#jilionline Suder scores 16 as Miami (Ohio) downs Mercer 75-72Every year Social Security beneficiaries receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that impacts their benefits, generally to increase them in order to keep up with inflation. But f you are not an avid news consumer, you may not be aware of the 2.5% increase that this year has brought, and that would not be a good thing. This is why the Social Security Administration sends a notice every year communicating to beneficiaries any changes to their benefits. This year, this notice will also be available online for beneficiaries who have My Social Security accounts. You can expect to receive this notice in the mail in December unless your preferences in you My Social Security Account have paper notifications deactivated. What are some of the changes that this notice will include this year? A new 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment Given the increase, the average check for retirees, which sits around the $1,907 mark, will receive a $50 per month. This number will be different depending on the amount of your check, but this should give you an idea of how it will shake out. Compared to precious increases, 2.5% seems low, especially if we look at the 8.7% that occurred in 2023, but this might be a glimmer of a good sing regarding cooling inflation. Joe Elsasser, a certified financial planner and president of Covisum, a Social Security claiming software company warns about being too optimistic saying “Although price increases have moderated, it’s not as though inflation is over.” Inflation, and prices, could rise again without much warning. Some discouraging news for enrollees in Medicare Part B , which covers physician services, outpatient hospital services and certain home health services and durable medical equipment, is that premiums are rising again this year. Although not by a lot, just a $10.30 increase from $174.70 this year, the new $185 per month payment might sting for many. Their annual deductibles will go up to $257 in 2025, which is a $17 increase from the $240 annual deductible for 2024. It is important to remember that Medicare Part B premiums are deducted directly from Social Security checks and that some people can request their Medicare Advantage or Part D premiums deducted as well. Part B premiums are determined by a beneficiary’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) from two years earlier. In 2025, individuals with a MAGI of $106,000 or less in 2023 and married couples with $212,000 or less will pay the standard monthly premium. Those with higher incomes will face Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) , which raise their premiums. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, approximately 8% of Medicare Part B beneficiaries are subject to these income-based adjustments. Something that retirees should always be vigilant about is the changes in income that may lead them to a higher tax bracket . As CFP Brian Vosberg, president of Vosberg Wealth Management in Glendora, California explains, “What we’ve seen with clients is kind of a surge in other income that has caused more of their Social Security to be taxed.” It is important to remember that Social Security income is not taxed alone, what is taxed is combined income, the sum of adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest and half of Social Security benefits . If this number surpasses a certain threshold, then it will be taxed. To avoid unwanted surprises, beneficiaries can request to have withholding for federal taxes deducted from their benefit payments. Being proactive about tax planning is the best way to avoid paying unnecessarily. Some options that Vosberg recommends are buying an annuity that lets that interest grow tax-deferred or reducing income from other areas, such as IRA withdrawals to help soften the blow.Autodesk appoints Janesh Moorjani as chief financial officer

Israel, Lebanon agree to ceasefire

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to top the all-time high it set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 123 points, or 0.3%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6% as Microsoft and Big Tech led the way. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

– AEW star Big Bill and broadcaster Lexy Nair have officially tied the knot. Nair shared some photos from their wedding via social media , which you can see below. The couple announced their engagement in December 2022 . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lexy Nair (@lexynair) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lexy Nair (@lexynair)John Lewis pins its hopes on a bumper Black Friday as it brings back its 'never knowingly undersold' pledge By EMILY HAWKINS Updated: 22:26 GMT, 26 November 2024 e-mail View comments John Lewis is pinning its hopes on a bumper Black Friday after it brought back its ‘never knowingly undersold’ pledge. The department store owner said online searches for its Black Friday deals were up 73 per cent compared to last year thanks to its reintroduction of the historic strapline. This follows a ‘significant surge’ in searches since the decision in September, the firm said. E-commerce director Steve Masterton said: ‘The early signs showing interest in Black Friday are really strong and puts John Lewis as a really key player in that market.’ He expects around 12 online orders per second this weekend – up from four per second on Monday. After cutting 100,000 prices, there has been a ‘big halo’ effect on the company, he said. Pledge: John Lewis said online searches for its Black Friday deals were up 73% thanks to its reintroduction of the ‘never knowingly undersold’ strapline The ‘never knowingly undersold’ pledge was scrapped in August 2022, despite dating back to 1925. Black Friday is an American shopping discount day but has been imported into the UK, with sales starting at the end of November. Operations director Naomi Simcock added: ‘Our ambition is to establish John Lewis as the retailer of choice for Black Friday purchases. ‘We’re optimistic that our combination of outstanding range and seamless customer experience, supported by our modernised “never knowingly undersold” price promise, will help us to achieve this.’ Best-sellers include the £39 patterned wool jumper featured in its Christmas advert and its range RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Royal Mail edges closer to foreign takeover as Business... Reeves fails the credibility test: One can no longer take... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account of towels. Technology is also expected to do well. Chief executive Nish Kankiwala has said ‘the buzz is back’ at the group, which also owns Waitrose. There have been sorely awaited signs of progress in the retailer’s turnaround mission. But this week consumer group Which? accused John Lewis of ‘misleading’ shoppers by exaggerating its Black Friday savings – for example by advertising discounts with a comparable higher price from months ago. Across the entire sector, spending in shops and online is set to be 3 per cent higher than last year’s Black Friday, according to data firm Rendle Insights and Intelligence. But sales slumped 0.7 per cent last month due to speculation over the Budget worrying consumers, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed last week. DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: John Lewis pins its hopes on a bumper Black Friday as it brings back its 'never knowingly undersold' pledge e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top stories

Fiscal Third Quarter Total Revenues of $2.160 Billion , Up 15.8% Year Over Year Subscription Revenues of $1.959 Billion , Up 15.8% Year Over Year PLEASANTON, Calif. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY), a leading provider of solutions to help organizations manage their people and money , today announced results for the fiscal 2025 third quarter ended October 31, 2024. Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Results 1 See the section titled "About Non-GAAP Financial Measures" in the accompanying financial tables for further details. Comments on the News "Workday's solid performance in Q3 reflects the trust our customers place in us across industries, the global momentum around our AI-driven innovations, and the strength of our partner ecosystem," said Carl Eschenbach , CEO, Workday. "Organizations are increasingly consolidating on the Workday platform to reduce total cost of ownership, simplify their operations, and to unlock the power of our best-in-class AI solutions. Workday gives them the ultimate advantage – and that positions our business for long-term success." "In Q3, we once again made good progress across a number of our key growth areas," said Zane Rowe , CFO, Workday. "Looking ahead, we expect fiscal 2025 subscription revenue of $7.703 billion , growth of 17%, and fiscal 2025 non-GAAP operating margin of 25.5%. We are focused on executing in our seasonally strongest quarter, as we lay the foundation for durable, profitable growth at scale." Recent Highlights 1 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud HCM Suites for 1,000+ Employee Enterprises, Ranadip Chandra, Sam Grinter, Ron Hanscome, Chris Pang, Anand Chouksey, Josie Xing, Harsh Kundulli, David Bobo, Laura Gardiner, Hiten Sheth, Emi Chiba, Travis Wickesberg, and Michelle Shapiro, 23 October 2024. 2 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Service-Centric Enterprises, Robert Anderson, Denis Torii, Sam Grinter, Naveen Mahendra, Tomas Kienast, Johan Jartelius, 4 November 2024. 3 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Financial Planning Software, Regina Crowder, Vaughan Archer, Matthew Mowrey, Michelle Carlsen, 18 November 2024. Financial Outlook Workday is providing guidance for the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter ending January 31, 2025 as follows: Workday is updating its guidance for the fiscal 2025 full year ending January 31, 2025 as follows: 1 The Company has not provided a reconciliation of its forward outlook for non-GAAP operating margin with its forward-looking GAAP operating margin in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception provided under Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K. The Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty the amount and timing of adjustments that are used to calculate this non-GAAP financial measure, particularly related to stock-based compensation and its related tax effects, acquisition- related costs, and realignment costs. Earnings Call Details Workday plans to host a conference call today to review its fiscal 2025 third quarter financial results and to discuss its financial outlook. The call is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET and can be accessed via webcast . The webcast will be available live, and a replay will be available following completion of the live broadcast for approximately 90 days. Workday uses the Workday Blog as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. About Workday Workday is a leading enterprise platform that helps organizations manage their most important assets – their people and money . The Workday platform is built with AI at the core to help customers elevate people, supercharge work, and move their business forever forward. Workday is used by more than 10,500 organizations around the world and across industries – from medium-sized businesses to more than 60% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com . © 2024 Workday, Inc. All rights reserved. Evisort, Workday, and the Workday logo are registered trademarks of Workday, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, statements regarding Workday's fourth quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 subscription revenue and non-GAAP operating margin, growth, momentum, and innovation. These forward-looking statements are based only on currently available information and our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. If the risks materialize, assumptions prove incorrect, or we experience unexpected changes in circumstances, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not rely on any forward-looking statements. Risks include, but are not limited to: (i) breaches in our security measures or those of our third-party providers, unauthorized access to our customers' or other users' personal data, or disruptions in our data center or computing infrastructure operations; (ii) service outages, delays in the deployment of our applications, and the failure of our applications to perform properly; (iii) privacy concerns and evolving domestic or foreign laws and regulations; (iv) the impact of continuing global economic and geopolitical volatility on our business, as well as on our customers, prospects, partners, and service providers; (v) any loss of key employees or the inability to attract, train, and retain highly skilled employees; (vi) competitive factors, including pricing pressures, industry consolidation, entry of new competitors and new applications, advancements in technology, and marketing initiatives by our competitors; (vii) our reliance on our network of partners to drive additional growth of our revenues; (viii) the regulatory, economic, and political risks associated with our domestic and international operations; (ix) adoption of our applications and services by customers and individuals, including any new features, enhancements, and modifications, as well as our customers' and users' satisfaction with the deployment, training, and support services they receive; (x) the regulatory risks related to new and evolving technologies such as AI and our ability to realize a return on our development efforts; (xi) our ability to realize the expected business or financial benefits of any acquisitions of or investments in companies; (xii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; and (xiii) changes in sales, which may not be immediately reflected in our results due to our subscription model. Further information on these and additional risks that could affect Workday's results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our most recent report on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K and other reports that we have filed and will file with the SEC from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. Workday assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release, except as required by law. Any unreleased services, features, or functions referenced in this document, our website, or other press releases or public statements that are not currently available are subject to change at Workday's discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase Workday services should make their purchase decisions based upon services, features, and functions that are currently available. Workday, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in millions) (unaudited) October 31, 2024 January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,311 $ 2,012 Marketable securities 5,846 5,801 Trade and other receivables, net 1,404 1,639 Deferred costs 244 232 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 273 255 Total current assets 9,078 9,939 Property and equipment, net 1,263 1,234 Operating lease right-of-use assets 335 289 Deferred costs, noncurrent 490 509 Acquisition-related intangible assets, net 383 233 Deferred tax assets 1,031 1,065 Goodwill 3,479 2,846 Other assets 365 337 Total assets $ 16,424 $ 16,452 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 74 $ 78 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 323 287 Accrued compensation 476 544 Unearned revenue 3,447 4,057 Operating lease liabilities 102 89 Total current liabilities 4,422 5,055 Debt, noncurrent 2,983 2,980 Unearned revenue, noncurrent 64 70 Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 278 227 Other liabilities 53 38 Total liabilities 7,800 8,370 Stockholders' equity: Common stock 0 0 Additional paid-in capital 11,115 10,400 Treasury stock (1,208) (608) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 16 21 Accumulated deficit (1,299) (1,731) Total stockholders' equity 8,624 8,082 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 16,424 $ 16,452 Workday, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenues: Subscription services $ 1,959 $ 1,691 $ 5,678 $ 4,843 Professional services 201 175 557 494 Total revenues 2,160 1,866 6,235 5,337 Costs and expenses (1) : Costs of subscription services 329 264 924 759 Costs of professional services 201 181 606 552 Product development 647 619 1,952 1,829 Sales and marketing 620 538 1,804 1,581 General and administrative 198 176 609 512 Total costs and expenses 1,995 1,778 5,895 5,233 Operating income (loss) 165 88 340 104 Other income (expense), net 62 41 178 114 Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes 227 129 518 218 Provision for (benefit from) income taxes 34 15 86 25 Net income (loss) $ 193 $ 114 $ 432 $ 193 Net income (loss) per share, basic $ 0.73 $ 0.43 $ 1.63 $ 0.74 Net income (loss) per share, diluted $ 0.72 $ 0.43 $ 1.61 $ 0.73 Weighted-average shares used to compute net income (loss) per share, basic 265,411 262,153 265,062 260,747 Weighted-average shares used to compute net income (loss) per share, diluted 268,549 266,377 268,936 264,087 (1) Costs and expenses include share-based compensation expenses as follows: Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Costs of subscription services $ 35 $ 30 $ 108 $ 90 Costs of professional services 28 29 86 87 Product development 162 162 498 494 Sales and marketing 78 65 226 212 General and administrative 65 63 204 188 Total share-based compensation expenses $ 368 $ 349 $ 1,122 $ 1,071 Workday, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in millions) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ 193 $ 114 $ 432 $ 193 Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy weekHow Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesNone

Trump picks Jay Bhattacharya, who backed COVID herd immunity, to lead National Institutes of Health

Ian Schieffelin came within two assists of a triple-double and Clemson handed Penn State its first loss with a 75-67 decision for the championship of the Sunshine Slam tournament Tuesday in Daytona Beach, Fla. Schieffelin finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Tigers (6-1), leading four players in double figures. Chase Hunter added 17 points, while Chauncey Wiggins scored 14 and reserve Del Jones chipped in 10 points. Clemson sank 9 of 19 3-pointers, converted 16 of 20 free throws and was able to limit the impact of the Nittany Lions' full-court pressure. The Tigers committed just 13 turnovers, helping them hold Penn State (6-1) to less than 85 points for the first time this year. Ace Baldwin starred in defeat with game highs of 20 points and 11 assists, while center Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 14 points. Nick Kern came off the bench to score 11 but Penn State was outscored 15-2 on the fast break and made just 4 of 18 attempts from 3-point range. Schieffelin came up big down the stretch, assisting on a 3-pointer by Jaeden Zackery with 6:04 left that made it 65-61. Then he made two foul shots and tossed in a jump hook from the lane to up the margin to 71-66 with 1:03 left. The big storyline going into this game was which team would be able to control the pace. Penn State came in averaging 96 ppg, while Clemson demonstrated its ability to enforce a slower tempo in March, advancing to a regional final in the NCAA Tournament. In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Tigers made the Nittany Lions play at a crawl, opening up a 17-10 advantage when Schieffelin converted a short hook in the lane. But Penn State answered with an 18-4 run over nearly six minutes, establishing a 28-21 lead when Kern shook free for a layup. Clemson rallied with nine straight points but the Nittany Lions had the last say as Baldwin converted a layup with 24 seconds left, cutting the Tigers' edge to 38-36 at halftime. --Field Level Media12 Communication Services Stocks Moving In Friday's Pre-Market Session

The toritetsu subset of Japanese train otaku which specializes in photography has long been notorious for a string of anti-social behavior unbecoming of their seemingly relaxing hobby. Reports of violence, vandalism, and general poor manners are widespread as these shutterbugs vie for the best shot of the rarest trains around. Railways have also made efforts to channel this passion for trains into something more positive, but problems still persist. Now, Sagami Railway in Kanagawa Prefecture has teamed up with software maker Adobe to find ways to get that perfect shot without punching other photographers, cursing out staff, or cutting down trees. On November 24, at Hoshikawa Station in Yokohama City, a workshop was held to teach toritetsu how to use Adobe Express’s generative AI to remove unwanted people or objects from photos. As a case study, who could forget that time dozens of toritetsu waited in the middle of the night to get the first photos of a new rolling stock on the Enoden line in Kanagawa, only to have a large man on a bicycle riding between them and it with his arm outstretched? Due to the contentious nature of the incident, video of it is often quickly removed from social media and YouTube, so I just got Adobe Photoshop to generate a similar image. ▼ Shortage of logic aside, it’s fairly close to the real incident. After that, I popped it into the Adobe Express app on my phone. Rubbed blue stuff on the guy with my finger and made him go away. ▼ Problem solved. ▼ Actually, those wires are ugly so let’s ditch those too. ▼ And you know what? I’m not all that crazy about trains anyway. How about a sailboat? Bear in mind, I just did super-fast, one-shot edits and it’s possible to get better results with more time and effort, especially if I had gone to that workshop. This may not satisfy the purists among toritetsu, of whom most are, but there was some positive feedback at the workshop, with one attendee liking how it cleanly removed overhead wires and hands with a natural-looking result. Even if it means just a few less people trespassing and destroying property then it’s a job well done. Readers of the news, however, seem to feel the problem is much too large to be cured with some AI editing tools. “Now, we need a way for AI to erase the toritetsu.” “Or just ban photography on station platforms.” “These guys are pretty anti-processing, I think.” “I think the toritetsu’s issues run much deeper than this.” “I don’t get why they’re against editing. The photo itself is already inherently altered from what’s seen by the human eye.” As the last comment pointed out, the news also sparked some debate over how much processing crosses that line of no longer being photography and becoming CGI. If AI editing was considered acceptable among these people, then why not just stay home and generate images of trains all day? Besides that, the ability to remove obstructions from images on Photoshop has been around for a long time and toritetsu never even seemed to embrace that. It required a lot more skill and effort back then, but probably not as much as breaking into a train yard and dismantling signs while evading security. I’m willing to give Adobe credit for putting the idea out there, even if it is in a bit of a self-promotional way. Unfortunately, this probably won’t be the end of the mayhem caused by people who like to take pictures of trains. Source: Asahi Shimbun, Itai News Images: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Express Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- JR East attempts to unite train-photographing otaku with new social media group -- Japanese mayor suddenly speaks fluent English with AI video that surprises even him -- Tokyo Police apprehend the “Lego Kid” and accomplicesWorkday Names Rob Enslin President, Chief Commercial Officer

Navy football to play Oklahoma in Armed Forces BowlStock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkWelcome back to Kotaku ’s Weekend Guide, the post-Game Awards edition! If you missed out on last night’s pretty-darn-good awards show , we have a wrap- up of everything cool we saw, and a summary of all the awards won . But if you’re also looking for some great game recommendations to fill your weekend with, we most certainly have you covered here. This weekend we’ve got a GOTY nominee, some wild fun multiplayer shenanigans, and a super-fun 2D platformer. Let’s dig in! Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Reach the Mad Mall The first time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower . The second time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower . And the third time I saw Antonblast I thought it was Pizza Tower , too. I have now played Antonblast and can confirm that while it shares similar Wario Land vibes and ‘90s DNA with last year’s crowd-pleasing, lightning-quick 2D platformer , Antonblast is definitely its own thing. It’s more challenging, even faster, and shares some familiar tropes from the slippy-slidy obstacle course racing of Crash Bandicoot , including stampeding through boxes, hitting a cache of explosives, and dying. The idea is to breeze through levels as quickly as possible, smashing through all kinds of colorful junk littering each stage, and survive the gauntlet of hazards and boss fights placed in your path. It’s loud, chunky, and occasionally gives me a headache with all of the screenshake. It’s also a firehose of satisfying arcade action and chaotic animations. I keep going back for more. — Ethan Gach Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Start over! Back in 2015, I had worked my way pretty far into The Witcher 3 , only to find that I was capital-L Lost. I didn’t know what was going on. Barely understood the universe, and that’s to say nothing of my sloppy knowledge of the mechanics. So I restarted the game from the beginning with the intention of going through it nice and slow and, look at that, it became one of my favorite games of the 2010s. Now, on the cusp of 2025, I find myself in a similar situation with GOTY-nominated RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio . Whether it was my diving in while in a, um...high state of mind or simply that the game is so heavy—a little too heavy, in my opinion—on the fantasy political lore, I’m a bit too lost at this point to grasp what’s going on. But I do know that this game has had me intrigued since I decided to temporarily shelve it in favor of Forbidden West and I knew I was going to have to revisit it. So my goal for this weekend is to get a fresh start! I’m really excited to start unpacking Metaphor’s themes of, well, metaphors. I’m particularly intrigued by how the game plays with the ways fiction serves as important inspiration, offering a way to envision a better world. And I’m a sucker for anything with turn-based combat. The game is also visually delightful, so if I still struggle to keep up with the plot, well at least I’ve got something pretty to look at. — Claire Jackson Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV) Current goal: Turn my brain off I don’t know if it’s just the state of the world or if it’s seasonal depression or what, but I have been feeling really out of it lately. It didn’t feel great to be stuck at home while a lot of folks I know were gathered in Los Angeles for The Game Awards, and with my usual Marvel Rivals teammates MIA, I didn’t even play the games I’d normally play because it just felt bad to solo queue. This weekend, I’m gonna try to fight my inclination to avoid the game and instead play the Not- Overwatch until I pass out. I have to travel next week for the holidays, so getting started on something really involved right now wouldn’t be the best play. Instead, I’m gonna flank randos with Star-Lord’s ultimate until I get a clip. — Kenneth Shepard Play it on: Current goal: Level up my battle pass some more! And so, another weekend in which I’m planning to play more Fortnite is upon us. I’m starting to worry that people reading these every week might assume it’s the only game I play. It’s not! At this point in my life, though, I have to admit that Epic’s free-to-play battle royale is one of my most played games, likely beating out Skyrim, Half-Life 2, and even Halo . The number of hours I’ve put into Fortnite is probably starting to get close to surpassing the time I’ve spent with GTA Online . Scary to think about. Anyway, every few months Fortnite gets some new mode or event and I spend a few bucks to buy a skin or whatever and have a ton of fun playing it with my wife. Yeah, I know gamers playing the same four games and nothing else are slowly eroding the industry and destroying everything, but it’s not my fault that no other game lets me kill Goku while dressed as Spider-Man with Grogu on my back. Come on Ca ll of Duty , are you even trying? — Zack Zwiezen And that wraps our picks for this week! Happy gaming!