by Alex Berenson, Unreported Truths: Two weeks ago, I wrote about the rising American fury at our broken medical system. It now seems that anger may have cost a top healthcare executive his life. Ammunition used to gun down UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson Wednesday in Manhattan was engraved with the words “deny,” “defend,” and […]

  Prometheus, whose name means “forethought” in ancient Greek, was a cunning god and benefactor to early humans. While he was considered one of the Titans who ruled the universe before being ousted by Zeus and the Olympians, he sided with the Olympians during their struggle for power. Nevertheless, he would still pay dearly at the hands of the Olympians in the future for the act of tricking the gods to benefit mankind, whom he helped create and protect. His story inspired the famous Greek play Prometheus Bound.   Prometheus’ Divine Parentage Prométhée, by James Pradier, 1827. Source: Louvre   Prometheus was one of the sons of Iapetus, the Titan god of mortality, though his mother is disputed among sources. Hesiod’s Theogony, one of the earliest sources, describes Prometheus as the son of Iapetus by Klymene, a daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. Apollodorus, in his Library of Greek Mythology, notes that the mother of Prometheus is Asia, whose name was given to that same continent. He appears to be equating the two goddesses.   Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, a major source of the myth, is a trilogy of plays dedicated to the eponymous god. He says that Prometheus’ mother is named Themis, the Titan goddess of divine law and prophecy. This sets up a plot element that affects Prometheus’ release from his bonds.   How (and Why) Did Prometheus Create Humanity?  Prometheus Models the First Man, Roman sculpture, c. 185 CE. Source: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid   Prometheus was credited with the creation of humans, though it is unclear which generation of humans he created. Prometheus’ creation of mankind mainly comes from sources from the 4th century BCE onwards. Earlier sources cite him as merely a benefactor and say that the race of humans likely sprang up from the earth. Hesiod’s Works and Days describes four generations of humans that lived before the current, modern humans. The first generation, known as the race of gold, lived under the rule of Kronos, while all subsequent generations lived under the rule of Zeus.   At first, the world was only inhabited by the gods, but then Prometheus was tasked with creating humans and animals. He molded them from water and clay, creating humans in the likeness of the gods. He was then tasked, along with his brother Epimetheus, with providing them and animals with their respective qualities, such as claws, fur, and wings. Epimetheus allotted all the animals their qualities, but by the time he got to humans, there was nothing left, leaving them “naked and shoeless.” Prometheus came to inspect his brother’s work and approved of how the animals were furnished, but for mankind, he was unsure what to give them so they could provide for themselves.   During Kronos’s golden age, it wasn’t much of an issue as the Titan watched over humans himself, and the earth produced food without needing to be tended. However, under Zeus, animals became more fierce, and the fruits of the earth remained hidden. Prometheus decided to give them fire and the knowledge to use it.   Patronage of Humanity Prometheus and the Man Created by Him, by Pietro Ceccardo Staggi, c. late 18th century CE. Source: State Hermitage Museum, St-Petersburg   While Prometheus was best known for his theft of fire for the benefit of humanity, he also served as a benefactor in other ways. Along with fire, Prometheus stole knowledge of arts and craftsmanship from Athena and Hephaestus. In Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, the god himself relates that he taught humans how to read the stars and the motion of celestial bodies. He invented numbers and mathematics and taught humans how to use them. He taught what herbs could be mixed into medicines and how to read omens and dreams. He taught humans about the various metals and their value. As he says in the play, “every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”   Not only did Prometheus create humans, but at Zeus’ command, he also showed them two paths that can be taken in life. The first path was that of freedom and self-determination. Prometheus made this path begin roughly and made it hard to traverse, but by the end, it became smooth, allowing those who chose to walk freedom’s path to end their lives with rest and respite. The second path was that of slavery. It began smooth and easy, full of pleasant things, but by the end, it became impassable.   Titanomachy Prometheus and Epimetheus before Pandora, by Hermann Julius Schlösser, 1878. Source: State Museums of Berlin   When the Olympians and the Titans eventually came into conflict in a decade-long war known as the Titanomachy, Prometheus was initially on the side of the Titans. He was told by Themis or Gaia, both of whom were said to give prophecies out of Delphi, how the future was meant to unfold. Therefore, Prometheus tried to convince the Titans that they shouldn’t use violence to remain in power, but instead, they should use craft and guile. They didn’t listen to him, preferring to rule through strength of arms. Prometheus changed sides and counseled the Olympians instead. On his advice, the Olympians were able to overcome the Titans and take control of the cosmos.   Deceiving Zeus and the Theft of Fire Feast of the Gods (The Marriage of Peleus and Thetis), by Johann Rottenhammer, 1600. Source: State Hermitage Museum, St-Petersburg   In the early days after their creation, humans used to sacrifice whole animals to the gods, meaning that the poor were unable to give proper offerings on account of the high expense. To resolve this, the gods and humans had a gathering at Mekone to determine fair portions for sacrifice. Prometheus devised a trick to ensure that humans would have the best option. For one portion, he took the bones and the unappealing parts of the animal and dressed them up in glistening fat to make it look appetizing. For the second portion, he took the meat and hid it in the animal’s stomach. He then bid Zeus to choose which one he’d prefer. Hesiod relates that Zeus knew what the trick was but chose the first portion anyway, opting to punish mankind for Prometheus’ hubris.   Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind, by Friedrich Heinrich Füger, 1817. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Zeus took fire away from mankind and hid it on Mount Olympus. But Prometheus snuck into the palace of the gods and stole fire back, hiding it in a fennel stalk to keep it from being discovered. When Zeus learned of the theft, he had Hephaestus create a new punishment for men: Pandora, the first woman. In order to prevent men from avoiding the punishment of women, he also decreed that men must be married; otherwise, when they die, all their property will be seized and divided among their relatives.   The Great Flood Deucalion and Pyrrha, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636-1637. Source: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid   After Zeus took power from Kronos, he went down to Earth to visit King Lycaon. Seeing the impiety of mankind, he determined that all of humanity needed to be wiped out and to start over. He sent a great flood to wash everything away, but Prometheus knew of his plan. He warned his son Deucalion of the coming disaster, instructing him to build an ark to save himself and his wife, Pyrrha, the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora. Deucalion did as he was instructed, and when the flood came, he and Pyrrha were the only two survivors. They drifted for nine days and nine nights until they reached Parnassus, where they made landfall. Zeus allowed them to live since they were pious. Even throughout the calamity, they continued to pray and give sacrifice to the gods who had sought to kill them.   Zeus sent Hermes to them, or some sources say they sought advice from the Oracle at Delphi to give them anything they should desire. Deucalion asked how they might save humanity. The Oracle posed them a riddle, but Zeus told them outright to cast stones over their shoulders. They did so, and from the stones humans sprouted forth, men from those thrown by Deucalion and women from those thrown by Pyrrha.   Punishment: Prometheus Bound Prométhée Attaché sur le Caucase, by Jean Charles Frontier, 1744. Source: Louvre   For the crime of giving fire back to mankind and for the hubris of thinking that he could trick Zeus, Zeus ordered Hephaestus, or Hermes according to Roman mythographer Hyginus, to chain Prometheus to the peak of the Caucasus mountains, staking him through the arms, legs, and torso with rivets to keep him in place. Every day, the sun would rise to burn his skin, and an eagle would set on him to eat his immortal liver. Every night, he would freeze in the cold and his liver would regenerate, only for the cycle to repeat again the next day. Prometheus remained there for 30 thousand years, enduring his daily torment. In Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, Hermes tells Prometheus that there will be no end to his suffering unless another god takes his place and descends to Hades.   Jason and the Argonauts once passed by the Caucasus in their search for the golden fleece, and they could hear Prometheus’ screams as the eagle tore at him. Heracles also wound up in the mountains and encountered the chained god, who helped point him in the direction of the garden of the Hesperides. Being a god of foresight, Prometheus was aware that he would one day be freed by Heracles, but he needed Zeus’s permission.   Apulian Chalice Krater showing Prometheus Liberated by Heracles, Greek, c. mid-4th century BCE. Source: State Museums of Berlin   Clever Prometheus waited until the opportune moment before revealing that he knew which goddess would birth a son to Zeus, who was powerful enough to overthrow him as Zeus had overthrown his father, Kronos. The king of the gods desperately wanted this information and eventually agreed to let Prometheus go if he told him. Only then did Prometheus reveal that it was Thetis, a goddess that Zeus was in the midst of attempting to court, who was prophesied to bear a son more powerful than his father. Zeus immediately gave up his pursuit and instead gave Thetis in marriage to the hero Peleus, and together they had Achilles.   When the information was revealed, Prometheus was not immediately freed. Instead, Heracles returned to kill the eagle and set him free. Heracles then offered Chiron, who was suffering from an incurable wound and unable to die, to Zeus as a god willing to die in exchange for Prometheus’ freedom.

He hails their punk ethic, their experiments with electronica, and their way of writing songs about real people

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Humans may like to think we’re the pinnacle of innovation, proudly basking in the glow of Wi-Fi routers and smartphones. But digging deeper, you’ll see that much of our genius is drawn from nature’s blueprint. For ages upon ages, plants, animals, and ecosystems have already been fine-tuning the very designs we now proudly stamp with […] The post 10 Times Nature Invented Something Before Humans Did appeared first on Listverse.

President-reelect Donald J. Trump’s enemies seem overwhelmed by his growing sense of invincibility. Civil lawsuits, criminal indictments, Democrat nominees, media mudslinging, and even a crazed gunman’s bullet bounced right off him. So, Trump’s enemies now aim their fire at his Cabinet nominees. Anonymous rumors and accusations often are the weapons of choice. The Democrat Left’s vicious sniping prompted attorney-general nominee Matt Gaetz to withdraw his name from consideration. This only deepened the hunger of Hate Trump Inc. Democrats and their regime-media servants salivate at the prospect of toppling my friend Pete Hegseth, the battle-hardened, decorated veteran and natural-born broadcaster whom Trump has tapped as secretary of defense. Just days after the Left got Gaetz, their potshots began anew. Now-cliché anonymous sources aimed from the bushes and accused Hegseth of being a bumbling, spendthrift, womanizing drunk. Such charges are a breeze to deploy while hiding namelessly behind a mask. Conversely, Trump haters hate on-the-record comments by named individuals who admire their targets. No surprise, Hegseth’s former colleagues describe someone completely different: a capable, inspiring, and eloquent leader with abundant potential. • “I have known Pete Hegseth for 18 years,” said Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia. The man who hired Hegseth to run Vets for Freedom continued: “Pete is bold and willing to make decisions that will keep America safe, which is the primary reason he continues to be relentlessly targeted.” Bellavia added: “There are few men born with the fire and grit of Pete Hegseth. Washington doesn’t build men like Pete. Combat builds men like Pete. He will deliver the antidote that the Department of Defense has been begging for—screaming for, in every formation, throughout all branches of our military.” • “Over the years when the burdens of war crept up, Pete has always been the guy that I could call no matter how bad it was,” Sgt. Shawn Bryan (USMC, Retired) remembers. Hegseth’s Vets for Freedom colleague also observed: “No matter how busy he was, Pete would answer and give sound advice. That is the leadership that President Trump sees in Pete.” • “I have always known Pete to be a man of honesty, integrity, and character,” said Holly K. Talley of Concerned Veterans of America, which Hegseth managed from 2013 to 2016. “During my time with CVA [October 2014-December 2016], I frequently traveled to Defend Freedom Tour stops, policy-maker town halls, and various other events,” Talley said. “I personally never witnessed any unprofessional or inappropriate behavior by Pete during these events.” • “Pete brought incredible energy, focus, and a clear vision to the organization, and it showed in everything the team accomplished together,” said Casin Spero, CVA’s digital media director. • Tina Kingston, CVA’s Louisiana state director from 2014 to 2016, said: “What The New Yorker published could not be further from the truth! I never saw Pete Hegseth flirt or do anything inappropriate with his female staffers or any other female.” • “CVA recognizes and appreciates his accomplishments as CEO,” trustee Randy Lair wrote in a January 2016 letter upon Hegseth’s departure. “Pete has provided strong leadership during the growth of CVA as an influential organization on many fronts.” Author and commentator Deroy Murdock is interviewed by “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts, from left, Dean Cain, Jedediah Bila, and Pete Hegseth on Saturday morning, Aug. 10, 2019, minutes after news broke that financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had been found dead in his Manhattan jail cell. (Screenshot via Grabien courtesy Deroy Murdock) Meanwhile, NBC “News” soiled itself Tuesday with a third-rate hit piece in which 10 of Hegseth’s TV “associates” claimed that he reeked of alcohol and, consequently, required babysitting while on air. Typically, these “sources” were anonymous. I refuted this rubbish in Thursday’s American Spectator. I cited 15 of Hegseth’s Fox News Channel colleagues who report zero such behavior. Most significant: the testimony of Hegseth’s regular “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts. • “Your story is horseshit @NBCNews,” Will Cain declared via the social media platform X. “Signed, The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6 am.” Cain added: “Bullshit. 100 percent bullshit. Actually … horseshit.” • “@willcain is right – your story IS horseshit,” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy wrote. “You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?” Hegseth has interviewed me on air for Fox News many times. He consistently was sharp, professional, and sober. Hegseth also was supportive and helpful to my family as we tried to navigate the labyrinthine VA health bureaucracy during my late Uncle Howard’s battle with cancer. As we concluded a conference call about the dying Air Force veteran, Hegseth told me and my kin: “God bless Uncle Howard.” Since we met around 2007, Hegseth has been reliably smart, congenial, and well-prepared for the next challenge, no matter how formidable. For years, Hegseth has earned the confidence of employees, peers, and supervisors alike. All we are saying is: Give Pete a chance. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post All We Are Saying Is: Give Pete a Chance appeared first on The Daily Signal.

On Friday, in the run up to trial Judge William Scott Henry of Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit Court handed Navy veteran and Plaintiff Zachary Young several legal victories in a pair of orders exclusively obtained by NewsBusters. Among them were affirmations that punitive damages would still be on the table for a jury to potentially award Young, CNN’s “retraction” of the story wasn’t good enough, Young’s expert witnesses would remain as part of his case, Young did not take money from the Afghans he was helping to evacuate, and he did nothing illegal. Describing CNN’s intentions to get punitive damages off the table, Judge Henry wrote in his summary judgement order: “In its motions, Defendant now asks this Court for assistance to evacuate it from this lawsuit and from the potential for punitive damages.” “Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment is denied as to Plaintiff, Zachary Young, and he shall be allowed to proceed with his claim for punitive damages,” Judge Henry ordered. And a key part to being able to receive a punitive damage reward is whether the alleged defamer acted with “actual malice.” And according to Judge Henry, “There exists an issue of material fact as to whether Defendant published the Pieces with actual malice. Sufficient evidence exists upon which a reasonable jury could find with convincing clarity that Defendant acted with actual malice.” He found the same was true for “express malice.”   HAPPENING NOW: CNN defamation suit hearing https://t.co/dylHDtOLMo — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 5, 2024   CNN did get a minor victory in that Young’s company, Nemex Enterprises was essentially removed from being considered for damages since only Young was mentioned directly in the offending CNN report, not his company. As the Judge put it, “there is no record evidence to show that the Pieces were “of and concerning” Nemex or that an average person could reasonably have concluded that Nemex was implicated.” As for CNN’s retractions, they were ruled inadequate. While Judge Henry noted that a retraction was ran on the offending show, The Lead with Jake Tapper, “This retraction/correction was not made during the other television shows in which the Segment aired” and “No retraction, correction or apology was posted on any online article or with any social media posting.” He also pointed out that, “Defendant’s representatives referred to the statement made on the Jake Tapper show as a correction rather than a retraction.” According to the document, Florida law dictates that retractions for possible defamatory material must be done as close as possible to how they were originally distributed. But the order found that CNN failed to do that in some cases, opening themselves to liability: There exists an issue of material fact as to whether Defendant provided a “full and fair” retraction as to the TV segment such that Defendant’s affirmative defense #29 is applicable to this portion of Young’s claims. However, the Court finds that Defendant did not publish a retraction as contemplated by the statute with regard to the Tweets and online article, and therefore summary judgment in Young’s favor on this affirmative defense would be applicable to these publications. On Young’s activities in helping to evacuate women from Afghanistan, the order noted that an “important part of the Court’s prior ruling was that Young did not do anything criminal or illegal.” Further, “The Court finds that Young did not take money from Afghans.”   CNN defamation suit hearing - 11/25/2024 - Pre-Trial Conference https://t.co/Hlu62tloOR — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) November 25, 2024   As NewsBusters previously reported, CNN wanted to the court to kick expert witness General James V, Young (no relation to the Plaintiff) off the case because, according to them, he was just too good. Judge Henry’s second order put an end to that effort. He found that General Young’s testimony would be helpful to a jury in order to understand what conditions were like on the ground in Afghanistan: General Young was retained to render opinions regarding the circumstances and evacuations occurring in Afghanistan and Young’s employability after the Pieces were published. While certainly the subject of news reporting, what exactly was occurring on the ground in Afghanistan and what specifically was necessary to perform evacuations are not things within the common knowledge of jurors. This information, along with Young’s employability, are issues relevant to those being presented at trial. Young would also be allowed to keep his economic damages expert witness, Richard Bolko. “Mr. Bolko was retained to render an opinion regarding Plaintiffs’ damages. These damages are certainly an issue to be presented at trial, and therefore any such opinion would be relevant,” Judge Henry wrote. Adding: “In reaching his conclusions, Mr. Bolko examined past income documentation, performed a projection of this income into the future, and discounted the calculation to present value. This is the standard method for calculating future lost income or damages. Therefore, the method utilized by Mr. Bolko is sufficiently reliable.” CNN also scored a loss in their effort to have the court label Young a “limited public figure” as opposed to a private individual, arguing that he inserted himself into a public controversy by trying to rescue women from Afghanistan. But the court didn’t agree. “Based on the foregoing, the Court determines as a matter of law that Plaintiffs should be considered private individuals for purposes of their defamation claims as opposed to limited public figures,” the order said. And “as a matter of law,” the court found that “Young and Nemex are private individuals.” These orders set the stage for the trial, which is slated to begin on January 6, 2025.