The world record for the largest number of electrodes placed onto a human brain was just broken by brain-computer interface developers Precision Neuroscience. They successfully placed four arrays, each containing 1,024 tiny electrodes, onto the surface of a living patient’s brain, doubling the previous total record of 2,048.Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) combine implanted electrodes that record brain activity in specific regions with a computerized device that can generate some kind of output, with the aim of replacing or enhancing particular functions. There are BCIs that help people communicate, operate robotic limbs, and – perhaps made most famous recently by Elon Musk’s Neuralink – control a computer with their mind. Co-founded in 2021 by Ben Rapoport, who also co-founded Neuralink but departed the following year, Precision has been developing its investigational system, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface, as a way to maximize electrode density. The aim is for more electrodes – generating more precise data – to be added to the brain’s surface without damaging it. “It is easy to see the impact that high resolution cortical mapping could have in the operating room,” explained Dr Joshua Bederson, who led the record-breaking surgery, in a statement. “It could be used to guide more precise and efficient procedures, which could potentially lead to better outcomes for patients.”  Bederson’s team carried out the procedure at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York in April 2024, as part of a larger clinical study of the Layer 7 Cortical Interface. Each electrode array measures only 1.6 square centimeters (0.2 square inches), meaning that once all four were in place, the surgeons had managed to pack a whopping 4,096 electrodes into an area of just over 8 square centimeters (1.2 square inches), as first reported by CNBC.The procedure was a planned operation to remove a benign tumor that also happened to provide a great opportunity to test the device for the 14th time in a living person. Bederson described to CNBC, who attended the surgery, that placing four electrode arrays was “a little bit awkward”, but the efforts paid off when they began successfully collecting data.Key to Precision’s ethos is the minimally invasive nature of their device. The Layer 7 Cortical Interface is designed to reversibly attach to any part of the brain’s surface during a simple and speedy surgical procedure. If the arrays need to be removed at a later date, it should not cause any tissue damage.Neuralink’s N1 device, which was recently implanted into its first human recipient, takes a slightly different approach by relying on 64 super-fine wires containing a total of 1,024 electrodes that are threaded a few millimeters deep into the brain tissue. This process caused some issues shortly afterward when a number of the threads retracted, putting many of the electrodes out of action. This is not a two-horse race between Precision and Neuralink, however. There are a number of other private companies, academic researchers, and government bodies working in this area. At the same time, politicians and lawmakers are beginning to grapple with the legal and ethical implications of BCIs becoming more commonplace. For now, though, this kind of technology is still considered experimental. Tests of the Layer 7 Cortical Interface are continuing, and Precision hopes to bring a commercial product to market sometime in 2025. Commenting on the record-breaking achievement, Rapoport said, “This record is a significant step towards a new era. The ability to capture cortical information of this magnitude and scale could allow us to understand the brain in a much deeper way.”

If there's one thing we can say for Moon landing conspiracy theorists, it's that they've really got some stamina. Even 55 years after the first Moon landing, and with all the evidence we have that they happened, people are still clinging to the belief that they were faked.Though conspiracy theorists tend to focus on the first landing, some appear to believe they have proof that subsequent landings were faked. One reason given is that they cannot figure out how the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) – aka the "Moon buggy" – managed to fit inside the Apollo lander. This conspiracy has resurfaced recently, for fairly unfathomable reasons.         IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.So how do we know NASA was able to get the LRV to the Moon? For a start, there is plenty of awesome footage available of the buggies racing around on the lunar surface.       Then of course, there's the fact that it would be weird for NASA to launch the most successful conspiracy in Earth's history, manage to conceal the truth despite the 400,000 people who worked on the program, and then forget to check whether the car could fit in the lander.The real answer is that NASA, given all the weight and space restrictions involved in leaving the Earth, is quite good at packing.                "The frame was made of aluminum alloy 2219 tubing welded assemblies and consisted of a 3 part chassis which was hinged in the center so it could be folded up and hung in the Lunar Module quad 1 bay," NASA explains. "It had two side-by-side foldable seats made of tubular aluminum with nylon webbing and aluminum floor panels."So that clears that up. The Moon landings happened, and if you think you've found an image that disproved it, Google is your friend. And whatever you do, don't go near Buzz Aldrin with your ideas.

The planet confusingly known as 40 Eridani Ab has been confirmed not to exist. After previous studies had raised questions about whether activity on the star 40 Eridani A had been misinterpreted as the influence of a planet, a new paper provides proof. Under ordinary circumstances, this might be of interest only to specialists, but this faint star system has a towering role in fiction as the home system of the Vulcans, including Dr Spock. On the plus side, the methods used take us closer to finding real planets, including those in habitable zones.The star 40 Eridani A is visible to the naked eye away from city lights, but only barely. The first sign it was special came with the discovery of two companions, Eridani B and C, which orbit each other every 230 years, while both being in an 8,000-year orbit around Eridani A. In 1910, Eridani B was the first star to be identified as a white dwarf. Although not the closest star of this type, it remains the easiest to see.These intriguing aspects, and the fact the system is only 16 light years away, led to the system being designated as the location of planet Vulcan in the Star Trek Universe. Although life would almost certainly be impossible for a planet orbiting Eridani B or C, Eridani A looks like a good candidate for a host star. It’s quite old and fainter than the Sun, but not so faint as to make its habitable zone dangerously exposed to stellar flares as occurs for red dwarfs. The companion stars are distant enough not to pose much danger, both would be fainter than our Moon, for example.All this background meant that reports in 2018 of a suspected planet orbiting 40 Eridani A caused unusual excitement. It was promptly named Vulcan. However, even the initial study admitted to doubts – and these were reinforced last year. Now, the final nail has been put in Vulcan’s coffin, with a paper literally titled “The Death of Vulcan.”Initial reports of Vulcan didn’t use the method by which we have found the majority of planets so far – dips in their light as the planet obscures part of the star. Instead, astronomers were using the radial velocity method, by which most of the early planetary discoveries were made, and still favored for nearby systems. In these cases, the gravity of the planet pulls the star towards Earth and then away from us, creating blue and red shift.When a planet’s gravity is small, the change in radial velocity can be tiny, and easily mimicked by the behavior of the star itself.Dartmouth College graduate student Abigail Burrows and colleagues tested the movement of specific emission lines in 40 Eridani A’s spectrum, comparing these with the overall average. If the variation astronomers had detected was coming from a planet these should all be changing in sync. The team found they weren’t, with some lines moving on different timescales from others.40 Eridani A has a 39-45-day rotation period – about 60 percent longer than our Sun’s. The similarity of this period to the length of the proposed planet’s 42.4-day orbit was one of the things that raised doubts initially, and Burrow’s technique suggests the variations are almost certainly rotation-related. Most likely a combination of starspots and convection within the star is causing the apparent signal.Don’t be too sad for planet Vulcan, however. Like the proposed planet in our own system, it orbited far too close to its star to be habitable by microbes, let alone intelligent beings, logical or otherwise. It’s still possible there is a planet orbiting 40 Eridani A further out, including within the system’s habitable zone. The more distant a planet’s orbit, the harder it is to detect through the radial velocity method, particularly if it has a gravity more like Earth’s than Jupiter’s. A five to 10-fold increase in precision is needed if we want to use this method to find planets like the Earth in nearby stars’ habitable zones.The greater capacity to distinguish between planetary effects and internal stellar behavior Burrows demonstrated means that if there is a planet in 40 Eridani A’s habitable zone we’re now closer to being able to detect it.If that happens, however, we might need a new name – surely two failed Vulcans are enough.(Note: Stars in multiple systems are designated with capital letters, starting with A for the brightest. Planets have small letters, and start with b. If a planet only orbits one star, rather than having a Tatooine-like orbit around both, it uses the capital of the star it orbits, followed by its order of discovery – thus 40 Eridani Ab. You can see why nicknames like Vulcan are popular).The study is open access in The Astronomical Journal.

Among the countless cicadas emerging across the eastern US this spring as part of a rare double-brood emergence, a kid from Illinois stumbled across one extraordinary individual: a blue-eyed mutant.Experts consider the special cicada to be “one in a million” as these cicadas' eyes are usually red, and it’s already been snapped up by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago where it will be on display until the end of June.The blue-eyed cicada, a female belonging to the species Magicicada cassini, was first spotted by Jack Bailey in his family’s yard in Wheaton, Illinois, during this year’s double-brood cicadapocalypse event. “My 4-year-old son, Jack, has been in heaven since they started emerging and has taken to collecting a lot of them. My daughter, Caroline, looked into his collection bucket and saw the blue-eyed one. She brought it inside and showed it to me,” Greta Bailey, the children’s mother, said in a statement.“I thought it was cool and unique and had not heard that blue-eyed cicadas even existed. I took a few pictures and Caroline let it go. Well, after telling my family about it, we came to find out how rare they are and were kicking ourselves for not keeping it,” she added.Upon realizing its rarity, the family searched the yard with flashlights and, remarkably, managed to find it again.Greta, Jack, and Field Museum collections assistant Jim Louderman with the rare cicada.Image credit: Daniel Le/Field Museum“One of our neighbors told us that the Field Museum is interested in the blue-eyed cicadas so I emailed the research and collections department last night in hopes that they would want it,” said Bailey.The blue-eyed cicada has since died as these insects have very short lifespans once they emerge (RIP).Almost all cicadas of this species have vibrant orange-red eyes, but an extremely small number have blue eyes, likely due to a rare genetic mutation. Little is known about the underlying cause of the blue eyes, but scientists at the Field Museum hope to sequence the DNA of the recently found bug to discover the genes responsible for its blue eyes.Another view of the blue-eyed Magicicada cassini,Image credit: Daniel Le/Field MuseumIt could be argued that 2024 is offering the best chance to find a blue-eyed cicada because this year is witnessing a rare double-brood event.Cicadas spend most of their life underground, with groups known as broods only emerging once every 13 or 17 years. This year will be particularly dramatic as two broods of cicadas are about to synchronize their awakening for the first time in 221 years: Brood XIX, which has a 13-year life cycle, and Brood XIII, which has a 17-year life cycle.The two broods are set to emerge across parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Virginia. The emergence began earlier in May, but it might persist in some areas until late June – so keep your eyes peeled.“I have been in Chicago for five periodical Cicada emergences of our BroodXIII, and this is the first blue-eyed cicada I have seen,” explained Jim Louderman, a collections assistant at the Field Museum. “I have also seen two emergences of Brood X in Indiana and two emergences of Brood XIX in Central Illinois. These rare insect emergences are always infertile and can not have offspring, which is why they remain so rare."If you are determined to find a blue-eyed bug, David Attenborough himself has a top tip on how to seduce a cicada that might be worth trying...

You go walking in a glorious field of flowers, you take in a deep breath... and immediately the idyllic peace and tranquility is ruined by a sneeze attack. You, my friend, are allergic to plant sperm – also known as pollen. Plant scientists across the globe are continuously researching all aspects of our pretty floral friends and we had some questions. Who else should we ask but Dr James Walker?Dr Walker is a postdoctoral fellow and undergraduate mentor from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, but he previously hailed from the United Kingdom where he did his PhD at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.Dr James "Jimmy" Walker.Image courtesy of Dr James WalkerYou used to work with plant sperm… can you explain like I am 5 what sperm cells in flowering plants are?JW: It’s the classic story of the birds and the bees. Imagine flowers and bees playing a game where bees help flowers to share tiny packets called pollen. These pollen packets contain daddy’s tiny instructions inside sperm cells that mix with a mummy’s instructions in another flower. This mix makes seeds, which are baby plants waiting to grow. How do you get plants in the mood to collect sperm samples? JW: Some plants make swimming sperm like humans do (except they have two tails!), which corkscrew through water when it rains to fertilise the female eggs. The plants sense light quality during the day to know when to make sperm, so I use a far-red light bulb to mimic these conditions and create the right mood lighting. Then, I simply apply drops of water to the male sex organs to cause sperm release and then I collect the water in a tube, which takes up a single Wednesday afternoon.In simple terms, what is methylation and why is it important in plants and eukaryotes? JW: DNA methylation is a chemical tag that is sometimes added to the Cs in DNA. It is often called the fifth letter: methyl-cytosine (mC). These tags can block certain parts of DNA and this stops RNA and proteins being produced. It’s vital because it helps determine which parts of the plant DNA are active or inactive during different growth stages, affecting how the plant develops and functions.What is single-cell genomics and how does it contribute to plant science research? JW: When we crush up the leaf cells of a plant, we can look at the DNA methylation and see how it relates to RNA and protein. The problem is, it’s a mix of all the cells we crushed up – like blending fruit into a smoothie and seeing the pink of the strawberries and yet tasting banana! Single-cell genomics is a great new technique that lets us go directly to each cell and look at their methylation and RNA so that we know the direct effect of DNA methylation in each cell type, such as photosynthetic cells and leaf vein cells, so we can now see red and taste strawberry and see yellow and taste banana. It’s shown us that the DNA methylation patterns are much more dynamic than we used to think!What are you currently researching? JW: I’m exploring new, unique patterns of DNA methylation across various stages of plant development. This research is uncovering surprising differences in how DNA methylation occurs, not only in well-studied plants but also in less familiar species, offering fresh insights into plant genetics.Understanding how plant DNA is turned on and off brings us closer to controlling these genetic mechanisms ourselves. Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 now allow us to direct DNA methylation to specific genes, enabling us to influence plant development for improved crop yields and adaptation to changing climates.I aim [in the future] to characterise DNA methylation across a broader range of plants, including ferns and algae, to understand their evolutionary significance. From this I’m hoping to establish a set of rules that explain the role of methylation in plant biology and how methylation patterns are made.How did you get into this career? JW: In school I loved puzzles – especially secret messages sent between me and my friends that I solved using a cypher. I was fascinated by Biology when I learned about the As, Gs, Cs, and Ts of DNA and how combinations of these letters also "code" for proteins that make all living things work. The many puzzles that this branched into have kept me busy ever since! I coupled this interest to plants after a brilliant teacher showed us how plants have adaptations to thrive in their environment, like curling their leaves to trap moisture in dry conditions. This teacher ran a gardening club after school and I was shocked how just some water, dirt, and tiny seeds could produce entire cucumbers, carrots, and cabbages, which we could then eat!What has been your biggest achievement in your scientific career (so far)?JW: I discovered a plant that uses a rare form of DNA methylation (4mC instead of the typical 5mC). It has previously only been seen in bacteria, but I found that the plant has adopted the bacterial gene, which then goes into overdrive in the sperm to methylate DNA more than has ever been seen before. We think this methylation helps to package the genetic material for sperm function, an exciting development that we’re preparing for publication!Have you got any crazy lab stories? JW: During my undergraduate degree at university in my first lab, a colleague’s glass bottle containing alcohol that was being used for sterilisation smashed and caught fire from a nearby Bunsen burner! We succeeded in putting out the fire but it had melted some plastic on the bench and set off the fire alarm, so the whole building was temporarily evacuated. It was a cold English November evening and all the scientists huddled together outside kept asking what had happened. The lab switched to plastic bottles after that and there haven’t been any problems since!What is your favorite plant? JW: My favourite plant is Ipheion uniflorum, the first plant I ever worked on when I was a student at Kew Gardens in London. Close-up of the Ipheion uniflorum flower.Image credit: James Goldfinch/Shutterstock.comIt’s admired for its beautiful flowers that come in different colours, but it strangely smells like onion! I spent a year sequencing DNA from the different varieties to look at plant evolution, as its DNA often breaks apart and rearranges itself into new combinations. I still smile every time I see the flowers in someone’s garden.

Tuesday marked the only scheduled White House press briefing of the week ahead of President Biden’s European trip to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, so plenty of anti-Israel questions flew in the wake of a deadly strike inside Rafa (including this from CBS’s Ed O’Keefe). Unfortunately, O’Keefe and Fox’s Peter Doocy were the only reporters in the nearly 25 minutes (24:43) of Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre taking questions to invoke the upcoming Hunter Biden trial. O’Keefe went first after he had Jean-Pierre confirm Tuesday was the only formal briefing: “[G]iven something that’s scheduled to begin on Monday, I’m curious, how does the President plan to monitor the federal trial of his son, which is set to begin on Monday?”     Jean-Pierre stumbled her way through in refusing to say whether the President will be monitoring the proceedings: Look, I — I don’t have any — obviously — anything specific to share about that. I’m always very mindful — uh — on speaking to that, I will say what I have said many times before the President and the First Lady — they love their son. They are proud of how their son has been able to get back on his feet and continue — um — uh — his progress and they will — uh — continue to support him outside of that. I don’t have anything to share. O’Keefe followed up with the next obvious question, which was whether Joe will “try to attend” any of it “in person.” Jean-Pierre reiterated she had nothing “to share” other than Biden would soon be busy on this “incredibly important foreign policy travel where we are going to, obviously, be in France for the anniversary of D-Day, so the President looks forward to doing that, to being in France” and attend a state dinner. A few minutes later Doocy drilled down on the trial with a curious visit the President made over the weekend: “[W]hy did President Biden have a private meeting with a witness who plans to testify in court against his son?” Asked to “say more”, Doocy replied he brought this up because “Hallie Biden is a key government witness who allegedly disposed of a gun that Hunter is accused of buying illegally” and “President Biden was at her house this week.” Jean-Pierre feigned outrage at Doocy’s supposed insensitivity because this visit was only to mark the ninth anniversary of the President’s son Beau’s passing and Hallie is Beau’s widow (who also, for a time, was in a weird romantic fling with Hunter) (click “expand”): JEAN-PIERRE: I think the American people should also be told the full breadth of this — not just a part of this question here — uh — as you all know — uh — the President actually spoke to this yesterday during his Memorial — I think impactful, powerful Memorial Day address where he talked about — he talked about the passing the anniversary — the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son, and he visited her — as that anniversary is approaching. He visited her a days before the anniversary of the passing of his son and — uh — she is family. She was married, obviously, to his late son. Ah — and I think that is something also to mention as you’re asking your question to me. DOOCY: So — so, they did not talk about her testimony. JEAN-PIERRE: This was not about that. This was about literally — the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son — DOOCY: One more. JEAN-PIERRE: — that is upcoming — in days, Peter. Doocy stuck to the issue of Hunter Biden by mentioning the fact that former stripper and Hunter Biden ex-girlfriend Lunden Roberts will be releasing a book about her time with the now-First Family and her daughter Navy Joan Roberts, whom the President spent years denying she existed. In turn, Doocy wondered whether the President has even Navy Joan, but Jean-Pierre ducked: “I don’t have anything to share.” Prior to the Hunter questions, Doocy first had a blunt query: “Are you guys here at the White House in full-blown freak out mode?” “What are you talking about? What are you talking about,” a flustered Jean-Pierre replied, to which Doocy explained was merely him quoting a Politico story about Biden’s bad polling causing a Democrat Party “freak out” At the other end of the question spectrum, theGrio’s Gerren Keith Gaynor and Bloomberg Government’s Courtney Rozen had questions from the left on Vice President Kamala Harris and undermining the Supreme Court’s legitimacy (as the Court remains out of the far-left’s control) (click “expand”): GAYNOR: A recent Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll found an increased number of Americans in battleground states trust the vice president to fulfill the duties of the presidency. I know you can’t comment on election related topics, but this — this poll does suggest that the VP’s travels to battleground states have been resonating with Americans. Given that increased trust in her leadership, what is the White House’s view of the vice president’s travels to battleground states, particularly her economic opportunity tour where she’s been selling — the administration’s policies to black and brown communities in particular? Does the White House believe that they have been effective on the ground? (....) GAYNOR: Legal experts say that the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that blocked a second black majority District in South Carolina can make it harder for it to prove claims of racial gerrymandering — I mean — will have long lasting implications for black voters. While the President, in his statement last week, reacting to this ruling, called for the passing of the John Lewis Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, given the makeup of this Court and other controversial rulings that this President has condemned, does the President have faith in this court? Does he have faith in the court? And would he consider publicly supporting what some Democrats are calling for, which is reform of the Supreme Court, whether that be expansion of membership or term limits? (....) ROZEN: The New York Times reported over the last few weeks that a flat — that two different flags associated with the January  attack on the Capitol flew outside Justice Alito’s home — two different homes. The President — does the President believe that Justice Alito should recuse himself from any cases related to January 6 or otherwise take any ethical actions related to this reporting? Separately, Fox News Radio’s Jared Halpern had an interesting exchange earlier with national security spokesman and frequent Jean-Pierre crutch John Kirby about the expensive but failing pier in Gaza constructed by the U.S. military: .@FoxNewsRadio's @JaredHalpern: “Can you say whether or not — uh — in the — uh — the setbacks of the — the temporary pier, is the US gonna increase airdrops for aid? Is there a way — a mechanism to kind of make up for — for what's not getting in the Gaza because of the pier being… pic.twitter.com/96W1tQEURb — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 28, 2024 To see the relevant transcript from the May 28 briefing, click here.

Hollywood has greenlit a George Floyd biopic titled "Daddy Changed the World," which will be “produced” by the BLM martyr’s 10-year-old daughter alongside her mother. “There’s no end to the celebration, veneration, hero worship of St. George Floyd — to the point they’re going to make a movie,” Jason Whitlock of "Fearless" says to Shemeka Michelle. “I’m just trying to figure out what George Floyd did besides die,” Michelle says, adding, “What did he do with his life, prior to laying on the ground? I just think they’re trying to change the narrative.” Before his death, Floyd had been convicted of robbing and beating a pregnant woman at gunpoint, which Michelle believes is important to the narrative that’s being cleaned up and resold as the story of a martyr. “I remember being robbed at gunpoint some 20-something years ago, and I can remember some time after the person that robbed us was shot and killed, he was not a hero to me. And so I feel bad for the woman who had a gun held to her stomach by George Floyd, anybody else that had to deal with him being a menace to society. I feel bad for them,” Michelle says. Whitlock believes changing the narrative so blatantly has implications that reach far beyond just George Floyd. “It makes me say, did Emmett Till, have they lied to us about this story? Did Emmett stick his hands up this woman’s pants? Is there something they’re not telling us?” Whitlock says. “I tend to think not, but when I’m watching history being recreated in real time, what else are they lying about?” Because Floyd was a convicted criminal who had drugs in his system at the time of his death, Whitlock also is unsure what they could possibly put in the movie besides his death. “There's eight minutes he’s on the ground, and other than that, what are they going to show, him smoking crack? They’re going to show him buying counterfeit bills? They’re going to show him robbing people?” Whitlock asks. “What message are they trying to send to young black men or just black people in general? Like, your greatest accomplishment is dying and particularly if you die at the hands of a white person?” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

There is a question looming over a Manhattan courthouse as the jury begins deliberations in Donald Trump's hush-money trial: What happens if the jurors return a guilty verdict? Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) secured a grand jury indictment last year charging Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, a Class E felony in New York State. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of four years and a $5,000 fine. At trial, prosecutors attempted to spin the alleged crimes into a case of election interference. 'There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me.' Whether prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt is a question only the 12-person jury can answer, though legal experts who spoke with Blaze News doubt they met that threshold. Trump's fate now rests in the jury's hands, raising unprecedented questions. Could Trump go to jail? Technically, yes. Judge Juan Merchan has broad discretion over how to sentence Trump if the jury finds him guilty. Merchan could place Trump under house arrest, sentence him to probation, order him to pay a fine, or send him to jail. But it's unlikely that Trump will ever see the inside of a jail cell. Trump is a 77-year-old defendant, the former president is accused of nonviolent offenses, and he has no prior convictions. Not only that, but Merchan personally told Trump that sending him to prison is a "last resort." "You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me," Merchan said. Importantly, few cases prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in which falsifying business records was the most serious charge resulted in prison sentences. Attorney Norm Eisen analyzed those cases and told CBS News that roughly 10% ended with a sentence that included incarceration. Ultimately, the severity of Trump's sentence — if he is convicted — will depend on how many of the 34 counts he is found guilty of committing. "It could be nine counts, it could be 34 counts," said George Grasso, a former New York City judge. "The number of counts has some bearing. If someone were convicted of one count of a nonviolent E felony, it's different than someone being found guilty of 34 counts. "It could be 30 days' jail and three years' probation, or it could just be probation, or it could be a conditional discharge," he explained. "The judge has a lot of options here." Even then, Trump's team would appeal a guilty verdict, likely delaying a sentence. The appeal would first go to the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, before heading to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals in Albany. Appeals processes are notoriously lengthy, though Trump's would likely receive expedited review. Still, the process would not likely conclude before Election Day — now just five months away. Trump's attorneys twice asked Merchan for a mistrial during Stormy Daniels' testimony; both requests were denied. Her testimony could be grounds for the appeal. Bragg's novel legal approach — upgrading misdemeanors to felonies using uncharged federal crimes — could also be grounds for an appeal. What about Secret Service protection? Under federal law, the Secret Service is required to provide former presidents with lifetime protection after they leave office — even if they're incarcerated. That means Trump gets to keep his Secret Service protection on the inside. The Secret Service, in fact, has already had preliminary discussions about how to handle protecting Trump if he is sent to jail, the New York Times reported last month. That was in response to the possibility that Merchan would briefly jail Trump in a courthouse holding cell for contempt, according to the newspaper. Still, the logistics of protecting Trump behind bars remain unknown. The Secret Service does not speak publicly about its protective operations. The agency did not respond to an inquiry from Blaze News. However, the New York Times reported: Protecting Trump in a prison environment would involve keeping him separate from other inmates, as well as screening his food and other personal items, officials said. If he were to be imprisoned, a detail of agents would work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rotating in and out of the facility, several officials said. While firearms are obviously strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would nonetheless be armed. Former corrections officials said there were several New York state prisons and city jails that have been closed or partly closed, leaving wings or large sections of their facilities empty and available. One of those buildings could serve to incarcerate the former president and accommodate his Secret Service protective detail. Meanwhile, some House Democrats want to strip Trump's Secret Service protection if he is convicted. The Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act would remove Secret Service protection from individuals who are convicted of a felony in state or federal court. Could Trump still run for president from jail? Yes. The Constitution lists three qualifications for the presidency: Be a natural-born citizen at least 35 years old who has lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. "There is no constitutional bar on a felon running for office," explained UCLA Law School professor Richard Hasen. In fact, two people have campaigned for president from prison. Eugene Debs, a socialist, ran for president in 1920 from a prison cell, winning nearly 1 million votes. Lyndon LaRouche also campaigned from prison in 1992. Could Trump pardon himself if he wins re-election? No. The president can only issue pardons for federal convictions, and Trump is being tried in state court. Only New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) could pardon Trump if he is convicted. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski interviewed Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler about the bizarre decision to host a campaign press conference outside the NYC courthouse where former President Donald Trump's trial was in closing arguments.Brzezinski admitted she didn't think it was a smart decision because the optics make it seem that President Joe Biden is leaning into the fact that the historic NYC trial was based on political reasons. The press conference featured Tyler, actor Robert De Niro, and former Capitol Police Officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone."I guess I have to ask you why you decided to speak there and to have the campaign show up at the courthouse? I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right to me at all," Brzezinski said to Tyler"We showed up there because the news media has been incessantly posted up there day in and day out for weeks, and so as we said last week, we’re going to use the next month to talk about the upcoming presidential debate in Atlanta and the things that Donald Trump is going to have to answer for," Tyler replied before rambling off a long list of talking points.'We have to remind people of the historic record of accomplishments since [Biden] took office.'"Michael, I get everything you’re saying," Brzezinski interjected. "And I agree with the officers who showed up and with Robert De Niro. But I’m just curious about the location. Last week, when the members of Congress showed up to support Donald Trump, I called it unbecoming of the office. They’re serving the people of their district, American citizens, they are not supposed to politicize a court proceeding."Is there any concern about the campaign getting a little bit too close to these court proceedings and could that backfire? Any concerns? Looking back, was it a good decision?” she pressed. “No, there’s no concern. This campaign is not speaking about the substance of the trial in any way, shape, or form. What we are talking about, what we talked about yesterday, and what we’ll continue to talk about is the unique threat that Donald Trump poses to our democracy," Tyler insisted. "And so a lot of the coverage as of late has been focused on the stakes for him, but we’re making sure that the American people understand the stakes for them." "This campaign is not speaking about the substance of the trial in any way shape or form. What we're talking about is the unique threat that Donald Trump poses to our democracy."\n\n\u2014 Biden-Harris Comms Director Michael Tyler on having Robert De Niro speak outside NYC courthouse — (@) Tyler maintained the purpose of the event was to remind people of what Trump has done for himself versus what Biden has done for the country."We have to remind people of the historic record of accomplishments since [Biden] took office — but also making sure people understand that everything Trump is talking about doing would only worsen the gap between the super-wealthy and the rest of us." Biden Comms Director: "We have to remind people of the historic record of accomplishments since [Biden] took office \u2014 But also making sure people understand that everything Trump is talking about doing would only worsen the gap between the super-wealthy and the rest of us." — (@) During the event, De Niro went on an unhinged rant, claiming Trump winning the election will be worse than 9/11 because he will not only destroy the country but possibly the world.

The European Union has just given its final approval for new ESG requirements that will affect companies around the world. While the rule is directly pointed at companies that sell half a billion dollars' worth of product, any company — no matter how small — that does business with those companies will have to comply with the new rules as well. Covered companies will be required to submit reports to the European government authorities if they are EU-based with more than a thousand employees and a worldwide revenue of more than $489 million. Glenn Beck has been warning about this law for years, and according to him, there’s now only one way to stop it. “Now it is one of the biggest threats to freedom in America, both in the short and the long term,” Glenn warns, explaining that “our society, through corporate decision-making and business partnerships, are going to be forced to conform with the European rules, values, and environmental standards.” Because the law will affect American companies as well, social justice metrics have to officially be imposed on America. “The only thing that will change this is if Congress acts and the president acts. This president, and at least this Senate, will never stop this,” Glenn says. “Remember,” he continues, “ESG is environmental, social, and governance. So do you have enough, you know, gay, black hermaphrodites that only have one leg? Do you have them on your board? Well, why not? That’s your governance part.” It gets worse. “This new law includes hundreds of vague statements and references to existing international agreements and EU regulations. Many of those are also long agreements featuring many more rules such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights,” Glenn explains. Because of the complexity and expansiveness of the rules, “the total number of social credit scoring metrics included in this law is currently unknown.” “Let me say that again: The total number of social credit scoring metrics included in this law is currently unknown,” Glenn adds, horrified. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.