$5 billion. According to one recent survey, thats how much the fast food industry spends onadvertising in a single year. No wonder these chains feel so ubiquitous. Their marketing is everywhere; on billboards, onwebsites, and especially on broadcast and cable (and even some streaming) television.If you interact in the world in any way, it is inescapable.Because these companies spend so much, they can afford to get the best of the best advertisersmoney can buy; the creme de la Creamsicle, if you will. Even still, Madison Avenues best and brightest are not perfect, and throughout the fast food worlds history,they haveproduced somegenuinely bizarre commercials,including some that really push the boundaries of good taste, both in and out of their restaurants. Below, youll find 15 of the absolute worst. Theyre fun to watch but maybe not on a full stomach.McDonalds - The Original Ronald McDonaldAt this point, Ronald McDonald is instantly recognizable to generations of fast food patrons around the world. When he was first introduced in the early 1960s, Ronald McDonald was a weird-looking dude with a tray of food on his head. As if the O.G. Ronald wasntquirkyenough, hows this for some mind-boggling trivia: The original Ronald McDonald from these early ads was portrayed by Willard Scott, who went on to national fame as the weatherman on NBCsToday for decades. And you thought he was clowning around with those Smuckers segments.Kentucky Fried Chicken - Lie Detector TestColonel Sanders himself appears in this ad, strapped to a lie detector, while a group of women try touncover the secret to his proprietary spice blend. Even under interrogation, the Colonel refuses to yield his chicken information, and the whole thing ends with an unseen narrator unleashing an evil laugh. Is this an ad for fried chicken or a deleted scene fromThe Prisoner?McDonalds - Waste BasketsEventually, Ronald McDonald becamethe figurehead of a whole McDonaldlandfilled with oddball creatures like Birdie, the Hamburglar, and of course Grimace. Notevery McDonaldland resident became a famous character, though. In this genuinely nightmarish spot, Ronald McDonald introduces a couple of children to a pair of sentient garbage pails, encouraging them to feed the waste baskets... cause theyre hungry too! Uh, okay Ronald. Watch the kid closest to the baskets as theydance closer and closer. He looks worried thathes gonna be fed to the waste baskets.Burger King - Wheres Herb?Oddball pitchmen became all the rage in the early 1980s, thanks to ads like Wendys Wheres the Beef? and Dunkin Donuts Fred the Baker,with his perpetual refrain of Time to make the donuts! Burger King tried to carve out their own niche in that space with ... uh ... Herb. Who was ... a guy ... named Herb. In early ads, he was unseen but described as the one man alive who had never eaten a Burger King burger. That was followed by commercialslike the absurd one above, that had a whole musical ode to this rando named Herb.Then Burger King doubled down with further ads that offered discounts to anyone who tolda BK cashier Im notHerb. (If by some sad chance youwere actually named Herb, youwere instructedto say Im not the Herb youre looking for.) Later ads introduced a dweeby goofball with thinning hair and huge glasses, along with a contest where if you spotted Herb in your local Burger King you could win a cash prize. None of this boosted Burger King sales among non-Herbs; in fact, profits dropped while the Herb campaign was runningand thechain wound upjumping ship to a new advertising company.Rax - Mr. DeliciousOnce upon a time, hundreds of Rax restaurants dotted the United States. The chain sold a variety of foods roast beef primarily, but at various pointsit also offered things like pizza, tacos, and even adinner bar, which is like a pasta buffet but way wayclassier. Today, only a handful of Rax remain, a state of affairs that was exacerbated by their infamous Mr. D ads, in which a milquetoast animated pitchman promoted the restaurant in the most boring way imaginable.In one ad Mr. D complained he was a little overextended so it was a bonus that Raxs food was so cheap.In another, Mr. Dtalksexplains that heloves the drive-thru window because he just had some rather delicate surgery and it allows him to pick up his combo and drive ever so slowly over the speed bump.For some inexplicable reason, this did not boost sales.McDonalds - The Tooth FairyIn another truly odd McDonalds spot of yesteryear, Ronald McDonald reminisces aboutlosing his first tooth when he (in full clown costume) was visited by the Tooth Fairy, and received his first pair of big red shoes. Then Ronalds closet full of big red shoes springs to life and starts singing. Then the Tooth Fairy appears and asks adult Ronald if needs any socks and undies.Far be it from me to question the ad wizards who came up with this thing but ... like ... what does any of this have to do with food? Theres no mention of hamburgers or Happy Meals.Imagine presenting this commercial to a person who just stepped out of a fallout shelter for 50 years. If you asked them what was this ad promoting, do you think they could guess it? Theyd probably think this was for big red shoes! Or maybe better tooth care.Quiznos - Toasty TorpedoQuiznos is hardly the only fast food chain tolard its ads with shameless sexual innuendo. In this case, though, it just makes sense, Because, really, when you think about it, whats sexier thanshoving aphallic sandwich into a hot oven? Am I right, my dudes? High five!Thats not a rhetorical question that is the actual content of this commercial, with a sentient toasting oven speaking to a Quiznos employee and instructing him Put it in me, Scott (Its talking about a sandwich here, at least I thinkit is?) If there was any question what was going on, the oven then instructs poor Scott to repeat its instructions back, but to make it sexy. I just want to say everyone here at ScreenCrush wishes Scott a speedy recovery for all those second-degree burns on his dong.Burger King - Eat Like a SnakeCall me crazy, but Ive always thought a food commercial should makethe viewerwant to eat the food, not send them run screaming away from their television in horror.Yet that is the vibe of this Burger King ad, in which a man eats a Whopper like a snake, slithering on the floor and then distending his jaw to swallow the large sandwich whole.Whatever you do, do not attempt to make any of this make sense. That way lies madness.Quiznos - SpongmonkeysWhen Quiznos first burst onto the sandwich market, the fact that they toasted their subs helped garner them an enormous number of sales, and their early ads all focused on that one facet of their business. Then Quiznos competitors copied their gimmick, and the novelty of toasted subs began to wear off. So theircommercials needed another hook.The quest to find one led, as it inevitably does, to the Spongmonkeys, who were an online creation of animatorJoel Veitch, who had previously made a popular YouTube video with the strange, singing critters. He then created one just for Quiznos, with special lyrics about the glory of the shops warm sandwiches and pepper bar. Although the campaign did not last long, in recent years the sheer insanity of the spot has gone viral; a single 2019 tweet about the ad (with the text millennials dont own homes because this quiznos commercial put a hex on us as children) has been liked over 100,000 times. And it doesnt even have a pepper bar!McDonalds - The Dead DadREAD MORE: Americas #1 Fast Food Chain Is Closing StoresMcDonalds has had plenty of good and memorable commercials through the years; sometimesthe jingles from those oldadswill earworm their way back into my head out of nowhere because they were so darn catchy. (If reciting old McDonalds slogans is something youre interested in, what you want is what you get at ScreenCrush today.) This example from the U.K., though, ismemorable for all the wrong reasons. In it, a wayward teen asks his mother to tell him about hislate father, a trip down memory lane that culminates in a trip to Mickey Ds for aFilet-O-Fish sandwich. And wouldnt you know it? That was his dead dads favorite too.I sort of get what they were going for here; they want you to associate with family and traditions and bringing people closer together. Those are all reasonable ambitions for a fast-food commercial. But doing it in a way so heavily focused on death and absent fathers ... it doesnt exactly makemewant to eat a Filet-O-Fish, thats all Im saying.KFC - Colonel RoboCopDuring the late 2010s, KFCcast onecelebrity after another as the new version of the chains venerable mascot, Colonel Sanders.And they kept getting stranger and stranger; Darrell Hammond begat Norm Macdonald begat Billy Zane begat Rob Lowe begat Reba McEntire begat ... RoboCop? And not just any RoboCop; KFC actually brought back originalRoboCopstarPeter Weller to play the character in the ad. The results were trulybaffling. Whilemade by stoned people too.Burger King - Pok Ball RecallOof. In 1999, Burger King launched a major tie-in campaign forPokmon: The First Moviethat includes miniature toys that came packaged inside plastic containers that looked likePok Ball. Thats nothing new forPokmontoy, but for some reason, the shape and size of these specific Pok Balls was such that if a small child placed it overtheir nose and mouth they could suffocate and die. Burger King issued a voluntary recall, which they supported with ads like this one. Obviously this is not the sort ofcommercial you want associated with your fast food restaurant.Talk about a nightmare.Arby's - Italian BeefEveryone loves an anthropomorphic food mascot.Theyre cute, theyre funny, sometimes theygigglewhen you poke them in the belly. A good food mascot can mean a huge boost in sales. In 2003, Arbys tried their, uh, hand at creating their own mascot when they introduced a sentient oven mitt to their commercials. This one armed, no handed mittwas designed to hype the oven-roasted nature of Arbys beef (you gotta cook it in an oven, and you need a mitt for that, you see). Perhaps the whole oven mitt / oven roasted thing went over peoples heads; perhaps peoplecouldnt stop thinking about what would happen ifyouput the living oven mitt onyour hand and scorched him with a hot roasting pan. Either way, he vanished from Arbys advertising within a couple of years.KFC - Chicken CorsageSomehow this is not an April Fools joke, even though it debuted in April of 2014: A KFC chicken corsage you can wear just in time for prom. Apparently this campaign was amassive hit, and the florist that partnered with KFC to create this decorative item sold out of corsages, so that shows what I know about good advertising. All I know is Ive been trying to attach this chicken drumstick to mywatchfor the last 20 minutes andthe hot grease keeps burning my arm.Jack in the Box - Try My BowlsLook, Im not going to shame anyone who wants to try Jack in the Boxs bowls. You want to put Jacks bowls in your mouth? Go for it. You want to eat Jacks bowls? Dont let me stop you. Do youlike the intense aromawafting from Jacks bowls? Im genuinely happy for you. For me, these sorts of shamelessdouble entendresalways come across as kind of sad. Soa whole ad built around how the word bowls sounds a little like the word balls is a miss for me.Thats right, it does notbowl me over.Burger King - Moldy WhopperThis is another one where the concept makes sense on paper. You want to get across the idea that the Whopper doesnt contain preservatives, so you showit literally falling apart and growing mold through the use of time-lapse photography. In practice,youre just staring ata moldy cheeseburger, a sight thats more likely tomake you nauseous than hungry. Again, this is promoting an important element of a fast food item, andon some level,it iswell-executed. Its just so well-executed that it makes me want to go clean outthe expired food in the back of myfridge, not jump in my car and head to BK.Get our free mobile app90s Foods We Wish They Still MadeThese foods, drinks, and snacks from the 90s were all so great. Sadly, theyve all been discontinued.

All jobs B2B Sales Development Representative Posted A few minutes agoGenSales Marketing Group, established in 2002 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, specializes in B2B lead generation and appointment setting services. With over 20 years of experience, our company utilizes a dedicated U.S.-based sales agent model and a patented multi-touch sales approach to deliver qualified leads across various industries, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and more. Apply now Remote B2B Outbound Sales Development Representative - Appointment Setter100% Remote Flexible Full or Part-Time Hours for Skilled Cold Calling ProfessionalsNote: Applicants must have a MINIMUM of 3 years of experience in B2B (Business to Business) OUTBOUND SALES cold calling/appointment setting to be considered.This is NOT a customer service role.Pay: $18 - $20 per hour guaranteed + bonuses for every successful appointment set.Position Type: Independent Contractor (1099)Military Friendly: Veterans are encouraged to apply!About Us:At GenSales Marketing Group, we've been a leading U.S.-based lead generation company since 2002, with high ratings on Glassdoor and Google. Our Remote Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) specialize in B2B outbound prospecting, and we're looking for driven individuals who are eager to go above and beyond the typical appointment setter role. If you're a "hunter" with a passion for success and constantly striving to be your best, we want you on our team.Visit us at: www.gensales.comDo You Love:Setting your own scheduleWorking on exciting projects with a variety of clientsGetting paid for training and conference callsBalancing independent work with being part of a collaborative teamGenerating valuable leads and securing appointments for clientsWhat Youll Be Doing:Making outbound cold calls to a wide range of businessesScheduling appointments with key decision-makers on behalf of our clientsEffectively managing and updating leads in our CRM platformOrganizing your day to meet your calling targetsNavigating phone trees and automated systems to connect with decision-makersCollaborating regularly with internal teams regarding scripts, lists, and campaignsAre You:Proactive and goal-orientedAn exceptional communicator with a direct, clear, and prompt mannerFriendly, but also direct, factual, and persuasiveA strong listener who values feedback and coachingHighly driven with a determination to connect with decision-makersWell-organized with strong time management skills, ensuring efficiency and focusRequired Qualifications:Proven experience in B2B outbound cold calling and appointment setting with decision-makers (C-Level, VP-Level, Director-Level)Strong listening skills and openness to coaching and feedbackAvailability to work a minimum of 25 hours per week (Monday - Thursday) during standard U.S. business hoursExcellent verbal and written communication skillsAbility to work independently, while staying organized and efficientA quiet home office setup free of distractionsStrong multitasking and time management skillsProficient in using computers, managing multiple applications, and troubleshooting independentlyExperience with cloud-based CRM and VoIP dialing software; familiarity with VanillaSoft, VS Connect, Zoom, and Slack is a plusEquipment Requirements:Desktop or laptop (Chromebooks are not compatible)Operating system: Windows 11 or above, or macOS 11 (Big Sur) or aboveWired USB headset2+ monitors preferredReliable, hard-wired high-speed internet connection (no Wi-Fi, mobile hotspots, or cellular data)Must meet specific download and upload speed requirements to be considered for the roleIdeal Candidates:B2B inside sales representatives, business development specialists, and remote/virtual telemarketing professionals with outbound sales experience are encouraged to apply.Were looking for professionals who are passionate about sales and eager to contribute to our growing team. If youre ready to take on exciting challenges and be rewarded for your success, apply today!GenSales SDR Testimonials:I've been at GenSales for over 7 years and across the board management is the best. The owner of the company always closes a meeting by telling up how much he appreciates us and the work we do; it's not just lip service but a genuine attitude of how much he values our work and our contributions. JeanieWorking in the industry for over twenty years I can assure you that Gen Sales is number one in the industry. GenSales cares about the employees and the clients in terms of success and results. If you are looking for a work-from-home job that offers growth and success, then GenSales is the one. CathyI have worked for many companies as an appointment setter since 2011. I sincerely say this is the best company to work for. They understand the needs of their employees and David and his account managers make you feel like you are a part of the family. They believe we are an extension of our clients and it is important for us to be professional and responsive to their needs. BarbApply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now GenSales Marketing Group View company Jobs posted: 1 Related Jobs Remote Sales and Marketing jobs

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April 2, 20258 min readTrumps Tariffs Are Expected to Undermine the Clean Energy TransitionNew Trump administration tariff son imported goods could exacerbate a shortage of parts used by the energy industryPresident Donald Trump delivers remarks on auto tariffs and other topics on March 26, 2025 at the White House. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | Its tariff day in America.What form the new levies take remains to be seen, but this much is clear: President Donald Trumps drive to impose tariffs on a broad range of imported products represents a new world order, one where America increasingly looks inward to make the goods it needs.That kind of transformation would almost certainly affect the global transition to green energy. One possible outcome: China might be forced to branch out and find new markets for its clean energy technology, accelerating their adoption. But major downsides are just as likely, analysts said, even as they acknowledged it is too early to predict the unintended consequences that could result from Trump's moves.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.It just seems like where we are headed is totally uncharted, said Noah Kaufman, a climate economist at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy who served in former President Joe Bidens administration. I feel very ill equipped to predict what the consequences could be.Trump has labeled Wednesday Liberation Day, arguing tariffs are needed to drive investment in domestic manufacturing after decades of outsourcing U.S. industries and jobs. Many energy analysts say the move threatens to raise prices for electricity, automobiles and gasoline.Guessing the tariffs form has become something of a Washington parlor game. One source with knowledge of the administrations thinking said the president is gravitating toward a flat universal rate on a broad range of imports. But Trump also has publicly flirted with imposing reciprocal tariffs on America's largest trading partners.Theyre reciprocal, Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday night. Whatever they charge us, we charge them, but were being nicer than they are.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters Tuesday that the president had made his decision and would announce it at a Rose Garden press conference Wednesday.However they look, the new tariffs amount to the latest in a series of new duties Trump has imposed or threatened to impose on foreign goods since taking office in January.Twenty-five percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports are scheduled to take effect Wednesday after Trump last month postponed their implementation. They follow on the heels of a new 25 percent duty placed on foreign automobiles last week and a 25 percent levy on imports of steel and aluminum established in February.Trump sought to impose tariffs on foreign goods in his first term, many of which Biden kept in place as he looked to counter Chinas manufacturing dominance. But the duties proposed by Trump since he returned to the White House go far beyond that, upending the global economic integration the United States has championed for decades.The global approach has bled over into climate efforts and the energy transition. Americas booming solar industry, for instance, has largely been supplied by Chinese panel makers operating in southeast Asia.Predicting the impact of this round of Trumps tariffs is difficult because they deliver a hammer blow to both traditional energy industries, such as oil and gas, and relatively new ones, like renewables.When the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas released its quarterly survey of oil and gas industry executives last week, the word "uncertainty" was mentioned 13 times. That's the most since the first quarter of 2020 when Covid-19 began spreading around the world, according to an analysis by the American Petroleum Institute.The administrations tariffs immediately increased the cost of our casing and tubing by 25 percent, one executive told the bank.It was a similar story in the manufacturing sector, which contracted in March, according to a monthly survey released Monday by the Institute for Supply Management. Companies reported higher prices, fewer new orders and declining employment in large part due to uncertainties over the tariff environment.Energy industry already dealing with shortagesTariffs stand to exacerbate shortages of key components used by the energy industry, analysts said.A shortage of electrical components such as transformers, circuit breakers and switchgear has persisted for 54 consecutive months, according to ISM. And that's hampered efforts to keep up with rising electricity demand from data centers.Some utilities responded by sourcing equipment from overseas a strategy that looks increasingly risky, Wood Mackenzie wrote in a January analysis of the potential impact on tariffs.Transformer manufacturing might not seem like a big deal in the context of containing runaway carbon dioxide emissions or satisfying the energy demands of technology companies. But shortages of key electrical components have slowed the integration of renewables and other new power plants on the grid, limiting the number of data centers that can plug in, analysts said.This isn't a thing which is just good for renewables, bad for fossil fuels, or good for fossil fuels, bad for renewables, said Antoine Vagneur-Jones, head of trade and supply chains at BloombergNEF. It's a period of massive uncertainty, and that's difficult for businesses to navigate wherever you're sitting.The United States free trade agreement with Mexico meant that companies from a range of industries set up shop south of the border in an attempt to access the worlds largest economy while benefiting from lower labor costs.The U.S. imported $31.3 billion worth of wire and cable in 2024, and 52 percent came from Mexico, according to Ken Roberts, the chief executive of WorldCity, a data-tracking firm. Another $29.2 billion worth of power supplies and transformers came in last year, with 21 percent coming from Mexico and 13 percent from China. And $13.3 billion worth of electric motors and generators were imported, with 32 percent coming from Mexico and 13 percent coming from China.Automakers like General Motors, Honda and Ford, meanwhile, have spent decades building an interconnected supply chain that stretches across North America.The vehicles they assemble in the United States typically contain a large number of parts from Mexico, Canada and other countries, and they also build vehicles in Mexico and Canada with parts from the United States. Some American automakers most popular electric vehicles are assembled in Mexico, including Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolets Equinox and Hondas Prologue.Trumps plan runs the risk of creating a spiral, where Mexico and other countries impose their own tariffs, prompting tit-for-tat responses, said Enrique Milln-Meja, a senior fellow for economic development at the Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.That's where, in reality, a trade war starts, and that's when everybody loses, he said.Trump and his allies say that tariffs are needed to reverse decades of outsourcing that decimated manufacturing communities across much of the United States. They contend new duties on imports will force companies to invest in U.S. manufacturing facilities in order to access the worlds largest economy. And they argue the approach is already bearing fruit.As evidence, the White House has touted investments such as Hyundais plan to invest $21 billion in U.S. automobile factories and Schneider Electrics plan to spend $700 million on expanding its U.S. operations. Schneider Electric, a French company, is one of the worlds largest makers of equipment for the power sector.When I think about what is the vision of the Trump trade and tariff agenda, it's bringing back American manufacturing, creating jobs and passing the tax policy that primarily benefits working class people, said Nick Iacovella, who worked as an aide to Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he was in the Senate and now serves as executive vice president at the Coalition for a Prosperous America.Tariffs would raise revenue to pay for the extension of Trumps tax cuts, Iacovella said. He expressed hope the president would impose a universal rate on imports rather than adopting a reciprocal approach.A reciprocal tariff strategy that is primarily focused on other countries lowering their trade barriers and prioritizing market access that's essentially a free trade agreement, he said. You know, we've done this policy for like three decades. It doesn't work.U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who serves as chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said tariffs are needed to counteract years of unfair trade practices in China.There's nothing normal about our trade relationship with China, Moolenaar told an industry summit in Washington on Tuesday. They will subsidize, they will steal technology IP, they have all sorts of unfair trade practices. And so we need to recognize that, just acknowledge that, and then reset the relationship so there's a very different expectation, and I think that's what President Trump's tariffs are going to do, is to force this negotiation to reset this trading relationship.China may seek new buyers for clean energy techSome of Trump's actions could rebound in ways that could benefit the transition to clean energy.China, whose economy increasingly depends on the production of clean energy technology, will be motivated to find new markets as its shut out of others by tariffs, sparking a solar boom in Pakistan or a jump in EV sales in Brazil, analysts said.A growing share of Chinese exports of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and EVs are going to countries the World Bank classifies as lower or middle income, said Vagneur-Jones, the analyst from BloombergNEF.So you start to see these sort of knock-on effects, and then you could conceivably see a world where the energy transition starts to accelerate slightly in some of those poorer countries where it was seemingly more of a rich country thing, he added.But most analysts took a dimmer view, saying it would take companies years to readjust their supply chains and push up prices on energy, automobiles and consumer goods.Tariffs could add 15 percent to the average cost of vehicles, and companies will have no choice but to raise prices, said Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry Insight, a research firm that tracks the auto industry. The higher prices could drive down sales and lead to factory closures and layoffs.You cant just move production from one factory to another in a matter of weeks, he said in an interview. Youre talking years of pain before you potentially get to a positive place.In the utility industry, it will take years for manufacturers to bring new factories online needed to make equipment such as transformers and circuit breakers, said Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm.Expecting companies to bring enough manufacturing capacity online to keep up with growing electricity demand projections is just not a reasonable timeframe to plan more facilities, he said. I think the tariffs are mostly just raising the cost to U.S. utilities and then their rate payers.Even sectors that have traditionally viewed tariffs as a means of bolstering domestic manufacturing are feeling uncertain. U.S. solar manufacturers have been pushing for targeted tariffs combined with tax credits and other incentives like those contained in the Biden administrations Inflation Reduction Act.The U.S. has boosted its production of solar modules since the IRA went into effect, growing from 14.5 gigawatts of production in 2023 to 50 GW in early 2025, according to a Wood Mackenzie report conducted for the Solar Energy Industries Association.But those modules are still mostly made with imported components. Whether it will be cheaper to import entire solar modules rather than individual components likely will depend on the size of the tariffs and how theyre implemented. It also hinges on whether Congress maintains tax incentives for domestic manufacturers under the IRA.Tariffs can be a part of the solution set, but they're not necessarily dependable enough that you can invest against them, said Michael Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America Coalition, which advocates for policies that support a U.S.-based solar supply chain.Dan Anthony, president of Trade Partnership Worldwide, a trade and economic research firm, said the tariff impact on U.S. solar panel production, ultimately would depend on how high the new levies are and if American producers face higher costs for imported materials.Higher costs for imported finished panels dont help production if U.S. costs rise just as much due to tariffs on imports, he wrote in an email.Even if the final cost of U.S.-produced panels doesnt rise as much as imported ones, he added, Americans may still choose to install fewer solar panels due to higher costs for the panels themselves or other purchases, such as cars, that are affected by tariffs.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

April 2, 20253 min readShingles Vaccination May Help Protect People from Alzheimers DiseaseA natural experiment in Wales showed that a shingles vaccine might lower the risk of developing dementiaBy Rachel Nuwer edited by Tanya Lewis Arman Zhenikeyev/Getty ImagesIn 2013 public health officials in Wales faced a conundrum: they had just received a new vaccine for shingles, but the supply was not large enough to vaccinate all of the older people in the country. As a fix, the officials set a cutoff date based on data that suggested the vaccine was more effective in those younger than age 80: anyone born before September 2, 1933, was ineligible for the vaccine, and anyone born on or after that date was eligible for at least one year.This unusual public health policy inadvertently created a real-world experiment that has provided the strongest evidence to date that the shingles vaccine appears to have a protective effect against Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. According to findings published this week in Nature, people who received the vaccine were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years compared with those who remained unvaccinated.This study really shows that there seems to be a causal, protective effect of shingles vaccination preventing or delaying dementia, says Pascal Geldsetzer, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University and senior author of the study. We are really looking, here, at cause and effectnot just correlation.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Evidence has been building for years that certain viruses might contribute to some cases of dementia and that vaccinations against these viruses could lower that risk. Most previous research was conducted on cells or laboratory animals, though, or consisted of observational studies that compared people who chose to get vaccinated with those who did not in a given population. Such observational studies have fundamental limitations because researchers cannot easily control for other relevant behavioral differences, such as diet and physical activity levels, between the two groups.The beautiful data provided by the vaccination program in Wales get around this limitation, Geldsetzer says, because the only difference between those who were and were not vaccinated was a slight difference in when they were born. Birthdays were thus equivalent to a coin flip used to assign participants to one group or another in a randomized trial.For the new study, the researchers compared people whose 80th birthday fell within a week of the vaccine cutoffeither just missing it or just making it. Virtually none of those who had a birthday in the week prior to the cutoff received the shingles vaccine, while 47 percent of those who were eligible opted to get vaccinated.The researchers compared the health outcomes of both groups over the next seven years and found that one in eight people in total went on to be diagnosed with dementia. Those who received the shingles vaccine because they were eligible, however, were 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who didnt receive it because they were ineligible. All other factors that the researchers examinedincluding education level, rates of other vaccinations or diagnoses with common diseaseswere the same between the two groups.The findings suggest that the shingles virus might play a role in causing at least a subset of dementia cases, Geldsetzer says, and the vaccine may protect against that. Alternatively, it could be that certain vaccines, such as the one for shingles, lead to a broader immune system activation that lowers the risk of dementia developing.Geldsetzer and his colleagues now hope to raise funds to conclusively test these possibilities through a randomized controlled trial. If the findings hold up, they will be of huge importance for helping researchers better understand the underlying drivers of Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia, he says. That would also suggest that vaccinations for shingles and certain other viral diseases could be an affordable and effective public health measure to delay or prevent dementia from developing in some people in the first place.This is a well-done study that provides novel evidence that the live-attenuated [shingles] vaccine might reduce risk of dementia, says Alberto Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. The implications, he adds, go well beyond the particulars of this particular vaccine. It will be important to expand future research broadly on the potential role of infections and vaccinations in determining dementia risk, Ascherio says.

While the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games - and some are even receiving an upgrade - there are still a number of games with compatibility issues on the new console, including Fortnite. Read more

One thing's clear. The Switch 2 is launching into a very complex environment. Just a look at today's Nintendo Direct, or rather the comments scrolling on the side of the IGN feed over on YouTube. Someone wants a proper 3D Donkey Kong game. Someone else wants Waluigi in Smash. Someone wants Jet Set Radio - I promise that one was not me - someone else wants a full-blown sequel to Twilight Princess.Actually, looking at the Nintendo Direct itself, you can see a bit of that complexity. You'll be able to play Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Switch 2. Surely the kind of thing you might lead with, or at least put right near the start? Yes, sure, but then you'd bring up the uncomfortable reality of a world that already has the Steam Deck in it. Best bury this stuff a little, before it serves as a reminder that Nintendo's no longer the only bunch out there that have the full video game experience you can enjoy while sat on the bus.I registered all these thoughts watching today's Direct, just as I registered the thoughts at certain moments that this really didn't feel like a classic Nintendo console unveiling. Aren't the other guys the ones who spend time talking about HDR visuals? Is it Nintendo to spend that much time talking about SD cards or the new fan? That third-party reel towards the end was one DoorDash namecheck away from being a Geoff Keighley production. Is Nintendo losing its nerve - or, with a console that is in so many ways so similar to its last console, did it just not have that much new to say right now? Image credit: NintendoOn balance, I don't think that's the case. I think the really big thing was up-front after the Mario Kart World reveal - in a way, it was a part of the Mario Kart World reveal, but we'll get to that in a moment. It's the C Button, which, yes, does sound like the kind of thing you say when you're trying to swear in the presence of children. It's what the C Button does. It's chat. It's audio and video chat. But it's all done in a very Nintendo way.By which I mean Nintendo's looked at a part of the world very closely, and has delivered a solution in a distinctly Nintendo manner. I'm not sure that I personally would have understood the area they are working in if I didn't have an eleven-year-old child, because I'm 46 and, like many people post-Covid, deeply eager to never log onto another video conference ever again. But I share a house with someone who uses technology - and games - in a very different way. Someone who sees video chats and online chat of all kinds as part of their everyday reality. This is who Nintendo is thinking of.To put it another way, I've long realised that my daughter relates to games in a very different way to me. To her, and her school friends, games are social spaces, an extension of the playground chat. They chat at school. They chat on the bus home from school. And then they get home and they continue to chat in Fortnite or Among Us or Minecraft. Are they chatting about the games? Sometimes, but most often they're just chatting about anything. These games are part of the way they socialise, a bit like the FaceTime skincare routine chats they'll go on to have later in the evening. Image credit: NintendoThis is what that C Button is all about. You're playing games together, so chat makes sense. But even if you're playing different games, or just watching one of you play a game, it still makes sense for this kind of player. The C Button is basically the party line from Mean Girls - it just happens that people are much more likely to communicate through consoles than landlines in 2025.I love the fact that you don't have to play the same games as each other in Nintendo's GameChat. It seems to speak to the way focus shifts when you're chatting with friends - what are you doing? What about you lot? What are you doing now? - and it speaks to the simple joy of just being together regardless of what you're actually up to. Image credit: NintendoFold in Mario Kart World, though, and it becomes even more interesting. When I heard that you'd be able to go off road and explore in Mario Kart World, I thought: fun, but a bit weird. What's everyone else you're playing with going to be doing? Turns out they'll be doing their own stuff, connected to you but not connected via GameChat. The Switch 2 is weaponising aimless free time, in the same way that Twitch or Discord does.I know none of this is new, and despite the example I've used of my daughter and her friends, none of this is unique to school kids and Gens Z and Alpha. All kinds of people use games as spaces to meet up in. But it's fascinating to see Nintendo get in on the act - Nintendo who often arrives late, having cooked up very distinct ideas. Maybe Nintendo hasn't lost its nerve after all.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereThe Nintendo Switch 2 Direct revealed a host of awesome new specs, features, games and more for the upcoming handheld. Alongside unique additions like Joy-Con mouse support and an awesome new GameChat feature, Nintendos more sinister additions were keenly avoided.Following the Direct, a new form of Nintendo Switch 2 cartridge was revealed: the Game-Key Card. While the original Switch saw some physical releases launch without a cartridge in the box, they will now launch with almost-blank game cards that require the internet to use.Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards are sneaky DRM toolsRevealed on the Nintendo Support page for the Switch 2, the new Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Card overview details the most annoying feature of the unreleased console yet.Game-key cards are different from regular game cards, because they dont contain the full game data, the description reads. Instead, the game-key card is your key to downloading the full game to your system via the internet.Every Switch 2 game that releases in Game-key card form will have a small notice at the bottom of the case. This notice reads full game download via internet required.Essentially, every Nintendo Switch 2 Game-key Card is a license instead of an actual game. Developers that dont want to shell out for the price of a game cartridge that has enough storage can instead keep their costs down by making users download the game themselves.Similar to the original Xbox One plan for physical games, the license can seemingly be transferred between users, although thats not confirmed. Current Switch games that release without a cartridge typically come with a game key that is instantly tied to a user account. With this in mind, the Game Key Card system isnt a terrible compromise, but its still a terrible choice for longevity.Its a double-edged sword as, for the life cycle of the console, you do get something that sounds like it can be resold and transferred. However, as soon as Nintendo turns off the consoles servers in the future, players wont be able to download their games.Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially shown off again by Nintendo. A month after the consoles official reveal, the Nintendo Switch 2 release date, price, and more have been officially revealed by the Japanese console giant.All shown off in a special Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, we now know a lot more information about the new handheld/console hybrid.Nintendo Switch 2 Release DateNintendo has officially confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 release date as June 5, 2025. The console will launch worldwide on the same date. Pre-orders are not available at the time of writing. The console will launch on its own and with a bundle featuring Mario Kart World. Nintendo Switch 2 PriceNintendo did not confirm the consoles price during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. However, according to Business Wire, the console will have a retail price of $449.99 in the United States. The higher-than-expected US price is likely due to the rise of tarrifs in the region.According to official Nintendo Japan, the consoles Japanese price is considerably cheaper. In Japan, the console will cost 49,980 Yen for the console on its own (around 258.25 at the time of writing) or 53,980 Yen for the console plus Mario Kart World.Via Nintendo, the UK price will launch at 395.00 on its own or 429.99 with Mario Kart World.Nintendo Switch 2 specsThe Nintendo Switch 2 features a huge 7.2-inch 1080p screen with 120fps playback and HDR support, allowing for higher resolution, more smoothness and better dynamic range than the original console. However, Nintendo confirms that the new machine will have the same thickness as the original console. Nintendo Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, 8 times that of the original Nintendo Switch. The new Nintendo Switch 2 dock also supports 4K resolution for compatible gmes with HDR support in TV mode and introduces better cooling with a built-in fan.Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con and C-Button explainedThe new Nintendo Switch 2 console also features brand-new Joy-Con controllers with the right controller holding a mysterious C-Button. But what is this button? In the new direct, Nintendo confirmed that the C-Button is the Game Chat button, allowing players to enter a Discord-like call with friends. The Nintendo Switch 2 console has a microphone attached that can pick up your voice clearly even from a distance with built-in noise cancellation to drown out background chat. This feature also has screen sharing functionality even in handheld mode. The C-Button will open the chat menu, allowing players to mute themselves and expand screensharing. Players can even use an official Nintendo Switch 2 camera to appear on-screen with friends. Game Chat will be available without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription until March 31, 2026.The Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con can also be used as a mouse for compatible games. Available for both the left and right controller, this feature lets you glide the controller across a smooth surface for more specific control.Nintendo Switch 2 Game ShareGames that require multiple screens for multiplayer can now also be played via Game Share. This feature allows players to share games across Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 without having to buy another version of the game.Nintendo Switch 2 GamesMario Kart World The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct has kicked off with a first look at the next Mario Kart game: Mario Kart World. Featuring karts, boats, planes and more, the massively expanded karting game is an upgrade reminiscnent of Diddy Kong Racing or Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing Transformed. Mario Kart World not only allows players to go off the racetrack, but also drive between courses as part of the Grand Prix. With 24 players on track, players will not only have to deal with a hugely expanded course setup, but also weather conditions and different times of day.The DuskbloodsA brand-new FromSoftware game designed for the Nintendo Switch 2, is a dark, gothic adventure with surprising sci-fi elements. While not actually Bloodborne 2, this 2026 release is as close to a sequel as were ever going to get, bringing players back to a gothic version of London and a big ol focus on blood.Kirby Air RidersA brand-new Kirby game for the Nintendo Switch 2 console, Kirby Air Riders is a long-awaited sequel to the GameCube racing game coming in 2025. Directed by Smash Bros and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai, we couldnt be more excited. DONKEY KONG: BANANZAA brand-new 3D Donkey Kong is finally happening for the first time since Rares Donkey Kong 64. Set in some form of mining world, DK is back in a colourful new adventure to find gems, beat up bad guys and chomp on some fine bananas. The new game releases on July 17, 2025. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome TourAnnounced as part of the new Direct, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is an exclusive Switch 2 game that teaches players about the new consoles hardware. The new game experience is designed to have players find and discover small mini games that make use of the consoles hardware. Its not as full on as something like Astros Playroom, but its suitably Nintendo. The game is sadly not included with the console. Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV For example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will have a brand-new enhanced edition with Jamboree TV that adds new mini games that take advantage of the new hardwares tools. Some games make use of voice controls, mouse controls or full-body movement with the Switch 2 camera. For this specific game, player need to purchase either the new game or an uprgade pack.Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 EditionBoth of the iconic Switch Zelda games have been enhanced for the new Switch 2 console with enhanced framerates, resolutions and more. The new games also have a new Zelda Notes feature allowing for voiced directions and hints for exploring the game world. Kibry and the Forgotten Land Switch 2 EditionAlongside new visuals and framerate improvements, the Switch 2 version of the game includes a brand-new Star Crossed World expansion.Metroid Prime 4 BeyondAvailable on both the original Switch and Switch 2, Metroid Prime 4 is a brand-new adventure. On Switch 2, the game will be available in 4K 60fps or 1080P 120fps with brand-new mouse controls. Pokemon Legends Z-AThis Pokemon game will allow players to experience the new Lumiose City adventure with brand-new enhancements. Available on launch day, this version will include enhanced visuals and framerates. Drag x Drive A brand-new game for the Nintendo Switch 2, Drad x Drive is a virtual recreation of wheelchair basketball. Using the new Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con, this game requires players to combine the new controllers mouse controls and motion controls to dunk basketballs. The game launches this Summer.Elden Ring: Tarnished EditionBandai Namco and FromSoftwares open world Soulslike Elden Ring is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. Hades 2The awesome roguelike sequel will launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 with high resolutions and buttery smooth framerates. Street Fighter 6Capcoms Street Fighter 6 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, alongside a host of new Street Fighter Amiibo. The new version of the game will allow players to use motion controls to pull off moves as well as traditional controls. Split FictionJosef Fares awesome co-op adventure Split Fiction is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, bringing the fantastic story-based game to the new Nintendo console on launch day.EA Sports FC, Madden NFLYeah, these as well.Hogwarts Legacy A new version of Hogwarts Legacy is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 with mouse controls for advanced magic controls on Switch 2s launch day.Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4 Remake Activisions remake of Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 and 4 will be available on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console sometime during Summer 2025.HITMAN: WORLD OF ASSASSINATIONIO Interactives fantastic Hitman: World of Assassination will be fully playable on the new Nintendo handheld on Switch 2s launch day. After the games cloud version on the original handheld, this will be a fully native game.Project 007IOs upcoming James Bond game is coming to new Nintendo Switch handheld.Bravely Default RemasteredA full remaster of the 3DS Bravely Default game is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 with brand-new controls on launch day.Yakuza 0 Directors CutA remaster of Yakuza 0 will be avaolable on the Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day with brand new cutscenes and more. More Yakuza games are also in the works for the handheld.Hyrule Warriors: Age of ImprisonmentA new Hyrule Warriors spin-off acting as an official prequel to the story of Tears of the Kingdom, allowing players to experience Zeldas story, is in the works. The new game is set to release in Winter 2025. DeltaRune Chapters 1+2+3+4Undertale creator Toby Foxs parallel story to their adorable indie game is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in the form of DeltaRune Chapters 1+2+3+4. Available on launch day, the new game will be playable in its entirety. Borderlands 4Gearboxs looter-shooter series is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2025.Civilization VIICiv 7 is getting a brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 Edition that supports the new consoles mouse controls on the consoles launch day. Players who own the original release on Switch will be able to buy an upgrade pass.WWE 2K, NBA 2KYeah, these ones as well. Enter the Gungeon 2The awesome roguelike Enter the Gungeon is back with returning fan-favourites and more. Cyberpunk 2077CD Projekt REDs Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on launch day, including all DLC for the original game.Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade The Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is coming to the new handheld console, starting with Remake Integrade. FortniteA brand-new edition of Fortnite is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 console with massively imrpoved visuals over the current handhelds incarnation.Star Wars OutlawsUbisofts cutting-edge open world Star Wars game is coming to the new Nintendo Switch 2 console. Fast FusionA follow-up to Fast RMX Racing, this Switch 2 game will be available on launch day.Other announced games: Hollow Knight: SilksongTwo Point Museum Wild Hearts SWitchbrookPuto Puyo Tetris 2SMarvel Comcis INvasionSwitch 2 Enhanced GamesNintendo Switch 2 will be able to play Nintendo Switch 1 games with new enhancements on the upgraded console. Players who own the original Switch version of an enhance dgame will have to buy a new Upgrade Pack to experiecne the new upgrades. Nintendo Switch 2 Game CardsNintendo Siwtch 2 game cards look almost identical to the original consoles cartridges. However, these cards will be red and cannot be used on the older console. With higher storage options and faster read speeds, these game cards will support the more advanced games.Nintendo Switch Online + GameCube ExpansionThe current Switch Online memberbership will continue on the Switch 2 console. However, players with the Expansion Pass will be able to experience a brand-new addition of GameCube games. The new GameCube games are as follows:The Legend of Zelda: Wind WakerSoulCalibur II (Online multiplayer supported)F-ZERO GX (Online multiplayer supported)Other titles coming include Pokemon Collesium, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Luigis Mansion, Chibi-Robo and more. GameCube games on the Nintendo Switch 2 can be playable with a brand-new wireless GameCube controller. Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share