FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization‚ Advancing American Freedom‚ is leading conservative groups in calling on Republicans in Congress to defund a pro-abortion rule backed by President Joe Biden’s administration that would punish pro-life centers. “We‚ as leaders of the pro-life movement‚ request that you defund the rulemaking process for the Biden administration’s proposed rule‚ ‘Strengthening [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)] as a Safety Net and Work Program‚’” the conservative groups told House Republicans in a Friday letter first obtained by The Daily Signal. “This proposed rule (88 FR 67697) would prohibit pregnancy centers and alternative-to-abortion programs from receiving millions of dollars a year in TANF funding while directing that same funding to Planned Parenthoods and other abortion centers favored by the Biden Administration‚” they added. FINAL-AAF-Defund-TANF-Rule-With-SignaturesDownload Those groups signing the letter include Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America‚ the Family Research Council‚ Students for Life of America‚ Heritage Action‚ American Accountability Foundation Action‚ the Ethics and Public Policy Center and CatholicVote. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation‚ of which Heritage Action is the grassroots arm.) “Depriving pregnancy resource centers of funds is just another example of the Biden Administration’s war on life‚” the conservative leaders wrote. “The needless targeting of pro-life centers will only hurt women and children‚ when they are at their most vulnerable.” “We certainly understand the current political reality in Washington‚ but by defunding this rulemaking process‚ you can deliver a win for women and children across America‚” they added. “We strongly encourage you to defund the rulemaking process for the proposed rule ‘Strengthening TANF as a Safety Net and Work Program’ in upcoming appropriations bills.” In December‚ Republican lawmakers opposed the proposed rule and asked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to immediately withdraw it‚ writing: “The Proposed Rule‚ however‚ would undermine the TANF program and threaten to strip millions of dollars in support for pregnant women and their unborn babies through pregnancy centers‚ maternity homes‚ and alternatives to abortion programs. We urge you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately.” HHS had singled out pregnancy resource centers and stated that those programs “likely do not meet the reasonable person standard because the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies is tenuous or nonexistent‚” the lawmakers explained. They expressed concerns that this was merely another attempt by Biden’s administration to “funnel taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry‚” adding: “Chillingly‚ HHS suggests TANF support for pregnancy centers should be steered toward family planning programs more typical of the business models of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry instead. Specifically‚ HHS states TANF funds should be directed to ‘comprehensive sex education‚ family planning services‚ pregnancy prevention programs‚ and community mobilization services for at-risk youth that increase access to pregnancy prevention programs for teens.’”  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post EXCLUSIVE: Biden Rule Would Deprive Pregnancy Resource Centers of Funds and Favor Abortion Groups‚ Conservatives Warn appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The Independent Council on Women’s Sports sent a letter to the Liberty League‚ an intercollegiate athletic conference in New York‚ demanding that the league adopt new rules to protect fairness for female athletes as a male set school records in women’s track. ICONS—a network and advocacy group that spans all levels of sport and includes Olympians‚ professional athletes‚ collegiate and high school athletes‚ parents‚ coaches and administrators—sent the letter Wednesday ahead of the Liberty League Championships at St. Lawrence University on Feb. 23 and 24. ICONS gave a copy of the letter to The Daily Signal exclusively after sending it Wednesday. The letter notes that a biological male at the Rochester Institute of Technology who identifies as female and goes by the name “Sadie Rose” has competed in women’s track events‚ setting school records in the 200-meter‚ 300-meter and 400-meter races. Last month‚ the Liberty League bestowed the honor of its Women’s Track and Field Performer of the Week on Rose. “Currently ranked first in the women’s 200-meter and second in the 400-meter for the Liberty League Conference‚ this male athlete is almost certain to take multiple awards‚ podium spots‚ and advancement opportunities from female athletes this weekend‚” the ICONS letter warns. “It is your responsibility to stop disregarding the rights of your female athletes and speak up to insist on fair competition.” “Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates male-female performance differences exist from the earliest stages‚” the letter adds. “Study after peer-reviewed study has shown clear performance advantages for males in sport pre-puberty‚” ICONS adds‚ linking to medical journal articles. “Further studies clearly show that male advantage continues to exist even after attempts to suppress testosterone.” “The only way sport can be fair and equal for women is with a protected female category that excludes competitors with male advantage‚” the letter concludes (emphasis original). The Liberty League is a New York intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division III. The Independent Council on Women’s Sports notes that “international sport governing bodies have conducted recent scientific reviews and have revised their policies to protect the female category.” The letter cites the international federations of cycling‚ track and field‚ swimming‚ and rugby in choosing to abandon “flawed policies that rely on testosterone levels.” The letter cites the world’s governing body for track and field athletics‚ World Athletics’‚ Rule C3.5‚ “Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes‚” and ICONS emphasizes the beginning of the second paragraph below: 1.1.1. World Athletics wants to give equal opportunities to all athletes to participate in and excel at the sport‚ and to provide them with fair and meaningful competition conditions‚ so that they are motivated to make the huge commitment and sacrifice required to excel in the sport‚ and so inspire new generations to join the sport and aspire to the same excellence 1.1.2 The substantial sex difference in sports performance that emerges from puberty onwards means that the only way to achieve the objectives set out above is to maintain separate classifications (competition categories) for male and female athletes. That difference is due to the physical advantages conferred on male athletes by the testes producing much higher levels of circulating testosterone than ovaries produce from puberty onwards in female athletes. “To be clear‚ the R.I.T. [Rochester Institute of Technology] runner would not be eligible for the female category under the World Athletics policy‚” the letter notes. It also notes that lawmakers in 24 states and in the U.S. House of Representatives have passed laws “to ensure males are not allowed to compete on school teams designated for women and girls.” “We are reaching out today to ask you‚ as coaches and athletic directors‚ to stand up for fairness in sport‚” the letter adds. “The public has heard the stories of the high school girls in Connecticut track‚ the college swim team in Virginia‚ and the professional women who are self-excluding from the sports they love.” ICONS concludes the letter by offering support and inviting the Liberty League to “reach out with questions.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post EXCLUSIVE: Women’s Sports Leaders Call on New York Collegiate League to Protect Fairness as Male Sets League Records appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A First: Nassau County Bans Men From Competing in Women's Sports

Has This Reporter Never Read Declaration of Independence?

A post on X set the social platform ablaze recently as user @Kairo_Anatomika shared some fascinating insights into fat distribution among animals in desert environments. Beginning with the camel whose fat humps are famous‚ the second post in the thread delivered a sucker punch in the form of the round rear-ends of fat-tailed sheep.This domestic breed is characterized by large fatty tails that‚ if left unchecked‚ get so long they drag along the ground. According to Atlas Obscura‚ in the time of fifth-century “father of history” Herodotus‚ shepherds even provided their sheep with wheeled carts to keep their droopy fat slabs off the ground.       While X was stunned to the tune of over 47‚000 likes (at time of writing)‚ fat-tailed sheep won’t come as a surprise to those familiar with livestock. After all‚ fat-tailed sheep really do make the rocking world go round‚ accounting for roughly a quarter of the planet's sheep.The trait first emerged as an energy store to keep these animals going in the harsh climates they’re native to‚ which include desert-like areas in the Middle East‚ Northern Africa‚ Northern India‚ and Central Asia. It was then selected for by humans because of the unique texture they bring to cooking‚ with tail fat having become an essential part of many cuisines.The fat-tailed sheep has so much junk in the trunk that historically people have made carts to help them get around.Image credit: Job Ludolphus via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)However familiar you may be with fat-tailed sheep‚ there’s no getting away from the fact that their plump posteriors are quite a sight. From fat-tailed sheep to curiously shaped starfish‚ we humans can’t resist a good rump‚ and it’s not surprising when you consider our butt-to-body ratio is among the largest in the animal kingdom.That’s because the gluteus maximus (aka‚ dat ass) muscle group plays a huge role in human locomotion‚ connecting the spine‚ hip and femur together to mobilize the hip as the gluteus maximus stretch and contract. This is why growing your glutes is helped by movements such as deadlifts‚ which sees the gluteus maximus stretch and contract to extend the hip before the butt muscle pulls it all back to an upright position.The gluteus maximus is constantly engaged as we go about our days as bipedal‚ upright animals. The more a muscle is used‚ the bigger it gets‚ and so in evolving to be upright animals we earned ourselves the skeletal position needed to claim the big butt title.While the human butt has got nothing on the rear-end of fat-tailed sheep‚ it too can be a fat store. As a fat store‚ the bottom is favored typically in biological females‚ while males’ fat tends to end up on the stomach‚ reports PopSci.So if you like big butts and lie you cannot‚ the fat-tailed sheep might just be your mascot.

Scientists in South Korea have announced a step forward in the development of semi-transparent perovskite solar cells that could someday allow windows to generate energy. In the latest tests‚ the semi-transparent perovskite solar cells achieved an efficiency of over 21 percent‚ which the researchers claim is a record for this type of technology. Furthermore‚ over 99 percent of the initial efficiency was maintained for up to 240 hours of operation.Developed by the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER)‚ the new solar cell technology replaces the metal electrodes of typical solar cells with transparent electrodes that allow light to pass through. This process is easier said than done. For unknown reasons‚ initial tests with the semi-transparent materials resulted in reduced charge transporting properties and stability. To solve this‚ they closely analyzed the material using electro-optical analysis and atomic-level computational science.This revealed that lithium ions were causing the problem. Lithium ions are added to the “hole transport layer” of the solar cell to increase its conductivity‚ but they also diffuse into the metal oxide layer that serves as a buffer and degrades its useful qualities.To overcome the problem‚ they converted the lithium ions into stable lithium oxide‚ making the cell much more stable."This study represents a significant advance in the field by examining the degradation process occurring at the interface of organic compound and metal oxide buffer layer which is unique to semi-transparent perovskite solar cells‚" Dr Ahn SeJin‚ leader of the researcher at the KIER’s Photovoltaics Research Department‚ said in a statement."Our solution is readily implementable‚ demonstrating great potential for the future use of the technologies we have developed."Solar energy could become a major player in the transition away from fossil fuels. However‚ current solar cell technology has several shortcomings. One major problem is the materials they’re made from‚ which can be expensive‚ inefficient‚ and a pain to obtain.There’s also the question of where to put the solar panels. To soak up vast amounts of solar energy‚ you need a vast amount of solar panels – and not everyone is a fan of them‚ aesthetically speaking. As such‚ engineers and designers are keen to find inventive new ways to include solar cells that seamlessly blend into their surrounding environment. The idea goes that these semi-transparent perovskite solar cells could be installed in glass-paneled buildings‚ allowing light in and subtly producing electricity while barely being noticeable. There’s still a long way to go before sun-soaking windows adorn our homes and office blocks‚ but this latest breakthrough marks a small but significant step closer.  The new study is published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.

Sharks evolved around 450 million years ago‚ which means they’ve hitched a lift on planet Earth around the galaxy twice. If that’s not yet given you a fact-induced headache‚ it may tip you over to hear that it also means sharks were on Earth before trees‚ at a time when Saturn didn’t have rings yet.Part of their success comes down to their flexibility when it comes to environmental conditions‚ able to survive in a wide range of oceans and at different depths."I think it is safe to say that it is partly because sharks are able to exploit different parts of the water column - from deep‚ dark oceans to shallow seas‚ and even river systems‚" Emma Bernard‚ a curator of fossil fish at the Natural History Museum said in a piece for the museum. "They eat a wide variety of food‚ such as plankton‚ fish‚ crabs‚ seals and whales. This diversity means that sharks as a group are more likely to survive if things in the oceans change."One of the longest-living sharks‚ the Greenland shark‚ certainly looks prehistoric. We actually only found out that they were capable of living to around 400 years old thanks to the atomic bomb‚ but the earliest sleeper sharks didn’t emerge until around 100 million years ago‚ by which time this group of fish had already been splashing around on Earth for well over a galactic year. Throughout their existence‚ they’ve taken on some pretty funky morphologies‚ from the bizarre whorl-toothed Helicoprion‚ to the warm-blooded mighty megalodon. For a long time‚ we thought megalodon was a stocky chunk of murder mouth‚ but a recent study revealed that they may actually have been long and slender predators.We’re still finding their ancient remains across the world – and while we’ve only got teeth to work from (those damn cartilaginous bones)‚ some of the specimens are quite remarkable. Just check out this manganese-encrusted megalodon tooth that was found at a depth of around 3‚090 meters (9‚842 feet).In the ~450 million years they’ve had to get settled‚ sharks have revealed some pretty unusual behaviors. In 2022‚ footage captured a shark strolling around on land like it was no big deal. At least nine species of sharks are known to use their fins to move about in shallow water‚ and some of these make brief jaunts entirely onto land. So whatever that saying is about old dogs and new tricks‚ we’re not buying it. Sharks seem to have an endless variety of curious tricks up their fins‚ including‚ most recently‚ possibly knocking up a stingray.

Imagine a tale so heartwarming it wraps you in a blanket of love and hope—this is the story of Denali‚ a pregnant shelter dog whose life teetered on the edge of uncertainty. Facing a dire need for a foster home as her delivery date approached‚ her future seemed bleak. Yet‚ in a stroke of luck... The post Scared pregnant foster dog gives birth to huge litter of puppies appeared first on Animal Channel.

Imagine a world where the Queen’s Guards‚ known for their stoic presence and impeccable discipline‚ are not just humans but an elite force of… geese! Yes‚ you heard that right. While the idea might tickle your funny bone‚ these feathered guardians are no joke. Tasked with the noble duty of protecting their charge‚ they embody... The post Loyal geese melt hearts acting as ‘bodyguards’ for sweet grandma appeared first on Animal Channel.

On Friday‚ Media Research Center Founder and President Brent Bozell sent a letter to CBS and CBS News lambasting the Tiffany Network for their troubling and unprecedented decision to seize the files of correspondent Catherine Herridge – including notes and files that contain sensitive information and government sources – upon her sudden firing as part of layoffs from parent company Paramount Global. Thankfully‚ based on a statement from Herridge’s union SAG-AFTRA and CBS itself‚ the network appears set to fold after having messed with the wrong reporter. Bozell called the seizure – which was first reported by Jonathan Turley in his column for The Hill – a “journalistic malpractice” and “unquestionably against journalistic standards”‚ adding CBS laying her off “has damaged its reputation and journalism as a whole”. He then turned up the heat and tore into CBS for disrespecting “one of the core principles” of journalism in protecting sources and asking whether the choice in include her in the layoffs was due to her unflinching coverage of Biden family corruption or pressure from the Biden regime: Anyone familiar with the field of journalism‚ such as yourself‚ should know that one of the core principles is the protection of a reporter’s sources. To hold confidential files Ms. Herridge had‚ including some from her time at Fox News‚ is in rare form. Ms. Herridge’s files belong to her‚ not your network. (….) Ms. Herridge was one of the few remaining journalists at CBS that actually deserved to be called a reporter. Despite pressure from leadership‚ she actually covered the flaws of the Left‚ including the Biden Bribery Scandal. Was the seizure of her files retribution for her investigative reporting on Democrats? Did the White House have anything to do with this incident‚ or is it merely election interference on behalf of CBS? Your readers and viewers deserve answers. Along with calling for CBS to return her files and “apologize…on-air”‚ Bozell answered some of the above questions himself‚ ripping CBS for “hav[ing] not only terminated her for defying your political beliefs and retained her files in the face of basic journalistic ethics‚” but engaged in behavior that “reeks of election interference and deserves full investigation.” In the aforementioned SAG-AFTRA statement from Thursday night‚ they said CBS’s behavior was “absurd” and “deeply concerning to the union” and “sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals” because “[i]t is completely inappropriate for an employer to lay off a reporter and take the very unusual step of retaining and searching the reporter's files‚ inclusive of confidential source identification and information.” They added that such a “retention of a media professional's reporting materials by their former employer is a serious break with traditional practices”‚ but “are encouraged by recent outreach by CBS News to SAG-AFTRA on this matter‚ and we are hopeful that it will be resolved shortly.” Also on Thursday night‚ CBS seemed to have cried uncle‚ telling reporters such as CNN’s Oliver Darcy and Puck’s Dylan Byers that Herridge’s “personal belongings were delivered to her home one week ago‚ and we are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf…as she requested” and “have respected her request to not go through the files‚ and out of our concern for confidential sources‚ the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure." Exit question: Does anyone actually believe this?