In Desperation, GOP Leadership Turns to ... Regular Order?

African elephants' ears are the largest in the animal kingdom, and they serve an important purpose.

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Talking to distant spacecraft and more might become a lot easier.

The embodied experience of emotions seems to be consistent across modern cultures, but is this true for ancient cultures too?

A Chinese national living in Southern California who managed the campaign of a local city councilperson has now been accused of spying on behalf of the People's Republic of China for "malign" purposes.On Thursday, federal agents arrested Yaoning "Mike" Sun, 64, of Chino Hills, California, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. According to a DOJ press release, Sun allegedly acted as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and also conspired with Chen Jun, aka John Chen, another Chinese national already convicted of federal crimes.Last month, Chen, 71, was sentenced to serve 20 months behind bars for "acting as unregistered agents of the PRC and bribing an IRS agent," another DOJ press release said.Prior to Chen's conviction, he and Sun allegedly coordinated to help local candidates deemed friendly to PRC interests get elected into office. The pair allegedly wanted to have "influence" over these candidates, "particularly on the issue of Taiwan," the press release said.The criminal complaint against Sun did not name the politician whose campaign Sun ran, referring to the candidate only as "Individual 1." Instead, it said that Individual 1 was elected to a Southern California city council in 2022 and that Sun acted as Individual 1's "campaign manager and close personal confidante."'The People’s Republic of China is seeking to influence foreign and domestic policy in the United States.'Both before and after Individual 1's election, it appears that Chen acted as ringleader and that Sun was tasked with providing Chen frequent updates about the status of Individual 1's prospects, information that Chen then allegedly passed along to the Chinese Community Party."CHEN was in frequent contact with SUN, whom he instructed to submit reports on Individual 1’s election that he could then provide to the 'United Front' and get to the 'Big Boss’s desk,'" the complaint said, explaining that the "United Front" likely refers to the "United Front Work Department ... of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party" while the "Big Boss" is probably a high-ranking CCP official.Chen also worked directly with Individual 1 on occasion, the criminal complaint indicated. On Election Day 2022, the day Individual 1 won the city council race, Individual 1 allegedly texted Chen the following message: "Old SUN is contacting you. Please call him back. He is with me." Chen allegedly replied: "Got it, congratulations. Going back to the U.S. on the 15th, talk in person."In addition, Chen once reportedly told Individual 1: "[You are] doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud."Individual 1 may be a Chinese national as well. According to the criminal complaint, Sun once gave Chen Individual 1's biographical information in great detail:[Individual 1] Born in the late 70s. Han ethnicity. Born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Great grandfather was [Relative 1] (commander during the Wuchang Upraising). [Relative 2] (Commander of Zhongshan gunboat). Father [Relative 3] (former [occupation redacted]). [Individual 1] emigrated to the U.S. from Chengdu in 1995, studied at [redacted]. Later served as a committee member of [redacted]. Established [names of businesses redacted]. In November of 2022, [Individual 1] was elected with the most votes as [redacted] ...Chen supposedly considered both Sun and Individual 1 to be members of a "basic team dedicated for us." The criminal complaint claimed that Chen wanted to establish a "US-China Friendship Promotion Association" and encouraged pro-China moles to participate in American celebrations like the Rose Parade in L.A. and a July 4th parade in Washington, D.C., to counteract "anti-China" individuals and groups.A photo included in the criminal complaint against Sun shows Chen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The photo is believed to have been taken in May 2021.News reports on Sun's arrest have not suggested that Individual 1 has been accused of a crime.The AP reported that Sun was listed as a campaign treasurer for Eileen Wang, who was elected to the Arcadia City Council in 2022. Wang and Sun are also reportedly both affiliated with U.S. News Center, an apparent news outlet in California.Wang did not respond to the outlet's request for comment. Blaze News attempted to reach Sun for comment, but a phone number associated with him had been disconnected. The AP could not identify an attorney who could speak on Sun's behalf."The conduct alleged in this complaint is deeply concerning – the defendant is charged with acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to influence our political system," United States attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement about Sun's arrest."This case is yet another example of a very disturbing trend: the People’s Republic of China is seeking to influence foreign and domestic policy in the United States," Estrada added in a call with reporters. "To do so, government officials in China are seeking to help get elected individuals who they see as being friendly to Chinese foreign policy."Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI field office in L.A., claimed that Sun's "case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States."H/T: New York PostLike Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown said the league is baiting players into getting fines by placing assumed celebration spots around the field and then charging them for their behavior.Brown was specifically referring to giant red kettles, which are novelty Christmas decorations from charity organization the Salvation Army. Four kettles were placed around the field, and Brown couldn't help but jump into one for a touchdown celebration during a week 14 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.Perhaps surprisingly, Brown was fined $5,481 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct. 'They're in every corner.'A week later, Brown said he would be appealing the fine. "I would rather cut it in half, and then we just donate it to the Salvation Army," he told podcast host Dianna Russini on "Scoop City."Brown then theorized that the league is baiting players into jumping into the kettles before fining them:"They're in every corner (of the field), there's four, like it's bait," Brown continued. "That's bait, we're getting set up."Strangely, officials didn't penalize Brown at the time of the touchdown for excessive celebration. But what makes things more confusing about the ordeal is the how the NFL has treated kettle-related celebrations in the past. Kevin Sabitus/Getty ImagesSpecifically, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has a storied history with the kettles. In 2016, he did not receive a fine after jumping in a kettle for a touchdown celebration during his rookie year.In 2017, he was seen jumping in the kettle during an out-of-game appearance, furthering the tradition. That same season, then-Seattle Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman jumped into one of the red displays after returning an interception for a touchdown. He was not fined but was penalized during the game for his antics.In 2018, however, Elliott again celebrated with the charitable ornament, but this time, he received a fine of $13,369, according to NBC Sports.2022 saw mixed results, also. A Whac-a-Mole celebration in late November saw three Cowboys players get into the kettle, but no fines were issued.However, it was only about a week later when the Cowboys implemented a "Zeke-in-the-box" celebration where Elliott again jumped in the kettle. Teammate and quarterback Dak Prescott wound him up, and both were subsequently fined $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct.A Thanksgiving Day 2023 celebration that involved four Cowboys resulted in zero fines despite it involving players eating turkey legs that were hidden inside the kettle.It's certainly a strange tradition for the NFL to pick and choose which of these celebrations garner fines, as it is hard to imagine that one would not expect players to jump into a gaping hole just feet from the endzone. Players clearly think that it would be allowed by the league considering the prop is from a charitable sponsor.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President-elect Donald Trump filed an amicus brief Thursday evening over the Biden administration's "potentially criminal" sale of border wall materials.Trump's amicus brief supports a motion filed Tuesday by Texas and Missouri, requesting a status conference to determine whether the Biden administration breached the court's permanent injunction. That injunction prohibited using taxpayer funds designated for border wall construction for any other purposes.'At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior.'After Biden halted the construction of Trump's border wall in January 2021, the administration began quietly selling the materials in 2023.A defense official previously told Fox News that the unused materials had first been offered to "authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California." "The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024," the official stated. "The material currently being sold through GovPlanet online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DOD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns."On Thursday, Trump filed the amicus brief calling for the Biden administration to "immediately" stop the auctions."The Court should issue an order directing the Defendants to immediately stop any ongoing sale of border-barrier materials to private parties pending the Court's review of Defendant's conduct, and the Court should swiftly conduct a searching examination of the Government's conduct, by formal discovery if necessary, to examine the Government's compliance with the law, the Constitution, and the Court's injunction," the court filing read.Trump claimed that if the administration is "deliberately selling off border-wall materials at a major financial loss to the Government to obstruct the pro-wall policy of Congress and President Trump, such conduct likely constitutes a criminal act, such as a conspiracy to defraud the United States.""At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior," it read.Trump has stated that he plans to restart construction on the southern border once he is back in office. He stated on Monday, "They [the Biden administration] know we're going to use it, and if we don't have it, we're going to have to rebuild it. And it'll cost double what it cost years ago, and that's hundreds of millions of dollars because you're talking about a lot of, a lot of wall."Texas officials have pledged to help Trump with border security in any way they can.Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) committed to purchasing the auctioned border wall materials to return them to Trump."If there's any decent panels available anywhere, we'll buy them and we'll give them to President Trump when he comes in," he told Fox News on Monday.Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who also joined the Texas and Missouri's motion this week, vowed to provide Patrick with land to store the border wall materials until Trump's return."If you buy it, I have a place to store it — on state land! The [Texas General Land Office] is standing by to help!" Buckingham said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The only thing better than discovering a great PC game is also getting it for free. We’re in a heyday of roguelike deckbuilders - Balatro rode high at The Game Awards 2024, and Slay the Spire 2 is set to deliver us a sequel to the genre’s still-undisputed champion. Right now, however, you can get the beautiful 2023 roguelike Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles for nothing - that’s right, it’s a completely free game, yours to keep. But you’ll have to move fast, as you've got just 24 hours to grab it. Continue reading Gorgeous roguelike strategy game Astrea is free to keep, but you don’t have long MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best roguelikes, Best indie games, Best strategy games

The mechanics aren’t the most complex. That particular plaudit belongs to Civilization 6, or maybe Stellaris. Similarly, the strategies you have to use and the tactics of your enemies aren’t the most intelligent or elaborate. But stylistically, aesthetically, and in terms of sheer influence - not to mention the fact they’re an absolute blast to play - the original two Command and Conquer games, Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn - are the greatest in the strategy genre ever. And now, via the staggeringly good Remastered Collection, you can get them both for less than $2. Happy Holidays. Continue reading There’s no better RTS game than Command and Conquer, and it’s literally $2 now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best strategy games, Best 4X games