In a live technical test for Hades 2‚ the developers at Supergiant Games confirmed that you don’t need to play Hades to enjoy Hades 2. This may sound like a small detail‚ but in reality it matters more than you think. Supergiant confirmed you don’t need to play Hades before Hades 2 At the beginning of the Hades 2 technical test that streamed live on April 17‚ Creative Director Greg Kasavin confirmed that you don’t need to play Hades to enjoy Hades 2. Since Hades 2 features an entirely new protagonist and storyline‚ playing it won’t require any prior knowledge of Hades‚ or even Greek mythology. If you’re a huge Hades fan‚ don’t take this the wrong way and think that you won’t see connections between the two games. Greg Kasavin continued to say that this is a direct sequel and Hades fans will still receive tons of references and connections. This means that both Hades fans and new players can enjoy Hades 2 when it launches in Early Acces...

They're about as impartial as you'd expect of a Manhattan jury.

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga‚ Tennessee‚ will vote this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers‚ and President Joe Biden is trying to help. Last month‚ Biden said‚ “I congratulate the Volkswagen autoworkers in Chattanooga who filed for a union election with the UAW.” The vote comes right after Tax Day‚ and union dues would represent another bite from paychecks after federal and state taxes and Social Security and Medicare contributions. Only 6% of private sector American workers belong to a union. Most don’t think the dues are a worthwhile investment of their hard-earned dollars. VW workers rejected union representation in 2014 and 2019‚ and they have similar reasons for doing so again. Employment at the Detroit Three automakers represented by the UAW has declined‚ and automotive jobs have moved to China with vehicle electrification. UAW membership fell from 1.5 million in 1979 to 370‚000 in 2023. Hence‚ the UAW needs new members to pay dues to fund union bosses’ salaries and pensions for retired union members in Detroit. Dues for UAW hourly workers are 2.5 hours of pay per month. With average wages of $40 an hour‚ that’s $100 a month in dues‚ or $1‚200 a year. This would help shore up the pensions of the UAW’s 580‚000 retirees and pay the salaries of union officials. UAW President Shawn Fain makes more than $220‚000 annually‚ more than three times VW workers’ average wages. Fain flies to lavish events such as the March UAW National Stellantis Council meeting in Puerto Rico with other union officials. VW workers shouldn’t have to pay for union bosses’ perks or legacy pensions‚ and unionizing the plant contradicts workers’ interests. Unionization would raise vehicle costs‚ undercutting VW’s competitiveness relative to auto companies whose workers are not represented by unions. For instance‚ Jim Farley‚ Ford’s chief executive officer‚ said earlier this year that Ford had a $7 billion to $8 billion cost disadvantage over other firms because of higher costs. Higher costs from unionization are one reason the Detroit Three are announcing layoffs. Ford announced 1‚400 layoffs in March‚ following layoffs in 2023. Stellantis had layoffs of 400 last month and ended jobs for 2‚000 temporary workers. General Motors cut 1‚300 workers last year. One sign that the UAW does not stand up for members’ interests is the renegotiation of the UAW contract in 2023. It was an opportunity for the UAW to make Detroit carmakers reverse their commitment to go all-electric by 2035‚ preserving autoworkers’ jobs and continuing to make gasoline-powered cars popular with families. Yet the new UAW contract made GM‚ Ford‚ and Stellantis uncompetitive with nonunion automakers and preserved the automakers’ plans to eliminate production of internal-combustion-engine cars by 2035. Fain knows that electrification of the automobile will mean fewer autoworkers. He said: “Stellantis’ push to cut thousands of jobs while raking in billions in profits is disgusting. … Even now‚ politicians and taxpayers are bankrolling the electric vehicle transition‚ and this is the thanks the working class gets.” The UAW did not successfully reverse companies’ destructive policies‚ even though Ford estimated that the industry would need 40% fewer workers to produce EVs. That’s 200‚000 fewer jobs in 2030 and 400‚000 fewer in the long run. Biden can call for unionization at VW‚ but he can’t make VW do what’s in the best interests of VW employees. The UAW didn’t stand up for its workers at Ford‚ GM‚ and Stellantis—and it won’t stand up for workers at VW if they vote “yes” this week. Originally published by The Washington Times The post Joining UAW Would Be Loser for Volkswagen Employees appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A lot has happened since Dylan Mulvaney pranced around his yard in a Nike sports bra last April. Days after his face appeared on Bud Light cans—the controversy that launched a thousand boycotts—the sight of him doing jumping jacks in women’s workout gear was almost worst. And a stock chart that looks like a downhill ski slope proves it. Months after the country protested with a bonfire of bra burning‚ the only swoosh Nike hears now is the sound of profits gushing.  While Bud Light hogged most of the spotlight with its historic collapse‚ the devastation of Nike’s trans advocacy is real. By August of last year‚ the brand of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods was experiencing what experts called “its biggest losing streak since 1980.” With catastrophic losses—upward of $13 billion in market value—consumer outrage was packing a serious punch. Angry women led the charge‚ lashing out at the company as an insult to females everywhere. “The ad feels like a parody of what women are. … That Nike would do this feels like a kick in the teeth‚” one posted. Others blasted the brand for making a “mockery out of women‚” vowing never to buy another thing from a company that chose a man “over all the hardworking women who workout regularly in your activewear.” It’s “absolutely disgusting.” Most people just couldn’t understand the marketing logic. “Why doesn’t Nike pay a real women to promote a product that is solely for women&;#63;” they wanted to know. Almost a year later‚ the pressure hasn’t let up. Market analysts have been shocked by the company’s inability to rebound‚ a nosedive they wrongly assumed was temporary. According to Yahoo Finance‚ Nike’s stock is down 11.3% since the beginning of the year‚ and it’s trading “26.1% below its 52-week high.” And while experts are blaming everything from weak overseas demand to slowing sales and pricing challenges‚ their theories miss the most important reality: Shoppers won’t put up with social extremism anymore. LGBT activism‚ the kind flaunted by Mulvaney and embraced by tone-deaf board rooms‚ continues to be the kiss of death to corporate profitability.  A long line of woke CEOs can testify to that—including Anheuser-Busch‚ Target‚ Disney‚ Planet Fitness‚ Rip Curl‚ and Doritos (although the latter two took the bold step of apologizing and course-correcting). Nike‚ on the other hand‚ only dug in—a decision that forced it to lay off 1‚600 people in February‚ with a second round of cuts expected in May. Nike boss John Donahoe has called the company’s downturn “a painful reality and not one that I take lightly.” “We are currently not performing at our best‚ and I ultimately hold myself and my leadership team accountable‚” he said‚ leaving out any mention of the poor decisions that put Nike in this position in the first place.  Unfortunately‚ the company has a long and frustrating history of political activism. Millions of customers called it quits on Nike after its endorsement of anti-American quarterback Colin Kaepernick‚ who‚ along with disrespecting our national anthem‚ persuaded the company to shelve its patriotic shoes. It was the first sports retailer to fan the flames of racial tension during the George Floyd riots‚ voicing support for controversial groups like Black Lives Matter. It’s fought against religious freedom in adoption bills‚ girls sports and privacy‚ and even launched a special trans line of clothing called Be True. Most egregiously‚ Nike was one of the few brands openly using slave labor to stitch its iconic shoes together. A 2020 expose from The Washington Post talked about the Uyghurs who were spared China’s concentration camps only to hunch over tables sewing Nike’s logo on an endless line of shoes—up to 7 million pairs a year.  “Everyone knows they didn’t come here of their own free will‚” a Chinese woman told reporter Anna Fifield at the time. “They were brought here … because they didn’t have an option. The government sent them here.” It’s how the Chinese government is “exporting the punitive culture and ethos of Xinjiang’s ‘reeducation camps’ to factories across China‚” one expert told the Post.  Incredibly‚ when a bipartisan bill threatened to outlaw the use of slave labor for American companies‚ ending our country’s role in these human rights atrocities‚ Nike fought to kill it. Company spokesmen denied that‚ responding to The New York Times allegations that they were only in “constructive conversations” with lawmakers. But even today‚ three years after Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act‚ the Canadian government is investigating complaints that Nike is still using slave laborers in Xinjiang‚ which they consider a “crime against humanity.” Now‚ a year into its Dylan Mulvaney fiasco‚ the Oregon-based headquarters is reaping the whirlwind. Instead of taking its foot off the gas of an agenda Americans have so clearly rejected‚ Nike is stubbornly leaning into the radicalism that’s bankrupting other brands. At a time when almost 300 companies are backing off their LGBT advocacy‚ Nike scored a perfect 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Index this year (quite a feat considering HRC’s steep transgender benchmarks). If Nike wants to enrage consumers at a time of record pushback‚ that’s its business. But better advice might come from its peers‚ who believe a smarter company slogan would be: Just don’t. Originally published by The Washington Stand The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. The post Nike Stocks Still Tanking a Year After Mulvaney Partnership appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Brussels authorities shuttered the National Conservatism Conference on Tuesday‚ sending police to block entry to the conference and announcing that those inside would be permitted to leave but not to return. However‚ the action was not the result of any public disturbances or threats. It was a political action by left-progressive politicians who do not like the views being ventilated at the conference—and who fear the increasing success of nationalist and conservative ideas in European politics. Initial coverage of the incident is posted here and here‚ with no doubt more to come. And see this article by Ayaan Hirsi Ali on the incident.  I am a trustee of the Edmund Burke Foundation‚ which is sponsoring the conference‚ and I have been chairman of its regular “NatCon” conferences in the U.S.‚ U.K.‚ and Europe for the past five years. My colleagues and I have strong views on such urgent issues as uncontrolled immigration; the corruption of schools and cultural institutions by race and gender ideologies; the transfer of government authority from nations to international bureaucracies; and the erosion of freedoms of speech‚ religion‚ and inquiry. These are the central issues on the agenda at this week’s conference in Brussels. All of our conferences are carefully planned to include top-tier conservative thinkers‚ writers‚ scholars‚ activists‚ and political figures‚ and to provide a good mix of speeches‚ panel discussions‚ and debates (with a few brave souls on the Left to keep us sharp). Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts‚ who agrees with some NatCon positions but disagrees with others‚ has given terrific addresses at earlier conferences and has been received with enthusiasm and appreciation. Several other Heritage friends are at this week’s Brussels conference‚ although I have had to miss it myself because of commitments in the U.S. (now to my special regret&;#33;) (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s news and commentary outlet.) That an earnest gathering of political officials‚ activists‚ and thinkers should be bullied by a mayor and sequestered by the police is‚ of course‚ outrageous and worthy of severe condemnation. And few liberal as well as conservative leaders have issued critical statements. But there is a larger meaning to the incident. It demonstrates that forthright‚ unapologetic conservatism is gaining serious momentum in Europe as well as the U. S.—and that the progressive Left‚ in its desperation to stop us‚ is increasingly willing to employ means that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Unfortunately‚ the progressives’ effort to anathematize national conservatives as a “far right” threat to democracy and civil order is being adopted by others who should know better. Some on the moderate left and right are portraying the Brussels “controversy” as a case for standing on principle for freedom of speech—even for those with so-called deplorable ideas and values‚ as if NatCons were Nazis marching through Skokie. Thanks for your support‚ guys‚ and have a nice free-speech day yourself. The incident is actually the latest example of establishment timorousness and liberal decay. Two fancy Brussels venues‚ Concert Noble and a Sofitel hotel‚ abruptly canceled the NatCon conference at the insistence of city officials before the no-nonsense Tunisian owner of the Claridge event hall agreed to host us‚ refused to back down‚ and treated us to warm hospitality to compensate for the hostility of the city fathers. This gentleman is in today’s avant-garde. The progressive strategy of meeting conservative ascent with shallow demagoguery and forceful suppression‚ rather than forthright argument or reform of their ruinous policies‚ is coming in for a richly deserved political reckoning.  The post Brussels Authorities Shut Down Conservative Conference‚ Afraid of Conservatism Gaining Momentum in Europe appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The “vote for President Biden” flyers found at a center for migrants in Mexico constitute foreign meddling in U.S. elections‚ congressional Republicans say.  Amid the ongoing crisis of illegal immigration at the southern border‚ the lawmakers decried flyers posted at the migrant services center near Brownsville‚ Texas‚ that tell illegal aliens: “Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States.” “Joe Biden has sacrificed our nation’s safety and security in his pursuit to get as many people here as possible. Why&;#63; Because he believes these are future Democrat voters‚” Sen. Roger Marshall‚ R-Kan.‚ told The Daily Signal.  “This is election interference orchestrated at the highest levels. We have to get our hands around this—Americans have to have complete confidence in their elections‚” Marshall said. “Any NGO receiving federal funds and pushing illegal get-out-the-vote efforts for Joe Biden should be stripped of their funding immediately.” Translated from Spanish‚ The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project notes‚ the flyers posted at the nongovernmental organization Resource Center Matamoros in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas say: “Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States. We need another four years of his term to stay open.”  “Democrats want permanent power and they are willing to import a new electorate to get it‚” Rep. Jim Banks‚ R-Ind.‚ told The Daily Signal in a written statement after his office was asked about the flyers.  “The endgame of the Biden border crisis is to disenfranchise American citizens by diluting their votes‚” Banks said.  “American elections are for Americans‚ and Congress should pass election integrity reforms to safeguard federal elections from foreign‚ illegal votes.” Heritage’s Oversight Project released images of the flyers late Monday‚ using video of the flyers posted at Resource Center Matamoros and discovered by the news site Muckraker. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s news and commentary outlet.) RCM provides information about available legal and social services to those on the Mexican side of the border who seek asylum in the United States. The nongovernmental organization also lobbies U.S. and Mexican lawmakers.  These flyers were discovered by @realmuckraker throughout the Resource Center Matamoras (RCM) location including on the walls of port-a-pottiesThey also appear to be handed out when illegal aliens use the RCM for assistance in coming to the USA pic.twitter.com/hvlkwOI5Xs— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) April 16‚ 2024 The flyers directed at illegal aliens only add to concerns about Biden’s border crisis and clean elections‚ said Sen. Tim Scott‚ R-S.C.  “Add election interference and voter fraud to the list of crimes being committed thanks to President Biden’s open border‚” Scott told The Daily Signal in a written statement. “The Biden administration and its far-left‚ open border policies have allowed for a nearly 10 million-person invasion into our country‚ made every county a border county‚ and put American lives‚ our national security‚ and now the integrity of our elections at risk.” Sen. Cynthia Lummis‚ R-Wyo.‚ said she is concerned about foreign meddling in U.S. elections.  “Exercising the right to vote is one reserved exclusively for American citizens‚ not illegal aliens unlawfully in our country‚” told The Daily Signal in a written statement. “Encouraging people in this country illegally to vote is not only a direct violation of U.S. law but invites foreign nationals to meddle in our elections.”  It’s not clear whether Resource Center Matamoros authorized the flyers or did anything to remove them from the shelter. RCM Executive Director Gaby Zavala did not respond to inquiries from The Daily Signal for this report.  Voting in U.S. elections by foreign nationals “undermines the very fabric of our democratic process‚” Sen. Kevin Cramer‚ R-N.D.‚ said. “Examples like this erode the public’s confidence and illustrate the importance of secure voting laws‚” Cramer told The Daily Signal. “Democrats‚ the so-called ‘defenders of democracy‚’ object to commonsense reforms like voter ID and blocking illegal immigrants being counted in the census for electoral distribution. The hypocrisy is rich‚ but highlights the importance of election integrity reforms.” The discovery of the “vote for Biden” flyers in Mexico is more evidence of the need for voter ID laws‚ Sen. Joni Ernst‚ R-Iowa‚ said. “Like Iowa‚ every state in the union should require IDs and proof of citizenship in order to vote‚” Ernst told The Daily Signal. “American elections are for Americans‚ not whoever manages to show up at Joe Biden’s open border. We must secure election integrity and secure the border.” The pro-Biden flyers‚ discovered by Muckraker and shared with the Oversight Project‚ were found throughout Resource Center Matamoros‚ including on the walls of portable toilets‚ a video shows.  The city of Matamoros in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas borders Brownsville‚ where Biden spoke in February about the crisis of illegal immigration at the southern border that has grown since he became president in January 2021. Federal law bans foreign nationals‚ or non-U.S. citizens‚ from voting in federal elections. On Friday‚ former President Donald Trump endorsed proposed legislation by House Speaker Mike Johnson‚ R-La.‚ that would require proof of citizenship to vote in U.S. elections. The post ‘Import a New Electorate’: Congress Alarmed by Flyers in Mexico Urging Illegal Aliens to Vote Biden appeared first on The Daily Signal.

National Public Radio senior editor Uri Berliner has been suspended for his unauthorized critique of the insular liberal bias of his network. NPR star and “Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep took to his Substack blog to slam Berliner’s article as “filled with errors and omissions.” (Editor’s note: Berliner on Wednesday submitted his resignation from the publicly funded network.) “His colleagues have had a rich dialogue about his mistakes‚” Inskeep crowed‚ and dropped the bomb that it was “an article that discredited itself.” For example‚ Inskeep declared an error in that Berliner found in Washington‚ D.C.‚ voter records that NPR had 87 registered Democrats and no registered Republicans. When he was asked about Berliner at the San Antonio Book Festival‚ he says he told them‚ “I am a prominent member of the newsroom in Washington. If Uri told the truth‚ then I could only be a registered Democrat. I held up my voter registration showing I am registered with ‘no party.’ Some in the crowd gasped. Uri had misled them.” Berliner didn’t address whether anyone was registered as “no party.” He did write there were zero Republicans. Did Inskeep refute that&;#63; No. Several NPR veterans harrumphed they registered as “no party‚” just as left-wing journalists will tell pollsters they are “independents.” Seen here in happier times‚ then-NPR editor Uri Berliner (center) and others attend the 76th annual Peabody Awards ceremony on May 20‚ 2017‚ in New York City. On Wednesday‚ Berliner submitted his resignation‚ ending a 25-year career at National Public Radio. (Photo: J.P. Yim/Wire Image/Getty Images) Inskeep wrote‚ “While it’s widely believed that most mainstream journalists are Democrats‚ I’ve had colleagues that I was pretty sure were conservative. (I don’t ask).” That rebuts Berliner how&;#63; When Inskeep challenged Berliner personally on his claim that the editing process was “frictionless‚” he said Berliner acknowledged they have newsroom debates‚ but “the real test is what we broadcast or publish.” Inskeep leaves out what Berliner wrote about—that it puts out a lot of stories on “supposed racism‚ transphobia‚ signs of the climate apocalypse‚ Israel doing something bad‚ and the dire threat of Republican policies.” Anyone who listens to NPR programs gets an earful of those. You have to laugh when Inskeep’s best defense is “everybody else did it‚ too.” He admits NPR did not report on the Hunter Biden laptop‚ but Berliner “leaves out the context: Other organizations also held off on the story because of doubts about the laptop’s authenticity. It wasn’t confirmed until much later.” Now who’s engaged in “omissions”&;#63; NPR not only refused to report on the laptop but their top news executive Terence Samuel openly boasted‚ “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories‚ and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” That implies they weren’t going to touch this story‚ like it was a decaying rat corpse in the gutter. Samuel signaled the same contempt on the horribly named evening newscast “All Things Considered” in June 2021‚ suggesting to anchor Mary Louise Kelly they should seek the “whole truth‚” but exclude the liars: “It’s not a matter of representing just opposite voices‚ but more voices and excluding the voices that are just pure disinformation.” After those “other organizations” confirmed the laptop contents were real‚ nothing changed. Kelly brought on Samuel in 2023 to proclaim former President Donald Trump would not be allowed to speak on NPR live as he was indicted because he was such a liar‚ but Kelly (as in 2021) didn’t bring up Hunter Biden’s laptop. But the most ridiculous line in Inskeep’s critique is claiming Berliner advocates “viewpoint diversity‚” but he didn’t embrace it in his article‚ which spurred all his “errors and omissions.” If NPR is so committed to viewpoint diversity‚ would Inskeep agree to debate Berliner on air at NPR for an hour or two&;#63; Probably not. NPR hasn’t said one word on air about Berliner’s complaint. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post NPR Host Swings at Network’s Dissident—but Misses Badly appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Stella Assange has once again urged the Biden White House to give up on prosecuting her husband Julian Assange‚ at the same time accusing the US authorities of resorting to “blatant weasel words” when addressing the issue of granting the WikiLeaks founder First Amendment protections. In a post on X‚ Stella Assange said that a diplomatic note from the US that was supposed to provide assurances regarding Assange’s future if extradited to the US did not succeed in doing that. When it comes to the First Amendment‚ the note amounted to being “a non-assurance‚” Stella wrote‚ which did not override the prosecution’s claim her husband had no rights guaranteed in this respect because he is not a US citizen. Instead it now only said that he can “seek to raise” the First Amendment if he finds himself in custody in the US. At the same time‚ the note contained “a standard assurance in relation to the death penalty‚” the post said. (Reuters cited the document as stating that “a sentence of death will neither be sought nor imposed.”) The note “does nothing to relieve our family’s extreme distress about his future – his grim expectation of spending the rest of his life in isolation in US prison for publishing award-winning journalism‚” Stella Assange wrote. The “assurances” note she is referring to was requested by the British‚ as a court there is getting ready to issue its final decision regarding Assange’s ability to again appeal extradition. The High Court in London previously said a new appeal would not be possible if the US side provided “certain guarantees.” Specifically‚ they are concerned about extending First Amendment free speech rights to Assange‚ if put on trial in the US‚ as well as the prosecution there refraining from adding more charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty. These guarantees‚ such as they are‚ have now arrived‚ prompting Stella Assange to dismiss them as “weasel words.” Now it will be up to the UK court to interpret whether the US note provides satisfactory guarantees. The US government accuses Assange of “putting lives at risk” and going “considerably beyond” what a journalist would do when classified documents concerning. most prominently. US wars in the Middle East were published some 15 years ago. If extradited‚ Assange will be put on trial indicted on 17 counts of espionage and one related to computer misuse. The post “Weasel Words” – Stella Assange Challenges US Over Julian’s Fate appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech‚ freedom from surveillance‚ and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter&;#63; Login here The post Unmasking the Bias of “Misinformation Experts” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Do This BEFORE Hyperinflation Arrives