Archaeology and outer space may not sound like they should mix outside of science fiction – but on board the International Space Station (ISS), the first-ever archaeological survey in space has been carried out.The ISS is the largest and most intensely inhabited space station to exist so far, boasting over 270 visitors from 23 countries since it was launched in 1998. The strangeness of this artificial environment – its isolation, confined spaces, and the influences of microgravity – are unlike anything humans have evolved to experience.Microgravity in particular introduces new ways of experiencing an environment, as it introduces opportunities to move and work in 360 degrees and to carry out experiments that would be impossible on Earth. But there are limitations too – the low gravity means objects float around if they are not restrained. This means that even the most routine activities that someone will perform on Earth have to be carefully planned out and often require technological interventions to assist.How do people adapt to living in such odd environments? Over the last two decades, interviews with crew members have provided some insights into how individuals cope with this experience, but interviews cannot capture everything.In order to understand the nature of this “microsociety in a miniworld”, researchers launched the International Space Station Archaeological Project. This project uses an archaeological framework to study how people use areas of the space station by considering their materials as artifacts.“While it is possible to interview crew members about their experiences, the value of an approach focused on material culture is that it allows identification of longer-term patterns of behaviors and associations that interlocutors are unable or even unwilling to articulate”, the team explains in their new paper.At the same time, they wanted to develop archaeological techniques that permit the study of other habitats in remote, extreme or dangerous environments.Their first direct work on the ISS, which happened in 2022, involved the adaptation of a traditional archaeological strategy called “the shovel test pit”. This technique involves digging small pits at intervals across a site in order to assess how artefacts are distributed. This helps researchers decide which areas to focus on for more extensive excavations.In this case, digging on the ISS would not be easy or advisable, so the archaeologists asked the crew to document six locations across the station and to take daily photos of each location for 60 days.One of the sample locations selected for the ISS study- this is Square 03 in the starboard Maintenance Work Area.Image Credit: NASA/ISSAP and Walsh et al., 2024, PLOS ONE (CC-BY 4.0).“Since it is too costly and difficult to visit our archaeological site in person, we have to creatively re-imagine traditional archaeological methods to answer key questions”, the team explains.The researchers have now published the results of the first two of the six sample areas that have been documented. These areas included one designated for equipment maintenance, and another near the latrine and exercise equipment.Analysis of the photos in both areas, which was performed using a novel open-source image platform developed by the team, revealed 5,438 instances where “artifacts” were used for varied purposes, such as writing tools, Post-it notes, and an augmented reality headset.The results demonstrate discrepancies between the intended and actual use of certain areas aboard the ISS. A cross-reference of the photos with astronaut activity reports showed that the area near the exercise equipment and latrine was used as storage sites for toiletries, resealable bags, and a rarely used computer. However, the area was not officially designated for this purpose.The equipment maintenance area was mostly used for storage as well, with little or no maintenance activities being carried out there.Ultimately, the study demonstrates how archaeological techniques can be used and adapted to study remote locations, such as the ISS. It also shows that the designers of future space missions should consider how designated areas of a station or similar space can be clearly defined in terms of their intended function.As the authors add in a statement, “The experiment is the first archaeology ever to happen off of the planet Earth. By applying a very traditional method for sampling a site to a completely new kind of archaeological context, we show how the ISS crew uses different areas of the space station in ways that diverge from designs and mission plans. Architects and planners of future space stations can learn valuable lessons from this work.”The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

PBS released a new Frontline documentary on Tuesday about President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race, but it was really more of an ode to his entire career. However, even PBS could not ignore the disastrous exit from Afghanistan, which it claimed overshadowed an “FDR-like first year.” Former White House press secretary turned MSNBC host Jen Psaki hyped, “We knew we were walking into a pandemic, an economy that was reeling, so there was a crisis management aspect, certainly, of the first year. He felt that when you come in as president, especially at the moment he did, he needed to be a healer.” Biden biographer Evan Osnos added, “Part of Biden's promise to the public was, ‘I'm going to show you that government can actually work again. That's what my decades of experience will deliver. We can show that Washington will work and we can put practical things in people's hands, like stimulus checks.’"     Following a montage of audio snippets from various media personalities discussing Biden’s spending initiatives, CBS’s Robert Costa further hyped, “He's able to push people to get something done on the American Rescue Plan, then on infrastructure.” After some more audio files, Costa continued, “Works for months to try to get Build Back Better revived… He's trying to get so much done, and he does get a lot done. So the domestic front, Biden has an FDR-like first year.” Narrator Will Lyman then transitioned to a new topic, “But during that first year, one decision would tarnish his presidency.”     Documentarian Chris Whipple recalled that “Biden was hellbent on withdrawing. He did not come into this with a, with an open mind, necessarily, to any other options. He was hellbent on getting out.” PBS then played a clip of Biden claiming that Afghanistan would not go the way of South Vietnam, including how there would be no rooftop evacuations of the American embassy in Kabul, before playing news clips from the chaotic withdrawal. The rest of the documentary was not much better. Earlier, the Washington Post’s Marc Fisher recalled the car crash that killed Biden’s first wife and daughter, “After the crash, he needed something to comfort him. He needed something to envelop himself in.  He needed a place to be a part of that would sustain him and would give him a sense of purpose and give him a sense of achievement. And the Senate gave Biden a sense of belonging. Biden's instinct is to envelop himself in institutions.”     Osnos also compared Biden’s time in the Senate to church, “Here's a guy who had grown up within the Church, which is defined by this sense of ritual and ancient traditions. Things that are worth preserving because they provide order in a disordered world. And he gets to the Senate at a moment of tremendous chaos in his own life, having suffered this terrible loss, and all of a sudden, the rituals of the Senate, and the kind of clarifying effect of being a part of this institution, almost feels to him like an extension of these values and patterns that had made so much sense to him and his family as a young person. So the Senate became a, sort of, stand in for the Church for him.” Other than Afghanistan, the toughest PBS got on Biden was from the left, accusing him of being too nice to Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearing. When it came to Biden’s plagiarism scandals, PBS rolled out First Lady Jill Biden to lament “his character was being attacked.” Here is a transcript for the August 6 show: PBS Frontline: Biden’s Decision 8/6/2024 9:37 PM ET MARC FISHER: After the crash, he needed something to comfort him. He needed something to envelop himself in.  He needed a place to be a part of that would sustain him and would give him a sense of purpose and give him a sense of achievement. And the Senate gave Biden a sense of belonging. Biden's instinct is to envelop himself in institutions. WILL LYMAN: The Senate would define Biden and shape his life. EVAN OSNOS: Here's a guy who had grown up within the Church, which is defined by this sense of ritual and ancient traditions. Things that are worth preserving because they provide order in a disordered world. And he gets to the Senate at a moment of tremendous chaos in his own life, having suffered this terrible loss, and all of a sudden, the rituals of the Senate, and the kind of clarifying effect of being a part of this institution, almost feels to him like an extension of these values and patterns that had made so much sense to him and his family as a young person. So the Senate became a, sort of, stand in for the Church for him. … 10:33 PM ET DARLENE SUPERVILLE: After Joe Biden is finally sworn in as president, you know, he's finally gotten this thing that he's wanted his whole life, he couldn't really celebrate. There were no parties. There were no inaugural balls because of COVID. It was super weird. RON KLAIN: He came down from the residence on the West Colonnade towards the Oval Office. And I remember looking at him and saying, "This is just an incredible thing to see after all this time.” That he is coming into the Oval Office as president of the United States. So, I felt a lot of excitement and a lot of anxiety about the fact that we were gonna now start to do a lot of work. JEN PSAKI: We knew we were walking into a pandemic, an economy that was reeling, so there was a crisis management aspect, certainly, of the first year. He felt that when you come in as president, especially at the moment he did, he needed to be a healer. OSNOS: Part of Biden's promise to the public was, "I'm going to show you that government can actually work again. That's what my decades of experience will deliver. We can show that Washington will work and we can put practical things in people's hands, like stimulus checks." DON LEMON: The first batch of stimulus payments will start going out to Americans in need this weekend. WOLF BLITZER: The president declaring, "Help is here." OSNOS: He gets trillions of dollars in new spending passed by Congress. RACHEL MADDOW: These are the priorities that the Biden administration has said they want to get done. ANCHOR: $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus relief package to help Americans struggling throughout this pandemic. ROBERT COSTA: He's able to push people to get something done on the American Rescue Plan, then on infrastructure. ANCHOR 2: The president is poised to sign into law the largest federal investment in infrastructure in generations. ANCHOR 3: It will have transformative impact on the middle class. It will be huge for Biden's legacy. COSTA: Works for months to try to get Build Back Better revived. MAN: Democrats will continue to fight for Build Back Better. ANCHOR 4: The ultimate test of the president's legislative power as the bill is in the hands of the Senate. COSTA: He's trying to get so much done, and he does get a lot done. So the domestic front, Biden has an FDR-like first year. MAN 2: This is the most successful legislative presidency. LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Can surely be credited to the fact that Joe Biden has more legislative experience than any president in history. LYMAN: But during that first year, one decision would tarnish his presidency. JOE BIDEN: I'm now the fourth United States president to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth. CHRIS WHIPPLE: Biden was hellbent on withdrawing. He did not come into this with a, with an open mind, necessarily, to any other options. He was hellbent on getting out. REPORTER: In this withdrawal in Afghanistan, do you see any parallels between this withdrawal and what happened in Vietnam with some people feeling... BIDEN: None whatsoever. Zero. The Taliban is not the Sou-- the North Vietnamese Army. They're not remotely comparable in terms of capability. There's gonna be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy of the United States. REPORTER 2: Black smoke seen rising from the U.S. embassy, the chaos directly contradicting any talk of an orderly evacuation process.  REPORTER 3: Twenty years of American and NATO-led gains collapsing in stunning fashion. 

ABC’s Good Morning America understood the assignment on Wednesday to play proverbial clapping seals over Vice President Kamala Harris picking Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) as her running mate, casting him as a “folksy”, innocent guy from Minnesota with a “meteoric” “rise” who “fired up” a Philadelphia rally but can also “reach out to the rural conservative voters”. They also heralded his governorship as making law “a wish list of Democratic bills” on social issues, but were otherwise light on specifics and, like, CBS and NBC, kept Walz’s image squeaky clean and ignored statements and positions Walz has taken. That included his peddling of the crude, false claim about GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance having had sexual relations with a couch. Co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos kept it superficial by first boasting in a tease of “a look at the Army National Guardsman, former high school teacher, football coach, father of two, six-term congressman” who’s “[e]ager to go head to head against his opponent.” “[Harris] introduced her running mate to the nation last night and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz fired up the Philadelphia crowd with new takes on the Trump-Vance ticket,” he later added                     Congressional correspondent Rachel Scott embraced her unofficial job in Democratic public relations by gushing over the “packed house” Tuesday night in Philadelphia for Harris and Walz, boasting the two see “their campaign as a fight for the future”. North Korean-like state-run media report on Harris-Walz ticket by ABC's Rachel Scott on 'Good Morning America', fawning over the "packed house", light on specifics other than vague allusions to Walz's far-left politics, only mentioning Team Trump says he's "a liberal extremist" pic.twitter.com/ej447LDKDG — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 7, 2024 “Overnight, Vice President Harris taking the stage with her new running mate...introducing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to the nation. As a father, congressman, sergeant major, teacher and former football coach,” Scott began. Scott simply narrated their rally, bragging that Walz went “after the former President, who was found guilty in the hush money trial of falsifying business records” and offering no pushback to Walz’s claim that “violent crime was up under Donald Trump” as being the former president’s fault. She also led viewers through a clip of Walz smearing Vance as an elitist, ignoring the Republican’s early years of poverty inside a broken home. “Walz also using his family’s personal history with IVF to make the case for reproductive rights....His star rising in Democratic circles in recent days after he coined a new line of attack against Republicans, calling them weird,” she later bragged. The second half hour saw more of the same with senior White House correspondent one-upping Scott with a syrupy profile of Walz. Wang began by swooning over his “rise” as “meteoric” that’s been “anything but conventional”. Wang continued with more biographical details meant to make him seem as normal and soft as a baby’s bottom, including former students who just so happened to be ready to talk about how accepting he was faulty adviser for the gay-straight alliance at the high school he taught at. ABC's 'Good Morning America' excitedly promotes "folksy" Tim Walz, calling it "meteroric" "rise" for a man who's "anything but conventional" and can "reach...rural conservative voters" Selina Wang touted his military service (but not that he quit so he wouldn't have to go to… pic.twitter.com/G0b65kUBvI — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 7, 2024 Wang hit all the campaign talkers, down to calling him a “moderate” but nonetheless eagerly embracing the label of “radical liberal” (click “expand”): WANG: Walz, a former high school social studies teacher, now a vice presidential candidate at 60 years old. He joined the Army National Guard at 17 to help pay for college, serving 24 years as an enlisted soldier while teaching in Minnesota. HARRIS: Tim Walz was the kind of teacher and mentor that every child in America dreams of having. WANG: He also coached football taking the team to its first state championship and leading the school’s first gay straight alliance. FORMER STUDENT JACOB REITAN: As a student that was bullied and a student that needed to feel safe in my high school community, both Tim and Gwen made Mankato West a safe place for people like me and I’ll always be grateful to them. FORMER STUDENT NOAH HOBBS: He’s genuine, authentic, caring human being. WANG: Walz crediting his students for his turn to politics. WALZ: They encouraged me to run for office. They saw in me what I was hoping to instill in them, a commitment of common good, a belief that one person can make a difference. WANG: In 2006, Walz was first elected to Congress. The avid hunter and gun owner representing a rural, conservative district in Minnesota for 12 years and winning re-election even when Trump won his district by double digits. He was known as relatively moderate in Congress, helping pass a veterans suicide prevention bill and voting to build the Keystone XL pipeline, which was opposed by environmental groups. WALZ [in 2018]: I do. STATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE [in 2018]: Congratulations. WANG: But as governor, he signed into law a wish list of Democratic bills on paid family leave, legalizing recreational marijuana, universal background checks on gun purchases, transgender protection and free school breakfast and lunches for all. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, Walz was the first governor to pass legislation codifying the right to abortion. Donald Trump blasting Walz as a radical liberal, a label he’s laughed off. WALZ: What a monster. Kids are eating — eating and having full bellies so they can go learn and women are making their own health care decisions. [SCREEN WIPE] If that’s what they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label. WANG: Republicans also acting his response to violent protests in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Walz only deploying the National Guard after three days of chaos. WALZ [in 2020]: If the issue was that the state should have moved faster, yeah, that is on me. Of course, nothing about how, for example, Walz set up a hotline during the pandemic for Minnesotans to report to the authorities their neighbors for insufficiently abiding by lockdowns. Wang brought up Walz’s wife, Gwen, in context of the two having their two kids through IVF, but ignored Gwen’s almost celebratory reaction to Minneapolis burning in 2020 (click “expand”): WANG: But sources say Harris was won over by Walz folksy straight forward manner. Supporting Walz every step of the way, his wife Gwen a lifelong English teacher. The couple have two kids and have been open about their IVF journey. WALZ: And I remember praying every night for a call for good news. The pit in my stomach when the phone rang and thing any we heard the treatments hadn’t worked. So, it wasn’t by chance that when we welcomed our daughter into the world, we named her Hope. WANG: Now 23 years old — HOPE WALZ: Good job, dad. WALZ: Oh, thanks, Hope. WANG: — Hope is a frequent star on her father’s social media account. WALZ: Then we’re gonna get some food. Corn dog. HOPE WALZ: I’m vegetarian. WALZ: Turkey then and then — HOPE WALZ: Turkey is meat. WALZ: — not in Minnesota. Turkey’s special. Wang closed with more propaganda that repeatedly claimed Walz “has proven” he’s liked by “rural conservative voters” even though “some critics say that his record more firmly cements vice President Harris as a progressive” The Harris campaign is betting that Governor Walz can reach out to their rural conservative voters in those critical battleground states. Harris and Walz are going to be blitzing through the states this week, knowing there are only 90 days until the election.  (....) You already have Republicans attacking him for being even more liberal than Vice President Harris. And some critics say that his record more firmly cements vice President Harris as a progressive. But at the same time, he has proven that he can reach out to the rural conservative voters, even those who have supported Donald Trump. So, the Harris campaign is making a bet that, even though his record is conservative [sic], his back story, his demeanor will be able to reach out to those Midwestern voters into those swing states that they need to clinch the White House. To see the relevant ABC transcript from August 7, click here.

When Liz Wheeler heard the news that Kamala Harris had announced Tim Walz, the radical leftist governor of Minnesota, as her running mate, she called “an emergency press conference” into session. It was important to her to be “the first out of the gate” in informing the American people, especially independent and swing-state voters, of “who exactly Tim Walz is and why Kamala Harris picked him.” Harris’ selection has come as a surprise to many because Josh Shapiro, the governor of the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, was the logical choice, considering he’s a Jewish Democrat who would have appealed to Democratic voters who oppose the pro-Hamas wing of the party. But according to Liz, Shapiro being Jewish is the reason she didn’t pick him. “Kamala Harris passed over Josh Shapiro because he's Jewish — not because she has personal animosity towards Jews (I have no idea if she does or not), but politically she is kowtowing to the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party,” she explains, adding that Harris “would rather lose the traditional Democrat Jewish vote than face backlash from these terror sympathizers,” which is why she ended up choosing Tim Walz. On top of that, Harris also “supports [Walz’s] radical policies,” says Liz, noting that behind the seemingly innocuous facade of a “fuddy-duddy, middle-aged white man” lies a long list of insidious progressive policies. “We are going to go through his history and his record to tell you everything you need to know about Tim Walz,” says Liz. - YouTube youtu.be 1. “Tim Walz was the governor of Minnesota during the 2020 Summer of Rage” when BLM “savaged Minneapolis” in the name of justice for George Floyd. Walz “allowed Black Lives Matter rioters to burn buildings, to loot black-owned businesses,” and “instead of sending the National Guard in, he delayed for a whole day,” resulting in “utter carnage in the city — crime, looting, arson, assault.” 2. Walz “was one of those ones who was embracing [the defund the police] mindset.” He attested that “policing is a white supremacist idea” that “harms black communities.” 3. “Tim Walz called Donald Trump and his supporters fascists ... after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.” 4. “Tim Walz encouraged illegal aliens to use a ladder to climb over Trump's border wall” — to “disregard the rule of law in the United States of America [and] invade our border.” 5. “In the state of Minnesota, there are no restrictions on abortion — none. You can kill an unborn baby in the womb from the moment of conception until the moment that baby is completely through the mother's birth canal.” Further, in Minnesota, there are “no born-alive protections” for babies born alive after failed abortion procedures, meaning those infant survivors can be killed postnatally. This has all been championed by Tim Walz. 6. “Tim Walz also made the state of Minnesota a transgender sanctuary state,” meaning that a public “school can transition your child socially without telling you as a parent, and then that child can get access to puberty-blocking medication, cross-sex hormone therapy, and genital-mutilation surgery as a teenager.” 7. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Walz “locked people down” rigidly, preventing people from going practically anywhere. He also “forced [the people of Minnesota] to wear a mask,” including young children. “He forced elderly people to die alone in hospitals,” and perhaps worst of all, he “promoted a hotline that people could call to tattle to the government about anybody who violated the COVID lockdown.” 8. “He changed the Minnesota state flag to look more like Somalia.” 9. Walz is quoted saying, “One man’s socialism is another man’s neighborliness.” 10. “Tim Walz signed a bill into law that gave illegal aliens drivers' licenses ... rewarding people who violated our law with a benefit of our society” and “[making] it easier for illegal aliens to commit voter fraud.” “This man is dangerous. This man is an absolute radical,” says Liz. To learn more about Tim Walz, including the scandal where he was pulled over for a DUI and then lied that he was deaf, watch the clip above. Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Controversial boxer Imane Khelif advanced to the Olympic finals after another dominating victory over a female opponent at the Paris games.Khelif has been shrouded in controversy since it was revealed that both the International Boxing Association and the World Boxing Organization said that the fighter is biologically a man.The IBA disqualified the boxer at the 2023 world championships with IBA President Umar Kremlev saying at the time that Khelif had "XY chromosomes."Less than a week after the Olympic controversy began, the European vice president of the WBO said that Khelif was among several fighters in the female category that were revealed to be men.'Shame on anyone who celebrates this.'"The problem was not with the level of Khelif’s testosterone, because that can be adjusted nowadays, but with the result of the gender test, which clearly revealed that the Algerian boxer is biologically male," the WBO's István Kovács said, per Reduxx. Five boxers examined by the WBO "were indeed men," he added.Khelif scored another controversial victory in the women's 66 kg semifinal on Tuesday en route to Friday's gold medal bout. The Algerian celebrated the victory and was seen on video reacting with high knees and finger guns to the truly surreal sounds of a raucous live audience. Online viewers were not so pleased."Shame on anyone who celebrates this. Shame on the Olympics. Boycott," said Paul Szypula.Shame on anyone who celebrates this.Shame on the Olympics.Boycott.— Paul A. Szypula ?? (@Bubblebathgirl) August 6, 2024 Another reader called the match "a disgrace," while multiple other X users reacted by saying the Olympics are "dead."Outkick's Alejandro Avila described seeing noticeable physical differences between Khelif and opponent Janjaem Suwannapheng of the Philippines. He noted that the crowds at Stade Roland Garros cheered, but the broadcast declined to mention Khelif's controversies.Khelif is yet to lose a round in three matches so far at the Olympics, which includes Italy's Angela Carini abandoning their match in the first round.Carini was widely celebrated for her adversity but later apologized to Khelif and said that she respects the decision of the IOC to let the Algerian fight against women.The Italian also said she would "embrace her" if they met again.Khelif will face China's Yang Liu on Friday for the gold medal.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

UFC contender and recent champion Sean Strickland explained that he has no sympathy for homeless people and noted his "zero tolerance" policy for them in his neighborhood.The former middleweight champion has no qualms about expressing his political and moral views online for all readers to pick apart and was fresh off of a rant against Democratic voters the day before.'They bring drugs and crime around your children.'"Democrats have to be the stupidest group of people on earth[.] You understand that your elected officials are actively preparing for war that the American people don't [want] and yet you will still vote for them..... I don't get it," he wrote on X.A day later, Strickland sounded off about not understanding "compassion" for homeless people if they are drug users."I just don't understand the love and compassion for homeless people. These people are drugged out zombies," Strickland said. "They're not down on [their] luck trying to get better, they're drug zombies[.] They bring drugs and crime around your children."He then asked his audience to "man up and sack up." — (@) Sports reporter and beloved mixed martial arts journalist Helen Yee replied to the fighter with a snippet of her own experience:"Not necessarily true for all of them. When I volunteered at the homeless shelter, I got to hear their stories and you'd feel sad for how some people end up the way they do," Yee said.Strickland acquiesced a bit in his response, admitting there is "a difference between the guy at a shelter looking for a job and a guy doing the crack zombie walk past a park... big difference," he wrote. — (@) Strickland responded to fans, telling one that he was once forced by a judge into community service at a homeless shelter, but it is hard to tell whether Strickland was kidding.The 185-pound fighter then remarked on his own neighborhood, saying that he has "zero tolerance" for homeless where he lives."I'll burn down a tent, fight a bum [I don't care]," he ranted. "But there is a homeless guy here who is black. I just don't know if I feel right saying 'we don't want you here' why can't he be a white bum," the fighter joked. — (@) Strickland's home state of California has begun clearing out homeless encampments after the Supreme Court ruled it legal to ban sleeping and camping in public areas.The approach by certain municipalities has been seen as aggressive by some, with San Francisco Mayor London Breed saying the homeless are being offered nearby shelters after being told they cannot stay in the streets.According to the Associated Press, a local activist accused the city of confiscating people's property, survival gear, and medications.As for Strickland, he has been busy challenging Navy SEALs to fitness tests and even recently posted a video of himself receiving water torture.The fighter is currently waiting for his next shot at the UFC middleweight title and is hoping to fight the winner of an upcoming bout between champion Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Oakland Police Officer's Association called for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D) to resign immediately on Tuesday amid an ongoing federal investigation and an upcoming recall vote, Fox News Digital reported.The union's president, Huy Nguyen, stated during a recent news conference that Thao's office had depleted resources from law enforcement and failed to address the city's ongoing crime crisis.'The process drags out longer.'"Today we are asking Mayor Sheng Thao to recall as mayor immediately for a lot of the failures in this city, going from crime, the budget crisis, the distraction of the FBI raid that prevents our ability to function as a city," Nguyen stated, according to KTVU. "Every day, our citizens feel the tragedies. That they cannot exit their own home or walk to the streets of Oakland, calling 911 and not getting the services they need."According to Nguyen, because of understaffing issues and limited police resources, the department has been unable to respond to every emergency call or it runs the risk of longer response times.Following the police union's demands, Thao released a video statement on social media attempting to defend her track record. "It's really unfortunate that the OPOA is obviously playing politics," Thao stated. "Right now, during this very sensitive time, we need to come together. We see that what we are working on, in regards to the comprehensive approach for public safety, is working."Thao, pulling Oakland Police Department data, contended that the crime rate for many offenses is down, including homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary, and motor vehicle theft."Public safety is my number one priority," Thao continued. "Under my administration, we've had the most officers on the street than we've ever had in the last three and a half years."The police union pushed back on Thao's claims, noting that not enough has been done to provide law enforcement with the required resources. Tim Dolan, vice president of the Oakland POA, stated, "This is a time to invest more in the city, hire more police officers, retain the police officers and fix the crime issue. And going forward, that's what we'd like to see from the next mayor."Thao will face a recall election in November after residents gathered more than enough verified signatures to force the vote. However, the police union believes the mayor should not wait that long."If she resigns by this week, the election will take place in November, versus waiting through the recall. Then it will happen in April and the process drags out longer when we need to work into the new budget immediately," Nguyen explained.Thao is also currently wrapped up in an FBI investigation. While no charges have been filed against her, Thao's home was raided by federal agents last month.The mayor has maintained that the probe is "not about" her. However, the investigation recently expanded, with the FBI requesting phone directory records from the Oakland Police Department. The federal investigators also requested documents showing all federal funding sources since 2021.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Chaos in the Chicago-area village of Dolton continues, as trustees voted to freeze municipal credit cards and lay off staff while former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wraps up her investigation into fellow Democrat and self-described "Super Mayor" Tiffany Henyard.A meeting of Dolton officials had already been scheduled for Monday, but one meeting turned into two after some trustees claimed that Mayor Henyard, who is also the supervisor for Thornton Township, would not let them add items to the agenda. So they arranged to host a separate meeting at Village Hall before the other meeting there began.'Y'all are being hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray.'As has been the case at most Dolton public meetings for the past several months, the meetings on Monday quickly got out of hand. For one thing, shortly after the series of meetings began, Henyard forced attendees to stand up, exit the area, and walk through metal detectors that had apparently malfunctioned earlier in the day."You guys have to go through the metal detectors so that everyone is secure in the building," Henyard ordered.Then when Henyard entered, she took a seat normally reserved for the village attorney. She also had two defense attorneys sit next to her and even attend a closed-door session, though attorney Burt Odelson, who serves as the legislative counsel for the Dolton Board of Trustees, claimed they had no legal standing to attend such a session.How these criminal defense attorneys are being paid is unclear, but Odelson asserted that paying them out of village funds would be illegal. One of the attorneys later stated he had not been paid by the village.Henyard is the subject of a federal investigation but has not yet been charged with any crime.The main focus of the meetings was curtailing spending. To that end, Dolton trustees voted to freeze the use of almost all village credit cards, claiming too many people had abused the privilege while the village wallows in debt."There’s thousands and thousands of dollars for Amazon purchases, for PayPal, for Target, for Walgreens, for [regional supermarket chain Jewel-Osco] in the hundreds and thousands of dollars," said Michael McGrath, lawyer for Dolton’s trustees."Speaking to the accounting department, we are in financial disaster," added trustee Kiana Belcher.For now, only the director of administrative services will be able to use the village credit card and only for purchases preapproved by the board.Another significant financial drain is Henyard's extravagant security retinue, including four security SUVs that cost the village $250,000. Trustees suggested off-loading the vehicles to relieve themselves of the payments, but the final decision about the vehicles will be made at a later date.Finally, the board voted 4-1 to lay off certain municipal employees, including Deputy Chief Lewis Lacy, a supposed Henyard ally. Henyard slammed the layoffs as thinly veiled "political retaliation," but the trustees countered that they had to trim as much fat as possible to stay afloat."It’s unfortunate, but we have to make these decisions so we can make payroll," claimed trustee Brittney Norwood.Because of Henyard's history of lavish spending and the village's poor financial circumstances, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was tapped to conduct a formal investigation into Henyard, notoriously nicknamed the "Dolton dictator," and the village itself.Lightfoot is expected to give a preliminary report of her findings on Thursday."Y'all are being hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray," one resident said during the meeting."We deserve a mayor that truly cares about our village and not a mayor who sees our village as her personal playground," claimed another."The village is bleeding," agreed trustee Norwood. "If residents knew the truth, they’d hit the roof."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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