The City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has announced the appointment of developer Steve Soboroff to serve as the new Chief Recovery Officer to spearhead its response to wildfire disasters that destroyed over 12,000 structures in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena earlier this month. Soboroff, who in the past had been criticized for the environmental impact of his massive Playa Vista development on the citys Westside, will be responsible for "recommending a comprehensive City strategy" and coordinating the now expedited rebuilding process for those in the affected areas.He will also create an "all solutions in" resource-sharing system for commercial and residential rebuilds, in addition to a "detailed program" that covers the city's public libraries and parks systems.In a brief statement,Soboroff said: "Our mission is to start building a clear, practical and doable path to the Palisades and everywhere help is needed in LA."

The total number of construction starts decreased by 2% in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.2 trillion according to the latest Dodge Construction Network (DCN) survey.Nonresidential building starts grew by 2%, nonbuilding starts were 14% lower, and residential building starts grew by 4%. On a year-to-date basis through December, total construction starts were up 6%, nonresidential starts were up 4%, residential starts were up 7%, and nonbuilding starts were up by 7%.For the 12 months ending in December 2024, total construction starts were up 6% from the 12 months ending in December 2023. Residential starts were up 7%, nonresidential starts were up 4% and nonbuilding starts rose 7% over the same period.Related on Archinect: Construction spending to slow dramatically through 2026, says AIA"Rate cuts prior to December supported some momentum in multifamily and commercial starts over the month," stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge C...

Like its predecessor, Falcoms The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 has received a demo before launch. However, NIS America has confirmed not one but two demos for its story and battles. Theyre available now on PS4 and PS5. Check out the release trailer below.The Battle demo lets you choose from two different parties and battle through the Mrchen Garten, a virtual simulation with various locations and threats across the story. It plays a key role in the story, not unlike the Reverie Corridor from previous titles. On the other hand, the Story demo contains the beginning of the game, allowing one to experience the plot early.Progress from the second demo can transfer to the second game when it launches. The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 is available on February 14th for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out our review of the first game we gave an eight out of ten.

As part of its ongoing desire to expand the userbase of PlayStation Network users amongst PC gamers, Sony has now enforced the need for a PSN account Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition on PC. As a result of this move, the game has now been locked out of access for players from a host of different countries.The list of countries all coincide with areas where Sony hasnt yet begun supporting with PlayStation Network yet. The whole list, which you can catch on SteamDB, now matches that of the region locking seen in Helldivers 2, which saw a similar move and a wave of controversy when it enforced a PSN account requirement.It is notable, however, that Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition has no multiplayer component, and enforcing the need for a PSN account is a strange move. The most recent changelog for God of War Ragnark, for instance, also indicates that Sony might be getting ready to introduce region locking through a mandatory PSN account there as well.For context, Helldivers 2 was de-listed from more than 170 countries back in May 2024. This came about due to Sony wanting to enforce PSN accounts for the multiplayer title, but also not supporting the existence of PSN in these countries. Before the region-blocking happened, however, there was plenty of backlash when developer Arrowhead Games and Sony had announced that PSN accounts would be mandatory.Despite this, however, Helldivers 2 has gone on to do quite well, selling more than 12 million copies as of May last year. The game has since seen quite a bit of support in the form of constant updates that fix issues and re-balance gear, as well as the addition if new content, including mech suits that can be piloted by players.As for the PC release of Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, you can check out our coverage of the title through our review, as well as our graphical comparison between the PC and PS5 release. The PC release of the game did well enough to push it into the US best-selling charts when it came out last year.

When a Japanese aquarium closed for a six-month renovation project, a sunfish named Mambo stopped eating and began rubbing up against the side of its tank. Aquarists wondered if the creature was lonely. (Mambo is not pictured.) Rodrigo Friscione via Getty ImagesMost sunfish spend their days swimming slowly through the worlds oceans, feasting on jellyfish or soaking up the sun near the waters surface. In the wild, these behemoth creatureswhich can tip the scales at 6,000 poundsare typically spotted alone.But at least one of them seems to appreciate a little company. In Japan, an ocean sunfish appeared lonely after its aquarium shut down for renovations, staff saidso they created human cut-outs to cheer the animal up, reports the Guardians Justin McCurry.In February last year, the Kaikyokan aquarium in Shimonoseki got a sunfish from the southern coast of Kochi in the Pacific Ocean. The goofy-looking, 60-pound creaturewith its round body, gaping mouth and large eyesquickly became a hit with aquarium visitors.For months, the sunfishnicknamed Mamboseemed to be adapting to its new life in captivity. Mambo was known to swim up to the side of its tank when humans approached and generally seemed curious about its new human companions.But, in December, the aquarium closed for a six-month renovation project. Not long after, staffers noticed the sunfish seemed unwell. The creature no longer wanted to eat its provided jellyfish and began rubbing up against the tank windows.At first, they suspected the fish was suffering from digestive issues or was bothered by the loud noises and vibrations coming from the construction work. But then one caretaker suggested the sunfish might simply be lonely. Without visitors stopping by its tank throughout the day, the solitary creature might have begun feeling a little blue.Though the aquarists were initially dubious, they decided to take a chance and run with the theory. They taped photos of human faces to the side of the fishs enclosure, then hung up some uniforms to create the illusion of visitors.Now, it seems their quirky solution might have worked. The next day, the sunfish began eating again and seemed more content overall.The aquariums social media posts about this unusual remedy have racked up millions of views, likes and comments.We were skeptical but decided to do anything we could, Moe Miyazawa, an aquarist at the facility, tells the Associated Press Mari Yamaguchi. I knew [the sunfish] was looking at us when we were placing them, but I never thought it would start eating the next day. Staff have also been making an effort to visit the sunfish more frequently and offer some friendly waves through the windows.Humans are far from the only creatures that feel lonely or benefit from social interactions. In 2023, scientists made headlines after they taught solitary pet parrots to video chat with each otherand revealed that the birds seemed to love the social interactions. And, during the Covid-19 lockdowns, the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo put out a call for volunteers to video chat with its spotted garden eels, which had reportedly grown shy from the lack of human interaction.As for Mambo, caretakers hope the fish will cheer up for good once construction wraps up and visitors are allowed to return this summer.I hope many people take interest in the sunfish, and when the renovation work is finished, Id like visitors to wave to it in front of the tank, Mai Kato, a staff member at the aquarium, tells the Mainichi Shimbun.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Biology, Fish, Japan, Social Sciences, Water, wildlife, Zoology

Many sculptors work with clay. Others construct their masterpieces out of twisted pieces of metal orhot-pink PVC. Someblow glass into colorful shapes, while others carve pieces of wood into intricate designs.However, for some artists, their material of choice is snow.Each winter, the fluffy white stuff takes center stage at snow sculpting festivals and competitions across the country, from the chilly peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the frigid plains of the Midwest and beyond. A sculptor hard at work at the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeLast weekend, for example, a team from Mongolia took first place at the2025 World Snow Sculpting Championship in Minnesota. The group, called Team Falcon, crafted a piece called Voice to win the annual contest in Stillwater, a suburb of Minneapolis.A dozen teams from 12 countries traveled to Minnesota to compete in the event, which is now in its fourth year. Some even hailed from warm places like Peru, where they practiced for the competition with sand.In Lima, we dont have snow, says Sebastian Emmanuel Isrrael Pea Perez, a member of Team Kawsay Arte Peru, toKAREs Ian Russell. The winner of the Minnesota contest is Voice, a piece created by Team Falcon from Mongolia. Ron Woods PhotographyThe competition may be fierce, but some rival artists manage to strike up friendshipsand even kindle romancesamid all the snow.Team Canadas Joelle Gagnon and Team Finlands Arto Manninen met at last years contest and became fast friends. Then, their friendship turned into something more. Now, theyre engaged to be married, but theyre still competing against each other on different teams.Totally didnt see that coming when I came here last year, Gagnon tells CBS Minnesotas Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield. A sculpted dragon head on display in Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeMeanwhile, theInternational Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado, are also underway this week, with 12 teams from across the globe creating massive, fleeting works of art in the citys historic downtown. The frosty event has become a beloved winter tradition in Breckenridge, which has been hosting the competition for decades.Each team starts with a 25-ton cube of man-made snow that stands roughly 12 feet tall. The snow is packed into block-shaped molds by a team of volunteer snow stompers. A snow sculptor creating a chilly masterpiece in Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeTo create their chilly masterpieces, artists can use only hand toolsno power tools allowedand they have just 94 hours to bring their intricate visions to life. That often means working late into the night.Teams must finish their creations by January 24, which marks the start of viewing week, when visitors can meander through the mountain towns larger-than-life outdoor gallery. At night, the sculptures are illuminated with colorful lights. Mexico'sTeam JetSet won second place in the Minnesota competition with a sculpture titledTrapped. Ron Woods PhotographyThese are the kind of pieces of art that are just mind-blowing and jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring, asKeith Martin, a professional snow and ice sculptor and longtime member of Team Breckenridge, told theSummit Dailys Lindsey Toomer in 2022. They touch on that emotional chord, and Ive watched people walk up and just start in tears because they hit them in such a way. I feel like theres just something cool about being able to do temporary art so large that affects people in such a great way.Similar competitions are also being held this winter inWisconsin,Illinois,New York,Connecticut and beyond.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Artists, Sculpture, Snow, Water, Weather, Winter Sports

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When Assassin's Creed Shadows releases on March 20, it's coming with a service platform to launch current and future games.Dubbed the Animus Hub, Ubisoft says players can use it to access "Period 2" entries in the franchise they own and already have installed. At launch, that extends to Shadows, along with Assassin's Creed Mirage, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Assassin's Creed Origins.According to Ubisoft, this platform is fully integrated into Assassin's Creed Shadows specifically, and there are no plans to release a standalone version. "Period 1" games, or those released prior to Origins, are not currently supported.In 2022, Ubisoft revealed its intent to create a central Assassin's Creed hub subtitled Infinity. Enter the Animus Hub, which lets players access games via a timeline and offers free, unlockable in-game rewards. While the Hub can be played offline, a connection will be required to access certain features.At the time, the developers said it would help make the series more discoverable and accessible. That goal appears to be intact, as Ubisoft says the Hub can help "create new opportunities to tie together the Assassin's Creed universe, our Modern Day story, and your favorite Assassin's Creed games."Launch, launch, launchIn generations past, games would have custom launchers if they were multiplayer-only and on PC. Over time, those gradually faded and gave way to storefronts that served as launchers themselves: your Steam, Battle.net, Origin, and Ubisoft's own Connect service.Recent years have seen third-party publishers gradually de-prioritize their individual launchers in favor of Steam or the Epic Games Store. It was significant when Assassin's Creed Valhalla came to Steam in 2022, for example, because the franchise (and Ubisoft more generally) hadn't been on Valve's platform in years. It was a similar story when older Call of Duty games jumped to Steam, and when Blizzard did the same with Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV.Ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch last year, a new service platform for the franchise launched that let players more easily access specific titles, and helped cut down on the file size that came with annual Warzone updates. Party game developer Jackbox has also established a unified game library to make access less of a hassle on Steam.Ubisoft hasn't shared how the Hub will affect PC players, particularly Steam. Shadows is launching day one on the storefront, and this may cut into expected revenue, since Ubisoft would owe Steam up to 30 percent for each sale.More information on the Animus Hub and its features at launch can be read here.

Were in an age where you can realistically delegate tasks to smart hunks of metal, whether its a self-driving car or a robot that can clean on your behalf. Most of us probably wont be able to afford the helpful sentient humanoids being developed in our lifetimes, but robot vacuums are an affordable way to experience that promised utopia right now. RelatedTodays floor cleaners are also more advanced than ever. In addition to vacuuming, many of the best models can now mop, allowing you to tackle both carpet and hardwood flooring. Some can automatically dispense of their trash and dirty water, too, and clean their own components without intervention. Soon, well even have models that can pick up dirty laundry and purify the air in your home, preventing you from having to lift a finger.But if you need something relatively affordable for daily cleaning, youd be surprised how little you have to pay for premium features. Below, weve listed the best deals currently available on a slate of Verge-approved robot vacuums, whether you prefer a budget entry-level model from Yeedi or top-of-the-line offerings from iRobot, Dreame, and more.Best robot vacuum dealsiRobots Roomba Combo j7 Plus is available from Amazon, Best Buy, and iRobot for around $599 ($600 off), which is an all-time low. The j7 Plus was once our favorite Roomba robovac, and the Combo j7 Plus builds upon the base model with an auto-retractable mop. That means it can lift its mop pads and pick up dirt from your carpets without wetting them and then vacuum / mop hardwood flooring with no mid-cycle management needed. The mopping performance isnt the best weve seen, though, and youll need to frequently change its 210ml water tank and detach and clean the mop pads yourself. Thankfully, it can automatically dispose of dirt using the included auto-empty dock. The Combo j7 Plus isnt easily tripped up thanks to AI-powered obstacle avoidance, which allows it to navigate toys and pet droppings. You can also direct it to clean specific areas using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.Read our Roomba Combo j7 Plus review.iRobot Roomba Combo j7 Plus $599$99940% off$599$599$99940% offThis mopping Roomba is as good as the j7 Plus, with the bonus of a retractable mop on top that can polish your hard floors as it vacuums. Its great at avoiding obstacles, features good battery life, and includes an auto-emptying docking station.The Dreame X40 Ultra is another mopping robot, and while its on the more expensive side, you can currently pick it up for $1,099.99 ($630 off) from Dreame and Amazon (using an on-page coupon). Youre paying a premium for 12,000Pa of suction power and a pair of removable, self-retracting mop pads, which it can automatically clean and dry on its own using the included base. It can also empty its own bin and refill its own water tank. RelatedThe Dreame X40 Ultra features an extendable side brush and mop pads, too, offering better coverage for baseboards, corners, and the underside of your furniture. It uses a combination of AI-powered cameras and 3D-structured light (presumably based on lidar technology) to map and navigate rooms, with customizable keep-out zones and more functions available in the app. Theres also a dirt detection system that can identify messier spills and adjust its cleaning routine accordingly.Dreame X40 Ultra $1100$173036% off$1100$1100$173036% offWith a unique ability to remove and reattach its mop pads, the Dreame X40 solves the problem of vacuuming carpets (with 12,000Pa suction power) while also mopping hard floors. Its mops can also swing out and under low furniture, getting where most bots cant reach.$1100 at Amazon (with on-page coupon)$1100 at DreameYou can get the SwitchBot S10 for an all-time low of $664.99 ($535 off) at Amazon with an on-page coupon or for $699.99 ($500 off) directly from SwitchBot with code BFCM500A. The S10 is one of the most affordable robot vacuum / mop hybrids you can buy that can refill its own tank at a battery-powered base station with the caveat that it requires hooking into your homes plumbing. It can also dry its own mop pads and empty its bin at a separate docking bay and offers enough capacity to go up to 90 days without intervention. RelatedIts self-cleaning roller mop is more effective than the typical pads we see in most other units, but the downside is a smaller coverage area. It only has a single roller brush for vacuuming, but its respectable 6,500Pa suction can make up for it. And while it has lidar mapping and AI-powered obstacle avoidance, we found it still has a tendency to get stuck on laundry, bath mats, and other obstacles. The S10 is also one of the few robovacs with Matter support, which effectively enables native control through Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa (though said platforms dont yet fully support robot vacuums).Read our SwitchBot S10 review.SwitchBot S10 $665$119945% off$665$665$119945% offThe S10 is a great mopping robot with a battery-powered water refill dock that makes it the most hands-free robovac weve tested. A separate auto-empty dock takes care of the dust. Its big and loud and lacks some features found on high-end robots, but it does a great job of keeping your floors clean.$665 at Amazon (with on-page coupon)$700 at SwitchBot (with code BFCM500A)The big-wheeled Roborock Q5 Pro is down to $159.99 ($270 off) at Roborocks online storefront and Amazon if youre a Prime member which is only $20 more than its all-time low. Not only is it one of the most affordable robovacs you can buy, but thanks to its dual rubber roller brushes and 5,500Pa of suction power, the entry-level Roborock model remains one of the best weve found at dealing with unwanted pet hair. RelatedThe lidar-mapping Q5 Pro features voice controls, digital keep-out zones, and mopping pads with an onboard reservoir, but no self-cleaning functions. This particular SKU doesnt include a self-emptying base, but the 770ml dust bin is one of the largest youll find, so you can go a few weeks without touching it. That being said, Roborock sells a version with a self-emptying dock, which is also on sale right now for $329.99 ($270 off).Roborock Q5 Pro$160$25036% off$160$160$25036% offIts not fancy, but the Q5 Pro has a huge bin and big wheels to get up on higher-pile carpets easily. It has a small removable mopping reservoir for when there are dirty paws on the floors, but its main job is to suck up dirt and pet hair, and it does very well at both.The Yeedi Cube is currently down to an all-time low of $299.99 ($260 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon for $190 off. Its not easy to find a self-emptying / self-cleaning vacuum at this price, as those features are typically only available on robots that cost upward of $600 or more. With 5,100Pa of suction power, the Cube can tackle most common vacuuming scenarios, though its single hybrid rubber / bristle brush can get easily tangled with pet hair. It mops better than most models in its range, however, namely because its vibrating microfiber pads can actually scrub your floors. The Cube uses lasers for object avoidance, too, though its not as effective for navigation as those with lidar and AI smarts. It can avoid large furniture and other objects, but it might need your help rerouting around cables, toys, and laundry. Still, we found it navigates better than most other robots under $300.Yeedi Cube$300$56046% off$300$300$56046% offOne of the first robots that can vacuum, mop, self-empty, self-wash, and self-dry with hot air for under $1,000, the Yeedi Cube retails for $699.99 but is regularly on sale for far less. Its a good vacuum and mop for hands-free cleaning on a budget.$300 at Amazon (with on-page coupon)