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A survey of 520 political experts found a consensus that the United States is descending toward some form of authoritarianism. And it may be getting worse. Bright Line Watch, which is run by a consortium of political scientists at the University of Rochester, Dartmouth College, University of Michigan, and the University of Chicago, gave the U.S. democracy a rating of 55 several weeks into President Trump’s second term. In their rankings, 100 is a pure democracy and zero indicates a dictatorship. Prior to Trump retaking control of power in January, the U.S. scored a 67. The current score is the…

Demand from financial institutions could push the price of Bitcoin (BTC) as high as $200,000 per coin in 2025, according to two research reports reviewed by Cointelegraph. Analysts from Standard Chartered and Intellectia AI said institutional Bitcoin demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and traders seeking to hedge against macroeconomic risk could cause Bitcoin’s price to more than double this year.“While the forecast is optimistic, it’s also conditional. Any black swan — from a major regulatory clampdown to a geopolitical event — can disrupt trajectories,” Fei Chen, Intellectia AI’s chief investment strategist, told Cointelegraph. Bitcoin ETF inflows since January 2024. Source: CoinGlassRelated: US Bitcoin…

Character.AI, a leading platform for chatting and roleplaying with AI-generated characters, unveiled its forthcoming video generation model, AvatarFX, on Tuesday. Available in closed beta, the model animates the platform’s characters in a variety of styles and voices, from human-like characters to 2D animal cartoons. AvatarFX distinguishes itself from competitors like OpenAI’s Sora because it isn’t solely a text-to-video generator. Users can also generate videos from preexisting images, allowing users to animate photos of real people. It’s immediately evident how this kind of tech could be leveraged for abuse — users could upload photos of celebrities or people they know in…

Summary Days Gone Remastered offers countless new accessibility features on PS5. The game will bring tons of new customizable options to make the title more welcoming to players. More graphical enhancements are coming to the PS5 Pro version of the game. Bend Studios has revealed the many accessibility features coming to Days Gone Remastered when it releases for PlayStation 5 on April 25. Taking cues from the original 2019 release, Days Gone Remastered will feature countless graphical improvements, new game modes, and a slew of customizable options to make the title more welcoming to players. Following a leak in late…

New York’s Timothy Cardinal Dolan had plenty to say about Pope Francis, who died Monday, but he kept his remarks brief. “Believe me, I could preach longer,” Dolan said Tuesday during a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “But Pope Francis always complained about priests preaching too long.” Instead, Dolan used the 45-minute midday Mass to laud the late pontiff as “a gift to be long savored.” “He was a troubadour of God’s mercy, constantly preaching God’s tender mercy for us and encouraging our tender mercy for one another,” Dolan said. “For us Catholics, this is a death in the family.…

Summary Anbernic has stopped shipments to the US due to tariff hikes imposed by Trump, causing a lack of availability for certain products. Other companies, like Square Enix, have also been affected by the tariffs, halting pre-orders on merchandise in the US. Nintendo is redirecting Switch 2 consoles made in Vietnam to the US to avoid high tariffs, but the impact on pricing and availability is uncertain. Retro handheld console maker Anbernic has recently suspended all shipments to the United States in the wake of Donald Trump’s international tariff hikes. While gamers will still be able to purchase products that…

Summary Microsoft is giving away a custom Xbox Series X themed after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The giveaway is open to fans from North America, South America, Australia, and Europe. A winner will be announced on April 24, the day of Clair Obscur’s international release. Microsoft is giving away a custom Xbox Series X themed after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The one-of-a-kind Xbox Series X model is meant to commemorate the RPG’s forthcoming release. Initially announced during the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the debut title from French studio Sandfall Interactive. The game is scheduled…

Summary Visitors who bring their 3DS to the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto can find exclusive StreetPass Miis of Shigeru Miyamoto, Shinya Takahashi, and Shuntaro Furukawa. The museum opened in October 2024 after several delays. Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 go live this week in the US. Visitors to the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto should bring their 3DS, as some exclusive StreetPass Miis can be found at the recently opened location, including the iconic Shigeru Miyamoto. While the Nintendo eShop for the 3DS officially shut down in early 2023, the console remains popular with gamers for its impressive library and…

CNN  —  It’s 7 a.m. on a freezing January morning in Les Gets, a ski resort in the French Alps. The sun won’t rise for another hour, but Sophie Crowther, having slept through her alarm, is sprinting up winding icy mountain lanes to make breakfast for 25 high-paying guests. It’s her first day working in the mountains. Just a few days ago, she received a call informing her she was going to be parachuted in to work as a chef in a luxury chalet. Her welcome party the night before still ringing in her ears, she makes it to the…

Summary Tech retail chain PayMore is buying old GameStop locations, aiming to create more vibrant, community-focused spaces. GameStop has closed over 700 stores since 2020. PayMore has been expanding rapidly, with 18 stores opening in March 2025 and a projected 150 by the end of the year. Tech retail chain PayMore is buying old GameStop locations as the once-popular gaming outlet closes them. The last few years have been rough for GameStop, which has been shutting down many of its brick-and-mortar stores at an increasing rate since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these closures are due to the rising prevalence…