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“Grand Theft Auto 6″ has been slated for a fall 2025 release by Rockstar Games.

The news was announced Thursday when Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive reported its fourth-quarter and full fiscal year 2024 earnings, revealing the company posted a $2.9 billion loss for the Jan. 1-March 31 period.

Take-Two’s most recent guidance for the quarter had been a loss between $170-$153 million. The company says the fiscal Q4 loss of $2.9 billion included a $2.18 billion goodwill charge, a $304.3 million hit for acquisition-related expenses, and restructuring costs of $93.3 million.

Take-Two is not prepared to get more specific than “fall 2025” for the “GTA VI” release date, with CEO Strauss Zelnick saying, “I think we’re going to leave it there for now,” in an interview with Variety ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings call at 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday. “That [announcement] will come from Rockstar and be consistent with the way they are marketing the title,” Zelnick said.

The trailer for the eagerly-anticipated “Grand Theft Auto 6” smashed viewership records on YouTube when it was released in December, indicating the extreme demand for the title after more than a decade since the release of “GTA V.”

Tony McFarr, a stunt performer best known for doubling Chris Pratt in a number of films, including “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Jurassic World,” has died of undetermined causes, TheWrap has learned. He died on May 13 at his home outside Orlando, Fla. He was 47.

His mother told TMZ on Thursday that his death was “unexpected and shocking.” A toxicology report from the Orange County Medical Examiner is still pending.

McFarr had been in the stunt business since the early 2010s, working on series like “Bones” and “Teen Wolf” and in movies like “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Rock of Ages.” In 2015, he worked as the stunt double for Pratt on the first “Jurassic World” movie, eventually doubling him in both “Passengers” in 2016 and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in 2017, while still performing stunts in movies like “The Accountant,” “Logan Lucky” and “Captain America: Civil War.” The last time he doubled for Pratt was in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” in 2018.

Since last working with Pratt, McFarr had worked on feature films like “Tag” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” along with television series like “Creepshow” and “MacGyver.” His last feature credit was 2021’s “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” in 2021.

State’s department of fish and wildlife says the brown pelicans are showing signs of malnutrition, but that the cause is still unclear

Hundreds of starving and stranded brown pelicans have turned up along the California coast in recent weeks in what wildlife advocates have described as a “crisis”.

In Newport Beach in southern California, lifeguards came upon two dozen sick pelicans on a pier last week. The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, the non-profit caring for the animals, said they had treated more than 100 other birds who were anemic, dehydrated and extremely underweight.

“They are starving to death and if we don’t get them into care, they will die,” said Debbie McGuire, the center’s executive director. “It really is a crisis.”

Bird Rescue, a non-profit that operates wildlife centers in northern and southern California, reported taking in more than 235 sick pelicans in the past three weeks. At least 40% of the pelicans have significant injuries after becoming entangled in fishing line and hooks, the non-profit said.

Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke.

Silica glass, made from sand, is still the go-to building material when you need something transparent but strong, like windows. But it’s not particularly sustainable, and can be heavy and brittle.

Transparent wood has actually been muscling in on glass’s turf for a few years now. Scientists chemically remove the lignin from the wood fibers, then treat the remaining material with plexiglass or epoxy. The end result is a material that’s transparent, renewable, and as strong as or stronger than glass, while being lighter and a better thermal insulator.

There are still a few problems with using wood though. It’s way more flammable than glass, and already in high demand, with stocks taking too long to replenish. So for the new study, researchers at Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT) in China turned to bamboo instead.

After bipartisan constituents introduced the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act in June 2023, the United States House of Representatives passed the legislation today in the ongoing efforts to reform the ticketing industry.

The bill received a substantial amount of bipartisan support, passing 338-24. This comes after the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved the bill 45-0 in Dec. 2023. It will, of course, now need to move through the Senate before President Joe Biden signs it into law, and there is currently no floor vote in place for the measure.

If enacted, the TICKET Act will require ticket sellers to implement simple all-in pricing; ban speculative ticketing, where the seller does not have actual possession of the ticket; ban deceptive websites and website marketing; provide full refunds for any canceled event; offer comparable replacement tickets for any postponed event with buyers’ approval; and require the FTC to issue a report on the BOTS Act Enforcement, which passed in 2016.

The Guardian US investigated claims that the famed entertainer selected girls and women from his audiences and subjected them to sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior. Copperfield’s lawyers say the allegations are ‘false and entirely without foundation’

For two 15-year-old girls in the early 1990s, meeting David Copperfield, the world famous magician, seemed like the thrill of a lifetime.

Carla* says she remembers the way Copperfield gave her his phone number after a 1991 show in Georgia. About two years later in San Francisco, Lily* says, she felt giddy when the master illusionist picked her to join him on stage for a magic trick.

Both girls were in high school at the time and had attended Copperfield’s shows with their parents.

The women, now in their 40s, come from different backgrounds and have never spoken to each other, but they do have one thing in common. They claim the events that followed these encounters changed their lives.

The North Carolina Senate plans to vote Wednesday to ban people from wearing masks in public for health reasons, institute harsher penalties on protesters, roll back juvenile justice reforms, raise toll road late fees, modernize sex crime laws and let billboard companies cut down more trees.

The North Carolina Senate voted along party lines Wednesday to ban anyone from wearing masks in public for health reasons, following an emotional debate about the wisdom of the proposal.

Republican supporters of the ban said it would help police crack down on protesters who wear masks — which some lawmakers called a growing concern, saying demonstrators are abusing Covid-19 pandemic-era norms to wear masks that hide their identities.

"It's about time that the craziness is at least slowed down, if not literally stopped," said bill sponsor Buck Newton, R-Wilson.

The proposal faced strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers, community activists, and advocates for people with health issues — who are concerned about the consequences of the proposal.

Two brothers who studied at one of the most prestigious universities in the US have been charged with stealing $25m (£20m) in cryptocurrency in 12 seconds.

Anton Peraire-Bueno, 24, and James Peraire-Bueno, 28, are accused of wire fraud and money laundering.

The US Department of Justice said the alleged heist is the first of its kind.

Prosecutors also say the pair, reportedly educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), carried it out in April 2023.

"The Peraire-Bueno brothers stole $25 million in Ethereum cryptocurrency through a technologically sophisticated, cutting-edge scheme they plotted for months and executed in seconds," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

Aiden Pleterski's investors have been trying for more than a year to track down more than $40M they gave him

Ontario's self-proclaimed Crypto King and one of his associates have been arrested and charged with fraud.

Aiden Pleterski, 25, is facing charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering the proceeds of crime, according to the Oshawa court house. He was released on bail Tuesday, with his parents putting up a $100,000 surety that he will follow his bail conditions, according to court documents.

Those conditions include surrendering his passport, not contacting investors, refraining from making any social media posts involving financial matters, such as soliciting investments, and not buying or trading cryptocurrencies.

Pleterski's associate, Colin Murphy, 27, has been charged with fraud over $5,000, according to Durham Regional Police.

Associations between feeding dogs a vegan diet and owner perceptions of their health are likely to be minimal, according to a new study by the University of Liverpool. The work is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Scientists at the University reinvestigated data that had been used to claim that a nutritionally-sound vegan diet is "the heathiest and least hazardous dietary choice for dogs." The findings from this new analysis do not support those earlier claims, with associations between owner perceptions of dog health and feeding a vegan diet instead being minimal.

The previous research, published in April 2022, utilized an online survey of dog owners to gather information about them, their dogs and the type of food they fed to them. Owners were also asked to recall details of their dogs' veterinary care (e.g. number of veterinary visits, use of medication, etc.) and to give an overall opinion about their dogs' health. The results of this original study implied that dogs fed either a raw meat or vegan diet appeared to fare better than those fed a conventional diet.

However, the new analysis by researchers at the University of Liverpool offers further insights.

Scientists have discovered that individuals who are particularly good at learning patterns and sequences tend to struggle with tasks requiring active thinking and decision-making. Their new research, published in npj Science of Learning, found a negative correlation between statistical learning and executive functions, suggesting that as one strengthens, the other may diminish slightly. This finding provides valuable insights into the competitive interactions that underpin our cognitive skills.

The motivation behind the study originated from a desire to deepen our understanding of how different cognitive systems within the brain interact, and potentially interfere with one another. Central to this investigation are two fundamental cognitive processes: implicit statistical learning and executive functions.

Implicit statistical learning is a crucial cognitive skill that allows individuals to unconsciously detect patterns and regularities in the environment, underpinning abilities in areas ranging from language acquisition to social interactions. On the other hand, executive functions are high-level cognitive processes that are essential for planning, decision-making, error correction, and adapting to new and complex situations, primarily managed by the prefrontal cortex.

This research was driven by the hypothesis of a competitive interaction between these systems, known as the “competition hypothesis,” which posits that reliance on one cognitive system could diminish the efficacy or engagement of the other. Previous studies provided preliminary evidence suggesting such interactions, but they were limited by small sample sizes and narrow assessments of cognitive abilities. The researchers aimed to build on this foundation to provide clearer insights into how these cognitive processes coexist or conflict within the brain.

A historic Death Valley tower toppled as a driver used it to free their stuck vehicle, rangers say.

Sometime between April 1 and April 23, the tower, part of the Saline Valley Salt Tram, “was pulled over while a person used a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud,” the National Park Service said in a May 13 news release.

“I hope the person responsible for this damage will contact us so we can discuss restitution,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in the release.

Tracks showed that a vehicle drove off the legal roadway shortly before getting stuck, rangers said.

The victim is thought to be Thomas Robinson, 58, from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The body of a man who had been traveling down the Colorado River on a wooden raft has been found in Grand Canyon National Park, officials said.

Thomas Robinson, a 58-year-old man from Santa Fe, New Mexico, was believed to have attempted to travel down the Colorado River on a wooden raft with his dog before abandoning the vessel at Lees Ferry, just a few miles south of Arizona’s border with Utah, according to a statement from the National Park Service detailing the incident.

National Park Service personnel were notified of a body in the Colorado River near river mile 6 on Friday.

“Park rangers responded and recovered the body which was transported to Lees Ferry and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office,” park officials said. “Initial information indicates the body is that of missing person Thomas L. Robison. The Coconino County Medical Examiner will confirm positive identification.”

China’s supersized superconducting chip looks to match the performance of industry leaders like IBM and will be used to help scale up the performance of quantum computers globally.

Scientists in China have developed a 504-qubit quantum computing chip that will be made available to researchers worldwide via a new quantum computing cloud platform.

The new chip, called "Xiaohong," is the biggest built by China to date and is designed to improve systems that manage the behavior and interaction of quantum bits, or qubits, in quantum computers, state-owned China Daily reported. The scientists hope the chip will help to scale up existing quantum computers so they can handle more complex tasks.

Xiaohong was developed by scientists at the Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Chinese quantum computing company QuantumCTek, which received the first Xiaohong chip, will now reportedly work alongside China Telecom Quantum Group to integrate the 504-qubit chip into a new quantum computer.

This system will then be made available to researchers worldwide via a quantum computing cloud platform developed by China Telecom Quantum Group, according to the report.

As a college student, Daniell Koepke started experiencing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms including indigestion, stabbing pains from trapped gas, and severe constipation.

When nothing seemed to help after five years of doctors visits, Koepke decided to try an experimental treatment called a fecal microbiota (or DIY poop) transplant, where a healthy donor's feces is introduced into a patient's gut to repopulate it with "good" microbes. She used her brother and her boyfriend as donors, she told the Netflix documentary "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut."

FMTs are only approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for C diff. bacterial infections, but scientists are looking into them as a potential treatment for many conditions, including depression, as growing research suggests there is a link between gut health and mental and physical health conditions.

While some of Koepke's symptoms got better, she said she also started experiencing acne like her brother, and later depression like her boyfriend.

A portal linking New York City to Dublin via a livestream has been temporarily shut down after inappropriate behavior ensued, according to the Dublin City Council.

Less than a week after the 24/7 visual art installation was put in place, officials have opted to close it down temporarily after people began to flash each other, grind on the portal, and one person even shared pictures of the twin tower attack to people in New York City. Alternatively, the portal had also been the site of reunions with old friends and even a proposal, with many documenting their experience with the installation online.

The Dublin City Council said that although those engaged in the inappropriate behavior were few and far between, videos of said behavior went viral online.

"While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours," the council said in a Monday statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with our partners in New York to ensure that portals continue to deliver a positive experience for both cities and the world.”


Why we can't have good things.

White House levy to protect US makers from cheap imports likely to inflame trade tensions

The US president, Joe Biden, has announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of a package of measures designed to protect US manufacturers from cheap imports.

In a move that is likely to inflame trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, the White House said it was imposing more stringent curbs on Chinese goods worth $18bn.

Sources said the move followed a four-year review and was a preventive measure designed to stop cheap subsidised Chinese goods flooding the US market and stifling the growth of the American green technology sector.

As well as a tariff increase from 25% to 100% on EVs, levies will rise from 7.5% to 25% on lithium batteries, from zero to 25% on critical minerals, from 25% to 50% on solar cells, and from 25% to 50% on semiconductors.

A major mistake in setup caused Google Cloud and UniSuper to delete the financial service provider’s private cloud account.

This event has caused a lot of worry about the security and dependability of cloud services, especially for big financial companies.

The outage started in the blue, and UniSuper’s 620,000 members had no idea what was going on with their retirement funds.

Services didn’t start up again until Thursday, and the fund promised its members that investment account amounts would be updated as soon as possible, even though they were still showing numbers from the previous week.

One thing that did help UniSuper get services back up and running was using backups from another service provider.


Always make more than 1 backups in various places, even outside of the active cloud infrastructure service you are using.

TOKYO - As Japan embarks on a major military build-up, it's struggling to fill its ranks with the women that its forces need and its policymakers have pledged to recruit.

Following a wave of sexual harassment cases, the number of women applying to join the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) decreased by 12% in the year ending March 2023, after several years of steady growth. Some victims have said an entrenched culture of harassment could deter women from signing up.

But nine months after the defense ministry pledged to take drastic measures, it has no plans to take action on a key recommendation issued by an independent panel of experts - implementing a national system for reviewing anti-harassment training standards - according to two ministry officials responsible for training.

The government-appointed panel had identified in a report published in August that the military's superficial harassment education - which made only limited mention of sexual harassment - and a lack of centralised oversight of such training were contributing factors to cultural problems within the institution.

The head of the panel, Makoto Tadaki, said some training sessions - one of which Reuters attended - were at odds with the gravity of the situation.

Alabama has become the second U.S. state to say no to cultivated meat, an alternative protein made from animal cells.

The Alabama bill, proposed by Sen. Jack Williams, vice chair of the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee, and signed into of law on May 7 by Gov. Kay Ivy, prohibits "the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells."

The new law comes a week after Gov. Ron DeSantis made Florida the first state to ban the sale of so-called lab-grown meat. "We stand with agriculture, we stand with the cattle ranchers, we stand with our farmers, because we understand it's important for the backbone of the state," DeSantis said in a May 1 press conference, the start of National Beef Month.

"Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite's plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals," the DeSantis added.