The Indian Continental Plate could be splitting in two‚ a new study proposes. However‚ instead of breaking vertically‚ like east Africa‚ to form a new microcontinent‚ India could be sheering horizontally as it runs into Eurasia‚ separating into two layers each about 100 kilometers (60 miles) thick.The Himalayas form the world’s mightiest mountain range‚ but their really distinctive feature is the Tibetan Plateau behind them.Considering this‚ you might think we would understand the process that is producing them better than we do. Everyone (ok‚ maybe flat-Earthers aside) agrees that both features are a result of India moving north at a rate of 1-2 millimeters/year (0.04-0.08 inches/year)‚ driving into Eurasia in the process. Over 60 million years‚ that sort of slow motion can force mountains to an immense height. Beyond this‚ however‚ there is plenty of debate.One theory is that the Indian Plate is too buoyant to sink into the mantle‚ causing it to slide under the Eurasian Plate‚ producing the bulge that is Tibet. Another suggests the Indian Plate is buckling‚ like a piece of paper forced edge-on into resistance‚ with Tibet created by a bulge.However‚ at the American Geophysical Union conference in December‚ a third option was presented.According to this view‚ the Indian Plate is “delaminating”. If continents had nerve cells this would be every bit as painful as it sounds‚ with the top part peeling off to prop up Tibet‚ while the denser bottom sinks into the mantle. The upper floating part‚ the proponents say‚ is thick enough to account for Tibet’s enormous altitude. Meanwhile the lower section is behaving in a manner familiar from the way oceanic plates are forced underneath continental plates‚ for example where South America meets the Pacific.“We didn’t know continents could behave this way and that is‚ for solid earth science‚ pretty fundamental‚” Professor Douwe van Hinsbergen of Utrecht University‚ who is not an author of the study‚ told Science Magazine.It's not practical to drill up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) deep to check the idea‚ so the conclusions are drawn from individually inconclusive hints. Those proposing the idea draw their evidence from helium that bubbles up through Tibetan springs.Helium is rare on Earth‚ but helium-3 is rarer still‚ having to be left over from the planet’s formation – it’s one reason people have proposed mining the Moon for it. On the other hand‚ some radioactive processes produce new helium-4. Consequently‚ high concentrations of helium-3 indicate a source in the mantle. By measuring the isotope ratio of helium at 200 Tibetan springs‚ Simon Klemperer of Stanford University and co-authors found a pattern indicating the mantle is close enough to the surface of northern Tibet for helium-3 to reach escape. Further south‚ the leaking gas is mostly helium-4‚ leading the team to conclude the plate has not split there yet and forms a barrier the helium can’t cross. The exception is one area near Bhutan. Here‚ they think‚ the mantle has penetrated the crust‚ creating the anomalous signal.Earthquake patterns in the region bolster the case and suggest the mantle intrusion is coming from the eastern side of the plateau.The idea is plausible given that we know tectonic plates are structured like a layered cake. Chefs put the denser cake layer at the bottom so the sponge doesn’t get crushed by the weight above. The planet has no such thought process‚ but nevertheless the lower part of plates is formed from solidified mantle rock‚ which is denser than the part it supports. Computer models suggest something could separate the two. “This is the first time that … it’s been caught in the act in a downgoing plate‚” van Hinsbergen told Science Magazine.The authors suspect the process has been aided by the Indian Plate’s shape‚ which is thicker at its northernmost point and thinner at the sides. With the center sinking faster‚ even modest pressures (by tectonic standards) from mantle material above the lower part of the plate can peel it off.A preprint of a yet to be peer-reviewed paper on the earthquake evidence is available on ESS Open Archive. The work was also presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

Scientists have found a mineral in lunar rocks that suggests there was a lot more water in the Moon’s crust than previously thought. The mineral in question is apatite‚ the most common phosphate‚ which is also found in our bones and teeth. The mineral contains volatile elements in its structure and tends to form in the presence of water.A lot of our understanding of the Moon’s geology comes from the rocks collected by the Apollo mission. Those samples represent only a tiny fraction of the geology of the Moon and historically‚ painted a picture of it as dry‚ lacking in volatiles. Meteorites coming from our satellite have provided a different view and so has re-analysis of the Apollo sample.Lead author of the study Dr Tara Hayden discovered that meteorite Arabian Peninsula 007 (discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2015) was from the Moon. An analysis showed where it came from and that it contained intriguing minerals.  "I was so lucky the meteorite not only came from the Moon but remarkably‚ featured chemistry so vital to our understanding about lunar water-bearing minerals‚" Hayden said in a statement. "Lunar meteorites are revealing new‚ exciting parts of the Moon's evolution and expanding our knowledge beyond the samples collected during the Apollo missions. As the new stage of lunar exploration begins‚ I am eager to see what we will learn from the lunar far side."The meteorite is a piece of lunar crust that broke apart following an impact around 4.5 billion years ago –that’s just after the Moon formed. A planetoid the size of Mars hit our fledgling planet and threw enough material in orbit to form the Moon. What kind of elements were there at the beginning is unclear and there are many missing pieces in the puzzle of the following period."The discovery of apatite in the Moon's early crust for the first time is incredibly exciting—as we can finally start to piece together this unknown stage of lunar history. We find the Moon's early crust was richer in water than we expected‚ and its volatile stable isotopes reveal an even more complex history than we knew before‚" said Hayden.More lunar material will soon be available to scientists when humans (hopefully) return to the Moon in 2026 with Artemis III. The samples collected then will provide new insights into the geological history of the Moon."We know most about the history of water on the Moon from the Apollo samples‚ but those samples are thought to only represent about five percent of the entire Moon surface‚" said Hayden. "Until we get more samples back in the upcoming Artemis missions‚ the only other samples from the surface we have are meteorites."The study is published in Nature Astronomy. 

The Unexplained Hum is a mysterious phenomenon that has been reported by people around the world. It is described as a low-level vibrational buzz that is not heard by everyone. For this reason‚ it is considered a modern-day mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades. Tom Slemen: I was recently talking to a doctor who has a practice in Wirral and was telling me that cases of tinnitus seem to be on the increase‚ adding that many patients are also reporting an auditory phenomenon that apparently waxes and wanes in certain areas of Wirral. That is the dreaded Hum – a very invasive low-frequency sound that has been likened to the soft droning hum of a refrigerator‚ a noise similar to an idling diesel engine in the distance‚ and sometimes it has also been compared to the sound produced by a tuning fork. Not everyone can hear the Hum‚ but some people are very perceptive regarding this nuisance noise‚ which causes those who hear it to become irritable and depressed‚ and at night the baffling sound causes chronic insomnia. It swept the country in the 1970s and made headlines around the world‚ because apparently the Hum was heard abroad as well‚ in places ranging from the Gobi Desert to New York and the Australian outback. Now it would seem that the Hum is back‚ and is being heard in every corner of the Wirral peninsula‚ parts of Merseyside‚ North Wales and Cheshire. There are hotspots in Wirral where the Hum seems to be particularly intense – they are Bebington‚ Heswall‚ Wallasey and West Kirby. In September 2023‚ a Bebington lady in her thirties named Lauren walked her dog from her home on Kirket Lane to the cemetery of St Andrew’s Church and upon reaching the junction at Highcroft Avenue and Church Road‚ started to see shimmering zigzag lines and a kaleidoscope of colours – the onset of a migraine of the type she had not had for years. She thought about turning back but decided to walk on for her dog’s sake‚ and at this point she heard a loud‚ low humming sound. Lauren thought the sound might be somehow connected to her migraine‚ but then she met her sister-in-law Kate‚ who remarked upon the low-pitched sound before Lauren could even mention it. Kate walked on and Lauren strolled around the cemetery at St Andrew’s when she felt a strange pressure on her eardrums as the low sound turned into a painful throbbing sensation. The dog started to whimper as it looked at something behind its owner‚ and Lauren turned to see what it was. It was a silvery lens-shaped craft hovering near the tower of the church. It stayed there in mid-air for about a minute or less‚ then ascended steadily upwards‚ and as it did‚ Lauren’s ‘migraine’ faded away rapidly and so did that humming sound. Lauren hurried home with the dog‚ and she later heard that the same UFO had been seen over Bromborough Road. Could UFOs have something to do with the Hum? Could their occupants (whoever or whatever they are) be trying to manipulate our minds using audio frequencies for some arcane reason? It has been noted that these unexplained sounds sometimes seem to travel in an almost laser-like straight line‚ and this has led some researchers to wonder if they might be the remnants of the fabled ley-lines that allegedly criss-cross Wirral‚ connecting ancient sites like Bidston Hill and various mounds in this region. The ley-lines are said to have existed in profusion all over this land in the past‚ and the greatest example are the standing stones of Stonehenge and Avebury‚ and numerous dowsers and some scientists have said some type of energy which borders in frequency on the audio range is being transmitted between these stones – but for what purpose is unknown. An example of the directional “beam of sound” effect is the humming noise a woman kept hearing at her home on Salacre Lane‚ Upton‚ in 2012. The lady and several friends only heard the sound in the kitchen and garden and a relative who lives on nearby Ford Road also heard the same low-pitched sound‚ but only when he was in the back garden. This sound seemed to tie in with recent reports of a hum being heard by motorists passing through a certain stretch of the M53 and also with a baffling noise that was heard by staff and patients at a local care home. When traced on a map‚ the locations joined a straight line that indicated that the axis of the audio beam was in a Nort-East South-West arrangement – and it was suggested that the line‚ when extended in both directions‚ joined Bidston Hill and the Thor’s Stone in Thursaston just over four miles away. For centuries‚ the spectacular sandstone Tor of Thor’s Stone has been regarded as a scared place and a nexus in some long-forgotten ley-line network‚ but of course‚ all this is just supposition‚ although in recent years‚ investigators of the paranormal have collected a lot of Electronic Voice Phenomena recordings at the ancient stone‚ some of which seem to be in Old English and even Old Norse. In Heswall‚ at the junction of Telegraph Road and Rocky Lane‚ there is a pay and display car park that lies adjacent to a block of six luxury flats where the old Grange Villa used to stand. In September 2022‚ a man got into his car at this car park and was about to leave when he and his wife and two other passengers all heard a loud thrumming sound which was painful to their eardrums. The driver then noticed that when the car reversed a few feet‚ the loud noise stopped dead‚ but when he went forward again it deafened everyone in the vehicle again. The driver gradually established‚ through driving the car around‚ that the highly directional low-pitched sound was passing across the road‚ through a busy junction box‚ towards the Post Office on Downham Road South. The driver then discovered that the sound stopped dead at the corner of nearby Pye Road‚ and he and his wife and the passengers got out and got some funny looks from passersby who saw them angling their heads to determine the origin of the sound. It seemed to come from a point on a sandstone garden wall where‚ perhaps by coincidence‚ someone had sprayed a yellow heart symbol; there was no other graffiti on that wall. The mystery then deepened when an old man came from the direction of Milner Road and asked the driver‚ ‘Have you heard it too?’ He then mentioned the sleepless nights he had endured because of the persistent humming sound. His doctor had told him it was due to hardening of the arteries but the elderly man said his 25-year-old nephew had also heard the sound whenever he stayed over. The source of the beam of noise remains a mystery. Author: Tom Slemen‚ who is a Liverpool writer‚ known foremostly as the author of the best-selling Haunted Liverpool series of books which document paranormal incidents and unsolved or unusual crimes. Check his Books on Amazon here. The post Delving into the Mysteries of the Unexplained Hum appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In the serene town of Mount Pleasant‚ South Carolina‚ Timothy Snipe and his tiny Chihuahua‚ Roxy‚ experienced a day unlike any other. Their peaceful backyard became the backdrop for a startling encounter with a wild coyote. Dressed in nothing but a bathrobe and slippers‚ Snipe found himself in a situation that would challenge both his... The post Man sees coyote go after his dog and runs in for brilliant rescue that earns 700‚000 views appeared first on Animal Channel.

The 75th annual Emmy Awards ceremony was broadcast live Monday night on Fox‚ delayed due to the infamous writers’ strike‚ and it was absolutely saturated with liberal propaganda from abortion to anti-cop sentiment and everything in between. Knowing the host was Anthony Anderson‚ who has made his hatred of white people very well-known‚ we were braced for his typical anti-white‚ racist jokes‚ but he was surprisingly tame most of the night. He did‚ however‚ term the ceremony the “Chocolate Emmys” due to many wins for people of color‚ creating an “us vs. them” divisiveness in true Anderson style. There was also plenty of liberal propaganda throughout the night. When Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) asked Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons) what her secret to a long career was‚ Gibbs quipped‚ “That's easy‚ baby. The wage gap. I got to work 20 more years before I can retire. But if you great writers write something for me‚ I'll just keep on working and cut into that wage gap. It's never too late.” Brunson replied‚ “Facts‚” despite the fact that the wage gap myth has been dispelled numerous times. Anti-cop sentiment took center stage when Niecy Nash-Betts won for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie for her role in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: Niecy:  I'm a winner‚ baby! Thank you to the Most High for this divine moment. Thank you‚ Ryan Murphy‚ for seeing me. Evan Peters‚ I love you. Netflix. Every single person who voted for me. Thank you. My better half‚ who picked me up when I was gutted from this work. Thank you. I want to thank me. For believing in me and doing what they said I could not do. I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people‚ “Go‚ girl‚ with you bad self. You did that.” Finally‚ I accept this award on behalf of every black and brown woman who have gone unheard‚ yet over-policed‚ like Glenda Cleveland‚ like Sandra Bland‚ like Breonna Taylor. Not surprisingly‚ RuPaul’s Drag Race won for Outstanding Reality Competition Program‚ and RuPaul took the opportunity to present a very twisted version of concerned people who don’t want children read to by people who dress in drag for sexualized adult entertainment. According to RuPaul‚ the drag queens have been trying to read to adults in libraries and anyone protesting it is just trying to scare the public by taking away their power to gain knowledge from these “queens.” Right: Joel: Here are the nominees for Outstanding Reality Competition Program not involving Ken Jeong. Announcer: The Amazing Race. RuPaul’s Drag Race. Survivor. Top Chef. The Voice. Joel: And the Emmy goes to RuPaul’s Drag Race! Announcer: RuPaul’s Drag Race has earned a total of 63 Emmy nominations. This is the show's fifth win in this category. Accepting the Emmy on behalf of the team is RuPaul. This year marks the eighth consecutive win for RuPaul as host of the show. RuPaul continues to reign as the most awarded host in Emmys’ history‚ and holds the record for most wins by a person of color. RuPaul: Thank you so much. Thank you so much‚ you lovely‚ lovely people. We are so honored to have this award. Listen‚ you guys are just pure lovely for honoring our show and recognizing all these queens. We have released into the wild hundreds of drag queens. And they're beautiful. On behalf of all of them‚ we thank you. Listen‚ if a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library‚ listen to her‚ because knowledge is power. And if someone tries to restrict your access to power‚ they are trying to scare you. So‚ listen to a drag queen! We love you. Thank you! After several wins by people of color‚ Anderson decided to insert racial division into the ceremony‚ which is extra disappointing given that it was held on Martin Luther King‚ Jr. Day. Instead of celebrating MLK’s messages of unity and judging others for their talent rather than the color of their skin‚ Anthony cheered that black actors were beating out white ones‚ thereby creating a divisive atmosphere as he shouted‚ “We are killing it tonight”: Anthony: All right. Everybody having fun at the Chocolate Emmys tonight? We are killing it tonight. Tyler‚ we are killing it. You see that? This is like M.L.K. Day and Juneteenth all rolled into one. If I was nominated this year‚ hell‚ I definitely would have won. Apparently‚ Anthony believes he can only win if awards are being given out based on skin color. When the Television Academy chair Frank Scherma spoke in recognition of the show’s 75th year‚ he admitted‚ “TV goes beyond entertaining and informing‚ with the power to enact great social change.” Great according to whom? Viewers then saw a montage of moments from what the academy deemed as television’s most impactful‚ which included Ellen DeGeneres announcing she’s gay‚ and Bea Arthur on Maude saying‚ “Tell me‚ Walter‚ that I'm doing the right thing not having the baby.” These leftist agenda-laden clips were shamefully set next to such important moments as MLK’s “I have a dream‚” speech and the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Of course‚ what liberal awards ceremony would be complete without the usual LGBTQ propaganda? Coleman Domingo (Rustin‚ The Color Purple) and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) presented the show’s Governors Award to The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD): Hannah: Good evening‚ everybody. Coleman and I are so very honored to have been asked to present the 2023 Governors Award to GLAAD. Coleman: Tonight‚ I am so proud standing here representing the spirit of Bayard Rustin. As an advocate for racial equity and the LGBTQ community‚ I understand the importance of GLAAD’s mission and its commitment to representation. Hannah: When we represent the diversity of our society‚ we help change the narratives of a community. I'm proud that this past season of Ted Lasso included storylines that celebrated LGBTQ characters. Coleman: And‚ unfortunately‚ with anti-LGBTQ freedoms being debated both here and abroad‚ the complex characters that we see and compelling stories that we tell are an incredibly important piece of showing the humanity of who we actually are‚ dispelling tropes and offering a rich‚ vibrant rainbow of the human experience. Hannah: When we view entertainment as a form of advocacy‚ we understand that we have the power to create real change. Coleman: Over the past four decades‚ GLAAD has consulted on nearly every TV series and TV movie with an LGBTQ character taking the lead‚ and making sure the realities we face off screen are reflected on screen. A montage of clips touting how the group has been able to “increase the LGBTQ presence on television to its current record high” was then shown: Announcer: Credited as one of the world's most important and effective advocates for the LGBTQ community‚ GLAAD was originally founded in 1985 by Vito Russo and a small group of activists to protest defamatory coverage of the HIV epidemic. Since then‚ it has grown into a global organization‚ one with enormous impact on the hearts and minds behind what we see on the media. This now iconic organization is dedicated to teaming up with creators to ensure accurate descriptions of characters‚ correcting false and harmful narratives and working with the Hollywood community to increase the LGBTQ presence on television to its current record high. For its ongoing work to secure fair‚ accurate and diverse representation of the LGBTQ community in the media and entertainment industries‚ the Television Academy honors GLAAD with the 2023 Governors award. Finally‚ Sarah Kate Ellis‚ president and CEO of GLAAD‚ accepted the award on behalf of the organization and admitted the goal of television is to influence how viewers’ make decisions in their “living rooms‚ schools‚ at work‚ and at the ballot box”: Sarah: Thank you. Thank you so much. This is actually a historic moment‚ and so many people have worked tirelessly to get LGBTQ representation here‚ where it is today. For all of us at GLAAD‚ this work is personal. For me‚ it's about my wife and our kids‚ because what the world sees on TV influences how we treat each other and the decisions that we make in our living rooms‚ schools‚ at work and at the ballot box. The world urgently needs culture-changing stories about transgender people. More people say they have seen a ghost than know a transgender person. When you don't know people‚ it's easy to demonize them. Visibility creates understanding‚ and it opens doors. It's lifesaving. Our community has achieved so much‚ and yet we are still being victimized and villainized with cruel and harmful lies. Sharing stories is the antidote‚ and now is the time to take action to support everyone in the LGBTQ community‚ because this story is still being told‚ and we all can be the heroes. Thank you to the Television Academy and the board of governors. As someone who has been covering television for the MRC for almost 7 years‚ I have seen very few‚ if any‚ shows that didn’t feature a gay storyline or character(s). If anything‚ many times there's so many it's overkill. There’s definitely not a problem with “representation” on television for the LGBTQ community...at all. And as someone with beloved gay and trans family members‚ I understand wanting to ensure their safety and have them treated with kindness. But the issues conservatives are concerned about - the safety and wellbeing of children who are too young to make life altering decisions about their bodies‚ predators who misuse gender dysphoria to prey on women and children‚ women’s safe spaces being invaded‚ children having access to sexually explicit‚ pornographic books in school libraries‚ etc. - go far beyond that. There were a few unexpected positive moments in last night’s show. The first came when Paul Walter Hauser‚ who won for Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in Black Bird‚ said‚ “Thank You‚ God‚ for this life‚” adding‚ “Thank you for helping me find the straight and the narrow.” He also spoke in rhyme about “Yeshua Hamashiach” which means “Jesus is Lord‚” explaining‚ “That’s a one up to Jesus.” Actor Kieran Culkin later won Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Succession and thanked his mom “for giving (him) life.” His co-star Sarah Snook won for Lead Actress in a Drama Series and thanked her then unborn child for helping her perform‚ stating poignantly‚ “It was the proximity of her life growing inside me that gave me the strength to do this and this performance.” When Succession won for Best Drama Series‚ however‚ things took a turn for the worse when show creator Jesse Armstrong accepted the award and proclaimed‚ “This is a show about family‚ but it's also about when partisan politics and news coverage gets intertwined with divisive right-wing politics.” Haha? Okay‚ Armstrong‚ now do divisive left-wing politics getting intertwined with award show ceremonies. Oh wait…

With wintertime fully upon us‚ I’m sure that we’re all content in the knowledge that we’re ready‚ just in case another Winter Storm Uri comes along. The post How to build your woodpile cheaply appeared first on Survivopedia.

The FBI joined other government agencies Monday in noting their newfound appreciation for civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr.‚ for whom the day was made a federal holiday in 1983. Now with Twitter under different management and X's community notes feature fully engaged‚ there was little chance of the bureau's commemorative post squeaking by unscathed. "This #MLKDay‚ the #FBI honors one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reaffirms its commitment to Dr. King's legacy of fairness and equal justice for all‚" said the Jan. 15 post. The post was promptly slapped with community notes painting the FBI as the villain in King's story. "The FBI engaged in surveillance of King‚ attempted to discredit him‚ and used manipulation tactics to influence him to stop organizing‚" said the community note. "King's family believe the FBI was responsible for his death." While a jury determined in 1999 civil case that "government agencies" had been party to a conspiracy to assassinate King‚ the community note insinuating the FBI specifically had a hand in King's death does not appear to have been substantiated. The other damning claims about the FBI are‚ however‚ a matter of record. The FBI's commitment The FBI began surveilling MLK in December 1955 during his involvement with the Montgomery bus boycott‚ according to an FBI memorandum. Despite its understanding that King was an advocate of nonviolence‚ the bureau continued to execute covert operations against the civil rights leader for the remainder of his short life‚ which ended with his assassination on April 4‚ 1968‚ at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was especially antipathetic to King‚ suggesting in one memo that he acted like "a tom cat with obsessive degenerate sexual urges‚" reported the New York Times. Hoover's intense dislike for King appeared to have less to do with the activist's adultery and more to do with fears the activist might align himself with the Communist Party‚ according to MLK documentarian Sam Pollard. Although King had a communist attorney and other leftists in his orbit‚ the FBI obtained evidence that King regarded communism as an "alien philosophy." Nevertheless‚ the bureau painted King as a "whole-hearted Marxist who has studied it [Marxism]‚ believes it and agrees with it‚ but because of his being a minister of religion‚ does not dare to espouse it publicly." The Senate's Church Committee on U.S. intelligence overreach later reported in the 1970s that "rather than trying to discredit the alleged Communists it believed were attempting to influence Dr. King‚ the Bureau adopted a curious tactic of trying to discredit the supposed target of Communist Party interest — Dr. King himself." According to the Senate report‚ the big fear was that King would become a political "'messiah' who could 'unify‚ and electrify‚' the movement." After King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963‚ an FBI characterized him as "the most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country‚" reported Newsweek. The committee also confirmed in 1975 that the FBI was responsible for the so-called "suicide letter" in 1964‚ which denigrated and dehumanized King‚ told him the "end is approaching‚" and stressed‚ "there is only one thing left for you to do. You know what it is." — (@) The bureau ultimately sought to prevent King from speaking‚ teaching‚ writing and publishing‚ and meeting — a tradition the FBI has continued to this day. For example‚ the FBI has in recent months and years targeted conservative Christians as "potential domestic terrorists" and apparently worked to suppress undesirable speech online. Social media justice The community notes on the FBI Martin Luther King Jr. Day post were widely celebrated. Among those who found this check on the FBI amusing was All-American‚ all-female swim star Riley Gaines‚ who wrote‚ "X is the only platform where a government agency like the FBI can be fact checked in real time by regular ole people ... too good." Matt Welch‚ the editor of the libertarian publication Reason‚ responded‚ "The only comment you should ever make on this holiday is an apology." Doug Stafford‚ chief strategist for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)‚ wrote‚ "In honor of #MLKDay the @FBI would like you to know they now spy on all Americans‚ not just civil rights leaders." After getting ridiculed and mocked over its X post‚ the FBI told Fox News Digital‚ "The FBI has long acknowledged the abuses of power that took place under Director J. Edgar Hoover and the deplorable actions taken against Dr. King and others involved in the civil rights movement." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A man in Maryland allegedly shot and killed his roommate after an argument broke out over the television remote. He has been arrested and held without bond‚ according to WTTG.Richard Bennaugh‚ 38‚ of Springdale‚ Maryland‚ now faces charges of manslaughter after 27-year-old Domonique Scott Hayes passed away following the incident. Prince George's County Police posted to Instagram on Friday‚ noting that they responded to a call around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.They wrote: "The Homicide Unit arrested and charged a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of his roommate on Wednesday in Springdale. The suspect is 38-year-old Richard Bennaugh from Springdale. He is charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old Domonique Scott Hayes.""On January 10‚ 2024‚ at approximately 12:30 pm‚ officers responded to the 2800 block of Berrywood Lane for the report of a shooting. Officers discovered the decedent inside of a home suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene." See on Instagram Fox News Digital reported that Bennaugh did not call the police until six hours after the altercation occurred‚ which took place around 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. Bennaugh told the authorities that his roommate had entered the home "with knives‚" according to documents obtained by WTTG. Bennaugh said the altercation was ignited after he had fallen asleep on the sofa and was awakened by Hayes "making a lot of noise" in the kitchen. Then Hayes asked Bennaugh where the remote was‚ but he ignored him.Bennaugh‚ who reportedly had a part of a blanket pulled over his head‚ removed it and saw Hayes holding a knife. He quickly grabbed his handgun and shot Hayes before hurrying up to the third floor.Bennaugh claimed that he did not see Hayes was injured‚ so he assumed Hayes had not been hit. Then he went back to sleep‚ according to the report. The charging documents stated Bennaugh later drove to a friend's house in Lanham to discuss what happened. He eventually made his way to a marijuana dispensary to purchase $50 worth of marijuana‚ according to documents. The report went on to mention that Bennaugh gathered the fired casings and flushed them down the toilet before sweeping the dust from the damage in the walls.He only called the police after telling several people about what happened — and they urged him to contact the authorites.It is not clear whether Bennaugh has an attorney. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at the majority of hills‚ citing safety concerns‚ while designating certain parks and locations specifically as toboggan hills.A total of 45 hills out of 74 have been deemed unsafe by the city‚ with officials stating that all toboggan hills must have a clear path from top to the bottom without any hazards or obstacles. Obstacles include ditches‚ fences‚ trails‚ and trees. These designated tobogganing hills are also allegedly regularly inspected for safety‚ the city claimed."Tobogganing is not permitted at some hills because of hazards obstructing the slope‚ which render the hill unsafe for tobogganing‚" the city told CBC News‚ Canada's state broadcaster.The city called the number of banned hills "dynamic‚" and reportedly noted that the number may vary depending on the year if site conditions change.The city's superfluous toboggan hill inspection program began in 2017 when officials decided to assign municipal staff to inspect "highly used" toboggan hills and warning signs."The city is responsible for ensuring its properties and any activities performed on its properties are reasonably safe‚" the city asserted‚ and it is apparently taking its toboggan safety very seriously.On Toronto's official toboggan website — which provides a map of where taxpayers are allowed to enjoy themselves — safety tips are provided.The tips include "wear a helmet‚" "slide down the middle of the hill‚" and "avoid ice-covered areas."The city also advised fun-havers to avoid using "dangerous" discs and tubes and reminded everyone to not partake in the joy of bringing a family pet to the park."Please leave your pets at home. Pets may get excited‚ become hard to control and could cause injury‚" the city declared.City Councilor Brad Bradford said that he might breach city ordinances in his own ward due to Toronto becoming a "no fun city.""This is just nonsense‚" the councilor said. "It's the no fun city when you start seeing them cracking down on tobogganing‚ especially in a place that has decades of experience and a tradition of tobogganing."A popular tobogganing spot at East Lynn Park‚ where Bradford is councilor‚ was recently placed on the no-go list."The reality is there are going to be people tobogganing in East Lynn Park tomorrow‚" Bradford claimed. "We're supposed to get 10 centimeters of snow overnight. That might include me and my daughter. It's not a good use of time. It's not a good use of resources. And again‚ this is why folks get cynical on the City of Toronto."The city reiterated in its statement that the park in question was officially deemed unsafe."East Lynn Park was assessed using the toboggan hill inspection process and deemed unsafe due to several permanent obstacles and safety hazards onsite‚ including a staircase‚ wading pool‚ field house building‚ light poles and trees."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Department of Justice is investigating the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Division over accusations it failed to collect a “large number” of rape kits‚ sources recently told the New York Post.In December‚ sources revealed to the Post that the department allegedly abandoned possibly “hundreds” of rape kits in city hospitals‚ Blaze News previously reported. If a victim chooses to “release” a rape kit to law enforcement as evidence‚ the NYPD’s SVD detectives are responsible for picking up the kit from the hospital and delivering it to the department’s lab in Queens for testing.Because of a law enacted last year‚ hospitals in the city have begun cataloging all rape kits held in storage and alerting law enforcement about any uncollected released kits. After the NYPD was informed about the abandoned evidence‚ the department issued a directive for the SVP to regularly contact the city’s 60 hospitals and ensure the kits are collected “in a timely manner.”It is still unclear how many kits were left in hospital storage and never collected by the department.A police source recently told the Post that the DOJ is “looking at it.”“The hospitals were calling us saying what do you want to do‚” the source added. “We don’t have a count.”“That’s forensic evidence left behind — that’s really what the issue is‚” the source continued.The DOJ initially began its investigation into the NYPD’s SVD in June 2022 over allegations that the department was engaging in “gender-biased policing.”“There have been numerous complaints from insufficient manning‚ to not the best hand-picked detectives being selected‚ nepotism‚ and now the collection of rape kits has come into question in more than one instance‚” the source told the Post.A second source told the news outlet that a “full transparent investigation” needs to be conducted to reveal the total number of kits the department abandoned.“If the NYPD did nothing wrong‚ a full investigation would show that. A city government cannot allow this to go on‚” the second source noted.An NYPD spokesperson told the Post that the state needs to implement a tracking system.There “are currently no statewide tracking systems in place for the Sexual Offense Evidence Collection Kits‚ which leaves the possibility for kits to be left behind in hospital storage and not be tested in a timely manner‚” the spokesperson stated‚ adding that the department will “continue to work closely with (DOJ) regarding any additional information they request.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!