June 28, 2026

05 Sci-Tech

Iowa Moves to Stop College Campus Gun Grabbers

pgnewser February 19, 2026 0

While Iowa Universities appear to want to create soft targets for mass shooters by creating “gun free zones,” the Iowa legislature is preparing to check their anti-American power grab. Iowa State Senator Jason Schults (R) has introduced a bill that appears on a fast track to passage.

The bill limits the restrictions on gun rights colleges and universities can impose on their students and staff. It essentially allows Americans to possess firearms in secured positions in some places, including college campuses, and expands the right to conceal carry to include school parking lots.

Blurb:

Iowa Lawmakers Move to Limit Campus Authority Over Guns in Private Vehicles – usacarry.com

DES MOINES, IA – An Iowa Senate subcommittee has recommended passage of Senate File 2263, a bill that would expand protections for lawful firearm possession in vehicles across several locations in the state.

Introduced by Sen. Jason Schultz, R, SF 2263 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 10, 2026. On February 17, a subcommittee recommended the bill for passage. A committee hearing is scheduled, according to the Iowa Legislature.

Lake Victoria is Falling to a Green Toxic Beast

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

The world’s largest tropical lake, Lake Victoria, is going through changes that most people now fear might be permanent. The lake is losing fresh water ground to the spread of a green patina that brings with it toxins rendering the water contaminated. The lake touches the lives of millions of people in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The culprit seems to be nitrogen, phosphorus, fertilizer runoff, and sewage.

Blurb:

World’s largest tropical lake turns into a ‘deadly zone’: Africa’s Lake Victoria is turning green, toxic, and unstoppable – timesofindia

The waters of Lake Victoria have turned an unsettling green. And it seems, it’s not just a passing bloom this time. Local fishermen barely flinch anymore. What was once occasional now appears almost permanent. The world’s largest tropical lake is changing, and people who rely on it are feeling the effects every day. Millions in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda drink from it. The lake has shaped lives for generations, but now, scientists warn that its recovery might be impossible. At least, on any timeframe humans might hope for. The green isn’t just cosmetic; it’s toxic and spreading.

What’s really turning the Lake Victoria toxic

Experts say it’s the usual culprits: nitrogen, phosphorus, fertilizer runoff, and sewage. Rain washes them into the lake, big blooms form, and Cyanobacteria thrive. What started as a few blooms decades ago now looks like a permanent feature. Satellite images show a lake that glows green in certain bays, sounds haunting. Some locals try to avoid the scum, but the toxins hide in clear water too. A study from 2021 measured nitrate levels in rivers feeding the lake. The Nyando River reportedly dumps over 6,000 kilograms a day during peak rains. Nzoia River, around 22,000 kilograms daily. Fertilizer, manure, sewage. All of it. Experts say these numbers are huge that is enough to trigger explosive algal growth. That growth sucks oxygen from the water leads to the death of fish, and in addition to this, the deeper parts of the lake are reportedly turning into dead zones.

How the lake changed over time

Photosynthetic pigments rose steadily from the 1920s. Zooplankton populations crashed around the 1960s, and Haplochromine cichlids disappeared in the 1980s. The lake didn’t suddenly fall apart experts note that what we see now is the long-term result of human activity in the catchment area, land use changes, damming, and rainfall shifts, all of which played a part.Microcystis and Dolichospermum dominate now. Both produce microcystin, a liver-damaging toxin, which suggests the blooms aren’t static. Researchers also found hundreds of uncharacterised cyanobacterial genes. But locals can’t rely on spotting green scum to know if the water is safe, which might look harmless and still be dangerous.

What leads fish to fight for survival

Fisheries support hundreds of thousands of tons annually, and a $600 million export industry. Now, oxygen fluctuations and food web collapse put catches at risk. Fish processing factories reportedly worry about consistency. Seasonal die-offs that were once “normal” are now systemic. Experts fear the lake could hit a point where it simply won’t bounce back.Lake Victoria isn’t just green, but warning us. Human activity, population growth, and climate interactions might have pushed it past a line we can’t easily reverse.

from timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Scientists Threaten Planet with Pandemic if We Don’t End Global Warming

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

A team of Romanian researchers appear to be the tip of the spear of a new climate change content market strategy involving dangerous bacteria. The researchers have discovered bacteria in ice cores from 5,000 years ago that appear immune to most current antibiotics. The researchers warn if global warming continues, the melted ice could release these bacteria, leading to a global, catastrophic pandemic.

Blurb:

Scientists warn melting ice could release 5,000-year-old superbug that resists 10 modern antibiotics – timesofindia

A team of Romanian researchers has identified a bacterium preserved for roughly 5,000 years inside an underground ice deposit that can already withstand multiple modern antibiotics. The organism, recovered from Scărișoara Ice Cave in north-west Romania, survived frozen conditions for millennia yet showed resistance to drugs routinely used today to treat infections of the lungs, skin, blood and urinary tract. The study, recently published inFrontiers in Microbiology, warns of both the potential risks and scientific value of organisms exposed as warming temperatures reach long-sealed environments, including areas covered by permanent ice such as glaciers, ice sheets, and ice caps, which together cover approximately 10% of the Earth’s land surface.

A microbe preserved in ice

To retrieve this strain, the research team drilled a 25-metre ice core from the cave’s “Great Hall”, representing about 13,000 years of accumulated ice. To avoid contamination, fragments were placed in sterile bags and transported frozen to the laboratory, where multiple bacterial strains were isolated and sequenced.

Researchers drilled a 25-meter ice core from Scărișoara Ice Cave’s Great Hall to isolate microbes/ Daily mail

The most notable organism identified was Psychrobacter SC65A.3, a cold-adapted bacterium belonging to a genus previously associated with infections in humans and animals.“The Psychrobacter SC65A.3 bacterial strain isolated from Scarisoara Ice Cave, despite its ancient origin, shows resistance to multiple modern antibiotics and carries over 100 resistance–related genes,” Dr Purcarea said.

Circular representation of the complete genome of Psychrobacter sp. SC65A.3. From the outermost to the innermost rings/ Frontiers

Genetic analysis showed the strain carries more than 100 resistance-related genes. When researchers tested it against 28 antibiotics from 10 classes routinely used in human medicine, the bacterium proved resistant to 10 of them, including drugs used to treat infections of the lungs, skin, blood, reproductive system and urinary tract such as trimethoprim, clindamycin and metronidazole.“The 10 antibiotics we found resistance to are widely used in oral and injectable therapies used to treat a range of serious bacterial infections in clinical practice,” said Dr Purcarea.The findings also clarify a broader point about resistance itself.“Studying microbes such as Psychrobacter SC65A.3, retrieved from millennia-old cave ice deposits, reveals how antibiotic resistance evolved naturally in the environment, long before modern antibiotics were ever used.”

Why the discovery matters, risk and benefit

Researchers emphasise that ancient microbes do not automatically translate into a coming pandemic, but they do represent genetic reservoirs. If thawing environments release them, their resistance traits could transfer to contemporary bacteria.“If melting ice releases these microbes, these genes could spread to modern bacteria, adding to the global challenge of antibiotic resistance,” Dr Purcarea explained.Antibiotic resistance is already widely linked to overuse of antibiotics, which reduces their effectiveness over time. The new findings indicate some resistance mechanisms did not originate in hospitals or agriculture but were present in nature long before human medicine.Scientists note that warming climates increase the chance of exposure to long-frozen organisms. A frequently cited example occurred in 2016, when a Siberian heatwave thawed permafrost and exposed an infected reindeer carcass, triggering an anthrax outbreak that killed a child and infected at least seven people, the region’s previous outbreak having occurred in 1941.

A possible medical resource, not just a hazard

The same genome that carries resistance traits also contains unexplored biology. Researchers identified 11 genes capable of killing or inhibiting bacteria, fungi and viruses, along with nearly 600 genes whose functions remain unknown.According to the study, cold-adapted strains may act as reservoirs of antimicrobial compounds and enzymes.“On the other hand, they produce unique enzymes and antimicrobial compounds that could inspire new antibiotics, industrial enzymes, and other biotechnological innovations,” said Dr Purcarea.She added that the organisms themselves are scientifically valuable but must be handled carefully:“These ancient bacteria are essential for science and medicine, but careful handling and safety measures in the lab are essential to mitigate the risk of uncontrolled spread.”

from timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Virginia Gun Tax Dies in Subcommittee

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

One part of DNC Virginia’s plan to remake the state in a Progmerican image has failed before it ever reached a floor vote in the Virginia General Assembly. A bill that would have added a $500 gun suppressor tax failed in the subcommittee unanimously. This doesn’t mean the DNC won’t reintroduce the bill later, but, for now, they have retreat, to the good of the American people behind DNC enemy lines in Insurrectionist Virginia.

Blurb:

Virginia Lawmakers Unanimously Block $500 Suppressor Tax in Finance Subcommittee Vote – usacarry.com

RICHMOND, VA. — A controversial proposal that would have imposed a $500 excise tax on firearm suppressors in Virginia has been unanimously tabled by a House Finance Subcommittee during the 2026 Regular Session of the Virginia General Assembly.

House Bill 207, introduced by Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra, sought to create a new chapter in Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia establishing a firearm suppressor tax. The measure would have imposed a $500 tax per retail sale of any firearm suppressor by a firearms dealer, effective July 1, 2026. Revenue collected from the tax would have been directed to the state’s general fund.

According to the Virginia Legislative Information System, HB207 was referred to the House Committee on Finance and assigned to Finance Subcommittee No. 2. On February 10, 2026, the subcommittee voted 10 to 0 to lay the bill on the table, effectively halting its progress for the session. The bill remains listed as “In Committee” following the unanimous recommendation to table.

Trump FDA rejects Moderna application for mRNA-based flu vaccine– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

(LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has notified pharmaceutical giant Moderna that it will not be reviewing its application for a new mRNA-based flu vaccine, continuing the Trump administration’s pivot away from the technology that was introduced to the country with the controversial COVID-19 shots.

Time magazine reports that almost two years ago, Moderna submitted Phase 3 data touting the purported effectiveness of mRNA 1010.6, the first influenza vaccine to use mRNA, and has been in talks with the government ever since. But on February 3, it received a Refusal to File letter from the FDA declaring its application “is not sufficiently complete to enable a substantive review.”

German public broadcaster ZDF apologizes after AI-generated ICE arrest footage aired on flagship news program– rmx.news

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

German public broadcaster ZDF has issued an on-air apology after its flagship news program, Heute Journal, aired a segment containing AI-generated footage depicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting a migrant family.

The controversy followed the Feb. 15 broadcast, which ZDF said examined fears in parts of the United States over immigration enforcement operations. Viewers quickly noted on social media that portions of the footage were artificially generated, with an OpenAI Sora watermark visible on screen.

 

The Age of AI Depends Less on Voters than on Volts | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

No AI data centers, no AI revolution.

Or to be less dramatic, slowing the buildout of these sprawling server farms will slow technical advances and the economywide spread of generative artificial intelligence, which is shaping up to be a powerful new general-purpose technology. As such, a new survey from Politico suggests Silicon Valley shouldn’t take voter tolerance for granted.

Let’s start with the good news for AI companies: Just 28 percent of 2,000 surveyed would oppose the building of a new data center in their area. That, versus 37 percent who would support construction and 28 percent who would neither support nor oppose.

Pentagon official laments some AI companies' reluctance to fully commit to military's operations– www.washingtontimes.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

It is “disheartening” that some cutting-edge tech companies seem reluctant to fully do business with the military and support all of its operations, a key Defense Department official said Tuesday amid an escalating feud between the Pentagon and Silicon Valley firm Anthropic over the reported use of the company’s AI tool in recent U.S. Special Forces missions in Venezuela.
from www.washingtontimes.com

Thousands of executives aren’t seeing AI productivity boom, reminding economists of IT-era paradox– fortune.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

In 1987, economist and Nobel laureate Robert Solow made a stark observation about the stalling evolution of the information age: Following the advent of transistors, microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory chips of the 1960s, economists and companies expected these new technologies to disrupt workplaces and result in a surge of productivity. Instead, productivity growth slowed, dropping from 2.9% from 1948 to 1973, to 1.1% after 1973.

Glossary at Boston U. Teaching Hospital Says ‘Biology’ Doesn’t Define Sex– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

The glossary is full of exciting, new progressive words and phrases.

Boston U. teaching hospital glossary says ‘biology’ doesn’t define sex

The primary teaching hospital of Boston University’s medical school recently updated its “Glossary for Culture Transformation” to include dozens of ideologically loaded terms, a medical advocacy group found.

For example, Boston Medical Center’s glossary includes entries for “assigned sex at birth,” “LGBTQIA+,” “fatphobia,” “anti-blackness,”

Fear Porn About AI Dominance Follows The Covid Panic Playbook– thefederalist.com

pgnewser February 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Reading Matt Shumer’s viral essay about artificial intelligence was like stepping back in time to roughly six years ago, when the world started going insane over Covid-19.

It hits all the same beats as those viral essays from 2020, when we were told “something big was coming” and “life will never be the same.” It is written with the same insider tone, like the author is doing us a favor by telling us how horrible life is about to become. And the intent is clearly the same: to so unsettle a population that they will begin to feel powerless in the face of what is about to come.

How AI helps this civil rights lawyer beat the Feds– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser February 17, 2026 0

Blurb:

Over the course of his career, Joseph McMullen has dealt with some of the most powerful agencies in the country: the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in early 2024 the San Diego–based civil rights attorney faced a problem of scale. He had three federal trials in three months—two involving deaths in jail, one involving American children detained at the border—and terabytes of documents. He turned to artificial intelligence to help him get through it all.

McMullen’s path to the courtroom has been unconventional. A former analyst at the consulting firm Bain & Company, he received a law degree at the University of Virginia and trained at the Trial Lawyers College (now called the Gerry Spence Method) in Wyoming in a program that specialized in the emotional craft of storytelling. The emphasis he places on both analytical rigor and narrative instinct has led him, unexpectedly, to artificial intelligence.

Now, Experts Are Warning Revolutionary AI Tools Change Everything – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser February 17, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

 

The advent of artificial intelligence is rattling a lot of cages. Trust me, I should know; two of our four daughters are freelance commercial graphic artists, and they are (rightfully) worried about being underbid and driven out of the market by computers. As for me, I’m not too worried – what computer could ever match my inimitable style, my wit, my wisdom, not to mention my modesty?

Bacterial strain from 5,000-year-old cave ice shows resistance against 10 modern antibiotics– phys.org

pgnewser February 17, 2026 0

Blurb:

Bacteria have evolved to adapt to all of Earth’s most extreme conditions, from scorching heat to temperatures well below zero. Ice caves are just one of the environments hosting a variety of microorganisms that represent a source of genetic diversity that has not yet been studied extensively. Now, researchers in Romania tested antibiotic resistance profiles of a bacterial strain that until recently was hidden in a 5,000-year-old layer of ice of an underground ice cave—and found it could be an opportunity for developing new strategies to prevent the rise of antibiotic resistance and study how resistance naturally evolves and spreads. They reported their discovery in Frontiers in Microbiology.
from phys.org

Denying Everyone’s Access to Lawful Speech to Protect a Vulnerable Few: Arkansas’s Overinclusive Regulatory Trade-Off | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser February 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

An Arkansas federal court recently issued a preliminary injunction barring authorities in the Natural State from enforcing a speech-restrictive statute called Act 901. Among other things, it prohibits social media platforms from using algorithms they know or reasonably should know will cause “a user to: (1) purchase a controlled substance; (2) develop an eating disorder; (3) commit or attempt to commit suicide; or (4) develop or sustain an addiction to the social media platform[s].”

Chief US District Judge Timothy L. Brooks’ ruling in NetChoice v. Griffin marks yet another victory for NetChoice in its seemingly ceaseless battle against state laws that curb the First Amendment speech rights of two groups—users (to express and receive lawful content) and platforms (to exercise editorial discretion and moderate content without government interference). Brooks’ decision also offers several constitutional lessons for lawmakers about such measures; two are addressed below.

Elon Musk says, “You have to go to the moon” as he announces AI satellite factory plan with lunar mass driver |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser February 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind SpaceX and the artificial intelligence company xAI, has unveiled one of his most ambitious plans yet. During an all-hands meeting with xAI staff on Tuesday, February 10, Musk announced a proposal to establish a manufacturing facility on the Moon that would build satellites equipped with advanced computing capabilities. According to The New York Times, Musk described the Moon as a necessary step in gaining a competitive advantage for future AI systems, saying simply, “You have to go to the Moon.”The idea involves constructing a lunar factory that could produce satellites outfitted with hardware designed to support artificial intelligence workloads.

“AI can’t deal with emotion”: We used AI as our photography assistant for a week– www.livescience.com

pgnewser February 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in most modern cameras, from autofocus tracking to in-camera noise reduction, but with the speed of AI advancement ever-increasing, it’s now possible to use AI before you even pick up the camera.

So-called “agentic AI”, where AI positions itself as an assistant in everyday life, is becoming increasingly popular. Naturally, we were curious to see if its usefulness extended to life as a photographer, and what we could therefore learn about how AI positions itself as a companion across every walk of life.

Ukraine’s Drone-Killer, An-28 Aerial Gunship– sofrep.com

pgnewser February 10, 2026 0

Blurb:

“Ukraine is using at least one adapted Antonov An-28 Cash twin-turboprop utility aircraft as part of its anti-drone inventory. While images of the aircraft, replete with multiple drone-kill marks, had previously been published, we now get to see the aircraft’s armament, a six-barrel, Gatling-type, M134 Minigun, in action, too.” — Thomas Newdick, for The War Zone, February 5, 2026.

“It’s two in the morning. There are targets in the air in the southeast. As pilots, we try to counter these drones using our aircraft, shooting them down with a machine gun.” — Ukrainian An-28TD aircrew member, February 2026.

Taiwan pushes back against Washington’s 40% chip supply relocation goal– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser February 10, 2026 0

Blurb:

Taiwan has told Washington that its proposal to move 40% of the island’s semiconductor supply chain to the U.S. was “impossible,” the country’s top tariff trade negotiator said in an interview.

Speaking on a local television broadcast Sunday, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun said she had made it clear to Washington that the country’s semiconductor ecosystem, built over decades, could not simply be relocated.

Taiwan’s international expansion, including its investments in the U.S., is predicated on the notion that the industry remains’ rooted in Taiwan and continues to expand domestic investments, she said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC.

Elon Musk confirms ‘SpaceX and xAI are now one company’; says future of AI is in space |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser February 5, 2026 0

Blurb:

Elon Musk confirms ‘SpaceX and xAI are now one company’; says future of AI is in space (Image Source – X/ xAI)

SpaceX has moved to absorb Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence start-up xAI, bringing the smaller company and its Grok chatbot under the aerospace firm’s control. The deal continues Musk’s broader effort to align his technology businesses more closely, linking artificial intelligence with space launch systems and satellite infrastructure. The merger would allow closer coordination between AI development, space-based communications, and satellite networks. Elon Musk believes today’s AI is about to hit a wall on Earth. Analysts cited by the BBC estimate xAI’s value at around $125bn, while SpaceX is valued at roughly $1tn, reinforcing its position as the world’s most valuable private company.

AMA Abandons Trans Surgeries for Kids

pgnewser February 4, 2026 2

The American Medical Association, a bastion of Progmericanism, has conceded the battle against children by announcing it no longer supports transgender surgery for children. The association stated, “the evidence for gender-affirming surgical intervention in minors is insufficient for us to make a definitive statement…the AMA agrees with ASPS that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.”

This followed up this comment from the organization in 2021, “The American Medical Association (AMA) today strengthened its established position opposing the governmental intrusion into the practice of medicine that is detrimental to the health of transgender and gender-diverse children and adults. Legislatures in 20 states this year proposed banning physicians and other health care professionals from providing medically necessary gender-affirming care to transgender and gender-diverse youth…”

Blurb:

The American Medical Association Changes Stance on ‘Gender-Affirming’ Care for Kids – townhall.com

Yesterday, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) announced it no longer supported “gender-affirming surgeries” for children under 18 years old. It marked the first major medical organization to shift policy around “gender-affirming care,” and many noted it only happened in the wake of a $2 million malpractice lawsuit that was won by detransitioner Fox Varian, who underwent a mastectomy as a teenager. Varian sued her psychologist and the doctor who removed her breasts.

Now the American Medical Association (AMA) said it agrees with the ASPS about the surgeries.

DOJ and States to Appeal Google’s Slap on the Wrist in Search Antitrust Case– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser February 4, 2026 0

Blurb:

The DOJ and multiple states have filed notices to appeal a federal court ruling in the Google Search antitrust case that imposed limited restrictions on the internet giant’s conquest of the search and AI market. The verdict was so friendly to Google that one analyst called it “a home run for the status quo.”

Bloomberg reports that the DOJ and a coalition of states announced Tuesday they will appeal a September 2025 federal court decision that is widely considered to be the best case scenario for Big Tech following a landmark antitrust case. The appeal targets a ruling by US District Judge Amit Mehta that allowed the tech giant to avoid major structural changes despite being found guilty of operating an illegal monopoly in the search market.

How automakers are quietly locking you out of your own car– www.theblaze.com

pgnewser February 4, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Car ownership used to come with an unspoken assumption: You bought the vehicle, and it was yours to maintain, repair, and service in any way you saw fit. That assumption is quietly eroding. And one of the clearest signs doesn’t involve software updates or subscription features.

It involves a screw.

Tasks once considered routine — such as clearing fault codes or accessing safety systems — now often require dealer-level credentials or paid subscriptions.

AI Undermines Medical Education—Trainee Doctors May Never Learn Vital Skills– www.madinamerica.com

pgnewser February 3, 2026 0

Blurb:

Will the ubiquity of chatbots lead to a generation of doctors who don’t know their stuff? That’s the danger, according to a new editorial in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

The authors, led by Jacob Hough at the University of Missouri, outline the many ways that AI use can undermine medical education, like automation bias, de-skilling, and providing false information.

“These tools can fabricate sources, encode bias, lead to over-reliance and have negatively disruptive effects on the educational journey. Medical programmes must be vigilant about these risks and adjust their curricula and training programmes to stay ahead of them and mitigate their likelihood,” they write.

Federal Appeals Court Tosses Felon Gun Ban Based on Meth Possession– www.usacarry.com

pgnewser February 3, 2026 0

Blurb:

NEW ORLEANS, LA — In a major development reflecting the ongoing impact of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which criminalizes firearm possession by felons, is unconstitutional as applied to a Mississippi man whose only felony conviction was for “simple possession of methamphetamine.”

Charles Hembree was indicted in 2022 under § 922(g)(1) after authorities discovered he possessed a firearm. His lone prior felony was a 2018 Mississippi state conviction for meth possession. Hembree moved to dismiss the indictment, arguing the law violated his Second Amendment rights under the framework set forth in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The district court denied that motion.