The forthcoming DOGE commission has been the talk of Washington in recent months.Just miles away, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland is pushing his own government efficiency plans.Moore wants to save the state $50 million by weeding out waste.President-elect Donald Trump'sElon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead the effort.A perhaps less talked about but also significant governmentGov. Wes Moore of Maryland announced this month his state would launch an initiative to weed out waste. His goal: Find $50 million in savings for the current fiscal year.Maryland faces a $3 billion budget gap. So Moore is proposing $2 billion in spending reductions to his $67.3 billion budget plan. An executive order that Moore signed earlier this month directs state agencies to identify cost savings and eliminate redundancies.Moore told Business Insider in a recent interview that while he didn't know DOGE's full slate of proposals, he thinks they "should probably take a look" at what his administration is doing to boost government efficiency in Maryland."We're looking at everything from fleet management to how we're looking at IT consolidation to how we're looking at real estate," he said. "These items alone are going to save the state of Maryland tens of millions of dollars.""DOGE should pay attention to what we're doing with our government modernization," he added.Moore is a first-term Democrat leading one of the country's bluest strongholds, while the DOGE is a national GOP-led effort. When asked if more Democrats should embrace government efficiency efforts, Moore said voters are looking for results."If people are asking, 'Where's the future, and what should I look to for inspiration?' I would say, 'look at the states,'" he said. "The budget that I just proposed is giving a tax cut to nearly two-thirds of Marylanders and 82% of the people in my state are either about to get a tax cut or have no change at all in their tax code."Moore told BI his plan would cut corporate taxes and eliminate the inheritance tax. The plan would also create a 6.25% tax rate for single filers making at least $500,000 and a 6.5% tax rate for state residents who earn $1 million or more. Under the current tax code, single filers in Maryland who make over $250,000 have an income tax rate of 5.75%.Similar to the optimism of DOGE's leaders, Moore believes his state's efforts can serve as a model for forthcoming efficiency efforts."We're doing a lot of things that people are paying attention to and a lot of innovation that we're hoping for is actually happening within our state," he said. "I'm really proud that Maryland is helping to lead the charge on that."

This year marks a significant change in the air for Superman. Along with James Gunns upcoming movie, DC Comics is offering a massive shakeup to the status quo, and with a big get from its distinguished competition: like Brian Michael Bendis before him, Dan Slott, a longtime writer for Marvels Spider-Man and Fantastic Four comics, will take on the Man of Steel. Slott will team with artist Rafael Albuquerque and colorist Marcelo Maiolo on Superman Unlimited,a new monthly comic set to kick off in May. Billed as a driving force for whats to be a Summer of Superman, the book kicks off with an asteroid filled with Green Kryptonite crash-landing on Earth. Naturally, this kicks off an arms race for the criminal underworld, and parties like Intergang are verykeen to get their hands on Supermans biggest weakness. For Superman, hell adjust to this new paradigm shift by forging new alliances, new tech and new tactics. Things are also changing for his friends and loved ones at the Daily Planet. After merging with Morgan Edges Galaxy Communications, the outlet has become a multimedia platform that prominently features characters thatll be the filmlike Jimmy, Steve Lombard, and Cat Grantand also includes a new IT specialist in Tee-nah, King Solovars goddaughter from Gorilla City. In a statement to DC, Slott said he, Albuquerque, and Maiolo will take Supermanand youto places youll want to escape to every month. Millions of surprising ideas for him, Lois, the supporting cast, classic rogues, and all-new friends and foes, too. Superman Unlimitedwill kick off May 21, and will be set up with a Zero Issue in DCs Free Comic Book Day issue on May 3. According to DC, the Summer of Superman will include ongoing and limited books for fellow Supers like Supergirl, Superboy, and Krypto. 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.

Kushtia Neighborhood Mosque / Ahsan Habib + Chinton ArchitectsSave this picture! Shakil Ibne Hai, Asif SalmanMosqueKushtia, BangladeshArchitects: Ahsan Habib + Chinton ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:5200 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2022 PhotographsPhotographs:Shakil Ibne Hai, Asif SalmanMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!A Critical Response To Mosque Architecture in Bangladesh The mosque in Kushtia is built on the idea of climate, cost, and simple functional arrangement. The engagement of local craftsmen and using local materials. Its unique climatic quality is achieved through careful study of the local technique.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The Context In Bengal, two things are significantly connected to the life of people: Landscape and Religion. The landscape of Bengal is primarily shaped by rivers, farmlands, and lush vegetation. It is an intricate part of our culture and history. Numerous mosques were built during the five and a half centuries of Muslim rule before the British colonial period, but only a few landmarks illustrate properly how the mosque style was developed through time. If you observe closely, it seems that the mosque buildings were merely an extrusion of the ground, as opposed to building on it. These built forms had a strong inseparable relationship with the ground. I believe, in Bangladesh, the landscape should come first then the built form. You have to understand the softness of the alluvial soil and the spirit of the land. The building is not important to us because we never had such fancy traditions. But we had a humble influence on the climate and functional needs in our lives.Save this picture!Save this picture!The Between Space The "between space" is a sanctuarya tranquil threshold where time feels slower and emotions feel deeper. The atmosphere here would be crafted to honor its purpose: a blend of contemplation, connection, and comfort. It is a place where the village people can pray, rest, and talk about their life. It will be shaded in summer and have the soft morning light in winter.Save this picture!Peace Architecture must look for peace! We were imagining a space that evokes calmness and connects people with nature. Designing inclusive spaces that accommodate diverse groups promotes equity and cultural harmony. This could be through creating communal areas, reducing segregation, or designing spaces that respect local traditions while fostering shared experiences.Climate In a world grappling with climate crises, this architecture is also sustainable. By minimizing environmental impact, using renewable resources, and integrating local techniques, architecture aligns human living with ecological balance. It is an example of how architecture can provide a sanctuary for peace.Save this picture!Comfort The front facade is a big ventilator. The facade is designed to allow natural airflow, creating a healthier indoor environment and reducing reliance on mechanical ventilation. By encouraging cross-ventilation, the facade helps regulate indoor temperatures, particularly in hot and humid climates. In regions with high temperatures and humidity, such as Kushtia, a ventilating facade is particularly beneficial in responding to the local climate.Save this picture!Save this picture!Atmosphere In summer, dappled light filters through the small holes delicately casting patterns on the floor. This interplay of light and shadow would soothe and cool the space, making it inviting even at the peak of the heat. Soft morning light enters unimpeded, gently warming the surfaces it touches.Material Brick, RCC, Mahagoni wood, Local tile, and glass are the major materials. Because of the cavity wall, it stays cool in summer and absorbs sunlight to radiate warmth in winter. It's neither completely indoor nor outdoor; it blurs the boundary.Save this picture!Cost The budget was extremely limited, and contextual constraints further complicated the project. The available funds were insufficient, making it essential to source all materials from the local market. Additionally, the construction workers were hired from the neighborhood. These measures were taken to save costs, minimizing transportation expenses for both materials and personnel.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Kushtia, BangladeshLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on January 18, 2025Cite: "Kushtia Neighborhood Mosque / Ahsan Habib + Chinton Architects" 18 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025782/kushtia-neighborhood-mosque-ahsan-habib-plus-chinton-architects&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

Nature, Published online: 15 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08426-5IL-33 induces tertiary lymphoid structures.

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A mixed bag of results Like many other companies, PlayStation pushed into the very popular, potentially lucrative, and very competitive, live-service market by making a number of bets, and not all of them have paid off. Most recently, Sony confirmed that it canceled multiple projects, including a live-service God of War and another live-service title from Bend. There have been successes, too, mostly notably Helldivers 2. The game sold more than 12 million copies, ranking as the No. 3 best-selling game of 2024 in the US through November. Sony's multiplayer game Concord, on the other hand, failed to find an audience and was quickly taken offline, with its studio shuttered.In this post, we're rounding up all the multiplayer/live-service games PlayStation has in development and providing a status report on them. This was inspired by Radec on social media, who was first to compile a rundown of Sony's live-service projects and their status.It was reported in 2023 that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, who left Sony in 2024, had a mandate that Sony's teams should make more games-as-a-service titles. A number of PlayStation developers were reportedly upset with this, and the blame was said to have fallen not on Ryan but Connie Booth, one of the most important and veteran PlayStation developers, leading to her eventual departure.Another former PlayStation boss, Shuhei Yoshida, recently said the chance of finding success in the competitive live-service market was "small," but his replacement, Hermen Hulst, was given the resources to fund both single-player games and live-service titles at the same time. However, had Yoshida stayed in that role, he said he would have "tried to resist" the push into the live-service market. He joked, "That's one of the reasons they removed me."Prior to the cancellation of The Last of Us Online and the live-service God of War most recently, Sony indicated it was pulling back from its ambitious live-service strategy. Back in 2023, Sony management said it would only go ahead with six live-service games in the near future, down from a dozen. At the time, management said it was attempting to focus on quality over quantity. But that's not the end of PlayStation's foray into live-service, so let's take a look at how things have gone so far and where future projects stand. Helldivers 2 One of Sony's most successful live-service games ever, Helldivers 2 launched in early 2024 and became a huge hit right away. It has since sold more than 12 million copies. It's currently the No. 3 best-selling game of 2024 in the US through November, and it's likely to rank inside the top five for all of 2024 when December's data comes out later this month. The game has faced its share of issues, too, as developer Arrowhead was criticized for requiring a PlayStation Account for its Steam release (a decision that was later reversed, though subsequent Sony PC games do require one) and for the way its paid Killzone cosmetics were rolled out. But Helldivers 2 remains very popular and is also getting a Hollywood movie adaptation in the future. Concord Sony's biggest live-service failure, at least among games that have come out, Concord launched in late August 2024 for PS5, but unlike many live-service games, which are free-to-play, it carried a $40 price tag. It drew a generally positive critical response, but it reportedly only sold 25,000 copies. Unsurprisingly, then, Sony shut the game down two weeks after launch. There was a period in which it seemed possible that it would be reworked and relaunched, but instead Sony refunded players and developer Firewalk Studios, which Sony acquired in 2023, was closed. Fairgame$ Former Assassin's Creed boss Jade Raymond's new team, the PlayStation-owned Haven Studios, is making a heist-themed competitive game for PS5 and PC called Fairgame$ (yes, it's really styled that way). Described as a "fresh, modern take on the heist genre," Fairgame$ aims to be a competitive heist game where people steal from the rich to "rebalance the scales." No gameplay footage has been released and there is no word on the launch timing. Horizon multiplayer game and MMO It's been reported that Guerrilla Games is developing a live-service, online game based on its Horizon series. There is basically nothing to go on at this stage, and the game hasn't even been announced. But a report from September 2024 said the game was still going ahead in the wake of Concord's dismal launch and shutdown.Beyond Guerrilla's new game, NCSoft is said to be working on a Horizon MMO in partnership with Sony. This hasn't been officially announced, however, and plans can always change. Bungie games Sony's Bungie studio has a number of live-service projects in the works, including ongoing support for Destiny 2, as well as a new Marathon, an extraction shooter-style revival of its classic FPS series. Beyond that, Bungie's incubation team is working on a genre-mix title reportedly codenamed Gummy Bears.Additionally, in the wake of a massive upheaval at Bungie, a number of staffers shifted to a new team inside Sony that is building a brand-new science-fantasy universe, though whether or not it's a live-service game is unknown. Based on the latest information, all of these projects at Bungie and within SIE continue to go forward. God of War live-service game Most recently, Bloomberg reported that a live-service God of War game at Bluepoint Games had been canceled. Sony confirmed the cancellation to the site but had no other details to share. Many questioned how the God of War series might have translated to live-service/multiplayer, and it seems we won't find out. Bluepoint is best known for its work on various remasters and remakes, typically of single-player games, such as the acclaimed PS5 version of Demon's Souls, so this project marked a departure from the norm. The Last of Us Online In December 2023, Naughty Dog confirmed that it cancelled The Last of Us Online. The company said when it ramped up to full production, it realized the "massive scope" of the company's ambitions made the project unrealistic. Naughty Dog said it made the choice to focus on single-player games instead of live-service games. It now has two single-player games in the works, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and The Last of Us 3 (we think). Bend Studio project Days Gone developer Bend Studio was working on an unannounced live-service project, but Bloomberg reported on January 16 that it was canceled. There isn't anything more to go on, however. Bend Studio hasn't released anything since 2019's Days Gone. Prior to that, it was known for the Syphon Filter series and the Vita entries in the Uncharted series. Deviation Games project Deviation Games, a studio founded by Call of Duty veterans Dave Anthony and Jason Blundell, was shuttered in early 2024. It was partnered with Sony for a new IP that would have been exclusive to PlayStation, and many guessed that it was going to be a multiplayer/live-service game. Twisted Metal In February 2024, it was reported that UK studio Firesprite was developing a live-service Twisted Metal game, though it wasn't actually greenlit. In any event, the report said whatever was to potentially come of this was no longer moving ahead. Despite the existence of the ongoing Peacock series, the Twisted Metal series has been dormant since 2012's entry on PS3. London Studio Sony's London Studio development team (known for SingStar, EyeToy, and other unconventional PlayStation games) was said to be working on a fantasy co-op live-service game set in an alternate version of London. But it wasn't meant to be. The game was canceled alongside Sony's closure of London Studio as part of Sony's wide cost-cutting program. Spider-Man: The Great Web In 2024, it was reported that Insomniac was working on a Spider-Man live-service project called Spider-Man: The Great Web. A leaked gameplay video showed that teams of five players would have faced off against the Sinister Six in New York City. The game would have incorporated multiverse elements, too, the leak said, and players would have been able to choose from a big roster of Marvel superheroes.

For years, the Borderlands franchise was mostly focused on one planet. Players would spend much of their time fighting through Pandora in search of the latest vault. With Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the series started to expand from that and introduce fans to whole new locales. Borderlands 3 then took it even further by introducing so many more planets, and now, Borderlands 4 is set to leave Pandora behind in favor of something brand-new. While it remains to be seen if that pays off, if it does, then Gearbox may want to consider taking it to the next level with the next chapter.

I love TikTok. As a grown-ass adult, this is not something I am proud of, nor will I share the total number of hours Ive spent scrolling to fall asleep, pass the time or catch up on what Good Boy Ollie is doing. As Sunday gets nearer, I am feeling increasingly bereft. Everyone I know on TikTok is talking about the same thing: Where are we going next?While a lot of options have been bandied about, and new apps emerge almost daily, there are still few platforms that share the most common traits of TikTok. Here are a couple. Red NoteIf you love TikTok, opening Red Note will cause you to immediately relaxit looks remarkably similar. Well, first you have to go through a daunting sign-up process where you agree to who-knows-what in Chinese, and fumble through finding anyone you know. Credit: Amanda Blum Pros: Red Note looks and feels a lot like the original recipe; if all you need for your fix is the ability to scroll through an endless feed of content, Red Note could legitimately fill your cup. Theres a For You tab, and you can like, follow and favorite, like you had previously. Theres even an alternative to TikTok Shop.You will meet fascinating new people (many Red Note users seem eager to welcome Americans) and bonus: You might learn some Chinese. Creating posts is also quite similar to TikTok, where you can choose video or photo, add music, captions (subtitles), filters and have access to the same editing tools. Traditional hashtags aren't clickable, but if you can find the Chinese equivalent, it will work. Credit: Amanda Blum Cons: There are no hashtagswhen you see them in posts, they wont work. There do seem to be Chinese hashtags, if you can figure out the Chinese equivalents. Otherwise, if thats how you found content or your people on TikTok, you're out of luck, at least for now. Red Note doesnt know you yet, so moving from TikTokwhere serious users enjoy a highly curated feedto Red Note is going to feel dissociative for a little bit, as it learns your likes. While you might find previous TikTok users on Red Note by searching for their usernames individually, remember, not everyone is affected by the banonly Americans. Because international users have had no need to move from TikTok, you probably wont find them.In the last week on Red Note, many users of content no one would consider controversial have been banned, after only a day or their first post. In particular, it seems a lot of content creators making queer content are being banned (and when signing up, your only options for gender are binary). Remember, Red Note comes with a lot of political baggage that TikTok doesnt.It's entirely possible, too, that Red Note could one day be subject to a similar legal action as TikTok; that said, it took years for the current suit to proceed through the courts. Gender choices are binary. Credit: Amanda Blum Takeaway: My gut is that Red Note will figure out fast how to localize the app so Americans see it in English; from the time I logged in yesterday to today, I'd swear that theyve added more TikTok-like functionality. While I was turned off initially, today I found myself wanting to invest a little time finding people I followed on TikTok and seeing what happens. Im also, however, deeply curious about what I agreed to when I signed up.Instagram ReelsIn many ways, Reels seems the obvious successor to TikTok, although it's different in how you interact with your audience. Reels are more like a longer Instagram Story than a TikTok.Pros: You probably already know how to use Reels. It lacks some of the robust editing tools that TikTok has, but still has captions, filters, music and text. You can tag people and businesses, locations, and target specific audiences. Comments arent limited to a few sentences. Obviously, Instagram has the advantage of being in English, and uses hashtags to help people navigate. Cons: Instagram is Meta, and Meta is on the cusp of some big changes regarding moderation. Part of the beauty of TikTok was the exceptional moderation tools, which kept everyone behaving generally well. Complaints about the Instagram algorithm are endless and justified; you have very little control over what you see or who sees you, despite following accounts or asking not to see others. Youll see a lot of ads. And everything about Instagram is about selling, boosting or pushing, which is a real turnoff to many creators.Reels doesn't seem to want to keep you in Reelsit routinely pushes you to regular Instagram. If you search by hashtag, you'll end up with a mix of posts and Reels (but not Stories). Credit: Amanda Blum Lastly, you cant watch videos in 2x time on Reels, which feels downright insulting.Takeaway: Its likely youre already using Instagram Reels, in addition to TikTok, because many content creators bifurcate their social media accounts, using them for different purposes, with different audiences. If thats the case, you might consider starting a new IG account to migrate your TikTok followers to. It certainly seems like most users are offering an Instagram account for followers, and many TikTokers have always kept an IG Reels account as a backup for their TikTok. Youre likely to find a similar audience, if less well-behaved, on Instagram Reels.YouTube ShortsA lot of the big content creators are headed to YouTube and YouTube Shorts, and theres good reason: money. If you monetize TikTok, Youtube is the most stable, predictable channel there is for similar income, and many of those large creators started on YouTube in longer-form video. Shorts ends up feeling like a rudimentary TikTok, with less curation and less ability to organize. Since almost everyone knows what YouTube classic offers (ads, sponsor lead-ins and uncurated comments), lets talk about Shorts.Pros: YouTube isnt going anywhere, ever. People know the platform, and they know what to expect from YouTube. You probably already have the app installed on your phone. Like Reels, the feed is mostly full of regurgitated TikToks, so it feels familiar. You can like a post (or dislike, which is a new and fun way to endure rejection), and subscribe to other users. You can also search by hashtag, and have the choice to watch Shorts or full-length videos. Credit: Amanda Blum Cons: Shorts are, at max, three minutes long, not longer as with TikTok and Reels. While there is a simple interface for making and uploading videos, it's overly simple. Unlike TikTok, you upload and process your Shorts video first and then edit it in the cloud, not locally on your phone to upload afterwards, which feels like a big commitment if you're not sure you're ready. There's no place to add captions, and while YouTube might add them via AI, they often contain errors. As with Instagram Reels, you have to watch Shorts at regular speed, even though you can speed up full-length videos.There's a truly abhorrent lack of comment-moderation tools, or moderation, period. YouTube is (still) the Wild West, and for that reason, many find it unappealing.Takeaway: Shorts feels like a very different product than TikTok. Which is surprising, because classic Youtube generally incurs deeper and more loyal relationships between creators and watchers, where people are more tuned into specific creators than trends, hashtags or communities. Shorts, however, misses the mark on all of that. I suspect people who migrate back to YouTube will do so for long-form videos, not Shorts.The bottom lineIts not so much that all American TikTok users are scattering to the wind. In the this is the last video Ill be making on TikTok videos Im consuming, users are posting links to all the platforms I named above, and one more: Bluesky. While Bluesky only allows you to post 60-second videos, it feels like a home base until the swarm figures out where to settle.Realistically, for a while, I think youll be seeing the same content across all three platforms while we wait it out and pray for TikTok to be brought back from the dead.All three of these tools have the same portrait-orientation video, with the ability to remix and share, and add music.

Canoo said on Friday night that it has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will cease operations effective immediately, after failing to secure enough funding to keep it going. The writing was on the wall for the EV startup leading up to the announcement; the company has lost multiple executives in recent months, announced furloughs and reported to the SEC in November that it had just $700,000 in the bank, per TechCrunch.In a press release announcing the filing, Canoo said it was unable to get funding from the Department of Energys Loan Program Office or from foreign sources of capital that executives had been in talks with. In light of the fact that these efforts were unsuccessful, the Board has made the difficult decision to file for insolvency, it said. Canoo owes a total of over $164 million to hundreds creditors, and has about $126 million in assets, according to TechCrunch. Under the filing in Delaware, Canoos assets will be liquidated and the proceeds will be distributed to its creditors. In a statement, CEO Tony Aquila said, We are truly disappointed that things turned out as they did.Canoo made a few electric vans for NASA and a prototype for the US Army, and had deals for larger fleets with the likes of USPS and Walmart, but only a small number of its vans appear to have ever materialized.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ev-startup-canoo-has-filed-for-bankruptcy-and-stopped-all-operations-232719895.html?src=rss

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