Axios: 'The President Has Lost All Independence'

This week on Break It Down, why dinosaurs had to die so that we could have wine, the world’s oldest narrative art, the flying skills of hippos, evidence for pants in the Palaeolithic, turning meteorites into space LEGO, and a bunch of animals talking like humans that really shouldn’t be talking like humans. Available on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.So sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...LinksDinosaurs VS wineOldest narrative artFlying hipposPalaeolithic underpantsSpace LEGOTalking animalsRipper the duckNuclear blastsClimate change and healthBig Bang on TV

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and magic mushrooms may be worth a shot when it comes to treating development stuttering, according to the authors of a new study. Analyzing all the available evidence supporting the use of hallucinogens as potential therapies for stammering, the researchers conclude that some mind-altering compounds may help to restore the neural imbalances that lead to impaired speech control.Developmental stuttering (DS) is a speech-motor disorder that encompasses numerous sub-types and symptoms, making the condition extremely complex and difficult to treat. As the study authors explain, the disorder is also likely to involve an array of different neurological processes, and our understanding of the brain mechanisms that cause stammering is still incomplete.However, given what we know about psychedelics and their apparent ability to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health issues, the researchers speculate that these drugs may have the potential to act upon “maladaptive neural functions in DS, thus restoring a more 'adaptive' plasticity in the neural networks involved.” In particular, they say that psychedelics could help to prevent speech-motor networks from becoming dysregulated as a result of anxiety – a trait that is strongly associated with stuttering.Drawing on a growing body of evidence, the study authors report that social anxiety is highly prevalent among people who stammer, and that this may “act in significantly worsening speech-motor performance and fluency.” The ability of psychedelics to alleviate anxiety and depression could therefore provide the key to better speech control, they hypothesize.At the same time, recent studies have hinted that activity within a brain region called the amygdala – which plays a role in fear and emotional regulation – may be correlated with stuttering. Separate research on psychedelics has revealed that these compounds reduce over-activity in the amygdala, providing yet more rationale for their use as therapeutic agents for DS.However, despite these arguments, the study authors note that there have been no proper studies on the use of psychedelics for stuttering, which means it’s impossible to draw any solid conclusions at this stage. Having said that, there are a few anecdotal reports of hallucinogenic drugs alleviating symptoms of DS.A case report published last year, for instance, described a 60-year-old woman who had stuttered her entire life, but experienced an almost immediate resolution of her speech disorder after receiving ketamine treatment for depression. Meanwhile, an analysis of relevant posts on Reddit found that three-quarters of those who reported using psychedelics for DS had a positive outcome, with around 60 percent indicating reduced stuttering and improved speech control.Combining all of these arguments, the researchers propose that psychedelics may treat DS by helping neural activity to become more focused while talking, ultimately leading to greater speech fluency. They therefore call for clinical trials to be conducted, and announce that they are currently in the process of securing funding to begin studying the impact of psychedelics on developmental stuttering.The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

By the end of the decade, there will be another station in orbit: the Gateway. But it won’t be in low-Earth orbit like the International Space Station (ISS) or Tiangong. It will be in orbit around the Moon, making it the first outpost for humanity in deep space. NASA has provided a gorgeous visualization to show it off. The Gateway is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). Construction on this is expected to begin next year with the launch of the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and the Power and Propulsion Element.The propulsion will make the Gateway the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown. The power is needed to keep the station in the particular “near-rectilinear halo orbit” or NRHO, which is roughly perpendicular to the orbital plane of the Moon.     It will send the Gateway in a 7-day elongated path around the Moon, getting it as close as 3,000 kilometers (1,865 miles) from the Lunar South Pole and as far as 70,000 kilometers (43,500 miles) from the North Pole. Astronauts will always have contact with Earth, not needing to disappear around the Moon. Plus, it doesn’t take too much energy to enter it from Earth or go up and down from the surface of the Moon. The vehicles that will do that are visible in the visualization. There is the Orion Capsule which will take Artemis astronauts from Earth on NASA’s Space Launch System, as well as the stand-in for the Human Landing System which in turn will be either SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon.What the Gateway's orbit will look like.Image Credit: ESADelays in Starship testing might delay Artemis III as the first crew to land on the Moon in decades. It is scheduled for September 2026, but recent analysis from the Government Accountability Office might suggest that the mission might be delayed until 2028. This might shift some of the key milestones for the Gateway's construction.Artemis IV is going to carry the Lunar I-Hab, an ESA structure with contribution from JAXA. The plan was to get this to the Gateway in 2028. It would then be followed by other modules in the following Artemis missions ending the first phase of construction in 2031.The Gateway won’t be permanently inhabited like the ISS, but it will see crew spending time there as they plan and return missions to the surface of the Moon, as well as conducting certain scientific experiments farther away from the planet than ever before.   

Dogs are celebrated for their loyalty and affection, but the concept of imprinting takes this bond to an extraordinary level. Imprinting is a profound connection that surpasses the usual pet-owner relationship, indicating that your dog trusts you with their life. Here are seven behaviors that signal your dog has imprinted on you. 1. Sleeping with... The post If your dog does this – it means they’ve ‘imprinted’ on you appeared first on Animal Channel.

Democrats have no qualms when it comes to spreading lies, even when those lies are effortlessly disproven. Take Kamala Harris’ recent tweet as an example: Now what did Donald Trump actually say? Kamala Harris Humiliated as Elon Musk Calmly Points Out Community Notes’ Fact Check youtu.be When asked about the issue of abortion during the first presidential debate against Joe Biden on June 27, Trump clearly stated he would not sign a federal ban on abortion and would instead leave it up to the states. If you don’t believe us, go watch the footage. The X community was quick to fact-check Harris, pointing to numerous news outlets — most of them liberal — that accurately reported Trump’s answer. If that wasn’t humiliating enough for the VP, Elon Musk then reposted Harris’ tweet with the following comment: “Do you see why the system has tried to take out Elon?” asks Dave Rubin. “He is able to help us debunk this nonsense in real time.” Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Two concealed carriers in Chicago — a man and a woman — opened fire on attackers in separate incidents on same day last weekend.The first attack took place on the city's South Side early Saturday in the Englewood neighborhood's 200 block of West 63rd Street around 1:40 a.m., police told WLS-TV.Turns out the woman is a concealed-carry license and Firearm Owners Identification card holder, and she pulled out a gun and shot the girl in her left shoulder, WBBM reported.Two men — a 36-year-old and a 49-year-old — were arguing at a gas station when the 36-year-old retrieved a gun from his vehicle and fired at the 49-year-old, police told the station.His target, however, was not to be outdone.The 49-year-old is a concealed-carry license holder and returned fire, hitting the 36-year-old in his arm, WLS reported. The 36-year-old was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, the station said.WLS reported that Area 1 detectives were investigating, adding that police did not immediately provide further information about the shooting. The second attack took place less than 24 hours later.Police told WBBM-TV that a 17-year-old female was arguing with a 26-year-old woman in the 3000 block of South Fort Dearborn Drive, which is near 31st Street Beach, just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday.During the argument, the girl pulled out a sharp object and stabbed the woman in the arm, WBBM reported.But the girl's target stopped her attack right then and there.Turns out the woman is a concealed-carry license and Firearm Owners Identification card holder, and she pulled out a gun and shot the girl in her left shoulder, WBBM reported.The girl was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was treated and released, WBBM said, adding that she was then arrested and charged with aggravated battery with great bodily harm.The woman was taken to Insight Hospital in good condition, WBBM noted, adding that Area 1 detectives were investigating.Will they never learn?Just one month ago, police said a concealed carrier shot three males who physically attacked him amid an argument outside his Chicago home.Police told WLS that a 29-year-old male was shot five times in the torso and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition; a 22-year-old male was shot in the chest and taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital in critical condition; and a 55-year-old male was shot in the neck and was in critical condition at Illinois Masonic Hospital. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

NFL legend Tom Brady revealed that while he enjoyed being the butt of the joke at a recent roast, he was bothered at how the show impacted his family.With a debut of 2 million viewers in the first night, the "Tom Brady Roast" on Netflix was one of the most talked-about cultural moments in 2024. The star-studded event provided a plethora of edgy jokes that marked a return to real comedy for many Americans after political correctness had put a stranglehold on entertainment for so long.The show was the most-watched program on Netflix for a week, with 13.8 million views.Brady was recently asked about his biggest takeaway from the experience, given how so many jokes at his expense were circulated worldwide.'Every time I turn on "SportsCenter" I was like "are you f***ing kidding me?!" I just want to laugh.'"I loved when the jokes were about me. I thought they were so fun," Brady told the hosts of "The Pivot Podcast." However, the former quarterback said the roast provided him with a few lessons on parenting."I didn't like the way that affected my kids. So it's the hardest part about the bittersweet aspect of when you do something that you think is one way and then all of a sudden you realize, I wouldn't do that again because of the way that affected, actually, the people that I care about the most in the world," he explained."It makes you, in some ways, a better parent going through it, because, again, sometimes you're naive, you don't know, or you get a little like 'oh s***,' you know?"Brady told the hosts that he had always tried not to take himself too seriously. While he was being criticized on sports shows or being accused of deflating footballs for his benefit, he found time to watch comedies instead."I watched three things on TV: I watch Premier League soccer, I watch golf, and I watch comedy shows. [Because] every time I turn on 'SportsCenter' I was like 'are you f***ing kidding me?!' I just want to laugh, and so I wanted to do the the roast because the [host] Jeff Ross became someone that I knew."The seven-time Super Bowl winner added he didn't see the "full picture" at the time but eventually felt like participating in the show made him a "better parent." Hosts and fellow former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder Jr., and Fred Taylor asked Brady if he had any regrets from his career. Brady seemed to realize that needing to find humor in life was also likely what he didn't do enough of during his playing time."I see, like, Patrick [Mahomes] out there at quarterback, laughing, having fun, I'm like, 'I used to be like that!' What the hell happened to me? I just got too serious," Brady said."You just learn from it and go, 'OK, now next phase of life, enjoy it a little more.'"The 46-year-old added that much of the early part of his career was about "trying to fulfill people's new expectations" and still feeling like a "14-year-old boy that wanted to fit in.""I was like, 'I just want to go to the field and play.' Now, there was all these other things to choose from."Brady retired in 2023, and despite saying that it was for good, he has teased the idea of a comeback. In April 2024 he said he was "not opposed" to a comeback in the same way that Michael Jordan did in the mid-1990s.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

This Is a JOKE! Grocery Store Owner/Operator Takes Biden's Claims About Grocery Store Price Gouging APART

Liz Just Take the L! Trump-Obsessed Liz Cheney DRAGGED Brutally for Trying to Politicize Independence Day