The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) has officially opened‚ giving astronomers an infrared eye on the universe that will last when JWST runs out of fuel. At 5‚640 meters (18‚500 feet) above sea level‚ the location is the highest for a ground-based telescope. The challenges of getting it built‚ however‚ reveal why no one has done this before.Anyone who has camped on a mountainside knows how much clearer the stars can look there. It’s not just about being away from city lights‚ although that certainly matters‚ it’s the fact that there is a lot less atmosphere above to interfere. Even though space is not usually defined as starting until 100 kilometers (62 miles) up‚ half the air is below this location.Much as the focus is on the Hubble and JWST telescopes‚ many of the advances in astronomy in recent years have come‚ at least in part‚ from giant mountain-top telescopes that can be larger than anything we can put in space just yet. The more remote the location‚ however‚ the more expensive it becomes to build an observatory there.For most instruments‚ Paranal Observatory‚ elsewhere in the Atacama Desert‚ or the top of Mauna Kea have proven a good compromise‚ but infrared wavelengths are more affected by water vapor in the atmosphere than their optical counterparts‚ shifting the balance. To get above a little more air‚ Emeritus Professor Yuzuru Yoshii thought it worth paying the price of a harder-to-reach location. If he’d known it would take 26 years to get his goal built‚ however‚ he might have felt differently.Cerro Chajnantor is a great place to do infrared astronomy not just because it is above half the atmosphere‚ but because it is so dry.Image Credit: ©2024 TAO project (CC-BY-ND)“I’m seeking to elucidate mysteries of the universe‚ such as dark energy and primordial first stars. For this‚ you need to view the sky in a way that only TAO makes possible‚” Yoshii said in a statement. “Of course‚ it contains state-of-the-art optics‚ sensors‚ electronics and mechanisms‚ but the uniquely high altitude of 5‚640 meters is what gives TAO such clarity of vision. At that height‚ there’s little moisture in the atmosphere to impact its infrared sight.”The 6.5-meter (21-foot) diameter TAO sits at the top of Cerro Chajnantor‚ Chile. As an indication of how difficult this mountain is to reach‚ the first few hits when searching the name lead to stories about the telescope‚ followed by one on a website called “Dangerous Roads”. This reports the first road to the summit was only built in 2006 and requires four-wheel drive to navigate – hardly the ideal conditions for transporting ultra-sensitive astronomical equipment.  The site also warns: “Do not take this drive if you have respiratory problems or any type of heart condition.”The University of Tokyo's new observatory isn't the most impressive looking instrument‚ but its location is.Image Credit: ©2024 TAO project (CC-BY-ND)Even the opening ceremony was held a thousand kilometers (620 miles) away in Santiago.By comparison‚ the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) whose 54 12-meter (39-foot) diameter antennae have transformed astronomy in the last decade is just 5 kilometers (3 miles) away‚ but at 580 meters (1‚900 feet) lower‚ it is much more accessible.Yoshii is not the only one to see the site’s potential. Just 28 meters (92 feet) further down the same peak sits the slightly smaller Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope‚ which will operate at similar wavelengths when complete next year. This is intended as a precursor for a bigger instrument at the same location.“Construction on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor was an incredible challenge‚ not just technically‚ but politically too. I have liaised with Indigenous peoples to ensure their rights and views are considered‚ the Chilean government to secure permission‚ local universities for technical collaboration‚ and even the Chilean Health Ministry to make sure people can work at that altitude in a safe manner‚” Yoshii said. With the Thirty Meter Telescope dogged by protests from Indigenous Hawaiians‚ the decision to get consultation right looks particularly wise in hindsight.The payoff is an instrument that can operate at mid-infrared wavelengths‚ those too long for optical telescopes but too short for instruments like ALMA. Currently‚ this is the domain of space telescopes alone. “This area of the spectrum is extremely good for studying the environments around stars‚ including planet-forming regions‚” said Professor Takashi Miyata.The TAO will be capable of wide-field observations‚ allowing it to capture much more of the sky than space telescopes‚ which can then follow up for higher resolution. Priority tasks include studying the way supermassive black holes shape the evolution of galaxies‚ exploring organic dust between the stars‚ finding the first stars‚ and the ongoing quest to identify dark matter. 

The daddy long legs‚ or grandaddy long legs‚ depending on your tastes‚ is a perplexing creature‚ not least because there isn’t a great consensus on what one is. Several species have been given the nickname that reads like the naming scientist was feeling frisky that day‚ but despite all the confusion‚ one curious question has spread far and wide: are daddy long legs poisonous&;#63;The answer is no‚ daddy long legs are not poisonous‚ and the background to the urban legend takes us on a journey of confused classifications and the difference between venomous and poisonous.What are daddy long legs&;#63;Depending on who you speak to‚ a (grand) daddy long legs can be anything from harvestmen‚ to long-legged spiders‚ and craneflies. According to the Burke Museum’s spider myths series‚ the ranging definitions of daddy long legs include one true spider‚ Pholcus phalangioides‚ and a few thousand species that aren’t spiders‚ including harvestmen and crane flies.We didn't need to demonstrate crane flies as daddy long legs on such a phallic mushroom‚ but it felt right.Image credit: Photodigitaal.nl / Shutterstock.comSo‚ choose your poison when it comes to daddy long legs definitions‚ and on that note…Poisonous Vs VenomousVenomous creatures inject their toxin into you because it requires an active delivery system. It could be from the stinger of an insect‚ or the fangs of a venomous snake. Lots of things can be classed as poisons but you have to physically ingest the toxin present in the poison for it to affect you. It is passively absorbed through ingestion‚ inhalation‚ or by making contact with skin.So…This goofy fella is a harvestmen‚ an order of arachnids known as Opiliones.Image credit: Warut Prathaksithorn / Shutterstock.comAre daddy long legs poisonous&;#63;No‚ daddy long legs are not poisonous. The idea comes from a widespread urban legend that daddy long legs pack a record-breaking toxin potent enough to kill us‚ but they don’t have strong enough fangs to bite. Were this true‚ the delivery of the toxin through a bite – however epically they allegedly fail – would put them in the venomous camp‚ which is strike one for the “poisonous” idea. Strike two is that it also has no basis in fact.This sassy lady is Pholcus phalangioides‚ aka‚ mummy moderate venom.Image credit: Triwidana / Shutterstock.comOf our three key daddy long leg candidates – harvestmen‚ crane flies‚ and Pholcus phalangioides‚ the spider – only the spider has venom. However‚ it’s not considered medically relevant for human health‚ and the venom certainly isn't a record-breaker among spiders.And if you’re thinking of eating a daddy long legs‚ we suggest you go sit in the shade for a bit. These leggy critters aren’t your daddy‚ and they’re not a snack.

Scientists in Japan say they have successfully transplanted kidney tissue between rat fetuses while they were still in the uterus. The study is yet to be peer-reviewed‚ but the authors believe it represents the first step in a journey that could lead to future in-utero xenotransplantation in humans.The study was focused on a neonatal condition called Potter sequence‚ which can happen when there’s not enough amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus as it grows. Among its many possible symptoms‚ the kidneys can be badly affected‚ causing disease or even preventing them from developing at all. In their paper‚ which has been posted as a preprint‚ the authors explain that babies born with these issues often don’t survive long enough to be treated with dialysis‚ so there’s a need to find a way to “bridge the gap” until they’re old enough for more invasive treatments. It's hoped that transplanting fetal pig kidneys into human fetuses could one day provide that solution – but as you might imagine‚ this is still a highly experimental approach.“Our project is the first of its kind‚” lead author Takashi Yokoo‚ from Jikei University School of Medicine‚ told Nature News. The delicate procedure involved anesthetizing pregnant rats and carefully exposing the uterus. The tiny kidneys had already been removed from the donor fetuses‚ and were injected through the uterine wall and approximately 5 millimeters under the skin of the recipient fetus. The kidneys had previously been labeled with green fluorescent protein‚ so the surgeons would be able to check the tissue had been transferred successfully.The average success rate for the transplant was determined to be 88 percent. Of the nine fetuses transplanted‚ all but one showed evidence of the green fluorescent protein when they were born a few days after the surgery. The kidneys seemed to develop normally too‚ although they were separated from the rats’ own urinary tracts and had to be drained manually by the researchers. One particularly interesting observation was that the host rat’s own blood vessels had started to grow inside the donor tissue‚ which is great news when it comes to the possibility of transplant rejection. “In this case‚ the host is infiltrating the organ‚ and you overcome that. That was really cool‚” fetal surgeon Glenn Gardener‚ who was not involved in the work‚ told Nature News.The scientists even experimented with fetal mouse kidneys‚ an interspecies transplant more along the lines of the proposed use of pig kidneys in human patients. This‚ they write in their paper‚ was a success‚ “confirming the maturation of the transplanted kidneys and demonstrating less tissue damage due to rejection compared to the transplantation of mouse fetal kidneys into adult rats.”Clearly‚ we’re still at the very early stages of this research. But organ transplantation – including xenotransplantation – has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. We’ve seen the first successful transplant of a genetically edited pig kidney into a human patient; innovative ways to use animal organs to buy time for those on the waiting list; and even a heart flown across the ocean to meet its recipient.Against that backdrop‚ in-utero transplants don’t sound so unrealistic‚ and they would certainly be a game-changer for children born with all kinds of organ defects.Yokoo told Nature News that the team’s next step is to apply for ethical approval to conduct human experiments‚ but that’s likely a long way off. This is one journey that many will be following very closely indeed.  The study‚ which has not yet been validated by peer review‚ has been posted to bioRxiv.

In the summer of 2010‚ the skies over Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan Airport became the center of attention as a huge UFO disrupted the regular bustle of air traffic. On the evening of July 7th‚ operations came to an abrupt halt when unidentified lights appeared‚ leading to a cascade of delayed and rerouted flights. The alert was triggered by bright lights in the sky that moved erratically. Reports claim that air traffic controllers at the Hohhot Air Traffic Management Bureau spotted the object on their radar. A flight crew preparing for descent first detected the object around 8:40 p.m. and notified the air traffic control department. Aviation authorities responded within minutes‚ grounding outbound flights and diverting inbound ones to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi. The incident was so exceptional that the airport even sounded the air defense siren for it and warplanes patrolled all night. At that time‚ thousands of people at the airport witnessed the scene‚ taking photos and videos of different quality. Eighteen flights were affected. Though normal operations resumed an hour later‚ the incident captured the attention of the Chinese media and sparked a firestorm of speculation on the UFO’s identity. After about an hour‚ the object and the lights suddenly vanished and passenger jets were allowed to land. Fueling speculations further‚ Hangzhou residents released photos‚ taken in the afternoon before the delays‚ of a hovering object bathed in golden light and exhibiting a comet-like tail. Real UFO video from 2010. Less than an hour before the Xiaoshan airport shut down‚ residents said they also saw a flying object emitting red and white rays of light. Ma Shijun was taking a nighttime stroll with his wife when he saw the object. “I felt a beam of light over my head. Looking up‚ I saw a streak of bright‚ white light flying across the sky‚ so I picked up the camera and took the photo. The time was 8:26 p.m. However‚ whether the object was a plane‚ or whether it was Xiaoshan Airport’s UFO‚ I don’t have a clear answer‚” Ma told the Xinhua news agency. The Hangzhou meteorological authorities proposed a more mundane explanation‚ suggesting the afternoon visuals were likely reflections from an aircraft. Zhu Jing‚ curator of the Beijing Planetarium‚ supported this theory regarding Ma’s photograph‚ comparing the image to the familiar sight of an airplane’s strobe lamps. The following day‚ reports emerged from Chongqing‚ where another unidentified flying object was sighted‚ adding to the nationwide curiosity and debate. After a few days‚ Chinese news reported that authorities learned what the UFO was after an investigation‚ but “there was no appropriate time to publicly disclose” the information because it had a “military connection‚” state-run China Daily concluded. And that’s literally all. Yes‚ that’s where the news on this scale ends. No investigations‚ nothing. This incident happened in 2010‚ when smartphones were not popular‚ but thousands of people witnessed UFOs‚ so many videos and photos were left on the Chinese network at that time. A day later‚ all these videos and pictures were deleted by government departments. Even the news of CCTV reporting the event was deleted on that day. Only a few photos and videos left Despite conflicting official explanations and eyewitness accounts‚ the true nature of the lights remains an open question. The post Forgotten Incident: Huge UFO Blocking the Sky Over Xiaoshan Airport appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In the serene‚ sunlit waters of the Bahamas‚ a dramatic and heart-stopping scene unfolded that captured the attention of nature lovers worldwide. A loggerhead turtle was caught in the terrifying grip of a tiger shark. The harrowing encounter‚ caught on video‚ highlighted not just the brutality of nature but also the incredible compassion humans can... The post Fisherman save turtle from jaws of shark and he returns to ‘thank’ them with his favorite treat appeared first on Animal Channel.

On Monday‚ MRCTV’s Tierin-Rose Mandelburg appeared on One America News Network’s In Focus with Alison Steinberg to talk about the failed White House Correspondents Dinner that took place over the weekend. Outside the event‚ as guests were arriving‚ large crowds of pro-Gaza protesters chanted and yelled at them. Obviously the guests‚ only caring for themselves‚ waltzed right in and didn’t bat an eye. (Remember‚ these elitists only cared about getting wined and dined by the president.) Steinberg hopes the video of the elitists ignoring the protestors gets people to wake up and realize that “None of these people care about you‚ they’re never going to [and] they’re never going to make the changes that you want to see.”     OAN then played a video from inside the dinner where President Joe Biden struggled to eat his salad.  The irony of it was that at the event‚ Biden claimed that his opponent‚ former President Donald Trump‚ was the six-year-old. I bet a six-year-old could use his fork properly. Related: MRCTV's Tierin-Rose Mandelburg on OAN: Dancing in the White House‚ Woke NPR &; Travis Kelce A video clip was also played from the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner where even President Barack Obama laughed at jokes poking fun of Biden’s mental abilities.  Yet‚ 10 years later‚ we’ve still got people thinking he’s fully capable of running our country. Follow us on Twitter/X:   Things That Need To Be Said: The World Is Taking Christians For Granted Christian prosecution is growing in prominence and is largely ignored‚ if not outright encouraged‚ by our leftist government. pic.twitter.com/gIxNLk2nUg — MRCTV (@mrctv) April 29‚ 2024

Michelle Bran&;eacute; is an anti-borders extremist. Her entire career has been dedicated to undermining America’s immigration laws and interfering with efforts to secure America’s borders. She has characterized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “abusive” and has been a vocal advocate for defunding the agency. The bulk of her employment history consists of jobs with organizations that oppose any reasonable immigration enforcement. If you think Bran&;eacute; sounds like an incredibly poor choice to make decisions about who ICE should and should not detain‚ you would be correct. Nevertheless‚ the White House has chosen her to be the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration detention ombudsman. This administration’s hiring practices‚ like its policy choices‚ are nothing less than a deliberate attempt to undermine the DHS from within. In her new job‚ Bran&;eacute; will “assist individuals with complaints about the potential violation of immigration detention standards or other misconduct by DHS (or contract) personnel and provides oversight of immigration detention facilities.” Given her publicly and frequently expressed bias against any type of immigration enforcement‚ how often do you think she’s going to find in favor of ICE&;#63; This recent hire continues the Biden administration's series of controversial job picks. For instance‚ Tucson‚ Arizona‚ police chief Chris Magnus was selected to serve as the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection‚ despite (more likely because of ) his advocacy of sanctuary city policies. Magnus instructed his department not to cooperate with ICE or the Border Patrol. He eventually proved so incompetent as his job that even the White House had to acknowledge his shortcomings and accept his resignation. The DHS tapped Kerry Doyle‚ a pro-illegal alien‚ anti-ICE activist with no immigration enforcement experience‚ as ICE’s chief attorney. Doyle is a vocal critic of ICE’s successful 287(g) program that enlisted local law enforcement agencies’ assistance in apprehending criminal aliens. She has also been an outspoken supporter of foolish and dangerous sanctuary city policies. Ed Gonzalez‚ the sheriff of Harris County‚ Texas‚ was nominated to run ICE in 2021. A vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s immigration policies‚ he ended his department’s cooperative agreements with ICE and criticized ICE enforcement actions as unfair to alien lawbreakers. Gonzalez eventually withdrew his name from consideration after he was accused of domestic violence. It’s not unusual for individuals with both prosecution and defense experience to be nominated for positions as judges or criminal justice agency heads. In the past‚ however‚ those nominees have typically been people who‚ along with having familiarity with both sides of an issue‚ have expressed a strong belief in the American system of justice. They have not been ideological extremists who believe that certain groups of people are entitled to break the law. But that is exactly what we’re getting now. The people in charge of immigration enforcement with the DHS are ideological extremists whose primary concern is the well-being of alien lawbreakers‚ not the American people they are supposed to protect. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regularly appears before Congress and‚ with a straight face‚ claims he is doing everything possible to secure America’s border and discourage illegal immigration. But even if Mayorkas were serious about immigration enforcement — he is not remotely interested in enforcing the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act or securing the border — how would he do it if every agency that reports to him is being run by people who are stridently opposed to secure borders&;#63; This administration’s hiring practices‚ like its policy choices‚ are nothing less than a deliberate attempt to undermine the DHS from within. In fact‚ the very office that Bran&;eacute; is heading up is a classic inside-the-beltway boondoggle. Congress established the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman in 2019. The office did not exist before because‚ like everyone else detained in the United States‚ incarcerated aliens could seek legal review of their detention‚ both before the U.S. Immigration Court and the federal courts. If that somehow wasn’t enough‚ immigration detention is also overseen by the DHS Office of the Inspector General‚ the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties‚ the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (aka “internal affairs”)‚ and the ICE Custody Management Division. Dissatisfied guests in an $800-per-night luxury hotel have fewer avenues of recourse when they are dissatisfied with the service they receive. So it’s unclear why foreign nationals who have either worn out their welcome in the United States or were never welcome in the first place‚ should have so many taxpayer-funded officials ensuring that federal incarceration is to their liking. ICE’s job is tough enough under the best of circumstances. There is no reason for Congress to further complicate it by creating unnecessary watchdog agencies like OIDO. That’s bad enough. But appointing an ICE-hating extremist like Michelle Bran&;eacute; to oversee such an agency is an unforgivable slap in the face to the dedicated‚ patriotic‚ and hardworking men and women of ICE. And it serves only to further politicize a basic public safety and national security function that should receive unqualified bipartisan support.

America’s colleges and universities were once seen as the greatest collection of academic institutions in the world. Places where young adults went to pursue knowledge‚ speak their minds‚ and debate their views‚ especially when those views opposed one another. No longer. Driven by leftists‚ America’s institutions of higher learning‚ the birthplace of the free speech movement‚ have become Marxist indoctrination centers‚ where only one view is tolerated. Take an opposing view and you will be canceled‚ doxed‚ and possibly expelled. No wonder applications to colleges and universities have declined while enrollment at trade schools has skyrocketed. Even worse‚ today‚ the prevailing view is one that is grossly anti-Semitic in its support of a terrorist organization that murders indiscriminately; rapes men‚ women‚ and children; and even puts innocent babies into ovens‚ baking them to death in front of their parents‚ replicating the horrors of the Holocaust. How did we get here&;#63; The free speech movement began in 1964 at the University of California‚ Berkeley‚ of all places‚ with students protesting the school’s restrictions on campus political activism. What started as small‚ peaceful sit-ins and demonstrations grew to a series of huge rallies and protests‚ demanding that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution apply at Berkeley. These sit-ins and protests led the university to overturn its policies that restricted the content of speech and advocacy on campus. This spread to other campuses as students protested in favor of civil rights and an end to the Vietnam War. Then‚ universities began to change‚ sliding to the extreme left. Student radicals of the 1960s and ’70s eventually entered the faculty and became administrators. A 2022 survey of faculty at Harvard showed that more than 80% of its faculty identified as being either liberal or very liberal. Less than 1.5% of professors identified as conservative. A recent job posting at the University of California‚ Berkeley‚ required applicants to provide statements on their contributions to advancing diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion. Today‚ neither diversity nor inclusion are tolerated on America’s college campuses‚ especially if you happen to be Jewish. Funded by left-wing billionaire George Soros‚ protests in support of the terrorist organization Hamas have erupted on campuses across the country. They are looking to replace Israel with a terrorist nation‚ calling for a globalized “intifada‚” or uprising. Chants of “from the river to the sea‚ Palestine shall be free‚” echo across our nation’s universities. The slogan is a euphemism for wiping Israel — and Jews — off the map. Protesters have physically and verbally attacked Jewish students and in some cases even prevented them from attending class. In an increasingly common occurrence‚ a Jewish Yale student who was covering a pro-Hamas protest at the university reported being assaulted by a protester who supports the terrorist organization. Administrators at most universities have failed miserably in addressing the protests and the anti-Semitism that accompanies them. And perhaps no three universities have failed worse than Harvard‚ Columbia‚ and the University of California. Harvard’s president‚ Claudine Gay‚ was forced to resign after she faced national backlash over the university’s response to the Israel-Hamas war‚ failing either to condemn Hamas or address a pro-Palestinian‚ anti-Semitic statement signed by more than 30 student groups. Before Congress‚ Gay also said that students calling for the genocide of Jews may not violate the school's code of conduct. Columbia has fumbled its response to pro-terrorist protests on its campus since they began. Instead of having protesters illegally occupying the school’s Morningside Heights campus arrested‚ the administration tried negotiating with them. As of Monday night‚ protesters had moved from their encampment and into nearby Hamilton Hall‚ where they have built barricades. Columbia already capitulated to the protesters by canceling in-person classes and moving all classes to remote learning‚ effectively surrendering to the mob. The University of California has also surrendered to protesters‚ canceling its commencement ceremony‚ previously scheduled for May 10. The parent of a University of California senior‚ who requested to remain anonymous‚ expressed his and his student’s anger and frustration. “My daughter missed her high school prom and graduation because of the COVID lockdowns. Now she is missing her college graduation because the university would rather bow to people who break the law and support murderers and rapists than the law-abiding students who worked hard‚ followed the rules‚ and wanted to celebrate their achievement in front of friends and family.” This parent’s statement summarizes the situation perfectly. University administrators across the nation would rather punish the students who abide by the law and follow their university’s rules than incur the wrath of those who support rapists and baby-killers. No wonder applications to colleges and universities have declined while enrollment at trade schools has skyrocketed. America’s colleges and universities are at a tipping point. Will they re-embrace their historic position of encouraging debate‚ the free exchange of ideas‚ and the pursuit of knowledge‚ regardless of race‚ creed‚ color‚ or political affiliation&;#63; Or will they follow the path of the violent mob‚ continuing down a suicidal path driven by the left&;#63;

According to conventional wisdom‚ bad marriages spiral into divorce around year seven. It’s called the “seven-year itch.”LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers just concluded the sixth year of their shotgun marriage‚ losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers don’t have a system‚ and they married a superstar player who only buys into himself. Let’s look at the LeBron James Hollywood Experiment. The Lakers have missed the playoffs twice‚ exited in the first round twice‚ and advanced to the NBA Finals once. In 72 months‚ they won a single title with LeBron‚ the 2020 “COVID bubble” championship.By Lakers standards‚ the marriage to LeBron has been a failure. In the 64-year history of the Los Angeles Lakers‚ the franchise has competed in 27 NBA Finals. On average‚ every 2.5 years‚ the Lakers play in the NBA Finals. With the league’s all-time leading scorer‚ the franchise has advanced to the NBA’s biggest stage once in six years. This is a bad marriage. It’s showing all the signs. What happens when spouses realize they’re in a sour marriage&;#63; One of the parties concludes adding a child will rekindle the spark that united them.Shortly after the Nuggets eliminated the Lakers on Monday night‚ NBA information guru Shams Charania reported that owner Jeanie Buss was open to adding LeBron’s unqualified son Bronny James to the Lakers roster. Making Bronny the NBA’s first “make-a-wish” kid is the key to salvaging this bad marriage. Only in Hollywood.I say that because many people will rush to lay all the blame for this failed experiment on LeBron James. An equal amount of blame falls on the Lakers’ outdated strategy. The truth is‚ the Lakers have never been an expertly run sports franchise. I say that with the full knowledge that the great Jerry West served as the franchise’s general manager for nearly two decades‚ and legends Pat Riley and Phil Jackson coached the team through two dynasties. But the Lakers have been the NBA’s most dominant franchise solely because it has been allowed to acquire the biggest and most dominant forces in basketball — Wilt Chamberlain‚ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‚ Shaquille O’Neal‚ and LeBron James. The Lakers didn’t draft and develop any of those players. They acquired them via trade or free agency. It’s good for the league to have its most indomitable forces located in the city known for creating TV icons. Plucking Chamberlain from Philadelphia‚ Abdul-Jabbar from Milwaukee‚ O’Neal from Orlando‚ and James from Cleveland served the NBA’s bottom line. The NBA‚ like all sports leagues‚ is just another TV show. But‚ given all the rule manipulation and the dramatic change in style of play‚ the formula no longer works. Wilt‚ Kareem‚ and Shaq played during a physical era when a brute in the low post created the space for his four other teammates to flourish. The game is now spaced‚ three-point shooters rule‚ and an analytics-driven strategy delivers championships and consistent winning. LeBron hangs out along the three-point line like everyone else. His brute strength and physical advantages are nullified in the modern NBA. Great coaching and homegrown talent are the key to consistent winning. You could see it in the Steve Kerr-Steph Curry Golden State dynasty. You can see it in what Michael Malone‚ Nikola Jokic‚ and the Denver Nuggets have built. You can see it with the Minnesota Timberwolves‚ the Oklahoma City Thunder‚ and even the Boston Celtics. You need a system and players willing to buy into it. The Lakers don’t have a system‚ and they married a superstar player who only buys into himself. LeBron has had eight different NBA coaches. Paul Silas‚ Brendan Malone‚ Mike Brown‚ Erik Spoelstra‚ Ty Lue‚ David Blatt‚ Frank Vogel‚ and Darvin Ham. Ham is likely to be fired by the Lakers this offseason. In comparison‚ starting with high school and including the Olympics‚ Michael Jordan had eight different basketball coaches: Clifton Harring in high school; Dean Smith in college; Bobby Knight at the 1984 Olympics; Kevin Lougherty‚ Stan Albeck‚ Doug Collins‚ and Phil Jackson with the Bulls; Chuck Daly at the 1992 Olympics; Doug Collins at the Wizards.LeBron James is the Liz Taylor of basketball divorce. He’s in another toxic relationship. Adding Baby Bronny won’t fix what’s broken inside the Lakers organization.

George Soros‚ who for decades has been funding progressive‚ neo-Marxist leftist groups‚ also poured money into groups and individuals that reject the existence of Israel. So‚ it is not surprising that his son‚ Alexander‚ who now runs the ironically named Open Society Foundations‚ is now funding‚ directly and indirectly‚ pro-Hamas demonstrations and Hamas-supporters’ encampments on university campuses across the United States.The campus “occupations” are reminiscent of Kyiv’s Maidan Square encampment in the winter of 2004-2005‚ when Soros helped fund the Orange Revolution. He also supported the 2014 demonstrations of the Maidan Revolution‚ for which he was awarded Ukraine’s Order of Freedom by the Ukrainian president he helped elect‚ Petro Poroshenko.Soros is the prime mover behind a decades-long effort culminating with a tsunami of anti-Semitic attacks on Israel and Jews everywhere.When Hamas‚ the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood‚ took over Gaza in 2007‚ Soros criticized Israel for refusing “to recognize the democratically elected Hamas government.” He deliberately ignored the fact that the Islamist terrorist group’s explicit and well-advertised objective is the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel.Soros has been funding‚ directly and indirectly — and apparently with the acquiescence of U.S. administrations — Israeli-Jewish and Israeli-Arab leftist groups‚ as well as media outlets‚ that oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.That’s in addition to his generous funding of Palestinian-led groups‚ along with pro-Palestinian Jewish‚ Christian‚ and Muslim organizations that promote boycotts‚ divestments‚ and sanctions against Israel. Among the many groups Soros funds include Students for Justice in Palestine and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights‚ which are spearheading violent demonstrations on college and university campuses.More than a few organizations backed by Soros' foundations have well-documented links with the U.S.-designated terrorist groups. All support the elections and appointments of anti-Israel activists to Congress‚ the administration‚ and international nonprofit organizations. Details of his decades-long crusade against the Jewish state are spelled out in “The Soros Agenda.” Despite the evidence‚ the Open Society Foundations have repeatedly denied such funding. In 2019‚ Soros spokesman Michael Vachon made a feeble attempt at plausible deniability. While denying the foundations’ support of BDS groups‚ he admitted that at times they simply don’t know how their support is used. “The foundation[s] cannot track every project connected to every organization that ... [they have] supported over the decades‚” he said.The Open Society Foundations and their well-funded proxies never fail to condemn Israel for its effort to curb the activities of Palestinian terrorist groups masquerading as human rights charities. Like parrots‚ they repeat Hamas' lies about Israel. Their phrasing is then used by the United Nations‚ the European Union‚ and Biden’s State Department to further criticize Israel.Just how many millions of dollars Soros has directed to pro-Hamas‚ anti-Israel‚ and anti-American groups is unclear. These are merely guesstimates because the Open Society Foundations are notoriously opaque. What is certain‚ however‚ is that Soros is not only funding the pro-Hamas and anti-American demonstrations we see on campuses today. He has also been the prime mover behind a decades-long effort culminating with a tsunami of anti-Semitic attacks on Israel and Jews everywhere.