A fisherman has been hospitalized after coming face-to-tail with a whale in the waters south of Brisbane, Australia.The accident took place about a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the Tweed Heads bar at around 8:40 am on Sunday, August 18. At the time, the man was fishing with a friend on a small boat when the massive animal surfaced. Neither fisherman was aware of its presence until it appeared and struck one of them in face with its tail, knocking the individual unconscious.Queensland Ambulance Service’s (QAS) Scott Brown, one of the first responders on the scene, described it as an “extremely rare” event."Just two guys having a morning fish, and then all of a sudden, a whale's tail appeared, striking one in the head," Brown told ABC News."We've had boats come in contact with whales before, but not actually a person sitting in a boat.”The man apparently sustained superficial injuries and cannot remember the event itself. His friend was able to help him and quickly called for support.A rescue crew from Volunteers Marine Rescue, water police, and paramedics found the men and brought them back to shore. The paramedics were able to “nurse” the patient in the dinghy until QAS were able to take over, Brown explained.The man was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital where he was in a stable condition.It is currently unclear which species of whale was involved in the incident, but some have speculated that it may have been a humpback whale, which are currently migrating along Australia’s east coast. There is also a chance that it was a southern right whale, which are also migrating along the Queensland coast around this time of year.In July this year, a humpback whale capsized a boat off the coast of the Eastern United States when it suddenly breached. No one was hurt, but it sent two people flying into the water when it surfaced.     Brown has urged anyone out in boats to be alert, especially during the whale season.“Just be cautious that there are a lot of whales at this time of year in that area, and today has shown us that anything can happen."

A detailed analysis of five recently discovered microscopic eukaryotes has identified one that appears to have dispensed entirely with its mitochondria. If that is the case, Skoliomonas litria will join a highly exclusive club, becoming the first free-living eukaryote ever discovered to have lost its mitochondria.“Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell!” You might remember this refrain from your school days, and it’s true. Mitochondria, miniscule organelles found inside almost every cell in our bodies, are essential for generating energy. The acquisition of the mitochondria, way back in evolutionary time, is considered a key event on the road that led to eukaryotes, the domain of life that encompasses all animals, plants, and fungi. But nature loves to throw in a curveball, and in recent years some eukaryotes that seem to get along fine without typical mitochondria have emerged. The first to manage without them altogether popped up in 2016 in the form of Monocercomonoides. Unlike some extremophiles that contain mitochondria that have been so modified as to be almost unrecognizable, Monocercomonoides lacks “all hallmark mitochondrial proteins,” according to the study authors. The reason Monocercomonoides is able to get along without such an essential piece of kit is that lives in a very oxygen-poor and nutrient-rich environment: inside the guts of other animals. In the case of the study specimen, it was isolated from the intestines of a chinchilla. By simply absorbing nutrients from these surroundings, and “borrowing” genes from neighboring bacteria to fulfill other essential mitochondrial functions, Monocercomonoides has adapted to the powerhouse-free life.The Monocercomonoides genus belongs to the phylum Metamonada. All the other metamonads we’ve studied to date have these highly modified mitochondria, called mitochondrion-related organelles or MROs. One better known example is the parasite Giardia lamblia, famed for its unusual cell biology with a double nucleus – as well as its ability to cause human misery in the form of copious diarrhea. Giardia contains very simple MROs called mitosomes.While some metamonads, like Monocercomonoides and Giardia, live inside other organisms as parasites or commensals, a new study embarked on a closer analysis of five recently discovered metamonads that are free-living. The organisms were species from two genera, Skoliomonas and Barthelona. The study authors, led by Shelby K. Williams at Dalhousie University, produced draft genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes for each of the species, characterizing as far as possible the full range of genes, RNA transcripts, and proteins these single-celled organisms possess. Phylogenomic analysis showed that both of these genera together form their own clade, which the authors named “BaSK”. When it comes to their MROs, BaSKs “display a level of MRO reduction not typically seen in free-living metamonads and which is independent of the reduction found in the parasitic diplomonads [like Giardia],” the authors explain. Just as Monocercomonoides had to borrow some machinery from bacteria, all the BaSKs have acquired systems to replace one of the key components of mitochondria, the iron-sulfur cluster system. This is vital for assembling groups of iron and sulfur molecules that are needed by a number of cellular proteins. But even among this collection of certified biological weirdos, one stood out. Skoliomonas litria appears to have no mitochondrial pathways at all. “No proteins were confidently assigned to the predicted MRO proteome of this organism suggesting that the organelle has been lost,” the authors write. If it is the case that S. litria has no MRO whatsoever, it would make it the first example of a free-living metamonad to have lost the organelle – remember, Monocercomonoides is a commensal. It’s an intriguing question, and more research will be needed to truly get to the bottom of it. Among other things, the authors suggest that further studies will need to figure out how and where S. litria makes its ATP – the source of cellular energy – without oxygen. But it’s possible we could be looking at the first discovery of a free-living eukaryotic organism that has “completely dispensed” with mitochondria.Just goes to show, there really is an exception to every rule.The study is published in Nature Communications. 

CBS’s Stephen Colbert welcomed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a live edition of The Late Show early Tuesday morning in Chicago to recap night one of the Democratic National Convention. Together, the duo would hail President Joe Biden’s “patriotic” decision to step aside after the party brass forced him out. Colbert flattered Clinton by asking, “You gave a powerful speech tonight. You touched on many things, but if there's one thing you want people to take from the speech tonight, what would it be?” Clinton naturally wanted people to think that Kamala Harris is the best, “I really know Kamala Harris's heart, her integrity. I think she has the character, experience, and vision to be our president, and I hope the American people agree. I mean, that’s really—”     Transitioning to Biden, Colbert declared, “Tonight, President Biden gave quite a moving speech and passed the torch selflessly and patriotically to Kamala Harris” before wondering, “You've seen a lot in politics. You've been around the block, lady, and you've seen a lot of shocking things. Did this surprise even you, this turn of events over the last month?” As part of a long, rambling answer, Clinton asserted that, “it was shocking for any leader to voluntarily give up power. But I thought that was one of the most selfless acts of patriotism I’d ever seen. That the president was ready and willing to do that.” Clinton would proceed to hype Biden’s alleged accomplishments, “He got so much done. You know, I said in my speech that, you know, he returned decency and dignity and competence to the White House. And he got an enormous amount of, you know, legislation through. The relationships with our allies around the world, standing up to adversaries like Putin and Russia. I mean, you look at his record. It was pretty remarkable, and it will go down in history as a great achievement.” After Clinton recalled her history with Biden as a senator and member of the Obama Administration, she concluded, “He has given his best to our country. That may seem a little old-fashioned to some people. I think it is in the highest standard of service and leadership that our country has to offer, and I'm so proud of him. I thought tonight was a great moment.”  Amid raucous cheers from the audience, Colbert agreed, “I agree. I think that and disagreeing with the Supreme Court over immunity was one of the most patriotic things he could have done.” Switching topics yet again, Colbert hyped, “Now, you have a new book. It's called Something Lost, Something Gained, where you write about moving past your dream of being president. And how does it feel now to see a woman who is not you reaching for that same dream?” Clinton answered, “And I have to say it feels really good. It felt exhilarating. It feels exciting. You know, maybe because I have known Kamala and have a lot of confidence in her and what she's capable of doing, I think I know how hard the job is and have concluded she's more than ready to take it on.” But are voters ready for her? Based off this interview, probably not because Colbert isn’t interested in highlighting her history of embracing far-left policies. Here is a transcript for the August 20 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 8/20/2024 1:35 AM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: You gave a powerful speech tonight. You touched on many things, but if there's one thing you want people to take from the speech tonight, what would it be? HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I really know Kamala Harris's heart, her integrity. I think she has the character, experience, and vision to be our president, and I hope the American people agree. I mean, that’s really— COLBERT: Well. Tonight, tonight, President Biden gave quite a moving speech— CLINTON: Yes, he did. COLBERT: — and passed the torch selflessly and patriotically— CLINTON: Yes. COLBERT: — to Kamala Harris. You've seen a lot in politics. You've been around the block, lady, and you've seen a lot of shocking things. Did this surprise even you, this turn of events over the last month? CLINTON: Yes and no, I mean. COLBERT: That's a very political answer. CLINTON: No, it was. Yeah, I kind of, you know, live in the world of yes and no. Because yes, it was shocking for any leader to voluntarily give up power. But I thought that was one of the most selfless acts of patriotism I’d ever seen. That the president was ready and willing to do that. And you know, as you can see from the speech tonight, he got so much done. You know, I said in my speech that, you know, he returned decency and dignity and competence to the White House. And he got an enormous amount of, you know, legislation through. The relationships with our allies around the world, standing up to adversaries like Putin and Russia. I mean, you look at his record. It was pretty remarkable, and it will go down in history as a great achievement. And for him to, you know, decide “okay, it's time for me to pass the torch and to let my vice president go forward,” I was so touched by that. I’ve known the president a long time. I have served with him. I was a colleague of his in the Senate. I was Secretary of State when he was vice president in the Obama Administration and what he said and I think you have this clip, Stephen, from the song that he and his family like so much. He really has given his best, he gave the best of his family under the most excruciating, painful circumstances. He gave his best to the state of Delaware that he represented for so many years. He has given his best to our country. That may seem a little old-fashioned to some people. I think it is in the highest standard of service and leadership that our country has to offer, and I'm so proud of him. I thought tonight was a great moment. COLBERT: I agree. I think that and disagreeing with the Supreme Court over immunity— CLINTON: Yeah. COLBERT: — was one of the most patriotic things he could have done.  CLINTON: One hundred percent. COLBERT: Now, you have a new book.  CLINTON: Yes. COLBERT: It's called Something Lost, Something Gained, where you write about moving past your dream of being president. CLINTON: Right. COLBERT: And how does it feel now to see a woman who is not you reaching for that same dream? CLINTON: Well, I thought a lot about what it would feel like. And I have to say it feels really good. It felt exhilarating. It feels exciting. You know, maybe because I have known Kamala and have a lot of confidence in her and what she's capable of doing, I think I know how hard the job is and have concluded she's more than ready to take it on.  But when, you know, the president decided to step aside and then quickly endorsed his vice president, my husband and I quickly endorsed her as well. Because we thought it was the right thing to do. And we thought she deserved it and she'd earned it. So you know, look, it is something lost, something gained and, I’ll be back. Actually in this theater October 13 to talk about the book. So I'm very much, you know, looking forward to that.

President Joe Biden closed up the first night of the Democratic National Convention with a speech that garnered thunderous applause from supporters at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Biden's daughter, Ashley Biden, introduced him, and the audience applauded for several minutes before he began his speech. He defended the policies of his term in office and praised Vice President Kamala Harris while reserving some time to go on the attack against former President Donald Trump. 'Think of the message Trump sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation.' “She’ll be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of, and she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” said Biden of Harris. "Donald Trump calls America a failing nation!" said Biden later in the speech. "Think of the message Trump sends around the world when he talks about America being a failing nation. He says we're losing. He's the loser! He's dead wrong!" Others spoke ahead of Biden to warm the audience up. Socialist Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York offered her own motto for the campaign, saying, "Kamala is for you." Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton praised Harris while also applauding Biden for stepping down from his re-election campaign. Even presidential candidate Kamala Harris offered a brief speech early in the evening. She ended her remarks with the motto, "When we fight, we win." Biden's speech began later than was scheduled, prompting many on social media to ponder whether Democrats orchestrated it to knock his speech out of prime-time television. Harris sat in the audience with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her vice presidential candidate, as Biden spoke. At one point he cracked a joke meant to flatter the both of them. "Like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president," he said with a smile. "That was a joke!" He also tried to reassure Democrats that the decision to step down from the campaign was not one imposed upon him. "I love the job, but I love my country more," he said to loud applause. Also on the first day of the Democratic convention, anti-Israel protesters broke down a security barrier and rushed toward the convention area. Police were able to detain them and arrest at least four of the protesters. The convention is running for three more days and will culminate with Harris accepting the nomination for the Democratic presidential ticket on Thursday evening. Here's coverage of the first night of the convention: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic vice presidential candidate, once taught high school students about the alleged virtues of communism after he received extraordinarily favorable treatment during his time in China.Back in November 1991, Walz was living in Alliance, Nebraska, and teaching social studies at the local high school. As part of his curriculum, Walz taught students about life in China, falsely insisting that its communist political system was one of inherent fairness.'Governor Walz’s extensive engagement with CCP officials and entities while serving in public office raises questions about possible CCP influence in his decision-making as governor — and, should he be elected, as vice president.'"It means that everyone is the same and everyone shares," Walz said at the time, according to archived clippings from the Alliance Times-Herald."The doctor and the construction worker make the same. The Chinese government and the place they work for provide housing and 14 kg or about 30 pounds of rice per month. They get food and housing."It seems Walz became enchanted with China and the system implemented by the Chinese Communist Party during his nearly 30 trips to the country, beginning in 1989, just a few months after the horrific slaughter of college students and pro-democracy activists protesting in Tiananmen Square.Walz was then 25 and a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard. He went to China to teach English, and according to the Washington Free Beacon, he wrote in a letter around that time that he was "being treated like a king."Indeed, he was. As a teacher, Walz received double the salary of his native Chinese colleagues. He was also given the only air-conditioned residence on campus that was also decorated and included a color TV. On special occasions, such as his birthday or Christmas, the Chinese threw a party for him to celebrate. Walz and his wife, Gwen, even married on the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre so that Walz could "have a date he'll always remember," she said."No matter how long I live, I'll never be treated that well again," he told the Alliance Times-Herald after he returned to the U.S. "They gave me more gifts than I could bring home. It was an excellent experience."This "excellent experience" appears to be what Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, called the CCP's "strategy of elite capture." In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray last week, Comer defined this strategy as attempts "to co-opt influential figures in elite political, cultural, and academic circles to influence the United States to the benefit of the communist regime and the detriment of Americans."Comer also suggested that it is a form of "political and psychological warfare.""Reporting about Governor Walz’s extensive engagement with CCP officials and entities while serving in public office raises questions about possible CCP influence in his decision-making as governor — and, should he be elected, as vice president," Comer wrote.Lest Comer's letter appear to be a partisan attack, some Democrats have touted Walz's extensive Chinese experience as a political benefit in the 2024 election.At a meeting of the DNC Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus earlier this week, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) gushed about Walz's ability to speak Mandarin and predicted that, in the same way Bill Clinton was once considered the "first black president," Walz would be America's "first Chinese vice president." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

For many Americans, the story of JD Vance's ascent from relative poverty to the rank of corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and to the position of U.S. senator is inspiring. His memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," informed by his struggles along the way, did after all become a bestseller as well as the basis for the Ron Howard film adaptation of the same name. It appears that some affluent Democrats regard personal achievement of this nature and by this particular stripe of American as deplorable. Rep. Joyce Beatty (R-Ohio) seized upon the opportunity Monday in her Democratic National Convention speech to criticize Vance — not for his legislative priorities or for his track record in Washington, D.C., but for actively pursuing greatness. After doing her best at the outset to associate Vance with Democrats' go-to bogeyman, Project 2025, Beatty said, "JD Vance likes to talk about how he's from Ohio, but as soon as he could, he ran away to Yale and Silicon Valley, cozying up with billionaires while trashing our communities." Beatty — the multimillionaire beneficiary of an upbringing in a stable nuclear family, two university degrees uninterrupted by military service, and a politically connected spouse — neglected to mention some critical biographic details about Vance in her attempted character assassination. Vance's parents divorced when he was a boy. His sometimes-abusive mother struggled with addiction. Vance and his sister were largely raised by his maternal grandparents, who apparently had issues all their own. Resisting various temptations that could very well have trapped him in poverty and an all-too familiar pattern of addiction and abuse, Vance took steps toward realizing what some have described as the American dream. Contrary to Beatty's suggestion, Vance did not run away to Yale and Silicon Valley. Rather, he enlisted in the Marines after graduating from high school then deployed to Iraq. While the editors at Wikipedia have worked diligently to downplay Vance's military background, he received numerous medals during his four years of service. Like Beatty, Vance later attended university, albeit at schools with greater name recognition: Ohio State University in Columbus — a city Beatty famously helped gentrify, potentially pricing out poorer Americans — and Yale Law School. After a brief stint as a corporate lawyer, then spending years as a venture capitalist, Vance returned to his home state to serve his countrymen as senator. 'If you're poor better you stay put, stay poor and stay dependent on the state b/c then they got you.' Beatty is hardly the first to attempt to downplay Vance's accomplishments. Some critics have suggested that far from being a hillbilly or poor, Vance grew up solidly middle class, afforded "the relative socio-economic mobility available to many whites." Lennard Davis, a liberal arts professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, penned an attack piece for a leftist blog last week accusing Vance of engaging in "poornography." New York Magazine advanced the claim earlier this year that Vance is a "class enemy." Beatty's latest variation on this theme has elicited plenty of ridicule online. "Yeah screw that guy who grew up dirt poor and had the chutzpah to go to the highest-ranked law school in the country," wrote Will Chamberlain, senior counsel at the Article III Project. Donald Trump Jr. noted, "JD left Ohio to join the Marine Corps and serve his country then came back went to Ohio State and then Yale. Apparently that's not good enough for the Democratic Party who just wants everyone to remain in abject poverty rather than live the American dream." "Class warfare on two fronts here: First the notion that bettering yourself is an affront to other poor people, who should resent you for it. Second, the notion that hillbillies shouldn't be allowed into Yale, and middle class people should resent that," tweeted Irish political commentator John McGuirk, the editor of Gript Media. "'How dare he have agency?'" wrote one commentator. "'Doesn't he know he's supposed to stay there, be a cashier at Dollar General, and become addicted to fentanyl? Who does he think he is?'" Dan Proft, the Republican co-host of "Chicago's Morning Answer," stated, "Such a telling comment. It's the New Bolsheviks' program. If you're poor better you stay put, stay poor and stay dependent on the state b/c then they got you. Did Bill Clinton 'run away' from rural Arkansas to Georgetown and then Yale Law too? I suppose it's okay if you escape so long as you blow the bridge behind you and become one of them." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The cartel-controlled Mexican government is working in tandem with the United States federal government to flood Texas with millions of illegal aliens from over 160 countries. The border crisis is leading the way toward the collapse of the rule of law — and is designed to turn Texas blue, ensuring the Democratic Party never loses the presidency and control of the free world.Mexico deliberately leaves its border unsecured, using it as a relief valve for unemployed labor that sends billions of dollars back into the country. The open Texas border generates immense wealth from drugs and human smuggling, further encouraging Mexico to keep the border unprotected.Remittances from Texas to Mexico totaled $8.5 billion in 2022 alone. This money is taken from the Texas economy and pumped into the Mexican economy.As the former vice chairman of the Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee in the Texas state Senate, I can assure you that no illegal aliens would cross our southern border if the cartel-controlled Mexican government did not allow them to.To stop this attack on Texas, the U.S. must apply economic pressure on Mexico until it secures its side of the border. This strategy is the only one that has successfully forced Mexico to act. When President Trump proposed a 20% tax on Mexican imports, the border tightened, and border encounters dropped by more than half. When Biden removed the tariff threat, however, encounters surged more than fivefold to 2,475,669 in 2023.The only path to achieving a secure Texas border in my lifetime is for Texas to take unilateral action, which the legislature has the authority to do. Although I strongly support capitalism and free markets, wartime demands drastic measures for a swift victory. For economic warfare to succeed, Texas must clearly explain why we’re applying economic pressure and specify the conditions needed to end it. I believe that with immediate resolve and courage, this economic war could be won in 90 days.As for what economic pressure by Texas on Mexico would look like, the Huffines Liberty Foundation has released a solutions paper outlining several options for the Texas Legislature to consider: Crush Mexico’s tourism industryTourism in 2023 accounted for 9.2% of Mexico’s GDP. The Huffines Liberty Foundation recommends that the Texas legislature direct hundreds of millions of dollars of its multibillion-dollar border security budget toward an advertising campaign to educate citizens across North America on the hazards of traveling to Mexico.The massive marketing campaign should show graphically how dangerous it is to be a tourist in Mexico and make it clear that the Mexican government has taken the side of the Mexican cartels, sex traffickers, fentanyl smugglers, murderers, and rapists. This would take a significant bite out of Mexico’s economy.Stop, search, and possibly seize all shipments crossing the borderTexas trades over $780 million daily with Mexico, while the U.S. trades $2 billion daily with Mexico. The state of Texas has the right to inspect these shipments for safety, illicit materials, and proper paperwork. The legislature should direct the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to subject inbound traffic to intensive searches lasting an indeterminate number of days.Establish a border security inspection reimbursement feeArticle I, Section 10, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives Texas the authority to charge a fee to execute these new inspection laws. The legislature should impose a 6% border security inspection reimbursement fee on all money transfers by any source between Texas and Mexico. Additionally, all commercial aircraft landing in Texas from Mexico should be assessed a $10,000 inspection fee.Ban remittances from illegal aliensAccording to the Baker Institute for Public Policy, remittances from Texas to Mexico totaled $8.5 billion in 2022 alone. This money is taken from the Texas economy and pumped into the Mexican economy. The Texas legislature should ban all money transfers by illegal aliens.For decades, Mexico has deliberately failed to control its side of the border. With the cooperation of the Biden-Harris administration, the situation is a full-scale invasion, allowing cartels and criminals to thrive. This creative new approach by the Huffines Liberty Foundation lays out a clear path for Mexico to secure its side of the Rio Grande.If Mexico chooses to fight this economic war, it will lose, and the Mexico we know today will cease to exist. Texas strives to be a good friend and neighbor to Mexico, but it’s a two-way street.

Either Nancy Pelosi Short-Circuited During Biden Chant OR Her Dentures Were Slipping - YOU Decide (Watch)

The Simpsons Hilariously NAILED the 2024 Democratic National Convention ... 30 Years Ago and BAHAHA