Latest news with #Stack
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Everything We Know About Lorde's Upcoming Album ‘Virgin'
Lorde Summer is upon us: the pop star's fourth album Virgin will be out on June 27. It's been four years since her last album, Solar Power, and the 28-year-old artist's output between albums tends to be pretty minimal. Fans have been anxiously anticipating what her new era will bring, especially after her lead single 'What Was That' teased a bigger, bolder sound than her third LP. Lorde divulged details of her new album in her Rolling Stone cover story, her first in-depth conversation about the new album. Here's what we know so far about Virgin: More from Rolling Stone The Everyday Items That Inspired Lorde's New Album, From 5 Gum to Apple Headphones Lorde Was Surprised When 'Ribs' Returned to the Charts: 'It's Crazy That It Works on People Still' Lorde's Ultrasound Tour 2025: How to Get Tickets Online Before They're Gone Lorde had been working with Jack Antonoff for her last two albums, but it was time for her to shake things up. She had reached out to Stack, who has worked with Bon Iver and Danielle Haim, around the time she was set to begin her Solar Power tour. They recorded a song in 2022, but she wasn't totally sure what the album was going to be until they reunited towards the end of 2023, as her tour and festival dates wrapped up. They hunkered down in NYC for most of 2024 to write the music on Virgin. Lorde was nervous about revealing too much of the album and is nervous for how people will respond. She teased how the lyrics will make her not seem as 'good' as she has been conditioned to act. 'There's going to be a lot of people who don't think I'm a good girl anymore, a good woman. It's over,' she said. 'It will be over for a lot of people, and then for some people, I will have arrived. I'll be where they always hoped I'd be.' Over the past four years, Lorde has been in the midst of a life upheaval. An eating disorder and breakup had slammed her into 'rock bottom' as she put it, but the journey to re-centering herself was vastly helped by MDMA therapy sessions she had begun before her Solar Power tour to get over her crippling stage fright. Two years' worth of sessions helped Lorde re-discover her body; as she found clarity, she began to redefine her gender as well, which she describes as 'expansive.' (On the album's opening track, she sings 'Some days I'm a woman/Some days I'm a man.') 'I think coming more into my body, I came into an understanding of the grotesque nature of it and the glory and all these things,' she said. The lyrics on Virgin reflect that. 'It's right on the edge of gross. I often really tried to hit this kind of gnarliness or grossness. 'You tasted my underwear.' I've never heard that in a song, you know? It felt like the right way to tell this whole chapter.' For Virgin, Lorde and Stack emphasized the percussive elements above all else. She wants the production to work on the body before the brain. That means that she tried to keep the language as simple and plain as possible. 'This is going to sound crazy, but I said to myself, 'We get it. You're smart. You don't need to telegraph it,'' she explained. 'Whereas in the past, I'm really trying to craft these lyrics. This time I was like, 'No, be smart enough to let it be really basic. Be plain with language and see what happens.'' Lorde and co-director Terrence O'Connor shot the 'What Was That' video on iPhone. It was an intentionally raw way of capturing the visuals, reflective of the nature of Virgin. She said the color of the album is 'clear,' amplifying its transparency. The cover is an X-ray of her pelvis, showing off the zipper on her jeans and her IUD. 'There's as little between me and the brand as possible,' she explained. The video and more tiny details like the font used in the booklet for physical releases are meant to evoke a 'school project' touch. Fans immediately recognized some Melodrama touches to 'What Was That,' but the old Lorde song that ended up blowing was from her first album instead. 'Ribs' hit the Hot 100 and has helped Lorde recognize some connections between her teenage self and the woman she's become. 'I'm now seeing that Virgin has this connection to Pure Heroine, and to this young, brave part of myself. I'm seeing that all these albums have connective tissue,' she said. 'Having 'Ribs' bubble up next to songs I've written when I was 28. I can't wait to see what continues to bubble up when more of this album is out. What are the connections going to be?' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dick's plans to ‘execute the heck' out of Foot Locker acquisition
This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter. Weeks after announcing its plans to acquire Foot Locker, Dick's Sporting Goods on Wednesday reported its fifth-straight quarter of 4%-plus comp growth. The retailer saw net sales increase 5.2% in the first quarter to nearly $3.2 billion. Net income fell 4% to $264 million. Despite the threat of tariffs and falling consumer sentiment, Dick's reaffirmed its guidance for the year, expecting comps growth of 1% to 3% and net sales up as much as 3.7%, to $13.9 billion. Dick's continued the revamp of its fleet in Q1, with two House of Sport locations and four Field House stores opening in the quarter. The retailer plans to convert five of its closing Public Lands stores into three House of Sport and two Field House locations this year. The outdoors banner lists just three stores on its site currently as Dick's has quietly stepped back from the business. Despite strong Q1 results, Dick's continued to play defense on Wednesday as analysts questioned its planned acquisition of Foot Locker. 'We understand that there's really a group of people out there — shareholders — that would really prefer we just continue to do what we're doing,' Executive Chairman Ed Stack said on an earnings call. 'We don't think that's right long-term for the business.' Stack noted that the acquisition will strengthen Dick's partnerships with brands, give the retailer a foothold in the $300 billion sportswear market and help it gain a customer it doesn't currently have. Dick's CEO Lauren Hobart noted on the call that Dick's has just 30% of its stores in malls and does not currently have access to many of the urban environments Foot Locker operates in. 'What the Street needs to understand is that, like it or not, we don't make investments or decisions for a quarter or two. We make these decisions and investments for a lifetime,' Stack said. Even with Dick's steadily gaining share over the years, Hobart said the retailer holds just 8% market share in the space, leaving plenty of room for both Dick's and Foot Locker to gain share. Dick's believes it can also improve Foot Locker's operational efficiency, build up that company's brand partnerships and better compete for market share long-term as a combined business. 'The truth is that Dick's would be just fine as a stand-alone business, but it sees the rise of players like JD and their expansion into the US market, and it knows it must make bolder moves if it wants to remain on top,' GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders said in emailed comments. 'Even so, Dick's is now entering a new era where it switches from the familiarity of driving organic growth to the unfamiliar ground of mergers and acquisitions.' Stack will lead a small team of Dick's employees focused on helping Foot Locker advance its Lace Up plan and integrate that business. Hobart praised Foot Locker's strategy as having many solid priorities, including revamping stores and focusing on digital, and expressed confidence in Dick's ability to bring Foot Locker to a stronger position in the market. 'We are confident that we'll be able to execute the heck out of this,' Hobart said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Techday NZ
23-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Radware named leader for AI-driven API security by GigaOm
Radware has been recognised as a Leader and Fast Mover in the GigaOm Radar for Application and API Security. The GigaOm Radar evaluated 16 leading application and API security solutions, aiming to assist organisations in making informed decisions about their security investments. Radware received particular recognition for its approaches to vulnerability detection, account takeover protection, and bot management. The report highlighted Radware's coverage of key industry benchmarks. According to the GigaOm Radar, "Radware's comprehensive coverage of OWASP Top 10 web application security risks and Top 10 API security vulnerabilities, coupled with real-time adaption capabilities, demonstrates a cutting-edge approach to AI-enhanced vulnerability detection that goes beyond the basics to offer advanced protection and automated response." The company's machine-learning-driven approach to detecting and mitigating attacks was also noted. GigaOm wrote, "Radware's system also includes ML-based anomaly detection that can identify anomalies on targeted endpoints and automatically push real-time signatures to mitigate attacks, demonstrating a proactive and adaptive approach to account takeover protection that goes beyond standard measures." GigaOm further commented on Radware's multilayered security strategy, stating, "Radware earned a strong score due to a multilayered strategy that includes preemptive protection to block unwanted IPs and identities, AI-powered behavioral-based detection that catches threats others might miss, and advanced mitigation offering a wide range of granular and accurate options." Connie Stack, Chief Growth Officer at Radware, addressed the increasing demands being placed on application and API security in the current landscape. "Organizations are increasingly relying on web applications and APIs to operate their businesses, generate revenue, and engage customers, which is why keeping them secure has become so important—and more difficult," said Stack. "Our advanced AI and machine learning technologies offer customers real-time, state-of-the-art protection across an attack surface and threat landscape that is constantly evolving. We are honoured to be recognised among the market's leading providers of application and API security solutions by GigaOm." Radware's Cloud Application Protection Service comprises a suite of security features, including bot detection and management, API protection, a web application firewall (WAF), client-side protection, and application-layer DDoS protection. These capabilities are combined with end-to-end automation, behavioural-based detection, and 24/7 managed services. The offering is designed to deliver high standards of application protection while aiming to reduce false positives for its customers. The company has also received additional awards and recognitions for its application and network security solutions from other analysts in the field, including Aite-Novarica Group, Forrester, Gartner, KuppingerCole, and QKS Group. Radware provides cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions with the use of AI-driven algorithms intended to deliver real-time protection against a range of web, application, DDoS, API abuse, and bot-related threats. The organisation serves enterprises and carriers worldwide, supporting their efforts to address cybersecurity challenges and safeguard their business operations.
Sunday World
22-05-2025
- Sunday World
Ashling Murphy 'kicked out hard' during struggle with murderer, witness tells trial
LATEST | Ms Stack said: "She was kicking her legs, that was the sound we had heard. She was raising her legs and kicking out really hard." Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy three years ago The Central Criminal Court also heard today how Gardai sifted through ashes in the fireplace at Jozef Puska's home looking for evidence that the clothes he wore when he murdered 23-year-old Ms Murphy had been burned. Detective Sgt Anthony Quinn told the trial of Jozef Puska's brothers and sisters-in-law that six days after Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy, gardai became aware that the then suspect's clothes may have been burned in the fireplace at the Puska home in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Sgt Quinn said he went to the house with a colleague, introduced himself and took photos of anything of note. The fireplace, he said, was intact and the grate was full of ashes. He and his colleague sifted through the ashes, looking for buttons, zippers, clasps or "that kind of thing", but found nothing of note. They bagged the ashes to be preserved for forensic examination. The trial also heard today from Jenna Stack, who saw Ms Murphy, a 23-year-old schoolteacher, fighting for her life having suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck. Ms Stack told prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that she was running with her friend, Aoife Marron, along the canal towpath near Cappincur Bridge in Tullamore on January 12, 2022 when she noticed a distinctive, luminous green bicycle in the hedgerow. Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy three years ago News in 90 Seconds - May 22nd She thought it unusual to see a nice bike discarded on the bank, so she stopped for a moment before running on. A few metres further along the towpath, she heard a loud rustling noise from the hedgerow and stopped again. Ms Marron shouted down, but there was no reply besides the "loud rustling" from the dense thicket and brambles, Ms Stack said. The witness stepped closer and saw a man's back. She asked him what he was doing, and when he turned to face her, she noticed a woman on the ground. Ms Stack said: "She was kicking her legs, that was the sound we had heard. She was raising her legs and kicking out really hard." Ms Stack told the man to "get off her", but he shouted back through gritted teeth and in a foreign accent, "get away". His facial expression seemed angry, she said, "angry that he had been interrupted". Ms Stack thought he was going to rape the woman. She added: "He made a sudden movement, maybe to frighten us. I knew the girl was struggling and in danger and we were very frightened." Ms Stack shouted that she was calling the guards and ran the short distance to Cappincur Bridge with Ms Marron to get help. Jozef's brothers, Marek (34) and Lubomir Jnr (35), are accused of withholding crucial information. Read more It is alleged that Marek Puska failed to disclose that Jozef had returned home on the night of Ashling's murder with visible injuries and admitted to killing or causing serious injury to a woman. It is further alleged that he knew of the arrangement to burn Jozef's clothes and that Jozef Puska travelled to Dublin later that night. Lubomir Puska Jnr, it is alleged, also withheld that Jozef returned home with visible injuries, admitted to "cutting a female", and travelled to Dublin. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12 and 14th, without reasonable excuse, intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska, knowing or believing him to have committed the offence of murder or some other arrestable offence within the same category or of a similar nature. Ms Grundzova and Ms Gaziova pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
Buzz Feed
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Best Sinners Easter Eggs And Details
First, Smoke and Stack's red and blue color palettes in Sinners are significant. Blue represented a connection to the spiritual world, which is why Smoke and Annie are wearing shades of blue in the film. It's also often associated with calmness, serenity, wisdom, and sadness. The sadness aspect would connect to Smoke and Annie mourning the loss of their child, too. Haint blue is the specific shade that is associated with Annie's home, according to production designer Hannah Beachler. Meanwhile, red represented a connection to blood, life, and being shrouded in darkness, which is also seen with how he's filmed using a lot of shadows by the director of photography, Autumn Durald Arkapaw. It's also associated with power, danger, passion, and sexuality, with that connection to Stack and his relationship with Mary. The use of red and blue has been used by production designer Hannah Beachler in all of Ryan Coogler's films, such as Fruitvale Station and Creed. While Smoke and Stack dress similarly in the beginning of Sinners, their suits seemingly pay homage to the typical looks of the Italian and Irish mobs, with Stack dressed like an Italian mobster, while Smoke is dressed like the Irish. In the film, Mary points out that they ripped off both the Italians and the Irish in Chicago before coming back to the Mississippi Delta. Smoke and Stack are also meant to represent the Maya Hero Twins, who are central figures in the Popol Vuh, which recounts the mythology and history of the K'iche' people, and relates to Mayan and Central American culture. It's said that the twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, embark on several journeys that ultimately lead them to the underworld. Also, the Hero Twins are known for outsmarting the Lords of Death, which leads to them becoming celestial bodies, aka the sun and the moon. Resurrection and the relationship between life and death are central themes in the twins' stories, much like with Smoke and Stack in Sinners. The significance of Remmick being Irish connects back to Irish and Black Americans during the 19th century, where both groups were pushed into conflict with each other. They were often in competition with each other for housing, jobs, etc., and faced oppression as second-class citizens at the time. However, the Irish used their whiteness to their advantage, much like Remmick does in the film. In the rafters of Jedidiah's church, there are three crosses on the wall behind the altar, which are meant to represent The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, according to production designer Hannah Beachler. When Sammie and his dad are standing under the crosses, they are meant to represent the fourth cross. Beachler told Variety, "When Sammie walks in holding the bit of guitar, he walks directly under the cross. I wanted them between that and it to be a juxtaposition to this veil that's been opened, and that they're standing in this very spiritual space together, where Sammie has a decision to make." Also, the beams the crosses hold are "exactly 33 inches apart," according to Beachler, because that is the age Jesus died and the number represents the end. Throughout the film, you'll notice that Smoke's hands shake, which is why he has trouble rolling a cigarette for himself towards the end. Up until this point, Stack would hand him cigarettes he rolled, and after he died, Smoke wasn't able to do it on his own. This is why, after Stack's death, the next time we see Smoke smoking is when he takes a cigarette from Bert after he shoots him. When Sammie returns to the church in the car, you'll notice there is a white horse pulling a cart nearby. The color of the horse is intentional and related to the four horsemen. According to scholars, the first horseman rides a white horse, with some interpreting it to symbolize Christ or the Antichrist. In their first scene together, Mary tells Stack to go to hell, and he tells her he'll save her a room. This foreshadows their ending, where Mary ultimately dies first and saves him a place next to her instead. Bo and Grace's characters, and the fact that they run a grocery store, is a nod to real history and how Chinese immigrants came to the US and settled in the Mississippi Delta. At the time, the stores owned by Chinese immigrants served the Black community, when the white community would not. According to The Untold Story of America's Southern Chinese, more than 70% of the Mississippi Delta population in 1940 got their groceries and everyday goods from a small Chinese community made up of only around 743 people. Inside the juke joint, production designer Hannah Beachler and her team painted lines on the back of the rust wall where the entrance is. The lines actually represent the equalizer where the bars stop on the chorus if you were playing "Smokestack Lightning" by Howlin' Wolf on a cassette player. She told Variety, "So that chorus sort of lived in the juke joint and over everyone." "Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go," aka "Wild Mountain Thyme," which is sung by Remmick, is a traditional Irish and Scottish folk song. The song is traditionally used to express deep affection and desire for a simple life rooted in love and the beauty of nature. It's also sometimes associated with a person's journey beyond the earthly realm. "Rocky Road to Dublin" is another traditional Irish folksong that is sung by Remmick in Sinners. The song tells the story of a young man's journey trying to find a new life. Notably, the song describes the trouble the man finds as he gets further from home, and people are unwilling to help him because of where he's from. At the end of Sinners, Annie notably calls Smoke his real name, Elijah, and asks him to come join her and their child. He puts out his cigarette — getting rid of the smoke — and fully gives himself over to being Elijah, turning his back on his violent persona. Meanwhile, Stack does the opposite. In the mid-credits scene, he still wears a ring that says "Stack," meaning, unlike Smoke, he continues to lean into his violent persona. Buddy Guy, who stars as older Sammie, is a well-known blues guitarist and singer, and his upbringing is similar to Sammie's in Sinners. Raised in Louisiana, he was the son of sharecroppers, and he picked cotton as a child while living in the Delta. Eventually, he taught himself to play guitar, recalling to the New Yorker in 2019, "I'd go sit on top of the levees and bang away with my guitar, and you could really hear it ... That's just how country sound is. A little wind would carry it even better." Now, he owns a blues club in Chicago. And finally, during the mid-credits, Sammie plays in his jazz club sixty years later, and on the wall behind the bar, you can see that he named the bar "Perlene's." Of course, it's named after Perline, who is played by Jayme Lawson. Were there any other Easter eggs or details you spotted? Have a better theory for one mentioned above? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
