Thousands of people take the Tube from the north side of London to the south, or pop across the English Channel via the Channel Tunnel every day, but they’re only able to do so thanks to one pretty important feature – underwater tunnels. But how is such an impressive feat of engineering built?The tunneling shieldUnderwater tunnels had people stumped until French-British engineer Marc Isambard Brunel took inspiration from nature back in 1818. After watching how a shipworm’s shell plates allowed it to bore through wood, Brunel took that principle and scaled it up into the tunneling shield.In this case, it was a giant, rectangular cast iron casing with shutter openings on its wall, which were opened one at a time so that miners could dig away the soft earth outside. The shield was then pushed forward using screw jacks and the process repeated, with the protective “shell” of the tunnel built out of bricks in the freshly carved area behind.This led to the first-ever underwater tunnel being built under the River Thames in London, completed in 1842. Later tunnels under the Thames improved upon this method by pressurizing the air in front of the shield to try and stop flooding during construction. Tunneling shields are still used today, but are instead cylindrical and tend to be made out of steel, which is also used to make the tunnel’s support rings. Modern variations also make use of hydraulic jacks to push the shield forward, but when it’s not moving the area in front of the shield can be accessed via a door. To protect those who go out to work there, shields also feature a protective hood.Tunnel boring machinesOf course, digging through soft earth is one thing – boring through underwater rock is another thing entirely. That’s where modern technology has changed the game, in the form of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), which were used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel.TMBs have a function similar to the tunneling shield, but in this case, a mechanical spinning cutting head, rather than human force, is used to dig through the rock in front. It does this by exerting stress on the rock, which causes it to fracture. And rather than people having to lug the debris out of the way, the fractured rock is taken back on a conveyor belt.A total of 11 TMBs were used to dig out the three 56.3-kilometer (35-mile) long tunnels (yep, there’s more than one), which in their underwater stretches, are found 45 meters (148 feet) below the sea bed.Immersed tube tunnelsWith the previous methods, the tunnel walls are constructed as digging goes, but that’s not the only way to do it. There’s also immersed tube tunneling, a technique developed by American engineer W.J. Wilgus.This method involves making the tunnel elsewhere first, creating multiple prefabricated segments, whilst a trench is dredged from the river or seabed where the tunnel is destined to be. The segments are then floated to the area, and sunk into place, after which the water is emptied from them, and excavated material is placed over the tunnel to bury it and restore the bed.

Some insects have detachable penises, others produce sperm that is 20 times the size of their own body. Others have evolved with special equipment to help them tear rivals off potential mates. Insects can be creepy, promiscuous or murderous – but they are rarely dull.The stag beetle male – Europe’s largest beetle has huge jaws known as antlers designed for prising mating pairs apart. This behaviour is seen in numerous beetles, with horns of various shapes horns that have evolved to lever males off females. The Japanese rhinocerous beetle has a horn resembling a fork. Antlers are also used in battle to wrestle other males over access to females.The Japanese rhinoceros beetle has a sinister looking horn. Mark Brandon/ShutterstockIn many of these species, smaller males don’t stand a chance of winning a fight, so instead have evolved sneaky mating tactics. They wait for males to fight, then slink in and copulate with the female while the males are distracted. Small male dung beetles slip past large males that guard entrances to tunnels containing females, and dig secret passages to find the underground females while the larger males’ backs are turned.Sperm competitionIn addition to the physical contests between males, competition to fertilise an egg also happens between sperm. In the animal kingdom, females are rarely faithful to their mates, so there is probably sperm from a number of males inside a female reproductive tract. Males have evolved several ways to counter this, such as producing large sperm. Fruit fly sperm, is almost 6cm long when uncoiled, around 20 times the size of the fly.But, perhaps the most extraordinary method to win the sperm competition is seen in the odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) who have evolved ornate penises. These come complete with hooks and whips, to dislodge the sperm of rival males and pack the male’s own sperm into the far corners of the female reproductive tract, away from other male penises.And it’s not just the males that have elaborate penises. The female cave insects of Brazil compete for access to males. The insects have sex-reversed genitalia, where the males have an opening and the females have a spiky erectile organ. The female uses her “penis” to suck sperm out of the male, and she can even decide which of two chambers in her body to store the sperm in. It is thought that this behaviour evolved as an adaptation to a limited food supply as the females gain energy from feasting on the seminal fluid acquired during copulation, which can last up to 70 hours.Butterflies only live for a few weeks, so if males are going to father any offspring, they can’t hang around. Except, some do. Many butterflies are sexually mature as soon as they emerge from their chrysalis. So, in some species the males emerge a few days before the females, then sit and wait, copulating with the females as soon as possible.More disturbing behaviour is seen in the bed bug. Males simply pierce a female’s abdomen then inject sperm through the wound into her abdominal cavity. As insects have an open circulatory system without arteries and veins, the sperm can easily migrate from the abdominal cavity to the ovaries for fertilisation.Male bed bugs have a brutal approach to mating. TinoFotografie/ShutterstockSexual cannibalismProbably the most famous of the insect sexual behaviour is that of the praying mantis, where the female bites the head off her partner during or after sex, gaining nutrients for herself and her offspring. This behaviour increases the number of eggs that males fertilise. Recently, scientists found that males also attack females. They don’t eat the females although they sometimes seriously injure them. Males that won fights with females were more likely to go on to mate rather than just get eaten.Chastity beltsMany male insects only get to mate once, even when they aren’t eaten by their partners. For example, male bees ejaculate with such explosive force that it is loud enough for humans to hear. This ensures the sperm is passed to the female, but it results in paralysis of the male, which kills him. So, males need to make the most of their exploits.One way of preventing other males from mating with a female is to produce a copulatory plug – something that will prevent a different male from inserting his sperm inside a female to fertilise her eggs. The European dwarf spider produces a plug by secreting a liquid during copulation that hardens over time. Researchers have found that longer copulations result in larger plugs which are more difficult for other males to remove.In order to ensure that nobody else mates with his female once he is dead, the male orb-web spider has evolved an extreme copulatory plug. He has a detachable penis that remains inside the female once copulation is over. Although it is common for the tip of a spider’s penis to break off inside a female, preventing other males from entering, the orb-web spider’s detachable penis has an additional function as it continues to transfer sperm on its own - for over 20 minutes – increasing mating success.So you see, insects are, in fact, amazing. Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent UniversityThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

On the face of it, spending any amount of time in a small, 80°C (176°F) room might sound thoroughly unenjoyable – but many people do it willingly on a regular basis. How? Visiting saunas, which are a regular part of life in countries like Finland but have recently shot up in popularity elsewhere too. That might be in part because of their apparent health benefits, but how true are these claims? Do saunas have any health benefits?DementiaRecent years have seen headlines purporting the apparent benefits of saunas for the brain, particularly when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Why? It may well be due to two studies, one from 2016 and the other from 2020, that suggest a link between frequent sauna use and a lower risk of dementia.The earlier study used data that followed over 2,000 healthy Finnish adult males for an average of roughly 20 years, who had to fill out a questionnaire about their typical weekly sauna use, including frequency, duration, and temperature. The second study was similar, but larger; it followed nearly 14,000 Finnish men and women over 39 years and their typical sauna activity in a month. Both studies identified whether or not participants went on to get diagnosed with dementia.In both cases, the studies concluded that frequent sauna use could potentially reduce the risk of developing dementia, even when taking into account other risk factors for the condition. The 2016 study found, for example, that sauna bathing four to seven times a week was associated with a 66 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer's, compared to only having one session per week.Though not going so far as to define exactly how this might work, the researchers suggest it could involve a reduction in blood pressure or the activation of protective heat shock proteins.It all sounds promising, but the two studies should be interpreted with caution. For example, the questionnaire about typical sauna use was only filled out once – people’s habits may well have changed over the years.And unlike clinical trials, where researchers intervene – in this case, they’d be splitting people into groups and getting them to use saunas differently – both studies are observational.This means there was no intervention, and they weren’t carried out with the purpose of proving that sauna use affects dementia risk. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a potential link, but neither study proves it – more research would be needed to do so.Cardiovascular healthThe same group of researchers from the 2016 study on dementia also followed the same group of Finnish males for their cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) health. In a separate paper on this subject, they found that more frequent use of saunas could be linked to a “considerable decreased risk” of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, and fatal cardiovascular disease.That being said, the problems with the study are the same as before; clinical trials would be required to provide solid evidence of a link and figure out exactly how risk reduction works. The researchers also caution that their findings should be treated with care by people with certain cardiovascular conditions; saunas can reduce blood pressure, which is more than a bit dangerous for people whose blood pressure is already low.Sauna bathing alone might not be the answer anyway – another way of improving cardiovascular health is regular exercise, which a more recent, small study suggests could be beneficial when combined with sauna use.Mental healthOne area that might seem to benefit from getting our sauna on is our mental health, and according to the Global Sauna Survey, which had 482 valid responses, that seems to be the case. For example, 83.5 percent of all those surveyed reported having better sleep after sauna use, and those respondents who reported using saunas between five and 15 times a month had slightly higher wellbeing scores compared to less frequent users.Then again, the most cited motivation for using a sauna was relaxation and stress reduction; the act of simply setting aside that time for that specific purpose may well have helped. Add to that the fact the survey was conducted online in a non-random group of people, and only represented 29 countries – with all apart from Finland, Australia, and the US making up less than five percent of participants each – and the results can’t necessarily be considered reliable or be applied to everyone.Do saunas have any health risks?Even if saunas were found to have health benefits in abundance, using them does still carry some risks. That’s because, well, they’re hot – and getting that bit too hot can be a problem for the body. One of the main risks from the sweltering temperatures is dehydration, thanks to the hefty amount of sweat produced by the body in response to that heat (and before you think it, no, you don't "detox" via sweat - that's what your liver and kidneys are for). If that fluid isn’t replenished, then the body can’t function normally, and you can wind up with headaches, low blood pressure, and tiredness.Some have also expressed concern about the effect of saunas on fertility in males, after a study of 10 healthy males found reduced sperm count and motility after 3 months of two sauna sessions per week. However, it should be noted that a) it’s a small study, so further research is needed to validate it and b) a lower sperm count may not necessarily harm your fertility. How to stay sauna safeRegardless of whether they have health-related superpowers, people clearly still enjoy using saunas – it’s just important to do so safely. The general tips for avoiding the riskier elements of a sauna include:Avoid alcohol – that can increase the risk of dehydrationDon’t stay in for longer than 15-20 minutesTake your time cooling down afterwardsDrink plenty of water after you’re out – around two to four glasses’ worthDon’t use if you’re illAll “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.  The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

The humble mug is one of the most important parts of an office. It’s there to hold your coffee when you need that boost first thing in the morning, to show off your personality with a funky pattern or amusing joke, or to hold on to for warmth when someone else is controlling the aircon. It cares for you – but are you giving it the love and attention it truly deserves? In other words, are you giving it a regular wash?Take a look at Reddit and you’ll soon find that people take a lot of different approaches to cleaning their coffee mugs; some wash it every day, others just give it a quick rinse between uses and some, well, they just like to let all the flavors of every drink they’ve ever had mix together.A survey of over 2000 British adults had similar findings. Those who cleaned their office mugs after every single use were in the majority – at least if they were telling the truth – but there were plenty who went multiple uses without giving it a good scrub and 3 percent who confessed to never washing it at all (although Brits are even worse when it comes to washing towels).While that could be a problem if some delightfully fluffy mold starts to grow, the bacteria that lurk within an unwashed mug aren’t necessarily a problem.“If I went and cultured the average unwashed coffee cup, of course I’m going to find germs,” Dr Jeffrey Starke, an infectious disease specialist, told the Wall Street Journal. “But remember the vast majority came from the person who used the cup.”So what about the germs that don’t come from the mug’s owner? Dr Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology, environmental sciences, and public health at the University of Arizona, told LifeHacker that “around 90% of most office coffee mugs harbor dangerous germs, and 20% of those carry fecal bacteria."Unless someone in the office is taking inspiration from Andy Samberg’s character’s antics in the “Like A Boss” music video, both Starke and Gerba suggest that any of the nastier bacteria that could be lurking in your mug might actually come from… cleaning it.The sponge in the break room probably has the highest bacteria count of anything in the office,” said Starke, speaking to the Wall Street Journal. That would make a lot of sense – it touches a lot of different stuff, sits there damp, and probably isn’t replaced all that often. As Starke quite accurately concluded: “Most people would call that gross.”With that, it might seem better to leave it unwashed, though plenty of people would also be grossed out by that prospect. In that case, experts recommend making use of paper towels, alongside soap and hot water, to scrub your office mug as well as to dry it. Better still, take it home and pop it in the dishwasher if you have one. As for how often you should do so, some would say after every use – but we won’t tell if you don’t. 

New modeling has shown that low-temperature hydrothermal vents could exist at the bottom of the underground oceans on Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus for a very long time. They could warm the oceans and give rise to alien life. On Earth, hydrothermal vents are both a source of energy and heat and one of the possible places for the origin of life. The study was published in the journal Geophysical Research: Planets, reports Space. Although there are both high-temperature and low-temperature hydrothermal vents in the Earth’s oceans, a much larger volume of water passes through the latter. High-temperature hydrothermal vents rely on volcanic activity. Saturn’s moon Enceladus And they can pump energy and heat from the Earth’s hot core. But the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn do not have hot cores. So scientists created simulations to find out how common low-temperature vents are on Europa and Enceladus. Given the lack of data on the oceans on these satellites, which lie beneath the icy surface, the scientists based their modeling on the water circulation system in the northwest Pacific Ocean. There, cool seawater sinks and flows into the rock at the bottom through extinct volcanic cavities called seamounts. The water passes through the rock, heats up, and rises through another seamount. According to scientists, the water comes out at a higher temperature and has a completely different chemical composition. Jupiter’s moon Europa By applying this water circulation model to Europa and Enceladus, scientists modified properties such as gravity, temperature, seafloor composition, and water circulation depth to better match the potential conditions in the oceans of these moons. Modeling has shown that low-temperature hydrothermal vents can exist at the bottom of underground oceans under a wide range of conditions. At the same time, lower gravity ensures greater heating of the water coming out of the sources. Scientists believe that conditions on the satellites allow these sources to exist for billions of years. And this is enough for alien life to arise there. Therefore, theoretically, life could exist in hydrothermal vents on Europa and Enceladus. Now all that remains is to explore their oceans and discover it, if it really is there. The post It turned out where alien life is hiding on the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn appeared first on Anomalien.com.

The authors of a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters believe that the galaxy neighboring the Milky Way consists of a hypothetical form of dark matter, the particles of which can interact with each other. But this contradicts the basic cosmological model that explains the nature of the Universe. Orbiting the Milky Way about 380,000 light-years away is its fourth-largest satellite galaxy, Crater 2. It is approximately 6,500 light-years in diameter and consists of several billion old stars. In recent years, astronomers have been trying to figure out exactly what properties this dwarf galaxy has that allows it to maintain its structure and relatively large size. It is known that the evolution of the Crater 2 galaxy over thousands of years is influenced by the gravity of the Milky Way. It also influences the dark matter halo surrounding the galaxy and its stars. According to scientists, the gravitational influence of our galaxy can remove both dark matter and stars from its neighbor, which will reduce the mass of the galaxy over time. The study authors found that the gravitational influence of the Milky Way is too weak to explain the density of dark matter in Crater 2 if it consists of cold dark matter particles, reports Space. Dark matter is the invisible part of the Universe and makes up more than 80% of its mass. It is believed that thanks to dark matter, all galaxies can be held together as a single whole. But no one has yet seen dark matter directly. Dark matter is the invisible part of the Universe and makes up more than 80% of its mass. It is believed that thanks to dark matter, all galaxies can be held together as a single whole. But no one has yet seen dark matter directly. The main cosmological model called the Lambda-CDM Model, which explains the nature of the Universe, tells us about the existence of cold dark matter, the particles of which cannot interact with each other. At the same time, there is a theory that suggests that dark matter may consist of self-interacting particles. These particles interact with each other using an as-yet unknown force that goes beyond gravity. Scientists believe that exactly this kind of dark matter exists in the Crater 2 galaxy, because, among other things, the gravity of the Milky Way should have reduced its mass much more strongly, which is not observed. The simulations show a surprisingly large agreement between the theory of self-interacting dark matter and observations of the Crater 2 galaxy. According to scientists, in this dwarf galaxy, despite the predictions of the Lambda-CDM Model, there is no bulge of dense dark matter that is directed from the halo closer to the center of the galaxy. This can again be explained by the fact that dark energy particles transfer energy between themselves during collisions and this means that the dark matter halo is aligned around the galaxy. According to the self-interacting dark matter theory, the galaxy is likely to grow inside a dark matter halo and this explains the size of Crater 2 better than the Lambda-CDM Model. Scientists have concluded that the properties of the Crater 2 galaxy challenge the main cosmological model and it may indeed consist of dark matter particles that collide with each other, although this contradicts modern ideas about the mysterious substance. Now the authors of the study want to find other galaxies similar to Crater 2, where the same properties can be observed. The post Impossible Matter Found in Nearby Galaxy appeared first on Anomalien.com.

On Friday, CNN’s Newsroom with Jim Acosta hosted an interview with Bryan Lanza, who was the deputy communications director for Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. The discussion quickly got heated as the two disagreed on how the recent presidential debate went. Acosta unsurprisingly started the segment by sharing a CNN analysis regarding Trump: “at least one lie for every three minutes.” He added that supposedly “Donald Trump made more than 30 false claims during last night's 90-minute debate.” Also, according to CNN, President Joe Biden only made “nine false or misleading claims.”     He then made an outrageous claim that Biden actually “let Trump off the hook with a shaky performance” because Trump “was lying over and over again.” Lanza responded “Listen, I wouldn't say Joe Biden let Donald Trump off the hook at all last night. I think what we saw last night was the mental deterioration of Joe Biden.” He continued to state that “what the American public saw was a president who just doesn't have the cognitive fitness to be president.” Lanza also hinted that the 25th Amendment may be exercised next month if the “Democratic Party tries to find a new candidate.” In response to Acosta claiming Trump lied about Democrats’ abortion beliefs, Lanza then countered how Trump “was proud of nominating Supreme Court justices who did overturn Roe v. Wade.” He reminded Acosta that “CNN can sort of cover, or MSNBC and Atlas can try to sort of focus on the lies,” but Acosta quickly interjected before he could finish his point, ““Don't go -- don't talk about the press. Come on. He's lying over and over again. No, Bryan, he said that January 6th defendants are, quote, ‘so innocent.’” The subtle discussion quickly turned into a competition of both men trying to talk over the other. Acosta decided to not give up as he continued to interrupt Lanza and prohibit him from speaking his thoughts. Acosta declared “We're focusing on what Donald Trump said last night because he lied repeatedly over and over again.” Focusing back on the voters’ view of the debate, Lanza stated: “So, all voters at this particular point made a decision that January 6th is not relevant to their lives. They're saying inflation is relevant to their lives. They're saying immigration is relevant to their lives. I get it that the media wants to give cover to Joe Biden and focus about the past, but the future is going.” Acosta concluded the interview by asking Lanza what he thought about Democrats replacing Biden on the ticket. Lanza responded, “The next candidate, if Joe Biden were to drop out, is going to be Kamala Harris. And the voters have made the decision that they trust President Trump far more than Kamala Harris.” Click "Expand" to view the transcript: CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta 6/28/2024 10:23:06 AM EDT JIM ACOSTA: We should note CNN has calculated nine false or misleading claims for President Biden, obviously outweighed by the former president. Let's discuss with Bryan Lanza. He was deputy communications director for Trump's 2016 campaign. And, Bryan, I mean, the president sort of let Donald Trump off the hook last night with a shaky performance because Trump, over and over again, he was lying, he was pushing these widely debunked conspiracy theories. Why does he keep doing that? BRYAN LANZA (FORMER SENIOR TRUMP CAMPAIGN AIDE): Listen, I wouldn't say Joe Biden let Donald Trump off the hook at all last night. I think what we saw last night was the mental deterioration of Joe Biden. And we can talk about, you know, Donald Trump said this, we can talk about, you know, Joe Biden's lie here. But what the American public saw was a president who just doesn't have the cognitive fitness to be president. And we'll have a conversation in next month, you know, whether the 25th Amendment is exercised, where the Democratic Party tries to find a new candidate. I think Joe Biden should be on the ballot through November. I don't think they shouldn't be allowed to switch candidates at this point. They voted. They want him there. We're running. We spent resources. It feels cheating to try to change it at this point. ACOSTA: Well, you don't want that to happen because you want your candidate to win, obviously. But, I mean, let me ask you about -- LANZA: I want the American public to be in a better position tomorrow than they are today. ACOSTA: But let me ask you about some of these -- let me ask you, why does Trump keep saying that Democrats want to execute babies after birth? That's a lie. It's not true. LANZA: Sure, I think what you have to do is you have to sort of have the conversation with the campaign to see where they lie. I think the most important thing that I walked away from the abortion conversation last night was that President Trump was proud of nominating Supreme Court justices who did overturn Roe v. Wade and returned it to the states, which is where the American public has wanted it for a significant amount of time. Now, sure, CNN can sort of cover, or MSNBC and Atlas can try to sort of focus on the lies. ACOSTA: Don't go after-- don't talk about the press. Come on. He's lying over and over again. LANZA: You have to talk about the press. ACOSTA: No, Bryan, he said that January 6th defendants are, quote, "so innocent." LANZA: Correct. ACOSTA: These are people who are criminals.   LANZA: And what did voters decide on that? And what did voters decide on that? ACOSTA: They stormed the Capitol. LANZA: Yes. ACOSTA: They broke the law. That would have never happened had Donald Trump just accepted the results of the 2020 election, and you know that. LANZA: Sure. But what have voters decided on that? The voters decided that is not their priority when they're voting this election. They're deciding – ACOSTA: Republican voters decided it. LANZA: Sure. And he's winning independent voters and he's winning the general election in these swing states. So, all voters at this particular-- at this point made a decision that January 6th is not relevant to their lives. They're saying inflation is relevant to their lives. They're saying immigration is relevant to their lives. They're saying two wars are relevant to their lives with a third one about to start. I get it that the media wants to give cover to Joe Biden and focus about the past, but the future is green. ACOSTA: The media wants to give cover to Joe Biden? Everybody is reporting, we just went through all the headlines and all the major newspapers, all the networks are all saying that the president had a shaky debate performance last night. LANZA: And you want to focus on January 6th. The voters aren't focusing on January 6th. ACOSTA: We're focusing on what Donald Trump said last night-- LANZA: Let me tell you-- ACOSTA: -- because he lied repeatedly over and over again. And the president went after Trump at one point on his character. Let's listen to that because I think that's an important part of this too. (...) ACOSTA: Does anybody believe that? LANZA: Listen, what everybody believes is that the economy today, inflation is ruining their lives. And so sort of focusing -- I think that's the problem that Joe Biden and his campaign have, is they can't focus on their accomplishments of the past that address immigration, that address inflation, that address the wars. They have to focus on these other things. And so going forward, Jim, you tell me what's better for the country? Having a conversation about January 6th or having a conversation about immigration and inflation? The voters are making that choice. ACOSTA: Well, I mean, accepting election results is awfully important. LANZA: Listen, I encourage Joe Biden to keep talking -- ACOSTA: I mean, and the former president last night did not accept the election results. [CROSSTALK] LANZA: -- under a second President Trump term, and we both know it today. ACOSTA: But let me ask you this, if Joe Biden is somehow not on the ticket, the Trump campaign is worried. LANZA: Joe Biden. ACOSTA: They're worried if there's another candidate that rises up and becomes the Democratic nominee? LANZA: No. Listen, if Joe Biden were to step down, it's clearly going to be Kamala Harris. We're not worried about Kamala Harris. In fact, that's what the voters need to understand. This performance last -- ACOSTA: Can Trump beat Gavin Newsom? Gavin Newsom's not the candidate. He's in a -- it's not about Gavin. The next candidate, if Joe Biden were to drop out, is going to be Kamala Harris. And the voters have made the decision that they trust President Trump far more than Kamala Harris. ACOSTA: All right. Bryan Lanza, thanks for coming in. I appreciate it.

After Joe Biden's mentally feeble performance in the CNN debate, it's obvious that no one in the pro-Biden media more aggressively defended Biden as mentally sharp than MSNBC's Joe Scarborough. Maybe his friends need to tell him he needs to quit. The show's embarrassing.  Scarborough is the very last person in the American media who should be appearing on television today like he has not been severely discredited. Joe Scarborough has repeatedly rushed to the front of the Mental Acuity Wars, proclaiming this year's Biden is the sharpest Biden ever -- "intellectually, analytically." When Biden's cognitive decline went  on display, Scarborough quickly folded and said Biden should get out of the race. As Scott Jennings proclaimed on CNN, every Democrat and every Democrat journalist who insisted Biden was mentally sharp lied to the American people. Morning Joe regular Katty Kay tweeted after the debate: "Wondering what Dean Philips is thinking today. He complained that he couldn't get traction in the press or in the primaries because the race wasn't truly open. The incumbent had a lock on the system." Congressman Philips ran against Biden to make the argument that he wasn't mentally fit enough to defeat Trump. But the Democrats and their media enablers never gave him a chance, and never suggested it was plausible that Biden would have to engage in primary debates. It's only fair to admit that the CNN moderator team of Tapper and Bash showed remarkable restraint, which we did not expect. I boasted to the AP reporter that we were going to be counting anchor interruptions of the candidates. Nick Fondacaro counted one for each candidate. It was more common that they had to tell the candidates they still had time.  Nick counted the ideological tilt of questions, and it was 11 from the left, 8 neutral, and 3 from the right. And that’s being generous. The opening question stating the realities on the economy counts as a Republican question, even if it’s a factual question. The best question from the right was Bash asking Biden if he favored ANY restrictions on abortion. He didn't name any, but he claimed he's not in favor of late-term abortions. This is a Pants on Fire lie.. Just look at the 2020 Democrat platform. No restrictions.  Enjoy the podcast below, or wherever you listen to podcasts.   

HBO’s Bill Maher and former MSNBC host Chris Matthews were greatly displeased on Friday night’s Real Time that Democrats won’t replace President Joe Biden with California Gov. Gavin Newsom after his disastrous debate performance the night before. Maher was unconvinced of former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s claim that the reason why Biden is struggling in the polls is because of his policy record, “Are you kidding? Yes, we have problems like every country has problems, but a different candidate would make a huge difference, I think.”     He then accused Democrats of being blind partisans who are unable to see the disaster that is staring directly at them, “From last night, the flash poll afterward, Trump, they said won 67-33, 33, that number rings in my mind because you know what that number is? That's the number you always see, very close — 33, 34, 32 — of the people who are just always with their party. I mean, that's Mrs. Goebbels in the bunker number.” After the laughter from the audience subsided, Maher continued, “You see it on the right, they used to call them Birchers, birthers, Tea Party, whatever you, MAGA Nation, whatever, they never move, and now that's a third of the Democrats who like—they're going to stick with this guy and they are going to regret it. He is going to lose. I said nine months ago, and I’m saying it again tonight, and now it seems like it's so apparent.” Matthews agreed, “In the real world outside of the Biden world, it is clear to me that another candidate like Newsom, the governor of California, could have the dynamic to move from June, right now, to November, and build up support to match Trump's and maybe overtake him. He could change the whole situation.” While Maher decried blind loyalty, Matthews claimed Democrats have an additional problem. Even if Biden were to step aside, Democrats would choose to replace him with Vice President Kamala Harris instead of Newsom, “The problem is, and this is the Democratic Party, and the way it is. It's a party of center-left and left. If he does that, Kamala Harris people will go, ‘Wait a minute, I'm next’ and he’ll say, ‘You’re right, you are next,’ because that's what he is saying right now, and that's the problem.’” Maher was not persuaded that Matthews’s fears were warranted, “I’m not sure that’s even that big a problem for the Democrats. People, at the end of the day, want to win.” Gavin Newsom may be capable of sounding alive at a debate, but voters will probably not respond well to his infamous COVID hypocrisy and Panera Bread scandals. Here is a transcript for the June 28 show: HBO Real Time with Bill Maher 6/28/2024 10:18 PM ET BILL MAHER: Are you kidding? Yes, we have problems like every country has problems, but a different candidate would make a huge difference, I think. From last night, the flash poll afterward, Trump, they said won 67-33, 33, that number rings in my mind because you know what that number is? That's the number you always see, very close — 33, 34, 32 — of the people who are just always with their party. TULSI GABBARD: Right. MAHER:  I mean, that's Mrs. Goebbels in the bunker number. I mean, you see— CHRIS MATTHEWS: They're the woman that kills all our kids. Right. MAHER: Rather live in a world without national socialism, exactly. MATTHEWS: You got it right. MAHER: You see it on the right, they used to call them Birchers, birthers, Tea Party, whatever you, MAGA Nation, whatever, they never move, and now that's a third of the Democrats who like—they're going to stick with this guy and they are going to regret it. He is going to lose. I said nine months ago, and I’m saying it again tonight, and now it seems like it's so apparent.” MATTHEWS: In the real world outside of the Biden world, it is clear to me that another candidate like Newsom, the governor of California, could have the dynamic to move from June, right now, to November, and build up support to match Trump's and maybe overtake him. He could change the whole situation. MAHER: Absolutely. MATTHEWS: The problem is, and this is the Democratic Party, and the way it is. It's a party of center-left and left. If he does that, Kamala Harris people will go, “Wait a minute, I'm next” and he’ll say, “You’re right, you are next,” because that's what he is saying right now and that's the problem. MAHER: No, but here's the great thing about Gavin Newsom as the candidate, she can't be his vice president. You can’t be from, you can't be from— MATTHEWS: No, she’s next for president. MAHER: Oh. MATTHEWS: That’s the problem. The problem is the—of the team. MAHER: I’m not sure that’s even that big a problem for the Democrats. People, at the end of the day, want to win.

The New York Times surprised its audience on Friday morning with no front-page story on the debate. They just told readers to go to NYTimes.com. If Trump was the candidate who had a terrible debate, would they do that? Online, they admitted in an online headline that “Biden Campaign Plunged Into Crisis After Halting Debate Performance” after Thursday evening’s embarrassment. But political reporter Michael Gold still played defense for the paper's preferred candidate. If the biased headline didn’t give the game away (“Trump’s Debate Performance: Relentless Attacks and Falsehoods” ), then complaining about Trump both “seizing” and having “pounced” in a single sentence makes Gold’s pro-Biden slant clear. For most of Thursday night’s debate, former President Donald J. Trump verbally pummeled President Biden, painting his political opponent as an ineffective leader with a torrent of attacks that were frequently false, lacked context or were vague enough to be misleading. .... He tried to accuse Mr. Biden of corruption, dubbing the president as a “Manchurian candidate” who was “paid by China,” a nod to frequent accusations of undue influence for which there is no evidence. He directly blamed Mr. Biden for a wave of immigrants “coming in and killing our citizens at a level we’ve never” seen, a hyperbolic claim that is not backed up by available statistics. After weeks of reporters relishing MAGA complaints about a debate format supposedly tilted against Trump, Gold whined that those rules kept Biden from challenging Trump. He even whined that the CNN moderators failed to fact-check Trump, as if they were supposed to interfere in the flow of the debate on Democrat Biden’s behalf. But the barrage of attacks during the debate was particularly striking given that Mr. Biden was standing mere feet away from him, unable to interrupt or effectively challenge Mr. Trump because of debate rules that kept his microphone muted. And as the debate’s moderators, the CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, focused on keeping the peace, they did not even try to fact-check Mr. Trump’s assertions, allowing them to stand unchallenged. Mr. Biden got in a few licks, including some of the debate’s more memorable moments. He said Mr. Trump had the “morals of an alley cat” and accused him of having sex with a porn star while his wife was pregnant. But by and large, Mr. Biden was on the defensive from the get-go in the face of a steady stream of insults, false characterizations and attacks from Mr. Trump. Then came a classic sentence, with the reporter fitting in not one but two classic terms used by liberal reporters to denigrate effective Republican talking points: Seizing on Mr. Biden’s halting speech early in the debate, Mr. Trump pounced at one moment when Mr. Biden trailed off, saying: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said, either.” Gold even defended Biden’s indefensible immigration policies, via unlabeled liberal "experts." Mr. Trump accused his successor of “ridiculous, insane and very stupid policies” that fostered a crime wave, pointing to high-profile killings that involved immigrants. He vaguely accused Mr. Biden of killing “so many at our border” by not curbing the surge of migrants, an assertion that he did not back up with statistics. Experts have said that those heavily publicized cases do not represent a broader trend. Studies have concluded that immigration does not push up crime rates.