Alabama offered assistance on Friday to other U.S. states seeking to carry out executions using asphyxiation by nitrogen gas‚ a few hours after pioneering the new method to kill Kenneth Smith‚ a prisoner condemned for a 1988 murder. The state also promised more to come in Alabama: Attorney General Steve Marshall said 43 other people on death row had chosen asphyxiation over lethal injections since lawmakers approved the method in 2018. Alabama called the new method "humane‚" while human...

The Biden administration’s announcement Friday that it’s pausing liquefied natural gas export approvals sparked political backlash‚ drew cheers from climate activists and stoked uncertainty in energy markets‚ but is unlikely to see the U.S. give up its title as the world’s top LNG exporter. The U.S. will delay its decisions on new LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries‚ allowing time for the Energy Department to update the underlying analyses for LNG export authorizations‚ the White...

Former President Donald Trump is on course for another double-digit win over 2024 rival Nikki Haley — this time in her home state of South Carolina‚ according to a new poll. Trump‚ 77‚ enjoys 58% support among likely voters in the Feb. 24 Palmetto State GOP primary‚ per the survey by the American Promise and the Tyson Group. Haley‚ 52‚ had 31% backing while 11% said they were unsure about whom to support. Trump led Haley among all political and age groups sampled — except for self-...

A new trend in treasure hunting called magnet fishing has blown up over the past two years‚ evidenced by an explosion of YouTube channels covering the hobby. Magnet fishing is a pretty simple activity. Hobbyists attach high-powered magnets to strong ropes‚ drop them into waterways and see what they attract.The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019‚ a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate. Fifteen-year-old George Tindale and his dad‚ Kevin‚ 52‚ of Grantham‚ Lincolnshire in the U.K.‚ made an incredible find earlier this month when they used two magnets to pull up a safe that had been submerged in the River Witham.George has a popular magnet fishing YouTube channel called “Magnetic G.”After the father-and-son duo pulled the safe out of the murky depths‚ they cracked it open with a crowbar and found about $2‚500 Australian dollars (US$1‚800)‚ a shotgun certificate and credit cards that expired in 2004. The Tindales used the name found on the cards to find the safe’s owner‚ Rob Everett.Everett’s safe was stolen during an office robbery in 2000 and then dumped into the river. “I remember at the time‚ they smashed into a cabinet to get to the safe‚” Everett said‚ according to The Daily Mail. “I was just upset that there was a nice pen on my desk‚ a Montblanc that was never recovered.” The safe was stolen in the year 2000 \n\n#magnetfishinghttps://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/teenager-finds-safe-containing-thousands-of-dollars-9250637/\u00a0\u2026 — Grantham Journal (@Grantham Journal) 1650615191 The robber‚ who was a teenage boy‚ was apprehended soon after the crime because he left behind a cap with his name stitched inside.The father and son met up with Everett to return his stolen money and the businessman gave George a small reward for his honesty. He also offered him an internship because of the math skills he displayed in the YouTube video when he counted the Australian dollars. “What’s good about it is‚ I run a wealth management company and… I’d love him to work for us‚" Everett said.Although the safe saga began with a robbery 22 years ago‚ its conclusion has left Everett with more faith in humanity.“I was just amazed that they’d been able to track me down‚” he said. “There are some really nice and good people in this world. They could have kept the money‚ they could have said they attempted to get hold of me.”“There’s a big lesson there. It teaches George that doing good and being honest and giving back is actually more rewarding than taking‚” Everett added.Treasure hunting isn’t the only allure of the hobby for George. His mother says the hobby has taught him a lot about water pollution and its effects on local wildlife. “George is very environmentally conscious. He always has been since primary school‚” she said. “When he first started to do this‚ he was after treasure. Everything ends up in the rivers and canals.”This article originally appeared on 04.25.22

Actor Mark Wahlberg recently attended a daddy-daughter dance with his 10-year-old‚ Grace. Sadly‚ Grace had no interest in seeing her father strutting his stuff on the dance floor."I didn't get one dance‚" Wahlberg told Ellen DeGeneres. "And I told her we were going to do the whole big circle and I was going to go off. And she said‚ 'Dad‚ if you embarrass me‚ I will never talk to you again.' But what she did do is she hung out with me."No matter who your dad is‚ especially if you're a 10-year-old-girl‚ you have zero desire to see him dance in front of your friends.But the parents at the dance probably would have had a blast seeing Wahlberg bust out some of his old-school '90s Marky Mark moves.However‚ Wahlberg couldn't help but leave his mark on the music being played at the dance.Let's not forget‚ he didn't get famous for his acting but for showing off his abs in the "Good Vibrations" video.Being that Wahlberg's time as a pop star was three decades ago‚ he couldn't believe it when he heard the music being played at the dance."[Grace] sat there on the edge of the stage‚ by the DJ. And then I'm sitting there with one other dad and I'm like‚ 'This is not an edited version of this song. There are explicit lyrics being played at a school dance for girls and I'm like no good‚'" he said."I told the DJ and he's like‚ 'Oh‚ I thought it was.' I said‚ 'What are you doing?' I'm hearing F-bombs and this and that's not okay‚" Wahlberg said.He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version‚ but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently‚ three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films‚ television‚ and comedy‚ but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing‚ especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society‚" said Cynthia Frisby‚ a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop‚ pop music tends to have a bubbly‚ uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in‚" Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it‚ pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg‚ and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to‚ deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity‚" Frisby said."For example‚ many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them‚ when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior‚ then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."He's right. There's no place for music with explicit lyrics at a dance for 10-year-old children.Wahlberg says the DJ didn't know he wasn't playing the edited version‚ but it's probably more likely that he didn't even realize the song was a problem. Pop music these days is filled with a numbing amount of violent and misogynistic lyrics.A recent study from the University of Missouri found that nearly one-third of pop songs contain lyrics that degrade or demean women by portraying them as submissive or sexually objectified.Currently‚ three of the top five songs on the Billboard Top 40 contain the word "bitch." One of them is sung in Korean.It's odd that Americans have become more sensitive to misogyny in pop culture in films‚ television‚ and comedy‚ but still have a huge cultural blind-spot when it comes to music.That's not a good thing‚ especially when pop music is marketed to teenagers."We know that music has a strong impact on young people and how they view their role in society‚" said Cynthia Frisby‚ a professor in the Missouri School of Journalism."Unlike rap or hip-hop‚ pop music tends to have a bubbly‚ uplifting sound that is meant to draw listeners in‚" Frisby continued. "But that can be problematic if the lyrics beneath the sound are promoting violence and misogynistic behavior."Let's face it‚ pop stars are role models. Their examples show young people what to wear and how to behave. That's not to say that kids will blindly follow someone just because they like their music. But it has an undeniable effect.Wahlberg‚ and any parent who monitors what their kids are listening to‚ deserve credit for protecting the minds and hearts of their kids.Frisby has some great advice for parents concerned about negative imagery in pop music."Ask your daughters and sons what songs they like to listen to and have conversations about how the songs might impact their identity‚" Frisby said."For example‚ many songs might make young girls feel like they have to look and act provocative in order to get a boy to like them‚ when that isn't necessarily the case. If children and teens understand that what they are hearing isn't healthy behavior‚ then they might be more likely to challenge what they hear on the radio."This article originally appeared on 03.03.20

This is a story about something really exciting.Before I get into it‚ let me set the stage by explaining the terrible problem it's solving.10 years.That's how long it'll be until the last wild elephants and rhinoceroses are gone.100 of them are killed every day by poachers.Even though elephants and rhinos are legally protected‚ the amount of money that can be made from the ivory in their tusks is just too much for some people to resist.So poachers go after elephants and rhinos in secret. They kill them in out-of-the-way places that are hard to patrol‚ and they do it at night under the cover of darkness.Every hour‚ another elephant or rhino family is broken forever.Now the Lindbergh Foundation has come up with an idea about how to stop poachers.They've been testing their idea for two years now‚ and it really works.Air Shepherd uses drones and computers to watch over elephants and rhinos the same way a shepherd protects his sheep.It's an amazing international‚ hi-tech system.The drones in Africa are decked out with normal and infrared cameras that see where the animals — and the poachers — are. Even in the dark of night.That imagery is sent to computers in the U.S. Using special software‚ they send back flight plans to the drones that predict where the animals are headed‚ which keeps the drones on top of the poachers.Local rangers are notified‚ and they sweep in on the poachers.During the 600 tests they've run so far‚ precisely zero poaching has occurred.It's a fantastic system.Seven African countries have already requested help.The Foundation has provided the seed money. They need contributions‚ though‚ so head over to the Air Shepherd site to see how you can get involved in this amazing project.Please let your animal-loving friends know about this breakthrough program that could keep elephants and rhinos from going extinct. It's so exciting.(Unfortunately‚ the Lindbergh Foundation's video has been removed from YouTube. But here's an NBC News report about the project.)This article originally appeared on 03.12.15

Nothing can ruin a relaxing weekend or holiday like an email from the office. Even if there's no need to take action until Monday‚ the unwanted intrusion of professional life can really suck the joy out of a Sunday afternoon barbecue.That's why the country that's famous for giving its employees 30 days off a year and 16 weeks of full-paid family leave in May 2016 made itself even cooler with its new "right to disconnect" rule.In France‚ if you're a company of 50 employees or more‚ you cannot email an employee after typical work hours. The labor law amendment has come about because studies show that in the digital age‚ it's increasingly difficult for people to distance themselves from the workplace during their off hours.This new provision allows people to get the full advantage of their time off."All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be‚ and that the stress is constant‚" Benoit Hamon of the French National Assembly told the BBC. "Employees physically leave the office‚ but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash — like a dog. The texts‚ the messages‚ the emails — they colonize the life of the individual to the point where he or she eventually breaks down."The rule stipulates that companies must negotiate policies that limit the spillover of work into their employees' private lives. Although there are no penalties for violations‚ companies are to establish "charters of good conduct" that specify the times which employees are free from being digitally connected to their workplaces.This right to disconnect amendment was passed as part of a controversial French labor law that some say will weaken unions and enhance employee job insecurity. The digital disconnect amendment was the one part of the law that's been viewed favorably by the French public.This article originally appeared on 11.12.17

The prophetic gem of their catalogue. The post The Eagles song Don Henley considered to be underrated first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

You'll never guess who almost played "Doc."

Former President Donald Trump is already performing well in polls against President Joe Biden; however‚ he may be stronger than realized. This is a conclusion that could be drawn from a recent poll showing independents to be a much larger share of the electorate than commonly recognized. The reason this could benefit Trump — and make polls that are underweighting independents also be underestimating Trump’s support — is because‚ right now‚ independents are breaking decidedly for Trump. READ MORE: Five Quick Things: Ted Cruz Is Spot-On and Precisely‚ Exactly Right Currently‚ there’s no shortage of evidence that Trump is beating Biden. According to RealClearPolitics’ Jan. 26 average of national polling‚ Trump leads 47.3 percent to 43 percent. Among the eight polls used for RCP’s average‚ Biden trails in them all; Trump’s current 4.3 percent margin is the largest since RCP began its averaging on Nov. 1‚ 2022; and Biden hasn’t had a lead since Sept. 11‚ 2023‚ when it was by 0.2 percentage points. As bad as this news seems for Biden‚ the real news may be even worse. The reason is revealed by a recent Gallup poll (released on Jan. 12‚ 2024) that found that “[p]olitical independents continue to constitute the largest political bloc in the U.S.‚ with an average of 43% of U.S. adults identifying this way.” That level ties the historic high recorded by Gallup in 2014. In contrast‚ both Democrats and Republicans came in much lower — both at 27 percent apiece. Findings that Americans are not terribly enthusiastic about a rematch add additional credence for Gallup’s high level of independents: More respondents could be registering their displeasure by revising their party preference to independent. If Gallup’s recent findings are correct‚ they are dramatically different from 2020 exit polling. Four years ago‚ independents made up just 26 percent of the electorate‚ while Democrats were 37 percent and Republicans 36. Such a shift from 2020 is interesting on face value‚ but it could also be very important to the state of today’s race. To understand why‚ look at another recent poll. A Messenger/Harris poll (conducted Jan. 17–21) found Trump leading Biden 48 percent to 41 percent. The two candidates’ partisan split was as follows: Trump received 90 percent of Republican support‚ 11 percent of Democrat‚ and 43 percent of independent; Biden received 4 percent of Republican support‚ 82 percent of Democrat‚ and 36 percent of independent. Trump’s 7-percentage-point advantage among independents is important in its own right. However‚ it is even more so when you look at the Messenger/Harris poll’s weighting of its partisan breakdown: 37 percent Democrat‚ 36 percent Republican‚ and 25 percent independent. This latest partisan breakdown is almost exactly that from the 2020 exit polling results. It is a logical assumption: weight the partisan breakdown of a rematch the same as the first contest. But what if Gallup’s recent results are right for today’s partisan breakdown? Then the Messenger/Harris poll — and every poll that is underweighting independents — is also underestimating Trump support. How much an effect this has can be seen by simply reweighting the Messenger/Harris poll’s partisan breakdown to Gallup’s latest findings (and keeping the Messenger/Harris poll’s same candidate preferences within the three partisan groups). The result is that Trump’s margin is 0.7 percentage points higher — giving Trump an almost 8-percentage-point lead. If you think that additional bump doesn’t matter‚ then think back again to the 2020 race. Biden already had an overlooked liability in his 2020 national polling results. In 2020‚ he won the popular vote by 4.4 percentage points. Despite this‚ he still barely eked out an electoral vote win. The reason? Biden ran up huge but meaningless vote margins in California and New York (almost 7 million in just these two states‚ while Biden’s total popular vote margin was 7‚060‚347)‚ yet the race in the Electoral College was decided by miniscule margins in six others: Arizona‚ Georgia‚ Michigan‚ Nevada‚ Pennsylvania‚ and Wisconsin. In other words‚ Biden needs to be roughly plus-4.4 percentage points in national polls to be running even with Trump. If national polls are underweighting independents (as the Gallup results say)‚ and independents are breaking decidedly for Trump (as the Messenger/Harris results say)‚ then even averaging them still leaves Trump effectively with almost a double-digit margin over 2020’s race. One upshot of all this is that the 2024 rematch may not really be as close as the general polling is making it look. Another is that Democrats should be even more worried about Biden’s chances than they already are. The post Is Trump Even Further Ahead? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.