Ivy League Law Professors: We Need to Destroy the Supreme Court to Save It

Airstrikes Have Begun on Syria

The United States military struck ISIS terrorists on Friday after two U.S. service members were killed along with an interpreter, according to Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth.Fox News reported that over 70 targets were struck in the operation that included "ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage sites," according to a top U.S. official.'This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance.' "Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria," Hegseth wrote on social media.A lone Islamic State gunman ambushed the U.S. forces in Palmyra, which also left three other U.S. soldiers wounded. President Donald Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" at the time.There are about 900 U.S. troops currently in Syria."This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance," Hegseth added. "The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people."The attack had been the first to cause U.S. fatalities since the end of the Assad regime in 2014. Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia after Turkish-backed Islamic militants successfully seized control of the government.RELATED: 'Major' Halloween terror plot thwarted by FBI involved links to ISIS, 'LGBTQ+ community' "As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you," Hegseth continued."Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies," he added. "Lots of them. And we will continue."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Parco Archeologico di PompeiA fresco fragment depicting a peahen that was recently uncovered at the Villa Poppaea in Pompeii. Ongoing excavations and restoration work at the Villa Poppaea near Pompeii have revealed new frescoes that feature vivid images of a peahen and a comedic theatrical mask. The Villa Poppaea is located between the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were both buried under volcanic ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. What’s more, the villa may have been the residence of Emperor Nero’s second wife, Poppaea Sabina. After the eruption of 79 C.E., the villa was buried under the massive pyroclastic flow, freezing these frescoes in time. Recent excavations have unveiled more than just these stunning frescoes, however. They also discovered four new rooms of the villa and the ashy shells of trees that used to sit in the villa’s garden. The Fresco Fragments Found At The Villa Poppaea Near Pompeii Parco Archeologico di PompeiIt’s believed that the Villa Poppaea belonged to Emperor Nero’s second wife, Poppaea Sabina. The current excavations are focused on the villa’s so-called Hall of the Mask and the Peacock, according to a statement from the Parco Archeologico di Pompei. Archaeologists found fragments of new frescoes, only adding to the collection of frescoes for which the villa is already well known. One of these fragments featured a peahen, now missing its head due to damage. This mural is the sister piece to the peacock painting that had previously been found on the opposite wall. There were also several fresco fragments that depicted a theatrical mask. While other frescoes depicting masks have been found in the hall, this one stands out. Parco Archeologico di PompeiA fresco fragment showing a comedic theatrical mask of the character Pappus. This mask was used in the Atellan Comedy, a type of improvised farce popular in ancient Rome, whereas other frescoes depicting theatrical masks have all been from tragedies. Specifically, the fragments depicted the character of Pappus, an old man who tries to act young and gets mocked for it. Archaeologists also uncovered several fresco fragments that depicted a golden tripod, which sat within a circle. This matched a similar depiction of a bronze tripod found on another wall. The Villa Poppaea Excavations Revealed More Than Just Frescoes Archaeologists also identified the natural molds that had formed around the trees that once sat in the villa’s garden, created when ash and lava blanketed the area in 79 C.E. Researchers were able to determine the trees’ original positions, finding that their placement was in a similar ornamental scheme to other documented patterns in Pompeiian houses. Parco Archeologico di PompeiRestoration work is also taking place in some of the more ornately decorated rooms of the villa. While it is still unclear which exact species of trees were planted here, archaeologists hypothesized that they may be olive trees, which have been identified in nearby archaeological sites. Either way, like the so-called bodies of Pompeii, these trees serve as haunting reminders of what was lost during the disaster of 79 C.E. The recent excavations also revealed four new rooms of the villa. This discovery brings the number of known rooms of the Villa Pomppaea up to a whopping 103. Archaeologists also uncovered a seasonal stream that flowed near the property, which likely began after the 1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. “These initial results offer new and promising research perspectives for understanding the villa’s layout, and for studying the long-term interactions between human settlement and the natural environment,” Director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said in a statement. Restoration work remains ongoing at Villa Poppaea, specifically efforts to restore the decorative elements of some of the villa’s rooms. One of these spaces is the cubicula in the southwestern part of the villa. This room is covered in stucco, frescoed walls, painted vaults, and floor mosaics. The aim of the restoration is to restore the “full legibility” of the frescoes and mosaics — poignant reminders of what life looked like in the shadow of Vesuvius in the era just before it erupted. After reading about the numerous discoveries at the Villa Poppaea, check out 33 of Pompeii’s stunning frescoes. Then, learn about the elaborate Roman shrine found at Pompeii. The post Archaeologists Near Pompeii Just Discovered Vivid Frescoes Inside A Lavish Villa That May Have Belonged To Emperor Nero’s Second Wife appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Mary Nguyen/UMSLAn artist’s reconstruction of the tattoos found on the forehead of a three-year-old girl. A new study has nearly doubled the known number of tattooed individuals from the ancient Nile Valley, revealing that the practice was far more widespread than previously understood. This includes evidence of tattoos even on children under the age of three. Researchers from Arizona State University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis conducted a systematic survey of 1,048 human remains from Sudan, dating from the Meroitic to medieval periods (around 350 B.C.E. to 1400 C.E.). Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, documented tattoos on 27 individuals of both sexes, ranging from infants to older adults. Multispectral Imaging Techniques Identify Otherwise Invisible Tattoos The study utilized multispectral imaging to identify tattoos on mummified skin from three archaeological sites: Semna South, Kulubnarti, and the Qinifab School site. The advanced imaging techniques allowed researchers to detect faint or invisible tattoos and analyze their motifs and application methods. “We use near-infrared imaging,” said USML’s Anne Austin. “That infrared light allows us to look just slightly below the surface. Under the infrared, tattoos just emerge, and that gives us a way to detect them that makes it much easier to find tattoos than just with the naked eye alone.” A significant shift in tattooing practices was observed during the medieval Christian period. At the Kulubnarti site, at least 19 percent of individuals examined had tattoos, the highest concentration found. “Extensive tattooing at Kulubnarti attests to the earliest evidence for Christian tattoo traditions in northeast Africa and may be ancestral to modern Christian practices in the region,” the authors wrote in the study. The presence of tattoos on very young children, particularly those under age three, has raised questions about the purpose of these markings. While the study does not definitively determine the reasons, it opens new avenues for understanding cultural and religious practices in ancient Nubia. Mary Nguyen/UMSLA reconstruction of some of the tattoo patterns identified in the study. Theories About The Purpose Of Tattoos In Ancient Nubia “This is the first time that I know of where we find such consistent evidence on really young children,” Austin noted. “We have somebody who’s under one that possibly has tattoos, definitely a one-year-old with tattoos, and we find multiple children, even a child who’s three, who has multiple tattoos, one over another,” Austin continued. “This is not just showing that they were tattooed, but it might have even happened multiple times during that really early period.” The tattoos, which were likely made with knives instead of needles, were mostly clusters of dots and dashes. A particularly common pattern consisted of four dots in the shape of a diamond on a person’s forehead, which Austin suggested may be a representation of the Christian cross. If so, it is possible the tattooing was part of a baptismal process. Austin et al., PNAS (2025)The tattooed forehead of a three-year-old Nubian child under near-infrared light. “If the tattoos were a symbol of the wearer’s Christian faith, then it might have been important for parents to create permanent ways to mark their children as Christian,” Austin told Live Science. That isn’t the only theory researchers are investigating, though. Austin added that there might have been a medical reason for tattooing children in those days, potentially in an attempt to alleviate a child’s headaches or fevers caused by malaria. “If parents tattooed their children in order to protect them or for medical reasons, then maybe the high rate of tattooing in young children shows us that people at Kulubnarti were facing unusually high amounts of health issues,” Austin said. While this research leaves many questions still unanswered, it adds another layer of proof of the importance of tattooing in ancient cultures in the Nile Valley. After learning about this analysis of tattoos from ancient Nubia, read all about Sudan’s Nubian pyramids. Then, meet Ötzi the Iceman, the oldest preserved human being ever found. The post Archaeologists In Sudan Have Discovered 1,400-Year-Old Mummies Of Nubian Children With Facial Tattoos appeared first on All That's Interesting.

U.S. Retaliates Against ISIS in Syria With Massive Airstrikes

Jim Acosta Reports Outside the Trump-Kennedy Center but Will NEVER Call It That (Ric Grenell Welcomes)

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik is ordering a top-to-bottom review of the nation's wildlife refuges, with the first report due early next year.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he is approving an emergency declaration for Montana in the wake of severe storms that ravaged the state earlier this week.

President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to call on health insurance companies to meet with him as part of an effort to reduce healthcare costs for millions of Americans.