Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remasterCredit: Argonaut GamesArgonaut Games Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster doesnt have a solid release date quite yet, but a chronic case of publisher TBD didnt stop me from going full 90s mode this weekend and playing a fresh preview build. Its hot off the development press, as it were, and I was excited to see what the team has been cooking up. I wasnt disappointed.The new demo only allowed access to the resurrected 3D platformers first island hub, but it was more than enough to see what this throwback project is all about. And what is it all about, exactly? From my vantage point, Id say its focused on preserving the past in a way that feels (and looks) more palatable to modern audiences, without altering any of what makes Croc, well, Croc.For starters, watching the classic in-game-engine intro, wherein the Gobbos fish Croc out of the water like a tiny reptilian Moses, was a complete nostalgic trip. So was dropping into the very first level after all these years, a stage properly titled And So the Adventure Begins. Memories instantly came flooding back, and thats despite the game looking so much better this time around.Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remasterCredit: Argonaut GamesIn a strange way, I kind of miss the wobbly textures of the PS1 version I first played back in 1997, but luckily, you can switch back and forth between the remastered visuals and the old graphics on the fly. Granted, the preserved visuals arent really deliciously warped like I remember, and Im wondering if its because the remaster isnt based exactly on the PlayStation portjust speculation here. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos also originally released on the Sega Saturn, as well as the PC, and the retro graphics seem more akin to the latter platform.MORE FOR YOUThe visual toggle options are actually surprisingly granular. You can, of course, move between the meta choices of either remastered or retro, but then independently of those options, you can mess with the games models, textures, lighting and even make the display look like its booting on a grainy CRT television or a Vaseline-smeared VGA monitor. It reminds me a bit of how the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver remaster was handled, and I appreciate this kind of customization.At this time, Argonaut was only able to provide a preview build of Croc via GOG on PC (its also hitting consoles), and Ive been running the game on the Starforge Systems rig I reviewed a few weeks ago: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 4090 and 64GB of DDR5 memory. Overkill, for sure, but the game runs beautifully on my hardware. Its displayed at 4K and at a full 240Hz/240FPS; smooth is an accurate descriptor, without a doubt. The remasters updated graphicswhich look bright, inviting and like theyre made of delicious modern marshmallowsseriously shine and show what a great job Argonaut has done with ushering this pioneering 3D adventure into 2025.Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remasterCredit: Argonaut GamesThe revamped controls are another example of the loving care being taken. While you can still utilize the infamous digital tank controls on the d-pad, Croc now scampers through his cartoonish environment like a dream, thanks to tweaked analog inputs and a more responsive right-stick camera.Admittedly, I first played Croc: Legend of the Gobbos on Sonys interim pre-Dual Shock gamepad, the Dual Analog, so to my child brain in 97, I was living in the future. Fast forward to today, though, and it feels like the current team has significantly improved on those preliminary analog controls. Theyre very responsive, and I think most modern gamers will be able to jump right in without much resistance.What also struck me about the early demo was Justin Scharvonas classic soundtrack, which as far as I can tell, hasnt been changed at all. It does sound amazing, however, so maybe its been remastered, too. Theres something about this games serene music that takes me right back to 1997, and it was a real treat hearing it again.Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remasterCredit: Argonaut GamesFrom what Ive played so far, it appears the remaster is right on track to be a polished, nostalgic experience for returning fans, and will provide an accessible, updated and historic piece of software for gamers new to the series. The inclusion of the Crocipedia, which is filled with design documents, art and Crocumentary interviews (including me!), is shaping up nicely, too. Lots of fun material to study and get lost in.If youre looking for a full-blown remake, this definitely isnt it, but Argonaut has been rather transparent about this. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos absolutely shows its age in terms of outdated design, but so a lot of older games, so you have to know what youre getting into.Hopefully the game gets finished relatively soon, though, because I want to dig in and relive one of the most important games of my childhood. Even if the Flibby boss fight is still annoying, naturally.Disclosure: I was interviewed for inclusion in the Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster, but my honest coverage of the game is my own. Argonaut Games provided a preview code for review purposes.

In context: Once the undisputed leader in semiconductor manufacturing, Intel now finds itself at a critical juncture as its foundry operations face significant financial challenges. It remains uncertain whether a deal with TSMC can rescue Intel's foundry business, but without it the company better known in its heyday as "Chipzilla" must find a way to address its manufacturing challenges and financial losses. Intel's foundry division reported a staggering loss of over $13 billion on $17.5 billion in revenue last year. In Q2 2024 alone, the foundry posted an operating loss of $2.83 billion, a sharp increase from $1.87 billion the previous year. This stands in stark contrast to TSMC, the industry leader, which generated $41.1 billion in operating profit on $90 billion in revenue during the same period. These figures highlight the severity of Intel's predicament.As Intel grapples with its foundry woes, speculation has emerged about a potential partnership with TSMC. This idea gained traction following a report from Robert W. Baird analysts, citing "discussions from the Asia supply chain," which suggested that TSMC could become a joint owner of Intel's manufacturing business after a potential spinoff. While unconfirmed, the possibility of such a collaboration has drawn significant interest from industry observers.Chris Caso, an analyst at Wolfe Research, spells out the rationale behind this potential partnership: Intel's core server and PC businesses will no longer generate enough growth to absorb the significant costs for leading-edge fabs, he said in a research note. Caso further emphasizes that only TSMC can drive the foundry volume needed to absorb Intel's fixed costs in an expeditious manner.At the same time, Intel's financial struggles have taken a toll on its market value. The company's stock price plummeted 60% last year, recently trading near a 10-year low. Even with a recent 22% surge in share price, Intel's market capitalization remains roughly one-eighth that of TSMC's a stark reversal from just five years ago when both companies were valued at parity.Adding to Intel's woes is its substantial cash burn. Over the past three years, the company has spent nearly $40 billion in an effort to catch up with TSMC's manufacturing processes. According to FactSet estimates, analysts expect negative free cash flow to persist through at least the end of next year. // Related StoriesBeyond financial concerns, Intel's foundry operations also suffer from a technological lag. The company trails TSMC by approximately a year in achieving competitive yields for each new process node. Additionally, Intel's manufacturing costs are estimated to be 30% to 35% higher than TSMC's due to lower wafer volumes.A lot hinges on Intel's latest 18A manufacturing process, which is expected to be a pivotal moment for the company's foundry ambitions. Intel has positioned 18A as a game-changer, boasting advancements such as RibbonFET transistors and PowerVia technology to enhance power efficiency and performance.

If youve got limited space for a computer on your desk but you want a screen thats bigger than a laptops, the Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One could be the solution that youre looking for especially now that its on sale from Dell with a $300 discount. From its original price of $1,300, youll only have to pay $1,000 for this all-in-one PC, but since were not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires, we highly recommend completing your purchase as soon as possible so that youll be able to pocket the savings.Weve got a comprehensive guide on how to build a PC from scratch, but if youd rather buy a pre-built desktop computer, check out the Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One. The best part about this machine is that it combines the CPU and monitor in one package, with a 27-inch touchscreen that offers Full HD resolution. This makes the all-in-one computer perfect for areas with limited spaces such as a home office or a dorm room, and it even ships with the Dell Pro Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo, so the only wire that youll have to deal with is its power cable.In terms of performance, the Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One PC is no slouch. Its powered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, with 32GB of RAM thats at the sweet spot for professionals, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. Youll be breezing through your daily workload with this computer, and with Windows 11 Home pre-installed in its 1TB SSD, youll have access to the popular operating systems latest features for even more assistance with your tasks.RelatedDell is an excellent source of desktop computer deals, and this offer for the Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One is among the most attractive bargains that weve seen today. From its original price of $1,300, its available for $1,000, for savings of $300. Theres no telling how long youve got before this offer ends, so if you want to take advantage of this discount for the Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One PC, you need to push through with the transaction immediately. Any hesitation may cause you to miss out on this special price.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsPasskeys arent universalPassword managers help the transitionWhen can we switch to passkeys?Its been four years since Google and Apple began supporting passkeys, a new password-free authentication method. Youve probably seen the option to add a passkey when logging onto popular websites. That raises the question of whether you still need a password manager in 2025 or if its time to switch to passkeys.The best password managers make it easy to sign in and take the hassle out of creating and maintaining logins for all your accounts. Still, it would be nice to ease your subscription burden by canceling any unnecessary services. Lets take a look at the current status of passkeys and whether this is really the end of passwords.Recommended VideosPasskeys arent universalApple supports passkeys saved in your iCloud account. Apple / AppleBig names like Amazon, PayPal, Uber, and many more have joined in with support for passkeys. That means a face or finger scan can quickly unlock the popular services you use most often. Its hard to beat that convenience when it works.RelatedHowever, passkey support isnt universal. The technology must be implemented by website developers which takes time and costs money. That means many smaller companies have yet to add an option for passkey login. If you like to shop for rare finds from lesser-known retailers and local service providers, passwords are often still necessary.Even if your favorite websites and service providers support passkeys, putting down your iPhone or closing your MacBook can cause problems. Your Android phone and Windows PC use different passkeys. Each major manufacturer and browser has its own version of passkeys, which work differently and arent compatible with one another.If you stick with an iPhone and a Mac, passkey support is consistent within Apples ecosystem. If you have an Android phone and a Chromebook, passkeys should work seamlessly on both devices. However, many of us work cross-platform and need help to simplify what was supposed to be a better and easier login solution.The problem with passkey compatibility and consistency isnt a secret and there are workarounds. However, you might need multiple browsers or authentication apps on each device. Ideally, the same passkey you save on one device should be easy to transfer and use on every major operating system and browser with minimal effort.Password managers help the transition1Password offers to save passkeys when a website supports that technology. Digital TrendsFortunately, most password managers can help smooth the path during this awkward transition, just like they did when websites started requiring long, complex passwords with capital letters, numbers, and symbols.When creating a new account on a website that supports a passkey, your password manager can offer help. For example, 1Password displays a pop-up window that lets me save a passkey that will sync across all my devices so I can use biometrics, a PIN, or my master password to securely log in without the hassle of creating a password.Bitwarden lets me log in with a passkey with one click. Digital TrendsBitwarden works well with passkeys so I can log in with a single click. Thats how simple passkeys should be and its disappointing that device manufacturers havent settled on a universal standard that works without third-party solutions.Even if the passkeys from Apple, Google, and Microsoft were interoperable, theres still the issue of website support and it could take several years for everyone to get on board with passkeys. In the meantime, the best password managers solve passkey issues and the burden of maintaining logins for all your online accounts.With a good password manager, passkeys work across devices and display a more consistent interface so you dont have to learn multiple techniques to authenticate. They also effortlessly generate and store strong passwords so you dont have to.With Keepers Family plan, I can share a folder or individual records. Digital TrendsWant to share a secure note with an attached image with your family? Many password managers have that capability. Keeper provides 10 GB of encrypted file storage and lets you save and share an unlimited number of logins and passkeys.Password managers are typically quite affordable. Proton Pass even offers a free version that supports passkeys.When can we switch to passkeys?As great as password managers are, the hope of eliminating passwords is compelling. Im looking forward to effortless logins with a glance at a face scanner or a press on a fingerprint reader.While passkeys arent a universal solution yet, theyre still more secure than standard logins that are typed in. Keyloggers collect usernames and passwords as you type, and sophisticated malware grabs unencrypted passwords from memory.When you have an opportunity to save a passkey, its a good idea to do so. It will simplify logins on that device even if you need to use a password elsewhere. Complete support and smoother compatibility could take several more years and no one knows when youll be able to stop using passwords.If you venture from an iPhone to a Windows PC or switch between a Mac and an Android phone regularly, a good password manager can simplify passkey use today and simplify the transition to a password-less future.Until we live in a world with limitless resources and equal opportunities, the need for cybersecurity will continue. And until passkeys become a universal solution supported by all websites and online services with a consistent user interface, password managers and reliable antivirus software will be essential to streamline the login process and help protect us from hackers that target password managers.Editors Recommendations

Lunar power Turning the Moon into a fuel depot will take a lot of power Getting oxygen from regolith takes 24 kWh per kilogram, and we'd need tonnes. John Timmer Feb 17, 2025 4:33 pm | 21 Without adjustments for relativity, clocks here and on the Moon would rapidly diverge. Credit: NASA Without adjustments for relativity, clocks here and on the Moon would rapidly diverge. Credit: NASA Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreIf humanity is ever to spread out into the Solar System, we're going to need to find a way to put fuel into rockets somewhere other than the cozy confines of a launchpad on Earth. One option for that is in low-Earth orbit, which has the advantage of being located very close to said launch pads. But it has the considerable disadvantage of requiring a lot of energy to escape Earth's gravityit takes a lot of fuel to put substantially less fuel into orbit.One alternative is to produce fuel on the Moon. We know there is hydrogen and oxygen present, and the Moon's gravity is far easier to overcome, meaning more of what we produce there can be used to send things deeper into the Solar System. But there is a tradeoff: any fuel production infrastructure will likely need to be built on Earth and sent to the Moon.How much infrastructure is that going to involve? A study released today by PNAS evaluates the energy costs of producing oxygen on the Moon, and finds that they're substantial: about 24 kWh per kilogram. This doesn't sound bad until you start considering how many kilograms we're going to eventually need.Free the oxygen!The math that makes refueling from the Moon appealing is pretty simple. "As a rule of thumb," write the authors of the new study on the topic, "rockets launched from Earth destined for [Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 1] must burn ~25 kg of propellant to transport one kg of payload, whereas rockets launched from the Moon to [Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 1] would burn only ~four kg of propellant to transport one kg of payload." Departing from the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point for locations deeper into the Solar System also requires less energy than leaving low-Earth orbit, meaning the fuel we get there is ultimately more useful, at least from an exploration perspective.But, of course, you need to make the fuel there in the first place. The obvious choice for that is water, which can be split to produce hydrogen and oxygen. We know there is water on the Moon, but we don't yet know how much, and whether it's concentrated into large deposits. Given that uncertainty, people have also looked at other materials that we know are present in abundance on the Moon's surface.And there's probably nothing more abundant on that surface than regolith, the dust left over from constant tiny impacts that have, over time, eroded lunar rocks. The regolith is composed of a variety of minerals, many of which contain oxygen, typically the heavier component of rocket fuel. And a variety of people have figured out the chemistry involved in separating oxygen from these minerals on the scale needed for rocket fuel production.But knowing the chemistry is different from knowing what sort of infrastructure is needed to get that chemistry done at a meaningful scale. To get a sense of this, the researchers decided to focus on isolating oxygen from a mineral called ilmenite, or FeTiO3. It's not the easiest way to get oxygeniron oxides win out therebut it's well understood. Someone actually patented oxygen production from ilmenite back in the 1970s, and two hardware prototypes have been developed, one of which may be sent to the Moon on a future NASA mission.The researchers propose a system that would harvest regolith, partly purify the ilmenite, then combine it with hydrogen at high temperatures, which would strip the oxygen out as water, leaving behind purified iron and titanium (both of which may be useful to have). The resulting water would then be split to feed the hydrogen back into the system, while the oxygen can be sent off for use in rockets.(This wouldn't solve the issue of what that oxygen will ultimately oxidize to power a rocket. But oxygen is typically the heavier component of rocket fuel combinationstypically about 80 percent of the massand so the bigger challenge to get to a fuel depot.)Obviously, this process will require a lot of infrastructure, like harvesters, separators, high-temperature reaction chambers, and more. But the researchers focus on a single element: how much power will it suck down?More power!To get their numbers, the researchers made a few simplifying assumptions. These include assuming that it's possible to purify ilmenite from raw regolith and that it will be present in particles small enough that about half the material present will participate in chemical reactions. They ignored both the potential to get even more oxygen from the iron and titanium oxides present, as well as the potential for contamination from problematic materials like hydrogen sulfide or hydrochloric acid.The team found that almost all of the energy is consumed at three steps in the process: the high-temperature hydrogen reaction that produces water (55 percent), splitting the water afterwards (38 percent), and converting the resulting oxygen to its liquid form (five percent). The typical total usage, depending on factors like the concentration of ilmenite in the regolith, worked out to be about 24 kW-hr for each kilogram of liquid oxygen.Obviously, the numbers are sensitive to how efficiently you can do things like heat the reaction mix. (It might be possible to do this heating with concentrated solar, avoiding the use of electricity for this entirely, but the authors didn't analyze that.) But it was also sensitive to less obvious efficiencies. For example, a better separation of the ilmenite from the rest of the regolith means you're using less energy to heat contaminants. So, while the energetic cost of that separation is small, it pays off to do it effectively.Based on orbital observations, the researchers map out the areas where ilmenite is present at high enough concentrations for this approach to make sense. These include some of the mares on the near side of the Moon, so they're easy to get to. A map of the lunar surface, with areas with high ilmenite concentrations shown in blue. Credit: Leger, et. al. A map of the lunar surface, with areas with high ilmenite concentrations shown in blue. Credit: Leger, et. al. On its own, 24 kWh doesn't seem like a lot of power. The problem is that we will need a lot of kilograms. The researchers estimate that getting an empty SpaceX Starship from the lunar surface to the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point takes 80 tonnes of liquid oxygen. And a fully fueled starship can hold over 500 tonnes of liquid oxygen.We can compare that to something like the solar array on the International Space Station, which has a capacity of about 100 kW. That means it could power the production of about four kilograms of oxygen an hour. At that rate, it'll take a bit over 10 days to produce a tonne, and a bit more than two years to get enough oxygen to get an empty Starship to the Lagrange Pointassuming 24-7 production. Being on the near side, they will only produce for half the time, given the lunar day.Obviously, we can build larger arrays than that, but it boosts the amount of material that needs to be sent to the Moon from Earth. It may potentially make more sense to use nuclear power. While that would likely involve more infrastructure than solar arrays, it would allow the facilities to run around the clock, thus getting more production from everything else we've shipped from Earth.This paper isn't meant to be the final word on the possibilities for lunar-based refueling; it's simply an early attempt to put hard numbers on what ultimately might be the best way to explore our Solar System. Still, it provides some perspective on just how much effort we'll need to make before that sort of exploration becomes possible.PNAS, 2025. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306146122 (About DOIs).John TimmerSenior Science EditorJohn TimmerSenior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 21 Comments

An AI-generated image of a city skyline and a mans face but AIs are unable to see bothZiqi Ding et al. (2025)Artificial intelligence programs can create optical illusions that other AIs are unable to recognise, creating a useful CAPTCHA test to differentiate humans from bots.A cat-and-mouse game has played outfor almost two decades between website developers who want to keep bots out of their sites and the hackers who want to bypass those protections. Websites have long deployed tests that are designed to be easy for humans to pass, but that trip up software.Read more

Emergency crews responded to an incident with a Delta Air Lines flight in Toronto on Monday.The Bombardier CRJ900 was flying from Minneapolis, operated by Delta's Endeavor Air.All passengers and crew were "accounted for," the airport said, but their conditions are unknown.Emergency crews responded to an incident involving a Delta Air Lines flight at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon.All passengers and crew were "accounted for," the airport said. A Peel Regional Police spokesperson said the Greater Toronto Airports Authority was investigating.Photos on X appeared to show the plane upside down and at least one wing missing. Delta said there were 76 passengers and four crew onboard."Initial reports were that there are no fatalities," Delta said. "Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted."Ornge, an air ambulance service in Ontario, told Business Insider that three people were transported to Toronto hospitals with critical injuries, including a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s.US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in an X post that investigators with the Federal Aviation Administration were traveling to Toronto and that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada would lead the investigation.The Bombardier CRJ900, which was flying from Minneapolis as Flight 4819, was operated by Delta's wholly-owned regional subsidiary, Endeavor Air.Flights to the airport were halted due to the emergency, and there are no updates yet on when they may resume. The airport remains closed.Delta said that it is working with customers flying from, to, or through Toronto and that customers should check their flight status via the Delta app.A bad few months for aviation safetyThe Delta incident comes two and a half weeks after an American Airlines flight collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C., killing 67 people.The event in Toronto highlights the ongoing concerns over aviation safety. Despite the incident happening in Canada, the plane was operated by a US airline regulated by the FAA.On Monday, the Trump Administration fired hundreds of FAA staff, according to the workers' union, including people in the safety department.Among those fired was Jason King, whose work directly involved addressessing safety concerns, the Washington television station, WUSA, reported.He said his team's work included investigating the mid-air collision over D.C. The Trump Administration's move to fire hundreds of FAA employees follows the fatal American Airlines crash in January. Al Drago/Getty Images The Delta and American flights join a string of aviation safety events since December. An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer plane crashed on Christmas Day in Kazakhstan, with some blaming Russian air defenses. Thirty-eight people died.A few days later, a Boeing 737 operated by the South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air crashed in South Korea. 179 people died, and two people survived.A small general aviation plane crashed in Pennsylvania a few days after the American accident, killing six on the plane and one on the ground.And on February 6, an Alaskan regional airline crashed in western Alaska, killing 10 people.

The special's audience included A-listers like Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Keke Palmer, and Drew Barrymore.Paul Shaffer, Nancy Juvonen, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Keke Palmer, and Drew Barrymore at "SNL50." Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images In his opening monologue, Steve Martin gave a shout-out to Dave Letterman in the crowd and poked fun at the comedian's beard: "Dave, thanks for leaving the sheep at home," Martin quipped.Pete Davidson and Meryl Streep were seated side-by-side.Pete Davidson and Meryl Streep at "SNL50." Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images "SNL" alumnus Pete Davidson revived his character Chad for a pre-recorded sketch with Laraine Newman, an original cast member, while Meryl Streep made her "SNL" debut in a new edition of the much-loved "Close Encounter" sketch.Ryan Reynolds made a cameo during a Q&A segment.Ryan Reynolds in the audience at "SNL50." Virginia Sherwood/NBC via Getty Images "SNL" alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted an audience Q&A bit during the "SNL50" special, calling on celebrities in the crowd to ask questions about the show's history.When Fey asked Reynolds how it was going, he cheekily replied, "Great! Why, what have you heard?" a veiled reference to he and his wife Blake Lively's ongoing legal battle with her "It Ends with Us" costar and director Justin Baldoni.Reynolds was joined by Lively, as well as fellow movie stars Paul Rudd, Rita Wilson, and Tom Hanks in the row behind him.Rudd and Hanks both appeared in sketches during the special: "New York 50th Musical" and "Black Jeopardy," respectively.Jon Hamm also participated in the audience Q&A sketch.Jon Hamm in the audience at "SNL50." Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images Jon Hamm had a simple question for Fey and Poehler: "I've hosted three times, and I know I'm 'part of the family,' but, uh am I funny?"Fey replied, "Whenever we ask you do to a bit, you always say yes. And that's what counts."Hamm later co-starred in the "Close Encounter" sketch with Aidy Bryant, Woody Harrelson, Pedro Pascal, Kate McKinnon, and Streep.Bad Bunny popped up during the Q&A in addition to appearing in the "Vow Renewal" sketch.Bad Bunny in the crowd at "SNL50." Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images Bad Bunny played Santiago, the "hot brother" to Marcello Hernndez's Domingo and Pascal's Ronaldo.Tim Meadows and Quinta Brunson engaged in some banter.Tim Meadows in the audience at "SNL50." Virginia Sherwood/NBC via Getty Images Tim Meadows replied to a question posed by "Abbott Elementary" star Quinta Brunson, who wanted to know what he whispered to "SNL" musical guest Sade during a 1993 episode."If it was March '93, I'm pretty sure I was saying, 'Hey, Sade, do you wanna drink some Zima with me in my dressing room? We could play Mortal Kombat 1 and watch the new, cool Menendez trial,'" Meadows replied."Also, it worked, by the way," Meadows added. "Sade and I are still together."Keith Richards joked that he left a scarf at "SNL" in 1988.Keith Richards in the audience at "SNL50." Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images "I'm kind of wondering if anybody's seen it around," Keith Richards joked when Fey and Poehler singled him out in the crowd.The camera then cut to Zach Galifianakis with a scarf wrapped around his head."Look, it's simply not here, OK?" Galifianakis yelled. "Can we all just stop looking? Next question."Seth Rogen, Seth Meyers, Sarah Silverman, Ayo Edebiri, and Miles Teller could also be spotted in the audience seated near Richards. Meyers, a former "SNL" writer and "Weekend Update" host, even made fun of Fey and Poehler for orchestrating the audience Q&A to give more airtime to celebrities.Alec Baldwin and Brandi Carlile took a moment to catch up in the crowd.Alec Baldwin and Brandi Carlile in the audience at "SNL50." Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images Alec Baldwin has hosted "SNL" more than anyone else in history, leading 17 episodes since 1990.Grammy winner Brandi Carlile has been a musical guest twice.Anthony Kiedis, Chris Pine, and J.J. Abrams chatted on the red carpet.Anthony Kiedis, Chris Pine, and J. J. Abrams at "SNL50." NBC/Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Chris Pine, who hosted "SNL" in 2017, took time to chat with Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Anthony Kiedis and director J.J. Abrams.As did "SNL" alums Chevy Chase, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan.Chevy Chase, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan at "SNL50." Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Tracy Morgan appeared as a game show contestant in "Black Jeopardy" alongside Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, and Eddie Murphy.Ayo Edebiri, Kenan Thompson, Marcello Hernndez, Jay Pharoah, Martin Short, and Ego Nwodim posed for a photo together.Ayo Edebiri, Kenan Thompson, Marcello Hernndez, Jay Pharoah, Martin Short, and Ego Nwodim at "SNL50." Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images "The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri appeared in a "Debbie Downer" sketch with Jimmy Fallon, Drew Barrymore, Robert De Niro, and Rachel Dratch, while Martin Short was introduced as "the only Canadian who wasn't in 'Schitt's Creek'" during the monologue."Superbad" costars Seth Rogen and Emma Stone snacked on popcorn while walking the red carpet.Seth Rogen and Emma Stone attend "SNL50." Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images During the special, Emma Stone arrived onstage to introduce a segment about physical comedy.Kim Kardashian posed for a photo with comedians Janine Brito, Sarah Silverman, and Paula Pell.Janine Brito, Sarah Silverman, Paula Pell, and Kim Kardashian at "SNL50." Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson, and Ana Gasteyer played sisters in the "Lawrence Welk" sketch, which saw Kristen Wiig reprise her tiny-handed character, Dooneese.Awkwafina and Sandra Oh made sure to catch the show.Awkwafina and Sandra Oh walk the red carpet at "SNL50." NBC/Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Awkwafina and Sandra Oh have both hosted "SNL" once each, in 2018 and 2019, respectively.Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Christine Taylor, and Ben Stiller were among the notable attendees.Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Christine Taylor, and Ben Stiller at "SNL50." Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Kevin Bacon hosted "SNL" back in 1991, while Ben Stiller has hosted twice: in 1998 and 2011.Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick also walked the red carpet.Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick at "SNL50." Taylor Hill/FilmMagic "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker hosted "SNL" in 1994. Her husband, "Ferris Bueller" star Matthew Broderick, hosted two different episodes in 1998.Bowen Yang and Nick Jonas were both featured in the special.Bowen Yang and Nick Jonas at "SNL50." NBC/Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Bowen Yang, a current "SNL" cast member, appeared with Andy Samberg in a digital short about anxiety.Nick Jonas made a subtle cameo in the "New York 50th Musical" number as a nod to his former role in Broadway's "Les Misrables."Whoopi Goldberg turned up for the big event.Whoopi Goldberg at "SNL50." Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images When asked about the "biggest obstacle facing young comedians today" during a red carpet interview, Whoopi Goldberg replied, "Being funny."Adria Arjona and Jason Momoa walked the red carpet together.Adria Arjona and Jason Momoa attend "SNL50." NBC/Kevin Mazur/NBC via Getty Images Jason Momoa also made a cameo during the audience Q&A to flirt with Donna Richards, who leads the show's wardrobe team and "has seen every celebrity here in their underpants."Lady Gaga attended with her fianc, Michael Polansky.Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky walk the red carpet for "SNL50." NBC/Noam Galai/NBC via Getty Images Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky have been together since 2019. They got engaged in 2024.Halsey went to the after-party at the Plaza Hotel with her fianc, Avan Jogia.Halsey and Avan Jogia attend the "SNL50" after-party. The Hapa Blonde/GC Images Halsey has performed on "SNL" four times and made her hosting debut in 2019.Aziz Ansari was also spotted outside the Plaza.Aziz Ansari attends the "SNL50" after-party. Raymond Hall/GC Images "Parks and Recreation" star Aziz Ansari hosted "SNL" in 2017.Jenna Ortega was seen in the audience before she attended the after-party.Jenna Ortega attends the "SNL50" after-party. Raymond Hall/GC Images Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner, seated side-by-side in the crowd, were caught between Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte singing aggressively at each other (dressed as a pimp and a Times Square Elmo, respectively).Anya Taylor-Joy attended the event wearing Thierry Mugler couture.Anya Taylor-Joy attends the "SNL50" after-party. XNY/Star Max/GC Images Anya Taylor-Joy hosted "SNL" in 2021, though she's also been impersonated on the show by Melissa Villaseor.Adam Driver was featured in two segments during the anniversary special.Adam Driver attends the "SNL50" after-party. Aeon/GC Images Four-time "SNL" host Adam Driver made a cameo during the audience Q&A portion with Julia Louis-Dreyfus before reappearing as a hot dog during the "New York 50th Musical" sketch costarring a huge cast of alums like John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Alex Moffat, Taran Killam, Kyle Mooney, and Cecily Strong.

By AJ Dellinger Published February 17, 2025 | Comments (7) | Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate Andreea Campeanu (Getty Images) Off in the depths of the QAnon and PizzaGate corners of the internet, conspiracists swear Donald Trump is quietly preparing charges to bring down notorious sex trafficking circles operated by celebrities. Back in reality, the Financial Times reports the Trump administration is pressuring Romanian authorities to let Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate travel freely despite facing charges of sexual misconduct and human trafficking. Per the report, Trump officials have been pushing for Romania to return the Tates passports and lift travel restrictions on the brothers, who have been banned from leaving the country until their criminal case concludes. The pressure campaign started on phone calls last week and then got raised in-person when Trump special envoy Richard Grenell, who met with the Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu at the Munich Security conference. Grenellwho served as Trumps ambassador to Germany during his first term only to get iced out by German leaders for cozying up with the far-right, Nazi-aligned (and now Elon Musk-backed) Alternative for Germany (AfD)has been publicly supportive of the Tates. In a post made earlier this month, Grenell seemed to suggest the Tate brothers were the victims of a concerted effort to target conservatives around the world, which he believed was funded by USAID programs. So, okay, thats one potential explanation of what happened to the Tates. The United States government, through a series of funds indirectly directed to Romania, successfully influenced the nations law enforcement apparatus to pursue anti-woke personalities and charge them with fake crimes in order to make an example of them. Lets try another one, just to see if it might make a little more sense. Tate, a self-described misogynist and king of toxic masculinity who was credibly accused of sexual abuse, fled his home in the United Kingdom and went to Romania as local law enforcement investigated allegations against him. While in Romania, which he claimed to have chosen in part because of the countrys lax laws against sex crimes, he and his brother operated an exploitative camgirl and porn website which allegedly included luring young womensome as young as 15to their home and forcing them to partake in sexual acts on camera. Money made from the operation funded the Tates extravagant lifestyle, allowing them to develop a cult of personality that targeted disaffected young men and tempted them with the allure of their obscene image of masculinity. All of that is pretty well documented, including by the Tates themselves who happily brag about all the people they have ripped off along the way. But maybe theres an extremely elaborate international conspiracy afoot! Hard to say which is more likely. Occams razor is pretty dull these days. In 2022, the Romanian government indicted the brothers on charges of human trafficking, sexual misconduct, money laundering, operating an organized crime group, and committing rape. As prosecutors continue to attempt to move the case forward, the Tates are prevented from leaving Romania. All the while, cases keep building against them. Last week, a woman in Florida accused the brothers of trying to recruit her into their webcam sex ring. Meanwhile, the Romanian government might be more receptive to the Trump administrations pressure soon. Last year, far-right politician Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of presidential voting in the country, though that victory was annulled by the nations highest court over concerns that the election process was corrupted by an outside influence campaign. Vice President JD Vance criticized the Romanian court over the decision, so should Georgescu take the highest office, communication between the leadership of the two countries might become more friendly, and Romania might be willing to hear the Trump administrations calls to let up on the accused human traffickers.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published February 16, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published February 14, 2025 By Matt Novak Published February 14, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published February 14, 2025 By Matt Novak Published February 13, 2025 By Sabina Graves Published February 13, 2025

Grief was a key theme in Severance season one, but it was mostly confined to the outtie storyline. In season two, weve seen loss become a prominent presence in both segments of the show, provoking even the innieswho are not well-equipped to deal with complex emotionsto consider what death means to them. In season one, we learned that Severances main character, Mark Scout, decided to become a severed employee at Lumon Industries because he thought it would help him cope with the loss of his wife, Gemma, in a car accident a few years prior. We soon understand that Mark is still deeply affected by her passing, sobbing in his car before going into the office; he has come to appreciate the eight-hour break from his sadness while his innie is controlling his consciousness. He keeps a few photos of her around his homesince its Lumon-subsidized housing, and he took the job after she died, we can assume she never lived there with himbut the basement is still full of storage bins containing Gemmas knitting supplies, candles, and other tangible evidence that she existed. The knife-twist, of course, is that shes alive. Audience members learned that shocking detail right along with innie Mark, who screamed out his discovery in the season one finale. His outties spouse is in fact Ms. Casey, the counselor in Lumons Wellness Center. Gemma/Ms. Casey being the same person, and Gemma being alive at all, opened up mysteries galore for season two, especially when you think back on what Ms. Casey has revealed about her existence. As a severed employee, shes only been awake for a handful of days. Total. And from what weve seen, she never switches into an outtie; instead, she remains at Lumon full-time. Why would Lumon facilitate what appears to be such a diabolical and elaborate conspiracy? We dont know yet. But in Severance season two, outtie Mark agrees to undergo a sketchy re-integration procedure after realizing theres actually a chance his wife did not die in that car accident, and is instead hidden somewhere on one of Lumons lower floors. To him, a miraculous second chance with Gemma is worth the dangers of tinkering around in his already aching brain. Apple TV+ At the same time, innie Markwho has no idea that hes in the process of being re-integratedtries to find Ms. Casey. He doesnt share his outties grief, but the strangeness of the situation tugs at him. We know, of course, that Ms. Casey has been remanded to the ominous-sounding Testing Floor, one of the duplicitous Ms. Cobels last acts as the boss of the severed floor. (Severance is now five episodes into season two, and Ms. Casey has yet to appear.) Its worth mentioning that one reason outtie Mark is initially hesitant to attempt re-integration is because he saw what happened to Petey, his former Lumon co-worker and a previous guinea pig for the procedure. Severance season one begins with innie Mark realizing his work bestie is no longer employed at Lumon. The innies have no idea what happened to Petey (its very hard to quit a severed job, and theres no apparent reason why he would have been fired), and theres speculation that something happened to his outtie. Peteys absence offers our first taste of Severeds recurring idea that when a severed person leaves the job, it effectively means theyve died. Their outtie might be perfectly well, but the version of them that their Lumon friends know simply blinks out of existence.Thats why innie Peteys death is harder for innie Mark than Peteys actual death is for outtie Mark. The latter nonetheless feels duty-bound to attend the funeral of this man, a total stranger, who materialized one day spouting crazy-sounding talk about being Marks best friend at Lumon, and all the evils that the company is secretly engaging in. Apple TV+ When Ms. Cobelwho poses as Mrs. Selvig, Marks daffy next-door neighbor, in season onealso shows up at Peteys funeral, its ostensibly as moral support for Mark, though of course shes really there to rip the Lumon-implanted chip out of Peteys skull. We still dont know much about Ms. Cobels background, but we do know shes a committed zealot when it comes to Kier Eagan, Lumons cult leader-like founder. We also know she feels great pain over something that happened in her past, most likely involving her deceased mother, and its at the root of her odd behavior both in and out of the office. While Ms. Cobels enigmas await more exploration, Severances most searing example of grief not involving Mark springs from the relationship between innie Irving and innie Burt. Despite working in purportedly rival departmentsIrvs in Macrodata Refinement, Burts in Optics and Designthe two men meet-cute in the hallway and have an instant connection. Their shy flirting is the closest thing to sweetness weve seen on Severance, and for Irv, a man plagued by waking dreams of being engulfed in terrifying black goo, his feelings for Burt are a startling revelation in a life previously devoted to counting numbers and being a stickler for the employee handbook. When Burt abruptly retires from Lumon, he gets a cheery send-off party, but his departure is otherwise as shocking and final-feeling as Peteys.Irv doesnt take it well, and slips into a depression so consuming it guides his actions during MDRs daring Overtime Contingency stunt at the end of season one. When innie Irv awakens in the outside world, he manages to dig up Burts address and heads to his house, wailing his name and pounding on his front door despite the fact that a) he glimpsed Burt with a man who sure looked like he could be Burts husband, and b) outtie Burt has no clue who Irving is. When Irv returns to Lumon in season two, hes a broken man. Burt on the outside is unavailable, and Burt on the inside has vanished into memory. Apple TV+ Before long, however, Irv makes his own sudden exit. Hes fired at the end of episode four, and therefore the Lumon version of Irv is suddenly gone forever. For his MDR co-worker Dylan, this is more or less tantamount to murder, no matter how often hes assured Irvs outtie is alive and well and taking a nice cruise. Because Dylan makes such a big fuss about it, Mr. Milchickthe non-severed manager of the severed floor, promoted after Ms. Cobels departureagrees that MDR can have a sort of funeral to remember him.As with all Lumon ceremonies, the event is full of awkward touches; once a bereavement kit is prepared, there are personalized party favors and an edible centerpiece in the form of Irvings head carved out of a watermelon. Dylan comes through with a speech as heartfelt as it is crass, and seems to find some closure in doing that, but Mr. Milchicks underage assistant disapproves, thinking the ritual will confuse the innies into believing theyre on the same level as human beings. With Irv now permanently in his outtie formin the most recent episode of Severance, outtie Burt and outtie Irv met for the first time, an intriguing developmentand MDR coming to terms with their status as a three-person team, the mystery of Gemma/Ms. Casey remains to propel the back half of Severance season two, at least as far as outtie Mark is concerned. Theres a wall of hurt he needs to carve into, and hes ready to risk his life to find out why Lumon has been putting him through hell and exploiting his darkest despair. New episodes of Severance arrive Fridays on Apple TV+. 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.