Does Rep. Jerry Nadler‚ D-N.Y.‚ really live in New York or an alternate universe? People certainly wondered after a House Judiciary Committee hearing where the 76-year-old declared‚ “Men do not compete in women’s sports.” Is the president’s senility contagious or is Nadler living in complete denial of a global phenomenon that’s plunged communities into chaos? Not only are men competing in women’s sports‚ they’re winning women’s titles—a fact Riley Gaines was more than happy to point out. “Ironic he says this on the EXACT two-year anniversary of this photo being taken‚” Gaines‚ the former University of Kentucky swimmer‚ posted alongside a picture of Lia Thomas holding a trophy he never should have had the chance to race for. “This 6’4” man isn’t fooling anyone with any amount of common sense‚” Gaines fumed. “2 years ago today‚ I had a fire lit under me and communists like Nadler continue to fuel it.” Ironic he says this on the EXACT 2 year anniversary of this photo being taken. This 6'4" man isn't fooling anyone with any amount of common sense. 2 years ago today I had a fire lit under me and communists like Nadler continue to fuel it. https://t.co/D0xnL1kfL9 pic.twitter.com/jqouIQWCxC— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 21‚ 2024 And yet‚ Nadler was so determined to suppress reality that he actually moved to have evidence of the debate stricken from the record. Rep. Harriet Hageman‚ R-Wyo.‚ had catalogued a number of times that biological boys had stolen girls’ titles and opportunities in the past several years. The group SheWon puts the number at an eye-popping 292 stolen first-place podiums. “I ask for unanimous consent to submit for the record instances of men hijacking women’s sports and the various examples that we have demonstrating not only injuries that have been suffered by women as men have participated in girls’ sports‚ but also the women—the girls and women who have been affected by this‚ including Riley Gaines‚ when Will Thomas decided to join the … women’s swimming team in Pennsylvania‚” Hageman requested. .@RepJerryNadler: "Men do not compete in women's sports." Who wants to tell him about Lia Thomas — a man‚ who has competed in women's sports.@Riley_Gaines_? pic.twitter.com/LLjUTzD1jJ— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) March 21‚ 2024 Nadler‚ the committee’s ranking member‚ fired back‚ “I object to concluding these mistruths in the record.” Shocked‚ Hageman replied how telling it was that he didn’t want the facts included in the record—to which the New Yorker replied‚ “Men do not compete in women’s sports.” That’s news to the 25 (going on 26) states that have stepped in to stop this madness from overtaking their girls at the pool‚ track‚ court‚ field‚ and gym. If it wasn’t happening‚ then this was sure a monumental waste of legislative time. Slack-jawed‚ conservatives kept up the pressure‚ giving a passionate defense of girls and the opportunities‚ safety‚ and privacy they’re losing by this absurd introduction of men in women’s sports. Rep. Victoria Spartz‚ R-Ind.‚ showed a video montage of girls who’ve been physically injured playing against biological boys in volleyball‚ field hockey‚ and basketball. From Massachusetts to North Carolina‚ members watched as girls screamed in pain‚ lost teeth‚ were carted off with head injuries. One of the victims‚ Payton McNabb‚ still suffers from blurred vision‚ partial paralysis‚ and memory loss. We have examples‚ Spartz insisted‚ of “much stronger guys playing sports against biologically not-as-strong women.” “Girls actually get hurt by biological males playing sports‚” she argued. “I mean‚ it is really unbelievable for me that this is an issue that we cannot stand with women and girls on.” Instead‚ Spartz went on‚ “the other side tries to really deter the conversation in a different direction and divert it. … Let’s talk about how we are going to protect our women and girls.” When the talk turned to privacy rights‚ Rep. Eric Swalwell‚ D-Calif.‚ joined Nadler’s delusion‚ claiming that men in girls locker rooms “is not a thing.” Tell that to the 16 plaintiffs suing the NCAA. One of them‚ Gaines’ teammate and Southeastern Conference champion Kaitlynn Wheeler‚ describes in agonizing detail how they were put in a “fundamentally unfair situation that no student-athlete‚ let alone a teenage girl‚ should ever have to face.” The collegiate sports body “did not simply make my teammates in the 100-‚ 200-‚ and 500-yard freestyle races face a biological male swimmer in the pool‚” she insisted. “The NCAA also decided that Lia Thomas‚ a 6-foot-4-inch‚ 22-year-old transgender swimmer with a male body and full male genitalia‚ would be undressing with us.” She writes of that traumatizing experience in a new Washington Examiner op-ed: The moment I realized Thomas would be sharing our most private space‚ I was engulfed by a whirlwind of emotions—shock‚ disbelief‚ horror. The sanctity of our locker room‚ a space that should have been ours and ours alone‚ was shattered without warning. The presence of male genitalia in a space that was supposed to be safe‚ where we were vulnerable and exposed‚ was not just uncomfortable. It was a visceral invasion of our privacy and dignity. Feeling my stomach churn as whispers turned to silence‚ I stood there‚ naked and exposed‚ not just physically‚ but also emotionally‚ grappling with a reality I couldn’t comprehend. The NCAA’s decision to transform our sanctuary into a ‘unisex’ locker room without our consent felt like a betrayal of the highest order. It was a stark reminder that our voices‚ our comfort‚ and our boundaries did not matter. And yet‚ the effort to protect these girls is what Swalwell called “creepy”—not forcing innocent teenagers to share a room with a naked man. That’s what really stings‚ the girls say. No one has their backs. As so many female athletes admitted to Senate Republicans‚ they feel helpless. “This is kind of a theme that we got‚” Sen. Bill Cassidy‚ R-La.‚ said of his committee’s investigation on trans inclusion in sports: “‘Why am I even trying? I don’t have any hope whatsoever.’” “Our voices as women were completely silenced‚” another admitted. Fortunately for Wheeler and the thousands of American daughters living this nightmare‚ Republicans do care. Over the objections of Democrats‚ conservatives on the House Judiciary Committee passed the Protection of Women in Olympic &; Amateur Sports Act—authored by Rep. Greg Steube‚ R-Fla.—on March 21. Today‚ @JudiciaryGOP passed the Protection of Women in Olympic &; Amateur Sports Act. As a mother of two girls and someone who has worked in male-dominated professions her entire life‚ Rep. Spartz will stand with women to protect their rights &; opportunities as athletes. pic.twitter.com/CmUnUYJ1zG— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) March 21‚ 2024 To Wheeler‚ who watched Thomas stand on top of a podium meant for her sport‚ maybe it will mean the end of the silence of the adults in the room. “That silence spoke volumes of the injustice‚ pain‚ and anger brewing in the hearts of not just the competitors‚ but of every woman forced into silence by a system that refuses to listen.” Until then‚ she vowed‚ women will “stand against the erasure of our voices‚” whether or not this president or his party stands with them. “We demand a future where female athletes are respected‚ where our safety and privacy are not just acknowledged‚ but fiercely protected.” Originally published by The Washington Stand The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. The post Democrats Claim Men ‘Don’t Compete in Women’s Sports’ as Stolen Athletic Titles Near 300 appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Some school officials in Mississippi seem determined to keep parents out of their child’s education. But state lawmakers have a chance to join about two dozen other states that have prevented that from happening. Mississippi legislators are considering a proposal that would create a parental bill of rights‚ reinforcing parents’ authority even when a child is on school grounds. The proposal is simple‚ but powerful: Public employees‚ such as teachers and school administrators‚ cannot substantially burden a parent’s right to direct a child’s upbringing and health care. What does this look like in practice? When children start the school year‚ moms and dads typically have to sign forms stating a child’s allergies‚ directing the school to administer painkillers if a child is injured at recess‚ and consenting to basic medical treatment if a child is in need. In today’s upside-down culture‚ however‚ school officials are allowing minor-age children to “change” their name and whether they want to be addressed as a boy or girl‚ regardless of his or her sex‚ while at school. In some states‚ teachers do not have to tell parents that a child is making these choices during the school day. What results is “social affirmation‚” in which adults tell a child that yes‚ the child was born in the wrong body and should act as if they are someone they are not. That can foster a child’s desire to seek medical interventions‚ such as puberty blockers and hormone treatments and perhaps even surgeries that will damage their reproductive organs. An exaggeration? Whistleblowers have exposed centers such as the St. Louis Children’s Hospital for prescribing children as young as 11 to take puberty-blocking drugs. The results were horrific in some cases: Young women would return to the hospital bleeding through their clothes because testosterone treatments thin the vaginal wall‚ and the wall can then tear open. Some males experienced liver toxicity after taking drugs to make them appear more feminine. Researchers continue to raise alarms as they find an overlap between mental illness or special needs such as autism and claims of sexual confusion among youth. In the U.K.‚ England’s National Health Service has recommended that doctors not encourage young people to assume a different “gender” because autism and anxiety and depression were often found in children expressing confusion over their sex. And research finds that this confusion resolves on its own as children progress into adulthood in 80% to 95% of cases‚ which means watchful waiting is far healthier for children than social affirmation.  Yet some Mississippi educators are still pushing the dangerous “gender” agenda. Parents Defending Education‚ an advocacy organization‚ uncovered that a school in Jackson received a grant to promote gender ideology. Oxford School District officials surveyed students and asked children if they identified as queer or “trans.” In Tupelo‚ teachers were trained to allow students to change their name and pronouns. Educators were instructed to call the child by his or her given name and pronouns when talking to parents unless the child gave a teacher permission to tell parents that the child had assumed a different gender—a secretive technique that hides information from families. When a child is confused about their sex‚ social affirmation can have lasting consequences. Some medical treatments are irreversible and can lead to sterility and other complications. For at least these reasons‚ school personnel should not be allowed to keep parents in the dark about what is happening to their young children in the classroom. State legislators can help. For more than a decade‚ state lawmakers around the country have been adopting parental bills of rights similar to the proposal before Mississippi lawmakers. Legislators should state plainly that parents are a child’s primary caregivers and that public officials cannot burden‚ or obstruct‚ a parent’s role. Teachers have a responsibility to report abuse or neglect‚ but that does not mean educators should accept a child’s self-diagnosis that he or she needs drugs to alter their body chemistry. The reports from Jackson‚ Tupelo‚ and elsewhere demonstrate why Americans are increasingly skeptical about K-12 education. Mississippi officials should increase academic transparency and strengthen parental rights‚ restoring a civic value in short supply today between local communities and their schools—specifically‚ public trust.  The post Mississippi Schools Push Radical Ideology‚ Often in Secret. A Parental Bill of Rights Would Remedy That. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore came as quite a shock. After a massive container ship struck one of the bridge’s pillars‚ the entire span quickly fell apart‚ costing several lives. It’s hard to overstate the bridge’s importance‚ particularly for the automobile industry. In addition to handling 11 million vehicles per year‚ it provided a vital way for trucks to access the Port of Baltimore while avoiding the dense city core. The impact on the region will be felt for months‚ if not years. The question is‚ what now? President Joe Biden has said that the federal government would foot the entire bill for rebuilding the bridge and demanded that Congress make it happen. While the collapse came as a surprise‚ nobody should be surprised that Biden’s immediate response was to call for more federal spending. Since taking office‚ Biden has signed trillions of dollars of spending increases into law and imposed more than $700 billion of additional costs through administrative decisions. This reckless approach to budgeting has whipped up inflation and driven the gross national debt to $34.6 trillion—about $265‚000 for every household in the country. Fortunately‚ it’s possible for Washington to help Maryland rebuild the bridge without driving the nation deeper into debt. First‚ all officials must be clear that the cost of rebuilding should mostly or entirely fall on the owners and operators of the ship‚ even if the incident was purely accidental. While litigation on such an important matter could take time to resolve‚ taxpayers shouldn’t be responsible for the cost of a privately caused disaster. Second‚ there’s no need for Congress to authorize new funding to begin the process of clearing the channel and rebuilding the bridge. In 2021‚ Congress passed a five-year‚ $1.2 trillion infrastructure package‚ the largest portion of which is devoted to roads and bridges. Rather than simply adding to the long-term debt‚ Congress has many options to repurpose funds from the 2021 bill‚ including: Canceling the administration’s $3.1 billion grant to California’s wildly dysfunctional high-speed rail project. Reducing federal spending on programs for low-priority‚ local-only infrastructure such as hiking trails‚ bike paths‚ and sidewalks. Pulling forward highway and bridge funds from allocations for 2025 and 2026 so they are available for the project starting in 2024. Then‚ if the federal or state government receive payment once litigation is settled‚ the proceeds could either be used to reduce the federal deficit or put back into infrastructure funds. Congress and the administration can help reconstruction further by cutting burdensome red tape that adds delays and costs to federally funded projects. These include mandates on labor‚ material procurement‚ shipping‚ port dredging‚ environmental reviews‚ and even “diversity and equity.” While reforming or eliminating these outdated and ineffective laws would be preferable‚ a special exemption would be enough for now. Washington has a longstanding bad habit of responding to every piece of bad news by reaching for Uncle Sam’s credit card. However‚ with federal finances quickly approaching a point of no return‚ responsible governance means looking for prudent solutions. Bottom line: It’s possible to rebuild the bridge without breaking the bank. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency‚ LLC. The post How to Repair the Key Bridge Without Breaking the Bank appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Panicked Obama‚ Bill Clinton Rally to Boost Biden

Hot Topic: Biden Administration Backs Away from Trans Athlete Rules in an Election Year

The "COVID-Cautious" Feel Abandoned

There is a reason some people chase solar eclipses around the world: this is definitely not a phenomenon where if you’ve seen one‚ you’ve seen them all. Instead‚ each solar eclipse is different‚ and the April 8 North American total solar eclipse will likely come with a few extra features‚ including an abundance of red‚ pink‚ and possibly white streamers and loops.The upcoming solar eclipse will be longer than most and will occur when several planets‚ and maybe even a comet‚ are in the sky‚ adding to the show at totality. However‚ perhaps the most distinctive feature of this eclipse is that it is happening so close to solar maximum‚ when the chances of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are highest.Solar storms are hard to predict‚ certainly more than a week in advance‚ so we don’t yet know if there will be activity while the Sun is blocked by the Moon‚ offering us a chance to see its corona. However‚ we know that‚ statistically‚ the chances are much higher now than during the last total solar eclipse in the US in 2017‚ when solar activity was on the decline from a peak much lower than this one.Red prominences from Chile during the 2019 total eclipse. The prominences can only be seen during eclipses or using hydrogen alpha filters‚ which hide the red color.Image credit: ESA/CESARSolar maximum is a product of the 22-year cycle of the Sun’s magnetic field‚ during which two peaks occur around 11 years apart. Right now‚ that magnetic field is tangled‚ producing sunspots‚ flares‚ and the CMEs that cause auroras.Even when solar activity is at a minimum‚ prominences can be seen around the edge of the Sun‚ either using hydrogen alpha filters or when the Moon blocks most of the Sun’s light. This time‚ however‚ they should be much longer and more abundant‚ looking like streamers pointing away from the Sun‚ often appearing red and pink. If a flare times itself well‚ you may see it lifting off the Sun. CMEs are rarer‚ but can be visible for much longer; if any occur before the eclipse‚ they could still be seen.A solar prominence in 2010 compared to the size of the Earth.Image credit: NASA Solar Dynamics ObservatoryThe 2023 solar eclipse that touched the coast of Australia included a fine display of prominences. The Sun was less active at that point than it is today‚ and the eclipse was also a great deal shorter.Prominences are usually longer than the diameter of the Earth‚ and some have been as long as the width of the Sun. Most often one end is tethered to the Sun‚ creating a streamer effect‚ but sometimes occurs as an arch‚ often with both ends anchored to sunspot regions. Although there is some uncertainty about their causes‚ prominences are composed of hydrogen and helium like the Sun itself‚ and are held up against gravity by magnetic fields. Rarer coronal loops can resemble an arched prominence in shape‚ but are much hotter.Prominences emit light in the red part of the spectrum as a result of the hydrogen alpha transition. However‚ combined with white light from ordinary thermal emissions‚ it can produce a pink effect.The diamond ring seen during the 2017 eclipse from Oregon State Fair Grounds.Image credit: Dominic Hart/NASAAll of these are separate from the regular eclipse phenomena of the Diamond Ring effect‚ caused by a thin slither of unblocked Sun‚ and Baily’s Beads‚ visible when valleys between lunar mountains allow pockets of sunlight to stream through.

Animals get a pretty bad rap when it comes to spreading viruses. After all‚ some of the most well-known infectious diseases in humans – think COVID-19‚ Ebola‚ or swine flu – are the result of viruses that naturally circulate in animals. But a new study might just salvage that reputation‚ with researchers having found that viruses jump from humans to animals more than they pass viruses to us.Diseases where viruses have passed from animals to humans‚ known as zoonosis‚ have a pretty big impact on human health‚ as many will have become acutely aware of in the last four years. In an effort to be prepared for future virus outbreaks‚ the study team took to analyzing nearly 12 million viral genomes across 32 viral families‚ pinpointing how they had evolved and mutations they’d acquired when jumping to different hosts.“By surveying and monitoring transmission of viruses between animals and humans‚ in either direction‚ we can better understand viral evolution and hopefully be more prepared for future outbreaks and epidemics of novel illnesses‚ while also aiding conservation efforts‚” explained study co-author Professor Francois Balloux in a statement.What the team discovered in their survey was unexpected. “Surprisingly‚ we find that humans are as much a source as a sink for viral spillover events‚” they write. In fact‚ out of the 599 recent host jumps they examined‚ 64 percent were from human to domestic or wild animals (known as anthroponosis) – that's nearly twice as many than from animals to humans.This finding is significant for both the future of human and animal health‚ the researchers suggest. “When animals catch viruses from humans‚ this can not only harm the animal and potentially pose a conservation threat to the species‚ but it may also cause new problems for humans by impacting food security if large numbers of livestock need to be culled to prevent an epidemic‚ as has been happening over recent years with the H5N1 bird flu strain‚” said lead author Cedric Tan.“Additionally‚ if a virus carried by humans infects a new animal species‚ the virus might continue to thrive even if eradicated among humans‚ or even evolve new adaptations before it winds up infecting humans again.”The study also identified that jumping to different hosts tends to come with an increase in mutations in viruses‚ though viruses that can already infect lots of different animals show weaker signs of this. Having this kind of knowledge in hand could help researchers to pinpoint the next big viral threat.“Understanding how and why viruses evolve to jump into different hosts across the wider tree of life may help us figure out how new viral diseases emerge in humans and animals‚” concluded Tan.The study is published in Nature Ecology &; Evolution.

The skulls of two baby predators found littered among a nest containing the near-complete embryo of an Oviraptor puzzled scientists when they described the find back in 1994. Why were these Velociraptor-like animals in such close association with what appeared to be the nest of its prey? The juiciest among several explanations is that it could’ve been an example of brood parasitism. Snarling‚ toothy jaws‚ and killer hooked claws‚ the mental image the word “Velociraptor” brings to mind is a frightening one‚ but the more we learn‚ the more relatable they become. They were feathered theropod dinosaurs‚ about half the size they were depicted in Jurassic Park‚ closer to that of a turkey than the Deinonychus the original JP raptors were based on.There are two known species: Velociraptor mongoliensis and Velociraptor osmolskae‚ and they both join the Dromaeosauridae as feathered carnivores. As for what they were like as parents? Well‚ that’s where some dromaeosaurid remains become very interesting.It centers around Oviraptors‚ and whether or not they were the egg thieves their name suggests. Fossils of Oviraptors incubating and brooding their eggs tell us that‚ actually‚ they were caring for eggs rather than trying to steal them‚ but one such nest led to a very curious discovery.The Flaming Cliffs site in Mongolia‚ where the curious weathered nest was found.Image credit: travelmag.com via Flickr‚ CC BY 2.0Among the eggshell remnants found in the same heavily weathered nest that contained the nearly complete skeleton of an embryonic oviraptorid dinosaur (aka‚ baby Louie) were the partial skulls of two tiny dromaeosaurids. Their size indicated they were either embryos or hatchlings when they died‚ with one “preserved with eggshell adhering to it‚” so what on Earth were they doing next to an Oviraptor egg?Brood parasitism is perhaps the most alluring explanation. The parenting approach is adopted by cuckoos today‚ who will lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and leave them to it. The creator of the nest will lovingly tend to its invader until it hatches and shoves the native eggs out of the nest. The murderous invader ensures it gets all the resources from its adopted parent‚ who will carry on feeding the chick even after it grows bigger than the bird itself. It's a savage approach to parenting‚ but you can’t knock the results. The cuckoo gets to continue its bloodline without lifting a finger after the egg-laying is over. Brood parasitism is seen in several bird species alive today‚ suggesting it’s a successful reproductive strategy that’s also an example of convergent evolution‚ with the trait appearing in unrelated birds. So‚ if birds evolved from dinosaurs‚ could some of their ancient ancestors have done the same thing?Unfortunately‚ when it comes to dromaeosaurids‚ we have very little evidence to work from. Without well-preserved nests of dinosaurs like Velociraptor‚ it’s difficult to infer nesting behavior. That’s what makes the appearance of two dromaeosaurids next to an Oviraptor egg so exciting‚ but there are several explanations as to how they could have got there.  “Skulls of non-avian theropods this small are rare‚” wrote Norell et al in their 1994 paper on the Oviraptor embryo and the two dromaeosaurid skulls‚ “and the close association of two specimens with the egg of another taxon is unlikely to be due to chance alone.”“Although they are certainly from animals close to hatchling age‚ it is unclear whether they are embryos or neonates; the possibility that the dromaeosaurids are from an adjacent nest‚ were prey items of adult oviraptorids‚ were predators on the oviraptorid eggs‚ or even that one of the two taxa was a nest parasite‚ cannot be discounted. In any case‚ their intimate association with the oviraptorid eggs provides another reason for caution in identifying eggs on the basis of their associations with embryos not actually enclosed within them.”What is it they say about not counting your Oviraptors until they’ve hatched? Another curious clue as to whether or not brood parasitism was a trait that evolved before birds is egg coloration‚ especially among theropods like Velociraptor that are thought to have open nests. Dinosaurs known to bury their eggs were found not to have any pigment‚ while open-nesting eggs had the same pigments we find on bird eggs today. It's possible‚ then‚ that egg coloration served a function for above-ground nesting dinosaurs. Whether that function was camouflage‚ temperature regulation‚ or an attempt to hoodwink other parents into thinking your egg is their egg? We don’t yet know‚ but it’s just another reminder that the birds living today aren’t so far from extinct dinosaurs as we might think.

Next time you’re bracing for a long-haul flight‚ spare a thought for Robert Timm and John Cook. In 1958-1959‚ the two pilots set the record for the world’s longest-ever flight when they flew non-stop for 64 days‚ 22 hours‚ and 19 minutes over Las Vegas‚ landing on February 7‚ 1959. In total‚ the journey clocked 240‚000 kilometers (150‚000 miles)‚ equivalent to over six journeys around the Earth. Their endurance flight record has stood for 65 years. In fact‚ it hasn’t even been beaten by uncrewed autonomous aircraft. In 2022‚ a solar-powered drone called Zephyr came close‚ but it ended up crashing down after 64 days‚ 18 hours‚ and 26 minutes – less than 4 hours away from breaking the record.The story behind the world’s longest flight is an aptly strange and incredible one. In 1956‚ the Hacienda Hotel and Casino opened its doors on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise‚ Nevada. To promote its grand opening‚ its owners agreed to pull off a publicity stunt of epic proportions: paint the hotel’s name on the side of a plane and use it to complete the longest flight endurance record.The ambitious plan was placed in the hands of Timm‚ a former World War II bomber pilot who recently joined the hotel’s staff as a slot machine mechanic.The chosen plane was a Cessna 172‚ a small single-engine aircraft that was mass-produced. Numerous modifications were made to ensure the plane was fit for purpose‚ including the installation of a 95-gallon belly tank for extra fuel. “The important thing‚ however‚ was to create a way to refuel. There had been a lot of experiments up to this point with aerial refueling‚ but there really was no way to modify a Cessna 172 to be refueled in midair. So they set up an extra tank that could be filled from a truck on the ground‚” Janet Bednarek‚ an aviation historian and professor at the University of Dayton‚ told CNN in 2023. “When they needed to refuel‚ they would come down and fly very low and just above stall speed‚ then the truck came along and winched up a hose and then used a pump to transfer the fuel into the airplane. It really was a dramatic show of airmanship‚ because they had to do it at night sometimes and that required some precision flying‚” added Bednarek.Timm and Cook's Cessna 172 aircraft is on display in the passenger terminal at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.Image credit: AdolfGalland/Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED)Timm’s first three attempts ended in failure due to several mechanical failures‚ including  – perhaps unsurprisingly – issues with refueling. Not deterred‚ however‚ Timm decided to set out on a fourth attempt alongside Cook‚ an airplane mechanic. On December 4‚ 1958‚ the duo set off from McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and would not set foot on the ground again for over 64 days.Each refueling session would take place on a dead straight road along the California-Arizona border where the plane could fly low and a vehicle could run alongside their path. They’d also use these opportunities to pass food‚ water‚ and other supplies.If you’re wondering about toilet trips‚ the pair would simply head to the back of the aircraft cabin and use a foldable toilet made for camping. The used bags would then be unceremoniously tossed out of the window into the desert. A mattress was situated in the back of the small cabin and the pair slept in turns – although that’s easier said than done while flying on a noisy‚ small aircraft. Cook made daily entries in a diary‚ which reportedly became more delirious as the mission went on‚ likely owing to lack of sleep‚ stress‚ physical fatigue‚ and sheer boredom.Lack of sleep almost became the death of the two pilots. On the 36th day of the flight‚ Timm fell asleep at the wheel of the plane and it flew by itself on autopilot for over an hour at an altitude of 1‚200 meters (4‚000 feet). A few days later‚ the autopilot system was kaputt‚ underlining that this sleep-induced screw-up could never happen again. When approaching the 65th day‚ Timm and Cook decided to call it quits. After all‚ the record was well and truly theirs – and would remain so even until this day. Robert Timm died in 1976 and John Cook in 1995‚ by which time the piloting pair had firmly established themselves in the aviation history books. Their record-breaking flight in 1959 is even more remarkable when you consider they were closer in time to the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 than today.Clearly‚ however‚ achieving such bold feats comes at a price. “Next time I feel in the mood to fly endurance‚ I’m going to lock myself in a garbage can with the vacuum cleaner running‚ and have Bob [Timm] serve me T-bone steaks chopped up in a Thermos bottle. That is‚ until my psychiatrist opens for business in the morning‚” Cook told a reporter when asked if he’d consider another endurance flight‚ as per CNN.