In Secret Level ( Prime Video ), the new animated anthology series created by filmmaker and visual effects artist Tim Miller (the Emmy-winning Love, Death & Robots ), major gaming titles get new stories told inside their respective universes, with all of the game-specific visuals and references to match. Secret Level kicks off its first season’s 15 installments with Dungeons & Dragons , and will also include tales told in the worlds of games like Sifu , Honor of Kings , PAC-MAN , Armored Core , or in tribute to a game system itself, like PlayStation. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Claudia Doumit, Merle Dandridge, Temuera Morrison, Emily Swallow, and Kevin Hart are among the Secret Level voice cast. SECRET LEVEL : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? Opening Shot: A young man with runes tattooed on his face stews in the cage where he is a prisoner. Suddenly, the sound of clashing swords in the camp, and new voices. “These are the hallowed lands of the Loyal Fury, protected by the great Oriel!” The Gist: The Dungeons & Dragons -themed first episode of Secret Level introduces us to Solon (Noah Manzoor), the boy in the cage, and his rescuers, a group led by the brave elven paladin Mora (Madeline Knight) and including Tally (Laura Wohlwend), a spellcasting gnome, the powerful monk Luzum (Delroy Atkinson), and a shape-shifting warrior called Ahokal (Umulsa Gahiga). When they encounter Solon, Mora and her pals immediately pivot to rescuing him from his current predicament. But when they take him to see Oriel (Paul Ridley), the benevolent golden dragon they serve, it soon becomes evident that forces from evil realms are determined to keep Solon in their grasp. Cue a battle sequence, set on a bridge that was hewed from white limestone to emulate a two-handed long sword. A White Walker-type appears, which does not bode well for our heroes. Follow Mora into a great cavern, the vast chamber of Oriel. The kind dragon’s powers can counteract the possession of Solon by a cult of evil dragon-worshippers. And thrill to the little band’s courage as they turn to face a new threat, one that has evolved out of their still-dangerous present situation. All of this is happening within a slim quarter of an hour, the average runtime for installments of Secret Level . And if it feels like it could be one of those D&D choose-your-adventure stories, that’s probably on purpose. Tim Miller, whose Blur animation studio created Secret Level , has said each episode of the anthology will expand on the storytelling from a particular game. So fans of that lore, whether it’s part of Dungeons & Dragons , Warhammer , Sifu , Spelunky , or the rest, should find full immersion into these stories pretty easy. It’s like a game title’s introductions and summary screens came to life and started talking. Or, in the case of the D&D installment, started fighting the hero characters. “ Astahii plythu nah! ” the entity inside Solon screams at Oriel and Mora in the cavern. “ Loaw tah nah! Pluthu tah vorae... ” What Shows Will It Remind You Of? An as-yet-to-appear fourth season of Love, Death & Robots was announced back in 2022, when Season 3 dropped. Netflix also features the short vignettes of anime series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance , as well as Arcane , which is set in the League of Legends video game universe. Our Take: But wait, what if we get attached? As Secret Level strides confidently into the established worlds of heavyweight game titles, it’s with large amounts of visual splendor – the series animation, always sharp, bends and evolves within the style of each featured game – and with well-conceived characters, who it feels like we’ve known forever. Which is where that initial question comes in. After the events of the D&D episode of Secret Level , for example, what if we would like more? What if we wished to rejoin the paladin Mora and her fellow travelers as they mounted their next exciting quest? We can’t. In Secret Level , no matter how compelling it is, the action and characters from one installment don’t carry over to the next, which starts anew inside the visual space and storytelling of an entirely different video game. This is both a big credit to the series and a minor detriment. It shows so much proficiency in creating these deeply-imagined addendums to established worlds, all we want is more. Who knows, maybe Secret Level returns to what it’s created alongside these games in additional seasons. But for now, we’re just going to imagine these installments like fun little daydreams, imagined storylines from games played set to motion, punctuated with smart details imported from each of those universes. Sex and Skin: None. Parting Shot: The screen is awash in flame as Solon, Mora, Tally, Luzum, and Ahokal turn to face their next adversary. Over the years, Solon got used to doing this kind of thing all alone. But now he has friends. Sleeper Star: Laura Wohlwend is a standout as Tally, a gnome conjurer, in the first installment of Secret Level . She can wield a fireball with the snap of a finger. But Wohlwend is also able to move the character’s arc from suspicion to trust effectively in the tight space of the first episode, which is essentially a Dungeons & Dragons -themed short story. Most Pilot-y Line: “What in the Nine Hells?” It’s a quick line in an otherwise larger battle sequence. But the reference to a mysterious land of devils inside the Dungeons & Dragons narrative shows off Secret Level ’s flair for a deep cut. Our Call: Stream It! Secret Level should be a boon for gamer heads, as it emulates and expands upon the established look and feel of heavyweight video game titles like Dungeons & Dragons , Unreal Tournament , Sifu , and Warhammer 40,000 . Johnny Loftus ( @glennganges ) is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.
Zilinskas scores 32 as IU Indianapolis downs Alabama A&M 88-83A Cumberland County landowner is offering a free, 50-to-100 year land lease for someone who wants to farm his property. The roughly seven acres are located in Harpswell, where property is pricey and there is little to no arable land that’s available. It even sports the state’s oldest Baldwin apple tree. But there are some catches. An adjacent 3,370-square-foot farmhouse and barn don’t come with it. There are also no power or water hookups on the property at this time. Still, owner Mike Maher hopes someone will take him up on his offer and said he’s had five or six serious inquiries since the Maine Farmland Trust posted the offer on its Facebook page on Saturday. “I don’t want to make money from this,” Maher said. “I just want to find a way to make sure this farm is viable for the next generation.” It’s an unusual opportunity, given that it can be increasingly expensive for newer farmers to obtain their own land in Maine, particularly in regions such as the midcoast where there is also stiff demand for new housing development. More up-and-coming farmers have been opting to rent their land in recent years, though typically that isn’t free either. Maher is a Cumberland County native who recently sold most of his San Francisco-based boutique clothing company to a private equity firm. He bought the entire 34-acre, waterfront farm at 1353 Harpswell Neck Rd. in 2021 for $1.5 million. Maher’s property is near the water, and its land is now assessed at $1.36 million, according to local tax records. Currently, Maher lives in Colorado and summers at the Harpswell farmhouse. This winter he’s renting it out via Airbnb. “I’ll always keep the farmhouse,” he said. “I know it’s a weird situation.” Originally, after purchasing the farm, Maher sought to use the arable land to set up a combination organic farming and business school. But when that plan fell apart, he landed on just offering a free lease to someone who’d like to farm the land. Ideally, Maher said, he’d like to see an organic farm with a mix of vegetables, animals and orchards. “I’m a big believer in small, organic farms,” he said. According to the Maine Farmland Trust listing, the land could also be used for cannabis production. Maher thinks the parcel would work well as either auxiliary land for an established farm or space for a brand new one, although any future tenant will need to pay to have a well drilled on the property as well as having it wired for electricity. Maher said he doesn’t think those caveats will be a barrier for potential farmers. “It just proves commitment,” he said. It’s a rare opportunity, if a complicated one. As of Monday, there were no other pieces of arable land available for sale or lease in Harpswell, according to the Maine MLS website. The current median asking price for a home in Harpswell, according to Realtor.com, is nearly $1 million. On Monday, the Maine Farmland Trust has 32 other Maine farm properties listed for sale or lease on its website. A message to the Maine Farmland Trust was not immediately returned.
Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our analyst ratings page . William Blair analyst Dylan Carden downgraded the rating for Ulta Beauty, Inc. ULTA from Outperform to Market Perform. Ulta Beauty shares closed at $343.26 on Wednesday. See how other analysts view this stock . B of A Securities analyst Ronald Epstein downgraded RBC Bearings Incorporated RBC from Buy to Neutral but raised the price target from $330 to $335. RBC Bearings shares closed at $324.46 on Wednesday. See how other analysts view this stock. Janney Montgomery Scott analyst Robert Farnam downgraded The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. THG from Buy to Neutral and announced a $176 price target. Hanover Insurance shares closed at $118.21 on Wednesday. See how other analysts view this stock. China Renaissance analyst Yiwen Zhang downgraded the rating for Grab Holdings Limited GRAB from Buy to Hold and announced a $5.4 price target. Grab Holdings shares closed at $5.66 on Wednesday. See how other analysts view this stock. B of A Securities analyst John Murphy downgraded Adient plc ADNT from Buy to Neutral and lowered the price target from $30 to $24. Adient shares closed at $19.06 on Wednesday. See how other analysts view this stock. Considering buying ULTA stock? Here’s what analysts think: Read This Next: Wall Street’s Most Accurate Analysts Weigh In On 3 Health Care Stocks With Over 5% Dividend Yields © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Michigan aims to cap lost season by beating Ohio State
Allegations of the Department of Justice secretly obtaining communications records from members of Congress, their staff and journalists have reignited concerns about executive branch overreach and privacy breaches. A report from the DOJ inspector general reveals phone and email records were seized during leak investigations under former President Donald Trump , targeting individuals like Kash Patel , now nominated to lead the FBI, CNN reports. What Happened: The investigation reportedly focused on individuals with access to sensitive information, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calf.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), according to sources familiar with the matter. Patel, a former staffer on the House Intelligence Committee, was also among those whose records were obtained, along with journalists from prominent outlets like CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Prosecutors bypassed established procedures, failing to convene an internal committee or obtain required certifications, according to the report. In total, records from over 40 congressional staffers were seized without their knowledge through non-disclosure orders. The report cautioned that these actions risk undermining congressional oversight by creating an appearance of executive interference. Also Read: Trump’s Tariff Storm: 3 Survival Strategies US Companies Are Using To Fight Back Why It Matters: These revelations underscore the need for stricter safeguards to protect the constitutional balance between legislative and executive powers. Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci , speaking on CNN , highlighted the political dimensions of these appointments. He suggested Patel's nomination might serve to appeal to Trump's base rather than present a realistic path to confirmation. Patel's nomination has drawn mixed reactions, with Devin Nunes describing him as an "immensely talented lawyer" while critics question his qualifications. Patel's confirmation process, which could extend into 2025, is expected to draw intense scrutiny, particularly given his vocal criticism of the so-called “deep state.” For now, the inspector general's findings have amplified calls for reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in DOJ investigations involving elected officials and journalists. Read Next: Trump Plays Presidential Immunity Card In Truth Social Lawsuit Battle Photo: Shutterstock This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Satellogic Announces Closing of $10 Million Private Placement and Filing of Shelf Registration StatementTickets for the Endless Summer Gold tour go on sale Nov. 29 and it might just be the stocking stuffer you've been waiting for. The Beach Boys are coming to Kelowna's Prospera Place on March 24, 2025. Announced on Nov. 25, are touring Canada starting on March 22, 2025 in Victoria and heading east. The tour comes following the news that chief lyricist for the band Mike Love's nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Endless Summer Gold tour wraps up in Peterborough, O.N. on April 4, 2025.
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With nearly all of the votes counted, left-leaning Mr Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling conservative HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on January 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Mr Milanovic thanked his supporters but warned that “this was just a first run”. “Let’s not be triumphant, let’s be realistic, firmly on the ground,” he said. “We must fight all over again. It’s not over till it’s over.” Mr Milanovic, the most popular politician in Croatia, has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, the 58-year-old has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and continuous sparring between the two has been a recent hallmark of Croatia’s political scene. Mr Plenkovic has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and Nato. He has labelled Mr Milanovic “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him (Mr Primorac) and Milanovic is quite simple: Milanovic is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme commander of the military. Mr Milanovic has criticised the Nato and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, thought it is a member of both Nato and the EU. Mr Milanovic has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a Nato-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war”. His main rival in the election, Mr Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East”. However, his bid for the presidency has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and which featured prominently in pre-election debates. Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudic, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a snap parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.
Comcast, the parent company of NBC and its affiliated properties, recently announced plans to spin off its cable television networks, including CNBC and MSNBC, into a new company. Following this news, Elon Musk, owner of X, shared a meme online fueling speculation he might purchase MSNBC if it becomes available. A video of Rachel Maddow, one of MSNBC’s leading personalities, went viral on social media , appearing to show her reaction to Musk’s memes about buying MSNBC. The clip appears to show Maddow on air during a breaking news segment with a banner on screen reading: “BREAKING NEWS ELON MUSK POSTS DANGEROUS MEME.” Maddow becomes visibly upset, then requests a graphic to be displayed and the screen cuts to an explicit meme about Musk's buying MSNBC. The video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Google Trends data shows a spike in searches for terms including “Elon Musk meme,” “Rachel Maddow crying,” and “Rachel Maddow Elon Musk.” People in the comments on the video expressed surprise that Maddow would act like that on air. THE QUESTION Is the video of an emotional Rachel Maddow during a news segment about speculation that Elon Musk could MSNBC real? THE SOURCES Video of Maddow’s show on June 19, 2018 MSNBC network spokesperson VERIFY analysis of the video Rachel Maddow social media post from June 19, 2018 Review of recent episodes from “The Rachel Maddow Show” InVid and RevEye , video and photo forensics tools THE ANSWER No, the video is not real. It was created using a real video of Maddow from 2018 and was edited to include fake onscreen graphics and a meme about Musk. WHAT WE FOUND The viral video appearing to show Maddow upset on air in response to social media posts depicting the potential sale of MSNBC to Elon Musk is fake. It was created using a real clip from “The Rachel Maddow Show’s” June 19, 2018 episode that was then edited to include graphics and images to make it appear like she is reacting to a story about Musk. An MSNBC network spokesperson told VERIFY the video “has been manipulated and is fake.” Using InVid, a video forensics tool, VERIFY analyzed the video and conducted a reverse image search, which led us to clips of Maddow’s original 2018 news segment about immigration policy. When comparing the edited video with the original clip from 2018, it was clear Maddow was making the same gestures, wearing the same outfit and the background is identical. A thumbnail promoting MSNBC’s live coverage from the southern border also appears in the bottom corner of both versions. In the original segment, Maddow got emotional while reading an Associated Press report about children separated at the southern border and placed in “tender age” shelters. After her show aired, Maddow apologized on social media for becoming emotional during the broadcast. There have been no verified reports that Musk is considering purchasing MSNBC or that the network would be sold as part of Comcast’s restructuring. Other posts from Musk included retweets of articles from satirical websites. None of Maddow’s recent broadcasts contain this fake news segment. Related Articles No evidence that Elon Musk’s Starlink technology was used to interfere with the election No, the Department of Government Efficiency is not a new government agency No, Taylor Swift didn’t cancel the Eras Tour in red states The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Ahmad Robinson scored 25 points as Mercer beat Jacksonville 90-89 in overtime on Monday. Robinson had three steals for the Bears (3-3). Tyler Johnson scored 18 points while shooting 7 for 13 (0 for 4 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Alex Holt had 14 points and finished 7 of 10 from the floor. The Dolphins (3-3) were led by Robert McCray, who recorded 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kendall Munson added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals for Jacksonville. Zach Bell also had 13 points and two steals. Story continues below video The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soonNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Chucky Hepburn had 16 points, 10 assists and seven steals, Noah Waterman also had 16 points and Louisville beat No. 14 Indiana 89-61 on Wednesday in the opening game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Louisville (4-1) beat a ranked team for the first time since topping Virginia Tech 73-71 on Jan. 6, 2021. Kasean Pryor scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half and Reyne Smith added 12 points for Louisville. Malik Reneau scored 21 points and Oumar Ballo added 11 for Indiana (4-1). Reneau reached 20-plus points for the eighth time in his career. The Cardinals led 37-29 at the break after making 7 of 17 from 3-point range and shooting 57% overall. Indiana missed six straight shots on two occasions in the first half, sandwiched around a string of seven missed field goals, as the Cardinals shot 9 of 29 (31%). Louisville exploded for 52 second-half points by shooting 66.7% from the field. Pryor missed only one of his six shots in the second half. Louisville quickly built a commanding lead in the second half after starting on an 11-2 run, highlighted by Pryor's fast-break dunk . The lead reached 30 on freshman Khani Rooths' alley-oop dunk that came during the Cardinals’ 16-0 run for a 78-40 lead. Louisville entered the week ranked sixth in the country in 3-point attempts per game at 34. The Cardinals attempted 27 against Indiana and made 10 of them — with four apiece from Waterman and Smith. Louisville also came into the game averaging 19 forced turnovers per game. The Cardinals scored 30 points off 23 Indiana turnovers. Louisville, which played its first road game of the season, faces West Virginia on Thursday. Indiana plays No. 3 Gonzaga in the consolation bracket. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Paccar Inc. stock rises Monday, outperforms market
Kellogg is retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues.Teenage photographer who hugged Princess Kate dies aged 17Surgical Science Sweden AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SUSRF) Short Interest Update