I’m one of the people who loves winter camping‚ and I usually try to spend most of the year outdoors. I love this particular time of year because the unpredictable weather conditions discourage others from venturing out. The post Extending Your Winter Outdoor Adventures – Tips for Staying Outdoors Longer appeared first on Survivopedia.

A 32-year-old woman in Boston is facing five felony counts after she was accused of posing as a foster child under the care of the state while enrolling in multiple high schools.Shelby Hewitt was accused of creating "multiple names and dates of birth for herself" and allegedly created a false narrative of a being an "extremely traumatized teen" with special needs‚ according to prosecutor Ashley Polin.She also allegedly posed as a foster child under government care when she reportedly enrolled in three Boston high schools‚ including English High School in Jamaica Plain and Burke High School in Dorchester. She allegedly claimed to be as young as 13 years old at the time.A Suffolk County grand jury indicted Hewitt on nine charges‚ with five felony counts‚ including forgery‚ identity fraud‚ and larceny over $1‚200.Hewitt also faces a public employee standards of conduct violation‚ WCBV 5 reported‚ due to being a social worker with the Department of Children and Families at the time. She collected a salary of $54‚000.According to CBS Boston‚ prosecutors also alleged that Hewitt used that social worker position to create the fake identity of a teen in custody‚ backed up by fake emails‚ documents‚ and phone numbers.Despite allegedly posing as teen with "significant special education" and "emotional" needs‚ Hewitt holds several degrees. The outlet reported that she appeared to have a master's degree in school counseling from 2016. Her defense attorney‚ Timothy Flaherty‚ said that the defendant was never a danger to anyone and attributed the incidents to mental health issues."She’s a person who’s had a lifelong history of mental health challenges‚ in treatment and working towards making herself a better person‚" he said."I can certainly understand the outrage the parents would feel. I certainly would feel the same as a parent if my child was in a school that wasn't being properly supervised‚" the attorney added.Hewitt was reportedly arraigned in July 2022 after a man went to English High School and told school officials that he would be withdrawing his daughter‚ allegedly Hewitt‚ over bullying. The claim raised the eyebrows of administrators‚ as she had been attending the school for less than one week.The accused pleased not guilty and was released on $5‚000 bail under the condition of staying away from schools and anyone under 18 years old. Her trial is scheduled for fall 2024.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Around the last ice age‚ the woolly mammoth began to disappear from the East Asian tundra. Scientists disagree on whether overhunting by our ancestors or climate change led to its final extinction. However‚ even though small populations survived as recently as 4‚000 years ago‚ the time of this fur-covered elephant has reached its end. Or has it? A Texas-based company‚ Colossal Laboratories &; Biosciences‚ aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth in the next few years. The company also plans to perform this Lazarus trick on other extinct species‚ including the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo. Colossal announced Series B financing of $150 million‚ bringing the company's total funding haul to $225 million. Researcher Dr. George Church and entrepreneur Ben Lamm founded the company in late 2021. Lamm previously established Hypergiant‚ an AI software company for the military; Church is a respected scientist considered one of the founders of the field of genomics‚ a biology offshoot focused on the mapping and editing of genomes. Splicing the past For the better part of a decade‚ Church has been obsessed with creating a woolly mammoth. There was even a breezy book by Ben Mezrich in 2017‚ "Woolly‚" chronicling his adventures with his wife‚ Dr. Ting Wu‚ through Harvard and Siberia‚ trying to get funding for this zany idea. Mezrich’s hyperbolic prose painted a brilliant scientist driven to obsession on a quixotic quest to bring the animals back from the dead. He now has the money and company to make his dream come true. Paris Hilton and self-help guru Tony Robbins were some of the first investors. This isn’t the first time Dr. Church has made headlines. He’s previously had to explain why he received funding from Jeffrey Epstein and why his genetics-based dating app wasn’t‚ well‚ eugenics. Making claims to the media and producing results are very different things in cutting-edge science. However‚ $200 million is a substantial investment; the technology is plausible on paper. The company plans to use CRISPR gene editing techniques to splice frozen mammoth genes onto modern elephant genes‚ creating a hybrid. According to Dr. Church and others‚ the actual plan is to reintroduce these animals to thwart climate change. Because of rising global temperatures‚ the arctic tundra is thawing‚ and herds of these animals could break up the permafrost and cause a rebirth of CO2-capturing grasslands. Logistical problems aside‚ millions of zombie mammoths terraforming Russia seems rather aspirational. The question should be whether this is a good idea. There are a lot of ethical questions about using de-extinction to revive animals. Is it cruel to use elephants in this way? What would happen to the current flora and fauna in the ecosystems the company hopes to colonize? What about indigenous Siberian populations? According to the company's website‚ “At Colossal we are driven by the forces of virtue and moral good – working for a healthier planet‚ a healthier human populace and a pursuit of that which we recognize as goodness‚ compassion and honest‚ pure science.” Fortunately‚ no scientific horrors have occurred while pursuing the greater good. Investors are likely much more interested in the technology behind editing genes than they are in recreating a Jurassic Park filled with dodo birds. The Intercept has done some excellent reporting on the fact that the CIA‚ through its venture capital firm In-Q-Tel‚ was an early investor. It’s unclear what the CIA hopes to gain through this partnership. You might wonder why the CIA has a venture capital company or would partner with Paris Hilton and Tony Robbins to fund an eccentric scientist trying to breed woolly mammoths to fight climate change. Unfortunately‚ this requires figuring out why the news is an algorithmic Mad Libs program that has gone off the rails. Dr. Ian Malcolm would undoubtedly have some thoughts:

An Ohio State assistant football coach experienced a frightening incident on the recruiting trail earlier this week when several young people allegedly stole his vehicle at gunpoint.On Monday afternoon‚ OSU tight ends coach Keenan Bailey was at the Ginn Academy in Cleveland‚ a recruiting hotbed that helped cultivate former OSU greats like Troy Smith and Cardale Jones.In a school parking lot‚ four teens‚ ranging in age from 15 to 18‚ allegedly pointed a gun at Bailey and stole his Dodge Durango. The teens then reportedly continued their crime spree by violently confronting two women in similar fashion‚ though the women managed to drive away.The four suspects were eventually apprehended in a police chase that involved a helicopter. Their names and any criminal charges assessed against them have not been publicly released. Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek‚ the chairman of the Cleveland City Council’s Public Safety Committee‚ indicated that the incident with Bailey occurred while school at the academy was in session‚ but thankfully‚ Bailey was not injured. On Tuesday morning‚ Ohio State spokesperson Jerry Emig confirmed to local sports journalist Clay Hall that Bailey was "fine &; back recruiting‚" and a social media post from Bailey about an hour later corroborated Emig's statement. In the social media post‚ Bailey shared a selfie from somewhere in a French-speaking part of Canada with a message in French that translates to "throw it all away." — (@) Bailey‚ who graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2016‚ has been a member of the OSU football staff since shortly after graduation. He held various positions before head coach Ryan Day promoted him to tight ends coach before the start of the 2023 season.The 2023 season was a bit of a disappointment for the Buckeyes. Though they went an impressive 11-1‚ they suffered another demoralizing defeat to the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor at the end of the season. The Buckeyes will face the Tigers of Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on December 29.Violent crime in Cleveland continues to be a problem. A report from WKYC from back in July revealed that car thefts were "up a staggering 98%" from the same time in 2022.The homicide rates are concerning as well. According to a report from Cleveland.com‚ by September‚ the number of homicides in Cleveland in 2023 had already eclipsed 110. Though still far below the 192 homicides of 2020‚ a number not seen in nearly 40 years‚ city officials are worried that violent crime may be trending in the wrong direction."This didn’t happen yesterday; this has been building for over a year‚" Councilman Polensek said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bad things happen in small steps‚ and no one knows this better than Jordan Peterson. “Things get to terrible places one tiny step at a time‚” Peterson told Joe Rogan in a past interview. “If I encroach on you and I’m sophisticated about it‚ I’m going to encroach two millimeters. I’m going to encroach right to the point where you start to protest‚ then I’m going to stop.” “I’m going to wait‚ then you’re going to calm down‚ then I’m going to encroach again. Right to the point where you protest‚ then I’m going to stop‚” he continued.“I’m just going to do that forever‚ and before you know it‚ you’re going to be back three miles from where you started.” Dave Rubin is in agreement‚ noting that bad things “don’t just happen overnight.” “The Nazis didn’t just appear overnight‚ the actual Nazis. Hitler‚ the actual Hitler‚ didn’t just appear overnight. It’s small steps that before you know it‚ you look back and you go‚ ‘Man‚ maybe we should have done a little something‚’” he adds. While they’re encroaching‚ they’ll use distractions as a weapon. “Evil doesn’t appear overnight; it festers and it preys on the fact that most of us are distracted with other things‚” Rubin explains. Those “other things” are all in our pockets‚ on our phones. And during lockdowns‚ phones served as the ultimate distraction. “It feels like we’ve been running through a test over the last couple years. Could we force people to live inside their homes and tell them they can’t go outside and put masks on outside?” Rubin adds. People complied‚ and before they knew it‚ they were being coerced into injecting themselves with an experimental vaccine. However‚ now people are starting to push back. “So you push‚ push‚ push‚ push‚ push‚ push‚ push‚ and eventually the systems all start breaking down‚ and perhaps that’s where we are right now‚” Rubin says. 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.

The American Civil Liberties Union partnered with First Liberty Institute to file a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for rejecting a Christian group’s bus advertisement.The lawsuit claims that the WMATA’s advertising policies violate the First Amendment after the authority denied an advertisement from WallBuilders‚ an “organization dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes‚” according to its website. Earlier this year‚ WallBuilders sought to have its ads placed on the side of WMATA’s buses to “promote its religious and educational mission‚ which is to inform the public about the role that the Founders’ religious faith played in the creation of the nation and the drafting of the Constitution‚” the complaint explained.The four rejected ads featured images of George Washington and the signing of the United States Constitution with a QR code link. Two of the ads overlay the words‚ “Christian? To find out about the faith of our founders‚ go to Wallbuilders.com.” The other two ads made no explicit mention of Christianity or religion and simply read‚ “Visit Wallbuilders.com.”According to the complaint‚ the WMATA refused to run the ads because “they related to issues on which there are varying public opinions.”“Though WMATA never identified the specific issue of public controversy that it believed the proposed advertisements addressed‚ it is apparent that WallBuilders was prohibited from advertising because its proposed ads sought to address issues of public importance from a religious viewpoint‚” the lawsuit stated.According to the WMATA’s “Guidelines Governing Commercial Advertising‚” advertisements that “promote or oppose any religion‚ religious practice or belief” or “intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions” are prohibited.The lawsuit accused the WMATA’s policies of violating the First Amendment in several ways.“It is unconstitutionally vague‚ announces an unworkable standard that grants unfettered discretion to the decisionmakers‚ and‚ consequently‚ unlawfully discriminates against WallBuilders’ religious viewpoint‚” the complaint read. It further notes examples of ads addressing controversial issues that the WMATA has accepted.First Liberty senior counsel Jeremy Dys stated‚ “Rejecting a faith-based advertising banner by labeling it an ‘issue ad‚’ while accepting other ads such as those promoting a ‘Social Justice School‚’ ‘Earth Day‚’ and the highly controversial idea of terms limits for Supreme Court justices‚ is clearly hypocritical‚ discriminatory‚ and illegal.”Arthur Spitzer‚ senior counsel at D.C.’s ACLU‚ said in a statement‚ “The case against WMATA is a critical reminder of what’s at stake when government entities exercise selective censorship. The First Amendment doesn’t play favorites; it ensures that all voices‚ regardless of their message‚ have the right to be heard.”“ACLU defends these suits‚ regardless of whether it agrees with the underlying message because it believes in the speaker’s right to express it. The government cannot arbitrarily decide which voices to silence in public forums‚” Spitzer added.The WMATA did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The female who accused then-NFL punter Matt Araiza of rape in August 2022 — an allegation that led the Buffalo Bills to cut him two days later‚ halting his career — has dropped her lawsuit against him.Now anger is boiling over at the accuser and the Bills.What are the details?His lawyers‚ Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush‚ said in a statement that Araiza has always maintained his innocence and that he will never get back the time spent defending himself from the accusations‚ ESPN reported."Thankfully‚ there was extensive evidence that was key to securing Matt's voluntary dismissal from this lawsuit‚" the statement said‚ according to ESPN. "Matt was and has always been innocent. The case is over‚ and Matt has prevailed."His lawyers said Araiza fully intends to return to the NFL‚ ESPN added.Araiza was nicknamed “the Punt God” at San Diego State‚ where he averaged 51.19 yards per punt during the 2021 college season‚ an NCAA single-season record‚ the Buffalo News said‚ adding that he won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best college punter.Araiza appeared to have won the punting job during the Bills' 2022 training camp‚ but the team cut him soon after the rape accusation. Araiza had signed a four-year contract with the Bills that would have been worth $3.8 million had he played all four years of the deal‚ the Buffalo News said. He missed the 2022 season and the current season.The San Diego District Attorney's Office concluded that Araiza could not have been part of the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old in October 2021 because he left the off-campus party at least an hour before the incident allegedly occurred. While Araiza said he and his accuser had consensual sex outside the house earlier in the evening‚ he said he never entered the home‚ ESPN noted‚ adding that the district attorney's office couldn't prove Araiza knew the accuser's age or intoxication level. Prosectors announced in December 2022 that they wouldn't press any criminal charges against Araiza. San Diego State University said in May there were no findings against Araiza after investigating allegations of rape and gang rape‚ ESPN also said.'She should be charged with a crime'In the wake of Araiza's accuser dropping her lawsuit against him‚ a number of voices have risen up in anger at her‚ the Bills‚ and the NFL."She should be charged with a crime for lying about sexual assault and face the same punishment that Araiza would have faced‚" OutKick's Clay Travis said."The NFL owes @matt_araiza an apology. The Bills owe him back pay. And Punt God must be brought back to the league!" Greg Price declared."Matt Araiza is 100% innocent and did absolutely nothing wrong‚" Nick Adams said. "His dishonest accuser should be the one facing criminal charges.""I legit feel for this kid‚" author Jeff Pearlman said in reference to Araiza."Haven’t we learned not to rush to judgment?" OutKick's Dan Dakich asked. "Too many cases tell us let the investigation take place before condemnation."In conjunction with his accuser — called Jane Doe — dropping her lawsuit against him‚ Araiza agreed to dismiss a defamation suit against her filed in July 2023‚ ESPN said.More from the news network:Doe retains the right to continue the suit against the four other named defendants‚ former San Diego State teammates of Araiza. No money will be exchanged in the settlement agreement. Araiza also maintains the ability to sue the plaintiff's attorney‚ Dan Gilleon‚ and his law office‚ and he has retained counsel to do so.ESPN said Gilleon did not respond to multiple requests for comment.Bills taking different approach with different playerInterestingly‚ Bills general manager Brandon Beane last week said linebacker Von Miller — accused of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend — was available to play in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs while the team let the legal process proceed."We only have so many of the facts‚" Beane said in a press conference in regard to Miller. "If you look around this country‚ you see plenty of rushes to judgment. ... We're just trying to do the right thing." — (@) In regard to the Bills releasing Araiza days after the rape accusation‚ Beane at the time said it “was the best move for everyone to move on from Matt and let him take care of this situation‚" the Buffalo News reported. Araiza Lawsuits Dismissed youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

While Border Patrol agents are learning the finer points of preferred pronouns‚ criminal gang members are crossing the southern border unmolested. And if border agents happen to confront them‚ they’re often cited and released. Where do they go? Everywhere. What is the Republican plan to stop them? Good question. If Republicans cannot wage a fight to the death with Biden over Homeland Security funding of catch-and-release‚ the party has no reason to exist. As if Chicago didn’t have enough native-born criminals to contend with‚ local police find themselves arresting more and more illegal aliens who recently arrived from Venezuela. According to CWB Chicago‚ a local crime watch outlet‚ as of the end of November‚ Chicago police had arrested nearly 700 self-identified Venezuelan nationals‚ up from 26 last year and just six in 2021. The most common crime? Shoplifting. Roughly 21‚000 migrants have arrived in the Windy City since the summer of 2022. The vast majority of them are from Venezuela. Chicago‚ a proud sanctuary city‚ is struggling to house them all. Chicago has long been a haven for transnational gangs from Mexico and Central America‚ so we have now added Venezuelans to the mix. Lending credence to those who believe Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro opened his prison doors to export his most violent criminals‚ Chicago police recently warned that members of El Tren de Aragua are likely among the new arrivals. The notorious prison gang traffics in drugs and humans and is identifiable through tattoos that include a skull with a gas mask and an AK-47 rifle. No news isn’t good news The Biden administration cannot persist through a sustained PR war accentuating the pernicious effects of the border invasion it encouraged. This is exactly why the Biden administration seeks a news blackout‚ in which Republicans are all too willing to participate. Earlier this month‚ John Modlin‚ chief Border Patrol agent of the Tucson Sector‚ posted on X (formerly Twitter) a thinly disguised cry for help. Due to the ongoing surge in border activity in his territory‚ he wrote in a post since deleted‚ his office would be suspending all communications on social media. In other words‚ rather than conceding that his office would no longer tweet just how bad things are‚ Modlin tried to rationalize the looming media blackout with a need to harness all personnel to deal with the crisis. Except their version of dealing with the crisis is processing and catch-and-release‚ making it much worse. Modlin’s riveting accounts of the border invasion were likely too hot and spicy for the Biden administration‚ so they had to be stopped. Facing blowback from the press and public‚ Modlin apologized and promised to be transparent. Modlin was clearly trying to send an SOS message to the public. A few days before his post‚ Modlin testified candidly before the House Homeland Security Committee: “It is demoralizing to me as the leader of Tucson Sector to experience these numbers we’re experiencing.” A 'Kansas-Nebraska Act' moment With illegal aliens flocking to every major city‚ Republicans will never confront an issue that is at once more existential and as easy to address politically. Americans are not happy with the way their government is addressing the border crisis. Their angst is bipartisan and widely shared. The Biden administration is in trouble. An NBC News poll earlier this fall found that Republicans hold a commanding lead over Democrats on the immigration question. What’s more‚ a recent Siena College poll found that 84% of New Yorkers regard the influx of illegal aliens to be a serious problem. More telling is that 64% of the blue state’s voters faulted the Biden administration and only 29% approved of Biden’s handling of the issue. “Seldom do we see an issue where at least 79% of Democrats‚ Republicans‚ independents‚ men‚ women‚ upstaters‚ downstaters‚ blacks‚ whites‚ Latinos‚ Catholics‚ Jews‚ and Protestants all agree ... that the migrant influx is a serious problem‚” explained Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg. This is the GOP’s Kansas-Nebraska Act moment. Just as the Whig Party’s fecklessness over slavery in the 1850s led to the rise of the Republican Party‚ the Republican Party’s cowardice and incompetence in the face of illegal immigration could very well lead to the GOP’s demise. If Republicans cannot wage a fight to the death with Biden over Homeland Security funding of catch-and-release‚ the party has no reason to exist.Aside from a handful of principled House members like Chip Roy (R-Texas)‚ how many Republicans are demanding that Congress cut off all funding for catch-and-release by February 2‚ which is the deadline for passing the Homeland Security budget? How many are willing to put a bright spotlight on the Biden administration’s news blackout? Not many. Instead‚ we have Senate Republicans working with Democrats on random “border funding” in exchange for more Ukraine grift. They believe we cannot have a secure border unless we pay for Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Nigerian prince scam. Rather than confront the issue head-on‚ Punchbowl reported that Senate Republicans have taken ending asylum and parole off the table. A focus on border funding without policy changes will result in the Biden administration getting more resources to be used for more catch-and-release. As blue cities like New York City and Chicago suffer under the strain of the invasion‚ Republicans will never have a better chance to force a funding fight — and real changes — with the Biden administration. Republicans have the leverage‚ the public relations advantage‚ and‚ in the House at least‚ the power to expose the administration’s perfidy through public hearings. If they cannot draw the line on the final February 2 deadline for 2024 DHS funding‚ we should treat the party the way the original Republicans treated the Whigs in 1854.

As the '60s ended‚ some memorable songs dominated the chart including favorites from Three Dog Night‚ Blood‚ Sweat &; Tears and the Fifth Dimension The post Radio Hits in December 1969: Leaving a Decade Behind appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

"I think it’s the soundtrack of a lot of people’s lives‚" the legendary producer and Ode Records founder says of the album that‚ at one point‚ was the biggest of all time The post Lou Adler Interview: The Making of Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ + More appeared first on Best Classic Bands.