Fired FEMA Official: Not Helping Trump Voters Was FEMA Policy in North Carolina Too

Dejected Democrats Have Had Enough of MSNBC

Neural connections are at the heart of modern science, providing the framework through which scientists explain memory, perception, learning, and even consciousness. The microscopic contacts between brain cells transmit signals that account for various aspects of our complex consciousness—at least in theory. However, Tamlyn Hunt, a philosopher and neuroscientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has proposed an alternative hypothesis in an article for Scientific American. Hunt suggests that the key to understanding consciousness may lie in the ephaptic field—a phenomenon where neurons interact electromagnetically without forming physical connections. The concept of a neural code was first described by American scientists in 1943. They mapped brain activity, equating it to binary code, much like a computer (0s and 1s). However, this breakthrough didn’t bring humanity any closer to understanding the nature of consciousness. “The most obvious gap in our understanding is everything we haven’t encountered on the journey from eye to hand. Everything I couldn’t tell you about the mind because we know so little about how nerve impulses create it,” neuroscientist Mark Humphries acknowledged in his 2020 book, The Speed of Thought: A Momentary Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds. Researchers have long suspected that neurons communicate in ways beyond traditional synaptic connections. One such mechanism is ephaptic communication, where electromagnetic fields interact on a larger scale than the electrical impulses that occur at synapses. Evidence for ephaptic interactions may lie in the retina, which some scientists consider a separate entity from the brain. Neurons in the retina use electrodiffusion rather than traditional synaptic connections, which allows the optic nerve to handle an impressive amount of data. Experimental confirmation of ephaptic field interactions came in 2019 when Dominic Durand’s lab at Case Western Reserve University cut open a mouse hippocampus. The halves continued to communicate even when separated by more than 400 microns. The results were so astounding that reviewers demanded the experiment be repeated before they would approve its publication. Further studies have shown that ephaptic field propagation is much faster than neural signaling. In gray matter, it occurs approximately 5000 times faster than synaptic connections. While there is extensive experimental evidence supporting the role of synaptic activation in processes like movement, hearing, and touch, the higher density of information in ephaptic fields—along with their permeability and speed—raises the question of whether nature might rely on these fields for critical brain functions. It appears that it does. Renowned UC Berkeley neuroscientist Walter Freeman noted that traditional synaptic activation rates couldn’t explain the speed of cognitive processes he observed in rabbits and cats over the years. A growing body of research on electromagnetic interactions in the brain offers a compelling explanation for this cognitive speed. A recent paper published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that ephaptic field effects might be the very mechanism underlying consciousness itself. The post Consciousness May Lurk in Our Brain’s Electrical Fields appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In the alternative reality that is HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the eponymous host claimed on Sunday that Kamala Harris ran “a centrist campaign” and therefore it is unfair for people to blame the far-left for her loss. As Democrats seek to answer why they lost, Oliver reported, “Some Democrats are loudly claiming the party needs to move to the center, with New York Congressman Tom Suozzi arguing, ‘The Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left," citing trans rights as an example, saying, ‘I don't want to discriminate against anybody, but I don't think biological boys should be playing in girls' sports.’"     Oliver had “a few” thoughts to share, “First, if what you want is a centrist campaign that's quiet on trans issues, tough on the border, distances itself from Palestinians, talks a lot about law and order, and reaches out to moderate Republicans, that candidate existed, and she just lost. Guess how many trans speakers there were at the DNC? I'll give you a hint: it is a very round number.” He also claimed that “I'm not sure how you reach out to moderate Republicans more than appearing with Liz Cheney multiple times, unless you literally dig up Henry Kissinger's corpse and prop it up at a rally in Michigan as Katy Perry sings ‘Rolling in the Deep.’” Sure, Harris campaigned with Cheney, but nobody believed her centrist act because she had no record of being one prior to Joe Biden dropping out of the race. The charge that Harris supported taxpayer-funded sex changes for illegal immigrant prisoners stuck because it was true not to mention her current positions of being a full-fledged abortion and price control enthusiast.  Speaking of transgender issues, a disappointed Oliver continued: And finally, regarding youth sports, there were a lot of attack ads on that issue and it was frustrating to see the Harris campaign fail to formulate a response, especially because it's pretty easy to do. Watch, I'll do it for you right now: as we've discussed before, there are vanishingly few trans girls competing in high schools anywhere. Even if there were more, trans kids, like all kids, vary in athletic ability, and there's no evidence they pose any threat to safety or fairness. It is very weird for you to be so focused on this subject, and finally, if you genuinely want to address the biggest concern for most girls who play high school sports, you'd worry less about this and more about the creepy assistant volleyball coach who keeps liking their posts on fucking Instagram. First of all, the weird attack didn’t work, so Oliver can go ahead and retire it. Second of all, it’s not just high school, although that is a problem. It is middle school and college as well. The quantity and range of athletic ability of transgender athletes don’t matter because it takes just one to spoil the entire competition. Contrary to Oliver’s claims, the evidence is everywhere the fairness of women's sports is under threat; he just doesn’t see it, just like he didn’t see all the evidence Harris isn’t a centrist. Here is a transcript for the November 10 show: HBO Last Week Tonight with John Oliver 11/10/2024 11:21 PM ET JOHN OLIVER: For instance, some Democrats are loudly claiming the party needs to move to the center, with New York Congressman Tom Suozzi arguing, "The Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left," citing trans rights as an example, saying, "I don't want to discriminate against anybody, but I don't think biological boys should be playing in girls' sports."  A few things about that. First, if what you want is a centrist campaign that's quiet on trans issues, tough on the border, distances itself from Palestinians, talks a lot about law and order, and reaches out to moderate Republicans, that candidate existed, and she just lost. Guess how many trans speakers there were at the DNC? I'll give you a hint: it is a very round number.  Also, I'm not sure how you reach out to moderate Republicans more than appearing with Liz Cheney multiple times, unless you literally dig up Henry Kissinger's corpse and prop it up at a rally in Michigan as Katy Perry sings "Rolling in the Deep." It's okay not to have the range for a song, Katy! And finally, regarding youth sports, there were a lot of attack ads on that issue and it was frustrating to see the Harris campaign fail to formulate a response, especially because it's pretty easy to do. Watch, I'll do it for you right now: as we've discussed before, there are vanishingly few trans girls competing in high schools anywhere. Even if there were more, trans kids, like all kids, vary in athletic ability, and there's no evidence they pose any threat to safety or fairness. It is very weird for you to be so focused on this subject, and finally, if you genuinely want to address the biggest concern for most girls who play high school sports, you'd worry less about this and more about the creepy assistant volleyball coach who keeps liking their posts on fucking Instagram.

Editor’s Pick: Free Beacon on Kamala’s Campaign Donation to MSNBC Host’s Group Our friend Chuck Ross at the Washington Free Beacon penned a story Tuesday raising yet another set of questions about the wretched finances of Kamala Harris’s failed presidential campaign as he found it gave half a million dollars to MSNBC host Al Sharpton’s liberal advocacy group National Action Network just weeks before his softball-filled October 20 interview. Citing publicly available “campaign finance records,” Ross explained that the $500,000 donation was made in two parts to the “National Action Network was part of a flurry of donations—$5.4 million in all—to black and Latino advocacy groups that seem aimed at winning Harris support from those constituencies.”  Just two days before the second half of the donation went through, Ross noted “Sharpton aired a video of Harris wishing him happy birthday on his MSNBC weekend show, PoliticsNation” and praised him as “an extraordinary leader” with “a voice of conscience” and “truth.” Roughly two weeks later, Harris sat for what our Jorge Bonilla said at the time was “a super-soft landing” of an interview that came off like “a foot massage and tongue bath” following a “rough” week of media interviews. Naturally, Ross noted none of this was disclosed at the time and both MSNBC and the National Action Network didn’t get back to him with comments. He also noted the donations to Sharpton’s group were examples of “a $1 billion spending spree” by the Harris campaign that’s left it $20 million in debt after having “leaned heavily on celebrities, influencers, and other high-profile Harris backers,” such as Oprah Winfrey’s “production company” and other advocacy groups like the National Urban League (helmed by Marc Morial, husband of CBS Saturday Morning co-host Michelle Miller). To see Ross’s full story on this conflict of interest, click here.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has not yet conceded the race to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, despite multiple outlets calling the race in the GOP's favor. McCormick was announced as the winner on Thursday by outlets like Politico and the Associated Press, as well as many local publications, confirming his narrow victory. Pennsylvania was one of four seats that were flipped by Republicans, as well as seats in Ohio, West Virginia, and Montana. Despite the widely acknowledged McCormick win, Casey has refused to admit defeat. "I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election," Casey said in a post on X following the election results. "It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born."'What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?'"We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted," Casey continued. "That is what Pennsylvania deserves." Every social media post on his campaign account since then has been about continuing to count the ballots, even though McCormick was already declared the victor. "Our Commonwealth ran a free and fair election, and we are still waiting on the final results," Casey said in a Monday post on X. "Our election officials will continue counting ballots and ensure that Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard."Casey was not the only Senate Democrat to take issue with McCormick's election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer initially withheld McCormick's invitation to the Senate orientation, prompting a critical response from his Republican colleagues. "Schumer is not allowing [McCormick] to participate in Senate orientation this week because Casey refuses to concede the race," Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said in a Sunday post on X. "What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?""Sen. Schumer is refusing to allow [McCormick] to participate in Senate orientation next week even though the race has been called," Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said in a post on X. "Chuck is an 'election denier' and this is an 'assault on our democracy.'" Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also floated the idea of escorting McCormick to the Capitol alongside other GOP Senators. Since then, Schumer has extended the invitation to McCormick, who attended Senate orientation Tuesday. At the time of this writing, Casey has still not conceded the race. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The FEMA hurricane relief supervisor who was fired after being accused of ordering workers to skip pro-Trump houses has spoken out in her defense and is considering legal recourse. Marn'i Washington was fired from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after a report documented that she had told relief workers to avoid homes with signs supporting President-elect Donald Trump in Lake Placid, Florida. “When we got there we were told to discriminate against people. It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay," said one of the workers to the Daily Wire. 'The political hostility that was encountered by my team, they just so happened to have the Trump campaign signage.'Washington went public to accuse FEMA of lying about the incident and claiming to be a scapegoat for wider practices. "I have information that proves FEMA is lying," said the 38-year-old to the Daily Mail. "FEMA preaches avoidance first, and then de-escalation. This is not isolated. This is a colossal event of avoidance," said Washington in a podcast. "Not just in the state of Florida. You will find avoidance in the Carolinas." Washington said that the avoidance doctrine was in response to hostility from some residents who opposed FEMA. "If you look at the record, there is what you call a community trend. ... The political hostility that was encountered by my team, they just so happened to have the Trump campaign signage," she said. "If we are noticing on, for example, Mary Street, and we're greeted with unwelcomed arms or people are coming out with guns blazing, screaming at us, then that's a street we need to avoid altogether," she added. She claimed that she didn't even vote in the election because she was so busy with her relief work. "Not all Floridians have been unpleasant, but for the most part, the ones that are very passionate about their disdain for FEMA," Washington said, "they have no problem expressing it." She said she had been on other relief missions where Biden-Harris supporters had expressed hostility to FEMA, and she had employed the same de-escalation techniques with them. At one point during the hurricane relief mission, FEMA had temporarily suspended efforts following reports that armed militia members were "hunting" FEMA workers over rumors about seized land spreading on social media. Police arrested one man, who was accused of threatening to shoot and kill workers. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that Washington's actions were in "clear violation of FEMA's core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation."Here's part of the interview with Washington:WOAH? The FEMA official who was fired for telling workers to avoid homes in Florida with Trump signs claims the issue “is not isolated” and the policy took place in the Carolinas as well pic.twitter.com/DUeRfGww7g— TheBlaze (@theblaze) November 12, 2024 Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Anti-censorship measures are something Donald Trump promised during his campaign, and he’s already proving good on his word. In a recent video, President-elect Trump outlined his plan to "shatter the left-wing censorship regime." It’s thorough, bold, and effective — so much so that Glenn Beck says it’s “the most amazing thing [he’s] heard any president ever say.” In the nearly seven minute-long video, Trump stated his intentions to: 1. End government collusion with companies and individuals for censorship purposes. “Within hours of my inauguration, I will sign an executive order banning any federal department or agency from colluding with any organization, business, or person to censor, limit, categorize, or impede the lawful speech of American citizens,” he said. He also vowed to “ban federal money from being used to label domestic speech as mis- or disinformation” and “begin the process of identifying and firing every federal bureaucrat who has engaged in domestic censorship directly or indirectly.” 2. Investigate and prosecute the digital censorship cabal. “I will order the Department of Justice to investigate all parties involved in the new online censorship regime, which is absolutely destructive and terrible, and to aggressively prosecute any and all crimes identified,” he declared. To prevent the destruction of evidence, Trump declared his intentions to “[urge] House Republicans to immediately send preservation letters ... to the Biden administration, the Biden campaign, and every Silicon Valley tech giant ordering them not to destroy evidence of censorship.” 3. Revise Section 230 of the Communications Act. “Upon my inauguration as president, I will ask Congress to send a bill to my desk revising section 230 to get big online platforms out of censorship business. From now on, digital platforms should only qualify for immunity protection under Section 230 if they meet high standards of neutrality, transparency, fairness, and non-discrimination,” Trump stated. 4. Do away with “mis- and disinformation.” “We need to break up the entire toxic censorship industry that has arisen under the false guise of tackling so-called mis- and disinformation,” Trump said, before expressing his intentions to halt federal funding for all “nonprofits and academic programs that support this authoritarian project, including penalizing U.S. universities that have engaged in censorship or election interference by withholding “federal research dollars and federal student loan support for a period of five years and maybe more.” “We should also enact new laws laying out clear criminal penalties for federal bureaucrats who partner with private entities to do an end run around the Constitution and deprive Americans of their First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights,” he added. He then proposed banning “any employee of the FBI, CIA, NSA, DNI, DHS, or DOD” from taking a job at any major tech platform in possession of “vast quantities of U.S. user data” for a period of “7 years.” 5. Develop a “digital Bill of Rights.” “The time has finally come for Congress to pass a digital Bill of Rights; this should include a right to digital due process. In other words, government officials should need a court order to take down online content,” Trump stated. “Furthermore, when users of big online platforms have their content or accounts removed, throttled, shadow-banned, or otherwise restricted, no matter what name they use, they should have the right to be informed that it's happening, the right to a specific explanation of the reason why, and the right to a timely appeal.” On top of that, “all users over the age of 18 should have the right to opt out of content moderation and curation entirely and receive an unmanipulated stream of information if they so choose.” Trump concluded his five-step anti-censorship plan with the statement: “When I am president, this whole rotten system of censorship and information control will be ripped out of the system at large. There won't be anything left. By restoring free speech, we will begin to reclaim our democracy and save our nation.” To hear Glenn’s response to and analysis of Trump’s anti-censorship plan, watch the clip above. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A signal picked up by three observatories in 2023 has finally been decoded. The message left scientific teams with more questions than answers.In May 2023, observatories captured a signal containing an alien-like message, and the raw data was uploaded to the internet for all to comb through.Ken Chaffin and his daughter Keli obtained the data and worked on decoding the message. While Keli said she initially had no plans to join the effort, she quickly became mesmerized once she realized its scope.The duo then worked for nearly a year, reportedly spending thousands of hours experimenting with various ideas and math simulations to figure it out. They uncovered a visualization of what appears to be five amino acids, but it is unclear what they represent. The visual is only displayed for about one-tenth of a second, but outlets have presented it as a video on loop, which may have caused some confusion."The original image that looks like a star map has always given me the appearance of biological life-forms," Keli Chaffin said in an email to CNN. "[A] lot of members have seen a mouse, a starfish, or an elephant."Despite the message coming from outer space and being described by outlets as alien-like, it certainly originated from mankind.The signal came from the SETI Institute in California, which, in 2023, decided to simulate the scenario of receiving a coded message from aliens or an unknown source in space. The signal was realistically sent from Mars to Earth by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a satellite that measures methane and atmospheric gases around Mars.The message traveled through space for a reported 16 minutes before being captured by the Allen Telescope Array in Northern California, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station near Bologna, Italy.The raw data had to be extracted from a purposeful entanglement of other data from the Mars spacecraft, and it took about 10 days to download and convert it into a visual format.'I had no idea what the message would show or say.'"I knew I had the skills to decode the message," Ken Chaffin said, stating that he has decades of work with the cellular automata computation model.Cellular automata is a grid of cells in a checkerboard pattern that can show any number of patterns depending on which cells are "on" or "off." Depending on the grid's rules, it can depict static patterns, repeating patterns, or patterns that appear to be moving across the grid. The Chaffins ran what they saw on the "star map" as cellular automata simulations and eventually generated the image of the amino acids."I had no idea what the message would show or say," Ken Chaffin added. "I suspected that it might have something to do with life."He said it became clear once he saw the image that it was amino acids, recognizing them from chemistry class.Chaffin has theorized that the message could represent hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen being transported through space to later be assembled into a life; a very interesting message were it actually from nonhumans.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The man responsible for the giant "Vote for Trump" sign that recently lit up the sky in Upstate New York is now considering a run for federal office.It's no secret that Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, supports President-elect Donald Trump. Not only did Constantino create a Trump-related PAC, but he also ordered a 100-foot "Vote for Trump" sign to be constructed atop a Sticker Mule facility in Amsterdam, a city of some 18,000 residents about 35 miles northwest of Albany.'President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone.'Now that Constantino and more than 75 million other Americans have gotten their wish and Trump has won re-election, Constantino is thinking about how he can best serve his president and his country going forward. With Trump tapping New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) as ambassador to the United Nations, Constantino is now mulling a run for the seat Stefanik will vacate after a decade in office, should she be confirmed."I am strongly considering running for the NY-21 Congressional seat. Thank you!" he tweeted Monday night.Constantino went into greater detail about the possible run on an appearance on Monday's episode of "The StoneZONE" hosted by longtime Trump ally Roger Stone."I want to do whatever is most impactful in the world, what's best for the country, and it seems like this might be it," Constantino said.According to the Post Millennial, Constantino and Stefanik went to high school together, and he has long supported her work. He has also already begun gathering a team to consider the next steps in the process."President Trump is a unity president, and I'll do whatever I can to help him make America great for everyone. If that's in Congress, I'll fight hard to win big and continue winning after I'm elected," Constantino said in a statement to the Post Millennial.So far, Constantino seems to have one friend in his corner. In a statement to the Post Millennial, Stone said Constantino "has what it takes.""He built his company from the ground up, creating thousands of jobs. He stood up for President Trump in the face of certain backlash. We need smart and courageous people who aren’t career politicians like him in Washington now more than ever."A month ago, Constantino appeared on "The Glenn Beck Program," telling Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck that Trump "did tremendous things for the country" in his first term, especially regarding free speech."Nobody wants to have duct tape put on their mouth. Nobody wants the right to speech taken away," Constantino said.Free speech was just one of many reasons that Constantino, a registered Democrat, constructed the Trump sign on his building."I'm trying to end this epidemic of anti-Trump hate that's been bad, really, for both sides," he explained to Beck. "People got to be able to be comfortable to say they like President Trump."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!