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PETA to Jill Biden: Swap Out Eggs for Potatoes This Year for the Easter Egg Roll

Paul Alexander‚ “The Man in the Iron Lung”‚ has passed away aged at age 78 after leading an incredible and inspiring life.Alexander‚ affectionately known as “Polio Paul”‚ died on March 11‚ 2024‚ according to an update on his GoFundMe page that was raising money for his healthcare.“I am so grateful to everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser‚” said Philip‚ Alexander’s brother‚ according to the update.“It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time. It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful‚” he added.On February 27‚ a message on his TikTok said that Alexander had been rushed to hospital with COVID-19‚ which can be extremely serious for people with other health complications. However‚ it has not been specified whether his death was caused by the infection.              It’s thought that Alexander was just one of two people in the US who lived inside an iron lung‚ a respiratory device that helps paralyzed survivors of polio breathe. He contracted polio at the age of six in the summer of 1952 when an outbreak swept through his hometown of Dallas‚ Texas. It would be another three years until an effective poliovirus vaccine was developed‚ so the infection spread like wildfire. The local eruption of cases in Dallas was part of the largest single outbreak of polio in US history‚ with nearly 58‚000 cases reportedly across the country. Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that can spread from person to person. In some cases‚ the pathogen can attack the central nervous system and destroy motor neurons‚ leading to paralysis. The paralysis is typically temporary‚ but around one in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Alexander was one of those unfortunate few and was left unable to move his body from the neck down.While the lungs of paralyzed polio survivors still work fine‚ they can struggle to breathe due to paralysis of their chest muscles and diaphragm. To overcome this problem‚ Alexander was placed in an “iron lung”‚ a machine that works by applying negative pressure on the patient inside. The mechanical respirator helps the patient inhale by pumping out of the machine‚ thereby allowing their chest to expand. As air is pumped back into the machine‚ this makes the patient exhale.Alexander more-or-less lived the past 70 years inside the iron lung. He was able leave the chamber for two or three minutes thanks to a self-learned technique he called "frog breathing"‚ which involved gulping down mouthfuls of air using his throat muscles to force air into his lungs. However‚ this was not a long-term solution and he spent the overwhelming majority of his day laying horizontally inside the mechanical chamber. Despite his difficulties‚ Alexander studied law at the University of Texas and‚ in 1984‚ he passed the bar to become a lawyer. He also spent five years writing an autobiography – Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung – by typing into a computer using a pencil placed in his mouth.In his last venture‚ Alexander joined TikTok to share stories and answer questions from his fans‚ which also helped to pay for his medical bills."Paul‚ you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us‚" his GoFundMe page reads. 

Thursday‚ March 14 (Pi Day) has been set as the launch date for SpaceX Starship's third attempt at safely launching‚ flying‚ and coming back down in one piece. A lot runs on this vehicle and this test being a success‚ given that Starship is going to be the landing system for the Artemis astronauts to go from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.Partial successes and big explosionsThe first launch took place in April 2023  and it has been described as a partial success. Starship was supposed to fly partway across the Earth after having separated from the launch vehicle. But separation did not happen‚ so SpaceX deliberately blew up the rocket to keep it from veering off course.Several people considered the launch rushed at the behest of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk‚ who was keen to make a weed-related joke about the launch (it lifted off on 4/20). Many have pointed out that there was a distinct lack of safety measures and the launch damaged part of Starbase – its launch platform – blowing out a chunk of concrete from beneath its orbital launch mount and raining debris in the vicinity. The second launch took place in November and it was also another partial success. The Super Heavy Booster exploded‚ but after it had separated from Starship. Unfortunately‚ contact with Starship was lost after 9 minutes and the onboard computers exploded the ship.How to watch the third launch of StarshipThe third flight test builds on the experience of the two previous ones‚ but aims to go further both in altitude and distance across the planet. Starship will in fact plan to splashdown in the Indian Ocean instead of near Hawai’i.The live stream will be available on the SpaceX website and on X (formerly known as Twitter)‚ and is expected to begin at 7:30 am ET (11:30 am GMT)‚ with a launch 30 minutes later.SpaceX is aiming to demonstrate the successful ascent burn of both stages – Starship and Super Heavy – as well as the opening and closing of Starship’s payload door. They want to perform a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase‚ as well as re-light a Raptor engine while in space for the first time. And last‚ but certainly not least‚ they want a controlled reentry of Starship.The biggest and most powerful rocket ever built Together‚ the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy first stage booster are the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. The whole setup is 122 meters (400 feet) tall when fully stacked‚ significantly taller than NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket‚ which reaches 98 meters (322 feet) in height altogether. SLS will take astronauts to lunar orbit and maybe beyond.As mentioned‚ the success of Starship is critical to NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon. SpaceX is to use the rocket to ferry astronauts to and from the Moon for the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions. Artemis III has already been postponed to 2026‚ but further problems with Starship might put this date in jeopardy.We hope that the launch is a success as we can’t wait to see a Moon landing. Do you think it will fly?

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) has no available vaccine or cure – but that may not be the case forever. New research has uncovered some of the virus’s vulnerabilities‚ opening the door to the possibility of targeted treatment.You are probably infected with EBV. It’s overwhelmingly prevalent in the human population‚ estimated to have infected around 95 percent of us‚ yet most people would never know they had it. However‚ when it does decide to rear its head‚ it’s associated with some fairly nasty diseases including mononucleosis (sometimes called glandular fever)‚ multiple sclerosis‚ and some cancers.  A lot of effort has gone into developing a vaccine for EBV‚ but as of now there isn’t one available‚ and we also don’t have any specific treatments for the virus.Despite how widespread it is‚ and how serious its effects can be‚ EBV was only discovered in 1964 by Dr Anthony Epstein –who recently passed away aged 102 – and his then-doctoral student Yvonne Barr. At the time‚ it was groundbreaking – no cancer-causing virus had ever been identified before. Since then‚ we’ve learned of others like the human papillomavirus (HPV)‚ for which we even have a very effective vaccine. However‚ EBV is still stubbornly resistant to treatment.Thanks to a new study‚ that could be about to change. Investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) examined a protein called gp42 which EBV uses to infect B cells‚ a type of white blood cell‚ in which the virus can sit quite happily for the remainder of a person’s life.The team developed two monoclonal antibodies targeting gp42‚ called A10 and 4C12. The aim is to stop the protein from binding to or fusing with the B cells‚ preventing the virus from getting in there in the first place.X-ray crystallography revealed that the two antibodies were interacting with two different sites on the gp42 protein. To investigate how this could impact EBV infection‚ the team performed experiments on mice using A10‚ 4C12‚ and several other antibodies. A10 came out on top: it almost completely blocked infection and none of the treated mice developed lymphoma‚ one of the cancers associated with EBV.While still limited to mice for now‚ the results are promising. If further research shows a similar effect in humans‚ A10 could be a promising preventative option for people not yet infected with EBV. It could also be a game-changer for people with compromised immune systems‚ due to illness or transplant surgery for example. These individuals are at particular risk of severe disease caused by EBV‚ which can even be fatal.Having identified the weak spots on the gp42 protein‚ scientists could also now go on to design vaccines that generate antibodies to one or both of the sites‚ giving the human immune system the chance to mount its own response against this ubiquitous threat.The study is published in the journal Immunity.

Spelunkers in Oregon risk encountering a group of cave robbers‚ famous for their hook-like legs used to snatch prey out of the air. Known as Trogloraptor‚ this genus of cave spiders has only been found deep within caves‚ where it lies in wait ready to pounce with two sets of teeth.Trogloraptor cave spiders were first reported in a 2012 paper‚ after scientists discovered a new species and genus of spiders lurking in caves in southwestern Oregon's Siskiyou Mountains back in 2010. They’re big boys compared to most cave spiders‚ with a leg span of around 7.6 centimeters (3 inches).They exhibit a rare trait for spiders: hooked claws on the end of their legs that they use for hunting prey. Anything they snatch is made short work of thanks to multiple rows of teeth‚ another unusual trait among spiders.The hooked raptorial tarsus of a female cave spider.Image credit: Griswold et al 2012‚ ZooKeys (CC BY 3.0)These cave spiders are classed as troglobites‚ which is the name given to animals that have evolved specialized anatomy and super senses that enable them to thrive exclusively in cave environments. In the deepest darkest stretches of cave systems‚ you can’t afford to play with your food‚ so being an adept hunter is crucial.It’s thought they hang on the roofs of caves from a few silk strands for a web‚ snatching passing prey out of the air. However‚ exactly what’s on the menu for these cave spiders isn’t clear.A captive female Trogloraptor cave spider.Image credit: Griswold et al 2012‚ ZooKeys (CC BY 3.0)In captivity‚ Trogloraptor were observed eating moths‚ crickets‚ and other spiders‚ reports the National Park Service‚ but they died – seemingly from starvation – within two weeks. Further research showed they have venom glands‚ so what is it they’re eating down in those caves?We still have much to learn about these deep-dwelling cave spiders‚ but the lead author behind their discovery‚ Charles Griswold‚ suggests they may have retreated to these habitats when redwood forests in the regions began shrinking. And they’re not the only predatory arachnids who made this move.                 Spiders the size of softballs lurk deep inside abandoned mines in Mexico‚ just one of a host of impressive mine spiders that have capitalized on human-made environments that have since been abandoned. The most impressive was first identified in an abandoned mine in Baja California Sur‚ Mexico‚ where scientists found an “abnormally big” exoskeleton shed in the cracks of a rock overhang. Named the Sierra Cacachilas wandering spider‚ Califorctenus cacachilensis‚ it is a relative of the notoriously venomous Brazilian wandering spider‚ Phoneutria fera.And yes‚ that is the boner spider.

Continuing his effort to provide comfort to despondent liberals‚ ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel interviewed four former non-violent prisoners on Tuesday where he mused about what Donald Trump could expect if he is ever sent to prison on everything from race relations to his diet to his romantic life. Kimmel asked his panel‚ “You're talking about‚ like‚ these racial divisions in prison. What would Donald Trump -- what group would he be in? Is there an orange?” Justin Paperny explained that “In the federal system where I served time‚ there is some race segregation. But with a white guy goes to sit with blacks or Asians‚ they're not going to get reprimanded and thrown out‚ but you want to be respectful.”     Kimmel followed up by wondering‚ “Did you learn to whisper the word ‘black’ in prison?”  There was no response to that question. Instead‚ Kimmel moved to prison food‚ “How hard would it be for him to smuggle in‚ like‚ a bucket of KFC? How hard would it be for him to make‚ like‚ the 11 Herbs and Spices in the toilet? Is that possible? You guys do any toilet cooking in prison?” Following some back and forth about KFC and the quality of prison food‚ Carlos Cervantes added‚ “Well‚ now everything is soy-based too‚ so it sucks.” Kimmel surmised soy would be especially unpleasant for Trump‚ “Oh‚ he's probably never had soy in his whole life.” Later‚ Kimmel switched to the idea of prison companionship‚ where Donte West‚ who was the only one of the quartet to be exonerated‚ recalled‚ “This one time I was in prison‚ right‚ walking in the cafeteria‚ they had a sheet over the table. It was on a date.” After Kimmel wondered‚ “So‚ it’s romantic?” West continued‚ “Some people are serving life. They want to come in with the modified titties and ass‚ kind of built like Donald‚ right‚ and lights cut off‚ they come cuddle.” Following some additional talk about the meaning of the word “cuddle‚” Kimmel inquired‚ “Do you think he will find love in prison?” West theorized that “I think a big black man would go ahead and take him under his wing.” An amused Kimmel sought to clarify‚ “That's right. You're saying racists can get along in certain situations‚ be they sexual?” West affirmed‚ “I think if there's any opportunity‚ it's for an orange guy like Donnie‚ for sure.” Kimmel thinks he’s mocking the powerful by previewing what he and his liberal audience believe Trump deserves‚ but it is just sad that the idea of Donald Trump cooking out of a prison toilet is what they need to make them feel better about themselves. Here is a transcript for the March 12 show: ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live 3/12/2024 11:45 PM ET JIMMY KIMMEL: You're talking about‚ like‚ these racial divisions in prison. What would Donald Trump -- what group would he be in? Is there an orange?  JUSTIN PAPERNY: In the federal system where I served time‚ there is some race segregation. But with a white guy goes to sit with blacks or Asians‚ they're not going to get reprimanded and thrown out‚ but you want to be respectful. KIMMEL: Did you learn to whisper the word “black” in prison? How hard would it be for him to smuggle in‚ like‚ a bucket of KFC? How hard would it be for him to make‚ like‚ the 11 Herbs and Spices in the toilet? Is that possible? You guys do any toilet cooking in prison?  ROBY SO: Not in the toilet. PAPERNY: The closest he would get to KFC‚ you can cook some incredible -- some of the best meals I ever had were in prison.  KIMMEL: Some of the best meals you ever had were in prison?  PAPERNY: Yeah.  CARLOS CERVANTES: For sure.  KIMMEL: Really?  PAPERNY: Phenomenal meals.  KIMMEL: You say no? You haven't had anything good to eat?  DONTE WEST: I mean‚ some of the food is good‚ but you think about all the good food out here‚ I mean –  CERVANTES: Well‚ now everything is soy-based too‚ so it sucks.  KIMMEL: Oh‚ he's probably never had soy in his whole life.  … WEST: This one time I was in prison‚ right‚ walking in the cafeteria‚ they had a sheet over the table. It was on a date.  KIMMEL: So‚ it’s romantic?  WEST: Some people are serving life. They want to come in with the modified titties and ass‚ kind of built like Donald‚ right‚ and lights cut off‚ they come cuddle.  KIMMEL: Cuddle is a code?  PAPERNY: I never used that. That's a code I never used.  KIMMEL: You never got a chance to cuddle?  PAPERNY: I didn't cuddle‚ no‚ there was no cuddling.  KIMMEL: Guys‚ come on‚ he never got to cuddle‚ let's give him a cuddle. What does cuddle mean? I mean‚ honestly‚ like‚ what are we talking about cuddle-wise?  WEST: Well‚ I was in there with a bunch of lifers‚ right‚ out there in Kansas‚ so you’ll see‚ like‚ people be up‚ wandering around and then –  KIMMEL: You're able to get out of your cell at night?  PAPERNY: In a federal prison‚ if the sentence is less than ten years‚ you go to one of these‚ what people call country clubs or club feds.  KIMMEL: Is it similar to Mar-a-Lago?  WEST: Yeah‚ I don't know what's going to happen‚ but‚ you know‚ somebody's going to claim him.  KIMMEL: Do you think he will find love in prison?  WEST: I think a big black man would go ahead and take him under his wing.  KIMMEL: That's right. You're saying racists can get along in certain situations‚ be they sexual?  WEST: I think if there's any opportunity‚ it's for an orange guy like Donnie‚ for sure.  KIMMEL: That’s nice.

Imagine placing a filing cabinet filled with your valuables on your front lawn. How long would those items be safe? No matter where you live‚ odds are your personal items wouldn’t be very safe. Now‚ imagine you have a home network with Wi-Fi that is unsecured and a router password that is still the default. Most people don’t give their home network much thought. But with Wi-Fi being so common‚ fast‚ and convenient‚ it’s worth spending some time going over your network to make sure you aren’t just putting your precious files out in your digital front yard. In no particular order‚ here are 10 separate ways to protect your network against intrusion. Change your router’s default username/password All networks have a router‚ and all routers can be configured. To configure a router‚ you must log in to the router with a username and a password‚ and all routers will come with a default username and password. Anyone who connects to your Wi-Fi or network can try to log into your router. If they guess your default password‚ or are in the house and can look at the default password on a sticker on the router‚ they now have quite a lot of access to configure your network. They could remove any device from the network they want‚ change the password to the Wi-Fi‚ slow the network down‚ disconnect your network from the internet‚ and other malicious things. You can prevent this by simply changing the default password to something else. To do this‚ you need to find your router’s IP address. You can do this on Windows with these steps: Open a command prompt window by clicking the magnifying glass by the start button and searching for cmd. In the command prompt window‚ type ipconfig /all. There may be a few entries that come up‚ but look for Default Gateway under the network interface (i.e.‚ Wi-Fi or Ethernet) you are using. It’s a series of numbers punctuated by periods that will look something like 192.168.1.1‚ 192.168.0.1‚ 192.168.0.100‚ or 10.0.0.1. Open a web browser and type this gateway IP address into the address bar. You’ll be presented with your router’s login page. Enter in the default credentials. You can find this out by checking your router’s user manual‚ checking the labels on the router‚ or by Googling the default password with your router’s make and model. See‚ I told you you’d want to change it. Once logged in‚ follow your router’s manual to change the default password. Each router will be a little different‚ but it’s usually under a General or administrative section. Once changed‚ make sure your router saves this new password and then logout. And on Mac: Press Command + Space to open up the terminal. Issue the following command: route get default | grep gateway. The relevant information returned should look like the following: gateway: 192.168.0.1 Don’t include personal information in your Wi-Fi SSID Your Wi-Fi SSID (its service set identifier‚ or its name) can often be overlooked. Most routers come with a default Wi-Fi name‚ but some people will log into their routers and change the name. It’s fun to pull out your laptop and see what fun Wi-Fi names are in your neighborhood like “Copa Cabana‚” “Drop It Like It’s Hotspot‚” “Stark Industries‚” ”Mom Click Here‚” or “FBI Van‚” to name a few‚ but be careful what you name your Wi-Fi. It can be tempting to add your family’s name‚ your address‚ street name‚ or other such information that could help an intruder identify they have the correct network. Encrypt your Wi-Fi with the latest encryption scheme One of the best things you could do is make sure your Wi-Fi is encrypted. Most modern routers these days are already encrypting the Wi-Fi they are broadcasting. It’s a good idea to make sure this is the case. If you have to type in a password the first time to connect to your Wi-Fi‚ then chances are it’s encrypted. You can verify this by: Clicking on your Wi-Fi icon in the lower right of your screen. Look for your Wi-Fi network and look for a little white padlock. If the icon has a lock‚ your Wi-Fi is encrypted. You could also look for the words Connected‚ secured under the Wi-Fi name. If your home Wi-Fi isn’t encrypted‚ you can login to your router (see item number 9 on this list)‚ find the Wi-Fi security section in your router (see its manual) and select the desired encryption. Make sure your router at least supports WPA2 — WPA3 is even better. If your router doesn’t have WPA2‚ it should be upgraded. No seriously‚ upgrade it. Make sure your router is up-to-date and isn’t too old Going along with number eight‚ you’ll want to make sure you aren’t using hardware that’s too old. If you are renting your router from your ISP‚ give them a call and make sure you have the latest model. Newer routers support better encryption and will generally have better security features. You can take it a step farther and purchase your own router. Your own router will give you more options and far more control of your network‚ including its security. Of course‚ this comes with a bit of a learning curve‚ but if you’re nerdy‚ get your own! Be mindful of what is shared on your network If someone does manage to get onto your Wi-Fi‚ or into your network‚ generally‚ there are only so many things they could easily get to. Most Windows PCs will have a shared folder‚ and anything you put in that folder will be‚ you guessed it‚ shared. If you do share files on your network‚ make sure you know what folders are being shared and what files are in there. By default‚ anyone on your network has access to these files. If you want to get super nerdy‚ you could set up specific permissions for certain folders or files‚ but that goes beyond the scope of this article. Use the guest network There is no need to give your Wi-Fi password to anyone you don’t want to. If your mother-in-law stays for a few days‚ set up your guest Wi-Fi network and give her access to that instead. Your guest Wi-Fi network will give your guests access to the internet‚ and that’s usually it. They wouldn’t get the same access they would get if they had connected to your main Wi-Fi. You can login to your router and setup up the guest Wi-Fi by following the router’s manual. Keep in mind‚ not all router’s support this‚ but if your router is nice and isn’t too old‚ it should. Use the right amount of Wi-Fi for your house If your house is small or you live in an apartment‚ you wouldn’t want to buy a router with a huge broadcast distance. Cover only the area you need to cover. Make that person in the striped jumpsuit get really close to connect to your Wi-Fi. Keep tabs on what is on your network Most routers will show you what devices are connected. Log into your router (see the first step) and check for a section labeled something like “Connected Devices” or “Clients.” Some devices connected will have a name and some will not. It can be a bit tricky trying to find out which are‚ but if you are resourceful and keep on top of things when you add them‚ you can have a pretty good list. These are some things I find helpful to identify devices on my network: Look for a name. Some devices will give the router a name‚ making it easy Some devices will be vague‚ as an example‚ some Android devices will only say‚ “Android-183hsjk373949252.” Next‚ I look up the IP address on the device and find that IP on the router’s list. This can be done by clicking on the device for more details. You can also Google the first six digits of the MAC address. That will usually tell you the manufacturer of the device or the network card at least. As a last-ditch effort‚ I will block the device in the router’s settings and see which device loses internet or connectivity. Wire what you can If you haven’t noticed‚ the easiest way for those intruders to get into your network is through Wi-Fi. If you can wire all your devices with an Ethernet cable and don’t even need Wi-Fi‚ then you could disable it by logging into your router and turning it off. This obviously isn’t going to be practical for most‚ but if you can‚ more power to you. Totally hide your Wi-Fi Security through obscurity is my last tip. You can still have your sweet Wi-Fi goodness but tell the router not to broadcast its name and presence. Like most things on this list‚ this can be done by logging into your router and changing the setting. Check your router’s manual for instructions. Once this is done‚ to connect‚ you only need to perform a few extra steps: Click on your Wi-Fi icon in the lower right. Scroll to the bottom and select Hidden Network Type in the name and password for your hidden network. Click Connected. My goal isn’t to scare but to inform. Most hackers trying to get into systems that they shouldn’t be in focus on what is easy. Implementing these steps will ensure you won’t be worth their time‚ and you can rest a little easier knowing your digital filing cabinet isn’t sitting out in your front yard.

According to Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska)‚ the Biden administration is sanctioning his state of Alaska more than Iran. While Glenn Beck calls it “quite a statement to make‚” Dunleavy has the facts to back it up. There have been "55 actions since the Biden administration came into office against one of its own states‚” Dunleavy tells Glenn‚ noting that Alaska is not just any state but one that produces significant resources. In comparison‚ the administration has taken only 19 actions against Iran. In 2017 the Jobs Acts was signed into law by President Trump‚ requiring lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Biden administration then unilaterally canceled them‚ which Dunleavy calls “a violation of law.” “That’s huge because that has one of the last remaining large oil and gas fines‚ probably in North America‚ that was taken off the list. Offshore oil leases in the Arctic‚ off the list‚” Dunleavy says.“This is just a handful of incidents of what we call sanctions against Alaska that make it difficult for us to produce oil.” Under the Clinton administration‚ Southeast Alaska timber mills were dismantled. When President Trump came into office‚ he began to restore the state as a working force for timber‚ mining‚ and recreation. However‚ when Biden took over‚ the government once again closed it down. “It’s just been a series each year of different actions‚ different executive orders that are targeted against Alaska‚” the governor tells Glenn before explaining that the resources are the entire reason Alaska exists as a state. This began in 1959‚ when Alaska was required to collectivize all of its resources under the government in order to become a state. The reason was that the population was too small for people to pay for it through things like an income tax. “That’s the cruel irony of this whole thing. We were allowed to come in as a state as long as we developed our resources‚ and now we’re being told we can’t develop our resources‚ which means our viability as a state is in question‚” Dunleavy explains. Glenn is taking this as a warning. “If they can do this to Alaska‚ they’ll do it to a lot of our states‚” he says. 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.