Parakeets‚ with their vibrant colors and lively chirps‚ make for delightful companion birds. As a pet owner‚ you know that keeping your feathered friend healthy is a top priority—and that includes knowing if they’re tipping the scales at just the right weight. But how much should these tiny aerial acrobats weigh? In this article‚ we’ll... How Much Does a Parakeet Weigh?

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Katrina Lantos Swett—founder of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice and a co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit‚ which took place in Washington‚ D.C.‚ earlier this week—responded to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s attack on the summit in a statement to The Daily Signal on Friday. The SPLC‚ a left-leaning advocacy group notorious for putting mainstream conservative and Christian organizations on a “hate map” alongside KKK chapters‚ warned that some of the summit’s sponsors “have ties to anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant extremist organizations and the global far-right network.” Lantos Swett‚ a lifelong Democrat and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor‚ co-chaired the Jan. 30-31 summit alongside Republican Sam Brownback‚ a former Kansas governor‚ senator‚ and ambassador-at-large for religious freedom under then-President Donald Trump.  She responded to the SPLC attack by emphasizing the broad coalition of different faiths the summit brings together‚ urging respectful civic dialogue in a pluralistic society‚ and suggesting the SPLC’s attack is detrimental to that effort. “My co-chair‚ Ambassador Sam Brownback‚ and I are incredibly proud of the diverse coalition that the IRF Summit has brought together‚ which includes 90 partner organizations from virtually every faith community and belief system‚ cultural background‚ and political perspective‚” she told The Daily Signal. Members of atheist‚ Baha’i‚ Eastern Orthodox‚ Falun Gong‚ Hindu‚ Jewish‚ Muslim‚ Protestant‚ Roman Catholic‚ Sikh‚ and Yazidi organizations took part in the summit‚ as did Christian minorities such as Assyrians and Copts. The summit’s speakers‚ such as House Speaker Mike Johnson‚ highlighted the persecution of Christians in Nigeria‚ Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists in China‚ and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar‚ among others. “The SPLC‚ regrettably‚ seems to have missed the forest for the trees and has forgotten a simple truth: namely‚ that disagreeing profoundly about some matters does not mean we can’t find common ground on others‚” Lantos Swett added. “Such civic goodwill goes to the essence of a pluralistic and tolerant society‚ and that is precisely the kind of community we are proud to have built at the IRF Summit.” “If the SPLC truly cares about promoting religious freedom around the world‚ we encourage them to join us at the summit to see firsthand what a unifying event it is‚ even amid these deeply divided times‚” she said. Lantos Swett‚ whose father was a 14-term Democratic congressman from California‚ emphasized that the summit focuses on “our collective commitment to advancing freedom of religion or belief worldwide.” “We don’t vet summit partners based on other causes they have funded or advocated for‚ but we do keep close guardrails to ensure that the focus at the Summit remains squarely on international religious freedom‚” she explained. The SPLC mostly used guilt-by-association attacks to suggest the summit supported hate or extremism. On Jan. 30‚ the SPLC published an article in “Hatewatch” noting that two of the religious freedom summit’s sponsors‚ The Hungary Foundation and the Religious Freedom Institute‚ have connections to the Center for Immigration Studies‚ which the SPLC brands an “anti-immigrant hate group‚” and Alliance Defending Freedom‚ which the SPLC brands an “anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.” As I wrote in my book “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center‚” the SPLC took the same Intelligence Project it used to bankrupt Klan groups in the 1980s and weaponized it against conservatives‚ partially to scare donors into ponying up cash and partially to silence ideological opponents. After the SPLC fired its co-founder amid a racial discrimination and sexual harassment scandal in 2019‚ a former staffer claimed that the SPLC’s accusations of “hate” are a “cynical fundraising scam” aimed at “bilking northern liberals.” Critics across the political spectrum have voiced opposition and alarm at the organization’s hate group smears. The Center for Immigration Studies advocates for the enforcement of immigration law amid the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Alliance Defending Freedom has won numerous Supreme Court cases on religious freedom issues. The SPLC report also faulted the summit for inviting Ján Figel’ to speak. Figel’‚ a Slovak politician and a former European Commission special envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union‚ filed a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights opposing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on religious freedom in Slovakia. The SPLC did not explicitly clarify what it found so objectionable about Figel’ addressing the summit‚ but it did note that Alliance Defending Freedom’s international organization represents the Slovak politician in his COVID-19 restriction complaint. The SPLC noted that eight members of the European Parliament wrote a letter in 2020 expressing concern with his “association with religious-extremist organizations from the fringes of Christianity‚ which actively pursue an anti-choice agenda‚ targeting in particular LGBTI and women’s rights around the world.” This framing ignores Christianity’s long history of defending life in the womb and upholding the biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. The SPLC noted that the Religious Freedom Institute‚ which runs the summit‚ received financial support from ADF in previous years‚ partly for religious liberty work. The SPLC put the term “religious liberty” in scare-quotes‚ suggesting it is insincere. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz‚ D-Fla.‚ defended her decision to attend the summit when the SPLC reached out to her office for comment. “Throughout my career‚ I have strongly and unequivocally supported religious freedom and freedom of conscience‚ including fighting for separation of church and state‚ defending the rights of LGBTQI+ people‚ and countering discrimination against Muslims‚ Jews‚ and other religious minorities‚” she told the SPLC. “I will affirmatively underscore these core principles in my summit remarks.” Lantos Swett pushed back against SPLC attacks on the summit last year‚ as well. The 2023 SPLC report condemned her co-chair‚ Brownback‚ and alleged that “the extremists sponsoring and participating in the summit define religious freedom as the legal privilege of white‚ straight‚ cisgender‚ conservative Christians to discriminate against those who do not share their beliefs. We reject that definition.” The SPLC’s 2024 report made no mention of the Family Research Council‚ which the 2023 report condemned at length. In 2012‚ a terrorist targeted the council for a mass shooting‚ and he told the FBI that he used the SPLC’s “hate map” to find his target. The SPLC condemned that act of terror‚ but kept the Family Research Council on the map. Republican senators‚ including Ted Cruz of Texas and Katie Britt of Alabama‚ have raised the alarm following the revelation that a top official in the Department of Education under President Joe Biden met with SPLC staff one year before the SPLC put parental rights groups on its “hate map.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Leftist Group Smears Religious Freedom Summit; Democratic Co-Chair Responds appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Connecticut "Erasing" Medical Debt for Some

One of the most baffling maritime mysteries of the 20th century is the disappearance of SS Marine Sulphur Queen‚ a tanker that vanished in the Florida Straits in 1963 with 39 crew members on board. The ship was carrying a cargo of molten sulphur‚ a highly flammable and corrosive substance that required special handling and equipment. What happened to the ship and its crew remains a mystery to this day‚ despite extensive investigations and searches. Despite the clear cause of the disaster‚ an inaccurate and incomplete version of the ship’s disappearance is often used to justify Bermuda Triangle conspiracies. The ship’s history and last voyage SS Marine Sulphur Queen was originally built as SS Esso New Haven‚ a T2 tanker that transported oil during World War II. In 1960‚ it was converted to carry molten sulphur by Bethlehem Steel Company. The conversion involved installing a huge tank inside the ship‚ surrounded by a void space and heated by steam pipes. The tank was divided into four smaller tanks‚ each holding about 3‚800 tons of sulphur at a temperature of 255 °F (124 °C). The ship also had a sulphur pump room‚ a sulphur control room and a sulphur venting system. On February 2‚ 1963‚ SS Marine Sulphur Queen departed from Beaumont‚ Texas‚ bound for Norfolk‚ Virginia‚ with a cargo of 15‚260 tons of molten sulphur. The ship had a crew of 39 men‚ mostly from Texas and Louisiana. The captain was Francis X. Callahan‚ a veteran mariner with 25 years of experience. The ship’s last communication was on February 4‚ when it sent a routine radio message giving its position as 25°45′N 86°00′W‚ about 150 miles west of Key West‚ Florida. The weather was stormy‚ with strong winds and high waves. The ship was expected to arrive at Norfolk on February 8. The ship’s disappearance On February 6‚ when the ship failed to report its position‚ the Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation. The search covered an area of 100‚000 square miles‚ involving planes‚ helicopters‚ ships and submarines. The only traces of the ship that were found were some life jackets‚ life rings‚ rafts and debris. Some of the debris had traces of sulphur on them. No bodies or survivors were ever found. The Coast Guard called off the search on February 25‚ declaring the ship and its crew lost at sea. The ship’s investigation The Coast Guard launched an investigation into the cause of the ship’s disappearance. The investigation revealed that the ship had a history of problems and accidents related to its sulphur cargo. The ship had frequent leaks and fires in its sulphur system‚ causing damage to the hull and equipment. The crew often complained about the poor condition of the ship and the lack of safety measures. The ship had also been overdue for maintenance and inspection before its last voyage. The investigation concluded that the ship was unseaworthy and unsafe to sail with molten sulphur. It suggested four possible causes for the disaster: – A structural failure due to corrosion or stress that caused the ship to break apart. – An explosion or fire due to a leak or rupture in the sulphur system that ignited the flammable vapors. – A loss of stability due to shifting or sloshing of the sulphur cargo that capsized the ship. – A combination of any of the above factors. The investigation also criticized the owner of the ship‚ Marine Transport Lines Inc.‚ for negligence and lack of supervision. The owner denied any responsibility and blamed the weather and unknown forces for the loss. More detailsThe remains of the SS Marine Sulphur Queen‚ recovered by the US Coast Guard The ship’s legacy The disappearance of SS Marine Sulphur Queen remains one of the most intriguing and mysterious cases in maritime history. The memory of SS Marine Sulphur Queen and its crew is honored by a memorial plaque at Beaumont Maritime Museum in Texas. It has also been linked to the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon‚ as some people believe that the ship fell victim to some paranormal or supernatural force in that region. However‚ there is no evidence to support this theory. The families of the lost crew members filed lawsuits against the owner of the ship‚ seeking compensation and justice. The litigation lasted for years‚ until a settlement was reached in 1971. The families received $325‚000 each. Many have speculated the disappearance of the Sulphur Queen was a victim of piracy or sabotage. Although she had been searched thoroughly by the US Coast Guard‚ no wreckage was ever found‚ making it one of the most intriguing and mysterious disappearances in maritime history. What actually happened to the tanker ship and where did the 39 passengers go? Did anyone survive the piracy‚ where is the wreckage of the ship? These are just a few questions that haven’t been answered for decades. This leaves the SS Marine Sulphur Queen as one of the most mysterious disappearances ever recorded. The post The Mysterious Disappearance of SS Marine Sulphur Queen appeared first on Anomalien.com.

A prior indigenous technological species might have arisen on ancient Earth or another body‚ such as a pre-greenhouse Venus or ancient Mars. The researcher notes that on Earth‚ erosion‚ and plate tectonics may have erased any evidence if such—ancient Alien—species ever lived on our planet millions‚ or perhaps billions of years ago. Extraterrestrial technosignatures might be expected to be extremely old‚ limiting the places they might still be found to beneath the surfaces of Mars and the Moon‚ or in the outer Solar System. One of the most asked questions on planet Earth is without a doubt: Are we the… This premium content is for PLUS+ members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read. The post Ancient “Technological Species” may have lived on Earth before humans appeared first on Anomalien.com.

When it comes to the current chaos in the Middle East‚ MSNBC’s Ali Velshi developed a novel theory on who is to blame as he guest hosted Friday’s The Last Word. For Velshi‚ it is Donald Trump. Velshi never mentioned Trump’s name‚ but it is clear who he was talking about when‚ against the backdrop of U.S. airstrikes against Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and proxy targets in retaliation for the attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers‚ he told analyst and Iran nuclear deal architect Ben Rhodes: I have been thinking all day‚ that back when we had that-- what was called the JCPOA‚ the Iran nuclear deal‚ and people‚ a lot of people had beef about it. They thought it was not the best deal around. I always thought that the one thing it does do is that it gets America and Iran around the same table‚ something that hasn’t happened‚ something that we haven’t had in place when October 7th happened‚ and we needed to use influence over Hamas is something we don't have tonight.      What? Is Velshi seriously arguing that Hamas launching its genocidal attack on October 7 on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War was in anyway related to the lack of a nuclear deal with Iran? As Iran deal proponents said at the time‚ the nuclear issue was separate from other issues as evident by the fact that the Houthis were shooting missiles at U.S. ships during the time when the deal was in place. Of course‚ Rhodes was happy to promote what he considers his biggest accomplishment‚ “Yeah‚ no that is right. During that nuclear deal‚ it obviously put a lid on the Iranian nuclear program‚ it also created a diplomatic framework for the U.S. and Iran to have direct discussions and try to resolve disputes and de-escalate tensions.” Rhodes would go on to worry that nobody knows what the anybody else is trying to accomplish‚ “There is the Iranian intentions‚ there’s the intentions of the Houthis‚ there’s the intentions of these proxy groups in Syria and Iraq‚ there are the intentions of Hezbollah in Lebanon‚ there are the intentions of Hamas. All these groups have different motivations here‚ even if they are networked and connected together through the support that they received from Iran.” If that is true‚ how would the nuclear deal fix that?  Here is a transcript for the February 2 show: MSNBC The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell 2/2/2024 10:10 PM ET ALI: Ben‚ I have been thinking all day‚ that back when we had that-- what was called the JCPOA‚ the Iran nuclear deal‚ and people‚ a lot of people had beef about it. They thought it was not the best deal around. I always thought that the one thing it does do is that it gets America and Iran around the same table‚ something that hasn’t happened‚ something that we haven’t had in place when October 7th happened‚ and we needed to use influence over Hamas is something we don't have tonight.  BEN RHODES: Yeah‚ no that is right. During that nuclear deal‚ it obviously put a lid on the Iranian nuclear program‚ it also created a diplomatic framework for the U.S. and Iran to have direct discussions and try to resolve disputes and de-escalate tensions. It didn't solve every problem. I think the challenge that we’re seeing here now‚ in addition to the fact that we haven't even mentioned the fact‚ Ali‚ that‚ that nuclear program has advanced to‚ kind of‚ the doorstep of nuclear weapons capability.  So‚ that is in the backdrop here too‚ but the other problem is nobody’s‚ just listen to the conversation that we have been having‚ nobody is quite sure of everybody's intentions here.  VELSHI: Right. RHODES: There is the Iranian intentions‚ there’s the intentions of the Houthis‚ there’s the intentions of these proxy groups in Syria and Iraq‚ there are the intentions of Hezbollah in Lebanon‚ there are the intentions of Hamas. All these groups have different motivations here‚ even if they are networked and connected together through the support that they received from Iran. 

A former CIA employee has been sentenced to 40 years behind bars after executing the largest data leak in the agency's history. The employee worked for the CIA from 2012 to 2016 as a software engineer in the Center for Cyber Intelligence‚ according to a report released by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York.Joshua Schulte‚ 35‚ was previously accused of releasing classified data to Wikileaks in 2016 and was subsequently convicted in 2022 of illegally gathering and transmitting national defense information and obstructing a criminal investigation and grand jury proceeding.USA Today reported that Schulte was convicted of espionage‚ child pornography‚ computer hacking‚ contempt of court‚ and making false statements to the FBI in separate trials. Schulte's sentencing took place in New York federal court after three trials that concluded on March 9‚ 2020‚ July 13‚ 2022‚ and September 12‚ 2023‚ according to federal records. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said‚ "Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen‚ heinous crimes of espionage in American history."“He caused untold damage to our national security in his quest for revenge against the CIA for its response to Schulte’s security breaches while employed there‚" Williams continued.“When the FBI caught him‚ Schulte doubled down and tried to cause even more harm to this nation by waging what he described as an ‘information war’ of publishing top secret information from behind bars."“And all the while‚ Schulte collected thousands upon thousands of videos and images of children being subjected to sickening abuse for his own personal gratification.”FBI assistant director in charge James Smith said "[t]oday‚ Joshua Schulte was rightly punished not only for his betrayal of our country‚ but for his substantial possession of horrific child pornographic material."“The severity of his actions is evident‚ and the sentence imposed reflects the magnitude of the disturbing and harmful threat posed by his criminal conduct.”Wikileaks was founded on October 4‚ 2006‚ by Julian Assange. Since then‚ Assange has faced serious criminal charges for publishing classified government documents submitted to him anonymously. The journalist is currently being held in Belmarsh Prison‚ located in London. Though the U.S. has tried to get him extradited to face charges‚ it has been contested in British courts.According to an X post by Wikileaks‚ Schulte released documents that suggested the U.S. government planned to assassinate Assange. The reams of papers Schulte released are known as Vault 7. — (@) Other prominent journalists and activists‚ including Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden‚ have advocated for Assange‚ suggesting that governments need to be held to account for their actions — especially the illegal ones. They have also contested that the U.S. has violated press freedoms by going after those who have released incriminating details about the federal government. Another whistleblower‚ Daniel Ellsberg‚ faced charges after releasing what came to be known as the Pentagon Papers in 1971.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Editor's note: We're facing an unprecedented moment in American history. Our government and multinational tech monopolies are making it clear that we‚ the people‚ are the target of the monstrous surveillance state they've constructed. The deep state is attempting to jail people who share memes‚ Blaze Media journalists‚ and even the leading presidential candidate. It's time we take back control over our privacy and digital communications‚ and this guide will provide you with the tools to do that. This is an excerpt from a larger guide.Turn off Siri and AlexaVoice recognition services are convenient and can make driving safer. It is excellent to tell your phone to place a call instead of spending time searching for a contact. Not to mention‚ I accidentally type the wrong letter all the time‚ which makes it take even longer! But the convenience is not worth the price. When you use Siri‚ Alexa‚ or any other voice recognition software‚ you allow large tech companies to listen to your private conversations.When you say‚ "Hey Siri" or "Alexa‚" this voice command engages the software. It does not turn on the voice recognition. That is on already. The software is always listening‚ so that it can respond when you say Siri or Alexa.Do you want a “private” conversation with your spouse in a room with an Alexa device‚ a Google Nest‚ or an iPhone with voice recognition turned on? Do you want corporations to collect data on your emotional life and deepest fears and hopes so that they can use that to more perfectly target you to buy stuff or manipulate you in other ways?Beware of home devices connected to the internetIt’s not only voice recognition software that listens. Web browsers can do the same thing. Even if you don’t use voice recognition software‚ you may have noticed that after a conversation‚ you’ll get advertisements for the thing you were discussing‚ even though you have never looked it up. There are digital listening devices everywhere — smart TVs‚ smart refrigerators‚ and all sorts of devices that are part of the internet of things. Beware of machines that have microphones that can be used for data collection. It’s also not always obvious. For example‚ Google did not disclose that its Nest security system had a microphone built into it.As an additional recommendation‚ a product to consider is Sceptre TV. It’s the “dumb TV” on the market. Every other smart TV on the market will record and broadcast your viewing activity; some even have microphones.I don’t want to make you paranoid‚ but I want you to know we are in a new world of digital intrusion. An IT professional colleague explains it like this: In nature‚ we are always within about three feet of a spider; in our digital habitat‚ we are surrounded by listening devices that can be used to collect information. It’s hard for us to get our minds around the idea that our communication‚ texts‚ phone calls‚ emails‚ and internet searches can all be tracked‚ but it is the world we live in‚ and we have to protect ourselves. I hope we can have digital technology without intrusion‚ but that will require building decentralized technology and exiting the world's surveillance-suffused Google vision.

Canada has put a temporary pause on its assisted suicide program for those suffering only from mental illness. The country currently offers assisted suicide to those terminally or chronically ill‚ but Canadians are still split on extending the same option to those suffering only from mental illness‚ according to Fox News Digital.Some have suggested that psychiatric care in the country could be better‚ which would otherwise dissuade some people from deciding to die. The controversial policy would permit any Canadian with an incurable disease to apply for assisted suicide‚ even if the condition is not life-threatening. The program would be one of the most liberal assisted suicide programs in the world.Canada's initial effort to introduce medically assisted suicide took place when the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that forcing someone to deal with intolerable suffering violated their fundamental rights to liberty and security. However‚ the law was expanded in 2021 to include anyone who experienced "grievous and irremediable" situations‚ including depression and other instances of mental illness.Consequently‚ 13‚000 Canadians took advantage of the assisted suicide program in 2022 alone. When the program took off‚ Conservative MP Ed Fast said‚ "Have we gone too far and too fast with Canada’s assisted suicide program?""Will we evolve into a culture of death as the preferred option for those who suffer from mental illness or will we choose life?"However‚ health officials are reluctant to expand the program‚ suggesting that there are not enough physicians — specifically psychiatrists — to effectively diagnose and treat those with mental illnesses‚ according to a statement made by Health Minister Mark Holland and Justice Minister Arif Virani‚ per the New York Times."The system needs to be ready‚ and we need to get it right‚" Holland said. "It's clear from the conversations we've had that the system is not ready‚ and we need more time.""Although the curriculum is present‚ although the guidelines are set‚ there has not been enough time for people to be trained on them‚ and provinces and territories are saying their systems are not ready and need more time‚" he added.However‚ the BBC reported that Dying with Dignity‚ an advocacy group‚ said on Thursday that they were "disheartened" by the sudden delay of the program. They referred to the pause as a "denial of constitutional rights for suffering people across Canada."It is uncertain when the program will be extended if it does at all.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!