Ancient predatory worms dating back around 518 million years have been discovered in North Greenland‚ where a treasure trove of Early Cambrian fossils lay in wait in the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte. The new-to-science animals have been named Timorebestia‚ Latin for “terror beasts”‚ and their discovery reveals new insights into a curious group of predatory worms that are still alive today.Arrowworms‚ also known as chaetognaths‚ are extant marine predators that hunt for tiny zooplankton in the ocean. Today they’re relatively small animals ranging from about 3 to 100 millimeters (0.118 to 4 inches)‚ but their newly discovered Timorebestia koprii relatives were comparative monsters at around 30 centimeters (11.8 inches).Found in a fossil locality that dates back more than 518 million years‚ it’s believed these giant terror worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals hunting in the water column in the Early Cambrian. They were peculiar-looking critters‚ with long antennae and an impressive set of jaws inside their heads. This separates them from arrowworms‚ whose jaws are on the outside. Timorebestia koprii and its distinctive long antennae. This is the largest known specimen at almost 30 centimeters or 12 inches.Image credit: Dr Jakob VintherWhile a chompy worm the length of a ruler might not sound all that intimidating to the modern Homo sapiens‚ it would’ve been a significant threat to animals sharing the water column in Timorebestia’s heyday. “Our research shows that these ancient ocean ecosystems were fairly complex with a food chain that allowed for several tiers of predators‚” said senior study author Dr Jakob Vinther‚ from the University of Bristol’s Schools of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences‚ in a statement.“Timorebestia were giants of their day and would have been close to the top of the food chain. That makes it equivalent in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern oceans‚ such as sharks and seals back in the Cambrian period.”Timorebesta koprii fossil (left) and Dr Jakob Vinther for scale.Image credit: Dr Jakob VintherEvidence of Timorebestia’s predatory prowess was found in its fossilized digestive system‚ where the remains of some unlucky Isoxys were found. Isoxys were a common swimming arthropod at the time whose defenses were apparently useless against Timorebestia.“We can see these arthropods [were] a food source [for] many other animals‚” added Morten Lunde Nielsen‚ a former PhD student at Bristol and part of the current study. “They are very common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines‚ pointing both forwards and backwards. However‚ they clearly didn’t completely succeed in avoiding that fate‚ because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities.”Its success as a marine hunter adds a previously unrecognized dynasty of predators to our oceans’ history‚ as it seems Timorebestia and arrowworms were likely dominating the oceans before arthropods took off. Vinther estimates their reign may have lasted for 10 to 15 million years for they were superseded by more successful animals.The team used an electron microprobe to map the carbon in the fossils out‚ revealing anatomical features such as fin rays and muscle systems.Image credit: Dr Jakob Vinther“We are very excited to have discovered such unique predators in Sirius Passet‚” concluded Tae Yoon Park from the Korean Polar Research Institute‚ the other senior author and field expedition leader. “Over a series of expeditions to the very remote Sirius Passet in the furthest reaches of North Greenland more than 82.5 north‚ we have collected a great diversity of exciting new organisms. Thanks to the remarkable‚ exceptional preservation in Sirius Passet we can also reveal exciting anatomical details including their digestive system‚ muscle anatomy‚ and nervous systems.”“We have many more exciting findings to share in the coming years that will help show how the earliest animal ecosystems looked like and evolved.” The study is published in Science Advances.

In a world where animals often endure their suffering in silence‚ a heartwarming tale unfolds‚ revealing the incredible power of compassion and transformation. This remarkable story centers around the rescue of an elephant who had endured a staggering 50 years in chains. The video kicks off with a poignant scene: an elephant‚ imprisoned for half... The post Elephant can’t contain emotions when she’s finally freed after 50 years in chains appeared first on Animal Channel.

Two moon bears‚ Buzz and Armstrong‚ had spent over two decades as neighbors‚ each confined to their own small‚ dark cage. They could only interact through the cold bars that separated them‚ a far cry from the freedom they deserved. But their world was about to change in the most heartwarming way. The day that... The post Bears who’ve spent the last 20 years separated by steel bars are reunited in adorable video appeared first on Animal Channel.

One day in May‚ Steve Knoop was driving when he encountered a fawn in dire need of assistance. The little creature was lying on the road‚ trying to hide itself in a way that made it look like an unfortunate victim of traffic. As Steve approached‚ he noticed the fawn’s awkward position‚ with its legs... The post Man sees fawn lying in middle of road and jumps to rescue him as mom nervously watches appeared first on Animal Channel.

The New York Times employed two of their Bidenomics-shilling flunkies to harp on why the president’s decrepit economy is actually great and treat disgruntled voters like they're just dumb for not buying it. Times columnists Paul Krugman and Peter Coy co-authored a conversational-like piece of propaganda to once again attempt to prop up the Bidenomics cadaver. “Paul‚ I think the economy is going to be a huge problem for President Biden in 2024‚” Coy wrote. He then condescended to voters: “Voters are unhappy about the state of the economy‚ even though‚ by most measures‚ it’s doing great.” Krugman‚ who already made himself look foolish Dec. 16  by claiming 2023 was “one of the best years ever” for the U.S. economy‚ echoed Coy’s nonsense: “I’m not sure about the politics. We can get into that later. But first‚ can we acknowledge just how good the current state of the economy is?” To which Coy gleefully responded‚ “Absolutely.” Their bumbling conversation piece was headlined: "Will the Economy Help or Hurt Biden ’24? Krugman and Coy Dig Into Data."  Sure‚ Krugman. Biden’s economy is so — er — “great” that the prospect of homeownership “is now less affordable than any time in recent history to buy a home‚ and the math isn’t changing any time soon‚” as The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 11. A Dec. 10 CBS News poll found that 76 percent of Americans said their wages were not keeping up with inflation.  Another CBS News analysis from November 2023 found that “[t]he typical American household must spend an additional $11‚434 annually just to maintain the same standard of living they enjoyed in January of 2021.” If that’s not bad enough‚ household debt also hit a new‚ chilling record of $17.29 trillion. But Krugman propagandized that many analysts are allegedly proclaiming that “the soft landing has arrived.” In Krugman’s world‚ “The eagle has landed.” Coy‚ however‚ did not exactly share Krugman’s optimism about the Federal Reserve sticking the so-called “soft-landing‚” but still proceeded to downplay Americans whose wages are struggling to keep pace with the exorbitantly high prices. “While everyone talks about the cost of living going up‚ pay is up lately‚ too.”  Heritage economist Peter St. Onge pointed out in a recent explainer video that Americans’ incomes aren’t the only things taking a major hit from the inflation crisis spurred on by Bidenomics. Americans’ retirements are also in jeopardy: “One quarter of American's retirements savings -- $30‚000 -- are gone since Joe Biden took office. Enough to delay millions of Americans' retirement for a decade‚” St. Onge wrote in an X post. Bloomberg News also reported in October 2023 that “Half of Working-Age Americans” are struggling to afford medical care due to rising prices.  One quarter of American's retirements savings -- $30‚000 -- are gone since Joe Biden took office. Enough to delay millions of Americans' retirement for a decade. All while prices have soared to the point the average American is spending $11‚400 more per year just to keep up‚… pic.twitter.com/0J7CgKl2t2 — Peter St Onge‚ Ph.D. (@profstonge) January 1‚ 2024 But Krugman‚ true to form‚ tried to downplay the disconnect between his illusory concept of a goldilocks economy under Biden and the disgruntled voters as simply a Republican issue. “One effect is partisanship. People in both parties tend to be more negative when the other party controls the presidency‚ but the Briefing Book folks find that the effect is much stronger for Republicans. So part of the reason consumer sentiment is poor is that Republicans talk as if we’re in a depression when a Democrat is president‚ never mind reality‚” Krugman spewed. “That is so true. And I think the effect is even stronger now than it used to be because we’re more polarized‚” chimed Coy.  No‚ Americans’ discontent with Biden’s economy is not a partisan issue. A Bankrate survey found in November 2023 that 59 percent of independent voters have expressed that their economic situation “has deteriorated since 2020‚” according to Fox Business.  In fact‚ a recent Monmouth University poll of 803 adults — which featured 41 percent who identified themselves Independents‚ 31 percent as Democrats and just 28 percent as Republicans — found that 68 percent of respondents panned Biden’s handling of inflation. Even more notable is Democrats’ growing discontent with the president: “while 62% of Democrats approve of how Biden has handled inflation‚ a sizable 35% disapprove.” [Emphasis added.] Conservatives are under attack. Contact The New York Times at 800-698-4637 and demand it distance itself from Krugman and Coy’s gaslighting on Bidenomics.   

The massive recent push from the climate change agenda and the Biden administration is apparently not enough for ABC News. ABC News ridiculously warned about the “life-or-death stakes” and “economic consequences of climate change” in a Dec. 29 article by ABC News reporter Max Zahn. Among factors that ABC News claimed contribute to the “grave risk” of climate change is the increase in oil production in the U.S.‚ which Zahn claimed “worsens climate emissions.” The outlet further complained that “backlash against environmental‚ social and governance investing‚ or ESG‚ brought a decline in financing for funds focused on those issues.” With billions of taxpayer dollars already going to these crazy causes‚ it is unbelievable that ABC News is whining that the US should go even further. The article‚ headlined “How Wall Street reckoned with climate change in 2023‚” never answered the prompt that the title suggested. Instead‚ the article praised President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)‚ which the reporter absurdly celebrated as the “largest climate legislation in the nation's history.” Zahn quoted Harvard professor Robert Stavins in claiming that “The uptake [of the IRA] has been vastly greater than what the Biden White House anticipated.” This is in spite of the fact the IRA failed to accomplish what it set out to do: reduce inflation. In the face of its admiration of Biden and the IRA‚ the network complained about lack of ESG investing and the rise in oil production. However‚ ESG investing is unable to be a profitable venture in most instances‚ and even to be a failure in reaching its own crazy environmental goals. On top of that‚ the rise in oil production is a rare good thing for American drivers in an economy that has failed them in so many ways since Biden’s inauguration. But none of this matters to ABC News and the climate cultists. This is not the first time that the outlet has pushed for the Biden administration to take a more radical stance on climate change. For example‚ ABC’s Good Morning America complained about Biden’s failure to attend the U.N. Climate Summit in September of 2023. But‚ the strategy of supporters of the woke climate agenda often is to keep pushing leftward. Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News at (818) 460-7477 and demand that it stop shilling for the woke climate agenda

Fair Fight‚ an activist group founded by twice-failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams‚ sued True the Vote over its efforts to bolster the integrity of the 2020 election. Fair Fight alleged the election watchdog had violated the Voting Rights Act's protections against voter intimidation. Despite the Biden Department of Justice pressing its thumb on the scale in favor of Fair Fight‚ an Obama-appointed federal judge dealt Abrams yet another defeat Tuesday‚ ruling in favor of TTV. Background TTV‚ a Texas-based group involved in Dinesh D'Souza's "2000 Mules" film as well as a legal battle with the China-linked election software group Konnech‚ called into question the eligibility of over 364‚000 voters before the January 2021 runoff election for two critical U.S. Senate seats in Georgia. The stakes were high as the close election would determine control of the Senate‚ and TTV figured there was good reason to suspect the voters had been ineligible to cast ballots owing to a change in residency. According to one of Fair Fight's trial experts‚ TTV had a hand in ultimately challenging 250‚783 supposed Georgia voters across 65 counties. Fair Fight filed a complaint against TTV on Dec. 23‚ 2020‚ alleging the election integrity group intimidated voters "through a multi-pronged approach: challenging voters' registrations based on unreliable information; recruiting citizen watchdogs and U.S. Navy SEALS to watch voters return their ballots and monitor polling places; and‚ offering a $1 million reward to incentivize its supporters to find evidence of alleged illegal voting." Scott Berson‚ one of the plaintiffs‚ claimed during the trial that he returned to Georgia's Muscogee County after completing a master's degree at Auburn University to discover that his eligibility to vote in the upcoming races was in question‚ reported the Associated Press. "It was a very discouraging and frustrating thing to hear‚" said Berson. In January 2023‚ the Biden Department of Justice filed a brief in the suit on behalf of Fair Fight‚ attempting to poke holes in TTV's defense‚ particularly its sense that its voter challenges didn't amount to intimidation under state law. Even with the DOJ's intervention‚ Abrams' group couldn't eke out a win. Ruling Judge Steve Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia indicated in his 145-page order that "no action taken by the Defendants in this case constitute voter intimidation." While critical of TTV's list of possible ineligible voters‚ suggesting it "utterly lacked reliability‚" Jones acknowledged that there was insufficient evidence to show that "any voter in Georgia was reasonably intimidated by Defendants' actions." Jones noted that the ultimate decision to cause a voter to provide additional information regarding their eligibility to vote in a particular county was up to the county boards of election. "This intermediary between the challenger and the eligibility inquiry ... creates a significant causation issue for Plaintiffs case‚" wrote Jones. "It impugns the direct connection between the alleged intimidating conduct by Defendants and the voter allegedly intimidated‚ and breaks the chain of causation for purposes of establishing liability for voter intimidation." Jones concluded‚ "Not only have Plaintiffs failed to overcome the fact that their actions did not result in any direct voter contact or alone include or direct county Boards of Elections to pursue an eligibility inquiry‚ but there is no evidence that Defendants’ actions caused (or attempted to cause) any voter to be intimidated‚ coerced‚ or threatened in voting." Responses Like its founder who has exhibited a tendency to deny legitimate results‚ Fair Fight didn't take the loss well. "We believe True the Vote used Donald Trump's Big Lie as the basis to launch eligibility challenges against more than 364‚000 Georgians ahead of the runoff—many of whom were Black‚ brown‚ and first-time voters‚" Fair Fight executive director Cianti Stewart-Reid said in a statement. "Efforts by conspiracy theorists and anti-voter extremists to strip eligible voters from the rolls through mass voter challenges and aggressive voter purges are one of the biggest threats to our democracy and upcoming elections in 2024‚" added Stewart-Reid. Fair Fight may be especially sore because Judge Jones rejected another of its lawsuits in September. Abrams' Fair Fight Action claimed in a complaint that Georgia had "grossly mismanaged" the 2018 election‚ depriving some citizens of their right to vote. Jones figured otherwise‚ stating‚ "Although Georgia's election system is not perfect‚ the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the VRA." TTV president Catherine Engelbrecht said of the victory‚ "Today's ruling sends a clear message to those who would attempt to control the course of our nation through lawfare and intimidation. American citizens will not be silenced." Jake Evans‚ lead TTV attorney‚ stated‚ "This decision is monumental. It vindicates True the Vote in totality and establishes that eligibility challenges under Section 230 are a proper method to ensure voter rolls are accurate. I am grateful to help achieve this great victory." The election integrity group made clear that it "remains steadfast in its mission to support trustworthy elections and looks forward to assisting citizens in future such lawful efforts." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Fox News host Sean Hannity has finally left New York‚ becoming the latest American to join the blue state exodus.Hannity announced on his radio show Tuesday that he has permanently moved to Florida from New York‚ telling listeners that he is "broadcasting now from my new home in the free state of Florida.""If anybody is listening to this program for any length of time‚ I've been threatening now to do this for quite a while. But we are now beginning our first broadcast from my new home‚ and that is in the free state of Florida‚" Hannity explained. "I am out. I am done. I'm finished. New York‚ New York‚ goodbye. Florida‚ Florida. If you can make it here‚ you can make it anywhere. But it's great to be here."Hannity declined to list the reasons he left New York — because they're "obvious.""I'm not going to go through the 'whys‚' the 'how comes' because it's obvious this migration out of the blue states with high taxes‚ burdensome regulation‚ high crime‚ horrible school districts is real‚" he said. "And if anything‚ I'm probably late and behind the curve and and many others have made the move beforehand."Not only is Florida a "free state‚" but Hannity celebrated that his representatives now truly represent his values."Finally‚ for the first time that I can think of in my adult life‚ I actually have representatives in the state that I'm living in that share my values. I have a governor by the name of Ron DeSantis and Sens. Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott. So I’m feeling a lot better about it‚" he said.It's not immediately clear where in Florida Hannity is living. He did not disclose the city or town to which he moved.Hannity owns a property in Palm Beach‚ but it is not declared a primary residence‚ the Palm Beach Daily News reported. Plus‚ local Palm Beach ordinances prohibit businesses from operating out of private homes.It is assumed that Hannity will also broadcast his weeknight Fox News show from his home studio in Florida. He already hosted the show from a studio at his Long Island residence‚ only traveling to Fox News' headquarters in midtown Manhattan when filming episodes with a live audience. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Missouri Republican Governor Michael Parson signed an executive order Tuesday banning foreign adversaries from purchasing land near military bases due to espionage concerns.A press release from the governor's office stated that Executive Order 24-01 prohibits "individuals and businesses from nations designated as foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land within a 10-mile radius of critical military facilities in the State of Missouri.""Critical military facilities" encompass "all staffed military facilities" in the state‚ it added. Nations currently designated as foreign adversaries include China‚ Cuba‚ Iran‚ North Korea‚ Russia‚ and Venezuela.Existing Missouri law limits foreign agricultural land purchases to 1% of the total farmland in the state. The office's press release noted that the governor's executive order aims to make those requirements more stringent‚ granting the Missouri Department of Agriculture additional oversight authority by requiring the department's approval for all foreign agricultural land purchases. The MDA will receive additional funding to ensure it has the resources to enforce the new protections.During a Tuesday press conference‚ Parson said‚ "With heightened concerns regarding ownership of Missouri farm land by foreign adversaries‚ especially China‚ we are signing this order to safeguard our military and intelligence assets‚ prevent security threats to our state‚ and give Missourians greater peace of mind.""When it comes to China and other foreign adversaries‚ we must take commonsense precautions that protect Missourians and our security resources‚" he added.Parson clarified that his executive order "does not impact Missouri's valued economic partnerships with foreign allies‚ including Israel‚ Sweden‚ Germany‚ the United Kingdom‚ and Japan‚ among many others that have a longstanding presence in Missouri and employ thousands of Missourians‚" the press release stated.Foreign entities have invested nearly $19 billion in Missouri over the last five years‚ creating roughly 150‚000 jobs in the state‚ the governor reported."There are numerous Missouri employers from friendly nations that we have strong economic relationships with‚ and we must ensure we are not disrupting Missouri's economy or Missourians' lives and livelihoods. Commonsense decisions and a balanced approach must always win‚ and Missouri must remain open for business to our allies‚" Parson continued. "As such‚ we believe this order‚ with the authority we have‚ sufficiently protects Missouri's security interests from potential bad actors while not punishing our allies for being good economic partners or upstanding individuals fleeing oppression and coming to our nation legally in search of a better life."The governor remarked that the state's laws prevent him from enforcing more stringent regulations."Believe me‚ if I had the authority‚ we wouldn't just be talking about banning farm land but all commercial properties by foreign adversaries‚" he added.Anything else?In October‚ Arkansas' Act 636 went into effect‚ banning prohibited foreign parties‚ including China‚ from owning land‚ Blaze News previously reported.The U.S. Treasury Department continues to investigate California farmland purchased by China-tied investment group Flannery Associates. The group‚ which claims it is backed by American investors seeking to build a walkable city‚ dished out nearly $1 billion to acquire roughly 52‚000 acres since 2017 near a military base‚ Blaze News previously reported.Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy told the New York Post in November that the purchase is still being investigated because federal government officials are "not 100% that China is not behind funding on this.""A couple of the investors already are very connected with China‚ business-wise‚" she noted.Flannery Associates told the Post that it has "no other foreign investors" other than those already disclosed to the federal government‚ the outlet reported. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Disney's "Star Wars" franchise started off 2024 with the promise of more to come in terms of what ultimately turned audiences away from the studio in 2023.After Disney was rated the worst major movie studio by Variety due to its poor performances from the Marvel Cinematic Universe‚ and even staples like "Indiana Jones" and the Mickey Mouse brand‚ wasted no time letting people know it wasn't done yet.Appearing on CNN's international New Year's Eve celebration‚ Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy told host Kristie Lu that production on the new "Star Wars" film she is set to direct may start production "soon."The Pakistani-Canadian director has typically produced documentary shorts‚ winning two Academy Awards. However‚ she recently directed two episodes of "Ms. Marvel‚" a female-centric superhero show starring Muslim actress Iman Vellani‚ who was also in Marvel's massively disappointing feature "The Marvels.""I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special. And we’re in 2024 now‚ and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far‚ far away‚" she added‚ per Hollywood in Toto.CNN's host noted that Obaid-Chinoy is the "first woman and person of color" to direct a "Star Wars" movie.In an Instagram post‚ Obaid-Chinoy said that her work in "oppressive" countries had contributed to her attraction to the role as a director for "Star Wars." "I've spent my life meeting real life heroes‚ who have overcome the most oppressive empires and battled impossible odds and that to me is the heart of Star Wars.""Which is why I was attracted to the promise of a new Jedi Order …And why I'm particularly excited about being immersed inside a Jedi Academy with a powerful Jedi Master‚" she added.In a video shared by IMDB‚ Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that the franchise has been "looking at everything we're doing now as being a kind of overarching look at the evolution of the Jedi."Kennedy then seemed to imply that future iterations of "Star Wars" could be treated as one-offs‚ which would avoid potential long-term disasters."Everything's connected in a way that it's not something we're setting up where if one doesn't follow the next it makes a huge difference‚" she added.When asked what she learned from the most recent "Star Wars" trilogy‚ Kennedy said that she believed people want to return to a "feeling" and that Disney has been working to find "passionate filmmakers that have something to say‚ [who] are going to give those stories meaning."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!