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Researchers have created the first laboratory analog of the 'black hole bomb', a theoretical concept developed by physicists in the 1970s. If there's one thing black holes are known for, it's their insatiable, inescapable gravity. Stuff goes into a black hole. From beyond the event horizon, this is, as far as we know, true. But from the space around a black hole, you might be able to get something. As Roger Penrose proposed in 1971, the powerful rotational energy of a spinning black hole could be used to amplify the energy of nearby particles. Then, physicist Yakov Zel'Dovich figured out...

In the seventh century BCE, the Greek poet Homer wrote the Odyssey. This fascinating tale of adventure and loss would captivate readers for centuries, even millennia. It tells the story of Odysseus attempting to travel home after the Trojan War. One of the most intriguing things about this lengthy poem is that there is significant controversy surrounding the locations mentioned throughout. Based on the best available evidence, where did Odysseus really travel to in the Odyssey? Does the Odyssey take place all over the Mediterranean? The most common belief is that the Odyssey takes place over a very large area....

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Saturday she declined President Trump’s offer for US troops to crack down on the fentanyl produced by cartels in her country. The world leaders spoke recently by phone when Trump broached the topic of making American military service members available for operations inside Mexico, where traffickers concoct the deadly synthetic opioid using precursor chemicals imported primarily from China. “I told him, ‘No, President Trump, our territory is inviolable, our sovereignty is inviolable, our sovereignty is not for sale,'” Sheinbaum revealed during an event. We will never accept the presence of the United States Army in...

[Catholic Caucus] Imagining a Restorative ConclaveThe pope has died. As good Catholics we always pray for and commend the souls of all who have died to the mercy of God. This we also do for the man chosen by conclave in 2013 to serve in the office of supreme pontiff for these past twelve years. Requiescat in pace, Pope Francis.One of the most important consolations for all of us, if not the ultimate gift, are the prayers of the Church, the power of Christ on Earth, through His Mystical Body, to sanctify and save our souls. Above all it is...

In less than two weeks, two extraordinary elements of the Donald Trump legal saga will collide — the battle to bring down Trump’s tariffs, and the Trump administration’s fight to prevent judges from blocking his policies across the country. The Court of International Trade is set to hold oral argument on May 13 in one of the growing number of cases that challenge the bulk of the Trump tariff regime. The lawsuits, which are strong on the merits, argue that the tariffs are not legally authorized under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, the law that Trump has invoked.At issue...

Cult coffee chain Starbucks has sparked uproar among Gen Z workers after drastically changing their uniform. In a video posted to X, Starbucks union workers in Seattle can be seen marching on management in response to the new dress code. The clip was captioned, “Starbucks workers across the country are facing understaffing, inaccessible benefits, discrimination, and low wages. “Instead of fixing these issues, Starbucks decided to introduce an unpopular, more conservative dress code.” A barista wearing a bandana and a party hat can be seen addressing management, saying, “I don’t understand how [the dress code] is in good faith of...

Democratic political strategist James Carville expressed frustration with the state of his party on his podcast Thursday, arguing that Republicans are able to get away with lying while Democrats are held to a higher standard of credibility. Talking to guest Ryan Lizza, a journalist, he said, “People say to me all the time, ‘James, why don’t we just do like the Republicans do? Just stand up and lie?’ Because our f—ing people wouldn’t stand for it!” Carville said. “If I stood up and lied, you would be the first person to say, ‘James Carville lost all credibility last night when...

A U.S. Army soldier is facing drug-related charges in connection with a recent raid by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a Colorado Springs, Colorado, raid. The raid led to the arrest of 114 illegal aliens and the seizure of handguns, drug paraphernalia, and narcotics. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rogriguez, a 28-year-old soldier, is facing federal criminal charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine after his arrest in connection with the recent DEA raid of an underground, unlawful nightclub in Colorado Springs. Orona-Rodriguez is accused of selling cocaine to an undercover DEA agent. According...

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Chipotle executives unveiled plans today for the restaurant chain to somehow get even worse. After a decade of steadily transforming its once-delicious food into tasteless crap, Chipotle still believes there is room to be more awful. "People say it isn't possible, but we're going to show them," said Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright. "Chipotle has yet to really scrape the bottom of how lousy our food can be. You think our chicken is overcooked now? You just wait, buddy. We're about to go radioactive on those birds." In addition to making the food even more terrible, Chipotle...

Explanation: Like Earth's moon, Saturn's largest moon Titan is locked in synchronous rotation with its planet. This mosaic of images recorded by the Cassini spacecraft in May of 2012 shows its anti-Saturn side, the side always facing away from the ringed gas giant. The only moon in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, Titan is the only solar system world besides Earth known to have standing bodies of liquid on its surface and an earthlike cycle of liquid rain and evaporation. Its high altitude layer of atmospheric haze is evident in the Cassini view of the 5,000 kilometer diameter...

After great reviews and buzz, Ryan Coogler's vampire film had an extraordinary second weekend at the box office. It's a victory for a wholly original big-budget film in a cinema landscape dominated by familiar franchises. …Featuring Michael B Jordan as a pair of twins defending their juke joint from vampires, Sinners is a horror film – but it's also a blues musical, a gangster thriller and a deeply-researched period drama about Mississippi in the 1930s. It doesn't stick to the rules of one particular genre, and it isn't based on existing intellectual property (IP), so audiences don't come to it...

The annual spectacle and revelry of the world's most famous horse race was interrupted by an awkward moment as Kristi Noem attended the Kentucky Derby to see if any horses needed to be put down. The South Dakota governor arrived at Churchill Downs decked out in the traditional spectator garb, complete with a festive hat and brandishing a shotgun with which she offered to put any unwanted horses out of their misery. "Hey, guys! I'm ready to shoot some animals if anyone needs me to! Anyone? Anyone have a bad horse they need me to take care of?" Noem shouted...

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared to be backing away from diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the city’s fire department after facing massive backlash over the poor response to the deadly wildfires earlier this year. Last week, Bass released her balanced budget proposal for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Her proposal included the goal of hiring 227 new positions at the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) with approximately half of them being firefighters. Bass also requested in the proposal that the LAFD Fire Chief take the "necessary steps" to begin consolidating the Bureau of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion into the...

For the past two decades, umpires were working with a "buffer zone" that gave them 2 inches of leeway — on all sides of the plate, inside and outside the strike zone — when they were graded on how accurately they called balls and strikes. Now, however, that buffer zone has shrunk, from 2 inches on all sides to just three-quarters of an inch on all sides

The Racial Slur Database, since 1999. Not copyrighted in any way, shape or form. This database was created entirely from data gleaned off the 'net and via submissions from people like you and your parents. It's supposed to be funny and/or informational. Calm down.

Self-checkout is checking out. Target is removing self-checkout stations from stores as thieves use the kiosks to conduct their crimes. Last March, the popular chain announced plans to limit self-checkout to 10 items and limit or remove self-checkout kiosks amid complaints about clunky technology and concerns about rising theft. Along with paring back customers’ self-checkout hauls, stores will expand the number of traditional checkout lanes available. Reddit user @jxbermudez72 shared a photo two weeks ago showing where the store they shop at had a large empty space where the self-check out stations had been. “The target I live near completely...

China may be warming to the possibility of holding talks with the U.S. on tariffs, following a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry on Friday.“The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the ministry statement translated by Reuters said, adding that Beijing was “evaluating this.”What observers are calling a “shift in tone” may present an off ramp for the world’s two largest economies to avoid an ongoing trade war that has impacted markets worldwide.However, the ministry also warned that “attempting to use talks...

Chinese officials have long used their willingness to cooperate to stem the flow of fentanyl to the United States as leverage in talks over broader disputes.When Donald J. Trump was first in the White House trying to strike a trade deal with China, Beijing tried to curry favor with the American president by banning all variants of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Now, as China and the United States are deadlocked in a bitter trade war that has roiled the world, offering to do more to further stem the flow of fentanyl and the chemicals used to make it could...

This week, President Donald J. Trump celebrated his 100th day in office — and set the course for the next 100 days of growth, prosperity, and success for the American people.Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 15:The economy added 177,000 new jobs in April, according to the latest jobs report — smashing expectations for another month as the workforce grows and businesses onshore jobs.President Donald J. Trump’s relentless pursuit of manufacturing dominance spurred onshoring and additional U.S. investment. Mercedes-Benz announced it will move production of another vehicle to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama, manufacturing facility.AstraZeneca announced it will shift...

Today, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) announced the second installment of critical mineral production projects to be featured as FAST-41 transparency projects. This second batch of projects is part of an ongoing series of critical projects receiving the transparency of the Federal Permitting Dashboard in response to President Trump’s Executive Order, Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production.“The Permitting Council is excited to grow our portfolio of critical mineral production projects with this latest tranche,” says Manisha Patel, Permitting Council Acting Executive Director. “The transparency that these projects will receive as a result of being featured on...