Author: News Polite

New Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Trailer Has Inspired a Wave of Fantastic Memes

As you might have heard, there was a new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailer that dropped today. It included a look at three new Pokémon, some interesting new multiplayer features, and new NPCs.

But most importantly, it provided the internet the opportunity to make a lot of really good memes.

First off, there’s a lot of meme love for the two new professor characters, Sada and Turo, who appear respectively in Scarlet or Violet depending on which version you have. Fans really seem to like their designs…perhaps a bit too much?

Aside from being thirsty, fans have made a few good goofs about other trailer elements like the new elements of the world we’ve seen, and the briefly-shown legendary mascots Koraidon and Miraidon:

But the real meme fodder from today’s trailer was in the introduction of three brand new Pokémon. One of them, an orange floofball called Pawmi, was mostly just adored by the community for being cute.

But the other two have sent fans into a frenzy of memes. First, my personal favorite, Smoliv: who is – I kid you not – just a small olive. A smol olive. Smoliv!

Okay, okay, I know what we’re all really here for. The star of the show: Lechonk. Lechonk has absolutely destroyed us all by being a small, round piggy with an incredible name and a wonderful personality.

Today’s new trailer gave us quite a bit more info to chew on about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, including a release date of November 18 and info on four-player co-op.

Aside from Lechonk, Smoliv, and Pawmi, we’ve previously seen the game’s starters – the Grass Cat Sprigatito, the Fire Croc Fuecoco, and the Water Duckling Quaxly – when Scarlet and Violet were first announced back in February.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.



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Here are 3 altcoins that could surge once Bitcoin flips $35K to support

Bitcoin (BTC) and the wider cryptocurrency market are taking a breather after the rally on May 31. Meanwhile, most altcoins remain severely oversold, with most between 70% and 90% below their all-time highs. 

Total altcoin index capitalization

What is clear is that fear is everywhere and blood is in the water. Risk-on markets are suffering worldwide, but it is exactly these kinds of conditions that create opportunities where professional money accumulates and adds to positions.

Let’s take a look at three altcoins that could be positioned for a rebound if the broader market enters a new uptrend.

ADA could be setting up for an 80% surge

Cardano (ADA) has a significantly bullish update coming very soon. The much anticipated Vasil hard fork, which increases performance and adds more Plutus enhancements, is planned for June. 

From a price action perspective, ADA is positioned in a strong price range that will likely support any further upside that the broader market experienced. Within the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo system, ADA has maintained a significant gap between the bodies of the past three weekly candlesticks and the Tenkan-Sen.

When the bodies of the candlesticks and the Tenkan-Sen have noticeable gaps, a correction often occurs within three to four days. This is because the equilibrium is out of sync, the Tenkan-Sen and price action like to stick together as much as possible. A mean reversion back to the Tenkan-sen is extremely likely when one strays too far from the other.

ADA/USD weekly Ichimoku Kinko Hyo chart Source: TradingView

However, if the broader cryptocurrency market experiences a big bounce, ADA price may shoot past the Tenkan-Sen to test the Kijun-Sen. ADA has not tested the weekly Kijun-Sen since the week of November 8, 2021. 

The weekly Kijun-Sen is at $1.02 and contains the 2021 volume point of control and the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the all-time high to the low of January 25, 2021.

ADA/USD weekly chart (Binance) Source: TradingView

Related: Bitcoin may hit $14K in 2022, but buying BTC now ‘as good as it gets:’ Analyst

MATIC aims for $1

Looking at the weekly chart of Polygon (MATIC), one can’t help but notice that it looks strikingly similar to ADA. MATIC and ADA both have sold off from $3 and both are stuck in the mid $0.50 to mid $0.60 price range, but that is where the similarities mostly end. 

Fundamentally, MATIC remains strong. Governments worldwide have attempted to restrict or ban mining due to excessive energy costs for proof-of-work blockchains and MATIC is likely to avoid government scrutiny and attract supporters as a positive example of environmental stewardship.

Polygon (MATIC) Source: Twitter

Like ADA, MATIC has significant gaps between the bodies of its weekly candlesticks and the Tenkan-Sen. Although, MATIC’s gaps are more significant. Likewise, the gap between price and the Kijun-Sen is much more meaningful. 

Within the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo system, there is a max-mean that price will travel away from the Kijun-Sen before experiencing a violent mean reversion. For MATIC, that threshold is 63%.

MATIC/USD weekly chart (Binance) Source: TradingView

Any renewed bullish momentum ifor Bitcoin will likely see MATIC lead the altcoins higher until it reaches the $1.00 to $1.15 value area near the weekly Tenkan-Sen. 

XLM lags the altcoin market, but it’s known for surprises

Sometimes it is hard to forget that during the last major bull run from the COVID crash to November 2021, there were a few major altcoins that did not hit new all-time highs. Stellar (XLM) is one. In fact, the last time XLM made a new all-time high was the week of January 8, 2018, almost four and a half years ago!

One thing that XLM has going for it that not many other weekly charts have is a very clear falling wedge pattern. Out of the standard rectangle and triangle patterns in technical analysis, wedge patterns are the most powerful. What makes its wedge so powerful is the probable fakeout breakout lower.

XLM/USD weekly chart (Binance) Source: TradingView

The most probable direction for a falling wedge is higher — but breakouts below a falling wedge can yield powerful short opportunities. The typical behavior that analysts and traders expect to see with a failed falling wedge is an immediate and swift sell-off, but so far, bears have been unable or unwilling to do so. 

Instead, the weekly chart for XLM shows a very strong probability of a fakeout. If bullish momentum returns to the cryptocurrency market, XLM is likely to hit the second peak of the falling wedge near the $0.38 value area.

Classic technical analysts believe that technicals lead fundamentals. If that is true, then altcoins like XLM, MATIC, and ADA could be positioned in very desirable conditions in the event of any new bull run.

However, downside risks remain a concern, but they are likely extremely limited. If a new uptrend fails to materialize before the end of June, the cryptocurrency market will probably move sideways until a major breakout higher or lower occurs in the Fall.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

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Xbox Starts Pride Month With an Amazing New Controller Design

Xbox is kicking off Pride Month with the release of a new controller to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.

Last year, the company shared a vision for the controller and created and shared a limited batch of them with LGBTQIA+ players and creators around the world. The feedback was so positive, that this year, Xbox is making the design universally available via the Xbox Design Lab beginning June 9.

The Best Games to Play on Xbox Series X|S

The new controller’s design features a top case design with 34 different community flags “in a fine, interwoven manner to celebrate the nuance, complexity, intersectionality, and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities.” Xbox has even created an immersive experience detailing what each of the 34 flags on the controller stands for.

If you want to celebrate with even more awesome gear, the Xbox Gear Shop has a 2022 Pride collection. It features designs that pair Pride-centric themes with some of your favorite game series like Halo, Forza, and Psychonauts 2.

Besides the new controller release, Xbox is also donating $170,000 to LGBTQIA+ nonprofits. The company is also letting Microsoft Rewards members earn and donate points to organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ communities with Xbox.

Xbox is also featuring three organizations on Xbox throughout the month including Mermaids, OutRight Action International, and National Center for Transgender Equality.

If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate, the LGBTQIA+ narrative adventure game Tell Me Why will be free to play for all of June.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.



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adidas Unveils Brand New Jerseys for the Drew League, AEBL

The Three Stripes have made a major move in the summer basketball scene. They recently announced that the Drew League in Los Angeles, Rucker Park in New York and the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League have all partnered with adidas. Today, we get to check out what jerseys they’ll be wearing in LA and in Atlanta.

“I am extremely excited for AEBL to partner with an iconic brand like adidas,” Jahi “Jah” Rawlings, AEBL Founder, says via press release. “Our visions and how we want to impact the game of basketball on and off the court, and in the community align and will elevate basketball in Atlanta for generations to come.”

“I am very excited about our new partnership with adidas,” Dino Smiley, Drew League Commissioner, adds, also via press release. “I know we will do great things together in the basketball space, but most importantly within the Watts community as a whole.”

Check out details of the threads below.



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UNDP steps up efforts to keep Syrians off the daily breadline — Global Issues

Food insecurity in Syria has reached an historic high, amidst a downward socio-economic spiral, while humanitarian needs soar to peak levels. UNDP and other humanitarian partners are now ramping up their response, focusing on that most basic of needs – affordable, daily bread.

Bolstering wheat-to-bread chain

With an estimated 60 per cent of Syrians food insecure, UNDP is working within the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) framework to assist the most vulnerable.

Around 12.4 million people depend on bread from public bakeries to meet their minimum daily calorie intake. Through the HRP, UNDP and partners have launched a series of integrated humanitarian interventions to strengthen the wheat-to-bread value chain, that has been greatly disrupted by years of conflict and drought.

This includes supporting farming communities, rehabilitating irrigation systems, and restoring public bakeries across the country.

Baking bread, saving lives

It also encompasses the rehabilitation of the country’s only public yeast factory, located in Homs governorate.

Before the crisis, Syria had four State-owned factories that provided around 113 tonnes of yeast to an extensive network of public bakeries throughout the country on a daily basis.

Today, only the Homs factory is left, and it’s operating at a much-reduced scale.

Only six to 10 tonnes of yeast – five to nine per cent of pre-crisis production – are produced and distributed each day to public bakeries in Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Tartous and Lattakia governorates.

And there are no major, private yeast producers in the country.

This means yeast must be imported, at great cost – given the acute devaluation of the Syrian pound – driving up bread prices as vulnerable households can only cover 50 per cent of their basic costs. 

Increasing yeast production in Homs represents “a high-impact intervention to rapidly and significantly scale up access” to affordable bread in these governates, which contain roughly one-third of the country’s food insecure population targeted by the humanitarian response, according to UNDP.

Cost of rehab

Based on UNDP technical assessments, rehabilitating the Homs yeast factory will cost approximately $1 million, which will be divided between the technical rehabilitation of yeast processing (80 per cent) and packaging equipment, factory safety and hygiene standards (20 per cent).

Once completed, the factory is expected to produce 24 tonnes of yeast daily for distribution to public bakeries in those areas and enable an additional three million vulnerable Syrians to afford their daily bread.

© WFP/Hussam Al Saleh

Children receive bread from a bakery in Aleppo, Syria, where WFP are assisting with food distribution.

Prioritizing the needy

UNDP’s overarching objective in Syria is to deliver much needed early recovery assistance to crisis-affected populations.

Access to essential humanitarian services such as health, education, safe water and affordable food, are critical to the resilience of vulnerable Syrian communities.

UNDP prioritizes assistance based on independent and thorough needs assessments, such as those presented in the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and UNDP’s specific studies and sector assessments.

The agency said it was “committed to meeting needs in a principled way that advances basic human rights and mitigates risks across its operations to ensure that assistance is needs based, free from interference, and in line with humanitarian principles”.

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Undertale Creator Toby Fox Is Composing Music for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

It’s a big day for Toby Fox soundtrack appreciators: the indie developer and composer behind Undertale is working on music for the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Today, Fox shared a Tweet alongside the new trailer and announced that he had composed the game’s field theme. According to Fox, Game Freak arranged a draft of his composition into various versions that will play throughout the game.

While the instrumentation doesn’t sound particularly Undertale-esque, bits of his signature musical style can still be heard in the trailer below.

He’ll also be composing a few other songs for the games. This isn’t the first time Fox has composed a track for a Pokémon game — he put together a battle theme for 2019’s Sword and Shield, though today’s news marks a bigger step into the world of Pokémon music for Fox. “This time, my music is not optional!!!” he said via a reply.

Fox’s composing skills were originally recognized thanks to the success of the Undertale and Deltarune soundtracks, the former of which we called “excellent” in our game review. Since its release in 2015, Undertale’s music has become so iconic that even the Pope has even heard a track from Undertale.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – 38 New Screenshots

More info about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was announced today, including new Pokemon (such as the already beloved Lechonk) and a brand new 4-player co-op mode. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be released on November 18, 2022.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.



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SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 5, 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks

This week, we’re unveiling the rest of our TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time, which is featured in an entire special issue dedicated to ranking the best 75 individual season teams ever (shop here). To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

5. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks

Coach: Larry Costello

Record: 66-16

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lucius Allen, Bob Boozer, Dick Cunningham, Bob Dandridge, Gary Freeman, Bob Greacen, Jon McGlocklin, McCoy McLemore, Oscar Robertson, Greg Smith, Jeff Webb, Marv Winkler, Bill Zopf

When fans and media talk today about some of the “unicorns” who populate the NBA, and marvel at seven-footers who have the athletic ability of players a foot shorter than them, there is something of an underlying belief that stars from the old days would be hopelessly overmatched in any competition with today’s heroes.

In some ways, they are correct. It’s hard to imagine some of the plodding big men of the ‘70s having any shot against Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid. But anyone who knows basketball will stop the discussion with one reference: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In 1969, the Bucks won a coin flip with Phoenix to earn the rights to draft the UCLA center, who had posted an 88-2 record and won three national titles with the Bruins. It was a seminal moment in the history of the franchise, which was just a year old at the time.

Abdul-Jabbar won the Rookie of the Year award for the ’69-70 season and averaged 28.8 ppg and 14.5 rpg. He was 7-2, but had rare speed for someone that tall and the kind of basketball skill that could not be found in NBA frontcourts. 

By the time the ’70-71 season dawned, the Bucks and Abdul-Jabbar were ready for more than just an Eastern Finals appearance. It didn’t matter that the big fella was in just his second year in the League. He was already a superstar and proved it again in ’70-71 by averaging 31.7 ppg and 16.0 rpg and winning the League’s MVP award.

And before the season, Milwaukee added another legend, Mr. Triple-Double, Oscar Robertson. Although the Big O had 10 years of wear on his tires, he was still extremely dangerous and gave the Bucks the kind of backcourt production they needed. Any team that wanted to double (or even triple) the post would have to deal with one of the best all-around players in NBA history. How was that for a pairing?

But the Bucks were way more than a two-man team. Forwards Bob Dandridge and Greg Smith were productive counterparts to Abdul-Jabbar, while Jon McGlocklin’s ability to score from the midrange and off the dribble created trouble for opponents concentrating on anyone else.

There wasn’t a lot of depth—forward Bob Boozer and guard Lucius Allen were the main bench weapons—but it didn’t matter. The Bucks rolled to 66 wins—14 better than the next-best NBA team. They won the Midwest Division by 15 over the Bulls and cruised into the playoffs as the prohibitive favorites to win it all. The Bucks led the NBA in scoring and were third in fewest points allowed. They shared the ball like no other team and hammered the boards.

The Bucks bolted to a 3-0 series lead in their Western Semifinal series against San Francisco, and though the Warriors took the fourth game, Milwaukee rebounded to close out the Warriors in resounding fashion, 136-86. The Lakers took a game from the Bucks in the Western Finals, after Milwaukee had won the first two of the series at home, but that was all L.A. could muster. Milwaukee throttled the Lakers in the next two games to earn a Finals clash with Baltimore, which had outlasted the defending NBA champion Knicks in the East.

The Bucks made the Finals a ho-hum affair by sweeping away the Bullets and winning all but one of the four games by double digits. In fact, Milwaukee did not trail at the intermission of any game—quarters or halves—and were not in significant trouble at any time. Abdul-Jabbar was the MVP, and Robertson and Dandridge made key contributions throughout the series. No expansion team ever won a title more quickly than did the Bucks.    

Then again, no other team had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Tap in now to get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time.

Photos via Getty Images.



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Sheryl Sandberg Steps Down From Facebook’s Parent Company, Meta

Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Meta and the longtime second in command to its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, said on Wednesday that she was stepping down from the company after 14 years.

Ms. Sandberg said she was leaving Meta this fall and that she planned to continue serving on the company’s board of directors. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other apps.

“When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life,” Ms. Sandberg wrote in a Facebook post.

She added that she was “not entirely sure what the future will bring” but that she would focus on her foundation and philanthropy. Ms. Sandberg also said she was getting married this summer.

Ms. Sandberg served as the key lieutenant to Mr. Zuckerberg at Facebook, which she joined after building the advertising business at Google. Ms. Sandberg was often cited as being the adult in the room during Facebook’s early days, tasked with turning a fast-growing start-up into a profitable enterprise.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Deadly convoy attack ‘tragic reminder’ of threats to peacekeepers — Global Issues

For roughly an hour, the convoy came under direct fire from suspected members of a terrorist group using small arms and rocket launchers. 

Four Jordanian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, were injured in the attack, one of whom died from his injuries after being evacuated. 

Under constant threat  

The Mission reported that the attack was the fifth incident to occur in the Kidal region in just one week, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York. 

“It is a tragic reminder of the complexity of the mandate of the UN Mission and of its peacekeepers, and the threats peacekeepers face on a daily basis,” he said. 

While a formal UN statement is forthcoming, Mr. Dujarric said the Secretary-General has denounced the attack. 

Condolences and commitment 

The UN chief has sent his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased peacekeeper, and to the people and Government of Jordan. He has also wished a prompt recovery to those injured. 

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Mali, El Ghassim Wane, underlined that despite the difficulties, MINUSMA remains determined to support the people and Government of Mali in their quest for peace and security. 

“I strongly condemn this attack, which is part of the desperate efforts of terrorist groups to hamper the quest for peace in Mali and the implementation of MINUSMA’s mandate,” he said in a statement, translated from French. 

Rights violations increase 

MINUSMA this week published its quarterly human rights report which showed that 812 cases of violations and abuses were recorded in the first three months of the year. 

The figure represents a 150 per cent increase compared to the previous quarter. 

The Malian Armed Forces have stepped up military operations to combat terrorism, with occasional support from foreign military elements.  

Some of these operations have resulted in serious allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, according to the report. 

Overall, some 320 violations were attributed to the Malian defense and security forces, compared to 31 in the last quarter of 2021. 

Relief chief’s visit 

Meanwhile, UN relief chief, Martin Griffiths, was in Mali this week to draw attention to the deteriorating humanitarian situation there and the need for greater support. 

People are reeling from the impact of years of conflict, deep poverty, climate shocks and mounting insecurity.  

Currently, 5.7 million require humanitarian assistance, and 4.8 million do not have access to sufficient food.  

Furthermore, it is estimated that a staggering 1.8 million people will be acutely food insecure during the lean season from June to August of this year. 

Resilience amid difficulties 

During his four-day visit, Mr. Griffiths met with the transitional Government in the capital, Bamako.

He also travelled to Mopti, in the centre of the country – one of the regions where Islamist rebels have been operating for years following a failed coup – and met with internally displaced persons in Socoura village. 

“Incredibly resilient women shared with me the difficulties they face,” he said. “Some had lost their husbands to violence and had to flee their homes at great risk. With the help of local communities, authorities and humanitarian partners, some are now able to get back on their feet, for example by running small businesses.” 

The UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported that the crisis in the Central Sahel is rapidly deteriorating, with over 13 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger needing assistance. 

Mr. Griffiths concluded his mission to Mali on Tuesday, marking his first visit to the region since being appointed a year ago. 

While he left concerned about the impacts the crisis will have on millions, he stressed there is also “hope for turning this around, for building on the huge potential of youth, the traditional way of mediating conflicts through dialogue and bringing peace to Malians across the country.”

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Johnny Depp Wins Defamation Suit Against Ex-Wife Amber Heard

As for Depp, he released a statement thanking the jury for giving him his life back. “From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” he said via his spokesperson. “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”

“I am, and have been, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness from around the world,” Depp added. “I hope that my quest to have the truth be told will have helped others, men or women, who have found themselves in my situation, and that those supporting them never give up. I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media.”

According to NBC News, crowds outside the courtroom cheered after learned of the verdict in support of Depp. 

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