BY MELISSA GOLDIN Social media users are misrepresenting a report released Thursday by the Justice Department inspector general’s office, falsely claiming that it’s proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Related Articles National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine National News | US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say National News | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds The watchdog report examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report’s finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That’s false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau’s informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day’s events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s counterterrorism division told the inspector general’s office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report’s findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!” reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray’s resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. Wray called such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a press release about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI’s involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.”
Does it feel like your X account belongs to you and you can do whatever you want with it? That’s not true, according to a new court filing from the social media company formerly known as Twitter. It’s an argument that X is making in order to throw a wrench in The Onion’s recent purchase of InfoWars, the conspiracy theory media company run by Alex Jones. And it’s a great reminder that you don’t actually own what you think you own in the digital age. The people behind the Onion recently won InfoWars in an auction , sold as part of a legal judgment against Jones who was found guilty of defaming the families of teachers and students who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. The families won a $1.4 billion judgment against Jones and selling off InfoWars was part of the liquidation process for the conspiracy theorist’s assets in order to pay down that debt. But a company tied to Jones has challenged the validity of the Onion’s purchase. And X is trying to help stop the sale. X’s legal filing on Monday, posted online by 404 Media , argues that all of the social media accounts in the auction can’t be transferred. “Put simply, accounts are inherently part of X Corp.’s Services and their ‘use,'” the company said in Monday’s court filing . “A user must use X Corp.’s Services to create an account in the first instance, and to continue using the account going forward.” X insists it wasn’t claiming ownership of the content in the accounts, and is only saying it controls the accounts themselves. “While X Corp. takes no position as to the sale of any Content posted on the X Accounts, X Corp. is the sole owner of the Services being sold as part of the sale of the X Accounts,” the social media company wrote in its court filing. “While X Corp. has granted account holders, such as Jones and FSS, a license to use the Services, such license is non-assignable, both under the terms of the TOS and applicable non-bankruptcy law (i.e., as a personal services contract), and the Trustee cannot sell, assign, or otherwise transfer such license absent X Corp.’s consent.” As 404 Media notes, it’s pretty standard for social media accounts to be transferred to new companies when a brand is sold. And Musk himself even threatened to reassign NPR’s X handle back in 2023 after the media outlet briefly stopped posting when the billionaire started labeling the broadcaster as state media. Oddly enough, X is essentially state media now that Musk has been named to an unofficial commission called DOGE that threatens to strip the federal budget of $2 trillion. Musk has, of course, donated millions to Donald Trump and helps boost far-right voices on the site in an effort to help the once and future president. It’s not unexpected that Musk and his ilk would try to help a fellow far-right conspiracy theorist like Jones. But it would certainly be strange to explain this exact scenario to someone in late 2022 when Musk first bought Twitter. At the time, Musk was hesitant to allow Jones back on the social media platform after he had been banned years earlier. Musk specifically said at the time that he wouldn’t allow Jones back on Twitter because his first child died and suggested that Jones had caused too much pain to grieving parents after the Sandy Hook massacre. “My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame,” Musk tweeted on Nov. 20, 2022 , roughly a month after buying the platform. Obviously, that changed and Musk allowed Jones back on the platform. And now he’s going so far as to throw a wrench in The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, which was enabled with the blessing of the Sandy Hook families, who lost twenty children and six staff when a mass shooter entered the school over a decade ago. Musk, as the world’s richest person with $348 billion, has no actual principles beyond self-interest, making him a perfect fit for the MAGA agenda. And he’s going to utilize his power to keep guys like Jones from feeling any inconvenience in the name of helping Trump. X didn’t respond to an email sent Tuesday afternoon. Gizmodo will update this post if we hear back.BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski converted a first-half penalty kick to become the third player to score 100 goals or more in the Champions League, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Lewandowski calmly sent a low shot into the net from the spot in the 10th minute to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead against Brest. He scored his 101st goal from inside the area in second-half stoppage time to seal the Catalan's club 3-0 victory. Lewandowski trails the 129 goals of Messi and the 140 of Ronaldo, according to UEFA. Lewandowski needed 125 games to reach his milestone — two more games than Messi and 12 fewer than Ronaldo, who also scored once in the qualifying round. “I'm delighted, it's a nice number,” Lewandowski said. “In the past I didn’t think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League." It was Lewandowski's sixth and seventh Champions League goals this season. It's the ninth season in which the Poland striker has scored six or more goals. The 36-year-old Lewandowski is having a standout campaign, having scored 22 goals for Barcelona in 19 appearances. He is the Spanish league’s scoring leader with 15 goals from 14 matches. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated Press
RJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over Miami
Article content A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Recommended Videos Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world’s richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk’s filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI’s CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence, or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI,” said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don’t want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you’ve shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman’s desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk’s early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. OpenAI said Musk later proposed merging the startup into Tesla before resigning as the co-chair of OpenAI’s board in early 2018. Musk didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. — The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Dan Campbell left furious in press conference as journalist reveals Lions player leaked plays in social media post READ MORE: The 'ugly' scenes that led to Matt Eberflus' Chicago Bears firing By OLIVER SALT Published: 21:46 GMT, 30 November 2024 | Updated: 21:49 GMT, 30 November 2024 e-mail 1 View comments Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell cut a frustrated figure after being told by a journalist that one of his players had accidentally leaked an offensive play on social media. Before their 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving , Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs shared a photo on his Instagram story which showed teammate Jermar Jefferson stood in front of a whiteboard filled with specific plays. Fans were quick to spot that the whiteboard was filled with specific offensive plays, though it is unclear whether Detroit actually uses any of them in-game or not. Regardless, Gibbs, 22, risked exposing team secrets by posting the photo on Instagram - and Campbell was unaware of it up until a press conference on Saturday. The Lions coach was told by a reporter in that press conference about his player's actions, which appeared to leave him both stunned and furious in equal measure. When told about Gibbs' apparent leak on social media and asked if he needs to remind him to be smart about posting online, Campbell said: 'Oh, I didn't know that. I did not know that. Lions HC Dan Campbell (right) fumed after learning Jahmyr Gibbs (left) leaked an offensive play Jahmyr Gibbs nooooooooooooo pic.twitter.com/80wIBGcyTT — The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) November 30, 2024 Gibbs shared this photo of teammate Jermar Jefferson with team secrets seen in the background 'Ok, yeah, I need to check on that then. Did not know that.' Before swiftly leaving the press conference, he added: 'Yeah, I'd rather our stuff not be out there. Thanks.' Gibbs is currently in his second season with the Lions after being selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Alabama college star has been a crucial member of Campbell's offense in 2024, recording a total of 973 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns so far, both of which rank in the top five in the NFL. He has helped Detroit flex its muscles as a major Super Bowl contender by winning 11 of their 12 regular-season fixtures, with the only slip-up coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. Next up for the Lions is a huge showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field next Thursday. Detroit Lions Instagram Share or comment on this article: Dan Campbell left furious in press conference as journalist reveals Lions player leaked plays in social media post e-mail Add commentIn new satellite imagery, Russia's military appears to be packing up equipment at a key airbase in Syria. The images show transport aircraft ready to load cargo at the Hmeimim Air Base on Friday. Russia's military footprint in Syria fell into uncertainty after rebel forces ousted Bashar Assad. Russia appears to be packing up military equipment at one of its bases in Syria, new satellite images show. They are the latest indication that Moscow is scaling down, if not withdrawing, its footprint from the country following the stunning collapse of the Assad regime. Advertisement Images captured Friday by Maxar Technologies and obtained by Business Insider show two An-124 heavy transport aircraft at Russia's Hmeimim Air Base. The front of the planes are lifted, indicating that they are ready to load equipment or cargo. A Russian An-124 heavy transport aircraft, right, preparing to load equipment at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies A second An-124 heavy transport aircraft preparing to load equipment at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies In another image of the Hmeimim base, a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter is seen being taken apart and likely prepared for transport, according to Maxar. The company said elements of an S-400 air-defense unit are also being prepared for departure from the weapon's previous deployment site near the coastal city of Latakia. Advertisement A Ka-52 helicopter, spotted in the center of the image, is seen being disassembled and prepared for transport at Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies Elements of an S-400 unit preparing to depart Hmeimim on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies Additional imagery collected Friday shows Russia's warships are still missing from its base in Tartus , a port city south of Hmeimim on the Mediterranean Sea. Several frigates, replenishment oilers, and a submarine could be seen at the facility earlier in the month, but they were all gone by Monday. Some of the vessels have been spotted several miles off the coast. It's unclear whether the warships will return to Tartus; their presence at sea could be for safety reasons rather than a full evacuation. An overview of the naval facility at Tartus on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies The US has not confirmed any major Russian military withdrawal from Syria but has pointed out that some forces are, in fact, departing. Advertisement "What we're seeing is a consolidation of assets, including some Russian forces leaving Syria," Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters Wednesday. "What they're doing with their facilities and bases, that's for them to speak to." Analysts, likewise, have called attention to the latest activity. "A larger number of Russian transport aircraft can now be seen at Khmeimim," Michael Kofman, a Russia expert and senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in a social media post. Advertisement "The S-400 battery is packing up for transport. While tactical aviation is still there, RF appears to be consolidating at Khmeimim and Tartus," he said. "In short, a withdrawal is under way." Even if Russia is moving forces out of its bases in Syria, it may only be a partial military withdrawal and not a complete evacuation. A Russian frigate in the Mediterranean near Tartus on December 13. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies The new satellite imagery comes a day after Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as the HUR, said Moscow was evacuating its bases in Syria and has been flying multiple military transport aircraft between Hmeimim and Russia every day. Advertisement BI was unable to independently verify Kyiv's assessment. Russia's military presence in Syria became tenuous last weekend as rebel forces captured Damascus and ousted Bashar Assad, the country's longtime dictator. Assad has since fled to Moscow with his family. Russia supported Assad in Syria's civil war for years, in return securing a foothold in the country, but the rebels now have the upper hand. They control the province where Tartus and Hmeimim are located. The Kremlin is engaging in efforts to ensure the security of its facilities with the new Syrian leadership, but it's unclear if any arrangements are official. Advertisement Losing both Tartus and Hmeimim would be a setback for the Kremlin, which relies heavily on the bases to project its power across the region and beyond. Tartus is Russia's main naval base overseas, providing the country with critical access to a warm-water port. Moscow uses Hmeimim to move military forces in and out of Africa. That makes these bases strategically valuable. War analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, wrote on Thursday that Russia "is very likely hesitant to completely evacuate all military assets from Syria in the event that it can establish a relationship with Syrian opposition forces and the transitional government and continue to ensure the security of its basing and personnel in Syria."Telestream Announces Live Production Suite to Simplify and Accelerate Sports Production Workflows
RJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over MiamiSupreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday.
Day 6 10:32 From frying eggs to spooky solitaire, unwrapping the top under-the-radar video games of 2024 It was a strange year for the video games industry. The deluge of layoffs of 2023 continued into 2024 , with studios being shut down and publishers like Sony and Microsoft shedding hundreds of jobs or more. While the gaming business continues to be risky — especially after the pandemic lockdown boom cooled — many critically acclaimed games big and small hit consoles, PCs and mobile. Some of them, including Astro Bo t and Balatro , were celebrated at The Game Awards in Los Angeles last night. (The CBC is a member on its jury that helps vote for the winners .) Here are the best titles of 2024, as chosen by CBC gaming enthusiasts. Animal Well Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth and unravel its many secrets in Animal Well. (Shared Memory/Bigmode) Animal Well is a 2D puzzle platformer where you control a tiny bouncing blob with eyes thrown into a mazelike world that evokes classic games like Metroid . It was lovingly crafted by a single developer, Billy Basso, over seven years. He created the beautiful art style, the music and, most importantly, the seemingly endless layers of puzzles sure to delight and confound you. This well goes much, much deeper than it first lets on. Many of the puzzles don't have one set way to solve them. Instead, the game gives you a suite of tools and leaves you to figure out how to use them to overcome what's in front of you. It leads to moments where you feel like you've outsmarted the creator — an extremely satisfying and hard-to-pull-off design accomplishment. — Sean Trembath Astro Bot PlayStation 5 Almost no one makes 3D run-and-jump video games anymore, but Team Asobi's latest proves that Nintendo isn't the only one who can pull it off. The ingenious level designs flip expectations on your head as your chibi robot rockets across pits with a dog-slash-rocket pack, or shrinks to the size of an ant to view the world through a microscope. It's also a love letter to the history of PlayStation, with hundreds of Funko Pop-like representations of past characters. While it makes me want more actual follow-ups to Ape Escape or Jumping Flash , Astro Bot — this year's game of the year at the Game Awards — is a breath of fresh air. — Jonathan Ore Balatro Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, Mobile Balatro , a solitaire-like game with poker elements, appears deceptively simple at first: create poker hands out of a selection of cards to score points in the form of chips with increasingly large blinds. The genius of Canadian indie designer LocalThunk's game comes in the hundreds of modifiers that can inflate and multiply your score, as special versions of playing cards, enchanted tarot cards and joker cards starring a creepy clown named Jimbo enter the fray. Before long, you're concocting multilayered schemes to score millions of points in one round, as real-time hours evaporate into the void. That secret sauce earned Balatro three Game awards, including best debut indie game. — Jonathan Ore Dragon Age: The Veilguard PlayStation 5, Xbox, PC Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the latest game in the series by Edmonton-based Bioware. The last instalment, Dragon Age: Inquisition, came out nearly 10 years ago. (Bioware/Electronic Arts) The veil holding magic and demons at bay is at threat of being torn down. In steps Rook, our unlikely hero, to unite factions and uncover secrets and prevent a penitent Elven god from wreaking havoc on the world. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a fresh-faced revival for the decades-old franchise beloved by fantasy RPG players everywhere. Where older games were complicated and clunky, Veilguard streamlines and simplifies, while still crafting a compellingly rich cast of characters. With callbacks to old storylines and plenty of opportunities to learn the lore, this game will satisfy long-time fans and total newbs. — Danielle McCreadie Shift - NB 8:14 Gaming with Dani: Game Awards Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PlayStation 5 Classic locations, like Cloud's hometown of Nibelheim, are recreated with an astounding level of detail (and high resolution) in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. (Square-Enix) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes on the impossible task of revisiting and recontextualizing the most infamous character death in video game history. Square-Enix's retelling of the seminal 1997 role-playing game stumbles in spots, as it blows up quiet moments into bombastic set pieces more often than needed. But that doesn't get in the way of the dozens of hours you'll spend exploring the vibrant landscapes along the way, while encountering fantastical monsters and charming supporting characters. The new side stories featuring Cloud and his mercenaries will bring a smile to any fan's face. Sometimes it all comes down to saving a neighbour's dog, set to the nostalgia-tugging tunes that won best score and music at the Game Awards. — Jonathan Ore REVIEW Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revives a classic series with swashbuckling success Metaphor ReFantazio PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC Have you ever wanted to become king or queen? Metaphor gives you a window into a fantasy world where anyone can be royalty, as long as you win the people's hearts in a tournament for the ages. This turn-based RPG from the makers of the Persona series reinvents the genre by offering a mix of real-time action and turn-based combat. Where it really shines, though, is the incredible narrative it weaves, sold by its extremely talented voice actors in a heartfelt story with twists and turns aplenty. It's a game you'll be thinking about long after the credits roll — it earned three Game awards, including best narrative and art direction. — Ryan Turford Mouthwashing PC Mouthwashing is a narrative-driven first-person horror game following the dying crew of a shipwrecked space freighter. (Wrong Organ) Mouthwashing is a strange experience, set on an interstellar delivery ship that is weeks away from a crash landing. The game follows the former and current captains and their crew, who are trying to make the best of their doomed voyage. Each sequence shows the crew getting more and more unhinged, as it becomes clear there's no escaping their fate. The gameplay is straightforward: you solve puzzles, escape looming, hallucinatory creatures, and talk to your shipmates. Yet whether it's the giant text shrieking "TAKE RESPONSIBILITY" or the way the story slips between reality and dreams, developer Wrong Organ has figured out how to make sure its style and substance sing together. — Arman Aghbali Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, PC Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revives the classic game series with a return to the two-dimensional point of view, and takes design inspiration from games like Metroid and Castlevania. (Ubisoft Montpellier) If you've never played a Prince of Persia game before, here's the gist: some mystery, some crossed swords, some time travel. What makes The Lost Crown special is that it can make you feel invincible — if you respect every parry, every jump and how many health potions you have. A classic platformer role-playing game with a huge map designed for unravelling and revisiting, The Lost Crown throws you into the story and action, with strong voice acting and satisfying combat. Plan to spend hours executing the perfect leaps and spins to get all the hidden secrets. — Anand Ram Review Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a glorious, messy retelling of one of gaming's greatest stories The Rise of the Golden Idol Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Mobile (via Netflix) Players must unravel mysteries like murder scenes or prison escapes in The Rise of the Golden Idol. (Color Gray Games/Playstack) The sequel to 2022's The Case of the Golden Idol continues Color Gray Games' reinvention of the classic point-and-click adventure game genre with a series of delicious murder mysteries set in the 1970s. Every level is a snapshot in time that depicts a tense scene, be it the moment a scientist spontaneously bursts into flames or the moment a couple discovers a fresh corpse in the snow. Players will find themselves staring at a scene for half-hours at a time, wondering if they've missed a critical clue. But once the story fully reveals itself, you'll feel like the world's greatest detective. — Jonathan Ore Silent Hill 2 PlayStation 5, PC Konami's psychological horror classic Silent Hill 2 was remade with modern visuals and mechanics in 2024, led by the studio Bloober Team. (Bloober Team/Konami) James Sunderland receives a letter from his wife, Mary, that claims she's waiting for him in a town called Silent Hill. The only problem? Mary died three years ago. Delightfully terrifying, this remake of the 2001 classic uses 3D audio and visual design to limit the player's vision and evoke an overall sense of dread. It balances simple yet effective combat and an array of unique puzzles with options to adjust the difficulty of each separately. For fans of the series, there are many Easter eggs all through the town that gesture toward the original. While the eerie atmosphere of the game almost never let me feel safe, unravelling the mystery and learning more about James and Mary's relationship was enough to pull me back in time, again and again. — Natasha Ramoutar Tactical Breach Wizards PC Tactical Breach Wizards mixes sci-fi, fantasy and quirky humour to form a tactical role-playing game that's earned praise for its accessible take on the genre. (Suspicious Developments) This game puts you in command of a crack spec ops squad — except your crew features a wannabe detective-witch who can chain lightning between enemies and a "necro-medic" who resurrects her allies by shooting them in the head with a revolver. While other tactics games can be unforgiving, Tactical Breach Wizards lets you rewind your turn over and over again until you get something that resembles perfection. It makes you feel like a genius, and the typically English humour of creator Tom Francis shines throughout this surprisingly poignant world-spanning story. — Akshay Kulkarni Thank Goodness You're Here Switch, PlayStation 4/5, PC, MacOS Explore an off-kilter northern English town called Barnsworth in the comedy game Thank Goodness You're Here! (Coal Supper/Panic) Comedy is a tricky subject in video games, as the need for perfect timing is complicated by the player's control potentially throwing everything off. TGYH fixes this by making the entire game a big box of jokes. You play a repairman — who's as tall as a pint glass with a lemon for a head — in the fictional northern English town of Barnsworth helping out residents with odd jobs. Humour varies wildly from dry British wit to absurdist gross-out gags, sort of like a cross between Black Adder and Rocko's Modern Life . Where most games elicit a chuckle at best, TGYH regularly summons raucous belly laughs. It's the funniest video game in years. — Jonathan Ore
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