Whiskers are more than just thick pieces of hair poking out from a cat’s muzzle. These hairs are special little radars and perform numerous important functions‚ all of which help your cat live a happy and safe life. Whiskers are not meant to be combed‚ or cut off‚ but sometimes‚ a well-meaning error can be made‚ an accident or injury occurs‚ or you simply start noticing their whiskers are breaking off. Why is this happening‚ and is this normal? Whiskers breaking off is quite common and occurs due to numerous reasons‚ which we dive into below. Have a read-through to see if any of the causes fit your circumstances‚ and then you can course correct. What Are Whiskers? Whiskers are a type of hair. There are four types of hair: primary or guard hairs‚ which are long and coarse‚ secondary hairs‚ which are shorter and softer‚ eyelashes (cilia) to protect the eyes‚ and whiskers‚ known as vibrissae. Vibrissae are touch-sensitive or tactile hairs‚ and they are much thicker and longer than the rest of the cat’s coat. Vibrissae grow in specific places; namely‚ behind the carpus (wrist) and on the face. Vibrissae on the muzzle area of the face are known as whiskers. The amount of this type of hair is significantly less when compared to the other hair on the body‚ but vibrissae do follow the same phases of the hair cycle (i.e.‚ the anagen‚ catagen‚ and telogen phases). Image Credit: Jumpstory What Do Cat’s Whiskers Do? A cat’s whiskers are a vital part of feline communication. These tactile hairs are used as sensory tools and receptors. Nerve endings in the bottom of the whiskers respond to hair movement and distances of space. This skill helps cats survive. They use whiskers for balance and to judge widths‚ distance‚ and space. Can they fit through a gap they’ve spotted to escape a bullying cat‚ for example? The 4 Reasons Why Cat’s Whiskers Break Off Let’s look into the causes of whisker breakage. 1. Rough Play This is a very common cause for young and energetic cats. They love to play and can be a little too rough and tumble with themselves and others. These actions and their playful antics can lead to their whiskers becoming broken. Some sibling cats will also chew the whiskers of their littermates. As long as no other signs or issues are present‚ it is nothing to be concerned about‚ and they will grow back. Image Credit: Bondar Illia‚ Shutterstock 2. Natural Shedding In the same way the fur covering their bodies has a growth and shedding cycle‚ which each hair and hair follicle follow‚ so do the whiskers. You may find that every couple of months‚ a whisker has fallen out. This is due to their normal hair cycle‚ which is completely natural and shouldn’t be a concern but may answer your questions as to why you find their whiskers on the floor every now and then. 3. Accidents‚ Injuries‚ and Trauma Any accident‚ injury‚ or trauma can cause their whiskers to break off. If they have received a burn‚ had an incident during grooming‚ or had a fight with another cat‚ all these scenarios plus a plethora of others can cause their whiskers to break. They will grow back; however‚ other injuries and issues they may have also received at the same time will need an examination and possible treatment by your veterinarian. Image Credit: Csaba Deli‚ Shutterstock 4. Genetics Some cats are simply born with wonky whiskers‚ which may look broken‚ but be completely normal for that cat. Certain breeds also tend to have more irregular whiskers‚ such as Sphynx cats. It may look odd‚ but these cats do get around and perform the same acrobatics as any other cat‚ so don’t be too worried if you notice your cat fits into this category. Conclusion Whiskers are necessary tools for felines. These receptors allow felines to receive information‚ such as distances and widths and whether they can fit through gaps. It’s like they are another type of physical sense for cats. Although whiskers should not be trimmed and will grow back if an incident has occurred‚ always consult your vet if you are concerned or if other signs are also being presented by your kitty. Sources https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-do-cats-have-whiskers https://thevillagevets.com/blog/cat-whiskers/ https://www.petmd.com/care/whisker-fatigue-cats-what-it-and-how-help Featured Image Credit: Annette Meyer‚ Pixabay The post Why Are My Cats Whiskers Breaking? Vet Reviewed Info &; Facts appeared first on Pet Keen.

Applying spot on flea preventatives is a standard monthly procedure for cat and dog parents‚ and it’s usually as simple as squeezing the medicine onto the back of your pet’s neck. That said‚ it can take a while to dry‚ and the drying time can vary from animal to animal. As a rule‚ flea treatment medicine typically dries within a few hours‚ and it’s best not to touch the area of application until it has thoroughly dried. Read on to find out why. When Can I Touch My Pet After Applying Flea Preventatives? Depending on the type of coat your pet has‚ it could take from one to several hours for the flea treatment to dry. If in doubt‚ wait until you’re sure the area is completely dry to avoid interfering with the absorption process or getting the product on your skin. If this happens‚ wash your hands thoroughly and take care not to touch your mouth or eyes. In addition‚ the PDSA recommends not bathing or grooming your pet or letting them swim for at least 24 hours after application‚ and this is also the timeframe given by the Blue Cross. On that basis‚ at least 24 hours is a good amount of time to wait before touching the area again if you can’t tell if it’s dry or not. The best thing to do is refer to the direction leaflet provided by the flea treatment brand you’re using to find out when it would be appropriate to touch the area again. If you have any doubts‚ please contact a vet for advice. Image Credit: Dmitriev Mikhail‚ Shutterstock Can My Pet Play with Other Pets While the Treatment Is Drying? No‚ this is not a good idea. Avoid letting children or other pets play or cuddle with the pet undergoing treatment while the back of the neck is drying. Again‚ at least 24 hours is a good timeline to go by for making sure the product is fully dried and absorbed‚ but this may vary by product‚ so check the directions. If another pet licks the treatment‚ it could cause toxicity—especially if a cat licks flea treatment off a dog. Similarly‚ you should never apply flea treatments formulated for dogs on cats. For reference‚ signs of flea treatment poisoning or reactions can include: Vomiting Diarrhea Incoordination Appetite loss Severe depression Drooling Foaming at the mouth Trembling Seizures Lethargy Ear twitching Hiding Itchiness Agitation If one of your pets is showing signs of flea medicine toxicity‚ please see a vet immediately. Image Credit: megaflopp‚ Shutterstock Tips for Using Flea Medicines When used as directed‚ flea and tick treatments are typically safe and very effective. Adverse effects are uncommon. Nevertheless‚ there are some safety tips to keep in mind. Here are some tips for applying flea treatments: Do Always refer to the directions inside the packet for how and where to apply the treatment. Wear gloves when applying the treatment. Only use the amount of product indicated in the directions. Wash your hands after application. Take off your pet’s collar when you apply the treatment. Keep animals away from one another while the application dries. Check the minimum age for use (some products may not be suitable for puppies‚ kittens‚ or pregnant animals). Make sure the product is suitable for your pet’s weight. Speak to your vet if you have any questions or concerns. Wash the product off with dishwashing soap and lukewarm water and call your vet immediately if your pet starts developing weird symptoms after application. Don't Don’t put flea medicines formulated for dogs on cats and vice versa. Don’t apply flea treatments on broken or irritated skin. Don’t apply more than one product unless your vet recommends it. Final Thoughts To recap‚ flea medicine can dry within an hour or two in some cases‚ but it can take a lot longer. If in doubt‚ avoid touching or grooming the area until you are sure‚ and don’t bathe your pet for at least 24 hours or however long the directions stipulate. Sources https://www.petcoach.co/question/?id=412725 https://knutsfordvetsurgery.co.uk/how-to-apply-a-spot-on-treatment-to-your-dog/ https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/how-to-handle-fleas-on-dogs https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/how-long-do-flea-and-tick-medications-take-work-dogs https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/poisoning/neurological/flea-and-tick-medicine-poisoning-cats https://www.petcoach.co/question/?id=836374 https://www.medvet.com/know-flea-product-toxicity-dogs-cats/ https://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/evr_ct_safety_tips_for_using_flea_and_tick_product_on_cats https://dogdiscoveries.com/health/why-is-my-dog-acting-weird-after-flea-treatment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRQBXw23gk Featured Image Credit: goodluz‚ Shutterstock The post How Long Does Flea Medicine Take to Dry? Vet Reviewed Info and Facts appeared first on Pet Keen.

There’s little more disturbing than seeing slugs slithering toward your cat’s food bowl‚ and it can leave you wondering what to do about it. Slug pellets aren’t a good idea because your cat could eat them and get very sick‚ so deterring the slugs with humane‚ non-toxic methods is the best course of action. Fortunately‚ there are plenty of things you can try‚ so let’s get stuck in. The 7 Tips to Keep Slugs Away from Cat Food 1. Feed Your Cat Indoors If your cat is fed outside‚ it might be time to reconsider bringing your cat back inside at mealtimes to keep their food and water in as hygienic a condition as possible. If this isn’t an option‚ try one of the alternatives below. 2. Elevate the Food Image Credit: Princess_Anmitsu‚ Shutterstock Elevating your cat’s food bowl is one of the simplest ways to prevent slugs from getting inside. You can use whatever you have at home to rest the bowl on or invest in an elevated food bowl. Another idea is to place the food bowl on a table and have your cat jump up to get to it. 3. Create a Barrier You can protect your cat’s food bowls by building a barrier with one of many materials to keep slugs away. One option that has been suggested is to use copper wire because this potentially gives slugs a minor shock that will send them slithering in the other direction‚ though the truth to this has been questioned. Alternatively‚ you could try clean‚ dry eggshells (residue could end up attracting the slugs) or seaweed which are also anecdotally said to repel slugs. Just make sure that whatever you use to make your barrier is not toxic to cats. 4. Feed Dry Food Image Credit: Africa Studio‚ Shutterstock Slugs are likely more attracted to wet food‚ so if you have to feed your cat outdoors‚ consider feeding a dry formula instead. This may not completely solve the problem‚ but it could help minimize the attraction for slugs. 5. Cover the Bowl Some people cover their cats’ food bowls with an item like a plant pot to keep those slimy food fiends at bay. You’ll need to remove the cover to let your cat eat later‚ though‚ so it may be best to take the food away when your cat has finished. 6. Clean the Area Thoroughly Image Credit: Oranje Travel‚ Shutterstock When your cat has finished eating‚ remove any leftover food and clean any mess that’s been left behind so slugs don’t feel tempted to keep coming back to the area. Even a few morsels could have slugs coming back for more‚ so be thorough. 7. Place Slug-Deterring Plants in the Area If your cat’s bowl is outside‚ you can try planting some potentially slug-repelling plants nearby. Options include rosemary and thyme. Just be careful not to put any cat-toxic plants close to your cat’s food in case they decide to have a nibble. Are Slugs Toxic to Cats? Image Credit: Gabriela Fink‚ Pixabay Slugs alone are not toxic to cats (though eating one might cause a tummy upset)‚ but they can be if your cat eats a slug that has consumed insecticide. This can cause toxicity‚ resulting in signs like drooling‚ vomiting‚ incoordination‚ breathing issues‚ diarrhea‚ and twitching‚ which can lead to progressive deterioration. In addition‚ in some parts of the world‚ slugs sometimes carry lungworm parasites‚ which could infect your cat. Lungworm infections can range from mild to severe‚ and kittens‚ older cats‚ and cats that are already unwell are especially vulnerable to getting a severe infection. Signs of lungworm range from no observable signs‚ to coughing and shortness of breath. Please contact a vet if you spot any of these signs‚ or have concerns that your cat may have eaten slugs‚ and potentially be infected by lungworm. Final Thoughts With a few simple changes‚ you can keep slugs away from your cat’s food bowls for good. This is important not only for preventing slugs from stealing your cat’s food or grossing out your cat by making themselves at home in the bowl but also because slugs can be harmful to cats if they’re carrying insecticides or parasites. Sources https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/home-and-environment/poisoning https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/what-to-know-about-lungworm-in-cats https://www.untamedcatfood.com/blogs/nutrition/do-cats-eat-slugs https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/08/five-steps-gardeners-take-control-of-slugs-natural-way https://petrestart.com/7-effective-ways-to-keep-slugs-away-from-cat-food/ https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/gardens/how-to/a609/how-to-banish-slugs-from-garden/ Featured Image Credit: Patric Froidevaux‚ Shutterstock The post How to Keep Slugs Away From Cat Food: 7 Vet Approved Tips appeared first on Pet Keen.

If you’re like most cat parents‚ you likely adore your cat’s whiskers. Whiskers add so much to the cuteness factor of our cats‚ and they come in such a wide variety of colors‚ shapes‚ and lengths. But what if your cat’s whiskers seem really short? Is this something that you should worry about? Here‚ we discuss everything whiskers so you can learn why your cat’s whiskers might be short‚ as well as how whiskers help cats. The 7 Reasons Cats Have Short Whiskers 1. Some Breeds Have Short Whiskers If your cat has always had short whiskers‚ it might be breed related. The Devon Rex‚ Cornish Rex. Selkirk Rex and the Sphynx are all breeds that have short or no whiskers. Their haircoats are also unique: some are wavy and curly‚ and the Sphynx is famous for being hairless. Image Credit: jojosmb‚ Shutterstock 2. Whiskers Have Been Chewed Off Sometimes‚ when kittens are playing with their littermates‚ they might have their whiskers chewed off during play. In other cases‚ mother cats have been known to chew off their kitten’s whiskers. It’s thought that they do this to keep their kittens close to them and not wander away from the nest. It can also occur between adult cats‚ which might be accidental or a potential sign of stress. 3. The Cat Is Overgrooming This can occur between two cats or a mother and her kittens. If the mother is under stress‚ she might take to overgrooming her kittens‚ and short whiskers can result. Overgrooming in general can occur because of pain‚ allergies‚ boredom‚ or stress. When a cat starts overgrooming‚ you’ll notice patches of fur missing on the coat. Image Credit: Erik Glez‚ Shutterstock 4. Someone Cut Them This can happen whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat. Some people in your neighborhood might find cutting a cat’s whiskers funny. Or you might want to check in with the people in your household. If someone has been cutting your cat’s whiskers‚ you need to put a stop to it. In a way‚ a cat’s whiskers are just as important as their legs! 5. It’s Due to Natural Breakage and Shedding Cat’s whiskers tend to break and shed quite naturally. Whiskers are made from keratin‚ which is what our hair is made of‚ and similarly‚ the whiskers sometimes fall out or break off. This is nothing to worry about and is perfectly normal. New whiskers will grow and take the place of any missing whiskers. They can look short compared to the other whiskers. Image Credit: tache‚ Shutterstock 6. There’s a Health Issue In addition to other worrying signs‚ short whiskers can sometimes be a sign of a health issue. Conditions and infections that affect the hair coat can result in whiskers falling out. Additionally‚ cats on chemotherapy drugs can also lose their whiskers. If your cat’s whiskers are short or they seem to be losing too many in addition to other signs of illness‚ see your vet. 7. Fighting or Trauma Sometimes‚ cats play rough or get into a full-blown fight. If you’ve ever seen cats fighting‚ you’ll notice tufts of fur flying. They’ll likely lose a few whiskers in the process. Getting too close to a candle can similarly damage a whisker or two. Why Do Cats Need Whiskers? Whiskers are far more essential to cats than many might think. Whiskers are made from keratin and are much coarser and thicker than regular hair. They can be found above the upper lip‚ above the eyes‚ near the ears‚ on the chin‚ and on the forelegs. They are more sensitive than regular hair because the follicles from which whiskers grow are packed with nerves. The whiskers can be compared to our fingers: They are just as sensitive and help cats feel their way around. Image Credit: Jumpstory Orientation Due to the nerves and blood vessels that the follicles of the whiskers are embedded in‚ they can help orient cats. They help cats tell up from down‚ which is part of what helps cats land on their feet. The whiskers/nerve endings send messages to the cat’s brain‚ informing it what each part of the body is doing. Their whiskers also help cats hunt at night and navigate through small‚ tight spaces. Conclusion For some cat breeds‚ short whiskers are perfectly normal. But if your cat has long whiskers and it seems like most of them are short‚ someone might be cutting them or there’s potentially a health problem. Cutting a cat’s whiskers doesn’t physically hurt them. However‚ whiskers should never be cut‚ as they serve important functions for a cat. A cat’s whiskers are glorious in their own way‚ so keeping them as long as they should be and ensuring that your cat is healthy is in your cat’s and your best interests. Featured Image Credit: Shvaygert Ekaterina‚ Shutterstock The post Why Are My Cat’s Whiskers So Short? 7 Vet Reviewed Reasons appeared first on Pet Keen.

It all started with COVID fascism. Now there is no way out. James Madison once warned‚ “Armies‚ and debts‚ and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.” Well‚ the debts the U.S. government accrued while pushing COVID tyranny and the Great Reset continue to place the many under the domination of the few. Thanks to government largess‚ inflation for Main Street continues unabated while the top Wall Street companies enjoy a windfall. Meanwhile‚ Republicans refuse to fight — and‚ indeed‚ were complicit in creating the current crisis. The administration’s refrain‚ echoed by the media‚ that inflation had been defeated was not merely a lie. The opposite turned out to be true. For several months now‚ the corporate media and the Biden White House have pushed the narrative that inflation has fallen while the economy has grown at a record pace. The idea is to acclimate the public to a permanently high cost of living and to ignore the fact that our grandparents’ standard of living is now out of reach. We have never lived through such debt-driven inflation and market distortions as we have since COVID-19. This has created bewildering‚ conflicting‚ and uncanny economic data in which certain economic reports seem bullish and the stock market is at a record high‚ but most people can barely afford to live. The fact is that while the rate of inflationary growth may have slowed last year somewhat‚ prices never returned to pre-COVID levels. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index grew 0.3% in December followed by 3.1% in January. What looks like positive GDP growth — 3.2% in the fourth quarter alone! — is an illusion driven by sky-high government spending and consumer credit card debt. In absolute nominal dollar terms‚ that means our economy grew by $334.5 billion in the forth quarter. Yet during that same period‚ the government accrued $834.2 billion in debt — more than double our economic growth. After January’s Consumer Price Index numbers were published earlier this month‚ it’s now clear we are still running at 4.9% median inflation. Again‚ this is on top of the current price plateau built up over the past three years of historic gains. Anyone with a brain would understand that you can’t hope your way out of a debt-driven inflation as large as the COVID spending that both parties continue to preserve and even expand. This is why four years after COVID‚ 40% of business owners say they still plan to raise prices over the next three months‚ according to a survey of 10‚000 companies by the National Federation of Independent Business. Believe it or not‚ the worst is yet to come. Crushing debt service The fateful decision in 2020 to spend our way out of the COVID crisis will never correct itself without a massive downsizing of government – something Republicans won’t do. In fact‚ they are trying to undo the automatic 1% cuts slated to take effect at the end of April. Interest on the debt for the first third of fiscal year 2024 will top $357 billion — 37% higher than same time last year. The money printing needed to service the debt alone is greater than the size of the Pentagon’s budget and dwarfed only by the cost of Social Security and Health and Human Services. The Treasury is slated to issue $2 trillion in new debt this year‚ in addition to $8 trillion in rollover of existing debt at higher interest rates. In other words‚ close to one-third of our gross debt is going to be issued this year at a much higher interest rate than any time since we’ve been accruing anywhere close to $1 trillion annual deficits‚ much less $2 trillion deficits. Even if the Fed wanted to lower interest rates‚ the sheer volume of debt it will indefinitely offload onto the market will drive up yields. The Treasury Department late last month was forced to sell a record $63 billion worth of two-year notes at 4.69%. It also sold $64 billion in five-year notes at 4.3%. Both were record numbers‚ and both were “tails.” When the yield is higher than expected‚ it’s called a tail‚ and when it’s lower‚ it’s called a “stop-through.” We are now experiencing a pattern in which for the first time the government is having trouble finding investors and must offer higher yields on enormous sums of money. The problem will only worsen in the coming months. An artificial economic boom The old measures of GDP growth are practically irrelevant because it's being propped up by the very factor — government debt — that is dragging down 95% of the country to benefit a handful of companies. This has created an economy so distorted that any growth we see is built on a few companies well connected to government. Just to illustrate how out of touch the stock market is with Main Street‚ market cap-to-GDP now stands at a whopping 181.4%. We have a concentrated market in which the S&;P 500 is 120% higher than its low in 2020 but the Russell 2000‚ an index that tracks small-cap companies‚ is down 27% since its recent peak. But even the S&;P’s endless bull run is a mirage. The top 10% of stocks now reflect 75% of the entire market‚ and the top seven corporations are up 1‚700% since 2015. The “stock market” has become so concentrated that a handful of companies can post massive gains that do not reflect the world around them. Even the Nasdaq‚ which is full of large tech companies and recently hit a record high‚ is a fake representation of the high-tech market because it is dominated by just four companies. It turns out that 95% of the $1.6 trillion in market capitalization added to the Nasdaq year-to-date comes from Nvidia‚ Meta‚ Microsoft‚ and Amazon. Thus‚ it’s easy to see how we can experience a bull market and “economic growth” while 90% of the economy‚ including many large companies‚ is contracting. To further drive home this dichotomy‚ Home Depot‚ the nation’s largest home improvement store and a Fortune 500 company‚ just posted negative 3.5% in sales for the fourth quarter of 2023. That is the fifth consecutive quarter with negative sales. It’s reflective of how consumers are struggling‚ especially homeowners. Joe Biden can brag all he wants about a record stock market and greater than 3% GDP growth. But the rest of us are living essentially in a recession burdened by a record-high cost of living. Indefinite stagflation for Main Street Thanks to the Federal Reserve keeping rates artificially low for so many years‚ then suddenly raising rates in a doomed effort to combat COVID-driven inflation‚ the United States is experiencing an inventory shortage in housing. This government-contrived shortage is fueling a generational crisis that is placing homeownership out of reach for most young adults. As of December‚ only about 1 million housing units were available‚ down 50% since 2020 and the lowest level on record. Although prices are down slightly from their peak last year‚ prices were at a record high for the month of January‚ with the median sales price for homes hovering around $420‚700 and the average price topping $534‚000. As a result‚ most first-time buyers are priced out of the market‚ as the scarce supply is gobbled up by institutional investors and cash buyers. Recently‚ mortgage rates have come down a bit‚ but commensurate with the decline in rates is the rise in prices‚ with the Case-Shiller Index increasing 5.5% nationally December. We are now seeing a recoupling of mortgage rates and home prices‚ as is usually the case‚ but that recoupling is impelled from a record-high baseline after prices rose despite higher rates. That’s partly why rents remain so high. Rent has increased in the CPI month over month by at least 0.4% for 29 consecutive months. It’s the same story with food‚ transportation‚ car loans‚ and car insurance.In short‚ the administration’s refrain‚ echoed by the media‚ that inflation was defeated was not merely a lie. The opposite turned out to be true. Consumers are tapped out. Credit card debt is at an all-time high of $1.13 trillion‚ with an average balance of $6‚360‚ also a record. Americans spent 11.3% of their disposable income on food in 2022‚ the highest share since 1991. How can they afford anything else if food‚ cars‚ and shelter costs so much? The frightening answer is‚ of course‚ personal debt‚ which reflects (and is induced by) the governmental debt. According to a new analysis by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau‚ the average interest rate on credit card balance paid by consumers in 2023 was 22.8%‚ the highest level since the Federal Reserve began tracking the data. What will happen when the tab comes due on the inflation-driven spending that consumers placed on their credit cards the past two years? Unlike the U.S. Treasury‚ consumers can’t service the debt by selling fiat currency. Brace for impact This is why outside the doomsday consumer and governmental spending fueling GDP — along with the largest handful of companies prospering — America is really suffering from stagflation: a contracting economy coupled with rising inflation. It’s also why the Consumer Confidence Index plummeted in February and the numbers for the previous few months‚ which originally signaled optimism reflected in the GDP data‚ were all revised downward. It was the largest cumulative downward revision in history. Any good news late last year was a mirage. Further reflective of an anemic economy‚ preliminary January data shows U.S. durable goods orders contracted 6.1% month over month‚ the steepest decline since the lockdowns in April 2020. Orders have declined for three out of the past four months and are ameliorated only slightly by an increase in government defense contracts. In short‚ there are signs that many consumers are finally hitting the wall in terms of cash and credit. Once the credit runs out‚ then the de facto recession most people are facing now will turn into a recession de jure that even government data can’t hide it.

A reporter told Juwan Howard during a Wednesday night news conference — when Howard was still head basketball coach for the University of Michigan — that "white media" put him on the "hot seat" amid a disappointing season. The Wolverines had just lost that night to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament‚ and Howard indeed was fired Friday in the wake of an 8-24 record‚ which ESPN called "one of its worst seasons in 60 years." But it sure seemed like Charles Hallman — a staff writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder — had other things on his mind at the news conference. Hallman — whose X bio indicates he's a "longtime Black journalist who works hard at what I do" — opened with the following to Howard: "Coach ... first of all‚ we’re praying for you that your health will improve." Howard had heart surgery in September. "Thank you‚ brother‚" Howard replied. "I appreciate that‚ man." With that‚ Hallman continued with what sounded much more like a racially charged statement than a question. "There’s three black coaches in this conference‚ and throughout the season each one of you has been put on a hot seat by the white media. I’m hoping that you survive this because we know black coaches sometimes don’t‚" Hallman said. "But can you speak on just the fact that the three of you are doing the job that you’ve been hired to do‚ representing as coaches? There was black kids in the stands today that got to see you coach and will see the other two black coaches during this tournament. Can you just speak on that?" — (@) — (@) Howard didn't seem to directly address Hallman's racially charged words but others sure did: "What a sad world we live in‚" another commenter said. "Pathetic." "This crap is getting really old‚" another user stated. "It’s a tiresome act." "Poor Juwan can't catch a break‚ this racist country is really holding him down‚" another commenter quipped. "'White media...'. Buddy you went 8-24. The excuses people use today for poor performance is embarrassing‚" another user observed. "His black boss hired him and fired him‚" another commenter noted. "This [is] really nothing to fuss about." But at least one X user backed Hallman's words: "Don’t have to like the question but it was asked. Coach Howard has had a bad season... historically bad at that. I do appreciate the media being called exactly what they are. They’re not the Black media‚ so they’re definitely the white media." Anything else? ESPN‚ citing sources‚ said UM still owes Howard $3 million. More from the sports network: Howard was suspended for five games in February 2022 for hitting Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the face after a game. During the postgame handshake line after Wisconsin's 77-63 win‚ Howard and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard exchanged words before being surrounded by players and coaches. In the ensuing scrum‚ Krabbenhoft exchanged words with Howard and then Howard reached out and struck Krabbenhoft's face. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Air Force General Gregory Guillot told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that there are “over 1‚000” drone incursions per month at the southern border‚ the New York Post reported.Guillot‚ the commander of North American Defense Command‚ called the uptick in drone encounters “alarming.”“The number of incursions was something that was alarming to me as I took command last month‚” he told senators on Thursday. When asked how many drones are flying into United States airspace near the southern border‚ he replied that no one knows precisely. “I don’t know the actual number. I don’t think anybody does‚ but it’s in the thousands‚” Guillot continued.He claimed that the United States Customs and Border Protection would “put the number at thousands” over approximately a one-month period. “Probably have over 1‚000 a month‚” he declared.Senators asked Guillot whether the incursions over the southern border presented a defense threat‚ and he responded‚ “They alarm me.”“I haven’t seen any of them manifest in a threat to the level of national defense‚ but I see the potential only growing‚” he said.According to Guillot‚ most of the unmanned drones flying near the southern border are operated by “spotters” who are “trying to find gaps” to sneak past law enforcement agents. “There’s a smaller number [of drones] that are probably moving narcotics across the border‚” Guillot remarked.He also noted that some of the drone activity at the southern border is the federal government attempting to monitor illegal activity.During the hearing‚ Guillot addressed the influx of Chinese nationals illegally crossing into the United States‚ stating that it is “a big concern” of his.“What concerns me most about specifically the Chinese migrants is‚ one‚ that they’re so centralized and in one location across on the border. And‚ two‚ is — while many may be political refugees and other explanations — the ability for counter intelligence to hide in plain sight in those numbers‚” Guillot told the committee.He also explained that he is concerned that the waves of migrants coming over the border “seem to be coordinated and command and controlled using social media.” Mexican cartels are using social media to “drive the migrants to areas where [Border Patrol agents] might not be‚” he added.CBP officials have noted that the cartels are using small drones to track the locations of Border Patrol agents in an effort to sneak their smuggling operations past law enforcement‚ the Post reported.Last year‚ Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez informed the House Oversight Committee that more than 10‚000 drone incursions and 25‚000 drone sightings were reported over one year.“We have made great progress in countering the threat of small‚ unmanned platforms‚” Chavez stated. “However‚ the adversaries have 17 times the number of drones‚ twice the amount of flight hours‚ and unlimited funding to grow their operations.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

One thing I've always admired about Joel and Ethan Coen is how lightly they wear their genius. They hardly ever give interviews‚ and when they do‚ they're pretty much just joking around. It's not that they're rude or pretentious about it — they'd just rather do their work than talk about it. Their reticence contrasts with the passion of hardcore CoBro heads (I count myself among them) marveling at how these middle-class Midwestern goofballs never miss. Eighteen classics (give or take a few near misses) in 40 years is a good run‚ especially when you're working with a family member. I don't begrudge them their current time apart‚ but I can't say their solo work hasn't been a disappointment. Joel and Ethan Coen are non-observant Jews‚ but the artist they most remind me of is devout Catholic Flannery O'Connor‚ whose works are also peopled with comical grotesques. Joel's "Macbeth"? Hard to go wrong with the script‚ but anyone could've staged it. Ethan's new‚ 90s lesbian‚ crime caper "Drive-Away Dolls" is self-conscious and unfunny. (I could've told you that as soon as I saw Coen's wife and co-writer‚ Tricia Cooke‚ blabbing away in interviews about "queer identity" and "activist spaces.")The Coen brothers are unsentimental technicians; they leave their own emotions out of it. Critics often mistake this for cruelty. They accuse the brothers of torturing their characters‚ watching with pitiless amusement as they meet their horribly violent ends. But their God-like detachment from the worlds they create is what makes spending time in them so rewarding.2008's "Burn After Reading" opens with a view of the Earth from space and concludes with CIA boss J.K. Simmons half-heartedly attempting — and failing — to understand the point of all the convoluted intrigue we've just witnessed. "Report back to me when it makes sense‚" he shrugs.Unlike Simmons‚ we understand why all of the comically flawed deep-staters (George Clooney as a cheating FBI agent obsessed with getting his cardio in; John Malkovich as a prissy‚ preening‚ Princeton-educated CIA guy) do what they do. They're too self-absorbed and arrogant to interpret any of the "intelligence" they stumble across correctly. The result is much needless carnage. The movie doesn't tell us how we should feel about it‚ so we laugh at the absurdity‚ for example‚ when Brad Pitt's idiotically overconfident personal trainer ("He thinks it's a Schwinn!") gets in way over his head. Or when the only halfway likeable character (a defrocked-Orthodox-priest-turned-Hardbodies Gym-manager played by a soulful Richard Jenkins) embodies the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished. Would our frantic attempts to make sense of things look any more competent if viewed from above? "Burn After Reading‚" with the most blinkered and bumbling spooks this side of Russiagate‚ makes us wonder. Joel and Ethan Coen are non-observant Jews‚ but the artist they most remind me of is devout Catholic Flannery O'Connor‚ whose works are also peopled with comical grotesques. Human existence is a conspiracy none of are clever enough to untangle on our own. Once you get past the hilarity‚ watching "Burn After Reading" turns out to be quite humbling.

A 33-year-old Florida woman was arrested after allegedly trying to sell her baby daughter outside of an H&;R Block business‚ according to police. Jessica Woods‚ of Palatka‚ was arrested last week and charged with unlawfully deserting her child‚ trying to sell a child for money‚ aggravated child abuse‚ and three counts of child abuse without great bodily harm.According to a press release from the Palatka Police Department‚ Woods was loitering around a local business with her 18-month-old daughter for a "few days" in early March. The Daily Mail reported‚ "As Woods used the H&;R Block restroom to change the child‚ the worker witnessed the mother hit her daughter with her elbow and then spank her‚ according to the probable cause affidavit."Police said the baby had a bruise on her face. The next morning‚ a witness claimed to have seen Woods sleeping on top of an air conditioner unit with her child nearby in a shopping cart. The infant began to crawl toward a busy road‚ the police document read. An employee reportedly picked up the baby. An employee of the business asked Woods if she needed anything. Woods allegedly asked the employee about wanting to buy her baby for $500. The employee reportedly declined the offer to purchase the infant.Woods allegedly became "enraged" and then replied‚ "You can have the bast**d!"The mother then walked away and abandoned her baby‚ according to the affidavit. The employee immediately brought the abandoned baby to the Palatka Police Department. The Department of Children and Families took custody of the infant. The child has since been placed in foster care.Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Woods. Police took Woods into custody on March 7 and transported her to the Putnam County Jail. She is being held on a bond of $255‚000.Woods was ordered to have no contact with her daughter. Palatka woman accused of trying to sell 18-month-old daughter for $500‚ police say www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A former scientist at the University of Florida will not have to serve jail time and may even have his record cleared someday even though he and his wife reportedly kept their two children in makeshift cages at various times of the day.In December 2023‚ a 6-year-old Gainesville boy reported to authorities that he did not want to return home because he didn't like being locked inside a cage. Members of the Gainesville Police Department and the Department of Children and Families immediately went to investigate the boy's claims and were apparently horrified by what they saw.In the 6-year-old's bedroom‚ officers found "a large unsanded‚ wooden enclosure" with "two stainless steel sliding latches (aka barrel bolts) on the outside of the enclosure’s door‚" the affidavit said. The young boy also took investigators into his parents' bedroom closet. On the floor there‚ they reportedly found a crib for the boy's 2-year-old sibling turned upside down.Police soon arrested the children's parents: Dustin Michael Gerard Huff‚ 35‚ and Yurui Xie‚ 31. Both were charged with two felony charges of aggravated child abuse and one felony charge of child neglect without serious bodily harm.At the time of their arrest‚ both were employed at the University of Florida. Huff was a scientist in the Department of Horticulture Sciences. Xie‚ a Chinese citizen‚ was a safety manager and research biologist in the Plant Pathology Department. Both now appear to be banned from all university property. When questioned‚ Huff reportedly described the boy's box as a "bed frame" and claimed he was kept there only at night to prevent him from "waking up in the middle of the night and disturbing the house." However‚ Xie allegedly claimed that the boy was also kept in the box "for a few hours" after school as well. She allegedly admitted that she would return home from work‚ lock the boy inside the enclosure‚ then return to her job. Because the boy has ADHD and is frequently "disobedient‚" she and her husband have had difficulty finding child care‚ she allegedly told police.As for the upside-down crib‚ Xie supposedly said that her 2-year-old child figured out how to escape from the crib when placed inside it properly. Thus‚ she allegedly said‚ the couple placed the child underneath the upside-down crib for the child's safety. In their reports‚ police said that the upturned crib left metal wires and springs dangerously exposed.When pressed‚ Xie reportedly acknowledged that she knew trapping a toddler in an upside-down crib was "wrong" but then reportedly blamed her "husband" for going through with it anyway.On Monday‚ Huff pled no contest to one count of felony child neglect without causing great bodily harm and received a sentence of five years' probation. In exchange for the plea‚ prosecutors dropped the other two charges against him and recommended a withheld sentence. In other words‚ as long as he fulfills the conditions of his probation‚ he can have his record wiped clean at the end of it.Xie is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Neither she nor her husband had a criminal record prior to their arrest in December. The children have been placed in the care of the Department of Children and Families.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!