Iran‚ the leading state sponsor of terror‚ is scheduled to lead the United Nations Conference on Disarmament from March 18-29 and May 13-24‚ the U.N. announced last week. Each year‚ the U.N. disarmament conference is presided over by one of the 65 member countries. Each country serves as conference president for four working weeks. The presidency rotates among the members in alphabetical order. Other countries to serve as conference presidents this year are India‚ Indonesia‚ Iraq‚ Ireland‚ and Israel. The Conference on Disarmament is the U.N. body in charge of negotiating nuclear disarmament treaties and a slew of other weapons agreements. Concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions has grown in recent decades‚ especially as the Iranian regime has grown more aggressive in the Middle East through a network of terror groups. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)‚ a U.N. nuclear watchdog organization‚ warned last year that Tehran has likely stockpiled enough enriched Uranium to make several nuclear warheads. IAEA inspectors have for months attempted to gain access to Iran’s stockpiles of nuclear material for inspection‚ but Tehran has barred them. “Though it may be drowned out due to all the other bad news out of the Middle East involving Iran‚ the regime is getting closer and closer to establishing itself as a threshold nuclear state‚” Behnam Ben Taleblu‚ a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies‚ told Fox News. “If anything‚ Iran seems to be capitalizing on all the mayhem in the Middle East‚ mayhem which Washington has failed to curb or manage well‚ to press ahead in what appears to be a quest for the ultimate deterrent‚” he added. On October 7‚ the terror group Hamas‚ backed by Iran‚ invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip‚ leading to the death of roughly 1‚200 Israelis and the capture of hundreds more in the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. In recent weeks‚ Iran has stepped up direct attacks on its neighbors in Iraq‚ Syria‚ and Pakistan. Iran’s strikes‚ carried out by the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps‚ led to an unprecedented exchange of fire between Tehran and Islamabad. After an Iranian airstrike killed at least two children and wounded three others‚ according to Pakistan’s foreign ministry‚ Pakistani forces launched an airstrike of its own in Iranian territory. According to Iran’s foreign ministry‚ the Pakistani airstrike killed at least nine people‚ none of whom were citizens of Iran. Tehran said that four children‚ three women‚ and two men died in the strike. Both sides justified their airstrikes saying that their attacks were directed at insurgents inside the other country aiming to attack their own.

CNN‘s Jake Tapper pressed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the Biden administration’s response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment nearly a year after the toxic disaster in East Palestine‚ Ohio. In an exchange that aired on Monday‚ Tapper asked Buttigieg why calls for a major disaster declaration — including from Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) — that could unlock additional resources such as health screenings to residents are not being heeded by the federal government. “The Biden administration refuses to do that‚” Tapper said. “They say a disaster declaration does not apply because it’s not a natural disaster. They say Norfolk Southern is responsible. So is that disaster declaration still just off the table for these residents who are clearly suffering?” CNN: Why won't Biden approve the Ohio governor's disaster declaration for East Palestine‚ Ohio? PETE BUTTIGIEG: "I don't know all the legalities of the emergency management process" pic.twitter.com/5Dj6m6Em0q — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 22‚ 2024 Buttigieg replied‚ “Look‚ leaving aside all the legalities of the emergency management process‚ I do know what we can do as a department is to make sure that railroads are safer. We’ve been taking action on everything from focused inspection of railroads to making sure that there’s better hazardous material-related regulations to just investing in better railroad infrastructure.” Biden issued an executive order in September instructing FEMA to designate a federal disaster recovery coordinator to “oversee long-term recovery efforts in the affected communities and conduct a comprehensive assessment of unmet needs of the affected communities in recovering from the derailment beyond the cleanup work directed by EPA.” A coordinator‚ Jim McPherson‚ was appointed later that month. But no disaster declaration. Tapper also confronted Buttigieg on why Biden has not visited East Palestine since the derailment in early February of 2023 — a question which has been posed to the White House many times over the past year‚ often answered by statements about how the president was planning to go at some point but did not get around to scheduling it. JAKE TAPPER: "[Biden] still has not visited East Palestine‚ Ohio. I don't know why that is — that doesn't seem to make much sense to me … why wouldn't he just go to East Palestine?" BUTTIGIEG: "I don't have any updates" pic.twitter.com/s7OWEghsI7 — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 22‚ 2024 Biden “still has not visited East Palestine‚ Ohio. I don’t know why that is — that doesn’t seem to make much sense to me‚” the CNN anchor said. Tapper asked why Biden would not go to East Palestine and “use the bully pulpit” to get bipartisan legislation from Brown and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) to increase railroad safety regulations passed through Congress. “I don’t have any updates on the scheduling front for the White House but what I can tell you is it shouldn’t take anything more than we’ve already seen happen for Congress to act‚” Buttigieg said. “I don’t know why we have to persuade anybody to do something that members in both parties claim to care about‚ which is to make our railroads safer.”

In a revolutionary discovery‚ the largest-ever investigation of ocean DNA‚ published in the journal Frontiers in Science‚ has shown a plethora of fungi living in the ocean’s mysterious twilight zone. This enormous study builds on a comprehensive ocean DNA catalog that includes over 317 million marine organism gene groups assembled from samples taken on ambitious journeys such as the four-year Tara Oceans expedition and the 2010 Malaspina Circumnavigation expedition. At depths ranging from 200 to 1‚000 meters below the surface‚ the twilight zone is a harsh environment characterized by high pressure‚ a lack of light‚ and low temperatures. This unusual situation becomes a potential jackpot for scientific discovery. Fabio Favoretto‚ a postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography‚ emphasizes the significance‚ saying‚ “Penicillin is an antibiotic that originally came from a fungus called Penicillium‚ so we might find something like that from these ocean fungi.” The ocean DNA catalog: illuminating the depths and unearthing secrets The recently revealed ocean DNA catalog demonstrates technological developments that have allowed for greater in-depth analysis of existing samples. This advancement has not only broadened our understanding of the ocean’s secrets but also cleared the way for prospective breakthroughs in marine biotechnology. Elisa Laiolo‚ the main author of the article and a marine biologist‚ says‚ “Advances in technology meant existing samples could provide much more data than before‚ while the cataloging process helped open new doors into the understudied ocean.” The library includes a wide variety of marine creatures and gene groupings‚ offering information on the complex web of life in the ocean’s depths. The marine biotechnology business‚ which is presently valued at around $6 billion‚ is expected to nearly double by 2032. Driving gene diversity in ocean evolution During the cataloging process‚ it was discovered that viruses play an important role in promoting gene diversity. Carlos Duarte‚ a marine science professor and senior author of the paper‚ emphasizes the importance of the discovery. Viruses operate as catalysts‚ allowing gene transmission across organisms and so promoting genomic diversification. This viral symphony speeds the evolution of marine creatures‚ resulting in the appearance of genes capable of breaking down man-made polymers present in plastic pollution. Duarte emphasizes‚ “Viruses implant themselves and transfer genes from one organism to another. That means viruses generate genetic variety‚ which accelerates their evolution.” The fast development witnessed in the ocean demonstrates marine life‘s remarkable flexibility in the face of environmental obstacles. A call to explore the seabed Among the celebrations of the catalog’s accomplishments‚ Laiolo emphasizes a vital point: the need for increased investigations of the ocean floor. The ocean’s depths‚ particularly the seafloor‚ remain mainly uncharted territory. According to Laiolo‚ “It is easier to sample the water than the ocean floor‚ and what we underline in the paper is the need to increase studies targeting the seabed in the future.” Exploring the ocean floor may reveal further secrets and lead to a better knowledge of marine ecosystems and their potential for scientific and pharmacological discovery. Marine gene ownership and benefit sharing While the ocean DNA database has enormous promise‚ issues remain in terms of marine gene ownership and appropriate benefit sharing. Duarte raises an important point‚ adding‚ “Since October last year‚ a new treaty went into effect‚ stating that those who discover a marine gene own it.” But they must share the rewards. The concern is that it’s unclear how the benefit sharing will function.” Duarte’s issue highlights the global disparity in marine gene patents‚ with ten countries now possessing 90 percent of the patents. Bridging this gap and ensuring equitable benefit distribution are critical for increasing international collaboration in marine biotechnology research. The ocean DNA library has been lauded as an invaluable resource for biodiversity evaluation and conservation initiatives. Favoretto is optimistic‚ describing it as a critical tool that will allow researchers to track changes in species distribution‚ especially in light of the challenges given by the climate crisis and human activity. Source study: Frontiers in Science—Metagenomic probing toward and atlas of the taxonomic and metabolic foundations of the global ocean genomeThe post “Twilight Zone” fungi from the ocean’s depths—a new frontier for antibiotic discovery first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

While cats have the same fundamental senses as humans‚ how they interpret and use sight‚ sound‚ smell‚ taste‚ and touch creates a unique tapestry of their everyday experiences. Join us as we explore the intricacies of their captivating gaze‚ highly tuned ears‚ tremendous olfactory abilities‚ and the significance of those cute whiskers. Discover how understanding their senses might help you become a more attentive cat parent. Vision Have you ever wondered how your cat sees the world? Although a cat’s precision pouncing in the dark may give the impression that she has built-in night vision goggles‚ they do require some light. Cats’ eyes have evolved to thrive in low-light environments‚ having big corneas and vertical pupils that adapt to changing lighting levels. The tapetum lucidum‚ a reflective layer at the rear of their eyes‚ improves their ability to see in low light‚ resulting in a dazzling eye shine. While cats’ vision may be less brilliant than ours‚ they excel at motion detection‚ allowing them to navigate the darkness with ease. Hearing Cats’ ears are more than simply charming; they are also well-tuned instruments. A cat’s triangle-shaped ears function like little‚ fluffy satellite dishes. Their ears can rotate independently‚ helping them to identify noises with incredible precision. Cats can detect minute variations in noises‚ demonstrating their ultrasonic hearing ability. Cats can locate the position of a sound to within several inches in six-hundredths of a second thanks to the 180-degree rotation of their pinnae. Surprisingly‚ research reveals that cats have a distinct musical taste‚ preferring melodies with feline-centric sounds.  Smell A cat’s sense of smell is a superpower that it possesses from birth. Experts think that a cat’s sense of smell is approximately 14 times greater than ours. From the moment they are born‚ kittens use their noses to discover food. Cats have an olfactory epithelium that is five to ten times larger than humans’ and contains up to 200 million specialized cells for scent detection. The Jacobson’s organ‚ an additional tool‚ improves their sniffing abilities. The Flehmen’s response of opening their mouths and curling their top lips helps transport intriguing scents to this organ‚ offering an additional layer of scent detection. Touch  Whiskers on kittens play an important part in a cat’s sensory toolbox. Vibrissae‚ or longer and thicker hairs‚ are sensitive enough to rival human fingertips. Each of a cat’s whiskers develops from a follicle filled with nerves and blood vessels. Whiskers help cats compensate for their poor close vision by detecting small air movements. They help cats navigate their surroundings and detect the presence of prey. A stronger connection with your feline friend Understanding how your cat views the world through its senses helps strengthen the link between you and your feline companion. Each distinct feature of their eyesight‚ hearing‚ scent‚ and touch adds to their exceptional ability to navigate the feline universe. So‚ the next time you marvel at your cat’s graceful movements in the dark or the adorable twitch of their whiskers‚ remember that you’re seeing the world through their eyes.The post A glimpse into the feline world: how your cat experiences life through the senses first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'I bring some lived experience'

'I don't know why that is‚ it doesn't seem to make much sense to me.'

Being pulled over is a stressful situation; it’s a police officer’s way of saying “hey we saw you do something wrong and we’re going to talk to you about it!” Even if you might not realize what you did! Police officers came up with a trick to help themselves as they approach any car that is pulled over. Just picture it; you’re cruising down the road enjoying the beautiful day... Source

Adios‚ Oakland In-N-Out Burger

Two More Editors at the LA Times Quit‚ California Dems Beg the Owner to Keep Writing Checks