Amphibians are vertebrates because they have a backbone. But that's one of only a few traits they share with humans. Amphibians are very odd creatures with some really unusual characteristics. They do things with their skin and eyes that look like superpowers. You won't believe what some amphibians feed their babies and what others do when they lose a limb or an eye. Check out some fascinating... Source

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Gen Z “Swifties for Palestine” advocates just found out what “Globalize the Intifada” really means. Three sold-out concerts for liberal pop icon Taylor Swift were canceled Wednesday, after two Islamic terrorists were reportedly caught plotting to blow up the stadium in a suicide attack during one of her performances. The terrorists, who swore allegiance to both Al Qaeda and ISIS, planned to “kill as many people as possible” outside the venue for Swift's weekend long set in Vienna, according to the Associated Press. The foiled massacre was planned for either Thursday or Friday, claimed Austria’s Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner. Concert organizers expected at least 65,000 fans inside the stadium and 30,000 to congregate outside.  The main culprit is a 19-year-old son of two ethnic Albanian migrants from Macedonia, according to both Karner and the head of Austria’s state police. After reportedly announcing last month that he was “planning something big,” police found bomb-making chemicals, explosives, and machetes in his home. His accomplice was a 17-year-old employee at the concert venue.  One Swift fan account with over 85,000 followers on X alleges an even more insidious version of events, claiming the attackers were both security guards for the event, possessed chemical bombs, and planned to drive a car into 20,000 fans “before attacking with machetes and knives.” Their reporting has not been confirmed. ? Taylor Swift ???? attackers were hired as security guards for concert They had chemical ????? and planned to drive car into 20,000 fans before attacking with machetes and knives pic.twitter.com/4PJoMAdp9b — Taylor Swift Data (@spotify_swift) August 8, 2024 “We live in a time in which violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer responded in a post to X. “Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries. This is precisely why we will not give up our values such as freedom and democracy, but will defend them even more vehemently.”  His message is a far cry from the rhetoric peddled by newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who gaslighted disgruntled Brits for voicing displeasure over a Welsh man of Rwandan heritage who allegedly stabbed three young girls to death at a recent “Taylor Swift-themed dance class.” Related: #TwoTierKier: British PM Called Out for Hypocrisy of Statements Concerning 'Justice' & Riots In May, an internet mob of kool-aid drinking music fans got #SwiftiesForPalestine trending across X to pressure her into condemning Israel for defending themselves against the same ilk of Islamic fundamentalists. They didn’t seem to care that Hamas sexually assaulted and butchered hundreds of fellow music fans at an Israeli music festival on October 7, 2023.  They seem to be silent today. As Swift says, "I've never heard silence quite this loud." Follow MRCTV on X! Donald Trump agrees to debates on Fox, NBC & ABC, Kamala... on the other hand not so much Full Story: https://t.co/FJCHnZGGE1 — MRCTV (@mrctv) August 8, 2024

It must be exhausting at Morning Joe, constantly tapdancing on the DNC party line, celebrating how Kamala Harris is tremendous again today.  It turned upside down on Friday. In The World According to Morning Joe, Kamala is Reagan, Trump is Biden. Joe Scarborough kicked off today's show by approvingly quoting this bit from Peggy Noonan's current Wall Street Journal column [emphasis added]: "For the first time this week I thought people were wondering about the impact of Mr. Trump’s age. He is 78. He hasn’t been able to focus, make his case. Is he, in another irony of 2024, turning into Joe Biden?" What an insight. The Democrats dumped Biden, and now they shamelessly say Trump is the Cognitive Decline Guy. A bit later, Katty Kay claimed: "There's a lot more kind of sunny Reagan about the Democratic ticket at the moment then there is about the Republican ticket. " This is also the official DNC song sheet that's going around. Reagan was sunny in large part because he wanted to get government, which in his 1981 inaugural address he described as "the problem," out of people's lives, letting them pursue their own notions of happiness. The far-left Kamala-Walz agenda is all about more government, all the time—except when it comes to protecting the lives of unborn children. Kay then mentioned a "weird" story Trump had told during his press conference yesterday. She then stopped herself, as if surprised by having used that Democrat trope, "weird," in talking about Trump-Vance. Right. What's "weirder" than Kamala's word salads, and her deep thoughts about "the passage of time" and other ethereal matters? Kay also described Trump as being "holed-up" in Mar-a-Lago. But as she was aware, he held a freewheeling, hour-long press conference there yesterday in which he responded to a wide range of questions from an often-aggressive press corps. In contrast, Kamala Harris is "holed up" behind a teleprompter. And 20 days into her campaign, neither she nor Tim Walz has sat down for a press interview, let alone held a press conference.  There was another irony to Scarborough's citation of Noonan's anti-Trump animus, in which she said of Harris:  "The woman isn't creating a movement, but a movement is creating her. And they are showing up." Scarborough failed to acknowledge that a key element of that movement "creating" Harris is the liberal media itself. And Morning Joe is "showing up" every day to wax ecstatic over Kamala while continuing to trash Trump. It's not organic or grass-roots. It's some powerful Astroturf. Scarborough also praised Harris for her positive comments about the country, versus Trump's gloomier view. Guess what, Joe? When you're part of the current administration, of course you'll talk up the state of things. Would you expect Harris to say, yeah, we sucked, and dragged the country into a ditch? And the job of the candidate running against that administration is to point out its shortcomings. Remember the 1992 campaign, in which Bill Clinton's key slogan, invented by James Carville, was "It's the economy, stupid," suggesting it was in bad shape? In fact, during that last quarter of 1992, as the New York Times admitted: "The economy expanded at a robust pace of 4.8 percent in the final three months of 1992, the best quarterly performance in five years." Back then, the networks proclaimed the positive numbers didn't match the mood of the people. ABC's anchorman Peter Jennings announced "All over the country, millions of people hardly need any statistics to tell them what is happening."  Scarborough also managed, yet again, to work into his spiel a reference to having run for Congress. Nicely done! Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 8/9/24 6:03 am EDT JOE SCARBOROUGH: Peggy writes, I continue to believe the woman isn't creating a movement, but a movement is creating her. And they are showing up. And, man, are they showing up. Mr. Trump spent most of the week having what a GOP strategist told Politico is a public nervous breakdown. Donald Trump. And then finally, another telling quote from Peggy, and this is fascinating, for the first time this week, I thought people were wondering about the impact of Mr. Trump's age. He is 78. He hasn't been able to focus, make his case. Is he, in another irony of 2024, turning into Joe Biden?  . . . JOHN HEILEMANN: It is just the case that the split screen now is a split screen that is much mor punishing to Donald Trump than the split screen when it was Joe Biden on the other side of that screen. And again, you can talk about how you want the world to be. I'll tell you about how the world is. That's the reality. SCARBOROUGH: Yeah. So, it's so funny you said that. Last weekend, you know, last weekend, Katty, my kids and I were watching the Olympics. And there was a local news break. And they showed a -- it was one of these, you know, poll came out, and it showed the split screen and the two candidates on both sides. And it was the first time that I had seen Kamala Harris, 59-year-old Kamala Harris, I think she's 59, next to 78-year-old Donald Trump. And it was, it was actually quite jarring. You know, politics is all about contrast. That's what I learned in the first campaign school I went to 30 years ago. They said, the campaign is about contrast. The visual contrast is striking. You look at the press conference yesterday, and the exaggerations and the outright lies that were told in Donald Trump's press conferences. Also talking about us being on the verge of a depression, when the United States is more powerful economically relative to the rest of the world than it's been in 20, 30, 40 years. And I could go down that list again, but there's no need. People know that that's the truth.  But you have Kamala Harris saying we love our country, we believe in our country, on one side. And then you have Donald Trump on the other side, saying our country's lousy. That is -- again, going back to Peggy Noonan and her life's work. Regardless of ideology, Americans want optimism. They want hope. They want someone looking to the future. And boy, that is another stark contrast that you see. In yesterday, and in the previous few weeks. KATTY KAY: Yeah, there's a lot more kind of sunny Reagan about the Democratic ticket at the moment then there is about the Republican ticket. And you see that in all the rallies. I mean, you see it in the fact that Donald Trump is not really holding rallies. He's holed up in Mar-a-Lago. He's doing one rally today in Montana, a state he is 15 points ahead. So that's kind of head-scratching. But it was a case of grievance, and that's what we're seeing from the campaign.  And case in point about Donald Trump's mental acuity. During yesterday's news conference, he told this sort of weird story about--weird--about nearly dying during a helicopter ride. But as the New York Times points out, there was only one problem with the story, or maybe two or maybe three problems.

Google really cares about your safety, or that’s the narrative we are being sold.Its latest initiative, Altitude, marks a significant step in the fight against online “extremism.” Developed by its subsidiary Jigsaw, in partnership with Tech Against Terrorism and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, Altitude is promoted as a cutting-edge solution for monitoring and removing violent extremist content from the internet. While Altitude is presented as a neutral and comprehensive tool for addressing online threats, the reality of this initiative raises significant concerns. As Google’s influence continues to grow, so does the potential for misuse of its technologies. The company's track record of privacy invasions, data exploitation, and narrative suppression highlights a troubling trend: the control of information is becoming increasingly centralized and biased.After all, this is Google we are talking about, a company that is as problematic as it is powerful. In fact, it could be argued that Google is the most powerful force on the planet. Its pervasive presence shapes not only how we access information but also how we perceive and understand it. A U.S. judge recently ruled that Google breached antitrust laws by investing billions of dollars to establish an illegal monopoly. Ultimately, it has become the world's default search engine. This is rather alarming, especially if you happen to lean right on the political spectrum.Speaking of dangerous extremism, Google's AI chatbot Gemini even avoids answering questions about the shooting of former President Donald Trump, citing its policy on election-related issues. When asked to give details on the assassination attempt, Gemini responded, "I can't help with responses on elections and political figures right now." One wonders what it might have said if the target had been President Biden. One needn’t wonder very hard, of course. These issues are emblematic of a broader trend within Google. The company's approach to content moderation and news dissemination has repeatedly come under scrutiny for its lack of transparency and potential for manipulation. For instance, in 2020, at the height of the pandemic-related pandemonium, Google was reported to have removed several conservative news outlets from its search results and YouTube recommendations. This was not merely a technical oversight but a deliberate act of censorship that distorted the flow of information. Similarly, Google has faced criticism for altering its search algorithms in a way that promotes certain left-leaning viewpoints while suppressing others. These actions underscore an ongoing pattern of selective information management that reflects a broader ideological bias.Which brings us back to the aforementioned Altitude, which centralizes the power to flag and remove content deemed too extreme. While the tool is being sold as a means of enhancing online safety, it also opens the door to potential abuse. The criteria for what constitutes extremist content are not transparent, perhaps by design, thus creating opportunities for political and ideological enforcement. Given Google's demonstrated biases, there is a very real risk that Altitude could reinforce existing prejudices rather than address extremism impartially. This centralization of power could easily be repurposed to suppress dissenting voices and control public discourse, exacerbating the very issues it aims to address.Google’s history of collusion with governments further amplifies these concerns. The company has faced criticism for cooperating with state censorship requests, particularly in authoritarian regimes. Moreover, Google’s removal of the “Don’t Be Evil” clause from its code of conduct — swapping in the motto “Organizing the World’s Information” — only adds to the skepticism surrounding its commitment to ethical practices.By centralizing content moderation under the Altitude umbrella, Google is amplifying its role as a gatekeeper of information, suppressing viewpoints that challenge prevailing narratives. This centralization could transform tools designed to combat extremism into instruments for enforcing political and ideological conformity. Also, it’s important to remember that the word “extremist” no longer applies to crazed Islamic terrorists. It now applies to respectable individuals who dare question the overarching, pre-approved narrative. Extremism has never looked so bland.The broader implications of these developments are profound. As Google’s influence continues to grow, so does the potential for misuse of its technologies. The company's track record of privacy invasions, data exploitation, and narrative suppression highlights a troubling trend: The control of information is becoming increasingly centralized and biased. The stakes for privacy and free expression are high, and the need for transparency and accountability is critical.Maintaining democratic values and safeguarding individual freedoms requires vigilance and a commitment to transparency. As powerful technologies continue to shape public discourse and influence societal beliefs, advocating for a more balanced and accountable approach to information control is paramount. But advocacy can only go so far. It is the responsibility of lawmakers to take real action. Specifically, lawmakers with a conscience.If Kamala Harris, a darling of Silicon Valley, were to become president, the consolidation of power within tech giants like Google would only deepen. Don’t forget that its parent company, Alphabet, is an avid supporter of Democrats and regularly pumps tens of millions of dollars into the political party. As November draws closer, Americans on both sides of the political divide would do well to remember that Google is not your friend. Its desire to paint itself as an unbiased teller of truth is little more than a pernicious lie. Altitude will harm us, not help us.

While much of the polling has shown a surge in support for the Democratic presidential ticket after President Joe Biden stepped down, one poll shows support eroding for Democrats among a pivotal demographic. A poll from the Siena College Research Institute released Tuesday found that Jewish Americans in New York were turning away from the Democrats in the presidential election. In June, Biden surpassed former President Donald Trump among likely Jewish voters by a margin of 6%.In the new poll, Trump garners a slight lead of 50% to 49% among Jewish voters. The net slide of support of 7% from the last poll lends credence to pundits saying the extremist pro-Palestinian wing of the Democratic party is driving away Jewish voters into the open arms of the Republican Party. Many saw the decision by Harris to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her vice presidential candidate over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) as a concession to the anti-Israel fringe of the party. It appears that some Jewish Americans have taken notice. That they would turn against the Democratic presidential ticket in the deep blue state of New York portends a shift among voters across the U.S. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Podcast host Joe Rogan clarified on X that he did not officially endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after his supportive words received backlash from fans of former President Donald Trump."That's politics. They do it on the left. They do it on the right. They gaslight you, they manipulate you. They promote narratives," Rogan said in the clip that sparked the outrage. "The only one who's not doing that is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I am a fan [of RFK Jr]. He's the only one that makes sense to me. He doesn't attack people. He attacks actions and ideas. He’s much more reasonable and intelligent.""For the record, this isn’t an endorsement. This is me saying that I like RFK [Jr.] as a person, and I really appreciate the way he discusses things with civility and intelligence. I think we could use more of that in this world," Rogan said on Friday."I also think Trump raising his fist and saying 'fight!' after getting shot is one of the most American f***ing things of all time. I’m not the guy to get political information from," he added.'Petty, stupid, overly emotional, shooting yourself in the foot just to prove a point.' — (@) Kennedy did share the clip on his X account and thanked Rogan for being a "legitimate" guy because, "This election is not about left vs. right. It's about Americans of goodwill coming together to end the tyranny of corruption in our system – so that we once again have a government and economy that works for all people. Let's do this."The initial response to Rogan's misunderstood "endorsement" of Kennedy has prompted some conservative commentators to say it was counterproductive during a critical time in the election."The right wing accounts attacking him and disowning him today for saying nice things about RFK Jr are acting foolishly at best. You don’t turn on a guy who has been, is, and could continue to be a huge asset to you and your movement just because he didn’t endorse Trump. That is strategically insane. Petty, stupid, overly emotional, shooting yourself in the foot just to prove a point," Daily Wire host Matt Walsh said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Actor and musician Jack Black vowed that his band Tenacious D will eventually return from hiatus despite canceling their tour over remarks about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.During a tour stop in Sydney, Australia, bandmate Kyle Gass was performing alongside Black when Gass was asked to make a birthday wish. Surprisingly, Gass said, "Don't miss Trump next time," referring to Trump nearly being shot in the head by a sniper just two days earlier.The next day, Black announced that future creative plans with the band would be put on hold, and the remainder of the tour would be canceled.Black spoke about the band's status with Variety at the premiere of the movie "Borderlands.""We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime," Black said about the future of the group. "And we'll be back," he added.When asked if he had spoken to Gass since the tour was canceled, the actor replied "Yeah, we're friends. That hasn't changed. These things take time sometimes. ... And we'll be back when it feels right."'I love Tenacious D. It's probably my favorite job, if you can call it that.'Black posted a statement on Instagram after the tour was canceled that he was "blindsided" by Gass' remarks and would "never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jack Black (@jackblack)Gass, in a since-deleted post of his own, said that his "improvised" line was "highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.""I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those I've let down and truly regret any pain I've caused," Gass added.Despite his apology, Gass was later dropped by his talent agency over the incident, according to the Daily Mail.At the "Borderlands" premiere, Black showed off the magical guitar pick from his groundbreaking musical comedy film "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny."The album and movie became cult classics as Black was becoming a Hollywood staple in comedy films. "Look what I wore today: I wore the Pick of Destiny," Black said on the red carpet. "I love Tenacious D. It's probably my favorite job, if you can call it that. It's a work of art, it's my baby."Tenacious D's last studio album, "Post-Apocalypto," was released in 2018.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A father in New York state is sharing the heartbreaking account of how he learned of the tragic deaths of his two teenage daughters after using an app to track their location. Hailey Trumble, 19, and Shelby Trumble, 17, went to the Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, New York, on Aug. 1.'It's just unreal. ... I still can't come to terms with it.'Before the teens left the home, their father gave them $100 for the amusement park and told them he loved them, and to "have fun and behave," according to People magazine. Brian Trumble, 45, said of the talk with his daughters earlier that morning, "Of course, they were adults. They didn't need to be told to be behaved, but this is what I always tell them."Trumble had no idea that it would be their final face-to-face conversation.After spending the day at the amusement park with Trumble's girlfriend, the sisters returned to her home before going back out again late that afternoon. When a text to his daughters received no reply, Trumble used the Find My Friends app to determine their location. He saw that they had not moved from a point on a local road in the nearby town of Cato, approximately 3 miles away. As Trumble neared the location, a police officer blocking the way stopped him, informing him that there had been a terrible car accident in which a girl had died."I just sat on my bumper and I couldn't stand up," Trumble recalled of the gut-wrenching moment. Josh Lovejoy, one of the firemen at the scene of the fatal car crash, told Trumble that he stayed with Hailey right until the end.The distraught father soon learned that Shelby also succumbed to her injuries from the deadly car accident. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that the girls were driving eastbound in their 2005 Chevy Cobalt when the "vehicle crested a hill and crossed into the opposite lane, striking a second vehicle."The Cobalt smashed into a 2016 Jeep Cherokee being driven by a 59-year-old woman. She was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and was said to be in stable condition, according to police. Trumble believes his daughters were unfamiliar with the road, which he described as being "hilly" and winding. Since his daughters' tragic deaths, the family has "been holding on to each other and just coping and trying to deal," said Trumble."It's just unreal," he added. "I still can't come to terms with it."Trumble said the knowledge that Hailey and Shelby would be cremated and interred "so they'll always be together" gave him some peace. As does telling the world about his girls, who he said were both "simple country girls" at heart."I want people to know their story," he said. "They were sweet and beautiful and just lovely.""They touched so many people," Trumble continued. "Everybody that met them just loved them ... They were pretty much just figuring out what they were wanting to do."A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family in paying for the funerals. At the time of publication, it had raised over $46,000.A funeral service for Hailey and Shelby will be held Aug. 10 at Traub Funeral Home in Central Square, New York.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!