Recent incidents, including a Chinese cargo ship allegedly cutting a Taiwanese undersea cable, underscore the vulnerability of global undersea infrastructure. While most damage results from accidents, “gray zone” tactics — which involve deliberate but covert sabotage by states like China and Russia — are becoming a geopolitical threat. VOA Chinaexamines the geopolitical battle for undersea…
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Students at Hodges Manor were excited during the school assembly to hear they were getting new books.“I have a [manga] book called ‘Snakes.’ Ooh, that’s cool!” one student exclaimed.“Sparkle queens! What do sparkle queens do? They actually clean up their mess and they sing wonderful songs,” said Aubrey Cox, a kindergartner.Watch related coverage: How you can help Norfolk elementary students explore their love of reading!
How you can help Norfolk elementary students explore their love of reading!
This is the third year that K-6 students at Hodges Manor Elementary in Portsmouth get to pick out free books to take home.“There’s Pikachu! Pikachu, he’s my favorite. Mine too!” said River Woods, a third grader.“Do you like snakes? Yes. Do you have any at home? No, but I’m going to get one soon. Does your mom know? No,” said Kadri Moses.“Hooray! And then later he says, ‘You can live here, Flippy,’” said Leandro DeJesus.Watch related coverage: Hodges Manor students celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter, receive copies of books from Scholastic
Hodges Manor students celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter, receive copies of books from Scholastic
Leandro’s enthusiasm was contagious as he read one of his five new books to me.The book fair is a partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund, News 3, and Scholastic to put books in the hands of students in underserved communities.“Some book fairs require you to bring in a bunch of money, but these kids get to come in and pick out something they like, something they enjoy,” Principal Dennis Chalk said. “They are thrilled. This is one of the most exciting times of the year for them.”Watch related coverage: Hampton 7th grader getting national attention for his new book
Hampton 7th grader getting national attention for his new book
So far, more than one million books have been distributed thanks to you—our News 3 viewers and employees.“Sometimes it’s in games, so basically I can read and play games at the same time. Bonus!” Leandro said.”I think reading’s fun; it kills time really fast,” said River.Watch related coverage: Summer reading, with News 3’s donated books, gives students a head start on school year
Summer reading gives students head start to new school year
Besides, time flies when you’re on adventures with your nose in a good book.The staff and the bright, well-behaved students at Hodges Manor Elementary are positively Hampton Roads.“That is awesome that you’re reading so much. Thanks for talking with me. I appreciate it. Appreciate it to you too,” said Aubrey.
Posted in: Games, Movies, Sony | Tagged: arrowhead games studios, helldivers 2, sony picturesHelldivers 2 creative director Johan Pilestedt says the studio shouldn’t have the “final say” over the film because “we are not Hollywood people.”Article Summary
Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt says the studio shouldn’t have final say on the film adaptation.
Arrowhead Games will likely be involved, but admits they’re not Hollywood experts for shaping the final cut.
Sony announces fast-paced Helldivers 2 adaptation at CES, surprising fans with quick turnaround.
Helldivers 2 game faced backlash over account requirements, leading to a rollback from Sony.
Last week, CES and Sony did a presentation where they decided to throw everyone in the entertainment industry for a loop and drop a ton of TV and film information during its press conference. We got information on things like the next season of The Last of Us, got some more story details about the Until Dawn film, and Sony revealed two more video game adaptations were in the works. Horizon Zero Dawn isn’t that much of a surprise, but Helldivers 2 is, considering the game is only a year old. Hollywood has only just started to get video game adaptations right in the last couple of years, so fans are a bit twitchy when it comes to their favorite game getting a movie. Over on X/Twitter (via Total Film), a fan asked creative director Johan Pilestedt if Arrowhead Games Studios will be involved with the film to “ensure the films stay faithful to the games?” It sounds like details might still be getting ironed out because he wasn’t sure, but Pilestedt also admitted that they aren’t filmmakers and shouldn’t have the final say.”Hey! I’ve been dodging this question. The short answer is yes. The long answer is that we’ll see. We are not Hollywood people, and we don’t know what it takes to make a movie. And therefore we don’t, and shouldn’t, have final say.”
Credit: Arrowhead Game Studios
That answer is probably going to piss fans off, and if the response under the tweet is anything to go by, people aren’t exactly thrilled to hear that, but that’s the correct answer. Pilestedt is right; a video game is not a movie. They are two very different mediums, and there are specific challenges that come from adapting video games because you are going from an interactive medium to an inactive medium. You already don’t read a comic book like you read a book. You don’t watch a TV show like you watch a movie [despite what Netflix and other streamers might think, TV shows are not long movies], and where things tend to go wrong is when people don’t consider adaptation part of this whole thing. Sony has seen success with Uncharted, and they have watched both Paramount and Universal do well with Sonic and Mario, so it stands to reason that Arrowhead will be involved on some level, but they shouldn’t have the final say even if that isn’t the answer what fans want to hear.
The Helldivers 2 Film Adaptation Got Here Fast
Helldivers 2, adapted by Sony Pictures and Sony Playstation, is one of those fast turnarounds that might make people a little nervous. The game was released just over a year ago, in February 2024, on PlayStation 5 and Windows. It became the topic of conversation last year when Sony tried to get everyone to sign up for a Playstation account to play the game, even though that wasn’t a requirement initially. The problem was that in some countries where the game was available, you couldn’t sign up for a Sony account, and now these people couldn’t play the game. What followed was a massive review bombing from the community,y with players essentially telling Sony, the publisher, and Arrowhead Games Studios, the developer, that if they can’t play with all of their friends, they won’t play at all. It worked, and Sony walked the requirement back. We love to see it. From IGN: “Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, said: “Looking ahead as to what might come next, I’m excited to announce we are working with Sony Pictures on developing a film adaptation of our amazingly popular PlayStation game Helldivers 2.”
From the official Steam page: “HELLDIVERS™ 2 is a 3rd person squad-based shooter that sees the elite forces of the Helldivers battling to win an intergalactic struggle to rid the galaxy of the rising alien threats. From a 3rd person perspective, players use a variety of weapons (pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers) and stratagems (turrets, airstrikes, etc.) to shoot and kill the alien threats. Players can also aim down the sights for a more accurate 1st person camera view. Combat is accompanied by frequent sprays of blood and dismemberment as players exterminate the alien forces or players and squad mates are hit by environmental explosions or friendly fire. Enemy encampments and battlefield environments depict bloodstains and dismembered corpses.”
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ANALYSIS — One of Joe Biden’s final domestic trips was symbolic of his up-and-down presidency. It was a dish composed of all things Biden, with a solid start mixed with a heaping serving of bad luck, a dash of weirdness — and a family matter as the garnish. There was the president in New Orleans…
Over the years, cameras have caught NFL players doing some memorable non-football things on the sidelines during games. Tom Brady once hurled an electronic tablet in frustration. Three members of the Seattle Seahawks were fined for eating hot dogs during a 1995 preseason game.
On Sunday evening in Philadelphia, as the Eagles hosted a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, wide receiver A.J. Brown did something arguably even more intriguing.
He sat down and opened a book.
As the Eagles ground out their 22-10 victory, cameras showed Brown on a sideline bench, studying a well-worn paperback. One of the Fox Sports broadcast announcers chuckled. “I haven’t seen too many people read books (during a game),” he said.
The book is called “Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life.” It was written by Jim Murphy, a former professional baseball player and self-described “performance coach” who helps athletes build mental toughness.
Brown is one of the Eagles’ best players. Only three passes went in his direction on Sunday, and he caught only one, for just 10 yards. Still, when he took questions after the game, he was cheerful.
This may have been the first time he’d been reading on camera. But he said it wasn’t the first time he’d read that book during a game.
“That’s a book that I bring every single game,” Brown said, adding that “my teammates call it ‘The Recipe.’”
Some passages were underlined and highlighted. Naturally, viewers were curious. The Eagles have a lot of fans, and the book quickly soared up the charts. On Monday afternoon, it was #1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list.
“As an outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization, my sense of worth and identity revolved around my performance, mostly my batting average,” Murphy writes in the book’s introduction. “When I hit well, I walked tall and felt great. When I hit poorly, my shoulders slumped and my outlook was dark. Life was a roller coaster of emotions. I was a slave to results and it stifled my performance. I was afraid of failure and that fear kept putting my mind in the past and future.
“When I started coaching professional and Olympic athletes, I saw this over and over again: athletes had lost their joy and passion for life as they struggled under the pressure to perform. The fear of failure engulfed their lives.”
The book has helped propel athletes to higher levels of performance even when they were filled with doubt, Murphy writes. “But far more than that,” he adds, “you’ll learn how to live with deep contentment, joy and confidence in your everyday life.”
Brown told reporters the book helps him refocus after every drive, “regardless of if I score a touchdown or I drop a pass.” He will get more chances next Sunday, when the Eagles host another playoff game.
A reporter for Sports Illustrated reached Murphy by phone on Sunday night, as his book was suddenly going viral. Murphy said of Brown, “It’s really an honor to be a part of his life and to have a meaningful place in anyone’s life.”
By Monday afternoon, the book had at least one new five-star Amazon review, from a user named Todd. The headline of the review said “Go Birds.” The full text of the review said, “AJ Brown recommended this book, so I’m looking forward to reading this. Fly Eagles Fly.”
At least 1,044 people found Todd’s review helpful.
During his short 50 year life, Steve McQueen dominated the box office as Hollywood’s antihero of the Sixties and Seventies.The Oscar-nominated legend was so popular that by 1974, he was the highest-paid movie star in the world.Known for his spats with directors, producers and his fellow stars, the motor racing actor made less than 30 films but certainly made his impression on movie history.Now film fans on IMDb have ranked the King of Cool’s Top 10 greatest films and he was actually arrested and jailed while shooting No 1.
Some of the most-read books in Park County in 2024 included Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Three Inch Teeth by C.J. Box, Go As a River by Shelley Read and various Colorado local history books. The list pulls from Park County libraries as opposed to books that may be coming in from other libraries. Both adult fiction and adult non-fiction lists were pulled to reveal the top 10 titles in each category. Top 10 fiction books of Park County included:Remarkably Bright CreaturesThree Inch TeethGo As a RiverLessons in ChemistryThe Lindberge NannyThe Violin ConspiracyA Calamity of SoulsStorm WatchWhen Women Were DragonsThe WomenTop 10 non-fiction titles in Park County included:The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the AmazonThe Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Demon of Unrest: A Saga of HubrisCrossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers & the Sport that Changed Their Lives ForeverHistoric Tales From Park County: Parked in the PastThe Comfort of Crows: A Backyard YearThe Professor and the Madman: A Tale of MurderThe Wide Wide SeaThe Boys in the Boat: 9 Americans & Their Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin OlympicsSugar High: Sweet & Savory Baking in Your High Altitude KitchenMegan Bushman, Fairplay Library’s Branch Manager, said one of her favorite reads of the year was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. The book placed number one in Park County’s 2024 fiction category. The book placed in two award categories in 2022 on Goodreads including Reader’s Favorite Debut Novel and Reader’s Favorite Fiction. The story is about a lady who picks up night shifts at an aquarium to help keep her mind busy after the death of her husband and her son going missing. An octopus, the grand detective that he is, at the museum helps her solve the mystery of her missing son.One of the librarians at the branch also mentioned ‘Sugar High: Baking in Your High Altitude Kitchen’, being one of her favorite discoveries of the year. The book includes recipes such as pizza dough, jam-print cookies, brownies and various other breads and sweets all from scratch. The librarian said she loved the book so much that she bought her own copy for cooking and baking at home. Sugar High placed 10th place in the top 10 non-fiction category for Park County.A general list of all media that was checked out at Park County Libraries was run and staff members were surprised to see that both South Park City Passes and Colorado State Park Passes were in the top 20 scans for the year. Colorado State Park Passes placed in fifth place for overall check-outs across Park County. The pass enables library card holders free parking at any Colorado State Park. New in 2024, the Fairplay Library now offers a Tool Library and a Library of Things which has most basic tools as well as various commonly used power tools including sawzalls. The Library of Things includes whittling kits, telescopes and sewing machines. The Tool Library was made possible through a recent grant and card-holders can ask about the collection at the circulation desk.NPR posted a similar article recently on most borrowed books from public libraries across America stating that many of 2024’s top books were also 2023’s top titles. The writer also mentioned that each of these top titles made up less than 1% of scans and that people are reading many different types of books and all sorts of titles which is a good sign that people are exploring all that the library has to offer and aren’t necessarily reading what is on the most popular and mainstream lists.
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreOne of the Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers, AJ Brown, was seen reading a book on the sidelines during the NFL playoffs.On Sunday (January 12) the Eagles took on the Green Bay Packers with a final score of 22 to 10. Between offensive plays, Fox Sports panned over Brown to find him sitting on the bench, engrossed in a book.Clips of the athlete reading circulated widely on Twitter/X as fans speculated about what he was reading.“Reading a book instead of screaming at your quarterback for missing you on a long touchdown. AJ Brown is an A+ teammate and a scholar,” one person wrote.“AJ Brown reading motivational self-help books on the bench during a game they are winning but he only has one catch is quite possibly the most wide receiver thing I’ve ever seen,” another joked. After the game, reporters asked the wide receiver if reading on the sidelines was a normal occurrence for him or if it was his way of showing his frustration with the way his team was performing during the game.AJ Brown was seen reading as the Eagles took on the Packers
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Thousands of letters get hand sorted from the basement of the Social Justice Center on Williamson Street, each one containing a book request from a state prisoner.“Sometimes they want to learn about history…Spanish to English dictionaries are requested a lot,” said Kyle Wienke, Wisconsin Books to Prisoners volunteer.Since 2006, the Madison-based nonprofit Wisconsin Books to Prisoners has sent more than 70,000 books, free of charge, to those behind bars across the state.“Virtually any book that you’d want that’s not banned nationwide,” Wienke detailed in reference to book requests they receive.Wisconsin Books to Prisoners and LGBT Books to Prisoners both operate out of the basement from the Social Justice Center on Williamson St.(Phoebe Murray WMTV)In January of 2024, prison officials notified the volunteer-run group that they had to stop sending gently used books to incarcerated people.The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) cited concerns about people smuggling in drugs inside the donated books.“In large, our library was conducted of mostly used books donated through the community,” said Wienke, who also serves as the project’s legal liaison.He went on to say the news was devastating.“I couldn’t believe that they decided to make the decision, it came out of the blue entirely and we actually thought we had some ground to appeal on,” Wienke said.Wisconsin Books to Prisoners did eventually make an appeal that would go unanswered for months.In emails to the nonprofit, the DOC claims people pretending to be affiliated with WBTP were the ones smuggling in the drugs.”There have been many instances of drugs coming in via mail (and publications/books) which appear to be sent from the child support agency, the IRS, the State Public Defender’s Office, the Department of Justice and individual attorneys,” wrote Division of Adult Institutions Administrator Sarah Cooper in an Aug. 16 email. “In reality, the mail pieces are not from those agencies, but from the bad actors who imitate them to send the drugs in. So our concern is not with your organization, but with those who would impersonate your organization for nefarious means.”The DOC provided WMTV with two incident reports from February 2024 from the Oshkosh Correctional Institution. According to the reports, several book bundles sent under the Wisconsin Books to Prisoners name tested positive for illicit drugs including cocaine.Bundles of books ready to be send to the people behind bars who requested them.(Phoebe Murray WMTV)This latest move, Wienke said, feels like an end to their project.“Our project has been active since 2006, and we don’t want it to go anywhere. We want it to continue help out with the community, and helping those behind bars re-enter the community as better members,” Wienke expressed. “A lot of that comes down to being educated as much as they can in prison.”Now, only new books sent directly from a vendor with a receipt are accepted per the new DOC policy.The decision greatly impacts the work of LGBT Books to Prisoners as well.“That’s just a financial barrier,” said Cory Sprinkel, organizer of the Madison-based nonprofit. “A lot of these books are sent by nonprofits who are sending these at no cost to folks receiving them.”The donation-funded project sends LGBTQ+ books and reading materials to incarcerated LGBTQ people in Wisconsin and across the United States.“That content is incredibly hard to come by even in a regular library let alone a prison library,” Sprinkel added. “It feels like every week we have to retrain our volunteers to address new policies.”LGBT Books to Prisoners shares shelf space with Wisconsin Books to Prisoners on Madison’s east side.“Books keep people safe and preventing that doesn’t help the situation,” Sprinkel said.While WBTP has halted their work, LGBT Books to Prisoners continues to fill book requests from the states they serve outside of Wisconsin.(Phoebe Murray WMTV)In recent years, the Wisconsin DOC has been tightening policy to prevent drug smuggling into prisons. In 2021, the agency began contracting with a company that scans incoming prison mail. Incarcerated people get photocopies of their mail instead of the original paper.At each of the state’s 20 prisons, the DOC is in the midst of rolling out new electronic tablets for inmates to read on. A class-action lawsuit has been filed against top officials at the department alleging millions of dollars of digital music, books, games and movies have been stolen from prisoners after the agency switched vendors for their tablet system.WMTV 15 News reached out on numerous occasions over the past year for an interview with prison officials; the DOC declined.Wisconsin Books to Prisoners hopes this isn’t the final chapter in their story.“Depending on how much collaboration between the Department of Corrections and our organization will determine our next steps,” Wienke concluded.Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.Copyright 2024 WMTV. All rights reserved.
January 13, 2025 | By Mary Bailey
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines, advanced therapies, and oncolytic viruses, has completed its recent production expansion in Denmark. This first expansion for the site increases capacity from six to twelve bioreactors for mammalian cell culture, making the site the largest end-to-end biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Europe. A groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion took place in 2020.
“Our activities in Hillerød reflect our commitment to being the leading contract manufacturer globally, or a Partner for Life, as we call it, by supporting our clients and their patients worldwide,” says Christian Houborg, site head and senior vice president for FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. “This expansion demonstrates our vision to launch strong production capabilities in the global biopharmaceutical industry, ensuring the timely delivery of critical therapies to those in need worldwide,” says Christian.
The expansion of the Company’s production in Hillerød underscores that the Danish life science sector is in a very good trajectory, according to Brian Mikkelsen, CEO of Dansk Erhverv. He points out that the industry has been an outstanding Danish success story with massive growth, steadily increasing exports, and several thousand new jobs in recent years.
Since 2019, the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies site in Hillerød has grown from 750 employees to approximately 1800 today, and approximately 20 percent of them come from abroad, representing more than 70 different nationalities.
“One must tip their hat to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies and their impressive journey, of which this expansion is the latest evidence. It is a company that contributes both through their production and growth to Danish society. That is something to celebrate,” says Brian Mikkelsen.
He points out that the latest expansion from FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies merely emphasizes that the potential for continued growth in the life science industry is indeed present.
“This first expansion of our site in Hillerød sets the stage for future developments, which will also extend to the USA, United Kingdom, and Japan,” said Lars Petersen, president and chief executive officer, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies. “By investing in state-of-the-art facilities on both sides of the Atlantic and prioritizing our employees, we are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our partners and patients.”
“This is just the beginning. With our Partners for Life strategy, we are dedicated to fulfilling our promises and ensuring that our global network supports the production of life-changing medicines that improve patients’ lives,” concluded Petersen.
“The life science industry has the potential to double exports by 2030, but this requires us to continue supporting the industry with favorable framework conditions. Therefore, I am happy that we have now also received a new life science strategy that improves the framework for Danish production, research, and development,” says Brian Mikkelsen.
He also reminds us that the life science industry is a very international sector, and good Danish framework conditions cannot stand alone.
“Danish life science has experienced explosive progress, but at the EU level, the sector is falling behind compared to China and the USA in terms of clinical trials, investments in research and development, and access to early capital. Therefore, there is a need for a European life science strategy that can help strengthen the sector’s competitiveness in the international competition,” says Brian Mikkelsen.