President-elect Donald Trump and some of his allies have suggested, to varying degrees, that Trump should be allowed to meddle with the Federal Reserves decisions about US monetary policy. I think I have the right to say, I think you should go up or down a little bit, Trump said, referring to interest rates, which the Federal Reserve sets, at an October event at the Chicago Economic Club. I dont think I should be allowed to order it, but I think I have the right to put in comments as to whether or not the interest rates should go up or down.Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) went further on X, claiming, The Executive Branch should be under the direction of the president. Thats how the Constitution was designed. The Federal Reserve is one of many examples of how weve deviated from the Constitution in that regard. Yet another reason why we should #EndTheFed. Elon Musk, the billionaire who has become an advisor to Trump, replied to Lees tweet with a 100 emoji. Bringing the Federal Reserve under the presidents control would be a major change. The Fed is an independent institution meant to make decisions that shape the domestic economy without political interference. Theres no indication that Trump wants to exert the kind of control that Musk and Lee tweeted about, but even the type of influence he appears to want likely wont be possible at least in the short term.How much can Trump influence the Fed?Trump cant influence the Federal Reserve much for right now.When it comes to interest rates, which are basically how much it costs to borrow money, Trump can complain they are too high (or too low) like any other American, but the Feds leaders are the only government officials with the power to adjust those rates. The Fed has lowered interest rates this year as inflation has declined but it kept rates fairly high for the last few years, in part to fight pandemic-era inflation. Even with the lower rates, however, many Americans are still finding it too expensive to borrow money so they can make big purchases like a home.Forcing or pressuring the Fed to lower interest rates wont necessarily fix high borrowing costs for Americans; the interest rates set by the Fed are actually short-term costs that banks pay to each other to borrow money. The Feds decisions influence the cost of borrowing, but there are a lot of other factors that go into consumer credit.Related:Can Trump ban trans athletes from school sports?Furthermore, many of Trumps other policy proposals like broad tariffs or mass deportation could increase inflation, which higher interest rates are supposed to combat. If implemented, these proposals could actually lead to higher inflation.If you have big tax cuts, and he wants to spend more on the military, and is rounding up however many millions of undocumented workers he plans to [deport], thats all going to be very inflationary as will Trumps proposed tariffs on imports, Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Vox. And then if you tell the Fed, Well, you cant do anything to try and contain it, because that would make me unpopular, Thats going to be a really bad story. One other way Trump might try to meddle in the Feds affairs is by trying to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Trump appointed Powell, but was highly critical of Powells decision-making during his first term, and reportedly looked into whether he could fire the Fed chair.Powell has stated that he will serve through the rest of his term, which doesnt end until 2026, but has declined to say whether or not he would stay on for a third term. Legally, Trump cannot force Powell to resign or fire him. Members of the Feds Board of Governors, which Powell is part of as the Fed chair, can only be fired for wrongdoing or job performance reasons, not differences in policy. Trump could try to fire Powell claiming hes performing his job poorly, but that decision would probably embroil the president-elect in a drawn-out legal battle, like the one that ensnared Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he tried to fire a Fed commissioner. (And that Roosevelt lost.)Because the Federal Reserve was created by an act of Congress, it would take Congressional action to make any changes to how it works. Congress has made some changes over the decades, but theres no signal right now that most lawmakers are willing to challenge the independence of the institution. Any attempts to interfere with the Feds independence could have ripple effects in the stock market, Jeremy Siegel, a finance professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, told Business Insider. In general, theres no question that the market does not like any attempt to interfere, by the executive or congressional branches, in the independence of the Fed, Siegel said. But come May of 2026, Trump will be able to have some congressionally authorized say in Fed policy. Thats when hell be required to appoint a Fed chair for a new four-year term, wholl then have to undergo Senate confirmation. That may be Powell, or it could be someone more compliant with Trumps idea of what the Fed should be.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

It will soon be Giving Tuesday, and its time for me to do what I do on Vox every Giving Tuesday: encourage people to give more money to effective charities.Over years of doing this, Ive gotten a long and familiar list of objections. I decided this year to try my best to answer them.What are you asking me to do?I am asking you to give 10 percent of your pretax income to a charity that saves lives. I give my 10 percent to GiveWells top charities fund, which redistributes it to highly effective global health charities like the Malaria Consortium and Helen Keller International. GiveWell estimates that for every $5,000 gift, these charities will save one human life.I think of GiveWell as like the charity version of an index fund: Its a rigorous, impartial recommender that you can donate to without having to pick and choose individual causes. It has also been, disclosure, an advertiser on Vox Media podcasts, though Ive been using it since long before that was true.10 percent seems like a lot.Its significant. For the average American household, which has an income of roughly $75,000, its a $7,500 commitment. Thats a real bite, but its also more than enough to save a life.I dont know if I can afford 10 percent Thats fair! Can you do 5 percent?Maybe I would go as low as 1 percent!But then thats only $750 a year, and that cant save a life.Well, every five years you would. And if you want to do more good, we can always go back to 10 percent!The Vox guide to givingThe holiday season is giving season. This year, Vox is exploring every element of charitable giving from making the case for donating 10 percent of your income, to recommending specific charities for specific causes, to explaining what you can do to make a difference beyond donations. You can find all of our giving guide stories here.Okay, okay, 10 percent. Isnt that kind of religious?For sure: The practice of tithing in many world religions is a key inspiration here. The twist is Im suggesting tithing not to religious institutions but to highly effective charities (which could be religious or not its not their beliefs that matter, but their effectiveness).So why these particular charities?Because theres a huge, huge difference between what the most and least effective charities can accomplish with donations. You might think that charities are like brands of dish soap Ive never once thought that.Its an analogy, give me a second. The absolute best dish soap is probably, at most, a tiny bit better than the average brand, right? I mean its just soap. Even Wirecutter says you probably cant go wrong with most name-brand dish detergents.Fair enough, soap is soap.But really, charities are more like chefs knives. The difference between the best and worst knife is enormous and affects the entire process of cooking, or so it has been explained to me by superior cooks. Its the difference between an enjoyable time in the kitchen versus pure drudgery (and a heightened chance you inadvertently chop off your fingertip).So what does this have to do with charity?What it has to do with charity is that the vast majority of nonprofits have no evidence of positive impact at all, and even charities brave enough to agree to rigorous tests of their impact see widely variable effectiveness. In global development, something like 60 to 70 percent of interventions tested show no results at all, which effectively means the money donated could have just been thrown down a hole.And among those that do show results, the size of the impact varies drastically. The researcher Benjamin Todd has looked into these questions a lot, examining nine different databases of program impact, and found that in every context, from US social policy to global health to the UKs National Health Service to estimates of climate policies, the results are fat-tailed. Thats statistics talk for the conclusion that the best interventions are much, much better than the average interventions. How much better are these super-interventions?It depends, but here are a couple of examples: The most cost-effective treatments examined by Britains National Health Service were 120 times more effective than the median treatment. A World Bank study found the most effective interventions in global health were 38 times more effective than the median ones.Because it lets you do a lot more good. Suppose youre giving $7,500 a year. If you gave that to an average global health program, youd be providing 30 more total years of healthy life to a few people, per the World Bank data.30 years of life! Thats pretty good, right?Its great. But if you put that money toward one of the 2.5 percent most cost-effective interventions, youd save about 1,275 years of life.Quite possibly! These are necessarily rough numbers and you shouldnt take them too literally. You might merely save hundreds of years of life. But the magnitudes here strongly suggest that you should be careful about choosing where to donate, because the difference between the best and the merely okay is huge.Theres a reason the philosopher Toby Ord, who originated the 10 percent of income to effective charities pledge idea, has argued that cost-effectiveness is a moral imperative, on par with the moral imperative to give money at all.So I looked at the GiveWell list of top charities why arent there any working in the US?Good question. The short answer is the US is a rich country, which means everything tends to cost more than it does abroad including the cost of helping people in need. The US still has extreme poverty, in the global, living-on-$2-a-day standard, but its comparatively rare and hard to target effectively. The poorest Americans also have access to health care and education systems that, while obviously inferior compared to those enjoyed by rich Americans, are still superior to those of very poor countries.To be blunt: People in the US simply are not dying for want of a $1.50 anti-malaria pill. (For one thing, the US managed to essentially eradicate malaria transmission from within its borders.) That means it is much, much more cost-effective to help people abroad.How much more cost-effective?Heres one example. Years ago, GiveWell looked into a number of US charities, like the Nurse-Family Partnership program for infants, the KIPP chain of charter schools, and the HOPE job-training program. It found that all were highly effective but were also far more cost-intensive than the best foreign charities. KIPP and the Nurse-Family Partnership cost more than $9,000 per child served, while a program like the Malaria Consortiums prevention efforts costs around $4,500 per life saved.Theres been less work on evaluating US charities in recent years than would be ideal, and Id love to hear about charities that can save lives here very cost-effectively. But right now, the evidence suggests to me that its much more expensive to save lives in the US than abroad. But I still want to help people closer to me.Thats a commendable impulse! I get it, really, and if the most I can convince you to do here is give 10 percent of your income to fight poverty in the US, then you should do that and Ill take the win.But I would also ask you to consider the idea that people in other, much poorer countries have equal moral weight to those who live in your country. Their lives matter just as much. And if you can help, say, 100 of them for the cost of helping one American, and you choose to do the latter, youre making an implicit choice to value Americans much more than non-Americans. I think there might be valid reasons to make that choice but its not one I want to make, so thats not how I donate.Indeed they do. I think the best critique of GiveWells list well, less a critique than an argument not to use it exclusively is that you can do even more good, even more efficiently if you try to help animals, especially farm animals bred and raised in extreme suffering just so they can be slaughtered. There are billions of them, and very little is spent trying to help them. If you want to help them, Animal Charity Evaluators has some good suggestions of where to give. Im partial to the Humane League, which pressures corporations to improve their treatment of farmed animals.This all sounds like effective altruism.It does because it is. Todd and Ord were among the founders of effective altruism, and generally the community and people in it have developed a lot of the ideas you see above, from the focus on cost-effectiveness to the give 10 percent idea to taking animals seriously.Didnt effective altruists do a bunch of crimes a few years ago?A bunch of EAs definitely did a bunch of crimes a few years ago. Sam Bankman-Fried and several of his colleagues at FTX and Alameda Research identified as EAs and stated that they were only becoming billionaires to donate the proceeds to effective charities. Of course, they turned out to be stealing lots of money in the process and Bankman-Fried has since been convicted in federal court and sentenced to 25 years in prison. (Disclosure: In 2022, Bankman-Frieds philanthropic family foundation, Building a Stronger Future, awarded Voxs Future Perfect a grant for a 2023 reporting project. That project is now on pause.)So he did crimes because of these ideas?I dont think we know for sure why he did what he did, but there are some theories. One theory is that Bankman-Fried took the idea that you should make as much money as possible and donate it as efficiently as possible, and ran way too far with it to the point where committing outright fraud to make money to donate made sense to him, on the apparent grounds that the potential good that could be done with it was worth the risk to himself and many others. Other theories hold that he was just lying the whole time, never cared about doing the right thing, and used EA as a cover for his own greed. Either way, it reflects very badly on EA.So why are you asking me to take these effective altruist ideas seriously?Because theyre good ideas and theyre in danger of being totally discredited because of some effective altruists who didnt even take the donate a lot of your income to normal charities that save lives part of the philosophy seriously.Look at SBF: He distributed a bunch of money to causes he valued, but they were explicitly not causes involving giving people lifesaving medication right now. They were more speculative longtermist causes things like AI safety and preventing global catastrophic risks. Whatever you think of that behavior, its precisely not what Im asking you to do right now.If they didnt take these ideas seriously, why should I?Because you have the opportunity to save lives, right now, and you should take it.This whole thing where you think Im, like, obligated to give this much is weird.I dont think youre obligated. I just think its a good thing to do and that you should consider it. If everyone did it, we could end global poverty and then some. And I dont even think its purely an altruistic good thing. I think itll be good for you as a person, too.Oh, really? I should selfishly give away 10 percent of my income?Thats honestly a big part of why I do it.Really? For yourself?Sure. Look, I think its important to do good for other people, in and of itself. Thats a major motivator, definitely.But you ever wonder if your life has meaning? If it makes any kind of difference to the world? Personally, I want to live a life that means something, that leaves things ever so slightly better than I found them. I want to be pursuing goals that arent just material. I dont want to mark the progression of my life solely through raises and promotions, or fall victim to the subtle pressures that push me to spend more and more of my money on gadgets and furniture that make me progressively less happy.Im talking about a problem that, for me, giving 10 percent of my income away helps solve. One, it helps establish a baseline meaning or impact from my work if nothing else, I know that the money I make through my job contributes to saving peoples lives. That has to count for something. Thats a source of real meaning and pride.Two, it provides a powerful counterforce to the treadmill that comes as you age and make more money, a treadmill that pushes you to spend lots of it to keep up with your peers or feel like youre living better. There are definitely times when I feel like Im not taking as nice a vacation as my friends are, or where I feel kinda cheap for having mostly Wayfair furniture while my friends have a nice, solid wood dining table. Sometimes I blame the donations for these feelings.But mostly I am thankful for them. The idea that, after you reach a certain level of baseline comfort, additional consumer spending is going to make you dramatically happier is a seductive lie. And one of the few weapons I have against it is the knowledge that I face a very real choice between, say, getting one of those amazing lie-flat business-class airplane seats for my next vacation and saving a human beings life. That lets me resist the former, and live a life that feels just a tiny bit more meaningful.Okay, fine, Im in. Where do I sign up?The group Giving What We Can runs a pledge, which I and thousands of others have signed, for people who commit to donating 10 percent of their income to highly effective charities. You can sign if you want. But the main thing to do is just give.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

From Nintendo to Sony, Sega to Microsoft, there have been some great console launches - and some that each would rather forget. Here are the worst console launches of all time.

PS5 Pro owners are asking developers to enable them to turn off the console's enhancements after disappointments with multiple patches - despite the console costing 699

The Rise Of The Golden Idol yeah, hes dead (Playstack)One of the best detective video games gets a sequel, as the follow-up to The Case Of The Golden Idol fast-forwards 200 years to offer some even stranger crime-solving mysteries.We always feel guilty about criticising indie games, since we know theyre working to miniscule budgets and with often only a handful of developers. But the one thing we wont give them any slack for is how terrible they are at choosing names. Theyre either unmemorable, unpronounceable, or impossible to spell and with this one we kept having to check what it was called, even while we were still playing it.The Rise Of The Golden Idol is the sequel to 2022s The Case Of The Golden Idol, whose name we also took issue with, because anyone hearing it out of context would assume it to be an Indiana Jones style adventure and not, as it is, a detective game set in the 18th century.Well excuse the naming problems for a second time though, because this sequel is (mostly) every bit as good as the original, but with a new 1970s setting, better graphics, a smoother interface, and an even greater number of weird and intriguing crimes to solve.The Rise Of The Golden Idol might have virtually the same name as its predecessor but the amateurish-looking art style has been tightened up considerably, to the point where it hopefully wont put anyone off buying it this time. Its still reminiscent of Maniac Mansion and other very early Lucasfilm Games adventures though and thats clearly not an accident, because the game also has similarities with the early days of point n click adventures.As in the last game, rather than one contiguous story, The Rise Of The Golden Idol is actually a series of connected scenarios (20 instead of the originals 12) that slowly begin to draw together and reveal the idols role in the various misadventures.Rather than playing as a Columbo-like figure youre instead an unseen investigator, able to explore every element of a crime scene without interference, as it remains frozen in a two second time loop usually just a few moments after the crime has occurred. The Rise Of The Golden Idol build your case (Playstack)The two Golden Idol games play similarly to Return Of The Obra Dinn, the first game to turn the investigation and solving of murders into a compelling gameplay mechanic one that could be solved and enjoyed by anyone, without being either frustratingly hard or trivially easy.As you examine clues, keywords are added to your inventory and these can be used in whatever way you choose to create hypotheses and statements, which you can then test for accuracy. So, for example, The victim wasshot in the head by a gun. You start an investigation knowing nothing for certain and therefore also have to work out who everyone is, in terms of their name, occupation, and reason for being there.The gameplay is fundamentally the same as the first game, but its been usefully streamlined, so that keywords are automatically added to your notes and theres no longer a separate thinking screen where you construct your statements and theories. Given the setting, fingerprints are now a thing and many of the cases revolve around period-specific concepts like a photo shoot or a drive-in theatre, which werent around in the 1700s.As you build an increasingly more complex picture of whats happened youre able to work towards a formal theory, explaining exactly what happened and why. That probably all sounds a little dry, as we explain it, but its really not, thanks to the games smart line in dark humour and the sheer oddness of each case.Its not just deaths youre investigating this time round but thats not necessarily a positive as a few of them feel like filler, since some dont even involve an obvious crime. Although thats partially to put you off the scent when you initially think nothing untoward has happened, until you begin to realise that foul play and the idol are afoot.Importantly, theres a flexible hint system that is very careful about what it tells you, asking you whether you want a clue about what question to ask, a general hint, or something more pointed. It never gives anything away completely, but it is still possible to bludgeon your way through, making educated guesses, which does seem to be an intractable problem with this style of detective game.The game is also a little inconsistent in how well it explains the motivations of the different characters, to the point where its very difficult to say whether this is better or worse than its predecessor. There are just as many improvements as there are faults, so that it works out about even which is fine because wed recommend both of them anyway.More TrendingRise Of The Golden Idol does feel more refined and its also got some standout moments that are better than anything in the original, such as where youre examining a scene at two different times, to try and work out exactly what happened.Detectives may be a staple of TV and movies, but theyll never enjoy the same ubiquity in video games, for the simple reason that being a detective is hard. Nevertheless, Rise Of The Golden Idol tries to make the role as approachable as possible, while also keeping things entertaining and unpredictable.We imagine developer Color Gray Games will try and go for a trilogy here, perhaps ending things in the present day, and we welcome that. Rise Of The Golden Idol isnt the perfect detective game but like the perfect murder, such a thing may not exist.The Rise Of The Golden Idol PS5 review summaryIn Short: A solid follow-up to the original, which offers a more appealing art style and interface, as well as an even greater variety of macabre murders to puzzle over.Pros: Great detective gameplay, thats now more accessible and streamlined without dumbing down the mysteries. Lots of interesting one-off mechanics and fun period detail. Visuals are less off-putting than the first game.Cons: Not every case is a winner and theres no fundamental change in mechanics from the original. Some characters seem underdeveloped and its still possible to just guess solutions.Score: 8/10Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: 15.99Publisher: PlaystackDeveloper: Color Gray GamesRelease Date: 12th November 2024Age Rating: 12 The Rise Of The Golden Idol some things never change (Playstack)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.Game CentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Tears Of The Kingdom is more affordable than ever (Nintendo)SHOPPING Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Metro article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Metro.co.uk will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.Nintendo has kicked off a Black Friday sale across various Switch games and accessories, including Kirby And The Forgotten Land and a Nintendo 64 controller.After announcing discounts on Nintendo Switch console bundles ahead of Black Friday last week, Nintendo has now expanded its sale to games, accessories, and online subscriptions.Nintendo is typically very tight when it comes to reducing the price of its games, with Switch launch titles like Zelda: Breath Of The Wild still selling at full price almost eight years later.As such, its always a bigger deal when there are sizeable discounts across Nintendo Switch software, as is the case with this new Black Friday sale.Nintendo Switch game deals for Black Friday 2024Over 2,000 games across the Nintendo eShop have been reduced in the sale, which runs until December 1, 2024. The big headliner is The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom, which is down to its lowest price ever of 41.99, from 59.99.Other Nintendo titles include both Metroid Prime Remastered and Metroid Dread, at 24.49 and 33.29, respectively. One of the systems best role-playing titles, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, is also down to 33.29.The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom 41.99Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp 33.29Metroid Prime Remastered 24.49Fire Emblem Engage 33.29Bayonetta 3 33.29Xenoblade Chronicles 3 33.29Kirby And The Forgotten Land 33.29Metroid Dread 33.29Beyond software, there are reductions across Nintendo Switch accessories like travel cases and Zelda-themed earphones. The Nintendo 64 controller, which can only be purchased if youre a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, has also been reduced to 27.99 from 39.99.If you buy either a Nintendo Switch Online or Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership for 12 months before December 1, youll receive a second code for free to share with a friend.This applies whether youre starting a new membership or extending an existing one, but the bonus code will expire at the end of January 2025, so you cant simply double up on subscriptions yourself.Elsewhere, the Super Mario and Animal Crossing Lego sets have also been reduced, along with other merchandise across the Nintendo Store.More TrendingWhile this is Nintendos main Black Friday sale, there will likely be bigger discounts on console bundles and games at other retailers like Amazon and Argos over the coming week. Get a throwback controller for your Switch (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.Game CentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Mufasas title suggests its a prequel, going back in time to explore what Simbas father got up to before guiding his young son in The Lion King.And of course that will be the bulk of itbut Barry Jenkins photo-realistic CGI animated musical also has a frame story, set during Simbas royal rule, in which the aging Rafiki tells Mufasas story to Simbas young daughter, Kiara. (Thats how Disney made sure fan-favorites Timon and Pumbaa would have places in the cast.) As Mufasas release inches toward the one month to go mark, Disney is ramping up the promo with a new featurette and some colorful character posters. First up, we get a peek inside Jenkins creative process with Mufasa: The Lion KingVisionary Storyteller, which shows the Oscar-winning director hard at work on his follow-up to Disneys 2019 blockbuster The Lion King, itself a re-do of the studios beloved 1994 animated classic. Oh my lord, how fortunate Disney is, says Rafiki actor John Kani, speaking about Jenkins talent, and we tend to agree. Its a sentiment shared by everyone in this video, from star Aaron Pierre to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, and beyond. (Its mutual, as an excited Jenkins calls his co-workers the cast of my dreams.) Plus, theres all kinds of sweeping footage of animals (some friendlier than others) running and leaping across gorgeous landscapes. Check it out! Disney also shared some new posters that you should expect to start seeing plastered around soon. Clockwise from top left, thats Rafiki and Zazu; young Mufasa; the lion brothers Mufasa and Taka (who later became known as Scar); Kiara; and Timon and Pumbaa. Disney Disney Disney Disney Disney Mufasa: The Lion King boasts a stacked castincluding several performers that are reprising their roles from Jon Favreaus The Lion King. Aaron Pierre (who was just cast in DCs Lanterns series) stars as Mufasa, with Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, John Kani (Black Panthers TChaka) as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Donald Glover as Simba, Mads Mikkelson as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, Beyonc Knowles-Carter as Nala, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog) as Afia, and Keith David as Masego. Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters December 20. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

November and December mark some of the best months for purchasing a VPN. The Black Friday NordVPN offer bolsters our claim, as the VPN is now 74% and costs only $2.99 a month.Adding to its generosity are the 3 free months for all 2-year and 1-year plans.We cannot stress the importance of this VPN deal. NordVPNs at its cheapest, with a total of SIX discounted plans, all coming with 3 extra months. Youre not too late; these discounts are still active, so act quickly before they vanish.All NordVPN Black Friday Discounts: Get Yours Now!Theres plenty to cover but well be quick. NordVPN offers three 2-year plans where the Basic one is the star of the show. All three are discounted by 74% but the Basic one costs only $2.99 a month or $80.73 for the first 27 months.Save 74% on NordVPNs 2-Year PlansThis is one of the best Black Friday VPN deals in 2024. NordVPNThe Plus plan is the best value, whose 27-month variant costs $105.03 upfront or $3.89/mo. We deem this one extremely valuable thanks to Threat Protection Pro and NordPass.The Ultimate plan at $159.03 for the first 27 months gives you everything.Youll get NordLocker as well, plus identity protection to further enhance your privacy. The Ultimate plan packs 1 TB of NordLocker to encrypt your data and prevent its loss. NordVPN Black Friday offers also cover 1-year plans with 3 extra months, starting at $4.59/mo. NordVPNThe Ultimate plan has the largest 67% discount while the Plus plan, consequently the most popular one, is 63% off. The latter is now $5.49/mo, while the Ultimate costs $7.49/mo. All plans are safe to test without losing money, thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee.Why Is It the Most Popular VPN?With the Black Friday deal going live earlier than ever, NordVPN saw a surge in new users who still enjoy its plentiful features. It packs over 6,500 servers in 111+ countries, all offering fast 10 Gbps ports.Theres also NordLynx, a proprietary protocol for security and stability.NordVPN fares well in every aspect. From AES-256-bit encryption and a kill switch to advanced features like malware protection, secure file sharing, and a Double VPN for two encryption layers.The provider is famous for its ironclad privacy.This is a result of a no-log policy, multiple third-party audits, and RAM-only servers. To make things more exciting, NordVPN is fully capable of unblocking Netflix, it works for torrenting, and offers apps for all devices, with 10 simultaneous connections in all plans.Beware that this is just the tip of the iceberg.NordVPN offers way more, and at this price, its hard to come close to its value. Pick the Basic one to save the most, and if you can spend a speck more, the Plus plan will keep you coming for more. Its hard to grow tired of these rule-bending features.Discover NordVPNs Black Friday Deals

California College of the Arts / Studio GangSave this picture! Jason O RearUniversitySan Francisco, United StatesArchitects: Studio GangYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Jason O Rear Lead Architect: Jeanne Gang Structural Engineer: ArupMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Studio Gang, the international architecture and urban design firm led by Jeanne Gang, has completed an expansion on the California College of the Arts (CCA) campus in San Francisco. The new building physically extends from CCA's existing main academic building to create a vibrant indoor-outdoor environment for learning and making, strengthening relationships among varied people, ideas, and creative practices. "The design intends to create a dynamic environment for art and design education, while also inspiring new forms of making through unexpected interactions between disciplines," says Jeanne Gang, Founding Partner of Studio Gang. "I'm excited to see how our addition to CCA's campus shapes the future of art and design and adds to San Francisco's storied creative community."Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Founded during the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century, CCA has grown to encompass 34 art and design disciplines, from jewelry, ceramics, and textiles to metal arts, architecture, and animation. Conceived as a creative ecosystem where different disciplines can productively interact and overlap, the 82,305-square-foot building provides new art-making facilities, learning spaces, and green spaces that support its diverse community. The concrete ground level is a hub of indoor-outdoor workshops for more physically intensive creative practices and large-scale fabrication. Organized around shared materials and equipment, this level's open, flexible plan makes the different programs visible and accessible to one another, promoting interdisciplinary interaction. Carved out of the concrete lower level, two large maker yards provide additional workspace and enable fresh air and natural light to penetrate deep within the interior.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Emerging from the building's base, two mass timber pavilions house classrooms, art studios, and the new home of the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. Both pavilions lead onto a green terraced landscape that unites the building's lower and upper levels. Their deep balconies enable exterior circulation as well as informal learning, working, and social spaces where the CCA community can enjoy San Francisco's mild climate. Their structures, which are among the first exposed mass timber structures in California and include a one-of-a-kind eccentric braced frame system, allow their natural materiality and lateral and gravity loads to be visible. Through a welcoming new streetscape and programs that seek to increase the impact of art in the wider community, the new building enhances CCA's connection to San Francisco's design and innovation district as well as the wider Bay Area and its environmental, entrepreneurial, and creative cultures.Save this picture!The design also supports CCA's commitment to sustainability through strategies that serve environmental and experiential purposes. The hybrid mass timber structure and minimal finishes reduce the building's embodied carbon footprint by almost half that of a typical baseline building. Physically intensive practices with heavy equipment are strategically located to concentrate structural loads and mechanical infrastructure on the ground level as well as provide adaptability as new needs, mediums, and technologies develop. Other passive design strategies, such as self-shading faades and night-flush ventilation, naturally cool the building to reduce the size and energy demand of mechanical systems. The building also has infrastructure in place to enable a closed-loop, net-positive building in the future.Save this picture!Studio Gang's design for the California College of the Arts builds on the firm's growing portfolio of work in California, which includes Verde, a residential tower in San Francisco's new Mission Rock neighborhood for which Studio Gang also led the development of design principles and guidelines; an expansion plan, academic building, and three residential buildings for Kresge College at the University of California Santa Cruz; and MIRA, a high-rise residential tower in the heart of San Francisco.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:San Francisco, United StatesLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeStudio GangOfficePublished on November 18, 2024Cite: "California College of the Arts / Studio Gang" 18 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023587/california-college-of-the-arts-studio-gang&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

EA Residence / Jacobsen ArquiteturaSave this picture! Fernando Guerra | FG + SGHousesPorto Feliz, BrazilArchitects: Jacobsen ArquiteturaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:3660 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2022 PhotographsPhotographs:Fernando Guerra | FG + SGManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Alves Pisos, Arali, Deca, Galleria dela Pietra, JRG, Lumisystem, NeobambuMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Envisioned as a pavilion house that explores the physical and visual permeability of its spaces, generous eaves, large glass frames, and a circulation gallery that opens to the gardens define this weekend home. Situated on a privileged plot in a residential condominium in the interior of So Paulo, the design for this country residence, conceived for a couple, their children, and grandchildren, explores the physical and visual permeability of its spaces.Save this picture!During our first visit to the lot, which is sloped and identified by a wide plateau with views on both sidesthe first towards the hills and the second towards the interior of the condominiumit seemed essential to place the residence at the highest elevation, avoiding significant topographic changes and integrating the program into the landscape. From this reading, the design of the layout emerges as a direct response to the physical and geographical constraints of the site (topography, solar orientation, prevailing winds, position of the neighboring property, and predominant views): a long linear volume at an oblique angle accommodates the entire intimate wing, which in turn is intersected by a perpendicular axis housing the social and leisure wings, open to two gardens. Envisioned as a pavilion house, structurally, few elements define the construction: two horizontal planes mark the faadea garden slab elevated a few centimeters off the ground and the wide eave with generous chamfered overhangs. Between them, programmatic boxes and vertical brise-soleils rhythm the faades. The linearity of the architecture emerges as a silent approach to the territory, which, although expansive, seeks to dematerialize itself.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Approaching the concept of Promenade Architecturale (architectural promenade), in this project, the experience between the built landscape and the natural intertwines through the idea of the pathgradually revealing a play of solids and voids, light and shadow, supported by vegetation. Upon arrival, access to the main entrance of the residence is through a winding cobblestone path leading to the generous eave extending 13.50 meters, serving as a porte-cochre. As a welcoming gesture, pivoting wooden doors reveal the internal garden, a convergence point from which access to the different wingssocial, intimate family, and guestdistributes. Bathing the space with permanent natural light, a skylight of the same dimensions pierces the roof, while the slatted ceilings transform into a pergola. With fluid architecture, bilateral ramps accentuate the transition while increasing the height of the ceiling. In the shadow of the eave, the living and dining rooms emerge integrated with the beautiful view unfolding on the horizon, framed by large glass frames that, when opened, merge with the balconies nestled under the 4.35-meter overhangdissolving the boundaries between inside and outside.Save this picture!On the continuous axis, a monolith clad in Tauari wood serves as a transition between the living rooms and the gourmet balcony, acting as the element responsible for zoning. In the living room, predominantly wooden pieces by Brazilian designers prevail, underscoring the simplicity of a country dwelling. The dual glass faades maximize natural light and play a fundamental role in the constant air exchanges, facilitated by cross ventilation.Save this picture!Save this picture!In the dining room, a striated stone monolith, suspended a few centimeters above the floor by slender pillars, serves as a rustic sideboard supporting the family's meals. Above the table that accommodates 16 people, the Papir pendantdesigned for the first collection of furniture and accessories by Jacobsen Arquiteturalightly complements the space. The gourmet balcony, enclosed by glass panels, features seating areas, a dining table, and a cooking counter. Wooden panels mimic the access doors to the lavatory and supporting pantry. Inside, the presence of natural materials enhances the sense of comfort and well-being. White Siena granite appears on the floors and extends to the walls of the monoliths that contain the service and entertainment spaces, as well as the perimeter brise-soleils, while wood covers the entire ceiling. The continuous application, extending outward, reinforces the physical and visual connection between the different spaces.Save this picture!A volume positioned at the edge of the eave distributes the entertainment and wellness areas: a gym, surrounded by sliding glass panels that open on both sides; wet and steam saunas with closures of the same material, organized towards the adjacent garden; as well as a massage room and changing room, concealed behind stone doors. Embracing the end of the social pavilion, an inviting ornamental pond harmoniously integrates with the exuberance of the landscaping developed in partnership with Rodrigo Oliveira. With topographical variations reaching up to 3 meters in depth, the boundary walls are covered with Moledo stone, while the interior consists of large rocks, white sand, geysers, and aquatic plantswhich contribute to the natural maintenance of the water and ecological balanceand more than 6,000 cichlid fish of various species. The sand's hue and variations in depth contribute to the clear and gradient appearance of blue from the water's refraction, enhancing the pleasurable experience of swimming among the fish.Save this picture!For greater privacy, in the section facing the smaller garden, to create a private beach, the edges take on sinuous contours. The hot tub, equipped with a heating system, is bordered by walkable areas made of granite slabs that integrate with the waters of the pond. On the opposite side, a sun deck, swimming pool, and fire pit appear on a linear axis perpendicular to the social pavilion. We opted for the fragmentation of the intimate and service wings through five independent volumes resting on a slightly elevated metal tray, shaded by a boomerang-shaped roofunited by the same linear axis. The kitchen and home theater, in turn, are accommodated near the intersection point, with access through the social wing. Dissolving the boundaries between inside and outside, in the fluid circulation gallery, stone brise-soleils rhythm the path, while the absence of glass frames allows the breeze to flow freely.Save this picture!The extension of the eaves towards the adjacent garden is supported by modularly distributed cross-shaped metal pillars. Gardened areas covered by wooden pergolas break the empty spaces between the volumes, softening the formal rigidity and framing views of the main garden. Considering privacy concerning the social area, the family wing is carefully arranged at an oblique angle, directed towards the calmer view and benefiting from the morning sun. The first volume, smaller in size, is entirely dedicated to the master suite, equipped with individual bathrooms and closets, while the second houses three childrens suites and a nursery, which can be converted into a pair of bedrooms. On the opposite side, the volume that extends to the end organizes four guest bedrooms. In each bedroom, a few steps increase the height of the ceilings. Full-height frames frame the landscape, while the metal tray gives rise to a linear planter that runs along the entire faade.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeJacobsen ArquiteturaOfficePublished on November 18, 2024Cite: "EA Residence / Jacobsen Arquitetura" [Residncia EA / Jacobsen Arquitetura] 18 Nov 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023676/ea-residence-jacobsen-arquitetura&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream