May 4, 2026

x01 Archives

UK to push peace plan at UN summit after recognising Palestinian state – but Netanyahu says Palestine ‘will not happen’ | UK News– news.sky.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

UK to push peace plan at UN summit after recognising Palestinian state – but Netanyahu says Palestine ‘will not happen’ | UK News– news.sky.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The UK is set to push for a peace plan for the Middle East at the UN General Assembly after recognising the state of Palestine.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to use the summit to address civilian suffering in war-torn Gaza and aim to strengthen “the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East”.

She will hold bilateral meetings to advance elements of the peace plan, including security measures to ensure Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who won’t attend the summit, announced on Sunday that the UK recognises Palestine as an independent state, to “revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution”.

Texas A&M president to step down after turmoil over gender identity lesson– thehill.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Texas A&M president to step down after turmoil over gender identity lesson– thehill.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

 

Texas A&M University’s president Mark Welsh will step down on Friday after turmoil ignited over a gender identity lesson, the Texas A&M University System said on Thursday.

Welsh, a former Air Force pilot and Joint Chiefs of Staff member, has received blowback from Republican lawmakers in recent days over a viral video where a student challenged a professor, Melissa McCoul, regarding gender content in a children’s literature course.

State Rep. Brian Harrison (R) shared the Sept. 8 video after it blew up online and caught the attention of other Texas legislators. McCoul was fired days later. Two more administrators were removed, but the changes did not satisfy some lawmakers, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who argued Welsh did not properly handle the situation.

“President Welsh is a man of honor who has led Texas A&M with selfless dedication,” said Chancellor Glenn Hegar said in a statement on Thursday. “We are grateful for his service and contributions. At the same time, we agree that now is the right moment to make a change and to position Texas A&M for continued excellence in the years ahead.”

The school’s Board of Regent spearhead a national search for a permanent president and appoints an interim president to “ensure a seamless transition.”

Challenges the UN faces in pushing for a 2-state solution in Israel – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Challenges the UN faces in pushing for a 2-state solution in Israel – National– globalnews.ca
Source Link
Excerpt:

France and Saudi Arabia hope to use this year’s gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly and the increasingly horrific war in the Gaza Strip to inject new urgency into the quest for a two-state solution to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Those efforts include a new road map for eventual Palestinian statehood in territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war, and moves by several Western countries to join a global majority in recognizing such a state before it has been established.

Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining nearly 150 countries that have already done so, and France is expected to follow suit at this week’s General Assembly.

But the efforts to push a two-state solution face major obstacles, beginning with vehement opposition from the United States and Israel. The U.S. has blocked Palestinian officials from even attending the General Assembly. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to Palestinian statehood, has threatened to take unilateral action in response — possibly including the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Tiny protein pairs may hold the secret to life’s origin– www.sciencedaily.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Tiny protein pairs may hold the secret to life’s origin– www.sciencedaily.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Genes are the building blocks of life, and the genetic code provides the instructions for the complex processes that make organisms function. But how and why did it come to be the way it is? A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds new light on the origin and evolution of the genetic code, providing valuable insights for genetic engineering and bioinformatics.

“We find the origin of the genetic code mysteriously linked to the dipeptide composition of a proteome, the collective of proteins in an organism,” said corresponding author Gustavo Caetano-Anollés, professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Biomedical and Translation Sciences of Carle Illinois College of Medicine at U. of I.

Caetano-Anollés’ work focuses on phylogenomics, which is the study of evolutionary relationships between the genomes of organisms. His research team previously built phylogenetic trees mapping the evolutionary timelines of protein domains (structural units in proteins) and transfer RNA (tRNA), an RNA molecule that delivers amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis. In this study, they explored the evolution of dipeptide sequences (basic modules of two amino acids linked by a peptide bond), finding the histories of domains, tRNA, and dipeptides all match.

Life on Earth began 3.8 billion years ago, but genes and the genetic code did not emerge until 800,000 million years later, and there are competing theories about how it happened.

Some scientists believe RNA-based enzymatic activity came first, while others suggest proteins first started working together. The research of Caetano-Anollés and his colleagues over the past decades supports the latter view, showing that ribosomal proteins and tRNA interactions appeared later in the evolutionary timeline.

Scientists build micromotors smaller than a human hair– www.sciencedaily.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Scientists build micromotors smaller than a human hair– www.sciencedaily.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have made light-powered gears on a micrometer scale. This paves the way for the smallest on-chip motors in history, which can fit inside a strand of hair.

Gears are everywhere – from clocks and cars to robots and wind turbines. For more than 30 years, researchers have been trying to create even smaller gears in order to construct micro-engines. But progress stalled at 0.1 millimeters, as it was not possible to build the drive trains needed to make them move any smaller.

Researchers from Gothenburg University, among others, have now broken through this barrier by ditching traditional mechanical drive trains and instead using laser light to set the gears in motion directly.

Putin sacks top general after Ukraine grinds Russia’s summer offensive down as Vlad helps out on military exercise– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Putin sacks top general after Ukraine grinds Russia’s summer offensive down as Vlad helps out on military exercise– www.thesun.co.uk
Source Link
Excerpt:

VLADIMIR Putin has fired his top general amid ongoing humiliating blows from Ukraine.

General Alexander Lapin, 61, was reportedly sacked for failing to sweep through the Sumy region – considered one of the tyrant’s key war goals.

Trump presses Bondi to take legal action against his foes– thehill.com

pgnewser September 22, 2025 0

Trump presses Bondi to take legal action against his foes– thehill.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

 

President Trump in a Truth Social post on Saturday demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi take action against his foes, saying there could be no delay.

In the post, Trump listed Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former FBI Director James Comey while complaining that “nothing is being done.”

“They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” Trump wrote.

He concluded the post by saying that “we can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility” and complaining that “they impeached me twice” and indicted me five times.

Asked about the post a shot time later as he left the White House for an event, Trump added “they have to act. We want to act fast.”

“You know, they were ruthless and vicious,” he added, again mentioning the two impeachment and multiple indictments.

“If they are guilty or if they should be judged, they should be judged and we have to do it now,” he said.

Trump’s remarks pressuring the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take legal actions against those he sees as his political foes is a sharp shift from traditional boundaries meant to prevent DOJ from becoming a legal, political arm of the president.

The comments underscore Trump’s frustrations in his second term with his long-time critics, and comes as the administration has signaled it has an interest in silencing voices with which it disagrees.

ABC indefinitely suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel days ago after pressure from the chair of the Federal Communications Commission ,and the Trump administration has signaled a crackdown on liberal groups with which it disagrees.

Stefanik urges Bondi to investigate MSF over alleged Hamas propaganda ties– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Stefanik urges Bondi to investigate MSF over alleged Hamas propaganda ties– www.foxnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi undertake an investigation into Doctors Without Borders under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In a copy of Stefanik’s letter reviewed by Fox News Digital, she accuses Doctors Without Borders, often known by its French acronym MSF, of having gone on a media offensive against U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing the organization of “orchestrated killing.”

Stefanik claimed the attacks “mirror propaganda continuously pushed by Hamas and threaten to undermine the only large-scale humanitarian food operation currently working in Gaza.”

Together For Palestine: ‘How can we live with ourselves and stand by and do nothing?’– www.glamourmagazine.co.uk

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Together For Palestine: ‘How can we live with ourselves and stand by and do nothing?’– www.glamourmagazine.co.uk
Source Link
Excerpt:

It was exactly 11 years ago that I first joined a protest in support of Palestine. In 2014, tens of thousands of ordinary people took to the streets of London to protest the Gaza War – a 50-day conflict during which 2,251 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians and 551 children, as well as 66 Israeli soldiers and five civilians, including one child, were killed (per the UN).

Where many might not remember the 2014 conflict, few can escape the current horror in Gaza. Since the Hamas attack on Israel, on October 7th 2023, the Israeli military response has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians (per the Palestinian Ministry of Health), although real figures could be much higher. Many human rights organisations, charities and genocide scholars have described the situation as a genocide.

But while there were politicians such as Diane Abbott speaking out at that first rally I attended back in 2014, many celebrities stayed silent. Those who did show support, such as Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Selena Gomez and Rihanna, were lambasted or ordered to backtrack by industry peers. Speaking out against the injustices in Palestine has always come at a price, but finally, more and more artists are stepping away from silence.

US Treasury sanctions Sinaloa cartel faction Los Mayos in Mexico– abcnews.go.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

US Treasury sanctions Sinaloa cartel faction Los Mayos in Mexico– abcnews.go.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned members of a Sinaloa cartel faction known as Los Mayos, one of the groups that has tormented Sinaloa’s capital in an ongoing war for control.

The move came on the same day that U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley is visiting Mexico, and after the Trump administration designated the Sinaloa cartel as a terrorist group earlier this year.

Hurley is meeting with Mexican authorities and business leaders to discuss strategies for combating drug trafficking, cartel operations and illicit financing. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that the official’s main message will be that the department “will not allow Mexico-based drug cartels to access the U.S. financial system.”

It’s part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to crack down on cartels. In addition to pressuring Mexico’s government to more aggressively pursue the criminal groups, the administration has also doled out rounds of sanctions to cartel leaders, banks it alleged facilitated money transfers for cartels and a rapper accused of laundering money for the groups.

EXPLICIT DANGER: America Has Been Here Before, Right Before the Civil War– gellerreport.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

EXPLICIT DANGER: America Has Been Here Before, Right Before the Civil War– gellerreport.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

In the days since Charlie Kirk’s murder, many have expressed incredulity about the condition of the country. Our circumstances may be unique but the movements of political societies follow clear patterns. We have been deeply polarized before and the cause, now and then, is the same. Disagreement about the fundamental type of country we believe that we should be is what divides us.

In May, 1856 Charles Sumner of Massachusetts took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to denounce the use of force and fraud to plant slavery and its inevitable offspring, oligarchy, in the territory of Kansas. Southern statesmen who composed the inter-state oligarchy in the slave states sought to admit Kansas with slavery into the Union, expanding their power.

Since at least 1854 Sumner was among a few who had recognized that the fight over slavery had taken on a new character. Not only did the fate of slavery depend on the outcome of that fight, but also the future form of American government – whether all America would be republican, as the Founders intended and as the northern states were, or whether America would be converted to an oligarchy, the prevalent form of government in the South.

Sumner’s “Crime Against Kansas” speech was long, direct, and forceful. A few days later, Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina entered the Senate chamber with his lieutenants, Representatives Laurence Keitt of South Carolina and Henry Edmundson of Virginia, and commenced caning Sumner, who was sitting, his legs locked beneath his desk.

Supporters hail Charlie Kirk as friend of Israel, dismiss false claims– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Supporters hail Charlie Kirk as friend of Israel, dismiss false claims– www.foxnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, some critics of Israel have sought to drive a wedge between the conservative activist and the Jewish state, mischaracterizing his recent statements and making wild, unfounded accusations.

Within hours of Kirk’s murder — and before a suspect was identified — unhinged conspiracies spread across social media. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism found thousands of posts containing the baseless claims.

Seemingly aware of the effort to co-opt Kirk’s legacy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized him as a champion of “speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.”

Hollywood Star John Cusack Reacts to Charlie Kirk Assassination by Calling Him ‘A Fascist’– conservativeroof.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Hollywood Star John Cusack Reacts to Charlie Kirk Assassination by Calling Him ‘A Fascist’– conservativeroof.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Actor John Cusack reacted to the horrific and gruesome assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk by continuing to spread the very hateful rhetoric that likely got him murdered by a deranged lunatic, calling the 31-year-old husband and father or two a “fascist.”

“He was a demagogue — and a fascist,” Cusack wrote of Kirk on the left-wing echo chamber social media platform BlueSky.

As reported, Kirk assassin suspect Tyler Robinson, left behind a message for his transgender roommate and partner, in which he admitted shooting the Turning Point USA founder and said, “I had enough of his hatred.”

Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray read the entire message during a live television broadcast.

Kirk, like many in the conservative space, has been falsely labeled a “fascist,” among other pejoratives, fueling the hate that more than likely led to his murder, resulting in what appears to be a targeted political assassination of a man who was only trying to have a conversation.

Some in society have reacted to Kirk’s assassination by doubling down on their hateful and violent rhetoric, celebrating the Turning Point USA founder’s murder and continuing to smear him.

Now That Planned Parenthood Has Been Defunded, 1/3 of its Abortion Centers Could Close– www.lifenews.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Now That Planned Parenthood Has Been Defunded, 1/3 of its Abortion Centers Could Close– www.lifenews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Pro-Life advocates have cause to celebrate: Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion business in the United States and the world, has officially been stripped of Medicaid reimbursements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

This victory has been years in the making. Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year, making history as the first federal budget to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood. Lawmakers boldly declared that taxpayer dollars should never prop up the abortion industry.

Yet, almost immediately, a federal judge in Boston, appointed by former President Barack Obama, blocked that part of the law from taking effect. That ruling gave Planned Parenthood temporary cover to continue distributing millions of taxpayer dollars while its lawsuit went through the courts.

This week, that shield crumbled. The First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously lifted the rulings, allowing the defunding measure to take immediate effect. Remarkably, all three judges on the panel were appointed by President Joe Biden, showing that even jurists handpicked by an abortion-friendly administration could not justify Planned Parenthood’s baseless claims.

DOJ Asks SCOTUS To Stop ‘Interference’ With Fed Governor Firing– thefederalist.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

DOJ Asks SCOTUS To Stop ‘Interference’ With Fed Governor Firing– thefederalist.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The Justice Department asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to shut down lower courts’ “interference” with President Trump’s efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

In its emergency application for stay, the Trump administration requested that the high court place a temporary pause on a preliminary injunction issued last week by Biden-appointed District Judge Jia Cobb. That order sought to block the president from removing Cook from her position with the agency.

Trump announced he was firing Cook “on Aug. 25 over allegations broached by one of his appointees that she committed mortgage fraud related to two properties she purchased in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Atlanta in 2021, before she joined the Federal Reserve,” according to a local Fox affiliate.

Cobbs’ ruling prompted the Trump administration to appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the higher court to pause the Biden appointee’s injunction. A three-judge panel for the appellate court declined (2-1) to do so on Monday.

Writing on behalf of the administration, U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer asked the Supreme Court to place “an immediate administrative stay of [Cobbs’] preliminary injunction” while the merits of the case continue to proceed in the lower courts. He specifically argued that the government’s newest application “involves yet another case of improper judicial interference with the President’s removal authority — here, interference with the President’s authority to remove members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for cause.”

“The Federal Reserve Act, ch. 6, 38 Stat. 251, broadly authorizes the President to dismiss members of the Board of Governors ‘for cause,’ without further restricting permissible types of cause,” Sauer wrote.

Charlie Kirk’s True Legacy: A Generation Unashamed– www.standingforfreedom.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Charlie Kirk’s True Legacy: A Generation Unashamed– www.standingforfreedom.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The statistics should terrify every Christian parent: 66 percent of young people who regularly attended Protestant churches as teenagers drop out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. Lifeway Research confirms what pastors have witnessed for decades: 70 to 88 percent of youth from evangelical homes abandon their faith after just one year in secular college. By high school, nearly 30 percent of seniors completely dismiss religion as important to their lives.

This is the spiritual battlefield on which Charlie Kirk planted his flag at just 18 years old. While many churches retreated into entertainment and shallow programming, this young warrior marched onto hostile campuses with an arsenal of biblical truth.

In barely 13 years of public ministry, he built what would become the largest conservative youth organization in America, Turning Point U.S.A., and helped untold numbers of young people recognize that eternal truth, not cultural lies, were the key to creating a life of purpose and joy.

His assassination in Utah last week revealed something the secular world cannot comprehend: Charlie Kirk’s greatest victory was not political but spiritual. He reversed the tide of apostasy by raising a generation unashamed of the Gospel.

The world knew Kirk as a political provocateur. But those with eyes to see recognize his true mission. In a candid 2022 interview, Kirk revealed his heart: “Politics is moments in time… I’m more focused on educational, transformational, multi-decade change.”

This wasn’t campaign rhetoric. It was the battle cry of a man who understood that souls matter more than votes and that worldview transformation precedes political victory.

Meta AI Dings Kirk for Supposed Misinformation, Citing ‘Neutral’ Wikipedia– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Meta AI Dings Kirk for Supposed Misinformation, Citing ‘Neutral’ Wikipedia– www.newsbusters.org
Source Link
Excerpt:

Meta AI went after Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk by relying on none other than Wikipedia, exposing the disturbing influence of the online encyclopedia on artificial intelligence.

On Wednesday, the chatbot was quick to accuse Kirk of promoting conspiracy theories and other purportedly false claims when asked, “Who is Charlie Kirk?” Worse still, Meta AI identified Wikipedia as its sole source, justifying its choice by stating it offers a “neutral point of view and comprehensive coverage of current events.”

 

The Download: AI-designed viruses, and bad news for the hydrogen industry– www.technologyreview.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

The Download: AI-designed viruses, and bad news for the hydrogen industry– www.technologyreview.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Artificial intelligence can draw cat pictures and write emails. Now the same technology can compose a working genome.

A research team in California says it used AI to propose new genetic codes for viruses—and managed to get several of them to replicate and kill bacteria.

The work, described in a preprint paper, has the potential to create new treatments and accelerate research into artificially engineered cells. But experts believe it is also an “impressive first step” toward AI-designed life forms. Read the full story.

—Antonio Regalado

Clean hydrogen is facing a big reality check

Hydrogen is sometimes held up as a master key for the energy transition. It can be made using several low-emissions methods and could play a role in cleaning up industries ranging from agriculture to aviation to shipping.

This moment is a complicated one for the green fuel, though, as a new report from the International Energy Agency lays out. A number of major projects face cancellations and delays. The US in particular is seeing a slowdown after changes to key tax credits and cuts in support for renewable energy.

Still, there are bright spots for the industry, including in China, and new markets could soon become crucial for growth. Here are three things to know about the state of hydrogen in 2025.

—Casey Crownhart

 

Are GMOs Safe? A Molecular Geneticist Speaks Out– www.truthdig.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Are GMOs Safe? A Molecular Geneticist Speaks Out– www.truthdig.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

 

Are genetically engineered foods safe? In an interview with a leading molecular genetics expert, we discuss the scientific evidence behind health concerns tied to genetically modified corn and pesticides, how genetically modified organisms are changing in ways that increase health risks and how regulatory systems have failed to keep pace with modern genetics.

Professor Michael Antoniou, head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at King’s College London, has studied for more than 35 years how genes function and how they are disrupted. His decades of rigorous independent research into the risks of GM foods and glyphosate-based herbicides have raised serious concerns about the safety of these technologies.

In a report he prepared for the Mexican government, as the country attempted to restrict GMO corn imports for health reasons, Antoniou cited “a large body of evidence from well-controlled laboratory animal toxicity studies that show evidence of harm to multiple physiological systems” from toxic agents found in GM corn.

New Research Shows Gut Cells Communicate Directly with the Brain– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

New Research Shows Gut Cells Communicate Directly with the Brain– www.scientificamerican.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American’s board of editors.

Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman.

People often talk about having “gut feelings,” but new research suggests there may be more to the idiom than we thought. Scientists are finding that specialized cells in our intestines can send signals directly to the brain, potentially influencing appetite and even mood.

Recent studies hint that our microbiomes could play a role in this communication system, though researchers are still trying to understand exactly how these interactions work and what they mean for our health.

Here to walk us through the emerging science of the belly-to-brain connection is Maya Kaelberer, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Physiology.

Genetics Can Track How Languages Mixed in the Past– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Genetics Can Track How Languages Mixed in the Past– www.scientificamerican.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

September 18, 2025

3 min read

Genetics Can Track How Languages Mixed in the Past

New research shows that wherever human populations mix, their languages blend as well

By Cody Cottier edited by Allison Parshall

PhotoHamster/Getty Images

When speakers of different languages meet, their words, sounds and even grammatical structures mingle in surprising ways. Ketchup, for example, may be an American staple today, but its name entered English via the Chinese language Hokkien around the end of the 17th century. Or consider the phrase “attorney general”: we place the adjective after the noun because that was standard word order in French when the Normans invaded England in 1066. This kind of exchange, called linguistic “borrowing,” is a big part of how languages evolve worldwide.

Because of gaps in the historical record of human encounters, it can be hard to measure exactly how contact between different populations shaped any given language over the years. But a vestige of all those past interactions persists in human DNA: whenever a person’s genes indicate their ancestors came from two separate populations, it stands to reason that said ancestors interacted closely enough for their languages to merge, too. So a team of researchers analyzed genetic data from nearly 5,000 individuals living in the last few decades, spanning every inhabited continent, and identified 126 cases where those individuals’ ancestry indicated interbreeding between two distinct populations at some point in the past. Though a person’s genetic heritage doesn’t necessarily reflect the language they speak, the researchers expected to find similarities between the languages spoken by those converging groups.

Spiders Will Hunt in Groups and Share Meals if They Have Enlarged Brain Structures– www.discovermagazine.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Spiders Will Hunt in Groups and Share Meals if They Have Enlarged Brain Structures– www.discovermagazine.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

 

Most spiders are known for being loners that keep to themselves. But in rare instances, some close-knit spider communities rely on strength in numbers. From a young age, the spiders in these groups show selfless behaviors such as joining forces on hunts or sharing meals with one another.

A new study published in Integrative Zoology suggests that these spiders get along so well partly because of what’s inside of their brains. Researchers found that certain brain regions of social huntsman spiders and social crab spiders — both of which live in groups — display slight variations compared to spiders that live alone. The distinct structure of these regions may be the reason why some spiders develop strong social skills while others have a preference for privacy.

If you ever find yourself peeling back the bark of a eucalyptus tree or a dead acacia tree in Australia, you could be in for a surprise that’ll make you jump out of your shoes. Chances are, you’ll come across a hidden conclave of social huntsman spiders, which live in groups containing potentially hundreds of individuals.

Not all spiders have grand get-togethers like this. In fact, the behavior is extremely rare among spider species — only 0.1 percent of the world’s 53,000 spider species live in groups.

Most spiders are territorial and become aggressive toward others of their kind, even resorting to cannibalism at times. Social spiders, on the other hand, usually get along well with their kin.

Early humans reached Europe via an Ice Age land bridge from Turkey– www.popsci.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Early humans reached Europe via an Ice Age land bridge from Turkey– www.popsci.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The Aegean coast of Ayvalık in Turkey is composed of numerous islands and peninsulas today, but the region looked quite different 2.58 million—11,700 years ago during the Pleistocene Ice Age. During this epoch, expanses of coastal plains revealed themselves as sea levels dropped by around 330 feet. These climatic shifts allowed the formation of continual landmasses, including one that bridged Anatolia and Europe.

The landmass was exposed as sea levels dropped by as much as 330 feet during the Ice Age. Credit: Göknur, Kadriye, and Hande

“In all these periods, the present-day islands and peninsulas of Ayvalık would have formed interior zones within an expansive terrestrial environment,” study co-author Kadriye Özçelik said in a statement.

GOP’s new Jan. 6 panel sends letters to DOJ, University of Virginia and others– www.politico.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

GOP’s new Jan. 6 panel sends letters to DOJ, University of Virginia and others– www.politico.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The new GOP-led committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack is asking Attorney General Pam Bondi, the University of Virginia and other businesses for information from the previous Democratic-led panel that investigated the Capitol attack.

The Republican leaders claim the information they’re pursuing was never disclosed by the previous panel.

“This is an important first step in unraveling the predetermined narrative the former January 6th Select Committee crafted to hurt President Donald J. Trump,” Chair Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said in a statement. “Why else would their committee delete or fail to properly archive more than a terabyte of data?”

Many materials in the previous panel’s possession ultimately became public. But some were never released, including footage of witness interviews.

Loudermilk and other Republicans have maintained that the previous panel’s probe was politically motivated. In creating the new GOP investigation, Loudermilk intends to rewrite the record of the Capitol attack.

Post-Kimmel, Dems could change the cancel culture narrative– www.politico.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Post-Kimmel, Dems could change the cancel culture narrative– www.politico.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Democrats opened investigations, filed motions to subpoena and demanded the resignation of the Federal Communications Commission chair Thursday — a response to the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that represented unusually swift pushback from a party struggling to find its footing.

But it’s not clear how Democrats will translate this relatively united front into an electoral strategy, as the party remains divided over how and how much to talk about threats to democracy ahead of next year’s pivotal midterm elections.

That tension began playing out in their descriptions of Kimmel’s suspension, as some Democrats urged their party to retool its messaging.

At a press conference on Capitol Hill to announce legislation to protect free speech, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) attacked President Donald Trump for “trying to destroy our democracy” and acting like “many would-be despots.” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) cautioned “fascism is not on the way, it is here.” But Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is running for the U.S. Senate in a high-profile primary, warned that language may be “too abstract for people” and urged Democrats to “distill it down to something people get in their everyday life.”

“This is what we saw in 2024: When you talk about ‘fascism’ and ‘democracy’ and ‘oligarchy,’ it’s too big a concept,” McMorrow said. “People are so overwhelmed and when it’s too big, people just wonder, ‘well, what can I possibly do about it?’”

RFK Jr’s vaccine committee changed its MMRV recommendations– www.latimes.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

RFK Jr’s vaccine committee changed its MMRV recommendations– www.latimes.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A key committee of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Thursday to alter its recommendation on an early childhood vaccine, after a discussion that at times pitted vaccine skeptics against the CDC’s own data.

After an 8 to 3 vote with one abstention, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will no longer recommend that children under the age of 4 receive a single-shot vaccine for mumps, measles, rubella and varicella (better known as chicken pox).

Instead, the CDC will recommend that children between the ages of 12 to 15 months receive two separate shots at the same time: one for mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) and one for varicella.

The first vote of the committee’s two-day meeting represents a relatively small change to current immunization practices. The committee will vote Friday on proposed changes to childhood Hepatitis B and COVID vaccines.

But doctors said the lack of expertise and vaccine skepticism on display during much of the discussion would only further dilute public trust in science and public health guidance.

“I think the primary goal of this meeting has already happened, and that was to sow distrust and instill fear among parents and families,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases, during a Zoom press conference Thursday.

Here’s Another Big Thing That May Have Factored Into the Kimmel Suspension – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Here’s Another Big Thing That May Have Factored Into the Kimmel Suspension – RedState– redstate.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Jimmy Kimmel has said disgraceful things over the years on his show. But he finally appears to have stepped into it big time with his comments about the accused killer of Charlie Kirk, implying he is MAGA.

ABC affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair found that offensive. ABC decided to suspend his show. Sinclair is demanding that Kimmel apologize before they consider lifting any suspension. They want ABC to take more action on professionalism and accountability.

But there’s another problem that may have factored into the network’s calculus: the program’s plummeting ratings. Ultimately, it’s always about the money.

Nielsen data showed sharp summer declines and a year-long slide that leaves him trailing late-night rivals such as Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and CBS star Stephen Colbert.

According to monthly Nielsen figures, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” dropped to just 1.1 million total viewers in August 2025, down 43% from January’s 1.95 million. His August household rating of 0.35 marked the weakest showing of the year.

The advertiser-coveted 18–49 demo also cratered. Kimmel averaged only 129,000 viewers in that bracket in August, off from 212,000 in January and less than half his June peak of 284,000.

 

Maps: 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Off Russia Prompts Brief Tsunami Advisory in Alaska– www.nytimes.com

pgnewser September 19, 2025 0

Maps: 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Off Russia Prompts Brief Tsunami Advisory in Alaska– www.nytimes.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A major, 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake prompted a brief tsunami advisory, the second-highest alert level, for some coastal portions of western Alaska, which was lifted about two hours later.

The temblor happened at 6:58 a.m. Kamchatka time about 80 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, data from the agency shows.

Tsunamis are a series of long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of water in the ocean, usually from a large earthquake on or below the ocean floor. Tsunamis radiate in all directions from the epicenter and can cause dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last for hours or days.

The tsunami advisory had been in place for parts of the Alaskan coast that were closest to the earthquake. Farther away, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said there was no threat to Hawaii. “Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected,” it said.

In late July, the same region was hit by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake. That quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, set off tsunami waves that reached as far away as Hawaii and California.