With 2025 and the New Year quickly approaching, now is the time to score some last-minute holiday deals. Here are the best deals for Sunday, December 29. Persona 5 Royal for $14.88Persona 5 Royal - Nintendo Switch (Digital)Today, Walmart has digital Nintendo Switch copies of Persona 5 Royal available on sale for only $14.88. Acting as the definitive version of P5, Persona 5 Royal is one of the must-play RPG experiences of the last generation. This game offers well over 100 hours of content, making this an excellent deal. Save on WD_BLACK Xbox Series X|S Expansion CardsWD_BLACK 2TB C50 Expansion CardWD_Black 1TB C50 Expansion CardBoth Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S cannot use standard NVMe SSDs. Instead, you can expand the storage of the internal SSD by plugging in an expansion card. Today, you can save on both a 1TB and 2TB model from WD_BLACK, which is perfect for downloading many more games to your system. If you find yourself quickly running out of storage, don't pass up this sale. HORI Split Pad Compact for $39.99HORI Nintendo Switch Split Pad Compact (Light Gray & Yellow)The HORI Split Pad Compact is one of the best ergonomic controllers you can buy for the Nintendo Switch. Attaching like standard Joy-Con, the Split Pad Compact slides onto each side of your Switch and immediately widens the console. This makes longer handheld play sessions much more comfortable and bearable over time, especially if you have larger hands. Gran Turismo 7 for $19.97Gran Turismo 7 - PlayStation 5Walmart has Gran Turismo 7 available for $19.97 today, and this is a perfect last-minute gift for the racing fan in your life. This is still one of the PlayStation 5's best games, with hundreds of hours worth of fun at your hands. You can test and drive over 500 cars in total. Plus, you can even play Gran Turismo 7 in VR with PlayStation VR 2!Save $200 Off Lenovo Legion GoLenovo - Legion Go 8.8" 144Hz WQXGA Gaming Handheld - AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme - 16GB with 1 TB SSD - Shadow BlackBest Buy currently has the Lenovo Legion Go for $549.99, which is 21% off the MSRP of $699.99. This device includes the Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. If you're on the lookout for a solid handheld gaming PC to play through your PC library, the Lenovo Legion Go can be a great choice.Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition for $44.99Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive EditionIf you recently completed the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this is the perfect game for you. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Defintive Edition is the newest mainline title in the series, and there is so much it offers. For many, this is one of the best Dragon Quest games out there, and you can't go wrong picking this up for only $44.99.Apple Watch Series 10 for $359Apple Watch Series 10 [GPS 46mm case] SmartwatchAmazon has the Apple Watch Series 10 on sale for $359 this weekend, which nets you $70 off this extremely popular device. Series 10 marked Apple's first wide-angle OLED display on Apple Watch, with the device itself being the thinnest watch yet. If you're not an Apple Watch owner or someone who has an older model, this is the perfect time to score an upgrade.Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for $34.99Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics - Nintendo SwitchYou can score Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for only $34.99 this weekend at Amazon. This collection packs in seven different titles, including the beloved Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. At last, you can play these classic titles on modern platforms. Das Keyboard 5QS RGB Programmable Mechanical Keyboard for $59.99Das Keyboard 5QS Smart RGB Programmable Mechanical KeyboardIf you're looking for a new mechanical keyboard, Woot has an amazing deal on the Das 5QS. This full-size keyboard is perfect for work and gaming, offering a tactile, smooth experience that prioritizes precision above all else. You can program each key to be a specific color, with the lifespan of the board expected to be up to 100 million keystrokes.The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for $39.99The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HDThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the long-awaited remaster of the classic Wii game. Set at the beginning of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword takes Link to the skies as he traverses across the world to save his childhood friend Zelda. You'll uncover the Master Sword was created as part of this journey, among other things. For $39.99, this is an excellent title to add to your Switch collection.Save 30% Off The HORI Fighting Commander OCTA (Street Fighter 6 Cammy Edition) HORI Fighting Commander OCTA (Street Fighter 6 Cammy Edition) If you're searching for a new fighting game fightpad, look no further than this HORI Fighting Commander OCTA. Compatible with both Windows 11 and Windoews 10, this tournament grade controller features microswitch buttons, a six-button layout, accurate D-Pad, analog slide pad, and more. Plus, this particular model features art of Cammy in Street Fighter 6!Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the SevenRomancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms! Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for $44.99Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo SwitchXenoblade Chronicles 2 follows the story of Rex and the Aegis, who aim to reach the fabled land of Elysium. This massive RPG takes place across the world of Alrest, a land covered in clouds, where there are only a few landmasses remaining. With incredible music, exciting gameplay, and a memorable story, this is a fantastic deal for only $44.99. Simply put, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. I've put over 600 hours into the massive adventure, with all sorts of quests and exploration to be discovered. WD_BLACK NVMe SSDs On SaleWD_BLACK 1TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDWD_BLACK 2TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDWD_BLACK 4TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSDFinally, you can save on WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSDs. These are perfect for any gaming PC, and you can even use one of these in a PlayStation 5, as long as you have a heatsink attached. The SN850X has speeds up to 7,3000 MB/s acoss all models, which is essential for quick and speedy load times. If you're purchasing for PS5, there are heatsink models available, though the sale on the standard models makes these SSDs much cheaper. Pokmon Legends: Arceus for $44.99Pokmon Legends: ArceusPokmon Legends: Arceus is often praised as one of the best Pokmon games available on the Switch. This original title takes place far in the past, somewhere in the Hisui region. With a focus on exploration, you can freely walk all around the map to capture Pokmon, explore different environments, and so much more. You can save $15 at Best Buy this weekend on the best Pokmon experience Switch has to offer.

Marvel has swung in before the new year to treat us to a trailer of Disney+'s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series, and it's a nostalgic look at Spidey's newest adventure that will see him becoming the hero we all know and love.This trailer is all about celebrating Spidey's roots, from the classic Spider-Man TV theme to the comic book shop intro to the show having a comic-style look and slew of transitions. However, this is also set during modern times and we will get to see how a young Peter Parker/Spider-Man deals with such things as social media livestreams when he's saving people and managing school.PlayWe also get our best look yet at Colman Domingo's Norman Osborn, who will be mentoring Spider-Man instead of Iron Man in this series. Joining Domingo and Hudson Thames' Peter Parker/Spider-Man will be Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, Zeno Robinson, Hugh Dancy, and Charlie Cox. Yes, Cox's Daredevil will be showing up!It was previously revealed we will also be seeing some other Marvel favorites, including Doctor Strange Amadeus Cho, Nico Minoru, Doctor Octopus, Bentley Wittman/Wizard, Mac Gargan/Scorpion, Dmitri Smerdyakov/Cameleon, Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino, James Sanders/Speed Demon, Milos Masaryk/Unicorn, and Anton Miguel Rodriquez/Tarantula. Oh, and Captain America makes an appearance in a photo with Osborn, but it remains to be seen if he will show up beyond that.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will run for 10 episodes and will launch on Disney+ on January 29, 2025.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ImagesFor more, check out what else is on the schedule for the MCU in 2025 and beyond.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Last updated December 29, 2024: Checked for new Anime Shadow codes!Want to get your hands on some free tickets in Anime Shadow? You've come to the right place. We've compiled all of the codes currently available for the Roblox game, so you can purchase some units to bolster your roster of heroes and get your hands on some useful items.Active Anime Shadow Codes (December 2024)Below, you'll find all of the currently active and working Anime Shadow codes in December 2024:PATCHXMAS - Resources (NEW!)DELAYXMAS - 80 Tickets, 10x Aura Shard (NEW!)AURAUPDATE - (NEW!)XMASUPD2 - 105 Tickets, 2.5x Coins Potion, 2.5x Damage Potion, 2.5x Exp Potion, Shiny Xmas Potion (NEW!)SRRYXMAS2 - 100 Tickets (NEW!)SRRYDELAYXMAS - 50 Tickets (NEW!)10MVISITS - 100 Tickets, 20x Talent Shards, 20x Gingerbread Man, 20x Candy Cane DELAY - 150 Tickets, 20x Talent Shard, 20x Gingerbread Man XMASMINIUPD - 150 Tickets, 20x Talent Shard, 20x Gingerbread Man ULTSFIXED - 100 Tickets, 2x Raid Key, 2x Defense KeyFIXEDSTARS - 200x Passive Capsule, 200x Cursed Plasma, 2x Raid KeyESTEVAOP2WBAN? - 100 Tickets, 2x Dragon Ball VII FIXEDCODE - 3x Raid Key, 2x Shiny PotionGHOULUPDATE - 100 Tickets, 2x Shiny Potion40KLIKES - 100 Tickets, 4x Fish Coin, 3x Raid KeyBUFFBOROS - 4x Dragon Ball VII, 2x Dragon Ball VIPUNCHUPDATE - 150 Tickets, 2x Dragon Ball VII, 2x Coins Potion, 2x Damage Potion, 1x Dragon Ball VIQuestFix - 150 Tickets, 2x Dragon Ball VII, 1x Dragon Ball VIRelease - 150 Tickets1MVISITS - 75 TicketsKaisenUpdate - 7 Cursed Plasma, 2x Coin Potion, 2x Damage Potion15KACTIVES - 150 TicketsKaisenDelay - 7 Cursed Plasma, 2x Coin Potion, 2x Damage PotionMOBILEFIX - 200 Tickets30KLIKES - 75 Passive Capsules, 75 Tickets, 2x Coin Potion, 2x Damage PotionFISHUPDATE - 150 Tickets, 7 Cursed Plasma, 2x Coin Potion, 2x Damage PotionHow to Redeem Anime Shadow CodesTo redeem Anime Shadow Codes, boot up the Roblox Experience and, once youre in, follow the steps below:Look for the settings icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Once you've found it, click the icon and it'll expand into a row of five icons.Click the icon in the centre of the row. It's the one that shows a bar with the letters "ABX" in the centre.This will pull up the codes bar. Input your code and hit Redeem to claim the rewards.Why Isnt My Anime Shadow Code Working?If your Anime Shadow code isnt working, its likely due to one of two scenarios. The first is that the code was inputted incorrectly. Check the spelling, make sure youve added any numbers and the case is correct, then redeem again. You can even copy and paste the codes directly from this article over to Roblox if you want to make sure youre inputting them correctly.The other possibility is the code has expired or youve already used it. In this scenario, you should see an error message pop up at the top of the screen informing you whether the code has already been used, is expired or is simply invalid.How to Get More Anime Shadow CodesIf youre looking to hunt for some of your own Anime Shadow Codes, you can become a member of the game's Discord server. Once you're in, head to the codes channel to see if any new codes have dropped.What is Anime Shadow in Roblox?Dropping players into a selection of familiar anime worlds, Anime Shadow tasks players with amassing a team of iconic heroes from their favorite shows and using them to take down tough enemies and bosses. Along the way, they'll undertake quests and try to amass more coins and tickets, using them to spin the star wheel in an attempt to unlock more characters for their roster.Callum Williams is an IGN freelancer covering features and guides. When he's away from his desk, you can usually find him obsessing over the lore of the latest obscure indie horror game or bashing his head against a boss in the newest soulslike. You can catch him over on Twitter at @CaIIumWilliams.

Our Picks Best surge protector overall APC P11U2 View details $28 at Best Buy View details Best surge protector for gaming PC Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV View details $48 at Amazon View details Best surge protector for TV/Home Theater Belkin Conserve Switch F7C01008q View details $38 at Amazon View details Best surge protector for extension cords Accell D080B-051B View details $40 at Dihuni View details Best small surge protector Belkin BP108000 View details $46 at Amazon View details Best on-wall surge protector Amazon S9P658O300A00 View details $15 at Amazon View details Another excellent compact option Anker PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini View details $38 at eBay View details Table of Contents Surge protectors -- different than extension chords or power strips -- are an essential piece of hardware meant to extend the life of your tech and help protect you against electrical fires and system crashes. But choosing the right one can be a challenge.After rigorous testing on 16 of the top surge protectors available for under $100, weve carved out the list you need. Our favorite surge protectors have a high joule rating -- essentially how much energy it can absorb before failing. The higher the joule rating the more protection it provides. We also like plenty of outlets that are arranged so you can use all of them while also not being too big and hard to hide.What is the best surge protector overall?The standout performer against all of our requirements was the APC P11U2. Its impressive number of outlets -- 11 -- is noteworthy, and six of them have a generously wide design to provide spacing that can accommodate larger power adapters. It also comes with USB ports that allow you to directly charge your devices, a high joule rating (more on that below) and a conveniently long power cord. It even comes with a lifetime $250,000 equipment protection policy. For those seeking surge protection with specific features or smaller sizes, we have more recommendations below worth checking out.Best surge protectors of 2024Filter by Showing 7 of 7 Results Photo Gallery 1/1 $28 at Best Buy $28 at Amazon Pros Above average joules Cons Bulky Lack of features Type 5+ PortsVoltage 120 VoltsCord length 8 ftWarranty Lifetime & $250,000 on connected equipment $28 at Best Buy $28 at Amazon The APC P11U2 checks all the boxes for what I was looking for in a surge protector. It has six widely spaced plugs, plus five more that are closer together and two USB ports. It has 2,880 joules of protection, well above my test's average. Coincidentally, editor Ty Pendlebury has one in his testing lab. APC offers a lifetime $250,000 equipment protection policy.Overall build quality is quite solid, even though the protective covers for each outlet are superfluous and come off easily. The cord to connect the power strip to the wall is quite long at 8 feet, which is convenient. It's not flashy and doesn't have some of the features of some of my other picks, but for a basic, solid, surge protector, it's the one to get.It's worth noting that APC discontinued the P11U2 in the past few months, but it is still available at Best Buy. We will update this list once we find a suitable replacement.

The manosphere, the misogynist internet world populated by influencers such as Andrew Tate, is widely recognised as a toxic space where young men are at risk of radicalisation. Now, say researchers, women and girls are being sucked into potentially dangerous online spaces of their own: the femosphere.It is a term used by Dr Jilly Kay, an expert in feminist media and cultural studies at Loughborough University, in a paper published earlier this year. Kay has been researching a reactionary turn among young women, and how a backlash against mainstream feminism has created new spaces online. In the femosphere, instead of incels male involuntary celibates there are femcels, and instead of pickup artists there are female dating strategists and so-called dark feminine influencers who encourage women to find men to support them financially.Most corners of the femosphere explicitly describe themselves as feminist, so Kay said she was surprised to see that their values seemed conservative, and their philosophy mostly anti-gender equality.She said: The logic that they adhere to is that men and women are fundamentally different.In the femosphere, as in the manosphere, theres an overarching belief that life is about survival of the fittest, that men will always hurt women and that will never change, so strategies are needed to conquer the opposite gender.Andrew Tate at a tribunal in Bucharest this year the femosphere mirrors his belief that strategies are needed to conquer the opposite gender. Photograph: Vadim Ghird/APKay looked at Female Dating Strategy, which started as a Reddit forum (with more than 250,000 members) and expanded into social media and a podcast. It has a six-point ideology for members to subscribe to, which includes ideas such as: men should always pursue women, women should seek financial contributions from men, and the majority of men have no value.Mainstream feminism in recent decades has been very consumer-oriented, all about individual empowerment, emphasising things like women being confident, successful, and women having all the things that men can have, said Kay. In other words: girlboss feminism.But since about 2018, Kay said, there has been a growing rejection of that idea.Kay saw beliefs discussed and shared in online forums and via social media influencers that echoed the logic of the manosphere particularly when it came to dating and relationships.Ideas like men are the gatekeeper of relationships and women are the gatekeepers of sex, she said.So womens currency in the sexual marketplace resides in her withholding sex from men, and you diminish your value if you have casual sex.Or the idea that, to counter womens lesser earning power (the gender pay gap in the UK was 14.3% last year), rather than fighting for pay equality, a man should provide for a woman financially, and women must embrace feminine energy to secure a husband. Kay said: Its incredibly conservative, but its trying to reframe it as being this empowering strategy.Kay also looked at dark feminine influencers such as Kanika Batra and Thewizardliz. In recent years, Batra has criticised liberal feminism. In one post, she explained why she had left feminism behind and said: The manosphere is incredibly loyal to everybody within it.In another, Batra laments the state of modern dating and the ways it has changed men and womens roles.I used to be a feminist before I saw the effects of third wave feminism, Batra said. This has forced women into masculine roles where they are pursuing men.Batra added: This is not natural, and it seems that there are more and more people not starting a family.Dark feminine influencer Kanika Batra has said third wave feminism has forced women into masculine roles. Photograph: Don Arnold/WireImageThewizardliz , meanwhile, makes videos with titles such as How to become more beautiful, How to become rich, How to become extremely seductive.On the Princess Treatment, the influencer advises followers who want to be spoiled to say to their male partner: I would appreciate it if you gave me some money, like an allowance.There are clear reasons why women and girls might be drawn to this thinking, said feminist theorist Dr Sophie Lewis, whose upcoming book, Enemy Feminisms will explore moments in history when feminists have aligned with unlikely groups such as colonial regimes, and even the Ku Klux Klan.Of the femospheres ideas, she said: Theres an actual offer, an actual promise that should not be sniffed at. Theres a promise to deliver women from what political economists have called the double shift.After liberal feminisms vision that women could have it all, now women are saddled with both productive and reproductive labour, she said.Lewis has studied some areas of the femosphere, particularly tradwife influencers. The so-called trad life is genuinely seductive to women who rightly hate the endless grind, she said. Thats something that liberal feminism needs to recognise it hasnt provided a solution to.She is discouraged by the lack of hope, and anti-utopian thinking in these spaces, with ideas about new ways of living often disparaged as foolish.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to ObservedFree weekly newsletterAnalysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionThe femosphere promises liberation from the double shift, where liberal feminism has saddled women with both productive and reproductive labourKay and Lewis are not the only ones interested in this growing corner of the internet. Prof Emiliano de Cristofaro and Prof Jeremy Blackburn are two of the authors of a data-driven analysis of toxic womens communities online. They had already worked on the manosphere and other dark corners of the internet.They noted some of the same patterns as Kay, and found sort of analogues of the manosphere. Some communities even mirrored the manosphere in the advice given to members. The narratives with respect to dating strategy are very similar its a game and you try to outsmart the other gender and win, said de Cristofaro.Dr Jilly Kay of Loughborough University coined the term femosphere.Some of the language used is also similar. Being redpilled is often discussed in the manosphere the idea, based on the plot of the Matrix film, of suddenly being able to see reality and blackpilled is used by incels to describe the idea that their situation, being, as they believe, undesirable to women, is inescapable. In the femosphere, these have been reframed as the pink pill.Accusations of toxic language and hate speech have led to some female groups, including femcel groups, being banned from Reddit. Just like manosphere groups before them, they then set up independent platforms of their own.Usually that community reduces in size, but becomes more radicalised and more toxic, because of a lack of moderation and less exposure to more moderate positions, said de Cristofaro.The researchers noted that, among some femosphere members, feminism is a key part of their identity, but, as Kay noted, this doesnt necessarily mean they hold progressive views. Some more traditionally feminist groups have aligned with non-feminist groups who share some of the same views most notably, the union of Christian fundamentalists and far-right figures with some gender-critical feminists.This is something weve seen throughout the history of feminism, said Lewis.You might almost call this anti-feminist feminism. Thats what I see in the femosphere a lot, she said. Its important to understand a long lineage of women, especially middle-class white women, making a calculation that they might be able to individually find a foothold within patriarchy by accommodating themselves to a certain set of disciplines in exchange for provisional protection, while throwing other women under the bus.Accusations of toxic language and hate speech have led to some female groups being banned from Reddit, after which they become more radicalised and toxicKay sees parallels with Naomi Kleins recent work on the digital world, where she identified that many of these new communities contain a mix of ideas from both the left and right of the political spectrum.In this case, certain ideas from left feminism seem to be getting mixed up with reactionary conservative ideas, Kay said. Its part of broader reactionary politics, the role that digital culture is playing in rearranging traditional coordinates of left and right.This aligns with other research, such as that of Dr Alice Evans, a senior lecturer at Kings College London, who showed earlier this year that Gen Z is extremely progressive on some issues, and extremely conservative on others, with a gulf particularly forming between young men and young women.Theres no evidence to say that the femosphere is radicalising its members in the same way as the manosphere, which has seen members committing shocking acts of real-world violence and fuelling populist political movements.But there are reasons to be wary. De Cristofaro said more research was needed, but exposure to toxic content has been shown overall to increase radicalisation.Kay said: Its important that people understand it and recognise it, partly because at first glance it can seem quite appealing, especially to feminists.Liberal feminism has been rejected for good reason it has failed to deliver gender equality, so it makes sense that youd want to find an alternative. But just because something is the enemy of liberal feminism, does not necessarily mean its good for women.

submitted by /u/Informal-Round-9025 [link] [comments]

Indias payments regulator is set to decide as early as Monday whether to curb the dominance of Walmarts PhonePe and Google in the nations fast-growing mobile payments market, a move that could reshape how its billion-plus population moves money.The decision centers on UPI, or Unified Payments Interface, a network backed by more than 50 retail banks that has changed how Indians pay for everything from groceries to taxi rides. The platform processes over 13 billion transactions monthly, making it one of the worlds largest digital payment networks. Its also, by far, the most popular way Indians transact online.At issue is whether the National Payments Corporation of India, which reports to Indias central bank, will enforce a rule limiting companies to handling no more than 30% of all UPI transactions.The rule, first proposed in 2020, would particularly affect Walmart-owned PhonePe, which handles 47.8% of all UPI payments, and Google Pay, which processes 37.1%.The uncertainty has thrown a wrench into PhonePes plans to go public. The startup, valued at $12 billion and backed by Walmart, would be one of Indias most prominent technology IPOs. PhonePes co-founder and chief executive, Sameer Nigam, said in August that the startup cannot go public if there is uncertainty on the regulatory side.If you are buying a share at Rs 100 and you price it assuming we have 48-49% market share, then there is an uncertainty about whether it will come down to 30% and by when, said Nigam (pictured above) at a fintech conference. We are requesting them [the regulator], if they can find another way to at least solve whatever their concerns are or tell us what the list of concerns is.The issue also impacts the growth potential of numerous fintech startups that are attempting to make deeper inroads in digital payments. If the regulator imposes restrictions on PhonePe and Google Pays ability to onboard new users or puts a check on how many transactions they process, many other startups stand to gain grounds. The regulator is inclined to delay enforcing the cap again or may increase the limit to more than 40%, people briefed on the situation told TechCrunch. The agency has already pushed back the deadline several times, from January 2021 to 2023, and then to 2025, as it struggled with implementation. It has held talks with many stakeholders as recently as last week over the decision.Enforcing a limitation on the market share will impact the consumer experience, some of the people said. The situation highlights Indias efforts to balance technological innovation with market competition. UPI has been a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modis push to digitize Indias economy and reduce its reliance on cash. The system allows instant transfers between bank accounts using simple identifiers like phone numbers, making it more accessible than traditional banking services.A market share cap would mark one of Indias most significant interventions in its technology sector, which has attracted massive investments from global companies like Walmart, Google, and Meta. These companies view India, with its young, increasingly digital population, as a crucial growth market.

In BriefPosted:12:40 PM PST December 29, 2024Image Credits:Vladimir Kazakov (opens in a new window) / Getty ImagesCrypto industry groups sue IRS over broker reporting ruleThree crypto industry groups the DeFi Education Fund, the Blockchain Association, and the Texas Blockchain Council are suing the Internal Revenue Service to block new regulations that require decentralized finance (DeFi) entities to report customer information.The IRS has been finalizing crypto tax regulations as part of the Biden Administrations Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The IRS says these new rules should help close the information gap with respect to digital assets.The lawsuit, on the other hand, claims that this approach would unduly burden DeFi trading front-ends, basically, online platforms that allow users to access crypto protocols but dont necessarily effectuate transactions themselves. The suit argues against defining these front-ends as brokers, in part because there is simply no broker-like entity involved in a decentralized transaction.The Blockchain Associations head of legal Marisa Coppel said in a statement that the new rules are an infringement on the privacy rights of individuals using decentralized technology and would also push this entire, burgeoning technology offshore.Topics

CARNATION, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 10: Governor Jay Inslee speaks against initiative 2117 during the ... [+] 2024 The Thing Festival at Remlinger Farms on August 10, 2024 in Carnation, Washington. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage)WireImageThe incoming Trump administration seeks to roll back federal climate initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act. In response, Californias Governor Newsom has announced that his state is ready to counter federal rollbacks on issues such as incentives for electric vehicles. Budgetary challenges, however, could limit state-level climate action. Moreover, new regulations that impose costs could face a voter backlash. Strong public support for state-level climate action will be forthcoming if voters see these policies creating local benefits that address their everyday problems.This is where carbon pricing, whether as a carbon tax or as cap-and-trade, comes in. While the U.S. does not have federal climate pricing, some states have enacted cap-and-trade policies, including the State of Washingtons 2021 Climate Commitment Act (CCA). This was a major achievement because Washington voters twice rejected carbon taxes in 2016 (Initiative 732) and 2018 (Initiative 1631). Even after the CCA entered into force, its opponents tried to end it with a ballot initiative in 2024.Efforts to Repeal the CCADuring the recent elections, Lets Go Washington, an advocacy group led by Brian Heyworth, succeeded in placing Initiative 2117 on the ballot to repeal the CCA and end carbon pricing. This group blamed the CCA for Washingtons gas prices, among the highest in the country. CCA supporters, in contrast, highlighted the important contributions of CCAs revenue (about $1 billion annually) to deliver local public goods, such as funding about a third of the states Move Ahead transportation budget.In a surprising turn of events, Washington voters supported carbon pricing (by rejecting I-2117) by a 62-38% margin. This was a complete reversal of 2018 when Washington voters rejected carbon pricing (I-1631) by a 56-43% margin.Gas prices are a sensitive issue in rural areas (counties with a population density of less than 100 persons per square mile, as per the Office of Management and Budget) because of high reliance on personal vehicles. Did gas price concerns diminish support for carbon pricing (and increase support for CCAs repeal) in rural counties?MORE FOR YOUSupport for Carbon Pricing in Rural and Urban AreasWith the help of Center for Environmental Politics Undergraduate Fellow Remi Vrilakas, we assembled a county-level voting dataset (posted here). We plot the vote shares of support for carbon pricing (No for I-2117 but Yes for I-1631) on both initiatives. The 45-degree line depicts situations where the support for carbon pricing is the same. If the support for carbon pricing was higher in 2024 compared to 2018, the dots would be above the 45-degree line. That is, support for carbon pricing has increased both in rural (green dots) and urban counties (black dots).Support for Carbon Pricing: No for I-2117 but Yes for I-1631Nives Dolsak and Aseem PrakashThe figure below depicts the increase in support for carbon pricing by county (percent vote against I-2117 minus percent vote for I-1631). Urban counties are depicted in the left panel and rural counties in the right panel. On average, between 2018 and 2024, support increased by 19.8% points in urban counties and by 19.6% points in rural counties.Difference in county-level vote share Nives Dolsak and Aseem PrakashWhat happened? While in 2018, carbon pricing supporters focused on future benefits from carbon tax revenues, in 2024, they talked about existing local benefits from the cap-and-invest revenues such as investments in transportation. Recall that the federal Affordable Care Act became popular only after it was enacted and voters experienced its benefits. Along the same lines, the recognition of existing local benefits from the cap-and-invest revenues probably increased the support for carbon pricing in both urban and rural areas (and lead to the defeat of I-2117).But Then Why Did Initiative 2066 Win?Lets Go Washington had placed another anti-climate proposal, Initiative 2066, which sought to prevent state and local governments from restricting access to natural gas in buildings and homes. While Washington voters rejected I-2117 by 62-38% margin, they supported I-2066 by 52-48% margin.If voters focused solely on climate issues in the 2024 elections, the voting patterns on I-2117 and I-2066 would be similar. But they were not. A subset who voted against repealing the CCA (No on I-2117), supported I-2066 (continued access to natural gas). This is probably because voters did not see the benefits of gas restrictions in terms of lower household energy bills or reduced air pollution, which I-2066 opponents claimed.The figure below depicts the difference in pro-climate votes (share of voters who voted No on I-2117 minus share who voted No on I-2066) across counties. On average, the difference between No I-2117 and No I-2066 is 12.4% points in urban counties and 9.2% points in rural counties. Thus, the support level for I-2066 was higher in both areas compared to I-2117.Difference in county-level vote share Nives Dolsak and Aseem PrakashThe split votes on these initiatives offer a powerful lesson for climate communication. Rural voters are not anti-climate by default. Like urban voters, they assess policies based on local benefits and costs, ideally the experienced ones as opposed to the promised ones.

NosferatuCredit: UniversalIts interesting to trace back the roots of vampire lore in modern culture. Stories of blood-sucking demons predate modern sensibilities, of course, but it was Bram Stokers Dracula that inspired how we think of vampires more than any other work of literature or art. Stokers novel was published in 1897, and just 25 years later the German silent film Nosferatu was released.Despite the story drawing from Transylvanian and other Eastern European folklore, as well as the legends of historical figures such as Vlad the Impaler, there were enough similarities between Dracula and Nosferatu that Stokers estate sued. Its not hard to see why.Both stories feature a CountDracula and Orlok respectivelyresiding in a mysterious castle in a distant land. In each story, a young clerk visits the vampire in his castle and narrowly escapes with his life. In both, the vampire then makes a voyage to the more civilized west, terrorizing the citizens thereWhitby, in England and Wisborg in Germanywhile attempting to seduce a beautiful woman. Dracula and Orlok are each slain, though in different ways. The former is stabbed through the heart, the latter by daylight after being tricked by Ellen, played in Robert Eggers Nosferatu by Lily-Rose Depp. In Bram Stokers Dracula, daylight only weakened a vampires powers, but in Nosferatu it is fatal.There are other differences, of course. Dracula is handsome and charming, a seducer of women. He is the origin of the sexy vampire. Orlok is a hideous monsterand while he is very much a seducer of women in this retelling of Nosferatu, it is never sexy. Orlok is grotesque and monstrous at every turn, a towering husk. Bill Skarsgrd is absolutely marvelous in the role, his breath ragged, his thick Romanian accent at once menacing and more than a little preposterous. It is Ellens bloodher mystic connection to the Otherthat draws Orlok to her, ever since she was a girl, in this rendition of the classic.Nicholas HoultCredit: Focus FeaturesBack in 1922, Stokers estate sued German director F.W. Murnau and won, citing copyright law. But, like Orlok, it was not so easy to kill the film. Copies had already made it to America, where public domain laws were much less strict, and it quickly became a cult classic. Along with Dracula, Nosferatu is one of the most influential pieces of art that shapes our notion of vampires today, inspiring filmmakers and novelists, artists and fans ever since. Eggers version is the fourth Nosferatu, but the film I thought of most while watching was Francis Ford Coppolas Bram Stokers Dracula, which Ive seen much more recently than any version of Nosferatu.Read More: Todays Wordle #1289 Hints, Clues And Answer For Sunday, December 29thThis is a better film, mostly because of the cast. Coppola chose Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder as his leadsboth of whom struggled enormously with their accentsonly salvaging this casting disaster by picking Gary Oldman for the titular role, and topping that off with Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing. (Ive enjoyed Reeves and Ryder in many other films, but they were not cut out for Dracula).Eggers leans heavily into both gothic and body horror in Nosferatu, but rounds that out with plenty of camp and homage to the original and its remakes. Its genuinely funny at times, but filled with enough creepiness (and a couple good jump scares) to keep things frightening.Simon McBurneyCredit: Focus FeaturesIts also a brilliant period piece, with an enormous amount of attention to detail. When the young clerk, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) makes his way to the Carpathians to bring Count Orlok his property deed, he comes to an inn where hes surrounded by gypsies (or Roma, if were being politically correctthey are referred to as gypsies in the film). They dance around him, laughing at his foreign awkwardness. Inside the inn, wrinkled faces stare up at him grimly from the shadows. The mood is oppressive. An old woman begs him in her foreign tongue not to go to the castle. From this point on, his journey becomes dreamlike, soon descending into a waking nightmare.Ellens entire life has been a nightmare, haunted by Orlok and his diabolical lust. When shes left by Hutter, soon after their honeymoon, she descends into a madness that confounds her friends and the local doctor, Wilhelm Sievers (Ralph Ineson). Shes given ether and tied to the bed. Its only when Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe) is brought to see her that anyone even believes her maladies could be of a supernatural variety.Willem DafoeCredit: Focus FeaturesCinematographer Jarin Blaschke, who worked with Eggers previously on The Lighthouse, The Northman and The Witch, returns here and brings some of his best work yet. The film weaves between color and black and white, between deepest shadow and rainswept Victorian streets. Hutters approach to the castle finds him in a black forest that looks almost more like a surrealist painting than a real place.Orlok is left mostly shrouded, his hulking frame bound in furs and shadow. Sometimes, he is only shadow, long taloned fingers creeping across a wall or curtains, or down Ellens face and figure. Ellens madnesspossession, ratherdrifts between screaming terror and uncomfortable eroticism, which is actually a pretty good way to sum up Nosferatu, which is never sexy in the way so many vampire stories are, but is heaped in sexual menace.The score, by Northman composer Robin Carolan, is as lovely and intense and menacing as the rest of the film, veering between creepy music box melodies and thundering orchestral pieces, filled with forlorn and foreboding strings and haunting choral accompaniments, sweeping between haunting dread and wistful melancholy (you can listen to all 51 tracks on Spotify).Admittedly, this is not a film for everyone. For fans of Eggers previous work, there is much here to bite off and chew, but to newcomers it might be overly strange or too slow or simply confusing. Those unaccustomed to the horror genre may find it altogether too disturbing. The tone may not resonate with everyone. At times it feels almost like a stage play or a melodrama, the way that classic films often do, though I believe this is intentional.As far as Im concerned, Nosferatu is an elegantly macabre masterpiece that pulls all the right levers of horror and period drama, a throwback to an older era of cinema with just enough modern sensibilities, body horror and sex to make it as provocative as it is unsettling. Go see it on the biggest screen you can find.Have you seen Nosferatu? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.