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Ara: History Untold for Xbox won’t be talked about before it has launched for PC

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One of the more interesting upcoming strategy games this year is Oxide Games’ Ara: History Untold. We already know that it will be released for PC and Xbox Series S/X this fall, and that it is a Game Pass title starting day one. But recently, the team has mainly talked about the PC version, and there is a perfectly good reason for this.

Ara: History Untold will be a PC exclusive game when it is released, and the developer’s won’t talk about the Xbox edition before the game has been launched. This is confirmed in a Steam post that reads:

“Oxide Games is laser-focused on delivering a top-notch PC-first experience, with Ara slated for Windows, Steam, and PC Gamepass later this year. Plans for Xbox consoles will be revealed post-launch!”

The reason for this should be obvious, but the developers explains in an accompanying video that “the history of the player base and genre” is the basis for this decision.

Score Lifetime Access to Microsoft Project 2021 for Only $25

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Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is over, but there are plenty of deals lingering — for now.

Amazon’s first-ever Big Spring Sale is over, but many of the best deals are still running. So if the official sale dates passed you by, you still have an opportunity to snag excellent deals on electronics, clothing, tools and home essentials — but these deals could expire at any moment. We’ve gathered our favorite deals still remaining from the sale below to give you the best chance of bagging a bargain.

And if you’re not looking to spend big or you just have a few bucks left over in the budget, check out our roundup of the Big Spring Sale deals under $25 or the deals CNET readers enjoyed most from the sale. We’re also continuing to deliver the best deals directly to subscribers of our Cheapskate daily deals newsletter and texting service.

Berkeley to Spearhead $300M UV Mapping Mission

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NASA’s decision to launch an ambitious space telescope mission in 2030, with a budget of $300 million, marks a significant leap in our understanding of the ultraviolet universe. The mission, named UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer), will be the first to perform a comprehensive survey of the ultraviolet (UV) sky, offering new insights into the evolution of galaxies and stars over time.
Managed by the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley, UVEX will be under the scientific guidance of Fiona Harrison, a distinguished UC Berkeley alumna and a current professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology. This mission is set to complement existing and upcoming astronomical surveys across other wavelengths, including the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, thereby enriching our multi-wavelength understanding of the cosmos.

UVEX’s groundbreaking all-sky UV survey aims to shed light on hot, massive stars, many of which form binary systems. Such systems are crucial for understanding stellar evolution, as the more massive star often strips material from its companion, exposing its UV-emitting core. This process, along with the mapping of “stripped” stars in nearby galaxies, will be a focal point of the mission.

Additionally, UVEX will be equipped with a UV spectrograph, collaboratively developed by UC Berkeley and Caltech. This instrument will capture detailed spectra of massive stars and supernovae, providing invaluable data on the life cycle of stars and the formation of galaxies.

Daniel Weisz, a science team leader for UVEX and an associate professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley, emphasized the mission’s innovative capacity to cover the entire sky from UV to infrared wavelengths. This unprecedented scope will allow scientists to study transient UV light sources, such as the aftermath of neutron star mergers, which are often associated with gravitational wave events.

The mission’s focus extends to low-mass galaxies, which are challenging to study using traditional optical or infrared telescopes due to their faintness and the redshifting of their UV emissions. Weisz highlighted UVEX’s sensitivity to these galaxies, aiming to map out their distribution and thereby enhance our understanding of dark matter distribution in the local universe.

UC Berkeley’s extensive involvement in UVEX, including contributions from professors and researchers specializing in various aspects of astrophysics, underscores the university’s leading role in space science research and mission implementation. The mission’s delayed launch to 2030, due to budgetary constraints, reflects the ambitious scale of this endeavor, which requires extensive preparation to ensure its success.

As UVEX prepares to join the ranks of significant space missions, it promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, from the genesis and evolution of binary stars to the detailed study of supernovae. Its launch will mark a significant milestone in UV astronomy, expanding our view of the cosmos in unparalleled detail.

Crews prepare for final launch of Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral

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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Delta IV Heavy is part of a family of rockets that have long served the Department of Defense and NASA.

Delta IV Heavy is on the launch pad now at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and is ready for its last launch ever

The heavy lift mission will be carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office with launch partners the U.S. Space Force and United Launch Alliance.

The swan song for the Delta IV Heavy rocket comes after a decades-long role in mostly secretive surveillance payloads, just like this final mission.

It’s always a spectacular launch to watch, thanks to 2.1 million pounds of thrust and an interesting quirk that makes it look like the rocket is on fire just before liftoff.

“This is one last chance to put up some national security, critical payload for the Space Force, the NRO. So, we are really looking forward to it. Like you say, bittersweet departure of a legacy. But we have Vulcan coming down the road, so we have a big future ahead,” said Ron Fortson, ULA’s director of launch operations.

ULA leadership says that the Delta program has played a large role in the creation of its next-generation rocket, Vulcan.

And after a successful inaugural launch in January, ULA says the transition from legacy rockets to next-gen will be done seamlessly.

Ahead of Thursday’s 1:40 p.m. launch, teams are keeping a very close eye on clouds and ground-level winds.

Full cast announced for Romeo and Juliet with Tom Holland

The Jamie Lloyd Company has announced the full cast for its upcoming West End production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, starring Tom Holland.

Holland (Romeo) is joined by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, whose acting credits include Bad Education (BBC), Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Antigone (Mercury Theatre), as Juliet.

The cast is completed by Freema Agyeman (Nurse), Michael Balogun (Friar), Tomiwa Edun (Capulet), Mia Jerome (Montague), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Paris), Ray Sesay (Tybalt), Nima Taleghani (Benvolio) and Joshua-Alexander Williams (Mercutio), Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer (Camera Operators).

Romeo and Juliet, which is directed by Jamie Lloyd, opens at the Duke of York’s Theatre, on 23 May, with previews from 11 May, and runs until 3 August 2024.

Holland said today: “Beyond excited to announce our cast for Romeo and Juliet. I can’t wait to get started and I know we’ll create something really special together.”

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers added: “I’m so grateful to be making my West End debut as Juliet with The Jamie Lloyd Company. It’s a dream to be joining this team of incredible artists with Jamie at the helm. I’m excited to bring a fresh energy to this story alongside Tom, and to welcome new audiences to the theatre.”

Zoe Saldaña takes on new role in “The Absence of Eden,” directed by husband Marco Perego

Zoe Saldaña is known for starring in big sci-fi franchises like “Avatar,” Star Trek” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Now, she’s taking on a new role, playing an undocumented immigrant who flees her home in Mexico for sanctuary. The film, “The Absence of Eden,” is directed and co-written by her husband, Marco Perego.

The movie does not take a political stance, the couple says, as it showcases the polarizing issue of immigration.

“I was really proud of him, that out of all the subjects that he could be, you know, building a story around, he chose immigration and the angle of humanity, which keeps us very neutral, but also keeps us in the form of art of telling stories that are compelling about human beings, about people,” Saldaña said.

The inspiration for Perego started with a personal project in 2016. He created a sculpture about immigrant children who died traveling from Syria to Italy. Perego collected 714 pairs of shoes to represent those children and filled them with concrete. It is now in a museum in Vancouver, Canada.

“For me it was, okay, how I can talk about humanity in more of a global aspect,” he said.

Perego spent two years researching and traveling to help tell this story for “The Absence of Eden.” He traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with his co-writer multiple times.

“My biggest goal was to be as honest as possible when I was telling the story,” he said.

Saldaña explained it wasn’t only about sitting down with people who have been compelled to cross the border.

“It’s also people who work in law enforcement that have a duty to fulfill and sometimes that conflicts with their moral code or how they’re feeling in the core about what they’re doing.”

Saldaña said they may be uncomfortable conversations, but she thinks it’s important to have all sides to properly understand the issue.

“I feel like the issue of immigration has been an ongoing issue,” she said. “I think that what’s important in my opinion is for us not to forget as Americans that this nation was founded by immigrants.”

As for working on set as husband and wife for the first time, the couple joked about a few moments they disagreed.

“When she speaks Spanish, I’m in trouble,” Perego joked.

As time progressed, Saldaña said, the two found a working rhythm.

“I feel like the more experience we have, it’ll continue to get better and better,” Saldaña said.

“The Absence of Eden” hits theaters on April 12.

Kim Kardashian sued over ‘knockoffs’ of artist’s furniture

Donald Judd Foundation said Kardashian promoted fakes in YouTube video

Foundation accused Kardashian, interior design firm of infringing trademarks

March 27 (Reuters) -The Judd Foundation, a non-profit group dedicated to the legacy of artist Donald Judd, sued reality-television star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian in California federal court on Wednesday for allegedly featuring fake versions of his furniture in a YouTube video.

The foundation’s lawsuit said that Kardashian unlawfully described “knockoff” Judd tables and chairs made by Los Angeles-based interior design firm Clements Design as genuine Judd furniture. The complaint accused Kardashian of false endorsement and Clements Design of false advertising, unfair competition and trademark and copyright infringement.

Representatives for Kardashian and Clements Design did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

Judd Foundation president Rainer Judd, the artist’s daughter, said in a statement that Judd’s furniture is an “integral part of his legacy” and that the “existence of inauthentic furniture undermines the integrity of his original work.”

Judd, who died in 1994, was a leading figure in minimalist art whose works have been featured at museums including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and London’s Tate Modern. The foundation said it sells his furniture designs “faithfully adhering to Mr. Judd’s exacting specifications.”

According to the complaint, Kardashian’s skincare company SKKN by Kim hired Clements Design to make tables and chairs in Judd’s style for its offices. Kardashian allegedly publicized the fake furniture in a 2022 YouTube video tour of the offices.

“If you guys are furniture people — because I’ve really gotten into furniture lately — these Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats,” Kardashian said in the video, according to screenshots included in the complaint. A link in the complaint led to an inaccessible private YouTube video on Wednesday.

The lawsuit said several outlets covering the video wrongly reported that the office featured Donald Judd furniture, which “predictably led consumers to believe the source of the furniture was Judd Foundation” and that Kardashian and her company were “associated with or endorsed by Mr. Judd and the Donald Judd brand.”

The foundation said that it was left with “no choice” but to sue after Clements Design and Kardashian refused to recycle the furniture, delete the video or issue corrective advertising.

The case is Judd Foundation v. Clements Design Inc, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:24-cv-02496.

For the Judd Foundation: Megan Bannigan and David Bernstein of Debevoise & Plimpton; and Russell Selmont of Ervin Cohen & Jessup

For Clements Design and Kardashian: not yet available

Vancouver-filmed ‘Happy Gilmore’ is getting a sequel & here’s what we know so far

Many iconic films have come out of Hollywood North over the years, but Happy Gilmore is undoubtedly at the top. Filmed in Vancouver and locations across BC, the ’90s sports comedy was a huge box office success upon its release, garnering fans from across the globe. And after 28 years since its release, it looks like we’re finally getting a long-awaited sequel.

Directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, and Julie Bowen – the movie tells the story of a former hockey player taking his talents to golf to earn enough money to buy his grandmother’s house back.

In a radio interview with Christopher McDonald (AKA Shooter McGavin), the actor reveals that Sandler has apparently been working on a draft of Happy Gilmore 2, which he showed to McDonald the last time the pair ran into each other.

“I saw Adam about two weeks ago, and he says to me, ‘McDonald, you’re gonna love this,’” McDonald shares in the interview. “I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘How about that,’ and he shows me the first draft of Happy Gilmore 2.”

This news follows the passing of acclaimed actor Carl Weathers just over a month ago, who played Chubbs in the original film. Though the sequel certainly won’t be the same without his iconic character, it will be interesting to see how production unfolds.

While we wait for more details surrounding the sequel’s production, it just so happens that all four of the golf courses used in the original movie are located in Vancouver, and they’re open to the public.

So if you’re looking to relive some of the Happy Gilmore magic, here are the Vancouver golf courses to check out:

  • Stanley Park Pitch and Putt
  • Riverway Golf Course
  • Swaneset Bay Resort and Country Club
  • Furry Creek Golf and Country Club

So there you have it, Happy Gilmore fans. Stay tuned for filming info as it comes, including potential locations in BC should the project move forward in our province once again!

Conjoined twin Abby Hensel is now married

Abby and Brittany Hensel, who documented their lives in the TLC reality series “Abby & Brittany,” have a new member of the family.

Conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel first gained national attention when they appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1996.

Now the sisters have reached a major life milestone: Abby is married.

The Hensels later starred in the feel-good TLC reality series “Abby and Brittany,” which showed them driving, traveling to Europe and even riding a moped. When the show ended after one season, Abby and Brittany had just graduated from college with degrees in education.

A lot has happened in the last decade. Abby, 34, is now married. According to public records, Abby, a teacher, and Josh Bowling, a nurse and United States Army veteran, tied the knot in 2021. The sisters also shared photos of the wedding on social media. The couple live in Minnesota, where the Hensels were born and raised.

The sisters are both teaching fifth grade in Minnesota.

According to pictures and videos on Bowling’s Facebook page, the family enjoys nature hikes, ice cream and and snow tubing. Invest Habit reached out to Abby for comment but did not get an immediate response.

Abby and Brittany are dicephalus conjoined twins, and share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist. Abby controls their right arm and leg, Brittany controls the left.

When Abby and Brittany were born in 1990, their parents, Patty and Mike Hensel, decided against separation surgery, deeming it too risky. At the time, doctors said there was little chance that both would survive the operation.

“How could you pick between the two?” Mike said, during a 2001 interview with Time magazine.

Only about one in every 200,000 live births result in conjoined twins. Approximately 70% of conjoined twins are female, and most are stillborn, according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

In the 2003 documentary “Joined for Life,” Patty Hensel said that her daughters were interested in having children one day.

“That is probably something that could work because those organs do work for them,” Patty shared.

“Yeah, we’re going to be moms,” Brittany said. “We haven’t thought about how being moms is going to work yet. But we’re just 16 — we don’t need to think about that right now.”

Puerto Rico declares health emergency over dengue

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Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency over dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that has surged throughout the Americas this year.

Health officials in Puerto Rico have identified 549 cases of dengue across the US territory of 3.2 million people, with almost half the cases concentrated in the capital of San Juan. Also known as “breakbone fever,” dengue can cause headaches, soreness, fever and rashes — and, in extreme cases, death.

“This year, cases of dengue have surpassed historical records,” Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said in a statement.

The emergency declaration has no immediate impact on travel to or from Puerto Rico, a popular holiday destination, but it will make it easier for the health department to access funding for detection and prevention, Mellado said.

There have been major outbreaks of dengue this year across large swathes of the Americas, including Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Peru. Last year, parts of Florida were put under a mosquito-borne illness alert due to dengue.

Argentina’s National Health Minister Mario Russo his counterparts from Argentina’s 24 jurisdictions on Monday to analyse the spread of the virus across national terrain.

Record numbers are being reached in the country this season, with 151,310 affected and 106 confirmed deaths – surpassing the entirety of last year’s total cases.