When Did Self-Immolation Come Into Style in America&;#63;

From June through to November each year‚ the Atlantic witnesses its hurricane season‚ when powerful tropical storms are most likely to occur in the basin. This year’s season‚ however‚ is set to be an “extremely active” one according to new predictions from Colorado State University (CSU) forecasters.The team has predicted a total of 23 named storms during the season‚11 of which they have forecast to be hurricanes. Out of these‚ they’ve predicted that 5 could reach major hurricane strength – aka Category 3 or above. It’s expected that 62 percent could make landfall for the entire US coastline.This is the highest number of hurricanes predicted by the CSU hurricane team during its April outlook since it began producing April forecasts 41 years ago. It also marks a season with hurricane activity set to be 170 percent of the average from 1991 to 2020 – last year’s was 120 percent.The forecast was developed using a statistical model and computer simulations of hurricanes‚ which take into account a number of metrics‚ including wind shear‚ sea surface temperatures‚ and moisture levels. This year’s calculations also continued the use of a newer metric called accumulated cyclone energy or ACE‚ which considers factors like storm frequency‚ intensity‚ and duration.El Ni&;ntilde;o was also taken into consideration‚ and is part of the reason why the season has been forecast to be so active. &;quot;Current El Ni&;ntilde;o conditions are likely to transition to La Ni&;ntilde;a conditions this summer/fall‚ leading to hurricane-favorable wind shear conditions‚&;quot; the team writes in the report. &;quot;Sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Atlantic are currently at record warm levels and are anticipated to remain well above average for the upcoming hurricane season. A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic provides a more conducive dynamic and thermodynamic environment for hurricane formation and intensification.&;quot;That being said‚ the researchers were keen that some caution should be exercised in interpreting the results. A lot can change in both the atmosphere and the ocean before the hurricane season reaches its peak – a forecast is just a best estimate.However‚ they also calculated a higher-than-normal confidence level in the results‚ helped along by the observation that the 2024 hurricane season so far appears to be showing some of the same characteristics as other active seasons‚ such as 2010 and 2020.“Our analog seasons were all very active Atlantic hurricane seasons‚” said Phil Klotzbach‚ lead author of the report in a statement. “This highlights the somewhat lower levels of uncertainty that exist with this outlook relative to our typical early April outlook.”Whether or not the upcoming hurricane season turns out to be as active as predicted‚ it’s recommended that people take necessary precautions‚ particularly on the coast. “As with all hurricane seasons‚ coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season. Thorough preparations should be made every season‚ regardless of predicted activity‚” the report concludes.The full forecast is available here.

Being able to see underwater can prove to be tricky‚ so for creatures such as the blue whale‚ using sound to get about and communicate is far handier. But just how far can these marine giants hear&;#63;Blue whales are generally pretty solitary creatures. However‚ they need to chinwag with others eventually‚ particularly when it comes to finding a group to migrate with‚ or a mate to make massive babies with. Sadly‚ whales can’t use Tinder (actually‚ they’re probably better off when it comes to this one) or a telephone‚ so they’ve got to have more than a decent level of hearing in order to be able to chat with one another across vast expanses of ocean.It turns out that “more than a decent level” doesn’t even cut it; blue whales can hear sounds emitted by other whales up to 1‚000 miles (1‚600 kilometers) away in good conditions. If we compare that to humans‚ that’s roughly the same as if you were in St Louis‚ Missouri‚ and could hear your pal shouting at you from New York.Of course‚ sound does travel faster and further in water than in air‚ but it probably helps that blue whales are also among the loudest animals‚ if not the loudest. Some sources say that title belongs to sperm whales‚ but they make their 230-decibel sounds in short bursts‚ so not everyone counts it. Blue whales‚ on the other hand‚ can reach 188 decibels – that’s even louder than a jet engine at take-off‚ which is typically between 125 to 155 decibels.If you’re worried about ending up in the unlikely situation of being nearby when a blue whale makes such a sound‚ you can put your concerns aside. It might sound like a contradiction for one of the loudest sounds‚ but we can’t actually hear it. Blue whale sounds are made in the infrasonic range‚ which is too low for humans to hear.A recent study found that baleen whales – a group of 16 species to which blue whales belong – have evolved unique structures in order to make such low frequency and complex vocalizations.In the human larynx‚ the vocal cords are attached to a pair of tiny‚ pyramid-shaped cartilages called the arytenoids‚ which allow the cords to move. However‚ in baleen whales‚ these have changed into a pair of elongated cylinders that fuse together to form a U-shape‚ spanning nearly the entire length of the larynx.“This is probably to keep a rigid open airway when they have to move huge amounts of air in and out during explosive surface breathing‚” explained study author Professor Tecumseh Fitch in a statement.“We found that this U-shaped structure pushes against a big fatty cushion on the inside of the larynx. When the whales push air from their lungs past this cushion‚ it starts to vibrate and this generates very low frequency underwater sounds‚” added fellow author Professor Coen Elemans.It’s not just their vocal and hearing abilities that make blue whales impressive though – they’ve recently taken back the crown as the heaviest animal ever to live on Earth.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. 

Some time between 115‚000 and 130‚000 years ago‚ a Neanderthal living in a cave in Poland etched a series of markings into a bear bone. Despite consisting of just 17 lines‚ the engravings converted the bone into one of the oldest known symbolic items in Europe and one of the earliest to be associated with Neanderthals.Originally discovered in the 1950s‚ the decorated forelimb bone has previously been cited as evidence for the emergence of advanced cognitive abilities in this extinct human species‚ but had never been properly studied until now. However‚ using techniques including microscopy and X-ray computed tomography‚ the authors of a new study were able to finally get a closer look at the ancient object.While it’s obviously impossible to illuminate the thought process of the prehistoric carver‚ the researchers point out that “the marks found on the bone are an ordered set‚ the organization of which does not resemble traces associated with butchering‚ cutting or accidental formation.” Rather‚ their arrangement “clearly demonstrate the intentionality and systemic organization of the incision making process‚” thus hinting at their symbolic function.With this in mind‚ the authors conclude that the markings “display some qualities consistent with the principles of perceptual organization indicative of the advanced cognitive and reflective abilities of their maker.” Despite being unable to decipher these etchings‚ the researchers go on to explain that other similar examples have been tentatively interpreted as either “numerical notation” or decorative aspects.And despite the presence of these other items‚ the authors state that Neanderthal artifacts of this nature do not show up in the archaeological record prior to 130‚000 years ago‚ making this “one of the earliest traces of symbolic culture recorded in Eurasia.”Coincidentally‚ a second study published this week has identified the earliest evidence for bear butchery by Neanderthals in western Europe. The authors analyzed dozens of bones found in a cave in France‚ at least seven of which belonged to cave bears while a minimum of five were attributed to brown bears.Dated to between 130‚000 and 300‚000 years ago‚ the ancient remains display markings that are consistent with butchering and skinning‚ indicating that the animals were hunted for their meat and fur. Putting this find into context‚ the authors explain that the hacked bones “represent the sole evidence of large carnivore and in particular bear exploitation by Neanderthals on the middle western bank of the Rh&;ocirc;ne River and constitute one of the oldest indications of this behavior in Europe.”The two studies have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science and Quaternary Science Reviews.

It was a foreign policy-heavy edition of PBS NewsHour’s weekly Friday news recap segment with New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart. Together with host William Brangham‚ the duo would claim that the “far-right” threatens to throw the GOP into chaos for its opposition to Ukraine aid‚ but not only did the far-left not receive any labeling for opposing Israel aid‚ but it also received encouragement to keep up the protesting. Republicans and Ukraine were first up on the agenda and Brangham began by declaring‚ “Democrats helped Speaker [Mike] Johnson get a foreign aid package over a key hurdle‚ but he still faces backlash from far-right members in his own conference.”     Later‚ he asked Brooks if Democrats would save Johnson from a motion to vacate‚ “I mean‚ Lisa [Desjardins] was just reporting that she's got some off-the-record scuttlebutt that Johnson was offered some — if you bring these‚ we will protect you if it comes to that. Do you think that will actually materialize&;#63; Brooks replied that he hoped they would‚ “It absolutely should‚ because when Johnson got the speakership‚ he had to make concessions to the further right. He had to put some of those people on the Rules Committee‚ which determines what comes up to a vote.” He further added “And so I think it's very much in the Democrats interest to say‚ Johnson's our best shot right now at having a reasonable Congress for the rest of— the rest of this year. I'm looking at Chip Roy‚ who's on the Rules Committee‚ who voted against the Ukraine aid and who's one of the — I would say‚ one of the smartest people in House‚ and — but certainly on that far-right faction‚ one of the smartest people‚ I'm looking to see which way he goes.” Brooks concluded by arguing that Democrats cannot claim that Ukraine aid is of vital importance and then put their political interests first‚ “Because I think he would carry a lot of votes‚ and that could threaten him. But if the Democrats don't hold up Johnson‚ I think they would be betraying the House‚ betraying the kind of thing that was accomplished today. And I think it would just be a gross mistake. While some Republicans voted no on the rule because of Ukraine‚ some Democrats voted no because of Israel‚ but PBS doesn’t bring out terms such as “far-left” for them. Instead‚ Capehart offered up some words of encouragement‚ “But I would say to the people who are protesting and the young people who are upset‚ and all of the folks who are upset at the president and the administration for what they're doing‚ I keep thinking about the thing that President Obama used to say to criminal justice activists and others who were put — who were really upset with him for not doing lots — more things on criminal justice or racial issues.” Capehart also claimed that Democrats can work with their extremists‚ “And he would say to them‚ ‘I need you to keep protesting on the outside‚ because that puts pressure on me on the inside to get something done' and I think that is what's happening.’” Brangham agreed‚ “Which is famously what LBJ was being told by MLK‚ which is that he told him‚ keep the fire under my feet and thus I will deliver for you.” Even Brooks was wishy-washy on the far-left. While not using ideological labeling‚ he did admit there are “hate-filled and bigoted” people at the Columbia protests‚ for example‚ but he respects the people who are “who are honestly appalled by what's going on there.” Here is a transcript for the April 19 show: PBS NewsHour 4/19/2024 7:32 PM ET  WILLIAM BRANGHAM: As Lisa just reported‚ Democrats helped Speaker Johnson get a foreign aid package over a key hurdle‚ but he still faces backlash from far-right members in his own conference. …  I mean‚ Lisa was just reporting that she's got some off-the-record scuttlebutt that Johnson was offered some — if you bring these‚ we will protect you if it comes to that. Do you think that will actually materialize&;#63; DAVID BROOKS:  It absolutely should‚ because when Johnson got the speakership‚ he had to make concessions to the further right. He had to put some of those people on the Rules Committee‚ which determines what comes up to a vote. And so if I'm a Democrat‚ I'm thinking‚ well‚ the Republicans still do have the majority. So if it's not going to be Johnson‚ it's going to be somebody else. And it's going to be somebody else who makes even more concessions to the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world‚ and that will make my life worse as a Democrat. And so I think it's very much in the Democrats interest to say‚ Johnson's our best shot right now at having a reasonable Congress for the rest of the rest of this year. I'm looking at Chip Roy‚ who's on the Rules Committee‚ who voted against the Ukraine aid and who's one of the — I would say‚ one of the smartest people in House‚ and — but certainly on that far-right faction‚ one of the smartest people‚ I'm looking to see which way he goes. Because I think he would carry a lot of votes‚ and that could threaten him. But if the Democrats don't hold up Johnson‚ I think they would be betraying the House‚ betraying the kind of thing that was accomplished today. And I think it would just be a gross mistake. … JONATHAN CAPEHART: But I would say to the people who are protesting and the young people who are upset‚ and all of the folks who are upset at the president and the administration for what they're doing‚ I keep thinking about the thing that President Obama used to say to criminal justice activists and others who were put — who were really upset with him for not doing lots — more things on criminal justice or racial issues. And he would say to them‚ “I need you to keep protesting on the outside‚ because that puts pressure on me on the inside to get something done” and I think that is what's happening. BRANGHAM: Which is famously what LBJ was being told by MLK‚ which is that he told him‚ keep the fire under my feet and thus I will deliver for you. CAPHEART: Right.

The hopeless wokeness of tax-funded National Public Radio has been confirmed by NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner‚ who started shockwaves with his Free Press essay “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust” providing chapter and verse of how NPR had been take over fully by the left‚ and as a result blowing several major stories like Russiagate‚ the Hunter Biden laptop‚ and dismissing the coronavirus lab leak theory. For his whistleblowing efforts‚ the veteran journalist Berliner was suspended from NPR for five days before resigning. Demonstrating the totality of NPR bias‚ new chief executive Katherine Maher is in the spotlight after a series of bizarre tweets resurfaced in which she sounds like an Artificial Intelligence parody of a leftist media elitist‚ such as when she excused looting during the summer 2020 riots. Berliner targeted Maher directly on X: &;quot;I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.&;quot; One example of anti-American wokeness is the “editor’s note” NPR staff felt obliged to place on archived stories about its on-air reading every Independence Day of the Declaration of Independence in full‚ an honorable tradition apparently now consigned to the ash-heap of history. Yes‚ one of America’s founding documents now requires a trigger warning‚ in the view of partially government funded radio (hat tip: Masks are bad‚ actually on X): Editor's note on July 8‚ 2022: This story quotes the U.S. Declaration of Independence -- a document that contains offensive language about Native Americans‚ including a racial slur. The transcripts of previous years of the annual reading now include the warning‚ relating to the Declaration’s reference to the “merciless Indian savages” purportedly whipped up by King George III of England to wage “domestic insurrections” on the rebellious colonists. NewsBusters previously explored how NPR host Leila Fadel in 2022 preened about NPR’s “break with tradition” in no longer reading the document on air‚ so as to explore “what equality means” instead‚ with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep and two liberal Harvard professors. Four days later‚ perhaps after an internal “struggle session‚” the sad editor’s note appeared.

Caitlin Clark's WNBA salary has sparked widespread attention — including President Joe Biden's. “Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. But right now we’re seeing that even if you’re the best‚ women are not paid their fair share. It’s time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve‚” Biden tweeted on X. Biden’s tweet followed Clark being selected as the number one overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA draft. The star is slated to earn only $76‚535 in her rookie season and $338‚056 over the subsequent four seasons. While the disparity between the WNBA and the NBA salaries is clear‚ Sara Gonzales — unlike Joe Biden — knows why the “pay gap” exists. “It’s not the fact that nobody watches the freaking WNBA‚” Gonzales mocks. “It’s definitely sexism because the president said so.” While feminists are upset that Clark isn’t being paid what they believe her to be worth‚ Stu Burguiere notes that the sport itself has never made money‚ and the addition of one star player won’t make a huge difference. “This is a league that has never made money‚ and it’s been around for 26 years. It has lost money every single year it’s been in existence‚ and it has been subsidized by the boy players every single year it’s been in existence‚” Burguiere says. The WNBA is reportedly making 60 million a season with its TV contracts while the NBA is making 2.7 billion annually. “If Biden’s saying‚ ‘Get paid what she deserves’ and ‘We want equal pay‚’ they might have to cut her pay a little bit‚” Dan Andros adds‚ agreeing with Gonzales and Burguiere. Want more from Sara Gonzales&;#63;To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The University of Southern California made a bold move by announcing on Friday that it would ax all outside speakers during its commencement ceremony‚ according to Fox News Digital.The recent announcement comes just days after the prestigious university canceled its Muslim student Asna Tabassum's valedictorian speech after she posted controversial posts to social media.&;quot;Given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program‚ university leadership has decided it is best to release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s ceremony‚&;quot; a statement from the university said. &;quot;We’ve been talking to this exceptional group and hope to confer these honorary degrees at a future commencement or other academic ceremonies‚&;quot; the statement concluded.The university also published a statement on why the student valedictorian would not permitted to give a speech this year.&;quot;The Office of the Provost is involved in commencement in many ways‚ including the selection of our undergraduate valedictorian. Unfortunately‚ over the past several days‚ discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor‚&;quot; the university said in a statement.&;quot;The intensity of feelings‚ fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East‚ has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement. We cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses‚&;quot; it continued.Andrew T. Guzman — the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs — addressed the issue of freedom of speech‚ writing: &;quot;To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety‚ period.&;quot;Kabassum came under fire from Jewish groups who said her pro-Palestinian social media posts appeared to contain anti-Semitic rhetoric.The Economic Times reported that a post found on Tabassum's Instagram account suggested that her readers look into the Israel-Palestine conflict‚ going on to suggest that there should be &;quot;one Palestinian state.&;quot;The post continued by saying that this would mean &;quot;Palestinian liberation and the complete abolishment of the state of Israel.&;quot;Tabassum's call for the abolishment of the state of Israel seems to run counter to her call for &;quot;human rights for all.&;quot; While she said &;quot;anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred‚&;quot; Tabassum conceded she was not aware of a single threat made against her or the university. — (@) Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here&;#33;

RFK Jr. has done something both Biden and Trump have failed to do‚ which is appeal to voters on both sides of the political aisle. But is that enough to win in 2024&;#63; Steve Deace doesn’t believe so. Earlier in January‚ Deace predicted that RFK would get 20% of the vote‚ which is the most votes a third-party candidate has ever pulled. After revealing his pick for vice president in his run for the 2024 presidential election‚ Deace takes that prediction back. “I don’t think he’ll get anything close to that‚” Deace says. “I think his campaign‚ a lot of that momentum I think has stalled.” RFK’s pick for VP is Nicole Shanahan‚ who is a lawyer‚ entrepreneur‚ and philanthropist. “His vice president pick actually just came out with a very bold statement about the MRNA vaccines‚ I give her credit for that‚” Todd Erzen says‚ adding that while her views on the vaccines reflect those of many RFK supporters‚ they don’t add anything to his campaign. “I applaud her stance on vaccination; we already got that from him‚” Erzen says. “It was such a huge‚ huge missed opportunity on his part‚” he adds. Want more from Steve Deace&;#63;To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics‚ Christian worldview‚ and principled conservatism with a snarky twist‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

With the Amazon Fallout show spiking the entire series player numbers on Steam‚ now's the perfect time to check out some new Fallout 4 mods. Luckily for us then‚ one dedicated modder has just overhauled their previous work on perks‚ skills‚ and traits‚ making them feel more like the classic games while cutting out some of the more useless perks none of us want to spend our precious points on. Continue reading Fallout 4 mod gives its core leveling systems a much needed upgrade MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Fallout 4 console commands‚ Fallout 4 mods‚ Fallout 4 System Requirements