In 2021, when the Democrat-controlled Congress and the Biden administration were attempting to set up a new domestic terrorism program, human rights groups—ones that had typically fretted over the rightwing militia groups that the program was designed to combat—were the first to express dismay.  “We write to express our deep concern regarding proposed expansion of terrorism-related legal authority,” wrote 157 different signatories, in a letter to Congress. “We must meet the challenge of addressing white nationalist and far-right militia violence without causing further harm to communities already disproportionately impacted by the criminal-legal system.” Meanwhile, a swell of CIA and national security officials eagerly urged the government to create new legal authorities to treat Americans like terrorists. Now, as Trump’s second term gets underway, the new rightwing government appears to be using the legal and operational infrastructure set up during the Biden years to go after leftwing protesters. Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein is out with a new article on the Trump administration’s blossoming counterterrorism strategy, which, according to government insiders, is poised to target Americans who express discontent about the president or his wealthy allies. “So-called Tesla terrorism and potential anti-Trump violence is driving new articulations of the threat,” a senior intelligence official told Klippenstein. Indeed, in recent weeks, the Justice Department has pivoted federal law enforcement away from more traditional enemies and towards people who vandalize Tesla dealerships. Several people arrested and accused of having firebombed the cars will likely be charged with “domestic terrorism” charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi has said. Meanwhile, critics of Israel have also become a target for the government’s roving eye. As previously noted, the precedent for much of this was set by the previous administration. Under Biden, the government developed its first National Strategy to counter “domestic terrorism.” The strategy, which was designed with input from America’s national security agencies, set up a broad variety of new programs to counter what it perceived as extremism in the homeland, including new task forces and liaisons with state and local law enforcement. However, as Klippenstein points out, the full scale of the program is not publicly known. He points to a recently published  Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on America’s counterterrorism strategy that notes “officials from DHS, DOJ, and State told us that the classified implementation plan includes some additional guidance for classified activities” and that “DHS and DOJ officials told us that they conduct additional activities to respond to the 2021 Strategy that are classified.” In other words: a secret program that spies on Americans and treats them like terrorists is not available for public consumption. That secret program is now being helmed by the Trump administration, which has very different ideas about who and what poses a danger to this country than its predecessor. The administration is busy revising the strategy to better suit Trump’s needs. Klippenstein writes: …the rewrite of the National Strategy document is shaping up to comport with Trump’s view of the country, the GAO hints and others say, rescinding the previous approach and altering the focus of counterterrorism actions over the next four years. That includes focusing more on Trump’s political opponents and framing petty crimes taking place at day-to-day protests as terrorism. Worse still, the head of America’s counterterrorism strategy, Sebastian Gorka, is described as an Israel-loving gun nut who is fond of “secret operations” and “special operators.” Gorka is tasked with overseeing all of America’s counterterrorism operations—both international and domestic. Klippenstein quotes from a federal counterterrorism manual published in 2021 that lists various so-called “mobilization indicators.” These indicators, he writes, are considered “characteristics that could move people to carry out acts of extremist violence.” Under the government’s domestic counterterrorism mandate, Americans who demonstrate such indicators could find themselves the subject of a suspected terrorism probe—even if they have never committed a crime. Klippenstein writes: Ever had a heated argument expressing sympathy for Luigi Mangione or HAMAS? Or bought military-style tactical equipment? Or withdrawn from family? If so, you meet the government’s criteria listed in its 2021 “Mobilization Indicators” booklet, a document intended to help local and state police to spot a terrorist. These criteria might strike you as creepy because, as the booklet itself concedes, “many of the mobilization indicators included in this booklet may also relate to constitutionally protected activities.” In short, if you’ve ever been a super-vocal critic of the current administration or its allies, you could end up being a target of the government’s national security state. Lots of people—myself included—saw this coming. In 2021, when the Biden administration began pushing for a new domestic terrorism program, I thought it was a really, really bad idea. At the time, I wrote: For all the wailing and gnashing of teeth the Democrats did about Trump’s authoritarian style, it seems deeply ironic that they would kick off this new moment of party ascendance by pushing for such overwhelming new powers for the nation’s security agencies. Such proposals seem destined to do little except further disfigure the already mutilated corpus of civil liberties that Americans used to take such pride in—but which they now ever more sleepily deride as outdated, impractical, and unsafe. Now, here we are, some four years later, and a program that offers the government way too much power could easily be weaponized against peaceful political protesters. It’s not a happy time, though perhaps Americans might learn something from it.

Skip the produce when playing with your cat.   Image: Thorsten Nilson/Getty Images Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 You’ve probably seen the videos as you scroll through your social media feed: It starts with a cat minding their own business, calmly eating kibble or wet food. Behind the feline, however, sits a cucumber. As the cat finishes their meal and turns, they spy the dark green, cylindrical object, and the calm scene turns to chaos. The cat skitters and jumps, sometimes reaching unnatural heights, rushing to escape … a cucumber? The viral videos presume that cats are afraid of cucumbers, but cat experts aren’t so sure. While the experts we interviewed agree the videos do showcase terrified cats, they don’t believe cucumbers are the problem. It’s actually the owners, they say.  Are cats afraid of cucumbers?  We don’t know much about cat behavior. As the New York Times recently reported, cats are vastly understudied. Some experts have theorized that the cucumber might look like a snake, which could cause cats harm in the wild, but Katenna Jones, a cat and dog behaviorist and owner of Jones Animal Behavior, isn’t so sure.  “It could be there’s some sort of evolutionary thing where they think it’s a snake because their primitive ancestors were eaten by snakes,” Jones said. But, in her long experience living with and working with cats, they generally could care less about cucumbers and other similarly shaped objects. In a YouTube video, she showed a cat barely sniffing a cucumber, as well as a carrot and Twix bar.  What we do know, however, is that cats earn their “scaredy-cat” moniker for a reason: They are a prey species, and, in the wild, they’re always on high alert for attackers, Jones said. “It takes a lot for them to put their head down and put their back to a wide open space to feel safe enough to eat,” Jones said. “And when they do it over and over and over and nothing happens to them, then they just sort of assume that it’s going to be safe to do that.” In other words, the videos begin when we see cats who have been allowed to exist in a safe space and trust that they can take a minute to eat without fearing for their lives. But then, at some point, an object that seems big to them is placed behind them, sparking that dramatic reaction as they turn to leave their food bowl. Their reaction, Jones said, is no different from when we hop into the shower and are surprised by a giant spider. “It’s going to scare the crap out of you,” she said. “And [the cucumber] is a large, dark object that’s suddenly behind them.”  “I think it’s just a combination of them being a prey species and on edge for their safety in a moment of being completely relaxed and this large, dark object appears right behind them,” Jones added. Jane Ehrlich, a feline behaviorist with Cattitude Feline Behavior Counseling, also wonders what else is happening behind the scenes in the video. Did the person recording the video make a noise? Was there some other off-camera motion that scared the cat?  What do the cats’ reactions to the cucumbers tell us?  Both Ehrlich and Jones agree, however, that the videos show all the telltale signs of a cat experiencing extreme stress. “They are doing what cats do to escape predators,” Jones said.  In these videos, the cat being filmed typically jumps straight up into the air with an arched back, with their  fur puffed up in order to appear larger and more threatening. “It is defensive, not offensive,” Ehrlich said of their reactions. “That is definitely fear.”   If these fearful moments are a one-off incident, the cat will likely be fine. But chronic stressors can exacerbate compulsive behaviors, aggression, and health issues, such as skin and digestive sensitivity, Jones said. It could also fracture your relationship with your pet.  What’s a better way to have fun with your cat?  There are far better ways to laugh with your cat instead of at them. Give your pet some agency, Jones advised. If you’re holding your pet Garfield and he wants to get down, let him get down. (Do not, however, give him the lasagne he demands.) Allow your cat to have different experiences, so you can discover their personality, Jones said. For example, one of her cats loves “helping” her make the bed each morning. Another loves twisty ties from a loaf of bread. And play the way your cat is telling you they want to play, Ehrlich said. Some cats, for example, might gravitate toward toys that resemble ground prey such as a lizard, while others may enjoy toys that mimic birds.  Just don’t try to scare your cat, Jones said. “Fear isn’t funny for the one that’s receiving it.” This story is part of Popular Science’s Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07780-8Using volumetric electron microscopy, the authors map and analyze the structure of cortical inhibition with synaptic resolution across a column of visual cortex.

Pesquet's parrot, also known as a Dracula parrot, resembles a vulture and has a distinct scream — but its favorite food is figs.

submitted by /u/damnboychill [link] [comments]

We’ve partnered with @emperiavr to launch a contest that celebrates creativity in digital storytelling.Use Emperia’s Creator Tools to build your experience and share it with the world.Top entries will be featured on 80 Level.Details: https://emperiavr.com/80lvcontest/

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The scientists have found methane in the atmosphere of WISEA J181006.18 −101000.5, the T dwarf closest to Earth. The study was published in the online preprint journal arXiv on March 28, and the final, revised version was published on November 17. The WISE1810 is a metal-poor T dwarf planet, which is situated at a distance of 29 light years from the Earth. The effective temperature of the dwarf is reported to be within the range of 800–1,300 K.Methane Signature Surprises AstronomersAccording to a Phys.org report, the finding is made greatly possible by the present 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The detection of methane in the atmosphere of the dwarf planet has further made its classification as T-type instead of L-type, which was earlier suggested in previous studies, the publication notes. The study further reveal that there are no traces of carbon monoxide and potassium in the atmosphere of the WISE1810. The study further highlights that the carbon abundance in the planet is estimated to be -1.5 dex, while the effective temperature could be around 1,000 K. The author of the paper further revealed that the low metallicity of the T dwarf planet could be due to the non-detection of atomic potassium. However, a lower temperature could also boost this effect, the report further highlights. The study also found that WISE1810 has a heliocentric velocity of -83 km/s. The 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) supplies a significant contribution to finishing WISEA J181006.18−101000 observations. Interestingly, the previous observations of the dwarf platent suggested that the atmosphere of the dwarf planet was dominated by hydrogen and water vapour. Moreover, the study further reveals that findings indicates WISE1810 could more likely to be associated with the Milky Way's thick disk, despite its very low metallicity. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: T dwarf, methane, brown dwarf, Epsilon Indi Ba, astronomy, James Webb Space Telescope, exoplanet analog Gadgets 360 Staff The resident bot. If you email me, a human will respond. More

Unlock AI’s Potential: A Simple Guide to Google AI Studio for 2025Just now--Artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech giants anymore—it’s becoming accessible to everyone. Google AI Studio is proof of that. This platform makes it easier for businesses and developers to create and deploy AI-powered tools without needing an advanced background in machine learning. Whether you’re a startup looking to improve operations or an individual exploring AI for the first time, Google AI Studio offers practical solutions to turn your ideas into reality. It’s designed to simplify AI development while keeping it powerful and flexible—opening the door for more innovation.Read full article here

MasterYoshi Member Oct 27, 2017 12,091 For me personally, it's gotta Monkey Ball 1&2. The Monkey Ball games were 'remade' in recent years but the physics didn't match and it felt like most all of the mini games suffered as a result. Especially my coveted Monkey Target. I would say Mario Kart Double Dash but with 8 and now World on the way, Double Dash would probably not be nearly as fun to revisit. Luigi's Mansion is already planned for later and it's up there on my mind. Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure 2. Pikmin 1&2 but I somehow doubt they'll make it as they are being sold as a collection currently...  --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,226 Animal Crossing.   Desma "This guy are sick" Member Oct 27, 2017 6,656 Gamecube's Tales of Symphonia would be fun to see   Vertpin Member Oct 27, 2017 6,637 melee.   Kaitos Tens across the board! Moderator Oct 25, 2017 18,254 Baten Kaitos and Origins with English VAs   SilentiousBeing Member Sep 10, 2020 1,409 Anything I'd want I'd honestly want remastered/remade so I find the whole thing kind of awkward.   Last edited: Apr 2, 2025 NinjaScooter Member Oct 25, 2017 60,040 Skies of Arcadia Legends 1080 Avalanche Twin Snakes Phantasy Star Online 1 and 2  bounchfx Member Oct 25, 2017 7,611 Muricas Maybe skies of Arcadia? They honestly got 3 of my favs at launch and showed other ones I would have requested anyway Edit: ooo fuck yes 1080 and PSO  steviestar3 One Winged Slayer Member Jul 3, 2018 5,280 Custom Robo   NookSports Member Oct 27, 2017 5,628 Skies of Arcadia x3   NateDrake Member Oct 24, 2017 8,017 Melee and Monkey Ball.   Apollo Corrupted by Vengeance Avenger Oct 25, 2017 9,781 Monkey Ball 1/2 and Custom Robo.   Lobster Roll signature-less, now and forever™ Member Sep 24, 2019 39,933 Toadstool Tour. And nothing else on the GameCube comes close. Ok, actually, the two Mario Baseball titles get kinda close. But otherwise it's Toadstool Tour all the way. You are not prepared for the amount of glee I'll bring on that day. It's one of my gaming white whales.   Camelsruler Member Aug 2, 2024 29 Cubivore Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg  Majulas Member Feb 25, 2018 106 Twilight Princess. If we're not getting Wind Waker or Twilight Princess HD ports, I'd like them to at least be on the platform in some capacity   FrakEarth Member Oct 25, 2017 3,703 Liverpool, UK Monkey Ball, Twin Snakes, Sonic Adventures and Four Swords They should do something special to get Four Swords and Pacman Vs working online via NSO  Diarrhea Day-Lewis Member Oct 27, 2017 21,409 It will probably happen but i love Mario Golf Toadstool Tour so I can't wait for that to be there   spicynun Member Jul 19, 2020 730 Very unlikely but Crystal Chronicles with embedded GBA screens somehow for multiplayer. Phantasy Star Online Billy Hatcher Gotcha Force (Mainly because of that price) Cubivore Bomberman Generation Lost Kingdoms 1 and 2 I want a remaster for Skies of Arcadia so I kinda don't want to see that.  shadowman16 Member Oct 25, 2017 40,593 Melee with Multiplayer would be cool. Skies of Arcadia Id really appreciate getting ported as Ive always wanted to play it. Gotcha Force, PN03, Viewtiful Joe 1&2, Mega Man Network Transmission and Command Mission would be nice to see (considering they've still not been ported any other way) Id really love to see the Star Wars Rogue Squadron games (Rogue Leader and Rebel Strike) ported as those are incredible.  wagon Member Jan 6, 2025 255 Majulas said: Twilight Princess. If we're not getting Wind Waker or Twilight Princess HD ports, I'd like them to at least be on the platform in some capacity Click to expand... Click to shrink... What was the main differences between TP HD on WIIU and GC version again?  TheAggroCraig This guy are sick of the One Winged Slayer Member Nov 6, 2017 7,127 PSO would be a dream. Kirby Air Ride, MKDD, 1080 with the LAN support would be amazing but highly doubt it'll happen. It'll have online but if I could have the full screen that's the ideal dream of Warppipe.   Yoshimitsu126 The Fallen Nov 11, 2017 16,937 United States NBA Street Volume 2 and I guess 3 with the Mario characters   Kinsei Avenger Oct 25, 2017 21,673 Kururin Squash 1080 Avalanche Cubivore Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2 Four Swords Adventure with online multiplayer  Stat Member Oct 25, 2017 6,239 I mean, it's none of the Nintendo titles. Give me Def Jam, give me NBA Street, give me NHL Hitz.   Kouriozan Member Oct 25, 2017 24,315 FromSoft you know what to do !  Lant_War Classic Anus Game The Fallen Jul 14, 2018 25,019 I was gonna say monkey ball but you got that covered so uhhh burnout 2 I guess?   ScoutDave Member Oct 25, 2017 6,784 --R said: Animal Crossing. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Bang On! Bring back the miserable angry animals!  Wtfpigeons Member Aug 6, 2020 584 Twilight princess   GreenMamba Member Oct 25, 2017 11,666 wagon said: What was the main differences between TP HD on WIIU and GC version again? Click to expand... Click to shrink... The GCN version doesn't have widescreen support (despite the Wii version having it).   Dark Ninja Member Oct 27, 2017 8,280 -Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (RELEASE THE BONGOS) -Zelda 4 Swords -Metal Gear Twin Snakes -Eternal Darkness -Viewtiful Joe -Gotcha Force -Custom Robo -P.N. 03 -XIII -Rogue Squadron 2 -Naruto Clash of Ninja Games -Ultimate Muscle -WWE Day of Reckoning 2  KillstealWolf One Winged Slayer Avenger Oct 27, 2017 18,229 Yes, I would like the Pinball Microphone Controlled Tactical Wargame please.  erlim Member Oct 26, 2017 5,927 London Twin Snakes, Timesplitters 2 and Future Perfect!   tajd Banned Mar 15, 2024 528 Sonic heroes   Beren One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 4,953 Melee and Animal Crossing I'd say Fire Emblem but they already announced it so we're golden  Breadfan78 Member Dec 8, 2022 777 Eternal darkness and Animal crossing would be great.   McNum One Winged Slayer Member Oct 26, 2017 5,940 Denmark Skies of Arcadia Legends! Everything else would be gravy. Though I wouldn't mind a dose of Viewtiful Joe while we're at it.  ClearMetal Member Oct 25, 2017 18,566 the Netherlands The Fire Emblem Tellius duology. I wouldn't buy a Switch 2 specifically for it but I would certainly look forward to finally play those titles handheld. Edit Oh wait, Radiant Dawn was a Wii game wasn't it? Well only Path of Radiance then. Still nice.  TooFriendly Member Oct 30, 2017 2,136 I would have said F-Zero GX and maybe soul calibur 2. But also I'm hoping for stuff like: Cubivore Doshin the Giant Baten Kaitos PN03 Wave Race Viewtiful Joe  wagon Member Jan 6, 2025 255 GreenMamba said: The GCN version doesn't have widescreen support (despite the Wii version having it). Click to expand... Click to shrink... right got it ty  HockeyBird Member Oct 27, 2017 13,659 Still the only version to run at 60 fps  Jerm411 Member Oct 27, 2017 8,939 Clinton, MO Toadstool Tour Viewtiful Joe Twin Snakes  Papercuts Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 12,510 Skies of Arcadia: Legends fucking pls Chibi Robo in the works was really nice to see already.  closer Member Oct 25, 2017 5,306 twin snakes but they force you to use joycon motion controls   Spawnsniper Member Oct 28, 2017 1,003 Bmxxx   Crono Member Oct 25, 2017 2,878 Eternal darkness   SlyCoug88 Member Jan 10, 2018 1,207 My biggest hope is that they will figure out a good way to implement the GBA controller functionality in games that used it like Four Swords Adventures. Not to mention the tingle tuner in WW.   Sagroth Member Oct 28, 2017 7,925 Unless these games also become purchasable somewhere (even on another platform), I'd rather they didn't.   logash Member Oct 27, 2017 6,023 Skies of Arcadia   L Thammy Spacenoid Member Oct 25, 2017 54,355 Gotcha Force   ChrisD One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 4,980 Mother effin Four Swords Adventure PLEASE