Israeli President to Blinken: YGBFKM; Plus: New John Ondrasik Video‚ "OK'

Most of us experience some sort of trauma during our lifetime‚ yet only about 25 to 35 percent of people who are exposed to severely disturbing events go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to a new study‚ a person’s vulnerability to the condition may be determined by their responsiveness to stress hormones‚ thus offering a potential explanation for this discrepancy.People with PTSD typically display fear extinction deficits‚ whereby their conditioned responses to stimuli associated with traumatic events don’t soften over time. Other hallmarks of the condition include a reduction in the volume of the hippocampus - a brain region that plays a key role in memory and emotion - as well as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disturbances.Because REM sleep is crucial for memory consolidation‚ disruptions to this key sleep phase are likely to impede any attempts to overcome one’s trauma. Interestingly‚ however‚ studies have also shown that PTSD sufferers tend to have lower levels of glucocorticoids – or stress hormones – such as cortisol.“There are considerable differences in the levels of glucocorticoids that individuals release to the bloodstream when stressed‚” explained study author Carmen Sandi in a statement. “Low glucocorticoid levels are frequently observed in PTSD patients following trauma exposure and were initially suspected to be a consequence of trauma exposure.”“The possibility that this could be a trait constituting a preexisting PTSD risk factor has been an outstanding open question for many years‚” she said. To provide an answer‚ the study authors conducted experiments on mice that had been genetically engineered to display a blunted response to stress hormones. Brain scans revealed that these rodents had reduced hippocampi‚ while recordings of brain activity also revealed deficits in REM sleep. Furthermore‚ after the mice had been conditioned to associate a noise with receiving an electric shock‚ mice with dampened cortisol responses were less able to un-learn this association‚ and continued to freeze in fear whenever they heard the noise.These findings suggest that fear extinction deficits‚ hippocampal reductions‚ and REM disturbances may all be mediated by glucocorticoids‚ and that people with low levels of these hormones might therefore be more vulnerable to PTSD.To confirm the robustness of this conclusion‚ the study authors injected the mice with the stress hormone corticosterone‚ and found that this ameliorated the animals’ excessive fear and REM disturbances.The researchers therefore assert that “blunted glucocorticoids were associated with PTSD-related features such as impaired fear extinction‚ reduced hippocampal volume‚ and REMS disturbances.” As such‚ they propose that dampened sensitivity to stress hormones “not only predicts but may also contribute causally to core PTSD symptoms.”Obviously‚ these findings will need to be replicated in humans before such hypotheses can be confirmed‚ although the authors suggest that glucocorticoid treatments may be effective for some people suffering from PTSD.The study is published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

If you are someone who has a child‚ plays some other role in a child's life‚ or are simply near one at a bus stop‚ at some point you are going to be asked how clouds stay in the sky by a toddler.Science lessons from your youth fade pretty quickly‚ we get it. There's also the chance you have been told the incorrect explanation at some point‚ that clouds float because they are less dense than the air beneath them. As air near the Earth's surface heats up it does indeed begin to rise‚ carrying water vapor with it‚ being less dense than the surrounding (mostly) nitrogen and oxygen. This is the same principle that lifts hot air balloons off the ground. Think of how a balloon held underwater will rise to the surface‚ where it stops‚ as the air within it is roughly as dense as the air around it. Or at least‚ it is not dense enough to sink in water‚ and not sparse enough to keep on flying upwards. If you filled it with the less dense helium‚ it would continue to float upwards.But air – and the water vapor contained within it – does not forever fly upwards and out of our atmosphere like helium‚ reaching a height where it is roughly the same density as the air around it. As air cools‚ water and ice droplets are formed within it in big enough volumes to make the clouds we see‚ as sunlight reflects off the large numbers of water droplets.Droplets of water within clouds‚ though‚ make up only a tiny proportion of the cloud's volume. A common cumulus cloud‚ for example‚ has approximately 0.5 grams (0.018 ounces) of water per cubic meter. This adds up quite quickly given the enormous volume of clouds. A 1-cubic-kilometer (0.24-cubic-mile) cloud would weigh 500‚000 kilograms (1.1 million pounds).So‚ how does something that heavy stay up there‚ when throwing a truck out the window of an airplane would result in a truck smashing to the ground and probably a few lawsuits?Water droplets inside the clouds are not concerned with how heavy the air around them is in total. The numerous droplets within a cloud may make a huge total‚ but that doesn't matter for the individual droplet. These stay aloft (until they don't) due to their large surface area. The upwards force of air resistance (aka buoyant force) on small droplets of water is enough to keep their terminal velocity – where the drag force of the air an object is moving through is equal to the downward force of gravity – low‚ for small droplets. The result is that the smaller droplets are constantly falling‚ but easily pushed upwards by the air below them.This doesn't last forever – just ask anyone who lives in the UK. The droplets within the cloud collide and become larger droplets. As this happens‚ the weight of the droplets compared to the surface area increases‚ and the droplets fall‚ the air resistance no longer enough to slow them."A droplet of 10-micron radius falls at a speed of 1 cm/sec [0.02 mph]‚" Louis J. Battan explains in the book Cloud Physics‚ "while droplets of 50-micron radius fall at a speed of 26 cm/sec [0.6 mph]."As soon as the radius of the raindrop goes above 0.1 millimeters‚ the air resistance of upward-flowing air isn't enough to counter gravity‚ and it's time to fetch an umbrella.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

In 2017‚ researchers used a virtual telescope the size of our planet to image the shadow of a supermassive black hole for the first time. The image was of M87*‚ the black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87‚ and was the first image of the shadow of the event horizon and bright accretion disk around a black hole ever taken. Now the team has released a new image of M87* from observations conducted a year later that show the shadow is not only a persistent feature‚ as predicted‚ but that the brightness of the ring has changed.The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team used eight independent imaging and modeling techniques to analyze the data from the April 2018 observations and found the brightness peak of the orange disk has shifted by about 30 degrees counterclockwise – now at the 5 o'clock position‚ which can be seen in the image above on the right – compared to that seen in 2017‚ while the size of the ring and the shadow are unchanged‚ as general relativity predicted."Confirmation of the ring in a completely new data set is a huge milestone for our collaboration and a strong indication that we are looking at a black hole shadow and the material orbiting around it‚" Dr Keiichi Asada of the Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan said in a statement.M87* weighs 6.5 billion times the mass of our Sun and is located 53.5 million light-years away. The shift in the brightness spot seen in the new observations was predicted‚ the idea being that the emission from the turbulent‚ messy accretion disk around the supermassive black hole – full of material that couldn't escape the black hole's gravitational pull – will cause the brightest part to wobble. The wobble can be used to test our theories about the behavior of the magnetic field and plasma around the black hole.The EHT images of these incredible objects are possible thanks to a fantastic property of light. Observations from radio telescopes that are a certain distance apart can be combined in a way that is equivalent to a telescope the size of their distance. By combining radio telescopes around the world‚ the initial 2017 EHT was the size of our planet. For the 2018 observations‚ new telescopes in Greenland and Mexico had been added‚ and even more have been added since."The inclusion of the Greenland Telescope in our array filled critical gaps in our earth-sized telescope‚" Rohan Dahale‚ a PhD candidate at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía. "The 2021‚ 2022‚ and the forthcoming 2024 observations witness improvements to the array‚ fuelling our enthusiasm to push the frontiers of black hole astrophysics."In 2022 we got the first image of our own galaxy's supermasive black hole‚ Sagitarrius A*‚ and in 2023 the first direct image of a black hole launching its jets‚ as well as an AI-sharpened M87* glow up. With every new image or details revealed‚ and more telescopes adding to the size and capabilities of the EHT‚ the question is: what are we zooming in on next?The study is published in the journal Astronomy &; Astrophysics.

This is the computer that helped secure the Allied victory in the Second World War and sent the Third Reich to the trash can of history.GCHQ‚ the UK’s intelligence agency‚ has unveiled never-before-seen images of the code-cracking computers that played a crucial role in the Second World War. They’ve been released to mark the 80th anniversary of the machine arriving at Bletchley Park‚ where it began to work its wonders. The Colossus computer was the world's first programmable‚ electronic‚ digital computer. It was created by the British during World War Two to decipher messages between Adolf Hitler‚ his entourage of leading Nazis‚ and senior German generals. The computer’s sole job was to decipher German radio messages that had been encrypted by a Lorenz cipher. Using around 2‚500 valves‚ Colossus would recognize patterns and perform statistical analysis that worked out the settings of the cipher machine's 12 wheels‚ thereby allowing them to read the coded message.Another shot of Colossus.Image credit: Crown Copyright – reproduced by kind permissions of Director GCHQOne of its most significant achievements was revealing that Hitler had been successfully dubbed into thinking that the Allies would be launching their D-Day invasion of mainland Europe from Pas De Calais‚ not Normandy. This sneaky act of deception helped to ensure the Normandy Landings were a success for the Allies (albeit a very costly one).“Colossus was perhaps the most important of the wartime code breaking machines because it enabled the Allies to read strategic messages passing between the main German headquarters across Europe‚” Andrew Herbert OBE FREng‚ Chairman of Trustees at The National Museum of Computing‚ said in a statement.Along with its role in World War Two‚ the pioneering device paved the way for the development of modern electronic digital computers. Experts who worked on the war-winning computer went on to develop “the Manchester Baby” in 1948‚ which was the world’s first electronic stored-program computer.Colossus was developed by a team of engineers led by British General Post Office engineer Tommy Flowers. The work of Alan Turing helped inspire parts of its design‚ although this computer engineering legend did not work directly with the Colossus project. We owe you one‚ Colossus.Image credit: Crown Copyright – reproduced by kind permissions of Director GCHQThe gigantic device was stationed at Bletchley Park‚ a quiet country house in Milton Keynes that became the powerhouse of the Allied code-breaking effort during World War Two. Despite this huge historical importance‚ Colossus remained a highly classified state secret for decades. Its existence was revealed in 1975‚ but it was not until the early 2000s that substantial information about the project was released to the public.“I worked as an engineer on Colossus for a year during the 1960s. I had just signed the Official Secrets Act and knew nothing about GCHQ but was offered ‘interesting work’ which I believed would be dealing with telegrams for a government department‚” explained Bill Marshall‚ a former GCHQ engineer.“I was told very little about the machine I was working on – what the machine was actually doing was not for me to know. My job was to repair it as necessary‚ using just a few circuit diagrams and no detailed user handbook. It wasn’t until much later that I found out that the several of the systems and detailed design information were supposedly destroyed at the end of WWII‚” Marshall added.Sadly‚ the original machine is no more. Following the end of the war‚ Cold War paranoia quickly sunk in. Eight out of the ten Colossus machines at Bletchley Park were promptly dismantled to ensure the technology did not fall into the hands of the Soviet Union. The remaining two‚ which were kept by British Intelligence‚ were later destroyed in the 1960s.There is‚ however‚ a fully working reconstruction of a Colossus computer that you can see at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park.

Following years of activism from Indigenous communities and environmentalists‚ the removal of dams along the Klamath River is allowing water to flow freely once again‚ marking a new hope for the region’s iconic salmon. The Klamath River‚ which trails for 414 kilometers (257 miles) between Oregon and northwestern California‚ was once the third-largest salmon-producing river on the West Coast. It supported a healthy population of Chinook salmon‚ coho salmon‚ and steelhead trout‚ which served as a vital source of nutrition for the Yurok‚ the Karuk‚ and other Indigenous tribal groups that live in the river basin.However‚ the construction of PacifiCorp’s hydroelectric dams along the river between 1911 and 1962 led to a major decline in wild fish stocks. The dam effectively stopped the strong flows of water needed to “flush out” toxic algae‚ worms‚ and other organisms that can cause disease in fish. Now‚ the dams are reaching the end of their lifetime‚ signaling an ideal time to remove them and attempt to revive the river’s once-thriving ecosystem. The dams have caused severe headaches for the Yurok Tribe who had relied on the rivers for decades. Salmon from the Klamath River wasn’t just a key food source for the community but also played a significant role in their culture and identity. After an especially severe die-off of Chinook salmon in 2002‚ Indigenous groups and environmentalists ramped up their efforts to push for the removal of the dams. A map showing the Klamath River and its numerous dams.Image credit: USGS; public domainAgainst the odds‚ their effort paid off. In 2022‚ the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission officially announced they would be decommissioning and removing the dams from the Lower Klamath Hydroelectric Project. “It fills my heart to know that salmon will migrate through this river reach on their way to spawn in the upper basin‚” Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers said in a statement last year. “For the last century‚ we have watched the dams suffocate the life out of the river and it has negatively impacted every member of our tribe‚" Myers added.The dam removal project is now reaching a key stage. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle‚ water behind three of the dams was released last week‚ allowing water to flow freely through the Klamath River for the first time in a century.“We’re now pulling the plug and throwing it away‚” Myers told the newspaper. “Not to get too mushy about it but being able to look at the river flow for the first time in more than 100 years‚ it’s incredibly important to us. It’s what we’ve been fighting for: to see the river for itself‚” he added. However‚ the river’s salmon will now face a new challenge: climate change. Recent years have seen record droughts and intense wildfire activity in this pocket of North America‚ which could hamper the recovery of wild fish populations. While the dam removal is set to boost their numbers‚ the salmon of the Klamath River aren’t out of the woods yet.

Those of you who are chronic users of TikTok (welcome to the gang) may have seen an unusual animal video doing the rounds this week: a two-headed calf. It’s a condition known as polycephaly‚ and although it’s widespread in mythology‚ it’s much rarer in reality. What is polycephaly?The term polycephaly stems from the Greek poly‚ meaning many or multiple; and kephal‚ meaning head. As seen in the calf from the video‚ it is usually a case of an organism with a single body and two heads‚ known as bicephaly or dicephaly‚ although cases of tricephaly have been – perhaps more unreliably – reported.     IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.How rare is it?Cases of polycephaly tend to make the news or go viral because of just how rare a phenomenon it is – to the point where‚ back in 2006‚ an American aquarium attempted to auction off a two-headed snake for $150‚000.It’s difficult‚ however‚ to truly know the scale of this rarity. As vet Dr Alaina Macdonald told Huron County Museum‚ which is home to two taxidermied polycephalic calves‚ it’s a chance event that “would generally result in the early loss of pregnancy‚ and those pregnancies often are undetected. Indeed‚ it is exceptionally rare for the embryo to develop into a full-term fetus‚ and to survive the length of the gestation.”That being said‚ the viral calf video demonstrates that the live birth of polycephalic animals is possible‚ and it’s been documented across a range of animals. It’s most commonly seen in snakes and turtles‚ but it’s also been reported in pigs‚ sheep‚ and even dolphins. The oldest known case was discovered in the Yixian Formation in China – a fossilized reptile believed to date back to the Early Cretaceous.Polycephaly can also occur in humans. You may have heard of Abigail and Brittany Hensel‚ conjoined twins who share a body; in humans‚ this is known as dicephalus parapagus dipus. What causes it?Speaking of twins‚ scientists have looked to their development to figure out how polycephaly occurs. Identical twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos. In the case of polycephaly‚ this split is incomplete‚ known as axial bifurcation.As for why this might happen‚ though there are theories‚ the answers are unclear. “No one knows the exact mechanism behind the abnormal splitting of the embryo‚” said Macdonald.  “Trace mineral deficiencies and environmental factors such as increasing water temperatures and toxin exposure have been implicated in some species‚ but there are likely many causes.  Anything that disrupts that delicate timing of gene expression (including random chance) can cause abnormalities in embryonic development.”It’s also not something that’s considered to be inherited‚ as polycephalic animals often don’t live long enough to reproduce.So‚ we probably shouldn’t get too attached to the now internet-famous two-headed calf‚ but you never know; another bicephalic cow born in the 1990s‚ the aptly named Gemini‚ managed to survive for nearly a year and a half.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

If you received an invitation to get tested for the “Celtic Curse”‚ you might think you’d stumbled back in time‚ or through an enchanted piece of furniture to some fantasy realm. But the condition that goes by this nickname is very much a reality‚ and many sufferers are walking around without realizing they have it. Its more scientific name? Hereditary hemochromatosis.What is hereditary hemochromatosis?Hemochromatosis is a disorder in which too much iron builds up within the body. The condition can sometimes be caused by having regular blood transfusions for another medical condition‚ such as sickle cell disease. Red blood cells are rich in iron‚ but the body struggles to deal with the iron overload. Similarly‚ people with severe liver disease can experience a buildup of iron‚ and in very rare cases excessive amounts of iron in the diet can cause hemochromatosis too.These types of hemochromatosis are known as secondary hemochromatosis.What we're interested in‚ though‚ is primary hemochromatosis caused by genetic mutations‚ most commonly in a gene called homeostatic iron regulator (HFE). The HFE gene encodes a protein that’s vital for the regulation of iron production and absorption in the liver. When everything is working correctly‚ our bodies absorb about 10 percent of the iron obtained from our diet. When this finely balanced system goes wrong due to a genetic mutation‚ toxic levels of iron can start to accumulate.The mutations in the HFE gene are recessive‚ meaning that you would have to inherit two faulty copies of the gene‚ one from each parent‚ to develop hereditary hemochromatosis. What are the symptoms of hereditary hemochromatosis?Iron is a vital mineral for the human body‚ but you can have too much of a good thing. Having too much iron in the blood can lead to a number of symptoms‚ including:Feeling tired or weak – this can be a tricky one as it’s also a symptom of an iron deficiency (anemia)Weight lossJoint painA bronze or grayish look to the skinAbdominal painErectile dysfunctionOver time‚ if left untreated‚ the iron toxicity can cause more serious complications‚ such as diabetes and heart failure‚ and can even be fatal.Symptoms typically arise around age 40. In women‚ because of natural iron loss during menstruation and childbirth‚ the symptoms sometimes do not present until after the menopause. Who is at risk of hereditary hemochromatosis?The reason why hereditary hemochromatosis is sometimes known as the Celtic Curse is because it’s particularly common in those with Irish or Scottish ancestry. Because the symptoms can be mild‚ or mistaken for other conditions‚ it’s thought a large number of people with the condition are going undiagnosed.Until a few years ago‚ this was not considered to be a major problem. However‚ a pair of studies published in early 2019 raised alarm bells by suggesting that hereditary hemochromatosis quadruples the risk of liver disease and doubles the risk of arthritis as patients age.The sudden death of 59-year-old Aberdeenshire resident Miranda McHardy in spring 2023‚ which was attributed to a late diagnosis of hereditary hemochromatosis‚ has sparked a recent initiative by charity Haemochromatosis UK to run a screening program across this region of Scotland. Research suggests that one in 113 people in Scotland are predisposed to the disease‚ but fewer than one in 20 have been diagnosed. To try to combat this‚ over 25‚000 households will soon be offered a free postal genetic test‚ along with information about the symptoms to look out for.“If Miranda had known what she had she would still be here now‚” said McHardy’s sister Louisa Leader in a statement. “She had chronic arthritis‚ type one diabetes‚ heart and liver damage all of which was completely preventable if she had known that she had haemachromatosis.”Can hereditary hemochromatosis be treated?There is some good news for anyone who discovers through this screening program that they do‚ in fact‚ have hereditary hemochromatosis. Treating the condition before it causes lasting damage is comparatively simple. Listen up‚ medieval medicine enthusiasts: we’re talking bloodletting.The safest way to remove the excess iron is to remove some red blood cells from the body. Patients with diagnosed hemochromatosis therefore have blood drawn on a regular basis‚ while doctors monitor their iron levels to determine the best schedule going forward.As an added bonus‚ some of the blood collected in this way can be used for transfusions‚ like regular blood donation‚ so patients get a double whammy of feeling better and helping others. Ideally‚ treatment for hereditary hemochromatosis will begin early‚ before the disease has had a chance to cause more serious complications. That’s why coming forward for screening is so important. If you know you have a family history of the disease‚ or suspect you might and have any of the symptoms‚ it’s best to speak to a healthcare provider and request a test. You could also seek advice from organizations in your area that raise awareness of hemochromatosis‚ such as Hemochromatosis.org and Haemochromatosis UK.The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

Honey is enjoyed by humans and animals alike the world over‚ but if stories about it being delicious bee barf have put you off your breakfast‚ you can rest assured it’s not vomit – but it’s also not much better.There are around 20‚000 species of bees in the world and‚ of these‚ less than 4 percent produce honey. The honey-producing species feed on nectar and pollen. Nectar is a sugary energy source that facilitates flying and comb building in adult bees‚ but it is also taken back to the hive to be converted into honey to feed to the colony’s young.While honey is made up of at least 181 components‚ it is essentially just 80 percent sugar and 15 percent water. It's also somewhat acidic and has mild antiseptic properties‚ as well as being downright delicious.Honey-producing bees produce two kinds of food for their young in the hive‚ and while they’re both made using nectar‚ it’s the process that makes the products unique. And no‚ neither is vomit.The honey that we eat is produced in the bee’s honey sac‚ or honey stomach‚ and it gets its flavor from the type of flower the nectar is collected from. While the term “stomach secretions” is not exactly helping honey beat the vomit allegations‚ the organ honey is produced in is entirely separate from the bee’s functioning "food stomach".The honey sac‚ or crop‚ is a specialized organ that works as a store for nectar or water‚ enabling the bee to safely transport it back to the hive. Once home‚ the bee will regurgitate the nectar in a process called trophallaxis‚ and begin adding sugar-inverting enzymes to the nectar to create sweet‚ sweet honey. This honey is then stored in a honeycomb within the hive and is used to feed both the adult and larval bees.In addition to the honey we know and love‚ bees also produce royal jelly. This is a highly nutritious secretion used to feed queen bee larvae throughout the larval period and to feed worker and drone larvae for the first three days of their lives. Royal jelly is a thick‚ white substance produced from the glands in the heads of worker bees.People have also thought to combine the two bee products and market it as “royal honey”. But while both honey and royal jelly do have nutritional benefits for humans‚ the claims that royal honey can be used as a powerful aphrodisiac are entirely unsubstantiated. So‚ what did we learn? While honey does technically come from a “stomach”‚ and royal jelly comes from a gland‚ let’s just stick to calling them “bodily secretions” rather than incorrectly labeling it as vomit. Oh‚ and royal honey won’t make you good in bed.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel continued to miss the point of the House’s interest in Hunter Biden as he claimed on Wednesday that it has produced more photos of his penis than bills. Kimmel’s interest in the male organ would continue as he also predicted that Donald Trump would remove Speaker Mike Johnson’s after some fairly basic comments Johnson made about President Joe Biden and God’s will. First‚ on the subject of Hunter Biden‚ “Congress is-- though is on pace to have one of its least-productive sessions ever. They've only passed 34 bills. So far‚ they've produced more photos of Hunter Biden's penis than actual legislation. Why do I feel like this all ends with Hunter Biden doing a Super Bowl commercial for the Best Buy Geek Squad? ‘Never leave your laptop again.’”     Yes‚ there have been some X-rated pictures of Hunter Biden shown by members of Congress‚ but the influence peddling is why he is at the center of their investigation. Moving on in his monologue‚ Kimmel reported that “This morning‚ the Speaker of the House‚ Mike Johnson‚ had to answer an interesting question. Johnson‚ who’s an election denier‚ claims to be deeply religious. Someone asked whether Joe Biden's presidency was God's will.” Anyone trying catch Johnson is a bit of hypocrisy would surely be disappointed as Kimmel played a clip of Johnson’s response‚ “Is Joe Biden’s presidency God’s will?...  God is the one that allows people to be raised in authority. It must have been God's will‚ then. That's my belief.” Kimmel replied‚ “I hope Trump doesn't find out about that because you tell Trump God picked Biden‚ Mike is not gonna have a Johnson tomorrow.” And Kimmel will continue to not have a clue what the relevant House committees are actually investigating when it comes to Hunter Biden.     Here is a transcript for the January 17 show: ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live 1/17/2024 11:43 PM ET JIMMY KIMMEL: Congress is-- though is on pace to have one of its least-productive sessions ever. They've only passed 34 bills. So far‚ they've produced more photos of Hunter Biden's penis than actual legislation. Why do I feel like this all ends with Hunter Biden doing a Super Bowl commercial for the Best Buy Geek Squad? "Never leave your laptop again."  This morning‚ the Speaker of the House‚ Mike Johnson‚ had to answer an interesting question. Johnson‚ who’s an election denier‚ claims to be deeply religious. Someone asked whether Joe Biden's presidency was God's will.  MIKE JOHNSON: Is Joe Biden’s presidency God’s will?...  God is the one that allows people to be raised in authority. It must have been God's will‚ then. That's my belief.  KIMMEL: I hope Trump doesn't find out about that because you tell Trump God picked Biden‚ Mike is not gonna have a Johnson tomorrow.