Democrat Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey passed away at age 87 after a lingering respiratory illness.Pascrell's family made the announcement on Wednesday morning from Pascrell's personal X account:It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning. As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved. Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation America.According to reports, Pascrell had been suffering from a respiratory illness, causing him to be hospitalized for more than three weeks. At one point, he even required "breathing assistance," staff said.'Felony convictions by President George Washington to Obama and Biden: 0 Donald trump: 34.'Pascrell was released from the hospital earlier this month only to suffer a setback and return to a rehab facility a few days later, northjersey.com reported.Many outlets described Pascrell as "feisty" and referred to his fierce animus against former President Donald Trump. NBC News reported that Pascrell fought to gain access to Trump's tax returns and noted how frequently Trump featured in his tweets.For instance, on July 13 — roughly six hours before a would-be assassin shot a bullet through Trump's ear, missing his skull by mere millimeters — Pascrell tweeted: "Felony convictions by President George Washington to Obama and Biden: 0 Donald trump: 34."Two hours after the deadly shooting, Pascrell took to X to denounce all forms of "political violence" and asked his followers to "pray for Donald Trump."A lifelong resident of Paterson, New Jersey, the state's third-largest city, Pascrell joined what NBC News called the "rough-and-tumble" world of New Jersey politics in the 1970s and eventually worked his way up to Congress by 1996. For a while, he simultaneously served in the House of Representatives and as Paterson mayor, a practice that the outlet claimed was "common" in New Jersey at the time.Pascrell was seeking a 15th term in congressional office at the time of his death. Because his death occurred more than 70 days before Election Day, Democratic county committee members can select his interim replacement, who will then ostensibly face current Republican nominee Billy Prempeh in November.Pascrell is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Elsie Marie Botto, and their three children and five grandchildren.Pascrell is not the only sitting New Jersey congressman to die this year. Back in April, Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a fellow Democrat, passed away following a heart attack likely precipitated by diabetes and high blood pressure.Payne's former district will hold a special election on September 8 to determine Payne's replacement. Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver, a Democrat, is strongly favored over Republican nominee Carmen Bucco.The winner of that race will have to defend the seat again roughly eight weeks later.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Today marks the final day of the Democratic National Convention hosted in Chicago, Illinois. All week protests have raged outside the United Center — the majority led by groups and organizations that fit the definition of “extremist,” according to the Capital Research Center. The protests have been so intense that a barrier was erected around the perimeter of the convention, but that didn’t stop protesters from tearing down the security fences, leading many to wonder if something big is on the horizon — perhaps for Thursday, the final day of the DNC. Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas calls in from the grounds in Chicago to update Jill Savage of “Blaze News Tonight” on the situation. - YouTube www.youtube.com “I didn't think it was going to be possible, but protesters managed to breach the fencing in several places and now they are kind of in a standoff situation with Chicago Police,” says Rosas, adding that law enforcement is armed with pepper spray. “What led to this breakdown in security?” asks Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson. “Part of the reason why they were able to [breach the security perimeter] is because clearly the police have given a hands-off approach,” Rosas explains. “The Brandon Johnson administration under Superintendent Snelling has given them a wide berth in certain places.” “What are the primary demands or issues that are being raised by these protesters?” asks Jill. “Calling for ceasefire in Gaza at a minimum but also arms embargo on Israel” is the main issue protesters are raising; however, there are some groups raising other concerns, like “health care” and “no border walls in general for the country.” For the final day of the convention, Rosas expects “more of the same” and perhaps an even bigger display. The protesters have already made a “big first impression,” he says. “If Chicago Police continue this hands-off approach, it's only going to invigorate them more.” Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A group disbanded and revoked its support for the Harris-Walz presidential ticket after the campaign refused to allow any anti-Israel speakers at the Democratic National Convention. The Muslim Women for Harris-Walz group announced its decision in a statement on Wednesday evening just before the last day of the convention. 'This is a terrible message to send to Democrats.' “We cannot in good conscience, continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the Uncommitted movement, that VP Harris' team declined their request to have a Palestinian American speaker take the stage at the DNC." The Democratic Party has been destabilized by efforts from a pro-Palestinian fringe to lurch the party toward anti-Israel policies. Most recently, Vice President Kamala Harris allegedly caved to the movement's demands to reject Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as vice presidential candidate. Despite this major victory, the group made further demands on the convention schedule, which were reportedly denied. "This is a terrible message to send to Democrats. Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine," the group continued. "We pray that the DNC and VP Harris' team makes the right decision before this convention is over. For the sake of each of us."Earlier in the convention, anti-Israel activists were outraged after socialist Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York claimed in her speech that Harris had worked "tirelessly" for a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Activists have demanded that the Biden administration stop sending military aid to Israel and pressure it into a ceasefire agreement. Democrats did allow for family members of hostages held by Hamas to speak at the convention. “The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our candidate or the DNC,” said the group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In a recent interview, Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.’s running mate, said that their campaign faces a difficult decision — continue running and risk a Harris win, or drop out and endorse Trump. Yesterday, Don Jr., Donald Trump’s eldest son, joined Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program” to address the prospect of RFK Jr. endorsing his father. - YouTube www.youtube.com “The endorsement from RFK — do you think that’s coming?” Glenn asked. “I hope so,” Don Jr. said, adding that he considers RFK Jr. “a smart guy” who’s “got very good views on certain things,” despite the obvious disagreements. For him to endorse Trump would show “a unity” against “the communism that we are up against,” he told Glenn. “[Kamala] is talking about, ‘We want to set up price fixing ... we're going to be auditing businesses, and we're going to take away your business, and we're going to take away your children if we can't do ... transgender surgeries for minors without parental consent,’” he said, making the point that it is “not hyperbole” to say the left is for communism. “They've lost their minds, and so I love the idea of giving [RFK Jr.] some sort of role” in “a major ... three letter entity” and “let him blow it up,” he told Glenn, adding that RFK Jr. could also “bring people together,” which would show “a strong opposition to what we are up against, which is just abject insanity.” To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above. 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.

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New research has identified a persistent problem that has hindered studies of the origins and patterns of human evolution. Specifically, there seems to be a mismatch between the spots where most ancient human fossils have been collected and the locations where most human ancestors lived in the greatest numbers. In a new paper just published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers W. Andrew Barr and Bernard Wood from the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at George Washington University lay out the case that our understanding of human evolution is more limited than many scientists imagine. A problem they identify as ‘spacial sampling bias’ in the collection of fossils from eastern Africa is the source of the distortion, and they argue it has real consequences for those seeking a detailed and accurate picture of humanity’s true origins. Denizens of South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind: The First Walking Apes Modern Human Ancestry Won’t Be Traced to a Single Point Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsRead Later 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary would likely dismantle the 13 agencies HHS oversees and rebuild them with like-minded people and stop the National Institutes of Health from studying infectious diseases and instead study chronic diseases.