It’s always interesting to see how American states led the way in various categories. Michigan can lay claim to being the first in automobile development and the car culture that is everywhere today. In that same vein‚ give California credit for being the first state to really go all-in on the freeway system that dominates […] The post Ten More Extremely Unexpected U.S. State “Firsts” appeared first on Listverse.

The House passed a four-bill $95 billion foreign aid package over the weekend that includes $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. The bill could cost House Speaker Mike Johnson his job.  The aid package passed in a 311-112 vote with the unanimous support of Democrats and 101 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene‚ R-Ga.‚ threatened to introduce a motion to remove Johnson‚ R-La.‚ from his position as speaker if he brought the funding for Ukraine to the House floor for a vote.  “I think she’s looking at the totality of what’s come across the floor over the past few months‚ and she is expressing extreme disappointment with that‚” Ryan Walker‚ executive vice president of Heritage Action for America‚ says of Greene. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation‚ of which Heritage Action is the grassroots arm.) Greene left Washington at the end of last week without introducing the motion to vacate the speaker but said during an interview Sunday on Fox News that she still planned to try to oust Johnson.  “Mike Johnson’s speakership is over‚” Greene said on “Sunday Morning Futures‚” adding‚ “He needs to do the right thing—to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn’t do so‚ he will be vacated.”  Less than one year after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the role‚ Capitol Hill is bracing for the potential of another speakership battle when Congress returns to Washington next week.  Walker joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain the reason for the sharp divide in Congress over the foreign aid package and the likelihood Johnson will face removal as speaker. Walker also explains where Congress is getting the money to send to Ukraine.  Listen to the podcast below: The post Why Speaker Johnson’s Job Is on the Line After House Votes $60 Billion for Ukraine appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Two 18th century glass bottles of cherries have been discovered in the cellar of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The dark green glass bottles were found still sealed and upright. Their shape dates them to the 1740s or 50s‚ and since a brick floor was laid above them in the 1770s‚ that means they haven’t seen the light of day since before the Revolutionary War. Mount Vernon Principal Archaeologist Jason Boroughs said‚ “This incredible discovery at Mount Vernon is a significant archaeological find. Not only did we recover intact‚ sealed bottles‚ but they contained organic material that can provide us with valuable insight and perspective into 18th-century lives at Mount Vernon. These bottles have the potential to enrich the historic narrative‚ and we’re excited to have the contents analyzed so we can share this discovery with fellow researchers and the visiting public.” After the bottles were unearthed‚ each was carefully removed and transported to the Mount Vernon archaeology lab. Upon consultation with archaeological conservators‚ it was determined that removing the liquid contents would help stabilize the glass‚ which had not been directly exposed to the atmosphere for approximately two centuries. Cherries‚ including stems and pits‚ were preserved within the liquid contents‚ which still bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms familiar to residents of the region during the spring season. The excavation is part of the Mansion Revitalization Project‚ a privately-funded $40 million comprehensive repair and preservation effort that will address long-standing structural problems‚ install a new heat‚ air conditioning and ventilation system and improve drainage around the cellar. Archaeologists are investigating areas that may be disrupted by the work to salvage any artifacts and remains. The bottles will be at Mount Vernon until the end of the month‚ after which the bottles will undergo conservation while samples of the contents will be shipped to a laboratory for further scientific analysis.

Everyone knows that the Moscow Patriarchate is in bed with the Kremlin. Few realize that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is deeply beholden to the United States government.  This ignorance…

It is an axiom of warfare that it is always desirable to have friendly territory beyond one’s own borders or the capacity to prevent the buildup of significant military power in neutral territory for…

A tiny particle that could explain a lot.