Image by BSIP / UIG Via GettyStudiesA nasty bacterial superbug that kills hundreds of thousands of people per year is spreading through hospitals — and it feeds on something surprising, scientists have now found.Researchers from the Brunel University of London have found, per a new study in the journal Cell, that the bacterial Pseudomonas aeruginosa appears to "digest" medical plastic.Associated with more than 559,000 deaths globally per year, this drug-resistant bug is, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, believed to cause other illnesses like pneumonia or urinary tract infections. People often seem to develop it after surgery, but until this study, researchers weren't aware that it might be living or feeding on medical plastics.By analyzing a strain of the bacteria taken from a patient's wound swab, the microbial researchers found that P. aeruginosa seems specifically to survive longer on polycaprolactone, a plastic used in all kinds of medical interventions ranging from sutures, stints, and surgical mesh to wound dressings, drug-delivery patches, and implants.In Brunel University's press release about the "world-first" research, study leader Ronan McCarthy said this finding suggests that medical professionals should rethink how bugs spread throughout hospitals and other healthcare settings."Plastics, including plastic surfaces, could potentially be food for these bacteria," McCarthy said. "Pathogens with this ability could survive for longer in the hospital environment."The study also, as the professor noted, "means that any medical device or treatment that contains plastic" — including the ventilators some pneumonia patients need and catheters necessary for UTIs — "could be susceptible to degradation by bacteria."Beyond its ability to break down such important medical tools, the researchers also found that the enzyme they isolated appears to grow stronger biofilms, or outer layers that help bacteria resist antibiotics and make them harder to treat, after digesting plastic.Though there will obviously need to be more study to figure out how best to head off this plastic-eating menace, there's a 200-year history of pathogenic adaptation behind P. aeruginosa that suggests it may eventually circumvent any such measures.Still, McCarthy pointed out that scientists "need to understand the impact this has on patient safety.""Plastic is everywhere in modern medicine," he said, "and it turns out some pathogens have adapted to degrade it."Share This Article

After eight seasons and over 200 guest stars, the adult animated franchise "Big Mouth" premiered its final season on Friday.Though it never reached the viewership numbers of behemoths like "Bridgerton" or "Stranger Things," it's one of the streamer's longest running original scripted shows.Across eight years, the series has won five Emmys and inspired the 2022 spin-off, "Human Resources." Season eight concludes the series, which was created by Nick Kroll, his childhood best friend Andrew Goldberg, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin.The season follows a group of teens entering Bridgeton High School and having to rediscover their identities in the new school.As with previous seasons, the teens' hormones, feelings, and mental illnesses are personified through various creatures that appear to help guide the teens through the ups and downs of puberty. Nick Kroll plays Nick and Maury. Nick Kroll plays numerous characters in "Big Mouth." Courtesy of Netflix / Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix Kroll played several human characters, including Nick Birch, the series' lead character, who was inspired by Kroll's childhood.Kroll also played Lola Skumpy and Coach Steve, Andrew's hormone monster, Maury, and Nick's hormone monster, Rick.Kroll is known for starring in the FX comedy "The League," creating and starring in his own sketch series "Kroll Show," and creating the "Big Mouth" spinoff series "Human Resources." John Mulaney plays Andrew Glouberman. John Mulaney plays Andrew, who is inspired by series co-creator Andrew Goldberg. Courtesy of Netflix Andrew Glouberman, a boy obsessed with masturbation, is Nick Birch's best friend who joins him on his adventure through puberty.John Mulaney, a comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" writer, plays the character. Mulaney has starred in other animated movies, including "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Jessi Klein plays Jessi Glaser. Jessi Klein is a producer and writer. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Jessi Klein plays Jessi Glaser, a close friend of Nick and Andrew's who explores her sexuality and struggles with depression and her parents' divorce.Klein is best known for her writing and producing work, having previously produced "Inside Amy Schumer," "Transparent," and "Dead to Me." Maya Rudolph plays Connie LaCienega and Diane Birch. Maya Rudolph has won four Emmys for her performance as Connie. Will Heath / NBC via Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Maya Rudolph plays two characters in the series — Connie LaCienega, the hormone monster for Jessi, and Diane Birch, Nick's mother.Rudolph, who rose to fame as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," has won four primetime Emmy Awards for her performance in "Big Mouth" and has starred in numerous movies and TV shows, including "Bridesmaids," "The Good Place," and "The Lego Movie 2." Ayo Edebiri plays Missy Foreman-Greenwald. Ayo Edebiri played Missy from seasons five to eight. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Missy is a nerdy biracial classmate of Andrew, Jessi, and Nick's.In the first four seasons, Jenny Slate voiced the character, but she stepped down from the role in 2020, announcing on Instagram that black people should play black characters.Slate was replaced with Ayo Edebiri as Missy began to explore her Black identity in the show.Edebiri is best known for her breakout roles in the 2020s in "Bottoms" and "The Bear." Thandiwe Newton plays Mona. Thandiwe Newton plays a British hormone monster. Rodin Eckenroth / Film Magic / Getty / Courtesy of Netflix Thandiwe Newton played Missy's British hormone monster, Mona.Newton is known for starring in "Westworld," "Mission: Impossible II," and "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Jason Mantzoukas plays Jay Bilzerian. Jason Mantzoukas is known for playing chaotic characters like Jay. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Jay Bilzerian, a sex-obsessed bisexual boy, is another friend of Andrew, Nick, and Jessi's.Mantzoukas is a comedian who has previously played equally wacky characters in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "The Good Place," and "The League." Andrew Rannells plays Matthew MacDell. Andrew Rannells is the voice behind Matthew. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix Matthew MacDell, a gossipy gay student, was initially a secondary character in the first few seasons but became one of the main characters after season 3, developing relationships with Jay and Jessi.Broadway and screen actor Andrew Rannells has starred in "The Prom" and "Girls" and has a vibrant voice-acting career, appearing on shows like "Sonic X," "Pokémon," and "Invincible." David Thewlis plays The Shame Wizard. David Thewlis plays a spectre known as The Shame Wizard. Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix David Thewlis joined the cast in season two as the Shame Wizard, who will mock and bully the children to amplify their shame around their mistakes.Thewlis previously starred in multiple "Harry Potter" movies, "Wonder Woman," and "The Theory of Everything." Jean Smart plays Depression Kitty. Jean Smart played Depression Kitty since season two. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Depression Kitty first shows up in season two after Jessi starts to develop strong negative emotions amid her parents' divorce. Since then, Depression Kitty has made a few appearances across the show.Jean Smart, an Emmy-winning actor who stars in "Hacks," played Depression Kitty. Maria Bamford plays Tito the Anxiety Mosquito. Tito (Maria Bamford) has had recurring appearances since season four. Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix. Tito the Anxiety Mosquito embodies the children's anxiety, first appearing in season four. Comedian Maria Bamford is known for her comedy specials as well as her Netflix show "Lady Dynamite." Zazie Beetz plays Danni. Zazie Beetz only starred in season 7. Amy Sussman / Getty Images / Netflix Danni is a student Nick meets in season seven when considering attending a private school.Zazie Beetz is known for her roles in "Atlanta," "Deadpool 2," "Joker," and "Bullet Train." Megan Thee Stallion plays Megan. Megan Thee Stallion made a cameo in "Big Mouth" season 7 as Megan the hormone monstress. David Crotty / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images / Netflix In season seven, Megan Thee Stallion guest stars as Megan, a hormone monster for Danni.Megan Thee Stallion is better known for her rapping career, though she has also starred in Disney+'s "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" and the 2023 movie "Dicks: The Musical." Jordan Peele plays the ghost of Duke Ellington. The ghost of Duke Ellington (Jordan Peele) was a major supporting character in the first few seasons. Unique Nicole / WireImage / Netflix One of Nick's friends is the ghost of jazz pianist Duke Ellington, who lives in the teen's attic.Jordan Peele is the voice behind the ghost. He also played Missy's father, Cyrus Foreman-Greenwald.Peele is an Oscar-winning horror director and comedy actor best known for directing "Get Out," "Nope," and "Us" and starring in "Key and Peele." Brian Tyree Henry plays Elijah. Brian Tyree Henry joined the cast in season six. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images / Netflix Elijah, an asexual Christian student, appears in seasons six and seven, building a relationship with Missy. They broke up after graduating from middle school.Brian Tyree Henry, known for his roles in "Atlanta," "Bullet Train," and Marvel's "Eternals," plays Elijah. Henry has voice acting experience from starring in the "Spider-Verse" movies as Miles Morales' father, Jefferson. Natasha Lyonne plays Ms. Dunn. Natasha Lyonne stars as a sex-ed teacher in "Big Mouth" season eight. The Hapa Blonde / GC Images / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Natasha Lyonne guest stars in the final season as sex-ed teacher Ms. Dunn. Lyonne has also made cameos in previous seasons playing Suzette Saint James, Jay's pillow girlfriend, and Nadia Vulvokov, the character Lyonne plays in Netflix's "Russian Doll."Lyonne is best known for starring in "American Pie," "Orange is the New Black," and "Poker Face." Ali Wong plays Ali. Ali Wong joined the cast in season three, playing a transfer student. Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic via Getty Images Ali Wong joined "Big Mouth" in season three, playing the pansexual transfer student Ali.Wong is a comedian who has previously starred in other Netflix originals like "Beef" and "Always Be My Maybe." Keke Palmer plays Rochelle. Keke Palmer is the voice actor behind the "Big Mouth" character Rochelle. Emma McIntyre / WireImage / Courtesy of Netflix "Big Mouth" season five introduced the concept of Hateworms and Lovebugs, who strengthen the children's emotions. Rochelle, played by Keke Palmer, was Missy's Hateworm but later transformed into her Lovebug.Palmer is best known for starring in "True Jackson, VP," "One of Them Days," and "Nope."

On Wednesday evening, the American Jewish Committee held a reception at DC’s Capital Jewish Museum. The gathering, aimed at Jewish foreign policy professionals between the ages of 22 and 45, featured speakers from humanitarian groups. One such groups, IsraAID, said in a statement that the event “focused on bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza through Israeli-Palestinian and regional collaboration.”At around 9 pm, a gunman killed two attendees leaving the event. Their names were Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim: They were young people working at the Israeli Embassy and a couple planning to get married.Their murders were undoubtedly political. In video of the perpetrator’s arrest, he yells “free Palestine” — a slogan that eyewitnesses also heard him repeat after the killing. A manifesto, published on Twitter/X under the shooter’s name, lays out a clear motivation: punishing those he saw as complicit in Israel’s mass killing of the Palestinians.Reflecting on this sequence of events, it’s hard not to spiral into ever-greater depths of anger and despair. This is partly for personal reasons: I grew up Jewish in Washington, DC, and am the kind of young professional this event would be marketed to. But more fundamentally, it’s for political ones: these murders underscore how dangerous the current political moment is, and may materially make it worse.Wednesday was not the first time that a pro-Palestine activist in America attempted political murder. Last month, a man attempted to burn down the governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania in retaliation for, in the suspect’s words, “what [Governor Josh Shapiro] wants to do to the Palestinian people.”These events were not only predictable but predicted. Since October 7, 2023, prominent elements of the pro-Palestinian movement have glorified political violence. Though repeatedly warned that this was harmful, including by fellow critics of Israel’s war, this kind of talk became normalized — including in the sort of online left-wing social media spaces where the DC suspect apparently spent time. The vast majority of the pro-Palestine movement is peaceful, but the most radical subfaction created a climate where real-world violence might become more thinkable.“Fears of anti-Israel political violence on the left are real, and last night that threat became deadly,” Jeremy Ben-Ami, the leader of the pro-peace J Street activist group, said in an emailed statement. “We urge all those in the pro-Palestine movement to take stock of this moment and recognize the danger of extreme rhetoric as it hits the ears of unhinged individuals.”Moreover, the killing in DC actually endangers the chances for peace in Gaza — changing the domestic politics on Israel-Palestine in a way that decreases the chances of the US government reining in Israel even as it begins a nightmarishly violent offensive.“Every single act & word that can associate the Palestinian cause with terrorism, hatred & antisemitism is an act or word that hurts Palestinians in Washington, DC. [This] act of terrorism did all three,” writes Monica Marks, a professor of Middle East politics at NYU Abu Dhabi.There is no good here, no silver lining. Two young people were murdered in cold blood by an ideologue who convinced himself that murder, not democratic activism, is the right way to advocate for the downtrodden. He is not the first to do so — and the track record of those like him is bloody.How pro-Palestine extremists made violence more likelySince the October 7 attacks, a number of leading American pro-Palestine voices have publicly and loudly embraced violence.Students for Justice in Palestine, the national convening group for campus protests, described Hamas’s killings on October 7 as “a historic win for the Palestinian resistance.” Within Our Lifetime, a New York-based activist group that embraces violence as a Palestinian tactic, uses similar language. University of Pennsylvania students chanted in support of Hamas’s military wing (“al-Qassam, make us proud, take another soldier down”). Prominent left-wing media figures compared October 7 to John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry and valorized anti-Israel terrorist groups. Perhaps the most relevant case for current purposes is Khymani James, a Columbia student who served as a spokesperson for the campus protest group CUAD. James fantasized about going out and murdering “Zionists” — a loose label that could include, say, attendees at a Jewish networking group in DC. While CUAD initially condemned James, the group later reversed its stance and issued a statement calling for more violence.“We support liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance,” the group said. “In the face of violence from the oppressor equipped with the most lethal military force on the planet, where you’ve exhausted all peaceful means of resolution, violence is the only path forward.”I want to be clear: these extremists do not speak for the vast majority of pro-Palestinian activists and demonstrators. There have only been a handful of incidents of violence at pro-Palestine rallies in the United States since October 7; these examples of extreme rhetoric are not a justification for painting an entire movement with a broad brush. And yet, the fact that there are influential organizations and individuals talking like this matters. It creates a social and political climate where violence targeting American Jews becomes more likely, even if we cannot (and should not) draw a straight line between any one instance of extreme rhetoric and the violence on Wednesday.In trying to understand the role of violent ideology in inciting terrorism, scholars Donald Holbrook and John Horgan suggest thinking of ideas as fundamentally “social” things. Most people who come across radical ideologies online, even explicitly pro-violence ones, do not become terrorists. But when there are communities either online or in person that are seen as validating violence, individuals become more likely to escalate to real-world killing.This is part of why we saw a deadly wave of white nationalist violence in 2019. Even though each killer acted independently, the existence of online spaces valorizing their acts of violence creates incentives for more people to turn violent.“The sharing of ideas that convey an understanding of collective grievance, aspiration and a sense of community is relevant to terrorism in a variety of often interweaving ways. Perhaps the most obvious concerns ways in which ideological output legitimizes certain targets or methods employed through terrorist violence,” they write.The DC shooter says something similar in his alleged manifesto. He writes that violence would have been justified as far back as 11 years ago, during the 2014 Israel-Gaza war. However, he writes, there were not enough Americans who would have agreed with his actions to make it politically effective. In 2014, he wrote, people would think it simply insane; today, he thinks “there are many Americans” who will see the killings as “highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do.”His expectations were not wrong. Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan, one of the most prominent pro-Palestine journalists in America, published a post condemning the DC shooting — only to face a wall of replies justifying the violence. (“The only good zionist is a dead Zionist” is but one of many examples.)The likely political consequences for Palestinians are disastrousMore broadly, there is good reason to believe that the evil in Washington is likely to abet Israel’s ongoing evil in Gaza.Israel has launched a new offensive in Gaza with a horrifying endgame: essentially, the full and complete ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip. Yet the offensive is in its early days, and there is still time to prevent the worst-case outcome from coming true.A lot will depend on the political climate in the United States. As Israel’s chief weapons provider and patron, Washington has immense leverage to push Jerusalem to back down. The question is whether Trump cares enough to pick a fight with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to the attack in DC, the two men were seemingly growing apart. Barak Ravid, Axios’s well-sourced Israel-Palestine correspondent, reports that Trump is increasingly “frustrated” with the ongoing Gaza war but still has not applied significant pressure on Netanyahu to back down.Now, however, the spotlight has been turned away from Gaza and back on the domestic American pro-Palestine movement — with much of the MAGA base seeing the Washington shooting as proof that the pro-Palestine left is indeed an internal enemy that deserves to be crushed. Andy McCarthy, a right-wing legal analyst at National Review, predicted a renewed crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech:I believe the consequences of these terrorist murders will include a stepping up of civil rights investigations of antisemitic violence and intimidation by the Justice Department, as well as a reaffirmation of the administration’s commitment to deport from the United States aliens — even legal aliens — who have participated in pro-Hamas agitation on American campuses and elsewhere.The political winds have shifted in a direction that makes the Trump administration less likely, not more likely, to confront Netanyahu.“Less than one full day ago the global news cycle, including Israeli newspapers, were focused on Israel terrorising foreign diplomats. Now a self-proclaimed ally’s act of terrorism shoots diplomats dead, shifts our focus & snatches that moral high ground away,” writes Marks, the NYU professor.It’s hard to say exactly how much the attack damages prospects for stopping Israel’s nightmare plan for Gaza. But we can be certain that it does not help.Much like the October 7 attacks themselves, the attack in DC is thus a double crime. It is an indefensible murder of innocents that also harmed the very people it claimed to be defending.See More: Politics

Mariska Hargitay just dropped a stunning family revelation—one she’s kept quiet for over 30 years.In her new documentary, My Mom Jayne, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the TV legend revealed that her biological father is not Mickey Hargitay, the man who raised her.Mariska discovered at 25 that her biological father was not Mickey, but Nelson Sardelli—a former Las Vegas entertainer.When she confronted Mickey with the news, he insisted he was her father, and the topic was never brought up again.Still, the revelation left her with lingering questions: Was she Hungarian like Mickey, or Italian like Sardelli?READ MORE: ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Fans, Brace Yourselves: NBC Just Revealed Olivia Benson’s FateIn a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mariska recalled seeing Sardelli perform in Atlantic City when she was 30, and introducing herself to him.Sardelli was overcome with emotion when they finally met, telling her, “I’ve been waiting 30 years for this moment.”But Mariska wasn’t ready to dive into the moment. Channeling her SVU alter ego, she admitted she went “full Olivia Benson” on him.READ MORE: A Fan-Favorite Is Returning to ‘Law & Order: SVU’ and It’s About Time“I was like, ‘I don’t want anything, I don’t need anything from you… I have a dad. There was something about loyalty. I wanted to be loyal to Mickey," she recalled.After the meeting, the mother of three wrestled with a harsh truth: “Knowing I’ve been living a lie my entire life.”Sardelli, along with her two half-sisters, participates in the documentary as well.Mariska Hargitay Breaks Her Silence on Family’s Hidden Secret: 'It's Time'Jamie McCarthy, Getty Imagesloading...In the documentary, Mariska notes that "it's time" she reveals her family secret.In 1967, Mariska was only 3 years old when her two brothers and mom were involved in a car accident.She and her siblings were injured but survived; however, Mansfield died at 34."I don’t remember the accident. I don’t even remember being told that my mother had died," Mariska told Vanity Fair.Celebrities Who Have a Lot of KidsFrom reality TV stars to legendary musicians, these celebrities have more children than you could fit in a minivan! Gallery Credit: Ryan Reichard Filed Under: Mariska HargitayCategories: Celebrity News

What makes for a quintessentially country farmhouse living room? When you think about the classic, homey style, you likely imagine a warm space filled with a sink-into-me sofa (perhaps positioned around an inviting fireplace), a comfy chair for reading or cross-stitching, and that one special quilt everyone calls first dibs on. There might be a wood-clad ceiling overhead, a perfectly imperfect worn rug underfoot, and charming shiplap or wainscoting wrapping the room. Whatever design elements make up the rustic farmhouse living room of your dreams, you’ll find loads of decorating inspiration here in these pictures of farmhouse living room ideas from our favorite country homes.For a collected-over-time style, a cozy farmhouse living room with color and pattern brings a lived-in, homespun feel (think cottagecore design vibes). In these rooms, you’ll find classic checks and florals, vintage items and antiques, and personal collections on display. For modern farmhouse living room ideas, look for more contemporary and calming ideas—neutral backdrops and architectural features like stone, wood beams, and windows. Bring traditional farmhouse living room designs to your home, wherever you live.Love farmhouse style? Here are more farmhouse decorating ideas for other rooms in your home: 1Divide an Open SpaceJane BeilesIn this 200-year-old Federal farmhouse, a barn (really!) was attached to the house to create a soaring entertaining area. “It was music to my ears—I’d always wanted to do it,” says homeowner Ali Mahon. To utilize the open space, it was divided into “rooms,” including a dining nook and two stories of living areas filled with character-rich antiques, including a wicker trunk-turned-coffee table and a graphic 19th-century banner weather vane. A large handcrafted iron chandelier looms above. 2Celebrate Organic FinishesKate S. JordanThis cozy farmhouse living room’s warmth comes from the reclaimed hemlock floorboards, newly exposed original wood beams and rafters, and gypsum plaster walls custom-tinted a soft putty color. The room’s curvy wood-framed chairs, recovered in mohair and boucle fabrics, complement the coffee table designed by Percy Bright of Jersey Ice Cream Co. A decorative screen from a Vermont antiques shop conceals the woodburning stove. Underfoot, a Scandinavian kilim rug subtly speaks to the other folk art motifs seen throughout the home.RELATED: See more of this Scandi farmhouse that will change the way you paint your walls.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Balance Heavy Wood Tones With White Sara Ligorria-TrampMany of the great room’s interior elements, from the arched ceiling beams to the unfinished floor planks, were milled from spruce and hemlock trees on this home’s Washington property. The abundance of wood never feels heavy, though, as it’s smartly balanced by the surrounding white wood-paneled and tinted plaster walls. Plentiful windows let sunlight pour into the open-concept rustic paradise. Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Snow White Milk Paint by General Finishes (3⁄4 paint, 1⁄4 water)Trim Paint Color: Milk Mustache by Dunn-Edwards PaintRELATED: See more of the new-build barn house that really masters the modern rustic look.4Pick the Right Scale FurnitureRikki Snyder for Country LivingSometimes, massive modern furniture simply doesn’t sit right in an older home. In this cozy farmhouse den, designer Christina Salway opted for a more petite sofa and assorted chairs, including these two wingbacks covered in a bold leafy motif. Even the wooden coffee table is “perfectly undersized for the space,” says Christina. New thin brick flooring ups the coziness factor, as does a jute floral rug and aviary artwork.Get the Look: Door Paint Color:Inchyra Blue by Farrow & BallAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Cozy Up to the FireplaceAlpha Smoot for Country LivingWith saturated blue walls (“It’s sort of a gentleman’s navy,” says homeowner Justin Reis), weathered floorboards, and hand-hewn beams, the living room has a built-in warm and cozy feel. The warming cabinet above the fireplace, which likely had a door at one time, offers a spot to tuck in collected treasures. The fire and candlelight emit a magical glow.Get the Look:Wall Paint Color: Dark Navy by BehrRELATED: See more of this Connecticut Georgian Colonial that is an old house lover's dream.6Wrap the Room in Reclaimed WoodLincoln BarbourThe owners of this Mississippi barn used locally sourced materials to cover the walls and ceiling. Raw and distressed wood panels from a nearby military depot wrap the room in warmth and texture. Loads of windows bring in natural light during the day, while a chandelier and mounted sconces make for a romantic glow come nighttime.RELATED: These wood ceiling ideas bring country charm to any room.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Establish a Worry-Free VibeRoger Davies, styling by Liz StrongNo velvet ropes here! In this California living room that has English cottage sensibilities, being worry-free is key. Items like the weathered antique butcher-block coffee table, washable slipcovers on the deep sofa and swivel chairs, and a thick sisal rug establish the home’s kick-up-your-feet feeling.RELATED: Tour more of this cozy California cottage. 8Build with Reclaimed MaterialsBrie Williams for Country LivingBuilt with North Carolina stone, this living room’s fireplace gives a proud nod to the home’s location. Other rustic architectural details, like log skins that were salvaged from old barns in the Midwest and the reclaimed beams from an 1800s Massachusetts mill, add loads of been-there-forever charm to this new farmhouse build.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Celebrate (Unpainted) ShiplapVictoria Pearson, styling by Liz StrongDuring this home renovation, the couple uncovered original wood shiplap beneath the paneling. They removed the pieces one by one, cleaned them up, and then repurposed the boards as the wall in this sitting room, as well as in the entry, kitchen, and bunk room. A vintage bookcase from a medical office is home to books and various collectibles.RELATED: See more of how this run-down Texas farmhouse became this family's dream home.10Add Instant Patina with Salvaged BeamsStephen Karlisch for Country LivingWood beams salvaged from deconstructed barns and other old buildings add instant age to this beautifully calming living room. Rustic architectural accents, artwork, and the pretty patterned rug are the visual focus in this warm, neutral space. RELATED: 6 Best Places to Find or Buy Reclaimed Wood Near YouAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below11Roll Out a One-of-a-Kind RugDavid A. Land for Country LivingA rug really pulls a room together in a way no other accessory does. As a general rule, the front legs of all seating pieces should comfortably fit on the rug. If you have a smaller rug that doesn’t quite fit that requirement, layer it atop a larger sisal rug. We love this trick for a farmhouse living room decorating idea on a budget!RELATED: See more of this restored 1800s farmhouse that is proof that some things just get better with age.12Get Cozy with ColorNick JohnsonIn this cozy farmhouse living room, high-end fabrics (predominantly in stunning blues) on the sofa, velvet ottoman, chair, and pillows balance this country home’s rustic characteristics. The painted fireplace facade ties the whole room together. RELATED: See more of this 100-year-old Michigan farmhouse that oozes vintage charm.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Redefine RusticZIO AND SONSIn this modern farmhouse living room, architectural elements—wide-planked wood floors, ceiling beams, horizontal shiplap wainscoting—are softened with a comfy sectional piled with pillows and sleek, streamlined design choices, like the hanging chair, wood-and-iron coffee table, and handmade oak stump side table. A round iron chandelier crowns the family space.RELATED: 30 Charming Farmhouse Decor Items You Can Buy Now on Amazon14Play Around with PatternRoger Davies for Country LivingChecks and florals live in perfect harmony in this cozy living room. To keep the family space from leaning too traditional with the iconic buffalo check-covered sofa and wildflower chintz chair, designer Bailey McCarthy brought in a clean-lined steel-framed coffee table and a graphic longhorn painting for over the fireplace. RELATED: This darling white farmhouse in Texas proves that old-fashioned favorites are new again.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Incorporate Vintage TreasuresAnnie SchlechterAtop a fresh coat of crisp white paint on the walls, trim, and mantel, vintage scores take center stage. Found objects always tell a story. Here, in this small farmhouse living room, the banners hanging above the striped sofa came from a church, the trunk-turned-coffee table came from a Tennessee stable, and the black-and-white family photos lend personal history.RELATED: See more of this old Kentucky farmhouse gets the ultimate makeover.16Leave Windows BareMax Kim-BeeThanks to no window coverings, natural light pours in to this pretty Catskills living room. Bold painted window trim contrasts the creamy white walls and frames the view beyond.RELATED: Refresh your space with our favorite living room paint colors.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Create a Focal PointJames MerrellA stone fireplace provides a cozy focal point for a pair of comfy armchairs and ottoman, all upholstered in a pretty floral pattern. Hand-hewn log cabin walls and rustic ceiling beams wrap the room in natural warmth. RELATED: 50 Fireplace and Mantel Decor Ideas for a Cozy Upgrade18Pack In the CharmHelen NormanWe love this space for its small farmhouse living room ideas—packed-in charm, mismatched furniture (a handsome leather Chesterfield sofa, wood pieces)—and its architectural elements, like the painted pine-paneled walls, ceiling beams, four-pane windows, and a front-and-center fireplace. RELATED: Tour more of this charming cottage that is straight out of a storybook.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Start with a Neutral BaseLincoln BarbourWrapping the room in a clean white provides a blank canvas for this inviting living room’s layered, lived-in look. Starting with the weathered ceiling beams that were salvaged from an old warehouse, top-to-bottom texture brings character galore. A pair of tufted velvet armchairs, layered rugs (genius for filling a large living room space!), a plaid blanket, and rustic accessories like the tobacco basket above the fireplace, are the secret to this room’s success.RELATED: See more of this rustic Tennessee home that does white totally right.20Feature Favorite AntiquesAdam Albright, styling by Matthew GleasonThis lake house living room is big on the farmhouse style rule of living with antiques and vintage finds. A tufted navy sofa is piled with pillows made from old camp blankets and draped with a red-and-white antique quilt. A collection of paint-by-numbers surrounds an antique cuckoo clock on the painted shiplap wall above.RELATED: 50+ Gallery Wall Ideas to Display All Your Favorite ThingsAmy MitchellManaging EditorAmy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.

OpinionMay 14, 20254 min readScience Tells Us the U.S. Is Heading toward a DictatorshipThe red flags abound—political research tells us the U.S. is becoming an autocracyBy Dan Vergano President Donald Trump delivers address to a joint session of Congress, split image seen from watching television, March 4, 2025. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty ImagesAs president, Donald Trump pretty much checks all the warning boxes for an autocrat. Last September Scientific American warned of Trump’s “nonsensical conspiracy fantasies,” that he “ignores the climate crisis” and has fondness for “unqualified ideologues,” whom he would appoint should he become president again. It’s now May and sadly, that all checks out.The U.S. is in a bad place, and scholars warn, looks to be headed for worse.Worse even than Trump’s relentless attacks on science have been his administration’s assaults on the law. His officials have illegally fired federal workers, impounded congressional appropriations and seized people off the street for deportations to foreign prisons, threatening the same for all U.S. citizens. “The depth and breadth of this administration’s disregard for civil liberties, political pluralism, the separation of powers and legal constraints of all kinds mark it as an authoritarian regime,” law professor David Pozen of the Columbia University School of Law told the New York Times in April.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.We should all be worried that the U.S. is headed toward an autocracy—government by one person—even without political science offering a warning. But scholarship on how nations descend into this unfortunate state, seen in places like Turkey and Hungary, might not surprise you with what it suggests about the U.S.“Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, the country has embarked on the slippery slope toward autocracy,” concludes political scientist Daniel Stockemer of the University of Ottawa, in a May report in Politics & Policy. Rather than a coup, Trump’s attacks on law firms, universities, immigrants and others constitute “a more incremental form of democratic erosion,” he writes, one that follows a six-step theory of incremental autocratization based on research on the democratic backsliding seen worldwide in recent decades. The model arose in major part from the work of political scientist Marianne Kneuer of TU Dresden. She looked at the last quarter-century’s collapse in Venezuela, examining how states turn from democratic to autocratic in stages, as opposed to a sudden coup.The U.S. has already breached the first three steps of Stockemer’s theory. The first step is one of social turmoil; this originated with the Tea Party movement during the Obama administration. Marked by angry politics, backlash against minorities and immigrants, and distrust in institutions, the U.S. has in the last two decades changed from a “full” to a “flawed” democracy, according to the Economist’s global democracy index.The second step requires a “project of radical change,” like the populist movement of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez in the 1990s, or in the U.S. case Trump’s MAGA movement, which defends white, male privileges and holds prime loyalty for many Republicans.The third step is a “decisive electoral victory,” applicable to Chavez in 1999 or Trump in 2024, the latter a vote that also brought Trump control of a subservient Congress.That leaves us at the edge of the fourth step, the dismantling of checks and balances on executive power.“If my theory is correct, the U.S. is still in this transition phase between democracy and autocracy,” says Stockemer, by e-mail. “If they move more in the direction of autocracy, we would see that the administration tries to defy more court orders.” One key part of the fourth step is the declaration of fabricated emergencies, such as the “red scare” of the McCarthy era, to trample checks and balances, such as the judiciary’s control of the legal system. In May, for example, the White House deputy chief of staff suggested Trump could unilaterally suspend habeas corpus, a legal remedy for unlawful detention that dates at least to the Magna Carta and is in the U.S. Constitution, to summarily round up immigrants. He cited an imaginary “invasion”—even though border crossings are at their lowest point in U.S, history, according to Trump’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency—as a reason. The courts would likely resist such a move, as the Supreme Court did under the Bush administration in 2008, and whether the Trump administration abides by judicial decisions will determine whether the fourth step has occurred.Warnings of the fifth step on the road to autocracy, securing long-term power, come in Trump’s musing of seeking an unconstitutional third term as president. The final step, the infringement of basic rights and freedoms, also is flashing warning signs, says Stockemer. These are already evident in executive orders that disengage the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council, remove transgender service members from the military and privilege Christianity. He predicts that attacks on minority voting rights in 2026 and 2028 would be an expected outcome of this step.A simpler “competitive authoritarianism” yardstick for measuring democratic collapse comes from political scientists Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way and Daniel Ziblatt earlier this month. “We propose a simple metric: the cost of opposing the government,” they write in the New York Times. By that measure, they add, the U.S. has already crossed that line, ordering Department of Justice investigations into perceived political enemies, donors to the Democratic Party and news outlets ranging from CBS News to the Des Moines Register. “The administration’s authoritarian offensive has had a clear impact. It has changed how Americans behave, forcing them to think twice,” they added.The good news is that the slide into autocracy isn’t inevitable for the U.S. The courts may hold, Congress may start listening to protestors as Trump’s approval rating slides, and the Republican coalition, described as “Big Tech on one side, white nationalists on the other,” in the Boston Review, may fracture.Even so, the damage already done is real: “It is very easy to destroy something such as USAID, but it takes a long time to rebuild it both physically and also in a trust sense, both in America and abroad,” says Stockemer, noting the rapid plummet of Canadian attitudes toward the U.S., from positive to sharply negative. “I can tear down a house in a day, but it will take a year or longer to rebuild it.”This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

"Artificial intelligence, if we're being frank, is a con: a bill of goods you are being sold to line someone's pockets."That is the heart of the argument that linguist Emily Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna make in their new book The AI Con. It's a useful guide for anyone whose life has intersected with technologies sold as artificial intelligence and anyone who's questioned their real usefulness, which is most of us. Bender is a professor at the University of Washington who was named one of Time magazine's most influential people in artificial intelligence, and Hanna is the director of research at the nonprofit Distributed AI Research Institute and a former member of the ethical AI team at Google.The explosion of ChatGPT in late 2022 kicked off a new hype cycle in AI. Hype, as the authors define it, is the "aggrandizement" of technology that you are convinced you need to buy or invest in "lest you miss out on entertainment or pleasure, monetary reward, return on investment, or market share." But it's not the first time, nor likely the last, that scholars, government leaders and regular people have been intrigued and worried by the idea of machine learning and AI.Bender and Hanna trace the roots of machine learning back to the 1950s, to when mathematician John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence. It was in an era when the United States was looking to fund projects that would help the country gain any kind of edge on the Soviets militarily, ideologically and technologically. "It didn't spring whole cloth out of Zeus's head or anything. This has a longer history," Hanna said in an interview with CNET. "It's certainly not the first hype cycle with, quote, unquote, AI."Today's hype cycle is propelled by the billions of dollars of venture capital investment into startups like OpenAI and the tech giants like Meta, Google and Microsoft pouring billions of dollars into AI research and development. The result is clear, with all the newest phones, laptops and software updates drenched in AI-washing. And there are no signs that AI research and development will slow down, thanks in part to a growing motivation to beat China in AI development. Not the first hype cycle indeed.Of course, generative AI in 2025 is much more advanced than the Eliza psychotherapy chatbot that first enraptured scientists in the 1970s. Today's business leaders and workers are inundated with hype, with a heavy dose of FOMO and seemingly complex but often misused jargon. Listening to tech leaders and AI enthusiasts, it might seem like AI will take your job to save your company money. But the authors argue that neither is wholly likely, which is one reason why it's important to recognize and break through the hype.So how do we recognize AI hype? These are a few telltale signs, according to Bender and Hanna, that we share below. The authors outline more questions to ask and strategies for AI hype busting in their book, which is out now in the US.Watch out for language that humanizes AIAnthropomorphizing, or the process of giving an inanimate object human-like characteristics or qualities, is a big part of building AI hype. An example of this kind of language can be found when AI companies say their chatbots can now "see" and "think."These can be useful comparisons when trying to describe the ability of new object-identifying AI programs or deep-reasoning AI models, but they can also be misleading. AI chatbots aren't capable of seeing of thinking because they don't have brains. Even the idea of neural nets, Hanna noted in our interview and in the book, is based on human understanding of neurons from the 1950s, not actually how neurons work, but it can fool us into believing there's a brain behind the machine.That belief is something we're predisposed to because of how we as humans process language. We're conditioned to imagine that there is a mind behind the text we see, even when we know it's generated by AI, Bender said. "We interpret language by developing a model in our minds of who the speaker was," Bender added.In these models, we use our knowledge of the person speaking to create meaning, not just using the meaning of the words they say. "So when we encounter synthetic text extruded from something like ChatGPT, we're going to do the same thing," Bender said. "And it is very hard to remind ourselves that the mind isn't there. It's just a construct that we have produced."The authors argue that part of why AI companies try to convince us their products are human-like is that this sets the foreground for them to convince us that AI can replace humans, whether it's at work or as creators. It's compelling for us to believe that AI could be the silver bullet fix to complicated problems in critical industries like health care and government services.But more often than not, the authors argue, AI isn't bring used to fix anything. AI is sold with the goal of efficiency, but AI services end up replacing qualified workers with black box machines that need copious amounts of babysitting from underpaid contract or gig workers. As Hanna put it in our interview, "AI is not going to take your job, but it will make your job shittier."Be dubious of the phrase 'super intelligence'If a human can't do something, you should be wary of claims that an AI can do it. "Superhuman intelligence, or super intelligence, is a very dangerous turn of phrase, insofar as it thinks that some technology is going to make humans superfluous," Hanna said. In "certain domains, like pattern matching at scale, computers are quite good at that. But if there's an idea that there's going to be a superhuman poem, or a superhuman notion of research or doing science, that is clear hype." Bender added, "And we don't talk about airplanes as superhuman flyers or rulers as superhuman measurers, it seems to be only in this AI space that that comes up."The idea of AI "super intelligence" comes up often when people talk about artificial general intelligence. Many CEOs struggle to define what exactly AGI is, but it's essentially AI's most advanced form, potentially capable of making decisions and handling complex tasks. There's still no evidence we're anywhere near a future enabled by AGI, but it's a popular buzzword.Many of these future-looking statements from AI leaders borrow tropes from science fiction. Both boosters and doomers — how Bender and Hanna describe AI enthusiasts and those worried about the potential for harm — rely on sci-fi scenarios. The boosters imagine an AI-powered futuristic society. The doomers bemoan a future where AI robots take over the world and wipe out humanity.The connecting thread, according to the authors, is an unshakable belief that AI is smarter than humans and inevitable. "One of the things that we see a lot in the discourse is this idea that the future is fixed, and it's just a question of how fast we get there," Bender said. "And then there's this claim that this particular technology is a step on that path, and it's all marketing. It is helpful to be able to see behind it."Part of why AI is so popular is that an autonomous functional AI assistant would mean AI companies are fulfilling their promises of world-changing innovation to their investors. Planning for that future — whether it's a utopia or dystopia — keeps investors looking forward as the companies burn through billions of dollars and admit they'll miss their carbon emission goals. For better or worse, life is not science fiction. Whenever you see someone claiming their AI product is straight out of a movie, it's a good sign to approach with skepticism. Ask what goes in and how outputs are evaluatedOne of the easiest ways to see through AI marketing fluff is to look and see whether the company is disclosing how it operates. Many AI companies won't tell you what content is used to train their models. But they usually disclose what the company does with your data and sometimes brag about how their models stack up against competitors. That's where you should start looking, typically in their privacy policies.One of the top complaints and concerns from creators is how AI models are trained. There are many lawsuits over alleged copyright infringement, and there are a lot of concerns over bias in AI chatbots and their capacity for harm. "If you wanted to create a system that is designed to move things forward rather than reproduce the oppressions of the past, you would have to start by curating your data," Bender said. Instead, AI companies are grabbing "everything that wasn't nailed down on the internet," Hanna said.If you're hearing about an AI product for the first time, one thing in particular to look out for is any kind of statistic that highlights its effectiveness. Like many other researchers, Bender and Hanna have called out that a finding with no citation is a red flag. "Anytime someone is selling you something but not giving you access to how it was evaluated, you are on thin ice," Bender said.It can be frustrating and disappointing when AI companies don't disclose certain information about how their AI products work and how they were developed. But recognizing those holes in their sales pitch can help deflate hype, even though it would be better to have the information. For more, check out our full ChatGPT glossary and how to turn off Apple Intelligence.