The Medici family‚ prominent during the Italian Renaissance‚ wielded immense power in Florence and beyond. Rising from humble beginnings as bankers‚ they ascended to become one of Europe';s most influential dynasties. Their patronage of the arts catalyzed the Renaissance‚ nurturing talents like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. However‚ their rule was not without controversy‚ marked by political intrigue‚ alliances and betrayals. Despite facing exile and assassination attempts‚ their legacy endures‚ shaping the art‚ politics and commerce of Renaissance Europe.Palazzo Vecchio in Florence was a fortress-like palace which became the primary residence of the Medici family after they gained control of the city. (eyetronic / Adobe Stock)The Medici Dynasty: Renaissance Florences First FamilyThe first mention of the Medici family can be traced back to a document from 1230 AD. Originally coming from the Mugello region of Italy‚ the origin of their name is unknown. Medici itself is the plural of medico‚ which means medical doctor‚ and as such it would be a fair guess to say that one of the familys earliest ancestors acted as doctor in the region.Read moreSection:NewsHistoryFamous PeopleRead Later

Catherine Herridge - the fired CBS reporter whose files were seized by the network - is scheduled to break her silence at a House Judiciary Committee hearing next week‚ according to the New York Post.

More than 68‚000 illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. came through unlicensed dealers who aren';t required to perform background checks over a five-year period‚ according to new data released Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol‚ Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

Attorneys defending Tennessee';s sweeping abortion ban alleged Thursday that doctors challenging the law do not want any oversight when deciding to terminate a pregnancy and instead are improperly withholding care to women facing serious medical emergencies.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday urged the nation';s largest passenger airlines to improve travel benefits for active-duty military personnel and their families.

A group of Republican senators led by Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Dan Sullivan of Alaska has raised concerns about NATO members'; defense spending and urged Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to provide insight into the Department of Defense';s evaluation process.

Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday vetoed legislation promoting nuclear energy in coal-producing Kentucky‚ but stressed his objections dealt with an advisory board and not with the use of nuclear power.

Amid the hand-wringing of foreign-policy experts over former President Donald Trump';s reelection campaign‚ Alexander Gray argued that a second Trump term would be good for America because it would strike fear into the nation';s adversaries again.

51-year-old Cameron Diaz has been with her dearly beloved since 2015‚ and in that time she believes shes come up with a solution to relationshipand sleep problems in one go. Diaz believes couples should have separate bedrooms and society should normalize this practice for those interested.Diaz has had a series of widely publicized courtships over the years‚ which did not go beyond the extent of boyfriend and girlfriend. She was introduced to her husband‚ guitarist Benji Madden‚ in 2014‚ ten months before they got married at her home in Beverly Hills. As far as relationship practices go‚ her idea for separate bedrooms has some precedence around the country; heres why.Cameron Diaz outlines her plan for separate bedrooms between couplesCameron Diaz wants to normalize couples having separate bedrooms / Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett CollectionDiaz sat down for an interview with the Lipstick on the Rim podcast this month‚ hosted by Molly Sims and Emese Gormley‚ and shared her hope that society further encourages the idea of separate bedrooms for couples. We should normalize separate bedrooms‚ she asserted.RELATED: Cameron Diaz Opens Up About Finding Peace Leaving HollywoodTo me‚ I would literally I have my house‚ you have yours‚ she went on. We have the family house in the middle. I will go and sleep in my room. You go sleep in your room. Im fine. And we have the bedroom in the middle that we can convene in for our relations.Her suggestion came after one of the women shared that her husband snores in the bedroom. One of the podcast attendees noted that such a proposal might be considered controversial‚ to which Diaz nonchalantly replied‚ Ive already said it.Where is this advice followed?The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has data on partners already opting for split sleeping spaces / UnsplashThe concept of couples having separate bedrooms already isnt a new one in the U.S. Old sitcoms always had couples at the very least in separate beds‚ but people still use separate rooms today. A survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine shows that over a third of Americans sometimes or consistently sleep in a separate bedroom from their partner.Echoing Diazs point‚ Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans‚ a consultant to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine‚ noted‚ Studies demonstrate that when one bed partner has a sleep disorder it can negatively affect the other sleeper. For example‚ bed partners tend to wake up at the same time when one has insomnia. Similarly‚ when bed partners differ in chronotype‚ like when one is a night owl the other is an early bird‚ these differing sleep preferences can negatively impact both partners sleep.Diaz notes that she herself does not do this‚ but she believed it before getting married / InstagramAllegheny Health Network sleep specialist Dr. Daniel Shade listed snoring‚ television use‚ shifting around‚ an early departure for work‚ bathroom trips‚ and restless movement as other possible factors that disrupt a partners sleep.Diaz notes that she herself does not actually use this advice these days with Benji. By the way‚ I dont feel that way now because my husband is so wonderful‚ she added. I had said that before I got married.Diaz supports having a designated neutral space / ImageCollectRELATED: For Valentines Day‚ Hollywood Couples Share Their Tips For Long And Happy RelationshipsClick for next ArticleThe post Why Cameron Diaz Wants To Normalize Separate Bedrooms For Couples appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author‚ Dana Daly

In a paper published on the 1st April‚ author Mark Popinchalk reported upon a fascinating piece of research focussing on which animal has seen the most solar eclipses! It turns out that‚ whilst us humans have seen our fair share we are nowhere near the top of the list. According to Popinchalk‚ the horseshoe crabs have seen a staggering 138 trillion solar eclipses across the entire species. We are hot on their heels but it wont be until about 10 million years that we catch up!On Monday we will be treated to another total solar eclipse across many parts of the globe. As the eclipse progresses which is the result of a perfect Earth‚ Moon and Sun alignment the Moon blocks sunlight from reaching parts of the Earth. When the Moon is directly between the two‚ from parts of the Earth‚ the Sun is completely blocked and we see a total solar eclipse. When only part of the Sun is blocked‚ we see a partial eclipse. As the eclipse progresses on Monday‚ hundreds of millions of people will witness the event unfold.Totality and the diamond ring effect‚ captured during the 2023 total solar eclipse as seen from Ah Chong Island‚ Australia. Credit: Eliot Herman It goes without saying that eclipses are not human constructs‚ nor are they purely the domain of the human being. Eclipses have occurred for millions of years‚ from a time long before humans appeared on Earth. This means that animals‚ for billions of years‚ witnessed eclipses long before we were the proverbial twinkle in the eye of mother Earth.Across the eons where eclipses have taken place there has been countless creatures walking/flying and swimming around. Even microbial activity Popinchalk suggests should be considered but it is impossible to say too much about them. In the Cambrian period there was a wide range of animals that evolved onto the surface of the Earth. The challenge however is to decide if an animal is actually aware of an eclipse‚ much less actually observe it. There are anecdotal reports of birds going to roost during the lower light levels. Quantifying this is difficult.Recent studies into the reaction of animals during total solar eclipses from zoos in metropolitan areas. HartstoneRose and team tracked the responses to 17 families of animals during the 2017 eclipse and found that 13 of them behaved differently than usual‚ with 8 performing night time routines. Others‚ such as primates‚ exhibited anxiety based behaviours much like our early ancestors did.Hartstone-Rose et al observed the Galapagos turtles turning to look toward the sky during an eclipse‚ were they perhaps observing and contemplating the event? Studies from Lofting and Dolittle (1920) have explored animal communications but until we can unlock the mystery of animal communication we may never know. We cannot however‚ hide from the fact that animals may well have seen eclipses‚ the debate is whether they really cottoned on to what was happening.In the conclusion‚ Popinchalk shows how‚ for an estimated standing population of horseshoe crabs of 120 million they would have witnessed 1.5 million eclipses making a total of 130 trillion total solar eclipse experiences. As for humans‚ if we take a standing (average) population of 1 million and 320‚000 eclipses thats a mere 32 billion experiences. We are lagging behind. The paper is a fascinating read‚ give it a try‚ but do remember it was published on the 1st April‚ the numbers may have changed by then! Its worthy of a winky emoji at this point Source : Species Syzygy: Which Animal Has Seen the Most Total Solar Eclipses?The post Which Animal Has Seen the Most Total Solar Eclipses? appeared first on Universe Today.