'In an absolutely unexpected way'

Manuel Rocha was arrested on a criminal complaint‚ with further details anticipated to emerge at a court hearing scheduled for Monday

The death of the singer and songwriter of the rock band April Wine was confirmed by a spokesperson

'Take the world back into caves'

The post Introducing the Catsters: Dr. Lauren and Pancake &; Tiller the Adventurers by Dr. Lauren Demos (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi! My name is Lauren‚ and I’m a residency-trained feline veterinarian with a passion for cats‚ teaching‚ and adventure. When I’m not otherwise engaged‚ volunteering projects top my list as we get what we receive‚ and so many have helped me reach this point in my career. I live with two cats (one occasionally grumpy and the other food obsessed‚ though I’ll leave it to you to decide which is which)‚ and currently spend most of my time in the UK. I can often be found teaching‚ lecturing‚ or planning the next outdoor adventure. I’ve been honored to work with various veterinary organisations and groups over the years‚ many of them non-profit. I highly recommend looking at the work these groups are doing‚ including the VIN Foundation‚ the American Association of Feline Practitioners‚ the International Society of Feline Medicine and the Winn Feline Foundation. I’ve met some amazing clinicians and people in all of these groups‚ and cannot speak enough about the work they are doing for felines‚ and feline medicine‚ as well as the future of the profession that is caring for our cats. Ours is a difficult profession‚ and yet we often sit in the shadows compared to the work of our human-centric colleagues. When I’m not out and about‚ you can find me at home with my two cats Pancake‚ and Tiller. Pancake enjoying the world with a view from the sailboat. They seem to sleep more than I thought humanly possible‚ so certainly they must have impressive resumes that I wish I could espouse here! But as Mark Twain famously once said: “If man could be crossed with the cat‚ it would improve man‚ but it would deteriorate the cat.” So it’s potentially better that the cats keep their secrets‚ and I simply am allowed to exist in their world. Tiller enjoying her favorite box The post Introducing the Catsters: Dr. Lauren and Pancake &; Tiller the Adventurers by Dr. Lauren Demos (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

ABC senior anchor George Stephanopoulos has a habit of hectoring Republicans into answering whether they will vote for Donald Trump if he’s the 2024 GOP nominee‚ despite pending criminal charges against him. He tried that against former RNC chair Reince Priebus‚ and got promptly shut down. Watch the entire exchange‚ as aired on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday‚ December 3rd‚ 2023 (Click "Expand"): GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I was going to say- last night in Iowa‚ Julie Pace‚ he seems to be putting democracy on the ballot in an effor-- it’s- it's a kind of projection accusing Joe Biden of doing what he's been accused of.  JULIE PACE: And whether that was strategic or not‚ and the camp- the Trump campaign is feeling like they have a weakness there‚ I think will be interesting to see how long they run that message out‚ but it did feel like it was that- almost that first moment where we saw that direct kind of tit for tat between where Joe Biden wants to take this campaign and where Trump is responding‚ and I think to Donna's point‚ Democrats know very clearly they need to make this a choice election. This has to be a choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Whatever you think about Joe Biden‚ they know that's the way that they can- they can win this.  REINCE PRIEBUS: Except here's the big problem. If they want to make this election about Trump‚ there's going to be Biden and Trump‚ and then there's going to be a couple other non-Trump candidates that are going to be on the ballot. So you make this about Trump‚ I think it plays in perfectly into how this election is moving forward because they're not going to -- if people don't want to go to Biden‚ they’re going to say‚ “Oh. Here's Cornell West. Oh. Here's the-- uh-- the-- Jill Stein. Here's the No Labels candidate.”  STEPHANOPOULOS: And you're totally comfortable going to the election with a candidate who's been accused of 91 felonies?  PRIEBUS: Um‚ we-  I'm comfortable if that's what the Republican Party wants to move forward with‚ sure. 110%. I would take Donald Trump over Joe Biden every single day of the week‚ no problem because where this country has gone and how far we've gone downhill in the last three years is a place that most Republicans aren't willing to go‚ and if they're that worried about it‚ then go get a different candidate if you think that Joe Biden is so vulnerable.  DONNA BRAZILE: You know‚ I recognize that Joe Biden might not be- might not be your cup of tea or even your bowl of soup‚ but you know what he is? He's somebody who's steady‚ somebody who understands the issues‚ and somebody who's fighting for America each and every day.  (CROSSTALK) STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today‚ thank you all very much. We’ll be right back. What triggered the whole exchange was the AP’s Julie Pace‚ making the case that the Democrats MUST make the election a stark choice between Biden and Trump- a runback of the “democracy is on the ballot” playbook. This is so‚ of course‚ because of the collapse of the “Bidenomics” narrative. Therefore‚ the Acela Media are evoking the specter of authoritarianism‚ and Trump’s criminal charges- which many of his supporters believe is proof evident of an authoritarian Biden administration. This‚ the “choice election” narrative‚ is the context in which Stephanopoulos flippantly looks over at Priebus and asks whether he’s totally comfortable with Trump as nominee. Priebus does two things here. First‚ he lays out that there are other left-of-center options other than Biden. Second‚ he lays out that people are ultimately going to cast the election as a referendum on Biden and‚ yes‚ Bidenomics.  It is at this point that Donna Brazile jumps in with a “leave Biden alone” defense of the president before Stephanopoulos cuts the segment for time.  At this point the Acela Media are little more than propagandists‚ not just for Biden specifically‚ but for the left generally.  

A missing woman was reportedly found at the bottom of a trash chute at a Manhattan luxury apartment after disappearing following a work party. The Daily Mail reported that Jaclyn Elmquist‚ originally from Minnesota‚ was spotted wandering along West 28th Street before her body was found at the apartment complex. After she went missing‚ her family put up photos of her in the area‚ hoping that someone might have information about where she might have gone.The authorities do not believe that there was any foul play involved in Elmquist's tragic end. It appears that she may have died after falling into the trash chute. Footage was captured leading up to the woman's disappearance‚ appearing to show that she was trying various doors along Chelsea street before getting into a yellow cab outside Catch Steakhouse in Manhattan.Those who knew her became alarmed when she never returned home and did not show up for work. A spokesperson for the NYPD said on Saturday‚ "A 24-year-old woman was found unconscious and unresponsive in a garbage compactor at the bottom a trash chute at 540 West 28th Street.""EMS responded and pronounced her dead at the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest she died having fallen down the garbage chute. No criminality is suspected at this time.""The medical examiner will confirm an exact cause of death. At this time the investigation remains ongoing."One resident shared with the New York Post‚ "It’s terrible. Man‚ I feel awful for that person." The resident said that he was informed by a doorman at the front desk that a building maintenance worker had discovered the woman's body while taking out the trash.One of Elmquist's friends told the New York Daily News that "[i]t's the most tragic loss of life.At the time of this report‚ there is currently no confirmation from the NYC Medical Examiner about the cause of death‚ though the woman reportedly suffered trauma to her head‚ according to reports. Elmquist's sister declined to comment on the incident. Davidson Stewart‚ 59‚ who was apparently the longtime super of the woman's apartment building‚ said that the victim was one who "kept to herself‚" adding that she was a "[n]ice young girl. It looked like she was happy ... It's sad. It looked like she had a bright future." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Peter Gietl: So‚ James‚ what’s your gut reaction to the announcement scientists created artificial wombs? Is concern overblown or another example of the horrors of Modern Science?James Poulos: It’s one of those terms that instantly signals something is amiss. Like “artificial mouths” — how did we go so wrong that we’d end up here conceptually?Usually‚ the kind of answer we get is one or both of a crisis justification (we don’t have the option of fixing things the best way) and a pity justification (someone somewhere will be suffering without it). I think characteristically‚ these arguments are weaker than they seem and that we like it this way because it seems to give us great excuses for relaxing our responsibilities. To me‚ this case seems to follow that pattern. The technology isn’t as needful as it looks‚ but that’s because of something amiss with us that the technology itself can’t fix.PG: The word “artificial womb” does present some Clive Barker Hellraiser or Matrix vibes. In this particular case‚ I think it’s media sensationalism.I'm afraid I have to disagree this research isn’t needed. Taking these researchers and other scientists at their word‚ which should always be done with a Lot’s wife size grain of salt‚ the possibilities are alluring. Having an insight into the beginning of pregnancy could explain early miscarriages. More intriguing is the possibility of this technology being used to grow organs from your own stem cells‚ and thus with a lower likelihood of rejection. This looks pretty desirable with the long wait lists for organ transplants and the horrific illicit organ trade in the Middle East and China.JP: Yes‚ there’s very often a strong temptation or rationale to push ahead with something like this. Especially in a culture addicted to making sense of the world via worst-case scenarios and exceptions to rules. And especially in a culture where so many people feel deep down that there’s not much left for them to do that’s good‚ just‚ consequential‚ and worth the bother.It offends people’s sense of moral honor even to raise questions about potential‚ very likely‚ or even certain abuses. “How DARE you imply someone like ME would do that!” It all shuts down the kind of elemental discernment‚ discussion‚ and debate that‚ until very recently‚ most people in the West thought of as an essential authorizing condition for projects and actions with such a sweeping impact on everyone’s lives.PG: I agree with your overall thesis‚ perhaps not in this case. It does bring up questions more theological than scientific. When does life begin? As they’ve vociferously said‚ if this “embryo” isn’t viable‚ what exactly does this research mean from a moral and philosophical sense?Taking a step back‚ the more pertinent question is how do we reconcile this trend in science to start pushing the bounds of humanity? Whether this particular research is benign or not‚ between CRISPR gene editing‚ genetic tests‚ cloning‚ and growing human organs in pigs‚ there are existential questions we may soon be grappling with. Michael Ciaglo via Getty ImagesJP: Indeed‚ there are. It isn’t easy for us to be content with our humanity as it is. Some will emphasize how we have sought to go beyond‚ others how we yearn for return. Either way‚ we are impatient sorts and always seek shortcuts. Power‚ even of a tainted or incomplete kind‚ feels irresistible. People struggle to tell themselves no to McDonalds; how can people say no to a seemingly inexhaustible clone army? We now face the prospect of SOME group flooring the pedal on such things to gain a first (or second) mover advantage—must we sit tight and not respond in kind?These are deep and painful questions‚ even if they are not particularly “difficult” ones‚ as we like to say. Laws can help‚ but laws are easily broken if you’re willing to risk or absorb the punishment. What is needed is a resurgence of spiritual discernment‚ which understands the wiles hidden in the heart and knows how to stop ourselves from getting carried away beyond the point of no return.PG: If the rumors out of China are even slightly accurate‚ we should be concerned. One of the enraging issues of COVID was the assertion that “The Science” is intrinsically good and has everyone’s best interests at heart. Gain-of-function and a myriad of other examples destroyed the trust of many in our scientific institutions. Can they ever recover that trust? And is it reasonable to think modern secular science will ever pause to consider their work's spiritual or even philosophical implications?JP: It doesn’t seem very reasonable given how long science has been driven above all by military and intelligence imperatives. It shouldn’t just be Donald Trump out there pushing for a world without war. So‚ there is some significance to Elon Musk going out of his way to discourage or ameliorate what often seems like a hunger among Western elites for a violent conquest of the planet driven by technological weapons‚ visible and invisible. Under digital conditions‚ world war means a no-brakes arms race where our humanity is the price of victory.It would be nice to think the answer is for the leading technologists from the US‚ Russia‚ China‚ etc.‚ to sit down and agree on saying no to themselves and one another for the sake of peace and our sacred humanity. But it seems clear that the share of such technologists with a deep-seated spiritual understanding of our sacredness is limited. I have hope that some rising people in the space who are young enough to see the reality better can help change that‚ but will they be blocked from a certain level of ascension in “the scientific community”? We might have to settle and set eyes on an achievement with a smaller footprint than the whole world.

A new species of sea spider was reportedly discovered crawling around in the frozen waters of Antarctica. The shape and look of the spider would almost certainly be nightmare fuel for those who already have a certain disdain for the creepy-crawlies. The New York Post reported that the new species‚ known as Austropallene halanychi‚ was discovered when researchers cast a trawl into the Ross Sea. The sea is about 200 miles from the South Pole.The details of the discovery were laid out in a new study published in the journal ZooKeys.The report noted that in January 2013‚ scientists who were working aboard the ship RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer reeled in a net and realized that the unusual specimen did not fall into any pre-existing descriptions of spiders. The new sea spider was apparently discovered around 1‚900 feet under water.The new sea spider turned out to be much larger than other sea spiders‚ with its legs measuring more than one inch in length. The report stated it has four pigmented eyes and a short‚ "swollen" abdomen‚ and a "wreath" of bristle-like follicles around its mouth.Andrew Mahon‚ who co-authored the study‚ said that one of the most unique elements to the new sea spider is that its vital organs originate in its legs. Mahon went on to say that the species even appears to use its legs to breathe‚ according to McClatchy News.According to the study's abstract‚ the sea spider is a new species of "pycnogonid within the family Callipallenidae (Pycnogonida)‚ collected from the Ross Sea‚ Antarctica. While retaining key morphological features known for the genus Austropallene Hodgson‚ 1915a‚ the new species is distinguished from congeners by its much larger size‚ along with the combined absence of a denticle on the inner surface of the fixed finger of the chelifore claw along with the presence of small conical outgrowths where the fixed finger of the chelifore claw meets the movable finger on both the dorsal and ventral sides‚ and also the ability to fully close the chelifore claw."The new species of sea spider was reportedly named after Kenneth M. Halanych‚ who is a "prolific marine invertebrate scientist‚" according to the Post. According to Halanych's LinkededIn profile‚ he helps lead the Center of Marine Science and has focused much of his professional career on the "genomics and evolution of marine invertebrates." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

We’re now living in “Minority Report.” Japan’s National Police is set to embark on a terrifying experiment involving using advanced AI-powered security cameras to preempt major crimes. These AI-enhanced cameras will specialize in machine-learning pattern recognition across three distinct categories: behavior detection for spotting suspicious conduct‚ object detection for identifying weapons‚ and intrusion detection to safeguard restricted areas. This initiative is expected to roll out within this fiscal year—ending March 2024—after the shocking assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the subsequent attempted attack on current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Such high-profile crimes‚ often committed by so-called ‘lone offenders’—individuals disassociated from society—have prompted Japan’s police to explore crime-prevention strategies.Proponents assert that the AI’s' behavior detection’ algorithm can learn by observing patterns indicative of suspicious activities‚ such as repetitive‚ anxious glances. Previous attempted AI-aided security have homed in on behaviors like restlessness and fidgeting‚ which may indicate unease or guilt. This is a worrying leap forward in what is possible for modern security agencies.The Chinese model goes global From ubiquitous police cameras on street corners to online monitoring and censorship‚ the Chinese population is constantly under surveillance. Now‚ a new generation of technology is delving into the vast pool of data gathered from daily activities‚ aiming to predict crimes and protests before they occur. However‚ these predictive systems aren’t just targeting those with a criminal record; they are also used to identify vulnerable groups‚ including ethnic minorities and individuals with a history of mental illness.This cutting-edge technology relies on algorithms that sift through data‚ seeking patterns and deviations that could indicate potential threats. While these algorithms are anathema to many in the West‚ they’re being heralded as triumphs in China.Reports detail instances where the technology flagged suspicious behavior‚ leading to investigations and uncovering fraud and pyramid schemes. However‚ these technologies extend far beyond surveillance. They are a powerful weapon for a society seeking to maintain near-total social control over the populace. China’s focus on maintaining social stability is unwavering‚ and any perceived threat to it is aggressively silenced. Under the regime of President Xi Jinping‚ the security state has become more centralized‚ deploying technology to quell unrest‚ enforce strict COVID-19 lockdowns‚ and curb dissent. Unfortunately‚ China appears to be the model for leaders like Justin Trudeau and others. Policing the homelandDescribed as a groundbreaking innovation by TIME Magazine in 2011‚ predictive policing has been quietly rolled out across the US. Numerous police departments in the country are experimenting with predictive software‚ envisioning a future where law enforcement could foresee and thwart crimes before they unfold. Developers tout this technology as a means to eliminate human bias‚ enhance the precision of policing‚ and optimize resource allocation. This approach gained momentum with substantial federal grants directed towards smart policing solutions. The LAPD‚ led by Police Chief William Bratton‚ spearheaded one of the initial trials in 2009 with $3 million in federal funding. The goal was to predict crime-prone areas and deploy officers preemptively to deter criminal activities. The involvement of respected figures like Bratton lent credibility to the technology‚ leading to its adoption by other departments nationwide. By 2014‚ a survey revealed that 38% of 200 surveyed departments were using predictive policing‚ and 70% were planning to implement it in the coming years.Using data to find high-crime areas and deploy more resources is a reasonable use of data. However‚ with the rapid advancements of AI technology and the universal tracking of our devices‚ how long before the regime turns this pre-crime tech loose on the populace? We’re going to have to grapple with these questions because the AI is quickly reaching “Black Mirror” horror levels of surveillance.