Poll: Most Voters Agree on Core American Values?

UCLA Med Students Forced to Pray to 'Mother Earth'

Dental hygiene has come a long way over the past few hundred millennia. While most of us now automatically brush our teeth twice a day‚ ancient humans had a much harder time looking after their pearly whites. Sadly for our long-in-the-tooth ancestors‚ many of their archaic dental practices appear to have been ineffective‚ leading to high rates of tooth decay and gum disease among prehistoric skeletons - although evidence suggests they did at least try to keep their chompers in decent condition.The earliest indication of dental care can be found on a set of 130‚000-year-old Neanderthal molars from a Croatian cave‚ which show signs of having been repeatedly scraped by some sort of toothpick. Unfortunately‚ no actual picks were discovered alongside the prehistoric remains‚ but based on the markings‚ researchers suspect that Neanderthals probably used bits of bone or stiff grass to remove food from between their teeth.Fast-forward to around 14‚000 years ago and you arrive at the earliest known dental patient. Discovered in a rock shelter in Italy‚ this unfortunate individual appears to have suffered from tooth decay‚ with the rotten component of at least one tooth having been intentionally scraped away using some sort of sharp stone tool. If ever there was an advert for brushing your teeth‚ this old dude is surely it!Things started to become a little more sophisticated around 5000 BCE when the ancient Egyptians developed the world’s earliest toothpaste. More like a tooth powder‚ this mixture contained ingredients like ash from charred oxen hooves‚ egg shells‚ myrrh‚ and pumice‚ and was probably more abrasive than cleansing – but could at least have removed debris from around the teeth.The Persians later added burnt snail and oyster shells to the mix‚ along with herbs and honey‚ before the Romans threw in charcoal and tree bark with the goal of reducing bad breath.The earliest primitive toothbrushes were also found in ancient Egyptian and Babylonian tombs‚ and have been dated to around 3500 BCE. Unlike modern brushes‚ these implements were essentially just twigs that had been chewed to fray the fibers into bristle-like arrangements that could be used to clean the teeth.As unsophisticated as that may sound‚ it’s worth noting that these chewing sticks were taken from specific trees such as neem and Salvadora persica in the case of miswak‚ both of which have antimicrobial properties and have been shown to slow the spread of certain bacteria associated with tooth decay and gum disease. In fact‚ twigs from these two trees continue to be used as a form of oral care in many Asian and Middle-Eastern countries to this day.However‚ for the toothbrush purists out there‚ the earliest known conventional brush was probably invented in China during the Tang Dynasty‚ sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries CE. Featuring boar-hair bristles and handles made from bamboo or bones‚ these ancient toothbrushes are unlikely to have been as effective as their modern counterparts and may not have been widely used - possibly because few fancied brushing their teeth with pig hair.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

The Grand Canyon region has been hit with a fresh wave of mining for uranium‚ the heavy metal used in the production of nuclear fuel and atomic bombs. Plundering this land for radioactive resources has proved particularly controversial since some of the activity will occur within protected Native American homelands – despite recent reassurance it would be safeguarded from uranium mining. Energy Fuels‚ the largest uranium producer in the US‚ announced in December 2023 that they have “commenced uranium production” in three mines‚ including the Pinyon Plain Mine (aka Canyon Mine) in Arizona near the entrance of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.The mine sits within the boundary of Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument‚ a protected space that was designated in August 2023 to protect the Native homelands from uranium mining. However‚ Energy Fuels was allowed to move forward with their mining plans because they had existing rights. The Havasupai Tribe‚ the Grand Canyon Trust‚ and many other groups had attempted to stop activity at Pinyon Plain Mine from moving forward using legal challenges‚ but a court ruling in February 2022 upheld the view that the miners had valid existing rights.Within the past few months‚ mining for uranium continued at the Pinyon Plain Mine‚ which hasn’t seen activity in many years. “It is with heavy hearts that we must acknowledge that our greatest fear has come true‚” the Havasupai Tribe said in a statement in January 2024. “Our tribal community’s only source of water is fed by aquifers‚ which unfortunately sit directly below the Pinyon Plain Mine. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the federal EPA claim there is no danger to us‚ that no harmful effects will come our way from this alleged ‘clean energy’ source‚” the statement continues.“But how can they so confidently make such a claim when Energy Fuels has already contaminated one of the two aquifers while digging the mine shaft‚ which then led to the company spraying toxic water into the air‚ only to be spread to the precious plants and animals by the blowing winds‚” they added. This view is backed up by peer-reviewed research on mining in the Grand Canyon‚ which concluded: “contaminants‚ either from land-surface or subsurface sources‚ are likely to be transported into the deep aquifer‚ which is the primary source of South Rim springs and drinking water wells.”Around 738‚901 kilograms (1‚629‚000 pounds) of triuranium octoxide (U3O8)‚ a compound of uranium‚ is found beneath the Pinyon Plain Mine. Much of the renewed interest to mine here is being driven by governments upping their nuclear power production to achieve zero-carbon targets‚ as well as recent bans to prohibit importing uranium from Russia. To ensure this uranium is sourced safely and with consent‚ members of five Native American tribes testified before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in February 2024‚ citing historical evidence that past mining activities dramatically impacted Native American communities such as the Navajo People.If lessons aren’t learned from the past‚ they argue‚ the US is doomed to make the same mistakes again. “We have a choice in front of us. Allowing the Pinyon Plain mine to proceed is subjecting this landscape and its interconnected waters to a legacy of devastation and disregarding the rights of the Indigenous peoples on the land‚” Sanober Mirza‚ Arizona program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association‚ said in a January statement.“Or we can choose a different path – one that holds a promise of protecting the Grand Canyon’s cultural sanctity‚ its people and natural resources‚” said Mirza.

On last night's episode of CBS's FBI‚ the villains were left-wing terrorists who had participated in anti-police riots. Tuesday's episode‚ "Behind the Veil‚" began with a bombing at a speech by fictional congresswoman Carol Jones. The bomb kills the congresswoman and much of her audience‚ as well as a child on the street outside the venue.   "Carol Jones. She's far-right‚ controversial‚" says an FBI agent who arrives at the scene of the crime. Any use of the words "far-right" on a network show is eye-rolling‚ because Hollywood thinks all conservatives are "far right." That makes the description meaningless. FBI is unique in that a past episode showed innocent conservatives being targeted by violent left-wing activists. In this week's episode‚ FBI analysts discover that the bomber‚ Gary Smalls‚ "served time for striking a cop in Portland during the George Floyd riots." Elise: But he's roughly 5'10"‚ and I see the hand. Isobel: 1920. That's pretty specific. Jubal: Yeah‚ yeah‚ yeah. Check NCIC. Any matches? Kelly: Several‚ but only one that fits the bill. Gary Smalls‚ age 30. Served time for striking a cop in Portland during the George Floyd riots. Jubal: He's an anarchist‚ member of the so-called Revolution Front. Kelly: And according to court records‚ that tattoo is actually a reference to the bombing of Wall Street that happened that year. Jubal: Which killed 30 people. All right‚ does this bomb loving anarchist have an address?  During the 2020-2021 television season‚ network shows portrayed BLM "protests" as peaceful and righteous. After crime skyrocketed‚ those same dramas rarely spoke of the movement again. "Behind the Veil" is distinctive for discussing the violent George Floyd riots in the context of terrorism. Smalls streams a live video post on social media. "The revolution has just begun. And my action is just the first shot across the bow of the fascist right. And I am not alone. There's more to come before we achieve justice. Gotta go. The brain trust of the revolution is just...." His stream is cut short when he is shot dead by someone off camera. The shooter turns out to be a foreign agent‚ a Russian spy named Marina Kostova‚ who groomed Smalls. "Well‚ Kostova convinced some American idiot to detonate the bomb and then killed him. It's a false flag operation straight out of the active measures handbook. They're trying to make it look like Americans are killing each other‚ trying to create even more political dissension and hate‚" lead agent Isobel Castille tells a State Department representative. The bomb materials were stolen from a local construction company. The construction company owner is a conservative who is shocked when he learns explosives were taken from his inventory. "You know‚ I was planning on voting for Carol Jones. I'm a proud conservative‚" he tells agents. After arresting the thief who sold the bomb-making materials on the black market‚ the FBI learns that another bomber is planning an attack. This second bomber is a former schoolteacher who "lost his job after chaining himself to a fence at Cop City." Violent Cop City activists attempted to shut down construction of a law enforcement training center in Atlanta last year. The second bomber's target is a rally for a group called the "God and Liberty Alliance‚" which an agent describes as "hard-right." Jubal: What's at the Expo? Elise: There's a speed date event‚ gemologist convention‚ and a rally for a group called the God and Liberty Alliance. Isobel: The God and Liberty Alliance? That's hard-right. That's the perfect target for an anarchist. Jubal: It's a double down. Russia's trying to provoke a reaction‚ cause the right wing to retaliate with the elections coming up. Isobel: Creating a cycle of violence that none of us can stop. What time does that rally start?  Even in an episode about left-wing terrorists‚ the writers still had to include dialogue implying that the American right is as potentially dangerous as the left. Never mind that the radical left‚ composed of communists and anarchists‚ have been stoking violence in the United States for well over a century. At the end of the episode‚ FBI agents tackle a Russian operative before he can detonate the bomb remotely. FBI deserves credit for being one of the rare shows to create multiple episodes around left-wing terrorism. It's too bad this episode also stoked fear of conservatives and attached "far" or "hard" in front of any mention of the right-wing side of the aisle.

I seriously wonder how this show is still running. On April Fools Day‚ the joke of the show that is ABC's The View had on actress Kyra Sedgwick to talk about her upcoming projects‚ voting‚ and her love of drag shows. Sedgwick and the hosts agreed that complaining about drag shows - even drag shows for kids - is not important but what is important is fighting against climate change. Keep in mind‚ it’s highly likely Sedgwick‚ who splits her time between her homes in L.A.‚ Connecticut‚ and NYC‚ didn’t just walk to the set of The View in New York City. I wonder how her car‚ plane or train impacted our climate? Before the midpoint of the hour-long episode‚ host Ana Navarro told Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Sedgwick that she’s “perfect.” “As if you weren’t perfect enough‚ you and I share a common interest: drag shows‚” Navarro said before insisting that drag queens are under attack and added‚ “We just heard that you took your son to his first drag show when he was eight years old and they [drag shows] are under attack. How are you feeling about it right now?”     First of all‚ anyone who brings a minor‚ especially one that’s only eight freakin' years old‚ to a drag show should have their kids taken away from them. Introducing children to sexually explicit dances by men in fishnets is child abuse.  But not to the women on The View - or to Sedgwick‚ apparently. “I mean‚ it's so confusing to me. It's so shocking. It's just like one of the many things where I'm‚ like‚ really? This is the fight we're having?” Sedgwick said. Related: Celebrating Sin: Drag Jesus‚ Transgender Bunnies &; LIES Then she went on to insist that we shouldn’t worry about drag queens indoctrinating‚ grooming‚ and traumatizing our kids when we’ve got climate change to fret about‚ saying‚ “Our planet is dying‚ like‚ we've got many other issues and fish to fry. It just seems so confusing to me. Who cares?”  Uh…those of us who care about the innocence and lives in general of kids care… Of course‚ the hosts and audience roared in approval of Sedgwick's conclusion.  I know. It's crazy to me and it's such a stunning art form and it's so beautiful and so joyful too. The reason why we took Travis is because it was so fun and funny and joyful and inclusive. Isn't that what we want for everybody? Men grinding on the floor in thongs‚ collecting dollar bills from little kids and sticking out their tongues in sexual manners is the furthest thing from “beautiful” that there is‚ and is absolutely not “joyful. It’s getting awfully sick that celebrities like Sedgwick are trying to convince people the opposite and that places like The View are giving her the platform to do it. Follow us on Twitter/X: The UK is discussing plans to force old people to sell their homes if they're deemed "too big" for them. If you think this level of tyranny can't come to the U.S.‚ you're wrong. pic.twitter.com/3QdYbXuZMs — MRCTV (@mrctv) April 3‚ 2024

If you are a Democrat who wants a softball interview and the ability to spread fake news unchallenged‚ you go on a late night comedy program like Rep. Colin Allred going on Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Show to hype his campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz. Throughout the interview‚ host Desi Lydic would lob him easy questions about abortion and leave unchallenged his claims that Republicans are trying to suppress the vote‚ ban books‚ and ban certain hairstyles. Lydic wondered‚ “Texas was one of the first states to criminalize abortion. What would be your plans to protect and restore women's reproductive rights?”     Allred began his lengthy defense of abortion with a combination of strangeness and callousness as he cited the birth of his two sons‚ “My wife and I‚ we’ve had two boys in Dallas in the last five years. I went to every ultrasound appointment‚ every genetic testing and‚ you know‚ those rooms‚ when you're having those conversations with your doctor‚ they are too small to have somebody like Ted Cruz in there with you.” He also lamented that 26‚000 babies were not given the death penalty for the sins of somebody else‚ “What's happening in Texas is really‚ it’s a tragedy. We've had 26‚000 women who've had to give birth to their rapist's child since the laws have gone into place.” After some additional abortion promotion from Allred‚ Lydic hoped the issue might propel him to victory‚ “Voter turnout is going to be critical for you to flip the seat. It's been estimated that 9.5 million registered voters didn't vote in the last election. How will you encourage Texans to get out and vote and does it rhyme with ‘Schmashmortion’?”  Allred switched topics and instead suggested Republicans are trying to suppress the vote “As you mentioned‚ I was a civil rights lawyer‚ but I was a voting rights lawyer specifically before I ran for Congress and to me‚ there is nothing more important to getting‚ you know‚ Texans and our fellow Americans engaged in our democracy and in Texas‚ we make it way too difficult to vote‚ but I want folks to know‚ there's a reason why they're trying to make it harder for you to vote. Why are they trying to take your voice away? Why are they trying so hard to make it difficult for you to be engaged?” Despite his lamentations about alleged voter suppression‚ Allred also suggested that older voters’ opinions should not be taken as seriously as younger ones “? And to our young people‚ one of those things where you would not let your grandparents pick your playlist for the next six years. Don't let them pick your senator‚ right?” Lydic loved that analogy‚ “That is such a great way to put it. Yes.” Allred continued in his conspiracy theorizing‚ “They've taken away women's right to choose‚ the ability to make your own decisions about your body‚ they’re banning books‚ kicking kids out of school because of their hairstyle.” Nobody is banning books‚ and as for the hairstyle controversy‚ that was a school district—not the state—and the suspended student defended himself by citing a state law‚ although a judge ultimately ruled the school district acted legally‚ arguing it is permissible to regulate male hair length.   Not that Lydic cared‚ “I so appreciate the work you do and I so appreciate you being on the show tonight. I wish you the best of luck.”  Here is a transcript for the April 2 show: Comedy Central The Daily Show 4/2/2024 11:26 PM ET DESI LYDIC: Texas was one of the first states to criminalize abortion. What would be your plans to protect and restore women's reproductive rights?  COLIN ALLRED: My wife and I‚ we’ve had two boys in Dallas in the last five years. I went to every ultrasound appointment‚ every genetic testing and‚ you know‚ those rooms‚ when you're having those conversations with your doctor‚ they are too small to have somebody like Ted Cruz in there with you.  What's happening in Texas is really‚ it’s a tragedy. We've had 26‚000 women who've had to give birth to their rapist's child since the laws have gone into place. We've had stories of Kate Cox‚ a mother of two who had a pregnancy‚ she had to go to the emergency room four times. Her doctor said she did a medically necessary abortion and she asked her state‚ “can I have it close to home because I have a one and a 3-year-old at home” and they said‚ no and they didn't just say no‚ they said if you do this‚ we we’re going to prosecute you‚ your doctor‚ your hospital. We've counties saying you can't drive through the county‚ if you use the roads to access an abortion. I mean‚ that doesn't sound like freedom to me. I know one thing about us as Texans is that we believe in freedom and so to me‚ the only way we can restore this right to Texas women and families is at the federal level by codifying Roe v. Wade.  LYDIC: Voter turnout is going to be critical for you to flip the seat. It's been estimated that 9.5 million registered voters didn't vote in the last election. How will you encourage Texans to get out and vote and does it rhyme with "Schmashmortion"?  ALLRED: As you mentioned‚ I was a civil rights lawyer‚ but I was a voting rights lawyer specifically before I ran for Congress and to me‚ there is nothing more important to getting‚ you know‚ Texans and our fellow Americans engaged in our democracy and in Texas‚ we make it way too difficult to vote‚ but I want folks to know‚ there's a reason why they're trying to make it harder for you to vote. Why are they trying to take your voice away? Why are they trying so hard to make it difficult for you to be engaged? Don't let them do it. Right? And to our young people‚ one of those things where you would not let your grandparents pick your playlist for the next six years. Don't let them pick your senator‚ right?  LYDIC: That is such a great way to put it. Yes.  ALLRED: So‚ I mean‚ I think it’s also true that we have to talk about what's at stake. To me‚ in Texas‚ what is at stake is our fundamental freedoms. They've taken away women's right to choose‚ the ability to make your own decisions about your body‚ they’re banning books‚ kicking kids out of school because of their hairstyle.  I mean‚ to me‚ this is fundamentally about who we are as Texans and as Americans and we have to restore freedom in Texas and across this country and I think folks are going to come out and stand up for that.  LYDIC: I so appreciate the work you do and I so appreciate you being on the show tonight. I wish you the best of luck. 

"This 'mistake' hit comes a day after the precision strike that killed the Iranian general in Syria. It's hard to reconcile those two things." That was Jonathan Lemire on today's Morning Joe. In saying that it's hard to "reconcile" Israel's "mistake" hit on the World Central Kitchen aid workers with the "precision" hit on the Iranian general‚ Lemire is hinting strongly this wasn't a mistake at all‚ but rather‚ an intentional act by Israel. As Israel has acknowledged‚ the strike was a "grave mistake." But while Lemire focused on the vehicles being well-marked with logos‚ he failed to mention that the strike happened at night -- when logos would be less visible‚ if visible at all.   MSNBC Republican Elise Jordan reacted angrily after Lemire said that‚ behind the scenes‚ Biden is furious at Netanyahu.  Said a visibly upset Jordan: "I'm so sick of hearing how upset President Biden is. The buck stops with him. If he wants to stop arms sales‚ if he wants to stop the bombs that are indiscriminately killing civilians‚ he can. He has the power. We don't need him and his aides going to reporters and talking on background about how upset they are." Meanwhile‚ Joe Scarborough claimed he was staunchly pro-Israel and then called for a "permanent cease-fire‚" while also calling for two things that a permanent cease-fire would make unlikely: the release of hostages and the elimination of Hamas.  If a permanent cease-fire were declared‚ the pressure on Hamas to release hostages would dissipate. And how would Scarborough expect Hamas to be eliminated if a permanent cease-fire—which would leave about one-quarter of its battalions intact—were declared?  Scarborough also called for a two-state solution. That is another practical impossibility‚ given the implacable rejection of the idea by an overwhelming proportion of Palestinians.  Just two days ago‚ the New York Times published an op-ed by Tareq Baconi‚ the president of the Palestinian Policy Network‚ entitled: "The Two-State Solution Is an Unjust‚ Impossible Fantasy."  Baconi ended his piece by declaring that the only solution is "A single state from the river to the sea." That equates to a call for the total destruction of the Jewish state of Israel. Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 4/3/24 6:08 am EDT JOE SCARBOROUGH: Israel‚ and the supporters of Israel‚ which I am‚ have been‚ always will be‚ will be fooling themselves if they don't think that the overwhelming number of Americans agree with Jose Andres‚ that this is just enough‚ and they need to focus on‚ on a permanent cease-fire. They need to focus‚ focus on getting the hostages home‚ and they need to focus on creating a world moving forward‚ without Hamas‚ and of course in Israel it will be without Benjamin Netanyahu‚ and maybe‚ just maybe then‚ we can take the first step of a thousand steps toward a two-state solution. . . .  JONATHAN LEMIRE: Those vehicles couldn't have been better marked. In fact‚ it looks like‚ from the footage of the destroyed van‚ one of the missiles went right through the logo of the World Central Kitchen. [Image of van displayed] Right there‚ and just killed everyone inside. And it should be noted to Richard's point earlier‚ this mistake hit comes a day after the precision strike that killed the Iranian general in Syria. It's hard to reconcile those two things. . . .  And now‚ Elise‚ we have a moment where the president‚ and this has been bubbling up behind the scenes for a while. President Biden‚ frankly‚ is furious at Prime Minister Netanyahu. But yet‚ still‚ his administration has not conditioned sales‚ weapons sales‚ has not conditioned aid. They haven't done it yet. Now‚ maybe‚  this is the moment that comes. This also happens‚ we think‚ a week or two perhaps before this Rafah offensive‚ which really could be a flash point. ELISE JORDAN: Okay‚ I'm so sick of hearing how upset President Biden is. The buck stops with him. If he wants to stop arms sales‚ if he wants to stop the bombs that are indiscriminately killing civilians‚ he can. He has the power. We don't need him and his aides going to reporters and talking on background about how upset they are. What happened yesterday is still going to happen. 

Flour‚ rice‚ and beans are among the staples that most preppers consider when discussing long-term food storage. The post 10 common plants you can turn into flour [Part I] appeared first on Survivopedia.

A few days ago‚ Joe Rogan had comedian and actor Joey Diaz on “The Joe Rogan Experience” to discuss a range of topics‚ including the wave of infuriating cases across the country involving “squatters' rights.” Squatters' rights‚ formally called adverse possession‚ is a legal principle in which someone who has no lawful ownership or rentership over a property is permitted to continue living there without the rightful owner’s permission. It’s easy to see why there are so many squatters' rights cases popping up all over the country — it’s basically grand theft with zero consequences for the squatter and maximum consequences for the rightful property owner. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)‚ however‚ has taken charge of the issue by signing a law into effect eliminating squatters' rights in the state. “In Georgia‚ there's a thousand houses right now that people are squatting in” but “not Florida‚” Rogan told Diaz. “In Florida‚ they’re like‚ ‘F**k you.”’ “[DeSantis] is like‚ ‘In Florida‚ that does not fly. There is no way anyone's going to squat in your house in Florida‚’ which is what people want to hear‚” he continued‚ adding that DeSantis’ anti-squatter policy “should be in every state‚” because it’s just “logical.” “It has nothing to do with racism or xenophobia or white privilege or any of these dumb things they try to attach to this. It's just law and order. We have to have a set of laws that we all abide by if we're going to have a peaceful society where you don't create victims and you don't empower criminals‚ and the fact that that is complicated in 2024 is so strange to me‚” Rogan said. “It ain’t rocket science‚” says Dave Rubin‚ who applauds Rogan’s words. To see the clip of Rogan ripping into squatters' rights and praising Florida’s new anti-squatter law‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.