Technology

Wahoo Starts Shipping KICKR 2020 Direct Connect Cable: Hands-on Details

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Last summer when Wahoo announced the KICKR V5/2020, one of the new features was a new port on the side of the trainer that would allow you to plug it into your home (or office) network, as a means to bypass any wireless connectivity issues you might have. While most of us use wireless connections just fine, some of us aren’t as lucky – especially if living in a crowded RF space like a large apartment building. Similarly, this could be appealing for certain esports events as well.

Anyway, the KICKR V5/2020 didn’t actually have an ethernet port on the side, but rather something akin to a telephone port. That would in turn require you to buy an adapter (aka, a dongle), and plug it in. Then you’d plug the cable into that. After which, apps would be updated to see this new connectivity type (in addition to the usual ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart connections).

Long story short – as of this morning you can now buy that $99 dongle.

Now I had planned for a full in-depth review to be released today…but…umm…things have not been going smoothly. However, in this rare scenario I don’t think it’s a representation of the product per se, but rather, the timing. Simply put – the 3rd party apps aren’t all ready yet and the final firmware just arrived in the last couple days for them to make it ready. If this were a week from now, it’d likely be a different story. But as of this very second when the embargo lifts, the apps are a motley but trying crew that looks like they just finished a hard night at out the bars. All the bars….all the drinks…all night.

So, I’ll circle back next week or so with the final review and all the app players. That review will look vaguely like this post but with a whole lot more detail on some of the nuances, and how each app has implemented it. Also, it has arguably the best intro to a video I’ve ever shot.

The Quick Details:

Above is the box you’ll receive the Direct Connect cable in, it’s roughly akin to every other Wahoo Fitness box. Inside you’ll find the dongle and an quick release extension cable for said dongle. And yes, I’m going to keep saying dongle. Because…I’m a 5 year old boy.

The extension cable is actually there in case you trip over the ethernet cable, since it’ll dethatch cleanly rather than ripping apart your dongle or KICKR port. It works the same way as their power cable. If there were one redeemable aspect for not having a native ethernet port, the quick-release safety cable would be it.

In any event, you’ll take the quick release cable, and the dongle, and stick all the pieces together attached to your KICKR V5/2020.

Oh, and then stick an Ethernet cable into it:

After that, plug the other end of the ethernet cable into your router/hub/switch (technically you can plug it straight into the ethernet port of a computer if you wanted to):

Remember, the goal here is getting the KICKR data stream onto your home network. The app device that you’re using could be wired (like a computer) or wireless (like a phone). While it may seem counterintuitive to then go back to a wireless tablet or phone, the reality is that for most people, it’s not WiFi dropouts that are the issue – but dropouts with ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart (due to WiFi or other interference). Still, in my case I used both a wired Apple TV (for fun), a Mac (WiFi), and an iOS device (WiFi) to demonstrate all the variants.

If you were to crack open the Wahoo Fitness app (the one where you can pair sensors and such), you’ll see the KICKR status of the Direct Connect connection (shown below ‘KICKR CLIMB’). It’ll show ‘disconnected’ for the TCP connection status when an app isn’t actively using it. It allows one concurrent app via ethernet at a time.

 

Now, crack open our favorite trainer app of choice to get pairing. Officially, Wahoo says the following in their press release today:

“As of today, Wahoo’s SUF Training System, TrainerRoad, FulGaz, and RGT Cycling are compatible. Other platforms are expected to become compatible in the coming months, including Zwift.”

Officially, here’s the actual real-world status of all the apps as of the moment this goes live:

FulGaz: In beta builds, but not fully working yet in my testing
RGT: Fully functional in public production version
The Sufferfest: Supposed to be working in production, but not for me or others
TrainerRoad: In certain beta builds, but not fully working yet in my testing. Targeting early February for release.
Zwift: According to Zwift’s product & PR team, actual official target is “later this year”

I haven’t checked with all the other trainer apps out there yet, but will add them to the list if they shoot over their ETA’s.

And since Zwift is obviously the elephant in the room here (and arguably the platform that needs it the most), here’s the full quote from Zwift on that one, based on my question on when exactly it’ll be compatible with Zwift:

“The initial work has begun and Zwift will offer support to the Wahoo Direct Connect Adaptor across all platforms once all QA testing has been completed later this year.

 

Hard deadline in-game is not in sight at this moment, but we’ll communicate it as soon as we get further along in the testing process.”

Got all that? Good, now, we’ll pick the one app that works for me today: RGT. For that you’ll use your mobile companion app to search for devices on the network. A few seconds later you’ll see the Wahoo KICKR trainer enumerate as both Direct Connect trainer as well as a Bluetooth Trainer (this was on iOS). It has a special icon that looks like a broom. I know…I know…it’s supposed to look like a Wahoo dongle.

In this case, the Direct Connect connection will take care of power and cadence, as well as trainer control. However, the ANT+ & Bluetooth connections are still available for you to connect to, such as with a watch or bike computer. On the KICKR itself, you’ll see both lights on the back illuminate and stay steady-on, indicating a Direct Connect connection:

After that, you simply ride as normal. There is no difference here, nor an notable change. It doesn’t transmit data any faster or slower, or more frequently. It’s identical.

And over on FulGaz (on Apple TV) it’s similar too – you’ll see the ‘Network’ option listed there for each connection

With that, that’s all there is to it. The goal for Wahoo (and the apps I talked to), is that it’s completely transparent to you. You just plug the cable into your network, and then your device/app finds the trainer and you’re done.

And, if you ask me a week or two from now – I’m sure it’ll work exactly like that. Unfortunately, as of today it’s not fully baked yet. Thus, I’ll circle back in another week or two once these apps have had a few mins to make it all work, and dive into more of the nuanced details (like side by side comparisons of the data streams). All the geeky goodness you’ve come to expect.

Wrap-Up:

As I said earlier, I’ll circle back with the full app testing results (including which I’ve got some other testing underway that is either hilarious or sketchy…probably both), once I get the last of the non-Zwift apps compatible. Given Zwift won’t be here till ‘later this year’, I’m not going to wait for them. Some random day in 2021 when they do release an update to make it compatible, then I’ll circle back and update this post with how it works in Zwift.

Ultimately though, I suspect the Wahoo Direct Connect adapter (aka, dongle) will be a short-lived product. Not because anything is wrong with it, but because I see zero chance it’s anything other than a one-hit wonder. Meaning, I’d be blown away surprised (and disappointed) if the next KICKR or KICKR Bike simply doesn’t have this built internally to it. After all, the reason this wasn’t in the KICKR V5/2020 natively was just the timing complexities. And while I don’t know when Wahoo plans to release a new KICKR, they historically are pretty darn consistent for the end of every August (except the year they released a smart bike instead). Meaning that this product has a practical peak-sales timeframe of 8 months. Of which, Zwift may not be compatible at all during that timeframe.

Of course, people will have KICKR V5 trainers for years, and boatloads of them have been sold in the last 6-7 months. So the dongle will invariably be bought for years by those people.

Now – while the dongle itself will probably peak-out, I’d expect the underlying Direct Connect technology to become a standard option on Wahoo trainers/bikes – and probably standard across the industry (in some manner). Esports requirements will likely drive some of that, even if the feature is rarely used by most regular consumers. Thus even if the adapter hardware may be a bit of a flame, the development effort that went into it won’t be a waste – it’ll likely be integrated into future Wahoo products natively.

In any case, more in my final review.

With that – thanks for reading!

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Sports

My 2021 Hall of Fame ballot – The Athletic

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Hall of Fame voting seems easy — to everyone who doesn’t have a vote. But ask any of us who do. We could think of 1,000 adjectives to describe Hall of Fame voting. I guarantee “easy” wouldn’t make the top 1,000.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who tosses and turns at 4 a.m., thinking about my ballot. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who finds himself stuck on a name or two or three, for days and often for weeks.

I always try to be aware that when I cast one of these ballots, it’s a serious responsibility. So we all need to take it that seriously.

I also try to be aware that everyone who has even read this far cares deeply about the Hall of Fame. So I owe you this column. I owe you an explanation for everything about this ballot. That’s true whether you like it or you hate it.

If it didn’t matter to so many of you, there would be no reason to have a Hall of Fame. So…

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US

My Pillow CEO banned by Twitter

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Twitter has permanently suspended My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account following his continued unproven claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. 

Twitter said in a statement shared with multiple news outlets on Monday that the platform banned Lindell due to “repeated violations” of its civic integrity policy. 

Lindell, a vocal supporter of former President TrumpDonald TrumpSchumer: Impeachment trial will be quick, doesn’t need a lot of witnesses Nurse to be tapped by Biden as acting surgeon general: report Schumer calls for Biden to declare climate emergency MORE, has continued to advance claims that the election was “stolen,” even after President Biden was sworn into office last week. 

Twitter’s civic integrity policy prohibits posts that “may suppress participation or mislead people about when, where, or how to participate in a civic process.” 

“You may not use Twitter’s services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes,” the policy states, with five or more violations of the policy resulting in a “permanent suspension.” 

Twitter earlier this month permanently banned Trump from its platform, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence,” following the deadly Jan. 6 rioting at the Capitol. Just before the siege, the former president repeated claims of a rigged election in remarks to his supporters. 

Lindell, popularly known as the “My Pillow guy,” has already faced previous condemnation for advancing unsupported claims surrounding the 2020 election. 

Last week, Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by Trump and his allies following the election, threatened Lindell with legal action, writing in a letter to Lindell that he has been a leader of an “misinformation campaign” against the voting machine company. On Monday, Dominion Voting Systems filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – GOP senator retires Dominion Voting Systems files .3B defamation suit against Giuliani The next hustle: What we should expect from Trump MORE, over claims about the company.

Lindell also came under scrutiny after he was photographed leaving a meeting with Trump at the White House earlier this month. Zoomed-in shots of the images, taken by a Washington Post photographer, show the partially visible notes appearing to mention “martial law if necessary” and the “Insurrection Act,” an 1806 law that allows the president to mobilize the military and National Guard troops to quell civil disorder or actions of insurrection. 

Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s and other retailers have since dropped My Pillow products, though a Bed Bath & Beyond spokesperson told The Hill in a statement that the decision was part of a larger effort to “discontinue a number of underperforming items and brands.”



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Technology

Battlefield 6 release date, trailer, news and rumors

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A new Battlefield (potentially called Battlefield 6) is in development at EA Dice and it’s set to arrive on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC in “Holiday 2021” (so sometime between October and December).

Details on Battlefield 6 remain thin on the ground at this point in development, but EA has teased that the new Battlefield will be a “true next-gen vision for the franchise” and boasts “never-before-seen scale,” with rumors pointing to potential 128-player maps and a modern-day setting.

EA has said we will learn more about the new Battlefield in the next few months, but we’ve managed to pull together everything we know about the next entry in the veteran FPS series for you right here. So, read on for everything we know so far about Battlefield 6.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The next installment in the Battlefield game series 
  • When can I play it? “Holiday 2021” (between October and December)
  • What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC confirmed 

Battlefield 6 release date

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Battlefield 6 is due to release “Holiday 2021” for PS5, Xbox Series X and PC. This release window was confirmed by EA CEO Andrew Wilson in an earnings call in November 2020.

“The next Battlefield is set to launch in holiday 2021, and we are excited to share a lot more about the game in the spring,” Wilson said during the call. That means we can expect the game to release between October and December this year, with more news to come sometime between March and May. 

However, with the Covid-19 pandemic still ongoing, it’s possible we could see this release date delayed.

Battlefield 6 trailers

While EA Dice hasn’t released any Battlefield 6 trailers yet, the upcoming Battlefield was featured in a tech trailer during EA Play 2020. We only caught a glimpse of some “work in progress” footage, which showed facial animations and a large number of soldiers running into battle. 

From the brief glimpses we’ve seen, it looks like facial animations will be more realistic than previously and that we’re going to see battlefields getting even larger this time round – potentially with more players (as rumored).

“We are creating epic battles at a scale and fidelity unlike anything you’ve experienced before”, EA’s chief studios officer Laura Miele said during the video. It may not be much to go on, but it suggests Dice plans to utilize the power of the new consoles to its utmost. Check it out for yourself below:

Battlefield 6 news and rumors

It could be cross-gen, feature 128-player maps and be set in the modern era
Firm details on Battlefield 6 may be thin on the ground, but a report by leaker TheLongSensation (AKA Tom Henderson) may give us some idea of what to expect from the next Battlefield game.

According to a video by Henderson (via VGC), Battlefield 6 will be a “soft reboot” of Battlefield 3, set in the modern era. The new Battlefield is allegedly also set to come to PS4 and Xbox One, in addition to the already-confirmed release on Xbox Series X and PS5.

What’s more, Henderson claims that developer Dice has designed some maps with 128 players in mind – a volume made possible by the power of newest-gen consoles. The leaker claims that while these 128-player maps will be available, his sources have clarified that Battlefield’s 32 v 32 standard game modes (64 players) will still be available, with players having the option to partake in game modes with a higher player count.

Unfortunately, according to Henderson, these 128-player maps won’t be available on last-gen consoles. In addition, PS4 and Xbox One players will also see visual downgrades from the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, and limited destruction.

Despite this, Henderson claims that his sources have said that there’s a separate part of the studio working on these last-gen versions and players “shouldn’t be worried.”

The leaker also says that EA Dice has had a Battlefield Battle Royale in the works at some stage, with the studio wanting to create their own version of Activision’s successful Call of Duty Warzone. However, it remains unclear as to whether it is still developing this.

It’s always worth taking leaks with a pinch of salt, but Henderson has previously been accurate, with his claim that Battlefield 6 will be set in the modern era corroborated by VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb.

Battlefield 3, which apparently is a major influence on Battlefield 6, was set during the fictional War of 2014 – so we’re expecting, if Dice is aiming for a modern era, that we’ll be looking at something a bit more up to date.

We’ll find out more soon
During an earnings call in November 2020, EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that more information on Battlefield 6 will be revealed “in the Spring”, which means we’ll likely hear more official info between March and May 2021. Of course, we could hear more rumors before that.

The power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X is key to its development
During the November 2020 earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson revealed the power of the new PS5 and Xbox Series X is allowing the team to make the new Battlefield “with never-before-seen scale. 

“The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise,” Wilson said.

Battlefield 6: what we want to see

(Image credit: EA)

Free Battle Royale mode
If Dice is working on a Battlefield Battle Royale in a similar vein to Warzone, then we hope it’s a free standalone game like Warzone. Battlefield 5 included the Firestorm mode which was essentially a battle royale mode, seeing players fighting it out in a play zone surrounded by a ring of fire that gradually grew smaller and smaller. 

The issue with Firestorm was that it was a mode within Battlefield 5, so to play the mode you had to purchase the full Battlefield 5 game. We’re hoping that this time, Dice will offer a free-to-play battle royale mode that can sit separately from the main game, like how Activision has done with Call of Duty: Warzone.

Huge battles
Again, it’s rumored that this will be the case – with 128-player maps rumored – but we hope that comes to fruition. Battlefield’s 32 vs 32 player maps are great and all, but more players would really see these battles become epic.

Crossplay
Battlefield 5 lacked this important feature, meaning that PS4, Xbox One and PC players couldn’t play together. We’re hoping that Battlefield 6 will bring cross-play in, allowing everyone to play together – no matter what platform they’re on.

Plenty of modes at launch
In our Battlefield 5 review, one of our biggest issues was that there weren’t many modes available at launch – including the practice range – making the game feel a bit bare bones. We’re hoping Battlefield 6 addresses this issue and gives us plenty to jump into straight off the bat.

Dolby Atmos
While you can use Dolby Atmos with games that don’t support it, it’s undeniably better when games are developed with Atmos in mind. We feel that Dolby Atmos support for Battlefield 6 on PC and Xbox Series X (PS5 doesn’t support it) would help to immerse us in the action – and sound incredible.

Local co-op
Playing online is great and all, but we would love the option to play Battlefield offline multiplayer, so we can mess around with friends without the interference of online players.

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US

LESS SNOW than expected, but sleet and freezing rain still possible this morning

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Less snow than expected overnight, but sleet and freezing rain still possible this morning

WGAL News 8 Storm Team forecast



FOR A CHECK ON THE FORECAST. STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRECIPITATION NOW. CHRISTINE: A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG OVERNIGHT, A LOT OF DRY — LULL OVERNIGHT, A LITTLE BIT OF DRY AIR IN PLACE. THIS WILL PICK UP IN COVERAGE THIS MORNING AND UNTIL ABOUT LUNCHTIME, I CANNOT SOUND THE ALL CLEAR FOR TEMPERATURES UNTIL THEN. RIGHT NOW, TEMPERATURES STILL AT WERE BELOW FREEZING IN MOST SPOTS. WE SEE THESE PINK SHADES, PARTICULARLY CHAMBERSBURG AND SOUTH. YOU SAW ANNE TALKING ABOUT TRAFFIC, PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION. TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. IF YOU SEE A WET ROAD, YOU WANT TO TREATED AS IF IT IS ICY. GETTYSBURG INCLUDED IN THIS MIX, WE JUST SAW OUR SKYCAM, IT IS WET. ALSO SOME FREEZING DRIZZLE THROUGH YORK, EVEN IN SHREWSBERRY THERE COULD BE A LITTLE FREEZING DRIZZLE. HERE IS OUR STORM TEAM FORECAST. AREAS OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THROUGH THE MORNING RUSH-HOUR UNTIL ABOUT LUNCHTIME. THIS AFTERNOON, ANY KIND OF MAKES CHANGING OVER TO A PLANO RAIN SHOWER, — PLAIN OLD RAIN SHOWER. THIS EVENING, CLOUDY, DAMP, BUT OK FOR THE EVENING COMMUTE. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY CONCERN ABOUT FROZEN PRECIPITATION. TONIGHT, MOSTLY CLOUDY. TOMORROW, I THINK WE SEE CLOUDS, THE WIND COULD PICK UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT TEMPERATURES WILL BE MILDER IN THE 40’S. LEBANON, 32. YORK, 30. CHAMBERSBURG, 32. THERE ARE PARTS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY EVEN IN THE UPPER 20’S DEPENDING ON THE ELEVATION, SO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEREVER YOU SEE THE PINK SHOWING UP ON THE RADAR. LANCASTER COUNTY, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH. YOU MIGHT HAVE DRY ROADS, BUT REMEMBER THE THREAT OF THIS PRECIPITATION GOES ON FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS LOW PRESSURE MOVING FROM OHIO, CROSSING THE NORTHERN PART OF PENNSYLVANIA. AFTER THAT, THIS PRECIPITATION STARTS TO WIND DOWN. TEMPERATURES HOLDING STEADY AT FREEZING OR JUST BELOW, COMING UP ABOVE FREEZING. WE SHOULD HAVE A DRY EVENING COMMUTE. 42 FOR TOMORROW, A NICE JUMP IN TEMPERATURE. THAT IS THE ONLY 40 SHOWING UP IN OUR SEVEN-DAY, TURNING BLUSTERY AND COL

Less snow than expected overnight, but sleet and freezing rain still possible this morning

WGAL News 8 Storm Team forecast

There was a lull in the snow across central Pennsylvania overnight, but there is still a chance for some wintry weather this morning.Closings and delays | Interactive radar | Real-time traffic updates“We had some light snow overnight in parts (of the Susquehanna Valley). We had some light freezing rain, and we are still seeing some light freezing rain, but roads seem to be mainly wet and treated. It’s the untreated surfaces that I’m concerned about,” said WGAL meteorologist Christine Ferreira.Christine said areas of sleet and freezing rain are still possible this morning.The Susquehanna Valley remains under a winter weather advisory until 1 p.m. Tuesday.Impact dayThe WGAL News 8 Storm team has designated today as an Impact Day, meaning there could be weather that will disrupt your normal daily schedule or routine.Today’s forecastWe’re not out of the woods yet! Sleet and freezing rain are moving in from the west.The highest chance of frozen precipitation comes before noon.After lunchtime, temperatures will be above freezing, and precipitation will transition to rain showers and drizzle.The evening commute will be damp, with temperatures above freezing.

SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, Pa. —

There was a lull in the snow across central Pennsylvania overnight, but there is still a chance for some wintry weather this morning.

Closings and delays | Interactive radar | Real-time traffic updates

“We had some light snow overnight in parts (of the Susquehanna Valley). We had some light freezing rain, and we are still seeing some light freezing rain, but roads seem to be mainly wet and treated. It’s the untreated surfaces that I’m concerned about,” said WGAL meteorologist Christine Ferreira.

Christine said areas of sleet and freezing rain are still possible this morning.

The Susquehanna Valley remains under a winter weather advisory until 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Impact day

The WGAL News 8 Storm team has designated today as an Impact Day, meaning there could be weather that will disrupt your normal daily schedule or routine.

Today’s forecast

  • We’re not out of the woods yet! Sleet and freezing rain are moving in from the west.
  • The highest chance of frozen precipitation comes before noon.
  • After lunchtime, temperatures will be above freezing, and precipitation will transition to rain showers and drizzle.
  • The evening commute will be damp, with temperatures above freezing.

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World

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte quits amid political crisis

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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte holds a press conference on July 7, 2020 in Rome, Italy.

AM POOL | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON — Italy is facing more political turmoil after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on Tuesday, at a time when the country faces a severe health and economic crisis.

Italy has been embroiled in political uncertainty over the past three weeks after a small party, Italia Viva, decided to exit the coalition government led by Conte. The rupture in the executive came after a dispute over EU pandemic recovery funds, and how they are disbursed, which has plunged the nation into instability.

Earlier on Tuesday, Conte, who has no political affiliation, told his ministers that he is resigning. He then handed in his official resignation to President Sergio Mattarella. The president has reportedly asked Conte to remain in a caretaker role while consultations take place over the formation of a new government.

However, the resignation is seen as an attempt to avoid a parliamentary defeat at a Senate vote later this week.

He narrowly survived a vote of confidence last week, but his government has been stripped off a working majority with the departure of Italia Viva — making it difficult to pass any major laws for the remainder of his mandate.

“Having failed in his desperate efforts to broaden his majority, Conte and his government were set to be defeated in a new Senate vote that is currently scheduled for 27 January,” Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of the consultancy firm Teneo, said in a note.

He said Conte’s resignation was an attempt “to ensure his own political survival.”

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella will have to decide whether to give Conte the chance to negotiate with lawmakers again, looking for a majority that will allow him to govern.

“Conte’s calculation is that by moving early, and thereby avoiding a humiliating defeat in the Senate later this week, he would increase his chances of securing a mandate from Mattarella to form a new government,” Piccoli said, while warning that “it is currently unclear whether Conte can succeed in such an effort.”

If Italian lawmakers do not reach an agreement over a new coalition government, with or without Conte as prime minister, then voters might have to head to the polls sooner rather than later.

“The bottom line is that Italy will continue to be governed by an executive that is not apt for the tough job ahead, just like it has been the case since the last election,” Piccoli said.

This is a breaking news story and it is being updated.

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Business

Microsoft, BlackBerry, GE, Leon Black – 5 Things You Must Know

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Here are five things you must know for Tuesday, Jan. 26:

1. — Stock Futures Move Higher on Solid Earnings

Stock futures moved mostly higher Tuesday following solid earnings reports from Johnson & Johnson  (JNJ) – Get Report, 3M  (MMM) – Get Report and General Electric  (GE) – Get Report.

Equities had wavered for most of the premarket session on the possibility that a U.S. coronavirus relief package could be delayed. 

Contracts linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 56 points, S&P 500 futures rose 2 points and Nasdaq futures were down 7 points ahead of earnings reports from some of the biggest tech companies.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday an aid package was unlikely before mid-March. That is when federal unemployment benefits authorized by last $900 billion package will expire.

President Joe Biden said he was open to negotiations on his proposed $1.9 trillion plan to send $1,400 to most Americans and deliver other support for the economy, including funds for vaccine distribution.

A bipartisan group of senators already have voiced opposition to the size of Biden’s plan.

The coronavirus pandemic, meanwhile, has killed more than 421,000 in the U.S. and concerns have been growing about the bumpy rollout of vaccines in the country. Biden said he anticipates vaccines will be available to anyone in the U.S. by spring, but to meet that projection vaccine makers will have to sharply increase production.

Stocks finished mixed on Monday amid questions about whether the Biden White House will be able to deliver another round of stimulus. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq, however, did manage to close at record highs.

2. — Tuesday’s Calendar: Microsoft and AMD Earnings, Federal Reserve Meeting

General Electric  (GE) – Get Report reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of 8 cents a share, 1 cent below analysts’ estimates. Total revenue of $21.93 billion topped forecasts.

Johnson & Johnson  (JNJ) – Get Report posted stronger-than-expected fourth- quarter earnings and said Tuesday it would provide an update on its vaccine development progress “soon.”

“We continue to progress our Covid-19 vaccine candidate and look forward to sharing details from our Phase 3 study soon. Johnson & Johnson was built for times like these, and I am extremely confident in our ability to deliver lasting value and continued innovation in 2021 and for years to come,” said CEO Alex Gorsky.

Earnings reports are also expected Tuesday from Microsoft  (MSFT) – Get Report, Advanced Micro Devices  (AMD) – Get Report, Starbucks  (SBUX) – Get Report, Verizon  (VZ) – Get Report, Lockheed Martin  (LMT) – Get Report, American Express  (AXP) – Get Report, 3M  (MMM) – Get Report, Xilinx  (XLNX) – Get Report, Raytheon Technologies  (RTX) – Get Report and Texas Instruments  (TXN) – Get Report.

Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices and Starbucks are holdings in Jim Cramer’s Action Alerts PLUS member club. Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells the stocks? Learn more now.

The U.S. economic calendar on Tuesday includes the first day of a two-day meeting of the Federal Reserve. The central bank isn’t expected to move on interest rates and has signaled it will keep them near zero through 2023.

Mark Heppenstall, chief investment officer at Penn Mutual Asset Management, said the central bank likely will reiterate its “commitment to prolonged monetary accommodation” at the meeting.

“Uncertainty surrounding the pandemic’s near-term course and signs of weakening labor markets suggest recent taper talk by Fed officials is still premature,” Heppenstall added, referring to when the Fed might  begin tapering asset purchases.

The calendar also includes the Case-Shiller Home Price Index for November at 9 a.m. ET and Consumer Confidence for January at 10 a.m.

3. — Leon Black Will Step Down as CEO of Private-Equity Giant Apollo

Leon Black, the founder and CEO of private-equity giant Apollo Global Management  (APO) – Get Report, will step down as chief executive after it was revealed he made larger-than-expected payments to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier.

Black paid Epstein $158 million in fees for trust- and estate-tax planning in the five years to 2017, far more than was previously known, according to a report from law firm Dechert. 

The review by Dechert found no evidence that Black was involved in the criminal activities of the late Epstein, who was indicted in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls. Epstein committed suicide in prison while awaiting child sex charges.

Apollo also never retained Epstein for any services, the report concluded. 

Black wrote in a letter to Apollo’s fund investors that he would cede the role of CEO to co-founder Marc Rowan on or before his 70th birthday on July 31, while retaining the role of chairman. 

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the contents of the report and letter.

Shares of Apollo Global rose 3.86% to $47.65 in after-hours trading on Monday.

4. — BlackBerry Shares Surge Again

BlackBerry  (BB) – Get Report was jumping more than 11% in premarket trading Tuesday, following the stock’s more than 28% gain in the previous session as it received a boost from retail traders and was being heavily mentioned on online message boards such as Reddit.

BlackBerry, the security software and services company, said in a statement that it was unaware of reasons for the stock move.

Shares of BlackBerry rose 11.87% to $20.17 in premarket trading Tuesday. The stock has gained 172% so far in 2021.

BlackBerry Rises Again, Gets Lift From Expanded Baidu Partnership

Analysts at RBC cut the stock to underperform from sector perform, citing valuation and saying there has been no change to the company’s fundamental outlook. Analyst Paul Treiber maintained his price target at $7.50.

BlackBerry has become a favorite on the Reddit message board, much like GameStop  (GME) – Get Report and Express  (EXPR) – Get Report.

What Is Happening to GameStop Stock? Jim Cramer Explains

5. — Apple Lead Hardware Engineer Shifting to ‘New Project’

Apple  (AAPL) – Get Report said its leading hardware engineer, Dan Riccio, was moving to a new project and will be replaced by John Ternus, currently a vice president of hardware engineering.

Riccio has been with Apple since 1998 and has worked on most of the company’s major products over that time, from the first iMac computers to the latest 5G phones.

Apple didn’t specify what project Riccio will lead. But recent speculation has focused on efforts by the company to develop a high-end virtual reality headset, or augmented reality glasses.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer’s Action Alerts PLUS member club. Want to be alerted before Jim Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.



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World

Pfizer and AstraZeneca take heat as vaccine delays threaten Europe’s recovery

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AstraZeneca will not be able to deliver as many doses of its vaccine as promised, according to EU officials, putting government rollout plans at risk. The news comes after Pfizer said it had delivered fewer doses of its vaccine than expected last week.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Monday expressed dissatisfaction on talks with AstraZeneca and said conversations would continue. She said the drugmaker “intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen turned up the heat on the pharmaceutical companies on Tuesday, saying the bloc “means business.”

“Europe invested billions to help develop the world’s first Covid-19 vaccines, to create a truly global common good. And now the companies must deliver. They must honor their obligations,” she said during a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

EU countries counting on the vaccines to rein in the health crisis and jumpstart their economies are now being forced to modify their plans. Italian Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri told TV channel Rai 1 on Sunday that people over 80 years old would be vaccinated four weeks later than planned as a result of the delays. The country is threatening legal action against the drugmakers.

“By the [fall] we could vaccinate up to 45 million Italians, but I don’t believe in these companies,” Sileri said. “I want to see the vaccines.”

Unexpected delays

The European Union has ordered 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which could be approved for use as soon as this week, with an option to purchase an additional 100 million.

The company said that production has been hampered by a manufacturing issue.

“While there is no scheduled delay to the start of shipments of our vaccine should we receive approval in Europe, initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated due to reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain,” AstraZeneca said in a statement. “We will be supplying tens of millions of doses in February and March to the European Union, as we continue to ramp up production volumes.”

The news has sent the bloc reeling, just as it was racing to assess the impact of delays announced by Pfizer. The US company said on Jan. 15 that it would deliver fewer doses than planned last week while it upgraded its manufacturing facility in Puurs, Belgium.

The drugmaker said it would still be able to meet first quarter targets, and as a result of the changes to its Belgium plant would be able to churn out 2 billion doses by the end of 2021. That’s up from the 1.3 billion it had originally estimated.

Pfizer said Monday it would return to its original schedule of deliveries for the European Union this week.

European governments are demanding answers, pointing out that the success of their vaccination efforts is dependent on the private sector.

“On the one hand we can only welcome the result of science, and on the other hand they have a monopoly and we are totally dependent,” Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said on Saturday. “There may be production issues, but these uncertainties and announcements make it very difficult to organize the campaign.”

Kyriakides said on Monday that the bloc would now demand “full transparency concerning the export of vaccines” from the European Union.

“In the future, all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries. Humanitarian deliveries are of course not affected by this,” she said on Twitter.

How bad is it?

Supply chain experts are much more concerned by the news from AstraZeneca than Pfizer, given the latter company’s commitment to increase output soon. AstraZeneca’s vaccine, developed with Oxford University, is also much easier to distribute because it can be stored at higher temperatures than the Pfizer alternative.

A delay for a week or two “is not a big problem,” said Burak Kazaz, a professor of supply chain management at Syracuse University. “[Though] I certainly understand that a delay means lives.”

The scope of the problems facing AstraZeneca, which appear more serious, would become clear in the coming weeks, he said.

Delays from both firms are a sign that there are still kinks in the supply chain that need to be ironed out as distribution ramps up, according to Prashant Yadav, a medical supply chain expert and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development.

“We will have more of these ups and downs until we get to a stable process,” Yadav said.

Given the rocky attempts to get up to speed — and concentration of production at just a few manufacturing sites — the public should expect monthly manufacturing capacity to fluctuate for the time being, he added.

Richard Wilding, a professor of supply chain strategy at Cranfield University in England, noted that there are at least 50 items necessary to run vaccination sites, from alcohol wipes and syringes to personal protective equipment. Supply chains for those items need to run smoothly, too.

Crucially, the delays aren’t just a problem for Europe.

“The price will be paid by developing countries who don’t have access yet, because their deliveries may be delayed further down the line,” Yadav said.

— James Frater, Chris Liakos, Amanda Sealy and Stephanie Halasz contributed reporting.

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Entertainment

Billie Eilish Reflects On Body Image, Taking Weight Loss Pills Age 12

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The “Bad Guy” singer has explained in the past that she wears oversized clothes intentionally so people can’t see and have opinions on her body.

“I never want the world to know everything about me,” Billie said in an interview with Calvin Klein in 2019. “I mean, that’s why I wear big baggy clothes: Nobody can have an opinion, because they haven’t seen what’s underneath.”

She later reiterated her comments in an interview with Vogue Australia, explaining: “I want layers and layers and layers and I want to be mysterious. You don’t know what’s underneath and you don’t know what’s on top. I don’t want to give anyone the excuse of judging.”

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Health

U.K. Coronavirus Variant Probed for Increased Risk to Younger People

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LONDON—Doctors began noticing the change last month as the U.K.’s new coronavirus variant spread. In hospital critical-care units, they were seeing more younger people and women with serious cases of Covid-19, a disease that previously inflicted its worst symptoms largely on older patients and men.

The shift—backed up now by statistical studies—is part of an urgent puzzle preoccupying British public-health officials as they race to understand a strain of the virus that is more transmissible and, some studies indicate, could be deadlier than earlier versions.

One early hypothesis, scientists say, is that one of the virus’s genetic mutations makes it better at invading a greater number of cells inside the body, leading to serious sickness in people who with previous Covid-19 variants would only have had mild or no symptoms.

David Strain, a physician and instructor at the University of Exeter’s medical school who is also treating Covid-19 patients, said initial research paints a picture of a virus variant that is like a burglar that has become better and breaking and entering—into vulnerable cells in this case, not houses.

“We think that’s why it’s making people sicker as well as being more transmissible,” Dr. Strain said.

Virologists suspect that it is a particular mutation known as N501Y on the new variant’s spike protein that has enhanced its ability to enter and infect human cells and to move more efficiently through the human body.

Some doctors, such as Dr. Strain, think that is behind the rise in younger people and women—who for most of the pandemic have become ill at lower rates—ending up in the hospital.

Some things, doctors and scientists say, don’t seem to have changed with the new variant. Once hospitalized, patients seem to have the same chance of survival as before and doctors can’t tell from symptoms which variant a patient has.

In London, the southeast and east of England, where the new variant was first identified in a test sample from Sept. 20, the mean age of patients admitted to intensive-care units fell from 61.4 years between September and the end of November to 58.9 years from Dec. 1 to Jan. 21.

The proportion of women admitted into ICUs rose from 30.1% to 35.1% in the same period. Data from the rest of the country show a similar pattern.

As new coronavirus variants sweep across the world, scientists are racing to understand how dangerous they could be. WSJ explains. Illustration: Alex Kuzoian/WSJ

Through December, the proportion of 18- to 54-year-olds admitted to English hospitals with Covid-19 also began to trend up, before a national lockdown was imposed on Jan. 4.

Not all doctors are convinced this is explained by mutations in the new variant. Some think it could also be a matter of behavior changes, with more people, especially younger ones, mixing during the holiday season and becoming infected.

Luke Allen, a local doctor in Oxford, for instance, said he has been treating more younger patients but that he is seeing more Covid-19 patients in general, and the ratio of people seems to be the same as in the first peak.

Parts of London have been hit particularly hard by the new virus variant.



Photo:

May James/Zuma Press

He attributes the increased numbers to the greater transmissibility of the new variant and increased socializing over the holidays. “That increases the chances of their contact with us,” Dr. Allen said.

There is still considerable debate around whether the new variant is in fact deadlier, as some research suggests.

The new variant, which has become the dominant version across the U.K., is estimated to be 30% to 70% more infectious than earlier varieties. Last week, a government health advisory panel said studies suggest there was a realistic possibility that it also could be 30% to 40% deadlier than the previous variant.

The advisers say their conclusions are tentative. “Although there’s uncertainty, we can’t always wait for certainty,” said

Peter Horby,

chairman of the panel, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, or Nervtag.

Julian Tang, a clinical virologist and professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Leicester, said more evidence was needed to prove that the new variant was deadlier, given that social mixing was allowed during the winter months, greatly accelerating hospitalization rates.

“Viruses generally mutate to be more transmissible and less lethal,” he said.

The new variant’s spread has coincided with huge increases in the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19 and a rise in the number of people dying from the disease in the U.K., placing the state-run health service under unprecedented strain. Covid-19-related deaths in the U.K. are close to 100,000 since the start of the pandemic.

The disease caused by the variant so far doesn’t appear any different from that provoked by its ancestors, but because the virus itself is able to move around a patient’s system more easily, it can outpace the body’s immune response, doctors suspect.

“If you are getting much stronger binding you may need a lower infectious dose to become infected, which would increase the risk of transmission,” Dr. Horby said. “Then, if it’s been able to spread between cells much quicker within the lungs, then that may increase the rate of disease and the rate of inflammation which may then progress quicker than your body can respond to.”

To determine whether the new variant was deadlier, scientists looked at data from around 850,000 cases of the coronavirus tested in the community where they knew which variant of the virus each person had, including between 1,400 and 1,900 people who died.

“You have to compare people who are as similar as possible to each other,” said

John Edmunds,

an author of one of the studies by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

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The researchers matched groups of people based on age, sex and ethnicity as well as income and where they lived, to reduce the effect that pressure on hospitals might have had on death rates.

Dr. Edmunds’s group found that if two similar people had the coronavirus, the one who had the new variant was around 30% more likely to have died from the disease it causes. A group from Imperial College London found a similar likelihood of mortality with the new variant compared with its ancestor. University of Exeter researchers found a 91% increase in the risk of mortality from the new variant, though that could be because the population it examined skews older, Dr. Strain said.

Another study by Public Health England put the chances of dying after infection with the new variant around 65% higher than with the old version.

The results are preliminary and because only in around 10% of all the cases in the U.K. is the virus variant known, may not be representative of the population as a whole.

Write to Joanna Sugden at joanna.sugden@wsj.com and Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com

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