News Clips

pigfarmer said:
What about pointed sticks ? When they blunt all the kitchen knives through innovation then it'll be pointed sticks, pencils, pencil sharpeners for God's sake - you'll probably need a license to own something like that. Who would need one anyway?

Next they'll ban rocks ..........

Actor Idris Elba Suggests 'Blunting' Knives To Reduce Stabbings In UK. Social Media Reacts
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Idris Elba does not exactly strike me as the sharpest knife in the drawer. When I was a child (and I am not even that old) it was common for most boys of my age to have a pen knife, given to us by our parents. However, none of us thought of using them to stab someone. The problem is not the knives, it is the way that British society has changed in the interim. The British establishment does not want to examine too closely the reasons for the knife crime "epidemic", beyond some obfuscatory nonsense about the availability of knives; knives being pointed, rather than with flat ends; and young children being let down by the state due to inadequate social services, or other such drivel, because it knows that it will not like the real answers.
 
The immediacy and relative anonymity of communication is part of the problem. For all the utility it brings we have only just started to realize the long term impact of having our human foibles transmitted globally instantly. IMO the past two generations of kids are royally screwed up. Subjectively, literacy does not seem to me much of a priority anymore.

The root causes of the violence are social here and in the UK. Apparently Woke did not bring universal peace and happiness.

Banning knives is a particularly stupid example of a response, about as stupid as banning 'bump stocks' or some other detail. The usual response from a politician with a need to do anything.
 
Having a clip knife is standard issue for the old guy uniform along with the ball cap truck and jeans. Everybody has one. In any given retail store if someone wants to get stabby there will be an awful lot of people prepared to stab back. We have no stabbings up here. Hmmmmm........
 

More Americans on Ozempic go BLIND as doctors sound alarm over startling side effect​

Experts have sounded the alarm about blockbuster weight loss drugs like Ozempic leaving users blind. Several studies have linked the shots to conditions that cause inflammation and block blood flow to the eye, causing severe and sometimes permanent vision loss. Now, researchers have detailed nine new reports of patients who went blind after taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. The experts said while the exact cause is unclear, drugs like Ozempic rapidly lowering blood sugar levels could damage blood vessels in the eyes, leading to vision loss.

(More on the link)

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Vile trans migrant is arrested for raping 14-year-old boy in NYC park bathroom​

A trans migrant wanted by ICE has been arrested after allegedly stalking and raping a 14-year-old boy in New York City this week.

Nicol Suarez, 30, allegedly followed the boy into a bathroom at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem on Tuesday at around midday, police told DailyMail.com.

The boy reportedly left the bathroom and flagged down witnesses, who called the police, according to a source the New York Post reported.

Suarez was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree rape and stalking, according to police.

Originally from Colombia, Suarez was also wanted in New Jersey and Massachusetts and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had a detainer on her, according to the outlet.

Her other charges out-of-state were not immediately available.

A source for the outlet blamed New York City's sanctuary laws for the attack and said: 'ICE could just pick this person up and deport them back, but due to our sanctuary laws we can't do anything.'

(More on the link)

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The White House has assured the public it’s snot a permanent change.

President Trump ordered the iconic Resolute Desk removed from the Oval Office for refurbishment after Elon Musk’s 4-year-old son, X, appeared to pick his nose and rub the desk on live TV last week.

Trump at the Resolute Desk while X Musk picks his nose.
Elon Musk’s 4-year-old son X appeared to wipe a booger on the iconic Oval Office Resolute Desk last week while his father and President Trump took questions from reporters.REUTERS

The young Musk scion and budding nasal archaeologist, whose full name is X Æ A-12, fidgeted, babbled and, at times, wandered around when he appeared in the Oval Office with his father and Trump during a joint Q&A session about the work of Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

At one point the tot — whose mom is pop star Grimes — wiggled his finger around in his nostril and then seemingly wiped the resulting bounty on the famous desk, first used by John F. Kennedy in 1961 and later used by presidents including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden during their time in office.
get

Clinton at the Resolute Desk

The desk was first used by John F. Kennedy in 1961 and later used by presidents including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden during their time in office.AFP/Getty Images

Trump, a known germaphobe, revealed in a Truth Social post Thursday that the Resolute Desk had been temporarily replaced with the C&O desk, one of six available to the sitting president.

“This desk, the ‘C&O,’ which is also very well-known and was used by President George H.W. Bush and others, has been temporarily installed in the White House while the Resolute Desk is being lightly refinished—a very important job,” Trump wrote.

“This is a beautiful, but temporary replacement!”

Trump swaps out Resolute Desk in the Oval Office days after Elon Musk’s son X appeared to wipe booger on it
 
wwkirk said:
Apparently this has been going on for a few years.

Americans Are Receiving Unordered Parcels From Chinese E-Criminals -- And Can't Do Anything To Stop Them

Americans Are Still Receiving Unordered Packages From Asian E-Criminals

Same author for both articles.
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Its happening again with some packages containing unidentified liquids...

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Mystery seed packets from China are being delivered to Texas residents​

According to reports, multiple residents across the state of Texas have recently received an unexpected delivery of seed packets sent from an unknown address in China. The phenomenon echoes a very similar spate of unsolicited seed deliveries reported in 2020, though in that case the packages had been sent to local distributers rather than directly to mailboxes.

The Texas Department of Argiculture has since been analyzing the seed packets to see if they contain seeds for plants that are invasive or potentially dangerous to the local area. Officials have so far recovered around 20 seed packets and have determined that at least some of them are water lilies - an aggressive plant that can quickly cover the surface of entire lakes.

The question is - who is sending these packets and for what purpose ?

"These are being dropped, shipped straight from China to the consumer," said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. "We think they have ordered from Temu. It's how they got their address. They all seem to have a link that they've ordered something from China, but they didn't order these seeds. They're coming in a completely different shipment."

The story doesn't end there, however.

"Some of these packages have an unidentified liquid in them, which is very bothersome," said Miller. "Now, my theory and I hope I hope I'm wrong, is that they may just be testing our biosecurity, seeing what they can get by with, what they can get in."

Anyone who receives a packet of seeds is being advised not to throw them in the trash but to instead contact their local agriculture department.

"The problem just going into the landfill without destroying the seeds is they may actually sprout and get away from us," said Miller. "We don't need that."


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What made Antarctic scientist snap and 'assault and threaten to kill colleagues' - as team pleads to be rescued from remote base​

A South African scientist who allegedly assaulted and threatened to kill a colleague at a remote Antarctic research station snapped after the expedition's team leader decided to change their work schedule, according to a government official. The team of nine scientists are currently stationed at Sanae IV base, a research centre located on the northern tip of Antarctica some 4,000 kilometres from their South African homeland.

Extreme weather makes leaving and entering nearly impossible, and they were set to remain on mission until December.

The long stretches of isolation and working in close quarters means that each researcher must undergo a series of background checks, physical and medical assessments and a psychometric evaluation before they are cleared for the expedition. But last week, one of the researchers sent a worrying email claiming one team member had attacked them and was issuing death threats. The man in question is also accused of sexually harassing another researcher.

The team are now pleading to be rescued, but an emergency evacuation operation would take at least two weeks to reach them - if weather conditions remain stable. The author of the email, which was shared with South Africa's Sunday Times, wrote: 'Regrettably, his behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. 'Specifically, he physically assaulted [X], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norm. Furthermore, he threatened to kill [X], creating an environment of fear and intimidation. 'I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.'

MailOnline has contacted several members of the expedition and approached the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, an organisation working with the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), for comment. Ahead of their expedition to the base, members of the group shared pictures together and described their excitement at partaking. One of the team members posted on social media about their 'adventures' at the remote base in recent days, and previously described the 'thrill' at spending months the base with the small team.

A South African government official confirmed that one of the team member's threatening behaviour was triggered by 'a dispute over a task the team leader wanted the team to do – a weather dependant task that required a schedule change'. The author of the email seen by South Africa's Sunday Times expressed immense concern over their colleague's 'increasingly egregious behaviour' and called for immediate action to ensure their own safety and that of the team as a whole. 'I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence,' the author wrote.

Neither the author nor the accused have been named.

South Africa's environment minister Dion George said he would speak personally with the team to assess the situation. 'There was a verbal altercation between the team leader and this person. Then it escalated and then that person did physically assault the leader. 'You can imagine what it's like. It is close quarters and people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.'

Meanwhile, South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) released a statement on Monday claiming the alleged perpetrator of the violence had 'shown remorse' and was willing to engage in further psychological evaluations. '(The accused) has shown remorse and is willingly cooperative to follow any interventions that are recommended. He has written a formal apology to the victim and is willing to verbally apologise to all members at the base,' the statement, seen by The South African, read.

'The department has also implemented a longer term sustained intervention process through trained professional counselling services in order to restore the relationships and build a healthy working environment. 'The DFFE have also, in parallel, activated a Labour Relations process to deal with the matter as it relates to the alleged physical assault. An alleged sexual harassment is also being investigated. Reports of sexual assault are not correct,' the statement said.

Living in harsh conditions among a remote landscape and staggering temperatures of minus 23 degrees, the team rarely, if ever, leaves the base for their own safety. Mr George said that researchers are required to undergo rigorous psychological evaluation to determine their suitability for the mentally demanding environment.

Craig Jackson, a professor of workplace health psychology, told the BBC that the psychological impact of working in isolation in a small group can see 'tiny issues blow up into conflict'. 'Issues about hierarchy, about workload allocation, even small things about leisure time or rations or food portions can rapidly flare up to become something much larger than they typically are,' he concluded.

Alan Chambers, an explorer who completed a 700-mile skiing expedition in the region last year, said that from a 'psychological perspective' the South Pole is a 'very very lonely place'. 'There's very little interaction with humans or animals so if you're in a camp or a research centre you're with those people for six months, if not a year,' he told The Times. 'Everything becomes heightened. It's all white - there's no colour, no noise and nothing you would see as normal so everybody's behaviour - including your own - gets magnified and the little things become the big things.'

Mr Chambers warned the 'loneliness of the continent' majorly impacts behaviour and said that those who are stationed in Antarctica 'really have to be happy with yourself'. He claims that due to the fact that one spend 'lot of time inside your mind', small issues with others can escalate into larger problems.

There has not yet been any word of a rescue operation to evacuate the research team.

Most research missions to the desolate wastelands of Antarctica and the Arctic go off without a hitch, thanks to the extensive preparation time, background checks and physical and psychological evaluations to which team members are subjected. But there have been several instances in which scientists have suffered attacks at the hands of their colleagues, along with reports of sexual abuse taking place in isolated research centres.

In 2023, American authorities launched an investigation after it emerged that more than half of the women working at the US' McMurdo research base in Antarctica had experienced sexual violence. McMurdo is stationed on the south tip of Ross Island and hosts up to 1,200 residents over the summer - a large majority of Antarctica's population. At least a third of those residents are women. In the winter, the number dwindles to about 200 people.

An AP investigation uncovered dramatic rates of sexual assault and harassment as several researchers came forward with complaints. The probe was triggered after a marine diesel mechanic confessed she kept a hammer in her sports bra to protect herself because she was crippled with fear that she was going to be sexually assaulted or killed.

Liz Monahon, 35, spoke out against the raging harassment she and many other women on the US base had faced. Monahon described being trapped in the toxic and dangerous secluded environment, she said: 'No one was there to save me but me. And that was the thing that was so terrifying.' The National Science Foundation published a report in 2022 which revealed 59% of women said they'd experienced harassment or assault while stationed in Antarctica, and 72% of women said such behaviour was a problem on the bases.

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Darth Vader Accidentally Adds Admiral Ackbar To Holochat Planning Alderaan Bombing

World·Mar 25, 2025 · BabylonBee.com
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MUSTAFAR — The Galactic Empire was forced into damage control mode this week after it was revealed that Darth Vader had realized that he had mistakenly added Rebel Alliance leader Admiral Ackbar to a holochat about planning the Alderaan bombing.

The gaffe was discovered over the weekend when anonymous sources told Holonet News that Rebel forces had become aware of details surrounding the bombing of Alderaan, with the intelligence being traced back to a group holochat belonging to Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and other Imperial officials. The Dark Lord of the Sith gave an official statement about the incident.

"One of the rebels was unintentionally included in a private holochat," Vader said. "It was one of their high-ranking officers. The lobster-looking one with the weird fish eyes. We should've noticed. Anyway, we were discussing an Imperial operation, but no ‘war plans' were discussed, and no classified materials were sent on the channel. I don't know who let the crustacean rebel into the chat, but when they are identified, I will deal with them myself. Also, any reports about us discussing placing bets on next week's podraces are completely false."

Outspoken critics of the Empire pointed to the incident as yet another example of incompetence. "How are they supposed to keep us all safe if they can't even keep their high-level communications secure?" asked concerned Imperial citizen Jax Mordan. "If the Emperor and Lord Vader aren't careful about who is included in private holochats, then it's only a matter of time before their irresponsibility ends up — ERRCK!"

At publishing time, it had been reported that Jax Mordan and his disturbing insolence had been "dealt with" by Darth Vader.
 
Curiouser and curiouser. This guy must know where the flying saucer warehouse is.

US NSA director Timothy Haugh fired
By Reuters
April 4, 202512:34 AM EDTUpdated 7 hours ago
House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington

U.S. Air Force General and Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) Timothy Haugh attends a House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 26, 2025. REUTERS/

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. National Security Agency was fired on Thursday, the Washington Post reported, citing two current and one former U.S. officials.

Timothy Haugh, who is also head of U.S. Cyber Command, was dismissed along with his deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, the newspaper said.

Noble was reassigned to a job within the Pentagon's office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, the newspaper said. The NSA is part of the U.S. Defense Department.

The current and former officials cited by the Washington Post said they did not know the reason for Haugh’s dismissal or Noble’s reassignment.

U.S. Cyber Command deputy William Hartmann was named acting NSA director and Sheila Thomas, who was the executive director at the NSA, was named acting deputy, newspaper said.

The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Democrat Jim Himes, a ranking member of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee condemned Haugh's firing.
 

Fake job seekers are flooding U.S. companies that are hiring for remote positions, tech CEOs say​

  • Companies are facing a new threat: Job seekers who aren't who they say they are, using AI tools to fabricate photo IDs, generate employment histories and provide answers during interviews.
  • The rise of AI-generated profiles means that by 2028 globally 1 in 4 job candidates will be fake, according to research and advisory firm Gartner.
  • Once hired, an impostor can install malware to demand a ransom from a company, or steal its customer data, trade secrets or funds.
(More on the link)

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How about a little good news for a change?

Hey @nivek - we already know your answer when asked 'you want to supersize that ?'.IDK if it's in that video but Big Buford is a 160 lb mutt.
 
Its these people who will kill life on this planet if allowed to do this work, they must not be allowed to implement this...

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Experiments to dim the Sun will be approved within weeks​

Experiments to dim sunlight to fight global warming will be given the green light by the Government within weeks. Outdoor field trials which could include injecting aerosols into the atmosphere, or brightening clouds to reflect sunshine, are being considered by scientists as a way to prevent runaway climate change.

Aria, the Government’s advanced research and invention funding agency, has set aside £50 million for projects, which will be announced in the coming weeks. Prof Mark Symes, the programme director for Aria (Advanced Research and Invention Agency), said there would be “small controlled outdoor experiments on particular approaches”.

“We will be announcing who we have given funding to in a few weeks and when we do so we will be making clear when any outdoor experiments might be taking place,” he said. “One of the missing pieces in this debate was physical data from the real world. Models can only tell us so much. Everything we do is going to be safe by design. We’re absolutely committed to responsible research, including responsible outdoor research. We have strong requirements around the length of time experiments can run for and their reversibility and we won’t be funding the release of any toxic substances to the environment.”

Geoengineering projects which seek to artificially alter the climate have proven controversial, with critics arguing they could bring damaging knock-on effects, as well as being an unhelpful distraction from lowering emissions. However, scientists are increasingly concerned that carbon dioxide levels are not falling fast enough and that further action may be needed to prevent catastrophic warming.

One major area of research is Sunlight Reflection Methods (SRM), which includes Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) whereby tiny particles are released into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight. Another potential solution is Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) in which ships would spray sea-salt particles into the sky to enhance the reflectivity of low-lying clouds.

In recent decades, experts noticed that the clouds above shipping routes were far brighter than usual, as pollution caused them to become more reflective, bringing an overall dimming effect. This cooling from shipping fumes was so marked, that when international regulations were enacted to curb sulphur dioxide emissions in 2020, it caused a spike in global warming, scientists believe.

Prof Jim Haywood, of Atmospheric Science, at the University of Exeter, said: “If you inject small particles into clouds you can brighten them hence reflecting more sunlight back out to space. How do we know this could work? Well there are a couple of very strong pieces of evidence. Ship emissions from the smoke stack into the marine environment lead to bright lines in clouds over the ocean. Then there was a volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2014 which spilled out a lot of sulphur dioxide. What this does is it brightens clouds and cools the planet. What we need to do is some form of field experiments.”

Other ideas for geoengineering include seeding cirrus clouds to allow more heat to escape into space. Currently, the wispy high-altitude clouds act as a blanket, trapping in heat.

Dr Sebastian Eastham, a senior lecturer in Sustainable Aviation at Imperial College London, said: “Every time you fly, sulphur, which is naturally present in jet fuel, is emitted into the lower most stratosphere causing a small cooling effect. Similarly, aircraft contrails cause accidental cirrus cloud modification but in this case accidentally causing, rather than preventing or thinning, cirrus clouds. This points to the fact that it’s theoretically possible (to cool the planet) with current day technology but there are many practical questions that would need to be answered before they could be done at scale.”

Experts are hopeful that if experiments prove a success, they could be scaled up and implemented within 10 years. As well as outdoor experiments, Aria will also be funding new modelling studies, indoor tests, climate monitoring and gauging public attitudes to geoengineering.

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