Friends in high places Trump and DOJ try to spring former county clerk Tina Peters from prison Trump directs DOJ to help secure release of Peters from Colorado prison. Jon Brodkin – May 6, 2025 4:14 pm | 73 Tina Peters on June 28, 2022, in Sedalia, Colorado. Credit: Getty Images | Marc Piscotty Tina Peters on June 28, 2022, in Sedalia, Colorado. Credit: Getty Images | Marc Piscotty Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more President Donald Trump is demanding the release of Tina Peters, a former election official who parroted Trump's 2020 election conspiracy theories and is serving nine years in prison for compromising the security of election equipment. In a post on Truth Social last night, Trump wrote that "Radical Left Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser ignores Illegals committing Violent Crimes like Rape and Murder in his State and, instead, jailed Tina Peters, a 69-year-old Gold Star mother who worked to expose and document Democrat Election Fraud. Tina is an innocent Political Prisoner being horribly and unjustly punished in the form of Cruel and Unusual Punishment." Trump said he is "directing the Department of Justice to take all necessary action to help secure the release of this 'hostage' being held in a Colorado prison by the Democrats, for political reasons." The former Mesa County clerk was indicted in March 2022 on charges related to the leak of voting-system BIOS passwords and other confidential information. Peters was convicted in August 2024 and later sentenced in a Colorado state court. "Your lies are well-documented and these convictions are serious," 21st Judicial District Judge Matthew Barrett told Peters at her October 2024 sentencing. "I am convinced you would do it all over again. You are as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen." DOJ reviews case for “abuse” of process After Peters' August 2024 conviction, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said that "Tina Peters willfully compromised her own election equipment trying to prove Trump's big lie." Peters appealed her conviction in a Colorado appeals court and separately sought relief in US District Court for the District of Colorado. She asked the federal court to order her release on bond while the state court system handles her appeal and said her health has deteriorated while being incarcerated. Trump's Justice Department submitted a filing on Peters' behalf in March, saying the US has concerns about "the exceptionally lengthy sentence imposed relative to the conduct at issue, the First Amendment implications of the trial court's October 2024 assertions relating to Ms. Peters, and whether Colorado's denial of bail pending appeal was arbitrary or unreasonable under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments." The DOJ urged the federal court to give "prompt and careful consideration" to Peters' petition and said the Peters case is being examined as part of a broader review of "abuses of the criminal justice process." The DOJ said its "review will include an evaluation of the State of Colorado's prosecution of Ms. Peters and, in particular, whether the case was 'oriented more toward inflicting political pain than toward pursuing actual justice or legitimate governmental objectives.'" State AG: Peters “believed she was above the law” Weiser responded in a March 11 filing that the Trump administration's intervention "appears to be a naked, political attempt to threaten or intimidate either this Court or the attorneys that prosecuted this matter," and that the US "cites not a single fact to support its baseless allegations that there are any reasonable concerns about Ms. Peters' prosecution or sentence, or that the prosecution was politically motivated in any way." The Weiser filing continued: While serving as the Clerk and Recorder of Mesa County, Ms. Peters deceived county employees to obtain credentials that allowed an unauthorized person to access Mesa County's voting system after the 2020 election. A Mesa County jury convicted Ms. Peters of three counts of attempt to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, and one count each of: first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with requirements of the Secretary of State. Ms. Peters sought an appeal bond, which the trial court denied because Ms. Peters demonstrated repeatedly that she believed she was above the law—from deceiving county employees, to violating the State's rules governing its election systems, to appearing (with a camera crew) at a voting site in violation of a protection order issued by the trial court. At no point during the proceedings did Ms. Peters exhibit any indication that she understood the gravity of her criminal conduct. Instead, even after her conviction, she reaffirmed her position that her conduct was justified by her conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Weiser's brief said he is unaware of the US ever previously "filing a statement in a habeas application challenging the State of Colorado's criminal proceedings." Peters’ petition has a problem US Magistrate Judge Scott Varholak appears ready to dismiss some of Peters' claims because she hasn't exhausted potential remedies in state courts. Varholak yesterday wrote that Peters hasn't exhausted appeals for her claim "that she was denied due process under the Fourteenth Amendment" and her claim that "she was denied the right to immunity under the Supremacy Cause and Privileges and Immunities Clause." By contrast, Varholak found that Peters has exhausted her claim that the denial of bond pending appeal violated her First Amendment right to free speech. This makes her complaint in federal court a "mixed petition" that contains both unexhausted and exhausted claims. A mixed petition would have to be dismissed in its entirety, but Varholak said Peters can continue in federal court by dropping the unexhausted claims and going forward with the exhausted one. Doing so "likely will bar her from seeking review of the unexhausted claims in a second or successive application," he noted. Peters can alternatively "request a stay of this action while she attempts to exhaust the unexhausted claims in state court." Weiser's office said in a statement to Colorado Public Radio today that he will continue to fight the Trump administration. "Tina Peters is in prison because of her own actions," Weiser's statement said. "A grand jury indicted her and a trial jury found her guilty of breaking Colorado's criminal laws. No one is above the law. The Colorado Attorney General's Office will continue to defend this criminal conviction in post-conviction proceedings and on appeal. We are firm in pursuing justice for the people of the state of Colorado, protecting free and fair elections, and standing up for the rule of law." Jon Brodkin Senior IT Reporter Jon Brodkin Senior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 73 Comments

Quantum correlations are the strongest ones ever measuredSAKKMESTERKE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The strange connections between quantum objects are the strongest relationships physicists can detect – and the mathematics of graphs may help explain why that is. “We are touching the question of, in some way, why quantum theory is as it is,” says Carlos Vieira at the State University of Campinas in Brazil. Together with José Nogueira and Marcelo Terra Cunha, also at the State University of Campinas, he has now offered one mathematically compelling answer…

The push back against Elon Musk's political activities are evolving beyond mass protests. Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS 2025-05-07T03:41:17Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Lehigh County's pension board voted to halt new Tesla stock purchases over Elon Musk. Tesla's revenue and shares have significantly declined, drawing widespread shareholder concerns. Global pension funds, including some in the Netherlands and Denmark, are divesting from Tesla. A swing county in Pennsylvania has decided that it will no longer purchase new Tesla stock, citing CEO Elon Musk's political activities and the company's declining shares.Lehigh County, located toward the east of Pennsylvania with a relatively affluent population that is often a swing county, has a county"Elon Musk's choice to become a political figure rather than a customer-focused leader has compromised the Tesla brand," Mark Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller who first introduced a motion to cease Tesla investments, said in a joint statement with organizers of Tesla Takedown. "Tesla's earnings are down 71% from a year ago, their auto revenues have dropped 20%, and profitability has taken a sharp dive," Pinsley added. "We owe it to our retirees and taxpayers to take a hard look at whether these are wise investments at this time."On Tuesday, the board not only voted to hit the brakes on new Tesla investments in a 4-2 decision, it has also and directed the county's investment manager to draft a report outlining options to divest its passively managed funds from Tesla.The Lehigh County Controller's Office and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comments.Pinsley and the retirement board of Lehigh County aren't the only ones concerned about pensions invested in Tesla.In March, a group of 51 New York State legislators called on the state to divest its $1 billion in Tesla holdings. A top contender in the New York City Comptroller race has pledged to pull the city's $300 billion pension portfolio out of Tesla if elected.Brad Lander, the current New York City Comptroller, has also been vocal about his dissatisfaction with Musk's leadership, but stopped short of calling for a divestment in his office's latest response to BI in April. The city's five public pension systems held more than 3 million Tesla shares worth about $1.26 billion on December 31, 2024, yet this figure has shrunk to $831 million by March 28, according to the comptroller's office.In April, eight state treasurers penned a joint letter to Tesla's board to express concern over Musk's lack of focus on Tesla, and the American Federation of Teachers is pressing major asset managers — including BlackRock and Vanguard — to consider divestment.Beyond the US border, the Netherlands' largest pension fund offloaded its $600 million stake in Tesla in January. Denmark's $20 billion pension fund, AkademikerPension, followed suit in March. Recently, Canada's largest public-sector union also urged national pension funds to cut ties with Tesla, though divestments have yet to happen.Tesla has been facing growing pressure over Musk's governance of the company and his political activity.The Tesla Takedown movement that emerged in protest of Musk's involvement in the White House DOGE office is aiming to evolve beyond demonstrations. The movement's next goal is toAs of May 6, Tesla stock has declined more than 27% since the beginning of 2025, and its Q1 revenue missed expectations. Musk has announced during the latest earnings call that he will be stepping back from his political activities at the White House.Marketing experts have previously told BI that Tesla has alienated its core customer base, and that rebranding efforts may require significant concessions from Musk."To some degree Musk can say, 'I don't care because I'm so rich and I've got so many other entities that I could afford to lose a lot of money.'" David J. Reibstein, professor of marketing at the Wharton School, previously told BI. "But for the other shareholders who are bailing on the company, that's problematic." Recommended video

By AJ Dellinger Published May 6, 2025 | Comments (11) | Truth Social logo appears on a smartphone in front of Donald Trump © rafapress (Shutterstock) No one would fault you for not knowing that Donald Trump’s “technology” company, Trump Media and Technology Group, has a streaming service. But now that you do know that, aren’t you curious what is on it? Lucky for you, a recent report from Talking Points Memo dug into the content over on Truth+ and it is every bit as batshit as you were probably imaging. Truth+ appears to be big on two things: religion and conspiracy theories. That seems like it is right in line with the MAGA crowd’s hobbies, but these conspiracies seem to be less of the “Trump had the election stolen from him” variety and more of the “Jesus Christ was a secret alien” kind. No, really. Per TPM, one of the films on the platform is called “Conspiracy Chronicles,” and it throws some incredible claims out there, including the possibility that Jesus, Buddha, and Krishna were all from a different planet. It also apparently claims that the Moon is “hollowed out” and serves as a base for aliens. Are they the same aliens sending us our most revered religious figures? Hard to say. What is clear, per the film, is that the US government has been covering all of this up. Luckily, the guy who runs the streaming service spewing these theories now has the power to debrief all that information! Surely he will, right? It’s only one of many films on the platform that are all in on out-there claims. Another, titled “Lizard People: Rulers of Time and Space,” claims that there is a race of lizard-like aliens who created humans and developed religious systems to control them. Frankly, it’s kinda wild how close these things get to acknowledging some form of reality (organized religion being used as a means of control, for instance) only to swerve and blame it on aliens instead of like, people who desire power and wealth. There are actual explanations for these things, but the only way for them to be digestible to a certain crowd is for those explanations to have some sort of otherworldiness sprinkled on top. Now, it would be fair to say that every streaming service has its fair share of bonkers titles that end up available through wide-reaching rights deals, and no one is actually watching them. And there are likely very few people watching Truth+ in general. But those who do are apparently eating up these conspiracies. TPM reported that the “Lizard People” movie was in the top 10 on the platform this week. That programming doesn’t exactly seem in line with the “news, Christian content, and family-friendly programming that is uncancellable by Big Tech” that Trump’s company promised when it launched the streaming platform last year. But maybe the Bible had more to say about serpents than just that snake in the Garden of Eden. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Ed Cara Published May 6, 2025 By Rhett Jones Published May 6, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published May 6, 2025 Laura Newcombe Published May 6, 2025 By Matt Novak Published May 6, 2025 By Sabina Graves Published May 5, 2025

BREEZZE Market / Dispacement Architectural DesignSave this picture!© WongkePublic Space, Market•Ningbo, China Architects: Dispacement Architectural Design Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1700 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Wongke Lead Architects: William Xu More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Located in the Jiaochuan Subdistrict community of Zhenhai District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, the project addresses the challenges faced by podium commercial spaces under the impact of shifting consumer patterns and the rise of online commerce. Struggling to survive, these commercial spaces have seen stagnant utilization and maintenance, with their original business formats nearly eroded. The key to revitalizing this area lies in understanding the demographics and genuine needs of nearby residents. With a population dominated by elderly individuals and relocated residents, daily shopping and leisure activities are their primary demands. To address this, we introduced a fresh market and small-scale public spaces—pocket parks—into the neighborhood, using lifestyle-driven strategies to breathe new life into the area. Save this picture!"Connection" is a core theme of this project. It refers not only to establishing new physical links between the redesigned architecture and the original neighborhood but also fostering connections between "merchants"and "residents." Drawing inspiration from childhood memories of rural markets—vibrant, organically formed gatherings where people freely interacted—we sought to recreate this warmth in an urban setting. Unlike standardized urban markets, these nostalgic spaces emphasize flexibility, with vendors choosing their own timings and locations, shortening both physical and psychological distances between people. Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!For sustainable commercial vitality, we focused on fundamental lifestyle needs. By reintroducing the concept of a *"village entrance"*—a traditional social hub—we reimagined the street as a communal space where residents can shop for groceries, enjoy a bowl of wontons, bask in the sun, or chat with neighbors, creating a "place that gathers energy and vitality." To avoid the sterility of enclosed markets, we scattered "pop-up stalls" across the area, allowing periodic free-market days. A central pocket park serves all age groups, offering a pause in daily routines—a spot to linger, converse, and build familiarity over time. Save this picture!The original gray building façades were visually uninviting, even after new shops opened. By introducing high-saturation colors, we transformed the street into an eye-catching destination. Once drawn in visually, visitors discover functional daily amenities, gradually forming an organic living scene. Our design aims to build such scenarios and highlight needs, inviting people to explore and engage. Save this picture!Save this picture!1. Minimal Intervention. The project spans 770㎡ of leased commercial space and 1,000㎡ of public areas. Completed in two phases, the first phase—finished in just 25 days—relied on 70% prefabricated components and 30% on-site construction. In Phase 1, we added a 1.5-meter cantilevered roof to the original podium, creating a 3-meter-wide semi-outdoor space. This sheltered area connects shops to the street, fostering micro-social interactions. Phase 2 introduced subtle enhancements like rain shelters and foldable tabletops on stone benches, optimizing comfort and usability with minimal intervention. Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!2. Lightness. Rain shelters combine FRP grating and laminated glass, softening sunlight while framing views of the sky and filtering out surrounding visual clutter. Cross-shaped steel frames and tension rods ensure structural lightness. Seating features include washed stone and wood in dart-like shapes. Set back from main walkways, these areas reduce architectural while enhancing psychological safety for elderly users. The "negative space" between shops and seating encourages spontaneous gatherings. Save this picture!Reconstruction and Symbiosis of Neighborhood Culture and Shared Growth - By blending commerce and leisure organically, everyday interactions, like discussing fresh produce or sharing tips, create new social opportunities. Strangers gradually become familiar "villagers," then neighbors, weaving tighter community bonds. Once-deserted podium spaces have evolved into vibrant, open neighborhoods. Beyond architectural renewal, the project rebuilds symbiotic relationships, transforming markets into spaces not just for transactions but for connection, conversation, and experiencing life together.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Ningbo, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this office MaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on May 07, 2025Cite: "BREEZZE Market / Dispacement Architectural Design" 07 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029834/breezze-market-dispacement-architectural-design&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

In this quick tutorial, learn how to add a panner to your project in Unreal Engine 5. Perfect for enhancing your Anime-Style Wind Rings material!#UnrealEngine #GameDev #VFX #Niagara #Tutorial

Climate change could fuel the spread of a fungus that can sicken and even kill people, as well as threaten crops, according to a study posted on the preprint server Research Square.Fungal infections already kill about 1.5 million a year. There are now few effective antifungal agents available, with many fungi developing resistance to them. One particular mold-like fungus called Aspergillus is responsible for most such deaths in the Northern Hemisphere.What Is Aspergillus?Aspergillus is sometimes referred to as a “killer fungus," but that may be a bit of an exaggeration; most people who come into contact with it won’t die.However, people with serious respiratory diseases or who are immuno-compromised may be at risk. In some cases, the fungi’s spores trigger an allergic reaction. Others develop lung infections. In the most serious cases, the infection spreads into the blood vessels.Spreading Fungi SpeciesThe authors studied how three types of Aspergillus could spread across the planet as warming increases. A. fumigatus lives in temperate areas and already has a presence in Europe and North America. It is most closely associated with humans. A. flavus and A. niger both do better in hotter conditions, and are more closely tied to causing plant disease. A. flavus is now most prevalent in India and Pakistan, while A. niger is now most common in the Southern Hemisphere.“We have shown that all three Aspergillus species will move more poleward and become more prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere while the less suitable habitat will be presented across the Southern Hemisphere,” according to the paper. “We show this can potentially impact plant infections and human infections.”The research shows A. fumigatus could expand its territory by 77 percent, if existing warming rates continue. It tends to grow faster at higher temperatures — and the human body possesses just the right level of heat for it to be comfy.Avoiding Fungus ExposureSince A. fumigatus presence is growing, it is difficult to completely dodge exposure. The best way to avoid breathing in the fungi’s spores is to stay clear of construction sites, compost piles and buildings that store grain. People who are immunocompromised may want to wear masks when they suspect they might be in the presence of the fungi. And those who suffer from asthma or cystic fibrosis should see a doctor whenever they notice a change in their breathing. This is a good idea whether or not the suspected cause is A. fumigatus.The best weapon against A. fumigatus may be awareness — because its' already here and appears to be a growing threat. “The spread of fungal species towards the poles due to climate change has already been observed,” according to a researcher profile for co-author Norman van Rhijn, a scientist at the University of Manchester, England.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Mayo Clinic. AspergillosisBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

A 3D rendering of a sperm cell.   CREDIT: Westend61 via Getty Images. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Sperm are somewhat like Goldilocks in their quest for everything to be just right. At least in mammals, the male sex cells are surprisingly picky about temperature and it can’t be too hot or too cold for them to do their thing. Sperm thrives in conditions only a few degrees cooler than normal body temperature. But they must endure warmer temperatures in the female reproductive tract in order to fulfill their destiny and fertilize an egg. But how? Warmer temperatures appear to trigger a specific signal that activates the sperm into an important hyperactive state. Their motions switch from the relative smooth and steady movement used for navigation into the thrashing and twisting motions required to enter an egg.  These findings in mice are detailed in a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications. “It’s always exciting to uncover the molecular mechanism behind a well-known physiological phenomenon,” Polina V. Lishko, a study co-author and physiologist and cell biologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, tells Popular Science.”Everyone knew that male reproductive organs are maintained at a temperature lower than the core body temperature, but the reason why this is necessary wasn’t clearly understood—until now.” Credit: Polina Lishko CatSper the friendly protein All mammals have a particular protein on the surface of sperm called CatSper. It controls the entry of the particles needed to power the hyperactive movements in the tail-like flagella that propels sperm forward to its target.  While temperature activation of CatSper was previously not known, scientists believed that the protein was activated by the pH level in the female reproductive channel. In primates, one female reproductive hormone called progesterone was also believed to activate CatSper. However, this theory didn’t fully hold up. According to Lishko, most mammalian sperm do not respond to progesterone. Another factor had to be pulling the strings behind the CatSper switch. Temperature seemed like a primary factor, since mammalian evolution has developed numerous ways to help keep the male reproductive organs at or below the optimal 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Dolphins lower the temperature of the blood headed for their internal testes by passing it through their dorsal fin first. Elephants use their ears to cool blood down in a similar way. Humans and most other mammals create and store sperm in testicles located outside of their body to keep them cool. Birds and other animals that lack these cooling adaptations for their male reproductive organs also do not have CatSper proteins on their sperm. [ Related: These sterile mice have been modified to make rat sperm. ] Working like a ‘spermostat’ In the new study, Lishko and her team used tiny micron-scaled tools and techniques originally made to study brain cells. They observed the pattern of electric charges that are distinctive to CatSper’s activation in individual mice sperm cells. There were clear spikes when the temperature surrounding the cell went above 100.4 degrees.  Once the CatSper was activated, the sperm’s behavior switched from those relatively smooth motions used to navigate into the hyperactive movements needed for fertilization. In some ways, CatSper works like a thermostat, or “spermostat.” For Lishko, “to once again witness how elegantly nature designs its elements,” was surprising and exciting.  Future applications A better understanding of temperature’s role in fertility may help to improve both male contraception and infertility treatments. Since the CatSper protein only appears in sperm, targeting it wouldn’t affect other bodily functions.  Some next steps include exploring “whether we can achieve contraception (or increase fertility) by targeting this temperature-unique feature of sperm calcium channel,” says Lishko. While there have been some attempts to make male contraceptives that deactivate this calcium channel, those methods have not been very effective. The knowledge gained from this discovery might point to new approaches for doing so.  With more research, it could be possible to activate the CatSper with temperature changes and turn that calcium channel on to drain the sperm of energy, “so that by the time the sperm cell is ready to do its job and enter the egg cell, it is powerless.”

Nature, Published online: 06 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01405-4USAID’s shutdown: a crisis for sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers studying pterosaur tracks have found that ancient flying reptiles became better adapted to life on land during the middle of the Jurassic period and even shared environments with dinosaurs.