care when parents go to work. Tías and abuelas are the backbone of our childhoods. But when you are a migrant, you leave your community behind. The “village” it takes is thousands of miles away. I’m urging the administration to renew the child care voucher for undocumented migrants. There is nothing political about protecting livelihoods and childhoods. Angela Eslava
Bridgeport, Conn.: I see people constantly refer to Donald Trump as Drumpf as if it’s some sort of insult. Depending on the source you find online, the family name was changed anywhere from two to six generations ago, so I don’t see how this is supposed to be an insult to the former president. What I do see it as is an insult to every single immigrant who has come to this country to become a citizen and has changed their name for whatever reason they saw fit — maybe to make it easier to pronounce, maybe to sound more American, maybe even to feel like they were making a clean start with a new name. So why are you all insulting every immigrant that has ever come to this country and changed their name? Frank Mastronardi
The Daily News Flash
Weekdays
Catch up on the day’s top five stories every weekday afternoon.
Wyckoff, N.J.: Bramhall, who has been a splendid addition to the Daily News over these past years, has been slipping just a bit lately. That one in Wednesday’s paper, of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is really off the charts. Yes, it may be time for all of us to start sharpening our own perceptions. George Arcieri
Wellfleet, Mass.: “Don’t be afraid to see what you see.” — President Ronald Reagan. I see Gov. Ron DeSantis as a threat to democracy. Mike Rice
Kyiv, Ukraine: In Ukraine, the sound of bombs doth ring / and children bear the brunt of cruel fate / their innocence and dreams destroyed in a single swing / as the world around them turns to hate / So let us create a committee grand / of famed artists, poets and musicians bold / to spread the word throughout the land / and gather support for these children untold / A pact for the ages, a deal to be made / that by saving these children, so far away / you will also save your own. For in a world beset by climate change’s sway, no child is safe, no matter where they live. Volodymyr Mozghovyi
Staten Island: To Voicer Katherine Raymond: You have the issue 100% wrong. The illegal pot stores are open because their owners thought they could ignore the law. I’m speaking of the consumer affairs laws, wherein a business must have certain licenses to operate legally or be shut down. It happens to delis, restaurants and bars. Why not the weasels who thumbed their noses at the legal path to running a business in New York? This is pretty simple stuff. To operate a business of any kind in NYC, you need licensing. If you don’t have it, taxes are not being collected. If taxes are not being collected, you are not a legal business. Got it? Shut them down, every one. BTW, I was indeed given a couple of ounces a while back that was indeed sprayed with a liquid fentanyl. Proved it by having it tested. Pay attention and know what you’re talking about, please. Tom McGuire
Jamaica: To Voicer Michael Ilardi: Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon that represented the women who worked in the factories and shipyards during WWII. Black women and women of every other race were Rosies too. If a Black Rosie had been on some posters during the war, I’m sure your grandpa would have really had a fit back then. Francis Stephens
Brooklyn: Regarding Voicer Jim Black’s letter that referenced the Texas Tech basketball coach being suspended for privately sharing a Bible passage with one of his players: What do you expect from a society that can’t figure out that a “master carpenter” has nothing to do with slavery, or an Asian sportscaster named Robert Lee had nothing to do with the Civil War and should have never been removed from announcing a game for reminding people of a time they don’t approve of. FYI, Webster’s Dictionary lists one of the definitions of “master” as showing skill or proficiency. Not everything is about racism. We now live in a time when smart people must be silenced so not-so-smart people won’t be insulted. Glenn Brown
Charlotte, N.C.: I don’t understand why Jets management believes that Aaron Rodgers is their answer to returning to another Super Bowl. Rodgers has accumulated some impressive stats over the years during the regular season, but the four-time MVP never plays like one in the postseason, where his record of 11-10 is not impressive. Antwan Staley pointed out the Packers finished 2022 with their first losing season since 2018 (“Rodgers: I’m a Jet all the way,” March 16) but failed to mention only three of their eight wins were against teams that finished the season with a winning record. Rodgers plays well against weak teams but can’t compete against the better teams. He is Mr. Overrated and Overpaid. The Jets should pass on this guy! Besides, he’s not coming to New York to play football, but to get his foot in the entertainment industry door so he can become the next Michael Strahan. But he forgets two things: Nobody likes him and he’s a jerk! Ron Turek
You may have heard of the third eye chakra, but do you really know what it is?
It’s a small but mighty energy field located in the center of your forehead, often associated with the pineal gland. Sure, it may be small, but as they say, size doesn’t matter. And in this case, that’s definitely true.
The third eye chakra is a powerful gateway to higher consciousness and spiritual enlightenment. It’s the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Universe and accessing your innermost wisdom.
So if you’re looking to deepen your spiritual practice, this is definitely an energy center worth exploring. And here’s where you can start:
Think of the third eye chakra like a spiritual truth detector. By opening and balancing this energy center, you’ll cut through illusion with the ability to see beyond surface-level appearances and tap into deeper truths about yourself, others, and the world around you.
What is the Third Eye Chakra?
The third eye chakra, also known as the Ajna chakra, is the sixth chakra in the body’s energy system. It’s located at the center of the forehead, between the eyebrows—the very reason why it’s often linked to the pineal gland, located close to this area of the brain.
The third eye chakra’s meaning is associated with intuition, divine insight, and spiritual awareness. It’s the center of your spiritual vision and a gateway to higher consciousness.
According to Anodea Judith, the world’s leading chakra expert and trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest, it’s the third eye that enables you to see the ultimate nature of reality beneath the surface of things. It’s why it’s a transpersonal energy center, as it goes beyond your personality.
“It’s not so much about your wounds and your story,” she explains. “It’s about seeing the big picture clearly.”
What color is the third eye chakra?
Indigo, a dark blue color of the night sky, is associated with the third eye chakra. This color is traditionally connected with intuition, wisdom, and spiritual insight, all of which are qualities of this energy center.
Additionally, the color indigo is located at the center of the visible light spectrum, between blue and violet. It’s much like the third eye chakra, which is located in the center of the forehead, between the eyebrows.
The third eye chakra symbol
The traditional symbol of the third eye chakra is a two-petal lotus flower, representing the duality of the physical and spiritual worlds. The connection between the two is represented by a downward-pointing triangle inside the flower.
Another symbol that has been used in various cultures and regions is the pinecone symbol, often associated with the pineal gland or third eye chakra.
In ancient Sumeria and Egypt, as well as in Hinduism and Buddhism, the pinecone was a symbol of enlightenment and spiritual awakening.
In Greek mythology, it’s associated with the god Dionysus and represents regeneration and fertility.
In Christianity, it’s a symbol of spiritual growth and resurrection, often depicted in Christian art and architecture.
Many religions and philosophical theories may view the pineal gland as the “seat of the soul,” through which one can access higher states of consciousness. However, science sees it as one of the hormonal glands in the body.
Yet, they do agree that the pineal gland has certain unique characteristics of being a single small structure situated deep in the brain. It is highly vascular, and blood flows through it more than any other gland in the human body.
These peculiarities make it more than an ordinary endocrine gland and warrant further exploration by scientists.
Why the 6th Chakra Needs to Be Open
The third eye chakra plays a crucial role in spiritual growth and development as it links your human mind with other levels of perception, allowing you to access higher and deeper truths.
When it’s open and balanced, you perceive things from a higher perspective without losing your connection with reality. So even if you aren’t actively looking for enlightenment, a healthy and balanced third eye chakra ensures sharp intuition, creativity, good focus, and memory.
Most importantly, it’s the portal to a greater sense of inner peace and a deeper understanding of your purpose and mission in the world. And ultimately, it unlocks higher levels of consciousness and spiritual awareness.
Signs of Blockage or Imbalance in the Third Eye Chakra
According to Anodea, blockages or imbalances in chakras have to do with either excessive or deficient chakra:
The excessive third eye chakra is overloaded with psychic input, and unable to separate the truth from the fantasy.
The deficient third eye chakra is oblivious to what’s around you. You deny your intuition and are highly opinionated.
From a spiritual perspective, when your third eye chakra is out of balance, you can’t see the interconnectedness of all there is and your place in the world.
On a physical level, it can lead to a range of physical and emotional symptoms, such as:
Headaches or migraines,
Blurry vision or sensitivity to light,
Insomnia or other sleep disorders, and
Anxiety or depression.
One of the major signs is a lack of clarity or direction in life, as well as a lack of imagination or creativity.
Anodea Judith, trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest
How to Open the Third Eye Chakra
Anodea explains that opening this energy center implies learning to see yourself and others clearly.
It’s about self-reflecting and examining your own life without judgment and seeing the light in yourself and others.
— Anodea Judith, trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest
When the third eye chakra is balanced, you’re perceptive, intuitive, and have vivid imagination and visualization skills. On the other hand, a deficient or excessive third eye chakra can lead to living your life in illusion.
It can be something that you think “should be” rather than seeing “what is.” And this is what can prevent you from seeing the light and the beauty in yourself, others, and the world around you.
So, overcoming this illusion will give you a clear perception, a spiritual awakening, and deep insight into your life and the nature of reality.
This is why regular self-reflection is a must if you want to open and develop your third eye chakra. Here are a few practices that you can add to your spiritual practice:
1. Meditation
Chakra meditation is one of the most effective ways to open the third eye chakra. You can also incorporate mudras and chakra mantras into your meditation.
How to do it:
Focus on the area between the eyebrows, visualizing an indigo light or lotus flower.
Let this light spread all around your brain, clearing judgments, rigid opinions, and pictures about yourself and the world.
Affirm to yourself, “I see clearly. I am open to seeing the world from a higher perspective.”
Yoga is a work-in spiritual practice that harmonizes your body, mind, and spirit.
When it comes to opening your third eye chakra, certain yoga poses can help you calm your mind, improve focus, and enhance your inner sight. Eagle Pose is one of the best postures for this energy center, according to Anodea.
How to do it:
With your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides, start out standing at the front of the mat.
Lift your right foot off the ground and cross it over your left thigh, placing your right foot behind your left calf.
With your left foot hooked behind your right calf, cross your left leg over your right leg. Begin by bending your left knee just a little.
Place your right arm on top of your left arm as you extend your arms in front of you.
Bring your forearms parallel to the ground while bending your elbows.
Bring your palms together with your fingers pointing up and cross your left arm across your right arm.
Lift your elbows to shoulder height while bringing your shoulder blades down your back.
Hold the pose for several deep breaths, focusing on your energy on the third eye area, then release and repeat on the other side.
In her book Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System, Anodea recommends using stones, crystals, and gems as a complementary tool for chakra healing.
Stones, crystals, and gems that share the same color, energy, and properties relate to each chakra, so they can be placed on or near the chakra center. You can also wear them as jewelry.
The best stones for this energy center are lapis lazuli, aquamarine, moonstone, amethyst, purple fluorite, and clear quartz crystal.
4. Color
Incorporate indigo into your clothing and home decorations, like candles with deep blue colors. It helps enhance the energy of the Ajna chakra and be more mindful of it during the day.
This chromatic power extends to foods as well, such as:
Blue-colored fruits and vegetables, such as plums, eggplant, blueberries, and purple cabbage, are healthy and beneficial for this energy center.
Power foods like fatty fish, packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, can help you keep your brain active.
5. Aromatherapy
Sandalwood, juniper, rosemary, clary sage, vetiver, and frankincense will help draw your attention and healing energy to the chakra.
Here’s how to use essential oils to open your third eye chakra:
Choose the right essential oil and mix a few drops with a carrier oil like coconut oil, almond, or jojoba to create a massage oil or blend. Use 2-4 drops of essential oil for every 10ml (2 teaspoons) of carrier oil.
Apply the diluted essential oil to the third eye area, the temples, the base of the skull, or the soles of the feet.
Your Formula for Wholeness
The third eye chakra is just one of the seven main chakras in your body. Think of it as the ascension process—you can’t skip the lower chakras to reach the top. Even with the wide-open sixth energy center, you may struggle with other challenges in life because your spiritual growth isn’t linear.
This is why chakra healing is a holistic approach that focuses on every energy center to make you whole by connecting your body, mind, and spirit in a cosmic, orderly way.
And if you aspire to learn how to apply this formula to your life, Chakra Healing Quest with Anodea Judith can offer you a step-by-step 35-day journey into the deepest core of yourself.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider made it clear before the start of free agency that the team wanted to re-sign backup quarterback Drew Lock in addition to starter Geno Smith.
After keeping Smith on a three-year deal earlier this month, they accomplished that goal by agreeing to terms with Lock on Thursday.
On his weekly radio appearance on Seattle Sports 710-AM, general manager John Schneider confirmed an NFL Network report that Seattle is bringing back Lock, though he declined to state the terms of the deal.
“What an awesome guy,” Schneider said. “Everything he’s been through. We talked about it a bunch, coming here, competing with Geno, getting COVID — really bad timing for him. Game 2 (of the preseason) was going to be his game against Chicago here, and then he got really sick. He still didn’t have his legs against Dallas (in the preseason finale). So just really excited. Really happy for him.”
Schneider also confirmed a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Seattle has agreed to terms with former Detroit Lions center Evan Brown. The deal is for one year, a source told ESPN. Schneider noted that the 26-year-old Brown can play guard but is “truly a center.” Brown started at right guard for Detroit last season and at center in 2021.
Lock, who turned 26 in November, was acquired in last year’s Russell Wilson trade and was one of the main reasons the Seahawks wanted to send Wilson to the Denver Broncos. He was the presumed favorite among many in the organization to win the starting job heading into last season. He was up and down over the offseason and began to make up ground on Smith during one stretch of the summer, but his momentum was halted when he came down with COVID-19, sidelining him for what would have been his first start of the preseason.
He wound up not playing a single snap in the regular season. After the playoff loss to the 49ers, Lock told ESPN that his front-row view of Smith’s comeback season was “inspiring” as it gave a reminder to him — and other backup quarterbacks — that they can play at a high level.
In his season-ending news conference, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll praised Lock for the positive attitude he maintained despite not getting a chance to play.
A second-round pick by Denver in 2019 out of Missouri, Lock went 8-13 as a starter over his three seasons with the Broncos, throwing 25 touchdowns to 20 interceptions while completing 59.3% of his passes in that span.
The best stretch of Lock’s career came at the end of his rookie season. After missing the first 11 games because of a thumb injury, he started the final five, threw seven touchdown passes to three interceptions and led Denver to four wins.
Brown and Lock become the third and fourth players Seattle has added or brought back since the start of the negotiating window Monday. The team announced the signings of defensive tackles Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed on Thursday. Schneider said the Seahawks are still in talks with “a number of” other defensive lineman as they look to shore up an area of concern from last season.
The Seahawks agreed to a three-year, $51.53 million deal with Jones on Monday. Schneider said Jones was among the players Seattle discussed with the Broncos last offseason while negotiating the Wilson trade, but Denver was unwilling to part with him then.
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions. China has sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict even while in 2022 Beijing declared it had a “no-limits” friendship with Russia and has refused to condemn Moscow’s invasion.
The meeting between the leaders was announced by both countries on Friday.
China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, while condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Russia into military action.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing is concerned about the year-old conflict spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.
China has “always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks,” Qin said.
Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin “discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity.”
“I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s)’s Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine,” wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a daily briefing on Friday that Xi “will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern, promote strategic cooperation and practical cooperation between the two countries, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.”
“Currently, the world is entering a new period of turbulences and reform with the accelerated evolution of changes of the century. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important major countries, the significance and impact of the China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral sphere,” he added.
The trip comes after the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets, which brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago.
The Kremlin on Friday also announced Xi’s visit, saying it will take place “at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.”
Xi and Putin will discuss “issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China,” as well as exchange views “in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The two leaders will also sign “important bilateral documents,” the statement read.
Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could “demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties” and “become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.”
Keanu Reeves got to cuddle with a ton of adorable puppies during his appearance on The Tonight Show on Thursday night (March 16).
The 58-year-old actor stopped by the primetime talk show to chat with Jimmy Fallon about his newest movie, John Wick: Chapter 4.
After hyping up the new flick, Keanu joined Jimmy for a fun segment called the “Pup Quiz”.
During the segment, Keanu faced off against Jimmy in a trivia game, and for each right answer, he got a puppy to snuggle. Looks like he was definitely winning!
Just the night before his appearance, Keanu stepped out for the latest premiere of the movie in NYC. Check out the pics here!
The announcement that Credit Suisse would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the central bank came after consecutive sessions of steep drops in its share price. It made Credit Suisse the first major bank to receive such an intervention since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.
The bank’s shares ended Wednesday at 1.697 Swiss francs — down almost 98% from the stock’s all-time high in April 2007, while credit default swaps, which insure bondholders against a company defaulting, soared to new record highs this week.
It comes after years of investment banking underperformance and a litany of scandals and risk management failures.
Gottstein took the reins in early 2020 following the resignation of predecessor Tidjane Thiam in the wake of a bizarre spying scandal, in which UBS-bound former wealth management boss Iqbal Khan was tailed by private contractors allegedly at the direction of former COO Pierre-Olivier Bouee. The saga also saw the suicide of a private investigator and the resignations of a slew of executives.
The former head of Credit Suisse’s flagship domestic bank widely perceived as a steady hand, Gottstein sought to lay to rest an era plagued by scandal. That mission was short-lived.
These oversight failures resulted in a massive shakeup of Credit Suisse’s investment banking, risk and compliance and asset management divisions.
In April 2021, former Lloyds Banking Group CEO Antonio Horta-Osorio was brought in to clean up the bank’s culture after the string of scandals, announcing a new strategy in November.
But in January 2022, Horta-Osorio was forced to resign after being found to have twice violated Covid-19 quarantine rules. He was replaced by UBS executive Axel Lehmann.
The bank began another costly sweeping transformation project as Koerner and Lehmann set out to return the embattled lender to long-term stability and profitability.
This included the spin-off of Credit Suisse’s investment banking division to form U.S.-based CS First Boston, a significant cut in exposure to risk-weighted assets and a $4.2 billion capital raise, which saw the Saudi National Bank take a 9.9% stake to become the largest shareholder.
Reports of liquidity concerns late in the year led to huge outflows of assets under management, which hit 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the fourth quarter.
After yet another sharp share price fall on the back of its annual results in early February, Credit Suisse shares entered March 2023 trading at a paltry 2.85 Swiss francs per share, but things were about to get worse still.
On March 9, the company was forced to delay its 2022 annual report after a late call from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a “technical assessment of previously disclosed revisions to the consolidated cash flow statements” in 2019 and 2020.
The report was eventually published the following Tuesday, and Credit Suisse noted that “material weaknesses” were found in its financial reporting processes for 2021 and 2022, though it confirmed that its previously announced financial statements were still accurate.
Having already suffered the global risk-off jolt resulting from the collapse of U.S.-based Silicon Valley Bank, the combination of these remarks and confirmation that outflows had not reversed compounded Credit Suisse’s share price losses.
On Wednesday evening, Credit Suisse announced that it would exercise its option to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs from the Swiss National Bank under a covered loan facility and a short-term liquidity facility.
The Swiss National Bank and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority said in a statement Wednesday that Credit Suisse “meets the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks.”
The support from the central bank and reassurance on Credit Suisse’s financial position led to a 20% pop in the share price on Thursday, and may have reassured depositors for now.
However, analysts suggest questions will remain as to where the market will place the stock’s true value for shareholders in the absence of this buffer from the Swiss authorities.
Shares in Chinese search giant Baidu rebounded sharply a day after it unveiled ERNIE Bot, its answer to the ChatGPT craze.
Its stock soared 14.3% on Friday in Hong Kong, making it the biggest winner in the Hang Seng Index
(HSI). They also gained 3.8% in New York during US trade Thursday.
A day earlier, Baidu
(BIDU) was the biggest loser of the same index. Its Hong Kong shares fell 6.4% after a public demonstration of its bot failed to impress investors. Since February, more than 650 companies had joined the ERNIE ecosystem, CEO Robin Li said during the presentation.
The reversal came after the company said more than 30,000 businesses had signed up to test out its chatbot service within two hours of its demonstration.
“The high degree of enterprise interest is positive, and we expect Baidu to continue to capture China’s enterprise demand for generative AI,” Esme Pau, Macquarie’s head of China and Hong Kong internet and digital assets, told CNN.
She said the company’s shares were bouncing back Friday as some users, including analysts, shared positive feedback of their own experiences trying out ERNIE, which suggested the bot had more advanced capabilities.
During the presentation, Baidu showed how its chatbot could generate a company newsletter, come up with a corporate slogan and solve a math riddle.
But its stock slumped on Thursday because the demo was “pre-recorded, and not live, which makes investors skeptical about the robustness of the ERNIE Bot,” according to Pau.
Baidu’s demonstration also came just days after the launch of GPT-4, which “raised the bar for ERNIE,” she added.
GPT-4 is the latest version of the artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT. The service has impressed users this week with its ability to simplify coding, rapidly create a website from a simple sketch and pass exams with high marks.
Pau noted that Baidu’s shares were already “down modestly” before showing off its software on Thursday, highlighting pressure from investors who had raised expectations following the GPT-4 launch.
“ERNIE also does not have the [same] multilingual capability as GPT-4, and has yet to improve for English queries,” she said. “Also, the ERNIE launch did not provide sufficient quantifiable metrics compared to the GPT-4 launch earlier this week.”
Like ChatGPT, ERNIE is based on a language model, which is trained on vast troves of data online in order to generate compelling responses to user prompts.
Li said Baidu’s expectations for ERNIE were “close to ChatGPT, or even GPT-4.”
But he acknowledged the software was “not perfect yet,” adding it was being launched first to enterprise users. The service is not yet available to the public.
Baidu announced its chatbot last month. Some critics say the service will add fuel to an existing US-China rivalry in emerging technologies.
Li tried to shake off that comparison during the launch, saying the bot “is not a tool for the confrontation between China and the United States in science and technology, but a product of generations of Baidu technicians chasing the dream of changing the world with technology.”
“It is a brand new platform for us to serve hundreds of millions of users and empower thousands of industries,” he said.
Baidu says its service stands out because of its advanced grasp of Chinese queries, as well as its ability to generate different types of responses.
“ERNIE Bot can produce text, images, audio and video given a text prompt, and is even capable of delivering voice in several local dialects such as the Sichuan dialect,” the company said in a statement.
Baidu isn’t the only Chinese firm working on such technology. Last month, Alibaba
(BABA)announced plans to launch its own ChatGPT-style tool, adding to the list of tech giants jumping on the chatbot bandwagon.
So far, Baidu has a first mover advantage in the space in China, according to analysts.
“Our view is ERNIE is three to six months ahead of its potential contenders,” said Pau.
— CNN’s Mengchen Zhang contributed to this report.
ChatGPT Plus, the subscription service to access OpenAI’s text-generating AI, is now available in India. ChatGPT Plus features GPT-4, the refined AI model that OpenAI launched earlier this week.
The paid tier provides customers with early access to new features including GPT-4. Introduced in the U.S. in February after being in an early preview for a few weeks, ChatGPT Plus is available at a monthly subscription price of $20. A subscription allows a customer to use ChatGPT even during peak-usage hours, get faster responses and priority access to new features and improvements.
OpenAI continues to also offer a free version of ChatGPT — although with a few restrictions — on its website. If you do not wish to pay for access, you can still enjoy the ChatGPT experience through the Bing search engine.
OpenAI initially had a waitlist for users to access ChatGPT Plus. However, shortly after its release, the startup made the subscription service available to all users. The service aims to help OpenAI monetize ChatGPT, which has become viral and gained mass attraction for its AI-based conversational experience in recent months.
Understandably, ChatGPT has also grappled with some controversies and bans due to its nature and sophistication of its human-like responses that can be deceptive. Its advanced text conversational capabilities have certainly appealed to the masses and even attracted OpenAI’s early investor Microsoft to integrate the experience within its services. Competitors including Baidu and Google have also started to build similar conversational AI experiences.
After more than two years, the U.S. finally has an ambassador to India: Eric Garcetti.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti’s appointment as the country’s envoy to India, 20 months after President Joe Biden nominated him. The confirmation was held up in part due to concerns over how he responded to allegations against his friend and once-adviser, Rick Jacobs, who was accused of sexual harassment during the then-mayor’s tenure at City Hall.
“We look forward to working with him to take forward our multifaceted bilateral relations,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India’s external ministry, told reporters at a briefing Thursday.
The confirmation of Garcetti, a 52-year-old Biden loyalist, ends a vacuum in one of the country’s highest profile diplomatic posts. India is the world’s most populous country, and the U.S. sees it as a geopolitical force China has to reckon with, as the latter asserts its authoritarian regime in the Indo-Pacific region.
But Garcetti’s job isn’t likely to be easy, having already provoked the ire of some Indians due to comments he’s made in the past. During Garcetti’s confirmation hearings in 2021, he said he would “actively raise” human rights issues in New Delhi, in response to a question about the Citizenship Amendment Act, which the Indian parliament passed in 2019. The law, a cornerstone and campaign promise by the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), grants immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh a shot at applying for Indian citizenship—but only if they are Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, or Buddhist. It was criticized for making Muslims from those countries into “illegal migrants” and seemingly relegating India’s Islamic community of some 200 million people into second-class citizens. Widespread protests against the law erupted across the South Asian nation in 2020.
Since coming to power in 2014, the BJP, with President Narenda Modi at the helm, has overseen a marked rise in Hindu supremacy and anti-Muslim sentiment in India.
When asked about Garcetti’s remarks on human rights, Bagchi, India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson, said he has not heard of any recent comment from the diplomat-designate. “There is something on social media, which is very old,” he said. “Our position on many of these issues are well-known.”
Tarun Vijay, a former BJP member of India’s upper parliament house, posted on Twitter on Wednesday that sending an ambassador “with a political agenda to interfere in our domestic issues with false notions” is “ignorant and arrogant” and “must not be acceptable.” And Abhinav Prakash, the vice president of BJP’s youth wing, told Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik India that Garcetti’s appointment could fuel “anti-West sentiment” in India.
The BJP doesn’t represent everyone’s views though. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council wished Garcetti well in taking over the post left by Kenneth Juster in 2021. The council’s deputy managing director Shreerupa Mitra, who is based in Delhi, said Garcetti’s confirmation will help the U.S. and India “achieve critical goals in decarbonization, human development, and economic resilience.” Indian-American community leader Ajay Bhutoria also congratulated Garcetti, tweeting that he believes the new U.S. ambassador “will work tirelessly to deepen this relationship and promote cooperation” between the two countries.
India’s relationship with the U.S. significantly improved in 2022: Biden met with Modi twice, strengthening trade ties between the two countries, and reinforcing the regional Quad security dialogue with Japan and Australia. Yogesh Joshi, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, says Garcetti is likely to prioritize this warming alliance, which may see his pursuit of a human rights-focused agenda in New Delhi take a backseat.
“The democratic values provide the icing on the cake, but that is not what is driving the Indo-U.S. relationship,” Joshi tells TIME.
We got quite a few irregular submissions this week from regular
contributors. Which is to say routine contributors. We're
not qualified to make judgements about whether or not anyone is what
what most folks would call normal.
First up, Isaac D. is struggling with localization,
kvetching
"Apparently this number format is ALIVE and WELL in parts
of India and Afghanistan, but us poor Australians on desktop
browsers also seem to be visually assaulted with it. I
wonder if the Zuck will pay me $1,00,000 for reporting
it or do real country borders mean nada in the Metaverse? ;)"
This would ordinarily be controlled by some operating
system or browser configuration, would it not?
Educated Peter G. has had his absolute fill
of overwrought maths. This is just a bridge too far for Peter.
"We've had issues with excessive rain recently, good
thing the dams are going above and beyond to help store
it all." I naively imagine that the managing authority
has defined
target capacity as something like 90% of the absolute maximum
with a reserve for safety, but perhaps a clueful Kiwi
will comment with a well-informed explanation?
Sam tries to be punctual, he really does. But
the gourmands in the big city brook no tardiness at all. Frets he,
"I encountered this trying to book dinner. I'm worried I might be late.
Or early." I hope they'll let him sit at the bar and wait if he
anticipates his appointment.
Meanwhile Mark has a small problem with a
very (very) small dinner party.
"Tried to make a reservation for some coworkers
and got this confirmation email from OpenTable. I know
they'll be jet lagged, so hopefully they can arrive
precisely by 1:17am." Personally, I'm quite curious about the menu.
Finally, autodidact Andreas R. flexes his ten years award from Duolingo for us.
"Apparently I studied 8027 words in the past year alone
but only 5758 in total over the last ten years. So I
guess I spent the previous nine years forgetting 2269 words."
Seriously, ten years of doing anything is pretty noteworthy,
even if you've forgot almost more than you've learned. Mark is holding
a celebratory dinner party for you, don't be late!
[Advertisement]
Keep the plebs out of prod. Restrict NuGet feed privileges with ProGet. Learn more.
Knowing how to open your chakras can bring you one step closer to your overall well-being and spiritual growth. Discover how to open them in a holistic way.
If you watched Dr. Strange, you know what opening your chakras can do for you. The great news is that you don’t need to go all strange and mystical to learn how to open those energy centers.
Because this ancient system is already encoded in you, all you need is a proper map that will guide you into your wholeness.
Here’s how you can start your journey of holistic healing using the chakra system:
As you start to learn more about your energy centers, you can begin to understand how to open all the chakras and use them to achieve mental, physical, psychological, spiritual, and universal well-being.
What Are Chakras?
In Sanskrit, the word “chakra” means “wheel.” It refers to energy points in your body and is represented as spinning disks of energy.
Anodea Judith, the world’s leading chakra expert and trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest, calls them the portals between the inner and outer worlds. So whatever you do inside transforms the outside.
She explains that chakras act as the gateway to your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Each of them is unique and is responsible for a number of physical and emotional functions.
The traditional model identifies seven distinct chakras. Each of them has its own meaning:
The root chakra or Muladhara is responsible for feelings of security and basic survival;
The sacral chakra or Svadhishthana is about pleasure, joy, desire, creativity, sexuality, emotional balance;
The heart chakraor Anahata is about emotional freedom, compassion, empathy, social relationships, and love;
The throat chakra or Vishuddha represents honesty, faith, artistic expression, and communication.
The third eye chakra or Ajna is responsible for perception, imagination, wisdom, decision-making, and intuition; and
The crown chakraor Sahasrara is associated with bliss, enlightenment, spirituality, and universal energy.
In addition to these seven major ones, there are many minor ones located throughout the body and beyond.
How Do You Know If Your Chakras Are Blocked?
According to Anodea, the ancient chakra system is a roadmap that can guide you on the journey called life.
“It’s the map that connects you as a human being with your energy body,” she explains. “It connects you both to your earth’s existence all the way up to divine consciousness, everything that’s above and below.”
When it comes to blockages, it has to do with excessive or deficient chakras. The excessive one needs to release the charge, and the deficient one has to expand by taking the energy in.
For example, if you have an excessive root chakra, you can be overly attached to the material world or struggle with overeating. And the deficient root chakra makes you feel ungrounded, fearful, and unsafe.
So healing those energy centers essentially means bringing their energy into balance.
5 Ways to Open Unbalanced Chakras
Once you’ve identified which of the seven chakras needs opening, you can practice the proper techniques to allow your life energy to flow.
There are five methods that can be easily incorporated into your daily spiritual practice:
Chakra meditation. This practice utilizes the power of creative visualization to cleanse, clear, and balance your chakra. The best part is that learning how to meditate this way is easy when you understand the main principles.
Yoga postures. Yoga is considered an incredibly beneficial therapy for children and adults that improves their physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s also one of the inseparable aspects of chakra healing, according to Anodea.
Mantras. Each chakra corresponds to a particular seed syllable called bija.
Crystals. Crystal healing is a powerful way of clearing, cleansing, and balancing your energy centers. Since every chakra has its unique vibrational frequency, you can use crystals to amplify and regulate them when out of balance.
Mudras. Mudras are special hand positions that can help activate and open your chakras. Each chakra has its own corresponding mudra that’s often used in meditation.
Let’s take a closer look at how to open up your chakras to find balance, health, inner peace, and happiness using these five methods.
How to Open the 7 Chakras
Regardless of the specific chakra that needs opening, it’s advisable to heal all seven of them, starting with the root and moving all the way to the top. This way, you will holistically balance your entire energy system, as opposed to an isolated approach.
The root chakra (Muladhara)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize a red, spinning wheel at the base of your spine while taking deep, grounding breaths. As you do so, imagine that this red ball of light cleanses, clears, and nurtures your root chakra. Affirm to yourself, “I am safe on this planet. I am safe on my path.”
Yoga postures. The most beneficial poses are standing poses, such as Warrior I and II, and seated poses, such as Bound Angle Pose.
Mantras. Chant “LAM.”
Crystals. Since the corresponding color of the root chakra is red, all red crystals are healing for this energy center. Also, red jasper and black tourmaline ground your energy.
Mudras. Practice the “Prithvi Mudra” by touching the tips of your thumb and ring finger together. This mudra connects you with the earth element and instantly grounds you.
Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize an orange, spinning wheel below your navel, giving you a warm sensation in your lower abdomen and reproductive organs. Breathe deeply into that area with the intention to heal your sexuality, unlock your creativity, and vitalize your sacral chakra. Affirm to yourself, “I’m open to experiencing pleasure and joy.”
Yoga postures. Hip-opening poses release tension in the hips and pelvis and improve circulation in your sacral area. Pigeon Pose, Triangle Pose, and Wide-Legged Forward Bend are great choices for the sacral chakra.
Mantras. Chant “VAM.”
Crystals. Orange-red crystals, such as carnelian, orange calcite, and amber enhance your creativity and promote sensuality. Also, moonstone is associated with the divine feminine energy that’s great for your intuition, emotional healing, and receptivity.
Mudras. Practice the “Varuna Mudra” by touching the tips of your pinky finger and thumb together. This mudra balances the water element—the element of the sacral chakra.
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize a yellow, spinning wheel above your navel, imagining a sun-like radiant energy in the solar plexus area. This is your personal power, being amplified by this ball of light, giving you a sense of confidence to walk your path. Affirm to yourself, “I trust my power and my abilities to achieve my goals and fulfill my potential.”
Yoga postures. Core-strengthening poses are the best for activating your personal power center. Practice Boat Pose, Revolved Triangle Pose, and Side Plank to strengthen the muscles of the core and give you the balance you need.
Mantras. Chant “RAM.”
Crystals. One of the most potent crystals for the solar plexus chakra are citrine and yellow topaz. They enhance your confidence and personal power. On top of that, citrine is known for its powerful energy you can use to attract more money.
Mudras. Practice the “Apana Mudra” by touching the tips of your middle and ring fingers to your thumb while extending your other fingers. This mudra stimulates digestion and helps detoxify your body.
Heart Chakra (Anahata)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize a green, spinning wheel in your heart center, spreading warm, loving energy in your chest and throughout your entire body. Breathe in that energy of unconditional love and breathe out self-doubt and a sense of unworthiness. As you do so, affirm to yourself, “I love freely; I am loved unconditionally; I am divine love.”
Yoga postures. One of the best heart-opening poses is Bridge and Camel Pose. They stretch and open your shoulders and chest, bringing you emotional balance. The key is to move mindfully into the postures and breathe deeply, allowing yourself to fully surrender and open your heart.
Mantras. Chant “YAM.”
Crystals. Opt for crystals that expand your ability to love, promote self-forgiveness and compassion. The most potent crystals that can help you do just that are rose quartz, green aventurine, rhodonite, and emerald.
Mudras. Practice the “Hridaya Mudra” by touching the tips of your index finger and thumb together while extending your other fingers. This mudra opens your heart and connects you with universal unconditional love.
Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize a celestial blue, spinning wheel in your throat area as a clear and expressive energy, cleansing and opening your vocal cords. Affirm to yourself, “I am safe to speak my truth freely and unapologetically.”
Yoga postures. Fish Pose, Cobra, and supported shoulderstand and headstand stimulate the throat area and balance this energy center.
Mantras. Chant “HAM.”
Crystals. Lapis lazuli and aventurine are powerful crystals to improve your communication and self-expression. All celestial blue crystals are go-to healers for the throat chakra.
Mudras. Practice the “Ushas Mudra” by touching the tips of your thumbs and middle fingers together. This mudra stimulates your vocal abilities and creativity.
Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize an indigo, spinning wheel in your third eye area and let this intuitive energy in your mind. Imagine this indigo light spreading throughout your headspace, clearing all confusion and judgments and opening you up to spiritual insights. Affirm to yourself, “I see clearly myself and the world.”
Yoga postures. Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, Child’s Pose, and headstand help calm the mind, improve focus, and balance the energy of the third eye chakra.
Mantras. Chant “OM.”
Crystals. Amethyst and clear quartz are the best crystals for improving your intuition and inner wisdom. The latter helps get clarity and dissolve ego-based judgments.
Mudras. Practice the “Shanmukhi Mudra” by using your fingers to gently close your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. This mudra stimulates your intuition and inner focus.
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
Chakra Meditation. Visualize a golden white, spinning wheel above your head, representing the divine, spiritual energy. As this light enters your system through your crown, imagine it shooting all the way up to the center of the Universe and all the way down to your roots.
Breathe in the source energy and breathe out stagnant energy. Affirm to yourself, “I am one with the Universe and all living beings.”
Yoga Postures. Child’s Pose and Savasana help you surrender to the divine and trust the higher guidance. In fact, Savasana is one of the most challenging poses of all as it teaches you to fully relax and be still.
Mantras. Chant “OM” or “AH.”
Crystals. Clear quartz, amethyst, and selenite are potent high-vibrational crystals that facilitate your spiritual growth.
Mudras. Practice the “Sahasrara Mudra” by touching the tips of your index fingers and thumbs together while extending your other fingers. This mudra connects you with the divine and improves your spiritual awareness.
When it comes to chakra opening, it’s important to remember that it’s a life-long process. In other words, you learn tools to work with your chakras on a daily basis to keep them balanced. This is how you can create balance in your life across the board.
Anodea Judith, trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest
Heal Your Chakras, Heal Your Life
Healing your chakras starts with acknowledging your birthright to be whole and live your life fully. That’s why chakras can be seen as your formula for wholeness—when you apply the healing system to every energy center, it makes you whole as it connects your body, mind, and spirit in a cosmic, orderly way.
Most importantly, this system can be learned and applied by anyone without any background knowledge. All you need is proper guidance.
And this is what Chakra Healing Quest with Anodea Judith can offer you— a step-by-step, 35-day journey into the deepest core of yourself with the leading chakra expert.
Ten separate audits conducted over a two-year period of the Ethereum-based lending protocol Euler Finance deemed it to be “nothing higher than low risk” and having “no outstanding issues” prior to it suffering from a $196 million attack.
In a series of tweets on March 17 Euler Labs CEO, Michael Bentley described the “hardest days” of his life after Euler’s $196 million flash loan attack on March 13.
He retweeted one user sharing information that Euler had 10 audits from 6 different firms, and commented that the platform “has always been a security-minded project.”
Euler has always been a security-minded project. The Euler smart contracts, including the vulnerable lines of code, were audited.https://t.co/SvNeoKEGuY
Blockchain security firms including Halborn, Solidified, ZK Labs, Certora, Sherlock and Omnisica conducted smart contract audits on Euler Finance from May 2021 to September 2022.
Halborn ranked its risk assessment by measuring the “likelihood of a security incident” and the impact it may have, with the risk level ranging from very low and informational, to critical — Euler received “nothing higher than low risk.”
It was revealed in a Dec. 2022 summary of Halborn’s audit that it had found “an overall satisfactory result.”
The summary stated 23 smart contracts were “inspected and analyzed” by Halborn over a one-month period, of which only “two low risks and three informational” risks were identified.
Euler stated it had reviewed Halborn’s coverage and concluded the risks “pose no significant threats.”
Blockchain security firm Omnisica addressed some “incorrect paradigms” in Euler’s base swapper implementation, as well as how the swap mode was “handled by the codebase” — but stated in the report that these issues were “properly dealt” with by Euler, and “no outstanding issues” remained.
On March 16 the protocol’s hacker began moving funds through crypto mixer Tornado Cash only hours after a $1 million bounty was launched by Euler for information leading to the hacker’s arrest.
In his recent Twitter thread Bentley said he’ll never “forgive the attacker” as he was forced to “sacrifice time” with his newborn son due to the attack but thanked security experts who are “working on leads” for the investigation.
Only 24 hours prior to the bounty, Euler issued a warning saying it would launch a one “that leads to your arrest and the return of all funds” if 90% wasn’t returned within 24 hours.
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.
‘He-Hulk: Attorney at Law’
Former President Donald Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, appeared on MSNBC on Tuesday, where he defended his client and argued that Trump was not a liar, specifically in regard to hush money paid to Stormy Daniels.
Jimmy Kimmel jokingly referred to Tacopina as “He-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” saying he “seems to have been born in the ashtray of Rudy Giuliani’s Lincoln Continental.”
“It looks like he holds meetings in the back office at the Bada Bing!” — JIMMY KIMMEL
“The Biden administration is ordering the Chinese parent company of TikTok to either sell the app or face a possible ban. It is a bold move by Biden. If he bans TikTok, China will only be able to spy on us with literally everything else.” — JIMMY FALLON
“Don’t mess with this man — he has no use for your addictive apps. Biden’s the kind of guy who can make it through a whole two-week vacation with nothing but a deck of cards and a print edition of Sports Illustrated.” — SETH MEYERS
The Bits Worth Watching
Kal Penn ended his “Daily Show” run with a look into how young voters are being suppressed.
Bethesda’s upcoming RPG Starfield has received a Restricted rating due to its depiction of “interactive drug use,” the Australian Classification Board has announced. It is Australia’s strongest classification, meaning sales of Bethesda’s new RPG will be restricted to adults over 18 in Australia.
Violence was classified as having a “Strong Impact,” while nudity and sex received very low ratings. Drug use did the most to drive Starfield’s ratings, which its depiction being classified as “High Impact.” Starfield’s rating is stronger than Fallout 4, which received an MA-15 rating for its violence when it was released back in 2015.
Bethesda’s RPGs have long been known for their explicit content, including featuring a fictional drug called “Jet” that your character can get addicted to in-game. This is the strongest rating to date, though, offering a hint of what to expect when it’s eventually released later this year.
Starfield Character, Ship, and Outpost Customization – Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022
A little more insight into Starfield
While Bethesda has delved into some of Starfield’s systems and gameplay, there’s still a good deal we don’t known. Back in 2022 we interviewed director Todd Howard, where he talked about how it would mix handcrafted content with a procedurally-generated galaxy, among other features.
Starfield was originally supposed in late 2022, but was subsequently delayed into 2023. Xbox boss Phil Spencer supported the delay and said “the decision to give the team the time to build the game that they feel they should be building is just the right thing to do.”
Starfield is currently slated to release September 6 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, and has been confirmed to be available Day 1 on Xbox Game Pass.
The women’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournament finally gets going, while we’re on our second day of first-round action for the men. Follow along with the bracket and live scores, and check out our picks for the Friday games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern):
Women’s Tournament
No. 8 South Florida vs. No. 9 Marquette
11:30 a.m., ESPN2
The opening game of the women’s tournament features South Florida and Marquette, who played together in Conference USA and the Big East for 18 seasons but haven’t met since 2013. Marquette went 21-10 on the season, including a win over UConn in February. South Florida went 15-1 in the American Athletic Conference and won the regular-season title for the second time. On the line in this game: A date against undefeated South Carolina.
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
2 p.m., ESPN
Norfolk State is led by forward Kierra Wheeler and guards Camille Downs and Deja Francis. The Spartans are in the tournament for the first time in 21 years after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Their reward? A matchup with defending champion South Carolina, owners of a perfect 32-0 record and led by reigning national player of the year Aliyah Boston and coached by Dawn Staley. South Carolina needs six wins to repeat as champs.
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 U.N.L.V.
3 p.m., ESPNU
U.N.L.V., one of the hottest teams in the country, is currently riding a 22-game winning streak that includes the Mountain West tournament title, though the Rebels are 0-2 all time versus Michigan. U.N.L.V. is playing in its second consecutive N.C.A.A. tournament after last making the field in 2002. Michigan made it to the Elite Eight last year, so the pressure is on its Big Three, Leigha Brown, Laila Phelia and Emily Kiser, each of whom is averaging at least 16 points per game. The winner here will face either No. 3 LSU or No. 14 Hawaii.
No. 8 Southern California vs. No. 9 South Dakota State
8 p.m., ESPN News
South Dakota State missed the tournament last year but had become a fixture before then; this is its 11th trip in 18 years since joining Division I. The Jackrabbits hold wins over Louisville and Kansas State this year and ended the season with a 21-game winning streak. Southern California is back in the field for the first time since 2014. Forward Rayah Marshall is averaging a double-double, with 12.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. The teams have played each other twice before, but not since 2006.
No. 5 St. Mary’s vs. No. 12 Virginia Commonwealth
2 p.m., TBS
St. Mary’s tied with Gonzaga for the regular-season title in the West Coast Conference, though the Gaels lost to the Bulldogs in the tournament final. St. Mary’s is a No. 5 seed for the second consecutive N.C.A.A. tournament, which remains the highest seeding for the school. Virginia Commonwealth made the Final Four in 2011, kicking off a seven-year streak of tournament appearances. The Rams haven’t posted a losing season since 1998-99.
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 13 Iona
4:30 p.m., TBS
UConn started the season with 14 straight wins and finished by winning eight of its last nine games, but the Huskies lost in the Big East semifinals to Marquette. Iona also posted a 14-game winning streak, ending the season with a win over Marist in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. Iona is coached by the Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, who also coached at Kentucky, Louisville and Providence, as well as in the N.B.A. UConn guard Jordan Hawkins is projected as a first-round N.B.A. draft pick this year.
No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Providence
7:10 p.m., CBS
Kentucky lost in the first round last year to 15-seed St. Peter’s, one of the biggest upsets in tournament. Are the Wildcats vulnerable to an upset again? Kentucky finished its season with a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament game. Providence tallied a nine-game winning streak during the season and notched double-overtime wins against both Marquette and Creighton. Modelers are giving Providence a better chance than public brackets, according to The Upshot’s bracket tool.
No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Drake
7:25 p.m., TBS
Though Miami took the Atlantic Coast Conference’s regular-season crown with a 15-5 record in conference play, the Hurricanes’ blemishes included losses to Georgia Tech and Florida State. Miami may be without forward Norchad Omier, who injured his ankle in the A.C.C. tournament. Drake won 13 of its final 14 games and is led by guard Tucker DeVries, who averages 19 points a game.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers differed from his predecessor as the Green Bay Packers‘ quarterback in so many ways — from how he played to how he lived his life in the public eye.
It was by design.
He wasn’t a reckless gunslinger, the persona that defined Brett Favre, whose interceptions were as spectacular as his touchdowns.
Rodgers didn’t often let outsiders get to know him until much later in his career — and then usually only via his weekly appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show” — unlike Favre, who lived as an open book, sharing everything from his early-career addiction to painkillers to grieving his father’s unexpected death to his wife’s recovery from cancer.
Rodgers even conducted his news conferences differently. While Favre preferred the podium in the media auditorium and often shot from the lip, Rodgers liked to talk to reporters at his locker, where he gave well-thought-out answers.
The end, however, looks like it will be the same for both.
Favre left, and it appears Rodgers will leave, too — exiting Green Bay via trade to the New York Jets after either initially retiring (Favre) or publicly discussing retiring (Rodgers).
Rodgers left little doubt Wednesday during a nearly hourlong appearance on McAfee’s show that his days with the Packers are over and he’s ready to be traded to the Jets.
Rodgers said he went into his recent meditative darkness retreat “90 percent retired and 10 percent playing.” He thought at that point, he could come back to Green Bay and play if he wanted. But when he came out of the darkness, he felt something had changed.
While the Packers’ side of the story probably won’t be told until after a deal is done, Rodgers put his cards on the table during that lengthy interview.
“The Packers would like to move on,” Rodgers said. “They’ve let me know that in so many words. They’ve let other people know that in direct words. Because I still have that fire, and I want to play, and I would like to play in New York, it’s just a matter of getting that done at this point.”
For as much acrimony as Favre’s departure created, it should not be forgotten he actually wanted to return to the Packers after his brief retirement — only to be rebuffed and eventually traded. The vocal majority backed Favre and blamed then-general manager Ted Thompson and team president Mark Murphy.
Rodgers was more vague about whether he actually would have preferred to return to the Packers, but he can argue the Packers drove him to this by trading up to pick quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 draft, and he would have a case.
But Murphy made it apparent last week that the Packers were ready to move on regardless of what Rodgers wanted.
While Favre didn’t hide his displeasure with how things ended for him in Green Bay, Rodgers took a softer stance.
“I’ve got nothing but love in my heart for every Packer fan and everybody that works in the organization,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “My life is better because of my time in Green Bay. But we’ve just got to look at the reality. They want to move on. They don’t want me to come back, and that’s fine. They’re ready to move on with Jordan. That’s awesome.”
This end muddied Rodgers’ legacy, at least with the Packers. During Rodgers’ offseason hiatus in 2021, when he threatened to retire before ever playing for the Packers again, Murphy revealed that the late Thompson, who drafted Rodgers in 2005, once called the quarterback “a complicated fella.”
Now that Rodgers will play elsewhere, the same word — complicated — can be used to describe his legacy in Green Bay.
If he’s not the greatest regular-season quarterback of all time, he’s at least in the group photo. The fourth NFL MVP award he collected in 2021 means only Peyton Manning has won more (five).
But the MVP is a regular-season award.
The playoffs, at least since the Packers won Super Bowl XLV to end the 2010 season, tell a different story. Rodgers has a 7-9 record as a starter in the postseason since his lone championship. Those 16 straight postseason starts without reaching the Super Bowl represent the longest streak by any quarterback in NFL history. And that streak includes an 0-4 record in NFC title games since the victory over the Chicago Bears that sent the Packers to their only Super Bowl under Rodgers.
“The guy’s legacy is the fact that he’s come up short,” Ryan said, adding that Rodgers is the “best thrower of the football I’ve seen.”
At least the Packers made the playoffs that season.
This past season, Rodgers couldn’t even get them there — losing at Lambeau Field to the Detroit Lions in a win-and-get-in game in the regular-season finale. It capped perhaps his worst season as a starter. He threw almost as many interceptions (12) as he did in the previous three seasons combined (13). After back-to-back MVP seasons, Rodgers threw for the fewest yards (3,695) in any season in which he played at least 15 games. He did not have a single 300-yard passing game. He had never before had a season with fewer than three games of 300-plus yards.
He did not miss a single start, although he played most of the season with a broken right thumb. He also dealt with rib and knee injuries. And his supporting cast was weaker after Green Bay traded receiver Davante Adams.
Whatever happens with the Jets, assuming a trade can be completed, Rodgers’ place in the Packers’ record books looks like this: He’s the franchise leader in touchdown passes (475), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (103.6) and ranks second behind only Favre in passing yards (59,055) and completions (5,001).
His 475 touchdown passes rank fifth in NFL history, and he has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (475-105) in league history. He made 10 Pro Bowls and four times was selected as the first-team All-Pro quarterback (2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021 — all of his MVP seasons).
“I would say I’m debatably the best player in franchise history,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “I’m in the conversation for sure.”
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1:51
Rodgers: ‘I went into the darkness 90% retiring’
Aaron Rodgers tells Pat McAfee he was heavily considering retiring from the NFL prior to going on his darkness retreat.
Only four times in NFL history has a quarterback thrown at least 35 touchdowns with five or fewer interceptions in a season: thrice by Rodgers and once by Tom Brady. Rodgers’ 9.4 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the past two seasons is the best in a two-season span in NFL history with a minimum of 1,000 attempts, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Yet it’s not Rodgers’ fault he played in the same era as Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion who set an impossibly high bar. Drew Brees faced the same situation and won the same number of Super Bowls as did Rodgers, yet not as many seem to think Brees underachieved.
When Rodgers and Brees were set to square off during the 2020 season, ESPN used 2,278 words to try to explain how these two iconic quarterbacks had each won only a single Super Bowl. Three would have sufficed: “It’s really hard.”
“Is that the barometer?” former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said at the time. “Is that the only barometer of success in the National Football League, whether you won a Super Bowl, two Super Bowls or not? Does that make you a great player, whether you won a Super Bowl or not? If you’re a really good player, that should not matter.”
Of course, it was Wolf who more than a decade earlier offered this infamous line after the Packers failed to repeat as Super Bowl champs following the 1997 season: “We’re a one-year wonder, just a fart in the wind.”
Perhaps it’s because in 31 seasons with Rodgers or Brett Favre as the quarterback in Green Bay — a city that calls itself “Titletown” — Packers fans have seen two Super Bowl parades.
There has long been a notion the Packers didn’t do enough to support either quarterback, but there’s also plenty of evidence to suggest said quarterbacks did enough to block themselves from more success — Favre with his penchant for interceptions and Rodgers with performances like the one against the 49ers in 2021.
Even Manning — perhaps the only quarterback with more regular-season accomplishments than Rodgers — won a second Super Bowl, although he had to change teams to do it.
If Rodgers isn’t fully appreciated for his accomplishments now, then perhaps time will change that. It did with Favre, who was twice roundly booed at Lambeau Field when he returned in a Minnesota Vikings uniform following his one season with the Jets. Now, it’s as if Favre never played for another team, let alone a bitter rival.
Rodgers’ departure might not be as upsetting to the masses. There were calls for Love to replace Rodgers this past season when things soured.
It’s time now to find out if those cries were justified.
“Jordan’s going to be a great player,” Rodgers said. “He’s a f—ing great kid. He had a really good year this year, getting better on the look team. He’s got a bright future in front of him. They’ve got a good young team. I’ve got so many great friends on that team that I’m still going to be great friends with. But the fact of the matter is, you’ve got an aging face of the franchise for the last 15 years that it’s time to do right by.”
If Love can’t continue the franchise’s remarkable run of elite quarterback play and the Packers fade back into the obscurity they experienced in the 1970s and 1980s, then perhaps those who were angered by Rodgers’ departure will be even more upset.
If Love does what Rodgers did and proves himself as a worthy replacement to a legend, then perhaps it won’t matter what Rodgers does from now until retirement.
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